Let’s talk about Marker Storage

October 7, 2019October 7, 2019Leave a comment

Happy National Craft Week!

Saturday was National Card Making Day and now we have National Craft Week?

Be still my crafty little heart. (I thought every week was craft week.)

Since we’re talking all things “crafty” this week, I’d like to ask you a personal question.

How do you store your markers?

When it comes to markers, we all have our opinions and preference on which are our favorite.

Lately, I’ve been curious on how everyone stores their markers and what works best for you.

I started rubber stamping in the mid 90’s and slowly built up quite a collection of Art Markers.

Personally, I have been using Tombow Markers for over 20 years and some markers in my

collection are almost as old. (and they still works)

Up until recently my marker storage system was just about as old as my collection.

A wobbly little holder (with a slight lean) and an extra basket for the overflow.

It worked but it wasn’t quite as efficient as I wanted it to be.

Recently, I started doing a lot more cardmaking and using my markers again.

That’s when I requested the Expandable Marker Accordion* from Deflecto.

It is the ultimate in marker storage and portability!

It has 80 slots that hold markers, but, because my Tombow and Marvy markers

are skinnier than Copic markers, I can easily put two markers in each slot.

Disclosure…“This is a sponsored post. As a member of the Deflecto Design Team I have been provided compensation and product in exchange for my creative ideas. The views and opinions are my own.

The Expandable Marker Accordion* comes with a clear lid that easily snaps in place and a

handle that makes it easy to take your markers with you to classes and crops.

It keeps everything secure.

And…depending on your work space

you can use it in a straight line, a U shape, as a cube or in my favorite, a zig zag pattern.

Whatever combination works best for you and the project that you’re working on.

Not just another marker holder…

Let’s talk another option.

Maybe you’re just starting out your marker collection or you need a little more flexibility with

your marker storage, you might like Deflecto’s Interlocking Marker Organizer*.

This little marker holder can be used solo or because it has a interlocking design it can be

connected to additional units making it perfect whether you use it upright or horizontal.

And the best part…

The Interlocking Marker Organizer* also fits into the Deflecto Stackable Caddy Organizer.

You can fit six marker organizers into the Stackable Caddy for the Ultimate Grab and Go.

So many great options to fit your crafting style.

Disclosure: This blog uses affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase using one of the links, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) that helps offset the costs of maintaining this blog. Thanks for your support!

Faux Barn Wood Pumpkin

September 25, 2019February 9, 2023Leave a comment

Add a little Joy to your Fall Home Décor with this quick and easy Fall Centerpiece.

I wanted to make something new to decorate my mantel for fall this year.

So…I made a quick (or not so quick) trip to my local Hobby Lobby.

While there, I found this unfinished wood pumpkin and a fall floral pick (among other things).

It went together really quick. I had it painted and put together in no time.

To be honest, the project didn’t turn out exactly how I envisioned in my head,

I think it turned out better. (my original thought was to paint it in soft muted fall colors)

The best part of the whole process was…

this simple wood painted pumpkin inspired my son to spend the next few hours arranging

and rearranging my mantels until he got them just perfect. (and that makes me happy!)

Faux Barn Wood Pumpkin Supplies Needed:

Joy Black Embroidered Letters
Beacon 3 in 1 Glue*
Wood Pumpkin (Hobby Lobby)
Deco Art Acrylic Paints: Coffee Bean*, Dark Scarlet*, Country Red*
Paintbrush
Fall Floral Pick
Fine Grit Sandpaper*
Ribbon and Twine

*Disclosure… This blog uses ads and affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase using one of the links, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) that helps offset the costs of maintaining this blog. Thanks for your support!

Create the look of old barn wood using a wood pumpkin cut-out and acyrlic paint.

Directions:

Paint the wood pumpkin with brown acrylic paint. Make sure to get down into the grooves.
After the brown paint has dried paint the sections of the pumpkin with alternating colors.
Sand the pumpkin with a fine grit sandpaper* to distress and smooth the wood.

Glue the embroidered letters and floral pick onto the wood pumpkin with Beacon 3 in 1 Glue*.

Create a bow with sheer ribbon tied in the center with twine and glue onto the top of the pumpkin for the finishing touch.

A quick and easy Fall Centerpiece for my mantel.

You can find a wide selection of Joy® embroidered iron-on letters

and alphabet sheets in different sizes at your local craft stores.

“This is a sponsored post. As a member of the Joy® Design Team I have been provided product and compensation in exchange for my creative ideas. The views and opinions are my own.

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Mini Treat Jars for Fall Parties

September 19, 2019January 7, 202110 Comments

Mini Treat Jars for Fall

Impress your guests with this quick and easy table favor.

Create the perfect extra touch for your next Fall party or Get-Together.

I found these adorable mini mason jars at Michaels the other day and fell in love.

If you know me at all, you know I love anything miniature.

I just knew they would be perfect for filling with little treats.

To create the label for the jar…I used a Silhouette Cameo Electronic Die Cutting Machine*

and StyleTechCraft Orange and Bronze Luster Vinyl* to cut out the cute “Hello Fall” SVG file

from Jillibean Soup. I used my StyleTechCraft weeding tool to remove the background pieces

of my image. I transferred the “Hello Fall” label using StyleTechCraft Grid Transfer Tape*

After filling the jar with wrapped caramels…

I wrapped the rim on the jar with twine and tied on a small tag.

I glued a paper marigold (which I found at Hobby Lobby) on the top of the jar.

Cute little party favors to place by each guests plate.

My project is part of the Fall Blog Hop with Designer Craft Connection and StyleTechCraft vinyl.

If you would like to see more Fall projects hop on over to the Designer Crafts Connection Blog

to see the full list of designers.

Styletech Craft products brought to you by ATSM Craft

“This is a sponsored post. As a member of the StyleTechCraft Design Team I have been provided product in exchange for my creative ideas. The views and opinions are my own.

Barn Art

September 5, 2019January 7, 2021Leave a comment

If you had a newly remodeled little red barn…

would you make Barn Art for its newly painted walls?

Our newly remodeled little red barn is finally done and it’s looking really good.

(maybe even cute)

So…I decided to make it some art using my Silhouette Cameo Electronic Die Cutting

Machine* and luster vinyl from StyleTechCraft. A simple little project and fun sign that’ll

adorn the barn walls along with the old personalized license plates that I found.

*Disclosure: This blog uses affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase using one of the links, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) that helps offset the costs of maintaining this blog. Thanks for your support!

I will be posting the complete barn remodel in the next week or two.

Here’s a sneak peek until I do.

Don’t you just love this old weathervane?

It had been sitting in the barn for years just waiting to be polished up good as new.

“This is a sponsored post. As a member of the StyleTechCraft Design Team I have been provided product and compensation in exchange for my creative ideas. The views and opinions are my own.

Little Red Barn

August 7, 2019August 8, 2019Leave a comment

The Little Red Barn…

Every summer we take on a new project and this summer has been all about the barn.

Our old barn was built in two sections and one of the sections was in pretty bad shape.

We tore down the rickety part and have been rebuilding the other half.

My only requirement for the new barn was that I wanted it red. (and maybe a few other changes)

I’ll save the Barn Make-Over for another post.

*Disclosure… “This is a sponsored post. I have been provided product in exchange for my creative ideas. The views and opinions are my own.”

So… when I received Eileen Hull’s House Ornament Die* naturally I saw a barn.

I guess I’m in full barn mode.

I made a few adjustments to the die-cut house, like removing the top section for tying and

adding a roof made from black corrugated paper.

I added a couple barn doors cut from chipboard and added a thin piece of corrugated

paper over top for an awning.

The bottom of the house opens up and would look cute with a tea light glowing inside.

The die also comes with a little tag to hang from the top of the house.

I added a little awning over the window. So many possibilities.

This house die* is quickly becoming my new favorite die.

I can’t wait to create another house (or two) all decked out for Christmas.

First Day Back to School Signs

August 4, 2019February 9, 2023Leave a comment

Watch out Kindergarten here I come!

The first day of school is a big deal. Especially when it’s your first day of Kindergarten.

My grandson is going into Kindergarten this year and will be riding the bus with his big brother.

It’s a really big deal.

So… I decided to make him something special.

Using my Silhouette Cameo Electronic Die Cutting Machine* and a variety of fun colors of

adhesive gloss craft vinyl from StyleTechCraft…I made a cute two-sided sign for them

(or Mom) to use for those First Day of School pictures.

StyleTechCraft has a large selection of adhesive vinyl colors to choose from.

On the second side of the sign I made a few adjustments to my Silhouette Back to School

SVG cut file and added lines instead of dots. (too many dots for me)

Using a chalk marker or chalk you can reuse the sign for many years to come.

FYI…The base of the sign is a wood cut out from Adornit which I painted using DecoArt Chalkboard Paint*.

“This is a sponsored post. As a member of the StyleTechCraft Design Team I have been provided product and compensation in exchange for my creative ideas. The views and opinions are my own.

Nick’s New Swim Team Jacket

July 28, 2019August 24, 2021Leave a comment

Nick joined the swim team this summer and I couldn’t be more proud of him.

I got to watch him at a few of the swim meets and was so impressed on his abilities.

He’s always loved being in water and has really become quite the swimmer.

I’m not sure I’d make it across the width of the pool let alone the length.

He even swims the 100 meter race. (4 lengths of the pool for us non-swimmers)

Not bad for an 8 year old.

He’s so proud of his swim gear. (Isn’t he handsome?)

But…his new Super Cool Swim Team Jacket didn’t come with the option for personalization.

Joy® Embroidered Iron-On Monogram letters to the rescue.

For his Swim Team Jacket we used:

One Super Cool New Swim Team Jacket
Joy® Baby Monogram Iron On Embroidered Letters
Iron and pressing cloth

Directions:

Check Garment care label before choosing which setting to set your iron.
Remove letters from sheet. Position letters with shiny side down on jacket.
Cover letters with fine cloth. With firm pressure iron cloth over the letters for 25 seconds.
Turn jacket inside out and iron the back of the letters for 25 seconds.
Allow to cool for 1 minute before handling.

Joy® iron-on embroidered letters and appliqués can be found at your local craft stores!

“This is a sponsored post. As a member of the Joy® Design Team I have been provided product and compensation in exchange for my creative ideas. The views and opinions are my own.

*Disclosure: This blog uses ads and affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase using one of the links, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) that helps offset the costs of maintaining this blog. Thanks for your support!

Crossover II Fabric & Paper Cutting System

July 26, 2019February 27, 20241 Comment

Recently, I was asked by The Maker’s Movement to try out the Crossover II Fabric & Paper Cutting System* to see how I liked it. (Always anxious to try something new, I quickly agreed.)

*Disclosure… “This is a sponsored post. I have been provided product in exchange for my creative ideas. The views and opinions are my own.”

The machine is compact and portable. Easy to store and carry.

You can use the Crossover II* with thin metal paper dies, fabric dies and steel rule dies.

The Crossover II Fabric and Paper Cutting System*is similar to other manual cutting systems and uses a “sandwich” configuration with three plates. (included with the machine)

White Base Plate
Metal Adapter Plate
Clear Top Plate

This is my favorite part of the machine, the adjustable rollers and pressure settings.

This was the real game changer for me.

It adjusts for multiple layers and allows you to be able to cut a variety of thicknesses.

Not just for paper…

the Crossover II Fabric & Paper Cutting System* can cut fabric, faux leather, craft foam,

chipboard, felt and several other materials.

Here’s a quick little video showing the Crossover II Fabric & Paper Cutting System*in action.

Along with the Crossover II Fabric & Paper Cutting System* I received a few dies from

Maker’s Movement to play with as well.

MSD205 Hello Spring Stamp & Die Set
MOD203 Stitched Rectangles Nested Essentials Die Set
SF6 Stacker Flower 6

I created this quick card using paper scraps from Graphic 45 and a combination of the dies

I received from The Maker’s Movement. I love the tiny foliage stamp I used on the background.

It’s from the Hello Spring Collection.

I liked using the Crossover II Fabric & Paper Cutting System*especially it’s versatility.

Quick and Easy Summer Mini Album

July 19, 2019April 21, 2024Leave a comment

Quick and Easy Summer Vacation Mini Album

You don’t have to take an expensive Summer Vacation to have fun when your a kid.

Between Baseball games, Swim Lessons, Swim Team, Carnivals, Pie Eating Contests,

Fireworks, Drive In Movies, Swimming, Summer Reading Program, Mini Gardens,

Tie-Dyeing and just playing outside….there’s always something to do.

Because we have so many great pictures, I decided to make my grandsons a

Summer Vacation Mini Album to remember all the good times they’ve had this summer.

To Create my Summer Vacation Mini Album I used: (*affiliate links)

Xyron Creative Station*
Creative Station Permanent Adhesive Refill*
Xyron Mega Runner*
Sizzix 663635 Notebook Die by Eileen Hull*
Sizzix Little Sizzles Mat Board*
Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Machine*
Seas the Day Collection from Dare 2B Artsy
Blue and White Bakers Twine*

With the help of my Xyron Creative Station* putting the album together was super easy.

Cut two 6″ x 8-1/2″pieces of decorative scrapbook paper for the front and inside of the cover.
Lay decorative scrapbook paper (design side up) on the Xyron Creative Station* crank the handle to run the paper through the machine. As it moves through the Xyron Creative Station it adds adhesive to the back side of the paper.
Easy to use and it doesn’t need any electricity.
I like using the Xyron Creative Station* when making mini books because you get complete coverage, no wrinkling, no bubbles!

Cut a piece of mat board 6″ x 8-1/2″.
Adhere the decorative paper on each side of the mat board.

Lay the covered mat board over the notebook die* sandwiched between two cutting plates.
Crank the handle of the Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Machine*and run the die through the machine. The Big Shot will cut and score the mat board.

The notebook die creases the center of mat board as it goes through the Big Shot Die Cutting Machine making it easy to fold the cover for your mini album.

Cut a 2 1/4″ x 5″ strip of decorative paper to use for the spine and run it through the Xyron Creative Station*.
The small “hello summer” graphic is from an old Bo Bunny collection that I hoarded and never used. It was perfect for this album. (sorry I don’t think you can find it anymore)

Cut 5 white cardstock pages using the notebook die.
Crease the cardstock on the center score lines.
Using blue and white twine, wrap the twine around the inside creases and around the outside of the book cover to secure the pages.
I did one page at a time tying the twine in a knot on the outside after each page.

After I had all my pages together, I tied the pieces of twine together in one knot on the spine and let the ends of the twine hang loose.

I wanted this Summer Mini Album to be all about the pictures.

There are no fancy embellishments or special pages inside this album.

(just lots of fun pictures of my boys)

The hardest part about making this album was choosing which pictures I wanted to use.

I printed my pictures 4″ x 5.3″ instead of the usual 4″ x 6″.

I cut each picture 3 1/4″ x 4 3/4″ which left a nice white border around my picture when added

to the album. I used my Xyron Mega Runner* to add adhesive on the back of the pictures.

I had all 21 pictures added to my album in no time. (one on the inside back cover)

These are three busy little boys.

They’ve had a great summer so far and they still have another month to go before school starts.

Who says summer is about lazy days.

The Summer Vacation Mini Album measures 3 3/4″ x 5″.

“This is a sponsored post. As a member of the Xyron Makers Program I have been provided product and compensation in exchange for my creative ideas. The views and opinions are my own.

Indigo Shibori Dyeing

July 13, 2019July 18, 20201 Comment

Indigo Shibori Dyeing

We had a little fun this past week-end and tried something new….

My daughter asked me to purchase a Indigo Dye Kit* for her birthday.

She wanted to use it when she came home. (I’m always up for trying something different.)

Shibori is a Japanese term for methods of dyeing cloth. Similar to tie-dyeing you create patterns by binding, stitching, folding, twisting, and compressing. In Japan, the earliest known example of cloth dyed with the shibori technique dates back to the 8th century where indigo was the main dye used.

Shibori Indigo Dye Kit from Made Kits by One-OneThousand*

The kit came with everything we would need:

Thiox
Soda Ash
Pre-reduced Indigo
Rubber Gloves
Rubber Bands
Acrylic Plates
Great Instructions

Everything except a very large bucket and items to dye.

It said right on the front of the box…”no chemistry degree needed”.

My daughter had purchased a few new items to dye and we quickly added other items like…

pillowcases, old doilies, vintage linens, old jeans and other miscellaneous items.

The kit comes with great instructions on how to mix the Thiox, Indigo and Soda Ash with water.

It is recommended to use a 5 gallon bucket with lid.

After everything is mixed cover the bucket tightly with the lid and let it rest for one hour.

When you are ready to start dyeing, remove the cover.

The liquid will be a greenish-yellow in color and you will see a cluster of bubbles called

“the flower” and a film on top. (It will have a smell, that’s normal, they said)

Carefully scoop out the bubbles “the flower” and set aside with a little of the dye liquid.

The instructions say that you can put “the flower” back in the bucket after your done

dyeing to keep the dye bucket going for future dye projects. (hmmm.)

The dye can be used for several dye sessions if carefully stored.

It’s always a good idea to pre-wash new items with a mild detergent.

We used several different twisting and rubber banding techniques on the fabric.

FYI…The dye reacts best if your item is wet first.

When you lift your item out of the dye mixture it will be a yellow greenish color.

As the air hits the dyed item, the indigo will gradually oxidize and the dyed item will turn blue.

The longer the item is in the dye, the darker it becomes once it hits the air.

They suggest ringing the item and letting it sit for 15 minutes and then re-dipping the item

in the dye for deeper hues.

Creating a Wax Resist

My daughter and her husband created dots on their shoes by using melted wax and the end

of a paintbrush. (We kept the melted wax hot in a old mini crock pot.)

The melted wax creates a resist that will repel the dye.

They covered the souls of the shoes with removable painters tape to protect it from the dye.

A large brush was used to paint the dye on the shoes instead of dipping them.

Once dyed…we hung the items on a clothesline tied between two trees in the front yard.

My husband said it looked real classy. I thought it looked beautiful.

We left them hanging overnight as they need 24-48 hours to dry and oxidize.

As with a lot of new techniques…there is a little bit of a learning curve.

We were pleased with the results and can’t wait until she’s home again to dye some more.

FYI…We used Shibori Indigo Dye Kit from Made Kits by One-OneThousand*

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Tag: crafts