Hi friends,
At the last minute I had a chance to extend my long weekend, so I'm going to extend the deadline for Giveaway #40 until midnight tonight. I'll be back in this space, well rested and full of pancakes, tomorrow morning to post winners.
Good luck!
Hi again, and happy Friday!
I've been enjoying researching these Valentine's Day posts, and I'm here today with a roundup of heart-shaped gift ideas that you could make. I tried to choose projects that were small but sweet so that they'd be do-able in time for Sunday, even if you have more than one sweetheart!
Photo from sewgreen.blogspot.com.
Finally, these two gifts aren't heart-shaped, but they are great. Thanks to my sister for pointing me to two great ways of telling someone exactly why you love them: in a box or in book form. Fabulous!
I hope you have a happy Valentine's Day (or at least get to enjoy some half-priced chocolate shopping on Monday!).
Psst – Don't forget that you've got until 11:59 p.m. Monday night to enter this week's giveaway!
Hi friends,
Do you remember giving and getting Valentine's Cards as a schoolkid? Writing the names on seemed to take f-o-r-e-v-e-r, but that was always eclipsed by the anticipation of upending my little red "mailbox" and shaking out the cards from all the other kids. That's what I was thinking about when I put together this Valentine's Day card holder for our February issue. (Apparently, I was also thinking "GLITTER!!!" But that's another story.)
The cards that you see peeking out of the top there are free downloadable valentines from the incomparable Emily (Inside a Black Apple). Pop over, take a look, download them...they're easy, and lovely, and infinity-plus-one times nicer than your typical dollar-store valentines. (In my opinion, anyway. Your six-year-old might have a different idea!)
Some other great ideas for valentines:
Well, that should get you started. Have fun – and remember, valentines aren't just for kids. Whose day wouldn't be brightened by a little bit of love and a handful of Hershey's kisses? That's what I thought.
(And don't forget to enter this week's super giveaway! Each of your comments is like a valentine to me. Thank you so much for putting a smile on my face so many times this week.)
Hi there,
Have I ever mentioned how much I love bunting, garland, and generally anything cute that involves paper and string? In general, I find they're easy, fast (especially if you team up your craft punch and your sewing machine) and cost effective. Here are a few ideas to help you gussy up for Valentine's Day.
Oh! Speaking of bunting love, check out this awesome bunting/garland collection from Andrea of Hula Seventy. Instant happy, indeed.
Have a wonderful day. (And don't forget to enter this week's whopper of a giveaway!)
Hello!
Well, after a week of promises, here is the freezer paper stenciling tutorial. I took these pictures as I was making the "In Like a Lion" tote bag that appeared in our March 2010 issue. It was lots of fun! Here's how I did it.
What you'll need.
1. First things first, assemble your tools. I found the plain canvas tote bag, heat-set fabric paints and paint brush at my local DeSerres. (Similar options are also available at Michaels, and probably at your local independent art store, too.) The freezer paper is in the plastic wrap/foil aisle at the grocery store – you'll get something like 50 m for $4. I don't anticipate ever having to buy another roll. You'll also need a pencil and eraser, a craft or X-Acto knife, plastic lids or paper plates and paper towel. Cover your work surface with kraft paper or newspaper; put your iron on to preheat on medium-low (no steam).
Print out (or photocopy) your template
2. Prepare your template. This lion was drawn by one of our super-talented art directors, Miguel Cea. I made half a dozen photocopies and then spent some time with my pencil crayons to work out which areas I wanted to paint what colour. (You can download or photocopy the template that appears on page 147 of the March issue to your desired size and skip the colouring step!)
Colour in the areas you want to cut away, then tape the template to a sheet of freezer paper.
3. Get ready to cut. When I was satisfied with the colour arrangement, I used strips of masking tape to affix the template to a sheet of freezer paper. (When working with freezer paper, remember this simple rule: shiny side down!)
Carefully cut out the coloured areas.
4. Cut out your stencil. Working on a cutting mat or other protected surface, use your X-Acto knife to cut out the coloured areas of the template, cutting through both layers of paper and leaving small "bridges" (they're marked on the diagram in the magazine) to ensure that you don't end up with loose bits. Hints: Work from the inside out. Slow and steady wins the race. Don't use too much pressure. Be prepared to change blades. And watch your fingers!!
Iron the stencil to the tote bag (shiny side down!)
5. Iron the stencil to the tote bag. Carefully separate the photocopied template from the freezer paper stencil (I just slit the tape with my knife) and position the stencil on the tote bag as desired. Carefully smooth out the stencil, making sure there aren't any folds or curled edges. Working with a medium-low iron (mine was at 2.5 out of 6) with the steam turned off, iron the stencil to the tote bag by placing the iron flat on the centre of the paper and holding in place for a count of ten. Slide the iron over and press again. Continue until you have ironed the entire stencil down. (The heat of the iron melts the plasticized side of the freezer paper, sticking the stencil to the fabric and forming a seal that will give you a crisp outline.)
Touch up the edges with your iron.
6. Touch up the edges. Use the tip of the iron to touch up the edges, making sure there are no air bubbles or unsealed gaps (these might allow the paint to seep through, marring your crisp, clean lines). If necessary, use a toothpick or metal cake skewer to pierce air bubbles or to lift up and reposition bits of paper (but you probably won't need to do this). Now, use your X-Acto knife to remove the "bridges" – I found it was enough to lightly press the blade down on either edge, then carefully pierce the piece of paper and remove it.
Pour your paint and load up your brush.
7. Prepare your paint and brush. Make sure you've read the directions on your paint before you begin. Shake or stir your paint to make sure it's well mixed, then pour a small amount onto one of the plastic lids. To "load" the brush, gently drop the bristles straight down into the paint two or three times (the bristles should be evenly covered). Blot the brush by dropping it onto a clean piece of paper towel, as shown above. You will likely need to repeat this step several times as you work.
Paint the small, central parts first.
8. Start painting. Carefully drop the brush onto the fabric until you've laid down an even layer of paint, reloading the brush as necessary. The paint should cover the fabric completely, but not so thickly that you can't see the texture of the fabric beneath (in other words, it shouldn't look as though you poured the paint on). Do not "brush" the paint up-and-down or side-to-side as if you were painting a wall – this could disturb the edges of the stencil. Hints: Work from the centre outward, and from the top down. Turn the bag if that makes it easier. Use scraps of paper to "mask" areas that you want to be a different colour if you're worried about the brush slipping.
The bigger/outer parts come next.
9. Paint the second colour. Once your first colour is dry (in 15 to 20 minutes...perfect for a tea break!) apply the second colour, following steps 7 and 8 for preparing your paint and brush, and for painting the remaining part of the stenciled design. Again, use scraps of paper to mask the black areas if you like. I found this resulted in nice clean lines.
Once the paint's dry, carefully peel off the paper.
10. Dry the paint, peel off the stencil and set your work. I clipped the tote bag to a pants hanger and hung it up in a traffic-free area of my home so that it could dry. After a couple of hours, I took it down and carefully peeled off the paper, revealing the picture you see above. Then, using a pressing cloth and a medium heat, no steam iron, I set the paint. (Consult the paint bottle for directions on how to set your brand of paint.)
11. Celebrate! Because you are done and done. Congratulations!
Some hints and tips:
(And don't forget to enter this week's epic giveaway!)
Hi again,
Make+Do has recently passed a couple of big milestones: just last week, this blog published its 200th post, and not long after, it surpassed 3,000 comments. And here we are at Giveaway #40! We've come a long way in the nine months that I've been blogging here, and I couldn't have done it without you, the loyal Make+Do community.
To say thank you for being here, I've decided to do an extra big giveaway this week. I've got all sorts of goodies that I've been saving up, waiting for the right time to share with you – well, this is it. Get ready, because it's a bumper crop!
First up, I've got TWO copies of PrintMaster Platinum 2.0 printing software from Broderbund.
You could use this for scrapbooking, card-making, and all sorts of other paper-crafting, from making puzzles to creating personalized calendars to designing special party hats. I haven't tried it myself, but it looks like fun – something tells me that if you've got kids, you'd get a lot of use out of this program (hello, birthday parties!).
Second, ONE box set called Collage: Vintage Notecard Kit by Maryjo Koch.
Use the goodies inside this box (including 12 blank notecards and envelopes, 96 sheets of images, a proportion wheel, a glue stick, and an instruction booklet) to create your own unique collaged art. This would be ideal for the cut-and-paste enthusiasts in the crowd!
Third, a selection of needle-felting tools from Clover, plus a bag of assorted wool roving in natural and spring colours.
If you've ever contemplated learning how to needle-felt, this would get you started in fine style!
Fourth, a copy of Quilting in No Time by Emma Hardy.
Emma Hardy is a crafting pro (I've given away books of hers before) and this book showcases her skills yet again, with a selection of easy, attractive quilted projects. Adorn your bed, your home or yourself – there's an idea for everyone!
Fifth, a copy of Kaffe Knits Again by Kaffe Fassett.
OK, I have to admit that this book isn't brand-new: I've been hoarding it, trying to convince myself that it would be all right to take it home with me instead of giving it away. If you're a fan of dramatic colour work and are interested in a challenge...this might be for you. It's beautiful, trust me!
Sixth, a selection of craft punches from Fiskars. I was lucky enough to meet with a Fiskars rep a few months ago, and when he was finished demonstrating the new line – he gave them to me! That means I have all sorts of goodies to share. Here's a sample (there are three border/corner punches, two 3-in-1 corner punches, and one squeeze punch).
Again, these would be perfect for the scrapbookers and paper-crafters out there. They're so much fun to play with!
Seventh, and finally, a copy of The Complete Book of Polymer Clay by Lisa Pavelka.
I had no idea there were so many things to do with polymer clay! Whether you're a jewelry-making pro or you've just been thinking you might like to give it a try, there's surely a project in here for you.
Whew! That's a ton of good stuff, right? Because there's SO much (and because next weekend's a long one), you've got until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, February 15th to leave ONE comment on this post. This week I'd love it if you'd tell me how you found Make+Do...I'm always curious to know where you're from! Feel free to mention which prize you'd like – I'll try to take that into consideration when I'm doing the draw. I'll post the winners here on Tuesday, February 16th.
(PS Have you subscribed yet? It'd be awesome if we could meet the 300 subscribers milestone, too!)
Hi there,
Hope you had a great weekend. I wasn't feeling well for most of it (boo), so I holed up at home with my knitting and some DVDs (every cloud has a silver lining, right?).
Anyway, we're back to regularly scheduled programming, so here's the winner of Giveaway #39, the freezer paper–stencilled tote bag kit.
The lucky winner will receive one (large) plain canvas tote bag; fabric paint in copper, black, green and white; a stencil brush; and several sheets of freezer paper. Add your own X-Acto knife, and supplies such as paper towel and recycled plastic lids, and you're ready to start freezer paper stenciling. (Tutorial to come shortly.)
And the winner is...
Commenter #23,
Karen LeBlanc. Karen, I'll be in touch shortly!
Thanks to each of you for entering – as always, I enjoyed reading your ideas for what you'd put on your tote bag. This is a fun craft and I encourage you to give it a try! (After all, we do have a long weekend on the horizon...)
I'll be back here shortly with the details of Giveaway #40. Stay tuned.
Hi there,
Well, well, it seems that February is National Embroidery Month. (I'm not sure who gets to decide that, but what the heck!) It seems like a fitting pastime for February, since it's a good excuse to stay inside and work on a cosy project while we wait for the weather to improve.
I did a fair bit of embroidery when I was younger and my parents still have a few of my finished pieces around their house, I think. Back then, most of what I did was from kits, and I still remember the thrill of paging through a brand-new Mary Maxim catalogue. There are so many more options these days! I thought this tutorial on how to make an embroidery pattern from a photograph was pretty neat. (From Feeling Stitchy, a great embroidery blog.)
I'd love to make a "newfangled" embroidered sampler, one of those masterworks that demonstrates a variety of stitches and features a quote. I think mine would impart this gem, from author Sarah Vowell: "Being a nerd, which is to say going too far and caring too much about a subject, is the best way to make friends I know."
What would you put on your sampler?
Hi friends,
Aren't these just the best?
I love the look of simple red-and-white embroidery on linen in these embroidered heart pins from Maggie Makes. Download the template and tutorial here, and she's got kits available in her Etsy shop.
Back to the word factory! I hope to have that tote bag tutorial for you tomorrow or Friday. Stay tuned!
it would say, "I'd Rather Be Knitting." (I'm so close it seems a shame to stop!)
I think I'll be ready to start the sleeves on the weekend. I might get to wear this sweater in February after all.
There's a giant pile of paper on my desk waiting to claim my eyes, so I must be going. Have a great Tuesday. (Oh! And Happy Groundhog Day! Let's hope Shubenacadie Sam got it wrong this year...)
Let Pam Mazzuca Prebeg, Canadian Living's fitness expert, guide you through a great tricep workout. Complete her routine of five arm exercises three to four times a week for best results.
We've married our sumptuous butter chicken recipe with the ease of the slow cooker to create the ultimate Slow Cooker Butter Chicken. Food director Annabelle Waugh walks you through the steps in this video for a restaurant-worthy dinner every time.
Amanda Barnier, a Canadian Living Test Kitchen food specialist, shows you how to cut fruit and arrange it beautifully for a fruit platter.
