Woodland Santa

Merry Christmas!

This is one of my favorite designs that I created this year.  It's available on the Herrschner's website now.  I thought it was the perfect Christmas card.

Wishing you all Happy Holidays and all the best in the coming year!

Terry

Gnome for the Holidays

 Hi Everyone,

I'm happy to be celebrating with Fairfield on their 80th anniversary.  Congratulations, Fairfield!  Eighty years is quite an accomplishment.  If you have been creating anything quilted or stuffed, no doubt you have used their wonderful products.

For the occasion, I created a Gnome for the Holidays with Fairfield™ Poly-fil®. 

This little gnome is easy and fun to make.  You can get the whole family involved in making it.

It's no-sew except for the nose, and you can use glue there, too, if you like.  He's built on a recycled coffee can.  Felt, flannel and fleece are the easiest fabrics to use, but any remnants you have will work.

You will need:

Coffee can

Fabric to cover can

Fabric to make hat

White felt, scrap green felt

Large white pom pom, small red pom pom

Hot glue and glue gun or tacky glue

Sewing thread and needle

And, of course:  Fairfield™ Poly-fil®

Here's how I did it:

Cut fabric to cover the can and glue.  I used red and black flannel.  Cut it so it fits the can under the lid.  You'll be covering up any edges, so don't worry if it's not totally even.   I used hot glue, but you can use tacky glue also.

Cut a beard from white felt and glue to the center of the can.  The shape won't matter much, because you'll be gluing fiberfill over it.

Use the lid on the can and trace a circle on felt for the nose.  Using a running stitch about 1/4" from the edge, gather the felt into a ball.  Tie the threads and trim.  Stuff with fiberfill and shape the nose.

Glue fiberfill to the white beard.  Glue the nose in the center.

Cut a hat from a rectangle of red fleece using the circumference of the can plus one inch by the length you will want for the hat.  I used about 20" for the length.  Starting about 1" from the bottom, shape the rectangle into a long triangle.  Lap over the edges and glue.  The hat should be a little bigger than the can so you can pull it down over the edge of the lid.

Glue some fiberfill to the top of the lid.  This will add shape to the hat.  You can add as much as you like.

Add glue to the edges of the lid and glue inside the hat.

Cut out holly from felt and add to the hat if you like, or use any other decorations.  Bring the pointy end of the hat together and glue to a large pom pom (or more fiberfill!)

Now, fill the can with cookies, candy or small gifts and give it to your neighbor!

Fairfield™ generously sent me the Poly-fil® used in this project.  Thank you!

Reindeer and Gingerbread House Gift Bags

 Hi Stitchers!

Here are a couple of fun holiday designs for you!

Hope you enjoy them!  I designed them for Herrschners.  Look for them in the plastic canvas section!

Beadwork Dec 2020/Jan 2021

 Hi Everyone!

It's been awhile since I posted.  Helping out with online kindergarten with my granddaughter keeps me very busy!  I know there are lots of grandparents out there stepping up to help their families.  It is a pleasure for me to help my little granddaughter learn her sight words and numbers.  She is delightful.  She also has more energy than anyone I know (except maybe her little sister!).

A few months ago, I managed to create a couple of designs that were accepted into Beadwork magazine in their Dec20/Jan21 issue.  I got an advance copy, so I couldn't wait to show you.  

I just love the pendant on the cover.  It's a Vintaj piece with added beadwork stitched around it.  That and many wonderful designs are inside the magazine and it's well worth getting a copy.

Layered Leather Leaves (above) was so much fun to make!  It's in a boho style that's really quick and easy since it uses a die cutter and leaf die. 

 Another style that is a favorite of mine is the vintage look, and the necklace below with its dark brass, filigree and blend of moonstone and pearls fits that style.

There are five more lovely Fast and Fabulous designs for your making pleasure by designers you are sure to recognize and loads of stitched designs.

Happy Beading!

Festive Gnomes

 Do you like gnomes?  They are so funny with their tall hats and long beards.  Here are some I designed in plastic canvas for Herrschners.  

Here are the coasters:

And, here is the tissue box with four different gnomes with fluffy yarn beards!

Hope you enjoy them!  Check them out at Herrschners!

Dog and Cat Coasters in Plastic Canvas

 Hi Stitchers!

A couple of new designs of mine are up on the Herrschners site.  These are my Dog Lover and Cat Lover Coasters.

Happy Stitching!

July's Pretty Palette

Hi Everyone,

I splurged on some beads in July from the Pretty Palettes selection from Halcraft.  I just needed some new beads... right!

And, a month before I bought some copper sheets that I have been cutting up and hammering.  It's a good way to get out your frustrations!

Here's the copper piece before polishing and darkening:

I have a long way to go on my metalwork, but I was happy to get a hole in the center of the heart.  This was all with shears.  One of these days I'll get a saw.  I'm sure that would be much easier.  But, I did learn how to use my Dremel that I got last Christmas!  The radial polishers were very good at polishing up the scratches.

Here's the necklace I created with the heart and the beautiful beads from Halcraft.

Now for a bracelet and earrings!

Update:

Love these aqua hematite beads!  I made a tree of life pendant.

And, a pair of earrings:

Can't beat that color combo!

Kumihimo Fun

Hi all,

Have you tried this craft - Kumihimo?  Am I the last person to find it?  That's surprising, since I really like French knitting and this is similar.  I can tell this is going to be something that I will keep doing for awhile.

Here's my first try:

I had a lot of twine, so I started with that. 

Here's the finished cord:

Then, I bought some satin cord and tried braiding with two colors:

Here's the other side:

The possibilities are just endless!  And, I haven't even started to add beads!

I think this will make great fun for the grandkids.  It's so easy, they will master it in no time! 

What are you trying that's new to you?  It's a great time to try something you've always wanted to try!

Barnyard Tissue Cover with Animal Coasters

Hi Plastic Canvas Lovers!

Herrschners has re-released an older design of mine that many of you have requested.  I'm so happy to see it again and I hope that those of you who requested the design will see it.  Go to Herrschners and look under the plastic canvas heading.  Which is your favorite animal?  I'm partial to the pig myself.

Happy stitching!
Terry

Altered Tin

Hi Everyone!

I've always wanted to alter a tin and this decoupage blog hop with Designer Crafts Connection seemed the perfect time.  I found some nice tins in my stash of stuff that were the perfect size.

I sanded it and painted it with Caramel opaque paint (PaperArtsy).

I decoupaged some wallpaper (Tim Holtz) inside the tin.

Next, I printed out some words on the computer.  I decoupaged these to the front of the tin along with some acrylic roses.  Then, I glued on the lock.

I dabbed the roses, lock and words with some translucent PaperArtsy paint in Autumn Fire.  I had previously punched some holes in the top of the tin.  I threaded some wire through and added a few beads and twists.

Here's the inside:

Here are the edges:

So much fun!  Of course, as with all my creations, I immediately think of something I would do differently.  But, that leaves room for more creativity!  I'm off to look for more tins!

Want more decoupage ideas?  Of course you do!  Head to the Designer Crafts Connection blog.

Festive Foil Wreath

Hi Crafty People,

I collect recyclable materials.  One of my favorites is the foil seals that you find on the top of coffee cans and nut cans.  You can bend and shape and cut these foil seals.  I have been saving these for some time and when FaveCrafts announced a Stay Home and Craft challenge using items you can find around the house, I was prepared!

I cut these foil seals on my Big Shot and cut out flowers and leaves, which I shaped with my fingers.

Then I painted them and glued them onto a wreath form to create this Festive Foil Wreath.

FaveCrafts selected my wreath as one of their top ten crafts in the challenge.  You can see the others in the top ten here and vote for your favorite.  The instructions for this craft are here.

What will you create with this fabulous recyclable foil?  It's easy to cut with scissors or a die cutting machine and can be painted or sprayed with inks or metal paints.  Add the cut-outs to banners, make a pin or a bracelet, decorate the top of a box or add them to place cards.  There are so many possibilities!  Have fun with this idea!

Tree of Life

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you are all enjoying the magnificent spring we are having.  We are warming up in Sonoma County and the roses are blooming as fast as they can.

The last couple of days, I have been trying my hand at making a wirework Tree of Life.  Here are a couple of the results.

This was my first attempt:

It was a very small space in which to work, and it's hard to get the wire tight around the ring though I love the texture and color on the TierraCast ring.

The next time I researched Pinterest (Search "wire tree of life").  There are some amazing wireworkers creating so many variations.  I found a tutorial on Instructables to use as a guide.  On this pendant, I left some roots before twisting for the trunk.

This has a bigger diameter, about 1 1/2".  And, I used smaller chips.  It's 16-gauge wire for the ring and 24-gauge for the tree.  I'm excited to try another one with an even larger diameter.  There seems to be no end to the possibilities with this.  

What are you trying that is new to you?  It's a great time to explore.  

Unique Batik Necklace

Hi Everyone!

I'm thrilled once again have a necklace design included in Beadwork Magazine.  This is my Unique Batik Necklace.  It's included in the Fast and Fabulous section of the June/July issue.  Our inspiration for that month was to use mainly black and white in our compositions.

Beadwork Magazine June/July 2020

This necklace is created using mainly using batik beads and howlite beads.  Batik beads are created using carved bone pieces which are then bleached in the sun.  Hot wax is applied to create a pattern.  Then, the beads are dyed with a natural dye.  The wax acts as a resist, leaving a white or cream pattern in contrast to the brown or black dye.

For more on this ancient process, check out this link.  And, try your own version with these fascinating beads.  Look for more Fast and Fabulous black and white necklace designs in Beadwork's June/July 2020 issue.

Photo by Terry Ricioli

Happy Creating!

Terry

PS  Love black and white?  Now all the Fast and Fabulous Black and White designs are all in one pattern pack.

Black and White Pattern Pack

Wintry Snow Globe Tissue Cover and Ornaments

Hi Folks!

Here's my latest plastic canvas designs from Herrschners.

Wintry Snow Globe Tissue Cover

Wintry Snow Globe Ornaments

These were fun to design and I hope you will enjoy stitching them.  It's a great new project for those who need to stay at home.

Kids' Crafts Book

Hi Everyone!

Looking for kids' crafts to occupy the little ones?  Bella Crafts to the rescue!  This is a digital download book filled with 75 different ideas. There are games and activities as well as crafts of all sorts.  And, it's free!

Bella's Crafty Kids

Each craft in the digital book will link you directly to the designer's page that donated the craft.  I contributed an easy beaded cross and an angel made from coffee filters.  There's a wide range of crafts and something for all ages to enjoy.  Enjoy crafting with your little ones and treasure this special time with them.

Looking for more crafts?  Sign up for Bella Crafts free magazine.

Tutorial: Fringed Rope Earrings

Hi crafty friends!

Here's an easy tutorial for the earrings that I made last month.  Thanks for your encouragement Crafty Hope!  Stop by her blog for more crafty goodness!


I made these with rope from Hemptique:

I used the natural but it comes in a lot of different colors and combinations.

For the wire hoops, I used TierraCast Charm Keepers in the 32mm size.  You could also make your own hoops with some heavy wire.



The other materials are 24 gauge wire in Vintage Bronze and a pair of brass ear wires.

For this tutorial, I'm using hoops that I made myself from 16 gauge copper wire.  I hammered them after I made the hoop to give it some texture and harden the wire.

Cut 2 1/2" lengths of the rope.  Cut about 4" of the 24 gauge wire.  Fold the rope over the hoop and wrap the 24 gauge wire close to the fold.

Trim the wire and press the ends into the rope.  Unravel the rope completely.

Keep adding fringe until it is as full as you like.

Brush and fluff the fringe and trim any stray ends.

Pretty easy, right?  This also makes a fun pendant as well as earrings.  Have fun with it!

Unboxing new craft goodies

Hi crafty friends,

This Designer Crafts Connection blog hop we are sharing our favorite products, techniques and crafts.  Which one to choose?  I love so many crafty things.

I just got a new box of craft goodies from Plaid as a result of a fortuitous meeting in their booth at AFCI in January (Thank you, Julie and Shauna!).  So, I thought I'd show you their quite generous shipment.

Wow, right!  Plaid has been generous to designers ever since I've been in the industry - and they continue to be.  New brushes, several different brands of paint and plenty of Mod Podge!

But, the item that I was most excited about was a product from their Bucilla line.  I love yarn and thread, fiber and fabric.  It's where I started crafting - stamped embroidery, sewing and needlepoint.  Now, I can add weaving to the mix with the Weaving Loom.

I have strung the loom with the warp threads (vertical threads) with some Hemptique twine.  Then I took a length of yarn and started weaving.  I found a lot of blue shades in my stash.  I started with a yarn that has a lot of tails to give it some texture.  I did have to go back and pull the tails to the front.

I continued with a few different kinds of yarn ends - sari yarn, t-shirt yarn and novelty yarn.  Then, I finished it with some rya knots on the bottom.  I tied all the warp threads on the bottom and the top, and then overcast the top edge.

I decided to add a hanging bar.  I used a piece of grapevine for a rustic look.

I really enjoyed this project and learned so much (like leave more length to tie off the warp threads!).  I can't wait to try another weaving with different stitches besides the plain weave and some thick bulky yarns or strips of fabric.  And, there must be a way to add beads!  The only problem I had was reading the instructions - the print and the background were too close in color to be easily read.  And, although I used the wooden needle in the set to weave, I used a tapestry needle to weave in the ends because it was smaller and easier to use for that.

I found a nice weaving site to help a beginner like me:  The Weaving Loom  She has a lot of good tips.

Ready to see more fun projects?  See the Designer Crafts Connection blog.  We've got lots of ideas!