Fiskars Craft

Dare to be different- Valentine's Card

When I received my latest copy of Scrapbooking Memories in the mail last week I thought I'd use the FREE paper Insert to try and create something a little different this year for Rod for Valentine's Day.....

Normally when i think of Valentine's Day I think of hearts,flowers,love....and for some reason I also love to usually do my Valentine's Cards using red,white and black.....but   not this year.....LOL! I went with this vintage paper and just had fun playing around.....the heart on the front was inked around and some 3 -D foam placed underneath....I punched this from another part of the FREE paper....

I did get out my trusty FISKARS PUNCHES..

1. My Funny Valentine Heart Squeeze Punch

2. Lace Border Punch

3. 1" Circle Squeeze Punch

I also searched through my stash and found these double sided flourish stickers...so I added them and  then sprinkled embossing powder over the top.... So what do you think?

I challenge you to go outside your comfort zone this year and try something a little different when creating a project!!....Push those boundaries....if you would like to share what you have done then feel free to email some pics through.....

You can  see more Valentine shares  here (Debbie) here (Robyn) and here  (Dianne) there are more to come...so keep popping back here as we hope we can INSPIRE you to create your own handmade Project this year!

 

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

" Always Loving YOU Card " - Valentine's Day

Dianne Whiteside has sent through this gorgeous card that she has created for "Valentine's Day this year......cute hey?  Maybe this card might inspire you to create something similar for your Valentine this February!

Valentines's Day is on February 14th...yikes.....that's only 1 week away.........do you make your loved one a Card each year....why not try creating one this time around....or perhaps making something yourself.....it's nice to acknowledge hwo we feel about our loved ones....let them know...after aLL HANDMADE is FROM THE HEART.............

Products used:

* Fiskars Trimmer

* Fiskars Heart punch

* Fiskars Threading Water border punch

* Bling - Fynmark

* Embossing folder - need to put in twice as it usually runs the other way.

* Heidi Grace/Fiskars stamp

photo Card share from Robyn

Hi guys,

I have been playing with a few ideas and making cards with my photos. This photo was taken at a mate's place and I manipulated it a bit with Photoshop and then printed it as a standard 6 x 4 print.

To make the card I grabbed my cardstock, using my trusty Fiskars trimmer, I cut my card and scored it,

I also used my trimmer to cut about 5mm from each side of the photo, I like it to look like it's matted, but you could make your photo fit your card to fit it perfectly. I ran my stazon ink pad around the edge of the photo to give it an edge, added some ribbon and the tag and it's done.

Why not take some photos of your favourite flowers and make your valentine a card from it. I would love to see what you come up with.....I will be back with another idea soon

Robyn

Getting ready for Valentine's Day

WOWIE...not long now until Valentine's Day.....and it's always nice to give your loved one a Handmade Card from the heart such as Debbie Buckland has done....

Here's what Debbie had to say....

The heart card is made with the supersized hearts and butterfly templates with the Ultra shape express. Its for my hubby for valentines day. He is such a wonderful supportive man and I wanted to treat him to a dynamic card this year.

Fiskars Tools ... oh how I love thee!

I recently created a heart themed birthday party for my little girl and I thought ... because it's Valentines Day tomorrow ... that I should share my creations here just in case you need a little last minute inspiration to create some Valentines love at your place.

Because I was a little short on time (left things till the last minute again) I pulled out a selection of pink, red and white papers and cards and set to work with my Fiskars tools.

I've used my 'funky love' squeeze punch layered onto a scalloped circle and my 'framed in love' border and corner punch. By using the same signature tools on all my little projects it helped them all tie together in a nice little heart theme.

This love banner was really fun to make ... keeping with the same tools made it quick and easy to complete. Instructions on how to make one similar to this can be found here.

If you're interested in the rest of the party fun I have more details and photos on my personal blog here.

Hope you have a fabulously loving Valentines Day ...

Spotlight Bairnsdale fun today!!! ~ Lyn

WOW what a fun time I have had today in Spotlight Bairnsdale in EAST GIPPSLAND......word had spread that I was coming down here......so we had a great turn up for this in-store visit......

Melva was one of the first to arrive with her own cushion to sit on......LOL!  She had come prepared to sit and play.....good on you Melva......you did an amazing job of creating your Cards.......(beginner cardmaker I might add)

We had such a fun time crafting......and the Fiskars Pinking Shears were popular as were the punches,rotary cutter,scissors and trimmer. One of my regular groupies was Jenny.....slipped over in her lunch hour......LOL!   SH....SH...... don't tell........he,he.

What I love about these in-store Make'n'take sessions is the knowledge and skills that are shared around by all participants......helping and supporting one another in their crafting journey.......so good!

Neralee rocked up pretty early along with Melva.....and she was keen to get started and learn some more...using fabric on cardstock....

I love sharing my knowledge with others during these in-store visits.....and I was delighted to have a couple of crafters come in just to ask questions about the Fiskars products....and to ask where they could purchase certain Fiskars product......it was lovely to also see how welcoming the Spotlight staff were once more......these ladies sure know how to make you feel welcome.......and I was delighted to show them all some techniques using the Fiskars Tools.

Some people are going to be receiving some gorgeous handmade Valentine Cards this Sunday!!

Well done to all those who participated today and thank you all for showing interest in purchasing Fiskars Tools.......they were flying off the shelves today.....

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

Hitting the road again today ~ HONK HONK

I have my Fiskars Trolley all packed and ready to roll as I head to East Gippsland today ready for my next in-store visit in Spotlight Bairnsdale on Friday. I love this part of my Lead Ambassador Role.....getting Out into the Community and Spreading the love of Crafting with others!!

I'll be offering some fun and different Valentine Cards using some fabric scraps and cardstock.

We'll be punching,stamping,cutting,crimping and generally having a fun time crafting! If you are in the Bairnsdale area on Friday pop on into Spotlight between 11am-2pm for some fun!!

I'm staying for a few days in Paynesville at our HH so I'll be taking my sewing machine and some fabric to create some baby cot sheets for Samuel(my grandson) whilst down there........I just love crafting by the water.........and guess what......I have a Patchwork Shop right opposite called "Gone Quilting" ........so darn handy.....LOL!  I had fun sorting and packing my bits and pieces last night........

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

DIY Wedding Invitations/Valentine Card next weekend in Officeworks stores

 

Want to create your own Wedding Invitations or Valentine's Card?

Officeworks are running FREE DIY Workshops next Saturday Feb 13th from 11am in their stores throughout AUSTRALIA........and the Wedding Invitations selection has been designed and created by our very own Fiskars Craft Ambassador Annette Hanigan from Cairns!

What a fabulous selection to choose from!!  Aren't these gorgeous?

If it's a Valentine Card you are after.......then Officeworks have that covered also next Saturday......with this gorgeous Card designed and created by Kim Geiling.....our Fiskars Craft Ambassador from the West.

 So why not pop into your nearest Officeworks Store this week to check out what is on offer!!

All the DIY Workshops are FREE and you shall get to play with some Cristine Re product and the fabulous Fiskars Tools!!  What a delightful combination of product to play with !!

Why not take a friend and learn together!

xoxo

Lyn

Sewing Machine Cover @ Fiskarscraft

Designed by, Lisa Falduto

I've had this nice desktop sewing machine for a couple of years now that sits on one of my tables in my scrapbook room.  I go in steaks using it and at times when it sits too long, it collects dust like you cannot imagine.  Then when I am ready to stop neglecting the poor thing, she needs a good cleaning.

So it is time to create a nice dust cover to keep my machine clean in between uses. The theme of my crafting room is bright colors with bees and butterflies and I wanted something that would work well with my theme so I decided to go with butterflies. I also decided that I wanted some type of dimension on my cover to add interest and decided to use the Ultra Shapexpress along with the butterfly templates to achieve this goal.

So come along with me as I sew this cover without a pattern. It is fairly easy especially since I will be guiding the way.

Difficulty rating

Beginner

Instructions (Print version)

1.  Measure your sewing machine by using the tape measure on your Fiskars 12-in-1 Sewing Multi-tool.  My machine measures 12" wide x 10" tall.  The depth from front to back measures 5 1/2".  So I am going to take the measurements above and add 2" to make sure I have enough room for the cover to easily slide on my machine.  So in other words my pattern is going to measure 14" wide by 12" tall.  Depth will be 7 1/2".

2.  Now that I know my measurements I will cut 2 panels of my butterfly fabric, one for the front and one for the back.  Each panel will measure 14" wide x 12" tall.  Again adjust your measurements to make sure the cover will fit your machine.  Now I will cut these panels out on my Fiskars 24"x36" cutting mat.  To cut the fabric I am going to use my Fiskars 3.5"x18.5 inch acrylic ruler and my Fiskars Comfort Grip Rotary Trimmer.

3.  Next we need to measure the piece that we will attach the 2 panels above to.  Using a panel you cut above measure the short side, then along one long side and again on the other short side.  Mine measures 38" and I will add 2" to this measurement to make it 40" to allow extra fabric as we sew. 

4.  We measured depth up above in step #1 and I am going to add 2" to that.  So the  strip I will need to attach the 2 panels will need to measure 7 1/2" wide and 40" long.  I am going to use a more solid pink fabric for this long strip.

5.  I also want to put a pink panel across my butterfly panels I previously cut and I want to do that now because it has to be sewn on before we sew the cover pieces together.  The size I need is 4 1/2"x14".  I then pinned this on to the front butterfly panel centering it and sewed the top and bottom into place. 

6.  I also need to cut two 14" pieces of Jumbo black Ric Rac that will fit on top and bottom of the pink panel I cut in step #5 above.   You can sew your Ric Rac into place or attach it using a permanent fabric adhesive like Liquid Stitch.  I used the Liquid stitch on mine and then gave it some drying time before continuing to sew.

7.  While I let my liquid stitch dry I decided to create the dimensional embellishments for my front panel.  I used the Fiskars Ultra shapexpress and Fiskars Butterfly 2 template.  First to prepare my fabric to use with the Ultra Shapexpress I need to iron on some lightweight interfacing to make my fabric stiff.  I also put a fresh blade in my tool to make sure I get a clean cut with the fabric.  I cut out 2 large and one medium butterfly from the blue gingham fabric lined with the interfacing. 

8.  Now stack the butterflies with the 2 large on the bottom and the medium on the top.  Secure them together with the wire in the center twisting at the top with your Fiskars Needle Nose pliers to create antennae.  Once you have your wire twisted and secured then  wrap each individual antennae around your Fiskars Right Angle tool to create spirals at the end.  Trim any excess wire with your Fiskars Wire Cutter.

9.  Next I used my liquid fabric clue to pinch the wings together a bit in the center to separate the layers.  Now set your butterfly piece aside.

10.  Let's go ahead and sew our panel front to our long center strip.  Place both of these pieces right sides together making sure to match the ends where you start.  When you get to the corners on the top of the panel you will fold your fabric at a 45 degree angle to make the turn and continue to pin along the top, again making a 45 degree angle when you get to the opposite corner and continuing down.  You may have excess fabric on the long panel in the center, but for now leave this. 

11.  Repeat step #10 above for the back panel. Remember to watch your fabric so you don't sew over any pieces that might sneak underneath.  Trim ends on all piece so they are even when you are done.

12.  Turn under the raw edge on your cover bottom 1/4" and press.  Then turn this edge over 1/2" and press again.  Stitch this seam all around the bottom.

13.  Take your butterfly that you created before and attach it to the center front pink panel on your cover using the liquid fabric adhesive. 

14.  Take your two 12" lengths of purple ribbon and tie each in a bow.  Hand sew one bow on each side of your butterfly. 

Supplies:

Fiskars 12-in-1 Sewing Multi tool
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_12-in-1-multi-tool.aspx

Fiskars Comfort Grip Rotary Cutter
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_45-mm-comfort-grip-rotary-cutter.aspx

Fiskars 24"x36" cutting mat
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_24x36mat.aspx

Fiskars 3.5"x18.5" acrylic ruler
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_35-x-185-acrylic-ruler.aspx

Fiskars Ultra Shapexpress
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_ultra-shapexpress.aspx

Fiskars Butterfly 2 template
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_shape-template-butterflies-2.aspx

44114097 Fiskars Wire Cutter

44194097 Fiskars Needle Nose Pliers

Fiskars Right Angle Tool
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_right-angle.aspx

other: 1/2 yard patterned fabric, 1/2 yard solid fabric, 1/8 yard of patterned fabric or scraps to create butterflies, 1 yard jumbo Ric Rac, Therm O Web Heat n Bond, Lightweight fusible interfacing http://www.thermowebonline.com/dyn_prodlist.php?k=86240, 12" Heavy gauge black wire, Two 12" pieces of 3/4" purple ribbon, Purple thread and a sewing needle

Happy Valentine's Day Rak

How about a little sharing of FISKARS love right here on the    Blog seeing it's Valentine's Day.

 If you have left a donation for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal please let us know in the comments section below.....or you can just leave a comment about the bushfires.......and I'll draw a winner later  today of some "gorgeous" Chocolate Chalet papers that I have left here.......they are from Cloud 9.....and they are yummy!!

Think I may also have some matching embellishments!

 I have done some shopping yesterday at my local SAFEWAY and all profits from shopping there on Friday were going to the BUSHFIRE APPEAL.......as a family we have also donated money.......as that's what they are asking for now.......we are still on alert here in the YARRA VALLEY.....but are safe!

Thank you to all those wonderful people who have emailed and phoned me over the past week.....I'm so very proud to be an Aussie!!

It's been a horrible week of tragedy.......but it's also been a week of Human kindness and support for one another.......a time of pulling together to help one another .......let's remember the positives that are coming out of this tragedy..........we have heard so much doom and gloom in the media.....and living it first hand is even worse......but let's also remember the good things that have occurred since the fires first started.....the reaching out to help one another......the love and support shown by all the Emergency workers and the thousands of Volunteers in this time of such disaster .......let's try and focus on moving forward....grieve those that we have lost....but also look to see what we can do to help others get on with "living" their lives........life does go on.......we just have to focus on some good things in our lives......   Happy Valentine's Day...make sure you tell those that are close to you that you LOVE them!!

xoxo Lyn Dwyer