Book Review: The Big Ass Book of Bling

Book Review 
The Big Ass Book of Bling 
Mark Montano 
Gallery Books
November 2012 
(Caveat: Mark is my BFF and he sent me this book to peruse.  If I didn't love it, I'd never have written this review.  If I didn't love it, I'd have shoved it in a drawer and pretended I never saw it.   I really, really love this book, almost as much as I really, really love Mark.)

Mark Montano does it again with his latest BIG ASS book bursting at the seams with creative inspiration for craftinistas and fashionistas of all ages! Using everything but the kitchen sink, Mark turns ho hom, hum drum everyday items into show stopping runway ready wearables with techniques absolutely anyone can master. The book is so big, so bold, so beautiful, I will be perusing it for months before I fully digest all of the crafty goodness inside! Mark sees the world in a totally unique way and his vision is reflected in every quirky, creative, one-of-a-kind design in this book filled with ideas that are sure to launch a million 'pins!'

The Paint Chip Pals Rainbow-tastic Holiday Blog Hop!

It's The Paint Chip Pals Rainbowtastic Holiday Blog Hop!  I'm so excited, I just can't hide it!

My offering is a graphic, because Madge has been a busy bee launching the Modern Romance jewelry line and The Fine Art of Shameless Self Promotion this week.  So step right up and get your free Live Handmade Graphic in RAINBOW colors!  Yup, it's FREE!  HUZZAH!  You can also opt for the no color version below or heck get them both! Why not!  I made these yesterday to spread the new mantra...because it's important to remember not just to BUY handmade, but to make, give and live handmade.  If you just take the money you make on your handmade stuff and go to Target, something gets lost in the equation.  I'm just sayin'.

Hello!  Hello!  Hello!

It's that kind of a morning!

How to Make Paper Snowflakes Guest Blogging for iLoveToCreate!

I had completely forgotten how to make paper snowflakes, but I had this idea for some upcycled magazine embellished gift bags and I decided to give myself a refresher course.  I am guest posting over at the iLoveToCreate blog today and you can get the tutorial to make the snowflakes and the bags!  I'll be sharing this project on an upcoming episode of DIY on the FLY for WBIR Live at Five at Four here in Knoxville too!

There will be a blizzard of paper snowflakes before I'm finished! 
Meanwhile, back in the studio...every ding of my cell phone is another book sold!  We give a "WOOT!" each time where hear that sound here at Casa de Potter!  It's the most amazing feeling to go from idea to finished concept and to have people buy it!  WOOT! Even better news, so far people are loving the book.  I'm getting lots of rave reviews.  Check out this review from the divine Miss Jean Yates!  We're only offering the introductory price until the end of this week, so if you're thinking about getting the book, now is the time!

Retrofabulous Yarn Wrapped Tabletop Christmas Trees

I'm guest posting over at iLoveToCreate today.  I'm so excited for year two of Retrofabulous Christmas Craftabration at Studio Madge!  These Yarn Wrapped Tabletop Christmas Trees are vintage inspired, with a clean modern twist, which is the heart of all things retrofabulous. I am so smitten with these, I am going to have to create an entire forest! Huzzah!  And yes, it's obvious that my obsession with pom poms (or pom pons if you will) has not faded.  Ho ho ho!

Yummy Apple Recipes for Fall!

I was recently on WBIR's Live at Five at Four with the fabulous Miss Cheryl Burchett and our DIY on the FLY segment and I shared some yummy apple recipes for fall!  Here are the recipes and instructions to make your own apple-licious comestibles and libations!

Sailing, Sailing Decoupage Canvas

Sailing, Sailing Op Art Decoupage Canvas
Avalon Potter for iLoveToCreate Teen Crafts

Avalon made this simply chic op art style canvas using old book pages and cardstock on an inexpensive craft store canvas.  This is so easy to make and the variations on this theme are infinite.  Fiskars has some great shape cutters that make quick work of cutting squares that are easily halved into triangles.  Piece them together and adhere to your canvas with Aleene's decoupage medium in matte finish and you have a fabulous one of a kind work of art.  Best of all, you're the artist!

Kids Crafts 1-2-3 and Variations on a Theme

Last year I was bequeathed a lifetime supply of vintage craft magazines.  They're awesome, as you might imagine and I am still gleefully perusing them for techniques and ideas.  I found a set of cards made with simple tissue paper shapes on one holiday magazine that really struck me.  I re-worked the idea to create this set of cards above.

The instructions to make these are here.

Madge's Fall Comfort Homemade Spicy Chicken Soup

Madge's Fall Comfort Homemade Spicy Chicken Soup
Margot Potter 
Serves 8-12

I bought a whole chicken and  a new pot and I was determined to make some home cooked chicken soup.  Then I went searching for a recipe.  Nothing seemed quite...right.  So I decided to forge ahead using several basic recipes as my guide adding my own spices and flavors.  This turned out to be so fabulous, I am sharing the recipe!  You can opt to add rice, potatoes or pasta or not, change up the veggies, use pre-made stock and add just chicken breast, totally up to you.  Use organic ingredients and whole grain pasta if you prefer.  We like it spicy here at Casa de Potter, but you can surely leave the cayenne and cajun spices out if spicy isn't your thing!

"Giving Thanks" Thanksgiving Table Decor DIYs

iLoveToCreate
Giving Thanks Thanksgiving Table Decor DIY
Margot Potter

My new crafty gal pal Cheryl Burchett and I are co-hosting DIY segments for Gannett News here in Knoxville on WBIR Channel 10. We just filmed some fun Thanksgiving themed segments and the first one aired this week. I've embedded the video below AND here are the step by step instructions for some inexpensive and simple projects you can make to take your holiday table from drab to fab in seconds flat! You can make these projects as complex or as simple as you like, but whatever you do, Aleene's Tacky Glue dry adhesives make putting it all together a breeze!