zakka life

How to Fold Origami Diamonds

2012-05-27T17:35:00.001-07:00

This craft came about from a Twitter conversation I had with Marisa (Omiyage). She mentioned she was on the hunt for some neon origami paper. That instantly sparked my interest and had me pondering all the cool things one could make with neon origami paper. Marisa offered to send me a sample of the origami paper so I took her up on the offer. The original plan was to make a shoe but somehow that got derailed and I ended up creating origami diamonds instead. You know how that goes, one craft project leads into another project which transforms into yet another project.

Supplies:
Origami six inch square paper - If you're interested in neon origami paper, you can find it at Marisa's online shop Omiyage.

For this origami fold, we're basically making the traditional water bomb with a few alterations. If you already know how to fold a water bomb, you may want to skip down to the last steps.

1. Start with paper wrong side up. I took the photo of the paper right side up by accident. Just pretend that top square is white.

2. Fold paper in half. Your paper should now look like the bottom picture. Fold the paper on dotted lines and unfold.

3. Bring the bottom left corner of the rectangle over to the right bottom corner.

4. Flatten it down so it looks like the bottom picture. Turn paper over and repeat on opposite side.

5. Your image should now look like the top photo. Fold bottom left and right flaps up and fold on dotted lines.

6. Your paper should now look like the bottom photo. Turn paper over and repeat on opposite side.

7. Your paper should now look like the top photo. Fold left and right flaps to meet in the center on dotted lines.

8. Your paper should now look like the bottom photo. Turn over and repeat step 7 on opposite side.

9. Pull down top left and right flaps and tuck them into opening where arrows are pointing to.

10. Your paper should now look like the image below. Turn paper over and repeat step 9 on opposite side.

At the bottom of your paper is a little hole that you will blow into just like a balloon. Your paper should puff up into the diamond shape. If you have trouble with it blowing up all the way, you can use a toothpick to push out all the corners.

Now I feel like singing Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend.

Printable: Paper Cone Dolls

2012-05-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: Mr. Printables Via: Sweet Tidings

Where were these cute paper dolls when baseball season started? These really could have come in handy to distract my youngest when we sat through my son's two hour game. I suppose there's always next year.

Want to make a doll set to entertain your child (or inner child)? Stop by Mr. Printables for the free download. While you're there, check out The Adventures of Peg Dolls. It will have you asking, "Why didn't I think of that?!".

I have a fun origami project planned for next week. Stop by Monday to see what I've been up to.

Washi Tape inspired T-Shirts

2012-05-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

Dear mt masking tape, how I adore you. Let me count the ways,

your pretty prints

your craft tape

your T-SHIRTS!

Uniqlo and mt masking tape have teamed up to create these washi tape inspired t-shirts. Uniqlo has a US site but there's no sign of the collection in the shop yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the collection will make its way to the states soon.

To see the rest of the collection, stop by Uniqlo.

Letting Go to Go To Camp

2012-05-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

I've got a confession to make, I'm somewhat of a helicopter mom. My husband says I'm in the 90th percentile but can these things really be measured? Lets just say I fall somewhere down the middle. The reason I'm telling you this is because summer camp is rapidly approaching and I will be sending my children off to camp for the first time ever! I've never really been away from them that long unless they've been with relatives. I help out at their school, stay to watch baseball practices, I even volunteer at VBS to keep an eye on them. So the idea of sending them to camp with strangers kind of freaks me out ~~a little~~. I even almost passed up the opportunity over my protective tendencies. Here's the story. . .

A while back Galileo Learning contacted me, asking if I would like to review their camp in exchange for a free week of camp for my children. I checked out the site and really liked what the camp had to offer but was not so sure if I was willing to send my children there free or not. I tried to stay open minded and decided to meet with the staff at a luncheon.

When I first arrived at the headquarters I was really surprised by the space. It was blooming with creativity from two headed lamas made out of newspaper to hanging decorations from the ceiling (picture Anthropologie meets camp headquarters). It was obvious this was a fun and creative place but I needed more.

Next, I met the staff who were all very friendly. As they talked about Galileo Learning it was obvious how passionate they were about the camp. And what really came through was their genuine desire to teach children to be innovators. This wasn't just another babysitting opperation.

But what really sold me, was their staff hiring process. All applicants go through a four round hiring process which means only about 10% of the applicants are hired. Also, all lead instructors are college graduates. And many of the staff are educators in the school year. This was the reassurance I needed.

And to top it off, I discovered I could find out online who the staff would be for my child's camp. That's right, they give full names plus credentials. So now I think I'm ready to let go and let them go to camp.

To learn more about Galileo Learning, please visit the official site. You might also want to check out my post about Galileo's innovation approach.

My First Rodeo

2012-05-20T20:29:00.001-07:00

Every year a rodeo is held close to our home town but I never seem to make it out to the event. My husband and children have attended but some how I always miss out on the action. So this year I decided it was time we went as a family. Below are a few pictures of our experience.

Saddle Bronco Riding Competition

Linguica Burger

Most of the food at the concession stands consisted of BBQ and beer. We also got a big bag of kettle corn. Man is that stuff addicting.

My daughter checking out the animals.

Lots of cowboy hats.

I'll be honest, I was kind of hoping there would be some homemade booths to check out at the rodeo. You know, maybe find a cute pair of boots or a belt but no luck.

Leather Chaps

Some of the women in the rodeo were wearing real fancy chaps with pink fringe and other decorative embellishments.

My son laughing at the rodeo clowns, probably one of his favorite parts about the rodeo.

So that's what we did over the weekend. How about you?

Craft Book Review: Reinvention

2012-05-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

When Wiley publishing asked if I would like to review a copy of Reinvention by Maya Donenfeld of course I said yes. I've been following Maya's blog (Maya Made) for years now and when she announced she was publishing a book, I couldn't wait to see it. I knew it would be just as inspiring and creative as her blog.

Reinvention by Maya Donenfeld is a sewing book filled with 28 projects made from salvaged materials. The chapters are broken down by materials, Linen, Burlap, Jersey, Wool, Denim, Mailers, and Vintage. Along with the projects, there are also two chapters dedicated to sewing basics and printing basics. This book has projects for everyone from sewer beginners to advanced.

One of the things that stood out to be in this book was that Maya shares the history of the materials and their environmental impact. For example, she shares about the product Tyvek which I knew nothing about until reading Maya's book. The Environmental Impact section really made me think about some of the products I buy and what I could do without.

Below are few of my favorite projects.

Toadstool Cottage made with felted wool.

Reversible Summer Sling with Maya's signature gingko leaf prints.

Little Forager Skirt made with jersey. I'm thinking this would be perfect for a day at the beach searching for sea glass.

Do you like to work with recycled materials? If so, what's your favorite material to work with? Please share.

Kid Craft: Mini Surfboards

2012-05-13T18:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun kid craft for the summer months ahead, mini surfboards. These surfboards can float on water making them perfect for the bath or pool. Plus, they are made out of items you probably already have at home. Here's the how-to.

Supplies:
Styrofoam meat or vegetable tray packaging - make sure to wash well if it was used for meat
Scrapbook Rub-on Transfers
Scissors
Pencil

Draw surfboard shapes on back of styrofoam. Drawing on the back will disguise any mistakes.

Cut surfboards out with standard scissors. I was able to get three surfboards from one tray.

Position transfers on your surfboard and rub on. If you don't have rub-ons transfers, try using crayons. I don't recommend using marker since it can bleed into the water.

We made our surfboards 5 inches long by one and a half inches wide. You can make them any size you want, there's no wrong or right way.

We tested out the surfboards in the water and they were able to hold two Lego minifigures on one board. The rub-ons stay on well too. I wasn't sure if they would be waterproof but so far so good.

Printable Mother's Day Cards

2012-05-11T06:54:00.002-07:00

Just in case you missed this printable last year, I'm sharing it today. Inessa from Diaper Style Memoirs and Maddie from Colour Me There created this cute card for Mother's Day (May 13th). There's also a mother and daughter version of the card. Stop by Diaper Style Memoirs for the free printable.

Here are a couple other cute printables from around the web:

Floral Mother's Day Card by Joy Charde of Creative Mamma

Watercolor Mother's Day Card by Jessica Jones of How About Orange

*If you haven't entered yet, check out the Hello Kitty T-Shirt Giveaway going on. Last day to enter is May 13th.

Hello Kitty T-Shirt Giveaway

2012-05-09T09:26:00.003-07:00

Welovefine recently asked if I would like to host a giveaway and I thought that was a great idea. One, I haven't posted a giveaway in awhile. And two, I like Hello Kitty and I'm pretty sure many of you like Hello Kitty as well. Win win.

Above are a few of my favorite Hello Kitty T-Shirts (all adult sizes) from the welovefine site. I especially like the Mexican inspired folk art Hello Kitty tees. You'll find a large selection of Hello Kitty t-shirts along with other brand names such as Marvel, Muppets, and Jem on welovefine.

How to Enter. . .

Click here to visit welovefine and tell me which $25 Hello Kitty Shirt you would choose if you won. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Sunday, May 13 2012. I'll announce the winner Monday, May 14th on this post. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. Open to US residents only. Good luck.

Contest Closed

Congratulations to Jennifer E who is the winner of the Hello Kitty T-shirt Giveaway!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway.

Mother's Day Embroidery Brooch

2012-05-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

If you've been following this blog, then these brooches might look familiar to you. They were inspired by this post I wrote a while back. Only this time I decided to skip a step making them easy to whip up for a last minute Mother's Day Gift. Instead of creating the embroidery myself, I salvaged pieces from worn out tea towels. So really, all you're doing is sewing a tiny pillow. Here's the how-to:

Supplies:
Tea towel already embroidered - look for these at the thrift store. Since you'll be cutting it up, it doesn't matter if it's stained. You should pay no more than a couple dollars for the piece.

Matching Embroidery Thread

Sewing Needle

Scissors

Pollyfill

Pin Back that you can sew on

1. Cut out embroidery piece. Place on another piece of solid fabric from your tea towel. Pin together and cut out in the shape you choose. Make sure to leave extra room for stitching. You can always trim back the edges after.

2. Using a back stitch, sew all around the image leaving about a one inch opening.

3. Lightly stuff with pollyfill and continue to stitch all the way around the embroidered piece. Knot and sew in loose threads. Trim edges if necessary. If you're concerned your fabric will fray, add the tiniest amount of glue to the edges.

4. Sew on your pin back. Test out the pin back to make sure it works well. Usually these kind of pins come in packs of 50 and I've found there are always a couple duds in the pack.

Experiment with different shapes. The heart in the back came from the corner of a hankie. There was no one image to outline so I cut it into a heart shape. I also used a running stitch for the heart.

Get creative with your pins. Use them to decorate bags, hats, sweaters, hair ties, or even presents.

Our Adventures in Free Comic Book Day

2012-05-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

This year was the first time our family attended Free Comic Book Day. It has been going on for eleven years now and is always held on the first Saturday of May. Comic stores, participating retail stores and even some libraries give out free comics on this day. I'm sharing this so you don't miss out next year. Mark your calendars now, seriously.

I heard about Free Comic Day online and decided it was worth checking out. Other than that, I really didn't know what to expect. When we got there, we were told we could each pick out three comics. We stood in line for maybe five to ten minutes before we got to the tables. They had the comics all grouped by ratings, G, PG, etcetera. As a parent, I really appreciated this. The kids picked out which comics they wanted, easy. After we got our comics, we also got to pick out some pins and stickers and we were done.

Below are photos of the comics that my children picked out. If you haven't been in a comic store for a while, I think you might be surprised with the selections.

This is a two story comic with The Smurfs on one side and Tinker Bell on the opposite.

Here are two of the comics my son picked out, Sonic The Hedgehog and Voltron. Anyone one remember the TV cartoon Voltron?

These two comics came with multiple comic stories in them. Owly and Friends also featured "Johhny Boo Does Something" and "Sprout Pigs Out". Mouse Guard is a hard cover book featuring four different comics. Remember the movie Labyrinth with David Bowie? There's a comic about Hoggle and the worm from Labyrinth in Mouse Guard.

Did any of you attend Free Comic Book Day? What did you get?

Carp Kite Drawing Song for Boy's Day

2012-05-04T07:02:00.000-07:00

Learn how to draw a carp kite with this cute Ekaki Uta (Drawing Song). It's another easy but fun way to celebrate the Japanese holiday Boy's Day (May 5th). Don't worry that it's not in English, you or your children will still be able to follow the directions. My children really like these videos. In fact, when I was composing this post, I found my son behind me hoping I was going to play the video. Along with the carp kite, there are lots of other drawing song videos to choose from. The ninja is our personal favorite. What's yours?

Origami Fish Envelopes

2012-05-01T20:58:00.001-07:00

While most bloggers are sharing craft projects for Teacher Appreciation Day, May Day, Mother's Day and maybe even Cinco De Mayo, I'm here to share the obscure and uncelebrated holiday, Boy's Day with you. It's kind of funny, every year I share crafts to celebrate the Japanese holiday and yet I know most, if not all of you don't celebrate it. Still, here I am another year with a Boy's Day craft. And I even have another craft lined up for Friday, ha!

All joking aside, these fish origami envelopes are perfect for Boy's Day. Fill them with candy or even better, money. You can find the how-to at Origami Club. At the site you'll find step by step directions and an animation for the origami fishes.

Not celebrating Boy's Day? Use this origami fish for a chopstick cover instead.

I made the fish with double-sided paper I found at Daiso. I thought I would share since it's hard to find two color sided origami paper. And at $1.50 for 60 sheets you can't go wrong.

Craft: Washi Tape Phone Cover

2012-04-29T21:16:00.001-07:00

I recently got a new phone. And with a new phone comes new accessories. Okay, accessories aren't mandatory but they sure are fun. At first I thought I was going to go with an owl case. But can you really be taken seriously when you answer an owl shaped phone? I don't know? Then I had my eye on an embroidery phone case. But I think we all know I have far too many WIP (works in progress) lying around. The last thing I needed was a half embroidered phone case mocking me. So, I decided to go with something fun, easy and my style, washi tape.

I started off with a basic white iPhone cover. Then I just covered it with tape. One of the great properties of washi tape is that it's low tack. So if you don't like how the tape looks, you can just pull it off and start again. It doesn't leave any glue residue either.

Brightening Up Our Lives

2012-04-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

Show of hands, who remembers the Light Bright? My grandmother had a Lite Brite and I would spend hours playing with it in the basement. I loved creating my own pictures and was mesmerized by how the pegs would light up. Well, I was recently reminded of this memory at a friends house over tea. While we were chatting, she got out a vintage Lite Brite for my kids to play with. Just looking at it put me in a nostalgic trance. . .

. . .so I secretly decided I would buy one. Now just so you know, normally I only buy my children toys when it is a holiday or birthday. However, technically this toy was for me and I don't have any rules about that.

My Little Pony Lite Brite Image

One eBay purchase later, I we had our very own vintage Lite Brite. It even came with My Little Pony Paper, bonus! You might be wondering why I went with a vintage Lite Brite since they have updated models now. The simple answer, it wasn't the same.

State of Create Global Benchmark Study

2012-04-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this new study released by Adobe(Nasdaq:ADBE)? They interviewed 5000 people about creativity from the following countries: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Japan. The findings show that even though 80% believe creativity is an integral part to economic growth, only 25% believe they are using their full creative ability. The study also touches on workplace creativity, education concerns, and creativity ranking within countries.

I found this study absolutely fascinating. I thought it was a little sad that only 52% of Americans believe they are creative. What do you think? Are you part of the 25% who believe they are living to their full creative potential?

For the full study, visit Adobe. Once you get to the landing page, you'll find a link to the State of Create Global Benchmark Study. You can view or download the PDF file.

Crafting with Washi Tape

2012-04-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

ModeS4u recently asked me if I would like to review some of their new washi tapes. Of course I said yes. For one, I love crafting with the tape. And two, I have worked with them in the past. Last time they sent me some fabric to review, and not any fabric, Japanese fabric, the good stuff. If you've never checked out www.modes4u.com before, you should give them a visit. Anything that you would call kawaii they have, from Re-Ment miniatures to DIY eraser making kits. Plus, they have lots of crafty things too.

Want to see what I made with the tape they sent me? Here's a little tutorial to start with.

When I first saw the flowers & pattern tape, the print reminded me of a Cath Kidtson bag so I decided to play off that idea and make a card. Here's what you'll need to make your own:

Flowers & pattern washi tape
Card-stock
Black pen
Small food & flower images cut from a magazine
Scissors

Place your magazine clippings where you want the center of your bag. Place one piece of tape on top of them. The top of the tape will be the top of our bag.

Layer pieces of tape on top of each other until you have the bag at the length you like. Next, cut the tape into thin strips for the bag strap. You'll notice I placed the tape underneath the bread to give it a more three dimensional look.

*Optional - outline the bag with black pen.

In the picture above, I used two different rolls of tape, deco seals and deco letters alphabet. The seal tape is actually wider than the traditional rolls so you get a larger image. The deco seals come with four images: key, heart clover, and treble clef.

For the letters you get the entire alphabet. Naturally I wanted to spell something with them but didn't want to waste any letters. To solve this problem, I rolled out one complete alphabet and stored the extra letters on parchment paper (pictured above).

Saving the best for last, here's a look at the deco plant tape. This also comes in a wider role with miniature vintage illustrations of botanicals, figs, leaves and fungi. The tape is the perfect width to decorate a matchbox (pictured above). I even lined the inside with it. I know this print has more potential. I'm still brainstorming ideas with this one. If you have any suggestions, please share.

How To Type in Cute

2012-04-22T20:58:00.001-07:00

Do these cute bear faces look familiar to you? Well if you guessed the bear Rilakkuma, you're right. I first discovered this font on Pugly Pixel (fabulous blog by the way). The actual download for the free font can be found at dafont.

If you've never downloaded a font on your computer before, check out the directions on the dafont site. The idea of installing a font may sound intimidating but I promise it's easy and painless.

Image of Rilakkuma via San-X net

Upcycle Craft: Miniature Toy Cloche Dome

2012-04-19T21:34:00.019-07:00

These miniature food cloches are so easy to make that I can barely call them a craft. But, there was a little glue involved so a craft it is.

You will need one toy capsule shaped like the one pictured above. This toy capsule is pretty standard so it should be easy to find. And if your house is anything like ours, you probably have a couple lying around. But if you don't, just stop by a place that has these toy machines. Chances are a few of these capsules will be lying around. At our ice cream parlor they have a little trash can by the machines and it's filled with these capsules. And yes, I just take them out of the trash; I have no shame.

Once you have your capsule, glue a bead to the top of it with a strong adhesive. I recommend E6000. You could also punch a hole through the top and add a brad for the handle.

Find yourself some toy food and place it on the lid. Cover it with your dome and you're done.

When I make something for my children, I'm not always sure if they will like it. For this project I can confidently say it gets their stamp of approval. I overheard my daughter say, "These are awesome!" followed by, "Dinner is Served" in a British accent.

Featured in Haute Handbags

2012-04-17T21:39:00.007-07:00

I'm excited to share that my yoyo coin purse tutorial is featured in the 2012 spring issue of Haute Handbags. It was even more exciting to see that the tutorial even made the front page. Yippee!!! I was in need of a little good news.

Here's a glimpse at what the tutorial looks like. I also wrote a little intro for it.

And since I'm talking about the magazine. Here are a couple of my favorite projects from the publication.

Grocery Tote by Donna Barnitz

Here's one of the projects in the magazine that stood out to me. It's a grocery tote made out of calendar tea towel. Love this idea!

The Knotty Bag by Marijke Mill

If you click on this image, you can get a better look at the knots incorporated in the front of the bag. I thought this was so pretty and creative.

Side note: Thank you for all your kind words and encouragement on my Spring Break post. I'm feeling much better. I'm not at 100%, but hopefully in another week or so I'll be there.

Craft: Cardboard Puppet Theater

2012-04-15T15:25:00.019-07:00

Have you ever had the intention of making something simple but somewhere along the line your project gets completely out of control? For example. . . . I don't know. . . you plan on making a puppet theater out of a large box. Just something simple. You plan on cutting a hole in it and decide the kids can decorate the rest.

Back side of theater

You start out simple, and begin to cut out a hole for the puppets. But then you realize if you only cut part of the cardboard, you can bend it back into a stage. And since you're making a stage, you might as well make some curtains. Which means you'll need something to hold the curtains up. You find a dowel and cut it to size. You plan on gluing it in, but then you think, what if the kids want to change the curtains? You then add some extra grommets to the side of the box so the dowel can be removed.

You then realize that the curtains don't stay to the side on their own. Well you can't have a puppet show with closing curtains! You decide to add a curtain tie back. The gold string reminds you of the gold fringe on theater curtains and you think that would be a very nice detail. You search every inch of your craft room for fringe only to remember you donated it to the Goodwill. You vow never to get rid of any craft supplies again.

While looking at your theater with its stage and curtains, you realize it could use a coat of paint. But then you think, why not add a little detail.

Next thing you know, you're googling "vintage theaters" for reference. You stumble upon a few you like and from those images sketch out some details. Then you begin to paint. But what colors to use? Oh, the choices. You settle on peach gold and turquoise. The box begins to look a little flat so you decide it needs texture. You get out some gold dresden stars and glue them to the box. Things are turning out nicely.

The kids begin to start asking questions, "Can I decorate it? When can we play with it?". You feel slightly guilty. You suggest they make puppets.

You begin to get more adventurous. The sides of the stage look like they're missing something so you draw two balconies. You want that architectural relief look but how to get it? You dig into your stamp collection and find just the right image. Perfect!

You think you're done but feel like something is missing. You have a light bulb moment. You're literally thinking light bulbs. Your stage needs a lighting system. First you think Christmas lights but you don't want anything that needs to be plugged in. You need something basic like a flashlight. You cut a hole on the top of your theater for the flash light.

Tada! You now have a spotlight that can move with its performers.

You sit back and enjoy your work. You then hand it over to your kids and silently say a short prayer. It's something along the lines of "please keep this theater in one piece, at least for today".

Free Facebook Timeline Covers

2012-04-13T10:41:00.004-07:00

I wasn't planning on posting until Monday but I had to share. I found this cute template for a Facebook timeline cover over at Penelope and Pip. The best part about the cover is that you can customize it with your own photos. Besides the bunny template above, there's also a polar bear and frame template. Stop by Penelope and Pip to get the free download. And while you're there, may I recommend the paint dipped chopstick tutorial? It's a fun and simple tutorial.

Spring Break

2012-04-11T11:55:00.005-07:00

Spring break has turned out to be rain break. That's one of the reasons I haven't been posting this week. I also started using a chemo cream (sounds worse than it is) on the area I had a basal cell removed. This is the second time I've used the cream but this time around the side effects have been worse. I have no energy and flu like symptoms. It should only last two weeks at the most *fingers crossed*.

I'm hoping next week I'll be back with a few craft projects. There's one project in particular that I'm excited to share with all of you. Hopefully I'll be sharing about it next Monday.

best,
Jessica

Free Printable Easter Card & Egg Holders

2012-04-05T19:29:00.004-07:00

Joy of Creative Mamma has another kawaii printable up for grabs and just in time for Easter. She created a cute Easter card and egg holder to download for free. Stop by her site to get the printables.

Wishing you all a happy Easter weekend!

Unique Easter Basket Gift Ideas

2012-04-04T09:37:00.011-07:00

This year I got a little more creative with the Easter basket gifts and strayed away from the traditional jelly beans and chocolate Easter bunny. I thought I would share a few of my ideas with you and maybe bring a little inspiration your way.

For the girl:

Hair Bows - Not the most creative item in the basket but I know they'll get put to use. If you have the time, I suggest making some hair accessories yourself. Here's a cute tutorial for some hair bobbles by The Silly Pearl.

Unique stickers - I found these bunny stickers (pictured above) at the Kinokuniya bookstore. I liked that they were bunnies but not Easter themed. If you don't have a Kinokuniya close by, try a Sanrio store. They always have the cutest girly stickers.

For the boy:

Nanoblocks - My son loves Legos so I thought I would try out these nanoblocks. They're similar to Legos except they're micro sized. The smallest piece is only 4mm x 4mm x 5mm. I purchased these at the Kinokuniya bookstore but you can also find them at Amazon.com.

All City Breakers - I found these toys a while back and have been waiting for a good excuse to buy them. My son likes music and dancing so I think he will be excited about the plastic break dancers. And if not, they can find a home on my desk. I purchased the breakers at Fab.com but I think the sale is over now. They're also available at Kidrobot.com and Amazon.com. They come in pink and orange too.

For both:

Micro Terrarium - I thought these would be fun to grow. Plus, what child doesn't like a Venus Fly Trap? I found this micro terrarium at the Michaels craft store.

Meiji Candy - These candies are a nice alternative to the traditional jelly bean. We've had the strawberry/milk chocolate version before but never this flavor. I picked these up at the Mitsuwa grocery store. When my children were smaller I didn't even buy them candy for Easter. Instead they would get sweet cereal such as Fruit Loops.

Now that I've shared what I'm adding to our baskets, I'm curious to hear what you like? Do you buy traditional Easter baskets? Do you do something different instead of Easter baskets? Special traditions? Please share.

Washi Tape Embellished Easter Eggs

2012-04-01T18:41:00.012-07:00

Here's a simple way to dress up Easter eggs. Just add a little washi tape to dyed eggs. You can cut the washi tape into any shape you want, circles, squares, hearts, etc. There's no right or wrong way to do it. Below are simple directions on how to dye eggs along with how to make washi dots.

How to Dye Eggs

1. Place one teaspoon of vinegar in a half cup of boiled water. Add about 10 drops of food coloring (any color) to water. Mix. Some food coloring boxes will say 20 drops but you really only need 10 unless you want your eggs extra bright.

2. Place egg in bowl and move around until you get your desired shade of color. Take out and let dry.

*I've found that the eggs usually turn a little darker & brighter in color after they're taken out of the water.

How to Make Washi Dots

To make washi dots, place a strip of washi tape on parchment paper. Punch out circles with a hole punch.

Apply dots to your egg and enjoy your work. Easy.

Printables: Easter Basket & Bookmarks

2012-03-29T12:29:00.010-07:00

Can you believe Easter is only a little over a week away? This year it falls early in the month of April on the 8th. If you're still looking for ideas, Jinjerup and Craftbits have teamed up to bring you this cute Easter Basket and Bookmark set. You can get the download for the bookmarks at Jinjerup and the Easter basket at Craftbits. Jinjerup also has cute printable bunny and lamb baskets available for purchase.

Photographing Craft Projects

2012-03-28T08:32:00.018-07:00

A couple weeks back Caca asked me how I photograph my projects so today I'm going to try to answer that question. First you should know, I am not a professional photographer nor do I claim to be. However, I have been taking photos of my projects for over five years now so I've learned a few tricks along the way. Here goes. . .

The Set Up

Almost all my projects are photographed by a window with natural light or outside, no flash.

*First I place a large white poster board on the table for a blank slate.

*Next I set up a bi-fold Foam board. This reflects the light and helps prevent shadows.

* I like to use scrapbook paper for my backgrounds since it's inexpensive and comes in so many styles . Some times I use fabric too. I try to stay away from prints that are too busy.

Lighting

* Once I have everything set up, I find the best light. Since I've been doing this for a while now, I already know what window and time of day works best for me. This is something you'll have to troubleshoot on your own.

*Last I will angle the entire setup for the best light. I'll simply turn the bottom poster board to find the optimal light. Often I'll take a few pictures, see how it looks, and adjust accordingly.

Photo Editing

If the colors or lighting don't come out the way I like, I'll edit the pictures with Photoshop. Above is an example of this, the top picture was not edited, the bottom one was.

*First I adjust the lighting with the manual levels option.

*Next I'll dodge and burn (lighten & darken) specific spots. For example if a shadow is too dark, I'll lighten it up with the dodge tool.

*Last, I'll crop the photo to the size I want.

There are a lot of great sites online that dive deeper into these topics. If you're just starting out, I recommend iheartfaces and Photojojo for detailed tutorials.

Hand in Hand, Crafting with Kids

2012-03-27T08:52:00.015-07:00

Hand in Hand by Jenny Doh

I've been waiting for over a year now for the book Hand in Hand to come out. Now that it's here, I can finally share about it with you. Jenny Doh of Crescendoh asked 19 bloggers including myself to contribute a unique kid craft for the book. Along with 20 craft projects, the book also profiles our creative lives with photos and our thoughts on creativity.

For Hand in Hand I created a paper bracelet craft. Can you guess the main supply I decorated it with? Hint: it's one of my favorite mediums to work with.

Here's just one of many crafts that caught my eye in the book, plush animal cushions. This project is by Jhoanna Monte of One Red Robin.

My daughter has already gone through the book and has plans on making a thaumatrope by Mummysam. I always find it interesting to see what craft projects appeal to my children. It's one more insight into their personalities.

Want to learn more about the book? Here's a complete list of all the contributing bloggers:
Jackie Boucher, Samantha Cotterill, Jenny Doh, Maya Donenfeld, Ali Edwards, Rachel Faucett, Pam Garrison, Abby Glassenberg, Cindy Hopper, Beki Lambert, Merrilee Liddiard, Jhoanna Monte, Ella Pedersen, Carly Schwerdt, Amanda Blake Soule, Nicole Spring, Jean Van't Hul, Dana Willard, and Kristin Zecchinelli.

Craft: Paper Easter Eggs

2012-03-25T15:40:00.013-07:00

You've probably seen paper decorations like this before only as Christmas ornaments or pumpkins. I decided to update the craft for Easter and make the paper balls egg shaped. It's a simple project that requires few materials. My favorite part about this craft is that you can make them any style you want. Add some rhinestones or decorate the eggs with markers. It's all up to you.

Supplies:
Scrapbook paper - I recommend a paper that has a print on both sides.
Paper Slicer or Scissors
2 Small Brads - any style you like
Hole Punch - size 1/16"

Cut out 11 strips of paper 4" x 1/4". Punch holes on the top and bottom of paper strips.

Place brads through all strips of paper at each end.

Fan out the strips to make a ball shape.

Bend paper into egg shape.

*Optional - add string to brads to hang them on small branches for a centerpiece.