Christmas Card Prototype #2

Hey guys,

how was your week? I´m still in progress creating prototypes for my christmas card this year. Using a lot of different Sizzix dies. This week I made a christmas-word-background with the holiday words. Maybe I´ll try some more colors for this kind of card. What do you think?

I love the colors of the sequins. They fit perfectly to christmas cards. I am a bit into violet and lavender this year. ;)

For a little more "glimmer" on my card, I used goldglitter watercolor to decorate the star.

My list of supplies that I used:
Watercolors in violet, yellow and goldglitter
Star stamp by hero arts
StazOn Ink Pad Tuxedo Black (works perfectly with watercolors)
Sequins by Pretty Pink Posh
Sizzix Big Shot Plus Starter Kit (White & Gray) #660515
Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 16PK - Holiday Words 2: Block #660976
Sizzix Framelits Die Set 5PK - Stars #657567

What will your cards look like this year? I´m curious about what you will make. :)
Have a nice weekend, xo Julia

STAR QUILT: PART 5

Dies used: Half-Square Triangles, 4 1/2in Finished Square
                Square, 4in Finished (4 1/2in Unfinished)
                Star, Nested

One single-size boys quilt, completed!

I'm so happy with the results and more importantly so is its new owner, Aidan. It was really very straightforward to make (especially the cutting, obviously!) using just two shapes (and therefore only two dies) for the pieced quilt top - definitely an example of simple but effective! A third die was used for the small applique stars that pepper the low volume, in-between areas.
There are plenty of colours in it but it meets his specification (thankfully it passed!) of 'mainly blue' with the orange fabric really bringing out the blues and providing some depth.

The backing fabric was picked up in the sale in Ikea and although it wasn't ideal to quilt with being more of a canvas weight it looks really good, the large print contrasting nicely with all of the fine detail on the front.

Hand-sewing the binding took longer than usual as making a stitch through thick backing fabric wasn't as easy as it would have been with quilters weight cotton but it wasn't too much of a hardship.

I really enjoy hand-sewing binding but it's starting to feel a bit indulgent when deadlines are looming and other sewing projects are stacking up, it may be time to investigate machine binding techniques!

Here it is in its new home.

Now to start something new, probably not another full size quilt just yet but I do have another son wanting one for his bed.

Happy sewing!

Father's day - super hero, superstar

As promised another blog for Father's day - and it's quick as well, glasses case and a phone cover -

 

All you need is a tie or too - now I raided my husbands ties - but I did ask - take a hint that if you use his best tie he isn't really going to like what you've made with it.

If you love him dearly but he embarrasses you so much - then make sure that the tie you choose, from his wardrobe, charity shop or store, is really outlandish and choose crazy colours for the lettering!

One word - the tie does need to be quite wide because we are going it make a glasses case, or a phone cover.

I used the Bigz™ XL Alphabet Die - Word Play by Tim Holtz® -657837 http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/657837/sizzix-bigz-xl-alphabet-die-word-play

 with my Big Shot™ Plus 660020 http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660020/sizzix-big-shot-plus-machine-only-white-gray

or you can use the BigShot™ 660200http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660200/sizzix-big-shot-machine-only-white-gray
For alternative items I also used Bigz™ Die Stars 656339 http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/656339/sizzix-bigz-die-stars
and Bigz™ Die Heartfelt by Tim Holtz -660233 http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660233/sizzix-bigz-die-heartfelt
 

You will also need a small amount of fusible web (Heat and Bond, Bondaweb or similar) and a similar small amount of fabric for the letters.
Fuse the web to the wrong side of the fabric for the lettering and cut out the letters that you need - for the first glasses case I'm using  1 each of s u p h o, and 2 each of e and r.

For the glasses case - I measured the glasses 15cm and added a couple of cm for ease and then doubled it - so I cut the tie to 40cm long. 

As I am going to stitch letters onto the right side I undid the stitching on the back of the tie, and opened it out flat. (Now I forgot to take a photo with the tie open so we are looking at my next tie)

Arrange the letters within the length you need for the glasses and then fuse them in place and stitch them -



The back of the tie is re-stitched and the narrow hem is turned in and stitched -

Next fold the tie so that the 'case' is the right length, and pin the layers together -

 and stitch the layers together.

Add a button and a ribbon loop to complete the case -

this one is because everyone knows that if you take off, or put on your glasses you can become a superhero!!
Which then led me to think of a super star -

and then I thought of a cover for a phone  - the tie needs to be cut to about 30cm for this and because it is smaller the word had to be shorter - so -

Hope you like these and are tempted to make one or two, and maybe keep one yourself!
Have fun, enjoy the weekend.
Angela