Designer Crafts Connection - Dreams and Wishes

The DCC theme for May is Dreams and Wishes.  There's a little rhyme that keeps popping in my head:  "I wish I may, I wish I might, wish upon a star tonight".  Did I get that right..  It's always fun to make a wish, even if you know it might never come true.

It's my birthday today, so we had a traditional birthday cake (Bavarian Forest) with its traditional candle - the number "8" because it looks like the sign for infinity (but mainly because hubby forgot to get some new ones).  Each year when I blow out the candle I always wish to be around for my next birthday.  I've been pretty lucky so far, but I know that one of these years my luck will run out - hopefully not any time soon.

A couple of years ago my granddaughter "wished" to go to Disney World to see her favourite princesses and Tinkerbell.  Who could resist that, so off we went.  I took tons of photos of course and created this plaque for her room.  Some time later, I had an opportunity to create some projects for Michaels.com and this is one that is currently being featured.  Everything I used was purchased at my local store and you can find the instructions here: http://www.michaels.com/Wish-Upon-A-Star/29074,default,pd.html?cgid=projects-generalcrafts-woodcrafting&start=20
 

It was really quite simple.  I covered the inside of the plaque with scrapbook paper, painted the edge and a small wood star yellow and the letters white then added glitter before gluing them in place.  

The plaque now hangs in her room, witness to the fact the wishes do sometimes come true.  May all your wishes come true too.  Use the "hop forward" on the DCC logo in my sidebar to see what other designers came up with.  Enjoy! Y'all come back now.........

Yours truly,

Julie :)

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!

Hello Kitty!

Hello Kitty - again!  I remember my daughter loved Hello Kitty, when she was little.  There was even a store at the mall totally devoted to this little kitten, then she disappeared......  (the cartoon kitty, not my daughter.... lol)

Well, guess what - she's back in all her former glory and also a little more grown up.  I found some new styles to use for scrapbooking and paper crafting at Michaels a couple of weeks ago and here's the double page layout I made from the Travel Collection:

With a great selection of coordinating patterned papers and embellishments, you can create pages, cards, gift bags and tags, picks, memo clips, magnets and a whole lot more!  You can find everything you need at your local Michaels store and instructions at Michaels.com  http://www.michaels.com/Hello-Kitty-Scrapbook-Layout/33267,default,pd.html?cgid=projects-scrapbooking-pagelayouts-girls&start=1

Enjoy!  Y'all come back now.............

Yours truly,

Julie :)

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!

Slider Bracelets

One of the fun things about being a CHA (Craft & Hobby Assoc.) designer is that you receive new product to review.  An innocuous looking parcel will suddenly appear in your mail box, or on your doorstep and opening it up is like opening a surprise gift.

This month DCC (Designer Craft Connection) bloggers and many other designer bloggers are having an opportunity to play with the new "slider" bracelets and more from Cousin's.  Just look at the goodies that were in my box!  Don't they make you want to play!

Since I've hosted a scrapbook TV show for 14 years, viewers don't think of me as a "jewelry" designer, but I'm here to tell you that I love all kinds of crafts including jewelry making and a whole bunch more!  And honestly, you don't have to be a "jewelry designer" to create with these.  In no time at all I had made 2 leather slider bracelets and a silver one!  All I had to do was slide the charms onto the bands, then attach the closure pieces to each end.  EZPZ Quick'n EZ.  How cool is that!

 

You can find supplies to make your custom bracelets at your local JoAnn's stores throughout the US and there's an instructional video on YouTube  @http://www.cousin.com/slide-bracelet.   You can also find a lot more information and project links on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/CousinCorp/app_137541772984354  

Before you hop over there, don't forget to hop thru the DCC blogs using the blue logo in each designer's sidebar to see the projects we've created.  You can also find them on our Pinterest board.

Enjoy!  Y'all come back now.................

Yours truly,
Julie

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING! 

Smoothfoam Crafts

This month's theme for Designer Crafts Connection is "Handmade Flowers",  plus a challenge to create with things from around the house.  My first thought went to a craft I used to enjoy in the '70s - no that's not a typo, I've been crafting a long time.......  supplies are white bread, white glue and glycerin.  Nice right - you don't even have to go to the craft store!  Okay, here's the rub - it's Easter weekend and I have family visiting from out of town.  I know exactly where my flower samples are, but I need another day or two to find them... oops.  So, I will post photos of samples and my recipe from 1978 in another couple of days.......   In the meantime, I want to share some Smoothfoam projects with you.  Smoothfoam is an amazingly versatile product as witnessed the variety of projects shown below. 

Can you believe all the things you can create with it!  A new project was featured each day on the  Smoothfoam blog during March, which was National Craft month.  There's also a fabulous giveaway worth over $100 if you want to hop on over there. 

Y'all come back and I'll share some flowers I made with bread and glue!  Enjoy!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!

Buttons Galore!

Button, button who's got the button?  Answer:  Buttons Galore and More!  Buttons go waaaaay back in history and have been traditionally used to hold parts of clothing together, but, creativity knows no bounds so with all the amazing button designs at our disposal, buttons have become a staple craft product.  With so many colors and shapes to choose from, there's something for everyone, in fact I'll go as far as to say, a button is one of the most versatile embellishments for all your projects, whatever they may be.

 

As I said in my previous post, March is a very busy month, but the best part is that the first day of Spring always falls in March - the time to think about planting Spring flowers which make everything cheery and bright after a dreary Winter.

This is a very simple idea for an outdoor decoration. It could be used for a rehearsal dinner, a wedding, shower, or a simple table decoration for your patio.   After having decorated for 2 weddings, it's all about simple, believe me.  This table decoration can be made in 5-10 minutes.  All you need are the following supplies, plus scissors and a craft knife:

A small plastic bottle (from the recycling bin), burlap, glue (I used these 3D Glue dots, but a glue gun would work well too), and buttons.  I used a "Bee" button and an orange stitched button.  (The lime green stitched button would have looked really good too.)

Let's get started:

1.  Lay the empty bottle down on a flat surface and carefully cut off the top part with a craft knife, so that the bottle is the same height as the width of the burlap.

2.  Cut a piece of burlap long enough to wrap around the bottle overlapping the ends about 1/2". Glue in place.

3.  Cut a 4" piece of burlap, pinch together at the center then secure with a twist tie for a "bow".  Fray the ends by removing 3-4 strands from each end.

4.  Fray the top of the burlap around the bottle by pulling strands from the edge.  Thread one of these strands up thru a hole from the bottom of a large button, thru the shank of the bee button then down thru a second hole in the large button.  Tie the ends together at the back to secure.

5.  Glue the burlap "bow" to the front of the bottle, then glue the buttons to the center of the bow.  You're done! EZPZ Quick'nEZ.

  

TIP: Take the top part of the bottle (which you cut off), turn it upside down and insert it inside the top of your "vase".  This will act like a "frog" and help hold the flowers in place.  You might also want to fill the bottom with small pebbles to weight it down in case it's a bit windy - after all, it is March!

Here's a quick bonus project:

Everyone seems to be handing out rubber bangles.  They come in all different colors and you can buy them at the party stores and lots of other places too, I'm sure.  My granddaughter loved this one because it was pink.  To jazz it up a bit I stacked some silk flower shapes together with a button on top to make it more secure then sewed them onto the bangle.  It took all of one and half minutes - her smile was priceless!   I even added a self adhesive pearl to the center of the button.  You can also place the decorated band around the metal ring on a mason jar for a quick decoration, then remove it afterwards so the jar is re-usable.....  gotta think ahead!

  

Using the blue, DCC logo in the sidebar you can hop forward thru Designer Crafts Connection blogs for more ideas.  You can also visit the Buttons Galore blog for more designer ideas and details of the PRIZES to be won!  Enjoy!  Y'all come back now........

Yours truly,

Julie :)

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!

Fabscraps

It's been 4 weeks since my last post - what can I say..... February was SO busy, I barely had time to go grocery shopping!  March is turning out to be almost as busy......  It's National Craft Month, St. Patrick's day is on the 17th, March 21st is the first day of Spring and it's Easter Sunday on the 31st!  It's also that horrible month when we turn the clocks forward and lose an hour!  On the "Good News" front, DCC has a fabulous giveaway (details below) and a challenge hop showcasing product from Buttons Galore which starts on March 9th...

Many of our DCC bloggers are also members of the Smoothfoam Creativity team and their projects are being featured every day during the month of March on the Smoothfoam blog!  There's a giveaway there too - $100 worth of Smoothfoam product - so be sure to check it out.

Now, here are the details on the DCC giveaway:  You may remember that at the end of the last show on Scrapbook Soup series 100, I showed a fabulous "purse" album from Fabscraps.  You can view the video here: http://youtu.be/-OZjx6Yhmg0   

 

Our viewers just loved it, so we've put together a very special giveaway - ALL the product you will need to make this adorable album, including the flowers.

One lucky winner will receive everything pictured above:  album, papers, paper roses pad, tags and even adhesive.  To enter to win, hop through the DCC blogs and leave a comment on the blogs featuring your favorite technique, or a technique you can't wait to try, then let me know which ones they are by commenting here on my blog.  I'll be picking a winner at the end of March, so don't forget to check back.  Good Luck! 

Yours truly,
Julie :)

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!

For the Love of Crafts

It's First Monday for Designer Crafts Connection bloggers and our theme this month is "Love is Handmade".  Instead of a project, I thought I'd share a little about me and my love of crafts.

Decorative painting, sewing, card making, knitting, cake decorating, gardening, scrapbooking and jewelry making. These are just a few of the many creative things people do; not to be creative necessarily, but simply for the pure enjoyment of the process and the great feeling of accomplishment when, whatever you have made, is finished.

I have always loved making things. My father taught me to draw and paint and my mum taught me how to sew, tat (with a shuttle), smock, bake and decorate cakes. I learned to knit and crochet from my grandmothers and the importance of fallen leaves and manure for the roses my grandfather lovingly tended in his garden.  One of my earliest crafting memories is sitting at a card table with my mum in front of a roaring fire making Christmas cards with old brown stencils and only 3 colors of paint. I also remember helping my parents make the most beautiful crêpe paper flowers, but most of all I remember the FUN we used to have together.

The best thing about crafting is that there are no rules. There are tools to master and techniques to learn, to be sure, but creativity is a very personal thing and there is always something very special about anything that someone has made themselves – it’s all about the main ingredient – the LOVE that went into it.  If you’re already a mother, or grandmother, you’ll know how special it is when you’re presented with something your children have lovingly created, just for you, no matter what it may be.  My daughter made this dish from clay when she was about 8 yrs old.  For the past 30 years it has had a special place on either my kitchen desk or the windowsill, where I can see it every day.  The most special thing about the dish, other than the fact that she made it, is the way she created the roses.  We had watched a TV program a few weeks earlier about the artists who made exquisite china flowers for Royal Dalton.  Later we made some bread dough and tried the techniques ourselves.  Jennie had obviously remembered these techniques when she fashioned the clay roses that decorate the top of the dish.

Mum passed away a few years ago so my sister and I went home to England to take care of the house, etc.  Mum treasured everything, but we were still surprised to find a virtual treasure trove of the gifts we had made for her over the years.  I keep everything my children and grand children have made me too......   the love and thoughtfulness that comes with each and every piece is PRICELESS.  Take time to be creative with family and friends; you'll be glad you did. Y'all come back now!

Yours truly,
Julie  :)

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!

Dallas Market 2013

Seriously, can life get any busier - rhetorical question, of course......    Last Monday I made my bi-annual trip to the Dallas Gift market.  It's good to see what will be coming to the gift stores in a few months and to check to see if there's anything new.  Soft vintage, naturals, retro and collegiate were pretty much everywhere and traditional Christmas colors of red, green, white and silver & gold still prevail.  I may be wrong, but it seems like there's a yearning for the "good old days" when life wasn't quite so complicated and definitely less stressful.

Here are photos of displays in some of the larger, popular showrooms, so grab a cuppa tea, put your feet up, sit back and enjoy!

Not sure what's going on with blogger, but the rest of my photos are vertical and they keep loading sideways...  I'll try loading again, so y'all come back now!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!

CHA Winter 2013

I'm back from CHA with a flash card full of photos from the show!  Hopefully they'll give you a taste of what it was like to be there.  First of all here are the big CHA winners!

Katy Sue designs won the CHA New Product Innovation award for 2013

and Spellbinders Paper Arts won the Attendees Choice award for best new product.

There is so much creativity and innovation at the show, voting for the best is not an easy task.  We're not allowed to photograph all the new products displayed in the Innovations showcase, but the "Hot 20" are shown in my previous post.

Now let's get to the show floor.  This is what you see when you first walk in: 

First stop was where the crowd gathering to see Cathy & Steve's new product, Mod Melts at the Plaid booth.

After that I headed to the far end of the hall and started to walk, taking photos of displays and friends I met along the way.  There's a bunch to see, so grab a cup of tea, coffee, or whatever, sit back, put your feet up and enjoy your visit to CHA!

 

Holly Simone at Spellbinders demonstrating their new mixed media line using Ice Resin.  Check out Holly's ring shown below.

Here's Beth Watson demonstrating at one of the exhibitor booths.

 

 

Jan Mollett Evans shows how to use a new hot tool and encaustic paint, one of the new "Hot 20" products.

Cindi Bisson demoing Ice Resin.

Believe it or not, this heart was made from a glue stick!  One of those "oldie but goodie" techniques seen in more than one booth on the show floor. 

 

 

 

 

Here's Johanthan Fong browsing one of the booths and here's Ana Araujo (Where Creativity Knocks) signing copies of her new book for fans.

 

Theresa Cifali was demoing for Impress Arts and here she's seen with Johanthan Fong and Gail Green.

 

This is the new Artisan Xplorer, a small, high pressure die cutting machine for Spellbinders' mixed media program.

Love these trinkets by Darcie Hunter, a shrink art program.

Tim Holtz, always busy, always creative.... in the Ranger booth.  Below is one of his shadow box projects and below that, a fun new surface to play with when you have "time"....

Here's Julie Fei Fan Balzer demoing her stencils for Crafters' Workshop.

Here's Sue at the Flower Soft booth proudly displaying her new Innovations award.  (Katy Sue designs also founded Flower Soft.)

Ken Oliver in action above and that's me with Michelle Frae Cummins.

The glamorous Cindy Farneth Alexander - Stacey Caron's sister and me posing for a photo op with Ken.

Spellbinders was definitely the gathering place for lots of friends.  Here's Candice Windham.

and me and Stacey.

Here's Heidi Borchers, Starr, Julianna Hudgins and Tiffany Windsor checking out Julianna's beading loom at the Beadalon booth.

By the time Tuesday came around I was definitely "dragon".  The flight home was cancelled due, believe it or not,  to ice and snow in Dallas so my friend, Jean Kievlan and I took a quick side visit to Downtown Disney before heading to the airport to catch a later flight back home.

Got home last night a little after midnight and it was good to sleep in my own bed.  Today I'm being totally lazy....   I enjoyed a good cuppa tea this morning, but haven't even started to unpack.  Tomorrow will be soon enough.

Hope you enjoyed your quick visit to CHA.  Y'all come back now.........

Yours truly,
Julie :)

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!