Boy Scout Scrappin’! {manly ways to use glitter, ribbon & ruffles!}

Howdy folks! Do you ever pre-scrap you pages? It’s like making a sketch but you make an entire page before a photo is ever printed. I think it is a great way to play with the design of a page without worrying about ruining the perfect photos.

After making the above layout I know I want a large group photo to go in the frame and all of the other candid shots can go in the file folder, journaling can be written on the white part on the right hand page or put in the folder too. The folder is a great place for photos I printed off friends Facebook pages too! Here is a video on the techniques I used to make this layout. You can find the Camo ribbon, baker’s twine, glitter and sparkly deco mesh at Papermart!

Wasn’t that easy? Doesn’t it make you want to scrapbook? Don’t you wish I remembered to turn my telephone ringer off before I started filming? LOL! Never a dull moment, what can I say 🙂 Here are some close-ups of the pages from the video:

You can use these ideas when scrapping you summer camp or scouting photos too. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

WOYWW: Sewing & Silliness {How to Juggle Tutorial}

Happy Wednesday folks! I love Wednesdays because it gives me a chance to peek at hundreds of crafty desks through the marvelous event know as What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday! Here’s what I’ve been up to this week:

Sewing! My sewing nook is wonderful, it is ergonomic (no sore shoulders after a day of sewing) and since I have my big table I have room to iron and cut fabric (no more cutting fabric on my bed and hoping I don’t snip the bedspreads!) and I can keep all of my mess in my craftroom instead of overtaking the house.  Last week I asked if I should so a weekly video blog and the answer was a surprising (and resounding) yes, wow, you actually want to hear me gab about what’s on my crafty little mind?!? So here is my WOYWW video blog, grab 3 objects because today folks, we are going to learn how to juggle!

Once you learn how to juggle it is addicting (so I apologize if you had things to do today) there is something zen-like about it.  The juggling bags were made from my scraps from my shopping bag (carrier bags for you British folks) caddies:

I used to have this eyesore hanging on my door, all of those bags fit into the one caddy and I can even fit more! I made a smaller version for the car and dog walkers, I have to thank You Tube viewer Snoopy for the clever name P.U.P. bags, it stands for Pick Up Poop, way better marketing, thanks Snoopy! I’ll have a tutorial for you next week sometime!

The juggling bags are made from 5″x5″ scraps sewn up and filled with 3/4 cup of rice. I love no waste projects!

So what’s on your workdesk today? Leave a link, I would love to see! And be sure to check out Julia’s blog for all of the WOYWW fun! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

 

Tutorial: How to make a Toggle Clasp, Split Rings and Jump Rings!

Howdy folks, I just got back from walking my dog in the rain and I think it is just the perfect day to stay inside and make jewelry! But hey, when isn’t right? I ran out of toggle clasps over the weekend and decided to try my hand and making my own. Here is the result on this funky, chunky bracelet:

I used thick colored aluminum wire that I picked up at the Dollar Tree, a great material to experiment with. Just be careful that you don’t mar the surface when you are working the wire, you can see I scratched this one a bit:

Buy, that is OK, I can touch it up later along with the cut ends with a permanent marker. Here is a quick video to show you how to make the toggle clasp and ring used in this project:

Easy huh? The really cool thing about knowing how to make your own findings is that you will never run out as long as you have wire to work with and it is more convenient that stocking every size jump ring in every finish, this way you can make just what you need.  You can use bamboo skewers, knitting needles, drill bits, dowels or anything cylindrical to make jump rings with. Another tip is to my an inexpensive knitting needle gauge (it is a piece of metal of plastic with different size holes punched in it so you can put your needles in it to determine their sizes and they usually have millimeter sizes on them too…or you can use a drill bit guide, I’m sure you have lots of stuff in your home that you can use as jump ring forms if you just have a look!

That’s all for today, I have a lot of projects I want to work on plus a kitting class to prepare for so thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

I’m Having a Lawrence Welk Moment…DIY Bubble Wand Necklace Tutorial!

Happy Monday folks! Have you ever had so much fun making a project that you make, say 20? That’s what happened to me Friday when I decided to make a wire and bead bubble wand:

These really work too! I got the idea from the Jewelry Making Journal but I made mine longer and instead of pricier copper wire I used 18 gauge aluminum from the Hardware store (because it won’t rust) and acrylic (That’s a fancy word for plastic) beads because I love the sparkle and they are lightweight. They can also handle being dipped in bubble liquid over and over again!

Watch this video to see how I made them:

Wouldn’t they be awesome party favors or even wedding favors (way better than the tiny plastic bubble bottles!) You could even put a bowl of bubble solution in the center of each table at a party and folks can blow bubbles whenever the mood strikes!

One thing I will mention about the hardware store aluminum wire is that there is a thin film of oil or something on it. It’s not a big deal but after making 20 of these suckers my fingertips were black with the grease. It washed off and I could not see it on the wands because it was such a small amount but if you are thinking of making jewelry out of this stuff I would wipe it down with rubbing alcohol to remove any grease first.

I hope you give this project a try, it was a lot of fun and a great way to practice your wire wrapping skills. I’ll leave you with a few more photos of these whimsical wands. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

The Rainbow Collection…

Why are there so many songs about rainbows and what’s on the other side….I have had that darn song stuck in my head all afternoon! Well, it’s no wonder given my latest experiment:

Rainbow string jewelry! When I spied a skein of Royal rainbow crochet thread for .99 cents at Mardens (an awesome Maine discount store) I immediately thought “Ah-Ha, rainbow tassel earrings!!!” yes, with 3 exclamation points, if you must know, and I think they are just FAB (and so did my daughters because they promptly confiscated them along with the bracelets and I must say they look even better on.

The bracelets were an experiment (hence I am using plastic beads rather than glass) and I like them OK but I think I might have to delve into Macrame for this one. I am really liking the feeling on the macrame cord these days (notice another pipe knot pendant) so I’ll have to keep you updated on this rainbow bracelet experiment.

I crocheted a simple chain to hang the pendant on, I like it!

Tonight I am going to refine my tassels while sitting in front of the TV catching up on Red Dwarf on Netflix, yep, another wild Saturday night at Lindsay’s… and I might have a video for ya when the said tassel is refined (oh joy!) but I thought you might want to see a prototype, I usually share my projects after I have fixed them up a bit and here you can see the wobbly beginnings, we all have them, especially when we are trying something new. The process is fun even if the end result needs a little work. We all have to start somewhere, remember that 😀

Well, so long for tonight, it’s time to get the smeg of the computer and go work on that couch dent. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

a Pipe Knot Pendant and Spiral Wire Earrings!

I learned a new skill today! I was idly drinking my coffee this morning and I decided to see if there was anything new to learn in the realm of you-tube jewelry tutorials and indeed there was…pipe knots!

So I watched this video, grabbed a spool of macrame cord and a Pandora style bead and went to town!

It was quick and easy, my type of project, I will totally be whipping up a bunch of these for the craft fair! I made a pair of simple spiral earrings to match. Nifty!

After I made the pendant I knotted the loose ends under the bead but it looked too gaudy (and I should know!) so I untied it and decided to secure my bead with my trusty Gorilla Super Glue…That bead is going nowhere!

I made an adjustable knot cord for the pendant to live on. I have a video tutorial here. and everything was fine-and-cherry-wine 😀 So, what did you learn today? Thanks for stopping by, have a great weekend and til next time happy crafting!

Make a card in less than 10! (another Inktense demo!)

Howdy folks! Want a quick and colorful card idea?

You can paint this card and envelope in under 10 minutes. I used Inktense watercolor pencils but you can use any watercolor pencils or crayons you have or even kids watercolor paint! Watch the video to see how:

BTW the large-and-in-charge butterfly stamp is made by Tattered Angles and the smaller butterfly used on the envelope is by Stampin Up. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

WOYWW: Talkin’ ’bout beads!

Happy What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday folks! I have to report that the Easter Bunny was very good to me this year (imagine that, 36 years old and the Easter Bunny still leaves a basket for me at my parents house, I must have been really good this year…no wait, that CAN”T be it LOL!) I got a basket full of beads and 2 more Ultimate Stackers to start filling! With new beads comes sorting and that is what I have been up to:

I also have to send out a lovely hug and thank you to Ginny who saw my WOYWW post last week about my new-to-me sewing machine that did not come with any accessories and low and behold she had spare parts for that model and she sent them to me, for free! She is such a  sweetie and a talented artist as well. Thanks so much Ginny!

So as I was sorting (and beading) I got tot thinking about my upcoming craft fair and remembered all of the questions people had about selling at craft fairs last winter so I decided to answer them in a video blog…I’m thinking about doing a video blog every week and talk about random crafty stuff, what do you think?

I held some of my current projects up to the camera but it is hard to see in a video so here are some photos of this weeks projects so far, basic stringing but it great for showcasing unique beads!

Well that’s it for me, I still have all of those boxes of beads to put away LOL! I get so distracted by them…I’ll just make a few little pretties before I pack them all up, famous last words right? They will probably still be on my desk next week! If you want to see more crafty desks hop over to Julia’s blog for more WOYWW fun and til next time happy crafting!

Let’s color! (A quick demo of Intense pencils)

Happy Tuesday! First off I am so very happy to report that I cleaned all day yesterday (yuck) and my house is still clean today (yay!) No thanks to my dog who thinks all of the rainy ditches along the side of the road are her personal wading pools. I can go to my studio today feeling virtuous as I play with paper, beads, paint or whatever else strikes my fancy. That is If I don’t pull something with all of this patting myself on the back, ha ha! Today I am going to share a card I sent to a friend of mine who had her appendix out last week, I thought the colors would cheer her up 🙂

I stamped the image with Stampin Up Basic Black (because I happen to be one of the rare birds who like that ink) and colored it with inktense pencils. If you have never used them before they are wonderful, they are a watercolor pencils but super vivid and once you wash over them with water they become semi permanent meaning you can paint over them (gently) and the color won’t lift…watch out for the reds though, they can smear a bit if you are not careful. These are my favorite pencils and they cost about the same as other artist quality pencils. That said you can do the same techniques with any colored pencils just be careful when you go to wash over the colors that you don’t smear everything underneath. Watch the video to see them in action:

With markers being all the rage right now many stampers forget about the humble watercolor pencil but I urge you to try them again (or for the first time!) They are inexpensive vs. markers. One watercolor pencil has 100 times the ink/color as a marker and a pencils costs $1.50 or less vs. $3-$7 for a marker. They blend easier so you don’t need as many colors and they are great for kids too! If you are looking for a less expensive, but quality watercolor pencil set the Karat brand is good and I think you can get a 24 pack at staples for under $20. You can find the Inktence at the big craft stores as well and use a coupon but I think if you want the big set you  are better off checking Blick Art Materials, Cheap Joe’s or ASW Express and see what deals they have going;)

 

To simply finish this card I layered pattern papers from the Floral Fair stack (DCWV) onto a kraft card base and threaded a length of baker’s twine (papermart) through a bunch of buttons and used glue dots to adhere it to the prepared card base. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!