It's a Creative World

Metal Work.

I had seen some fabulous metal embellished art work by the team at LB Crafts and Paperartsy. I couldn't get along to the classes but I decided to teach myself and experiment as I went along.

First of all I went to Ten Seconds Studio website to watch their instructional (and funny!) videos which gave me the basic skills I needed along with an idea of the type of equipment I'd need to get started.

So I got together:

My Cuttlebug and my Textile Texture embossing folder.

A roll of Art Emboss crafter foil.

 

A paper Stump from the art shop

My QuicKutz die for my Revolution (I was using the Skull)

and some black acrylic paint

I decided on my first project which was to be a gift box for my teenage niece and nephew. They always find cash an acceptable present but I wanted to make it more 'gifty' rather than just in an envelope. I found some small paper mache boxes with lids in the craft shop and thought they'd be ideal!

Here's what I did:-

~I painted the box and lid with silver acrylic paint to hide the dingy brown paper mache.

~ Using the top of the lid as a template I drew around it onto a piece if the foil with an embossing tool.

~ I cut the foil out with scissors (mind the edges they can be sharp!) and using the embossing folder I

ran it through the Cuttlebug. The foil came out with a lovely deep embossed design.

~Using Crafter's Pick The Ultimate! glue (Or double sided tape) I stuck the embossed foil to the box lid and using the paper stump I smoothed the edges down.

For the skull decoration:-

~ I cut the skull out in a scrap piece of cardstock to act as the mould from my foil.

~ I attached a piece of foil over the paper skull die cut with Hermafix and rubbed the foil with the paper stump and the image of the skull comes through the foil beautifully!

~ I trimmed the foil neatly around the skull die cut to get rid of any excess and attached the foiled skull to the box lid.

~Finally to really make the embossing POP dab acrylic paint over the entire lid and leave for a couple of minutes to dry slightly.

~ Take a cloth and form into a flat wad and rub over the painted foil. This will remove the paint from the raised areas and leave it in the debossed areas giving a nice contrast that will highlight your design!

For a first attempt I was rather pleased and my teenage nephew was quite taken with the box as much as with the cash!

I really love this technique and think it's going to be useful for all sorts of crafting projects.

So more metal fun later!

Have fun!

Glittery Katie x

Bling a ling birdhouse

Hi, it's Maria here with a very quick and easy crafty idea for the children.

 

While sorting out my stash I came across some chipboard birdhouses with a lovely tin roof.  Before I could decide whether to go on the keep, pass it on or not sure pile Charlotte had spied it.

Now, Charlotte loves a bit of bling and sparkle and, hey, if it's good enough for Liberace who am I to argue.

Charlotte simply covered the chipboard in pva glue and covered it with German glass glitter in Sky blue.  She rather liked the tin roof so left it as it was.  The photo really doesn't show just how shiny it is and it's actually a worn out/vintage shade of blue.

Amelia has her eye on another one but can't quite decide what to do with it yet.  I think they are hoping for a mini blingalicious housing estate in their bedroom.

Don't forget that if you have crafty children we'd love to see their work.  Just pop a linkie dink in the comments and we'll swing by and say hello.

Toodle pip

Chocolate Heaven!

My love of cupcakes is well know!  To make them into something new i decided to start inserting a little suprise in them so that when the recipient bit into it they got a delicous taste of something other than sponge.

Bake your cupcakes according to your own recipe (from a box of 'make your own - just add one egg'  is good enough for those in a hurry).  Remove from oven and leave to cool for approx 20mins.

Once the cakes are cooled cut out a little dip in the top of the cake (as though you were making butterfly cakes) and pop it to one side.

 

Melt a bowl of marshmallows (they will double in size and when stired with a spoon will turn into a VERY sticky gloop!) and also a bowl of half dark/half light finest chocolate.

You have to make sure you do the marshmallow fillings quickly as the mix will set really fast and be too sticky to use!

Pop a small amount into the dip you created in your cake and place the lid back on top.

 

Cover with melted chocolate and decorate according to taste.

The chocolate will set and make it look like there was an actual 'baked in' filling in the centre of the cake.

Some of the cakes i filled with the melted chocolate - this will harden and you are left with a spongy outside and dense chocolate centre.

 

The chocolate filled cupcakes however i covered in butter icing and sprinkles to cut the overall chocolate-ness of them!

With Love

Debbie

xxx

Trinket box

I altered a paper mache box for my bedroom as I needed something to put my trinkets in but it would be lovely to give as a present filled with gift soaps or jewellry.

I covered inside and out with aqua paint then I edged it in gold paint or you could edge it with a krylon pen.

 

The flower I used wasn't quite the right colour so I painted it in the gold. When it was dry I used a clear glue and added iridescent glitter.

I then adhered lace and pearl strands to the lid before putting the flower on the top, which i had also added an old button to.

Thanks for looking

Lemon xx

Hybrid Scrapbooking

 

Most scrapbookers these days have had a dabble into the world of digi. Some embrace it, buy and store hundreds of digital kits, papers and elements, and never look back at traditional paper supplies; while some decide ‘it’s too difficult’, ‘too time consuming to learn’, or just feel it’s not for them as they enjoy the tactile lumpy bumpy creative process involved in papercrafting far too much to ever give it up.

 

Some – like me, decide they want it all, and end up travelling the Hybrid route, taking digital elements and combining them with more traditional materials to make a page that’s a total cross between the two. And all hybrid layouts will vary depending on the techniques used but to be classed as hybrid there has to be at least one digital element, though in it’s simplest sense just adding printed journaling or a frame around a photo or digitally enhancing a photo, perhaps by altering the colour, would mean it could be classified as hybrid – and who among us haven’t used these techniques for years without even thinking about it!

 

My style of hybrid scrapping however, involves printing digital images out onto card or transparency, cutting them out and adding them to my pages just as I might a shop bought or hand made element. Sometimes I add glitter, or paint or brads or buttons, sometimes I cut two of the same image (or pieces of an image) and mount one atop the other on foam pads for extra dimension, or I might add some stitching – real or faux… really – the possibilities are endless! And it’s fun! You can size the images to whatever size you like and if you’re really clever….. (and I’m not!) You can persuade your CraftRobo to cut them out for you!

 

My images, sized, printed and ready to cut out. I’ve printed the kebab twice so I can ‘pop’ the mushrooms and tom!

 

 

My photo, with a fun digital frame added.

 

The finished LO

 

All digital images used on this LO are by  Kate Hadfield or Jacque Larsen  and available from their store at the Lilypad

 

Here are a few useful address’s if you want to know more about the hybrid style of scrapping:

 

http://spraguelab.squarespace.com/what-is-hybrid-scrapbooking/

http://www.hybridtop50.com/

http://shutterfly.typepad.com/digiscrap/hybrid_scrapbooking/

http://www.madcropper.com/creating-hybrid-scrapbook-layouts/

 

There’s heaps of hybrid info out there – just google it!

Thanks for joining us today on IACW!

xx Jakey xx

Crochet phone or camera case.

I have a proper shock proof camera case for when my camera is in my bag, however when we're out and about I like to have my camera in my pocket. But of course it could get horribly scratched!

So I got a crochet hook and some cotton out and made a little protective case.

 

{It's photographed with my phone inside as obviously I was using the camera, lol}

It's so quick and easy......
Materials
I used a size 3 crochet hook and Rowan cotton glace yarn.

To make:

Crochet in rounds
Foundation round: Chain 28 (this will depend on the size of the camera) to measure just wrap the chain row around the camera so it's a snug fit. Join with slip stitch.
Round 1: 2 chain then double crochet into each chain stitch. 28 stitches Join with slip stitch into 2nd of the 2 chain.

The foundation and round 1 will form the open end of your case.

Round 2 to Round 11: (again this will depend on the size of your camera) 3 chain then triple crochet into the top of each double crochet. 28 stitchs. Join with slip stitch into 3rd of the 3 chain.

Keep measuring the case against your camera until you are happy with the size.

 To finish fold the "pocket" in half lengthwise so that you have 14 stitches at the front and 14 at the back, then join by slip stitching the triple crochets together all the way along! Break off yarn and sew in the end.

 

And you're done!

haPPy crOChet!
Caz
xx

Patches of what????

Hello from MadDi

So if I say to you 'PATCHES" what do think of? Me I think of fabric, wool, paper, tapestry, mosaic and well no NOT repairing broken denims....What do you think of?

I am a beginner at this! But there is nothing I like more than a challenge so here you are! These are the examples I found al using PATCHES!

 

iScrapping example using paper:

LOl  2 of my VERY early layouts but you get the idea.

 

 

 

Crochet example using wool: You have seen this before but it's just patches of wool crocheted into squares and stitched together :

Crochet example using cotton: You have seen this as well!

And one more - "Patches of Peace" - a tapestry I did (with the help of friends) many years ago to promote peace in South Africa:

 

My inspiration comes always from Kaffe Fassett

In 1985, Kaffe launched a needlepoint project on the TV programme Pebble Mill at One, inviting anyone across the country to needlepoint an image of their favourite thing, no bigger that 6 inches square, to form part of a tapestry. Over 2,600 entries were sent, forming the Pebble Mill at One Heritage Tapestry which was on show at Chatsworth House until recently, and now is at Harewood House. I could not find a decent pic of the tapestry but here is an extract from the book "Glorious needlepoint:

And just to inspire you - some CRAZY patchwork

 

(Courtesy of Wikipaedia) "A Patchwork is a form of needlework that involves sewing together pieces of fabric into a larger design. The larger design is usually based on repeat patterns built up with different colored shapes."

 

Thanks for visiting IACW and love from MadDi

 

 

It's time for Project 2009!

We're so excited that so many of you are joining us on Project 2009, 12 Months, 12 Projects. On the first SUNDAY of each month we will share ideas, our pages from previous years, and the last months pages.

This Project has so many possiblilities, and there are loads of themes, and formats you can choose from.

So lets see what some of the creative girls are doing!

Debbie

I have made the front cover for my project book (I will make the back towards the end as i want to do a little recount of the year on it).  I am going to keep it as a day by day photo journal of how things change and what i manage to do, gain and lose (weight) in 2009.  Each month i will be making a special project which will sit alongside the actual year book.  I will document the instructions and photographs of the 12 projects as a kind of add on section at the end of each month :)  Here is the cover...

Caz

I am doing a snippets of my life by month scrapbook. I've chosen Making Memories Corduroy Albums to house my layouts. Each page is 8x8 which is a little format but has the space for at least 4 small photos and is manageable. Here is January 2008s page... {please excuse the slightly fuzzy scan, the brad is a bit lumpy}

 

Looking back at this layout and the photos I took at 2009s annual new year day braai (bbq) I am amazed to see how much the girls have changed and grown. For me, this is exactly why I am doing this project, and why I hope to carry on this project for years to come.

Hi from Maria - I'm planning on making lots of changes this year and these two pictures prety much sum them up.

  

and

 

My project will, hopefully, keep me on track and record all the changes I have made.   I am always behind the camera for a reason and I am sure that many of our readers will understand that feeling.

I am hoping to look  back at this and be amazed by what I have achieved.  I usually look back on resolutions that I have made and failed but this year will be different.  This year will be MY year.

We have a special gallery for all your Project 2009 work, so be sure to mail us at [email protected] (please resize to a max width of 400).

Thanks for visiting!
IACW girls.
xx

Recycling Christmas cards

  I usually just throw our Christmas cards in to the recycling bag but this year I decided to recycle them myself by cutting them up and using them to make Christmas cards and tags for next Christmas - well there's nothing like being prepared LOL!

I started with a few cards:

 

My first card was easy as the image of the bears with the snowman was already die-cut and stuck on the card with foam pads so I just removed it:

The next card (penguins with a snowman) I used Nestabilities dies to cut out the image, added a stamped greeting, ribbon and an embellishment:

 

The holly image I cut using a knife and glass mat and then mounted on a Nestabilities cut mount before adding a rub-on:

 

For something a bit different I cut out the lone penguin to go on a tag along with patterned paper, Stickles, mesh, acrylic letters (a free gift from a magazine a while ago!), a sticker, ribbons and a button embellishment:

 

The last card with Santa I used a Nestabilities die (again!) to cut out the image and then used it to make a simple gift tag by punching a hole and then attaching some ribbon:

 

 Maybe you'd like to recycle your cards too - if you do, be sure to leave a link so we can see what you've done with them.

have fun!

Jo x

Altering alpha stickers

In an attempt to use up some of my old stash i've started to alter what I have to make it usable.

And altering alphabet stickers is fun, economical and the more I use up, the more I can replace.

I needed some brwon lettering for a few layouts, but all I could find was white.

   

By gently rubbing my brown chalk ink over the sheet, I quickly turned them brown. The shabby texture worked so well with the papers I had chosen for my layouts.

 

 

 

This is a great way of using up stash that would otherwise just sit in a folder.

Thanks for visiting!
Caz
xx