I made this junk jewellery bracelet from buttons beads and odds and ends. It looks like something that was made from inexpensive items but when I added them up, or worked out what they would cost to buy new, it was expensive. with my time and sundry costs I wasn't sure how to price this item so that it was fair to me and a customer.
Getting the money right is important.
What would you pay for one off hand-crafted items?
What do you charge for your creations?
Are you satisfied that the stuff you use to make your products is considerately sourced?
Do you lack the confidence to ask for what something is worth?
Just some of the questions crafters and makers ask themselves each day.
Picture shown by LTreatDesigns. For sale on pinterest.
When I meet up with my craft group after the holiday we will be making windchimes. We are excited about this and with good reason. They can be made from all kinds of things including keys, shells, broken pottery and beads. You can make them using simple construction skills or jewellery making skills as in the example above. I am making mine using beautiful twigs from outside and hanging them with some tiny (one-bite) metal cake tins that I never used and I hope to post the results. All skill levels and all ages can be involved in this. Get looking for stuff and have a go. Consider your neighbours though and don't have something too loud and clanking!!
www.LTreatDesigns.com
http://uk.pinterest.com/explore/wind-chimes/
Making felt is such a pleasure. Watching a fabric being transformed right in front of your eyes into something else never loses its appeal. I use felt in my classes and would describe it as a forgiving fabric. It doesn't fray or need a hem, it can be manipulated, sewn onto and into, it comes in dozens of shades, kids love it and it looks and feels great.
Making it is as varied a concept as using it. You can make felt with wool tops soap and water or you can felt woollen clothes in your washing machine. Felting needles enable you to make tiny detailed items with very little fuss and the smallest amount of material. you can felt wool onto lace and lace onto wool, you can make small items such as snowflakes or you can put designs on bags or jumpers.
I will be returning to felting with my class soon and we will be looking at needle felting to make designs on purses. I don't have a video of me making felt but I've added links to two great sites. Once you watch them you'll be inspired to do it yourself.
Have a look and then try.
www.youtube.com/user/gypsyfelting
www.youtube.com/user/dharmatradingco
J
ust a few of the books my Dad bought.
My dad believed in the spiritual and educational value of reading and put his money where his mouth was by buying a large collection of books for us to read as children when there was barely enough money to buy bread. A long long time has passed and I still haven't read them all. I keep promising myself to get on with it but there are so many things to do in life and so many other books.
My plan is now to decorate each book once I have read it. They are not valuable antiques and my children read via hand held devices and won't want to carry them through life as I have done.
In the spirit of adventure and creativity I intend to do these books justice by reading them and re-purposing them in a thoughtful, respectful and creative manner. Where possible, something on the new cover will reflect the story within. I'm going to be binding and gluing, using ribbon and found objects and photographing the results.
I welcome suggestions and pictures to spur me on.
Do you have some books that you don't need and would like to decorate. Have a look. You could use pages in decoupage and card making, or you could cut into them.
At The John Ryland's Library in Manchester - quite near to me - winning entries for bookbinding and re-modelling competitions are displayed for the public to admire. I might visit and be inspired.
Cutting into the books is also an option...requiring a plan, a steady hand and sharp tools.
I'll let you know how I go on.
manchester.ac.uk./library/rylands
I can teach crafts sessions to you in your home or at your premises. Any thing from simple projects right through to sessions involving more than one idea is possible.
You might want to offer CPD to staff, treat friends or employees, incorporate craft activities into training or include a crafting session as part of a celebration or event.
You can make all kinds of jewellery, create abstract pictures, paint pebbles, make dream catchers and garlands, experiment with fabric dyes...and more
Prices will vary according to what you want to make and the length of the session. I'm happy to discuss what you need.
Curly Hyacinths. I made lots of them while demonstrating their construction and someone asked if they could have them to use as a table display at her son's party. I said yes and she took all but these two specimens!
I took three extra craft classes last week. One was for trainee teachers, another for adult carers and a third was a drop in taster session. For each I was asked to do Easter paper crafts. Adults don't want to do the same things as children, they want to take part in activities that challenge and please them or that they can use in their family life or work so I set about thinking what they could do.
Spring is in the air and I thought paper flowers would be a good project. Many of the ideas I looked at involved long processes or were surprisingly complicated. In the end I went onto youtube for ideas and found Curly Paper Flowers made on the site linked below.
They were fab!! They looked hard to make and yet were straightforward. Better still they looked like real flowers. I made some with vintage music paper and wrapping paper but the best ones were made with simple A4 copier paper in mid green (stems) and pinks and purples (flowers) as above.
If you were making a lot of these flowers, to resemble a bouquet, it wouldn't cost much at all. The only equipment you need is scissors, paper, glue, a glue brush and a skewer or something similar to make the curly flower heads.
Have a look at all the superb ideas on this site and the instructional videos that are clear and simple to follow.
Thanks IdunnGoddess. The people in my classes enjoyed your work!!
youtube.com/user/IdunnGoddess
When my boys were young I used to encourage their artistic instincts with what I called Jackson Pollock painting. JacksonPollock.com If you get a chance to see Jackson Pollock's paintings when they tour your city then do. They are large and quite dazzling.
Emulating some of the splashing and dripping techniques used by Pollock, my sons decorated rolls of wallpaper that were spread out on the grass outside. It's a great project for one child on his or her own or as many as you can fit around the paper. It's messy and you don't know what you're going to get but it is enjoyable.
And it's not just for kids and rolls of wallpaper. The Jackson Pollock style can be used on furniture, walls, t-shirts, floors and objects. I had a large bowl that I found very plain. I also had some left over lime green and olive green emulsion paint that I'd used for decorating. I painted the bowl in one colour then splashed on the second colour. I then varnished it. I find that the technique gives the best results when the paintbrush doesn't come into contact with the surface being painted. Drips, drizzles and splashes are more interesting than daubs. Try for yourself and see.
Have a look for items you can decorate. You could use pieces of card and frame them or use them as greetings cards.
Cover yourself and any things that you don't want to be painted. If possible do this project outside!
