Crochet a postage stamp!

Hello! How are you going?  

I have been busy, want to see what I have been hooking up over the weekend? 

I have been making some little crochet stamps.  You know, like postage stamps but woolly!

I know that this is a totally impractical and whimsical thing to make, not really useful, but I think they are really cute and would be a lovely thing to receive stuck on a bit of snail mail. (Maybe somewhere inside the envelope not actually on the outside of the mail!) 

And that is why I decided to have a go at making a crochet postage stamp, I like to add a postcard with a thank you message to all yarn orders that go out of my shop, and I like to stick a little decorative bit of crochet, like a flower or heart or whatever I have been making.  

One of the ladies who did the Blog with Pip course, Yvette of Bear Loves Dove, has started a little linky thing called 'Smile Inducers', and that is what I was trying to create when people open up there postcard, a little smile inducing moment.  I was thinking it would be nice to make an actual stamp out of yarn to go on the postcard. So this is what I came up with!

I thought I'd make a little tutorial so you can make your own crochet stamps too, to pretty up your mail or gifts.  So get out your small hooks and fine thread and lets make a stamp !

Ok, firstly crochet up some little squares, mine where 12 stitches by 12 rows, I used a 4ply cotton and a 2mm hook.  Make 2 of each colour, 1 for the front and 1 for the back.

Next, get your embroidery cottons out and have a bit of a play embroidering on patterns of your own choice to personalise your stamps, you can do anything you like!  Some suggestions - words, flowers, hearts, geometric patterns, smiley faces, etc. Embroider onto one piece of your crochet that will become the front of your stamp.

I have embroidered some flowers on mine.

Next, get your back and front and crochet them together using a slip stitch through both layers, with picots every second stitch to create a kind of 'stampy' edge all the way around your stamp. This means that all the messy back bits of the embroidery are hidden inside the two layers.

 I used a 1.5mm hook for the edge.

Sew in your ends and there you have it, a crochet stamp!

What do you think?  I am really happy how this little project turned out.  I know these are purely decorative, but sometimes it is nice to make something just for the fun of it, to create something to put a smile on your face. 

I might hook up some more of these for a wooly stamp collection, or just to add something whimsical to my thank you postcards.  It was nice to do some embroidery for a change too.

......this is what the backs look like, quite neat and tidy........

......so that is what I have been up to, have you been making anything fun?
Are you someone who makes practical things, or are you more into the cute little useless fun make?
I think I do a bit of both.  Or course it is great if you can make something practical that is cute and fun as well!

I just had a thought that they would make nice brooches if you sewed a pin to the back,
 so quite multi functional after all!

Have a great happy day.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tweety Bird Softie -Tadah!

Sooooo....... how's your day been going? 

It's pretty grey here, I have been trying to make the most of some sporadic sun and take a few pictures of my new softie that I showed you a bit of yesterday.

Tadah! 

So this is my version of a bird, still quite owl-like but I was trying for more of a kooky, parroty type bird this time.  Not sure how successful I was!  It's been a while since I made a softie, and it was really enjoyable to make something a bit whimsical.

I made some little feathery things for a bit of a flamboyant crest, a bit like the peacock that has been visiting us.

The green and red honeycombish stitch that I have used for the body, was something I came up with while trying to create a polka dot type effect, it's not too far away from polka dots.

I like this stitch combo a lot!

I am sure I'm not the first one to come up with this stitch combo, but I have no idea what it's called, I think it is quite effective though, and have plans for a few other projects using something like this.

Stay tuned!

....same old stitched and embroidered face as my other softies, I am getting a bit predictable i think!

Here she is on the work table like yesterday, I don't have a pattern for this tweety bird, as I made her up as I went, but I might make another one in different colours and a slightly different shape and I will try and write a pattern as I go, but that could be a little while down the track!

On a slightly different note, I was wondering if anyone out there would be interested in a little crochet-a-long?  I am thinking of making another mixed stripey blanket, using some of the interesting stitches I have come across in the last few months, and I thought it might be fun to make up a pattern and share it with you all, and kind of make it in stages together?  

I will see if anyone is interested, this idea still needs a fair bit of thought, as i have some ideas for a pattern but haven't drawn anything up yet.

Anyhoo, it could be fun, but we will see!

Talk soon!

Have a great weekend!

something new to do.....

It's my birthday in a couple of days and my dear old grandpa sent me down some money, and I just happened to see this lovely book so I decided it was a great way to spend my birthday treat!
"Doodle Stitching" by Aimee Ray has me wanting to start covering everything I see in lots of embroidered cuteness! I have not done much embroidery, and don't know how to do proper stitches or anything, but I think I can see myself learning lots of great stuff from this book.
Thought I'd show you some of the yummy little projects and bits of inspiration....


.......loving these little trees, can see a whole forest being created here......



.......gorgeous little balsa wood embroidered charms/broaches , who would think to embroider wood? Looks very doable......


........ gorgeous fruit and veg for shopping bags.......



.......and super cute hand stitched gift tags, embroidering through card, something else to have a go at...


..... here's what you can do when you put it all together!



.....I love these tree motifs, I think they will be my first try things. So, do you want to have a go at embroidery now too? It doesn't seem too hard and it looks pretty hip!




And just a little sneak peak at the completed flower mobile thingamajig, hoping to find a good place to hang it and take some spiffy pics to show you soon!

Have a great day!