on glitter

when it comes to glitter, there are a heck of a lot of products out there.  here are a few good tips to help you choose your sparkle wisely.

art institute glitter (AIG) has a great color pallet, and each AIG peewee kit contains 7 different coordinating colors of glitter. the containers inside a peewee kit seem pretty small, but once you start using AIG, you’ll see just how far these little vials will stretch! AIG’s got a line that specifically coordinates with bazzill monochromatic cardstocks, which is really swell, and is available in opaque and transparent varieties.  they’ve even got a calibrated color chart to help you pick just the right color!

while i think AIG has the best color pallet, they don’t hold a candle to doodlebug when it comes to different types of glitter. whether you want your project sugar coated, chunky glittered, or soft with crushed velvet flock, doodlebug has you more than covered. they’ve got a solid color pallet, but there isn’t much variety in terms of color.  but for what they lack in color choice they compensate by providing everything you need for a project in the same colors – brads, paper, stickers, etc.

for those who prefer a little more ‘hands off’ approach, try the tattered angels glimmer mist on for size.  glimmer mist adds a nice coat of glimmer and a little splash of color – although there are several bottles that are glimmer only and have no color.  glimmer mist doubles as a glitter option as well as a color dye, and they have a fairly comprehensive color line with over 93 color choices.  tattered angels doesn’t provide everything you need for your project in their colors – but you certainly can create any kind of embellishments or even your own paper to coordinate! 

another great ‘hands off’ glitter method that saves you from the mess of regular glitter is “stickles” by ranger. stickles are simply glue with glitter suspended therein…so you squeeze it onto your project, wait for it to dry,  and your project is beautifully glittered!  no clean up or walking around for days with glitter on your face! 

there are lots of other companies that offer great lines of glitter, but these are a few of my favorites that illustrate just how many ways you can get a little sparkle on your project.

a little dissonance

my anger candy bubbles over

to crackle stage

 

red red red

hot

through the roof

 

visions of vengeance

never tasted

so sweet

tiny beach garden

if you yearn for the beach but live miles inland, you can recreate the look easily in a pot.

materials needed:

low, wide pot or bowl, approximately 14 inches in diameter

potting soil

three small, slow-growing plants in 4-inch nursery pots

horticultural-grade washed sand (a 1-qt. bag is enough for a 14-inch pot)

small pieces of driftwood or other found objects

 

 

how to:

step 1: partially fill bowl with potting soil.

step 2: set the plants (still in their nursery containers) atop the soil, adjusting their position as needed until you’re happy with the arrangement.

step 3: knock the plants out of their pots, gently tease apart any coiled roots, and plant; fill in around them with more potting soil up to within an inch or two of the pot rim. tamp the soil to firm it; water to thoroughly moisten.

step 4: carefully pour a mulch of washed sand atop the soil. finish with a piece of driftwood or other beachy treasures.

step 5: set the pot on a sunny patio (light afternoon shade in hot inland areas). irrigate once a week or so using a gentle stream of water from the hose or a watering can with a narrow spout.

moment of truth, baby

she wants to hear

the truth

but listens only

if it agrees with

her fantasies.

tick

tick

tick

tick

embroidered buttons

embroider your own buttons?  sure, why not!

materials needed:

small patterns (or draw your own freehand)

something to transfer the design onto fabric.  (you can use transfer paper or just freehand the design with a pencil)

embroidery supplies: scissors, floss, needle, etc.

small embroidery hoop

fabric scraps

fabric button kit (can be found at any fabric or craft store and is fairly inexpensive)
now…get ready to transfer your pattern to one of your fabric scraps.

if using transfer paper, layer the fabric, transfer paper, and image in that order.

trace the pattern with a pencil, then place your fabric inside a small embroidery hoop, centering your design.

  

 

you probably won’t want to use more than 2 strands of floss, since your pattern is so small.

after cutting your piece of floss (an arm’s length or shorter), separate one or two stands of floss and then thread onto a needle.

now you’re ready to get stitchin’!

  

 

once you are done stitching, remove the fabric from the hoop.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

cut a circle around your stitched design.

be sure to leave plenty of room around the design—the circle should be at least an inch larger than the button you are going to use.

 

 

 

place the circle of fabric inside  the larger plastic cup.

 

push the domed piece of metal down into the cup with the fabric underneath. it will be a tight fit, but push it all the way down.

center the design and push it into the cup.

here’s what it will look like after you push the domed piece of metal down into the cup:

cut away any excess fabric around the edges. you want it so that you can tuck in the ends of the fabric. too long is better than too short, and you can always trim the fabric if it’s too bulky.

 

place the back of the metal button inside the cup, shank side up.

place the smaller cup (open side down) inside of the larger cup, on top of the back of the button, like so:

push down with a little bit of pressure

until you hear the back piece pop into place.

remove the finished button from the cup. voila!

sew the buttons onto a jacket or tote. you can also cut the shank off the buttons with pliers and glue on a pin backing to make a brooch or add a magnetic strip for a cute magnet.

wired

here’s a whimsical little gal made with a wire body, embroidery thread, felt, fabric, a wooden bead, and some hot glue.  she’s based on a children’s craft project for making flower fairies…in which you take apart fake flowers for the clothing.  plucking petals off a flower (even a fake one) seems a bit too sadistic, so fabric was the way to go on this little lady.

measuring in at just under 3”, she’s quite a little lady, indeed. 

handmade cupcake/treat stands

 

 

 

check out this easy to make stackable cake stand…made out of basic terra cotta plates and saucers.

the possibilities for a project like this are really endless! 

you could load them up with petit fours, finger sandwiches, candies, cupcakes, or your favorite dessert bars. 

 

 

 

materials needed

2 terra cotta saucers (a 7” and a 10” saucer is shown here, but you can use any size you like)

2 terra cotta rose pots (5” and 6” high shown here, but you can use any size as long as they are taller than the height of your cupcake and frosting.)

2 yards ribbon (or however much it takes to make it around the circumference of your saucer)

decorative or scrapbook paper

acrylic paint

hot glue gun and glue sticks

sponge paint brush

scissors

cupcakes

 

how to:

1.  begin by painting both sides of your terra cotta saucers and only the outside of the terra cotta rose pots with your acrylic paint and sponge brush. paint a second coat if needed.

2.  allow the paint to dry completely.

3.  turn the saucers upside down and glue the bottom of the rose pots to the back side of the saucers using your hot glue gun.  use a generous amount of glue. 

4.  when the glue has dried, turn your cake stands right side up and carefully glue the ribbon to the edge of the saucers. 

5.  cut two paper circles to line the inside of the saucers.

6.  stack stands and arrange your cupcakes.

7. receive applause from your guests graciously!

supremely discordant

 

 

there is

no denying

your continued

denial.

a note from mary

as a follow up to my post of august 18:

well, friends, by now most of you have heard that home companion magazine is not being published. it was a business decision by our licensed publishing partner based purely on the lack of advertising income, certainly not on circulation or subscriber numbers, both of which remained very strong thanks to all of you!

you may have heard of other home magazines closing – cottage living, domino, o at home, home, and country home, among others. the sad fact is that home magazines are being hit harder than others because of the dismal housing industry – people aren’t able to sell or buy homes, so fewer people are buying flooring, wallpaper, furniture, etc., so those companies don’t feel they can afford to advertise. it’s a vicious circle!

since we were not a typical shelter magazine anyway, i hope we’ll find a way to offer the exact right kind of ads so that we can revive our beautiful magazine eventually. it hurts me to see so many wonderful houses out there and meet so many great artists and not have a place to showcase them! we will find a way!

we will find a way – this miserable economy can’t last forever. anyway, even if times are tough, we still need to see magical things, right? we still need to know there are people out there producing fantastic things, creating warm and cozy places to live and providing us with the inspiration we need to keep going, for crying out loud! i mean, i love house beautiful, but i can’t make one magazine last all month – we need more! we need variety! we need home companion!

let’s not let too much time go by before we get together again!

ps – please know that although my job definitely won’t be the same without the magazine, i still have a lot of other exciting projects coming up – books, cards, calendars, fabric, new gift lines, scrapbooking, crafts and more have me very busy. i can’t wait to share them with you – stay tuned to see all the new tricks i have up my sleeve!

mary engelbreit

* * *

again filed under “stabilizers”, because there is no feeling stable until home companion is once again published. 

good luck, mary.  i miss you.

felt fusion

there is a fun product by queen & co. called “felt fusion”.  several styles and color options are available for these self-adhesive felt border strips, such as seasonal borders for valentine’s day, easter and halloween, as well as leaves, swirls, and floral motifs.  baby and sports-themed borders are also neat, would make wonderful invitations or announcements.  there are even 1.6″ thick plain border strips that you can use to create your own border styles with your die-cutting machine or by hand cutting.

the upside to this product:

variety – several colors and styles are available, and in two widths (1.6″ and 4.7″)

cost – the average price for these borders range from $2.99 – $5.99 each.

strong self-adhesive – it sticks to wood, paper, fabric, and plastic.

value – each border strip is 3 feet long, so you can create several projects with each border piece.

colorfast – there is no ‘bleeding’ when you apply paints or liquid adhesives.

easy to cut – you can trim these pieces to fit any shape or size of item. use small parts of the border in conjunction with fabric flowers, or other 3d embellishments.

the downside:

it can be quite difficult to remove the wax-paper backing.  some of these border pieces are highly detailed, and getting all of the non-stick backing off can be tedious. 

the only other slight problem is that it’s fairly stretchy and can easily be pulled out of shape once the backing is removed.  if your fingers stick to a small vine or tiny bug wing,  you have to very gentle when removing it or you can pull things out of alignment. 

also be careful to place the felt fusion exactly where you want it, because the adhesive is strong and you’ll ruin the piece by trying to remove it from the paper once it is adhered. check it out.

the key to life is organization

using “display dynamics storage drawers” (DDSD) and their “12×12 paper stackable open (lipless) paper trays”, you can solve all the craft, art supply, game, toy, and home storage dilemmas that abound.  best thing about the DDSD is that divider rails are included! 

board games

board game collections can take up a heck of a lot of space.  one way to remedy this problem is to remove the games from their boxes, place the pieces into labeled drawers of a multi-storage drawer cabinet and label the game boards.  store the instructions for play inside the game boards.  when you want to play a game, just find the game board and the labeled drawer of the game pieces. (in this photo,  game boards are on bottom shelf in the front and mini-drawers are in the left hand, back corner of the bottom shelf. )  easy enough.  

but what happens if you’ve done this a while back and the growing number of games you own exceeds the mini-drawer space you currently have available?  new game boxes spill into nearby shelves or get placed elsewhere.  and that pretty much defeats the purpose. 

if you’ve not already organized all your board games (or are looking for a way to re-organize that ever-growing collection), gather them all up and do something to reclaim your space!  DDSD and lipless trays to the rescue! 

here’s how: 

clear out the cupboard and stack two towers of lipless trays inside. add divider rails to the storage drawers and place the old mini-drawers into these sections. (in the picture below, the old mini-drawers are placed into the divided DDSD). great that they fit perfectly.  if yours don’t fit, you could put game pieces into zip-loc bags and place them in the compartments.  the games that have more pieces are placed into their own drawer.  game boards are stacked in the space to the left of the lipless trays.

three shelves of games now fit into one!

toy cupboard

using the same organization concept above, transfer all your little toys, crayons and miscellaneous little play stuff into the lipless trays, DDSD, and “craft locker”  modified units.  really young children (and their little guests) will have to ask for the contents in this cupboard…which means you’re in charge of what they play with, and that means less mass-messes.  check out this adorable collection of finger puppets, and the storage of mini-toy stuff:

scrapbooking and craft embellishments stored in like-colors drawers

sort craft papers and embellishments by color with this storage/organizational system. you’ll know exactly where to look when you need pink ribbon, yellow beads or green tags.

 

other uses for display dynamics storage drawers

you’ll think of other way to use these remarkable storage devices once you see what your options are.  display dynamics storage drawers are also good for storing and organizing:  

• small/flat embellishments (but not beads or other tiny objects—see “cons” below)  
• first aid supplies
• nuts, bolts, screws and nails in a workshop
• teacher classroom supplies
• cake decorating supplies
• photo equipment – lenses
• any short/flat items that need a home

storage drawer pros

craft supply and home organization is one of my constant quests, and nothing is comparable to the combined power of the display dynamics lipless trays and storage drawers.  they are: 

• versatile
• compact (you can stack them 30 trays high on a “double rolling base” — i.e. 60 trays, side by side if you desire, or place them on shelves
• dustproof (because of the lids) 
• easy to see into because they’re clear
• affordable when you know your options  

storage drawer cons

a problem:  

drawers are made from a medium-weight molded plastic.  the divider rails (heavy acrylic) are notched so you can configure them in various grid formations inside the drawer.  because the divider rails are movable, and the drawer is medium-weight, the drawer will bend when full.  this may allow the divider rails to shift out of place allowing small-item contents to move into the other sections. for an anal retentive, compulsive organizer like me, this could throw you into a tizzy.  if you’re more laid back, it won’t be a big deal. 

the remedy:

once you know the grid formations you need for each drawer, you can apply a liquid adhesive to glue the divider rails in place permanently.  “crafter’s pick—the ultimate!” does the job.   not only does this amazing glue dry clear, it’s pliable and bends with the drawer. to glue the grid in place, carefully place a line of glue on the bottom edge and sides of each divider grid (starting with those designed to be placed in the drawer first) and then place a large book on top of the grids to hold them in place until they dry completely.  then glue the cross-wise grids into place.  if you glue them at night, they should be dry by morning. now your little items won’t move into other sections and send you into a tailspin.

 

 

a problem:

lids get in the way if you want to get in and out of the drawers quickly.

the remedy: 

store the lids under each of their respective drawers.  the lids give added support to the drawer, and you’ll always be able to find them.  the drawers still move freely in and out of the trays with the lids in this position.

a problem:

drawers can get hung up on the small nub of molded plastic on the underside of the lipless trays. 

the remedy:

knock the nub off with the sharp edged tool.  be careful! 

summing it up 

there are so many organizational/storage options and possibilities when you use these products, but the best storage solution is the one you will actually use.  have fun!

no possy here

 

 

 

 

   my heart remains heavy.

   the impossibilities

   are endless.

detecting high levels of acid in memorabilia

so how can you tell if the paper you’re working with contains acid?  simple:

for light paper a ph-testing pen is a great investment for anyone wanting to ensure paper and products are acid-free. these pens contain a solution that changes color if the item contains acid. manufactures use different colored solutions to grade the severity of acid levels, so be sure to read the label instructions in order to determine the color(s) you should be looking for.

for dark paper ph testing ink will not show up on dark pigmented fibers thus affecting the pen’s reliability. to remedy this problem:

1. test a piece of white cardstock with your ph-testing pen to make sure it’s acid free.

2. take a scrap piece of the dark paper you want tested and rub it onto a small area of the white cardstock using significant pressure. (when you are through, there should be a generous splotch of color in one small area.) any acid from the paper or ink will have transferred itself onto the white cardstock.

3. test the newly colored area with your ph-testing pen.

yes, it really is that simple.

protecting important memorabilia

protecting photos and historical items is like knowing the proper methods of skincare: when applied correctly, the results are long-term and beautiful. handled carefully, your memorabilia can look its best even after years of display. knowing the right heirloom care can greatly influence where and how you spend your project-making time, money, and effort. here are a few preservation facts that can aid in heirloom longevity:

fact 1: liquids destroy memorabilia, photographs, and negatives. to avoid disasters, store your creative artwork heirloom supplies, albums, photographs, and negatives in a dry, cool place where water from broken pipes or overflowing toilets cannot reach them. keep all drinks off your work area.

fact 2: sunlight will eventually diminish photo, negative, layout, and album quality. keep all heirlooms out of direct sunlight.

fact 3: extreme temperatures damage photographs, negatives, layouts, page protectors, and albums. store all historical items in moderatetemperatures and in locations where humidity is low.

fact 4: although not immediately apparent, fingerprints on photographs, negatives, and layouts become visible over time. oil from skin is the culprit. to prevent this type of deterioration, be sure tohandle photos carefully, touching only the outer edges. also, wash hands frequently or use acid neutralizing wipes by undu. you can also be extra careful (and fancy!) by wearing lightweight cotton gloves to ensure your photos/paper/heirlooms remain pristine.

fact 5: handle and store your paper, photos, negatives, and layouts carefully. improper storage increases the risk of scratches, tears, and bends. store and seal your photos and negatives in a sturdy container, in plastic sleeves that fit into a three-ring binder, or in acid-free envelopes that have been labeled and filed. layout storage should be doubly protected: first in sheet or page protectors, then in appropriate albums.

fact 6: not all plastics are alike. in fact, some sheet protectors, binders, photo enclosures, and photo corners will eventually damage your memorabilia more than if you had not used plastic protection or enhancement at all. the destructive material is polyvinyl chloride (pvc) or more commonly known as “vinyl.” because pvc is an unstable plastic, it releases a hydrogen-chloride gas that spreads to your memorabilia, corroding your photos and historical items over time. to avoid this harmful process, do not buy materials containing pvc or its cousin polyvinyl acetate (pva). instead, look for acrylic or polyester (polyethylene and polypropylene) materials. they are 18-chemically stable and will ensure encapsulation safety for your memorabilia. if you are uncertain of a product’s composition, you can easily identify pvc by its strong plastic odor.

fact 7: high levels of acid in ink, regular paper, newspaper, and other memorabilia amplify the acid level already present in your photographs through a process called acid migration. contact between scrapbooking items can cause chemical reactions, which affect the longevity and color of your photos. to deter this reaction from affecting your photos, keep a buffer of acid-free paper next to or behind your photos. deacidification sprays such as “archiver’s mist” are available at most craft and scrapbook stores. these sprays can neutralize acid in newspaper clippings and other historical items.

fact 8: photographs are put at risk when a ballpoint pen is used to document the names and dates on their backs. because sufficient pressure must be applied when using a ballpoint pen, you may see impression marks on the front side of your photo. in addition, ballpoint ink transfers. if the photo is placed on top of a photo stack, ink blotting of other photos may occur. to avoid these problems, use omnichrom photosafe pencils.  

fact 9: photos without documented names and dates will one day become a burden or may even be discarded. i love looking at old photos of people i don’t know when i come across them at flea markets and the like, but i always feel really sad at the same time.  who were these people? didn’t someone care enough to hand these photos down in their family?  bottom line with family photos:  don’t procrastinate.  document them as soon as they are developed. if you have unmarked photos from years past, take some time to put them in order with the proper names and dates. if you find you are having difficulty remembering information, make a simple “year at a glance” history of your family. include in it the age of each person, significant events, births, and deaths. then as you organize your photos, you will have a point of reference to add to or start from. as you do this you can document history which benefits you now and your family for years to come.

fact 10: polaroid photos should never be cropped (trimmed). these contain a necessary protective seal that allows your photo image to remain vivid over time. when this seal is broken, air enters behind the photograph nullifying the effects of the chemical process and causing your image eventually to disappear. if you have already trimmed your polaroid photos and still have a visible image, color-copy or scan them immediately. and no, scotch tape around the edges won’t help matters.

fact 11: professional portraits may not be replaceable. if stored in acid-rich boxes, hung in picture frames with acidic mats, or exposed to significant sunlight, your portraits could be irreparably damaged. professional photographers hold onto portrait negatives for a limited time (rarely more than 3 to 4 years, possibly less.) copy shops will color-copy portraits only if the pictures lack copyright notices or written permission has been given by the portrait photographer. in order to safeguard your photograph keepsakes, you can add the original portraits to layouts using acid-free materials.  don’t crop them—use photo corners to secure them into place, and store them in acid-free page protectors in photo albums. alternatively, if you don’t want to place them in albums, store them in acid-free, size-appropriate, protective containers. it is also a good idea to scan and save all portraits to your computer. for large portraits, you can scan and stitch them together using a stitching program.

fact 12: for long-term album storage, never lay albums flat on a surface and stack them. doing so will damage the album bindings, as well as place harmful pressure on photos and embellishments. keep it vertical, baby.

fact 13: magnetic photo albums (albums that have sticky-pages covered in clear acetate) have an acidic adhesive that will severely damage or destroy your photos. if the adhesive imbeds itself into the backing of photos ,they can be difficult or impossible to safely remove from the page. if you have any photographs in this type of photo album, remove them as soon as possible.  your posterity will be grateful for the salvaged memories.

help for the stuck

tip: if your photographs seem permanently stuck on your page, carefully work a tightened strand of dental floss between the photo and the page or slightly heat your pictures with a blow dryer. if your photos are still immovable, color copy or scan the entire page and use the replicas for your artwork purposes.  store the original album in a safe place where it is dark, cool, and dry.

summing it up

an ounce of prevention is really worth a pound of cure. giving proper attention and care to your heirloom-quality masterpieces, historic photos and memorabilia will save you time, money and energy in the long run. 

a final note

paper and cardstock found in your local scrapbook store are not necessarily acid-free unless stated as such on the packaging or the company display signs that reference your particular item. in addition, be forewarned that though a manufacturer’s white and pastel papers are free of acid, that does not guarantee that their dark colors are too.  (paper dies can affect the paper’s acidity level.) your safest approach is to test any paper that is not specifically marked “acid-free.” more on that tomorrow.

kokuyo permanent dot n’ roller adhesive

i don’t like change. i usually find something that works and stick with it, but when i kept hearing big things about the kokuyo adhesive, i had to try it and am glad i did. great stuff.

when you purchase it:

for your first starter “gun” you’ll pay around $6. the refills can run anywhere from $4.25 to $4.50. when you open the package, it’s ready to go! there are no pieces to put together, but you’ll have to pull off a sticky tab so that the adhesive will start moving through the gun. no biggie.

how it looks:

size does not matter in this instance…there’s a lot of power in this pint sized wonder. the body of the gun is blue and has either a red or yellow cap. red means permanent; yellow is repositionable.

how it works:

fabulously! it glides on like butter and you can stop the flow of adhesive instantly. if you mess up on positioning, you can quickly rub it off, although you can’t rub it off much later. there are no messy tabs or long strings of paper to throw away. the unused adhesive and backing neatly rolls up to be thrown away in one piece. no mess!

what i love about it:

it holds almost everything together, even chipboard. i love to use it on chipboard pieces because of its many little dots.  when i rub it on, it only attaches to the chipboard its touching; the rest stays put on the backing itself. no trimming! no mess! you can even use it to attach light metal and acrylic (clear) embellishments.

works great on textured papers, too.  it’s like a bunch of mini glue dots/zots, and holds together papers that tabs can not. probably because the dots are so small and numerous they can attach to the nooks and crannies of textured papers.

what about refills?

the kokuyo refill is much easier than other guns. you just click the button (picture a real handgun dropping an empty magazine clip) and the empty adhesive drops into the trashcan. so fast! then, just take a refill and pop it back in. three seconds max.  no crying or cussing.

positioning the adhesive is also a breeze. wherever your gun points, that’s where the adhesive goes. no guesstimating.

compared to the tabs, it blows everything out of the water.  compared to the other “dot” adhesives, it feels better in your hand and has a cap, which keeps the adhesive clean and keeps the dots from rubbing onto other things in a bag. 

some things to consider:

while a fabulous adhesive tool, the kokuyo is not perfect. there are no flaws with the gun itself, or how to use it. my only reservation is that unlike “tab guns” you can’t really discern how far or how long a refill will last, so, it’s unknown what the value of the adhesive is. however, the ease of it alone has sold me on its value because my time is worth more than the pennies i might save. also, because of its fail-proof positioning and super strength, you’re sure to be using less adhesive.  just be sure to have a couple refills on hand so you’re not caught with your pants down.