2008 January | Craft Test Dummies

Snarky Candy Hearts from Despair.com

31. January 2008

Ok, so this is Valentine’s Day for snarky people. Despair.com has launched a “candy heart generator” so that you can put your message on conversation hearts. This is mine: Go play and have fun…. and maybe I’ll think up some conversation heart crafts!

Recycled Tie Bags- Purses for Swap!

30. January 2008

5 Comments

A while ago I posted about the Tie Bag purse that uses recycled ties. Well, I got a-stitchin’ (and a-gluin’, and a-beadin’) and I’ve got 2 worked up for the swap. I’ve got another in progress, too…. so here’s what I’ve got so far:

Craft Product Review: Studio by Sculpey Super Slicer Blades

29. January 2008

6 Comments

I’m continuing to explore the Studio by Sculpey clay and tool lines, and today I’m giving you the poop on the new Super Slicer blades.The retail price of the package was $14.99 (available at JoAnn’s ETC stores, and online) and includes 4 blades: a stiff, shorter blade, a long, flexible tissue blade, a scallop blade, [...]

Happy Birthday, Jackson Pollack!

28. January 2008

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Today is Jackson Pollack’s birthday…. why not celebrate it by making a Pollack-inspired piece of artwork? I found this nifty place where you can make your own Pollack-esque digital art. Just drag around your mouse and virtual “paint” drips and runs where ever you move your mouse. To change colors, simply right-click your mouse. Fun! [...]

Need a Craft Product Tester?

28. January 2008

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I’m available! If you have a new craft technique, product or are testing instructions for publication, I’ll be happy to try it out and kick the tires for ya. I can’t promise it’ll be a favorable review, but it will be honest – and from the perspective of the average crafty person. See my About [...]

Product Review: Studio by Sculpey Polymer Clay

27. January 2008

5 Comments

Well, I cracked open my new packages of Studio by Sculpey. I’ve been picking up on some of the hype, and I was eager to try it out. So, I picked a pretty pink and went to it. As I mentioned before, the packages are a little larger than the Femo and Sculpey packages – [...]

Children’s Books with Polymer Clay Illustrations

25. January 2008

1 Comment

I love book time with my kids. And what I love even more is a children’s book with rich, visually stimulating illustrations. Ones that are really works of art. I stumbled across these books by Marian Berkes and Jeanette Canyon while searching for children’s books that utilize song lyrics- and found Over in the Ocean [...]

Sewing- Recycled Tie Bag/ Purses

25. January 2008

6 Comments

Got some old neckties that are hideous? One or two with sentimental value? How about whipping up a quick little purse-lette with it? This idea came from the Sulky Company (makes thread and machine embroidery accessories) but I’m doing mine by hand. And with a little help from my hot glue gun. The link came [...]

Learning Curve- Items Listed On Etsy

24. January 2008

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I spent the AM posting things on Etsy, listing some of my handmade polymer clay beads and guitar pick jewelry What? You’ve never heard of Etsy? Let me school ya… Etsy is a site for artist/crafters to sell their creations… and for folks to love to buy unique, hand-made or one of a kind (OOAK [...]

Felt Chair Covers Revisited- File Under “Craftastic”

23. January 2008

1 Comment

So I wrote about the Family Fun felt chair covers project earlier this week…and I had some morning time to myself today, so I thought I’d try them out. I decided to go with the “pocket” version (not in the instructions, but here in my head.) I simply measured the widest part of the chair [...]

NorthCoast Needlers Quilt Guild

22. January 2008

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For those of you in the greater Cleveland area looking for a Quilt Guild to join, I highly recommend checking out Northcoast Needlers. I’ve been a member for a couple of years. For current members we have a Northcoast Needlers Yahoo Group. You must be a member of NCN to join!

New “Studio by Sculpey” Line Hits JoAnn’s

22. January 2008

2 Comments

Hey! I was just trolling at a JoAnn’s ETC store here in Ohio, and I found this new line from Sculpey, Studio by Sculpey I was just trolling their site last week when I posted on comparing clays. How come there was no mention of it on their site??!!! OK, so in the spirit of [...]

Tin and Aluminum from the Heart

22. January 2008

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I had a “tin” tangent the other day, and as I was perusing Etsy I found an artist named Jenn (go figure) who was born on February 11 (my dad’s birthday!) who makes some cool stuff out of drink can. Thought you might like to see for yourself how crafty you can be with some [...]

Felt Fun for Valentines

21. January 2008

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Talking with my friend Dawn today, and she was looking for some fun felt crafts for V-day. I was doing a search, and found this one for chair covers. How cute is this?!??? I’m thinking that each of the kids could decorate their own- maybe personalized with an initial. Other ideas: Make them with a [...]

More on Polymer Clay- Tips on Baking

20. January 2008

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Just a little more info on baking/curing polymer clays. We had a few unfortunate mishaps yesterday, and I’d hate for them to happen to you! First of all, OF COURSE you must follow the manufacturer’s directions for curing the clay. However, as I explained yesterday to my class, there are some important variables. We had [...]