Craft Store coupons, deals, and free offers

 Coupons for:

Michael’s  (  www.michaels.com )

AC Moore  ( www.acmoore.com )

Joann’s Fabric  ( www.joanns.com )

Hobby Lobby ( www.hobbylobby.com )

Deals and free offers at Dick Blicks Art supply (www.dickblicks.com)

www.dickblicks.com

Sitting Pretty

I volunteer for a local fundraising organization that supports only our local community hospital:  Cape Cod Hospital Auxilary.

This year one of our fundraisers will be an Auction of chairs refinished and redesigned by local artists.  You can look at all the chairs at www.ccha-orleans.org

This is my “BEFORE” chair, although I did sand it before I took the picture, oops.

Here are multiple views of the final results of the chair I designed.

Chair was coated in resin after these pictures were taken.

My chair was chosen to be part of a pre-auction display at the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis, MA.

In addition to this chair, I did another chair that was only for advertising purposes.  Multiple views are shown here. This chair looks better in person.  I have had many requests for this chair as it will not be auctioned.  Chair already has already been promised to someone  😦

Check out the web site listed above to see these chairs and many others.

Information about reserving a place at the auction is available on the website.

–Em

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Leaves of Grass Wall Art

From Kryloncrafts.com

Ordinary painter’s tape and spray paint are great tools for creating affordable art fast. Customize colors and images to suit your personal style.
What you need: Krylon Indoor/Outdoor Paint – Gloss White (#51501) Krylon Indoor/Outdoor Paint – Semi-Gloss Black (#51603) Krylon Indoor/Outdoor Paint – Ivy Leaf (#51515) Krylon Brushed Metallic – Satin Nickel (#51255) Krylon Webbing Spray – Gold Chiffon (#603) (2) Canvases 22″ by 28″ with wrapped edges (3) Leaf images Blue painters masking tape Newspaper Scissors Adhesive Paper towels Latex gloves Tips Temperatures influence the length of project dry time. Spray paints are generally very quick drying. Getting very good tape adhesion by rubbing the painters tape edges will go a long way to insure your project comes out nicely. This technique can be easily adapted to different colors and images. Instead of adhering leaf cutouts, stencils could also be used to get a similar look.

How and How Long: In a well-ventilated area, lay both canvases onto work surface without touching. Spray with Gloss White and let dry. Cut out and spray leaf images with Semi-Gloss Black in 1-2 thin coats letting dry between each. For Ivy Leaf and Nickel “stripes”: Start masking by running a tape stripe down the length of one canvas on one edge. Add runs of tape to widen the taped portions but place some of those at angles on the existing tape. Make some taped areas wider than others. Leave random spaces as you tape continuing across the canvas. For additional effect, add tape at little angles away from the original runs. When satisfied with tape placement, rub very, very well over all the edges of the tape to secure a very tight edge. This will prevent paint from seeping under the tape’s edge and ensure crisp lines. To avoid overspray of Ivy Leaf green into the Nickel areas (at about 2/3 of the way across canvas) Cover the remaining masked areas by taping newspaper onto an existing strip (make sure you aren’t sneaking out of the masked line at all). Spray your first portion of the canvas with Ivy Leaf, let dry. Remove the newspaper. With a clean piece of newspaper protect your green painted area in the same manner as step 4. Spray Nickel, let dry. When completely dry, remove newspaper and all tape. Practice spraying the webbing on a sample surface. Standing directly above and at about 2 feet away spray webbing quickly across canvases in one direction and then another direction running off the canvases. Go very easy at first, you can always add more. When all is dry, apply adhesive to back of leaves and place onto painted “grasses” randomly. Approximate project time: 3 hours.

What it Costs: Approximate cost is $35.

Beading Commandments (applies to all crafts)

Commandments of Beading

1. Do not give beads to babies and small children.

2. Make sure there is NO lead in children’s jewelry

3. Please use a wire guard.

4. Be good to your tools.  Use them appropriately.   (The right tool for the right job.)  Keep them clean, sharp, etc. (I have trouble following this rule;  so many tools have additional uses.  I keep doubles and triples of some tools because I need one pair to take care of and use appropriately while destroying the others!)

5. Don’t use hammers and pliers for crimpers.  Use one of the many crimping pliers available.

6. Don’ copy other’s designs.  Use them as a learning experience or for inspiration.

7. Work over a surface with walls or lips so spilled beads don’t send you into tears when they end up in the rug or roll across the floor.  If they spill…oh well, **it happens.

8. Never take credit for another’s design. Copying is fine, but don’t claim it as your own idea if asked. Ideas are meant to be shared, but give credit where credit is due.

9. Always spread your wings and try different techniques, tools, and ideas.

10. Have fun.

11. Share your work, wear it, use it, [for gifts (always put a few business cards with gifts)], show it, and sell it.  The reason we bead is to create beautiful things, so let the world see  what you’ve made.

12. Add your comments here.  Thanks for sharing.

Marianne

Birthday Card-partially made with Cricut

Newspaper Basket or storage Box

by Ashley Weeks Cart

It was a gloomy, rainy Sunday here in Billsville, so while not ideal for an afternoon hike, absolutely perfect for a day spent inside crafting up a storm. A friend of ours had passed along a link to a DIY Newspaper Basket a few weeks ago, and I was obviously intrigued. This weekend was a great time to give it a go. I saddled up with the discarded Sunday Times, adjusted the directions slightly, and suddenly had a funky place to stash a pile of plastic bags I’ve been accumulating.

Materials: Newspaper Scissors Staples or glue

 

Directions: 1. Use scissors to cut the seam of the newspaper to create individual 12″x 22″ pages.

2. Fold each individual page lengthwise. First in half, and then in quarters, and then in eighths. The resulting strip should be about 1.5″ thick and 22″ long. I needed around 20 for my basket.

3. Begin weaving the strips together, using a staple or glue to secure as needed.

4. Continue weaving the strips to the size of your liking. I made by basket 5 strips x 5 strips.

6. For the sides of your basket, just fold the strips to a 90 degree angle and continue weaving. Go nice and slow, keep the weave tight, and again, use staples or glue as needed. You’ll need to probably attached strips to one another as you weave the diameter.

7. When you reach the ends of the newspaper strips, fold the ends down inside the basket and secure with staple or glue. I then used another strip of newspaper to border the top edge of the basket. My glue gun broke as I did this, so I used staples to secure. You could also edge with ribbon, if you really want to get fancy. Now go stash something in it!

Photo: Courtesy of Ashley Weeks Cart

Published: August 25, 2010

Filed Under: Tutorial.

Recycled cardboard boxes – for tags and business cards

I have been using Kleenex tissue boxes to make tags and business cards.  The kleenex box designs can make for interesting or pretty backs to the tags and cards.  The small pieces can not go thru your printer so I print stickers and then stick them on the cut box pieces.

I purchased a tag punch which makes even tags with a hole pre-punched.

I found this tutorial for using cereal boxes for business cards.  Boxes could also be used for tags.   Don’t have to utilize just cereal boxes.  Any boxes that can be cut to fit your printer would work;  cracker boxes, baking mixes, and more.

Cereal Box Business Cards

by Ashley Weeks Cart

Successful business is all about out of the box thinking – and what could be more out of the box than business cards handmade out of old cereal boxes?! If you’re looking for a card that will set you a part but won’t break the bank, cereal boxes make sturdy, unique canvases for your networking needs. Not so much a business guru, but want to grab the attention of that dream boat seated in aisle 2? Craft your own calling card that will truly knock the airline socks off that cutie.

Materials: Cereal boxes Scissors (even better, a paper cutter for straight edges) Printer Computer program like MS Word to format cards

Directions: 1. Munch on some of your favorite Wheaties, and save up those boxes. 2. Cut the boxes so that you have two rectangular “pages” on which to print your cards. (Using a paper cutter helps immensely in keeping all the edges straight). 3. In MS Word, format labels that are sized 3.5 x 2 inches (the traditional biz card) or whatever size you’d like your cards to be. 4. Create your cards’ content in the labels. 5. Often the rectangles from the cereal boxes are smaller than an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. Measure your particular rectangles and in ‘Page Setup’ insert your custom size. 6. To help make cutting easier, print the borders of the labels. 7. Now load your cereal box paper into the printer (making sure that the text will print on the blank cardboard side) and print away. (Sometimes you have to help *coax* this heftier stock through the machine). 8. Once you’ve printed, use the paper cutter to dice ‘em up into individual business cards. These cards are cereal killers – in a crushing the competition kind of way.

Photo: Courtesy of Ashley Weeks Cart

Published: March 24, 2010

Clipart

The Graphics Fairy has some great vintage clipart, backgrounds, steampunk clipart, and more.

www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com

Cricut Birthday Card I made the other Day

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Organizing your Craft Supplies

Paper
Scrapbook paper storage solutions are easier to come by than you think! See if you have an old accordion file somewhere in the basement. If you do, you’ve got yourself one of the best scrapbook paper organizers out there!

Here’s a great way to keep your single scrapbook paper sheets organized. All you need is a collapsible sweater shelf and a few of these storage bins for paper, available at Cut Rate Crafts. Label the bins by color, paper theme, or whatever system works for you.

I have hanging shoe storage bags hanging on the doors of my studio.  I store surplus supplies in them. (Look for an upcoming post with pictures of my studio)

I use a pant/slacks hanger for rolls of ribbon.  This is hanging from the ceiling near my desk. (Picture will be included in upcoming post with pictures of my studio).