Scrapping and Chatting: craft

Showing posts with label craft. Show all posts

11 August 2011

new alphabet storage

The sun has cooled (thankfully) which means my very fair headed toddler can play in the garden. He loves to dig with his little construction trucks but has to be watched intently as he tries to pick up anything that wiggles or moves (a bee didn't like this and told him so) and anything bright coloured gets put in his mouth (big relief that the ladybird he swallowed was already dead).

So today while he was playing I decided to change the way my die-cut alphabets are stored.

I looked around at what I already have ... alot of small used jiffy bags and an old storage box ... an idea was formed .....

To start with I ordered extra jiffy bags, 4 just wasn't going to do the job.

Problem occured: Storage box too small by time jiffy bags filled with letters.
Took an envelope out with me and found a great basket in the sale at TKMaxx.

Result:

Labels were made using more found pieces.

Box of large paper clips.

Box of large brads.

Sheet of letter stickers.

Back view shows how they're made:

some letters used the same envelopes

In the words of my hubby:

"That's organized, scarily organized"

and all made while sitting in the garden.

7 August 2011

create your own treasure map.

Are the children bored?? Too hot to be outside?? Looking for some fun?? Want to do something that's cheap?? Here's the perfect activity....

a totally awesome

TREASURE MAP

YOU WILL NEED:

*an old map ... this can be a page taken from a street map, a car map, even an atlas, part of an ordance suvey map even a hand drawn one ... doesn't matter what condition it's in the tattier the better.

*large bowl with cooled tea in.

*cooled used tea bag but still wet.

*brown/black ink pads.

*the letter X ... this can be drawn, a letter sticker, cut out of fabric or scrap paper ... so long as it's an X.

Make sure before you begin your clothes and work area are protected. In fact if the weather is nice take it outside to do.

The great thing about this activity is that it's adaptable for younger and older children.
STEP 1:
To start with take the map and lay out flat. Rip the edges so it has an old aged look about it.
STEP 2:
Now for the fun messy part ... you can either
A: rub the tea bag all over the map, keep dipping tea bag in the water and keep rubbing until you are happy with the coverage. If the tea bag splits doesn't matter it all adds to the appeal.

B: screw up the map and keep dipping in the bowl of tea. Carefully unscrew the map, it may rip or tear slightly, this all adds to the aging effect.
(Second method is better with older children as it can rip easily.)

STEP 3:
Now for the boring part : Leave the map to dry
OR you can cheat and use a heat gun or hairdryer to dry it out quicker.

STEP 4:
Whilst map is drying it's time to create the "X marks the spot"
Now there are many ways of doing this:

A. Get the child to cut out a circle and draw an X in it, screw it up tight, unfold, ink all over.

B. die cut an X.

C. Use a letter sticker.

D. Cut an X from a newspaper/magazine title...
it goes on and on.
You can age the X by rubbing the edges with an emery board.

STEP 5:
When the map is dry rub an ink pad around the edges.

If you want to age it further gently rub a pale brown ink pad over the map and it will define any creases made

STEP 6:
Look at your map and check out the place names.
Choose where you think your treasure would be buried ...

... mark it with your X.
(Ours is Bottom Lodge Farm)

Now you have a map why not dress up as a pirate and stop those baddies from finding it??
Do you have a sand pit why not bury the map and let a sibling find it??
Why not use a map that leads to a relatives house or friends??

Don't forget let me know if you make one and how it goes, leave a link in the comments.

Before I go ... Charlie is 11, he loves making maps and it's his hands which are in all the photos ... this is the finished map.

20 May 2011

It's what she asked for...

When Alfie was young it was impossible to buy rag books, the only books suitable for tiny babies was (and still is) bath books.

So I made him one : http://scrappingandchatting.blogspot.com/2009/12/this-is-alfies-rag-book.html

A friend of mine has always said when she fell pregnant she wants one of her own made.
Here is the result:

Will only show you one of the inside pages as the others have photos of the parents.

And of course it needs to look pretty:

The tiny pink bootees are actually a keepsake pram hanging decoration, but finish the look perfectly. They are so tiny and sweet.

Alfie is now 2yrs old but still loves his rag book, even more so now he can say our names. He will often pull it out of the toy box and sit looking at it. It's taken a good battering and has been carried around in my bag many times but doesn't seem to have acquired any damage.

The only difference between the 2 is that I rounded the corners on the new one.

Hope she likes it (baby and mum).

15 March 2011

I love it when the postman walks up the path with packages...

The other day he brought a lovely suprise.

This gorgeous card from my VERY talented cardmaker friend: Ros.

I love her works of art and evey time I look I see a new technique.

BUT the suprise doesn't end there because inside popped up this fun suprise.

She is so sweet and colourful, how you can not smile when you see her.

She reminds of the pop up shoebox theatres I used to make with my Nan.

They had more of an amatuer look about them though :o)

------------------------------------------

NEW ADDICTIVE TECHNIQUE:

I have been having fun trying out new techniques.

I recently brought some chipboard letters. I admit it the fact they were aged and spotty helped.

I thought about making a mini scrapbook with a fabric cover and using scrapbook paper pages instead of white pages.

I had seen chipboard stitched onto paper so fabric should be even easier...right???

A search on the net and craft books for advice on this (after all didn't want to damage my new machine).

Advice found was to take it slowly to stop the needle breaking and use a thicker needle.

Lucikly the new machine has a slow/fast speed on the pedal.

I didn't change my needle though as have brand new ones and they super sharp.

Masking tape held the letters in place while I stitched the first line. It was pressed against my trousers first to lose some of the stickiness. After a very nervous start, I loved it.

The needle went through chipboard like butter.

I even went on to try zigzag stitches.

Great fun.

(if you new to scrapbooking chipboard is an American word for VERY thick card. The type you get at the back of sketch books. Please DO NOT stitch wood)

Thanks for looking :o)

18 January 2011

This year i will....

...be starting my craft/art journal.

I have no excuses after getting this (oh my gosh) gorgeous blank A4 journal and a great "How To..." guide for Christmas.

Thank You Ros.

The guide book is perfect:

}it's tiny so can easily be carried around.

}is full of snippets of writing broken up by the most fantastic drawings and photos.

}has green coloured pages mixed in with white.

}it's quirky and fun.

}is exactly how I want my journal to be.

Trouble is when I open the blank journal and see the big white page...arrgggghhh...

where do i start???

What if it goes wrong???

I'm partly excited to start it and partly scared but one thing is certain

THIS IS THE YEAR I START IT.

Some great inspiration blogs:

http://www.accidentalvix.co.uk/category/sketchbook-project-2010/

(I love the textures added to this project)

http://thepaintbrushgoesspottie.blogspot.com/
(full of fun and colour)
http://creativetherapy.wordpress.com/
http://daisyyellow.squarespace.com/
http://balzerdesigns.typepad.com/balzer_designs/art-journal-every-day/

26 September 2010

This weekend...and a new notebook...

Let's start with the weekend:

Alfie did his first drawing...with felt tip pens,

Charlie brought some new furry Gogos.

Family Catch Up:

Alfie now sings: If you're happy and you know it, will clap and sing (using words only mummy knows),

Round and round the garden, will hold out hand and say "Tickle"

Joined 2 words: "Hello Charlie",

Saw picture of dog said "Woof",

Said "Thank you",

Waves and says "Bye",

Loves saying "Hello".

Charlie has his paperwork to choose a senior school.

19 September 2010

Trick or Treat....

When we went to the crop last month we were given a box to decorate...after ALOT of umming and ahhing I went with a halloween theme.Here's the result: