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?