Beautiful Bird of Paradise

I’ve been neglecting my blog recently and I apologise. I’ve been so busy in my incarnation as Diane’s Puppets that I’ve hardly had time to breathe.

When I’ve managed to get a bit of time to sit down , I’ve been working on a very special piece. It is a coat I’ve called the Bird of Paradise. I think the name is self-explanatory.

She’s a beauty!

I’ve made her as a  present for my lovely granddaughter who turns two next week.

It’s made on a small crochet hook ( 2.5mm) so has taken quite some time to complete.

Detail of the fastening

Here is the back view:

I could remake on commission if anyone is interested but due to the week’s labour that is involved, it would cost £80, but for that you would be getting a unique, one of a kind piece designed especially for your child.

If interested please email me at thebabyfairyfifi@hotmail.com

or pop over to my facebook page 

and leave a message.

I’m hoping my little tiger is going to love her magical coat.

 

Beautiful Buttony Boho Beanie

My latest crochet creation.

Smart stripes and beautiful buttons

 

Here I was using up all the bits of lovely soft cotton yarn that I had left. I didn’t really plan the colours, just let the hat create itself.

Then I used some lovely buttons to accentuate the colours.

Button detail

It is made in super soft, natural cotton yarn so is light and soft and washes beautifully in a cool wash. It would look stunning teamed with jeans and a lacy jumper or even to top a swirly skirt, boho style.  It’s casual but dressy , what a perfect accessory.

This hat will fit adults.

Lovely colours

It is soon to be listed in my folksy shop and will retail at £20 plus p+p.

Do pop over to my shop sometime and have a nosey around.

Click on the link below to take you there.

Crochet Bright and Beautiful

The hat from behind

View from the other side

So smart, so funky.

 

 

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More Pixie hats

It’s crochet all the way here, every little bit of spare time I have, I’m hooking. You might say I’m hooked on crochet.

This hat is darling. It would fit up to toddler size , probably around 3years old and I think would suit both girls and boys.

Chocolate brown and cherry red, one of my fave colour combos

Detail of mushroom

This next Crochet pixie hat is my personal favourite. Made in a very soft boucle yarn in midnight blue it features a bright red heart.; very up to the minute what with Valentines day just around the corner. It is a smaller size, suitable for babies up to a year.

I heart this .

Close up of cupids arrow.

The next crochet pixie hat is also suitable for both boys and girls. Worked up in a variegated red/purple/ brown yarn it features a 3D crochet ladybird on a leaf and a cherry red rim around the edge. Will fit babies and toddlers up to around 2 years old.

Gorgeous colours in this one

Closer view of the ladybird on the leaf.

So there you have it, that’s pixie hats in total now. I’m sure there will be lots more soon!

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A brand new logo

I just thought I’d share my new logo with you all for Crochet Bright and Beautiful: my new business for handmade crochet goods for babies and children and for the young at heart. Representing the spirit of CB&B , the logo  seemed to create itself. A Japanese fairy sits on a magical toadstool crocheting , the yarn coming from a rainbow that has fallen from the sky. Why a Japanese fairy ?you may ask. She is representing the art form known as amigurumi with which I have totally fallen in love.

Amigurumi (編みぐるみ^?, lit. crocheted or knitted stuffed toy) is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures. The word is derived from a combination of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll.^[1] Amigurumi are typically animals, but can include artistic renderings or inanimate objects endowed with anthropomorphic features,^[2] as is typical in Japanese culture. ( Wikipedia)

Since discovering the joy of crochet, it just lent itself to creating lots of uber cute things. Flowers,

Girl's Rose hat detail showing sequin decoration

Daisy headband

Who can resist one of these ?

ladybirds,

Baby ladybird slippers

butterflies ,

Pretty pink pumps

puppies,

kittens

Meeiow

puppets and fairies

Pretty green flower fairy

Funky flower fairy

all are naturally formed in the crochet process.

Children’s hats

Rainforest frog hat with froggy feet ties

• 
• 

Rainbow daisy baby hat

and little darling slippers and shoes for both boys and girls in endless colour variations and designs all inspired by my childhood fixation with all things magical and faerie.

Buttons and bows

Red sailor bling

• 
• 

I’ve embraced the vintage , retro style of granny squares. Instead of trying to make it modern or edgy, I prefer to let it be what it is, retro and comforting. Using bright colour combinations within the granny square style, combining with 3D flowers , I have made cushions for the home that are both bright, stylish ( in a retro way) and very nostalgic.

Pretty cushion.

Isn't she a beauty?

Granny square cushion

Another flower cushion

In this dull grey world there is too much to be dour about. I think it’s time to bring out the colour and embrace the rainbow!

 

Find out what I’ve got in stock here, you’ll find the prices more than reasonable.

CROCHET BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL : trying to put the colour and sparkle back into life in my own small way.

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Crochet magic for new fairies and pixies

In a crochet making frenzy

Well it’s been far too long since my last craft blog post and I really must apologise. I have been very busy making and planning and doing hands on stuff rather than documenting. It’s now time to document and show you what I’ve been doing.

Since my very successful debut crochet stall on Xmas Eve in Brixton market, I’ve had lots of very useful feedback as well as selling lots of produce that I needed to replace. The best sellers were the fairies, dogs, finger puppets and baby slippers.

So it’s a fond farewell to:

Sold!

Oh I just love fairies. And crochet. And crochet fairies. Sigh.

Sold!

Did I forget to mention that I love dogs too? And crochet? And crochet dogs?

Sold!

Sold!

Sold!

sold!

I mean, just how could you not fall in love with those puppies? Those lovely woofy crochet creatures all went to very loving homes. They’re all properly house trained and won’t cost you anything in upkeep. You could take them to the park if you wish ( you can leave the pooper scooper at home!)

The crochet baby slippers really made an impact and you can see why. They’re just sooo cute.

Sold!

Sold!

There were a few hats that were sold too, all in all it was a very successful debut stall. The feedback I got was that I needed to make more items for baby boys and for small babies. So I’ve been busy with that in the forefront of my head.

So this is the result.

Told you I'd been busy!

That is a box of shoes and a toy or two… I’ve since made hats to go with it.

The shoes are worth showing individually. So here they are:

A warm welcome to:

Sleeping Bunnies slippers (0-3mo)

Cotton ballerina pumps ( 0-3mo)

Blue star booties (0-3mo)

Sailor bling shoes

Red sailor bling

Bunny booties

pixie feet ( with jingle bells)

Elf shoes with jingle bells

Pink preemie shoes ( smaller than newborn)

Just delicious strawberry boots

Baby ladybird slippers

Toadstool toes

Buttons and bows

Tiny preemie mouse booties

Cute pompom grey cable boots

Grey boots showing detail

 

and finally, Scrappy the shy puppy.

Crochet crochet crochet crochet… I love crochet. There’s more to come, oh  yes, much more.

That’s enough for now. The next post will be about hats.

Please pop over to my shop Crochetbrightandbeautiful to have a look at( and purchase at really good prices)  my latest creations.

You are guaranteed to be buying a very original gift for your baby or toddler ( or young at heart) made with heaps of care and love and totally unique. No piece I make is ever the same. ( Call it a low boredom threshold).

I don’t know about you, but I sense a change in the air. Are you feeling it too? I’m sensing people’s growing disinterest in the corporate label mass production thing and a growing appreciation for the human touch and the hand made.

I’m loving it… * whistles*

Busy busy bee

I’ve been so busy making things for my up coming crochet stall at Morley College  Winter Fair  on the 4th December  and doing puppet shows for birthday parties that I’ve sadly neglected my blog. For this I do apologise .

I’m going to show you all briefly what I’ve been making.

I’m really getting into the creative side of crochet in a big way. I’m an artist at heart ( and by training) and crochet is bringing out the sculptor in me. I’m now making up my own patterns and creating my own creatures . It’s so exciting.

I’ve been making lots of finger puppet sets as gift ideas for Xmas. The more I make, the more ideas I get for new ones. I really must get off this computer and start another. But before I do, let me show you what I’ve made so far.

With my obsession with all things fairyland, I had to make a fairyland set, complete with fairy, flowers, toadstool and a sweet bambi. Aah!

Details of my fairyland finger puppet set.

The full set. I made up the patterns.

Old Macdonald had a farm, E I E I O

And on that farm he had a chicken, a duck, a pig, a horse and a scarecrow

Zoo animals and a pink elephant. Well, why not?

Little Arabella Miller found a wooly caterpilar, and a frog and a daisy, a snail and a butterfly.

Blast off ! With a rocket,a flying saucer, alien , moon and star.

Tell a knights tale with this dragon, damsel, tower, noble steed, and knight in shiny silver amour.

I’ll be back to show you the rest.

Now where did I put my crochet hook?

Cushion love

My red cushion cover

I’ve been making stuff to sell on my folksy website for a while now. I’ve stopped looking at my own living room as I’ve been so busy with cushions for others.

Flower cushion

Granny square cushion

Another flower cushion

Until last Monday that is, when I really saw the state of my own cushions.

Oh dear.

Something had to be done. So I picked up my crochet hook and a few balls of my favourite colour yarn and this was the result.

Gorgeous granny squares

Back view

Detail

Crochet cushion

My first cushion cover for me! The warm colours go beautifully with my living room and I’m thinking of starting another to accent the colours in my fireplace.

Hand mosaic fireplace

The fireplace has its own story. It’s what comes from having a random selection of mosaic tiles and gems, a plain plastered fireplace and a creative urge! It’s a little haphazard, not terribly symmetrical but I like it. I’m looking forward to lighting a big fire in the winter time and watching light of the flickering flames dance in the eye of the gems and shards of broken mirror.

Until then I’ll bask in this strange October heat, 29 degrees of sunshine in October in the UK? It’s lovely, but just a little scary, don’t you think?

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My name is Diane and I’m a crochet addict

Image by Sofía via Flickr

Why didn’t anyone tell me that crochet would be so addictive?

Ever since I learned this skill via Youtube 3 months ago, I just cannot stop.

I suppose that’s a good thing really.  I’m working towards a craft fair in Tooting in late November, hoping to have enough stock ready by then for a very bright and beautiful stall. I’m going to call it All Things Bright and Beautiful .

Here are some of the latest things I’ve made.

cotton rainbow beanie

granny square bag

bright funky toddler beanies

jingle balls

rainbow ball necklace

ducks

fairy and toadstool amigurumi

Dainty cotton baby headbands

All items will be on sale at a craft fair near you soon. They will make fantastic Xmas gifts as every piece is unique.

If you like what you see, please share.

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