Fairy Drawers, Cards and more with Kaiser and Cosmo!

Hi Everyone

Another Kaisercraft/Cosmo Cricket combo to show you today using one of the latest releases from Cosmo Cricket - Salt Air.  

As soon as I saw this release, I thought it would match perfectly with the Kaisercraft Fairy Castle drawers. I was looking for that whole "Little Mermaid" look I guess!

 

I have layered up the buttons and bling from the collection to make these cute handles for extra decoration.

Here are some close-ups of the details - the colors in this collection are definitely bright - but not gaudy - just FUN!

Such a fun idea for a little girl to keep all her precious bits and pieces together.. I loved this image from the borders paper - so I have put him on the back!

I decided to make a couple of cards too - just to show that it's not just about little girls and mermaids!

 

I really wanted to use a little bit of everything from this collection so I have used the embellishments on both the drawers and the cards.  The colors match perfectly making it super quick to put these cards together. I love these sketched images that are on the Elements paper!

I also made this super quick mini-album with the scraps to give to a friend whose daughter is having a birthday soon! 

All of these materials are available from Artfull Crafts here in New Zealand and I know that scrapbook.com in the US are stocking the drawers.

I hope you have enjoyed these - please post a comment with any questions!

Lowri :-) 

Acrylic Stamp Cookies Cupcakes and a FAB Blog-Hop!

Hi everyone – and if you are following the Paper Issues bloghop – you should have come from Mandy Kay's blog here. Don't forget to read to the end to find out where to hop next and how you can be in to win some great prizes!

The theme for the hop is Favorites and one of my favorite things to do scrapbook-wise is to try and use items for a purpose other than that they were intended for!!!
Check out my post below to see the following
1) Acryclic Stamp Cookies
2) Acrylic Stamp Cookie Tutorial
3) Cupcake Toppers
4) Cuttlebug Icing Tutorial

1) Acrylic Stamp Cookies 
I have been wanting to try this for AGES – so I did! I have used acrylic stamps and food coloring to create some cute critter cookie toppers!

2) Acrylic Stamp Cookies Tutorial

1. Knead a little cornflour into your icing paste until it loses that sticky surface feeling
2. Roll the icing between 2 sheets of non-stick baking parchment.
3. Lightly dust the surface of the icing with cornstarch again to remove any trace of stickiness
4. Spread some gel icing onto an acrylic block (I used Chefmaster)
5. Ink your stamp with the colouring – patting gently to give an even coating
6. Press stamp lightly but firmly into the icing
7. Repeat stamped image – leaving enough room to be able to cut out your images
8. Cut out images using a cookie cutter and leave to dry for a few hours

If at any stage the icing begins to feel sticky – just dust the icing and your hands with cornstarch – a little works wonders
To stick your toppers onto biscuits - just use a thick paste of icing sugar and water and leave to dry!

Once the cookies were dry I put them into cello bags and created some bag toppers using Spellbinders Scalloped Circles and some letters I cut with a Cuttlebug alphabet
I have used the Kaisercraft Jungle Bug range for both the stamps and the cellobag toppers.

Kaisercraft have also just released a range of stickers – one of which was an extension of the Jungle Bug range. I thought they would be perfect to make some cupcake toppers !


3) Cupcake Toppers
These were really fun to do. Once again I have used the Spellbinders to cut 2 different size circles and then I have simply placed the sticker in the middle.

The template for the cupcake holder was from the Kaisercraft website – you can find it here. I simply printed it onto cardstock – cut it out and then used the template to trace onto the patterned paper before cutting out. You can make them smaller just by overlapping at the ends more - which is what I did as I found I had used quite small cake cases!

You can use a cocktail stick for making these toppers – but these were just a little bit heavy so I used some disposable wooden sticks - I think they were corn on the cob holders!

4) Cuttlebug Icing Tutorial

The icing I have used on the cupcakes is hard to see - but it is rolled icing with an embossed pattern. Here are some I made for a previous project - cool hey!

Here is the tutorial - this dragonfly embossing folder works perfectly with the Jungle Bug theme!

1. Knead cornflour into icing if it is very soft. You can do this at any stage of the process if you feel the icing is too soft/sticky.
2. Dust embossing folder with cornstarch and tap very firmly to remove all the excess. This will effectively clean the folder and make it non-stick – I suggest you do it into the sink!
3. Roll your icing paste between two sheets of baking paper. This gives a flat surface and is generally cleaner than using a rolling pin
4. Firmly press your embossing folder into the icing. You generally want to use the “top” side – but trial and error will let you choose the finish you want. Use a rolling pin on top of the folder to ensure a good “emboss”
5. Carefully remove the embossing folder. It should not stick if you have used cornflour to dust the folder
6. There you go! If you cut shapes – transfer them to a piece of baking parchment to ensure they dry a little. I sped up the drying on mine by putting them in the oven with the fan on but NO HEAT

Next Hop and PRIZES! OK - do don't forget to leave a comment on my post here to be in to win my prize shown below.

The next blog on the hop is Cassie Box and I can guarantee she has something AWESOME to show you!

Don't forget to also check out the main Paper Issues blog for directions to the other mini-hops AND for some awesome inspiration! Please post a comment with any questions

Lowri :-)

Bugs, Blog-Hop, Sneak Peek & Giveaway!

Hi Everyone

This weekend I am participating in my first blog-hop. Here is a sneak-peek of what I am posting. You will not want to miss this if you are a fan of - hmm - stamping, eating or patterned paper!

I have TWO new tutorials to go with the post and I am using one of my favorite Kaisercraft lines from last year :-)

Once the hop starts - if you comment on MY post - you can be in to win this RAK (apparently that means Random Act of Kindness)... I will of course mail it to you wherever you live

Here's the low-down!

• All the participants will be from the Paper Issues Creative Team (some of them are on Design Teams for some really great manufacturers)
• You can win the prize on my blog (shown above) simply by leaving a comment on my blogpost(I have tried to make them Australian items in case an overseas persons wins!)
• Many of the blogs participating have giveaways
• Blog starts at March 19th 9:00am EST (which is 3:00am here in New Zealand)
• You can win a fantastic Crate Paper Paper Issues Kit by leaving a comment on the Paper Issues blog after the hop starts

 

Stay tuned for the start of the hop.

OK - so it starts at 3:00am but why not check us out over your first coffee on Sunday morning!!

Lowri :-)

Got Kids? Got Crayons?

Hi Everyone

Slight departure from the papercrafting here but I wanted to start sharing some of the kids crafty things I have been doing.

My kids-crafting ideas are more about fun things you can make and give to your kids to play with (therefore creating more time for yourself for your own crafty stuff) than they are about doing crafty things with your kids! Of COURSE it depends on age - and mine are all pre-schoolers so attempting anything crafty with 3 of them is usually quite a mess!

Recycling Crayons

1. Gather all your old and yukky crayons - peel off the paper (yep - i know you spend ages trying to tell your kids NOT to do that!)
2. Sort into colours in order to take gratuitous colour photo
3. Break up crayons and put into silicon moulds. I think this was an ice-cube tray (butterfly ice cubes - really?)
4. Put into oven on really low heat (maybe 80 degrees Celsius?)
   Wait (be patient - lots) as the crayons will eventually melt.
   Let them cool and then press out of moulds. 

As you can see from picture 4 - some of the crayons (especially the really cheap ones!) break down into some sort of component pigment/waxy mess - but when they harden up you can turn them out and....

they look great!

I had more fun than the kids doing this - and I was really pleased with the results!

Lowri :-)

Kaisercraft "Class of '87" - Chest of Drawers

Hi Everyone

I have the first project using the Kaisercraft Class of '87 Collection to share today.

My eldest son turns 5 soon (WHERE did the time go?) and will be starting school and I thought this little Chest of Drawers from Kaisercraft would be perfect for a little desktop organiser for the new desk he will have for homework!

After a light sanding and painting all the visible edges with a couple of coats of acrylic paint I have used the papers and paper-pad for covering the surfaces

For the labels on the front I have used the Kaisercraft Flourishes Square Bookplates and the Kaisercraft Mini Alphabet Stickers

Around the base I have used some of these great strips that Kaisercraft have started adding at the bottom of all their 12x12 papers.

 

On the sides - I have just added some of the Reward Stickers to break up the orange!

The bits and pieces on top are just 2 plastic containers (I think they were from sprinkles!) covered in paper scraps and a cheap plastic pencil sharpener.

I am working on a few other bits and pieces using this fun collection. Like many of the Kaisercraft collections it has a lot of variety within the papers and with the 6x6 pad too - it really adds to the options!

These little drawers really are so versatile. Check out my previous versions using the Cosmo Cricket Circa 1934 and Cosmo Cricket Material Girl ranges.

If you have any questions - just leave a comment 

Lowri :-)

Rubons - not just for paper & a chocolate surprise

Hi Everyone
Rubons - Not Just for Paper!
These are not just for paper anymore - here are a couple of examples where I have applied them to china for a one-off occasion.

Christmas
(Rubons from Kaisercraft)

Valentines Day

Each of these examples is just a simple rub-on onto some whiteware. You need to make sure your piece is very clean - and use some window/glasses cleaner to remove all traces of grease before you start.

Then simply apply as you would to paper - making sure you press firmly into all the corners. I find the china less forgiving than paper in this regard! When you are done using the piece and want to restore it to its original state, simply rub-off or use a craft knife to lightly scrape.

Themed Party

I have had limited success in trying this technique onto glass but it can definitely be done! Try Google for some good examples.

Now - you might have noticed that these are filled with some rather gorgeous chocolates.

Well - I made them and here is how!


Graduated Colour Chocolates

This was SO much fun - and very simple. It is a little time consuming as you need to let the chocolate harden each time, but you could easily complete these in one evening.

You will need some white chocolate (I used Milky Bar), a chocolate mold and some POWDERED food colouring (I used ChefMaster). Do not be tempted to use any other coloring - it will not work and your chocolate will be good for nothing other than spreading on greaseproof paper, refrigerating and feeding to your family!


Simply melt the white chocolate and spoon into 6 molds. Add a pinch of color and spoon into 6 more molds.


Refrigerate to harden and then remove from molds. Add a little more color to the remaining chocolate, spoon into molds and simply repeat - intensifying the color each time by adding more of the power color. It's so easy and if it all goes horribly wrong - you just spread it out, refrigerate give it to the kids/husband/dog and start again another day!

I hope you enjoyed these ideas!

Lowri :-)

New Twists on Old Ideas...

Hi Everyone

A couple more Sassafras Lass ideas today. Here I have taken 2 previous ideas of mine and just given them a new purpose!

Ruffle Flower Invitations

These are fun to make and I am guessing would be a unique idea - especially amongst your non-crafty friends. Instead of giving out a flat invitation - why not think 3D! 

Your invite is sure to be a hit and what's more - it will probably ensure that none of your guests forget the date.. 

It goes without saying that this idea can be adapted to any occasion and you can see my tutorial on how to make the flowers here. I have used the Indie Girl Collection from Sassafras Lass - it has some lovely printed paper and I have just printed onto the patterned paper and then used Spellbinders to cut and emboss the scalloped circles.

Lachlan Memory Book

OK - so this is just ANOTHER example of my folded mini - but I just love this technique and the 4"x3" book that is produced is so perfect and small for slipping into a purse..

 

This one has some fun pictures of my son and all the things he got up to last year. I have used the Apple Jack Collection from Sassafras Lass along with some rubons from the Kaisercraft Jungle Bug Collection and various stickers and thickers!

Family Memory Book

Another folded mini I made a while back for my MIL when she was in hospital. I had the kids do handprints and then I scanned then in and printed to put onto the pages. I thought it might be a nice way for her to feel them a little closer...

 

 

This one uses the Restoration line from Crate Paper - one of my faves from last year!

Please check out my Tutorial Page for instructions on how to make these and many other projects.

Next week I have some "Kids Craft" Ideas coming up - not so much ideas for stuff you can do with your kids - more stuff that you can make - give to them, keep them busy therefore creating some more crafty time for yourself!!


Lowri :-)


Linking these projects up here:
http://www.tipjunkie.com/homemade-projects-712/