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PATCHWORK OWLS
ISSUE 281 JULY 2015
35+ur fave 106 Creative Ideas All yo side! We know you’ll love this summer techniques in NEW CARDS
STAR CRAFTER
Debbie Shore’s Sew-Quick Tricks
SWEET MOTIFS TO COPY
Share it! CAKE SLICE BOXES
Paint it!
Money spinners TOP TIPS FOR SELLING ONLINE
SEWING MACHINES ON TEST H BABY KNITS Plus... H CRAFT HOLIDAY SPECIAL H CRAFTY KIDS’ PARTIES
JULY 2015
in this issue.. REGULARS
100
12 OVER TO YOU
Share makes and stories with your fellow CB readers
18 INSPIRATION FOR JULY
See what we’re loving this month
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29 AT HOME WITH JULIE
& WENDY
The ladies get set for summer with fun, easy holiday makes
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38 OUR PAPERCRAFT HERO
Embrace this summer’s feather trend
55 YOUR REALLY USEFUL
CRAFT TIPS
CB readers offer their creative advice
57 HANDMADE HOME
CARDS & PAPER
76 ASK THE EXPERTS
15 5 WAYS WITH... OFFICE SUITE
102 NET SAVVY
21 POP-UP PARTY
112 COMING NEXT MONTH
31 LUNCHTIME MAKE
122 BEHIND THE CAMERA
43 BLOSSOM TIME
Host a smashing outdoor party for kids
Tricks and tips from our team of craft designers
We take a look at wonderful places to visit online Find out what our August issue has in store
Leonie Pujol divulges what she’s been up to
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Combine various motifs to create stylish greetings Score and cut a collection of fun birthday greetings
Flock to bright colours to create ontrend flamingo cards
Capture holiday mementoes with Sizzix dies
44 FEATHER TOUCH
Stamp and emboss a vintage-themed stationery set
72 DRAW STRAWS
Organise a soiree with these paper straw invitations
106 BERRIED TREASURE
Enjoy our papercrafts inspired by summer berries
PEOPLE & PLACES 52 COLOUR ME HAPPY
Try your hand at art therapy - it’s the perfect anti-stress craft!
78 CREATIVE ESCAPES
Which crafting holiday will you experience?
STITCH SPECIAL 63 READY, STEADY, SEW!
We test sewing machines and talk with GBSB winner Matt Chapple
64 IN THE GARDEN
Create a patchwork and cross-stitch cushion this summer
66 FLORAL TOTE
Wow with an easy reversible bag by Debbie Shore
68 DELIGHTFUL DRESS
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Stitch up a sweet A-line dress for a girl
103 RAG DOLL MOLLY
Sew a super sweet dolly to create a little one’s new friend
Share it! with the rest of the CB community via 4 CRAFTS-BEAUTIFUL.COM
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FREEBIES & PRIZES 7 HOW TO USE YOUR FREE GIFT
Use your FREE Debbi Moore stamps to create a range of greetings
26 FREEBIES & OFFERS
We’ve got a fab £1,585 worth of prizes this month!
50 BAKING
40 SARA NAUMANN’S MASTERCLASS
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Make your online shop stand out with Camilla Westergaard’s advice Keep your shelf tidy with these owl bookends
LEARN & MAKE
KNITTING
JEWELLERY
MIXED MEDIA
89 BEAD BOUTIQUE
Give cards a neat finish with matching stamps and dies
64
Knit a snazzy Fair Isle waistcoat for a little one
Enjoy a DIY outdoor party with our favourite finds
Decorate using a letter coiling technique
32 EASY DIE AND STAMP DESIGNS
Bake and decorate Peggy Porschen’s heavenly treat
100 TOASTY TOTS
48 BIRTHDAY SURPRISE
24 ELIZABETH MOAD QUILLS
11 CRAFT CRUSH
86 MAKE & SELL
This month we look at the ins and outs of this material
BROWSE & BUY
85 SHOP TALK WITH FOLKSY
74 VANILLA CAKE
49 7 STEPS TO… POLYMER CLAY
MAKE & SELL
Stencil embossing’s made easy with our breakdown
Add zing to party papercrafts with Posca Pens’ vibrant colour palette
50 FAUX MOSAIC
90 KEEP IT NATURAL
Paint wooden beads to create a stylish African-inspired set
93 ORIENTAL BLOOM
Make a gorgeous polymer clay garden set
81 FLORAL HOME
Embrace the nautical trend with seaside beads
Flourish your adobe with gorgeous decoupaged trinkets
Try a new technique to make soutache pieces
97 JEWELLERY SCHOOL
Start making jewellery with our guide to basic techniques
Brands we love!
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50 43 63
44
www.crafts-beautiful.com CRAFTS-BEAUTIFUL.COM 5
sponsored by
Faux mosaic
Make a gorgeous garden set from polymer clay with Ellen Kharade’s tutorial
Use the same techniques to make two lovely flowerpots
Sta rt wi t h ...
b Polymer clay, Fimo Soft b Texture sheet, Fimo Accessories: Oriental, Meadow b Polymer clay adhesive b Paint, acrylic, white b Terracotta pots and saucers b Lollipop sticks b Mosaic fix adhesive b Mosaic fix grout b Tissue blade, Fimo Accessories b Scalpel b Cutter, fondant, 1cm square b Stamps, alphabet See our Shopping List opposite
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Mixed Media Mosaic Saucer
1 clay and roll out into a
Condition pink polymer
rectangle, 5cm x 9cm and 3mm thick. Using a tissue blade, chop the clay into 1cm squares. Cut some in half. In the same way, make a batch of yellow and green mosaics. Create a smaller amount of pink and green mosaics and emboss them with either a small decorative stamp or the end of a felt tip pen top. Cut a card circle, 4cm. Roll out blue clay, 5cm square, to a thickness of 3mm. Press an Oriental texture sheet into it until you get a good impression. Place the card template over an interesting section of the motif and cut around it using a scalpel. Bake all pieces to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once cool, rub white acrylic paint over the textured pieces so it sits within the pattern, leave to dry for a few minutes, then rub away the excess with a damp cloth. Apply mosaic adhesive to the back of the round decorative piece and stick to the centre of a terracotta saucer. Do the same for the mosaic tiles and adhere around the central piece. Continue gluing down the tiles, alternating the colours and using the half
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pieces as necessary until covered. Leave to dry. Wearing rubber gloves, mix up grout to the manufacturer’s instructions. Push it into all of the little gaps between the mosaics, then scrape away any excess. Leave to dry out for 20 minutes and rub over the surface with a rough cloth.
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Leave for another 20 minutes and repeat the process until the tiles are clear of grout – if necessary, rub with a damp cloth. Once dry, buff the mosaics with a dry cloth.
Plant Markers
1 roll into a 3mm sheet.
Condition pink clay and
Emboss with a Meadow texture sheet, then cut out two ovals. Apply a little Bake and Bond adhesive to the backs of the pieces and sandwich a lollipop stick between the two. Roll out two thin sausages of pink clay and twist together to form a rope. Apply adhesive to the outer edge of the oval and wrap the
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rope around the shape, then trim the ends to fit and bake. Roll out a 3mm sheet of blue clay and stamp a herb name into it. Trim the letters using a fondant cutter and stick across the front of the oval using a little adhesive. Add a mini flower for decoration and bake. CB
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Shopping List
Fimo Soft polymer clay and Fimo Accessories texture sheets, 0845 600 5930, staedtler.co.uk Bake and Bond polymer clay adhesive, Metal Clay Ltd, 01929 481541, metalclay.co.uk
Fun with Fimo
Essential to this project is a texture sheet. Available in packs of two, the sheets are designed to create imprints into polymer clay. They’re made from flexible, high quality material for durability and ease of use. They are also transparent, which allows users to line up patterns accurately for a seamless join. Perfect results every time! For more information, visit staedtler.co.uk or call 0845 600 5930.
CRAFTS-BEAUTIFUL.COM 51
Draw straws
Invite friends and family to a summer soiree with these exciting paper straw cards
Tip
TRIM STRAWS TO THE DESIRED LENGTH USING A SCALPEL, GENTLY ROLLING THE STRAW WHILE CUTTING THROUGH FOR AN EVEN FINISH
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Cards & Paper
Sta rt wi t h ...
b Straws, various colours b Paper pad, Summer, American Crafts b Adhesive letters, Shin Dig, Doodlebug b Ribbon, grosgrain: yellow, orange b Twine, white b Card, white b Punch, hole b Adhesives See our Shopping List below
Fruity Fun
1 down the left edge of A6
Stick blue patterned paper
card. Adhere a red dot print to the remaining section. On the reverse, fix zig zag paper. Type and print party invitation details onto white card, trim, then layer onto a green pattern. Adhere on top of the zig zag paper. Cut a large circle from yellow paper and a slightly smaller one from white card. Trim a second yellow circle, slightly smaller than the white, and cut into eight equal-sized curved triangles. Stick onto the white, leaving tiny gaps
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between the shapes. Adhere this to the larger yellow circle. Repeat this process to make a slightly smaller lime shape and a smaller lemon one. Stick to the card using double-sided tape and 3-D foam pads. Trim a silver and white straw, 17cm long, and fold
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How to make... A PARTY INVITE 1
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a long strip of orange paper around it. Secure the two ends together using doublesided tape and stick adhesive letters across to spell ‘PARTY’. Trim an inverted ‘v’ at the end of the strip. Tie yellow grosgrain ribbon above and below the orange panel, then fix orange ribbon below. Trim the ends with sharp scissors. Add 3-D foam pads to the back of the orange panel and glue the straw between the join in the papers to complete.
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Party Bunting
1 quarters of A6 card with Cover the top three-
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sky patterned paper. Stick green onto the remaining section. On the reverse, add an ice-cream print. Adhere yellow grosgrain ribbon over the join of papers on the front. Secure the ends on the back, in the centre. Add invitation details as before. Trim five ribbon shapes from various papers and punch two tiny holes in the top of each one. Cut two orange straws, 9cm tall. Pierce a tiny hole through both sides of each near the top and thread white twine through one. Thread the ribbon shapes
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“Make quirky straw easels to accompany the cards – they’re super quick and fun! ” Tracey Daykin-Jones, Designer
onto the twine and pass through the top of the other straw. Secure with glue. Stick 3-D foam pads to the backs of the ribbon shapes and adhere the whole piece to the centre of the card, gluing the straws down. Affix letters to the bunting to spell out ‘PARTY’. Tie a bow of yellow ribbon around the horizontal strip to finish. CB
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Shopping List Summer papers and adhesive letters, visit americancrafts.com for stockists CRAFTS-BEAUTIFUL.COM 73
Delightful dress Stitch up a sweet A-line dress for a little girl with this tutorial by Kirsty Hartley
“I’m inspired by simple nostalgic imagery and Scandinavian design, but above all I love to use bold colours – little ones adore them!” Kirsty Hartley, Designer
68 CRAFTS-BEAUTIFUL.COM
Stitch Special
Sta rt wi t h ... b Fabric: dressmaking, lining b Thread, sewing, matching b Tailor’s chalk b Zip, 18cm (optional)
-----See our Shopping List overleaf
Cutting Out
1 or copy the pattern for the Print from your computer
A-line dress on our pattern pages, following the lines for the correct size. Make a pattern for the front, with the neck sitting lower, and another for the back. Press your chosen fabric, arrange it on a flat surface, then make sure the grain lines on the pattern are parallel to the selvedge. Mark around the pattern pieces using tailor’s chalk, adding 1cm all around but 2cm at the hem. Trim the pieces out carefully. Cut the back of the dress in two halves, allowing for a 1cm seam running down the centre back into which you will add a zip. To make the dress with facings on the neck edge and armholes, cut facing patterns by drawing a straight
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Tip
IF YOU ARE USING PRINTED FABRIC, TAKE CARE THAT THE DIRECTION OF THE PATTERN IS THE SAME FOR EACH PIECE WHEN CUTTING THE MATERIAL
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line across the body patterns 4cm below the armholes. To make a fully lined dress, cut a complete dress from lining. It needs to be at least 2cm shorter in length. The rest of the instructions are given for this version, with facings, but the method for the lined dress is the same.
Pockets
1 pockets. Overlock the Cut out one or two
edges and press them under by 1cm. Fold the top of the pocket back twice by 1cm and press. Topstitch to secure. Place the pocket on the front and pin. Topstitch around the side and bottom edges, backstitching at the start and finish. Add a small triangle shape of stitches at each top corner to make the opening secure.
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Sewing Facings Place the front facing and dress front right sides together, pin and sew around the neck and armhole openings. Snip the curved edges to within 2mm from the seam. Turn through and press.
Zipped Back
1 edges and place right sides Overlock the centre back
together. Mark the length of the zip along the opening from the top of the neckline downwards. Sew a seam from
Turn over CRAFTS-BEAUTIFUL.COM 69
the bottom of the dress up to this point. Next, press the seam open and continue to press the seam allowance right to the top. Pin the zip into position. Following your sewing machine manual, select the correct setting and foot to sew the zip into place, 5mm from the edge. Repeat step 1 by sewing the centre back of the facing. Place the dress back and facing right sides together and sew around the neckline and armholes. Clip the curved edges to give a neat finish. Turn through and press. To sew the facing into place around the zip, hand stitch or carefully machine stitch by sewing over the original stitches, working with the right side of the dress, but this time through all layers to secure the lining into place.
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Finishing
1 dress front and back right Place the turned-through
sides together, matching the shoulder seams so all four shoulder edges meet. Sew the four layers together, 1cm from the edge at the shoulder point. Pin the side seams, right sides of the dress and right side of the facing together, carefully matching at the armhole seam. Sew and press. Overlock raw edges as required. Turn out and topstitch around the neck and armholes, 1cm from the edge. Press. Finish the hem edge by turning 1cm, then another 1cm to the wrong side and stitching down. Topstitch around the arm and neck edges, 5mm from the edges, taking care at the curved edges. CB
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Reader
Details This project has been adapted from Wild Things: Funky Little Clothes To Sew by Kirsty Hartley (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ÂŁ20).
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Shopping List
Alternative dressmaking fabrics, Sewbox, 01787 269366, sewbox.co.uk
Tailor’s chalk and zip, Sew Crafty,
01628 620703, sewcraftyonline.co.uk
7 STEPS TO
Polymer clay WE LOOK AT THE INS AND OUTS OF THIS MODELLING MATERIAL
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Clay basics
The wonderful thing about polymer clay is that you can transform it into almost anything! This man-made material can be set in an oven and comes in a large selection of types and colours to suit all. It can be rolled and shaped to create buttons, sculptures, jewellery, embellishments and much more.
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THE TOOLS
There are lots of tools out there, but you’ll only need a few to get started. You’ll even have most of them in your kitchen such as knives, shaped cutters, a glass chopping board and an oven. Acrylic rolling pins are best as their wooden counterparts may leave fibres in the clay and blemish the surface.
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On the surface
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Fingerprints can be useful for adding texture to some designs, but if you want a smooth finish, dip a paintbrush into a water and rubbing alcohol mix, then brush over the surface before washing off. Alternatively, bake then buff using light grade sandpaper. Running a sheet of clay through a pasta machine also gives it a lovely, even result.
STARTER MAKES
easy to make. Canes are very e ones are mad e ey Simple bulls d an r de lin cy clay by creating a n a sheet. You ca wrapping it in er th ge to them forge many of ns ers and patter w flo te ea cr to use to s ce into sli before cutting ake m to t an w u yo in projects. If tise ac pr to u’ll need sculptures, yo apes. sh t ou g in th oo rolling and sm
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Learn more
There are plenty of how-to guides in books and online articles, which list everything from the basics to in-depth tutorials. You could also attend a workshop, for example at carolblackburn.co.uk or through the British Polymer Clay Guild at bpcg.org.uk.
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Get ready
Clays come in hard, prepackaged blocks th at need to be worked with yo ur hands to soften before rolling out. Some clays will be stiffer than ot hers, so you’ll need to experiment to find the type that is right for you. If you overwork it and it becomes mus hy, soak the excess oil out by sand wiching it between sheets of pa per until it’s suitable to work with .
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ARTISTIC TOUCH
If you want to get extra arty after your makes are set, you can try painting them. Acrylic paints are great value for money and ideal to use. You’ll want to add a base coat in white or black, then layer to achieve your desired look. Fine marks may be drawn on using a non-alcoholic marker pen instead. You may want to apply a glaze to the surface too.
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KIT LIST 5
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4 2 1 Lisa Pavelka Magic-Glos, 01138 150050, craftcellar.co.uk 2 Fimo polish set, 0845 100 1122, cooksongold.com 3 Sculpey slicer, craftmill.co.uk 4 Fimo Soft in Raspberry, 020 7993 5479, craftyarts.co.uk 5 Sculpey Bake & Bond, metalclay.co.uk CRAFTS-BEAUTIFUL.COM 49