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!

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.

iLoveToCreate: Retrofabulous All Occasion Greeting Card

iLoveToCreate Retrofabulous All Occasion Greeting Card
Margot Potter
These are your grandmother's crafts, ya gotta problem with that?

Avalon has been taking advance placement and honors classes and her homework straw pile is epic!  It's my birthday today, so I decided to whip up my own birthday card.  I'm a Leo, we're kooky like that.  You can make one too using layers of coordinating paper, trim and faux rhinestones and a vintage image sized with text added in photo editing software.  I share my birthday with the ever so lovely and talented Miss Cathie Filian, so I used her fabulous Podgeables to add some dimension to the card!  Aleene's Dry Adhesives make putting it all together as easy as 1-2-3!

Materials
Podgeables tag shape
Yellow and orange cardstock
Patterned scrapbook paper (I used Retro Collage from Michaels)
Patterned tissue paper
Genevieve Gail Felt Floral Ribbon Trim
3 large faux rhinestones
3 medium faux rhinestones
Aleene's Tacky Sticker Sheets
Aleene's Tacky Dot Roll

Tools
Paper cutter (largest cardstock layer is 5.5"x11"-folded to make card.)
Scissors
Bone folder

My image came from a vintage Vogue pattern from the early 1950s, Dover books is a great source for permission free images.  I scanned, edited, sized, added the text Retrofabulous and printed it out.  Decide how you wish to frame the image, trace and cut out.

Use a paper trimmer to cut yellow cardstock and patterned scrapbook paper in decreasing size. Cut ribbon to fit card. Use Aleene's Tacky Sticker Sheets to adhere image to front of acrylic frame and tissue paper to back of frame. Layer and stack remaining papers and trim using Tacky Sticker Sheets. Add faux rhinestones with Aleene's Tacky Dots!

Craft Wars Inspired: "Three, it's a magic number" Keepsake Album

Last week the Craft Wars contestants were asked to make a Keepsake Box using keys and locks.  I don't have any locks handy...but I do have some lovely vintage skeleton keys and I got this nifty keepsake album from Faber Castell at CHA.  You could use any scrapbook or photo album you have handy.  Just start by covering it with off white scrapbook paper and either stamping or writing text to add some interest to your background.  You may even be able to find some paper that works.  I'd adhere it with an acid free glue and let it dry.  Using dry adhesives might cause the paper to bubble up when adding paints and water.

I took out some Claudine Hellmuth paints, a Faber Castell watercolor marker, a variety of stamps and brushes and a piece of bubble wrap and made a mixed media background. (Tip: Add water to a paper towel to swipe the dots, wait until they've mostly dried so that you get that strong shape with some bleed.  You can also use a small mister or add water to the paints to thin and give a watercolor appearance.)

I took a favorite photograph of my lovely family into Photoshop, played with some filters and turned it into grey scale, sized, printed and cut into a heart shape with my fabulous Fiskars cutting tools.

I cut some coordinating scrapbook and vintage book pages for a frame using the Fiskars circle cutters, added some plastic rhinestones, a few key printed words, the skeleton key and some Washi tape edges and attached it all to the album with foam stickers, tape runner and acid free Tacky Glue and that...was all she wrote.  I love this so much, I want to make some similar canvases for our living room wall. 

When I make art, I like to just dive in and do it.  I don't think too much about what might happen or where I'm going.  I let the muse take my hand and guide me.  Don't get me wrong,  I usually have some kind of a plan and a vision, but it's an organic, flexible one.  If something gets 'screwed up', I roll with it.  I am not afraid of color or layers or textures or not being perfectly perfect.  My biggest challenge is knowing when to stop.  Because it's often that last thing you add at the last minute that...well...is one thing too many.  And you know what, it really doesn't matter what happens, because the point of making art isn't the thing you make, it's the making of the thing.  If it turns out fabulous, even better, but even if it doesn't, as long as you enjoyed the journey that truly is all that matters!

Rules are for math equations and science experiments, art is about letting go of the intellectual, ordered, structured mind and letting the playful, emotional, non-judgmental side come out and have a party! As soon as we tell ourselves we aren't artists, well, we aren't.  So make yourself an "I am an artist" pin and wear it proudly!

Don't forget to tune into Craft Wars at the new time for our episode, 8pm EST on TLC!  And check out what the other Craft Wars Vets made inspired by last week's episode!

Pattye Duffner made a lovely wishing tree.
Cheryl Burchett made a clever blue jean bouquet.
Esther Hall guest posted for Nikki McGonigal sharing her divine candlestick lamps!
Angela Daniels made an awesome Krafty Coco t-shirt for Coco the Chicken!
Lisa Fulmer made a stunning keepsake box.
Andrea Currie whipped up a sparkly trophy.

Cheers,
Madge

iLoveToCreate Teen Crafts: Rage Comics Inspired Father's Day Card

iLoveToCreate Teen Crafts
Rage Comics Inspired Father's Day Card
Avalon Potter

Avalon has become obsessed with Rage Comics memebase.  We have to literally peel her phone out of her hands to get her to focus on something else.  She drew this AWESOME Rage Comics inspired whale recently and we knew it would be perfect for a Father's Day Card.  This is the 'Sudden Clarity Whale'.  You can have your teen draw their own version and scan, size, print and use on a one of a kind greeting card to make Dad feel super special on his super special day.

Aleene's Dry Adhesives make it super easy to make great cards in a flash!

Materials
Blue cardstock
White printer paper
Patterned coordinating paper
Whale image printed to fit front of card
Words: Dude! and I'm literally a Happy Father's Day card!  printed and sized to fit card
Aleene's Tacky Tape Runner

Tools
Small scissors
Paper trimmer
Fiskars Shape Cutter template word bubble and brackets

Print your whale image to fit card.

Cut out printed whale. 

Cut frame, word bubble and waves using shape templates and cutting tool. 

Use Aleene's tape runner to assemble front of card. 

Use tape runner to assemble card interior. 

iLoveToCreate Retrofabulous Crafts: One 'Cool' Mom Mother's Day Card

iLoveToCreate Retrofabulous Crafts

One ‘Cool’ Mom Mother’s Day Card

Margot Potter

“These are your grandmother’s crafts...

...ya gotta problem with that?”

It's almost here...are you ready?  This Sunday is Mother's Day, my fine friends.  No one works harder than mom and no one deserves a day off more than she does.  Take it from this hard workin' mama, we really, really, really appreciate the love.  What better way to show mom how much you love her than with this wickedly funny retrofabulous card you can make yourself using Aleene's FABULOUS dry adhesives?  Take her somewhere special and let her kick her feet up and relax, she's earned it.  Believe me.  

Materials

Dove gray and soft pink cardstock

Damask scrapbook paper

One flat back large faux gem

Vintage images (digital downloads here)

Print out vintage typewriter text  18pt.: “Happy Mother’s Day, to one ‘cool’ Mom.”

Aleene’s Tacky Tape Runner

Aleene’s Tacky Dot Roll 3/16”

Aleene’s Tacky Sticker Sheets

Tools

Fiskars Shape Templates (Stars and Banners)

Fiskars Shape Template Mat and Cutting Tool

Fiskars Paper Trimmer

Fiskars Scissors

Bone folder

FREE Digital Downloads FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY-NOT FOR RESALE

1.  Print out digital downloads and text.  Use paper trimmer to cut. 

2.  Cut graduated layers of pink and damask paper for backgrounds using paper trimmer, see images for reference.

3.  Use bone folder to crease center of gray cardstock.

4.  Attach paper layers using Aleene’s Tacky tape runner on edges.  Make sure you center each layer as you stack.  No Sweat on front, Relax on inside cover.

5.  Cut out shapes.  Three stars starting with the smallest in grey and graduating in the next two sizes in pink and damask.  Cut thin banner shape in damask. 

6.  Use sticker sheets to layer stars on lower left hand corner of front of card.

7.  Use Aleene’s Tacky Dot to adhere faux gemstone.

8.  Attach damask banner to center of inside of card using Tacky Sticker Sheet, add text with background using glue runner.

National Craft Month for Fiskars Tuesdays with Madge!

Margot Potter for Fiskars

This week's project is a clean and simple scrapbook page from our trip to Hoboken to the Cake Boss's Carlo's Bakery.  Looking at this now, I wish I'd used three dimensional cupcakes instead of birds, but I had birds handy and a lot on my plate that week.  Still, I love the colors and the whimsical look of this.  It's only my second scrapbook page...ever.  I know the trend at the moment is messy and funky in scrapbook pages, but you know I'm not one to follow the trends. Clean and simple design works for me!

For the instructions and materials list follow this link to Fiskars Guest Designers page!

Love
Madge

iLoveToCreate Retrofabulous Teen Crafts: The Original Hip Hop Easter Card

The Original Hip Hip Mixed Media Easter Card Copyright Margot Potter for iLoveToCreate

iLoveToCreate Retrofabulous Teen Crafts
The Original Hip Hip Easter Card
Margot Potter
"These ARE your grandmother's crafts. Ya gotta problem with that?!"

It's hard to believe, but it's true.  Easter is on the way and Peter Cottontail is not far behind! Miss Avalon is buried in school projects and Miss Mom decided to make what she calls a "retrofabulous" holiday card. Avalon approved heartily, so we're calling this a vintage inspired teen craft. This wonderful image is from the turn of the last century when anyone behind the wheel of a horseless carriage, let alone a rabbit, was truly a sight to see. The original postcard was scanned, the image cleaned up and extracted from the background and new text was added. Ya gotta love technology! I'm sharing the image here for you to download, for PERSONAL USE ONLY. (That means, please don't make something from this image and sell it.)

Aleene's AWESOME dry adhesives make it so easy to whip up fun filled holiday cards in the blink of an eye. Why not make your own "retrofabulous" Easter cards for your friends and family? It's a great way to use up those old trims, buttons and scrapbook papers.

Materials
Coordinating Scrapbook Papers (I used Me and My Big Ideas Mambi Sheets)
Simplicity large orange rick rack trim
One large green or coordinating color button accent
Image and text for front and inside of card (Hippity, Hoppity, Happy Easter) printed. (I used Modern #20 font sized to 26pt.)
Aleene's Tacky Dot Runner
Aleene's Tacky Line Roll

Tools
Fiskars Paper Cutter
Fiskars ShapeCutter Templates (circles for the scalloped edge and brackets for the interior background)
Fiskars ShapeCutter Tool and Mat
Bone folder

1. Print your images and text. The image will be cut to 5"h x 4"w.

2. Use paper cutter to cut image and text. Interior text should be 2.5"h x 2"w.

3. Yellow background paper should be cut to 6"h x 4 3/8"w. Add scalloping to the left edge of the yellow background paper with ShapeCutter template and tool.

4. Cut a strip of striped paper (after using ShapeCutter template and tool to add scalloping to the left edge of paper.) The strip should be 6"h x 3/4"w at the widest scallop.

5. Cut dotted orange cardstock to 6 3/4" h x 5 1/2" w. Fold in half and use bone folder to crease edge.

6. Cut the rick rack trim to fit top and bottom of yellow cardstock, 4 3/8"w.

7. Use wire nippers to cut shank from back of button.

8. The elements are layered as follows: Yellow cardstock, rabbit image centered on cardstock, striped edge on right side of rabbit image, rick rack on top and bottom of yellow cardstock and button in lower left corner. Use Tacky Dot runner for paper elements and Tacky Line roll for trim and button.

9. For the interior, cut a piece of striped paper to frame the text. Striped paper should be 2.5"h x 3" w. Use ShapeTemplate to cut a bracket big enough to fit layered papers. Layer these and attach to inside center of card using Tacky Dot runner.

iLoveToCreate Retrofabulous Crafts: Dazzling Dahlia Dimensional Canvas

Dazzling Dahlia Dimensional Canvas Copyright Margot Potter 2012

Pop Art Pillows from Christmas Helps 1966 Family Circle

Christmas Helps 1966 Family Circle

iLoveToCreate Retrofabulous Crafts
Dimensional Dahlia Canvas
Margot Potter
"These are your grandmother's crafts.  Ya gotta problem with that?  I didn't think so."

The idea for this canvas came from a fabulous pillow project featured in this 1966 Christmas Helps magazine from Family Circle. I LOVED these pop art pillows and plan to make some of my own, but these Anna Griffin vintage patterned papers were so yummy, I thought why not make a canvas using the same idea? I am a huge fan of Lilly Pulitzer’s vintage fabrics and these papers have a very similar appeal. Think about making a series of two or three of these using the same color scheme but slightly different patterns (maybe a full flower, half flower and butterfly.) Use recycled paper or fabric remants if you like; this could be stunning using say Coca Cola can boxes or old book pages. This was super simple to create using Fiskars ShapeTemplate™ tools and the new Aleene’s Dry Adhesives! For a final touch of whimsy, I added some dimension using Tulip Beads in a Bottle. I am knee deep in the winter blahs, so this is a cheerful reminder that spring is on the way! (If you want more precision, mark and measure placement with a ruler before layering petals.)

Materials
10x10 mini canvas
Anna Griffin Carmen Collection scrapbook paper pack
Saturated pink and yellow cardstock
Aleene’s Tacky Dot runner
Tulip Beads in a Bottle sparkly pink and pale yellow

Tools
Fiskars ShapeTemplate™ Circles
Fiskars ShapeCutter™ and Mat

1. Cut out 22 patterned yellow and pink floral paper 2” circles and 11 yellow and 12 pink 2.5” paper circles using the Fiskars template, cutter and mat. You could also use circle punches or trace and cut by hand. I am impatient, so anything that makes it easier works for me!

2. Layer the patterned circles in the center of the solid color circles and adhere using Aleene’s Tacky Glue dots runner.

3. Begin on the outside, I found it helped to lay this out first and then reassemble just to get a sense of the layout before I committed to it permanently. The flowers overlap slightly and work around in a circle and repeat on the inner layer overlapping slightly.

4. Tape just the right side of your petal and start making a circle overlapping on the outside. Continue this process until you reach the final circle, which will get full tape runner coverage. Repeat for the inside layer. There are 14 petals on the outside and 8 on the inside. Finish with a large pink petal in the center.

5. Use Beads in a Bottle on the solid color edges of the petals in a color that coordinates. I used sparkly pink and pale yellow and found that the sparkly beads were a skootch less puffy than the solid color, I like the slight variation. You can take great care and put the exactly same amount of dots on each petal, but as I mentioned earlier I am impatient and simply thrilled I made it around every petal without a craftastrophe. It’s the little things.

6. Allow to dry overnight before touching or hanging!

Mandala Flower Copyright Margot Potter 2012

(PS: I love this flower so much, I am going to use it on some other projects as an image! Too fun!)

iLoveToCreate Teen Crafts: I Heart U Valentine

iLovetoCreate Teen Crafts
I Heart U Valentine
Avalon Potter
"Teen crafted, Mom approved."

My mom has been making super cute Valentine's lately, so I decided to make one of my own! I love this pretty pink patterned paper and there were some left over scraps from the glittered gift bag she used for another project. You can use whatever papers you like, maybe even recycle some old Valentine's or use book pages...it's up to you. Aleene's adhesives make it easy to make wonderful projects super fast!

Materials
Patterned paper for heart
Gold glittery paper for arrow point and feathers (you can use gold paper and add Tulip glitter if you like!)
Pale pink cardstock
Black and white patterned paper for arrow staff
Small white doily for background
Aleene's Tacky Sticker Sheet
Aleene's Acid Free Tacky Glue

Tools
Fiskars Graduate Heart Shape Template System (Or hand cut a heart)
Paper friendly scissors
Craft knife
Ruler
Computer and printer to print out I (Heart Icon) U.

1. Print out I (Heart Icon) U on a computer. The heart icon is a less than symbol followed by the number 3.   I used a French Script MT and sized it at 48. 2. Cut out the large heart and small heart using the template and shape cutter. The large heart is the largest on the template and is 3.5"x3.75". The small heart is 1"x1". 3. Use scissors to cut the arrow shaft to 4"x1/4". Cut the arrow feathers to 3/4"x1 1/4". 4. Cut out words and cut a frame out of the pink paper as a background. 5. Cut a small slit a little bigger than 1/4" diagonally using the craft knife at the top and bottom center of heart. The distance between the two slits should be about 2.5". This is where your arrow will go.

6. Thread arrow into slits.

7. Attach doily to back of heart using sticker sheet.  Attach arrow point and feather with Aleene's Tacky Glue and allow to dry overnight.

8. Layer words and frame and attach to center of card.  (Write your sentiments on the back of the Valentine.)