Cookies N' Cream Earrings

As well as my Ben n’ Jerry’s guilty pleasure, cream and chocolate brown are some of my favorite color palettes. It’s warm, soft and very chic. Another project inspired by Tarantino’s Sparkle Factory, I loved the use of buttons and beads together. True, I had to purchase the buttons to get the exact shape and shade I wanted, but any excuse to expand my button collection is great! Tarantino is right-buttons do have a lovely shine, and when crafting with them one can’t help but be cheerful, remembering those first sewing projects.

My wirework could use a little work-the whole shape of the earring is a little lopsided not quite as chandelier like as Tarantino’s. But for my first earrings, I’d say they’re deliciously pretty!

Mould Making Phase 2

It’s official-I may been becoming a bit of a Premo-clay fiend! After how easy these moulds were to make, I’ve got the bug!

It’s amazing to think I made this many moulds out of two small packets of Premo. Though I’m more drawn to the matt shade of the black clay and was annoyed when some of the sparkles from the pearl clay were left on the moulds. The cameo was by far my favorite, since the clay picked up the details beautifully.

And some of the moulds didn’t work out. For example the mouse had too many details to be picked up on a 2D mould. But I still gave the hedgehog a shot, which I plan to make into a broach. Not sure yet what I’ll use the butterflies for, but the clock faces will be amazing for some themed necklaces, like Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland. 

Premo clay itself was super simple and fun to work with as well. True you gotta condition it for a while for max flexibility, but it makes me wanna experiment with different meshing techniques I’ve read about. If you haven’t experimented with this wonderful material yet, I urge you to do so.

Project Budget: £6 (for mould clay and 2 Premo packets)

November Book Review: Debbie Stoller 'Stitch N' Bitch'

Seriously, this is the Magna Carta of the knitting world. When my sister gave me this for Christmas years ago, it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Here, Debbie Stoller unleashed the Stitch N’ Bitch culture, reincarnating knitting into a fun and funky past time for us crafters today.

Learner’s steps, tips and patterns, and even some handy ideas for putting together a knitting bee of your own, this title is an essential for all ‘chicks with sticks’. The layout is fresh and innovating, the pictures inspiring, and does a great job in kick starting the knitting buzz that’s arisen in the last ten years. No matter what level you’re at, there will always be a time when you need to refer back to this book. Over the years I’ve constantly returned to it, and probably done about 50% of the projects in my knitting career; including ‘To Dye For’ sweater and the Chinese Charm bag. Some of the projects are more challenging, like the Pinup Queen sweater, while others seem a bit boring, but none the less remain the tried-and-true of knitting, like the ever adorable Techno-Cozy cover.  

Fun and funky, if you’re a newb at knitting, look no further than this title to get you started. If you're a devoted knitter, get this book. It won't be long before the contents become dog eared, believe me.

Final Score: 5/5