Material shopping at the crafts show and my first project: a new iPad mini cover

Two weeks ago I spent 4, yes, four luxury days at Germany’s biggest crafts show CREATIVA together with a crafty friend. It was great to have enough time to look at everything without a hurry and not having the need for “panic purchases”. The only limit was the luggage, because we have been there by train and had to carry everything back to Berlin ourselves (a big thank you to the inventor of the suitcase on wheels!).

It was pure seduction and I discovered sewing again for me, which I haven’t done in ages. I loved the great choice of coated fabric for bags and purses, beautiful thick jacquard pattern fabric, faux leather, cute ribbons and colorful felt.

I learned about a new felt technique and bought dutch hand dyed wool. I will write about it when I tried it being able to show first results.
So our suitcases were more than full, deposited at the train station on the last day and we still came back with a big bag on top to go home. Then unpacking and showing of our treasures was just a little bit like christmas and I did NOT forget to bring gifts (which also reduces discussions about quantities of more or less necessary new crafts materials…hahaha….)

All new materials and techniques can be combined with electronic cutting, still my first passion, very well.
So I started first to create a new cover for my iPad mini, which I needed urgently, because my existing one falls apart.

First I have drawn around the iPad and imported the correct shape and size via PixScan mat into Silhouette Studio.

Based on this pattern I added an outline and the holes for sewing, created a fun german word art and colored the design to find the colors I like most.

Next I cut 2 pieces with my Silhouette Cameo from faux leather paper (called SnapPap in Germany and similar to the Silhouette Vegan Faux Leather)

The 3mm thick green felt I cut with the Silhouette Curio with the deep cut blade. Of course it only cut 2mm, but did this very well. This way I had a clear shape, a deep cut line and I could cut the last 1m just with a scissors by hand.

Then I have stitched together by hand all 4 layers through the holes with a big needle and a thick silk yarn, originally meant for knitting, with a zigzag stitching. With the help of two little pieces of Velcro I made a dot to fix with “yes” or “no”.
Now the iPad is well protected when thrown into my handbag and eye-catching when lost in the crafts room mess.
I really hope this works, because I am searching for it too often …

 

Another sketchbook decorated with vinyl and a fashion silhouettes freebie

Ok, I admit it, I did not buy only one notebook, but a couple of them. I just love the square format. It is great to decorate them.

This time I made some fashion silhouettes in my favourite 3D program PoserPro, which I unearthed and upgraded lately to the newest version (see the image at the bottom of this post).
At the bottom you can also download the silhouettes file for non-commercial purposes from my dropbox. Have fun!

I was not able to remove the label from the notebook properly, so I cut and applied a circle from black vinyl to cover the ugly parts.

  

Then I prepared my silhouettes by coloring and arranging them in the color of the final vinyl on the screen in Silhouette Studio®.

Then I moved them to the right positions, that it fits the vinyl on the mat and cut the silhouettes in two rounds with the Silhouette Cameo.
For this project you can easily use left over stripes from other projects.

I weeded the silhouettes and applied them to the notebook with transfer tape.

Then I cut and added the word: Sketchbook and done.

This is how the Silhouettes were created:
the little figure was styled, dressed and posed in a 3D program called “PoserPro11”.
From the rendered images I created the black and white silhouettes.

You may download and use the silhouettes for non-commercial purposes here:
FRF-Lucy-silhouettes.studio3

A book for a cook – black glossy vinyl on a golden notebook

When I saw these matte golden notebooks as a double pack in the crafts shop last week I had to have them. They are bound with a thread instead of metal clips, beautifully, and you can never have enough notebooks!

Today I made a gift for a hobby cook with decorating one of them with a very detailed design (an altered graphic from a vector design collection) from black glossy vinyl cut with the Silhouette Cameo.
It was not an easy job, because the lines of the text are very thin. But in the end it worked and I love the result. The vivid contrast between the high glossy vinyl and the shimmering gold is hard to show in a static photo.

For those who are not familiar with cutting vinyl I list the steps below:

You need a blanc notebook, a piece of vinyl and matching transfer tape and of course your cutting machine.

 

First you prepare your design in Silhouette Studio.
Watch your cut lines the motifs not to be too thin and that all overlapping parts are weld.

Put your vinyl on the cutting mat.
For glossy vinyl I use cotton gloves to avoid having finger prints on the material.

Cut the design.
I used blade length 1 (I never trust blade length 1, but indeed it worked) and thickness 10.
If you are not sure make a test cut.
Then weed all the parts around your design, that have to go off with a hook or pick.
This took the most time.

Carefully put the transfer tape onto the right side of, on top of your vinyl.
Then remove the backside of the vinyl.
Then place your design onto the notebook and fix it by rubbing over the transfer tape. You can also use a scrape, but I personally prefer to use my hands for this.

Then carefully remove the transparent transfer tape by dropping it to the side (not upwards!)
You can rub again with a cloth over the finished book to make sure all parts are sticking well.
Have fun to make your own personalized notebooks!