Sharri has create templates that you can download for FREE. Trace into cardstock or pattern paper, cut and assemble into wonderful Pumpkins for some awesome Autumn home decor. She’s sharing a link to the patterns and a video how to … Read More...
Get yourself in the holiday mood with some lovely Christmas Coloring Pages. Dover Publications has some festive pages to keep you busy inside on cold nights. So grab your colored pencils and download 4 FREE pages.
You can click here … Read More...
Of course at Thanksgiving time we are thankful for the people who enrich our lives, the ability to do things we enjoy and the time we get to spend with people we care about.
But, it’s also about the food.… Read More...
OK this has to take the cake for most innovative candy holder perfect to decorate for Halloween and beyond! Pop on over to the blog The Paper Mama for the step by step tutorial on how to make a Venus … Read More...
This tree skirt is a beautiful finish to a Christmas tree! Emily from Life Sew Savory created it using a paper piecing method, and she has a free pattern you can download from her blog. Make it from Christmas themed … Read More...
If you have or attend a lot of parties during the Holidays it’s always nice to bring something for your host/hostess or have a little something to present to your guests. Stephanie used dies from MFT to create a few … Read More...
There’s not too many items we use as scrapbookers that is more versatile than pattern paper. It’s a basic building block of most layouts and can be used in so many different ways. Zinia created this layout using pattern paper … Read More...
Step by Step photo tutorial!!! Handmade holidays are so much fun. Here I am sharing a cute little pattern for Crochet Star Ornament. These simple Crochet Christmas Star Ornaments are a fun and easy holiday project. Make a bunch … Read More...
SKU# 125205
Learn how to needle felt a Santa doll! This is such a great video for learning advanced techniques for sweet, smiling needle felted faces with simple bodies. Santa stands on his own without using any wire armatures – from head … Read More...
This jewelry making tutorial crosses over into Polymer clay and our Kids craft blogs. This DIY tutorial is perfect for little kids to create their own BFF or Best friends necklace pendants. The tutorial is easy to follow and … Read More...
If your kids have started learning about the solar system and planet Earth in science class, you may be familiar with diagrams online or their teachers showing examples of the phases of the moon using Oreo cookies. The versions of this that we’ve seen usually involve removing the top of the Oreo, and using a knife to scrape away the icing inside to make the shapes of the moon. Although this method works perfectly fine and is just as accurate as these ones we’re sharing today, we thought that a little help from white chocolate might make these treats a little more appetizing and a fun treat to bring to a party.
Whether you’re learning about the moon or just want a spooky-meets-magical treat for your next party, these moon phase cookies come together super quickly and make the perfect sweet treat.
Step 1
Pour some white chocolate candy melts into a small bowl. Place in the microwave and warm at medium power for 30 seconds. Stir, and return to microwave for another 30 seconds. Repeat this process until the candy melts are completely smooth. This will help prevent and burning or scorching of the chocolate.
Step 2
Lay out a piece of wax paper on your work surface, next to the melted bowl of white chocolate. For a complete set as shown, you’ll need 8 Oreos.
Step 3
Dipping the Oreos is very simple, but it helps if you do an image search on moon phases first to use as reference. Start by setting one Oreo onto the wax paper without any dipping – this will be the new moon.
Step 4
Next, dip two Oreos in so that they each have just a small edge of white chocolate. These will be for both the waning crescent and waxing crescent. Set them carefully onto the wax paper to harden.
Step 5
For the first quarter and last quarter, dip two Oreos into the melted chocolate so that they are about half covered, again putting on the wax paper.
Step 6
Next, dip two more so that they are about three quarters covered, letting the white chocolate form a gentle curve if possible. These two are for the waning gibbous and waxing gibbous.
Step 7
Finally, dip an entire Oreo into the white chocolate to be the full moon.
Step 8
Let all the cookies harden on the wax paper. Repeat these steps if you’d like more than one set.
Enjoy!
Lydia created a fun striped scrapbooking sketch and challenged the designers at Felicity Jane to use it as inspiration for their layouts. Creating 5 different design based on the sketch they used paint, papers and even photos strips for the … Read More...
I love how the candies on this card look like they are cover in real sugar, they look good enough to eat! Ardyth used colorful ink pads and glitter paste for her die cut candy shapes to make them look … Read More...
No one loves Christmas more than the Who’s of Whoville. That’s why this season, you should decorate like a Who. With the new Grinch movie
Make it a handmade holiday this year and start hand embroidering! This is a curated list of modern Christmas hand embroidery patterns to download and stitch. Many of these would look great over your mantel or framed and gifted this … Read More...
These lovely Fall Leaves can be used to decorate your home, scrapbook pages, cards or any paper crafting projects this Autumn. The stitched designs are pattern paper with acetate to create shaker elements.
Visit the Crate Paper blog for more … Read More...
Wendy Lee is sharing step by step photo and video directions on how to create a fun Swing Easel Card. She used an Autumn theme but this versatile idea can be altered for any occasion.
Visit Splitcoast Stampers for more.… Read More...
This pie cross-stitch pattern made me laugh so I just had to share it.
It seems right that pumpkin pie would be the variety with the most attitude, doesn’t it?
You Want a Piece of Me is deigned by My … Read More...
Have you ever watched the Netflix show “The Chef’s Table”? I find it really fascinating to learn about people who are really good at what they do and really passionate about what they do and who have creative careers and … Read More...
Fall decor doesn’t have to be all deep earth tones. Fall decor can also be bright and happy. Just look at these patchwork fabric pumpkins by Sew HungryHippie. They’re so cute! She has a free pattern and tutorial you can … Read More...
OMG how adorable are these personalized mugs? They are on the higher budget level, but so adorable.
Each custom portrait will be hand-drawn individually from pictures, no pre-made template will be used… making it a truly one-of-a-kind gift. Each portrait … Read More...
This yummy Peanut Butter Popcorn Cake is super easy to make and a great recipe for kids! The fun fall colors make it perfect for a Halloween Party or Thanksgiving Feast. You can see the full recipe and tutorial for … Read More...
I love all the rustic vintage layers Emilia added to her spooky Halloween layout. She created her own background by stenciling different pastes over a star stencil on black cardstock. And all the strips of pattern paper she added are … Read More...
The Water-Reactive Ink Pads from Spectrum Noir are fun inks that, you guessed it, react with water! With these slow drying dye based ink pads you can get trendy looks like distress, ink splatters, ink blending and you can even … Read More...
If you’ve been reading the blog for several years, you’re probably familiar with our friend and long-time contributor Mari Richards. Her thoughtfully curated blog posts and round-ups are a joy to explore, even now years later. So although you may already know that side of Mari’s creative mind, we’re excited to be sharing another facet of her design work today: these beautifully painted abstract pieces of art!
These new paintings mark her return to the studio after several months of illness and recovery. She came back to painting as a place of healing and hope! They’re filled with her favorite marks and colors – calming blues. Each is a variation on the theme of hope! In her painting studio, she finds a place to embrace color, marks, layers, and textures. As she says: “The moment I try to plan a painting is the moment it stops working.” Instead, it’s about intuition, instinct, and a conversation with the paint in front of her.
We’re excited to help share the news of her new series of paintings, which just launched yesterday! Each of the ten new pieces is 8″ by 8″ and available for $100 including shipping. And a bonus – if you’re one of the first two orders, you will also receive a free mini 4″ by 4″ painting! Take a look at the collection in Mari’s Etsy shop.
We also had a chance to catch up with Mari and ask her a few questions about what she’s been up to lately, the inspiration behind these new paintings, and more!
How did you get your start in design?
Art has always been a big part of me. And I thought that’s where I’d stay. But my first job out of college was at a sign shop, and the owner gave me all these design opportunities. Turns out I love solving a design problem, I was hooked! After that, I found my first job in toy design by accident – in the newspaper help-wanted ads! I knew it was the right fit immediately, combining my drawing skills and imagination with design problem-solving.
You design a lot of kids’ products – which are your favorite to work on and which are most challenging?
One of the best parts of designing for kids is tapping into that part of me that’s still a kid. So my favorite projects are the ones that my little kid self loves too: dolls, imaginary creatures, toys with a puzzle element to them. The biggest challenges are usually the projects with the least limitations – when a client simply says they need new ideas. But those big challenges also come with the satisfaction of finding the perfect creative solutions!
How long have you been creating abstract paintings? Does working on them vs your other design work feel different, and if so, how?
As an official thing, I’ve been painting for about two years. Though I was painting in college and a little in my early twenties. Then I shifted into design, and my MFA focused on a broader approach; mostly drawing and sculpture. I’ve always got my hands in something!
I discovered some time ago that I’m not happy if I’m only designing. By itself it can leave me too focused on market-driven solutions, other people’s bottom lines, lifestyle trends. So painting is the counterbalance. In my studio, I’ve spent a lot of time letting go of pleasing others and trying to just let the creativity flow. Part of that is letting go of the outcomes – such an opposite to designing! That release lets me just swim in what fuels me: the creativity itself..
Tell us about your new group of paintings and what inspired them.
This past year was a really rocky road of healing after a severe flare-up of a chronic illness. There were several months where I simply didn’t have the energy – mentally or physically – to paint. Coming back to the studio and creating these new paintings was an act of hope! Painting helped me find my way back to my center, and what makes my life, my life. It’s amazing how much the simple pleasures mean when you lose them. These paintings are the moments I began putting the pieces back together, of finding hope, calm, and relief.
What advice do you have for readers going through healing and looking for joy through creativity?
Create for yourself first. That may mean you don’t show anyone else what you’re up to. You can keep it just for you as you feel it out. You can literally plan to throw it away when you’re done – enjoy the process first and not the end result. I didn’t show anyone what I was painting for months, until I was sure I was showing them simply to share them, and not to find approval or acceptance. Listen to what you enjoy by trying lots of different things. Even if they seem silly or unproductive. Find some mentors or inspirations. There are some amazing online resources from other artists – creative exercises and workshops that will get you exploring your creative side. I’ve personally found that starting with a brief meditation and candles help me find the peace and healing while I paint. In the end, I think the healing comes from the letting go, and finding the joy in playing and listening to your inner creative self.
Sign up for Mari’s monthly newsletter for updates, flash sales, and exclusive behind the scenes features. And if you don’t already follow Mari over on Instagram as well to keep up with all her latest creative adventures.
Need a quick polymer clay project for Halloween? Here’s a great, simple skull cane to do. It’d be equally awesome, in other colours, for fun punk stuff at any time of the year. In my little bit of the universe … Read More...
If you are in need of a bunch of last minute Halloween decorations and want to make them with stuff you are likely to have around pop on over to the blog Decor Dolphin for a whole bunch of spooktactular … Read More...
These colorful Autumn Leaves digital papers are wonderful for creating Fall scrapbook pages, planner layouts or cards. There are 12 designs and they are FREE to download and print from Free Pretty Things for You.
Click here to download them.… Read More...
I love a versatile stamp set, like this one from Hero Arts. The Layering Peace clear set can be used on it’s own or with other stamps, in many different color combination and with different styles of cards. Yana used … Read More...
How to make a scrunchie without a sewing machine can be a durable alternative. I know tweens and teens all over the world are going crazy for scrunchies. My daughter paid $6 for one the other week and it drove … Read More...
I went through a phase where I was obsessed with toddler and preschooler busy bags. I was part of a mom’s group and we did a giant swap of busy bag activities (so big I got five blog posts out … Read More...
For Halloween decor, I prefer to pass on the gore and double-down on the GLAM! These glitzy painted pumpkins (or squash! or gourds!) let you bring the beautiful golden colors of autumn inside with the help of golden glitter. If you have multiple pumpkins to decorate, sticking with the same limited color palette is a great way to create a little pumpkin patch that’s ready to mix-and-match.
Optional:
Step 1
Pick your pumpkin.
Step 2
Put masking tape around the pumpkin to section off where you will paint and to help create a straight edge. Tip: run your fingernail along the tape to make sure it sticks down into the small crevices of the pumpkin to help create a crisper line.
Step 3
Paint the bottom section of your pumpkin. Add a second coat if needed. Remove tape. Allow to dry completely. Propping the pumpkin in a spare bowl or flowerpot can make this much easier.
Step 4
Use a pencil to sketch “BOO“ or other design onto the top section of the pumpkin.
Step 5
Fill in the design with white paint. Allow to dry completely.
Step 6
With black paint, add stars, dots, or other details to the pink section of the pumpkin.
Step 7
Paint over “BOO“ with glue and sprinkle with white glitter.
Step 8
Add a few golden details: Paint the pumpkin stem with glue and cover with gold glitter. Select a few stars; cover with glue and sprinkle with gold glitter.
Step 1
Put masking tape around the pumpkin to section off an area and to help create a straight edge. Tip: run your fingernail along the tape to make sure it sticks down into the crevices of the pumpkin to help create a crisper line.
Step 2
Place pumpkin upside down in an extra bowl or flower pot. Cover with a layer of Mod Podge.
Step 3
Cover with gold glitter.
Step 4
Remove tape and allow to dry completely.
Step 5
Once dry, paint stem with more Mod Podge.
Step 6
Cover with gold glitter and allow to dry completely.
Step 1
Use black paper to cut out ears, eyes, nose/mouth, and whiskers to create a cat face. Be sure to leave extra paper at the bottom of each ear to create a tab where they can be attached to the pumpkin, approximately 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch.
Step 2
Use Mod Podge to paint a triangular “inner ear“ on each ear and cover with gold glitter.
Step 3
Use Mod Podge to attach all elements to the pumpkin.
Happy Halloween!
