Fiskars Craft

Here it is - FUSE Creativity System How to Video

Picture to Page Show ~ Are you coming?

Hi everyone,

It's not long now until I'm OUT and ABOUT again demoing the fabulous FISKARS TOOLS......if you are coming to the Picture to Page Show on May 27th....make sure you drop by the CREATIVE DREAMS Stand and have a play with me......

I'll have all the NEW Fiskars Interchangeable Border Punches with me as well as many other Fiskars Tools,Ultra Shape Xpress,Everywhere Punches,mats etc.....and believe me once you see these NEW Border Punches....you'll want to have one...well maybe more than one.....LOL!

             I'll be on the Creative Dreams Stand from 11-3pm Sunday May 27th

OUR NEXT SHOW

From Picture to Page scrapbooking & papercraft show.

Sat 26th May 9.30am - 4.30pm

Sun 27th May 10.00am - 4.00pm

The Whitehorse Club

East Burwood Reserve

298-336 Burwood Hwy

East Burwood MEL: 62C7

OUR BURWOOD TRADERS

• Alison Ellis Design
• Bargain Bits
• Beachhouse Boulevard
• Bellbird Paperarts
• Crafts R Us
• Crafty Paper
• Creative Dreams
• Creative Memories
• DE-SIGNS MADE BY ME
• Debling In Design
• Discount Wedding Papers
• Dragonfly Crafts
• ECLECTIC IMAGES
• Envelope Solutions
• Fern Gully Stamps
• Handprint
• Heaven Scent
• KASZAZZ
• Little Bits
• My Stamps
• Paper Maze Scrapbooking Supplies
• Paperzone
• Picture 2 Page
• Robyn's Scrapbook
• Scrap 2 Relax
• SCRAP ADDIX
• Scrap Everything!
• Scrapbook Mega Store
• Skat Katz
• Stampin' Up
• TG Australia/Creative Butterflies
• The Stamp Shak

   I'll be only too happy to answer any questions in relation to the Fiskars Craft Tools!

Here's my latest LAYOUT that I completed last Saturday for National Scrapbooking Day which uses six of the NEW Designs....

 Maybe I'll see some of our readers on MAY 27th.......ooh that's this coming SUNDAY...woohoo.................gosh I love this Show....and can't wait to demo the fabulous Fiskars Tools .....MARION tells me that they have ordered in lots of Fiskars tools......yeh!!!!

If you can't make it to this Show....why not ask in your local craft store to see if they have these fabulous Fiskars Tools. Retailers can purchase these for their stores through SSS Wholesaler.

I'm in EAST GIPPSLAND at the moment enjoying sunny skies and glorious weather.....heading back to the YARRA VALLEY tomorrow night....after attending the BIGGEST MORNING TEA here in PAYNESVILLE at the YACHT CLUB......

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

BREAKING NEWS - next FISKARS WAREHOUSE SALE

Kids fun

Recycled Cardboard Box City

Belinda Graham from The Happy Home Blog created this build a box city project for kids. It really shows just how far a cardboard box can go for little ones and made a whole city out of repurposed boxes.

I found this whilst surfing the net......and thought I'd share....might make this myself for the grandson......SAM would love this......   

xoxo

Lyn

OMG......FUSE ......IT'S FABULOUS!!!

I was so lucky to be invited to Fiskars Head Office last week for a sneak peek and play with the latest FISKARS CRAFT TOOL......the FUSE Creativity System........................OMG.....I was sworn to secrecy.....and I was bursting to spread the good news to you all........so here it is!

Pip and I had fun playing around trying ideas.......

I love the fact that you can place a 12" x 12" piece of cardstock,paper,balsa,material,felt,soft leather,etc...through it......back soon with more info.....FISKATEERS...you can see more info over at the FISKATEERS.....TAMI created this butterfly below....and Cheryl, Rebecca and Stephenie have been sharing more fun projects using the FUSE....so keep checking in over there....

 

The FUSE is going to make crafting such fun .......and it really encourages creativity across different mediums...and I love that!

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

Punching borders made easy

Coming soon.............................a video showing HOW TO create border punch templates to make punching around all four corners very easy and accurate every time........and HOW TO use them.

I'll be back soon....

 

xoxo

Lyn

Sewing Saturday ~ Spotlight Bayswater pics

Pip tells me that she had a fabulous time on Saturday in Spotlight Bayswater demoing the fabulous Fiskars Sewing/Quilting Tools.....don't you love her cute ORANGE BUNTING!

Spotlight staff were interested in the Fiskars Rag Quilt Snips......Andrea from Dress loved playing with them.

Isn't it great to see the Spotlight staff so enthusiastic at these SEWING DAYS......

We can all learn from other crafters during these demo days.....

So keep an eye out for the next SEWING SATURDAY in your local SPOTLIGHT STORE.....and guess what?

We may have some more Fiskars Sewing Demonstrators involved in other stores....ooh exciting!!!

It's always nice to have tools demonstrated before you purchase them...and it's even better when you can get hands on and crafty yourself......trying before buying!

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

 

Fisk-a-teers May colour challenge with tammi

Hello everyone!

Today i am going to share with you all a challenge that is going on over at the Fisk-a-teers 

The May Colour Challenge.

This challenge is open to all Fisk-a-teers and do not worry if you are not a Fisk-a-teer yet, join up...its free and you too can enter the challenge.

This months colour challlenge is all about complementary colours.

All you need to do is pick 2 opposite colours on the wheel and then use those colours with fiskars tools to create a project. It can be a card,layout or off the page.

 

Here is my card for this challenge.

My choice was blue and orange.

To create this card i used a stamp set by the greeting farm called build a ones-ie boy, i stamped myself a ones-ie and a little monster on it and coloured with copic markers, then cut it out using my fiskars fingertip knife.

Nest i added some background paper from the ruby rock it range. I then took my fiskars jester border punch and punched out 2 lines of border and layered them. 

To make the rick-rak i took my Fiskars scalloped punch and punched 1 row,trimmed it then lined it up slightly off centre and punched again. it is neat huh!

lastly i cut some paper and using my Fiskars corner punch made a background for my sentiment sticker which i got from EAD designs they make cute little stickers for only $2.50 a sheet with free shipping!

So if you would like to have a go head on over to the Fisk-a-teers website and enter!

 

Tara :)

 

Product Spotting - oooh ahhhh!

Here in New Zealand we are actually having a great selection of Fiskars tools in the country.... thanks to Bruce.... Our Fiskars Rep.

Here is a look at what we have in Warehouse Stationary - Papanui, Christchurch (my local haunt, the staff is getting to know me by sight rather well. LOL)

In the Craft section.....Selection of Lever punches, hand held punches, squeeze punches, boarder punches, and down the bottom the Everywhere punches.

12" cutting mats, shape templates, Tool taxi, bypass trimmer (Hmmm tempting), see down the bottom the finger tip craft knife and the soft touch scissors. (both fabulous products) and the very bottom the Shape cutter.

Now in the Office supplies section:

Trimmers.....spare blades, craft knives with their spare blades.

More paper trimmers and look at that a tool taxi coming with another trimmer.. (rotary trimmer that is) very handy with thicker cutting

And really for the office some great Gullotines and heavy duty rotary trimmers at the tip the heavy duty bypas trimmers. Great for any office. Hmmm maybe I should convince Church to invest in one.... LOL (I work there voluntary).

Thanks for dropping by and drooling with me.... ;)
I will see if I can find more shops that hold our tools around town.... the hunt continues!

Debbie Buckland
artycrafty.wordpress.com

Come sew with Pip in Spotlight Bayswater tomorrow

 

Just letting you all know that Phillipa Godinho shall be in SPOTLIGHT BAYSWATER this coming SATURDAY May 19th for the SEWING SATURDAY.

Pip shall have all the fabulous range of FISKARS QUILTING TOOLS on hand to share with you all....including rotary cutters,mats,scissors....and now a Sewing Machine....yeh!!!

Sounds like a fun day is planned in SPOTLIGHT STORES.....so check out your local store and see what they are doing.

Pip shall be offering Make'n'takes.......she shall have a sewing machine buzzing away.....using the Fiskars Rotary Cutter,mat and scissors to create some fun "Buntings".....ooh la la....sounds like a FUN DAY DOESN'T IT!

Can't wait to see some pics from SEWING SATURDAY.....these special days are always such fun in Spotlight Stores......I'm in EAST GIPPSLAND at the moment so I'll be popping into Spotlight Bairnsdale in the morning to have a play.....

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

 

Fisk-a-teers May Card Sketch challenge

Hello Everyone!

Today i have for you a great Challenge.

Rebecca's May Card Sketch Challenge over at the Fisk-a-teers website.

Here is the sketch for this month.

If you would like to have a go just click on the above link to enter.

Here is the card i created with this layout.

To make this card i used my trusty old shape express and templates. Spellbinder eat your heart out!!!!

I got a great window in my card and made a frame to place my sentiment on with my shape templates and go a great effect at the fraction of the cost of a set of spellbinder dies! how great is that!!!! you can still buy all the templates and starter kit in Spotlight!! 

Once i did this i then took a paper smooches chubby chum stamp and coloured it. i Then used my Fiskars finger tip knife to cut the bird out, and die cut a couple of leaves and a branch. I glued them inside my card and used 3D foam for the bird so he looked like he was coming out the window.

Lastly i stamped my sentiment around the frame and glued it on.

So if you would like to have a go at this great challenge, head on over to the Fisk-a-teers website and have a go!!!

 

Tara :) 

Beryl is really crafting up a storm in NZ

Beryl Somervell  Fiskateer # 7212 from New Zealand has sent through some more fun projects to share with us all....don't you just love these little hand stitched girls.......mmmm....wonder what the finished project shall look like.....can't wait to see.....

          Beryl loves to work on a few projects at the same time.....and quilting is her passion!

               I'm really loving the colour schemes that she has chosen.....what about you!

ooohh.......and now the BLUES.......this looks interesting......make sure you drop back to see the finished project once Beryl has finished it......thanks so much for sharing these works in progress Beryl........ as with any craft.....there is a whole process to go through when crafting....and it's nice to see WORKS IN PROGRESS to see the different stages.

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

 

 

Fisk-a-teers May Layout sketch challenge

Good evening everyone!

Over at the Fisk-a-teers website there is a great challenge up for you to enter. Rebecca's May Layout sketch challenge.

Every month Rebecca shares with the Fisk-a-teers a sketch for a layout and a card.

Here is the sketch for Mays layout.

And after a little bit of thinking here is what i came up with for the sketch.

 

To create this layout i used ruby rock it nostalgia range of papers and embellishments, my fiskars interchangeable border punch with the up in the clouds cartridge and x marks the spot cartridge, some cut out letters and to get the texture on 1/2 of my paper i stamped a little bird all around 1/2 of my background paper with embossing ink and then embossed with clear embossing powder. you can just see it on the right of my pic.

So if you would like to have a go at the sketch challenge for this month, head on over to the Fisk-a-teers website and enter!

 

Tara:)

Yangery Grand opening!

Thats right folks Yangery is now on the Fiskars Bandwagon... Awesome aye!
So hop on down to their Grand Opening if you are in the area.... (or just make a special trip! --- if you need an excuse to have a road trip or a wander)..;)

Yanger is stocking:

Fiskars loop handle Rotary Cutters

Fiskars Eco Mats

5" microtip scissors... these come in several colours

and 8" Razor-edge softgrip scissors!

Exciting products and so worth going to Yangery to check them out!.
Say we at Fiskars Craft sent you... ;)

All the best shopping to you!

 

Burlap Invitations

Designer: Emma Jeffrey

Difficulty rating: Beginner

There’s nothing I like more than a crafting challenge, so I was excited to get started on making something with all the items on the challenge list and nothing more. In the design world, usually anything goes, so sometimes it feels good to have your creative projects follow a few rules every now and then!

I decided to use the items on the supply list to create a set of party invitations and envelopes. I used a bright red burlap that I found at my local fabric store – I was surprised at the range of colors available – and coordinated it with some white and red cardstock.The first step was to cut the cardstock to size with my paper trimmer. I cut 4 squares of red cardstock measuring 5” x 5” and 4 squares of the white measuring 4.5” x 4.5”.

Next, I pulled out my Fiskars Birthday Cheer Stamps. These stamps are typically orientated towards embellishing birthday cards, but I wanted to show how, with a little tweaking, they can also be used for party invites. I stamped ‘One year older…’ at the top of the white cardstock squares. Next I used the ‘Let’s Party’ stamp and covered the word ‘party’ and stamped ‘Let’s” underneath.

From the off-cuts of the red cardstock, I cut 4 rectangles measuring 1” x 4.5” and stamped the word ‘Celebrate’ on each of them and with my glue, stuck them onto the white cardstock squares under the word ‘Let’s’.

I pulled out a couple long strands of burlap twine and tied them around the white cardstock squares as a little embellishment, before mounting the whole thing centrally on top of the red cardstock and gluing down.

Next I made the envelopes by cutting 4 pieces of burlap measuring 6” x 11”. I folded up 3” and glued it closed to create the envelope casing.

I embellished the envelopes with a little gift tag which I made by using scraps left over from the white cardstock. I stamped a little star celebration design and pierced a small hole with the tip of my scissors (reluctantly and deliberately NOT using my small hole punch to do this, since it was not on the list!)

I placed the invitation inside the envelope and folded down the top flap. I pulled out a few more strands of burlap to tie around the envelope to keep it closed, and finished it off by tying on the small tag. Finally, I stamped ‘Birthday Party’ and a balloon on the front of the envelope.

Using my measurements, you are able to make 4 of these fancy envelopes and invitations. Plus, there’s space on the back of the invite for you to write the party details, time and place.

..........................................................................................................................

I love surfing the net for crafty ideas with a difference and found this project over at

      

                           http://www2.fiskars.com/Activities/Crafting

Thought you might like to see it also...............the FISKARS DESIGN TEAM have really been busy this month creating some amazing projects!

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

Craft and Quilt Fair ~ Perth

                COMING SOON to PERTH..........May 24th - 27th

                         

                               The Craft and Quilt Fair

FLIP LA K shall be retailing Fiskars Quilting Tools at this Show....so make sure you drop by their Stand.

Crafting with Arthritis

Author: Stacey Kingman

I have struggled with mild pain in my hands for over 15 years. Since the sporadic discomfort has mostly occurred when I do crafting projects that involve squeezing plastic paint bottles, using scissors for long periods of time, and using paper punches, I have either avoided those activities when possible or worked though the pain and token plenty of ibuprofen.
After several years of pain and frustration, I decided to talk to my doctor, and I was surprised to hear him say that my pain was caused from arthritis. When I received this diagnosis, I was afraid that my crafting days would be limited. Fortunately, I was able to control the occasional discomfort with anti-inflammatory medication and careful monitoring of the pain in my hands, changing activities or stopping at the first sign of pain. I did retire myself from the fabric painting hobby I had enjoyed for many years (so much squeezing of plastic paint bottles!), which left more time for scrapbooking, card making, and paper crafting.
When I was asked to join the crafts design team for Fiskars, I was elated, yet apprehensive. I wondered if I would be able to work with a company that had so many tools...especially paper punches! What I didn’t realize then was that Fiskars had completely changed the paper punch as I knew it. The Fiskars Squeeze Punch required much less force to create an image, and Fiskars had lots of fun, creative punch designs that were so easy to use.
Since I began working with the Fiskars Squeeze Punches, I have punched literally thousands of shapes with absolutely no pain in my hands. One of my favorite scrapbook layout designs involves repeating a punched shape over an entire 12-inch X 12-inch page. I’ve used this technique over and over with different shapes for the background. Not only is punching an economical way to use paper scraps, it’s visually interesting, and for someone who used to avoid paper punching because of arthritis pain, it’s just fun!

I’ve created a variation of my favorite design here, starting with a patterned paper covered in printed circles. I punched about twenty circles using the medium Fiskars Round ‘n Round Squeeze Punch and arranged them around my photos and another piece of cardstock that I cut to 8.5 inches by 7.5 inches. I punched round corners into the top of this smaller paper using the Fiskars Around the Bend Squeeze Punch to echo the circular nature of the other page elements.

When I was happy with the placement of the punched circles, I adhered everything and printed a small journaling box, again rounding two corners, and added the title. I always like to add a little bit of my own handwriting to my scrapbook pages, so when I figure out when these photos were taken, I will hand write the date where I left a small amount of space at the bottom of the journaling box.

Several years ago, I would not have considered punching all those circles for one layout because the resulting discomfort wouldn’t have been worth it. But this layout was quick and fun, and punching the circles was effortless and completely painless.
Since life is just full of paper-crafting opportunities, I’ll share something I recently volunteered to do in my Sunday school class. With a few friends, I am making cards to send to class members on a weekly basis, just reminding them that they are being thought of and prayed for during the week, remembering birthdays, and celebrating anniversaries. To get started, we are making about two hundred cards.

With four busy kids at home, I sometimes wish I had more time to just be crafty, especially when it comes to making cards. The busier I get, the more I try to duplicate cards if I manage to find a creative moment. Instead of making one card for someone, I’ll make five or ten of them. This method of mass-production is working well for the Sunday school card project. Since we are making twenty-five copies each of eight to ten designs, a mass-production plan is necessary. Since the Squeeze Punches don’t require much effort from my hand, this massive card-making event isn’t going to cause extra pain, and that’s a priority for me.

To mass-produce the card shown here,

1. Cut one 12-inch by 12-inch piece of cardstock into three pieces, each measuring 12 inches long and 4 inches wide. Repeat until you have your desired number of card pieces.
2. Fold these pieces in half so that each card is 6 inches long and 4 inches wide. Using the Fiskars Around the Bend Squeeze Corner Punch, round the corners on the opposite side of the card’s fold.
3. For each card you plan to make, cut a solid (or almost solid) blue piece of patterned paper to measure 3 inches tall by 4 inches wide.
4. Punch a tree top using the Seal of Approval Squeeze Punch. Do this for each card.
5. Punch a tree trunk for each card.
6. Print the sentiments using a 14-point font and 1.5 line spacing so they can be easily cut into strips.
7. Assemble cards with the blue piece starting 1 inch from the fold in the card, adhere all pieces.
8. Admire the growing stack of cards!

---

Did you know that FISKARS have other tools that have received awards from the Arthritis Foundation? To see further info and fun projects make sure you drop by over at http://www2.fiskars.com/Activities/Crafting/Articles/Crafting-with-Arthritis

A Fiskars Bunting

Pip sent these pictures through of the bunting she made for the Fiskars display at the forthcoming, Trade only, Australian Quilt Market in Sydney.

Here is what Pip has to say..
"I thought I would prepare something to make our Fiskars display at the forthcoming Australian Quilt Market in Sydney (trade only), so I gathered some orange-themed fabrics and had a go at making bunting, using a flag set from Maya Road as a template. Attached are photos of the Craft section of the Fiskars showroom here in Melbourne, now looking truly crafty!

Naturally, I used a Fiskars Rotary Cutter and an Eco Mat for cutting the flag shapes!"

 

Pip, I would expect nothing less from you. What great talent you have. Love the bunting and the colours/patterns are perfect. Great work. See even the workers at Fiskars Head Office are talented!

Don't you think this bunting looks fabulous amongst those great tools?

Thanks for dropping by....
Happy sewing!
Debbie Buckland

Happy Mother's Day

                HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all mums out there today!

Being a mum is the best feeling in the world.....to care for and nuture your family is something that I am very grateful to have been able to do.......my family have invited me out for lunch in ROWVILLE to spend the day with them......I also get to spend the day with my two gorgeous grandkids....SAM and GEMMA!

All 4 sons shall be there today......Brian and Jess making the trip down from COROP in Northern Victoria.

                                   I LOVE these family days....they are just the best!

                                            What are you doing for Mother's Day?

                                              

 xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

 

Monthly Challenge at SM ~ great prizes

I received my copy of Scrapbooking Memories in yesterday's mail and was pleased to see that FISKARS are generously providing the prizes.......

  So why not have a go......and GET CREATIVE......making EMBELLISHMENTS!!!

                                        Great prizes up for grabs!

 

xoxo

Lyn

Getting ready for Mother's Day

Are you ready for Mother's Day yet?

Here is a quick card and favour to make.

The window in the middle was made using the awesome Everywhere Punch with the circle cartridge.

The butterflies are the Flit On By squeeze punch. The flower is from the Flowers-1 Shape Template - for the top one, I cut out the flower then punched out the centre using the Everywhere Punch, so that the petals had the perfect curve to frame the window, just gave them a curl with a wooden skewer for dimension.

The centre of the flower with the sentiment inside the card was punched out using my XL Round 'n Round squeeze punch - the 2" was the perfect size to fit and fill the window.

Here is a pretty favour to go with the card, filled with tasty chocolates.

This is an easy peasy party favour to make - cut a 6" square of heavy paper, put strong adhesive along the bottom and one side, secure sides to make a tube then flatten the base (with the join in the middle of the back), take your embossing stylus and Lines Texture Plate to run 3-4 parallel lines across the base to make it more secure. Take your tube, fold the top in the opposite direction, punch a hole using a circle plier punch, insert some treats (or maybe some earings, necklace or pretty hanky) then tie in place with some ribbon or secure with a brad. The flower decorating the front was made by layering Oopsie Daisy squeeze punch flowers and rolling the petals.

Hope you have fun making some crafty gifts for Mother's Day and get to spend some time with the ones you love :)

Flip LA K is at it again

Pip sent through these fabulous photos from Brenda Burgess at Flip LA K

Brenda says in her email   "Seems sister dear – rather likes the bag – might have to check her suitcase when she goes.....love to all Bren"

This is the bag....

Oh yes I sooo see why her sister wants the bag.... look at the detailing in it! and those linked rings!!!
I may have to go through your sisters suitcase for it.... ;)

Flip La K are one of our greatest fans and love our sissors, cutting mats and Rotary cutters.

Look at what else Brenda sent through....

Oh these projects are so inspiring and wonderfully coloured.

14 x 14 Rotating Mat for the Twisted Hearts on the Pin Cushion was used – cut with a Fiskars Craft Knife and the Bag was cut out using the mat and rotary cutter and fiskars craft knife for the chain template.

I think I should have bought that fabric I saw today.... Hmmmm wonder if I can rush off to the shops tomorrow....

Thanks for the inspiration Brenda. Go over to Flip La K and look through her site - worth a look they have great templates that help you do projects like those above.

Awesome!

Fiskars Quilting tools are available now in Australia and New Zealand in Spotlight stores.

 

Happy sewing!
Debbie Buckland

Fetchy Sketchy Friday - 5 photo layout

Yes I know we all have lots of photos from one event.... lets fit them all in one layout today..... using 3 6x5 photos and two 2.5x4 photos

sorry no example layout today.
This layout would work well with the new Interchangable boarder punch cartridges.

If you do a layout using this sketch we would love to see it.
email us: fiskarscraft@yahoo.com.au

Debbie Buckland
artycrafty.wordpress.com

more Quilts by Beryl

If you missed seeing some of Beryl Somervell's Quilts last Monday on here.....never mind....here are a few more of her wonderful Quilts.....Beryl lives in NEW ZEALAND..is an active Fiskateer and she is so passionate about QUILTING!

Nice to see all the works in progress too....................

Thank you to Beryl for sending these through to share.....we love seeing what our readers are doing with the Fiskars Craft Tools........................

 

It's a MOTHER'S DAY TEA PARTY

Have you seen Lisa Storm's Mother's Day Tea Party over at

                       http://www2.fiskars.com/Activities/Crafting/Articles/Mothers-Day-Tea-Party

Lisa does amazing projects using Fiskars Craft Tools including the following:

                So go have a look see......it's an amazing TEA PARTY full of fun,craftiness !!!

                http://www2.fiskars.com/Activities/Crafting/Articles/Mothers-Day-Tea-Party

                          Are you planning on getting crafty before Mother's Day?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mad Quilters Gathering this Friday in Brisbane

 

     If you are looking for Fiskars Quilting Tools you shall find them on FLIP LA K'S  Stand !!

 

 

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

Product spotting! Just too much for this Fiskateer to bare!!!

Oh this is sooo good.... walking into Spotlight, Christchurch and down the tool isle upstairs I see all this goodness.....

Truely everything a Fiskars fan needs!!!

The templates are still around for the shape cutter and Scrapboss. Yipee!!!

And down stairs in the Quilting/sewing department holds....

awesome scissors..... ohhhh those look gooooood!

Three sizes of Fiskars cutting mats!!!! oh my Goodness!!

 

Ok I'll leave you now and wipe up the dribble on my keyboard. ;)

Thanks so much for looking.
Debbie Buckland
artycrafty.wordpress.com

Keep it simple card - male OR female

Here's a quick and simple card that could be used for a MALE or FEMALE......maybe just for a FRIEND....could even do this for Mother's Day......just look in your stash....and use what you have.

I have used some cardstock I had left over from another project....trimmed it with my Fiskars Surecut Trimmer.....punched out the butterfly from the orange cardstock with my Stampin Up Punch....and then added it back to the front of the card.....

I added a little piece of 3 D Tape underneath both wings to make them stay up...inked around the edges....and hand drew the rest of the body parts...(sorry this pic isn't the best..looks washed out)

So I challenge you to get creative with products from your stash.....no need to go out and purchase all the time.....although I must say.....if you have GREAT QUALITY TOOLS like FISKARS and STAMPIN UP...you'll have them for a long time......so worth spending the money on QUALITY TOOLS!!!

So off you go......look for those scraps of cardstock....maybe pinks and purples,oranges and brown,red,white and pink.....ooh endless combinations.....but try keeping it SIMPLE!

If you create a card....feel free to send it through to

                                         fiskarscraft@yahoo.com.au

 

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

Quilts from New Zealand

I love it when our readers share their projects with us.....the latest Quilting/Sewing projects have come through from fellow Fiskateer BERYL SOMERVELL from NEW ZEALAND. Here she is with her grandson Jacob.....

             Don't you just love the colour schemes that Beryl has chosen for her Quilts!

We hope that these may inspire some SEWING CREATIVITY .............Beryl tells me that she loves using her Fiskars Scissors when Quilting...Beryl is the Featured Fiskateer for this week over at FISKATEERS...so pop on over there to learn more about her.

We'll share some more of Beryl's fabulous Quilts later in the week.....did you know that FISKARS have some fabulous QUILTING TOOLS now in both NEW ZEALAND and AUSTRALIA?

So check your local craft store......OR look in the HABERDASHERY DEPARTMENT in your local SPOTIGHT STORE.............................

                                   ~  HAPPY SEWING ~ QUILTING ~

 

xoxo

Lyn

Prom Shadow Box

Designer: Tania Willis

Difficulty rating: Beginner

There may be many times in your daughter’s life in which you want to show off photos of meaningful, special occasions like prom, homecoming or even their wedding day in a more prominent way. Sure, putting them in a photo frame and hanging them on the wall is something special in and of itself, but putting them into a shadow box and decorating them in an elegant way takes the display up a notch turning them into even more of a keepsake for years and years to come.

You might thing making a shadow box is just too pricey, but I found the price of my shadow box base plus supplies to be just as affordable as buying a higher-end photo frame. Today, I want to show you how you can put your tools to use for you to make your own paper flowers to mix with a few ready-made embellishments instead of investing in pricey silk flowers to accent your photo(s).

To start you’ll simply need to gather: photos, a shadow box, some coordinating patterned paper, and small embellishments, rhinestones or gems to use as small subtle accents, paper trimmer, hot glue gun, hot glue sticks and your favorite paper adhesive.

In order to keep the display firmly in place I recommend adhering all of your background papers directly to the backer board of the shadow box. Then you can build your layers upon that background. Since this particular shadow box measured 10 x 13, slightly larger than the standard size scrapbook papers, I had to get a little creative to extend the width of my patterned paper. To do that I simply lined both sides with strips of patterned paper measuring 1 ½” x 10" in length. I then accented the seam where the green and striped paper met with border strips punched using the Interchangeable Border Punch Starter Set along with the Up In The Clouds cartridge.

Next, adhere your photos in a grid pattern onto a sheet of plain white cardstock. Trim out around the photos leaving a ¼” border all the way around. This particular project has one 5” x 7” photo along with two 3 ½” square photos. Adhere the matted photos to the patterned paper leaving more of a margin along the right side.

Now, you will begin making some paper flowers to accent your photos. You’ll want to make some in a variety of shapes & sizes, as they will be clustered together to mimic the prom attendees’ wrist corsage or bride’s wedding bouquet.Here are three very easy flowers that you can make. Once you get the hang of making them you can alter them slightly to get a completely different look each and every time.

For the first flower you’ll use the same Up In The Clouds cartridge with your Interchangeable Border Punch Starter Set. Punch a 1” x 12” strip of coordinating cardstock. Then start rolling the strip lengthwise.

If you’d like to make a larger flower, you’ll use the two strips of paper punched from the same border punch. Just adhere the pieced end to end using a glue dot. Continue rolling the punched strip lengthwise and repeat the same gluing process. Once rolled, place a generous amount of hot glue on the straight-edge portion of the paper and place it on a scrap piece of cardstock. Hold in place until the glue cools. Once cooled, cut the scrap piece of cardstock around the base of the flower.

Once it’s wrapped, use your fingers to manipulate the decorative portion to bend the ‘petals’ outward giving it more of a flower shape. If you want to glitz it up a little paint a small amount of Mod-Podge onto the petals and sprinkle with an ultra fine glitter.

Using your Seal of Approval Squeeze Punch along with a 1/8” or 1/16” circle hand punch, cardstock and a brad you can make a highly dimensional flower. You’ll need to punch 6 to 8 scalloped circles from the Seal of Approval Punch. Punch a small hole in the center of each one using the circle hand punch. Wad each piece up several times. Push a large brad through the center hole of each piece until they are all loaded onto the same brad. Open the brad prong to hold in place, and then start to manipulate the layered pieces until you are happy with the dimension of the flower.

And lastly, you can make a spiral rosette by simply cutting a 4” square and lightly drawing a spiral pattern on the back using a pencil. Cut out the spiral along the lines. Then beginning with the outside of the spiral, begin rolling the paper until you reach the center of the spiral. Put a small amount of hot glue on the center of the spiral and press the top of the rosette into the bottom with the glue. Hold in place until the glue cools. TIP: Before gluing you can loosen your grip on the rolled paper to loosen the appearance of the flower. I like to loosen it quite a bit and then sprinkle beads in between the spiraled paper.

Now that you have all those made, you can begin to build up the corner of your shadow box to resemble a bouquet or corsage. Since it is a shadow box you can use more dimensional items that you would typically use on a scrapbook page. I also highly recommend using hot glue as your adhesive because it is quick-drying and will be able to hold firmly for very long periods of time. You’ll never have worries of the adhesive dry-rotting over the years.

Before building up your collection of flowers, consider putting down a very small layer of Spanish moss or craft moss. This just adds another layer of texture to the finished project. Then you can hot glue your flowers right over top. It’s more pleasing to the eye if you start with a larger flower in the corner and work your way across the bottom and up the side allowing the flowers to get smaller as your work your way outward.

To keep up with the scale and dimension of the flowers I chose to use tulle to create a bow to accent the top of the photos. From there, you can keep building by adding special words, phrases or dates either right on top of the photos or along the open space along the top or bottom of the background.

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Isn't this a great idea!

For further ideas and crafty inspiration make sure you drop by over at

http://www2.fiskars.com/Activities/Crafting/Project-Gallery/Other-Projects/Prom-Shadow-Box

Happy National Scrapbooking Day

                      Happy National Scrapbooking Day!

           I'm having a fun,crafty weekend....thought I'd share my first project......

I used Rebecca Peck's May Sketch over at FISKATEERS to kick start some creativity today along with a pic I took of the gorgeous LARGE FISKARY FLOWER that fellow Aussie Fiskateer Tracy Maloney gave me last Christmas

    Stamps and Inks are from Stampin Up.......thanks guys! The Frame Punch is also from SU.....

I have used my trusty Fiskars Burst Everywhere Punch and the NEW Fiskars Groovy Rainbow Interchangeable Border Punch..................to cut out around the flower pic I used my Fiskars Designer Microtip Scissors....these are my favourite scissors...they make cutting around small shapes so easy....

                   What are you doing this weekend? Hope you have some time to craft!

I have a LAYOUT planned out and another in the "thought process"......LOL!  Shall share soon..........

        Hey all......don't forget that there is an online crop happening over at FISKATEERS

Challenges have gone up over there.....see you in the gallery or on the messageboard for a fun day!!

Lots of fab challenges put up by the 4 Lead Fiskateers.....and lots of fun prizes up for grabs......

 

                                                  HAPPY CRAFTING!!!!!

 

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

What's on for National Scrapbooking Day & Giveaway

So what is everyone doing this coming Saturday MAY 5th...for NATIONAL SRCAPBOOKING DAY?...hey ...that's TOMORROW and SUNDAY FOR THOSE OF US IN AUS/NZ

I'm planning on srapping some more LAYOUTS of my family....might even scrap some pics of ME......LOL!  It's been awhile since I scrapped any of my own pics...do you scrap your own pics very often?

If you are looking for Inspiration and some fun and games to help yourself enjoy NSD....then why not pop on over to the

                            
It's always fun to participate in the FISKATEER Crops.....the gallery is always bubbling along with inspirational projects.....and it's just fun hanging out with like minded crafters from all around the World......there shall be fun prizes up for grabs,great challenges and so much sharing and caring on MAY 5th....

...........so what is everyone else going to be doing on NSD......leave a comment below here....and I'll randomly draw a winner of some crafty goodies!!!  You have until mid night Friday May 5th to leave a comment below to be in the draw....

May be you could use the FISKATEER online Crop to get some Mother's Day Projects created.....mmmm...I need to do that too.....for my Step Mum.....LOL!

If you haven't yet joined the FISKATEERS ......no probs....just click on the link and follow the directions to join up......it's FUN.....it's FREE......and it's  Fabulously FISKARS!!!!

I challenge you to join me and Scrap at least one LAYOUT about YOU!!!

....and feel free to email through any projects that you manage to complete on NSD to

                fiskarscraft@yahoo.com.au

Please put NSD in the Subject Line.......

                                        

                       Have a Fisk-a-fabulous Day!!

                                  
xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

 

Mad Quilters Gathering starts next Friday - Brisbane

Just letting everyone know that the MAD QUILTERS GATHERING starts next Friday in Brisbane.

 

                            Click on the link below to view a PDF File of this event.

 

Download Mad quilters gathering flyer

 

           FLIP LA K shall be retailing FISKARS QUILTING TOOLS at this wonderful QUILTING EVENT!

My Convergence Quilt - 8 years later

Well I'm not really a Quilter....having only made 3 Quilts in my life.....Quilts are meant to be something that can be passed down to family members or friends....right?

Here's number 2 Quilt made by me in 2004 for my now Daughter in Law Sally for her 25th birthday....I took up Quilting in 2002 when I was recovering from a life threatening illness.......in fact it......helped me on the road to recovery....

I was so pleased when I visited today to see that now GEMMA (grand daughter) is getting use out of this......I couldn't remember when I made it.....but luckily I had sewn in a tag at the back....

Convergence quilts feature two or more fabrics cut into strips, sewn together, then cut and pieced again

Maybe I'll get the urge to make another Quilt one day....but at the moment PAPERCRAFTING and PHOTOGRAPHY are keeping me busy......I'm thinking maybe making a Pillow each for SAM and GEMMA..............but that might not happen for a few weeks......LOL!

Ann Maree Campbell was my teacher for this Quilt.....she taught me soooooo much....thanks Ann Maree!!

Did you know that Fiskars have a great range of Quilting Tools now available in Australia/New Zealand? So check out your Local Patchwork/Craft shop....OR try Spotlight

xoxo

Lyn

 

Royal Melbourne Show - entries now OPEN !!!!

Well it's that time of the year again when the ART,CRAFT and COOKERY COMPETITIONS are OPEN to take ENTRIES......for this year's ROYAL MELBOURNE SHOW!

Have you ever entered one of the many Show ART/CRAFT or COOKERY competitions?

It's really very easy to enter...there are so many different SECTIONS once more this year in so many varied CRAFTS.....you can get the entry forms now online from

 

In the SCRAPBOOKING SECTIONS......there are FOUR SECTIONS in the OPEN COMPETITION and THREE SECTIONS in the JUNIOR COMP......so make sure you spread the word....ENTRIES close JULY 25th.

There are sections for QUILTING, SEWING,APPLIQUE,PAINTING.PHOTOGRAPHY,PAPERCRAFT,CARDMAKING

.....and the list goes on....so why not check it all out at

http://www.royalshow.com.au/blue-ribbon-competitions.asp

I have been involved with the Art/Craft and Cookery Competitions the past 5 years....and have loved every moment of it.....

 Here's what Judy Barnes has to say on the RAS Website...

There's nothing like the talent on display in the Art, Craft & Cookery Competition at the Royal Melbourne Show! Highlights from the Art, Craft & Cookery Pavilion at the 2011 Royal Melbourne Show included the Decorated Shoe Competition, the Apron Challenge that was new at this year’s Show, Sew & Show featuring the work of talented secondary and tertiary-level fashion design students and Makers Alley, a new precinct with products created by local artisans.

Congratulations to Judith Cairnduff from Croydon in Victoria who was awarded the Florence Monod Memorial Award for her large folk art plate with Cold Fish (Class 95, Exhibit 694). For a full list of Results click here

The RASV would love to hear about your participation/ association with the Royal Melbourne Show. Please click here if you have a tale to tell about your experience at the Royal Melbourne Show.

Entries are now open for the 2012 Art, Craft and Cookery Competition.

To view the schedule please click here

For more information please contact:

Judy Barnes
Art, Craft & Cookery Event Coordinator
The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria Limited,
Melbourne Showgrounds, Epsom Road
Ascot Vale Vic 3032
Telephone 03 9281 7436
Fax 03 9281 7536
Email: judy.barnes@rasv.com.au

 

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

Our nest is blessed LAYOUT by Lyn

I must admit I am really enjoying being able to scrap my grand children at the moment....here's another LAYOUT for GEMMA'S ALBUM......

Thanks to Fynmark for the yummy products from RUBY ROCKIT RANGE.....NOSTALGIA!!! I sure had fun using it with my Layouts of GEMMA!!!!

I've also managed to create some fun cards whilst away in EAST GIPPSLAND.....so now I'm a little bit ahead of myself with FAMILY BIRTHDAY CARDS......sh,sh...................................

Whilst in SPOTLIGHT BAIRNSDALE I spied this gorgeous OWL STAMP and thought I'd like to play around with it.....so here's what I came up with.....once again thanks to FISKARS for the TOOLS and FYNMARK for the cards and papers.......these two companies are so generous to me.....love you guys! I also used Inks from STAMPIN UP....thank you for sending these to me.

        Fiskars Tools used on the projects above include:

 

Fiskars Surecut Trimmer

Fiskars Ivy League Border Punch

Fiskars Up in the Clouds Border Punch

Fiskars Seasonal Border Punch - Limited Edition

Fiskars Banners Away Border Punch

Fiskars Designer Scissors 

Fiskars Compact Stamp Press 

 

Azza shares more cards

Azza has sent through some more fun card shares.......she has been having fun with the NEW Fiskars Ivy League Interchangeable Border Punch and some of the yummy products from the Ruby Rock It Nostalgia Range and Bella Cardstock.

....and here are a few more...Azza has used the Lacy Doubles Border Punch on this card.

To view more of the Fiskars Craft Team projects using the NEW Interchangeable Border Punches just click on the Album on the lefthand side of our Blog......as the TEAM design projects they are  added in under there.....so you can come back anytime for more inspiration and project ideas....

 

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

A little something, A little thank you

Hi all

YES we are finally back in our own home after earthquake fix ups!
The place still smells a small bit of paint but thats all good. ;)

My daughter and I made little somethings while we were away in the Motels....

We of course made things with the Nostalgia - Ruby Rock-it range..... and a little Bella! product too.

Here is my daughters mini folder thingy...

Here is mine.... (it was a thankyou gift for the Motels that put us up While our place was being fixed)

I used the butterfly leaver punch for the butterflies (dried Terri Sproul Mixer skins, a crystal lacquer and micapowder mix dried flat as paper, is easily punched when dry.)

page one and two

page three and four....
All cutting  is either done with my Fiskars micro tip scissors or my Fiskars paper trimmer (scoring also done with the paper trimmer with scoring blade.)

for the tutorial on how to make this groovy little folder thingy.... go to Terri Sprouls Linqto room

Thanks so much for looking.
Debbie Buckland
artycrafty.wordpress.com

Fiskars Scissors help create mixed media flowers

I found this fabulous Video Tutorial online and loved how Michelle Grant has used her Fiskars Microtip Scissors to cut out the circles for her Mixed Media Flowers....

Might give this a go myself.....looks like a whole heap of fun doesn't it......

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

New Year’s Sewing Resolution - April Skirt

Designer: Emma Jeffrey

Difficulty rating: Beginner

My new year’s sewing resolution continues this month with a pattern by Sewaholic. I found Tasia’s, (the pattern designer) website , and fell in love with all of her beautiful patterns and decided that her Crescent Skirt would be the perfect item for my April wardrobe addition. Southern California starts to get warmer mid-spring so I thought that a cute flirty skirt would be just the thing to add to my handmade collection.

And as a fun tribute to my home country and host of this summer’s Olympic Games, I used this London printed cotton/linen blend. It is a slightly heavier fabric (which is necessary for negotiating our breezy weather with a little dignity!) and will be a great item to wear whilst supporting Team GB this summer.

I was all set and ready to start cutting into my London print when I remembered that these projects are supposed to be creating some pieces that fit well and have a long closet life. I forced myself to put the print down and dug out some scrap fabric to make a muslin first.

I referenced Tasia’s Crescent Skirt Sewalong , which is full of helpful information on the finer details of how to make the skirt and in particular, the muslin. She suggests stitching along the seam line of all the muslin pieces before sewing it together. That way, when you form the muslin, you are able to see and measure where the seams need to be let in or let out.

When I was happy with the fit of my muslin I was ready to cut out my London print. I applied interfacing to the waistband pieces, but not to the waistband facings as the pattern directs you to do. My fabric is quite thick and I didn’t want to make it bulky with too many layers of interfacing. If I were making this with a thinner fabric, I would put interfacing on all pieces.

Following the pattern directions, I started putting together the front and back of the skirt. Something I really love about this skirt is its super deep pockets and the directions for creating them are very straightforward. The top edge of the pockets are reinforced with a length of twill tape, which is a new (and very useful) technique for me.

After gathering the skirt front and back, I sewed together the waistband pieces. Though the pattern suggests options for different finishes on the seamlines of the waistband, I opted to keep mine plain because I felt my fabric was statement enough!

Next, I pinned the waistband to the skirt with the right sides together, pulling up the gathers on the skirt to fit. After finishing the center back seam and sewing the waistband facings, I put in the zipper.

 

Zippers often send people into a panic, but the directions in this pattern are very easy to understand and I love that the zipper is enclosed in the facing. First, with the fabric right side up and the zipper facing up, line up the edge of the zipper tape against the center back raw edge of the facing and sew together. Press lightly making sure not to touch the plastic zipper teeth with the iron.

Next, pin the facing to the skirt with the right sides together and sew all the way to the end of the zipper. Before sewing around the top edge of the waistband, you are instructed to fold back the top of the zipper so that you get a clean corner at the top. Tasia goes into more detail on this point here .

Following the pattern directions, my zipper worked out perfectly and this has made me feel much more confident as far as tackling a zipper is concerned. After turning the waistband facing to the inside and stitching in the ditch along the lower edge to secure it, I finished my skirt by hemming with a blind hem. You can read my blind hem tutorial on the Fiskars website for more information.

I’m very happy with my new skirt. Not only does it fit well, it has some lovely details (like the giant pockets and flattering waistband). I especially like the fact that it’s unique. Being able to choose your own fabric and express your own style feels very liberating and though not many people in my neighborhood will be supporting the same team as me this summer, I will wear my new skirt with pride!

If you are after further crafty inspiration make sure you drop by

         

                            http://www2.fiskars.com/Activities/Crafting/Project-Gallery

Have you played with the cool grass border punch lately?

The Grass border and Cloud squeeze punches are the latest additions to my crafty stash and I confess that I LOVE them BOTH!!!

As soon as I cut open the packs, I knew exactly what I was going to make. One of our nephews was turning five, so I punched out a bundle of ants using my LE Gettin' Antsy squeeze punch then took some brave pills in preparating for some heat embossing. My wonderful husband shares his mega heat gun with me, so it wasn't long before that 1800W of power had those ants flying, leaving a sticky black trail over the sheet of card that I was using as a protective worksheet. I don't heat emboss very often and it was super lucky that I was using the card sheet as it had lots of singed spots on it by the time I was finished and I dread to think what would have happened to the table or my precious craft mat if it wasn't there!!!

Anyway, getting back on track, I got three sheets of green cardstock and punched out six grassy layers to make the birthday card. Little kids like big cards, so this card was 4 3/4" by 12", just fitting in the envelope. I used the Cloud squeeze punch to make the fluffy icing for the top of a cupcake (for the ants to gobble) and my crimper to give the base a traditional patty pan appearance.

Hope you enjoy my grassy card as much as Thomas did :)

Patch of Craft ~ WARRAGUL

Did you know that PATCH OF CRAFT in Smith St,Warragul (formerly Gippstitch) now stock FISKARS CRAFTING  TOOLS;

...including the following Fiskars Quilting Tools

 

So if you live in the Warragul area...why not pop in and take a look see.....and mention that you heard that they were selling FISKARS CRAFT TOOLS.....they have FISKARS scissors,trimmers,mats ,etc....

You can find Patch of Craft on Facebook.....so check them out...or just click on their link to visit their website.

save the dates ~ FLIP LA K (Fiskars Quilting Tools)

Want to get your hands on some fabulous FISKARS QUILTING TOOLS this year?

 

  Flip La K  are going to be at the following Craft Shows in Australia and New Zealand this year

They shall be selling Fiskars Quilting Tools on their Stand at each Event below....so keep an eye out if you are attending any of the Events below

 

May 11 to 13 Mad Quilters Gathering Brisbane

 

May 19 & 20th Stroud Interlude Stroud NSW

 

May 23 – 27th Craft & Quilt Fair Perth

 

June 1st – 3rd AQM Sydney

 

June 13 to 17th Darling Harbour (Know how sew Essentials Stand – Nolting)

 

June 20th – Maitland Quilters

 

July South Australia

 

August 3 – 5th Mad Quilters Sydney

 

September – 6th – 9th Hamilton NZ Craft & Quilt  Fair

 

September Illa Langi – Weekend Retreat

 

October  4th – 7th Townsville craft & sewing show

 

Isn't it great to know that FISKARS QUILTING TOOLS are going to be available all over Australia and NZ!

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

Fetchy Sketchy Friday - Zip it up

This layout sketch this week is based on a Zip.... why?
I don't know.... just how it developed from my brain....

As you read this post my family and I are out of our home as it its being fixed from earthquake damage.
So no example for now.... Hopefully I get a chance next time round.

This layout is good for your Fiskars trimmer and using up all those little strips of paper left over from other projects..... Have fun. Pick out a plain colour background and use contrasting patterened papers.

If you do a layout using this sketch we would love to see it.
email us: fiskarscraft@yahoo.com.au

Debbie Buckland
artycrafty.wordpress.com

 

It's " GROOVY " ~ I finally scrapped

Thought I'd share this latest LAYOUT that I have just completed of my grand daughter GEMMA!

                                    (Click on pic for an enlarged view)

It's been awhile since I have had the time to sit and craft a few LAYOUTS....but this past week I have been crafting whilst in Paynesville and have managed to completed 4 LAYOUTS so far and 7 Cards.......LOL!

It feels so good to be creating some fun LAYOUTS of our grandkids......GEMMA and SAMUEL.

Thanks to Bella/Fynmark and Ruby Rock It I have had some yummy products to play with from the Ruby Rock It Nostalgia Range and Paper Boy Paperz from Bella.....combined with my trusty Fiskars Tools....................................

I sure had fun creating this fun border using the NEW Fiskars Groovy Rainbow Interchangeable Border Punch.

Do you know how to go around corners with the Fiskars Border Punches? Would you like to see how I did this?  If so...please leave a comment below and I'll check back here soon.....it's so easy.....and by using a template it's even easier......

Back soon with more shares................................

 

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

 

Handcrafted Mother's Day Gift

Designer: Kendra McCracken

Difficulty rating: Beginner

It's a sweet circumstance that Mother's Day and spring coincide on the calendar here in the United States. Year after year, we celebrate the rebirth of a season filled with the emergence of flowers and leaves and the return of the smell of warm earth. It's all familiar but it's still always exciting to finally see the growth of what's been lying dormant, knowing it's so full of potential. And we also have the opportunity to, once again, celebrate the woman (or women) who have always been there, patiently waiting to see new growth of what they know is lying dormant and so full of potential in us. They nurture the good and prune away the bad and do their best to grow us into something strong and beautiful, all the while understanding just how delicate we really are. It's a fine balance!

The idea of something dormant being so full of potential found its way into my idea for a Mother's Day gift this year. I decided to transform an old pair of jeans into a gardening apron and a garden tool caddy for a 5-gallon bucket. The back of a pair of jeans provide great ready-made pockets for an apron while the weight and durability of the denim is perfect for withstanding the harsh realities of a life working in the garden. An added bonus is there is little finishing of edges because you can retain the jean seams and use them as your apron edges.

I started by ripping out the crotch seam of the jeans using the Fiskars Sew Taxi. You can just cut across the back of the jeans but ripping out the seam gave me a little extra length and allowed me to create a level edge along the bottom of my apron.

I used a Fiskars acrylic ruler, rotary cutter, and cutting mat to do this. Prior to cutting the bottom edge, I used the 8 inch Razor-Edge Softgrip Scissors to cut along outside leg seams which helped flatten out the back of the jeans and made it easier to cut them. I left the inside leg seams intact so the legs could be used for the garden tool caddy. I left notches along the waist band since the cut edge there would not be a finished seam. These were folded over and stitched down.

Rather than just hem the bottom edge, I added a simple ruffle and some crocheted trim removed from an old pillowcase. More potential lying dormant! To create the tie for the apron, I stitched 5 inch wide strips of fabric together end to end, pressed the seams open, and folded strip in half lengthwise with right sides together. I stitched the raw edges together leaving a small opening for turning. After turning the strip right side out, I edge stitched along the edge with the seam and looped the tie through the belt loops.

The legs of the jeans became the panels for the garden tool caddy. I used mens' bootcut jeans and when opened up, the legs were 17 inches wide. I measured burlap to a height of 7 1/2 inches. For the length, I measured 17 inches and added 3 inches for each pocket to allow for the deep sides. You can add more or less to fit your needs. I hemmed the bottom edge 1/2 inch, ironing it to crease it. Yes, you can iron burlap!

To make the binding for the top edge of the pockets, I divided the length of the burlap strip by 3 (for 3 pockets) and pieced together 3 different fabrics to this length. The height of the strips is 4 inches. I then folded and pressed the long edges of the strip in toward the center (wrong sides together) to create a 2 inch tall strip and folded it in half again ending up with a 1 inch tall strip. This was pinned over the top edge of the burlap pocket and stitched in place. Doing this piecing not only adds an interesting patchwork look but it makes the next step easier.

I divided the width of the jean leg by 3 (for 3 pockets) and marked the leg by drawing a line from the bottom edge up to the height of the pocket. I placed the burlap pocket on the jean leg and stitched the sides down and stitched again to reinforce.

Next, I found the seams for the binding strip along the top of the fabric and lined them up on the lines I marked on the jean leg, pinning them in place. I pleated the bottom edge of the burlap pocket just by eyeballing the material and pinned the pleats down. I then stitched from the top of the pocket to the bottom between the pleats and stitched again to reinforce. Finally, I stitched along the pleated bottom edge of the burlap pocket. I stitched again 1/4 inch from the first stitch line. To keep the pockets more formed, I pleated the top edge of the pocket (again by eyeballing it) and stitched 1/4 inch from the edge just in the binding area. You can stitch farther down the side of the pocket to stabilize it even more if desired.

I always carry a pen and a journal or index cards to the garden with me so I can make notes about my plants. I added burlap pockets to the flaps that fold over to the inside of the bucket to tuck these into. If you do this, make sure to sew the pockets on "upside down" so they will be right side up when the flap is folded over.

To finish the caddy, I stitched the 2 jean leg panels to a nylon strap that fit in the recessed area of the lip at the top of the bucket and added a velcro closure. This strap should be about 6 inches longer than the circumference of the bucket and have a metal ring stitched to one end. Looping the strap through the metal ring allows for the strap to be pulled very snugly around the top of the bucket and held tightly in place with the velcro. MotThe tie on my bucket is purely decorative as it wouldn't support the weight of the caddy when the pockets are filled.

Although men's jeans are perfect for this project because they tend to have large, deep pockets, if you'll be making these as Mother's Day gifts, using a pair of your own jeans makes the gift a more sentimental one.

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I love hopping across to http://www2.fiskars.com/Activities/Crafting as there is always something fun and crafty to inspire ME......why not hop over there now......NEW Projects are being added all the time by the Fiskars Design Team!!!

Creating a Chevron Pillow

Designer: Kendra McCracken

Difficulty rating: Beginner

This project stemmed from 2 things:

1. My fascination with chevron.

2. My desire to try new quilting techniques this year.

The "problem" with my love of chevron is chevron tends to be very crisp and bold whereas our decor tends to be very rustic and muted. Chevron looks great floating around in my brain or on the front of a journal that obviously isn't intended to be decor and, thus, is granted a pass if found looking out of place lying on the couch. Placing most things chevron (especially in the 2012 Pantone color of the year, Tangerine Tango ) on a wall in my living room would leave people even more convinced that I could use a day at an interior design spa. I have no idea if such a thing exists, but along with chevron, it looks like a really good idea floating around in my brain. I decided that by using fabrics with small printed patterns, it would soften the crispness of the chevron pattern so that it would fit in just fine with my decor.

The "problem" with my desire to try new quilting techniques this year is the expense. I decided trying the techniques out on smaller projects will allow me a more cost effective way to try some of them before deciding if I want to invest the time and money into an actual quilt. A pillow seemed to be the perfect solution this time around. By the end of 2012, I might have a couch full of unmatched throw pillows!

Making this chevron design is extremely easy. It is constructed from squares of fabric. The challenge in it is being patient and taking the time to be as accurate as possible with your cuts and stitches. The finished size of the pillow is 16 inches square. All seam allowances are 1/4 inch. All seams should be ironed open as you go.

Begin by cutting 3 inch squares of fabric. You will need 32 of your base fabric (I chose muslin) and 32 of a variety of printed fabrics. I originally planned to mix and match a lot of different fabrics but changed my mind while laying out the blocks. If you stick to 4 fabrics as I did, you will need 8 squares of each. If you are not yet confident in your cutting accuracy, cut your squares to 3.5 inches and I'll show you how to trim them down later.

Place 1 square of base material on top of 1 square of printed material, right sides together. Using a Fiskars acrylic ruler and a marking pen, chalk, etc., draw a line diagonally from corner to corner. Pin the blocks together if you need to and stitch a 1/4 inch seam on each side of the line you drew. Be as accurate as possible with both of these steps!

Using an acrylic ruler and a Fiskars rotary cutter, cut along the line you drew. Iron the seams open and you now have 2 squares.

This is the step where we tidy up the "squareness" of the squares and the reason it was OK to cut the squares larger in the first step. Place the 45 degree angle mark on the ruler directly over the diagonal seam on each square. Move the ruler around until the top edge and right-hand edge of the square are lined up as closely as possible with the 2.5 inch marks on the ruler, taking care to keep the 45 degree line of the ruler on the seam. The seam remaining aligned is the most important part of the step. If the edges of the square don't line up perfectly with the 2.5 marks, make sure there is excess beyond the 2.5 lines instead of leaving any space below the lines. Firmly holding the ruler down to prevent it from slipping, trim off the excess from the bottom and left-side of the square. Rotate the square 180 degrees and repeat the aligning/trimming. You should end up with a perfect 2.5 inch square.

Next, for each colored zig-zag in the pattern, you'll sew squares together to create 2 strips that are 8 squares long. This photo is just to remind you to take care to match up the seams as accurately as possible in both corners before you begin sewing.

This photo is to help you see how to match up the squares. Match them up so you create a strip of 8 squares with colored triangles. Match the rest of the squares up so you create a strip with white triangles. It's best to lay them out in the order you'll stitch them before you begin pinning.

Next, put the strips together as shown and you'll see your chevron pattern emerge. Flip the top strip over onto the bottom strip (like you're folding an omelet) with right sides together. Pin, taking care to carefully match up the seams of the squares.

Again, accuracy is very important! When stitching the strips together, look ahead at the approaching seam for the small triangle that is the intersection of the triangle points. Your seam you're sewing should be ever so slightly above the tip of that little triangle. So in this example you want your seam to go right above the tip of the little orange triangle. You don't have one of these little triangles at each seam but it still gives you an extra check on overall accuracy of the seam and your finished chevron pattern. Finish the pillow front by stitching the 4 zig-zag strips together. Make sure they are all oriented in the same direction. You can add piping to the pillow front at this point if you want.

To finish the pillow, cut 2 panels that are 12.5 inches x 16.5 inches. Hem one of the 16 inch sides of each panel by folding it over 1/4 and then 1/4 inch again and stitching it down. Place the panels on top of the pillow front, right sides together, matching the raw edges of the panels with the edge of the pillow front. This will cause the hemmed edges of the panels (marked in the photo with arrows) to overlap. Stitch around the perimeter of the pillow case, clip the corners at an angle to reduce the bulk, and turn the cover right side out and slip a pillow form under the opening between the flaps.

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If you are looking for further crafty inspiration................don't for get to drop by over at

        http://www2.fiskars.com/Activities/Crafting/Project-Gallery

Are you ready to join the Seasons online crop at Fiskateers TODAY?

OK, things may be cooling down for Autumn for us down here in the Southern Hemisphere and everything is warming up for Spring for our fellow crafters in the Northern Hemisphere, but Lead Fiskateer Rebecca has an online crop challenge ready for all seasons here on the Fiskateers Blog NOW!!!

Check out all the punchy prizes Rebecca has ready to send out to the lucky winners:

Eight challenges have been posted, with entries closing noon EST 25th April - don't forget, with the time zone differences, if you get them in by midnight Melbourne (Australian Eastern) time on the 25th April, you will still have a couple of hours to spare.

Hope you get a chance to come join the crafty fun of the Seasons Online Crop with us :)

Not a Fiskateer yet?
It is very quick and easy to join - here is the link - it is FREE and it is FUN!!!

... don't forget to let us know if you join - it would be great to have a familiar face from Down Under to craft with - my Fiskateer name is TracyM #6773 and I look forward to seeing you :)

First thing I do when I get

a NEW Fiskars Border Punch is add it's design to my Punch Design Ring......

So I've had fun creating a FEW new designs to my Interchangeable BorderPunch Ring

This is a great way of remembering which punch designs I have.....I have also done this for my older Fiskars Border Punches and Embossing Border Punches!

It's also handy to have this with me when I'm OUT and ABOUT to show others the fun designs that are NOW available through your Local Craft Stores!

I'm in EAST GIPPSLAND this week and I've spotted some of these NEW Interchangeable Border Punches on the shelves.....in SPOTLIGHT BAIRNSDALE!

Retailers can order the entire range of the  Fiskars Interchangeable Border Punches from Wholesaler SSS ....

                                     

.....AND yes......I have been playing around with these fun punches...here's a Birthday Card I created for my son's partner.......I just love creating whilst in Paynesville...............hoping to craft more later today and all this week.

For this card I used the "Daisy Chain Starter Set " and " Groovy Rainbow " Interchangeable Border Punches and some product from the Bella Nostalgia Range.......

                                       HAPPY PUNCHING!!!!

 

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

Fisk-a-teers April colour challenge- Neons

Ahhh...... Neons......it brings back some good..and maybe odd memories of the 80's. different colour neon socks,bubble skirts,crimped hair and white t shirts with "choose life"printed in bold black print!

What were we thinking in the 80's huh! but wouldn't you know it! the 80's retro style is BACK! i should know... i have a 10 year old who wants me to crimp her hair for school every day!!!!!

And in the crafting world the neon front has hit BIG TIME!!! and the Fisk-a-teers have not missed the giant neon arrow!

If you head on over the the Fisk-a-teers Tami has put up a colour challenge for April...NEON!

so i have got to work with the only neon paper i seemed to have and made a card.

I used my new Fiskars Jenni Bowlin Ticket please border punch i ordered from USA the other week. This punch is Great it makes little tickets for you to use. but what i did with the punch was to double up with the punching to make even thinner tickets so i could bend them and make a 3D effect on my card.

Then stamped an image and finished!!!

You have got to love those colours!

So this challenge is on the the end of the month. to enter all you need to do is be a Fisk-a-teer,make a card and post it on the Active challenge gallery under april colour challenge.

Have a go!!!

Tara :)