Craft Tips!

Tips are from U Create & U Create Readers!

I thought it would be fun to share little ways that make our crafty lives easier! Here are some of my very favorite craft tips...

Use a cookie sheet w/ newspaper or wax paper for a portable craft surface…super easy cleanup!

Sharpen your scissors by cutting sand paper.

Place a little bit of Vaseline to the end of your glue gun to get rid of those long glue strings.
Soak your paint brushes in fabric softener or hair conditioner for 10 min…cleans right off!

Recycle large plastic lids by using them for a painter’s pallette or cutting them up for stencils.

Need to create a large pattern? Use newspapers!

Keeping a magnet close by makes picking up those sewing pins a sinch!

Store those pipe cleaners for kid’s crafts inside of a paper towel tubes.

Break up some styrofoam to create snow for craft projects.

Keep those cardboard boxes! Cut & cover with patterned paper to make a mini album, cover with art paper and use as a canvas, and I always use them to eliminate a mess while spraypainting!

Re-use old containers such as Pringles chips tube or Clorox wipes container for storage of paint brushes or other art utensils.

Re-use prescription bottles for tiny craft goods-needles, beads,jewelry parts etc.

Whenever you paint a room, put a small amount of the leftover paint in a small, airtight jar (baby-food jar etc) and store it somewhere in that room-then you can instantly paint over nicks or scuffs on the wall when they happen!

Make sandpaper last 3x as long by putting duct tape on the back of it. Makes it stronger!

Tiny "scrunchies" or ponytail holders are great for keeping bobbin/spool thread from unwinding when not in use.

Empty dental floss containers (and empty pill bottles)make great little emergency sewing kit containers. Put in a needle, a small cardboard square with some plain black,white, and tan thread wrapped around it, a couple of safety pins and put one in your purse, your car, your diaper bag.

A few of my favorites:

• For less fraying on the ends of ribbon use No Fray from the fabric section at the craft store, or use clear nail polish.
• To remove stamps or ink texts on plastic or glass items use nail polish remover.
• To use tattoos on projects follow regular instructions, however instead of a damp cloth use a baby wipe.
• Pigment ink is easily cleaned with a baby wipe.Goo Gone is a Crafters Dream when it comes to gooey situations.
• Warm/Hot water removes modge podge and rub-ons from glass. (I came across this with the flower vase tutorial.)

Do you have any craft tips you'd like to share? I would love to hear them!

Dahlia Flower Card

Day 5 of projects!

This flower is so pretty in person.
This is Tommorrow's Make & Take for crop!

You can see the original tutorial at Tallyscrapper.com
by one fantastic lady, valerie.

A. Cut 8 circles at 2" and one larger circle at 2.5".
B. Fold each circle in half.
C. Fold each circle in half again to create quarters.
D. Unfold each circle to reveal folds.
E. Fold back two edges of the circles to the form a point
F. Flip all circles back over.
G. Fold the edges over so the meet in the middle.
H. Fold Large circle in quarts (B & C.) to give you a center point, cover circle in adhesive and adhere first folded circle.
I. Continue with the remaining small circles until the large circle in no longer visable.
Once flower is complete embellish with a button or brad center.

In our case the ladies at the crop will be make a brad using the I-Top!
Flower is perfect for cards, scrapbooks, and more.

The ladies at the crop will have the choice of
one of the three color schemes below for thier card.

Thank you for stopping by & Happy Craftin'!

Make & Takes!

Day 4 of Projects!
Our Croppin Friends are spoiled and are
used to getting a Make & Take at crop,
so it's been up to me to make sure they get one.

So far we've made bottle caps,
Bra & Panty Cards and the projects below!

This adorable little brag book was
for our very first evening crop.



Last evening crop we made this cards.
Cricut Cart Home Decor was used.



Make sure to stop by tomorrow for
the next make & take and a Tutorial!

What day was that again?

Day 3 of Projects!
Now that I've started my Tupperware
business and am doing classes and crops in my
home I need a way to keep my days straight.

I created 2010 and 2011 calendars using
Microsoft Excel and printed them out.
I also have the same calendar sheets on my
bulletin board on my desk for quick reference.
From there I cut Chipboard covers and divider.
I used Tally Scrapper's "Summer Ardor" by Nikki
to decorate the date book.

It's all about Felt!

Day 2 of Projects :).
Today it's all about Felt!
I have recently learned how
to use a sewing machine, however
I still prefer sewing by hand.

A few months ago Mom and I each got a
Fiskar Trimmer and mom immediately went
in search for all the decorative blades.
She got us quite a few!!
And the new challenge was how to store them.
I came up with this felt book with
little pockets for each blade.
Outside with Chipboard Insert to make stronger.

Inside with pockets.
Had to add the flap to insure the
blades would stay in the pockets.

Since I was already having fun with
the felt I decided I needed a little pouch
to store all my extra stylus for my Gypsy!



A couple weeks ago Justin and I went
Joann's and I picked up some really cut
quarter cuts to make a fabric owl.
The next day the Sewing machine and I
had a fight and the sewing machine won.
I found out it's very smart to
add a backing to thin fabric.
Something I still need to purchase.
So since the sewing machine refused
to help me make an owl, I pulled out
my felt and started to hand sew!
It's she cute??
I just need to add a bow and she's done!

(Ok, I admit she's not that
cute, but I'm proud of her!)
Thank you all for stopping by!

Whooo's Purse?

My projects the past few months
have been few and very spread out.
So over the next few days I hope to share
with you the last 3 months worth of projects.

Altering Wooden Objects is so much Fun!
I did a pure slightly bigger than this in Jan.
But this one is my favorite!
I used Sassafras Paper to cover the Wooden Purse.




Thanks for stopping by!

So you think you can...

Tally Scrapper just finished out thier
first challenge for "So you think you can scrap?"

This Challenge we needed to make a 8.5x11
layout, use only one wallet size photo and
have the title, "So you think you can...?"
And because I'm on Nikki's team I also had
to use paint and use a blue color scheme.

I picked this photo of my brother Joe playing baseball.
Joe has never been good at sports nor has he ever
been interested so this was fun to watch him play!
He did pretty good!

Craftastic Challenge #16 (7/25-8/31)

*****ATTENTION!*****
I am no longer able to send packages
to international countries.
Participants must be in the US.

Are you ready for challenges?
Here's the details:

Below you'll find 4 challenges.
2 LO Challenges, 1 Card Challenge and 1 Altered Item Challenge.
You are not being asked to do all challenges, though.
For each Challenge you submit to me your name will be
entered into a "raffle" for the monthly RAK.
So if you do one challenge you will be entered once, do 4
then you'll be entered 4 times.
This is just a way to Challenge you and give you the chance
to try new techniques.
If you have suggestions on RAKs or Challenges let me know
and I'll be more than happy to try to incorporate them.

Layout Sketch
For this one just follow the sketch and make it your own at the same time.
This Sketch is brought to you by the talented Becky Fleck of www.Pagemaps.com.
June 2010 Sketch


Layout Shopping List
Use at least 3 of the following items in a LO.
~ 1 Wallet Size Photo
~ 2+ Buttons
~ Stars
~ Color Blue
~ 4 types of Patter Paper
~ Handmade Embellishment
~ Twine
~ Decorative Border
~ Paint
~ Mesh
~ Dry Embossing

(If you combine LO Challenges 1 & 2 your name will be entered an extra time, so instead of 2 chance to win the RAK it'll be 3.)

Card Sketch
Follow the sketch and make it your own at the same time.
This Sketch is brought to you by the talented Becky Fleck of www.Pagemaps.com.
June 2010 Card Sketch


Outta the Box
I LOVE using Baby Wipes in my craft area!
They remove ink from stamps, clean up dust
and even remove adhesive on my craft mat.
Your challenge this month is decorate
a Baby Wipe Container.

Submitting your work is easy,
either post a comment here with the
link or email me a photo @ craftasticlife@hotmail.com.
Just make sure to put in the Subject Line
"Craftastic Challenge #16"
and the Title(s) of your project(s).
Challenge ends August 31, 2010.

*****ATTENTION!*****
I am no longer able to send packages
to international countries.
Participants must be in the US.

Now for goodies!!
Here is the Prize:



Have fun ladies and I can't
wait to see what you create!!

Craftastic Challenge Winner #15

Hello Friends!

We've had a very busy month for
family, but it's been awesome!

Challenge #15's Winner
is a Fabulous Scrapper!
Jessica, Congrats!
Jessica Submitted this adorable Birthday LO.

Thank you ladies for taking the time
to submit your challenge entries!

Dragonflies & Daisies July Sketch Challenge

Dragonflies & Daisies Paper Crafts,
has just launched thier WEBSITE/ and to
celebrate we're having a Sketch Challenge.
The challenge will run from today,
July 6th thru midnight PST July 31st.

This sketch is by the very talented Trisha.


Here's the layout I created for Challenge.


And we thought it would only be fitting to offer the Summer Seasonal Cricut® Cartridge Independence Day to the winner. The winner will be announced the first week of August.

We hope you can play along!

New Items in my Etsy Store

It's been FOREVER since I've updated it!
Within the next two weeks
I hope to have more loaded.
I'm getting ready for the holiday bazaars
and making sure I've got plenty of items
to show both on etsy and at the shows.

Now any one who says they've been here on
the blog and would like to purchase an item
can message me with "FUN20" in the subject
line and get 20% off their order.
Please let me know before you purchase
so I can adjust the price of the
item(s) you would like.