The Magic Bean

Freebie Friday - Dolls & Tea for Free

Cloth dolls are of course one of my favourite things.  Tea is another one of my favourite things. So how about some links to free patterns that include my two favourite things - dolls and tea. 

Thesetea bag dolls are absolutely adorable.  You need to scroll down the page to find the pattern.

Here is a tea cosy doll to keep your tea steamy hot.

If you find yourself in possession of some cold tea, use it to tea-stain the fabric to make this free rag doll pattern.

Linda Walsh shares a really interesting historical type of doll in this article - the Tea Doll of the Innu people.  These nomadic people stuffed dolls with tea so that the children could carry it as they moved.  Fascinating, but unfortunately, I couldn't find a free pattern for one.

These next two are not dolls, but are tea & craft related:

How about these cute tea bag wrappers and tags for Valentines day from Creature Comforts via Whip-up.

I adore these patchwork tea pot tea towels.  Love em!

Off to make a fresh cuppa.

Treasures of the Deep

 

I have just finished my latest cloth doll design and have in the process discovered two things about myself.

1.  I like things to be pretty.

I have tried to do purposefully funny looking or even a bit Goth dolls.  Doesn't work for me.  I really like dolls that are funny looking and Goth.  I like all kinds of dolls, but I have a thing for designing pretty.

2.  I like things to be useful.

Ever since I designed Gather Ye Rosebuds, I have been obsessed with designing dolls that are more than just decorative.  This doll is a jewellery stand.

 

And I must say this is a much easier way to store your jewellery than in a big tangle in a vintage chocolate tin, like I have been for years. 

 

You can hang earrings off her fingers, and bracelets and necklaces on her arms, and keep rings and watches around her feet.  She's fully armatured so she is pretty darn strong (although if you had a diamond encrusted Rolex that might be a bit too much bling for her arms to hold).

 

This doll has a curvy torsowith a really unique torso pattern that makes use of grain-lines to give her that temptress killer curve.  I hope she looks like a siren, tempting you with your own jewellery as though it were a treasure from the deep.

Are you tempted?  Would you like to see a pattern made of this doll?

Gather Ye Rosebuds Freebies

It seems that there a few people who have been struggling to find the freebies that I offer online as a bonus when you purchase my Gather Ye Rosebuds pattern and kit.  Several people seem to be looking on this site for the freebies, however, the freebies are each on a separate password protected website at a different web address.  Here's the skinny:

To find the Gather Ye Rosebuds pattern freebie - the Mini Online class in Drawing Faces

 

The access information is at the top of page 2 of the pattern, labelled Pattern Bonus.  The website address must be typed out in full as written on the pattern.  Or you may just follow this link.  This site is password protected as the freebie is only available to those people who have purchased the pattern.  Please don't share the password with people who are trying to get something for nothing.  That's just bad karma, not to mention a violation of my copyright.  If you are still having trouble accessing this class please e-mail me.  I don't want you to miss out on your gift with purchase.

To find the Gather Ye Rosebuds Kit freebie - Pattern for Precious Time

Again, this freebie is on another site with a different web address.  The access information can be found on the back of the front cover of the Gather Ye Rosebuds Kit.  The website address must be typed out in full as written on the back of the front cover.  Or to save you from too much typing, hereis the link.  Again, this site is password protected and is only accessible with the correct username and password found on the back of the front cover of the kit.  I've created this bonus pattern just to say thank you for buying my kit, so please don't share it with people who have not made the same purchase.  I really appreciate it.  Really I do.

I hope that clears everything up, but should you have any issues please don't hesitate to e-mail me.  Well maybe not ANY issues.  I may not be able to help sort out your relationship problems nor give you tips on how to unblock your drains, but I can definitely help with any issues on locating the freebies for Gather Ye Rosebuds.

If you haven't yet purchased the pattern or Kit for Gather Ye Rosebuds and want to get in on the freebie action, here are the links to my fabulous suppliers:

In the USA:

Cloth Doll Patterns - you'll need to scroll down the page to find Gather Ye Rosebuds

Dollmakers Journey

Joggles - doesn't have the patterns and kit listed yet but will as soon as the post arrives!

In the UK:

www.cassierafferty.com

Jan Horrox

In Australia:

Fabric Addictions

Freebie Friday - A real corker!

For years now I've had a plain framed cork-board in my kitchen for posting up bills and cards and other bits and pieces. And it was ugly.  Useful, but ugly.  So I gave it a little spruce up.

 

It was really easy.  Here's what I did:

1.  Paint the wooden frame of the cork board with your first coat of acrylic craft paint.  This colour will form the cracks.  In my case, I used white.  For each coat of paint, stick a bit of scrap paper into the gap between the frame and the cork to keep from painting the cork (if that matters to you).  Let dry.

2.  Coat the frame with a crackle medium which is available at craft stores like Hobbycraft (UK) and Michael's (US & Canada).  Follow the instructions from the manufacturer but generally, the thicker the coat, the larger the cracks will appear.  Let dry.

3.  Paint the frame with your top coat (in my case it was black).  Don't use too many brush strokes to apply this coat as you'll make a mess of the crackle effect.  Let dry.

4.  Apply two coats of spray varnish (spray outside please- a chemical high isn't all it's "cracked" up to be).  A spray varnish is easier and faster, but it also keeps the cracks from cracking right off.  Let dry.

5.  Cut a piece of fabric (I used quilting cotton) 1/2" larger than the cork surface.  Tuck the raw edges of the fabric under the frame of the cork board with a flat head screw driver.

Like the idea of a decorative corkboard to pin up bills or maybe as an inspiration board in your studio? Here's a few more ideas for decorating cork boards:

Here's a version that uses criss-crossing trim instead of push pins.

Thisidea uses mementos or kids notes and bits and pieces to decorate the board.

Here Martha Stewart suggests inserting cork into the panel of a door which would save wall space.

Watch this video to see how to make a cork board by recycling wine corks.  This video has the added benefit of featuring some lovely man candy which we don't nearly enough of in the craft world!  Although I think my hubby is the most delicious man in the world, this guy is very easy on the eyes.

See what I mean?  Yummy.

Freebie Friday - Wet Felting Over an Object Tutorials

I've been researching how to wet felt over an object - a technique may or may not turn up in a doll that I will be unveiling soon.  (Don't you just love the suspense!)  So here's some great tutorials I've found.

This video outline the three different kinds of felting- needle felting, fulling knits, and wet felting.  You may want to watch this one if you don't understand the difference:

This video tutorial shows you how to felt over a bar of soap, which would effectively turn your soap into a wash-cloth and soap in one.  I'm not into wrapping felt around soap myself, but the principles are the same no matter what object you are felting over:

I tried felting an object after watching this last video but I missed a couple of important pieces of info.  Namely, you need lots of layers and you need those layers to be laid out in all different directions.  These two tutorials helped me to come to that conclusion:

I have to say that I adore this blog that I've just found, Resurrection Fern, which shows you how to felt over a plastic egg with several inspiring project suggestions at the end.  Click here to see the wet felting tutorial.

Here's another approach for felting over an object from Living Felt.

After having an unsuccessful try at felting over an object, I am going to try again.  Note to self: more layers laid out in different directions.  I tell you one thing though about having multiple tries, my arms are going to look fabulous after all that scrubbing!

Freebie Friday - Wee Cute Stuff

I was desperately trying to come up with a theme for today's round-up of free craft patterns and tutorials and I thought as the Freebie Friday muse was not cooperating that I was going to whatever the heck I want to - so there!  So here is collection of stuff that I've found that are related in no other way, except I think they're cute.

Aren't these little mushroom houses from The Little House By the Sea adorable?  What a great setting for a fairy doll.  If you like the idea of fabric fungi, check out my post where I did a whole collection of free flower and fungi pattern links here.

I think this little needle felted gnome by Dabbled would fit right in with those mushrooms.

I love this free pattern for a mobile phone case from doll maker extraordinaire Patti Medaris Culea.

Want to do a little bead embellishing? Patti Culea's publisher shares Patti's beaded star instructions on their blog, called Craftside.  Check it out here.

Here's a very simple way of making felted flower brooches (or embellishments) from felted sweaters from Betz White:

OK, so this next one isn't a sewing or fabric project but I think it's a great - a Steampunk heart embellishment made from polymer clay from Christi Freisen, click here.

And if you've been in one of those areas that has seen snow (we've even had snow here in London, shock, horror!) then why not go with it and make this free Snow Queen doll pattern from Kat Lees?  Let is snow, let it snow, let it snow.  You get more crafting done that way!

Come to my Birthday Party!

It's my birthday tomorrow!  And you're all invited to my party.  It's not a regular type party because you don't have to wear dumb hats and you don't have to leave home.  You don't even have to think about what you are going to wear - you just have to think about you are not going to wear.  All you have to do to celebrate my birthday with me is clean out your closet.  And your bookshelves.  What haven't you worn since 1994?  What book aren't you going to read again?  Put 'em in a bag and take them to the nearest charity shop (for the North American's that's thrift or second-hand shop).  Pick your favourite charity and give them as much stuff as you can.  Just imagine, if we all do that what kind of a boost the charities will be getting?

And while you are cleaning out your closets hum 'Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Colleen.  Happy Birthday to you.'

Not in a party mood?  How about some Elvis to get you motivated:

Elvis and I were both born on January 8th.  The King and The Bean - born on the same day.  It just isn't my birthday without some Elvis.

Thanks for helping me celebrate.

Back in the land of the living

You've probably been wondering where the heck I've been.  Well, after I got over the lurgy that infested my body, I was doing this:

 

A wee bit of hiking on Islay, an island off the Western coast of Scotland.  Where in the week of Christmas there is pretty much nothing else but scenery like this at the Mull of Oa:

   

And this:

 

And this:

   

Believe it or or not that sunrise is at 10:30am! 

There were also cool old things, like battlements:

 

And strange little beach-side chapels:

 

And the ancient seat of the Lord of the Isles:

 

While my hubby amused himself with taking beautiful pictures I amused myself by inventing a whole new game.  I call it - Mess with the Grumpy People.  The hardest part of this game is catching the eye of passing grumpy people.  Once you establish eye contact, you smile and with much enthusiasm greet them and wish them a good day.  Points are awarded according to how much you make the grumpy person squirm.  1 point for a grimace, 2 for a grimace with averted eyes, 3 if you elicit a shudder.  Very good game.  It made me smile anyway.

 

Keep smiling - if only to confuse those grumpy people!