Tuesday 9 February 2010

twenty minutes

A couple of weeks ago I joined the 'twenty minuters' started by Marmalade Rose. The intention is to craft for twenty minutes every day, throughout the year. A great idea - twenty minutes is short enough to squeeze in on a busy day, and when time is no object, it just hooks you in, and quickly doubles, then triples.....

So far it's mainly been knitting that I've been focusing on, but the lure of my scalpel blade and cutting mat is never far away. That, and piles of old magazines that need to be re-purposed where possible before they hit the recycling. Today it was gift tags.


I like looking through old images, re-cropping them to change the perspective, or perhaps pick out a particular detail I'm drawn to.


Then a little card-stock, and a spray of photo mount (not the most eco choice I know, but glue sticks just don't give the smooth and permanent results I like - I'm fussy) followed by the hole punch.


And then there's the fun of choosing the thread or string. The off-white reel is bookbinders' linen thread (available here or here), which comes in various weights, and is cheaper than buying linen thread for sewing.


The black thread is from the saddlery department of my local farm supplies shop. It's cheap, I love the old-fashioned feel of the packaging, and who says you can only use it for plaiting horses' manes?

The queen of re-purposing magazine images is Caireen. She makes lovely tags, cards and envelopes. She has a Folksy Shop, too.

So what crafting can you fit in to twenty minutes? I bet it will inspire you to do something as opposed to nothing.

22 comments:

ginny said...

beautiful photos as always... i love the bookbinding thread... must order some of that! your choice of images for your tags are so very calming.
i like the idea of 20mins .. maybe i shall try it with crochet as i am still no further with my grannie squares.
warmest wishes
ginny x

Anonymous said...

wow, beautiful and oh so lovely. Will have to try!!

Diane said...

Very "Country Living" I love them. xx

Gina said...

These are beautiful Diana.

kristina said...

So gorgeous. Might need to start subscribing to magazines again just to make tags :) K x

driftwood said...

these are gorgeous, I want some, I knew there was a reason that seed catalogue didn't yet make it to the recycling bin, it can be todays 20 minutes!

Petit Filoux said...

Ooh I made some gift tags at the weekend too!! I was thinking about posting about them tomorrow!

silverpebble said...

Your tags are very lovely indeed. I still treasure the little tag with your Christmas branch on it. Thanks for the tips in making them look a little smoother.

Making things has certainly helped me through the winter gloom. Today's 20 has been making three silver birds for a commission.

A Bun Can Dance said...

Hello Diana
I've seen mention of the twenty minutes projects elsewhere and it is such a good idea... I'd be happy to spend 20 mins each day on my knitting and that way my cardigan may just reach the wardrobe in 2010 ;-)
Your tags are gorgeous. I have some of Caireen's tags from a giveaway last year!
And thank you for the glueing tip, I've tried so many types of glue but they tend to create a rather wrinkly finish!
have a super rest of the week - hope you have some sunshine!
D x

hello gorgeous said...

Hey gorgeous, I LOVE this idea, may have to check it out as I def need SOMETHING to kick start my creative juices again! ;o)

Love the idea of the re-cycled gift tags...and so different to what you get retail!

hugs

hello gorgeous xxx

French Knots said...

I've tried with double sided tape but spray mount is a much better idea.
Lovely pictures.

Fiona said...

Gosh they are so neat. And the thread is lovely. I am just not that neat a person unfortunately.

dragonfly said...

They are lovely images, what a great thing to do.
I've been taking my knitting to bed with me and doing 20 minutes or so then. I'm doing lots more other sewing during the day, but it's nice to find that little extra box of time.

Lisa said...

Thank you for the inpsiration.
What a great idea to just think about doing something for 20 minutes.
Lisa x

Susan McShannon-Monteith said...

What a perfect idea... they could be used to accent a gift or dangle in a window or tied together like a banner.
Your photos are beautiful and your doggie is a wonderful participant.
If that is Malabrigo yarn (the prize you won) it knits like butter and felts fantastic too. There is a book titled, 'Luxury Yarn One Skein Wonders' by Judith Durant full of the most breathtaking temptations for that skein you have...
Thank you for dropping by it is always interesting to visit others with common enjoyments.
Susan

A time to dance said...

I always love the cards that you make...now my next problem is finding twenty minutes ...work and life are rather mad at the moment...

The Curious Cat said...

These are so pretty...and I think you've inspired me to go and buy my own scapel so I can get a little more crafty with collages! :) xxx

MarmaladeRose said...

Lovely images, you must have nicer magazines than me. I'll have to go through my old ones and have a look with fresh eyes.

Reading Tea Leaves said...

These photos are so inspiring Diana. I've been thinking about making gift tags recently and there's some great tips here on how to get that professional finish. Thank you for sharing.

Jeanne x

caireen said...

hehe! ;) you are too kind! they are very therapeutic, aren't they!? 20 mins? I don't think I can muster that every day, but nice idea XX

caireen said...

ps my trade secret for really flat - rolling pin, and under a stack of books before you trim!

Ali said...

They are lovely.

And I need a few 20 min projects under my belt - just so I don't feel like such a craft failure.