Being A Bit Crafty

There are so many crafts I have wanted to try but have never found the time. Now I have my evenings to myself, once the kids are asleep, I can try them out energy allowing! I thought I'd share my latest projects.

My little lady has been given some really sweet clothes, some of which she never got the chance to wear. When I was sorting them out I found a baby gro with the cat on and a little vest with the mouse that were too cute to recycle. I bought a frame from town to put them in and waited for a chance to make it.

I finally managed it this weekend. I cut the baby gro out, leaving as many original seams as possible. I backed it onto some card to hold the shape and made sure it fitted in the frame (important that one!!) I cut out the little mouse and stuck it on with some fabric glue.
Here is the finished result. I love it and am pretty chuffed with my first attempt at clothing art. (Unfortunately, the perfectionist in me is cross the cats ear is under the frame.)

My other project was much more ambitious. A decorated paving slab for Project Yurt.

I came up with the idea when I was looking at the tumble stones I had previously bought on eBay. I spelt out welcome on the carpet and thought it looked pretty good. I measured it and it turned out to be the same size as the gap in the gateway to the yurt. I then had a search through the world of Google for ideas and this is what I came up with...

Earlier in the week, my Dad had put up a new fence in the front garden with the help of my eldest. The old strip of fencing was perfect for what I needed so I set about taking it apart.

This is the finished frame. I admit it is a bit of a hazard with some of the old nails poking out but it won't be like it for long and it is shut away from the boys too.

After laying out the stones as I wanted them, I made a heart out of some flower beads and filled it with some mosaic tiles.

I took the stones back out one letter at a time, so they didn't get mixed up again. I had a picture on my phone too just in case I forgot where they all went.
Carefully, I filled the frame with ready mixed concrete before putting all the stones back in their positions.

Once they were all in the right place, I had to water the crete lightly to get it to set. And set it did! Some of the stones were moved by the water so i had to add a layer on top to hold the stones in place. The biggest problem was the mosaic tiles didnt really stick at all,  which was a pain.

This is how it looks at the moment. I don't think the welcome stands out very well and the heart outline certainly doesn't! I am trying to decide whether to leave it like this, paint it with some warm yellow exterior paint to bring the letters out more or just start again...

I am also a little concerned that I will remove the frame to find the whole thing will be powdery at the bottom and just fall apart. I didn't get the concrete I was after so now feel stupid for not asking someone.

I would really welcome your feedback as I'm not sure what to do. Do you think it stands out enough or would a painted background help?