One Skull - Two Ways - Gothic/Day of the Dead Keychain

Today on the Makin's Clay® blog I'm sharing instructions on how to create this Gothic Skull/Day of the Dead Keychain with Makin's Clay® and DecoArt® products - whether you like it plain and creepy, or colorful and ready to celebrate - it's a super easy project that would make a fun pendant too.  Just in time for Halloween!

Faux Hand-Carved Wood Bowl

This month on the Smoothfoam™ blog I shared this autumn project - I created a faux hand-carved wood bowl with a Smoothfoam™ half ball and DecoArt® Americana Decor® Chalky Finish paints.  Find the full instructions here.

Faux Ceramic Halloween Skull Planter - DIY Video Featuring Mark Montano

In this Halloween episode the WCK All-Star Designers Holiday Series Mark Montano shares his technique for turning a plastic Dollar Store skull into a faux-ceramic skull planter using DecoArt products.   

“STAY STRONG” Rhinoceros/Hercules Beetle Key Chain - ETI Blog Hop

“STAY STRONG” RHINOCEROS/HERCULES BEETLE 

RESIN KEY CHAIN 

This month, the Designer Craft Connection is holding an Environmental Technologies, Inc. - ETI - Blog Hop. Be sure to follow through the DCC link in the column on the right to see what other unique projects the participating designers are sharing.    

ETI is also offering a great Rafflecopter give-away package - enter below.  Readers have to comment on one or more blogs to enter. The more comments you post, the better chance you have to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jared Padalecki, star of the TV series Supernatural, has gotten a lot of press lately for his honesty and support of others who are suffering with anxiety, depression, thoughts of suicide, etc.  His message of ALWAYS KEEP FIGHTING (#alwayskeepfighting) is growing in popularity.  Facebook pages and Twitter accounts for STAY STRONG Jared Padalecki are growing in numbers as fans flock to support both Jared, and his message.  I think it's a 
wonderful thing when a celebrity chooses to share their own personal fight with depression and anxiety with the world in hopes of helping others.   I think Jared’s message has touched me in particular because in the past few months my own family faced a very frightening situation that drove home the importance of learning the signs of depression, always watching for those signs in those you love, and if you see any signs, or if they reach out to you for help - pay attention - help them in any way you possibly can.  Depression is a REAL illness, no one is immune, it can strike ANYONE of ANY AGE, and can lead to unimaginable circumstances if left untreated.  We were given a second chance, but not every family is that lucky.  

I made this key chain as a reminder of the importance of the message STAY STRONG.  To me, this Rhinoceros/Hercules Beetle is a symbol of strength - because he looks fierce, and his name itself brings to mind an animal of incredible strength.   When I first found him, (and yes, I know he’s a male because I Googled it to find out what exactly he WAS when I found him), he was a beautiful shade of pale blue/green/gray, much like the one in this photo I found on the National Wildlife Federation website when I was trying to find out more about this impressive insect.  Unfortunately, his beautiful shell seems to have had some reaction to the resin itself and darkened to almost black, but even without his color he is still an amazing example of natures diversity.   I hope the recipient will carry him with his keys in pride and will always remember to STAY STRONG himself. 

Materials:

ETI - Clear EasyCast® Resin

      - MC Poly Mold 2" x 1 1/2" x 1" deep

      - Mold Release Spray 

ImpressArt™ Newsprint Metal Stamp Set, Hammer, Steel Block 

MercArt® Pewter Sheet 

Rhinocerus/Hercules beetle (no beetles were harmed in the creation of this project - this big guy was found in our yard when he had already crossed the rainbow bridge - always let insects dry thoroughly, this guy was placed in a safe place and left to dry for about 3 weeks, before attempting to seal in resin) 

DecoArt® Americana® Multi-Surface Satin™ acrylic paint - Black Tie 

Paper towel

Small disposable paintbrush 
Emery board

Instructions:

Stamp “STAY STRONG” onto pewter sheet, trim around verse.  Apply black acrylic paint over stamped area, being sure paint gets into impressed letters.  Wipe with paper towel to remove paint from surface, allowing it to remain in stamped areas.  Let dry. 

Mix very small amount (I mixed about 1 tsp total) Clear Casting Resin according to manufacturer instructions. 

Use disposable paint brush to coat stamped metal piece, front and back, set aside to cure. 

Use disposable paint brush to coat beetle top an bottom.  Set aside to cure. 

When beetle and stamped metal are thoroughly dry, it’s time to immerse them into a block of resin.  

Begin by spraying the small rectangular mold with mold release spray.

Mix enough resin to fill your mold to about 1/3 full.  

Pour resin into mold. 

Carefully insert beetle, top down (the bottom of the 
mold will be the top of the finished piece).  Let
cure. 

Mix enough resin to fill your mold the remainder of the way. 

Carefully insert metal verse, face down (the bottom of the mold will be the top of the finished piece), adjacent to the beetle.  

Carefully pour in resin over metal piece and covering beetle.  Set aside to cure.  

When fully cured, remove from mold.  (This was a bit of a challenge for me - but after trying the "freezer" trick twice - place in the freezer then remove - and with a bit of "strong" persuasion, the resin released from the mold.) 

Lightly sand edges on top and bottom to remove any sharp edges.   I like to use emery boards for this type of delicate sanding as they are easy to hold and you can see exactly where you are sanding. 

Use a drill to make a hole large enough for metal bead chain through one end of the rectangle.  Insert bead chain, add keys and close bead chain.  That’s it!  Your keychain is now a permanent reminder to STAY STRONG to matter what the circumstances may be! 

A Permanent Reminder to Stay Strong - and Always Keep Fighting! 

Smoothfoam Moss Cube Vase

Make this simple moss covered cube vase with Smoothfoam™ - Find out how on the Smoothfoam blog - http://www.smoothfoam.com/blog/moss-cube-vase/

Craft Attitude™ Mother's Day Blog Hop - "Bee Happy"

I am thrilled to be a part of the Craft Attitude™ Mother's Day Blog Hop!  Be sure to follow the links below to see what other creative projects these amazing designers are sharing featuring Craft Attitude™ Film.   And now…. let' me "bee-gin" sharing project …..

Remind mom to “Bee Happy” this Mother’s Day with this framed mixed-media home-decor accent featuring Craft Attitude™! 

Materials: 

Craft Attitude! Decor Attitude™ Printable Film 

Vintage bee printable image - http://www.etsy.com/listing/81359465/antique-bee-happy-vintage-bee-hive

Wooden picture frame 4” x 6”
Burlap 
Black & tan checked/gingham patterned paper 
Bee print cotton ribbon (Michael’s) 
Black paint, paintbrush 
Sandpaper 
Scissors 
Glue stick

Instructions: 

Paint frame with black paint and let dry. Lightly sand painted frame to achieve distressed/shabby chic effect.  (One of my favorite places to get picture frames to repurpose is my local Goodwill store - great assortment for great prices and  you are helping out those in need!) 

Cut 4” x 6” piece of black & tan checked paper. 

Cut 3 1/2” x 5” piece of burlap.  Gently remove some threads from left and right edges for a frayed effect. 

Download vintage bee image and size to 3 x 4 1/2”.  Follow manufacturer’s instructions and print onto Craft Attitude™ Decor Attitude™ film.  *Note - if printing text, be sure to reverse image before printing! Let dry 2 hours before proceeding to next step.

Coat printed image with glue stick, mount to center of burlap and let dry. 

Mount burlap with bee image to center of black & tan paper. 

Cut two strips of 4" bee ribbon. 

Mount bee ribbon at top and bottom of burlap, overlapping burlap, just above “Bee” and just below “Happy”.

Insert into distress painted frame. 

Check out more great projects featuring Craft Attitude™ from these Designers - 

Tues. April 22 - Amy Bowerman, http://pluckingdaisies.com 
Wed. April 23 - Lyneen Jesse, http://dreamingofcastles.blogspot.com
Thu. April 24 - Lindsay Obermeyer, http://loops.typepad.com/serendipity/
Fri. April 25 - Cheryl Boglioli, http://cherylswindow.com
Mon. April 28 - Debra Quartermaine, http://www.debraquartermain.com/ceoblog
Tue. April 29 - Jonathan Fong, http://jonathanfongstyle.com

An InLinkz Link-up

Feeling Frosty Winter Home Decor

The When Creativity Knocks All-Stars' Designer Holiday series is rolling along and in this episode I show you how to combine Etchall, Rit Dye, Spellbinders, Makin's Clay, Beacon Adhesives, JudiKins Roxs, and Smoothfoam, Clearsnap Smooch Glitz and more create two home decor pieces for the holidays, and all winter long.   Here's the YouTube link, or follow the direct link to view the episode on WCK's site below.

http://whencreativityknocks.com/mycraftspace/m/videos/view/All-Star-Designers-Holiday-Series-Winter-Decor

Burlap & Twine Holiday Tree Decorations

This week I'm sharing two ornaments with a rustic, country Christmas feel.  You can find instructions for this first one on the Smoothfoam blog.     Instructions for the smaller twine ornament with the cute Blumenthal Lansing snowflake button can be found in Cindi's Simple Solutions at When Creativity Knocks.  

Dessert Pinwheels with Rowlux Illusion Film

The latest episode of Behind These Eyes with Cindi Bisson is now live - you can find it here on the When Creativity Knocks site.

Summer Heat with Connie Crystal

The heat of the summer is in full swing this week on the Connie Crystal - here's a peak at my latest project. Visit the Connie Crystal Sparkle blog for instructions on how to create your own captured flame!

Rowlux® Illusion Film Blog Hop

Rowlux® Illusion Film is absolutely dazzling!  When I opened my sample package for the hop, I was mesmerized by the dimensional illusion the brightly colored sheets.  The official names of the patterns are Moire, 3D, Sea Glass and Serpentine, but they reminded me of liquid gold, flowing water, pearlized satin, shimmering alligator skin.....  purple, dark blue, gold, emerald green, hot pink, lime green....and more. So many colors and different “textures” to choose from it’s mind boggling. 


Rowlux® Illusion Film is made in the USA and comes in a diverse range of spectacular eye-catching colors and patterns.  This revolutionary material has been utilized in award winning point of purchase displays, packaging, signage, artwork, footwear, lighting, interior design, retail display fixtures and beyond. Our new frontier is the craft industry! There's absolutely nothing like it on the market. These durable, translucent, 12" x 12" polycarbonate sheets add instant pizzazz to craft projects, seasonal accents, party decorations, scrapbooks, greeting cards, jewelry, furniture, frames, gifts, favors, accessories, art and DIY home decor projects. Easily cut with scissors, Rowlux® is also the perfect material for scoring, folding, embossing and die cutting. The creative possibilities are endless. This innovative and inspiring new craft material manipulates light to create dazzling visual effects. The illusion of depth and motion is the result of thousands of tiny parabolic lenses that are molded into the surface of both sides of the material. These lenses create a pattern of light reflection and refraction resulting in stunningly brilliant optical effects.

To instantly add "POP" and "WOW" to your projects, just add Rowlux®!

For special promotions, giveaways and to keep up to date on the exciting Rowlux® Illusion Film craft revolution, be sure to:

Follow Rowlux® on Twitter
LIKE Rowlux® on Facebook
Follow Rowlux® on Pinterest
Subscribe to Rowlux® on YouTube
(video content coming soon!)

I have designed multiple projects in the week since receiving my box, and will be sharing more of them in the coming weeks.  Today, I’m sharing this liquid gold gift box, perfect for presenting a set of handmade jewelry (find out how I created this set here) to a special friend. 

Materials:

Rowlux® Illusion Film Gold Moire
Sizzix® Big Shot™
Sizzix® Eileen Hull Die - Sizzix ScoreBoards XL Die - Box, Triangle
JudiKins 3487 F • Happy Birthday Copperplate Rubber Stamp
Stewart Superior Palette Inkpad - Noir Black
Black & gold 7/8* ribbon
Glue Dots® Continuous Glue Lines® Roll

Continuous Glue Lines® Roll

Rowlux® Illusion Film can be purchased on Amazon at the following link:    http://www.amazon.com/Rowlux-Illusion-Film-Polycarbonate-12-Inch/dp/B00CW7940Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1372292244&sr=1-1&keywords=rowlux

I die cut the box from the Gold Moire Rowlux® Illusion Film with the Sizzix® Big Shot™ and Eileen Hull's Sizzix ScoreBoards XL Die - Box, Triangle.  The earrings and pendant were wrapped in gold tissue paper, and then inserted into the box.  "Happy Birthday" was stamped onto a piece of the gold Rowlux® with the Palette inkpad, then mounted to the bottom front

of the box using Glue Dots® Glue Line® on the left and right edges.  A strip of he black & gold ribbon was added as an accent piece above the Happy Birthday, and was used to tie the box shut at the top/opening.

Check out the complete list of participants in the Rowlux® Illusion Film Designer Blog Hop HERE!

AND.... THEY ARE HOSTING a Rafflecopter giveaway WHERE YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN THE 6 PACK OF ROWLUX ILLUSION FILM OF YOUR CHOICE! *winner must provide a valid US or Canadian street shipping address

Friends Are The Family We Choose for Ourselves - Mixed-Media Frame

My latest project for KellyCraft uses their amazing Get-it-Straight™ Laser Square and some of my other favorite crafting products - Craft Attitude (follow the link in the right column and get FREE SHIPPING on Craft Attitude products!) , Smoothfoam, Connie Crystal, and Graphic 45 papers!  Find the full instructions here on the KellyCraft blog: 

http://www.kellycraftblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/friends-are-family-mixed-media-frame.html

Mother's Day Bracelet

Today I'm sharing a bracelet I designed for ICE Resin®, also featuring Connie Crystal and ImpressArt Metal Stamps - the instructions are available on the ICE Resin blog® - Cindi

 

http://iceresin.com/icequeen/2013/05/mothers-day-bracelet-by-cindi-bisson/

Designing with Smoothfoam™

I am excited to be able to continue as part of the Smoothfoam™ Creativity Team for the next term!   This group shares some really fun and crafty ideas on the Smoothfoam™ blog monthly.   In April, I designed two projects which you can find complete instructions for on their blog by following the links.  Experiment with crafting with Smoothfoam™ - it can be found in your local craft & hobby store in a variety of shapes - Cindi







http://www.smoothfoam.com/blog/stenciled-birdhouse/

 http://www.smoothfoam.com/blog/billy-button-bouquet/

Designer Craft Connection Blog Hop - Wishes

Although there are endless ways to think about wishes - birthday wishes, good luck wishes, wedding wishes, bon voyage wishes, baby shower wishes, get well wishes, wishes that your children will have happy & healthy futures, when I thought about creating a post for today's blog hop following our "Wishes" theme was Jeannie.  Yes - Barbara Eden from the I Dream of Jeannie show many years ago.  It originally aired before my time, but I enjoyed the re-runs about a zillion times (and still do when I can find them on TV!)   I loved it so much that one Halloween many (many, many) years ago I even made a Jeannie halloween costume, complete with a jeweled bottle, and dressed my husband as Major Nelson for a party we were attending.   (What's one of MY wishes today?  That I could still fit into that costume lol!)     

I went to what seems to be a never-ending source of inspiration these days - PINTEREST - and searched "Genie" - the results were plentiful - and very interesting.   It seems "genies" inspire creativity of all kinds - photographs, costumes, paintings, cartoons, bottles, lamps, jewelry, and some of my favorites which I thought were completely amazing - this awesome, colorful cake, this enormous sand sculpture, and yes, there was even a genie costume for a dog!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/design_cakes/6763619611/in/photostream

http://pinterest.com/pin/205336064230926374/

pinterest.com/pin/205336064230926374/

I also found this quote, which I liked so much I decided to use for a mixed-media bracelet project.  I kept the basic bracelet very simple, as I plan to wear this regularly and wanted it to coordinate with many outfits. 

                “The absolutely awesome incredible power of belief is the genie in your life.”
                                                             ― Eldon Taylor

Materials:

DIY Bangle - 1/2"
EarthSafe Finishes Shimmer Opaque - Black Pearl, black acrylic paint, paintbrush
Silver foil tape
ImpressArt® Metal Stamps - Newsprint and Lower Case, steel stamping block, brass stamping hammer
E6000® Adhesive
Hampton Art collage rubber stamp
Clearsnap® ColorBox® Crafter's Ink - Night
JudiKins Diamond Glaze™ 




Instructions:

Paint bangle, inside and outside, with 2 coats of Black Pearl Shimmer Opaque.  Let dry.










Following manufacturer instructions, use ImpressArt® stamps and tools to stamp quote/verse onto silver foil tape.

Apply coat of black acrylic paint over stamped quote, gently remove paint from non-stamped surface with a soft cloth.

Use E6000® Adhesive to mount stamped silver foil tape onto center of bangle.







 

Ink rubber stamp with ColorBox® Crafter's Ink, stamp onto both outside edges of bracelet.  Let dry.

Coat entire bracelet with two coats of JudiKins Diamond Glaze™.   Let dry.








Don't forget to follow the Designer Craft Connection link in the right column to see what other creative projects the designers are sharing with the "wishes" theme - Cindi