whimsy & charm

kanzashi

about a month or so ago, i impulsively bought the book kanzashi in bloom.  i usually like to borrow a crafting book from the library before i buy it because a) i’m on a budget and b) i’m never sure i’m going to fully like the book or use it.

i’ve made fabric flowers before, but i wanted to hopefully learn some new techniques and get inspired to try different things with them.  before, all i did was put them on cute little bags i made.

the book teaches just three techniques for folding petals (i was hoping for a bit more), but shows you a variety of ways to combine the petals and what you can do with the finished flower.  so far, i’ve made these lovely brooches:

and a couple of sets of hair pins:

i have become positively addicted to making these, as the possibilities are endless with petal arrangement, fabric choices and how to use them.  so far, i’ve tried making these with cotton, corduroy (the hardest, because of the thickness), and linen.  i’m dying to make a trip to the fabric store for some lighter, silkier fabrics, but i do enjoy making these with modern, printed cotton fabrics.

all of the flowers you see in my photos are available in my etsy shop.

favorite things - all things small

this week, i’m featuring another artist from one of my favorite shops on etsy: jesse from all things small.  from jesse’s profile:

“Hi! My name is Jesse and I have been creating all my life. Since I was very little I have always had a passion for all things small.

Any little thing that I could fit in my pocket and carry around with me on all of my adventures, knowing that I had someone right there with me made it all better. I had a friend through thick and thin. Even to this day, I always have a little friend in my bag or pocket.”

just look at these adorable pocket friends:

there’s also a cute little pig, which i almost missed and regret not adding to this collage.  as i mentioned before, pigs are cute. {pocket bunny, pocket bird, pocket bear, and pocket lamb}

these little guys measure just 2.5” tall and can be made into ornaments.  i just love the hand embroidery on the gnomes! {gnome and frosty the snowman with hat}

and what little (or big) girl wouldn’t love this set? {meet nahla bear with colouring book set}

make sure to check out all of the sweet items at all things small.  it would be hard not to fall in love with everything!

about the biscornu

last december, i ran across an alchemy request on etsy for biscornu ornaments.  i was doing a search on cross stitch and was completely dumbfounded by this term.  i did a quick google search for biscornu and immediately decided that i had to try it out.

biscornu is derived from a french adjective meaning “irregular” or “oddly shaped.” it is an eight-sided cushion made by simply combining two squares of cross stitch.  the two pieces are whip-stitched together starting at the corner of one piece and the middle of the other. they are usually finished off with a button or bead in the center.  they can be super small (less than 2”) or sofa-cushion sized.  i have even come across a super-rare 15-sided biscornu!

biscornu can be used as ornaments, drawer pulls, scissor fobs, or pin cushions.  fill them with lavender and make a scented sachet.  i’ve always made pin cushions, but this year i’ve decided to make some mini biscornu and make them into christmas ornaments.

i absolutely love making biscornu, and they have always been very popular with customers.  while many are traditional-looking, i’ve seen many patterns with a more modern theme.  there’s something for everyone.  it’s easy to even create your own biscornu pattern with just a pencil and some graph paper.

if you love to cross stitch, i highly encourage you to try out a biscornu.  below are some links to aid you in your journey.

tutorials:

• own two hands biscornu instructions (absolutely fantastic tutorial plus lots of links)
• biscornu basics from pretty impressive stuff
• biscornu class from finishing school (this was the tutorial that i used.

free pattern resources (some are in french, but that’s okay!):

• free patterns from the floss box
• free patterns from aurelle (site is in french)
• free patterns from battybat (also in french)

biscornu flickr groups:

• biscornus!
• 3d cross stitch makeables

favorite things

i have lots of favorite things.  i also love to share those things with other people.  today, i’m featuring one of my favorite etsy artists - photographer kristimcmurry.  she photographs the most darling miniature setups!

lollipop forest 5x7 luster print (available in other sizes)

hungry policemen 5x7 luster print (available in other sizes)

camp cupcake 5x7 luster print

toothbrush deer 5x7 metallic print

i had such a hard time deciding which photographs of hers i wanted to feature! please do be sure to check out her shop and look at all of the other lovely photographs she has for sale.