Creativation by NAMTA 2025

For those of you unable to travel to Seattle to attend Creativation, grab a cup of tea, or glass of wine, put your feet up then sit back and take an armchair walk with me up and down the aisles of the annual NAMTA Creativation show via photos...  Enjoy!

             Each year a Welcome Reception is held the evening before the show floor opens. It's always a special time to meet old friends, make new ones and to recognize annual award winners and the association's current and new board members. 

            This year was extra special since my long time friend, Ann Butler had nominated me for a Lifetime Achievement Award.  I was accepted, so thought I'd share this aaahmzing news and a couple of photos from that evening before we started our walk. Eight of us received the award this year and other than being totally flabbergasted, it was indeed an honor to be the first Creative Professional NAMTA member to be recognized with this award, especially since "Creative Professional" is a new category for this association. 

 

I always look for a coffee pot when checking in to a hotel room, but this was SO much better!

Me and my sis who travelled all the way from Tennessee to be there...

with friends Ann Butler, Julianna (Jewels) Avelar and my sis.....

Now let's hug a few friends and walk the show. Let me know in the comments at the end, what you think the top trends were this year.....

TCW - The Crafters Workshop

Boya Crayons

Iwata

Pear Blossom Press

Trinity Stamps

AALL & CREATE

Jack Richeson & Co

Paint Plates

Hahnemuhle - German paper company 

Tomorrow's Artist Created with Encore

Retique It

 

DecoArt

Creative Professionals were invited to decorate a wood King Salmon fish shape which were displayed on the show floor. After the show they were donated to Mama's Hands, House of Hope.....  each one was unique. I covered mine with small, pearly oyster shells I collected in Maine - it was a "Shellfish" 😜

Bob Ross

OHUHU

RGM Fine Art Tools

Jesmon Eco-Resin

MIYA and HIMI Jelly Paint

Grafix

Colart -  Winsor & Newton

Yasutomo

Faber Castell

Olo

Diamond Art

ALTENEW

Spellbinders

Sharpie

Leisure Arts

Sarah Hurley Academy Pavilion

 

Tintoretto

Staedtler

Photocentric

Ecstasy Crafts

Jacquard

NuWords Paint

Silver Brush

Excel Hand Tools and Blades

Iwata-Medea.com

Pear Blossom Press & Trinity Stamps

FASHENHUES

Paint Your Photo App

Belagio Enterprises (Cork fabric and more)

Paint-By-Number Kit 

Speedball

Studio Light

Da Vinci Eye

My Creative Camp - Arts & Craft Kits

Triveni USA Inc  - Strung beads

ZIMS GEMS LLC - Beads

Royal Talent

Splatter & Bloom - DIY Watercolor Kits

Notions - Distributors

Kraft Geek

Alumilite - Resin

Sakura

Multicraft

Diamond Art

Paint Puck

Sunbird Spark (check them out on Facebook, YouTube & IG)

For videos and interviews from the show floor, check out Erin Reed's YouTube Creativation playlist and 

Jennifer Crowther's  30 Best Arts & Craft Supplies

That's all for now folks!  See ya next year..........

Yours truly, Julie 

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING

 

Paper Bag Snowflakes

        I lived in Germany from the mid 1960's thru mid 1970's and enjoyed discovering lots of new ideas and craft supplies during my time there. One of my favorite Winter crafts was creating Snowflakes from lunch bags.  

 

        Lunch bags were available in both white and brown and very inexpensive; a definite plus back then.  Now you can find these paper bag designs all over the internet.  Almost 55 years later and they're still fun to make.  All you need is a pack of lunch bags, glue, or double stick tape and a good pair of sharp scissors.

 

        Lunch bags are pretty big, about ll" long, so your finished snowflake will be about 22" in diameter, but a pack of 100 from Walmart is $2.28 so they're good to practice the technique.  You may want to look for a pack of these white mini bags from Hobby Lobby (16 for $1.99) to make smaller, white snowflakes.  the technique is exactly the same. You can also make snowflakes from sheets of regular paper, but I'll add those instructions a little later.

1.  Start with one paper bag and create your pattern as shown below.  Keep it simple to start with.  Make cuts along one side making sure you don't cut past the folds (on the inside of the bag) then cut the top as shown. You can make the top cut exactly the same on both sides, but cutting this way makes it look more "interesting"....    Fold the bag in half to make the same cuts on the opposite side. 

2.  Using this bag as your pattern, place it on top of a second bag, then cut around your design. Make sure the gusset (fold at the bottom of the bag) is facing up.

 

    

3.  You will need 9 or 10 bags to make the snowflake. Since lunch bag paper is pretty thin, you can place the cut bag on top of 2, or 3 bags and cut more than one at a time. 

4.  Glue the bags together, one on top of the other with a thin line of glue down the center and along the bottom.  Add glue to the top bag then carefully pull the bags around and glue the bottom bag to the top bag to create the circle. 

5.  Punch a hole at the top of one point then use a length of string to hang.

TIP: If you like the pattern, trace it on to a piece of card and cut out so you can use it again next year! 

Hope you enjoy these snowflakes as much as I do.

Yours truly,

Julie 💝

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING  

 

Spooky Time is Coming!

 It's almost the end of August and while adults are looking for signs of Fall, the kiddos are excited about Halloween and getting their "scare" on! Planning is always good and there's no time like the present to get started. Halloween will be here before you know it!

I'm all about using things I have on hand whenever possible and making something that's quick'n EZ. This little ghost fits the bill and is perfect for the kiddos....  

You'll Need:

• Gwen Studios Curly Ribbon - White
• Wiggle Eyes
• Double stick tape - 1/4"
• Empty plastic bottle
• 5" Jute or Cord
• Scissors

1.  Cut the bottom and the top off the bottle. The bottom piece will be for the head, so rounded ones are better than flat for a ghost.  Set the top aside to use later if desired. 

2.  Press double stick tape around the outside along the cut edge of the bottom piece.

3.  Slowly peel back the top layer of the double stick tape small sections at a time.  Attach one end of 12" lengths of curly ribbon side by side around the edge.

4.  Carefully pierce a hole at the center at the top of the plastic. I used the points of a sharp pair of scissors, but some plastic bottles are much harder, so you may need to use a nail and a hammer to create the hole. Fold the jute in half, knot the ends together then thread the folded end up thru the hole from the inside to create a hanger. A bamboo skewer, or similar is useful to help push it thru.

5.  Fill the plastic top with crumpled white tissue then attach wiggle eyes on the outside with small pieces of double-stick tape. You can also paint the inside white if you have paint on hand.  

6.  Here's a fun bonus idea. I have some  dollar solar lights around the edge of my flower bed. The top can't be covered, but I put 2 layers of double stick tape around the edge and added strips of white ribbon I had on hand and some wiggle eyes.  My solar lights are black, but I think you can get white ones. This is now placed in a hanging basket!  Since I used regular ribbon, it may only be there for a few days, but I thought it looked kinda fun! 

Enjoy and have a safe and happy Halloween!

Yours truly,

Julie 💝

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!

Ribbon used was provided by Gwen Studios and is available online from Walmart and major craft stores.

Upcycle with etchall®!

Don't throw empty perfume and/or cologne bottles away when you can pretty them up with etchall® dip'n etch!  Dip'n etch is a liquid that makes etching glass so EASY.....

You'll Need:

• etchall® dip'n etch
• Clear plastic container a little larger than the item you want to etch 
• Permanent black marker

1. Cut off the top of an empty plastic bottle and set it aside to use as a funnel. 

2. To determine how much dip'n etch liquid you'll need, place your item inside the plastic container. Fill with water up to the area you do not want etched. (I used my new bottle of cologne to photograph this step, since the old one was empty and would float. If you are etching something that would float/bob up, put something heavy on top, or fill with rice for example so it is weighted down.)

  

PLEASE NOTE:  

I colored the water with food coloring to make the water levels easier for you to see.

3. Remove the item and the water level will sink. Mark the level on the outside of your container with a marker, or tape.

4. Empty the container then dry the inside thoroughly.

5. Fill the container with dip'n etch up to the mark then carefully add the item you want to etch.  Let sit for at least 15 minutes then remove your item. Rinse thoroughly then dry.

6. Etchall etching products are reusable, so using the top of the plastic bottle as a funnel, pour the dip'n etch back into its original container.  How easy is that!!!

7. Decorate if desired. I used a simple piece of ribbon and sand dollar charm for mine.

         I love etched glass... it reminds me of sea glass and I love anything that has to do with the beach and ocean. 

PLEASE REMEMBER- Etching products remove glaze, so....

Do not rinse your etched items over a porcelain sink

Always work on a safe, non glazed surface, or use a mat  

Do not store etching product in cold, or hot areas

Always read directions on container!

        Look for more etched projects - including slate! - using the "search" tab here on my blog. There's also lots of inspiration, tutorials, videos and more on the etchall website.

Enjoy!

Yours truly,

Julie 💔

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CREATING!