It's a Creative World

Ladder Style Bracelet

Hi Lynne here

I'm intrigued by how changing shapes can alter the whole look of a project.

I'd wanted to try a twin needle project for a while and settled on a "ladder" style bracelet.

This one has bugle beads to form the ladder, they are twisted and have a rainbow coating so really glisten in the light.  This gives a delicate effect.

For this one I added 3 cube beads to form the ladder and swapped the outside beads to silver and used a black cube bead in the middle, which also has a rainbow coating.  This is a much chunkier bracelet.

They are very quick to make and you can ring the changes with the rainbow of beads available.

Do try making some yourself.

Lynne

A wooden bangle

I recently found some fabulous wooden bangle blanks ready for decorating and decided that my first one was going to be an inky one: 

 

I started by using a pale green distress ink over the outside and then a darker one:

 

I then laid Tim Holtz masks over the inked bangle and added more ink over the top. The next step was to add a darker brown ink along the edges and then tiny rhinestones in the middle of the masked flowers:

 
I think the next blank is going to be decorated with paper but I'm not sure yet LOL!

As always, thanks for visiting IACW!

Jo x

 

PUT THE FLAGS OUT, BELT UP AND SKIRT AROUND.

Ahoy there, Eleanor here.

Bunting has been everywhere this year, and it was high time I made some of my own, so when a friend gave me a bag of old clothes, I was delighted to see a shirt, ready for the scissors treatment.

This fine blue and white striped garment spurred me on, and I went off on a trip around the local car boot sales in search of more, all in patterns of reds, whites and blues. A total of 6 shirts for less than a fiver and I was ready to start.

First I cut the shirts up into large seamless pieces, and then I drew a triangle template on cardboard. Before cutting fabric triangles, though, I ironed my strips of material onto Bondaweb, double sided interfacing.

I then frugally cut as many triangles as I could from each piece,

before ironing them onto another piece of fabric,

and cutting out. I didn't edge the triangles or top-stitch them, I rather like the idea that they might become tattered and wind torn with use, rather like real flags on a sailing boat might.

All that remained was to string them along, and I had the ideal thing, remember this:

Well, perhaps you don't, it was one of my bargains, whole reels of bias binding for pennies each, and the blue one was just perfect. Simply folded and stitched along (these are 4 inches wide by 5 inches long)

and ready to hang:

With remnants of fabric, I decided to liven up the hem of a plain navy blue linen skirt I have, and then, not content with that, I decided a belt was needed. No belt loops? Simple (excuse my colour issues here):

First stitch 3 long straight stitches with all six strands of stranded cotton

then buttonhole stitch along the threads

making sure not to catch in any fabric underneath

and you have a belt loop.

Here's my mini bunting belt:

And so, here I am, ready for the regatta..

Until next time, fair winds and following seas.

x

INSPIRATION ROUND-UP.

Have you met Picnik yet?

Picnik is photo editing software that is available on the internet with loads of free content.and some content that you can pay for.

PICNIK.

 

you can take a simple snap shot like this

 

a simple push of a button and you can get a sepia shot.

 

The Orton filter gives you this

 

you can 'soften' a photo,

 

you can also use a variety of frames to your photos.

 

 

you can also add text and stickers to your snapshots, the halloween section is great,you can vampify

eyes,add fangs and even ghoulify skin tone.

 

Visit '' Under the Table and Dreaming '' for lovely lovely Christmas decorations

i especially love the rosette one and the birdie.

http://www.bystephanielynn.com/search/label/Christmas%20Ornaments?updated-max=2010-08-19T12%3A00%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=20

 

 

and finally,

Githic Arches...

challenges you to make a themed ATC  in a gothic arch shape

 

and,as a bonus,there is an entire book available for you to have a drool over.

http://www.sugarlumpstudios.com/ebook/Gothic%20Arches.pdf

 

 

 

An altered canvas

Hiya Claireliz here with a canvas I've been staring at for some time, actually 2 canvases a 6x6 inch & a 2x2 inch one, however I finally decided what to do with them & here it is...

 

I inked the canvas, half with Milled Lavender Distress Ink & Half with Dusty Concorde Distress ink, then used a chalk ink pad to stamp the corner flourishes.

The birdcage & birdie are cut from grungeboard using Tim Holtz's Alteration die. The Birdcage was painted silver & heat embossed with Black Soot Distress Embossing powder, the bird is inked with Victorian Velvet Distress ink.

I glued the 2x2 inch canvas onto the corner of the larger canvas with Glossy Accents...

 

The smaller canvas was also inked with Dusty Concorde Distress Ink, with Grungeboard butterfly & keyhole & metal corners & a key. I covered the butterfly in Purple Stickles to make it glittery.

Thats all from me for now, I'll be back soon. Thanks for stopping by IACW to visit & hope to see you soon

Claireliz

xx

Photo Overlays (with free downloads)...

Hi, Mandy here,

I'm no expert at digi, but do enjoy 'playing' in Photoshop Elements.  I like the look of photo overlays so had a play and made my own (downloads at the end of the post). 

If you're familiar with paper scrapping and have used a transparency, well, a digital overlay is a bit like using a printed transparency in paper scrapping.  Imagine 'Hambly' or 'Fancy Pants' overlays that you literally layer on top of your photo and can see the photo below. However, to use overlays in digi you do need software that allows layers.  I use Photoshop Elements 5, which is what I used to make the free downloads.  It's worth saying that before I went out and bought PSE, I used the free trial download off the web, to see if I'd get enough use out of it.  I can say that it was not a waste of a penny. 

Here's a photo straight out of the camera of my son M, playing football on the trampoline ( I was leaning out the bathroom window to capture him unawares)...

 

Now, here's the same photo which has been cropped and has an overlay ontop...

 

Similarly my other son R, taken on the same day...

 

 Now, cropped with a black overlay...

 

If you are familiar with using 'layers', then digital overlays are really easy to use.  Just open your photo and crop the part of the image you want to 6" by 4".  Then drag & drop the overlay onto your photo.  Decide if you like how it looks and then flatten the image so the overlay becomes 'glued down' on to the photo.  At this point I save the photo again as a jpeg.  You can re-size the downloads below but 6" by 4" is the size they come in.

I really like the effect and am much more likely to scrap the second version of each photo.

Below, I have included downloads for the two overlays shown in this post, aswell as a blank white and a blank black overlay for you to add your own text.

Download Ball skills black overlay

Download Football crazy white overlay

Download White overlay no text

Download Black overlay no text

Don't be afraid to 'play' with digital.  It's a lot of fun.

Here at IACW we love to see what folks make with our downloads, so don't be shy, leave a link and let us see what you made.

Bye,

Mandy. 

Quick and easy stamps ...

Hello, Alexa here, with an idea for making stamps. They can be used in scrapbooking, card-making and in fabric design. I've used craft foam: very inexpensive (always a bonus!), easy to obtain in any craft shop or online, lightweight and easy to cut. As a basis for the stamp below, I used an off-cut of wood, but any firm surface will do: hardboard, very thick cardboard, or a clear stamp block. Lay a strip or two of double-sided adhesive the full length of it. I have used Herma successfully too. After cutting a long, thin strip about an inch and a half wide (4 cms), snip across the strip at angles to create triangles. It's often easier to stick each one down as you go, spacing them out a little, to look like this ... (Mine has been well-used!)

i often prefer to use ink pads rather than acrylic paint, because they dry fast, are less messy and give a clearer outline. I sometimes use a two-tone or multi-tone ink like this one:

Stamping it down the length of the foam triangles can give a nice shaded effect:

A whole sheet of pattern can be created by printing several times. Because my surface underneath had a bit of give in it (a portable table), some bits did not print clearly. I'm never too bothered about this as I like a hand-made random look, but if you want very clear definition for each triangle, then use a steady and very firm surface below your paper or fabric.

 If, as happened here, the spacings between the columns aren't even, just add a row of dots by hand or a line stamp! Other possibilities with this versatile material includes cutting it with a punch. You'll need to experiment to see which allow the thickness of the craft foam to slide into the cutting space:

Using a teardrop shape and then a pair of scissors, I created nine stamps which had the same outline, but different centres:

A fine hole punch (the kind used with brads and eyelets) can create circular patterns to add extra detail. To make them easy to see in my storage box, no matter which way up they were, I stamped each one in black  on paper, cut it out and adhered it to the other side:

I've found multiple uses for these - individually, four in a square shape, in horizontal rows or to create a stem and leaf pattern:

 

Lightweight, reuseable (just clean with a baby wipe), easy to store and very versatile, craft foam is a firm favourite of mine. If you haven't already tried it, I hope you'll have fun experimenting. If you're already a seasoned practitioner, do point us to where you used it in the comments below, so we can come and look and learn! Many thanks for visiting today, and wishing you a happy and creative second half to the week.

Held in Trust

Hi everyone – Dolly here with an interesting idea for an album cover.

It isn’t a new idea and it was inspired by a blog post a long time ago by Glenda at Artylicious

from her store Graphicus

 

 Glenda had made a Halloween project but as soon as I saw the gates I knew I had to have them. It took me a while to use them, but I have made them into a cover for a National Trust Book.

Nij and I love visiting National Trust properties (to be honest I think the fact we are members makes us feel quite grown up!)

I wanted to make an album to record some of the places we visit.

I made the book 10” x 7” and used the Bind it all to bind the two sides. It is a gatefold album to the pages open from both sides.

The gates were perfect to look like gates to one of the properties.

I inked them black and then sprayed them with Cinder Glimmer Mist and they really do look like wrought iron. It hasn’t come over well in the pictures, but I promise they do.

I printed a picture of the Roman Temple at Stourhead on canvas, making sure it was really faded out and then mounted it on thick card for the cover. I then sliced it down the middle and stuck on the two gates. I added some distressed looking brads to make the handles and hinges.

 

 

The title was just cut from black card on the Craft Robo.

When the gates open there is the same picture, not cut in half, on the front page so it really does look like you have gone into the gates.

 

The two flaps also have desaturated pictures of Stourhead and an opening bit of journalling explaining what the album is. I am a big believer in an opening statement for themed books.

All I have to do now is fill it with pages about the beautiful places we have visited.

 

 

What's going on in the Garden in August?

It's a scary thought, but autumn is on the way and with it brings a reminder that it's time to tidy the garden in preperation for the spring. Leaving the garden in a mess will mean your spring garden will be a mess and you'll have to get out in the cold to tidy.

Start to make a mental note of what trees and plants need to be pruned and think about where to plant your bulbs.

 

As you harvest veg, clear the space and turn the soil. Keep weeding and store your old veg plants to turn back into the soil. This year for the first time I will be doing this as i've heard it's the best compost. What your veg take from the soil is naturally returned.

 

I took the broad beans from this corner and have them mulching away so they can be turned in once the rest of the veg is harvested.

 

If you have an abundance of veg, then share with friends and neighbours. You never know what you'll get in return!

 

And do any repairs. This little bird house fell off the tree outside my kitchen window during the winter. I think it was too close to the other one anyway so we've secured it to the side on the shed under the roof overhang for added protection.

At this time of year it's also good to look back at any planting mistakes and make a note of them in your garden journal. Last week I drew a sketch of the planting for next year so I can make sure I rotate the crops and ensure I remember to put the plants needing the most maintenance on the edge of my plot. 

Happy gardening!!
Caz
xx

DIY embellishments

Browsing around some blogs, I came across these:

 

The domed centres were made using the Imaginesce i-top tool - something I don't have. I'm not much of a tool and gadget person at all to be honest. Not with household stuff, technological stuff nor crafting stuff. Anyhow, I didn't let that put me off and set about playing with some things I had lying around to see if I could come up with something similar. And I did!

What I used:

Cheap car washing sponge

1.25" and 2" circle punches

Double sided tape

Thin chipboard (such as cereal packet)

Patterned papers

What to do:

Punch out some 1.25" circles (you will need two per embellishment).

Cut a slice off the end of the sponge. The one in the picture actually is probably a bit too thick, about half an inch is better (as I found out on the third one I did!).

Draw around one of the circles onto the surface of the sponge and cut out. Neat isn't necessary!

 

Attach double sided tape to one of the circles and adhere the sponge to it. Trim sponge as needed.

Using a 2" circle punch, cut out patterned papers or other - as well as the patterned paper circle, I punched out another circle and applied a rub-on and for the third one I printed out a digital element and punched it out. You could create something more personal by creating your own text in a Word document, printing and punching that out too. Remember that the featured image needs to fit within a 1.25" circle.

   

Apply double sided tape to the back of your 2" circle and stick the sponge onto it centrally. Using your fingers, go around the edge of the larger circle, pinching the paper so that it will be easier to fold over. Apply double sided tape to the 1.25" circle already at the other end of the sponge. 

 
 

Now fold and pleat the larger circle sticking it down onto the smaller circle, you will need to squish the sponge as you work. The smaller the folds and pleats, the neater the finished result. This is what it will look like when folded over:

 

Trim down another 1.25" circle and apply tape edge to edge on one side. Attach firmly to the back of the embellishment. To neaten the edges you will need to roll the circle and keep smoothing with your fingers until you get a satisfactory result.

 

I used one on a card, but they would also be great for scrapbook pages.

 

  

Card supply list:

Patterned papers - Sassafrass, Making Memories, My Mind's Eye; Dies - Nestabilities, Sizzix; Border punch - Fiskars; Rub-on - Melissa Frances; Stick on pearls - Papermania; Inks - Ranger distress inks.

xxx's

Suzanne