Fiskars Craft

Dollies Love to Read

 

Waste not want not!! D1 and D2 are all into using up the scraps and left overs in my work cupboard. This book bag is made from the left overs from the" Cat in The Hat" cushion.You can of course purchase fabric specially for the job.If you choose to buy fabric you will need the following

2 fat quarters of chosen fabric and

5 cm of contrast fabric for draw string casing

2m of cord

If you are using the pictures from the panel you will need 50cm of fusible web

Scisssors, Rotary cutter, quilters ruler, Pencil, cutting mat, toning sewing thread,

 if you are using left overs you will have 2 pieces of the green backing fabric approx 16" sq ( give or take a bit )  Trim to make them both the same size.From the remaining panel pictures choose two that you like and cut them out. Cut the two pieces of fusible web to the same size and iron onto the wrong side of the picture.Trim the edges and peel away the paper backing from the fusible web.
Fuse the pictures onto the fabric sq positioning them toward the bottom of the square so that the drawstring casoing wont cover the edge of the picture. I machine appliqued the pictures in place using black thread and a blanket stitch. You could do it by hand or use the satin stitch setting on your machine.

Using a ruler and a pencil draw a line alomg the top edge of the squares 1 1/2" from the edge.   

Cut 2 pieces of striped fabric 15" x 2" turn under 1/4" on each end press , fold again to make a hem and stitch in place.

Fold the strip in half lengthways wrong side together and press . Open the strip out and press the raw edges in to meet the centre crease.The strip should now measure 1" wide.

Align the top edge of the casing with the marked line. It should stop 1/2" from each side. Stitch along each side of the casing leaving the ends open.Repeat on the other  bag section.

With right sides of the bag together . Stitch a 1/4" seam around three sides leaving the top open. Use a zig zag  around the edge of the seam to stop the fabric from fraying. Turn right side out. Press under a 1/4" fold at teh top of the bag. Fold the hem over again and press again pin in place and stitch.

Cut the cord into 2 x 1m pieces. Using a safety pin and starting at one side of the bag thread the cord , so that the ends come out on the same side of the bag. Using the remaining cord.start at the opposite side of the bag and thread the second piece of cord the same way. Knot the ends of the cord together on each side. 

 When you pull on the knotted ends of the cord , the top of the bag will draw clised and the bag can be carried by the cord loops.

Done ready for a trip to the library

more product spotting - Warehouse Stationery NZ

 

 

Looky what I spotted over at    some great scissor bargains....for pre-schoolers and also the older children.....

   

$3.45

 

Was $3.99 | Offer ends 13/02/11

 

• Ideal for kids aged three years and up
• Plastic blades cut paper but not skin, hair or clothes
• Blunt tips provide added safety
• Ergonomically sculpted thumb and finger loops provide
• comfort and control
• Can be used by left and right handers
• Lifetime Warranty

$7.95  Was $8.99 | Offer ends 13/02/11

• Ideal for kids aged 12 and up
• Stainless steel blades feature a lasing sharp edge for
• excellent cutting performance
• Antimicrobial handle protection inhibits the growth
• of bacterial odours
• Ergonomically scuplted thumb and finger loops provide
• comfort and control
• Can be used by left and right handers. Lifetime Warranty

 

$28.74    Left Handed 8" Scissors

• 203mm
• Moulded plastic handles
• Made from stainless steel to give a clean, sharp cutting edge
• High quality scissors

$24.99 Right Handed 8" Scissors

 * Superior quality scissors cut materials from light to heavy duty & provide ultimate cutting performance.

 * Specially engineered handles provide comfortable, fatigue-free cutting through multiple layers of material.

 * Excellent for cutting film, paper, poster board, fabric, cardboard & more.

 * Features bent handles for easier cutting on flat surfaces & made from hardened stainless steel to provide a sharp, long lasting durable cutting edge.

 * Lifetime warranty.

 

 To see more Fiskars Tools over at Warehouse Stationery...click on

 http://www.warehousestationery.co.nz/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/WSL-B2C-Site/en_NZ/-/NZD/ViewApplication-DisplayWelcomePage 

 

During 2011 I'll try and keep you informed on here when there are specials around the internet in both Australia and New Zealand.......I'll be on the look out for Fiskars Tools wherever we can spot them....and if you spot some Fiskars specials when you are out and about....let us know...and we'll let our readers know......after all....we all  love a bargain right??

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

 

 

 

Back to school

Back to School

You can use your trusty fiskars tools, and a few of your craft supplies to customize and create items for school. That's right, summer is coming to an end and school is starting back up. To help you prepare the fiskars design team is here to share several great crafting ideas to send your child off to school in style!

 

A few tips to get you started:

* Keep wear and tear in mind. Items that are going in and out of a backpack frequently should have plenty of adhesive and be designed so that elements won't tear off. Flimsy items are best left for projects that won't have so much friction and use.

* Get your child involved! Have them help you pick colors, products to use, and even let them help you craft. Time together plus craft time is a good thing!

* Keep it simple. A simple idea crafted with plenty of love will be cherished.

 

Designer: Katrina Simeck

My son is starting middle school, and is “so over” cutesy themed school supplies. He loved the idea of this old school book cover…with some modern style. To dress up the plain cover, I tore one edge of a piece of patterned paper, rounded the opposite corners, and inked the edges. Next, I layered a strip of patterned paper on top, allowing it to wrap around the spine of the book. The Sun Circle Border Punch made it easy to create a sunburst, allowing a circular stamp from Lil Davis to fit neatly inside. This was the perfect spot to add a touch of school spirit…a pawprint punched with the large Furry Friends punch. Go Catamounts!

(Supplies: Sun Circle Border Punch, L Furry Friends squeeze punch, Round the Corner Punch, Noveau Collection 12” Trimmer, Lil Davis Designs: Globetrotter patterned paper, Noted Clear Stamps, INK by Steph: Charmed collection patterned paper, Other: brown ink)

Back to school tools

If you are looking for some School Tools such as Scissors or Punches......why not try 

                                                   

if you live in New Zealand......they have quite a good range of FISKARS SCISSORS......just click on this next link  http://www.warehousestationery.co.nz/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/WSL-B2C-Site/en_NZ/-/NZD/ViewStandardCatalog-Browse?CategoryName=general-office&CategoryDomainName=WSL-general-office

.................for those readers who live in Australia......you can try

or perhaps   where you can see a fabulous range of School Tools....scissors,trimmers,punches,rulers.......in fact Officeworks have a HUGE Range of FISKARS SCISSORS......scissors for all ages!!

I spotted these in Officeworks for only $2.99

Features

• Student scissors ideal for 12-14 year olds
• Nearly adult-sized handles fit growing hands

 and these scissors for 8+ children....for only $5.99

Features

• Brightly coloured student scissors, ideal for kids aged 8+.
• Features precision-ground blades, comfortable finger loop, adjustable pivot screw, corrosion-resistant blades and semi-pointed tip.
• Ideal for general kids cutting through paper, light platic or card and fabrics.


PRODUCT DETAILS:

• Brand: Fiskars
• Product: Student Scissors No.5
• Age: 8+

 So why not take a look around for some fabulous FISKARS TOOLS for the kids to start school with this year!!

New Fiskars 12" x 12" Envelope Template

I love that this template has large scallops all the way around the edge.....so you can also use them in your projects......then take a look around the corners of the template....

 

  ....as you can see there are many other shapes on this template that can be used for other projects...and I love that!

Here's what I came up with for my great nephew to start school with this year.....made from the 3 shapes around the edge of this envelope template.....some paper scraps and a left over scrap of cardstock!

I just turned over the oval shape and added in some facial features with a black gel pen.....

Todd struggles with his reading...so I thought I'd make this fun little bookmark and Monster Munch to help him.....and also to make reading fun for him! If you wanted to create a fun character for a girl....just alter it slightly...by tipping the heart up the other way....so easy to change the gender!

I have also coloured a little bit on the cheeks on both characters.......

With school commencing tomorrw for many children throughout Australia....why not create a fun book mark for your child....perhaps the kids can help make their own!

Maybe it's time to get out those punches,scissors,Ultra ShapeXpress Shapecutter,paper scraps and let the kids decorate their books with fun characters!

xoxo

Lyn

Note book covering

My daughters notebook from school was a bit plain. This is the one that the teacher writes notes in for me to read and I write notes back etc.

So I decorated it.... I just couldn't help myself.

 

I sooo love this range: Heidi Grace - Sweetest Bug
Its at Spotlight  stores soon.......

I used the following tools:

Fiskars 12" Orange triple track trimmer
 
Large Funky heart squeeze punch

 

Thanks for looking!

Stamped labels for school books.

Once again it is time to cover the school books for the new year and this is how we did ours.

I collected all  my offcuts of white bazzill and white linen and with a freshly inked black stazon inkpad and using the largest squiggly frame out of the "oodles of doodles" Fiskars clear stamps, I stamped 28 in total ready for Christopher and Maddison to colour in with their felt pens,  done in true production line style.

For the last 12 years we have covered our school books in newpaper, picking out the colourful and interesting pages, comics etc as highlights and then we cover them in the good old plastic - i am not very good at contact, i always end up with lots of airbubbles!!

This year however i had a couple of Coles Supermarket Food magazines lying around. These are free from Coles stores and have great recipes, glossy pages and all you do is take the staple out of the middle of the mag and they are the perfect size for exercise books - no cutting required!!

 

The hardest part of all this was refereeing who was having barbecue pork on the front of their book and who was having the chocolate bark recipe, lol!!

Lastly a lick of paint in the middle of each stamped image, whatever you have in your stash just dry brushed straight out of the tube and as soon as that is dry you just have to write your childs name with a permanent marker. If you have a xyron machine you may like to run them all through and make into stickers, however i just adhered with a little glue.

 

All done!!

Happy Australia Day everyone

Annette :0)

April 8 - BOM prompt 2

What was your nickname as a child/growing up?

Are you still called it? Who by?

Mine was 'KK'. Not sure how that came about, but that was it through primary school. Now its a different name and I'm actually known by it, instead of my full name. Funny how things like this work out.

We wanna hear about yours. C'mon, don't be shy.....

April 7 - BOM prompt 2

Who was your favourite teacher at school?

Do you have special memories of them, what they did to help you learn? or get through a certain time at school?

I have several who stick in my mind due to various reasons. They were all special in their own way and certainly had a huge influence on how I learnt. Therefore who I am today.

Time to remember them and why they were important!

T

Homework tips..................by Lyn

Well what a fabulous week we have seen on here with all the the Back to School projects. Have you all been inspired to create some projects of your own?

I'm going to finish off the week now with some HOMEWORK tips and ideas that I hope may be useful to all parents,carers,grandparents and to all those that work with children.

HOMEWORK  mmmm  that aweful word!

 

1. This is something that can vary from school to school and Grade to Grade. So you need to find out from your child's school about their 'HOMEWORK POLICY".

2. Set yourself a set time each day/night when it is most suitable for both your child and yourself to help with any homework. It's also important that you spend time with each child.......their needs are all unique in their own way.

3. Sibling Rivalry........

It's often hard when you have 2 or 3 children all requiring your attention and support. You need to be flexible here....prioritise...organise your  schedule so that perhaps one night you may help your Grade 3-6   child with their Project and spend   maybe a  good 20 - 30 minutes or so with them. If for instance you also have a Prep child starting this year then he/she will need you to perhaps read a book to them each night. It only takes a few minutes......you can look through the book together....discuss the front cover, talk about the pictures, make predictions about what the child thinks might happen in the story. Read with your child , read to your child and let the child read to you.

4. SET ROUTINE

Try and establish a set routine and expectations for homework. If you can establish this right from when your child starts any school year it will make things much easier.
Kids love routine and they need to know their boundaries......so we as their parents play a very important role in establishing this for them. It's also ok to have a night or two where you don't need to do much homework......in fact I would suggest you don't do any on the weekend. Take time out.....we all need this...and so do the kids.

5. TIME TOGETHER

Look at this time you spend helping your child as a  "special" time you have together learning new things and exploring ideas and projects together.

6. WHO HELPS?

Try and involve your partner, grandparents, extended family members, carers or other siblings in the "homework"....share the load so to speak. Often an older child can be the best teacher a younger child can have. I found this with my eldest son Brendan....he loved reading to Tim when he was younger. So I encouraged this....Tim loved it....Brendan loved it .....and it gave me time to spend helping my other two boys some nights.

7. TIMETABLE

Sometimes it helps to create a Homework Timetable with older children.You can also add things like stars and little smiley faces when they complete each homework task......maybe add a little reward at the end of a week if they have received say 5 stars....what ever you work out with your child.Get them to help formulate this system......then they will follow it and take ownership of this.

8. POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that you have a nice place in the home to complete homework. Sitting in front of the TV is not ideal. Perhaps a space on the table after dinner....another room such as a dining room....free of distractions and noise if you are wanting to say read with your child and talk about something. There's nothing wrong with background music.....in fact I'd encourage that at times....particularly with older children.

9. GAMES - PUZZLES - LEGO

Use games and puzzles, jigsaws to have some fun with younger children....they are still learning in a positive way and they don't think it's 'homework". Play cards games of concentration, patience, board games,etc.Get out the snakes and ladders to introduce numbers to the children....games also teach social skills.

....ok... I hope this helps some of our readers......if you have any questions you would like me to answer....feel free to leave a comment below....or if you have a more personal question or query you can click on the "contact us" link on the left hand sidebar!

Earlier in the week there were some wonderful projects shown on here for organising your kids homework into their own special folders or containers.....a great idea....get them to help decorate their own special homework folder.....they'll love it!!

The suggestions above are only my suggestions ....I'm sure others have ideas and things that have worked for them and their children....so feel free to share your own experiences on here......I'm sure you will be able to help others! That's it from me for awhile.....you must be all sick of hearing me this past few days......but I am passionate about "teaching"  and helping others can you tell?.....LOL!

cheers,

Lyn Dwyer