New Year Resolutions by Helen

Hello - it's Helen here - well we've finally reached the end of the year! This is usually a time for reflection - a time to look back and a time to look forward. A time for New Year Resolutions

Some people love them and some aren't so keen.

Some people think that they don't really achieve much.

What scrapbooking resolutions will you be making this year?

Scrap more?
Finish those half done projects?
Use the stash you have up or sell/donate it?
Scrap faster?
Try new techniques?
Try new challenges?
Buy smarter - make a list of what you need/already have?
Blog more?
Comment more?
Join a crop?
Use those tools that you bought but are gathering dust?
Fill in the gaps in your albums to tell a coherent story?
Learn better photography skills?
All of these and more?

Sometimes it can be helpful to keep it simple and to focus on just one thing

If that doesn't help them there's always a more chilled approach

Whatever you decide I hope that the New Year involves you joining us in the Counterfeit Kit Challenge - we'd love to see you. From all of us to all of you - Happy New Year!

Peg Angels by Helen

Craft Imperfect

Hello, its Helen here today with an idea for some Christmas decorations. Do you remember making these peg dolls as a child? I can remember one dressed in fabric scraps, and decided to make 3 little peg doll angels using paper scraps and trims. This is a great project to do with the kids (or just for yourself if you are a big kid like me!)



They are really easy to make and cheap too - my pegs came with stands and I got 10 for £1 in the sale at The Works earlier in the year. Everything else is just scraps and a great excuse to break out the sparkly papers and trims. Some of the left over pegs will get painted for tree ornaments and some our daughter will decorate for herself.

First of all I drew the faces and coloured the hair with Sharpies and felt tips. Next I made a template for the dress and wings out of scrap card - again this is easy - but I've taken a photo to give you an idea if you'd like to make your own and would like a starting point.

Then I chose the paper for the dress, cut it out and decorated with sparkly trims and ribbons. I ran a strip of glue down one edge and wrapped the dress around my peg.

For the wings I found a really old sheet of glittered vellum - but any paper would work and paper doilies would look pretty too. Once my wings were cut I added fluffy, glittery fibers around the edges - I knew if I kept them long enough I'd find a use for them!

Once the wings were glued in place I made a halo from a gold pipe cleaner (thank you Ellie). You could easily use any wire you have to hand - even that silvery, twisty wire that holds toys in place in their packaging! The end of the pipe cleaner is pushed down the back of the dress (poor angel!)

A bit of blu-tac helps to keep my pegs in their bases - but it would be easy to make these into hanging ornaments if you added a screw-in eyelet to the head (poor, poor angel!) or tied ribbon around the peg before adding the dress. You could also wrap a pipe cleaner around the peg for arms and have her holding a little hymn sheet. Here are my 3 finished angels

Finally for inspiration here are a few links to others who have made some really gorgeous peg dolls.

http://ideasforscrapbookers.blogspot.com/2010/11/tropical-christmas-angels-by-sandy.html

http://rubberstamping.about.com/od/projects/ss/Clothespin_Dolls.htm

http://mysweetimaginations.typepad.com/mysweetimaginations/2008/12/red-friday-shop-update.html

http://nicethingsforyou.blogspot.com/2007/11/peg-angel-fairy-dolly.html

Congratulations to the Newest Master Forgers!!!

We are excited to announce our newest Master Forgers.  These ladies don't even know they have been chosen yet!  We planned on choosing 5 ladies, but we just could not narrow it down any more, so we decided to add 7 new designers to our team.  Congratulations to the following ladies...

Glinda http://razzledscrapper.blogspot.com/
Helen http://craftimperfect.blogspot.com/
Jennifer http://mypair-a-dice.blogspot.com/
Julie Ann http://julieannshahin2.blogspot.com/
Lisa http://lisahausmann.blogspot.com/
Milissa http://millermall.blogspot.com/
Rebecca http://howiburb.blogspot.com/

We will be letting these ladies introduce themselves in more detail later in the month, in the meantime...check out their blogs!  Congrats ladies, we will send you each an email with more information this weekend!!!