Craft: Washi Tape Phone Cover

I recently got a new phone.  And with a new phone comes new accessories.  Okay, accessories aren't mandatory but they sure are fun.  At first I thought I was going to go with an owl case.  But can you really be taken seriously when you answer an owl shaped phone?  I don't know?  Then I had my eye on an embroidery phone case.  But I think we all know I have far too many WIP (works in progress) lying around.  The last thing I needed was a half embroidered phone case mocking me.  So, I decided to go with something fun, easy and my style, washi tape.

I started off with a basic white iPhone cover.  Then I just covered it with tape.  One of the great properties of washi tape is that it's low tack.  So if you don't like how the tape looks, you can just pull it off and start again.  It doesn't leave any glue residue either. 

Brightening Up Our Lives

Show of hands, who remembers the Light Bright?  My grandmother had a Lite Brite and I would spend hours playing with it in the basement.  I loved creating my own pictures and was mesmerized by how the pegs would light up. Well, I was recently reminded of this memory at a friends house over tea.  While we were chatting, she got out a vintage Lite Brite for my kids to play with. Just looking at it put me in a nostalgic trance. . .

. . .so I secretly decided I would buy one.  Now just so you know, normally I only buy my children toys when it is a holiday or birthday.  However, technically this toy was for me and I don't have any rules about that.

 My Little Pony Lite Brite Image

One eBay purchase later, I we had our very own vintage Lite Brite.  It even came with My Little Pony Paper, bonus!  You might be wondering why I went with a vintage Lite Brite since they have updated models now.  The simple answer, it wasn't the same.

State of Create Global Benchmark Study

Have you seen this new study released by Adobe(Nasdaq:ADBE)?  They interviewed 5000 people about creativity from the following countries: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Japan.  The findings show that even though 80% believe creativity is an integral part to economic growth, only 25% believe they are using their full creative ability.  The study also touches on workplace creativity, education concerns, and creativity ranking within countries.

I found this study absolutely fascinating.  I thought it was a little sad that only 52% of Americans believe they are creative.  What do you think?  Are you part of the 25% who believe they are living to their full creative potential? 

For the full study, visit Adobe.  Once you get to the landing page, you'll find a link to the State of Create Global Benchmark Study.  You can view or download the PDF file.

Crafting with Washi Tape

ModeS4u recently asked me if I would like to review some of their new washi tapes.  Of course  I said yes.  For one, I love crafting with the tape.  And two, I have worked with them in the past.  Last time they sent me some fabric to review, and not any fabric, Japanese fabric, the good stuff. If you've never checked out www.modes4u.com before, you should give them a visit.  Anything that you would call kawaii they have, from Re-Ment miniatures to DIY eraser making kits. Plus, they have lots of crafty things too.

Want to see what I made with the tape they sent me?  Here's a little tutorial to start with.

When I first saw the flowers & pattern tape, the print reminded me of a Cath Kidtson bag so I decided to play off that idea and make a card.  Here's what you'll need to make your own:

Flowers & pattern washi tape
Card-stock
Black pen
Small food & flower images cut from a magazine
Scissors

Place your magazine clippings where you want the center of your bag.  Place one piece of tape on top of them.  The top of the tape will be the top of our bag.

Layer pieces of tape on top of each other until you have the bag at the length you like.  Next, cut the tape into thin strips for the bag strap.  You'll notice I placed the tape underneath the bread to give it a more three dimensional look.

*Optional - outline the bag with black pen.

In the picture above, I used two different rolls of tape, deco seals and deco letters alphabet.  The seal tape is actually wider than the traditional rolls so you get a larger image. The deco seals come with four images: key, heart clover, and treble clef. 

For the letters you get the entire alphabet.  Naturally I wanted to spell something with them but didn't want to waste any letters.  To solve this problem, I rolled out one complete alphabet and stored the extra letters on parchment paper (pictured above).

 

Saving the best for last, here's a look at the deco plant tape.  This also comes in a wider role with miniature vintage illustrations of botanicals, figs, leaves and fungi.  The tape is the perfect width to decorate a matchbox (pictured above).  I even lined the inside with it.  I know this print has more potential.  I'm still brainstorming ideas with this one.  If you have any suggestions, please share.

How To Type in Cute

Do these cute bear faces look familiar to you? Well if you guessed the bear Rilakkuma, you're right.  I first discovered this font on Pugly Pixel (fabulous blog by the way).  The actual download for the free font can be found at dafont.

If you've never downloaded a font on your computer before, check out the directions on the dafont site.  The idea of installing a font may sound intimidating but I promise it's easy and painless. 

 Image of Rilakkuma via San-X net

Upcycle Craft: Miniature Toy Cloche Dome

These miniature food cloches are so easy to make that I can barely call them a craft. But, there was a little glue involved so a craft it is.

You will need one toy capsule shaped like the one pictured above. This toy capsule is pretty standard so it should be easy to find. And if your house is anything like ours, you probably have a couple lying around. But if you don't, just stop by a place that has these toy machines. Chances are a few of these capsules will be lying around. At our ice cream parlor they have a little trash can by the machines and it's filled with these capsules. And yes, I just take them out of the trash; I have no shame.

Once you have your capsule, glue a bead to the top of it with a strong adhesive. I recommend E6000. You could also punch a hole through the top and add a brad for the handle.

Find yourself some toy food and place it on the lid. Cover it with your dome and you're done.

When I make something for my children, I'm not always sure if they will like it. For this project I can confidently say it gets their stamp of approval. I overheard my daughter say, "These are awesome!" followed by, "Dinner is Served" in a British accent.

Featured in Haute Handbags

I'm excited to share that my yoyo coin purse tutorial is featured in the 2012 spring issue of Haute Handbags. It was even more exciting to see that the tutorial even made the front page. Yippee!!! I was in need of a little good news.

Here's a glimpse at what the tutorial looks like. I also wrote a little intro for it.

And since I'm talking about the magazine. Here are a couple of my favorite projects from the publication.

Grocery Tote by Donna Barnitz

Here's one of the projects in the magazine that stood out to me. It's a grocery tote made out of calendar tea towel. Love this idea!

The Knotty Bag by Marijke Mill

If you click on this image, you can get a better look at the knots incorporated in the front of the bag. I thought this was so pretty and creative.

Side note: Thank you for all your kind words and encouragement on my Spring Break post. I'm feeling much better. I'm not at 100%, but hopefully in another week or so I'll be there.

Craft: Cardboard Puppet Theater

Have you ever had the intention of making something simple but somewhere along the line your project gets completely out of control? For example. . . . I don't know. . . you plan on making a puppet theater out of a large box. Just something simple. You plan on cutting a hole in it and decide the kids can decorate the rest.

Back side of theater

You start out simple, and begin to cut out a hole for the puppets. But then you realize if you only cut part of the cardboard, you can bend it back into a stage. And since you're making a stage, you might as well make some curtains. Which means you'll need something to hold the curtains up. You find a dowel and cut it to size. You plan on gluing it in, but then you think, what if the kids want to change the curtains? You then add some extra grommets to the side of the box so the dowel can be removed.

You then realize that the curtains don't stay to the side on their own. Well you can't have a puppet show with closing curtains! You decide to add a curtain tie back. The gold string reminds you of the gold fringe on theater curtains and you think that would be a very nice detail. You search every inch of your craft room for fringe only to remember you donated it to the Goodwill. You vow never to get rid of any craft supplies again.

While looking at your theater with its stage and curtains, you realize it could use a coat of paint. But then you think, why not add a little detail.

Next thing you know, you're googling "vintage theaters" for reference. You stumble upon a few you like and from those images sketch out some details. Then you begin to paint. But what colors to use? Oh, the choices. You settle on peach gold and turquoise. The box begins to look a little flat so you decide it needs texture. You get out some gold dresden stars and glue them to the box. Things are turning out nicely.

The kids begin to start asking questions, "Can I decorate it? When can we play with it?". You feel slightly guilty. You suggest they make puppets.

You begin to get more adventurous. The sides of the stage look like they're missing something so you draw two balconies. You want that architectural relief look but how to get it? You dig into your stamp collection and find just the right image. Perfect!

You think you're done but feel like something is missing. You have a light bulb moment. You're literally thinking light bulbs. Your stage needs a lighting system. First you think Christmas lights but you don't want anything that needs to be plugged in. You need something basic like a flashlight. You cut a hole on the top of your theater for the flash light.

Tada! You now have a spotlight that can move with its performers.

You sit back and enjoy your work. You then hand it over to your kids and silently say a short prayer. It's something along the lines of "please keep this theater in one piece, at least for today".

Free Facebook Timeline Covers

I wasn't planning on posting until Monday but I had to share. I found this cute template for a Facebook timeline cover over at Penelope and Pip. The best part about the cover is that you can customize it with your own photos. Besides the bunny template above, there's also a polar bear and frame template. Stop by Penelope and Pip to get the free download. And while you're there, may I recommend the paint dipped chopstick tutorial? It's a fun and simple tutorial.

Spring Break

Spring break has turned out to be rain break. That's one of the reasons I haven't been posting this week. I also started using a chemo cream (sounds worse than it is) on the area I had a basal cell removed. This is the second time I've used the cream but this time around the side effects have been worse. I have no energy and flu like symptoms. It should only last two weeks at the most *fingers crossed*.

I'm hoping next week I'll be back with a few craft projects. There's one project in particular that I'm excited to share with all of you. Hopefully I'll be sharing about it next Monday.

best,
Jessica

Free Printable Easter Card & Egg Holders

Joy of Creative Mamma has another kawaii printable up for grabs and just in time for Easter. She created a cute Easter card and egg holder to download for free. Stop by her site to get the printables.

Wishing you all a happy Easter weekend!

Unique Easter Basket Gift Ideas

This year I got a little more creative with the Easter basket gifts and strayed away from the traditional jelly beans and chocolate Easter bunny. I thought I would share a few of my ideas with you and maybe bring a little inspiration your way.

For the girl:

Hair Bows - Not the most creative item in the basket but I know they'll get put to use. If you have the time, I suggest making some hair accessories yourself. Here's a cute tutorial for some hair bobbles by The Silly Pearl.

Unique stickers - I found these bunny stickers (pictured above) at the Kinokuniya bookstore. I liked that they were bunnies but not Easter themed. If you don't have a Kinokuniya close by, try a Sanrio store. They always have the cutest girly stickers.

For the boy:

Nanoblocks - My son loves Legos so I thought I would try out these nanoblocks. They're similar to Legos except they're micro sized. The smallest piece is only 4mm x 4mm x 5mm. I purchased these at the Kinokuniya bookstore but you can also find them at Amazon.com.

All City Breakers - I found these toys a while back and have been waiting for a good excuse to buy them. My son likes music and dancing so I think he will be excited about the plastic break dancers. And if not, they can find a home on my desk. I purchased the breakers at Fab.com but I think the sale is over now. They're also available at Kidrobot.com and Amazon.com. They come in pink and orange too.

For both:

Micro Terrarium - I thought these would be fun to grow. Plus, what child doesn't like a Venus Fly Trap? I found this micro terrarium at the Michaels craft store.

Meiji Candy - These candies are a nice alternative to the traditional jelly bean. We've had the strawberry/milk chocolate version before but never this flavor. I picked these up at the Mitsuwa grocery store. When my children were smaller I didn't even buy them candy for Easter. Instead they would get sweet cereal such as Fruit Loops.

Now that I've shared what I'm adding to our baskets, I'm curious to hear what you like? Do you buy traditional Easter baskets? Do you do something different instead of Easter baskets? Special traditions? Please share.

Washi Tape Embellished Easter Eggs

Here's a simple way to dress up Easter eggs. Just add a little washi tape to dyed eggs. You can cut the washi tape into any shape you want, circles, squares, hearts, etc. There's no right or wrong way to do it. Below are simple directions on how to dye eggs along with how to make washi dots.

How to Dye Eggs

1. Place one teaspoon of vinegar in a half cup of boiled water. Add about 10 drops of food coloring (any color) to water. Mix. Some food coloring boxes will say 20 drops but you really only need 10 unless you want your eggs extra bright.

2. Place egg in bowl and move around until you get your desired shade of color. Take out and let dry.

*I've found that the eggs usually turn a little darker & brighter in color after they're taken out of the water.

How to Make Washi Dots

To make washi dots, place a strip of washi tape on parchment paper. Punch out circles with a hole punch.

Apply dots to your egg and enjoy your work. Easy.