Creating Better Pictures With MakeLight

This month I wanted to see what I could do with my lovely new camera. I've had it for about four months and my new years resolution was to get new photography skills. I took Makelight's  free online taster class. The aim was to see what I could get out of a class and if I could fit learning online into my days. I have never taken on a online class and was curious to see what it was like.

I have five lesson's emailed through to me over five days. I have to say whenever the new email came through I was really excited to grab some me time so I could learn some more.

Emily from Makelight talked through each daily class and gave us five small challenges to make us think about my photography, the subject, the light and the composition.

I found myself thinking of a colour scheme for the month to use over on my Instagram feed. Mine was pink and gold as you can see by the pics. The pink is the warmth of the Spring I long for on these cold days and the gold is a wink back to Christmas shimmer. Of course I wanted to some vintage in my inspiration so I found a lovely venetian glass Laura Ashley frame which I took the glass out of. I looked at the materials I would be using this month; threads, scissors. ribbons and arranged them in a snapshot to keep track of my inspiration.

The next thing I found myself doing is going on little photo walks, firstly around my home, then through the countryside at the end of the road. I loved it!  I then started to collect props for me to use in my months photos.  Emily was really clear and made each daily challenge achievable and fun.

Here are a few photos from the class.

My button lid box

Current sewing project.

 

My lovely loose skein tin

 

A frosty Derbyshire walk

 

 

Our little brook at the end of the road

Snow Day

After the snowy play

 

I will be subscribing to another class very soon as my next goal is to get more technie with my camera settings and start to use my tripod for shots.

Why not check out the lovely Adventures And Tea Parties  and her photography adventures with Makelight too?


Have you taken a great course this year, if so do drop me a comment!

Until later when I share all my gold and pink crafts!

Bye for now,

Samantha

Crafternoon Cushion Making

Hello Monday oh so Blue Monday,

This Saturday is my first Crafternoon Tea of 2016 back at Derby Museums. I wanted to share today some for the lovely makes from our last class in September and why I love to make cushions.

Cushions are a great start into sewing, you can get used to the handle of the sewing machine by using straight stitches in straight lines. I teach how to lock the stitch at the end and finish the seams.

I love hosting the workshops at Derby Museums in the old kitchen with the sewing machines set up in the old brewhouse. A really unique setting. The classes are aimed at any level, if you are more advanced you can experiment with the fabrics and pattern matching. Tea and cake is always provided as you create your own bespoke cushion as you need fuel for sewing right?

This month we are sewing envelope cushions including constructing our own patterns and making a decorative wrap. I love mixing up different fabrics to make the envelope cushion and then decorating with faux flowers and vintage fabrics.

I also love to see what fabrics everyone uses too. Last time I held the class we used lots of creams and decorated our cushions with the threads provided.

We only have two places left on the afternoon class starting at 1.45pm, due to a cancelation. Contact me at info@crafternoonteahostess {dot} co {dot} uk for more information,

Happy Crafting!

Samantha





 

New Blog Layout, New Domain for 2016 ... Work In Progress

Hello,

One of my to do's for 2016 was to update my blog and have a Spring clean. I started my blog in 2012 and it's needs a refresh.

 I'm currently working through the blog and ... ta-da 'Create It Samantha' now has it's own domain www.createitsamantha.co.uk .  I am still working through the layout and images.

This blog is about my crafting adventures, creating a home, creating a family life and creating a business. I've lots of lovely new content planned, I hope to see you soon.

I'll leave you with a few photos from my home and studio from last week -

Pinks and pastels to start January

My view from my desk, my teacups that I use as buttons holders and plant stands.
 

On Sunday I started to plant Spring bulbs outside for the first time this year .

 

Have a great Tuesday,

Have you updated your blog for 2016?

Love,

Samantha x
 

Our Favourite Festive Family Crafts

Handmaking The Christmas Season With A Young Family

 

 

Don't you love December?  A crazy, happy, fun-loving month that this year has whizzed by this year. As my daughter has finally got the Santa and Christmas thing now (she is four).  I've been making Reindeer dust, gingerbread bakes and the odd Christmas stocking and wreath with her. It's been great but I've had to realise that I can't do everything. So this year, I decided to craft what I could and enjoy a Christmas that my daughter would remember with the odd grown up addition...

 

Here's our top family crafts of 2015....

.

 

Salt dough Christmas shapes covered in glitter for our tree was perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon, we made the salt dough and baked it then covered it in Christmas glitter. Not really as messy as it sounds and the decorations lasted all Christmas long.

 

 

Don't you love the idea of your own knitted handmade Christmas sack? I have to admit that even thought this was a child activity, I was a tiny bit excited too. We went to the sack making family session at the Framework Knitter's Museum neat Nottingham.

 

 

Little L choose the coloured yarns and knitted her own stocking for Santa.

 

 

We then knitted it on a circular knitting machine in the museum's knitting shed.

 

 

Once made and stitched at the base, the knitted bag could be decorated with bows and Christmas fancy dec's.

 

 

Ta-da! Our finished sack that we hung up on Christmas Eve!

 

 

Christmas wreaths made from all the evergreen in our garden, we collected huge bunches of ivy, greenery and pretty leaves.

 

 

After gathering the greenery, I tied it into wreaths with floristry wires and we found a place to hang it up in the home.

 

And finally pastry and gingerbread baking. Again and again...lots of fun and satisfaction.

So that's our best crafty family times of  Christmas 2015.

Wishing you a Happy New Year!

Happy Crafting,

Samantha xxx