The Chill of Winter - Faux Ice and Snow!

Faux dimensional snow and sparkly ice - these are altered trading card ornaments (with adorable spinning center elements) but these techniques would work for any winter themed project!   Some of my favorite crafting materials came together for these - TaDa Creative Studios Frozen Tozen paper, Epiphany Craft toosl, twine from The Twinery, ICE Resin, Plaid Extreme Glitter and Elmer's products!  Find out how on Rubber Road Adventures - http://rubberroadadventures.ning.com/page/spinning-atc-ornament?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Peppermint Straw Wreath Ornaments

Inspired by the full size version on the front of Woman's Day magazine - introducing mini Peppermint Straw Wreath ornaments - 

This was truly a SIMPLE project - the most difficult part is cutting the hard plastic straws - and that was made super simple and quick using Midwest Products Easy Cutter tool.   If you use regular striped drinking straws, regular scissors would work just fine.  

Three $1 bags of 12 peppermint striped hard plastic straws from the local dollar discount store were enough to create 7 of these ornaments.   

To make the ornaments, punch or cut a 3” circle from a fun holiday paper.  The paper will show on the back of your ornament so using something festive adds to the fun.   Cut the center from each circle to create a ring approximately 1/2” in width.

Cut several straws into 1" pieces.     Apply Beacon™ Tacky Glue to paper ring, and begin placing pieces of straw around circle as shown.  

Cut several straws into 1/2"  pieces.   Mount smaller pieces of straw over longer pieces on each mini wreath.  

Tie on a length of red & white twine from The Twinery and you’re ready to add your ornament to your plate of festive cookies.   Make a fun coordinated holiday card or tag to share even more cheer. 

 

Fresh from the oven?

Catch me if you can!  Cork gingerbread men ornaments get a new twist with a  fresh from the oven color thanks to Rit - Find out how to give yours a little oven-baked at the Rit Dye website:  http://www.ritdye.com/blogs/posts/catch-me-if-you-can-gingerbread-man-ornament

Attach him to the front of a hand-made holiday card made with adorable papers from TaDa Creative Studio's Jolly Holly collection and you've got surprise to sure to bring a holiday smile.

Front without ornament 

Inside of card

Getting Holly Jolly with Rit & JudiKins!

I've got another holiday project featured on the Rit Dye home page - this holiday card shares a couple of techniques for paper crafting with Rit - including a new technique I discovered with two of my favorite materials - Rit Dye and JudiKins Diamond Glaze!

Find the tutorial here:

http://www.ritdye.com/blogs/posts/holly-seasons-greeting-card

Rit and a Reindeer Holiday Card

The Holiday Glitz & Christmas Magic 2011 edition of Rubber Road Adventures ezine is now live - and I've got a project featured.    Rit and a reindeer come together to create a non-traditional card with custom colored card stock to match the Basic Grey patterned paper.    Find the complete instructions here.

http://rubberroadadventures.ning.com/page/rit-dye-technique-reindeer-christmas-card?xg_source=msg_mes_network://rubberroadadventures.ning.com/page/rit-dye-technique-reindeer-christmas-card?xg_source=msg_mes_networkfile://localhost/Users/fatcat/Desktop/RitRedBlueReindeerInside.jpg

Feathering my Christmas Nest

While looking through holiday issues of some of my favorite print magazines recently, I noticed a few trends.  One was a trend I spotted last January at CHA - birds are still everywhere - even in holiday decorating.  Second, white, shades of blue and silver seem to be quite popular this year.   Following those guidelines I created my Cindi's Simple Solutions project for the most recent When Creativity Knocks Creative Journal Newsletter.  You can view the complete directions on how to make this easy feather tree and mini sparkling birds made with paper from The Robin’s Nest and Silver Roxs and Diamond Glaze from JudiKins here:  

     http://www.whencreativityknocks.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=296&Itemid=265  

Here’s a peak at a just a small sampling of the projects that set my creative mind in motion for this project -

From the December, 2011 Issue of Family Circle Magazine

From the December, 2011 Issue of Better Homes & Gardens Magazine 

From the December, 2011 Issue of Real Simple magazine 

If you need some ideas on creating a blue, white & silver tablescape for your holiday celebrations this year - check out one of my Cindi's Simple Solutions posts from last year A Tale of Holiday Tablescapes Past .

Sock Monkey Goes MEOW (or ROAR!)

“Okay....here’s my plan.  If I sit really still, I’ll blend in well now and she might not  notice I’m not a FELINE!”

Anyone who knows me well knows that my favorite color is TEAL and I am obsessed with all cats - domestic and large wild cats like leopards, lions, cheetahs, and tigers.  Combining the two?   Uhhhhh, what?  My motto has always been “Dare to be different” and true to that, my new studio space is painted a lovely shade reminiscent of a tropical sea.   Valance curtains made from Shannon Fabrics Cuddle Fabric in a turquoise blue and leopard print, along with a fun accent pillow, a bulletin board and a mouse pad further pulled together two of my favorite things.   Mix in an eclectic mix of antique furniture (and a few newer pieces out of necessity) and you have a peak at my happy place!

Enter Sock Monkey!  He fit in my studio space just fine as he’s a fun retro toy which goes along with my antique furniture.  But he felt sort of outnumbered among all my cats - pillows, leopard print accents, framed layouts of my cats throughout the years, glass and porcelain cats I’ve collected, and stuffed wild cats given to me as gifts.  First, he sneaked into my stash of Rit Liquid Dye and dyed himself TEAL!  Then, my monkey decided to take the “if you can’t beat them, join them” philosophy and whipped himself up a head to toe leopard costume out of extra leopard print Shannon Fabrics Cuddle fabric from my vintage trunk full of fabric.   Complete with a hat with kitty cat shaped ear covers, a tail cover, and a little nose mask with whiskers, he fits right in now with all my themes, yet maintains his individuality with his fun loving monkeying around! 

This whimsical holiday card was created using JudiKins adorable Sock Monkey rubber stamp - a definite must have item for anyone whose heart sees the charm of these vintage cuddles.  I used the leftover sock scraps after making the monkey and assorted black Blumenthal Lansing buttons to embellish the card.   The teal card stock was made by crumpling a piece of white card stock, unfolding, and then placing into the leftover dye after I dyed my monkey.   I do this every time I dye with the leftover dye and now have quite a stash of colorful custom colored card stock.  Prismacolor watercolor pencils were used to color the stamped monkeys.  The front of the card features a removable sock monkey holiday ornament - made from an oval of natural colored Makin's Clay, stamped with the monkey image, and trimmed with more of the sock scraps.

The Designer Craft Connection blog hop this month is sponsored by When Creativity Knocks, FoxRiver, Rit Dye, and Judikins!    27 Designers received a package of goodies including WCK’s Sock Monkeys Go BanAnas VideoBook, Rockford Red Heal socks, a Judikins Sock Monkey rubber stamp, and up to 3 shades of Rit Liquid Dye of their choice - then their creativity was unleashed and they were challenged to create 27 unique sock monkeys!   The timing of this blog hop is perfect - Sock Monkeys seem to be popping up everywhere - while shopping recently I spotted them taking over the local Cracker Barrel restaurant gift shop!    Yes - that's Santa Monkey on the very top of the tree! 


Click on the Designer Craft Connection link on the right to see all the amazing designs they dreamed up!    But wait, there's more!   You could be a winner! 

Prize Package for One Lucky Reader: 

-Sock Monkeys Go BanAnas WCK VideoBook 

-One (1) sewn Sock Monkey body ready to be stuffed

-One (1) pair of original Rockford Red Heel Socks

-Button Eyes, needle, floss and stuffing

Prize package worth over $40.00

FREE 2012 WCK Sock Monkeys Go BanAnas eCalendar 

Any blog hop reader who goes to When Creativity Knocks and orders: Sock Monkeys Go BanAnas WCK VideoBook will receive a free copy of the eCalendar to be created featuring some of the sock monkeys from this amazing blog hop! 

Things to know about: Sock Monkeys Go BanAnas WCK VideoBook 

• A history of the Red Heel sock monkey 
• A new and easier way to make sock monkeys
• Timesaving hints
  • A detailed sock monkey worksheet
  • Tips on personalizing your sock monkeys
  • Printable PDF directions
  • 26 Full-size sock monkey body and clothing pattern pieces including “Sock Pants”

To enter to win go to When Creativity Knocks.  In the Member Log-In box, click "Create An Account".  Enter the code Sock Monkey.  There is also a discount coupon to purchase the WCK VideoBook Sock Monkeys Go BanAnas.