Trivial Pursuits - Mobiles

Always on the lookout for something for you to have a go at.  I seem to be on a mission to find the creativity in everyone!

Today, I happened upon some mobiles while clicking around Pinterest and just had to search out some tutorials from great bloggers to get you inspired.

If you have access to die cuts or are nifty with a pair of scissors, all you need for some of these is some colourful card, templates and something to hang them from.

           

And if you have some felt lying around, I'm sure these wouldn't be difficult to recreate too. 

I love this simple but effective mobile by Diane Bohn on her blog fromblankpages.  You can see the full tutorial here 

Or how about this adorable felt mobile by Jess? Again she has produced an easy to follow and highly illustrated tutorial which you can find here.

But if it all seems a little overwhelming, don't forget you can always buy one ready made.  There are lots out there, but since I've shown you one by Lovely Friend at the beginning of this blog, why not check out her mobiles on Etsy.  

And of course, do send us photos of your mobiles if you do have a go.  Or any of your other DIY projects too.  We'd love to see them.

www.cobwebknits.co.uk

Trivial Pursuits - New Ways to Show Off your Photos

If, like me, you are guilty of taking photos and never doing anything more than storing them in files on your computer, you may be looking for some unusual ways to display or share them.

I found these, and more, on Huffington Post's website and thought I would share.  Some I didn't like and others wouldn't suit my home, but I'm certainly going to have a go at a couple of these, especially the envelopes which would be great to personalise thank you cards.

This is a simple way of displaying photos on a shelf or table top.  You can find out how Rikki recycles the jars for use on her website here.

And I'm definitely going to be using this idea for sending out business correspondence.  The simple advertising that I will be able to include with various images of babes in my hats will be perfect.  And I'm sure grandparents would love to open a thank you card with a photo inside the envelope too.  See how to make them here.

And I'm going to rethink how I display my art in the kitchen when we finally renovate it.  I love this idea of wooden clip boards which was created by Love Grows Wild.  Check them out here.

I assumed that these coasters had been sent away to be made. I know that most of the supermarkets and photo labs make them, but it is possible to make your own.  If you want to a have a go, check out Granny Girls' website here.

And if you want to let someone else do the work for you, these lovely framed windows are available on Etsy.

I've been doing a bit of my own recycling in the office.  I took the prints from last year's calendar and mounted them in some old frames I had brought with me from our last home.  But although I love the images, I think I might have to try something a bit more original with the way I display them.  If you want to see some more amazing photos I've been sent by both customers and professionals check out our galleries on the website.

Do you have unique and interesting ways of using or displaying your photos?  Do let us know.

www.cobwebknits.co.uk

Trivial Pursuits - Pom Pom making

Another thing I got up to last weekend when friends came to visit with their kids was a marathon pom pom making session.  Overhearing their mum explain that she would show them how to make them the traditional way using cardboard I couldn't resist the urge to leap in and introduce them to the amazing time-saving pom pom maker that had Kirsty Allsop so giddy when she discovered them on her last C4 series.

However, there are several ways to make your pom pom, so here are some YouTube clips using cardboard, special machines or just your hand, as well as my own visual tutorial for making multiple mini pompoms 

which I discovered when making bootees to complement my moptop hats which you can see here and buy from our website.  

Just using your hand .....

... or cardboard ...

... or a special machine ...

Enjoy!

And of course, let us see how you get on or which method you prefer, or indeed, if you have a method of your own.

www.cobwebknits.co.uk

Trivial Pursuits - Twitching

I'm not a real bird watcher but, having moved, I'm now lucky enough to witness a daily display of murmurating starlings  over my house.  It must be one of the most magical wildlife spectacles we are fortunate enough to see in Britain during the winter months.   As each bird strives to fly as close to its neighbours as possible, its tiny deviations are magnified and distorted by those surrounding it to create rippling, swirling patterns.

The logic behind this spectacular behaviour is simple: survival. Starlings are tasty morsels for peregrines, merlins and sparrowhawks. The answer is to seek safety in numbers, gathering in flocks and with every bird trying to avoid the edge where adept predators can sometimes snatch a victim.

Until recently such sights were common over London. Indeed, in 1949 so many roosted on the hands of Big Ben that they stopped the clock. Sadly, such invasions are a thing of the past, but Rome is currently subject to a vast influx of several million birds each winter. This produces spectacular swarms, but the problems associated with the roosts are not so wondrous. 

There are, of course, downsides to this amazing phenomenon.  Starling droppings are extremely acidic and can damage paintwork on car.  In Rome car owners have to pay out millions of euros for resprays! 

www.cobwebknits.co.uk

Trivial Pursuits - Winter Olympics and the Ravellenic Games 2014

Don't know about you, but although I've tried my hand at skiing and skating, that's about it when it comes to Winter Sports.  But I will be watching the Olympics and enjoying the spectacle that comes with it.

If, like me, you're more of a spectator fan and a knitter you can combine your pastimes by entering the Ravellenic Games.  Run by the website Ravelry, it challenges knitters to start and finish a project during the Winter Olympics, using a new technique, attempting a massive project, something delicate or anything else that will expand your knitting or crocheting horizons.

There will be a mass cast-on during the opening ceremonies and you past the finish line dependent on which event you have chosen to follow. 

There are even medals you can post on your blog or ravelry profile. 

You can find out more from their website and the following links.  Events 2014   And if you've got any questions about the events, you can check out their FAQ!

Personally, I'll probably be busy with my own projects - making up stripy hats for my niece and nephew to take with them skiing.  If you want to stay warm this winter, why not invest in one of our stripy hats too.  Check them out here 

www.cobwebknits.co.uk

Trivial Pursuits - Valentine's Day gift ideas

We’ve just celebrated St Dwynwen's Day* in Wales (the patron saint of Welsh Lovers) and with St Valentine’s Day just around the corner, thoughts have turned to some creative ideas you can make at home.

I've made a few of these as wedding gifts for friends in the past and although it takes a little time to line them up, they work rather well.  It's worth investing in a heart shaped paper punch to ensure the shape and size of each heart is identical and I've used good quality wedding wrapping paper to create most of the hearts.  
Interspersed I've added printed hearts celebrating the occasion and included names, date and place of the wedding together with other significant details or quotes.
There's a neat tutorial by someone else here.  I must do my own tutorial some day too.

Another really easy version could be something like this. Especially if you can find part of a map with particular significance.

For simple but effective garlands, check this tutorial out. Again, perfect for weddings and other romantic celebrations but cute and inexpensive if you want to make a bit of an effort over a romantic dinner at home.

And these are a great alternative and could easily be adapted for birthdays. I love the circular version with greetings on it. Check out the tutorial here.

www.cobwebknits.co.uk

*Here's St Dwynwen's story.

The story goes the Dwynwen was the prettiest of Welsh king Brychan Brycheiniog's twenty-four daughters. She fell in love with a man named Maelon Dafodrill, but her father had already  arranged for her to marry someone else. Distraught, Dwynwen prayed to God and asked for help in forgetting Maelon. An angel visited her in her sleep and gave her a potion to erase her memory of feelings for Maelon and turn him into a block of ice.  With each of her dreams coming true, Dwynwen devoted her life to God; she set up a convent on the island of Llanddwyn, off the coast of Anglesey. The remains of the church can still be seen on the island, along with Dwynwen's well.

It's believed the well is home to sacred fish who can predict whether couples relationships will succeed; if the fish are seen to be active when visiting the well, it was seen as a sign of a faithful husband.  God offered Dwynwen three wishes. Her first wish was that Maelon be thawed, the second that God should meet the needs of all lovers and the third that she should never marry.  The well has since become a place of pilgrimage for young Welsh lovers since Dwynwen's death in the 5th century.