Paper Crafts on a Budget - PART ONE

On a tight budget but still feel the urge to scrap book or make cards? Read on and discover my tried-and-true tips to create fabulous paper crafts without the expense.

Where can I find paper and embellishments that won’t cost an arm and a leg?

Always think outside the box when it comes to embellishments and paper. Recycle old wrapping paper, this can be used for photo mats or to make embellishments such as flowers, or to make interesting shapes with punches. Use old birthday/Christmas cards, business cards, tags from clothing, packaging from various items that catch your eye and junk mail to create various types of embellishments, such as those mentioned. Your local fabric store’s bargain bin can be excellent for ribbon scraps, buttons, fabric remnants and the like. Your local second hand shops are also ideal sources for embellishments, but you can also find old patterns for clothes (which are excellent for fashion layouts) and clothes that might have an interesting material, buttons or trims, also magazines, old books and picture books are another source of inspiration that could have you crafting for many hours on the cheap. If your embellishments don’t match your page, many can be altered to match with the use of inks and paint. Embellishments can also be found in everyday things such as:

• old post cards or photos (materials that fit in the category of ephemera are excellent), keys, old coins, sand, sand paper, shells, pieces from old games or jigsaws, stitching by hand or machine etc.

Stamps, inks, heat guns, daubers, sponges…. A lot of it is expensive; do I require all of it to start with?

Large department stores such as K-Mart, Big W and Target and many $2 stores have scrapbooking areas that sell clear un-mounted stamps (meaning you need to purchase an acrylic block, which can also be purchased at the above mentioned stores for approximately $4-8) and basic ink pads. Please note that most clear stamps have a film on them, and when you attempt to ink it up the ink will not transfer properly, resulting in an uneven image. To rectify this, simply take a white eraser and rub it over the stamp several times, testing it with ink every so often to ensure that you have removed all of the film. You can also create stamps from things you have at home, such as toilet paper rolls, celery bottoms can create a rose, apples and potatoes with shapes cut out of them or bubble wrap .

Many inks can also be created at home, stay tuned for future updates on how to make your own inks.

Use make up brushes, paint brushes, cotton wool balls and cotton ear buds, make up wedges, even the common household sponge can all create interesting effects. Using a sponge that doubles as a scourer can also create excellent distressed effects.

If you would love to emboss but find the idea of buying a heat gun a bit expensive, or are confused as to what type of embossing equipment to get, then I recommend purchasing the following:

·        Emboss-able Inks

Some inks will not allow you to emboss so it can be worthwhile to purchase a few Distress Inks by Tim Holtz in a couple of your favourite colours to allow you to try out this technique. Some inks by Versa Colour will allow embossing and this brand can be found at cheaper prices than the Distress Ink, but research carefully before purchasing to ensure it is the right type.

·        Embossing powder in Clear

This can be used over any colour ink and saves you having to buy multiple embossing powders to begin with.

·        Toaster or hair straightener (most homes have one or the other)

Either of these can be used to heat up the embossing powder which is what creates the embossing effects.

·        Dryer sheet or an anti-static pad. An anti-static pad can be purchased or home-made, by making a small bag (a couple of inches or 5cm square is fine) of a thick cotton, filling it with cornstarch or baby powder and sewing it shut)

To emboss, firstly set up your work area. You need the piece of card to stamp on, emboss-able ink, a stamp, a folded piece of paper, an anti-static pad, a paint brush and the powder (I recommend having the powder open but away from you so you don’t accidentally knock it). To start with, wipe the card with the antistatic pad to remove static, and then simply stamp an image using an emboss-able ink. Quickly place a thick layer of emboss-able powder over the image (you have about 20-30 seconds to do this step before the ink dries). Lifting the card carefully, tip the excess powder onto the folded piece of paper (this makes it easier to put the powder back into the container). If there are specks of embossing powder on the card where you don’t want them, carefully remove with the paint brush.

Turn on the heating appliance of your choice and hold your card carefully over it with tweezers – ensure it is a couple of inches above so you don’t scorch the card and watch the powder carefully. As it starts to change, gently and slowly move the card over the heat source so all the powder changes into a glossy look. Once completed, remove from heat source and allow to cool - And you’re all done!

As I come across new techniques and tips for paper crafting cheaply, I will continue my series Paper Craft on a Budget. Please feel free to comment if there are any tutorials or ideas mentioned that you would like to have expanded on.

Stay tuned for Paper crafts on a Budget PART TWO appearing on Saturday 19/11/11. Thanks for reading and see you next time!!!

Happy Crafting,

Steff

Craft A Long Challenge

Hi Guys,

Nat from Crafted here, back again with another craft-a-long.

This craft-a-long is going to be more like a craft challenge, the end product from all our projects will more than likely be completely different. The idea of this challenge is to take the same theme and limitations and go craft crazy, lol.

When you finish your project be sure to post a photo on our facebook page (Here) or by emailing me at crafted.by.natalie@gamil.com

At the end of the week I will put together a gallery of all the projects that have been submitted so we can see how different we have all approached this challenge. So here is the first craft-a-long challenge:

Challenge: Craft something for the upcoming Festive Season,

Limitations: Spend no more than $5 on supplies. You may use items from your crafty stash but try not to spend more than $5.

When you post to facebook or email your finished project, be sure to include a note about how much you spent outside your crafty stash.

Go forth and create J

Feel free to chat to us via the comments below J

(Above is a Yo Yo Christmas Tree Decoration that I made last year, all but the yellow star button and the tan FQ are from my stash. Cost 50c for the Button and $3.95 for the FQ)

Web site review - Craftster

So you might be wondering how this crafty group of Made-n’s met. Well it’s mostly down to a little website called Craftster

Here is what Craftster have to say about themselves (why rewrite when they put it so beautifully!):


“Craftster is an online community where people share hip, off-beat, crafty diy (do it yourself) projects. The term "Craftster" means "crafty hipster" and is also meant to be an homage to the pioneer peer-to-peer sites Napster and Friendster. Craftster was started in August 2003 and has since grown to a readership of over 1,000,000 readers per month. It has been written up in numerous publications including Time Magazine, the New York Times and the London Guardian. Craftster is the largest online community for what is now commonly known as "indie crafts." ("Indie" stands for independent as in indie music, indie art, indie film, etc.) Craftster is regarded by many as one of the cornerstones of the recent renaissance in crafting known as the "indie craft movement."
In December 2009, Craftster was acquired by Internet Brands. Internet Brands is a leading Internet media company that operates community and e-commerce websites.”From http://www.craftster.org/about.html

So while interacting with all the thousands of readers and users that frequent the craftster site, we stumbled upon each other, mostly through the swapping element of the site (we will explain more about that in future posts).

Have you ever wanted someone to say how good your project is, or make suggestions as to how you could fix, improve or how to proceed with a project? Receive comments from people who know how hard you have worked on the item and appreciate not just the finished product, but the work that has gone into it. Do you need inspiration for a craft project, an idea for a present for a friend, for a new baby or for a wedding? Do you just want to see what people are making out there? Do you want to meet likeminded crafters and connect with people from all around the world? Do you want to make and recieve crafts from and for people from all walks of life? If you haven’t already visited the Craftster webpage then it is something that you REALLY should do. And stick around here too as we inspire and amuse you with crafting from our perspective too.

Regards Nilmerg

:: Anzac Slice

For my first Foody Friday's I would like to offer up a twist on the Aussie Tradition that is Anzac Biscuits and share with you Anzac Slice :)

Here's what you'll need:

1 cup Rolled Oats
1 cup Plain Flour
3/4 cup Coconut
3/4 cup Raw Suar
125g Butter
2 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp Water
1/2 tsp Bicarb Soda

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease and line a 25 x 30cm pan.

2. Combine oats, sifted flour, coconut and sugar in a large bowl.

3. Combine butter, honey and water in a saucepan, stir over heat until butter has melted. Stir in bicarb soda.

4. Combine wet and dry mixture, stir until combined.

5. Press mixture into a prepared pan.

6. Bake for about 25 minutes.

7. Cool in the pan before cutting.

This recipe will keep for 2 days (if you can make it last that long ;) )

Enjoy!

Lauren
xo

Foody Friday-Damper Twists

Today I am sharing a recipe which is my twist to the normal Aussie damper recipe.
These would go well with Soup or a Hearty Casserole.

Ingredients:
2 cups of Self Raising Flour
40g Butter, chopped.
3/4 - 1 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of dried Italian Mixed Herbs
1/3 cup of ground or finely grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 200C.
Line baking tray with baking paper.
Sift flour into a large bowl. Add herbs and Parmesan cheese.
Add butter to the flour mix  and  rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Using a butter knife, stir in enough milk to make it into a soft dough, be careful not to make too gluggy. (if you do just add a little more flour)
Put dough onto a floured surface and knead into a smooth round shape.
Divide into 8 pieces with the butter knife.
Roll each piece into a long sausage shape and then twist it a few times and place on baking tray.
Lightly wash each twist with milk and sprinkle a little flour over the top.
Place in the oven and bake for 20 mins.
Eat while still warm.
Enjoy.
Melanie

How To Clean Your Sewing Machine

How To Clean Your Sewing Machine

Cleaning your sewing machine is something that should be done regularly.

As in once a week (not once in the 4 years you have owned the machine...)

So you'll need a couple of tools, I use a microfibre cloth, a soft paint brush and a screwdriver.

First turn your machine off.

(It's also a good idea to turn the power off at the wall too)

Make sure you have removed your thread & bobbin.

Then you need to remove your needle & presser foot.

Once you've done this, wipe over your entire machine with the microfibre cloth. This will pick up all the dust & threads fragments laying on your machine.

Remove the bobbin cover. Give it a brush and a wipe down.

Now you'll need to remove the plate from your machine using the screwdriver.

Give the inside a good brush to get rid of all those dust bunnies.

Remove the part the bobbin sits in, this should lift straight out.

Now clean out under there with the brush. If you can, give everything a wipe with the cloth again.

Now you can put your machine back together again.

Newer machines wont need oiling, they get oiled at the once yearly service they are supposed to have. However, if you own an overlocker, they need to be cleaned and oiled regularly.

Make sure you refer to your user manual when pulling apart, and cleaning you machine.

If you have lost your manual you can google the model number and most manuals will come up.

Otherwise call the company your machine came from, most will be happy to email you a pdf file.

Sally

xxx

10 Minute Christmas Cards

Need a Christmas card in a hurry? Or do you want to make your own greeting cards this year and are unsure where to start? These simple Christmas cards can be whipped up in 10 minutes, even by beginner paper crafters! The best thing is you will probably have most of these supplies in your craft stash already. ~ Caitlan

Ruffled Tree Card:

You will need:

·         A piece of cardstock folded in half to be your card, any size you want

·         A rectangle of cardstock, smaller than half of your card

·         Green Cardstock

·         Brown Cardstock

·         Gems, pre-stick or non-adhesive round and a star, optional

·         Green or metallic stamping ink

·         Glue

·         Scissors or a paper knife

·         A bowl of water

1.       Begin by cutting out a triangle from your green cardstock, a little bigger than you want your finished tree to be.

2.       Cut your triangle into horizontal strips.

3.       Cut vertical strips into the longer edge of each trapezium, you can use scissors or your paper knife, be careful you don’t cut the piece in half!

Each piece should eventually look like this:

4.       Dip the cut strips into a bowl of water for a few seconds; this makes the paper a little more malleable.

5.       Gently curl the tasselled edge around your finger until it stays in place.

6.       Brush ink onto the tasselled edges, this hides the white that will be shown from cutting the paper. You can use green for a subtle look or a metallic colour to add some sparkle to your tree! Set these aside to dry.

7.       Grab your smaller rectangle of cardstock and glue it to the centre front of your folded card stock.

8.       Glue the top of your tree to your card first at the height you would like it to sit, don’t forget to leave space for a star!

9.       For the subsequent trapeziums place  them beneath the tassel above, make sure that the edges do not dramatically over hang the above piece like this:

If they do simply trim them at an angle to give your tree a gentle slope, glue each one in place.

10.   When you have added all the layers of your tree, cut out a small brown rectangle to act as the trunk. Glue it in place, hiding the top beneath the tassel of the lowest green layer.

11.   Decorate with gems and a star if you wish and you are all finished! You can always write or stamp a greeting beneath your tree if you would like.

Glitter Tree Card:

You will need:

·         Card stock folded in half to form your card’s base

·         Glue, either PVA with a squeeze lid or a very fine glue stick

·         Glitter in green and another colour

·         Glitter glue if you hate the mess of glitter

·         A piece of scrap paper to help with clean up

1.       Place your folded cardstock on top of a scrap of paper that covers your workspace.

2.       Using your PVA glue, draw a zigzag in the shape of a tree without a base. If you are using glitter glue you can draw your zigzag with that.

3.       Generously pour green glitter all over your card, making sure that all the glue is covered.

4.       Shake off the excess glitter onto your scrap paper, you can now fold this into a funnel and pour the excess glue back into its container.

5.       With your PVA add a base to your tree, either a trunk or a decorative pot, or if you are using glitter glue simply draw it on with your glue.

6.       Pour glitter that coordinates with your cardstock generously onto your base. Shake off excess onto your scrap paper, being careful that you don’t pour it over the tree part of your card as the colours will mix.

7.       Funnel excess glitter into storage container and your card is complete!

Ribbon and Stamps Card:

You will need:

·         Cardstock, folded in half to for your card base

·         Ribbon in a colour that coordinates with your card stock

·         Rubber or acrylic Christmas stamps of your choice

·         Double sided tape or glue

·         Stamp pad

·         Embossing powder in a colour that coordinates with your card stock

·         Heat gun or hair drier

·         Scrap paper

1.       Mark out where you would like to place your ribbon, double sided tape is great as it keeps the ribbon looking straight, but you can always use glue if you don’t own tape.

2.       Carefully place your ribbon along the length of the card, ensuring it is straight.

3.       Stamp on a design.

4.       Pour on embossing powder, shake off excess onto scrap paper and funnel back into its container.

5.       Gently heat embossing powder with Heat gun or hair drier set to hot, be careful that you don’t over heat your hair dryer by using it for too long! Have a break between each design.

6.       Stamp on a greeting and repeat the embossing process.

Giveaway Winners!

Congratulations to our first giveaway winner: comment number 1!
Lara said "Love the blog! Was sent by Lauren. I've just started my own blog too - as part of my FB page 'Luellabella'. Just liked your page, thanks for the competition - love the items!!"
Lara has won a gorgeous Buttercup Clutch from Caitlan at How Lovely

Congratulations to our second giveaway winner: comment number 10!
colleemi said "My favourite product would have to be the birds tea wallet :D I would love to win, I have the perfect person to give it to :)"
colleemi has won a cute Tea Wallet and Monster Stuffie from Sally at Dot & Spence ~ Handcrafted.

Thank you to our wonderful prize contributors, Caitlan from How*Lovely, and Sally from Dot & Spence Handcrafted. If you missed out on a prize this time you could head over to their stores and pick something up for yourself :)

Lauren

littlemonkeytree.blogspot.com

LBDesigns

Remembrance Day Poppies

Remembrance Day Poppies

By Caitlan

Use these simple poppies to make Remembrance Day pins, to decorate children’s Remembrance Day school projects or to make a Remembrance Day flower wreath. Remembrance Day, held on the 11^th of November to coincide with the end of World War I, is a day for remembering all those who have served and fallen in war. The poppy has become a symbol of remembrance following the poem “In Flanders Fields” by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae written in May 1915. The poem describes the thousands of poppies that bloomed above the graves of the fallen soldiers who were buried throughout Flanders.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
   Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.

For this project you will need: ·         Red cardstock or paper ·         Scissors ·         Glue ·         A pin if you wish to wear it as a     badge ·         Cut out Poppy Template ·         Something to make a black centre, e.g. black glitter, black beads, black pencil, texta or crayon or even black nail polish!
1.       Trace your templates onto your red cardstock on the side you don’t want to be visible whilst wearing your poppy.
2.       Cut out your two flowers.
3.       Gently fold each of the petals up, don’t be too severe with the fold you don’t want them sticking up at right angles, just gently curled. See the next image for how it should look
4.       Repeat these folds with the second flower
5.       Place a dob of glue in the centre of the larger, five petal flower.
6.       Place the smaller, 4 petal, flower in the centre of the larger flower, press down firmly into the glue.
7.       Now you will create the centre of the flower. If you are using pencil, texta or crayon simply draw it on. If you are using glitter or beads place another dob of glue in the centre of your flower.
8.       Sprinkle on your glitter or seed beads. Gently shake off any excess back into the container.
9.       If you are using your poppies to decorate a school project or wreath you are all finished! If you want to wear it as a broach, follow on. To add a broach fitting place a strip of glue, the length of your broach piece, on the back of your flower. PVA glue will work fine but if you have access to a hot glue gun now is the time to use it!
10.   Place your broach piece onto the glue. Allow to dry, and then wear it on Nov 11th!