KMC designs

How to remove a wart, verruca or corn with duct tape

2011-11-27T22:59:00.004Z

I know this is probably my most disturbing and disgusting blog post to date (and probably ever) but I wanted to give my views on an old wives tale I had heard.

It's probably best if you aren't eating whilst reading this. For your viewing pleasure I have NOT included any photos though!

This is by no means a scientific study, and I am not a doctor, and please, if you do try this and have an adverse reaction, stop immediately and if irritation continues, go see a doctor. If you have an allergy to latex or band-aids/elastoplasts, then this method might not be for you as it often contains the same stuff!

So, if you have a wart verruca or a corn you may want to give this a go! I had a corn between two of my toes and although it was relatively tiny, it was causing me a LOT of pain! I went to see a chiropodist and she gave me some cushioned things that slip over the toe to protect it, which doesn't really solve the problem, but it did mean I could wear my climbing shoes. I went to see my doctor and he gave me some verruca treatment which involved filing down my corn with a pumice stone, which sounded WAY too painful! He said to try this for FOUR MONTHS and if it was still there, he'd consider freezing it off. FOUR months of pumice stone sanding? No thanks!

On my way home from the docs, I remembered something I'd heard about duct tape and warts and verrucas. The doctor had told me that the treatment for all three was the same, which is why he gave me a verruca treatment for mine. I decided that before trying the pumice stone and PAIN method, I'd try the duct tape.

How to:

● Cut a length of duct tape, enough to cover your wart/verruca/corn and maybe long enough to wrap round your toe or whatever, to help hold it on

● Stick duct tape on, covering your wart/verruca/corn and press lightly round it to try and seal it so it becomes air and water tight. Don't wrap your toes up too tight though, don't want to stop the blood flow

● Change your duct tape for a new bit every few days. Your toe or foot might look a bit like a prune, but bear with it for a while

● I didn't take mine off in the shower or for bed, I left it on 24/7 until half way through the second week when I took it off to replace it with a new bit.

(Sick buckets at the ready)
I pealed it off and the corn came off with it! As disgusting as it is, this method was much faster and completely pain free compared to the method my doctor told me.

Feel free to give this a try, let me know if it works for you! You may need to keep at it for a couple of weeks but that is not as long as most over the counter treatments

Black Friday to Cyber Monday sale

2011-11-25T18:35:00.003Z

Yes that's right, it's black Friday in the US which means etsy has gone mad with sales. I have also jumped on this bandwagon and I am offering 15% off the goodies in my shop. I have a sale section where stuff is already reduced by 50% (coupon code not applicable there) so please do have a look!

I, along with many other sellers are offering this discount through to Monday 28th November, so don't miss out! My coupon code is BFCMSALE15

I have also recently re-listed the faymoose union jack wallet get yours while they're hot! (And before I run out of blue, red and white duct tape!)

That's all for not folks :D

Feel free to comment with your fave sale items or coupon codes for your store!

I'm back

2011-11-05T19:01:00.002Z

Well after a fairly long break from etsy, I am now back. My shop is open and stocked and I have been updating my facebook page as well :) Become a fan of my facebook page to receive updates and there is also a coupon code for free shipping on there!

I feel there is a need to add an awesome photo of a new wallet here, however I do not have a camera at the moment, so I will upload a funny picture of myself for the time being. Enjoy :)

Back at uni

2011-03-04T23:23:00.005Z

Well I am back at uni once again. Now I live in a cute little bungalow near Penrith. I have two awesome housemates and a new hobby!! Of course my new hobby is as death defying as all of my other hobbies, it is of course, downhill mountain biking. SO much fun!!

Me (left) and my housemate on Sharp Edge on Blencathera

Me riding my bike through the snow on my first C2C attempt!
Summer was LONG and I did not like working at camp very much, so I won't be going back there this year, although they did invite me back, which was nice :) This year I hope to work closer to home!
My second year at uni is going well, I don't seem to have failed anything and I am having lots of fun. There was a 4 month delay in getting the internet, but I got there in the end!!

I will try to update my blog again soon :) Oh but I am back on twitter!! You'll find me as KMCdesigns surprisingly!

The dream....gets better!

2010-06-01T01:28:00.002+01:00

Well after attending uni most days for the last 9 months, it is now time for summer! No more lectures, no more work...so what did I do? I went and got myself a job at a summer camp in America!! I fly out in about 10 days and I have basically no idea what I've let myself in for! I've spoken to some people who went to the camp last year and they all loved it so much that they are going back again this year, so it can't be too bad, right?
This does mean that I will be closing my shop over on etsy over the summer, so if you'd like to buy the one remaining item, then please feel free! It does look rather lonely!

I will no doubt post you all an update about how awesome/rubbish/mediocre camp was :D
Have a great summer everyone!!

Living the dream

2009-11-26T19:00:00.004Z

I am now at university and I thought it was about time I updated my blog! So, not that I have remembered my login details, I thought I'd fill you all in on what I've been up to! I'm doing a degree in Outdoor Leadership, which basically involves sitting in lectures 90% of the time and making notes and then wring essays or doing an exam. The lectures are fairly fun most of the time! The other 10% of the time we spend outside, kayaking, canoeing, climbing, navigating, walking, gorge walking or mountain biking! It's so much fun and I've made some awesome new friends! This does mean however, that I am really busy and so probably won't be making many new wallets or clothes for my shop :( But fear not, I still have some for sale :D
So, what follows is some random photos from the last few weeks of my life!

Walking up a mountain as the weather was turning, and it was getting dark!

Uni work drives me up the walls!

Being in the library is always productive!

Night hike

(Yes I am climbing at night in my PJ's!)

Extreme twister on a bridge! (for a uni presentation!)

Wake boarding

Some of my friends that I met in the first week :)

Well that is enough photos for now! Sorry it's been so long, and it will probably be a while before I post again! Have fun peeps xx

Sneaky Peek...

2009-08-16T02:13:00.004+01:00

I have teamed up with RobotMunkey and we have been making some awesome t-shirts! We have been busy little bees and have been designing, screen printing, mixing, cutting, embroidering, and sewing to create some fabaroo stuff. It will all be going in my shop over the next few days, and we still have loads of ideas left to make! Here are a few sneaky peeks at one of the designs...

I hope you like them!

University!

2009-07-14T22:37:00.002+01:00

On June 13th 2009, I decided to attend an open day at the University of Cumbria. I was really impressed, and found out about a course which sounds ideal for me, Outdoor Leadership. Problem is, I already have a degree, so finding funding would be tough, and the closing date for applications (the dreaded UCAS form) was June 30th! I had a good think about it, and decided to apply anyway. I finally managed to get my UCAS form in on the deadline. That was stressful!

On Thursday 9th July I got a phone call....I got in!! I start in September!!

At the moment, I am not sure if I will be taking my duct tape with me so I am currently offering free shipping on EVERYTHING in my etsy shop, so please go and check it out!

Slash/Slash Nottingham

2009-04-28T01:44:00.004+01:00

What are you doing Saturday 2nd May? I'm going to be having a stall at the Slash/Slash event in Nottingham!

The event is on from 12 noon until 6pm, at the Rescue rooms, Masonic Place, Goldsmith Street in Nottingham. Entry is FREE! I will be there, with my duct tape wallets and bags, and even little Wally will be there to give me a hand!! I will also (hopefully!) have my new hula hoops making their debut appearance!! Get yourself there :)

Check out the Slash/Slash event on their facebook page

How To Clean and Re-Proof Your Tent

2009-03-12T23:53:00.014Z

After cleaning and re-proofing too many tents, I realised that there aren't many good, up to date guides on what you're meant to do, so I figured I'd write my own simple and easy to understand guide on How To Clean and Re-Proof Your Tent. If you've just been camping and your tent is wet and muddy, dry it out as soon as possible.

You will need;

A bucket of water
A sponge
A soft brush
Tent wash or pure non-detergent soap
Rubber gloves
Clean but old tea-towels
Waterproofing products
Hosepipe
Good weather
Washing line

1) Wait until summer.
Now, I know summer might be a long way off, and there are only 2 weeks of good weather anyway, but waiting until summer is usually the best option. Your tent will need to completely dry out, and this could take up to 3 days. Depending on which proofer you use, you may need to let your tent dry twice (taking up almost half of those 2 weeks of summer). Of course, if you really can't wait, you can always check the weather, and hope it's actually right.

2) Pitch your tent, slowly.
If your tent has an outer which you can pitch on it's own, do that. Pitch it slowly so you can check all the seams, joins, stitching, zips, elastic, Velcro, eyelets, poles, guy lines etc. Make any necessary repairs. Remove the guy lines to be washed separately.

3) Wash your tent.
If there are any big clumps of mud, get rid of them using a soft dry brush. Get the hosepipe out and wet the tent. Using a soft sponge, go over the tent, section by section to remove any dirt. If you don't have a hosepipe, a bucket of warm water and a sponge will do. If your tent is being particularly naughty, and insisting on keeping it's muddy stains, you're going to have to tackle it a bit harder. Don't use bleach or any strong detergents, the clever people at Nikwax and Fabsil have developed a tech wash and a Universal Cleaner for cleaning things just like tents. Handy! Follow the instructions on the bottle; dilute in a bucket and apply with a sponge. If you don't have this, or can't be bothered to go and buy it because you are already soaking wet from washing your tent with water, you can also use a non-detergent soap, or 'pure soap' if you happen to have any! Don't forget to wash the inside of the tent too!

4) Rinse.
Get the hose back out, and give the tent a really good rinse. It might take a few gos to get all the soap out, but make sure it's all gone! Leave to dry, preferably in the shade.

It's time for Questions and Answers!

Q. Why can't I just put my tent in the washing machine?
A. Firstly, would your tent actually fit in the washing machine? Secondly, you shouldn't put your tent in the washing machine because it is waterproof. The fabric would get full of water and when it spins, it would put far too much tension on the seams, and you wouldn't want busted seems! Thirdly, unless your washing machine is brand spanking new, it will have bits of detergent and fabric softener left in it. These will all break away the protective coating already on your tent, and we don't want to do that! Although we will be re-proofing the tent, it is best to just 'top up' the original proofing, rather than start from scratch.
However, if you really must fulfill your urge to put your tent in the washing machine, please don't let it spin, clean the drawer out fully before hand, only use a cool wash cycle, and stick some Tech Wash in there too. Happy now? Is your tent OK? Is it?? IS IT??? Mine was :D

Q. My tent is moldy!! Will that wash off?!
A. Eewww! That's what happens when you pack your tent away when it's wet and then leave it, packed away, all wet, I bet you put it next to a radiator too, hoping it would dry out, when really you've just created the perfect breeding ground for mold. Lovely.
Mold and mildew are alive! No matter how much you 'wash' it, it won't be gone unless you actually kill it off (sorry mold & mildew).
This is the ONE and ONLY time you can use BLEACH. Don't go overboard, just dilute a little bleach with some water, and get scrubbing that mold. The bleach will kill the mold & mildew and it should also remove that lovely stain. Wash the area as soon as you're done, don't let the bleach sit there for any longer than it has to. Warning: Bleach might damage the colour of the fabric and it will strip off a lot of it's original protective coating. Prevention is better than treatment. There are also some more natural methods, but bleach kinda works best :)

Back to the tent!!

5) Inspection!
Is your tent all nice and dry? Is it all clean? Inside and out? Is the mold/mildew gone? Yes? Sure? OK.

6) Re-Proofing!
There are many different products on the market for re-proofing your tent. What you are wanting to do, is to waterproof and protect your tent so it is back to being as good as new. Please be aware that not all tents are actually meant to be 100% waterproof, and if your tent has an inner and an outer, you really don't want to be proofing the inner. If your tent has a single skin (i.e. no inner), when you re-proof it, you need to make sure the fabric maintains it's breathability or else you'll end up with a very sweaty tent.
I recommend Fabsil Aerosol, Fabsil Liquid, Fabsil Gold (applied to dry tents) and Nikwax Tent & Gear SolarProof (For double wall tents i.e. tents with inner & outer) or Nikwax TX. Direct (for single walled 'breathable' tents i.e. no separate inner). Both Nikwax products are applied to wet tents. Always check the bottle before you buy.
Tips!

UV damage is the biggest tent killer (after drunk people and really bad weather I'm guessing) so make sure your proofer has UV protection too.
Wear either old clothes, or waterproof clothes when re-proofing your tent.
Wear rubber gloves (waterproofing your hands is just too weird)
Have at least 2 old yet clean tea-towels to hand (these will end up waterproof too and of little use!)
Check the weather before you do it, your tent will need to dry for at least 3 hours.
Oh and you only need to re-proof the outside of the fabric!
Re-proof one section at a time
Use the old tea-towels to remove any droplets and also to give each section a wipe over after spraying, but check specific instructions first.

7) Let it dry and clean the other bits which you removed in step 2.
I washed all of my guy lines and tent pegs in a bucket of hot soapy water. Make sure you wash all of the soap off as you don't want it leaving a residue on your tent next time it rains when camping. Sort our your tent pegs, are any of them too bent and rusty to be used again? Now might be a good time to chuck them out and get some new ones. I also washed the bags from the tent poles and pegs, and also the bag my tent lives in. It is a good idea to pad-out your tents bag with plastic bags, and re-proof that as well. Once your tent outer is completely dry, you can pack it away.

8) Cleaning the inner and groundsheet.
If your inner and ground sheet are separate, great! It is fine to wash the inner in the bath, with some warm water and your feet. If there is any mold/mildew, follow the Q&A bit to remove it. If you can pitch the inner to let it dry, do so. If not, hang it on the washing line. The groundsheet can be hosed down quite easily (do this outside, don't try to hose it in the bath!). Hang the ground sheet on the washing line to dry it off, remember to turn it over to dry the other side too! If they aren't separate, clean as much mud off the ground sheet as possible, before getting the inner wet. Once the groundsheet is clean, you can clean the inner fabric with some universal cleaner or tech wash, or even just some mild soap. Make sure you clean the inside too. Don't waterproof the inner!

9) Check your groundsheet.
You can often spot any holes in your groundsheet just by having a quick look. If there are any obvious ones, you'll see them. If not, it's a good idea to have some friends hold up the groundsheet while you tip some water over it. Check for leaks. If you find any leaks, you can patch them up with your tent repair kit.

Your tent doesn't have a repair kit?! You can often buy or 'obtain' small samples of groundsheet fabric from outdoor shops or army shops or by contacting your tent manufacturer. Alternatively, you can patch it up with duct tape! Put duct tape on both sides of the area in need of repair so you aren't left with any sticky bits. You can re-proof your groundsheet (I'd recommend re-proofing the side that goes on the ground) but this isn't always necessary.

10) Check your tent poles
Clean all the tent poles and pegs as you are putting them back in their bags, look out for broken poles. If you have any broken poles, they might be covered under your tents guarantee, so check with the manufacture before you go buying new ones. Split poles can be repaired with good duct tape, but are best replaced with new ones. Just make sure you get the right thickness, the length can be cut down with a junior hack-saw. I have found some in Millets and also all over the internet. Reattach your guy lines.

11) Pack tent away and....
go camping! Don't let that tent get too muddy this time! The new waterproofing awesomeness of your tent should help keep the mud off, so it shouldn't get as dirty for at least a year. Happy camping!

Borsch & camping

2009-03-06T01:13:00.006Z

As some of you may have heard, I went camping two weeks ago, and since then, I've been going on about Borsch. So what is 'Borsch'? Why have I become obsessed with it?! Well, best friend Kurt and I go on adventures, and this time, we decided to take someone with us, his name is Chris. I'd never met Chris before, and he turned up in Kendal with a load of Polish food, some of which, was Borsch! He introduced Kurt and I to this weird Polish soup, we didn't like it much, so we added things until it tasted better! In the end we had borsch with pasta, bread and noodles too!We had such an awesome time camping that we decided to go again, really soon, today in fact!! But this time, we were going to hold a Borsch competition! We all have to make our own borsch and take it camping for the others to try!
Problem is, I had no idea what borsch was, how to make it, what made it good or bad?! So, I went on twitter, and found someone awesome :) (Well, I think she found me actually!) She has a shop on etsy, called daisyspetals. Daisyspetals gave me her Mother in Laws Borsch recipe for me to use in the competition! I've been making borsch today, I made the recipe she gave me first, kept half of it, and then I wanted to see if I could add my own twist to it, so I have been playing with the other half, adding leeks, potatoes and parsnips. I think it's tasting great now, and I can't wait for the boys to try it when we are camping!
I think I might have made a tiny bit too much though!!

Left to right; Strained borsch, Daisyspetals recipe, my added stuff boiling away before being added.

So, have a go at making your own borsch, it's fun and if you get it right, it tastes great and it's really good for you too! Maybe eat it in your own home though, instead of in a field in a tent when it's -1°C! I must be mad!

Wait, weight?

2009-03-04T12:43:00.002Z

I went to see the dietitian today after waiting for what seems like forever! Anyway, she told me that I need to eat more in order to gain weight, a mix of protein and calories, which I can get from the 5 food groups, by eating 6 meals a day. Yes, 6. She said I need to aim for 3000 calories per day. That is the equivalent of eating 6 McDonald's Crispy Chicken Deluxe sandwiches or 28 kit kats a day!
There was also some good yet bad news. I have grown an extra inch and a half, so now my 'ideal' weight is half a stone more than what I was aiming for! *headdesk*

I am so sorry

2009-03-02T16:48:00.003Z

I have totally neglected my blog! Thing is, I have sooooo much I want to blog about, I just haven't had time! So, here is a quick list of things to come!
How awesome twinklyspangle is
How awesome camping was
How awesome daisyspetals is
How I am going to rock at climbing.

But right now, my food is ready, so I have to go :)

Copyright images

2009-01-05T02:27:00.004Z

When people use other people's images without permission, it is likely that they are infringing copyright and committing an offence.
If an image doesn't have a copyright symbol on it ©, or a watermark, it doesn't mean that you are free to use it as you like. Do some research, check out the website's copyright policy, find out who the owner of the image is, and ask them for permission to use their image.

So, who owns the copyright? If you took the photo, chances are, you own the copyright to that image. There are of course, a few exceptions to this rule.

You can buy the rights to an image or indeed, if you ask nicely enough be granted permission to use an image. The likelihood of being given permission will also be affected depending on what you want to use the image for.
Example 1;
Using someone's image on your blog to promote their item/shop/website. You are very likely to be given permission to do this as it will benefit the owner.
Example 2;
Asking if you can make copies of someone's image for commercial use. You are less likely to be given permission, but the owner may offer to sell you the rights to the image.

What should you do if someone has used your images, without permission?
Contact them. Send them an email or leave them a comment. Depending on the severity of it, you may also want to contact a lawyer.

Is there anyway I can protect my images?
Have a copyright policy in place. This can be in your shop or website, on your Flickr account, wherever your images are. You can also register for a copyright. Holding a registered copyright will help you if you ever need to take anyone to court over an infringement.
Adding watermarks to your image can also deter people, but these can easily be taken out by anyone who is good with photoshop. They can also look pretty terrible.

Yin Yang wallet, KMCdesigns

Should I really be taking legal advice from a blog on the internet? Are you a lawyer?
No and no. I am merely providing some information which I have found helpful when dealing with people using my images. I suggest you do your own research and seek legal advice if you need to.

Wiki
UK
USA

And so that was Christmas....

2008-12-28T03:59:00.004Z

I hope you had fun! I went up to see my family. I set off on Saturday, and it took me four days to make the 3 hour trip! I ended up staying with some friends in Middlesbrough for 4 whole nights! (Thanks guys!)
I had a brilliant time :) I even ended up at the top of a hill at midnight with my friend Kurt!
When I FINALLY made it to my parents, we went over to see my cousins.....can you spot me? I don't think we look that alike, but some people (my boyfriend) can't tell us apart :P
Well, so that was a snippet of my Christmas, I hope you had a good one too! Now that I am back, my shop on etsy KMCdesigns is open again for your buying pleasure :)

Eye training

2008-12-13T17:11:00.003Z

I decided that I wanted some new glasses, and my friend TheCyclingArtist showed me a website where you can upload your prescription, pick some glasses and they send them out to you! So I found the perfect pair, and made an appointment to get my eyes tested!
Well, at my eye sight test, I was told that my prescription has changed, and one of my eyes has got weaker! Instead of me getting new glasses, I have to go to the hospital to see a specialist! At the hospital, one of 4 things will be decided;

Do nothing, but get new glasses
Have eye physiotherapy
Get new glasses with prisms in them
Have my right eye taken out and operated on. (They would put it back in again!)

I have decided to do my own 'eye training' to prevent me having to have it taken out!So here I am, reading my favourite book from my bestest friend! Do you think it will work?!

Breakout duct tape wallet

2008-12-13T03:08:00.004Z

Well folks, it's almost Christmas! Who would have thunk it! I have been busy busy busy making wallets to get them shipped out in super fast time, and I also had a revelation.
I had a dream, I was playing a game, I couldn't remember the name of it at all! When I woke up, I scoured the interweb until I found it! Breakout! Of course :)
So, in full technicolour, here is my newest wallet, please meet, the Breakout duct tape wallet;

Of course I have made more than one, and it will be re listed as soon as it has sold, but for now, here it is in my shop :) Breakout duct tape wallet Of course, if breakout isn't your game, I do have some others you might like!

If you can think of any old games you'd like to see turned into a duct tape wallet, please leave me a comment and I'll see what I can do!

size.....2?

2008-11-18T22:17:00.002Z

Well, not quite. BUT good news is, I have gained some weight. I have been eating, counting, and when the numbers don't add up, I've been drinking milkshakes. Not the nice milkshakes, the horrible 'sports' milkshakes. Yuk!
Blood tests came back fine, written 'tests' that I had to do were not so good. Conclusion, something is wrong, but we aren't 100% sure what it is yet! Next step; gain weight (you don't say?!). Also; counselling.
We'll see what happens!

size 0

2008-11-15T02:06:00.004Z

It's true, I've lost weight. A lot of weight. I was never trying to loose weight, I was trying to gain it! I used to be a size 10, now, I'm a size 4, which is the infamous 'size 0'. I want to be a size 10 again!!

The last few days, I have been researching weight gain, weight loss, reasons for it, measurements, BMI, RMR, BMR, calorie intake, food types, food groups,- the list goes on. I have also had some blood tests done, and I get the results next week.

Anyway, from what I have discovered, I am basically not getting the amount of calories I need. So, I have put myself on a diet. Now, I'm already on a diet, and have been for over half my life, some would say I'm a bit of a fussy eater :) I don't eat meat, fish or eggs (unless you can't taste the eggs e.g Quarn). I also can't have most food additives and colourings, anything orange, including carrots & too many oranges!

My new diet should help me gain weight, and get me back up to a size 10!

First on the agenda is a trip to the shops :)
Shopping list; Muesli with lots of fruit, nuts & seeds (yuk!), complete nutrition milkshakes, fruit & full fat blue milk :D
I also bought all the ingredients for this fantastic cake recipe I found on the interweb. I can't cook, and I don't 'do' cakes due to their egg content, but this one is 'eggless' and it looked nice & easy, so I made it!
Here is a quick pic of mine before I eated it :D (it does look nicer than it does in the pic, I *needed* to eat it so I couldn't spend too long a photo could I?)Here is the recipe, in case you want to try :)
Oh and a 'cup' is apx. equal too erm...a small mug

4 cups apples; peeled and grated (that's about 5 apples, I used Granny Smith)

1/2 cup oil (seemed like a lot to me)

2 cups sugar (I only used 1 1/2)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups unsifted flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (I used baking powder, I don't know if it makes any difference!)

2 teaspoons cinnamon (or half a jar if the lid falls off...)

1 cup walnuts; chopped (don't even like nuts, but these were uber tasty)

Right, now that you've got all of those, here is what you do;

Mix together apples, oil, sugar and vanilla.

Sift dry ingredients together and add to apples.

Fold in nuts.

Stick it all in a greased tin or pan thingy (I used my pasta bake dish, like I said, I don't cook!) and stick it in the oven on 160C for about 50 minutes

Remove from oven, allow to cool, then serve with ice cream (or any cream!) or custard!

I did not come up with this recipe on my own (I don't cook remember?) I got it from here;
http://www.grouprecipes.com/

If anyone has or knows of any healthy recipes, please leave me a comment and I'll take a look :)

A lot has happened!

2008-10-28T19:04:00.013Z

Well, I have been gone a while, but now I am back :D Where have I been? First, I quit my job...then I left the smelly boys....then I moved to Nottingham! (Don't worry, I have brought the duct tape with me!) I also cut my hair and got a new job! Busy little me!I have been making a few new wallets, which you can see in my etsy shop and also my folksy shop. Keep checking back though, as I will be adding more for christmas!

I was tagged recently, by ChloesDesigns. She makes some really bright and awesome stuffs! Take a look at her etsy shop!

Thats all for now folks!

Find me on folksy

2008-07-18T22:34:00.005+01:00

So, Folksy is new. It's cool, and all the cool kids are on it!!

I made some buttons for you to add to your blog or wherever. Here they are and the code you need to use them :)

and then there is this one;

Please feel free to copy the code into your own blog to spread the word about folksy! Just remember to change the /shops/KMCdesigns to your shop!

Have fun!

Duct tape wallet with an American Trilogy

2008-07-13T17:20:00.004+01:00

My newest wallet, what do you think?
I hope you like it!
It is a combination of many things, here is what happened;
1) I was ill for over a week with nothing to do
2) I installed the StumbleUpon toolbar and began to stumble the internet
3) I found tutorials and played
4) I found Wordle and played
5) I heard the song 'An American Trilogy' almost every night of my life, despite not being American.
6) I added all of these things together and made a wallet.

I can make this wallet with anything in it, not just words, not just black & white, but anything!! I will make a custom order listing soon :D

This wordle wallet is available now, and so is the custom wallet :D

How to create knockout photos for etsy using photoshop

2008-07-02T00:29:00.018+01:00

I am going to show you how to create knockout photos for your etsy shop, using photoshop. Click on any image to view it FULL SIZE.
What is a 'knockout'?

Knockouts are photographs that feature the item and follow all of the following rules:
* absolute pure white background (#FFFFFF)
* no cropping of the item or item's shadow
* no graphic design

Basically, these little guys at the top of etsys front page;
So, how do you create a 'knockout'? Firstly, follow my blog on how to take great photos and then follow the instructions here :)

Don't have Photoshop? Try this website

Step one,
Open your photo in photoshop. Then go to Image > Adjustments > Auto Levels/Auto Contrast/Auto Color.
Each of these will alter your image slightly. Sometimes it makes it look worse, and sometimes it looks a whole lot better. If it looks better, leave it, if not undo!

Step two,
Go to Image > Adjustments > Curves. A little box pops up. Click on the one that says 'Set white point' and then click on a white part of your image. I have marked where I clicked with a red circle. When you are happy with the result, click 'OK'.
Now select the 'Magic wand' and select all of the white bits.

Step three,
Now, all of your white bits should be selected. In the layers menu, click and drag your layer to the 'Create a new layer' box (number 1) and this will duplicate your current layer. Now, making sure your top layer is selected, click 'Add layer mask' (number 2). You should now have a black and white version of your image (layer mask). Click on the black and white image.

Step four,
Click the 'Channels' tab and then select the bottom option. Your image should now appear black and white. Select the 'Eraser tool' from the left menu and erase any black bits that shouldn't be there. For example, if you look closely, you will see a fly on my first picture, so I have erased him in step 4. Also make sure that all of the corners are white. When you are done, click on the 'Layers' tab again, and then on the top colored image.

Step five,
Select the 'color picker' on the left menu, and select white. RGB should be at 255. This is pure white, or '#FFFFFF'. Once you have set this, click on the brush tool, make the brush big and make sure it is 100% flow and 100% opacity. Brush all over your image. Make sure you don't miss any bits.

Step six,
Select the black and white image again (the layer mask)
Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and a little box will pop up. Set the radius to a number between 1 and 10. This will blend your shadows into the white. Don't make it too high or your image will go cloudy.

Step seven,
Canvass size. Your image needs to be square. Go to Image > Canvas size... adjust the smaller number to match the bigger. For example, if your image is 60 x 40, change it to 60 x 60. Make sure 'Relative' is NOT checked.
Now your image is HUGE but square

Step eight,
Image size. Go to Image > Image size... Make sure 'Constrain Proportions' IS checked. Change the top number to 1000 or less pixels. The other numbers should all change too.

Step nine,
List it!

Companion wallet

2008-06-26T04:38:00.003+01:00

I had a great idea for a wallet. Did a few searches and it's not been done before. So I got making, and came up with this;
It is so cool! It's for sale in my etsy shop I am not sure how many of these I will be making, as it was very faffy! So, we'll see how it goes!

There are some other great Portal items on etsy, such as;
These great Aperture Science Portal Buttons by Slevin11 (they do magnets too!) I bought some for my boyfriend, they are so awesome :D

So, go check out the awesomeness on etsy!
p.s, the cake is a lie!

How to take great photos

2008-06-16T18:06:00.015+01:00

Something that makes a great etsy shop is great item photos. So many people struggle with taking photos (I was one of them!) but now I have gotten pretty good, so I figured I would write a 'how-to' on taking photos. I have used a necklace which was made for me by my lovely friend little Vicky.
What you will need;
Some items!
At least 2 sheets of white card (or 1 really big sheet)
Daylight
A camera.

My camera is digital, and has a Macro setting (it looks like a little flower). For this tutorial, I am not using any photo-editing software, no photoshop, no gimp, just a camera and some card. Please click on any image to view it full size

So, Step 1, Camera and scene set up
Go outside, make sure you are not facing the sun (it should be to the side or behind you), lay 1 piece of card on the ground, and stand the other piece behind it. Get your camera, and point it toward the card, so the card fills the screen. Select your menu option, find the 'EV compensation' or 'white balance' and adjust it until the white card looks white on your camera. Don't over do it :) Then select the 'Macro' option, this will usually display a blue flower on your screen.
Make sure you have selected the macro option. Now place your item on the card, and line it up so it's in the middle of your screen. Press your shutter half way down so your camera can focus, then all the way down to take the picture. How does it look? If it is coming out blurry, you might be too close or too far away.

Step 2
Now you have your scene and camera set up, you can start taking close ups and quirky angle shots. There are a few things to think about when doing this;
Try not to get huge shadows in your photos.
As you can see, shadows can totally spoil your photos! It takes the eye away from your item, which is not what you want. To avoid it, move to the side of your item, or take your photos when the weather is slightly over-cast.

Here are some of the photos I took today;

And this close up, with and without macro setting;If you can take photos like this, it is sure to help you with your etsy shop.

If you have any photography tips, please feel free to share them by leaving a comment!

Now you can photoshop your photos to get them looking even better!

Hazard warning duct tape wallet!

2008-06-04T22:02:00.004+01:00

So, I made a new wallet. It is not made from hazard warning tape, it is made from duct tape, overlaid to create the same kind of effect. I love it, I might make another one for me! I have some awesome ideas in the pipeline, wait and see :)

FREE SHIPPING!

2008-05-11T17:39:00.004+01:00

Oh yes! As some of you may have realised, I'm currently offering free shipping in my shop. Free shipping worldwide that is. Why? I don't know! I guess I'm just feeling generous!

Etsy
Buy Handmade
KMCdesigns

Free shipping was really easy to do, much easier than creating a 20% off sale, as I didn't have to adjust any prices.
Here is how to do it;
Make a new shipping profile, call it free shipping. To do that, go to;
Your etsy> Batch shipping> Add or edit shipping profiles> create new profile.
Select 'EVERYWHERE ELSE' and make the price $0!
Batch apply this new profile to everything by going into 'Batch shipping' and select 'free shipping' on the drop down menu for everything!

Easy peasy!

Zinetastic

2008-04-27T01:03:00.003+01:00

Over the last week or so I have been writing a zine. Or should I say, I have been helping someone to write a zine. So far, only 1 person has read it. There are changes to be made before it will be for sale. I was a bit stuck on well, all things zine related really! Then, Jahnut announced that she ran a zine distro for 3 years! People would send her their zines and she would distribute them. Jahnut told me that she had millions of zines and was more than happy to give me a few to look at for ideas.
A whole box full!
Ain't she great? :D

In other news, I was featured in a blog today. Katelynjanes blog to be precise. She has a great shop on etsy, I suggest you check it out :)

It's almost 2am

2008-04-18T01:43:00.005+01:00

It has been a good day today (apart from the rain!). First, I found out that I was featured in a storque article which was great, and then I found out I was in the etsy finds email, super great!! I sold 2 items and got a custom order for a union jack duct tape wallet. So, I got making :) I also went back to the haberdashery, and despite the fact that they are closing down, they have got new stock. So I bought some cover buttons. As you do. I had no idea what to do with them, so covered one in duct tape (as you do). It looked good, and I had a fabaroo idea about how to use them. Go team KMC :D When I finished making the union jack wallet, I had some bits of red white and blue left over, and decided to see just how small I could make a union jack. I am so happy with the result!!
How cute is this?!?

Why do they make beads so small and duct tape so sticky?

2008-04-09T22:54:00.004+01:00

Did they not think that someone would want to put the two together?

Apparently not :( Well, after struggling with some beads, duct tape and tweezers, I finally came up with this;
I love these beads, in fact, I love all the beads I bought :D I have so many, perhaps a few too many!
I also got some lovely sequin, and have been busy making a purse with those too;Because the sequins are flat, I was able to use them all over this little purse, front, back and even the inside! I like it lots :)

Haberdashery!

2008-04-07T19:57:00.003+01:00

Middlesbroughs haberdashery is closing down, so I went to have a look at their sale :D I wanted more buttons, and although they had many, I decided to get some beads and ribbon instead!

Ain't they pretty? I got the buttons from the corner shop and all the rest from Binns :D
So as soon as I got back from my haberdashery mission, I started making! So far I have used 100 beads and my stash doesn't look any different! More making coming soon :D
Yellow bead and duct tape purse is available here.

International shipping!

2008-04-05T04:18:00.006+01:00

After reading a whole 37 pages on this topic in the forums over on etsy, I came up with some simple rules for sellers to follow when shipping outside the USA. These rules apply to anyone selling on etsy really, but it seems to be sellers from the US who have the hardest time dealing with international customers. I was honestly shocked at the amount of people who said that they were upset that they had undercharged on shipping by x amount as they had GUESSED that the shipping was going to be less.

Rule 1;
Do not GUESS how much it will cost, get some scales, or take a selection of your items (+ packaging) to the post office and get them weighed. Then you KNOW how much it will cost, you should not be GUESSING.

Rule 2;
If you KNOW the price something SHOULD cost to ship and you get to the PO or paypal or whatever/wherever and you are told that it will cost a lot more, tell them that you had a quote for x amount, so you KNOW it should not cost 3 times that amount. The PO and UPS, PayPal etc are all companies who need to make money. If they just told you the cheapest most efficient way to ship something first time, they'd never make any money. They usually start off by telling you the most expensive method first, if you accept that, they make more money.

Rule 3;
Don't complain about having to go all the way to the PO which is a good 10 minute walk/drive away, and it's a real pain, and you'd rather not go, or you'd rather your buyer had spent more money to make it worth your while. Either do it and don't complain as every job has some aspects that you don't like or enjoy, right? Or, just do not ship outside your country. If it is really that much of a hassle, please don't bother. Most countries outside the USA have to go to the post office every time we send anything other than a simple letter, so imagine how long their queues are, and are they complaining? No, it is what is expected of them if they want to have a business.

Rule 4;
If you are thinking about starting to offer international shipping, great. Do your homework, find out which countries your buyers are from, and get the shipping rates for those countries, make more than 2 shipping profiles, one for each country that you think you will be shipping to most often. You can always make more shipping profiles to accommodate extra destinations.
Think about what you want your shipping cost to cover. Mine covers postage, a bubble envelope (or box for my largest items), a piece of tissue paper and some string. I am not going to charge my buyer for a thank you note, why would I ask someone to pay for that? I include 2 business cards, one with 'Thank you' hand written on the back, and the other with nothing written on. I also send a 'thank you' email or convo telling them I have shipped their item. This is more informative, the buyer can respond and it's free.

Rule 5;
Do not base your shipping prices on what others charge, or on what you read in the forums. Do your own research. Like many in this thread have said, you have no idea what is included in another sellers postage price, so why base your prices on theirs?

Rule 6;
Set out some shop policies. Inform your buyers of refunds, shipping times (i.e, expected delivery times), exchanges, what is included in your shipping price, i.e, packaging, delivery confirmation, tracking, gold leaf etc.

Basically, if you do some research, you should be fine. Good luck to everyone :) x

p.s, also have a look at this blog The Beading Tree has lots of useful info on shipping, so check it out!

I did it!

2008-03-30T15:06:00.005+01:00

Last night, at about 3am, I bought my own .com :D
It is very exciting! I had been thinking about it for a long time, but could never decide on that to call it. The obvious names were taken, and I couldn't think of a good name for my website, so I turned to my friends and the UK street team. Everyone came up with some great ideas, but none of them had 'it' and to be honest, I didn't really know what 'it' was going to be! Then, I asked my friend Mistress Shelley (the lady who named me KMC) and she suggested LoveKMC.com and that was the one, it just clicked! So now, I have the fantastic task of writing my own website! I have seen a few templates, but I didn't really like them, so I will use one as a start and write the rest myself! I have set up google checkout, found a really nice shopping cart, got some great ideas about the layout now I just need to decide which items to sell on there!
Wish me luck! :D

Google Checkout!

2008-03-25T23:27:00.004Z

Today, in my lovely little shop on etsy, you can now pay using google checkout! I *might* be phasing out the use of PayPal, but I will see how things go with google first. It was easy to set up, but it can not be integrated in etsy as easily as PayPal.
Now, if my buyers want to pay using google checkout, they just go thru checkout as usual, but select 'Other' as their payment method and supply my with an email address in the 'message to seller' box half way thru checkout. Then, I will send them an invoice via email. They simply follow a link, set up or sign into their google account (setting up is easy peasy) and click on the 'pay now' button. Easy!
Try it yourself;
https://checkout.google.com/
You can also easily integrate it into your own website, and they have some fancy little buttons for you to use too!

Fantastic. (don't click on the button unless you want to give me money ;D )

You can't leave him alone...

2008-03-21T18:55:00.014Z

I popped round to my parents house on the way home from work yesterday. I put Wally down in the shed for 2 minutes while I collected my post and a DVD. I came back to find this;
It seemed Wally had made some friends. Fair enough. Then I realised I had forgotten to get the DVD, so off I went. Then, Wally did this;
I was at first a bit worried that he had managed to do all of this by himself, but then I realised that he might be trying to tell me something. So, I looked for clues.

Paint and varnish remover?? But Wally had only covered himself in paint....hmmmmI realised that he wanted to test the paint & varnish remover by covering himself in paint and varnish! Poor little Wall couldn't reach the varnish, so I got it for him.
Wally was so excited by this point, I had to paint the varnish onto him and he wouldn't keep still. Finally, it was finished, Wally was happy and posed for a quick photo;
Aww, look how happy he is!! I've told him that we will have to wait a few days to make sure the paint and varnish is completely dry before removing it with the paint and varnish remover.

He is a little worried that the remover might sting a little, but I've told him that he's a big wallet now and he can't be acting like a baby! He might need some encouragement.

It's so dull outside

2008-03-20T10:36:00.003Z

It's pouring down today, it's grey and miserable and to top it all off, I've woke up with a killer migraine. So, to brighten up everyones day, I'll introduce my newest item. This is the first time clear duct tape has made an appearance in my shop, probably because it is so hard to photograph! This cute little purse has 34 tiny little buttons encased between 2 layers of clear duct tape. It's just so cute! I was very tempted to keep it for myself but then my other wallet would get upset, and we don't want that. The 'button me up' purse is available in my etsy store and you can buy it by clicking here. Thanks for looking peeps :)

Do it for your country!

2008-03-19T14:12:00.006Z

So, I figured I might as well write a post about the things I make (I know, shock horror!). One of my most popular wallets is the Union Jack duct tape wallet.I have decided to make more wallets with flags on. The flag I will be doing next will be the Japanese war flag, so I will let you all know how that turns out!!
If you would like to see any other flags turned into wallet, please let me know in the comments :D

To my SHOCK

2008-03-15T03:04:00.003Z

I found something today. Finding it will not change my life in anyway, and I already knew it existed in some places. But it actually really does exist. and I am shocked. SHOCKED I tell you!
What am I babbling about? Clipboard. I have seen a few threads where people have said 'I copied something to my clipboard, and now I can't find my clipboard'. You don't *need* to find your clipboard, it's really not important at all. Of course, even with my discovery, people will still get confused. How do you copy something to your clipboard? Press 'Ctrl' and 'C'. Simple. Now, whatever you had highlighted will be copied to your clipboard. Same if you press 'Prnt Scrn'. Of course, you can only have one thing on your clipboard at a time. And you can't really do anything with it, until you open a new tab, window, word doc, paint programme etc. and press 'Crtl' and 'V' (or right click and select 'Paste') .

So, what can the world learn from knowing this? Well, nothing really. Do you want to see your clipboard in action? Of course you do! Find it here;
c:\windows\system32\clipbrd.exe
Simple. Oh, also, don't go changing anything in 'system32' it's ok to open the clipboard, but don't mess with anything else ;)

New group on flickr

2008-03-13T22:32:00.003Z

So, every Friday night on etsy, the UK lot get together in chat to have a chatter. Last Friday, we decided to start a new Flickr group called Tuesday RAWKS. We made it because we are all nutters. The first weeks theme was 80's rock stars, and this Tuesday it's going to be 'musicals'. I for one am very excited :D

So, if you're not a memeber already, join the flickr group and get your thinking caps on for Tuesday 18th March as I want to see millions of pictures in the pool!

Boredom strikes!

2008-03-05T03:48:00.003Z

My Dad is a lovely, very funny man. By day he is a manager of 'people' and by night he plays in a band. He recently decided to have a week off work. One whole week to finish off the bathroom (which has been upside down for sometime) and generally relax.

I really believe that some people should not be left alone. Especially when they have time to waste and some camera film to use up.

My dad is always telling people to tidy up, saying that 'everything has a home' and he doesn't understand why people need so much of the same thing. He is a 'you only ever need 3 pairs of shoes' kind of guy. 1 pair of general shoes, 1 pair of smart shoes and 1 pair of slippers. He lives with 2 women; my Mam and my sister (and me some of the time). While he was off work for that whole week, this is what he did; (please feel free to click on each image to get the full effect)

He was so proud of himself when he showed me the photos :D

Tagged?

2008-03-04T20:49:00.004Z

Well, I have been tagged by Lostintheforrest.
So, here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog. 2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. 3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. 4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

7 facts about me? OK, here it goes;

1. I am terrified of pigeons
2. I love going to Staples, it's like a day out for me :D
3. My nails grow incredibly fast and are incredibly strong
4. I have no sense of depth
5. I have had both of my eyes taken out
6. I can do a pull up better than a Kung Fu instructor
7. When I climb a cliff, I have an over whelming urge to jump off

Right, so yes, I am a little odd. Now I need to tag 7 people and Lost tagged a load of people who I was going to tag so....*think* ok;

Siansburys
MaisyBrownReproRetro
KoolKookyKreatures
CuteDesigns
AngHarad
KittyPinkStars
Jahnut

How do I get 3 columns in my blog?

2008-03-01T16:31:00.000Z

Having 3 columns is awesome and I couldn't live without it. Not for a second! I found this awesome bit of code, simply copied & pasted it into my blog and as if by magic, I had 3 columns.

Now, before you do anything else, log into your blog, click Customise > Layout > Edit HTML. Now what you need to do is click on 'Download Full Template' and save your current template to your pc. You can also copy and paste all of the code into a notepad document. But don't use Word. Keep this template safe in case all goes wrong :(

Now, you have 2 options.

Option 1; You can click on this link and copy & paste all of the code into your blog 3 column code Make sure you have deleted all of your original code first. Then, click 'Preview'. Any good? If you are over the moon with that, great, click save and you are done :D

Option 2; Leave you current code as it is, and scroll down until you find a bit that looks like this;

Outer-Wrapper
----------------------------------------------- */
#outer-wrapper {
width: 78%;
margin-top: 15px;
margin-left: auto !important;
margin-right: auto !important;
padding:0px;
text-align:left;
font: $bodyfont;
}

Click on the link 3 column code and scroll down until you see this bit in the code;
Copy from 'Outer-Wrapper' down to just above 'Headings' and paste it into your blog replacing the original 'Outer-Wrapper' section. Now, click preview and see what it looks like. If you keep getting errors, try using option 1. I hope this works out for you! Please leave links to your 3 column blog in the comments section :D IF you get stuck, let me know and I will try to help!

First we tackle screen shots

2008-02-26T17:26:00.001Z

‘I’m on the front page!! I’m in a treasury!! How do I take a picture?’

Ok! Well done! Here is what you need to do;

On a PC or a MAC;
(All links open in new page)
Ok, quick fix = thumbalizr

(Thank you Loosewirestudio for showing me that one!)

If you are using FireFox, you can install an awesome plug-in called ScreenGrab. It actually ‘grabs’ the whole screen, not just the visible part.

You can download FireFox here; firefox

And ScreenGrab here; ScreenGrab

Your image will look like this example

On a PC;

Press the ‘Print Screen’ (Prnt Scrn) button on your keyboard, then open a paint program and right click and select paste. You may need to do this twice to get the whole screen in.

On a MAC;

On a Mac, hold down Shift + Apple + 4

Now, go and practice doing some screen shots!

Quick update on Wally

2008-02-25T23:17:00.004Z

Due to internet problems, I was unable to conduct any testing with Wally over the weekend :(
Many of you seemed very worried about him as he didn't look too happy in his last photo. Since then, he has had a thorough wash and is now back to his normal self :D

Things that often come up in the forums on etsy.

2008-02-25T21:32:00.001Z

I always seem to be helping people out with problems they are having on etsy. I love helping people and I usually can be pretty helpful, which is good :) I seem to repeat myself a lot because the same questions keep coming up. This isn’t because people don’t look for answers before they ask, they do look, and can’t find them. The ability to efficiently search the forums is something that not many people have. Mostly because it is impossible :O

So, in conclusion, I will be writing answers here to some of the most frequent problems found in the forums. I hope that this info will be helpful to new etsians and that they will be able to use it until they get on their feet!

Meet the smelly boys

2008-02-22T01:55:00.008Z

As many of you know, I live with 6 smelly boys. Yes, 6 of them. None of you know who they are, or why I live with them. So, I thought I would introduce you to some of them!

First up, is Adam. Adam is my favourite, he is my boyfriend and I love him lots :) he is also the reason why I live with the other 5 smelly boys! Adam is in his final year at university and is studying computer games programming. Adam and I have no sleeping pattern, and seem to spend a lot of time going to Tesco.

The second smelly boy is another Adam, and he goes by the name of Schnoo. Schnoo is also at uni and doing some kind of animation thingy. He likes to run round the house making funny noises and usually says ‘Pomplemoose’.

Third on the list is Ben. Ben did some forensic crime scene thingy at uni and is the only smelly boy with a full time job. Ben likes climbing, kayaking and playing WoW. Ben often joins us on our late night trips to Tesco.

Lee is the fourth smelly boy who I am going to introduce, he is at uni, doing some sort of degree and also works in a shop in town. Lee loves retro games and old consoles and spends a lot of time playing games in his room.

There are of course two more smelly boys and they live in the attic, and I don’t know much about them so we’ll leave it at that!

So, this is Wally

2008-02-19T02:24:00.006Z

Wally is a very adventurous little wallet. He is a lot smaller than his older brothers and sisters, but he is a tough little cookie! Many etsians are convinced that I am evil, and take pleasure in hurting little Wally. This is simply not the case. I made Wally with slightly less care and attention in comparison to my other wallets as he was not to be sold, or admired or loved. I did not realise how big a personality such a small wallet could have and he has turned out to be the most outgoing of all wallets. He is an adrenalin junkie and I help him push himself to the limit. Everyday he is dying to get out there and do something new. So far in his little life he has;

been used as a wallet
been used as a football
been slammed in a car door
been ran over
used as an ash tray
hit with a sword
been mauled by a hamster
been hung out of a window for 4 days
been frozen in ice and then hit with a hammer
been shrink wrapped
had a wash in the shower
had a wash in the dishwasher
had a very thorough clean in the washing machine
been attacked by a hair-dryer
had a piercing
been buried 1 foot under ground (and snow) for 1 week

There are still things on his list and I will do my best to help him accomplish his dreams! If you have any ideas on what Wally might like to try, please let me know.
More photos of Wally can be seen here

So, here we go!

2008-02-18T08:54:00.001Z

Welcome to my blog. I have been trying to decide whether I should make a blog for about 4 months now. I could never think of anything interesting to write about, but then I had an idea! I am not going to tell you my idea just yet, you will have to come back later to find out (building the suspense here!)

Can't sleep

2008-02-18T06:19:00.003Z

Expect a few posts like this. I don't sleep like normal people do, and I don't just lie in bed *trying* to sleep either. I make things. Sometimes I make a mess, sometimes I tidy up. Last night I made a custom order of a union jack purslet and I am very pleased with the result, lets hope the buyer likes it!