Out of the Box Art Journal Page

Over on Craft Test Dummies on Monday, I am posting a review of this adhesive tape runner, Glue Tape by Plus.  It was new to me - I had never heard of it - and Jenny had sent it to me after Summer CHA to give it a try.  Make sure you go check out my review - I was pleasantly surprised by how it performed, especially since it is lower priced than many of the tape runners on the market.

Anyway, while doing my review, one of the "happy accidents" I discovered (I almost ALWAYS have accidents while arting - some are happy, some not so much...) was that this stuff makes craft foam stick really well to itself!  Why, you might ask, would I care about this?  Well, I had just seen, a couple days prior to playing with the Glue Tape, THIS tutorial, and had picked up a pack of thin, cheap (as in Dollar Tree) craft foam in the hopes of doing the same thing. The foam was super thin, and one layer wasn't going to work for the stamps - so I needed to double it up - so I was happy to find that the Glue Tape would make it easy for me to do this.

So, anyway...on my shopping trip...which was a LOOONG one...picture this: me, all four kids (my 6-year old, my twin 3-year olds, and my 10-month old).  We've already been to the bank and the post office (where I had to drag all of them inside, to stand in line, to mail 2 packages - all because I only had cash to pay for the postage...normally I print Priority Mail labels online and do Carrier Pick-up).  I was in search of miniature rolling pins, or else cheap regular-sized ones.  I called Jo-Ann's - they said they had none.  I called Michaels', and they said yes, they had them in the dollar aisle AND that they were on sale 40% off!  Score!  So off we went to Michaels.  We searched the store up and down and found ONE miniature rolling pin.  One.  And it wasn't on sale.  So we got it and headed for the Dollar Tree, in hopes of finding some regular-sized ones for a buck each.  Do you know that they carry every kitchen utensil you could possibly need at that store EXCEPT  rolling pins?!  Sigh.  

At that point, the kids were tired and hungry and getting cranky.  Or maybe it was me who was getting cranky.  It takes a lot of work to get 4 kids in and out of car seats at every single stop.  Anyway, I stopped to think for a minute.  Or five.  I wondered if perhaps I should think outside the box.  Why did it have to be rolling pins?  Wouldn't pretty much ANY long, slender cylindrical hard object work?  

So off to Home Depot we went.  I grabbed a 1" diameter, 10-foot long piece of PVC pipe off the rack, and asked a worker if he could cut it down.  He said sure, and asked how many pieces and how long.  I hadn't really thought about it, so I quickly said, "Uh, how about ten 1-foot pieces?"  He agreed, and I asked how much it would cost for the cutting.  "Nothing, just whatever the pipe itself cost."  The pipe?  Cost me a whopping $1.49 plus tax.  Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!  I was so excited about my score that I completely forgot I'd been wanting to pick up some washers and a few other trinkets to use for stamping as well...ah, well...I guess we'll need to get out of the house some other day.

For this one, I went ahead and used the ONE miniature rolling pin we did pick up.  (However, I have already made a stamp from one of the PVC pipes, and it works great!  And I'm SO glad I have 10 of them - because this is totally addicting!)  After I cut a bunch of squares and rectangles, I used my hot glue gun to glue them to the rolling pin.  I used a brayer to lay down some paint on my journal page, and then used a paint brush to put paint on the rolling pin before rolling it across my journal page.  This is how it started out:

And after many, many layers (don't you just LOVE layers?!  I can't get enough layering!) - this is what I ended up with.  I had no idea where I was going with the page until almost all of the layers were on the page and I had worked on it over the course of almost a week.  

And then suddenly, I was inspired by the squares and rectangles to journal about how much art has changed the way I look at life and approach life.  I used to be such a "color inside the lines" kind of person, such a rule-follower.  I lived such a constrained life.  But I feel like art has freed me in so many ways - is freeing me in so many ways.  So that's what the page is about.  And I love the way the circular journaling looks in comparison to the boxed-in title.  I wasn't sure I was really loving the page until I finished the journaling, and then I loved it!

What have you been up to lately?  Leave me a link - I'd love to see.  And don't forget to come visit at Craft Test Dummies on Monday for the Glue Tape review...I'd love to have you visit over there!

Elmer's Giveaway for National Crafting Month!

So...I told you what a GREAT time my friends and I had crafting the night away last week with all of the awesome products Elmer's sent us, right?  Well, check it out.  Elmer's was SO generous in sending the crafty goodness that I actually had some leftover goodies after my party - and since we ARE wrapping up National Crafting Month, I decided I'd like to share the goodness with one of you, my readers!  

First - what do you win?  Everything in that picture above!  

• A pair of regular scissors
• Two pairs of decorative scissors
• An ergonomic delux craft knife
• A second craft knife
• A circle cutter
• A corner punch
• Two boxes of photo corners
• Two boxes of adhesive squares
• Two giant extra-strength glue sticks
• A quick-dry dual tip glue pen
• A roll of scrapbooking tape
• A box of glue spots
• Two boxes of 5 acrylic paint markers each
• A package of 18 gel pens

Whew...that's a LONG list!  I'm telling you - this is one AWESOME box of craft supplies!  Regardless of your level of crafting - even if you just have kids or are a homeschooling mom, you NEED this box!  You will be able to use everything in this box!

How to win?  Just leave me a comment on this post telling me what you would do with all of this crafty stuff...that's it.  Please only one entry per person.  The giveaway will be open through Friday, 4/1/11, at 7:00 a.m. PST.  I will choose a winner that morning (after I've had my coffee!) and post the winner that day!  Good luck!  

Elmer's Craft & Tell Party - Altered Cricut Cartridge Boxes

While I was at Winter CHA 2011, I had the opportunity to meet Meghann Heft from Elmer's and learned of their new Craft & Tell program.  Basically, Elmer's wanted to send some crafty bloggers like me a big box of crafty goodness to use for hosting a craft party, and then tell the world all about it!  Since I am certainly not one to turn down free craft products, I signed on the dotted line right away!

I decided to invite my friends over for a craft night this past Friday, and planned a project involving altering old Cricut cartridge boxes.  I prepared an example box, and I incorporated a few flowers that some of my friends had been wanting to learn how to make so that I could demonstrate how to make them.  (And check out these GORGEOUS new Pink Paislee House of Three papers - from the Daily Junque line!!)

My sample - an altered Cricut cartridge box

And boy oh boy did Elmer's send the crafty goodness!!  Check out my friend Shelia and me setting up for my party...there were circle cutters, craft knives, swivel knives, scissors, corner punches, glue pens, glue sticks, glue dots, adhesive runners, scrapbooking tape, adhesive squares, photo corners, decorative scissors, gel pens, paint markers, gel pens, foam board, liquid glue, and paper cutters.  There were even a few extras thrown in...some scrapbooking paper, ribbon, sequins, pom-poms...so much fun!

My island looked like an Elmer's and X-acto store display!!

Sheila helping to pack the VERY full swag bags

When my friends arrived, I had everything set up for them - an empty Cricut cartridge box for each person, a huge stack of scrapbooking paper and cardstock, paper punches, flowers of every kind, my Big Kick and Sizzix dies, and all of the Elmer's and X-acto products.  We got so busy crafting that we almost forgot to take very many photos!  Everyone wanted to learn how to make the rosettes using the Sizzix dies, so I demonstrated that, and almost everyone added one to their boxes.  Everyone also wanted to learn how to make the crinoline rose from my box, and I had received prior permission from Tammy Tutterow to use her tutorial to teach them how to make the rose.  It was fun watching my friend Monica, who thought the rose would be "impossible" to make, actually make one of her own for her box - and then take several more die cut crinoline flowers home with her to make more at home!  

Me demonstrating the crinoline rose and new Distress Stains

Kathye covering her box with paper

Allison's box - rosettes, crinoline rose, and layered butterflies

Shelia punched the top layer of her butterflies
from a soda can

My kiddos were appreciative of the sturdy
boxes the goodies arrived in!

All of my friends had a GREAT time - and so did I!  It had been a while since I'd hosted a craft night (I used to hold them regularly, though they used to be "everyone bring your own project" types of craft nights).  All present were in agreement that I needed to start hosting a monthly craft night again, but they'd like them to be more project-based like this one was, so that they could continue to learn new techniques and how to use different tools.  They want next month to be a spring banner!

I'm SOOO thankful to the folks at Elmer's for the fantastic products they sent - and because they were SO generous, I actually have some extra goodies to give away here on my blog!  So...this being the last week of National Crafting Month, you just might want to check back here TOMORROW to see what's in store!!  Just sayin'...

Product Review: Glue Glider Pro

I love adhesives...is that weird to say?  But really, I do!  As a crafter who ventures into all areas of crafting, I constantly find myself needing varying types of adhesives, and I am always on the look-out for better quality and easier-to-use adhesives.  I just recently got to use the Glue Arts Glue Glider Pro for the first time, and I have to say - it was love at first use!  So let me tell you some of the things I love about it...

First off, it's ergonomically great for me.  I happen to have extremely weak hand and finger muscles due to neuropathy, so I often struggle with adhesives that are smaller, require lots of squeezing, or are otherwise clumsy to hold...but the Glue Glider Pro is the perfect size, and fits easily in my entire hand.  It doesn't require a lot of strength to apply the adhesive, either.  Just press down with a bit of pressure, and pull - and it leaves a nice line of adhesive.

Also, the cartridges are very easy to remove and replace - another bonus!  I hate struggling to replace cartridges or switch them out when I want to change to a different adhesive type.

To remove cartridge, simply pull straight out - no buttons to push, very easy!

To replace cartridge, simply push straight in - SIMPLE!

The cartridge you see here is the Perma-Tac cartridge.  It is 1/4" wide, and lays down permanent adhesive rectangles every 1/8".  I tried the Perma-Tac cartridge out on some basic paper-crafting, and was very happy with it's sticking power.  I found a little bit to go a long way, and loved that I didn't need to lay down a full strip of adhesive to stick a full strip of paper - I was able to lift the applicator and lay down bits here and there, and the paper still stuck very well.

But the Glue Glider Pro is far more versatile than just this one cartridge - and this is another thing I love about it!  Check out this list of the different types of cartridges available for it - and they all fit in this same holder!

List of the cartridges available for Glue Glider Pro

The extra one on the list that I was MOST excited about is this one...

Fabric Bond cartridge

That's right - a Fabric Bond cartridge!  Per the package description, this "temporarily sticks fabric together, bonds permanently when ironed."  How awesome is that?!  Plus, the back of the package lets you know how well it works on different types of materials!

Back of package shows success on varying types of material

I can definitely see me using this cartridge in my fabric-crafting endeavors, for things like making bias tape, doing applique, or temporarily holding hems in place until I can stitch - rather than pinning!

All in all, I think the Glue Glider Pro gives great bang for your buck - you can get it for just $11.97 from Consumer Crafts, and that includes the 40-foot Perma-Tac cartridge!

And, my awesome friend Jenny over at Craft Test Dummies has given the Glue Glider Pro the much-coveted and not-often-given "Craft Test Dummies Seal of Approval!"  Check out her review here.

What about you?  Have you tried the Glue Glider Pro?  What do you think about it?  I'd love to hear!