Valentine's day last minute gifts

It is Valentine's day  tomorrow, but everyday is as good to show our love ones they are special to us. Here are some simple gifts and cards, easy to make, to give the people we love. I prefer fridge magnet above, I found it on this interesting site. Clothespins could be excellent material for crafting.

Valentines' day  cards 

Or just give a rose!

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Paper daisies

Until yesterday we've had winter I've always dreamed of - average day  temperature around  12⁰ C  (not recorded in the last 150 years). Today completely different picture - snow fell white color prevails outside. But this is not the reason not to enjoy the flowers, if only paper ones, even better, as we can play with colors and forms.

This paper daisy is easy to make, find the tutorial below.

Tutorial how to make paper daisy

Material

- paper of your choice, glue, scissors, wooden stick or wire for the steam, cork

I trimmed cork to be cca 8 mm wide and cca 2,5 cm long.

Cut three pieces of paper 14 x 7 cm and cut the fringes. For the first layer fringes were 4,5 cm long, for the second one 3 mm longer, for the third layer another 3 mm loner.  

Put the glue on the part of the paper not 'fringed' and roll it around the cork. 

Repeat with the second layer - notice that fringes are 3 mm below the first layer. Repeat with the third layer.

Glue little button in the middle and green paper around the stick to get a steam and the flower is finished.

For more tutorials, look my previous posts:

Paper rose

Paper petal flower

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Friendship scrolls

Although living in the digital era, having smart phones, tablets, notebooks - good, old paper is still very much alive. So, I made those scrolls for myself and my closest friends to keep common photos and memories.  I found the idea in the free ebook from the Cloth Paper Scissors site - it was a scroll to keep souvenirs from the journey. I used it for our friendship journey.

Tutorial how to make friendship scrolls

  

Use a piece of fabric, aproximately 33 x 11 cm. I prepainted an area for the photo as I had some isues with the transfer technique. Used photo transfer paper for the dark fabric. (Don't make the same mistake I did - read the instructions.)

After the photo tranfer was succesfully accomplished, I painted the fabric with the acrylic fabric paint and played a little bit with stencils.

This is the back side of the scroll. I also write some text - sentence about friendship.

For the scroll interior I printed calendar on the parchment paper and added a page of  handmade paper. On the calendar just marked our birthdays. I made four such pairs  and stiched them on the fabric 12 mm one after another.

Before stiching the paper, flipped the edge of the fabric and stitched it, put inside the wire. You can see it (left edge).

Finally, stitched the ribbon. The scroll is over. I printed some of  old photos and input them within the paper pairs. 

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Origami angels for the new year

Angels again, this time simple, easy to make, but beautiful origami paper angels. It is a great fun folding them and varying the paper you can make them to fit everywhere. 

Tutorial how to make origami angel

Tutorial for this angel I found on this link as pdf file. It was designed at papirfoldning.dk - great origami side. Although it is mostly on dannish, I am sure everyone can manage to understand diagrams.

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Angels around us

I love angels and secretly hoping there is at least one taking care about me and helping me with all my issues. I don't particularly like the common image of angels, prefer some unusual ways to create them. Anyway, who can tell us for sure how the angels look like? I made these for the kitchen, with little magnets glued on the back.

Found some  interesting ones on the net.

Simple but lovely angels from this site.

For this adorable paper angel you can find tutorial.

These are my favourite, I found them (together with the tut) on the www.adventuresofadiymom.com.

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Patchwork bag

Never enough bags and purses. Designers' ones are too expensive for me, so occasionally I make them myself. This one is made by the pattern of Marcy Tilton I bought on Vogue patterns (this is not any advertising post). Used fabric scraps I found at home to play a little (it was realy fun) and add vibrancy to the bag.


Some more photos of the bag:

And this is the original:

Tips I learned making the patchwork bag

I used different fabric for the bag and, although I followed the instructions, the bottom didn't stay flat when caring the bag - had to put plastic (cut of the old plastic file)  under the lining to 'fasten' it.

Vogue patterns are different compared to Burda patterns, so read the instructions. main difference is that Burda patterns are drawn with the sewing lines while on the Vogue pattern you have 'cutting' line (with the seam allowance already included) and the sewing line. I have to say, Burda pattern is more suitable for me.

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Alter Christmas door wreath

Holidays season is coming, time to wrap up the year (again, so soon), decorate home, make/buy gifts, bake cookies, hang  Christmas wreath on a door. Could it be a little bit different this year? Something original, upcycled, funny? I found some very awesome wreath on the net, see if you could use the idea.

This ideas I found here. I love the ties wreath, as tie originally comes from Croatia.

For this minimalistic wreath made from toilet paper roles, you can find tutorial how to make wreath.

This one is made from straw.

Easy to make, but very effective. Love it (found here.)

With the combination of various colors, this wreath is suitable for all seasons. Learn how to make it, it is fun.

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Don't throw away driftwood

Being a Mediterranean country, boats  are part of our tradition and driftwood art is becoming more popular every day. I just love it. It reminds me on the summer and seaside in these rainy November days. And above all, it is good to remember that the world around us  should be seen from different angles.
All art & craft on photos are made by Croatian artists or crafters. Enjoy!

These two boats are work of Tatjana Tekovic.

Driftwood place

Another lovely boat.

This is atelier of the Sedam metara kvadratnih, small workshop.

For this interesting necklace you can see tutorial.

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