Hello everyone! Did you know that March is National Craft Month?  I'm very excited to share this DIY Nautical Tote Bag as part of the Jo-Ann Fabric And Craft Stores® National Craft Month campaign. I am one of the crafters selected to share our love for crafting and highlight the latest spring trends. Jo-Ann makes spring crafting easy during National Craft Month with a $5 off $25 or more purchase coupon and a spring crafting inspiration website. Since we've been having bright sunshine days here in Arizona, it was easy for me to take on the Nautical trend. I always try to include something new when creating for Jo-Ann. And for today's project, I'm playing with Fabric Transfer Ink!

Supplies

- DecoArt Ink Effects blue ink - Deco Art Ink Effects for Cotton Fabrics spray - Wear'm medium canvas tote in natural color - Printable anchor pattern (download link at the end of this post) - Paint palette and paint brush - Iron [Optional] Chic Twisted Handles - 3/8" natural twisted trimming (1 yard) - Dritz 7/16" eyelet kit - Scissors - Hammer All supplies except the anchor pattern were found and bought at my local Jo-Ann store. All products used are my own choice and this is my personal, honest opinion based on my experience.

First Try

I used thin printer paper (24lb) for my pattern and it worked fine. The instruction says that the Fabric Transfer Ink can be used on coloring book pages - endless pattern possibilities! As you can see the picture below, a little goes a long way! I painted very carefully on this anchor but I couldn't keep the paint within the lines so I decided to cut it out. It is always easier to cut out a pattern starting with the center portion. Here is where it didn't work out. I ironed the pattern on and it was much lighter than I expected. I then read the instructions and found out the "Vibrancy of color transfer will vary with different blends of fabrics. For best results, use fabrics that contain 60% or less." <-- Read the instructions! The tote bag I used is 100% cotton. I'm so glad I got the Cotton Fabrics spray! It conditions the cotton to increase ink absorbency. Spray and let dry!

Second Try

While waiting on the tote to dry, I prepared my second anchor pattern. Since I knew I would cut it out, I went with a wider paint brush and just brushed the color on. I poured too much ink out so I decided to try some other patterns! First, a self-adhesive compass mask! Think how cool this would be on a T-shirt?! Then I tried using masking tape to create stripes. Quick and easy! Let the painted patterns to dry for about 45min. Put the pattern ink side down on the tote surface, put a piece of clean paper on top, set your iron on highest heat and "dry" (no steam!) and iron away! I ironed my anchor first, the basecoat was still sticky and helped keep the pattern in place. I then placed the stripes on top to get a cool overlapping look. I added the compass pattern to the final project and left it at a lighter color for some visual depth. The harder and longer you iron, the darker the color will be. The painted patterns can be used for more than once but the color will be lighter and lighter each time. Just looking at these nautical icons makes me happy! The "Design Your Own" canvas totes come with handles but I want to make it more nautical with twisted rope handles! And everything's nicer with some gold on it, right? So in 3 hours (mostly waiting for the ink to dry), I have a cute, chic, trendy nautical tote bag to use! Let's go out and play in the sun, shall we? Wait, let's have the anchor patterns first! First Try Free Anchor Pattern (goes on the left of your bag) Second Try Free Anchor Pattern (goes on the right of your bag) Thank you for stopping by! Happy Crafting!

Hello everyone! I'm sharing a Lucky Clover Door Hanger on Pebbles  Blog today and thought it would be fun to share how I made the 4-leaf clover here! My project was for St. Patrick's Day until I found out that Shamrocks and 4-leaf clovers are different... Did you know that? I was totally inspired by the Buttflies from Pebbles Garden Party collection! It was harder than I thought to create the look, but now we have a template pattern to make our lives easier!

How to Make the Lucky Clover

1. Download template: http://cl.ly/2s1G3m3M272f, print and cutout as indicated.

2. Trim paper to 3-1/2"W x 7"L, score every 1/4" widthwise. Score and fold in half lengthwise, pattern side in.

3. Put the straight edge of the template against the fold and trace the scallop edge on the back.

The black solid lines on the pattern indicate score lines. You don't need to score/fold the pattern itself. The lines are there so that if you don't have a scoring board, you can use the lines as guides to score your paper.

4. Cutout the scallop edge, open up your paper and fan-fold. Start with a mountain fold on either end.

5. Fan-fold means alternating your mountain folds and valley folds.

6. Secure the center with floral wire

7. Fan out to desired shape and we are done!

A quick note: If you are attaching the shamrock to an open surface, secure the wire with some washi tape can help protect fingers from the sharp edges. Now head back to Pebbles Blog to check out the finished project! Thank you for stopping by! Happy Crafting!

Hello everyone! I'm sharing a Valentine's Day decoration on Pebbles Blog today and thought it would be fun to share more step photos and a free pattern here. I picked a few of my favorite patterns from Pebbles Yours Truly collection and die cut a bunch hearts in various sizes. I used a set of nesting dies but you can also hand drew your own. I hand drew a cloud on the grid paper to be my base panel. I've made it into a pattern that you can download at the end of this post. I arranged the hearts in a random pattern and adhered them together with some foam adhesive. I also used some printed chipboard shapes for more visual interest. Finished! Download the cloud pattern here: Click on a link to go to the download page. You are welcome to share the projects you make with these  templates as long as proper credit is given. Please link to this post and not the file directly. Thanks! PDF (For use with your printer and then cut by hand with scissors) .studio (For use with Silhouette electronic die cut machine) Thank you for stopping by! Happy Crafting!

Hello everyone! I know It's been busy on the blog lately, haha! But it's better to share a Christmas advent calendar earlier than later, right? Even if you don't do countdowns for Christmas,  you could use it to collect love notes to family members or simply as a decoration, in a fabulously festive way. I've got lots of photos to share today! Learn how to make the big 3D star, paper trees and reindeer in my post here.

Supplies

Printable Christmas Countdown Activity List (free download here!) Paper Scissors Adhesive String (I used twine) Envelope Punch Board (Or a scoring board to make envelopes) Crazy Mesh (Gold Metallic) [Optional] Decorative Punches [Optional] * All supplies were found and bought at Jo-Ann Store (coupon linked below)

The Tree

The first thing I did was to wrap the tree with some gold metallic mesh for an instant festive lift. We've had this tree for a long time. I think it is easy to find an alternative or you can just hang the envelopes together on a hook or a string across your mantel.

How to make the envelopes

I used two sizes of envelopes on my tree. The activity cutouts from my list (linked above) will fit nicely in the smaller envelopes: Cut paper to 3"x3" and start scoring at 1-3/4" to make this envelop: For this envelope size, two of the corners will stick out a little. You can snip off the extra or use a corner punch with a bigger radius: I used an 1" circle punch to punch the numbers out here but you can just cut around them by hand. Remember to put the twine (for hanging) and the activity cutout in before you seal it. For the bigger envelope - Cut paper to 4"x4" and start scoring at 2-1/4". I made this envelope size so I can use the bracket numbers cutout from the paper.

Decorate the Envelops

Almost all paper pads have a couple of journaling or accent paper. I cut the elements out to decorate the envelopes.

More Photos

Did you notice the big red doily the tree is sitting on? It was punched with a doily punch! I've been wanted to try one of these ever since I saw them at CHA back in January this year. And Thanks to the coupon, I finally brought it home!

The 50% Off Coupon

Use it in-store or online. Use it on the Envelope Punch Board, Martha Stewart Circle Edge Punch Starter Set, or any other cool stuff you've wanted. This post is part of the Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores® Celebrate the Season campaign. I received compensation in craft supplies; however, this is my personal, honest opinion based on my experience.  All products used were my personal choice.

More Inspiration

I would like to take the chance to thank Jo-Ann for having me in this campaign. I've known that Jo-Ann has the widest selection of products and best deals all along. And now I've grown the habit to check out the Idea Sheets displayed at my local Jo-Ann store every time I go there. I can tell that Jo-Ann has put a great effort in providing us with more craft inspirations. You can find some really amazing projects in their Holiday Craft Catalog here: http://bit.ly/1dZqWsw. Here are the links to my other posts for this campaign: Rustic Fall/Thanksgiving Tablescape Pom-Pom Spider for Halloween Decoration I hope that you will have tons of fun creating for this fabulous holiday season. Stay warm! Stay connected via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube! 

Hello everyone! Following the Halloween Activity List I shared here, I've made a Boo Street Halloween decoration for the Pebbles Blog! I would like to share how I made the octagon boxes (frames). You can prepare the squares with your scoring board or download and cut the squares with the .studio file I have put together for your Silhouette.

Preparation: Cut 6 Squares

- [Option 1] Download the PDF pattern here. Please find the preview below. We will need to prepare 4 of the [1] square and 2 of the [2] square. You can pre-score the fold lines for crisp folds. - [Option 2] Download the .studio cutting file here. Please find the preview below. I've included all 6 squares needed in the file. The last two squares are for the top and bottom covers with which you can choose to cut on some different patterned paper.

Folding/Assembly Steps:

[Video Tutorial]

[Photo Tutorial]

And here is a sneak peak of my finished project. Check it out here! Thank you for stopping by! Happy Crafting! Linked to scrapbook.com where this collection is 30% off.

Hello everyone! Popping in to share a couple more ink charts following the Memento Ink Color Chart (Including a generic blank chart). Thanks JJ and Jingle for introducing me to these beautiful inks! I am still in the process of collecting all the colors. Makes you wanna get inky just by looking at them, right? ;) (Click on the photos to view them on Flickr.) First one up, Fresh Inks. Available at Impress Rubber Stamps. These are pigment inks with good coverage when the pads are juicy. As you can see in the photo, a couple of my pads were dry when they first arrived. So if you like a color a lot, try to get the re-inker as well. My favorite colors are: Mango (yellow), Fuchsia(hot pink), Peach (light orange), Tomato Red (orange red) and Pool (light teal green). Then, VersaMagic. (I punched a 1" square from black cardstock for the white ink.) These are chalk inks that can be used on paper, clay, wood, shrink plastic and leather. They have a chalky finish with some beautiful muted colors. My favorites are: Pink Petunia (smoky pink), Red Brick (smoky red), Aegean Blue (smoky navy) and Oasis Green (smoky teal green). And last, Brilliance and VersaFine (the last two rows) inks. I was surprised by how vibrant the brilliance inks are! And the pearlescent colors are very beautiful in real life. My favorites are: Rocket Red - Gold (a warm pink with gold shine), Rocket Red (my favorite Christmas red), Lightning Black (dark gray with gold shine), and Graphite Black (real black). It will take some time for the Brilliance inks to dry. VersaFine Onyx Black is my favorite ink for sentiments. It gives good coverage, crisp images and dries fast on uncoated paper. I went ahead and got all of the 12 colors. They are darker than I thought so I need to play with them more to say what my favorites are. I bought my Tsukineko inks (Memento, Stazon, VersaFine, VersaMagic and Brilliance) from local Jo-ann's and Ellen Hutson, the latter has all of the Memento and VersaFine colors with fast shipping and excellent customer service. Download the Blank Charts Here! Thank you for stopping by! Happy Crafting!

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading my review on Rubbermaid Bento Boxes, sharing your organization tips with me and joining the giveaway! Before I reveal the winners, I want to share some ink color chart templates with you for cataloging your inks.   From what I've read among your comments, many of you are like me, have collected all the 36 colors of the Memento Drewdrops by Tusekineko. I could not find any color chart template I like on the internet so I made mine: 1. Horizontal Memento Hand Color Chart 6 x 6 grids with 1" x 1" stamping area. Colors pre-named in ascending numerical order from left to right, top to bottom. 2. Vertical Memento Hand Color Chart 6 x 7 grids with 1" x 1" stamping area. Colors pre-named in ascending numerical order from top to bottom, left to right. There are also empty squares for any extra ink colors you want to catalog and compare together. (See my stamped chart below) 3. Generic Hand Color Chart 6 x 7 grids with 1" x 1" stamping area. Use to catalog any inks you may have to fit your system, i.e. one color family per sheet. Enjoy! I used the Vertical chart myself so I can keep most of the color families in a line. I stamped some Jenni Bowlin dye inks close to the similar Memento Colors for easy reference. I made the squares to be 1"x1" so if you made any mistake during the process, you can just punch out a square and stick to the sheet. (click on the image below and look closer on the 501 Lilac Posies square lol) OK, now, the giveaway winner!!! The winner of $215 Rubbermaid Bento Storage Boxes in Paprika is: Congratulations Britt! I will email you, please reply with your snail mail address! Thanks again everyone! Happy crafting!

Morning crafters! I am sharing a little pack of digi paper today! I have enjoyed the triangle trend for a while and finally found time to create some freebies. I will share the .studio file (for use with your Silhouette SD/Cameo) next month. There are 4 paper in this kit. You are welcome to share the projects you made with them online but please credit and link to this post (not the file directly). I made two samples for your inspiration. The paper will be 6" x 6" printed at 100% scale. I am using 85% scale for my two cards today. Using the scraps from making the card above: My motivation was the new 10 Minutes Craft Dash Challenge. I'm a slow crafter but I found my best cards were mostly created in a whip with some patterned paper. The cool sketch for my first card is from Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge: Designer Drafts. I had so much fun making today's projects. Happy crafting!

Morning Crafters! Only one day left for getting a gift for The Woman in our lives! How about a gift card with a hand-made tote bag card holder? :)  I was inspired by this photo  to use a tote bag for mother's gifts! Every mom needs a roomy and beautiful tote, right? :) Let's get started! Download the Tote Bag Template Print the template at 100% scale on paper or cardstock to use as a template.  Decorate! I added some self-adhesive pearls for the bag feet :) Finished Size: 4"x2.5"x2". This is my first design team project for GCD Studios. Head over to our blog here for the amazing projects by the design team ladies! Have Fun and Happy Mother's Day!

Hi everyone! Nina here with another Joy's Life Design Team project. I made a card using "Lucky Me Having You in My Life" sentiment from You're So Punny Set. The sentiment, the fonts, and how the letters are positioned are just perfect! I used the biggest heart in the nesting heart dies set as a template to form the foam dotted heart and put glitter on the dots. Messy but fun! ;) You can download the Man and Woman Silhouette Pattern as a .studio cut file here or the printable pattern below: (right click on the image and save it to your hard disk.) There are so many fun things you can do with this pattern! i.e. Use it as a template and trace the pattern onto colored card stock or patterned paper; give the lady a little flower to wear in her hair; give the man a little tie; give them both crowns… Dress them up and have fun! Now, time to reveal Joy's Life new releases! I am super excited about these new sets! You can find all the details here! Also for CAS-Fridays Challenge: Easy as 1-2-3 (A Pattern, A Image, A Sentiment) Don't forget to join us tomorrow for a fun St Patrick's Day Blog Hop and Giveaways! Happy Crafting!