Help! I think I'm melting ...

Yorkshire's officially experiencing a drought, and I'm wilting from the heat. It's that muggy, sticky kind of hot weather, and I'm lethargic and headachy. So I've neglected the allotment for the last few days, just nipping down there to gather raspberries and the very last strawberries. Instead, I've been spending my time reading the latest Richard Osman book - lovin' it - and messing about with junk journals. These homemade books are my latest obsession. I really enjoy making them, especially using up all that food packaging or scrap paper that'd otherwise be headed straight for the recycling bin. Above is one of the journals I've been making and decorating, the cover being created from a tetra pack. (That mess is my dining table! I know, I know.)

The other journal is much larger, and I reckon you can easily guess what the cover for this originally was. That logo must be one of the most recognisable on the planet!

I'm having so much fun finding ways of using up anything and everything to make pages, pockets, journal cards and tags.

Envelopes, bright pink Ryvita wrappers, even the paper bags that once contained porridge oats are finding their way into this bumper sized journal.

I've also been messing about with making fabric and paper butterflies too, for no other reason than I saw them on Instagram and thought they looked pretty. You stick odd scraps of fabric on to a piece of fairly sturdy brown paper, then cut out a butterfly shape. Add stitching, if you like, or beads or paint splatters. Whatever takes your fancy.

There won't be a lot of crafting done tomorrow as I'm hopping on the train to New Pudsey - not been there before - but I want to visit Leeds Scrapstore and hopefully snap up some bargains to include on future journal pages. Bus journeys always feel like a chore, but I still get childishly excited about a train journey. Maybe you're the same?

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Sari scraps, PVA, a couple of books and a necklace

I'm typing this as snow's falling, and has been steadily all day. It's not settling to any great extent, though I bet by tomorrow morning the paths will be slippery with ice. Which always makes me paranoid about falling over and at the very least looking undignified, but at worst breaking a bone or twisting an ankle. Oh well, it's ideal weather to stay inside and craft, isn't it? I finally got around to listing packs of sari scraps on Etsy this morning. I only made up six bundles as I've no clue whether they'll sell or if I've set a reasonable enough price point. Time will tell. This is a link to the listing, if you're interested. This vaguely pink fabric isn't from one of my Etsy packs. It's from a bit of experimenting I was doing yesterday. I'd seen a post on Instagram showing how a DIY version of batik could be done without using hot wax. The Instagrammer used PVA instead, and I wanted to try this out....

In praise of wool

Just a quick post today. I'm offering you a short but peaceful break from the overwhelmingness (is that a word?) of Christmas. By now you've probably eaten your bodyweight in sweets//roast potatoes/pigs in blankets/cake/After Eights ... whatever your festive indulgences are. You're under-exericsed, over-stimulated, feeling broke and possibly guilty about an argument with a relative or friend you've never entirely got on with. So, here's something to take your mind off all that. I've two videos to refresh and revive, and they both concern wool. Interesting fact. Well, I found it interesting. About 1% - yup, one per cent - of the world's textiles are made of wool. Out of curiosity, I also googled how much is made of cotton. That's higher, but it's only about 24% and that's heading downward instead of up. Synthetic fibres are the bulk of all textile manufacture. Anyway, back to woolly wonders. My firs...

HOW TO MAKE: these decorative birds

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 ...

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