Tonic's Latest Goodies.

Hi ! Are you having a lovely Midsummer? The sun is shining here today in the Highlands but I haven't had a minute to be out in it yet. I am off out to spray varnish something, and then I am going to get on with some card making.

These cute little mini gift bags were made with one of the latest dies out from Tonic Studios. This is for a little tent gift bag. It comes with a flap, but for these little bags I cut off the flap and added handles. The die set even comes with a little die for cutting precise holes where you need them. I think this is one of my favourites.

More of Tonic's latest products can be found on Create and Craft TV today (24th June) at 6 and 11pm.

OK..on with my tasks for the day!

Doda
xxx

Top ho

Just stopping by with a quick card to let you know that there are some lovely new topper die cuts and die sets launching on Create and Craft today Thursdsay 12th of June at 6pm.

Laters !

Doda
xxx

Review of Thermomorph

I was asked to do this review by Rizzi at Thermomorph. Thermomorph is made out of polymorph granules which are like small white pellets. When you put them in hot water they become malleable in around 5 minutes and then set rock hard at room temperature in around 10 minutes. 

I had actually heard of this product before and had wondered whether or not I would find it useful for my crafting, so I was delighted to be able to try it out for myself and see. 

The jar instructions show that you don't need much in the way of equipment. Just a jug or bowl for the hot water and some tongs to lift the thermomorph out of the water.

After a couple of minutes, the thermomorph did exactly what the jar said...clumped together and went clear. At this point we removed it from the water.  Here was where I discovered that it is not advisable to use plastic tongs as the Thermomorph tried it's very best to bond with them !
I would recommend metal or silicone.

There was another bit of advice missing from the jar...and it never occured to me that it could have the potential to be a sticky product....if placed on the wrong type of surface....

Don't use Thermomorph anywhere near your favourite PVC covered cotton tablecloth ! Unfortunately the Thermomorph bonded rather spectacularly with it. The next half hour was spent trying to rescue my tablecloth ! I used a hair dryer...an iron...wax paper...a scraper...but alas...the tablecloth will never be quite the same ! :-(

So...moving on...out came the silicon mat that we use for pastry making. This seemed to work just fine. Here are my little girls hands squidging the plastic. Her hands didn't stay still long enough for a decent picture - sorry!

We found that the Thermomorph does not stay soft and malleable for long enough to do any kind of satisfying sculpture. Perhaps in a warmer climate it might stay workable for longer.  We did however manage successfully to use the plastic in silicon moulds with success . This would be good for making embellishments for cardmaking etc.

 It is also quite good for making a mould and seemed to pick up all the detail from this fridge magnet. So I am thinking it will be quite good for making moulds to use when I do Polymer clay work. In fact, I am quite looking forward to trying it out with the clay.

One jar of this product is going to go a long way, so I am sure I will bring it out again sometime.

I was a bit upset about my tablecloth, but these things happen! I should have used more logic !

You can buy thermomorph at amazon here

For more info you can go to the Thermomorph website here


Have a lovely evening

Doda
xxx

Shadow Puppet Theatre - Swinton Insurance

Swinton Insurance have been getting the word around about their TV ad starring  Attraction and sent me a shadow puppet pack of my own. 

Have you seen the advert ? It's very clever indeed!

We have had a ball playing with the puppet theatre, and my little girl aged 8 has come up with some great stories using the array of characters we've been sent. Here is one of her scenarios...

A fair princess went out for a walk in the forest...

when she was captured by a sneaky thief...

He took the Princess home and kept her in a cage

The cage was guarded by a fierce dragon.

Meanwhile...there was a handsome knight who had been on his way to the palace when a wicked witch turned him.....

...into a donkey.

But never fear..there was a good fairy who came along just at the right time and turned him back into a handsome knight again. The good fairy also told him about the beautiful Princess who needed rescued...

...so the knight mounted his trusty steed and galloped away in search of the Princess.

After many long hours riding, the knight found the Princess. The knight gave the dragon a stern talking too, and the dragon was very sorry for what he had done and let the Princess go free.

The sneaky thief was caught and put in the cage, and a banquet was given in honour of the brave knight for rescuing the Princess. The  Knight and the Princess fell madly in love. Soon after they got married...and as with all good fairy tales, they lived happily ever after.

Then there was the tale about the enormous lion who was terrorising the town

And eating all the people...

...but that is another story altogether !!!

. I know we are going to enjoy many more puppet  stories using this set. 

And...at some point, I may be tempted to add a few puppets of our own. 

Here is Attractions winning performance on Britains Got Talent....

I hope you enjoyed this little shadow puppet interlude. Doda xxx

Yours affectionately ! More Tonic Studios new goodies

Here are some more of my crafts made with some of the new Tonic Studios Affections 2 dies. Jared and Genna are the first names that came into my mind when I made this paddle fan. They are purely fictional. 

I used the dies to cut some flock vinyl and added it to linen to make a ring bearers pillow.

...and here I decorated a savings bank so that Jared and Genna could save up some spending money for their honeymoon.

must be time to start cooking the tea now...better dash!

Have a lovely evening

Doda
xxx