Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Candy Dots



Here I am getting my mojo back!  I love when I am able to spend time doing all things crafty.  I was going through some of my stuff and I realized I have a lot of enamel dots.  I have paid a lot of monies for those dots.  Then I had a thought how hard can they be to make?  Well the answer is NOT HARD AT ALL!  I found these great little beads at Michael's and imagine my surprise when I discovered that these little beads that my kids played with when they were small were going to work so well, and they were made my EK Success. *if you don't know this EK has been around forever, and make many products for scrapbookers!*

Here is what I did.  

Pre-Heat your oven to 400 degrees. NOTE be sure it is preheated!

Collect these items: 
Perler beads (buy at Michaels or other craft store or even AMAZON.  (<-- The link will take you to 11,000 perler beads for $10) Pony beads work but they are much bigger.  

Parchment paper and a baking sheet

NOW  simply set them up on the parchment lined baking sheet.  (Don't lay them on the side-- well you can, but they don't come out round but more like a tic-tac) 

TIP: Be sure to leave space so the beads are not too close together, if they are, they will of course melt together and that's a bummer.   
Carefully place them in the oven for about 12-15 minutes.  
Now a fun thing is to buy the striped beads... look how cool they come out
   
Here is the size they are, if you use pony beads they will be larger but these little gems are perfect for my paper art! 
Attach these with a mini glue dot.

Well I hope you get a chance to try this little idea, I have been very happy with the results! 

Friday, December 19, 2014

Its a Zen-Thang



Again!  I admit it!  School absorbs me.  Finally I am off class and will not be back in the classroom next semester.  I am going to try and spend more time on my blog and my creativity. The last semester in school taught me something very valuable.  I need to create.  I hate getting lost.  That is how it felt.  Sixteen weeks of NO and I mean NO creativity. It almost killed me.  I was sad, depressed angry and just not happy. I began to obsess over my grades and overall became consumed.  I don't like that side of me.  

Tonight I am awake. It is 1:35am and I am writing this post and not sleeping.  I started zenthangling a few hours ago and I had some realizations.  I need to create. It really is a part of my make-up. Some kind of creativity... scrapbooking, writing,  quilting, crocheting (which I am still terrible at), drawing, painting, zenthangling or something else I must create to be happy. It is a nice place when one discovers and admits the importance of creating.  I did tonight. I long for it. 

 For weeks I studied and suffered. I love school. I love learning, but I need to create.  Did I say that already?  Hear me my fellow creative souls, don't stop.  It will eat away at you.  It is okay to want to create something beautiful.  A pretty scrapbook layout, a lovely story, a carefully planned quilt.. it is a part of you. I for one appreciate the beauty that you make.  Don't stop, life will forever attempt to get in the way of the creative process, promise yourself heck promise me you will find balance and continue to make the whispering of your spirit!  Your talents are valuable and perfect!  
This is what I love about Zenthangling, it allows you to just create and think. 

Keep creating friends!  
xoxo 
e


Monday, July 28, 2014

Reigniting your passion for paper art...


CASE 132
Ever have one of those times in your life, when everything seems to consume every second of your life?  Yeah I have had that for several months now. In fact, since my car accident I have been what I feel is a disorganized mess.

Recently, I decided, mess or no, I need to get back in the groove.  Dave and I decided to move the scrapbook room to the office and the office to the scrapbook room. I lost a little real estate, I actually like the space I am in better now. It is even better organized!

I also found a great little challenge site thanks to my peep.. (Laura "Moonshine" Mooney and Adele Beck) I wanted to give CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration a little shout out for helping me get out of my very unfortunate rut!
Anyway, not too much on design today, but just a final sigh of happiness to have some layouts done and some crafty happiness again.

Here is the cool thing:  I like leaping points. I think that is truly inspiration so here is what I love about CSI,   The very talented and thoughtful owner of the blog puts together these recipe challenges every week!  You heard me every sinking week.  (so let's all have a moment of silence in awe of that achievement.) ---------- *it should be longer but time to move on*

CASE 131
Here are a few of the layouts I have finished in the last few weeks.. if you want to see the case files, simply click here and find the corresponding case file.  *Oh and let me just say.... WOW to the DT over there.. they are a group of mega talented ladies!  You will have tons of inspiration and ideas by the time you are done checking out a case file or two!


I think what I am learning is that it's okay to have the off times. It's okay to walk away for a bit and then come back to the thing you love.

CASE 129
I encourage you to all take a look at CSI.  That was the place I discovered PageDrafts (mentioned in Megan Hoeppner's new class at CreativeLive so worth every penny.  The class name is From App to Archive: Social Media Scrapbooking)                     In fact, case 131 was the sketch I was so impressed with that I sent PageDrafts to Megan for the class. I think when blogs share the love it is important. I want to give credit where it is due.  Also in my CASE 132 (the most recent one I finished. I was inspired by one of Becky Fleck's sketches.)   So please look for inspiration everywhere and when you just need something to get you off your bootey and back in the studio hop over to CSI and play along. OH did I mention she has giveaways?  Yeah so why not!  Have fun enjoy your process, and I promise to get back on to our thinking*through*design. I am working on getting more design principles together to help you better understand the WHY it works! Have a blessed week!
 xoxox e



Coming Soon...  
Cricut Explore vs. Silhouette Cameo. My findings the good the bad and the ... well paper is always pretty.. so the PRETTY.

Leave me some comments on what you are interested in!  I am thinking of branching out into YouTube and posting challenges from this blog. Give me feedback, what do YOU want?  Challenges based on Design Principles? Recipe Challenges? Do you want more info less challenge.  Please share with your friends too!  I really want this blog to grow. I am figuring out how to create a gallery for you to share your amazing work!




Here are a few more cases I have completed at CSI!  
CASE 126






CASE 128
CASE 127

Thursday, January 23, 2014

OWL always love you...

OK I am BACK in action!! I have been feeling a bit more crafty -- I have been working hard on my book so that has cut into my make stuff  with fabric and paper time-- I have made great progress. I am hoping to finish this novel by the end of 2014!

SO here is the crafty post...

I know but I am on an OWL kick.. but only certain owls they must be MODERN in style so when I found a pattern for a table decoration that made me happy I made it!  This pattern is for a wool-felt project, but I just made it from fabric. I learned a few things while making it..

ONE if you will be finishing the edges (unlike wool felt) you will need a few more inches for the back/blue piece.
 TWO: be sure to add the eyes LAST (lucky for me I thought this through before adding them because I wanted to see how they would look finished)
THREE: take your sweet time stitching

Go nice and slow and it will be amazing! 


FOUR: I really don't like EZ Steam II for all my applique needs... Steam a Seam... come back on the market already..
FIVE: I love that I made this from fabric-- and ladies.. quilt as you go..:)

anyway.. I need to fix the edges, but that will be easy -- so here is my OWL table decor

Gold Canyon Candle in the middle


Also check out my writing blog: concrete.detail   I have a new post on a great collection of short stories!