Using a tool in a new way

I was using my Fiskar's paw paper punch, with light and dark blue cardstock. With each punch, five, small ameba shaped paper debris littered my work space. At the end of my punching fiasco, I had a considerable amount of debris to pick up and throw away. But instead of throwing the scraps away, I found an innovative way to use them!

Following a (loose) rule of gluing down one light colored spot for every two dark spots, I was able to create a print like that of a lepoard's fur.

I love finding a new use for a tool. Not only do I feel like I've added a new wrinkle to my brain, but that creativity knows no limit!

Egg on your head.

The Secret 7 Talenthouse has posted the winning art of for their Album Covers. In January, I shared my talent house submit. Unfortunately, my art did not get picked for print. Making light of my defeat, I decided to turn my egg art in to wearable art. I pasted my poly clay eggs on to a regular, plain headband. What an egg-cellent statement piece for Easter.

Bacon Fest!

Last Thursday I got to work with Kevin Bacon! I applied last minute to a film extra opening. Because I had no experience as a film extra, I had strong feelings that I wouldn't be getting a call back for the job. So you can imagine how shocked I was when I was given the job! Working as KB's extra was great fun! When the project is released to the public, maybe I'll be able to update here with some pictures.

* In person, he is a very handsome man :)

Out of My Zone- Eye Patch

Recently, my friend's Doctor perscribed her an eye patch to wear. Its black, bulky look was none too pleasing to my friend, nor was the fit. Feeling sympathetic to her situation, I asked her if I might try and make her a patch more "fitting" to her style and needs. She complied and willingly gave me one of her current eye patches from which to make a pattern from. I disassembled her original patch and laid it out on thick, recycled card stock. I traced around it and and cut it out--making myself a pattern.

I decided that two pattern pieces were needed so that any raw edge of fabric could be hidden within the patch. That being said, I traced and cut out two patches from cardstock. To make the concave nature of the patch, I cut the marked center line, making a flap. The flap got pulled over and tacked with glue.

I held the flap in place with a clothes pin until I was sure the glue was dry. Once dry, I sprayed the exterior of one patch and the interior of the other, with spray adhesive. The spray glued areas had an up-cycled cardigan stretched over (or pressed in to) patch. A rough cut seam of approx. 1/8" of fabric was left around cardstock. I used my Tombow Mono Multi glue to go around the very exterior cardstock. When the Mono Multi glue dries, it's very tacky. Those raw fabric edges got turned in to the Mono glue, leaving beautiful finished edges.

I attached one 16 1/2" piece of elastic to both edges of patch and sandwhiched everything together with a strong, clear, flexible glue.

The eye patch came out better than I ever expected, but more importantly, my friend LOVES it! P.S. Since making the first eye patch, I've successfully made more eye patches from felted cashmere, felt and even silk! Trying something new, can be very rewarding in several aspects.

Normal Craft- Easter Card Puggy Bunny

I have a pug calendar that reveals a new pug for every day of the year. I enjoy EVERY picture of each pug shown so much, that I find it impossible to throw ANY of the pictures away. This is one of the ways I was able to use my stash of pug mugs. What I used: 10" X 7" Purple cardstock. 4" X 7" Sky blue cardstock. 3 1/4" X 2" Hay colored cardstock. Scraps of white and pink card stock (for bunny ear band). 1/4" & 1/8" width ribbon in various colors. 10" X 1 1/2" green velum. Double stick tape, glitter, glue, scissors and 2 types of shears (pinking and cloud) 1" X 7" decorative paper border. Flower accesories. 1. When choosing a pug mug, I looked for a picture that had a clear, forward shot of the dog. I then cut the dog out.

2.I sketched a couple of ears (from white cardstock), little headband(from pink cardstock) and a basket (hay colored cardstock). I kept my basket small, but big enough for my pug and for FOUR rows of weaved ribbon (approx. 3 1/4 X 2 inches). I Cut shapes out. For added dimension, I used cloud shaped shears on the baskets' edge and I added color details with colored pencils and covered the bunny ears with glitter.

3. On the back of my basket, I made slits (according to picture below) with a blade. I used alternating ribbon colors to weave thru slits and held ribbon in place with double stick tape..

4. I glued the bunny earband on the pug and then taped my pug pic to the basket and arched approx. 6" of ribbon over pug/basket to make the basket handle. 5. I cut my velum strip in half making two 5" X 1 1/2 pieces. I used pinking shears to make a decorative edge at the top of the velum strip. I used scissors to cut in to the strip, to make individual blades of grass.* I found that shaping the tips of the blades was a bit easier using the aide of a finger nail clipper.

6. Glue works ahead! With sky blue cardstock ready to go, I pasted down green vellum grass. I then snuggled my pug/basket in to my newly made grass, and pasted it down. Having already folded the purple card stock in half, making a card that measures 5" X 7", I pasted my sky/grass/pug scene onto the purple cardstock. To end, I added a paper border for flair on the card's right edge. Finally, I dotted the card with a few flowers.

This card creation fits my crafting personality to a "T". Happy Easter from the Puggy Bunny!

Freezer Paper Stencil- Concert Tee

Many of you know that my ultimate favorite band is The Cure. I like to wear my concert t-shirts to show the world my admiration of the band. There is a large selection of concert t-shirts for adults, but the selection for little tykes is near non existent...or very over priced. So, I took it as a challenge to try and make a Cure logo shirt for a toddler, ON THE CHEAP.
I've see plenty of tutorials about the wonders of using freezer paper as a fabric stencil. The stuff is easy to find and a big roll of it runs around four dollars. You simply tear a sheet off and draw your desired logo on to the paper side of the freezer paper. Cut your design out, and on a low to med. iron setting, lay logo on to fabric, plastic side down--and iron. The plastic side melts to your fabric! The fabric paint I used is by Duncan and has the word SOFT printed on the outside of the bottle, but I think any fabric paint would do. *Make sure to place cardboard between layers of fabric. To control the amount of paint applied, I used a brush and did a dapping like motion ( I didn't want the bristles/paint to get underneath the sentcil). Before the paint dried, I dusted with FINE glitter in desired sections of logo. I let the paint dry for an hour before I pulled freezer paper. Finally, I did warm (low setting) iron over recently painted project; to heat set.
Easy as pie! And with the supplies you use to do this project, you can make many more shirts for all your friends and family. The gift of COOL!

Glitter Bow

Add a little sparkle embellishment to your paper projects, using products you already own! Make a glitter bow! Bows are fun and cute, and glitter is always en vogue. What you'll need is:
Thin Ribbon
Double sided tape
Fine cut glitter
Hot Glue

Tear off approx. 5inches of double sided tape. Connect ends of tape strip; making a tape circle. Roll tape in to glitter, using finger to press glitter into tape until tape is no longer sticky. Pinch tape circle in half and use ribbon to cinch center; glue in place. If you are making the bow pictured, cut a piece of ribbon the same length as tape. Center ribbon onto glitter covered tape, glue in place. Cinch bow in center with addional ribbon and glue. Glue on to your current project!