Craft fuel: Coffee - DIY Nespresso Capsule Holder

It's been a very long time since I did a 'craft fuel' post and as I write this it has occurred to me how strange it is I have never posted about the most important craft fuel of all: coffee.

Those who know me well (and anyone else who has seen me before 8:30 on any given morning) know that coffee is a big part of my life. I'll admit it is not the healthiest part of my daily routine, but given that it is my only true vice I give myself a pass and allow myself to indulge in a few cups a day.

Sometimes I have a treat with it, some cake or a nice piece of dark chocolate, but even on it's own it is a delightful little indulgence and comes with a perfect little pick me up that when tempered correctly lends a bit of oomph and focus to my crafting.

Now I've been through all the coffee machines out there: I have my toddy for deliciously smooth iced coffees in the summer, I have a siphon for a strong but sweet brew and more recently I set myself up with a Nespresso Machine so that I can enjoy the full range of lattes, cappuccinos and on my last rockstar-of-a-new-year's-eve: boozy frangelico macchiatos!

I love my machine, so much that I've upgraded to a 'Latissima' and at my old job I conspired with colleagues to establish an at-work machine as well. As much as I love the sweet brown nectar that flows from those capsules, I've always been foiled when it comes to storing them. Yes, there are boxes and racks and containers and lovely glass jars out there designed for them but they all come at a high price and none of them have ever really appealed to me that much, so I set out to make my own. Check it out:

DIY Nespresso Capsule Holder

Materials:
- 7 strips of balsa wood (15mm x 5mm)
- thick double-sided foam tape
- magnetic tape
- 1 magnetic note board (IKEA)
- washi tape for decorating

Here's how I did it:

Testing my layout and cut balsa to size with craft knife.

Trimming magnetic tape to 1/2 width.

Attaching magnet strip to wood with double sided tape. 

Cover each strip with Washi Tape

Assemble, and Ta-da!

The capsule holder in situ at my coffee corner.

Mmmm double latte!

So there it is. After a long time of juggling with capsules, I've made my own capsule holder. The nice thing is that it was very cheap (all materials under £15), and it is completely changeable! I can create a new layout or change the colour of my washi tape and create a new look whenever I want... but for now, I'll just admire it while I sip my coffee.

Week # 40 - Baby Quilt and pattern

Hi there folks, just a little update with this week's project and a bit of news on the 52 weeks : 52 crafts front!

I've had a favourite little patchwork pattern of my lying around for a few years which I often use in teaching courses and what not, but have never got around to making available through my blog or online shop... we'll in celebration of the final 12 crafts countdown to Christmas, I've whipped up a sample and prepped my pattern for sale!

Now I'm not one for symmetry or things that are "too match-ey match-ey" but I've always loved this pattern of mine for the simplicity of it, as well as the versatility that the pattern has for taking different fabrics and colour combinations.

This little quilt measures 36" by 42" when its finished (about 3 feet by 3 1/2 feet).  It's a great pattern for beginners to follow as well as a quick breeze for an experienced sewer. All you need for it is 7 fat quarters in matching/contrasting fabrics (it's up to you!), some wadding and a back fabric and this whips up with perfect proportions and fabric usage.

Check out this one I made for the craft challenge using Mint Blossoms 'Karma Baby' fabric (if the quilt looks a little damp its because I sprayed it to remove the fabric pen lines before taking this photo... a non-damp photo will appear shortly!)

.... now I normally like to mix and match fabrics from different collections, but the Karma Baby fabrics work so well together and are just so sweet that I kept it simple. I especially love the fabrics because they are perfect for babies, but at the same time they aren't too childish or too gendered in their colours and patterns. Perfect for boys or girls!

I also embellished the pattern by throwing in a little touch of white into the binding, for a piped effect which I think makes the fabrics stand out even more.

This quilt will go up for auction tonight on Ebay with 100% of the sale going to Macmillan Cancer Support, and then the finished pattern will go up for sale on my website later this week...  I'll be selling the complete pattern and tutorial for £5 with 100% of the profits going to Macmillan Cancer Support from now until Christmas.

Stay tuned as this quilt will be joined with other baby/kid friendly items tomorrow when I post my 52 weeks : 52 craft round up Part 2 tomorrow afternoon!

Week #30 - Felted Matryoshka Tutorial

Just a quick little update on my promise to deliver a Felt Matryoshka Tute... I took some step by step photos which might help you if you are raring to go and make your own, but I'm not going to try to teach you to needle-felt from scratch because there are loads of videos you can watch, and better yet, workshops and courses you can take to get your head around the basics.

Start with two main pieces of felt for the body and head (scarf), and roll them into two three-inch rounds. These will form the top and bottom of the body. Shape them into rounds, leaving a little bit loose on the end that will be the head/scarf so that the ties of the scarf can be formed, and the two pieces can be felted together.

I started by felting the bottom into a round/slightly squashed aubergine shape. As I felted these shapes I turned them over making sure to keep them flat and pancake-like.

To felt the top, shape it into a round head at one end, but leave the bottom a bit loose.

Then split the bottom of the head, to create the ties of the Matryoshka's scarf.

As I felted, I kept the piece about 50% bigger than I wanted the finished product - see above for the comparison of sizes as I worked on the brooch.

See future Matryoshka and finished Matryoshka.

Once you have the main body, scarf, and ties secured together, felt the whole thing to about 25% larger than you want the finished product. At this point don't turn it over too much, felt over the top and around the sides with your needle, but do pick it up off the foam every now and then and smooth out the back a little.

Once you have the body nice and firm, but still soft enough to felt into, then start adding colours and shaping your doll's features.

Add some colour for the face.

Then the hair.

The eyes... 

Add aprons and decorations, and then once you have the complete look felt the entire thing a little more shrinking it, tightening the weave, and shaping it as you see fit.

Once you have the finished doll, you may choose to spray it lightly with a little soap and water. This isn't done by everyone, but I found it added a smoother more finished look to the item. 

Once you are happy, sew on a brooch back. And Voila! 

These badges and their little squirrel friend are all on sale on ebay this week to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, so why not bid on one yourself or share the auction with someone who might be interested?