Video Tutorial for Exploding Box with Explosive Flowers

As promised in my previous blog, I have made a video explaining how I created the exploding box with explosive flowers. To view the blog where this project was first featured, click here. For your convenience, I have split the video into 2 parts. The first shows how I made the box and the second shows how I made the center piece with the flowers bursting out. Hope you like it!

Supplies Used for this Project:

A Brand New Itsy Bitsy Store in Bangalore

We are super kicked to announce that we are opening our 3rd Itsy Bitsy Store in Bangalore today, 21st April 2013. The store is in OMBR Layout Banaswadi and is brimming with craft and hobby supplies for craft lovers everywhere. Here's a look at the store all ready for the grand opening!

So if you're in Bangalore, try and stop by. There are amazing discounts only at the new store and you can stock up on all your craft supplies with great savings!!!

                           

Thanks for stopping by and see you there!

An Exploding Box with Explosive Flowers!

I love Exploding Boxes! They're so innovative and clever - a wonderful way of giving a card... nothing beats it. I've done one before for this blog which you can view here. This is my second attempt albeit 8 months later. However this time I wanted to make a really EXPLOSIVE exploding box. One where the contents literally explode out of the box. So here's my creation. 

                                      

My exploding box is a testament to Spring Flowers. Not that we really have the season here in India but  it seems like a wonderful time of year overseas where flowers start blooming all over the place. So my papers are all from the DCVW Fresh Floral Stack and the lid of my box has been embellished with some gorgeous Antique Fusion Blooms from Itsy Bitsy. Here's a closer look at the box when it's closed along with a closeup of the flowers on the lid. 

  

Now onto the explosion! So when the box opens, it opens to a flat card base and right in the centre I carried forward the flower theme with a pot of gorgeous blooms from Itsy Bitsy. As you can see, there are some flowers which hug the pot and others that just burst out, hence the explosion. In fact they burst out and continue bouncing about a bit so it's really a treat for the eyes! 

                           

Here's a closeup of the central flower pot to give you a view of the suspended flowers as well. I used some adorable sunflowers from Itsy Bitsy for the bouncing ones and connected them via a thin strip of OHP or transparency sheet to create that bursting out effect. Isn't that fun!

As far as I was concerned my box ends with this centrepiece but of course I had to add some details to the panels surrounding the flower pot so grudgingly I did.. ha ha... And then I had fun with that as well. Here are  some pictures of the inner panels. 

 

Finally here's a picture which I also really love. It's shows how the box looks when you take off the lid. It's so pretty as all you can see is this bunch of flowers that is literally bursting to come out.

For this project, I have made a video tutorial demonstrating how I created certain aspects of the box.  I have shown how the Itsy Bitsy Heart Border punch works for embellishing the sides of the box and lid. I have also displayed how I used the Itsy Bitsy Scoring Board to make the box which works wonderfully for such projects and is a really economical scoring option for crafters on a budget. Finally I've also shown how I created the flower pot with the flowers bursting out. I will be uploading the video very soon so watch this space for updates!

Update 22nd April 2013: The video is ready and you can view it here

Thanks so much for dropping by and I would love to hear your thoughts about my explosive exploding box. 

Supplies Used: Please click on the image to visit the product page on our website

Summer Craft Workshops at our Banashankari Store

Due to popular demand we are thrilled to announce craft workshops for this summer vacation season, all at our flagship store in Banashankari, Bangalore. We've got something for just about everyone, from card making to quilling, scrapbooking to general craft and jewellery making as well! All the details are right here!

Card Making Workshop: 

You don't have to buy ready made cards anymore! Learn how to make pop up cards & creative cards using punch craft, embossing, stamping and die cutting techniques!.  Also learn how to make quick and easy cards using embellishments. All materials are provided by ItsyBitsy and you will get to take home the cards you have made & gift it to your loved ones. You will also get to take home a complementary pack of blank cards!

Age: 8+
Dates: 2nd, 3rd and 4th May 2013

General Craft Workshop

This workshop is great fun for all ages! Learn how to make bird, bugs and animals using craft sticks, pom poms, Google eyes, thermocol balls and pipe cleaners! Make a bird puppet, bug pen stand, a foam board House and much more !!!. All materials are provided by Itsybitsy and you will get to take home the creative craft projects you have made!

Age: 6+

Dates: 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th May 2013

Jewellery Making Workshop

Learn the art of jewellery making using beads, Jewellery Making tools and findings. Learn how to make necklaces, bracelets, dangling earrings and studs using memory wire, tiger tail, chains, jump rings and more…. All materials are provided by Itsybitsy and you will get to take home the stunning Jewellery pieces you have made!

Age: 10+

Date: 24th, 25th, 27th, 28th, 29th May 2013

Quilling Workshop

Learn the creative art of quilling or paper filigree and learn how to use the quilling board, quilling tool, the crimping tool, quilling comb & create Quilling Masterpieces. You will learn how to design cards, wall panels & more using these tools & techniques, not to mention stunning quilling jewellery and adorable fringe flowers!  All materials are provided by Itsybitsy and you will get to take home the Quilling crafts you have made along with complementary Quilling board, Quilling tool & a pack of Quilling strips!

Age: 8+

Dates: 18th, 20th, 21st 22nd 23rd May 2013

Scrapbooking Workshop

Learn the fabulous art of Scrapbooking with this workshop!. You can become a professional Scrapbooker overnight with the Itsybitsy scrapbook workshop. Learn how to make professional scrapbook layouts using techniques of stamping, embossing, die cutting, punching, fringing and more!!!!. Don't forget to bring 4 post card size photos you want to Scrapbook & cherish!

Age: 8+

Dates: 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th May 2013

We're offering a 5% discount available for all Itsybitsy Loyalty Card holder and you can get additional early bird discount of 5% for registrations before  25th April. Write into craftworkshop@itsybitsy.in or call store 080 42124379/ 9741064499 / 9741013355 to register.

So if you want to spend your summer crafting, you know where to go! An exciting summer lies ahead! Happy crafting folks!

Felt Hair Clips for your Little Princess with Video Tutorial

I have a little girl and like most mothers of little girls, I love to doll her up. Poofy dresses, frilly socks and sparkling shoes are my favorite shopping choices these days. And from the time she was 6 months old I was hunting for coordinating hair clips. I could never find the perfect match which was always a big disappointment for me. Now of course I never shop for hair accessories because who needs to shop when I can make my own right at home with some affordable supplies from Itsy Bitsy.

For my first 2 hair clips I used the Sizzlits Flower Layers Die to cut out the flower shapes out of some purple and pink felt. Bear in mind, since felt has a lot of fibres it doesn't get cut as cleanly as paper or card stock but it's fairly good and the rest you can ease out with your scissors. I added some petite daises for the centres and voila! My first 2 sets of hair clips were done! Cute aren't they!

For my next set I used the Itsy Bitsy butterfly die with some bright aqua felt. This die has a lovely embossing feature so as you can see, that beautiful spotted design on the wings came out wonderfully. For the body I added the bright yellow buttons you see here in 2 graduating sizes. Love love love how it turned out!!

For my next set I decided to use some frilly jewelled flowers from Itsy Bitsy's amazing range of fabric flowers. Itsy Bitsy has some amazing fabric flowers which are great for hair accessories. I combined them with a felt leaf cut from the Itsy Bitsy Leaf die and my quick and easy hair clips were ready!

Finally, I decided to make some felt rosettes for my next pair. It's really easy to do and you can learn how by watching the tutorial video at the end of this post. A bright green button at the centre completed the set. 

And if you want a visual of how these look when actually worn by a little girl, my 1.5 year old daughter Kyra was happy to model them for me! She totally loves dressing up and I got loads of lovely photos of her rocking these clips. Here's a collage for you!

As promised here is a video tutorial of how I made all 5 of these clips. As you will see it's really super easy to do!

Supplies Used:

A Pair of Vintage Notepads

I recently got some vintage blooms from Itsy Bitsy along with the Cinch binding machine and was itching to use both in a project. The end result? A couple of heavily embellished vintage notepads. Check them out!

For my first notepad, I started with a pattern paper from the DCVW La Creme stack. Then using my spellbinders Kaleidoscope die, I create a base for the flower and some corners. I added a chipboard laser-cut flourish and a few fabric flowers from Itsy Bitsy again with the vintage theme. As a final touch, I included a little key charm - love that metallic effect on a floral background. Here's a picture of the notebook with a closeup of the details. 

   

For my next notepad, I went grungier. The paper backround is this checkered design from the DCVW  Natural Stack over which I layered some coffee brown punch paper embossed with the damask background. I distressed the edges heavily using the We R Memory Keepers Heart distressing tool and glued it down so that the edges sort of curled upwards. Then I proceeded to create layered pleated bow using some 1.5" satin ribbon and ended with the Vintage blooms of course with a chipboard lasercut as well. For the grungy look, I draped a metal chain all over the cover. Here's a look at the notepad along with a closeup

    

I'm loving the vintage theme mainly because it's not easy giving a distressed and aged appearance to brand new supplies. When I showed my little 4 year old the notepads, he said - "Not nice Mama - looks old" I gave him a big hug and said, "Thanks so much Baba!"

Do you like the vintage style? Leave a comment and tell us. We'd love to hear from you.

Supplies Used: Click on the image to visit the product page on our website. 

Winners of the First Annual Itsy Bitsy Craft Awards

Our winners list is finally up! After much deliberation we have chosen the winner within each category so without delay, let's find out who they are:

Card Making Category Winner: Dr Sonia's 3D card

Scrapbooking Category - Nehal's Banner Layout

3D project Category - Rajni's Calendar

Jewellery Making Category - Neha's Bracelet

Kids Craft Category - Jocelyn's Baby Mobile

Congratulations to all the winners. You had both the audience support as well as the judges appreciation. You each receive a voucher of Rs. 1000 from Itsy Bitsy and a Winner's badge to display on your blog!

And to all our other finalists, well done for your achievement. You each will receive a voucher of Rs. 250 and a Finalist badge to display on your blogs. To check if you are a finalist, click here:

Once again we at Itsy Bitsy want to thank you all for your resounding support for this contest. It could only have been this successful with your interest and encouragement so many thanks to you all. We hope you continue your patronage with our current challenge which you can view here!

Winners and finalists, please write in to info@itsybitsy.in to claim your prize and badge.

Jazz up your Table Settings with a Ribbon Topiary

I love to entertain and one of my favorite parts of entertaining is dressing up the table. From the color scheme to the placement of plates, napkins and cutlery, I love it all! And what gives me particular joy is the center piece or in this case pieces - check out my ribbon topiaries to jazz up my dinner table!

I recently attended the first birthday party of a cousin's little girl and saw these on display. My cousin did them all herself and they looked SO delightful that I just had to try it out for myself and for you, our dear readers. Doesn't it look adorable as little accessories on my table?

                 

I've added a closeup above of the topiary itself - packed with silver and gold ribbon. I made a set of 2 with the same gold and silver color scheme so that they could balance each other out on my rather long dining table. Here's a picture of a set of 2 topiaries along with the table all set for a lunch party. Don't the topiaries add a shade of grandeur to the entire proceedings?

The best part about ribbon topiaries is that they are SO EASY to make. I have made a video tutorial of how I put these delightful little decor items together. Watch it here and get started!

Do you like to deck up your table when you entertain? What's your favorite touch? Drop a line and let us know. Till then, Happy Crafting Folks!

Supplies Used: Click on the image to visit the product page on our website. 

The ItsyBitsy Logo Color Challenge - Paper/ General Crafting and Jewellery Making

Let me take this opportunity to thank all our lovely followers and fans for participating so actively in our Craft Awards last month. Whether you were submitting your creation or voting for your favorite, your particpation made it a resounding success! Stay tuned for the results which we will be announcing very soon.

               

On to our challenge for April and from the image above, perhaps you have a hint of what's in store. We've chosen a color challenge and what better colors to showcase than the ones from our brand new ItsyBitsy logo. The colors are bright green and bright blue so we want to see what you can come with using shades of blue and green. Plus there's more! Starting this month we will be rolling out 2 challenges - one for paper crafters and the other for jewellery makers. The theme is the same for both the challenges - simply use the Itsy Bitsy logo colours - blues/ greens and neutrals.

And here's some inspiration for you. I have made a mini album and based the entire design on the fabulous colors from the new ItsyBitsy Logo. Here's a look at the cover of the album:

As you can see I have used varying shades of the vibrant blue and lush greens from the logo. Pattern Papers from the Fresh Floral Stack offered me just the right background. And who can go wrong with the fantastic ItsyBitsy craft flowers? They're just DIVINE

The central focus of the mini cover is a cuckoo clock cut from the adorable Spellbinders die. And concealed within the cuckoo clock is a secret compartment, great to store charms, rings, bracelets or other trinkets. 

 


And here's another closeup of the beautiful flowers all from Itsy Bitsy. I have bound the album with the new card rings now available at ItsyBitsy and decorated them with some delightful crochet flowers. So cute! Then since the outside was so elaborate, I decided to go simple for the inside - the picture above is a collage of the various pages.

Moving on to the Jewellery Making Inspiration. This one was put together by the amazing team over at ItsyBitsy and all the beads/ accessories have been taken from the stupendous ItsyBitsy Bead Bar that literally has 1000s of options.

Isn't it gorgeous? The blue and green beads interspersed with silver? Delicate, elegant and such pretty colors - it's a necklace that would suit any neck and the best part is that it's made by a crafter like yourself. Here's a close up of the beadwork.

Here are the rules of the challenge:

• For the Paper/ General crafting project, your submission can be a card, box, tag, scrapbook layout, dress, embroidery, crochet work etc - anything as long as it is handmade and incorporates the color scheme provided in the logo inspiration picture above.

• For the jewellery making project, your submission must be some form of jewellery and once again it must incorporate the color scheme provided in the logo inspiration picture above.
• Quilled jewellery or jewellery made out of paper beads will fall under the Jewellery making category.
• The contest closes at midnight on 30th April 2013.

• In order to submit your entry, click on the inlinkz button provided at the end of this post, add your image and link to your blog post containing the submission. There is a separate button for each category.
• If you do not have a blog, please send in your entry to itsybitsycraftcontests@gmail.com and we will add your submission for you.

• Each participant can submit a maximum of 3 entries within each category

• Submitting old projects is not permitted. All submissions have to be created after 3rd April 2013.

• In your blog post, create a link back to this page - The ItsyBitsy Logo Color Challenge or better still add the Logo Color Inspiration Image provided at the beginning of this post with a link back to this page.
• Entries are welcome from all over the world however if you are the winner, we can only ship your prize to an Indian address.

• 2 winners will be selected, one for jewellery making and one for paper/general crafting who will each receive a voucher of Rs. 1000 each, redeemable online at www.itsybitsy.in.

• In addition 6 finalists in each category will be selected all of whom will receive a badge to display on their blog. 
• We would love it if you display our new badge on your blog, you can find it on the sidebar.

We are super excited to see what you come up with and judging by the talent displayed in previous challenges we are 100% certain that it's going to be a gala hit! So hurry up and start linking! Looking forward to your creations!

Supplies Used: Click on the link to shop online


Paper General/ Crafting Submissions

Jewellery Making Submissions