It's a Creative World

Homemade Frames

I bought some frames from Ikea a while ago.  They were in packs of two and made from mulberry paper.  Very nice and very cheap, but a bit bland.

I have loads of buttons from scrapping and cardmaking and I thought it would be nice to jazz the frames up a bit using these buttons.  The colours I've used for this one match my lounge. 

You could use all sorts to decorate this type of frame - Prima flowers, beads, felt, material, glitter.  I think it would be a great idea to get some for the kids to decorate.  They would make great gifts for family members with their latest school photo in for Christmas. 

If you haven't got an Ikea nearby, you could always use Papier Mache frames which they sell at Hobbycraft and most other craft shops.

Have fun experimenting! TFL! Joanne x

Just what you knead for Christmas

Whether you are three or seventy-three, there is something appealing about squishing dough between your fingers, rolling it flat or making sausages.

I've been making homemade playdough, and thought I would share my easy recipe with you.

It makes a great stocking filler for the small person in your life, or a party bag gift, or even just something to pass the time during the holidays when you find that the playdoh you bought months ago has dried up and gone hard.

In a large bowl, place

Then

Next

When the beeps sound, take it out...

So next you

Once more, when the beeps sound, take it out...

 

Then you

 

I use the paste colours, such as you buy in a cake decorating shop, as the colours are more intense and not so wet as to make the dough sticky. I use 25g tubs by Sugarflair, they cost about £1 a tub and last for absolutely ages, as you only need the smallest dab, about half the size of a 5p piece.

I bought some very inexpensive lidded tubs from the Tesco value range, about 20p each, and,  together with a few cookie cutters, these can be packed into a gift bag or box.

Halloween Treats for Little Monsters

 

Hiya Claire here.

I was in the kitchen baking with my 3 year old DD when she asked if we could make "scary but friendly monster cakes" Huh? I had a quick rummage in my baking supplies cupboard, I found some green food colouring & some tubes of writing icing, then I snaffled some Jelly Tots from DD's sweetie box (for the monsters noses). I mixed some butter icing with 3ozs butter & 6ozs icing sugar, adding the food colouring to the shade of "monster green" that DD liked I then mixed in 1 teaspoon of boiling water to set the icing. Then I just spooned the icing on the flattened it with the back of the spoon

 

DD added the Jelly Tot Noses (in the colour of her choice, of course) I then drew the eyes & noses with the writing icing, DD also said "can they have straight hair? Green, like mine?"  Okay then, green hair it is...

 

The recipe I used for the cakes is the standard Fairy Cake Recipe...

4ozs Self Raising Flour

4ozs Caster Sugar

4ozs Butter

2 Medium Eggs (beaten separately)

1 Tsp Vanilla Essence.

Beat the butter & sugar together, add 1 beaten egg, beat in & mix in 1 tablespoon of flour, add the second egg & add another tablespoon of flour, add the vanilla essence, then fold in the remaining flour. Put into cases (this recipe makes 12) & bake on the middle shelf on Gas Mark 5 for 20 minutes (or insert a skewer in the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean they're cooked)

 

Thanks for stopping by, Hope to see you again soon

and

 Happy Halloween

Claire

xx

Be our Guest....Sarah!

Hi from Caz!

Todays guest is my 10 year old niece, Sarah, who is a whizz on the sewing machine.

 

She has cleaverly fashioned this cute little bag out of an old pair of jeans, some spangles and red fleece.

  

I am totally blown away but her talent and I know that this is going to inspire you all to get your scraps and old clothes out and do some recycling :)

 

haPPy sEWing and haPPy frIDay!!
Caz and Sarah
xx

Paper Dolls

Burlesque Dolls

Working with elderly people can be great fun, and we have a lot of laughs in our crafting sessions. The week we made the paper dolls, burlesque style, was hilarious. Far from being prudish, my oldies love a bit of saucy banter, and they thoroughly enjoyed dressing their paper dolls in a racy fashion!

I think most young girls would like this activity too and while ours were put together quickly, spending a bit more time would probably produce a more sophisticated dancer – and think of the scraps that could be used up!

Sequins, feathers, doilies, wool, pretty buttons, scraps of lace – it’s all you need, plus a bit of cream/brown cardstock.

The template came from Mirkwood -  here:

And they have loads of other templates on offer too!

I did ask and was granted permission to use this template on IACW  :-) and I would say it’s only polite to ask first if you intend to use this for a class in afterschool club or brownies/guides.

Have fun!

xx Jakey xx

Papercrafts - Easter Baskets

Hi from Jakey

Just a quick and simple post today, with a few links for some downloadable/printable basket templates.  I’m sure many of you are thinking ahead to Easter and planning small gifts for the kiddies, friends and family and little baskets such as these can be filled with sweets, small toys, chocolate eggs or other tiny gifts.

Some of you may know that I work with the elderly and buying gifts for all my resi’s on seasonal occasions is quite beyond my purse, however, we enjoy making things together – especially if it involves a treat for them!

These little baskets we made today were a great hit, and very quick and simple to create - even for hands which are less dextrous than they once were.

If you work with a group... brownies, cubs, after school club, or indeed in a care home, you may find these sites useful:

Some of the baskets appear to be designed for other occasions – just get altering!

 

http://www.allfreeprintables.com/valentine/printable-baskets.shtml

http://pecuniarities.com/free-printable-templates-miniature-flower-treat-gift-or-decorative-baskets/775

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11094

http://a.familyfun.go.com/Resources/global/printables/0306_Easter_Basket_Template.pdf

http://www.art4crafts.com/files6/html/projects/proj14.php

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=328014

There should be something there for everyone!

Have fun :-)

Jakey x

 

Spring is in the air

It is, it really is.  It's Maria here with a spring in her step and a bunch of daffs under her arm.  The birds are singing and all is good with the world.  Ok, maybe not but it's a lovely idea.

My girlies love all sorts of crafts and it's always nice to have something planned for those special times of the year.

Now, I'm sure that you're all far more organised than I am but I need to get prepared for Easter about now or it just passes me by.

I thought that I would share one of my favourite crafty sites who never let me down when when I'm looking for activities.

Activity village is an absolute goldmine of craftiness and I really can't recomend them enough. 

Older children will love making these felt Easter eggs.  Just click on the linkie dink for the full instructions.

Younger children will adore these polystyrene egg bunnies.  Again, just click on the linkie dink for the instructions. 

Activity village really is a fabulous site and has something for parents and children of  all ages.  Pop over there and be amazed.

Have a fabulous Easter and don't eat too much choccie ....... As if that is possible!!!

Toodle pip

Ooh, if you like the vintage postcard of the chicks you must check out Graphics fairy.  She has the most amazing vintage images and they are all FREE!!!

Keeping the kids amused

Half-term started in our neck of the woods on Friday so I have the company of my boys for the next week. Now, usually they would be quite happy to play with their Lego for a whole day but I don't think that would work for a whole week so I've made a list of activities we could do:

• Make our own pizzas using shop bought bases

• Bake cupcakes

• Use our new "Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes" cookbook to make a complete meal

• Make a start on this year's Christmas cards

• Sew some felt stockings ready for Christmas (youngest son has just been learning to sew at school)

• Break out the air-drying clay as they love to make animals etc

• Make scrapbook layouts together ( I have loads of duplicate photos of them from when they were babies and they love going through my old stash to see what they can find!)

• Go for a walk with our cameras (both boys received digital cameras for Christmas and love taking photos)

• Make some paper beads for a necklace for Granny

• Make pom-pom animals

• Try out the Origami books they both had at Christmas

Hopefully that should keep us all busy for a while and my young DD (nearly 2) can either help with some of them or will be quite happy sat with her paper and pencils.

If anyone has any other fab ideas on keeping kids occupied we'd love to hear them!!

Jo xx

Thank you cards

Hi, it's Maria here with another simple idea for getting your children crafting.

All children, big and small, love to receive presents but sometimes getting them to write thank you notes can be like pulling teeth.

We've come across a way to get the thank you cards out and have a little bit of crafty fun as well.  We set aside an afternoon and the girlies design and make some simple cards using pattern paper, card and rubber stamps.

We've found that a *production line* card works best with simple shapes and easy to colour stamps.  This year they went for a tri-fold card with a thank you stamp on the widest part.

They love using the cats eye stamps to edge their cards.  It's quite glittery in real life be the camera doesn't seem to pick up the Stickles for some reason.

I do believe that they *borrowed* the idea for the ribbon from a card that our lovely Joy sent to me.

We always pop a piccie in as they don't get to see most of the people they are for.  This also helps to fill some space and it doesn't seem so daunting when younger children come to do the writing part.

 

They wrote their thank you message on the left, tied it with ribbon and the job was done.  They had fun, got inky and I didn't have to nag.  Also, they use up a lot of my scraps so I don't feel guilty about hoarding so much stuff.

Toodle pip

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