My Craft You Interview

Madge aka Margot Potter has posted an interview I did recently with her. Click the link below to get a peek into my colorful world HERE.

Crafty Blogger Blurbs

About Family Crafts 
This week's craft challenge is all about the tooth fairy. Make and submit your own tooth fairy projects. 

Craft Buds 
Learn the basics of applique with a Valentine's Day themed LOVE t-shirt tutorial. It's perfect for kids or adults.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world 
This week at Craftside there is a tutorial on how to make Steampunk photo hanger out of a knife and key, how to draw a wide-angle view, a unique quilted canopy photo, and a recipe for whole wheat cinnamon raisin bagels. 

Crafty Princess Diaries 
The Crafty Princess reviews the Embroider Everything Workshop: The Beginner’s Guide written by Diana Rupp. 

Eileen - The Artful Crafter 
Take a look at this awesome mixed media earring organizer. 

Lindsay Sews 
Challenged to use her fabric scraps for a project, Lindsay shares how she came up with the idea for a patchwork pleated boxes pillow. 

Mixed Media Artist 
Cyndi has finally finished her marbled fabric quilt. Yay!! 

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery 
How to crochet a chain bracelet 

Cupcake Birdy

PaperClay Cupcake Birdy

First 12 Month's Project Done!

I finished my first project for the 12 Month's of Christmas Project.This month's theme was white.  I used a blank wood frame and painted it white then used 3D Crystal Lacquer to adhere the white buttons to the frame.

Queen of 17 Steampunk Card

Queen of 17

Here's a Steampunk themed necklace holder/birthday card for a friend whose turning 17.   Believe it or not I created it from embossed cardstock torso, wings and a cardstock base house.  To color them I used a combination of   Molten Metal Color Mists and a gold leafing pen to highlight the embossed areas. and then applied a layer of 3D Crystal Lacquer to seal the entire piece.

Washi Craft Tape Specials!

Here are some fun new products 

over at Outside The Margins 

with fabulous introductory 

specials!

33 Washi Craft Tape Pack

click HERE to read more about it.

Washi craft tapes are wonderful to use in your art journals, card making, altered books, ATCs, decos and decorating!
You can check out more of OTM's specialsHERE

Crafty Blogger Blurbs

Carmi's Art/Life World 
Carmi has a cross over link so you can enter to win a kumihimo starter kit! 

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world 
This week at Craftside there are tutorials on how to spin extreme tail style yarn, make ATC's from magazine pages and punches, an ironic heart frame from unusual images, and a recipe for laminated parsley pasta.

Crafty Princess 
Interested in knitting or crocheting for charity? Tammy invites you to join a new group of charity yarn crafters. 

Eileen - The Artful Crafter 
Eileen's happy to be back in her niche. Have you found yours yet? 

Mixed Media Artist 
Cyndi plays around with inkjet printer silk! 

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery 
How to make an origami bunny Easter garland 

Amazing Bleached & Colored Pine Cones!

You've got to check out Christy Grant's amazing bleached and colored pine cones. When she first  told me about them I was so excited at the idea, and all colored possibilities using my Color Mists on them!  Then when I saw the pictures I was excited all over again and inspired!!  Stop by her blog and check out her process HERE

Easy Peasy Felt Flowers

I just felt flowers.

Here's my easy peasy felt flower tutorial. 

One of the reasons I wanted a die cutting machine was

so I could cut things out of felt.  I started with my Sizzix 

BIGKick machine and used stiffened felt and a Sizzix

flower die.  Stiff felt or regular felt the Sizzix dies, and
the spellbinder dies cut through the felt like butter.

Here they are cut out

I layered them using tacky glue you can also use 

Fabric-Tac which is actually my preference but

I used what I had on hand.

Next add buttons (some I layered).

Click HERE to see my felt banner I made
a few years ago...sure wish I had the
BIGKick then!

Re purposing an Invitation

I came across my daughter in laws baby shower invitation the other day, anddecided to turn it into a card out of it to send to them as a surprise.  I used my BIGKick, a Spellbinder label, and Sizzix flower die to cut out the shapes.  

Sign the Petition!

I'm Joining Wikipedia and Google in their stance against Congress!

Support the freedom and creativity of the internet. Don't let huge media companies control the web. All of us nationwide that have small indie communities or websites will be effected...on the surface it sounds like a good thing, but it is not. Sign this petition urging Congress to vote NO on PIPA and SOPA before it is too late.
https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

Art Saves

Art Saves
Click HERE to see how I created this altered torso lamp.
Don't forget if your going to CHA to stop by booth #844 to 
get an up close look at this and other projects of mine.

Fun Die Cut Packs!

Fun new Die Cut Packs  on sale over 

at www.OutsideTheMargins.com

Choose from 4 different themes with 

36 pieces per pack. They are the prefect 

size to use on  your ATCs, ATBs, and cards.

VALENTINES	EASTER PARADE
KITSCHY	ELEGANCE

Crafty Blogger Blurbs

About Family Crafts 
Play along with the current craft challenge. Make a craft or two using CD cases and submit them!

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world 
This week at Craftside there is a bit of Valentine inspiration, tutorials on how to face paint dragon and hydrangea masks, ideas and inspiration from Manga artist Melanie Schober and a recipe for coconut veggie muffins.

Crafty Princess Diaries 
The Crafty Princess shows what she has in the works on her hooks and needles.

Eileen - The Artful Crafter 
Eileen shows how to make a lovely flowered bolster pillow to dress up a room.

Mixed Media Artist 
Cyndi's marbled fabric quilt is hurtling towards completion! 

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery 
How to make a recycled sheer curtain flower fascinator.

Sparkling event in Arizona!

Join Swarovski Ambassador and Designing Diva Margot Potter on January 31st at the Create Your Style Design Challenge and Event. It's an 8 hour intensive design challenge, class and contest with fabulous prizes, sensational swag, sparkling inspiration all leading to a champagne reception and award ceremony! Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and show us what you've got? Visit http://www.create-your-style.com/Content.Node/additional/Tucson-Show-Guide-20... to find out more about the show and the event!

Getting a BIG Kick out of my new toy!

I recently took the plunge into the world of die cuts and bought a Sizzix BIGKick, and man am I getting a big KICK out of using it :-)

I had been wondered about the various die cutting machines for awhile now, but it all seemed so overwhelming. I pondered over which one was best, and which one did what, as they came out with new ones. I kept waiting and wondering afraid I would make the wrong decision and regret it.  Then I  found a comparison chart that really helped me to decide (click HERE if you are as curious & confused as I was).  I  had already decided that I didn't want an electric one that could have things possibly go wrong (or break), nor did I want one that was going to cost an arm an a leg.  I also, didn't want one that I had to think real hard about how to use it, at this point in my life, I just wanted to be able to take it out of the box and create (in the past I would have embraced the challenge of learning something new...I'm beyond that thrill now). What I really love about the BIGKick is that it can take all different dies and impression plates from various companies and with really very little effort you can crank it through.

I re-purposed a cardboard 6 pack bottle carrier that I had saved from Thanksgiving (it had such great graphics on it), and created a autumn themed card using my BIGKick.   I first chose one of the dies from my Spellbinder's Nestabilities (Label Eight Set) and cut out the basic shape then used a flower die from Sizzix to cut out the flower.  I also put the orange bottle cap through the BIGKick to squish it and it went through like buttah!

And it went from that to...

THIS
Yep, I'm am loving my new toy, the recycling won't be safe now!

Your Grandmother's Crafts 
These ARE your grandmother's crafts. Ya gotta problem with that? I didn't think so.
Carmi's Art/Life World 
Carmi starts off her year by experimenting with nylon wire mesh...a medium really new to her!
Craft. You. 
Meet the man behind TV host and mid-century modern lifestyle expert Brini Maxwell 
Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world 
This week at Craftside there is fun idea for using a pretty teacup as a doll dress from the new book Creative Pilgrimage, tutorials on how to embroider a backstitch chain and a cable chain, fitting info on different types of pants and a recipe for raw ice box chocolate chip cookies. 
Crafty Princess Diaries 
The Crafty Princess shows you how to get cozy with your favorite cup of tea.
Eileen - The Artful Crafter 
Add beautiful kaleidoscope effects to your hand made cards with iris folded designs.
Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter 
Make some Retrofabulous Pulp Fiction Thank You Cards!
Mixed Media Artist 
The plans for Cyndi's new marbled fabric quilt are coming together!
Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery 
How to make an old pair of shoes glitter-tastic!

Steampunk Fly Away Necklace

Fly Away

Steampunk Necklace

I'm very excited about Sakura's new products.  What I really love about this new product is that I was able to achieve a patinaed copper look on paper without having to use smelly chemicals! Although, it is truly hard to see in my pictures it really does look realistic enough that it fooled my husband who works in metals!

Definitely stop by booth #844 at CHA to see the new 

product line at Sakura,  and to see this necklace up close!

Click HERE to see my tutorial

on how I created this 

Steampunk Necklace.

Taking the Challenge!

I'm taking the challenge....the 12 months of Christmas challenge...how about you?
Click the image aboveto check it out

Crafty Blogger Blurbs

Happy New Year Crafty Peeps!

Crafty Princess Diaries 
Now that Christmas has passed, the Crafty Princess can finally show off some of the gifts she made. 

Eileen - The Artful Crafter 
Learn how to make cute little patterned rosettes to embellish your paper crafts, including where to download some pretty patterned papers which can also be used for tea bag tile folding. 

Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter 
Madge shows you how to whip up a New Year's Retrofabulous Festive Fascinator in this fun filled video tutorial.