The Introverted Crafter

Hope you've all had a good Christmas. I thought I would post today as I am back to work tomorrow. I haven't got any pictures to upload this time as I am working on a number of projects and have not finished any. Instead I thought I would share my resolutions for 2020. I was going to go simple, and take a photo every day (2020 vision and all that) but instead I am going to do 20 things in 2020. Save at least 20% of wages - a fifth of my wages will be the minimum I save each month. I'm hoping it will be a lot more.  Go for a walk 20 times a month - should be an easy one for me seeing as how I walk to work, but I want to do more than that. I want to go for walks, either on my days off or during my lunch break, weather permitting. Row or weight 20 times a month - I have a rowing machine and a kettle bell and currently I am using neither of them. That needs to change. I have spent a large portion of this year worrying about my health yet I have done nothing about it. I n

Only a short one this week  Sometimes doing anything seems like too much, including writing this blog. I've made a couple of boxes using the latest tonic studios kit. Literally everything is from the kit. They were actually quite fiddly to pit together!  I've also been working on the stitch. Had to swap out a colour cos what they provided was woefully inadequate, and I didn't have a spare.  Luckily it works quite well, but its not tge point. If you buy a kit you should have everything you need in It, and more than enough thread to be getting on with. I've finally decided 2020's resolution, which I will divulge in next week's post. Until next time Ems

Thought I'd blog early this week. A few things to post, as well as the normal cross stitch update. To start, here's a simple card. I looked online for advice on how to colour hulk so that he didn't look flat. I've also made a tag, using an acrylic base this time. I edged the tag with white paint and snow tek paste, and added some tonic pearls and some gems. I coloured some wooden pieces with Lindy sprays as well as blue tinsel embossing powder, before adding some flowers and a ribbon. Finally, here is the stitch update.  Another example of how ridiculous this kit is is the amount of thread I have left over of one colour. Until next time Ems

I've not done much this week but I have completed an autumn themed tag. I started by cutting a tag and spraying it with lindys spray. I then embossed it with him holtz woodgrain folder. I then blended together various distress oxides, cutting autumn leaned out of them. I stamped and coloured an owl, then added a sentiment. I've also been working on the stitch. Not happy with it so far, as I have already run out of two colours, which shouldn't happen. The one I've just run out of isn't even halfway through the number of stitches required. I'm not the most frugal of stitches but I certainly am not wasteful enough for it to run out like that. Luckily I've got a stash of threads, and I found the right colours.  You should be able to see what it is by now. Any guesses? Until next time Ems

A week off but I've not been as busy as I hoped to be. I have made some more jewellery, worked on my latest stitch and also completed one of my to do projects. I'll start with the jewellery. I particularly like the flowers, as I like there is a small pop of colour.  Here is the progress on the stitch. I'm a tad annoyed as I am clearly going to run out of at least one colour. Thankfully I have dug out some spare thread from my stash but it's not the point   I've actually taken a picture the right way round this time!  The big project this week was lanterns. I found a set of 6 Ikea lanterns in a charity shop for 3 quid each, and wanted to make something christmassy with them. The original plan was to put houses in them but they are too small. Instead I added a flawless candle in the centre, stage and deer on the sides as well as log slices and trees with baubles on. The outside has some twine, a jingle bell and some die cut foliage and poinsetta. Th

It's been a long work week this week so not much to post. I finished my snowman stitch, and started a new one. Here's the progress so far. It's actually sideways for some reason, though you wouldn't be able to tell.at the moment. Any guesses what it Is? I've been making jewellery this week. I made eight pairs of earrings with glass globes and star sequins, and also made a necklace using silver leaves and green beads. I'm off for a week now so hopefully I should get a lot done. It's whether I can muster up the motivation that's the question.  Until next time Ems

I saw a post on the Tim holtz addict page on Facebook earlier this week, and decided to make my own version. These are obviously based on Harry potter, that iconic scene where Harry is on a broomstick chasing the key with the broken wing. The keys are paper clay, painted black and then coloured with wax. The wings are Tim holtz transparent wings that have been coated with tonic glimmer paste. I deliberately left the keys a little bent to add some authenticity. They are supposed to be old keys for a castle after all! Aside from that, I haven't done much this week. It's been a low week, which means I haven't felt the pleasure I usually feel in creating something. I've not done nothing though; I've got a project in mind at the moment so I've been preparing pieces for that. Here's a teaser.  At least I've been using up some of my stash again!  I've nearly finished my cross stitch, in fact I hope to finish it today. The only thing to do

I've made a fair bit of jewellery this week. I'm trying to use up my stash, although I have ordered a few things. Seems counter productive I know, but it's findings that I need to make new things if you get me. So this week I have made two necklaces and five pairs of earrings. The earrings are actually christmas decorations which I have added earring findings to. I've now done all the cross stitch part and am working on the back stitch. This can be hard on winter nights because of the light, but it should be done by the end of November. Until next time Ems

October is over and November has begun, which means fireworks for days on end. It also means the end of an old challenge and the start of a new one. So how did I do? Not as well as I would have liked but I did save 38% of my wage last month which is pretty good. This month it's keeping a food diary, as I am well aware that I eat too much, especially snacking. Hopefully writing it down will do the same as writing down my spends helped me last month. I've not given up on the saving either. I think keeping an eye on both things in the hope of improving my life somewhat. We'll see.  I've made a necklace this week, and worked on the cross stitch. I haven't really felt the inclination to work on anything else.  I'm still trying to get rid if some things, mainly books at the moment but also trying to use beads up. I was actually brave enough to give this necklace to somebody else as a gift. I tend to hold on to what I make, as I don't think it's good

I've been working on reducing my beading stash at the moment, trying to use things I had tucked away as I had no idea what to do with. Surprisingly seeing as how it's the longest week for me at work, I've managed to do quite a few things. There's not really any need to describe what I used so I'll just post the pictures. I've also been working on the cross stitch. I've got to a boring part now; the sky. I went on a cross stitch snobbery page the other day and I've committed two sins here. A folded piece and showing a work in progress. And don't get me started on the messy back! Well to those who may judge me on this I say I don't care. I stitch for my mental health, nothing more. It's a focus for my mind, so it doesn't wander and dwell on the what could happens. My anxiety, especially regarding my health, has been at absolute rock bottom this year but I am slowly pulling myself up again. If this helps, who cares about ho

Surprisingly for my short work week I have very little to share this week. I've not really been in the right mindset to craft. Crafting really helps mental health, but mental health can stifle creativity sometimes. This is one of those weeks. I've made a birthday card, using distress oxides to blend a sunset and then some stamps. I added a couple of butterflies on there to finish it off. I've also been working on the cross stitch. There are six separate sections of this; 2 strand full stitch, 1 strand full stitch, 1 strand half stitch, 2 strand blended full stitch, back stitch and finally French knots. I've done the 2 strand full stitch which is a major part of it, and now I'm doing the 1 strand full stitch. So that's it for this week. I have started fixing that project I screwed up a couple of weeks ago, and I've got a few projects in my head as well so hopefully there will be more next week. Ems

This week I was supposed to be showing you the piece I was working on but I screwed it up royally so I have to think about how to fix it. Not to worry, I have made a couple of things. The first is a tag. I got some distress oxides and blended them then realised they looked like the perfect sunset, so did nothing more than stamp the rest of the tag. I also used tonic kit 25 to make a lantern. The only thing not from a tonic kit was the acetate used to back up the shaker element and the ribbon at the top.  If you are wondering, there are toffee inside.  Finally, here is the update on the cross stitch.  It's coming together nicely now.  Challenge wise there are positives and negatives. I have slipped a couple of times and I don't have as many no spending days as I would like, but I still have a healthy bank balance at the moment.  Until next time  Ems

Weird thing is, I don't feel like I have done much this week, but I have a fair amount to show. Top of the list is the safari stitch, which is finally done! Awesome isn't it? I've also started working on a new stitch, and made a fair amount of progress already. It might be finished before Christmas. As you can see, there is a Christmas theme with this one. It's only a small one but that is not the reason I chose it. Well, maybe one of the reasons. I've also made a couple of things. The first is a printer tray. This is from Calico Craft Parts. I assembled it then painted it. I'm not completely happy with the painting, but painting is not one of my strong areas. After I had painted it I added a sentiment, some alcohol ink painted pearls and some pine cones.  Sorry about the poor lighting. Bugger about this time of year is that it's dark when I leave for work and dark when I get home. Maybe I need to read up on how to take good picture