Materials you will need

- bars of soap

- pretty old wrapping paper, vintage wallpaper, fabric or old linen maps

- different strings or ribbons

- bias binding or ric rac

How to make it

1 Cut the piece of paper or fabric just large enough to fit around the soap. Place the bar on it and wrap it up like a neat present. Tie ribbon around and knot it in a bow. Add a little tag with a handwritten note explaining which type of soap is inside if you like.

2 Wrap up lots of soaps in all sorts of different combinations and give them as little thank yous or bundle them together and pop them into a basket with some apothecary bottles of shampoos and bath oils.

Things like a dotty, stripy shirt her dad wore, the red Thermos they always took with them on picnics and the cushion her mum (a textile artist) embroidered for the sofa.  Katrin even named some of her patterns after members of her family, because they are developed from the things that she associates with them in her memory.

Katrin makes tableware because she loves the thought that people are going to use the things she make, and will not feel precious or anxious about handling them.  She thinks that to use something like a favourite cup over and over means that a special and intimate relationship develops between the object and the owner, in a way that could never happen with something bought just to look at.

Pattern and colour are hugely important in Katrin’s work.  She loves the feeling of rightness that a lovely, regular repeat pattern can give you, and the way patterns can change when different palettes of colour are used.

She is currently developing a new body of work inspired by gardens, leaves and trees, which will include 2d work on paper such as lino print, collage and drawing, as well as new work in ceramics.

Also she is planning to introduce several new collections of manufactured homewares, such as fabrics, tableware and stationery.

Brief History

The history of the art of origami is somewhat obscure. The word itself is Japanese: ori, ‘to fold’ and kami, ‘paper’ (becoming gami when combined with ori). The name is the tribute to the ancestral home of the art, though it is a matter of dispute whether the Japanese, Koreans or Chinese were the first to fold paper as a creative art. The Japanese developed sophisticated origami forms some 1,200 years ago, usually for symbolic or ceremonial purposes and, contrary to subsequent rules, these were frequently cut.

With the coming of Western influences in the late 19^th century, indigenous symbolism largely disappeared, and origami became recreational. In the 1930s a young Japanese man, Akira Yoshizawa, began developing new forms from the surviving traditional ones. His single-minded dedication and creative genius helped establish origami as a creative art form.

Paper folding in the West, with the exception of a minor creative period in Spain early in the 20^th century, remained largely a schoolchild’s diversion. However, in the early 1950s, a renowned British-based stage illusionist, Robert Harbin, became fascinated by the creative potential of paper folding. He collected as many traditional designs as he could (a surprising number), invented some of his own and in 1956 published Paper Magic, a book that established the creative potential of the art in the West. Subsequent books by Harbin and the American paper folder Sam Randlett consolidated its position as a craft.

Since that time, in the Oriental and the Western world, tens of thousands of designs have been created in a remarkable variety of styles. Origami has an appeal possibly broader than that of any other papercraft. Many people see it as a paper form of puzzle-solving, an attempt to make a model from diagrams in a book with the satisfaction of having an impressive  object at the conclusion.

For others it is a branch of mathematics or entertaining party trick, a vocabulary for design or perhaps an educational aid. It is art, science and play: recreational yet essentially profound.

Papers

There are no strictures regarding choice of paper. Many people like to fold with traditional square origami paper, coloured on one side and white on the other, but the paper is not always easy to find. Instead, for practice, use writing or photocopy paper, and for display work experiment with as wide a range of papers as you can find. For two-tone effects use giftwrap or scrapbooking papers, which are often already square, or make your own surface with pastels, inks or similar.

Traditional Japanese paper called washi is durable, soft, easy to fold and available in beautiful patterns and in small and large sizes. Some origami artists even choose to make their own papers, to ensure they get the distinct results they are looking for.

Materials Needed for Making Origami

Although strictly speaking your fingers are the only essential equipment for origami, when you want to create beautiful pieces that will last, you may also find these other items useful:

•        pencil
•        craft knife
•        cutting mat
•        metal ruler
•        scissors
•        embroidery scissors
•        bone folder
•        glue stick

It is very easy to make your own birthday invitation cards. This one-of-a-kind card that you will be working on will make your child know how much you love them because you have specially made an invitation for their upcoming birthday party.

In making handmade crafts like a birthday invitation, you will not be spending too much for a birthday party and just save the remaining budget to buy some giveaways.

Creating your own birthday invitations, one must give it a unique style and personality. There is no perfect invitation card but one can make it the exact thing that they want it to be. You are free to include some photos of your child or think for the theme that you would want to do for the birthday party.

Your birthday invitation can also be considered as a memorabilia for your guests. This is something that you may want to think about when trying to figure out what kind of invitation are you going to create. Give it a sentimental side so that guests would be able to keep it. As was said earlier, one can include their child’s photo in it so that the guests will know the lucky kid to celebrate such an extraordinary birthday party.

For printing purposes, it is easy to seek help from online card companies who are willing to give you a cheap deal in printing your birthday invitation cards. Or if you are on a really tight budget, you can always print it by yourself. Make use of your publishing skills and print your birthday invitations and change it in any way that you want it to be changed.

It is really great to save money and make use of your own skills and resources in doing these kind of simple surprises for your loved ones. Birthdays are just one of those events that are celebrated with all friends and family. Handmade birthday invitations are one way to have a unique birthday celebration for our kids!

Technology stepped up its infiltration of our homes. In 1953 the Post Office in Britain issued roughly 3 million television licences, and about 27 million people crowded around friends’ and neighbours’ sets to watch the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, an average of nine people per set. By the end of the decade, 16 million households had televisions, and it was possible to watch in a bit more comfort. In addition, more appliances (such as automatic washing machines, fridges and food mixers) had begun to creep into our kitchens.

The Festival of Britain in 1951 was designed as a ‘tonic to the nation’, intended to improve morale and help us forget the trauma of war. At multiple locations around around the country it celebrated Britain’s history, achievements and culture, and was a huge showcase for home-grown design, architecture and art.

Innovations in paint technology during the 1950s meant that the dark colours of the 1940s (usually applied by professionals because they were difficult to work with) could be abandoned and we could buy off-the-shelf vinyl paint and do it ourselves (the 1950s was the supreme age of DIY). Usage of bright colours reflected the optimistic feeling of the time. Bright pinks, greens, blues, yellows and purples are all absolutely authentic for a 1950s scheme.

When it comes to fabric of this period, the choice was very diverse – either bright, bold florals or abstract patterns inspired by advances in science (think startbursts and atoms) were very popular.

Inevitably, furniture changed too in the post-war years. Whilst 1940s’ sofas had bulky frames stuffed with hessian and horsehair, those produced in the 1950s benefited from innovations in both techniques and materials. New ways of working with wood allowed designs with light frames, sleek lines and elegant shapes. Scandinavian furniture, with its minimal adornment, was particularly popular.

For the authentic 1950s look, juxtapose wooden furniture with plastic, Formica and chrome, all popular materials at the time. Alternatively, source an original basket-weave chair, or a high-tech butterfly chair (a metal frame with fabric hung over it) to complete the look.

You can replicate the 1950s look very easy, with a bit of effort finding right style textiles and pieces of furniture. For finishing touches, pick up vintage details – craft signs, postcards and other knick-knacks. While not all came from 1950s, they cleverly mixed and matched to make them look related. The other items that say ’1950s’ are magazine racks and coat racks that incorporated bright plastic balls on the legs or hooks, examples of atomic-age design from the festival of Britain.

Try to find the crochet rugs at car boot sales. Or make them by yourself, just like the houswives in 1950s might have made. It’s definitely the little extras that make all the difference.

The photos featured Sudan refugees and were not manipulated like his previous work. One of the pieces in the collection, King, features a young man standing with his back to the camera and gazing into the distance.

Spencer lost interest in the South and traveled to Mexico where he became interested in the Day of the Dead festivities. The resulting Apariciones collection will be included in his first digital publication. He returned to the United Stated and began working on This Land, which features monuments and landmarks of the United States.

During this time, Spencer said he was disgusted with his home country and politics. He altered his photographs in the dark room and almost attacked them. Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota is almost unrecognizable. Only one face from the monument is visible, and the entire photograph is darkened creating an eerie image.

His work has been shown at the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Columbia Museum of Art, and the Louisiana Center for Arts and Sciences. His photographs were also featured in the book The South by Its Photographers alongside the work of influential artists such as Shelby Lee Adams (American, b.1950) and William Christenberry (American, b.1936).

Spencer has begun experimenting with digital media and has largely abandoned the darkroom. He is planning DVD compilations of his work and continues to live and photograph in Nashville, TN.

For this project you will need wooden beads, that can be find in any hobby & craft shop. Or you can find some old jewellery in charity or second-hand shops which can be recycled. The size of the beads is up to you, but if you do it for the first time you should use a bigger size – it will be easier to handle with. For this project we used eight 1 in wooden beads.

The important thing is to choose the style of your final piece – vintage, funky, black & white, embellished… Create your design in your head and then choose the fabrics. You will also need  some thread, ribbons and scissors, and – you are ready to have fun!!

How to make a fabric beads necklace?

1 Take 4½ in strip of the fabric and fold it in half  lengthwise, right sides together and pin in the place.

2 Sew a ¼ in along the edge to create the tube.

3 Press the seam open and turn right side out.

4 Fold the tube in half lengthwise to find the centre and pinch with two fingers. Insert a wooden bead into the fabric tube pushing it so that it rest against your pinched fingers.

5 Tie and firmly knot on either side of the wooden bead.

6 Insert two beads on either side of the central bead and repeat step 5.

7 Carry on in this fashion until you have inserted and knotted all eight beads.

8 Leaving the ends of fabric loose, trim so that they are equal lengths and iron them flat.

9 turn the raw edges of the loose fabric inside the tube and insert the ribon into the tube. The fabric tube may be wider than the width of the ribbon, if so, fold inwards any excess fabric, pin in place and stitch to secure (this can be a bit fiddly so take your time and use a decorative stitch if you prefer!).

10 Neaten a raw edges of the other ends of ribbon with a line of stitch to prevent them fraying and secure with two knots and a bow. Enjoy wearing your new beads!

In 1999, Jenne moved to San Francisco where she participated for many years in the art underground scene; here she learned to costume, perform, & work with experimental installations. While apprenticing for 5 years in architectural metalworking, Jenne was commissioned to create principal large-scale interactive installations for the annual Burning Man Festival in Nevada from 2000-2003.

In 2005, Jenne started her own business, Ink Operated.  Seeking a new medium to work with, she discovered fiber and the art of sculpting with wool & water.  Jenne is self-taught through online research/books & experimentation. In 2007, she launched Harlequin Feltworks, a business specific to felt scarves which is perhaps best known for its innovative Rose Scarf design.  In 2010, she published Felt Fashion: Couture Projects for Garments & Accessories combining pattern-making, sewing & felt-making techniques.

Jenne says, “Fiber has been a very rewarding medium, albeit completely unexpected. I found myself in need of a new art form and “discovered” the potential of wool by happenstance.  Why I had no no awareness of fiber as an art material, after years of immersion in fine art, was a bit of a mystery in itself.  Discovering the artistic possibilities of fiber opened the door to a vast realm of novel techniques & materials, unlocking, as well, a window to new ideas and to past history.”

Jenne’s work with felt paintings & soft sculpture is a return to conceptual, fine art work. “It is perhaps difficult for me to separate my art from my experience as a woman in a dichotomized world, but I strive for more universal concepts that can reach across differences of identity.  My work is primarily motivated by the desire to introduce small riddles embedded in the conceptual fabric of the piece;  these loose threads might hopefully snag in the minds of others, unraveling a new awareness in those who interact with my art. “

The first step is to decide exactly what you are looking for in furniture. You will need to know in advance where the piece of furniture will be placed and the approximate dimensions. The next step is to decide would you try and do it or you will hire professionals to do it instead . While there are many carpenters that will make the piece for you, you may want to make it yourself. You will need to take precise measurements and know the best pieces of material to use.

After you have determined the style and size of the piece you can start construction. Be sure that you are using sturdy materials. If you have never made a piece before, you should start with something small and simple. You will not want to start on a very large project or piece unless you are confident in your skills. If you truly want to make a piece, but are unsure, hire someone to help you or do it by your specifications. A carpenter can help you with the more difficult aspects of the molding of the piece.

When the construction of the piece is finished , you have to choose varnishes, cloth for upholstery and other finishes. For most people this is the favourite part of the whole process. Try to choose a high quality fabrics. These can be found at most fabric stores and even online.

Many people choose to have their own furniture made, because they are unable to find the colors and fabrics that they want. This is your opportunity to truly step outside the box and choose fabric that is fun and edgy.

The cost of having your own furniture made can be substantial. Just keep in mind that you may need to hire someone to assist you. Do not be afraid to call someone in if you feel that you have gotten in over your head. Ultimately you will have a piece that is fun, comfortable and one of a kind. Both the experience and the piece will be incredibly memorable for you.

As with traditional coat of arms, it is lovely if your design reflects your intended recipient’s name or occupation. Divide the shield into quarters and fill each section with little trinkets or scraps that suit the knight you have in mind. old badges, beads, buttons and braids, anything that have metallic thread, monograms, name tapes or old jewels all look great.

Use an embroidery hoop to keep the background fabric taut while you embellish it, and securely sew on each piece using embroidery silks. When you have finished you can make your design into a cushion or stretch it over a canvas.

Material You Need

Paper for template

Pencil

Paper scissors

Ribbons, lace and fabric scraps

Beads, badges, broken jewellery  and buttons

Monograms, name tapes or school badges

Digital camera

Thick blanket or woolen fabrics

Tailor’s chalk

Silk embroidery thread

Embroidery hoop

How to Make It

1 Draw out the shield on paper and cut it out to make your template. lay out all the pieces that you want to add onto it. Arrange and move pieces until you are happy with the plan. take a digital photo as a reminder of what goes where.

2 Draw out the shield shape directly onto the right side of the fabric using tailor’s chalk. later you can brush marks away. Define the outline of the shield and the quarters in running stitch or by sewing on beads or ribbons or quarters of different woolen fabric cut using the template. You can use a sewing machine to put these background pieces in place if you wish. Then put the shield into an embroidery hoop to make the rest of the process easier.

3 Sew on all the other pieces that you have collected until the whole of the shield is bristling with reclaimed bits and bobs. Use embroidery silks and simple stitches to add detail in any blank areas or to sew initials, names, dates or mottoes in your design.

4 You can cut out the finished shield and hand stitch it to a cushion cover or staple the finished fabric into a suitable frame for hanging.