It's a Creative World

12 days of Christmas- Home made gelli plate bunting

 Hi Debbie here with painted bunting for a Christmas present.

I used a home made gelli plate, here are the instructions, (please note leave out the alcohol and replace with glycerine)

I used bubble wrap and plastic aida for the texture.

I printed the photos using Picassa collage, its a great way of getting lots of small prints for projects like this.

I decided last minute I didn't like the blue so changed the circles to pink!

I have loved being part of the 12 days of Christmas, and hope you have seen lots to inspire you.

Debbie x

Bunting cards

Hello, Eleanor here with some bespoke bunting, one for a new baby, one for a birthday. I really wanted a dimensional effect, and with a bit of rolling around a pencil, I think I achieved it:

Cards for hand delivery these, as a franking machine would flatten the curves.

Here's the birthday variation:

Sweet and simple.

See you soon.

x

Hot air balloons

Hi Debbie here with my version of hot air balloons.

My original idea (before I realised how difficult it was going to be to make what was in my head) was hot air balloon type bunting, but its now a solitary balloon to hang!

I cut out about 40 balloon shapes from book paper. I folded them in half and glued the halves together.

I was frustrated that the sections weren't spaced evenly so I used a needle and beads to space the pages, however when I had finished I realised I didn't like the blue beads (this was the second time I had started again so decided to cover the beads.

I used a zig zag piece of paper and a hot glue gun to go around the balloon and cover the beads. I could then stick the paper roses around the outside.

 

The top of the balloon was covered with petals cut from book paper.

 

I covered the edges of the balloon with glitter glue of varying colours.

Thank you for stopping by It's A Creative World.

Debbie xxx

Paper bunting

I have to declare now that I love bunting! We have homemade fabric bunting in our party box (don't ask what shape the pennants are!) and I love the excitment putting it causes but more recently I have made several sets of paper bunting. This can be quick and allow the bunting to be really personal. I have cut my own bunting - takes time and paitence, die cut bunting - many of the dies are expensive and more recently used some pre-cut templates purchased from one of the national craft chainstores for about £3/4. This has turned out to be a bit of a god send when time is short.

They come plain or scalloped, and in pastels and brights. I used scalloped white ones for my Dad's 75. I had been waiting for a while to use these and then faced with blank white card bunting was stuck... I really didn't want to cut lots of patterned paper as what was the point of the blanks.

I decided to stamp them. It takes a bit of time as you get lots of blanks but, with a little red and green ink I had dotty bunting. I used a cricut to cut out the letters but you can always print them big in a word processing package and cut them out or die cut them if you are lucky enough to have alphabet dies. I decorated almost every pennant with some swirls, buttons, stick on glittery things from my stash. I wanted it to be big as it was for a party at a pub. It then came home and hung in our bay window. Sorry the photo's not great again as the light behind it makes it difficult to get a good pictures. This was strung on string. You just need to punch a couple of holes at the top. I tried 3 with this and it wasn't as easy so I have stuck to 2 since then. I have seen lovely bunting that has punched holes at the cornors and it tied with a bow individually to each other, very pretty.

My Son's 13 birthday was next and I went even simpler. Letters and a freebie star stamp from Craft Stamper magazine.

Of course you can spot my deliberate mistake.. yep I messed up the order of the words, opps! and it takes to string the bunting. He was delighted to see the bunting specially for him on his birthday morning.

I admitted I liked bunting so here's more on a theme, using another free stamp I made some easy thank you cards with bunting on them. It's not my usual style but I do so love a bit of black embossed ink on clean white cards.

Happy crafting!

Bev

Thinkin' Inkin' Thursday Canvas Bunting

My daughter recently got engaged and they were hiring a hall, as my daughter's favourite colour is purple I thought I would have a go at making some quick easy bunting.

I used rolls of canvas and painted them with metallic paint applied with a foam sponge.

It is easier to paint the whole roll and then cut into triangles for bunting and the paint goes further.

I used a rotary cutter for quickness and accuracy.

I added detail with some carved stamps I made out of erasers.

Along the way I found out how to get my stamp centred so thought I would share it with you. The butterfly image on the back of my stamp wasn't where the stamp was so I had an off centre butterfly (very annoying) I suddenly thought if I put an elastic band around where the stamp starts and finishes it would let me place the stamp accurately.

It's a bit strange to start with because your brain wants you to use the image, but it did help me to stamp the butterfly in the right place.

Jenny and Bob were really pleased with the bunting too, and the party was fabulous.

Thanks for stopping by It's a Creative World.

 

Debbie x

Happy Diamond Jubilee

Hi everyone and welcome to the party....today in the UK most of us are having an extra bank holiday to celebrate the Queen's Diamond jubilee.  Now I was going to post something I had made, but when I realised the date I had to change my plans and share some inspiration from Pinterest in honour of this special occasion.

As I am based in the North of Scotland the only flag you usually see is the Scottish Saltire but this jubilee everyone seems to have gone crazy for a bit of red, white and blue. 

Whilst at the trade show back in February I had a guess that everything Union Jack, Brittish or London based would be big this coming year as it was EVERYWHERE...so here are a couple of my favourites from Pinterest.

First it wouldn't be a celebration without a reminder to stay calm and enjoy yourself!

This great poster is from here. 

There seems to be some of this everywhere just now....

Got to love a bit of bunting, this is actually made in Australia, here.  I love it and only wish I could have had more time to make some. 

Finally it wouldn't be a Jubilee occasion in the UK without a fine cup of afternoon tea and CAKE!

These fine cakes can be found be found here.  Aren't they fab?  Love the Union Jack ones.

Don't forget the table decor too.....

Enough red, white and blue for you?!  LOL.  It only remains for me to say have a great

"Diamond Jubilee day"

Whether you are participating in a picnic, watching the Queen or just chilling doing your own thing, have a super day.  Bring on the tea and cakes!

Hugs Erika.

JUBILEE

 

Hello, Eleanor here, and I'm here with my everlasting paper chain, ready to party. We will be enjoying Jubilee celebrations up here in the Scottish Highlands with a fun day at the Loch, and I wanted to make something from fabric, yes fabric, now there's a surprise!

Do you remember I made red white and blue bunting a few years ago:

and also trimmed a skirt with mini bunting:

Well, time for something different, so I made a red white and blue paper chain. Except I made it from material, so that I can bring it out again and again. 

I started with strips of fabric, ideal for using scraps - at the time when the Queen was crowned there was much make do and mend still going on, rationing was still in place and everything was used and re-used.

I folded each strip down the length, and stitched all the way around.

For speed you could just stitch the one long raw edged side. Fraying is good, in fact, fraying is desirable, so if you like the well worn shabby look, pop each strip in the washer and dryer when you've finished them.

Next I tried out the buttonhole foot on my sewing machine, and was very pleased with the result. 

(but ideas for non buttoned strips follow below)

Finally I sewed on a button,

buttoned up my chain,

and stored it safely in a cloth bag, waiting for its outing this coming weekend.

Think it would take too long? No problem, try one of these alternatives:

1. Sew on light plastic poppers

2. Or velcro dots

3. Or a loop and a button

4. Or ribbon at both ends to tie together

or even

5. Simply stitch each strip to itself to close the circle as you add it to the long length (not a choice for me, as I want to be able to switch out the blue for green and use my everlasting FABRIC paper chain at Christmas time).

As it is the Diamond Jubilee, I've made 60 strips! 

And unlike 'PAPER' paper chains, if a playful puss cat pulls it down,

it's not spoilt, you can simply hang it back up. 

That Mango is such a funny boy, I lay down with him for a while and we looked up at my chain (which admittedly looks tiny strung on that enormous tree, but it will be hung round my front door, and is more than long enough for that!)

Think it's too much effort? Take this short cut, and you'll make 60 in one hour:

However you are spending this long weekend, have a wonderful time.

I made the fabric page below for a round robin a few years ago.

Cheerio

x

 

 

 

 

Easy Breezy Beautiful- Colour Girl!

Sorry-I watch far to much America's next top model! LOL! How do you like the colour palette? It's actually winter colours but I personally am getting a Springy feeling myself- so it was perfect inspiration for my layout. I've never really done colour palettes before but found this blog http://jillyjackdesigns.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/winter-color-palette.html  which has bit of everything. So my finished page? Bunting and flower overdose but suit's my little pretty down to the ground! Thanks for dropping by!

Laura xx

40 Top Tens Mini book

My  brother was recently 40,  I wanted to make him something special but realised I didn't have a lot of time. I decided to make him a mini book full of journaling cards that he could fill in.

I decided to think of 40 top tens for him.

I used some fairly muted papers that were double sided and made lots of pages with pockets and pull outs.

Some of the "top tens" were things like your top 10 favourite foods, singers, christmas presents and funny things the children have said etc.

I then added pictures and embellishments to the basic book.

 

I just had time to make him a card, and he really loved his mini book.

Thanks for stopping by It's a Creative World

 

Debbie x

Staring at my papers !

Last week I went to Twilight evening Crop in Olveston,Bristol. It is a smallish crop on a Wednesday evening once a month & there is a more popular crop there again once a month on a Saturday too.

 I got a box of things ready to take but just stared at them all evening ! I didn't do a thing apart from chat & laugh with all the other crafty ladies. Any way I got the same box out this evening & created the Layout above. I loved the effect I got from sticking Tim Holtz Tissue tape to the Kraft background, it was just like I've stamped onto the patterned cardstock (see below)

So the moral of the story is if you can't think what to do put it away & get it out another time :)

Hope you like xxx Jayne xxx