Wendy's Wednesdays - OK I know it's Thursday now LOL

Roughly once a fortnight, I draw a cartoon on the Handmade in Europe Blog. I've done 13 so far.

The best way to find them all is to put the word "cartoon" in the blog's search bar. But I find it more fun to scroll thorough all the great blog entries in there.

It documents the life of a crafter, Wendy, and her poor long-suffering husband Steve. It is total fantasy but you may see some of your own Crafting obsessions in there

This week she is trying to do something new that is nothing to do with knitting (her favourite pastime)

Yes, OK, OK, it is based on me and other crafters I know. So be careful what you say around me; it may end up as a toon one day mu-hahahaha (evil laugh)

Flappy Flambé

A while ago I drew a little critter for a contest on another blog that I am a participating member of.

Cute isn't he?

Well, after it was all over and the prizes had been won. We decided to make up a real one and send him around Europe meeting all the members of the Handmade in Europe Blog. showing their crafts and countries off to the world.

So, it was up to me to create a 3D version that we could all play with and take photos of.

Here we are. Not only is he a cute little crocheted critter; he is also a hand puppet with posable wings - this should make for some interesting photos.

The story of how the picture turned into a "real bird" is in the blog here

You can then follow his adventures as they unfold

So far he has met me
and visited South Wales
This week I sent him off to London for his next adventure.
Stay ahead of the action on http://handmade-in-europe.blogspot.com/

Creative challenge 52 in 52 - March 2010

So March is gone and April starts today.
Here are my finished items for March.

1. A tea cosy in the shape of a turkey (already sold)
2. A little green garden gnome made for a "package of green swap"
3. A crocheted bag (with a sail boat on it and bamboo handles) made for "make something wind related swap"
4. A knitted black and white cat - made on request and already sold
5. A colourful nursery tortiose - also made on request and already sold - and another ordered!
6. My travelling scarf. This was a group effort made by 10 different knitters, but I made a section for each of their scarves too - so although it wasn't entirely made by me, it deserves to be here as it represents the sections I made on each of the 9 other travelling scarves.
7. A red knitted crab
8. A red knitted crab
9. A red knitted crab - yes they are all part of a requested order. She wants 5 - yippee

Oh yes, I can hear you unbelievers saying , "she just used the same crab photographed in different ways.

Well, just for you, here is a picture of 3 completed crabs plus the 4th in a state of wip (incomplete) taken just before the finished 3 were posted yesterday. So at least 2 more will be in next month's chart. I do love requests.

It's been a good month. Both for orders and sales. A big thanks to my customers at http://eddyspressies.artfire.com/

The challenge then?

• 9 items for January
• 7 for February
• and 9 for March = 25 completed items in 12 weeks

Gosh this 52 items in 52 weeks is easy with a better system of keeping count.

Amazing Givaway By the ACT

The wonderful Artfire Cafemom team is having a major givaway this week.

There are 15 prizes to be won including a baby knitted ox made by me! You know you want one!

If you don't love that there are 14 other prizes including gift vouchers to buy whatever you want from any of the Artfire cafemom team's shops. Find us via the link on the blog page or by typing Artfire Cafemom Team (with spaces, no commas) into the Artfire search box.

find out about the givaway and how to enter here; ACT Givaway Quick, You only have a few days!

week 16 - knitting challenge

'Aint she sweet? hee hee. She's a prototype or a test piece, if you like. I was asked to make a set of little cheerleaders for one of the students at the University of Maryland. Their team is called the terrapins and so the cheerleaders are the "Terps"

I made this little one to test if I could reproduce their contest uniform well enough. The actual ones to be sent will have longer legs, slightly longer skirt and better hair/lettering

I do love a challenge; and this little beauty brings my total of completed goods for this year (since January) to 23

23? Have I missed something out? lets see

20 was the sailor top -which has it's own post

21 was Billy and his crochet bag and goodies - the post before this one

22 is the Terps cheerleader

and 23? Oh yes, I did another test knit. this time for Befriendmantic. It was an Easter bunny all crocheted. He was sweet.

The only thing is, I made a mistake when making him up and so you will see a series of decreases across his chest. They should not be there, they should be under his arm!

Well no one is perfect. He is a twisted bunny but I love him anyway. I'll make another when the corrections come through.

23 for week 16 is pretty good going I think. I'll soon have those 52 items in 52 weeks.

Easter egg hunt on Artfire

Seriously, there are a series of Easter eggs hidden in the studios at Artfire. Either in the banners or the pictures.

Today is the start date so you can start looking now at Artfire.com

Each egg has a letter written on it (some have the word "space" which are vital in making the overall sentance)

the idea of the game is to collect as many of these letters to make the correct sentance.

This will run for 3 weeks so lots of time to find them all.

Entry forms can be found here on the Easter Egg Hunt blog Scoring is also explained on there.

And prizes? oh yes prizes, well they make it well worth it....

highest score : 50$ giftvoucher
second highest : 20$ giftvoucher
third highest : 10$ giftvoucher

These vouchers can be spent in all the participating studio's So give it a try, there are some wonderful things to be found. and good luck to you all

Knitting challenge - week 6 - some for the charity box.

This week I got out those dredded DPNs again. The double pointed needles. This is only the second project that I have completed using them I think it turned out pretty well.

It was a free pattern from a cafemom challenge (so two challenges in one!) Free pattern for the Chevron Bag

This little sheep was knitted from an Alan Dart pattern. (sorry you'll have to buy your own pattern for this one) called "Simply Sheep." for the Simply Knitting magazine; Feb, 2009.

She is completed but has no clothes yet. The one in the pattern has a stripey dress and a pair of knitting needles. But I think mine, like any self-respecting Welsh sheep will get to wear a rugby jersey which I will make next week.

I also knitted half a dozen of these little guys. Wee knitted chicks in chemo hats.

They are for the Velindre Cancer hospital appeal. The chicks will be filled with chocolate eggs and sold in the hospital shop. Good use for all that leftover yellow yarn.

The pattern for this is free from the hospital too, and was designed by one of the volunteers that works there; Mrs. Joyce Davies. I'll put a copy onto my scibt files so you can get that too. Probably tomorrow.

Knitting Challenge; Week 5 - Still knitting...

Well, this week, I found this cute and easy little pattern, called Teddies for Tradgedies. There are no increases or decreases making it perfect for someone learning to knit as a first project.
At first glance I thought it was a charity asking for people to knit and send in the teds. But on closer reading, it seems that it is just a pattern and you have to find the charities that want them yourself. So I've stopped at one. If I find a home for them I will knit more.

One little teddy is just not enough for me; so I made a partner for my daughter's horse. This one is made with some really nice denim-effect yarn in purple with a lilac mane and tail. I think this one turned out even better than the first. My daughter is not that soppy and she says he doesn't need a girlfriend so she will go on sale in my Artfire shop. You can go there to see more pictures and maybe even buy her?

Knitting Challenge: Week 4: O.E.S I did!

Rosco the Old English sheepdog cushion / pillow/ toy



















Ok so this week was a double whammy.

Not only did I design and make a cute Old English Sheepdog Cushion /pillow/toy,

but I wrote out the pattern for it too!


If you love him and want to make one the link to my pattern is here.

Rosco the sheepdog

You can download it for free as a PDF or a word document. I put in loads of photos to help you put him together. There is only some simple increase and decreasing so it makes a great "first big project" for someone quite new to knitting.


If you haven't the patience or time to make him, he is for sale in my Artfire shop at Eddy's Pressies


I'm feeling very proud of myself so...tickle my belly!

Knitting Challenge: Week 3: DPNs mastered!

OK so I told you last week that I was having a go at the long procrastinated DPNs. Wicked needles that are pointed at both ends and are used four at a time to produce a tube shape thereby making hats without seams.

Well, i did it! It took an awfully long time as I found all those needles very cumbersome. I'm rather proud of the resulting hat.

Here I show my hat on one of my daughter's dolls; her head is a bit smaller than a real baby so it is a good fit even though it might not look it.

I also made a few of these this week. I gave one as a present to my local

Chinese Takeaway as a new years gift and so I have been making more of them for all her relatives.

I can't complain, she's giving me £3.50 each for them.

I even made an extra one for my dear friend Tricia. She's an artist friend of mine from Nevada, USA. She's awfully clever. she has her own blog full of printables and sweet piccys at http://triciarennea.blogspot.com/

But she's not getting it for free. Oh no! She has to work for him.

I've told her when I sent him off. Monday, 19th at 11am my time.

She then has to tell me when he gets there and in what condition, so I can work out whether I need to upgrade my packaging or postal rate on my artfire site

Next week I'm hoping to make a doggy cushion/pillow. We'll see how that turns out! or not as the case may be!

Happy knitting

knitting Challenge; week two; oh no!

Week Two; Ladybug Mittens.

What a disaster this week's knitting has been.

I made a doll, but she was too small so I unravelled her and started again. The second doll I made, well, the head looks too small to me; so I will be re-making her again!

I got a lovely free pattern for a fluffy heart-shaped cushion with wings. Perfect for Valentines. I have got a ball of fun fur yarn in my stash so I thought I'd give it a go. Guess what? I ran out of yarn so very near the end! Do you think I can find a local shop that still sells that kind of yarn? No. They sold it last Summer but it has gone out of fashion now. Eek!

The one kind of knitting that I've never tried (because I was afraid of failing) is knitting on four double pointed needles. It looks great when it's made because there is no seam; the item is knitted as a tube. So I decided to give it a go. I picked a really simple pattern and got into alsorts of knots! As with anything new, it's slow going, but it is coming. I might have a baby hat knitted by next week. I know, I know, most people can knit up one of those in an evening but remember this is a new skill I'm learning; It's like learning to knit all over again!

Well, I did get something knitted this week, so I'm still in the challenge - hurrah! A pair of child's mittens. Even they did not go to plan, however, they are big enough for me! So much for kid's mittens.

Oh well next week will hopefully be more productive. It was just one of those weeks when you can't get the time to sit and knit. (and when I did, it went wrong)

But on a positive note, my son started a new school this week. It's a school for children with special needs (he has high-functioning Asberger's Syndrome) We have always kept him in mainstream education because he has no problems with the work, in fact, he is further along the curicullum than most as he loves to research for himself History, maths, and science. But his behaviour issues and his lack of self-control when it comes to his feelings have finally become too much for regular school. He is LOVING IT at his new school. And as I result I love it too. He hasn't been this happy in school for years. This new school has it's own swimming pool and lots of support staff so now he can do all the things he couldn't before. Like gym and playing with others at recess. (his last school kept him indoors at recess as they "couldn't guarentee his safety out with the other children" in other words, he got bullied alot and got into trouble whenever he hit back.) I can't wait to see him come home every day with a big grin on his face. He doesn't stop talking when he is happy, so I have a bit of a headache when he comes in but I'm happy to have it.

New year's resoloution?

Well, I've always been a knitter. I love to knit. But I have a terrible habit of starting several projects then leaving them half done to begin new ones!

Some even get thrown away as I get fed-up of looking at them lying there unfinnished. Poor little UFOs (UnFinnished Objects)

So I've made myself a promise

This year I'm going to knit an item per week for all 52 weeks of the year. Yes, 52 out of 52! I've also promised that I will buy no new yarn for these projects whenever possible.

You see I have so many leftover balls of yarn; I could sink a ship! They just sort of mount up. So I'll only buy yarn if I need a certain type or colour otherwise I may have to move into a different bedroom as the yarn stash mounts up!

I'll let you know how I get on. If the patterns are free ones I'll link to where you can get them too. But I must warn you. I'm not so good at keeping resoloutions. Fingers Crossed for me.

An Interview with Elvis

Elvis listens (sometimes)
Originally uploaded by Eddy_G

Elvis is my newest puppet. He's bright red and totally crazy. He's spent too much time near the TV and radio and so answers everything with a song or a well-known TV saying or advert!

So what kind of parrot are you?
"I 'aint nothing but a houndog baby" (song by Elvis presley)
Really? and where are you from?
"Somewhere over the rainbow!" (song from wizzard of Oz)
Do you always sing your answers?
"No, no, no, no; there's no limits!" (song By Cookie crew)
Ok so what do you like to eat then?
"What's for dinner today mom? Beanz,Meanz heinz!" (famous TV advert)
It was lovely speaking to you Elvis. Perhaps I'll interview you again sometime.
"We'll meet again" (song by Vera Lynn WWll)
See you soon Elvis.
"Do you feel lucky, punk?" (Dirty Harry movies)
Cheeky Parrot!

Do you love him?

Do you want him?

He's for sale at my Artfire shop. get there by clicking this link; Eddy's Pressies

My newest puppet

Best friends
Originally uploaded by Eddy_G

Elvis loves his operators especially when they are very young. He wouldn't dream of biting. What a star!
Elvis is a lovely red parrot. But his cage was left too close to the TV and radio. Whenever you ask him a question; he will answer with a song or a well-known phrase from a TV show.

He's my newest creation. a red furry parrot with the mouth re-inforced with foam. His wings lie freely by his side; so a quick flick of the wrist will make them flap.

He's now on Sale at my Artfire shop come and see

My tea cosy is a winner!

Well, I gave my mother a novelty tea cosy that I'd knitted for her birthday. Yes it's a cooked turkey with holes for the handle and spout of the tea pot and totally cosy in acrylic yarn and washable too. But can you guess what she did with it?

She sewed the holes up and wore it as a Novelty Christmas Hat to her community center christmas party!

Worse than that! She actually won a bottle of whiskey for "silliest hat of the evening"!

What a cheek!

I've never won anything for my knitting!

Available to buy for your favorite tea pot collector (or hat wearer) at Artfire.com

Make something absolutely crazy!

Ok so my Mum's birthday is coming up.
she has a huge collection of novelty tea pots.
So I decided to make her a novelty tea cosy to go on them
Thinking of Christmas dinner coming up made me think of a cooked turkey!
So yes, I made a fully functional tea cosy
added wings and legs
and well, you can see the rest.

You can sell online!

Wondering what you can do during your spare time to make a little money will little or no cash layout?


If you can draw or doodle (and even if you can't) then you could sell online just like me.

I'm NOT Rhudolph! by Eddy_G

1. Draw something cute, funny or just downright odd and scan it into your computer.


2. Upload photos from your digital camera


3 Upload copyright free clipart or public domain pictures.


4 Join a POD site (Print on Demand) such as Zazzle; it's totally free to join and upload as much as you like putting it on as many different products as you like.


5 GET PAID Yes, you heard me, they pay you every time one of your designs gets sold. Not bad for a five minute doodle!To join just click here and enter a few simple details (and no, I don't get a referral fee for sending you)


Well I have put together a list of free sites that you can join.


I've put all the information here in my new Squiddoo lens


http://www.squidoo.com/Selling-goodies-on-the-net


Find information on selling your designs for free or even your handmade goodies like these which are available at EddysPressies on Artfire.com