Mason Jar Snowglobe

Bottle brush trees are all the rage again this year and I have fallen totally in love with them — especially when they are in jars.

After perusing Pinterest for a few hours, I decided to make one of my own.

When I showed this off at the store, I was asked to turn it into a class, so I did (see the descriptions at the right).

For those of you who cannot take the class, here’s how I did it …

First, I sprayed the tree (from Tim Holtz) with a mixture of Distress Reinker, Perfect Pearls and water and set it aside to dry.

I wanted to make sure that the tree was entirely above the rim of the jar, so I traced this lid and cut out circles of chipboard to give it some height.

 

I layered the chipboard pieces with dimensional foam tape.

I covered the top layer with some Christmas paper from Bo Bunny so it will be pretty if the snow doesn’t cover the whole base.

Then I attached the tree to base and added gold cord for garland and beads for ornaments.

I covered the ring with Vintage Silver Enamel Powder. A thick coat helps to cover some of the ridges so it looks more like a piece of home decor and less like a functional ring.

Once that was done, I poured some Faux Snow by Art Glitter into the jar, then attached the lid with the tree on it and then the ring. I tipped it back over to watch the snow fall and then added some tinsel and tulle around the base.I still have a tree and a wreath left, so I think I’m off to make some more!

 

Jakob’s Seeds

A few years ago, my nephew came home from school with a green bean plant he grew from seed planted in a styrofoam cup. My in-laws helped him transplant the tiny seedling into the garden and watched it grow. At the end of the season, they saved some of the seeds to plant again.

Now, each year, we enjoy fresh green beans from that tiny plant — well, most of us do. My husband hates them, but the rest of us eat them.

So, as the garden is coming to an end this year, my husband harvested some of my nephews seeds and asked me to make a little seed packet for them. Here’s what I created …

I used Cricut’s Garden Soup cartridge to make the seed packet and green bean. The seed packet has cutout in it, so I covered that with acetate so we could see the beans inside.

Then, I cut out a layered bean in the same size to mount over part of it.

I used Mowed Lawn and Walnut Stain Distress Inks to keep it “boyish”.

Finally, I cut out letters with a Lifestyle Crafts font to add to the packet.

Now, my nephew’s beans have a special place to live until we plant them again next year.

 

Happy Halloween

I hate Halloween.

I don’t like spiders or vampires or things that go bump in the night and I find the whole holiday rather creepy. I know, it is supposed to be that way, but frankly there is nothing about being scared that appeals to me. So I avoid all things related to Halloween — normally.

But then new paper started arriving at Capture A Memory and I fell in love. So, when I was asked to make some samples for the store, I agreed and came up with these from the new line Hallowe’en by Reminisce.

 

This piece of Halloween art is made with a picture frame made for a 4×6 photo. The center is a giant sticker from Reminisce — yes, a 4×6 sticker! How perfect is that. I then used a bit of Art Glitter Designer Dries Clear Adhesive to glue a bit of baker’s twine around the edge of the frame.

Then I added some orange buttons I found in my stash. I attached them with Glue Dots Pop Up because the thick adhesive allows them to attach firmly to the uneven levels on the frame.

Finally, I grabbed in old bottle cap from my stash, flattened it with a mallet and used a 1″ punch to cut a picture out of another sheet of Reminisce paper and then glued it to the frame.

Super simple, super easy and super cute!

Next, I turned my attention to a little altered book. I started with a mini composition book … Staples usually has these in stock this time of year for about .50 each. They are 3 1/4″ x 4 1/2″ — the perfect size for a pad to fit in the purse or for a little gift to someone special.

I covered the book cover with paper from the Reminisce line and sanded the edges so they matched the shape of the book. Then I cut out the little girl greeting from another sheet and attached it. I wrapped twine around a few times and added a little charm from My Mind’s Eye.

Another super easy, super cute project!

Finally, I used some of the papers to make a layout for the store. I cut the little pumpkin guys out and used dimensional foam to adhere them.

My dislike of Halloween is so great, I don’t have any photos to use, so it is going to the store without the picture!

Stop by Capture-A-Memory to see all of these projects in person, or click on the photos for a better view.

 

Easter Tubes

I absolutely love Easter paper. Those little bunnies and chicks are just so cute!

Unfortunately, I never seem to have really good Easter photos to scrapbook. So, I have learned to improvise.

Instead of scrapbooking Easter photos, I used the Easter papers to make these adorable little holiday gifts:

Aren’t they adorable filled with Starburst Jelly Beans?!

I used papers by Three Bugs in a Rug and Best Creation Inc. to make them. Then, I added some My Mind’s Eye Twine, ribbon and little Peeps cutouts made with a Lifestyle Crafts die. (Click on the photo for a larger version).

For the tops, I used the Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers die. Before I cut out the flowers, I used a Wendy Vecchi technique and Ranger’s Glue and Seal to adhere the papers to Clearly for Art by Studio 490. Then, I cut them out and heated them with a heat tool. While warm, they can be molded in any way you desire and when they cool, they retain their shape no matter what. It’s a really neat technique that I have used a lot recently. Check out Wendy’s blog for more information.

Here’s one of the flower tops: 

I used a bit of Distress Ink and a brad for the center.

Sparkly Valentines

Everybody loves to receive valentines.

The best ones have a little sparkle and come with a little treat.

I created this one to be simple enough that you could easily make enough for an entire class (or let the kids make them) — but interactive enough to make it stand out.

I started with a little white bag that I’ve been carrying around for years. I don’t remember where I got it from originally.

I added a piece of Bo Bunny paper to the front and then used my Big Shot to cut out a heart and foldable strip from QuicKutz/Lifestyle Crafts.

I used Close To My Heart alphabet stamps to stamp the sentiment on the inside and another stamp from CTMH to stamp the Happy. (It was part of a Happy Birthday stamp, but I only inked the happy portion).

For the heart, I spread a bit of Designer Dries Clear Adhesive with my finger and then covered it in Pink Azalea Ultrafine Transparent Glitter 147. When dry, I adhered it to the front of the folded strip. Then, using Designer Dries Clear Adhesive again, I attached the strip and the string (from My Mind’s Eye) to the bag. Tying the string into a small bow keeps the strip closed and invites people to untie it and read the sentiment inside.

I tucked three Smarties into the bag, but you could put in a sucker, a few Hershey’s Kisses, or any wrapped candy.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Gingerbread Men

With Thanksgiving behind us, I’m ready for Christmas.

So, when Art Glitter asked me to make a few projects for December, I was excited to get started.

My first project is a miniature gingerbread and Christmas tree garland. It’s simple and cute and perfect for a little trim on a stocking, a table-top Christmas tree or on the edge of a shelf. I hung it on the window sill and it’s adorable.

The nice thing about it, is it is simple enough that the kids can get involved and soon everyone will be sparkly!

I started by cutting out gingerbread men and trees using dies from QuicKutz (Lifestyle Crafts). For the gingerbread men, I smeared Designer Dries Clear adhesive over the front of the die cut and then sprinkled Elements in Carrot (3) over the top. I love the dimension that Elements add and I must admit, Carrot is one of my favorites. Sometimes it is gold, sometimes orange and sometimes brown, but always fabulous!

(If you’ve never used Elements, they are organic compounds that have a bit of glitter added to them so they sparkle. They come in a variety of earth hues and smell wonderful, but since they are made from organic elements, they are not safe for your scrapbook. They are great for cards and other craft projects.)

Anyhow, while the men were drying, I turned my attention to the trees, again covering all of the die cut except the trunk with Designer Dries Clear and then sprinkled them with Emerald Ultrafine glitter (48). Once dry, I covered the trunk with Elements Sediment (27). If you click on the photo for a closer view, you can see the dimension it adds to the trunk.

Then, I added the Ultrafine Metal Tip to my Designer Dries Clear Adhesive and made tiny ornaments on the tree and buttons on the gingerbread men with Ultrafine True Red (1).

Then, I went through with Ranger’s Liquid Pearls and added eyes and frosting trim to the gingerbread men.

Once dry, I turned them all over and added a drop of Designer Dries Clear adhesive to the back of each one and then stuck on a piece of We R Memory Keepers’ twine, as you can see in the photo below.

I think they turned out rather cute, don’t you?

(I received glitter products in exchange for this post).

Summer craft idea for kids

Kids are notorious for picking up things when they travel — especially if they go to the beach. They want to bring home all of those cool rocks, seashells, sea glass and other treasures found in the sand.

Really, I can’t blame them, since I like to bring them home, too, but once you get home, you never quite know what to do with them.

Until now …

Consider taking some of those beach treasures and creating a frame to help you remember your vacation.

This one began as plain wooden frame I picked up for less than $3 at Jo-Ann’s.

I painted it with a Ranger Adirondack Paint Dabber and then added strips of paper to each side, overlapping them in the corner. I suppose you could also trace the frame and cut out the paper, but this is much easier. I attached the paper with Memory Glue Dots, because they are super thin.

Then, I cut out the sign using a QuicKutz (Lifestyle Crafts) die, added some ink, journaling and a few brads and then attached it with Memory Glue Dots.

For the rocks, I used a couple of Craft Glue Dots, which are super strong.

Next I added a couple of rub-ons (both the paper and rub-ons are from Cloud 9).

The chipboard banner and letters are from Maya Road. I painted them with Paint Dabbers and then Diamond Glaze because I wanted them to shine. I used Removeable Glue Dots to hold the small pieces in place on my craft mat while I painted. Once dry, I used Micro Glue Dots to adhere the letters to the banner and Craft Glue Dots to attach the banner to the twine and then to the frame.

The entire project took just a few minutes and could easily be adapted to the age of the child and the craft supplies on hand.

Have fun!

This post was created while serving on the Glue Dots Design Team.

Play Ball!

It may not feel like it with all of  the snow on the ground, but spring is just around the corner.

If you don’t believe me, just ask the professional baseball players who are in the midst of spring training. Granted, they are in Arizona and Florida, but they are gearing up to return to their hometowns  for opening day at the end of the month.

In Michigan, the Detroit Tigers won’t be in town until April 8 — after they beat New York and Baltimore — but I am ready for opening day with this pennant I made using cutting dies by Lifestyle Crafts and Glue Dots®.

To make a banner of your own:

Cut out cardstock pennants using the Nesting Pennants collection from Lifestyle Crafts in your team’s colors.

Attach the layers together using Craft Glue Dots.®

Stamp “Let’s” and “Go” with Hero Arts alphabet stamps and Ranger Adirondack Paint Dabbers in white. Use the same paint to cover chipboard letters in your team’s name. Once dry, attach them to the pennant with Micro Glue Dots®. Use a red marker to create baseball stitching on the letters. (This is easier after they are attached).

Use a thin black marker to apply faux stitching to the pennants.

For the baseball, punch or cut out a small circle and use Distress Ink to apply shading. Then add faux stitching with a red marker and attach with a Pop-Up Glue Dot®.

Finally, add Glue Lines® to the tabs of the pennants and wrap them around a bamboo skewer or straw. Cover any adhesive that shows on the back side with matching cardstock.

Now, you can hang the banner, plant it in a flower pot of grass or use it as a cake-top decoration.

Play ball!

I posted this while serving on the Glue Dots® Design Team.

Perfect for Kids

When bad weather causes the cancellation of school, it doesn’t take long for the kids to get bored and once that happens, things quickly deteriorate.

One way to keep things from getting out of control is to have a craft project ready to keep the kids busy.

This one is nice because it makes very little mess and is easy enough for the kids to do all by themselves.

Supplies: Lifestyle Crafts Pizza Box Die; American Crafts Cardstock; Reminisce Paper; Buttons; Craft Glue Dots®; Pop Up Relief Glue Dots®; Mini Glue Dots®

This little box starts with a die from Lifestyle Crafts (formerly QuicKutz). You can run it through the Big Shot, Epic Six or Cuttlebug. If you don’t have a personal cutting system, visit your local scrapbook store and use their Accu-Cut system to make a bunch of boxes to have on hand. Or, search the Internet for a pattern that you can trace and cut out.

Once cut out, fold on the scored lines and use Craft Glue Dots® to secure the box together.

Then, you are ready to decorate — yes, it really is that simple!

I added some paper to the inside just for kicks.

For the top of the box, I cut out a couple of images from the patterned paper and adhered with Glue Dots®. I used Pop Up Relief Glue Dots® for the image in the middle.

Then, I used a couple of different sized Glue Dots® to adhere the buttons on.  With Glue Dots®, there is no drying time or excess glue dumped onto your kitchen table. Depending on the ages of the kids, you could also give them gems, old game pieces, keys, stickers or other leftovers from your craft room to decorate.

Kids love boxes to store things in. But, they could also make these as gift holders — they are big enough to hold a gift card inside!

The Love Monster

Yes, I realize we haven’t even had Christmas yet and that you are not ready for Valentine’s Day, but I had so much fun making this little guy, I couldn’t wait to share him.

Meet The Love Monster!

The Love Monster began life as a Color Blank from Rose Art. Technically, it is a new “toy” that comes with markers and stickers to decorate as you please. They cost about $4.99 and are available in a variety of shapes at most major retailers. Visit http://www.colorblanks.com/ for details.

So, I turned this little guy into the Love Monster by painting him with a Ranger Paint Dabber and then adding stickers for the eyes and drawing on the mouth.

Then, I used the brand new Bo Bunny Crush line to accent him.

Using a QuicKutz butterfly die, I cut out the wings. I chopped off the butterfly head and used a Micro Glue Dot to attach it to the top of the Love Monster. Then, I used the Continuous Line Glue Dots, cut to size, to attach the wings on the back of the monster. The heart was cut out of the paper and attached with another Micro Glue Dot.

For the nose, I used Micro Glue Dots and covered them in Sparkly Fluff by Our Craft Lounge.

Finally, I rolled a bit of paper (you could write a message on it) and used a Removeable Glue Dot to hold it in place. Then, I tied a bit of fiber by May Arts around it and tucked it in the monster’s hand.

Cute and simple. Just my style!

This post was written while serving on the Glue Dots Design Team.