Sizzix Pop 'n Cuts Cards

 Another couple of cards using Sizzix Pop 'n Cuts card bases...

Log Cabin Doll's Quilt

Here's a little quilt I made for my niece's first birthday. She was getting a doll from her Grandparents, so I thought I would make it a quilt, and also a little pillow and pillow cover. Apparently she quite likes it, though not for her doll, but for herself to sit on, instead!

Washi Tape & Cards

I have come pretty late to the Washi Tape scene... but have finally arrived! I love the matt texture and low-tackiness of it, and have bought a few different rolls, plus adhesive sheets lately. I had a good browse for ideas on Pinterest, and have a new board on there full of stuff to try.

A couple of cards I made using Washi tape

More Cupcakes

Cupcakes which I made for a couple of events we've been to recently.

Zippered & Lined Pencil Case Tutorial

The day before yesterday, I was working my way through a big long list of Things To Do, when by mid-afternoon I ground to a halt, and had the mad urge to make my first zippered pencil case.

Here's what I did: (I follow pictures better than words, so this is my reminder.)

1. Cut out 2 outer fabrics and 2 lining fabrics all the same size. The zip can be longer than needed.

 2. One lining fabric (spotty one) face up, zip laid along top edge, face up, then lay an outside fabric face down. All three top edges are in line with each other. I pinned mine.

3. Use a zipper foot on sewing machine, and sew along top edge of zip, through all three layers. 

(You don't really want to sew past the zip pull part - it's too chunky, so after sewing part the way across, open the zip, so the zip pull is behind your sewing machine needle.)

4. Here it is now with one lining and one outer fabric sewn onto one side of the zip.

Fold both pieces of fabric down away from the zip. (Only the outer fabric has been folded away, so far, in the picture below.)

5. Lay 2nd lining fabric face up. Place the zip (zip teeth face up) along the top edge.

6. Place the 2nd outer fabric, right side down, on top of the zip. I then pinned mine, and sewed along the top edge of the zip again.

7. The 2 linings, and 2 outer fabrics are now attached to the zip. Iron them neatly away from the zip.

8. I then sewed along either side of the zip. (I actually sewed along each side twice in this picture - but only because I made such a mess of the first line, and somehow I imagined a second line would make it look neater... nope - just 2 messy lines either side of the zip now.)

9. Then make sure the zip is open half way (important for when you want to turn the pencil case right-side out later on), and open out the whole thing with the 2 lining fabrics facing each other, and the 2 outer fabrics facing each other. 

Make sure the zip teeth are pointing down into the lining side - this makes the finish neater. 

Try and get the 2 sides of the zip lined up really well with each other. Mine went a bit skew-wiff, and next time I make one, I will definitely pay more attention to this.

10. Start sewing all the way round, starting at the bottom of the lining side. Leave a couple of inches gap at the bottom of the lining, for turning the whole thing right-side out. I sewed a couple of times forwards and backwards over the 2 ends of the zip, for extra strength.

I trimmed round the edges afterwards, to neaten them up, and also snipped off some fabric in each corner.

11. Turn everything inside out, then pull the lining out of the pencil case. I folded in the raw edges where I had left the gap in the lining, and sewed a little line along the bottom.

Iron the pencil case while the lining is sticking out, so that you don't iron creases into it.
Use something pointy, but bluntish, to poke into all the corners to get them neat.

12. Ta da!! Definitely not perfect (wonky stitching along zip, and zip ends not lined up perfectly), but still very pleased with my first effort!

(Update: My pencil case now has a twin!!)

A couple of cakes

Some cupcakes I made for a Mcmillan's Cancer Support Coffee morning, yesterday. Vanilla icing, with a little pocket of raspberry jam in each.

(And some ones at the bottom of the first picture with much less icing on, for my kids! Already got a Type 1 Diabetic in the house - not planning on creating a bunch of Type 2's!)

A Sizzix Saturday

Oh what a lovely lazy Saturday! The house was clean and tidy early on, and we had a nice visit from my parents-in-law, then I got to spend the afternoon playing with Sizzix, making cards for my friends...

Some of the products used:


   

Time to start a new quilt

The last few weeks have been a bit intensive - Lucy our 14 year old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes the day before she was due to start back at school, on 3rd September. It was very sudden, and she was not really ill at all, we just were lucky to spot the signs early. She was in hospital for a couple of days, then back to school again the day after, and has done all her injections herself from the very first one. There's been a very steep learning curve going on in our home, and adjustments to be made, but I think we are doing OK.

I really felt the need to make something last week though, and so started this very simple quilt - just some 9 patch blocks with wonky star bits added to 4 of the squares. I cut all the bits out for 12 blocks, and will sash it in off-white. I used some old Tanya Whelan fabric that I have had stashed away for ages.

A couple more Sizzix Cards

For this card I copied a card design by Gretchen Schmidt from the Sizzix blog. It uses one of the Pop 'n Cuts die with the label insert, the newish Hydrangea die for the scalloped border, and bird, tree and fence dies by Dena Designs. 

 I used a very old Sizzix Originals Jar die to cut out an acetate jar, for this card. and 'filled' it with Stampin' Up heart punched pieces.

Hexagon Quilt

I spent most of August at our house in France, and as I have no sewing machine or crafty stuff out there, out comes my hand sewn hexagon quilt. It is growing verrrrry slowly! I like it because it truly is just made from scraps and off-cuts from other projects. I use a Sizzix hexagon die for my cardboard templates inside each piece.

More Sizzix Pop 'n Cuts cards

Another couple of cards I made before my holiday, using some of the new Pop n' cuts dies and accessory dies from Sizzix. The first is a thank you card for some strawberry plants and raspberry canes which my sister-in-law gave us. I used a round movers and shapers die in the middle, with acetate behind the window, to stick the strawberry to.

 A simple birthday card. I like the rick-rac die cut, from the newish Sizzix Hydrangea die.

An anniversary card for my Mum and Dad - this time with the Pop 'n cuts on its side, with a circular movers and shapers die placed on one side, to make the window.

Sizzix Cards

I love Sizzix! Ever since I saw my first Sizzix machine on ebay, and was intrigued as to what it was, I have liked everything about them! I recently bought some new products, and have been trying them out. I bought a base tray for the Movers and Shapers range, plus some of the little magnetic dies which fix on to it.

This card uses the Mini Bird & Cage set. (The tab edge is cut using the Sizzix Tim Holtz On the Edge File Tabs die.)

 I also got a Sizzix Square Flip Its die, which makes a clever little card with a centre part which flips over when you pull the card open. I've made a load of cards for an auction which our church is holding to raise money for the kids' camp this summer.

I like the mini spool die from the Tim Holtz Movers & Shapers Sewing Room set, on this card.

Paper flowers using Sizzix Flower Layers #10, and Flower Layers #8

 More cards using my trusty old Sizzix Cupcake & Icecream die (retired), and a new Tim Holtz On the Edge Pennants die.

 These were some cards Harry and I made for Harry's classroom assistants. We used Stampin' Up treat cups for the flower centres.

 I also managed to get hold of a retired Sizzix Hello Kitty Sizzlits die, and this card used the Tim Holtz Pennants die again too.

 Movers and Shapers magnetic cupcake die (which attaches onto the metal base tray, and so can be placed wherever you want onto your card blank.)

 Movers and Shapers Mini Tattered Florals dies, used to make the bottom flowers, on each card.

 Movers and Shapers Mini Butterflies

 And finally a card using the Sizzix Bigz Reindeer Flight die.