The Dark Crystal: The Age of Resistance

Do you have something that has followed you around your whole life?  Something has kept me coming back to the story of The Dark Crystal.  I saw it in theatres as a little Gelfling, I mean girl ( and yep, I'm THAT old) and I just never tire of it!  One time, many moons ago, I even met conceptual artist Brian Froud and he drew a goblin for me in my Dark Crystal book! 

I have just spent the last 2 days of this Labor Day weekend watching the new Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.  What a fantastical ride that was!!  I'll have to watch it all again more slowly because I'm not sure I caught on to the whole story but what a visual treat, indeed!  

And can we talk about character Brea's journal for a moment?  I fear this has instantly become an obsession.  I. Need. That. Journal.  

Have you watched the show?  If so, what did you think?  Talk Dark Crystal to me!  :)

DIY Mega Chalkboard - Part 1

When we bought our new house, I knew I had to add something to the big blank wall in the kitchen.  A quote wall with vinyl stickers?  Not really my thing.  A piece of art?  That's way too complicated of a decision for me to make.  A mega chalkboard that I can write quotes on, draw silly pictures, decorate for the different seasons, write lists for my sieve-like brain...umm, YES please!!

So I talked about it.  A lot.  I talked about it almost every day.  I drove my husband crazy.  "If you mention the chalkboard thing one more time..." he'd jokingly threaten.  The only problem I saw was that a 4' x 6' chalkboard wasn't going to fit into either of our cars and shipping a ready-made, expensive chalkboard that size would cost a small fortune!  "Let's make one ourselves!" I offered, excitedly.  We would have had to rent a truck from Home Depot for the supplies, or borrow someone's.  I gave up and stopped talking about it for a little while.

Husband sends me a text one day "I'm buying a truck."  My immediate response: "Great!  Now I can get my chalkboard!"

First stop in the new truck - Home Depot!  Here is our supplies list:

4' x 8' MDF board - $25.98 (We cut off 2' to make it a 4' x 6' board.)
White Primer - $3.87 (don't get spray primer)
Chalkboard Paint - FREE because the previous owner left some behind in the new house - thanks!
Molding rails for the frame  - $37.24
High density Foam roller - $5.97
Plastic Miter Box - $4.97
Miter Back Saw - $9.47

The nice Home Depot man cut two feet off the board.  Mini Girl will use the short piece to make a mini chalkboard for her room. Perfect!

We picked out molding for the frame. We just wanted something simple. 

Priming the boards. Just one coat of primer.  We let that dry overnight.

It was raining the next morning and I read somewhere that you shouldn't paint when the humidity is high. We waited until the afternoon when the air dried out.  The benefit of living in the desert - humidity doesn't last!

The little board got two coats, mine got three just because we had a little water droplet incident and it needed another coat after we dried it off.  We painted the edges as well but these pics don't show it.

Next up...attaching to the wall, and prepping for use. Stay tuned for Part 2!

DIY Mega Chalkboard - Part 2

And here it is!  The final results.  Click HERE to see Part 1.

The frame was a little tricky, to be honest.  In hindsight, it might have been better to attach the frame to the chalkboard BEFORE we attached the chalkboard to the wall.  But, well...we tend to figure these things out as we go.  

We used liquid nails around the edges and reinforced with real nails to attach it and seal it to the chalkboard.  We just painted white over the nail heads to hide them.

And now it's ready for use!!  Since I've never written on a chalkboard before, I thought it a good idea to purchase a guide for some tips and tricks.  

This book is bursting with inspiration for lettering, borders, drawings...wonderful stuff!!  You can purchase it on Amazon.

And there you have it...our first chalky session.  We're having lots of fun with our new mega chalkboard and hope to have some cool stuff to share with you in the future.  Hope you enjoyed this little project of ours.  If you've done a mega chalkboard in your house, let us know!  We'd love to see.  

Until next time...

Layered Mermaid Soaps

One of my fav soaps to make are "picture soaps".  They have cute little images embedded in them that wash away as you use the soap.  I've done so many different designs.  Even ones for my niece and nephew with their photos in them!  Here's a sneak peek at how I make them. 

Before we get started, I have to give a shout out to Peach Pops Clipart on Etsy for the gorgeous mermaid clipart I use in this project.  Their designs are so fun and cute!

Get all of your materials ready first.  This project is a little time sensitive in parts so you want to have everything at your finger tips.
  

I have cut out the little mermaids (printed on water soluble paper) to fit the size of the mold I'm going to use.  I don't want the edges of the paper to go all the way to the edge of the mold.  We want a nice "frame" around the edge of the paper so the soap seals the image in place.

Cut up your clear soap base.  I like to use small cubes...they melt faster.

Important: use your 50% power setting on your microwave.  It melts the soap more evenly and won't overheat it, but you still have to keep your eye on it.  Melt in 15-30 second increments to start with - you'll get a feel for timing the more you practice.  

It's good to have some soap chunks that aren't completely melted with the rest of the soap.  Just gently stir them in.  It will regulate the heat a little as well.  Don't stir too vigorously - you don't want to create air bubbles!  Spritz with alcohol if you do get some bubbles.  This will help them burst at the surface.

We're melted!  I've added a pinch of glitter to this first batch of clear soap.  I want there to be a cute little sparkle on the image.  Use alcohol to incorporate the glitter into the liquid and stir through any clumps.  It shouldn't clump if you haven't added too much glitter.  Just a pinch.  :)  Stir gently...remember, no bubbles!  We are not adding fragrance to this layer.  

Pour an ever-so thin layer in the bottom of your molds. I spritz with alcohol to help even out the soap.  You want the bottom to be covered but not thick.  We just want a nice, clear layer on top of our image.

When the first layer is solid, you can add your image.  Before you touch the paper to the soap...spritz, spritz, spritz the soap surface with alcohol.  You want it to be pretty wet.  Drop your image in.  If it doesn't sit how you want it to, if you've spritzed enough alcohol, you should be able to move it around.  Spritz it so there are no dry spots on the paper but don't let the paper start to buckle.  It should be laying flat on the soap.

STOP:  Some tutorials tell you to just add the next layer of white.  Don't do this!  Pour another very thin layer of soap onto the back of the image.  This will seal the image in and prevent any weird layering that might happen with your white backing soap.  Trust me on this.   

Get your white soap ready!  Small chunks.

Again, use 50% power and melt in 30 second bursts.  

When the white soap is melted, you can add your fragrance oil.  The amount will depend on how much soap you are using.  You can use this handy dandy fragrance calculator at Brambleberry.com.  P.S. Their fragrance oils are DIVINE, too!

Tip: If you're using a fragrance oil that has vanilla in it, you will need a vanilla stabilizer or your lovely white soap will go brown after a while.  Not pretty...unless you wanted brown soap.  :)

Now you're ready to pour the "back" of your soap.  I don't fill mine totally to the top as I've overflowed far too many times.  It gets messy and ugly and you waste soap.  :)  Spritz with alcohol to zap any bubbles that rise to the surface.

Now off you pop for a nice cup of tea while you wait for these babies to set.  Leave them for a good hour or more (will depend on your mold size - bigger molds take longer, obviously.).  When they are ready...pop them out, wrap in cling wrap or cello wrap and give to a friend.  They will love you for it!

This tutorial is the basic process of making a layered soap with an embedded image.  Let me know if you have questions - happy to help!  

Tips & Tricks - Craft Shows

It's the end-of-year craft show season!!  I've learned so much from being both a seller and a customer at craft shows over the years.  I figured it was about time to share what I have learned.  Hopefully some of these points  will be helpful for you, too.  Here are some things that help me stay focused and organized:

Early prep

I set out tables, packaging and boxes in the few days before the show.  This helps me plan out in advance how I want to display my products. As a visual person, this is vital for me.  I'll take a photo or two to show how it's set up and then I can refer to that again when I get to the site. 

Packing the car (Part 1)

Pack the car/truck/whatever the night before and give yourself ample time before doing so.  I have far too often left things until the last minute and it's extremely stressful - especially when it gets really late at night.  I don't sleep well because I feel like I've forgotten something.  You need all the sleep you can get it.  Tomorrow is going to be a long day!

Packing the car (Part 2)

Packing stock in smaller, well organized boxes is helpful because lugging around big, heavy boxes on the day can make you tired quickly and, if you're like me, prone to back/muscle injuries.  

Seating

Get rid of those slouchy football/camping chairs!  Switching to a small, folding stool may be the best idea I've ever had.  It's smaller and lighter to transport.  It sits up higher.  You can pop on and off it quickly to greet and help your customers.  Overall, it gives a better, more professional look to your booth - you are part of it, after all!  

Prepared for chilly mornings too!

Tent: White or Colored?

When I got my BRIGHT pink tent, I was in love and at the first show I used it, it was a big hit!  What an attention-getter!  The 2nd show, I noticed my customers having to take my products out into the "real" light to see what I was actually selling and what the colors were.  By the 3rd show, I had customers actually shielding their eyes as they walked on by.  Plus...I got a major headache!  Not fun!  So, I am switching to a white tent for future shows.  I have plenty of ideas to decorate and still make it attention-getting.  

See?  Everything is pink!!

Displays

I keep my displays simple, clean and straighten things up frequently throughout the day.  I easily get overwhelmed looking at booths and tables with many different products strewn all over the place.  I want to be able to quickly know what I'm looking at so I can either take a closer look, or move on.  As a customer, I'm more inclined to move on if things aren't well organized.  Eeek!

Signs

Clear, acrylic document stands (found at office supply stores) are perfect for easy-to-read informational and price signs.  Those little ingredient labels on individual products can be hard to read (especially in a pink tent, HA!).  I saw a lot of people reading the ingredient and info signs I had out at a recent show and they were happy to get the information right then and there without having to ask.  Customers love to learn - just in different ways so it's good to give them options.  Make sure you have business card stacks scattered around on your tables, too!

Take a Friend

Even if you're a one-person show, it helps to have a friend or assistant on the day.  Not only are you able to get a potty break, you get a chance to walk around the show, check out other vendors' work and do a bit of networking.  All of that is really hard to do when you're on your own.

Incidentals

Keep a box of these items handy:

Scissors, tape, zip ties

Pen/Marker

Water, snack/candy/energy bar

Painkillers, band-aids, tissues

Extra business cards

Small notepad

After the Show
I pack everything up, go home, unpack the car...and head straight to a hot, relaxing, glittery, fizzy, soothing bath.    Ahhh...

I'd love to hear what little tricks you have learned on your craft show journey!

Howlin' Halloween Cupcake Toppers Giveaway

Having a Halloween party yummy cupcakes?  Maybe making Halloween cupcakes for school or work?  I'm giving away a set of 12 of these super CUTE handmade cupcake toppers to add to your spooooky creations. 

Leave a comment on this post below to enter your name into the drawing.  Answer this question for 2 entries: What is your favourite scary movie? The winner's name will be drawn out of a witch's hat on Oct 1, 2012.  

Halloween artwork by CraftyGraphicsScraps

Aussie Fairies: Snugglepot and Cuddlepie

I want to share a little bit of my childhood here.  Growing up in Australia, I was introduced to very different kinds of fairies.  These fairies were not pink or princessy.  They weren't from your typical fairy tale.  But oh my goodness, they were cute!!  My big sister recently sent me some of my books from when I was 6 yrs old and I've fallen in love with them all over again.  I'm sure this is where my love of fairies began.


May Gibbs was an Australian author and illustrator who dreamed up little creatures like Gum-Nut Babies and Wattle Babies almost 100 years ago!   Her inspiration came from the native plants of Australia.  Gum nuts come from Eucalyptus (Gum) trees and she used the nuts as little hats on their heads.  Apparently, so she writes, "only grown-up Nuts can take off their caps".  Well, of course.  ;)  The Gum-Nut Babies were named Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.  Major aww!

 

I had the bookmark on the left when I was little.  It CRACKED me up every time.  ;)

Wattle Babies were my favourite.  These were inspired by the Wattle or Acacia tree which grows all over Australia.  The flowers are tiny little yellow fuzzies.  I love that Ms. Gibbs translated them into cute little tutu outfits for tiny bush babies.  Adorable!

Not all was cute and lovely though...there was the terrifying Banksia Man.  These Aussie bush critters were based on the seed pods from the Banksia tree.  The pods have an interesting feature...when they catch on fire, the pods open and seeds fall out and germinate the ground below.  With bush fires being quite common in Australia, this is a great survival mechanism for these plants.  Having said that though, Bankia pods terrified me as a child because of their portrayal in May Gibbs books.  They abducted Gum Nut Babies.  Oh no!!

 

But overall, the world that May Gibbs created was one full of happiness and love.  While her fairies didn't possess any magical skills or qualities, they took care of their world, nature - both bugs and baby animals like.  It fills my heart to know that they are still popular 100 years after they were originally published.   I sincerely hope they will still be enchanting little ones for another 100 years!

 

Were you a Snugglepot and Cuddlepie fan?  Tell me more!

Let's Party!

I had been making lip balm for a couple of years when my dear friend Lara back home in Sydney, Australia asked me to make personalized lip balm favours for her wedding.  I wasn't going to make it over to Oz for her wedding but wanted to be part of it all somehow so she sent over her invitation design and we went from there.  The little flower was on her invitation stationary so it tied everything together nicely.  We did a few flavours too!

The lip balms were a huge hit at the wedding and the requests started coming.  Since then I've been creating personalized lip balms for weddings, birthday parties, dance troupes, photographers and all kinds of special occasions and businesses  

"Thank you Beary Much" for a teddy bear party for 2 adorable sisters.  Awww!

SUCH cute nappy/diaper covers.  Flattery.com.au  Check out her fairy designs for little girl bubs!  

You HAVE to check out Gigi Photography  Her life/blog and photography are both utterly divine!  We did strawberry, vanilla mint and pumpkin cheesecake for her client gifts.

This one was for my birthday!  Hehe!

I love connecting with my customers through these projects - I learn a little about them and they let me share in their celebrations and successes.  Party guests definitely appreciate long-lasting party favours and something that is useful and a little "pampering".  There are countless flavours out there that I can get.  I think that's half the fun for me too!

These really are one of my favourite, favourite things to design and create!  Check out my Etsy listings HERE if you're interested in having personalized lip balm favours at your next party.

Have a sparkly day!

A House Fit For a Fairy

"Do fairies have houses?"  she asked me.

"They sure do!  Little teeny ones with bright colors and glitter." 

"Can I see them?" she pleaded.  

"Even better...we can make them a new fairy house!"

"Oh my gosh!  They will be so, so happy!  Let's go!"

We ran to the store and got the cutest little, perfectly fairy-sized, wooden house we could find.  She got out her paints...the brightest colors she could find and off she went.

She made sure to paint every spot - even between the fence posts.  

She sprinkled glitter on the roof and waited patiently for the paint to dry.  It took a little while. Waiting, waiting waiting.  Then finally it was ready!  She found the perfect spot in the garden to place her new fairy house.  She placed a little pink fairy sign to let the fairies know their new house was move-in ready!

We know the fairies love their new house!  We hear them twinkling and giggling all the time!  Or maybe that's just us.  :)

Have you made a house for the fairies in your garden?

In Search of Fairies

Guess where we went this week? DISNEYLAND!  We were on a mission to find Tinkerbell and we knew where to start. We headed straight for Pixie Hollow!

 

We heard the fairies twinkles and giggles!  We knew we were getting close.  So exciting!

We followed the signs...

We searched high and low through the giant grass and flowers...

The girls took a rest on the flowers...

And then we found her!!!

Thanks Tink!  It was lovely to meet you!