Wednesday, August 29, 2012

He Crafts She Crafts.....Back to school!

It's been years since I've had to buy school supplies for school, but EVERY year I buy them anyway!  My favorite purchase every early September is the basic composition notebook.  Everywhere I turn they are 99c or LESS and I buy them in bulk.  I use them for everything from writing to idea books. For this week's He Crafts She Crafts Stephenie (www.mycraftyadventures.com) and I gave the basic composition notebook a makeover.
Make sure to hop over to Stephenie's blog and say hello (and leave a comment on her beautiful notebooks) and we'll pick a winner from the comments to receive some goodies!  www.mycraftyadventures.com
SHE CRAFTS:  These are the FANTASTIC creations by Stephenie and hands down she NAILED this project!
Check out how she did it at www.mycraftyadventures.com!
SHE CRAFTS:  Here's a close-up of her Glitterific notebook!
HE CRAFTS:  Black on black lace with gold edged pages........So Chic!
1. Tape off the spine of the notebook with blue painter's tape or masking tape.
2.  Place a sheet of newspaper in between the covers and the paper.
3.  Spray front and back of the notebook with flat black Krylon spray paint.
4.  Open up the cover and spray the sides of the notebook pages with Krylon Metallic Gold spray paint and let dry.
Beautiful!
5.  Cut a piece of lace big enough to cover the front of the notebook.
6.  Lightly coat the lace with some Elmer's Spray Adhesive.
7. Cover the notebook cover with the lace.
8.  Spray the cover with Krylon Crystal Clear Coating.
I can't wait to write in this!
HE CRAFTS:  Use any fabric to change the cover of your notebook!  I chose this fantastic print of the Virgin Mary, but you could use anything print you like.
I made this one using Anime fabric.
1. Pick the fabric and pattern you want and make sure the design looks good on your notebook.
2. Trace the shape of the notebook on your fabric and cut it out.
3.  Paint Minwax Polycrylic Clear Coat over the fabric so that it soaks in.
4.  Let it dry for at least 1/2 hour.
 
5.  Make sure to add the clear coat to the spine!  
6.  Trim off any excess fabric to make it nice and neat.
HE CRAFTS:  I went NUTS on this one with a styrofoam plate and my Spellbinders Embossing machine.  I'm still a bit crafty drunk from it!
1.  Paint your notebook and let dry.
2.  Emboss a styrofoam plate in your Spellbinders embossing machine.
3.  Mount the embossed styrofoam on a piece of wood or some cardboard to create a stamp.
4. Stamp your cover with one color of paint and let dry.
5.  Stamp your cover with another color of paint and let dry.
Make sure to grab a copy of my books for more inspiration.


Tuesday, August 28, 2012

GLITTER BLAST TUESDAY.....Just think of all you can make!

I LOVE my fans!  (Just wanted you to know that)  I've got some great new updates about our bi-monthly contest for Krylon GLITTER BLAST! Our contest used to be JUST Glitter Blast spray paint! But now KRYLON has graciously decided to add a few special pieces to make this the ULTIMATE CRAFT KIT ever! So enjoy Glitter Blast Tuesday!  Here's what you get, and how you can enter (and win):
 All of the colors of Glitter Blast!
 Several colors of Stained Glass Paint!
The amazing Chalkboard paint!
Kadi DeJardin's package from last week.  She photographed it and sent it to us!

The Big Ass Book of Crafts Vol. 2


RULES

1. Share this on your facebook page by pressing share

2. LIKE and COMMENT on the KRYLON FB page that I sent you!

3. SUBSCRIBE to my YOUTUBE PAGE and comment on a video.

4. COMMENT here (on the blog) that you’ve done it AND what your favorite spray paint project is.
5. LIKE The Big Ass Book of Crafts!

Keep an eye out for the winner.  I’ll post it here and on my FB page. It helps if you can leave a way for me to contact you, too! It’s not a rule this week, but subscribe to my blog if you haven’t.  I’d love to have you here!

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Back to school Decoden Pencil Case

Have you been seeing Decoden everywhere?  I have to be honest, I didn't even know about it until the Crafty Chica told me about it and then I saw it EVERYWHERE!  Basically it's using caulking or silicone to "frost" your phone case and then you decorate it with tons of cute tiny stuff.  Not sure if you know this but my niece Ivy is 1/2 Japanese and when she got back from her month stay in Japan this summer she was officially obsessed with Decoden.  Her cousins were all about it and she got hooked.  Who wouldn't?  She insists we decoden every time she visits and seriously, if she could decoden her brother, she would.  
Before the mess making!
Here's what you'll need.  We used earrings, magnetic letters, hair ties, glitter and beads for our decorations.
Here's the HOW-TO video!
This was my practice piece before she came over.
I mixed food coloring in my caulking to give it a pink, frosting look.  
It truly looked good enough to eat.
 Using a cake decorator, squirt it on and then spread it around like you're decorating a cake.
 Add your goodies.
Let everything dry over night.
Ivy with her pencil case (and wanting to make another one immediately)
Make sure to grab a Mark Montano book for tons more ideas!



Friday, August 24, 2012

Fiskars Friday Rocks and Rolls!

Today is our 12th official Fiskars Friday and WOW are we giving away some amazing prizes! Pay special attention to the rules and make sure to enter because as you already know, FISKARS has incredible cutting tools and they might just end up in YOUR craft room!  This contest is bi-monthly so look for our FISKARS FRIDAY banner and make sure to enter.
Not only will you win fabulous Fiskars products, you'll get your own signed copy of
Check out what our first winner (Jennifer Riker) received from Fiskars! 
This is what our winner Donna Harcourt received!
Not bad at all! And what generous prize packages from Fiskars!
Celia Webb's prize package from 3 weeks ago!
This is Sandra Strait's 89 year old mother posing with SOME of Sandra's prize package.  Apparently Sandra's mom decided it was hers!
RULES
1.  LIKE and comment on the Fiskars FB page that I sent you!
http://www.facebook.com/fiskars
2. SHARE on your FB page about the contest.
3.  Leave a comment here letting me know what your favorite Fiskars tool is and I'm pretty sure we can get it in your prize package!
4.  Subscribe to my Youtube page (which you can do when you follow rule #5)
Mark on Youtube Link
5.  Leave a comment on OUR NEWEST video with Fiskars Friday in the comment!  The link above will take you to it.
Good luck everyone!

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Totally tubular.......

These tubular sensations are sure to inspire!  Between the fabric tubes I have around my craft room and all of the paper towel tubes I have from my kitchen, it might just be time to start crafting up a storm with them.  What are your favorite tubular crafts?  I'd love to know!
DIY Brass Sculpture by Fabric Paper Glue.....This rocks!
http://www.fabricpaperglue.com/2012/04/living-room-update-brass-sculpture-diy.html
These tubes make terrific storage for a wino like myself but you could store tons of different things in them!
http://www.casasugar.com/DIY-Mailing-Tube-Wine-Rack-635729
Anastasia Elias works with small cardboard tubes to create beautiful art.  Her site is a MUST!
http://www.anastassia-elias.com/view-album/10
How about these amazing cardboard tube chairs made in 2002!  Recycled with a style that would compliment any modern home. I think this is a terrific project to try.  Maybe with fabric tubes?
http://www.finecomposition.com/the-cardboard-chairs/paper-tube-chair-3/
Peter Gorse made this incredible tube chair.
http://www.ecofriend.com/entry/10-coolest-products-cardboard/
Tom Price Meltdown Chair
This is made with pieces of PVC tubing and is part of a series.
http://www.tom-price.com/Meltdownchair_Thinker_table_1.html