An exciting Adventure Time announcement!

Those of you who follow me on instagram probably saw this yesterday, but I am so excited I had to share it with my blog readers too!

A while ago I was asked to contribute to an upcoming Adventure Time Crafts book for Cartoon Network, and the book comes out next Tuesday! Today I got my preview of the book and I am SO excited to share it with you.

There are tons of amazing tutorials by some awesome crafters; The Slivered Blade, Chalkboard Nails, Yummy Pancake and the book itself is created by Chelsea from Love & a Sandwich.
My particular tutorial is for painting your own Treetrunks shoes!

The book is available for preorder on Amazon now, but it's officially out on October 7th.

Chelsea has already posted a free tutorial from the book to make some awesome Adventure Time Finger puppets. Check it out here.

Simple leather (or pleather) crafts

Yesterday at uni we had a whole day of learning different finishes and crafts with leather. We learned some pretty cool effects and tricks are were easy and really fun to do. So I immediately hit pinterest to find a way of sharing these techniques with you guys. Of course you can use pleather or some other kind of material to make these too.

1. Magic braiding

This was one of my favorite techniques I learned yesterday but I wouldn't even begin to know how to explain it to you. Melissa Esplin describes it perfectly in her Magic Braided Leather tutorial. Don't forget to check out Melissa's other posts too, she has a flair for craft and design and updates her blog with great tutorials regularly.

2. The Five Stranded Braid

I didn't learn this technique yesterday, but it's on my list of things to try. I love this effect because it looks strong and decorative at the same time. Design and Form shares a brilliant step by step tutorial on how to achieve this beautiful effect.

3. Leather Wrapped Bracelet

This Leather Wrapped Bracelet tutorial by Lebenslustiger looks a little harder than the others but totally worth it. For anyone wanting Faux leather cord for this, Nature Beads on Etsy has a nice selection.

4. DIY Leather tassels

FACT: Tassels are awesome. They're super simple to do and very effective. You can use them to spruce up presents, stick to shoes and bags, make keyrings and jewellery with. Miss Renaissance.com/ proves just how awesome they can look with her DIY Leather Tassels. Her use of colour and detail makes these tassels look extra special and makes great inspiration for creating your own.

Blog Watch 25/08/2013

I've decided to make blogwatch a biweekly feature. This way I get to explore more blogs and read up on my fav blogs some more. If you have a fun feature that you'd like to share, don't forget to leave a link in the comments so I can check it out :)

Michelle from Creature Type always wows me with her Artwork, but I'm particularly smitten with these sunbathing vampires. I think they have fabulous hair and swimsuits.

Lauren from Old Red Boots is making me jealous of her wardrobe as usual. I think this pastel cat outfit is too kawaii not to share.

Marielle from Magical Daydream is making me cry with her beautiful crane project. Seriously, go check this out. Marielle shares love and positivity by giving 1000 strangers a crane that she's hand crafted from colourful paper.

Jessa from Caked Vintage is back! And she has some awesome hair and outfits to show us.

Shell from Kitty and Buck shows us a way to both protect our books, and make them look pretty at the same time.

Violet from Blythe Ponytail Parades shares some beautiful pictures of Blythe dolls from the Blythe Indy Meetup. 

Jen from Made in Minch shows us how to spruce up any cake with a DIY mini washi tape bunting.

Red Dotty Nail Tutorial - A Guest Post from Artsy Angel

I have a very special guest post for you all today from one of my sponsors and also one of my fav bloggers Artsy Angel. Her blog is full of loads of colourful things, art and inspiration. I love love love the way she paints her nails, so I asked her to do a simple nail tutorial post for me based on her Blue on Blue nail art. I hope you all enjoy it!

What you'll need:

- 3 nail polishes. A main colour, a second colour and a colour for the middle dots. (I used a red, pink and an orange-y-pink,)

- a dotting tool or something to make the dots with (like a toothpick)

- Tape or nail stickers (this is the one I used)

- top coat

Tip: Examples of other colour combos; dark purple, light purple and a purple-e-pink for the middle. Green, blue and a teal for the middle. Orange, yellow and a peachy or creamy colour for the middle.

1. Paint your nails your main (red) colour.

Wait for your nails to fully dry before going to the next step.

2. Place your nail stickers or tape, around the half way mark on your nail. Paint them your second (pink) colour. Peel off the sticker or tape slowly.

Here are my nails after I took off my stickers. You'll see they are kind of messy and that is okay! The dots are going to hide any mistakes I make anyways so this part does not have to be perfect.

3. Take your time and start your first row of dots using your second (pink) colour. You want these dots to be above the line, make sure you are leaving enough room for the other rows of dots. 

If you're worried, do your middle (step 4) first and come back to this step after.
Tip: Make sure your nails are somewhat dry before starting your dots. You could even put on a layer of your favourite top coat to be safe.

4. Add your middle layer of dots using your third (orange-y-pink) colour. Make sure your dots are right on the line.

5. Add your last layer of dots using your main (red) colour. Wait for your dots to fully dry or you'll smudge your design. If you notice your dots are kind of big (theres a bump), give them extra time to dry.

Tip: To help speed up your dry time, place your finger tips n a bowl of really cold water or run them under the tap for a minute or two.

 

6. Finish off with a nice layer of your favourite top coat and you're done! :]

 

Of Corgis & Cocktails

I want to introduce you guys to Katherine & Teemo from Of Corgis & Cocktails. I've been a big fan of Katherines blog for a while now. I love her outfit posts, she has the ability to style such elegant and unique outfits. She also shares some kick ass DIY ideas and lots of beautiful photos from her travels. Katherine also does lots of doggy related posts, so if you're a big dog lover like me you'll find yourself cooing over pictures of her gorgeous dogs Teemo and Raynor.

[Facebook] [Twitter] [Tumblr] [Instagram] [Blog]

Here are some of my fav Of Corgis & Cocktails posts:

1/2/3/4/5

Introducing Miskabelle Vintage

I want to introduce you all to one of my newest sponsors, Miskabelle Vintage. I've followed their blog for some time, their posts are always entertaining, thoughtful and full of great ideas and beautiful photographs.

Miskabelle Vintage is run by the beautiful and trendy Amanda and Jayne. Between them, they share some wonderful outfit posts, yummy recipes and handy tips and DIY ideas.

[Twitter] [Blog] [Facebook] [Etsy]

Here are some of my fav posts from Miskabelle:

1/2/3/4/5

Blogwatch #3

1. I love Midge from Modern Girl Blitz's Christmas decorations, so cute and kitsch.

2. Erin from Studio 336 shows us her unusual and unique version of a Christmas tree, I love it!

3. Kitty from Kitty and Buck shows off her Stylish Surprise, what a wonderful surprise to get!

4. Natalie from XL as Life never fails to wow me with her stylish outfits, this one has to be my fav though.

5. Check out this genius Fox Scarf DIY from Prudent Baby. I love the material she's used!!

DIY Embroidered Christmas Cards - A guest post from Barnicles

 Blog / Shop / Twitter / Instagram / flickr

Hi I'm Barny or Barnicles. I fell in love with Chantal's unique style and skills and her blog Pony Chops. It's a pleasure to sponsor this blog and be writing a guest post here! During the week I work as an accounts assistant. I have always been creative, resulting in some questionable results - at thirteen I didn't understand darts properly. My mum also has a collection of crochet or knitted hats and gloves which don't fit properly. I usually made the pattern up while I was working on something. Now I have access to so many more patterns and tools, pinterest being an important one, but not enough time to make! I admire my motivation back then, I was fearless and would try to make anything. I'm not a writer but I am good at being creative - crochet, tatting, knitting, weaving, painting, sewing, crafting, music, drama, photography etc. Sometimes having such a variety of interests it is hard to specialise in one, so none of them end up with the necessary time. 

How to design and make your own cross stitch Christmas cards by Barnicles.

I'm very excited to be sharing this tutorial with you today, I'll admit this is one of my first tutorials so be kind and let me know there is anything that is unclear. You can leave a comment or email me at Barnsworthington (at) gmail (dot) com.

I'm going to be talking you through how to design and make your own cross-stitch cards. I love embroidery so much. I'm hoping you'll be able to take this tutorial and do what you want with it. These are just some hints and tips to help you. I would love to see what you come up with, so please leave a comment with a link if you try it. 

Supplies

- Sewing thread/embroidery thread/wool in colours of your choice
- Embroidery needle or needle suitable to the size of your thread or wool
- Card in a colour of your choosing. (I have used stationary card folders in the past, so see what you have available)
- Pen or pencil
- Square paper or lined paper
- Masking tape or painters tape
- Paper scissors
- Envelopes suitable for the size of card you choose
- Camera to take a photo of your finished artwork before you send it to someone special :)

Making the basic cards

You could use other birthday or christmas cards as a measurement for your cards. They can be any shape you want. You need at least an inch at the top or side so you don't break the fold, if you want a folding card that is. You could use this tutorial to embroider a star or circular shaped piece of card, then cover the back and add a string to make an ornament. Every year my aunt sends a handmade textiles christmas ornament with a note written on it.

A good tip is to use your envelope as a guide. I found some awesome colourful envelopes in Asda today for £1. The metallic sharpies in silver, gold and bronze also tempted me. It appears for today at least I maintain some self restraint. 

Design
1. Artistic license time! Using paper sketch out some ideas - a Christmas tree, bauble, angel, present, star, etc. Unless you are good at pixel design keep it simple. Think about sizing in relation to your card size. My templates are shown below, you can save these and print them out if you want to skip to making. 
Sketch out your final design roughly on the square paper, this is going to be your template. If you only have lined paper it is better to take a ruler, measure the lines and add your own grid pattern using dashes where the cross sections appear. You can do it by eye but your design might suffer ;) 


2. Using X's fill in your design with different pens to show different colours. Your inner designer may have to make a few choices but this pixel affect is what we need, these charts can be used for crochet, knitting, or cross-stitch designs on aida or fabric. You can use this same pattern to create many different combinations. This method uses trial and error, you might want to use pencil so you can rub out X if you change your mind. I suggest you play with a variety of design's and then choose your favorites. 

3. Decide if you want to use natural colours, or go fun and crazy! Think of a variety of colour combinations to add variation to your cards. It's up to you if you want to create a few of the same design or make each one different.  Remember you can use silver or gold thread to add extra sparkle and highlights.

Making

1. Creating your cross-stitch base. 
Cut out your chart leaving a few squares border and use masking tape or painters tape to attach the design to the front of your card, ensuring the fold is on the left. (I learnt this lesson as a child - my cards were unusual!) I find poking through from front to back gives a nicer effect but if you want to draw your design on the back you can poke from the back forward. 

 Use your needle to poke holes through just the first layer of card, take care your not poking yourself. You can open the card to ensure the back doesn't get punctured. Take care to poke through all the cross-sections of your design you want filled in.  You should use the smallest needle possible for the material you are using, but often it is necessary to use a bigger needle for wool. To poke the holes you need a sharp needle to make a clean hole the same size as the material. I found a great packet of embroidery needles in various sizes at my local fabric shop. These are a sound investment, a needle for every situation.  

2.  What material to use? 
This project looks good with sewing thread, embroidery thread, any type of wool. Each of these will create a different effect and so it's up to you, the designer to choose! Most of the examples shown are made with knitting machine cone wool, which is similar thickness to embroidery thread. I just use what is available. 

3. Starting to stitch.
Cut a length of your main colour - hoping you've decided on your colour and design choices by now. Thread your needle, you can tie a knot in the end or leave a tail to tie to the end tail or weave in later. Aim for the corner point and decide which way you are going to slant your stitches. This is a great tutorial on starting a cross stitch row. If you realise you have missed some holes you can easily use your template and needle to add these in. Work as logically as you can across your design.  

4. Adding the X
Once you have finished all the slants in one direction with one colour you can work backwards crossing all your X's or T's... so to speak. Leave a tail and you can tie this with the starting tail or weave it in to your stitches with a needle. Finish all your different colours, till you complete your design. 

6 . Finishing off the back of your embroidery
Loose threads should be secured - tied to another loose thread or woven in using a needle. Excess thread can be trimmed to make the back as tidy as possible. If this is your first try I wouldn't worry about it being messy, just cover it. 

When choosing whether to cover the back you should use your best judgement and creative flair. Last year I choose not to cover the black of my designs, showing their handmade nature. On other embroidery projects I have covered the multitude of sins on the back. It really comes down to how many different threads you have used or different colours and how you want your card to look.

To cover the back of your card, cut a piece of card bigger than your design but smaller than the card size. Use glue around the edges of the cut piece and cover your loose ends.

Adding your maker stamp (optional)

On the back of each card I make I like to add a maker stamp. This is personal to you. Sometimes I write "(c) Barnicles", other times it is more specific "Handmade for **** by Barnicles" or Made with love" (because I'm a hippy really).

Take a photo of your lovely artwork +  finally send your card to loved one!

Below are some examples of cards to inspire you and show you what is possible. I challenge you to make cards in festive colours, but also experiment, pastels are for Christmas too. Who says you have to be traditional? 

 

Have fun crafting! 

Barnicles 

 

Blogwatch #2

1. Annika from The Pineneedle Collective shows us how to make an easy and adorable heart skirt.

2. My Painted Bird shares more breathtaking photos of her adventures

3. Katie from Coeurs De Foxes shares her doll like outfit, teamed with her beautiful colourful camera.

4. How adorable are these Christmas themed wallpapers by Jessa at Pearl & Earl? Very.

5. Faith from Trail GRRRL always shares such gorgeous photos from her road trip around Yellowstone Park. These are some of my fav.

6. I'm very impressed with the dress that Lexie from Blue Wonderful made. She's a talented lady!

7. I'm so happy I came accross this blog. Linsday Louise from Hello, Mr Rabbit shares some gorgeous outfits.

8. One of my favorite mermaids, Kailey from Mermaidens shows us how to do simple pastel rainbow nails.