Labradorite Cufflinks Tutorial

Labradorite Cufflinks Tutorial

Published in Issue 23, June 2013

Written by Samantha from One Of A Kind Creations

www.okccreations.com

What you will need: 

4mm and 6mm plain round Labradorite beads
Silver plated Chain links
Silver plated ball head pins
A basic tool kit; including wire cutters, round
nose pliers and two pairs of flat nose pliers.



What to do:

Step 1. Start by picking out two larger and two smaller beads; one by one thread onto a ball head pin and make a wrapped loop.

Step 2. Once you have finished making the wrapped loops for each bead, unfasten two links from a length of chain.

Step 3. Thread a large bead onto one link and close securely (always open and close links back to front like opening a door so as not to weaken the link); open the opposite link and add the smaller bead, close this securely. Copy the process with the second set of beads and your cufflinks are finished.

Mini Tutorial for Wrapped Loops

Step 1. Begin with a headpin and a drilled bead.

Step 2. Insert headpin into the bead and hold firmly close to the top of the bead with round nose pliers.

Step 3. Bend the headpin to a 45◦ angle.

Step 4. Move the pliers so that one half is below the angle and the other above.

Step 5. Carefully bend the headpin around the top part of the pliers, forming the first part of the loop.

Step 6. Move the pliers again so that the top of the loop is sandwiched between the top and bottom parts of the pliers and continue to wrap the headpin until it completes the loop.

Step 7. Holding the loop with the round nose pliers, use a pair of flat nose pliers to hold the end of the head pin and slowly wrap around the neck of the headpin directly under the loop; continue until the headpin meets the bead and there is no longer a gap. Snip off excess with wire cutters and using the flat nose pliers gently squeeze to conceal the end of the headpin.

Step 8. The finished wrapped loops ready for use. 

Tutorial written by Samantha Tookey from One Of  A Kind Creations

https://www.facebook.com/pages/One-of-a-Kind-Creations

Kit or Miss?

Kit or Miss

Published in Issue 23, June 2013

Reviewed and Written by Jangill Designs 

www.jangill-jewellery.co.uk & www.jangilldesigns.blogspot.co.uk

Amethyst Stained Glass Batik Wall Hanging KIT

This kit is supplied by Perfect Patchwork (www.perfectpatchwork.co.uk) who have both and a presence on WowThankYou (www.wowthankyou.co.uk).

First Impressions.

Amethyst Stained Glass Batik Wall Hanging KIT

I saw this kit advertised at Craftfest (www.craftfest-events.com) and must admit to falling in love with it  straight away. It’s just the colours I love and I have a soft spot for stained glass, which I thought this replicated really well.

I ordered on a Thursday lunch time, hoping to have it with me at the weekend. Sadly, it  wasn't posted out till Monday and arrived the following day.

On opening, I was impressed with the quality of the fabrics, neatly cut to size. Backing fabric, wadding and binding were all provided, as well as embroidery thread, beads and charms for embellishing. 

I was not quite so convinced with the instructions which had poor photography and were printed single sided on a sheaf of A4 paper. 

Skill Level.

If you are happy using a sewing machine, then as a first quilting/patchwork project this would be a beginner level. As a general sewing project, it requires some knowledge and is therefore intermediate.

Getting Started

The main panel of the project is made up in a quick and easy method with no need to sew the pieces together. The shapes are traced off the provided pattern onto bondaweb which is then ironed onto the provided fabrics.  The fabric provided was just enough, so care needs to be taken to make sure you complete this stage correctly. The pattern pieces are ironed on to a calico panel, then bias binding used to cover the joins and giving the stained glass appearance. Again, there was just enough binding. 

The next stage is to baste the panel to the wadding and embellish. For me, this was the scary bit, because the only instruction was embellish as desired. The photographs were to poor to see any examples. However, once I got over the “fear factor”, I rather enjoyed doing exactly what I wanted. 

Making Up

The next stage was to add borders, first a black one then a wider toning fabric. Both these stages were very straight forward. To finish a calico backing is added and the quilt bound at the edges with black fabric. This was the only time I had cause for concern with the fabric provided, as the pre cut pieces varied in width along the length, sometimes to less than the 2” required. A piece of calico was added while binding to provide for hanging. 

InstructionsAlthough I managed to complete the piece, I found the instructions a disappointment. A set of numbered stages would have been helpful as I found it easy to lose where I was up to, especially as the pictures were in pairs and not numbered for easy reference.  The quality of the pictures means that you can’t see the detail which would have helped to clarify the instructions. For instance when sewing on the bias binding, should one row down the middle be enough, or should it be stitched close to both edges?

Skills Learned

As I have never made a quilt before, or done any patchwork, this was always going to provide some learning opportunities. I was hoping to do some sewn together patchwork but this project uses a simpler method with the bondaweb. This is quite a common method for decorative items and saves a lot of time. The project does, however, introduce you to putting a quilt project together, including binding. The methods used are not the most advanced (no mitred corners for instance) which makes this a great beginner project. This is slightly at odds with the lack of instructions or examples for embellishing. 

Value for Money

This kit cost £14.95 plus postage. 

I was impressed with the quality of the contents and considering how well the finished item turns out, this is great value for money. You could obviously get all the components together yourself for less, but care has been taken here to provide beautifully compatible colours and designs of fabric. You also get the design and instructions. 

Finished Item

I am quietly pleased with my first quilting attempt and I’m eager to do more, especially with some proper patchwork. The hanging looks great on my wall. Because the components were of good quality, the piece looks eyecatching and bears up under inspection. 

Time to complete

Complete in a weekend without too much trouble.

Conclusion

Good points: Great quality components, good value for money.

Bad Points: Not informed that would not be posted for 3 days, instructions

Overall I really enjoyed this project and am keen to do more. If you don’t fancy having a go yourself, Perfect Patchwork sell completed hangings for a very reasonable sum. 

Find them at www.perfectpatchwork.co.uk or on
WowThankYou www.wowthankyou.co.uk/perfect-patchwork

We have heard back from Perfect Patchworks Flick who says..

“Constructive feedback is not only welcome, but invaluable as an opportunity for improvement, so thank you. I have taken on board your comments with regard the instructions (imagery has already been dealt with) but I will explore other improvements. The delay in posting the kit is due to the fact that all kits are cut to order, so apologies if this is not clear at the point of sale. I am delighted that you were pleased with the quality and value for money. Kind regards Flick (Perfect Patchwork)”

Crafting on a Budget - Part Two

Crafting on a Budget - Part Two

Published in Issue 23, June 2013

Written by Leanne from Small Surprise Boutique

https://www.facebook.com/SmallSurprisesBoutique

 orchidflowers.wordpress.com

So, last time I discussed the art of upcycling as a way of reducing your craft expenditure, but there are only
so many times you can raid your loft or garden shed when on the hunt for supplies. We will revisit recycling more throughout this series, but for now there is something else I would like to consider.

Upcycling is an everlasting adventure, but it is useful to have a set stock rather than relying on uncovering recycled materials. I’m sure most of us have battled with the thought “I have so many ideas in my head, but where can I get my hands on cheap materials to bring my creations to life?” I know I have.

Obviously my own personal experiences come into play a lot here, but perhaps some of you out there have had similar encounters. When I took my first steps into my local craft superstore I was amazed by what was right in front of me. I couldn’t believe it had taken me so long to venture inside, but once I did I didn’t want to leave. 

After a few visits I started to realise I was on a strict budget, a budget that wouldn’t match the store, and although there were many things I needed in order to progress forward in my craft work, I would spend more time wandering back and forth through the isles and whittling down my decisions to fit in with my budget than actually crafting. 

I soon started to research the world of crafting, and after being amazed by the sheer magnitude of this new world I had embarked upon, I found cheaper alternatives for what I needed. Don’t get me wrong, I still love to visit my local craft superstores, I would live there if I could, and I recommend you keep them on your shopping route. I have learnt the importance of buyer’s research and it is something I would encourage you to do. 

www.freeimageslive.co.uk

Quite often we get lucky when our favourite stores have sales, but sales don’t last forever. In order to protect my bank balance I have taken on a new way of craft shopping. With notebook in hand a trip to my local craft superstore soon gives me my next shopping list, to see if I can find cheaper alternatives elsewhere. We’re all familiar with shopping around to find the best price, and I have found it to be just as useful when shopping for craft supplies. 

Fortunately, living in Leeds I am blessed with a spectacular market, filled with a wide variety of stalls and

www.northleedslifegroup.com

goodies. My needle craft seems to benefit most from my trips to the market, with material, wool, ribbons and buttons on offer in abundance. Buttons are always a useful addition to any craft box, and the market is a good place to start your collection. Also, I have discovered once you become ‘a regular’ customer there is often the opportunity to collect some enviable bargains. Just recently, for example, I was able to pick up a large amount of lovely material, which was discounted thanks to being familiar with the seller. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

Building a network specific to your craft work is also a good way of keeping your craft budget to a limit. The more you network with others in the industry, the more likely you are to find out about the best places to stock up your craft cupboard. As your network develops, so will your knowledge, and in turn you can help others. I have found this particular method very useful, especially in recent weeks. I have signed up for my first craft fair, due to take part in July, and I am constantly extending my ‘what I need’ list. By networking with experts in this area I am gradually finding everything I need, such as packaging materials, and they come at reasonable price. 

There are many ways to protect our bank balances whilst still producing high quality creations, and shopping around for the best options is very beneficial, but it doesn’t have to be time consuming. My first port of call now is often my local market, and I recommend anyone in need of supplies has a wander around their local market too; it is surprising what you will find. And if you can’t find exactly what you are looking for, have a chat with the stallholders, they’ll often advise you on the best place to go. 

Bracelets made using equipment from a trip to the market – ribbon, elastic etc.  

A selection of my bargain material from a market shop, soon to be used towards many upcoming projects. 

Father's Day Memo Board

Father's Day Memo Board

Published in Issue 23, June 2013

Written by Katie from Oldskoolretro Kitsch Boutique

https://www.facebook.com/oldskoolretrokitschboutique

What you need:

Canvas, any size (I use 30cm by 40cm)
Fabric of your choice
Wadding (I use Medium)
Ribbon at least four metres for this size
Staple Gun
Staples
Scissors

Step 1. First take the canvas that you want to use and lay it face down on the wadding, cut the wadding with at least three inches extra all the way round.

Step 2. Choose one side of the canvas, fold the wadding over and staple it down, leaving the corners till last, then do the same on the opposite side, then do the same for both remaining sides. Fold the corners of the wadding flat and secure them in place.

Step 3 & 4. Next, lay the fabric out and place the canvas with the wadding on face down on top and cut the fabric out with at least three inches extra all the way round. Staple down in the same way that you have done with the wadding.

Step 5. Once the fabric is secured, then we need to tidy up the edges at the back, so fold the fabric over the wooden frame of the canvas and tuck it behind all the way around. Then staple just on the inside of the frame, all the way around to tidy it.




Step 6. Now is the time to add the ribbons, staple the first edge of the ribbon on the back, then put across the board in a diagonal direction and staple down at the back. Continue till you have finished putting them in the one direction.


Now do the same with the ribbons from the opposite direction making sure you weave the ribbon over and under the one that is already secured.

You now need to staple down some ribbon on the back in order for you to hang it; I always use five staples on each end of the ribbon to secure it.

You are now finished, hang it up and decorate as you wish!

Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Cheesecake

Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Cheesecake

Published in Issue 23, June 2013

Written by Claire from Elderberry Arts

www.elderberryarts.co.uk

This is a very forgiving, quick and easy recipe for a creamy chocolate cheesecake free from gluten and dairy products. 

Step 1. Put biscuits into a food processor and blend into fine crumbs.

Step 2. Add 2 tablespoons of the coco powder and mix briefly to combine.

Step 3.  Melt the spread and mix it into the biscuit crumbs using a spoon until it is beginning to stick together.

Step 4. Pour the biscuit mix into a container and press down firmly to form the cheesecake base.

Step 5.  Wipe out the food processor bowl. Put all the cheese into the bowl the remaining coco powder and sugar. Mix well to combine. You can add more sugar or coco to taste if you wish.

Step 6. Spoon the chocolate filling on top of the base and spread with the back of a spoon to cover the biscuit base. Cover and chill for several hours or preferably overnight. 

The cheesecake can also be placed in the freezer for a few hours to speed up setting. 

Gluten and dairy free biscuits can be bought in Tesco, Sainsbury’s and many health food stores. Any biscuit will work so you could try chocolate chip cookies for the base (Sainsbury’s sell dairy free chocolate chip cookie) or if you are only avoiding gluten, chocolate digestives. 

The base can be made with a combination of biscuits and nuts.  Process the nuts before adding the biscuits as they will take longer to break up. 

Tesco sell several varieties of dairy and gluten free cheese. The original creamy version is perfect for this recipe. Other varieties can also be bought in health and alternative food shops or online. Sheese is another often seen brand. 

A plain cheesecake can be created by leaving out the coco powder. This can be eaten plain or topped with a fruit sauce, fruit pieces, dairy free chocolate buttons or shavings or even chopped gluten and dairy free brownie pieces. The possibilities are endless. 

Competitions from Both Sides of the Fence

Competitions from Both Sides of the Fence

Published in Issue 23, June 2013

Written by Tracey from WowThankYou
www.WowThankYou.co.uk
Best Cuppa In Town

www.bestcuppaintown.com

Can you remember where you were on Thursday 15 June 2006? I can. At approximately 12:20 I was getting ready to drive to an acupuncture appointment in mid-Wales, about a 40 minute car ride from my home on the coast in West Wales. The phone rang – I didn’t really want to take it as I didn’t want to be late – but I’m SO glad that I did. It was the Daily Express calling to inform me that I’d won a £30,000 convertible car … wow! I had entered the competition the previous weekend by text, having seen it while visiting my parents. I was 30 weeks pregnant with my first child at the time, and I had been an avid ‘comper’ for about two years. It was the pinnacle win of my hobby, and alas my commitment to it fell along the wayside when my daughter was born and I ran out of spare time!

The hobby of competitions becomes addictive. I remember entering 200 postcard competitions in a single evening (golly, think of the cost of doing that now!)  – and when I posted them all, I felt a huge wave of achievement … and the excitement and anticipation kicked in that I could be sent a winning letter with some wonderful goodies.  Over the two years I won more than a car – prizes ranged from a £1200 Currys voucher, 2 x coffee machines, a crate of wine, a range oven, a weekend at Gleneagles in Scotland, a toaster, kettle, Kenwood food mixer, a camera, a camcorder, lots of baby goodies, hair care items (brushes, shampoo, straighteners) … I loved awaiting the postman each day!

Why am I telling you all this? 

Well, I wanted to explain what it’s like when you spot a competition on a website or in a magazine, when you are a comper … I’ve lost count of the number of competitions I’ve ripped out of magazines at the hairdressers, or items I’ve needed to buy in order to enter a prize draw – as I said, it’s an addictive pastime, and you want to enter everything you can find. My hobby introduced me to brands I’d never heard of before, took me to websites I’d never visited before, read product descriptions in order to answer a question … and I was never alone in doing this…

A typical competition on the internet gets over 6,000 entries. 6,000 people who, like me, want to win the item on offer. And if we need to find an answer before we can enter, we look for it – carefully, in order to ensure it is correct. There are thousands of people in the UK scanning websites every day looking for competitions to enter – and there are online competition portals and forums that pretty much tell you where to go. OK, people may not hang around on the site for very long post-entering, as when you’re in the ‘competition zone’ you are pretty much looking to enter as many as you can in the time available. But you do get to know these websites and you remember them and revisit them when you need to purchase something specific. 

I remember being introduced to the website Firebox.com this way – I visited their site every month to enter their competitions – and that following Christmas I purchased some presents from them and have done ever since.

As I mentioned, since the birth of Millie-Mae and then Toby I’ve not been as active a comper as I’d like to be. And now the children are in school and nursery I am looking to free up a few hours here and there to get into it again … but for now I’m putting my experience to good use on the flipside of the coin…

I believe I have good knowledge of how a comper ‘works’, and I use this information on WowThankYou by regularly offering competition prizes. I also list the competitions on the competition forums I mentioned earlier – I WANT compers to flock to the page to enter because I know that this is a sure-fire way of introducing them to the WowThankYou brand, and they WILL come back and purchase from us at some point. We average between 2,000 and 2,500 entries per competition over the month that it runs. The numbers are slowly climbing, which I put down to persistence and continuity - When you place an order on the WowThankYou website during the checkout process you are asked where you heard of us and we’re starting to see ‘entering a competition’ given as their answer.  

With our competitions, you need to answer a question that is hidden somewhere within the seller’s store (who has donated the prize). I make sure it isn’t too easy as I want them to really see the items they are looking at. We can attribute a huge rise in sales to some sellers who have either currently or previously offered a prize – and this prize could cost as little as £8-10. There’s not many opportunities where this amount of money will get you 2,500-3,000 visitors …

And that’s the joy of competitions – compers don’t care what the value of the prize is as they enter everything, because they know there’s a higher chance that they’ll win the ‘smaller’ items rather than the cars, campervans, exotic holidays etc. To a comper, a win is a win, it’s as simple as that.

But yes I know what you’re thinking – “why encourage these people to enter?” Simple answer – because they are also online shoppers! Trust me – as a comper online, you are pretty nifty with a computer as you spend so much time on one entering prize draws, and quite honestly you simply don’t have time to go out shopping so buy online instead. It’s a winning formula, it really is.

So if you are looking for ways to get noticed, think about offering a competition prize on your blog, FB or twitter page. Don’t just run the one – when it ends, start another … keep doing it and people will slowly start to remember you and your brand. And then when they need to buy something, they’ll return not as a comper but as a customer, which is what we all want to see!

The Craft Box - Notebook Cover

The Craft Box - Notebook Cover

Published in Issue 23, June 2013

Written by Tina from Shinyes

http://shinyies.co.uk

This is what I did...

I rummaged through my craft box and gathered :

Very thick card (saved from a package delivery), 

White card,
PVA glue,
Paintbrush,
Button,
Ribbon,
Clear nail varnish,
Pencil,
Ruler,
Scissors,
Decorative papers,
Silver coloured letter stickers
Notebook.

Step 1.  I cut and trimmed the very thick card, both the same size but making sure that they were comfortably bigger than my notebook. These were to become the front and back cover of the re-usable notebook cover.

Step 2. I began covering my front and back cover with the decorative papers, beginning with the corners. I made sure that there was plenty of excess paper which could be folded over the edge of the covers, hiding the unsightly edges. Using the PVA glue and paintbrush, I continued to cover all eight corners.

Step 3. I covered the rest in decorative papers, again folding over the excess to hide the edges of the very thick card.

Step 4.  I turned over one of the boards and cutting some decorative paper, I covered the back, hiding all the excess papers that had been folded over when covering the edges. I only did this to one of the boards to start with. The other would come a bit later.

Step 5.  I then cut a small rectangle of ribbon and sealed the edges with clear nail varnish to prevent fraying, and sewed a button onto the centre, this was to become part of the fastening for the notebook cover. I then measured a length of ribbon to go round the other board, giving plenty of wiggle room to allow for the extra thickness that the cheap notebook would make. Then I again sealed the edges with clear nail varnish, and cut a hole for the button to go through. After the button hole had been stitched, I had my notebook cover fastening.

Step 6.  Again using PVA glue I attached the button to the front board and the button hole ribbon to the back board, folding the excess ribbon round it's edge. Then I was able to cover the board in my decorative paper, covering the excess paper and the ribbon.

Step 7.  Then it was time to attach the two boards together. I cut a piece of ribbon (you need thick ribbon for this, I would recommend two inches wide) making sure it didn't quite reach the length of the boards. Again I used clear nail varnish to prevent fraying, and glued the ribbon to both boards, leaving a gap between that was wide enough for the thickness of the notebook.

After it was dry, I held my breath and tested that it worked. It did!

Step 8. Then I began drawing out the parts that the front and back cover of the notebook would slot into to keep them in place. I made them slightly bigger than the covers and added tabs that would be used to glue them to the inside of the boards. 

When I came to putting the notebook covers inside, I found that the notebook covers were getting caught on the tabs I had made to glue the housing into place, so I cut the notebook covers down about an inch and they went in without a problem.

Step 9.  My final finishing touch to my completed notebook cover was to use the silver coloured stickers and name my finished  item “Notebook”

All done.

I was very pleased with the result and am contemplating making more of them as gifts for family and friends.

The end result - a beautiful notebook, a heap load of fun and an eagerness to start my next project. Visit Tina at www.shinyies.co.uk