CCL Monthly Theme - All About Frames!

Knock, knock! Who's there?!?! SUMMER! Hello, June, and hello, warm temperatures... *finally!* Have you all been enjoying the outdoors? Maybe you've been a shut in, like me, overcome with crazy allergies. No problem -- being indoors means time to get Krafty, with a capital "K!"

For June at Creating the Craft Life our theme is FRAMES! Frames are so fun because there are so many things you can do with them. I have covered them in fabric or paper, glued all kinds of junkies to them, and painted them. Next on my agenda will be to try mixed media on a frame, but I'm still standing on shaky ground when it comes to mixed media, so for my inspiration project, I opted to alter a frame to make it look like one of those nifty photo trays. I got my divided frame at my local thrift store for $1.99! Score! I had tons of fun adhering little trinkets and goodies to it to dress up the gentlemanly vintage theme I was going for:

I started with the frame itself, and sprayed metallic inks and pearl inks all over it. Then I sprinkled embossing powder here and there and heated it to give the frame a grainy look. ((This technique would work really well on a whitewashed frame in a beach theme... the sprinkles look kind of like sand!)) I knew I was going to use photos of my sister, mom, and myself dressed in tuxes and gentleman 'staches, so I wanted add vintage items, such as bottles, keys, and timepieces. I was very happy with the look I achieved.

You can buy those really nice photo trays at any of the big craft stores (be sure to always bring your 40% coupon, as those bad boys are pretty costly!) but be sure to also check your local thrift store(s) for a cheaper alternative, as well as some uniquely shaped frames that can be turned into faux photo trays.

'Til then,

Krolli

New PLUM SEED Collection from Webster's Pages!

I was already a *HUGE* fan of Webster's Pages, but I am totally in love with their new collection! It has all the "in" colors and fun, trendy geometric pattern prints, but still maintains a soft prettiness. It's really so beautiful! I must get my hands on it:

Isn't it great? I don't have too much WP, but I have adored every single thing I've ever gotten from them. I'll be sure to post some projects I've made with some of this new collection.

'Til then,

Krolli

CCL Monthly Theme - All About TAGS!

With the arrival of May comes the new monthly theme over at Creating the Crafty Life. This month, we're going to be doing our tips, techniques, and challenges all about TAGS! Who doesn't love a good tag? The sky's the limit when it comes to making tags; you can use them in every paper crafting project imaginable. And, of course, on gifts. Or *AS* gifts. I've seen some really amazing tags!

For CCL's May challenge, you will need to create/alter a tag (any tag!) but the twist is that it must include a pocket somehow. Here's my sample project for a little inspiration:

I made the pocket out of small wooden tiles that I altered with alcohol inks, stamps, and Glossy Accents and then adhered to a square chipboard backing. The smaller tags pull out of the tile pocket and can be used for journaling, a quick note, or small photos. (Tags within tags? Tag-ception!) I was really pleased with the unique pocket on my tag, and I really look forward to seeing what tag/pocket combinations you all can come up with! Be sure to head over to Creating the Crafty Life to submit your tag(s)!

'Til then,

Krolli

CCL Monthly Theme - Lace & Trim!

Spring appears to FINALLY be stabilizing here in SW Ohio... and I couldn't be happier! This flippy-floppy weather has had me headache-induced for weeks, depressed, and just plain cranky a lot of the time. One of the things that is keeping me smiling these days is my crafting. If you read my recent post, you'll remember I've started to dabble in the world of mixed media, and I'm going to share my SECOND mixed media project as this month's challenge inspiration:

This month at Creating the Crafty Life our theme is LACE & TRIM. You really can't get more fun than that! Trims and lace can be used for so many things; you can use them to dress up ANY project! I have used it in four separate places just on this one tag!  For the tie at the top, I used a piece of purple crochet trim that I cut in half down the center. I used the other half of it as a tie around the little glass bottle. There is lace folded  and used as a shadow backing for the sentiment, and I used some of Webster's bloomers to decorate the bottom of the tag. There are so many ways to incorporate lace & trim into your crafts!

Be sure to head over to CCL this month and submit your lace & trim project for this month's challenge!! Can't wait to see all the ways you guys use it!  (And, if you're having trouble finding that "perfect" trim, Misty has some of the most awesome options in her store here -------> MB's Treasurista )

'Til then,

Krolli

Welcome to Creating the Crafty Life's Spring Fever Blog Hop! If you're coming from Mariam's blog, then you're right on track. If not, then be sure to start at the beginning at Misty's blog, as she is our hostess!  :)

For my SPRING FEVER project, I decided to create my first ever mixed media layout. I had never played with modeling paste, so I'm sure I still have a lot to learn, but I had tons of fun getting messy and trying out this new (to me) technique. I sure do LOVE the spring colors, and I hope my layout puts you  in a cheery spring mood!

There is a lot of hidden blog candy along the way, so be sure to follow all the blogs on the hop, leaving comments on each one as well! The hop will run March 24th - March 30th.

This blog hop is sponsored by MB's Treasurista and here is the AWESOME grand prize:

To be eligible for the grand prize, don't forget to:

~Follow and comment on ALL the blogs on the hop!
~"Like" the MBT Facebook page here: MbsTreasurista !

GOOD LUCK!

Here is the blog lineup:

Misty

Deb

Malinda

Leslie

Mariam

Carli   <---- YOU ARE HERE!

Milissa  <---- GO HERE NEXT!

Johnna

CCL Monthly Theme - Bags, Boxes, & More!

Well, March is here, which means spring is about to rear its much-desired flowery, warm, joyful head! This month at Creating the Crafty Life, our theme is BAGS, BOXES, & MORE! Think containers, people... and what better month to celebrate containers than one that includes Easter? There are so many opportunities for bags, boxes, pails, baskets, buckets, crates, tins, and any other containers you can conjure up! Pick your favorite, dress it up and/or alter it with a March holiday theme (St. Patty's Day or Easter, for example), and submit it to CCL for a chance to win a prize for this month's challenge! As always, I have created a project to share as an example for the month's challenge:

I chose to alter one of those cutesy little balsa boxes that you can get in the Michael's dollar bins. I love Easter, so I chose that holiday for my theme. (There were more chocolate eggs, but they, er.. mysteriously disappeared during the crafting of this project.) Since Easter and spring in general are my favorite time of year, I look forward to seeing your wonderful (and cheery!) submissions at CCL!

'Til then,

Krolli

CCL Monthly Theme - Flowers!

As I sit here on one of the most frigid mornings this winter season, I am happy to think about this month's theme over at Creating the Crafty Life. February's theme is FLOWERS! It's so wonderful to get in the mindset of something warm and cheery, when my body feels like it's been sleeping in a meat locker. Hopefully tomorrow ol' Punxsutawney Phil will bring me even more smiles. Until then, I will just enjoy spending my February crafting with various handmade flowers. To join us, head over to CCL (membership is FREE!) and be welcomed into the folds of inspiration, tutorials, classes, challenges, and peer-produced talent!

Each month, a challenge is set forth to CCL members to produce a project meeting the theme. Since February's theme is flowers, it's pretty simple: make something with (handmade) flowers of any kind! Submit a photo of or link to your project under the challenge post for a chance to win a prize from Misty! Here is a sample I came up with:

I made the roses using the smallest flower on the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die -- 3 flat die-cut flowers for each rose, inked and layered to create small roses. Easy-peasy, with a charming result. Can't wait to see your handmade flower(s) on your project submission!

'Til then,

Krolli

CCL Monthly Theme - BELLS!

I can't believe December will actually be here tomorrow! My house has already been Christmas-ized, but it just seems like my seasonal glee is a bit more valid once we step into December. Creating the Crafty Life is also ready for the holiday spirit, because the monthly theme challenge is to use BELLS! You can make ANY project your heart desires, just make sure to include bells somewhere. My mind automatically went to jingle bells (LOVE!) and I made this Christmas card with two jingly bells dangling off the letter D. Makre sure to head over to CCL (membership is FREE!) and post a picture of your theme challenge creation for a chance to win a prize from Misty!

I hope your holiday season is off to a WONDERFUL start! I can't wait to see all the wonderful goodies that everyone creates!

'Til then,

Krolli

CCL Color Challenge - FALL

This is the project I created for the color theme over at Creating the Crafty Life. The theme is fall colors (yum!) and I made these cute little paper boxes to use as place holders (instead of namecards) on the table for Thanksgiving. Inside the boxes are adorable acorn candy/cookies that I made as a special treat for each person. I hope they like them!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope the holiday season is off to a great start for you and your loved ones. Check back soon for the next challenge!

'Til then,

Krolli

CCL Monthly Theme Challenge - Shabby Chic!

Come be SHABBY CHIC with us this month over at Creating the Craft Life! CCL changes their theme each month, and November's theme is shabby chic -- so let's show off our fancy/messy beautiful chaos together! The challenge is to create any shabby chic project USING FLOWERS. For my sample, as a member of CCL's design team, I chose to make a card:

If you'd like a chance to win a goodie from Misty at CCL, be sure to head over there and post a picture of your project!

'Til then,

Krolli

CCL Monthly Theme Challenge - Totally Templates!

Hello, Crafting Friends! It's time to get ready for October's theme challenge over at Creating the Crafty Life! Every month is a theme month at CCL, where we have challenges, tutorials, tips, techiniques, and inspiring projects all centered around that theme. For October, we'll be doing TOTALLY TEMPLATES! How fun is that?! Templates are awesome, because they're so versatile. You can take a flat (paper piecing) template and use it for virtually any paper project; you can make a card, tag, scrapbooking page element, and so much more! For dimensional templates (folded), you can design and decorate your modified versions of the template over and over again, creating many different takes on one template. Stay tuned later this month at CCL for me to post a tutorial where I'll create multiple projects using the same template.

For now, take a look at the project I made as a sample for the theme challenge. The challenge for you is to create a project from a template - that's all! Simply surf the web for a template you like (or create your own, if your super creative!) and make sure you include a before picture of the template, plus a picture of the finished project. I hope mine will inspire you -- I thought it was a really fun project for this time of year!

I used these two templates that I found free from Scrapbooks, Etc.

First, I cut the pieces out and played around with them on a card base, arranging them in different ways, to see what look I wanted to aim for. I then traced the pieces onto colored/patterned papers and fit them together. Another option when paper piecing is to print the template pattern directly onto the various patterned papers you will be using, then cutting the pieces directly out of the patterned papers. **This can be a great time saver!** 

I wanted a nice layered look, so I made sure to choose plenty of different textures and patterns. I also used dimensional foam adhesive squares to pop some of the parts up. I like the monster template SO MUCH that I plan to use him for other projects... think Halloween decorations!

I can't wait to see what everyone creates for the challenge -- if you haven't been over to Creating the Crafty Life be sure to create a (FREE!) membership and check all all the cool stuff available there, including this challenge!

'Til then,

Krolli

CCL Monthly Theme Challenge - Up-cycling!

It's about that time again: new month = new monthly challenge over at Creating the Crafty Life! The theme for September is going to be Up-Cycling, and our challenge project is for you to create something new from something old... with a twist! You have to use shimmer (sparkle, glitter, glam, Stickles, spritz, etc.) and it has to be related to BACK TO SCHOOL! As a member of CCL's design team, I created this project to (hopefully) inspire you:

I took a pasta sauce jar that I've been saving and up-cycled it into a pencil/pen holder. I covered the jar with Mod Podge and adhered patterned paper to the bottom half and glittery paper to the top half. (There's my shimmer!) I added some matching ruffle trims to the seam where the two papers met, and put beaded trim over that along the other seams. I also added some beaded trim around the rim of the jar. Then I used some acrylic flowers and beads as an embellishment on the jar's front. If you look at the pencil tops, I glued on some of these same mini flowers/beads and added some coordinating ribbon for a nice matchy-matchy effect. I plan to put this on my daughter's desk for a nice little surprise when she goes to do her homework.

I hope everyone is off to a great start with the new school year! Fall is on its way! Can't wait to see what all of you come up with for this challenge.

'Til then,

Krolli

CCL "TAKE ME AWAY" BLOG HOP!

Welcome to my post in the Creating the Crafty Life "Take Me Away" Blog Hop!!! If you are coming from Leslie's Blog, then you are on the right track! If not, I encourage you to start from the beginning of the hop at Misty's Blog.

The theme of our hop is vacations/destinations, so I made a cute little travel suitcase out of an Altoids tin. It went from this:

To this:

I covered the tin in patterned paper and added appropriate stickers/embellishments to make the suitcase appear as if it's been "around." The handle is made out of a cut strip of leather and I adhered brad heads to the ends to make it look like it's fastened to the suitcase.

I continued the theme on the inside, adding bits of appropriate papers showing various destinations. I made a tiny mini out of chipboard and covered the "pages" in matching patterned paper, then bound them together with a small dog tag chain.

A closer look at the contents. :)

And the back!

I hope you like my project.... I really enjoyed making it for this hop. Makes me want to go on vacation right now!

There is a lot of hidden blog candy to be won, so please be sure to leave comments and to follow all the blogs along the hop. Here's what's up for grabs for the GRAND PRIZES:

$20 gift certificate to the MB's Treasurista store!!!

Check out the STORE

To be eligible for the grand prize, you must do the following:

*MUST* "like" MBT Facebook page - FB PAGE LINK

*MUST* be MBT blog follow - MBT BLOG LINK

*MUST* follow and comment on all the designers' blogs

5 Digi images

http://www.digistamps4joy.co.za/eshop/

Here is the line-up for the hop:

Misty - MB's Treasurista

Leslie - Scrap of Art Designs

Carli - Krolli Kraft!   <------- YOU ARE HERE!

Deb - Crafty Texas Woman   <-------  NEXT UP!

Amanda - The Life of a Compulsive Crafter

Liz - Scrapilicious Life

Tiffany - Maineokie Scrapers

Adelle - ANoriginalcrafts

GOOD LUCK, AND HAVE FUN HOPPING!

'Til then,

Krolli

CCL Monthly Theme Challenge - Mini Albums!

This month's theme at Creating the Crafty Life is mini albums! As a member of the design team, I had to create a component for a mini album, and I did a journaling spot. Imagining a mini album with a tea-time theme, I made a journal spot with images of tea cups, spoons, sugar, etc. in mind. Here is what I came up with:

I created a pocket out of patterned paper and made three matching journaling cards that sit in the pocket. The cards have a teaspoon and sugar cubes, detailed with Stickles to make them look like real sugar crystals. I also attached a small clothespin embellishment on the front of the pocket to hold a miniature custom-made tea towel. Finally, I added a small bead accent to dangle in the upper left corner. This journaling spot could either be adhered nicely to a page in a mini album or could be used as a page itself.

Be sure to check out CCL this month for more ideas, swaps, and challenges centered around mini albums!

'Til then,

Krolli 

CCL ANNIVERSARY GIVE AWAY!!!

Hi, everyone! First off, I want to say CONGRATULATIONS to Misty over at Creating the Crafty Life, as this marks her 1-year anniversary of the site! Woohoo! CCL has been such an awesome place for me; I've learned so many new techniques and have been inspired so by so many projects from fellow crafters that I've really grown into a better crafter myself. I've also made several new friends... I really love the level of kindness and sharing there. Membership is free if you'd like to join us: Creating the Crafty Life !

For the anniversary, CCL is having a 2-week FUN spree! It already started this week, but it runs through next week, so there's still plenty of opportunity to get involved. TODAY, I am hosting the second give away. here is the loot you could (easily) take home:

Just go over to Creating the Craft Life and post a comment under the post  for GIVE AWAY # 2 what your favorite anniversary memory is. I will randomly select a winner from the comments and she/he will be announced on the 28th. GOOD LUCK!

'Til then,

Krolli

CCL Monthly Theme Challenge - BEADS!

It's that fun time at the beginning of the month when Creating the Craft Life reveals the monthly theme! June's theme will be ALL THINGS BEADS! How fun is THAT?! I love doing things with beads, and CCL's challenge for you is to create any project using beads (at least 10!) and make sure you use BLUE in your project! For inspiration, here is my sample for the challenge: a chunky bead charm on a tag.

This tag will be part of an owl-themed mini-album that I've started working on; I'll be sure to share the album once it's complete. If you would like to know how to make a chunky charm like mine, be on the lookout during the 3rd week of June on CCL, because I will be posting a video tutorial of how I made this chunky charm! There are tons of swaps, challenges, tutorials, ideas, and SUPER FRIENDLY PEOPLE over at CCL, so if you haven't taken a moment to join us over there, be sure you do! :)

'Til then,

Krolli

CCL Monthly Theme Challenge - Altered Items

Howdy, crafty friends! Time for June's theme challenge from Creating the Crafty Life! This month our theme is altered items. HOW FUN IS THAT?! As a member of CCL's design team, I have created an altered project to share with and hopefully inspire you. The challenge is to not only alter an item, but to include LACE somewhere (anywhere) in your project. Here is what I made:

I snatched this wooden flower basket from one of the dollar bins in Michael's. Right away, I though it would be perfect for a pin cushion, and I love the fact that it doesn't look like a "normal" pin cushion. I took the handle off and painted & crackled the flower faces. I adhered lace to the sides and created a butterfly out of the same lace, using mesh bling for its body and flower stamen for its antennae. I added more trim here and there along the lace edges, then filled the inside with rocks. I attached a fluff-filled bit of black leather to the inside top of the basket, creating the pin cushion. Last thing to do was stick a couple of pins in it for effect! Hope you like!

'Til then,

Krolli

Run Away from Cheap Tape Runners!

Let's talk about adhesive runners. (Or, I just call them all tape runners, but I'm not entirely sure that's always correct.) Ok, I have been around the mountain and back when it comes to these things and I've finally found a couple that I like. But first, let me show you some that I grabbed from my stash:

Most of these are junk and I hate them. I'm a cheap person -- I have three kids in a single-income family, so I'm always attempting to wiggle out of whatever expenses I can. Consequently, I frequently find myself learning the hard way that you get what you pay for. Generally speaking, the cheaper the runner, the more stupid it will behave.

There is one in the pile above that I do like. It is the Creative Memories tape runner. The thing I do not like is that bad boy cost me somewhere in the area of $8.00. The other chink in its armor is that I have to attain refills for it either through a Creative Memories consultant or by ordering online. Ordering isn't so horrible, and I've never experienced problems with their shipping, but what if I want it right here, right now? I suppose the answer is a no-brainer and just buy a bunch of refills and keep them stocked up, so as never to be caught high and dry. But I'm not always good at that. Also, the refills are $5.50, which is way more pricey than some of the cheaper actual runners. On the other hand, the tape in CM's runner seems to last a lot longer than the cheapo ones.

As far as the cheapo ones go, there are many, MANY different runners on the market. I have paid anywhere from $0.99 to $6.99 for runners, trying to find one that I'm good and happy with. Some consist of tiny gluey dots (hated it!), some are comprised of some sort of gluey film (hated it!), and some have actual little white strips of double sided stickiness. That's where I've found my happy place in Tape Runner Land. Here is the one I've found to be my favorite:

 It is Scrapbook Adhesives E-Z Runner.  **But be forewarned -- Scrapbook Adhesives produces all the other kinds I've mentioned. I just always buy the "red one" and I love it. The only complaint I have is that it doesn't seem to last very long. (Although it still lasts longer than any other of the really cheap runners.) But, for being such a cheap individual, I really am adhesive-happy, so I probably going through these a lot faster than necessary, admittedly. It just really depends on how much you use it. This particular runner is around $6.00, but you can get it at Jo-Ann's with a 405 off coupon most of the time. Also, I am fortunate to have a Flower Factory right by me and they will sometimes carry this runner for around $3.00. Sweet deal.

There's a big daddy tape runner worth mentioning. It's the ATG, which is just short for Adhesive Transfer Gun. ((**Some people say "ATG Gun" and this makes me twitch because it's like saying "Adhesive Transfer Gun Gun," much the way "ATM Machine is like saying Automated Teller Machine Machine, but that's my nerdiness roaring its ugly head and I'll push it back away now.**)) I don't yet own an ATG, but it's certainly up there on my wish list. I've borrowed them on occasion at crops and they are COOL! The *only* reason I do not own one is because, say it with me, "Carli is cheap!" But I plan to arm myself with that good ol' 40% off coupon and bite the bullet before too long. Here's a photo of a Scotch ATG I want:

These guys last FOREVER. I guess one might complain about it's bulkiness, but they aren't really heavy or anything. And I feel a little excited, in a power-hungry sort of way when I'm using one. Maybe that's a much smaller scaled man-with-power-tool syndrome. At any rate, you will find these for around $35.00 and the refills just depend on where you shop and which type pf tape you buy.

Just remember this, my friends: Not all adhesive runners are created equal!

Til then,

Krolli

CCL Monthly Theme Challenge - Layout sketch!

Hi, friends! I am posting my example for the Creating the Craft Life monthly theme challenge for May, which is Layouts. I had fun with this one -- working from a sketch is so much easier for me, because it gives you a jumping-off point.

So, here is the sketch that CCL members will be challenged to use in May:

And here is what I came up with:

Be sure to head over to CCL in May and become a member if you haven't already! Create your own layout using this sketch, upload it to the event page, and you'll be entered to win something! :)

'Til then,

Krolli

CCL Monthly Theme Challenge - Cards

Hello, crafty friends! I am ecstatic to announce that I was recently selected to join the creative design team for Creating the Crafty Life (CCL), a wonderful online crafting community. You can find (and join for FREE!) Creating the Crafty Life at www.creatingthecraftylife.com. Each month, CCL will have a specific theme challenge where members are invited to post your creation. April's CCL theme is cards, and the challenge is to create a spring card. Here is the card I made as a sample for this challenge:

I made the butterflies out of ribbon/lace trim and beads, and I think they are the cutest addition to this card! I can't wait to see what everyone posts -- please remember to post your spring card over at CCL any time during the month of April and be on the lookout for tips 'n' techniques, tools of the trade, and free tutorials while you're there!

'Til then,

Krolli