Sunday, December 29, 2019

Wooden Boho Table Runner

I saw several versions of wooden table runners on Pinterest and decided to make one of my own.  Gotta say, I wasn't 100% sold on this project until it was actually done and draped across my striped patio table!  The color, pattern and brightness just made everything on the table POP!  Also, did you know that you can press wood on a Gel Press?  Who knew?!!!  If you're wanting a different look, you could decoupage this runner with family photos or flowers or paint both sides, each with a different pattern.  Draping the tassels on the ends will give you that boho feel instantly, too!  Rethink traditional materials, my crafty friends, and always Make Your Mark!
I mixed my own colors of Unicorn SPiT for this project.  
You can literally make any color you want with this product!
 The funky tassel trim just made this for me!

Watch how to make this here!

 You're cats will love this, too!
Make dinner special!

Monday, December 16, 2019

Tin Can Candles

When I was a kid my dad had a metal work table in our garage with this incredible vice grip that could smash almost anything if you could muster the strength to twist the handle hard enough.  Not sure why, but tin cans were my favorite things to smash.  I have had a long relationship with tin cans and to this day I can't stand to throw them away.  They're perfect for soooo many things AND an excellent upcycle item!  Since many of you are pet parents, use LED tea lights in these candles instead of the real thing and they'll be just as gorgeous.  Reuse and repurpose as much as you can, my wonderful friends, and don't forget to Make Your Mark!
 Already wrapped and given away to my sweet friends
 Use any image you want!
Antique family photos would be a fun choice!
Watch how to make them here!
Links to the products I used HERE
Links to the images I used HERE

Light up your life, possums!

Friday, December 13, 2019

Mermaid Seashell Ornaments

My mom loves seashells.  Seashells are quite exotic to us folks who grew up on the plains in southern Colorado!  On my first trip to the coast I bought her a seashell windchime and countless years later, it still hangs in her bathroom with her collection of other seashell stuff.  While I made these ornaments I thought alot about my mom.  Crafting often gives us the chance to calm our minds and think about the people who mean the most to us.  It's a bit like church, but much more fun (for me)!  Enjoy your creative time, my friends, and don't forget to Make Your Mark!
My mermaid Christmas tree!
You could add even more rhinestones!

Watch how to make them here!

I love the shimmer of Unicorn SPiT Sparkling!
Merry Christmas Ariel!

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Glittery Holiday Dishes

I've seen tons of tutorials on glitter dishes, but none that were dishwasher AND food safe!  A few amazing supplies from DecoArt and a healthy layer of Galaxy Glitter and you'll have the 
GLITTERY-EST dishes in town!  Fill them with cookies to give to friends or add some sparkle to your holiday table!  Check out the video below and don't forget to 
Make Your Mark!
 Imagine them filled with gold foil covered chocolates!
Galaxy Glitter has different size & color flakes...It's soooo glittery!

Watch how to make them here!
 Mix & match all the colors!
Sparkle ON, my friends!

Monday, December 9, 2019

Vintage Mirror Ornaments

There is a 99c store in my area that has a HUGE craft section filled with tons of odds and ends.  Everything from tiny mirrors to funky colorful beads and wood shapes ready for painting & staining.  I finally grabbed some tiny mirrors last year but have been holding on to them for the perfect craft, and when Christmas rolled around I was ready!  Something about the book pages mixed with the light blue & gold remind me of Francois Boucher, the French Rococo painter.  They also feel like they belong on a tree in the late Victorian era, too.  The best part of these ornaments is that they're made from cardboard!  Yup, that's right!  Use what you have, my crafty friends, and don't forget to 
 Make Your Mark!
 One of these would make the perfect gift!
Cheap pearl trim mixed with sparkly cup chain makes a great combo!

Watch how to make them here!
Print on standard copy paper and don't forget to mark your notches!


That's  me at your front door singing carols!  Happy Christmas!

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Loteria Wood Block Ornaments

Lotería is a traditional Mexican game of chance, similar to bingo, but using images on a deck of cards instead of numbered ping pong balls.  More than just being a fun game enjoyed by millions, it's also beautiful!  The images from Loteria have ended up on everything from dishes & tote bags to clothing and jewelry.  Every year I challenge myself to make new set of Loteria ornaments and this year I used wood blocks cut from 2" x 2" pine wood.  It's an easy, economical way to make tons of these for your tree and for your color-appreciating friends!  It's your tree, sweet friends, so decorate it with whatever you want...and don't forget to Make Your Mark!
 A different card on every side!
Add a little bling around the edges to catch the twinkling lights!
Grab a Pattie Wack Tassel Maker HERE!
(You'll be making gorgeous tassels for absolutely everything in no time)

Watch how to make them here!
Print out the LOTERIA images HERE!
Feliz Navidad!

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Paper Tassels

Who doesn't love a tassel?  I have them hanging from every doorknob, from the back of every chair and from every skeleton key in my house.  Yeah, I have a bit of an obsession with them.   You can make tassels with everything from leather to yarn and even paper, like we did here!  Print your paper in gorgeous colors and patterns using your Gel Press and then add a bead to make them POP!  Use what you have, my sweet friends, and don't forget to Make Your Mark!
 Ready for my tree!
Watch how to use a rubber drawer liner to get texture on your Gel Press!

Watch how to make them here!
 Miami colors with a dash of black!
Fan-tassel!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Peter Rabbit Christmas Ornaments

Growing up, our Christmas tree always looked like it was right out of a magazine.  Not because of the amazing job my brothers and I did decorating the lower half of the tree (the only part we could reach) but because our mother would go in later and do her color-coordinated magic! My tree is NOT like my mom's, but more like a kid found every ornament in the closet, got jazzed on too much chocolate milk & Captain Crunch and then went to town.  I make so many ornaments every year that there simply isn't room for them on my tree but I don't care, I find the room!  These Peter Rabbit ornaments will surely have a home this year because they're just too cute.   HERE is everything I used!  Let Christmas bring out the kid in you and don't forget to 
Make Your Mark!
 MacKenzie Childs inspired with a Make Your Mark twist!
 Storybook magic!
Watch how to make them here!
EVERYTHING I used
I love the one with the mallot!
Happy Holidays!  Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Gel Press Paper Ball Ornaments

Over the past year I've become obsessed with making printed papers on my Gel Press.  It's truly easy to create organic color compositions or use the Gel Press Impressables & stencils to create specific patterns like I did with these ornaments.  The BEST thing about the Gel Press is that no two pulls look exactly the same.  You always get wonderful variations and there are endless techniques to try.  Using my simple pattern and a few little beads and baubles, you can make a tree full of these paper ornaments in no time using card stock and acrylic paints in traditional Christmas colors.  I've included the pattern below.  Just print it out in different sizes to get different sized ornaments.  Get crafty this Christmas, my sweet elves, and don't forget to Make Your Mark!
 It's LA so I had to photoshop some snow!
The bells give these light ornaments some needed weight
 Watch how to make them here!
Print in different sizes to make different sized ornaments
Oh, the bells just make this project for me!
Happy! Merry! All that stuff!

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Sparkly Boho Mirror Ornaments

For me, Christmas isn't Christmas without popsicle sticks and glitter!  These ornaments, though kicked up a notch with mirrors and rhinestone chain, reminded me of 2nd grade art class when we got to use tempera paint and huge jars of glitter with wild abandon.  It was truly exciting, especially around each holiday.  Even an upscaled kid's craft can look amazing on your tree, so ask your inner child to help you out (or a niece & nephew) and don't forget to
Make Your Mark!
So much color!  So much fun!
An heavy coating of lacquer and you can keep them outside!
Giving a little life to some winter branches!

Watch how to make them here!

Bo ho ho ho ho!