Tickle The Imagination Magazine Giveaway

Edit: Welcome to all the visitors who have found this blog post via the Sew Mama Sew giveaway!  I have extended this giveaway as part of the twice yearly SMS giveaway day fun - enjoy.

Remember that I mentioned I am now a tickle the imagination magazine ambassador and how excited I was?  Well, now the excitement can be all yours!  This week I am hosting a giveaway for the latest issue of tickle.  That's right, one lucky reader will receive a paper copy of issue 17: paper. scissors. rock.

 Shabby chic paper boat and lace mobile project.

What do you have to do to enter?  Fill out your entry in the Rafflecopter form below - that's it!

This giveaway is open worldwide and will run until December 12.  The winner has 48 hours to reply to my email before another winner is chosen.

Rustic ombre cake recipe.

Can't wait to get your hands on a copy of tickle?  Follow the subscription link on either the right or bottom sidebars.  And this weekend only, subscribers will receive 40% off their yearly subscription (offer expires 13th December 2014).

 Chess piece tiara project.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

DIY Miniature Christmas Bauble

You all have to know by now just how much I love celebrating Christmas!  It has also become a bit of a tradition for the little Cheeky Monkeys and I to make a few new ornaments for our Christmas tree.  This year we have become enamoured of miniature glass vials, and decided to make some fun ornaments with them.

Supplies

- miniature teardrop/light bulb glass bottles (available here and here)

- small beadcap or cover to fit over the top of the bottle

- glass seed beads, micro beads or glitter

- strong glue (such as E6000 or superglue)

- baker's twine or cord for hanging the ornament

1. If you don't have a miniature funnel, make one out of paper and place in the top of the bottle.

2. Decide on a colour scheme for your bauble (we are very partial to multi-coloured colour schemes).  Carefully pour your glitter or beads into the bottle via the funnel.  Stop every now and then to see if you like the look of how the bottle is filled so far.  Fill up to the top of the bottle if you want a "more is more" look.

3. Using a toothpick, add a generous amount of glue to the inside of the bead cap.  But be careful not to add too much glue to avoid squeeze out and drips.

4. Gently place the bead cap onto the top of the filled bottle.  Adjust until the cap sits nicely on top of the bottle.  Leave to dry overnight to ensure a strong bond.

5. Once the glue is completely dry and the bead cap and bottle are firmly attached to each other, thread the twine or cord through the loop on the bead cap.  Now hang up that teeny little ornament with pride!

Alternatives:

- thread a length of chain through the bead cap and wear your new bauble as a funky necklace.

- string a row of the miniature baubles onto twine or string and hang along a mantlepiece or wall as a festive garland.

- these teeny bottles are light enough to attach to earhooks and wear as earrings!

To Kill a Mockingbird

Today I am VERY excited to tell you about the most recent additions to my literature jewellery range at Two Cheeky Monkeys!  Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is a story which has moved me and captured my imagination since I studied it way back in high school (at least twenty years ago, now!)

Not only did I love the novel, but the movie version with Gregory Peck was pretty good too.  Therefore, I have been searching for battered old copies of this classic American novel for some time now.  And finally, finally I found a copy and have been getting my creative juices flowing ever since.

I have already made several brooches and have also started on rings, necklaces and earrings.  I can't decide if I should make any Atticus lockets or not - what do you think?  Meanwhile, you can find all new literature jewellery in both my Etsy and Madeit stores.  I am hoping to also include some To Kill a Mockingbird magnet sets to my Domum Vindemia stores soon.

44 Days Till Christmas - Eep!

I will be the first to admit that I am not normally the kind of person who does frenetic Christmas count downs.  But with the shopping centres and department stores filling their shelves with arrays of Christmas paraphernalia, I thought it a good time to remind you of the shipping cut off dates for Christmas.

For those of you shopping handmade this Christmas, these are the important dates you need to note to ensure a minimum of stress and disappointment!

For Domum Vindemia shoppers, you will need to be organised because parcels take a little longer in the mail.  The cutoff dates are December 1st for international customers and December 10th for Australian customers.  Purchases after this date may still arrive in time for Christmas, but it would be best to upgrade to Express Post to be sure.

For Two Cheeky Monkeys shoppers, you have a bit more time due to the generally smaller size of the packages.  So dates to remember are: December 4th for international customers and December 15th for Australian customers.

And don't forget that I am more than happy to mail your purchase directly to your loved ones.  All you have to do is insert your recipient's name and address instead of yours at checkout and let me know in the "message to seller" too.  Happy shopping!

Things I Love - Classic Stories

You all have to know by now much I love classic literature and fiction, especially creating jewellery and other pieces out of battered old novels.  So you shouldn't be surprised to learn that I love literature-inspired art and craft too.  Today's post is a collection of some of my current fave fiction-inspired creations.  What is your favourite novel or work of fiction?

A Middle Earth bookend - need I say more?  Love it!

The Bell Jar tote bag.

To Kill A Mockingbird pencil set.

Macbeth t-shirt.

Persuasion-inspired pillow.

Literature Brooch Giveaway

Last week, I was excited to announce that I am one of a group of ambassadors for Tickle the Imagination magazine.  Well, the excitement continues on my blog this week with a giveaway for your choice of literature brooch!  One lucky reader and newsletter subscriber will win a brooch made to their specifications, with a large range of bead colours and literary characters to choose from.  How do you enter?  Simply follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below.

Important stuff: This giveaway is open WORLDWIDE and will run until the 28th of November, 2014.  Winners will be picked via random.org and have 48 hours to respond to my email before another winner is chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mr Rochester and Jane Eyre

You might remember my recent post about the new additions to the literature jewellery range and the fact that I have already had custom orders for these pretties.  Well, today I'm showing off two pairs that were commissioned for Christmas presents (now how's that for being organised?).  The pair above have been embellished with periwinkle blue, vintage glass beads, while the pair below feature fiery red Czech glass beads.  What colours would you choose for the literature earrings?