Lisa's Craft Blog

Tutorial: Christmas Framed Fabric Art

2012-11-30T08:33:00.000-05:00

It's the last day of November and I'm celebrating the Christmas season by making adorable holiday decorations for our new home!! I've been using those awesome Tulip Shimmer Sheets & Paints I received a couple weeks ago and I'm loving them!! If you missed the haul video, you can check it out HERE.

I haven't used fabric paints for over 15 years so I was so excited when I received the Tulip Shimmer Sheets & Paints!! Unfortunately, I'm not a very "fashion forward" kind of person so I knew clothes and even shoes were out of the question. With Christmas fast approaching, I decided to make some holiday decorations!!

Today I'm going to share how I made these super cute framed fabric-painted decorations for our new home!!

I found this clip art image online and was instantly inspired!! I love how these ornaments are kind of "wonky" and not perfect!!

Even though the tutorial is long, this project is really easy and actually pretty quick to make!! Trust me, you're going to love this project and you should definitely give it a try!!

Here we go....

SUPPLIES

Unfinished Wood Frame(s)

Chipboard or Grey-board

Canvas Fabric

Fabric or Tacky Glue

Cardstock (or Paper)

Pattern (optional)

Craft Knife (or scissors)

Paint Brush(es)

Foam Pouncing Sponge

Tulip Fashion Glitter & Bond adhesive

Tulip Fashion Glitter Shimmer Transfer Sheets

Tulip Fashion Fabric Markers

Tulip Metallics Dimensional Fabric Paint

Acrylic Paints

Sealant or Decoupage Medium

Water

Step 1: CREATE CANVAS BACKGROUND

Trace the back-piece from the frame onto a piece of chipboard (or grey-board from a cereal box) and cut it out.

Trace the frame's back-piece onto the wrong side of your canvas fabric and then cut it out too.

Using your fabric or tacky glue, attach the canvas piece to the chipboard piece.

Note: After gluing the canvas on the chipboard, it started to curl up a bit, so I just put it under a heavy book until it dried flat.

Step 2: ADD GLITTER ORNAMENT SHAPES

Click the photo above or click HERE for the shapes I used in this tutorial.

Either print the pattern or draw your own ornament shapes onto cardstock paper.

Using a craft knife, cut out the shape you want to use and tape it in place on your canvas background.

Pounce the Tulip Glitter Bond onto the canvas with your foam pouncing sponge. Make sure you get sufficient coverage so your glitter will stick really well.

Sprinkle Tulip Fashion Glitter onto the canvas until you get a good layer covering the area.

Note: I left my paper on while adding the glitter because I didn't want a bunch of excess glitter getting all over my canvas fabric. It worked well!!

Remove your cardstock paper template and tap the excess glitter onto a scrap piece of paper. You can then add this glitter back to the bottle to use again later.

Step 3: EMBELLISH ORNAMENTS

Cut out the template for the ornament topper. Using a pen, trace it onto the back of the Tulip Shimmer Sheet and then carefully cut it out.

Place the ornament topper slightly above your glitter ornament shape.

(Thank you to Brook for being the hand model for this tutorial!! hehehehe)

Cover with a thin fabric (muslin worked great) and iron on a low heat setting.

Note: Don't iron over your glittered ornament shape. I found that doing so changed the appearance of the glitter in the ironed spots.

Using a coordinating color Tulip Fabric Marker, draw a line around your glittered ornament shape. I drew my line approximately 1/4"-1/3" away from the ornament shape.

For my red ornament I used a red fabric marker for the line so it would match the glittered section. Also add a black loop to to the ornament topper.

Note: If you like the boldness of the fabric marker line, you can skip the next step. However, I found that it took away from the impact of the actual ornament.

Lightly trace over the fabric marker lines with Tulip Metallics Dimensional Fabric Paint in White. You should still be able to see the color of the fabric marker despite the layer of fabric paint.

Using a small paintbrush, add a thin layer of Tulip Metallics Dimensional Fabric Paint in White between the outside line and the glittered ornament shape. I like this part because it makes it look like the ornament is shining!!

Step 4: PAINT WOOD FRAME

Mix together paint, water, & glitter in a small cup or bowl. I used these proportions:

5 parts acrylic paint

1 part silver (or gold) acrylic paint

1-2 parts water

A few sprinkles of Tulip Fashion Glitter

After you mix the paint, water, & glitter really well, try a test spot on the back to make sure you're happy with mixture.

Paint the frame and let dry. Once completely dry, seal using a wood sealant or decoupage medium and let dry again.

Step 5: FRAME PAINTED CANVAS

Add your painted canvas fabric to your frame and you're....

FINISHED!!

This was such a fun project and I really love how it turned out!! My hubby is happy to have new Christmas decorations too!!

I found the Tulip Shimmer Sheets, Paints, & Glitter very easy to use so be sure to try them out yourself!! Don't forget to visit them online...

Web

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

If you want to see other projects using the Tulip Shimmer line of products, there's whole bunch of great tutorials at the end of this post!! They're awesome and you're going to love the different ways people have used these supplies!!

I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with Tulip and Blueprint Social. The opinions in this post are my own.

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

Guest Post: Eliza K Prints

2012-11-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving!! My hubby was super nice and cooked a mini Thanksgiving feast for the two of us!! It was soooo yummy!!

Today I have a super special bloggy friend to introduce you to!! Eliza has a great crafty blog, Eliza K Prints, where she shares craft tutorials as well as discusses other fun topics like gardening in the city!!

I should probably let her do the typing from here...

Eliza K Prints

Craft Tutorials * Gardening Projects * Sustainability

Hello Lisa's Craft Blog Readers! I'm so pleased Lisa let me share her corner of the internet today. I'm a craft blogger over at Eliza K Prints, a blog specializing in crafting sustainably without sacrificing beauty or functionality. I love to take items that are destined for the trash heap and turn them into something I can use in my home. Some of my favorite mediums are scrap paper, old food containers, and well loved books. I also blog about my urban gardening forays and have recently started a Top Ten series where I share my Top Tens in various categories (shows, books, etc).

I love finding new blogs, hearing from readers and receiving feedback about projects I've done. I'd love it if you come and say hi!

*****

Tutorials You'll Find On My Blog

Tin Can Succulents

Cork Coasters

Orange Peel Candle

Upcoming Events

I'm super excited to announce that Eliza K Prints will be throwing a giveaway starting Dec. 1st! Stop by to see a sneak preview and make sure to come back on the 1st to enter officially. I specifically chose Etsy shops with amazing handmade items that would make great stocking stuffers or gifts for the upcoming holiday season.

I have also just begun accepting button swaps and sponsor ads. If you're interested, make sure to drop me a line!

Blog Etsy Facebook Twitter Pinterest

So as a recap, if you're interested in turning some of your trash into treasure, stop by and check out a few tutorials! I also would love to hear success stories from any of you who also craft sustainably. Thanks so much for taking the time to read and make sure to leave your blog address for me to checkout. And an extra special thank you to Lisa for allowing me to guest post today!

Always,
Eliza

Craft Haul: Tulip Shimmer Haul Video

2012-11-15T07:15:00.001-05:00

Today, I'm super excited for a couple reasons!! First of all, I received an awesome box of supplies from the super people over at Tulip and www.ILoveToCreate.com!! Secondly, I made my very first Craft Haul video last night and I'm going to share it with you right now!!

You can be honest. I'm a total dork, right?!? Ha ha ha!!!

Aren't those Tulip supplies amazing!! Below is a list of the goodies I received and I've linked each item to it's product page on www.ILoveToCreate.com!!

Tulip Fashion Glitter Shimmer Transfer Sheets

Tulip Fashion Glitter Holographic Transfer Sheets

Tulip Fashion Bond

Tulip Glam-It-Up! 300 Iron-On Glass Crystals

Tulip Fabric Markers

Tulip Glam-It-Up! Cordless Crystal & Stud Heat Setting Tool

Tulip Metallic Dimentional Fabric Paint

Tulip Fashion Glitter

As I mentioned in the video, I'm going to be using these great supplies in a tutorial coming on Friday, Novemeber 30th!! I may even decide to share 1-2 bonus Tulip Shimmer projects in the coming weeks!!

I'd love to know what you think of my first craft haul video!! Please comment and let me know if I did okay, if I need to improve some things, and whether or not you want to see more videos!!

Thanks for reading (and watching)!! Until next time...

Tutorial: Marbled Paper

2012-11-03T15:14:00.002-04:00

Yesterday Brook came over and we had an absolute blast making marbled paper!! Today, I'm going share how we made our super neat paper!!

SUPPLIES

Cheap Shaving Cream

"Posh Rainbow Ink" (Food Coloring works too)

Old Cookie Sheet

White Paper or Cardstock

Stick, Pen, Paintbrush or Other Utensil

Lots of Paper Towels!!

Step 1: SHAVING CREAM LAYER

Squirt a bunch of shaving cream onto your cookie sheet that is about the size of your paper and about as thick as your thumb.

Spread the shaving cream (just like cake icing) to make an even layer.

Step 2: ADD INK OR FOOD COLORING

We used some Posh Rainbow Inks that I bought on clearance at Michael's months ago. However, I've heard that food coloring works just as well!!

Squirt small droplets of ink (or food coloring) onto your shaving cream layer.

This takes some practice, but we found that just shaking the bottle and not squeezing it worked the best.

Add your various colors so you have a significant amount of ink on the shaving cream.

Step 3: SWIRL THE COLORS

Drag your utensil (we used the wrong end of a pen) through the ink and down into the shaving cream and swirl the colors. There are soooo many different patterns you can make!!

Step 4: MARBLE THE PAPER

Lay your paper or cardstock face down and gently press it into the cream mixture.

Be sure the paper is completely pressed into the shaving cream because you don't want any blank spaces!!

Peel your paper (or cardstock) off of the mixture and set aside for about 10 minutes.

Press as many sheets of paper into the mixture until you don't have any cream left!!

Step 5: REVEAL THE MARBLED PAPER

Be sure to wait 10 minutes before moving onto this step!! If you don't then you'll get smeared ink on your page and it'll be really messy!!

After the page has dried for about 10 minutes, take a paper towel and gently remove the excess cream mixture from the page.

Brook found that wiping the page in one direction using even pressure worked best to remove the cream.

FINISHED!!

These are the first two pages made with this batch of inked cream...

Here's a close up of one of the pages...

These are the next 2 pages we made...

Isn't that awesome!! I can't emphasize how much fun we had making these marbled papers!! I can't wait to find a cool project to use our pages on!!

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

WOYWW #9

2012-10-31T06:14:00.003-04:00

Although it's Hallween and I should have some super awesome tutorial. Unfortunately, with our big move I didn't even have a chance to do any fun Halloween crafts this year!! *frown*

I do, however, have a brand new edition of WOYWW (What's on Your Work-desk Wednesday)!! The twist is that I'm not showing you my desk or even a work station. I'm showing off my new craft room...err...I mean...my future new craft room!!

My hubby & I moved into a new home this past week and I was able to claim and entire room for my crafts!! I already have soooo many plans for this bare space and I can't wait to get started setting it up!! Let's get to the new room...

That wall is going to be mostly storage. I'm going to add another black shelving unit against the back wall and a different, more decorative shelving unit to the right of the current industrial shelves.

That's my little sewing table and funky stool that needs replacing. You can also see the industrial shelves pretty well in this picture...they work great for me!!

This closet is going to store my Etsy shoppe inventory and will have 3 smaller shelving units inside.

So far, I know the layout and I'm pretty sure on the rooms color scheme...

I'd love to hear your ideas on how to decorate this crafty space!!

Send me your ideas because I'm ready to get started!!

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

A Tour of Our New House

2012-10-27T15:28:00.001-04:00

What a crazy summer this has been!! I don't know about you, but I simply cannot believe it's the end of October already!! I had so many plans for great Halloween projects & tutorials and I'm totally bummed that they're going to have to wait until next year!!

The good news is that my hubby, my cat, and I have moved into a much bigger home!! We decided to move to the base where my hubby works because the hour-long commute each way was taking it's toll on him. Now we live about 10 minutes from his work!! The down side is that we're only going to get to enjoy this house for about a year before it will be time for him to transfer again.

Here's a quick tour of the new home in it's current state...

FOYER

This is standing just outside of the Foyer looking towards the front door. There's not much here, but I figured I'd show it to you anyway.

HALLWAY

This is our ridiculously long hallway!! It goes from the front door to the wall of the Master Bedroom at the back of the house.

DINING ROOM

This is a photo looking in from the Foyer. As you can see our little dining room table is way too small for this room.

This shot is looking in from the Kitchen. Those boxes are all kitchen items that need to be put into the cabinets, drawers, & pantry.

LIVING ROOM

This view is looking into the Living Room from the Foyer.

As many of you know, I'm disabled and spend 98% of my time in my home. This will be the room where I spend my days working on my Etsy shoppe and blogging.

This photo was taken from the Hallway, right next to the Kitchen.

KITCHEN

This is the left side of the kitchen and just so you know, this is giant compared to our old galley-style kitchen!!

This is the right side of the Kitchen looking towards the Breakfast Bar which looks into the Family Room. Again, lots of boxes to be put away!!

FAMILY ROOM

Looking through the Breakfast Bar area into the Family Room.

A photo from the Hallway looking towards the right side of the Family Room.

Another angle which shows the left side of the Family Room and the Breakfast Bar.

LAUNDRY ROOM

Although it's not really a "room", I'm calling this area the Laundry Room!! I think it has great potential!!

SPARE BEDROOM

Although this is going to be a Spare Bedroom at some point, right now it's just a holding area for my craft supplies!! Yes, those boxes are all craft supplies!!

CRAFT ROOM

This picture is looking in from the Hallway. All of the items and boxes you see there are for my Etsy shoppe.

Here's the big closet I get to stuff with craft supplies or Etsy shoppe inventory!!

OFFICE

This is Hubby's office. Not much more to say about this room.

MASTER BEDROOM

Sorry this photo is kind of blurry. This is the last main room of the house. I would've shown a couple different angles, but I wasn't sure if Hubby would want me showing our personal space in great detail!!

To us, this house is a mansion!! We've never been so lucky to have a home this big!! To put this in perspective for you, our last home was literally 1/2 the square footage of this house!! We're so happy to be living here!!

From now on, I'm taking you along on this new journey... You'll get to follow us as we unpack, organize, and eventually decorate this new home of ours!!

I'm going to need your input and ideas at every turn because I've never been good at home decorating!! If you've already come up with some ideas while looking at the photos, please comment below and share them!! I need all of the help I can get!!

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

Tutorial: 1-2-3 Cardmaking

2012-10-12T11:55:00.000-04:00

There's a new line of cardmaking products now available at JoAnn's that I think you're going to love!! It's David Tutera Paper Crafts, which includes David Tutera's Celebrate cardmaking line.

Today I'm going to share an incredibly easy card tutorial that incorporates these super cool supplies. I'll also show you some additional cards made using this line and I'll even share how you can enter to win a bunch free supplies from David Tutera Paper Crafts!!

SUPPLIES

Card & Envelope

Layer(s)

Embellishment(s)

Step 1: SELECT A CARD

Select a card from the huge selection of sizes, colors, and finishes available in the David Tutera Paper Crafts line. I chose a matte silver A7 card for this particular project.

Step 2: ADD A LAYER

Select at least one layer to add to the card.

There are so many pre-cut and pre-embossed layers to choose from in this line!! I love the fact that you don't need any special craft machines to cut or emboss your layers because they're already done for you!!

I chose a dark pink layer that's not only textured cardstock, but it's been embossed with flowers too!!

Simply attach the layer to the card using your favorite adhesion method.

Step 3: EMBELLISH

Choose one or more embellishments.

I really liked this "Thank You:" embellishment as well as the die-cut matte silver border.

Just attach the embellishment(s) to the layer and you're...

FINISHED!!

As promised, here's how you can enter to win supplies from this super cardmaking line...

Three lucky winners will receive a $300 grand prize pack of supplies from

David Tutera’s Celebrate cardmaking line AND a personally signed book from David!

20 additional winners will receive a $50 Celebrate prize pack.

Sign up here for a chance to win: http://pages.exacttarget.com/tutera-optin-blog/.

ADDITIONAL PROJECTS

Here are some additional cards that I made, as well as a card made by my friend, Brook!!

An elegant black & white Thank You card...

A super shiney Christmas Card...

Brook's earthy Sympathy card...

My favorite one so far is this Autumn Birthday Card with built-in gift card holder...

WANT MORE?!?
Check out the links below for more great tutorials using David Tutera Paper Crafts supplies!!

I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with Darice-Core’dinations David Tutera Paper Crafts and Blueprint Social. The opinions in this post are my own.

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

Shopping Show & Tell #3

2012-06-30T08:08:00.001-04:00

As you may have heard, I'm opening an Etsy shop in July where I'll be listing various vintage inspiration kits, vintage supplies, and other vintage items. In order to start this endevour, I've had to buy some things to include in the assortment packs. While purchasing these items, I've met some really nice people with great online shops.

In this post, I just want to share some a few of these resources with you!! I think everyone wants affordable craft supplies from reliable sellers, don't you agree?

Come July, I'll be offering vintage sewing inspiration kits packed full of fabric, trim, embellishments and more. In order for me to put these packs together, I needed vintage fabric!!

I found Nikole's shop, Happy Notions, and decided she could probably put together a nice assortment for me. I convo'ed her and she really went the extra mile to help!! She ended up providing me with over 50 different patterns of reclaimed sheet fabric!! Just check out the assortment she sent...

Here are a couple of the other items in her shop that I really like...

Vintage Sheet Fat Quarter Bundle - You Pick 15

Vintage Sheet Scrap Pack - 1 Pound Assorted Fabrics

Next, I wanted some colorful items to add to my ephemera assortment packs. I figured vintage wallpaper would be amazing, but new it was usually kind of pricey. However, I really lucked out when I found Donna's shop, Under The Red Roof.

Donna was so generous and sent me a huge assortment of 8x10 wallpaper sheets and some scraps I'd asked for. Although this picture doesn't do it justice, here's a photo of my order...

Here's a couple items you can find at Under The Red Roof...

Vintage Wallpaper Mega Pack

Bingo Advent Calendar Kit

~ Chrystelle's ~

I still wanted more colorful things to include so when I found Chrystelle's listing for some bright vintage carnival tickets, I knew they'd be perfect!!

I placed a custom order for a large assortment of tickets and ended up getting over 400 carnival tickets!! Here's a picture...

Here are a couple of my top picks from Chrystelle's shop...

200 Vintage Carnival Tickets - 4 Colors, 50 Tickets Each Color

Vintage Scrapbooking Kit - Chocolate

These 3 shops are owned by wonderful ladies who are willing to go the extra mile to help you find what you need. I've had great experiences with all of them and know you will too!!

I am not getting any form of compensation for mentioning these shops!! I simply purchased items from each of them and was so pleased with their products and services that I wanted to share them with my readers.

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

Tutoral: Altered Trinket Box with Faux Wood Grain

2012-06-29T10:16:00.001-04:00

This Altered Trinket Box is a great (inexpensive) project for those that what to learn how to "alter" things. I've made sure to add in many small details that will help you obtain this great vintage look!!

Let's get to the tutorial!!

SUPPLIES

Paper Mache Trinket Box

Hymnal Pages or Sheet Music

Acrylic Craft Paints (browns, black, & gold)

Gloss Decoupauge Medium

Lace (optional)

Miscellaneous decorations (optional)

Step 1: DECOUPAGE & AGE OUTSIDE TOP

Cover the box top's outside using thin pages of music, such as old hymnal pages.

Note: If you don't have old hymnals or sheet music available, another great option would be old sewing pattern paper.

Using a fine mist bottle, spray the decoupauged top with an aging/distressing ink.

Gently wipe away the excess and cover any missed areas and let dry.

Step 2: DECORATE INSIDE THE TOP

Cut a piece of music to fit inside the top. If you're anything like me, this will come out sorta "wonky".

To cover any cutting mishaps and to hide the paper mache, paint the inside rim with dark brown acrylic craft paint.

Using a strong tacky glue, glue lace to the inside edge of the box top. Set aside to dry completely.

Step 3: PAINT A FAUX WOOD GRAIN

I didn't care for the paper mache's appearance so I decided to create a faux wood grain on the bottom part of the box.

Paint a coat of light/medium brown over your entire surface.

Add a tiny bit of gold onto a foam brush, dab off the excess until the bruss is almost dry, then gently dry brush the gold paint onto the surface very sparingly and always in the same direction..

Repeat the dry brush technique using a medium/dark brown, then black, then light/medium brown again.

To finish the look and to seal the outside of the box, just add a couple coats of glossy decoupage medium. In my opinion this gives the faux wood grain a varnished type of look!!

Note: I chose to add little wooden feet to my trinket box, but this is totally optional.

Step 4: PAINT THE INSIDE OF THE BOX

Paint a couple coats of gold (or other color) acrylic craft paint over the inside of the box. Seal with decoupage medium.

I think the trinket box looks great at this stage, so you may choose to leave it as is.

However, I chose to decorate the top so I've included those instructions as well - just keep reading!

Step 5: FOWER WITH MUSIC LEAVES

(optional)

Find a paper flower with a realitively long stem.

Cut the flower's stem to the desired length, but do not throw away the extra stem!

Cut 2 leaf shapes out of sheet music and glue them back to back over one end of the excess stem.

Using a strong tacky glue, attach the flower stem to the leaf stem.

Decoupauge over the attachment point to seal.

Step 6: DECORATE TOP

Gather up miscellaneous items to use on your top. I used cheesecloth, my paper flower, buttons, a decorated puzzle piece, old stamps, an old key, and a filigree finding.

If you choose to add cheesecloth, just decoupauge it to the top before you add your other embellishments.

Layout your items before gluing them down to make sure you're happy with their placement.

Once you find a layout you like, simply glue them down using a strong non-yellowing tacky glue.

FINISHED!!

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

Shopping Show & Tell #2

2012-06-24T14:30:00.002-04:00

I'm so excited and I need to share it with all of you!! I recently ordered a mixed lot of vintage rhinestones and findings from 1000Dragonflies' Etsy shop and when I got my package, I was simply blown away at what I received!!

First of all, here's what I found inside the box...

Those are all handmade origami boxes made out of scrapbook paper so they're really sturdy!! Isn't that some great packaging!!

Before digging through all of the goodies, I opened all of the boxes and this is what it looked like...

I could already tell there was a ton of rhinestones in those boxes and boy, was I right!!

These are the photos from the original listing which does a wonderful job at showing what was included...

Notice how BIG the rhinestones are!! These aren't the itsy-bitsy ones; these are perfect for using in jewelry and so many other projects!! Not only that the quality is impressive, to say the least!!

I'm not going to tell you how much I paid, because this was a custom order, but I got WAY more than I paid for!!

I've NEVER seen vintage rhinestones at prices as low as she offers them, so be sure to visit her shop ASAP!!

Leslie, the shop owner, is super helpful and always willing to put together special orders!!

Plus, she's offering some AWESOME coupons right now!! Here are the codes...

30% off ALL orders!! Use code WELCOME

50% off orders over $150!! Use code TAKE50

Here are a few of the items in her shop right now...

10x5mm Vintage German Ruby Iridescent Siam Navettes, AB Finish Glass, Aged Brass Sew-on Settings, 30 pcs. ($22.70)

1 Pound of Jewelry Supplies!! Settings, Stampings, Ear Wires & Hooks, Chain, Earring Connectors, Rhinestone Settings. ($37.85)

15x7mm De-Foilded Navette Rhinestone Assortment, 55 pcs. ($24.95)

Just so you know, I wasn't paid or given freebies for writing this post!! This is just me sharing a great resource with you!! I sincerely hope you'll at least visit Leslie's Etsy shop!!

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

Tutorial: Memory Keychains

2012-06-12T16:52:00.000-04:00

This project is so much fun to make and very rewarding when you're done!! I know you're all going to love this tutorial!!

SUPPLIES

Wood shapes ("Woodsies")

Crop-a-dile (or other strong hole punch)

Acrylic craft paint

Decorations (photos, scrapbook paper, ephemera, lace, etc.)

Keyring

Chain

Charms or beads (optional)

Metal jump ring

Pliers

Step 1: MAKE WOOD BASE

The wood shapes I purchased were inexpensive and relatively thin so I chose to use 2 for each base. If your wood shapes are made of a heavier wood, you could get away with just using one.

Pair up 2 wood pieces that are the same shape and size.

Punch a hole at the top center of one. Line up your two pieces and mark where to punch the hole on the 2nd piece and then punch that hole.

Add a layer of glue (preferably wood glue) to the back of the two pieces and press them together.

Clamp the 2 pieces together using clothes pins or other method and let dry.

Once the glue has dried sand off the excess glue and any rough edges.

Step 2: DECORATE

There are so many possibilities for decorating these keychains!! I'll list some of my ideas after the tutorial.

Paint the edges of your wood base using acrylic craft glue; you may need 2 or more coats.

Using a decoupage medium glue and seal your decorations onto the wood base, making sure to seal the painted edges too.

Step 3: ADD KEYRING & A CHARM

This is where we turn the little decorated wood shape into a keychain!!

Using pliers, add about 1" of chain to the keyring.

If you want to use a bead, rather than a charm, you'll need to add a headpin and a pair of round-nose jewelry pliers.

Once you have your bead/charm and keyring ready, add them to the wood base with a metal jump ring as shown above.

FINISHED!!

As I mentioned in the tutorial, there are so many possibilities when decorating your wood base!! Here are just a few of the ideas I was able to come up with:

Vintage ephemera (shown in tutorial)

Photo(s) of a loved one

Mini scrapbook page

Map or image of a favorite place

Mini collage of something you enjoy

Your name

This list could go on and on!! I'd love to hear your ideas so feel free to add them by commenting!!

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

March Madness Giveaway Winners

2012-06-09T23:45:00.002-04:00

Thank you again to each and every one of you that entered the giveaway back in March!! I'm so sorry that I was unable to announce the winners on time!! Better late than never, right?!

Without further delay, here are the 10 winners from the March Madness Giveaway (in no particular order)...

Glenda F.

Laurie E.

Michaela R.

Sarah H.

Stephanie S

Monique J.

Sarah T.

Rita A.

Joana A.

Brenda T.

Congrats to all of you!! I will e-mail the 10 winners shortly so I can find out where to mail the packages. If you won a prize, be sure to check the e-mail address you used to enter and reply when you see my message.

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

It's about time I explain...

2012-06-08T19:56:00.000-04:00

This post is way overdue, but I feel I owe my awesome readers an explanation.

As you may know, I had surgery back in February and ended up having some complications afterwards. I had to have a second surgery in April, which was followed by even more complications.

The good news is that I'm finally back to so-called "normal"!! Yay!!

Although I'm back to my craft-addicted self, this whole situation has made me realize a very important fact. I've come to the conclusion that I am unable to commit to a "full-time" blog because my health is so unpredictable.

Don't worry!! This blog will continue, but with a few (good) changes. (1) No more daily posting commitments. (2) I'll only host extended linky parties that will last at least 10 days or more. (3) No more mentioning upcoming events or posts, unless they're 100% definite.

Thanks to those of you who haven't given up on me and to those just discovering this blog!! I hope everyone sticks around to see what else 2012 has in store for Lisa's Craft Blog!!

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

PS: The winners from the March Madness Giveaway will finally be announced soon!! I'm super sorry for the ridiculous delay in doing so!!

March Madness Giveaway

2012-03-15T13:54:00.002-04:00

It's time for the
March Madness Giveaway!!

This month I'm giving away TEN (10) prize packages!!

Each one is worth about $10, maybe more, so that's over $100 in prizes!!

Speaking of the prizes, I'm sure you want to know what's in them, right? Here's a picture and the contents list for each package...

Contents:

#1 - 1942 Illustrated Encyclopedia Pages x6

#2 - 1939 Illustrated Dictionary Pages x5

#3 -1877 Dictionary Pages x3

#4 - Assorted Antique Playing Cards x5

#5 - 1880 Lutheran Hymnal Pages x15

#6 - 4.5"x6" Sections of Antique Sheet Music x5

#7 - New Coin Envelopes x5

#8 - 2"x3" Baggie of New Plastic Gems

#9 - 1ft. Lengths of Vintage Lace x3

Just a couple notes about some of the items the packages...

A) The dictionary & encyclopedia pages are not consecutive! I made sure to give you a different letter on each page!! Also, I hand selected the encyclopedia pages so that they would all contain neat illustrations, not just text or photos.

B) The hymnal pages are really neat and different from today's hymnals!! Rather than having the text inline with the music, it has them separated. I think this is really nice because when I use sheet music, I typically don't care for the text.

C) If you're into SMASH or junk journals, you'll love the coin envelopes!! They're perfect for adding to those books!!

I really love these prize packages and can think of sooo many things to do with the contents!!

Now that you know what you can win, let's get to the giveaway details...

DATES & TIMES

Contest will run until March 30th

Winner(s) will be announced on March 31st

ELIGIBILITY
You must be at least 18 years old and a resident of US, Canada, or Europe to enter this giveaway.

HOW TO ENTER

You’ll need to use the Rafflecopter widget to enter. It’s super easy to use and helps me confirm your entries.

Required Entry:
Be or become a follower of Lisa’s Craft Blog (1 entry)

Extra entry options:

- “Like” the Lisa’s Craft Blog Facebook Page (1 entry)

- Put my button or text link on your blog (2 entries)

- Tell your Facebook or Twitter friends about the giveaway and provide a link to the giveaway (1 entry)

WINNER SELECTION

There will be 10 random winners selected using the Rafflecopter widget

If you have any questions, please click the little envelope at the top of the right column and send me an e-mail.

GOOD LUCK
to everyone!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WOYWW #8 and A Tutorial

2012-03-14T12:36:00.000-04:00

This is going to be an especially looooonngg post, but I promise it will satisfy your curiosity as well as your creative hunger!!

Welcome to my 8th edition of WOYWW!! If you're not familiar with WOYWW, click the button above.

This week I've been busy deconstructing antique books. At the bottom of this post there is a tutorial on how to take apart books and remove the individual pages with as little damage as possible.

Before I get to the pages, let me tell you why I'm taking apart so many books...

Basically, I'm a craft supply shopaholic and found some great deals online. Soon I'll be selling excess ephemera in my new Etsy and Artfire shops.

Now lets get to WOYWW...

Here are just a few of the deconstructed books. The piles in the bottom row are all part of an 1880 hymnal that I was in the process of taking apart. The small stack in the back is another 1880 hymnal that I'd already finished (I have 10 total).

The ginormous stack on the blue case, is made up of pages from 3 antique books dating from 1877 to 1942.

Here's a close-up of the 1877 dictionary pages...

When I start listing some of this ephemera on Etsy and Artfire, my plan is to offer a wide variety of themed packs such as the ones below.

For those of you that have been wondering where I disappeared to, now you know what I've been up to! Don't worry, the Crafty St. Patty's Party will resume shortly and the March Madness Giveaway will begin tomorrow!! Included in each of the 10 prizes will be some of this 100-year-old ephemera!! Pretty cool, huh?

TUTORIAL: DECONSTRUCT AN ANTIQUE BOOK

Note: This is a very messy project so be prepared to clean up when you're finished!!

SUPPLIES

Antique Book

Craft knife & mat (optional)

The book I'm taking apart is a Lutheran hymnal from 1880.

Step 1: REMOVE COVER

Using whatever means necessary, remove the covers and as much of the spine as possible.

You may want to use a craft knife to separate the covers from the first and last pages. With really old books, the covers will almost fall right off!

This was just something neat I found inside the spine of one of the 1880 hymnals. It looks as though the covers and spine were actually made from old newspapers!! And to think that we consider recycling and reusing a new thing!!

Step 2: BREAK INTO SECTIONS

Take a close look at your book and you'll see that the pages are actually "signatures" sewn and glued together. If you're familiar with book binding you'll already be familiar with signatures.

In order to remove more of the spine and glue and also to help make the next step a little easier, separate your book into smaller sections.

Note: When you create your sections, make sure you do it between the signatures and not in the middle of one.

Step 3: SEPARATE SIGNATURES

Gently pull apart the signatures from the binding.

This part is really messy.

Step 4: TEAR (CUT) PAGES

You'll notice that most of the signatures will still have some glue on them so you'll need to try and remove as much as you can. It usually scrapes off, but if you're having a tough time, try opening the signature and removing the glue while it's open.

Open the signature to center. Depending on your own personal preference either gently tear or cut the signatures down the center. If you choose to cut the signatures, I highly recommend a craft knife and cutting mat.

FINISHED

Ta da!! Now you have hundreds of great antique ephemera pages!!

Unfortunately you're also left with a huge mess to clean up!! This little photo doesn't even begin to cover the mess from this project!!

If you're nit-picky like me, you'll want to separate the pages by topic!! hehehe

Be sure to stop by tomorrow so you can enter my March Madness Giveaway for your chance to win one of 10 crafty supply packs valued at $10 or more each!!

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

WOYWW #7

2012-03-07T11:35:00.000-05:00

Yay!! It's time for WOYWW!! This is so much fun!!

In case you don't know, WOYWW stands for What's On Your Work-desk Wednesday. You can read more about it by clicking the button below!!

This week, I'm not showing my work area (I know, shame on me), but instead I got some new goodies in the mail to show you.

I purchased these gorgeous printer's trays from this seller on eBay. They were only about $17 each after S&H!!

Of course my cat, Willy, had to inspect them too!! He approves!!

If anyone knows a good way to clean these printer's trays, please let me know!! I don't want to damage them while trying to clean them so your advice would definitely be appreciated!!

Last week I'd ordered some supplies from Joann's for my upcoming SMASH series. I got a great deal because everything was 40% off, plus I had a coupon for free S&H!! Woot!! Here are the goodies I received...

Hopefully next week I'll have pictures of my current crafty projects to show you, but in all honesty, this IS what I'm working on right now!! hehehe

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

Printables: Shamrock Word Art

2012-03-06T05:10:00.000-05:00

This is a special day here at Lisa's Craft Blog!! Today I'm sharing my very first free printables!! I'm super new to creating printables like this, so if you have any suggestions on how I can improve my work, please contact me!!

Today's 3 printables were created using Tagxedo, which is a really cool program that allows you to make fantastic tag and word clouds!! You should definitely check them out if this is your sorta thing!!

The first 2 are .pdf files that are ready to be printed, trimmed, and framed. The 3rd is a .jpg image file that can be incorporated into your own personal projects!!

To download the files just click on the name above the image.

Shamrock Word Art Printable 1

Shamrock Word Art Printable 2

Shamrock Word Art Image

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

A Crafty St. Patty {Linky} Party

2012-03-05T13:40:00.001-05:00

Yay!! A new holiday blog event is just beginning!! To kick off the Crafty St. Patty Party, here's an extended St. Patrick's Day linky party!! I can't wait to see all of the great, inspiring posts you link up!!

Event & Giveaway Details

2012-03-02T12:45:00.001-05:00

Starting Monday, I'll be hosting "A Crafty St. Patty Party" and I can't wait!! There will be an extended linky party where you can link up all of your St. Patrick's Day posts, projects & recipes!! Start working your posts now so you'll be able to link up come next week!!

I also have some super fun St. Patrick's Day tutorials to share with you, such as decorations, jewelry, and even a piece of framed artwork!! Here's a sneak peek at one of the projects in progress...

March Madness Giveaway Announcement

As I mentioned yesterday, there are two BIG giveaways coming up!! The first will be the "March Madness Giveaway". I'm super excited about this giveaway because there will be TEN winners!! Each prize package will contain similar crafty items and will each be valued at $10.00 or more!!

As soon as I put together the prize packages I'll take some pictures and share them with you. For now though here are all of the giveaway details including a list of potential prize package contents...

DATES & TIMES
Contest will open for entries at 12:00AM (midnight) on March 11th
Contest will run until 12:00PM (noon) on March 30th
Winner(s) will be announced on March 31st

ENTERING & WINNING
You’ll need to use the Rafflecopter widget to enter. It’s super easy to use and helps me confirm your entries.
Primary entry instructions: Be or become a follower of Lisa’s Craft Blog (1 entry)
Extra entry options:
- “Like” the Lisa’s Craft Blog Facebook Page (1 entry)
- Put my button or text link on your blog (2 entries)
- Tell your FB friends about the giveaway and provide a link to the giveaway (1 entry)
There will be 10 random winners selected using the Rafflecopter widget.

PRIZE DETAILS
Each prize package will be valued at $10.00 or more.
Potential prize package contents:
- Specialty papers (cardstock, chipboard, vellum, etc.)
- Vintage ephemera (book pages, sheet music, maps, etc.)
- ATC & inchie blanks
- Assorted embellishments (plastic gems, buttons, etc.)
- Metal charms
- Lace, ribbon & trim
…and more!!

New Blog Look!!

I've finally managed to redo the appearance of this blog...again!! I'm relatively happy with the result, but may make a few minor changes in the future. I wanted something super simple and that matched the blog's new "tagline"... "A no-nonsense site for crafty tutorials & information".

I've also created some nifty business cards for the blog that fit the same theme. They're very plain, but I'm planning on hand decorating them before giving them out. I'll show them to you once I finish them!!

Tell me what you think about the changes!! I'd love to get your input!!

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

Linky List Features & Upcoming Events

2012-03-01T10:49:00.001-05:00

Now that I'm almost fully recovered from my surgery, I have some BIG bloggy plans for March & April, including 2 great giveaways!! Check out the Upcoming Events after you get inspired by the features from last week's linky party!!

Let's get to those features...

Last week's "Top Looked at Linky" was...

Paper Shamrocks
by Chicken Scratch

"Lisa's 3 Loved Linkies" from last week were...

Old Window, New View
by Ribbons, Lace, and Inspiration

Chalk Paint Makeovers
by Sherry's Bees Nest

An Elegant Frame
by Silo Hill Farm

If you were featured today, be sure to snag the NEW "Featured" button on my Buttons page!!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Oh my goodness!! I couldn't be more excited about the next few months!! I know spring is coming and all, but I'm more excited about my bloggy events!! Here's what you can look forward to...

March 5-17
A Crafty St. Patty Party
2 full week's full of St. Patrick's Day crafts as well as a special extended linky party too!!

March 11-31
A Surprise Giveaway!!
More info coming soon!!

March 26-April 7
A Spring/Easter Event
A 2 week event celebrating the arrival of Spring as well as Easter!! There will be an extended linky party and tons of spring/Easter tutorials!!

April 1-30
Another Great Giveaway!!
Crystal's Lace and More has generously sponsored a BIG giveaway!! More info coming soon!!

Dates TBA
SMASH Journal Series
A special 1-2 week series based on the widely popular SMASH line of journals and accessories. I'll show you SMASH products, tutorials on how you can make your own SMASH-type journal and accessories, as well as free printables for you to use in your SMASH journal!!

Wow!! So many fun and exciting events to look forward to!! To be honest, I can't wait for the SMASH Journal Series!! I have so many ideas and plans and I can't wait to share them with you!!

Which event are you most looking forward to?

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

WOYWW #6

2012-02-22T02:00:00.000-05:00

I know it's now Thursday, but hey, better late than never, right?!?

I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since my last WOYWW post!! I'm so happy to be doing well enough this week to be able to share my current projects with you!!

This week I'm working on some wall art for my friend's nursery. She's decorating her daughter's room with a bird theme and I've offered to help with a lot of the decor.

I'm working on a few altered art pieces including birdhouses for the mobile, a couple shadow boxes, an altered puzzle, and a few others. Here are six of "projects" laid out for you to see...

I know it's kind of hard to make everything out, but I'll try to explain what they are for you. Starting in the upper left corner are the birdhouses for the moible, next to them is a "Shadow Box #1" and "Shadow Box #2". The 3 frames in the bottom row are for a piece of name art, the framed altered puzzle, and a framed lullaby project.

Here's a close up of the project I'm most excited about right now...

It's a basic, single-cubby shadow box, but soon it'll be the home of a little bird and it's nest...and more of course!!

Thanks for checking out my current projects!! I'll be back next week (on time) and will probably have made some progress on these projects by then!!

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

Linky List #6 w/Features

2012-02-20T16:04:00.000-05:00

This past week proved to me that you all haven't given up on my despite my bloggy absence!! Thank you sooo much to each person that linked up last week!!

Before I get to the features and this week's party, I just want to give you all a quick personal update on my recovery from surgery...

As I said in my last update, I had a couple complications, but now I'm doing better and better each and every day!! I can't wait to be back to my craftin' and bloggin' self again, because just laying around all day is not for me!!

There are a few other fun posts coming this week besides today's linky party!! Here's what you can look forward to:

Wednesday

WOYWW #6: A fun peek into my crafty work space!!

Friday

Fun Fact Friday: More details about March's big giveaway!!

Saturday/Sunday

Weekend Workshop: A super fun pair of tutorials that you're going to love!!

Now, let's get to those features...

Last week's "Top Looked at Linky" was...

Craft Room Table Makeover
from Jillify It

What a super simple table makeover tutorial!! I love it!! Along with the rest of Jill's craft room!! hehehe

"Lisa's Loved Linkies" from last week were...

DIY Magnet Organization Board
from AKM Designs & Delights

Such a cool idea and a great tutorial too!! I would love to have one for my kitchen...and my craft room too!!

Double Strand Braided Ribbon Headband
from Love Bug Living

Another easy, but gorgeous project!! I plan on making a few of these for a good friend of mine!!

Burlap Wreath
from Made in a Day

Ahh, my beloved burlap!! This is so gorgeous that it just may be the first wreath I ever make!!

Lisa's Linky List #6

This linky party will be open until Saturday, February 25th at 11:59PM Eastern time. Then on Monday, February 27th, I'll feature the "Top Looked at Linky" and "Lisa's 3 Loved Linkies" from this week's party!!

You don't have to, but I'd really appreciate a link back or for you to add my linky party button to your post or sidebar to help me spread the word.

I want to keep this pretty simple so I only have 2 rules...

1. Please, only link up posts such as crafts, diy projects, recipes, cleaning/organizing ideas, decorating, etc.

2. Do not link up shops, giveaways or any post trying to sell something.

A few other quick things I want to mention about this linky party...

* Remember to link directly to your specific post, not your blog’s main page.
* By linking up, you give me permission to use content from your post for the purpose of featuring you, which would include linking back to your blog and post.
* Please visit other links and comment!!

Big Announcements

2012-02-16T09:17:00.001-05:00

UPCOMING EVENTS

Between March 5th and March 17th, we'll celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a big ol' party!! I already have some great tutorials in the works that I think you're going to love!! There's also going to be an 11-day linky party where you can link up all of your St. Patty's Day projects & recipes!!

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS

For each of the events listed below there will be special tutorials, an extended linky party and more!!

Easter & Spring

This big bloggy event will celebrate all things Easter & Spring!!

Mother's Day

This will be a time to show your appreciation to the mothers and mother figures in your life!!

Father's Day

This will not just focus on fathers, but all of those special men (and boys)!!

UPCOMING GIVEAWAY

I'm so excited about our next big giveaway and I think you will be too!!

Do you remember me mentioning my lace supplier, Crystal's Lace and More? I'm so very happy to announce that Miss Crystal is sponsoring a new giveaway next month!!

We're going to be giving away over 3/4lb of assorted gorgeous lace and 20 assorted colors & lengths of zippers!! Here's a sneak peek at the lace...

I must say that when I saw the prize package for this giveaway, I was in awe!! Despite my giant collection of lace, I was even jealous of the lace being given away!! Then there are the zippers too!! Some of them are super long; I'll have pictures of those coming soon!!

I'll be sharing all of the details for this giveaway with you very soon!!

PERSONAL UPDATE

I know many of you have been following my progress after my surgery so I wanted to give you an update.

Although I was doing really well shortly after my surgery, I've had some complications since then.

First I noticed a lot of pain that wasn't going away. Some of the pain was more of a burning sensation than the typical ache you get after a surgery like this. When my hubby removed the dressing for the first time to clean it, we found that I had 2nd degree burns from the adhesive used to cover the wound. That was the first ER trip.

The next day I noticed some additional pain and swelling and was concerned so we went back to the ER for them to check it out. They really couldn't do much other than prescribe a 2nd narcotic pain medication. The day after that, I went to see a PA in my surgeon's office who prescribed a steroid for 8 days to help with the inflammation that's causing the pain. It has made a big difference already!! I'm very happy to say I'm on the mend...for real this time!! hehehe

I can't wait to get back to blogging "full time", but still need to take it kind of slow right now. Thank you to everyone that has kept me in their thoughts and prayers and to those that have messaged me as well. You are all such incredible people and dearly care for each and every one of you!!

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

Lisa's Linky List #5

2012-02-13T03:00:00.000-05:00

This linky party will be open until Saturday, February 18th at 11:59PM Eastern time. Then on Monday, February 20th, I'll feature the "Top Looked at Linky" and "Lisa's 3 Loved Linkies" from this week's party!!

You don't have to, but I'd really appreciate a link back or for you to add my linky party button to your post or sidebar to help me spread the word.

I want to keep this pretty simple so I only have 2 rules...

1. Please, only link up posts such as crafts, diy projects, recipes, cleaning/organizing ideas, decorating, etc.

2. Do not link up shops, giveaways or any post trying to sell something.

A few other quick things I want to mention about this linky party...

Love-Filled Linky List Features

2012-02-13T02:30:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone that linked up to the Love-Filled Linky List!! You linked up some awesome projects, tutorials, and recipes!! Oh how I wish there was a little more time until Valentine's Day so I could make them all!!

If you'd like to check out all of the 41 Valentine links, just click here, but for now, here are the features from the party...

The Top Looked at Linky from the party was...

Origami Heart Tutorial
from Moments with the Montanos

Lisa's Loved Linkies are...

Key to My Heart Frame
from Silo Hill Farm

Valentine's Banner
from Chicken Scratch

Owl Valentine Treats
from Rook No. 17

Cupid in the Box
from I Gotta Create!

If you've been featured here today, feel free to grab a Featured button from my Buttons page!!

Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

Lisa's Craft Blog

Tutorial: Christmas Framed Fabric Art

Guest Post: Eliza K Prints

Eliza K Prints

Craft Tutorials * Gardening Projects * Sustainability

*****

*Tutorials You'll Find On My Blog*

Tin Can Succulents

Cork Coasters

Orange Peel Candle

*Upcoming Events*

Craft Haul: Tulip Shimmer Haul Video

Tutorial: Marbled Paper

WOYWW #9

A Tour of Our New House

Tutorial: 1-2-3 Cardmaking

Shopping Show & Tell #3

Tutoral: Altered Trinket Box with Faux Wood Grain

Shopping Show & Tell #2

Tutorial: Memory Keychains

March Madness Giveaway Winners

It's about time I explain...

March Madness Giveaway

WOYWW #8 and A Tutorial

WOYWW #7

Printables: Shamrock Word Art

A Crafty St. Patty {Linky} Party

Event & Giveaway Details

Linky List Features & Upcoming Events

WOYWW #6

Linky List #6 w/Features

Big Announcements

Lisa's Linky List #5

Love-Filled Linky List Features

Tutorials You'll Find On My Blog

Upcoming Events