Origami stars and chrimbly counting 6

Day 6 and it continues...! Our summer holidays were delightfully filled with gentle skies and vast seas as we camped on the small and sandy island of Uist. The lane near our campsite had this sign struggling to keep its head up above the sea of grasses and wild flowers that joyfully filled the field and tumbled down on to the lane edge. 

Origami stars 

(Be warned - it is a long post and an incurably addictive craft!)

You will need:

Time

ready access to tea/coffee 

A podcast or radio

Scrap practise paper

Finished item paper (I used sheets from a book that had been destined for the paper skip)

Ruler

Scissors

Tea-spoon

Hole punch

String or threads

Time (I may have mentioned this already)

Part 1 - Creating your pentagon

Either follow these instructions or follow this link which takes you to a template, which you can then print and cut as you need :)

1. Firstly, using your practise paper, ensure you have a square piece to start with. To achieve this, fold one of the corners up to meet the opposite edge, forming a triangle. Cut off the excess paper alongside the triangle, unfold your triangle to reveal a square.

2. Fold your square, in half, from the bottom upwards to the top.

3. Fold the top left corner down to the bottom, unfold.
4. Fold the bottom left corner up to the top, unfold.

5. This folding provides a central 'point'.
6. Take the bottom RIGHT corner towards this point and fold over.

7. Still with the same piece of folded paper, refold, backwards, the top layer of paper in half, see photograph on the left

8. Take the BOTTOM LEFT corner and fold upwards toward top right, against the newly created edge. See the photograph on the right.

9. Flip the paper over. You are now working on the 'back'.

10. Fold in half where I have marked the dark line

11. Following the edge of the top layer of paper (see central photograph) cut off the excess of paper

 Ta-da!you now have a pentagon. Well done you!  Now, let's get on with ....

Part 2 - Making stars!

1. Place your pentagon nice side down.

2. Refold and open each creased line - use the back of your teaspoon to press down (did you wonder why this was on the list?) helps make a nice tight fold. 

3.Fold the straight edges upwards to the folds you have just made, use the teaspoon here again, you will need nice crisp folds. Unfold again. Turn the pentagon and repeat this folding five times. 

Your paper will then have new creases as per the photograph below.

4. The next step is a little fiddly (even for an octopus). You need to fold in the left edge along one of the new creases. Then, fold up the bottom edge while you pull the corner of your pentagon to the left. (See photo) Press this new fold flat.

5. Unfold. Turn one fifth so you now have a new base, repeat the above step until you have gone completely round your pentagon. Your pentagon will now have additional creases - see below photograph...

 6. With your pentagon open and flat, pinch all 5 corners as you push them towards the centre. They will, with a bit of 'help', start to twist gently to a star shape.

7. Lie your star down and tighten the folds with the back of your spoon.

8.Flip the star over - notice the mini pentagon? 

9. Fold the top point of the mini pentagon to the central point (see picture above), press down firmly
10. Turn your star and repeat action, do this five times in total.

It is at this point (or 5 points!) you realise 

You have Only Gone And Made a STAR!!!

You are AmAzInG!!!

 
Think I need a little lie down in a dark corner ... how about you??

If you have been inspired by my tutorial,

could you be so kind to link back to my blog,

I would love to see how your Origami Stars turned out,

or did you too need a little time to recover :)

Linking with Julie's Advent

#crafts  #christmascrafts  #handmadewithlove #handicraft #inspiredby #imadethis #livelovecraftme

Dried citrus 'sun catcher' garlands - chrimbly counting day 5

I have absolutely no idea ... , hmmm. I took this photo in March this year. Any ideas? No, me neither! So let's get on with the crafting!

Dried citrus 'sun catcher' garlands

You will need:

A selection of dried orange/grapefruit/lemon slices

Strong thread

Tapestry needle

Red ribbon

Beads

Scissors

A suitable window and some sunshine to twinkle through!

1.Select the dried orange slices you want to use, lay they out in the order you will thread them.

2. Make sure you have a sufficient length of thread before you start. Then sort out your beads, I used a vintage Indian bell as the first item, tying it on very tightly, following it with festively coloured beads.

3.Carefully pierce the fruit part of the slice with your threaded tapestry needle, tie the thread against the rind which is a lot firmer.  Repeat on the opposite side of the fruit slice, again tie, leave a gap then repeat for the remaining pieces of dried fruit slices. 

4. Finally make a loop and add your chosen ribbon to the top. 

5. Hang your festive orange garlands in your window and step back, marvelling at the light shining through your citrus sun catchers!

You can buy ready dried citrus slices or you can make them yourself.  I looked on the internet and there are a number of sites explaining how to do so, however, I purchased a small packet for less than £2.00 so much easier! As I type this - the room is gently scented by a slight hint of orange marmalade, yum!

If you have been inspired by my tutorial,

could you be so kind to link back to my blog,

I would love to see how your festive citrus garlands turned out :)

Linking with Julie's Advent

#crafts  #christmascrafts  #handmadewithlove #handicraft #inspiredby #imadethis #livelovecraftme

Gingerbread Trees and Gingerbread Men - Chrimbly counting - 4

A spring break in the lakes, some of the clearest, bluest skies imaginable. We stumbled across a cafe that used bicycles as way markers. It appealed to the boys (all three). I meant the cakes, not the bikes ....... !

Gingerbread gifts and decorations.

You will need:

Your favourite gingerbread recipe * or the one at the end of this post

Biscuit cutters (if you don't have the shapes you need, draw them on card, cut out and use these as a template to cut your biscuit dough)

Ribbons or threads

Decorative tin or box

Icing sugar (optional)

1.Make a goodly amount of dough (you never know, you might end up sampling the made biscuits, necessary quality control type stuff.....)

2. Cut out your figures, we did a mixture of gingerbread men and chrimbly trees
3. The cooked biscuits could potentially be eaten that day (oops - been there/done that!) ...

4. ...or sprinkled with icing sugar and served with a mug of tea for a festive family get together

5. You can, once cooled, pack them carefully in a suitable container - I have a small festive tin I use - give as a gift or to take with you to share with friends and family.

 6. And if you can bare to sacrifice a few biscuits, insert a hole before placing into the oven,  cook them for a few minutes longer to harden and when once cooled thread a ribbon through the hole and hang up on your tree :) When you take your decorations down, the biscuits could be crumbled up and given to birds in the garden.

*Gingerbread Men recipe

350 gm (12 oz) plain flour

5mls (1 tsp) bicarbinate of soda

10mls (2 tsp) ground ginger - depending on your tastes you could add more ginger!

100gm (4oz) butter

175gm (6oz) soft brown sugar

60ml (4 level tbsp) golden syrup

1 egg - beaten

Line 2 - 3 baking trays with greaseproof paper (non-stick).

Sift flour, bicarb and ginger into a bowl, rub in the butter until it looks like fine bread crumbs.

Stir in the sugar.

Stir the syrup into the egg and mix into the dry ingredients.

Mix well, knead until smooth.

Roll out to about 5mm (1/4 inch) thick. Cut your biscuits and lay out on the baking trays.

Bake at 190 deg c ( 375 deg F), mark 5 for 12 - 15 minutes ntil golden.

Cool slightly then place on a wire rack to cool fully - enjoy!

If you have been inspired by my tutorial, 

please could you be so kind to link back to my blog

I would love to see your gingerbread biscuits and what you did with them!

Linking with Julie's Advent

#crafts  #christmascrafts  #handmadewithlove #handicraft #inspiredby #imadethis #livelovecraftme

Lemony Shortbread in a jar - Chrimbly Counting - 3

Sitting in a waiting ferry, loud engines rumbling, ready for the off. We were rather excited, anticipating our stay on the beautiful isle of Uist .

Festive jar filled with Lemony Shortbread Biscuits

You will need:

Yummy shortbread biscuits (recipe below**)

Air tight jar - large enough to hold a goodly amount of biscuits

Gift tag - bought or hand made

Ribbons

Scissors

A suitable biscuit eating recipient!

1. Make your biscuits - recipe below or use one of your own favourites

2. Cool thoroughly, ready to be added to your chosen clean and dry jar

3. Select your ribbons and decorate the jar, choose your label or cut one from a recycled card

4. Layer your biscuits carefully - filling the the jar

 5. Seal tightly, add your gift tag and stand back happy!

Ta da!

If you are making the biscuits from scratch, this will take about an hour and half to include cooling time. You can 'prettify' your festive biscuit jar while the biscuits are baking and you will still have time to have a mug of tea AND  wash up!

**Lemony Shortbread Biscuits

225g (8oz) butter

100g (4oz) icing sugar

325g (12oz) flour

Zest of one lemon - optional

Caster sugar for sprinkling sparkly sweet stuff on finished biscuits

Cream butter and sugar until soft and light, gradually add the flour and lemon zest and knead until smooth.

Roll out to about  1/2 cm (1/4 inch) thick and cut with your favourite cutter.

Bake.

Fan - 155 deg C, 20 - 30 mins

Conv oven - preheat to 180 deg C, 25 - 35 mins

Gas mark 4, 20 - 30 mins

Sprinkle on the sugar before fully cooled giving a lovely festive twinkly sparkle :)

Load up your jar!

If you have been inspired by my tutorial, 

please could you be so kind to link back to my blog

I would love to see your shortbread biscuits in a jar :)

Linking with Julie's Advent

#crafts  #christmascrafts  #handmadewithlove #handicraft #inspiredby #imadethis #livelovecraftme

Gift Tags and Chrimbly Counting - 2

Taken last February, a sign post from one of our local walks. A quick snap before walking on, it was too cold to linger.

Quick and easy (and free!) gift tags

You will need:

Used cards from last year

Scissors - plain/pinking/craft

Ribbon - used and saved from last year's parcels

Hole punch

Mug of tea and something good to listen to - radio/audio book/your fav festive CD

1. Select the cards you want to cut up.

2. Check that they have not been written on the back of the picture side.

3.Not all cards are easy to cut in to reusable tag shapes however the majority are. Some cards even yield more than one gift tag - yay!

4. The easiest are the ones with 'straight lines' already incorporated in the pictures or have an obvious place to cut - I refer to the card with the three rows of bobble hats - that one would make three lovely tags:)

5. Images that have 'organic' edges, cut either by following the border you have selected closely,  as I have done with the stockings, or as with the oval shaped card - just trim with the pinking shears to include the main image of the original card discarding the rest.

6. A selection of scissors with decorative edges help make your tag more interesting.
7. Punch holes in the corner of your now cut cards.
8. Thread ribbon through the holes.

Ta - da! Free gift tags!

What a lovely, happy way to spend a cold afternoon, crafting and creating and listening to something good :)

If you have been inspired by my tutorial, 

please could you be so kind to link back to my blog

I would love to see your pile of happy festive gift cards :)

Linking with Julie's Advent

#crafts  #christmascrafts  #handmadewithlove #handicraft #inspiredby #imadethis #livelovecraftme

Wooden Tree and Chrimbly Counting - 1

Welcome to my Chrimbly Countdown 2016!

A brilliant little find - that card. We were geocaching on Skye and this little card was in the cache box. Just perfect!    Now, let's kick start a season of daily festive crafting, makes and bakes - there should be something for everyone to try!  

Wooden Pallet Festive Tree

You will need:

A discarded wooden pallet - preferably with close slats

Gardening gloves

Marker pen

'Ruler' - I used a broom handle

Saw - I have a handy husband and his circular saw

Sandpaper

Paint - greens/reds/white

Paint brushes 

Additional/optional - glitter/ rain or snow proof decorations

Somewhere outside to place your festively decorated tree where everyone can see and admire your handiwork!

1. Clean up the pallet, remove any ties or labels (if rough wood - wear gloves)

2. Using the central supporting strut as the centre - this will also be the tree's trunk - draw a triangular shape.

3. Either using said handy husband or your own saw, cut along the drawn lines

4. Sand the cut edges smooth, discarding the outer pieces of wood. (Luckily I have a wood-burning stove)

5. Choose your paint designs;

               'Ever-green tree' - green cross slats and brown supporting strut 

               'Winter wonderland tree' - white with glitter to give that extra frosty sparkle

               or a colour scheme of your choice with what ever paints you can find!

6. Decorate as your whim takes you!

7. Place tree in prominent place, step back and smile :)

Ta-da!

If you have been inspired by my tutorial,

could you be so kind to link back to my blog,

I would love to see how your tree turned out :)

Linking with Julie's Advent

#crafts  #christmascrafts  #handmadewithlove #handicraft #inspiredby #imadethis #livelovecraftme

Good bye November

Never mind good bye November -hasn't this year in general just suddenly slipped away?

It has, for me, been a year of contrasts and conflict, of changes of direction and new beginnings and now I find myself busy painting and stamping and not just for pleasure but for commissions and gifts - whodathunkit?

Any hoo,  gentle reminder that tomorrow is the kick off of chrimbly crafting and counting (joining in with Julie's Advent) I hope that you are inspired to try some of the crafts that will appear daily until the 24th December.

In the meantime, if you will excuse me, I must get back to painting (difficult with a cat wanting to sit on my lap and a dog asleep under my feet) as my list of commissions gently grows daily! Yay!!

Talk about the pawsonal attention to detail that Pepper insists on giving ...

November's words Link up

If you have joined in with my

Scavenger hunt, please link

with me on your blog :)

Please add your name to the

link up tool below,
just follow the easy instructions,
don't worry - if I can do it so can you!

Now, let's all visit and see everyone's lovely pictures!