Sunday Stampers Challenge ~ Something New....

In my last post I shared my love of stamping and my plan to finally join in with the Sunday Stampers Challenge from Hels Sheridan's Blog, Ink on My Fingers!

The theme for this week is "Something New". This could be interpreted how we liked, my take on this theme is, I'm NEW to Sunday Stampers and I have NEW inks to play with, a 2 for 1! 

The important thing is you have to use stamps, no problem for me I have 4 drawers full!

So what did I create?....

A summery, happy card

My new inks in summery colours. 

The stamp set I've used is a new range from Craftwork Cards, More Than Words, (more newness!) I used one of the butterfly stamps....

It's cold and cloudy in the UK (a nightmare for taking photos) so these colours are brightening up my day!

Using another Distress Ink from my stash, Mustard Seed, I added a background with a stencil... 

I had to mask off the butterflies to make sure they still stood out.

To add more texture to the background I added brown stripes from another stamp set I have in Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

I stamped the word "happy" from the Craftwork Cards set also in Vintage Photo.

The edges have been distressed with Mustard Seed and Vintage Photo.

I added "Be" and using glitter glue added glittery accents to the Happy and butterflies...

This was mounted on to Kraft card which I also distressed with Vintage Photo

Ta Dah!

I'm pleased with this, even if I do say so myself, but I wish I added more dimension. So I went on to do another card using something else new in my stash.....

Using the same stencil again, I used Mustard Seed yellow in areas of the stencil then added the pearlescent paste all over...

Using the flower stamp this time from the "More Than Words" set I stamped it a number of times in my new colours and cut them out. I distressed the edges in Vintage Photo or Spiced Marmalade

By layering the flowers and shaping them makes pretty 3D flowers....

I used the same "happy" stamp in scarlet and a "birthday" stamp in coffee on white card distressed with Mustard Seed and Vintage Photo around the edges. Everything had been mounted onto red card and I added some pearls to the centre of the flowers.

So there is my first Sunday Stampers Challenge complete! What do you think? Do you have a favourite out of the two cards?

fizzi~jayne x

My love of stamping....

I'm a stamping addict! When I came across stamps it catapulted me into the world of papercraft. 

I love giving a 2D image dimension and texture to make it look 3D, using my Promarker pens and pencils. I also love to paint with acrylics and use my distress inks like watercolours but I'll use any medium I can get my hands on to get the effect I want.

 I don't just use stamps for an image, this is just the beginning! 

I don't just use stamping techniques in papercraft, I use the same skills for my range of coasters....

I follow Hels Sheridan's blog, Inky fingers, I love her style and I've learnt a lot of new techniques from Hels.  Every Sunday she sets a stamping challenge and every week I think ooo I must join in these challenges, then the next Sunday arrives and I think the same thing again.  So I am challenging myself to actually do one! I am going to do her current challenge this week, the theme is SOMETHING NEW and I know just the thing! You can see the details here if you want to join in too. The deadline is Saturday 28th February so I'll share my final piece with you later this week.

fizzi~jayne x

Psst....  Are you interested in being a guest blogger here in March? I'm looking for craft tutorials and techniques to celebrate National Craft Month.  It can be any craft, I'm open to ideas so please email me with your idea and with the subject March Guest Blogger opportunity.

#CraftBlogClub's 1st Challenge of 2015....

It's time for our first #CraftBlogClub challenge of 2015!

The challenge is.... "A New Craft for the New year"

This can be interpreted in two ways....

1. This challenge is perfect if 2015 is the year you want to learn a new craft. Whatever craft you want to learn this challenge is perfect to get you started.

2. Or if like me, you don't have the time, space or funds for a new craft in your life, why not take an already loved craft to the next level.  This is an opportunity to learn new techniques for example:

Crochet -  Why not try a new stitch such as Broomstick Crochet or have a go at Amigurumi?

Sewing - Maybe you make clothes but fancy trying quilting or you could use a fabric you've never used before.

Papercraft - Maybe you have always made cards but fancy trying scrapbooking.

Jewellery making - Have you always been a beader but want to try wire work?

Alternatively, you may have received a new craft tool/machine for Christmas that you still need to take out the box, it's time to get it out and give it a go!

The Reveal....

We will be revealing our makes in our Twitter chat on 17th March and If you have a blog also present your lovely project in a blog post by this date.

As it is a new craft/technique and the thought of having to complete a project may be terrifying. Don't worry, the whole point of the challenge is to have fun learning a new craft/technique and if you don't have a completed project we still want to see your work in progress.

There will be a linky set up on THIS BLOG to showcase your blog posts and do take some time to have a look at the other posts, it’s lovely to see some of the amazing creativity we have in our #CraftBlogClub!

Let us know how you’re doing throughout the challenge on Twitter and Facebook. Don't forget to use our #CraftBlogClub hashtag to keep up to date on Twitter.

I hope you will join in and I can't wait to see what everyone makes!!...

fizzi~jayne x

Psst.... If you don't know what #CraftBlogClub is and you like the sound of this challenge, we'd love you to join in and you can find out more here.

My top tips for beginners to crochet....

Following on from my Crochet Book review last week I thought I would share some of my tips I picked up when learning to crochet.  Having only been crocheting for a year I still have a lot to learn but I thought I would share the tips that helped me and some of the things I learnt the hard way! I have also given you some resources from more experienced crocheters to check out....

So what do you need?....

The great thing about crochet is all you need is a ball of yarn and a hook (plus a pair of scissors would be useful) which makes it a great portable craft.  

Yarn....

• There are many types and brands of yarn from the traditional crochet yarn to Super chunky weights.  A good weight for a beginner is a Double Knit (DK).  
• Be warned though, the cheapest isn't always best as it may split, be itchy to work with or will leave your project looking naff and will put you off crochet and I'd hate for that to happen.
• Don't use dark yarn as it is really difficult to see the stitches.

If you are new to using yarn, a top tip is to keep the label and tie a piece of yarn to it.  Yarn is dyed in batches and if you run out in the middle of a project it is better to buy from the same dye lot so you know the colours will match perfectly.

Crochet Hooks....

• There are different types of hooks made from wood, metal or plastic and come in different sizes.  The size of hook you use will depend on the type of yarn and the technique you are using.
• To start off I would recommend buying a 4mm Crochet hook which is a typical size to use with a DK yarn. If you prefer you can use a larger hook, the stitches will be bigger but you will be able see them easily whilst you get used to the technique.  Don't start with a hook smaller than 4mm. 
• My advice is start learning with a good quality metal hook. I started with Boye Aluminum Crochet Hooks which were a gift and I still use them now.  Once you have learnt the basics you can try out other hooks, one of my favourites for large projects are the Clover Amour Crochet Hooks, they are so comfortable because of the soft, ergonomic grip but they are more expensive than other brands.

Crochet is repetitive and if you have the wrong tools it can be uncomfortable or worse painful, I got a blister from a hook that wasn't for me! So buy one that works for you.

Terminology....

Note British crochet terms are different to the US.  Make sure you know what pattern you are using otherwise it won't look like the picture, yep I did that! 
Simply Crochet has a conversion chart on their website as well as a chart for abbreviations.

More Helpful Crochet Tips....

• The best projects to start with are making swatches and granny squares. Simply Crochet have a free app where each week a free granny square pattern is available to download check it out here (only available for iPhone and iPad).
• Stop for breaks.  Crochet is repetitive and it is good to stop and wiggle your fingers and it's a good excuse to make a cuppa/grab cake/open wine* (*delete as appropriate)
• A pattern may require a specific number of stitches and it will have the number of stitches you should have at the end of a row in brackets (). Make sure you count at the end of each row, it saves unravelling it later! I've done that so many times!
• When working in the round use a stitch marker on the last stitch of each round to keep track of where it begins and ends.  Move the stitch marker to the end of each round as you go.

I asked Twitter for some top tips and Zoe from Floral and Feather, shared her link to her first project and her three top tips for beginners which you can find here. It was reassuring to see it wasn't just me who mixed up the US and UK crochet terms! 

Left Handed Crochet....

I was asked on Twitter for advice for lefties. I'm a rightie so I don't have personal experience but I searched on Pinterest (of course, who needs Google?!)  and I particularly liked this video. It has some good tips regardless of whether you are left or right handed.  I found a useful tip from this video is to think of it as your dominant hand rather than left or right.

The Little Soap Kitchen highly recommended this YouTube Video to me on Twitter.  After years of trying to learn left handed she cracked it in only an hour after watching this!

If there are any lefties out there who can offer more advice please leave them in the comments.

My main top tip for you is ....

....Perseverance! It took me a while to get my head around it but after a few weeks of determination and some tantrums it finally clicked!

Source

Before I sign off here are some great resources to check out....

• The review of my favourite Crochet book
• Simply Crochet magazine 
• Pinterest is a great source and I have a board dedicated to my love of crochet
• The Deramores Blog has just started a How to Crochet series, check it out here
• Kate has a free Crochet for Beginners eCourse just launched over on her blog Beak Up Crafts
• You Tube is great source and it's free! If you are learning with UK crochet terms make sure you are watching a video using UK terms.  This may sound obvious but it's easy to get confused if you don't realise.

I follow lots of crochet blogs to be inspired and learn more. There are a lot out there, here are some of my favourites....

• I love Attic 24 for the use of bright colours, free easy to follow patterns and inspiration.
• Lara's lifestyle and crafty blog, Messyla, has a Learn to Crochet Series over on her blog
• Twinkie Chan is fun and quirky, proving crochet is not old fashioned!
• One Sheepish girl has beautiful photography and she has just launched a book with fun patterns.

I hope you find this helpful, if you crochet and would like to add some tips please feel free to leave them in the comments.

fizzi~jayne x

Disclaimer: Amazon links are affiliated

Crochet Book Review....

Are you thinking of trying a new craft this year? Do you fancy having a go at Crochet?

If you have been reading this blog for a while you will know 2014 was the year I taught myself to Crochet and I love it! So I thought I would share with you some tips to get you started that I picked up as a beginner. I will have more practical tips in my next post but first I want to share with you my favourite Crochet Book ~ Crochet: The Complete Step-By-Step Guide~ and this is great for beginners....

I got this for my birthday which was 11 months after I started to teach myself and I wish I had this sooner. It has clear instructions taking you through the techniques and stitches.  It's in easy to follow step by step guides with clear photography with projects along the way so you can practise the stitches you have just learnt.  It covers the basics through to more adventurous techniques so even if you know the basics this book can help you improve your skills.

If you have been crocheting for a while this book has lovely projects in them. There are a lot of great patterns, including bags, toys, stuff to wear, accessories, home and gifts, blankets and cushions.  I don't think there is one I won't make at some point.  There are some great gift ideas in this book but my first project I made was for myself and I made this lap blanket....

Each pattern has a level of difficulty, so you can pick a project based on your ability.

The only down side is it's a hardback and it is so jam packed with projects, techniques and beautiful photography that it is a heavy book so it's not easy to throw in your bag and carry around.  This is a minor thing and doesn't stop me from loving it and recommending it.

Do you crochet, have you got a crochet book you would recommend?

fizzi~jayne x

Disclaimer: The Amazon links in this post are affiliated.