Plarn

This is the plarn bag I am making from plastic bags. I try very hard never to take any plastic bags, and I pick up ones that are floating about in the street whenever I can. Its called plarn because its yarn made from plastic, pl + (y)arn = plarn. You can make all sorts of things with it, flipflops for the beach, swimming bags, rope for the garden, mats and rugs, you can knot with it, crotchet it, weave it or macrame it.

Zentangle

I have discovered Zentangling, and this is one of my tangles that I have done in my sketchbook, that I am trying to remember to take with me wherever I go. I cut up the seal of a new cocoa pot to make the filler, and pulled some butterfly stickers off a birthday card, just saying this because its nice to use what you've got already, I really like the idea of making art by recycling. I used a fountain pen to do the tangle, I dont like using felt tips because they are throwaways, and I think we should all try very hard to look after the planet and stop being so wasteful with the earths resources.

SHOEBOX TISSUE PAPER FLOWERS

I didn't have any fresh flowers for the house, because of it being winter so no fresh flowers or even so called weeds to pick in the garden and not my birthday or any special occasion for me to have any flowers bought me, but I did have a shoebox and the tissue that the shoes were packed with still in the box, and a bit of wire, so I made these. I just fiddled about a bit with the bits of paper, and dipped them in a bit of really diluted red paint. Its amazing what you can make from bits and pieces that would otherwise get thrown away. Dont throw tissue paper though, its really useful for wrapping presents up in, instead of wrapping paper, and I think its nicer, especially if you tie it up with some pretty ribbon, or string.

PAINTED FISH STONES

These are the first stones I have had a go at from the PAINTING STONES leisure craft booklet number 43 by Search Press, London. I have got quite a few of these nice little craft books, and will be doing some of the other crafts in time, God willing. I used emulsion matt white house paint to paint them with first, then drew the design on them with pencil and went over it with black felt tip pen, then used acrilic paint mixed up quite thick to paint them. When they were dry I glossed them with clear nail varnish. Nice aren't they?