Sunday 25 January 2015

Grow Your Blog

This year I am taking part in "Grow Your Blog" - I took quite a long time out of blogging last year so I feel that this is a good way to get back in the swing so to speak.  The blog hop is being organised by Vicki.

My name is Nicola and I live in Solihull, England.  I have been crafting and blogging for years sometimes in fits and starts, sometimes every day depending upon what is going on at home and how creative I am feeling.

I love most types of crafts, at present I am into hand sewing - for some strange reason hexagons are my latest passion and I am often sitting on the settee at night sewing up little hexagons for some project or another.  If I am not hand sewing in front of the tv I am knitting and my current passion for that is socks.

This is my favourite hexagon project so far:

it was done for a blog hop that I took part in August 2013.

My two main passions that I always return to though are papercrafting, for which I make items such as:




both of these are classes that I taught last year at my local Hobbycraft store.

I also love to sew and I hand/machine sew anything from quilts to bags to pin cushions to placemats, basically whatever I fancy making at the time!  Mostly I design all my own stuff but sometimes I do buy kits for the simplicity of sewing without too much thinking!  I love to take part in blog hops as I find this a great way to gain lots of inspiration and also showcase my own work.

This is one of my favourite quilts that I made last year, its big enough to fit on a double bed:

I can't blog any projects that I am currently working on as I am hosting an Eclectic Elements (that's the fabric used in the cog quilt above) blog hop in a couple of weeks time and I can't showcase my items early!

I have had various items published in scrapbooking, stamping and sewing magazines over the years and am lucky enough to have had everything that I have put forward to any publication published. An achievement I am very proud of!

I have recently started to make some YouTube videos, three of which are on my sidebar - in them I show you how to create an inked tag, take it a step further with stamping and also how to make 3d flowers.  I will be making some more videos in the near future too.

Here's a picture of me:


this was taken back in September 2012 and the reason I have a big cheesy grin on my face is because I am actually holding an olympic torch at my son's school! saying that I do usually have a cheesy grin on my face anyway!

Anyway that's enough about me for the moment, I am trying to keep this fairly short and sweet as I know we are all going to be reading a lot of blogs in the next few days!

Thanks for looking - patiently waiting for snow from Solihull


26 comments:

PugMom said...

I happen to like your big cheesy smile! Your paper crafts are wonderful!
Nancy from PugMom Quilts!

Clare said...

Hi Nicola thanks for stopping by my Summerhouse, I love the little hexi's so effective.
Clare x

Anonymous said...

Hello Nicola, you seem to be a craftaholic like myself. I love your quilted items, that's something on my to do list. I'm trying to knit socks on 4 needles right now and making a mess of it.
I'm trying to add your blog to Bloglovin but it can't find you for some reason, I'll keep trying.
Enjoy GYB
Jill

Maria said...

Hi Nicola I'm visiting from the Grow Your Blog hope. You're my first stop and it's nice to see someone from the UK. I love the Union Jack hexagon project. I wanted to try hexagons out last year but never seemed to find the time so hopefully this year. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I tried following you with bloglovin but a message comes saying there's a problem and to try later so that's what I'll do. Looking forward to seeing your future creations.

Maria said...

Hi Nicola I'm visiting from the Grow Your Blog hope. You're my first stop and it's nice to see someone from the UK. I love the Union Jack hexagon project. I wanted to try hexagons out last year but never seemed to find the time so hopefully this year. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I tried following you with bloglovin but a message comes saying there's a problem and to try later so that's what I'll do. Looking forward to seeing your future creations.

Shauna said...

I love your projects, I wish I loved hexies, but I don't like hand sewing. The cogs quilt is super cool, I love it.

Create With Joy said...

Nicola - you really put a smile on my face this morning with your visit to my blog! I think this is the first time I've seen your name and lovely face in print!

Thanks for visiting me at the Grow Your BLog party! "Golden" friends are the best and I hope you'll share your creative gifts with us at Inspire Me Monday throughout the upcoming year! :-)

Create With Joy
http://create-with-joy.com

Bev said...

Thanks for following my blog! I have returned the favor and look forward to seeing what you are up to this year! Cheery wave from Bev

Asia King (aka Joanna K) said...

Hello Sunshine Girl! What a lovely smile to go with your crafting name! Thank you for stopping by at my blog and it's a real pleasure to return a visit to yours - a real gem which I am glad to now follow. What a versatile crafter you are! I love your hexagons and your tag! And congrats on your publications! Big hugs , Asia x

Stephanie said...

Hello there! What a delightful blog you have :) I am visiting from the Grow Your Blog event and want to warmly welcome you on behalf of Vicki - she truly appreciates your participation.

Your creations are incredibly beautiful! The hexagon quilt took my breath away! Hugs to you! Have a lovely day!

gilly said...

Woohoo, a fellow Midlander (desperately wanting it to snow too!) Thanks for popping in to my blog too and I'm looking forward to following along with your crafty adventures. Ooh, and LOVE your hexi flag too.
love Gilly xx

Farm Gate Creations Incorporating Hummingbird Quilting said...

I love that quilt it is just gorgeous.

Lisa said...

Hi it is lisa I love your hexi project! Heck I like everything you made I started out in scrapbooking, stamps, and cards before I got the sewing bug! I will follow if I don't already and see you in a few weeks!

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I realize you visited me earlier today (or was it yesterday since my days and nights are all mixed up) but I didn't put the name or the face to your blog. I felt like such a dufus when I showed up and realized I have been here to visit you more than once. I even remember checking out your sewing blog hop, and other things. It's strange when all we see are desks, we don't really introduce ourselves, do we?

Thanks SO much for the earlier visit.
http://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2015/01/grow-your-blog-blog-hop-event.html

AppleApricot Wen said...

Hello sunshine girl :) Such a happy name for your blog, I love it! Thank you so much for visiting me, I loved reading your sweet comment. You make beautiful things. Beautiful quilts and paper crafts. Following you now through networked blogs! Wishing you a beautiful day. Wendy from Apple and Apricot (GYB section 27)

Donna Heber said...

Hi Nicola,

I'm visiting from the GYB party. Hello from New York! Your quilts are gorgeous and it's nice to meet someone else who creates cards. I look forward to viewing some of your videos. Thank you for stopping by to visit me and for entering my giveaway.

Sue Kosec said...

You throw a great party. Thank you for inviting me!

So that you know, I've become a Follower and when time permits, I'll be back to see what other beautiful things were made by your hands!

What this party is all about is to GROW your blog and I'm hoping to do the same. When you get to Section One, check out A Country Chic Retreat and SuZeQ Creations, my personal blog, in Section Fifteen I'd love for you to follow and subscribe to.

Happy crafting!
SuZeQ

Mokki said...

Im from England too. You make really lovely things. I love those hexies!

Cozy Expressions said...

Amazing!!! Returning the "hop" from GYB. You are one talented lady!!!

Judy Cooper Textile Artist said...

I'm a textile artist visiting via GYB from St. John's, NL Canada. Lovely work. Thanks for sharing.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Big cheesy smiles are wonderful things because they make you want to smile right back! So nice to meet you.

luvhymns said...

cheesy grin or not your art work in quilts and tags is absolutely breath taking! grinning with you!

Threads of Inspiration said...

Big grins are great!!! I love that you make up all of your patterns I try to do that as well, but once in awhile I just do a project that takes no thought. Enjoy the blog party! Susan

Carole @ From My Carolina Home said...

Hi Nicola, visiting from GYB hop, thanks for being part of the event and sharing about yoru blog. Love your papercrafting! While I like quilting, I don't do hexies. I do admire yours!

Julie said...

Looking for more time to explore your blog and your craft. I like the edginess here, and will follow you closely.

Julie @ Pink Doxies

suziqu's thread works said...

You certainly have mastered the art of those gorgeous tags - so many stamps and materials have gone into these beautiful creations.
Hope you are enjoying the party Susan!
Suzy at suziqusthreadworks.blogspot.com