Inspired by LimeRiot's design this morning (see: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=419025.msg4961967#msg4961967 ) I got to work on finishing my table cloth for my "man table".
I got the coasters from a previous flatmate who was throwing them out - crazy person for ever throwing things out! And I feel that the runner now links them into the table, so I'm happy about that. It's a very masculine table as you can see  

Here's a closer image of the final print: 
Picture
Meet Mr. Spikey the house Cactus
I made the runner from a sheet of fabric which is somewhere between jute and linen, artificially so I would guess - unless someone can tell me! I picked it up from a shop, knowing the texture was right but it was too plain on its own. I folded it over, and lacking a sewing machine I cheated with hemming tape. LimeRiot's design used fabric paint, and I think she got a really beautiful texture to her finished print. I used marbling inks I had lying around, because fabric paint was all the way at the shop and I already spent my craft budget on paintbrushes yesterday!


Following the technique shared by LimeRiot I printed the tablecloth with the ink. The marbling ink worked well, but the circles were 1)too "wet looking" and 2) far too dark for my taste to begin with, so I washed out the majority of the paint before sealing it with another run of the iron. 
Picture
Before I rinsed out the fabric
I'm really happy with the end effect, it's more subtle. If there was a next time I think I would try to recreate the coaster design using fabric paints. 
 
 
I've decided to shut up shop for the forseeable future. I want to concentrate on creating things I love, and if a product range is created out of this then that is great. The best ideas I see in craft come from a place of free creativity rather than from a "must make products now!" mentality, which is where I originally began. 

Time for a change in tact. 
 
Watching the BBC programs Africa has given me seriously itchy feet! 
 
Picture
I started with cheap art backing board, although I found afterwards that cork was just as cheap, I was nervous that stitching into cork would make it break up...
Picture
My finished notice board :)
After blue-tac-ing a print out calender to the wall two days ago I took a step back and thought "well that looks plain". Yesterday I took down the calender and looked to google for notice-board inspiration. I found some beautiful fabric notice boards, criss crossed with ribbon (like this one).. and decided that none of them spoke to me as much as the old brown paper I had lying in the corner of my art room. So here is my mostly-paper-mixed-media notice board design!
First I picked up a piece of backing board that would withstand a whole bunch of holes being made in it, covered it with some soft materials to round the edges and give pins something to grab onto, and wrapped it with my brown paper. These were all held on tight with clips while I sew them on using running stitch and some thick wool. 

The layers were: Kitchen blue cloth, white textured wall paper, brown wrapping paper from a parcel I received previously. All these materials were lying around the room before I began - yay for re-purposing :)
Picture

After re-blue-tac-ing my calender on I thought - what else could this notice board need? A tool belt of course! I then stitched on a piece of flowery material I had lying around so that I had 3 handy compartments for tools on the left hand side. I also added little bits of origami and drawings I hadn't found a place for yet.

But it still looked so plain!

There was nothing for it but to go outside and take a long hard think about my design. Maybe some time in the garden would inspire the next step... the dew looks so beautiful on the lawn this time of year, and so I decided to create a mini lawn on my notice board, out of old scraps of felt and my 2012 calender of course. Oh, and the green crepe my brown bag had been held together using. Such cute packaging from etsy sellers, no?! First I cut out my lawn free hand and arranged the various leaves together to form a lawn, if you're trying this yourself, just persevere, my leaves looked nothing like grass on their own, it's all in the arrangement. 
Picture
My mixed-media lawn
After moving this onto the notice board I decided to glue down each leaf at the bottom, and then weighed it down with cups and rocks while I got on with another project...
I quickly realised post-glue that PVA alone was not gonna hold felt to waxed paper, and stitched all the way along, making sure each leaf was stitched in. Finally I covered this stitching with some green ribbon I couldn't resist last time I went shopping... just to add to the overall green-ness. So here's my finished project. I love it, I'm imagining I'll use my mini clothes pegs to attach on what I  would like to do in the garden, for my craft business, and more.. the possibilities are endless!
 
Picture
My blanket so far
After seeing sky for only 3 days this week I decided the light blue can be used for any day were blue was visible,  even just a little bit, even just in my head! 3 days were completely overcast, and one day it rained. I went for blue on the 5th particularly because I had a BRILLIANT day, and that bit of blue I saw just looked brighter for it. 

 
Before I moved on to decoupaging my drawers, I decided to start with something simple, like this picture frame I had ruined with marker, and turn it into a textured frame for an experiment I'd had with paper moulding last year. I'm really happy with the end effect, a simple frame perfect for a textured painting or something with bold colours... or both! 
Picture
The frame before I began
Picture
Finished frame with my "paper painting" inside
If you want to have a go yourself you're going to need: An old frame, white primer paint, tissue paper in your chosen colour(s), a paintbrush, PVA or other decoupage glue, a paint tray, and water to clean your brush with.  Make sure the frame is super clean and then paint with at least 3 layers of primer, leave to dry. 
Picture
Supplies you'll need
Picture
Paint the frame with thin coats of primer to ensure you get a lovely even coat
While your waiting for the paint to dry, select your tissue paper, tear (don't cut) into strips. Then, if you're like me, change your mind completely, change colour scheme, and tear up new tissue. I decided to go for all white and very textured to compliment the picture to go inside.  The tissue I used was from a local non-profit organisation, http://www.cornwallscrapstore.co.uk/
Picture
After changing my mind on the colour scheme, this torn up paper will form the foundation of my decoration on the drawers
Crumple the tissue paper and stick onto the frame using the glue underneath only. With most decoupage you're encouraged to glue over the top also, but I want a matt finish, so no top coat for me. I also scrunched some of the tissue after it was stuck on to encourage a textured finish. Once the tissue is completely dry you can go for a second layer wherever you think you need a bit more. Eventually you'll have the finished effect and can cut off the excess from round the edges.
Picture
Stick on the tissue, you can use a dry brush to push the paper if you don't want to get your hands gluey
Picture
Find all the little flaps of spare tissue and cut the off, or tear very carefully!
Picture
And you're done! Pop in the picture, I've left mine free of glass, so that the textures can be seen from every angle.
 
Picture
Colours are picked, I've gone for 2 Rowan Chunky Wool and 2 denim ultra yarns, same thickness. I think they'll work great for a blanket. 

The colours work like this - beige (to represent overcast days), light blue (bit of sky), dark blue (lots of sky) and a dark grey (for when it's a storm and really raining). 

I want to knit a square for each month, so I think I cast on 30 and knit 2 rows each day, but I'm almost a complete beginner having only knit one-colour scarves up to now. ARGH! 

 
Having had a tough couple of days working over new years I'm treating myself to a natural bath using the gorgeous soap and scrub I bought from ClearConscienceSoaps. If you feel the same check out some of these great UK soap and smellies sellers I've been lusting after on Etsy.