For our next giveaway, we have FIVE ColorArtz starter kits to give away to FIVE lucky people!

Yesterday, we used Colorartz to airbrush some fun socks and the cover of a scrapbook album.  We had so much fun using this simple, easy airbrush system that we just had to let some of you guys have some fun as well! The simple, snap-in paint pouch requires minimal set up and provides quick color changes with virtually no cleanup. Plus, the paint is non-toxic and eco-friendly. You can use it on other things besides fabric such as: wood, ceramic, metal, glass and plastic.  Just think of the endless possibilities!

The starter kit you receive will contain a ColorArtz airbrush, airbrush propellant and three paints pouches, everything needed to complete a project.  Colors included are Mango Tango (orange), Gremlin (apple green) and Purple People Eater (dark purple).

Want to see ColorArtz in action?  Click here for a host of idea videos.  These videos will also let you see the system in action.  You can see just how easy it is to use.  She shows you how you can use ColorArtz to give a new life to items you already have in your home that might not work with your color scheme anymore or you are just bored looking at.  Look at some of her finished products, I just love those candle holders!

So how do you win this awesome prize?

I’m sure you’ve all got great ideas racing around your head now on how you would use this kit. Just leave a comment below and tell us what item your first airbrush project would be.

The deadline for entries is Wednesday, September 24, 2010, at 11:59 PM, EST.

RULES: One entry per person (determined by e-mail address). Five winners will be chosen at random from all valid entries received by the deadline. Winners will be contacted via e-mail within 48 hours of giveaway end date. Winner must reply within one week with a shipping address or prize will be forfeited. If a winner’s shipping address is outside of the USA, that winner will be responsible for shipping costs.

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  Airbrush crafts with ColorArtz

So what’s the tool? It’s the ColorArtz Fabric Airbrush Kit, made by Testors. And why is it so amazing? Well, it’s the first easy-to-use airbrush system we’ve ever seen for fabric and other craft projects. The paint comes in easy, snap-on paint pouches that you can change in seconds with virtually no clean-up. And because the pouches are so small, it’s easy to store dozens of colors in a limited space.

The amazingly easy-to-use airbrush nozzle has all the great features of spray paint (which Jo loves) but none of the cramped fingertips (which I hate). It also lets you paint in solid coats or broad dustings of paint, with plenty of control. The nozzle is powered by a simple can of propellant, which is attached with a hose that’s long enough to allow plenty of working room. There’s also a compressor available for bigger projects.

Okay, let’s get to the good stuff. Let me show you how easy and fun this airbrush system is to use! My first project was a pair of white knee socks. I wanted something simple and easy so I could get a feel for how the tool works. I decided to go for a tie-dyed effect, so I scrunched up part of a sock.

I tied the area with a piece of thin ribbon, then repeated that every couple of inches down the sock. I did the same for the other sock, making sure to line up the ties with the first sock. By the way, I started out using rubber bands, but it is very difficult to put a rubber band in the middle of a long sock, so I used ribbon, which worked much better!

Then I reached for the nozzle and paint. I chose a few paint colors I liked that would make a really crazy pattern. I started with the Gremlin Green and just clipped the pouch onto the nozzle. A couple of test sprays on a piece of paper and I was ready to go.

I started by spraying some green on the ends of the socks. I then continued down the socks, with various colors, until they were covered. Then I flipped them over and did the back, too. Changing colors was so easy — I just removed one paint pouch and clipped on next. No cleaning required, and it takes about 3 seconds to change colors. Wonderful!

After just a few minutes, the paint was dry and I snipped the ribbon off with scissors. I flattened the socks out, revealing the white that didn’t get painted, and I laughed at myself for creating such bold and colorful socks!

I love how they came out, though, and I really love the technique I used. The ColorArtz paint is SO EASY to use, and works beautifully on fabric.

It didn’t take Jo long after seeing my results to come up with her own project idea. She had a plain, pink scrapbook that she was planning to use for her daughter’s recent cupcake-themed birthday party. “Plain” is not a word Jo accepts in her crafting world, so she wanted to decorate it.

While browsing the available ColorArtz stencils at the store, she spotted one of a cupcake, which was perfect for her theme!

She started by putting the stencil exactly where she wanted it on the album, and then masking off the surrounding area with tape, to avoid overspray.

Then with several of the paint colors and some careful directional airbrushing, she painted the cutest cupcake ever on the album cover.

Isn’t the result adorable? I’m trying to convince her to put more cupcakes all over the album, but she really likes just having one in the corner.

These two projects are just the tip of the iceberg with the ColorArtz airbrush system. There are lots of ideas from Terri O on the Testors site, and Jo and I have more projects in mind as well. We’ll be executing one of our ideas this weekend at a youth festival we’re participating in, so stay tuned to see what we airbrush next!

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  Refurbishing a headboard… again!

About 6 months ago, I had the idea to make a scrapbook using the pockets as the cover.  For whatever reason, I never got around to doing it until last week.  I am annoyed at myself for waiting so long because I LOVE how it turned out.  It was super easy, didn’t cost me a dime (I happened to have all the tools on hand) and I think it is super cute and versatile.

First, you need an old pair of jeans.  For this particular pair, we had already used the legs to make denim pouches.  I, of course, did not throw away the rest of the jean because I knew I would use those pockets for something.  Now, use your scissors to cut those pockets out!

We now need a way to hold the book together.  To make the “binding” of the book, I used 1/4” eyelets for the holes.  Using eyelets or grommets with fabric is easy and fun.  First, you want to place your eyelet where you want it to be on your fabric.  Then, use a pen to outline the circle so you know where you need to make the hole.

Use sharp scissors or an X-Acto knife knife to create your hole.  Make sure the hole is large enough for the male half of your grommet to fit through.  Insert the eyelet top (deep half) into the hole from the right to wrong side.  On the first one I did, I did this incorrectly… oops!  It’s not a huge deal, but I made sure to do all of the other grommets the correct way.  Now, put the eyelet top on the anvil.

On the wrong side, place the shallow half of the eyelet over the center of the eyelet top.  Insert tool in the center of the eyelet and hammer gently.  The center of the eyelet will split outwards and secure it in place.

I placed my top pocket over top of my bottom pocket and marked the holes through the grommet so I would make sure they were lined up. 

Now, it is time to make the pages for your book.  I used some cotton duck natural canvas to make most of my pages.  It is so versatile.  You can sew on it, paint it, stamp it, adhere pictures to it and it doesn’t fray too badly!  I traced the outline of my front pocket onto the canvas and then used my pinking shears to cut the page out.  This gives it a nice edge and helps the fraying. 

I made a denim page out of the leg of the jeans as well. You can pretty much use any material you want to make the interior pages: card stock, felt, vinyl, you name it!

To make the holes, I lined the page up with the pocket and made a small pencil mark through the grommet hole just like I did to make the back cover.  Then, I took my Crop-A-Dile and made the holes.

I love how it turned out!  I think I am going to use this one to document Little Jo’s first day of Kindergarten but I could see it being used for all sorts of occasions.  These would also make neat invitations to a cowboy-themed party.

Look, the pockets even still work. It fits a CD/DVD perfectly!

If you liked this, check out these similar projects:

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  Making digital scrapbook albums
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Jo is having a big cookout with her family, and will be using several of our favorite cook-out recipes, like her star-shaped fruit salad and the Old Bay deviled eggs I told you about the other day. I think I also heard her say something about making chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes, so I might have to swing by her house on the way back from the lake to steal a couple!

Have a great day off, everyone!

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  Happy Labor Day!
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We were amazed at the versatility of this substance!  Sugru:

• is self-adhesive — It forms a strong bond to aluminium, steel, ceramics, glass, plastic, and more
• cures at room temperature
• is flexible
• is waterproof, even in saltwater
• can go through the dishwasher
• withstands heat and cold from -60 C to +180 C

Our creative minds started spinning on what we could do with this neat-o substance!  We immediately got our hands on some so we could play.  Here are a few of the ideas we came up with on what to do with it.  Make sure you check out their Web site for a ton of great ideas on how to use it as well as an instructional video.

Idea #1 – Wrist pin cushion

Chica loves using her wrist pin cushion when she sews, but hates how uncomfortable the rough plastic part is against her skin.  She used some of the blue Sugru to coat the plastic, wrapping it around the edges to make them smooth.  It feels about a million times more comfortable now, and doesn’t leave a red mark on her arm!

Idea #2 – Comfort grip scissors

When I have to use scissors for a long period of time, they start to hurt.  As another comfort trick, I decided to put orange Sugru on the contact points on the inside of my scissor handle.  It has made a huge difference in the cutting comfort!

Idea #3 – Vacuum hose repair

You can also use Sugru to fix things that you might think aren’t fixable!   For my Dyson vacuum, I did this hack instead of buying a DC07 replacement hose.  Boy, did I save a lot of money here!  To do this fix, I simply wrapped some Sugru around the torn part of the coil and then shoved the coil up in the casing. Then, I stuck my finger down inside the hose and made sure it was smooth so that the hose tube could fit down inside it after it dried.  I’ve used it a couple times so far and it seems to be holding up just fine.  I wouldn’t pull too hard against it though, just in case!  Think of all the money you can save by making small repairs like this instead of buying new parts!

There are a million more uses we will find for Sugru, I am sure. We will definitely share any unusual ones with you guys!

I have become addicted to deviled eggs this summer. I’ve always loved them, but this summer I make and eat them all the time. Why the sudden infatuation? It’s because I’ve discovered a new secret ingredient — Old Bay.

Having grown up on the Chesapeake Bay, I am no stranger to Old Bay seasoning, and I use it on just about all seafood. It’s even an amazing topping for french fries or baked potatoes. I don’t even need butter and sour cream on a baked potato if I’ve got plenty of Old Bay!

Then earlier this summer, when I was out of paprika, I tried putting some Old Bay on my deviled eggs. When I tasted it, it felt like the skies opened up and the angels sang! It was so awesome that it led to my aforementioned deviled egg addiction all summer long.

My deviled eggs are so easy to make. Just mix the yolks with a squirt of mustard and just enough mayo to make a nice consistency, then stuff it into the halved whites. Yes, you can get fancy here with piping bags, and that’s usually the type of thing I do with food, but for something as rustic as a deviled egg, I don’t waste my time being fussy. Just scoop it with a spoon. They get eaten way too fast anyway! When the eggs are filled, sprinkle them with a generous amount of Old Bay.

Oh my goodness, those look so good. Fortunately I’ll get my fix this weekend when I make a couple dozen for the cookout!

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The fix was fairly simple.  First, I took some black gloss acrylic paint and painted the front of the board. I debated between brushing the paint on or using spray paint, and decided on brushing because I didn’t want to risk getting spray paint on the the clip part.  Then, I found a picture of a chili pepper I liked online and printed a bunch of them in different sizes. You could also use chili stickers if you like.  I arranged them across the board and then used a gloss Mod Podge to adhere and seal the cut-outs to my boards.

I finish the board off by coating the entire front with a smooth coat of Mod Podge and then I painted the back of the board black.

I also removed the ribbons holding the pens to the boards and replaced them with new red ribbons. Don’t they look a lot better? And, with the coating of gloss Mod Podge, I will be able to easy wipe off any chili spills!

If you’re hosting a chili cook-off this fall, we’d love to hear all about it! We can’t wait for our party, and have already picked out a few awesome decorations. I got some festive chili pepper dishes for condiments like cheese and sour cream. We’ll be decorating the area with some pretty chili pepper garland and chili pepper confetti, and I know the kids are going to go crazy over the chili pinata!

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  Computer keyboard tissue box

Now I’d like to announce our next giveaway!

Is it just me, or has summer flown by super fast this year? Without me realizing it, it’s almost fall, and around here, fall means crazy time! All the kids are starting school again, and they also have plenty of after-school activities. Little Jo is in gymnastics and my niece is starting soccer this week. All of this means lots of appointments and driving back and forth. Then there’s the upcoming holiday season, which means even more craziness. Thanksgiving has its own set of planning required, and then there’s Christmas shopping to do. It piles up, and fast. I cope with the insanity of the fall (and all year, really) with lists. I love my lists, lists, lists!

Nothing makes lists more fun to deal with than having them on pretty notepads, right? We want you to have pretty notepads, so we’re giving away a notepad making kit.

We were inspired for this giveaway when we spotted a fun set of clear stamps in the store. The “Take Note” Perfectly Clear Stamp Set by Stupendous has simple and quirky designs that make it easy to make any notepad or list so much cuter. Just stick these to an acrylic block and you’re ready to stamp your own lists. And to help you make those lists into a notepad, we are throwing in one of our padding compound kits from our store.

If you have never made your own notepads before, it’s really easy. We have a make your own notepad tutorial that tells you how, and we’ve got done several other notepad projects, too, like photo notepads and gin rummy score sheets. The key to making your own notepad is a special type of glue called padding compound. Jo and I use it all the time, and it’s one of our favorite items in our store.

So how do you win this awesome prize?

I’m sure you’ve all got your lists just like I do. And I’ll bet there are a few things on there that you’ve just been dying to mark off. Just leave a comment below and tell us what item you just can’t seem to manage to get off your to-do list.

(By the way, my to-do that won’t go away is reorganizing my recipes into a binder.)

The deadline for entries is Wednesday, September 8, 2010, at 11:59 PM, EST.

RULES: One entry per person (determined by e-mail address). One winner will be chosen at random from all valid entries received by the deadline. Winner will be contacted via e-mail within 48 hours of giveaway end date. Winner must reply within one week with a shipping address or prize will be forfeited. If a winner’s shipping address is outside of the USA, that winner will be responsible for shipping costs.

WINNER: Congratulations to our winner, Bethany! Her comment was: 25. Bethany: I just cannot get my closet organized… I think I’ve done the rest of the closets twice! Bethany, I feel your disorganized closet pain!  I can’t seem to keep things from falling on my head when I go into my closet! Thanks to everyone else who entered. We enjoyed having a peak at what is on your to-do lists and were amused that a lot of the tasks are the same as ours!  Having stubborn items on that list must be a universal constant! For those of you who didn’t win, please keep an eye on our giveaways page for our next giveaway!

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Well, I’ve done it again, this time for Halloween! Using the same technique as before, I put orange duct tape on my cutting mat and let my Cricut do all the work. I put the letters on a plain, black pail and created a really easy and cute candy bucket for trick-or-treating! As an extra touch to not only decorate the bucket but to make it more comfortable for little hands to hold, I cut some orange felt into strips and wrapped it around the handle.

The personalization possibilities are endless, too. You could easily add your child’s name or a phrase that suits his or her costume. With the Halloween-themed Cricut cartridges, you could even add fun shapes, monsters, or Jack-o-Lantern features.

Here’s another bucket I made for Witch’s Brew, complete with a decorative wand. This time, I used colorful ribbon to wrap the bucket’s handle. I just love it!

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We also invited any of you who completed the survey to leave us a comment, so that we could give one of you a prize package of crafty goodies as a thank you for your time. The name we drew is Lue Hamrick. Lue, we’ll be sending you a box of all sorts of inspirational stuff!

Now on to the results. We are so glad we asked you guys for input, because it has really helped us decide which ideas to pursue, and which to abandon.

• First, we asked you what crafts you like to do. The top three, by a landslide, were sewing, knitting/crocheting, and scrapbooking. Clearly these are areas we need to try to focus on a little more. Jo has been asking me to teach her how to knit for a while now… maybe this is just the push I need to finally do it. (We really loved the reader who said that “collecting craft supplies” was her hobby!)
• Our next question asked how you found out about us. Most of you happened upon us by accident, and liked what you saw so much that you stuck around. Yay! Quite a lot of you found out about us from friends who recommended us to you, and those are our favorite types of new users! In fact, I’d love it if you’d each go tell a friend about us today.
• Next we listed various aspects of a user content area, and asked which ones you might like. The most-loved idea (with 84% of you saying you must have it) is the ability to flag your favorite projects. Okay, we hear you loud and clear, and that’s something that we will definitely put in place as soon as we can! You also really liked the ideas of being able to list your favorite tools and upload your own project photos, so we’re going to work on those, too. The rest of the options didn’t seem to matter much to you guys either way, so we’re going to put them on the back burner for now.
• We asked if you wanted a user forum to discuss things amongst yourselves, and about half of you said you do. Hmm. We’ll have to think some more about that one. It will probably happen, but won’t be a priority.
• Then we asked you what types of projects you’d like to see us do more of on the site. It seems you guys really like green projects, useful projects, and organizing ideas. Gotcha. We’ll take that into consideration and try to do more along those lines.
• The next question asked you to tell us what you loved most about our site. I think I can sum the responses up in one word — variety. You guys love that fact that we have a huge variety of projects on our site, and I have to agree with you. Frankly, if we didn’t have a huge variety, then we would get bored ourselves. We’ll keep giving you more of what you love, even if that means everything!
• Our most complicated question asked what we could do to the site to make it easier to navigate. While many of you said “nothing – it’s great like it is”, which we appreciate, there are definitely some areas for improvement. The biggest change we’re planning to make is to create a “project library” interface that’s easy to navigate with lots of categories. It’ll be so much easier for you to find exactly what you’re looking for. We’re also going to tone down the colors a bit and try to remove some of the clutter, while still keeping all the info you need close at hand. (P.S. A special note to those of you who asked for a site search — there’s already one at the top right corner of every page. Clearly we need to move that to a more noticeable location!)
• We next asked if you wanted us to keep the Toolbox on every project page. We’ve been slacking a little on that lately, but an overwhelming 91% of you said you want it, so we’ll definitely try harder to always include a Toolbox in the future.
• Then we asked if you followed us on Facebook. About half of you do, and half had no idea we had a Facebook page. Many of you left comments asking why you should follow us on Facebook, and I’d love to answer that. The biggest reason is that we talk more there. You can interact with us on a more personal level and hear what we are doing in between our big project posts. We also post a link there every time we publish a new project on our site, so if you don’t want to have to keep checking the site every day to see what’s new (or if you don’t subscribe via e-mail or RSS), you might like updates on Facebook. And I’ll let you in on a little secret — we are thinking about having some store specials that we only tell you about on Facebook, so if you want the scoop on those, be sure to LIKE us on Facebook!
• Our last question asked if you were interested in receiving an e-mail newsletter. Unfortunately, we worded that one a little weird, and it wasn’t clear to lots of you what exactly we meant by that. We already offer an e-mail subscription to our project posts, and many of you have signed up for that (thanks!). What we were talking about here is something in addition to that, with different content that you wouldn’t find on the site. We’re still trying to decide if that’s something we want to pursue or not, but in the meantime, if you’re not subscribed to our regular daily e-mail updates, you can sign up here.

Like I said before, this feedback is invaluable and is really helping us to guide the changes we’re going to make. We promise we will do our absolute best to make sure each change actually improves things and doesn’t take away any function you like. When will the changes happen? Well, all I can say for now is “soon”. It’s going to take us some time to get it all planned out in detail and then implement it, but we’ll keep you posted and will deliver something as soon as we can.