Ready!

I may not have got all prepared for my first lesson yet (a bit ashamed about it), but I will surely step into the schoolyard in style tomorrow!

How? 

With my new schoolbag of course featuring my initial letter.

 

It's a kind of a tradition of mine to make a new schoolbag every one or two years.I find it a nice way to start the schoolyear and sweeten the pill a bit...It's not the first initial letter bag I've made ( Λ  is the equivalent for L). Perhaps you remember these and this one made especially for friends. In June I made three more as presents and look at my girls posing! Aren't they lovely? 

I made their bags in a way that they can also get folded and kept into their purse to be used as an extra shoppping bag. Look how small they can get!

 The idea came in mind, because when I go shopping I hate it having lots of small bags in my hands,so I always take a bigger one with me to carry the smaller ones in it and free my hands. Of course they can be used as such.

 This September I thought it would be finally my turn! Considering my school needs I made mine with a thicker fabric, an interior pocket for my purse and hankies and I added ribbons to hang my keyrings from.

The bags turned out a total hit with my friends and their friends, so,in the case that you would be interested in a bag featuring your initial name or your friend's name in Greek,
 I would be happy to make one for you! 
Just leave your email.

What do you think?

Go away!

Just a quick posting to wish everyone a Happy Sunday and a lovely week!

There's been lots of (unpleasant) activity in my house with spring cleaning, winter clothes storage, cooking and gardening.I've also been crafting a lot in between, just to get a rest from the boring house chores.These are two little strawberries I made with lavender inside. I'm going to put them in the packet with my woolen sweaters. That will surely keep bad moths away!

Well, then...happy Sunday!

I'm off!

In an hour I'm off to meet my girlfriends!Last time we met was last October at the picnic. It's been really a long time that we all got together. We're going to meet half way, as all of us live in different cities. Unfortunately there will be only one missing, as she lives on the other side of Greece and it was impossible to travel.
So, yesterday I spend almost the entirely day making delayed presents for birthdays or namedays.This pouch is for my friend E. who's into cosmetics. A lot. It's not a normal size, as I wanted to fit things that are usually hard to put into regular pouches due to their size, such as hairdryer, hair spray, perfume, contact lenses solution liquid etc.I really like how it came out, with the polca dot adding a playful touch to the pink fabric.  Keeping my fingers crossed that she'll use it. I'm surely making one for myself!
Wishing everyone a marvellous Sunday!
I'm off!

PS. Four days left for the TASTE & BAKE GREEK event! To see the wonderful bakes the Balcony's friends have made so far, click here!

Commissioned

I was so happy to recieve a call from my best friend P, asking me to make a personalized bag for one of her friends' birthday. Remember the bags I made back in autumn? P asked me to combine elements from those bags and the fabric I used for the fuchsia bag I made for my friend D a month ago to create a girly-romantic bag. 
The result? Here it is!

 I hope P and her friend both like it!

PS. There's more Greek baking going on in the UK these days! Julie also entered the BAKE & TASTE GREEK event with galatopita adding a twist of her own! Read all about it on her wonderful blog here! 

Weekend project: new cushions

This weekend I've been meaning to do some spring cleaning and freshen up the decoration. I thought about lightening up the colours a bit to match the weather that's getting milder every day. I always think that by simply changing the sofa cushions one can transform the living room. So, this is what I always do. I have winter cushion covers and spring/summer ones and put them on accordingly. However, as they're so easy to make, I often add new covers to my collection, when I come up with interesting fabric. This is what happened last weekend in Athens. I found some great fabrics to make two or three cushions, so today I sewed the first one. I lovely floral one! 

I'm quite happy about it, as it matches both the sofa and my armchair as well as the cushions I've already had. Instant tranformation! What do you think? I'm hoping within the week I'll make the rest.

Any weekend craft projects of your own?

Happy birthday D!

Today it's my best friend's birthday! She's as bright and sunny as spring itself! She makes me laugh and pushes me further. She has helped me through the worst times. She's my childhood and my future.

For her birhday I made her this folding bag in her favourite colours, because I forgot to say: she's also a fireball!

 

Happy birthday D! 

May you always shine!

Fairy pink aaaall over!

Last weekend I visited my best friend M. and her lovely family, whom I hadn't seen for months, as they live far away. Before my visit, I puzzled myself over the presents I would get for her little girls. As they have already plenty of toys and clothes, I wanted to find something that would catch their interst, as well as find something they would enjoy and play with. 

 As a little girl myself, I used to enjoy dressing up. It was one of my most favourite things. I used to pretend I was someone else (more likely a film character), and I would play in this imaginary world for hours and hours.
So, that was it! I would make a kind of a costume for the girls, even for baby E! I ended up making 2 felt crowns (the tiny one was a hit!) and a perfect magic wand with little bells hanging from colourful ribbons for the eldest one!

Isn't baby crown cute?

My ultiment joy was I's reaction: just what I had hoped for! She put her crown on, grabbed her wand and started dancing around the house while singing- of course, after that, we were all turned into frogs, sheep, cows, pigs and into any other animal you can think of. On the other hand, baby E, was rather curious about it, and tried to take it off her head and into her mouth! But I can't describe how sweet she looked in it!

As Carnival time in Greece approaches, I might make myself one, too!!!! Keep your eyes open for a photo of me as a fairy!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy day and giveaway winner!

As I said in my previous posting, I'm not into this celebration AT ALL. However, I find it a great chance to make all kind of heart crafts and get all these uplifting colours (pink, fucsia, red) around me. Yesterday I had a wonderful time at school, where I taught them how to make this card with a lovely surprise inside:

via this link

It proved a rather easy and enjoyable craft for kids (and me for that matter!). One class traced their own hands, however the result was not very nice, as their fingers came out really thin.So, for the rest of the classes we used a template.When they finished, I told them that they should give it to a person they love. I can't describe my hapinness, when I found four cards on my desk addressed to me right after the break!

Of course, this whole hearty card making triggered funny incidents, such as, pupils teasing their mates by hiding cards in their  bags (mostly boy to boy), hiding cards in their Valentine's cabinet (the boys proved to be more courageous!), lots of laughs and so on!

This card, not only helped me deliver a nice lesson, but it spread a happy feeling all over the school!

Nice...  

And may I announce the lucky one of my V's giveaway!
It's Greenthumb from one of my favourite blogs called Made with Love ! 

Congratulations dear! 
 Now you got me sewing!

A big thanks to everyone for participating! 
I only wish they were even more entries... That would have been even more thrilling!
 
Have a wonderful Friday and an exciting weekend ahead!

 

Valentine's GIVEAWAY!

I was really happy to see that many people liked my Key-to-My-Heart keyring! So I decided to give one away for Valentine's day, since I don't have a Valentine and I don't believe in it! No, I'm not going mad! I just find it a wonderful occassion to give a heart to you, that will lift my spirits while I make it and hopefully yours, when you win it.

  My last two giveaways became an opportunity to meet some wonderful people and follow their blogs and I decided that this one will be a way to express how much I love blogging lately!

All you have to do is leave a comment on this posting. Since I will make the keyring especially for you,you get to decide the fabric. So, make sure you mention which one you prefer, the red dot or the romantic one. 

The deadline is February 14th, 24:00 pm (Greek time).

Feel free to spread the news to other bloggers! I'd love to meet some more wonderful people!

GOOD LUCK!

DIY : Key to my heart and giveaway winners

As you may have already noticed from my postings, I've been obsessed with cooking and crafting for a month or so. My friends are actually the ones to get lucky by this obsession of mine, as many of my crafts are made especially for their birthdays and namedays. 

One of my creations was the Key to My Heart keyring.

I made  two: a romantic pink and a passionate red.I just can't decide which one to keep for my keys!!! 
What do you think? 

Which one's your favourite?

 I'm totally proud of them and I have lots of variations already in my head, soon to be revealed!

If you would like to make one (or more than one, for that matter) , you will need:

two pieces of fabric (10x10cm) or one (10x20cm)
a piece of felt (10x10cm)
a key ring
a piece of ribbon or string (5cm)

 Here is the procedure:

If you try it, I'd love to see it!

 Good luck!


Before I leave you, I'm happy to announce the winners of my two giveaways! 
A big thanks to each of you who honoured me with your entries. I decided to include every one (even those who didn't fill all the requirements),since I'm really happy that so many wonderful people were interested in my giveaways and took a moment to leave a sweet note on my postings!
So...I don't want to keep you waiting any longer...

...the olive oil goes to (drumsticks)...Simone!

and the pouch goes to (drumsticks again)...Ivy!  

Simone and Ivy, I'm waiting for your address on my email (teapartyathotmaildotgr) so I can post your gifts!

CONGRATULATIONS!
 

DIY: Earrings stand

I usually keep my earrings in boxes. Lately I've made some that are too beautiful to hide. So, I thought of this easy way to display them using a piece of wire (about 1-1,20m long). The whole process is about 5'  and your earring stand is ready!

The main concept is to start, first, by forming the base that looks like an upside down five petal flower, and then  move on with the stem and 'arms'.

I put together the steps in photos in the hope that the process will be clearer for everyone.

In the case that you try it yourselves, I'd love to see your creation!

tip 1: Use only for light earrings/ jewellry.

tip 2: Make more than one and display in groups.

Earbuds in style and another GIVEAWAY!

That awful laryngitis, that has been troubling me for a week, has had a positive effect upon me. 

No, it has not harmed my sanity as well as my voice!

I mean that, not going  to school for so many days, and being all by myself at home speechless,  I've had plenty of time to surf a bit AND get creative to pass my time a bit more meaningfully. So,I came across some lovely and quite inspirational blogs and websites. Most importantly, I found a few crafts that I immediately tried out. 

For example, I just couldn't resist making  a stylish pouch for my earbuds, that I sourced on the lovely crafty site called  Dog Under My Desk . I just hate it that my earbuds ALWAYS get tangled. Don't you ?

So, I made not one, not two, but three, all in one afternoon. I can easily make something just by looking at it, but a good tutorial such as this, was a great time saver for me, thus the three pouches! 

As there are birthdays ahead, I decided to make some more for presents for my friends.And then I thought, why not give one to my blog friends! 

So, another giveaway for you with all my love!

This polca dot pouch, which, even if you don't have earbuds, can be used for keeping all those tiny bits that we usually search for in vain in our bags (keys, paper clips, coins etc.). The best thing about it is that it can be attached on the bag due to the ring, which means, it's sooo handy!

So, to enter this giveaway (deadline 10th February) there are 3 requirements (to match the 3 pouches I made;)  )

1.Leave a comment on this posting

2. Make a link on one of your postings

and

2. Become a follower (if you're not already)

 Just make sure you mention in your comment that you fill these 3 requirements.

And don't forget about my other giveaway that is still running!

Looking forward to seeing your comments and more importantly to sending my two gifts to the lucky ones, with aaaall my love.

Have yourself a maaaaaaarvellous weekend!

B.F.S.F.

In one of my previous postings I mentioned that I have been crafting lately.
I don't know about you, but I always find simple canvas shopping bags more than useful. I personally prefer referring to them as multi purpose bags because:

• I take extra books and material to school 
• When I go shopping, I put the things I buy all in one bag - I HATE carrying around many small bags
• I avoid plastic bags at the supermarket
• I put in all the bits and pieces of the last minute when travelling
• I use them for storage
• I don't mind if they get dirty, as they are easily washable on the washing machine

...and the list goes on!

Although I'm fond of them, as you already might have guessed, I have many canvas bags, unfortunately of the advertising kind. So, I experimented a little and came up with this more personalized design. 
I wanted it to be colourful, girly and elegant. I was so happy with the result, that I decided to make some for my friends with their name initial on, so as to give to them as presents ...on their namedays!

The Bags For Special Friends are made of canvas, decorated with letters and ric-rac ribbon. They are washable  and my friends can put anything in them. 

What do you think?

In case you are interested in a B.F.S.F. bag for yourself or as a present, I'll be more than happy to make one! 

Busy

These last 10 days have been so creatively busy!

 

There are lots of happy occassions to attend to this month, such as namedays, births, christenings and birthdays. So, I decided to devote some time and make presents instead of buying them. I've always been crafty, however, my postgraduate studies put me off for quite some time. So now....I'M BACK, full of ideas!

Beware scissors, glue, paper and fabric, for I have plans for you!

Today I will show you a playmat that I made for a colleague, who is about to give birth to a baby boy. I'm thinking that it will be perfect when the baby starts crawling or playing. 

It's also versitile and it can be used as a quilt for crispy evenings. I made it in my friends' favourite colour: light blue. 

It's my first attempt to make a quilt and it really troubled me. At least , I think I did rather well for a first time, if I may say so.

the one side...

What do you think?

...the other side