New Facebook Page for Cathie and Steve!

Steve and I have so much happening that we decided to start a facebook page for all things c&s!  We are also in the process of turning the Cathie and Steve website into a blog and archiving all the Creative Juice projects at another blog!  It is online madness for us!  Join us at facebook....see ya there.

Our new facebook page is HERE!

p.s. We will both still be using our personal facebook too!

Chalkboard Globe

Chalk The World

Designed For Plaid using Chalkboard paint

Materials:
2516 - FolkArt ® Chalkboard Paint - Slate Gray, 8 oz.
1 Globe
Foam Paintbrush
Damp Rag
Soft Chalk
Letter Stickers

Steps:
1. Clean the globe with a damp rag and allow to dry. Add 3 coats of chalkboard paint. Allow 2 hours in between coats for dry time.

2. After 24 hours, rub the entire chalkboard surface with a piece of chalk to season the surface. Now you are ready to write on your chalkboard globe. Add personalization to the base with letter stickers.

New Ribbons at ETSY!

  LOVING my new pleated ribbons at etsy!

The whisper pink color is so soft and pretty.

The silver has a the perfect amount of elegant shimmer.

Altered Champagne Glasses and JuJu Belle Bracelets

JuJu Belle Bracelets

Wrapped in Altered Champagne Glasses!  

Doctored and decorated plastic champagne glasses are the perfect little vessel for holding a precious gift.  They can be adorned to the nines or simply-made with fine tulle and a sophisticated bow. 

Bridal season is always just around the corner and this gift wrap idea is perfect for wrapping bridesmaids gifts.  They make quite a statement when displayed as a group or on a party tray - recipients will ohh and ahh as they pull the ribbon ties.

 

Gotta LOVE the Dollar Store!

I purchased most of the items for the wrapping at my local dollar store.  The glasses were 8 for $1.  The hot pink tulle was for wrapping gift baskets.  I used three $1 packages for 8 glasses.  The Aurora Borealis shred is for filling Easter baskets.  I only used 1/4 of the $1 package.  The star garland was a buck too!  The only things from my craft stash (or the craft store) is the scrap-paper punches, pearls, pink gift baggies and ribbon.

The baubles are from my friend's company JuJu Belle.  They have the cutest mix and match Trinkets, Rhinestone Alphabets, Charms, Beads and a big variety of chains for necklaces and bracelets.  I just got a sneak peek at the crafty themed charms and they are SOOOO cute!   I am giving the bracelets as gifts to a group of women I am working with.  I chose to go with the same theme for each woman because I wanted them all to match.

I also packed each one in a sheer bag for jewelry box storage.

One thing I love about her line is that each charm comes with a clasp so you can easily clip and mix and match charms with bracelets or necklace bases.  You can load up with charms or just wear one.

Are You Ready to MAKE or WHAT?

What You Need For Each One:

Plastic Champagne Glass

14X14 Piece of Tulle

Chip Clip
7" Crepe Paper Streamers
Hot Glue 
7" Star Wire Streamers
Scrap-paper Punched Circles
Flat Backed Pearls or Rhinestones
14" Ribbon
Pretty Basket Shred

 

Remove the base from the glass, flip upside down and pierce the stem through the center of the mesh tulle.

 

Gather the top together and clip with a chip clip.

Hot glue crepe paper streamer around the base of the glass.  This will secure the tulle and add a decorative ruff.

Push the paper into the glue to create pleated ruffles.

Hot glue one end of the star wire streamer to the center of the paper ruff.

Wrap the wire trim around the stem and secure the end with hot glue.

Position a scrap-paper circle over the tipped end of a hot glue gun helper press wand or the tip of a blunt pair of scissors.  Press the side down to form a flower shape.

Position the paper circle over the beginning and end of the star trim and hot glue in place.  This will cover the ends of the wire trim.

 

Hot glue a pearl or gem in the center of the paper circle.

This is what the glass should look like so far.

Place the base back on the glass and hot glue a strip of ribbon around the seam.

Remove the chip clip, trun the glass right side up, fill the glass with a palm-full of basket shred and place the gift in the glass.

 

Gather the tulle and tie with a bow!  Trim the ends of the ribbons and tops of the tulle.

 Make more!

101 Tees: Irish You Were Beer

Irish Eyes are Smiling!

 St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner!  You still have time paint up tee and show off your Irish Pride!   For this design I made stencils using freezer paper, you could also use self-stick shelf liner.

Custom cut stencils are a snap to make!  For ease of cutting, always use a sharp craft knife and a self-healing mat.

My latest book,

101 Tees (Lark Books)hits the shelves August 2011!

Pre-Order available at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

Materials:
Paper Printed with an Irish saying
Green T-Shirt
Marker
Freezer Paper or self-stick shelf liner
Craft Knife
Self Healing Mat
Ruler
Iron
Stencil Brush
FolkArt White Fabric Paint

Steps:
1.  Begin by printing an Irish saying onto a piece of paper.  Chunky letters work best.  Re-size the letters as needed.

2. Make a stencil of the saying by laying freezer paper (wax side down) or shelf liner over the words.  Tape both pieces to the self-healing mat. Use the sharp craft knife to cut out the design leaving a border around the design.

3. Position the freezer paper stencil in the center of the tee. Use a warm iron to attach the wax side of the paper to the tee. For shelf liner, stick the cutout design to the tee. Stick the insides of the letters to the tee.  (this is for letters like o, a b)

4. Dab a stencil brush in white fabric paint. You want to work with a semi-dry brush, so tap off enough excess paint. Working up and down, tap the brush over the stencil.  Allow the paint to dry. Peel off the stencil and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to heat set the paint.

My love of Jo-Ann Fabrics, it goes back a long time.....

Did ya'll know that I worked at Jo-Ann Fabrics during high school and college? I started when I was 16 years old and I still have my name tag pinned to my bulletin board 24 years later!  They almost didn't hire me!  They were afraid I wouldn't be able to read patterns, sell sewing machines or help customers with fabric selections.  I proved them wrong when I demanded a test and ended up knowing more about sewing than the manager.  (LOL)

Yep, that's me in the middle with
blond hair and a metallic-blue bubble dress!

 They didn't know that I had started sewing with patterns at 8 and by the time I was sixteen, I was designing clothing and making party dresses for anyone who would wear them. At the time, I was the youngest employee that store had ever had.  I worked at the same store until I graduated from College.  I even got a ruby pin to celebrate my 5 years!

The way I got hired is an inspiring story about cold calling and believing in yourself.  Over the past few years, I have given many seminars and speeches on being a creative entrepreneur and the tale of 16-year old me getting hired at JAS, almost always starts the dialogue.  I'll save that for another post.

 

A few months ago, I was contacted by the publicity department to help with their Spring National Craft Month Campaign!  I was trilled beyond belief and so honored to be included with my other creative friends.  Each three-sided display is located in every Jo-Ann Fabrics store across America and is loaded with free craft projects sheets that you can take with you.  The projects are also available online.  Mine are here.  You can see the entire press kit here.

For this design, I used hem tape to create romantic ruffles.  I just LOVE the colors of Wrights hem tape.  They’re flirty, feminine and fabulous! Ruffles are one of my hot trend predictions for spring. Give pillows, jackets, scarves, purses and more an instant touch of girly glamour with her ruffled pin-on flowers.  Visit this link to download the instructions.

For the lacy pins, I used RIT Dye to alter the colors of plain cream lace trim.  So EASY!  Slightly vintage, yet totally modern, these hand-sewn accessories bloom with whimsy and elegance. Visit this link to download the instructions.

For the kids, I designed this yummy treat!  I used the Wilton melting pot...it is perfect for when you want to have the little ones dip into melted chocolate.  The base stays cool and kids get to dive into making this treat.  Marshmallows placed onto cookie sticks then coated in candy melts and crushed graham crackers are the treats that everyone will be raving about at parties. They're easy to eat and share – with no gooey mess. For presentation with eye-appeal, adhere colorful paper leaves to each stick.  Visit this link to download the instructions!

Ya know crafting is big business when CNBC and Istock Analysis have picked up on the story!

Learn more about the other crafty folks involved!

 

Susan Winget, Jenny Hart and Me.

Margot Potter, Drew Emborsky, Jennifer Perkins

Vickie Howell, Erica Domesek, Kathy Cano-Murillo

Kids Craft: Chip Can Rocket Ship

Kids Craft:
Chip Can Rocket Ship

Transform an ordinary chip can into an amazing, imagination-blasting rocket! All you need is a tall chip can, construction paper and imagination!  Kids will love personalizing their rocket-ships.

Materials:
potato chip can
Folkart silver craft paint
construction paper
glue stick
rubber band
small scraps of paper
glitter paint
corrugated paper
Folkart silver craft paint

Steps:

1. Glue construction paper around the can; hold the paper in place with rubber bands until dry.

2. Add an oval window, star details and glitter.

3. Cut a half circle out of construction paper, slit halfway up from the flat edge, twist together to form a cone and glue in place.

4. Cut a paper towel roll in half, cover with construction paper and glue to the body of the rocket.

5. Add cut triangles of corrugated paper for fins. Paint them silver, let the paint dry and attach them to the rocket.

6. To make the rocket zoom across a room, cut a drinking straw in half and attach with hot glue to the center body of the rocket. Thread monofilament through the straw and run the line across the room. Pull the rocket to one end of the room and push across the room.

Bake it: Area 51 Cupcakes

Bake it: Area 51 Cupcakes

Here’s a secret recipe sure to spark some close encounters of the yummy kind: crazy, colorful Area 51 cupcakes!

Ingredients:
1-1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
1-1/2 c. white sugar
2 eggs
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. milk
green and purple icing color paste or green, blue and red food coloring
1 carton vanilla frosting
gummy candy, eyeball candies, sour worms
cake glitter and sprinkles

Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beat thoroughly and stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture, alternating with the milk, until thoroughly mixed. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter.

3. Bake for 15-17 minutes in a preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

4. Let the cupcakes cool. Add a small amount of color paste (with a toothpick) or food coloring to vanilla frosting and mix to the desired color. Frost the tops of the cupcakes. 

5. Add gummy candy, sparkles and eyeball candy to the cupcakes to create Area 51 aliens. 

Bake it: Banana Bundt Cake

Drool....Banana Bundt Cake!

This rich, delicious banana bundt cake will get your mouth watering and your taste buds buzzing. From Creative Juice - episode 408 - Rings and Things.


Ingredients:
1/3 cup Softened Butter
1 1/4 cups Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 eggs
3 Med Mashed Bananas
2 cups Flour
1 1/4 teaspoons Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Sour Cream
¾ cup Chopped Walnuts
Powdered Sugar
10” Bundt Cake Pan
1/4 cup Flour

Steps:
1. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Stir in vanilla and mashed bananas.

2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to banana mixture alternately with sour cream. Stir in nuts. Pour into a greased and floured 10" bundt pan.

3. Bake in a preheated 350º for 50 minutes or tests done with toothpick.

4. Cool on a wire rack.

5. Dust with powdered sugar and move to serving platter.

Painting with Paper Cups: Tote Bags

Modern Ring Tote Bags

 from Creative Juice 408 - Rings and Things

Wanna make perfectly cute circles?

Use paper cups dipped in paint to make oodles of designs.

Materials:
1 canvas tote bag
3 small plastic plates
Orange FolkArtpaint
Brown FolkArt paint
Tan FolkArt paint
FolkArt Textile medium
3 plastic cups various sizes
Iron
Stack of old newspapers
Circular Bamboo purse handles

Steps:

1. Press the bag to remove any wrinkles and place the newspaper in the bag to prevent the paint from seeping thru to the other side. Tuck in the straps to prevent any drips.

3. Pour a small amount of each of the paint colors on to the plates. Then add some textile medium to the paints. This will make your acrylic paint permanent. Mix well.

4. Dip the “Ring” opening of the cup into the paint, shake off any excess paint and press onto the bag to create stamped ring shapes.  Our Pattern is: Largest Cup = Dark Brown Paint, Medium Cup = Orange Paint and Smallest Cup = Tan Paint. Let dry for 25 hours and then heat set.

5. For the bamboo handles: Go into the existing handle area and fold the handles over the bamboo rings. Pin them into place.

6. Cut away excess handle. Remove pins and “seal” off edges - With a flame, sear the edge of the nylon webbing, to prevent fraying.

7. Pin handles back into place and with a needle and thread stitch handles onto tote.

Fashion This: Wood Disk Belt with Hippie Flair

Fashion This: Wood Disk Belt with Hippie Flair

 Making belts on the set of Creative Juice.

This project is from episode 408 Ring and Things.

Materials Needed:
Measuring Tape
2” wood disks (amount determined in step 1)
1/16” and 5/32” drill bits
Ruler
Pencil
Waxed hemp cording
Stiffy by Plaid
Fabri-Tac by Beacon
1/8 yard of cotton fabric or scrap fabrics
Scissors, punches or a die cutter
Faux suede cording – 4 yards
Decorative beads w/ large holes (to fit onto the suede cord)
Wood stain or paint (optional)

Steps:
1. Measure around your hips at the spot where you will wear the. Divide this number by 2 and the answer will be how many 2” wood disks you will need to purchase.

2. You can leave the wood disks as is or you can paint or stain them.   We stained ours before we drilled them.  Center and line the ruler up across each disk and use the pencil to mark your drill marks. You will mark on each side of the disks 1/8” from the edge. Using a drill and a 1/16” drill bit drill through all the holes, except for the designated end two disks. On these two, you will want to drill one side with the 1/16” bit and the 5/32” bit on the other side.

3. Decorating the disks: Apply the Stiffy to the fabric – follow the manufactures instruction. Once dry, use scissors, punches (if using punches, make sure they are sharp) or a die cutter to cut fun shapes like paisleys, daisies, etc. from the fabric. Use a Fabric Tac glue to attach the fabric shapes to the wood disks.  (be sure that you don’t cover the drilled holes)

4. String the disks together: Thread the hemp cord (3 times the length of the belt) through the holes of the disks using a backstitch type stitch. Start with the second disk, thread hemp through, leaving a little tail. Then thread the hemp through the first disk’s smaller hole. Then turn the 2 disks over and give them a good knot. Then thread the hemp through the third disk then back through the second hole of the second disk, flip and knot. Repeat for the remaining disks. This will prevent the disks from flipping around and facing the wrong way.

5. Cut 4 pieces of the faux suede cording – each piece about 3 feet long. Thread 2 pieces through the larger holes at the ends of the belt. Thread a bead onto both ends of each piece of cording and tie a knot to keep the bead from slipping off the end.