It's a Creative World

Button Jewellery

Hello Everybody!

Along the same lines as the junk jewellery I made in my last post, I thought I'd do something with buttons this time around.  I absolutely love buttons - I have loads.  This is what I came up with - a nice summery set for necklace and earrings.

First of all I'll show you how to make the earrings, then the principle is just the same for the necklace. 

Get together your collection of buttons, sorting out your colour scheme. It doesn't really matter whether they are four hole or two hole - it's entirely up to you. You will also need some tiger tail (I used white but you can buy tiger tail in lots of colours to match your colour scheme), crimps, clam shells, jumprings, earring hooks and a necklace clasp.

1.  Arrange your chosen buttons on top of each other for your earrings, you can use as many or as few as you like.  Then take a length of tiger tail, about 15cm should do it, and thread it through one hole of each of your buttons like so:

2. You then need to take each end of your tiger tail and thread it back through the top hole, as if you're making a circle, like this:

3.  Next take the two ends of tiger tail up to the top of the button earring and thread on a crimp:

4.  Squash the crimp to secure the tiger tail together and then enclose the crimp inside a clam shell.  Cut off any excess tiger tail:

5.  Now all that needs to be done is to thread your earring hook through the hole at the top of the clam shell and you're done!

The necklace was made along the same lines. I took a length of tiger tail (approximately 40cm long), folded it in half and threaded the feature button on the bottom as shown:

I then put button stations along the length of the tiger tail by positioning a crimp and squashing it to secure it to the tiger tail, randomly threading on four buttons and placing another squashed crimp at the end of each station.

Before you attach your clasp, place your necklace around your neck to check that you are happy with the length, make a note of where you want the clasp to be and cut off any excess tiger tail.

The clasp was attached in the same way as with the earrings. A crimp was squashed onto the end of the tiger tail, secured in a clam shell and then jumprings used to attach the clasp.

I hope you enjoy this project and it helps you to clear some of your button mountain!

TFL! Joanne xxx

A to Z Journal - J Pages

The 10th letter in the 5th month. This year is flying by and it's so lovely to see all the fab pages being sent in or uploaded to the UKS gallery.

There are some fun J words, Jolly, Joy, Joker. Let your inner child out and have some fun with this page!

Just some Trivia:

J  is the tenth letter of the English Language, Unabridged (1993) It was formerly jy (from French ji), and in some dialects, mainly of Scottish English it still is (pronounced /dʒaɪ/).
On many QWERTY alpha numeric keyboards the F and J keys have a raised bar (perceptible to the touch) over them to assist in touch typing.

Here are a few ideas for the letter J:

Book of me/you: Joy, Jest, Just, Jaded, Jealous, Jolly, Jovial, Joker, Jazz(y)...

Book of baby: Jump, Juice, Joyful, Jelly, Jelly tots, Jelly beans...

Book of everyday:  Joyful, Joke, JIT (Just in Time), Justice, Jaffa cakes, Job, Jinx, Jeapardy, Jiffy ...

Occasions/ Life: Joy, Journey, Jubilation, Jinx, ...

Tools and Techniques:  JIK (bleach), Journalling...

Knitting: Join, Jersey, Jacket ...

Just so you know we are thinking of the rest of the alphabet, I keep a little pack of paper with me at all times, one page for each letter of the alphabet. Whenever I think of a word, I JOT it down.

"Willow" has created this page:

The photo in the middle of the layout is my pumpkin carving effort this year....can anyone guess who it is???!!!

Di - Book of my life

My life is still a Journey (childlike this week). It has it's ups and downs but for the most part is filled with Joy!!!

Lemons letter J in her book of Growing Up

On this page I wanted to record my daughters first piece of grown up Jewellery.

Jakey's J page 

My J page celebrates my love of Junk Jewelery!

I have stacks of the stuff... it's my weakness and I can't resist it :-) so I've sort of given up trying now! In the photo are a few of my  many necklaces, but I'm ashamed to admit I have as many bracelets, bangles and earrings too. I've even been known to snap a bargain up and bring it home only to discover I've already got it... still, it makes a lovely pressie, so none of my friends seem to mind!

Thanks for visiting and don't forget to send us your pages!

IACW girls
xx

Quick and easy mini album

I spotted some little plastic photo wallets in a photo printing shop and couldn’t resist snapping one up at 99p. I thought it would make a really quick and easy mini-album, really needing only a little love and attention given to the cover!

I started out by cutting a piece of cardstock just bigger than the height of the book and with a bit extra on the width – I used a piece of 12x12 cardstock so used the full width. Using the photo wallet as a guide I marked and scored lines for the spine and where I would need to fold in the flaps.

I secured the two flaps on either edge using narrow double sided tape - making sure to leave enough gap for the cover to fit - and tucked the front and back covers of the photo wallet in.

I cut two more rectangles of cardstock to size and adhered them on the inside front and back covers to secure the wallet and to neaten it off.

As the inside seam on the centre pages of the wallet wasn’t too pretty I simply tied a length of  ribbon around the spine to hide it.

I decorated the front cover with some scraps, a few die cuts and some rub-ons and I’m ready to go! I am going to chart how our garden looks over the year, from the leaf-strewn mess in Jan, through the snow in April (!), our current efforts at planting and the hopeful pay-off in the Summer J I am also going to add some bits of journaling in amongst the photos.

This is a genuine one-evening project and would also make a really quick and easy pressie.

Happy Scrapping,

Charlotte

x

Spring and Summer Bunting

Hi again from MadDi and Caz

Are you ready for Spring and Summer????

Today we have a few different ideas for SUMMER BUNTING to decorate your garden, patio or whatever.

From MadDi:

I started with a supply of joyful inexpensive poly cotton which I cut into strips 10 inches wide and about 45 inches long. I cut 8 strips - 2 of each colour.

I attached a very inexpensive equivalent to Bonda Web to one side of each colour (4 strips), and then selected another colour to attach to it.

I then cut out my triangles and managed 3 from each pair of strips. I ended up with 12 triangles. Here are some of the triangles and the scraps I used to decorate.

I then started playing with the offcuts, felt, and buttons to get a feel for the completed bunting:

Finally I attached Hemp jewelry cord (you could use twine or string) to the top of the triangles  and here is my completed bunting adding a welcome to the bacck garden:

Just a closeup....

YES it's a muddle of colour and textures but the South African Sun is BRIGHT so I need bright colours LOL.

OH! OH! OH! by the way, I am going into WINTER here in South Africa LOL. So my summer bunting really cheers up my day. What are you doing to decorate your garden for those lovely long summer evenings?

From CAZ:

Hi from a very sunny Hertfordshire. Bank holiday weekend was the perfect time to get my summer bunting out. The sun was shining and it seemed EVERYONE in our village was out and about. The spring flowers are in full bloom making the garden a FAB place to be.

I started with this joyful bundle of fat quarters {on sale in hobbycraft!}, and cut 4 triangles from each colour.

When they were all cut it was time to pin them together. I wanted the stitching hidden so pinned them right side in. Once all were sewn together, it was time to turn them right side out. I used a fat knitting needle to poke out the pointy bits.

Then I simply folded the open edge {the top} over some twill and pinned it closed. And stitched them.

I didn't want them to the twill as I hadn't decided how far apart I wanted each 'flag'.

You can see from this photo that I have the 'flags' quite close together as it was easier to photograph that way. But i've moved them far apart, so the bunting can be hung right round the garden! lol.

Thank you for visiting our Creative World and love from CaZ and MadDi

Make it personal

Personalised cards have become very popular, but as crafters and card makers we have been making in personal for years. Cards made specifically for a family member or friend is personal, and adding the persons name or using colours or a theme they like, make it even more personal.

Today i'm sharing two cards, one made for my niece Sarah...

and one for a friend.

Both cards have been made using offcuts from my ScrapRoom kits. And of course card making is a great way of using up those odd embellishments too :)

Thanks for visiting and don't forget to Get Personal with cards!
Caz
xx

What to Photograph in May...

...continued.

This regular feature has proved to be quite popular and we are so lucky to have very talented photography nut friends to share their inspiration with you all :)

So without any further delay I will leave you in the capable hands of Andrew!

The older I get, the more I realise that you don’t need posh photography equipment to get great photos.  The best photographs are about two things:

1. Great composition
2. Understanding light

Us chaps have to work a bit harder than the girls at composition.  My first few thousand photographs always had the subject at the centre of the frame.  No matter if it was a still life, portrait or architecture.  Always the same mistake.  Have your subject off-centre of the frame.  As cameras have moved into the digital age and have autofocus this has simply exacerbated the problem as the focus point is usually at the centre of the frame too.  If you have a camera with manual focus, give that a go, moving your subject from the centre to create a good composition.  As you do this, keep in mind the rule of thirds: he is my friend Jo

 

Her head takes up the right third of the image, and the remaining two thirds of the image are out of focus. Always remember to get the eyes in pin sharp focus and you will be rewarded with a great portrait

 

The same rule applies to landscapes too: here is a local landmark with the same principle applied

 

As you get to grips with the rule of thirds, have a look at the artworks of some of the great masters: it’s been used for hundreds of years by hundreds of people.

Use wacky angles: someone else’s fly posting is your groovy record of social history

 

or a simple photo of your subject on the floor and then turn the photograph from portrait to landscape

 

gives a great shot.

And May is a fantastic month in which to practise: loads of light, especially in the evening when we get home from work.  I love those wispy clouds in the evening sky that make a great backdrop for any landscape

   

Or wait a while until twilight and use the timer function on the camera to capture the magical combination of natural and artificial light.  You don’t need an expensive tripod either: this 20 second exposure was taken whilst the camera rested on a wall

Whatever you do this month – learn from your mistakes and keep clicking away – and share your journey on your blog with the rest of us.

Andrew

Well all I can say is WOW! Fab photos Andrew, thanks so much for sharing them with us :)

IACW girls
xx

What to photograph in May

Like most  scrappers, I  love my camera and getting out in the fresh air taking pictures.  Here are some things I've been enjoying this month. Hope they offer some inspiration :-)

Maintenance in the garden: Every spring we check our water feature, re-treat the tub, give the stones a good clean and change the filters etc… it’s part of our routine, so why not record it? Probably you have jobs you do every springtime around the place – get some snaps and preserve that memory!

Photograph your plants budding – you won’t believe how much they’ll grow in the next few weeks!

Plus I’ve taken a few snaps of some of my favourite flowers which are blooming at this time.

Forget me not's

Bluebells

Love lies Bleeding

We love to spend the day at a local farm - kids of all ages love this - and watch the farmers shearing sheep and getting them ready for the warmer months ahead. I’m so lucky to live in a rural area where we’re spoilt for working farms to visit. Watching lambs being born and holding and feeding orphaned lambs is a wonderful thing for anyone, but especially magical for a child. I grew up in a tiny village so it’s great to get out in the fresh air and see the things I took for granted as a kid. We always go and watch the lambing too, but do take care if you are pregnant! It’s not a place to visit in the early months due to a minor risk of miscarriage, and everyone should take the sensible precaution of washing their hands after handling the animals.

And finally ....Blossom... glorious blossom!

It’s everywhere, but it’ll soon be gone – catch it while you can!

Hope you enjoy my pictures and  thank you for visiting IACW!

Happy snapping!

Jakey xx

make a file folder mini book

Following our recent trip to Amsterdam, I made a file folder mini book to record the memories of our weekend away, and I had a few enquiries about where to buy the blank book.  Sadly I couldn't help, becuase it had been a gift, however I decided to see if I could make a similar one from scratch and was thrilled to discover it was a doddle. I thought I'd share it with you today as it makes a great little gift album, and can be put together in an afternoon.

I made the book in Publisher but I expect you could adapt the idea for another DTP program.

Download create_a_file_folder_mini_book_in.doc

Create a file folder mini book in

Microsoft Publisher

1. Open a blank document

2. On the left hand side you will see a tool bar. Select auto shapes, then more auto shapes.

3. Scroll through shapes until you see one that looks like a file folder, select and insert.

4. Drag the file until it’s the size you require for your book.

5. Copy shape and paste, repeating for however many pages you want.

6. Using the green dot while holding down the alt key free rotate the shape so the tab is at the bottom, or easier still,  just hover over the tool bar at the top

until you see one which says flip horizontal/flip vertical /free rotate, and use these to place the tab on your file where you want it

7. Drag the file into place, lining up edges, print out on chosen card and cut out.

8. To bind it either use staples, ribbons, or sew together along the spine.

9. Decorate the book using patterned papers, photos, journaling or whatever you like!

Hope these instructions are useful!

Have a great Sunday everyone and thanks for visiting It's A Creative World!

Jakey xx

Welcome to our guest Sarah...

IACW are delighted to welcome back Sarah today who has a great project for us all. Over to you Sarah...

Have you seen the Cosmo Cricket lacing cards?  They are 5 x 7 inch pieces of chipboard with holes punched along the long side that enable the user to lace them together to make a accordion display piece.  When I received a packet of these I didn’t want to use all four to make one project and, inspired by a stitched flat fold made by my sister Carol, I decided to make a paper craft version. (My sisters flat-fold can be seen here: http://justcarolsplace.blogspot.com/2008/02/busy-needle-little-house-needleworks.html.

I started with a small selection of supplies including the gorgeous Dude collection of papers from Prima:

The first thing you need to do is paint one side of each of your two chipboard pieces (carrying the paint along the edge of the chipboard and about one cm onto the other side of each piece).  The painted sides will be the inside of the photo stand; they can be seen so use a colour which co-ordinates with your project.

Once the paint is dry cut two pieces of patterned paper and adhere one to each of the lacing cards to cover the bare chipboard and create a base for your design.  When sticking mine down I used a brayer to run over the paper to ensure it had stuck nice and flat.

Decide which piece you would like for the front of your project and create a mini layout on the lacing card (you could do two and make the photo stand double sided!).

Then punch the holes back in the lacing card along the top edge as you will have covered them with paper and place the two cards together ensuring the painted surfaces face each other on the inside.  To finish of simply thread ribbon (I used grosgrain) through the top of the two cards to lace them together – tie knots in either end to prevent it coming undone.

With the other two lacing cards in the pack I made this one:

Thank you so much Sarah for such a COOL project. I know we all have some of these stashed away just waiting to be put to such great use!!!!

Thanks for visiting IACW and love from all the girls XXX

Is it really Autumn??

Hi again from MadDi in Johannesburg South Africa

And yes, believe it or not, its Autumn here in South Africa. If I look around it's NOTHING like Autumn everywhere else in the world... Perhaps it's the trees; the leaves do not turn red or they do not lose their leaves in Autumn. So here goes with the best of Autumn I can offer.

You may remember these layouts of Spring, Summer and Winter:

This is the last step in my 4 Seasons story - Autumn or Fall as they say in other parts of the world....

What I used:

• Some cardstock
• Scraps of patterned paper
• Some chipboard letters
• Simple embellishments

I cut everything first and laid it out:

When I was happy where everything was positioned I stuck it all down. (LOL I was allowed to move things about), and then added some simple embellishments:

What to do with them now? Well I have a few ideas....

Scrapping the four seasons has taken me the whole year LOL, but it has been a year with great memories of great holidays and time spent with my family. Isn't that what scrapbooking is all about?

I leave you today with these words from Carole King:

"When you're down and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, nothing is going right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest night

You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You've got a friend"

Thanks for visiting us at IACW and love from MadDi XXX