A switch has occurred... because I now spend the majority of my life away from my own laptop, and so much of my blogging is done on the go... and because I needed to merge my blogs but couldn't bear to shut any of them down... I have relaunched over on http://duckingfabulous.wordpress.com/.
I shall leave these here as archives - may try and import the posts at some stage - but the new Ducking Fabulous diary encompasses The Ducking Fabulous Diary and The Craft Experiment. And the Almost-Librarian has had its final day, as I've now left the library :(
Hope to see you over at the new blog!
Carla xx
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Saturday, 26 March 2011
Branching out with the Mod Podge...
Heh, this blog has definitely veered away from simply jewellery and become more of a chronicle of my crafty life (ooh, I like that, My Crafty Life... book title?!)
And focus, Carla, focus...
Today I needed to craft, but as my flat is already massively messy, I decided I didn't want to get any of my huge boxes out and then have to tidy them away again. And then my eyes alighted on a pair of black shoes I love, but have stopped wearing because the heels were so scuffed. (and now I have a 'proper' job, in an office, and have to dress smartly... it actually matters that they're scuffed!)
My mod podge and decopatch papers were already out, because I'm taking them to Crafting Sunday tomorrow, and the two sort of fused in my head... it happened so fast I didn't actually take 'before' photos, but here are my gorgeously revamped shoes - I LOVE them!
And focus, Carla, focus...
Today I needed to craft, but as my flat is already massively messy, I decided I didn't want to get any of my huge boxes out and then have to tidy them away again. And then my eyes alighted on a pair of black shoes I love, but have stopped wearing because the heels were so scuffed. (and now I have a 'proper' job, in an office, and have to dress smartly... it actually matters that they're scuffed!)
My mod podge and decopatch papers were already out, because I'm taking them to Crafting Sunday tomorrow, and the two sort of fused in my head... it happened so fast I didn't actually take 'before' photos, but here are my gorgeously revamped shoes - I LOVE them!
Red Velvet Happiness
For Valentines' Day this year (yes, I know, it's disgustingly late, I'm sorry, more on that in another post) I thought I'd treat myself, my housemate and the wonderful people I worked with (then... see, that's why this post is so late) to an appropriately coloured sweet treat. Especially since it fell on a Monday so we were all hard at work.
So over the preceding weekend I baked. I got all my ingredients together....
I greased my pans (three layers!)...
I measured out my ingredients (this never happens in real life, but although I did it with this blog post in mind, it did actually make making the cake much simpler and less chaotic!)
I made almost-chocolate cake, and added the colouring... popped them in the oven and they came out like this...
Repeated the whole process with two layers instead of three, whipped up some vanilla frosting (had no cream cheese in the house for starters, and can't stand the stuff anyway) and this was the result.
Cake? Don't mind if I do... Happy (belated) Valentines Day!
So over the preceding weekend I baked. I got all my ingredients together....
I measured out my ingredients (this never happens in real life, but although I did it with this blog post in mind, it did actually make making the cake much simpler and less chaotic!)
I made almost-chocolate cake, and added the colouring... popped them in the oven and they came out like this...
Cake? Don't mind if I do... Happy (belated) Valentines Day!
Saturday, 5 March 2011
iPad goodness
Ah, iPad goodness! This is a test from my aunt's iPad, it is definitely altering my opinion of them... But im still not sure i can justify buying one of my own...
I don't have any pictures of my own here or i would upload one and see how easy it is to do... Eel, can definitely see myself succumbing in the future!
Exciting things have happened this week so I'll post and update soon :)
Carla xx
I don't have any pictures of my own here or i would upload one and see how easy it is to do... Eel, can definitely see myself succumbing in the future!
Exciting things have happened this week so I'll post and update soon :)
Carla xx
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Decisions, decisions...
I know I've been away from my blogs for almost two months (two months? where on earth does the time go?) - I even have a proper reason this time!
Since the beginning of January I've (rather unexpectedly) been to two interviews at the same company and landed a new job, handed in my notice at the library and had a 25th birthday, it's been a packed couple of months and sadly the blogging slipped...
Due to said new job, I've also been making some important decisions about the future of Ducking Fabulous and where it may or may not go. I'm going to need to focus time and energy on the new role and fitting back into London life (because it's been, ahem, a while since I was there on a regular basis and to be honest, I'm completely terrified!) and I've also done a bit of a life stocktake and realised I'm trying to do too many things at once. I'm still planning to do them all, but less of them at once... and again, I'll explain all in another post this week.
I've also been discussing a number of possible new ventures with friends, and being very inspired along the way... more news on these when they're properly off the ground, but there are exciting times ahead!
And in a couple of months I have promised myself I'll invest in an ipod touch so I can actually blog on the go, or at least draft blog posts - the London commute is going to drive me insane unless I occupy myself...
Anyway, stay tuned for updates... I *will* blog more regularly from now on! Even if the regularity is between the two existing blogs and the ones for the new ventures. (Almost Librarian will close, sadly... I'll leave it up as an archive but I don't think even I can get library stories from an office and a train...)
On the plus side, I held Crafting Sunday #1 on 31st January - it was absolutely fabulous! It was more of an experiment than anything else, but it looks like becoming a regular thing, every six weeks or so - and it was SO lovely to craft in company! Really nice to have people to bounce things off when you're creating as well. This was my living room all ready for everyone to arrive, and the cake pics in this post are some of the cakes I made for us to munch while we crafted :) It's not usually quite this full of furniture, I moved the sofa and borrowed the kitchen table so we had more crafting space!
This is the trouble with blogging so infrequently, I tend to waffle when I do get back to it. More in another post, soon, I promise!!
Red velvet cupcakes made for Crafting Sunday #1
Since the beginning of January I've (rather unexpectedly) been to two interviews at the same company and landed a new job, handed in my notice at the library and had a 25th birthday, it's been a packed couple of months and sadly the blogging slipped...
Due to said new job, I've also been making some important decisions about the future of Ducking Fabulous and where it may or may not go. I'm going to need to focus time and energy on the new role and fitting back into London life (because it's been, ahem, a while since I was there on a regular basis and to be honest, I'm completely terrified!) and I've also done a bit of a life stocktake and realised I'm trying to do too many things at once. I'm still planning to do them all, but less of them at once... and again, I'll explain all in another post this week.
Vanilla sparkly cupcakes for Crafting Sunday #1
I've also been discussing a number of possible new ventures with friends, and being very inspired along the way... more news on these when they're properly off the ground, but there are exciting times ahead!
And in a couple of months I have promised myself I'll invest in an ipod touch so I can actually blog on the go, or at least draft blog posts - the London commute is going to drive me insane unless I occupy myself...
Anyway, stay tuned for updates... I *will* blog more regularly from now on! Even if the regularity is between the two existing blogs and the ones for the new ventures. (Almost Librarian will close, sadly... I'll leave it up as an archive but I don't think even I can get library stories from an office and a train...)
On the plus side, I held Crafting Sunday #1 on 31st January - it was absolutely fabulous! It was more of an experiment than anything else, but it looks like becoming a regular thing, every six weeks or so - and it was SO lovely to craft in company! Really nice to have people to bounce things off when you're creating as well. This was my living room all ready for everyone to arrive, and the cake pics in this post are some of the cakes I made for us to munch while we crafted :) It's not usually quite this full of furniture, I moved the sofa and borrowed the kitchen table so we had more crafting space!
This is the trouble with blogging so infrequently, I tend to waffle when I do get back to it. More in another post, soon, I promise!!
Monday, 3 January 2011
welcome to 2011!
Happy New Year!
I can't quite believe it's 2011 already... where did 2010 go?!
Rather aptly, the necklace I made this weekend (a personal project I've been itching to start for a while) has a clock as its centrepiece... It's somewhat of a work in progress but I shall wear it between adding things to it, as I love it already!
I have many plans for the year ahead, one of which is to remodel Ducking Fabulous - due to family commitments and time constraints with the day job, I'll be doing considerably fewer craft fairs, but hopefully listing much more online instead.
This should give me the freedom to make one-off pieces instead of having to make lots of the same thing, and hopefully will mean I can continue with it while still fulfilling my other commitments.
I also have some collaborations planned, individual pieces and collections and stalls and even a joint Etsy shop... stay tuned for details later this year.
Finally, 2011 is going to be the year of the craft collective - I have my list, I have plans, all I need is a website and some time to admin it all :)
There are quite literally hundreds of things on my to-do list for this year - wishes, wants, goals and resolutions, but one of the most important is definitely to blog more WITH PHOTOS - I've even bought a new lens for the purpose! (although the light is so shocking today I resorted to scanning this weekend's creation instead... sigh).
So it remains only to say have a glorious and auspicious 2011, and I hope it's an even better year than 2010 for Ducking Fabulous and for all of you.
Carla
xx
I can't quite believe it's 2011 already... where did 2010 go?!
Rather aptly, the necklace I made this weekend (a personal project I've been itching to start for a while) has a clock as its centrepiece... It's somewhat of a work in progress but I shall wear it between adding things to it, as I love it already!
I have many plans for the year ahead, one of which is to remodel Ducking Fabulous - due to family commitments and time constraints with the day job, I'll be doing considerably fewer craft fairs, but hopefully listing much more online instead.
This should give me the freedom to make one-off pieces instead of having to make lots of the same thing, and hopefully will mean I can continue with it while still fulfilling my other commitments.
I also have some collaborations planned, individual pieces and collections and stalls and even a joint Etsy shop... stay tuned for details later this year.
Finally, 2011 is going to be the year of the craft collective - I have my list, I have plans, all I need is a website and some time to admin it all :)
There are quite literally hundreds of things on my to-do list for this year - wishes, wants, goals and resolutions, but one of the most important is definitely to blog more WITH PHOTOS - I've even bought a new lens for the purpose! (although the light is so shocking today I resorted to scanning this weekend's creation instead... sigh).
So it remains only to say have a glorious and auspicious 2011, and I hope it's an even better year than 2010 for Ducking Fabulous and for all of you.
Carla
xx
Saturday, 11 December 2010
Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!
Christmas is one of my favourite times of year. Although I've not made masses in the way of seasonal stock this year, there have been a selection of Christmas earrings selling well, and I've spent lots of time drooling over Christmassy things online and in all the beautiful books at work that only seem to be out on the shelves in November and December! (note to self... must find out where they keep them all year round).
Here's me decorating work's enormous Christmas tree in silver & purple... don't know how I ended up at the top of a ladder, but look, even my jumper matches the tree!
Anyway, I've decided that when I finally have space for a tree of my own, it's going to be fairly big, probably artificial as real ones make me sneeze, and the first year it's going to be done in blues, purples and pinks... deep vibrant jewel tones. And as one book told me today, "don't forget, your tree is not fully dressed without a skirt"! Methinks I'll have to start rather earlier than I did this year...
In the true spirit of the season, tonight is my second of three roast dinners this week - little miss piggy, lol! Thursday was Julia's speciality lemon chicken, tonight is beef and tomorrow I'm off to Mum & Dad's for pork with all the trimmings... yum yum!
Here's me decorating work's enormous Christmas tree in silver & purple... don't know how I ended up at the top of a ladder, but look, even my jumper matches the tree!
Anyway, I've decided that when I finally have space for a tree of my own, it's going to be fairly big, probably artificial as real ones make me sneeze, and the first year it's going to be done in blues, purples and pinks... deep vibrant jewel tones. And as one book told me today, "don't forget, your tree is not fully dressed without a skirt"! Methinks I'll have to start rather earlier than I did this year...
In the true spirit of the season, tonight is my second of three roast dinners this week - little miss piggy, lol! Thursday was Julia's speciality lemon chicken, tonight is beef and tomorrow I'm off to Mum & Dad's for pork with all the trimmings... yum yum!
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