Jubilant at the Jubilee...

We don't let a bit of torrential rain and freezing weather spoil our days...so here is Granny and two of my Aunts sporting the Jubilee headgear I made them and enjoying the Great British outdoors!! lol  Pretty game to sit there for hours at 93, huh?? *Go Granny*

Actually, I think they came for the quiche and the pavlova as much as the Queen... ;0)

Hats off for the Queen!

It seemed it was about time I did a little crafting in honour of the Queen and her upcoming Diamond Jubilee...so I've created some headgear for a few of my relative that will be joining us over the long weekend.

First up, a red, white and blue headband:

 Secondly, with more of the red, white and blue flowers...a hat band for...well for a hat, clearly! ;0)

And finally, because every family has someone who thinks she's Queen bee...a tiara!! 

Check out the Prima Iron~ons Product Focus...

...over at Bubbly Scrumptious this week.  We've all been playing with these easy to use, velvety wonders designed by Donna Downey...and I loved them so much i've made 2 projects for you!!

 one is paper based...a cute little gift bag...

the other is fabric based...and intended to help you get into the idea that these are not just for papercrafts...a cute baby's bib!

I added little die~cut felt pieces to embellish this...and its super soft and they tell me you can wash these iron~ons on cool...so we'll soon see how the bib holds up after being used!!

Details for how I made both these projects can be found here :0)

a little wine...bottle!

Hi there bloggers...i do hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year celebrations.

Despite alot of illness throughout the whole family...we all managed to be well enough on the big day to spend a few hours together and had a thoroughly fabulous time...which i plan to scrap later today! :0)  Have you scrapped your day yet??

Now...back to the wine...its not a Christmas whine...but a Christmassy bottle of mulled wine...a perfect but inexpensive gift {depending how much brandy you put in it}.  I decorated this empty brandy bottle with Viva Decor Croco paint and tinted it with Saddle Brown Stazon to give it a lovely golden glow.  I die cut the label using a Nestability die and stamped and embossed the words "a little festive spirit" in gold embossing powder using a PaperArtsy alphabet.  I edged the die cut with Cranberry Adirondack ink using some cut and dry foam to add a little age and depth to the label.

Obviously, the glass changes colour completely when you pop the mulled wine in...

To embellish the bottle i tinted some Prima flowers with the Stazon ink and then used Alchol Inks, dropping them directly onto the white pearl centres and letting the ink run along the veins in the flower.  I then dipped the edges of the petals into drops of ink placed onto my craft sheet to get the coppery colour around the edges of the petals.  Finally i added some Prima leaves and beads...and i think you have a pretty spectacular gift in minimal time...with maximun impact!  The lace i've used was also tinted using the Stazon so all the colours tone beautifully which really helps to create a project that *works* and looks well thought out.

Now...who can you think of in your life that needs a bottle like this..?  I think it would make a lovely gift to take to a New Years' Eve party...and if you're not a drinker...you could do a similar bottle and fill it with luxury bubble bath for an alternative kind of treat!

Happy New Year to you all, 

alixxx

straight out of Mollie Makes...

...its not very often i copy something directly from a magazine {or anywhere else} but this little raindeer totally captured my heart and i had to immediately make one for my new baby niece, Amber.  It was designed by Rita Maia and is on page 27 of Issue 8 of Mollie Makes.  Pretty cute, huh?

and now i'm wondering how often you make things just as you've seen them in a magazine?  or a book...?  or on one of the crafting channels?  do you always like to make you're own mark on a project or are you happy to make a total copy..?  i'd love to know your thoughts...

a little advent idea that you still have time to make...

if you've not got yet created your own advent calendar...you might like to try this idea that i've posted onto IACW today :0)

sorry for the lack of posts lately...i'm struggling a bit with my chemo...but my brain is storing up ideas in the middle of the night {when i really would like to be asleep...} and there will be lots of things coming in the New Year :0)

I'm a creative girl!

I don't know if you've noticed...but i've been invited to join the fabulously talented DT over at Its a Creative World...and i'm sooo happy to join this super fun team who share a wide and wonderful variety of crafty ideas on their blog every day!

Today is my first offering for them...and you can see my creation and details on how to create something similar for yourself...just here.

Don't forget to add IACW to your blog list or follow us as this blog is well worth a regular look :0)

30 minute Thursdays...simply charming chainmail

Jewellery is beautiful...i guess that is the point of it....but it can take forever to make something that looks stylish and unique...in today's 30 Minute Thursday project i share my love of chain mail and my simple take on how to give the technique a go and create a pretty bracelet...in under 30 minutes!

You will need:
2 pairs of jewellery pliers {to open and close the jump rings}
75 jump rings {i use sterling silver ones to prevent allergy issues}
Toggle clasp
7 small glass beads
7 silver head pins

How to do it:
Creating a basic chain mail chain like this one is actually very simple...and endlessly satisfying! ;0)  Firstly use your pliers to open one jump ring and thread 4 more onto it, before using the pliers to close the ring again.

You should then have 5 rings that look like this:

Next, open another jump ring and hook the two end rings over it, and add 2 more jump rings, then close the ring.  Repeat this, hooking the end two rings and adding 2 more each time, and your chain will look like this!

Once you've got the technique, its surprising how quickly the chain grows so keep a ruler handy to make sure you don't make the chain longer than you need!  Add the toggle and bar onto the ends on a double link for extra strength.

If you want to, you can leave the chain at this stage...i think this is really *grown~up* and stylish for a subtle jewellery piece.

I have added simple glass charms to my chain mail chain.  This was done by creating a wrapped loop charm with each of my glass beads and attaching them to my chain with a jump ring at regular intervals:

I love how pretty and girlie this is...but understated too...although you could use bolder, bigger charms for a more chunky look if you should choose to!

As always, i do hope you've enjoyed seeing my make and if you do fancy giving this a go...i'd love to hear how you get on...and see the finished creation! :0)

30 minute Thursdays...coaster from scraps!

Welcome back again Thursday crafters :0)

This week i have a cute project for you that helps you to make something useful...a coaster or trivet...or maybe even a pot stand for a cute plant...and all out of the scrap cardstock left over from scrapping or cardmaking...and one of the cardboard rings from your double sided sticky tape rolls!  As always on a Thursday...you can do it in double quick time too :0)

First up, you need to assemble your supplies...you'll need some cardstock that you no longer love, or leftovers from other projects...you could even use junk mail!  You'll also need an empty DSST ring, some craft glue {PVA or your favourite kind}, a metal ruler and a craft knife.

Cut a cardstock strip 12" long and the same width as your ring.  Use this strip to cover the outside of your cardboard ring and use a peg or clip to hold into place while the glue dries.  Colour the top of the ring with a permanent ink that tones nicely.

While this is drying, cut more cardstock strips of the same width...using your knife and ruler or a paper trimmer.

Curl the strips in your fingers, as if you were rolling up an old fashioned tape measure.

As you curl your strips, glue them into place inside the ring as shown below.  Make sure you glue the end to the outside for neatness.  Complete the outside ring and then glue 5 or 6 strips together to create one mammoth strip and roll this to form the centre.  Alternatively, you could make another ring of small coils with one coil in the middle...just play!

Glue your massive coil into the middle making sure you have glue where each coil touches.  Attach a diecut scalloped circle or chipboard shape to the bottom for stability and place a heavy book on top and leave for the glue to dry.  At this stage you could simply hang your project as a cute work of art...it looks lovely in a window if you don't add the backing as the light travels right through :0)

To use as a coaster, add a couple of coats of Marine varnish {a spray sealant available in model shops} and add your favourite mug!

As always...i do hope you've enjoyed today's little project and i'd love to know if you have a go and create one of your own...or if you just spark off the idea to create something quite different!

If you'd like to win this one...simply leave a comment with your name and e~mail address...and i'll randomly choose one person to win it!

30 minute Thursdays...a very simple needle book

hi there Thursday crafters!

a useful 30 minute project for you today...a very simple needle case using leftover felt pieces...another project which is simple enough to do with the younger crafters in your lives...but cute enough to do for yourself or even as a gift for another stitcher :0)

You will need:

2 colours of felt

embroidery floss and a large holed needle

scissors and/or a die cutter

a button

some needles

Begin with 3 pieces of felt layered one upon the other.  I have alternated light and dark for contrast and my pieces are roughly 6" x 3".

Add a simple line of running stitch through the centre to create a spine for your needle book and hold the pages together.  Do a double stitch {i.e. stitch again over the original stitch} at either end and tie a knot.  Trim this fairly closely.  Make sure your stitches do not go right to the edges!!

Close the book up and use big sharp scissors to cut it into a fun shape...this is why you didn't want to stitch right to the edge...you don't want to cut your stitching ;0)

Fill the leaves of your book with a selection of needles or pins of your choosing...

Finally, we will decorate the book.  I've cut two Tim Holtz tattered floral blooms on my Big Shot and layered them with a toning button in the middle.  Sew these together and then sew onto the front to hold the front down and keep your book in shape, and to give it a bit of personality.  If you don't have a die cutter you could cut any simple flower shape by hand and make a truly unique needle book.

Thanks for stopping by and as usual i hope you enjoy having a go at this project...its part of my never ending quest to create a simpler, more organised craftroom!! lol

Bubbly Scrumptious update...a man for all seasons ;0)

Morning all...this week's Bubbly offering is a cute idea to do with the children over the holiday...little Christmas men made from Maya Road's chipboard shapes!  Of course they could easily be Birthday men or footballers...whatever floats your boat...just change the papers you use!


All the details are here :0)

30 minute Thursdays...the pom pom coaster...on a Saturday!!!

ok...so there has been a definite lack of 30 minute Thursdays of late...but better late than never, here is the project i prepared but you never got this week! :0)

its a cute and practical coaster for your cup of whatever to rest on while and the colours can be adapted to suit your colour scheme...so why not give it a go..?  a handful of these tied with string would make a super gift too ;0)

You need:
a coaster base ~ an unwanted coaster to recover, a coaster blank or as i've used some unwanted cork floor tiles die cut into circles in the Big Shot!
Tacky Glue {or similar strong glue}
String
Pom pom trim

Coat the entire top surface of your coaster with a thick layer of the Tacky Glue {i spread mine with a lolly stick} and apply your pom pom trim all the way around the edge.  Overlap the ends slightly.

Next take your string and create a tight spiral starting in the middle of the coaster and winding round and round.  Press the string into the glue as you go and it holds nicely :0)  Don't worry if you're not exactly in the middle...this becomes obvious as you increase the spiral and you have plenty of time to slide into the right position.

When your spiral reaches the pom pom trim, apply a line of glue onto the trim {not the pom poms...the flat bit} and overlap your spiral to hold the trim firmly in place.

Trim your string to the right length and use a pokey tool to tuck the end underneath the spiral to finish off neatly and prevent little fingers undoing all your work...now leave to dry!  The glue doesn't show at all in the dry version :0)

what now..?  time for a cuppa i think and a sit back to admire your handiwork!

30 minute Thursdays...a fabulous star decoration...

Another Thursday quick project today...how to use what we learned on Monday's Bubbly Scrumptious Blog posting...not to make a starbook...but to adapt it to make a rather fabulous star shaped decoration! These are great for parties, children could even do them...and they'd be super for Christmas fairs if you want to use a little bit of stash to raise a whole load of cash! :0)

Firstly, cut yourself 21 strips of double sided pp, to the sizes listed below. This is really quick if you use your paper trimmer.

Secondly, use a wet glue to stick the sections together...one strip of each size, glued as shown below with a little glue on either end.

When your sections are all glued together, stack them by glueing one on top of another adding the glue as shown below:

Now add some ribbon with some strong tape and glue the first section to the last section, opening the star out to form the shape.

Your star should now look like this!

Add a flowery embellishment to the middle of the star with a generous amount of glue...this will help to stabilise the points if you've used thinnish pp...but it looks lovely even if you don't need it!

Finally, hang your decoration up...this one is going to go to my sister and her hubby to decorate the nursery they are preparing for their much anticipated baby...

Warning:

You may well be asked to make lots of these...people do seem to be disproportionately impressed with the skill required to achieve these babies...but i won't tell if you don't!! ;0)