You Know...

You've been doing too many spray adhesive projects when you release the spray nozzle and it comes off the can and sticks to your finger. That aside, I love working with the Aleene's Crystal Clear Tacky Spray.

I rescued this changing table a couple of years ago from my brother and sister-in-law's 'to sell pile'. I love the clear openings until I started using it in my bedroom and when someone would come into the room they could see ALL of the items in the drawers. So, I bought some inexpensive lace fabric, cut it to the size of each opening, sprayed on some spray adhesive and within minutes I had all of the drawers covered.




Before and now it's so much more feminine. You could use other things to cover the openings - I was even thinking beads, but the lace won out.

Tip - if your fingers get sticky from using the spray adhesive, spray on a little WD-40 - it's take it right off.

Joan

Photo Display

Here's a great way to display all of those photos you have!


I have TONS of photos I've taken and wanted to display them in my new home. Here's the outcome - first, I laid them out on the floor to get a feel for what they'd look like, then I took a photo of the layout to make sure I knew where each one went. That's good in theory, but check it out - I expanded on it as I went along to fill up the huge wall.

I started by having my photos enlarged at COSTCO - it's super easy - just upload them to their website and in an hour you can pick up your awesome enlargements (and they're cheap!).

I bought some foam core at a local discount store (it's available at craft stores too) and some Aleene's Crystal Clear Tacky Spray (I LOVE this product!).

I sprayed the spray adhesive on the back of the photo then placed it on the foam core and smoothed it with my hands - I'd recommend a brayer next time for a super duper professional look. Oh, don't forget to protect your work surface really well before you use the spray - follow the instructions on the can too.

I laid the photo on a cutting board and used a box cutting knife to trim around the edges (hint - use a new blade and change the blade often so you get a good cut).

To adhere the photos to the wall I used a 3M product that attaches things to the wall and doesn't leave a residue when removed.

My display is picture perfect, I'd say!

Forged Foil

Aleene's Forged Foil


















I recently ran across a 40 year old book entitled Tricks with Tacky - A Craft "How To" Create Book.
I was so inspired by the Forged Foil technique that I just had to 'update' it and in thinking about it, I decided to take a twist on it. The original projects were created by gluing twine to cardboard, gluing crumpled foil over the image, 'forging' it so the twine had a 3D effect and then antiquing it with a paint wash.


I thought gluing the twine in place would be a bit cumbersome, so I used Tulip® 3D Fashion Paint™ instead. I was able to get more intricate details - I really like the results.














Here's what it takes to do Forged Foil Joan's Way...


Find a cardboard box that the letters will fit on.


Enlarge the desired letters on your computer and print them off.









Cut the letters from the cardboard box.





Draw designs on the letters with a pencil.

Trace designs with Tulip® 3D Fashion Paint™. Let dry.

Crumple foil. Uncrumple and flatten with hands.

Spray one letter with Aleene's® Crystal Clear Tacky Spray™. Place foil on letter. Smooth with your hands to adhere. Use a smooth object (I used the handle end of a paintbrush that had a rounded end) and 'forge' the foil by lightly go around the 3D areas. Repeat for all letters.

Thin paint with water until a milk consistency. Brush on a letter and immediately wipe with paper towel. Repeat for all letters.

That's all there is to it!

Enjoy!
Joan

Spring Wreath

Last Minute Easter and Spring Ideas
Happy Spring Wreath

I love this time of year and I just have to meet the changing of the season with a wreath on my door.

This is one of those quick projects that you can do in a matter of minutes and the secret is Aleene's® Crystal Clear Tacky Spray™. Just spray it on the back of your silk flowers and ivy and place them into the openings of a grapevine wreath. It holds instantly, yet there's a longer open tack time so it gives you time to reposition flowers.

If your silk flowers are looking a little dated or dusty, use floral spray paints to spruce them up.

A soft bow adds a finishing touch and you're ready within moments to greet your guests with a little touch of the outdoors.

Usher in Spring with a little something special today.
Joan

Valentine's Day Gifts

Last Minute Valentine Gift

I have a friend who's been having a tough time with life lately, so I invited her for a facial next week. I thought I'd make her an invitation so the occasion would feel even more special - The Aleene's® Crystal Clear Tacky Spray™ makes quick work of layering papers, so it's perfect for last minute cards.

This idea is great for gift certificates too.

Last Minute Gift Idea
Glade® Wisp® Flameless Candles

These Wisp® Flameless Candles from Glade® are awesome! I decorated one at Halloween and now, I'm decorating them as gifts. These are faux candles (they look real!) and they put off a puff of scent! They're inexpensive and I just had to share them with the people on my gift list. I hope they enjoy them as much as I do!

Here's What You Need

Aleene's® Crystal Clear Tacky Spray™

Aleene's® Platinum Bond™ 7800 All-Purpose Adhesive™

Tulip® Glam-It-Up!™ Iron-On Crystals™

Glade® Wisp® Flamesless Candle

Tissue paper or rub-ons

Tiny frame ornaments (I got mine at Target)

Trim, optional

Scissors

Here's How to Make It

Rub-On

1. Follow instructions on package to adhere the rub-ons.

Tissue Covered

1. Spray globe with Tacky Spray. Immediately smooth tissue around globe. Cut excess.

All Globes

1. Print off picture and place in frame ornament.

2. Glue ornament to globe.

3. If desired, glue on Crystals.

4. If desired, glue trim around top edge of globe.

Make It Yours! Tip

There are so many tissues, even napkins that you can select just the right one for everyone! Use scrap trims and things you have in your craft room to decorate them up!

Wrap It Up! Tip

I just have to put these in a gift bag (gift bags just don't do it for me - I love to tear open a gift) - I want to take them out and show the person how to turn them on and use them.

What do you give a guy who has everything?
My brother loves old rusty things, lives on the 40 acre family farm and is really hard to buy gifts for.
This present really came by mistake - I was at the family farm taking pictures of leaves for a gift for my mom (she really, really loves leaves - AND so do I!). I thought about taking photographs of interesting leaves, but thought it would have so much more meaning if they were leaves that she saw every day. As I was out taking leaf pictures, I noticed that a board on the barn had a cutout of some kind that looked like a D - that's where I lost all track of time (my mom actually came out to make sure I hadn't fallen in the well - there's actually no way to fall in the well, but it sounds good...I am a writer, after all!). So, I started looking around to spell out my brother's name in things around the farm. The A is some kind of a hitch the V is an inverted saw horse, the I is actually (I'd have to clarify this with David after Christmas) that it's from a Model T and the other D is a tractor seat. I really had fun doing this. So, let your imagination run free and sometimes don't think so hard about that perfect gift and it will just come to you as if it was written on the side of a billboard - in my case on the side of the barn! It was inexpensive too!
David's Rusty Old Stuff Wall Art
Here's What You Need
Aleene's® Crystal Clear Tacky Spray™
Aleene's® Original Tacky Glue™
Tulip® Soft Fabric Paint™ (color to match wood)
Foam paintbrush
Photos
Old wood for background
Picture hangers and hammer
Chipboard (size of photos)

Here's How to Make It
1. Attach picture hangers on back of wood.
2. Paint edges of chipboard with Soft Paint. Let dry.
3. Spray Tacky Spray on front of chipboard. Press on photo. Repeat for all photos.
4. Glue photos on front of wood.

Make It Yours! Tip
Think of what the person really likes - is it candy, is it office supplies (that could be fun!), is it pictures of the kids (have them form the letters with their bodies or hands!)???

Wrap It Up! Tip
I think I'm going go hang this out in David's workshop or maybe I'll wrap it in a burlap sack...

We're getting closer and closer...

I chatted with or emailed with friends this weekend and I heard over and over how they weren't ready for the holidays - some didn't have a tree yet, some were still looking for that perfect gift, one was calling to confirm my address and then there were some who were going to events and waiting to do their power shopping this week. Me, I'm usually done way before this (Halloween is my goal) but this year, it's been different and I found out it's OK!

Friday was our company holiday lunch - it usually consists of a very nice lunch, a couple of fun games and then we go about our merry ways on our afternoon off.

This year was DIFFERENT! Well, my name wasn't drawn for karaoke (but, my friend did insist that I take a photo with the mic in hand (she really just wanted a picture of the fabric 'column' behind me!) - but what a hoot it was to watch the five teams - who knew my co-workers could actually sing?

We had the Alvin and the Chipmunks team where they did the helium thing and sang like the Chipmunks (cute!), the Marketing group sang 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!' and that they did - except that one was not a girl - Roque (Q as we know him) had his wig leftover from his Thor costume at Halloween - and that guy wore that long blonde hair well! He came out into the audience and 'flirted' with the guys in my department - fun to see big, strong guys get a lot embarrassed at the 'affection' - you ROCK Q! The group that won was IT and Finance - our local football team is the Bulldogs - and our president's father (former head of the company) LOVES the Bulldogs - there's even a huge building next to the stadium named after him - (you need all this to understand the enthusiasm that filled the room.) Most everyone wore the team colors and Bob, who is 80+ years old, was at the microphone wearing a sideways team hat - they sang 'Who Let the Dogs Out?' - the roar of laughter filled the room the entire time the team sang. Hilarious! Friends at my table said their cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing so hard!

We had an ornament contest and my friend Barb won a wonderful gift basket!

Joan's Fluffy Ornament

Here's What You Need

Aleene's® Crystal Clear Tacky Spray™

Tulip® Fashion Glitter™

Aleene's® Clear Gel™

Tulip® Glam-It-Up!™ Iron-On Crystals™

Boa

Ornament

Cup

Here's How To Make It

1. Spray Tacky Spray all over ornament.

2. Immediately, sprinkle Glitter over ornament. Pat the glitter to help it stick. For a heavy coverage, spray on more Tacky Spray and sprinkle on Glitter. Hang to dry.

3. Glue Crystals randomly on one side of ornament, using Clear Gel. Place in cup to dry. Repeat until desired look is achieved.

4. Glue boa to top of ornament.

Beautiful topiary trees graced the hall of the banquet room - I think an upside down tomato cage could work as the base of this!

Back to Friday - Since my holiday shopping is done - I scheduled a massage for Friday afternoon - what an awesome experience - it was a new place and I know I'll be going back - I registered in this beautiful area and then was taken to the Quiet Room to wait for my masseuse - the room was complete with a huge aquarium and tranquil music. I had asked for a soothing massage, but one that would work out some of the stress too - well, she worked me over until it hurt so bad it took my breath away - but, oh my! It worked! I walked a little straighter and the tenseness was gone.

I worked yesterday on a couple gifts I will finish for Christmas - I'm covering more of the Glade Flameless Candles and I'm also working my brother's gift - some of my photography - but it's mounted very unique - more on that this week.

I'd better get back to cleaning so I can then have fun crafting for the holidays!

Until tomorrow -

Joan

Chalk It Up Lamp
Not only is this a functional lamp, but it's a convenient way to keep track of things you need to do or let the kids doodle to their hearts content!

What You Need
Aleene’s® Crystal Clear Tacky Spray™
Chalkboard paint
Unfinished wood lamp base w/shade
Paintbrush, foam
Masking tape
Newspaper
Pen
Scissors
Fabric
Ruler
Acrylic paint to coordinate with fabric

How to Make It
1. Paint lamp base as desired with acrylic paint, masking off areas you don’t want painted.
2. Paint chalkboard paint where desired, following manufacturer’s instructions.
3. For lampshade pattern, roll shade across newspaper, marking along top and bottom, using pen. Cut out.
3. Place pattern on fabric. Cut fabric 1” outside pattern lines at top and bottom and slightly longer at one end.
4. Spray back of fabric with Tacky Spray, following instructions on label. Smooth fabric on lampshade, pressing excess fabric to inside of shade.

Make it Yours Tip!
Use leftover fabric from curtains to make a matching shade for your room. Don’t forget to include an eraser and chalk!

Wrap It Up Tip!
Wrap shade separately and fill cavity with tissue paper so it doesn’t crush. Instead of wrapping the lamp, just place it the room, place a bow on it and plug it in before the receiver arrives.

These Beautiful Botanical Notecards are the perfect Christmas gift for everyone! Use different papers and unusual embellishments to make each card unique.

Here's What You Need
Aleene's® Original Tacky Glue™
Aleene's® Crystal Clear Tacky Spray™
Scissors
Cardstock
Ruler
Tissue, burgundy
5" x 7" notecards

Additional Items for Grape Card
Linen paper
Tissue, gold
Grape charm, gold
Silk grape leaf
Grapevine twig
Metallic paint pen, gold
Deckle edge scissors

Additional Items for Flower Card
Flower paper
Flower charm, gold
Metallic paint pen, gold
Deckle edge scissors

Additional Items for Leaf Card
2-1/2" mesh square, gold
Leaf charm, gold
Flower paper

Here's What To Do
1. For grape card, cut a 4" x 6" rectangle and a 3" square from cardstock. Cut a 2-1/2" square from linen paper.
2. Cut gold tissue slightly larger than rectangle. Cut burgundy tissue slightly larger than 3" square. Crumple tissue. Flatten tissue, smoothing with your hands.
3. Spray cardstock with Tacky Spray, following instructions on label. Lay gold tissue over rectangle. Smooth with hands. Repeat procedure to adhere burgundy tissue on square.
4. For decorative edge of linen paper, cut edges with deckle edge scissors. Apply metallic paint along edges.
5. Spray Tacky Spray on back of gold cardstock. Place on card. Repeat with burgundy cardstock and linen paper. Refer to photo.
6. Glue leaf, grape charm and grape twig on linen paper, using Tacky Glue.
7. For flower card, cut a 4" x 6" and a 2-1/2" x 3-1/2" rectangle from cardstock. Cut a 3-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangle from flower paper. Follow steps 2 and 3 to adhere gold tissue on large rectangle and burgundy tissue on small rectangle. Cut along edges of all rectangles with deckle edge scissors. Follow step 5 to adhere rectangles on card. Refer to photo.
8. Glue flower charm on center of card, using Tacky Glue.
9. For leaf card, cut a 3-3/4" x 4-1/2" rectangle from flower paper.
10. Cut a 3" x 5-1/2" rectangle from cardstock. Follow step 3 to cover rectangle with burgundy tissue.
11. Follow step 5 to adhere rectangles on card.
12. Glue wire mesh and leaf charm on center of card, using Tacky Glue.
13. For all cards, cut front edge of card with deckle edge scissors and apply gold paint pen along edge to highlight.

Make It Yours Tip!
Use things you have on hand - rubberstamps, twigs from your yard even children's fingerprints to make special cards.

Wrap It Up Tip!
Place the cards in a fabric envelope or purchase a desk organizer and slip the cards in the drawers along with other desk accessories such as a letter opener and stapler.

Tick Tock Timeless Treasure
It's quick. It's easy! You can make this adorable clock in a matter of minutes and mark it off your Christmas gift list!

What you need
Tulip® Soft Fabric Paints™ - two colors to coordinate with your fabric - one dark and one light (even though the name is fabric paint, you can use it on all your projects!)
Aleene's® Crystal Clear Tacky Spray™
Aleene's® Original Tacky Glue™
Wood piece with hole for clock movement or drill hole
Foam brush
Sponge
Fine line permanent pen (black)
Fabric of your choice
Craft knife
Clock movement with hands (make sure the stem is long enough to go through wood
4 wood hearts
Scissors

Here's how to do it!
1. Paint sections of wood piece that will not be covered with fabric, using dark paint color. Paint hearts same color. Let dry. Sponge lighter color of paint over painted sections of wood piece. Add dots around edges of small hearts, using permanent pen.
2. Cut shape from fabric to fit wood piece. Spray Tacky Spray on back of fabric and smooth on wood piece. Cut hole for clock movement through fabric with craft knife. Position clock in place through hole, following manufacturer's instructions.
3. Glue wood hearts in position on clock, using Tacky Glue. NOTE: Place hearts so clock hands do not scrape them.

How to Make it Yours (or a perfect for that special someone) - Make the clock extra special by picking fabric and wood pieces that speaks to you about the person. Personalize with Tulip® 3D Fabric Paints™ and you can add 3D Paint numbers instead of using wood hearts.

Enjoy!

PattieWack, Lauren, Me and Mupu!!!

What a great weekend!!! I got to spend time with three of my best friends!!!

I had a long breakfast on Saturday with my friend, Frances. We don't get to see each other often enough now that we don't work together so it was awesome to spend 2 hours of uninterrupted time chatting and catching up. Remember, she got married last October and I was in the wedding.

Then, it was on to Santa Paula to spend an entire afternoon and night with PattieWack!!! Loved it! It was just Pattie and me for the afternoon - it was girl chat catch up BIG time! We can email and talk on the phone, but we gotta have one of those hugs and talk face to face to really feel connected. Lauren arrived in the evening (more on that later).

Pattie sure knows how to make people feel special! Not only were we greeted with a sign on 'It' (what I call the decoupaged mannequin in their entryway), there was a sign along with a rose in the bathroom AND not only a sign in the guest bedroom but pictures of Lauren and me too!

So, it's a Saturday and three crafty ladies are together. What to do? CRAFT OF COURSE!!! But first, we went to Mupu's Grill and saw the sights and murals of Santa Paula. After dinner we got out tissue, yarn and paper and went to town (or Pattie's Studio in this case!)

Pattie got us started by fan folding two colors of tissue paper and showed us how to make incredible flowers. (here's how to make them) We then moved on to create beautiful tassels and circle books. Thanks, Pattie - you're the BEST!!! BTW, we saw Scott (PATTIE'S BRAND NEW HUSBAND) only for a quick hug that night and early the next morning.

Lauren and I kind of invited ourselves to Pattie and Scott's and we're so thankful for their hospitality - our mission was to get rid of a bunch of craft supplies we'd accumulated over the years! We decided we wanted them to go to good homes so we blew them out at $1 each. We got up super early Sunday morning and headed to Ventura to sell our wares. I was in charge of making our sign so I used Aleene's® Crystal Clear Tacky Spray™ to adhere cut out letters on foam core - it worked perfect! Notice that we used the tissue flowers we made the night before to decorate the pole.

This was truly a different experience - in the afternoon
the dreaded Santa Ana Winds came flying in and pop-up awnings and merchandise

was flying. A fire was raging in Malibu not too far away and the smoke flooded the sky along with ash as the afternoon progressed.

On my way home, the 2 o'clock in the afternoon sky was as dark as if it was midnight. Ash was everywhere. Just down the road from where Pattie and Scott live, I came within 10 feet of flames as a different fire had just started. Along the major freeway I took home, two additional fires were being worked on, the strong winds carrying the flames on to new territory. Keep the firefighters in your thoughts as all these fires continue to burn out of control.

Thanks Pattie, Lauren, Scott and Frances for being my friends and taking time from your hectic schedules to play and thank you to all the firefighters who are putting their lives on the line to protect us everyday!

Joan