Decorated Pegs Tutorial

 Hello and hope your first Thursday in December is going well :) Can you believe it is Christmas month, woohooo!!! Time to go mad and do LOTS of Christmas crafting ;)

Lately I am a bit addicted to decorating pegs. My local hardware shop are probably wondering why I'm buying so many clothes pegs (pins) in this weather!! ;) Today I am guest posting over at my sister Emily's blog The Nest, as part of a Craft Advent. Here is a step by step tutorial of some decorated pegs (pins), it is a photo heavy post. Be warned!!

What you will need

For dying the pegs
Clothes pegs (pins)
Food colouring (the liquid one is best)
Vinegar
Boiling water
An old jar or container to withstand boiling water
GLOVES! (especially if you do not like the inked finger-nail look ;) )

For decorating the pegs
Hot glue gun
Decorating embellishments or buttons, glitter, ribbon, washi tape etc.





Step 1
Take apart all the pegs (pins).

Step 2

Make sure you are working on an old work surface, or else cover up the counter. Place one tablespoon of vinegar and 2-3 tablespoons of food colouring into the jar, give it a stir and then add boiling water.

Step 3

Carefully place all your pegs into the jars, any splashes can stain your or your furniture and burn, so beware!!

Step 4

After a few hours (or a few minutes depending on how well the colour took to your pegs!) place the pegs to dry on some kitchen paper.

It is worth noting that the food colour does not always take well to the peg, or come out the colour it is supposed to. The sample of pegs drying above was (left) brown and (right)  purple. They ended up as green (left) and pink (right). If you are not too concerned for the colours, it is a bit of fun waiting to see what colour they turn out. Also note that when the pegs are dry the colour may be slightly different.

This is how the red food colouring turned out.

Step 5

When your pegs are dry, if you like, match them up to a similar colour shaded peg. Assemble the peg back together, mind your fingers and nails!! ;)

The spring in the picture below was stretched too much when taking it apart, so to remedy it you can switch sides for the 'arms' of the spring, so it will be a tighter fit.

Step 6

Be prepared! Heat your glue gun and have as much of your embellishment in place.

Step 7

For my felt star, I was able to place the glue in the middle and it stuck the star and teddy bear. Press down on your embellishment for a few minutes, to ensure it is stuck!

Step 8

Voila! 

Step 9

Now you need to make an army of them ;)

Step 10

I designed and printed some slips to attach them to and placed them in a cellophane bag - perfect for gifting someone this Christmas!

Enjoy :)

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and give it a go yourself! It is great fun and very easy to do. Please leave a link in the comment if you get to do them this winter, I would love to see how they turned out!!

Why not pop over and see what other craft projects have happened so far this advent?! Have a wonderful day :)

Eithne 

Christmas but not a card - Eclectic Ellapu

Hello! Can you believe it is December already? Woohoo!!! This year I am hoping to create a scrapbook on a daily basis for December. I will keep you posted on my progress. We are decorating our tree today, and can't wait for all the lights to sparkle! :)

Today I am showing a decorated peg I have recently become addicted to. I will have a tutorial later in the week, so please stop by. For now here are some photos for my project for the challenge over at Eclectic Ellapu. The theme this month is 'Christmas but not a card'.

Having liked this little fella so much I decided to make an army!!

If you are crafting something Christmassy (but not a card!) why not pop over and enter the challenge?

Hope you are having a wonderful day and enjoying the first day of December.

Happy Crafting,

Eithne

Something suitable for a child

Hello! Hope your Friday is going well :) I've been very busy lately with Birthdays! My youngest daughter will be 3 next week, so just one more birthday hurdle to go ;) For my eldest girls birthday, she wanted to decorate the cake - so after a morning of roll out icing shaping, this was the finished look!

Don't you just love when kiddies help decorating?!!!??!?!?!!! It tasted delicious, we are especially partial to cream and jam sponge! Yum yum!


Anyway, enough thinking of cakes! ;) This week over at Craft for the Craic I am posting for the mid month inspiration. This is my card:

 I was commissioned a while back to make a card for an 8 year old girl, this is what I came up with. The girl loved it, and she particularly loved the fairy, as she got a fairy door as a birthday present.

I used a series of punching, embossing, die cutting, and sticking down some embellishments along with my favourite embellishment - WASHI tape! I am in love with washi tape, if you haven't noticed from my previous projects ;) :)

Why not pop over and give the challenge a go? Don't forget about our wonderful GIVEAWAY sponsored by Mixed Media Place - "Early Fall" kit. Look at that fabulous kit. You can enter here to be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize.

Have a wonderful Friday, and if you have a Bank Holiday I hope you enjoy it also.

Thanks for stopping by,

Happy crafting,

Eithne ;)

Eats Shoots and Leaves

Hello, hope your Friday is going well. Today I am sharing a card I made to take part in the Unstampabelles Challenge. When I came upon this challenge, I loved the fact it had to have a bit of humour and I LOVED the paper craft challenge of no stamping.

Lately, I have been crafting primarily in one or two colour schemes. This card, fits into my love of grey and lime green combo phase. Using some silvery grey card, I scored to make it an A5 card.

I had no embossing folder that suited the panda, so I creased lines in the vellum every .25" mark. I die cut a doily with two types of card, and with the darker board I die cut out a circle within the doily. Hence giving me a frame.

The panda is the lovely tattered lace die, and I cut him out on a few different papers and assembled him. I couldn't find paper in the right tone for the shoots and leaves, so I inked him up with some ink. ('Bamboo Leaves' coincidently!! ;) )

I had some Tim Holtz stickers that I put on a die cut from Memory Box to make up the sentiment - "Eats Shoots and Leaves". It reminds me of a book by Lynne Truss comically illustrating how commas can make a difference!!

I am entering this card in the following challenges -
Unstampabelles Challenge - #39 Be Funny with a twist of 'frame it'.
Simon Says Challenge Blo - Anything Goes
Crafty Girls challenge - Anything Goes 

Cute Card Thursday - Dies and punches
Card Mania - Doily (die cut doily) 

Hope you are having a wonderful day, and thanks for stopping by.

Happy crafting :)
Eithne

Birthday for a Lady :)

Good morning! Wow the beginning of September. I can't believe it!! September always reminds me of school, and would have been the most depressing month, only for my birthday at the end of it!! Since having children, between both sides of our families we have 8 birthdays within 6 weeks. Needless to say it is the busiest 'season' in our house!

I chose the theme over at Eclectic Ellapu this week for the purple team. I am not an organised person, but I do try, so thought if I chose the theme I would be one card up!!

I made this card for a lady - I will have a choice of three birthdays to use it for. Only 7 more cards to go!! I used a combo of dies on silver card and on vellum. The black and white colour combo is complemented with the splash of red.

I heat embossed with some kaleidoscope embossing powder, I love the stuff! It is so unpredictable to use. I also used my old reliable washi tape. If you haven't guessed by now from my previous creations, I have a slight weakness for washi tape. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the stuff!! ;) Enough of my ramblings, have to get my eldest ready for her first Monday in primary school! 

Hope you have a great Monday and pop over and check out the new monthly challenge.
Have a great day,
Happy Crafting,
Eithne :)

CFTC #7 - A Craft item you have never used

Hello, and hope you are having a wonderful Friday :) This month over at Craft for the Craic, our theme is: 

Our challenges are open to ANYTHING crafty or arty - cardmaking, scrapbooking, altered art, crochet, knitting, sewing, cake decorating, painting, drawing, candle making, jewellery making, whatever makes you craft or be creative we would like to see it!

I made a card for my Goddaughter's birthday -

I have beautiful flower embellishments (felt) that I was afraid to use them. So, this challenge worked perfectly!!

I used a stencil and inked out the base card. With an honeycomb embossed sheet of paper, I inked the edges and glittered them up also. 

 I embossed the black card (which I have never used before) and then sanded down the top. It didn't show out very well, so with some silver ink I 'rubbed' over it. I die cut out with the Baroque bigz die the pink paper, another craft item I have never used before.

I die cut out 'Grace' and stuck it to some layered card, and then with washi tape, buttons, embellished felt flowers and jewels I decorated the card.

Why not pop over and take part in the challenge?

Thank you so much for stopping by, and if you are crafting and it suits our theme, you have until August 31st to enter the challenge.

Happy Friday Crafting,

Eithne :D

CFTC #6 Favourite Colours

Hello and happy Friday to you! To all the American readers, Happy 4th July :)

This month over at Craft for the Craic our new challenge is

Our challenges are open to ANYTHING crafty or arty - cardmaking, scrapbooking, altered art, crochet, knitting, sewing, cake decorating, painting, drawing, candle making, jewellery making, whatever makes you craft or be creative we would like to see it!

I was recently commissioned to create a card for a retirement. They wished to have the Catherine McAuley quote on the card, and if I could incorporate the celtic knot design also.

This is the A4 finished size card I made:

Although I would normally be a HUGE fan of purple, lately I am LOVING neutrals, especially with a little splash of yellow thrown in ;)

I heat embossed a strip of cream card, and used my Martha Stewart punch to create the border. Using my beloved honeycomb folder to emboss some kraft board, I layered up the printed paper background. I die cut some music paper to fit in within the irridescent brown card that was punched from a We R Memory's punch.
The Celtic Knot was die cut out, and the edges were roughened. I decorated a chipboard with some flat backed pearls, flowers and some skeleton leaves behind it.

I put some lace as a horizontal border, and then used some buttons and pearls from my stash to embellish. I die cut the quote from Catherine McAuley and stuck it on with foam pads to give a bit of depth.

Why not pop over and take part in the challenge?

Thank you so much for stopping by, and if you are crafting and it suits our theme, you have until July 31st to enter the challenge.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges

Bunny Zoe's Crafts- Layers

Use your stuff - wood veneer or chipboard (the flourish)

Stamps Fun - Flowers and Pearls 

Happy Friday Crafting,

Eithne :D

Challenge #5 for Craft for the Craic

Hello, and hope you are having a wonderful Friday :) This week in Ireland, the state exams - Junior Cert. and Leaving Cert. started, and in typical fashion, the weather improves dramatically once all the students have to sit the exams!  This month over at Craft for the Craic, our theme is: 

Our challenges are open to ANYTHING crafty or arty - cardmaking, scrapbooking, altered art, crochet, knitting, sewing, cake decorating, painting, drawing, candle making, jewellery making, whatever makes you craft or be creative we would like to see it!

I decorated a magnetic closing box, for a dear friend.

 I used a large flowery doily for the base layer, and then used die cuts and flowery paper to build up the layers.

I added some flowers, flat backed pearls, twine, gems and a charm. 

And of course, no project is complete without some washi tape ;)

Why not pop over and take part in the challenge?

Thank you so much for stopping by, and if you are crafting and it suits our theme, you have until June 30th to enter the challenge.

Happy Friday Crafting,

Eithne :D

Make your own Background with TTPHC

Hello! And happy Monday :) In Ireland today, it is our June bank holiday. It also happens to be my Wedding Anniversary, 7 years have gone so fast! This week over at Through the Purple Haze Challenges the theme is make your own background. This is my final week on the DT, as I have chosen to step down to change directions in my crafting! Exciting times ahead ;)

We are sponsored by Milk Coffee and I got the beautiful image - 'Michelle Walking'

This is my card -

I used a cloud stamp, and stamped it on some blue paper with two shades of blue ink. I then heat embossed it with some kaleidoscope powder and cut it to size. With some dark blue paper, I punched and tore it as a background layer.

Using my nested hearts set, I cut out the digi and another blue heart. I then embossed some vellum, stamped the sentiment. With some silver thread I threaded a dragon fly charm. Reaching for my favourite craft stash - WASHI tape ;) I placed some on and finished with some gems.

Thank you for stopping by today, hope you can take part in the challenge also. A lovely prize up for grabs! ;) I hope to enter this card in some challenges.

Have a wonderful week and I hope you get some crafting time in!

Eithne :)

Birthday Season!

Hello, and hope you are enjoying the Bank Holiday wherever you are :) We had such a beautiful sunny day, here in Ireland today. Fingers crossed it will last for the summer ;)

Today I would like to share with you, a 12" x 12" scrapbook layout. It is my first 12" x 12",  normally I do 8" x 8". I am entering this in the Scrap Around the World birthday/celebration challenge.

Every October we have 'Birthday Season' in our house. Within a matter of weeks we have 8 birthdays!! Phew, a very busy time. My two girls both celebrate their Birthdays in October, and in fitting in with the theme I scrapped a layout of both girls preparing and celebrating for their Birthday.

I used some stamping, layering with vellum, layering with printed paper and card, misting, some buttons to add some embellishments also. I crocheted a flower to tie in with the colour scheme, and added a button to it. I did some doodles around the edge too!

With natural light photo!

A close up-

Hope you have a wonderful weekend,Thanks for stopping by :)
Eithne

Button it Up!

Good morning! Hope you have a wonderful Monday.

This week over at Through the Purple Haze Challenges, we have a new challenge - "Button it Up!" and we are kindly sponsored by Lacy Sunshine and DigiStamps4Joy

This is the card I made,with the beautiful digi image "Caught One" from DigiStamps4Joy.

As you can see I went quite literal with the button up theme ;)

I scalloped cut the bottom of some beautiful glittery paper. With some matching pink board, I die cut out the doily circle. With a smaller die, I cut out the shape, to make a frame. This allowed the image to peep through!!

I coloured the image in my usual watercolour crayons, and then unleashed the button stash!!! ;)

Why not pop over and enter the challenge?

Hope you have a wonderful Monday, whatever you are doing.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Crafting :)

Eithne

Sketch over at Eclectic Ellapu

 Hello, and hope you are enjoying your weekend :) This time over at Eclectic Ellapu you have a choice of challenges. The Pink Team have 'Spring' and the Purple team have a sketch. As I am on the purple team, I did the sketch.

So I used the sketch, as is, for a card for my nephew's birthday.

I used a combination of papers - from memory I think they are Paper Capsule and some blank navy and cyan blue card. I used washi tape also, to create the bunting and I layered some white and navy card for the sentiment - Happy Birthday, which I used outline stickers for.

Thank you for stopping by, why not pop over and join in the fun at Eclectic Ellapu?

Have a great day,  happy crafting!

Eithne :)

Anything Goes over at TTPHC

Hello! A very happy morning to you :) This week over at Through the Purple Haze Challenges we have a new challenge - Anything Goes Opt For A Male. We are very kindly sponsored by Sassy Studio

This week I decided to go with the Anything Goes, as I have no men in my life who need a card, and I didn't want this lovely lady to sit on the shelf of my room, waiting to be used ;)

I made a card for a friend who is making a few changes in her life at the minute. I always feel you have to follow your dreams and be true to yourself for genuine happiness. Wishing her the best in her decisions she is facing :)

I used the Cat Woman Sassy image. I have noticed a lot of watercolour effect cards lately, so decided to play on the idea of dreams and watercolour - giving the undefined colour like the way a dream is.

I used some old pencils to colour her in.

I did some faux stitches around the patchwork effect card.

 I made some paper flowers and used some twine to tie in the stamped torn sentiment with the flowers on it.

Thanks for stopping over, why not pop over and see my Through the Purple Haze Challenges teamies designs?

I hope to enter a few challenges. Why not give this challenge a go?

Hope you have a great Monday.

Eithne :)

Craft for the Craic's May Challenge

Hello and welcome :) Hope you are enjoying your Friday, wherever you are :) Today the new challenge for Craft for the Craic goes live, and the theme this month is 'Something for a baby'.

At the beginning of last month, my niece Anna was born. I made this for her, and that in time she could put it up in her bedroom.

I used a combination of papers, tore them and stuck them onto some cream board at the back. It created a patchwork affect. Then I punched the elephant paper into the circle, inked it and stuck it down in the middle. Using two different tones of vellum, I created an area for Anna's name to go. I cut out Anna's name with the same board as per the base (although it is rather hard to see, it is so well covered ;) ) I sewed some pink thread up each side, and stuck down a serious of buttons, gems and other bling.

I created this flower with some quilled paper and a flower embellishment.

My aim is to make Anna's older sister, a similar, but not so 'babyish' one, so in years to come when they are sharing a bedroom, it will be fair!! ;)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hoped you like my creation. Why not pop over to Craft for the Craic and join in, in the challenge?
I hope to enter a few challenges.

Have a brilliant weekend, in Ireland we have a long weekend! Woohoo!!
Happy Crafting,
Eithne