This Art Cray!

Day 18 was Cray! Crazy with crayons that is. I've been seeing a lot of the melted crayon art on Pinterest. It's very popular on Etsy as well. I wasn't really impressed by the ones that just hot glue the crayons to the top of the canvas melting them with the hairdryer causing a drippy mess. But this pin sparked my interest causing me to go running to get my blow dryer!

Source: jennaleighbrown.blogspot.com via B on Pinterest

I had a bad day yesterday. However, when I started splattering melted wax all over this canvas my spirits immediately lifted. Nothing like a little controlled chaos that looks beautiful.

I think this art was just the pop of color that my studio walls needed. It looks a little like rising flames to me. What do you think?

It's like a bright Rorschach inkblot test. Tell me what do you see?

Day 17- Feather Pen

After three days of craft flops I carefully selected the Pinterest project for August 17th. I'm very pleased to announce that my curse of selecting failure pins has finally been lifted!

"There is no failure except in no longer trying."  ~Elbert Hubbard

Good quote to remember. I'm over halfway through this pin-it-and-do-it challenge and not everything is going my way. But then again, if it did, it wouldn't be a challenge!

Yesterday, I made this feather pen. View the tutorial here. I truly love how it turned out! I've used embellished pens for years! The joy of them came from when my mother surprised me with a silk flower bouquet for my office one day. Except it wasn't just a bouquet. Those stems were really pens! Everyone in the office kept taking and using my floral writing instruments. I loved them so much that I made quill pens for guests to sign the wishing tree notes at my wedding. My mother and I only used floral wrapping tape to wrap our writing stems. This is the first time that I've used embroidery floss to knot around my pen.

I also did this differently from the tutorial. Instead of gluing the feather stem into the gel ink refill, I used the floral tape to hold it against the outside of the pen. I'm sure either way works (I just couldn't get that stupid cap off the pen to expose the top of the refill.)

Now, If I could only write this blog post with my pen instead... :o)

Pinterest Flops

Everything that I see on Pinterest seems so interesting and looks awesome in the photo. It's almost hard trying to select which craft I really want to try next. Things have been going well. Sure, I've made a few mistakes along the way. And maybe my finished product looks like there's room for improvement the next time I make it. I've been rather pleased with how each craft has been turning out.

I guess throughout this challenge I expected some epic fails. I just wasn't expecting three in a row!

Day 14- Dress made out of Men's Shirt

Sure this looked cute in the pin, and it was very popular on Pinterest.

Source: polyvore.com via Britney on Pinterest

I will spare you the photos from my dress disaster. Let me just say that no one would actually go into public wearing this ensemble. This look just screams "walk of shame" like you had to suddenly get dressed and couldn't find your own clothing. There's really no other reason someone would sanely wear this outfit. Ladies, there's a reason why clothing designers have created women's attire that mock the appearance of men's clothing. Save yourself the embarrassment and buy one of those outfits instead!

Day 15- The Fringed Scarf

This was another pin that looked better on the model. Perhaps it was the fact that the only t-shirt I had was a fitted size small or maybe that I chose the color white. But this fringe scarf looks like I need to put it back in the 1970's time vault.

Another failure.

Well on the positive side my cat, Halo just got a new toy. He loves those dangling strings!

Day 16- Cheerios Treat Bar

I had some marshmallows left over from the Baked S'mores recipe that I made last week. This got me thinking of Rice Krispy treats. Then I realized, I haven't bought Rice Krispies in years! But I did have plenty of Cheerio's on hand. A quick look on Pinterest and I found this recipe.

Now I can't blame the recipe. I think this failure was more due to user error. It would be much easier if I could actually melt the butter & marshmallows in the microwave. (You see my landlord has yet to replace our broken above the stove microwave!) I had to melt it on the stove and it was just a difficult sticky blob to work with. Perhaps I should try this again someday instead of giving up on it completely. We'll see...or perhaps I'll just go buy some Rice Krispies!

Here's hoping that my three day stint of Pinterest failures is over.

--to be continued...

Made My Book & Ready to Smash

Thanks to my Zutter Bind-it-All I've made my own Smash Book!

When I first saw the Smash Product line at Michael's Craft Store I was instantly curious about the journaling opportunities. I tried my hand at the whole art journaling thing and really enjoyed it. But I couldn't keep up with it. Painting all the backgrounds and waiting for all the gesso, acrylic & gel medium to dry was a long process. The thing I like most about the Smash books are the colorful papers inside. The books come in themes (which I don't really care for), but they reminded me of all the colorful scrapbook papers I'm addicted to buying. So I thought I'd make my own!

This was the first project using my Zutter Bind-it-All. I think I might draw a tangle pattern on my journal cover. I've made a few die cuts using my Slice cutter machine for extra journaling tags, got my stamps, and now I'm ready to "smash" in my thoughts. I do like the Smash Pen (hubby bought me one of those)- Glue stick & pen all in one (genius!)

The next book I make I think I will add pockets like on this Pinterest Pin:

Source: wendolonia.com via Friskywink on Pinterest

Drawer knob Jewelry Holder

The supplies for this craft idea have been sitting on my studio table for a couple months now. I wanted to find a way to keep some of the necklaces I've made safe instead of twisting them up and keeping them in one of those jewelry folder things. So I thought about making a hanging jewelry holder to place on my studio wall.

The best part about this project is that it only cost me $3.00 to make! The knobs were on Clearance at Michael's Craft Store. The wooden board was only $1. I found a brand new, finished piece of baseboard molding that I got from the Habitat for Humanity Resale Store. The perk? No sanding, cutting or painting needed to be done. I actually went in the store looking for cabinet doors, and saw this beauty and remembered this project idea.

Now a word of advice to anyone that wants to try this project---measure it first! Don't laugh at my knobs for being a little uneven. I thought I could screw the first knob in and measure the next hole as I go. I complained to my husband about my knobs not being straight and he asked me why I didn't measure a straight line on the back and use a pencil to mark where I wanted all the holes to go. Hmm...that would have made more sense. But, I'm right-brained! I honestly don't think that way. (And I can't hold a ruler straight to save my life!)

I'm happy with my jewelry holder. I'm thinking of adding hooks to the bottom of the board to add more hanging room for necklaces. Always improving ideas.

Three Days of Fun

I'm behind in my postings but that doesn't mean that I was behind in my crafting!
Three days worth of goodies here.

Day 9- Another Embellished Friendship Bracelet.

Following the steps as I did in this post I chose not to add the rhinestone embellishment and button clasp. This time I wanted to try adding a brass chain to the friendship bracelet. I must admit that I like this look far better than my first rhinestone friendship bracelet. I think the rhinestone look would be better if my knotted friendship bracelet was a bit wider than it was.

The tricky part for me was getting the yarn long enough to sew the chain to the bracelet. I just can't seem to judge the length quite yet. Cut it too short to finish sewing the rest of the chain. Had to cut it and sew it on again.

Something I did differently than the tutorial was that I added a clasp to the chain. That way I'm not tying the bracelet to my arm, but clasping it like a regular bracelet.
Day 10- Baked S'mores!

The best thing about camping is pitching the tent, hiking, being outdoors, bugs definitely is sitting around the campfire and making s'mores. But with this recipe you no longer have to endure the wilderness to get this gooey treat. That's right folks, s'mores indoors. (and I don't mean roasted in your fireplace either).

When I saw this pin and read the recipe I think I instantly drooled.

 Yes they were tasty!

Source: theaprongal.com via Friskywink on Pinterest

Day 11- Fun Nail Art!

Watermelon Toes!

Nail art is all over Pinterest. I see people all the time pinning their dazzling nails. What I don't understand is how they can paint their right hand without it looking like a 4 year-old doing it? Now that's talent.

I've seen some pretty cute nail pins. Leopard print, stripes, fish, hearts, and even watermelon. This reminded me of when I had a nail art book once and my sister and I used to paint our toes. It was fun being toe creative!

Now I'm a horrible fingernail biter. So this  art design has to be done on the toes. At least it's still sandal season!

Wrangle Those Shopping Bags

We all understand that plastic shopping bags are not best for the environment. Purchasing a reusable bag is always ideal. I try my best to use those bags when grocery shopping. The bad thing is, I end of forgetting to put them back in my car. When I decide to go grocery shopping on a whim, I never have them with me! So I collect the plastic bags (returning some to the recycling bin at the store) and try to think of ways to reuse them around the house. Perfect for small trash can liners, lunch bags, dog waste collectors, etc.
The thing I hate the most is how I end up with these bags all over the house! I needed to find a way to organize my bag mess. My hubby took a small box, cut a hole in the front & stuffed the bags inside. That was perfect for our laundry closet. But what happens is, I use the bags in other rooms of the house and end up with mini collections of these things everywhere!

Day 8 of my craft challenge is another way to store this obsessive bag collection.

This craft also gave me another way to reuse those empty plastic Clorox wipes containers! How genius! Visit this site for the way to roll those plastic bags to pull up through the bottle lid just like wipes did.

I cut out a strip of zebra printed scrapbook paper and glued around the bottle for more stylish decor. The website shows how to put fabric around the bottle, but since I have a huge scrapbook collection, I used that instead.

I was impressed that this really works! You can see how the bags pull through the top.

If you have to use those plastic bags, recycle what you can and reuse the rest...but do it organized and fashionable!  :o)

Dog Jar Candy Dish

Day 7 of my "Pin it and do it" challenge is by far my favorite!
I've always loved the idea of an apothecary jar filled full of brightly colored candy as a tasty decoration in a jar. But let's face it- I'm not that fancy! But when I found this craft tutorial I was excited to bring this idea to life!

What a simple and creative way to reuse an empty jar! This would be a great addition to any children's room. (or a craft studio- in my case!) I had an empty pickle jar, and all I needed was a plastic toy animal. I chose a German Shepherd puppy and a pretty blue acrylic paint. I've seen several of these jars on Pinterest that they easily use spray paint instead of acrylic.

I put a coat of gesso on first to cover the writing that was on the jar lid and the original paint of the toy dog. Two coats of acrylic paint and gluing the dog to the lid later, and I'm all done! I'm loving my jar! Filled it full of my favorite candy, and I have a colorful (and delicious) decor for my craft table.

iPhone case (Day 6)

I've been anxiously waiting to get my new iPhone in the mail. About a month ago I sadly murdered it in an accidental washing machine drowning. You see I had a white phone and a frosted clear case. Had it on my WHITE bedspread, which I randomly thought I'd go ahead and wash. Long story short, it ended up in the washer!

So instead of buying a new cover (since I already had to buy a new phone) I thought I'd try out this craft which takes scrapbook paper to make a custom iPhone cover!

Click here for the step-by-step.
My plain, boring cover gets a new life!

How to Embellish a Plain T-Shirt (no sewing required)

I've had so much fun doing all the craft tutorials I've found on Pinterest lately that I was inspired to create one myself. This is my first ever tutorial and it's perfect for back-to-school time!

Are you tired of all the plain t-shirts in your wardrobe? If so, I'm going to show you a quick and easy way to take that tee from drab to fab! This simple trick uses fabric scrapbook embellishments. And the best part is there's no sewing required!

Here's the look:

The supplies: T-shirt, fabric scrapbook dimensional stickers (I found these on clearance at Michael's for only $2), permanent fabric glue (I used Aleene's Super Fabric adhesive) and cardboard.

Step 1- Place cardboard inside the t-shirt where you want to glue the flowers. The cardboard prevents the glue from seeping to the back of the shirt.

Step 2- Peel the foam sticker off the back of the flower embellishment. You won't be using those.

Step 3- Add the fabric glue to the felt part of the embellishment. It is important to use a permanent fabric glue. This ensures that the glue will not come off during washing.

Step 4- Press down firmly to set the flower where you want to adhere it to the t-shirt.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the remaining flower embellishments.

Let the glue completely dry for 24 hours before wearing.

Wasn't that so simple? Yet so stylish!

Day 3 & 4

I should have known that the hardest part of this challenge would be taking the photos and posting it!
I recently killed my iphone in a horrible washing machine accident. It had a killer camera that I haven't even used my old digital camera in ages! I remembered why I quite using it. It's horrible! I apologize for these latest pictures. Since I'm behind in the posting, day 3 and 4 are combined.

Day 3- Embellished Friendship Bracelet.
This has been popular on Pinterest with some people pinning it over a year ago! I haven't thought about friendship bracelets for ages until my niece got a kit for her birthday. I remember sitting in my room as a kid making these bracelets all the time. But since that was over 20 years ago, I had to find a way to rock this trend, but make it more adult like. I like this idea of adding rhinestones to the yarn bracelet. Follow the DIY Embellished Friendship Bracelet instructions and have fun enjoying your childhood again!

I added a rhinestone button for more bling!

Day 4- Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

I recently ordered a slice of pink lemonade cake at a bakery here in town and was sadly disappointed. Since then, I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. I was on a mission to find a recipe that didn't involve adding instant lemonade drink mix! I found this one on Pinterest and was pleasantly surprised by the ingredient listing of fresh lemons & raspberries!
It is simple to make, but don't make the error I did and frost them too soon. Let completely cool before frosting. You can tell mine melted a little. Gooey but still really tasty! If you like pink lemonade then you're going to love these cupcakes.

The Pin:

Source: rtroncampus.com via Friskywink on Pinterest

These are mine!

Day 2- Gift Bows

Day two was another simple craft. We've all had this scenario- you've wrapped a present only to find you either didn't have the right sized gift bow or the wrong color. I never thought that I could make my own gift bow. Sure, I have been creative with the wrapping paper itself. I've used everything from newspaper, fabric & brown packaging paper to wrap my presents. My sister uses plain white paper and has her children finger paint designs on it. Talk about another really creative idea.

But this post is all about the bow.

Here's the Pinterest link with the tutorial. (Click the picture for the how-to instructions)

Source: wholeliving.com via Friskywink on Pinterest

I'm always trying to figure out creative ways to recycle my old magazines (since I have so many subscriptions!) This one just made me excited to give it a shot.

Here's my gift bow:

No more paying money for pretty gift bows! Now I can just get creative with what type of paper I use to make the bows. I'm thinking of all the scrapbook paper scraps I have left over. The possibilities are endless!

"Pin it and Do it" Day one

Craft made on August 1, 2012.

It's the first day of my Pinterest challenge. I started with something simple, but yet one of those, "I-can't-believe-I-didn't-think-of-that-myself" crafts.

The first project was making a custom post-it holder out of a cheap plastic 4x6 frame. This would make the perfect back-to-school teacher's gift! I will have to share this idea with my sister for all her kids' teachers. It was so simple to make. The best part about it? I didn't have to spend a dime to make it! I had the frame, a pack of post-its and a ton of scrapbook paper already. What I like even more about this project is that you can change the colors whenever you want! Just slide out the scrapbook paper and replace to change with your room decor!

The pin:

Source: jkkarges.blogspot.com via Friskywink on Pinterest

And now for my version:

I wrote the words, "Notes" on with a dry erase marker. The perk of it being on a plastic frame. It can be a dry erase board as well!

"Pin it and Do it" Creativity Challenge

I'll admit, I'm probably the last person to jump on the whole Pinterest phase. I recently started pinning and was overwhelmed with all the DIY tutorials out there. I'm addicted just looking at all the creative crafts, holiday gift ideas, recipes & decor ideas!

I've been repinning and pinning on some of my craft ideas that I really want to do someday. I've been in an artistic hault lately. Between caring for my animals, keeping my house clean, etc. I haven't been spending the time doing what I enjoy the most...crafting! So then it hit me... I was looking at the Pinterest boards and thought, "Stop viewing and start doing!"

I challenge myself to one month of creativity.

The Challenge:

Make/Do something each day that I found posted on Pinterest or pinned on my boards myself for the entire month of August.

This can be a new craft, DIY idea, decor, recipe, etc. but it has to be done each day and posted on my blog the next.

This is a challenge to kick me back into my creative spirit! Challenge yourself to a month of "Pin it and do it!"