Christmas toppers for gifts

Hi again folks!  Right, have you saved all your bits and pieces from Christmas?  Well, this blog will be about creating beaded "toppers" which can easily be arranged and glued on the top of Christmas gifts instead of bows.  I think it would make gifts look extra special, even more so if the gift is of the size of, say, a bracelet or watch, a bangle or a necklace.

Okay, so its very straightforward.  Over Christmas out crackers are usually ones with interesting patterns (which I salvage and flatten the card for use in Christmas Cards), and little beady bits and ribbons.  Its these beady bits and ribbons which I make the toppers out of, and once you see how simple this is, I bet this year you will be looking in the shops for crackers with little bits you can save and recycle yourself! ;o)

First off, I unwind the beady bits.  Usually its a piece of thin wire with a bead at either end.  Be careful with some of these because the beads can pop off if they have just been glued on the end.  Unless you know how to re-attach them, you may be throwing some beads away.

Next, I twist them together by taking both beads in my fingers, and twisting the wire to create a "stem".   Then I simply take a couple of twists and ttist those together to make a little bouquet, if you will.

The next thing is to hide the wire twist.  Now, along with my crackers came these neat little ribbon bits.  I simply unwind 1 pieces of ribbon - different colours but going together nicely - and I tie each one individually around the wire.  Try to uncrinkle the ribbon as much as you can so you can cover as much of the wire as you can.  Then that's pretty much it - all that's left to do is arrange the ribbin in a way which looks quite nice - I usually go with the "bouguet" look, tucking the ribbon behind the beads, making sure the knots in the ribbon are at the back of the entire piece.  Glue in place and then you're ready to attach more to it, or jus tpop onto a specal gift.  Here are some more photos of what I have done with others.  Have fun! :o)

 

BRRRRRRRR!!!! Knit something warm!

Brrr!!  It's so cold outside isn't it?  I don't know about you, but I hate the cold!  I'm not a big fan of snow, as I prefer to look at it whilst drinking a hot chocolate, rather than go out and play in it (well, yes I used to make snowmen when I was little but that was then....this is now...!!).

Anyway, I have discovered KNITTING, and I am SO incredibly addicted to it!!  I have knitted lots of scarves and I thought I would post some up so that, if you are feeling chilly, looking at these will make you feel warm, and / or if you want to know what certain stitches might look like, here are the results! :o)

First off, I knitted in moss stitch and this was the result:

And I LOVED making the tassles!! :o)  You can look us moss stitch anywhere but I am pretty sure its K1 P1 every row, but you have to remember to Knit the Pearls and Pearl and Knits on the next row.   I used 4 balls for this one.

If you use the same pattern and Knit the Knits and Purl and Purls, you will end up with a rib stitch, like this one:

Now, you might not be able to see the ribbing as such, but the wool seems to constrict and get closer together when you do a rib, so if you want to do a rib stitch and be able to see the knit and the purl lines, be sure to add a couple more purls which will make it wider, yes, but you will be able to see the ribbing.  I used 4 balls for this one too.

Next up is this one:

Now, the pattern for this one is here: http://knitting.designedlykristi.com/freepatterns/DKlavishscarf.pdf and mine looks different because I put more stitches onto the needles to make a slightly wider scarf, therefore not as long as the one on the pattern.  I am kind of regretting making it as wide as I did, but it's all experience, isn't it? :o)  I used ONE ball of wool for this one - the pattern is for one ball but as I said, I began with more stitches therefore its wider and consequentially shorter.  And yes, you have large holes running down the sides where you thread the ribbon - or whatever you like - and create tassels with them too!

The final one I made was this one:

I made the pattern up myself.  Its K2 P2 (wide rib) and remember to Knit the Knits and Purl and Purls!!  Do this for about 10 rows.

THEN switch to:

Row 1: K3 P3

Row 2: K1 P1

And do that for about 10 rows.  Alternate this pattern and be sure to start and end each row with a knit stitch for a nice border.  This pattern also means that your scarf will be slightly wavy! :o)  4 balls used for this one too.  I also began and ended with the wide rib just to make it look more symmetrical I guess!

I love using chunky needles for these scarves, but anyone can use whatever they like.  I like to use chunky wool too, I find it so much more therapeutic! :o)

Hope you have your Christmas crafting leftovers from crackers and cards......my next blog will be of a Christmas theme.  I know, Christmas is just over, but in the crafting world, it's always Christmas! ;oD

Recycling Christmas cards and more Christmas stuff!

Okay, when I make Christmas cards, I use last year's Christmas cards.  BUT not only do I use those, but I also use last year's Christmas crackers, hats from the crackers, and tags from the presents.  Its SO easy, simple, and sometimes you can end up making an enormous amount of cards this way.  Sometimes I save the wrapping paper if I like it so much!

I saved wrapping paper to make this card (left) for example.  I got some funky scissors and cut out three characters and the "merry christmas" greeting.  The red checkered paper at the back is also from the same wrapping paper.  The only thing I actually bought aside from the card itself here, was the gold fuzzy ribbon (vertical) right at the back.  The other two gld strips of ribbon were from presents received - so I have recycled that as well.  Because I used the funky scissors here, there is no need for any edging peel offs to finish the card off.  It looks great!  I loved this paper, and I love these cards.

The next card here (right) is a simple way of just using a gift tag from one of your presents.  The backing can either be a piece of gold card, OR the card from a Christmas cracker.  If you have some crackers which have a pattern or a texture which is quite nice, you can collect the pieces of cards after you have pulled them all, trim off the ripped pieces and flatten them by putting them in or under a heavy book for a couple of days.  When you return to make your cards, the cracker-card will be flat and easier to stick onto the card which you're making.  Easy!

The last cards here (below) are an example of making a number of your own cards just out of one.  These five cards have individual glittery trees on them, and before I cut them into five pieces, the original card displayed a line of all five trees.  Cut each one up, stick them onto your card and finish them off with the appropriate colour of peel-off edgeing.  Its SO simple.  You can either leave them with no greeting if you like minimalist style cards, or you can buy silver and gold Christmas greeting peel offs which are also just as easy to add onto your card.

Hints and Tips: This Christmas, look at your own and other people's wrapping paper.  After unwrapping, see if you can salvage some so you can use as background or foreground in your handmade Christmas Cards.  Also keep ribbon, bows, and tags.  When you pull your crackers, look at the crackers themselves.  Look at the patterns, texture and colour of the cards, and think about how you can use the card for backgrounds.  Save it all up and flatten it when you have a spare moment before you sleep off your Christmas dinner.  Collect everybody's Christmas hats, ESPECIALLY if they have gold or silver foil bits.  These can be very useful when cardmaking.  Finally, have a look at the Christmas Cards you, your relatives and friends have.  Most people don't save many of their cards and will gladly give them to you if you ask nicely! :o)

I'll post some more soon, I promise!!

Right, I know its December already and I haven't posted much...!!  Sorry!  :o.  I have been very busy doing lots of things.  But I will post a few things up on the last couple of week's run up to Christmas, I promise!  I just need to take photos of things I have made.  Yes, I have made LOTS and LOTS of Christmas cards out of last year's cards and most Christmas related items that you usually throw away, but I shall explain those later.  In the meantime, I have learnt to KNIT!!!  I have made three scarves already and I am SO incredibly addicted to it.  Wierdly, I have not knitted for an entire week, although I did actually spend £27 on wool and pretty thread the other day...! ;o/  I have to say that knitting your own stuff is very expensive.  BUT man, is it addictive and calming!  Stress-knitting......its just so nice!  Mind you, if you're doing a complicated stitch, its best not to watch TV whilst you're doing it....trust me...!!!

I have also made a couple of necklaces which I might post up here too, AND its my parent's Golden Wedding Anniversary at the end of January and I have a brilliant project lined up for that which I am planning on posting AS I create it.  I really didn't know what to get until I was browsing on the internet and I had a brilliant idea!  I didn't buy what I saw in the shop - I just had a different idea! :o)

Anyways.....I will post some things shortly, and I will try to keep up a blog at least once or twice a week if I can't manage one an evening! 

Watch this space!! 

S
xx

Home cooked Food!

Okay, so food DOES come under the category of creativity.  Or at least, it does for me anyway!  Today my boyfriend made some vegetable soup and as always it turned out delicious.  Its always different every time, because it just depends on what you put in it.  This time, he put in Leek, Onion, Parsnip, Carrot, Celery and Celeriac.  I think that was everything....!!  Anyway, it has a lovely autumnal root-vegetable sort of taste to it and there is LOADS left so its all frozen ready to eat when we are..!!! 
Anyhoo, I DISCOVERED a recipe on the internet, after reading about Walkers Sunbites on http://www.sunbites.co.uk/, looked at the recipes and discovered a Soda Bread recipe.  Last time I made bread, it was the usual stuff, I was at school, it came out black, fell out the tin and cracked a tile onthe floor.  Hmmm.  Not good!!

Anyway, THIS bread was really really easy to make, and it turned out fine.  The only thing was, it was a little moist in the centre so I think next time I sill pat if flatter on the baing sheet in the oven, and put it on the top shelf for 40 minutes (today I did it on the shelf just under the top).  I think our oven is pretty old anyway, but I shall stry that next time.  The bread is delicious, but VERY filling indeed, probably a result of using strong wholemeal flour and oatbran with buttermilk.  But its lovely, and if you decide to make it at home then I think its probably best that you just cut a couple of slices rather than try to eat a quarter of the loaf. . . . . !  Still, I think the birds enjoyed the leftovers.

The photo is of the bread and the soup, and the soup you will notice is topped with grated cheese.  You might frown at the idea but trust me - if you like cheese, and if you like soup - try it!  I also topped it off with some red cabbage sprouts which I have been growing in a jar in the kitchen - I love sprout growing!  Its really easy, and its real fast.  You can grow all sorts of sprouts all year round, you can put them on salads, soups, stir frys and they are very nitrutious.  Our favourite so far is Alfalfa.  Mmm mmMMm! :o)

Lost In Space

First of all, I must apologise in the delay of posting! I shall try to post more often now I have finished my scrapbook, which I shall also be including in this blog.

So, my brother's birthday was in August, and this is the card I created for him. I admit, I cheated by BUYING some "toppers" but I have to say that, when I saw the toppers in the store I couldn't resist buying them, as they made me think of him! He loves all things astronomy and space-related, and I thought this was quirkily appropriate.

The toppers I used were of a space-ship, and astronaut, a space-station, and I used a few star-shaped stickers of my own to add to it. First, I chose a brightly-coloured stripey paper from a pad of coloures papers (A5 size), and cut it to fit a tall card. After sticking that on as a background, I finished off the edges with peel-off silver trim.

Hints and tips: Finish off the edges with a peel-off trim BEFORE you put everything else on top - this prevents you having a very fiddly job if you leave it till the end.

After sticking the toppers on in the best arrangement I could create, I decided to stick the "3..2..1...." sticker at the bottom, finishing that off with silver trim instead of a "Happy Birthday". I thought it worked perfectly, and he loved it!

Thankyou Cards

I thought it was time to get this blog going again!

I will start off with six cards which I made to take on holiday to Canada with me, for the Bed and Breakfasts we stayed in. After I had been playing with one of my holiday scrapbooks, adding bits and pieces, I thought this was a great, simple idea. I bought a set of SIX stikers, which were spongy and glossy. I got a square card and stuck one in the middle of each card. I then simply took a black rollerball pen and drew around the edge of each sticker, which finished it of nicely - a border without a border, in effect!

I then just added a handwritten "thankyou" underneath each one.

When I got back home from holiday, it turns out that two of the places I gave these cards to had written back telling me how much they appreciated the card, and the fact it was home-made gave it such a personal touch, which they loved! Many thanks to our hosts at The Treehouse Bed and Breakfast in Vancouver, and Harvey House Bed and Breakfast in Tofino, Vancouver Island - BOTH of which I highly recommend!!