Caran D'Ache Neocolor II

My latest toys supplies arrived - and I'm so excited!

I absolutely love artsupply.com. As the name suggests, they are the premiere online place to purchase art supplies. Located in Chicago, IL, they are a brick-and-mortar store, and accept phone orders as well. I have been a huge fan of artsupply.com for awhile now - and for some very specific reasons:

• They are the one company I have referred friends and other artists to, over and over. They've never let me down - and I know they will take good care of anyone I send their way.

• Fast shipping.
• Free shipping on loads of products. Orders not shipping free do not have over-inflated shipping fees. Finally - someone gets it!

• Amazing prices. Almost everything I've bought from them has saved me money. For example, I recently purchased a silk screening kit at artsupply.com for around $35. After hours of searching, their cheapest competitor wanted $47 - and that was a sale price! I'm terrible at math, but isn't that around a 26% savings?

• Fantastic communication.

• Great selection. If you want something and they don't have it, they'll go to the ends of the earth to get it. That's just how their customer service is.

• About their customer service...it is phenomenal. Phe. Nom. En. AL. You will not hear me say this often, but I have never had less than a 5-star interaction with anyone representing that company. Five-stars doesn't begin to adequately describe their awesomeness.

• Art Supply Professional Circle. This program says it all.

I have been exceptionally blessed to be associated with such incredible people and such a fine organization. It is rare for me to have such loyalty to a company - but that's just how good artsupply.com is. I personally guarantee you simply will not find a better art supply store, nicer people, or better prices...anywhere. That's a pretty huge guarantee - but I say it knowing it's true.

Which brings me back to my recent order. I got the Caran D'Ache Neocolor IIs - and I am so excited to play with them! There was an article by Susie Monday in the Dec '09/Jan '10 issue of Quilting Arts. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists - her blog is full of great information and inspiration. The article in QA, Rainbow Printing with Water-soluble Pigments, was just like her work and her blog - informative, inspirational, interesting. About halfway through the article I knew I had to order some Golden's Silkscreen Medium and Neocolor IIs. I haven't had a chance to play with them yet, but stay tuned. I'll post my results when I've got something to show.

I just love getting new supplies...it's like being a little kid again!

xx,

Silver Clay

I've been in love with silver clay since I first learned it existed. The price was a major factor for me - it's daunting to relax and learn when you know the material you're working with costs big bucks.

It's a funny thing, silver clay is. I have a lot to learn - and so many ideas. It doesn't go very far - you don't get a whole lot for the money. That said, the pieces turn out beautifully - even if you're clueless, like I was. I should mention, before I began, I looked over several books, read tons and tons of websites, and spoke to a handful of artists experienced in silver clay. From my research and discussions, one thing was clear: just jump in.

My very first attempt was a couple of charms, where I really got a feel for the clay and the torch. (Sorry! Didn't mean to burn you or get my little needle pick stuck on you!) I made an art doll and crown from molds I'd made for polymer clay. I don't know how my little crown prong broke - but it did. I also forgot to add holes to these so they could be used as charms. - so a new use will have to be found. Maybe broaches?

Each of those pieces is a nice, substantial weight. I was instantly impressed and smitten. And wielding the torch totally rocked!

The last two pieces are an egg and a nest. I came up with a funky idea...to make a necklace from these pieces. Two sides of the nest - which looks kind of like a bucket - will attach to a chain, while the little egg will gently balance in the middle of the nest, the top of the egg poking above the top of the nest. We'll see if it turns out as cool in reality as it is in my mind.

Still need lots of practice...but this could definitely be addictive. So many awesome possibilities!

Oh - have you checked out the new forums at Cloth Paper Scissors? Quilting Arts released their revamped site not too long ago - and now CPS has done the same. Stop by and check it out - it's a great place to meet other artists, make new friends, learn new techniques, and post some work.

xx,

Meet Mother Wackadoo

I've been on a creative streak. I started Mother Wackadoo a few weeks ago, then put her in my clay box and (accidentally) forgot about her. How rude!

After discovering her yesterday, I finished her up. It's hard to see, but pink Angelina fills the background in the top triangular hole. A triangular purple and gold cab is suspended in the lower hole. Mother Wackadoo has been textured all over her body with doodles. Her head is large because she always has a lot on her mind. The blue portion of her head is textured with large swirls, the orange part is striped, and each of her shoes have a small flower doodle, as well as tiny vintage gemstone cabochons. Another tiny vintage gemstone cabochon adorns her ring finger. We're unsure whether her socks are mismatched due to the haste in which she grabbed them (have to keep up with those kids!)...or whether the kids have her so worn out, she just doesn't care. She's also a little batty - but what mother isn't??

The 18g sterling silver wire is squiggled, demonstrating her frazzled nerves. Even though Mother Wackadoo is stressed, her face is remarkably calm. Has she withdrawn into her own world, resigned herself - and made peace with - living in constant chaos, or is this a look of catatonia?

Mother Wackadoo is made up of incongruous, disproportionate parts - but she's perfectly balanced. She is symmetrical and different at the same time; completely adaptable. Her outstretched arms indicate the handle she has on the balancing act of motherhood. At the same time, her openness - arms held out - illustrate her readiness - and her desire - to hold and comfort her children.

Her semi-gloss sheen is courtesy of Diamond Flecto Varathan Varnish. This shows her outer strength and protection. I think it's also Mother Wackadoo's attempt at presenting her best self to the world - she may be worn out, run down, stressed, and in need of a vacation - but, like mothers everywhere, she keeps all of that hidden under her shiny appearance.

She will soon be available for purchase - along with the rest of my art - on my new website. It isn't quite ready yet - but watch for information on this exciting new venture!

Have a fantastically creative week!

xx,

Photobucket Sucks!

Oops! You meanI accidentally linked the picture to their account? My bad!

I've been using Photobucket forever. I've always thought it's a great place to store images online - free. I've never felt the need to upgrade my account to a "Pro" account since I don't have tons of images, and I don't really care about the ads they show on each "Free" member's page. I mostly use their services to store some blog pictures - and used to use my account a lot more when I was selling on eBay. I know some things have changed on the site - and it's my own fault for not paying close attention - but since I don't use my account that much, I didn't realize what changes had been put into effect.

I woke up at 2:15 this morning and got online. With the oldest supposedly going to school during the day, he needs the computer - so I get on when I can. Which usually means middle of the night or early in the morning. (He's way younger than I am and I know there is no possible way I can outlast him at night.) When I checked my email, I was surprised to find an email from Photobucket, announcing I had a "follower". Not sure what that meant, I went to the site and checked it out.

Now I'm annoyed, irritated and pissed. When I checked out my "followers" account, I noticed she had a few of my pictures in her albums. Photos I took. Of things I had made. These weren't just pictures of a sunset I had taken - or royalty free images I found online and changed to suit my purposes. They weren't even photos or clip art I had paid to use. These were pictures taken by MY camera, of things MY hands created. It isn't like she has a link from my album to hers, attributing the original author/creator of the photos or the subjects within the photos. She didn't even purchase the items I had in the pictures, which I would have understood.

No. She has taken my pictures and placed them in her own albums - as if the photos "belong" to her. I assume many (all?) of her photos came from someone else - and she's passing them off as hers. The part where I totally lost my mind? Did you know you can have these photos - regardless of where they come from, or who "owns" them - put on all sorts of merchandise? I could go to your Photobucket album, find a picture YOU took, and slap it on a coffee mug, t-shirt, or playing cards?? WTH?

I realize people can download pictures from anywhere on the Internet, save them to their computer, and do whatever they want with them. Especially if photos aren't watermarked. I just didn't realize a photo hosting service would "help" to make this so easy. I haven't noticed the same thing on Flickr, but maybe it's there and I've just overlooked it. This seems totally wrong to me.

Am I missing something?

xx,

Let's Take a Trip

Since it's right after the holidays, and the economy in the toilet, I thought I'd gift you with a free vacation. This isn't some ridiculous contest, where you have to stand on your head while you drink a glass of water. You don't have to do anything - but enjoy. Please make sure your items are stored safely in the overhead compartment, your seat belts is securely fastened, trays are in the upright position...and make note of the emergency exits. Who would've thought I could afford to send every single one of my readers on a free vacay??

Ok, so it isn't a traditional vacation...but better. You don't have to pack any bags, do tons of laundry upon your return, or spend hours getting ready for a passport photo that you know won't turn out well. There won't be any worrying about what the person sitting next to you has in their underwear. (Unless you're into that.) No strip searches. (Again, unless you're into that.) You won't even have to deal with travel delays, screaming children (unless they're yours), or bad food. (Once more, unless you're into that.)

Nope...it's all good. I haven't scheduled you for any lame activities, you don't have to worry about the water, and there's no how-will-I-fit-into-a-swimming-suit stress. I can see you don't believe me...but you'd be wrong! I've spent some time on a couple of really great new blogs lately. So enjoy your vacation around the web - I hope you enjoy the sites as much as I did. You can thank me later.

Scrap Journal of Angela H: This is a great blog by a talented scrapper, for scrappers. Angela happens to have a fantastic giveaway going on right now - and you'll want to run over and enter. She's giving away a Paper Gator -an awesome tool from Around the Block. Trust me, you need one! Entering is easy - answer the question "What is your definition of a Scrapbook Diva?" - but do it before Friday (01.15), or your chance to win will be shredded.

Redhead Ranting: If you aren't familiar with this blog, your life is not complete! I've been an avid reader of Jen's blog for a long time now, so it isn't new...but it's always worth a read. A recent post, Inappropriate Behavior, cracked me up -. I can so empathize! I dare you to read the entire post - especially the second option of the Fix It Plan - without cracking a smile.

KV Creative Designs: What can I say about Kathryn's delicious blog? She challenges me to be a better artist, with all the wonderful things she comes across online. She's also having a fantastic giveaway to celebrate her second blogiversary. She's giving away some scrumdiddlyumptious mixed media art she made - and a little gift bag to go with it. Can you stand it?? Definitely a don't-miss destination!

I'm Just a Girl: This blog is getting ultra exciting! Margie is right at the entry of a fascinating journey - she has developed a line of the most delish papers, The Girls' Paperie. Even Tim Holtz is bragging about this paper fashionista - which is how I found her. Margie's line was picked up by Advantus and it's totally fun watching her undertake this adventure - and live vicariously through her! She's also giving away some things from The Girls' Paperie...before it debuts at CHA 2010!

SuzeBlogz: What can I say about Suze that hasn't already been said? For some scrumptious eye candy, you have to, have to, have to check this out - she even gives you a tutorial for it! Suze has been busy getting ready for Art Opera, where she'll be teaching. I'm totally bummed I can't get to NJ to attend - but seeing a sample she created at least gave me the chance to dream. So much talent packed in such a spunky package...I love Suze. She couldn't be any nicer, more accessible, or more fun!

Creative Characters: Natalie's site is fantastic. Superbly fantastic. Her dolls...her faces...her art! I could get lost in this woman's talent - and she seems to have so much talent that it oozes out of her pores. She is absolutely amazing - a definite must if you're creative or interested in amazing art. She also has not one, but TWO etsy shops...Creative CharacterS and ClotheSpinZ. Splendiferous!


Illustration Friday: Just a really neat place to check out. Every week there is a new creative exercise to challenge your creativity. There's no pressure, no strings, no nothing...but a great way to stretch your creative bones. Are you up for the challenge??

After all that creativity and fun, you're probably worn out. Wasn't it worth it?!

xx,

Lunaria Annua

Aren't those beautiful? They are the dried leaves of Lunaria annua, otherwise known as the money plant, honesty plant, silver dollar plant, moonwort...and several other names.

It has beautiful purple flowers, which bloom in the spring. It's a biennial and even has some edible leaves. Once dried, the leaves are used in floral arrangements - they are one of the few dried pieces that won't fade over time or in sunlight.

You can see the pods in the leaves

I remember seeing a lot of these when I was a kid - but I haven't seen them for a long time. The leaves, once the outer covering is rubbed off, resemble silver dollars - which is why some refer to this plant as the "money plant". Not all leaves are silver - some look more like the rice paper used in Japanese shades, while others have brown striations that remind me of potato slices.

 Honesty (Money Plant) by Sande LaFaut

I've been searching everywhere for these leaves. My search would have been a total waste of time, had I not had the extreme pleasure of finding a beautiful new blog full of fun fiber art, Simple Pleasures, Holy Treasures, by Sande LaFaut. There is one post in particular, Honesty (Money Plant), that is just gorgeous (above). While looking at Sande's beautiful art quilt, be sure to take a further look around her site. She's a very talented woman with some really stunning eye candy!

Although I hate to cook, I've been working on a new recipe for paper bowls. I've been looking everywhere for a few of these leaves, but have been completely unsuccessful at finding them. I have located one place that sells a bundle of 50 branches - but that is way too many for my purposes...and besides, they're kind of expensive. I don't need 50 branches of leaves - and don't want to pay $35.

Knowing the resourcefulness and just plain awesomity* of my readers, I decided to put out the call to you guys. Have you seen these? Do you know where I can purchase a few leaves? If my recipe actually works, I'll want to get more...but I only want to play with a few to start.

If you know where I can obtain 10-20 silver dollar leaves, please let me know by leaving a comment - or you can email me. I'm not quite sure where else to look...and I'm just not patient enough to plant them this spring - then wait two years before I can get my hands on some.


* Yes, "awesomity" is a word I made up...but don't you think it fits?

xx,

Art Advice - Continued

QUICK NOTE: Tim Holtz is doing his infamous "12 Tags of Christmas" again this year. It's always stunning to see how talented this man is - he's brilliant!

Onto the second part of yesterday's post. (Didn't know you'd get roped into a second part, did ya?)

Besides the things I brought up yesterday, I've had one other issue on my mind that's been driving me...erm...battier. This is the last time I'll bring this up - I think.

Wanna Know More?

Finding My Artistic Path

I need some advice.

You know I'm all over the place with my art. Fabric owns my heart. I love polymer clay. Painting is incredible. I live to doodle. I adore metal. I'm obsessed with shrink art. I can't get enough of paper. In my opinion, one can never have enough beads. I love pens and markers so much, I dream about them. I literally breathe to make up - and try out - new techniques.

Wanna Know More?

Ostrich Eggs

Click photos to be taken to the artist's website/gallery

 Above: I thought all I needed was an ostrich egg and a Dremel - and let's not forget my ridiculous over-exaggeration of my talent, and the "ease" of this art - to make something this incredible. HA!

Help!

I have a question that is perplexing me...and I need some input. I bought an ostrich egg a few months back - and it's beautiful.

Wanna Know More?

Into Altered Books?

This is the most incredible video on altered books. The paper cutting itself is astounding - I have no idea how NZ Book Council put this together. It's beautiful and kind of....terrifying? I think that's the word I'm looking for. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Wanna Know More?

Meet Claramae

The name Claramae means "bright rebel", at least according to one of the name sites I went a-scouring.

Poor Claramae - her color looks really washed out in this picture. She's much brighter and livelier in person.

I've been playing around with color and fabric lately. Ok, so I've also been messing with glass painting, watercolors, embossing/coloring metals, doodling (zentangles), and a quilt (that started as an art quilt - but has gotten way out of control). The things I've learned - and subsequent results - from the materials I've been experimenting with, will come up in future posts. That's my way of letting you know I haven't been a total slacker - and my weak excuse for where I've been lately. Then again, as a single mom, do I really need an excuse about where I've been? Juggling the kids, a giant court case, more spine injections...oh forget it. I'm too exhausted to even bring it all up.

In Wednesday's post, I showed you how to make this awesome fabric.

Today, I'd like to introduce you to Claramae, the art doll I made with some of this fabric.

She's about 12" tall. I stitched her arms and legs separately - basically because I'm lazy...and had some serious help from the Princess. Doing it that way just made it a lot easier. You can see all her beautiful colors - the darker pieces come from various darker permanent markers, the lighter colors use lighter markers. (Der! Just in case you couldn't figure that one out for yourself.)

I made the pattern - which you are free to print out for your own use, if you'd like. Please do not post it on your site, in a book, or on handouts. If you'd like to use it in your own projects - or for a swap - that's totally fine, have a great time and send me pictures. To use it for any other purpose, please contact me so we can discuss it. (I hate saying that - but too many people without scruples make it necessary.)

I went to work cutting her out, then lovingly stitching and stuffing her. I'm still learning my way around the sewing machine, so yes, I'm aware she's not done exactly right. And that my stitches don't leave a perfectly measured seam all around her. But she's supposed to look like that. Yeah. That's it. She's exactly like I imagined her. Sure.

 

Beautiful eyelash trim makes up her hair. Once she was stuffed and stitched, I used black, purple, and red Sharpies to draw a few symbols on her. Most have no meaning other than decorative - but a few are symbols I seem to draw on everything.

The colors are a little off in these pictures - they are washed out. It's hard to get pictures of really colorful things with my camera. It's probably more operator error than a problem with my Canon PowerShot A560.

I intentionally left her backside plain. She's almost like a two-sided doll - you turn her one way and she's decorated, the other way she's plain. That has to be the stupidest thing I've ever said or written.

Her new home will be on a shelf in my studio, next to Stella. I haven't introduced you to Stella yet - but I will. She's still a work in progress and has been kind of neglected for the last eight months or so...but dang. She's a lot of work! You'll see what I mean when I get her finished and finally introduce her.

Anyway, this is Claramae - my "bright rebel". What do you think of her?

xx,

Make Your Own Fabric: DIY Fabric

I've been coloring some fabric lately, with a fun technique. The end result can be used in almost anything you want to make - and I chose to use some of mine in an art doll I've named Claramae. We'll get to Claramae later - first I want to introduce you to the technique.

Permanent markers, alcohol, and fabric. Here's a sample of the first step, permanent marker on cotton muslin. This is before the alcohol is added. Actually, it's Claramae...well, before she became Claramae.

One thing I've learned - but have a hard time remembering (besides my name) is that, with this technique, less is better. I have a habit of covering every available inch with color, beads, paint, ribbon, whatever. When doing this process, leaving spaces between the colors makes the colors bleed into each other really well. Marking all over the fabric (like I did) means you have to use more alcohol - and do a lot of blotting with paper towels. The up side to doing it "my" way is that you end up with some wonderfully colored paper (from under the fabric) and paper towels, ready to be incorporated into your next project.

This is a super easy way to make your own fabric/designs. I would not wash this fabric - I don't know how well it would hold up. It may be fine...but I just don't know. But anyone - kids and the "unartistic" - can do this. This doesn't involve nasty, caustic dyes or expensive fabric paints. And you know I'm all about the inexpensive art experience!

Materials

~ Muslin: washed and dried without fabric softener. This removes the fabric sizing and makes it easier to color.

~ Permanent Markers: Sharpies, BIC Mark Its, etc. Different nib widths works well - fine tips tend to leave more of a "line" on the fabric, while wide tips blend and bleed into the fabric better.

~ Alcohol: Either 70 or 90% works. (Or whatever numbers are close to those - I can't remember exactly what the percentages are.)

~ Eye Dropper, Spray Bottle, Q-Tips, Pipettes...anything that will transfer the alcohol to the fabric in an interesting way. I tend to use everything. Why limit yourself?

Draw on your fabric. If you're having a hard time with the fabric shifting, iron freezer paper to the back to provide a stiffer surface. Scribbles, lines, doodles, dots, scribbles, geometric shapes, scribbles...anything you want to draw. I would stay away from drawing actual pictures - they don't show up well. Unless you want recognizable lines, stick to loose scribbles (in case you didn't see that above) and blocks of colors. Like I mentioned before, leaving space between the colors produces a much different effect - coloring all over the fabric creates a lot of excess color that needs to be removed.

If you ironed freezer paper to your fabric, now is the time to remove it. (If you don't, this technique won't work.) Place paper under fabric - it can be newsprint, cardstock, whatever you want to use to catch the excess ink. Give some consideration to whether you want to use the paper in another project, and what sort of paper will be most versatile for you. I used 110# white cardstock - it's strong enough to handle the bleeding without tearing or leaking - but it's truly up to you and what you want to do with it. Just remember, this is permanent marker we're dealing with. You probably want to make sure you have a pretty absorbent paper under the fabric.Unless you want your table/desk/whatever to acquire a myriad of uncontrollable color.

Ok. So we've got the colored fabric on some sort of paper to soak up the excess color...now we're going to spray, splash, spatter, dribble, squirt, flick, spritz, smear, pour, sprinkle, drizzle, trickle, mist, blob, atomize, scatter, drop, the alcohol onto the fabric. Whether you are careful or go for it with reckless abandon, you can't control the bleed. Keep adding alcohol, picking up your fabric and letting it run through the colors. Dab and blot with a paper towel or a piece of paper, when there's a lot of alcohol on the fabric and the color isn't moving any longer. Continue this until the colors disperse to your satisfaction. Lay the piece flat, smooth with your hands, let air dry. (The markers will stain your hands...and you want to let the fabric air dry, not your hands. You can always let your hands air dry, if you want...I don't care.)

Once the fabric is dry, I iron it to kind of heat set it. I don't know if it helps, but I do it anyway. Then it's ready for whatever project you want to use it on - and if you used decent paper and relatively strong paper towels, you've got those to incorporate into a project, too. Yay!

I won't be posting pictures of Claramae until Friday, since tomorrow is Thanksgiving and the Princess made something special for you. But don't miss Friday's post - when I'll introduce you to Claramae, the newest member of our zoo.

xx,

Holiday Gifts...Part II

After yesterday's wildly off-topic post, I'll hopefully stick to the topic today. Maybe.

I would like to give those of you making crafty holiday gifts, a little someum' someum' to think about. I know for a fact that anyone can make a spectacular gift - all anyone needs is a little time and the right tools. Maybe some instructions - or at least a creative idea - and some patience. Those few things, plus the points I'll discuss below, will help to make your gift fantastic - rather than fugly. Read on for my thoughts - and a few ideas - about making gifts for the holidays.

I've done so many different things for holiday gifts - and they've changed a lot over the years. Since having childebeasts (which would make it sound like I remember what life was like before they came along...NOT! lol), I've tried to do things they can help with - but are still wanted by the recipient. There is nothing worse than getting something the parent considers cute - but you have no idea a) what it is, b) what it's used for, and c) what to do with it. I'm all for giving gifts made by the kids - but certain things are items only grandparents adore. Let's not force those things on the unsuspecting (or unwilling)!

Also, another quick note - know your skill level. There are so many different projects online (all it takes is a quick Google search), it's easy to find one that fits with your talents, skill level, budget, and style. If you run across something you really want to make - and it takes you 5 hours to make one, that may not be the best thing to make for all 100 of your office mates. Trust me. I've done this to myself before - and rather than enjoying the process, I wind up cursing the recipients existence. That isn't really what the holiday spirit is about...

Edibles are always great - especially for people you work with. If you have (or can find!) a dynamite recipe for fudge or other holiday confection, you'll endear yourself to those you give it to...forever. This is one of the easiest things I've done - and has saved my backside more than once. Great for last minute gifts - or to keep on hand to give to those people who give you something...and you don't have anything to give back.

Ornaments are also appreciated. These are great things for associates or acquaintances - maybe those who are closer to you than the majority of people at the office, but not a real close friend. These can also be good for teachers because they are so easy to customize. Last year, we did a lot of ornaments. (I thought I made a tutorial for this - but I can't find it, so evidently I didn't.) Since we live in Denver, we made "melted snowman" ornaments. Clear glass ornaments, clear (and a few white) seed beads, black (eyes & buttons), orange (nose), and red & white (hats & scarves) polymer clay, and acetate (overhead projector sheets) cut to fit inside the ornaments. I made a pattern for the acetate so it would fill the diameter of the ornament - and before cutting them out of the full sheet, I stamped white (and embossed iridescent) snowflakes all over. Then I wrote, "Happy Holidays from the _______ 2008" on the acetate, taking up most of the room. Around the bottom I wrote, "Genuine snowman from Denver, CO". I cut these out, rolled them up to fit through the neck of the ornament, and used a pencil to center the writing. Dump in the seed beads and little accessories you've made out of polymer clay, tie a ribbon around the top, and you're done! You can make a lot of these quickly - and inexpensively.

The other things I've/we've made...homemade potpourri, sun catchers with dried flowers/leaves/seeds (this one takes some forethought if you want to save by drying your own flowers/leaves/seeds), wreathes, lip balm kits (for my daughter's friends), personalized stationery, mini/art quilts, and memory boxes. If you are looking for something to give a pet lover, homemade treats for their pet are appreciated, as is an easy-to-make personalized food or water dish.

Whatever you decide to make, whether it's from scratch or you're just altering something you've bought, personalizing it to the recipient is easy - and appreciated. It shows you've taken the time and made the effort to make it special. Which would you rather receive - something someone made 100 of...or something personalized? Personalization doesn't take that much longer - but can really make your gift special.

I know I said I would only talk about this for one day...but it's now lapsed into two. And I'll open it up for questions...if you are going to be crafty this holiday season, and you have questions, let me have 'em. From questions about how to make something, to wanting me to write a tutorial about a project...or needing ideas for a certain skill level - or particular recipients...or wanting to know where to get a supply (at a great price)...or anything else, leave a comment with your question. If there are enough questions, I'll make a Q&A post.

Just don't ask me about the meaning of life.

Holiday Gifts

Before I get in to today's post, I want to thank you for the well wishes. I'm not dead after all...in fact, I feel a lot better today. Unfortunately for the childebeasts, their plan was foiled. Muwahahaha

Today, let's talk about holiday gifts. As someone who absolutely despises the holidays, I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this. In fact, I'm not even going to say anything more about it...probably until December. By then, even those of us who don't get all "warm and fuzzy" about the holidays can't resist the pressure of it all, and are forced to submit. Leave me alone about it the other 11 months - and I'll do my best to pretend I like it the last month of the year. (Maybe I'll write some schleppy post about why I dislike Christmas so much...but maybe not. It's not interesting, no one thing made me start hating it, and it just brings up more holiday talk.)

While pondering the possible end of my life yesterday, I was continually interrupted by commercials of happy families getting their holiday groove on. Especially by KMart and their lay-a-way plan. (I think those commercials started like a 4-6 weeks ago.) Irritating as it was, I know it's going to get a whole lot worse - much like the political commercials do right before a presidential election. Then I found out that Santa will be arriving at area malls this Friday. November 6. A full FORTY-NINE days before Christmas. It's a record - and the malls say they're doing it to help "parents get in the mood, and realize Christmas is just around the corner". As if parents - who have children of any age - can forget? Really?? I find it hard to believe the 'beasts are the only children who, all year long, say they want _______ for Christmas. Even the day after Christmas, while half the crap is still in its packaging, the 'beasts are watching TV and commenting they want _____ for next Christmas. Thanks, KMart - I don't need a reminder that I can put everything on lay-a-way. And a huge THANK YOU to the Denver Post - for letting me know Santa will be at the mall from tomorrow til Christmas. You just cemented the fact I will not be going to the mall - for any reason - til after the first of the year.* The last thing I want or need is to get the childebeasts all riled up about Christmas...while they are still hyped up on their Halloween candy.

Hello...can you say tangents? Maybe we'll get to what my point is. So the post is a little convoluted and confusing. So am I.

Crafting and holiday gifts. This will be old news to some of you - but still important things to remember, nonetheless. There are some very specific rules to making things for others as holidays gifts, lest you land on Homemade Hilarity. Fantastic site - if you, or something you've made, aren't on it. In an effort to help all of you - craftista or not - here is some important information to keep in mind if you are going to make gifts this year, rather than buying everything. Let's face it - rollin' with these economic times means everyone needs to save a few Benjamen's (or in my case, Washington's), so many people who haven't necessarily considered giving a handmade gift before, are seriously considering it this year. Which is awesome - I'm all about forwarding the handmade movement - as long as it's well thought out and not just thrown together.

There are several points I want to make about crafting a gift for the holidays - especially those who are new to making gifts. I truly believe anyone can make something really nice - whether they have experience or not - and I'd like to give you some pointers so you can be as successful as possible. I'm not going to focus on what you can make - doing a search on Google will net you more results than you could use in 100 holidays - but I do want to give you some things to think about before plunging in, headfirst.

Unless you'd rather do things the Queen Katherine way...don't think about it, just start making something. Don't worry about how many you need to make - just start on one. After finishing that first one, realize it took you six hours to make it, you've use all your supplies for that particular project, it's ten o'clock at night so the stores are closed, the gift exchange event is in two days, and you need to make 109 more. Sadly, that's how I do things...so I'm trying to save you and spare you a lot of frustration. Tune in tomorrow for the stuff I was going to post today, until I got off on other subjects.

* In all fairness, it should be noted that I haven't been to the mall since...it's been so long that I can't even remember the last time I went to the mall. So it isn't like they'll be missing out on my I-don't-have-two-nickels-to-rub-together-food-stamp-getting-I-hate-Christmas self.

xx,

Happy Halloween Trick Bowl

 

 This is one of my favorite times of year...the anticipation of Halloween, the crisp - ok, downright cold - fall air, the childebeasts out for fall break. In order not to upset anyone, and to be politically correct, the school district here always holds fall break the last week of October. Each year we (usually) have several days leading up to Halloween to get costumes and decorations together. This year has been no exception!

I made a Creepy Halloween Bowl to scare all the little ghosts and goblins that come looking for tricks and treats. It's really easy, didn't take any time at all, and can be made for practically nothing. Make one, then give all the witches and zombies in your neighborhood a ghoulish surprise!

TIME: 30 minutes (after gathering supplies)

COST: Under $5.00

 

SUPPLIES:

** Most of these supplies are optional. I listed the items I used (and links to examples) - but experiment...be creative! And as always, if you get stuck or need help, click the "Contact" button. I'm glad to help! **

~ Large plastic bowl (around 11") from Halloween section of grocery store (I got mine at King Soopers, $2.99 - before they all went on sale)

~ Dremel too with 1/8" multipurpose cutter, or high speed cutter, etc, and saw bits - or drill with similar bits

~ Glue dots (this is the kind I had on hand - using large, flat Glue Dots would probably work better)

~ Brads with a square/larger, flat head (here's an example - or these candy corn brads would be cute)

~ Yellow latex dish washing glove - 1  (These are just an example - don't you dare pay this much!)

~ Scissors

~ Large rhinestone gems (I used oval and diamond shapes)

~ Glue (something like E-6000 or 2 part epoxy works well - something that will adhere plastics) Do NOT use glue like the Elmer's Craft Glue pictured - it doesn't work!! (I learned this)

~ Black Memories stamp pad (StazOn would work well also)

~ Halloween stamps (small images work best) OR black permanent marker to draw Halloween images (I got mine at Michael's in their dollar bins...you get 2 small stamps for $1, available year-round)

~ Awl (optional)

~ Lighter (optional) Use a long handled lighter - like one for candles, bar-b-ques, or fireplaces, please. Do NOT use a small regular lighter.

Using your Dremel or drill and the saw blade bit (or a sharp knife - carefully!), cut a hole in the bottom of the bowl. Make hole just big enough to slide your hand through. You can sand the edges a little if necessary.

 

Put your hand inside rubber glove and slide rubber glove through hole. Decide how far you want your hand to stick up in the bowl. Add 3" and cut glove. You can eyeball this measurement - doesn't need to be perfect.*Pay attention to which hand you'll use to hand out the candy so you use the correct glove!*

 

Cut slits into the sides of the glove long enough to stretch the bottom of the glove around the hole. Use Glue Dots to secure the glove around the hole. Using multipurpose or high speed 1/8" bit and Dremel or drill, drill holes through the glove and plastic bowl at even intervals. You need this part to be really secure - so you should use about 20 +/- brads. You may find it easier to drill 2 holes directly across from each other, insert the brads, then do 2 more...working in a 12 to 6 o'clock, 3 to 9 o'clock, etc pattern.

I had a hard time using the Dremel for this - the glove kept wanting to wind up in the bit. (It was most likely operator error, not Dremel error.) I found that heating my awl - to very hot - and poking it through the glove and bowl - was much easier. This method requires heating the awl for several seconds, many times - which is why you need a long handled lighter and not a typical cigarette lighter.

 

  Open/flatten brad tongs inside bowl. It's important to use brads with a head bigger than the hole so the brads don't slip through. I think the brads I used are about 1/2" square. I just used some I had laying around, but it's important they are flat so they aren't seen. Halloween themed brads would be cute, but definitely not necessary.

After inserting the brads, the glove should be secure. If not, add more brads.

 

Using black ink and Halloween stamps, stamp the outside of the bowl randomly with small Halloween images.

If you don't have Halloween stamps or a black ink pad, use a permanent marker to draw some Halloween doodles.

Adhere the rhinestone gems around the lip of the bowl. Once the adhesive dries you're ready to go out and give a little trick with your treats! I promise the kids will be talking about your house for a long, looong time.

I thought this was an easy, quick project...but poor Noodles had to take a cat nap when we were finished. I say "we" because I was finished with the bowl...and he was finished trying to chew on the glove, eat the rhinestones, knock the rubber stamps off the bed, walk through the stamp pad...

No wonder Noodles was tired. He was a lot busier than I was!