SIO Tips no. 61: Keep your Scissors Sharp

Cut through fine sandpaper a few times to sharpen your everyday scissors.

SEEKITOUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time.

New to craft, so where to start?

Christmas crackers pulled, turkey is long gone, and that strange period between Christmas and New Year takes hold.  Bit at a loss on what to do?  This is the perfect time to try out a new hobby or bring an old back to life.  Sometimes put off by past experiences or the belief that things are harder than they really are.

Crafting is becoming very popular but where do you start, that is the hard bit unless you have a Grannie to hand to show you.  For children it is easy but finding starter kits for adults can prove a challenge.  They do exist and they make life easy by bringing together all you need or much of it.

There are so many old wives tales around putting people off.  Crochet it not difficult unless you take up fine lace work, it is less stress than knitting, as your pretty much only responsible for one stitch at a time, not a whole row!  French knitting, cotton reel with four pins on top is not just for kids, you can make quite sophisticated designs from mug hugs to coasters.

So dive in, see what kits you can find, get help from the vast number of video's on You Tube, books or find a local craft club or centre where you can try out your hobby with others, picking up hints and tips as you go.

SIO Tips No 27

Pop a little dish of Bicarbonate of Soda in the fridge to rid it of smells, leave in it lasts a good while.  Also when cleaning the fridge wipe with a damp cloth and Bicarbonate of Soda to give a lovely fresh and clean finish.  You can still use a little washing up liquid but do not use harsh chemicals in the fridge or mixed with other chemicals / materials.

SEEKITOUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time.

Who says colours clash?

 Every day we are told that some colours just do not work together, who forgot to tell nature?

Just marvel at a few of the autumn blends, wild shades of orange mashed with pink, greens blended with gold.

The magic works despite different textures, levels of sheen or shapes.  This proves, if we dare, we can be a little radical and break the rules.
Marry the oranges and reds, say yes to the brown with black, cream with white, why not.  Nature pleases the eye, so careful combinations can work.

Every colour has a thousand shades and by using those shades you can make unlikely matches.  Fabric texture and finish also plays a part.  Rough with smooth, gloss with mat.  Try out snippets together  
to see the effects.

Remember if working on curtains, for example, then try out your snippets in that room in both the natural and the electric light.  Colours play tricks depending on the light.  Grey day and the autumn colours can almost look one shade of orange, sun out and the true range of colours shines out.

Have fun, go wild - it is only nature!

Craft Tips No. 16

Press & dry colourful autumn leaves, then stick to cards for unusual gift tags.  Cut around or simply make a small presentation card, tie with ribbon or string to your parcel.  Clean pressed leaves also make a nice base for a plate of nuts in their shells on a festive table.

SEEK IT OUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time

Craft Tips for Newbies No 12

If you're have trouble threading a needle try holding the needle in front of a white surface so that the eye is more visible.

SEEK IT OUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time

Craft Tips for Newbies No 11

When you're doing Decopatch, tearing pieces is preferable as torn edges blend together better than edges cut with scissors.

SEEK IT OUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time

Craft Tips for Newbies No 9

Low cost curtain linings: Use budget polycotton bed sheets in co-ordinating colour, lots of fabric for low price, try supermarkets or charity shops or even the back of your linen cupboard.

SEEK IT OUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time

Craft Tips for Newbies No 8

Cotton thread, you get what you pay for. Cheap is often rough & breaks easily, quality is smooth & strong.

SEEK IT OUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time

Thinking ahead, take the summer into winter

Want something different for your winter wedding invites, Christmas cards or festive decorations.  Little early you say but no, now is the time to press flowers which can be stored away carefully to create totally unique cards to send or give in the depths of winter.

Flower presses are easy to come by or you could rely on two sheets of paper with the flower sandwiched between and pressed by the weight of a book.  Flowers need to be at their best, dry when picked (no rain droplets or dew on them) and pressed as soon after picking as possible.  The process takes time to let them dry out so be patient.

We think that this site is just great for information on how to so check it out http://www.wikihow.com/Press-Flowers-and-Leaves

SEEKITOUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time

Craft Tips for Newbies No 7

Dressmaking is like Chinese cooking, preparation is everything, care cutting out & time taken fitting each stage, is key.

SEEK IT OUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time

How to capture more customers at craft & trade shows.

We often attend trade shows, many are huge and time is limited. If we venture past a stand and it is too busy, literature nowhere to be seen, sadly we often have to walk on and the stand is soon forgotten.  Remember you are unlikely to be the only stand selling your type of product or service.

QR codes might be one answer.  More and more have phones with NFC (near field communication) on them and so they can scan a QR code.  If on the back of your stall, there was a large QR code displayed, with a caption to tell you what it will link to, you might not lose so many passers-by when busy or away from the stand.  The QR code can be linked either to your site, contact details or a special web page just for the show. The QR code can be captured by the passers phone and saved to use later.  We know many exhibitors purposefully do not have literature in easy to take spots, as you want to engage, but you do not want to miss out altogether.

Do not get talked into expensive QR codes production, you can create them yourself for free on the net but ALWAYS check they work, especially when shrunken into a small adverts or on business cards, check before printing or publishing. Always keep a copy of the original full size. Keep the art work changes to a minimum, closer to the original QR code you remain the more chance it will work on the largest number of phones.  Being too clever will leave you, most certainly, with egg on your face.

We were lucky enough to work with Wolverhampton University to learn about QR codes and to create our site QR code, so we had experts telling what we could do and could not do.  Below a few free sites where you can create QR codes. 

·                     http://www.qrcode.kaywa.com/

·                     http://www.zxing.appspot.com/generator/

·                     http://www.qrstuff.com/

·                     http://www.goqr.me/

Seek It Out: Changing the world a stitch at a time