Brick Stitch Peppermint Pattern

When I was approached by Sarah from SoCraftastic to collab again, I couldn't refuse! I also had a request to make a video on this pendant, so I though I would combine the two. These were one of the first things that I made when I learnt how to do brick stitch, so they truly are perfect for beginners :D

Here is the pattern, so you can follow along with the pattern as you follow the tutorial!

10K Subscriber Giveaway!!

I cannot believe I have over 10K subscribers on YouTube! I wanted to give something back to you, so here it is!

Here's a photo of the prizes that I have for you :D It's perfect for those wanting to get into bead weaving as it's full of beady delights.

Many thanks to The Bead Shop Nottingham for generously donating some prizes towards this giveaway!

• The ONLY requirement to enter is that you are subscribed to my channel. The other things are just delightful extras that will earn you extra entries.

• If you are under 18, please make sure you have your parents' permission as I will need your address to send you the prizes.

• This giveaway IS INTERNATIONAL! If you have an address, I will send you your prize :)

Well what are you waiting for?? Get entering!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Brick Stitch Dolphin Pattern

I was asked way back in January to make a dolphin charm using brick stitch bead weaving techniques. I  made the charm way back then and even posted a photo in Instagram, promising to make a tutorial "soon". Clearly to me, "soon", means 10 months later (or 44 weeks, according to Instagram.)

I know, I know... I'm clearly the worst kind of person. It's not my fault. I receive quite a few video requests, and I like to keep everyone happy. Also I don't want to just be a bead weaving channel, so I try to mix it up where I can. That is just an excuse... I just forgot to make the tutorial :D But hey, I'm only human

Enough waffling around... Here is the pattern:

As always, I used size 11 delica beads by the Japanese brand Miyuki. I also used beading thread by the company Nymo and a size 10 beading needle.

All items were purchased from http;//mailorder-beads.co.uk who were generous enough to give me a 10% discount code on full-items on orders over £5! It's valid until 31st Dec 2015 and the company do ship internationally! Just type TCOC10 in the promo code box at the checkout :D

Brick Stitch Patterns to Older Videos

So back in early 2015, I went on a bit of a brick stitch rampage. I discovered how to make my own patterns,  but I couldn't save any of them. I made videos for these patterns, and one of my lovely followers on Instagram shared with me a beading program in which I could save the patterns I make! ANYWAY I thought it high time to trawl back though my past videos, and make patterns for the tutorials I hadn't done.

All of these tutorials can be found in my bead weaving playlist: click here to view the playlist

Brick stitch bow

Hello Kitty

Minion!

Owl

Penguin

Piggy

Sugar Skull Brick Stitch Pattern

Hello! So I was asked to do a tutorial for my sugar skull brick stitch pendant which has been floating around Etsy for a while now. I put off making the video because it takes so long to make the pendant, I didn't know how I'd be able to cut the tutorial down! It's still a 30 minutes video, but worth it :D

The colours I used are:
DB010 - Opaque Black
DB200 - Opaque White
DB568 - Opaque Turquoise
DB-651 - Opaque Squash
DB-660 - Opaque Dark Orchid
DB-2115 - Opaque Guava

I also used Nymo beading thread in black and a size 10 beading needle.

Candy Corn Peyote Bracelet

This is the first of my Halloween tutorials! Although candy corn isn't easily accessible in Europe, as far as I'm aware anyway, I remember trying some when I was 17. It tasted a lot like honey and I thought it was delicious :) I made a peyote bracelet with a similar pattern to this when I was into making my peyote name bracelets, but I decided it would be fun to turn the geometric shapes into cute candy corns! The pattern isn't too tricky to do so and it's made using odd count peyote, which is my new favourite stitch for making bracelets!

Anyway... You don't come to this page to read my waffly descriptions. Here's the pattern:

Colours I used:

All Miyuki Delica size 11 beads.

DB010 - Black
DB200 - White
DB-1132 - Canary Yellow
DB-651 - Opaque Squash (Orange)

Cute Ursula Beading Pattern

I like Disney villains. They're always scary, but mysterious. I often wonder what made them evil and why they dislike the "good guys" of the film. When it was suggested by CraftGyver that our collaboration video should be The Little Mermaid, I knew who I had to make!!

One of my Instagram followers was kind enough to tell me about a computer program on which you can design patterns. It's free to use and, even better, you can save the patterns!!

Here is my pattern for a cute Ursula beaded charm using square stitch.

If you're new to square stitch, I recommend checking out my Square Stitch Basics tutorial! It explains everything you need to know to make this adorable sea witch.

Who's your favourite character from The Little Mermaid?

My Mum's Banana Bread Recipe!

This banana bread (although we call it "chocolate chip and banana cake") has been in my family for a number of years now! Not centuries, but definitely over a decade. It's so easy to make and is the perfect way to use up over-ripe bananas. In fact, I recommend using over ripe bananas as they're sweeter and will mash more easily. Chocolate chips are an amazing addition to this cake, but we didn't have any...

Anyway, you don't want to read a bunch of waffle from me, you just want me to get on with the recipe!! (If you'd like to see this cake being made, check out the video at the bottom of this post)

For this cake, you will need:

2 bananas

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

170g butter (or margarine)

225g caster sugar

285g self raising flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

3 eggs

57g chocolate chips *optional*

1) Preheat your oven to 170­°C

2) Melt the butter completely, and then stir in the sugar. Be sure the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.

3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, bicarb and salt. This will get rid of any lumps in the flour.

4) Stir in the butter and sugar mixture, making sure it is well-combined.

5) Peel and mash your bananas, and then add them to the rest of the mix, stirring thoroughly. Throw in your vanilla extract.

6) Beat your eggs, and then add them to the rest of the mix too. One again, stir thoroughly!

*At this point, you can add chocolate chips. I recommend leaving the mixture to cool first as otherwise the chocolate will melt!*

7) Pour the batter into your tin of choice. An 8'' round tin works well, but we used a 900g loaf tin, which also did the job delightfully.

8) Bake for 50-60 minutes. Baking time can vary, especially depending on what type of tin you use. Our cake took a full hour, and we don't have a fan-oven. Check your cake is cooked by inserting a skewer. When it comes out clean, it's done!

My mum swears that this cake is best made two days before expected consumption, that's if you can wait that long!!

YouTube Roundup: Minions!

To celebrate the launch of The Minion Movie that came out on Friday, I decided to have a little hunt around YouTube to find video tutorials for Minion-related crafts!! There are so many Minion things that you can make, and here's just a small selection of them.

DIY Recycled Minion Plush by Coolirpa

In this video, April shows you how easy it is to make your very own minion plush from recycled materials! Even better, this tutorial doesn't have any sewing in it either!! Check out April's channel here for great sewing transformations: https://www.youtube.com/user/coolirpa

DIY Minion Polymer Clay Charm by MintDahlia

I am useless at polymer clay but I just love watching tutorials on little cute charms! This one was no exception. Just look at his little face... So adorable! In this tutorial, you will be shown how to make this little guy with just a few simple tools. I love the bananas :D Check out Mint Dahlia's channel here for more great polymer clay tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/user/MintDahlia

DIY Minion Emoji Decorated Eggs by AnneorShine

Well I know that this was meant to be an Easter tutorial, but I couldn't resist sharing it with you all! All you need are some plastic Easter eggs, some spray paint, googly eyes and a sharpie! Anne shows you how to make these little guys in only one minute too! Click here to see Anne's channel for more gorgeous DIYs, home decor and beauty tips: https://www.youtube.com/user/anneorshine

3D Origami Minion by Guila's Art

I cannot believe that this little guy is made out of paper! That's incredible... I'm so impressed. I find origami so difficult and often end up just ripping the paper :/ There are so many awesome paper craft tutorials on this channel, so you should definitely check it out: https://www.youtube.com/user/estoreromania

DIY Minion Corner Bookmark by Foreverminty

Look at these little guys! They're so cute :D I would definitely trust them to keep my place in a book! In this tutorial, you are shown how to cut and fold the paper, and then how to decorate it to look like little minions! Check out Foreverminty's channel for more DIY videos and vlogs: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe3DRB7Dvp9jE5CaTX60zmA

DIY Beaded Minion Charm by The Corner of Craft

I'm sorry... I just had to plug my own video! I uploaded this tutorial in January, but I think it's only fitting that I share it with you again now. Learn how to make this beaded minion with just a few size 11 delica beads using the brick stitch bead weaving technique! Super simple. For more DIY videos, check out my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/thecornerofcraft

I'm off to see The Minion Movie tomorrow and I'm so excited! Have you seen it yet, and if so, did you enjoy it?

How Do I Make Seed Bead Bracelets?

There are SO many different ways to incorporate seed beads into bracelet making, and not all of them involve bead weaving! I was asked on one of my recent videos to make a tutorial demonstrating how to make a "seed bead and wire bracelet", so I naturally obliged. The thing is, I didn't want to just do a basic stringing bracelet, I wanted to spice it up a little bit.

I made three different bracelets, that all use very similar techniques, but look different from each other. And, much like with many of my tutorials, they look a lot more complicated than they actually are, which is a delight!

The first bracelet, I think, is the easiest of the three. It only requires basic stringing, attaching necklace ends and then adding chain. Don't be intimidated by jewellery making! If the first thing you make doesn't look perfect, then persist! You'll get the hang of it :)

The second bracelet I saw on Pinterest and just knew that I had to make a tutorial on it! It's super cute and looks a little like an infinity symbol. Once again, this bracelet uses the same techniques listed above, but they're then looped together to make the knot in the middle. So effective, and not difficult at all!

Pinterest is clearly the place where I find all my inspiration, as this bracelet was found on there too! A tutorial had been made on how to made a necklace with a portion that was plaited seed beads, and I decided that I wanted to make a bracelet version! It does follow all the same steps as above, but with some added braiding. It looks so good! I wore it to work and received so many compliments :)

What's your favourite way to use seed beads in jewellery making?

Colouring for Grown Ups?

I went on holiday to Frankfurt last week, which was lovely, but not at all relaxing as we were scoping out the place before we move there in August!! Anyway, whilst we were looking for a little holiday present for my sister, I found a little colouring book, designed for adults, which were postcards! It was the perfect little thing for her, and after I got back home, I realised that I wanted a "grown up's" colouring book too! So I bought one. And 50 colouring pencils... and a pencil case. I'm such a child. I just miss stationery shopping for school at the beginning of a school year!

Anyway! The book that I decided to buy is full of vintage patterns and is absolutely gorgeous! It's so intimidating to start colouring in it, but I took that plunge. Here is a progress shot of the first piece I coloured:

And the finished product! As I said to my boyfriend, I don't feel as though I'm very good at colouring. Yes I can stay within the lines (kind of...) but I struggle to know what colours to put where, which is what I feel a different sort of creative person will know more. (Please note, I am not saying I'm not creative. I'm just not very good at colour-placement, except for hair dye...)

Now I started with that pattern because it was still quite structured and I could repeat a pattern over and over on it. My boyfriend then pointed out that I was avoiding the more "swirly" patterns, so to prove him wrong, this is the next page I have started! It's definitely going to take a while for me to complete, but I'll try to remember to post a picture when it's done!

How I Got into Bead Weaving

When many people think about "bead weaving", it conjures up images of intricate, but sometimes, garish pieces, usually done by middle-aged women. There is nothing wrong with this image, but my friends at the place where I work were amazed when I, as a 24 year-old with blue hair, discovered a love for brick stitch!

I work at a bead shop and hadn't done much jewellery making before I got the job. (I know... I don't know why they hired me either!) After hearing about bead weaving and the stigma attached, I didn't attempt it at all. It seemed unnecessarily complicated and fiddly, then I was browsing a magazine for ideas for another project, and came across a gorgeous bunting necklace that was made using brick stitch! I love bunting... There's something about it that's just so cute and makes me think of tea. Yum!

Now my first attempt was awful. At the time, I thought it was really good, but looking back, no. It was awful. I even made a pair of brick stitch triangle earrings that were for a magazine project (and were featured in the magazine!) and I'm so ashamed of them now! From that moment on, I developed a delica-addiction. It's not healthy the number of tubes of beads I now have! They are useful to have though.

Look at those terribly wobbly triangles!!

It took me a while before I started to create my own patterns. I used to copy other people's and give them to my friends and family members. I didn't realise how easy it is to  make your own pattern! With the help of Bead Tools, it's so easy! I tend to make them with a reference picture open next to the pattern page. It does take a lot of trial and error though, and I'm often not in a patient mood!

This panda is made using a pattern I made myself.

I heard about square stitch thanks to Pixelosis. She creates amazing pixelated pieces of jewellery using this technique. I knew that I wanted to give it a try! I'm still extremely new to this stitch and have only recently mastered the art of increasing! I really want to make tutorials on this stitch, but it takes a very long time to make charms with it. Definitely one for people with patience. With square stitch, it's possible to make things using Perler/Hama bead patterns, and there's lots of them all over the internet!

I need to master Peyote, then I will have three different stitches under my belt! There are so many bead weaving stitches out there! I'm excited to see what things I can create with them.

My favourite stitch is definitely brick stitch. Do you have a favourite? If so, which is it?

I'm moving... Country?!

You read that right! My boyfriend managed to get a job in an international school so in August The Corner of Craft will be in Frankfurt, Germany! I'm really excited about going and having this new experience in my life. I studied German and French at university so I already have the language knowledge, but as I've not spoken it in over 2 years, it's going to be very rusty!

My biggest fear at the moment is finding myself a job. We could live off what the boyfriend is earning but where's the fun in that?? Interviewing for a job in my mother tongue is nerve-racking enough, how am I going to cope in German?! Well there's only one way to tell I guess so we will be preparing for the big move over the next few months.

Have any of you been to Frankfurt before? If so, any recommendations on whereabouts to live/what to do etc?

Bunny and Chick Amigurumi Egg Cozy

These adorable egg cozies are so easy to make! You can jazz them up in any way that you choose and add your own creative flair. They are perfect for both normal eggs and creme eggs, making them ideal for Easter. This pattern uses UK terminology.

You will need:
4mm crochet hook
DK yarn
6mm beads (eyes)

Bunny:
Fork

Chick:
3mm hook


Egg Cozy


Ch 2
Row 1: 4 dc in first chain.
Row 2: 2 dc in each stitch round - 8 dc
Row 3: *2 dc in next stitch, dc in next stitch. Repeat from * round - 12 dc
Row 4: *2 dc in next stitch, dc in next 2 stitches. Repeat from * round - 16 dc
Row 5: *2 dc in next stitch, dc in next 3 stitches. Repeat from * round - 20 dc
Row 6: *2 dc in next stitch, dc in next 4 stitches. Repeat from * round - 24 dc.
Row 7-14: dc in each stitch round - 24 dc
Row 15: *dc2tog, dc in next stitch. Repeat from * round - 16 dc. Fasten off.

Bunny ears (make 2):

Ch 2
Row 1: 8 dc in first chain.
Row 2-4: dc in each stitch round.
Row 5: *dc in next stitch, skip next stitch. Repeat from * round.
Row 6-7: dc round. Fasten off.

Bunny tail:

Using a fork, make a mini pompom and attach to the back of the cozy.

Sew on a nose with embroidery thread (or felt) and the beads for eyes.

Chick's Beak:

Using 3mm hook

Ch 4
Insert hook into 2nd ch from hook, YO, pull through. Insert hook into final chain, YO pull through (3 loops on hook). YO and pull through all 3 loops. Fasten off and sew onto front.

See video below for how to attach chick fluff!

Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns

One of my favourite parts of Easter is the food, and I feel the same with Christmas as well! I decided it's time to make Hot Cross Buns! I wanted to take them into work, but I was aware that one of the people I work with doesn't like dried fruit, so I decided to add my own spin on things with chocolate orange ones!

You will need:
4 cups plain flour
1.5 tsp mixed spice
14g dried yeast
1/4 cup caster sugar
350ml slightly warmed milk
2 lightly beaten eggs
300g dark chocolate chips
200g milk chocolate chips
Zest of 1 orange

Crosses:
1/2 cup of plain flour
1/2-1 cup of water

Glaze
3 tbsp orange juice
3 tbsp granulated sugar

1. Combine the flour, spice, yeast and sugar in a bowl and mix. Add in the milk and the eggs and mix until the dough comes together. Add in the chocolate chips and orange zest and continue to mix.

2. Knead the dough for around 8-10 minutes and it's smooth and elastic. Pop it back in the bowl, cover it in cling film and leave it in a warm place for an hour, until it's doubled in size.

3. Knead the dough a little more and then split it into 12 equal sized balls. Place them on a lined baking tray. Cover once again in cling film and pop into the warm place for about half an hour.

4. Meanwhile, mix together the flour and water until it's a smooth paste. Add the water little by little, not all at once. Put this into a resealable bag/piping bag, snip off a little corner and pipe crosses onto the now-risen buns. Cook the buns at 190 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.

5. When they are done, take them out of the oven and transfer onto the cooling rack. While they cool slightly, heat up the orange juice and sugar in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves and the syrup thickens. With a pastry brush, brush the warm glaze over the warm hot cross buns and enjoy!

Cheat's Fudge - Cookies & Cream

I found some instructions online on how to make cheats fudge, and I knew that I had to try it! The recipe I found was for just a basic dark chocolate fudge, but I wanted to switch things up.

Cookies and Cream has been one of my favourite flavourings for a long time. I have an extremely sweet tooth, and I'm not ashamed of that! So it only seemed logical to me to try out a cookies and cream fudge, because, well, Oreo's are the best thing ever.

All you will need is:
350g of White Chocolate
1 397g tin of condensed milk
1 pack of Oreos.

That's it... Madness I know! Watch my video to see how it's made :)

Crochet Button Stars

So I had a photo of crochet button flowers shared on my Facebook page by my godmother, who knows that I do love to crochet! After seeing that picture, I knew that I needed to work out the pattern. In the process, I managed to work out a pattern for these crochet button stars! After posting the video of the flowers on my YouTube account, I received requests to share how I made the stars, and I couldn't resist. I cleverly lost the original star so this pattern may not match the original, but it sure does the job! Below I have written out the pattern for both the US pattern and the UK pattern to save confusion :) Please let me know if it doesn't make sense or if I need to make amendments.

You will need:
4 hole button
Crochet cotton
A crochet hook that is small enough to fit though the button holes
Scissors
Needle

UK pattern:
Row 1: SS into first button hole, ch 4, dc into 2nd button hole, ch 4, dc into 3rd button hole, ch 4, dc into 4th button hole, ch 4, dc into 1st button hole, ch4 and ss to first chain.

Row 2: *dc, htr, tr, dtr, tr, htr, dc* into each ch 4 gap around. Finish off and sew in ends.

US pattern:

Row 1: SS into first button hole, ch 4, sc into 2nd button hole, ch 4, sc into 3rd button hole, ch 4, sc into 4th button hole, ch 4, sc into 1st button hole, ch4 and ss to first chain.

Row 2: *sc, hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc, sc* into each ch 4 gap around. Finish off and sew in ends.

Why Should You Support Small Businesses?

It is all too easy to go to a large business when you're out and about, or even shopping online. You trust it, people have said how good it is and it's everywhere! This is very useful if you find yourself in an unfamiliar town or city because you know you can rely on it. But are large businesses really the best option?

Surprisingly, of the 5.2m businesses in the UK, 99% of them are small businesses, and yet people still continually support the larger businesses that seem to be taking over the high street. The thing is, small businesses provide a number of benefits, to both individuals and to the local economy. Small businesses are able to provide jobs to millions of people across the UK and they are also really helping Britain out of the recession. Many people believe that, because the larger companies are stealing the limelight, local businesses are not receiving the recognition that they really deserve.

Small Business Saturday, which has been in December for the past two years, has been implemented in the UK to bring the smaller businesses to light and to encourage people to support them. Rachel Parkin, who is the owner of several small businesses, states that she feels that "the very first step in supporting small businesses has to be creating awareness" and I couldn't agree more. Promotion and advertising are extremely expensive, but something that larger businesses can easily afford. There are those who will go out of their way to shop at/eat at/support local businesses on Small Business Saturday, and while that is wonderful, it is important to support them all year-round and not to forget about them!

One of the most important things to note is that small businesses really do help out with the local economy. It is obvious that larger companies generate more money than the smaller ones, but it's the smaller businesses (which is defined as having 250 employees or fewer, with micro-businesses having 0-9 employees) that really help out in the long run! The Guardian reported in 2013, that for every £1 spent with a small business, 63p stayed in the local economy, as opposed to larger businesses, where only 40p stayed locally. This is great news for the UK's economy as a whole and if more people were to support local businesses,  the economy would stabalise and improve a lot quicker.

Something that sets a smaller enterprise apart from a larger corporation is the level of customer service that you receive. I personally work in a craft shop, which is a micro-business. The level of customer service that we offer is vastly different from a larger craft shop that I have been in. Service is a lot more personal and I find that smaller businesses do have a lot more time for their customers. They will go out of their way to find something out if they don't know the answer and will often bend over backwards to help out the customer. Much better than shop assistants who insist on discussing their plans for the weekend while they halfheartedly fold your clothes and shove them into a bag... People who work at small businesses are often very knowledgeable about the product they are selling, whether it's the coffee they use or the source of their food, what the best tool is for the job or the best pickle to go with your cheese.

Earrings by EmmaRuthJones on Etsy
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/121400630/silver-heart-drop-earrings-handmade?

Many people will go into a small business and state that they are so glad that they're there, buy their one tiny item, and be on their way again. Unfortunately a business can't survive on that. I'm not saying that you have to spend a lot of money in every small business you go in, but be sure to tell your friends/family about that lovely little tea room that you visited, or the quirky gift shop that you found that perfect, unique gift. Encourage others to buy food from local market stalls (and it often works out a lot cheaper than buying from the supermarket!) and if you find craft supplies on Amazon, or Etsy, click through to the seller page, or Google the seller's name, to go to their independent website. Amazon and Etsy take a transaction fee for each transaction and the independent business will get more money if you buy directly through them! It won't cost you any more, but it'll make all the difference to the business! (I have also discovered that you may actually make a saving by directly going to their website, as they may have different promotions or offers on than on Etsy/Amazon!)

So yes, 2015 is the year I intend to shop small whenever I can. I doubt I'll be able to do it all the time, but I'm going to try my best! After deleting my Amazon account just before Christmas, I have found it so much easier to shop small! I hope that you join in my quest too. :)

Sources:
Lancaster, P. (2014) The UK Grabs A Megaphone and Shouts About Small Business Saturday [Online] Available from: http://uk.sageone.com/2014/12/18/small-business-saturday-uk/ [Accessed 13/02/15]
Longworth, J. (2014) Small businesses are the backbone of our communities [Online] Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2014/dec/06/small-businesses-backbone-communities-john-longworth [Accessed: 13/02/15]
O'Connell, J (2013) Seven Reasons to Shop Locally [Online] Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/dec/06/shop-locally-small-business-saturday-seven-reasons [Accessed: 13/02/15]
Williams, M. (2013) 5 Reasons Why Small Businesses are Important [Online] Available from: http://labourlist.org/2013/12/5-reasons-why-small-businesses-are-important/ [Accessed 13/02/15]