Category Archives: Crafting

My craft category,you find everything from cards to jewelry to stuffed animals

Learn to color

I never really learned to coloring. I did not like the art in school and been happy if I could draw a straight line with a ruler.
I have been coloring when I made a card where I have used a stamp. It looked really bad in the beginning, but with practice it’s looking better and better . I got a friend who is a master of coloring, and she taught me some tricks. Thanks to that I got yet a little better at shadows and color combos. I was rarely satisfied, and never got the stylish tones. I don’t do that today either but I hope to get better.

Detail of christmas card 2007

Detail of Christmas card 2007

I encountered Kit and Clowder on Facebook more than a year ago. It’s a great bunch of people (10,000 members as of this writing) that everyone likes coloring, want to learn more, and are there for each other and support. Alyce, who runs Kit and Clowder, do all the classes herself and provides personalized feedback on everything you upload. She’s also in the Facebook group with tips, help and support.

I bought one of the classes, but have not really dared to start. I have learned a lot by just being in the group, but I would like to learn more, but cowardice and fear has prevented me. I managed to do the class Mindful Me. It felt just right in size and I had an idea of what to do with it at once.

Detail from Mixed Media 2016

Detail from Mixed Media 2016

Now, as part of the celebrations of 10,000 members, Alyce has released another class for free. Markers 101 provides basic knowledge of shading, tones, care of pens and much more. I have downloaded this class and it consists of a book (PDF) which you can print out and a couple of movies. I hope this basic class will give me the courage to start my purchased class (Skin & Hair) as soon as possible. I don’t want the lack of time prevent me from sitting for a little while. I have used that subterfuge too much, “I have so much else going on, so I do not have time to go through the entire course … at once ….”
There are also smaller classes that you subscribe to. Then you get a new class every month with a motives to put color on.

If you want to learn more about coloring, I think you try Kit and Clowder.
1. Become a member of Kit & Clowders Facebook group
2. Create an account at Kit and Clowder
3. Buy a class, or start with the two classes that are free (Marker 101, Mindful me)

Kit and Clowder

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Personalize a box with vinyl

I bought a box with several small boxes that I thought could fit my niece. It was in two shades of purple and nothing more. I liked the size, but found it a bit boring.

Best solution to it was to decorate it yourself. I made it personal by making a monogram with her initial letter (here first name).

Box for things

On the boxes I put some text that can describe what’s in the box without being to specific. I had a long list of suggestions of things. (translation to the text: Big stuff, Bigger stuff, Small stuff, Tiny stuff, Other stuff, Important stuff)

I have been using Silhouette Studio to create cutting files. I started by drawing a rectangle as large as each box. In the rectangle, I could then place my text and see that the size was good.

Monogram with feather

On both sides I made this monogram. The feather is a file from Silhouette Store and the letter is made with an alphabet.

Everything is cut in white vinyl and I used a tape from the auto parts store to get it in place. The tape is cheaper than buying the transfer tape that is for vinyl. I also think it works better.

Material list:

 

 

 

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Decorate your bag with fuse beads

I bought a bag that I really liked, apart from one thing that annoyed me more and more the more I used it. The label that sat on the bag was in the way so I replaced it with a butterfly.

Decorate your bag

The label was on the front of the bag and was not glued but sat with two small hooks. This meant that I got stuck all the time with the edges of the label. I was worried about destroying the bag and decided to peel the label off.

Holes in bag

Obviously there were two small holes, but I had anticipated that. I had the good fortune anyway that  I could bend the hooks open through the lining of the bag and coax the label off.

I used the mini fuse beads to get a more flexible butterfly. A stiff figure would not be able to bend with the bag and would come off easily.
To attach my butterfly, I used a fast dried-purpose adhesive suitable for both plastic and leather (although this is very much faux leather). The glue I chose is also flexible, again to bend with the bag.

I found the pattern for the butterfly on Pinterest.

Materiel list:

 

 

 

Character map with Silhouette Studio

Many of the most beautiful fonts that are popular today use more characters than we can easily get out of the keyboard. The fonts has extra squiggles and shapes that can only be found through the Character Map.
I’m going to show you how you most easily find these goodies and get them into the Silhouette Studio so that you can cut out that lovely saying you want on a pillow.

I use Windows 7. If you are using a different version of Windows it can be a little tricky, but patience will solve it I’m sure.

Character MapThe little program that can display some extra characters is Character Map and the icon is a small key with some mysterious signs on it. This program comes with Windows, so there is no need to install it.

Run

Click the Start menu and in the box labeled Run, type Character Map. When you type in the word you will see several proposals pop up in the list so you do not need to enter the full name. Choose the right program and click on it so that it starts.
(You can also check manually on your start menu and then you will probably find it under Accessories  and then System Tools)

Also start Silhouette Studio and select the font you want to use (NOTE !! This works in the same way no matter which application you write in, try Photoshop, Word or another program, the approach’s the same)

Silhouette text

Enter your word and leave the text tool still active. Do not move your word or making any other changes. When you have released the Text tool you can’t change the word.
I chose the font Samantha Upright, and I want more squiggles in the text than what’s visible here.

Change programs and bring up Character Map on your screen.

Font

Select the font you used in Silhouette Studio, and then scroll until you find the character you want to use (do not scroll with the mouse wheel at once, that change the font, instead use the scroll bar to the right)Character

Choose the various characters to better see how they look.

Select

Once you find what you want, choose Select. The character will now appear in the white box. If you want more characters that will follow one another you can choose the next one right away. When you are done, click Copy (Don’t forget to erase the character in the white box if you want another.)

Silhuette Text

Go back to the Silhouette Studio. Move the cursor (via arrow keys) and erase the letter you want to change. Then press Ctrl + V to paste the new character. The above looks good and much more fun than the first version, right?

Character Map is also very useful if you have a font that’s a DingBat (all letters are a small image). It is easy to find just the image you want to use.

Fonts with a Twist

Fonts belongs to one of my secret passions (which is not so secret anymore). I can sit a long time and select the fonts I want to use, but I have my favorites that I use over end over again.
I love fonts with a added twist. It may be a detail on the letters or lots of lines and squiggles.

Here are my, present, favorites. Click on the image to see it bigger and below you find links and tips.

Fonts with a Twist

I don’t guarantee that the fonts will remain on thees links.

Yellow Daisy (From Silhouette Store, You need Silhouette Studio to buy this one. Use a character map to fins all the wonderful letters.)
Carmencita
Undergone
Foglihten No4
Black Olives
Sverige Script (Use numbers 0-9 to get the extra line)
My Silly Willy Girl
Samantha Upright (You need to buy this font, use Google to find the best price. Use a character map to fins all the wonderful letters.)
Plates Napery
LDI Fancy Folk (From Silhouette Store, You need Silhouette Studio to buy this one.)
LD Dainty
Janda Celebrations Script
Anglia Script Enhancements
Anning
Belphebe
Branboll (Use numbers 0-9 to get the extra line)
Caroline (You find this one at The Hungry JPG. Right now they have in in a free bundel that ends  Mars 1 2016)
Delicios Curls
Brigent Script (You find this one at The Hungry JPG. Right now they have in in a free bundel that ends  Mars 1 2016. Use a character map to fins all the wonderful letters.)
Porcelain
Coca-Cola (Loki-Cola)
Sloop Script Three
Violet Bee (You find this one at The Hungry JPG. Right now they have in in a free bundel that ends  Mars 1 2016.)

Always be careful when you download fonts (and other files) from any free site. Make sure you click the correct button to download and not on any advertising. Often there is a text link to download the font and not a large button.

 

What’s your favorite font?

 

A lot of books and a cat

If anyone missed it; I like cats. If someone also have missed; I like books. A while ago I found the perfect pattern with fuse beads for joining the two.

Cat on books

I have used Hama midi beads to this and it’s two pegboards high.
I put it on the end of one of my bookcases.

Material list:

 

 

 

Quick book marks

I use quite a lot of small post-it, paper clips and clamps when I work. I love cute small accessories and often need to have a mark in a book or in a compendium when I read. Post-it in all its glory, they come in many beautiful colors, but they are not always enough.

To solve this, and reduce the amount of post-it, I started to decorate paper clips in a very simple and fast way.

Material

You need washitape in nice colors and patterns, a good pair of scissors and a lot of paper clips.

gem-tape

Tear a fairly long strip of tape and fold it lengthwise with the sticky side out. Thread the paper clip on the tape and drag it to the center.

gem-ihop

Fold up the sides so that they attach to each other. Depending on the width of the tape it can be somewhat awkward at the bottom of the paper clip.

gem-klart

Use scissors to cut small flags. I have chosen to cut a V at mine, but you can cut in other shapes if you want.
Avoid using a punch. The glue on the tape is easily caught in the punch and make it sticky. When you then use paper it can get caught and your pattern becomes ugly.

gem-match

With these paper clips you will easy match together a kit with paper clips, pen and notebook.

Material List:

Time for some tea?

If you give away tea as a gift, what can be more perfect then a card on the same theme? I have longed for this digital stamp a long time and now finally I got a reason to buy it 🙂

Time for Tea?

The frame is made of pink cardstock and measures 6×6″ (double folded). The digital stamp are from The Paper Shelter. On top of the patterned paper (from Maja Design) you find a piece of white cardstock that I have embossed.

Time for tea?

The little tea holder are from a kit with buttons. I have cut off the loop at the back.

Time for tea?

A small pile of mixed flowers. For once I haven’t used any roses (I’m totally blind to the buds, they are not real roses😉 )
The purple and white flowers come with a pearl in the middle, so I matched them by attaching tiny micro beads with Glossy Accent on my big flower.

Time for tea?

My embossed pattern was just begging for beads. Each bead is glued separately and I used a toothpick to dab the glue on the paper before I mounted the bead. The beads are more white than yellow in reality.

Time for tea?

The digital stamp are colored in with Promarkers, and the hole list of colors are:

Apple Meadow Green
Soft Green Pebble Blue
Spice Cerise
Pink Pearl Dusky Pink
Pink Carnation Blossom
Fuchia Pink Ginger
Yellow Sunflower
Canary Lemon
Pale Pink Baby Pink
Powder Blue

 

 Material list:

 

 

Freebie – Polaroid frames for Silhouette

I use this frames in my Project Life Album. When each new month starts I create a bigger page with that month frame.
The frames uses both the knife and the Sketch pens from Silhouette.

Polaroid frames for Silhouette

I have split the file in two, so you will find six month in each file.
In the Zip-file you find:
2 files fore Silhouette Studio (V3)
2 images that shows what easch file contains
1 Read Me.pdf. It’s important that you read this file. I don’t have many rules, but I want you to follow the ones I have.

polaroid-frames-blog-eng-2

Polaroid frames for Silhouette Studio

 

Challenge in Blue, Red, Yellow and White

Just in time for Midsummer, I participated in a challenge on Facebook. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the rules, but I think it was:
Using the colors blue, yellow, red and white (or if it was green)
Two handmade strawberry
The text Glad Midsommar (Happy Midsummer)
A little more advanced folding

Card - Happy Midsummer

I chose to do a Criss Cross card in a little more elongated version than the square.
The card body is light blue Cardstock and the Patterned paper are from a 6×6” paper pad from Maja Design.

Card - Happy Midsummer

Around the card runs a red ribbon with red swirls. I have done my strawberries with shrink plastic that I’ve colored with ProMarker (Berry Red, Black) before I shrank it.

Card - Happy Midsummer

My image comes from Far Far Hill and one of the kits with Pin-Ups. It was a good substitute when I didn’t had the inspiration to color my own.

Card - Happy Midsummer

There’s room for a greeting on the big tag that’s made of blue and white cardstock and decorated with lace, bow and my second strawberry.

Material list

More pages to my PL-binder

This isn’t going fast. I get stuck with everything pretty you to do with PL. I can sit for hours on Pinterest and look for ideas if I didn’t watch my self.
I have created a new board where I collect things that I like to do with the PL, especially Sn@p because I use one of there binders.
Project Life - Januaris Titel page
I have mentioned that I worked some with my own cutting files to PL, This Polaroid frame are one of those. They will come up here in the blog at the end of this week I hope, or maybe later tonight 🙂
This is the first page for January. I used cardstock, patterned paper, a little bling and my Silhouette. January is written with Silhouette Sketch Pen.
I’ve done the little calendar in two variants. One with the month printed and one without (the one I have used here). They will also come here in the blog, I just have to find time to make all months :). The calender will go from Monday to Sunday.
Project Life - Januari Polaroid frame
The frame is like a Polaroid, and you might as well put a picture in it.
I’ve printed the calendar on cardstock and then filled in a bit about what happened during the month, including the coldest day. Where it became very empty, I put a piece washi tape as little decoration.
Project Life - Hole page Januari
The back of the title page became a small Layout. It’s fun to mix in all possible techniques in this. I used a cardstock as base and put lace on the edges. I’ve made the small journaling card, including a digital paper from Peppermint Creative, the series is called Frozen Slush. I’m sorry I can not share it with you all. Around my photos you find a narrow edge with glitter glue.
Project Life - June Titel page
June has also got a title page. I jump wildly between months when I’m doing this. I pick a picture I have inspiration on right then and go on.
The page’s done in the same way as January’s title page. The border is the strip on the edge of the paper I have used.
Project Life - June Polaroid Frame

Material List:

Project Life

I have always said that I should stay away from Project Life (PL), just like I said I would not start scrapping. I must say it didn’t go very well with any of those promises”. I’m not yet in love with PL, but I’m probably on the way. At least that much that I yesterday bought more pockets for my binder.

I‘m not going to be so crazy that I make a picture a day or a spread a week. Then I would not have time for anything else. My plan is to do a monthly basis, with a couple of pictures from every month. So far, I have begun January, which was pretty boring, and made a page for June, which was much more fun 🙂

Project Life - 3x4

For January I picked a couple of photos, some pockets just got a picture with a date and some I manage to write some journaling to. The other side of this page is not ready yet, so I show you that at a later date. It is not so much the PL of my job yet, but I will get there.

Project Life - 3x4

Something I‘ve decided, is that at the beginning of each month I will write some kind of summary of the month. I must also remember which font I use so that I can share it with you here….

 

Project Life - 3x4

I’ve done a lot of PL-work the last few weeks (that why I haven’t written anything here), but nothing in my album. I have done some work with my Silhouette and will share it with all of you as soon as I used it my self.

Project Life - 2x2

I made my funny side with the photos from a walk on Royal Djurgården. The pockets are pretty small, 2×2 , but it turned out much better than I thought. The text is written with Sketch Pen by the Silhouette. The fonts are narrow so it looks as if it is just one line.

Project Life - 2x2

The Material list is unfortunately not complete this time.

Material list: