Monthly Archives: January 2013

Love Simply Made

Posted on January 31, 2013 by apieceoflifespie

Today I am sharing a fun and easy tutorial on how to make a simple yet very sweet Valentine’s Day decor using a Globecraft and Piccolo book board charms and Piccolo Enamel Powder and Piccolo Enamel 3-D Gel!

gppb7

Materials:

Globecraft & Piccolo Keys to My Heart Charm Set
Globecraft & Piccolo Enamel/Embossing Powder Adhesive
Globecraft & Piccolo Poodle Skirt Enamel Powder
Globecraft & Piccolo Pink Rose 3-D Enamel Gel
Globecraft & Piccolo Red Berry 3-D Enamel Gel
Globecraft & Piccolo Glastique Gloss Finishing Glaze
Globecraft & Piccolo Fine Line Applicator Tip
Small wood pine decorative table/chair leg – Home Depot/Lowes
Gesso Primer Paint
Craft Paint: White, Red, Pink
Kristen Swain Crinkle Ribbon – Bubble Gum Pink
gStudio small letter wooden stamps
Close to My Heart Holiday Red Stamp Ink
Harbor Freight Mini Paint Roller
Sand Paper

Step 1:

I picked up the decorative table leg at Home Depot and applied two coats of Gesso primer paint with a mini paint roller and set aside to dry. I dusted it lightly with sand paper to smooth out the Gesso coats. I then painted two coats each with pink, red and white craft paint allowing for dry time between each coat. Once final coat of paint was dry, I sanded down to distress allowing the different layers of paint colors to come through.

gcpp1

Step 2:

While waiting for the paint to dry on the wood piece, I applied the Piccolo 3-D Enamel Gel to the book board keys using the the Piccolo Fine Line Applicator Tip for the delicate area. Set aside to dry. Once dry repeat on reverse side.

gppb2

Step 3:

While the the 3-D Enamel Gel is drying, apply Piccolo Enamel/Embossing Powder Adhesive to the book board heart. Dust with Piccolo Poodle Skirt Enamel Powder, shake off excess and set with heat gun. Allow to cool to set. Repeat this process 2 more times (this will really add color and amazing visual texture). Repeat same steps on reverse side. Once both sides are complete, apply Glastique Gloss Finishing Glaze and allow to set and dry and then repeat on reverse side. This protects, seals and adds a very appeasing smooth finish.

gppb3

Step 4:

For bringing this project to a close, I used some small stamps that had a type writer font I found in the bargain bin at Micheal’s and once I inked the stamps, I stamped off some of the ink on a scrap piece of paper to dull down when stamped onto the top of the wood piece. I made sure to stagger the letters in a random pattern to add to a vintage homecrafted feel. I then tied the book board keys and heart around the neck of the wood piece, using pink crinkle ribbon.

gppb

Be sure to have the heart charm hang down over the front of the wooden piece.

gppb8

There it is, a sweet and very simple Valentine Decor that just adds a nice touch to a Valentine’s Day themed tabletop, mantel or center piece. How could you not fall in love with that gorgeous charm and key set! All the glimmer, color and depth that heart holds just oozes the feel of romance!

gppb9

gppb7

Be sure to head over to Globecraft and Piccolo’s blog and check out a coordinating Valentine’s Day project I made using their amazing enamel powders, 3-D enamel gels and book board pieces. You can also head over to the online store, and indulge yourself on some amazingly rich -to-craft products instead of chocolate this Valentines Day.

Click picture for details!

Thanks for sharing a piece of “love is in the air” pie with me!

Linking Up To:

Everyday is an Occasion – Sunday Funday

Gotta Create – Wildly Original Link Party

Sarah Hamer Designs – Link Up Party

Sassy Little Lady – Show and Tell Saturday #2

Angels Homestead – Saturday Spotlight #2

Tatertots and Jello – Weekend Wrap Up

7 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

Celebrating Decorate to Celebrate!

Posted on January 30, 2013 by apieceoflifespie

Happy Wednesday All!

So I have been so excited to announce this! I have been asked to join a fabulous group of designers for a very fun challenge blog that I just L-O-V-E! Yup, the ladies over at Decorate to Celebrate have made room for me to join in on their party! I am so honored and thrilled to be working with a group of such talented and lovely designers, where I can do one of my favorite aspects of crafting…party and holiday decor!

My first project with them will be NEXT WEDNESDAY when their new challenge will be announced! Trust me you will not want to miss getting in on this challenge idea! For now, you still have time to pop over and join in on the Superbowl Fun they got going on!

Thanks for sharing a piece of “celebrating that I have an excuse now to decorate everything” pie with me!

11 Comments

Posted in Decorate to Celebrate. Bookmark the permalink.

Telling Time in a Royal Way

Posted on January 28, 2013 by apieceoflifespie

Hello and Happy Monday! It as been two weeks exactly since my last post, but thankfully those two weeks bore some crafty fruit! For starters I am thrilled to share with you what I cooked up for this week’s Fantabulous Cricut Challenge, Time Flies! Make sure you head over and see what my DT buddies have created with “father time” on their creative side! Be sure to link up a “timely” project that follows the theme that is made with at least ONE Cricut cut!

What I came up with was something that I have been needing to make for my youngest monkey or should I say princess. I am trying to teach her to tell time and one thing I found successful in teaching time to my almost 5 year-old is to place a clock in her room when she was around 3. Since my youngest princess’ room is pink and has a fairy princess garden theme, I decided to make a clock with a tiara and made sure all the important stuff was covered as far as glitter and it being her favorite color purple!

I found the clock at IKEA for $1.99! It is just a plain opaque clock. I decided to put to use some craft paint I picked up at Home Depot over the holidays. I painted it with two layers.

Then I dusted it with some purple glitter I had on hand while the second coat of paint was still wet. Using a dry paint brush dust off glitter from the clock face.

Using my Once Upon a Princess Cricut Cartrige, I cut a “pre-cut” on scrap cardstock to make sure the sizing was right before I cut the vinyl.

Once I confirmed the sizing, using Oracle Pink vinyl from Experssionsvinyl.com, I cut the image at 3 inches. After peeling off the excess vinyl and removing the inner “H” I then burnished the image onto transfer paper and placed onto the clock face.

I then used Globecraft and Piccolo Glastique Matte to fill the void area of the “H” and dusted with glitter and removed the excess and made sure to dust straggler glitter away with a dry paint brush. Of course I had to add some purple bling gems from Doodlebug Designs for the final touch! Set aside and allow to dry and set.

This was a super easy and fun project with a great return on time! Be sure to head over to FCCB and join in on the challenge!

Thanks for sharing a piece of “crafting with time on my side” pie with me!

Linking Up To:

Everyday is an Occasion – Sunday Funday #5

Gotta Create:

Craft-o-maniac

Pink Cricut Link Party

Sassy Little Lady – Show and Tell Saturdays #2

Angels Homestead – Saturday Spotlight #2

Tatertots and Jello – Weekend Wrap Up

13 Comments

Posted in Cricut Cartridge: Once Upon a Princess Cricut Cartridge, FCCB(Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog) Design Team Projects, Globecraft & Piccolo and tagged challenge idea, crafting a clock for girls room, DIY an IKEA cheap clock, DIY clock for girls room using Cricut. Vinyl projects with Cricut, DIY princess clock, Doodlebug Design embellishments, Glastique, globecraft and piccolo, painting and glittering, Princess clock, using paint as a glitter adhesive. Bookmark the permalink.

MIA NO LONGER!

Posted on January 27, 2013 by apieceoflifespie

Well if you noticed I have been MIA, THANK YOU! I have missed you all too! I may have not been bloggin’ but I have been up to my knickers in craftin’ these past couple weeks… Here is a sneak peek of some fun things to come this week and beyond!

Monday is Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog telling time in a royal way!

Thursday you can find me here and over at Globecraft & Piccolo having a blast with their products!

Friday you will find me back over here with a tutorial on some of these fun projects!

AND you may see me hanging out over at Samantha Walker’s Facebook page at some point this week having fun with some of her new Silhouette images!

Next Wednesday you will get to see something sweetly inspiring over at Decorate to Celebrate!

peak3

PicMonkey Collage 1

peak 4

Thanks for sharing a piece of “back in the saddle again” pie with me!

3 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

It’s a Man’s World

Posted on January 14, 2013 by apieceoflifespie

Happy Monday all and Happy Fantabulous Cricut Challeng Blog Day! I am still flying high from my very first CHA this past Saturday! IT WAS AMAZING and I randomly met one of the FCCB’s fellow designers, Linda from The Tulip Collector! I happened to meet up with some other designers while I was paling around CHA with my dear, sweet and super funny blog buddy, Holly from Ribbons and Glue (a former fabulous FCCB designer from last term) and Linda was in that mix of the fun and fabulous ladies! Trust me there will be more on CHA later . . . MeandArin_zpsc85ac1b4

Linda, The Tulip Collector and myself at CHA 2013

Now on to FCCB’s Challenge

Today we are kicking off this week’s challenge, “It’s a Man’s World”, is one that I found super fun to do since it is very much out of the box of my usual frills, bling and feminine touch! It made room for me to put on my thinking cap and get really creative with a masculine touch. All you need to do is make a man inspired project using at least ONE Cricut cut and LINK it up over on the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog.

What I decided to do is make a sign for a friend that is really into making and flying remote control airplanes. He even has a room in his house that is designated for model airplane building and I thought that this idea would be perfect for his airplane room.

I found the wood plaque at Michales and painted and distressed it a bit using three different craft paints. Then using Cricut cuts from Father’s Day, I cut the badge and sentiment at 6 inches on vinyl. Using transfer tape I placed it on the plaque. The I cut the shadow feature of the plane from Stand Up and Salute at 3 inches. For the finishing touch, I decided to continue to add to the vintage feel of this sign and embossed the boarder using Piccolo Vintage Silver Enamel Powder and Piccolo Enamel/Embossing Powder Adhesive.

I gave it him tonight when he came over for dinner and he love it!

Now be sure to pop over to FCCB and see all the other great inspirations that the design team has cookin’. Be sure to LINK up so you are in the mix for our great giveaway!

Thanks for sharing, “a a piece of sometimes seeing that there is a man’s world in crafting” pie with me.

Linking Up:

I Gotta Create!

27 Comments

Posted in Cricut Cartridge: Father's Day, Cricut Cartridge: Stand Up and Salute, FCCB(Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog) Design Team Projects and tagged fantabulous cricut challenge blog, fantabulous cricut challenge blog design team, fun vintage man signs., homemade man cave sign, man cave sign, man gifts using vinyl, vinyl with Cricut. Bookmark the permalink.

First New Year’s Resolution DONE!

Posted on January 11, 2013 by apieceoflifespie

So I have a confession to make… my craft room has been a disaster that was masked by quasi organization ever since we took ownership of this house. When we first moved, our house was pretty much ripped apart down to its studs and we physically remodeled this house top to bottom with a 12 week old baby and a 20 month old. Yes, we are a bit insane. I will have to say the hubs and I never bickered or let some of the endless challenges of having our “Money Pit” experience ever get the best of us. When we dated and were first married we did a lot of extreme outdoor adventure (climbing MT. Whitney, Half Dome, 56 mile backpacking trips, 120 mile mountain bike trips in Canyon Lands, Utah), so I think that was God setting us up for how to deal with challenges and relying on each other in extreme settings. A full remodel with a baby and a toddler would equate for an extreme sport in my book. We had only 1/2 of a bath, NO kitchen, no flooring, and lived in drywall dust for about 8 weeks.

I totally digressed… the once office/craft room (now only craft room with a desk and file cabinet) was the catch-all room during most of the remodel and when I started to transform the catch-all to a craft room, I did a lot of shoving into the closet and half reorganizing so I could just set up the room and craft.

Well that finally caught up with me over this holiday season while doing all my projects, I was finally forced to face the music of my avoidance of the situation. So last weekend I rolled up my sleeves and spent TWO whole days doing what I should have done 2 years ago. Sadly, when reorganizing and purging it gets worse before it gets better. I wanted to throw up my hands and yell UNCLE at one point. Even the hubs came in at one point and nearly had a heart attack on how similar my room looked to an episode of Hoarders, Buried Alive he had once seen. However, I powered through and now have the craft room and storage for my mini Michaels store I have been needing and wanting!

Before- in the throws of reorg insanity:

IMG_0192[1]

After: YAY!

IMG_0195[1]

IMG_0194[1]

This closet was the biggest victory. On the side you don’t see holds my main printer, camera gear, office supplies and a few totes. On the side you do see holds most of my everyday embellishments, paint, specialty ribbon and twine, my design team products, extra supplies, makers, pens, a couple totes that host a quit I am working on and gift bags, etc…

craftroom

The shelving unit hosts scrapbooks, my Cuttlebug and Cinch It, all my paper stackers and my 8.5×11 solid stock paper. Next is my sewing station that the hubs built for me and it serves as a ribbon holder as well. I have a big tool cabinet above this station that I inherited from the hubs and that is hosts all my stamp ink, more embellishments, supplies, Stickles, etc… The red tool box hosts all my sewing tools.

craft room 2

I decided to organize my loose paper in 13×13 plastic storage bins and store those under my main work space. The top drawer holds all my scrap paper and then I organized the rest of the drawers by pattern, solid, Christmas, Halloween, novelty/designer paper and small stacks. This should help keep me more on track on what I have and what I need. The hub built the main craft table, the peg board, and the table that holds my Cricut, Silhouette and color printer. In the wood drawers under my craft table hosts my heat gun, stamps, stickers, and punches.

So there you have it. I have managed to successfully knock out one of my New Year’s Resolutions before the end of January! I have to say I have already done some projects and it is WONDERFUL to be working in a truly organized room!

Thanks for sharing a piece of ” happiness is being organized” pie with me.

10 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized and tagged craft space ideas, craftrooms, reorganizing craft spaces, storing craft supplies, using old tool boxes and cabinets in craft spaces. Bookmark the permalink.

I Feel the Love Project!

Posted on January 7, 2013 by apieceoflifespie

Hello and happy Monday!

Well January is in full swing and so is an amazing project over with Madison for her January I Feel the Love Project! What she is up to is making Valentines Day Cards for a special cause for some of the student from Sandy Hook Elementary

Head over and check out all the details and get creating something sweet and lovely for some very special Valentines this year.

1 Comment

Posted in Uncategorized and tagged charity card making, I Feel the Love Project, ideas to do Valentines day cards for charity, places to make charity cards for, Sandy hook Valentines day card. Bookmark the permalink.

Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner!

Posted on January 4, 2013 by apieceoflifespie

. . . . or at least you will have a few more crafty supplies in your stash!

For the FCCB Challenge Crawl!

Thank you everyone for participating and following in the FCCB Get Organized Crawl and leaving me a comment and becoming a fellow crafty friend of mine! I can’t wait to get to know you all more!

Drum Roll Maestro!

Congratulations Margaret Peppers! You are the random winner of the fun Globecraft and Piccolo Blog Candy! I will be emailing you for your information! Happy New Year!

blogcandy

For the Everyday is an Occasion – Ring in the New Year Blog Hop!

Thank you everyone for participating and following all of us in this fun New Year Blog Hop! Hope you have fun playing with all your fun crafty goodies Santa brought! Thank you for becoming a follower and I can’t wait to get to know you all more this year! Happy New Year!

Drum Roll Maestro!

Congratulations Kari Ann! You are the random winner of the fun Globecraft and Piccolo Blog Candy! I will be emailing you for your information! Happy New Year!

newyearbloghop

Thank you for sharing a piece of “who does not love to win blog candy” pie with me!

2 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

Ring in the New Year Blog Hop!

Posted on January 1, 2013 by apieceoflifespie

Happy New Year and welcome to the Ring in the New Year Blog Hop sponsored and facilitated by the lovely Jill over at Everyday is an Occasion! If you have just stumbled upon this blog hop you can follow along by starting at Ribbon’s and Glue. If you have been following along you should have come from Cut, Craft, Create.

The idea behind this blog hop is to use something “new”. I decided to make a man’s gift using my Christmas gifts of the amazing Silhouette Cameo, some new vinyl and put to use a gift card from Target to purchase the container.

The Project!

I don’t know about you all, but I have a heck of a time making stuff that revolves around the male species, but I am finding that they like home crafted gifts more than anyone (I tease the hubs it is because his species are so darn cheap). 🙂 Anyway, I decided to make my brother-in-law something he could put to good use while he is at work. He has quite a few direct reports and if you have ever had to manage people, keeping calm at all times is key. He is also a M&M nut, so I decided to embrace the “Keep Calm…” phrase and pair it with his love for M&Ms.

I found the container at Target, traced the lid on some fun chevron paper from My Mind’s Eye and cut out the shape. Then by applying Glastique Matte to both top and bottom of the paper, I glued down the paper to the top of the metal top. It worked brilliantly. . . better than Mod Podge would! I then hot glued some fun “Keep Calm and Carry On’ ribbon I found at Michaels around the rim and set aside to dry.

Using my Silhouette and the stock font, I created the text for the jar, “Keep Calm and M&M On”. I cut it out on red vinyl from Pick Your Plum’s recent sale and using transfer tape I transferred it onto the glass jar. I finished it by filling it up with the Party Size bag of M&Ms. I know he is just going to LOVE this and will have fun having a “M&M break” each day!

Blog Candy!

newyearbloghop

Up for grabs are some fun products from Globecraft and Piccolo – “Girls Night Out” embossing powder, Embossing Powder Adhesive, and this fun heart bookboard image set ,all just perfect for any pending Valentine’s Day project! All you have to do is leave me a comment on what Santa left you, either follow me Here on Facebook or be a follower on my blog AND make sure you visit all the lovely ladies that are hosting this fun Blog Hop… trust me you will not be disappointed on what they have cookin’ up on their end! Winners will be announced on my blog and Facebook page to a random lucky someone! 🙂

Thanks for sharing a piece of ringing in the new year playing while playing with my new crafty toys pie with me. Now let’s get on with the New Year hoppin’!