Pretty Clips

This project can be done by children too. Taking household wooden pegs paint with a pretty acrylic colour.  Using sparkly peel offs decorate the pegs and place on a card.  This can be given inmultiples and given as a present to clip memos together or food bags such as coffee or sugar in the kitchen cupboard. A useful and pretty gift.

Background Paper- for you to download

Background paper

Background paper

Felt bead necklace

This is a very easy craft and you can make a necklace in an evening. I found that a contrast colour of beads to the colour of the felt made a more lively result. Also, make the felt beads first keeping them on the bbq stick and then choose some large beads to match and contrast to give more sparkle.  I particularly like wearing this necklace with a red jumper and jeans. The book I used tomake this is called "Beaded Felt Jewellery " by Search Press.

Boxes

This box was machine embroidered free hand on some hand dyed indigo cotton.  It made a lovely gift box for a kilt pin brooch.  For indigo dyeing I recommend the book  ' A handbook of Indigo Dyeing' by Vivien Prideaux - published by Search Press.

Boxes

Box Making is an interesting addition to silk painting.  This box was made with a silk painted top incorporating a butterfly and sequins.  because silk painting is onsilk the original designs can be easily added to a sewing project.  For more information on box making I recommend two books. " Why not embroider boxes" ISBN 0-9540030-2-0 and "Hand Stitched Boxes"- ISBN 0-7153-0331-7

Corsages

Felt corsages can be made with white felt and coloured with silk paints or watercolour paints.  Use three circles of different coloured felt on a leaf backing to make an interesting corsage arrangement.  To colour white felt with silk paints- cut out circles or flower shapes place on a plastic tray and colour both sides. Zig zag stitcharound the edge of the shape to add more interest and then pinch the shape in the centre and secure with a stitch or two and a bead if required.

For more silk painting ideas for card makers there is a silk painting video available for £7.99 inc.p&p from lesiurelearners@gmail.com.

Silk Painting

A silk painting class

My first craft I enjoyed was silk painting and I have a DVD called Silk Painting for Card Makers , available for sale £7.99 inc p&P contanct my email address for details.  I get all my silk painting materials from http://www.rainbowsilks.co.uk/

Person Centred Art Therapy

Taunton Flower Show 2010

I really became most interested in crafting after completing my course in PCAT in 1997.  It opened up my creativity and I began teaching Silk Painting to many groups. After my career in film Production and in retirement I found Leisle Silverstone's course very beneficial and equipped me to pursue my dreams.