ILoveToCreate Teen Crafts: Jeepers Peepers Headband

IloveToCreate Teen Crafts
Jeepers Peepers Headband
Avalon and Margot Potter
“Kid crafted, mom approved!”

Avalon has the most fabulous imagination! We scored every last box of puff ball baby chicks on clearance at the craft store recently and she came home and glued one chick to a black leather headband that day. The kids at school went nuts for it! I loved it, but I suggested she add a few more...which she did and it was an even bigger hit. Then I asked her if we could use it as a teen craft project for ILoveToCreate. I added some lavender ribbon, daisy trim and glued her chicks back on to make a super cute spring headband. I am seriously considering a chicks tiara...

I think the best thing about kids and teens is that they don’t get limited by ‘rules.’ They’re willing to take creative risks and because of that they come up with really creative ideas.

It’s fun to design together and Aleene’s Liquid Fusion glue makes quick work of any craft project!

Materials
1” thick leather headband
2 small yellow puff ball chicks
2 large pink puff ball chicks
3/8” Textured Trios lavender polka dot satin ribbon
Wrights Creative Classics 7/8” Daisy Trim
Liquid Fusion Glue

Tools
Scissors

1. Glue one end of ribbon flush to back of one end of the headband. Spread a thin bead of glue along the inside center of the headband. Wrap ribbon one time around and begin wrapping slightly overlapping each time working your way around the headband. Make the final wrap, cut off excess ribbon and glue the end down. Allow to dry.

2. Measure the space for your chicks.  Glue the daisy trim on either side of the space down to each end of the headband with a thin bead of glue.  Allow to dry.

3. Glue the chicks to the space on the headband using a thick glob of Liquid Fusion glue. Allow to dry.

I Love to Create: La Tour Eiffel Decoupage Lampshade

(Click on images to view close up)

In the blink of an eye, little girls become young women. They’re more grown up and they want a more sophisticated bedroom. Total room rehab isn’t always an option but it’s not so hard to make quick and significant changes if you’re crafty. I bought this Eiffel tower lamp at Target about eight years ago, and it’s still available online! I wasn’t terribly fond of the shade that came with it, so I purchased a plain craft paper shade that I’d always intended to embellish. Flash forward eight years...

It’s perfect for my daughter’s newly revamped room! We used white tissue paper stamped with archival ink (you need to be sure your ink is waterproof or it will bleed when it gets wet.) I got a great decoupage trick from crafty diva Pattie Wack at CHA and used Aleene’s Tacky Glue® glue stick to adhere the torn pages on the shade instead of decoupage medium which can get very messy very quickly! Here are the instructions! Bon chance!

La Tour Eiffel Lampshade Teen Craft
Margot Potter for I Love to Create
MaterialsKraft Paper lampshadeEiffel Tower lamp base from Target
White tissue paper
Vintage or new off white buttons in various sizes
1 yard black chiffon ruffle trim (JoAnn Fabrics)Ranger Jet Black archival inkHero Arts Old French Writing stamp H2365
Inkadinkado Flourish stamp 96253-PTraci Bautista’s Collage Pauge Instant Decoupage™ in Glossy
Aleene’s Tacky Glue® glue stick
Aleene’s Fast Grab™ Tacky Glue®Aleene’s Jewel-It®

Tools
Foam brush
1. Wipe shade off with a dry cloth to remove any dust or dirt.

2. Stamp a large sheet of white tissue paper with archival ink and the writing stamp. Add stamped flourish accents. Allow to dry.3. Tear each stamped section leaving frayed edges.
4. Adhere paper segments to lamp using glue stick. Make sure to cover back of each sheet completely. Work from the center using your fingers to gently adhere paper to lamp and work out any wrinkles or bubbles.
5. Overlap sheets and don’t worry about any small gaps, you can go back and fill those in later with smaller paper segments.6. Spread a thin layer of decoupage medium over lamp using a foam brush. Use brush to work out wrinkles or bubbles. Don’t stress too much, texture is good! Allow to dry for several hours or overnight.7. Adhere ribbon trim to bottom and top edge of lamp using Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky Glue. Allow to dry. 8. Adhere buttons of various sizes to shade using Jewel-It Glue. Allow to dry. C'est tres chic, n'est pas?

Free Jewelry Project! Hugs and Kisses Necklace

I am in full swing show prep mode. It means I look rather scary because there is no time at all for the foofing or the poufing! I sure hope Ed Macmahon doesn't show up with a film crew or I am seriously screwed! Tee hee.

In lieu of any deep thoughts I'm giving you a freebie mixed media jewelry project for Valentine's Day. I used a vintage French image from my personal collection, but there are plenty of sources for vintage ephemera online and I'm sure Dover has a V-day themed permission free image book. I made this for a mag but it got bumped and I think it's really cute so I'm sharing with the class.

I'm off to spin more straw...until next time...craft on with your bad selves!

Cheers,
Madge Hugs and Kisses Necklace Copyright 2008 Margot Potter
(click on image to view close up)

Hugs and Kisses Necklace
Copyright 2008 Margot Potter

A trip to the Paris Flea Market yielded some tres charmant vintage postcards, one of which inspired this romantic pendant. This mixed media design shows you some fun techniques you can apply to your own romantic images. If you can’t find any vintage postcards at the local antique malls, there are many online purveyors of laser printed ephemera image sheets and there are also databases of permission free images on the internet.

Materials
2” square Ranger Memory Glass Frame
2 2” Ranger Memory Glass squares
2 7/8” frosted clear acrylic letters (x, o)
2 small letter beads (x, o)
6x9mm padparascha Swarovski briolette
6mm light topaz Swarovski rounds
7mm faceted freshwater pearl
3 6mm silver plated jump ring
26” length silver plated ball chain
Ball chain connector
4 24 gauge sterling head pins
Ranger Gloss Paper
Cornish Heritage Farms Plaid Stamp
Jet black Archival ink
Marigold Distress ink
Alcohol ink silver mixative
Alcohol ink red pepper
UHU twist and glue

Tools
Brayer
Round nose pliers
2 pairs chain nose pliers
Sharp scissors
Felt and felt applicator tool

1. Ink Gloss paper with marigold Distress ink. Brayer ink into paper until you get a consistent color.

2. Stamp paper with jet Archival ink using the plaid stamp.

3. Cut paper to fit inside of frame.


4. Select an image, cut into silhouette and adhere to stamped paper along the right hand side. Adhere small images of roses on lower left hand corner.

5. Insert images in between two panes of glass and inside of frame, securing closed.

6. Place a small drop of each color of Alcohol ink on opposite corners of your felt on the applicator tool.

7. Gently pounce colors on acrylic letters, alternating in layers until satisfied with the result. Allow to dry.

8. Adhere inked letters to top left and bottom right corner of frame. Allow to dry.

9. Create coil topped dangles for your small letter beads, faceted pearl and light topaz round.

10. Slide the pearl, briolette and light topaz beads on a 6mm jump ring and close.


11. Slide the letter beads on a 6mm jump ring and close.

12. Slide both beaded jump rings on a third 6mm jump ring and attach to the top of the pendant.

13. Slip the ball chain into the top jump ring and secure with ball chain connector.
Sources
Letter beads and acrylic letters JoAnn, frame, inks, brayer, felt applicator tool, Gloss paper Ranger, UHU glue Saunders Manufacturing, findings Beadalon, ball chain and connectors Rings n' Things, ephemera sheets available at Art Chix Studio, rubber stamp Cornish Heritage Farms, crystals CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements.