Friday 29 October 2010

A very good day. Ish.

I finished my project (sort of, still have some ideas that need doing) and it took me longer than expected. Maybe that's because I'm getting ill and feel tired all the time, which results in me doing everything twice as slow as usually. Anyway, these are the finished products, which are already in the shop waiting for a new home.




And guess what I saw in the shop? My doorstops are already displayed!! I was so happy that I took some pictures.. I know, pretty lame ;)




I'm just hoping they will sell. Otherwise will have to go there in disguise and buy them myself. 
I'm feeling really rubbish recently, just wanna go and sleep and get better, but I can't. I've already cancelled a meeting in one shop due to my runny nose, it's Mr Boyfriend's birthday tomorrow so I need to organise it, and have a meeting on Monday in another shop so have to prepare some stuff to show. 
If you want to know how to make the hearts I am more than happy to do a tutorial. And I have some more projects done already, will show you pictures later.
I'll not blog at the weekend (party party party!) so see you next week!

Kat

Thursday 28 October 2010

A feel good project

I felt quite sad today. I realised that people change and after a while you find yourself wondering why it's so difficult to talk with someone you've known for years. Plus I really miss my brother. I don't see him often as he lives in another country and we only occasionally chat on Skype. So I cried, but only a little (ok, maybe more than just a little) and then thought that I don't really have time for all those silly things, and need to stop feeling sorry for myself and do something creative (not to mention that I still have to finish the order). So there is a quick sneak-peak of what I'm making now.




I will finish it tonight and show you everything tomorrow. And no, these are not cookies.

Kat

PS. I'm hooked on marshmallows. My dentist will be pleased...

Wednesday 27 October 2010

Keeko in shops!

You can buy my products in shops! Well, not in shops really, it's just one shop, but I'm so excited! And I have two more meetings this month with two other shops so fingers crossed. I'm so delighted that someone actually liked my products and wanted to sell them. I've got my first order and I'm really proud. That's the reason I'm so busy recently (not because I'm proud but because I need to work and work and work). And I absolutely love it!







My little owl collection and Christmas decorations. The owls were not all my ideas, saw some on the internet and got inspired :) Sorry for the quality of pictures, took them very early in the morning when it was still dark and I was still asleep.

Kat

Tuesday 26 October 2010

Eating marshmallows, working hard

Hi guys! I know, promised to update the blog regularly and not really doing it.. But there is so much happening right now I hardly find time for myself. And it's a very very good thing. Not that I have no "me time", but that I'm so busy.




Yesterday my lovely boyfriend helped me with making labels for my products. Instead of spending the evening watching TV we sat together with hot chocolate and marshmallows, designed and made lots and lots of them. We used a very old typing machine to write the info inside, and because it's old and doesn't write very good I had to bang the letters and my finger tips are pretty damaged now. But we had great time, it took us a while to figure out all the measurements and everything else, and that was really funny. I think they turn out really well and quite original. Really proud of myself. And my boyfriend (fiancĂ© to be and future husband). 

Kat

Friday 22 October 2010

Very busy working

I'm really sorry for not updating my posts daily.. I got so busy! I even have to make my tea in a thermos as don't have time to go to the kitchen every time I need a drink.


This is my little workshop. No time to clean that up either. Quite difficult to work in that mess..

I'm very busy working on lots of projects at once, and really don't have time to take any pictures of the finished stuff. I'm quite stress and have little time left, but why I'll tell you later..

Kat

Saturday 16 October 2010

My newest creation


I used to make lots of cats before and recently got back to making them. That one is made from a pair of old trousers and I like that I can put his hands in different positions to create a new look.
I used to worry a lot to make everything looking perfect and got fed up with it, so decided to just go for it and create something without worrying too much. And I'm so pleased with the result! The Cat looks unique and original, one of the kind. So from now on I'm just going to make the creatures and let them be imperfect. Just like me :)


I feel creative today so will see you soon! Have a nice weekend


Kat

Wednesday 13 October 2010

Owl attack

Here are some other owl doorstops I made. I used the first owl (the one I did the tutorial on) as a guide, so that I had a chance to see what measurements, fillings and materials I should use. Once I figured it all out I could get more creative with them and here they are


I'm putting them up for sale, so if you don't feel like making your own owls you can always buy mine (oh yes please do!). 



I search the net for inspiration and sometimes make something similar to what I found and liked. Ok, I feel the urge of making more owls. See you soon!

Kat

How to make an owl doorstop






Hi guys! Here's the tutorial on how to make an owl doorstop. I'm not very good at writing instructions but will try to make it easy and understandable.

    1. Draw an owl on a piece of paper and decide how you want your owl to look, then cut it out, so that you have your pattern. 
    My owl is 20.5cm wide at the bottom and about 19cm high, but you can make it bigger or smaller, those measurements simply work for me best. For the bottom you need a circle and it took me a while to figure out how large I need to have it... Mine has a radius of 6.5 cm, but don't forget to add about 0.5cm for sewing allowance (so you need a circle with 7cm radius).





    2. Copy all shapes onto a pattern copying paper (or any other paper), cut them out, pin the shapes to the chosen material, draw around them and then cut everything out.









    3. Using sewing machine, sew satin stitches around the edges of your material. I did it for the belly, wings and beak (I stitched only the top of the beak). I used felt for the eyes, so I could sew it using a straight stitch or hand stitch it. You don't need to satin stitch felt as it will not unravel like other materials. Use buttons or glass beads for the pupils.






    4. Once you're finished and happy with the look of your owl, lay your owl back face up and lay the front of the owl on top facing down. Pin it together so that it doesn't move when you sew it and machine stitch the sides and the top. Remember to leave an approximately 10cm gap at the top for turning and stuffing. Make small scissor snips round the stitched curved edge to have a smooth finish.








    5. Pin the bottom of the owl and machine stitch round the edge. I found it the trickiest bit, as it was a slow and annoying process for me, but after making several owls it's not that scary any more.








    6. Your owl is nearly ready now. All you need to do is to turn the owl out the right way through the gap and fill with lentils, split peas or rice to make the doorstop heavy. 
    I never fill my doorstops right to the top, I just make sure it's heavy enough and then fill it up with toy stuffing. You can of course put as much rice or lentils as you want, or you can fill it up with some material scraps. 


    Stitch the gap using invisible stitch and ta-da! You have a pretty owl :)


    I hope you'll enjoy making your own owl doorstop. If there's anything not clear in my tutorial please let me know and I'll try to improve it.
    Have fun!!

    Kat

    Saturday 9 October 2010

    Sorry guys!

    I'm working on a new project, making owls and doing a tutorial on how to make a doorstop but somehow it's a slow process and I still wasn't able to put it here.. And now I'm away for the weekend (very busy partying in London) so will put everything here on monday. 

    Sorry for making you wait so long for new posts. To be honest I was working on my tutorial couple of days ago and it was pretty much ready, but then I tried to put pictures there and it just went very bad.. It took me over 3 hours to do it right and in the end I just got fed up and left it. But I promise it will be ready soon! 

    Gotta go now, need to have my breakfast as my head is still a little bit spinning (no, not a hangover, simply didn't sleep well...).

    Kat

    Monday 4 October 2010

    I won the lottery! But still have to work..

    Yey, hoorey! I won £10! 
    Ok, it might not be much, but that doesn't matter. Firstly, because I never won anything in my life (apart of a t-shirt, but that's a boring story), and secondly, because if I'd guessed 3 numbers I might as well guess 6 and then I'll be a millionaire! And will get a nice studio and a little shop, and a proper website. And some other stuff (I've already decided what I'll spend it on). Meanwhile though I need to work hard...

    Here is my first project and the very first thing I'm selling. I made the bag from some trousers I got in charity shop. I simply cut off the legs, sew them together, shaped it, used an old pillowcase for interior and voile: a  pretty shoulder bag.

     

    I think that brown and light pink really go together. I'm pleased with the way it turned out and I'm seriously proud of myself (well, someone has to be proud of me). I was going to add some decorations to the bag to make it more colourful but in the end decided against it. But there are ways to make it more personal by simply tying a scarf to it, or attaching a colourful necklace, or pinning a broche. 

     

    The bag looks much better once you wear it, it's not that square at the bottom. It hangs quite nice, a bit like it shows on the second picture. 
    I know these are not the best pictures, but I'm absolutely going crazy here trying to take the pics and putting them on the blog. It took me over an hour.. And I'm still not happy with the results but will leave it for now. I'm going to cash my lottery ticket :)

    Ps. I'm going to put the bag for sale later on, check it on http://www.etsy.com/shop/keeko

    Kat

    Saturday 2 October 2010

    My first post!

    So finally I decided to set up my first blog ever. And here I am, sitting and thinking what to write.. I've already drunk two coffees and an energy drink hoping it would help me getting my thoughts together, but weirdly it did something totally opposite. I'm a little shaky, nervous, annoyed that I can't find the right words, very excited, and my thoughts are not what they were supposed to be. Plus I've got so much energy that I want to jump all over my room (maybe that's the perfect opportunity to start my last New Year's resolution to exercise every day..). 

    Anyway, that is not what I wanted to write about. I pretty much wanted to welcome you to my blog. Well, Hello and welcome to my blog!

    As I already said this is my first blog and I'm still working on it. I spent absolute ages designing it and it still doesn't look the way I want. So the blog will probably look different every time you visit. But one day I'll find the perfect design. I hope.

    I decided to run a blog as part of my business. Some time ago I realised that a "normal" job is really not for me. I got fed up working for someone else, being told what to do, not being able to have my holiday whenever I want, smiling and agreeing to everything that was said (I found out that this was the easiest and safest option) and pretty much working my lovely bum off for minimum wage so that someone else can have a dream life.. So I left. Not the smartest thing to do when you haven't got any money saved (and having some debts to pay off), but, trust me, the most liberating one. 
    I started to do what I love best (after drinking beer and playing with my little nephew, not at the same time of course): making little craft things. I am hoping to open my very own little shop one day and sell all of my creations there. But for now I'm trying to sell my stuff on the internet and earn enough for my living. And the blog is a part of my plan. I want to write about the things I make, do some tutorials, and pretty much get people interested in my products (not sure how to do that just yet). Thanks to the loveliest guy on this planet, which also happens to be my boyfriend, I don't need to worry about the earnings just yet as he promised to support me and make my dream (one of the many) come true. So all I have to do now is to focus on making pretty things. And I absolutely love it!

    I hope I haven't bored you too much.. I didn't think I'll write this much, must be the energy drink. 

    So again, welcome to my blog! I really hope you will like it :)

    Kat

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