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/

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

DCC Makin’s Clay® Blog Hop: Adaptable Napkin Rings

This month the Designer Craft Blog Connection group hosted a designer challenge featuring Makin’s Clay®.  As a long time fan of the extreme versatility of Makin’s Clay®, I was excited to have other designers use it in their creations and share them with all of you.  Each participant received an assortment of clay, tools, cutters, texture sheets and push molds.  Be sure to click through the DCC link on the right to see what they’ve whipped up with their products from Makin’s Clay®!  For more ideas on creating with Makin's Clay®, visit the new Makin's Clay® Blog, Facebook Page, and Pinterest Board. 

I loved the adorable napkin rings fellow designer Ann Butler created from a repurposed paper towel roll, so I knew just what to start with when I created these “adaptable” napkin rings!   The brown tone of the clay, along with the texture provided from the texture sheet results in what I think looks a bit like leather.  By sticking with a simple color palette, these adaptable rings will coordinate with almost any color or pattern of napkin, for any theme or holiday.   The metal stamped embellishment serves as a holder for silk flowers, dried flowers, colorful autumn leaves, long stems of grasses, or any other embellishment you’d like to tuck behind it to customize your rings for the occasion.  The verses stamped on each are basic enough that they too are versatile.


Materials: 

Makin’s Clay® - Earth Tones multi pack (If creating 4 rings of the same colors, 2 multi-packages of clay will be needed)
Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine® Makin’s Clay® Texture Sheet - Set A "Sand"
ImpressArt® Metal Stamps - Lowercase Newsprint
ImpressArt® brass stamping hammer, steel stamping plate, & Stamp Straight Tape™
Copper sheet
Westcott Craft Titanium Bonded Non-Stick Scissors
Sharpie marker, soft cloth
Small copper brads
Brown flat fiber trim
Elmer’s Craft Bond Adhesive
Small hole punch, tapestry needle (optional)

Instructions:

Begin by cutting a paper towel roll into desired number of 1 1/2” rings, then cut through each ring to create napkin ring.

Remove clay from box, remove from outer sealed plastic wrapping.  Cut individual wrapped piece of tan clay in half and remove inner wrapping from one half.  Makin’s Clay® is ready to use right from the package - no conditioning is needed.

Use Ultimate Clay Machine® to roll on #3 setting.  This will create a piece large enough to cover your chipboard ring.   Repeat with 2nd half.

Place a light coat of Craft Bond adhesive onto inside of chipboard ring.  Place clay onto ring, using fingers to gently ensure entire surface is covered with clay.  Remove any access clay extending off of chipboard. Repeat on second ring.

Place texture sheet over clay on ring.  Press into clay to transfer texture.

Cut individual wrapped piece of dark brown clay in half and remove inner wrapping from one half.

Use Ultimate Clay Machine to roll on #3 setting.  This will create a piece large enough to cover your chipboard ring.   Repeat with 2nd half.

Place a light coat of Craft Bond adhesive onto outside of chipboard ring.  Place clay onto ring, using fingers to gently ensure entire surface is covered with clay, extending slightly over edges onto back.  Repeat on second ring. 

Place texture sheet over clay on ring.  Press into clay to transfer texture. 

Reform rings, supporting sides as needed, and let dry overnight.

Measure and cut flat brown fiber trim to fit along inside edges of ring where two colors of clay meet.  Mount to cover edge.








To create metal plates, cut two pieces of copper sheet approximately 2” long by 1/2” wide. 

Use ImpressArt® Stamp Straight Tape™ on bottom of first piece to hold in place on steel stamping block.  Use lowercase Newsprint metal stamps and brass stamping hammer to stamp “be thankful” on first piece, and “be grateful” on second piece. 

Distress edges of each piece by lightly tapping with stamping hammer. 

Color each stamped verse with Sharpie marker.  Gently rub marker from copper sheet with soft cloth.  Ink will remain in stamped areas to highlight text.

Punch small hole in each end of each metal plate.


Determine placement on clay napkin rings.   Do not mount flush to ring, bring ends in a about 1/8” to allow metal plate to bend outward to accommodate embellishment inserted behind. 

Use tapestry needle, or small point of scissors, to gently push holes through clay and chipboard where needed. 

Mount plates to rings using copper brads.

To add embellishment, slip behind stamped metal plate. 

- Enjoy using these faux leather, adaptable napkin rings at a special dinner soon! - Cindi 

Makin's Clay is also offering a price package valued at just over $111.00 with products including  clay, tools and a Memory Frame Kit.....to enter leave a comment on the Makin's Clay® Blog telling us which project you liked best on the blog hop.  The winner will be randomly drawn from all entries
on or about October 24th.  We will announce the winner on the Makin's Clay® Blog so check back Thursday October 25 to see if you have won!

Shades of Amber Frame - Creating with Connie Crystal

Autumn is upon us and that means it's time for warm, cozy, Autumn decor.    Today my first project for Connie Crystal is live - a mixed-media frame featuring unique shell beads from their line.  You can find the full tutorial to create your own version of this frame at the Connie Crystal Blog.

Nature's Birdhouse

Birdhouse Mania? - My official prediction is that with the birdhouse challenge on the 2nd week of Craft Wars - Birdhouse crafting is going to be more popular than ever!   To keep in the spirit, I thought I'd share a project from one of our past When Creativity Knocks Creative Journal newsletters.   While it may not have the “bling factor” of the one Tori Spelling shared recently, it’s “back to nature” feel made it a winner in my porch decor.  

The unfinished birdhouse has been nestled amongst the plants on my screened porch for a couple of years.  I’ve been pondering how I wanted to decorate it.  While cleaning my studio I discovered my stash of tiny pinecones and birch bark – and my decision was made!

The great thing about real birch bark is that it peels resulting in several, paper thin layers of bark.  Just one small strip was enough to cover almost this entire birdhouse.  Elmer’s Craft Bond Tacky Glue was the perfect adhesive to hold my birch bark in place.  I left the edges around the hole to the birdhouse rough, as I love the added rustic effect. 

Craft Bond Tacky Glue would also work to hold the tiny pinecones in place, but I opted for the faster drying option of a hot glue gun.  Simply layer your pinecones and glue in place until the entire roof is covered.  Can’t find tiny pinecones?  Use full size pinecones and simply remove the individual pieces and use them as shingles for your roof.    If you don’t have an unfinished birdhouse, but have another you’ve had around a while that needs a bit of sprucing up, just cover it the same way and it will look like a whole new piece!   Note – This birdhouse is meant for decorative purposes only. Perfect for a summer porch, but may not hold up to the weather if a real family of birds was to move in (unless you coated the
entire piece with Powertex Liquid Textile Hardener - that would make it perfectly weather proof!)  I encourage you to add some functional birdhouses to yard no matter how big or small it may be – watching nesting birds is truly one of nature’s wonders!