Thursday, September 30, 2010

Fantasy Fiber Journal Cover by Diana Gonzalez

“Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.”

-William Faulkner

Copycats. Remember when you were in school, and someone would copy your work? It’s pretty common to look on websites like Craftster and Flickr for inspiration on your next project. You may even pick up a craft book to look up a new technique. It’s normal. Copying, however, does not need to be.

Step outside yourself. Challenge yourself. Within your creativity, as humans, we always try to add limits to things, to places, and our life. For some things, limits are a good thing; they can teach you discipline and control over life in general. But within creativity, limits are not a good thing.

I had a gym teacher who once told me to never say can’t. Maybe every gym teacher says that. But this particular gym teacher, was one that I will never forget. I’m really not much of an athlete. So this was his way of encouraging me, and the other skinny awkward kids in my class.

In art and creativity, never say can’t. Never. Never say you can’t. You just keep going. You keep trying. You continue to work at your creativity, and your creative process. Don’t compare yourself to others either. Just be what comes naturally to you. Be proud of your work. It doesn’t have to look like something out of “Paper Crafts” magazine, or “Somerset Studio”. It only has to reflect the statement of who you are, and what you feel inside, the way you look at life and the world around you.

Create, don’t imitate. That’s the key.

Recently, I finished the first of a few projects. I used the Fantasy Fiber by Art Institute Glitter. That stuff is so cool! Do you know, you can iron it on a low setting, and make your own fiber? That’s awesome! That’s what I did.


That’s a close up, of course. This stamp is from 100 Proof Press, stamped on hot pink paper from Stampin up, I think.

Oh, this is an altered notebook. I forgot to mention that. This is probably going to be an Xmas gift. The fabric I made with the fantasy fiber is layered over some textured black paper.

Nice, right? I really like how this turned out.

So it’s easy to use fantasy fiber! Just put your iron on a low setting. I don’t have an ironing board because I frankly only use my iron for crafting reasons. So I just layed out some fantasy fiber on the table, spread out a little bit in the shape of the paper size I’d like. Then, on a low setting, I iron the fibers lightly and slowly. It gets fused together and forms a fiber! So cool! I love it! These are great for collage work. And cards. Wow.

Anything else? Meh. Not much to tell really. I have a couple new books I’m working on, and some jewelry making swaps. I have been really into the swaps lately. They’re fun and a good way to get me making things without cluttering my home too much.

The Craftaholic

Monday, September 27, 2010

Sparkles & Stripes Glitter Pumpkin by Fawnda Norman


Here is my second glitter project for you all! A glitter pumpkin!


Here is what you will need:

Foam Pumpkin (from a craft store)

Blue Painter's tape


Ribbon (Not pictured)

Straight pins (Not pictured)


1. Tape off your pumpkin making 4 straight lines going down. One on each "side"


2. Use a paint brush to paint on the Art Glitter Dries Clear Adhesive down the strip you make with your tape.


3. Use a spoon to sprinkle on your glitter (Autumn Leaves shown here). Tap off the excess glitter into a tub or on a piece of paper.


4. Repeat for each strip
(Copper Harbor)


(Volcano)


(Brown)


5. Let Dry for at least an hour. Once dry peel off the tape.




6. Cut a piece of ribbon that will wrap around your pumpkin. Use a straight pin to attach it at the top by the stem...


...Wrap it around the bottom of the pumpkin, and bring it back up to the stem and use another pin to secure it.


7. Put pins on the bottom to help hold the ribbon in place.


All done!!



Thursday, September 23, 2010

Sparkly Altoid Boxes by Christine Lehto


My love for Altoid tins prompted me to embellish some empty ones that I saved. I tend to be a craft supply “pack rat” and for awhile now I’ve had a small stash of empty Altoid tins just waiting to be decorated. After patiently anticipating their rejuvenation, the Altoid tins finally had their chance to sparkle and shine.

First I spray painted the tins with some leftover antique gold paint. Then I added some glittery touches using the Designer Dries Clear Adhesive & a variety of Art Glitter colors. For the box pictured, I started to make a few random circles with the adhesive and sprinkled one color of glitter over the wet adhesive. Next I let the first set of glittery circles dry. Once they were dry, I made a new set of random circles with the adhesive & glitter. I continued this process until I had random circles across the tin cover in colors of T-Bird (#184), Jamaica (D30) and Siren (D28). I wanted to add just a little more glimmer, so I used Crazy Corn (#D1) to fill in the space between the circles. As one last touch, I used Glossy Accents by Ranger, to apply over the circles.


I liked using the Art Glitter Dazzlers line of glitter for this Altoid tin project. The pieces of glitter in the Dazzlers are larger, and they worked well with the circle shapes on the tin cover. Using the T. Bird (#184) Ultrafine Pearlescent glitter for some of the other circles added some glittery contrast to the larger, more sparkly Dazzlers colors of Siren and Jamaica. I also liked how the Dazzler color, Crazy Corn (D1) had a combination of large pieces of glitter with ultrafine pieces of glitter. And the fact that the ultrafine glitter used in the Crazy Corn is in a red and a gold color, giving it a look of depth and warmth. Using the Crazy Corn color in the background on the tin helped to unify the Dazzlers colors of Siren & Jamaica, with the Ultrafine Pearlescent color of T. Bird. After using the Crazy Corn, it has proven to be one of my favorite colors to use. I never tire of seeing how fascinating the sparkles look in the Crazy Corn glitter. And it’s hard to resist adding it to all the rest of my pieces. You are sure to see Crazy Corn used again in at least one of my future projects. Don’t miss it!

Monday, September 20, 2010

Hera, The Altoid Doll by Diana Gonzelez

“Try again, fail again. Fail better.”

-Samuel Beckett

You know, this reminds me of kid’s song on a show my daughter watches, called “Yo Gabba Gabba”. It goes, “keep trying, keep trying, don’t give up, never give up..”

It’s true. In the path to your creativity, or to your creative dreams, you must not give up. Keep on going, keep on pushing yourself, keep on trying.

One principle in sales, is the thought that you must come across a hundred “nos” before you reach one “yes”. It’s the same with your future, with your dreams. You might not hit the jackpot on the first try, but everything in life is meant to be. Make your destiny happen, and keep trying. Don’t ever give up on yourself. Giving up on your creativity is, in my opinion, like giving up a part of yourself. The things you make and create….they express a part of you. When I receive swaps in the mail, I can see what kind of person the artist is, just by looking at their work.

Don’t give up that part of yourself. Keep going. When it gets tough, that’s when you keep going. That’s when you DON’T give up. Keep going, past the tribulation, onto the path of your own brand of success.

I recently finished a doll that I had to make for a swap that I’m in. Her name is Hera. My daughter named her. Here she is:


The challenge for this, was that we had to use an Altoid Tin somehow. It opens up, and there’s stuff inside. The altoid tin itself is decoupaged with pages from a book, and Mod Podge. Then I went over it with the Tim Holtz alcohol applicator thingie and some assorted colored inks.



On the left, there is the body of an earring that I made. And a domino piece, that was altered. Then on the right, I used Art Glitter Fantasy Fiber, English Ivy, to make a “nest” for the fairies inside. Clip art was from Alphastamps.

I added a buddha because I couldn’t help myself. I hope my partner doesn’t mind.

Here’s a close up of the head:



Well, what do you think?

Oh, she has wings. Her wings were glittered, using Art Institute “Dazzlers” glitter, and Designer Dries Clear Adhesive. Art Institute glue was used because a glue gun is just too frustrating for me, and their glue is awesome! It glues anything, and is quite strong.

So that’s that. I have to make some paper mache beads, because I ran out of beads, and want to make my own. It’s eco friendly, and you have more control over the color and size. I have to make a tutorial for you though, because the one I used made me fail miserably. So after consulting with my dear husband, I found a way to make it happen for me.

The Craftaholic

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Fantasy Film Candy Garland Video by Laura Bray

Hi Glitter Enthusiasts! I have been wanting to share this video with you for a while now and am finally doing it!

This is a segment that our esteemed past Guest Designer Laura Bray recorded for "Creative Living with Sheryl Borden". It is scheduled to air on PBS in 2011, but we can enjoy it now!



Do you recognize the project? You should, Laura designed these wonderful faux candy strands for us last year. Fun, easy and beautiful! Thank you for sharing Laura. If you want to see more of Laura's designs check her blog out: http://katydiddys.blogspot.com/

Monday, September 13, 2010

Glitter Leaf Wreath by Fawnda Norman


Hello! I am so excited to be a guest designer for Art Glitter for the next few months! Let me introduce myself: I am Fawnda from Fireflies and Jellybeans.




For my first project I am all about fall! It is time to glitter up some leaves and make a wreath! I used colors from the Art Glitter Turning Leaf Glitter Color kit...Perfect for this project!



Here is what you will need:


Silk Leaf garland (I got mine from the Dollar Store)

Foam Wreath (Also from the Dollar Store)

Wide Ribbon

Straight pins

Art Glitter Ultrafine Glitter: #119 Cranberry, #231 Copper Harbor, #65 Old Gold





1. Pin one end of your wide ribbon to the back side of your foam wreath. I used 2 pins to hold my ribbon in place.




2. Wrap your wide ribbon around your wreath covering the whole surface and pin in place at the end.




3. Pull all of your silk leaves off of your garland.




4. Use Art Glitter Designer Dries Clear Adhesive to make some detail on your leaf.




5. Spoon your glitter over the glue and shake off the excess over a bowl or piece of paper. (I used 119 Cranberry on this leaf)




I also out lined the leaf with the glue and added the glitter.




I used three different colored leaves with three different glitter colors.

>From Right to Left:


119 Cranberry, 231 Copper Harbor, 65 Old Gold

Now wait an hour for your glue to dry.

6. Once your glue is dry you can pin your leaves to your wreath. You could also use hot glue to attach the leaves to the wreath.




Continue adding leaves around the whole wreath filling in the gaps as needed.




To hang up your wreath you can thread a ribbon or twine or rope through one of the loops made by your wide ribbon.




Now you have a BEAUTIFUL Glitter Leaf Wreath all ready for fall!



I hope you enjoyed my first glitter project with me! I look forward to doing more with you soon!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Glittery Petite Purses by Christine Lehto


This is my first “official” Art Glitter project and I had loads of fun embellishing my Petite Purses with gorgeous, sparkly Art Glitter. Fall is just around the corner and it happens to be one of my favorite seasons, so I decided to make some purse designs with an Autumn theme. I make my Petite Purses out of sheets of fun foam and an assortment of embellishments. I have used the purses for presenting little treasures tucked inside such as the sculptural pins and magnets that I make. My Petite Purses come in two sizes, small and large. The purses made for this project are made in the larger size, which are a perfect size for gift cards.

While at a local craft store, I found some leaf embellishments and decorative brads to add some pizzazz to my purses. However, the most pizzazz came once the Art Glitter was applied. It was the last feature I added, but it was definitely not the least. Wow! The glitter completely transformed the purses and they gleamed and glistened with more life than before!


And speaking of transformation, I was able to turn my dull plain brads for attaching the purse straps, into some sparkly wonderful brads. I did not have the correct color of brads to use on my fall colored purses, so I looked to the transformative properties of the glitter as my solution. The brads were in light pastel colors, not quite the colors associated with Autumn. This is when Art Glitter and Designer Dries Clear Adhesive came to the rescue. After the plain brads were fastened to both the purse strap and the purse flap, I applied some Designer Dries Clear Adhesive to the brad caps and covered them with one of the following colors of glitter: Ultrafine #65 Old Gold, Ultrafine #56 Pumpkin, Ultrafine Pearlescent #179 Tang. I was very pleased with how the adhesive and the glitter completely transformed the brad caps from dull to dazzling. Hurray! Way to go, Art Glitter and Designer Dries Clear Adhesive! You two make a fantastic combination.

Once the leaves and brads were attached to the purse flaps, I used the Ultrafine Metal Tip on my Designer Dries Clear Adhesive bottle to start making swirls and other designs. Sometimes I used just one color of glitter to sprinkle over the adhesive, but other times I mixed some of the glitter colors together to expand my glitter color options. Another technique I used was sprinkling one color of glitter sporadically over the adhesive and then sprinkle over it with another contrasting color to cover any remaining areas of uncovered adhesive. For example, I used the Ultrafine Pearlescent (179) Tang to sprinkle on here and there over a drawn out design in adhesive and then I’d use the Ultrafine Opaque (56) Pumpkin color afterward to cover any “un-glittered” areas of adhesive. Adding glitter in this way, resembled the gradation of leaves changing color in the Fall.


I discovered the joy and contentment of working with glitter. The sparkle of glitter is so enchanting and inviting. The Art Glitter bug has bitten me. Stay tuned for more glittering projects.

Glitter colors used: Ultrafine #65 Old Gold, Ultrafine #56 Pumpkin, Ultrafine Pearlescent #179 Tang, Dazzlers #D30 Jamaica Hexis Grande, Dazzlers #D1 Crazy Corn Funky / Supplies: Designer Dries Clear Adhesive, sheets of fun foam, eyelets, decorative and plain brads, hot glue / Tools: Ultrafine Metal Tip, scissors, hot glue gun, stylus, wavy edge scissors, paper punch

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Welcome Art Glitter's New Guest Designers

Wow, anther 3 months have flown by and it's time to meet our new Art Glitter Guest Designers.

First I'd like to thank our outgoing trio of incredibly talented designers, Amy Anderson, Cassandra Midkiff and Lori Mendenhall. You were such an exciting group, very diverse and open to give of yourselves and your designs. I thank you very much. Please keep in touch with them with these links above and as always you can find them in our Art Glitter Guest Designer page: http://www.artglitter.com/guestdesigners.html

Please join me in welcoming our new set of diverse and talented designers:My name is Christine Lehto. I try my best to stay young at heart and remember how much wonder can be found in the smallest, simplest things. One of my goals in my artwork is to try to capture the wonder of new things. I strive to reflect and symbolize the enchantment of a young person dreaming in much of my creative endeavors. I live in a small town in Wisconsin where I can take bike rides along a nature trail during the non-Winter months. Riding outside in nature is like a mini getaway each time I ride and I discover the beauty of nature in its smallest details along with my camera. I earned my BFA degree at UW-Oshkosh with an emphasis in drawing and sculpture. While attending school, I discovered my love of watercolors and sculpting with Apoxie Sculpt. This is when and where Lilly the Ladybug (the main character from my storybook) took shape and blossomed into a variety of subjects for my work. Both Lilly and I hope you enjoy the work of Lilly Bug Studio and discover, "the wonder of new things."

I have an online Etsy store, Lilly Bug Boutique, where I create and sell a selection of products from limited edition prints and sculptures to pins, pens and magnets. I design all of my items and I take pride in creating items with superior craftsmanship. One of my most recent collections are my UpCycled sculptures made with burned out light bulbs, named the"Recyc-a-lites" and empty plastic or glass bottles, named "Re-Bottled." Currently I am also looking into the prospect of licensing my artwork and publishing my watercolor illustrations for children's picture books.

Please contact me with any requests, questions or comments.
e-mail, christine@lillybugstudio.com
Etsy shop, http://www.lillybugboutique.etsy.com
Website, http://www.lillybugstudio.com
Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/lillybugboutique
Blog, http://www.lillybugblog.com


I’m a mixed media artist, with a specialty in altered art book work and shrine boxes. I describe my style as “Vintage City Grunge”, and take my creative inspiration from the artist Jean Michel Basquiat, The Buddha, Nature, and from my collections of vintage paraphernalia including records, perfume bottles and vintage cookbooks.

Since 2007 I’ve been blogging, writing, creating, making, inspiring and loving life under the alias “The Craftaholic”.

I have an etsy shop, called Sweet Buddha Designs, and teach art and craft classes throughout New York City. Teaching creative arts classes is my calling, and I am always looking to expand.


I am a 30-something from St. Paul, Minnesota. I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. I adore all things crafty. I enjoy figuring things out for myself and I feel pride in making my own things. I love to repurpose and recycle items I already have into something beautiful! I also co-author a craft blog with my best friend at firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com. When I am not crafting, you will find me reading a good book, playing with my son, or watching a movie with my hubby. Some of my favorite things include: new clothes, summer, Harry Potter, sleep, and peanut butter!

Stay tuned, I've seen what's in store for us and it is fun!