Hear ye, Hear ye! Lazy Craftnoons could be bringing the craft fun to you!
If you are interested in learning to do some of the crafts featured on the blog, and work for a charitable group or community organisation who could benefit from craft courses and workshops then get in touch!
We'll bring all the 'kit and kaboodle' to you (and take the mess with us when we leave)
send an email through to info@lazycrafternoons.co.uk for more details!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
a crafty equation - granola goodness
In light of a new year, new resolutions, and most importantly a new budget, I have decided to re-evaulate my equation for crafting.
Coming up with a new idea or recipe, and diving right in - doesn't always make the most sense. Sometimes craft ideas sit on your to-do list until the perfect storm of crafting occurs; you have a spare afternoon, the supplies you need are on sale, a good friend comes for a visit, someone's birthday or a gift giving occasion is coming up, etc...
Although I always say that crafting inherently saves money (you are staying in and doing something free, instead of going out and spending on entertainment)... expressing a new creative whim, can sometimes be a costly process.
Up until now my craft feasability equation has roughly been based on whether the cost of materials is percevied to be worth the total benefit of fun, function, and time spent.
For example; If the cost of spending an afternoon in making a present for a friend, roughly equals what you would spend for their gift plus what you might spend at a movie or museum for the afternoon, then the value is worthwhile for both you and the gift recipient (just as long as you make something worth giving in the end).
But for 2010, there is a new element to the equation, which is that the benefit should not only outweigh the costs, but also the crafternoon activity should ideally;
a) create something usefull/already needed
b) potentially save money and or use free/reused/already purchased materials
and so comes 2010 Crafternoon #1 -
Granola Goodness
Problem: getting one's baking fix often results in over consumption of cookies, cupcakes, muffins, etc. this results in higher calorie consumption as well as the cost and expenses of desserts you probably wouldn't have bought anyway.
Solution: making your own Granola is a crafty way to do a bit of baking, while making something healthy that you would consume anyway.
break down:
- mix it up, add new elements every time you make it. (creative fix!)
- make your granola with what's on sale at the supermarket or buy in bulk (saves money!)
- don't waste your money on posh boxes of cereal and muesli (saves MORE money!)
- have a bespoke, healthy breakfast every day of the week (useful function!)
This is my granola mix with added sultanas, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, hazelnuts, and sunflower seeds. The basic recipe came from a friend, and I added my own mix of nuts and seeds based on what was buy one get one free at the shops.
I'll watch the sales, and hopefully try dried blueberries, dried cheeries, mango, coconut flakes, almonds, pecans.... ack! I cant wait!
Coming up with a new idea or recipe, and diving right in - doesn't always make the most sense. Sometimes craft ideas sit on your to-do list until the perfect storm of crafting occurs; you have a spare afternoon, the supplies you need are on sale, a good friend comes for a visit, someone's birthday or a gift giving occasion is coming up, etc...
Although I always say that crafting inherently saves money (you are staying in and doing something free, instead of going out and spending on entertainment)... expressing a new creative whim, can sometimes be a costly process.
Up until now my craft feasability equation has roughly been based on whether the cost of materials is percevied to be worth the total benefit of fun, function, and time spent.
For example; If the cost of spending an afternoon in making a present for a friend, roughly equals what you would spend for their gift plus what you might spend at a movie or museum for the afternoon, then the value is worthwhile for both you and the gift recipient (just as long as you make something worth giving in the end).
But for 2010, there is a new element to the equation, which is that the benefit should not only outweigh the costs, but also the crafternoon activity should ideally;
a) create something usefull/already needed
b) potentially save money and or use free/reused/already purchased materials
and so comes 2010 Crafternoon #1 -
Granola Goodness
Problem: getting one's baking fix often results in over consumption of cookies, cupcakes, muffins, etc. this results in higher calorie consumption as well as the cost and expenses of desserts you probably wouldn't have bought anyway.
Solution: making your own Granola is a crafty way to do a bit of baking, while making something healthy that you would consume anyway.
break down:
- mix it up, add new elements every time you make it. (creative fix!)
- make your granola with what's on sale at the supermarket or buy in bulk (saves money!)
- don't waste your money on posh boxes of cereal and muesli (saves MORE money!)
- have a bespoke, healthy breakfast every day of the week (useful function!)
This is my granola mix with added sultanas, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, hazelnuts, and sunflower seeds. The basic recipe came from a friend, and I added my own mix of nuts and seeds based on what was buy one get one free at the shops.
I'll watch the sales, and hopefully try dried blueberries, dried cheeries, mango, coconut flakes, almonds, pecans.... ack! I cant wait!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
perhaps the least deadly mafia around....
As many of you know I regularily attend an event called Lo-Fi FIY which is run by Manchester Craft Mafia... its a fun and friendly night where you can go to craft and learn new skills.
I've been going for just over a year now... and led a skill swap a few months ago, showing people how I make my fabric and paper portraits.
Anyway, last month Mike from Wythenshawe FM came to see us and interviewed myself and Nico (who runs the events).
Check out Mike's blog for a clip of me and Nico talking crafts... as well, lots of clips from his work with Wythenshawe FM.
http://pocketrock.co.uk/blog/?p=346
I've been going for just over a year now... and led a skill swap a few months ago, showing people how I make my fabric and paper portraits.
Anyway, last month Mike from Wythenshawe FM came to see us and interviewed myself and Nico (who runs the events).
Check out Mike's blog for a clip of me and Nico talking crafts... as well, lots of clips from his work with Wythenshawe FM.
http://pocketrock.co.uk/blog/?p=346
Monday, November 9, 2009
sunday craft-in on the cheap.
I must say, there is nothing better than a cold autumn sunday spent crafting and cooking a roast... and what better to accompany a whole afternoon of work than watching Gone With The Wind is all its amazing nearly-four-hour glory!
Ahh.... a perfect sunday in.
Now, make it even a little better because you are crafting and eating on the cheap!
The Meal: Roast Pork Neck Fillet (cheap from the butchers, and made from a Jamie magazine recipe)
The Craft: turn a few rolls of clearance sticky back plastic into a total flat make over.
Ta Da!
Here's how to do it...
Draw a rough design of what you want for your wall (I obviously have a fixation with trees and bird silhouettes and shadows, so naturally this craft lends itself to my own design interests....)... but you can do virtually anything. Basically if it has a recognizable shape and/or casts a shadow, you can craft it.
If you don't feel confident with your own drawing skills... cheat a bit with google images or... log on to fontface a site with tons of free fonts - many of which are not letters at all, but interesting shapes and silhouettes!
Then measure out your drawing, measure your wall, work out a rough scale, cut out the shapes and mount them on the wall.
Ok, so I glossed over those steps for ease - but really, it can be as easy or complicated as you want it to be. If you aren't very confident start with something simple.
For this craft I free-cut the trees as I mounted them piece by piece, measuring each end to make sure the pieces lined up - and then I randomly cut the holes and knots to give a birch tree effect.
The birds are a combination of images of birds I found online, and a bird font I found online as well... I then enlarged them to the right proportions.
Once you have gently laid all the pieces in the right place and you are happy with it, run your library card/credit card over the whole thing to make sure there are no air bubbles and everything is well stuck on.
Note: This is a temporary decor idea, which will stay up as long as you want it to (as long as you don't leave any huge air bubbles)... if you use the right products, they will peel off without pulling the paint... when you are ready to take them down, just use a hair dryer to warm up the plastic (as instructed on the packaging) and it will be far less likely to ruin any paint job.
all this for only £6.48? not a bad sunday afternoon in my books!
And if you are watching films and making nice food, why not share it with some friends who can lend a hand and advise on turning your ideas into a mock-mural.
Ahh.... a perfect sunday in.
Now, make it even a little better because you are crafting and eating on the cheap!
The Meal: Roast Pork Neck Fillet (cheap from the butchers, and made from a Jamie magazine recipe)
The Craft: turn a few rolls of clearance sticky back plastic into a total flat make over.
Ta Da!
Here's how to do it...
Draw a rough design of what you want for your wall (I obviously have a fixation with trees and bird silhouettes and shadows, so naturally this craft lends itself to my own design interests....)... but you can do virtually anything. Basically if it has a recognizable shape and/or casts a shadow, you can craft it.
If you don't feel confident with your own drawing skills... cheat a bit with google images or... log on to fontface a site with tons of free fonts - many of which are not letters at all, but interesting shapes and silhouettes!
Then measure out your drawing, measure your wall, work out a rough scale, cut out the shapes and mount them on the wall.
Ok, so I glossed over those steps for ease - but really, it can be as easy or complicated as you want it to be. If you aren't very confident start with something simple.
For this craft I free-cut the trees as I mounted them piece by piece, measuring each end to make sure the pieces lined up - and then I randomly cut the holes and knots to give a birch tree effect.
The birds are a combination of images of birds I found online, and a bird font I found online as well... I then enlarged them to the right proportions.
Once you have gently laid all the pieces in the right place and you are happy with it, run your library card/credit card over the whole thing to make sure there are no air bubbles and everything is well stuck on.
Note: This is a temporary decor idea, which will stay up as long as you want it to (as long as you don't leave any huge air bubbles)... if you use the right products, they will peel off without pulling the paint... when you are ready to take them down, just use a hair dryer to warm up the plastic (as instructed on the packaging) and it will be far less likely to ruin any paint job.
all this for only £6.48? not a bad sunday afternoon in my books!
And if you are watching films and making nice food, why not share it with some friends who can lend a hand and advise on turning your ideas into a mock-mural.
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