Create your own iPad case

Hi Everyone

So many people have tablets of one kind or another these days. Why not personalize your tablet with it's own unique case...

Needle Felted iPad Case 

Take a 30 x 45cm sheet of felt (2mm thick) and decorate it how you want. If you want to decorate just the front make sure you leave a 5cm strip clear at one short edge of the felt. Then decorate anywhere within the next 14.5cm section.

I decided to needle felt this piece using an Efco owl napkin as the base for the pattern. To do this you take the top layer of your napkin and roughly cut out your design. Iron Vilene onto the back before cutting out the motif more precisely. Remove the backing sheet from the Vilene before ironing the motif in position on the felt. You are then ready to needle felt with super soft Merino wool tops. If you've never needle felted before check out one of the Projects4Crafters needle felting project sheets by clicking here.

Place your iPad on the felt and fold the felt so that the decorated front lines up roughly with the edge of your tablet. Stick 3 loop Velcro coins approximately 15mm in from the top edge (one in the centre and the other two 45-50mm in from either side). Place the hook coins on top of the loop ones and fold the top edge of the felt over the top. Then release the Velcro by opening up the flap. If your Velcro isn't very sticky you can use invisible thread to stitch them in position for extra security.

 

If you have needle felted your decoration on the front or done any kind of sewing or decoration that has made a bit of a mess of the back it's a good idea to cover it with a thin piece of felt. You can either use more Vilene to stick it in position or, if you prefer, glue.

Use a hot glue gun to seal the left and right edges. (If you don't have a hot glue gun you can stitch the edges instead using either a running stitch or blanket stitch.)

 

And you are finished!

As you can see it's so easy to do. If you've decorated your own iPad or phone case I'd love to see what you've done so please feel free to post photos!

Happy crafting!

Fee x

Have you ever tried Soapstone Carving?

Hi Everyone

Hope you're still enjoying the sunshine! (Isn't it gorgeous?!)

As I do enjoy a bit of sun but don't want to give up on my crafting pursuits I've been thinking of what activities I can do in the sunshine. Of course there is always Efcolor enamelling (provided you have a sheltered spot away from breezes that is), but I fancied trying something new and a little different for a change. So I turned to soapstone carving!

I was pleasantly surprised at how therapeutic I found it. Not only do you have the pleasure of having something emerge and evolve under your hands (rather like modelling with clay) but you also have the tactile qualities of the soapstone as you work with it. Again, you do need a still day without too many strong breezes as you get a lot of fine powder coming off the soapstone but it is a lot of fun and it's up to you how refined you want the finished piece to be.

To give you an idea of the process here's a simple project of a turtle which uses a pre-cut base as a starting point.

1. Use soapstone rasps to refine the shape of the turtle.

2. Use coarse emery papers to refine the shape yet further, smoothing off any rough patches or sharp edges.

3. Use finer wet emery papers to really smooth the surface, removing any coarse emery paper ruts or gouges.

4. Apply a couple of coats of soapstone oil using a brush, allowing the oil to soak in after each coat.

5. Buff up the soapstone with a soft cloth.

6. Using the corner of the soft cloth, apply some of Efco's special soapstone polish all over.

7. Buff up the soapstone with the soft cloth once again, until you achieve a beautiful sheen. (If necessary you can apply more polish and buff it up again until satisfied.)

The finished Turtle.

Efco do a range of pre-cut shapes as well as boxes of assorted soapstone chunks. They also do all the tools you need to create wonderful, unique carved pieces. So if you've never tried it before I suggest you give it a go and let your imagination run wild...

Happy holidays everyone!

 Fee x

 

Another great Create and Craft Show!

Hi Everyone

Sorry for the radio silence - it's been a hectic few weeks with preparations for the Create and Craft shows and family visits! 

The show with Jacqui Joseph was great, so thanks to everyone who emailed in and has been in contact with me since yesterday! If you've ordered the Efcolor tealight stove, powders and blanks I'm sure you'll be having a lot of creative fun soon. And to get you inspired I thought you might like to find out how I made the hanger using the square pack of blanks...

This hanger uses 3 of the large/medium square aluminium blanks. 

1. Each square was covered with ivory powder and heated. 
2. Then one of Efco's new stencils was used to create a random pattern with bright pink Efcolor powder. (A patchy effect was created by deliberately not covering them with an even layer of powder.) Then they were reheated.
3. The top layer of a napkin was separated from the back two layers and small flower images were 'cut' out using a wet paint brush.
4. These were stuck randomly on the top and bottom squares with pva glue. (You can use a hair dryer to quickly dry the glue.)
5. When the pva has dried apply light random patches of orange, yellow and gold glitter powders followed by a thin layer of transparent and reheat. (nb. If the glue is not dried before reheating it will make the Efcolor bubble.)
6. Rubber stamp the middle square with a permanent ink pad (I used Jody's Friendship Flower by Rebekka Erickson).
7. When dry, apply light random patches of orange, yellow and gold glitter powders, avoiding the stamped area as much as possible. Use a brush to 'sweep away' any stray powder from the stamped image. Then cover all over with a thin layer of transparent powder before reheating.
8. When cool, cut three squares of card the same size as the blanks. Stick pieces of ribbon to the backs of the blanks with double-sided tape, joining them all together. Make sure to make the centre ribbon longer at the top so that you can fold the end over to create a loop. Use the pieces of card to cover the ribbon and neaten the backs of the blanks.

So, as you can see, it is very easy to create a unique, handmade enamelled decoration. If you are one of those who have decided to give Efcolor a try don't forget to check out the enamelling pages on the website: http://www.projects4crafters.com/#/enamelling-page-3/4566920953. And I'd love to see what you make so do send me photos of your creations if you can.

Happy enamelling!

Fee x