Crafting together - August

Let me tell you about the crafting afternoon we had last week, because this month is almost over :')
Again we had a birthday girl in our midst, so that meant the others each had worked on a birthday swap for Monique the previous week(s).
These are the little gifts she has gotten :)

Photo from Monique

The little vegetable garden box was mine, and I'll show you some w.i.p. photo's and links to the tutorials I've used. For the first two vegetables I'd found this great tutorial by Heekkong. I didn't use air dry polymer clay like they did, but just Fimo Soft white. That's why I baked some parts first before gluying the stems and leaves with Fimo Liquid. I painted them with acrylic paint and brushed some soft pastel afterwards for the finishing touch.

  

For the tomato plant I was inspired by lots of workshops and photo's. But mostly I used parts or idea's of these tutorials by the awesome AkameruKawaii and SugarCharmShop (though I didn't make a cane obviously), and from this photo I found on Pinterest.

  

For the box I'd seen a workshop in nr 148 of this Dutch doll house magazine. I've filled it with Fimo, covered it with Tacky and put a mixture of coffe, tea and some reindeer moss (cut very small).

So, after Monique had received her gifts and we ate some cake, it was time for our projects.
I've taken a few photos to show what each of us is working on at the moment.

The stairs for Jolinda's Greek diorama are
already looking great.

Monique was working on another tree for her garden.

Wil has been painting the popsicle sticks for her
beach bench in the reggae colours.

I worked on the front of the Italian bistro, making a window ...

... and trying to make shutters for the window.

We'll meet again a little over two weeks from now, and I've decided to put the Italian mountain away untill then, and finally continue with the cottage. And yes, I've already started working on it this afternoon ;)

More baskets :)

With two heat waves in the last couple of weeks it's a miracle I was interested in miniatures at all :')
I mostly did some crocheting and cross stitching in the shade of the apple tree (or inside if the temperature became too much) but I made some new baskets as well.
I'd just wanted to try another methode and I happen to have gotten some nice jute/burlap from a friend recently.
The (photo) tutorial can be found here on Pinterest :)

I used some wooden and plastic shapes, covered them
with clingfilm. Pieces of burlap soaked in water
with Tacky glue were wrapped around them.

They just needed a few hours in the sun ...

... and then they were ready to be cut to the right shape.

I just needed to add some trim and handles from
braided twine and they were finished.
Love the diversity of the baskets!