…compilation of tutorials
Once I found the Lah-Di-Dah Bra purse at craftster.org – what a funky idea!
Since then I always wanted to make a bra purse, but I don’t use no purses, because I always need backpacks. Imagine the bra! ;-))
But I collected links (see below) on how to make a bra purse anyhow – perhaps I’ll make a bra purse eventually ;-)
Links:
At craftster.org: Lah-Di-Dah Bra purse
For more entries search for “bra purse” at craftster.org
wrights.com: Bra Purse
Craftbits: Bra Purse
Bra Purse with zipper
Once I found instructions on how to make a nail file envelope, which I embraced, because me too, I never have such a file when I need it and I don’t like to search ‘free’ nail files in the depths of my bag.
I’m not much of a stamper (although I would like to be ;-)), so I made them with my own with markers and a little moist coloured tissue papers, I collaged them from magazines and I made them from doodled coffee-dyed newspaper (see second photo).
Because I own 5 cm wide clear packaging tape (a little less than 2 inches), I made the envelopes slender enough to cover them completely with the tape. This way they are sturdier and more robust in the depths of my bag ;-)
The nail file envelopes are a lot of fun to make and a very good giveaway at nearly everybody. Even men took them voluntarily! ;-)
Most fun for everybody is, when I present the whole range of my nail file envelopes and everybody can select their own.
Links:
Nail File Envelope
Pink Paper Peppermints has a beautiful project: 31 Crafty Flowers.
I checked them all and I wanted to present one of them, although I haven’t tried it yet, because I dont’ have the right markers: the Watercolor Button Garden.
Aren’t they beautiful?
And be sure to check the other flowers too :)
Links:
Watercolor Button Garden
When I saw the tutorial on how to make hairsticks from chopsticks I loved it!
What a great idea. And a beautiful project to practise the Peyote stitch ;-) (for links to learn Peyote see below).
I haven’t done it yet, because hairsticks never keep my hair (it’s too thin ;-( ).
But who knows? ;-)
Links:
Chopsticks into Hairsticks
About.com: Beadwork: A website with lots of tutorials about beadwork
Basic Beading Stitch Tutorials (English)
Perlenhobby.de: A website with lots of (german) tutorials about beadwork: click on
‘Anleitungen’ in the sidebar left and there select one of the Peyote tutorials
I love those book purses, although I haven’t made any yet (up until now I’m only collecting links to tutorials ;-)).
At craftster.org I found a tutorial on how to make a really cute notebook purse that I had to put immediately on my to-do list.
Links:
craftster.org: my preferred craft forum
Notebook Purse
I really like to crochet (ok, to knit also, but not soo much ;-)).
Anyhow, the yarns are quite expensive.
Therefore I was thrilled when I found the article ‘Recycling yarn / Unravelling thrift store sweaters’. In addition I found a tutorial on how to unravel a sweater.
Equipped with this new know-how I am anxious for the next thrift store visit ;-))
And then I will see to it to get some Kool-Aid or other food colouring to dye my newly achieved yarns myself as taught (amongst others) by knitty.com.
And if it works well, I will give self-made self-striping yarn a try (found via ‘Watermelon Socks’).
This will be better than my previously mentioned coloured yarns. And I think as much fun as the other recycled yarn made from plastic bags.
I’m curious about when I will find the time (and the place! ;-)) to do all this, but it is fixed on my to-do and to-try lists ;-)
Links:
Recycling yarn / Unravelling thrift store sweaters
Tutorial on how to unravel a sweater
Dying wool with food colouring
(For other tutorials google for ‘dye kool-aid’)
Self-made self-striping yarn
(via ‘Watermelon Socks’)
unikatissima’s entries:
Coloured yarns
Recycled yarn made from plastic bags
I saw this Tealight Photo Holder. I found the idea stunning, but I didn’t like the look of it: for me it looks like a cut-open tealight ;-)
But then an idea stroke: How easy to make this from plaster!
On the photo you see my plaster photo holder in action ;-)
img 1: Take a toilet paper tube and cut in rings about 4-5 cm height (appr. 1.5 – 2 inches). I did this with the sharp knife on the photo.
img 2: Wrap foil around, but let one side open. Fix the foil with elastic.
img 3: Fill the forms with plaster to a height of about 2,5 cm (about 1 inch). When full, insert a previously cut piece of cardboard as separator.
Let harden (about an hour).
img 4: When the plaster went hard, but everything is still wet, tear apart the cardboard tube and break the ‘plaster coin’ where the separator cardboard stuck.
img 5: Rub the cardboard rests away.
If your photoholder piece is uneven, now is the moment to fix it: Simply scratch away what you don’t like with the back of an old knife.
img 6: You can embellish them in so many ways.
I painted them immediately with watercolours, but you can also wait until thoroughly dry.
img 7: When dried I stamped them and varnished them with medium gel.
Have fun!
Links:
Tealight Photo Holder
via Photojojo
Browsing craftster I found one day the thread about coin rings.
Somewhere in the thread is also a link to a tutorial on how to make your own coin ring (with many explaining pictures).
I can’t image that I will ever do this, but I find it interesting enough to present it here.
Perhaps someone wants to make their weddings rings this way? ;-))
I really liked the idea of making a little window vase out of a recycled light bulb (for tutorials see Links below).
And I had to try it myself ;-))
On the photo you see my first attempt. I wrapped it with paper maché and have not yet formed a wire to hold it. And as I made the photo, I had no flower either ;-)
So I took one of my crocheted flowers and – voilà ;-)
Links:
Light Bulb Window Vase
As mentioned before in the entry about paper beads, I once created an artist book.
Step Outside Your Box Saturdays posted this week a challenge about books and I thought it an opportunity to show my artist book ‘blickkontakt’ (which means ‘eye contact’).
I wanted ‘blickkontakt’ to give the viewer many surprises to discover and created therefore several windows and fold-outs.
The pages were created from cardboard and covered in hand-stained papers. Then I stamped, embroidered, tape transfered, sketched, scribbled and glued.
Enjoy the pictures
(Click thumbnails to see photos)
The cover with the round medaillon in its ‘pocket’. Along the spine I let hang the threads with the paper beads.
Still the cover, but this time showing the backside of the round medaillon.
Pages 1 & 2: You see the eye through a round window, the spirals are hand-embroidered, the little altered slide can be put into the lace pocket.
Pages 3 & 4: The images are tape transfered, the flourishes are hand-embroidered.
Pages 5 & 6: I stamped, wove paper, embroidered, crocheted. The dark circle is a free swinging altered bottle cap, the semicircle on the left upper side is a fold-out, where I glued a hand-beaded star.
(Unfortunately the tape transfers gleam so, that you can’t see their motif.)
Pages 7 & 8: I cut two little round windows into the right page.
The raffia forms a little pocket, where I put a transparent tape transfer tag.
Pages 9 & 10: Stamping, tape transfers, embroidered spirals, fold-outs, hand-stained crochet flower and hand-made bead fringe.
The verso with tape transfers, stamps and a ringlet from a fake hairpiece.
I created more artist books, if you like to see them, take a look at Art.
Links:
If you want to create your own (Altered or Artist) Book, you may want to take a look at the following links (the list is far from complete!):
About Altered Books:
What is an altered book?
Definitions
At art-e-zine: Altered Book Workshop
Get Inspirations:
Gallery of Altered Book Artists
Google results of search for ‘Altered Book’
Google image results of search for ‘Altered Book’
Some of the used techniques:
Paper staining
Tea Staining Your Art Journal Pages
Tea Stain Paper
Image Transfer Techniques:
Easy Photo Transfers (different techniques)
Image Transfer
Packing Tape Image Transfers
Here at unikatissima:
Paper Beads