Craft Project Central Projects For July!

Hi Everyone!  I hope you are enjoying a beautiful weekend wherever you are!  Craft Project Central has asked me to participate as a guest designer for the month of July, so I will be sharing my project, as well as the projects created by the other designers as the month of July marches forward!

First I want to share this incredible By the Tide Beach Bag Gift Set by Julie Beltramo!  You can learn more about Julie on her blog HERE. –  If you are ready for summer, this sweet little Beach Bag is comfortably packed with four By the Tide note cards!  It would make a great little gift to get anyone in the mood for summer!  Or host a class and invite some friends to come over and make the set with you!  Project also includes instructions for the tag to put on a candy favor!

Next up is this adorable Mini Travel Album & Suitcase Cover by Regina Andari.  Check out more of Regina's creations at her blog HERE!  A mini travel album is the perfect way to save photos and memorabilia from a special trip and to keep special notes and give a written account of the events about the trip!  There is plenty of space for photos and journaling in this mini album, and there are pockets to hold memorabilia.  One thing that's needed for every trip is a suitcase, and this mini travel album has its own suitcase cover, which would be a perfect way to present the album to someone who is getting ready to take a special trip.  Several of these suitcases could be placed on a shelf and there's plenty of space on the closed end of the cover to attach an identifying label!

Wondering how to store your twine and washi tape????   These Gift Box Organizers by Niki Toll can help!  The new Tag a Bag gift boxes are great for gifts and treats but are so versatile that you can use them for many other things!  For this project the gift boxes are turned into organizational boxes to organize your Baker's Twine and/or Washi Tape!  This project is a great class project as well!  Everyone will want to fill their boxes with new Twines and Tapes!
To get full step-by-step instructions for all of these wonderful projects...and all the other Craft Project Central projects for the month of July, register HERE for a subscription to the month of July at Craft Project Central!  Also, keep an eye out for a free giveaway later this month for a FREE subscription to the month of July! :)

A Day Of Rest :)

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  I Am Happy And At Peace When I Am Creating
The title of this post is a bit of a misnomer :)  I have actually been incredibly active in the craft room - working on all kinds of fun projects - some with Stampin' Up! supplies, some with all kinds of different art supplies.  It's like someone unleashed a creative whirling dervish in my craft room! :)  Yes, the craft room definitely looks like a disaster area waiting to be condemned...but what's funny is that in the midst of all the piles and supplies and projects, I still seem to manage to clear a little corner where I can sit and create.  What I am realizing again, as I sit for hours and work on projects, is that I am happy and at peace when I am creating.  My breathing slows.  My mind clears.  I am alert and focused and totally "in the moment."  Time spent creating is among my most precious time...as precious as time spent with the two furry ones in the picture above.  Buddy and Loki are getting along now - though there is still a bit of jealousy on Buddy's part :)  Yes, family and creating - my most wonderful moments :)  I hope you have a wonderful and peaceful weekend!  I hope to share some of what I have been working on over the past few days in the coming week!  Stay tuned!!!!  P.S.  There is also a big arts festival, The Cherry Creek Arts Festival, that is in town this weekend.  I plan on spending some time there - getting inspired and supporting other artists!!!!!  If I purchase anything, I'll be sure to share it in a post next week!!!!

Handmade Washi Tape: A Video!!!!!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Sometimes The Best Time To Jump In The Water Is When You Don't Want To!
Earlier in the week I kept telling myself that I needed to go for a swim.  With all of my work travel lately, I have totally gotten out of the exercise habit and I hadn't been in a pool for weeks.  Michael reminded me that I would feel better afterwards, so somehow I motivated - put on my bathing suit - and headed to the gym.  And, it was GREAT!  It was so nice to be back in the water - the sound of my own breathing - the movement of my arms and legs.  I'm really glad I went...and I'm planning to go again! :)  Sometimes the best time to jump in the water is when you don't want to!  And it's nice to know that you actually have the freedom to do so!  Happy 4th of July!!!!!
Today I want to share a video of a quick and easy way to make your own washi tape!  Enjoy!!!!

Art Journal Pages - Round And Round She Goes

Make A Dress Thank You Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Share What Is In Your Closet!
When I travel to visit my mom, one of my favorite things to do is take a look inside her closet!  Actually, she usually has a pile of clothes waiting for me - things she no longer wears or wants that might fit me.  So it is usually a fun fashion show at mom's house :)  And I often find a few things to bring home with me.  This time I managed to get a few fun fleece jackets - something I love to wear in the air conditioning and in the cool air in Colorado :)  So I thought I should make her a cute thank you card to reflect our recent closet clothes shopping event :)  Do you share what's in your closet?
I decided to practice my sewing skills a bit more with this card.  I took out my Orchard Harvest fabric (now on the CLEARANCE RACK!).  I then sketched a simple dress onto a piece of chipboard (a great use for old cereal boxes!).

Next I cut out the dress pattern from the chipboard and then traced it onto the front of the fabric using a pencil:

In order to make the fabric easier to work with on the sewing machine, I used an iron-on interfacing to create some stability.  Then, I sewed around the outline of the dress using my free-motion foot on the sewing machine and some black thread.  I even added a bit of extra sewing on the bottom of the dress!

Once I was done sewing, I cut out the dress and added a few embellishments.  I sewed on a "belt" using small piece of ribbon and then punched out a small flower and added it with a glue dot.  I then added some fusible web to the back of the dress and ironed the dress onto a small piece of muslin.  The muslin piece was then stitched to a piece of Bermuda Bay card stock before being added to the Crumb Cake card base with dimensionals.

The final touch was to stamp the sentiment from Simply Sketched and then punch it out with the artisan label punch.  I actually punched the piece out and then worked one end of it back into the punch to make a smaller label.  I hope you like it!  Now if I could only sew a life-size dress that looked like this....

Handmade Zipper Purse!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Your Creativity, Like A Garden, Needs Tending To
I walk by a beautiful garden on my morning walk with Buddy.  Over time, the beautiful iris garden is beginning to turn into a field of long grass and weeds.  The woman who used to tend the garden has passed and her children have been unable to maintain the garden.  It is difficult to watch.  Today though, I realized that the garden, like our creativity, needs tending to or it will become overgrown with other things.  I have felt that way this past month - with so many days on the road for work.  My creative garden was definitely missing me!  This weekend was all about tending to my creative garden!  At times I was working on 4 projects at once!!!!  I was sewing, art journaling, painting and playing with clay!  It felt WONDERFUL!!! :)  How can you tend to your garden????
Today I wanted to share with you a project I created a few weeks ago.  I finally was motivated to take some of the fabric I had made when I took a marbling class with Jo Fitsell.  I wasn't sure how I was going to use my unique fabrics, but when I came across instructions for a small zippered purse in the book Sew Wild by Alisa Burke, I knew what I would do!!!!  After a lot of cutting, sewing, ironing...and my first ever zipper...I had a purse that I could use! :)  What am amazing sense of accomplishment!  I'm already excited for the next one!  Here are a few more photos...I even did some journaling on the lining of the bag - just a permanent marker and the flow of my thoughts.  I hope you like it!!!!

Dress Up Wardrobe by Amanda Corbet

Do you love to play dress up? Or have the ultimate girly-girl friend that you need a gift for? Well this is sure to wow her! This fun wardrobe, created by Amanda Corbet, includes five different card designs and matching envelopes! Each card has a different fun dress design that you can make in minutes! You can build your own fashionable wardrobe!

Remember to get the instructions to make this bonus project, subscribers for the month of June to Craft Project Central just need to meet one of the criteria for bonus projects!  Either subscribe to two or more months in a row, put the CPC badge on your blog, or refer a friend and when your friend subscribes, let CPC know!  I hope you've enjoyed all of the projects I have shared with you this month from Craft Project Central!  Thank you for sharing my first experience with them as a designer - it's been fun!!!! :)