First pillow pals – NOW Pocket pals! Fabric origami multi-pocket character pouches

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Art, Artistic moments, Arty, Button face bags, Buttoncraft, Buttons, Buttons in craft, Character pocket pouches, Colourful cotton prints, Cosmetics purse, Craft storage pouch, Crafty creations, Creative crafting, Cute character pouches, Fun creations, Fun ideas in handcraft, Fun with fabric, Funny cute character pouches, Handmade fabric purses, Handmade Origami multi-pockets, Origami fabric pouches, Original, Original handcrafted items, Original ideas, Quality affordable gifts, Quirky handmade and designed items, Something different, Twisted cord loop, Unique designs, Unique handmade novelty items, Unique pattern creations, Unusual not on the High Street handmade gifts

Pocket pal! Fabric origami folded fabric character 8 pocket pouch

 

These cute little guys are extremely useful for holding small items, like craft tools or even as a cosmetics purse. Even though I have made these before from my own pattern, these new ones are smaller and more compact, making them perfect for carrying around in a purse or bag, whilst keeping things organised and safe. Smaller they may be, but definitely no less appealing. Each and every one I make will always be different too making use of both old and new buttons to give them a funny little face.

Made simply by having two pieces of square fabric in different colours, with a thin layer of wadding sandwiched between, then folded in an origami style to produce a total of 8 differing sized pockets. After hand stitching the flaps over the front of the pouch I then selected colourful buttons which instantly add a face feature. A very straightforward method of making a hand-twisted cord loop is an easy solution to keeping the pouch pockets closed and it also gives a little moustache for fun!

With the pouch flap open, the twisted cord loop also doubles as a little tail – So cute!

Looking down into the pockets of the origami pouch

AND…then I made a couple more 🙂 !

‘Doh! I feel really really sad today – and a bit green around the gills too!

I feel very straight faced today!!!

…I’m…I am trying… really… really hard to keep a straight face… and not burst out laughing!

 

 

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Cute and cuddly crafty creations! Designed by myself especially for iarxiv – ”Piggy & Puggy”

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Art, Artist and crafter, Artistic moment, Arty, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Crafty creations, Creative crafting, Custom made orders, Cute creations in fabric craft, Cute piggies, Designed and handmade creations, Handmade Fabric piglets, Handmade soft animals, iarxiv's characters, iarxiv's characters Piggy and Puggy, My Etsy Shop, Original, Original ideas, Original patterns, Patchwork pillow covers, Patchwork Quilting Applique, Piggy and Puggy

 

Designed and specially created by myself for iarxiv, Her two cute and cuddly characters, ‘Piggy’ and ‘Puggy’!

Quite recently I got an enquiry from one of the blogs that I follow (and vice versa) about the possibility of a custom made pair of soft piggies. Immediately, I was very excited! Not only that I would be able to create cute cuddly characters, but really really very special characters.

Iarxiv, who has created the adorable, Epic Porcine Adventure of ”Piggy and Puggy”, a long running tale of the worldwide adventures and experiences about two, extremely intelligent, special little piglets. As piglets they were take in by a human couple they call ”two legged mummy and daddy”, who both realised immediately they were more than your average pigs! Mummy and daddy allowed their piglets to travel the world keeping in touch by ‘snoutphone’

Over the last year, the brave piggies have just about been to every corner of the earth,  meeting lots of other characters, seeing how they live their lives, endured dangers and sometimes overwhelming excitement, suffered separation and eventually fallen in love, and have recently become engaged, Puggy gave Piggy a little ‘hooflet’ to wear on her left trotter…Sooooo sweet 🙂 !

Having followed the epic adventures since almost the very beginning (and iarxiv was my very first follower when I joined in January 2013) it seemed like a magical moment. After a little brief,  iarxiv asked for a little pair of fabric piggies sitting on flat bottoms, snout to snout with interlocking hooves, something along the lines of http://iarxiv.com/2013/12/10/yes-yes-yes/,  if it was possible to do. A creative challenge, what more could I ask for!?! 🙂

After making a little pattern for the piggies, I chose a delicate little floral print on a pale pink cotton for Piggy and a more ‘boar’some tiny brown check print fabric for Puggy and set to creating the little characters. Giving them both a pose-able curly tail. (I swear it took longer to turn those two little tails by pins, than it did to make the the pattern and the pigs themselves, but after the pipe cleaner was in place all was worth the effort) Once filled with synthetic wadding I blanket stitched a coordinating flat fabric base, allowing them to sit leaning snout to snout and cleverly grasp each other with my design for interlocking trotters/hooves. They are so cute! As a finishing touch I gave Piggy a little pink bow for her head (At first the pink one I gave her – as in the picture below – was somewhat overwhelmingly pink, so another less intense pink satin ribbon was decided upon) A little creamy/white engagement ‘hooflet’ for her left hoof and a little mustard ribbon tie for Puggy. With their ears flapped upwards through sheer delight, I do believe I have fulfilled my brief……..I’m so very happy………….But, will iarxiv be as happy with her custom order when they arrive, I wondered?

I had no need to worry, for along with many other very kind comments iarxiv said,

”They are absolutely gorgeous little creatures.”

Below are some more pictures of designs for iarxiv, I do believe, a VERY happy customer!

AND may I Thank You iarxiv, for allowing me the privilege to be able to bring to life, in a physical 3D form your adorable Piggy and Puggy now in their forever, loving home with their very own ”two legged mummy and daddy”!

Designed and specially created by myself for iarxiv, Her two cute and cuddly characters, ‘Piggy’ and ‘Puggy’

Designed and created by me for iarxiv, A quilted patchwork pillow cover of iarxiv’s characters, ”Puggy & Piggy”

 

Creative Patchwork and Appliqué – You don’t scare us! – Fun framed fabric art collage

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Art, Artist and crafter, Artistic moment, Arty, Colourful cute collages, Crafty creations, Creative crafting, Crows, Cute creations, Fabric scrap ideas, Felt applique, Framed fabric collage, Fun fabric art, Handmade decorative items, Imagination overload, Original, Original ideas, Patchwork and applique, Patchwork fabrics, Patchwork landscape scene, Printed cotton fabrics, Quirky art creations, Scarecrow, Unique ideas and designs

You don’t scare us!

I did say it had been a busy week and I do have moments where I get the hoover out…..I promise! (just every now and then)

This little collage is based on one of my designs which I first used for a custom cushion cover. It is a great way to use little bits of fabrics, which most people would have already thrown away, which I store for moments like this in colour sorted bags (Its meant to make my life easier, but when I start they all get tipped out together – oh well, a small price to pay for being creative) I just love making something out of nothing!

With a selection of cotton fabrics I created the background panel first, before drawing and cutting pieces to applique by hand to create the scene. These little crows are definitely not put out by this scarecrow – he’s just too cute to be scary with little bits of raffia sticking out of his jacket and his shiny boots and sleeping soundly on his stick, its no wonder the birds have crept in for a better look!

Little extras like adding some tapestry backing offcuts for a fence and simple embroidered flowers and grasses over a frayed ‘grass verge’ piece of material just add to the fun of the little collage, which is framed and ready for a new home. Another unique creation from Caren’s creative canvas and craft! More details on  https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/carenscanvasandcraft

Framed fabric collage pictures

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Appliqued hens, Art, Artistic moment, Arty, Caren's canvas and craft, Clucking chickens, Clucking hens, Crafty creations, Creative crafting, Cute crazy creations, Designer fabric art, Fabric art collage, Fabric scrap ideas, Framed hen house, Handcraft ideas, Handmade fabric picture, Knitting chicken on patchwork picture, My Etsy Shop, Original art, Original handcrafted art, Original ideas, Patchwork, Patchwork and appliqué picture

Without glass for better detail
”Hen house”

Okay, my imagination got the better of me again!

This is one of my new designs for my fabric art pictures and an ideal way to use up small pieces. After first drawing my design I sorted through my tiny scraps of material, which really meant, tipping a bin bag’s worth all over my dining table, at some points it was over 15 inches high – Wow – where to start in the sensory overload of colours? I decided on a colour scheme first for the hens and then the background.

After piecing together the square patchwork back panel, I hand cut and stitched the applique parts over the top to form the hens sitting on their clutches of eggs. A few small pieces of raffia served as their nests and some felt for their beaks and feet Finding a stray piece of Hessian in the cotton scrap bag, I decided it was meant to be there for this very creation and stitched it on as the nesting box and added ”Hen house” with some embroidery thread.

Quite pleased at that point, I still thought it could use something more, so I grabbed a couple of toothpicks and a reel of blue embroidery thread (like you do! – Or, is that just me?!?) and set off knitting, once I got going it was quite an effort to stop. I don’t knit very often, and fiddly as it is on such tiny sticks, it was also quite relaxing. Having got to a good length, as I wanted the ‘scarf’ to sit out and around the mount area, I then stitched the little needles to the hen and appliquéd her little wings over to keep in place. As a final finishing touch I sewed the ‘click click and cluck cluck’ added a piece of felt over the whole backside and stitched on a cream cotton border before mounting behind card and framing. A unique piece of art 🙂

There, another crazy crafted cloth creation on canvas! Well, at least if kept me quiet for over a day!!

After taking a photograph of the 8” x 6” image without glass, so as to be able to see more detail, I then put back the glass to keep all safe and dust free 🙂

Arrrrgh! That huge pile of cloth is still all over my table though…..Suppose I can always make some more before I tidy up!

Its bunny time! – Rustic bunnies – Handmade, original and unique decorative soft animals

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Art, Artistic moment, Arty, Beads, Buttons, Canvas and craft, Caren's canvas and craft, Crafting with canvas, Crafty creations, Creative crafting, Decorative bunnies, Easter, Easter bunnies, Easter decoration, Handmade originals, Handsewn, My Etsy Shop, Original, Original ideas, Recycling, Rustic bunnies, Unique handcrafted creations

Rustic bunnies

Not forgetting their bunny tails

Over the last week or so I have been making things for the Easter Season. As a crafter you really need to be a few steps ahead of upcoming events to have enough stock for craft fairs and the like. So when I get an idea I certainly seem to go full steam ahead, and those who know my site, it means I never can stop at just one, always wanting to explore other possibilities, using different materials. Look out for a couple more bunny posts after this one!

This little pair were my first creations from the pattern I made, which is quite similar to the one I used for my penguins and snow men/women at Christmas time. Using quite a stiff cotton canvas material, which I would normally use when making bags/totes, but as I had a few pieces that were too small for that, they seemed perfect for experimenting. Whilst rummaging through my little scrap pieces looking for some linen to make their clothes, I found a small preprepared patchwork square that had been left over from a previous project, but it was just the perfect colour combination to match the canvas and the felt I had stitched on for their faces. So Mrs. Bunny was sorted! After a bit more routing I found a nice bit of lined to make Mr. Bunny a little jacket, I even inset some shirt sleeves and gave him a matching neckerchief.

Then I noticed it…

…I had trimmed off the salve edge of the linen and when I turned it over it had the words, ‘Made in England’ printed there, too good to pass up as that is where I made them, I thought. Oh my! I was so excited it was perfect to make Mrs Bunny an apron.

After a few finishing touches of adding tiny seed beads for their eyes and stitching little noses I found a few little buttons for their clothing and sowed a little felt base for each of them to stand on. As ever I have handmade and designed these little characters and no too will ever be the same, the little touches of tilting their faces or not making them too perfect all gives them their own character and personalities, which is what I love so much about creating and crafting, always making something original.

Now they have hopped over to My Etsy Shop! Carens canvas and craft in plenty of time to be a seasonal gift or an all year round  pair of decorative bunnies.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/carenscanvasandcraft

”Doorstop Dumpy” Elephant in a flat cap

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3D art, Caren's canvas and craft, Character 'Doorstop Dumpy', Character creation, Craft creation, Creative craft, Definitely different, Designer doorstop, Doorstop Dumpies, Doorstop Dumpy, Doorstop Dumpy Elephant, Elephant doorstop, Fabric doorstop elephant, Original, Original ideas, Patterned elephant doorstop, Stylish designer doorstop, Tartan elephant doorstop, Unique, Unique hand crafted items

”Doorstop Dumpy”
elephant

After coming across some super soft flannel cottons in my local fabric shop I couldn’t resist buying just a little. In fact just about enough to make one of my handmade”Doorstop Dumpies” fortunately I had bought a little of the coordinating red flannel too which was perfect for highlighting the ‘ears’ and ‘feet’ . I set about cutting the pieces from the pattern I had designed and created for this particular ”Doorstop Dumpy” character.  As ever when working with pattern material and all the twists and turns of the character shape pattern pieces I try my best to get everything lined up as near as possible and I think this little chap has turned out just fine. For a little quirkiness I made him a flat cap topped off with an old button and found just the right colour of satin ribbon to give him a little bow tie too. Finished off with some recycled buttons for eyes, he is weighted and ready to go to my upcoming craft fair as another unique hand-crafted creation

Super soft and stylish he’s ready to hold back any door – while sitting smartly on the floor!

Another of my creations – An origami patchwork multi-pocket pouch – with a face!

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Artist and crafter, Becoming known, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Commission me, Commission my art and craft, Crafting ideas, Crafty creations, Creative crafting, Cute multi-pocket face pouch, Different, Fabric origami, Fun fabric creations, Getting out there, Gift ideas, Great gift ideas, I might clear my debts LOL, One day, Origami fabric folding, Original ideas, Patchwork creations, Perfect pocket solution, Quirky fabric pouch, Unique, Unique craft creations

Patchwork origami folded multi pocket pouch

Since my gingerbread guy craze I seem to have let loose on all things, here I have again gone back to one of my old favourite creations, always with a unique twist. Some years back I was shown how to create a five or six pocket origami patchwork pocket, not content to go with the flow,  experimented with different folding techniques until I came up with my eight pocket pouch, sometimes I have added also a shoulder strap for little ones to have them as a bag. These I have omitted the strap to go with a more widespread audience. They could be used for a make-up bag, a craft utensil organiser, or indeed a little one’s treasured possession organiser.

Starting with either coordinating or contrasting cotton fabrics I have a sandwich of two cotton fabrics with a synthetic piece of wadding between measuring 16.5 inches square. From there I work a few folds and hand sew them into place, after a few more stitching details to bring the seems together and I add a face of recycled buttons. No two are ever going to be the same, making them all a one off product. Hand placing the buttons gives them all a unique character face, A small elastic or hand twisted cord fastener completes the look with their twisted back ‘ears’.

Each multi-pocket origami folded pouch has a differing pocket size internally, with the larger pockets at the back of the pouch and the smaller at the front.

If you are looking for something different – THIS IS IT ! AND all handmade 🙂

A couple of other examples below

Origami folded multi-pockets

”Wow I really am holding a sneeze in”

”I could be sucking a lemon you know!’

”Oh… They left me all on my own !”’