It's a Creative World

Quick Christmas gifts.. a kindle cover

I've been thinking about last minute but homemade gifts and this is a really simple one. I had an orginal style Kindle and a large case with the a light on it but it's always been heavy so my wonderful husband surprised me with a Kindle paperwhite - no light needed! So putting a heavy case on it sort of defeats the object and so a slip in case seemed to fit the bill.. I searched around a bit and thought I should make one. I caught sight of some bunting on a cushion and away I went.

It was really simple to do by measuring the kindle and cutting the fabric 5 cm bigger all round. I cut out some small triangles for the bunting and sewed them in place. Next I made a denim bag and a jumbo cord one for the lining. Fitted them inside each other and turned the top edges in and sewed round. Don't forget to pop in a little elastic or ribbon for the button loop.

I didn't pad this one with anything as the two fabrics seemed enough. I think I maybe knocking a few of these out for Christmas presents this year along with a few iPad cases http://itsacreativeworld.typepad.com/its_a_creative_world/2013/06/its-denim-again-an-easy-ipad-cover.html

Watch out for the 12 days of Christmas inspiration coming next!!

Happy sewing

Bev

BABY GIFTS - IN THE AGE OF THE INTERNET

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening one and all.  Recently, a friend had a baby and I thought about what kind of gifts to buy for her, I searched and scoured the internet but decided I wanted to make something unique.  What struck me in this time was the outpouring of heartfelt wishes that appeared on facebook.  So many messages, made you feel all warm inside.  My Mum mentioned that it was done by card and even telegram when I was born and I realised that all these beautiful sentiments could eventually disappear into the ether of time.  What happens if they aren't still there when said baby is grown up?  

So that's how I came up with this idea.  Based on a five sheets of chipboard/greyboard, which I 'hinged' with gummed brown paper, now if you don't have gummed brown paper really well adhered thin cardstock would do the same thing, make sure that the crease is really worked to ensure the book will fold flat when you concertina it. I have subsequently seen similar to buy in scrapbook shops - you might even have one lurking in your 'when I get round to it - I'm going to alter that' box! 

You could easily cover the base in pretty papers, but being the frugal scrapper that I am I tend to paint the base with a combination of the main colour (blue for boys and pink for girls) and a swirl of white mixed in (gives a great effect).  I then use pretty papers on top of each sheet to create the base.  I then find a font I like on word and print out the words onto plain paper, I then handcut around these letters and lay them on the back of thin chipboard, if you don't have any thin chipboard that you could cut with a craft knife or scissors you could use cereal boxes.  Handcut the letters out using either craft knife or scissors and then paint both sides of the lettering.  Place the items on the book so they are pleasing to the eye.  Place on the book with foam pads, thus providing a bit of dimension and then add appropriate embellishments to the same. 

So the book looks like this

Now I know what you're thinking what has this got to do with facebook - good question! 

Well on the back of this I put the sentiments I found on facebook.  I wrote onto a word document the sentiment expressed on facebook and then added their name afterwards, so the recipient would be able to remember who said what, cut into small mini boxes and adhere to the back of the book.  In this instance I matted up the comments to really make them 'pop' and distributed them as evenly as I could on the back. 

The item can now be displayed on a shelf as a pretty item for a room, whilst holding all those lovely messages on the reverse. 

 

You can even make a box for it to sit it to keep it safe if you fancy, or use one in your supplies and make the book to fit inside it. 

 

And yes before you ask it looks great in blues too!  You can see the difference an alternative font type makes.  

 

So there you have it a versatile baby gift that can be sent from the heart and will be utterly unique.  Until next time lovely people.

 

Virginia 

Cracker Die

Have you seen the new "Tonic" cracker die?

 

I treated myself to one at the NEC, it's easy to use and I've used it to wrap some jewelery I've made, for a cheque present and am busy making them with fun sized treats to raise funds for Art materials for a school in Uganda.

 

You don't even need glue! The tabs just slot in and are really secure.

 

add some washi tape

 

 

and a touch of ribbon

 

 

you have an alternative for tree chocolates, a dinner gift and place marker, the possibilities are endless.

 

I met a lady who was having a winter wedding and she was going to use them as favour boxes!

 

Oh and there's an added bonus word dies Merry Christmas, Seasons Greetings and Joy to the world.

Here's my favourite

 

Lynne x

Clean and simple Christmas time,

Hi folks and today I'd like to share with you a Christmas card.  

Are you one of those fabulously organised person who by this time of the year has all the Christmas cards made, written and ready to send?

No!?*

Me neither.  It's always last minute.com in this house.  Every year I say I am going to be better organised and every year I get worse....if that is possible.  It isn't as if I am not spoilt for choice with the amount of Christmas related stamps, dies, folders and papers I have yet to use.  It's just the age old problem of time!

Do you use items you already have or are you driven to buy new?

In the present climate it would make sense to use odds and ends that we already have but the draw to new is always strong.  This card has come about from some bauble dies I cut out last Christmas but didn't then do anything with, combining it with some recent purchases of embossing folders.  The current postage charges is another cost that comes into play when sending cards at this time of year too.  I love 3d cards but posting lots can get expensive.  Keeping the cost down by using what you already have and keeping the card relatively flat are key factors to bulk making at this time of year.  I have tried to stick with this ideal but couldn't resist adding a bow.  Some habits are hard to break.

 

For this project I have used Spellbinder Heirloom die 2012 together with embossing folders Pine branch by Tim Holtz and Dot swirl by Hero Arts.  I have added clear rock candy to my branch....it wouldn't be Christmas without a little sparkle.  Sentiment stamp is by Paula Pascual's Large Christmas.

I do love clean and simple especially when setting up a production line.

It's all about enjoying the process!

That's what I keep telling myself.  

Ho, ho, ho!

Happy crafting, Erika.  x

Coming soon....

 

Here's a few little teasers of what we will be sharing!

 

Homespun!

Yummy!

Vintage!

 

Lots more than that too- watch this space!

Thanksgiving Layout

Hello, Felicia here to share a layout I created for Thanksgiving.  I started the tradition last year of being the host.  It's a lot of work to be the host, but it's nice to have everyone over to my home.  This year I am also going to cook turkey on my own for the first time.  Wish me luck!  I wanted to be a little prepared with my scrapbooking since I will be preoccupied with cooking and cleaning for the next two weeks.  

I just added room for a few photos of the family.  I usually use wallet size photos for my layouts because I like more photos on a page instead of embellishments.  I thought the turkey image was very cute and I wanted to stay with fall colors for my background paper.  To create the layout I use the Cricut cartridge "Create A Critter."  The turkey image was cut at 3 inches and the Gobble sentiment was cut at 2 inches.  The polka dot paper was from Hobby Lobby and the Checkerboard paper was from Sei-Seasoned "Tasty Table."  Cardstock colors I used were Brown, Tan, Red, Orange, & Yellow.  

Here is an upclose photo of the turkey!  I know not everyone reading the blog celebrates Thanksgiving since it is an American holiday, but hopefully it inspires to create a layout.  Fall is such a beautiful season, and everyone can be thankful for something.  

Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to join us for the 12 days of Christmas! 

Falling For A Shadowbox

Happy Saturday!  Lisa here with a fall shadowbox that I had an absolute blast making.

I started with a blank pumpkin shadowbox from Darcie's and decided to cover the inside with glittery paper, but painted the frame.  The leaves are covered with patterened paper as well. Inside the pumpkins and blingy leaves float around.  I tried to move them around for the photos to show this better.

Close up of the leaves and wire trimmings I made.  Some leaves are punches, some die cuts.  All paper is shimmery but it doesn't really show no matter how I play with my camera settings.

I hope this inspires you to create your own shadowbox design.  Thanks so much for looking and happy crafting!  --Lisa Bedigian

Quick leather notebook

Hi Debbie here with an easy idea for gifts. It is my friend's birthday soon and she is always writing lists in notebooks so I decided to make her one

.

I was given some leather and decided to use this to make a hard wearing cover. I used my bind it all and finished it off with a flower and button to match the pink binding wires.

Stamping works well on leather as long as you use a permanent ink.

Thanks for stopping by its a creative world.

Debbie xxx

 

 

Candle in the wind(ow!)

Hi there! Laura here. Here's a little project I've done with inspiration from my mother in law. She had picked up a lovely bowl which was decoupaged with napkins. It was beautiful and because it was paper napkins, very translucent. So I thought it would be pefect for tealight holders! You'll need a glass jar and pva glue as well as your choice in napkin!

Make sure when you seperate the layers of napkin that you are using just the top layer- I found mine were very posh and 3ply not 2!! Then just glue to the jar and layer glue on top to make it water resistant.

Then pretty up and place somewhere that needs it! I've used floral but dare I suggest Christmas napkins?? Might be a lovely idea for table decorations! 

On the note of Christmas.... It is coming so we have planned an event for you!

    12 days of Christmas            

Hope to see you there!PS! Did you know IACW has a Facebook page?? We do! It's here ! If you do Facebook we'd love to have you join us!

Planning Ahead .. A Monthly Journal the Easy Way

Hello, Dolly here.

OK ... be warned. I am going to mention the C word! And yes I know it is only October. But I have a message about forward planning for Christmas. There ... I said it.

I love taking classes and I love keeping monthly journals. I have taken a great many of Shimelle’s classes and with things like Learn Something New Every Day and Journal Your Christmas you get to do them year after year once you are a member.

Time is often limited for me, both in September, when Learn Something new Every Day takes place and also in December when, like everyone else, I am frantically busy.

So a little planning ahead makes great sense.

I find limiting my supplies is the easiest way to operate and this works for digital and paper both.

If I am working on a digital journal which will then be printed out I select four or five collections in the colour palette I want to work with and copy them into a separate file. That way I know I don’t have so many choices to make and – if you are like me – it is the choices that take the time.

This was my file for this year's September journal.

If I am doing a paper journal I select all of my supplies, based on the same colour palette, and put them into a large box which can sit on my desk.  These supplies include paper, embellishments such as ribbons, buttons, stamps and letters and also journaling blogs and plain card for mountain.

With a paper journal I will often pre-make the pages … just the bases with cardstock, background paper and maybe a journaling block. With a digital journal I will do the same and make the background pages ready to have photos, journaling and embellishments dropped in.

Putting in the preparation makes the project do-able. I think if I didn’t do this I would find it way too stressful and time consuming to make a page every day. But with the ground work done and limited choices to make it is a really easy task.

 

This was a previous year's paper journal for September. You can see how the colour theme worked.

 

  and this was a pre-prepared digital album showing some of the pages before printinga nd then the book made up

 

 

 and a Christmas version

 

 

This year I used a selection of kits by Pickleberrypop designers. I used one of the Pickle Barrel sets as they were all colour coordinated – and I added a couple of random things as well. The alphabet was an Atomic Cupcake one, but everything else was Pickleberrypop as below.

Every Day Miracle by Feli Designs

Dream Big by Fayette

Chlorophylle by Joey

Simply Green by Lindsay Jane

A Wonderful Feeling by Lorie M

Chirping in the Mint Garden by Sarah h Graphics

Who We Are by Dee Bee Designs

 I haven't bound it as an album yet but you can see how thew preparation worked again this year

 

Maybe, if you have never done a monthly journal like this, you will try something like Countdown to Christmas or Journal your Christmas this year.

I will certainly be playing along again and will have my Christmas kit ready and waiting for 1^st December.

 

So - to be ready for the C word ... try and sort those supplies now when you have a little more time and then enjoy creating throughout december and recording those special memories the easy way.