Sharpie Mug

Another easy project I have seen on Pinterest is customising a mug with a Sharpie pen.

I decided to have a go with a cheap mug I picked up from Tesco.

With my Other Half in mind I drew a simple design on the front and wrote a message on the back. I googled the metric temperature I needed to settle oven too, and the general consensus was 180 degrees. I baked the mug for 30 mins and set it aside to cool.

Of course I got impatient and wanted to see how permanent the sharpie now was, so while it was still warm I dabbed a wet tea towel on the design and a small amount of colour transferred tithe towel. I googled this and realised I needed to just be patient and let it cool. When it did cool I found I could scratch the design off, so again I consulted google, and others had come across the same issue. Their solution was to bake it at a hotter temperature. So I baked the cup for 30mins at 200 degrees. Once cooled, the design could no longer be scratched but I really do suspect the durability once the mug goes in the wash. I'll make sure I report back.

*EDIT: it didn't survive the dishwasher :(

In the mean time, here is the front design of the mug. I made sure to fill it with tea and present it to OH with a look of "I'm pleased with myself" :D

Again, a small and easy craft but I'm heading in the right direction.

P.s. I totally shortened my curtain length by using that iron on webbing stuff. That also counts as crafting in my book!

Hazel x
Sewn Up, Stuck Down

Sometimes Life Takes Over

Sometimes life takes over and doesn't leave you any time for yourself. My crafting and photography have stopped for months now as I just haven't had the time or the desire to pick it back up again.

I'm still on pinterest all the time though, trying to rekindle my enjoyment for crafting. Like everyone I have boards full of things I'd like to do.

I've had a few days off work this week and it's been the first time in a while I have felt like me again. A picture I spotted on Pinterest, which any other day would have just been repinned and archived, inspired me to head to my local woodland park.

All I needed was a fallen branch. In a woodland full of fallen branches, it took me two hours to find one that I wanted to take home! I did get to meet a few friendly squirrels along the way though, so it was worth the search.

Now the branch sits in my dining room, snuggly in a pot, draped in string lights, waiting for my collection of tree decorations to multiply in size.

It's crazy, it's just a branch but I'm so excited! I can't wait to buy more decorations, I want to go places to buy decorations, I can't wait to dress it for Christmas, I can't wait for my friends to see it, I am in love with it! Not to mention it was made by me, my first "make" in months! Maybe there is hope for me yet!!

Hazel x
Sewn Up, Stuck Down

Don't Judge Me Part 2

Ok so I have been talking a lot about my journey to skinnyville, and the pounds I have lost. I may have been naughty and spent this evening baking, and not in a healthy way! I had been browsing the Food & Drink section of Pinterest this morning, which is always a naughty thing when you are on a diet, and I got very inspired to use my muffin tray to do some baking.

I nipped to the Co-op and bought a box of Betty Crocker Brownie Mix, followed the instructions, and spooned the mixture into my muffin trays so the mixture filled half of each compartment.

I banged them in the oven for 18 mins and voila! some Brownie Muffins!

 Ok, so continuing the theme of not judging, I may or may not have then mixed up some cookie dough and again, used my muffin trays to create some cookie cups. All you do is roll up gold sized balls of dough, put them in a compartment, then squish your thumb into the middle of the dough to create a well. Then bake for 10-15 mins and when you bring them out of the oven, you can quickly squish some M&M's into the well as when the cookies cool they will fuse around the sweets.

So far I haven't touched any, I am waiting for OH to come home so I can surprise him. I have an awful knack of ruining anything I bake so I am really proud of these.

While writing this I am watching Million Pound Drop. Please tell me you saw Jedward and the massive fail? They lost all their money basically dicking about. One of the idiots was too busy trying to be funny "Which of these does a normal human have the least of" "brain cells, brain cells, brain cells" , the other one chose to put the majority on "ribs" and a token gesture on brain cells to shut the other one up. They quickly realised after the time had run out that the answer was "fingers and toes". Complete and utter idiots. For the sake of a "funny joke" they lost a shed load of money for charity.

Anyway, rant over, sorry about that, OH isn't here so U don't have anyone to rant to but you guys haha!

Hazel x

Sewn Up, Stuck Down

Please Don't Judge Me

I wanted to try out stamping the same image but with different ink colours, so I set out making a card. The only issue is that I only have two stamps, and both of them are of trees. So it kind of turned into a Christmas Holiday card :S Never the less, I loved the effect of stamping the same tree over and over in different colours. I don't suppose anyone has any ideas where I could use this image without it being on a Christmas card? lol

Hazel x

Sewn Up, Stuck Down