CREATIVE 1
You will be in good company at the PCG! Erika Price Ar
tisan Jewellery
~Sapphire M ember
The Professional Crafters Guild was established in 2011 to provide small craft businesses with the recognition that they deserve. Join our community of professional crafters and gain support, advice, workshops and publicity for your business. Add your unique guild badges to your websites and display your membership certificate on your craft stalls to show the world you mean business! Be part of an international network of Professional Crafters and Small Business owners
Helenka White Design
~Sapphire Member
ed membership receive discount d an g tin af Cr e eativ Interview for Cr
2
www.procraftersguild.com
Cotswold Characters er ~Sapphire Memb
It is SO EXCITING to be back! Where have you been for the last four years I hear you say. Well… It’s been quite a hectic four years. Our team moved on to other things (I aim to catch up with as many of them as I can so that we can see where they are now) Things got a bit manic at Creative Crafting HQ as children got older and approached exams, various family illnesses occurred etc. I needed to temporarily shift my focus onto my other pursuits. Time just blurred (as it does) and all of a sudden it was four years later!
But not to worry, we are back with a more fluid version of ourselves. Ready to publish you and your fabulous creations. So how can you help? Well we would love to hear from you if you’d like to: ● Write an article, how to guide, feature, your story etc. ● Have products that you would like us to review or promote. ● Would like to be Interviewed. Click this image in our magazine to visit the online version of the
● Would like to work with us at Creative Crafting.
article to share.
We have lots of ideas but always have room for more so get in touch. Email us at articles@creative-crafting.com or visit our website www.creative-crafting.com
This Month Features: Indra Jewellery C6 Beauty Crafty Kestrel
ADVERTISING Anna-Marie Miles theycrystallady@creative-crafting.com Tel: 07763 566636 ARTICLE SUBMISSION To: articles@creative-crafting.com www.creative-crafting.com
Shiv Textiles CreativeCraftingMagazine Gemma Coates & Wallsauce CreativeCraftin
MB Jars and Beyond
CreativeCraftingMagazine
Creative Crafting publishes articles, features and projects provided to us by crafters and suppliers. By submitting articles to be published the author grants Creative Crafting copyright of each piece.
Molly G Designs Pauline Box
CreativeCraftingMagazine
Berni Benton Glass Art Craft Bloggers
www.creative-crafting.com
3
INTERVIEW
We meet
Indra Jewellery We love your beautiful creations but tell us a bit about the artist behind them. Thank you so much! My name is Michelle, I live in Bournemouth with my partner of 11 years and my 6 year old daughter. I built Indra from scratch when my daughter was born and work from home around her. I have an Etsy shop as well as a website and hand make all my jewellery to sell all over the world.
Have you always been creative or did your talent evolve over time? I did take A Level Art and design so I guess it has always been in me to be creative although I never really had the opportunity to do much about it until now.
What is it that you enjoy most about your work? I love being able to work around my daughter and being able to spend quality time with my family, I feel very blessed. I also enjoy designing my jewellery, there's nothing more satisfying than to see one of your designs as a finished piece and then for someone to love it so much that they buy it.
Have you achieved anything in your crafting life that you are particularly proud of? I have won many awards, one of which was for Jacqueline Gold's 'WOW' It's very humbling to know that someone like Jacqueline Gold acknowledges my small business.
Other than crafting what else do you like to do? I love spending time with my family, going on long walks down the beach and drinking coffee... lots of it!
If you had to choose your favourite from your creations, which would it be? That's a difficult one. if I had to choose it would probably be my rose gold wire wrapped dendrite opal pendant, purely because I came out of my comfort zone with the wire wrapping around the stone and I loved how it turned out!
4
www.creative-crafting.com
What advice would you offer to someone new starting out in the craft world? Try, try, try again and don't ever give up on your dream.
If you could change one thing about what you do, what would it be? Probably the amount if time I spend online, it drives my partner mad!
What do you think has helped your business the most? I host a Twitter hour on Tuesday evenings called between 6-7pm, this has definitely helped as it has given me more followers and I have made a fabulously supportive group of friends through it too!
Has any person helped or supported you more than any other? There have been so many people who have supported me from the outset. My mum has been amazing and my partner has put up with a lot, but I think the most surprising support has been from my online friends. I have had the absolute privilege to meet some wonderful people through social media who continue to support me every day.
Tell us a random fact about yourself. I have invented something which is currently being produced in Hong Kong. Once the patent and orders are finalised (not long now) it will hopefully be on the High Street!
How would our readers find you? My website is www.indrajewellery.co.uk I am on Facebook www.facebook.com/indrajewellery Twitter @indrajewellery Pinterest www.pinterest.com/indrajewellery Instagram www.instagram.com/indrajewellery
www.creative-crafting.com
Share
5
Craft Storage Ideas for 2019 It's brand New Year! A great time to take a look at all of those fabulous craft supplies you have and get them organised. We've been taking a look around to find some things that may help.
Crafts Too Tool Holder Bag 250mm The Tool Holder Bag by Crafts Too is an excellent tool storage solution, which includes an elastic restraint to hold your crafting tools in place. Sold by CraftStash £7.99 BUY HERE
Cotton thread sewing storage wall organiser spool bobbin holder sew room craft space saver These very useful cotton thread holders are ideal for keeping sewing reels tidy and out of the way and double up as a creative and interesting feature in any room. Perfect for bobbins too. Sold By LauraTerKuile on Etsy from £23.00 (Various sizes are available) BUY HERE
Tonic Studios Table Tidy - Double Pocket Introducing the brand new Table Tidy from Tonic Studios. The perfect storage solution for organising cluttered craft rooms! This fabulous modular system allows you to add double and single pockets to expand as required. Sold by CraftStash £5.99 BUY HERE
VonHaus 10 Drawer Rainbow Storage Trolley Versatile 10 drawer storage trolley - great for homes, offices, salons and more! Sold by Amazon £32.99 BUY HERE
*This article contains affiliate links
6
www.creative-crafting.com
Craft Storage Ideas for 2019 Retro Sewing Basket Stool Vintage item from the 1960's. Antiquesonlineorg on Etsy £65.00 BUY HERE
Waterproof Craft Storage Tote Bag
Crochet hook case
Large Capacity, Carry-All Bag -Zip-around spacious compartment easy to hold art and craft tools, convenient when on the go or just as easy storage at home. Perfect for artist on the go to hold all essentials' Amazon £24.50 BUY HERE
Lovely crochet hook case in a contemporary mint green and gold chevron fabric with a blue bias binding edge. Inside there is an elasticated ribbon which will hold individual crochet hooks (not supplied). Zips closed. Perfect for storing your hooks and for popping in your bag when travelling. Homespunwonders on Etsy £10.00 BUY HERE
Yarn Storage Organizer
Share
ever compromise on quality and design again! The slits on the lid allow for multiple yarn/wool skeins to be used at the same time allowing yarn to glide smoothly and preventing tangling, while being stiff enough so yarn won't pull out. High quality linen bag with zip lid keeps yarn clean and away from pets, dust and dirt! Amazon £16.99 BUY HERE
www.creative-crafting.com
7
FEATURE
By Siobhan Martin of SHIV TEXTILES
What I create and how? I specialise in sustainably-minded contemporary tweed home wares and accessories. These include woven cushions, blankets/ throws and scarves. As part of my zero-waste solution, any fabrics, which are left over I make into pouch & purses or coasters & place mats. All designed, woven, sewn and finished in my studio in Brighton, to reduce my carbon footprint. My Materials are all upcycled from mills and factories around the country! Due to using redundant yarns from the professional industry, my design process is a little different, as I create with what I have or what I can get hold off. I find that it makes my design process more exciting for me as you never know what the out come of a design will be like on till I have had made it or at least sampled it. Sourcing yarns and materials from Mill and factories cross Britain, allows me to make highly exceptional quality products which are made to last as well as look beautiful. “Waste to one is a resource to another” My designs are strongly influenced by colours, textures and patterns found in traditional and contemporary culture. I enjoy finding the beauty in decay, looking at weathered surfaces in urban and natural environments. I start every collection explore my surrounding to be inspire and love focusing my inspiration by creating mood boards and sketch books that keeps the design process flowing.
8
www.creative-crafting.com
I weave my designs using an 8 to 16 shaft table loom, 4 shaft Leclerc Colonial floor loom and Dornier rapier loom, all in Brighton! As a textiles studio I also offer hand woven fabric collection and design consultancy for fashion and interior industry, with a strong aim to decrease the negative impact of the textiles industry.
Why I weave Sustainable Products? The fashion and textiles industry is the second largest polluter in the world. Now in 2019 we must all be environmentally responsible in this ‘throwaway’ culture, which has, been created by high street chains and consumerism. Creating products and designs that reduce waste and look beautiful is super important to me. I love thinking of ways to create innovative and unique designs that minimise textiles waste. It is inspiring having the opportunity to create something from recycled material of post-consumer waste. Experimenting with different materials which are up cycled from redundant yarns / dead stock from the professional industry allows me to adopt an urban local supply chain as well as creating unique collection of products which are limited and exclusive. I don’t want to just to sell to the consumer but to educate and promoting traditional sustainable craftwork in textiles.
High and low points of running my own business? I have always dreamed of running my own business, I love being my own boss and deciding my own path. It has made me challenge myself to learn new skills and take on the risk – and reap the rewards. The hardest thing I have found working for myself is finding a healthy work/life balance. It is something that is slowly falling in to place, now I have a studio. Working from home wasn't working for me, when I was working from home, I felt very isolated, I could go days on end where the only person I would see would be my boyfriend. My first studio was located in a large warehouse in Hove, with only a couple of other people. It was used mainly for storage for businesses; it was extremely cold and a little too far out of town for convenience. The worst part about it was that it lacked any sense of community; there wasn't a creative vibe. From there I moved to an office space in Hove, a little closer to the city centre. However, this too didn't feel like home, the space had too much of a corporate feel, the walls were extremely white and the carpet was slightly too perfect. I kept bombarding Rodhus Creative Studio with email after email, until finally in April 2018 I was able to move into a studio space at Rodhus. Rodhus' walls have bared witness to the creation of all of my unique designs and has become somewhat of a second home. One of my favourite parts of my craft business is attending craft fairs and markets. It fantastic opportunities for collaborations networking with other designer / makers, there is always a sense of community. I love meeting customers that understand my handcrafted sustainable products however it is always disheartening when a member of the public questions your price or asks you how long does it take you to make this… This doesn’t happen a lot… As a designer maker I take things like this to heart. Its always a high when you get published, I’ve been very lucky be featured in Mollie’s Makes, Flow Magazine, Argus Newspaper and featured in a number on blogs. I can’t wait to keep developing my business and see where it takes me in the future, it all about learning as I go. There are definitely more highs than lows and I wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s all about motivating and keeping yourself driven to make your dreams become reality!
www.shivtextiles.co.uk
www.creative-crafting.com
9 Share
What are you waiting for - find us at:
10
@CreativeCraftin
@CreativeCraftingMagazine
@CreativeCraftingMagazine
@CreativeCraftingMagazine
www.creative-crafting.com
… and we have one to GIVE AWAY! The folks at Scaramanga have sent us two of their gorgeous Large Leather Journals handmade from their exclusive Hunter Leather. One for us to play with at Creative Crafting and one for YOU to WIN! I am a stationery hoarder and love a new journal to get my hands on. This one was no exception! It arrived in a gorgeous fabric bag (it’s own little home) which was an extra special touch. It’s leather cover is very tactile and feels beautifully soft under the fingertips. The first thing I noticed upon opening the journal is the thickness of the pages. If I was to use this book as a bullet journal I think I would struggle as I have a personal preference for lined paper in my journals but this would be ideal as a sketch book or art journal. As the pages are so thick you could use any media to create your art without the worry of ghosting. The cover is very thick and perfect for protecting the book. It makes me think of old explorers journals in films. You can just imagine them scribbling in them on their adventures. Drawing diagrams, maps, writing stories. Just imagine it getting all roughed up and gaining even more character. I will be using mine to doodle in, creative calligraphy, sketches etc. I may even show you it’s progress from time to time. Thank you Scaramanga, I will treasure this. As you can see I let Mr CC loose with it (he’s loves to draw) and he gave it a good test.
Scaramanga offer a wide selection of beautiful homewares and accessories. They use unique Hunter leather, quality buffalo leather hides that are tough-wearing, give a large yield and have a bold varying leather grain that ages beautifully. It’s definitely worth having a wander through the website at the gorgeous products and while you are there read the Scaramanga Story. You will be pleased that you did. www.scaramangashop.co.uk Are you jealous yet? You don’t have to be as I have one of the fabulous Leather Journals for you too! Well, one of you. If you would like a chance to be the new owner our extra journal you can enter here in a variety of different ways, or all of them if you’d like extra chances! Go on, you know you want to.
Share
www.creative-crafting.com
11
INTERVIEW
I’m Molly and have a passion for creating with a sewing needle. I live with my husband and daughter on the edge of the beautiful Cotswolds. I was lucky enough to be able to work from home while our daughter was young and I have even more time for creating now she’s at work. I really enjoy family time, whether it’s dinner cooked by my Cheffie husband or simply watching a good film or of course there Strictly which always comes with a big debate about who’s best. There’s a Pension in the not so distant future but while I can still thread a needle, I’ll keep on sewing.
Have you always been creative or did your talent evolve over time? As a youngster I remember my mum teaching me to sew, knit and crochet. I would make clothes for my dolls. I also loved the paper dolls which had tabs on the clothing to fasten them on. I would spend hours designing and colouring. As I got older I made clothes for myself and the family, some of my husbands stage clothes for his rock band days were pretty lurid ! Being tall it was the easiest way to get things to fit. While working in retail I damaged my back and in the end realised I would not be able to return to that sort of work. I took a course in dress making, learning to draft a pattern from measurements and my own design ideas. I also took an online City & Guilds course in creative embroidery. This should have been a 3 year course but I paused in the middle to have my daughter and move house twice, so it ended up taking 6 years. This course however was the turning point where I realised that dressmaking was not the direction I wanted to go in. Although I loved making clothes for my daughter.
What is it that you enjoy most about your work? I love the creativity of my work. From choosing a bead, a colour of soutache braid and sometimes just seeing where the design takes me. I am happy to work from a brief but will also enjoy starting to sew without even having an idea of what the finished piece will be. Just watching the shapes form and seeing how colours look together is inspiring and means ideas develop as I work.
Have you achieved anything in your crafting life that you are particularly proud of? To be asked to make a unique piece for someone, to be given that trust, especially when it’s for an occasion such as a wedding, is something that makes me very proud. To be a small part of their important day is very special. I was also very proud to be an SBS winner, chosen by Theo Paphitis in his twitter competition and since then have won the ‘QueenOf’ award as well.
Other than crafting what else do you like to do? When not sewing I love to be in my garden. I can relax and lose hours out there, not that the abundance of weeds would make you believe that! I enjoy seeing the wildlife and last year even tempted the resident robin to feed from my hand, now that was very special. I enjoy music, blues, rock, in fact some of most sorts and like nothing better than listening to my husband play guitar.
12
www.creative-crafting.com
If you had to choose your favourite from your creations, which would it be? It’s very hard to choose one favourite from my pieces but the necklace I made as a commission last year in fuchsia was an absolute joy to make. I loved the colour the customer chose, such a statement piece.
What advice would you offer to someone new starting out in the craft world? For someone starting out in the craft world I would say ’believe’. You must have faith in yourself to be strong in the down moments. Make sure you enjoy the good times too. It can be a real struggle sometimes but just remind yourself why you started in the first place. If you can find someone to help, even if it’s just with encouraging words it can make a difference. I was lucky enough to come across Md running Hike Those Likes Market Place on Facebook. This is a page full of newbies and experienced online crafters all ready to help and share ideas. It was a great starting point where I learnt so much.
If you could change one thing about what you do, what would it be? If I could change something about what I do it would be to reduce the time spent on necessary evils like hours spent on photography, editing, advertising etc.....oh and tax returns.
What do you think has helped your business the most? Although I still have lots to learn about Social Media, developing an understanding of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram has been very useful. There’s a world of people out there just waiting to see your pictures
Has any person helped or supported you more than any other? My husband has been my rock throughout my crafting career. Not minding (too much) when the mountains of net fabric took over the kitchen table for days at a time when I was making costumes for a local theatre that required Can-Can skirts. Trips to bead shows (he’d sit outside!). Paying for supplies when they were needed (no interest charged ) and so it goes on. I would not have been able to do this without him.
Tell us a random fact about yourself. Random fact. I once (during a brief stint as a model) spent 2 hours laying on a studio floor while my waist length hair was spread out in to swirls. The photographer was on a ladder above me and the chosen picture was used as the design on the back of a well known typewriter carbon paper ! This is where you can find me
Share
www.creative-crafting.com
13
It’s almost that time of year again and he is so difficult to buy for isn’t he! Let us help. We have been busy wandering through the Internet hunting down some fabulous handmade Valentine gifts for the man that you love.
Created by Kitankaboodle on Etsy £3.99 BUY HERE
Created by T2Kreations on Etsy £17.00 BUY HERE
Created by CustomYourItems on Etsy £13.00 BUY HERE
Created by agiftofhappiness on Etsy £23.39 BUY HERE
Created by PersonalisedStuff4u on Etsy From £6.99 BUY HERE
14
www.creative-crafting.com
Created by IconAndCoWales on Etsy £25.99 BUY HERE Created by TribalCraftShop on Etsy £34.99 BUY HERE
Created by ShowstopperSupplies on Etsy £45.95 BUY HERE Created by WallfrogGraphics on Etsy £12.99 BUY HERE
Created by DadsAndKids on Etsy £16.00 BUY HERE
Read our full article HERE *This article contains affiliate links
Share
www.creative-crafting.com
15
Do you love to read craft blogs? I love to discover new ones but it can be a bit of a job to track them down. So I am starting a list of Craft Blogs To Follow in 2019. Do you think you should be on it? Visit the main list post HERE and leave a comment or contact me by email. Thank you to everyone who has already submitted their blogs to me.
Craft Invaders Our tag-line is Create, Explore and Discover because that’s what we love to do. All our tutorials are designed to use items which are readily available to everyone so you won’t need to spend lots of money to try one of our projects at home. We particularly love to come up with new craft ideas using everyday items that are found around the house, in nature, or are recycled. Everything you see on Craft Invaders, the kids and I have made ourselves. If we can do it, anyone can!
https://craftinvaders.co.uk/
Phigella I am a 30+ married country dweller, tea drinker and crafter, I talk about anything and everything which pops into my head, there’s a lot of stuff in there.
https://phigella.com/blog-2/
16
www.creative-crafting.com
Suburban Mum Suburban Mum is a Family, Travel and Lifestyle blog written by me (Maria) We live in Surrey, just a half hour train ride from Central London.
https://www.suburban-mum.com/category/craft-corner/
Monkey and Mouse I like to write about anything I find relevant, but I especially love writing about travelling and days out as a family, enjoying the countryside and the many places of interest, both in the UK and abroad. When I’m not off exploring outdoors, I love to relax with a good craft activity and I’m known to be a jack of all trades, enjoying all sorts of craft ideas!
https://monkeyandmouse.co.uk/category/crafts/
Hodge Podge Days I’ve been blogging since June 2013 and love it. Since I began we’ve been on lots of exciting adventures, brilliant days out and tried lots of new things we’d never have thought of before. The words may be mine, but it’s a real family effort and I love both of my boys for their try anything once attitude!
https://hodgepodgedays.co.uk/
Jennifer’s Little World I started writing Jennifer’s Little World way back in 2011, when Mia was just six weeks old. The blog began as a way to share photographs with family and quickly developed into a place to showcase some of the crafts and activities that we enjoyed.
https://www.jenniferslittleworld.com/
Surviving Life’s Hurdles Surviving Life’s Hurdles has been created to provide some much-needed support to anyone struggling with their own personal life hurdles. I’ve experienced so many of my own hurdles recently that I know just how hard it can be and sometimes how very isolating too. I really hope I can help you to make a positive difference to your life just by sharing some of my own ideas and experiences.
https://survivinglifeshurdles.com/
www.creative-crafting.com
17
The Inspiration Edit The Inspiration Edit is a place to share my experiences, the life of my family and is a place to Inspire others to be your best self, no matter what life throws at you! We also share fun ideas, crafts, recipes and Sylvia’s fashion posts. I love to share snippets of family life, thoughts on overcoming difficulties, being positive and not giving up.
https://www.theinspirationedit.com/
Little Fish At Little Fish I share simple ideas for families and teachers, so that you can inspire your children to explore their creativity and imaginations. You’ll find simple crafts, creative play, easy activities, book ideas and outdoor adventures. I’m especially inspired by the natural world around us. Nature is a fantastic way to inspire children’s imaginative play and creativity.
https://littlefishblog.com/
Play as you Learn Home DIY, Crafts, Kids craft, home hacks, lifestyle.
http://playasyoulearn.com/
Whimsical Mumblings Whimsical Mumblings is an Inspirational Lifestyle, Mummy & Parenting. My little place of the internet where I love to share motivational & inspirational content. I also love sharing crafts & diys, and even have a linky called Make It Monthly for other bloggers to share their amazing creations too! I love to inspire others & encourage us all to express our creativity!
https://www.whimsicalmumblings.co.uk/search/label/crafts
18
www.creative-crafting.com
Spratt’s Designs In 2014 I surprised my husband by saying that I wasn’t giving up, despite the fact I’d just been medically retired. I was going to take my crafting from a hobby to a business, and Spratt’s Designs was born. OK, let’s take a step back for a moment, and explain myself, or that could that decision sound incredibly absurd, couldn’t it? After all, I didn’t just pluck that idea out of thin air. ONCE A CRAFTER ALWAYS A CRAFTER
http://www.spratt-designs.com/blog/
CRAFTYISM Craftyism is a blog for all things crafty and creative based in Manchester, UK. Follow along for how-to tutorials, reviews and inspirational ideas!
http://craftyism.com/
If you write a Craft Blog why not submit it for our February List!
www.creative-crafting.com
Share
19
INTERVIEW
an Interview
My name is Kerry Lucas, I am creator, crafter and author of two knitting books ' A Year in Woolly Wonders' and 'A Woollyful Christmas' with publisher Beercott Books.
My love of crafting started when I was young, spending many hours learning to knit with my Nan. At the same time I developed a love of the countryside and all the wonderful creatures that inhabit it. Growing up I enjoyed walking through the Woodland
I still find joy in taking a piece of yarn and knitting a whimsical object.
My favourite make so far is my Robin knit.
I am most proud of my books and becoming a stockist for a local candle maker and Sam Wilson goods. I also dream of stocking other artisans on my website www.craftykestrel.co.uk.
20
www.creative-crafting.com
I would advise any crafter to just book a craft fair even if it is a local village hall and meet your customers. The immediate feedback is invaluable. Also people very often will give you new ideas for stock.
I would like to change the amount of time I have to create new ideas. There is never enough hours in the day.
I am a keen Baker and have gone to night classes in the past to learn sugar craft. In my spare time I am also an avid reader.
I am lucky that I have a very supportive husband. Also people have been very friendly and helpful on Instagram and Facebook .
Website www.craftykestrel.co.uk Instagram @Craftykestrel Twitter @craftykestreluk Facebook @craftykestrel Ravelry Kerry Lucas
Share
www.creative-crafting.com
21
FEATURE
I am Tonisha, the founder of MB Jars and Beyond. The business is named in memory of my parents Mary and Billy. Jars because my first signature product was a Blessings Jar and Beyond to leave room for other products to be created. I have been crafting for several years just for fun and would give my finished works away as gifts to friends and family. In 2016 I saw a posting about a “Happiness Project,” you would put a note in the jar every time something good happens. So, I took an old mason jar from my friend’s wedding and decorated it and started keeping notes. I showed a couple of my friends my jar and told them what it was about and they asked me to make them a custom jar. My friend Victoria coined these as Blessings Jars and I began to make these as gifts for all of my friends. From my Blessings Jars, grew Baby Blessings Jars, the perfect baby shower gift. Fast forward to 2018, I saw a flyer for a vendor opportunity and thought it would be a great chance to showcase some of my inspirational products I had been working on. On August 21st MB Jars And Beyond was born and made its first appearance at a Women’s Expo on September 15th. This expo was the launch pad to me pushing and promoting my business. I added to my staple collection Inspirational Scripture cards, Wine Glasses, Celebration Glasses (champagne), Affirmation Canvas, Inspiration Plaques and of course my Blessings and Baby Blessings Jars. For Valentine’s Day I am promoting my Celebration Glasses in a red and black glitter mix, but will also be taking custom requests. I thank my shoppers for letting my creativity come alive in their custom orders. I will also have stem-less wine glasses for the single gals to enjoy wine, their favourite Valentine. My products will also be available for purchase on February 9th at the Black RoyalTee Valentine’s Extravaganza. You can find all the ways to reach me below as I Craft to Inspire!
Email: info@mbjarsandbeyond.com Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/mbjarsandbeyond Instagram: @mbjarsandbeyond
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MBJarsAndBeyond
Twitter: @MBJars_Beyond Subscribe to the Mbjarsandbeyond Youtube Channel Share
22
www.creative-crafting.com
I have ALWAYS been distracted by shiny things. From being a very small girl I used to have to be dragged past jewellery store windows because I wanted to look at the 'sparklies'. It doesn't have to be gemstones though, give me a bit of glitter and I'll still be fascinated. Isn't this a fabulous excuse to go off and search for lovely shiny things to show you? I think so. Shall we begin?
Personalised Engraved Rose Gold Sparkle Ballpoint Pen Created by £10.00 BUY HERE
on Etsy
Rose Gold Hair Bows
20 Knitting stitch markers rainbow sparkles
Created by £9.95 BUY HERE
Created by on Etsy £10.00 BUY HERE
on Etsy
Sparkle Keyring Created by £9.95 BUY HERE
on Etsy
Glitter sparkle holographic soft silicone iPhone Cover Created by
on Etsy £11.86 BUY HERE
Dragonfly Necklace on Etsy
Created by £8.95 BUY HERE
Girls Unicorn Rainbow Tutu Costume Created by From £13.00 BUY HERE
*This article contains affiliate links
on Etsy
Share
www.creative-crafting.com
23
FEATURE
A Story Of Creative Inspiration By
, not my birthday or an anniversary but my “I’m sorry you have Breast Cancer” day . Over the next few months things went past in a blur of surgeries, scans, results, hospital appointments, radiotherapy and then the dreaded chemotherapy. By Christmas I didn’t recognise the person looking back at me in mirror. I’d lost all my hair ,my eyebrows,I couldn’t feel the ends of my fingers or toes. What energy I did have I had to distribute carefully. If I needed a shower or a hair wash I would need to decide to do that task and nothing else all day. Cancer is not just a physical condition but a mental one too. It sapped all of my self confidence. I felt very vulnerable and my memory was pretty much non existent. Unable to return to work I lost my very reason for being. I desperately needed to reconnect with life. came and sitting in my Summer house I thought how wonderful it would be to paint the flowers in the garden. I was never able to draw anything anyone could recognise so I was setting the bar quiet high. I found a couple of painting classes and these helped me realise that it was all about creativity and putting yourself on the page. No high expectations at all. Do what you like. I started to find a connection even if I would never make the Tate gallery . Finding I was connecting with a different side of myself I started making patchwork quilts . Admittedly just one quilt took me a whole year due to my finger damage but when I finished it the satisfaction was totally compelling . My confidence was actually growing. The perfect thing about crafting was it became an expression of myself. I could let loose on a canvas with colours and different brush strokes or make Love Birds from Sea glass and branches from my Silver Birch Tree. I could pick up a frame or some stones or a paint brush whenever I felt well enough and if I got tired keep it for the next day. The biggest accomplishment of all is to make crafts that bring others joy. I sell a few pieces on Etsy and folksy. Not many as I am still having treatment every three weeks and have done for the last five years so my body is not what it was. But when I sign and wrap up a little frame of love and post it to someone who has chosen my art it’s a feeling like no other. Crafting brings out your personality, a piece of yourself, a touch of love. Whether it be painting, knitting, collage, jewellery, cards, crochet or any type of handmade item you can always say “I did that”.
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/WhiteHeartCrafts Pauline would like to say a big thank you to Ellie’s Friends who are dedicated to improving the lives of adults (16+) living with cancer, all around the UK. They provide frequent freebies from caring businesses and individuals, to offset some of the financial and psychological impact of a cancer diagnosis.
24
www.creative-crafting.com
Share
Stunning Geode Style Mural Wallpaper As a lover of gemstones myself this new range of made to measure wallpaper really caught my eye. It may be well out of my price range but it doesn’t stop me appreciating it. is the face behind Abstract fluid artist, GCC Artworks. ‘Inspired by the beauty and intrigued by our natural world’, Gemma has a passion for creating art that is inspired by life. Focusing on creations made with resin and ink with a hint of mixed media for texture, GCC Artworks presents fascinating geode and marble style designs that can now adorn your walls as made-to-measure wall murals. The 8-piece collection features an abundance of mesmerising geode style in a choice of colour palettes and is available on a choice of wallpaper materials, including paste-the-wall wallpaper and a peel and stick wallpaper It truly is beautiful and the artwork is perfection. You can find the wallpaper here at https://www.wallsauce.com/designer-wallpapermurals/gcc-artworks
www.creative-crafting.com
Share
25
INTERVIEW
We love your beautiful creations but tell us a bit about the artist behind them. I’m so excited that you love them! I’m a fifty-one year old, slightly eccentric lady who suffers from time to time with anxiety. It's the latter that prompted me to take a look at my life and follow a different path. I live in a beautiful, tiny town of 800 people bang smack in the middle of Wales. Its called Llanwrtyd Wells and seems to attract the weird and wonderful. I fit in perfectly! I have a studio in our home which is also a small bed and breakfast (Cerdyn Villa) and from here I fiddle around with art.... my passion over the last year or two alongside my stained glass, is acrylic painting and creating ‘space-scapes’ inspired by images from the Hubble telescope. Other than dabbling in paint and running our B&B I garden for elderly neighbours, work a few shifts in the local caffi, blog, and commentate at some of our unusual events (You might want to look up Bog Snorkelling! ) I also (!!!) teach stained glass, make small light-catchers from my own designs and take on bigger window commissions.
Have you always been creative or did your talent evolve over time? When I moved to Wales 14 years ago I had always had the feeling that there was some creativity at my core, but other than colour coordinating the decor in my house and keeping my garden I'd never actually explored any of my creativity. I’d not actually done anything artistic since school and even then I didn’t pursue O level (now GCSE) art. Being self employed I found I had more flexibility with my time and I joined an art class. Also, through living in a close knit community I met many creative and artistic people. One was a fused and stained glass artist. She was running some adult education courses in the local hall but didn’t have enough people to enable it to run, so I went along.... hey presto! Turns out I was pretty good at the stained glass thing.
What is it that you enjoy most about your work? I absolutely love the freedom, flexibility and opportunity to express myself. With regard to teaching it, I love when a client leaves with a real sense of achievement and has surpassed themselves. The best part is creating a new design and making the very first one of that design. That’s why I love the commissions... one offs that start with a few ideas from a customer that I can translate into drawings and then interpret with glass.
Have you achieved anything in your crafting life that you are particularly proud of? I have!!! Two years ago I was invited to teach a community project which involved the creation of a window for the Year of The Welsh Legend. I was responsible for taking everyone’s ideas and coming up with a design for this massive 1.5m x 2.5 m semi circular window. I then had the honour of co-teaching 30 adults to work with stained glass and then help produce the final window, which was unveiled by Prince Charles in June 2017. Obviously I am proud of this iconic window that will be around long after I’m gone, but I am mostly proud of the community of people I have inspired and who continue to meet weekly to craft together (some still in stained glass, others in different media, but still supporting and inspiring each other.
26
www.creative-crafting.com
Other than crafting what else do you like to do? I love to paint. Acrylics are my medium of choice. I love to garden too ...and cook ...and decorate ...and write… I blog mostly because when the words and thoughts are in my head , they have to escape. You can ready Berni's Blog here http://rosetintedramblings.blog/
If you had to choose your favourite from your creations, which would it be? My favourite creation is almost always the newest one!!! Although I think my stained glass floor lamp made from an old guitar for my son this Christmas, might just be my fave. But then again my Bluebirds of Happiness mobile is pretty special too...
What advice would you offer to someone new starting out in the craft world? The most important thing is to enjoy what you do. Don’t worry about the quality, marketability, or what anyone else is doing, just do it because it’s good for your soul.
If you could change one thing about what you do, what would it be? I would have a bigger studio and more hours in the day. Oops that’s two things! Ok, bigger studio, that would give me more time as I wouldn’t have to clear away between projects!
What do you think has helped your business the most? It went from a hobby to a business when I started believing in myself. Although I still enjoy it like a hobby and obviously credit my friends with bolstering my self worth.
Has any person helped or supported you more than any other? I know its a cliche, but it’s my Hubby. He gave me the time, confidence, space and ‘permission’ to spend time on being creative. He realised more than I did that it was beneficial to my mental well-being.
Tell us a random fact about yourself. I am a member of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party; my alter-ego is Lady Lily The Pink.
How would our readers find you? I’m over on Facebook at @BerniGlassArt I blog at rosetintedramblings.blog I have an Etsy shop BerniBentonGlassArt I also promote my art via our B&B cerdynvilla.co.uk And tweet from @Berni_Benton
www.creative-crafting.com
27 Share
These keyrings have been handcrafted using silver tone (Antique silver color) charm, stainless steel charms and highest quality glow in the dark material. By ÂŁ13.95
Beauty and the Beast's Enchanted Rose is brought to life in these beautiful shimmering recreations inspired by Disney's classic ' tale as old as time' which will to transform any room into a magical place. By DawnsDestiny on Etsy ÂŁ38.00 BUY HERE
28
www.creative-crafting.com
This is an ideal GIFT for your loved ones and a great keepsake to yourself. We take the utmost care in processing the instructions that you send us for the best engraving results. Can be engraved with two lines of text on each half. By
on Etsy
£14.75 BUY HERE
These stylish, unique bookmarks are individually handcrafted from vegetable tanned leather, embossed with a leaf or Celtic knot (and my logo), decoratively edged, lightly stained to give an aged appearance and finally treated with an acid free finish. Personalisation options - Up to two initials burnt near the bottom (above embossed logo) By
on Etsy
£8.40 BUY HERE
A beautifully illustrated travel journal that includes 50 blank pages on the left-hand side and 50 map pages on the right-hand side (100 sides in total) and is A5 size (148mm x 210mm / 5.80x 8.3in). By
on Etsy
£20.00 BUY HERE Share *This article contains affiliate links
www.creative-crafting.com
29
PROJECT
A New Year Choco Scrub Project with C6 Beauty I’m Gabi and I have a strong passion about skin care and in particular, all those products that can be considered Bio and Eco compatible. I also pay much attention to topics like the respect of our environment and recycling. It is for these reasons that I have started to produce bio skin creams, solid shampoo bars and soaps for my family and me. I prefer to store them in recycled jars (recovered thanks to my mum, sisters, sister and mother in law, cousins..so basically half of my family tree ..ahaha).
My first DIY project in 2019 Spending Christmas time in Italy for me means only..eat, eat, and eat. Everyday is an opportunity to be together with relatives and friends preparing endless lunches and dinners. The atmosphere is amazing and I definitely love it but if you are not trained, it might become stressful. After 10 days of parties you are tired and you only want to start again with your usual lifestyle. As my first DIY project in 2019, I thought of a choco scrub to take a rest and cuddle me. The preparation is easy and requires only ingredients that you have in your pantry.
What you will need ● 2 teaspoons sugar cane ● 4 teaspoons granulated sugar ● 2 teaspoons caster sugar ● 2 teaspoons cocoa powder ● 1 teaspoon sweet almond oil (you could replace it with olive oil) Benefits I formulated it thinking more about a body scrub, that means legs and arms above all. The skin in those zones has uneven textures with drier areas especially focused on elbows and knees. For this reason, I decided to use three kinds of sugar to obtain a threefold action from each of them. Due to their different sizes and shapes of the sugar crystals, the final scrub ensures both a gentle action and a nice exfoliation at the same time.
30
www.creative-crafting.com
Method The entire process will take only 10 minutes and above all.. your kitchen will not get dirty! This is for me one of the most important factors in DIY projects! Let's start! 1. Pour 2 teaspoons of sugar cane into a bowl. 2. Add 4 teaspoons granulated sugar. 3. Add 2 teaspoons caster sugar. 4. Add 2 teaspoons cocoa powder. 5. Mix all the powders together. 6. Add 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil.
I added only 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil because I personally love to use more granular scrubs. The texture of my scrub is shown on the left.
In case you prefer a more creamy texture, you should add more sweet almond oil. At this stage you have to just fill up your jar and your scrub is ready. In case your jar is too big and you need more scrub to fill it completely, you can repeat the entire procedure avoiding adding the cocoa powder this time. In this way you can create a nice pattern while filling the container. What do you think about mine?
You can find other interesting DIY scrubs using kiwi (https://c6beauty.com/lip-scrub-kiwi/ ) or clementine (https://c6beauty.com/diy-exfoliating-body-scrub-clementines/ ) on my blog
www.creative-crafting.com
Share
31
February is Journal month at Creative Crafting. What’s a Bullet Journal I hear you say –
That’s what it is.
I discovered the system a couple of years ago and it is perfect for me for the following reasons: ● I need to write things down a lot (as I’m getting on a bit). ● I love stationery. ● I’m creative so although I’m very organised it is in a very chaotic way so structure doesn’t always work for me. ● I’m useless at forward planning how much space I need for things. I either leave too much or not enough. ● I hate wasting paper and blank pages are a waste in my book. ● My head is always full of ideas so being able to just write them down or draw them instantly is ideal. ● It is the best excuse to buy lots of lovely notebooks and pens, pencils, crayons (yes I got a massive box of crayons) etc. I could go on but you get the general idea. If you would like to read about the original bullet journal system by Ryder Carroll you can do so The revolution of the bullet journal is enormous and the Internet is packed full of images and blogs about it. It is bringing out the creativity in so many people and I like nothing more than to scroll through Instagram and admire the beautiful pages that people share. I have to say that I am also incredibly jealous as mine are never anywhere near as pretty to look at but they don’t have to be. The main thing is that the system works for me and having lovely examples to look at by other people is just a bonus.
I’d have to say that it is the continuity of it. If I have an idea and want to start tracking something or jot down notes I just turn to the next page. It doesn’t matter if I was doing something else before as that can carry on later. It’s remarkably liberating. There are many more experienced journalers out there to tell you more about it and I will be bringing some of those to you over the next month so that you can enjoy it too. (If you blog about Bujo and would like to guest post or be added to our list of Bujo Bloggers please email me at articles@creative-crafting.com)
32
www.creative-crafting.com
During February you will see amazing things in the form of: ● Daily/Weekly/Monthly Spreads ● Trackers ● Calendars ● Collections ● Lists ● and many more
Over to you If you would like to participate in any of the following please leave a comment or email me at articles@creative-crafting.com ● Guest Posts ● Your blog included in our Bujo Blogger List ● Your Instagram included in our Bullet Journalers of Instagram ● Images of your Bujo Spreads in our example pages (with links of course) ● You have Bujo supplies that you would like us to review and/or as a competition prize ● Anything else Bujo related I already have a fabulous journal review coming soon and a chance for you to win one of them for yourself.
www.creative-crafting.com
Share
33
w e N e h t Join ub l C g n i t f a r C e v i t a Cre What better time to start a Club than New Year! So that’s exactly what we’ve done. We now have a Creative Crafting Club. A place to hang out and talk crafts, do fun activities, meet goals and if you would like, contribute to us here at Creative Crafting Magazine. As well as Club posts and fun on our blog we also have our Facebook Group which is the best place to join in with the crafting talk. Anyone can join and you are welcome. Find us here at https://www.facebook.com/groups/creativecraftingclub/ and do bring your friends along. Shall we kick off the New Year with a Goals Project? What is your first crafting project of the New Year? Let us join you in it’s progress. Pop into our group on Facebook and let us know what your initial crafting project is for 2019. Then keep in touch and let us see how you are progressing. We can help to keep you on track and then we’ll give you a shout out when it’s complete. #LetsCraft2019
34
www.creative-crafting.com
Share
Opportunities for you to get involved In February!
www.creative-crafting.com
35
Thank y f u
36
www.creative-crafting.com