Melrose Trading Post Thank yous!

Well, my show at the Melrose Trading Post yesterday was a success! Maybe I didn't make a ton of money but, I got my crafts out there! I got a lot of great feedback from various people stopped by to peruse my goods. I had a great time, in spite of the tremendous heat. I could not have done any of this with out the help of some great friends. I would like to Thank everyone who donated materials to me for my "Recycled Love" projects. (Jamie Bullock, Thomas Burling, Minta Mullins) I have been able to make some really great items with the things that you no longer had a use for. I want to thank my crafty girls (Katie Banuelos, Ann Villella, Heather Toms) for coming over for craft night to help me get everything done and for giving me some great ideas for the next show. I NEED to thank Heather and Eric Toms for there "FULL ON" dedication to making this the best show ever! I seriously could not have done the day alone. And of course, words can not express the gratitude I have for the love of my life, Ryan "Fury" Turi. Your support and love has been so appreciated through the last few months. I promise to clean the house! I could not have gotten through with out all of your help and support. I have some amazing friends. Thank you again!! More great crafts and ideas to come. See you at the CraftZone!

Crackle Crafts! Refinished wood using crackle paint.

If you thought making chalk boards was easy, then you're going to LOVE this article about creating functional art using crackle paint! Even though this is a 2 to 3 step process, it could NOT be easier. You can create fantastic original original pieces of furniture or home decor. I started off with a few square wood mirrors that I found at a yard sale. I think I paid .50 cents for each. The people who had them before me had actually white washed the mirrors, which I loved but, they didn't exactly go with MY home decor. I painted each of the mirrors with very vibrant colors. I used lime green, blue, red, orange, green and purple. Of course, you can use whatever colors suit you. Once the paint was dry I used "crackle Paint", which I found at home depot for $14.99. That may seem like a lot for your first project but, keep in mind that you will use this paint for several projects and will have it for a long time to come. You want to be sure that you have a nice even coat of crackle paint all over the area you want to have the crackle effect. The paint will look a little milky but, mostly clear. The can of crackle paint will come with user instructions of their own but, I found that letting the crackle paint dry for at least 24 hours gives the best results. After the crackle paint is dry you will apply your top coat. This will be the primary color of your project, as it will be the color you see the most of. I chose to use black. You want to use a flat based paint for the top coat. Satin and latex tend to peel off. If you want your project to have a glossy finish you can always use a clear coat of spray paint or polyurethane; or if it is an outside project you may want to use a water proof polyurethane after your top coat is dry. When you begin to paint on the top coat you will instantly start to see some crackling streaks. The crackle will continue to take effect as the top coat drys. Be sure not to paint over the same area twice. The crackle will have the best effect with just one top coat. So, once your done with the top coat an it is dry you may choose to give your project a shine or leave it as is. And that really is all there is to it! Enjoy your creation and be excited when all of your family and friends ask you where you got such an amazing piece of art! As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions. You can visit my website and check out more great craft ideas or make special Epurchases at www.mycraftzone.com

Chalk Boards Made Easy

I LOVE CHALK BOARDS! Chalk boards are so much fun because they are so functional. You can use them as a giant post it to remember events or to go shopping. You can leave messages to members of the family or use them as an ever changing work of art! I have even painted the front of a picture frame to write on with chalk. But, lets face it chalk boards are expensive. They can cost anywhere from $10 for an ity-bity one to $100 for a large wall hanging one. If your like me, you just can't afford something like that. Well, I'm going to let you in on a secret. You can have as many chalk boards, as big as you want, for about $10. The Secret is chalk board paint from Home Depot. It's so easy. Just find a surface that you would like to make into a chalk board and paint it with a paint roller. I find using a roller, as apposed to a brush, is best brushes tend to leave a bumpy surface. I have made chalk boards out of old picture frames, planks of wood, and I have even just painted straight onto the wall. In this case I found some really cheap wood trim and made a frame for the board. Everyone asks me who custom made my chalk board to fit my wall. I laugh and say "Oh, it was imported from Italy and was VERY expensive"! I think the trim cost me $2 and I still had Chalk board paint from the other projects I had done. You really can use chalk board paint just about anywhere. Use it on table tops for the kids. You'll save on paper and markers. Paint it on your wall. You'll be the best parent because you can encourage your kids to write on the walls! Be as creative as you want. This project is SO easy! There are tips and instructions on the can of paint, don't forget to read those. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like to share ideas. I would love to hear from you if you create your own board. Happy Crafting!
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Father's Day Gift Ideas

Father's Day is quickly coming upon us. If your like me, all your gifts this year will likely need to be on a very tight budget. BUT, that doesn't mean that you can't give the dads in your life some really great gifts. This year I'll be making my dad's day cards for my two dads. Just like I did for mom(see my blog Mother's Day Cards). I know what your thinking and yes, handmade cards at any age over 10yrs old COULD be cheesy. But, I make my cards as elegant and sophisticated as any store bought card AND I get to personalize them in a very special way. So, handmade cards and gifts of all kind, really, are not just for the kids! They are for all who are young at heart. A lot of these gifts are great for husbands too! Handmade Gifts from the kids and can be a really fun activity for moms to do with the kids.
So, in addition to the cards, I also made Personalized T-shirts. Again, this typically is something that a youngster would give a parent but, HEY! I'm 30 and on a very tight budget!!! Here's what I did. I got a plain white t-shirt from Micheal's Art Supply, it cost $2.99. I also purchased iron on transfers from Office Depot $26.99(any office supply store will carry them). The pack comes with 18 transfers so, you can use them for other projects as well. The directions on how to print and then iron on are in the package of transfers so, application is really easy. The design can be the tricky part. I have a program on my computer called Print Master Gold. That program has a lot of really cool graphics and easy design functions. But, Microsoft Word works just as great. You can use word art and clip art. I would also suggest adding personal pictures to give it that very special "For MY Dad" touch! I chose to put pictures of me and my brothers. Once your design is complete, follow the printing instructions that came with the transfers. Print, cut, iron and your done! So, easy and it looks fantastic and only cost about $5.00. There are tons of things you can print pictures and word art on. Magnets are fun too! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need other ideas. Visit my ebay store and website for more great crafting and party planning ideas. See you in the Craft Zone!

Recycled Coffee Table and Ottoman

Here's a great way to spruce up that old coffee table. I have a pretty nice coffee table but, it has a 2 glass pieces on the top, which in my family was bound to get broke. Being that we spend a lot of time in the living room watching great movies, we wanted an ottoman to kick back and relax with but, didn't want to loose the functionality of the coffee table. So, I made it both! It was actually very simple. Our table has a 2 1/2" ledge around the top of it so, the glass actually sits inside. I measure the inside of the ledge where I wanted the cushion to be. I went to Home Depot and got the thinnest piece of particle board, or MDF wood, and asked them to cut it to my measurements. Then I went to Joann Fabrics and got some 4" foam and had it cut to the same size. You may choose whatever thickness of foam you want. Next I picked out some durable material. You want to use something fairly thick, such as drapery, since you will have people putting there feet on it and would like it to stand up to several washes. You may also have some old drapes or material that you would like to recycle for your ottoman. You want to make sure that the fabric is several inches wider and longer than your wood and foam because you will sew the edges and then adhere it to the bottom of the wood. You want to be sure that it will completely cover the foam and wood. Once you have all your pieces you can get started. Since my coffee table had glass pieces I removed them and put them is a safe place before I got started. First you want to make sure that the wood and foam fit the space that you want to cover. Then finish off any frayed material with a half inch hem. I chose to use a staple gun to cover the foam on my ottoman but, you can be as creative as you want. You may want to use Velcro or sew in an elastic band for easy removal when it needs to be washed. Using the staple gun allowed me to pull the material tight around the foam and wood. Once I was done with the stapling, I put the covered board and foam on top of my coffee table and I know have and ottoman. I found some wood trays to place on top of the ottoman so that I can still put drinks down. This is such a simple way to make an old piece new and more functional. So sit back, relax and put your feet up on your new ottoman/coffee table.

If you have any questions about any of the information I shared with you today, please don't hesitate to contact me. I'd be happy to help in any way I can. Happy Crafting!

Homemade Mother's Day Cards

If you haven't gotten your mom a card for Mother's day as of yet, don't panic! I have just the idea for you. Not only will this save you money but, it will give your mom that perfect personalized gift she has been waiting for since you we're 5! It's not cheesy and childish. There is no Elmer's glue, hot glue, or glue sticks involved. All you need is some card stock and your computer! This is what I did for all the moms in my life this year. I created a personalized postcard style Mother's Day card with old pictures and funny captions, some were elegant black and whites which I captioned with fancy fonts, and I printed them all onto some recycled card stock I had left over from another project. I love reusing old materials. It saves a lot of money and time, going out to look for new things.
I started the card by pulling up a blank Microsoft word document.
First you want to change the paper size to whatever size you want your card to be. (I made mine 5X8") You want to be sure to leave at least a .25 margin on all 4 sides.

Next I inserted 3 text boxes for pictures.
You may choose to add less or more, depending on the style of your card.

Next, Once I had the text boxes arranged the way I wanted them I inserted pictures from my picture files.

Then, I changed the borders of the text boxes by right clicking on the box and selecting "format text box". In doing this, you can change the color and thickness of the outline. You can also change the color of the back round in the text box.

Once I have the pictures that I want and the borders and colors selected around them, I then insert another text box and type in "Happy Mother's Day". I chose to put my box at the top left but, you can be as creative as you want with yours. You can also add word art into the text box instead of using plain text.
At this point, I will inset another text box which will be for the important personal things I want to say in the card. I usually choose a simple font that is easy to read, but still keeping with the theme of the card. You can choose to type in your signature or hand write it for a more personal touch.
When you have your card looking just the way you want it, you are ready to print. Be sure that you change the paper quality to a thicker paper and the paper size is set correctly. You may need to create a custom print size for your project. If you do not change the paper quality and size, your project will not print correctly.
Finally, print your project, sign the card and wait for the OOOh's and AAAh's to come pouring in! This is a fun and creative way to show mom your thinking of her.

And... it didn't really cost a thing!If you have any questions about any of the information I shared with you today, please don't hesitate to contact me. I'd be happy to help in any way I can. Happy Crafting!
See you in the CraftZone.

Handcrafted Recycled Greeting Cards

Recycled Love Cards are a fantastic way to put your old greeting cards to good use. We all keep the 20 or so holiday cards you received or maybe last years birthday cards but, do we really ever read them again? Well, maybe you do just before you toss them to make room for this years cards. Wouldn't it be great if instead of tossing them, you not only did your part and recycled but, you also saved your self some money on buying new cards for family and friends??? Well, why don't you? I take all the best parts of my old cards and I cut out the words or cute little pictures, some have ribbon attachments or flowers and I make them new! Just get yourself some standard card stock or blank cards and design away. Most blank cards that you buy at a craft supply store (which will come in tons of different colors) come with instructions on how to actually print on the card from your computer. This could give your cards a more professional look, rather than just writing "Happy Birthday, Feliz Navidad, Happy Halloween..." with a sharpie! Once you have chosen the theme of your card you can start picking through those old cards for the perfect pieces to add to your new card. There is only one rule to recycling cards, BE CREATIVE! Sometimes I just add some construction paper to an existing card to cover up the previous writing. Of course, I do it in a stylish way so that it doesn't look like I just reused and old card but, it can be effective. Everyone wants to do their part to recycle these days and making your own greeting cards is a great way to do that! If you have any questions about any of the information I shared with you today, please don't hesitate to contact me. I'd be happy to help in any way I can. Have fun and be crafty!