Patterned notepad tutorial

Wow, second post in one day, don't remember that before. However today was a snow day and I got sent home from school with nothing to do, I'm not complaining though, however I would like to know what happened to the start of spring!? Anyhoo....

A while ago my Mum bought some really nice patterned wrapping paper, the problem has been it's too nice to wrap presents in and give to people! So this wrapping paper has been sat in the wrapping paper draw for months until this week where I came up with the thought of making a notepad with it, here it is.

It is reasonably easy to make and you even get to use a power drill.....that's right this tutorial on how to make a nice patterned notepad uses A POWER DRILL. Please don't be put off though! It really is the best way to get through all the layers of paper and card. at first I tried just shoving the needle through but that didn't work, I then tried piercing each piece of paper in turn but that took forever and in the end they didn't line up and the hole wasn't big enough to let the needle through a second time, hopeless! Using a drill with a really small bit (I have been informed that 'a bit' is the proper term for the actual screwy part of a drill)  it means the holes will all line up, you can poke the needle through numerous times and, if you're someone like me, it's quicker!
It really can depend on the number of A4 pages you pick as well, if you pick too many the notepad isn't going to stay closed nicely, too few and, well, it's a rubbish notepad! I settled for 7 and it seemed to work well and you get 14 pages to write on (28 if you count both sides). 

Patterned notepad tutorial 

• an A3 sheet of plain card
• a few sheets of white A4 paper (7 works well)
• scissors
• patterned paper
• glue
• ruler and pencil
• A POWER DRILL! With a small 'bit' attached
• white thread and a needle
• a contrasting piece of coloured paper for the spine

1. First of all place a piece of A4 paper on top of the A3 card and draw a boarder onto the card about 0.5 cm away from the paper and cut out. This might seem like a strange thing to do but if you use A4 card the paper sticks out of the edges at the end and doesn't look as good.
2. Cut a piece of patterned paper to the same size as the card and carefully glue together to avoid air bubbles.
3. Once dry draw a line down the centre of the card using a ruler, score and fold.
4. Next get an A4 piece of paper, fold in half and mark 6 cm and 2 cm from the bottom at either end (this is where you're going to drill).
5. Fold all the A4 pieces of paper in half, place the marked sheet on the top so you know where to drill and the card on the bottom of the pile.
6. Carefully drill 4 holes through the marked areas, through the paper and the card
7. Next up thread the needle and sew all the layers together by going through the 2 separate pairs of holes a few times.
8. Cut a a strip of paper in a contrasting colour for the spine, it should be 6 cms wide and the same height of the notepad. Glue over the spine to cover the stitches on the outside.
9. Voila! A beautiful notepad

variations 

A few extra things you could add to your notepad glitter, stick on gems like the photo above or even a ribbon by placing it in the centre of the book where the stitches are and tying the ends together outside.

I've made this notepad before we had the wrapping paper by using coloured card, a heart stamp and paint which worked really well but you have to wait a little longer for the paint to dry.

Thank you very much for reading and I hope the snow hasn't caused you too much disruption today! Also please let me know if you found the tutorial instructions a little confuzzling, I tried to explain it as best as I could but I don't know if I went a little ott (over the top)?

Buttons, buttons and more buttons!

As a matter of policy each and every family should have a jar or box of buttons (if you don't yet have one I suggest you get collecting those buttons). A jar of buttons is a beautiful thing to have because, in my opinion, buttons are just beautiful! They come in all different shapes, sizes, colours and patterns, they're all so different from one another. The sad thing about buttons is that there is a finite amount of space on a shirt to sew them, as the cockneys found with their pearl button suits, you get to a point where you have no space left for a button! This is when you need some extra ideas and that's where I can help. Today I've made four different things with buttons just for you, enjoy!

The family button jar and child

1.) The Button Ring

• (first picture) You will need- some thin wire, something to cut the wire, a tape measure and some buttons (two holes or a shank button)
• cut the wire to 50 to 60 cms
• (second picture) put each end of the wire through the hole in the button and continue going round your finger and through the holes until you have about 10 cms of wire left
• take the ring off your finger and twist it round and around the wire, finish by tucking it in
• you now have a finished ring! 

2.) The Brooch

• (first picture) you will need- some felt, scissors, a tape measure, a big button, a safety pin, thread and needle 
• cut a square of felt, I made mine 10cms x 10 cms but you might want to make it a little smaller
• (second picture) from each corner cut almost to the middle but not quite, stop about 2 cms from the centre
• (third picture) bring each corner into the centre and sew in place
• (forth picture) sew on the safety pin to the back and button on the front
• Ta daah! 

3.) A Button Bobble

For this tutorial you need a thin bobble but I only realised mine were to big before making it and, living in a little town as I do, no shops are open on Sundays! I know you shouldn't put bobble in your hair but for this I had too, I do suggest you use a thin bobble. I think this is great for all those gold sailor skank buttons you get piling up. 

• (first picture) You will need- a skank button and a bobble (that's it!)
• (bottom left picture) put the bobble through the hole 
• (right picture) pull the other end back through the loop
• Short and Sweet!

4.) Button Clips 

• (first picture) you will need- hair pins (AKA bobble pins), buttons with any number of holes, needle and thread
• (second picture) thread the needle and tie it in a double or triple knot through the button
• keep going round and through the holes with the thread (forget the clip for now!) You need to do it quite loosely so you can fit the pin head through, when finished tie it in a double knot
• (third picture) push the thread on the back of the button through the pin
• beautiful vintage clips, cheap and cheerful!

I hope I've inspired you to get collecting buttons or stop sewing them onto suits and shirts, do something useful with them! They make quick and beautiful presents of just treats for yourself and look really nice and vintage if you use the right buttons. I had another idea for a tutorial but didn't have time but I was inspired by my Mum's button bracelet which I've loved to play with since I was little. Here's a picture and leave me a comment or send me a link if you have an idea on how to make it, thank you!

Valentine's day Guinness cakes and card

 Well as valentine's day is coming round the corner I thought it might be appropriate to do a valentine's post, even though I sadly don't have one myself. One thing I'm certain of though is that men like beer and women like chocolate, so why not put the two together? Today me and my Mum have been baking chocolate and Guinness cakes, the reason they're called cakes and not cupcakes is because we baked them in a muffin tin in muffin moulds but with cake mix so it seemed more appropriate. They were reasonably simple, the only vaguely difficult part was heating, and taste so good they'll be sure to win over your valentines! 

Chocolate Guinness Cakes 

(makes 12 muffin sized cupcakes)

we adapted the recipe from Nigella's chocolate Guinness cake

 Ingredients

• 125ml Guinness
• 125 grams of butter (cubed)
• 40 grams of cocoa powder
• 200 grams of caster sugar 
• 70 ml of sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 140 grams of plain flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda
• 
  
• 50 grams of softened butter
• 100 grams of icing sugar
• 1 200 gram tub of Philadelphia
• 
  

1.) Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C and line a 12 muffin tin      with cases
2.) Put the Guinness into a pan and put on a low heat before adding the butter, stir until melted. Add the cocoa and sugar and whisk together before taking off the heat.
3.) In a separate mixing bowl whisk the soured cream, egg and vanilla. Add the Guinness mixture (it doesn't have to have cooled) and whisk together.
4.) Add in the plain flour and bicarb, whisk again until the mixture is smooth with no lumps.
5.) pour the mixture into the cases and bake for about 20 minutes until they spring back when pressed and leave to cool.

6.) For the icing whisk together the icing sugar and butter until smooth before adding about 100 grams of cream cheese. If you like your icing sweet I suggest you stop there and it may be a little runny to pipe. If you want to pipe the icing you might have to add the whole tub like I did.
7.) Next cut out heart shapes from the top of each cake, as though making fairy cakes, and pipe the icing underneath before replacing the heart.
8.) enjoy while you create your valentine's card!

Adaptations

chocoholic? For even more chocolaty flavor add some melted white chocolate to the icing.
feeling guilty? Add some fresh or frozen raspberries to the cake mixture.

Simple and sophisticated Valentine's card

This card was just as simple as the cakes but looks really really nice and classy I think. All you need to make it is:
 1 sheet of white card
 1 sheet of coloured paper (I used red)
 Glue and glitter
 A craft knife and chopping board
 A black pen and pencil

1.) Take your white card and draw a large heart with a smaller heart within it on the top 1/3 like on the photograph. Cut out the hatched area with the craft knife on the chopping board.
2.) On the red paper in the exact same place as on the white card draw a big heart, glue around it and cover with glitter before shaking to remove any excess.
3.) Fold the paper and card in half before glueing the red paper inside, you might want to cut it a little smaller than the card so it fits in nicely.

4.) Write your message on the front and inside with the pen and send to your valentine's!

I hope you enjoy your cake, your valentine enjoys their card and you get one in return, happy Valentine's! 

speedy gonzales pom poms!

At the moment I'm knitting my first ever pair of socks (that is first pair of knitted socks, I do have socks) and I've been thinking about when will I wear them? There too big to wear as socks with shoes and I don't want to wear them to bed because I'll get sweaty feet so I've decided on slipper socks. I'll post about them when I've finished them, I've almost finished sock on.  I thought that attaching a pair of pom poms to each sock would give them a cute, classy look (I think they may be binary opposites but trust me). I have to be honest though, I'm not a patient person and find wrapping wool round the same pieces of cardboard again and again for hours so tedious and then I've never got the knack of cutting it and tying it up at the end. So This christmas I devised a quicker and easier way to make pom poms (perhaps uses a little more wool)and I drew some pictures to show you!

Gather your equitment-
wool and
scissors

cut a long length of wool
(perhaps a little longer than you would if using the traditional method)
more wool means a fluffier pom pom!

fold the length of wool in half
and then in half again so it is now 1/4 the
length but 4 times thicker
(don't skip with it unless you happen to be a mouse)

this bit was a bit hard to illustate using a ouse claw
wrap the wool round and round 2 or 3 fingers, spread a little
(the more fingers the bigger the pom pom)

then cut a length of wool and tie it tightly inbetween your fingers in the middle of the pom pom

slide the pom pom off your fingers and cut through each loops
with a pair of scissors
(if you wrapped the wool around to tightly you can do this while it is on your fingers but is  little more trickier and dangerous)

your pom pom with probaly look like the first one shown above with uneven lengths of wool hanging off but after a trim it should look ust like a pom pom and in half the time!

thank you for reading and take a well deserved rest if you are a mouse!

I used this method this christmas to make 20 knitted hats complete with pom poms for my friends this christmas along with hot chocolate stirers and heart decorations, here a picture of one of the hats (from instagram).