make this: deer head necklace organiser

I was recently invited to check out the newly opened Kaisercraft store at Uni Hill Factory Outlet. And frankly, how could I say no; Kaisercraft is one of my fave paper-craft brands. I already own a hefty supply of their stamps, papers, rub-ons and stickers which I regularly use in various craft projects.

If you're lucky enough to be within close proximity to this Kaisercraft store, I urge you to make a visit as you won't be disappointed. Upon entering the store, I was pulled in three separate directions; where I wanted to look, where my mister was looking and where my son was looking.  All three of us had found stacks of great supplies within minutes of entering. Each person with their own clear favourites (yes, we are a creative family).

My heart was racing. I was in paper heaven.  I tell no lie when I say that we had to leave the store to have a bite to eat and a whip around the other shops before returning to keep shopping in Kaisercraft. I had to have a breather as there was so much to choose from it was so difficult to make a selection. And lucky we went for a whip around the other stores as I picked up some cute washi tape from Typo and spied a pair of nautical inspired Keds wedges (shoes for those of you unfamiliar with the brand Keds) which are now on my must-have list.

So after some welcome distraction by other stores, it was back to Kaisercraft. There was so much to choose from and it was difficult to decide what to take home with me, but I finally settled on a fantastic deer head which I'd been looking at for a while. Obviously that's not all I brought home, but more on that later.

Oh, I have to mention, if you're a bargain shopper like me then you'll be happy to know that there are also plenty of clearance bins to choose from with items starting as low as 50c.

Although I do delight in the occasional scrapbooking session, I'm also a "beyond the page" kinda gal, so my mind was wandering as to how I could make this delightful deer head a functional piece too. With the antlers as inspiration, I decided to turn this raw beauty into a necklace organiser.  And here's how I did it in 10 simple steps.

1. Lay out all your pieces so that you know how much paper you're going to need and if you can double up any of your pieces on one page.

NOTE: I covered all of the head pieces (minus the antlers) in vintage magazine pages. I painted the two antler pieces in different colours. The mount (which the head is attached to) has been covered in 12x12 paper and the edges have been painted.

2. If you have specific prints, patterns or areas of the paper you want to be visible, line them up by holding the paper over the MDF piece and hold it up near a window so you can see the shape through the paper.

3. Glue your selected paper to one side of each piece of MDF and let it completely dry before proceeding to the other side. TIP: make sure you smooth out the paper after applying glue to your MDF piece. When gluing, remember that less is more. The more glue you use, the more bubbles you'll get in your paper - especially if it's thin.

4. Run your finger over the ridge of each shape so that you get a slight crease. It will make it easier to tear the paper away from the shape. It doesn't have to be perfect; you just want to remove as much of the excess paper as possible. Do this step before gluing paper to the other side. Repeat.

5. Using some sandpaper or an emery board, file the edges of all pieces so that the excess paper is filed away leaving you with nice neat edges.  If you are confident in using a power tool you could sand or buff off the paper using a Dremel or similar small power tool which comes with multiple attachment heads.

6. I used two different colours to paint the antlers. Two coats each, letting dry in between coats.

7. For the mount, I used a single 12x12 page from the 'Class of '87' range. Using a paint brush, spread the glue over the entire surface and stick the paper down.  Smooth it down and place it under a heavy large book to ensure it dries flat. Once dry, repeat the process as you did in step 4.

8. Paint the edges of the mount so that you cover all of the visible MDF, but be careful not to paint over the paper! If you're worried about this step, then I suggest painting the edges BEFORE you glue down your paper.

9. Paint your antler pieces. I chose to paint them in two different colours.  

10. Assemble all of the pieces, making sure they are pushed in and down all the way. I did not use any glue to hold the pieces together as the added layers of paper ensure a snug fit. Add a hook to the back, hang and admire!

If you're so inclined, you could cover one side of all MDF pieces in one type of paper or paint colour and do something different on the reverse so that you can flip the pieces over for a seasonal change!

Materials I used for this project:

Kaisercraft Dimensional Deer Head

Kaisercraft Class of '87 12x12 paper in 'Science Project'

Kaisercraft Paint in 'Spearmint' and 'Lime'

Vintage magazine pages

UHU craft glue

Now it's time for a little giveaway

Since I had so much fun shopping at the Uni Hill Factory Outlet store, I wanted to share some of the love.  Thanks to the lovely folks at Kaisercraft, I've got a little pack of goodies for one lucky person to win.  To enter this competition simply leave me a comment on this post making sure to include your email address (so I can contact you if you're the winner).  I'll randomly draw a winner on Friday the 18th of January 2013 at 8pm (Australian daylight savings time) - so you have until then to enter. 

Please note entry is open to Australian residents only.

Thanks to the lovely folks at Kaisercraft for giving me a gift voucher to spend at their Uni Hill Factory Outlet store in exchange for an unbiased post.

that's a wrap

Last night was my last market for 2010. I have to say, I'm relieved that it's over for this year. I have to remember NOT to book two consecutive markets the two weekends prior to Christmas ever again.

I'm absolutely exhausted.  So much so, hat I didn't wake up until 11am this morning.  I NEVER do that.  Especially as I have a 5 year old.  I'm thankful that I have a very supportive and considerate husband who kept our son entertained until I got up.

Daylesford held a Twilight Makers Market last night and I'm glad I got to be part of it.  I've never done a night market before so it was good to experience it.  The doors flung open at 4pm and the crowds kept coming for the first 2 hours. 

At dinner time things died down and the lovely organisers decided to close the market early at 8:30pm. Don't know if it was the weather (it was quite cold despite being summer) or the town itself, but people just weren't out in Daylesford last night.  Not that I'm complaining because finishing early meant that I got home earlier than planned. The hour and a half drive doesn't bother me, unless it's late at night.

Here's a quick wrap up of last nights twilight market in pics...

my stall

the lovely (and camera shy) curlypops was stationed across from me



the smell of these was too much. heart-shaped waffles with strawberries, cream, melted Lindt chocolate, sprinkled with cocoa powder. thanks for feeding me and the other stallholders ChocolateRex!



Sawdust's birdy mobiles were to die for. The lovely Jayne makes these birdcages and I have to say they are the most divine things ever! You must check them out.  Oh, and you can place a custom order by emailing Jayne

 

these little cute ones from the Spotted Jinx

  


the cutest paper doll books by buntyandsars... too cute!

Thanks to all the many talented and lovely stallholders who make Daylesford Makers Market the great market that it is.  The stallholders, market committee and market visitors are always so lovely... that's why I keep coming back!  And did you know that the market recently won a local tourism award!? Well deserved.

Now, if you entered my Sew, Mama, Sew giveaway, I have drawn a winner.  Thanks to the 228 comments which I received.  Mister Penguin will be finding a new home with lucky commenter #9 - Annie and her son.  Congrats Annie... I have no doubt Mister Penguin will love living with you.

Christmas countdown is on...

giveaway day: softie

Hello lovelies!

Welcome to all of you visiting via Sew, Mama, Sew especially if it's your first time here and a very big hello to all of my regular followers. Oh my goodness, it's that time again.  Sew, Mama, Sew's famous giveaway day.

I had so much fun playing along last time that I simply couldn't resist participating again.

Today I'm offering the chance for one lucky person to win a one of a kind Mr Penguin softie.  He has been lovingly handmade by me, is soft and hugable and a total cutie-pie with lots of character.  Suitable for little kids and really big ones too!

I actually wouldn't mind keeping him for myself, but I would prefer that he go to a good home where he doesn't have to compete for love.

So here are the details you need to know in order to participate in this giveaway:

• This giveaway is open until midnight Friday 17th December (Australian Easter Standard Time)
• Open to international residents. Yes, that means anyone in the world can enter to win, not just Aussies!
• To be eligible to win you must leave a comment telling me what your favourite colour is.
• Only one comment per person.  Any person found to have commented more than once will have subsequent comments removed.
• BONUS: For an extra entry, tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post and using #PenguinLoveGiveaway in your tweet
• Winner will be drawn randomly through random.org and contacted by email to confirm postal address.  Please make sure you use details that will allow me to track you down such as your email address or blog. If I can't find you, I won't be able to send your prize.

Good luck to everyone and for more giveaway goodies, check out the three giveaway lists over here

handmade living book winner announcement

Hello lovelies.  Thanks to everyone who entered my competiton to win a copy of Handmade Living.  I've drawn a random winner and that person is... Cherrie from Willy Wagtail !!

I am so excited that Cherrie was the random winner as she was very kind to send me her unwanted Rob Ryan tea towel from the 10th anniversary issue of Inside Out magazine a couple of weeks ago so that I could make another cushion to go with the one I'd made from my own tea towel. I call that great karma. Cherrie, congratulations.  I will be emailing you shortly.

Thanks again to everyone who entered.

handmade living giveaway

  

I've been sitting on a little bit of exciting news for a few months now.  But like they say, all good things come to those who wait.  And I have waited.  And waited.  And waited a little more.

Last week, I received a parcel of lovely books.  My Handmade Living order had arrived.  I eagerly flipped through the pages of the book, taking in all the beautiful photography and handmade projects for the first time.  Then, as I got to the section I was looking forward to seeing, I spotted my little softie, there in all his softie glory.

It's times like this that I remember just how many talented people there are in the world.  The book covers so many fabulous things including nest, cloth, closet, adorn, little, paper, indulge and more which are the names of the sections.

In the "paper" section, Emma from Kidson Jewellery shows us how to make a beautiful brooch out of paper!

In "Cloth" Tina Snerling shows us a great embroidery project to make your own Parisian inspired pillow

I'm so excited to be included in such a gorgeous book, but also to own a copy.  It's one of the most beautiful craft/handmade books I've ever seen.  It's the kind of book you leave on your coffee table and comment to clueless friends who see it "oh, I told you craft is ace"

Of course, I could show you so much more of this book.  With over 70 projects, the book is inspirational and truly a feast for the eyes and creative soul.  But I'm not going to show you anymore - there's simply too much.  Instead I'm going to give one of you the chance to win a copy to check out for yourself.

Giveaway rules:

1. Giveaway opens now and closes 8pm Friday 10th December (Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time)
2. Sadly for our overseas friends, this giveaway is only open to Australian residents
3. To enter, you must be a follower of this blog (I will be checking the winning commenter)
4. If you're already a follower, then all you have to do is leave a comment and let me know which section of the book you're most interested in.  You just need to mention one of these: nest (home), cloth (fabric), closet (clothes), adorn (jewellery), little (for the kiddies), paper (as the name suggests), indulge (food)
5. Winner will be selected randomly (random.org) and notified by email, so please make sure you enter an email address into the comments form so I have a way of contacting you.

So hop to it.  You have to be in it to win it I say.  And what a nice thing to win just in time for Christmas.  You could give it to someone special who enjoys crafting just as much as you do.  Or you could keep it for yourself.  I would.

Good luck to all of you my lovelies.  Winning stuff is fun.  But for me giving it away is even more fun! Especially when it's such a divine book.

P.S. I will have copies of the book available for purchase at Sister's Market this Saturday 11th of December and at the special twilight Daylesford Makers Market on the 18th of December.

calling all owl lovers

I found this great blog this morning called My Owl Barn. If you love owls, then you'll love following the blog. And they've giving away some Owl souvenir goodness, so make sure you check it out now Souvenir Giveaway. It closes on May 26!

owl cushion: tutorial

***Please note that I've started a Flickr Group for you to upload photos of your finished owl cushions using my tutorial.  Click here to check out the photos uploaded by others and to share yours too!***

Firstly, I want to thank everyone who entered my owl cushion giveaway as part of the Sew, Mama, Sew giveaway day. I feel overwhelmed by the 265 comments which I received and have had so much fun reading all of your comments on what you'd like to see more of on The Craft Revival blog.  

Being the spreadsheet enthusiast I am (yes, a little nerdy, I know) I will be tallying up all comments and will post the results within the next couple of days. But from reading the comments over the past few days, I am hearing a resounding request for more tutorials.  You must all think that I'm much more technically skilled than I am!  

Well to be honest with you, I only really and truly started sewing in January of this year.  My only hint of formal training was back in high school when I took 'Home Economics' for a year and we learned how to sew boxer shorts and a vest.  That was some 14 years ago.


So it is fair to say that I am self-taught and owe many of my skills to a simple process of trial and error and of course picking up tips from other crafty bloggers who are generous enough to share their creativity, tips and projects.  So, at your request I am going to share tutorials with you.  It is only fair that I share my own mistakes, hints and tips with you crafting enthusiasts so that you can learn how to and how not to make things. 

I have been working on a couple of tutorials for the past couple of days which I will share with you shortly.  But first I must announce the winner of the owl cushion giveaway.

Thanks to the random number generator, lucky commenter #2, Kat, has won herself my cute owl cushion, which is great because she mentioned in her comment that it's her birthday today!  Happy birthday Kat!! 

But my dear Kat, you didn't leave any details for me to contact you, so can you please get in contact with me before the end of the weekend?  Mr Owl is ready to take flight right on over to your place!

Now, secondly - to all of you who entered but did not win, I'm hoping you will be just as happy with the runner up prize.  A down-loadable tutorial on how to make your very own owl cushion!   What do you think about that!?

So here's the link to the owl cushion tutorial complete with printable instructions and template pieces.  If you do happen make one (or more) using my tutorial, I'd love for you to share the photos with me.  They can be emailed to me at: magdalena[at]thecraftrevival[dot]com[dot]au.  If I receive a few, I will post them on my blog to share your handiwork with others.  How exciting! Share the love I say.  

Enjoy lovelies.  Oh, and stay tuned for the next tutorial on refashioning an embroidered vintage linen tablecloth (which I found in a recent trash and treasure hunt) into a cushion.

giveaway time: owl cushion

***THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW CLOSED ***

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO LEFT A COMMENT!

There's nothing better than a good old fashioned giveaway (doesn't matter whether you're giving or receiving - for me being on either end of the giveaway stick is awesome!).  And even better when crafty and generous bloggers unite via sew, mamma, sew to create May-giveaway-madness. 

I'm one of about 250 bloggers giving away a little somethin' somethin' over the next few days.  So here are the details of my MAY giveaway...

What:  1 x handmade owl cushion / softie lovingly made by me using Japanese printed linens, fleece and felt.  It's a cute addition to any couch, baby's nursery or for owl lovers.

How:  To enter please leave a comment advising what you'd like to see more of on my blog (eg: tutorials, inspiration, great fabric finds, tips, craft space, etc).  If you're new to my blog, please have a quick look at some of my previous posts so that you get a feel for what I blog about.  I will be choosing a winner at random on the morning of Friday 21st May.

When: Entries are open NOW and you have until midnight (Australian Eastern Standard Time) Thursday 20 May to leave a comment.  I will be announcing the winner here on Friday 21 May.

Other things you need to know:

• If you happen to live outside Australia, I won't hold it against you.  I am happy to post internationally.
• Please ensure you leave details of how I can get in contact with you if you win.  Your blog or email address is best. If I can't get in contact with you, I won't know where to send your owl!
• Check out other crafty giveaways by visiting sew, mamma, sew, but you better be quick because they all close by Thursday 20 May!
• Spread the love. Make sure you spread the word to your crafty peeps so they can have a chance to win something lovingly handmade too!

Good luck and thanks in advance for your comments!

***THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW CLOSED ***

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO LEFT A COMMENT!

upcycled giveaway

So, it looks as though many of you are as stumped as me when it comes to tips on upcycling, recycling and using salvaged items in new projects - only 2 comments!  So I'm going to start doing a bit of my own research and will put together a list of links and ideas on how to use household items in projects - effectively saving things from ending up in a great big hole in the ground.

Announcement time.  Random winner of my upcycled giveaway is commenter # 1

Thanks to the two ladies who left their ideas and links.  And to Tanya, I will be sending you an email to get your address.

I have your little parcel of upcycled goodies ready to send via Mister Postman.

somebody likes what i do

I'm super humbled to find out this morning that Cat Hewett of Jotta magazine has included me in a round up of "Blogs of the Moment".

I've you've never heard of Jotta.com, make sure you check it out.  It's full of inspiration and info for young and emerging artists on craft, illustration, fabric and textiles, photography, fine arts and graphic design.

P.S. don't forget that you've got until the end of Saturday to post your comments and tips on upcycling, recycling and salvaging common household items.  I've been working on some upcycled goodies the past few days for one lucky random person.  So go on... leave a comment.  Please.