Back to School Magnet Board & Tutorial

Hi Everyone

I have another Little Yellow Bicycle post to share today. This time a Magnet Board but first let’s take a look at how I made the magnets.

Magnets Tutorial

These are so quick to make and a great way to use up paper scraps you have lying around. When I make these I love to look at all the tiny details that the designers have put into the paper – it’s amazing what you can find!

Here is a quick and easy way to make custom magnets from any paper… 

1.  Cut or punch circles of paper slightly smaller than the flat side of the glass dome
2.  Apply Mod Podge to the surface of the paper you want visible through the magnet and glue onto flat side of magnet
3.  When dry, apply a layer of Mod Podge to the other side o the paper (outside)
4.  Using a super-strong craft glue, stick a magnet to the underside and leave to dry

 

Magnets Board

The magnet board started life as a really ugly magnetic calendar - so I sprayed the outside edges with some tile paint, glued on some patterned paper and when the glue was dry - I applied a layer of Mod Podge (water-based sealer and glue) over the top to add some shine and a little protection. For this project I used a solvent based glue and it ensure the paper remains flat and is easily cleaned up by rubbing away any excess.

The wonderful papers from LYB really do all the work - they co-ordinate perfectly and the prints are fun and fresh.

My son will be able to put all his bits and pieces onto the board, and I have added a few photos from his first couple of school months to get started – held on by the magnets of course!

I have used one of the Mini Banners in the top left corner which is perfect as PRIDE is my son’s school motto.  On the bottom segment I have used this wonderful bus from the Chipboard Shapes  and an upside-down pencil and stop sticker from the Cardstock Stickers to make the sign. Placing scraps of paper behind the pieces and extra detail on the wheels just lifts the bus a little

Only one more post to go for LYB - and then I am designing for Echo Park for a month! 

 

Very exciting (but busy!!) times for me :-)

Lowri

I am linking up this project to these websites here.

Homemade Halloween Bark - 3 ways

Hi Everyone - another candy post today! I mentioned previously it's pretty hard to get Halloween stuff here in New Zealand, so I made this Halloween Bark using some easily available lollies and white chocolate.

Skulls, Tombstones and Bats!

In reality this is just some halved orange flavored jelly filled lollies, some white chocolate skulls and some licorice twists cut into slices to look like bats!

Help Me - I'm Melting!

More skulls here along with some blue and red tic-tacs and black and orange jaffas. Check out my tutorial on how to make Custom Colored Candies here.

Free for All!

 

For these ones I threw on all the little pieces of candy I could find! Chopped up liquorice lace and red liquorice sticks, coloured tic-tacs , crushed barley sugar and then I drizzled a little orange colored chocolate on top.

Remember you MUST USE powdered food coloring when you color white chocolate - or you will just have a gooey mess. Very edible but not aesthetically pleasing.

For all of these - just melt your white chocolate, spread onto greaseproof paper and throw your toppings on. I melt mine in the microwave. 1 large bar takes 2 blasts of a minute each BUT I urge you to experiment as it is possible to scorch the chocolate.

Please post a comment with any questions

Lowri :-)

I am linking up this project to these websites here.

Custom Coloured Candy Tutorial

Hi Everyone

First off today - a warning! If you are a person who does not like to use or consume artificial food coloring and/or additives, turn away. Now!

Over the next week of so I will be posting some little tutorials in readiness for some upcoming work I am doing for Echo Park and the Christmas Countdown at Artfull Crafts.

Coloured Candy

This came about as I was looking for some Halloween Candy here in New Zealand - and of course no-one celebrates Halloween here so I was pretty much out of luck -so I thought I would make my own. 

I really wanted orange and black but of course you could use this technique to make your custom colours for pretty much any occasion. Imagine a wedding with party favors filled with custom coloured mints to match a dress.

Tutorial

1. Place a small amount of food coloring in a plastic tub
2. Spread color around the base of container
3. Add your lollies and shake
4. Leave to dry for half an hour

This worked well with all the smooth candies I tried - which were Kool-Mints, Jaffas and Tic-Tacs. Anyone outside New Zealand will now be thinking I am speaking a different language - but just look for some smooth or shiny candy and you will be fine!

Point to remember - this coloring is VERY concentrated and will stain whatever it touches - including the inside of your kids mouths so don't be alarmed if they turn orange!

Lowri :-)

I am linking up this project to these websites here.

DIY Alphabet Writing Cards (LYB)

Hi Everyone

Another Little Yellow Bicycle project today - a set of writing cards I made for my son who is just starting to concentrate on his writing skills. **Please note that the giveaway previously listed here has now closed - and was won by Melissa Frank. Details here.**

ABC Writing Cards

I have made a set of ABC flashcards before similar to this – but when I saw the font on these alphas I HAD to remake one for my son, as now he is beginning to perfect his writing it’s such a handy item to tuck into my bag and keep him amused for those 10 minutes that seem like an hour!

I have used the Bus Stop Paper as it has perfect gridlines – which is great for kids just learning to form their letters.

This project was very quick to put together

Here is a little tutorial to show exactly how I made the cards…

1. Cut strips from the Bus Stop Paper measuring 4.5cm wide. Then cut these into 7.5cm pieces. You will yield 4 per strip (*See note below).
2. You will also need a pack of the Cardstock Stickers and some laminating pouches measuring approximately 54x86mm
3. Place your alphas onto the pre-cut pieces of card
4. Slip them into the laminating pouches and run them through a laminating machine
5. Voila!
6. Punch a hole in the centre of each card (use the first card you punch as a guide for the rest to make sure they line up)

*Note– you will get 24 pieces per 12 inch sheet – but you could of course double up on a couple of letters (P&Q, Y&Z etc.) to make it a really economical project using just a single piece of paper.

I made an additional card and used stickers from the Cardstock Sticker – Favorite Places to decorate the front.

All you need now is a whiteboard pen and a child to give it a test-drive - here is my son demonstrating how it works..

Check back tomorrow for another project using this great collection

Lowri :-)

I am linking up this project to these websites here.

Back to School Banner

Hi Everyone - I have another Little Yellow Bicycle project to share today.

**Please note that the giveaway previouly listed here has now closed - and was won by Melissa Frank. Details here.**

Back to School Banner

I was totally inspired to make this banner after constantly admiring the fabulous work of Cassie Box. If you haven't seen her blog you really should check it out! It's packed full of fun party ideas and the most wonderful banners you have ever seen!

 

I made this banner for my son’s classroom. One thing I discovered is that banners are so much fun to make – but really hard to photograph!

I have kept the decoration simple to let the great colors stand out, and on the end pennants I have added pieces from the Clear Cut Shapes and made some mini flags with the Stick Pins and a piece from the Canvas Stickers Borders.

Each “flag” of the banner consists of two triangles with a star, rosette and letter mounted on top with dimensional tape. It’s a project that can be adapted to any occasion and to any size.

I have used 3d mounting tape to add some dimension to the elements of the banner which really help them stand out.

It really was a challenge to photograph this piece – but I am sure it is going to look great in the entrance of my son’s classroom!

Check back tomorrow for another project using this great collection

Lowri :-)

I am linking up this project to these websites here.

Spring Drawers - Dear Lizzy Collection

Hi Everyone and if you are on the Paper Issues blog-hop - you should be visiting from Sabrina's fabulous blog.

[The contest previously published here has now closed. The randomly chosen winner was Leonie]

I have a fun project to share today - it's a Storage Unit from Kaisercraft and I have used the American Crafts Dear Lizzy range along with a few American Crafts extras to decorate.

Like all the Kasiercraft BTP projects I complete I have sanded all the edges and painted with acrylic paint before starting. I then pre-cut paper to fit all the visible sides, glued the drawers together, attached the paper and started to decorate them. All the drawers are fully lined with paper too.

This fabulous collection is not new but I only just managed to lay my hands on it here in New Zealand! 

It's so pretty and I actually added the name of a little girl I knew who was having a birthday onto the side and gave it as a gift!

Here are a few extra close up pictures of the details

Next on the hop is Kim Castillon and I guarantee she has something amazing to show you.

Lowri :-)

Paper Issues Blog Hop This Weekend!

Paper Issues is having a blog hop this weekend!

Here is a sneak of my project and a picture of my giveaway - I hope you will be joining us!

There will be some amazing projects posted from all around the world - we go live at 1:00am New Zealand time (9:00AM EST)

Lowri :-)

Guest Designing for Little Yellow Bicycle!

Hi Everyone

I am Guest Designing this month for Little Yellow Bicycle - and can I just say I am a LITTLE excited!! I have four posts coming up to share using one of their latest released collections - "Head of the Class".

I have always been a fan of the Little Yellow Bicycle products and here are my projects from my first guest post.

Pencil Box

This box started out flat packed as 6 raw wood pieces. I sanded and painted the edges red and then used an old graph paper stamp I had to decorate with white ink and mirror the grid pattern on some of the papers.

I then measured, cut and glued pieces of paper to cover all the panels before assembly.  I have mainly used the Ruler paper as it is such a fun print and reminded me of the old fashioned slide top ruler pencil boxes. 

I have used the Back to School paper to decorate the top which again has some lovely ruler detail and also picks up some of the other primary colours used throughout the collection.

The stars on the sides just add a little texture and detail to the sides. 

Pencil Holder

This again was a plain wooden piece that I painted and stamped like the Pencil Box. I have again used the Back to School paper  as the base for the sides and on the front I have used these super-cute mini pencils from the Chipboard Shapes as well as the stars and numbers piece from the Fabric Favorite.You can see the box is stuffed with a few goodies!

Paperclips

These giant paperclips are so much fun. You can use them as bookmarks or just as clips for giant paper! I sandwiched the paperclip between one of the Dimensional Stickers and a piece of plain cardboard backed with paper that I cut to the same size. I used hot glue to bond them all together which makes them durable and easy to use.

Ruler & Pencils

This dollar store ruler suddenly becomes a lot more fun with a great sticker! I removed the sticker it came with and replaced it with this super-fun ruler sticker from the Favorite Pieces Cardstock Stickers. I love looking for little fun ideas like this to give as extras with a gift – it makes it just that little bit more special. 

My son has to have all of his pencils marked at school so instead of trying to write his name in teeny tiny writing, I labeled them by wrapping coloured tape around the top. I have done the same here to create matching pencils for the pencil box. Such a simple idea but would add a lovely touch for a teacher.

Fold-Back Clips

Once again, I have just jazzed up something very plain. Fold-back clips with a little patterned paper.  So simple it’s almost embarrassing to explain! It’s a great way to use up scraps and I glued them using a clear solvent adhesive which cleans up very easily with an adhesive eraser.

I hope you have enjoyed these and I look forward to showing you some more projects next week. Please post a comment with any questions.

This is the first time I have been sent product to work with by a manufacturer and I could not have asked for a more positive experience. I look forward to sharing my other creations over the coming weeks

Lowri :-)

I enjoy linking my projects to these sites here.

Deployment / Patriotic Mini Album

Hi Everyone

I made these recently for the lady who won my giveaway on the Whipperberry blog.  She actually won a custom made cardset and when she said her son was joining the marines later in the year, I offered to make her a frame and album in a patriotic theme.  

Fold Out Photo Albums 

I had seen this "Liberty" Bo Bunny Collection online and knew it would be perfect for this project. I could only get a few of the bits and pieces but I am really pleased with how these turned out..

I made a little fold out album and left the pages blank as Jodi wanted to add pictures when she received it. 

I thought it be fun to package the albums in these tins as it would protect them and any other little bits and pieces if they wanted to take them on their travels. (Read on to see why I made two!)

I added my own little personal note on the back - it is just a simple Thank-You.

Photo Frame

This is a Dusty Attic frame and they are so easy to put together. Just grab some scraps of paper, a few embellishments and away you go!

Jodi emailed me this great picture for the frame - it is her son and nephew and they are starting their training together, so of course I made him an album to take too - it was an honor :-)

These projects were so much fun to make, and I always enjoy making pieces for people who are appreciative. 

Lowri :-)

I enjoy linking my projects to these sites here.

Linking to: http://todayscreativeblog.net