DZ Doodles Summer Papers, Vintaj Patina, Modeling Paste and Gesso Classes Online, Vintage Buttons, Stitch and Play, TLC Craft Wars, Ugly Paper, PC Magazine Project Patterns, My Memories Freebie,

Hello Fellow Doodlers!

It's officially Summer and I don't know about you, but I love the warm sunshine, going swimming, outside activities, and summer vacations of course. So here's three different summery paper collections you may enjoy using on some of your summer themed projects. Graphic 45 - Tropical Travelogue, Echo Park Papers - 4th July, and Webster's Pages - Sunday Picnic.

Vintaj Patina Paint Kits - Vintaj Glaze - Vintaj Metal Relief Block all for non-porous materials, and lots of colors, combine to create unique embellishments! Joggles, the heart of art, has a wonderful display of samples and Barbara's Vintaj video tutorial shows you many of the techniques of how-to use the Vintaj products. Click HERE for more Vintaj product information.

These charming Ephemera Art Buttons were the creation of Lin from Lin's Arty Blobs. Not really sure of her technique but looks as if she used clear plastic buttons and Decoupaged Vintage Ephemera Graphics to the backs. Love them! These adorable little bits are featured in the current issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine (Jul/Aug 2012). So, grab a copy if you want the full instructions!

Stitch and Play, by Mary Corbet, is a series of articles featuring step-by-step photo tutorials that explore hand embroidery stitches and the different and fun things you can do with them! Mary lists them in her index, which you'll find under her TIPS and TECHNIQUES in the main menu on Needle 'n Thread.

TLC Craft Wars hosted by Tori Spelling is coming to TV and starts this Tuesday (June 26th 2012) on TLC at 10/9c. Nikki, of In Stitches, episode airs later in the season, but she'll be glued to her TV every Tuesday from now until then, and probably thereafter!

I'm sure, like me, that you've collected some, good, bad, and "ugly" pattern papers and cardstock in your paper stash. But Debi Wind demonstrates how to transform ugly paper using a Steampunk design at Rubber Road Adventures Creative Paper Crafting and Mixed Media Techniques.

Paper Crafts Magazine has listed their Jul/Aug 2012 issue project patterns and made them available as jpeg and/or PDF versions to download for free. Now's the time to take advantage of these card patterns and start creating!

Today My Memories has a great freebie for you!! Purse Cards! Think tea parties, bridal showers, baby showers, baby announcements: the possibilites are endless what you can do with these cute cards. They even work great as a fun dress-up for little girls.
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Don't forget to put in my coupon discount code: STMMMS20762

 during your checkout and receive:

$10 off the software purchase and a $10 gift certificate to the online store.

BOO PILE-UP PLASTIC CANVAS KIT
Adorable pile up to hang on door or wall!

HAUNTED HOUSE TISSUE BOX COVER
Accessorize with a seasonal plastic
canvas cover for your tissue box!

TREE TISSUE BOX COVER PLASTIC CANVAS KIT
Grab a tissue using this unique holiday tissue box cover.

CHRISTMAS GIFT TISSUE BOX COVER
PLASTIC CANVAS KIT-A cute holiday decoration
that covers up a normal sized tissue box and
 fits right in with a Christmas theme.

PILGRIM PILE-UP PLASTIC CANVAS KIT
Gobble, gobble. This plastic canvas kit creates
a cute turkey threesome that will make
 your Thanksgiving guests smile.

BIRDHOUSE TISSUE BOX
 PLASTIC CANVAS KIT-Add a touch
 of Spring to your powder room.

                                      

 

In How to Use Modeling Paste on Any Project, Christy Butters, will open up the world of modeling paste for you. You've seen it on the shelf at the store and wondered what you would ever do with the stuff, and you've seen it on others projects. Now it's time for you to play with it and see just how fun and versatile modeling paste is! This two week online class is loaded with techniques and samples and you'll work together using modeling paste on a plethoa of projects.

In Gesso: It's More than Just a Primer, Kate Koch teaches you the basics and how to apply it correctly (cause it really does matter!), simple uses for it, the way it was intended to be used and then gets you thinking way outside the proverbial box! This two week online class also includes PDF's and videos.

MAPLE TOAST and EGGS! Hummies World shows you how to make breakfast quick and easy with this all-in-one breakfast recipe, whether you're serving a few friends or family, or a dozen!



Frozen Watermelon Lemonade - a refreshing drink using the actual scooped out watermelon. With just two ingredients you can whip up just a glass or a whole pitcher!

As "spring-y" as these Fleece Spring Flower Pillows may look, I'm sure, if you used other seasonal fleece colors, or accent colors to your rooms decor, they would be just as lovely! Laura's admittedly addicted to fleece and gladly shows you with photo's how it's done.

DZ Doodles; Monogram Alphabets, Watermelon Fudge, Recipe Cards, Duck Tape, Shaker Box Flowers, Crochet Flower Garden, Felt Kits, and much more!

Hello Fellow Doodlers!

"Aren't we all just tired of things?

Nobody wants to buy anymore. We want experiences."

These were words spoken in a panel discussion at the Creative Connection Event this past September, and attests to the fact that more and more people are understanding the great value of handcrafted goods and personal connections to our work. This sentiment is — I believe — at the heart of the DIY “Revolution”. In the handmade market, the buyer and the seller often experience a connection over the purchased item. The buyer knows the seller created his or her work because of an authentic interest, which also adds to the experience. With the trendiness of upcycling and refashioning, the materials themselves might even have a back story all their own — adding to an even deeper experience. Read more of Amy Barickman's DIY thoughts HERE. And you must view Amy's video, An Inspirational Guide to Needlework, Cooking, Sewing Fashion and Fun Vintage Notions Book promotion.

MONOGRAMS FOR HAND EMBROIDERY. Interestingly enough, when your crafting expands a wide variety of techniques, a person comes across a wide variety of free images that criss-cross' one an others crafting imagination - especially mine! I grew up with Grandma's and aunts who embroidered everything and picked up the skills to do my own thing ... which lead me into cross stitching, then buying a sewing machine when my daughter was born!

So, if you're looking for 1800's to early 1900's free monogram alphabets to add to your crafting projects, you can pick up full sets of the FLOWERED MONOGRAMS from La Broderie Blanche, 1912, or the CELTIC KNOT WORK MONOGRAMS HERE. Mary Corbet is still looking for letters O through Z to complete her FAN FLOWERS from Journal des Demoiselle's, from the 1800's. Maybe you can help her out.

My Father's Day card to my Dad

 

Sentiment inside card

It's gotta be "watermelon time"! I'm crocheting watermelon themed hot pads, and in another post I introduced you to a watermelon cake recipe, and now, I've come across a WATERMELON FUDGE recipe that I can't wait to wrap my lips around!

TOP 10 BRIDAL SHOWER RECIPE CARDS by Emmaline Bride (The Wedding Guide for the Handmade Bride) showcase's bridal shower recipe cards in addition to an adorable recipe book with vinyl page protectors, including the secret ingredient: the top 10 bridal shower recipe cards and where to buy them.

Duct Tape

The ninth annual Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival will kick off on June 15, 2012 (and runs through the 17th), just in time to celebrate Father's Day. The festival will be an all-weekend event starting Friday at 4:00 p.m. at Veteran's Memorial Park in Avon, Ohio. This three-day event celebrates duct tape, its enthusiasts and its wacky and fun uses. The festival also honors the history and heritage of the city that is proclaimed the “Duct Tape Capital” of the world—Avon, Ohio—the home of Duck brand duct tape. From sculptures and fashion to games and a parade, everything at the festival revolves around duct tape and the wonderful city of Avon.

What will they think up next? Prints on duck tape and square sheets of duck tape! There are "Ducktivities" on the website as they make a play with the name. You've heard that duck tape fixes anything, and their DIY duck tape videos show ideas from making flowers, to covering shoes and flip-flops, to purse designs, and mailbox covers!

Whether you call them Sweet Treat Cups, or the more fimilar name of shaker box from Impression Obcession's assortment (IO Stamps), here's where you'll find plenty of flower power shaker box ideas!


Below are some flower patterns that I came across, to get you started!

                                                                                                               

       

Do you like to crochet flowers and other small things? Suzann Thompson clearly does! In this lovely follow-up to her charming book, Crochet Bouquet, Thompson provides many more motifs. I especially like the leaves she has created for this book. There are flowers and leaves based on ‘real’ plants and some that are more imaginative than real. (Lark Books Publication May 2012/132 pages, Soft Cover suggested price $16.95 USD)

School may be out for the summer, but that doesn't mean you have to stop learning. Felt flowers on cardmaking projects ... or better yet, have fun with felt kits found at Weekend Kits! Weekend Kits offers creative Art & Craft Kits across a variety of crafting categories, including quilt kits, jewelry making kits, embroidery kits, sewing project kits and more. You'll find a unique collection of Craft Kits for adults, teens, and kids to explore.

Weekend Kits specializes in modern DIY Craft Kits for beginners and experienced crafters. Their goal is to help make crafting convenient, easy, and most of all FUN for all skill levels! Visit the Weekend Kits Blog for the latest details on new product arrivals and to enter our monthly craft kit giveaways. Purchase felt for your own designing mind HERE from Create For Less large selection of felt supplies!

And for more exciting projects using felt fabrics you need to browse through the pages of this inspiring collection of felt ideas -- "where's my felt?" Found it. Now I've got to get busy!

I've been searching for storage solutions to organize my collection of Cricut Cartridges and other cutting devices so that I'd have easy access to them. I've seen a lot of new ideas, however, I love the 3-ring notebook look and remedy, and found a great idea for those of us who like this type of storage as well at the Scrap Rack. Click HERE to see all of the new and returning products.

8 Ideas for Embellishing Scrapbooking Pages with Circles by Get It Scrapped! is an article that you must explore -- the layouts shown will just make you want to find photo's and get started "now"! I just received some family photo's via email that are easily workable with all these layouts The problem is, I just have to figure out which one to use! The one shown, is my fave!

Hand Made Embossed Paper using Toilet Paper by Leigh Snaith-Brunton, at Blockheads, worked an old technique of embossing wet layered toilet paper sheets by letting it dry over the surface of a stamp into something new. So, grab a roll and your favorite embossing folders and give it a try! Use cheap toilet paper or kleenex tissues work well too! I've done this so many times, especially in art class, that it never dawned on me to use my embossing folders! This is a "Oh duh" moment for me!

What a great way to turn all those fun memories into something playful. These would make such a great gift! Lil Blue Boo Instagram Sachets and Beanbags Tutorial will show you how it's done.

It's those little touches of embellishments that adds fun and flare to your cardmaking, scrap pages, or any project. Whether you create this penquin itty-bitty or full sized and dimensional it's a great felt fabric project -- hmmm, maybe use cardstock too? EEF Etcetera's Penquin Ornament Tutorial lists all you'll need, including the pattern download in two sizes.

This Fourth of July offers a fun way to capture the spirit of f summer with berries and gelatin, one of those all-American foods that screams summer. You'll find the printable easy recipe HERE. Who doesn't love Jell-O?!

                                                               

Today My Memories has a great freebie for you!! Purse Cards! Think tea parties, bridal showers, baby showers, baby announcements: the possibilites are endless what you can do with these cute cards. They even work great as a fun dress-up for little girls.

Don't forget to put my STMMMS20762 discount code during your checkout and receive:
$10 off the software purchase and a $10 gift certificate to the online store.

A little bird told me by Alberto Juarez includes the Gift Bird House PDF Template to download to help you start your project creation!

 

This wood dresser is about 10-inches tall and one of those simple pine items that can be purchased for a few dollars at any craft store. But look at it now! Gloria Stengel created a Victorian-inspired piece with black accents. The floral paper (the focal point), from Graphic 45, has beautiful pastel flowers on a black background, Get her how-to-scoop HERE. WOOD SIX DRAWER CHEST measures 5-1/2" x 3-1/2" x 7-1/2" tall. WOOD FIVE DRAWER CHEST measures 7-3/4" x 5-1/2" x 11" tall.

After many requests for this Whimsical Heart Crochet Pattern Sarah Cooper decided to list it for free! It's an intermediate, requires a liquid stiffener to hold it's shape and has a more complicated stitch combination.

Filet Stitch Bag and Coin Purse free pattern! Magaret Hubert has created a practical bag with matching coin purse out of the very basic filet style. However, she has added a unique embellishment of gracefully flowing flowers that give a very chic touch to the purse style. Skill Level: Advanced Beginner to Internediate.