Christmas decorations

Hello everyone!

 

I hope you had a good weekend :)

As we continue with the Christmas countdown at Creative Craft World

it's my turn to share a project and I have chosen to make some decorations for Christmas.

 

I used my Silhouette for these to show that the machine is not just for papercrafting.

You can cut fabric with it and although I didn't cut the felt for my decorations (I think it would be too dusty)

I made templates with the Silhouette designs.

 

Here's a photo tutorial so hopefully you will want to make your own!

 

To start with I cut out the designs from a sheet of 12x12" card

 

Then I kept the sheet of negative shapes to trace around.

 

To make this little lady...scroll on down.

 

 Lay the shape over black felt and trace around using a light coloured pencil.

 

 Lay the traced piece of felt on top of a 2nd piece of black felt (for the back and front)

and cut them out together.

 

Trace and cut out the other pieces of felt the same way.

I used black brads for eyes and stitched a nose with orange embroidery thread and added a red heart before sewing the white tummy to the black front piece with running stitches.

Sew the feet on the front piece as well.

Next lay the back and front pieces together, putting a length of doubled ribbon or twine for the hanging loop in between the pieces at the top.

Sew all around the shape leaving a small gap for stuffing.

Lightly stuff with toy stuffing and sew the gap closed.

And that's it finished!

 

 

The basic instructions are the same for all the felt decorations and you can embellish as you like.

 

 For the fabric hearts, I used a cream linen type material and used my heart nestabilites die to trace around the shape.  I then laid two pieces of fabric, right sides together and stitched following the traced line ~ make sure you leave a gap for turning right side out.  Then stuff firmly, sew up the gap and decorate with buttons and twine.

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that it made sense!

If there's anything that's not clear, just email me and I'll try to help.

 

If you don't have a Silhouette you can always use a roller die cutting machine (Cuttlebug or Sizzix)

or even draw your own templates.

 

Thank you for visiting today

and if you come back tomorrow, I'll have the link to Lou's blog where she is sharing a gorgeous Christmas layout.

 

Take care

Sarah xx

...... the Father's Day card I should have uploaded a week ago....

Hi everyone :)

I hope you're all well!

At the minute it feels like I'm continally playing catch up and it's showing on my blog....

I'm hoping as it's the 1st of June today, this month will be better!

I originally made this as a Father's Day card for my Father-in-Law

 but my as Dad's birthday was on Tuesday past,

I gave it to him instead....wasn't I glad I hadn't put 'Father's Day' on the front :) 

The papers are AMM (All My Memories) Couture collection.

The stamp, well....I removed all my stamps from their wooden blocks (for easier storage)

and now I can't tell the make of them.

If anyone knows, please tell me!

I coloured it with Copics and decoupaged bits and pieces of it.

(Will list the colours used later).

I added glossy accents to the 'water' in the jar but it's a bit hard to see.

The word 'Dad' is stamped using Studio G alphabet stamps. Do you remember those wee sets at 99p?

I don't know if you can still get them but they're great :)

There is Jubilee fever at the children's school and yesterday Phoebe's class had to dress up

as Kings and Queens in homemade cloaks and crowns.

So this week I made her a wee cloak using a fleece blanket from Ikea

and a crown from BK......

It was spur of the moment to use the blanket and I was feeling good that I'd made it as a surprise
and I couldn't wait to tell her when I collected her from school.

Her response.......Oh Mum! (rolling her eyes) The teacher says you have to use an old curtain!

Well!

That took the wind out of my sails....lol

I'm glad to say it was a different story when she laid eyes on it though

....the old curtains were soon forgotten about :)

and she showered me with hugs and kisses.

here it is

It looks like a mixture of Little Red Riding hood meets Mr Tumble! (cbeebies)

The crown....you can see where I got it from!

I covered the back and front of it with white card and then painted it with gold paint.

Phoebe raided my bottle full of gems and had a great time sticking them on :)

I apologise again for my lack of commenting.

If I had a smart phone I would be able to keep in touch more frequently.

Maybe that's what Richard's afraid of.... ;) lol

I will definitely be back tomorrow with some DT posts

one a scrapbook page and the other a card.

Hope to see you then!

Have a lovely day and take care :)

Sarah xx

My 'primitive', 'rustic', 'old-fashioned', 'country style' quilt!

Good afternoon everyone!

A while ago I showed a peek of the flannel quilt I was making

and although I finished it in March, I'm only getting the photos uploaded now,

so here it is!

I never know how to photograph quilts so I laid it over a bed....

The squares were machine sewn together but the hearts and stars and quilting were all sewn by hand.

 I love the material on the back of the quilt and you can just about see the quilted shapes in this photo.

Just a close up of the hand stitching...it really was a labour of love and it'll be a while before I do it again :)

Thank you for stopping by today :)

I'll be back tomorrow with a card.

Take care,

Sarah xx

Fabric Tote Bag (handmade)

This is the fabric tote bag I made at a class on Saturday.

Unfortunately I couldn't even begin to tell you how I made it.....I was so tired after a stressful week last week and I was a bit of a zombie that day....... :o

Apart from that, I do love the bag and because it matches the baby quilt I made here, Mum has snapped it up and it's on it's way to Australia as a changing bag for my new niece who is expected in a few weeks! (Let's hope she doesn't turn out to be a nephew!)

I do hope the class tutor sends me instructions to make another one as it's lovely and roomy and I'd love to make another just for myself.

I stuffed it with bubble wrap to help it stand up for the photo, it wouldn't behave on it's own....

Why is it that handles always seem to have a mind of their own?.....lol.

I never know what way to put them!

There are two pockets on the front and two large pockets on the back.

 Another photo of the front with the handles 'flopped to the side'....


I would love to have been brave enough to stitch it with pink or green thread but I just wasn't confident I could sew a straight line and even a little wobble would stick out like a sore thumb!

The inside of the bag is quilted while the outside is plain.

There are two contrasting pockets on the inside, one of which is stitched down the middle to make a pocket for a mobile phone.

I'm scheduling this post for this morning as Richard is away to London with work and I've packed lunches to make (I'm spoiled in that he usually does it....)

Lydia has offered to make her own.....maybe she's afraid of what I'll put in hers.....I'm definitely not the cook in our house......I can bake though......when I have to!

My confidence was rocked yesterday when Phoebe said , 'I wish you were away to London'.........

before adding.........'So I can be the mummy of the house!'

I think Caleb rubs it in just a little too much that he's the 'man of the house' when daddy is away......lol

I hope you have a lovely day

and thank you for visiting!

Sarah xx

The finished baby patchwork quilt!

Well, here it is.....

from this...

to this...

 close up of the blocks - there are 42 in all (126 rectangles)

If you'd like to make this quilt, there is a fabulous tutorial here. It is very well written and so easy to follow (even for a mathmatically challenged person like me!) I'll let you in on a secret - Lydia had to work out the measurements for me (I'm that bad at maths). In the tutorial Florence used 12 fabrics but I only had 6 - it would make for easier laying out the more you have. 

Provided my sister-in-law likes it, it will be winging it's way to Australia soon.  They are expecting a little girl after having 3 boys and we are so delighted for them.

Hope you have a lovely day and thanks for visiting!

Sarah x

Ps. I should have said it was very quick to make - just 2 days!

In my haste to make it though, I sat up very late on Monday night (nearly cross-eyed) completing the top, and when I got up on Tuesday morning (5 hours later)

- oh my word -

it was like a dogs dinner, not a straight line to be seen :( ....so Mum and I ripped out all the blocks and I started again. I finished it last night but I've learnt my lesson...I won't be sewing late at night again!

New fabric for a baby quilt

Loving this fabric!

Some of you may know that I started learning patchwork quilting last September and made a lap quilt (which I will share soon).  I love sewing as much as I love papercrafting so I'm trying to divide my time between both.  I was fortunate enough to get a fabulous sewing machine for my (40th) birthday in November and it's a pleasure to sew with :)

Mum asked me to make a baby quilt (such confidence in me not to mess it up... lol) and this is the material she chose, it's by Michael Miller and is so lovely in real life.  I have just finished the quilt tonight and will photograph it tomorrow to share on my blog. I like it so much I don't want to give it away!

Hope you are all well. Sarah x

Reindeer boxes

Hello again!

Back with more projects today :)
Thank you so much for the lovely comments yesterday - I really appreciate them :)
My back is improving, so much so that I'm back to my normal level of medication (I have an ongoing back problem from a car accident). I hope to be crafting again soon.  Helen - you would never regret buying a Silhouette Cameo - it's an amazing machine!

I made this little treat box (with the Cameo) for my father in law from the children.  He loves wine gums so we filled a cello bag and tied it with christmas twine.  The cutting file is from Silhouette's online store.  I added gingham ribbon around the bottom and two adhesive pearls for his eyes.

Warning! They can be addictive....I made four more for my nephews using googly eyes this time and bow ties.

We usually give them money for Christmas so I made mini envelopes to put it in and attached them to the back of the boxes.  I downloaded Echo Park christmas paper and cut them out using the print and cut feature in the Cameo.

I got the idea for this tic tac box here and downloaded the poem to add to the back of the packet.  I measured the tic tac box and designed the file in Silhouette Studio, cutting out the circle in the snowman and the background card to match - a circle punch would work just as well. The snowman image is from here.

I only added the poem to the ones I gave to family just in case anyone would be offended!

 I found the tutorial for this lovely lip balm holder here.

To save time cutting and scoring I made a file in Silhouette Studio which did all the hard work for me :)

 
This year Lydia's form class decided (at the last minute) to do secret santa and this is what she gave. Lip balm, tic tacs, Paperchase pen and tissues.

I made some fabric and felt Christmas tree decorations 

 and this is the bag I put them in. 

The paper is Echo Park and the bag was cut out with the Cameo, I think I bought the file from Silhouette online.

That's it for today!  I still have more but I'll save it for tomorrow :)
I've got a little time to spare so I'm off now to see your blogs.

Thank you for visiting today
Sarah x

Birthday Gift Set

Hello again!

Here I am, up early trying to snatch some time at the computer before the little ones wake up.   Am I getting it??? Would you believe it! They typically get up around 9am but this morning.......8.15am arrrrghh.  Fortunately though, they have decided to play with Lego for a while before breakfast which gives me a bit longer to post these pics :) 

I made this gift set for a friend of Lydia who had a birthday last month.  The gorgeous papers were given to me by my lovely friend Lynda.  The image is from DigiStamp Boutique Lucy Collection and is coloured with Copics.  I also coloured a clear button to match as well.  The sentiment is 'teenage angst' downloaded from urbanfonts.com.

A sour cream container made from matching cardstock, filled with sweets, sealed with double sided tape and crimped at each end. 

I resized the image, this time cutting it out and adding it to the carton with foam pads.

This sentiment is a Magnolia stamp from here.  After stamping on white card, I rounded the corners, punched a hole and tied the tag to the carton with some East of India twisted paper string. 

 This keyring was made with felt and fabric.  I cut the felt pieces with a nestabilities heart die and used a smaller die for the fabric piece. I glued the ribbon between the felt pieces with hot glue and hand stitched the hearts together with small running stitches.

the back

The gift bag is made with 2 sheets of white A4 size cardstock and a wide strip of matching paper added to the front and back.  The tag is cut out with this Sizzix die.  The glitter ribbon (for the handles) is from Marks & Spencer (christmas range)

 For another of Lydia's friends, I made these felt pins for a decorated cork board. Both girls' birthdays were on a Monday and Tuesday of the same week, so we had a frantic weekend getting it all ready.  Hopefully it was worth it!

I got the idea for these pins from Sarah at Paper and String.  I asked permission first and as they are not being made for re-sale it was fine :) I really want to make more for our own cork board but I have too many half finished projects to do first...I'm running out of space to store them all!

 The pins on the cork board.

I also stuck plain buttons on pins but it's hard to see in the photo.

That's it for today!

Thank you for visiting my blog and hello to my new followers :)  I'm afraid my blog updates are a bit erratic but I will try my best and not let too much time pass between posts....!

Sarah xx

Another Sewing project - Tilda Dog

Good Morning :)

This little project came about by accident!  When Dad was in hospital in May, Mum and I nipped over to Dunelm Mill for a wee look (for me it was mainly the craft section...)

I came across this Tilda book and I was hooked, the projects are just gorgeous...We went upstairs for some fabric and there was a sale on!  Unfortunately I was like a child in a sweet shop and bought a bit too much - who can resist a bargain....!

I tried making the hearts first (shown in my last post) but it's been a very long time since I've sewed properly with a sewing machine and my first attempts were a disaster! How do you hold on to tiny pieces of fabric without sewing over your finger??....

When I'd got the hang of the hearts, I tried the dog.  It was very fiddly but well worth it in the end...I love him to bits :)

Thank you for taking the time to visit today :)  I'll be back soon with more projects, one of which is a mini book for a class I'll be teaching at the end of the summer holidays.

Sarah x