DIY summer bag

Summer arrived early in Finland this year. April was sunny, May was a bit sunny....but now the end of June is all cloudy and gloomy. But don't loose hope, summer will come back soon.

Until then, we all need some splash of  color and summer fun. 

What's more summery than watermelons?!

Here is a super easy and super cute tote bag for all the picnics and trips to the lake. 

Here you can see Dimitra's cute video:

Materials:

Cotton fabric tote bag

fabric paints
potato stamp
paint brush
toothpick


- Put a newspaper inside the bag. You don't want to paint to go through and color the other side. You also prevent getting your table dirty.
- Cut the potato in a half-moon shape. Apply red color and stamp the fabric with it.
- With a thin brush paint the green line for the peel of the watermelon.
- Use a toothpick to add the black seeds.
- Let it dry. After ~30mins check that the newspaper is not stuck to the painted side of the fabric.
- In 1-2 hours remove the newspaper. Let the bag dry overnight.
- Iron it in high temperature (the setting of 3 dots on your iron) or according to the fabric's instructions.

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Card holder

Want to create an elegant card holder for your home's entance? Maybe a gadget that can help you organize the mess of your desk? Grab an old book and start folding. Here is a very cute up-cycling project.

  In case you don't want to ruin a book from your personal collection, I advise you to visit your local library. Simply ask them if they have removed books from the collection. Many libraries are more than happy to give those books away, or sell them for ~1€.

You need to choose a thick book in order to have a great result. But it's up to you how tall the book you use will be. Remove the cover and you're ready to start.

Take the first page and fold it in half. Take the second page and fold it in half, putting the edge of the page between the first and the second page. Continue folding each page separately until you finish with the book.

The font size and type of the book you choose will determine the final result. So will the black&white or colorful pictures and the yellowish pages of an old book.

Published by Dimitra of Looney Dimitra Crafts

DIY Christmas Silk Painted Card

Here is an idea how to create an unique Christmas Card!

You are going to need: 

✓Silk wire frame pannel or just some silk material

       ✓ Pencil,paper,Silver Gutta for silk, silk paints

       ✓ Cardboard, scissors, glue

First sketch your idea on a paper. It is important to have a clear image of the thing you are going to paint on the silk pannel.

After you have cleared your idea you can transfer it on the silk pannel using the Silver Gutta. After you put the Gutta- leave it todry.

Once the Gutta has dried you can start painting the image.In my case: this is a Happy Deer! Free your imagination- mix different colors! I am sure your card will turn out colorful and beautiful too!

After your painting has dried you can glue it on a cardboard. It is always good idea to use recycled paper!

Apart from a beautiful hand painted Silk Card- this unique gift can be an original painting as well!  

╰⊰⊹✿ ✿⊹⊱╮╰⊰⊹✿ ✿⊹⊱╮╰⊰⊹✿ ✿⊹⊱╮╰⊰⊹✿ ✿⊹⊱╮╰⊰⊹✿ ✿⊹⊱╮

This is a great DIY gift idea, not only for the Christmas Holidays but for all kind of Celebrations!
If you like this card but you prefer to buy it rather than to make it yourself, you can click here.

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DIY Hupsu Tupsu aka Silly Tassel

I have been making these leather tassels for a while now. 

You can wear your silly tassel where ever you want, on a door knob, on necklace, as a key chain or as bag accessory. 

Do you really need it? No, that's why it's called a silly tassel.

For making a silly tassel You need:

Scissors or a rotary cutter

A piece of leather. I got mine from an upholstery company for free, you can go and just ask for left over pieces.

One clasp size 2 cm -5 cm, I'm using 4,5 cm clasp. You can also use for example a D-ring.

Textile glue (which I obviously need to buy more of)

And a staple gun. 

1. Start by cutting three pieces of leather. One is 8 cm x 27 cm, one piece 1,5 cm x 9 cm and one 1 cm x 4 cm.

2. Cut narrow fringes on one side of the largest piece of leather within 1,5 cm from  the top.

3.  Add textile glue on the side of the leather that is going to be inside the silly tassel plus in the ends of the smallest leather piece.

4. Start rolling the leather until you reach about 7 cm from the end of the leather.

5. Attach the clasp to the tassel by inserting the smallest piece of leather on the bottom of the clasp and then gluing it on the half rolled tassel.

6. Roll the rest of the leather and you should have almost a ready tassel in your hands.

7. Add glue to the last piece of leather. Don’t add too much so it doesn't show on the finished silly tassel.

8. Roll the piece of leather on the silly tassel by starting where the leather ended.

9. Add a staple in the end of the leather piece to fasten it securely.

DONE!

Now wear your silly tassel with pride. 

If you want one but can't be bothered by making it yourself, you can come and buy one on 18.5.2013 in an event called Arjen Aarteita in Pacifico, Helsinki. It is part of Kallio Kukkii happening and you find me there among other interesting artisans selling their creations.

Have a great weekend everybody!

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DIY...with a lemon twist

Growing up with two lemon trees in the garden resulted to my love for lemons.

I always enjoy finding new lemon recipes. Baking lemon pies is almost a monthly event! 

When I was asked to share a tutorial with you, I immediately thought of sharing such a recipe with you. 

What do you think?

I’m sure you will enjoy this lemon liqueur. It is similar to the Italian Limonchello, which I’m sure many of you have tried once or twice somewhere. It is an easy recipe, but it needs patience.

Ingredients:

1½ kg lemons
1lt of vodka
A glass bottle or airtight jar
4 glasses of water
900gr sugar
A huge bottle for serving.

Steps

1. If you bought the lemons, wash them well. Most lemons you buy at the store are waxed. I used lemons from my parents' garden in Greece!!

2. Peal the lemons and only keep the yellow part (as the white part of the peal is a bit bitter).

3. Add it in a bottle with the vodka and let it sit at the balcony for a week. It doesn't need sun!! Which makes it perfect for the Finnish spring sky!

4. When the 1 week is over, make the syrup. Boil the water and sugar for around 10 min.

I tried to use the smaller pot, but it didn't fit all the water. I kept cool and changed my syrup to the bigger one, no biggie!

5. Let the syrup cool down and strain the vodka.

6. In a nice looking bottle add the 

syrup and vodka. The liqueur is ready.

7. Store it in a cool place or the fridge. It has such a nice and bright yellow colour. Trust me, everyone will be impressed with the flavour, aroma and look!

8. Invite some friends and have a nice evening! Serve it in small fancy liqueur glasses or shot glasses. But no need to hurry, chill and enjoy it.

(Since you only need the peal of the lemons, you can try and make homemade lemonade with the juice.)

You really need a huge bottle to store your finished liqueur. You need to fit 1lt of Vodka and all the cyrup. That's why I got myself the biggest vodka bottle in Alko. People on the street might have been staring, but now my liqueur looks fancy. Oh but even this bottle didn't fit it all...so I had to use a tiny one as well.

This recipe is extra awesome, because you don't have to limit it to lemons. Try oranges, mantarins, blood oranges. Imagine how refreshing it will be drinking some by the lake in the summer.

I think I'll go get myself a glass... (^_^)


Enjoy the weekend,
Dimitra

DIY from Pinkkis World: Someone's been a very good girl! + a tutorial!

Pinkkis World: Someone's been a very good girl! + a tutorial!: 

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 I was asked (on my Finnish blog) for a tutorial on how to make jewelry. But since I do it as a business, I don't want to reveal my secrets, even though it's not really that difficult to figure it out how Pinkkis jewelry is made. Anyways, I wanted to make a tutorial of the process anyway! And I wanted to make it my way ;). Here it is.

Pinkkis Jewelry Tutorial
  
Materials:
One doll house,  well equipped 
One mischievous doll, preferably Blythe BL, Kozy Kape would be perfect
well lit area
desk

Step 1. Let the doll loose in the well-equipped doll house. Let her do whatever she wants. She's going to make a mess, that's for sure. But don't worry about that right now. You'll have time to clean up afterwards.

Step 2. Don't interrupt the doll! She knows what she's doing. It might look like she's ruining other dolls' tea party, but don't worry about that. You can comfort the other dolls later on. Buy them some clothes or something. They will be okay.














Step 3. DO NOT INTERRUPT HER. SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE IS DOING! It know it may not look like it, but just trust her this one time.

Step 4. Arrange her desk in a well-lit area. Make sure she's got everything she needs: glue, tools, beads and so on. 












Step 5. Admire her little hands as she does her magic

 Step 6. Ta-daa! Jewelry is done! Good job Polly!!


































Have a beautiful and creative Wednesday!

xoxo,

Raisa

How to make a polymer clay cat bookmark by Nelli Kivinen

Nelli Kivinen shares with Finland Handcrafters Team this amazing tutorial posted on her Blog  about how to make amazing polymer clay bookmarks. Enjoy!

Original post: http://nellinshoppi.blogspot.fi/2012/08/how-to-make-polymer-clay-cat-bookmark.html

Follow Nelli on Facebook here!

Here is how I make my polymer clay cat bookmarks, step by step:

Materials and tools that you need to make this:

Polymer clay

Toothpick or similar stick

Baking paper (to cover surfaces)

Lacquer (I use waterproof lacquer that takes 30 minutes to dry)

Your choice paper (I used orange, pink and golden papers as in the picture above.)

1-1,5mm thick cardboard (2 pieces, one for molding the cat, other for the bookmark itself)

Super glue

Paper glue or Erikeeper 

Brush for the lacquer (and glue is you use Erikeeper)

Book (to help drying the cats)

For the cat you need polymer clay, wooden stick and
 some thick cardboard.

Make a ball out of polymer clay.  If the ball is 
too big, the cat will be fat
if it is too small then it will be harder 
to handle. 

Slowly make the ball longer and evenly thick.

Slowly bend the clay and make it longer, while 
keeping it evenly thick.

This is how it should look like now.

Pinch the ends of he clay with your fingers to 
make small legs for the cat. 

The legs should look like this.

Both side legs done. 

Now attach the cat to the cardboard 
and press the legs a bit so it
keeps the body still and stuck 
on the cardboard.

Measure a small ball of polymer clay that is 
the right size for the head.

Shape the head for the cat by hand. I like 
to keep them simple.

Use the stick to attach the head to 
make sure it sticks well.

Measure a tail for the cat. I like
 them quite long.

You can model the tail like this to 
see if it's a good size.

Shape the tail of the cat.

Use the stick again to attach the tail properly.

Remove the cat carefully from the 
cardboard and it is ready!
If you can't remove your cat from 
the cardboard, don't panic.
Put the cat in the fridge or freezer for a while 
(15min) and it will be easier to take off.

This time I made four cats. 

Bake the cats like it says in the polymer 
clay instructions.
 (I bake them for 30 minutes in 130 celsius)

I sand all my creations to remove the fingerprints
 and other marks I don't want  in the cats.

Sanding makes the polymer clay grey.

Difference between sanded and not sanded cat.
After sanding the cats its time to put the lacquer on.  

You need a book, thick card board, brush and lacquer.

Use the cardboard when you paint the lacquer 
on so you don't leave fingerprints on the cat.
Put 2 or 3 layers of the lacquer to
 make it nice and shiny. 

Use the book to leave them dry like this.

This is how my four cats looked like
 after all the layers of lacquer. 

You need cardboard for the bookmarks, 
paper glue or Erikeeper
(I watered the erikeeper down about 50/50) 
brush,  your choice colored or patterned paper.

Put glue on one side of the cardboard
 and glue it to the paper. make sure
there's no wrinkles. Then cut out with 
scissors and make the other side too.

Use superglue to attach the cat onto the cardboard.

Done!

You can see more of my bookmarks and buy them here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/NellinShoppi?section_id=11767307