Welcome back CM!!

All craft meets and workshops have finished for the year!  This year I mostly attended to craft meets, workshops and two camps for Close to my Heart, Stamping Up and the Stamp Club. I managed to make a lot of greeting cards, only afew scrap pages and worked on ATCs and craft deco booklets.

In November Creative Memories was relaunched back into Australia. I goggled online to find a new advisor as my past consultant no longer is working in any papercrafting field. I heard through the grapevine she had a very tragic year in losing a very close relative of hers.

After finding a new advisor, she invited to attend to her all day workshop at a motel's function room near Westfield at Chermside in earlier this month. This bi-monthly workshop will come in handy when I'm at my bf's for the weekend. He lives only ten minutes away!! She had 8 ladies attending to this meet in early December and it was a fun filled day with lots of laughter and being creative. I was more surprised to see a past CTMH consultant there to scrap with her friend.  I used to attend to her meets on some Wednesdays in 2014. I stopped going to her this year as my studies was more a priority to do. I still have a regular visit consultant who lives in Ipswich which I happen to meet other consultants via her.  I have attended to one card workshop with a different person this past term. I am not sure if I will continue with her in 2016.

As for next year I don't think I will attend to many CTMH meets since CM has came back into my picture.  I will continue to stay in touch with my current CTMH consultant by attending to more major events at the clubs, brae centre and camps.

Yearly updates

Due to enrol to studying a Diploma course this year, my craft days have reduced.

I haven't barely scrap many pages this year as I am more now focused on ATCs for swaps and making greeting cards and off the page projects at SU workshops.

I mainly stick to one CTMH consultant now and attend to her workshops when I can on either Tuesdays or Friday nights.  I still attend to bi monthly workshops with her in another group too and went to an overnight camp at the Sunshine Coast in May. At these workshops I either work on my WOTG kits ready to add photos later or make cards or ATCs backgrounds from using scrap papers.

My main priority on these school holidays was to tidy up my craft stuff as it is no disorganised at present time.  I haven't started as yet as I was sick with the flu last week.

Card Making TIps

Check out the list of tips graciously contributed by other card makers. Just scroll down to read them.

• Use wooden, cardboard or plastic floss cards to organise your ribbons. (refer photo above)
• Keep all the scrap paper. You can use them to punch out punchies. (punchies: what you punch out with your paper punches).
• Put a pack of Baby Wipe nearby to clean your rubber stamps in-between change of colors.
• Ink your stamp with Versamark ink before using Stazon, Brilliance inks or any other difficult to clean ink.
• Use washable inkpads when making cards with children. Children love to stamp on their hands, arms and faces.
• Keep a notebook beside you on your bedside table to jot down card making ideas in the night.
• Shake your chalk re-inker by putting it in a sock and spin it!
• If the rubber on your rubber stamps are turning white, apply a light coat of glycerin over the rubber to avoid ghosting. You can find glycerin at your local pharmacy.
• Not sure what color card to use to layer your image on? Choose a color from the image.
• Lightly sand your shrink plastic first before stamping on it.
• Dip a brush in water and paint your shape on the paper, pull paper apart with your hands to give a lovely feathered edge to your shape.
• Stamp some images on white cardstocks with black pigment ink and carry them in your purse with a small pack of color pencils. Color them during waiting time.
• Store your markers horizontally.
• Store your not so juicy inkpads upside down to let the ink sink to the top of the pads.

Creative months

Two months have passed and what busy time I had with paper crafting.  I continue attending to CTMH workshops with now five consultants.  One consultant has weekly meets at her home which I attend every Tuesday.  It's an hours drive from Brisbane but it's worth the trip as these ladies are a friendly brunch. Also a yummy hot lunch is included!! Other consultants have not so often workshops each month or bi-monthly. 

Last week I attended to the big launch party (as it was my first time) to see what the company is all about.  About 100 ladies attended with alot of consultants.  There were three ladies I knew from other craft areas I happened to see and we briefly had a catch up. The only disappointment was no supper was provided (not that I could see with a room full of people and products) and only one simple card was made in such a short time.

Also I went back to my old stamp club as a regular member again last month.  We have two meets per month and lately we had either guests from other craft businesses coming in to show their product range to sell or demo on making something.  Other meets have been make and take classes where we had one card or off the page project to complete. There will be an all day meet in July to celebrate Christmas in July.

And lastly I have been re introduced back to Stampin' Up. It's another US based company that originally started as selling stamps but now they are branched out to other crafting areas. I had met one consultant who has card classes twice a month during a week night. The first meet I attended was on Monday night.  We had 9 cards to make in 3 hours.  Six of us ladies did the challenge in less then 3 hours.  Two ladies each make 1 design of three and continue the same pattern with other two designs at the same big table.  If there were any problems we just had the consultant to help us.  But most of us had experience in stamping so it wasn't really a problem to create by ourselves.

This Saturday afternoon I plan on attending to a launch party for Stampin' Up.  New products are coming out and also some make and take classes are happening.  Hopefully it will be alot better then CTMH had earlier this month.  

I had heard through the grapevine Kassazz had a similar party too at one venue but it wasn't really well organised at this event.  I am so glad I didn't go afterall to this company's launch. 

Happy Crafting everyone!

Introduction to CTMH

After months and months break of scrap booking I finally got back into creating pages this month.  After I went to the recent craft show in Brisbane, I found out more information about Close to My Heart. It's another US based company that deals with paper crafting of making cards and scrap booking pages involving the cricut and cuttlebug machines and unmounted stamps. 

Like Creative Memories they have consultants signed up and you goggled online to find your local one. I emailed about half dozen consultants to see which one suits my needs. All of them replied!!

I have found two friendly consultants which I have met and been to 2 different workshops. The first lady I have met hosts her 3hr workshops on more a regular basis on Wednesdays. Also she has three all day workshops per year and one camp at my common venue spot, west of Brisbane. The next camp is scheduled for the long weekend in June. And I am planning on attending.

The second lady hosts her workshops on Sundays, once a month.  I attended to her first one this month. It was held at a function room at a sports club near my home address. It's more a casual sit to do your own thing but she seems to be more focus on card making as most of her customers are card makers. I have brought the kit to make 15 cards which I will work on when I have the chance to.  I probably be one of these crafters who just collects the kits and don't do them.  I have afew scrap kits around which I should work on them in the near future. 

One thing I learnt about CTMH they don't have the same system set up like CM had. You can sign up as a hobby consultant for any length of time.  There isn't any restrictions on how much sales you must have in a limited time.  Also I heard you can sell your work creation to other people.

This company has been going in US for 30 years and only last year they came to Australia, about 2-3 months after CM had serious financial problems. I heard through the grapevine CTMH don't have any debts which could explain why CM bust.  I think CM had debts right the day they started or short time into the business.  Also I think they tried to compete with CTMH with their ideas too. If CTMH was around when CM was introduced to Australia I probably would of went to Close to My Heart back then.

New project ideas

I know Christmas is now over but I think these projects will be good to start soon for 2014 Christmas.

Snowflake Garland

Materials:
*size 10 crochet thread
*size 7 steel crochet hook

For instructions of this pattern go to: http://www.redheart.com/files/patterns/pdf/WR1691.pdf 

1.  Make your first snowflake.

2.  Make your second snowflake, but stop when you have one chain loop left on your last round.  Make your first sc, chain three, sc, and make two of the five chain stitches that come next.

3.  Insert your crochet hook down through the chain 5 loop of the previous snowflake.  Hook the thread and make your next chain (the third of five) through the loop.  Make your last two chains.

4.  Now continue on finishing up the snowflake just as you did your first one - except now you have another snowflake attached.

5.  Continue making snowflakes and attaching them until your garland reaches the desired length.

Multicolor Miniature Christmas Stocking Ornaments

It is very easy you’ll see but I hope that I’ll find a way to explain it to you by using simple words…

For these I used Nako Vizon a 100% acrylic yarn with a 4.5mm crochet hook…You can crochet with the yarn that you want but careful to pick up the right size crochet hook

The socks are made using a single stitch (apart the beginning chain stitch and it is: d.c (U.K terms) or s.c (U.S terms)

I’m gonna make with you step by step this one: Don’t worry it is very easy So? Are you ready? Did you prepare some yarn and a crochet hook? Let’s maaaaaake it ! yahooooooooo!

I suggest that you make a sock with a single color to try out the pattern first and then you can make your own multi colorful one

For this one I used 6 different colors …

PART1:

Let’s begin with Part1 in the graphic pic (purple and yellow)

First (with the purple color) you begin with a circle of 4ch chain

R1: 10 dc (or sc) in the circle

R2: You crochet 2 dc in every dc of the previous round that make a total of 20 dc

R3 to R11: 20 dc  (R1 to R6: in purple R7 to R11: in yellow)

That make a total of 10 rounds of 20 dc. (purple and yellow colors part)

END OF PART 1

So? Is that ok for you so far? You just did the Part 1 bravo!

Let’s continue… shall we?

PART2:

R12: 10 dc (With the dark blue color you crochet on half of the stitches of R11, that makes a total of 10 dc)

and you continue making rows of 10 dc until R17…

So R12 to R17: 10 dc

You just did PART2!

Crocheting R17 you have to close and sew the right part of your sock 

END OF PART2

PART3:

With the turquoise color: R18: 22 d.c

For R18 you have to join together the dark blue part and the yellow part with a round of 22 dc (22m.s) as shown on this picture: (6 dc on the dark blue part + 10 dc on the yellow part + 6 dc on the dark blue part = 22 d.c ) You continue from R18 to R 33: 22 d.c

R18 to R22: 22 dc with the turquoise color

R23 to R27: 22 d.c with the red color

and finally R28 to R33: 22 d.c with the pink color

You close your little sock by making a chain of 17 ch so you can hang it 

You did it ! Your little sock is ready You can embellish it by adding some buttons, ribbons or beads…

If you are really lost with these instructions, go to for further details:  

http://www.lemondedesucrette.com/2011/11/16/little-christmas-socks-the-pattern/

Christmas decoration idea

Crochet Snowflakes Coasters

 

Difficulty Level: Entry level with some crochet and assembly experiences
Finished size: approx. 4″ (D)
Make: 6 coasters

Materials & Tools:
1. DMC Pearl Cotton Ball size 8, 2, White, double strand
2. Crochet Hook, 1.75mm
3. Synthetic Felt, 2mm thickness, Red, 12″ x 8″
4. 4″ Hexagon template, to draw your own template with the variable of R=2″, or, you can use 4″ circles as an alternative
5. Quick dry all purpose adhesive (clear color), 6. Scissors
7. Spray bottle or fabric stiffener

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
sc = single crochet
dc = double crochet
slst = slip stitch
st(s) = stitch(es)
tog = together
prev = previous
fo = fasten off

Snowflakes Pattern (in American terms)
Use double strand of DMC Pearl Cotton, size 8, in white. Make a Slip Knot to begin.
Rnd 1:
ch 2 (this first ch is considered as base ring of the snowflakes, the second ch is the beginning st of rnd 1), *12 sc in the first ch, slst to the ch stitch at the beginning of the round.
Rnd 2:
ch3, dc in next stitch, ch5, *skip 1 st, 2dc on next st, ch5, repeat *5 times. slst to the 3rd ch at the beginning of the rnd.
Rnd 3:
ch 1, *ch9, sc in second ch from hook, sc in next 2 sts, sc next 2 sts tog, ch6  slst in 4th ch from hook, ch7 slst in the prev slst st, ch3 slst in the prev slst st, slst in next 2 sts, ch5, sc in second ch from hook, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts, skip 1 ch sts and 1 dc st of prev rnd, sc in next dc sts,, 3 sc in the 5-ch space of prev rnd, ch3 slst to the loop of last sc, ch7 slst in the prev slst st, ch3 slst in the prev slst st, 3 sc in the 5-ch space of prev rnd, sc in dc st of prev rnd, repeat * 6 times, slst to the first ch at the beginning of the rnd. fo, hide thread ends

Dampen the crochet snowflakes by spraying some water on it or brushing a thin layer of fabric stiffener, adjust the shape and pin it down to an ironing board, leave it dry to block the shape.
Note: Use Martha Stewart Water Resistant Fabric Stiffener if you wish to seal the white snowflakes to protect it from getting stained.

Assembly
Cut hexagon felt, glue the crochet snowflakes on it by using clear quick dry all purpose adhesive. Press them with heavy books for at least 10 minutes

For further information go to http://www.craftpassion.com/2013/11/crochet-snowflakes-coasters.html/2. It will give you the step by step instructions on how to complete this project too. Enjoy!