Simply Homemade 14 by Practical Publishing

SH14 pp01 Cover UK_Layout 1 06/02/2012 10:58 Page 1

! Toft Alpaca W Kerry Lord shares top tips & E advice on all things alpaca N

£1,612

worth of prizes to be won

e e beautiful crafts for yo u and your hom Creat

Birthday treats! Stylish gift ideas Exclusive templates and designs inside

Mosaic masterclass

1ins8 8 piring

In-depth guide to this fabulous technique

ISSUE 14 UK £4.99

ideas

Inspire Imagine Create

Upcycle in style

Creative quilting

Gadget gifts

Crochet with wire

Sewing with socks!

Exclusive patterns included

Knit yours tonight

We show you how

SH pp02 SO digi version_pp 09/10/2012 14:43 Page 2

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SH14 pp03 Hello_pp 07/02/2012 10:42 Page 3

WELCOME

page

Hello... page

page

...and welcome to issue 14 of Simply a stylish assortment of irresistible designs plus all Homemade. We trust you are all well the templates you need to get started, and Julie and managing to keep warm. The Ferguson is giving her gadgets a knitted makeover on recent cold spell has had us reaching page 80. With all this and much more besides, for our hats and scarves – which were including an interview with Toft Alpaca’s Kerry Lord on all homemade of course! page 78 and Patricia Harcourt’s mouthwatering We’re celebrating Simply Homemade’s first birthday recipes for delicious cupcakes on page 60, I think I’ll this issue with a plethora of projects to keep you leave you to it. inspired and a gorgeous array of free gifts. The quintessentially cute stamps and paper pack come Have a great month courtesy of NitWit Collections and we’ve also included an exclusive template sheet to inspire you even further. Turn to pages 12 and 82 to see what we made using them. Jill Alblas delivers a mosaic masterclass on page 18 Editor and includes all the know-how you need to master diane.grimshaw@practicalpublishing.co.uk this versatile technique, while on page 26 Sally Shepherd is raiding her sock drawer to create an array of loveable soft toy characters. Crocheting with EDITOR’S C wire and beads is the order of the day for Mel Brooke HOICE on page 41, as she shows you how to create page exquisite jewellery items using your crochet skills, 22 “The colours and mosaic and we’re preparing for Mother’s Day on page 32 pattern used in this project with a contemporary collection of cards for mums of are absolutely stunning and I’d LOVE one of these tables in all ages. my garden” Su Pennick introduces us to UTEE on page 52 and if you’ve yet to discover the delights of this versatile medium, Su’s feature is not to be missed. Judith Hannington is inspired by birthdays on page 64 with

page

60 PS... If you love Simply Homemade you’ll love our sister magazines, Creative Beads & Jewellery, Papercraft Essentials, Simply Cards & Papercraft, Scrapbook Magazine, Knit now and the all-digital Complete Cardmaking – plus the craft store-only title Creative Cardmaking

page

71 EDITORIAL Editor – Diane Grimshaw Editorial Assistant – Lindsey Hopkins Art Editor – Kay Whittaker Sub-Editors – Becky Higgins, Justine Moran, Anna Wright Photographer – Tym Leckey

from We love to hear do share se ea pl so s er our read io in op ns and your thoughts, or email, or by st creations by po tson d at www.craf getting involve us g in w llo thenet.com, fo or ade on Twitter em m Ho y_ pl @Sim ge pa e ply Homemad ‘liking’ our Sim te da to to keep up on Facebook urite with your favo e in magaz

CONTRIBUTORS Jill Alblas, Mel Brooke, Julie Ferguson, Diane Grimshaw, Judith Hannington, Patricia Harcourt, Lindsey Hopkins, Kerry Lord, Su Pennick, Sally Shepherd, Gillian Sutcliffe

Simply Homemade is published by Practical Publishing International Ltd. All material © Practical Publishing International Ltd. The style and mark of Simply Homemade is used under licence from Craft Media Ltd. No material in whole or in part may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form whatsoever without the prior written consent of Practical Publishing International Ltd.

PUBLISHING & ADVERTISING Publishing Assistant – Janice Whitton janice.whitton@practicalpublishing.co.uk Group Sales Manager – Kevin Edwards kevin.edwards@practicalpublishing.co.uk Tel: 0844 826 0610 Advertising Sales Executive – Noune Sarkissian noune.sarkissian@practicalpublishing.co.uk Tel: 0844 826 0612 Advertising Co-ordinator – Rachael Edmunds Financial Director – Karen Battrick Marketing Executive – Olivia Foster Associate Publisher – Louisa Castle Publishing Director – Dave Cusick Managing Director – Danny Bowler Chairman – Robin Wilkinson

The publisher welcomes contributions from readers. All such contributions and submissions to the magazine are sent to and accepted by the publisher on the basis of a non-exclusive transferable worldwide licence unless otherwise agreed in writing prior to first publication. Such submissions are also subject to being used, reproduced, modified, published, edited, translated, distributed and displayed in any media or medium, or any form, format or forum now known or hereafter developed, for any purpose, in perpetuity.

SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES Tel: 0844 561 1203 DISTRIBUTION Newstrade – COMAG Magazine Distribution Craft Trade Distribution – Practical Publishing International Ltd Tel: 0844 561 1202 CONTACT Practical Publishing International Ltd, Unit 1 Adlington Court, Adlington Business Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire UK SK10 4NL info@practicalpublishing.co.uk www.practicalpublishing.co.uk Tel: 0844 561 1202 Fax: 01625 855011

Simply Homemade (ISSN 2045-4392) Published by Practical Publishing International Ltd

www.simplyhomemademagazine.com 3

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issue 14 78 INTERVIEW We chat to Kerry Lord, founder of Toft Alpaca, about her luxurious, fashionable and eco-friendly yarn

PRIZES GALORE We have stylish sewing storage and lots of craft show tickets to win this issue

64 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US! Judith Hannington designs a range of celebratory projects just in time for Simply Homemade’s ﬁrst birthday!

MARVELLOUS MAKES Expand your crafting skills and try one of our fabulous ideas tonight

18 TILE TECHNIQUES Jill Alblas creates gorgeous mosaic masterpieces with step-by-step guides – there’s something here for every skill level

41 WAYS WITH WIRE Mel Brooke swaps her yarn for wire and beads and crochets a fabulous array of jewellery

26 SOCK IT TO THEM! Original and cute as can be, Sally Shepherd’s sock buddies are suprisingly easy to make

80 GOT IT COVERED Whatever your favourite gadget, keep it safe and stylish in one of Julie Ferguson’s knitted covers

Step-by-step guidance through every project

FREE GIFT

Thimbles And Threads: Create your own craft basket complete with an array of creative goodies plus a fabulous ideas book using this issue’s gorgeous free gifts. Diane Grimshaw shows you how

TECHNIQUE

Mesmerising Mosaic: Traditional mosaic designs are enjoying a renaissance right now, and mastering the art is easier than you might think. Jill Alblas explains...

UPCYCLING

Top Of The Socks: Sally Shepherd is creating an array of soft toys from socks this issue, and we have all the templates you need to get started

PAPERCRAFT

Just To Say: Diane Grimshaw is planning for Mother’s Day this issue with a contemporary collection of beautiful card designs perfect for showing your appreciation

CROCHET

Live Wire: This issue Mel Brooke takes a break from yarn to show you how crochet can be

worked with wire, embellished with beads or set onto fabric to produce beautiful and unique jewellery items

CRAFT CROSSOVER

Elegantly Embossed: Su Pennick showcases the versatility of Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel this issue as she incorporates it into a stylish array of contemporary jewellery pieces you are sure to love

BAKING

CRAFT CROSSOVER

Let Them Eat Cake: Patricia Harcourt is baking party cakes this issue, perfect for celebrating our ﬁrst birthday!

Happy Birthday: With Simply Homemade celebrating its ﬁrst birthday this issue, Judith Hannington adds a celebratory twist to her fabulous makes

INTERVIEW

Toft Alpaca: This issue we catch up with Kerry Lord, founder of the Toft Alpaca label and shop in Rugby, and learn how the 26-year-old is changing the traditional face of the knitting industry with her luxury wool and fashion-savvy ready-to-wear accessories

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KNITTING

FREE GIFT

PATCHWORK

HOME DÉCOR

COMING NEXT ISSUE

Gadget Girl: House your gadgets in knitted style! Julie Ferguson shows us how

Pretty As A Picture: Create your own unique wall art using this issue’s free papers and design sheet

In Bloom: Gillian Sutcliﬀe delivers a gorgeous spring-themed wall hanging this issue that is perfect for brightening your home

Precious Memories: Lindsey Hopkins shows you how to create a gorgeous keepsake box, perfect for a gift this Mother’s Day

Next Issue: Take a sneak peek at what is coming up in issue 15 of Simply Homemade

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CONTENTS

12 FREE GIFT

18 TECHN IQUE

52 CRAFT CROSSOVER

G 80 KNITTIN

Regulars 6 What’s new? Sit back and relax as we bring you all the latest from the world of crafts

Subscription Oﬀer Win MIC goodies and show tickets

48 & 49 Shopping Your guide to what to buy and where to buy it from

Tell us what you think!

59 & 74 Giveaways

This issue we look on Folksy

We have a fantastic array of crafting goodies up for grabs this issue

16 & 17 New products

63 Events

Keeping you up to date with new products and projects

39 Follow the trend We take a look at who’s Tweeting in the crafting world

Your Free Gift!

87 PATCHWORK

47 & 94 Competitions

10 Letters 15 Found on...

26 UPCYCLING

Keep track of what’s on, when it’s on and where you’ll find it

85 Inspiring days out We bring you details of great ways to spend a day

SUBSCRIBE TO Simply Homemade and SAVE £25.95 per year. Be the first to read Simply Homemade and never miss an issue again! Turn to page 36

Interview With...

FREE! Exclusive NitWit Collections papers and clear stamp set PLUS A1 designer pattern sheet

Toft Alpaca page 78 www.simplyhomemademagazine.com 5

SH14 pp6-8 What's New_pp 06/02/2012 12:31 Page 6

What’s

new? Sit back and relax as we bring you all the latest from the fabulous world of crafts

WOW! Moss Stitch move Moss Stitch, which stocks a complete range of Artesano and Manos yarns, has recently moved from Princes Risborough Market to its own space within Creative Craft Industries (CCI) at 16 Duke Street, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire HP27 0AT. Owner Kirsty Collins will be in the shop on Mondays, Thursdays and most Saturdays to oﬀer help and guidance, but you’ll be able to pop in and buy her range of Artesano, Manos and local alpaca yarn six days a week! The move will allow Kirsty to expand her range even further and CCI will be running a

programme of knitting courses aimed at all levels alongside its quilting and other craft workshops. These will all be shown on Kirsty’s website as they become available and will cover everything from learning to knit to lace knitting, Fair Isle and ﬁnishing techniques. ♥ For more information about Moss Stitch or for details on upcoming workshops go to www.mossstitch.com or call 01494 481924

THIS MO N WE LOVE TH ...

The Gallery@Rheged is currently running an ambitious new exhibition that demonstrates how knitting and stitching can be used as a medium for contemporary art and design. The WOW (Wonder Of Wool) exhibition features work by 20 internationally renowned British contemporary artists and designers who have been inspirational in their creative uses of wool. WOW will also feature the community project Flock produced by Eden Arts, photographs from the Wordsworth Trust exhibition, A Perfect Republic of Shepherds by acclaimed photographer Fay Godwin, plus new work by Felicity Ford, Rich White, Marion Woolcott of The Wool Clip and Stewart Easton that has been specially created for the exhibition. In recognition that craft skills are traditionally passed down through generations, WOW will also feature

a hands-on making and learning area that will take the form of a sheepfold. Visitors will be able to find out about the process that a fleece goes through to make wool, learn woolcraft skills and find out more about the artists and their ideas, enabling them to fully engage with the work in the exhibition. There will also be a programme of drop-in workshops during the exhibition that will allow visitors to try out new techniques under the instruction of local knitters, spinners and weavers, including members of the Wool Clip Co-operative. ♥ The Gallery is open daily from 10.30am to 4.30pm and can be found on the top floor of the Rheged Centre in Penrith, Cumbria. The exhibition runs until Sunday 15th April. Admission is £2.50 (free for under 16s), with concessions (£1.75) for NUS card holders, OAPs and the unemployed

101 Fabric-byFabric Ways to Sew a Metre

Easter blooms If you’re looking for the perfect Easter stamps, look no further than the new Easter Blooms stamp set from Stampin’ Up! Available as a set of six images – £17.95 for clear mount or £22.95 for wood mounted – Easter Blooms features a charming silhouette image of a child on an egg hunt, plus two sentiments, decorative egg, corner adornment and spring blossom. They are ideal for seasonal greetings cards, egg hunt invitations and much more! ♥ For Stampin’ Up! product information go to www.stampinup.com

. says.. ditor E r u O Not just for Easter makes, these pretty stamps are also ideal for springtime wishes and Mother’s Day cards. We love them, and we’re sure you will too!

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Written by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins, 101 Fabric-byFabric Ways to Sew a Metre features 101 simple, modern and fun sewing projects with full-size pattern pieces included. Published by David & Charles, this new release gives helpful instructions, allowing you to follow the authors as they demonstrate how to use many diﬀerent fabrics to create both practical and decorative items for you and your home. The book is beautifully presented in hardback with wire binding and would make an ideal gift or a lovely addition to your own craft library. All you need is one metre of fabric to create each practical and decorative item. Projects include ideas with fabric from cottons to knits, oilcloth to ﬂeece, and include such creations as clothing, bags, accessories, toys, cushions, gifts and storage ideas. RRP: £19.99 ♥ Head to www.davidandcharles.co.uk or call 01626 323200 for more information

SH14 pp6-8 What's New_pp 06/02/2012 12:31 Page 7

NEWS

Knit for fun Knitting is a life skill and a great hobby to teach children to keep them entertained. There are some super knitting products available for children that are both functional and fun, including these colourful knitting needles from Pony featuring smiley faces – available in sizes 3.25, 3.75, 4 and 4.5mm and a variety of colours. You could also consider the range of French knitting bees released by Classic Knit allowing Pea Pod, Mighty, Blossom or Banana Rama Bee to bring hours of fun to any child who has been introduced to yarn crafts for the first time. Each bee comes with a pompom maker, and both are easy to use and brightly coloured. Pony knitting needles are available from £1.60 per pair and Classic Knit bees from £5.35. ♥ For stockists details email crafts@ stockistenquiries.co.uk or call 01453 883581

Life in miniature

Cake craft Shesto Ltd, world leader in quality tools and creative products for professionals and crafts enthusiasts, launched its exciting new Cassie Brown Cake Craft Range at the Creativeworld Exhibition in Germany in January. Author of the acclaimed Sugar Sensations, Cassie Brown proudly serves as an accredited demonstrator for the British Sugarcraft Guild. The award-winning food artist has taught and demonstrated her remarkable

skills to the Sugar Art Association and other celebrated groups since 2001. Cake guru Cassie has worked with Shesto Ltd to release this fabulous range that includes all the necessary essentials for creating sugary masterpieces including an airbrush and compressor kit, Cassie Brown Beginner’s Guide to Airbrushing Cakes DVD, 13 vibrant airbrush food colours and more! ♥ Visit www.shesto.com or call 020 8451 6188 for more information

The Miniatura show is the UK’s largest dollhouse and miniatures event for collectors, and the next event takes place at the NEC Birmingham 17th – 18th March 2012. The hobby of making and collecting miniatures has grown in popularity in recent years and the quality and variety of the items available is quite simply breathtaking. The level of skill and detail in these unique pieces continues to go from strength to strength and is sure to impress even non-collectors. There has been a surge in collectors making their own miniatures from scratch or using kits, and these items feature all the crafts you can imagine... in miniature! Think mini quilt covers with exquisite detail, curtain and upholstery making on a tiny scale, diminutive rag rugging and more! This show is well worth a visit for craft and dollhouse enthusiasts alike. ♥ For more details on the show go to www.miniatura.co.uk

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SH14 pp6-8 What's New_pp 06/02/2012 12:32 Page 8

NEWS

Sewing essentials We adore these decorative additions to the MIC catalogue and think they’re just the thing for refreshing our sewing storage in 2012! As well as a range of sizes and shapes of sewing and supply storage options, you’ll find some home décor pieces from the same range including wall additions and notebooks. What sets these lovely items aside from standard sewing storage is the decorative lids and haberdashery-themed elements, making them instantly appealing!

♥ For more information go to www.giftsandcraft.co.uk or call 01707 269999

Turn to page 47 for your chance to win some stunning MIC prizes!

Wedding wonders

Jersey Textile Showcase 2012 The Jersey Textile Showcase 2012, organised by the Art In The Frame Foundation, is fast approaching so be sure to get your tickets while you still can! The showcase takes place 5th – 11th March and features exhibitions on show at The Harbour Gallery and associated venues around the harbour of St Aubin, as well as bringing you a choice of inspirational workshops from British, French and Jerseybased textile artists. Evening talks, demonstrations and activities are taking place in and around the

area, plus there’ll be a Saturday market featuring locally grown produce and crafts. Entry to the exhibitions and gallery is free, but workshops incur a fee. Specialist travel and accommodation packages are available thanks to Destination Specialists. For further details on these contact Debbie or Margaret on 01534 617677 or email mail@dsljersey.je ♥ For further details on the events taking place email Pat Robson at partintheframe@ yahoo.co.uk, visit the website at www.mnlg.com or call 01534 853395

If you’re planning ahead for the big day and are going all-out with your creativity, be sure to take a look at the range of Berisfords and Gütermann products available. Gütermann invisible thread is a fine, tear-resistant, transparent thread that is ideal for repairing and stitching. It provides the perfect solution if you’re unable to colour-match your fabric and for any areas where you simply don’t want the thread to show. Why not use it for a bridal gown? Invisible thread is also suitable for numerous creative projects such as bead work and for ribbon appliqué. For a bolder look ideal for bows, embellishment, table arrangements and wedding favours, why not add glamorous detail with ribbons from Berisfords? The flamboyant colours and exciting textures will give a touch of sparkle and style to bridal gowns, headdresses and other special decorations. Why not personalise wedding gifts and brighten up buttonholes and bouquets with a flourish of beautiful ribbons? ♥ For stockists details, email gütermann@stockistenquiries. co.uk and berisfords@stockist enquires.co.uk Alternatively, call 01453 883581

We have five sets of Berisfords ribbons and Gütermann invisible thread to give away worth £20 each, so for your chance to win one send your name and address on a postcard to SH14 Wedding Wonders, Practical Publishing, Unit 1 Adlington Court, Adlington Business Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 4NL to arrive by 22nd March 2012

Note: By entering these competitions you accept that your details may be passed on to a third party

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SH14 pp09 Half & Quarters_pp 07/02/2012 09:10 Page 9

Make your own soaps, skin care and cosmetics with Soap School. With over 16 years in the trade Soap School are dedicated to providing hands on professional and hobby courses. We can help you make your own: Cold process soaps • Glycerin Soaps • Liquid Soaps • Creams & Lotions • Massage oils & bars • Body Butters • Skin and Lip balms • Bath Bombs • Bath Truffles • Hair care products • Eco Candles • Mineral Makeup • Mould Making • Labelling & Compliance Visit us at www.soapschool.com or contact us on 01484 310014 for more details and Make Your Dreams Happen!

01763 268686 • See our free Crafting demonstrations from basic to advanced • Hire our machines and equipment for just £5.00 for 30 minutes • Come along and join our clubs. Now 2 Knit & Knatter clubs Tuesday and Thursday We Stock… • Robin, Aran, Pomp, Paintbox, Wendy, Wisp, Origin, Freedom Chunky 100% wool, Lustre, Goldﬁngering, Chunky, Happy, Chic, Cosmic, Cupcake and more… • Toy Stuffing and accessories • Materials and trimmings • Pins, crochet hooks We also run classes and workshops so please join our mailing list to receive a monthly newsletter and workshop listing and plan.

craft.corner@hotmail.co.uk

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SH14 pp10-11 Your letters_pp 02/02/2012 16:33 Page 10

Every issue our Star Letter winner receives £50 worth of crafting goodies from craft and hobby specialist Abakhan, and all other letters printed win a free gift Email letters@practicalpublishing.co.uk or write to us at Letters, Simply Homemade, Practical Publishing, Unit 1, Adlington Business Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 4NL

www.abakhan.co.uk

Sock buddies

Star letter

I have written in to show you some of my sock creatures. I first started making them when Jo, my friend’s mum, showed me what to do at the art club we go to at school. I loved it so much that I bought a book on how to make different kinds of sock creatures, and have made over 10 so far. I have given some away to family and friends – they make great presents! Hope you like them. Beth Moran, age 11, Stockport SH: Beth, we love these little cuties! The colourful socks you have picked to make them really add to their appeal. We especially like how you have changed some of their features so they look different from each other. Sock buddies are bang on trend at the moment – great minds obviously think alike, as our designer Sally Shepherd has made her own sock buddies this issue. Turn to page 26 to see her creations. We think yours are just as good as Sally’s and we hope you get lots of use out of your Star Letter prize.

Crafting for babies Originally from Brazil, I now live in England with my husband. Since I arrived here I have been buying this magazine every month and I love it! I am an artisan and have made a variety of hand-crafted products including these sewing boxes and scissor holders. I just love everything about crafting. I have recently fallen pregnant and now my attention has turned to all things baby related – I’m already thinking up all sorts of items I can make and decorate by hand! Atelié Ana Paula Yoshida, by email

SH: Congratulations! We’re really pleased to hear your exciting baby news! We think your sewing boxes are perfect – we’d all love these to organise our craft rooms! Please make sure you send us images of anything you create for your new baby’s nursery, we’d love to see your ideas!

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SH14 pp10-11 Your letters_pp 02/02/2012 16:33 Page 11

LETTERS

Crochet masterclass I’ve always wanted to try crochet but just haven’t got around to it (knitting, cross stitch and sewing by hand have kept me busy enough), but when I picked up issue 11 and saw the step-by-step guide to crocheting, I went straight out and bought a crochet hook. At first I concentrated on trying out the techniques and ended up with a scruffy patch of crocheted wool that was good for nothing, but I was still pleased I had managed the basics. I got an eReader for christmas and felt it needed a cover to keep it safe, so I set about knitting one. When it was finally done I felt it needed a little something extra – so I picked up your magazine again and set about

trying to crochet a rose for it. This is the result! I also got a sewing machine for Christmas – time to master that next! Well done with the magazine and keep up the good work. Paula Harborne, Northampton SH: Mel Brooke’s guide to crochet went down a storm with our readers and we can see why. Crochet is enjoying a revival right now – we especially liked the needle case in issue 11, it’s a perfect way to improve your skills and gain a handy little holder for all your new needles at the same time! Keep practising your crochet technique and turn to page 41 where this issue Mel Brooke guides us through crocheting with beads and wire.

Upcycling ideas I just wanted to say thank you for the wonderful free gift from issue 12 of Simply Homemade. Your fab flower loom was just in time to add the perfect finishing touches to some handmade bags of mine. These little flowers are crocheted from some used plastic carrier bags. The flower loom was an ideal size as the plastic can be a little bulky and being able to remove the pins made it easier to remove the flower. Better still, the bags cost me nothing to make, even the wooden handles were a free gift from a knitting magazine. They are strong and, what’s more, I’m doing my bit for the environment! I do lots of different crafts and your magazine covers them all, as well as some new ones I can try. As you can tell, I love the free gifts too! Deborah Thompson, Belfast

Thank you In issue 9 you ran a fantastic competition to win a Silver Viscount Sewing machine, and guess what? I won! I just wanted to let you know how pleased I was to win. I could not believe it when the postman rang my doorbell. I had to ring my mum straight away to tell her, I was so excited. I couldn’t wait to get started and try it out. The next day I bought Tilda’s Summer Ideas and some fabric and made this Tilda doll. I love reading Simply Homemade and will deﬁnitely keep buying it. Thank you so much for the ideas you provide, keep up the good work! Jane Heath, Somerset SH: Wow! We’re glad you were so delighted and couldn’t wait to get started! This Tilda dolls looks great. We’re pleased you like the magazine, have you thought about subscribing so you never miss out on an issue? Turn to page 36 for this issue’s fantastic subscription oﬀer.

SH: What a great idea and, let’s be honest, we all enjoy a project that costs us nothing! We love anything that encourages upcycling the items you no longer have a use for and better still helps the environment. The flower loom was a popular free gift and we hope you enjoy using this issue’s free papers just as much. Keep sending us images of your projects, we love seeing what our readers create.

Trusty templates I thought you might like to see the bibs I appliquéd for my new great niece. Apart from the boat, the designs are all taken from the fabulous templates that accompanied issue 6 of Simply Homemade. The bibs were a value pack from a supermarket and cost less than £2 for six. Thank you for an interesting and varied magazine. It is so inspiring and there is always something I want to try straight away. I have made a wire ﬂower using the ﬂower loom from issue 12, and am currently working on the crocheted hat from the same issue. Michelle Cooper, by email SH: What a fantastic idea Michelle! These designs are so bright and really stand out – the simple appliquéd designs have totally transformed these plain bibs. Our favourite has to be the bright pink bird, and we particularly love how the colour co-ordinates with the bib’s border. Your great niece will be one on-trend little girl!

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SH14 pp12-14 Free gift_pp 06/02/2012 12:26 Page 12

Thimbles and

threads

Create your own craft basket complete with an array of creative goodies plus a fabulous ideas book using this issue’s gorgeous free gifts. Diane Grimshaw shows you how

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BY DIANE GRIMSHAW

SH14 pp12-14 Free gift_pp 06/02/2012 12:27 Page 13

USING YOUR FREE GIFT

MATERIALS

♥ free papers & embellishments ♥ brown inkpad ♥ two metal brads ♥ double-sided tape ♥ UHU general purpose glue ♥ American Crafts Thickers (optional) ♥ Tando Creative 3D basket with handle ♥ kraft cardstock ♥ mount board TOOLS ♥ craft knife ♥ Martha Stewart Doily border punch ♥ emery board

Craft basket SIMPLY MAKE Trim pieces of patterned paper to cover each section of the basket. Attach the patterned paper to the basket, making sure that the adhesive reaches all the edges. Once the patterned paper is in place trim away any excess using a craft knife, then lightly sand the edges. Ink all the edges using a brown inkpad.

1 2 3 4 5 6

Assemble the basket as shown and attach the handle using two decorative metal brads. Create wraps for the balls of wool using a border punch and a piece of kraft cardstock, and decorate with patterned paper and embellishments. Cut three tag shapes from mount board and decorate with patterned paper. We wrapped a fabric tape measure around one of the tags, created a gift tag with another and use the third tag as a holder for our buttons. Trim a piece of patterned paper to fit the lid of a pin holder and a second piece to attach to a ribbon spool. We added a large heart-shaped pink bead to our ribbon spool to finish. Fill the basket as shown. We added a pair of wooden knitting needles, a dressmaker’s wheel and a crochet hook plus spools of baker’s twine and ribbon, a box of pins and some buttons.

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SH14 pp12-14 Free gift_pp 06/02/2012 12:27 Page 14

USING YOUR FREE GIFT

My little sewing book

MATERIALS

♥ free papers & embellishments ♥ heart-shaped bead ♥ gingham ribbon ♥ American Crafts Thickers ♥ Paperchase kraft cardstock notebook

♥ brown inkpad ♥ double-sided tape

SIMPLY MAKE Trim pieces of patterned paper to ﬁt the front and back cover of the notebook as shown. Ink the edges of the patterned paper before ﬁxing into place using double-sided tape.

1 2

Trim the tape measure from the embellishment pack to fit across the front of the book cover. Attach a journaling label and a mouse embellishment as shown. Cut pieces of ribbon and tie to the book rings to create a decorative effect. Attach pieces of ribbon to the inner front and inner back covers and tie them in a bow to keep the book closed. Add a large heart-shaped bead to the right-hand side as shown to finish.

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ALTERNATIVELY

WHERE TO BUY

This project can be created using any size of book. A smaller version could be turned into a shopping list book, or you could create an address book or perhaps even a photo album

The Tando Creative 3D basket with handle is available from www.angelcrafts.biz, www.mymumscraftshop.co.uk, www.bubblyfunk.co.uk and www.thecraftbarn.co.uk The large heart-shaped beads used in the projects featured here are available from branches of John Lewis. Visit www.johnlewis.com to locate your nearest store The notebook is available from branches of Paperchase. Visit www.paperchase.co.uk to locate your nearest store

SH14 pp15 FO Folksy_pp 02/02/2012 16:45 Page 15

FOUND ON...

Found on... Online marketplaces are fast becoming THE place to buy and sell homemade wares. This issue we bring you a selection of our favourite makes found at www.folksy.com Folksy is a place to buy handmade things, and for makers to sell their work and find supplies. This UK-based company aims to reclaim craft and showcase talented makers and their work

LINDY’S LOOPS

Proprietor Linda Chapman says:

THE MOSAIC GARDEN

Proprietor Carolyn Graham says:

“The Mosaic Garden is run by me in Norwich, Norfolk where I make my range of colourful hand-painted ceramic coasters, magnets, brooches and cards using mini hand-painted tiles. Inspiration comes from the nearby coastline of Norfolk and Suﬀolk and designs include lighthouses, beach huts, boats and campervans. Birds of the countryside and garden also inspire the designs for my coasters and include cockerels, pheasants, puﬃns, blue tits and kingfishers.” Visit www.folksy.com/ shops/themosaic garden to see more of Carolyn’s designs.

“I love making retro- and vintage-inspired dresses and accessories and small items for the home. My crafting skills were passed to my by my mother who taught me to cut patterns, sew and knit. I remember havin g beautiful handmade clothes as a child and this inspired me to take up sewing again. I want to share the joy of owning handmade original clothes and accessories. I can’t resist beautiful items of haberdashery and love to collect buttons and trims to inspire me. If you see something you like and have a question, or you want a quote for something bespoke, don’t hesitate to contact me directly or visit www.folksy.com/ shops/lindysloops to see more of my designs.”

POLKA DOT SWEETHEART

SPARROW PRIMITIVES

Proprietor says:

“Sparrow Primitives is based in rural Wale s. All of my items are entirely handmade at hom e. I strive to make them to a high standard by using the best quality materials available to me and by paying a great deal of attention to detail. The shelf block signs are a wonderful way of adding a touch of country-living-style, seasonal variations to your home décor or for celebrating special occasions . They are extremely versatile and can be placed anyw here in the home. Primitive-stitched items came about as American pioneer women used old scraps from cloth ing, quilts or even feedsacks to make something simple for their children to play with. Items woul d be made to adorn the home and would often repre sent everyday life. Nothing was wasted – henc e the concept of the ‘make-do’ where scraps of fabric would be used to make a decorative item using whatever came to hand. Primitive décor evolved as people realised that the simplicity of hand-craf ted items could have a place in any home.” Visit www.folksy.com/shops/sparrowp rimitives to find more of Sparrow Prmitives’ designs.

Proprietor LeeAnn Peat says:

“I am a mum who likes to be creative in my ‘spare’ time. I enjoy sewing, crafting, baking and cooking. I love feathering my nest and making a home for my family. In my shop I oﬀer a variety of goods ranging from hair accessories to home , accessories, including hairclips, hairbands e aprons, cushion covers, patchwork, phon cases or a new snuggly cover for your Kindle, and anything else that may take in my fancy along the way. I like to dabble s! craft most of a little bit Whether you want a gift for your baby or a friend, a little something to brighten up your day or maybe something to feather your own nest. I will have some fabric and ribbon yumminess for everyone.” Visit www.folksy.com/ shops/Polkadot sweetheart for more examples of LeeAnn’s designs.

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SH14 pp16 Craft range_pp 06/02/2012 12:22 Page 16

Craftrange

cake project Create tasty masterpieces using the professional baking equipment available from Craftrange.com 4cm circle cutters A pack of four professional-grade 4cm-deep stainless steel cutters from the Little Venice Cake Company Craftrange.com is an enthusiastic company concentrating on making a full range of craft products available to everyone, either through its website (www.craftrange.com) or at the large store situated in Burnley, Lancashire. Craftrange.com is privileged to have a wealth of crafting experience amongst its staff members who work as a team to provide you with friendly and helpful advice. Stockist of all major brands and in touch with the latest trends, it supplies products for cardmaking, scrapbooking and stamping. Jewellery and cake decorating essentials are also available. You’ll find workshops with expert tuition available weekly with the teaching of a variety of techniques, as well as expert hints and tips. The purpose-built shop has a fabulous workshop room that brings like-minded people together to enjoy morning, afternoon or full days of crafting for just £3 per session. Craftrange.com prides itself in offering all crafters a great shopping experience with everything you need all under one roof and at very competitive prices both online and in store.

♥ RRP: £14.99

Organiser caddy Perfect for storing all your cake embellishment materials and contains 58 removable storage compartments. The Little Venice caddy measures 101⁄4” square and has a zip compartment

♥ RRP: £14.99 Piping nozzle tip and brush set Contains 26 pieces of professional-quality tips and brushes. Tips are made from high-grade stainless steel, seamlessly welded for precise ﬁnishes. Perfect for use on all cake decorating projects and brought to you by Mich Turner

♥ RRP: £29.99

Cricut Cake Personal Electronic Cutter Cricut Cake Mini This mini machine assists you in creating professional-looking decoration for cakes, cupcakes, cookies and confectionery. Just choose a shape and size then press ‘Cut’. Decorating like a professional has never been quicker or easier. Better still, it comes with a one-year warranty

♥ RRP: £199

The Cricut Cake Personal Electronic Cutter is speciﬁcally designed for decorating professionallooking cakes, cupcakes, cookies and confectionery and comes with a one-year warranty

♥ RRP: £329 10” round work board This Little Venice 10” round work board is clear and makes an ideal platform for cake decorating or presentation. The board is reusable and dishwasher safe and is also available in a square shape in 8”, 10”, 12” and 14” sizes

♥ RRP: £9.99

WHERE TO BUY Craftrange.com, Unit 2 Boran Court, Network 65 Business Park, Burnley, Lancashire BB11 5TH or call 01282 833091. Visit www.craftrange.com or www.craftrangedotcom.wordpress.com for more information

Revolving turntable Lace White professional revolving turntables measuring either 43⁄4” tall and 81⁄2” diameter or 13⁄4” tall and 4” diameter from the Little Venice Cake company

♥ RRP: £19.99 16 www.simplyhomemademagazine.com

Cake Masterclass book Expert Mich Turner of The Little Venice Cake Company brings us her designer insight and ideas for this the ultimate guide to cake decorating perfection

♥ RRP: £30

SH14 pp17 American crafts_pp 06/02/2012 16:17 Page 17

NEW PRODUCTS AND PROJECTS

American Crafts

Paper rosettes Take a look at these fun rosettes made by designer Lindsey Hansen using the American Crafts Dear Lizzy Neapolitan collection

At First Sight paper ♥ RRP: 79p

First Date paper ♥ RRP: 79p

Warm Memories paper ♥ RRP: 79p

Simple Romance paper ♥ RRP: 79p

Chipboard shapes ♥ RRP: £3.99

Heart Song paper ♥ RRP: 79p

Delights ♥ RRP £3.99

Epoxy brads ♥ RRP: £2.99

Ribbon ♥ RRP: £4.99

WHERE TO BUY For American Crafts products and stockists’ details go to www.americancrafts.com

Rub-ons ♥ RRP: £2.99

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SH14 pp18-23 Mosaic_pp 02/02/2012 17:22 Page 18

Mesmerising

mosaic

Creating a mosaic is easier than it looks and with just a little practice all sorts of basic items can be given a new lease of life. The beauty and fun of mosaic is that little ‘mistakes’ really don’t matter and the eﬀect, even if you’ve never tried the craft before, will be fabulous. What’s more, very little specialist equipment is needed to

complete the projects, just 5mm- and 10mm-square tiles, glue and grout. Where necessary the tiles can be snipped into shape using small wire cutters as used in jewellery making then used to ﬁll in the basic design. It’s a good idea to trim the tiles over a tray, as you’ll accumulate a variety of shapes and sizes that are bound to come in handy in future projects. The larger

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tiles are quite easy to position by hand but the smaller tiles and trimmed pieces are fiddly so you’ll find a pair of craft tweezers useful. The projects featured here are graded in difficulty and, if you’re new to mosaic, it’s a good idea to start with the easiest (the plant pot) and progress through the projects as your confidence increases. To help get you started, basic patterns,

Traditional mosaic designs are enjoying a renaissance right now, and mastering the art is easier than you might think. Jill Alblas explains...

colours and tile quantities have been given for all the designs. As a general rule, leave a gap of about 1mm between the tiles, but the overall spacing will vary slightly according to the individual so the quantities given, although as accurate as possible, should be treated as a guide. GETTING STARTED The plant pot opposite

BY JILL ALBLAS

makes an ideal beginner’s project as it can be made in an evening. The design can be used time and time again – just vary the colour and size of the pots to make a display that is bound to impress. Fresh ﬂowers look lovely on a dining table and, whether you’re entertaining guests for dinner or hosting an impromptu lunch, the contemporary mosaic box used for housing ﬂowers on

SH14 pp18-23 Mosaic_pp 02/02/2012 17:22 Page 19

TECHNIQUE SIMPLY MAKE

MATERIALS ♥ earthenware plant pot approximately 13cm high x 16cm diameter ♥ pale green & white acrylic paint ♥ large paintbrush ♥ 94 x 10mm-square green tiles. ♥ 36 x 5mm-sqaure turquoise tiles ♥ 36 x 5mm-sqaure pink tiles ♥ mosaic glue ♥ grout TOOLS ♥ sponge ♥ soft cloth ♥ craft tweezers

Wash the plant pot in warm soapy water and dry it thoroughly. Paint the rim white and the rest of the pot pale green. Apply a couple of coats to give a good finish. Glue green tiles evenly round the top of the rim, leaving a gap of about 1mm between each tile. Glue green tiles in the same way round the bottom of the rim.

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Referring to the pattern for guidance, glue alternate turquoise and pink tiles diagonally between the green tiles as shown. Mix grout according to the manufacturer’s instructions and spread it and evenly over the tiles and top of the rim. Rub a slightly damp sponge over the grout to remove most of the residue. Leave to dry then polish with a soft cloth to give a nice clean finish.

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Plant pot pattern

Plant pot

WHERE TO BUY Recessed tables made especially for mosaic, mosaic tiles, glue and grout are available from www.efco.sinotexuk.com The wooden carrier used for the vase project is available from www.cc-craft.co.uk; 01793 616 068

page 20 is sure to become a talking point. The candleholder on page 21 will complete the look, and if you want to make a set of candleholders simply repeat the design in diﬀerent colours. The projects and step-bystep instructions featured here are easy to follow but if you want to improvise with your own designs a household tile decorated

with a simple geometric mosaic pattern will look very eﬀective. Once you start with mosaic you’ll ﬁnd the design variations are endless and you will probably want to continue making them not just for yourself, but also as gifts for friends. TABLE FOR TWO Our advanced project on page 22 is a beautiful

mosaic table perfect for the patio. At ﬁrst glance the design may look intricate and a little complicated but the basic method is exactly the same as with the other projects. It does take longer, however, and requires a little more patience to complete but it is well worth the extra time and eﬀort required. Special tables with recessed tops are ideal for this but any

round table can be used. The design can be easily adapted for alternative sizes. For a smaller table, just mosaic the centre and border as described in our instructions but reduce the size of the petals and adapt the number of tiles needed accordingly. If you’re pushed for time and want a quicker make, omit the mosaic detail between the petals and ﬁll in with cream

tiles, snipping them where necessary to fit. None of the projects shown here are very difficult to complete, yet the finished items will certainly impress visitors. Mosaic is versatile and fun, but beware, it’s addictive and before you know it you’ll be hunting for plain items to transform into works of art. Nothing will be safe!

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SH14 pp18-23 Mosaic_pp 02/02/2012 17:22 Page 20

Vase

Trivet

MATERIALS

♥ wooden holder ♥ string ♥ two wine glasses ♥ white & pale green acrylic paint ♥ 56 x 5mm-square turquoise tiles ♥ 58 x 5mm-square pink tiles ♥ 37 x 5mm-square cream tiles ♥ 37 x 10mm-square yellow tiles ♥ 55 x 10mm-square cream tiles ♥ mosaic glue ♥ grout ♥ template on page 23 TOOLS

♥ large paintbrush ♥ pencil & ruler ♥ craft tweezers ♥ sponge ♥ soft cloth

SIMPLY MAKE Paint the wooden box with green acrylic paint and the top edges with white. Leave to dry then use a pencil and ruler to draw an 11cm square on the front as shown. Cut out the flower template on page 23 and trace the outline of the flower pattern in the centre of the pencilled box. Mosaic the flower with turquoise tiles as shown in our example and fix a yellow tile in the middle.

MATERIALS

♥ white 15cm-square household tile ♥ 100 x 10mm-square cream tiles ♥ 148 x 5mm-square turquoise tiles ♥ 112 x 5mm-square pink tiles ♥ mosaic glue ♥ grout TOOLS

♥ sponge ♥ soft cloth ♥ felt-tip pen ♥ ruler ♥ craft tweezers ♥ wire cutters/small tile cutters

SIMPLY MAKE Use a pen and ruler to draw a line across and down the white, household tile so it’s divided into four equal squares. Glue 13 evenly spaced cream tiles along one edge. Repeat along the remaining edges to create a mosaic border. Glue a cream tile in the centre of the white tile and aﬃx ﬁve more cream tiles along each of the penned

lines so the white tile is divided into four squares. Glue a square border of 36 turquoise tiles inside each of the cream tiled squares. Adhere another turquoise tile in the middle of each turquoise square. Refer to our example and glue seven pink tiles in a petal shape diagonally from the centre turquoise tile. Repeat to mosaic four petals in each square. Snip cream tiles and glue them between the petals and turquoise border. Mix some grout according to the manufacturer’s instructions and spread it ﬁrmly over the mosaic and around the edge of the white tile. Rub a slightly damp sponge over the grout to remove most of the residue. Leave to dry then polish with a soft cloth to give a clean ﬁnish.

5 6

Trivet template 50% actual size Photocopy at 200%

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SH14 pp18-23 Mosaic_pp 02/02/2012 17:23 Page 21

TECHNIQUE

Candleholder

Glue yellow tiles round the inside edge of the pencilled square. Aﬃx a square of pink tiles round the inside of the yellow tiles. Snip large cream tiles and glue them between the petals and pink border. Mix grout according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Spread the grout ﬁrmly over the mosaic and around the edges. Rub

3 4 5

with a slightly damp sponge to remove most of the residue. Leave to dry then polish with a soft cloth. Glue small cream tiles in the centre of the yellow tiled border. Leave to dry then thread the box with string and place a couple of glasses inside so it can be used as a vase.

MATERIALS

♥ candleholder ♥ 32 x 5mm-square turquoise tiles ♥ 28 x 5mm-square pink tiles ♥ 28 x 5mm-square cream tiles ♥ mosaic glue ♥ grout ♥ template below TOOLS

♥ craft tweezers ♥ sponge ♥ soft cloth ♥ felt-tip pen ♥ wire cutters/small tile cutters

SIMPLY MAKE Wash the candleholder in warm soapy water and dry it thoroughly. Create a heart using the template below and place it centrally on the candleholder and draw round the edge using a felt-tip pen. Glue turquoise tiles round the inside edge of the heart, ensuring the tiles are equally spaced and the heart is symmetrical.

Use cutters to trim turquoise tiles and affix them in place to fill in the mosaic outline of the heart. Leave a gap of about 5mm above the top of the heart and glue nine pink tiles in a straight line as shown. Repeat at the base of the heart with seven pink tiles. Adhere a line of pink tiles between the top and bottom rows of pink to form an angled square as shown. Snip cream tiles and glue them in place between the heart and pink border. Mix grout according to the manufacturer’s instructions and spread it firmly over the mosaic and around the edges. Rub with a slightly damp sponge to remove most of the residue. Leave to dry then polish with a soft cloth.

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Candleholder heart template actual size

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SH14 pp18-23 Mosaic_pp 02/02/2012 17:23 Page 22

Table MATERIALS

♥ table with 41.5cm diameter designed for mosaic

♥ piece of wood cut to fit snugly inside the recessed tabletop

♥ 500 x 10mm-square pink tiles ♥ 193 x 10mm-square turquoise tiles ♥ 280 x 10mm-square cream tiles ♥ 10mm-square yellow tile ♥ 438 x 5mm-square yellow tiles ♥ 48 x 5mm-square pink tiles ♥ mosaic glue ♥ grout ♥ template opposite TOOLS

♥ wire cutters or small tile cutters ♥ sponge ♥ soft cloth ♥ large compasses ♥ pencil & ruler

SIMPLY MAKE If you’re using a table designed specifically for mosaic, start by gluing the cut wood inside the recessed top. The wood should sit a couple of millimetres below the top of the rim. Continue as follows, whether you’re using a specialist or ordinary table. Mark the centre of the tabletop and use compasses to draw an 8cm and a 22cm circle. Refer to pattern 1 opposite and use a pencil and ruler to divide the tabletop into 12 equal segments. Glue the large yellow tile in the centre of the table and a border of turquoise tiles round the edge. Glue small yellow tiles round the inside of the smaller pencilled circle and fill it in with snipped large pink tiles. Enlarge the petal template, cut it out, place it in position as shown in pattern 2 and draw round it. Glue a border of small yellow tiles then three rows of large pink tiles inside the pencilled petal shapes. Fill in the middle of the petals with snipped large pink tiles. Glue turquoise tiles between the inner tips of each petal. Follow the pencilled line of the larger circle and glue turquoise tiles each side of each petal. Glue cream tiles round the inside of the turquoise border. Snip tiles where necessary to mosaic between the border and petals.

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SH14 pp18-23 Mosaic_pp 02/02/2012 17:23 Page 23

TECHNIQUE Table pattern 1

Table petal template

Table pattern 2

Table pattern 3

Vase template actual size

Refer to pattern 3 above and glue a row of small pink tiles along the pencilled lines between the petals. Glue eight small yellow tiles in a circle at the top of the pink row then glue a large pink tile in the centre. Fill in the rest of the table with cream tiles, snipping them where needed to fit the spaces.

Mix grout according to the manufacturer’s instructions, spread it firmly over the mosaic then rub with a very slightly damp sponge to remove most of the residue. Leave to dry then polish with a soft cloth.

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SH14 pp24 Storage 4 Crafts_pp 02/02/2012 12:51 Page 99

_PE78 pp69 House ad SCP95_PE 01/02/2012 11:42 Page 69

ISSUE 95

ON S ALE 1ST MARC

FREE

Webster’s Pages paper stack

Plus 15 BONUS chipboard sentiments! Worth £10.99 ● Gorgeous cost-effective cards using dingbats and fonts ● Customise your projects to perfection using the new Pink Paislee Mistables range ● Greet new arrivals in style with Su Pennick’s tips for handmade felt toppers ● Essential colouring masterclass with TV’s Nikky Hall ● Beautiful handmade fabric and lace flowers – we show you how!

www.simplycardsmag.com

SH14 pp26-31 Sock animals_pp 02/02/2012 16:53 Page 26

Top of the

socks

If your house is anything like mine you will have a collection of odd socks in a drawer somewhere so, instead of waiting to ﬁnd their missing counterpart, why not give them a new lease of life and turn them into cute cuddly animals? By using the shape of the sock as the basis for the animal’s body, you can cut down on sewing time and create a cute, cuddly and fun toy in next to no time. All aspects

of the patterns we have provided can be changed, for example, a smaller size of sock would make a small toy, and using knee-high socks will give your animal extra-long arms and legs. GETTING STARTED All sock animals start oﬀ with the same basic body shape and by changing the features, arms, legs or ears you can create any number of diﬀerent animals. Pointed ears change the animal to a cat, while wings instead of

26 www.simplyhomemademagazine.com

Sally Shepherd is creating gorgeous soft toys from socks this issue, and we have all the templates you need to get started

arms change it to a bird. The choice of pattern on the sock can also help with deciding which animal to make – from zebra stripes to Dalmatian spots to bright colours more suited to parrots. If the animals are to be given to a child it is advisable to ﬁll them with a safe toy stuﬃng; this is usually sold in large bags for just a few pounds. If the recipient is a baby or very young child I would suggest that you replace the facial

buttons with sewn-on felt shapes. It is also important that you make sure the stitching is secure, especially around the arms and legs by which the animal is likely to be carried around. ALL TOGETHER NOW To assemble the animals we have used ladder stitch, which enables you to hide the sewing while making sure the seams are secure at the same time. To do this make a small single running stitch on one side of the

BY SALLY SHEPHERD

seam, followed by a small running stitch on the opposite side. This creates a ‘ladder’ of stitches that when pulled tight will hide the seam. We have sewn around each seam twice to add extra strength. To embroider the facial features onto the animals we used three strands of embroidery thread to give a defined line. Choose a colour that will stand out against the background, especially if you are using fluffy socks.

SH14 pp26-31 Sock animals_pp 02/02/2012 16:54 Page 27

UPCYCLING SIMPLY MAKE Using the template on page 31 as a guide, turn one of the socks inside out and flatten it so that the heel sits centrally on top of the sock, with the toe at the top. Starting 1cm down from the bottom of the heel, sew a line down the sock 1cm in from the central fold. This will make one of the legs. When you are nearing the bottom, curve the line around to make the foot shape. Repeat this 1cm the other side of the central fold to make the second leg. Cut along the central fold to separate the two legs. Stop cutting at the end of the stitched lines. Turn the rabbit through using the gap between the leg shapes. Stuff the rabbit and use ladder stitch to sew up the gap. Turn the other sock inside out and cut off the toe. Cut it into a large circular shape and use a long running stitch to sew around the outside of the circle. Pull the thread to gather the circle and then stuff it firmly – this will be the tail. Attach the tail to the back of the rabbit, just above its bottom (the heel of the first sock). Cut the second sock off below the heel and, in the same way as you made the legs earlier, sew down each side of the sock and curve the end to make the hands. Make the arms a little thinner than the legs. Turn through and stuff. Attach one to each side of the rabbit’s body. Use the foot part of the second sock to create two long ears and turn them in the right way. Stuff the ears and sew them onto the top of the rabbit’s head. Decide whether you want them to stand straight or whether, like ours, you want to create a fold in the ears so the tips flop over. Secure them in position with more stitching. To create the snout, take the heel from the sock and position it where you want the snout to be. You are aiming to make an upside-down triangle shape.

Attach it using ladder stitch. Do not pull it tight as you are stitching it, you are aiming to create a pouch rather than a flat shape. Leave a gap for stuffing. Stuff the snout and close the gap.

12 13

Attach two buttons for eyes, and a smaller button for

14 15

the nose.

Cut two teeth out of white felt and attach to the bottom of the rabbit’s snout to ﬁnish.

MATERIALS

♥ pair of socks ♥ 2 buttons ♥ 1 small button ♥ safe toy stuﬃng ♥ small piece of white felt ♥ template on page 31 TOOLS

♥ needle & thread ♥ scissors

Sock rabbit

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8 9 10 11

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SH14 pp26-31 Sock animals_pp 02/02/2012 16:54 Page 28

MATERIALS

♥ pair of socks ♥ 2 buttons ♥ embroidery thread ♥ safe toy stuﬃng ♥ template on page 31 TOOLS

♥ needle & thread ♥ scissors

SIMPLY MAKE Turn one of the socks inside out and ﬂatten it so that the heel sits centrally on top of the sock, with the toe at the top. Starting 1cm down from the bottom of the heel,

Sock cat

sew a line down the sock 1cm in from the central fold. This will make one of the legs. When you are nearing the bottom, curve the line around to make the foot shape. Repeat this 1cm the other side of the

central fold to make the second leg. Cut along the central fold to separate the two legs. Stop cutting at the end of the stitched lines. Turn the cat through using the gap between the leg shapes. Stuff the cat and use ladder stitch to sew up the gap. Turn the other sock inside out and, using the template, sew around and then cut out the tail shape. Make sure you do not sew or cut into the toe part of the sock as this will be used later. Turn the tail the right way out. Stuff the tail and attach it to the back of the cat, just above its bottom (the heel of the first sock). Trim the second sock below the heel and cut this rectangle in half lengthways to make two long rectangles. Fold each in half lengthways and stitch along the long edge. Curve the end to make the hands. Turn through and stuff the arms. Attach one to each side of the cat’s body. Cut the toe off the second sock and create two pointed ears from the remaining foot part of the sock. Turn them the right way. Stuff the ears and sew them onto the edge of the cat’s head. To create the cheeks, take the toe from the sock and place it in position. The aim is to create a figure of eight shape. Attach it using ladder stitch. Do not pull it tight as you are stitching, you are aiming to create a pouch rather than a flat shape. Leave a gap for stuffing. Stuff the cheeks and close the gap.

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8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Attach two buttons for eyes and a smaller one just above the thinnest part of the cheek shapes for the cat’s nose. Embroider the mouth and embroider three lines coming out of each cheek for the whiskers.

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SH14 pp26-31 Sock animals_pp 02/02/2012 16:54 Page 29

UPCYCLING

Sock owl

MATERIALS ♥ pair of socks ♥ 2 buttons ♥ safe toy stuﬃng ♥ small amount of pink & orange felt ♥ template on page 31 TOOLS ♥ needle and thread ♥ scissors

SIMPLY MAKE Using the template on page 31, turn one of the socks inside out and ﬂatten it so that the heel sits centrally on top of the sock, with the toe at the top. Starting 1cm down

from the bottom of the heel, sew a line down the sock 1cm in from the central fold. This will make one of the legs. When you are nearing the bottom, curve the line around to make the foot shape. Repeat this 1cm the other side of the central fold to make the second leg. On the toe part of the sock, create the ears by sewing triangles at each edge of the toe and joining the bottom of them with a row of stitching. Cut along the central fold to separate the two legs. Stop cutting at the end of

2 3

the stitched lines. Turn the owl through using the gap between his leg shapes. Stuﬀ the owl and, using ladder stitch, sew up the gap. Turn the other sock inside out and cut out both the toe and the leg part of the sock. Sew one wing shape on each piece and then turn in the right way. Sew three lines about 1cm apart on the bottom of each wing. Make each about 2cm long.

4 5 6 7 8

Stuff the wings, forcing the stuffing down between the lines to give a bit of shape to the wings. Attach one wing to each side of the owl’s body. Cut out the face and body shapes for the owl from felt and stitch them to the owl using a neat running stitch. Cut a triangle from orange felt for the owl’s beak. Sew it on. Attach two buttons for eyes to finish.

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SH14 pp26-31 Sock animals_pp 02/02/2012 16:54 Page 30

Sock monkey MATERIALS

♥ pair of socks ♥ 2 buttons ♥ embroidery thread ♥ safe toy stuﬃng ♥ template on page 31 TOOLS

♥ needle & thread ♥ scissors

SIMPLY MAKE Using the template on page 31 as a guide, turn one of the socks inside out and ﬂatten it so that the heel sits centrally on top of the sock, with the toe at the top. Starting 1cm down from the bottom of the heel, sew a line down the sock 1cm in from the central fold. This will make one of the legs. When you are nearing the bottom, curve the line around to make the foot shape. Repeat this 1cm the other side of the central fold to make the second leg. Cut along the central fold to separate the two legs. Stop cutting at the end of the stitched lines.

Turn the monkey through using the gap between the leg shapes. Stuff the monkey and use ladder stitch to sew up the gap. Turn the other sock inside out and use the template to sew around and then cut out the tail shape. Make sure you do not sew or cut into the toe part of the sock as this will be used later. Turn the tail the right way out. Stuff the tail and attach it to the back of the monkey, just above its bottom (the heel of the first sock). Trim the second sock below the heel and cut this rectangle in half

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lengthways to make two long rectangles. Fold each in half lengthways and stitch along the long edge. Curve the end to make the hands. Turn through and stuff. Attach one to each side of the monkey’s body. Cut off the toe of the second sock and create two large semicircular ears from the remaining foot part of the sock. Turn them the right way and sew 1cm inside the sewn edges. This will allow you to stuff the rim of the ear so it is fatter than the rest of the ear. Stuff the ears and sew them onto the edge of the monkey’s head.

8 9

To create the mouth, take the toe from the sock and position it where you want the mouth to be. Attach using ladder stitch. Do not pull it tight as you are stitching, you are aiming to create a pouch rather than a flat shape. Leave a gap for stuffing. Stuff the mouth and close the gap.

12 13 14

Attach two buttons for eyes. Embroider the mouth as shown to ﬁnish.

SH14 pp26-31 Sock animals_pp 02/02/2012 16:54 Page 31

UPCYCLING Owl template

Monkey template Rabbit template

(page 29)

ou t

(page 30)

Wing

(page 27)

ou t

Ear

Ta il

Ear Nose/ snout

Wing

Arms

Arm

Cat template

th ou M

Arm

Ear

(page 28)

Ear

i Ta l

Owl only

Arms

Heel

Main body template for all animals

All animals www.simplyhomemademagazine.com 31

SH14 pp32-35 Mothers day_pp 03/02/2012 10:08 Page 32

Just to

say...

Whether you’re an avid cardmaker or a complete novice, sending a card that you’ve made yourself is always much appreciated. For the cards featured here we have used a selection of stamped images and coloured them with Letraset ProMarker pens before assembling them onto co-ordinating patterned paper to give them an added wow factor.

LETRASET PROMARKER BLENDING PEN When using ProMarkers a Blending Pen is invaluable as it allows you to add shading and deﬁnition to your images by blending colours together and eradicating any join lines. It is also great for lightening areas where you’ve applied too much colour. Simply apply the Blending Pen over the area you wish to change and watch it lighten up!

32 www.simplyhomemademagazine.com

Diane Grimshaw is planning for Mother’s Day this issue with a contemporary array of card designs perfect for showing your appreciation

ADDING OUTLINES Once you’ve coloured your image you can add an outline to the entire image to give it extra definition. For the images here we used an Arctic Blue ProMarker around the edges and softened the effects with a Blending Pen. You can outline your images with whatever colour you choose. Greys and pale yellows work well as do flesh tones and pinks. The choice is yours and there are no set rules it’s simply a case of having a go, experimenting and seeing what works for you

BY DIANE GRIMSHAW

COLOUR CODES If you want to co-ordinate your stamped images to match your patterned paper, choose three or four strong colours of ProMarker that you are going to use in each stamped image and search for patterned paper or cardstock that has these colours in it. You can add accent colours to each image but the cards will sit together as a set if they have the same core of colours running through them

SH14 pp32-35 Mothers day_pp 02/02/2012 17:29 Page 33

PAPERCRAFT MATERIALS

♥ Papermania card blank ♥ Craftwork Cards ultra

Happy Mother’s Day

smooth cardstock

♥ red & green cardstock ♥ Kaisercraft Miss Nelly collection patterned paper

♥ Kaisercraft paper flowers & adhesive pearls

♥ Tuxedo Black Memento inkpad ♥ Letraset ProMarkers & Blending Pen

♥ Lili of the Valley Little Girl’s Story Time clear stamp (ST004)

♥ Lili of the Valley Happy Circular Sentiments Set 8 clear stamp set TOOLS ♥ acrylic block ♥ manual die-cutting machine ♥ Spellbinders Nestabilities Large Deckled Rectangle dies ♥ Martha Stewart Doily border punch

SIMPLY MAKE Trim pieces of patterned paper to fit the long and short sections of the card as shown and matt onto green cardstock. Punch a border strip from green cardstock to fit across the front of the card and add patterned paper and a red cardstock strip to embellish it. Fix the border across the front of the card using double-sided tape. Trim a strip of red cardstock and attach it down the centre of the long front of the card blank. Stamp the sentiment onto a piece of patterned paper, cut it out and attach to the long front of the card as shown. Stamp the image onto ultra smooth cardstock using a Tuxedo Black inkpad. Colour the image using ProMarkers. If you’re new to using ProMarkers it is worth experimenting on a spare piece of cardstock before you start colouring your images. Use a Nestabilities die to cut around the stamped image and layer it onto red and green cardstock. Attach the stamped image to the front of the card as shown and add paper flowers and pearl embellishments to finish.

3 4 5 6

7 8

www.simplyhomemademagazine.com 33

SH14 pp32-35 Mothers day_pp 03/02/2012 10:14 Page 34

Mum

MATERIALS ♥ Craftwork Cards ultra smooth cardstock ♥ red, white & pale blue cardstock ♥ Kaisercraft Miss Nelly patterned paper collection ♥ Kaisercraft Tiny Alpha stickers ♥ baker’s twine ♥ button ♥ Tuxedo Black Memento inkpad ♥ Letraset ProMarkers & Blending Pen ♥ Lili of the Valley Milly Flower Power clear stamp (ST198) TOOLS ♥ acrylic block

SIMPLY MAKE Crease-fold a piece of cardstock measuring 20x10cm to create a card blank.

MATERIALS

♥ Craftwork Cards ultra smooth cardstock ♥ red & white cardstock ♥ Kaisercraft Miss Nelly patterned paper collection ♥ Kaisercraft gems & paper flowers ♥ baker’s twine ♥ Tuxedo Black Memento inkpad ♥ Letraset ProMarkers & Blending Pen ♥ Lili of the Valley Maisie Sitting Pretty clear stamp (ST200) ♥ Lili of the Valley Happy Circular Sentiments Set 8 stamp set TOOLS ♥ acrylic block ♥ manual die-cutting machine ♥ Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 1 dies

Trim pieces of patterned paper to fit the card front and matt onto red and then pale blue cardstock. Stamp the image onto ultra smooth cardstock using a Tuxedo Black Memento inkpad and colour using ProMarkers. Wrap baker’s twine around the matted cardstock several times and secure with a button as shown. Trim around the stamped image leaving a narrow cardstock outline and attach to the card. Add letter stickers to spell out ‘Mum’ to finish.

2 3 4 5 6

Sitting pretty

SIMPLY MAKE Crease-fold a piece of white cardstock measuring 29x14.5cm to create a square card blank. Trim a piece of patterned paper to measure slightly smaller than the front of the card and matt onto red cardstock. Attach to the card front using double-sided tape. Trim a piece of dot patterned paper to fit the card front as shown and matt onto red cardstock. Stamp the image onto ultra smooth white cardstock and add colour using ProMarkers and a Blending Pen.

1 2 3 4

Die-cut around the image using a Nestabilities Label die and die-cut a larger label to create a matted frame.

34 www.simplyhomemademagazine.com

Assemble the card as shown and embellish with baker’s twine, selfadhesive gems and a few paper flowers.

Add a stamped sentiment in the bottom-right corner to finish.

SH14 pp32-35 Mothers day_pp 02/02/2012 17:30 Page 35

PAPERCRAFT MATERIALS

♥ Craftwork Cards ultra smooth cardstock ♥ red & white cardstock ♥ Kaisercraft Miss Nelly patterned paper collection ♥ Kaisercraft pearl swirl & paper flowers ♥ baker’s twine ♥ decorative pearl-headed pins ♥ red ribbon ♥ Tuxedo Black Memento inkpad ♥ Letraset ProMarkers & Blending Pen ♥ Lili of the Valley Emma Shoes clear stamp (ST190) ♥ Lili of the Valley Mixed Circular Sentiment stamps Set 9 TOOLS ♥ acrylic block ♥ manual die-cutting machine ♥ Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 1 dies

If the shoe fits SIMPLY MAKE Crease-fold a piece of white cardstock measuring 29x14.5cm to create a square card blank. Matt and layer patterned paper to cover the card front as shown. Fix a piece of red ribbon across the centre of the card and add a self-adhesive pearl swirl embellishment.

1 2 3

Stamp the image onto ultra smooth white cardstock and add colour using ProMarkers and a Blending Pen. Die-cut the image and a red cardstock matt using Nestabilities Labels dies and a manual die-cutting machine. Assemble the card as shown and embellish with paper flowers. Stamp a sentiment onto patterned paper and cut it out. Fix two pearl-headed pins behind the sentiment and attach to the card as shown.

4 5 6 7

WHERE TO BUY Kaisercraft products are available from www.merlyimpressions.co.uk Baker’s twine is available in a vast array of colours from www.ribbongirl.co.uk Spellbinders Nestabilities dies are available from www.cuttingedgecrafts.co.uk Lili of the Valley stamps are available from www.liliofthevalley.co.uk

www.simplyhomemademagazine.com 35

SH pp36-37 SO digi version_pp 09/10/2012 14:45 Page 36

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SH14 pp38 Cutting Edge_pp 02/02/2012 12:52 Page 38

SH14 pp39 Twitter (blogs)_pp 02/02/2012 16:39 Page 39

TWiTTEr

Follow the trend This issue we’re heading over to Twitter to see what’s making it big in the world of crafting and beyond right now If you’re new to Twitter, fear not. Simply go to www.twitter.com and sign up... it really is that easy, and extremely addictive! You can choose to follow who you like – here are a few of our favourites to get you started.

Liberty @LibertyLondon

Poppy Treﬀry @PoppyTreﬀry

Kirstie Mary Allsopp @KirstieMAllsopp

Hobbycraft @hobbycraft

Debbie Bliss @debbieblissnews

Emma Bridgewater @EmmaBridgewater

Suzanne & Grant @gorjuss

Tanya Whelan @TanyaWhelan

Kaisercraft @Kaisercraft

Sizzix @Sizzix_UK

Becky Peabody @dotsandspotsbiz

Cath Kidston @Cath_Kidston www.simplyhomemademagazine.com 39

SH14 pp40 Quarters & Eighths_pp 07/02/2012 09:12 Page 40

Suppliers of Cardmaking, Scrapbooking, Craft and Bridal Supplies k General Craft Supplies k Floral Products k Card Embellishments k Bridal Supplies k Baby Embellishments Phone: 01384 230000 Mobile: 0775 1891754 Fax: 01384 235666 Email: sales@e-crafts.co.uk

Internet & Mail order only

DOTTIE4CRAFTS.CO.UK Our very easy to use Website stocks a vast range of quality craft products from well known stockists, including our very own DIE CUTS. Most of the DIE CUTS designs can be made to the size you require.

Awaiting you is a fast friendly service

120 Fisherton Street, Salisbury, SP2 7QT Tel: 01722 327077 www.7thheavencrafts.com

7TH HEAVEN are specialising in materials and tools for PAPERCRAFTS, BEADING and TEXTILE CRAFTS. Including Card making, Lacemaking, Embroidery, Beading, Patchwork, Crochet and Knitting. We have a selection of crafty books.

Extensive range of rubber stamps e.g. Molly Bloom, Magnolia, Hero arts, Fizzy Moon and more. Hundreds of 12x12 papers. Die cutting machines. spell binder, Memory box, Go create cutting dies. A large selection of punches. We are now stocking Tilda Fabric, Debbie bliss, Sirdar and Rico wool, design felt and material. Boxes and envelope workshop with The Hougie Board on the 4 March We also have a Molly bloom work shop on the 17&18 March

If we don’t have what you need, let us know and we will do our best to get it for you.

Tel/Fax: 01226 350532

The Craft Box, Elsecar Heritage Centre, Wath Road, Elsecar, Barnsley, S74 8HJ.

40 www.simplyhomemademagazine.com

SH14 pp41-46 Jewellery_pp 06/02/2012 12:42 Page 41

CROCHET

Live wire This issue Mel Brooke takes a break from using yarn to show you how crochet can be worked with wire, embellished with beads or set onto fabric to produce beautiful and unique jewellery items

You don’t need to be an expert beader to make crocheted wire jewellery but it’s useful to have a set of the basic tools used in jewellery making. Round-nosed, chain-nosed and cutter pliers will help with your creations, as will a little knowledge of how to use simple connectors such as jump rings, clasps and cord tips. GETTING STARTED There’s no getting away

from it, wire is more difficult to crochet with than yarn because it’s thicker and less flexible, however on the upside you only need to learn one or two simple crochet stitches such as chain or double crochet to be able to make a range of pretty and delicate jewellery items. Jewellery wire and craft wire is available in a wide range of colours and a number of thicknesses or ‘gauges’, beginning with the very thin and most flexible 2mm wire. This is the easiest to crochet with and is also

very delicate and more likely to break, whereas slightly thicker wire, around 0.50.6mm, is what we would recommend – any thicker than that will be really quite hard to manipulate. BEAUTIFUL BEADS In general, most kinds of beads are suitable for crocheting with wire as long as they have holes large enough to thread onto your wire. Seed beads are great for delicate pieces made with thin wire, whereas heavier large glass beads or

BY MEL BROOKE

gemstones will need a thicker wire base. SIZE MATTERS Try experimenting with how diﬀerent wire works with diﬀerent crochet hook sizes as, much the same as in normal crochet, smaller hooks will give you smaller stitches whereas the large hooks are great for pulling thicker wire into shape. We found metal crochet hooks to be best for working with wire. You could also try blending very thin wires together to make a thicker

working wire, or using a piece of wire and ribbon at the same time to see what eﬀect it creates. While practising, another very useful tool to add to your stash is a pair of nyloncoated jaw pliers. These can be used to help straighten out the wire by gently pulling it through the jaws, or to remove kinks from wire you have had to undo, and don’t worry about perfection, in crochet wire jewellery, irregular loops often look a lot more interesting!

www.simplyhomemademagazine.com 41

SH14 pp41-46 Jewellery_pp 06/02/2012 12:42 Page 42

Wire flower earrings

This project does not involve much crocheting – it uses the crochet hook to help you make the flower shape with the wire.

MATERIALS

♥ 0.4mm silver-plated wire ♥ small crystals or pearls for the flower centre

♥ 2 x earring findings ♥ 2 x 10mm jump rings TOOLS ♥ 4mm crochet hook ♥ round-nosed, chain-nosed & cutter pliers

SIMPLY MAKE Begin by looping the wire over your crochet hook then twisting the ends underneath a couple of times, making sure you leave a loop on the hook that is large enough to work with. Make three loose chain stitches, then five large loops around the chain using the crochet hook. This is done by going back and forth underneath the wire on one side and then back down the other side of the chain stitches

42 www.simplyhomemademagazine.com

(as if they were a stem). Cut the wire, leaving an end of 1-2cm. Hold the wire ends together and trim them to the same length. Use round-nosed pliers to coil the ends all the way down to the top of the flower. Next, use a short piece of 0.4mm wire to ‘stitch’ a few beads into the centre of each flower. Twist the wire ends at the back, coil them flat and tuck in the ends.

Finally, open a 10mm jump ring and use it to connect the loop at the top of each flower to the earring finding.

WHERE TO BUY The wire, tools and beads used in these projects are available from www.beadsbylili.com

SH14 pp41-46 Jewellery_pp 06/02/2012 12:43 Page 43

CROCHET

MATERIALS

♥ 0.5mm light blue coated craft wire

♥ felt & denim ♥ silver metallic embroidery thread

♥ brooch back finding TOOLS

♥ 4mm crochet hook ♥ chain-nosed & cutter pliers ♥ needle ♥ scissors

SIMPLY MAKE To make the crochet wire heart, loop the wire over your crochet

hook and twist the ends underneath a couple of times making sure you leave a large enough wire loop on the hook to work with. Work loose wire loops throughout the design. Make three loose chain stitches then double crochet into the first chain twice. Make another chain stitch then turn. Next, *double crochet into each chain space*, make one more chain and turn. Repeat from * to * (four rows worked in total). Cut the wire, pull it through the last loop to finish off

and leave an end of 1-2cm. Use chain-nosed pliers to gently pull and flatten the crochet loops into a heart shape and pinch the wires together in the middle at the top to make the ‘dip’. Flatten the work with your fingers (or use flat-nosed pliers), and then use the pliers to help tuck in the wire end. If any loops are too large you can use the pliers to give the wire a little twist at the back, which will have the effect of reducing the loop size.

Lay the heart on a piece of felt and cut around it, slightly larger than the actual piece. Attach it to the felt using tiny stitches and metallic thread. Lay the piece onto the scrap of denim and cut around it again, leaving a slightly larger edging. Hold the layers together whilst you sew on the brooch back, taking care that whilst your stitches attach them together they do not go all the way through the felt and show at the front.

Wire heart brooch

www.simplyhomemademagazine.com 43

SH14 pp41-46 Jewellery_pp 06/02/2012 12:43 Page 44

Filigree-style butterﬂy bracelet This bracelet is deceptively simple to make. All you need to do to start is to make a row of chain with the wire, making sure that it fits around your wrist, leaving a gap of 1cm or so for your chosen clasp.

MATERIALS

♥ 0.4mm silver-plated wire ♥ clasp ♥ jump ring ♥ butterfly charm TOOLS

♥ 2mm crochet hook ♥ chain-nosed, flat-nosed & cutter pliers

♥ hammer & block

SIMPLY MAKE Crochet a row of chain to your desired length (it needs to fit around your wrist), turn and make a row of double crochet stitches along the length of it once or twice depending on how wide you would want the bracelet to be. Use flat-nosed pliers (preferably nylon coated so that they do not damage the wire) to flatten out the crochet a little and shape it

around your wrist slightly. Pull a loop on one end that you will be able to use for the clasp to close onto. If you have a hammer and block, gently tap the wire ﬂat – this will also have the eﬀect of hardening and strengthening the wire. Use a nylon-tipped jewellery hammer if possible and do not hammer too hard as you might remove the top layer of coated or plated wires, so gently does it! You will need to re-shape the bracelet to your wrist again if you have hammered it. Finally, use a jump ring to attach the charm and clasp to one end of the bracelet (using the loop on the opposite end when closing the clasp).

44 www.simplyhomemademagazine.com

SH14 pp41-46 Jewellery_pp 06/02/2012 12:43 Page 45

CROCHET

MATERIALS

♥ 0.5mm light blue coated craft wire ♥ 4mm light aqua glass pearls ♥ 6mm clear crystal rondelles ♥ 12mm foil glass heart bead ♥ 25cm silver-plated ball headpin ♥ oval toggle clasp ♥ jump rings

Double-strand wire necklace

TOOLS

♥ 4mm crochet hook ♥ round-nosed pliers ♥ chain-nosed pliers ♥ cutter pliers

SIMPLY MAKE Working directly onto the reel of wire, thread on around 1520 beads (we have used a repeating pattern of two glass pearls followed by a crystal). Begin by looping the wire over your crochet hook then twisting the ends underneath. Make sure you leave a large enough wire loop on the hook to work with and a tail end of around 10cm. Work enough chain stitches to measure approximately 12cm in length, then slide up the first bead before making the next chain stitch. Continue with one chain then slide up another bead and so on alternately for approximately 25cm. Finish with a matching length of plain (unbeaded) chain that measures the same as the other end. In total you need to make a length of beaded chain that measures approximately 40cm so that you have the best fit for your neck size. Allow 4-5cm for the clasp. Repeat the above instructions to make a second length of beaded wire crochet chain stitches but this time make the un-beaded ends each side around 10cm each so that this piece is slightly shorter than the first. Now hold the two pieces of beaded crochet chain together at one end and twist the wire ends together (not too tightly). Hold the twisted wires with the round-nosed pliers and use all the wire to make a wrapped loop. Tuck and squash in any wire ends neatly. Repeat on the second side. Attach the toggle clasp halves to the each of the end loops of the necklace. Slide the heart bead onto the ball headpin, top with a seed bead and make a simple loop on the wire end. Use a jump ring to attach the heart to the centre of the lower of the two beaded crochet wire necklace strands.

1 2 3

5 6

www.simplyhomemademagazine.com 45

SH14 pp41-46 Jewellery_pp 06/02/2012 12:43 Page 46

CROCHET

Beaded pendant

MATERIALS

♥ 0.5mm teal coated craft wire ♥ mix of beads such as glass pearls, crystals and glass chips

♥ navy blue faux suede thong ♥ 10mm jump ring ♥ 2 x cord tips ♥ trigger clasp ♥ 7mm jump ring TOOLS

♥ 3mm crochet hook ♥ round-nosed pliers ♥ chain-nosed pliers ♥ flat-nosed pliers ♥ cutter pliers

SIMPLY MAKE Working directly onto the reel of wire, thread on around 30-40 beads (it’s better to have too many than not enough!). Loop the wire over your crochet hook then twist the ends underneath. Make sure you leave a large enough wire loop on the hook to work with and a tail end of around 10cm. Work enough chain stitches to measure approximately 4cm in length, then turn. Make a double crochet in the second chain from the hook then slide up the first bead. Continue along the length of the chain using alternate plain wire double crochet stitches and beaded double crochet stitches. End the row with a chain and turn. Repeat until the beaded wire pendant length is approximately 5cm. Trim the wire so you can fasten off and leave a tail end of around 10cm. Weave the bottom wire end into the pendant, trim and squash it in neatly then move the second wire tail along to the middle of the top of the pendant. Use round-nosed pliers to coil it all the way down to the top of the pendant to make the bail. Open and then thread the 10mm jump ring through the wire pendant bail and close it. Attach a length of faux suede thong to the jump ring with a lark’s head knot then check the length for fit and finish off by adding cord tips and the clasp to the ends.

1 2 3

46 www.simplyhomemademagazine.com

SH14 pp47 Comp_pp 06/02/2012 10:21 Page 47

WIN!

Over £400 worth of sewing essentials up for grabs!

Take a look at these stunning storage solutions for your sewing supplies and enter for your chance to win one of 10 prize sets worth over £40 each! MIC is a family-run business specialising in exquisite papercraft and giftware products, all of which are sourced from suppliers operating a fair trade policy and using environmentally friendly materials. The MIC ranges are continually expanding with the papercrafting side including a sumptuous selection of papers, embellishments, toppers and albums, whilst the giftware collections cover everything from weddings to new babies as well as a vast range of stylish storage solutions.

Competition We have 10 MIC prize sets to give away

ge of e full ran To see th vailable go to a ll products craft.co.uk or ca n o nd ti a sa ft rm www.gi 9 for more info 9 9 9 6 2 7 0170

TO ENTER To enter for your chance to win an MIC prize, send your name, address and email on a postcard to SH14 MIC Competition, Practical Publishing, Unit 1 Adlington Court, Adlington Business Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 4NL to arrive by the 22nd March 2012 NOTE: By entering these competitions you accept that your details may be passed on to a third party

www.simplyhomemademagazine.com 47

SH14 pp48 Shoppin_pp 06/02/2012 12:24 Page 48

Ceramic cake bowl with hanging cakes

Gift

Stockist: Dotcomgiftshop www.dotcomgiftshop.com Tel: 020 8746 2473 RRP: £6.95

ideas

♥ A ceramic hand-painted bowl with little cake charms – ideal for displaying tasty treats

Stuck for ideas for a birthday gift? This selection is sure to give you a little inspiration

Chocolate Swiss Roll towel and soap set Stockist: Dotcomgiftshop www.dotcomgiftshop.com Tel: 020 8746 2473 RRP: £6.95

♥ Includes a rose soap, 25cm-square brown flannel and 25cm-square spotty flannel made up to look like a delicious Swiss roll

Sweetheart ceramic trinket box Stockist: Dotcomgiftshop www.dotcomgiftshop.com Tel: 020 8746 2473 RRP: £2.95

♥ A cute 11cm-high trinket box in the shape of a cupcake

Birthday photo album Stockist: MIC www.giftsandcraft.co.uk Tel: 01707 269999 RRP: £6.49

♥ A funky 40th birthday album that is great for keeping your snaps safe and sound. It has 24 pages to hold 6x4” photographs and is presented in a box

Tea Time teapot in gift box Stockist: Dotcomgiftshop www.dotcomgiftshop.com Tel: 020 8746 2473 RRP: £9.95

♥ This 750ml teapot is 15cm high and comes in a colourful gift box

Happy Birthday scented candle Stockist: Not On The High Street www.notonthehighstreet.com RRP: £8.50

♥ This candle in a tin (6.6x7.5cm) is handmade in the UK using the finestquality cupcake scent and mineral wax. Thirty hour burn time Yummy Cakes lunch bag Stockist: Ditzy & Dotty www.ditzyanddotty.co.uk RRP: £11.99

♥ This lovely cupcake-print bag is lined with a white brushed cotton fabric and finished with a large button. Can be washed, tumbledried and ironed to keep it looking its best

Round box with numbered heart Stockist: Not On The High Street www.notonthehighstreet.com RRP: £16.25

♥ A solid pewter box with happy birthday de-bossed on the lid and a small heart inside which can be stamped with the number of your choice. Box measures 4cm in diameter and the heart 3x2.5cm

48 www.simplyhomemademagazine.com

Time for Tea bunting Stockist: Muddly Puddle Crafts www.muddypuddlecrafts.com Tel: 07753 448056 RRP: £18

♥ Hand-painted bunting featuring teapots, cups and cakes in pastel shades of cream, pink, aqua and lime. Approximately 80cm long

SH14 pp49 Shoppin_pp 06/02/2012 15:42 Page 49

ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS Luca-S Mother Flower cross stitch kit (92043)

Creative

Stockist: Sew and So www.sewandso.co.uk Tel: 01453 889988 RRP: £14.99

ideas

♥ The kit contains chart and instructions, needle, 18-count beige Aida fabric and presorted Anchor stranded cottons on loaded thread organisers. 17.5x22.5cm

Put a whole lot of love into your Mother’s Day gift this year with one of our creative ideas

Mother Earth’s photo transfer pack & CD-ROM Stockist: The Cotton Patch www.cottonpatch.co.uk Tel: 0121 702 2840 RRP: £17.50

Shepherds Bush Mother’s Hope cross stitch chart (89043) Stockist: Sew and So www.sewandso.co.uk Tel: 01453 889988 RRP: £4.58

♥ Achieve the beautiful eﬀects of Sieglinde’s needleturn appliqué and embroidery using your computer! This image-transfer pack includes a CDROM with hi-res images of every letter

♥ The finished size of the cross stitch is 3 ⁄ ”-square 1

when worked on 28 count evenweave fabric

Natural Spa Products book Stockist: Aromantic www.aromantic.co.uk Tel: 01309 696900 RRP: £25

A Mother’s Love wall hanging pattern Stockist: Coast & Country Crafts www.coastandcountrycrafts.co.uk Tel: 01872 870478 RRP: £7.50

♥ Gleen a wealth of knowledge for making your own natural spa products from this great book from skin care expert, author, educator and founder of Aromantic, Kolbjorn Borseth

♥ This wall hanging pattern makes a lovely gift for any lucky mum and is quick and easy to create using Bondaweb and stitching. Finished size 51⁄2x101⁄2”

Anchor Arista jewellery kit

Gerbera mosaic kit

Stockist: Abakhan www.abakhan.co.uk Tel: 01745 562133 RRP: £6.20

Stockist: Tracey Cartledge www.traceycartledge.co.uk Tel: 0161 860 0387 RRP: £22

♥ Make an enchanting piece of jewellery as a gift your mum can wear time and time again with this ice blue Arista jewellery kit. It has contents to make a necklace, bracelet and ring and full instructions are included

♥ Perfect for beginners and a great handmade decorative gift, this will surely make your mum smile

World’s Best Mum cupcake toppers Stockist: Sugarcraft Creations www.sugarcraft creationsonline.co.uk Tel: 01225 359039 / 07779 771891 RRP: £5.19

♥ Each of the 12 pre-cut Mother’s Day cupcake toppers is 2.13” and printed on an icing sheet using edible ink

SWALK Best Mum rubberstamp Stockist: Crafter’s Companion www.crafterscompanion.co.uk Tel: 0845 296 0042 RRP: £3.99

♥ This delightful little rubberstamp set features cute mother and daughter characters along with sentiments and accessories www.simplyhomemademagazine.com 49

_SH14 pp50 Half, Quarter & Eighths_pp 02/02/2012 14:15 Page 50

Leather Crafting UK Custom Leather Goods, Tools and Hand Crafted Gifts

Starter Sets, Dyes, Leather Paints, Books, Stamps, and so much more T: 07787 577828 / E: gofannonleather@aol.co.uk

ONLINE STORE http://stores.ebay.co.uk/The-LARP-Emporium

BellaCrafts is a fantastic Craft Centre! Open 7 days. Running workshops for children and adults all year round. Huge stock range - scrap booking, card & paper stock, bead supplies, ribbons, books, brads, stickles, distress inks, punches, stamps, wool, fimo and loads more! BellaCrafts - Tel: 023 8051 7054 - www.bellacrafts.co.uk Find us on Facebook! Within Fair Oak Garden Centre, Winchester Road, Fair Oak, Eastleigh, Hants SO50 7HD We'd love to see you – always a comfortable, crafty seat waiting for you!

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SH14 pp51 SCP_KN_CBJ_pp 07/02/2012 10:43 Page 51

WHY NOT TRY ONE OF OUR OTHER TITLES? Ideas and inspiration for all levels of beadcrafts and jewellery making with each issue offering a free gift

Stylish accessories for today’s knitter including a free gift and pattern booklet with every edition

Quality cardmaking and papercraft projects for every occasion

For more information visit www.practicalpublishing.co.uk

SH14 pp52-57 Utee jewellery_pp 02/02/2012 17:10 Page 52

Elegantly

embossed

BY SU PENNICK

Su Pennick showcases the versatility of Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel this issue as she incorporates it into her stylish array of contemporary jewellery pieces

Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE) is a powdered or granulated plastic medium that melts with the application of heat. It has been used by crafters for heat embossing purposes for a number of years. More recent developments have been made in the use of UTEE in

the creation of jewellery. UTEE can be used for a number of applications – coating paper beads, creating charms and pendants and as a glaze for decorated metal frames. UTEE comes in many diﬀerent varieties; clear UTEE is great as a glazing medium and can be coloured with ink to tint it or you could opt to buy

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UTEE that has already been infused with a solid colour and/or a metallic or pearlescent ﬁnish. MELTING POT When using UTEE to create charms and beads a melting pot is essential. This is a purpose-built receptacle containing a non-stick metallic pan, which is shaped for easy

pouring once the UTEE has been melted. This makes it possible to control and direct the precision of the ﬂow of the melted plastic into moulds and frames. A heat-resistant non-stick sheet is also important, particularly when making pendants and charms using cookie cutters. The melted UTEE is poured directly into the cutter, which is placed

either onto patterned paper or directly onto the heatresistant sheet. It is also a useful surface for placing dipped charms and beads onto while they cool and completely set. There is a wide range of jewellery settings, frames and cases available in a variety of colours, and they can be lined with patterned papers, beads and charms

SH14 pp52-57 Utee jewellery_pp 02/02/2012 17:10 Page 53

CRAFT CROSSOVER MATERIALS

♥ Clear Ranger UTEE ♥ Tropic Yellow, Lapis Orange, Golden Lustre & Lava Black Cosmic Shimmer Ultra Thick Embossing Crystals ♥ oval resin mould ♥ antique gold eyepins ♥ 3 x antique gold corner filigree ♥ antique gold fine chain ♥ antique gold lobster clasp ♥ 2 x antique gold spacer beads ♥ 2 x Champagne 6mm fire-polished crystals ♥ antique gold 5mm jump rings TOOLS ♥ Ranger Melting Pot ♥ round-nosed pliers ♥ chain-nosed pliers ♥ wire cutters ♥ 2-part epoxy adhesive

and form a loop at the back of the top of the pendant. Bend a piece of filigree around the pendant, as shown, and glue it securely in place at the back using two-part epoxy adhesive. At the same time glue two more pieces of filigree together (they are

not strong enough to carry the weight of the necklace on their own). Leave to dry. Attach the loop at the back of the pendant to the double-thickness filigree using two 5mm jump rings.

Thread a metal spacer bead and a crystal onto an eyepin. Trim the wire and form a loop. Make one more of these and attach one to each side of the filigree. Attach the required length of chain, along with a clasp, to each beaded wire to finish.

Filigree-wrapped oval pendant

SIMPLY MAKE Place approximately one tablespoon of clear UTEE into the Melting Pot and melt, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Sprinkle on approximately 1⁄2 tsp of each of the coloured embossing crystals, except for the Lava Black. Add only a small sprinkling of this as it is a very strong colour. Leave the crystals to melt. Add these colours to the pot in separate little piles so that they will not mix together too much. Prepare an eyepin by bending the looped end in a small zigzag shape. Gently pour the melted UTEE into the mould. The colours will mix as you pour. The more the pouring liquid is moved around – the more the colours will mix. Fill the mould. Place the looped end of the bent eyepin into the UTEE. The bends in the wire will hold it in place. Leave it to set thoroughly. Remove the pendant from the mould and carefully bend the eyepin wire upwards. Trim the wire

and then covered with clear UTEE, or they can be ﬁlled with a marbled mix of colours creating unique and individual results every time. STYLISH STAMPING Stamping into melted UTEE, either on a ﬂat surface like Stampbord or within a setting, produces beautiful and

unusual results and is a technique that is worth spending some extra time experimenting with. CREATING COLOUR It is important to note that the colour of UTEE powders and crystals is very diﬀerent to the colour and visual eﬀect created during the melting process and even bright, plain-coloured UTEE

changes shade and adopts a pearlescent sheen once heat is applied. It is important to try out diﬀerent products before you use them on your ﬁnished projects. TOOLS OF THE TRADE Melt Art Kool Toolz and Ranger Melting Pots are available for working with UTEE. The tool set consists

of a spatula tool and a pair of tweezers that double up as a scoop-type implement. There is also Melt Art Moldn-Pour, which can be used to create your own moulds from any item you wish, plus a variety of cutters and texture plates. Moulds that are sold for use with resin are also suitable. To help you get started there are a number of easy-

to-follow video tutorials freely available on the internet and on suppliers’ websites. So if you want to ﬁnd out more information before investing in the necessary equipment there are plenty of places to look. Be prepared, once you’ve seen how easy it is to achieve fabulous results you’ll be hooked!

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SH14 pp52-57 Utee jewellery_pp 02/02/2012 17:11 Page 54

MATERIALS

♥ Clear Ranger UTEE ♥ Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante patterned paper

♥ antique silver-plated Ornate Filigree Cameo Setting (PEN201) ♥ antique silver fine chain (AC055) ♥ antique silver eyepins ♥ antique silver lobster clasp ♥ silver spacer beads ♥ champagne 6mm fire-polished crystals TOOLS ♥ Ranger Melting Pot ♥ round-nosed pliers ♥ chain-nosed pliers ♥ wire cutters

SIMPLY MAKE Cut a piece of patterned paper to fit the setting and glue in place. Leave to dry. Melt the clear UTEE in the Melting Pot by following the

1 2

Ornate setting

Floral earrings MATERIALS ♥ 2 x 20mm bronze round frames (PEN139973) ♥ antique gold earring wires ♥ antique gold eyepins ♥ antique gold 5mm jump rings ♥ antique gold bead caps ♥ champagne 13mm Czech glass trumpet flower beads (CGT14213) ♥ ruby 6mm fire-polished crystals (FP690080) ♥ Tropic Red, Tropic Yellow Cosmic Shimmer Ultra Thick Embossing Crystals ♥ Panduro Hobby Tilda (080340) stamp set ♥ Starlite Silver Brilliance Dew Drops inkpad TOOLS ♥ Ranger Melting Pot ♥ round-nosed pliers ♥ chain-nosed pliers ♥ wire cutters

SIMPLY MAKE Place Tropic Red embossing crystals into the Melting Pot and melt, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Prepare the stamp by applying the silver ink to it. Have the open pot of Tropic Yellow crystals ready for use. Pour the melted Tropic red into one of the frames. Immediately sprinkle a small amount of Tropic Yellow crystals onto this – the heat of the melted crystals should melt the yellow crystals. As soon as the crystals start to set, gently press the inked stamp into the liquid and hold in place until the crystals have set enough for the stamp to be removed cleanly. Repeat for the other frame. Leave to set and cool. Thread a ruby crystal followed by a trumpet flower bead and a bead cap, onto an eyepin. Trim the wire and form a loop. Attach the bottom of this to a decorated frame, and the top to an earring wire using jump rings. Repeat for the second earring.

2 3

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manufacturer’s instructions. Gently pour the melted UTEE into the setting, covering the image evenly. Leave to set. Create several four-link lengths of chain. Attach the end link of one to the loop of the setting. Place a silver spacer bead, followed by a crystal and a second spacer bead, onto an eyepin. Trim the wire and form a loop. Attach this to the other end of the chain attached to the setting. Secure a second length of chain to the other end of the wired beads. Continue with this pattern of chain and wired beads until you have the required length. Attach a lobster clasp to the end. Repeat for the other side of the necklace.

3 4

5 6

SH14 pp52-57 Utee jewellery_pp 02/02/2012 17:11 Page 55

CRAFT CROSSOVER MATERIALS

♥ Ranger Clear UTEE ♥ Tropic Yellow, Tropic Red, Lapis Orange, Golden Lustre, Lava Black Cosmic Shimmer Ultra Thick Embossing Crystals ♥ large bronze fob watch case ♥ antique gold gear wheel ♥ 2 x large filigree bead caps ♥ 2 x ring gear wheels ♥ 2 x wire spiral bead cages ♥ 4 x antique gold spacer beads ♥ 13 x ruby 6mm fire-polished crystals ♥ antique gold chain ♥ antique gold lobster clasp ♥ antique gold headpins ♥ antique gold eyepins ♥ antique gold 7mm jump rings ♥ antique gold brad ♥ Tim Holtz Idea-ology Game Spinner TOOLS ♥ Ranger Melting Pot ♥ round-nosed pliers ♥ chain-nosed pliers ♥ wire cutters ♥ nylon-jawed pliers ♥ 2-part epoxy adhesive

SIMPLY MAKE Melt approximately one tablespoon of clear UTEE in a Melting Pot following the manufacturer’s instructions. Add one tablespoon of each of the coloured embossing crystals, apart from Lava Red, to the pot in separate piles so that they do not mix too much. Leave to melt. Prepare the embellishment by threading a spinner and a gear wheel onto a brad. Curl the ends of the brad slightly so that they will fix more securely into the UTEE. Pour the melted UTEE into the watch case mixing the colours together as you pour. Immediately sprinkle a little of the Lava Red crystals onto the surface. These should melt straight away. Push the ends of the brad into the melted UTEE and leave to set. Flatten out the filigree bead caps using nylonjawed pliers and glue them in place around the edge of the watch case. Thread a spacer bead, followed by a wire bead cage (enclosing three ruby beads threaded onto the wire, within the cage) and a second spacer bead onto an eyepin. Trim and form a loop in the other end of the wire. Repeat for the second wire cage. Attach one of the wired cages to the watch case using two jump rings.

Steampunk fob watch pendant

2 3

4 5 6

Attach the other end to a fourlink length of chain. Attach the other end of the chain to a ring gear wheel. Fix the required length of chain onto the gear wheel along with one half of the clasp. Use two jump rings together to attach all of the components for extra strength. Attach a four-link length of chain to the other side of the watch case followed by a gear wheel, another four-link length of chain, the second wired cage, the required length of chain and finally the other half of the clasp. Thread ruby beads onto headpins, trim the wire and form a loop. Attach these in place as shown.

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SH14 pp52-57 Utee jewellery_pp 06/02/2012 10:36 Page 56

MATERIALS

♥ Clear Ranger UTEE ♥ DCWV Mariposa 12x12”

Heart pendant

patterned paper stack

♥ medium gold chain (AC015) ♥ gold lobster clasp ♥ gold 7mm & 5mm jump rings ♥ gold headpins ♥ gold eyepins ♥ 12 x Topaz/gold 7mm glass wavy leaf beads

♥ varnish TOOLS

♥ Ranger Melting Pot ♥ chain-nosed pliers ♥ round-nosed pliers ♥ wire cutters ♥ scissors ♥ hole punch ♥ heart-shaped cookie cutter

SIMPLY MAKE Pour clear UTEE into the Melting Pot and melt following the manufacturer’s instructions. Place a piece of patterned paper that is bigger than the cookie cutter onto a heatresistant flat surface. Place the cutter onto the paper in the required position. Carefully pour the melted UTEE into the cookie cutter using one hand while holding the cutter firmly down onto the paper with the other in order to ensure that none of the liquid UTEE leaks out. Hold this in place until the UTEE is no longer runny. Punch an attachment hole in the UTEE while it is still warm and slightly soft – this should avoid any cracking. Once the UTEE has set completely trim the excess paper and paint the back with a coat of varnish. Make a 90° bend approximately 1.5cm from the looped end of an eyepin. Thread the heart pendant onto this then make another 90° bend in the wire. Form a loop in the end of the wire. The two loops should be parallel to the heart. Set aside. Thread headpins through nine leaf beads. The wire will stick out horizontally. For each leaf bend the headpin over the top of the leaf so that it is pointing in the opposite direction. Trim the wire approximately 0.75cm from the centre of the top of the leaf and form a loop parallel with the leaf. Make a chain of five 5mm jump rings enclosing looped leaves in the bottom, third and fifth rings. Attach the fifth ring, along with the two loops of the wired pendant together with a 7mm jump ring. Divide the required length of chain in half. Attach one end of each to a 7mm jump ring along with the 7mm jump ring attached to the pendant. Attach a clasp to the other ends of the chain. Use pliers to twist the loops of the remaining six leaves so that they are facing sideways to the leaf bead. Attach the loops directly to the chain to finish.

1 2 3

4 5 6 7

TOP TIP It’s a good idea to have a heat gun to hand even when using a Melting Pot. Heat from the gun can be applied to the surface of poured UTEE which can then be reworked if needed. Be careful not to apply too much heat, however, as it may distort and ruin poured shapes and eﬀects

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8 9

SH14 pp52-57 Utee jewellery_pp 02/02/2012 17:11 Page 57

CRAFT CROSSOVER

dant Stampbord square pen

WHERE TO BUY UTEE and Cosmic Shimmer products are available from www.craftbarnonline.co.uk The Stampbord, settings, charms, findings and beads used in these projects are all available from www.bojanglebeads.co.uk

MATERIALS

♥ 2”-square piece of Stampbord ♥ VersaMark inkpad ♥ Tropic Yellow & Tropic Red Cosmic Shimmer Ultra Thick Embossing Crystals ♥ Autumn Leaves Swirls V2 clear stamp ♥ Starlite Silver Brilliance Dew Drops inkpad ♥ orange narrow organza ribbon ♥ antique gold ribbon ends ♥ antique gold lobster clasp ♥ antique gold headpins ♥ antique gold 7mm jump rings ♥ 6 x Peach/Pear Czech glass Baby Bell flower beads (CGB48017) TOOLS ♥ hole punch ♥ heat gun ♥ round-nosed pliers ♥ chain-nosed pliers ♥ wire cutters

SIMPLY MAKE Punch two threading holes in the top corners of the Stampbord. Prepare the stamp by applying silver ink to it and set aside. Cover the surface with VersaMark ink and sprinkle with Tropic Yellow embossing crystals. Melt with a heat gun. While the crystals are molten sprinkle with another layer of Tropic Yellow and melt. While the

1 2

surface is still in a hot, liquid form lightly sprinkle Tropic Red crystals onto it creating a random pattern. Apply the heat gun to ensure that the crystals are thoroughly melted before gently pressing the pre-inked stamp into them. Hold the stamp in position until the embossing crystals start to set. Carefully remove the stamp. Leave to cool and set thoroughly.

Cut two lengths of ribbon that are double the required length. Fold one piece in half and thread the ends together through one of the holes in the Stampbord. Thread the ends back through the loop in the middle of the ribbon and pull tight. Enclose the ends of the ribbon in a ribbon end finding and attach this to one half of a clasp. Repeat for the other length of ribbon.

Thread six bell beads onto separate headpins. Form a loop in the end of two of the headpins. Cut two more in half and form a loop in the end of each. Trim the final two headpins to a length that is just long enough to form a loop. Thread a jump ring with one of each of the three lengths of beaded headpin and attach to the hole in the Stampbord. Repeat with the remaining beaded headpins to finish.

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SH14 pp58 Quarter & Eighths_pp 07/02/2012 09:18 Page 58

Kits, Courses, Hen parties, Supplies & Commissions. Children’s parties, schools/colleges/ groups, gift vouchers, gift experiences

Supplies for card making, scrapbooking and rubber stamping. Wide range of decoupage and quilling papers. We specialise in Cardmaking, Scrapbooking, Beading and Jewellery making. Come to our regular, friendly classes 4 times a week. Contact our experienced team for details

57 Queen street, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 2AU

Tel: 01626 336171 Email: craftroom@btconnect.com

BECCLES SEWING & HANDICRAFTS DRESSMAKING & CRAFT FABRICS, HABERDASERY & CRAFT REQUIREMENTS SEWING MACHINES REPAIRS & SALES Authorised dealer for: JANOME, BROTHER, BABYLOCK, SILVER, ELNA, SINGER, JUKI, ALFA & FRISTER+ROSSMANN.

15A, Blyburgate, Beccles, Suffolk NR34 9TB 01502 714234

58 www.simplyhomemademagazine.com

Amy Butler Soul Blossom Jelly Roll £25.95

Welcome to Material Girls

4 Market Place Alcester Warwickshire B49 5AE 01789400747

Free delivery over £20 Material Girls is your leading shop in Warwickshire for fabrics, wool and gifts – plus, everything you’ll ever need for sewing. We just love vintage colours and patterns, which is why we stock top brand designers, like Amy Butler, Riley Blake, Tilda, Debbie Bliss and Rowan.

www.materialgirlsshop.co.uk

SH14 pp59 Creative Freebies_pp 02/02/2012 16:42 Page 59

freeBieS

Giveaways Enter today for your chance to win one of these fab prizes

Over £300 worth of prizes

The Knitting Book 3 to give away, worth £25 each Packed with essential advice, inspiring ideas and 40 trendy knitting projects, this book includes everything you need to get started or develop your skills. Knitting terminology is demystiﬁed and step-bystep photography of each technique along with handy galleries of popular stitches stops you getting your needles in a knot. www.dk.com

Jam jar and preserve bottle sets

Tatty Ted Me To You cross stitch kits

2 to give away, worth £18.27 each Jam Jar Shop (www.jamjarshop.com; 01572 720720) has donated these wonderful sets of 10 jam jars with polka dot lids, plus a selection of preserve and sauce bottles with lids.

4 to give away, worth £12.50 each Tracy’s Craft Shop (www.tracyscraft shop.co.uk; 01225 341957) has donated these lovely friendship-themed cross stitch kits featuring the adorable Tatty Ted.

Bright Heart Hangers kits

Berisfords Mother’s Day ribbon assortments 2 to give away, worth £25 each Get creative with ribbons for your Mother’s Day makes with these lovely examples from Berisfords. Each winner will receive reels of 25mm Rose Gingham, 40mm wired sheer Fuchsia, 25mm satin green, 15mm sheer elegance white and 15mm Retro Stitch Orchid.

8 to give away, worth £6.95 each Totally Patched (www.totally patched.com; 01299 409390) has donated these lovely kits that allow you to make a delightful stacked heart decoration. The kit makes six hearts in diﬀerent sizes and includes the fabric, buttons, hanger and stuﬃng. Use as cute hangers, lavender bags, pincushions hooked over your sewing machine or as gift tags by writing on each one with a permanent marker.

Oﬀ To School rub-ons 8 to give away, worth £5.99 each These rub-on transfers are great for schoolthemed projects including covering workbooks, journals and decorative creations. www.fancypantsdesigns.com

TO ENTER For your chance to win one of these great prizes, send your name, address and email on a POSTCARD along with the name of the product you want to win to SH14 Giveaways, Practical Publishing, Unit 1 Adlington Court, Adlington Business Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 4NL to arrive by 22nd March 2012

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SH14 pp60-61 Cupcakes_pp 02/02/2012 16:48 Page 60

Let them eat

cake Patricia Harcourt is baking party cakes this issue, perfect for celebrating Simply Homemade’s first birthday!

OVEN TEMPERATURE CONVERSIONS Degree Celsius 140 ºC 150 ºC 170 ºC 180 ºC 190 ºC 200 ºC 220 ºC 230 ºC 240 ºC

Fahrenheit 275 ºF 300 ºF 325 ºF 350 ºF 375 ºF 400 ºF 425 ºF 450 ºF 475 ºF

Gas Oven 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Description cool very moderate moderate moderately hot hot very hot

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SH14 pp60-61 Cupcakes_pp 02/02/2012 16:48 Page 61

BAKING

Cupcakes INGREDIENTS (makes 12) ♥ 100g margarine ♥ 100g caster sugar ♥ 100g self-raising flour, sifted ♥ 2 eggs ♥ 1⁄4 tsp baking powder (optional) ♥ 1⁄2 tsp vanilla essence (optional) UTENSILS ♥ cake tin ♥ cake cases ♥ wire rack ♥ food mixer (optional)

SIMPLY MAKE Preheat the oven to 180°C and place 12 paper cases into a muﬃn tin. Using an electric whisk, food processor or wooden spoon, beat the

1 2

butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each one in well before adding the next. Add the vanilla essence if using. Carefully fold in the flour (and baking powder if using). Bake in the oven for 10 – 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, check to see if the cupcakes are ready by inserting a cocktail stick into one of the cupcakes. If it comes out dry the cupcakes are done. If not, pop them back in the oven for a few minutes more. Don’t overcook them or they will dry out. Lift the cupcakes out of the cake tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

3 4 5

Buttercream topping Use this simple buttercream icing recipe to decorate your cakes. Try adding a little food colouring for a splash of colour. INGREDIENTS ♥ 140g butter, softened ♥ 280g icing sugar ♥ 1-2 tbsp milk ♥ few drops of food colouring UTENSILS ♥ piping bag & nozzle

SIMPLY MAKE Beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth. Add the remaining icing sugar and 1tbsp of milk and beat the mixture until creamy and smooth. Beat in

1 2

the remaining milk, if necessary, to loosen the mixture. Stir in the food colouring until well combined.

3 4

Pipe the buttercream onto the top of the cakes using a piping bag and nozzle. Practise your piping on a ceramic plate before you ice the cakes. Add decorative sprinkles to ﬁnish.

WHERE TO BUY For cake cases, sprinkles plus a whole host of other delicious cake-related goodies visit www.cakecraftworld.co.uk

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SH14 pp62 Halfs_pp 02/02/2012 14:30 Page 62

Stockists of 100% wool felt supplies, flat pad findings, buttons ribbons, DMC thread, craft books & kits, needle felting supplies, glues, cabochons, fimo beads and much more! Free UK delivery on orders over £40

www.bloomingfelt.co.uk

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SH14 pp63 Events_pp 03/02/2012 09:32 Page 63

WHAT’S ON

If you’re running a class or workshop, or know of an event coming up, get in touch and we’ll try and include it here for you! Email lindsey.hopkins@practicalpublishing.co.uk with details Image courtesy of The Stitch and Creative Crafts Shows, www.sccshows.co.uk; Tel. 01822 617744

1st March

5th – 11th March

Rubbish Revamped The amazing bottle-top pincushion class Chorlton, Manchester www.rubbishrevamped.org.uk Tel: 07910 270789

Jersey Textile Showcase St Brelade, Jersey www.mnlg.com Tel: 01534 853395

1st – 3rd March The Creative Crafts Show The Malvern Showground, Worcs www.sccshows.co.uk Tel: 01822 617744

12th March 8th March The Makery Intermediate Sewing Buttons, hems, zips & tips Bath www.themakeryonline.co.uk Tel: 01225 421175

The Craft Studio Sew lovely tea cosy Nottingham www.thecraft-studio.com Tel: 07931 432301

Creative Stitches & Hobbycrafts Show SECC, Glasgow www.ichf.co.uk Tel: 01425 277988

Handmade Crafts By local people market Indoor Market, Rochdale, Lancs. Tel: 01706 510826

Rubbish Revamped The lavendar mousevark class Chorlton, Manchester www.rubbishrevamped.org.uk Tel: 07910 270789

16th March 10th March

4th March

Crafty Ideas by Kaz Ltd Knit & natter Wivelsﬁeld, East Sussex www.craftyideasbykaz.co.uk Tel: 01444 471888

15th March 8th – 11th March

3rd March

The Great British mustard bash Melton Mowbray, Leics www.jamjarshop.com Tel:01572 720720

ArtisOn Rag rugging North Yorkshire www.artison.co.uk Tel: 0845 686 0089

CollyBrook Roman blinds class Tenbury Wells www.collybrook.co.uk Tel: 01584 781255

17th March 5th March Crafty Ideas by Kaz Ltd Knit & natter Wivelsﬁeld, East Sussex www.craftyideasbykaz.co.uk Tel: 01444 471888

Creative Glass Guild courses can be booked to suit your own schedule www.creativeglassguild.co.uk Tel: 0871 200 3389 ● Stained glass taster days and weekends ● Stained glass with fusing techniques ● Art of stained glass painting taster days and weekends ● Helen Slater cast glass two-day course ● Exploring glass 13-week course ● Fused glass jewellery taster days and weekends ● Chris Ainslie glass engraving and sandblasting taster courses and weekends

The Craft Studio Beginner’s bag making Nottingham www.thecraft-studio.com Tel: 07931 432301 Craft North East Crazy about cupcakes & cookies and Sox in the city! workshops Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle upon Tyne www.craftnortheast.co.uk Handmade market St Francis of Assisi Hall, Kenilworth www.handmadekenilworth.co.uk

11th March Homemade London Beginner’s curtain making with Cocoon Home Portman Village, London www.homemadelondon.com Tel: 020 8616 0771 ArtisOn Jewellery inspired by vintage North Yorkshire www.artison.co.uk

Craft North East Crossed wires jewellery & Get gorgeous workshops Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle upon Tyne www.craftnortheast.co.uk ArtisOn Natural beauty products – spring spa secrets North Yorkshire www.artison.co.uk Tel: 0845 686 0089

17th – 18th March Miniatura show NEC, Birmingham www.miniatura.co.uk Tel: 0121 7674100

20th March The Makery Appliqué class Bath www.themakeryonline.co.uk Tel: 01225 421175

21st March The Makery

Abakhan Workshops & Courses Abakhan www.abakhan.co.uk oﬀers a range of one-day workshops and courses in dressmaking, soft furnishings, bags, jewellery, machine embroidery, patchwork, knitting, crochet and creative techniques Learn to sew: bunting Bath www.themakeryonline.co.uk Tel: 01225 421175

22nd – 25th March Sewing for Pleasure, Hobbycrafts & Fashion, Embroidery & Stitch Shows NEC, Birmingham www.ichf.co.uk Tel: 01425 277988

23rd & 24th March Lady Sew and Sew How to make colour work for you class with Christine Porter Henley-on-Thames, Oxon www.ladysewandsew.co.uk Tel: 01491 572528

24th March The Craft Studio Sewing taster session Nottingham www.thecraft-studio.com Tel: 07931 432301

26th March DIY Bride workshop Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle Upon Tyne www.craftnortheast.co.uk The Craft Studio Felting taster session Nottingham www.thecraft-studio.com Tel: 07931 432301

31st March – 1st April Cardinal Colours weekend crop Stone Cross Memorial Hall, Nr Eastborne, East Sussex www.cardinalcolours.co.uk Tel: 01323 488718

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SH14 pp64-73 Birthdays_pp 02/02/2012 17:02 Page 64

Happy

birthday

Birthdays provide the perfect opportunity for unleashing your creativity and whatever age you’re catering for the projects featured here can be tailored to suit your individual requirements. Our ﬁrst step-by-step project on page 66 is inspired by a birthday cake in the form of a handy cakeshaped caddy. The caddy is sturdy enough to be really

practical as a storage solution and combines chunky board with fabric and wadding to add that homespun charm factor. The base for the caddy is a traditional-style cake stand using a spindle component, which is secured through two layers of fabric and wadding-covered board. We used Daler Board as it is readily available and of a good thickness whilst still being manageable to cut. You could also try recycling

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With Simply Homemade celebrating its first birthday this issue, Judith Hannington adds a celebratory twist to her fabulous makes

old cereal packets or cardboard boxes and sticking one or more layers together for added rigidity. We used a sewing machine to construct the basic outer and inner fabric shapes for each cake slice then sewed everything together by hand, however, it would be straightforward – enough just a little more time consuming – to construct the whole project by hand without the use of a sewing machine.

CELEBRATE IN STYLE Our second step-by-step guided project on page 68 is all about bunting – but with a twist. Each individual triangle of bunting has a ribbon loop and button so that it can be connected in any order. This means you can create diﬀerent lettered or patterned components for a variety of looks, or to spell out words for diﬀerent occasions. The joy of bunting is that you can make it as simple or elaborate as you

BY JUDITH HANNINGTON

wish by choosing different numbers of layers. This means that you have the choice to approach it as a ‘no-sew’ project or a handor machine-sewn project. A single layer of fabric with frayed edges will give a shabby chic look with a fluidity of movement, much like paper or plastic bunting. Two layers of fabric sewn back to back eliminates any raw edges and creates bunting that is a little stiffer, while our version is wadded

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CRAFT CROSSOVER

Cupcake card MATERIALS

♥ 148mm-square card blank & matching cardstock

♥ My Mind’s Eye Bloom & Grow

SIMPLY MAKE Cut a piece of cardstock identical in size to your closed card blank and, using just a dab of glue in the centre, attach a piece of daisy paper to it that is 5mm smaller all round. Cover two ﬁfths of the daisy paper on the righthand side with pink patterned paper as shown, again using just a little glue in the centre. Transfer the cupcake image to teal patterned paper including the

patterned paper

♥ black fine-line pen ♥ Hero Arts Birthday Messages clear stamp set ♥ Tuxedo Black Memento inkpad ♥ black fine-line pen ♥ decorative edging ♥ sewing thread ♥ small green crystals ♥ template on page 73 TOOLS ♥ sewing machine ♥ acrylic stamping block ♥ tiny daisy punch ♥ Woodware Blink Blink paper punch

outline circle using a black fine-line pen. Cut out the circle and attach as shown. Machine-sew zigzag stitches around the edge of all the layers, including a length of decorative edging into the stitching around the right-hand edge of the circle. Attach the stitched panel to your card blank. Transfer the cupcake image onto different patterned papers using the black pen and cut out and attach different-coloured

pieces to the base image on your card. Stamp the birthday wishes circle onto pink and teal papers, trim and attach together. Punch the blink shape from orange and teal papers, trim the teal shape to just three large and two small bobbles and attach this to the orange shape with your layered message over. Attach the layered greeting to your card and embellish the design with punched daisies and crystals.

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WHERE TO BUY All the fabric used in these projects is available from Cross Patch at Blaen Bran Farm, Velindre, Carmarthenshire. Visit www.crosspatch.co.uk or call 01559 371018 for details of the ranges as more stock is available in store My Mind’s Eye patterned papers are available from a variety of online retailers including www.pollyannascrafts.co.uk and www.diestodiefor.com Cake stand components are available to purchase online from several kitchen shops and from many sellers on eBay. One-tier kits are limited so opt for a two-tier pack and use the appropriate parts Daler Board can be purchased from all good high-street craft retailers, art supply and picture framing shops Karen Foster Sparkle Burst brads are available from www.craftisland.co.uk

for a squishy squashy feel but a more structured eﬀect whilst hanging. SENDING GREETINGS The greeting card designs above and on page 69 use a sewing machine to attach the diﬀerent layers of the design and to add decorative edging to coordinate with the traditional, stitched projects. Glue is used minimally on any layers to be sewn and only in the centre of each piece, simply

for accurate placing and alignment before sewing – this allows the needle and thread to pass freely through the layers. When sewing on paper or cardstock, you need to choose a slightly longer stitch length and width than you might perhaps use when machine-sewing fabric. Binding raw edges using a traditional small, close satin stitch will simply perforate your paper and destroy your project. Remember, every pass of the

needle puts a permanent hole in the material you are sewing rather than passing between ﬁbres. It is advisable to machine-sew as slowly as possible to guarantee accuracy – once a mistake is made in paper the thread stitches can be unpicked but the needle holes can never be removed! We ﬁnish up with some gift box designs and gift tags, mirroring the shape of cake slices in one gift box and

utilising some of the decorative fabric edging in one of the tag designs. Templates are provided on pages 72 and 73 for all the key shapes used throughout the projects, and these can be sized up or down accordingly. The easiest way to use the templates for the gift boxes is to print or photocopy them onto regular paper and then clip this paper to your

chosen patterned paper before cutting through both layers – this will help to accurately recreate the designs which rely on making cuts and folds in exactly the right places. The projects are all suitable for creating in any pattern design and colour scheme in both fabric and paper so that you can tailor them perfectly to the occasion being celebrated.

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SH14 pp64-73 Birthdays_pp 02/02/2012 17:03 Page 66

Fabric cake caddy MATERIALS

♥ fabric of your choice ♥ Daler Board ♥ sewing thread ♥ large buttons ♥ Bondaweb ♥ wadding ♥ cake stand kit ♥ 6mm organza ribbon ♥ templates on page 72 & 73

SIMPLY MAKE

Sew the three side seams on each piece by folding the fabric right sides together and aligning the raw edges on each side – use 1⁄2” seam allowances on the main fabric piece and 5 ⁄8” allowances on the lining. Turn the main fabric piece right side out then re-press the upper hems as necessary on both pieces, concentrating particularly on the seams.

TOOLS ♥ sewing machine ♥ sewing needle ♥ household iron

Starting with a patterned slice, cut out two cake slice template shapes from fabric – one main and one lining. Press under a 1⁄2” hem along the three upper edges on both pieces – when sewing the side seams make sure you open out this hem.

Use the templates on page 73 as a guide to cutting the mount board strengthening pieces – three rectangles and one triangle – and a single piece of wadding.

Glue the triangle to the centre of the wadding colour side down and insert this into the main fabric cake slice. Ensure the inner seam allowances lie flat against the sides of the slice.

Insert the three side strengthening boards with the coloured side facing the wadding, then insert the lining fabric.

Slip-stitch the upper edges of the lining fabric and the main fabric together using matching thread, starting and finishing at the inner corner of the cake slice. Repeat for two further patterned slices.

For the three plain fabric slices, iron some Bondaweb onto a contrasting piece of fabric and cut a flower shape. Remove the paper backing and iron this onto the main fabric of each slice, centre front. Machine-sew zigzag stitches around the edges then sew a button in the centre before proceeding.

Wrap your cake stand handle with ribbon to hide the metal, securing the ends discreetly with glue.

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SH14 pp64-73 Birthdays_pp 06/02/2012 11:10 Page 67

CRAFT CROSSOVER

WHY NOT TRY... ...constructing the cake caddy from patterned paper-covered board.? You can make the basic net shapes from your chosen papers and add tabs to the sides (in the same fashion as the triangular gift box), then glue board to these to stabilise and strengthen the construction

Cut an 111⁄4” diameter circle from board and from wadding. Draw around this circle on fabric and sew two rows of gathering stitch 1⁄8” and 1⁄4” outside the marked circle. Trim the fabric about 1” away from the stitching and gather the fabric using the threads so that it fits smoothly over the wadding and board.

Repeat the process for a second circle, this time leaving out the wadding. Glue the circles back to back and slip-stitch them together all the way around.

Position your cake slices on the base board and mark the centre with a pen. Make a hole through all the layers and secure your cake stand handle through it, gluing the two nylon washers in place to prevent the pierced fabric from fraying.

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Birthday bunting MATERIALS

♥ fabric of your choice ♥ sewing thread ♥ small buttons ♥ Bondaweb ♥ wadding ♥ 3mm satin ribbon ♥ decorative edging ♥ templates on page 72 TOOLS

♥ sewing machine ♥ sewing needle ♥ household iron

Cut a 7cm length of ribbon for the button loop, fold it in half and press as pictured.

Clip the seams paying particular attention to all the corners. Snip away the wadding along the two sides close to the seam to reduce bulk.

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Turn the fabric right side out and press the top opening edge in. Sew a length of decorative edging along the top of the bunting – this stitching will also close the opening but you can sew a length of running stitch first if that is easier.

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CRAFT CROSSOVER

1st birthday card MATERIALS

♥ A5 card blank & matching cardstock

♥ My Mind’s Eye Bloom & Grow patterned paper

♥ Hero Arts Birthday Messages clear stamp set

♥ Hero Arts Baby Blocks wood block stamp set

♥ Tuxedo Black Memento inkpad ♥ black fine-line pen ♥ decorative edging ♥ small green crystals ♥ 3D foam pads ♥ template on page 72 TOOLS

SIMPLY MAKE Cut two template shapes from your selected front and back fabrics and one shape from wadding.

Transfer your required letter or shape to Bondaweb, iron onto the back of your chosen fabric and cut around the outline. Remove the paper backing, iron onto the front piece of bunting then machine-sew zigzag stitches around the edges.

Place the bunting pieces back to back and lay the wadding facing the front fabric. Tuck your ribbon loop fold ﬁrst between the two fabric layers so that all the raw edges are aligned, positioning it 2cm below the top edge of the fabric.

Sew a running stitch around the edges of the bunting using a 1cm seam allowance, going back and forth a couple of times where the ribbon loop is positioned and leaving an 8cm opening centrally on the top edge for turning.

To ﬁnish, sew a button to the front of the bunting opposite the ribbon loop.

Repeat to create all your triangles, sewing a long doubled length of ribbon into the outer edges of the ﬁrst and last triangle seams (ﬂower and heart) for tying up.

♥ sewing machine ♥ acrylic stamping block ♥ tiny daisy punch

SIMPLY MAKE Transfer the template image to an 8x13cm piece of cardstock using a black ﬁne-line pen. Transfer the diﬀerent sections of the image to a variety of patterned papers and cut out the pieces. Attach these to your base cardstock image using a tiny dab of glue.

Mount the cardstock onto a slightly larger piece of orange patterned paper and then a 13x19.5cm piece of teal patterned paper. Machinesew zigzag stitches around the edges of the number and over all the patchwork joins. Sew around the edge of the panel, making your stitch wide enough to completely bridge the orange border. When sewing the right-hand edge add a length of decorative edging into the stitches. Mount the completed stitched panel to pink patterned paper and then to your card blank. Stamp the greeting icon and the onesie onto green and pink patterned papers and cut out the diﬀerent sections to create the layered eﬀect as pictured. Hand-write ‘One year old today!’ on the onesie using a black pen. Attach these layered elements to your card blank using 3D foam pads for dimension then embellish the cardstock with punched daisies and crystals.

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SH14 pp64-73 Birthdays_pp 02/02/2012 17:06 Page 70

Cake tag MATERIALS ♥ ivory cardstock ♥ My Mind’s Eye Bloom & Grow patterned paper & accessory sheet ♥ Hero Arts Birthday Messages clear stamp set ♥ Tuxedo Black Memento inkpad ♥ black fine-line pen ♥ small green crystals ♥ cupcake template on page 73 TOOLS ♥ acrylic stamping block ♥ tiny daisy punch

SIMPLY MAKE Transfer the cupcake image on page 73 onto a piece of ivory cardstock using a black pen, and cut out.

Triangular gift box MATERIALS

♥ My Mind’s Eye Bloom & Grow patterned paper

♥ Karen Foster Mirrors Sparkle Burst brads

♥ small green crystals ♥ magnetic snap ♥ 3D foam pads ♥ template on page 73 TOOLS

♥ manual die-cutting machine ♥ Sizzix Flower Daisies die ♥ tiny daisy punch

SIMPLY MAKE Place the box template onto your sheet of patterned paper and cut out the net shape. Score all the fold lines on the inside surface of the box and press the creases sharply. Assemble the box and glue the tabs on the three sides to secure. Attach half a magnetic snap in the marked position on the halfsized lid sections. Attach the other half of the magnetic snap to the full triangular lid section. Die-cut one large and one medium daisy from contrasting papers and secure together using a decorative brad through the top triangular section of the lid.

2 3

Fold the triangle concertina-style along the scored lines and secure the sections down using 3D foam pads to retain some dimension. Adjust the position of the magnets if necessary for good closure then curl the tips of the die-cut ﬂower petals and bend the main spokes of the decorative brad up a little to match.

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Transfer the image again onto a variety of patterned papers using the black pen and cut out and attach diﬀerent coloured pieces to your base image. Adhere the left, bottom and right-hand edges of the cake case to form a pocket. Stamp the greeting onto a tag from the accessory sheet and tuck it into the pocket. Glue a cherry button to the top of the cake and thread with a hanging ribbon. Embellish the tag with punched daisies and crystals.

2 3 4

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CRAFT CROSSOVER

MATERIALS

♥ My Mind’s Eye Bloom & Grow patterned paper ♥ small green crystals ♥ green 3mm satin ribbon ♥ green button ♥ 3D foam pads ♥ template on page 73 TOOLS ♥ hole punch ♥ tiny daisy punch ♥ Woodware Blink Blink paper punch

Heart gift box

SIMPLY MAKE Place the box template onto your sheet of patterned paper and cut out the net shape. Score all the main fold lines on the inside surface of the box and the four diagonal lines on the outside surface. Press the creases. Punch the marked holes for the button closure.

2 3 4

Assemble the box and glue the two side extensions down inside the box to cover the diagonally folded corners. Cut the heart shape from contrasting paper, punch the button holes into this and attach to the box lid. Punch a blink shape and add matching holes before attaching to your box using 3D foam pads Secure a length of ribbon through the punched holes in the innermost

square lid then through the shaped lid and all its accompanying layers. Finish the ends by threading them through a button and tying with a bow. Embellish the box with a scattering of punched daises and crystals.

Happy birthday tag MATERIALS

♥ ivory cardstock ♥ My Mind’s Eye Bloom & Grow patterned paper & accessory sheet ♥ Hero Arts Birthday Messages clear stamp set ♥ Tuxedo Black Memento inkpad ♥ Karen Foster Mirrors Sparkle Burst brads ♥ decorative edging ♥ small green crystals ♥ 3D foam pads TOOLS ♥ small hole punch ♥ acrylic stamping block ♥ tiny daisy punch

SIMPLY MAKE Cut the label from the accessory sheet in half as pictured and stamp your

greeting onto the right-hand side using black ink. Die cut daisies from contrasting papers and secure them together using a decorative brad through the top-left corner of the label. Glue teal patterned paper to cardstock to strengthen it and cut a 95mm circle from it. Punch a hole near the edge and thread with a ribbon for hanging. Attach your label to the circle using 3D foam pads and embellish with a few punched daisies and crystals. Curl the tips of the diecut flower petals and bend the main spokes of the decorative brad up a little to match.

2 3

4 5

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SH14 pp64-73 Birthdays_pp 02/02/2012 17:06 Page 72

No1 card template

Bunting template

(page 69) 50% actual size Photocopy at 200%

(page 68) 50% actual size Photocopy at 200%

Heart & flower for bunting (page 68) 50% actual size Photocopy at 200%

Cake slice templates Bunting text template (page 68) 50% actual size Photocopy at 200%

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(page 66) 50% actual size Photocopy at 200%

Wadding template for cake slice (pink line)

SH14 pp64-73 Birthdays_pp 02/02/2012 17:06 Page 73

CRAFT CROSSOVER

WHY NOT TRY... ...making your own net shapes for gift boxes? Start with the shape for the base, add the sides around the edges of the base, and then add tabs wherever one side meets another. The top of the box can be added to one of the sides

Triangular gift box template (page 70) 50% actual size Photocopy at 200%

Cupcake card template (page 65) 50% actual size Photocopy at 200%

Cake slice strengthening board template (page 66) 50% actual size Photocopy at 200%

TOP TIP Just as paper blunts scissors it will also blunt needles, therefore keep one needle solely for sewing paper projects

Heart gift box template (page 71) 50% actual size Photocopy at 200%

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SH14 pp74 Gift Freebies_pp 06/02/2012 12:18 Page 74

FREEBIES

Giveaways Don’t miss out on the chance to win one of these fantastic prizes Organic Rose & Olive liquid handwash Oaklea Home Country Rose cushion covers 2 to give away, worth £25 each These beautiful country-garden themed handmade cushion covers from Oaklea Home (www.oakleahome.com) are made from upholstery-weight linen and hessian and measure 17” square. The fabric is also available to purchase from the website by the metre. Please provide your name and email address for this giveaway

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Craft book set Menu jewellery tree 1 to give away, worth £34.95 This beautifully sculptured, high-gloss, polished aluminium jewellery tree is as much a decorative piece as a functional jewellery storage system. www.prezzybox.com; 0844 249 5007

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SH14 pp75 Quarters & Artesano stockists_pp 07/02/2012 10:36 Page 75

ARTESANO STOCKISTS FOR YOUR CREATIVE NEEDS

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Call 01524251122 Beckside Gallery, Church Avenue, Clapham, North Yorkshire, LA2 8EA WWW.becksideyarns.co.uk info@becksideyarns.co.uk Twitter@becksideyarns

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sales@laughinghens.com Tel 01829 740903 Proud stockists of the full range of Artesano Yarns and patterns

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At Soaposh you will find a wide variety of soap making supplies and ingredients for bath and body products which are suited to both the hobbyist and the professional. Hot house flowers This soap has been made using a favourite recipe which contains coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, castor oil, shea butter and sunflower oil. Whole loofah Great for exfoliating. Perfect for knees and elbows and also for using before the sunbed, or applying tanning products. 2oz Souffle Little waxed pots perfect for souffles, bath melts, trufles, bath bombs etc. Blue Mallow Flowers 100g Blue mallow flowers are said to soothe irritated tissue, relieve various forms of inflammation and are known to be gently astringent

www.soaposh.co.uk 01752350546 www.simplyhomemademagazine.com 75

SH14 pp76 SH The Collection_pp 06/02/2012 15:36 Page 76

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SH14 pp78-79 Toft Alpaca_pp 02/02/2012 16:37 Page 78

Toft Alpaca This issue we catch up with Kerry Lord, founder of the Toft Alpaca label and shop in Rugby. 26-year-old Kerry is changing the traditional face of the knitting industry with her luxury wool and fashion-savvy ready-to-wear accessories It’s no secret that knitting has undergone a mini revolution in the past few years. Once viewed as the sole practice of grannies and spinsters, it’s been given new life with the launch of funky groups, such as ‘Stitch ‘n’ Bitch’ and ‘Knit ‘n’ Natter’, cropping up in pubs, town halls and living rooms all over the country. Appealing to a younger, craft-orientated audience, and taking its cue from the resurgence of knitting in the States, clicking needles with friends has become cool. Now Kerry Lord’s Toft Alpaca company is raising the stakes even further by giving the world of knitting a luxury, fashion-forward and eco-friendly range of products – think leg warmers, snoods and beanie hats. But ﬁrst rewind 14 years ago to when Kerry Lord’s successful theatre director father decided to

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give up the bright lights of the West End for the soft fleece of alpaca. Kerry subsequently spent her childhood surrounded by these furry friends on the family farm in the Midlands. It wasn’t until after she graduated from university, when her parents asked her to come onboard with the family business, that she seriously considered a career in wool. The idea was to sell the alpaca fleeces in the UK but after finding there was no demand for them, Kerry spotted a gap in the market to sell alpaca yarn. She assembled a group of knitters to create unique ready-to-wear accessories and went on to launch a ready-to-knit collection to appeal to enthusiasts who could create the luxury items at home at an affordable price. She now sells a changing collection of items online and at the Toft Alpaca shop as well as running knitting workshops at the family farm.

SH14 pp78-79 Toft Alpaca_pp 02/02/2012 16:37 Page 79

INTERVIEW

Did you always intend to go into the craft industry?

What are your thoughts on the growth of home crafting?

“No, I came into this by default really. I wasn’t a knitter or a mad crafter but I was a problem solver. My parents had the alpaca farm and with it came the problem of what to do with the ﬂeeces. I knew that alpaca wool was considered the softest and most luxurious wool around and that we had something of value – it was just how and what to do with it that I had to work out. After deciding on our path – to sell alpaca yarns and products – I subsequently got really passionate about what you could knit from them and learnt how to knit. I’ve actually learnt every element of the business – whether it is ﬂeece grading, spinning, designing or knitting, I’ve got involved.”

“It’s interesting that crafting – essentially an oldfashioned pastime – is fuelled these days by modern technology. Knitting videos on YouTube, for instance, are hugely popular. Blogs and websites on how to make things are widespread, too. People have a hunger to learn but perhaps don’t have a lot of money. With crafting you are learning a new skill and it doesn’t have to cost a lot. I think there is a huge amount of satisfaction to be gained by creating something from scratch and I can really relate to that.”

What are you inspired by?

How would you describe your style?

“I love the fact that our products are encouraging people to make things. Our snood, for instance, is one of the most basic pieces to make, anyone can do it. It costs £20 for the kit and it is super luxurious and soft to touch. It so much better than going to a cheap high-street store and buying a throw-away item. With this, you learn a new skill and end up with a wonderful, unique piece. I also love the fact that we are now a brand with a following. I think people appreciate our integrity and that we source, manufacture, design and sell – it is still quite unusual in the UK.”

“My personal style is part vintage and part masculine. I’m always in ﬂat shoes, for instance, as I am always rushing around. I like the classic look. At home it is similar; I like an environment that is very natural, with lots of slate and wood. I have a few antique pieces and lots of things made for me by my friends.”

What has been the hardest thing about building a brand from scratch? “The business has grown organically and slowly – there’s no sense in running before you can walk. But it means having patience. I wanted to understand every part of the process – from the ﬁeld to the fashion – so it has required lots of hard work and dedication. It was tough at the beginning to convince people about the beneﬁts of alpaca yarn as it was so new for the UK. When we started there were fewer than 500 alpacas in the country and now there are 27,000. Alongside the growth of our own business, we’ve also made a mark on the growth of alpaca farming in the UK, buying in yarn from other breeders. It is now a permanent aspect of British agriculture.”

What does 2012 hold for Toft Alpaca? “We have a new workshop opening in Warwickshire so it is an exciting time for us. Visitors have always been able to come and browse in the shop and also see the farm. The business has an open-door policy as people are really interested in the story behind the yarn. We hold lots of workshops too, which are fundamental to our following. It means our customers are not ﬂoundering on their own and they can come for some expert guidance and meet like-minded people. We will continue to bring out new pattern books, which are extremely popular, as well as a new product range every six months. Lots of our customers have been with us from the beginning and they have advanced from being beginners to experts – we have to make sure that we continue to bring out products that will meet their skill level. As they develop, so will we.”

What is so special about alpaca yarn? “It’s not known as the ‘ﬁbre of the gods’ for nothing! It is wonderful to touch and doesn’t itch the skin. It is also very lightweight and there are around 22 natural colours – from deep browns to rich creams – making it a highly exclusive material.”

What advice would you give to a start-up crafting company? “I think it is essential to allow your idea to grow and see where it takes you. You need a good infrastructure in place so you can build your business slowly. It is also important to follow fashion trends and know who you are selling to – understand your customer. Start oﬀ by getting yourself and your product out there. Go to craft fairs – if you have a good story, people wil want to know about it. I started by going to school fairs, now we do about 32 major events a year.”

Toft Alpaca yarns, knitting kits and ready-to-wear collections are available from Toft Farm Shop, Toft Manor, Dunchurch, near Rugby, Warwickshire or online at thetoftalpacashop.co.uk

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SH14 pp80-81 Gadget cover_pp 02/02/2012 17:24 Page 80

Gadget

girl Most of us carry around an array of technical gadgets on a daily basis and, although functional, they’re often not very pretty to look at. Julie Ferguson has devised the perfect solution in the shape of a fabulous

knitted gadget cover. Simply adjust the size to suit your requirements – shrink it down to house your MP3 player or mobile phone, or make it bigger to keep your laptop safe. We’d love to see what you make so please send in your designs for us to see!

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House your gadgets in knitted style! Julie Ferguson shows us how

BY JULIE FERGUSON

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KNITTING

Finished size 24cm x 18cm approximately

MATERIALS

repeat from * to last st, P1. Repeat Row 1 – Row 2 for 44cm.

♥ 100g Sagittarius (7105) Manos Silk Blend ♥ 2 buttons ♥ large tapestry needle ♥ 3mm needles To make your cover in one piece Cast on 71 sts. Row 1: K1, * yf, sl1 purlwise, yb, K1, repeat from * to the end of the row. Row 2: P2, * yb, sl1purlwise, yf, P1,

Make buttonholes Next row: K1, (yf, sl1 purlwise, yb, K1,) seven times, cast oﬀ 2 sts, (yf, sl1, purlwise, yb, K1) to last 17 sts, cast oﬀ 2 sts, (yf, sl 1 purlwise, yb, K1) seven times. Next row: P2, (yb, sl1 purlwise, yf, P1) seven times, cast on 2 sts, (yb, sl1 purlwise, yf, P1), to last 15sts, cast on 2sts, (yb, sl1 purlwise, yf, P1) ,P1. Work 8 more rows in pattern.

Tension 30sts x 40 rows in pattern over 10cm

Cast off. Making up Fold over 18cm and stitch the sides. Fold over the flap and sew on buttons to match buttonholes. This pattern can be easily adapted to fit any gadget. Cast on 3 sts for every 1cm needed and work rows to fit length. For small gadgets just add one button. The stitch pattern is reversible so choose which effect you prefer as the right side.

Abbreviations K – knit P – purl Yf – bring yarn to the front of the work between the needles Yb – take yarn to the back of the work between the needles Sl1 – slip the next stitch, (purlwise)

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SH14 pp82-83 Wall art_pp 06/02/2012 15:48 Page 82

Pretty as a

picture Create your own gorgeous wall art using this issue’s free papers and design sheet. Diane Grimshaw shows you how The cute and quirky images adorning this issue’s free design sheet are perfect for embellishing a whole host of projects ranging from appliquéd cushions and quilts, to t-shirts, bags and soft toys. The alphabet set we have provided allows you to personalise your projects with a name or sentiment. We have used the images at their original size but you could enlarge

BY DIANE GRIMSHAW

or shrink them to suit your requirements. To make the most of the design sheet we would suggest that you trace the images from it or use a photocopier or scanner to reproduce the images – that way you can use the images again and again. We photocopied the images featured here and printed them onto smooth white cardstock but you could also print them onto shrink plastic or tracing paper.

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SH14 pp82-83 Wall art_pp 06/02/2012 15:49 Page 83

USING YOUR FREE GIFT

WHY NOT TRY Use mini canvasses and the letters from the design sheet to spell out a name or a sentiment. Place one letter onto each canvas and arrange on a wall or shelf as desired

Animal antics SIMPLY MAKE MATERIALS

♥ trio of blank canvasses ♥ free patterned papers ♥ free design sheet ♥ brown inkpad ♥ Kuretake Basically Bare cardstock buttons

♥ Parkstone Pink Papermania Capsule Collection Big Bloomers

♥ Almond, Satin & Pale Pink Letraset ProMarkers

♥ ultra smooth white cardstock ♥ sheer ribbon ♥ photocopier or tracing paper ♥ pencil

Trim a piece of patterned paper to fit each canvas and ink the edges of each piece as shown using a brown inkpad. Fix the patterned paper to the canvasses using double-sided tape. Photocopy or trace each of your chosen images three times onto ultra smooth white cardstock. Colour the images using ProMarkers.

1 2 3 4

Cut the images out and place one complete image on each of the three canvasses. Cut elements from the remaining images and layer them as shown to add extra dimension. Thread pieces of ribbon through the cardstock buttons and fix them to the centre of the flowers before attaching them to the canvasses. Ink the edges of each canvas to finish.

5 6 7

WHERE TO BUY Canvasses are available from The Works. Visit www.theworks.co.uk to buy online or to locate your nearest store To buy Kuretake Basically Bare products visit www.kuretakeshop.co.uk Papermania Capsule Collection Big Bloomers are available from www.thehazelgrove artshop.co.uk

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SH13 pp84 Macmillan_pp 10/01/2012 10:40 Page 84

SH14 pp85 Days Out_pp 06/02/2012 12:15 Page 85

DAYS OUT

Inspiring

days out Next time you’re planning a day out why not take inspiration from Simply Homemade’s pick of the best? Each issue we bring you a selection of the most popular and inspiring venues from up and down the country CRAFT IN THE BAY – CONTEMPORARY WELSH CRAFT Craft in the Bay, The Flourish, Lloyd George Avenue, Cardiﬀ CF10 4QH www.makersguildinwales.org.uk Tel: 029 2048 4611 Opening Times: 10.30am to 5.30pm seven days a week ■ Discover a showcase of jewellery, ceramics, textiles, metal work and bespoke furniture exclusively made in Wales by members of The Makers Guild in Wales – created by individuals for individuals. The Makers Guild in Wales is a charity that owns and runs Craft in the Bay as a Membership organisation – currently with 71 maker-members living and working in Wales. Craft in the Bay is a light, airy and spacious gallery in the heart of the cultural Cardiﬀ Bay area where you

POLLOCK’S TOY MUSEUM 1 Scala Street, London W1T 2HL Tel: 020 7636 3452 Email: info@pollockstoy museum.com www.pollockstoymuseum.com Opening Times: 10am to 5pm – Mon to Sat (Last entry into museum 4.30pm) Closed Bank Holidays ■ Pollock’s Toy Museum occupies two houses joined

can browse and buy individually selected, quality craft work at your leisure, meet the maker members and relax in our fabulous café. You can explore the exhibitions of contemporary craft and applied art and take part in the weekend handson workshops. Facilties to accommodate conference room hire, kids crafty parties, hen parties and school workshops are also in place.

together in the heart of Fitzrovia in London – one 18th Century, one 19th. The small rooms are connected by narrow winding staircases and the whole place exudes atmosphere and evokes those special memories of childhood times. Each and every corner is ﬁlled with visual delights and, no matter which direction you look, new surprises are there to behold.

We’d love to hear from you too, so if you’ve got somewhere special to recommend, please send details to diane.grimshaw@practicalpublishing.co.uk

WORLD OF GLASS World of Glass, Chalon Way East, St Helens, Merseyside WA10 1BX www.worldofglass.com Tel: 01744 22766 11 Opening Times: 10am to 5pm Tuesday to Sunday, plus all Bank Holidays, excluding Christmas Day, Boxing Day & New Year’s Day Adult – £5.30 Child – £3.80 Under 5s – free Group (12 or more) – £3.60 per person Family (2 adults, 2 children) – £15.80 (1 adult, 2 children) – £10.80 Senior Citizen – £3.80 Note: Annual membership is also available. ■ Visit The World of Glass for a great day out – so much to see and do! You can see live glass blowing demonstrations with Sarah, Charlie and Graeme, or try your hand at blowing a glass bauble on one of the glass-blowing courses. Experience the amazing special effects film show – it will blow you away! For history buffs there are two great galleries. Have you ever wondered what life was like in a Victorian town? Step into St Helens’ past and relive life in the town in the last century.

LITTLE WOODHAM Little Woodham, Gosport PO13 8AB www.littlewoodham.org.uk ■ If you fancy stepping back in time and spending a day steeped in history, Little Woodham ﬁts the bill perfectly. A unique pattern woven in the fabric of time, within the Parish of Rowner surrounded by woodland, the village of Little Woodham exists to educate both children and adults about 17th Century rural life in the South of England. In April of 1642 the King of England, Charles Stuart, and his Parliament were on the verge of civil war. The momentous events of that year unfolded as the autumn approached. Using extensively researched local events, the ‘villagers’ link their families and their lives to national

See glass and glamour unite in the amazing two-tonne Manchester Airport chandelier. You can treat yourself with some retail therapy in the Artisan gift shop or chase away the chilly weather with a bowl of homemade soup or a large frothy cappuccino in St Helens’ only canalside cafe. Check out the exhibitions and see the ‘What’s On’ section on the World of Glass website for future events.

and international events of the time. During your tour you will meet the villagers, interpreters dressed in period costume, who will involve you and your children in their daily lives. Prepare timber with the sawyers at their camp, speak with villagers as they make lace and card and spin wool or watch the blacksmith as he beats hot iron into shape. Those visitors with ‘good and lawful money of England’ may enter Little Woodham’s alehouse to join in conversation with whomever they may ﬁnd within. Little Woodham is only open on speciﬁc days of the year, from 10.30am – 4.30pm, so visit the website for more details. Note: You should allow approximately two hours for your walking tour.

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SH14 pp76 pp86 Quarters_pp 02/02/2012 14:45 Page 86

Gorgeous fabric and patterns

www.thefabricloft.co.uk 86 www.simplyhomemademagazine.com Color Scheme 4

SH14 pp87-90 Wallhanging_pp 02/02/2012 17:27 Page 87

PATCHWORK

In bloom

Gillian Sutcliﬀe delivers a gorgeous spring-themed wall hanging this issue that is perfect for brightening your home

BY GILLIAN SUTCLIFFE

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MATERIALS ♥ three 20x28” pieces of calico ♥ 20x28” yellow fabric ♥ long quarter of yellow fabric for binding ♥ two 20x28” pieces of wadding ♥ assorted green fabric scraps ♥ pale green fabric ♥ yellow fabric scraps ♥ mottled red fabric ♥ red fabric ♥ thread to match each fabric ♥ neutral quilting thread ♥ coloured variegated quilting thread ♥ 0.5m freezer paper ♥ 0.5m Stitch ‘n’ Tear or 0.5m gold paper ♥ fabric marker TOOLS ♥ sewing kit with appliqué needles ♥ sewing machine or hand quilting needles

SIMPLY MAKE Enlarge and trace the pattern from page 90 onto one of the pieces of calico, being careful to centre the design. Number all the shapes as they are on the pattern. We are going to quilt the appliqué panel before we sew on the appliqué shapes so we don’t have to stop and start to avoid the design.

Layer the panel with one of the pieces of wadding and another of the pieces of calico and quilt in a crosshatch pattern. 1”-wide masking tape applied an inch apart makes a good guide and will help ensure that the crosshatching is at right angles. (See Fig 1.) If you are machine quilting you could use the measuring bar on the walking foot of your machine. (See Fig 2.) Enlarge and trace the design opposite onto freezer paper, again making sure to number it as the pattern. Cut out a shape from the freezer paper, place it onto the right side of the appropriate colour of fabric and pin into place. Cut it out leaving a seam allowance. Put the freezer paper shiny side up on the back of the fabric. Iron the seam allowance on to the freezer paper – be careful of your ﬁngers! (See Fig 3.) Sew the pieces into position starting with number one and following the numbers in

3 4 5

6 7 8

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order – using a thread that matches the shape you are sewing makes it much less noticeable. When each piece is nearly sewn on, tweak the freezer paper out either by hand or using tweezers. (See Figs 4 and 5.) Embroider the petal markings onto the primroses and daﬀodils as appropriate. Trace the catkin quilting pattern onto the Stitch ‘n’ Tear or gold paper, one for the left and one reversed for the right. Alternatively you can trace it onto the yellow fabric – a light box is very useful for this. You do not need to trace the catkins; you can add them freehand as you go using a zigzag motion down then up each catkin. Layer the yellow fabric with the other piece of wadding and the last piece of calico. Pin the quilt tracing into position and quilt by hand or free motion on the machine. Mark the centre oval and then carefully remove the paper. Cut out the oval leaving a

seam allowance. Pin the oval frame into position over the appliqué panel, making sure it is centred. Trim back the wadding to the line and turn under the edge of the oval. Stitch it into place (you may need to snip in the curve). (See Fig 6.) Sew on a binding using the long quarter of yellow fabric. Create a sleeve on the back deep enough to take a piece of dowel, or you could use one of the readymade hangers that are available.

9 10

SH14 pp87-90 Wallhanging_pp 02/02/2012 17:27 Page 89

PATCHWORK

Top-left catkin quilting pattern Reverse the design for top right 9 4 3 5 7

8 2

1 37

Wall hanging template

All elements are 50% actual size. Scan or photocopy each part at 200% then piece them together to get the complete template

47 57 56

33 20

31 32 29

21 25

26 49

Bottom-right catkin quilting pattern Reverse the design for bottom left

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SH14 pp87-90 Wallhanging_pp 06/02/2012 11:59 Page 90

PATCHWORK Wall hanging template All elements are 50% actual size. Scan or photocopy each part at 200% then piece them together to get the complete template 9

10 4 5

TOP TIP

You do not need to turn the fabric under where it goes beneath another shape

1 13 12

2 35

53 17 16

55 54 56

36 34 31 38

60 33

30 39

52 29 51

28 41 21 44

25 50

22 45

49 43 42

46 47 23

Finished size of hanging approximately 18x26”

27 24

TOP TIP It may help to keep track of the pieces if you pin them to the paper pattern

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SH14 pp91 Tricollette Yarns_pp 02/02/2012 14:46 Page 91

SH14 pp92-93 Box_pp 06/02/2012 12:07 Page 92

Precious

memories

BY LINDSEY HOPKINS

Lindsey Hopkins shows you how to create a gorgeous keepsake box, perfect for a gift this Mother’s Day

TOP TIP When working with patterned papers, check for design elements you can cut out and layer for extra dimension on your projects

There’s nothing quite like giving a handmade gift to a loved one to show you care, and particularly cherished are those creations that can be revisited time and time again in the form of not only decorative but also practical gifts.

My mum is one for keeping knick-knacks, bits and pieces and oddments that remind her of past events such as charms, lockets of hair from our childhood and even signet rings from the birth of me and my sister. Currently these occupy a drawer, but I ﬁgured they should be stored in style instead of in

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plain boxes and paper bags so decided to create this attractive keepsake box. When making this box there is an inﬁnite array of styles and sizes available for you to choose from, so you need to consider what is going to be stored in it. I opted for the versatile Darice cigar box as my base as it’s a sturdy starting point for an

altered gift project. I painted the entire box the same colour and chose a gorgeous bright yellow as my mum loves to get a bunch of daﬀodils on Mother’s Day. This meant that I didn’t need to cover the entire box or go right up to the edges with patterned papers – no matter how strongly you adhere them

they will suﬀer from wear and tear eventually. I then selected a coordinating collection of papers and embellishments, in this case the Elizabeth Park collection from Little Yellow Bicycle. The paper designs are pretty and feature ﬂowers and birds – another appealing aspect for a feminine creation.

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HOME DÉCOR MATERIALS ♥ Little Yellow Bicycle Elizabeth Park patterned paper, stickpins, Favourite Pieces cardstock stickers & pop-up stickers ♥ Jillibean Soup cardstock alphabet stickers ♥ Darice keepsake box ♥ Pebbles Inc Button Candy Dots ♥ Prima E Line pearls ♥ Process Yellow Daler Rowney acrylic paint ♥ Crystal Ranger Stickles glitter glue ♥ 3D foam pads TOOLS ♥ Sizzix Big Shot machine ♥ Framelits Fancy Labels dies ♥ Fiskars border punch ♥ paintbrush

To the front and side edges of the box, add further pop-up and cardstock stickers to decorate. Cut a panel of patterned paper to fit the inside of your box and adhere. From another sheet of the same patterned paper, cut the decorative panel. Add alphabet stickers and position over the panel on your paper using 3D foam pads. Highlight elements using glitter glue.

10 11 12

Cut a border strip from the papers and attach down the left-hand side of the main paper panel. Matt and layer two square panels of patterned paper and attach to the top-left corner of the inside of the box using 3D foam pads. Add a pop-up sticker to finish.

13 14

WHERE TO BUY The Darice keepsake box is available from www.pickleberry papercrafts.co.uk; 01795 597757 For Little Yellow Bicycle products go to www.merlyimpressions.co.uk; 07913 394451

SIMPLY MAKE Paint the inside and outside of the box with acrylic paint and set aside to dry. Cut a panel of patterned paper 1cm smaller on all edges than the lid of your box and attach centrally as shown. Cut two strips of another paper and punch one long edge on each to create decorative edging. Attach to the reverse of a patterned paper panel so the decorative edges show, and secure to the first paper panel on your box. Cut the bird strip from two sheets of the papers and attach the first to the box using 3D foam pads. Cut elements from the second strip and découpage over the first using 3D foam pads. Add glitter glue highlights, pearls and pins to further decorate the area on and around the strip. Position your alphabet stickers underneath the bird strip and add cardstock stickers above the strip and in the top-right corner of the central paper panel. Die-cut two Fancy Labels from patterned paper and layer together. Attach to the top-left corner of the box. Add a pop-up butterfly and highlight the panels using glitter glue. Cut a cardstock sticker border to size and attach each side of the clasp on the front edge of the box. Highlight using glitter glue.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9

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SH14 pp94 Comp_pp 02/02/2012 16:41 Page 94

WIN!

£390 worth of craft show tickets to be won!

Competition We have 30 pairs of tickets to give away!

Embrace the start of summer and visit the Weald of Kent Craft Show from the 5th – 7th May and find the best that British craftspeople have to offer. Set in the picturesque surroundings of Penshurst Place, near Tonbridge, this inspiring show will offer some of the finest handmade crafts to spruce up your home and garden. As well as this, you’ll find a delicious food and drink marquee, live music, features, displays and a stunning show garden bursting with colour. Over 250 skilled craftspeople from all over the UK will bring you the very best in handmade gifts and treats. With unusual wares you wouldn’t often find on the high street, there’s something for everyone from ceramics to glass and jewellery to paintings. Following its success with an award-winning garden at the 2011 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, How Green Nursery, along with Chilstone of Tunbridge Wells, will be returning to the Weald of Kent Craft Show with The Chilstone Ice Garden. This stunning show garden will house some of the fantastic ice sculptures from the renowned sculptor Jane Robbins and showcase a sumptuous selection of plants and flowers that will whisk you off into the Garden of England. Brand new to this year’s show, the Informed Design Graduate Marquee will showcase the work of the best newly qualified designers and makers from across the UK. If you fall in love with one of the designs you’ll be able to purchase it at the show and take away some special, unique and limited pieces from talented British makers. The Good Food Live area is a must for foodies! Head to the Live Cookery Demonstration Theatre where guest

chef Paul Da Costa Greaves will be whipping up some mouthwatering demonstrations with lots of inspirational and easy ideas that will transform your summer cooking. Stock up on delicious goodies in the Specialist Food & Drink marquee where you’ll find some of the finest produce around including cheeses, marmalades, chocolate, chutneys, fudge, wine and much more besides, sure to tempt even the most strong willed! Finally, match the perfect wine to your feast at the tutored wine tasting. With a selection of wines from around the world, it’s your chance to pick up tips from the experts and leave ready to impress. Craft experts will be offering a series of Family Craft Workshops throughout the day including pencil making, woodturning, paper making, decorative ceramics, drawing and pyrography – there’ll be something for all of the family to take part in. If you’ve wanted to see how the craft of pole lathe turning is used to create beautiful wares, or the secrets behind wheat straw thatching, pop along to the Traditional Crafts demonstrations where experts will be showing you how to get the most from traditional craft techniques. Just in time for the start of the season, James Marcheselli and Rob Barden from Live & Let Fly will be waiting for you at the Penshurst Lake to talk you through the basic techniques of fly fishing. With expert advice for casting newcomers as well as top tips for the advanced fly fisher, these easy-to-follow and practical demonstrations will leave you eager to go and get your first catch of the day! If you’ve always wanted to see a hawk, eagle or peregrine falcon in action then make sure you visit the Birds of Prey Display where The

TO ENTER

Hawking Centre, based in Doddington, Kent will bring this thrilling experience to life! Two of the UK’s most famous falconers and television presenters, Leigh and Jo Holmes, will be bringing their favourite birds along to wow the audiences and give both young and old an unforgettable experience. Make sure you book your special advance ticket to the Penshurst House and Gardens and discover the secrets of this beautiful historic house. Built in the 14th century, the house has been in the Sidney Family since the 1552 and represents English heritage at its best. The gardens are as ancient as the house and have recently been redesigned and renamed the Jubilee Walk to celebrate The Queen’s 60 years on the throne. For a fun family day out make sure you take time out of your day to enjoy live music, face painting and an Adventure Playground that children will love! Come rain or shine, there is something for everyone at the Weald of Kent Craft Show this May Bank Holiday.

WEALD OF KENT CRAFT SHOW Open 9.30 – 17.30 Adult: £6.50 (advance £5.00) Senior: £5.50 (advance £4.00) Children under 16 free if accompanied by a parent – otherwise £3 Buy 10 adult or senior tickets and get one adult ticket free (in advance only) Combined Weald of Kent Craft Show, Penshurst House & Gardens Adults and seniors £10 (in advance only)

ne ets onli Buy tick hf.co.uk or .ic at www ticket hotline e th e n pho 77988 01425 2

To enter for your chance to win a pair of tickets, send your name, address and email on a postcode to SH14 Weald of Kent, Practical Publishing, Unit 1 Adlington Court, Adlington Business Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 4NL to arrive by the 22nd March 2012 NOTE: By entering these competitions you accept that your details may be passed on to a third party

94 www.simplyhomemademagazine.com

springshows2012_Layout 1 20/12/2011 11:12 Page 1

Inspirational displays, supplies, demonstrations, talks & workshops for all creative crafters

0cm

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SH14 pp96 Ellison/Sizzix_pp 02/02/2012 14:57 Page 96

sH14 pp97 Web & classifieds_pp 07/02/2012 12:54 page 97

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www.simplyhomemademagazine.com 97

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SH14 pp98 NI_pp 06/02/2012 15:44 Page 98

NEXT ISSUE

Coming next time EXCLUSIVTES FREE GIF9

Worth £7.9

Here’s a preview of what you can look forward to in issue 15 ● 4mm & 6mm aluminium crochet hooks ● 20-piece button pack

SHELL SEEKERS Gorgeous home décor pieces inspired by shells

PERFECTLY PAINTED In-depth guide to folk art and decorative painting

TAKE A LETTER Ingenious ideas using letters and fonts

EASTER TREATS Sweet treats and cute makes perfect for family fun

NIGHT AT THE OPERA

PLUS

A1 designer template sheet

Don’t miss Su Pennick’s dramatic papercrafted creations

UPCYCLING WITH STYLE Revamp your wardrobe – we show you how

PLUS more inspirational projects and designs, all the latest news and reviews and much more!

Contents subject to change

On sale 22nd March 2012 – DON’T MISS IT! 98 www.simplyhomemademagazine.com

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