Big Sur

Ahhh....Big Sur!!!

I have been to Big Sur many times, but I am always enchanted with the beauty.

This last weekend the weather was spectacular, the wildflowers were in bloom and I saw so many new things.

Kids' Craft Dinosaur Glitter T-shirt

Sparkling Kids' Dinosaur T-shirt

Create a friendly glittering dinosaur for your special little one with a stencil made from freezer paper!

What You Need
Tulip Glitter Bond
Tulip Fashion Glitter (desired color)
Tulip Iron-On Crystals
Aleene's Jewel-It Glue
Pattern (coloring books are a great source)
Wiggle eyes
Scissors
Iron
Scratch paper
Cardboard

How To Make It
Prewash your shirt to remove sizing. Don't use fabric softener in the washer or dryer.

To make stencil, place freezer paper over pattern, with shiny side down. Trace. Cut on inside of lines.

Place stencil on T-shirt. Iron to adhere. Place cardboard inside shirt to keep glue from seeping through the layers of T-shirt.

Using sponge included with Glitter Bond, dab into Glitter Bond and dab into openings of stencil. Immediately, sprinkle on the glitter. Tap the glitter with your finger to adhere. Tap excess glitter off on scratch paper. Remove stencil.

Glue on crystals and wiggle eyes with Jewel-It. Let dry.

T-shirt can be washed after 72 hours. Turn inside out and for best results hand wash or use gentle cycle. Hang to dry.

Lattice Spring Wreath

A Touch of Spring!

Need a little touch of color on your fence or patio? The Aleene's Platinum Bond Patio & Garden Outdoor Adhesive keeps this project all together no matter where you hang it!

What You'll Need
Aleene's Platinum Bond Patio & Garden Outdoor Adhesive
Lattice
Saw
Silk or plastic flowers and ivy
Ribbon, waterproof for bow

Here's How to Make It
1. Cut lattice to desired size, using saw.
2. Glue flowers and ivy around edges of lattice.
3. Tie a bow using ribbon. Glue at bottom center of lattice.

Saturday in the Mountains

What a fabulous day!!!

Let's see - we packed so much into one day in the mountains it's hard to remember everything - it was incredible. That's me behind the wheel of Lindy and Doug's convertible and yes, that's snow behind me.

We stopped by a stream to check it out and crawl around on downed trees.

The weather was FANTASTIC, the air clear and the company was so much fun!












Here's Lindy and me getting ready to do the zipline at the Moaning Caverns. More on those caverns in a minute!

You approach the zipline by crossing a 60-foot long sky bridge before being strapped into a full-body climbing harness and then rigged to the cable. The zipline is 1500-feet long and you go in excess of 40 miles per hour across the 1/4 mile line. No experience necessary, all you need is the courage to step off the platform.





Here's Lindy and me hoofing it up the stairs in the cavern. Thank goodness we've been exercising at lunch.
The walking tour descends 234 steps to a depth of 165 feet below the ground through marble passages into the cavern. The tour ends on the spot were scientific excavations revealed the bones of prehistoric people who had fallen into the cavern thousands of years ago.







Me 'rock' climbing - shhhh, Lindy - don't let out my secret!

Me on the stairs in the cavern.

Lindy and Doug!!!














Mark Twain's Cabin - it seems a whole lot simple and oh, so SMALL!


























This wasn't all of our exciting day - we went into Calaveras Big Trees, picked up ginormous pinecones, had the most awesome burger at the Snowshoe Brewery in Arnold - I even tasted Apricot Beer. Shopped a little in Jamestown on the way up and just enjoyed our way meandering through beautiful country.

The planning for the day actually started several days before this...and there was plenty of deception!!! Doug's birthday is coming up and Lindy wanted to surprise him with something special - I'd mentioned the zipline and Doug wants to bungie jump, so the planning began. There were phone calls, there were grocery shopping trips, there were plenty of giggles.

The night before our big adventure, we set the plan into motion and it was quite the plan. Per my instructions, I called Lindy the night before to plant the seed for Doug. I told her about this gigantic sale at a plant nursery. Doug and Lindy are redoing their yard and Lindy knew this huge sale would get Doug excited. When I made the phone call I was in the middle of a store - it was so hilarious! Lindy played it to the hilt!

We're already planning our next adventure - something about Circus Trees...

Zipline

Zip, Zip, Zipline!!!!

My friends, Lindy, Doug and I had an awesome time this weekend doing a local zipline - more details to come - I took 96 pictures of our adventure and I think Doug took more than me! We also did the cavern tour - I about chickened out, but Lindy went into 'sistermode' and I made it down the 265 steps to the cavern.

Organize It!!!

Share Your Organizing Tips

Would your closet just love the organizer set we're featuring? Well, share your favorite techniques, tips, products, anything and everything related to crafting with Tulip and Aleene's products and you could be the lucky recipient of this decorated Organize.com closet set. Send us your tips and we'll review all the messages we receive with our technical experts to make sure that each tip will be problem-free for you. Then we pick the lucky recipient for the closet set.

How to Enter

Send your entry to editor@duncanmail.com

Please reply in 100 words or less. Give your full name and COMPLETE MAILING ADDRESS so we can send the prize award to you! Entries without mailing addresses will not be considered. We promise not to publish or sell your name. Submission of messages constitutes consent to use writers' names and messages for editorial, advertising and publicity purposes without further compensation (except where prohibited.)

Cherries Jubilee

Cherries call up scrumptious images of decadent culinary
delights. Cherry Cobbles, Chocolate Covered Cherries, Cherries Jubilee, a combo of dark sweet cherries, kirsch and vanilla ice cream - I love those flaming desserts!!!

Here's how to make them
~ Tulip® 3D Fashion Paint™ (Slick® Leaf Green, Bright Red, White, Brown) ~ Plastic partyware - plates, glasses, ice bucket, pitcher

Here's how to do it

Wash and dry partyware. Print off cherries design desired size. Tape on inside or back of partyware piece. Outline one leaf with Leaf Green 3D Paint. Fill in. Continue with remaining leaves. Follow same procedure to paint cherries with Bright Red and stems with Brown. Paint highlights on cherries and random pattern of dots with White. Let dry. To wash, wipe with sponge. Do not soak in water or place in dishwasher.

Have a cherrie-o weekend!

Joan

Slipper Fridays

It's Official - It's Wear Your Slippers to Work Friday!!!

I've heard of Hawaiian Shirt Friday, but not Wear Your Slippers to Work Friday - until last Friday!

We had a Marketing Department meeting last Friday and Valerie, our boss, decided to have a little fun. She gave us all different numbers when we walked into the room - a little scary, might I add. She went around the room (by number) and asked each of us a question. Some were: 'How many pairs of shoes do you have?', 'Have you ever been to Bentonville, Arkansas?' (BTW, it's where Wal-Mart's headquarters are.) When she came to me, I got the question 'Have you ever worn your slippers to work?'

This question came about because of Josh - one of our co-workers. Josh, is a very sophisticated guy - great clothes, great shoes, just a great guy...well, the story goes that he wore his slippers to work one day - he says it was a accident. So, that's how I got the question about wearing slippers to work. So, Valerie, declared Wear Your Slippers to Work Friday's.

I went around the building this morning and found some participants - not many mind you! Strangely, our two Linda's, who happen to work side-by-side, have the same slippers - Sock Monkey's!!!

AND, Joshua, the person who started all this, wore TENNIS SHOES!!!


The first Linda I encountered!















Then, I encountered the second Linda (Lindy). Too cute!











Joshua's shoes!












I have to admit that I have errands to run after work, so I brought 'regular' shoes to change into.

Don't let your weekend 'slip' away!

Joan

organize.com

Organize in Style
This is MY kind of project!
Ready to get your closet organized? Check out how to make these polka dot organizers painted with Tulip Soft Fabric Paint.

http://www.duncancrafts.com/ProjectDetails.aspx?id=730840d1-4d82-459f-b69c-dbfbdd406365

The organizing products are available at http://www.organize.com/

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

Eggshell Mosaic

Easter Eggshell Mosaic

Don't discard the shells from your colorful Easter eggs!!!!

Peel the eggs. Let dry completely.

Brush Aleene's® Original Tacky Glue® on the piece.

Place eggshells on glue and press with fingers to crack and lay flat.

Continue applying glue and pressing on eggs until the item is covered.

Isn't this cool looking?

Let the glue dry.

Brush a wash of black paint over the entire surface. Let dry.

I wanted sparkles, so I brushed on a coat of Tulip® Sparkles 3D Fashion Paint™ - Gold. The Fashion Paint protects the surface.

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

Cupcake Craze
I never know what I'll be researching about for work. Tonight, I'm writing an intro about cupcakes for what we call smART Club. I ran across a fantastic cupcake blog. The name of these cupcakes is Walnut Cupcakes Topped with Rose White Chocolate Mousse and Baklava - they sound heavenly. Check out other yummy cupcakes at http://www.cupcakeblog.com/
Back to my research.

Creativity at Home

Creativity can be found EVERYWHERE and in EVERYTHING...
I have been very creative the last couple of weeks, but in a work way. I have been busily and creatively working on The Craft Chica line and many new fashion art products. It's exciting, it's fun, but now I'm ready for some downtime. Somewhere in between writing instructions, packaging copy and ads, I got this crazy idea to go out and buy some apothecary jars I'd been admiring at my local discount store. I almost didn't buy them, but decided to just do it.

Then, where to put them (the tallest is over 2 feet!). I finally decided it was time to clean off the dividing wall between my kitchen and dining room which was a major undertaking in itself. It was a catchall place for photos, a pretty leaf I'd found on a walk - just a place to put stuff that didn't have a place.

Once I took everything off of the area, I didn't know what to do with all the stuff. I put some in a bowl thinking it would make a nice display, but it just looked like a bunch of stuff in a bowl. So, you will see in the picture what came of some of the items - I stuck large-headed thumbtacks under the ledge and hung my things from there. A couple of the items are heirloom/antique spoons that my dad gave me recently from his aunt's silverware - they have such beautiful intricate designs.

I went back and forth about what to put in the jars - gumballs? No. Potpourri. No. Once I had them in place, I decided that they needed to remain empty - there was something about being able to see through them.

A friend is redoing her yard and she wanted my advice on what plants would work best in her yard, so I went there last night carrying a Columbine to get her started and, of course, I had to get some flowers for myself. I planted them tonight and it's so fabulous to see Spring finally here. I have been absolutely enamored with falling flower petals from trees lately. I went out for a massage last week after dark and when I stopped at a stop light they came trickling in through my sunroof. They are falling so heavily that in many places they look like little drifts of snow.

Speaking of flowers, our offices are looking quite lovely and smelling divine with the arrival yesterday of Daffodil Days for the American Cancer Society. They are beautiful!

I am looking forward to a few days of slowing down and a chance to recuperate a bit. I've been invited to a nearby lake for Easter and I hear there was a fresh blanket of snow last weekend - relaxation, friends, snow - that sounds wonderful!

I have my eye on my new project from way, way back! It's called Forged Foil. I ran across an old Aleene's book from 1968 - yes, 40 years ago. I have an idea to make it modern and use a little different technique so be on the lookout for that.

Upward and onward. I can't wait to see the new products in the stores that we've been working on - they are fabulous and different and exciting!!! More details as I can let the cat out of the bag.

Joan

Gotta Love Them Peeps!

PEEPS!!!!

The sugar coated marshmallow yummies come in all shapes, sizes and now flavors. I found some cocoa ones recently to take for a taste test at a getaway weekend not long ago. They were 'all right'.

Our local paper had a Peep diorama contest and this is one of the examples. Too cute! There was even one called "Caucus of the Peepsle" with Clinton and Obama signs, one entitled "Race for the Cure" with a hint of "Don't use a glue gun, it may seem nice at first, but it just makes your Peeps end up in a marshmallowy mess."

Love them!

Have a Peepalicious day!

Joan

Shoe Art

It's a Shoe-In
















Maybe my obsession with shoes isn't over. I was looking for something and ran across a lovely shoe stamp and found myself setting aside my chores for the day and indulging in my 1/2 hour of creativity for the day and it was marvelous!!!

Here's what I did ~
I stamped the shoe image on some tissue paper and cut it out.

I brushed some Aleene's® Instant Decoupage™ on the back of an acrylic rectangle, put my shoe in place, then brushed Instant Decoupage over the entire piece. While it was still wet, I sprinkled in some Tulip® Fashion Glitter™ for a touch of color. After it was dry, I turned it over and added some detailing with permanent pens.

I adhered some old looking paper to the back of the cardboard from the frame using Aleene's® Spray Adhesive™ (I just love the look of old stuff - can you tell?)

I glued the rectangle to a piece of old rust screen (love it!) with Aleene's® Original Tacky Glue,® then glued it to the frame backing. Four beads accented the corners.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I keep hearing a thunderstorm is coming.

Joan

Creative Kids

Brandon's Creative Challenge

My nephew, Brandon, wanted to share his creativity with you. He just turned six and is in kindergarten.

The picture is of his mom and him. Thanks for sharing, Brandon!

Miniatures

Miniature Houses...

This weekend, a friend called and 'candidly' asked me if I had the choice of china, fabric, gardening items, books and a couple more things what would I pick. Something about an 'online survey'. My first choice was gardening (bet, ya didn't know that about me!), second was the bookstore (because I buy a ton of books - did I say I read them ALL?) and third, the china I think because I had just bought my apothecary jars - and ya know if I'd been given the option of shoes...I would have been all over that one (a short-term need that is now out of my system).

I knew something was up, but little did I know it would be these miniatures, hand-detailed by a local miniature artist who just passed away.

Thank you, my friend, for the gifts.

Tonight, I brainstormed (and cried a little too) with a friend. She's a joy to be around, always upbeat and positive and VERY supportive. It is so helpful to have a person you can tell things to and they help you mold them and nurture them to the next step. It was awesome to have terrific weather and sit out by the pool and chat. It seemed like the evening frittered away in a matter of minutes, but we made plans for next time, so it's something to look forward to.

For my 1/2 hour of creative time tonight, I practiced my singing. With my allergies so bad last week, I didn't practice and I could sure tell yesterday at my lesson. A couple more weeks and I'll record the song I've been practicing and put on my blog.

Make time to craft today, even if it's a 'miniature' amount of time.
Joan

Orchids in Paris?

Paris? Not exactly...

A local orchid club had a show at the local mall. There was mistake #1 - the mall. I hadn't been shopping in ages and I knew I needed to buy some sandals since the weather has been in the 70's lately. I had success in finding sandals - too much success. Four pairs of shoes later I was back home and oh, the orchids were beautiful!

Paris - I don't know, but they had a little cafe scene set up in the display window outside of the show.





This orchid almost went from floor to ceiling - I've NEVER seen such a tall orchid - it's blooming on top!