Life in the Craft Lane

Designer Crafts Blog Ring

2012-02-07T06:45:00.000-08:00

If you get "stuck" while hopping forward, click "DC Connection" which is right above "Hop Back" and "Hop Forward". This will take you to a list of all the participating designer bloggers in the same order as the ring. Simply click the next blog on the list......... Now keep on hopping to see all our CHA photos and reports. You can also see lots more photos from CHA Designers on Pinterest. Y'all come back now.....

Yours truly,
Julie :)

CHA Winter Trade Show - 2012

2012-02-05T22:29:00.000-08:00

Here at last are photos from the trade show floor. Enjoy!

No matter how many photos I take of the displays on the show floor, it's impossible to convey the magnitude of the creativity seen at every turn. To say that it's overwhelming is a gross understatement. Styles are as varied as the designers who create for the manufacturers - from cute and whimsical to shabby chic and vintage, artsy and traditional all represented in paper crafts, yarn, fabric, jewelry, wood and more. You can check out even more photos from the show on Pinterest.

If you could pick one product from the Top 20 most Innovative Products for Winter 2012, what would it be? Comment here and you might just be the lucky winner of a box of samples I brought back from the show! See the list of products on an earlier post this week. Y'all come back now......

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Celebrity Sightings - CHA Winter 2012

2012-02-04T12:52:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons designers like going to CHA so much is that it's a great time to get together and catch up. Here are a few candid shots I took while walking the show floor. You'll recognize many of them as being members of the Designer Crafts Blog Connection.

Here they are, in no particular order: Jenny Barnett Rohrs - CraftTestDummies (check the link in my sidebar), Patty Wack - I Love to Create, Wendy Russell - She's Crafty on ION Life TV channel and Terri "O", CHA Spokesperson.

Michelle Cummins - Faerie Dust Dreams

Theresa Cifali - Mixed Media Artist demoing at the Impress Metal Stamps booth.

Ann Butler, Kerry Goulder - Kid Giddy and Jill McKay

And here they are again with Marisa Pawelko - this year's Horizon Award winner.

Here I am with fellow Brits, Julie and Sue. Don't you just love those T-Shirts!!

And here's Mark Lee with more Brits at the Flower Soft booth.

"Here we are again, happy as can be, all good friends in very good company"

Jen Goode - J Goode Designs in her booth in the License and Design section.

And Carla Schauer next door......

Ann Butler demoing at the Makins Clay booth

and here's Victor Domine helping the Purple Cow keep things "mooving"....

Candice Windham caught in the act, oops, I mean aisle...

with Beth Watson close behind.

Here I am at the EK Success booth with an old friend, Carol Snyder.

And here's "Jewels", Julianna Hudgins both coming

and going..... check out that "bling"

Tiffany Windsor - Cool2Craft online TV Show seen here at the Innovations Media event, demoing her new product Cool2Cast. I have to say, everything Tiffany does is always "cool".

Debra Quartermain at her booth in the License & Design section

I caught up with Terre Fry at the Spellbinders booth

and last, but not least Babyville Boutique creator, Jean Kievlan with Laura and Gwen
from Prym Dritz at the Innovations Media event.

I saw lots more friends, but didn't always remember to whip out the camera - sorry! I did get lots of photos of the booth displays though and I'll be posting those Monday! Plus I'll be giving away some of the new products you've been hearing about....... y'all come back!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

CHA Innovations Winner!

2012-02-03T13:31:00.000-08:00

Shoe Attitude, tattoos for shoes, won the top award for innovative new product at the CHA show this week. Runners up were Cool2Cast and the Knook, the knitting needle crochet hook from Leisure Arts.

I have some great photos from the trade show floor to post, but just got back so look for them on Feb 6th, First Monday. I also brought some of the new products for a Giveaway, so y'all come back now..........

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Innovations Sneak Peak

2012-01-28T22:38:00.000-08:00

About 100 new products were entered for the Innovations award this year. 20 of these were selected as the "Hot New Products" and the manufacturers set up their displays and demos for judging. Each representative had 60 seconds to promote their product, then judges and attendees had an opportunity to see, touch and watch demos. Here they are in alphabetical order:

Babyville Boutique. A sewing program for environmentally conscious moms who need specialty fabric for making diaper covers. The program includes coordinating snaps and snap tool, fold over elastic, appliqués and more.

Flower Me with Candy: An easy way to make realistic looking edible flowers with candy.

Sullivans Clear Rulers: That sharpens the rotary blades as you cut......

Send it Clear from Clear Scraps: One of a kind clear card kit with USPS approved envelope.

Embosser from Craftwell: Electric die cutter and embosser.

Cool2Cast from Yaley Enterprises: Developed by Tiffany Windsor this is a new, air dry fiber plaster.

Copper Color Me from Hot off the Press: Custom color your own embossed papers with mists, chalk and more.

Dazzu Light Craft Studio: Especially for kids, this kit contains programmable, interactive lights plus all the materials needed to create a one-of-akind, unique projects. Such a fun way to bling.....

Diamond Head Tacks (for Home Dec): Upholstery tacks with interchangeable heads.

Crafty Bands from Epiphany Crafts: Create unique custom charm jewelry for kids!

Eco Crayons: Saving the world one color at a time! In recyclable packaging.....

Fringe in a Flash Multi-Blade Rotary Cutter from June Tailor: The perfect tool for cutting fringes.

The Knook by Leisure Arts and knit with a crochet hook!

USB Power Glue: When the power fails, use your laptop battery power to use this glue gun.

Shoe Attitude: Print images on Kodak shoe art film then use a special adhesive to apply to shoes.

Prima Press: Use individual letters to create your own sayings, etc. It's like having your own mini print press.

Craft Geek Pin It by Purple Cows: Pin it anywhere with this new tool.

Tulip Screen It, All-in-1 Screen Printing System.

The show opens tomorrow, so lots more photos to come so y'all come back now.......

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Making Faces

2012-01-21T23:04:00.000-08:00

I've seen tons of artwork lately featuring faces, so thought I'd pass on a little insight to those of you who might want to give it a try. Drawing and painting faces is easy as long as you're not trying to create an exact portrait. Use the camera for that....... Here are some basic guidelines to get you started then it's just a matter of practicing.

I created these steps on the computer, so the face looks "cartoony", but when you use a pencil it'll have a more whimsical look. If you want this type of look however, use a stencil with graduated ovals and circles as your guide and simply trace the shapes you need. Look closely at the eyes, nose and mouth, they're all combinations of parts of circles and ovals. Okay, here goes:

Step 1. Start with an oval for the head. Don't be afraid to freehand. The outline of the head doesn't have to be exact - you'll be adding hair to cover up any imperfections.

Step 2. Divide the oval into 4 equal sections by lightly drawing a line down the center from top to bottom and across the center from side to side.

Step 3. Eyes are usually half way between the top of the head and the chin; the nose is half way between the eyes and the chin and the mouth is halfway between the nose and the chin. Mark the placement for these with a short horizontal line, or just visualize where the features will be.

Step 4. Sketch in the eyes, nose and mouth. They don't have to be exact. After all, no two faces are exactly the same.

Step 5. Add color using watercolors, water color pencils, chalks, paint, etc. The eyes are white with black pupils. Add a light coat of blue around each pupil and a white highlight on top. Color the lips and shade the cheeks. You can even use powder blush for the cheek color. Apply with a sponge applicator from your make-up drawer, a cotton swab, or even a soft make-up brush. Don't forget to keep it simple. The secret to adding cheek color, is to start at the center then swirl the applicator in a circular direction, moving outwards. You can even use your own powdered eye make-up to add accents and highlights to the eyes. And don't forget some black "swooshes" for eye lashes.

Step 6. Add hair. It can be straight or curly, with bangs or without, whatever you like. Look through the ads in magazines for inspiration.

All you have to do now is pick up a pencil and start sketching and please don't be afraid to use an eraser, or, as we say in the UK a "rubber"...........LOL! Enjoy! Y'all come back now......

Yours truly,
Julie :)

First Monday Projects! Journaling

2012-01-08T20:55:00.000-08:00

Over the past, dare I say, 20 years or so, I've been designing inspirational and technique based projects for manufacturers, books and magazines based on the products I've been given to work with. I sincerely love what I do, but a few months ago someone asked me what I liked to do for me. Surprisingly enough, I had to actually stop and think........... and it was kind of an eye opener. I like to paint and I like to draw, but realized I've done very little of either one for quite some time. I'm always doodling, the down and dirty kind of doodling as I talk on the phone, or get bored in a meeting - oops - don't tell, and I'm always playing with markers.

I've always loved to draw. As a little girl I remember saving up pocket money to buy colored pencils at the University bookstore and used to fill book after book with drawings of fairies and little girls in Victorian style dresses. Wide eyed damsels of the fairy tale kind flowed from my pencils like Niagara falls together with a whole army of popular cartoon characters. I even wrote poems to go along with them. Then one day it happened, I became a teenager and graduated to covering school jotters with things like "John", "Paul", "George" and "Ringo". That was in the early '60s.

I'm sure you've seen and read a lot about "Art Journals" over the past few years or so, but anything that requires a commitment is not for me. I rebel against doing anything I HAVE to do. I have to WANT to do something, plus there has to be a good reason to do it. Other than marriage, the only thing I'm committed to at this time in my life, is getting out of bed in the mornings and going to bed at night......LOL As I said goodbye to 2011 however, and hello to 2012, I started to think it might be fun to do some, what I will call "Freestyle Journaling". My daughter bought me a journal (because it had London on the cover) for Christmas and I decided that instead of scribbling on odd bits of paper and the backs of envelopes here, there and everywhere, I would at least try to keep thoughts, ideas and doodles together in one place. So here's today's musings. Probably the only thing I will share, because this is only for me........

This kind of journaling may not appeal to you, and that's okay...... It's like any creative endeavor, it's very personal - no rules - just fun! Enjoy whatever you do - that's the whole point. Look for more ideas by clicking "hop forward" on the Designer Crafts Connection logo in my sidebar on the left. If you keep hopping you'll end up back here with a whole bunch of new ideas and inspiration. Y'all come back now...........

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Twelfth Night!

2012-01-07T17:54:00.000-08:00

January 6th is "Twelfth Night", the day we traditionally take down Christmas decorations in England. It's also Epiphany and, like December 6th in some European countries, January 6th is the day children in Mexico and South American countries receive gifts acknowledging the day the 3 Kings arrived in Bethlehem with their gifts for the baby Jesus. My mum always said it was bad luck to leave our decorations up after the 6th, so I guess I'm in for a rough year - I didn't get it done yesterday. They're down today though. Hopefully that will count for something. Garlands and wreaths are now piled up on the table ready to be stored and all the ornaments are lovingly and carefully packed away in their appropriate boxes. The house looks so bare without the brightly lit tree by the fireplace, but Baby Jesus is still in his manger on the end table. As my granddaughter reminded me, we don't put away Jesus just because Christmas is over. Not her words exactly, but you'll understand if you read the story in the earlier post below.......

So what now... it's a New Year and another 12 months of new possibilities. Psychologically we seem to look at the New Year as time to start over, hence the making of New Year resolutions, basically setting new goals. Many of them get broken, as quickly as they're made, but thinking about changes and setting new goals is always - dare I say, fun...... No? Well let's make it fun. The first step is to find a some kind of a notebook, journal or whatever inspires you. The title is "New Year Resolutions" and on the first page you'll write 2012 and the list of what you would like to do this year, your goals and dreams. Cut pictures from magazines, sayings from books, etc anything you like. Add things as you think of them, but don't stress about it. As the days, weeks and months fly by, you'll probably find you'll set your Resolutions Journal aside and totally forget about it, but that's okay. The important thing will be to keep it in a place where you can find it next year and start a new page with 2013. You'll probably look back over the things you wrote for 2012 and you'll be able to do this each year you keep it up. Just think how interesting it will be ten, or more years from now. I've never been disciplined enough to write in a diary, or keep up with an Art Journal every day, so having the freedom to write odd notes whenever I feel like doing it is fun. Sometimes I'll write, or doodle on odd scraps of paper and "Post It" notes and all I have to do is glue them on a page in my book. I even include photos, postcards, my grandchildren's drawings and so much more - whatever I want. It's an original scrapbook - little bits of everything a totally unrefined, unartistic mish mash of just plain stuff with no rules and no restrictions. I love it...... you might want to try it too.

The theme for the Designer Crafts Connection first Monday project this month is "Journaling". You'll find even more ideas then, so......y'all come back now!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Scrapbook Soup TV Show Now Online!

2012-01-03T14:56:00.000-08:00

You can now watch the new series of Scrapbook Soup online starting this Saturday, January 7th, noon-5pm EST. Check it out at www.scrapbooksouptv.com. See ya there!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

First Monday Projects!

2012-01-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

Designer Crafts Connection usually posts projects on the First Monday of each month. Since today is January 2nd, we'll be posting next week instead. Our theme is journaling. Y'all come back now!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T20:47:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that it's almost 2012. 2011 passed by so quickly, I'm still looking for the brake pedal. The years are picking up way too much speed as they continue to fly by on a far too regular basis. I've said for years, that we don't start to age until we have children then when grandchildren enter the picture, it's a definite wake up call. I tend to take things day by day, but have discovered that if I don't start to plan now what I want to do "when I grow up", it's not going to get done because eventually I will run out of time. Not really, but I still want to be young enough to enjoy what I want to do with the rest of my life. I'm not trying to say that I think I'm old, but once the OAP stage is reached, it's a slippery slope indeed.

So what's in my plans for 2012 - I don't make New Year's resolutions any more, because I don't like the guilt trip when I break them, but I do pull out the calendar on the 31st. CHA comes first at the end of January..... oh no! It's only 3 weeks away, how did that happen! I have SO much prep work - I'm teaching a seminar and also have to pull my showcase together. Gotta get going, I s'pose......... but maybe I can wait till next year. Enjoy the final hour(s) of 2011 and y'all come back now - next year! Have a good one!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Christmas Traditions

2011-12-28T08:45:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. It's my favorite day of the year. There's nothing better than getting together with friends and family to share good food and cheer.

We do the same things every year, so I suppose these would be our family Christmas traditions. We always have turkey, brussels sprouts, dressing, mashed potatoes etc and Christmas crackers just like we did in England. Another of our traditions involves a manger scene. It's only a small one - Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus in his manger. The manger remains empty however, until Christmas day which is when we put the baby in the manger. I never realized what an impression this made on my 2 year old granddaughter until last Spring when she suddenly asked "where's Jesus?" "He's in heaven watching over us", was my reply. "No he's not!" she said, "he was right there!" and she pointed at the small side table where we always put our manger scene. Of course, I had to rescue baby Jesus from the cupboard and now he is with us all the time. I love the way children think........ The story reminds of the words of song by Larnelle Harris. As the dad is packing up and putting away all the Christmas decorations, his son asks "do we put away Jesus too?" With all the hustle and bustle, it's easy to forget the reason for the season.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday - y'all come back in the New Year!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

It's Christmas! Fun Facts & Last Minute Crafts

2011-12-19T08:51:00.000-08:00

Christmas is traditionally a very "crafty" month, but it's also one of the busiest and I have to admit that I have actually bought Christmas ornaments, ready made decorations and cookies...... For some reason it makes me feel really guilty, but I'd rather be stress free to enjoy the fun than overwhelmed with SO much to do, because when all said and done, it's still my favourite time of year.

Did you know that Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas in Great Britain back in the 17th century? The ban didn't last long and neither did he. People love a reason to celebrate, whatever the occasion. The Christmas season officially stretches from December 25th thru January 6th, which is known in England as Twelfth Night. This is the day we take down all our Christmas decorations. Celebrations however, can start as early as the first Sunday in Advent and are as varied as the countries that celebrate them. Father Christmas has been the traditional Christmas figure in England since the 15th century whereas the American Santa Claus is based on the Dutch St. Nicholas from the 4th century. In some European countries, St. Nicholas still fills the children's shoes with gifts on December 6th instead of the 25th. Here in the US we start to decorate Christmas soon after Thanksgiving, but in Germany the Krist Kind (Christ Child) decorates the tree on Christmas Eve - that's one very organized guy. After he's finished he rings a bell and the children rush into the room. Traditions also vary not just from country to country, but also from area to area within a country! In England, Father Christmas is treated to a glass of sherry and a mince pie in appreciation for bringing presents - that's probably why he's so jolly and has a red nose...LOL, whereas the American Santa only gets milk and cookies - bah humbug....

Since we've always been a "crafty" family, we still make a lot of our own ornaments for the tree. The very first Christmas tree after our daughter was born was covered in Raggedy Ann and Andys made from bread & salt dough and painted with bright colors. We also added garlands of popcorn, which lasted quite a few years. My favorite ornaments (I still make them) are the ones we make from wax.

I melt leftover candles in a double boiler. While the wax is melting, I place an assortment of plastic cookie cutters onto a baking sheet covered with wax paper. Using a metal ladle, I gently fill each cookie cutter with wax - about 3/8" deep. Once the wax has hardened, the cookies will easily pop away from the sides. Don't worry if some of them crack, or break, just pop the pieces back in the double boiler and melt again! To add a hanger, thread silver or gold thread onto a tapestry needle. Heat the tip of the needle in a candle flame, then push gently through the top of the ornament. Cut the thread then knot the ends together. Candy molds are also great for making ornaments (see the angel). Allow the wax to set (you can place in the freezer for a few minutes) then tap the mold sharply to release the shape. Ta dah - they're finished! Doesn't it feel great to recyle AND be crafty at the same time.....

Please note, this is an adult craft and not recommended for young children.

Here's another one for you.

These little gift boxes were made from old cards. The front of the card is the top of the box and the back of the card is the bottom, with the verse inside. Score a line all the way around the card about 1" from the edge. (Both pieces.) Make sure the lines go from edge to edge so they cross at each corner. Cut along one scored line from the outside edge to the point where the lines cross at each corner to create a tab. Fold the sides inwards. Glue the tabs in place to create the box shape.

Embellish with ribbon, jewels, charms - anything at all! Now you can make a set of wax ornaments then place them in a gift box for a great gift! Enjoy! Y'all come back now......

Yours truly,

Julie :)

Basic Christmas Crafts

2011-12-11T22:10:00.000-08:00

I love working with small wood shapes. I love to draw and maybe that's why..... everything is made up of basic shapes - circles, squares, hearts, ovals, etc and these can be combined into all sorts of things. Check out these simple projects. All you need are some basic wood shapes, acrylic paint, a paintbrush and some glue. You can find instructions for these projects and more at michaels.com

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

Yours truly,
Julie :)

The Adventures of Sock Monkey continue......

2011-12-07T17:00:00.000-08:00

"In the meadow we can build a snowman....." if we only had some snow.

"I can fly, I can fly", if I only knew where the accelerator was.......

Hmmm... not the kind of deer I was dreaming about.....

I hope you noticed I now have a tulle skirt under my silver tutu. I also do all my own stunts.

Y'all come back now,

Yours truly,

Julie :)

Sock (Monkey) Hop

2011-12-05T00:06:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it's already December and today is First Monday - time for another blog hop and giveaway! This month's giveaway is sponsored by When Creativity Knocks an online craft TV show.

As you hop thru the Designer Craft Connection blogs, you'll see we've been "monkeying" around this month. Take a look at what my little monkey has been up to - obviously inspired by Christmas decorating:

This little monkey thinks she's a fairy.... she must be from England, where fairies help Father Christmas and often sit on top of the Christmas tree. She has white feather wings and a "tutu" skirt from gathered wired ribbon - EZ PZ.

Sock Monkeys have been around for a long time and you only have to visit your local Cracker Barrel country store and restaurant to see that they are inundating our Christmas festivities this year. Making your own is a simple task.

You can find the original socks at Fox River Red Heel Sox

An adorable Sock Monkey rubber stamp at Judikins

Custom color your sox with a variety of colors of RIT Dye and

You can also enter to win

• WKC Video book, Sock Monkey Goes BanAnas

• A Sock Monkey body, pre-sewn, ready to stuff

• One pair of the original Rockford Red Heel Sox

• Button eyes, needle, floss and stuffing

a prize package worth over $40!

Here's what you do:

• Go to http://www.whencreativityknocks.com/ website

• In the Member Log in box click: Create An Account

• Entry Code: Sock Monkey

There is also a discount coupon to purchase the WCK VideoBook: Sock Monkey Goes BanAnas.

We had a blast monkeying around this month - I wonder what else these monkeys will be up to..... y'all come back now.

Yours truly,

Julie :)

4 Weeks and Counting!

2011-11-28T15:53:00.000-08:00

Just got back from a wonderful week in PA. The weather was gorgeous and it was nice to just get away and be "uncrafty" for a while. Most of the time anyway. We helped my son and his wife decorate for Christmas; the guys did the outside and the girls took care of the inside. We trimmed the staircase with garland then added these decorations between the swags. Nothing new, I know - but they're easy to make and are a great accent for all kinds of things.

We used plastic balls - just in case one dropped, plus they're not as expensive as the glass ones. To make the "balls", just thread each ball onto thin wire, (8-12 depending how big you want the cluster to be), then pull the ends of the wire together. Twist together to secure then thread narrow ribbon through the center of the balls. Attach the ends to a bow at the top and you're done!

The cluster hanging from the light fixture was made a little differently. We threaded narrow ribbon thru the top of each ball then gathered the ends of the ribbon together, varying the lengths. Adjust as necessary. When it looks okay, wrap the ends of the ribbon with wire to secure then attach to the base of the light fixture. Add a large bow to the top if you like. We had a ball making these; hope you do too! Enjoy! Y'all come back now............

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

2011-11-20T21:03:00.000-08:00

Visiting my son and his wife for Thanksgiving this year, so I've been tying up some loose ends this week, prepping a big job for when I come back and reminding myself that Christmas day is now only 5 weeks away! Oh my.... it's a scary thought. Not sure why it is, but I never feel "ready" for Christmas. But it comes whether I'm ready or not and each year I try to slow down, so I can really enjoy the fun and joy of this special time of year.

I love everything about Christmas - the decorations, the music, but having the family together is the best gift of all. I also indulge in lots of memories of all the Christmases past and enjoy every last second. So take time to smell the turkey cooking next Thursday, eat waaay too much, savor the moment and get in the holiday spirit. Cheers! Y'all come back now..........

BTW: See post below and don't forget to post your ideas about the Flip-Pal™; it's flippin' awesome!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Christmas List

2011-11-15T10:18:00.000-08:00

I started on my Christmas list early this year and right at the top is a Flip-Pal™ Mobile Scanner. It's a small hand held, battery operated scanner that you take to your project! I first saw this at the CHA Trade show over a year ago, then Flip-Pal sponsored a segment on "Scrapbook Soup", so I got to see it in use, up close and personal. Check out this video:

There are so many ways to use this handy dandy scanner. I have an old, really old photograph album my dad put together in the '40s and I can use the scanner to copy photos without having to try and remove them. The other thing I like is that I have some antique books with beautiful color plates. I can now scan these without damaging the book itself. Please note: When scanning images, patterns, etc unless they are your own artwork, or designs, you may not use them for any kind of commercial purposes, or personal gain. Images are protected by copyright laws and are the intellectual property of the person who created them. Just so you know, I have also signed up to become a Flip-Pal™ Affiliate, which means that if you click on the Flip-Pal™ logo in my sidebar and purchase a unit, I will receive a small commission from the sale. This amount goes into the account I use to pay to ship the giveaways I sponsor throughout the year.

Talking of giveaways, if you hop round the Designer Crafts Connection, you'll notice there are a number of projects that were created using a Flip-Pal and ideas for even more projects. Here's a challenge for you - How would you use a Flip-Pal™? Share your creative ideas and you could win a Flip-Pal™!!!!!

http://bit.ly/vFLWv0

To submit your “Scan & Share” ideas, click here. The blog hop follower who comes up with the most creative and productive ideas using a Flip-Pal™ mobile scanner will win their very own Flip-Pal™. The winner will be announced on December 15th. Good luck! Y'all come back now.......

Yours truly,

Julie :)

Giveaway Winner!

2011-11-08T15:14:00.000-08:00

There are 40 designers linked in the Designer Crafts Blog Connection. 27 of us also participated in the Sizzix Fresh Vintage Blog Hop. So, drum roll please

Jengd AND

Pamela Jane AND

ScrappySuZQ

are all winners!

Jengd guessed correctly, but one of our designers removed the Fresh Vintage hop logo from her blog, so Pamela Jane and ScrappySuZQ were also correct with 26. I would like to send each of you something too - there's no way I can pick only one winner when 3 of you were correct.

I have email addresses for jengd and Pamela Jane from the comments. Scrappy, please email your address to me julie@juliemcguffee.com no later than November 11th.

Don't forget you can still win a Sizzix Sidekick and 2 sets of Sizzlets Alphabet dies. Details are posted below.

Y'all come back now!

Yours truly,

Julie :)

First Monday!

2011-11-06T20:42:00.000-08:00

It's "First Monday" and this month our theme is "Holidays". Before I share my project, there's a couple of things you'll want to know:

1. Check out my Scoreboard Die Caddy project. There's a Giveaway and if you haven't already entered you can do so until midnight tonight, Nov 7th. The winner will be announced tomorrow, Nov 8th.

2. Designer Crafts Connection now has a Facebook Page @ https://www.facebook.com/DesignerCraftsConnection LIKE our NEW Designer Crafts Connection Page on Facebook so you'll learn about our challenges, giveaways, and announcements. Don't forget to share with your Facebook friends so they can join in the fun.

Now here are my Holiday projects:

You'll find specific instructions for these projects in Spellbinders® Nestabilities® Basic & Beyond book, but I think you can see how they're made by looking at these photos. There may be a couple of things about the tree that aren't quite obvious. I used a spool of green thread for the base and glued a dowel into the hole. The cones were made using three sizes (sm, med & large) of Nestabilities® Scalloped Circles. To make the cone, cut from the outer edge to the center then overlap the edges to form the cone shape. Before placing the large cone over the dowel, place a 2" piece of a clear drinking straw over the dowel first. This will stop the cone from falling to the bottom of the dowel. Separate the medium and small circles in the same manner with cut pieces of the drinking straw. I used glitter card stock for the die cut circles. Nothing says "Holidays" like lots of "bling".

Since it is the beginning of the holiday season, I also have another giveaway for you:

A Sizzix Sidekick and two sets of Alphabet Sizzlets, "Girls are Weird" and "Script". To enter to win, check each project in the DCC webring as you hop around and note how many designers used a die cut shape on their project. It can be any die cut shape. Write your answer here, in the comments section, then check back November 16th to see if you're a winner! And, guess what, there'll be another giveaway!!! Like I said, it's the holiday season, so there are 3 giveaways this month and, of course, there'll be one in December. So, don't forget to "like" our FB page so you'll hear all the latest news and tell your friends! BTW: Some designer blogs have the DCC Logo near the top of their sidebar, but some of them place it waaaay down, so keep looking.... if you get stuck hopping forward, go back to the blog where you started, then simply hop backwards. BTW - I can only ship to a US address. Good Luck! Enjoy!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Please to Remember the Fifth of November

2011-11-05T09:36:00.000-07:00

Wow, November is a really busy month! The first thing that comes to mind, of course, is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is one of the holidays that is only celebrated in the US and Canada. However, there are celebrations in different parts of the world to give thanks for a bountiful harvest, since this is the time of year when crops are harvested to provide food for the following months.

November 1^st was All Saints Day, or All Hallows Day when the Saints and Martyrs of the Christian faith are remembered. This is also All Souls Eve, when families remember the souls of the departed. It is still tradition in many parts of the world to light candles on the graves of family members, in cemeteries and churchyards. Maybe this is where the tradition of lighted pumpkins originated for Halloween.

November 11^th is Veterans' Day and Poppy Day in the UK. The poppy is significant because the armistice for the Great War (World War 1) was signed in Flanders field in Belgium. Legend says that red poppies grow in this field as a reminder of the blood that was lost. (I may not have this quite right - the memory is not what it used to be, but this is the story my mum used to tell.)

I wouldn’t be British if I didn’t mention that November 5^th, is Guy Fawkes Day. This charming feller tried to blow up London’s Houses of Parliament in 1605. The dastardly plot failed miserably and the plotters were captured leading to this annual celebration, which continues to this day. Bonfires are lit and an effigy of Guy Fawkes is placed on top. Not exactly a pleasant thought, but it is one of the most eagerly awaited celebrations throughout the year. The night before, November 4th, is, as you can probably guess, "Mischief Night".

Please to remember, the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.

There are many other Saints’ days and traditions during the month of November and all of them have their own special feasts. Celebrations go hand in hand with food and drink throughout the year, with recipes being passed down from generation to generation. I feel there is a great sense of security to be derived from traditions, whatever they may be, since these are the things that are certain in the uncertainty of life.

We eat turkey at Thanksgiving and in England on November 5^th it's all about Parkin Pigs (these are kinda like gingerbread men, only pigs instead), potatoes baked in the embers of a bonfire, meat pies and mushy peas, but the best was always "Plot Toffee". Here's my mum's recipe, and I quote directly from her, handwritten recipe book:

Put 3 oz Butter, 6 oz Granulated Sugar, one small tin of Nestle’s Condensed Milk, 1 tsp Vanilla Essence and 1 ½ really big Tablespoonsful of Golden Syrup* into a pan, which has been well greased with lard. Cook very slowly to the boil stirring continually until it turns a nut brown colour (about 30 mins). Test a little in a basin of cold water for hardness. Pour into a well buttered 7” x 9” pan. When set turn out onto wax paper then break into pieces by hitting sharply on the under side (with a hammer). *Golden syrup, or treacle can be found in many food stores in the international aisle. You may be able to substitute with corn syrup, but I’ve never tried it…….. Enjoy! Y'all come back now!

Yours truly,

Julie :)

Scoreboard Die - Caddy Project

2011-10-31T21:38:00.000-07:00

A friend and fellow CHA Designer, Eileen Hull designs Scoreboard dies for Sizzix®. These are specialty dies for cutting mat board. Many of us are supporting her with a blog hop during October and November by creating projects to feature her 12 new designs which were introduced this summer. I received the Caddy die to work with, plus Image Stamps designed by Lara Scott and Baker's Twine from The Twinery.

This is my project:

And these are the supplies I received plus a package of mat board. I also used DecoArt® Acrylic paint, a sea sponge and a box of Elmer's Craftbond pop-up medium Glue Spots, gros grain ribbon, twill tape and Elmer's Tacky glue:

This is how it all came together:

1. Dip a dampened sea sponge into a little DecoArt® Americana pink paint.

2. Sponge the paint all over 2 pieces of white mat board. Sponge lightly at first; you can always add more color.

3. Stamp the design onto the painted mat board. I used black ink. Note: Make sure the paint is dry.

4. With the patterned side facing down (on the die), cut two sets of shapes using the die.
5. Assemble two caddys, then glue the backs together. (I used Elmer's Tacky glue.)
6. Referring to the photograph, glue 5/8" wide, black gros grain ribbon around the top of the caddy about 1/4" from the edge then glue off white, or blush pink cotton twill tape on top of the black.
7. Create twine buttons as follows:

• Tie an overhand knot at the end of a 12" piece of twine.

• Push the knot into the center of a glue spot.

• Wind the twine around the center knot, pushing into the glue spot as you wind.

• When the spot is covered, cut the twine and push the end under the spot.

• Glue the twine buttons onto the twill border.

This little caddy is perfect for holding business cards, index cards and anything else you need to keep handy. Gluing two together, gives me twice the space to store my stuff! If you'd like to see more great projects created with this die, just hop forward via the Sizzix Fresh Vintage logo on the left.

Wouldn't you just love to have this die, some bakers' twine and two of Lara's stamps? Well here's a giveaway for you:

Here's how you enter to win:

You will also see the blue, Designer Crafts Connection logo on the left, just above the Sizzix Fresh Vintage logo. Many of the DCC designers are also participating in Eileen's blog hop. Hop forward through these DCC designer blogs and see how many you can find with the Sizzix Fresh Vintage logo on their blog. If you complete the DCC hop, you will end up back here. Tell me how many are participating in my comments section and I will pick a winner from those of you who found them all. I will announce the winner on November 8th, so check back - you'll also find I'm having another Giveaway on November 8th - a Sizzix Sidekick with 2 sets of Sizzlets alphabets - Script and Girls are Weird!! Y'all come back now............

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Halloween Votives 2

2011-10-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

I'd forgotten how much fun it was to wield a sponge brush dipped in Mod Podge. I've already given away the votives I made with napkins, so this time I thought I'd use orange tissue paper. I cut strips long enough to go around the glass votive and about 2.25" wide - a little less than the height of the glass. I adhered one strip around the glass with Mod Podge same as the instructions on my post below. While the découpaged tissue paper was drying, I printed Halloween silhouette images, sized to fit, onto an adhesive ink jet transparency sheet then adhered the image on top of the tissue paper. This is what they look like:

They hardly take any time at all to make and at $7.99 for a box of 16 at Michaels they're pretty inexpensive - even less if you have a 40% off coupon! Try some for yourself. You can find Halloween silhouette images to use on my images page right here. They are copyrighted, but you're welcome to use them for personal use. Had another idea - decorate mason jars (same as the votives); wrap wire around the neck and make a handle. Display hanging from tree branches, or on your patio. Y'all come back now.....

Yours truly,

Julie :)

Halloween Votives

2011-10-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

Votive candles are a quick and easy way to add a warm glow to any room in the house, 365 days of the year. Check out these Halloween votives - made in literally minutes.

All you need are a few inexpensive glass votives, decorative napkins, a sponge brush and Mod Podge.

Napkins come in 2 or 3 layers. Cut away the part of the napkin design you want to use then separate the layers. You will only use the layer with the pattern on it. (2 ply napkins from the grocery store are less delicate, than the more expensive ones.)

Using the sponge brush, cover the outside of the glass votive with an even layer of Mod Podge then lay the print on top. Pat gently in place then cover with a coat of Mod Podge. Let dry then add tea lights or LED flickering candles.

With so many napkin designs to choose from throughout the year, you'll have no shortage of decorative votive candles for any occasion. Enjoy! Y'all come back now........

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Halloween

2011-10-11T21:42:00.000-07:00

Ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties and things that go bump in the night! It's almost Halloween which reminds of a rap I wrote for my children to perform in elementary school about 25 years ago. This is a very condensed version; no idea what I did with the original, but that maybe a good thing:

It's Halloween and party time, so I thought I'd write a little rhyme

About pumpkins and witches, ghoulies and ghosts, all dressed up like
(TV hosts?)

On All Hallows eve we go trick or treat, looking for lots of goodies to eat,

We score lots of chocolate and candy too, that sticks to our teeth like Elmer's glue.

Jack O'Lantern faces that glow in the night, are scary ol' pumpkins with their insides alight.

Bats and witches fly all about, so take it from me, you'd better watch out!

It was really cool back then at the height of rap music popularity.......

Fall is also one of the busiest decorating and crafting seasons of the year. Over a period of only 8 weeks, we decorate for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Kwanza, Hanukah and Christmas, depending on personal family traditions. But let's start with a couple of EZPZ Halloween cards.

You can find the images on my Images for Personal Use page. Just drag into a Word document then print them out onto colored card stock together with titles. Cut to size for cards and invitations, or use to decorate treat bags. You can also print onto inkjet transparency sheets then cut to size and place inside a glass vase or candy jar filled with candy corn, marshmallows, or even an LED votive. Print on vellum then adhere to the outside of a glass jar then place a tea light inside for a cool, spooky effect. Inkjet transparencies can also be hung in a window, or from a light fixture. So many ideas, so little time....... Y'all come back now!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

First Monday - Westcott® Challenge

2011-10-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

It's unbelievable how quickly the months are flying by. Can you believe it's October already! Our theme for First Monday projects should probably be Halloween, since it's just around the corner, but come back in a week or so, I'm sure we'll have some great project ideas to offer.

This month the Designer Crafts Connection is participating in a manufacturer challenge. Sponsored by

Each of us received Westcott® Brand Cutting Tools to work with. The thing I like best about these scissors is the fact that I can cut paper and fabric with the same pair! Do you remember the days when you couldn't use the same pair? I had to have one pair for paper and one for fabric..... well not any more! Plus these scissors are non stick titanium bonded to boot. This was really important for this challenge because we also received product from VELCRO® Brand Hook and Loop Fasteners and The Duck Brand® Duct Tape Rolls and sheets. Lots of sticky stuff to work with.

Without further ado, here's my project - a woven ribbon purse and bangle:

And these are some of the supplies I had to work with. I also used double sided, tacky tape, jewelry chain, 2 silver eyelets and an eyelet setter.

The first step was to measure the ribbon (no ruler needed when you have a cutting mat). I cut five, 15" lengths of black 1 1/2" gros grain ribbon and one, 21" long. I also cut eight, 9" pieces of pink and black zebra ribbon. It was also 1 1/2" wide.

I taped the top edges of the black ribbon to a large piece of poster board to keep them aligned, then wove 4 pieces of the patterned ribbon across as shown. You will then add the long piece of black ribbon. This will be the bottom and sides of the purse.

Once you've added the additional 4 pieces of patterned ribbon, tape the opposite ends of the black ribbon to the poster board to keep them in place. Then starting at the center, cover the woven ribbon with duck tape. BTW - the patterned ribbon is woven with the pattern side down, otherwise you'd be covering it up with the duck tape.

Remove the tape from the top and bottom, then fold the ends inwards even with the first horizontal piece of ribbon. Hold in place with tacky tape. I then placed a piece of duck tape across the bottom to cover the raw edges of the ends of the ribbon. Cover the ribbon that extends on either side with duck tape. Fold the edges inwards even with edges of the black ribbon, the fold the sides upwards. Adhere the black ribbon to the edges to form the purse. Fold the end over, so they are even with the top, then punch a hole in each side and place an eyelet in each about 1/2" from the top. Attach a jewelry chain to each side using a large jump ring if needed. To finish I cut a 1" piece of black Velcro® to the inside of the purse at the top for a closure.

The rose can be made from the same patterned ribbon, but I made mine from the pink Duck tape then placed a self adhesive "jewel" at the center. The bangle is simply a wide ring (section) cut from a sturdy plastic bottle of water. I covered the outside with Duck tape and added a rose with small squares of Velcro®. This way the rose is interchangeable. There is also gold metallic Duck tape which would have looked great with a bunch of jewels placed all around it. So many colors to play with, so little time!

There's a lot of pink going on since, October is Breast Cancer awareness month. Which reminds me, I'm due for a check up. Have you had yours this year? I'm an eleven year Colon Cancer survivor, so, believe me, check ups are important - I'm living proof!

Some of the projects you see on your journey round the webring are being auctioned for a fund raiser at Charity Wings Website . You can see them, and bid on them here: http://charitywingsnews.blogspot.com/2011/10/westcott-brand-and-friends-auction-for.html

This is our giveaway for October (US residents only please), provided by Westcott:

http://westcottbrand.blogspot.com/2011/10/designer-crafts-connection-charitable.html

To enter to win, click on the photo/link and it will whisk you away to the Westcott® blog where you can comment on your favorite projects, but make sure you hop round the ring first to see what everyone else came up with. The winner will be announced November 1st. Good luck and enjoy the hop! Y'all come back now......

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Sea Glass

2011-09-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

Back home today, swapping the cool sea mists and ocean waves for parched dirt, blue skies and the hot Texas sun. But home is where we are and it makes being away so much more special.

We collected a bunch of sea glass for Carole's jewelry pieces and I left with a bag full of shells. I LOVE shells and have tins full of them from everywhere I've been where there was a beach.... I've used them to decorate mirrors, frames, boxes and more. However, for those of you who aren't sure what sea glass is, here's a photo of Carole's collection. Notice she collects small pottery pieces too.

And this is a piece of jewelry she made.

It takes dedication (and good eyesight) to find all the right pieces and they're not that easy to spot. Look at this photo below and see if you can spot the piece of sea glass:

Can you see it?

Here it is - right inside the circle!

As you can imagine, I came home with a severe case of "beachcombers' back"...........LOL, but it's back (no pun intended) to work this week.

Lots going on next week that I have to get ready for. Designer Crafts Connection members will be posting First Monday projects on October 3rd featuring Westcott brand product and a fantastic GIVEAWAY. I posted a photo about a week ago, so be sure to check it out.

I'm also participating in the Sizzix Fresh Vintage blog hop to support fellow designer, Eileen Hull and I'll be posting my project next Tuesday! As you can imagine, when I said I had to get to work - I meant it! Plus there's lots to catch up with from last week. Y'all come back now....................

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Sea Mists and Sea Glass

2011-09-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

There's nothing more serene than watching the mists roll in off the ocean, covering the tops of the trees like a lightweight blanket. There's the sound of a lonely bell chiming in the distance with the swell of the waves and the delicate swooshing noise as the touch the sand. However nothing deters the intrepid Sea Glass hunters as they continue the hunt...... (we are Brits after all and certainly not strangers to this kind of weather).

Now we're just waiting for a ghost ship to appear out of the swirling mists and an army of zombies to jump out from behind the rocks..... y'all come back now...........

Yours truly,

Julie :)

Oh What a Beautiful Morning!

2011-09-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

This is what I was looking at while drinking my morning cup of tea! Now I'm off sea glass hunting with my sister.

Y'all come back now.........

Yours truly,
Julie :)

I'm Going On Holiday!

2011-09-19T22:50:00.000-07:00

I'm going on holiday tomorrow and won't be back till Sunday. I'll try to post pictures while I'm gone, but you'll have to excuse me if I don't - I think I'm going to give my eyes a rest and stay away from the computer for a while. They deserve a holiday too.......... in the meantime here are some ideas to get you thinking about the December holidays!

I love all kinds of holidays! So many creative opportunities........ which reminds me..... it's Craft Day at HSN next Monday, September 26th. You really should tune in. They always have great craft kits and really good pricing. Y'all come back now..........

Yours Truly,

Julie :)

When is A Frame Not a Frame?

2011-09-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

A frame is pretty much always a frame, but it doesn't always have to have a photo. This frame was découpaged with scraps of leftover paper then embellished with ribbon. Even the center part was covered with ribbon, but, yes you could use paper for the center too. I also glued gros grain ribbon around the outside edge to finish then glued a letter to the center! Not bad for an EZPZ project! And the frame was only a $1 - less if I'd had my coupon.......

I used Elmer's Fabric and Paper glue and applied it to the wood surface with a sponge brush. I could have used it for the ribbon too, but, except for the ribbon around the outside edge, I used Elmer's adhesive dots to hold the short pieces in place and Tacky glue for the letter. Enjoy! Y'all come back now.........

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Giveaway Winner!

2011-09-14T21:37:00.000-07:00

Margie from Chicagoland won this month's giveaway - a set of DVDs of the new TV show, Scrapbook Soup. Now let's see what's coming up next month:

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and Westcott is challenging members of the Designer Crafts Connection to come up with something spectacular for their First Monday projects using Westcott tools and........... well, you'll just have to wait to see what other products we have to work with. Details on how you can enter to win will be posted on First Monday, October 3rd, so y'all come back now......

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Giveaways

2011-09-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm loving all your comments about Scrapbook Soup and I know everyone is hoping to win the DVD set of this first series, BUT don't forget the requirements to enter. You have to list the names of the Designer Craft Connection blogs where you see this logo

You can visit all the blogs in our group by "hopping forward" from one to the other, wherever you see this logo in the sidebar of each blog. If you get "stuck" at some point come back to my blog, then "hop backwards". In a perfect world you would start here and end up back here, but there are occasional technical difficulties

Good luck! The winner will be announced on September 15th together with some exciting news about our next giveaway, so y'all come back now...............

Yours truly,
Julie :)

September Giveaway and First Monday Projects!

2011-09-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

Members of the Designer Crafts Connection Blog group post projects on the First Monday of each month and to celebrate we also have a giveaway! The theme for the month of September is parties, baby showers, wedding showers, etc., basically anything to do with decorating for a celebration.

We recently celebrated my granddaughter's 3rd birthday. The party theme was a monumental decision. Were we going to decorate with Tinkerbell and Fairies, or Princesses. She eventually decided she would be a princess and hold court from a big bounce castle in the back yard complete with water slide.... perfect for the hot weather we've had all summer. For this party I made a garland, or rather pieces for a garland. We ended up hanging them individually from the light fixture over her party table.

Garlands are normally hung across a window, but since we'd been to Disney World earlier this year, I had photos of Jovie with her favourite princesses and decided to put the photos on the back. I used a Spellbinders Nestability® die to cut the decorative rectangles from white glitter cardstock then using pink, blue and yellow glitter cardstock, I glued a colored rectangle to the center of each of the decorative ones. I covered white chipboard letters with glitter, then glued one to the center of each rectangle.

I printed photos of Jovie with each of the princesses, plus two additional photos, cut them to size and glued one at the back of each piece.

I could easily have made a garland by attaching the pieces together with a ribbon at each corner. Bakers twine is ideal, but there are lots of things to use depending on the "look" of your banner. Embroidery floss works well for something delicate and there's an unlimited number of colors to choose from, plus check out decorative yarns, silk ribbons and more - all with "sparkle".

Banners and garlands are a great addition to any party decoration, whatever the celebration. Now let's continue our celebration with a GIVEAWAY!

SEPTEMBER GIVEAWAY!

We have something special this month - a set of Scrapbook Soup, Series 100 DVDs! Scrapbook Soup is now airing on your local PBS TV channel. Check your local listings and if it isn't listed, call the station and request it! Program managers always like to hear what their viewers want to watch.

To enter to win, list the names of the Designer Crafts Connection blogs where you see the Scrapbook Soup logo here in my comments section. To see all the blogs, click on the "hop forward" button wherever you see the blue DCC logo in the sidebar. Keep on hopping and you will end up back here where you can add your comment. The winner will be announced on September 15th, so y'all come back now.........

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Business of Design

2011-08-29T21:26:00.000-07:00

What do you want to be when you grow up? My sister always wanted to be a nurse; she never waivered. Some people are born with a life plan all mapped out in their head and some of us still don't know what we want to be when we grow up. Maybe we just don't want to grow up......

One thing was for sure, I was born with a pencil in one hand and a paintbrush in the other. When I wasn't drawing or painting, I was making something with whatever happened to be around. No craft shops back then. No craft TV shows either. When I started "crafting" we didn't even have a TV. I remember my mum and dad making crêpe paper flowers and buying supplies from a tiny room at the top of a flight of narrow rickety stairs, but that's pretty much it. Oil painting by number kits were coveted presents for Christmas and I remember making Christmas cards with stencils and red, green and yellow paint. As a teenager, I used to visit the art store at the university with my dad. I loved the vibrant colours of bottles of ink and infinite colours of pencils and would save my pocket money to buy one or two pencils and perhaps one additional colour of ink each time I visited. By this time I thought I wanted to be a fashion designer and filled pages and pages of dress designs, but then I decided it would be much more fun to see the world.

I was living in Germany when I discovered hobby shops and quickly started making all kinds of "things". Mobiles were pretty popular at the time and I remember small fairies with feathers for wings flying from the ceiling of my room. After I was married in the early 70's, Air Force wives introduced me to Dip'n Drape dolls, Paper Tole plaques and making my own decals from cards and gift wrapping paper. I'm grown up now, sort of, but I still don't know what I want to be. I guess I just am who I am - a crafter - there's no escape. I'm lucky that I get to do what I undoubtedly love for my job, but it does present a challenge sometimes. I am so busy drawing and creating projects to feature certain products and find new techniques, that I forget to do things that I like to do, and sometimes I even wonder what it is that I like to do.....

I posed a question to Scrapbook Soup viewers via Facebook about a week ago - "what is your favourite scrapbooking/crafting technique?" When I ask myself the same question, I have no answer. I like to do so many things - sewing, hand smocking, crocheting, knitting, decorative painting (not oils), all kinds of paper crafts, embroidery, silk ribbon embroidery, beading/jewelry making, shell crafts - I wrote a book on shell crafts that was published in the early 90's - Seaside Treasures - it was one of my favourite books and it was still on the shelves in Michaels until about 2 years ago. Design Originals updated it by adding some children's projects and changing the cover, but they kept all my original projects. I thought that was kinda cool. Shell crafting apparently isn't subject to fads and trends. This probably means I'm a "jack of all trades, but master of none".... I look at it as a way of keeping my creative options open. I'm pretty much pigeonholed as a "scrapbooker" since I host a scrapbook show, but "google" me and you'll find a lot of references to decorative painting. No worries - I love it all! Actually I love the CREATIVITY of it all..... Here's a few projects I made last year to feature sheer ribbon:

You may have seen them (and a lot more) featured on signage, but probably didn't associate these projects with something I would make. It's all about being a designer and a business that I love.

Well, time to get back to the drawing board. Yes, I still draw - with a pencil first, but then it has to end up in Photoshop and Illustrator - the world has definitely changed over the past 50+ years...... y'all come back now!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Parchment Craft 2

2011-08-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

I found samples of the bow and rose stencils before I cut them apart to put at the center of the mat. This is what they look like after you have completed embossing and coloring steps 1 and 2 and piercing in step 3.

The pink pearl mat was dry embossed on each corner using the Mini Scrapboss Stencil. All the tools, stencils and parchment paper are included in the kit available at Craft Lane Designs. I used the shape cutter and nested ovals template to cut the double mat, but you can use Spellbinders oval Nestability™ dies too.

Designer Crafts Connection will be posting First Monday projects for September in just over a week and, of course there'll be a GIVEAWAY......... so Y'all come back now...

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Pergamano® and Parchment Craft

2011-08-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Pergamano®? This the trade name for a company that sells parchment craft supplies. Parchment Craft is an old craft which is basically a combination of dry embossing and paper piercing (or pin pricking) on parchment paper. Parchment paper is a very heavy vellum and these techniques yield the most amazingly beautiful and exquisite designs. You only have to do a "Google" search to see the results. The challenge that faces us for this type of craft however, is time. It's definitely not something that can be done quickly. A number of years ago Fiskars® developed a system whereby dry embossing could be accomplished quickly and easily using a two-part stencil. The paper you wanted to emboss was sandwiched between two stencils. The top stencil was used as a guide for the embossing tool and because the identical stencil was underneath all kinds of paper could be embossed.

Based on this technique, Marie Browning, a CHA Designer from Canada, developed a three-part stencil system whereby parchment paper could not only be embossed, but designs could also be pierced. Parchamoré was successfully sold for a number of years by Fiskars® using their Mini Shape Boss platform.

As you read earlier, I've been re-organizing my craft room and I found enough supplies to put together 3 Parchment Craft kits for Craft Lane Designs. Each of the kits has everything you need to hopefully inspire you to dive into some parchment crafting. Here's a sample of what I made with the Rose and the Bow, three-part stencils. For this project I cut the designs apart and layered the pieces to create dimension like we did in the 70's with Paper Tole projects:

The parchment rose is at the center and the corners were embossed on pink pearl cardstock with the two part stencil. It's neither as exquisite nor as beautiful as the samples you'll find on the internet, but it only took an hour! Y'all come back now!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Creative Opportunities

2011-08-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

Have you decided to do something then wondered why you were doing it and ultimately wished you hadn't? Well it's been that kind of weekend, actually an extended weekend since I probably won't finish until tomorrow and I started last Thursday. I blame the heat........ I haven't been out much because it's so hot and hanging around my craft room for so long really got to me. It's always a mess, but usually an organized one......

It all started when I decided to organize some financial papers. That part didn't take long, but after cleaning up this one area, it occurred to me that the space I had suddenly created would be the perfect spot for stacks of 12" x 12" paper. It also meant I'd have to move some old VHS tapes, which I packed up in a box. Well, you've guessed it, one thing led to another and now I have an even bigger mess on my hands that is no longer organized. It will be at some point. For better or for worse I believe that there's a place for everything and everything needs to be in its place. I hate nothing more than having to search high and low for something when I need it. If it isn't where it should be, it loses out. I can't believe how much stuff there is, so I'm also setting supplies aside to photograph and sell at "Craft Lane Designs". I use the term "sell" loosely. I give away as much as possible here locally, but I fit as much as I can in USPS "if it fits it ships" boxes and the sale price is basically reimbursement for shipping. I also put kits together to use for giveaways here on my blog, so I must admit that I add a few dollars here and there which offsets some of the shipping costs for the giveaways. Hope no one minds, but if you've ever received a package from me, it always includes extra stuff. I also uncovered a box of brand new punches in the garage and a treasure trove of rubber stamps, so if you're looking for supplies check out my little store - it'll take me a few days to get everything photographed and posted though.

Tomorrow I'm going shopping. Have you seen all the great sales now that children are getting ready to go back to school! There are great deals on Flash Drives (love those for extra storage), storage containers (got a box of 18 shoe box size clear ones for $19 at COSTCO) and there are some great deals on larger containers at Target and Walmart. Composition books are .50 cents at Office Depot - the covers are great for decorating and you could use them for an Art Journal, depending on what kind of medium you like to work with. How about I work on a couple and YOU work on a couple..... I'll show you mine, if you show me yours...... y'all come back now!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Giveaway Winner!

2011-08-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

The August giveaway winner is:

jigglipuff7575

Congratulations! Please e-mail your address to me julie@juliemcguffee.com by August 22nd and your punches will be on their way!

There'll be another giveaway in September, so y'all come back now!

Yours truly,

Julie :)

New Books!

2011-08-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

You may remember that a couple of months ago I mentioned that I was working on some decorative painting booklets for Deco Art. It was during that time while I had all my paints and brushes out that I agreed to paint the Bavarian Wedding box for the lady from Kentucky. Well, guess what - the booklets are back from the printers and here they are:

You'll probably find the booklets in the same aisle where DecoArt paints are sold, or maybe with the glass pieces or stencils. I purchased all the pieces I used from my local Michaels store. BTW, the little girl's T-Shirt dress shown at the end of the stencil booklet was made from an adult, size Small T-Shirt. The child's chair on the front of the stencil book is also from Michaels. It's easy to paint because it comes unassembled. You get paint all the pieces first, then put it together. EZPZ :)

The glass book is my favorite. I've always loved painting on glass, since there's not much surface prep involved. Don't you just love this giant Martini glass! And, not just for punch, these wine glasses are a great table decoration with an LCD candle inside, especially if you paint over the dragonfly wings with DecoArt Craft Twinkle™ paint.

And here's an easy project that anyone can paint. I used the handle of a paintbrush to make the flowers on the vase! Even the plate was easy. I painted on both the front and back of the plate for added dimension. The booklets include step by step photos along with the instruction and, if you have more questions, you know where to find me :)

Not sure when they'll be available, but keep checking your local hobby and craft stores! Y'all come back now.........

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Babyville Boutique

2011-08-06T22:33:00.000-07:00

CONGRATULATIONS JEAN ON YOUR NEW PROGRAM!

My friend Jean and I have been in the Arts & Crafts industry for over 20 years. Before we became involved with the Craft & Hobby association, we were professional crafters. Popular in the mid to late 80's we would design handmade items to sell at craft shows, craft malls and boutiques in the areas where we lived and in the 90's we were asked to write instructions for the projects we created to be featured in "how to" craft books. This was long before Etsy, e-Books and online stores. Between us we probably created over 300 instructional craft books for a local publisher, which is where we met. Many of the books we wrote featured projects which were popular during that time, but we soon became involved in creating and designing projects to feature specific manufacturer's products for manufacturers. Being a designer in any industry is all about creativity and we were constantly coming up with new ideas for manufacturers and wanting to do much more than create projects for a book. So in 1996 Jean and I combined our talents and formed our own consulting company, Kievlan-McGuffee Design Svcs a full service company for the Arts & Crafts industry. Our business has grown and evolved over the past 15 years. We each have different skill sets so we work independently with some clients and as a team with others. The reason I'm blogging about our company today is because I would like you to join me in congratulating Jean on a wonderful program she developed which is being introduced to consumers this month.

Many great ideas are born out of a need, and this is how Babyville Boutique™ came to be. Almost 3 years ago when Jean found out she was going to become a grandmother, her daughter-in-law asked for help in making cloth diapers, diaper covers and more. With a strong background in sewing and quilting this was no problem for Jean and she quickly developed a pattern to fulfill this need. Jean wasn't able to find the supplies she needed in local stores, so she decided to search the internet. After a few months of ordering supplies from various sites and sewing for her daughter-in-law Jean eventually discovered that her daughter-in-law wasn't the only one looking for ideas. It became very apparent that there was a whole community of environmentally conscious moms and grandmothers also searching for all kinds of supplies. There had to be an easier way to make all these supplies more accessible to everyone. After a while she decided to enlist the help of another designer, who was knowledgeable in the sewing side of the industry to see what they could come up with. Ellie Joos had worked for Simplicity Pattern Company and Offray Ribbon so she was the ideal person to help develop Babyville Boutique™, a coordinating line of embellishments and specialty fabric, which is being introduced this month by Prym Consumer USA. Whether you're a new mom, or grandmother you have to check this out. For all the links, photos and information check out Babyville Boutique™, you'll be really glad you did.

Y'all come back now!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

String Art Embellishments

2011-07-31T18:14:00.000-07:00

Does anyone remember Spirograph? I think I still have a few pieces in a drawer somewhere. My kids loved it and so did I! We would make the most amazing patterns by just putting a colored pen in a hole in a clear plastic cog like disc and going round and round and round and round a larger disc.

August 1st, is First Monday, when CHA designers in the Designer Crafts group post projects. Our theme this month is "Favorite Techniques" and, although, I love lots of different techniques, this kind of string art has to be my all-time favorite. Probably because it reminds me so much of the Spirograph patterns we used to make. Take a close look at the flower-like embellishments on these scrapbook pages and on the front of the card.

These are string art embellishments, created by wrapping a notched flower shape with metallic or plain thread in one or more colors. After the shapes are wrapped with thread, different sizes can be layered to make the more intricate looking shapes. It's very easy to do and, I have to admit, quite addictive because once you get the hang of it, you're successful every time and there's so much you can do with the embellishments. I made the one below into a book mark, but it could just as easily be used to decorate a gift bag, gift box, or hang on a tree. You can even put a small photo in the center.

You can use punches to create the shapes, but they are quite expensive. I have a die that I use, but you can also cut around a circle with decorative edge scissors to create the notches for stringing. Any kind of circle with notches would work for this technique. Spellbinders' Nestability™ dies with scalloped or pinked edges work well.

I'll post instructions on a separate page and I may be able to package some pre-cut circles for my website, Craft Lane Designs if you would like some. They're not available right now, but I'll try to have a selection ready by the time we announce the "Giveaway" winner on August 15th. You'll have to let me know though if I need to do this, cutting more than a few is pretty time consuming.

So, you may be wondering, what is the giveaway this month........ I posted a photo a couple of days ago, but here it is again

There are two Marvy embossing punches, a large tag punch and a McGill folder and small envelope punch. I also include a few extra "goodies" too, but they will have to be a surprise.

Enter to win by hopping forward thru the Designer Crafts Blog Connection via our logo (mine is in the sidebar to the left) then leave a comment here on my blog about which technique is your favorite and which project you liked best. The designer with the most votes will also win something. The winner will be decided by a random drawing and announced on August 15th, so y'all come back now...........

Yours truly,

Julie :)

Giveaway!

2011-07-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

Feeling punchy? If you are you're gonna love the giveaway I have for August.

These are great big punches! Two embossed leaf punches and a tag shaped punch from Marvy Uchida, and two McGill button punches.

The Designer Crafts Connection theme for August is all about our favourite crafting techniques. Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with, so check back on First Monday, August 1st (OMG that's in 2 days!), and I'll let you know how you can enter to win! The weather may not be cool here in Texas, but our projects will be! Y'all come back now.......

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Mixed Media

2011-07-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

If you follow what is happening in the Arts & Crafts Industry, you'll know that Mixed Media is the latest trend. The question on everyone's mind however, is "what's Mixed Media?" Like any self respecting person living in the 21st century, I "googled" it and came up with these definitions:

Mixed Media (I think this was from Webster's dictionary):

A techniqueinvolving the use of two or more artistic media,

such as ink and pastel

orpainting and collage, that are combined in a single composition.

and this from the AmericanHeritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 byHoughton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rightsreserved.

A term used todescribe works composed of different media.The use of mixed media began around 1912 with the Cubist collagesand constructions of Pablo Picassoand GeorgesBraque and has become widespread as artists developed increasingly openattitudes to the media of art.

Essentiallyart can be made of anything or any combination of things.

You'll notice ONE BIG THING about this definition - mixed media is nothing new!I moderated a panel discussion on this very topic at the recent Craft & Hobby trade show in Chicago last week and one thing really stood out: There are no rules and it's cool again to be a "crafter" and go wherever your creativity leads you. A fusion of different skill sets or disciplines opens up a whole new world of opportunities. You can combine quilting with yarn and/or paint, make canvas collages with paint, paper, photographs and a whole array of embellishments, or add silk or ribbon flowers to an accessory for your favourite sweater, dress, or jacket. There are no limits, only endless opportunities to explore. Kathie Stull, who owns KS Productions, produces 9 different "how to" craft shows for PBS. She showed the following project photos to the audience which had been featured on her shows. There are shows on jewelry/beading, quilting, sewing, crafting and home dec as well as Scrapbook Soup. Can you guess on which show the projects were featured?

There isn't a prize involved here, I just wanted to illustrate how similar, yet how diverse crafting has become.For great mixed media ideas, samples and tutorials, check out Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's blog. Julie and I host the new TV show, Scrapbook Soup together. Before adding this hosting duty to her already full plate, Julie was a frequent guest on Scrapbook Memories. I love her style and energy and we complement each other very well, at least I think so. I just have to try not to be her mom, since Julie is the same age as my daughter.........LOL Julie is definitely putting "art" back in the arts & crafts industry, but I'll write more about that later....... Y'all come back now............

Yours truly,
Julie

CHA Summer Show - 2011 #4 of 4

2011-07-23T21:58:00.000-07:00

This is post #4, so you may want to read posts 1 thru 3 first. It's the nature of the blog, that you always get to see the last post first............ In this post you'll see some individual projects in addition to project displays and new products.

New tools from Imaginisce, the d•stress and iPunch

The Prima booth continues to offer flowers and foliage, paper and embellishments.

A new product line from We R Memory Keepers

I hope you enjoyed this sneak peak into the world of the Craft & Hobby trade show. No doubt you'll be seeing some of these products in your local scrapbook and craft stores over the next few months. Hopefully you will already have found a little inspiration.

Don't forget to check your local PBS station to find out when Scrapbook Soup will start to air in your area. The show will also start to air on BYU (Channel 374 on DirecTV). You can also see segments on YouTube. Put Scrapbook Soup in the "search field".

Have a great weekend! Y'all come back now........

Yours truly,
Julie :)

CHA Summer Show - 2011 #3 of

2011-07-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

This is post #3, so you might want to read #1 and #2 first. These are additional photos from the show:

Amy Tangerine is a new line from American Crafts.

Jewels shows how creative you can be with wire!

The Brilliant Bowmaker is an impressive product from Little Pink Ladybug.

This cool line of templates makes bow making easy for everyone.

Canvas and burlap are wonderful surfaces for all kinds of crafts and home dec.

Clear rubber stamps made with the Clear Stamp Maker can also be used for making jewelry. Check out these samples:

Craftwork Cards is a British company. "Candi" is a line of packaged domed paper dots in lots of colors. They are wonderful for embellishing.

This happy place is Doodlebugs. Whether it's the summer or winter show, this booth is always bright and cheerful. Check out their new card program in a rainbow of colors.

Graphic 45's booth was, as usual, absolutely amazing with imaginative projects....

These Kanzashi fabric flowers were at the Clover Booth.

They make amazing embellishments for apparel and even jewelry.

There's more to come, so y'all come back now.......

Yours truly,

Julie :)

CHA Summer Show - 2011 #2 of

2011-07-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

Back home in Texas! It's still hot here, but nowhere near as humid as Chicago. Even so, I think I'll spend the day inside to write more about CHA.

It was an exciting show for Julie FF (Fei-Fan Balzer). Not only did she wow the crowd with her samples of online videos at the Monday seminar, she also débuted her new line of templates for The Crafters Workshop

and, to top it all, drum roll please, Julie's dress won "Fan Favorite" at the Crafty Couture, CHA Designer Challenge.

It was a fun challenge. CHA Designers were asked to design and create a mixed media dress. They could work independently, or in teams. Here are the other entries.

CHA judges picked 5 additional winners. Among them were Theresa Cifali, Jen Goode, Marisa Pawelka, Carla Schauer, Suzann Wilson and Candice Windham, all wonderful CHA design Divas. The dress below was not part of the challenge, but a winner nonetheless.

CHA trade shows are where buyers go to see and buy products for their stores. The summer shows are always smaller, but still a showcase for the manufacturers who exhibit there. There are demonstrations to show how to create with the products being offered and the most wonderfully creative displays of projects for inspiration. It's "Eye Candy" for every type of crafter. This display of an upside down Christmas tree from the Die Cuts With a View booth greeted us at the entrance to the show floor.

and just round the corner the sign that says it all (except that it should say "We" instead of "I").

Here are a few more displays:

There are lots more photos, so y'all come back now!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

CHA Summer Show - 2011 #1 of

2011-07-21T21:39:00.000-07:00

I've been in Chicago since Sunday for the Craft & Hobby show. I was presenting a seminar and moderating a panel discussion on Monday so we arrived Sunday afternoon. The seminar was all about how to design then present projects for TV. I've been doing this for 13 years now, so there was lots of information to share. Kathie Stull, owner of KS Productions which produces 9 craft shows for PBS shared lots of information from the "other side of the camera" and Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, the new co-host on Scrapbook Soup, wowd the crowd with info on developing online videos. We had a great crowd and lots of positive feedback.

It's now Thursday evening and I'm worn out...... 3 days of walking and talking is fun, but, strangely enough, it's also hard work. I've been going to the trade shows since 1991 and I really enjoy it, mainly because I get to catch up with friends. Here I am with Sue and Julie from Leeds in England. I grew up in Bradford which is near Leeds so it was lovely to meet friends from "home"; I got a true "Brit fix" and some Rowntrees Fruit Pastels - yummy sweets, from a new friend from Glasgow.

I also saw Kathy Cano-Murillo, the Crafty Chica who was decorating a tuffet,

Colleen and Marianne were in the Copic booth demoing markers and promoting a copy of their new book!!!! Would have loved to have seen it, but someone "borrowed" it before I got there and forgot to return it..... hopefully it will be in the stores soon :)

Claudine Hellmuth demoing in the Ranger booth

and, of course, Tim Holtz.

I found Wendy Sanger, from Tattered Angels demoing in the Walnut Hollow booth. The mists are a great way to add color to wood.

It's almost midnight and hard to keep awake, but here's a few of the over 200 photos that I took of project displays, etc. It takes quite a while to crop and reduce the file size of each photo before posting, so I'll have to wait till the weekend to add more.

Good night........... Y'all come back now......

Yours truly,

Julie :)

Ribbon Roses

2011-07-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I come across a product that I just love! As you know, or maybe not, I design Elmer's projects for the TV shows. Project design is always about showcasing the manufacturer's product and for Elmer's it's all about adhesives. They have a lot of new paper crafting adhesives to choose from, but my favorite technique was the one I developed to feature the new 3-D Pop Up Glue Spots. I used the glue spots to make ribbon roses.

Here's how you do it:

1. Tie a knot at the end of a 12" (about) piece of 3/8" ribbon. Push the knot into the center of a glue dot.

2. Fold the ribbon down as shown then push the edge into the glue dot close to the knot.

3. Continue folding and pushing the edge into the glue dot all the way around the knot to create the center.

4. Continue folding and pushing the edge of the ribbon into the outer edge of the dot.

5. When you have gone all around the outer edge, cut the ribbon.

6. Tuck the end of the ribbon under the edge of the glue dot. Voilà, you now have a ribbon rose. Store your ribbon roses on the backing sheet until you are ready to embellish your project!

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Don't forget you can use this same technique to make bigger roses. Just push additional glue dots around a center dot - you can do this on kitchen wax paper and make them as big as you want. Y'all come back now............

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Scrapbook Soup - More Sneak Peaks!

2011-07-12T18:37:00.000-07:00

Sponsored by Michaels Stores, Sakura, Elmer's, Spellbinders,Westcott, X-Acto and other industry manufacturers, the new series, Scrapbook Soup will start to air on PBS stations across the US on July 21st. Please check with your local stations for days and times. Each station chooses when to air the show. We do not control which stations pick it up, but there is a station finder on the show website @ www.scrapbookmemoriestv.com. Enter your zipcode and it will tell you if its airing. If not, it allows you to email your station to request it! (Scrapbook Soup will be aired by stations which aired Scrapbook Memories. BYU may choose to air the new show later in the year.

Here's a sneak peek at one of the Michaels' segments with Jo Pearson, Host of Where Creativity Happens! Enjoy!

Y'all come back now!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Organizing Photos

2011-07-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

When organizing your photos, a lot will depend on how many photos you have and how long you've been taking them. To start with, here's a clip from a short interview with Ellen Marden on the set of Scrapbook Memories a couple of years ago.

Ellen had asked us how we organize our photos. Beth replied that she uploaded her photos once per month to Shutterfly. For better or for worse I have to admit that I download mine to iPhoto and there they stay. Deleting any of them is a real challenge, so I have literally thousands.

Digital cameras allow us to take so many photographs without a second thought because we no longer have to worry about the cost of taking rolls of film for printing and developing. We do however, have to remember to print the ones we could not bear to lose otherwise, as I said on the video, our children and grandchildren will grow up to be jpegs.

So, back to the question, how do we organize our photos? I've had a camera since I was 11 years old, so I've literally been taking photos for over 50 years. I love photographs and remember as a child spending hours looking through the photographs my dad took during the time he spent in the Air Sea Rescue branch of the RAF in the early 1940s.

This is a page from the album he made. I just love how he painted his own background and he even added where and when the photographs were taken. My dad was a scrapbooker and he didn't even know it. Scrapbook albums are a great way way to organize and preserve our special memories, but, let's be honest, if we scrapbooked even half of all the photographs we'd taken, we'd need not only a separate room, but a whole house to store the albums.

Okay, I'm back to organization. Whether you have tons of actual photos (and slides) dating back to the early 1900's, or just digital photos because you're a lot younger than I am, you have to organize them and, if they are digital you have to print out the most important ones. Part of organizing is also recording the names of the people who are in the photos and where and when they were taken.

Here's what I would suggest:

1. Organize your printed photos by decade up through 1970 or 1990 depending on how many you have. I'm thinking digital photography didn't become really popular until 2000. My photos are all in separate photo (shoe) boxes labeled 1920, 1930, 1940, etc and I have a separate box for the photos (and the negatives) that my mother took.

2. Digital photographs can be broken down by year and month, if you take a lot, and also by event. For example, my albums in iPhoto would be labeled something like this:
        Jan-Jun 2010,
        July-Dec 2010
    and events would be:
        David & Chelsea's Wedding,
        Dylan's Graduation,
        Jovie's 3rd Birthday,
Disneyworld - 2011, etc.

3. Each time you upload photos, delete as many as you can, otherwise you will end up with so many, it will be an overwhelming task to sort through them all and you'll keep putting it off.

4. I also have an album of "Photos to Print". I drag all the "special" photos in here to be edited and printed then copied to an external drive and a CD. After backing them up I delete them from the "Photos to Print" album. I'm not sure about other programs, but any photo that goes into this album is a copy and the original is still maintained in iPhoto. I transfer photos onto Gold CD's, which are less likely to become damaged than regular CDs.

5. Reality Check: Computers crash, CD's can be easily damaged and who knows whether or not you'll even be able access information that's on a CD in ten years or so. Flash drives have become very affordable and they're also a great place to store photos, but again, who knows what we'll be using 10 years from now. So, printing your photos either individually to store in either a box or album, or in a photo book is still the best solution. I do have lots of scrapbook pages, but I keep them in page protectors in a 3-Ring album. I call them my "eye candy for the soul". The rest will be in digital albums - McGuffee Family Yearbooks (or Annuals).   I make my own using Photoshop and the Unibind system - I just LOVE their coffee table book type paper which can be printed on both sides.

Well, I think I've waxed eloquent (hopefully) for long enough. Hope you found this helpful. Please feel free to ask questions in the comments section and I'll help if I can.   Y'all come back now......

Yours truly,
Julie :)

July Projects and Giveaway!

2011-06-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

This month's projects feature a brand new product - Tulip Beads in a Bottle now available at your local craft stores. Earlier this year 30 Designers in our group received samples to create projects to give you some great ideas on how you can use this new product. The Giveaway this month is also sponsored by i Love to Create and you won't want to miss it - just look what you can win!

http://ilovetocreateblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/beads-in-bottle-blog-hop.html

Want to know how to enter? Click on the link to the iLovetoCreate blog where you will find all the details, but don't forget to check out all the designer projects by hopping forward wherever you see this logo in the side bar

Beads in a Bottle is a self-rounding fabric paint that you can use to create beads on a fabric surface. It comes in packs of 4 colors and there's a whole lot to choose from. My first project is a Felt Folk Art bird. It's not easy to think about Christmas in July, especially when it's 100˚ outside, but it's never too soon...... it's just not Christmas without a red bird. This one can be used to hang on a tree, used as a pick (as seen here - it's stuck in a spool), or it will perch beautifully on a tree or hang from a ribbon.

Beads are a also a great way to add dimension. I added a photograph of a sunflower to a small canvas tote using TAP (Transfer Artist Paper) then added black beads to the center and trios of dots around the flower. The bow was made using a plastic tie - come back in a few days and I'll show step by step photos on how to make it. It's E Z P Z - and perfect every time.

Now hop forward and enjoy! Good luck with the Giveaway and have a fun and fabulous fourth! Y'all come back now......

Yours truly,
Julie :

Bavarian Folk Art

2011-06-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago a lady from Kentucky called to ask if I would paint a Bavarian Wedding Box for her to give as a wedding gift. She had seen one that I had painted in the October issue of Paintworks magazine - October 1998!!! Apparently she is an elderly lady and doesn't have access to the internet, so she went to the local library and asked them to help her find my phone number.

Some of you may know that I'm a decorative painter and I've authored a number of painting books over the past 20+ years. In fact, I just finished two painting booklets for DecoArt, which will be in Michaels stores in the not too distant future, but more about that later. Since all my brushes and paints were unpacked, I agreed to paint the box and she arranged to have a blank bentwood box shipped to me. Ta daa, here it is:

I know that Folk Art isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I truly enjoy "strokework" and the history behind this European style of painting. From the Roses & Castles style found on the narrow boats floating through the English countryside, to the Bavarian style found on furniture and buildings in the alps of southern Germany, each country has its own style and use of color. What really stood out on this old design, were the scrolls or flourishes that are so popular today - another example of what was "old" is "new" again.

I'm loving the new "mixed media" trend, another great example of re-discovering and updating old techniques. As I searched through a mountain of magazines and tear sheets to find this particular project, I re-discovered a whole bunch of my old ideas, techniques and projects that I can re-cycle and update, so keep checking back, I may even inspire you to pick up a paintbrush too!

Don't forget, there's going to be a fabulous giveaway for July, sponsored by iLovetoCreate. Here's a sneak peek

More details on how YOU can enter to win on July 1st, so y'all come back now.........

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Chipboard Baby Album

2011-06-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

My nephew and his wife are expecting a baby next month, so, of course we've been talking about different ways to display and scrapbook baby pictures. One of the projects we talked about was a chipboard album I designed for Elmer's for show 1407 of Scrapbook Memories. Here's a recap of the segment. Enjoy!

Don't forget to check back here on July 1st for our monthly giveaway. It's a FIRECRACKER of a giveaway brought to you by ilovetocreate and you won't want to miss it!!

Yours truly,

Julie :)

And the winner is..........

2011-06-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

"jengd"

Congratulations!

Please e-mail your address to me (julie@juliemcguffee.com) by June 30th and your books will be on their way!

Our next giveaway will be on JULY 1st and is being provided by "iLovetoCreate". You won't believe the fantastic assortment of product they are donating to a very lucky winner. To support the giveaway, members of the Designer Crafts Connection blog group have created projects using a brand new product - Beads in a Bottle. To enter to win - well, you'll have to come back on July 1st....!!! You'll be glad you did! Have a crafty day! Y'all come back now.

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Découpage on Wood

2011-06-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

Découpage has been around for a long time, but it's still a great way to accent lots of different surfaces and use up all those leftover scraps of scrapbook paper and wrapping paper! I created this découpaged project for show 1512 on Scrapbook Memories. You can find full instructions on our website.

Don't forget to sign up for the Giveaway! (See below.) The winner will be announced on June 20th. Y'all come back now.

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Scrapbook Soup Sneak Peek!

2011-06-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

This is the first segment of the first show of the new TV series, Scrapbook Soup! Enjoy!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

0606 - June Giveaway!

2011-06-05T22:12:00.000-07:00

This month's giveaway also falls on First Monday, the day we post Designer Craft Connection projects. The theme for this months is patriotic, so don't forget to check them out then enter to win.

I have two books to give away this month.

The Big Book of Scrapbook Pages and Cherish by Jeanette R. Lynton. At 256 pages, the first book features 500+ new designs for capturing all your memories. The second book is a beautiful hardbound coffee table book, full of inspirational scrapbook pages and layouts - a book you'll be sure to "cherish".

To enter the giveaway, please hop around our blog ring then comment here on which project you liked the best and why. You can also let me know which crafting technique, or idea you liked the best. The winner will be announced on June 20th, so you have lots of time. Sign up as a "follower" and you'll be entered twice!

Check out my project below, then use the Designer Crafts Connection logo in my sidebar to the left to hop forward. Enjoy the journey, but y'all come back now to enter the give away!

Yours truly,
Julie:)

First Monday Projects

2011-06-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

The Designer Crafts Connection theme for June is Patriotic so hop around for lots of ideas and inspiration for July 4th. This project will make a great accent piece or a table decoration, but the technique is all about creating a "Rosette". Once you get the hang of this you can make rosettes in any color for any occasion. Add to banners, garlands, gift bags and more!

1. Cut two, 2" wide strips of blue paper and two, 1 1/2" strips of red & white striped paper. These can be either 11" long, or 12" depending on what size sheet of paper you have.

2. Score each strip at 1/2" intervals. TIP: I cut one, 4" wide strip, scored it then cut it into two, 2" strips. This way I only have to score one strip, instead of two......

3. Accordion fold each strip.

4. Overlap the ends then glue the two blue strips together, then overlap and glue the opposite ends to create a circle.

5. Create a red & white circle in the same manner.

6. Folded circles have a tendency to pop up, making it a little tricky to hold the centers together to make the rosette. You can either enlist the help of a crafty friend to squish and hold the folds down while you glue a punched circle over the center, or drum roll please

You can hold them together by placing inside a circle cookie cutter!! I bought a set of four just for making rosettes...... EZ PZ......

7. Punch a circle from cardstock then glue it over the center at the front of the red & white rosette. Let dry.

8. Glue a circle to the back of the blue rosette. When both are completely dry (depending on what type of glue you use - tacky tape works great too BTW) set the smaller rosette on top of the larger one. With a little coaxing, the folds should nestle into the folds of the blue rosette quite nicely.

9. I glued my rosette to the end of a dowel which I had glued inside a wooden spool base. I decorated the spool with strips of paper, then added a star to the front and tails to the rosette. I also covered a second red circle with glitter then glued it over the front of the rosette. Gotta have some sparkle for the 4th!

Rosettes are fun embellishments and now you know how easy they are to make. Enjoy! Y'all come back now.............

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Memorial Daze

2011-05-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted...... eek.... sorry, but this month has been a tad crazier and busier than usual. It started with a couple of booklets - projects, photography, art, instructions - the whole nine yards, but lots of fun. They're for a paint company and, as some of you may remember, I'm a decorative painter at heart and welcome any opportunity to get out the paintbrush. These are small booklets for a chain store and once they're published I'll give you a sneak peak at a couple of the projects. One is a booklet on glass painting and the other is on stenciling.

It was also my birthday this month - Cinco de Mayo - so for my birthday and Mothers Day combined, hubby and I took the kids & grandkids to DisneyWorld. We had Fish'n Chips at the Rose & Crown,

dessert in Paris and Margaritas in Mexico - all within walking distance, or, after all that food - waddling distance at Epcot. It was SO much fun. My granddaughter saw Tinkerbell flying from her castle in the Magic Kingdom and hugged fairies and princesses.

My grandson saw a preview of the new Cars movie and can't wait till June 24th.

And, drum roll please, I had my face painted for the first time!! It covered up the wrinkles nicely.

My granddaughter looked SO much cuter. (I don't usually share family photos in a public forum, but this is SO cute I couldn't resist.)

I could use some eye make-up lessons from Johnny Depp's "look-a-like".......LOL

After the magic and madness of Disney we arrived home to a dead battery........ then eventually we got home to a week of storms, tornadoes, hail and high winds....... and a bout of pneumonia for my hubby, so this is my new mantra.......

Keep Calm and Carry On..........

It's a holiday weekend - hope it's a fun one for everyone. I, for one, am taking it easy....very easy....

y'all come back and don't forget the next giveaway will be on June 6th - 0606!

Yours truly,

Julie :)

Happy Birthday Present Goes to.......

2011-05-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

TO: BARBI

Please e-mail your mailing address to me by May 26th: julie@juliemcguffee.com and your present will be on its way.

Next giveaway will be on 06/06, so y'all come back now.

Yours truly,

Julie :)

Friends & Family Event 20% Off Coupon!

2011-05-09T20:31:00.000-07:00

Please share with your friends too! Y'all come back now!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

May Giveaway!

2011-05-04T22:16:00.000-07:00

May 5th is a great day!

It's National Scrapbook day, Cinco de Mayo

and it's my birthday!

So, for the month of May the giveaway is a

BIRTHDAY PRESENT - FOR YOU!

This month's winner will receive a box full of crafty products including some cool tools. To enter to win you must guess what at least 4 of these products will be. To help with the guesswork, there is a different clue on 4 of the blogs throughout our group. You'll find a clue wherever you see this photo of the birthday bag. List your answers in the comments here at Life in the Craft Lane. Comments won't be published until the winner is revealed on May 19th. BTW, the clues may not be in numerical order. Good Luck!

Y'all come back now..........

Yours truly,
Julie :)

First Monday - Well Wishing for All Occasions

2011-05-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

In a world of e-mailing and social networking, a handmade card with a handwritten note is in itself a special event. It's Mothers' day this month, but it's also a month for birthdays, invitations, thank you notes, announcements and more - a plethora of reasons to create a hand made card with a handwritten note to make someone's day even more special.

Here are a few ideas. Quick'n EZ to make, but priceless for the person who receives one. The first card is very special. It's a "Get Well" card dedicated to Lisa Rojas. Lisa is one of the designers in our group who is recovering from surgery. As you "hop forward" please take an extra moment when you visit her blog to leave her an extra special comment.

GET WELL SOON LISA!

This is a photograph taken last week. I added a title in Photoshop then printed the image onto inkjet transparency. The photo was trimmed then attached to white cardstock with pink brads. It was then glued to the front of a pink card, embellished with pink pearl textured cardstock. Here are more ideas, using more photographs, punched shapes, ribbon, textured paper and stickers.

Who will you write a note to this week? It will definitely make their day...............

Our monthly GIVEAWAY will be on 0505 - Cinco de Mayo - National Scrapbook Day

and my birthday. So y'all come back now...................

Yours truly,

Julie :)

All things Bright and British!

2011-04-25T21:39:00.000-07:00

You can take a Brit out of England, but you can't take England out of a "Brit".

I haven't lived in England since the late 60's, but it was my whole world for the first 18 years of my life and it left an indelible mark. I'm sure that everyone is aware of the upcoming wedding and I have to admit, that on Friday I will break my rule #1 and I'll be up before the sun, sitting in front of the telly, wrapped in my snuggly dressing gown, sipping cups of tea, totally enjoying all the pomp, ceremony and pageantry that only a land of Kings and Queens can muster. I may be old fashioned and definitely outdated, but I love it all - the history, the drama, the intrigue - an ongoing soap opera that's been running, literally for hundreds of years. My daughter is planning to watch it too, after all, who can resist a beautiful wedding. There's such a feeling of security in traditions which, for many can be especially comforting in this topsy turvy world we live in today.

I remember when Queen Elizabeth came to visit my home town in the 50's. My grandmother took me into the city center to see her as she drove by in the biggest, black car I'd ever seen. She was wearing a yellow suit and an ever present matching hat and I remember standing on the curb and waving the little Union Jack my grandmother had bought for me. An insignificant event in the great scheme of things, but something I remember clearly almost 60 years later. To top off the day, we'll be having fish'n chips for dinner. There's a great place in Fort Worth where they make them almost as good as the fisheries in Yorkshire, and an extra large hamburger bun is almost as good as a "tea cake". Yum........... can hardly wait :) Y'all come back now.........

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Hoppy Easter!

2011-04-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to post some more Easter crafts for you this week, but unfortunately we had an untimely death in the family - my computer died most unexpectedly last Friday. So sad :) Luckily I can still access the hard drive with another computer and a Fire Wire cable, but I'll have to wait until my new one is delivered tomorrow to transfer applications and the Easter craft photos etc. In the meantime here's a photo of our Easter tree.

I discovered the Easter Tree tradition while living in Germany where Easter trees are decorated as beautifully as their Christmas trees. This one hasn't yet been adorned in all its finery, I'm waiting for the grandchildren to "help" when they're off school on Good Friday. This is one of our family traditions, together with baking Easter cookies and dying eggs.

Have a "Hoppy" Easter ev'ry buddy......... and y'all come back now.

Yours truly,

Julie :)

Giveaway

2011-04-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

Thank you all so much for your comments and insight into the shows you like to watch. We have a winner for this month's giveaway, but there will be another one on 0505 - National Scrapbook Day! Don't forget that DVD sets of past series of Scrapbook Memories are available on our show website, www.scrapbookmemoriestv.com. If you're still looking for the "other" blog with the Scrapbook Memories logo to find out who the winner is, here's a clue: It's a very "Goode" blog. Y'all come back now..........

Yours truly,
Julie :)

AND THE WINNER IS........

2011-04-13T20:34:00.000-07:00

It's 0414 and we have a winner - is it you?

Go to the blog that features the Scrapbook Memories logo to find out who it is. The Designer Crafts theme for this month is Easter/Spring, so don't forget to check out everyone's projects as you bunny hop around. My projects are in the post below.

The next giveaway will be on 0505, so y'all come back now................. it will be something very special!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Spring Fling

2011-04-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

A tisket a tasket let's make a Circle Basket™! Not just for Easter, these baskets can be made for any occasion. With or without a handle, they are easy to make from a 7" - 8" circle. You can also make smaller ones for decorative accents. Depending on the way the circle is folded, it can easily become a Circle Purse™. Instructions can be found on a page tab below the header. This particular basket was created from a the largest Grand Nestabilities scalloped circle from Spellbinders®. I used a decorative border die for the handle and added layered flowers and a die cut butterfly.

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

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Scrapbook Soup - More Sneak Peaks!

2011-04-09T07:29:00.000-07:00

My watch says it's 9:15am (still set for Texas), the clock in the room says it's only 7:15am, but my body is on EST and I've been awake for over an hour! Aaaargh........... I flew to Phoenix from Cleveland yesterday, but my body still thinks it's on EST even though it went to bed on AZ time - I'll be due for a nap this afternoon I think......

Can't believe it's only Saturday. I feel as if I've been away from home for a month. It was a fun and fast 4 days though. I need to get going, but I wanted to share a website with you this morning. I met Jenny Barnett Rohrs at the CHA Trade show in January and when I realized she was from Cleveland, I told her I'd give her a ring when I came to the studios in April. Jenny came in the last day of taping and got to hang out with us for awhile, taking photos and gathering information about the new show. You can see her article and behind the scenes photos here (link below). Don't stop after you've had your fill of soup. Jenny has lots and lots and lots of information about all kinds of crafts and craft products, plus projects, techniques and videos. You'll be really glad you stopped by:

www.crafttestdummies.com

Don't forget to sign up for this month's Giveaway! You have to leave a comment on the Designer Crafts Connection blog which displays the Scrapbook Memories logo - NOT THIS ONE - so hop forward before it's too late. The winner will be announced on 0414.

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Scrapbook Soup - Sneak Peak!

2011-04-07T03:03:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of taping for SCRAPBOOK SOUP. The new show is a lot of new techniques, new ideas, new guests and old friends. Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is hosting with me for this series and it was a blast. Here's a couple of photos I can share, but you'll have to wait for the show to air in July to see the projects.

I leave tomorrow to head back home then on to Phoenix - more about that later. Have a great weekend and don't forget - to enter the GIVEAWAY you have to leave a comment on the OTHER blog where you find the Scrapbook Memories logo (on the sidebar to the left). More details below. Winner will be announced on April 14th. We'll also be featuring Spring/Easter projects, so Y'all come back now...........

Yours truly,

Julie :)

April Giveaway!

2011-04-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

I'm in the studio this week taping a new show. Yes, that's right, I said "new show". Series 1600 was the last series of Scrapbook Memories :( After 8 years, it was time to update.... I have a feeling you're going to love the new show, Scrapbook Soup (for the creative soul). So, our giveaway for this month will be a set of DVDs of the final series of Scrapbook Memories. To enter to win, you must leave a comment about your favorite craft show (past or present) on the blog where you find the Scrapbook Memories logo. Let us know what you liked best about the show then leave a comment here about what you'd like to see on the new show. We'd also like to know what your favorite, product, craft, or technique is. This is the logo your looking for:

The winner will be announced on 0414, so y'all come back now!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

In Mint Condition

2011-03-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

It's hip to recycle, right - therefore, it's hip to craft. Let me explain: Before there were craft stores where we can buy all the supplies we need to make something, we used to "make things" from supplies we had around the house. I remember creating a whole ensemble of chorus line dolls made from wooden beads, scraps of lace, ribbon and pipe cleaners. Since it's no longer hip to smoke a pipe, these are now known as chenille stems. Cardboard tubes, fabric from old clothes, yarn and more was all fair game for making something and making something from nothing is the fun part of the game. Let me show you what I mean. We'll start with this:

You should definitely not throw these away because look what you can make:

Cover tins with scraps of paper, ribbon and embellishments for a fun gift tin. The final look is determined by the paper and how it's decorated. Sand the tin lightly then spread tacky glue over the surface. Lay the paper onto each side; let dry thoroughly then trim away excess.

So, don't throw those tins away! They'll always be in "mint" condition and will make great gifts, with or without the mints. Y'all come back now......

Yours truly,
Julie :)

BTW: Don't forget we'll be announcing the next giveaway on 0404!!!

Happy Spring!

2011-03-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that Winter has gone already and it's Spring! Before we know it it'll be Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas all over again. Isn't it nice that there are still some things in life that we can count on.

We'll be having a new giveaway in 2 more weeks! Giveaways will always be around the beginning of each month and the one for April will be on the 4th. April is the 4th month, so the giveaway will be announced on the 4th! May is the 5th month of the year, so the giveaway for May will be on the 5th, etc, etc. Hopefully this will be easy to remember. May 5th will have to be extra special, because Cinco de Mayo also happens to be my birthday.

Life in the Craft Lane is pretty busy right now, so I apologize for not posting a lot. We start taping the new TV series the week of April 4th too - crikey, that's only 2 weeks away and I still have SO much to do to get ready for that. I'll be posting photos and updating you throughout, so y'all come back now!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

Wedding Projects Challenge

2011-03-14T07:41:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to check out the wedding projects on our blogs this week. There are some beautiful and creative ideas for you to see. Mine are below the giveaway winner announcement. Don't forget we'll be having another giveaway on 0404 and the project theme is Spring/Easter. Y'all come back now!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

AND THE WINNER IS........

2011-03-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

CONGRATULATIONS IVONNE!!

You are now the proud owner of a Cricut Expression. Please e-mail your shipping address to me: julie@juliemcguffee.com by midnight, Wednesday, March 16th. My heartfelt thanks to everyone else who left such wonderful comments and joined our treasure hunt. You may not have won a Cricut Expression this time, but I'm sure you discovered all kinds of treasures on the blogs along the way. Today we're featuring projects for weddings, or anything associated with weddings.

The next giveaway will be announced on 0404, so y'all come back now!

Yours truly,

Julie :)

Wedding Projects Challenge

2011-03-12T21:16:00.000-08:00

This weekend isn't exactly my favorite weekend of the year. Time is precious and I intensely dislike the weekend when we set the clocks forward one hour. I know we'll get the hour back in Fall, but it's small comfort when I get up at 7am only to find out that it's already 8am! Tomorrow, however, is going to be an exciting day - it's my grandson's 5th birthday party! It's also the day when I'll announce the winner of the Cricut Expression and one lucky person is going to be very, very excited. I wish I could send one to all of you. Perhaps it will make you feel better to know that I don't have one either!

Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments! I'll post them tomorrow when I announce the winner. I'm really glad to know that you enjoy the show and that there are so many Scrapbook Memories fans. I appreciate your comments very much. I genuinely love hosting the show and am looking forward to hosting the new series, which we'll be taping in April. There are some changes which I'll tell you about later, but in my best Austrian accent, I'm happy to say that "I'll be back".

While you're waiting for the winner to be announced, let me tell you about the next GIVEAWAY. Yes, there will be another one in April. All the details will be announced on 0404. The Designer Crafts Connection will have a Giveaway each month, plus we'll be sharing project ideas, tips and techniques which we hope you'll enjoy. This month the challenge projects are all about weddings. Here are the wedding favors I created for my son's wedding.

The first project is a matchbook with a photo of the happy couple inside. I secured the bottom flap with a decorative brad using the Fastenator. You can create the template for the matchbook in Photoshop Elements®, or Word® on your computer. You can get 8 matchbook covers from one 8.5" x 11" piece of paper. Each strip is 2" x 5". Don't forget you'll need to print both sides and the second side (which will be the inside of the flap) will need to be turned upside down. Use the drawing toolbar to do this. Print a sample on regular paper first to make sure everything is lined up correctly. It may take a little trial and error to figure out where the wording needs to be. The photograph was printed separately then glued to the inside.

The seal for the clear favor box was also created in Word® then punched using a large scalloped punch from Marvy Uchida. All the supplies and tools can be purchased at your local Michaels' store.

Here's a list of the supplies I used: Textured pearl cardstock, paper trimmer, Fastenater and decorative brads, adhesive crystals, clear favor boxes, scalloped punch, pink ribbon and glue dots.

We'll be drawing the winner tomorrow, so y'all come back now.........

Yours truly,

Julie :)

Still Looking for the Logo?

2011-03-06T09:50:00.000-08:00

Most of the designers in our group update their blogs on a regular basis, so you may have to scroll down a ways to find "Cricut". Check their entries for March 3rd. Good luck and y'all come back now! The winner will be announced on March 13th!

Yours truly,
Julie :)