The new home crafts.

I have a minor obsession with books as anyone who knows me will tell you; currently away from home at uni I have just brought the bare essentials, probably 200 or so books on crafts, jewellery and art. 24 of the skeleton library are a set of 'The Family Creative Workshop' books, a series from the 70s on crafts the whole family can all do, but they're surprisingly sophisticated at times.

Set out in all their technicolour glory.

Set out alphabetically the books range from Acrylics to batik to Wire sculpture to zoetrope toys. Somewhere inbetween they cover textiles, lampworking glass, furniture making, ceramics and jewellery. Nowhere else in my compulsive reading of home crafts books have I found such a range of activitives that would fit right in at a contemporary crafts show, instead of a village fete.

Even the cover of the index is incredibly cool!

My friend, fellow blogger Tasha, and I have decided to work through them during the summer. We'll keep you posted with the results. Crafts with a seventies theme, that has to be interesting.

Lists aplenty!

Let me introduce myself, my name is Jenny, I'm a second year BA(hons) Contemporary Decorative Crafts student at Lincoln Uni in the UK.

Well I say second year, I just finished it and am now thinking, among other things, about the glorious summer that lies ahead, plenty of time to get on with all of those projects that have been filling my head when I'm trying to get to sleep. Projects which have been trying to tempt me away from the uni work I should have been doing in those last few frantic days.

So far the list consists of-

• Recovering a car boot sale stool
• Repainting an Ikea rocking stool (small stool obsession lately!)
• Making up some cushion covers
• Sewing a tool roll for my jewellers files
• Experimenting with shrink plastic
• Trying out some designs from in my little sketch book for jewellery
• Making use of the large pile of fabric sat by my sofa
• Getting in some knitting practice

How much of this will get done we will see but I'm determined to have a productive break this year. I'm really excited about starting the new term in September and moving on to some new units. Here are some of the pieces I have made over the last two years at uni, I work mostly with paper and metals, exploring the relationship between the two.

Hand cast paper and copper unit chestpiece.

Knitted paper yarn and handmade copper chain necklace.

Cast cotton linter fins cuff

Sorry about the poor pics, hideous carpet in rented flat! More on my work and lists to come.