Steve and I just took a mighty quick trip to an event where all the Michaels managers from across the USA meet up in a hotel to see the new merchandise. We went to film some Mod Podge and Dimensional Magic spots for Michaels but we got to see all the new products and that was really cool.
We were also lucky to see some of our crafty friends....We shared a yummy breakfast with good pal Drew Emborsky, Kathy aka Crafty Chica was busy show casing new craft ideas and just being cute, Tiffany Windsor was in the house and is always inspiring, the Double Stitch Twins were as adorable as ever, Lisa Pavelka was making such cute rings, the living doll Hope Perkins was painting on live models, the uber nice Alex Peruzzi was showcasing the new MS paints and finishes, Tim Holtz was doing demos, fellow Okie and amazingly crafty Pattie Wack was making spin art.....oh I am sure I am missing someone......ugh....
Pickles are so easy to make and delicious. If you have never canned before this is a great recipe to try. I like to make big batches at once cause they go fast! Oh and they are awesome gifts!
Supplies:
12 cups sliced cucumbers, sliced by hand or with a mandolin
4 onions, sliced
2 sweet red bell peppers, seeds and stem removed, sliced
1/2-cup salt
2 cups vinegar
1 ½ cups sugar
1-teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons mustard seed
Steps:
1. Combine vegetables and salt; let stand 30 minutes then drain.
2. Heat vinegar, sugar and spices. Add vegetables, bring to a boil, and boil for 5-10 minutes or until transparent. Pack hot pickles and liquid into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Keep jars and lids hot by keeping them in a hot water bath while you are preparing the ingredients.
3. Remove air bubbles with a nonmetallic spatula. Wipe jar rim clean with a clean cloth. Place lid on jar and screw band down evenly and firmly just until the point of resistance is met.
4. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. Let cool overnight. Check lids for tightness. Store for about two weeks before eating. This recipe makes about 4 quarts.
Today we are hosting a small gathering to celebrate the completion of a pilot we just did with a team of really talented people. We still have to sell the show so we are not popping the corks yet!
As I was prepping the food and drinks, I was reminding myself....that celebrating small successes and baby-steps is a key element in big picture thinking.
Last year, I was honored to host an etsy lab where I shared my story, tips and thoughts on being an entrepreneur and handcraft designer. I spoke about big picture thinking. The basic idea......is to dream the biggest dream and then chart the baby-steps and contacts needed to reach the BIG PICTURE IDEA. Reaching the small goals is important for reaching the big picture idea. But.....celebrating the small successes (baby-steps) along the way is MOST important for your spirit.
Life is short and you should celebrate all the baby-steps. Pat yourself, your partner or team on the back. Enjoy the process of reaching a goal and treat yourself good.
There is nothing better than sugared strawberries over vanilla ice cream or sorbet. Ok, well maybe sugared berries over pound cake is better. They are beyond simple to make and are delicious. My trick is that I only use a small amount of sugar and I let it brew for 3 hours. I know this idea may seem simple or old fashioned....but, every time I serve them someone asks how to make them.
Chop strawberries into bit size pieces until you have 4 - 6 cups. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of white sugar, stir to combine, seal and store in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Enjoy over the next two days.
In this episode of Plaid Craft TV we are transforming plain wood birdhouses into a birdhouse condo with a shabby chic beach vibe. We are using crackle finish and faux patina to create the distressed look. We added reindeer moss, paper flowers and tiny birds to the condo with hot glue and of course we used Hot Glue Gun Helpers so we didn't burn our fingers. To see more videos visit our pages at youtube: Plaid Craft TV at youtube or CathieandSteve at youtube.
To Make:
1. Paint all the roofs with Calypso Sky. Paint two if the matching houses Lime Green. Paint the other matching house Lemon Custard. Paint the topper house Baby Pink. Paint details like stripes or polka-dots onto each house.
2. Faux patina the roof by dipping a scrunched up paper towel into Light Blue and Sterling Silver paint. Dap the paper towel onto the roofs of the houses.
3. Paint a layer of Crackle Medium over each house and roof. Allow the Crackle Medium to dry thoroughly. This is very important.
4. Blend 1-part Blending Gel with 1-part Whicker White. Working quickly, paint the mixture over the entire house and roof. This will create a crackled wash. Repeat for each house.
5. Place two matching houses on your work surface (side by side), turn the other matching house upside down and glue the roof to the roofs of the other two houses. Glue the topper house the base of the upside down house.
6. Embellish the condo further by hot gluing moss, tiny birds, paper flowers and pearl sprays to the houses, roofs and openings.
Plaid Craft TV - Shabby Birdhouse Condo
Materials to Gather:
1 Large Plaid Birdhouse
Hand Saw
Old Bottle for Vase
Foam Paintbrushes
FolkArt Outdoor Paint – 1632 Calypso Sky
FolkArt Outdoor Paint – 2592 Lime Green
FolkArt Outdoor Paint – 1661 Lemon Custard
FolkArt Outdoor Paint – Crackle Medium
FolkArt Outdoor Paint –1610 Whicker White
FolkArt Outdoor Paint – Blending Gel
Hot Glue Hot Glue Gun Helpers
Embellishments: tiny birds, moss, paper flowers, pearl sprays
To Make:
1. Using the size of your bottle as a guide, cut a hole in the top of the bird house. The bottle should be able to slip into the hole and rest on the floor of the house.
2. Paint the house with Calypso Sky. Paint the base Lime Green. Paint the roof Lemon Custard. Paint the topper house Baby Pink. Paint details like stripes or polka-dots onto each house.
3. Paint a layer of Crackle Medium over each house and roof. Allow the Crackle Medium to dry thoroughly. This is very important.
4. Blend 1-part Blending Gel with 1-part Whicker White. Working quickly, paint the mixture over the entire house and roof. This will create a crackled wash. Repeat for each house.
5. Embellish the house further by hot gluing moss, tiny birds, paper flowers and pearl sprays to the houses, roofs and openings. Place the vase in the hole. Fill vase with water and place a fresh flower in the vase.
Have you seen those giant bins of foam pumpkins at the craft and fabric shops and wondered what to do with them? Well...wonder no more! You can paint them, Mod Podge them and even carve them. I am planning a series of foam pumpkin crafts - so stay tuned for more ideas. The scrapbook paper is a retired paper from My Mind's Eye - but I still see it for sale.
Using black paint and a round paintbrush paint a spooky tree on the surface of the pumpkin. Use the image as a guide.
Paint over the black paint with coffee bean brown. Add small highlights with gunmetal gray. With a dry brush add wispy brushstrokes from the branches and base of the tree. Allow to dry.
Cut small paper leaves from the book pages. Using Mod Podge as a glue, attach the leaves to the branches of the trees. Top-coat with a layer of Mod Podge.
Cut pumpkins from scrapbook paper, apply a coat of Mod Podge to the back of the pumpkins, position onto the pumpkin at the base of the tree, press with your fingers and top-coat with a layer of Mod Podge.
Add glitter highlights with Extreme glitter to the pumpkins and base of the tree.
101 Tees just released {{happy dance}} and to celebrate, I am giving-away signed copies, crafty goodies and Hot Glue Gun Helper finger caps. Visit this link to view all the posts about the book!
We have some crafty ideas that will make any kid’s birthday party one to
remember. We design a festive homemade banner that really spells success,
make some noise with out-of-this-world party hats, and get the scoop on an ice
cream birthday cake that’s just too cool.
Flower
power is blossoming as we show off some blooming
craft ideas. We soak up some rays with amazing pressed flower sun catchers,
use light-sensitive photo paper to make a floral masterpiece, and make an
edible flower salad that’s as delicious as it is beautiful.
Get
ready to cha-cha-cha, because we are sharing some
spicy craft ideas. We design chalk wall hangings that are hard to resist, set
a festive mood with paper lanterns and eye-catching candles, and top it all off
with delicious puff pastry rolls and to-die-for Mojitos.
If you follow me on facebook or twitter you may have seen the many stomping-foot/sad-face posts about the "crushed boxes nightmare" from yesterday. The teeter-totter roller-coaster of selling at Home Shopping Networks is always an adventure, amazingly fun, exhausting and never the same set of circumstances twice.
Basically.....the product boxes for Hot Glue Gun Helpers were damaged in shipping and we didn't have enough time to get them switched before going live at HSN so the shows had to get pushed till September. Thankfully, it was only the boxes and the product was perfectly fine.....oh and thankfully I found out at 12:45am before taking my 4:00am car to the airport! Ouch - that would have been salt on a wound.
I worked my tail off getting ready to go out of town and then found myself without a trip, tried from not sleeping and hungry. So hubby and I played hookie. We went to Home Goods to look at sheets and I wound up getting some awesome vintage-style Halloween blocks. (I'm going to be tricking them out...I'll blog it) Then we popped over to Frida at The Americana and had lunch with my mom-in-law and then we lazied about the afternoon.
We've got dice jewelry loaded with good luck, a striking playing card purse for hauling off your winnings, and personalized poker plates that will help you hit the crafting jackpot.
We are monkeying around with some crazy craft ideas. We go toe to toe with some super-cute sock monkeys, make fun and functional card cases that totally fit the bill, and mix up a scrumptious banana creme pie that has mass ap-peel.
We are walking you down the aisle with tons of bridal favor ideas. From the incredibly edible, like chocolate hearts and unique packaged treats, to the extraordinarily imaginative, like a message in a bottle, custom porcelain ornaments and show stopping wine stoppers, you're sure to make a great impression on any wedding guest.
Paint two of the disks pink and paint one of the disks yellow. The Apple Barrel paint sinks into styrofoam making it the perfect choice for this project. Bonus...this paint is also one of the least expensive acrylic craft paints!
Add hot glue to the top of on of the pink disks.
Layer the yellow disk on top of the pink disk.
Hot glue the second pink disk on top of the yellow disk.
Working on one of the disk seams, hot glue a band of ribbon around the cake.
Repeat for the other seam.
Hold the paper flower with the HGGH tweezer.
Add hot glue to the back of a paper flower.
Position around the top of the cake.
Continue around the cake.
Working in between the the ribbons, add flowers to the sides of the cake.
Hot glue a jumbo flower to the top of the cake.
Use the paddle so you don't crush the flowers.
Working on the bottom of the cake, hot glue pom pom trim around the cake. Use your finger cap so you don't burn your finger!
