Phew, what a scorcher

Hi folks, hope you are all enjoying this great weather that we are having in the UK. Hottest July on record, so they say and that leads me on to this months challenge at Crafts Galore Encore. We are sponsored by the fantastic Di's Digistamps

who are offering a great prize of $12 to spend instore, a very generous prize at that, so get your entries in for a chance to win. 

The DT over at Crafts Galore  Encore have really excelled themselves and there are some cracking projects on our anything goes challenge this month, we love to see you and read your messages so why not pop across and check them out.

Now on to my little project, lol. Being very fair skinned, I decided enough was enough and I was fed up with having a sore head from the sun. I'm a softy really and don't like the pain, lol. Anyway that was that and as we have an anything goes challenge this month I thought I would try something completely different and different it is, lol. I set myself a task of making a hat!! So here it is, a real retro sixties floppy hat with a lovely brim to keep the sun off of everything and it is even adjustable to fit any size head, lol.

The pattern I used was an old Simplicity pattern

The fabric is by Makower and is 100% cotton and available from Creativ-e-T in Devizes along with the double fold bias binding and interfacing.

The brim has been stiffened with a double layer of iron on heavy weight interfacing.

The crown has a single layer of heavy weight interfacing. 

After very carefully constructing all the bits and binding as necessary it was time to add crown to brim. Why is it it never fits?!  I had an awful lot of crown left over and not enough brim so with gentle persuasion consisting of  a bit of snipping here and there, pushing and shoving, pulling and tugging 4 hours later it went in, only for me to discover the seam was on the wrong side.  At this point I put it away, that was the end of day 2. Day 3, mission accomplished!!  Simplicity now has a whole new meaning to me, lol.

And just to add insult to injury, looking at the latest weather forecast, I think I may have missed the sun and should have made my hat out of oil skin cloth to keep the water off!! 

I am going to enter this into the following challenges:

4 crafty chicks - Anything goes

Top Tip Tuesday - Material girl My top tip when sewing is always to have a seam ripper to hand, lol

All crafts challenge - Anything but a card

Love to create - Summer Lovin

My Craft creations - Anything Goes

Through the Purple Haze - Anything goes

That Craft Place - Anything goes

Crafting at the weekend - Anything goes

A little bit crafty - Sew what

Anyway that's all from me for now, have a fantatic August everyone.

Hugs Jo x

Eeek, where has the year gone!!

I have just realised that this is the first blog of the year for me!! Not a good start for someone who was going to blog at least weekly! I have just had another fantastic weekend at the Milton Hill House Hotel at Steventon on a Copic Retreat, such a lovely feeling to escape with your pens and meet up with people that share your addiction!! Thanks go to Wendy at Stamps and Memories for organising it, can't wait for the next one. Anyway on to my card. We have just had 2 family birthdays, an 18th and a 21st, brother and sister. This is the card that I made for Emma for her 21st birthday.

I have used a Make it Crafty digi image called Annabelle.
Coloured with Copic Sketch, Ciao and Spica markers.
Black Gingham papers are downloaded from Nitwits.
Card is made from Grand Nestibilities Die
Fanciful Flourish by Cheery Lynn Designs
Flowers are made with Memory Box Scalloped Posie and Pinwheel Dies.


The challenges that I am entering this in are
Papertake Weekly - For the girls or Mum
Cheery Lynn Designs - Add a flourish
Love to create - About the ladies
Dies to Die for - Anything goes

Hope you like it

Hugs Jo x