Merry Christmas 2014 and a WONDERFUL 2015

Good morning Bloglanders

I'm just checking in to wish you well for the festive season.  I hope that all your dreams will come true and that you will have a blast with your loved ones.

I know I didn't get to everything I planned for 2014 but I'm fine with that. I'm going to sit back and relax and have lots of fun with Wynand and the children. We will be spending our holiday in Europe this year.  We've all been there before but NEVER in winter.  For someone from Sunny South Africa, that means that hopefully we will have a white Christmas.

As my Project Life came to a screeching halt when my mum got sick, I will do monthly layouts for November and December but that will have to wait for a brand new year.

In the meantime, have fun and ENJOY!!! See you around Blogland in 2015.

Sunday Summary Week 49

Good morning Blogland

It's beautiful, sunny, summery weather down under in Sunny SA and we spend most of our time outside in the pool or having a "braai" under our vine pergola.

But, I do have a job to do and some crafting to enjoy. SO, first up. Our Princess's father remarried yesterday and it was a beautiful day, ceremony and reception. And a peek:

As they have everything they need, I decided to opt for a personal letter and some "couples spa vouchers".  I'm sure when they return from their month long honeymoon abroad, a bit of pampering will be just the thing they need to kick off 2015.

This is how I wrapped my "pressie":

Some craft paper, a bit of left over tulle from a wedding dress, ribbon, copper shimmer twine and a fake vintage button.

And my "mood board" of the wedding:

And I did a LOT of sewing this past week - for our Princess's best friend, Tanya's wedding - 2 X Bridesmaid dresses:

And for our beautiful Princess for her father's wedding (it's her brother with her in the pic):

I made this dress exactly like her 8X bridesmaid dresses.  Just without sleeves.

LINK (Pic by Moira West Photograph)

I suppose you think I never sew for myself as I never show these projects but I DO - A LOT!! And I decided to give you a sneak peek into the clothes I made to wear to the Princess's father's wedding.

Now for a non-sweing idea. A wonderful idea that I found at our local Christmas market. It's called "House on the Hill" and you can buy them assembled as key holders, loose to colour yourself or as fridge magnets.  I couldn't resist buying some for Wernich's nearly finished flat.  Perfect for an architect!!!

I think I'll try my hand at making some of my own in 2015, In the meantime, I'll have fun enjoying somebody else's creativity.

As you can see, it's VERY busy at HQ Hamman but we still have time to enjoy our home, garden and family.  Thanks for looking at my blog today. I'm off to do some more sewing and I think I'll resume my project of doing at least 20 handmade Christmas ornaments. Currently I've only done angels and stars. Keep checking back and I'll show as I go.

Have a GREAT week and remember to try something new - TODAY!!

Use what you have

Hello Bloglanders

I'm just checking in to say hi and show how I upped my kitty pressie. Remember this?

Well, IMPERFECT ME decided to stamp it up.  I'm not really a card maker / stamper but I do have a few stamps in my stash.  And this set was perfect!!

It must have been a freebie of sorts as I don't even know who the manufacturer is but I totally love it!

Someone emailed me to ask what a kitty box is. Well, our local animal shelter has a annual campaign where you gift a cat / dog by making a Christmas box for them. Inside is tinned food, a toy and money to cover veterinary costs. As all our children are grown-up and we don't do presents, each and every one in my family do a kitty / puppy pressie and we deliver it to the shelter before Christmas. It is one of the things on our December Daily list.

Talking about DD. With my life being in shambles, mine is currently an uncovered notebook and my iPhone. We will see if I can work my magic on it at some time in the future. Anyway, I'll share once I have something to show.

That's it.  Have a look around your stash and do something new with an old item.  No cost and some REAL fun.

Thanks for looking at my blog today. See U soon .......................

Sunday Summary Week 48

Good morning Bloglanders

Another week done and dusted!!  Hamman HQ is still struggling to get our home reno sorted and hopefully we will get everything done before the December holidays.  I'm making two bridesmaid dresses for our princess and her friend Rene.

Here is the one I'm doing for Rene:

And the inspiration for the one I'm doing for our Princess:

My mum sent me her dressmaking dummy, my metric farewell and wedding dresses. While everything was out, I dressed up my dummies.

I still love both these dresses and my mum did an excellent job making them.

Once again I wrapped my Xmas pressie for a cat at the local animal shelter:

I'm still thinking about adding stamped / die cut cats. What do you think?  We are having beautiful summery weather down under in Sunny SA. I loved this picture with the sun spots. And while at it, I took one of the vines on my porch:

On that sunny note - thanks for looking at my Blog. Have fun and remember to try something new - TODAY!!!

Thank you pressies

Good day Blogland

For all to those sending emails and comments - thanks a lot. Mum went home to the family farm yesterday where she will have friends, family and all her cherished things around 24/7.  I will keep you updated.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving - I brought my thank-you-gifts to show. What could be more awesome than a"Mason" Jar?  A Mini "Mason" Jar!!

YES!!! Even though the past few weeks have been more than hectic - I did my yearly "thing" with the apricots even though I think Wynand made more batches than me this time round. As I had a BIG thank-you list this year, I decided to gift mini jars of apricot jam.

Here you can see a big jar next to a mini one:

The little one holds 250ml (1cup) and it's the perfect pressie size.  Consol is our South African glass supplier and maybe the rest of Blogland have been using this size forever but I've never seen them on our shelves. We have a Consol factory shop in Stellenbosch and I just LOVE all their glass bottles, jars and even decorative pieces. What a treat!

There you have it - my mini "Mason" jar thank-you-gifts. Get out your jars and start giving. You can still make it in time for Thanksgiving and for Christmas, you have more than enough time to bottle some "thanks" / love / care.

I'm off to run some errands and get my office admin sorted. Thanks for visiting my blog today and remember to try something new - TODAY!

Hazel

Small Break

Good morning Bloglanders

Thanks to all of you sending me mails and messages to ask about my mum. First of all, she is REALLY sick now and the whole family spend as much time possible with her. I don't know where we go from here but we pray that she will not suffer or have pain.

Secondly, I'll be taking a break for a few days as I go the the hospital in the early morning and come home late in the evening. Therefore, no time for fun right now.

I will keep you updated and will resume my crafting fun when things calm down.

In the meantime ............................... have FUN and remember to try something new - TODAY!!

Hazel

Christmas stars

Hello Bloglanders

And I made some stars for my Xmas decor.  First of all, I want to share my project inspiration:

1/2/3

I'm thinking about the middle one with different ornaments but with the whimsy feeling of the left and right pictures. We will see. I'll hang my ornaments as I go but the one for my friend will only have numbers.  She can then open a pressie each day up to her birthday and hang it as she goes. An advent calendar of sorts.

And here they are:

They are made from chipboard and I added some paint and glitter to zuss them up.

Here you can see mine dangling in the wind

.

Tomorrow I'll be adding little red hearts to my "garland".  Check back and see what I come up with. Thanks for crafting with me today and I hope to see u around Blogland again soon.  For those of you looking for more "starry" inspiration, hop over to the SimonSaysStamp Wednesday challenge and see what the rest of Blogland came up with.

Bye for now.

DIY Angels

Hi there Bloglanders

It's still busy, busy, busy at HQ Hamman. Wernich is back home and sleeping in his unfinished flat!!! Still a LOT to do.  My aunt came to visit my mum and stayed with me for a week. I loved having her and I think it was very good for my mum to see her. She is leaving for Canada in a few weeks as all her children lives abroad. This weekend my sister came all the way from the Eastern Cape to be with mum. Yes, it's hectic down under in Sunny SA.

Last week I told you that I'll be making my own Christmas ornaments.  It took a bit longer than I anticipated as I couldn't decide on a colour scheme but here is my first project: DIY Christmas angels.

I'll be doing all my ornaments in white, silver, neutral and a touch of red.

Version 1:

I used pot cleaners for the hair.  It's actually an old one that I washed in my dishwasher. The new ones looked too gold for my project. I added a red glitter die cut heart that I've cut from glitter foam to zuss it up.

And version 2:

This time I used the packaging material that comes with the Studio Calico kits for hair and a heart button for the touch of red. I LOVE the hair!!

For those of you who want to try it: My WIP:

1. Die cut the pattern / cut by hand. I used my Silhouette but the original pattern comes from here.  I just omitted the head as I wanted to use a bead. I used silver cardstock but you can use whatever takes your fancy. My angel is half the size of the original pattern.
2. Fold and staple in place. It looks complicated but once you've done the body the wings slide into one another. REAL easy.
3. I used a bead underneath the angel's dress to attach some ribbon to hang my angel.
4. Bead, body, face bead.
Decorate and it's DONE.

I'll be back with some more Christmas decorations tomorrow.  I'm really trying to use what I have on hand and not to buy ANYTHING.  The South African postal service crashed and at this stage it's nearly impossible to get your hands on any nice crafting goodies. SO, I'm using ordinary items to make extraordinary goodies. Why don't you join me and craft along.  The idea is to make at least 20 ornaments before Christmas. I'll be making everything X2. One set I'll keep and another I'll give to a friend who has a BIG birthday on the 19th of December.  An advent calendar of sorts. Don't stress .......................... I'll share right here on Play as U Go.

Thanks for looking at my blog and remember to try something new - TODAY!! On that note .................... I'm off to work on tomorrow's project.

Sunday Summary Week 45

Good morning Bloglanders

YES, I know it's Wednesday and I know I've skipped my SS Week 44 BUT my mum was diagnosed with cancer a few weeks ago and is starting chemo and radiation next week.  It seems that my life is on a roller coaster ride.  But, I still want to record what happens SO, here we go with Week 45.

Finally, my garden bench is back in the garden:

My "blind side son" is now officially a Masters degree (in Architecture) graduate!! Here he is celebrating with his classmates:

He is the one on the right. I can't wait for Saturday when he will be home.  It would be SO nice having both my boys nearby. Even though I do "keep my distance" - I just LOVE having them nearby. They are totally best, best friends and I love seeing and hearing them interact and doing "young man stuff" together.

And Wynand sold his Harley!!! He is a BIG biker but i'm not that keen but after his back operation earlier this year, he started riding less and less. So, last weekend Bob got a new owner.

Here we are:

I think this was the ONLY time I rode with him!!! SO glad I take pictures and keep memories alive.

And I had to give a few 'thank-you pressies":

I used scraps to die cut and decorate them.

And last but not least - I finished a layout in my album:

It still lacks a title but for now I'm pleased with my effort.

My aunt has been visiting and will return home tomorrow. THEN I'll start on a new venture - I'll make 30 Christmas ornaments in 30 days.  Wanna join in the fun??  Just check back here tomorrow.  I'll be showing my inspiration and then I'll share my take on it.  AND ............................ I'll be making everything X2 as my oldest friend has a BIG birthday in December and I'll be gifting her with a set.

Thanks for looking at my blog today ........................ I'll be back tomorrow to share my first ornament. I'm off to find some inspiration and to try my hand at something NEW.

Have fun today and see you soon.

Scrap Fabric Covered Notebooks

Hello Bloglanders

Happy Friday to you all!!!  I hope you will be having a Wonderful Weekend with lots of time to do the things you love.

Today I'm sharing my Fabric Covered Notebook. I used REAL scraps of bull denim. All the cream and white scraps go into a bin and I wanted to use some of it for my Christmas pressies.  I tore the scraps in strips, dyed it with fabric dye and adhered it to my notebooks.

This will be my girlfriend pressies. Who doesn't need a notebook???? 1st one from the Play as U GO production line:

And for those of you who want the inside info:

1. I only have 3 colours of dye in my stash - yellow, blue and pink.  I used 1 teaspoon of dye dissolved in 1 cup of boiling water. Everything went into empty jars and then I started mixing until I had 5 different colours.
2. Add your strip of fabric to the jar and SHAKE, then hang to dry. It drips and makes a mess. Make sure you put some newspaper underneath.
3. Uses a page from the notebook you want to cover (for size) and start pinning your stips to the paper. Leaving about 1 cm extra fabric for the sides and bottom and about 3 cm at the top.
4. Back view.

5. Stitch in place.
6. Back view.
7. Fold the edges over and pin in place.
8. Stitch around the edge to keep the seam in place.

9. Stitching done.
10 Start decorating. I wanted to try out Amy Tangerine's stitch templates. It worked SO well. Just poke the holes in the backing paper as you wouldn't be able to see it on the fabric.
11. Cover the inside with a piece of cardstock and glue in place. My notebooks doesn't have ANY covers - if yours does, you can glue your fabric cover directly onto it.
12  Some more decorating. DONE!!!

I totally love my project. Lots of scraps, cheap and totally adorable and usable!!

I'm off to make some more. YEAH,  I do have lots of friends and each and every one will get one. Until we meet again, have fun and try something new - TODAY.

Take Along Kiddies Art Bag

Hello Bloglanders

Happy Tuesday to you all.  I'm still working on my Sunday Summary for Week 44 and it will get up sometime soon. Problem is - we currently have horrible weather down under in Sunny SA and I can't photograph my outdoor projects!! My Photoshop skills are just not up to upping my photo quality.  I'll put it on my 2015 wish list.

BUT, I did finish my Kiddies Take Along Art Bag!!!

I've got new neighbors with 2 small kids and I was thinking about a useful Christmas gift to make for them. SO, while working on my Watercolour art bag, it hit me - a Kiddies version!!  I really want them to be able to use it while travelling so I opted for a mini chalkboard (Mr H halved a shop bought one for me), multi colored chalk and a felt eraser.

This time round I decided to make the chalkbag and eraser detachable as I thought the child can fold the bag over while travelling and work as it it.

Here you can see the inside info:

And a close-up of the chalk bag:

I used a piece of thick book plastic, added the Velcro, folded it over and stitched. DONE.

For those of you who want to try your hand at it, here is the unfinished inside and outside pieces:

The size of my finished bag (closed without the handles) is 25 x 16cm {10 x 6). About A5 which is perfect for little hands. Open (without the handles) it is 25 x 34cm {10 x 13.5 inches). The finished handles are 2.5 x 33cm (1 x 13 inches)

I decided to decorate the outside with Silhouette heat transfer.  I used the same cut file that I've used here. This time I added a funky "i" and omitted the "heart".  Reason for using the heat transfer???? I keep all my offcuts and had it on hand.  You know, "waste not, want not".

That concludes my Take Along Bag series.  I'm so glad I tried my hand at it. I love my Watercolour bag and I've used it every day over the past month!!  Also, now I'm sorted for Christmas pressies for my neighbor's kiddo's.  Best part is that I only used what I had on hand.

I'm off to start on my girlfriend pressies. Of course, I'll share!!! Just check back.

Thanks for looking at my blog today and remember to try your hand at something new. Have fun and craft
on!!