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No.1 for Crafters!
35 Crafty Ways WITH CARD & PAPER!
Issue 279 May 2015 £4.99
e tiv ea Cr t Ge WITH YOUR KIT
S JECT O R P NUSO TRY! O B T 8
PAPER PIECING H PRETTY PATCHWORK H PARCHMENT CRAFT H NAPKIN DECOUPAGE
Tried & Tested APPLIQUÉ ROSES
102 +Bright SpringIdeas
WE KNOW YOU WILL LOVE TO MAKE!
£4.99
TECHNIQ
ISSUE 279 MAY 2015
20 TOUPES
BEHIND THE CAMERA WITH CRAFTERS’ FAVE
Dean Wilson Gift it! FAB ROCKER CARDS
Send it! EASY-STITCH TOPPERS
Foxy motifs to cut out and keep Copy it!
BABY KNITS SWEET BOOTEE & HEADBAND SET INSIDE
HOW TO CHEAT AT GILDING H FREE DOWNLOADS Plus... H ONE KIT 5 WAYS H WEDDING MAKES H EXPERTS Q&A
ContentsMay15 qx_Crafts Project Template 23/03/2015 08:50 Page 1
MAY 2015
in this issue.. REGULARS
12 OVER TO YOU Share makes and stories with your fellow CB readers
18 INSPIRATION FOR SPRING Get creative this month with our selection of seasonal ideas
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29 AT HOME WITH JULIE & WENDY Our fave TV crafters create wedding finery
34 OUR PAPERCRAFT HERO Katie Skilton makes stylish mementos for upcoming nuptials
52 ASK THE EXPERTS
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Tricks, tips and handy know-how from our team of top craft designers
55 YOUR REALLY USEFUL CRAFT TIPS
CB readers offer their creative advice
57 HANDMADE HOME Give your home a cool, summery look with the colour blue
84 CORINNE'S CRAFT SPACE
15 5 WAYS WITH... ME-OLOGY See how Keren Baker used this collection to make five smashing cards
21 FEATHER GREETINGS
Corinne Bradd talks embroidery threads and coloured-in horses
Create a selection of uplifting plumage cards
94 NET SAVVY Celebrate the darling buds of May with freebies and inspiration from the web
114 COMING NEXT MONTH See what treats we've got in store for you in our June issue
122 BEHIND THE CAMERA Stephanie Weightman talks us through what she's been loving
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CARDS & PAPER
38 DECADENT FLORALS Combine stamping and paper piecing to make a set of luxury spring designs
40 FAUX WATERCOLOUR No painting skills? No problem! Just use water-based pens and a brush to get started
70 HOUSE PROUD New homeowners will love receiving this fun rocker card
86 LUNCHTIME MAKE Team die-cut elements and bold patterns to create a retro greeting
106 SPRING CHICKENS Dot these fun critters about your home for a playful, country-style look
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42 PEOPLE & PLACES 42 CB CHATS WITH DEAN WILSON Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at Create and Craft's Dean Wilson
78 CREATIVE KIDS Give every child the chance to run away with their imagination with our inspiring read
91 A DAY IN THE LIFE Professional papercutter Louise Firchau tells us all about her business
STITCHING 74 MAKE & SELL Stitch our copyright-free patchwork pencil case
76 HOME SWEET HOME Sew a charming envelope cushion for a housewarming gift or yourself
81 SOWN WITH LOVE Jot down the year's planting themes in our appliqué notebook
96 MADE BY YOU: VINTAGE THROW Stitch a gorgeous blanket for picnics or nippy evenings this summer
112 SEW SIMPLE STORAGE Personalise your fabric creations with painted lettering
Share it! with the rest of the CB community via 4 CRAFTS-BEAUTIFUL.COM
ContentsMay15 qx_Crafts Project Template 23/03/2015 08:50 Page 2
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FREEBIES & PRIZES 7 HOW TO USE YOUR FREE GIFT Our amazing quilling comb is the perfect tool for weaving intricate shapes
26 FREEBIES & OFFERS Love a crafty giveaway? We have over £2,300 worth of prizes to win!
30 BROTHER SCANNCUT GIVEAWAY Win one of three fantastic Brother ScanNCut machines worth £449 each!
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LEARN & MAKE
MIXED MEDIA
24 ELIZABETH MOAD QUILLS
44 CIRCUS KEEPSAKES
Master the art of husking and weave a range of intricate gift accessories
32 PAPER PIECING MASTERCLASS Layer up your images to make a cute paper pieced fox character
49 7 STEPS TO... PARCHMENT CRAFT This month we take a look at what you need to start parchment crafting
72 SARA NAUMANN'S MASTERCLASS Give your cards a luxe look with our cheat's guide to gilding
BROWSE & BUY
BAKING
Roll up, roll up! Celebrate the arrival of a new baby with this entertaining set
63 CROSS-STITCH STORAGE Paint and sew your way to organisation with these dinky containers
67 BLOCK PRINTING
92 SUGARCRAFT OWL Whip up a colourful, friendly fellow for a special occasion with Renshaw
KNITTING 98 BABY BUNTING Little ones will look darling in a headband and booties designed by Susan Campbell
Use gorgeous Indian printing blocks to achieve unique results on fabric
87 FIMO TEALIGHTS Love stunning table accessories? Make your own using this papercutting method
FIND FREE TEMPLATES FOR THIS ISSUE AND MORE ON OUR WEBSITE
100 DELICATE DECALS
11 CRAFT CRUSH Be inspired to host a handmade wedding with these extra special touches
Transfer pretty imagery onto teacups and saucers
103 PRETTY IN PRINT
crafts-beautiful.com
Jill Alblas mixes up papier mache and napkin decoupage
Brands we love! 26
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40 www.crafts-beautiful.com
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Circus
Keepsakes Roll up, roll up! Celebrate the arrival of a new tot with a selection of painted nursery makes
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Mixed Media
Tip WHEN USING A FINETIPPED PAINTBRUSH, MAKE SURE NOT TO OVERLOAD THE HAIRS AND WASH IT REGULARLY
Sta rt wi t h ... b Card: white, A3; red b Paints: Artiste Acrylic, sand; white; black; navy; Crown, English Fire; Habitat, Mustard; Dulux, Blue Reflection b ProMarkers: Cool Aqua, Yellow, Warm Grey, Burnt Orange, Berry Red, Indigo, Dusky Pink b Ink-pads: blue, red, yellow b Stamps, Papermania, Carnival Alphabet b Cord: black, red b Paintbrushes, various b Money box, wooden See our templates on the pattern pages
Circus Card Copy or print a tent image
1 onto white card and colour using ProMarkers. Score and fold white, A3, at 12.7cm intervals to create a tri-fold card. Stick the tent to the front and cut out a curved roof, making sure the panels behind are also shaped. Print or write a 'Roll Up Roll Up' sentiment onto a hoop, then
“Need lots of people to sign this card?” Simply add and fold extra panels to make space for more messages Helen Fitzjohn, Designer
trim and fix to the front of the to the sides, then fix yellow stars to the middle section. tent using 3-D foam pads. Copy and enlarge a Create and colour seal, trapeze artist, colour, horse and elephant then trim out and fold characters. Make triangle at the legs. stands by cutting card, Tie red cord to 3cm x 13cm, black card, 0.5cm x 7cm, to make a mini trapeze and fix the artist on. Attach to the inside of the card using foam pads. Write or print off a sentiment related to a new baby and glue to the circus hoop centre. Stick red card strips vertically inside the card. Create two ‘congratulations’ panels and adhere
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then score and crease at 4cm, 2cm, 2cm and 4cm intervals. Make a valley fold on the 2cm lines, then adhere behind each animal at the base. Include these animals in the envelope, so that they can be used for extra decorations.
Money Box Mix sand paint with white and
1 apply a coat to a wooden
money box. Leave to dry, then paint another layer. Once fully dry, trace the templates onto the surface and paint using bright colours. You should have one side with only bunting at the top. Draw fine details onto the animals using a very small brush. Paint random stripes to the top, leave to dry, then add. To create shadows, mix a little black paint to the shade you're using and apply where needed. Once dry, spray with varnish.
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Bunting Print out as many trapeze
1 characters as you need to
spell a name onto white, then colour. Stamp letters from the name onto white, cut out,
then stick to the middle of the circus hoops. Score and fold the legs of the figures, then cut each one out. Hang on a length of black cord to finish. CB
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Come one, come all! Want more carnival-themed craft supplies? The Vintage Circus range by Scrap Berry’s is a perfect funfair for all to get creative with! For more information, visit scrapberrys.com
Shopping List Alphabet stamps, One Stop Craft Shop, 01908 227001, onestopcraftshop.com
Wooden money box, Daisymoon Designs, 07905 322060, daisymoondesigns.co.uk
Artiste Acrylic Paint, Curtisward, 020 8979 5233, curtisward.com
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Cards & Paper
Feather greetings Stamp and cut a selection of bright, uplifting plumage greetings
“Stamp and cut lots of these feathers onto pretty papers and fix to a polystyrene wreath – you could make one for every season!” Colette Smith, Designer
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Start with... b Card b Paper, Doodlebug, Kraft in Color b Stamps, Waltzingmouse Stamps, Fine Feathers b ProMarkers b Ink-pad b Dies, Sizzix, Framelits Circles b Embellishments b Pens b Adhesives
Wings Are Showing Colour and blend a rainbow onto a white card semi-circle using markers. Stamp seven various feathers and cut out. Arrange the feathers onto the shape as shown, then add an eye and beak. Mount striped yellow to a blank. Trim scallops along one edge of white and patterned turquoise and glue to the bottom. Stick the bird to the front using foam tape. Draw legs, then borders around the edges. Stamp a sentiment and dot a few gems.
Earned Your Wings Cover a blank with pale grey and hexagon paper, then stamp a sentiment. Create two fishtail banners and a pink gingham scalloped length, then fix to the left of the hexagons. Stamp large black feathers onto coloured card. Highlight the quills with white. Cut and fix to the blank. Thread black twine through a button and tie into a bow. Glue to the end of the feathers and finish with gems.
In Fine Feather
Shopping List
Fine Feathers stamps, Waltzingmouse Stamps,
028 9258 6349, waltzingmousestamps.com
Doodlebug papers, The Glitter Pot, 01444 247644, theglitterpot.co.uk
Framelits dies, Sizzix, sizzix.co.uk
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Flick the chisel nib of a magenta marker from left to right onto white to form a block of colour, then with mandarin going from right to left. Continue alternating with the remaining colours, allowing the colours to overlap. Trim the panel, then stamp five feathers and a sentiment to it. Matt green onto a top-folding blank. Mount the feather panel to the front. Wrap twine around the top and tie a bow to the left. CB
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at home with
In the Spotlight
JULIE &WENDY TV crafters Julie Peasgood and Wendy Turner-Webster create wedding finery and try a little creative upcycling...
This month Julie and Wendy manage to squeeze a little crafty recreation into their busy filming schedule for the hit TV show, Crafty Beggars. Their handmade wedding adornments and candle holders created from tin cans are perfect for early summer BBQs!
Wendy: I am the owner of a pair of shredding or herb cutting scissors, but to date have neither shredded any paper nor cut any herbs! What I have used them for, however, is the cutting of drinks cans to create candle holders. The shredding effect reminds me of grass skirts and I know they will come into their own to light up a dusky (and dare I say balmy?!) evening. They are a great way to recycle and, like most crafting projects, once you’ve made one you can’t stop! The only problem now is that when I go around the supermarket looking for some fizzy drinks, I find myself drawn to the colour and design of the cans rather than their contents!
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May is proving an exciting month for us as the first series of Crafty Beggars is now being repeated on the inspirational Community Channel. This means it’s also on Freeview and BBC iPlayer for any viewers who may have missed it on TLC first time around! We are also in development for a documentary about Shoe-Aid, a wonderful Charity that sends shoes to millions of people in Africa who desperately need them. And last but not least, we’re travelling to Mexico to film rescued spider monkeys who fall foul of the illegal pet trade. The sanctuary we’re visiting is called The Jungle Place and it’s the chosen charity for our company Good Turn Productions to support. With masses to prepare for our forthcoming adventures, have we found any time for crafting? Well, admittedly we’ve been burning the midnight oil (aided by some rather nice pink Prosecco and rather too many chips) but the answer is yes!
Julie: My friend Emma is determined to make everything for her big day from the cake toppers to the wedding dress! To support her impressive crafting display, I decided the least I could do was to make my own fascinator. Hmmm. Easier said than done. Much research and many trials later (and thankfully with a little help from a milliner friend who came to the rescue) we created this froth of feathers, sequins and net which I’d stained with the finest Earl Grey. It perches on my head like it’s about to take flight and I just hope Em likes it too!
CRAFTING HELPS US CHILL WHEN IT’S ALL A BIT CRAZY – WE BOTH FIND IT THERAPEUTIC AND AN EXCELLENT ANTIDOTE TO STRESS. WE’VE HAD A LOT OF LAUGHS TOO, TRYING TO COME UP WITH A NOVEL FASCINATOR FOR THE WEDDING THAT JULIE IS ATTENDING IN JUNE, AND WITNESSING WENDY’S ‘GRASS SKIRTS’ WITH A DIFFERENCE…
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Join us!
Crafty Beggars is currently on Community Channel – Freeview 63 • Freeview HD 109 • Sky 539 • Virgin 233 • Freesat 651 For all the latest news, visit CraftyBeggars.tv @CraftyBeggarsTV Craftybtv
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“People think I come off set, go to my dressing room and drink champagne – but that’s not the case” Editor Sarah Crosland presents Dean with his well-deserved accolade at The Craft Awards 2014
DEAN WILSON Words by Rosie Savage
You voted Dean Wilson as your Favourite Craft Celebrity in our latest Craft Awards, and we’re certainly not surprised. It’s that dazzling smile, happy-go-lucky attitude, and his ability to cover up an on-air disaster with dance moves that Fred Astaire himself would be proud of. We caught up with him just as he was coming off set, and managed to get a behind-the-scenes look into the life of this popular Create and Craft TV presenter.
e stitcher, Dean on set with ac nstrating a mo de ore Sh ie bb De ing machine top of the range sew
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A
fter just a minute or so of speaking to Dean Wilson, I find myself doubled over in hysterics. He’s telling me all about the time when Create and Craft hosted a Strictly Crafting Extravaganza to tie in with last year’s Strictly Come Dancing, and a slight mishap occurred. “I was partnered with Pollyanna Pickering, the most esteemed wildlife artist in this country, and we were in the studio together,” he explained. “The plan was to lift her off the counter, do a little waltz across the studio, leave her in the set, then I would carry on.” But that certainly didn’t happen. “She just collapsed like a sailor, straight into the set!” he exclaimed. “Knocked it over and everything else... it was a slight concern, bearing in mind that her hands are insured for £1,000,000.” But it was Dean’s natural charisma and recovery that had us all laughing, as well as his ability to tap dance at a moment’s notice. It’s clear that Dean is in love with his job, which he puts down to his adoration of live TV. “I’ve been doing it for 22 years,” he said. “And what makes it really work is the people. We’ve got a great crew and I enjoy spending time with them. It’s not just me standing in front of the camera talking either – it’s all completely interactive.” Although he enjoys his time on set, it certainly isn’t a piece of cake. When describing an average day at Create and Craft, he listed a stream of different tasks and duties. “I get to the studio for about 6am,” he explained. “I prep with my producers, get a cup of tea with them and my director, go through the show step-bystep, work out products, timings, and the demonstrations with the guest. Once that’s done, I’ll get changed, put a bit o’ slap on, make myself look respectable, have some breakfast, and then I’ll do four hours of shows.” He always looks so relaxed and admitted that his presentation style can be quite random, but he assured me that it’s all very structured. Once the show has been wrapped up, Dean described the aftermath as manic. “People think I come off set, go to my dressing room and drink champagne... but
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People & Places that’s not the case,” he explained. “I meet with the producers for the next show, do office work and voiceovers. There are loads of things really, it’s all very hands-on – it’s a reactive marketplace because we’re live.” Dean has such a huge fan base and the response from them is incredible. Just for fun once, he mentioned that he’d love his dressing room to have a glitter ball to make it a bit more showbiz – and a lady sent one in. “If I ask for something on air, I generally get it,” he said. But it’s the personal, handmade gifts that make his day. His favourite bit of fan mail included some knitted egg cosies, and he’s also been sent about 12 different poppies to wear on-air in November, all demonstrating different craft techniques. He’s not particularly crafty himself, but of course he’s picked up a huge amount of knowledge and freebies from working on the show. “I didn’t have any crafting stuff in my home at all four years ago, but that’s completely changed now,” he said. “I even bought a sewing machine last year.” He’s also got himself some Martha Stewart chalk paints and stencils to use on furniture,
which used to be a business venture of his. What he enjoys most is golf. “I’m a golfer really,” he admitted. “I’m not doing much at the moment, but that’s what I do. That’s my passion. So if any of you crafters out there need to do a golfing event, I’m your person!” He’s also besotted with his two children, 2 year-old George and 17 year-old Jack. “They take up a lot of my time,” he said fondly. “I love weekends away, and we go to Center Parcs regularly.” As for Create and Craft? We’re sure he’ll continue to put a smile on your face at every opportunity.
“I'll get changed, put a bit o' slap on and make myself look respectable”
on the
spot Tea or coffee? Tea. Chocolate or strawberries? Strawberries. Sun or snow? Ooh, sun I'd say.
The best piece of advice you've been given? Never give up. Who's your idol? Bruce Forsyth or Bob Monkhouse.
Five dream dinner Christmas or New Year's Eve? Christmas. guests? Eddie Izzard, Marilyn Monroe, Kittens or puppies? David Attenborough, I've got a dog but I Princess Diana and Elvis love cats, but then (for a sing-song after). cats... oh, puppies... it's gotta be puppies. Pet peeve? When I get home, my dog will greet Three things you me and he'll rub his couldn't live without? back all over my trousers. My toothbrush, car, It's so annoying, but plus my home and all I am turning into a of its contents. grumpy old man, so that doesn't help. What's the most recent book you've Most cherished read? Who Built The memory? Moon? by Christopher The birth of both Knight. It's a bit geeky my children. but I'm like that.
Watch Dean in action on Create and Craft TV: Sky 674 | Freeview 36 | Virgin 748 | Freesat 813 | createandcraft.tv CRAFTS-BEAUTIFUL.COM 43