Watercolored Birthday Cards

 Hi Everyone, here are some fun ways to accent your water colored or stamped birthday cards! 

 

Jump into Summer! With Easy Colorful Tie-Dye!

 I really love color, but the retail stores just don't have the hues I like for what I'm comfortable to spend. So I went ahead and made up my own shirts with paint and dye.

 Easy, fun and best of all? Colorful!
 

Materials needed: 
Tulip Tie Dye Kits
      -Best for 100% cotton. Should be used with in 60 minutes of mixing.
Plaid Acrylic Multi-Surface Paints
        - Paints can be used on any fabric. No rinsing required!
White T-shirts or Mens undershirts.
     -Pre-washed, just detergent. No softeners, no dryer sheet.  Keep shirts damp.
Plastic drop cloth for table or ground
Gloves- rubber or plastic
Rubber bands or waxy twine
Zip ties
Sharp scissors
Containers and wire racks
Hangers and places to hang shirts
Bags- for setting over night.
A rinsing bucket or tub
Access to water/hose.

These come with the powdered dye inside the bottles, rubber bands and one-size-fits-all gloves

 

Save the Tulip dye bottles for paints and other dye mixes. The narrow Tip is ideal for tie dye applications.

 

When using the powdered dye in the bottles, I never fill the bottle all the way with water. This way it's easier to mix thoroughly and the colors are concentrated. When ready to add the paint, I rinse the bottles out, add paint to the shown line, then water as before. The more paint you use, the stiffer your finished shirt will be and you may need to wash with a softener before wearing

I use rubber bands for the spirals and zip ties for the rest. You just need to be careful you don't "cut" the shirt when removing the zip ties. For bags I use fold and close bread bags and large ziplocks bags. Gloves are optional. Some times I use them, sometimes I don't. If you don't like using them, make sure you have Lava soap to remove the stains on your arms and hands.

This is what I use when I tie dye.

Bakers racks work too.

 For the spiral shirt:

1. Lay your damp shirt flat on your protected surface. Decide where you want your spiral center to be. Pinch there and start twisting.
2. Keep on twisting. Make sure the shirt stays flat and does not buckle up.
3. When you can twist no more, gather the loose parts and form a flat circle.
4. Wrap the first rubber band, careful to cross the center. Add the second rubber band making a "X" in the center.
5. Add 2 more rubber bands corner to corner, aligning in the center. You should have 8 sections.

Place your piece onto a screen over a container, then carefully apply your dye/paint by section.  Make sure to fill in some of the folds with dye/paint too.

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 For the Diagonal shirt:

1. Lay your damp shirt flat. Gather in folds from the shoulder downwards.
2. Try to keep the folds nice and even.
3. When you are at the end,  twist as if you are wringing a towel. 
4. Keep twisting until it makes a loop. Place onto a bakers rack before applying dye in sections.

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 Wavy stripe shirt:

Lay your damp shirt flat. Then starting at one side, gather the shirt in folds, pleating towards the other side. Secure folds with zip ties and apply your dye/paint.

 ____________________

 For this one.....
Lay your damp shirt flat. Then starting at the bottom, gather the shirt in folds, pleating towards the top. Secure folds with zip ties and apply your dye/paint.

 

As you can see, this one done with diluted paint, has a more solid less vivid look you would get with the dye. But its still a fun process and I plan to finish it off with some other paint colors and stencils.

 

The shirts with dye are wrapped up in plastic and left over night to set.

  When you are ready to rinse the items with dye:

1. Use gloves for the rinsing. The dye will be super concentrated.
2. Hold over your bucket/tub and use a hose to gently rinse the color while your shirt is still wrapped up.
3. Then carefully uncurl, unwrap, take off any rubber bands or cut zip ties.
4. Rinse until water is nearly clear.
5. Empty bucket/tub into thirsty (non-food) vegetation.
6. Fill bucket/tub 1/4 way with water and use hand to swirl shirt in water like a washing machine until water drips clear from shirt. Hang until dry. 
7. If later when checking on hung shirts....you notice dye drips....you can do a cold water rinse-only in your washing machine and always hang dry before wearing.

 The items made with acrylic paint, are left in the sun to dry a bit. They are carefully undone and hung until fully dry. No rinsing required before wearing!

This red spiral painted shirt will also receive some stencil detail.

Leftover paint or dye? Why not give 'new' life to some boring old socks? You can dry them on  tomato cages! Socks take a day or two to dry.

Thanks for coming by, I hope I've inspired you!
Comments welcome! :)

A Day at The Beach with Deflecto Craft!

 Hooray!

 One more week and School is out! 

That means it's time to head to the beach!

Here I have decorated, a Deflecto Tri-Fold Acrylic frame-

with all sorts of beach inspired tid-bits, ready to show off a perfect summer day!

Materials:

• 1 Tri-fold 4"x6" Acrylic frame by Deflecto Craft.
• Solid colored card stock.
• Patterned card stock.
• 150 grade sandpaper.
• Printed beach inspired clip art.
• Metallic washi tape.
• Metallic gel pens.
• Chunky glitter
• Sequins.
• Scissors.
• Clear adhesive.
• Foam tape.  

Instructions:

1. Cut the colored card stock for each panel to be 4"x6".
2. Cut the patterned paper for each panel to be 3 ½"x 5 ½".
3. Tear just the top with your fingers, glue to colored card stock.
4. Cut the sandpaper to be 1 ½" x 4", tear top with fingers.
5. Glue sandpaper to the bottom of each card. Place something heavy on top of sandpaper to hold it down as the glue dries.
6. Adhere a strip of washi tape to the left side of each card.
7. Attach clip art with adhesive or foam tape.
8. Leave room for beach photos.
9. Accent clip art and card edges with metallic pens.
10. Use clear glue to attach chunky glitter and sequins.
11. Let cards completely dry before inserting into frame panels.

See more Deflecto Craft idea's here.!

Happy Birthday Card with Couture Creations!

Hello Couture Fans!

Michelle here again, sharing another creation as June's Guest Designer.

I am always in need of Birthday cards and never seem to have enough. 

But now with these versatile Couture Creations dies, the possibilities are endless and I will always have the perfect card!

 The background paper I chose for this card was very thin, so the first time I embossed it with Fretboard from The World Fair Collection, I noticed the paper cracked.

 So for the second piece, I placed the background paper on a piece of manilla envelope into the embossing folder before running through my die cutting machine. 

As you can see in the results below, this worked beautifully.

 Before adhering the embossed background paper onto my card base, I gently tore the edges with my fingers, then lightly sanded the embossed design for a vintage rustic look.

  Here is how I made the Birthday banner using bakers twine and washi tape.
Super cute and oh so easy!

 I placed piece of turquoise cardstock in my die cutting machine with the Look in My Window Decorative Die. I then trimmed of the shutters before placing some vintage music sheet paper behind the window pane.

 To place the flowers in the window box securely, I glued the flowers down but also used some thin washi tape to hold the stems in place. Next, I placed bits of foam tape (as shown) and folded the window box up onto the tape.
I lightly inked the window box with white chalk ink, then added some character to the box and window with a fine black pen.

 The birds were a delight to make and so easy!
Simply place a bit of wide decorative yellow washi tape on a scrap of yellow cardstock.
Place the Bird Song Decorative Die on to the washi and run through your machine.
Accent the birds eyes with your black pen and glue into place.

 Add your sentiment to the window box, glue in place the banner then ink the cards edges if desired.

I am very much loving this card and I hope to have inspired you you create one of your own.

Couture Creations Supplies:

 

C0723522  Decorative Bird Song- Secret Treasures Collection

C0723537 Look in My Window- Secret Treasures Collection

C0723031 Fretboard- World Fair

Michelle Frae Cummings

Faerie Dust Dreams

Summer Treasure Box

Just something I made to hold this Summers memories....

See the more of this box and the tutorial here!

3-D Cupcake Card

Here's a fun and delightful card I recently made for a friends Birthday.
It really only took less than 15 minutes but the Magic of it will last forever!

 I started with a folded card blank. Any size with do.
I cut some cut some Glittered Lips cardstock and and just tore it to size with my fingers. I flipped it over and used its back side which was a nice distressed red.
Then I used a copy of vintage music and did the same 'tear with my fingers' technique.
I placed a few strips of  washi tape at the bottom. I honestly can't remember where I bought this roll, but if you Google "washi tape with hearts and clouds", I'm', sure you will find some!

The cupcake stamp is by Pink Persimmon.
 I stamped it in black ink and colored it in with alcohol pens.
I carefully trimmed it out and attached it to the card with 3-layers of foam tape.
With a craft knife, I cut off a little bit of a unused birthday candle so it would lay flat on the card.
I coated some coordinating washi tape with adhesive and added to the candle.
 I let it set for a few minutes before adding adhesive to the back of the candle and attaching to the card, tucking the bottom just under the 'top' of the cupcake.
I colored in the tip of the candle with a alcohol pen.

Ta-Da!
What do you think?

My 41st Birthday & Valentines Day Week in Photos

 This past week I celebrated my 41st Birthday. It's always the day before Valentines Day.

In the above vintage Kewpi-cupid vase, I have some Birthday flowers.
I only bring him out once a year. Isn't he a cute?
He was a hand me down from my late Mother-in-law.

 Dyllan and I went to a dollar tree store looking for party favors. He was memorized by all the balloons they had, Tons! Next year, you should go there for $1 balloons. Same with greeting cards if you don't make your own. All Hallmark quality for $1 each. The lady in front of us at the check out, bought 30 cards. Maybe for co-workers. Either way...any where else. those cards would have been $5 a piece!

 On the 2nd Monday of every month, I get together with a wonderful group of card making friends.
We always have a themed swap, plus Birthday cards for the people celebrating that month and we take turns hosting a demo.
Here are some of the Birthday cards my friends made for me. 

 The Granny is a riot! Below is the inside of the card. :)

 

 Here we are at my kitchen table. I'm sorry I don't have a photo of the demo.
It was super fun to make.

 Here are the cards the ladies swapped at tonight's meeting.

I had my husband snap a photos because it's rare that we are all at a meeting. Some travel, or work gets in the way.  Most of the meetings are at my home because I have the table space. Sometimes a few other ladies host, which I appreciate. I really like the friendship and fun!
Here's our group on Meet-up if you are interested in joining.
Mixed Media Arts & Crafting Club
We now do other events beside card making...jewelry, painting, sewing and more!

Here are some cards I received from other crafty friends for my Birthday. 
So creative! Don't you agree?

Some  favorite "Valentines" for Dyllan from his classmates...

Happy Flag Day!

Happy Flag Day Everyone!

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day!
I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!
Enjoy the above clip art and this knock out jello recipe I found!

Dyllan's (month long) 5th Birthday Celebration!

In the middle of July, Brian, Dyllan and I went to my Dad's in Chula Vista, CA for a weekend of fun and a day at Lego Land.
After the day of fun, we swam in my Dad and Step Mom's pool and Dyllan helped me picked fresh tomatoes and and a huge zucchini!


You can see how over grown the tomato bush is! I had to reach waaaay in the back to get the 'good' ones! I felt like I was in a tomato jungle!

This is the one I took home. Do you like my size comparison? Just half of one of these guys made up 4 loafs of delish zucchini bread! (below)
Along the pool they also have banana trees. Here my Dad is holding a bunch to be put in the garage for further ripening.
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The last weekend of July, Dyllan and I came down for Comic Con. You can see that post here.

We came home with some bikes, that my folks did not need anymore. Now Brian can ride with Dyllan and I!
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On Dyllan's Birthday- July 30th, I took him to Disneyland. We did not stay the whole day as it got hot, crowded and all he could think about was spending a birthday gift card from Disneyland!
But we were "tickled" that we parked on level 5 and got a pic of Dyllan next to his favorite character; Donald Duck!

When Brian got home from work, we went to Dyllan's choice of birthday dinner- Denny's.
He got mac n' cheese and grapes. Even though the food was the same, the environment was special. Even better when the staff came out with a dish of ice cream and sang Happy Birthday!

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Dyllan's Birthday party was the following Saturday at a local park. We made it a Star Wars / Clone Wars themed party, and had the kids dress up. Prizes were in involved too!

Even Grandpa Jim got in the action and made a suprise appearence.
The cake....

I got this r2d2 vintage cake pan from a friend and also bought the Darth Vader one as well for another time. The baking part was a pain, and I ended up making it a 2 layer cake. The decoration part is also harder than it looks especially when you are doing it for the first time, like me. I disliked the 'outline ' part the most, as my hand kept cramping. But had a blast with the stars! I'm really excited as to how it came out and can't wait to make a Halloween inspired r2d2 next time!

My orginal plan was to make a Death Star pinata. I did make it, but it was just too cool to smash up. So I'm going to hang it from the ceiling in Dyllan's room instead. I'll be sure to post pics when I do!

So I brought out a parachute tent and we made it fun for the kids any ways. While they were underneath, I scattered the (pinata's) toys in the grass and the kids went wild stuffing their goodie bags!~ One more bite...

(special thanks to my husband Brian for some of the better photographs!)