The Male Room Can

     The theme this fortnight at The Male Room is gardening. I knew I had a die cut watering can somewhere in my stash, it's been there for a while so the big question was which box was it in?
 After only ten minutes I found it! Sorting my craft stash earlier this year is beginning to pay off.

     The watering can was cut in dark grey card, all I had to do was glue it together. A small die cut greeting on the front was all that was necessary to finish it off.
     The origami flowers are made using the pictures from a seed catalogue, there are so many gorgeous pictures of how your flowers should look, it's a shame to throw them away.
     Each flower is five squares folded and glued together, these ones have a wire stem put through the middle with a small gem on top of the centre. Different sized squares will give you various sized flowers, these ones are quite small as they are made with a 1.5inch scalloped square.
     The Male Room challenge is open for any masculine project with a gardening theme so please come and join us, we also have a DT call running.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes   (F)

Shopping Our Stash - April Showers Bring May Flowers   (W)

Get Creative - Lots Of Flowers   (M)

MHK Designs - March Challenge

   A new challenge at MHK Designs begins today with a photo prompt to inspire you. Easter is next month but it doesn't hurt to get making those Easter projects now, so that's what I have done.

     Using some papers from the Egg-cellent Easter set I have folded an egg stand following a You Tube origami video. The egg that's sitting in the photo is an Emu egg, it's a beautiful dark green, this one is about the size of a standard chocolate egg to give you an idea for display.
     The greeting is from Bunny Love, die cut and coloured, then stuck on to a band of paper matching the stand.
     A very simple idea but it could be used to great effect for an Easter display as you can make the stands in various sizes by starting with a different size paper square, your egg doesn't have to be chocolate.
     The challenge on MHK Design blog runs all month so please have a look at the photograph and come and join us with your interpretation.

Bunny Love

Egg-cellent Easter

   

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

Digi Choosday - Anything Goes

The Paper Nest Dolls - Anything Goes

Easy Origami Box

        Good morning and welcome to my first project for CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge, I'm thrilled to have been asked to join the creative design team. This challenge is fabulous, you can enter anything you've made as long as you use patterned paper, so dig out those papers and come and join us.

     I like to use my papers for all sorts of projects, not just cards. This box is very easy to make, here's a link to a very good video tutorial.
     The only tip I could add to this great video is rather than fold the square in half, corner to corner to find the centre, mark it lightly with a pencil, then your finished box won't have any creases across the lid or base to spoil the end result.

     I have put a card insert inside both lid and base to make it a little neater. The lid has been stamped with cherry blossom and the base with a greeting, both have been coloured around the edges with Distress ink.
     This would be a nice way of hiding a personal message inside for the recipient. If you have several sheets of the same paper you could make the card, tag and gift box to match.
     The acetate butterfly on top is a digi stamp coloured with alcohol markers. You can find a post about where to get the digi's and how to make them here.
      When you've had time to go through your stash of papers and make your project, come and join us at CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge, we would love to see your creations.

I would like to enter this gift box in the following challenges:

Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes

Seize The Birthday - Birds, Bees or Butterflies

Decorate To Celebrate - Anything Goes

Try It On Tuesday - I Believe I Can Fly

MHK Designs Gift Box

     Today I have a project for MHK Designs using one of their gorgeous digi paper sets called Damsel In Distress. 

      This set comes in a rather stunning pink but with a little help from my printer functions I have changed the colour to a very nice mauve.
     The origami box was made following a brilliant video by Christina Griffiths, here's the link, Christina's tutorial is very easy to follow.
     It was printed with a different pattern on each side of an A4 120gsm paper. One A4 sheet will make this box bottom and decorate the lid, you will need an A5 of co-ordinating card for the lid base.

      With the addition of some paper lace on the edges, some paper roses and a small length of ribbon for the lid the materials list is quite short.
      From an A4 sheet you can make a finished box that measures 3 1/2 inches square and 2 1/2 inches tall including roses.
     Just imagine making wedding favour boxes this way, if the Etsy shop doesn't have what you're looking for then contact MHK Designs about the possibility of a bespoke set.
     Digi papers are so versatile, you can change colour and size by adjusting your printer and being able to print double sided papers is a real bonus.

     
      Come over to MHK Designs blog and join in our challenge for the chance to win some digi papers and stamps.  You don't have to use MHK Designs products to enter but we would love it if you did.

I would like to enter my gift box in the following challenges:

Brown Sugar - Anything Goes

Craft for the Craic - Anything BUT a Card

Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything With Patterned Paper

Decorate To Celebrate - Anything Goes

Allsorts - Purple Passion

MHK Designs Challenge #3

     Welcome to our third challenge at MHK Designs, this one has a definite Easter feel to it, but if you don't want to use bunnies then we have some gorgeous colours to use instead.

      If you wish to give an Easter gift that will last for years then why not try making paper flowers with the any of the MHK Designs paper sets.
     I have used the papers from Egg-cellent Easter for this project and altered the colours by playing with my printer settings. I really wanted to use the bunny papers again to go with our white rabbit prompt.
     The centre rose is die cut with a Spellbinder spiral flower die, the edges are coloured with Distress ink Spun Sugar. There are three flowers all made using Sizzix Tattered Flower die cut shapes curled and folded, then stuck together. The three origami flowers are known as Kusudama, you can find many tutorials on You Tube for these.
     Each flower is on florist wire so when dry I gathered them into a bunch, they looked nice but needed some leaves. Tattered leaves Sizzix die was used to cut from silver paper several sets of leaves. Each leaf has had veins scored into it before being stuck on to wire.
     Once happy with the bouquets look the flower stems have all been taped together with green florist tape. The bunch still looked lacking in something so I have added two doilies die cut from silver tissue paper just under the flowers and taped them to the stem.
     Ideal flowers that don't need water, will never die and don't cost a small fortune, they can even be posted in a box to friends or relatives miles away.
     Please come and join us at MHK Designs for a fun challenge, you don't have to use MHK Designs products but we would love it if you did. By entering the challenge you have the chance to win a digi stamp set and a paper set too.
   

March / April challenge at MHK Designs

     To see lots more gorgeous papers and stamps visit the Etsy shop here. You can even have papers custom made, so if you want to make wedding flowers why not have a unique paper set designed just for the special day.

I would like to enter these flowers in the following challenges:

CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Anything With patterned Paper

Ecelctic Ellapu - Purple Team-Flora and Fauna

Dragonfly Journeys - Hippity Hoppity (must feature a bunny)

Allsorts - Easter

My Time To Craft - Flowers

Cut It Up - Easter Bunny

MHK Designs - Sneak Peek

     Would you like to know what this is and where to get that gorgeous bunny paper?

Then you need to 'hop' over to MHK Designs blog for all the details.

We have lots of inspiration for you at MHK Designs as well as the chance to win some of our lovely stamp and paper sets by joining in with the current challenge.

Twinkle, Twinkle

     Several months ago I bought a kit to make 15 German Stars, last night I sat down and made them all, plus a few gold ones. I like to have something a little different on the table at Christmas, nothing too tall, so I have filled a bowl with the stars and added some battery operated LED lights.

      The kit had full pictorial instructions with it but I found a YouTube tutorial much easier to follow, here's the link to part one, you can reach part two from there.
     Once I had done four with the tutorial I could carry one and make the rest with out it, next week may be a different story!

      Having made so many I would suggest cutting the ends to a blunt point as it makes them easier to thread through, don't pull too tight and don't crease the paper unless it tells you to.
     I wanted a few gold stars in with these patterned ones so I had to work out the size of the strip needed. The paper needs to be about 120gsm, patterned both sides and long enough to be a continuous strip. This limits things slightly as most papers only have pattern on one side and the biggest I have is 12x12 inches (about 30cm).
     The kit had strips of 86cm for the large star and 45cm for the medium star. I could only get a maximum of 30cm in length from an A4 sheet, this meant the strip had to be no more than 1cm wide, finding gold on both sides was easy.
     I placed a medium star in the bottom and built the large ones around the outside, keeping one for the top. I mixed in the lights, medium stars and the gold stars as I went, finishing with the battery pack on top covered by the last large star.

     This would be a great way to use up strips of patterned paper, make half a star as a gift wrapping topper. It doesn't have to be Christmas paper, these stars would look great for a birthday or a congratulatory party piece. If you have the time you could stamp a pattern on both sides of the paper or a message.

I would like to enter my star bowl in the following challenges:

CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Anything Goes

Sparkles Monthly - Anything But A Card

The Sisters Of Craft - Anything Goes

Through The Purple Haze - Christmas

Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

The Glory Of Christmas - Anything Goes

Couture Creations Vintage Gift Box

     This week's project for Creative Expressions is the gift box to go with last weeks card. Again using papers and dies by Couture Creations as well as a Spellbinder die and some Foundations card.

      To make this gift box you will need a sheet of pretty double sided card and access to this tutorial by the talented Christina Griffiths.
     Christina uses a 12x12 paper in her tutorial, I have used a 6x6 for this box. I did practice on a sheet of copy paper first just to get the hang of it, with her instructions it was easy.
     Using a 6x6 paper gave me a finished box of 2 1/2 inches, just right for a necklace or some earrings.

      Where Christina had used lace I have used paper lace, made using a Spellbinder die called Romantic Rectangles and cream card. The largest of the dies in the set cut enough paper lace on one long side to edge one point on the box.
     Being paper lace I was able to stick it on with Cosmic Shimmer PVA dries clear glue, you'll notice that Christina uses this glue to assemble her box too.

      I used another sheet of Couture Creations Vintage Rose Garden to line the bottom of the box and to cover the lid. I didn't use the same pattern for the lid as I had for the box, which wasn't a problem as all the papers in the pad co-ordinate beautifully.
      The lid carcass was made using Foundations card Taupe. I have used the Couture Creations die Vintage Roses to cut dusky pink flowers to go on each point, this helps tie it in with the card from last week.

      The top of the lid is covered with the same paper as the base insert, which means that to make the box and the lid I have only used two sheets of the paper from the pad, leaving me lots more to play with.
     The greenery is cut using Couture Creations die Classic Vine and some green card. The paper roses are glued down around the little ribbon handle that was made using Creative Expressions Satin Ribbon - Rose.

Materials used

Couture Creations dies - Vintage Roses / Classic Vine

C.C. Paper Pad - Vintage Rose Garden

Spellbinder Die Set - Romantic Rectangles

Creative Expressions Foundations Card - Taupe

CE - Cosmic Shimmer PVA dries clear Glue

CE Satin Ribbon - Rose

I would like to enter this gift box in the following challenges:

Craft For The Craic - Bingo (flowers,ribbon,die cut)
Crafts 4 Eternity - Anything But A Card
Dream Valley Challenges - Mother's Day
Crafty Boots - Anything But A Card

Magazine trees

     Hello and welcome to the mid month inspiration for CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra. We are a monthly challenge where you can enter anything you have created as long as it has a Christmas theme.
     These trees are quick and easy to make, all you need is a magazine with around 80 pages or more, with no spine, just folded and stapled.
     Begin by folding the pages to bring the top edge to the centre and crease, then fold the creased edge to the centre. Tuck in the small point of page that is sticky out at the bottom flush with the bottom of the page and move on to the next page. Continue all through the magazine until you have a folded cone shape.
     Once the cone is finished dab PVA glue along the outer ridges and roll in glitter. It shows more in the reflection on the table in this photo than on the trees and it looks great in the evening in artificial light.
     The little star on the top is made with glitter paper and origami folding. Both the tree and the star can be found as tutorials on you tube. This is something you could make with children, it's inexpensive, simple but effective and when Christmas is over it can be recycled.
     Come and join us at CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra with any of your last minute seasonal makes, we'd love to see them.

I would like to enter these trees in the following challenges:

Splendiferous Creations - Christmas Ornaments

Crazy Catz - Last Minute Christmas

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Urgently needed Christmas Creations

Sugar Creek Hollow - Not A Card

Mothers Day Flowers

     These are the flowers I have sent to my Mum for Mother's Day. Her favourite colour scheme is blue and white so choosing the paper was easy.
     These flowers are made using scrapbook paper, it's a little on the thick side and made my fingers sore with all the creases but I hope you'll agree it was worth it. Origami paper is usually good quality thin paper and very easy to fold, some scrapbook papers are thinner than others but I don't think I'd even try a double sided paper as they are usually quite thick. Having said that a double sided paper wouldn't need as much folding if you used a triangle instead of a square and the effect would be quite different too, must go away and try that one.....
     ......back again, it looks pretty good, must experiment further.
     The origami method is called Kusudama, it's very easy to do as each petal is made separately and then assembled into a flower. There are tutorials on YouTube if you would like to know how to make them.
     Once assembled I have stuck a button in the centre of each flower to cover the joins. I've been collecting buttons in local charity shops for this as new ones can be expensive, I'd forgotten just how much fun I used to have as a child going through Granny's button tin!
      I have stuck my flowers on to bamboo kebab skewers and cut them to varying lengths before putting them in a jam jar topped with foil (to keep the flowers in place) and tying a blue ribbon around the top to hold the foil and cover the screw thread where the lid used to go.
     At least these flowers won't die within a few days and if you use left over papers it need not cost a fortune either, though I did buy these papers just because I knew Mum would like them.

I would like to enter Mum's flowers in the following challenges:

Make My Monday - For Mum

Crafts 4 Eternity - Special Mums

Delicious Doodles Challenge - Mother's Day

Jellypark Challenges - Mother's Day

Left of Centre Creative Challenges - Ribbon and/or Flowers

Southern Girls Challenge - Floral Frenzy

Scrappers Delight - For A Special Lady

Ladybug Crafts Ink - For A Special Lady

Craft Your Passion - Mother's Day

Dream Valley Challenges - Mothering Sunday

Kusudama snowflake ball

   I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and to thank you for your kind comments throughout the year, I do appreciate you taking the time to look, comment and follow.
    I spent a lovely morning with a new crafting buddy this week. Our children are at the same school and through various chats in the playground we discovered we have some mutual interests, so we booked a grown up play date. Jane showed my how to make these amazing flowers.
     We began by making a single Kusudama flower using 6x6 papers, the result was great but me being me I thought 'how small can I go?', so these flowers are made with a 2inch square. That means I can get a complete ball out of two 12x12 sheets, the ball measures 3inches across. There are tutorials available on youtube, I would recommend www.wikihow.com, 'Make a Kusudama flower' and 'Make a Kusudama ball'.
    I do apologise to any 'black belt' origami experts out there, this is not a perfect example by a long shot but it is my first and I like it hanging on my tree. I did discover that a good quality paper is much easier to fold than a thin card, especially when working smaller squares. I do need to practice more and get my folding more accurate as this is the key to it all working out well.
    Each flower has Glamour Dust on the centre veins and a clear gem in the middle which catches the light as it hangs on the tree. It took about six hours in total, I fold a few squares in between cooking duties so I can then spend the evening sticking it all together, which for me was the trickiest part.

I would like to enter this ball in the following challenges:

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Past Challenge=Snowflakes

Creative Moments - Anything Goes, Winter Wonderland

Here Come The Boys - Anything Goes (my son has claimed this already)

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes & Blog Hop

Make My Monday - Frosty Theme

The Glory Of Christmas - Snow

Try It On Tuesday - Handmade Gift or Tag 

CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Whatever is urgent to make (I just HAD to try it)

Feeling Crafty - Christmas

Allsorts - Snowflakes