Makeover Monday - Drink Carriers

Fast Food Drink Carriers have always been a favorite useful thing for me. Sometimes, when I'm driving thru Mr. Box's, I'll ask for one even if I don't need it. Mr. Box has the perfect size and it's sturdy and there's nothing printed on it!

So, you take this...

And slap on some paper and stickers and next thing you know, your doggie has a Father's Day gift for his PawPaw!

When you load up the carrier with snacks and their favorite drink, it's a simple gift for anyone, especially the guys!

Thanks for stopping by today! Max and I hope you're having a great week! Don't forget you have until 12 noon HST tomorrow to leave a comment on last week's Aloha Friday Post...you could win a $25 gift card! Maybe I'll let Max pick the winnah!

Long Weekend...Getaway Project!

I was really having too much fun with this Mixed Media Canvas project that I extended my weekend until this morning. Now, most people think that altered art is only dark and grungy looking but I think it can be bright and cute, see...

I took my blank canvas and splashed on some bright blue acrylic paint for the sky with no thoughts on the strokes going any which my hand went. Then, I used  two different green core'dinations papers and tore them into strips and layered them on for the grass.The little flowers are from a Paper Blossoms punch.

My tree is brown kraft paper, the kind for mailing. I have a half toilet paper roll for a base then scrunched up paper for the trunk. The branches are twisted up kraft paper. Some of the branches, I have a chenille stem in the center so I could shape them.

The leaves! I took three shades of green Bo Bunny's Back to Basics dot paper and just went crazy hand cutting leaves. This is where I had a hard time stopping! I just kept cutting more and more.

Every thing is glued together with that amazing 3-in-1 Glue! I just love the way I can just stick the leaves here and there at all kinds of angles and it holds!

I wanted to have some fun, so I took a Hello Kitty key chain, removed the key chain part and stuck her on my little craft stick swing.

And I'm glad I waited until this morning because the store just put out the new Dress It Up buttons and I found these cute owls to nestle in the tree.

Actually, there's more stuff I want to add, so I must say this is still a work in progress. I think it'll be fun to add stuff on as I find them, too.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you all have a great week!

Weekend Getaway #2 Hmmm...

I'm ready for a new craft adventure. Hmmm, what am I going to do?
I'll go with Danny Kaye's quote,"Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can!"

So, here goes!

Thanks for stopping by today and check back later to see how I bring this canvas to life!
Also, don't forget to check out the Aloha Friday Contest!

ALOHA FRIDAY #2 - WOW! What a sweet surprise!

It's ALOHA FRIDAY...no work 'til Monday...I know some of you lucky crafters get to start your weekend today since it's a holiday! Yipee! More time to craft!

I have a story to share for this Aloha Friday...talk about ALOHA! This week didn't start off too good. On Monday morning, I finally accepted the fact that I need to get a new vehicle. My poor Blazer is turning 13 this month and it is showing it's age. The lastest thing is I can no longer open my back gate. Now that's a big deal for me because as Cheryl will tell you, most of the Joy of Crafting set fits in the back of my Blazer. People are always amazed how I fit it all, counter, shoji screen and trees!

So, I was pretty bummed by the time I got home. But, in the mail I received a package from my Secret Sister Swap. I actually took the plunge in April and signed up for Kris' SSS. Look at the beautiful cards Kim Yu sent me!

And look at the great RAK she sent along with the cards. I believe she makes all of these embellies!

Kim was so cute, too. She apologized for being so late but to me...Kim you had perfect timing! Opening that package just brightened my day! Like I said...talk about ALOHA!

So, for this week's Aloha Friday, I'm going to have another contest. NO, I don't want advice on what kind of car to get, I'm still trying to sort through alof the computer advice!LOL!

What you can leave a comment on is to share one of your surprise moments that made you happy. Again. leave your comment by Wednesday 12 noon and we'll pick a Wednesday Winnah that afternoon!

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a great weekend everybody!

Tech Thursday - Tool Time!

I'm always amazed at how my Sweetie does his hardware or automotive projects so fast and he makes it all look so easy, especially when he makes something for me in lickety-split time!He has all kinds of tools that can do all kinds of things, so cool! Do you buy a lot of crafting tools? I do, and it's not because I'm a shopaholic! It's because the right tools can really make crafting easier, which makes it more FUN!

 So, for today's technique, I wanted to show you my Paper Blossoms flower shaping tools.

To make as flower, you'll need to punch out a bunch of petals, sometimes in different sizes. In this case, I am making a rose, so I will need 12 large pears and 10 small pears punched out. I will also need a green snowflake for the calyx.

There are two really useful tools for shaping the flower petals before assembling the flower. First, the Molding Mat. It's a little softer and cushionier than using foamies and it's thicker than a mouse pad. See, I used both before until I got me a mat, and the mat really does work better.

But my favorite tools are the ball point tip stylus tools which help you shape and "cup" the petals , calyxes and leaves. It also softens the paper a little , making it easier to mold.

By using them on the mat, it helps them glide over the paper really smoothly and you don't have to use a lot of pressure to start seeing results.

Before, people might've gone through the paper and made holes or tears from using too much pressure.It's also easier than shaping by hand which can lead to creases you may not have wanted.

There's also a pair of reverse tweezers which is great for creating veins and bending the edges of petals. I just have to get used to the "reverse" concept.LOL!

Assembling the flower is easy. I like to use a glue like the 3-in-1 Advanced Craft Glue, it's clear and dries fast. It also grabs quickly, which is great when you're trying to stand the petals up.

Just put a little glue on the pointed end of the petal and place it in the center of  the cupped snowflake.

Start with the larger petals, slowly layering and adding more petals.

Then, add the smaller petals and curl up the last two petals for the center bud.

The fun part about making your own flowers is that you can really coordinate the paper to your project. It's also great way to use up some scraps.You can use these tools and techniques on border punches as well as other shapes when you want some dimension, let your creativity go!

Thanks for stopping by today and hope you have a GREAT long weekend!



Wednesday's Winnahs - Computer Advice

First of all, I want to Thank Everyone who told me their own computer stories and gave me some advice on what kind of computer I should get. It was also great to learn what you all do that's crafty on your computer.

The overwhelming resonse points me towards getting a Mac. Funny, my first personal computer was a Mac but I switched later to PCs. Guess I'll start shopping around to see what's out there.

So, I had 11 comments. I didn't feel like going on Random.org to pick the winner, so I instead used my Trusty IT dept. After all, they rescued my work computer!

First, I had Michelle pull a name from the bucket.

Then , Ellaine pulled a name.

And then I had Roy pull  a name.

Then, I emptied the bucket and put the three picks back in. From there, Ken picked the winnah!

And this week's Wednesday Winnah is...

Congratulations, Miss "Just get a MAC!" aka Cheryl from Life is Sweet blog!

Thanks again to everyone for their great advice and sharing their stories. Have a great week and check back on the blog for other contests throughout the month.

Two for Tuesday

Back in the day when there was 98 Rock, I looked forward to Two for Tuesdays. Because if I liked the group, I knew there would be two good songs to listen to and I would turn up the volume. If I didn't like the group, I knew I could turn the channel and leave it there for awhile.Guess I'm showing my age again! Well, hopefully, you won't turn the channel on my two projects!LOL!

Today, I used Doodlebug's Nifty Notions collection for my two projects. I always like sewing themes even though I don't sew very much anymore.

The first project is an easel card.These cards are really simple, now I know why everybody loves making them! My formula for figuring out the size of the cardstock is I decide how big the feature card "cover" is then I double the height to get the base easel part. This card, when folded closed is 6 1/2" wide and 6" tall. So, my easel base is 6 1/2" x 12".

I'm using two of the punch out embellishments here. I'm not sure who I will give this to, so I didn't write anything on the bottom part yet.

My second project is a post-it note holder.I wrote a project sheet  for this in case you haven't made one before.

My twist on it today is that I added a lining on the inside, which makes it even sturdier. I cut the lining 1/2" smaller all around. I had to score it 1/4" less for each line. After scoring and folding, I matched up the cuts on the seam. Then, I just double-stick taped it all together. Used another punch out to embellish the cover.

The great thing about using the same paper for two projects , is you really start to use up your scraps, while they are still fresh and new.

Speaking of new...I'm still thinking about a new computer so I just want to remind you that you still have until 12 noon tomorrow to leave a comment on Friday's post about what kind of computer you have and what crafty tings you do on it.

Thanks for stopping by today and if you scroll down, you'll see Monday's Makeover which posted today instead of yesterday (Now, I'm messing up with Blogger!)

Have a great week everybody!Happy Crafting!

Monday Makeover - Spam Can!

Since Hawaii has the honor of having the highest consumption of SPAM, well I'm sure it's not too hard to find an empty can, so that's the subject of the makeover.

Growing up, I didn't really like to eat SPAM but now I don't mind it.How do you like to eat your SPAM? Personally, I like SPAM Lite and I slice it really, really thin and fry it up so that ends up tasting like crispy bacon.

OK, on to the makeover. I used a lot of scraps for this one. In fact the whole design comes from the scrap book paper, I just made like a kid and did cut and paste.

All pau! Really simple, but I am going to be able to use this, I'm always grabbing paper to write something down. And even the pens are the recycle ones we have on sale 4/$1, great deal!

Hope your Monday is going well!And Thanks for all of the computer advice, too. There's still time to leave me a comment and possibly win a $25 BFC Gift card!(Check Friday's post)

Thanks for stopping by today and check in tomorrow for the Two for Tuesday projects!

June's first Joy of Crafting Show

First of all...Congratulations to the Class of 2011! May you all have Bright, Successful and Creative Futures! Happiness Always to You ALL!

On the first Joy of Crafting Show for June, we have a fun bunch of projects. In fact, two are great for Dad!

Our first creative guest is Chris Tomooka-Saito, from Market City Ben Franklin Crafts. She asks the question, "What WOOD You Create?"

 Chris shares with us a wood burning technique which is great for decorating the many blank wood surfaces in our stores. Ben Franklin Crafts is sponsoring a "What WOOD You Create" contest to see what creative ideas people can come up with the different wood pieces. Check the stores and our website for more details!

Our next guest shares with us a project inspired by her father. Shari Hanai from our Mapunapuna Ben Franklin Crafts store creates a fish hook embellishment. It's great for a cell phone charm or even to place on top of a Father's Day Card!

Lastly, I'll show you how to use the ultimate craft medium...

duct tape!

Learn how easy it is to make a wallet using duct tape..great for Dads and kids of all ages! Plus, our BFC stores have so many fun duct tape designs to choose from!Here's a project sheet to get you started.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you're able to catch the show! Happy Crafting Everybody!

P.S. - don't forget to check out Friday's post on my computer woes...you could end up with a $25 BFC Gift Card!

The Weekend that got away!

If you read my post on Friday, you know that in June I was going to have some different types of projects on the weekend, called Weekend Getaways. Well, I couldn't post it when I wanted to (more computer problems) but here's the first one...
Go from this ...

To this...a duct tape wallet!

Learn how to make it on this week's Joy of Crafting Show!

Thanks for stopping by today and hope you have a great week!

Computers...just can't live without 'em!

---- Sorry Long Post, but it'll be worth reading!----

Boy, the last few weeks has been such a digital mess! First, my personal laptop died. Then, my work laptop got hijacked by a NASTY virus!

Thank Goodness for my IT Gods & Goddesses. That's what I call them! Thanks to them, my work laptop is working. It took a village to rescue this poor little Dell from the Nasty clutches of those hackers. There's still some weird things, like I can't bring up my photos, even though I can see a shadow of them in the file. But at least I can do my work pretty much. (Not so good news for my personal one.)

Anyway, these computer crashes spoiled my June 1st blog plans but I decided better late than never, so here goes...

"When you give a mouse a cookie..." Most times that's how I think, too, one thing just leads to another and another and...

So for June, I was thinking June means SUMMER, which to most people means VACATION! And a lot of people take a trip to Disneyland. Which is a THEME park. So, that's how I thought of making June into my THEME month. Got it?

So, in June, here's what's going to happen:

Makeover Mondays - the featured project will be something that has been recycled, re-surfaced or re-purposed.
Two for Tuesdays - featuring 2 projects from the same theme or product
Wednesday Winnahs! - Either a new contest would be announced and/or the winners of the week's before contest
Tech Thursday - How-tos on a craft technique
ALOHA Fridays -  Anything Goes!
Weekend Getaways - Taking a creative journey with different types of projects

So, today is the first ALOHA Friday and I'm so happy that I have at least one working computer that I want to share my happiness with one of you! Now, I'm going to get a new personal laptop but I don't know what kind. I have a small group of MACkies telling me I should get a MAC so I don't get viruses and then others saying just go get a cheap PC.

So, here's the deal. Leave a comment on what you think I should get PC or MAC and what you do with your computer that's crafty. Leave your comment by Wednesday, 6/8 @ 12 noon. I'll randomly pick a winner for Wednesday's Winnahs and they'll get a $25 Ben Franklin Gift Card!

Thanks for letting me vent about my computers and I hope you have a GREAT weekend!May you and your computer stay safe!