Frankly Speaking Too

Valentine Banner: Simple Projects

2012-02-14T10:49:00.000-08:00

This was super simple...(the Valentine banner hanging from the shelf)

I found a few packages of colorful tags at Michael's for $1 per pack of 12.

Add some red letters and jute twine and make a simple, yet super cute Valentine banner!

Digital Design: More Christmas Cards!

2012-02-10T08:14:00.000-08:00

Christmas cards designed for 2011!!

These are showing the front of the card on the left/top and back of the card on the right/bottom.

iLoveToCreate: $1 Michaels Heart Frame Chalkboard

2012-02-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

This is a super simple Valentine's Day project that is easy on the wallet as well. This would make a great gift for a teacher, gradparent, or friend. It is also a great little project for decor in your own home!

Supplies:

$1 wooden frame (Michaels)
Scrapbook Paper
Collage Pauge (I used the matte finish)
Chalkboard paint
Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue
Stain (I used a stamp pad)
Scissors
Sandpaper
Foam paintbrush (or two)

Remove the center cardboard shape from your frame and SAVE for a little later. Trace your entire frame onto the scrapbook paper and cut out; line up the frame and trace the inside shape and cut out.

Use the foam brush to paint on a layer of Collage Pauge directly on both the frame and the back of the scrapbook paper, work quickly to adhere the paper to the frame. Sand all the edges to make sure the scrapbook paper is not coming over the edges and it all looks even.

Use a stamp pad or some stain aroud the edges of the whole frame and the inside shape. Paint on several more layers of Collage Pauge and allow to dry completely.

Paint the inside cardboard shape with several layers of chalkboard paint. (I think I used about 6 layers of paint to get the look I wanted) Let the shape dry completely.

Turn over the frame and add a thin line of Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue to the inside rim where the chalkboard painted heart will go.

Insert the heart shape and allow the glue to dry completely before using the chalkboard.

Display in a plate holder or easel.

Fabulous Finds: Scales

2012-02-07T15:27:00.000-08:00

A few fabulous finds over the past few months!

I have been on the lookout for reasonably priced scales for awhile. I was planning on using them for decoration, but some of the prices on Etsy were a bit high (in my opinion).

I was up in Coarsgold (a small community on the way to Yosemite) doing a photo session and stopped at a side of the road antiques/junk sale and found this beauty... $5!! It doesn't exactly work properly, but it has the look I was going for, so I was happy. John actually painted the top and dial a oil-rubbed bronze color and cleaned up the face a little...perfect!

This scale was found (by John) in an antique store in Oakurst (another small community in the same area) for $28... we had seen some similar on eBay and Etsy for anywhere from $50-$200 so I was so excited by this find! This one really does work and looks great in our kitchen. We use it to weigh the produce we have gotten from our citrus trees this winter.

You never know what you can find and where... plus having a hubby that travels daily has it's perks ;-)

Upcycled (Refurbished) Bottom Box/ Tool Chest : John's Project

2012-02-06T20:02:00.000-08:00

Last July, John found this bottom box/ tool chest at ReStore for $20. It just seemed like too good of a deal to pass up, so he went to work cleaning it up and brainstorming ways to use it.

His idea was to make a countertop for the piece and make it be a sort-of work station that could be used either in the garage or in the house somewhere.

Here the sides and bottom door have been painted a flat black and the top counter was made out of 2x4s.

He sanded the countertop and rounded the edges so it was nice and smooth. Then he distressed the wood.

A coat or two of stain and some clear coat.

And, the finished product! A nice work station and tool box.

Right now we actually have this in our office as storage for paper and other extra office supplies. Our office is very industrial, so it goes well :-)

Featured! Felt Rosette Ball

2012-02-02T15:51:00.000-08:00

I love being featured on other blogs! Benzie: A Fanfare of Felt chose to feature my Felt Rosette Ball from last year in a Valentine's Day inspired post.

Check it out! I see SO many other fun uses for felt.

I am getting inspired.... ;-)

A Merry Little Christmas| Digital Design

2011-12-27T13:17:00.000-08:00

The past few months my creative outlet has been focused on my photography and digital design in the form of Christmas cards!!

I am excited to share a few that I have designed now that they have been sent out and there will be no ruined suprises from the wonderful families I have photographed this season.

For now, here is the card I designed for my own family! Thank you to my wonderful friend and talented photographer Alice Addington of Addington Images for the photographs of our family! They are a true treasure.

Homemade Superhero| (featuring) iLoveToCreate Fabric Fusion and Crystals

2011-11-07T13:21:00.000-08:00

I am the first to admit that I am not great at sewing. While I am a perfectionist in other aspects of crafting... I just don't have a love for the sewing machine. (I do have high hopes of changing that!!)

One thing I do try to get the sewing machine out for each year is to make Halloween costumes. This year the girls were going to each be a homemade superhero... ie- Super Hannah, and Super Claire!

With the help of Pintrest, I found a great cape tutorial and got to work.

I did employ some Aleene's Fabric Fusion to help with the logos that weren't sticking well with the 'wonder under'... and I added a little dazzle to their masks with some Tulip Glam it Up Iron-On Crystals using the Tulip Cordless Heat Setting Tool.

If I am being honest, the costumes were cuter in my head then they ended up being once they were done, Oh well! :0)

The girls loved them and had so much fun running around and yelling "Coming to Save the World!!"

Fall Inspiration: Halloween Costume Banner

2011-10-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

I saw this adorable idea for a Halloween Costume banner this morning and have been thinking about it all day. Such a FUN idea to bring out each year and add to as years go by... I have decided I MUST make this this year.

FREE printable banner is available through the How Does She blog when you sign up for weekly emails!! I have been receiving these emails for about a year now and have never been disappointed with their crafty inspiration.

Organization: Kids Toy Bin Labels

2011-10-05T12:11:00.000-07:00

This summer we made some big strides as far as the organization goes in our house.

Claire's room has been an orgizational nightmare for awhile. She is just at an age where she does enjoy playing with most everything she has and it doesn't seem to matter how much effort she puts into keeping things picked up and sorted... the toys always end up in a big pile. There just wasn't a place for everything. Not good.

So, I found this shelving and canvas bin system at Costco and thought I would give it a try. Once I put the shelf together, Claire and I went through her toys with a 'Less is More' mentality and really tried to reduce the toys she wanted to keep. I felt that including her in the process helped her understand that we just don't have room in our home to fit EVERYTHING, and that when we only keep what we love it is much easier to find the toys we want to play with. (Ok, so I would like to think that is what she learned... but if nothing else she did not get upset that we sold or donated many of her old toys and stuffed animals.)

We ended up with seven categories for our eight bins and I headed online to find some ideas for cute labels. While there were plenty of cute kid's toy bin labels available, I just didn't find any that really fit my style or the color scheme for Claire's room. I also wanted to make sure the labels included pictures for my pre-schooler who can not read yet.

Here is what I came up with ... colorful and organized labels, printed at Costco as 4x6 matte finish prints for $0.13 each - actually they were printed two-to-a-print, so 6.5 cents each!

Fall Inspiration: Button Pumpkin

2011-10-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

I'd like to thank the ever addicting Pintrest and a crazy beginning to photography season for yet another lull in posts.

Fall has found us... today was our first day with a temperature lower than 80 in awhile and I was so happy to see the cloud cover that I went out and bought a box of chi tea to celebrate!

Right now I am contemplating if I have enough various orange buttons to make this sweet little fall craft. Check it out over at Auntie Lolo Crafts.

iLoveToCreate: Repurposed Fabric Covered Bulletin Board

2011-08-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

Poor Claire, my youngest daughter, has had bare walls for quite some time. It's not for lack of thought or intention, it is just that I kind of have a phobia when it comes to decorating. I want to LOVE what I put on my walls... for goodness sake, I will have to look at it EVERYDAY! It has always seemed like a lot of pressure. Pretty much the only reason things get put on walls around here is if John harps on me enough to get it ready, then he will hang it.

As was the case with this easy project!

We like to call this our $1 Bulletin Board. We spent a wopping $1 on the frame and had everything else on hand. It was a great way to repurpose an old cork bulletin board as well.

Supplies:

Frame - Ours was found at ReStore (it has a chip in the back was a gaudy gold color, so John painted it black...you can't even see the chip when it is on the wall!)
Corkboard - We had an old board that was actually in our yard sale pile... John cut out the middle section to a size that would fit inside the frame with a utility knife
Fabric - enough to cover the board with a few inches extra on all sides
Stapler - Regular old office one, the staples in a staple gun would have gone through the cork
Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Spray
Hanging hooks, grabbers, fastening clips, or whatever you like to use to hang the final product (find at any hardware store)

Decide on your frame size and cut corkboard to fit inside the frame
Measure enough fabric to cover the corkboard, plus a few inches on each side. Iron the fabric and place it wrong side up on your work surface

Go outside and spray the good side of the corkboard with Aleene's Tacky Spray
Quickly place the sticky side of the corkboard onto the wrong side up fabric
Start on one side pulling the fabric taught and stapling it down on the back of the coarkboard, work your way around until it is all stapled
**I also flipped the corkboard over and placed a large, flat tray or book on the right side to make sure the fabric sticks to the cork, I left this for about 30 minutes to dry

Place covered corkboard into frame, we made sure ours stayed tight with fastening clips
Add picture hanging hardware and hang on the wall... (John did this part)

...and the final product! Almost too pretty to add her treasured photos and memories :-)

Rearranged China Cabinet | Home Decor Project

2011-08-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

When we were in the process of buying our house, this china cabinet was one of the selling points to me. It was a built-in piece of furniture and was a convenient storage spot. Score!

Not so much.

Fast forward six years and I was completely lost when it came to the decor of the china cabinet. Every time I passed it, I wanted to throw out its contents and start again. It had become a catch-all for items I didn't want to get broken... not the beautiful display I had once envisioned.

See... such a hodge podge!

So, one day a few weeks ago I enlisted the help of a friend (Thanks Brooke!) and we got to work. We used only items I had on hand and rearranged everything in a more cohesive way.

This is basically a post to (a) thank my sweet friend for her help and (b) remember the way we displayed everything in case I need to use or clean the contents. :-)

iLoveToCreate: Reverse-Stencilled & Spray-Painted Shirt

2011-08-14T00:05:00.000-07:00

This is a great, fairly easy way to uniquely personalize a shirt! My friend Brooke, co-owner of the fabulous Uptown Kids sale (a twice yearly consignment event held here in Fresno), came up with this idea and I have to say it seems to have worked out well!

First she decided that she wanted to rock a fun and unique shirt with her business initials... UPTK.

Supplies:

Tank top style shirt (or anything you would like personalized)

Cardboard shirt form-Tulip has one called a Fashion Form

Tulip brand fabric spray paint (your could use several colors if that suits your fancy)

Vinyl - cut using the Silhouette machine

Choose a font and size that will work well for the letters of your shirt, then cut out your vinyl using your Slihouette, Cricut, or trace and cut with scissors.

Peel letters out of vinyl and place on your shirt

Cover your work area and spray fabric paint liberally around the stuck-on letters and around shirt until you have the desired effect

Peel off vinyl lettering and enjoy your creation!

Thoughts:

Wouldn't this be a great craft for a kids party or camp?
I thought the spray paint gave the shirt a cool effect and you could have a variety of outcomes depending on the amount of spray you want to use.
The vinyl worked really well and provided nice crisp lines... no bleeding paint!!
Add some spray glitter for a little more pizzaz!

**Thanks for sharing your idea Brooke! I'm sure you will enjoy wearing it at this fall's consignment sale!!**

I went to post something...

2011-08-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

... and I ended up changing the whole layout and design of the blog. Man, I am so easily sidetracked!!

It was driving me NUTS that my margins weren't allowing the extra large sized photos here on blogger. So, after a few hours of tinkering I am happy with the new margins, the ability to now show extra large horizantal photos, a more simple and clean white background, and a fresh new header.

(This counts as being crafty, right?)

I also added a whole section of the ten most recently updated iLoveToCreate blogger blogs over there on the right side ---->
I am thinking of adding another section of crafty inspiration blogs, but that list could get REALLY long... if you have a crafty blog that you would like me to include, send me a message or email.

And now, I will try to get back to my regularly scheduled post :-)

Fishy Themed Party: Part Three, Fishy Bar

2011-08-02T12:55:00.000-07:00

The pièce de résistance and really the whole reason I was excited to do this party stemmed from the 'Fishy Bar' idea.

Have you gone into any grocery store lately and seen the number of varieties of Pepperidge Farm Fish crackers? It is really pretty crazy. So, my idea was to have every single kind of fish crackers in the form of a bar and let each party-goer take home a sort of 'trail mix' of different fish crackers.

To take the idea even further, I wanted to give each of the types of fish crackers a cute and 'fishy' name to go along with the theme of the party.

For example: Rainbow Colored Fish became 'Rainbow Trout' and the 'Baby' variety of fish crackers became 'Guppies' :-)

I even found this Fish shaped snack container and had John drill a hole through it. I then stuck a dowel through the hole so I could use it as part of the display.

If I can find my list, I will come back and add the entire list of fish names I gave to the crackers. I used twelve(!) varieties of the crackers and there were still more I could have chosen from.

Fishy Themed Party: Part Two, Food

2011-08-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

All of the food for the party had an orange, blue, or fish theme to it! It was fun trying to think of things to have that fit into the parameters.

Drinks were orange and blue Gatoraide and Juicy Juice (we did have water too)

The Menu:

Pinwheel Sandwiches - called "Sushi Sandwiches"
Turkey and cheese sandwiches cut into the shape of a fish with a cookie cutter (not pictured)
Chinese Chicken Salad - Oranges added
Orange-you-glad it's fruit salad (peaches, oranges, cantalope, mango + blueberries)
Orange and Blue Jell-o cups
Various Orange and Blue candies
Cheese it's (obviously orange)
Cheetos (again obviously orange) - not pictured
Blueberry yogurt-covered pretzles- not pictured

Out of sheer luck and good timing, we were given this sno-cone machine to use at the party as well... even though all the syrups weren't blue and orange it was a great, unique addition to the party! Thanks friend that lent it to us ;-)

And finally, my favorite orange and blue addition to both the menu and the decor... cupcakes!

These were Funfetti cupcakes with homemade marshmallow frosting dyed blue. The toppers were made using a cutout from my silhouette machine.

I thought they came out super cute!

Fishy Themed Birthday Party: Part One, Banner

2011-07-31T16:53:00.000-07:00

I was driving Claire to school one day when I had the idea for a Fishy Themed party to celebrate her fourth birthday. By the afternoon I had completely planned the party on paper, nevermind that her birthday was six week away! The pre-planning was really unlike me, but I do have to say it helped me keep my budget in check, know what I was looking for, and it gave me less stress the day of the party. It also kept me from letting my imagination get the best of me and spreading myself too thin for a party... which I have a tendancy to do.

Moral: Plan ahead. It works!

Claire's Birthday falls the last week of June which is nearly always over 100 degrees where we live. I thought the colors of blue and orange were great for a summer birthday and adding in the 'Fishy' aspect was a fun personal touch because Claire LOVES fish crackers!

All of the decor had orange or blue included, it was actually pretty easy to find things to match the color scheme...

I made this paper penant banner using a few pieces of scrapbook paper I had on hand and my silhouette machine... it took one hour exactly start to finish and I thought it looked absolutely adorable. I strung it with some twine, which gave a nice touch.

Summer Color and June: the month of craziness

2011-06-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

I logged onto the blog today thinking that it had been a few weeks since I posted and I'd better try to get something up on the blog to show that I haven't completely gone AWOL. Then I realized it has been since May 18th that I have posted! Woah! I truly didn't mean for that to happen, but photography has been demanding my attention over the past few weeks and I have been putting all my creative energy into some truly wonderful photo sessions and a beautiful wedding.
Isn't it funny that there are months that just demand more attention than others? Before I even turned the calendar to June it was full of summer events and parties, end of the school year assemblys, photo sessions, and birthdays. For some that might be overwhelming, but I LOVE it. I think June and July are my favorite months.
So, needless to say I haven't had the opportunity to get crafty. I have a few things in the works that I am excited to get completed... and summer is the perfect time for this!
Speaking of summer, I am in love with walking the local Farmer's Market. Not only is the produce WONDERFUL, but the colors and textures are bright and provide an abundance of inspiration.
So, before I let my crazy schedule get the best of me I am going to soak up this beautiful time of year.

Cupcake Party: All in the Details

2011-05-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

In an effort to wrap up the 'cupcake party' posts, here are a few of the details that I haven't mentioned yet.

I am a big fan of the FREE-to-download subway art found at eighteen25, this is a Birthday version
Small cupcake stands were made with plates and candlesticks found at the Dollar Store, then glued together and spray painted. I have seen several tutorials for this.

Caraffe's seem to be popping up all over too! I found these at Smart and Final as a set of two. They are plastic and have a lid.

I had grand plans of making this pennant banner, but my time started running a little short. My wonderful friend Brooke swooped in and sewed several of them for me... and I am SO thankful! She is much more detail-oriented that I am so I wouldn't have been able to pull them off as beautiful as she did! BONUS: I can use them in the future or lend them out!!

I kinda splurged a little on these paper straws from Sugar Diva. I am a little bit obsessed with them. We served pink (strawberry) milk, chocolate milk, and plain milk... so I felt the straws were such a cute addition!

And finally, I found this awesome idea in several places, but really liked the look of the Cupcake Garland tutorial found here, I was so sad to take it down after the party... it was just so pretty!

So, there you have it! Cupcake party fun!!

iLoveToCreate: Large Paper Accordian Award Ribbons

2011-05-14T17:02:00.000-07:00

My uber-crafty friend Alice volunteered to make the award ribbons for her kid's school family picnic. She enlisted my help (of course I am ALWAYS up for a crafty challenge!) and after much brainstorming we got to work!

We gathered the supplies:

Chipboard flower books (found at Tuesday morning)
Tulip glitter
Scrapbook paper, scored and folded like an accordian (12 inches long)
Chipboard/cardboard circles
Various types of glue: Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue, Hot Glue, and Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Spray
Various die cuts, stickers, letters, ribbons, etc. Anything that you want to attach to the award to distinguish what it is a prize for.

Cut the scrapbook paper into strips, the large award above uses paper about 3.5 inches wide, the smaller circle in the center uses 2.5 (or so) strips... we did a variety of sizes
Score the paper with a scoring board. We have no photo, but this was done ahead of time with a borrowed board.
Fold the scored paper into accordians... then stop and take photos of all the fun colors and textures.

Glue 2-3 strips together, end to end. Hot glue worked best for this step... quick drying time is a MUST!

Grab the Tacky Spray and liberally spray the individual chipboards... this should be done one at a time to avoid the spray drying too quickly. Also, do this outside or in a very well ventilated area.
Add glitter to the freshly sprayed boards

We were making several boards, so we used a variety of colors!

While the glitter is drying, take your folded accordian strips and make a circle as shown. Glue the ends together with hot glue. **This step is pretty frustrating, enlist the help of a friend if possible ;-)

Have your chipboard on hand and ready to go. Add a circle of hot glue around the outside.

Add the chipboard to the BACK center of the now-circle accordian paper. Hold it in place until the hot glue dries. The chipboard keeps the circle in place and keeps it from popping up. If you get to this step, you will understand!
Repeat for as many circles as you are making. Large, small, and in-between they are all the same process. We used the Quick Dry Tacky glue on some smaller ones and it worked just fine. This might be a better option if you are doing this project with kids.

Stop and admire your hard work, thus far. So fun!

Lay out your pieces and arrange them how you would like. We did large accordian, glittered chipboard, medium accordian, then the top piece on some (left side photo) and on the right we put the glittered chipboard, then layered accordians and chipboards to give deminsion and fun!

Add your finishing touches... looped ribbons and this super-cute frog sticker were PERFECT for this 'Frog Jump' race ribbon... but the sky is the limit!!
Cut 2.5x12 inch strips of the same scrapbook paper as the accordians are made from, and add them to the back to make the ribbon tails.

SO CUTE!

iLoveToCreate: A Variety of Tie Dye Techniques

2011-05-09T22:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my sister and I decided to have a quick tie dye afternoon. I wanted to dye some swim covers for the girls and had a few other things that were a little stained and ready to be revamped. I had a tie dye kit and a few extra bottles of Tulip Tie Dye sitting in my cabinet and was itching to use them!

We gathered our supplies (most of which aren't shown here... )

The kit includes: dye in bottles (just add water and shake!), plastic gloves and rubber bands.

You will also need to grab some plastic (I used large garbage bags) to cover the table or workspace, Ziploc bags to hold the completed projects overnight, and paper towels. I specifically needed a spray bottle for one of the techniques I was planning.

I also made sure it was a nice day and we were able to work outside.

I looked up some different techniques online. A good resource is the iLoveToCreate website. Just look under projects and search for tie dye.

This is an old shirt - rubber band style

Tie two rubber bands to a dampened shirt, basically dividing it into thirds.

Generously douse each end with dye and roll it up into a garbage bag being careful to not have the red and blue ends touch.

After 24 hours, rinse each end of the shirt until the water runs clear
Wash it with a little detergent, and dry in the dryer.

The next project was the swimsuit covers - graduated dye style

*Note the type of material when dyeing clothing. The dye doesn't take to polyester very well so make sure it is blended with natural fibers like cotton. These were 85% Cotton and 15% Polyester, found at Target.*

Lay the damp swim cover on a garbage bag and mix the dye
Generously douse the fabric with the bottled dye, but only on the bottom... do the front and back of the swim cover
Pour out half the dye and add the remaining to a spray bottle, filling the rest with water (basically diluting the dye)
Spray the middle of the swim cover generously, front and back
Pour out more and dilute the dye even more, then spray the top generously on the front and back.
Roll into a large garbage bag and let set 24 hours
Rinse, wash, and dry

While this was the proper technique, I didn't dilute the dye enough for the top so the middle and top look very similar here. Never the less, I am happy with them and might even add another tie dye design another time.

Next, I did a plain old t-shirt - swirly style

Pinch the damp shirt near the middle or off to one side and spin until it forms a nice little roll like the one shown below
Tie a rubberband across the middle and then another going the other direction across the middle creating 'pie' pieces
Dye every other 'slice of the pie' a different color using the given dye bottles. In my case, I went red, blue, red, blue.
Make sure to douse GENEROUSLY getting the bottle nozzle down into the folds of the shirt.
Put in a Ziplog bag and let set 24 hours
Remove rubber bands, rinse, wash and dry

The final project was a kids cami - scrunched style

Lay the dampened shirt on a paper towel (on top of some plastic) and scrunch... see the photo on the left
Add the bottled dye all over the shirt, dousing generously
Move to a Ziploc bag for 24 hours
Rinse, wash, and dry

*The photo on the left was my sister's project, similar to the first technique shown above, however I thought I would point out her gloves. She was smart and wore them. I, on the other hand, did NOT and ended up with very red hands for a few days.*

Many fun projects

Save your bottles! You never know when you will need them.

The final results! All in an afternoons work :-)

iLoveToCreate: Butterfly Mother's Day Card

2011-05-08T23:18:00.000-07:00

I saw this cute Butterfly card over at Our Daily Obsessions

(Photo from Our Daily Obsessions)

and thought it would be perfect for a gift for my Mom and Grandma from the girls.

(I'm a big fan of handprint projects... here were the girl's Valentines this year to my family.)

There was just one problem. I didn't want each girl to make one for each Grandma... that seemed excessive. I also didn't want one handprint from each on each one... that seemed lopsided.

So, I came up with a little tweak to the idea: Stack them up!

I put the oldest's handprint in back and the youngest's in front. I think this totally makes the butterfly look fun and colorful!

I reached into my iLoveToCreate stash and grabbed the Aleene's Stiffen-Quik for the ribbon. I love how it keeps the butterfly's antenna sticking straight up!!

The poem reads:

This isn't just a butterfly, as you can plainly see.

I made it with my hand, which is a part of me.

It comes with lots of love, especially to say

I hope you have a very

Happy Mother's Day

We attached the card with the poem to the butterfly with a mini clothespin and the Grandma's Loooved them!

Cupcake Party: Cupcake Decorating Bar

2011-05-03T22:03:00.000-07:00

As part of the on going saga that was my daughter's 6th birthday party, here is the next installment!

the Cupcake Decorating Bar

The idea was to have each child decorate two cupcakes... one they would take home and one they would have at the party. I have to say, it worked pretty well... and I love the way it looked.

Supplies/Ingredients:

Variety of Sprinkles... I had 6 different types found at a local cake decorating store
Chocolate and Vanilla frosting, portioned into individual sized cups
Vanilla frosting and food coloring, mix different colored frosting and add to smaller piping bags with fancy tips or decorating squeezers like the ones shown below (they are from Pampered Chef)
Cherries
Plastic spoons and Knives for spooning sprinkles and spreading frosting
To-go containers, preferably with a spot to put a name
Sticks or flags to add to the cupcakes to be eaten at the party
Premade cupcakes... I had 5 different types

The directions read:

Decorate 2 (cupcakes)...put 1 (cupcake) in a box to take home,

add a stick to the other one to eat at the party

The five types of cupcakes... they chose two

The birthday girl (on the right) decorating with a friend.

Completed cupcakes ready to be eaten at the party.

The to-go containers ready to go home with each of the party-goers!

Cupcake Party: Chef's Hat with Coffee-Filter Flower

2011-05-01T23:14:00.000-07:00

This is a craft the kids did at my daughter's recent cupcake birthday party! The kids would be decorating cupcakes and making pizza, so a chef's hat fit right in with the cooking theme.

The Chef's Hats were found here. I found them to be of decent quality, however they need to be stapled in the back once they are sized to the child's head.

I saw this idea for the coffee filter flower and modified it to fewer cupcake liners and coffee filters to make it easier for the kids.

Gather your supplies:

Chef's Hat
6 coffee filters
3 regular sized cupcake liners
1 mini cupcake liner
1 Button
Plain old school glue

Directions:

Glue together two coffee filters, turning the second upside down on top of the first
Glue a third coffee filter correct side upon top of the others... this creates a more fluffy flower bottom. Let this dry, if possible.

Fold the last three coffee filters in half and then half again, creating pie shaped pieces.

Glue the three coffee filters on the flower bottom

Fold three cupcake liners in half and then half again, making pie shaped pieces.
Glue cupcake liners on top of coffee filters.

Glue the mini cupcake liner on top of the others.

Glue a button into the middle of the flower

Glue the entire flower onto the front of the chef's hat.

Embellish otherwise, we had the kids add their names to the front with name stickers (photos to come soon).
Size the hat to the child's head and staple the back... enjoy!

A Cupcake Birthday: Cupcake Aprons

2011-04-19T23:16:00.000-07:00

A few posts back, I showed the cupcake clips that were the true inspiration behind the cupcake party. Once those were made, the rest started to fall into place.

I wanted to have a sprinkle bar for decorating cupcakes and then to have the kids make their own pizzas. If this was going to be a cooking party, then the kids needed aprons. I found these aprons that just so happened to have the best reviews and be the least expensive... score! They would make a perfect party favor as well. I opted to not have the kids decorate their own aprons, because I wanted them to use them right away, but they needed some decor in my opinion, so I went to work...

Supplies:

Fabric, pink and brown, cut into 6 x 8 inch pieces (this is the size that fits on the Silhouette mat)
Wonder Under (or the Silhouette brand fabric interfacing)
Silhouette, custom cutting machine (or a very good cutting hand!)
Sewing machine with pink and brown thread
Iron
Pink or Red buttons to use as a cherry

Directions:

Iron fabric interfacing onto fabric (follow directions on the package)
Use the Silhouette machine (or a pair of scissors) to cut the tops and bottoms of the cupcake shapes out of the interfacing [if using the Silhouette machine, there are a variety of different cupcake shapes available on the online store]
Peel off the back of the interfacing and iron the shapes into the desired spot on the aprons
Sew inside the shapes with a wide straight stitch. I went a few times around each one on the top to give a little more 'shabby' effect.
Add a red button cherry to the top of the cupcake

iLoveToCreate: Cupcake Ribbon Sculpture clip

2011-04-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

My olderst daughter just turned SIX! I planned a little Cupcake-themed party for her and some of her friends and I decided to get a little crafty.

I bought a clip like this at a boutique and thought it was adorable, but they didn't have as many as I would need for her friends at the party.

{cupcake hair clips attached to party aprons}

Here is where my 'I can make that' drive came in.

I found my supplies...

Small pink polka-dotted 'Korker' ribbon {this just refers to how you coil the ribbon and set it} More information on that here.
Green ribbon for wrapping...
Hair clips (I used the alligatior style)
White, brown, or other color ribbon for cupcake bottom
Hot Glue
Aleene's Stiffen Quik and STOP Fraying
Fabric Scissors

Cut 4, 5 inch strips of white ribbon at a time and lay them on a paper plate. Spray with Aleene's Stiffen Quik and microwave 30 seconds to speed stiffening process.

Fold the stiffened ribbon as shown, glueing down the center and trimming the edges.

You could also trim off the point at the top, if desired.

Use the Aleene's STOP Fraying (or a candle/ lighter) to melt the edges of the ribbon and keep it from fraying.

Take a rope of your korker ribbon and hot glue one side into the corner of the cupcake bottom, as shown below.

String the ribbon across to the left side. Glue as you go making sure to not pull the ribbon too tight.

Follow diagram beolw, gluing the ribbon back to the right side and again across the top.

Be sure to leave enough ribbon at the end to tuck in the back.

Cover your alligator hair clips in ribbon. Remember to STOP Fray the ends of the ribbon.

Hot glue the finished cupcake to the covered clip. Be aware of which side you would like to clip it into your hair. My daughters wear their clips on the right side, so I made sure the clips opened to the right.

Spray whole cupcake now with Stiffen Quik to set the whole 'sculpture'. My ribbons aren't going anywhere!

Aren't the just adorable?!?!

St. Patty's Day: Green Eggs and Ham Lunch

2011-03-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

So, my fabulous friend Brooke (who needs to update her blog with this!) invited my girls and I over for a Green Eggs and Ham lunch on St. Patrick's Day... and since I am behind on my blogging, I thought I would post it now before I forget and it never makes its way onto the blog. Really, that would be a shame too because it was SO darned cute and a perfect St. Patrick's Day theme :-)

Here was the adorable plateing...

hard boiled eggs dyed GREEN
rolled ham
a 'Hope Your Day is Lucky' printable attached to a handmade paper cup with rainbow goldfish crackers
mini can of Sprite
Shamrock straw (found at Old Navy)
'You're My Pot 'O Gold...' printable attached to a bag of rainbow colored jelly-beans and chocolate gold coins!

Thanks again for lunch, Brooke! The kids had so much fun! Can we do it again next year?

And, how perfect would this be for Dr. Seus's Birthday??

St. Patty's Day: {Part One} Breakfast | St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T22:54:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun with St. Patrick's Day this year. I had planned out breakfast and dinner and we wen't to a friend's house for a fun lunch. I am going to do a post for each event!

The girls woke up to leprechaun footprints leading to the kitchen table. There they found a decorated chandelier, a caraffe of green milk, and two bowls of LUCKY Charms cereal!

The super cute FREE printables were found at eighteen25.

'Lucky U' was found on this post.

I'm so LUCKY... was found on this post.

The puffy tissue balls are from Martha Stewart.

iLoveToCreate: Fabric-Covered and Stenciled Bulletin Boards

2011-03-11T10:25:00.000-08:00

I am a chronic clearance shopper. Sometimes it is a good thing, and sometimes it leads to excess 'stuff' in our house. These bulletin boards, found in a clearance bin for $2.50 a piece, have been laying around my house for a few years. I knew they would eventually go well in the office or one of the girl's rooms, but I was never entirely motivated to get the hung up. I am kind of glad I didn't because the colors don't really go with anything and recently I actually had some inspiration on what to do with them.

I took some of the fabric I had bought to accessorize Hannah's room and went to work covering each of the four bulletin boards. I just cut the fabric and hot glued it to the back, pulling tight.

I raided my stash of iLoveToCreate products. I knew I wanted to use a different Tulip Sticky Fabric Stencil in each of the boards, and I didn't want everything to be too 'matchy' to I got out a variety of fabric paint options.

I am a big fan of the sticky fabric stencils. They are peel and stick, and they seem to re-stick pretty well. I started with the bird in one of the corners.

I used Tulip Fabric Spray Paint for the bird. I just added some paper towels around the sides to make sure the overspray didn't get on the fabric.

On the butterfly I used a sponge and applied some Tulip Soft Fabric Paint and then added some Tulip Fashion Glitter while the stencil was still on.

On the next one I did a purple butterfly, and opted for the Tulip Glitter Spray Paint to glam it up a bit.

When all the boards had been stenciled, I added a little bling with some Tulip Heat Set Crystals and Tulip Heat Set Tool.

Once everything was dry, we hung them on the wall...

...and started adding photos! I just did a few, because I want Hannah to be able to add the things she loves.

This was a very functional project, but my Husband pointed out that it kind of matched the Decopauged Fabric Canvases I made a few months ago. I think they will have their own look once they are completely covered in photos and artwork. I think I will also try to add a heading above them in vinyl or something. Do you have any ideas to give it a little pizzaz?

Pomander Kissing Balls | Inspiration

2011-03-08T23:27:00.000-08:00

I will be finding the time to be making some of these very soon!

Tutorial found here at WhipperBerry

Frame Collage | Home Decor Inspiration

2011-03-07T22:00:00.000-08:00

I am gathering inspiration for a wall project... I like the advise here from Lemon Tree Creations however I think I need to convince John. I don't think he appreciates the fun in the empty frames. :)

(photo found at Lemon Tree Creations)

Yarn Wreath with Felt Flowers #2 | Bedroom Decor

2011-03-06T10:09:00.000-08:00

This is a sequel to the Yarn Wreath with Felt Flowers I blogged about a few weeks ago. I think I mentioned in that post that I was planning on making one of these for every room in the house. I am well on my way!

This one was made for my oldest daughter, Hannah's room. I need to take some photos of her room, it is VERY purple, so this goes well. I hung it on her door and she loves it. My youngest daughter has been begging me to finish hers.

These flowers were made by following the tutorial here at Mrs. Priss. They make me smile :-)

I like giving the cost breakdown so you can have an idea what you are getting into if you would like to make one for yourself.

Wreath $1 - Dollar Tree (I haven't seen them at every store) or Wal Mart, JoAnns, Michaels for $4-$5
Yarn $2-$3 - WalMart
Felt $0.39/sheet - Michael's or JoAnn's
Hot Glue for felt flowers (had at home)
Straight Pins - $2 at WalMart

L.O.V.E. Sign | Valentine's Day Decor

2011-03-04T22:08:00.000-08:00

Yes, Valentine's Day is over, but I needed to post this before next V-Day comes around ;-)

I found the letters on sale at JoAnn's (about $1 each) and thought I might Collage Pauge some paper on them, but as ideas sometimes go... this one took another direction.

I found:

a board of wainscoating for $0.50 at ReStore (our FAVORITE store right now)
a strip of moulding from Lowe's (around $8)

I explained my new Idea to John and he painted the wainscoating, cut and painted the moulding, and glued it together using moulding glue.

I placed and glued the letters and badda-BING!

I just wish I had gotten it done BEFORE Valentine's Day this year!!

Handprint Hearts

2011-02-17T19:52:00.000-08:00

Super easy.

The kids loved getting their hands all squishy with the paint. I love that they were able to make a keepsake for the family AND that my Kindergartener was able to write her Valentine's message.

I used acrylic paint because I had it on hand... but wouldn't this be a cute idea to use fabric paint on an apron, onesie, or Valentine's day gift bag?!?

I believe in giving credit where credit is due, but I can't seem to locate the blog that I saw this on... if I find it, I will link up!

Yarn Wreath with Felt Flowers - #1 | Valentine's Day Decor

2011-02-11T09:20:00.000-08:00

I decided to try another project I found in the blog world and am now officially addicted! I am not joking when I say that I am making one of these for every room in my house.

Here was attempt number one, sort of Valentine's Day inspired.

Check out the tutorial for the Cheery Yarn Wreath at Mrs Priss

iLoveToCreate: Love/Luck Reversable Blocks

2011-02-09T10:14:00.000-08:00

These blocks are great! Two holidays in one decoration!

One side says Love...

and the other Luck. Yes, those are the same blocks! Basically, three sides of each are devoted to each holiday... and I am going to do my best to explain how to make a set of your own.

Supplies needed:

Four wooden blocks (mine are a fence post cut down to 3.5/3.5 squares) sanded down
Collage Pauge decopauge and a foam paintbrush to apply
Decorative scrapbook paper, three Valentine's patterns and three St. Patrick's patterns. Cut paper to the size of the blocks - four of each pattern
Cut-out letters, either paper or vinyl - I cut white cardstock using my Silouette machine

Follow the diagrams below to figure the best way to arrange the paper...

I did my Valentine's paper first, applied my collage pauge and let it dry, then turned the blocks upside down to figure the best way to do the St. Patricks Day paper. [The words for the opposite holiday will be upside down and not in the same order. If you get to this point, you will understand.]

It is very important to plan exactly where the paper will go!

I wanted to make sure I could see the proper holiday's color when the blocks were both set out four across (as above), and when they were set up on top of each other (as shown below).

Once I figured out where the paper was going to go, I painted a layer of the Collage Pauge onto the block and another onto the back of the paper then stuck them together and smoothed the paper out. I have found this to be the best way to do Collage Pauge to avoid bubbles under the paper.
Repeat until all six sides of each block have been Collage Pauged...
Sand the corners and edges of the blocks with an electric sander.
Distress the corners and edges with some distress ink or wood stain.
Add another few coats of Collage Pauge to each block, allowing time to dry between each coat.
Voila! Cute block decor for two different holidays!!

Felt Rosette Ball | Valentine's Day Decor

2011-02-07T09:26:00.000-08:00

I was very inspired by the Valentine's Day Heart Wreath from The Idea Room. She does a great tutorial on the process and there is another great tutorial at Design Sponge.

I was not quite up to trying an entire wreath, but I did think I could handle covering a ball, and I am so glad I did! It is one of those little decorative items that makes a BIG impact :)

All you need is:

Felt (1/2- yard, $4.99/yard at JoAnn's)
Styrafoam ball, I think it was 4 inches, about the size of an orange
Flat-head pins, the long ones if you have a choice
Scissors
Something to trace a 3-inch circle (I used a kids cup)

Process: I would be a good idea to follow the tutorials I have linked to above...

Cut a TON of felt circles, I used the whole 1/2-yard of felt
Fold each cirlce in half, and then half again creating a pie piece
Push a pin through the point of the felt and into the styrafoam
Repeat (about 100 times) until you no longer see any of the styrafoam

I think I might go for the full wreath next. Maybe in a nice bright spring color?

Project: Old Window Sign

2011-02-05T21:25:00.000-08:00

John found this old window at ReStore, and got to work on a little project...

We both really liked this font, so he printed out our names and the 'est. 2004'.

He covered the back of the window with contact paper and taped the printed words to the front. He then traced the letters and cut them out of the contact paper with an Xacto knife. See the photo below. (This was a very tedious process, possibly not the most efficient either, but it did ge the job done.)

He sprayed the back of the glass with some Frosted Glass Spray, and carefully peeled the contact paper away.

The spray worked, but we thought it was a little light so John painted a piece of cardboard black and added it to the back of the window to make the frosted part of the glass stand out more.

iLoveToCreate: Christmas "PEACE" decor

2011-01-25T14:09:00.000-08:00

I did get a chance this past fall to get a few Christmas projects done. This PEACE sign was a 'use what you've got' project. My friend was having a craft day, and had a number of these wooden plaques available. I had just gotten a Sillouette machine and was going to try to use it. I have the paint, vinyl, Christmas paper, and Collage Pauge on hand... and I got the fabulous hinges at ReStore (more on this later)! Voila! Cute Christmas decor!

1. Paint wooden plaques and hinges
2. Collage Pauge Chirstmas paper onto plaques.
3. Choose font and size and cut out the letters for 'PEACE'
4. Stick on vinyl letters and seal with Collage Pauge
5. Once dry, attach at the back with hinges.

LOVE letters | Valentine's Day Inspiration

2011-01-18T15:56:00.000-08:00

I found these at iheartnaptime sometime during the summer and have been wanting to make them ever since. What's great about Valentine's Day decor is that it can really be used anytime of the year, especially since these aren't completely pink and red!

I know what your thinking... and yes, I do realize that this would be another Collage Pauge project... I am telling you, I'M OBSESSED!!

project and photo from iheartnaptime

I am going to be looking for more Valentine's Day inspiration, I think all of my Valentine's decor fits into a plastic grocery bag. Sad! If you have any ideas, for fun Valentine's decor shoot me a comment, I am looking to get crafty this week!!

iLoveToCreate: The letter 'H', wrapped canvas project

2011-01-12T09:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I am finally back to business on blogging and am ready to get up to date on the projects completed (or started) in 2010 and move on to new projects this year! Thank you to anyone that has been checking regularly to see if I have posted anything new... I will do my best to get a few posts up per week. I am excited to see where this blog will be by the end of 2011!

I am not exactly sure what to call this project. I found a cardboard letter 'H' on clearence at Michael's and knew that it would work somewhere in my daughter Hannah's room. It wasn't all that large so I was hoping that I could think of something to give it a little pizzaz. The final product reminds me of a giant rubber stamp or old-style newsprint letter. Either way, I was happy with the outcome :)

As I have mentioned before, Collage Pauge is my friend. If I am not careful my walls will someday be entirely covered in this stuff... and I am only a little bit kidding... ;)

So, for this project I used:

Matte-finish Collage Pauge
an 8x10 canvas
two complimentary colors of fabric
Cardboard letter H
Foam brushes
rotary fabric cutter

I cut one of my fabrics a few inches larger than my canvas.

Than I cut out the corners, making sure to leave enough fabric to cover the corners of the canvas.

Using a foam brush, paint the front of the canvas liberally with Collage Pauge (CP), line up the fabric and place it over the top, smoothing it out the best you can. Paint another layer of Collage Pauge (CP) over the top.

Starting at one edge, paint on the Coallge Pauge (CP) and pull the fabric over the edge adding another layer of CP over the top. Work you way around the edges and back of the whole canvas.

This is what my edges looked like....

For the letter H, I cut the fabric large, but had to get creative and do another layer of fabric over the top as there was not enough to cover all of the brown cardboard. Does that make sense? Use the CP in a similar manner as above, doing the front first and working out to the edges and back, pulling the fabric smooth, and painting the CP over the top.

So, there were two layers of fabric over this H. If I were mass producing these I would try to find another way, but for my decorative purposes it worked out well.

And, the final product! After both pieces had dried I used some Aleene's Original Tacky Glue to adhere the H to the canvas.

Here is the final product, displayed on a frame easel in my daughter's very purple room!

Project: Lemonade Stand

2010-11-04T21:27:00.000-07:00

As a family we enjoy getting up early every now and then on Saturday mornings, grabbing a donut (or two), and hitting a few yard sales. This summer we went to one yard sale where there were two little girls selling lemonade. The girls thought that was just about the coolest thing EVER.

They asked John if he could build them their own stand.

He agreed. Thinking it might happen at some future point. The girls were persistant though, and John drew up plans and had it built by the NEXT day :) ... What a sweet Daddy!

Here is John putting his miter saw to good use building the frame.

The frame of the stand. John's idea was to use fence pickets to make the front of the stand. I think it looks great! The girls wanted it to be pink ;-)

Particle board for the top, and (not shown) the bottom shelf. Chalkboard paint for the top sign made out of another fence picket.

And the Goober-girls putting the stand to good use! They sold orange punch, pink lemonade, and danishes. I am looking forward to them using the stand many times in the future :)

iLoveToCreate: Poodle Skirt Sequins Application

2010-11-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

The mission was to complete the poodle skirt in time for Halloween :) I opted for the brilliant plan of making my girls poodle skirts this year for their costumes. Not a bad idea, except that I don't know much about sewing clothing or following a sewing pattern. Thankfully, I have friends that lent me their knowledge and moral support and helped me me complete the skirts. I am looking forward to my next sewing project, it isn't as tough as it looks :)

So, I had the skirts done. I found a poodle applique. I got 1-1/2 yards each of sequin trim from the fabric store. And I got out my bottle of Aleene's Fabric Fusion Permanent Dry Cleanable Fabric Adhesive.

I ironed on the poodle applique, then strung the sequins out in a way I liked. I made a line of Fabric Adhesive exactly where I wanted the sequins to go.

I found it best to work in sections, carefully applying the sequins. I let it dry for a few hours.

And, here they are being put to use! I do have to say, the Fabric Fusion is pretty strong stuff, and I like that it is clear and hides the areas where I added just a bit too much glue. ;) I am pretty sure that sequins is not going anywhere!

Fabric Pumpkins| Fall Inspiration

2010-10-07T20:29:00.000-07:00

I am trying to decide which fall decorations I *NEED* to make.

This one is at the top of my list. Danielle Thompson over at Thompson Family-Life has a really great tutorial for making them... and they don't look all that hard!

Although I love her take with the suprising, non-traditional, vintage-y fabrics... I think I will try finding some more traditional fall fabrics for mine. I am hoping mine come out as cute as hers!

4x4 Wooden Pumpkins|Fall Inspiration

2010-10-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I wanted to start this blog was to be able to keep some of the ideas and inspiration I find all over the web in one place. I happened to see this cute and easy 4x4 pumpkins over at Crafts ReDesigned .

4x4 wood posts, cut to different lengths, and painted orange.
Distressed slightly.
Add wood as the stems and rafia.
So cute.

iLoveToCreate: Decoupaged Fabric Canvases

2010-09-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

As part of my oldest daughter's room revamp, my husband and I created these fabric-covered canvases for her wall. It ended up being sort of Andy Warhol-esque, and I am so happy with how it all turned out and looks on her freshly painted walls!

I started by gathering some supplies...

*fabric that coordinated with her room colors

*4 - 11x14 art canvases from Michaels

*Collage Pauge

*a few foam paint brushes and some paper cups

*I also used a rotary cutter and cutting mat, however you could also use fabric scissors

***(not pictured) stencils of desired artwork, pencil, thin paint brush, and latex paint

Lay out the fabric and canvas, cut a rectangle of fabric larger than the canvas by a few inches. This doesn't need to be precise (I used the rotary cutter), the edges will not be seen on the back.

I grabbed my bottle of Collage Pauge decoupage. In this case I used the matte finish. If you have never used a decoupage product, it is a glue, sealer, and finishing top-coat all in one. Very cool. Very addicting. I find myself looking for items to decoupage. Just saying... you might be seeing a few more projects featured on the blog using this product in the near future.

Paint a generous coat of the decoupage directly onto the canvas.

Place the fabric on top of the decoupaged canvas. Smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles. This product has a tendancy to bubble up, so be aware and smooth out accordingly.

Paint another generous coat (or two) of the decoupage directly on top of the fabric.

Cut in from the corners of the extra fabric to the outer edge of the canvas, then cut straight up the sides. Basically, you need a square cut out from each corner in order to decoupage the fabric to the sides of the canvas.

Gently flip the fabric back and paint the edge of the canvas with the decopauge. Flip the fabric back down and smooth by pulling it tightly around the edge. Seal with another coat of decoupage over the fabric. Repeat around all four sides of the canvas, and then again to the back of the canvas.

*I usually get my fingers pretty sticky at this point. I found that by pulling and smoothing the fabric as tighly as I could around the edges and back I prevented as many wrinkles and bubbles as possible.

Wait until all fabric-covered canvases are dry. I waited at least 24 hours before moving onto the next step.

Find a stencil or object(s) you would like to use as your artwork and trace it onto the dry canvases.

Take a small paintbrush and paint in the traced lines. I found that using latex paint worked far better than using acrylic paint. Also, the decoupage made a great surface for the paint. No bleeding over the lines!

A few shots of the finished products...

And finally, proudly displayed on the wall. Lovingly refered to as 'the Birds' :)

Flash-Frozen Plums

2010-09-26T16:13:00.000-07:00

We have done a good job this summer of taking advantage of the wonderful produce that has been available. We have made a ton of fruit salads, but we have also made an effort to freeze a lot of fruit for later use in smoothies.

In order to keep fruit from sticking together when you freeze it, you are supposed to 'flash freeze' it on cookie sheets for an hour or two and then put it in ziploc-style bags for future use. It is as easy as it looks... just rinse and cut your fruit, then space it out on a cookie sheet and freeze.

[Side note: always label the bags of fruit with what they are and the date they were frozen. Sometimes it is hard to tell how long something has been in the freezer.]

We got a whole box of great plums a few weeks ago and were not going to be able to eat them all before they went bad. John thought it would be a good idea to use the apple wedger to cut them. When he did, they didn't cut all the way through. We were left with great flower of plum which looked really neat on the cookie sheets... so of course I had to snap a few photos. =)

iLoveToCreate: Tie-Dye techniques class

2010-09-12T23:53:00.000-07:00

I am not one to pass up an opportunity to learn new techniques for fun crafts. A month (or so) ago, I was invited to attend a tie-dye class put on by the iLoveToCreate team! I just supplied my own item to dye and used a Tye-dye kit that I had received as part of a give away.

We all layed our kits and items to die out on the table. Here are a few pointers...

A kit is a great way to get most of the supplies you will need: Bottles of powder dye (just add water), Gloves, Rubber Bands, Idea sheet and instructions

A tie-dye kit will make multiple items, there are a variety of items you could create: T-shirts, tanks, dresses, pants, skirts, shorts, swim cover or towels, etc.!

You should plan on having a few extra supplies on hand: Gallon sized plastic bags (Ziploc style); cover or tablecloth to cover your work surface; Apron; Water to dampen items before dyeing

There are a few different techniques we learned about. Here is what I will call the "scrunching" method. (I have no idea what it is really supposed to be called.) Literally, just lay the shirt flat, then SCRUNCH it into a wrinkly little ball by pinching it together in various areas.

Then just squeeze on the dye.

This is more of a "traditional" dyeing technique. Squeeze the shirt into a long snake, tie a number of rubber bands around it tightly.

Use the bottles of dye and squeeze liberally onto the untied portion of the shirt.

Whenever an item is done, place it in a plastic bag. The dye needs to soak for a whole day before being rinsed.

Here is one of the finished, rinsed, and washed shirts I made using a basic tie dye method. I think it came out cute, although next time I will soak it with a little more dye and maybe let it set for 48 hours to make sure the colors stay a little more vibrant.

This is called "Shibori"

You take the item to be dyed and lay it onto a large cardboard tube. Roll the fabric up, around the tube.

Once the item is all rolled around the tube, scrunch the fabric together pushing from the outside in.

For this technique, you need to add your dye to a spray bottle. Spray the dye onto the scrunched fabric.

You will have to gently unroll the item and make sure the sprayed dye is soaking into the fabric. You may have to take the item off the tube and roll it again on the other side.

Pretty cool effect, huh?!!?

These are the great little bottles that come with the tie-dye kits. Save these! You might be able to use them for your next tie-dye project!!!

John's Project: Antique Wheel Light

2010-09-07T22:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is funny how things work out. John had been looking for an old wheel to make into a light fixture for a few weeks, however eBay + shipping was not quite going to fit into our budget. One Saturday we went yard sale shopping and he happened to find this 1930's Ford wheel. The owner had already sold the other 4 for a pretty penny, but he found this one afterward and was looking to get rid of it for the bargain price of $5!! [I didn't get a before photo, but it was covered in rust.]

To remove the rust, John soaked the wheel in 'Evapo-rust' (found at a harware store) for a few hours. He then sealed it with some spray clear coat to prevent any future rust.

He found a round light fixture ($10 at Home Depot) that fit perfectly into the middle of the wheel and secured it with some angle aluminum.

Finally, he cut a piece of textured plastic board to fit the inside of the wheel which diffuses the light slightly and gives a great finishing touch!

Voila! A beautiful antique wheel repurposed into a creative lighting fixture. It now rests (bolted!) on our bedroom plant ledge.

Magnetic Stand, last year's Christmas project

2010-07-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

Last December John and I spent a week making 12 of these nifty little guys to give as gifts to family and friends.

Aren't they cute?

We followed the tutorial here on Shanty2Chic, which has become one of my favorite crafting blogs. We followed pretty much EXACTLY what she did and found everything to be fairly easy except the part where you cut the roofing tin... which was a little more involved than just measuring and cutting. (Check out the tutorial to see what I mean.)

I sent many of them out with a recipe card attached so you could use it in your kitchen as a recipe holder, but I have been using ours as a photo display.

One of my friends attached a monogram letter to the center and has it displayed in her living area, and another has used it to display some inspiration she found in a magazine. So many GREAT ideas!

A friend and I made another similar project from the Shanty2Chic blog, which I will be sharing another day.

iLoveToCreate: Tote Bag Revamp

2010-07-28T00:16:00.000-07:00

I received this little tote bag as a promotional gift, and while I do use Bic razors, I thought that the bag could use a little DAZZLE. Plus, it was a perfect opportunity to try out a few iLoveToCreate products I had gotten.

I gathered some supplies: a pair of tweezers, a Tulip Cordless Heat Setting Tool, and some Tulip Glam It Up! Iron On Crystals.

This was the first time I tried using the Tulip Cordless Heat Setting Tool, and I was so impressed with how well it worked! Just lay the crystals out where you would like them to go. (Using tweezers makes this very easy)

Turn on the Heat Setting tool and press the button. Place the tip of the tool on the top of the crystal and hold it there about 5 seconds for small jewels and 20 seconds for the larger jewels. There is no need to press the tool down hard or anything, it might cause the crystal to move.

Look! The jewels are set perfectly. In fact, I tried picking at them a bit and they did not budge AT ALL!!

Next, I found a Tulip Express Yourself Iron On Applique that fit over the top of the logo I wanted to cover. I lucked out in that it matched the colors of the bag!! These are super easy to use as well...

...simply lay a thin piece of fabric over the applique and iron on for about 30 seconds or so.

Here is the final product... a bag with much more pizzaz! Perfect for a swim towel, some goggles, and a change of clothes for an afternoon at the pool!!