Christmas Pressie Idea

I bet that you're all stuck for Christmas presents. Well, think no longer as here is a quick and easy gift that you can make yourself. The cost to you will be small but the thanks and appreciation will be huge.

To make this bag you will need:

Small NATURAL JUTE Shopper 250 x 110 x 290mm
Garden Pastels Assorted Buttons approx, 50g - You will have anought left over to make more bags
Celadon Grosgrain Ribbon, 3m x 9mm Again lots left over
Celadon Double Faced Satin Ribbon, 5m x 3mm and again
Double sided tape

Lay your bag flat on a worksurface. About 6cm up from the bottom seam  put a strip of double sided tape.
Now use 3mm tape and put a few strips at random heights vertically down the bag front as seen in the picture.
Stick your ribbon to all of the double sided tape.
Using double sided tap again, stick buttons to the bag.
For added security, sew the buttons into place.

Necklaces for me and for sale

I've been making some necklaces this week as I was inspired by the ones that I saw on the East web site. So, these are my take on them.

The one really good thing about these necklaces is that they are perfect for using up those precious bits and pieces that you just couldn't resist, but then don't know how to use.

If you want to buy them, then please click here.

Here is one that I was inspired to make after seeing a TV presenter wear a similar one:

This is also for sale at the same place.

All Hallows Church

Yesterday i had a table at a small craft Fair at All Hallows Church in Miskin. It's not the usual huge stand that I have at craft fairs but I wanted to make it as striking as possible given that there is not a lot of time to set it up.

What I did was to put a cloth on the table first.
I then added the 4ft gridwalls for height and covered them with another white table cloth.
I pinned my beautiful corsage roses to the cloth and boy, did they stand out.
I had packed my ribbons, buttons and felt, etc into boxes. All of the boxes were the same size. It looks messy if you use different sizes.
I then added the price labels so that everyone could see what they had to pay.

What would I do next?
Cover the boxes with adhesive film so that they don't look so much like boxes. I think that pink of white would be fine. It will also make them stronger.
Tape the prices to the front of the boxes so that everything looks straighter. I am not a fan of higgledy piggledy.

Any suggestions, anyone?

Poppies for Remembrance

Christmas preparations are well underway and I am surrounded by red, green and some gold. So I thought that I would keep the Christmas colours going for a while with this green, red and cream card. It is also almost November Remembrance Sunday so this card is perfect for that too.
.

The stamp is from Stampinback and available here.
The ribbon is available here.
The buttons here
The sentiment here

To make this card you will need to stamp out the poppy on to a piece of watercolour paper or even hammer card. I used Stazon in Stone Grey to do this. Colour in the image.
Stamp out the saying and mount with red card.
Use some scrapbook paper to cover the base card and leave a thin margin all around the edge.
Use double sided tape to stick the ribbon to the card.
Mount the stamped poppy onto a piece of red card and stick onto the base card with foam pads. This will give it height.
Stick the sentiment and the buttons to the card and you're finished.

Inspirational

Yesterday's post was for a rightangle weave bracelet using stretch elastic. I showed my friend, Janet how to make one and this is her fabulous bracelet using some left over pearls. What a wonderful way to use up things that otherwise would be left to waste.

How to make a quick and easy bead bracelet.

On the Craft Fairy site I have some beautiful two tone acrylic beads that I have been itching to get my hands on for a while. I just love the two tone sheen that they have and I decided that they were the perfect look and size for this quickly beaded bracelet.

The beads come as mixed packs but I sorted out the pinker of the beads and made this. It is a basic right angle weave, but to dispense with the need for a clasp, I used stretch elastic to make this bracelet.

You will only need two things to make this bracelet and what is more no tools.

Colorful Acrylic Beads, Rubberized Style, Round, Mixed Color x 50

Crystal Thread, Clear, Elastic, 1.0mm in diameter, 6m/roll

As soon as someone helps me out with a raw diagram I will post it to explain all to you.

Lace Trinket Jar

I though that I would use some of the beautiful really wide lace that we stock on the Craft Fairy site for today's project. It comes in two colours, but this time I chose the ivory lace as I wanted to make something that would be soft.

What I made was this trinket jar. It is decorated with a ribbon flower and the instructions for making one can be fould on this link.


What you will need are:

Scalloped Lace, 22 cm wide - Ivory
Wired Ribbons
an old clean jar
double sided tape
double sided foam pads
a ribbon flower that you can see on this link:
Fabulous folded ribbon rose video

Cut the lace so that it is the same height as the jar and wide enough to wrap around the jar with about half an inch of overlap.

 Put a piece of double sided tape along the lenght of one side of the jar and another around the outside of the mouth of the jar. You will need another piece inside the mouth of the jar.

Stick the lace to the jar. Use another piece of tape to stick down the overlap.

 Stick the ribbon to the outside of the mouth of the jar and then fold over and stick to the inside.

 Now, stick the flower to the side of the jar and you've finished.

Hearts for Christmas in Shabby Colours

Christmas, gulp is coming, and I feel the need to make beautiful decorations for the house. So this is the latest.

It really is a quick and simple heart to make and will look fabulous on a few dried twigs. 

To make it you will need:

Felt hearts in light stone

Buttons from the natural selection.

A length of tan and brown saddle stitch ribbon

Cotton thread.

Wadding

To make this heart:

Sew the buttons on to one side of the heart shapes. Use both and medium and small buttons.

Stitch around the edges with blanket stich. Leave enough room to fill the heart with wadding and to stitch in the ribbon.

Finished.

Have entered this for the 'Fab 'n' Funky' Button it Up challenge.

Lace with Style

I have always known that the lace that we sell on the Craft Fairy web site is beautiful, so it was a sheer delight to receive this photo from one of our customers, Jeanette. She's wearing this fabulous shawl that she made using the leaf guipure lace. I have to admit to being really envious. I do hope that this has spurred you on to make something similar yourself.

Spiral Rope Bracelet for fun

A couple of years ago I dragged my friend along to a jewellery making course.  Just for fun I said. Little did I know that I would love it to the point that I wanted to bring the beads to the Craft Fairy web site. I plotted and I planned and now they have arrived. So, of course, I had first dibs and this is what I made. It's a simple spiral rope and it is finished with cones and a toggle clasp to make it a bit more up to date. No fuddy duddy beading for me thank you.

I'll put a tutorial as soon as I've time after doing the Bristol Parchment Craft Show tomorrow.