Tuesday, May 22, 2012

How to Make a Circle Flower- Video Tutorial

Tuesday, May 22, 2012
by Nana Campana, Guest Contributor






About Nana Campana
I am into the business of making what seems to be impossible a reality – of motivating women to reach the dreams they never thought they could reach – of uncovering beauty from the dirtiest of places!  Simply put, I am a committed life-changer, beauty giver, and heart sculptor who KNOWS that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE! 

Friday, May 18, 2012

A Card Making Video Tutorial

Friday, May 18, 2012
By Bernie Forlenzo


I love all kinds of paper crafting and really enjoy sharing that with others!  I want to show you how to make your own handmade cards and other paper items step-by-step through my photo tutorials, videos and samples on my website.  Nothing is more frustrating than finding a wonderful sample and then trying to find the materials.   

If you would like to learn more about this flower card-making video tutorial, please click HEREEnjoy this video!  How to make this Flower Card by Stamp with Bernie.


About Bernie Forlenzo
I have joined with Stampin' Up!, the leader in quality card-making and crafting supplies, and you can get all the materials needed for my projects at my Stampin' Up! Online Store at http://stampwithbernie.stampinup.net
To learn more about the world of greeting cards, I invite you to visit my Stamp with Bernie website and sign up for my Mailing List.  You will see many samples and videos on the site itself and receive exclusive videos and samples for my Mailing List subscribers.  I want to make crafting fun and interesting for you!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Aiko Column: Eat Me Cookie- Alice in Wonderland Collection

Thursday, May 17, 2012
By Aiko Chan


   
 This tutorial is based on the eat me cake/cookie in Alice in Wonderland. Template here

Monday, May 14, 2012

Up close with: Friendly Fashion Founders

Monday, May 14, 2012
Creativity isn't just about painting and crafting; it can be a solution that is created by someone to benefit others. The two sisters I've known from their website has brought creativity to a whole new level. Nadzirah and Diyana are two young-spirited women whom had unleashed their inner-creativity to create a website that promotes loving and sharing what you have with others. Read more...


Courtesy of Friendlyfashion.my
Sisters are doing it for themselves!
Tell me about yourselves (before and after your business)
Before Nadzirah (26) started her business she was working in an online marketing company as a writer. Diyana (23) was running her baking business.

What is the nature of your business?
Friendlyfashion.my is a free trading platform where people can sell, swap or give away their preloved clothes, shoes and accessories. Our business is to keep the community thriving and happy and to make sure that if there were any disputes, we’d do our best to resolve it.

When did it start and why? Any meaning behind the name given?
We started the site in February and the meaning behind the site is really a lot to do with building a community. And because the site is catered specifically to clothes, shoes and accessories, the obvious word that would come up next is fashion.

Courtesy of friendlyfashion.my


What makes it stand out? / How are you promoting your personal brand?
The thing about friendlyfashion is that it has many amazing things which makes it stand out. For one thing it’s about two ordinary girls who happen to be sisters working together to reduce waste in clothing. Then on top of that these two sisters are very passionate about fashion and would like to create a community who knows that one can be fashionable and wear preloved clothing at the same time. The other awesome thing is we have global partners who have the same drive and passion as we do and are always ready to give us advice and support. This helps us stand out as we’re now part of a project that is not only good for environment but also community conscious.

What are your strengths? Or how would you describe your style?
Our style varies - Diyana is more simple but creative with how she wears her hair. Nadzirah can be sophisticated yet bohemian and sometimes funky. It’s pretty safe to say that between us two, we have outfits for any occasion.

Courtesy of friendlyfashion.my


Any specializations that you offer on the website? 
What we love about our site is the comment box on every item. It gives the buyer and seller a chance to interact for clearer photos, or asking for measurements before actually saying ‘I want this’ item. The comments section let other members see the transparency as well which thus creates more trust within the community. On top of that you can also update your status and interact in the forums about anything and everything under the sun!


Any background involvement in other fields? 
Diyana also bakes for a living! And Nadzirah teaches debate/public speaking on Saturdays to kids between 12-17 years old.

Any upcoming or previous projects, events or involvements? 
We’re planning to have an offline event soon and to invite the community to join us but for now we’re rather focused in making the site and community grow, interact and give us feedback if there are any about the site.

What are your significant memories so far from this project? 
It’s hard to say as every day we evolve to new tasks and ideas and that’s always memorable. But for me (Nadzirah) it would have to be the fact that I was working from the beach in an island not too long ago. I never thought I could have an office that was so beautiful! :)

Courtesy of friendlyfashion.my

Where are you based?
We’re based mainly at home or all over KL. But at times, we can work away from home as it is an online business.

What is the driving force behind the website? 
The driving force behind the website is the community. Without the community interacting, this would just be another mudah.my or something along those lines. This is not just a place to shop, it’s also a place where you can interact and make new friends.

Where do you see yourselves or your business ONE or FIVE years from now? 
We hope that this site will just grow bigger and bigger. Because we are so niche we want to be the go-to hub for preloved clothing. Having been inspired by our sister sites in Germany, Lithuania and Czech Republic, we really believe that Malaysia has a huge potential to be the same. And we also hope other countries in Asia will also start doing the same too so we can reduce waste in this world.

What are your inspirations? 
We get inspired from the littlest things. From random photos to phrases to life experiences. It’s hard to say we have one medium of inspiration.

Any inspiring quotes to share with others or advice? 
Our favorite quote by Mark Twain:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. 
Explore. Dream. Discover.”


Biz card: 
www.friendlyfashion.my
facebook.com/friendlyfashion.my
twitter.com/myfriendlyfash

Credits:
Photos courtesy of Friendlyfashion.my

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Learn to be Creative by Appreciating Your Rough Sketches

Wednesday, May 9, 2012
My day job requires me to work closely with graphic designers in an art department. Spending my time almost everyday in a creative environment has taught me one thing- “learn to love my roughs”

I am pretty sure some of you have heard of this advice before. And because of this deep and meaningful advice, I have learned to love my roughs whether it is on sketch, a drawing or even when I jot down a phrase or two that just pop into my mind unexpectedly.

On so many other levels, I love to apply this idea!

Appreciation
Learning to love my roughs has also taught me to love my surroundings and experiences. It has helped me see things creatively and spot uniqueness in all objects or happenings around me. I find that this observation has allowed me to love the simplest things in life.

Ideas
Ever since I begun to love my roughs, I have doodled, colour, scribble or draw; whether it is on a coffee cup, or a serviette, I feed myself with a spoonful of creative juice everyday! Doodling often helps with creative thinking. It automatically revitalizes your body, while allowing you to relax your mind. I recommend writers to doodle as much as you can. You would be surprise at how much ideas you can generate when your mind is at ease, allowing your ideas to appear through your doodling.

But Why Love My Roughs?
When you love your roughs, you love a part of you inside which is not governed by ego. At most times, I noticed that my good ideas come from my roughs. This is because, during this moment, I noticed that I am not self-conscious about what is the right way or wrong way. I simply allow myself to just draw whatever comes to my heart first. It can be a favorite pattern or a preferred colour; the more you create with love, it will lead you to produce a work that will be loved by others.

Hands-On
- You don’t need to be talented to be an artist. I always believe that creativity is already in every one of us.

- Scribble or doodle away and be as creative as you can. Sometimes your drawings don’t have to make sense.

- Keep doing this whenever you are facing a writer’s block or an artist’s block. Keep doodling until you reach “EUREKA” state.

- When you allow yourself to scribble or doodle away; you are allowing yourself to be creative. And when you are being creative, you are creating life and abundance.

- Remember, let creativity come from within first by creating roughs so that you don’t end up sitting with the brush in hand not knowing where to start.

- When you practice doodling, you automatically refresh your mind. Doodle away!

Saturday, May 5, 2012

DIY Paper Rose Video Tutorial

Saturday, May 5, 2012
by Nana Campana


Courtesy of Nana Campana
Courtesy of Nana Campana




















About Nana Campana
I am into the business of making what seems to be impossible a reality – of motivating women to reach the dreams they never thought they could reach – of uncovering beauty from the dirtiest of places!  Simply put, I am a committed life-changer, beauty giver, and heart sculptor who KNOWS that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE! 
Website: www.nanacampana.com

From The Artsy Craftsy: I would like to thank Nana Campana for being so generous on sharing her interesting Paper Rose Making video tutorial with us. Nana is a creative individual with wonderful skills! The Artsy Craftsy would be featuring FIVE of her FUN tutorials, so if you like this one, then stay tune for the next on our next issue!

Friday, May 4, 2012

DIY Silk Dyeing- Create an Impressionistic Style

Friday, May 4, 2012
by Linda Ferretti

Courtesy of Linda Ferretti



"Impressistic" Instructions
  1. Always wash your silk first and cut to desired sizes
  2. Just before dyeing, soak in very warm water
  3. Set oven temperature to 250 degrees
  4. Choose the dyes you are going to use
  5. Bring water to a boil
  6. Measure amount of each dye to be used {medium value start with ¼ teaspoon acid dyes;  adjust accordingly for lightest and darkness} dissolve in boiling water and stir until completely dissolved.
 For scrunch dyeing (impressionism style) 
  1. Take your Pyrex pan {approximately 9” x 14”} and scrunch the silk with valleys and lows to create design.
  2. Take a tablespoon and spot dye the silk, scrunching into the silk with back of wooden spoon.  Sprinkle with salt to grab the colors if desired.
  3.  There are 2 fixatives you can use to set the dye, citric acid (sprinkle grains over top of silk) or white vinegar (approximately ¼ cup to pan) 
  4. Cover in aluminum foil, poke holes in top for steam to escape and put in preheated over for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.  Be sure and add a bit of hot water to the pan to prevent the silk from sticking to the pan.
  5. Usually the silk will soak up all the dyes and when the water runs clear you know the process is finished.  When the dye is very strong like navy for example, the silk cannot absorb all the dye.
  6. In this case, rinse the silk till the water is clear.  Let the silk cool a bit before rinsing. 
  7. Hang on line till damp dry.  Iron with steam on cotton setting (check carefully as this will vary with different model of irons.  I find it easier for damp silk but you can iron when dry or simply spray the silk with water.


  
Open Pot Method (Same as above except as follows)
  1. Heat water in pan on top of stove (enough so the silk can be covered easily with water.
  2. Add mixed dye and stir well.
  3.  Add very warm soaked silk, stirring constantly with wooden spoon.
  4. Simmer gently for approximately 15 minutes, stirring often.
  5.  Add to the water 1 Tablespoon citric acid(for brighter colors) or 1/ cup white vinegar for softer colors.
  6.  Continue stirring until the silk absorbs all the dye. Let silk cool before rinsing.
  7. Return to step #12 and complete the same way.
  8.  The open pot method is great for pastels or one color silk.



About Linda Ferretti
Linda Ferretti is from Nova Scotia, Canada and is a Painter, Fiber Artist, Designer and Rug Hooking Supplier. Website: http://www.linartdesigns.com
"I have been painting for 27 years. Enjoy landscapes, seascapes and floral. My painting mediums are oil, acrylic, watercolour and pastel. My fiber art are my original creations. I design patterns for rug hooking and create hand dyed artistic pillows. Currently, I am studying Chinese Brush Strokes. Why I am artistically motivated? I live on a high hill in the country surrounded by two fresh water lakes. You cannot hear the traffics pass due to a large pine grove. On our five acres, we enjoy a large variety of birds, squirrels, partridge, deer and on occasion, a few rabbits. My life is quiet and full of natural beauty as the seasons pass. In one half hour, I can be walking by the sea! This is the perfect spot for an artist- guaranteed motivation all year long!" 



*Picture courtesy of Linda Ferretti


Upcycle Picture Frame Ideas

by Connie Steinberg
Courtesy of FreeStockPhoto
Jazz it up! *Courtesy of FreeStockPhoto

Alternative Use for A Picture Frame
If you find an interesting picture frame of almost any size at a flea market, grandma's attic, your garage or yard sale, I can tell you an alternative way to use it. I found an old graying wooden frame that was very simple for mine and decorated it with dried flowers from my own yard. Remove the back to the frame and take it with you to a local sheet metal retail outlet to get it cut to size. 

Purchasing an Existing One
You can find one under local sheet metal stores online by listing sheet metal and your zipcode or just use the yellow pages. Or, you can buy a sheet online the right size from several sources that you will find there. The sheet metal is not hard to cut with some tin snips if you wish to do it yourself. Replace the backing with the sheet metal after you decorate the frame as you wish.

To Upcycle a Frame
Now for the frame; you can paint it to color coordinate with the location, just use a clear coat of urethane, even use a faux finish and then glue on dried flowers , plants, small wooden shapes that you paint or buy already painted, shells; almost anything you can imagine. Your choice of decorations depends on the style of the frame and where you plan to hang it. If the frame is large enough, it could even be used as a sort of headboard. If you center it over the bed, it will be a nice focal point; maybe even hang smaller individual photos on each side. 


"In a child's room it could hold artwork,favorite singer , athlete or team pictures or pictures of them as they compete in their sport or competition."

Now you can use magnets; maybe even magnets you make to coordinate with the theme to hold on announcements, pictures or whatever you wish to display or you can buy magnetized clear frames from the arts and crafts store. The clear magnetized frames come in all sizes from the size of a sheet of paper to quite small. The collage you create is up to you.

This frame can then be used in any room of the house and easily be updated and added to when needed. It will enable you to condense all those pictures that you want to display but don't have enough frames or places to hang or put them. And, create a nice addition to your home décor.

About Connie Steinberg

I am a 64 yr young lady who has sewn and done crafts all my life.  I was at one time an art major in college and love color. The site is about 5 mos old and I am having the time of my life researching sites and info for it.  I like some of almost all kinds of music and love animals.  That is me in a nutshell. Website:www.statelylady.org 

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

DIY Weave a Woven Heart Pendant

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Another heart to offer to your loved ones. Courtesy of Handmade Jewelry Club, learn this eclectic "Woven Uneven Heart Pendant" by clicking HERE

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Aiko Column: Drink Me Bottle- Alice in Wonderland Collection

Tuesday, May 1, 2012
by Aiko Chan

 
The Alice in Wonderland themed tutorial. Template here