Finishing Dolly Topper

Ok, lets start with hair, I used some pale yellow wool for this, but usually try to match it with whom the card is for. For darker skins I use darker fimo/wool as well. Cut several 5/6" strips until you have it as thick as you would like. Then tie a piece round the centre and knot as in the pic. I then put it on the fimo head to gauge where I want the bunches to be. Then tie two more bits to make bunches. Trim and attach to fimo face with glue or DS tape

To make her dress, I cut a piece of card and covered it with an old bit of floral fabric. DS tape is best for this. Once it's covered turn it over on the back and stick some DS tape along the sides & bottom.

To make the arms & legs, I used a bit of silk curtain cord. Tie knots in it to make the hands & feet then cut to size. Attach to the back of the dress. Turn over and you have your card dolly. I use padded foam squares to attach the face to the card as it brings the doll up to the same level as the dress. Ds tape is also good for attaching the whole thing as it's very very strong and this doll is relatively heavy.

I would say this cost around 15 p to make.

Isn't she fab!

Making Fimo Faces for card topping Dollys

I like 3D cards so this is great way to make faces for a Dolly topper. Fimo polymer clay is usually around the £1.50 mark, and I can get around 20 faces from one small block. This makes is a very cheap way to get a really interesting topper for your card. Firstly, you need to pull of a bit and sort of pinch, roll and pull it about in your hands until it warms up and becomes plyable. I have put the three stages on here, rather than take 3 pictures. Then, you need to put it on a flat surface and squash it into a circle. Now for the really technical part. I use an old pen lid half pushed into the bottom of the circle for the smiley mouth. A weeny piece of fimo for the nose and a skewer to poke 2 holes for the eyes. Then you stick it on a baking tray/dish/pyrex and bake it in the oven for 30 minutes at Gas 1/130c. When it comes out it's hard and you can use glue or DS tape to apply to card.

This is the finished face. Up close, it looks a little ropey but that's because it's magnified. On the card it will look perfect.

I will be back tomorrow with making the rest of my Dolly Topper.

I know it's another bag, but I am obsessed with these.....

at the moment.

They are just sooooo pretty.

Fathers Day

I would love to report that I made a beautiful card.

I didn't. Instead this year I ordered one from moonpig. I don't like buying cards as I usually make them, but this one was quite lovely and did something with photography that I couldn't even begin to do. It was a picture of a blackboard outside a pub, alongside the pub's board for direction. You could put a name on both.

Sadly crafting has had to stop for a while. I am just too busy. Hopefully, I will be back over this weekend with some tips.

And yet, another bag, this time from the curtain fabric

You will remember the stripey fabric that I used for the curtains in Max's room. Well this is what I did with the leftovers. I am thrilled with it.

Another bag

I made another bag today using the same method as the first one. However, they say practice makes perfect and instead of using one whole panel of fabric. I put 2/3's PF and 1/3 hard brown linen. I also added iron on interface to the PF to give it a bit of a stiffen. The one I used is much harder than the one used previously and this bag stands up by itself.

Then I sewed the different fabrics together and used as though it were one whole bit. This gives the bag a different slant and if I am honest, I prefer it. I can't remember what the linen is called but any fabric shop will know. It's almost like sacking but finer.

Gorgeous Burger Recipe with Apple & Carrot Coleslaw

Not strictly crafting as we all know it, but these were so lovely I just have to share this recipe with someone. I found it in a newspaper today and thought I would give it a go. I have never made burgers before and Wow, wish I had made these. I hate coleslaw but like carrot/apple and mayonnaise separately. I loved it. More to the point, my children ate the burgers!!! At £1.60 for 450g of minced turkey, it was a cheap but nutritious dinner too as I got 8 burgers out of the pack.


450g minced turkey
1 egg
Breadcrumbs (optional but I had a load in the freezer, so used em. About 3 heaped dessertspoons)
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp brown sauce (HP)
1 tbsp English mustard
1 medium red onion

Finely chop red onion and sweat in a pan for 3/4 mins. Leave to cool. The recipe calls for rapeseed oil, but I didn't have any so used Clover!!!

Add turkey and all of the other stuff in a bowl and mix.

Cover with clingfilm and leave for an hour. Then shape into burgers and chill (that's not you chilling by the way, tis' the burgers) for about 10 mins. You can grease a tray/pirex and sling em on that.

Heat frying pan with oil (again it says rapeseed, but I used veg oil) and cook until brown on either side or however you would normally cook your burgers.

Coleslaw

Peel & grate 2 medium carrots

Grate one apple (I used a braeburn)

Put some fresh coriander leaves in it and season. I put a ton of black pepper in it.

Then put as much mayonnaise/salad cream in it until it looks like you want it to look.

Serve with buttered French bread or potato wedges.

I promise it's really nice. You can pretty much change this to whatever you want as well.