Fiskars Craft

Bubbles birthday

I was super lucky to get some punchy Happy Mail from Lyn and the Aussie Fiskars Team - THANK YOU!!! The Bubbles border punch is fabulous and I had heaps of fun giving it its first workout.

Started by making paper lace (or ribbon) as you always do with a new border punch and realised that I had the perfect ribbon to go with it. As the ribbon was light cream and chocolate brown I then thought of the tasty colour challenge that Tami is hosting this month over at Fiskateers. I have also been inspired by all the fun folds Lyn has been using in her cards lately and decided that I needed to try a fancy fold for this special birthday celebration. Add them all together and you have a choc-mint birthday card. Used my Letters-3 Fiskars Shape Template for the numbers and the pretty Fiskars Sea Pearls 3-in-1 corner punch on the middle panel.

Here is my Choc-mint Centre Step Bubbles birthday card

Side view of card so that you can see some of the folds

Now I am off to get creative with the other fabulous punch that came in my Happy Mail ... wonder what I will create with the Diamond Edge border punch - stay tuned for my next punchy project :)

A Birthday Card from Ange

Some of our Fiskars Demonstrators have been hard at work designing some fabulous projects since they received some samples of the fabulous NEW Fiskars Interchangeable Border Punches.....

Today's project has come through from Angela O'Neil from Brisbane,Queensland.....

Ange has used the "X Marks the Spot " Cartridge to create this wonderful birthday card for her son!!

She has also used some of the " PAPER BOYZ" Range of products  from Bella.

Ange has gone back to Primary Teaching......having Grade 3 this year.....she tells me she is loving it but still finds time to craft and go to Crops with her friends.

Isn't it nice to see one of Ange's projects again? We'll be sharing more of Ange's projects in the next week....so keep an eye on the Blog!

If you haven't yet visited the Album on here with all the NEW Design Team projects....then go have a peek.......it's on the lefthand sidebar on here..... What's NEW Interchangeable Border Punches

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

One year on, we will remember

On the 22nd Feb the unthinkable happened in my wonderful City.... We had just got over one big shake in September, with no casualties and the aftershocks where getting smaller..... Then another big one happened - out of the Blue.

It has taken me a few days to think about what I was going to post here.... So that is why it is posted today...
The card above is what a lot of us did with the countless of cones dotting our broken/half mended roads... we put in the top of them flowers to remember those that lost there lives.

One year on the city is still being cleared of rubble, buildings being fully demolished for safety and sections are empty lots.

Yes the aftershocks keep hapening... only 4 pointers or below at present. Yes they are still scarey. Yes they still freak most of us out and yes we are all sick of it.

A lot of people are still trying to find out what the result of their living conditions. Some had no insurance - they are getting help from the "habitat of community" organisation. Others that have insurance still are waiting on results and the fate of their homes. Others have moved to different parts of the city. Others have moved from the city altogether. Thats fine. We all cope in different ways.

The good things that are happening in the city is that people a banding together.... one lady with a help of volunteers is filling up the empty lots with things like an area to play Platonk with plants and tables/chairs - a great meeting place for locals.... and an old fridge with a see through front, not pluged in for a book exchange.

Another thing that has happened is some shops are inside converted Ship containers. With windows and displays with enough room for wares to sell. Quite ingenious.

Others are shifting into the city from different countries and towns to help with the rebuild... A very special thank you for those brave families. We thank you.

Our city will rise again. Yes it may take time and a few more tears but as for the anniversary of this horrible day we will remember the fallen, the heroes that pull people from the rubble and the emergency responders and workers and those that had to make mega hard decisions in a time of great stress.

Thank you everyone that has helped so far with the re-build and recovery of the city. You are very very awesome.

Debbie Buckland
living in Christchurch, NZ
artycrafty.wordpress.com

COMING SOON - SYDNEY

SYDNEY

MARCH 8–11, 2012

10AM–4.30PM

ROSEHILL
GARDENS
RACECOURSE

There is another challenge going on over at the Fisk-a-teers.....

Hello there everyone!, i love challenges, so when one pops up on the Fisk-a-teers website i am straight to my Fiskars tools having a go.

This time the challenge is a border punch challenge. Cheryl one of the head fisk-a-teers has given us till the 29th Feb to create a project using your border punches. And she wants to see more than a simple border punched on the edge of a card! So check out this link to enter the challenge.

I got straight to the challenge. i love to play about with my border punches and think of things outside the box to do with them. So after having a good think i came up with this card.

I used several border punches for this card.

Firstly i used ivy league from the new interchangeable border punch range (available in Spotlight-April) to punch on the edge of my card. Then i punched 3 more times with different coloured papers then carefully trimmed them so the leaves were complete and layered them on to my card.

Next i made my flower.

I used the kaleidoscope border punch. I made a 12 inch long strip with the border punch and trimmed with about 1/4 inch under the pattern. I then fringed the bottom almost to thebottom of the pattern. this give it flexibility to curve the paper. i made a base for the flower by using my large circle squeeze punch and punched a circle. Then ran it through the Xyron machine to get it sticky.

I started to attach my paper strip from the outside inward creating a spiral as i went. once in the middle i got a bit more glue and made sure it stuck there. I then attached a button to make sure the flower looked finished. Rolled roses are all the range at the moment so being able to make your own with your border punches will save a bunch of cash!!! this technique works great with an array of different border punches fiskars has to offer!.

Lastly i made my label. this is the same technique i posted about a week ago. if you would like to see how to make this label here is the post.

i added a sentiment and threaded through some twine.

Finished.

head on over to the Fisk-a-ters site to enter the challenge

Tara:)

PAPERIFIC EXPO - Melbourne

Not long now until PAPERIFIC.....it's coming around so quickly!! Check out the Video of the last PAPERIFIC......fun!! fun!! fun!!

 

 

(Make sure you turn your sound up)

 

http://www.paperific.com.au/

For further info on this FANTASTIC PAPERCRAFT EVENT you can click on the above link!

I LLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEE this SHOW!!!!!

• Exhibitors

  • Alison Ellis Design
  • All About Scrapbooking
  • Arnold's Scrapbooking
  • Art Stamps Australia
  • Cardmaking.Net
  • Catchy Crafts
  • Celebrations Group
  • Copic / X-PRESS IT
  • Crafts R Us
  • De-Signs Made By Me!
  • Discount Wedding Papers
  • Dragonfly Crafts
  • Eclectic Images
  • Envelope Solutions
  • For The Love of Scrap
  • Heaven Scent
  • Kaszazz
  • Little Bits
  • Paper Quilt Creations
  • Photo Continental
  • Scrapapple
  • SCRAPMATTS
  • Scrappy Hollow
  • Scrapware
  • Skat Katz
  • Stamp In Style
  • Stamp it Australia
  • Stampin Up!
  • Stix2
  • Tinkering Tools
  • Twiddleybitz

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

Interlacing border punches for a background effect.

Hello there! Today i am going to share with you a little trick i tried the other day to get a great effect with your border punches. You cannot use every design with this trick but punches that have even high's and ridges that you can match up work great, for example banners away cartridge or the new Jenni Bowlin jester punch.

So lets get to it!

First you need to punch a whole bunch of strips in different colours. I am using the jenni Bowlin border punch by fiskars- Jester. make sure the strips are as wide as your card you are going to use.

Once you have done this trim off the excess leaving about 1/2 cm from the bottom of the design.

I made up 12 in total to cover my card.

Then you need to interlock the patterned strips of punched paper.

Pick different colours to make it more festive! then once you have interlocked the whole strip put a piece of double sided tape on the back to hold it together.

Once you have done this use the double sided tape you put on the back to place the strips on to your card. you can place them up, across or even on an angle.

And there you have your background, the decorating is up to you!

I coloured this card with copics and die cut the letters and label that the word is on. The girl i coloured i got from Mad 4 Markers. the papers i used are an old Prima range called Paisley Road. I also used my Fiskars trimmer and don't forget the Fiskars Jenni Bowlin Jester border punch!

Tara:)

Crop Teaser!

Just a bit of a sneak peek of what we will be getting up to this weekend.

Just to let everyone know too that the extras you will need to bring are: -

* Fine paint brush

* Paper piercer

* Craft knife with sharp blade

* Orange stick - if you have one

* Tweezers

Can't wait to catch up with everyone.

TFL, Michelle x

Sew-a-long.... Prt4 - adding pockets and sewing up the bag

Welcome to the Fiskars Craft Sew-a-long!

So glad you could join me in this sew-a-long where I show you step by step on a weekly basis on how to make something. You are sewing along with me!

This post is the 3rd and shows the bias binding prep and sewing. You have one week to complete this step. This post however will be up for the duration that this blog exists so you have plenty of time to do this if you don't have time this time around.

If you have ANY questions please ask. I am here to help you.

There is also a prize to be chosen for one participant! So comment in the below thread to add any tips and hints or tell us how you are progressing.

READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS FIRST.

You will be making this handbag/tote bag with me....

Adding Pockets and sewing up the bag

Fold over the edges just over 1/4 inch of the pockets. Pin the iPad and pen pockets as shown in the photo....lining the largest of the two, to the bottom of the bag at your marks on the flap side. Leaving a 2" gap on both sides. And make sure your objects fit into the pockets before sewing... adjust if nessasary. Double sewing the start and finish of your sewing.

once you are satified that the pockets fit your things take the things out of the pockets and  sew them on your bag. sewing just under 1/4" of an inch gutter. Double sewing the start and finish of your sewing.

Now to sew on the rest of your pockets. Again making sure everything fits in your pockets that you want. These are the cell phone and wallet pockets. Align your pockets at the tops and put them just under where the velcro is sewn. Double sewing the start and finish of your sewing.

Now this is what your bag looks like....

see how the pockets tops are oposite sides to each other and the marked part of the bag (which is the bottom) is not covered with the pockets. This is important.

Now fold your bag so that the pockets are on the outside... aligning the top with the bottom of the flap.

Now sew the edges of the bag about 1/2 inch in. Double sewing the start and finish of your sewing.

Now you will sew the box corner in the bottom of the bag. Open your bag and flatten your bag with the side down.... see picture...

see the marked bottom? and the pockets on either side? that is how it supposed to be now.

Sew along between the two lines. Double sewing the start and finish of your sewing. Do both sides of your bag the same.

Now your bag will look like this.

Turn your bag in the right way.

Now your bag will look almost finished!

Next we will add the shoulder strap.

fold the shoulder strap piece in half

then unfold and fold almost up to the middle crease on both sides (i used my fingers to crease the canvas but you can use an iron if you wish)

Then fold over the ends

and fold the strap in half again

and pin

now sew the edges of the strap in place....

Exciting stuff nearly done the bag! We will now add the strap to the bag. Pin in place on both sides making sure the strap is not twisted.

Sew in place.... this can be a little fiddly but perservere and sew slowly it is going to be thick!

Now to put in your clip to hold the keys in your bag...

Take about 4" of your home made bias binding and sew along the open side.

Thread the bias binding through your clip and pin to the side of your bag that you would feel comfortable reaching for. Then sew in place.

This is what your bag will look like with the keys attached to the clip when finished.
It folds over into the bag. ;)

Exciting! its all finished apart from the embellishing. And that is for the next lesson...

Well see you next week sometime. I'll try to post on the same day.....
We will make some flowers and embellish the outside of our bag.

See you then!

 

Debbie Buckland
artycrafty.wordpress.com

product spotting

     I spotted this bargain price in my SPOTLIGHT CATALOGUE that arrived today!

              Fiskars Lever Punches for $8.40 for VIP members in SPOTLIGHT!

                                    Sale starts Wednesday Feb 22nd

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

 

BH and G Live starts this Friday

Did you know that Better Homes and Gardens LIVE Show is hitting Melbourne this coming Friday Feb 24th!

                    To see further details you can click on

                    http://www.bhglive.com.au/melbourne

Fantastic February - Sketch Time!

Sorry for the Delay.... February's Challenge will over lap into March so you have until 3/10/12 to upload your submission! Thank you to Helmar Designer, Connie Mercer for her February Challenge Idea!

Yes it is that time again to get your glue on and join us in this months Fantastic February Sketch Challenge!! Lydell Quin worked her magic again and came up with a fantastic sketch that will sure to please~so get your glue and get ready to make a beauty!

And here's my take on the sketch

By taking the Helmar challenge and uploading a project you are automatically entered to win a random drawing for Helmar products! Each month they pick a random winner to get some Helmar goodies!

What a fun way to play along! Head over to the Helmar Design Team Blog to see what the rest of the Design Team have been up to.

Get Crafting, TFL Michellex

Fisk-a-teers February Colour Challenge.

Hello there, 

Today i am going to share with you the Fisk-a-teers February colour challenge.

If you click on the above link you can see this months challenge and it is a doozie! Chocolate!!! Now we ALL love chocolate don't we! so this month we need to make a chocolate themed project.

I had some great flocked paper in chocolate that i wanted to use and the patterned reminded me of the new everywhere punch ,Framed.

So i thought i would use this punch in my card.

I coloured a Dustin Pike image to peek through the holes i punched, then with my Fiskars kaleidoscope border punch i made a little tab to stamp my sentiment.

The new Framed everywhere punch  will be available in April in Spotlight,if you would like to pick one up!

So head on over to the Fisk-a-teers site and have a go!

Tara:)

~ EASTER Inspiration ~

Sewn Easter Bunting

Designer: Kendra McCracken

Difficulty rating: Beginner

Buntings, or pennant banners, are very popular in holiday decor right now. Using a just a few simple shapes, I'll show you how to create an Easter bunting that has a lot of dimension, texture, and character.

Using the Tags shape template, trace a rabbit body onto a double layer of muslin leaving the bottom edge of the tag shape below the bottom edge of your fabric layers. If you fold the fabric and place the template bottom along that edge, it's one less edge you need to stitch.

Stitch around the traced body and cut it out leaving about a 1/8 inch border. I used the Fiskars 8 inch Razor-edge Softgrip^® Scissors.

Using the Hearts template, trace hearts onto a variety of fabrics. You can also use a heart punched with a Fiskars Squeeze Punch as your pattern. Cut these out along the tracing line and stitch them to the bodies.

Using your scissors, snip a small hole in the back of the body. If you didn't use a disappearing ink pen when you traced, I suggest using the side with the tracing line as the back of your bunny. Lightly stuff the body and hand stitch the opening closed.

Add facial features using beads, buttons, embroidery stitches, twine, etc. I used a 4-ply twine for my whiskers, stitched it in place as I created the nose, and unraveled it when finished with the stitching. To create necklaces for the girls, I stitched a short length of ribbon and a pink pearl-like bead around their necks.

To create the ears, hand draw your ear shape on a piece of paper. My ears are 4 1/4 inches tall and 1/4 inches wide at the base. These are supposed to be shabby so don't worry about drawing the perfect shape! You can trace these onto a double layer of muslin or cut the ear out of the paper and use the paper as a template. I found the template to be easier to work with.

Stitch around your lines leaving the bottom edge open. Do not cut them out yet.

Again use the ear pattern, trace it onto a variety of fabrics. Cut these out slightly inside the traced line. You want the inner ear to be small enough to allow the stitched line on the outer ear to still show. Stitch these to the outer ears. You can machine stitch or hand stitch. You may need to trim these as you go to get them to fit inside the stitched lines. Cutting about 1/8 inch from the stitched lines, cut out all of the ears. Since the ears are long, they will tend to flop over. If you want them to remain standing, you can stick a toothpick or a length of wire inside the ear to help hold its shape.

Draw a pattern for the arms. My arms are about 3 inches long and slightly less than 1/4 inch wide. Trace, stitch, and cut the arms as you did the outer ears.

Fold the ends of the ears and arms over to create the desired length and stitch them to the back of the bodies.

Hand stitch your finished bunnies to your base choice for your bunting. You might pin them to the base and hang the bunting before stitching them down so you can get them properly balanced on the base. Otherwise, you might be disappointed to find yourself with a finished bunting that has sections that flop over.

I paired my bunnies up and stitched them to double layers of burlap that measure 8 inches x 2 inches. I then stitched 6 inch long strips of fabric to each end of the burlap sections and tied them together, trimming the strips as needed once they were tied.

So with just a few simple shapes and a few inexpensive supplies you likely already have in your craft stash, you can create your own unique Easter bunnies to decorate with. If you don't want a bunting, the bunnies can be attached to a wreath, hung from a tree branch placed in a vase, or just tossed casually into a bowl on a table.

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

For further crafty inspiration pop on over to

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

Altering to my hearts content!

OMG! I have been dying to share this with everyone since I finished this last week...

I have been sharing a few sneak peeks on my facebook page as I have gone along.. but held off from showing everyone the completed project.

Let me explain.... We had a new cheap "junk"shop.. and I mean junk in the nicest way, I always find lots of goodies in these types of shops.

Anyways.. a few month's ago I saw a photo (sorry cannot for the life of me remember where) of a shopping centre that had displayed umbrellas that had been decorated by school children and hung upside down with things suspended from them. I was in love with that idea. So when I new went to the shops I checked out my favourite "junk" shops and found some Chinese fabric parasols.

They have been sitting on my desk for a while as I have been snowed under with study... plus to honest my mojo had gone north for a holiday I think..lol

So.. I finally decided it was time to start what I had envisioned. With no real plan in mind I started on recovering the umbrella with a clean base to start with of calico using some Helmar 450 to adhere it to the umbrella base. Because it is quick drying it was finished in no time and I couldn't get impatient.

 Next I made up some paper vines using some brown paper lunch bags, ink and some of Helmar's Kids Craft Glue.. my kids weren't very impressed when I stole it back to use..lol.

Still not having any clear plan at to what I was doing.. I then adhered some tulle to the umbrella using Helmar 450 , as I knew I wanted to create some dimension to the butterflies that I would be adding later. So with that all done after using lots of Helmar 450, Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots and Helmar Kid's Craft Glue I finally had what I had envisioned.

Here's it is.

It was a little hard to photograph as it is suspended from the ceiling in my youngest two girls bedroom. Plus the fact the size also at it is about 50cm in diameter! and has butterflies suspended down from it, which move, using fishing line.

My two girls spent half an hour laying on the flower beneath it... must admit I was laying there with them too.. just looking up at it.

I am so happy with how it has turned out and I know my job was made some much easier in creating it with a LOT of help from my Helmar adhesive goodies.

Gotta love thinking outside the box with Helmar!

TFL, Michelle x

Coming soon to Melbourne

Fetchy Sketchy Friday - A summer double

Hi all here we are again with another Fetchy Sketchy Friday.
Remember we are now fortnightly ;)

Heres the sketch:

Here is my example:

My first Double A4 sized layout... I think it worked out really cool.

Closeup:

The tools:

Fiskars interchangeable boarder punch cartridges.... Lacy Doubles and Ivy League
Fiskars MiroTip scissors
Fiskars SureCut trimmer

The Ivy Legue was punched then cut in a thin strip. Then a thin double sided tape put on the back and then formed into a swirl onto the layout.

The dark brown patterned paper was hand stamped by me - the tutorial for that is here.

I also made my clay flower embellishment out of Delight Clay and Amaizing mold putty with the help of a friends broach.

And the fluffy stuff is Flower Soft.

Here is a colour guide for you...


The small strip of colour represents the contrast or embellishment colour to make it pop!
I'm kind of hooked on colour guides at the moment.... It helps so much don't you think?

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

Totally Noteworthy

Hi all
This year I am doing a little "faithbooking" - Faithbooking is a scrapbooking form of your faith. This year I am doing challenges from http://triplethescraps.blogspot.com

Anyone can do "faithbooking" just take your faith and scrapbook it. No photos needed if you don't have any. Its also another form of journalling. You don't need to be a Christian to do it. What ever faith you have it is worth putting on paper right?

The bird “cameo” was made by me out of Creative Paperclay/stamps and Mold Putty.
I used Fiskars interchangeable boarder punch cartridge “noteworthy”
corner punch used below is Fiskars 3 in 1 “Summer Fun” squeeze corner punch.

And the page opened up….

The base of this page is the cardboard from the back of an art pad and the flap is packaging from a set of embellishments.
Scripture pictures where printed from 365 Promises a great blog telling you a promise from God every day. Worth visiting in the morning and thinking about the daily scripture for the rest of the day.

Thanks for looking.
Debbie Buckland
artycrafty.wordpress.com

What a cool punch

        I love the Fiskars Interchangeable Border Punch Starter Set  - "DAISY CHAIN "

I have been having fun crafting some fun cards to add to my Card Stash......

The leaves were created by using my Fiskars Round and Round Squeeze Punch.......the centre of the flower was also created using this same punch!

Other tools used :

* Fiskars Surecut Trimmer

* Fiskars 3 in 1 Corner Punch - Summer Fun

* Fiskars Everywhere Punch - " Burst "

The Fiskars Interchangeable Border Punches can be ordered now by RETAILERS/LSS through SSS.

They are also hitting SPOTLIGHT STORES in APRIL!

Off to play some more............................back soon!

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

 

a few NEW Blog Features

We have added a few NEW features on our Blog this month.....have you noticed

 

1 ) the Navigation Bar links at the top now.......makes searching the Blog quick and easy.

You can still search by adding a few words in the Google Search Bar on the top lefthand sidebar.

2) We have now also added some more Design Team Projects under the NEW ALBUM - Fiskars Interchangeable Border Punches.......and we have more projects in the development stage.....they shall be added in the coming weeks.

3) A NEW Fiskateers Blinkie Link has also been added to make it easy to blog hop across from our Blog to Fiskateers.

                We hope you are enjoying our Blog as we venture into a crafty 2012!

 

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

Seeing Circles !

Had fun scrapping up a storm with my Mad about Scrapping DT kit this month.

The kit was full of Christmas fun and I loved playing around with the more traditional Christmas colours for a change. I created 3 Christmas Layouts using the gorgeous Authentique Christmas Range.

This is just one of the layouts I created using this kit

and YES.... My Fiskars Ultra Shape Xpress Cutter

and Circle template

was used in a big way to cut out all those circles.

Made my job so much easier thats for sure!

TFL, Michelle xxx

Sew-a-long.... Prt3 - Making Bias Binding and some sewing

Welcome to the Fiskars Craft Sew-a-long!

So glad you could join me in this sew-a-long where I show you step by step on a weekly basis on how to make something. You are sewing along with me!

This post is the 3rd and shows the bias binding prep and sewing. You have one week to complete this step. This post however will be up for the duration that this blog exists so you have plenty of time to do this if you don't have time this time around.

If you have ANY questions please ask. I am here to help you.

There is also a prize to be chosen for one participant! So comment in the below thread to add any tips and hints or tell us how you are progressing.

 

You will be making this handbag/tote bag with me....

Making and sewing on Bias Binding.

ok first a disclaimer.... these instructions will NOT show you hwo to make TRUE bias binding as the fabric will not be cut on an angle (the bias). I am neither a professional dress maker. Just a home crafter.

ok with that out of the way lets get to doing this!

Mark with a pencil the main piece of the bag at 13" - 15 1/2" - 28 1/2" and 30" These mark the fold lines where your bottom of bag is and flap starts.

from the 28 1/2" mark draw a line in at 1"

cut off these bits.

This is your bag flap

fold up Bag to where flap starts and fold the flap down to mark with PENCIL where the flap ends. (this helps you with the placing of the velcro later).

Set the main bag aside. Now take out your fabric and cut 2" wide strips from fabric.

mine where 22" long. Thats almost 6 strips. Keep all scraps for decorating bag later.

Sew all strips end to end good sides together.

I kept the two different fabrics apart. I used two because the bright is on the inside of the bag for pockets and the patterned is on the outside finishing edges of the bag. (you will see this later)

Get out your Iron and ironing board and iron strips in half

then open strips and fold edges to the center crease and press

then press in half again so that you get your finished "bias binding"

With my orange pieces of Bias Binding I will put on the top of the pockets....
fold the ends over, cut to width of the top of the pocket, pin and sew (I backsewed the ends here)

do this for all pockets.... see now why we marked the top of all our pockets? makes life eaiser.

see only the TOP of the pockets are done. Set these aside we are finished with them in this session.

Sew patterned bias binding  around flap (rounding flap corners helps) and bag opening end.
No need to fold the ends as shown above in these following steps.

you will end up with this... (i folded the bag to show you)

Now to add the Velcro... cut 12" of velcro both the rough and soft sides.
Add the rough side of the velcro to the flap - pin in place and sew


i sew around the edges.

with the other end of the bag (the opening end) we will place the soft part of the velcro 1" above the pencil line...


my sewing is not straight either... LOL don't worry. (I sewed with brown thread here as I ran out of white and it shows up better in the tutorial for you )

Now erase the pencil line (I used an old putty eraser)

Now you should have your main part of your bag preped and the pockets preped for next week!
and enough bias binding left for the sides of the bag.

Awesome aye

 

PLEASE avoid the sewing of the side of the bag now. We do this once all pockets are sewen into the bag next week. ;) Almost Finished!

 

Well see you next week sometime. I'll try to post on the same day.....
We will start preping and sewing the pockets to the main bag piece and adding the shoulder strap.

See you then!

 

Debbie Buckland
artycrafty.wordpress.com

 

Happy Valentine's DAY

     Here's the card I created for my hubby for VALENTINE'S DAY today!        He loved it!

I got to play with lots of Fiskars Punches....including the NEW Interchangeable Border Punches!

                                               

Did you create your loved one a Special Card for Valentine's Day......if so.....we'd love to share some pics on here with our Readers.....feel free to email your pics to

                                         fiskarscraft@yahoo.com.au

Just add "Valentine's Day in the Subject line......................

I hope you all have a  lovely day today spending time with the one/ones you love!!!

I'm working in the BOUTIQUE today at the BLUE LOTUS WATERGARDEN here in YARRA JUNCTION......a lovely place to be today.....hubby shall also be there in the NURSERY.....so we'll have a LUNCH DATE........LOL!

                                                     
 

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

 

A Hearty Valentine Anniversary Card

A friend of mine was married on Valentines Day and what better way to help her celebrate her anniversary than with a hearty card.

This card includes my 1st attempt at quilling, along with lots of That's Amore squeeze punch hearts.  I adhered the quilled hearts to some of the punched hearts then added some foam dots to the "plain" hearts for some extra dimension.  {I am hoping that it will also protect the quilling during postage.}

Hope you have a great day :)

Looking for a fun challenge this month ???

This month, Scrap with V's February sketch has been designed by design team member Amy Bender. It's a great fun sketch with that banner!

Here's my take on the sketch

I was able to get creative with my new Fiskars Daisy Dew Border Punch.

I LOVE this punch and am very pleased to have it added to my Fiskars punch collection.

Now, it's your turn.

Let's see how the sketch inspires you.

Please send your completed layout to scrapbookkitswithjules@gmail.com.

Entries close at midnight on February 29th (it is a leap year, isn't it?)

The lucky winner will be announced early March and will receive a bundle of scrapbooking goodies.

Check out the Blog to see how the skecth inspired the rest of the Design Team.

Give it a go.

TFL, Michelle x

Awesome Interchangeable Boarder Punches

Hi all when I recieved these great cartridges with the interchangeable boarder punch starter kid I was trilled as I really knew I was going to use a few of these designs regularly.

These are all them punched out of black card so you can see how they look....

This is how to use them (on the packages)

Easy peasy

Now what is really cool is that the cartridges stack!

I put some labels on the side and they fit perfectly into a cubby hole in my desk!

What have I been doing with them..... Here are two layouts....

The Noteworthy punch was ideal for this layout.
I also used the additional tools for this layout...

The New SureCut trimmer, New summer fun 3 in 1 corner squeeze punch, New micro tip scissors....
Finger tip craft knife, butterfly/letters templates, Ultra shape express and A4 cutting mat.

Showing details of Noteworthy punch use and my handmade flower "vine"

Showing layering in the corner with Fiskars butterfly templates used with my home made box pleated calico fabric strip.

Yes as you guessed it I'm into making my own embellishments this year. ;)

The corners were punched out of a strip of cardstock then cut into squares and slipped onto the corner of the photo.

Using "Lacey Doubles" cartridge

and a close up of the bottom of the layout with my pleated trim and my hand made butterfly.

Notice my new layout format?
I am now scrapbooking in A4 size (printer sheet size) Its great size to work in! My new craize!

Thanks so much for looking. May your week be filled with craftiness!

 

Debbie Buckland
artycrafty.wordpress.com

Are we all having fun over at the Fisk-a-teers... it's a party!

If you have not been over to the   Website There is a party going on!!!

Tami, one of the head Fisk-a-teers has popped up a bunch of challenges for you all to have a go with and prizes to win. you can find the master post Here. As long as you are a Fisk-a-teer you can enter all the challenges. If you are not,well then, why not join up? It is easy, and once you have your Fisk-a-teer number you can join in all the challenges on the website!

I have had a go at a few of the challenges,

I have made a cake(well cupcakes really)

I have created a birthday card....

and posted a great trick to make a cute little sentiment tab from border punches.

I have posted step by step instructions on how to create this little tab on the gallery over at the fisk-a-teers site. here is the link.

I even made some party favors for zoe to take to school on valentines day!!!

I'll tell you my fiskars scissors,trimmer and fingertip knife have had a real workout today!!!!

So head on over to the   website to enter any of the challenges. they are on all weekend and we get a cheeky bit of extra time as we are in front of USA.....

Tara:)

 

Male birthday - Easel Card

I recently had to make a card for a family member who turns 70 on February 18th so I put my thinking cap on and got out my trusty Fiskars Punches to have a play!!!!

                                            Here's what I came up with......

Allan loves the HAWTHORN FOOTBALL CLUB....in fact he is a MEMBER and avid supporter of the club....so I thought I would personalise his card with his favourite footy colours......BROWN and YELLOW!

I searched through my old sticker folder and found these two stickers.....the AFL Football and the Players.................

Fiskars Tools used:

Fiskars Surecut Trimmer

Fiskars Interchangeable Border Punch - " X Marks the Spot "

 

I must admit I love making these Easel Cards at the moment....they are so easy and yet effective if you want a slightly different card technique to try!!!

xoxo

Lyn

 

Rainbow of Ribbon RAK

Are you like me and addicted to ribbon?

Would you like the chance to win a 36 meter rainbow of beautiful organza ribbons?

Check out this link to the post on Fiskateers and enter for your chance to win your very own crafty ribbon rainbow.

Entires close midnight CST Sunday 19th Feb (USA time) which is 5pm Monday 20th Down Under. The lucky winner will be chosen using random.org

PS - I think you will need to already be logged on at Fiskateers for the link to work.

You're all invited to the 45th Birthday Party for our favourite orange handled scissors!!!

It's party time over at Fiskateers!!!

The iconic orange handled scissors from Fiskars are now 45 years old.

Come join the party here - you can play games, you can chat & mingle and you can craft!!!

I hope you get out your favourite scissors and join the party fun with me :)

T-Shirt Rag Quilt Pillow

Difficulty rating: Beginner

Recently, I’ve become a fan of using t-shirts for various fabric crafts. We usually donate most of the tees my family outgrows but using them to create a rag quilted project like this pillow is another great way to recycle/repurpose clothing and create a fun project too.

Instructions:

I started my pillow project by choosing a pillow form (20 inches square) and drawing a grid on paper to plan out the design. You can do a basic 9 piece grid or you can design different sized patches for a more unique arrangement – mine has 13 patches of various sizes arranged in 4 rows. I drew the original design with 4 rows of 5 inch squares (adding up to the 20 inches for the pillow form), then combined and changed the sizes from there.

Next I chose 12-14 t-shirts that my son had outgrown. They weren’t particularly special for any reason other than he liked them for a favorite design or they were especially soft. He was happy to know that we would repurpose them to create a fun pillow. I chose several so that I could use each shirt once, but you can certainly maximize the fabric of each shirt and use just a few to make the same size pillow. I plan to use the remaining fabric for other t-shirt projects.

Once you determine the size of the patches for your pillow, add 2 inches to each fabric patch. For example, for my 5 inch squares I cut the fabric into 7 inch squares (front and back pieces). For the 6x10 funny car patch I cut it to 8x12 pieces. This will give me a 1 inch border to fringe on each side of each patch.

Note: I placed the tees on the Cutting Mat and used the Rotary Cutter and Acrylic Ruler to cut both front and back at the same time together.

Now cut each piece of batting to the original patch size in your design– 5 inch square batting for the 7 inch fabric squares. Sandwich the batting in the center of the 2 fabric pieces for each patch. Pin the squares and batting in place.

Next, quilt each patch as you wish. You can do a simple X in the center of each patch or outline designs on the fabric or stitch waves and other designs as I did. Be sure that the quilt stitching stays within 1 inch from the border on all sides. Thread loose thread ends to the back of the patches and trim off excess. Use the Seam Ripper to remove stitching for any mistakes.

Once all the patches are sandwiched and quilted, start joining them to create rows. Place back sides together and pin edges to prepare for a 1 inch seam. Stitch along the edge leaving a 1 inch space at each end. Remember, the seams will show on the top side so that it can later be fringed for that rag quilt effect. Build the row by adding each patch one at a time.

When you’ve completed each row for your pillow, then start joining the rows together. Again, position them with back sides together, pin and stitch across – this stitching will meet with the seam stitching you did earlier when creating rows.

Note: I first joined the top 2 rows then the bottom 2 rows. Then I joined those 2 larger pieces together in the same fashion to complete the front of the pillow.

From other fabric cut a back for the pillow to the same size as the front piece. Or if you want both sides of the pillow to be rag quilted, then you can repeat the above process for the back as well. I chose to use a piece of fleece that is very forgiving and does well with fringing. Next, pin them together (right sides out) and stitch a 1 inch seam around the outside, leaving an opening on one side (the bottom) that will be large enough to fit the pillow form. Put the pillow form inside the quilted pillow and pin the opening closed. Stitch this closed.

To give the pillow the “rag” effect, use a sharp pair of scissors/shears and fringe the seams around each patch as well as the outside edge. Take your time and avoid getting too close to the seam stitching. When you’re done fringing the seams, shake out any excess lint, fluff up the fringes and the pillow is ready to enjoy!

Isn't this a fun Sewing Project......and a great way to recycle those t-shirts......for further crafty inspiration pop on over to

                  

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

Fiskars interchangeable border punch starter kit.

Hello there everyone!

I have been playing with the new Fiskars interchangeable border punch system over the past week and all i can say is...WOW!!! this new border punch system is a breeze to use! And all the cartridges that you can buy for it, stack together for easy storage!

So lets all check out this great new punch system!

Here is the border punch that holds all the cartridges.This is in the starter set with the Daisy chain cartridge.

Here is the Daisy chain cartridge.

As i said before the cartridges are great because they stack.

Note how mine are all labeled. I do this so i know what their names are! i am a bit OCD with the label maker!!

This is the bottom of the cartridge. there is a indent for your finger to open the flaps on it in the middle. Also as you can see the flaps do fold in. which again is great for storage so they do not snap off.

To insert the cartridge into the border punch holder all you need to do is lift open the flaps of the cartridge, and place with the image of the design facing to you, into the holder.making sure that it is "clicked" in place and both flaps are correctly in each side.

Then you use the punch as you would any other fiskars border punch.

So there you have it! Very simple and easy. This great new system will be available in spotlight from April.

I have created a card with the starter set to share with you. I have used the Daisy chain cartridge that comes with the starter set along with a Spesch stamp Digital image, some Bo Bunny papers and Copic markers. I also used my Fiskars corner rounder,paper trimmer and micro tip scissors to cut the dragon out.

As you can see i threaded some Bella! glitter card through the border punch instead of ribbon for a different effect.

I hope you like the little tutorial about the new Fiskars interchangeable border punch system and go out there and have a go!

Tara:)

 

a few cards - I'm PUNCH HAPPY

I've been Punch Crazy the past few weeks trying out some NEW Punches......here's a few more cards!

I have even been creating some fun STEP CARDS......I'm loving the NEW Fiskars Interchangeable Border Punches......I've been mixing and matching them!!! Double Punching - that's how I created the zig-zag effect on the card below...............................off to PLAY some more.....back soon!!!

The Butterfly and Decorative Label Punches,cardstock and papers are by Stampin Up!!

 TIP:

1.)To create the fence in the top card I used two of the NEW Fiskars Interchangeable Border Punches

2.)Leaves on the flower are created by punching 2 small pieces using the Round and Round Squeeze Punch

                                            - Banners Away

                                   - X Marks the Spot

 The Interchangeable Border Punches are available for RETAILERS to order through SSS now and they shall be hitting SPOTLIGHT STORES in a few months . So let your LSS /craft store know that you are after them!!

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

Sew-a-long.... Prt2 - cutting out the pieces

Welcome the the Fiskars Craft Sew-a-long!

So glad you could join me in this sew-a-long where I show you step by step on a weekly basis on how to make something. You are sewing along with me!

This post is the 2nd and guides you in cutting your pieces. You have one week to complete the cutting of the bag pieces. This post however will be up for the duration that this blog exists so you have plenty of time to do this if you don't have time this time around.

If you have ANY questions please ask. I am here to help you.

There is also a prize to be chosen for one participant! So comment in the below thread to say How you are going and put any tips and hints that you think will be helpful.

 

You will be making this handbag/tote bag with me....

 

Cutting your pieces:

For main piece of bag cut 35" x 16"

For the shoulder strap cut 38"x7"

cut the pockets as follows:

• 10" x 7 3/4" for iPad pocket (also should fit your kindle or small pad of paper)
• 5 1/2" x 3"  for the Pen pocket
• 5" x 5" for Cell phone pocket
• 6" x 8" for wallet pocket

I marked the top of the pocket and labeled the pockets with pen.

You should have some left over pieces too... these we will use later for decorating our finished bag. So keep them.

Well see you next week sometime. I'll try to post on the same day.....
We will start preping and sewing the pockets to the main bag piece.

See you then!

 

Debbie Buckland
artycrafty.wordpress.com

 

SHE made my day - thank you

From time to time I receive some surprise mail....and this morning I received this gorgeous THANK YOU Card from Anna Fiskateer # 7612 who lives in MONBULK,Victoria.

Anna won herself one of the WINTER SPECIAL EDITION Punches in the AUSTRALIA DAY CHALLENGE we had on the Blog during JANUARY........so she created this beautiful card for me.....thank you so much Anna.....................you have made my day!

"HOLIDAY WELCOME "
I love how Anna also used the Punch on the corners of the card insert....and the little punched out bows on the front of the card...................very creative!!

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

It's FISKATEER PARTY TIME in New South Wales

Hey there Fiskateers......did you know that TARA CAPEWELL is hosting a FISKATEER PARTY in (Winmalee) New South Wales on February 25th....it's going to be so much fun!

If you aren't yet a Fiskateer....no probs...you can join up by clicking on this FISKATEER link and then follow the instructions to join up .....FISKATEERS is such a fun place to hang out....to gain support and to be inspired by others around the world!!

( If you have any trouble joining up...just flick us an email and we'll help you out.......)

TARA has some fun activities planned for on the day......this is a fabulous opportunity to get together with fellow FISKATEERS and have some crafty fun for a day!! Tara shall have some of the NEW FISKARS CRAFT TOOLS to play with on the day...................ooh la la......what fun!!

Fellow Fiskateers are invited to attend and NEW Fiskateers are very welcome!!!

If you would like to attend you can send through an email to me at

                                 fiskarscraft@yahoo.com.au

OR you can email TARA directly at

                              osiristhecat@hotmail.com

We can then give you further information.......

PLEASE rsvp by February 11th so that TARA can make final arrangements......

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

product spotting at Abi's Craft

I spotted some super bargain prices on FISKARS TOOLS over at 

                  They have 10 % off all FISKARS TOOLS until February 7th.

                                
      So why not pop on over to see if they have something that you are after!

                               http://www.abiscraft.com.au/

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

 

The New Fiskars border punches...you got to love them!

After receiving a fantastic parcel in the post from fiskars of the new Interchangeable border punches and the new bubbles border punch i just had to have a play with them. And the first thing that came into my head when checking out the banners away punch was...Rosettes! So i had a go.

Here is the card i made.

The Rosette turned out quite well with the banners away punch.

These fantastic new punches from Fiskars, including the new interchangeable border punch starter kit and cartridges will be available in spotlight from April.

Tara :)

 

Mother and Daughter are soooooooooo creative

Fiskars Australia Business Manager for School,Office and Craft Phillipa Godinho has been very busy lately with her Sewing and Quilting!

Here's what Pip had to say this morning...

'

Celtic Princess “Winter” that my daughter Julia is working on

Cot quilt for a friend's  baby, that I am working on – trying to do needleturn appliqué and struggling!!

The Heritage Medallion quilt for Julia that I have picked up again. I finally finished the squares on point and am onto Borders 3 and 4 now, so it’s starting to take shape a little more.

Pip has been putting her Fiskars Sewing/Quilting Tools to good use....

SPOTLIGHT now have a great RANGE of FISKARS QUILTING TOOLS...so check out your local SPOTLIGHT STORE next time you are in the store.....look in the Haberdashery Department!!!

Feel free to leave Pip a comment under here .....hasn't she done an amazing job....and Julia sure is one talented daughter........thanks for sharing these projects with us all Pip and Julia!!!

Are you working on a SEWING/QUILTING project right now? We'd love to see what our readers are working on this year....so feel free to send through any projects to

                                             fiskarscraft@yahoo.com.au

                    We'd love to highlight more SEWING/QUILTING Projects throughout 2012!!!!

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

 

Did you know that..............

...............there is a UK Fiskars site called the FISKARETTES

 

They have a fabulous Blog  .....lots of fun crafty projects.....so if you are after further inspiration this weekend....pop on over to  http://www.fiskarettes.co.uk/

* D1 and her scissors !

Hello Fiskateers,

I hope you have all been well, and I can see so many of you have been crafting. There is certainly some crafty goodness and lots of fun around in 2012 with the new Fiskars website and so many great new tools and exciting things happening with Fiskars.
As for me, well...to be honest there has not been a lot of crafting going on around our house over the last month or so, but we will be making up for it ....cause we got happy mail !

But for now I thought i would drop in and show you me with some of my bling (Lead Fiskateer Tami recently sent me a new one with a few other cool tools to play with) and of course my most favourite-ist :o) scissors. Are you on Facebook with Fiskars, right now they are celebrating show us your scissors and there are prizes too.

There is always so much fun, games and a whole lot of inspiration with the blog and the Fiskateers site, why not join in.

Bye for now
D1

Fetchy Sketchy Friday - Birthday card

Hi all.
It seems to me there are a lot of birthdays out there at the moment so here is a sketch for a birthday card.
Can be adapted to any type of card you wish though. ;)

Here is my version of the sketch:

As you see I used the following tools

• XL circle squeeze punch
• Owl squeeze punch
• Cupcake boarder punch

Here's some suggestions:

• Make it a rule to only use your scraps that are smaller than your printer paper size to make your cards.(Not including your base card)
• Decorate the envelope to match

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

***Fiskars Adelaide Crops for 2012***

Hello Everyone.

 

Hoping that you all had a good Christmas and New Years.

 

Little late in getting this out this year as have been buried under a pile of study assignments!

 

 

So without further ado..

 

 

Places are limited and book out fast, so you need to book early to avoid disappointment.

 

 

The details are:

 

 

Dates: February 25th

March 31st

May 19th

July 28th

September 8th
 

November 10th

 

Venue: Sheidow Park

Time : 10:30 - 4pm

 

 

Cake, Biscuits, Tea, and Coffee provided.

 

If you wish to book in please let me know by email.

Remember also that cancellations MUST be made two weeks in advance

or you will be charged for the kit regardless of whether you are able to attend or not.

All kits come with full instructions and all that is needed to complete what we are making on the day. (except adhesives and ink if doing it at home).

Please bring a small plate of food to share for lunch (can heat food if needed).

 

Reminders and emails detailing tool lists for the day will be emailed out one week prior to each crop.

 

Places are limited and book out fast, so you need to book early to avoid disappointment.

 

Wallace Paper Art Designs

 

0414 271 083

 

Looking forward to getting scrappy with everyone this year!

 

Cheers and good wishes, Michelle xxx

 

Valentine Card by Lyn

I've had a lovely time playing with some NEW TOOLS from FISKARS!

The Interchangeable Border Punches are a dream to Punch with..............so creating this card for hubby was easy....

I used up some Black Fusion Cardstock by Bellla from my stash along with some Bella Ribbon.

Fiskars Tools used :

Fiskars Interchangeable  Border Punch - Ivy League

                                                         - X  Marks the Spot

Fiskars Everywhere Punch - Burst

Fiskars Surecut Trimmer

Fiskars Microtip Scissors

 

Are you making a Valentine Project for your loved one this year? If so......what are you making?

 

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

Sew-a-long.... Prt1 - supply list

Welcome to the Fiskars Craft Sew-a-long!

So glad you could join me in this sew-a-long where I show you step by step on a weekly basis on how to make something. You are sewing along with me!

This post is the first and lists the supplies you need. You have one week to complete the gathering of supplies. This post however will be up for the duration that this blog exists so you have plenty of time to do this if you don't have time this time around.

If you have ANY questions please ask. I am here to help you.

There is also a prize to be chosen for one participant! So comment in the below thread to say you are participating with me.

 

You will be making this handbag/tote bag with me....

 

Supplies you need will be:

Canvas (or apolstery fabric, or some denium fabric) 38" x 28" (97cm x 72cm) - this is found in fabric stores or artist stores on the roll.

White sewing thread & sewing machine and machine needles 100/6 (Ones that sew denium or thick fabric) and Pins. And an Iron.

Sew in velcro (some places call it hook and loop) - do NOT get stick in stuff it messes up the needle when sewing. Believe me I have tried this.

Clip or hook - these are found on VIP straps or in craft stores:

one "Fat quarter" or more of desired fabric.... or contrasting fabric scraps like me

Fiskars Titanium Rotary cutter and Fiskars quilt cutting mat (found at spotlight stores)

Fiskars microtip scissors (found at spotlight stores) - cuts loose threads nicely and cuts shapes out of fabric well.

 

Optional will be a handy 12 in 1 sewing tool. Has an unpicker, thread cutter, tape measure and more in it. very handy when sewing.

Fabric Adheasive like Helmar All Purpose Glue and Helmar Fray Stoppa
These will help decorate the bag for us.

needle and DMC thread for decorating - Fabric paint (i like using jacquard fabric paints but there are plenty on the market) and paint brush/water container to rince and wash brushes. Pencil or pen for marking fabric.

optional: Various fabric flowers (you can find these in second hand stores or cheepy stores - $1 and 99c or under $10 stores - for next to nothing and pull them apart for alot of crafts)

Well see you next week sometime. I'll try to post on the same day.....
We will start cutting out the pieces we need.

 See you then!

Debbie Buckland
artycrafty.wordpress.com

                                       Part 2 - Cutting out the pieces

                                       Part 3 - Making Bias Binding and sewing

                                       Part 4 - Adding pockets and sewing up bag

 

NEW Fiskars Interchangeable Punches

Don't you just love it when NEW TOOL Designs are realeased?

Fiskars never cease to amaze me with their creative,talented design team and engineers.....always thinking of new and creative ways to advance on their already well recognised quality Craft Tools!!!

The NEW Interchangeable Border Punches shall be available for Retailers/LSS   to purchase through SSS in Australia early FEBRUARY....and these following Tools shall be available in SPOTLIGHT STORES in APRIL.

Firstly the Interchangeable Border Punch Starter Set " DAISY CHAIN "......this is what you start with and then you can add other Cartridges to it......

The 5 other Cartridges being ranged in SPOTLIGHT  are:

                                                                           

                                                                    " LACY DOUBLES "

                                                                      " IVY LEAGUE "

                                                                " NOTEWORTHY "

                                                            " X MARKS THE SPOT "

                                                            " BANNERS AWAY "

Keep an eye on the Blog here as our FISKARS CRAFT TEAM shall be sharing some fun projects using these fabulous NEW Interchangeable Border Punches over the coming months.......

Features

• Ideal for adding a decorative border to a paper craft project, then switching the cartridge to add a different design to your next project
• Requires the Interchangeable Border Punch^™ Starter Set base (sold separately)
• Cartridges stack for space-saving storage and easy transport
• Lifetime warranty

CHA Fiskateer online CROP now on

Just a reminder that the CHA Fiskateer CROP is now on over at FISKATEERS ......there are some fun Challenges and our own Aussie Fiskateer Tracy Maloney has set one of the fun Challenges.

Great prizes up for grabs,loads of inspirational projects being shared in the GALLERY over there.

The online CROP is going for 2 days with several of the Challenge deadlines not until Tuesday....so plenty of time to get crafty!

Pennie Pockets

Difficulty rating: Beginner

A few years ago my mom sewed a set of Pennie Pockets for my children for Valentine’s day and now I love to make these adorable treat holders, fill them with goodies, and present them to friends, family and even my children’s teachers to let them know they are loved.

The pattern and instructions for these beautiful cone pockets can be found on the Moda Bakeshop website and you can find the link by clicking here .

The Pennie Pockets my mom made for my children have become a tradition that is brought out and hung up each year with our usual Valentine’s decorations. I like to hang them on the door handle to my children’s bedroom, but needless to say, they don’t stay there for long! It isn’t until February 14th however, that my children wake up to find their Pennie Pockets filled and overflowing with yummy treats and special keepsakes.

This year I will be giving a Pennie Pocket to each of my children’s teachers, and I aim to involve the children in the process. They are usually pretty receptive to a visit to the fabric store (particularly if they know get to do the actual choosing and will be involved in the cutting and sewing).

They also love to help out with the sewing and construction of items, where they can, and I think they’d take great pride in making something wonderful for their teachers. My 7yr old is pretty adept at following pattern directions and with guidance can use my sewing machine, whilst my 5yr old will enjoy pinning and cutting fabric or sitting on my lap as I sew.

Before I have them help me with their teacher’s pennie pockets, I wanted to make a set of my own following the directions on the Moda website. By far the easiest way to cut squares of fabric is to use a rotary cutter, ruler and cutting mat. I like to start a project like this with a brand new blade in my rotary cutter because it makes the whole cutting out experience so quick and easy.

Next, following the directions, I pinned the fabric and sewed it together. It’s a bit like fabric origami, but it really does work!

I always like to clip my corners because it makes the seams lie so much flatter.

I find the stuffing tool in my sew taxi to be the perfect thing to poke out corners.

The directions on the Moda website suggest making yoyos to embellish the front of the Pennie Pockets. If, like me, you don’t have a yoyo maker, here is a helpful tutorial on making yoyos without one.

Other options for decorating the front of the Pennie Pockets are to use heart shaped buttons, beads or different sized circles, like I did.

We will present the Pennie Pockets filled with a few treats specific to each teacher. I even enjoy the challenge of finding small items I know they will love and that will fit inside the pockets. Gift cards are an easy choice, not only because of their size, but also because what wonderful and inspiring teacher doesn’t deserve a pedicure or coffee shop treat? I also intend to involve my children in choosing what we should put inside the pockets since they know their teachers better than I do! I’m sure there will be some home baked goods or other handmade items squeezed in there!

Consider making a few Pennie Pockets for some special people you want to recognize this Valentine’s Day or start your own tradition of hanging them around your home and filling them up with goodies and treats for visitors to enjoy.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For further Valentines Projects and crafty inspiration make sure you drop by http://www2.fiskars.com/Activities/Crafting

Fiskars Interchangeable Border Punch + Burst Everywhere Punch

I have had some wonderful HAPPY MAIL this week from both STAMPIN UP and FISKARS so I finally had a play tonight with some of the fabulous goodies to create this fun birthday card for my great niece Kimberley who turns TWO today......

We are attending her party this afternoon......

I must admit I had such fun playing with the NEW FISKARS INTERCHANGEABLE BORDER PUNCH - BANNERS AWAY....and the NEW CARTRIDGE for my FISKARS EVERYWHERE PUNCH- BURST....I thought these two punches complimented each other on this card.

Next I used my NEW STAMPIN UP Four Frames Stamp and Melon Mambo Ink Pad to stamp an image on white cardstock.

 The sentiment is also a STAMPIN UP stamp that was given to me by a friend....thanks Pam!

I used the Tempting Turquoise Ink Pad for this as I thought it looked great against the background cardstock........................also from STAMPIN UP.......thanks guys!

 I then punched out the image with my NEW STAMPIN UP Punch - Decorative Label

I love how STAMPIN UP have these co-ordinating stamps and punches.....just fabulous!!!

Paper is from the Stampin Up - Designer Series Paper

Cardstock is from Stampin Up - A4 Smooth Cardstock

Clown and flower embellishments were in my stash......thought they looked cute and added some more colour......

                                    HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIMBERLEY!

I can't wait to play some more with these fabulous tools.....that arrived yesterday!!

I'll be back in a few days with more fun projects using these fabulous NEW Fiskars Tools................the Interchangeable Border Punches are sooooo user friendly.....great colours...and they stack so that you can easily store them....with the Design on the front......just fabulous!!!!

I'l be doing up a little HOW TO Video to show how easy these new Interchangeable Punches are to use.......

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

and the winners are

 

Christine Cleary (NZ)

Debbie Cornish (Canada)

Tracy Maloney (AUST)

Anna Kluttmans (AUST)

Toni (AUST)

 

Congratulations ladies......you have all won a nice Fiskars Seasonal Limited Edition Punch.......thank you for entering the AUSTRALIA DAY CHALLENGE.....................can you please all email your postal details to

 

                fiskarscraft@yahoo.com.au

Please put Aust Day Challenge in the subject line.......and I'll have these sent out asap to you all!

Thank you to everyone who entered!!! It's great to see fellow FISKATEERS entering our Challenges!

 

If you didn't enter this challenge then you might like to enter Debbie's Sewing Challenge starting February 1st......so keep an eye on the Blog........we'll have a SEWING TOOL or two to give away during FEBRUARY/MARCH.

 

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer