Handmade Happy Birthday Cards - Flowers and Butterflies outline stickers variations

Last week I found a couple of outline sticker sheets that I have had in my craft box for quite some time. Whenever I make my visit to the Hobbycraft store, I inevitably end up buying some new outline stickers. They are not expensive yet very handy to have for those days when you don't have much spare time but would still like to surprise somebody with a handmade card. I have done 4 cards recently using flowers and butterflies silver outline stickers. This is the 1st card of the lot.

 I like to mix and match various colours of textured card paper. In this design I used Matchmakers Textured Cardstock with white core size 6” x 6”.

For this design you will need:

• Flowers outline sticker in silver (see links  further bellow for suggested outline stickers) 
• Butterflies outline sticker in silver (see links further bellow for suggested outline stickers)
• White card paper (15 x 30cm)
• White card paper ( appx. 10 x 10 cm - large enough to fit the outline stickers on)
• Lilac card paper (appx. 10 x 10 cm - large enough to fit the white card paper with outline stickers on)
• Pastel Yellow card paper (15 x 15cm)
• Craft foam pads (I used Stix 2mm thick)
• gel pens - various colours 
• Double sided tape 
• "Happy Birthday" outline sticker
• Craft corner punch (I have had mine for a very long time so you might not be able to purchase the same one, however I found couple of nice craft punches that would also work well with this design - see pictures bellow - link is added with the pictures)

Ahttp://direct.hobbycraft.co.uk/products-HobbyCraft-1%E2%80%9D-Daisy-Design-Craft-Corner-Punch_296849.htm

http://direct.hobbycraft.co.uk/products-HobbyCraft-1%E2%80%9D-Tulip-Design-Craft-Corner-Punch_296847.htm

Suggested flower outline stickers - see following links:

• http://direct.hobbycraft.co.uk/products-HobbyCraft-Happy-Mothers-Day-Silver-Stickers_280509.htm 
• http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silver-Outline-Stickers-Peel-Flowers/dp/B005767938/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1335484223&sr=8-16
• http://www.amazon.co.uk/Anitas-Outline-Stickers-Silver-Bouquet/dp/B0068JQ2U4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335484777&sr=8-1

Suggested butterfly outline stickers - see following links:

• http://direct.hobbycraft.co.uk/products-Anitas-Outline-Stickers-Elegant-Butterflies-Silver_361943.htm
• http://direct.hobbycraft.co.uk/products-Hobbycraft-Silver-Butterflies-Stickers_280616.htm
• http://www.craftsuperstore.co.uk/Peel_Off_Sticker_-_Butterfly_Silver.html

Take white card 15cm x 30cm and fold it in half. Take yellow card paper (size 15 x 15cm) and using a double sided tape attach it to the front of the folded white card. Take white card paper (apprx 10 x 10 cm) and attach a flower and a butterfly outline stickers to its centre. Tear off the edge of the white paper around the stickers to create an uneven edge. Colour in the flower and the butterfly using gel pens. Using double sided tape, attach the white paper with the outline stickers to the centre of the lilac card (appr. 10 x 10cm). Cut corners of the lilac card paper with the craft punch and attach the lilac card to the yellow card (15 x 15 cm) using foam pads. Add “Happy Birthday ” outline sticker to the card.

Done.

This is a design variation using different flower and butterfly sticker and different shades of the card paper.

Quick and Easy Handmade Birthday Card for Men and Boys - Nautical Theme

I would like to show you another quick and easy design for a handmade birthday card.

 To make this card I used Matchmakers Textured Cardstock with white core sizes 6” x 6” in Neutrals, even though any other types would go just well too.


For this design you will need:

• Ship / Boat outline sticker (You can use following link to order outline sticker similar to the one I used - http://www.papercraftsformen.co.uk/moredetails.asp?itemid=5685&group2id=1440&subxgroupid=1440&xgroupid=44&id=1440 or http://www.papercraftsformen.co.uk/moredetails.asp?itemid=5486&group2id=1440&subxgroupid=1440&xgroupid=44&id=1440)
• White card paper (15 x 30cm)
• Blue card paper (15 x 15cm)
• White card paper (large enough to fit the ship / boat outline sticker on)
• Light gray card paper (15 x 15cm)
• Double sided tape
• "Happy Birthday" outline sticker 
• red and blue gel pens 

Take white card 15cm x 30cm and fold it in half. Take a light gray card paper (size 15 x 15cm) and using a double sided tape attach it to the front of the folded white card. Take a blue card and position it onto the gray card turning it 45 degrees so that the corners of the blue card stick out over the sides of the gray card. Attach the blue card to the gray card using a double sided tape, then cut off the parts of the blue paper that are sticking out over the sides of the gray paper.
Take a white card paper and attach a ship or a boat outline sticker to its centre, then tear off the edge of the white paper around the outline sticker to create an uneven edge. Colour in the outline sticker using the gel pens. Using double sided tape, attach the white paper with the outline sticker to the blue card.
Add "Happy Birthday" outline sticker to the card.

And it's done.

If you would like to take it a step further and make it even more special, make your own envelope. You can find the instructions in "Handmade Envelope" post in my blog's archive under March 2011.

Hot Cross Easter Buns

A while ago I made a great investment when I bought a breadmaking machine. I have used it so many times since then that it has paid for itself many times over. It's so nice to have freshly baked bread in the house. The smell of baking bread that fills the whole house - no need for air freshener. And of course it tastes so much better when you make it yourself.

I couldn't resist baking hot cross buns this Easter. And the little breadmaking machine (and it's recipe book) didn't disappoint.

Here is the recipe (from the breadmaker booklet)

1 cup              water
1/4 cup           melted butter
1/4 cup           sugar
1                     beaten egg
1tsp                salt
3 3/4 cups     strong white bread flour
2tsp                fast action yeast
1tsp                cinnamon
1/4 tsp            nutmeg
1 cup              raisins

This recipe requires the use of a breadmaking machine. Once you put all the ingredients in the breadmaking machine select option for making a dough.

According to the recipe you should then divide the dough into 8 - 12 pieces, shape and flatten slightly, glaze with egg and milk (but not the cross), cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes, then bake in the oven.

This wasn't my first time making hot cross buns and I have learned from experience that I get much better results if I do following:

When the dough making program is finished, take the risen dough out of the bread tin and put it onto a slightly floured surface and knead it for a while until it feels firmer and more elastic in the hand. Then leave it covered on a plate in a warm place to rise naturally for about 30 minutes. Then knead again and separate and shape the dough into 12 pieces. Put them on a baking tray (making sure you have sufficient space around each to allow for their rising), flatten slightly and glaze with egg and milk (not the cross). To avoid getting the glazing onto the cross I cut out thin stripes of baking paper and put them on top of the buns as a cross ( I leave the strips of paper on the buns while baking them). Cover the tray and allow the dough to rise again for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 190C (375F) and bake for about 18 minutes.

Enjoy.
 

 note: instructions on how to sew the bag you  see in the pictures above can be found on the posting "Easter Sewing Project - Cute Easter Bag".

Easter Sewing Project - Cute Easter Bag

Spring has finally arrived and it is the time of preparations for Easter again. Flour, egg, milk and raisins are ready to be turned into hot cross buns. Easter chocolate eggs are hidden in the back of a cupboard waiting to be moved to a garden on Sunday morning and hidden in bushes and flower pots only to be discovered not long after by running and excited children. Decorations are out of the box and displayed all over kitchen and living room. What else can I do to make this Easter even more special?

There is still a little bit of time left for a quick Easter sewing project - Easter bag for all those sweets and chocolate eggs to put in.

If you have already some sewing experience, you will find this sewing project very quick and easy.

You do not need a lot of materials for this Easter bag and you can use any scrap material leftovers you have. The more colourful the bag the better. After all, it is an Easter time and a spring and it is nice to see a bit of colour after the grayness of the winter time.

I used following materials:

• 2 pieces of 40 x 25 cm blue/green stripe
• small pieces of pale yellow material (as a backing for ear, legs and tail)
• 2 x white facecloth (30 x 30cm each) - You can use any old towel
• apprx 50 cm of beige rufflette webbing (width 2cm)
• apprx 160cm of yellow rufflette webbing (width 1.5cm) - for the string and a decorative top edge of the bag
• apprx 20 cm of yellow rufflette webbing (to make the bow)
• charm or little bell to attach to a bow
• and a black bead or a button
• I also used a bit of white material as a backing for the body and head but you do not need to use the backing if the colour of your bag is light

Let's make the Easter bag.

Cut 2 pieces of size 40 x 25 cm for the bag. The next step is to sew the sheep on to one of the 40 x 25cm main pieces.

Here is a template for the sheep:

Cut 2 x legs, 1 x tale and 1 x ear from the yellow material (this will be the inside backing to create a colour contrast). When cutting, add a bit extra for the edge allowance for legs, tail and ear.

Then cut the body and the head from a white material - that material will be between the white towel cloth and the main piece bag material and you will not see it on the end product, but I had to ad this backing as the bag material is too dark and I wanted to ensure that the sheep's body will be pure white and the colour of the bag does not show through the white towel material. When cutting the body and the head, cut exactly as outlined on the template without adding any extra allowance as there is no need for an edge allowance. See picture bellow.

Secure all the cut pieces (legs, tail, ear, head and the body) on to the white towel cloth using pins and cut around.

Side A

Side B

 Make sure that the materials for legs, ear and tail are the right side together. Sew these alongside the template outline (leave the bottom of these 4 pieces unstitched) and then turn inside out.

Take the head cut out piece and secure it with pins to the main bag piece (the white backing material is inside - between the towel cloth and the main bag material). Insert the ear underneath the head so that the head is overlapping the edge of the ear. Then sew around the edge of the head piece.

Take the body cut out piece and secure it with pins to the main bag piece so that it slightly overlaps the head already sewn to the bag (the white backing material is again inside - between the towel cloth and the main bag material). Insert the tail underneath the body so that the body is overlapping the edge of the tail. Then sew around the edge of the body.

 To attach the legs secure them to the body using pins as seen on the picture bellow.  To ensure that you do not sew through the tail when sewing the sides of the bag together, turn the tail onto the body and secure it with the pin to keep it out of the way.

Then take the other main piece (40 x 25 cm) and secure it with the pins to the other piece with the sheep sewn on. Ensure that the right sides are together and sew (right side, bottom of the bag - thus sewing through the legs and the bottom edge of the body, and then the left side of the bag) taking 1 cm allowance. Turn the bag through.

Sew the beige rufflette piece onto the bag as close to both of its edges as possible, leaving an opening for the string on one side. Then pull the yellow rufflette string (apprx 100 cm ) through. Then take the remaining piece of the yellow rufflette and sew it onto the top edge of the bag. See picture bellow.

And now those finishing touches.

Sew a smile on.

Sew a black bead (or a button) on as an eye. Tie a bow from the yellow rufflette and sew it onto the sheep. You can ad a small charm or a bell onto the bow.

Children's Handmade Birthday Card - Girls

After a recent visit to Hobbycraft store and noticing a very cute stamp picturing adorable birthday animals (of course I did not resist buying it)  I made a birthday card in blue for a baby boy. Now lets make the same card in pink - for a baby girl. 

This is another quick and easy handmade birthday card. The part I spent most time on was the actual colouring in the picture. If you cannot get exactly the same stamp, it does not matter. Just use any cute animal stamp you like. And if there is no present or balloon in the picture, you can always draw it yourself using a black gel pen.

For this design you will need:

• White card paper (15 x 30cm)
• Gel pens - various colours (You do not have to spend a fortune on these - all colours I used were from a pack of 30 gel pens that I purchased from Asda and it cost me only £3. The only additional gel pen I used was a coconut colour from WH Smith - I used it to colour in the dog, cat and giraffe's hooves)
• Black ink pad
• Rubber Stamp 
• Paper edger scissors - used in design variation 1 - see further bellow (here are some links if you would like to buy some; http://www.madaboutcards.com/product.php/23376/0 or http://direct.hobbycraft.co.uk/products-HobbyCraft-Set-of-Ten-Paper-Edgers_293530.htm)
• Pink card paper (15 x 15cm)
• Piece of very pale yellow card (I used 9.5 x 9.5 cm - but that depends on the size of your stamp)
• Purple card paper (I used 10.5 x 10.5 cm - again, that depends on the size of your stamp and the pale yellow card with the picture - just cut it 1cm wider and taller than the size of the pale yellow card with the picture) 
• "Happy Birthday" outline sticker
• Double sided tape 
• Craft foam pads (I used Stix 2mm thick) 

  

 Now for some instructions on how to make this card.

 Stamp the picture on to the pale yellow card and let it dry. Then colour in the picture using the gel pens. Attach the pale yellow card with the picture to the purple card using the foam pads.

In this design I stamped the picture onto the very pale yellow card (I coloured the giraffe with a sparkly gold gel pen). In another variation - further bellow - I used white card paper instead of the yellow one.

 Take white card 15cm x 30cm and fold it in half. Take a pink card paper (size 15 x 15cm) and using a double sided tape attach it to the front of the folded white card. Attach the purple card to the pink card using foam pads.  Add a "Happy Birthday " outline sticker to the card.

Here are some variations for the same card:

Variation 1

colours of card paper used:

• Pale pink card paper (15 x 15cm)
• White Card (15 x 30 cm)
• Piece of white card (I used 9.5 x 9.5 cm - but that depends on the size of your stamp)
• Lilac card paper (I used 10.5 x 10.5 cm - again, that depends on the size of your stamp and the white card with the picture - just cut it 1cm wider and taller than the size of the white card with the picture)

In this design I used paper edger scissors and instead of the pale yellow card I stamped the picture on a white card paper. Using paper edger scissors cut a square shape around the picture before attaching it to the lilac card paper - it affords a nice crinkle effect that really offsets the square edges of the card.

Variation 2

Colours of card paper used:

• Lilac card paper (15 x 15cm)
• White Card (15 x 30 cm)
  
• Piece of very pale yellow card (I used 9.5 x 9.5 cm - but that depends on the size of your stamp)
• Purple card paper (I used 10.5 x 10.5 cm - again, that depends on the size of your stamp and the pale yellow card with the picture - just cut it 1cm wider and taller than the size of the pale yellow card with the picture)