Twas the night before the show opened…
Craft Paint Craft Sew Craft Buttons Craft Mod Podge Craft Wood Craft Glue Craft Craft Craft!!!
What a busy couple of days it has been...getting projects completed, things packed up and everything safely across the country to California! The Craft and Hobby Association's winter show starts tomorrow and the Anaheim convention center is buzzing with CREATIVE energy. It is that magical time when the companies that make the fabulous craft products out on the marketplace come together with the buyers for the stores who carry them AND the designers who use them to make things.
If you are attending the show, be sure to stop by the License and Design section of the show and say hello to my art friends. If you are feeling crafty, come visit me at Buttons Galore where I will be demonstrating these fun project creations.
It is going to be a great next few days! I will take lots of pictures and share whatever fantastic things happen!
Cheers from sunny California,
Laura
Happy Snowman
I woke up this morning with one more button project to complete the TWENTY FOUR I promised Buttons Galore I would have for the Craft and Hobby Show next week in Anaheim. I looked out the window and it SNOWED again!!! The first supplies and materials that jumped out at me from my crazy crafting collection were the Styrofoam balls.
Glancing over at my computer screen, the happy snowman that Zoe made over the weekend seemed to be smiling with his eyes at me from the desktop background he has become. DING DING DING...SNOWMAN!
I made him and here are the really raw and simple directions.
Hook two foam balls together using either hot glue from a gun or wire through the centers. Add a scarf in the middle made from either ribbon or yarn.
Cut a circle out of old fabric for the floppy part of his hat. Stack buttons using hot glue in between each to make his hat too and add it with the hot glue. Using straight pins with colored ball tops, add other buttons to make his nose and clothing buttons.
Use the ball tipped straight pins to add eyes and a smile.
Bend cloth floral wire to make arms and stick them into the foam body!
Really, you can decorate him with anything but BUTTONS do work great! I took him outside to photograph him (yep, I am making a book of projects too...) and he blew off of the ledge. I ran back inside to change from slippers to boots and recovered him from the snowdrift below. Safely inside, he is smiling at me as I type.
HAPPY SNOW days to those of you in the cold. Happy snowman making to all of you!
Laura
Don’t Eat All of The Candy!
Oh what to do with all of the Valentines Day candy that makes it home in decorated boxes and bags from school...
Cut four different pieces of decorative paper into 5 inch by 4 inch pieces. One by one, adhere them to a piece of cardboard with Mod Podge. I tore the back off of an used up sketch pad to get my cardboard (RECYCLE 
). I used scrapbook paper designed by Kelly Panacci for K and Company that I bought at Michaels.
While that is drying, draw a tic-tac-toe board with black Sharpie marker onto a white card stock square (about 5 inches). Once your first layer is dry, add this to your board with Mod Podge.
Let it dry then add other cut up pieces of scrapbook paper to add to your design. I used words for Valentines Day.
When it is dry, turn it over and paint the back red with Apple Barrel Berry Red paint.
Let it dry then add a white heart with Apple Barrel White paint.
When it is dry, use a black Sharpie marker to decorate your white heart.
The last step is to use decorate edge scissors and cut around the outside to remove all exposed cardboard.
Gather the candies and get your game on.
When you are done playing, the backside makes a great Valentines Day decoration too.
Happy Day of Love,
Laura
Leave the Tree Up For Valentines Day!
Leave the Tree Up!
I don’t know about you, but it makes me sad when it is time to put the Christmas tree away. This year, I decided to redecorate my little tree for Valentines Day and in the process whipped up some creative love in my studio making paperboard heart ornaments. They were so much fun and turned out so cute, I thought I’d share!
You will mostly need random stuff that you probably already have...
I cut up the cardboard shirt boxes (always love to reuse stuff in my projects) from holiday gifts into different shapes and sizes of hearts. Then I dug through my paper scraps and pulled out everything pink, red and Valentines Dayish. I arranged little scraps on top of the heart to cover the cardboard then piece by piece applied them with Mod Podge, creating a layered effect. When the first sides were dry, I flipped them over and did the same on the other side. I added a few pieces here and there to both sides, applying additional layers of Mod Podge which made them sturdier and more elaborate. I used the hard coat Mod Podge for this project but think the sparkle might have been fun too.
I typed a bunch of words and printed them in my studio printer, cut them out and added them to the front side. I also glued on a flat glass rock to add dimension.
Using a tiny hole punch, I cut two holes in the tops of the hearts for the wire.
Using thin wire (about 10 inches), I created a squiggly hanger and added a hand painted bead (black and white of course). You could also use buttons in the wire. To make the wire spiral, I wrapped it around a Sharpie pen and slid it off the end.
Once I attached the wire hanger by bending and twisting, I added a gross grain ribbon bow for a finishing touch.
These heart ornament hangers would be a lot of fun to tie onto a gift, hide in a card or decorate a wine bottle neck! Being creative in the name of love…what beats that…nothing I can think of.
Happy Valentines Day!
XOXO
Laura
Sock Snow Family
I found this great idea on AC Moore's Facebook wall...created by Robin Beam and decided to do it with my family! It was sooooo easy and a lot of fun too. You only need a few things...old socks, uncooked rice, buttons, glue, yarn and orange painted bbq skewers....all stuff we have around the house!
Here are few pictures of our miscellaneous materials! I bet you have this stuff in your house too
.
We cut the feet of of the socks and filled them with rice. Using a measuring cup helped with the process!
We cut up fun socks to make sweaters and hats!
Then we dressed them and glued on other cool things to give them personalities! Wa-lah...instant snowman family!
For directions, visit A.C. Moore at
http://www.acmoore.com/forum/yaf_postst7036_Adorable-Sock-Snowmen.aspx?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social%2BMedia&utm_content=Sock%2BSnowmen&utm_campaign=General%2BInfo%2B%28Projects%29.
Happy Beginning of 2012! Let is snow. Let it snow. Let it snow. And if does, get out and sled and then take a break to come in and create some masterpieces of your own.
Holiday Gift Fun That You Can Make!
Here are some fun gift ideas that you can use to create some last minute presents for Christmas! My dear friend Dacey and I spent the past sixish weeks whipping up lots of these to sell at the Cary Academy Christmas Shoppe and they were a huge hit! Have fun! Happy making stuff!!! If you aren't up to the making it yourself, we have bunches for you at The Rusty Bucket in downtown Apex!
Magic Reindeer Food (Birdseed and Glitter or Candy Sprinkles)
Paperboard ornaments with old scrapbook paper pieces, cardboard and Mod Podge! Personalize with Sharpie Paint Markers for an extra special touch. Rylee was our first completed and personalized ornament because she is one special girl (and quite an awesome helper too)!
Snowman Popcorn Covers....POPPIN' over with some holiday cheer!
Clothespin Magnetic Clippies using craft remnants on painted clothespins!
Snowman Soup...hot cocoa packets, candy canes, marshmallows and the cute saying!
Hot Fire Gumballs disguised as Rudolph noses...also could use red hots or cherry balls.
Dress up a composition book with magazine cutouts, photos, scrapbook paper and of course, MOD PODGE!
Bag up some holiday candy corn (or anything sweet) and make a tag calling it Elf Snack! Don't forget the big bow. Tie a bell on for some jingle fun!
Happy Gift Making, Gift Giving and Holidays All Around!!!
Spreading Holiday Love One Sharpie at a Time
I recently doodled my way across the country passing out Sharpie markers and spreading creative cheer. I loaded up my sketchbooks and hundreds of Sharpie markers and pens then set out with my longtime BFF for the adventure.
I got to meet tons of cool people and learned all kinds of great things about myself and others and how together we create magical creative moments in our world. I even got to sketch Santa!!! He asked me if I wanted more Sharpies for Christmas which really had me giggle!
Life is certainly an adventure and we get out of it what we put in! I choose to keep putting my enthusiasm, creativity and passion into spreading love and cheer, creating connections as I go.
If you would like to read about my awesome experience, you can check it out on the official Sharpie blog. http://blog.sharpie.com/2011/12/sharpie-cheer-from-laura-kelly/
WITCHY WITCHY WITCHY
This is one WITCHY great craft project!
My little friend, Rylee, comes over to see me lots and lots and just about every time she says, "Can we craft something together?" I LOVE doing projects with her because she is super creative, totally hysterical and plays great music for us while we work. She even helps with the clean-up!
The materials need to complete the project are probably already in your home if you are a crafty one. You will need paper (watercolor paper works the best), white Elmers glue, black Sharpie marker and watercolor paints.
The first step is to make your witch outline with glue. If you need to trace, you can draw it first lightly in pencil. The glue has to be completely dry for the next step which sometimes takes many hours.
WITCHY Glue Outline
When your glue outline is dry, use a Sharpie marker and outline the glue on both sides without getting marker on the glue.
WITCHY Sharpie Outline
An now for the fun part...PAINTING time. Use watercolor paints to fill in the areas between the outlines in whatever colors you find most WITCHY. Be sure to watercolor the entire paper...all the way to the edges. In the picture you will see Rylee's littler witch picture that she used to plan her colors first. This is a good way to help kids plan their project ahead of time.
For the best effects, use several layers of watercolor, letting it dry in between layers.
WITCHY Watercolors
Ta Da...a very WITCHY witch all done and a very proud Rylee to go with her.
Have a cackling great time making your own Watercolor Sharpie WITCHY materpiece!
Sharpie and Watercolor Flower Mother’s Day Cards!
If you are looking for a fun Mother's Day card activity for kids, this is for you! The first step is to draw with a black Sharpie marker on watercolor paper between 4-6 frames that can be painted in.
The next step is to let the kids paint flowers in the frames. I drew a few flowers to give them different ideas but you can pick real ones from the yard or cut out pictures for inspiration too.
When the watercolor paint is dry, cut the frames apart and mount them on different colored card stock. Then cut around the card stock leaving 1/2 inch or so to accent the framed artwork. To complete the outside of the card, mount the watercolor frame pieces on 8 1/2 x 11 inch folded card stock.
For the inside messages, I had the kids write on white paper that could be mounted inside to give it some color and some fun. A cute message you can use is...
"If mom's were flowers, I'd pick you."
OR
"Moms are the flowers in the garden of life."
You can substitute the word mom with grandma, aunt, step mom, etc. to make it fit for anyone you want to celebrate and appreciate!
The finished cards fit into a catalog envelope (6 x 9) which are available in office stores all over the place.
Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers, aunts, grandmas, friends, teachers and neighbors. When we all work together and love all of the kids in our world, they get how special they are and that love helps them grow up to be kindhearted, trusting and strong. I am honored to be a mom on this journey with all of you!
Love,
Laura
Spring Friendship and Fabric Fever
I LOVE this beautiful sunny weather. It inspires me to create and make STUFF! With Easter right around the corner and meetings happening with my fabric license, I got it in my mind that I wanted to see what my collection of Easter designs could create on fabric for quilts and pillows. SOOOOO, I called up my amazing and talented friend, Monica Hawke, and asked her to come over to play. We had a great time figuring out what we wanted to make and headed to Joanne Fabrics for some shopping.
We bought the packs of printable fabric, some solid fleece fabrics, ribbons and more then headed back to get started. The printable fabric worked like a charm! Through hours of laughter, cutting and sewing...this is what we completed.
I always learn lessons when I am open to accepting feedback from the world around me. This is my lesson from this experience. Life experiences are way more fun and worthwhile when they are shared with a friend! TOGETHERNESS is where the magic lies. I now have a super cute Easter quilt, a even super cuter Easter bunny pillow and a super duper cute Easter cup thingie...but even better, I have a closer friendship with Monica.
