Wednesday 12 September 2018

Happy Days Diner memories - Craftonline DT

Welcome to my first post for Craftonline's new team.  I am so excited to be on this team, my creativity is flowing and my brain is full of ideas.
My first idea was to record my memories of taking family to Happy Days Diner so I selected supplies that would coordinate with the colours and theme of the restaurant.



Here is a list of all I ordered that is still available.

Sound of Music Die Cut Border by Find It Trading Amy Design
Vintage Vehicles Punch Out Sheet by Find It Trading Amy Design
Bazzill Mylar Silver Cardstock
Deep Red Stamps Vintage 45 Record Stamp
NY Cake Silicone Mold - Dress
Prima Marketing Havana Mulberry Paper Flowers and Leaves
Crate Paper Maggie Holmes Willow Lane Alphabet Stickers
Crate Paper Wild At Heart Thickers Charming
Crate Paper Maggie Holmes Willow Lane 6x8 Paper Pad
Simple Stories Good Vibes Stickers
Dovecraft Accordion Sticker Flowers
Pink Paislee Colour Wash Title Stickers
Pink Paislee Nantucket Crabcakes paper
We R Memory Keepers Hello Darling Radiant paper
Vicki Boutin Mixed Media Paints Set 1
Versacolor Pigment Ink Cyan
Versacolor Pigment Ink Lilac

I decided to prep my embellishments first, starting with a cute 50's dress embellishment.  I was inspired by Farrel's Helmar blog post on making your own embellishments with Helmar Glue and a silicone mold, so I wondered if Craftonline had any silicone molds that would suit a 50's theme and I found this fantastic dress mold.
Due to my mold being much bigger than Farrel's mine would not dry properly, so I decided to try making my own paper clay with archival safe paper scraps and Helmar Acid Free Glue. 
I started by tearing up some archival paper scraps and soaking them overnight in water.  The next day I used my blender to turn it into paper pulp.  E had fun squeezing the water out of the pulp, I got him to do it as it is a great activity for Fine Motor Skills and Sensory Processing.
Once the water was squeezed out of my paper pulp I added Helmar Acid Free Glue until I had a clay consistency, then I dusted my silicone mold with corn flour and filled it with my clay and let it set over night, hitting it with my heat gun a couple of times to help it dry to be sure it dried well.
I had fun painting my dress with Vicki Boutin paints in Cotton Candy and Banana.
I decided to make a second dress but I didn't filly the middle to the top, I wanted to try doing a hollow dress.  It turned out really well, I mixed some cyan Versacraft ink with white paint to paint majority of the dress.  Then mixed some lilac Versacraft with white pain to do part of the bottom of the dress and a base on the flower and bow.  I finished the flower, bow and the very bottom of the dress with cotton candy Vicki Boutin pain mixed with white paint.  I then painted the bottom edge with white paint.  I absolutely love how this dress turned out.


When I was waiting for my glue attempt of the dress to dry I die cut this awesome die and this amazing Silver Mylar cardstock from Bazzill and I stamped my records and coloured the labels using some distress inks as watercolours.









Now that all my embellishments were ready to go I started scrapbooking.  I got 5 layouts done with all my wonderful supplies and I have lots left for more layouts.




























Monday 3 September 2018

Cheshire Cat Ears

I am so excited to share this project with you, it is a bit different to my usual projects but a lot of fun. . 
When I saw that FraserPop 2.0 was having a Mad Hatter's Tea Party I was inspired to do something I have always wanted to do, create a Alice In Wonderland inspired costume, as I am a novice I decided to see if I could get a dress that would suit converting into a costume so the colour I found was perfect for a Cheshire Cat costume so I started planning out what I needed to do and knew I needed to make some ears.

I watched and read a few tutorials so the way I created them was what stuck in my head from the tutorials.
I used the template that is in the description of this tutorial by Ember Tay to cut my pink felt and purple fur fabric, when cutting the fur I did not use scissors as I didn't want to cut the fur just the backing of the fur.  So make sure the fur fabric has the right side facing down and go gently with a craft knife so you just cut the backing and not the fur, you get a nicer result with the fur this way.  I can't remember where I got this advice from but it was great advice, so thank you to those who share tips :)

I used Helmar Fabric Glue to adhere the felt to the fur fabric.  I lined the middle point of the felt up with the middle point of the fur and stuck it down.








Then I ran a line of Helmar Fabric Glue down the side of the felt and folded the fur over on each side.




Next trim off the overhang of the fabric.















Then I ran a line of Helmar Fabric Glue on one half of the bottom of the ear and glued the 2 side together.








They are already looking like ears, now it is time to add clips.









Once the ears were dry I grabbed my hair clips and opened them so I wouldn't glue them closed.  I used some Helmar Quick Dry 450 Glue on the top part of the clip and adhered it to my ear with the narrow end of the clip (open end) going to the back of the ear as this is where it is narrowest.  The clip helps the ear shape complete itself.




They turned out so cute and being made with Helmar glues I know they will last.


So when you are in need of making something for a costume why not try some Helmar glues, they get fantastic results that hold up to cosplay really well.


Cosplay Sewing Cabinet

When E asked to make his own cosplays that included sewing I said we would learn to sew together.  However due to limited space and not being able to lift the machine from storage whenever it is needed I decided to get a second hand Horn Sewing Cabinet and that we would keep all Cosplay making items that fit in it in there, it would be our Cosplay Cupboard.

I found one for sale locally for a good price and arranged a friend to help pick it up.  It looked to be in great condition.  However, when we got it home and I was starting to put stuff in the compartments in the door, the sunlight coming in the big window in my craft/therapy/home school room showed up yellow mold on the doors.  So I spent some time cleaning the mold off, once I had removed the mold I set up the cabinet and thought that was it.

A few days later the laminate on the lids lifted off at the edges, in places and I noticed invisible tape was used to hold it in place   So I started thinking about how to fix them but hadn't really come up with a idea. A few weeks later as it got worse I thought I might need to see if I could get the laminate off and paint it and I was trying to think of a way to make it inspire creativity when I thought "Wouldn't it be great if it represented as much of the nerdy things we love as possible?  I wonder if I can find some damaged comics and cover it in comics for the various things we love."  I have never decoupaged before, unless you count the Grungy Fusion Marker Holder I did in June, however that was very different, it used thick scrapbooking paper which I was able to just glue down, this would need Helmar Decoupage & Craft Paste and using decoupage techniques so I was feeling a little daunted by my idea and messaged Helmar to ask what they thought of my idea, they were very supportive and encouraging, I don't think I would have wound up going through this idea without their encouragement and support.  Another reason why I love Helmar not just because the glues are brilliant but because they are so encouraging of creativity and crafting.

So now that you know how I came to the decision to do such a ambitious project lets get to how I did it.

I watched a lot of decoupage videos including decoupaging with comic books before starting.  I wanted to be sure I knew what I was doing and spent a lot of time trying to find damaged comics as I didn't want to damage a comic that might be valuable to someone.
I had no luck at op-shops looking for damaged comics so I went to my nearest Comic Book Shop and explained what I wanted to do and that I needed comics that wouldn't have value in the future.  He was very helpful and pointed me in the direction to his $2 box which has reprints in it so they will never be of value as they aren't originals and it had comics that were damaged in.
I spent some time on the couch going through my collection and cutting out full pages I loved and sections I loved, I had 3 Wolverine reprints amongst my collection but I found myself unable to cut the story apart so I only took bits from the cover, I know they will never be worth anything but I have loved Wolverine since I was 14 and I just couldn't cut the story up.  I remembered I had some old damaged K-Zone magazines that E bought himself a couple of years ago at the op-shop in a box for a future craft project and grabbed them out and was so happy to see they had some Star Wars, Harry Potter and Spiderman bits in them I could use.  One of the DC comics had a add for Dr Who in it so that meant I could include something Dr Who on my cabinet.

We put some baking paper down on the dining table so I could work at a more suitable height for my back, I started my project with the lids as the needed to fixed more than the doors (I thought), so if I ran out of comics at least it would be done and protected.
I mixed some of my Acrylic paints to get a comic book charcoal black to paint the lids as a base coat under the comics.

Once the paint was dry I laid out some of my comic pieces to make sure I was happy with how it looked before gluing down. Due to lack of space I did both lids first and planned out my comics with the lids side by side to ensure they flowed but the doors I did individually.
When decoupaging, I worked in small sections, applying the Helmar Decoupage & Craft Paste then putting the comic piece down and smoothing it out, I tried smoothing it out with my sponge brush and with a old credit card, however some of the comics wound up with wrinkles, but I didn't mind the effect as it added to the loved feel of the comic pieces. 

I was having issues with the foam in the brushes I was using breaking down rapidly and leaving particles in my finished project.  I changed to the Universal Crafts foam brushes from Craftonline, I only used one brush for the front doors, washed it to then paint the sides and the foam is still in great condition, whereas the other brand I went through 4 brushes on the lids.

It seems to be the paper type they used.  All up I had 4 brands of comics and 2 of them just wouldn't smooth out properly, a third wasn't too bad but still not great.   They would be smooth and perfect when they went down but as they were drying they were wrinkling up.  It was odd.  Someone suggested it may even be the ink used but I think it is the paper as some pieces from Kzone were great and some wrinkled and that has different papers throughout it.

What I noticed about the pieces that took to being decoupaged really well got me thinking that for the doors I would try spraying my pieces with Helmar Krystal Kote Fixative Spray to protect them from wrinkling.  Craft is a experiment and about learning after all.

So I took my pieces for the doors outside and a box to spray into in case of wind and set about coating them all with Helmar Krystal Kote Fixative before Lucas was due over to help me with the doors.


After doing the smaller door I found I was having less issues with the paper wrinkling as it dried so for the big door I decided to give the pieces another good coat of  Helmar Krystal Kote Fixative Spray  This really did help, the big door has the best finish.

After decoupaging each lid/door I gave them 3 coats of Helmar Decoupage & Craft Paste to protect it and decided when it was done I would give the whole project a coat of Helmar Krystal Kote Gloss Varnish.
I wasn't up to doing the stairs so did it on the back landing and the wind blew the fumes inside the house so my advice is don't do it next to a open window or door.  :)








When working on the last door I noticed that the MDF at the bottom 4 inches had mold through it so I treated the entire door with vinegar, gave it a extra coat of paint and made the decision to use the Helmar Krystal Kote Gloss to seal the bottom of the doors so the mold spores would hopefully remain sealed in.





Here are some close ups.  I love how the Helmar Krystal Kote Gloss gave the project a beautiful gloss finish.

I was unable to get the laminate off the sides so I have given the sides and the trim between the lids and the doors a coat of paint.  When I have 2 helpers who can lift the entire cupboard downstairs for me I will coat the entire cupboard in Helmar Krystal Kote Gloss  to seal the spores but hopefully the paint and vinegar treatment will be enough.






I love how this project turned out.
I know that using Helmar means this project will stand up much better to the high use it is going to get.



















I am so glad Helmar supported my idea of tackling such a big project.  I learnt some very useful things while doing it and it is a very fun piece in our craft room.





Saturday 1 September 2018

September Challenge List

Welcome to the September Challenge List.

I will try to update the Challenge List mid-month with any challenges that are not up yet.  So check back in a week or 2 to see what new challenges are up.

Due to positive feedback I will continue to split the list into Australian based challenges and International challenges, so make sure you scroll through and check out all the wonderful challenges as many allow entries from all over the world.
Please if I have put a challenge into the wrong catagory let me know, I worked hard to be correct but we can all make mistakes.

Please if there are any Challenges you are aware of that I have missed let me know.I am really loving participating in Challenges, it is getting me to craft more often, to do projects I may otherwise save to do later, and some there is the added challenge of completing them when I have limited supplies that meet the requirements but that just adds to the fun.
So now for the list, I will provide a link to each challenge that has a direct link for it and either their Facebook page, website, shop, whichever is appropriate so you have all the details you could possibly need.
Those that are in a Facebook Group I will link to the group, please contact admins of the group to let them know you are joining to participate in the challenges or look at the challenges as some admins have requested this due to the waiting list. 



White with 1 is a gorgeous teal this month and a fun moodboard to help inspire you.  Here is their Facebook Page.















Scrapping Good Time - Scrapbooking Group Australia is a Closed Facebook Group that has multiple Scrapbooking Challenges and sometimes a Card Challenge each month.  This month they are having a special giveaway and to be in the draw you need to enter every one of their Challenges and participate in some other things throughout the month.

Scrap the Girls has a fun sketch this month.




















Scrapping Clearly has a lovely moodboard this month.
















Dusty Attic has a lovely moodboard up on their Facebook Page and their Blog and for even further information, they also have a Website.






Scrap the Boys has a cute prompt this month. Here is a link to their Facebook Page.  Make sure you check their blog for the rules of their Challenges.














Sketchy Boards Challenge has a great Sketch and prompt this month and a fun prompt this month.  Follow the link for inspiration and rules.



D-lish Scraps Inspiration Board this month is a lovely summer feeling board, make sure you follow the link for inspiration and the rules of this C


Use Your Stuff is a great weekly challenge that is all about using the stuff you have.  





Kraft+ Challenge has a fun prompt this month, make sure you head to their blog and read the requirements for this one. Here is the Facebook Group.














Archi-scraps has a interesting prompt this month.
















Anna's Craft Cupboard has a lovely moodboard challenge this month which you enter either via a Online Gallery or their Facebook Community.

Mystical Scrapbooks has a fun sketch this month.



Off the Rails Scrapbookinmoodboard this month.  Here is their Facebook Group.  Make sure you check their blog for the rules of their Challenges.













SCRAPBOOKIT has a fun word prompt this month

ARTastic has a lovely artwork on a plate this month.  Here is their Facebook Page.











International Challenges

CSI Challenge - Color, Stories, Inspiration is a fun challenge formatted as a case file for you to do.  I look forward to giving this challenge a go. 









Crafty Creations Challenge is a bimonthly craft challenge.  Make sure you read their rules as entry closing dates are different to most challenges.


Pixel Scrapper is a Digital Scrapbooking community that has a monthly challenge.  I am so glad I found this wonderful community. 












More Than Words has a great prompt this month.  Here are the Rules for their Challenges. Here is their Facebook Page.

Lasting Memories Scrapbooking Challenges have multiple challenges each month to inspire you.

Creative Inspiration is a online forum/group that features multiple challenges throughout the month.






Counterfeit Kit Challenge is a great concept where you take inspiration from a new kit that is out and create a kit from your supplies using that inspiration and so create layouts with your own kit.  They do a blog hop with their team showing each person's kit and layouts.  Well worth checking it out.


Scrappy Land is a bimonthly challenge that is all about getting out those dies and using them.  Make sure you list  the brand of die you used and that it is one their store stocks.


Craft-Dee Bowz is a monthly challenge that involves using a bow.  Head to their blog for more details. 

Challenge YOUrself has a lovely prompt this month. They also have a Facebook Page. 















Stick it Down has 3 Challenges a month, a card sketch, a single page sketch and a double page sketch.  Head to their blog for further details. 

The ScrapRoom is a bimonthly challenge starting with their Sketch Challenge this month.  
Rochelle Spears has a new Scrappy Friends Challenge.   She also has a bonus challenge this month




Scrap Our Stash has a fun prompt this month.







Altenew has a inspiration challenge this month.  Head to their blog for rules and inspiration.














Project Life

Here is a list of Challenges that would suit creating Project Life layouts.  Note I do need to check the challenges that are new to the list and update this sublist.  I will update shortly.

Scrap the Boys have said they will accept PL layouts.
Scrap the Girls have said they will accept PL layouts.
Kraft+ Challenge accepts tradition layouts, art journalling, tags, etc so this challenge would suit PL I think.
ARTastic Challenge Blog accepts all forms of Scrapbooking as entries.

Scrapbooking Top 50 Australia accepts PL entries.
Show us your stuff accepts PL entries.
Scrapbook Boutique accepts scrapbooking, off the page, etc so I think it would suit PL.  The new challenge is posted on the 10th of each month.
Dusty Attic states in the August Moodboard Entry Rules (so assuming it is the same) that your project can be anything you desire including layouts, cards or off the page so it sounds like PL will be accepted.

Previous Lists


My scrappy friends who only scrap when at a crop, or who have stopped or reduced their time scrapping for any reason I think you will love some of these, have a look at each one.