Crafty thoughts from Crafts forum Members

With so many different shapes and sizes of bare chipboard available to crafters at the moment it can sometimes be difficult to know how to approach using them in your crafting and get the result that you want. Bare chipboard can be decorated in lots of different ways, painting and embossing with embossing powders are just two ideas. As a backing paper designer I am always looking for new ways to use my papers on cards and scrapbook pages to give interesting and different results.  Covering bare chipboard with your favourite backing paper is a great way of co-ordinating elements perfectly.

Here is a quick tutorial showing you one way to add backing papers to chipboard and get a professional result with just a little bit of effort.

For my demonstration I have used a chipboard flower from Maya Road and a backing paper from one of my own Funky Hand download collections Shabby Saturday. You will need a sticky glue like Pritt stick, a sharp scalpel for cutting and, my secret weapon, a Basic Grey Precision File kit.  Now, you don’t HAVE to have this file set but if you decide that you would like to work more with chipboard it will be a purchase you wont regret. You can use a metal nail file or emery board and you will still get a good result.

Apply glue all over the front of your chipboard shape making sure you cover all of the surface and then place it face down onto the reverse of your backing paper. Leave it to dry.

Once the glue has dried begin to cut the shape of the chipboard out of the paper from the reverse. Taking care to cut as close to the chipboard as possible.

Your chipboard shape is now covered with your backing paper but it will be rather rough around the edges..this is where your file comes in.

Working from the front of your chipboard gently file the edges of your backing paper. TIP: File at a slight angle and only away from you. If you pull and push the file like a saw the paper is likely to pull away from the chipboard and you wont get the smooth result you want.  Filing your chipboard shape can take quite a while but the more time you take the better the end result will be.

Once you have finished filing you can then decide how you would like to finish off the edges of the chipboard shape. You can leave it plain or perhaps use a felt tip along the edge. I used a small black ink pad to ink the edges for slightly grungy finish.

I added this chipboard flower to a card I made for my best friends daughters second birthday. I attached it to the card by making holes through the flower and the base card and threading 21 gauge covered wire through them both and a co-ordinating button,twisting the wire to secure them all and finishing it off by adding beads and curling the wire.
This technique for covering chipboard works great for all types of chipboard, So, now you can cover anything from chipboard alphabets to your bind it all book covers..Enjoy!

Anice xx

Equipment: Pre cut Shaker Box and Acetate – available from www.tiptoptoppers.co.uk ruler, small scissors, pencil, craft knife, card stock, background card / paper, glue, double sided tape, gems and sequins (for shaking)

Time: Approximately 30 minutes

1.  Cut small thin strips of double sided tape and add to the window edge of the inside of the shaker box so the acetate can be added which stops the contents of the box from falling out!  You could use glue but you may get some overspill after attaching the acetate window which looks unsightly and messy.  Plus, if you use glue, you must allow for drying time.

2.  Once the acetate window has been added, turn over the flat shaker box and add double sided tape to the edges as shown.  I have removed the tiny little flaps from the top edge of the box as I find them too fiddly to use!  Do not take off the double sided tape backing just yet.

3.  Turn the box over so you are looking at the inside.  Attach a small random selection of gems and sequins or beads etc to the back of the box.  Take care not to add anything too close to the edges as it will be partly obscured by the edge of the window.  By attaching some of the decoration to the inside of the box, it will show that the box does have something in it, as sometimes the contents will fall to the bottom and will not be seen!

 4.  Now unpeel the backing from the tape and stick the sides together – take care when doing this as it’s not always easy to unstick them!  I find it easier to push the little middle flaps in first and then bring the untaped sides to meet the taped sides.  Press together gently without crushing the box.  The top edge of the box will stay open and you can then drop in the rest of your gems, sequins and beads.  Add double sided tape to the top edge of the box and seal it shut.  Your box is now complete!

5.  For the card background I have printed two complementary sheets from a colour collection from the Funky Seasons CD by www.funkyhand.com  I have also used a slightly larger square cut from silver card to create a layered effect behind the shaker box.

6.  The backing papers have been printed onto A4 white card and I’ve cut the white border edges off so I know how much card I actually have to use.  I use a scalpel or craft knife and a ruler to do this – scissors have a tendency to wander a little and I need straight crisp lines.

 7.  A small section of the wording backing paper has been cut and layered onto the front of the bold striped card, leaving a thin white edge for effect.

 8.  I made three similar cards from the two sheets of backing paper and still had some left over!

 This tutorial will also be available shortly to download from www.tiptoptoppers.co.uk

How to make a Pin Wheel Card

Equipment:  Pin Wheel Template – available from www.Lakeland.co.uk, Small Scissors, Pencil, Craft Knife, Eraser, Card Stock, Brad x 2, Glue, Ribbon, Vellum, Pre Printed Birthday Sentiment (optional), Glitter Glue (optional), Metallic pen ink (optional) 

Time:  Approximately 30 minutes 

1.  Using the largest of the three pin wheel templates, draw round it with a soft pencil onto the vellum.  Repeat for the middle sized template. 

2.  Carefully cut along the pencil lines.  You now have two flat pin wheels.  Rub out any pencil marks. 

3.  On the thinner ‘leg’ of each sail, and by using the craft knife, make a small hole large enough for the brad.  Repeat this for all 4 ‘legs’ and in the centre for both pin wheels. 

4.  Hold the smaller pin wheel and gently push the brad through the hole so the head of the brad is facing down. 

5.  Bring each ‘leg’ of the sail to the brad point and push the brad through the hole, continue until complete and then push the brad through the centre hole, thus making a complete pin wheel. 

6.  Repeat for the larger pin wheel.  I found it easier to have the smaller completed pin wheel on top with the brad still open whilst I made the larger pin wheel as it was easier to keep the two together.  However, this may be fiddly and you may find it easier to make each pin wheel separately and then glue together at the end.

7.  Attach the pin wheel to your card, either by using the existing brad or by glue.  To add the organza ribbon, mark its width on the fold of the card and gently make an incision with the craft knife so the ribbon can pass round the card. 

8.  Add a dot and dash running stitch with the metallic ink pen around the edge of the card and pre printed Birthday sentiment to add a boundary to your card.  Tie the Birthday sentiment to the organza ribbon (I’ve used thinner ribbon to do this) and then tie the organza ribbon, cutting the edges at an angle.  To give the card a little bit of a sparkle, I’ve added a tiny dot of pink glitter glue to the edges of each sail. 

Rainbow disks are a publishers of craft books on CD. covering wide range of subjects from beading and card making to quilting and stained glass.

Disk include:

• Tiaras and Bridal Jewellery
  Projects using beads and wire
• Bead Net
  New Ideas for Netted Beadwork
• Beaded Jewellery
  Over 50 gorgeous designs and projects

Rainbow Disks was started in 2006 by Barbara Case (Thornton) and Vivienne Wells, who between them have extensive experience of writing and publishing practical books.

Barbara Case is an internationally successful author of books on bead jewellery including:

A World of Beads/Making Bead Jewellery (1995)

It’s all about the beads! (2006)

Making Jewellery with Gemstone Beads (2007)

To find out more please check out rainbowdisks.com

For other craft workshops and courses try http://www.ukcraftwebsites.co.uk/workshops.php

I’ve been wondering for a while what I would do if my card creaser broke.  I’ve not had it a particularly long time – my Mum bought it for my birthday after I’d nearly worn out her Lakeland Craft catalogue, and to be honest, I don’t know what I’d do without it!

 After measuring (to make sure that the fold will be central) I use the sharpish tip to mark where I want my fold line at the top and bottom of the card, I then score between the two.  This gives me the indent where the fold will be and then I simply fold the card and use the rounded edge to press on the fold.  Thus providing a professional looking card! The card creaser is also useful for smoothing down any rough edges to the cards.

Go and buy one!!

It’s nice to be able to sell your handmade craft items and besides the obvious web sites and craft fairs, small shops and galleries may consider selling your work. Many small galleries cannot afford to buy stock up front, they also do not want to have unsellable stock hanging around the shop, therefore they will accept products on a sale or return basis.  “