Catching up with Kaisercraft

Once a week I spend the day playing catch up, adding the finishing touches to any projects not quite yet done, taking photos and browsing the net for inspiration, and as always, looking for free patterns and interesting tutorials. To stick to my commitment to posting daily, I'll share with you something that I thought was a fabulous find.

If you have walked into any craft store you have seen products by KaiserCraft who have a huge range of scrapbooking supplies.  You can find the PDF file for this adorable little mini heart bag here.  The PDF includes a full size template to print, and step by step instructions for assembly.

Six Inch Crochet Blanket Sampler - Traditional Granny

Technique: Crochet

Materials:
8 ply (sports or medium weight) yarn of choice

Tools:
4mm hook

Finished Size:
6 inches

I was taught to do the basic granny square when I was quite young. Of course after not doing any crochet for years I totally forgot how to do one again, but it is one of the most basic crochet patterns and easily picked up again.

The great thing about the granny square is that you can finish one off pretty quickly, and they are very portable making it ideal as a travel project.  Throughout the year I will be doing sampler squares for different granny squares and then constructing them together in one throw.

The written pattern for a granny square makes it looks a lot more complicated than it is.  The granny is a simple round of three double crochet shells separated by two chains at corners, and one chain on straights.

Join with slip stitch unless otherwise noted.  Chain 2 at the beginning of each row or round counts as first DC.

Foundation Ring:  Ch4, slp st into first chain to form a ring, ch 2 (counts as first dc), 2 dc in ring, [ch 2, 3 dc in ring] 3 times, ch 2, join

Rnd 1:  Slp st in each of next 2 dc, slp st in next chain space, ch 2, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same ch space, ch 1, [(3dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch sp, ch 1] around, join in second ch of beginning ch 2.

Rnd 2:  Slp st in each of next 2 dc, slp st in next chain space, ch 2, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same ch space, *ch 1, 3 dc in next ch 1 sp, ch 1 **, (3dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch 2 sp, rep from * around ending last repeat at **, join in second ch of beginning ch 2.

Rnd 3: Slp st in each of next 2 dc, slp st in next chain space, ch 2, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same ch space, ch 1, *[3 dc in next ch 1 sp, ch 1} twice**, (3dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch 2 sp, ch 1, rep from * around ending last repeat at **, join in second ch of beginning ch 2.

 Rnd 4: Slp st in each of next 2 dc, slp st in next chain space, ch 2, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same ch space, ch 1, *[3 dc in next ch 1 sp, ch 1} three times**, (3dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch 2 sp, ch 1, rep from * around ending last repeat at **, join in second ch of beginning ch 2.

Rnd 5: Slp st in each of next 2 dc, slp st in next chain space, ch 2, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same ch space, ch 1, *[3 dc in next ch 1 sp, ch 1} four times times**, (3dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch 2 sp, ch 1, rep from * around ending last repeat at **, join in second ch of beginning ch 2.

Continue adding rounds until the square is the desired size.

Paper Heart

Technique: Cut & Paste

Materials:
old book
paper clips

Tools:
stapler
ruler
craft knife or rotary cutter

This project is so simple it hardly needs a tutorial! I used an old romance novel, but you could use any paper you like.

Cut 11 strips of paper one inch wide and six inches long.

Fold one strip in half and using a hole punch, place a hole up near the folded edge, this is the hanging strip.

Take two strips and put them to one side, they will remain six inches long.

Crop 1/2 an inch off two strips, so they are 5 1/2 inches long.
Crop 1 inch off two strips, so they are 5 inches long.
Crop 1 1/2 inches off two strips, so they are 4 1/2 inches long.
Crop 2 inches off two strips, so they are 4 inches long.

Starting with one of the longest strips of paper and ending with the shortest, make two piles. Take one pile, and ensuring that all the short edges are flush with each other, paperclip it into position about 3/4" down from the folded edge of the hanging strip. Repeat with the other side.

Gather all the short ends and make them flush and paperclip into position at the bottom of the hanging strip, you should be able to see the heart shape forming now. Fiddle around with the paperclips until you have the shape that you want. Having the short edges further away from each other will give you a more elongated heart, bringing them closer together will give you a wider heart. When you are pleased with your shape, hold the sections in place with your fingers, remove the paperclips and staple to secure.

Loop some string through the punched hole on the hanging strip.

Green Dragon Herbal Tea

Technique: Herbcraft

A spicy blend that captures the essence of chinese green tea and mixes it with flavours of chai.

50g green tea
8g cardamom seeds
10g cinnamon sticks
5g dried ginger slices
5g cloves
2.5g whole black pepper

For those interested in herbal mythology and lore, all the ingredients have a fiery energy, which is where the name comes from.

To make, place the cinnamon sticks, ginger slices and pepper into a mortar and pestle and break down into small pieces. You don't want a powder, but you do want to break it down to a more manageable size. Combine with the green tea, cardamom and cloves and store in an airtight container. Use at a rate of one teaspoon per cup.  With traditional herbal teas you would not add milk, however as this has a green tea base, you can freely add milk and sugar to taste.

Chinese New Year Jacket

One of the Chinese New Year traditions is to create banners and write upon them symbols of luck, fortune, health, wealth or whatever else you would like to bring into your life in the new year. This cute little jacket incorporates four such symbols.

Technique: Plastic Canvas

Materials
worsted weight wool (8-12 ply)
7 count plastic canvas
bamboo skewer
wooden beads
felt
tacky glue

Tools
tapestry needle
scissors

Using the chart below as a guide, complete the jacket with continental stitch, overcasting edges in red. A line of backstitching in gold was done between the outer red border and the overcast edge.




I have drawn the symbols in gold on the chart to make the lines more visible, you could do them on the jacket in gold if you wish, or red as I did. This is what the symbols on the jacket represent:






Cut the bamboo skewer slightly wider than the jacket and glue wooden beads at each end. Using the metallic gold yarn and thread through one sleeve of the jacket from back to front, then tie around hanger, then form a loop, tie around hanger and then through the other jacket sleeve, front to back and tie off. Cut a square of felt slightly smaller than the back of the jacket and adhere to the back to finish.

Chinese New Year Bauble

Materials:
glass bauble
red joss paper
Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish

Tools:
scissors
kitchen sponge

Cut the joss paper into strips. The bauble I used was 3" in size, so I cut my strips 1" x 4", if you are using a smaller bauble cut your strips thinner to accomodate. Paint a strip of liquitex onto the glass and smooth down a strip of joss paper, using a clean and barely damp kitchen sponge to press down on the paper. This softens the paper and encourages the bond between the Liquitex and glass, which helps the paper form around the curve of the bauble.

Continue in this manner until the entire bauble has been covered with strips of joss paper. Allow to dry overnight. Give the entire bauble a coating of Liquitex to seal and varnish.

Chinese New Year Lantern

Techniques: Cut and Paste, Basic Crafting

Materials:
3" styrofoam ball
red and black joss paper, or similar
Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish
red fringe
pva glue
black gimp braid
15cm red cord

Tools:
paintbrush
kitchen sponge
hot glue gun

Cut the joss paper into 1/2" squares. Brush a small amount of Liquitex onto the styrofoam ball, place on a square of joss paper, brush over with paintbrush to smooth down. Repeat this over half the ball, overlapping squares randomly. Allow to dry for several hours and finish the remainder of the ball in the same manner. Once thoroughly dry give a finishing coat of Liquitex.

Take a 15 - 20cm piece of black gimp cord, place a dab of glue at one end and place the cut edges of the red cord in place so that it forms a loop (this is your hanger). Wrap the piece of braid tightly around the cord to form a roll. Secure the end with a dab of glue to prevent fraying and glue into place on the top of the ball.

Lay a 15cm - 20cm piece of red fringing flat on your workbench. Run a thin line of glue along the top edge and roll up tightly. Wrap a small piece of black gimp braid around the top edge of the fringe and glue to the bottom off the ball, being careful to make sure it is not offset to the top, but in line so that it hangs properly.

Catching up with The Graphics Fairy

Once a week I spend the day playing catch up, adding the finishing touches to any projects not quite yet done, taking photos and browsing the net for inspiration, and as always, looking for free patterns and interesting tutorials. To stick to my commitment to posting daily, I'll share with you something that I thought was a fabulous find.

The Graphics Fairy site contains over 2000 high quality, royalty free, vintage images for you to print and use on your projects.

There's way more ads on the site than I like, but it is a small price to pay for such a valuable resource. I especially love the labels category, with plenty of ready to print vintage labels as well as blank templates for making your own. Here's just a few to whet your appetite.

Year Of The Rabbit

February 3rd marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year in 2011. This is the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese Zodiac providing the inspiration for this ornament, however you could make this with the animal that symbolizes your birth year if you prefer.

Techniques: Knotting, Cut and Paste

Materials:
paper mache luggage tag
red and black joss paper, or similar
white chipboard or thick card
acrylic paints
sealant, such as Liquitex or Royal Coat
pva glue
1/2 metre red cord
double sided mounting tape or foam
large bead

Tools:
scissors

Cover the paper mache tag with the red and black joss paper. Print the image below onto a piece of red paper. I had some scrapbooking paper that was slightly textured, red background with a brushed gold over the top, that was perfect for this project. Glue the image onto a piece of white chipboard and cut to size. Seal both the back and front.

The square good luck knot is deceptively easy to make, all you need is a little cord, a square of paper and some good instructions. This site http://www.chineseknotting.org/luck/howto4/ shows a step by step guide to tying this knot, and if you feel adventurous, there are several other tutorials for different knots.

Glue the knot to the tag with one loop pointing upwards for hanging, and the loose tails pointing straight down the middle of the tag. Using double sided mounting tape stick the rabbit to the centre of the tag. Thread the loose ends of the cord through the bead and knot securely. Pull the bead back down to cover the knot. Fray the loose ends of the cord so it looks like a tassel.

Crochet Over Glass Bauble

Technique:  Crochet

Materials:
metallic crochet thread
8cm bauble

Tools:
2mm hook

The crochet over glass baubles remind me a lot of fishing buoys.  Perhaps I will do a rustic one with string and embellish with shells and such.

The original pattern was created by Joy Prescott for a 2.5" glass ball, using size 10 crochet thread and a size 6 steel hook.  The balls I had were much bigger, so I adjusted the pattern somewhat, by using thicker thread and a larger needle, as well as adding in extra rows of the netting.  If you would like to view the original pattern you can download it for free it here.

Round 1:  Ch 4, form to join ring, ch 3, 11 dc in ring, join in 3rd ch of beg ch-3.

Round 2:  Ch 5, [dc in next dc, ch 2] rep around, join in 3rd ch of beg ch-5.

Round 3: Ch 1, sc in same st as joning, [3 dc in next ch-2 sp, sc in next dc] rep around, ending with 3 dc in next ch-2 sp, join in beg sc.

Round 4:  Sl st to centre dc of next dc group, ch 1, sc in same st, [ch 5, sc in centre dc of next dc group] rep around, ending with ch 5, join in beg sc.

Round 5:  Ch 1, sc in same st as joining, [7 dc in next ch-5 sp, sc in next sc] rep around, ending with 7 dc in next ch-5 sp, join in beg sc.

Round 6:  Sl st to centre dc of next dc group, ch 1, sc in same st, [ch 5, sc in centre dc of next dc group] rep around, ending with ch 5, join in beg sc.

Rounds 7 - 11:  Sl st to 3rd ch of ch-5, ch 1, sc in same st as joining, [ch5, sc in next ch-5 sp] rep aroujd, ending with ch 5, join in beg sc.

Insert glass ornament.

Round 12:  Sl st to 3rd chain of ch-5, ch 1, sc in same st as joining, ch 3, sc in next ch-5] rep around, ending with ch 3, join in beg sc.

Round 13:  Sl st in first 2 chs of next ch-3 sp, ch 1, sc in each ch-3 sp around, join in beg sc, fasten off.

Goddess Art Doll

Technique: Sewing, Painting

Materials:
plain muslin or calico
acrylic paints
polyester or wool stuffing
wool scraps

Tools:
sewing machine
needle and thread
sea sponge

Place your fabric so it is laying right sides together. Using the pattern, cut two pieces of cloth one quarter of an inch larger than the pattern (this is for the seam allowance). Stitch around leaving a one inch gap for stuffing. Turn right side out. Lightly stuff the head area, and then stitch around the outline for the head. Continue stuffing the rest of the body until desired firmness has been reached. Whipstitch the gap to enclose.

You now have a blank goddess doll that you can decorate for any season, any reason. For this doll I used a sea sponge to dapple rich brown, burgundy and gold paint. Allow to dry thoroughly.

The wheat is deceptively easy to paint. You will need a warm yellow such as yellow oxide and white acrylic paint. With the yellow oxide draw in three or four lines that will be your stalks. Work on the left side first and still with the yellow oxide draw in little almond shapes, with the curve touching the stalk and the peak pointing away. Do six or seven of these down the left side of each stalk.

Mix a little white with the yellow oxide so that you have a lighter shade. It doesn't have to be mixed very well, having streaks of white and yellow give a more natural appearance. Draw the same almond shape but on the right hand side of the stalk now. Lastly finish with a few long wispy lines coming out from the middle of the almond shape. See how easy that was!