Tutorial Tuesday with MellowCrafts87

This Tutorial Tuesday, we visit with Ashley of Mellow Crafts. Read on to learn Ashley's tips on upcycling something old into something new - that is, in the wonderful world of displays! Alright, now, off we go!..

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With the application out for the spring sale, I thought that it would be a good time to start talking about inexpensive DIY ideas for how to display your items.

My shop is filled with natural handmade bath and beauty. I found an old medicine chest in the basement. It had some water stains and paint was chipped. But for $2 I was able to transform it into a cute display.

I got the patterned sticky paper at Dollarama for $2 a roll and this will last you FOREVER! I cut sizes for the backing only of the shelf, and there we go, a cute display for products. It also provides a cute background when taking pictures.

Another idea for a display is to make your own form to display scarfs, necklaces, etc. With some Elmer’s Glue and old newspaper I made the form below to display my scarfs. Total was $5 and that was for a huge tube of glue. You can also use modpodge in place of the glue.

I started by wrapping a form I already had in plastic wrap. I then ripped the newspaper into squares and strips and soaked in the glue. After wrapping one layer, I let it dry and repeated for 3 more layers. I did have to cut the form from the back to get off my previous form, but a little take and it was still good.. You don’t need to do this next step but I added a piece of Styrofoam into the bottom, just to give it a bit more stability and to fill in the bottom.

Another form that I did was for lighter scarfs that was made out of Styrofoam board and some extra material I had. This project was about $1.25 for 3 forms.

I simply drew an outline of the shape I wanted on the board and cut them out, I then drew a few little “feet” for it. Using my hot glue gun I put the feet on the board and then having fabric right side down and then the form on the fabric, pulling tightly and gluing the end down, cutting off any excess.

Finally the last way that I made inexpensive displays for my items was spray paint. At one of the Etsy team meetings I was given an old display. I simply spray painted with my choice of paint and that’s it. A perfect display for my lipstick and glosses. I can’t wait to use this at the next upcoming sales I have planned for this year.

(before)

(after)

To see more in-depth instructions and other projects that I have completed visit my blog at: https://mellowcrafts.wordpress.com/

Tutorial Tuesday: The 2 Minute Guide to Editing Your iPhone or iPad Product Pictures

The 2 Minute Guide to Editing Your iPhone or iPad Product Pictures

Good product pictures have always eluded me. I would take 100 snapshots of my jewellery to get a handful of useable photos. Natural light is best of course, but isn’t always an option. My father (bless his heart), built me an amazing lightbox (google DIY photo lightbox for ideas). I thought that would be the end of my photography woes, but as it turns out, the editing process has a bit of a learning curve all its own. 

Here are the tricks I (painfully) learned, as well as the step by step guide on how to edit your pictures right on your ipad/iphone without any special programs to get the results above. 
Tricks: 

1. Use the right bulbs. 
This is so important. At live craft sales soft lighting is my go to. White, halogen style bulbs are too harsh and don’t show off jewellery well. I naturally applied the same principles to my lightbox lamps. What I got were dozens of grey-ish photos. Terrible.

The camera sees light differently than the naked eye. The camera loves that stark white light! Halogen away! After some trial and error this was the brand/style that worked best in my set up:

This is the lightbox set up I use:

2. Eliminate as many competing light frequencies as possible. 
My next problem was these horrible wavy stripes or lines in the photos. What were those??

It took some digging online (and lots of clever wording in Google) to find out that those weird lines are caused by competing light frequencies… in other words: turn off all the 
overhead lamps, chandeliers etc in the room. They are interfering with what your lightbox lamps are trying to do. 
You may still have some wavy lines but don’t worry, we can fix that in editing! 

Now that you have a brighter picture let’s edit… 

Let’s start with this one:

I think we can all agree that this is not an Etsy quality photograph. It’s dark and greyish. It has those wavy frequency lines. Terrible. Even though it was taken in my lightbox this picture needs a 2 minute editing session. 

For this mini how-to I will be doing the editing on my ipad, but can just as easily be done on an iPhone. 

Step 1: 
Pull up your picture, and click on the “Edit” button in the top right hand corner. This is what will come up:

Take a look at the row of icons on the right hand side. Skip the “Magic Wand” icon on the top all together. This is for automatically enhancing the photo, and we’re going to be making our edits each manually. 

The second one down is for turning and cropping. Use this one now if there is anything in your photo you want to “crop” out. Make your subject as large as possible without taking it too close to the edge. Third icon down is where the magic happens!

Step 2: 
Let’s work our way down. Let’s start with “Light”. Ignore the sliding scale of mini photos to the right and click on the list icon underneath:

Step 3: 
This will bring up a more specific list. Again let’s work from top to bottom, starting with “Exposure”

Step 4: 
Click the list icon again and move on to “Highlights”. I usually move the red line just a bit lower on the scale, but it will really depend on the photo you’re working with. You will find as you play with this program, the more you practice with different photos, the better you will get at adjusting your specific photos. You will find different and better combinations of these variables that will work for you.

Step 6: 
“Brightness”. Just like in “Shadows”, playing with “Brightness” will add depth to the subject in your photo. 

Step 7: 
“Contrast” seems to sharpen the edges of your subject (or soften, depending on what look you are going for). 

Step 8: At this point I would move on to the “Color” icon.

Step 9: 
Again, once in “Color” I would move straight to the “list” icon at the bottom

Step 10: 
“Saturation” This is where you get your colors to really POP. By sliding the red line up, suddenly the crystal on my Peter Pan bracelet looks fantastically green! Much closer to what this dazzling piece looks like in real life.

Step 11: 
I’ve never had to use the other two tabs under “Color” but if you still feel like your photo background is too beige or grey, playing with the “Cast” can give you more of a clean white. 

BEWARE! Do not hit the third Icon under “Color” which is for changing your photo to Black and White. The reason I say this is because if you do, it will automatically change your beautiful picture to black and white with no way to reverse it without dumping all your hard work and starting over from step 1. Very irritating.

Step 12: 
Presto Chango!

In 2 minutes flat! 

You now have an Etsy worthy photo in the palm of your hand. Just make sure you hit “Done” in the top right hand corner to save your finished product. 

If you are using an iPhone, the look of the icons are the same and the principles are identical, however the icons show up along the bottom rather than the right side of the screen. 

Hope this tutorial was helpful, it took lots of blood sweat and tears to figure out some of this stuff. I know I could have used a similar how-to last year. 

Cheers! 

Post by: Angela Sawatzky 

To view some of the FABulous pictures she took and edited visit her Etsy shop byblackbirddesigns or website www.byblackbirddesigns.com 

GIVEAWAY and Tutorial! : Valentine's Day handwarmers

WESTie Deanne from Annie and Dot Fabrics has an exrta-neat Valentine's Day tutorial just for you! Read below to see how to make your very own heart shaped handwarmers. Want to win your own pair of handwarmers? Read to the very bottom to find out!

Hi there! I’m Deanne from Annie and Dot Fabrics and I wanted to share a little fun LOVE-ly craft that anyone can make. My boys spend alot of time outside and often come in with chilly feet and hands and handwarmers are such a great thing to give them so that they can warm up in a jiff. You can toss these little guys in their pockets or in their gloves as they make their way to school. Or in their boots after they get off the ice as we often do with our boys. 

Since February hosts Valentine's Day I thought it would be extra special to give our diy a love theme. You can make and give to loved ones or just keep for yourself around the house. This is such a quick and easy diy that you can even involve your kids. I know my oldest liked cutting out my patterns and putting the different hearts together, while my youngest helped me funnel the rice in. 

On top of these being great for warming hands they can also be really good for cooling too. Make a few extra and toss them in the freezer for when you need a little cooling action. They are perfect for kids as they don’t get as cold as an ice pack and are more engaging so chances are they might leave the cold pack on longer. This craft can also be turned into many other things, such as closet or herbal satchets to use around your home, decorations, beanbags and probably lots more, but today I am going to show you how to make heart handwarmers.

This project can be done with or without a sewing machine. I stitched mine on my machine but you can handstitch your hearts for that added love.

What you’ll need:

fat quarters, charms, scraps of 100% cotton *shameful plug: check out www.annieanddotfabrics.etsy.com for some fun fabric options.*

thread

rice

pattern

other sewing notions-needles, pins, pinking shears

Directions:

1. Print out the pattern and cut out your hearts how you see fit. You can cut your heart fabric pieces out using pinking shears to cut back on the fraying and to give a fun finish or leave as is and they will fray over time.

2. Place small heart on one big heart and stitch down with ¼” seam. You can pin your small heart to your big one or in my case I use a glue stick and tack the middle down--just don’t put too much near the outside edge as you don’t want to gum up your needle.

3. Place 2 big hearts wrong sides together and start on one of the straight edges to stitch ¼” around, leaving a 1”-2” opening. You can use a zig-zag stitch or a shorter stitch length. Make sure to backstitch at starting and finishing points.

4. Fill your heart up half to three-quarters full with rice.

5. Close up opening with a little gluestick or pins and stitch your opening closed either by hand or machine. Remember to make sure the rice doesn’t get close to your needle or you may break the needle.

6. Heat up in your microwave for 20-30 seconds for warm results or store in your freezer for a cooling option.

**Make sure your handwarmers aren’t too hot before handing to little ones. And ALWAYS adult supervision is advised at all times.**

So for those of you who aren’t that much of a DIY-er, just don’t have time, a sewing machine or whatever, feel free to comment below for a chance to win your set of heart handwarmers. To enter, simply comment about who you will be celebrating Valentine's Day with - it’s that easy! Winner will be notified by email.  Want another chance to win? Comment on the IG post as seen today on WEST's Instagram AND our WEST Facebook page!

Contest opens right now - and closes on Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 11:59pm Central Time. The extra-lucky winner will be chosen at random and WEST will post such on Saturday, February 6, 2016 at 3:00pm Central Time! Best of luck! 

Thanks so much for stopping by! Feel free to post pics of your finished handwarmers. Or if you turned your heart handwarmers into something else let us know - we would love to hear your ideas. :)

Tutorial Tuesday - Indoor composting with Red Wiggler Worms

Autumn is full of preparations. It's time for back to school, Christmas craft shows are in full swing, and the garden gets put to rest for the winter.

Many people have started the habit of composting. You may think that this is something that you can only do in the warmer months, but with the help of some little creatures you can compost your kitchen scraps all year long! This is also referred to as vermicomposting.

Red wiggler worms are not the same as the earthworms you find on the sidewalk on a rainy day or digging in your garden. They love compost, and unlike earthworms, are surface dwellers. The best place to get worms is from a friend, or you can purchase them online.

Red wiggler worms tolerate temperatures from about 0 - 35°C, although it's best to keep them at temperatures at about 15 - 20°C if you want them to breed (and you do!). When outdoors, don't keep them in the sun or they will bake. I have heard that they may survive a winter by cuddling up into a big worm ball at the bottom of your compost pile. This may be true for some places, but we live in Winterpeg. I think I had a couple of worms survive last winter, but it was mild and I had a lot of compost and leaves piled in my outdoor bin. Be safe, don't count on your worms surviving a winter outdoors.

I like to keep a couple of bins functioning at minimum capacity over the summer then take them in for the winter. Over the winter months my two bins usually grow to 4. In the spring I harvest the compost for use in my garden, dump one or two of the bins full of worms into my outdoor compost pile to do their work and make sure the rest are happy to start the cycle all over again.

It is very simple (and inexpensive!) to set up a working vermicomposting bin for your home.

What you will need:

-2 plastic bins (I use 53L)
-drill with large drill bit (3/8")
-worm bedding
-compost
-worms

The bins should be an appropriate size for the amount of scraps you will add. Personally, my husband and I eat a fair bit of produce, therefore for this tutorial we will be using 53L Rubbermaid bins. If you consume a very small amount then a smaller bin may be more appropriate for your needs. Whatever bin you use here are a couple of things you want to keep in mind.

- Make sure the bin is opaque. Worms are sensitive to light and need a dark home.
- Use a shallow bin over a deep one. This prevents the compost from compacting too much, resulting in anaerobic conditions. If your bins stinks, that's because there is not enough air flow. We (and your worms) like oxygen!
-Choose bins that nestle nicely, leaving a bit of air space at the bottom.

Step 1

Drill holes near the bottom of one of your bins. You may want to nestle the second bin in the one you are drilling to better gauge how high your holes should be. This bin serves two purposes. First, it allows air flow up through the bottom of the bin (remember that anaerobic stickiness?). Second it catches any "drippings" should your bin get too moist. Although worms need a fair bit of moisture for their sensitive skin, they do not swim, they drown. (p.s. Your plants will love these "drippings," just remember to dilute well!)

Step 2 

Drill lots of hole in the bottom of your second bin. Don't go overboard but don't worry about having plenty of holes. You may think that your worms will fall out through the holes, but don't worry! Even though these holes are much bigger than the worms, they prefer their compost home.

Step 3 

Now flip the second bin over and drill some holes near the top. Again it's a good idea to nestle the bin to get a good idea of where to place the holes. This allows air flow through the top of the bin for better circulation.

You're done!

Well with your bin anyways. Now we need to make it a cozy place for your worms to live.

Step 4

Add bedding. That's right - bedding. Bedding is often comprised of shredded cardboard or newspaper, and/or leaves. Bedding is necessary to help maintain proper moisture content, allows for air flow (prevents odour), and provides a place to bury your food scraps. A good layer of bedding on top of your compost bin also helps control flying insects from making the vermicompost bin their home too. You will still get some bugs, that goes with the territory. Keep this in mind when finding a spot in your house for the bin. I personally keep mine in our basement which in our 100+ year old house is not used for anything else and is closed off from the rest of the house. If you have an insulated porch or garage, that may be a good spot too. Some people keep the bin right in their kitchen. It's really up to you.

Once the bedding is added, you need to wet it. There are some mathematical calculations for doing this, but really you're just aiming for bedding that feels like a wrung out sponge. Add water a bit at a time and mix it with your hands until it feels "right". You want it to be damp, but not dripping.

Step 5

Go ahead and add your food scraps now. There are a couple of things to keep in mind for this step. Although worms will enjoy a lot of your food scraps there are some things to avoid in your vermicompost bin.

Add
-fruit and vegetables (not including citrus, onion and garlic)
-egg shells
-tea grounds
-used coffee grounds

Add in Moderation (once bin is established)
-citrus fruits
-starchy foods such as breads, pasta and potatoes

Avoid
-dairy
-meat
-oils
-human/animal waste

Step 6

Add worms! It is a good idea to let your bin sit with its bedding and food scraps for about a week or so prior to adding your little friends. This helps ensure a proper environment for your worms. It allows for the moisture to balance in the bin, but also allows microbes to built up on the rotting food. Lovely right? Well your worms think so. This may surprise you but the worms don't actually eat your yummy food scraps. They eat the microorganisms that break down that organic waste. Of course if you already have your worms, that's okay too. You can go ahead and add them.

As you proceed with your bin, you will most likely be letting the food rot a bit before adding it to your bin. If you compost outdoors, then you are probably in the habit of keeping a smaller bucket of scraps somewhere within easy access and then dumping the bucket into your compost pile all at once. If you do this with your worm bin the time it takes to fill the bucket will allow the microbes to start establishing themselves.

Be sure to rotate where you add your food scraps. Start by adding scraps in one corner, then the next time add in the next corner. This way the worms won't be overwhelmed by "fresh" food. They will follow the food when it has broken down enough for their liking.

Tips:

-More paper on the surface keeps bugs at bay (although you will always have some)
-Although "allowed" I find avocado peels do not break down and are a real pain to deal with when harvesting the compost. I only put these in my outdoor bin.
-It is better to ignore your bin than feed it too much. I've left my bins for months at a time and though breeding may not be ideal, there are still plenty of worms and rich compost
-If you are worried that your worms are starving, give them a squash. They love squash.
-The internet is full of resources, tips and advice, much more than I can provide in one post.
-Most importantly, don't worry about it! A worm bin is very simple and low maintenance. Don't stress about doing things exactly right, have fun with it!

This post is written by Andrea Davis and originally appeared on www.weareboundtogether.com

Make your own grapevine wreaths: Tutorial Tuesday

Wreaths are all the rage, and if you like a natural rustic feel, then make your own grapevine wreath form. Lots of folks grow grapes, and their grapes are likely harvested now, so carpe diem. Get out there and prune some grape vines before it gets too frosty!

Cut 10-15 lengths of 8 foot long vines with a garden pruner or machete. Strip the leaves off the vines as they will only dry and fall off later. The pieces should be very pliable; bend them into the form or shape that is pleasing to you.

You can use some twine to secure the ends after weaving or braiding three or four of the longest strongest pieces. They are vines, so the widths may be uneven--add in other pieces to make it the thickness you are seeking. This is  a great family activity while watching the wildlife in your yard and getting ready for winter. When you have your wreath, hang it in a dry place for a week or two to stiffen up. Decorate it with dried flowers such as wheat, gomphrena or statice.

DIY Tutorial Time: Using Flowers from your Garden to Soften your Skin

Tutorial by Nancy of Nancy Blokland Pottery

I planted Calendula once, and now they are a permanent part of the garden. With their sunny yellow faces I am good with this. Here is a recipe to use this abundant "come-back-again-and-again" flower. It is edible too. I can share other recipes for that on another day.

GOLDEN CALENDULA LOTION OR CREAM

You will first need to make up a calendula infused oil. I do this each season when the calendulas are flowering in the garden. They self seed so you won't have to plant them each year and they are so useful. To do this, pick fresh calendula petals, as much as possible, (NOT MARIGOLDS) preferably straight from the garden. Place in a pyrex bowl & cover halfway with olive oil. Boil this mixture until the oil has made the petals crisp like chips. It works fine on the stove, using a stainless steel saucepan, but takes longer than a microwave. When cool, place in a sterilized glass screw top glass jar. It will keep unrefrigerated for ages!

Step 1

· 3/4 cup purified water or rosewater or other floral water, e.g. lavender, chamomile, orangeflower (also called hydrosols)

· 2 teaspoons glycerin 

Heat water or floral water to 60°C, then add glycerin, stir thoroughly & heat again to 70°C. (I don't measure the temp, I just go by feel, the temp is not critical).

 Step 2

· 16g emulsifying wax for a lotion or 30g for a cream

· 2 tablespoons of calendula infused oil (see above for directions)

Heat the oils to 70°C, then pour the hot water in a slow stream onto the oil, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the temp drops to 45°C when you add the next step.

Step 3

· 20 drops carrot essential oil

· 15 drops essential oil according to skin type, can be a mixture of ones you like & are suitable (see above).

Add the essential oils & mix thoroughly. If the cream is too thick, add a trickle of floral water, beating & adding until you get the consistency you like. Pot into sterilized glass jars. Voila!!!

Tutorial Tuesday - Super Easy Clothespin Bag

Summer...my favourite time of the year. It's a time for beaches, ice cream and hanging laundry outside. There is nothing better (as far as laundry goes) than the fresh natural scent of line dried linens!

One thing that comes in very handy when hanging clothes on the line is a clothespin bag.  This is a super quick (and cheap!) way to make one. Quick, cute and easy, what more could you ask for?

Materials:

1 pair of infant overalls (bought for $2 at a local thrift shop)
1 hanger, preferably children's size (also purchased at thrift shop)

 

Method:

Basically this is a 2 step process. Cut and sew...that it!

Cut the overalls just at the crotch to make a straight bottom.

Turn the overalls inside out and sew a straight line 1/4" or so from the bottom edge. Finish edge with a serger, or if you do not have a serger, a simple zigzag stitch will do just fine.

Turn right side out once again and hang on your hanger.

That it! Your done! Now go do some laundry with your new clothespin bag!


This post is written by Andrea Davis and originally appeared on www.weareboundtogether.com

Tutorial Tuesday: Geometric Wood Stain Decor

Welcome to Tutorial Tuesday: Geometric Wood Stain Decor

This tutorial is by Amanda of Silver Moose Arts. Her love of geometric things extends from her jewelry throughout her home and this is one of her most recent projects.

Geometric Wood Stain Decor

All you need to create your own Geometric Wood Stain Decor is…

• Wood Canvas
• Painters Tape
• Wood Stain
• Foam Brush
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   Instructions
  
  
  1. Use the Painters Tape to stick down your desired pattern on the wood canvas. Make sure you press the tape down well.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  2. Coat the stain over the wood canvas and tape. For varying shades of the stain you can dilute a little bit of the stain in a container with some water. 
  
  
  3. Let the canvas dry for about 30 minutes before removing the tape. If you want the stain to be darker, before removing the tape, apply as many coats as desired - let each coat dry for 30 minutes before applying the next.
  
  
  
  
  
  Very easy project with a cool effect.