Wrist Watch Pin Cushion

I saw the Dandelion Deaigns Watch Pin Cushion on Create and Craft and loved the idea as I don't have a lot of room in my craft room and when I'm sewing I always misplace my pin cushion but this attaches to your wrist so you always know where it is.

I put this on my Amazon gift list (which I always keep up to date) and my sister kindly brought it for me for my birthday last week. Unfortunately delivery took ages (over a week) but when I got it I found it also came with instructions to make a watch tape measure (just without the extra materials even though the contents said it contained them but I know Laura brought just the watch pin cushion kit).

I read the instructions through first and found I needed to provide my own thick plastic circle and needle and also need to cut all the pieces. It would have been nice to have been provided with an embroidery needle as I only have thin sewing needles not being into embroidery so the thread was a bit thick for my needles. I think kits should come with everything you need so you can make that item straight away so this was a bit dissapointing. The instructions suggested a circle of plastic from an old school folder but I used a circle cut/melted from a CD! (Hubby's idea and he is the one who cut it out). I did think of cutting a large piece of shrink plastic and shrinking it so it went thick but the CD idea worked fine.

The instructions also didn't seem very clear, with some steps not explained such as how to transfer the clock face onto the fabric (luckily I was aware from using iron on pens so used the same process of ironing on a hard surface and using a dry iron with no steam).

You are given a sheet of basic embroidery stitches but the sheet doesn't tell you what herringbone stitch is or how to do it (for one step of the instructions) so I had to google it (although the instructions did say you could purchase a book from them with more stitches...) It also mentioned tacking the interfacing for the middle of the watch, but looking at the interfacing I found it had adhesive on so was able to just iron it on which worked fine and sewed the ends so it didn't pop off. 

It only took me a few hours to make it and I'm pleased with the results but think I would have struggled with the instructions if I hadn't seen it on TV and the finished results they had and also if I'd never hand sewn before it would have been a bit confusing.

Now I won't loose my pin cushion while sewing! 

More Fun with Jumping Clay - Martha Stewart Moulds

The other day I saw the new Martha Stewart moulds on Create & Craft and they were being used with melted embossing powder which I thought looked good but thought nothing more of it (mostly because I have so much craft stuff already and would want to then buy a Ranger Melt Pot which I'd probably use once and then it would sit gathering dust). 

However..... on Thursday they had the molds on again but this time they were using them with Martha Stewart clay. This is a new clay which air drys and apparently is made of paper so it's really light and from looking at it I thought it seemed very similar to Jumping Clay so wondered if I could use it with the moulds to make card embellishments. I watched a bit longer and then found that for under £10 you got 4 molds in each set which really tempted me.....so I had a look online and found them a bit cheaper from an eBay store I've used a few times and postage was free too so I brought them and they arrived this morning.

The moulds I went for were the sweet shop set which comprise of a strawberry, cherry with stalk and leaves, bows and a cupcake. The molds are made of silicone so you can twist the mould the help ease the item out and also means you can use them with melted embossing powder.

I got my pots of Jumping Clay out and had a little play with the moulds. I found that I did have to work the clay in my hands a bit to dry it a little as very moist clay stuck to the mould a bit. I tested the small bow first as wanted to only use one colour so I could re-do the bow if it didn't work (if I had of done the strawberry or cherry I would have ended up mixing the colours and then wouldn't be able to re-use it).

Below is the best way I found of making embellishments with the moulds and Jumping Clay.

To start with choose an easy, simple design, I chose a bow and went with the blue Jumping Clay.


Press a mound of Jumping Clay into the mould you want to use. Use a little more clay than you need as this helps when getting it out without distorting it.

Press the Jumping Clay into the mould, trying to make the back as flat as possible.

To get the item out bend the silicone mould. This one just popped out when I squeezed the sides but you may need to bend in a few directions to get more intricate pieces out or use a tool to help get it out. (Please ignore the headache tables I had a migraine coming on and my husband just brought me a cup of tea and headache tablets into the study).

You will now have your shaped clay. Sometimes you get creases in the item where you've not pushed it into the mould enough but I just usually push it back in the mold and press a bit harder then get it out again. You can see this a little in the bottom left hand corner of the bow.

 Now to get rid of the clay round the edges I used a pair of scissors to cut the large bits off then smoothed the edges with my fingers.

 You are then left with your embellishment. The white specks on the bow is actually embossing powder which I didn't realised was still on my craft mat and I'd put the clay down on it while taking a photo of the molds.

 Then it's just a case of waiting for the clay to dry. Below are a few of the embellishments I made. I still need to work on the large cherries and strawberry  as they were harder to get out of the moulds but may try putting some talc/cornflour/glitter or something in the mould first to stop it sticking (I think glitter may be quite nice as it would give a nice sparkly embellishment).

I did try to use the moulds with some embossing powder after watching the video by Sugar and Spice  Crafts (below) but tried with normal embossing powder rather than the WOW Melt It (which is thicker) and then gave up after my husband got involved (he said that the heat gun wouldn't be hot enough so put it on the gas hob, then used a lighter as said I needed to use a flame....he is a jeweller though so is use to melting metals etc in a similar way). I'm going to pop into Sugar and Spice and get some Melt It and try again but use a peg on my foil tray rather then using tweezers so it's easier to hold.

I love these Martha Stewart moulds but wish they were food safe as they would be great for putting on cakes (the packaging doesn't say they're not food safe but on TV they said they weren't). There are lots of other moulds available from Martha Stewart including flowers, frames etc. I brought mine from http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Make-or-Take as they were the cheapest and I've brought from them before. The Jumping Clay is available from http://www.jumpingclay.co.uk 

I'm going to use my finished items on cards and gift wrapping as embellishments and as the clay is light it shouldn't add too much weight to my cards. I'll attach it with silicone glue to my projects to ensure it sticks properly.  

All the above items were brought by myself and I've not been paid etc to use or review these items. 

Hunkydory Birthday Card

I brought a Hunkydory Kit before Christmas from Create and Craft. I used my Ultimate Pro to make a 8 x 8 card as I wanted to recreate a card from the ideas sheet and I also made my first large envelope with the Ultimate Pro Enveloper! It's currently drying at the moment but I think this may be one of my favourite cards I've made so far! 

To make this card I used the Hunkydory kit, American Craft ribbon and the backing card was actually made from some 12 x 12 packaging card! I just but out one 8 x 8 piece and one 8 x 9 piece, scored the 8 x 9 piece at 1 inch (to make a 1 x 8 crease piece and an 8 x 8 square bit at the back). I then glued the creased piece onto the other 8 x 8 card and left to dry. A great way to save money and recycle!

Different Uses for Sugar Buttons Stamps - Wedding Card / Thank You Card

I've been having a play around with the stamps from the Sugar Buttons kit and using the topiary tree stamp I have made a card that can be used for weddings, thank you and so many other occasions.

I stamped the topiary tree onto some acetate using Stazon ink and the turned the acetate over and coloured in the image using Amos glitter glue.

Image on acetate

Glittered image before it dried

Back of the acetate tree next to one that had been stamped and coloured on paper

 I left it to try overnight and then put it into an aperture card (which I cut myself) and to keep it neat I sandwiched it in-between the card blank and a patterned paper (I used the swirly white glittered one from the Sugar Buttons kit).

Image on acetate glued onto the card (glue at top and bottom)

Side view

Finished card with glittered paper

 

You will see from the top right corner above the acetate that there is a small cut from where I cut the aperture but I'm thinking of putting a ribbon in the corner to cover this.
 
I'm not sure what I'm going to use this for yet but it would make a lovely thank you card, wedding acceptance card or birthday card. All I need to do is add a sentiment or I can just leave it the way it is. I may put an insert in so that when the card is closed you don't see any writing in the card. 

I LOVE the stamps from the Sugar Buttons kit, they are so useful and multipurpose.

Sugar Buttons Stamps

Firstly I apologise for the bad quality photos as they were taken in bed on my phone.

Today I've been unwell and after trying to get better and get into work, I ended up back in bed at lunchtime.

To feel better I did a bit of colouring in using my new Sugar Buttons stamps.

Below are some examples of the stamps from the Sugar Buttons kit from Create & Craft, and some coloured images.

I love these stamps as there are some lovely large images and all the characters have dotting on the stamps for shading.

I can't wait to make cards with these. I think they may also make an appearance on my Christmas cards next year.

Updated - Sugar Buttons - The Most Glittery and Girly Set Ever!

My order finally came from Create and Craft of the Sugar Buttons Kit from Kanban. I cannot wait to have a play with it at the weekend. 

I brought it mostly for my little cousins Georgia and Paige, so I can make them some lovely girly cards.

Picture from Create and Craft

The kit came with the papercrafting kit and four sets of stamps. I've taken a quick picture of them below but will be trying them out and will post some pictures of them stamped and coloured at the weekend or early next week. The stamps are not just for childrens cards, they look great for weddings and thank you cards too.

The papercrafting kit as so many sheets including lots of background card, decoupage and toppers. My favourite bit, which you can slightly see in the photo above, is the glittered acetate with starts, butterfly's and lots of glitter.

Such a lovely kit to kick start my non-Christmas card crafting.

*Update*

One of my favourite papers is shown below from this kit. I love it so much I could see myself not using it but after seeing some examples I decided to cut it up and use it for a few cards. I had originally thought about using the paper as it was and frame it with some decoupage on but then I wouldn't have displayed it anywhere.

 

Firstly I cut out the castle and layered some paper round it to make a frame. The card is so thick that my Fiskars circle cutter didn't like it and I ended up using scissors (I really need some circular and curved dies for my Big Shot for this type of thing).

I then put the fairy wand backing paper on top (cutting out a larger oval) and topped it off with a princess topper and sentiment. 

 I then used the rest of the scene background and matted and layered it onto an A5 card. I used two layers behind the main background cards and cut the middles out of the two backing cards so I can use these again at some point and I'm not wasting card.

I then used the prince and princess decoupage toppers. These came with oval toppers which matched but by using the decoupage parts separately I'm able to us the background toppers on some other cards.

 

I think this is one of my favourite kits ever! (can you tell with all my blog posts?)

My Two Loves In One - Hedgehogs and Crafting!

I keep looking for Hedgehog craft items which look sweet and while watching Create and Craft I saw Peerless Designs Hedgehog Garden Adventures and fell in love with it as some of the hedgehogs look like my hedgehog Spike.

It finally arrived yesterday after waiting just over a week for it and I can't wait to print out some designs to make cards and bookmarks...I just need to sort my printer set up so I don't have to run my laptop from the living room into the study/craft room each time I need to print (it's a wireless printer but for some reason my laptop decided it didn't like to talk to it wirelessly anymore)

I've never used CD crafting before and recently with Quick Cards magazine got a copy of 'My Craft Studio Elite' and found that I can import the images into the programme. The CD is also great, as if you are lucky enough to have a circut or similar cutting machine, the CD has cutting files to print out some lovely hedgehog boarders. I would really like the new Circut mini but I just don't have the room, my parents even offered to get me one for Christmas!

I can't wait to make some amazing cards with this CD.

Mine was purchased from Create and Craft but is now no longer available from them (I only got it last week) but can be purchased from Peerless Designs.

I will leave you now with a little snap of our little hedgehog Spike
 

Goodbye Christmas Card Making...Hello Knitting!

I've never knitted ever before but after seeing an article in the Daily Mail my Mum brought a Christmas knitting book and has taught me how to knit!

I cannot start a row but I can knit and purl now....with a few errors, but I'm working on it. I'm currently making a Christmas cracker character which is straight stitching with mostly all the same wool and have already confused what row I've done last and kept knitting not doing any purl rows...whoops. 

I've not got to the stage yet where I can knit without consentrating...ie I can't talk and knit...or even listen and knit! They make it look so easy on Create and Craft! I'm sure it will get easier when I get the hang of it. I'm using circular needles which seem much easier for me and they aren't as heavy and long.

It is nice to do a different type of crafting and learn something new. I did buy the sugar button fairy Kanban kit today on Create and Craft as it looks great for kids cards (and those who like pink and sparkly things!). I finally packed up all my Christmas card things and put them in the bottom boxes in my study getting my non-christmas bits higher on the pile. My study looks so much tidier! Really hope I get the drawers for Christmas to organise the study better. At the moment it's just random boxes around the room and I have to lift boxes to get to those underneath.

Well I'm going to get back to knitting with my hedgehog friend on my lap snoozing and my snack of choice....fizzy cola bottles!

My favourite type of card designs and ones I'm not to keen on

Recently I've been looking for more card toppers from Kanban as I really like the Create and Craft members gift they did (Christmas designs) and the So Macho toppers set. I saw that Create and Craft were launching an offer from Kanban and got all excited, but then saw what it was but it wasn't really my cup of tea. It got me thinking about what styles I like and dislike, I won't say hate but there are some styles which are just not my thing.

I've watched a Kanban show before and saw a set and thought...hmmm don't like those, then found myself thirty minutes later wondering if I should by the set as some items were nice. I think it was on their mega deal weekend where you brought a set of Kanban toppers and got two free.....the ones I wanted were the free ones! I didn't buy them in the end as I thought it was pointless if I was only buying something for a third of the items in the set. 

I'm not really into steampunk designs or overly floral images. I like pictures, cute cartoons drawings (such as the Snow White style stamp image I have) and modern designs. I'm not really into dark images and I'm not very keen on the Victorian ladies etc (you probably know the ones I mean). I may change my tastes at some time, but think it could just be that I don't like overly complicated pictures or designs. I think the type of card you pick up in Clintons or Marks and Spencer. I think that's probably where my taste in cards comes from as I've always brought my cards from places like that so that's the style I'm use to.

My craft stash is mostly made up of cute bear/hedgehog/dog stamps (some of which I've brought and some, mostly Christmas ones, that have come from magazines), word stamps, outlined stamps of flowers and butterflies, cartoon animal toppers, SWALK toppers and now my So Macho Kanban kit. 

I've got magazines before and some of the free gifts I've ended up giving away or chucking as they're not my style and I've thought of making them into cards to sell but if I'm not 'feeling' the design on the card and don't like it myself I don't think others will like it and feel I'd have to price it really low even though other people may love it.

I've never given a card I've not been happy with. This morning I made my Dad a card as he had fractured his arm and thought it would be nice to cheer him up. I made a simple card with 'get well soon' stamped all over in various fonts, however 5 minutes after stamping it with 'fast drying ink' it hadn't dried and got smudged as I folded the card so I made another card. This time I just put a simple gardening topper on top of a blank white card and it was simple but looked amazing and just like a card you would get in a shop/garden center. 

I've recently ordered a sheet of wedding Kanban toppers for my husbands aunts wedding later this month as I've become addicted to Kanban and the high quality cards I can produce with their toppers and think it will look far better than going through my stamp collection and making a mediocre card.

I guess our tastes in things change as I would have never through I would have got Kanban toppers before but after getting the free members gift from Create and Craft, liking the results and then getting the mens toppers (as mens cards are so hard to make), I have fallen head over heels for Kanban.

*****I'm not getting paid or given anything for saying this by the way*****

Anyway I'm off now to clean out my hedgehogs wheels.....*yucky* but then I'm going to relax on the sofa with my husband, a glass of wine, popcorn and American Pie the Reunion.

Finally some male friendly cards

These were all made with Kanban's So Macho pack from Create & Craft.

I'm so happy with how these turned out!

I must also say how great Kanban's customer service was as one item was damaged and they kindly sent another sheet of toppers to replace the damaged ones.

Another purchase from Create and Craft...but it was needed!

I got my Create and Craft membership a month ago and although I don't usually like couriers delivering (and Create and Craft use couriers) however so far the couriers have actually left items with out neighbours which I am grateful for, but still don't really like having to rely on them (so far of the three items order, only two have had to be given to my neighbours, two different ones).

The items I've brought from them were some SWALK decoupage toppers, the free members gift of Kanban Christmas toppers and some card blanks. 

Last night I happened to log onto their website and saw that the pick of the day was some Kanban toppers in a set for men and a set for women. I thought the set for mens cards looked good from just the picture on the site (shown below) but was kind on trying to be good and not actually buy and more craft things for the moment, although I find it hard to find things for mens cards and I think people will get bored soon getting the same mens cards all the time!

This morning I ended up buying it and then an hour later watched the show and saw it had just sold out! So very glad I got it as it looks like a really set of toppers and backing sheets. There are 40 sheets in total with toppers and backing papers with images of golf, rugby, football, gardening, cars, music and many more! One set of toppers is very Ed Hardy with some black glittery skulls.

I can't wait to get this and start making some nice mens cards! At the moment my mens cards are very plain and usually just have 'happy birthday' on or some mice blowing out a cake! 

The set was only £22.49 and there are so many toppers I'm not going to be stuck for male cards for a very very very long time!

If you want to buy this set, they are still selling the 'so macho' set along with the ladies set 'so feminine' at the blockbuster price of  £31.48 for club members here which is great value (I only needed male toppers so thats why I didn't get the joint offer)

Kanban have such quality die cuts and you just need to cut the little notches out and the images virtually all have foiling or glitter on too. I can't wait to get these and make some cards! I'll post when I've got them and show some of the things I've made.

Images from Create & Craft TV

Images from Create & Craft TV