Want Wednesday. Short and Sweet.

Today is Wednesday! That means I will show you something you want/need for crafting.
I've gone a bit emo on this post, how you say? I chose X-Acto blades. A whole set o f them. They come in handy for everything! Painting, gluing, cutting obviously, scraping, and a ton more.

These use to be my dad's. I kinda took them and use them more than he, so they are mine now.

This set is for sale at Walmart for just 20 bucks. Not that bad when you realize the convenience it affords you. These things are super duper sharp though. Be careful when using them. Always have a stack of band-aids next to you.

I think I may have built up a tolerance to pokes in the fingers though, cause I've done that a lot and just don't seem to bleed any. Even though you can see where i was poked and pull the skin apart. Gross.

I use these in painting how? I have been taping paintings a lot lately and these blades not only cut the tape with precision they remove it as well. For those I use the pointy edged blades.

The flat edged blades I've used most with scraping labels off bottles, or dried hot glue off of a crafting fail.

In general, all of these blades are fantastic. Just if you plan on being emo, don't use them. Go eat some cake and be happy. Cake is awesome.

See. The cake is not a lie!

Computer crash! iPad to the rescue!

Hello all! So my computer is currently rebooting and going through issues. I tried to download the new Warcraft expansion patch and it decided to flip out. So I apologize, I'm not able to post about another bottle how to since all the pictures are on my computer.

No worries though! I did happen to paint this weekend and I took pictures on this thing. So, I think I will go with the splatter paint chevron. It was easy, fun, and messy. Here we go!

Supplies needed:

• Canvas
• Paint (lots of colors)
• Paper plate/something to mix paint and water on
• Cup-o-water
• Drop cloth
• Painters tape
• Paint Brushes

Prepping the work area:
Cordon off the area with the drop cloth. Believe me, you need to do this. Cover everything! Especially your tv...

Step 1:
Get your canvas out, get your tape, and tape off chevron stripes. I didn't measure or worry about them being perfect, I think it gives it character.

Step 2:
Pick out your paint colors, put a dab of it on your plate and mix it with water. Only a smidge of water though, enough to make it fling off your paintbrush really easy and not be gloopy. Start flinging colors at the canvas. Occasionally dab the paintbrush on the canvas for effect. Once you have the colors you want to the desired effect, you are onto step 3!

Step 3:
Rip all the tape!! But be careful, dont actually rip it. Carefully peel all the tape off. You don't have to wait for it to dry, just make sure your paint isn't dripping when doing this.

Tadaa! You have a pretty new painted canvas. See, super easy! I promise to edit this tomorrow on network computer and make it suitable! Also, I will totally fix my computer and continue with the bottle up-cycling!

Please comment if you have
Any questions, complaints... Actually don't post complaints. I'll just delete them. Craft hard guys! Adios!

Productive Saturday!

Hello all! This isn't going to be a how to post. Just wanted to show y'all what I've accomplished today and what are going to be some of my future how to thingys. I have painted all day, and am thus covered in paint.

I would like to give a bit of advice to you future and present painters... by a drop cloth. It's worth whatever price you pay for it. But you also have to remember to cover your tv if you are splatter painting near it... Just saying.

Also my crafty pants have taken on a new color and it's fantastic! So here you are people, enjoy some funky paintings!

Upcycled Beer Bottles! Part 1.

Hello friends. I apologize beforehand for any typos that may commence... there is a cricket in my computer room. Crickets are evil spawn, and tend to try and jump on me. Which will result in me running away and screaming and this blog post not getting finished. I shall persevere!

Ok, tonight kiddies, I shall show you how to Upcycle some beer bottles! This is going to be a multi blog thing. I have done quite a few different things with beer bottles and soda bottles, I wanna show you guys the potential awesomeness you may have sitting in your fridge!

I sort of have an unlimited supply of beer bottles. The guys I work with always drink after work, and they have started saving them for me. They told me I could probly have about 80 bottles every week. I declined and said i'd take about a dozen every two weeks. SO many bottles...

I shall start with painted bottles. I have some college sport themed bottle all finished and ready to be sold. Since I'm an Okie I chose out two major colleges, Oklahoma State University (Go Pokes), and Oklahoma University. Lets get this tailgate party started yo!

Supplies needed:

• Beer Bottles
• Spray Paint (your choice of colors, I chose Orange and Maroon)
• Puff Paint (various colors)
• Xacto blades

Step One:
If your bottles have labels on them soak them in hot water for about and hour if you want to keep the labels intact. If you don't care about your labels then an xacto knife will work wonders. Take the blade and just scrape all that paper and goo right off. Beer bottle labels arent very sticky, so they come off super easy.
I find that the blade pictured below is the best. Its a flat edge blade and just does the job great.

P.S. You will have a messy clean up, so you might want to get a box or bag and do this over.

The destroyed labels!

Step 2:

Now take your naked bottles and go outside. Ha! Yea, you gotta actually go outside for this project.

Take your spray paint with you, and a little box or paper plate to sit these things on.

Once outside, take a look around. Enjoy the scenery. Fresh air... cause one you start spray painting it'll get smelly.Take your bottle and spray away.

You can either stick a finger in it, sit it on block or box, or get a stick and stick in it. I used a cinder block. I used two types of spray paint, one had primer the other did not. I love the primer based paints. 

The orange spray paint took many coats, I ended up doing about 3-4. So I suggest either getting a spray with a primer, or using a primer. 

Let these bottles dry till they aren't tacky. I shouldn't take very long, 30-45 mins.

>>Inside Step: Step 2.5

I also did a few "house divided" bottles. Which required me to paint them two colors. I got some painters tape out and halfed the bottle.  

After you spray the first color take the tape off immediately. I've figured out that if you leave it on there to dry with it, it will take paint with it. So, wait for the spray paint to dry, half it again with tape, and spray away. It was easier than I actually thought it was gonna be.

Here are the bottles all pretties up and painted.

Step 3:

Now onto the puff paint! I used white puff paint for the maroon, and black for the orange. On the orange bottles I wrote out "OSU" & "OSU Cowboys". On the maroon bottles I wrote "OU" & "OU Sooners". With the half/half bottles I drew a line down the center since it wasn't exactly clean, and wrote "House Divided" on side, and OU/OSU on the other. This really is a simple process. I debated on putting some polky dots on them but decided to not over work them.

Viola!

And there ya have it, college sport beer bottles! Seriously simple for a lazy crafter. :D

Other various yarn up-cycle project involve floor wax, yarn, glitter, hot glue, crayons, candles, and fire. Not in that order though! So be on the look out for some pretty awesome recycling ideas!

If you have any requests or neat things to do with bottles let me know! Comment away. I love feedback... the good kind anyways. :D 

See ya guys! I'm off to gorge on Lord of the Rings Blu-ray goodness.

Want Wednesday... It's my birthday!!

So, my blog is lacking today. It's my birthday, and I was actually busy with work today, so I didn't get a chance to post anything.

Tonight, on "want Wednesday", I will show you two things I wanted, an got for my birthday! I'm doing this on my phone, so I can't post pictures the way I normally do, so my bad.

First off, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, extended edition, Bluray. Got it! It has 15 discs, over 26 hours of bonus footage and documentaries, plus the added 3 hours per movie. It's kind of awesome.

Second is a massive jar of buttons! A gallon glass jar filled with various colors and sizes of buttons. It's fantastic. So many sizes, there are some that are bigger than a silver dollar. I like big buttons and I an I cannot lie... Yea, I went there.

Thirdly, my mom brought me cookies and a Dr.Pepper. Win.

Fourthly... Vanilla chai cupcakes. Epic win.

Without further adue, here are a few pictures.

Thank you for tuning in on "want Wednesday". See ya!

Manic Monday... have some bottle caps!

Today, my friends, is Monday. That means people all over are groaning in displeasure. I usually don't mind Mondays, my stressful days at the office are Fridays, weird I know. I procrastinate a lot though. So I was trying to think of something to show you guys how to do, and I though "Bottle Caps!" I will show you how to make necklaces & magnets. Its super easy, and you can make like, 70 in one batch. Crazy stuff! So on with the show yo! Plus, I had a few bottle caps to practice with.

Supplies needed:

• Scrapbook paper/Newspaper/Dictionary
• Bottle caps (washed ones)
• Modge Podge
• 1 inch round hole punch
• Modge Podge Resin
• Paint brush

For Necklaces:

• Ice pick / pointy metal object
• Small hammer
• Needle Nose pliers
• Metal rings / jump ring
• Chain / twine

For Magnets:

• Crazy glue
• Round Magnets

Step 1:
First off you need to print out some design and such, I used a dictionary for one set of bottle cap fillings. Get out the one inch hole punch and punch out some words or pictures you'd like to have inside a cap.

Step 2:

Get your bottle caps out and fill the bottom with podge, make sure to coat the outer side with your paintbrush, use a good glob of it if necessary. Put the cut out circle into the cap and press down on it, and press the sides into the cap until some podge comes over the edge. Then set it aside and repeat the process with as many caps as you have. Or if you just want to do one cap, watch some Tv.

See how some of the podge is over the words?
That's ok, it dries clear.

 Step 3:
Once the lower layer of podge dries, apply a thin layer of it over the top with your paintbrush. The thin layer should dry really fast. Once that layer has dried apply another layer, and make sure to seal the edges. I will show you what happens when you don't. But for now, apply a few layers and let dry.

I don't have a picture of them after I put the added layers on.
So here is "Starry Night" + the Tardis.

Step 4:
Once all the podge has dried, whip out your resin. Fill each cap to the tippy top, and make sure you are doing this on a flat surface. A flat surface that doesnt need to be moved for about 24 hours. Once the caps are full of the resin, they must sit for 24 hours to solidify. If there are any bubbles in the resin get a needle and pop them, or use the tip of the resin bottle to suck them back up.

They have a milky fog to them, this is fine, this to will clear up when dry.

Step 5 (For necklaces):
Once these puppies are dry take your ice pick and stick it where you want the top to be (resin side up). Get your hammer and tap it till it goes all the way through. You might want to do this on a stack of magazines or a block of wood. I learned the hard way, and have a hole in my crafting table. Once the pick is all the way through, you should have some protruding metal edges on the opposite side. Us the hammer to flatten them, be gentle. Take the metal ring and open it, slide it through the hole you made, and close it up. Follow by putting it on a chain or a piece of twine!

Step 5 (for magnets):
This is super easy. Sooo simple. Take some glue, slap it on the magnet, and put it on the back of the bottle cap. Bam! Done. Well, let the glue dry first, then finished.


Here are some pictures of bottle caps that have yet to be made into anything.

Some of these ones I didn't get a good seal between the paper
and the bottom of the cap, the resin sunk in and created bubbles and cracks.

Happy crafting ya'll!!

Glitter everything!

Today I shall be showing you people how to make some old thrift store shoes into new glittery ones!

 First things first, don't be afraid of thrift store shoes. They clean them at the store, and then you can also disinfect them when you get them home. I found a pair of Maurices brand, black heals at a local thrift store. They happened to be my size, and at the time I thought they were cute, so I bought'm. A few weeks later when I remembered that I had bought them, I dug them out and realized that they are very uncomfortable and not exactly my style. So I went straight to my stash of Modge Podge and glitter.

Supplies needed:

• Glitter (in however many colors you want, I chose two)
• Paint brush
• Modge Podge
• Spray sealer

Step one;
Pick the glitter color(s) you want to use on your shoes. Also, the shoes I used had a leather bow on the sides and I decided to rip that off. Which aided in the looking better and better part. So, anyways, choose what color(s) you want, then clean off the outer part of the shoe as best as you can.

I chose black & green.
Figured I could wear them on St.Patrick's Day or Christmas

Step 2;

Apply a thick layer of Modge Podge to the aoe, area of effect for you non gamers. But to the area that you want to be glittery. Since I did two colors, I started with the black, I only put modge podge below the little dotted border thing. When I say a thick layer, I do mean a good helpin of it. Just incase it starts to dry while you're still applying the podge. Do one shoe at a time, and when you get all the podge on take your glitter and shake it all over it. Try to avoid the inside of the shoes. I didn't and when I tried them on, my feet came out sparkly. Now when you have glitter all over the podged area you're good to set the shoe down and let it dry. I should probly note to have a paper plate or something underneath it to catch the glitter that didn't stick. Take the leftover glitter and put it back in the capsule. Rinse and repeat for the next shoe!

Step 3;

Next up is the green! I love green! Ok, so now if you are doing multicolor shoes then apply another layer of the podge over the aoe. Same as before, sprinkle the glitter on. Rinse and repeat.

Step 4;

Not done yet! After both shoes are completely dry take one in hand, face them soul to soul, and thwack them together! Don't be scared, just do it.  Not to hard though. This will knock off some glitter that doesn't belong. Set the shoes down, possibly clean up the mess, and take the podge out again and put another thin - medium thick layer on with your paint brush by dabbing/patting it on there. Don't swipe the glitter or it'll result in bad things.

Step 5;

When the final layer of podge is dry take them outside and spray them over with a waterproof sealer. I used Modge Podge brand because I worship all things Modge Podge. It doesn't take long to dry, so spray 2-3 coats of it and you are finished!

Final Outcome: Glittery Shoes

Pretties!

If you have any questions or comments don't be afraid to ask!

Thanks for reading, have a awesome weekend!

Just a side note.

I am going to post this on every social media site I am on.
Stephanie is amazing. Seriously. She brought me apple fritters.

Wants Wednesday

So, I've decided that on Wednesdays I will be showing you crafters something you will need & want! Ya know, to help aid in the craftiness. I have found out that when I run out of or break a certain something that I use regularly it induces a mild panic attack. I have learned to stock up on all things modge podge, all things sharp, and all things sticky. But today I will show you wonderfulness in a spray can. It is called "Oops! Multi-Purpose Remover"

I was out in my backyard spray painting some bottles, and of course I don't think to use a stick to hold them so I put my pinky and index fingers in the upside down bottles and sprayed away. I am a very messy person, it doesn't matter how hard I try to keep stuff clean... it never works out. Wait till I post something with glitter in it. It looked like I killed a fairy.

Anyways, back to the Oops! So there I was, spray painting bottles, not a care in the world. Then when I finish I run my hand through my hair to put it in a pony tail and my hair kind of sticks to my hand. I, being ever so careful, yank my hand out of my hair and don't pay any attention to this. Then I proceed to lean my hand against my face and pet the dogs... see where this going?

Needless to say, it got everywhere. So I broke out this lovely bottle of magic and went to spraying. Do this over a sink, it will drip and that's not pretty. So I just sprayed a coat over my hands and the spray paint, which had primer in it, and it just melted off. I put some in my hair and it came right out. The paint! not my hair! To get the paint off the doggies I put some on a paper towel and rubbed there faces, then washed their faces with water. I also shampooed my hair right after this as well.

So, if you are a crafter that deals with any paint, anything sticky or leaves a residue; GET THIS STUFF NOW! It will save you a world of trouble and a layer of skin.

I leave you now with a picture of two of my dogs. Bubba & Sarge.

Craft hard!

These two were the unfortunate victims of my "paint hand."

Geometric Painting

In October, a friend & I are going to have a booth at acraft festival. Last year we had crocheted hats, scarves, gloves headbands, andother crocheted things. That was a pain in the butt to do. We decided to dothat only a month before, and had very little time to prepare… plus we kinda procrastinated a little. She did more than me really. This year, we decided tohave an eclectic group of stuff ranging from bottle cap necklaces to lace jars,from hand crafted paintings to crocheted owl hats. We both have gotten a recentobsession with crafts, so much so we agreed to do another craft fair after thePumpkin festival! Hopefully they both will be successful enough that we keep ondoing craft shows and not go bankrupt. Though with both being right beforeChristmas, the left overs do make good Christmas presents. Welp, onto the howto show!

Alrighty, let’s start with something easy, a geometricpainting.

Supplies:

• Canvas (Your choice of size, I used a 16x20)
• Acrylic Paint -various colors-
• Painters Tape
• Xacto Blade
• Paint brushes

     First off do a base coat of what color you want the outlines to be. I chose a metallic gold. Please note, I bought this color about a year ago and let it sit for that long… don’t do that. All the gold went to the bottom and left a silvery gunk at the top. I had to shake and stir that sucker for a good 15 mins. But here is what it eventually came out looking like on canvas.

Yea, not that great. So I applied two more coats and itresulted in thisà

Once again, not that wonderful. So I put another two coats on it and let it dry, which took about an hour. So I decided to go get some Chinese food from a neighboring town. They have the best Chinese food around. Wongs is the name. See, Chinese food =

     Once the gold paint was dry and the food thoroughly devouredI taped off the shapes I wanted. I used 1inch painters tape and cut down themiddle with my Xacto knife, I did a couple round of the cutting, wasn’t surehow much I was going to need. I started with two big lines starting at the topleft corner and ending on opposite sides of the bottom right corner, in atriangle “V” shape. Then I just proceeded to just tape, tape, tape till I gotthe desired amount of triangles and rhombus’s.

     Now, I took my gold paint out again and painted along theedges of the tape. This created a seal and prevented any bleeding that thecolors might have done. Which is a wonderful thing, a co-worker told me aboutthis method and he is an utter genius.

     I didn’t feel the need to paint the entire canvas gold againsince it already had multiple layers.
After that layer of gold dried I whipped out some colors! I chose Yellow,purple, pink, orange, red, dark blue, teal, dark green, light green, and whiteto fill in the spaces. I waited till it all dried and just went crazy pealingthe tape off. That was kinda fun. And here is the result:

    I was surprisingly pleased with this. The way the gold makesall the colors pop is awesome. I was amazed that all the colors actually workedtogether and didn’t clash horribly. I will be selling this at the Pumpkin Festival,hopefully someone will buy it. I won’t be too sad if I have to keep it though.

Sorry for the lack of a picture of the final gold resultwithout the tape, and the missing “in process” shots of the colors. I getcaught up in the project and I totally forget to take pictures. I’ll try and dobetter next time.

Also, I would like to add that for the base coat, it might not be a bad idea to use spray paint with a primer. Should be quicker and much more simpler. I'm all about the simple and easy.

Honestly, I'm pretty surprised I actually posted all this. Probably plenty of typos but meh, this is a trial and error type of thing.

Thanks for reading! Craft hard people!