Crazy Daisies II

Crazy Daisies Scarf

I continued to play around with the Crazy Daisies. It is so much fun and I’m working on a Crazy Daisy Scarf. On the photo you see my scarf.

 

Crazy Daisies II One thing I found out is that I love the little flowers much more without any edging. Therefore I’m joining them while working.
I’m measuring the yarn and wind the daisy. In doing so I’m pulling the thread immediately through the loops of the previous daisies using a blunt tapestry needle.
It takes a little longer, but this way I don’t have to assemble later and avoid the problem of hiding the ends.

 

Crazy Daisies II The other thing I played around with is another cardboard loom. In my first Crazy Daisy entry I used a cardboard version of the ice-cream-lid-loom.
Later I found other daisy looms and created my cardboard version of it. It works very well.

 

Crazy Daisies II
My cardboard loom consists of 2 cardboard disks. I taped them together and put 12 pins between both disks. I can then wind a daisy and when finished I pull the pins out. For the next daisy I put the pins back in my cardboard loom.
Note: I found out, that the disks must be very tightly taped, otherwise the pins fall out.
I always use the same pin holes and this way the tape won’t be damaged. I used my well taped cardboard loom over and over and don’t have any problems with the pins.
This way I can make my loom on the spur of the moment in the shape and size I need at the moment. I also tried a square one and the square daisies looked also nice.


Links:
unikatissima’s Crazy Daisies

Tetrapak Coin Purse

Tetrapak Coin Purse

We’re drinking much apple juice and milk – and they come in tetrapaks. We must have ‘produced’ tons of it!
Therefore I love the idea of recycling at least on of them into an coin purse.

 

Tetrapak Coin Purse On the photo you see my first attempt (still without button): it’s such a nice idea :)


Links:
Tetrapak Coin Purse

 

Taking Photos from Jewelry

Taking Photos from Jewelry

If you want to take a professional looking photo from jewelry or other little items, you can get problems with reflections, shadows and the automatic flash.
I found several pages with tutorials on how to avoid those problems and take really good photos without spending a lot of money.
On the photo I tried it with an old lamp shade and natural light, but it didn’t work so well.

Links:
Taking good shots of jewelry
The original site doesn’t exist any more and is now available through webarchive: Digital Photography
This was the first tutorial I ever found on this subject – and it is very good. Take also a look at Connie Fox’s jewelry – and appreciate the soft reflections and shadows on the photos ;-)

At the following tutorial I found the idea brilliant to put the pendant onto glass to create a distance between the item and the background
How to take good photos of jewelry and other small objects

Articles about Jewelry Photography

At instructables.com (with explaining photos):
Budget photographic lighting “tent”
Do It Yourself Photography Light Box for Under $40
Super Simple Light Tent
Inexpensive Light Studio for Photographers

Moldable Stamps

Moldable Stamps

I knew about those moldable foam stamps, but I never realized how versatile they are and what great stamps you can make from them. You can even combine them into stunning collages.
I’m speechless again ;-))

On the photo you see my attempt at stamping a clothespins pattern. Because I don’t have no moldable stamp, I used my kneaded eraser. I think this is a great background for a card.


Links:
Moldable Foam Stamps
Foam Stamping: The Follow-Up

unikatissima’s Eraser Stamps

Rough Your Papers Up

Rough Your Papers Up

I like the so-called ‘Shabby Chic’ and tried some of the ‘Rough Your Papers Up’-Techniques. They make great backgrounds.
For the piece on the photo I took a gift wrap and sanded it very lightly (although it looks as if I worked hard on it ;-)). The scratches where spotless white, which was much to much contrast, but after I rubbed some ochre coloured chalk in, I like it much better.

Links:
scrapjazz techniques: Rough Your Papers Up

Embossing Yoghurt Lids

Embossing Yoghurt Lids

Once I found the suggestion to use the metallic lids of yoghurt cups for embossing (but I don’t know where). Some people use tomato paste tubes ;-)
The metal lid of the yoghurt cups is much softer and can easily be distorted, but they had a solution for this (unfortunately I don’t know anymore, who ‘they’ were): they filled the backside of the embossed metallic foil with PVA glue.

I tried it once and I like what happened.
On the photo you see my results: I put the foil on the mouse pad, embossed it, cut it with scissors, filled the back with PVA glue and waited (!) for the glue to dry. I coloured both roses with nail polish.
The items are lightweight and less bulky than the tomato paste tube embossed. They can easily be used for cardmaking.


Links:
Tomato paste tubes revealed