Vampire Blood/Faux Blood Necklace

My favorite season is here and I can't help myself - I just have to re-share some of my favorite spooky fun projects!  In this episode of my series Behind These Eyes™ on When Creativity Knocks, I share my recipe for creating faux blood using ICE Resin & Rit Dye! 

And to further add to the creep factor - here's my recipe for the GHOULISH version of faux blood!  

The Truly GHOULISH Option of Faux Blood

In the Vampire Blood Necklace episode of Behind These Eyes with Cindi Bisson, I share my recipe for faux blood that will last for years. As part of the instructions, I suggest you use a tiny bit of Rit Liquid Dye at a time to color the resin - because if too much dye is used, you get a different result. We didn’t share that result in the episode - but I wanted to show our viewers just what kind of ghoulish results you get with extra dye! It’s a creepy effect too which would work great for some applications - just not for the pendant I was sharing with you. So without further ado…add a teaspoon or more of Rit Liquid Dye (the amount depends on just how crusty you want the finished result to be) to your small amount of mixed ICE Resin and you get what I think looks like clotty, crusty, totally disgusting blood puddles! Which my two boys think are totally cool…Happy Halloween!  

Follow the original instructions and you get smooth, dense puddles of faux blood.

Alter the recipe as above and you get GHOULISH blood!

Thanksgiving Votive Holder with Smoothfoam & Makin's Clay

The next episode of Creatively Crafty with Cindi Bisson is now live.  Today I share how to make a simple votive holder with Smoothfoam™ and Makin's Clay® to decorate your home during the Thanksgiving season.

Gobble, Gobble with Smoothfoam, Rit & Blumenthal Lansing

The second episode in the WCK All-Star Designers' Holiday Season is now live on the WCK site - Ana Araujo shares her cute idea for a Turkey treat holder  made with Smoothfoam™,  Rit Dye® and Blumenthal Lansing buttons!

http://whencreativityknocks.com/mycraftspace/m/videos/view/Mason-Jar-Turkey-Centerpiece

WCK's All-Star Designers' Holiday Series has Begun!

http://whencreativityknocks.com/mycraftspace/m/videos/view/Glow-In-The-Dark-Ghost-Card

When Creativity Knocks is excited to share the first episode in the All-Star Designers' Holiday Series - This week Judi Watanabe of JudiKins shares here adorable Halloween card featuring a glow-in-the-dark Makin's Clay® accent.   In the coming weeks Judi, Jonathan Fong, Mark Montano, Ana Araujo and I will be sharing many more creative holiday projects.

Special thanks to the great sponsors of this event Rit®, Blumenthal Lansing®, Smoothfoam™, Beacon Adhesives®, Makin's Clay®, Spellbinders®, Etchall®, Clearsnap® and JudiKins®.  If you sign up to receive the Creative Journal Newsletter on the WCK site you are entered to win one of 8 prize packages full of products from our sponsors!

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.

New Projects and More Chaos!

I am still picking up the pieces from my major MacBook Pro crash..... and I recently started working at Michaels Arts & Crafts which is also keeping me quite busy!   I wanted so share a couple of links to some new projects I've created this month for some of the manufacturers I work with.   

The first is a Back to School layout created with the KellyCraft Get-it-Straight™ Laser Square - you can find the instructions here on the KellyCraft blog. 

Next is a small jar candle given a seaside makeover with the help of Connie Crystal's new sea glass beads.  I absolutely love the soft frosty colors of these beads and am looking forward to creating more designs with them.  The instructions for this project are here on the Connie Crystal blog. 

I shared my technique for texturing Smoothfoam™

in a recent episode of Behind These Eyes on WCK and Smoothfoam™ shared the video here on their blog!  

I've also been busily working on some projects we'll be taping in California in early October for the When Creativity Knocks All-Star Designer Holiday Series with Mark Montano, Jonathan Fong, and Judi Watanabe.  It's been a frenzy of Spellbinders, Rit, Blumenthal Lansing, Beacon Adhesives, Makin's Clay, Etchall, Smoothfoam, and Clearsnap creativity!  

Stay tuned for more soon... - Cindi 

Creatively Crafty Goes Back to School

The latest episode of Creatively Crafty with Cindi Bisson is now live - I'm showing you how to create quick & cute zipper pulls using Makin's Clay® and JudiKins Diamond Glaze.    - Cindi

Extruded, Coiled Beads Video - Creatively Crafty with Cindi Bisson

My latest episode of Creatively Crafty with Cindi Bisson is now live.  I'm sharing how to create extruded, coiled clay beads using the Makin's Brand® Ultimate Clay Exruder, Makin's Clay®, Connie Crystal and ClearSnap Designer Foil. 

Captured Ocean Pendant

The latest episode of my series "Behind These Eyes" is now live on the When Creativity Knocks website - learn how I made this "Captured Ocean" pendant with ICE Resin®, Rit Liquid Dye and more - http://whencreativityknocks.com/mycraftspace/m/videos/view/Behind-These-Eyes-Ocean-Pendant

Die Cut Mugs, Valentine Treasure Box & A Book Review

What do Die Cut Mugs, Valentine Treasure Box & a Book Review have in common?  They are all my current projects on the When Creativity Knocks site!  You can find them each by following these links -

Die cut embellished mugs featuring Earth Safe Finishes & Spellbinders dies





Cindi's Simple Solutions - Valentine "Treasure" Box

New Book Review:  Modern Mod Podge® by Kimberly Mueller

And, check out Ana Araujo's adorable embroidered felt pins too in Ana's Creative Chaos!  

What will you Cre8time to make for Valentine's Day this year? - Cindi

Gargoyle Puzzle Box

The latest episode of Behind These Eyes on When Creativity Knocks is one of my favorite recent projects!  I couldn't wait to design something unique and fun with JudiKin's Gargoyle Cube stamp - and this puzzle and storage box was the result.  

Why not use your stamps to create something beyond a card or scrapbook page today? - Cindi

Spooky Treats for the Season

This week on WCK we've got a fun purple people eater sleep mask we taped on site at Crafted at the Port of LA recently.  This was a fun project to design and Ana came up with a clever twist using a wash cloth - and thanks to Rit for sponsoring!

My latest book review is Bead Soup by Lori Anderson - tasty creative goodness! 

And thanks to my mom - who says she's not creative at all - but secretly has a creative side hiding somewhere in there - for this cute idea for a candy corn frame!   Find how how I used Makin's Clay, Plaid paints, and Judikin's Diamond Glaze to create this Cindi's Simple Solution project here! 

*Yes, that's my son in costume as Hannibal Lecter - and yes, I meant for the yellow wordsin the stamped title and text to say OR ME EAT! - I'm twisted that way hahaha ;-) - Hope everyone had a happy Halloween! - Cindi

DCC Blog Hop - Tombstone Mini Album

It's time for the October Designer Craft Blog Connection hop!  This month we are focusing on Halloween.  Halloween is one of my most favorite times of the year - I love the silly fun, the creepy decorations, the plethora of sci-fi and horror movies on television, and the challenge of creating a unique costume.   This Tombstone Mini Album was actually designed in 2010 and featured in the Halloween Spooktacular episode of When Creativity Knocks.   Click the link for a tutorial of how to create this unique mini-album, and how to create two other whimsical Halloween crafts too!

Follow the DCC link in the column on the right to see what other spooky seasonal craftiness the designers have in store for you!  - Bwaahahahahahahaahha cue the evil laughter... - Cindi
p.s.--- don't forget to stop by on October 13th to see what our participating designers have created for the Makin's Clay sponsored blog hop!  You will also be able to register to win a great prize package of Makin's products!

Knitted Baby Caps, a 45 Record, and Purple Cows®

Gee, is that an eclectic enough mix of things for a blog post title?   What do these things all have in common?   They are all featured in this week's When Creativity Knocks Creative Journal!   

My Cindi's Simple Solutions article about Giving Back:  Knitted Baby Caps has a free downloadable .pdf with instructions. 

For my product review this week, I share my experience with using the Purple Cows® Craft Geek™ Punch It. 

And, Ana Araujo and I had a blast at Maker Faire in San Mateo this spring hosting make & take projects featuring this fun 45 record repurposed into a chalkboard using Plaid products.   You can see how we did it in the newest episode of When Creativity Knocks.

Don't forget to check out our library of over 200 craft videos to inspire your creativity!  -  Cindi 

Faux Wood Burned Coasters

My latest episode of Behind These Eyes with Cindi Bisson is now online at When Creativity Knocks - Find out how to create easy faux wood burned coasters here. 

Happy crafting - and remember to "dare to be different!" - Cindi 

A Book Review, CHA's Hot 20 and More from WCK

This week on WCK I reviewed Kristen Robinson's Tales of Adornment - find out what I thought of here.

For my Simple Solutions article this week, I share my thoughts of CHA's Hot 20 from the Innovations Sneak Peek event. 

Ana shares a cute birdhouse project featuring Elmer's decorative tapes and foam board in the latest episode.   And she reviews episode 4 and 5 of TLC's Craft Wars.

Until next time.... remember to "Dare to be Different!" 
- Cindi

Faux Metal Stamping - New Episode of Behind These Eyes

My latest episode of Behind These Eyes is now live at When Creativity Knocks!   It's a quick video - less than 3 minutes - so sneak in a little time and stop by to learn how to create the effect of metal stamping quickly & easily using ImpressArt Metal Stamps!  You can view it and find the complete supply list here. 

Designer Craft Blog Connection July Hop - Vacation Crafting!

Welcome to the July Designer Craft Connection Blog Hop!  This month’s theme is Vacation Crafting.   While many of us may use vacations as a time to sit back, relax, and actually not craft, for many of us it’s a time to spend MORE of our time crafting.   Whether you are on a trip to the mountains, a lake, the beach, a theme park, or are exploring a new state or country, if you look closely I promise you will begin to notice creative inspiration everywhere.  It’s in the color palettes of the scenic views, the textures and unique architecture of the buildings and clothing of the people around you, the wonderful tiny found elements to incorporate into your projects.   If you are enjoying a vacation in your own home and yard - take the time to notice all the details that make it special to you too, capture them and let them inspire your creativity!

Beach vacations tend to be popular - and who hasn’t come home with a bit of beach sand, and a few (hundred) seashells to help remember the good times along with fun photographs?     These Beach Memory bottles were a project I shared on an early episode of When Creativity Knocks - You can view the full episode here.    I repurposed shampoo bottles from hotel rooms, along with beach sand, tiny shells, assorted embellishments, and a tiny memory message in a bottle to create these pretty little reminders of fun beach vacations.   It’s a craft you can start working on while you are enjoying your vacation and helps you remember the good times in a unique way.   And, they look so pretty on my studio windowsill with the sunlight shining off of them and through the colored bottles.

Be sure to click through the Designer Craft Blog Connection link on the right to see the other creative vacation crafts being shared by this amazing group of talented designers.  There is always, literally, something for almost everyone in these hops and one of the best parts is seeing everyone’s interpretation of the monthly theme. 

ABC Book Set on WCK & TLC's Craft Wars

My latest project for C&T Publishing is on today's new episode of When Creativity Knocks.  The Artful Fiber kit is stuffed full of mixed-media must-haves and we've used almost all of them in this cute personalized tactile ABC book set.  There's a downloadable .pdf with instructions and templates for the alphabet and the little critters too!

Ana Araujo and I also both reviewed the new TLC show Craft Wars which premiered last night.  Having crafting back on network TV is surely something to celebrate!   My complete review is here.

Check out the Ana's Creative Chaos blog to read her review, and see her cute altered composition book pencil pouch combo!

Recipe Book Re-Do - New Episode of Behind These Eyes on WCK

I'm excited to share my second episode of Behind These Eyes on When Creativity Knocks - Recipe Book Re-Do features fun retro kitcheny papers from Graphic 45's Domestic Goddess collection, twine from The Twinery, and some adorable hen & chick buttons from Blumenthal Lansing.  Best of all, there's a free .pdf download with stepped out instructions and some great recipes from the book itself!