Last Christmas or the one before

 Last Christmas no it was Christmas 2018 on my list was a small laser engraver I wanted one just to play around with, I did play with it a few times with mixed results.

Recently I have got it out again, often when I return to things after a break I get better results

I can load an image up on the computer software

Then send it to the engraver 

I can only do 4x4 area but that is great for what I want to do

I am pleased with the Results and the detail 

I have done lots of the vegan leather key fobs, at some point they will be added to my shop

I have also been experimenting on the log slices 

I have a few other Wooden things I am going to play with next.

Anyone else got a laser engraver?

Playing with Resin

 I have been having great fun playing with Resin, it’s a messy craft and not an economical craft.

The resin is mixed in two parts and has to be left for a few days to cure.

There are hundreds of molds out there.

This layered pyramid lamp has been my biggest piece to date, it took over a week to make as you have to wait for each layer to cure 

before you can Work on the next one. 

It has been fun, and the demolding at the end is exciting as it’s the first time you see your pieces.

I love setting the dandelion clocks in the spheres , 

Theses came about through my grandson wanting one as gear knob in his van. 

The little snails I adore, some of the shells have individual dandelion wishes set deep inside them 

The reindeer jewellery tidy I love too.

I have made so many little bits and pieces, some will go as gifts.

It has been great playing around with a new craft.

Just a selection of some of the resin things I have done .

Is there a new craft you have tried during this strange year, I would love to know.

If you have a craft blog please let me know in comments I would love some new ones to add to my side bar. 

Finally a couple of you have asked about my online shop it’s here, please pop along have a look, let me know what you think. 

Homespun Creations Shop

Yes Still Crafting but Changing

I may have disappeared but I have been crafting my little fingers to the bone, there has been a lot of family and smallholding stuff going on, pop over to my other blog if you want updating on all that.

New additions arrived in the family a few weeks ago 11 weeks early so little dresses hats and quilts have been made 

I have also been getting to grip with something else, a couple of years ago I bought a long arm quilting frame and machine from a fellow blogger, try as I might I couldn’t get results I was happy with following the pantographs, well just before lockdown I have a lovely PPI payout, I was mulling over the idea of upgrading the quilting system to make it user friendly.

Then we went into lockdown, all the craft fairs were cancelled, I had boxes of stock all made so didn’t need to make more, 

so I thought ideal opportunity to work on the quilting white elephant that was taking up a lot of room in my cabin.

I invested my payout in a computerised robotic system to work on the long arm.

I have been spending my time during learning the software and how to top quilt on the long arm

This the front and back of one of the quilts I have done,

I have now top quilted two quilts and about to start my third, I have another two in the box to do, I am loving quilting again, it has been a bit of a learning curve and I do hope that by the end of the year I can offer a top quilting service.

If this works out then I can vastly reduce the amount of craft I do, which do take a lot of preparation and very exhausting at times. 

Any craft fairs I go back to doing my stock will greatly change as well including more of what is produced here on the small holding something I have been striving to achieve. 

More on that in my next post.