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