Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Iced Coffee, Yum!

I wanted to share my new favorite drink in the morning, iced coffee instead of hot coffee.  I found this recipe on how to make cold brewed coffee over on Pioneer Women's website and finally made some and it is so delicious! I keep a jug of it in the fridge and make some for my hubby before he leaves for work too.  Only thing different is I use fat free flavored creamer or sugar free coffee flavoring instead of the cream and sugar she uses.

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Gifts Visit

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Chance to Win!

Let's Play a GAME: 

Easy as pie to win: Winner will receive a Gem Craft Kit worth $25

1) Share this page
2) Follower our blog: http://www.crystallacquer.blogspot.com/ - leave a comment there too...
3) Leave a comment that you did this...
Winner will be pick on Sunday Sept 3rd....
Check out our new Design Team!



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Gifts Visit

Monday, August 29, 2011

Every Inchie Monday's Challenge: Changes


This weeks Every Inchie challenge word is
Change which really seemed to resonate with me 
since there seems to be lots of changes going on
in my life, and I find myself redefining who I am.


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Gifts Visit

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Exciting News!

Well I have been sitting on some exciting 
news, and finally get to share it with you 
all.  I am thrilled to announce that I 
am now a Design Team Member for
As some of you know I have been 
a huge lover of 3D Crystal Lacquer  
for years, so I am ecstatic to be part of a 
design team that is helping promote 
a product I so dearly love. Not only that, 
but they also make the wonderful gel, 
glaze, and puff pens I love so much.


Stay tuned for my monthly 
projects I'll be posting!

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Gifts Visit

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Crafty Blogger Blurbs


About Family Crafts 
Take a moment to read some crafty money saving tips and then take a few more to publish your own!



Carmi's Art/Life World 
Carmi has a new card featuring a sweet elephant!



Cindy Gimbrone Beads 
Looking for a unique idea to display your handcrafted jewelry? Cindy's here to lend you a hand! 



Craftside- A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world 
This week at Craftside there is a tutorial on how to fold an origami mosquito and enter to win a copy of the book Origami 101, how to treat a dog when its overheating, dehydrated and sunburned, some art from Gary Panter, and how to make your own crackers with a dehydrator.



Crafty Princess Diaries 
Tammy looks ahead at the school year that is already filling her calendar with oodles of projects and commitments. 



Eileen - The Artful Crafter 
Did you love finger painting as a child? Here’s a – sort of – grown-up version you might enjoy.



Mixed Media Artist 
Shrink plastic buttons? Yes!! Consider all the possibilities...



Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery 
Spooktacular crochet eyeball pattern! 




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Gifts Visit

Friday, August 26, 2011

Something to Crow About Altered Tin

Something to Crow About 
Mini canvas and tin house.


I Combined 2 mini canvases stacked 
and wrapped with paper. 

then mounted them onto the base of a snuff tin
to create my house above.
(click HERE to view my other altered tin house)


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Gifts Visit

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Mr Kevin 3+ Months

I'm just loving this newest picture of Mr Kevin laughing!
His mommy's dimples are starting to show :-)


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Gifts Visit

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Altered Cabinet Card Freebies & Tutorial Repost

It's definitely been a weird summer with the weather being unusually cooler compared to our scathing hot summers we're typically use to!  I already see signs of fall in the air from the tell tale signs of falling leaves to the dew on the grass in the morning! This doesn't usually  happen until October!  I keep saying someone shook up the earth globe and the weather everywhere is all mixed up now.  Anyhow, I digress....because of this weather, I'm already thinking about one of my favorite seasons-fall-I love fall for it's crisp leaves fluttering about, and the cool air and smell of fireplaces burning-that I've decided to repost a link to a previous post that will lead you to my Altered Cabinet Card tutorial and freebie cabinet cards you can download.


Enjoy!

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Gifts Visit

Monday, August 22, 2011

Strength and Imagine Inchie Challenge

Here's this week's Every Inchie challenge word IMAGINE 
and last week's challenge word of Strength

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Saturday, August 20, 2011

Funky Strawberry Shortcake Themed Cake

Wow where did this week go! I'm really not sure just busy busy with one son moving out and another getting ready for college and hubby working crush at the winery my days are flying by!

The only creative thing I've really done is baking and decorating a funky strawberry shortcake themed cake for my grown niece's birthday. Remember I never claimed to be a cake decorator so no laughing LOL

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Monday, August 15, 2011

Fun Times!

Happy 2nd Anniversary to my son and DIL

Since it's their anniversary I've had the pleasure of 
staying at their house and watching Mr. Kevin overnight.
We've had a fun time together :-)


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Gifts Visit

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Crafty Blogger Blurbs



About Family Crafts 
Find out how you can participate in the current craft challenge and get your butterfly crafts featured! 



Carmi's Art/Life World 
Carmi has some beautiful frame cards to share featuring Fairyopolis! 



Craftside- A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world 
This week at Craftside brings you a chance to win 1 of 50 bulking dummies (blank books), a video from the 5th Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards, a Steampunk decoration idea, facts about manual coffee grinders and how to create a visual path in a composition 



Crafty Princess Diaries 
Tammy is experimenting with some organic cotton yarn and a new baby aghan. 



Eileen - The Artful Crafter 
Consider the profit potential of jewelry repair and redesign.



Mixed Media Artist 
Cyndi has had a busy spring and summer making beaded jewelry pieces! 



Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery 
See how to upcycle 3 t-shirts using inspiration and techniques from the new book 101 Tees by Cathie Filian






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Gifts Visit

Friday, August 12, 2011

Odosketch


Its been a busy week this week around the ole homestead, but I did come across this fun site for doodling and sketching called OdoSketch.  Check it out  HERE and have some fun with it!


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Gifts Visit

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Gossamer Wing Tutorial

Gossamer Winged Dragonfly

Supplies & Tools Used:

  • Wood Stick for Spreading
  • Acetate or plastic bag
  • Scissors
  • Wire Cutters
  • Chain Nose Pliers
  • *Sprayable water Colors,  or Re inkers
*Optional
(Pictures may be clicked on to enlarge them)
Step 1.Step 1
Cut 4 pieces of the copper wire to the size you desire for your wings. I cut 2 approx. 8 in. and  2 approx. 6 in.

Step 2.
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Bend your cut wire in half.
Step 3.
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Twist the ends together using your chain nose pliers about 1/8 to 1/4 ins up from the ends.
Step 4.
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Here I've show various pieces of scrap deli paper  I've saved from previous projects. I use deli paper because its semi translucent like tissue paper, yet has a wet strength to it, so it doesn't tear easily.
Click HERE to view
my deli paper slide show of how I create my colored deli paper.

Step 5.
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Choose a piece of colored deli paper and lay your wire onto the deli paper and apply your 3D Crystal Lacquer around entire wire shape and fill  the center.
Step 6.
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Fold over your deli paper and smooth out
any air pockets with your finger (some wrinkles and edges left in the deli  paper is quite alright).
Allow the sandwiched wire and deli paper to dry slightly.
Step 7.
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Closely cut around the deli paper covered wire leaving about 1/16 of an edge that you can fold over the wire edge.

Step 8.
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Set aside to further dry and repeat the above process on all 4 wings.
Step 9.
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Next lightly coat the the front and the back side of your wings with 3D Crystal Lacquer.
Step 10.
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While the 3D Crystal Lacquer is still wet sprinkle the extra fine glitter dust over the wings both front and back side.
Step 11.
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Cut a foam ball in half and use it to poke your wings into to dry.
Step 12.
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Once dry take your gold or silver leafing pen and piece of acetate or plastic bag and lightly pump some of the leafing paint out onto the acetate.

Step 13.
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Slide your wing across the leaving paint. This is where the any wrinkles, bumps or ridges come in great!

Step 14.
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 The wrinkles and ridges will pick up the leafing paint and give
the wings a sort of veiny look that some bug wings have. 
Step 15.
drfly15
Use the leafing pen to lightly outline the entire wire edge of your wing.
Step 16.
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Next apply another coat of 3D Crystal Lacquer to your wing over the leafing paint.
Step 17.
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Using your wood stick smooth out your 3D Crystal Lacquer evenly.  
Step 18.
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Sprinkle again with
the extra fine glitter dust.

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Finished Gossamer Wings are ready for you to use in your next project!

Stained 
Glass Wings
*Optional Variation

Step 1.
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Take your previously made gossamer wings and spray with    Sprayable watercolors-I used 2 different color Color Mists
Step 2.
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Allow the wings to dry slightly before you dry them completely with the craft heat gun (Make sure you keep the heat gun moving) Also, Be careful not to touch the wings until they have cooled off.
Step 3.
drfly22
Once dry apply an additional light coat of 3D Crystal Lacquer and allow to     dry once again.

Here I've used both the gossamer wings and 
the stained glass wings on a pair of 
paperclay dragonflies I created.

Stained Glass Dragonfly


Click HERE to view my 
Faux Enamel Technique, also 
using 3D Crystal Lacquer