rubykittyruby

 I suggested yesterday that I'd run through how to make a fabric bird wall or window hanging (can't think of a snappier title for it than that!) so here goes.  I'll start with the first decorative hanging I made.   It's something you could make in any colour combination you want, and would look good hanging at a window with translucent beads that'd catch the light   I used five birds for this, but you could make it longer if you prefer.  (Incidentally, if you're wondering about what's hanging off the bottom on this, it's a metal Christmas decoration, shaped like a lantern.  For some reason I thought it looked appropriate to leave it there, looped over the end.)   WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO GATHER TOGETHER:  Assorted scraps of fabric for the front of the birds - aim for a mix of colours and textures.  Silk looks good, as does anything with embroidery or intricate patterns.  You might aim for a hippy-ish boho look, or maybe you're ...

My spirits definitely lift when the sun makes an appearance, even if it's a bright but distinctly chilly day as it was this morning.  I've been finishing these notebooks, meant as Christmas gifts.  I'm not the world's best at accurate cutting when it comes to the pages inside, but I'm improving as I make more of these little books.  They contain blank copier paper, and I've used a corner-cutting device to make the pages look a wee bit more professional.  The card used as covers has itself been covered by my gell prints, and I've used different prints outside and inside to add extra interest.  Hopefully these books will be well received when they turn up in various Christmas stockings.   I managed to get a hefty wedge of cardstock for a bargain price of a fiver yesterday.  I don't bother much with Facebook - and certainly don't post any highly personal info on it - but occasionally I browse the marketplace section, and found someone local selling a...

SATURDAY:  There's no doubt winter's well and truly upon us, is there?  Last night was the first frost for many, many  months, and I'd to crack the ice on the makeshift birdbath this morning.  I made sure I topped up the peanut feeders for the hungry little birdies.  This morning I got the boring things out of the way - laundry, hoovering, paying bills - and spent a little while messing about with making a Victorian purse puzzle.  If you've not come across these before, and I hadn't until a couple of days ago, they're easy to make once you figure out which fold goes where.  If you head over to YouTube there's a short video by Leapling Studio, titled 'Make with Me: Victorian Puzzle'.  The only slightly tricky bit is creating the windmill shape, but once that's understood then you've cracked it.  I'm not much good at drawing, but I splashed watercolours paints and coloured pencils over a square of sketchpad paper, and am still trying to con...

  I had a few requests after posting this photo on Facebook, people asking if I could explain how I made these paper flowers. Your wish is my command, and here's the info.  It's all very simple and you don't need any advanced drawing skills.  So grab a stack of gell prints, a pair of scissors and off we go!  The type of print that seems to work best is one where there's a fair amount of detail, rather than a block of solid plain colour.  Prints where you've maybe channelled your inner Elizabeth St. Hilaire and 'layered layered layered' as she's always urging us to do.  POPPIES If we start with simple poppy seed heads and stalks, they're cut freehand from paper that's mainly shades of orange and brown.  I glued those on to a sheet of white copier paper, then cut them out, leaving a narrow border around each.  Backing the gell print with the white paper adds that contrasting border, but also strengthens the piece, especially the thin stalks. ...

I was toddling around Leeds city centre yesterday, and re-acquainting myself with how busy it gets on a Saturday and how overwhelming all the crowds and noise feel.  Sensory overload!  Anyway, I was attending a Let Women Speak event, listening to speeches about defending womens hard-won rights and about child safeguarding.  I realised there was also an anti-war march winding through the city centre, so a lot of police were in evidence, vans parked everywhere and police horses on duty too.   Before the event started I had some spare time, so took a few photos of the wonderful architecture you can find in the surrounding streets.  Lots of Victorian buildings, still looking splendid so many decades later.  I wonder if the same will be same for our modern tower blocks?  I bet they don't stand the test of time as well.  I'm not much of a photographer, as you'll see.   This splendid example of 1930s art deco is the Tetley building, now an...