Tutorial Tuesday - Felt Flower Necklace

Happy Tuesday to you. How has your last week been? Today we are making a pretty and summery felt flower necklace. I love these necklaces because you can make them in any colours and in a size that suits you (or the person you are making it for).

You will need:
- Felt sheets
- Felt glue or hot glue gun ( I used Fabri-Tac)
- Scissors
- Ribbon or necklace chain

1. Start by choosing your felt colours. I chose to use 3 colours per necklace. You can use more if you wish, and make as meany flowers as you like depending on how big you want your necklace to be. I used our 30% wool felt that comes in 9" squares, you can use any felt you have and if you want your flowers bigger then you can get bigger sheets, or you can stick strips together to make them longer.

2. I made 2 different styles of flowers, you can make them all the same if you wish.

For the first flower you will need to cut a strip of felt approx 1 - 1 1/2" wide. Fold the felt in half width ways and stick with glue. Cut little slits all the way along the strip. Now start to roll from one end adding glue as you go to create your flower. If you want a bigger flower simple add another strip on to the end and continue to roll.

For the second flower cut a strip of felt approx 1/2" - 3/4" wide. Do not fold this time but cut slits all the way along again. Start to roll as before adding glue as you go.

Make sure that as you are rolling you keep the bottoms nice and flat to make it easier to glue later.

3. Take a scrap piece of felt (I used the lightest colour that I was using) and arrange your flowers on it how you want them to be. When you are happy stick your flowers onto the felt.

4. Cut neatly around the flowers so you cannot see any of the felt backing from the front.

5. Make sure that you also glue each of the flowers to each other, you do not want them flopping about like they are in the photo below!

6. Now you want to choose how you are going to wear your necklace. Do you want it on a chain or ribbon?

7. Which ever you are using make sure that you have 2 of the same length pieces.

8. Work out how you want the flowers to hang and add the chain or ribbon to the back on both sides with glue.

9. Cover the whole of the back of the felt with glue and then stick onto another piece of felt, sandwiching the chain or ribbon in between. 

10. Trim around the flowers again, making the back neat and covering the ends of the ribbon/chain.

11. Your necklace is now finished, wear and enjoy!

I hope you have enjoyed this little tutorial. These flowers also work as brooches, simply add a brooch bar to the back or put them on hair clips, headbands etc. You could also add gems, pearls or buttons to the centres of each of the flowers.
I would love to see your version if you create some, feel free to leave a link here to your blog or share with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Happy Crafting,
Maxine xx

Tutorial Tuesday - Air Dry Clay 2

This week I have some more projects for you using air dry clay. This is such a great product for adults and children alike because there are just so many different things you can make with it. Take a look at the tutorials below from other fab bloggers for some great air dry clay projects.

Don't forget we stock 500g and 1kg air dry clay in our shop here.

1. This blog is in Spanish but the pictures are pretty easy to follow.
Find the blog here.

2. These are similar to the clay tags that I showed you in my first tutorial but I love the addition of the tissue paper! Find the blog here.

3. This is a fun projects to do with the kids. You could also add buttons and beads instead of shells.

Find it here.

4. Get the kids to make their own beads. Adults can do this too!

Find it here.

5. Make some magnets.

Find the blog here.

What else have you found to do with Air Dry clay? Feel free to share your projects with us on our Facebook page or leave a link below.

Happy Crafting,

Maxine xx

Card Making Demonstration

I'm super excited to let you know that we are going to be having a (free) Card Making demonstration in our shop :)

If you are local to Trowbridge, Wiltshire then please do come and join us! 

Saturday 29th March 2014

10am - 4pm

A fab designer from docrafts will be joining us to share with you lots of projects, tips and techniques using the new products from docrafts!

I really can't wait :)

So what are the new products from docrafts you ask?

These 3 new collections - Gorjuss, Bellisima and Oyster Blush include papers, stickers, decoupage, stamps, ribbon, kits, trims, embellishments and more!

And if you are stuck on what to get then we have a fab Goody Bag that contains a selection of all the collections at a fantastic price of £15, which is over 50% off the RRP!!

And if that wasn't enough there is also a magazine that as well as containing free gifts has stacks of inspiration and projects using the new products!

If you are unable to join us on Saturday or you live too far away then you can still check out all these fab products on our website, just click on the pictures to be taken to them!

Happy Crafting :)

Stamps & Card Candi

I have been having a play with the Woodware Bubble Bloom and Bubble Butterfly Stamps after seeing the fab creations by designer Jane Elizabeth Gill. These stamps are available to purchase on our website and below I will leave you with lots of lovely inspiration. Make sure you check out Jane's Blog for even more fab creations!

Bubble Butterfly

Felicity - Bubble Bloom Stamps - Clarissa

     

All our Card Candi Colours are available here.

Here are 2 examples created by me:

These 2 examples have been created by Jane Gill:

Hope you like these cards and if you create one yourself we would love to see!

Happy Crafting,

Maxine