Crazy Quilt Photo Frame

Crazy Quilt Photo Frame

Once I wanted to make a photo frame for a friend. There are so many ways to do this, but then I got an idea I still find great ;-))

 

Crazy Quilt Photo Frame I used a simple glass frame as seen on the second photo that I already had at home and glued a kind of Paper Crazy Quilt with two windows for the photos onto the glass.
I used flower photos from an ad as paper and the only embroidery stitches I used where the zigzag stitches, because I wanted it to be simple.

 


Links:
Here at unikatissima:
Paper Crazy Quilt

Flexagons

Flexagon Flexagon Flexagon Flexagon

Flexagons a quite interesting things: a kind of card with four sides, and you can flip from one side to the other, back and forth.
But to better understand what Flexagons are, how they work and how you can make one for yourself take a look at the Flexagon page.
On the photos you see the four pages of my first (and up until now last) flexagon. (Click on thumbnails to see the photos.)
It doesn’t work so well, because it is to bulky:
I made them from cardboard to make them lasting longer, glued then cotton on to the cardboard, because I thought that fabric would bend better if you flip them over and over and then glued on the pieces of my hand-embroidered and tape-transfered collages on the appropriate places.
Next time I will see to it that they get slender.
But anyhow: I love my flexagon ;-))


Links:
Flexagons

And if you want to embroider your collages:
English Embroidery Stitch DiagramsDeutsche Stickstichbeschreibungen
(see also Paper Crazy Quilt)

If you want to know more about image transfers
Easy Photo Transfers (different techniques)
Image Transfer
Packing Tape Image Transfers
(see also Artist Book)

Here at unikatissima:
Paper Crazy Quilt
Artist Book

Coin Ring

Coin Ring

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? ;-))


Links:
craftster: ‘coin rings! i’m an addict!!!’

Tutorial on how to make a coin ring

Jacob’s Ladder

Jacobs Ladder

Once a friend gave me a couple of photos of her grandchild to make something special with them.
I thought about it and then remembered the Jacob’s Ladder (the children’s toy).
A little research in internet showed me, that there are tutorials but they all refer to the wood-and-ribbon version (for links see below the Links).
So I figured myself out how to do it with photos.
On the animated picture you can see that it worked.
I wrote a tutorial to download (PDF, appr. 230 KB).
You may used it as you wish, but if you do, please give credit.

Addendum: Later I found several paper Jacob’s ladders, I added the links below.


Links:
Make a Jacob’s Ladder from your photos (PDF, ~230 KB)

Tutorials on how to make a Jacob’s Ladder from wood and ribbons:

instructables: A Traditional Jacob’s Ladder

Jacob’s Ladder (English)
Jacob’s Ladder (German)

Tutorials for Paper Jacob’s ladders:
Invisible Jacob’s Ladder Technique Class (English)
Jacob’s Ladder Christmas Card & Gift Card Holder (English)
Mini-Scrapbook – Jacob’s Ladder (English)
Jacob’s Ladder Tutorial (English)

Friendship Bracelet

Friendship Bracelet

I once braid a Friendship Bracelet, but in just one colour. The ones at Heather’s Friendship Bracelets are so beautiful because of the different colour patterns she presents.

I haven’t done them yet, but they are on my to-do list (together with a gazillion of other things to try ;-))


Links:
Heather’s Friendship Bracelets
Note: even though there’s written something about a move I could stilll reach the links
Friendship Bracelet – first pattern of first set

Freeform Peyote

Freeform Peyote

As I said before I really love freeform work.
Another wonderful freeform technique is Freeform Peyote.
To give you an idea of the variety of pieces of art, see those results of the Google image search ‘Freeform Peyote’.
Stunning, aren’t they?

First I had the problem that I really didn’t know where to begin.
Up until the day I found a tutorial on how to make a freeform peyote bracelet.
After I’ve seen how easy it is, I worked several pieces with this technique. The photo shows close-up of three of them.
If you like to see more of them, take a look at the judaica, many mezuzot are made in freeform peyote technique.


Links:
Tutorial on how to make a freeform peyote bracelet

Results of the Google image search ‘Freeform Peyote’

Peyote stitch:
About.com: Beadwork: A website with lots of tutorials about beadwork
Basic Beading Stitch Tutorials

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
Wikipedia: Mezuza (english)Mesusa (deutsch)

Paper Lampshade

Paper Lampshade

Yasutomo has interesting tutorials for different project ideas different project ideas different project ideas. I found this lampshade lampshade lampshade simply stunning!
My self-folded experiences looked also good. I wanted to use them as little gift boxes. It turned out that they were long but narrow cases for which I didn’t found any appropriate gift to put in ;-))


Links:
Yasutomo project ideas
Paper Lampshade
The original site doesn’t exist any more and is now available through webarchive:
Yasutomo project ideas
Paper Lampshade

Albert has pointed out that the archived page doesn’t show pictures (anymore?).
Fortunately Yasutomo has re-organized their website and the lampshade can be found there again:
Yasutomo project ideas
Paper Lampshade

 

The original site doesn’t exist any more and is now available through webarchive:
Paper Lampshade