Crafters Holiday Snowglobe

Reported by Melissa Norris

As soon as I saw these alterable snowglobes at CHA this summer, I was hooked. I have loved and collected snowglobes for a long time, but when I saw I could make them the way I wanted, I knew I needed to get to making one. And best of all, they're affordable!

All the supplies you need can be found at Hobby Lobby, and a lot of stuff from your own stash of supplies. The snowglobe (made by Traditions Studio) retails for $6.99 and can be found in the holiday crafts section at Hobby Lobby. I also picked up the rubons there for $2.99, and then pulled ribbon and embellishments out of my stash. With the low cost of this project, it could be easily made and taken to a party where there are $10 limits on gifts.

The base is made of sturdy black plastic and the globe is made of acrylic, not glass, making it less breakable and easily alterable. The two also separate allowing access to the photo insert area.

The insert area is 1/2" wide, so that when you add your photos, you can add embellishments and there will be plenty of room.

I don't have any holiday photos to add to my snowglobe yet (we're going to visit Santa this weekend), so I added two buttons to the photo templates to demonstrate how you can add embellished photos.

The photos go in with this accordian like, plastic separator which pushes the photos right up against the window, so that all the details can be seen clearly, and everything stays in place.

I added rubons to the globe itself and to the base. Be very careful when adding your rubons to the globe because it is rounded and can make applying the rubons a bit more difficult. Just start from the middle and work your way out slowly. Also the base is curved as well. I used a "happy holidays" phrase, so I started in the middle and adjusted the rubon as needed so that the phrase came out straight instead of slanting downward.

All that's left is to tie on some ribbon and glue on any other embellishments you like. The finished product only took around 15 minutes! And what a perfect gift for grandparents, teachers, and all those snowglobe lovers! Happy crafting!

More On Maya Road Chipboard

Reported By Jen del Muro

There is no doubt about it...chipboard is red hot in the world of crafting right now. It can be used as a title in scrapbooking, an embellishment in cardmaking or as a stand alone piece. Julie did a wonderful job on Monday reviewing Maya Road, and I today I am going to touch on my thoughts of Maya Road.

I, too, give it a thumbs up. The product is great for a number of reasons. The first thing that you look for in any product is QUALITY. When I first started working with chipboard I didn't understand the differences. Then one day I got my hands on gooooood stuff, such as Maya Road. You can tell the difference. Maya Road is thick, sturdy and holds up to alteration such as covering and sanding. It does not warp or peel. Since the chipboard is thick, it also easily adds dimension to any project without further product such as dimensional glue dots or foam squares.












In addition to the quality, I like the VARIETY of sizes and shapes that are offered. Most of all, I like that many of their chipboard products come with both the positive and negative images. Shown above is the Blossom I set. You can pop out the flowers to use as an embellishment, and then use the negative piece to either compliment it, or use it on an entirely different project. The project shown below is a keychain that I made using a "popped out" flower.


Finally...and I have saved the best for last...the PACKAGING. As Rachael Ray would say, "YUM-O." I am a huge fan of altering items, big and small. Most of the time I purchase the item to be altered. With Maya Road chipboard, you purchase the chipboard and get a bonus of cool packaging. How cool is that? So what can you do with the packaging? Here is a short list of fun stuff:
1. Create a shadow box. This was noted by Julie on Monday and she was kind enough to lend this photo of her project for this article. As you can see, she easily overcame the brand marking by using buttons to cover them up.

2. Scrap holder. I know that you have scraps of ribbon or paper that could use a home. If you have enough of these tins, you could even sort and label them by color.

3. "On The Go Games" tin. I saw this in an issue of Paper Trends. There were games such as Dots, Tic Tac Toe and Bingo for kids to play "on the go."

4. Image Keeper. I have collected a ton of random stamped images through RAKs and friends. For a while, I just kept them in a pile. Now I have a decorated box that holds my wide assortment of images.

5. Cosmetic Case

6. Crayon Box

7. Jewelery Box

8. Coin Tray

9. Candy Tin

10. Baby Gift Box. Roll up a onesie and a pair of socks, decorate with patterned paper and finish it off with a satin ribbon and you have the perfect baby gift.

How have you found other uses for your Maya Road tins? Leave us a comment and let us know!!

Feature Friday with Tami: Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint

Reviewed By: Tami Bayer

I had an opportunity to play with this new product during a mystery class with Tim that I took on August 5th. This new paint by Ranger will hit the stores on September 1st. The product comes in a 2 1/4" tall plastic jar that holds 1.1 fluid ounces and has an applicator attached to the inside of the lid. No messy paint brushes with this one, it's similar to a rubber cement applicator. For just under $6.00 (US) retail you can afford to collect all 24 colors. (The same 24 that the distress inks and distress embossing powders come in.)

Ok, down to what it can do. It works on "cardstock, chipboard, paper mache and more". In the class we used it on naked chipboard and it worked beautifully. It is a self-leveling paint. That means that you just glop it on any old way with lumps and streaks and it flattens out as it dries leaving a smooth appearance with lots of great crackling. You do need a medium to heavy layer of paint for this. It is a very thick paint with a consistency like honey or a really gooey mud bath. You can't dry the paint with a heat tool until the crackling has begun which takes quite a bit of time. If you use a heat tool right away, it won't crackle because a skin forms on the top of the paint. Waiting for the paint to dry is the only down side of this product for me. We painted first in the class and then did a zillion other things while it dried.

Here is a photo of what the paint looked like when it was wet on the chipboard.


It was very uneven and looked like a mess to me. Here is what it looked like when it finished drying.
It leveled off and made the most beautiful crackling effect. I love how this is a one step process. After the paint was dry we used distress inks to ink the edges and smoosh down in the cracks then rubbed off the excess ink. You could do this with the same color or contrast. You can also base coat your project and let that show through the cracks. Here is the finished project and you can see the little chipboard pieces after they have been inked.


This is an Ikea mirror that we glued all the finished little chipboard pieces on. Only 8 of the pieces are the crackle paint. The others are paper or distress embossing powder. I had to cover the mirror in the center to get a decent picture.

I tried my own little experiment with the part of the description of what you can paint that says "and more."


I found that it works beautifully on wood, cork, coated chipboard, and cardstock. On the metal, plastic, and glass... it flaked off. It did not crackle on felt, but did crackle a bit on the burlap. I used a little glue dot on the back of each of these items to hold them steady for painting, which is a great little tip I learned in class. All of these items were painted with vintage photo distress crackle paint. Inking up the items after they have been painted adds some extra depth to the projects.


I wrote the color of ink used on each one. I love the variety of looks I got with this one bottle of paint.

I will definitely purchase this product when it hits the stores. I love how you can change the appearance of the paint with some ink after it dries. I love how messy the application looks, but what a beautful finish it gives. I love that I don't have to clean up any paint brushes. I think the drying time is a factor in deciding to use this, but it would be worthwhile to paint up a stack of goodies and keep them on standby to use as needed.

Celebrations: Weddings

Reported By: Colleen Schaan


June is often the month of romance...summer is heating up, the flowers are in full bloom, and love is in the air. It is no wonder June is the most popular month for weddings. Today, Craft Critique turns into the Moulin Rouge...and celebrates LOVE!

Because of the amount of work involved, weddings are often a time of mixed emotions. There is excitement and anticipation along with frustration and anxiety. From the bridal shower and the cake to the invites and the flowers...there is just so much to do. If you are a crafter, planning your wedding can be a double-edged sword. Do you save a bit of money and make some of the elements yourself or do you give up the control (along with some hard-earned cash) and let someone else do it?

Me...well, I'm a control freak...so you can probably guess what I did.

Eleven years ago I was not a paper crafter so I never even considered making my own invitations or thank you cards, but with all of the wonderful products on the market today, I wouldn't hesitate to do it now. I was really impressed with two product kits I picked up from my local craft store, and I quickly put them to good use. The first kit was the Wedding Page Kit from The Paper Studio.

It contains: (10) 12x12 Memory Papers (5 designs, 2 each)
(1) 3-D embellishment sheet
(1) cardstock sticker sheet
(1) alphabet cardstock sticker sheet
All in bright pink, silver, and black.



I used this kit to create a few quick cards. I really like the cutsie style of this kit along with the fun, vibrant colors. I was surprised at how easy it was to create adorable cards with the cardstock stickers. I started with a bit of my own cardstock as the base, layered it with a bit of the patterned paper, attached a sticker, and added a bit of ribbon or a quick embellishment to finish them off. In just a few minutes I had a "save-the-date" card, a shower invitation, and a card to send to the groom. I was impressed with the quality of the cardstock stickers and the 3-D embellishments were fairly sturdy. The only drawback of a kit like this would be if you need to create a number of the same cards or invites.


Product kits are great for other wedding projects too. Whether you want to scrapbook your special day or create a stunning altered item for a gift, you can be assured of a well-designed item when you use the products found in a kit. I used the Wedding Pagemakers Coordinating Design Elements Kit by American Crafts for the next projects.

It includes: 6 sheets of double sided 12x12 cardstock
8 hand-dyed button embellishments (variety of sizes)
8 coordinating colored brads
8 feet of premium ribbon (4 feet each of 2 colors)
1 sheet of adhesive letters
All in rich shades of black and silver.

I used this kit to create an altered wine tube and a very special altered picture frame. The wine tube is from Creative Imaginations and was very easy to alter. I started with a layer of charcoal acrylic paint and then added some of the Best Man patterned paper from the American Crafts kit. The wide organdy ribbon ties the tube together (and is supposed to look like a bow tie - ha), and the buttons are added to finish the look. I wanted something simple and fun. What a great way to give the best man a nice bottle of his favorite spirits.


The picture frame could be given to the bridesmaids, the bride, or even the family members of the happy couple. I found this great chipboard frame from Creative Imaginations also and knew just how to decorate it. I started with a base layer of black acrylic paint (to cover the sides and to create a "frame" inside the patterned paper. I then measured and cut the Ceremony paterned paper from the American Crafts kit to fit the front of the frame. I glued it down with a bit of modge podge and lightly sanded the edges. I sponged black ink around the outside edge to soften the look and added a large bow with both wide silver organdy and narrow black grosgrain. I also printed a quote on a transparency and layered that over the photo. It was the perfect way to showcase my favorite photo from my own wedding.

If you are adventurous, you could tackle making and decorating your own cake, but since I can't even manage good cupcakes, I declined on that front. But I did manage the bridal flowers. If you are interested in doing this, make sure you spend some money on GOOD silk flowers...this is one area where you get what you pay for. I also did a bunch of research and lots of practice pieces before attempting the real thing. The nice thing about silk flowers...even after all these years, my bouquet is still just as beautiful.


A great resource for wedding craft information is Somerset's Wedding magazine. I picked up volume three and was very impressed with the content. While not all of the projects appealed to me, there were many that spurred my interest and imagination. The magazine is a great place to find tons of wedding ideas, from planning the shower to preserving the memories of the special day.


The crafting possibilities are endless when you are celebrating a wedding. The real question (and sometimes the big dilemma) is What will YOU create and what will you let OTHERS create? Either way, enjoy the celebration!

Did you create something spectacular for a wedding or are you planning on doing it DIY style? Leave us a comment and tell us about your experiences and favorite wedding products.

The Renegade Craft Fair

Reported by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer


The Renegade Craft Fair calls itself, “a unique DIY event organized by Sue Blatt + Kathleen Habbley. When this event began in 2003, there was nothing else like it. We took up crafts as a hobby after college and decided to try selling our stuff in local fairs. To our surprise, no events were catering to the burgeoning DIY craft community or even prohibited crafts all together. So we thought of organizing a fair of our own that tapped into this movement and provided a laid back, fresh venue for artists and shoppers alike.”

Intriguing, right?

Well, today I hopped on the L train and headed out to Williamsburg (a hipster neighborhood in Brooklyn) to check it out for myself. The craft fair was situated in an empty pool. A very funky location! (Though given the unrelenting sun and heat, I did wish that the pool were full of water.) Alternative rock played over several loudspeakers, an ice cream truck sold soft serve to dozens of sweaty customers, and a vendor sold tofu dogs and other vegan appropriate food off of a grill.


My cousin and I jumped (literally, we had to in order to get in) into the deep end of the pool and started looking. Color was everywhere. The line between vendor and customer was thin: both wore thrift store chic, piercing and tattoos abounded, most were in their twenties and thirties, and nobody was afraid of color. The most common items being sold were purses and bags, silkscreened t-shirts, letterpress notecards, and fuzzy stuffed monsters. There was also a smattering of jewelry, pottery, and funky animal sculptures.



It was a very low key, chilled out atmosphere. People were surprisingly okay with us taking photos of their stuff. Though, one woman did confront me to ask who I was taking photos for (the photo I was taking was of the leather dress). She didn’t have a problem when I told her it was Craft Critique, but said, “This one company screws us over, again and again.” To a certain extent, I’m not surprised. The treat of the Renegade Craft Fair is all the genius ideas; simple execution most of the time, but really clever concepts. No doubt this causes any number of thefts. It’s easy to take a photo and then reproduce the item from the photo. Icky.


I have to say, even though I didn’t feel particularly motivated to buy (perhaps it was the heat, or the fact that I felt I could make most things being sold myself), I would definitely go back. And prices were reasonable enough that had it not been so miserable out, it’s very likely that I would have lingered at each booth and picked up some funky new treats. I encourage anyone in the Chicago or New York area to spend a day enjoying the fresh, funky, relaxed vibe of the Renegade Craft Fair.

Here are a few artists with their work:

• Images 1 and 2: Caitlin Phillips of Rebound Designs: "A second chance for well-loved books." with her funky purses made from books.
• Images 3 and 4: LeBrie Rich, the "Duchess of Felt" of Pen Felt with her "fabulous hand-felted wearables."
• Images 5 and 6: Linda Johnson, designer and owner of little flower designs
• Image 7: Liz Shaw's guitar bags from her rock line: "handmade handbags, one of a kind & small line."

Altered Paint Cans

Reported by Sarah Moore

For me, part of the fun of altering items is the impressive result you can achieve with very low cost items and products you already own or that are easy to find. Since the altered paint can has become so popular among crafters a few companies even sell paint cans designed just for crafting. Provocraft, and Oriental Trading to name a couple. While these tins are lovely; smaller pint size cans, pristine and white... in my opinion $5.00 US is too much to pay for an item you can buy in the gallon size at your local hardware store for under $2.00 US.

Most hardware stores will also provide the can opener "key" for free as well... essential to making this a great item for gift giving. Plus, I personally don't like the white matte look of the cans designed for crafting. Unless you plan to paint the tin, this seems a bit unnecessary and sort of takes a way from the look of it being a PAINT CAN. Also... you can't fit much inside a 6" tall can. Go for the gallon size!

TIP: Many small neighborhood hardware stores will order empty paint cans for you in bulk; if for example you were purchasing multiples for party favor totes, craft shows or a class. Just ask the manager if he/she can get you a deal on a CASE of cans. I was able to do this at my local store and paid around $1.30 US a can!

Covering the Can
Usually you see these cans covered completely. Sometimes the crafter creates a template to help them work around the handle. When I used to use this method I found the easiest way to cover the cans was with 12X12 patterned paper (cardstock may work... but I find it's a bit too thick).

Just measure around your can and divide that number in 1/2. Add an inch for the overlap at the seams. Measure your can top to bottom and cut 2 pieces of paper to size. Wrap the back piece of paper around the can first and mark where the handle will hit. Then either cut out the space for the handle by hand... OR look and see of you own a circular paper punch that will do the trick! Do the same with the other side, then run the paper through your Xyron Machine (for best results) or use sticky strip or other STRONG double sided tape to adhere the paper on. Standard tape runner adhesives and wet adhesives are not desirable for this project.

OR... if you want to do it the EASY way...
Take a 12"X12" piece of paper and cut it into two 12"X 5 1/2" lengths. Then I cut two 3/4" X 12" strips from a second piece. I ran the paper through my Xyron and then I affixed it to the can... starting with the back side. The paper is practically seamless; and I like how the tin shows a bit... It's funkier! Plus with this method you don't have to worry about cutting holes for the handles.

After you apply the paper; embellish the can, tie some cute ribbons or fabric scraps onto the handle and your done! I find that Glue dots worked well to hold on the heavy embellishments like the chipboard. Some people also like to decorate the lid... your choice!

Tip: If you need to hold something REALLY heavy; use Glue dots and heat up the dot with your heat tool for a few seconds before you stick on your embellishment... this will help create a better bond.

More details on this can can be found HERE.

Altered paint cans can be used for a ton of cool gift concepts. Here are just a few...

Kids Crafts: fill with children's crafts supplies or even store purchased kits.

Note/journal Can for teens: Create a matching journal and beaded pen to fits inside. Teens can keep all the notes from their friends inside!

New college Student Can: fill with food, quarters for laundry, correspondence materials, phone card.

Money Can: fill with crumpled $1 Bills!

Bath Can: Fill with bath favorites, bubbles, neck pillow, soaps, scrunchy bath scrubbie thingy (?)...etc.

Hostess Can: have a few ready over the holidays. Fill with favorite brownie mix, tea towels, gourmet tea or coffee, candies...

Cookie Can: fill with cookies or baked goods.

Rainy Day Can: fill with boredom busters for children; slinky, jacks, yo-yo, silly putty...etc.

Cupcake Can: fill with cupcake/frosting mixes, paper cups, sprinkles and attach recipe to handle

Wedding Day Can: fill with everything the bride will need on her wedding day; clear nail polish (for runs), small snack, sewing kit (make sure to include thread that matches her dress and the bridesmaids... and black for the groom), mini scissors, Tums, Tylenol, hem repair tape, bobby pins, lipstick, pocket mirror, phone book with important numbers... etc.

Baby on the Way: fill with your favorite baby essentials. Can doubles as a baby memento holder! Make a photo album or scrapbook to match.

New Daddy Diaper Can: Fill with clothespin (to clip nose) diapers, changing supplies,protective paper gown, mask, eye goggles, metal tongs, garbage bags, rubber gloves... etc.

Labor Basics: fill with things mom will need in the hospital See my Blog for more details.

Other samples:

Details HERE.

Details HERE.

Altered Letters

Reported by Colleen Schaan

Welcome to another altered items article. As a crafter, there are thousands of items available to alter and thousands of ways to alter them...the only limit is the imagination. My favorite item to alter is letters. Wooden ones, metal ones, chipboard ones, big ones, little ones...you name it and I love to alter it.


On any shopping trip to a craft store you will find a variety of alterable letters available. The most common ones (and therefore the most popular ones) are wooden. A cruise down the woodworking aisle will fill your shopping cart with a multitude of sizes ranging from tiny (1” tall and 1/8” thick) to large (12” tall and 1” thick). Once you have chosen a size, you will be faced with choosing a style. Some are fancy and scripted while others are sturdy and blocky. My suggestion is to think about how the final product will be used. If you are creating a wall hanging, then a thinner, lighter letter will work well. If you are hoping to create a stand-alone decorative piece, then you want to look for something with a solid, sturdy base.

One product that I have found delightful is the Embellished Word Kit by Colorbok. The kit includes a number of die cut letters (solid pressboardor fiberboard), coordinating patterned paper, rub-ons, embellishments, ribbons, sandpaper, and an instruction booklet. The instructions show how to create one look...go with that or be creative and change it up for a look all your own.

I like these kits because the letters are pre-sanded and ready to use. I like the fact that they are solid and blocky, quite heavy actually, so they can stand on their own as a decorative piece. I don’t always like the decorative papers included, but it is very easy to change them up and use paper from my own stash. The embellishments given are fine, but I like to kick it up a notch with the addition of stamped images and even more hardware. Altering letters is simple...just follow a few simple tips:

• If the letters are not smooth,lightly sand and wipe off any resulting dust.
• Paint the front, sides, and/or back of the letters using an acrylic paint. I like to use Delta Creamcoat.
• Trace the letter onto the patterned paper. I like to trace the letter onto the BACK of the patterned paper...but it is then necessary to flip the letter BACKWARDS to have it come out correctly. (Trim as close to the letter as possible.)
• Adhere the paper to the front of the wooden letter. Any type of liquid adhesive is good for this. I like to use a thin layer of Modge Podge applied to the letter.
• Lightly sand the edges of the paper. This will eliminate any excess paper and also give a nice distressed look.
• Embellish as you wish using ribbon, buttons, flowers, stamped images, and/or anything else you can get your hands on.
  

You can use altered letters in a number of ways...spell out words to celebrate a holiday, use the letters in your last name to create a family wall hanging, decorate a child's room with their altered first name, or even make a visual definition of an abstract noun for inspiration. The possibilities are endless...

Here are pictures of two Colorbok kits I have completed for the holidays.



Cindy over at Imagine. Dream. Create created this beautiful altered letter name.


Now let's see what you can do. Add some definition to your life...alter some letters and make them meaningful.

Altered Giant Clothespin

Reported by Melissa Norris

I think besides coloring or projects in school, some of the first crafts I ever created were of altered items; mostly personalizing picture frames or projects for school. My love for altering has definitely grown from there. The choices are endless when it comes to purchasing blank items that are begging for some Mod Podge or paint, but for this article I decided to go with giant clothespins.

The one I'm altering came from Michaels for $1.99US and is made by Provo Craft but they can also be found from places like Oriental Trading Company and Eclectic Paperie. They can be found in plain wood or already finished in white or another color so choose what would work best for your project.

I started by tracing the large flat side onto the back of my paper. I also chose to cut out the 1/4 inch where the wire sits because I wanted that look but you could also cover it completely. I brushed some Mod Podge on with a cheap foam brush and placed my paper. Here's an important tip; make sure you take some sort of flat edge (bone folder, ruler, I used a Pampered Chef scraper) and run it along the paper to get all the bubbles out. Keep running it over a few times so that the glue gets tacky and holds the paper down. Repeat this step for the other side.


For the sides I used the reverse side of my designer paper (2 sided Au Chocolat by Stampin' Up) for a nice contrast but you could keep it the same if you like or not cover it at all. I cut 3/4 inch strips, which is the widest part of the side, then traced the shape on the back side. After tracing the shape, I held the cut out piece onto the clothespin to make final trims so that it fit well. Then again I attached it with Mod Podge and ran the scraper over it to remove the bubbles and did both sides.


After letting it dry for a few hours (while I watched Greys Anatomy *hehe*) I came back and sanded the edges with a fine grit sanding block to remove any bits that went over an edge and to give it a more finished look. It also makes it more smooth to the touch. After sanding, make sure you wipe the clothespin down with a towel to remove any dust. After this I covered the entire clothespin with another coat of Mod Podge to seal it. Put as many coats as you feel is necessary. My clothespin will be used in my kitchen to hold recipes, so I put 3 light coats of Mod Podge since there will be steam and food splatters and stuff.

After the final coats are dry comes the fun part, embellishing. I chose to limit my embellishments to a few ribbons since I have a 1 & 1/2 year old running around who thinks these are super fun and likes to grab them off the counter. But you could add ribbons, chipboard, flowers, and any number of fun items.


I really enjoyed making this clothespin and am working on another one for my office. They are so handy for holding quick things like notes or recipes or could be used alone to hold pictures or the cards you've made or received. So go pick one up and pull out those scraps of designer paper and make something beautiful!!

Altered Book Frame

Reported By Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

This is a very easy project with wonderful results. I like to give these altered book frames as gifts. People are always delighted with these unique pieces. You can easily put your own spin on them, but here are the instructions to recreate my version:

1. Buy or recycle a hardcover book.
a. Make sure it’s not a valuable one.
b. I like to buy mine for a $1 from libraries or bookstores that are trying to clear their shelves.

2. Remove the dust jacket (if there is one) and discard.

3. Use a pencil and ruler to draw the size of the opening you want on the front cover of the book.
a. It should be about the size of your photo.

4. Using a metal ruler and a box cutter or other knife, cut out the opening.
a. Use a self-healing mat or a glass mat under your book cover
b. Make many, many small cuts until you get all the way through it.

5. Measure ¼ inch in and cut your mat from the interior pages.
a. No need to use a mat. Make one cut without a mat, which will cut through several pages. Simply remove the entire cut area. This will create a bit of depth.
b. You may want to remove the first page or two of the book so that your mat will have text. Simply use your knife to slice off the unwanted pages (about half-an-inch from the book spine).
c. If the text doesn’t extend all the way to the edge of the opening you’ve cut, glue another page from the book in and re-cut the opening. It’s an easy illusion.

6. Using mod podge or any other decoupage medium, glue pages from the book or patterned paper into the opening you’ve cut.
a. Start on the backside of the cover and bring the paper through the opening and onto the cover.
b. You’ll want to glue them down and then give them a thin coat on top to seal the project.

7. Apply rub-ons or other decoration to the front cover, spine, and backside.
a. You could use buttons, rick-rack, ribbons, stickers, flowers, fabric, metal, stamps, etc.
b. You can even decorate the pages. While the book is closed, use a stamp to decorate the page edges.

8. Glue your photo into the book.
a. The easiest thing to do here is glue the photo to the first page in the book that doesn’t have a cut-out.

9. Place parchment or wax paper over your photo and glue all of the previous pages together.
a. The paper protects your photo from the drippy decoupage medium.

10. Once dry, remove the wax or parchment paper and use a dry adhesive to glue the photo page to the previous pages.

11. Voila! You’re done!

The altered book frame will stand up on its own. Just open it slightly and display. I’m sure you’ll enjoy making these and I hope you’ll share your innovations and creations with me!

Altered Ikea Magazine File

Reported By Donna Lannerd

The idea behind altering the Knuff magazine file ($3.99 US) has been with me a long time. In fact, every time I go into that store I find myself drawn to the whole office organization section and this file in particular is always asking to go home with me. I see it basically as a blank canvas just waiting to be transformed into something spectacular.


This particular project was also inspired by the pile of my daughter's school work that she insists cannot be tossed into the trash. I decided this file would be the perfect place to put some of that work and serve as a school memory box. I used a great variety of items including trims and buttons from my sewing leftovers and also some rickrack from my mom's old things I've hung onto. I also used iron-on transfers. These are the white phrases "School Days", "Picture Day", "learning is fun" and "going for the grade".


Before I started cutting and gluing the paper down I first made a template. I used dressmaker's pattern paper but you could use just about any paper that you could fit the file on. I placed each side of the file down on the paper and traced around so I would have an exact shape. I then decided what layout I wanted the paper to be then drew the lines on my pattern and used these to cut my background papers. After gluing on the paper it was just a matter of laying down trims and objects to see how I wanted it to look. You could also do this before gluing down your paper.
As you can see in the photos 3 of the sides are very much in a scrapbook/collage style while a fourth side is much more simplistic. I left this side this way to show you how just a few touches can transform a simple object into a designer piece, plus, I really like it. In fact the only purchased items (besides the file) on this fourth side is the paper. How cool is that? And, you could do this with many objects you can find in your local discount or craft store. A few trims, paper and glue can go a long way.




Materials used:
Sheer Frame by Making Memories (around the graduation picture)
Colorboard Stickers by Making Memories
Making the Grade stickers by Karen Foster Design
Ticket Stickers by EK Success
Iron-On Attitude Sayings by Prym-Dritz
Paper by The Paper Studio and My Mind's Eye
Miscellaneous buttons, ribbons and trims

Altered Items Carnival!

Sorry for the delay yesterday! But here we are... with a Carnival for you! This SHOULD make you all happy inside... right?

Be sure to visit these blogs and tell them Craft Critique sent you! Leave them all lovely comments! :) Wait till you see some of this cools stuff... this is our best carnival YET!

If you find yourself listed here? We welcome your link to THIS carnival from YOUR blog. Thanks so much! :)

Kendra Giles has a great Altered provocraft Tin HERE.

Amy Hoffner's Altered Scrabble tile... into a cool charm!

Robin Bartoletti of Urban Debris... she alters pretty much EVERYTHING. Look around!

The dragonlady has the coolest Altered garden items... from junk! Wowza!

Erika Martin has some great Altered Books.

Amazing Altered Art by Amy

Cathy Indelicato's Altered Items (features Target $1 spot stuff)

The Scrappin' Librarians' altered recipe tin

Altered Frames by Lisa Sommerville

Sabrina has an altered Recipe Box... Pics Here... Blog here.

Angel Alters a Cheese Wiz Jar, and a bunch of other cute stuff! Look around for MORE!

Multiple altered items and 3d projects by Jenifer Benner

Julie Ebersole alterers a "Shelly Case" by Creative Imaginations

Colleen Laux shows us how to turn Coasters into a cool book.

Cindy McVey has a Gift Tin HERE and a Card Box HERE

Craft Critique's Own Julia Stainton has an Altered frame HERE and HERE.

Lauren Meader's "Time for Tea" gift set

Lisa Johnson's Altered Mirror

Michelle Lane's Altered Starbucks frap bottles.

Michelle Skillicorn; Multiple altered items and 3d projects

Hinged coaster box and Gift Card Tins by Nancy Elrick

Altered tins by Nicole Cooke

Altered Items by Sharon Harnist

Two cool projects by Julee Tilman

A full gallery of altered clipboards at Splitcoaststampers

5 galleries of different altered items at Splitcoaststampers

Altered DVD Tins by Sara Frawley

Scraptime: The first episode features an Altered Valentine Candy box

Shannon Lawrence: A whole collection of beautiful altered items (2 pages!)

Sherry Cheever: Altered hinge top box

Taylor VanBruggen: Taylors altered items

Tracy Houghton: Tracy had a contest...check out these items!!

Altered Metal Star

Reported By Amy Westerman

About a year ago, I was browsing the Two Peas website for ideas, like we all do from time to time. I was so excited when I ran across the picture of an altered metal star by Two Peas Garden Girl Sande Krieger. It was beautiful, and believe it or not, it looked like a fairly easy project to tackle!

It took me a while to find a star that I could alter. I ended up finding one at Kirkland’s Home, a home store here in Minneapolis. It measured about 18 inches, tip to tip, and cost only $9.99. Unfortunately, it sat around my stamp studio a few weeks before I decided what designer paper to cover it with. When the new spring line of Basic Grey papers were released, I knew the Phoebe line would be PERFECT for my star! I couldn’t wait to get started.

Designer Sande Krieger outlines in perfect detail on Two Peas how to complete this project, so I will not go into detail in this article. This is the link directly to the Altered Star instructions! The basic supplies needed are, of course, the star, as well as glue, tracing paper, and dark brown ink. Sande also used a sealer to cover the paper once it had been adhered to the star, but I did not do this step with mine. She recommended using Crafters Pick-The Ultimate Glue to adhere the paper, but I used Mono Metal Liquid Glue instead and it worked just fine.



There are just a few steps to creating this special star and I’ll quickly outline them here, but be sure and click on the link above for more detailed instructions!

First, lay the tracing paper over one of the star points and trace it with a pencil. Next, cut out the pattern and then trace around it on the backside of a piece of designer paper. When you cut it out, make sure you cut about a ½ inch larger than the pattern to allow for folding under.

Next, apply your glue to the backside of the designer paper. I spread my glue around with the tip of the bottle, but Sande recommends using a foam brush, which is a great idea. It gets messy at this point, so a foam brush might keep things a little neater! When you’ve glued up the backside really well, flip the paper right side up and adhere it to the star tip. You want to make sure it overlaps all edges so the paper can be adhered to the back of the star. I used my Pampered Chef little brown scraper to smooth the paper down onto the star, which worked amazing. Sande used her bone folder, which is another great option!

Once you’ve smoothed down the paper onto the front of the star, flip it over and adhere the flaps to the backside of the star. You might need some extra glue to accomplish this. I used my little brown scraper to smooth down the edges on the back as well, which was a good idea, as sometimes these flaps liked to come unglued at times! Just use more glue and more force to keep them down if necessary!

I followed this same routine for all the star points. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll have the star finished in no time! When I finished all the points, I took my brown stamp pad (I used my ColorBox Fluid Chalk Ink pad in Chestnut Roan) and rubbed it all over the star, most notably along the edges. Feel free to do this as much as you like! I think the more distressed, the better.

I had so much fun making my altered star! In fact, I liked doing it so much I made another one last weekend for my sister-in-law’s new kitchen. I hope you get inspired to try one of these stars for yourself sometime soon!

Altered Art – Provocraft Frames

Reported By Julia Stainton

As the popularity of papercrafting continues to rise, cardmakers and scrapbookers are looking for fabulous new ways to take their designs off the page and out of the envelope. Altering items and crafting home décor brings their passion for papercrafting into their everyday life. What better way to enjoy it than frames and wall-art that you can see everyday?

One of my favorite recent pastimes is designing frames for gifts and my home. A treasured family photo deserves a special presentation in a frame crafted by loving hands. The fabulous thing about altering your own frames is that you can match your décor or the event, perfectly. Simply gather supplies that will look wonderful in the setting or personalize the frame to suit the personality of either the recipient or the photograph. Some paper, ribbon, paint, embellishments... whatever you wish to choose. With no right or wrong, just your own personal inspiration. It is sure to be a lot of fun!


Provocraft makes a fabulous line of wooden frames that can be altered. These frames are specially designed for the crafting industry with lots of alterable space for you to express your creativity. Some are sold as unfinished wood and others have a white primer finish that can be painted or left as is. I find the frames to be very well priced and easily affordable. The smallest size, a 5 inch square frame is one of my favorites and retails for only $1.50 CDN. The one drawback with the 5x5 frame is it’s cheap construction. My husband, who has worked in the construction industry for 20 years, cringed at the corner miters of it, but when he saw the final covered result, he was quite impressed and agreed the price was unbeatable. Some of Provocraft’s wood frames are available with a small photo size and a very large wood surface, ideal for altering. Others are a rectangular shape and a few of the frames even come with openings for more than one photo. To see Provocraft’s whole line of wood frames, visit Provocraft's Website.


Provocraft also makes a wonderful new line of prefinished grooved wood frames for crafting. These frames have a fabulous grooved beadboard surface and give a great Shabby Chic or cottage feel to them. Easily altered just by adding a few small touches, these MDF board frames are perfect for the busy or beginning crafter. They are completely usable just as they are…add a few extra touches and you have a quick, beautiful project.


How to Cover Wood Frames With Paper
Adding paper to frames is a very simple process. You only need a few basic supplies…adhesive, cardstock or patterned paper, some scissors and some sandpaper.


For most projects, I use Alene’s thick and Tacky Glue. Again, a very inexpensive item found at Michael’s and many other Craft Stores. This is a great glue that works well for adhering paper to the wood frame. I find the glue dries quite quickly if spread thinly and evenly allowing you to get to work almost immediately on your project. I am a crafter of limited time and patience so this is a big plus factor for me! If you are using a light-weight patterned paper, you may wish to use a light application of Mod Podge on your frame instead to prevent buckling. After your paper is dry, use small scissors to trim close to the wood frame. It is really almost impossible to get a great edge just by cutting. The sandpaper is quick and very easy way to remove those excess pieces of paper and give a nice clean edge finish. If you wish, you can also use some paint or ink to finish the edges of the frame and add a little extra depth to your design.


Another idea I love for frames is to use a quote instead of a photograph. A small little frame with a quote would be perfect for sitting on your desk with a little inspirational quote in it. A stamped design would also be very pretty inside the frame or even some special piece of memorabilia could be included. Don’t hide it away when it could be made into a conversation piece.

I love this last little triptych style frame. At $7.99 Cdn, a fabulous price! The little gold tone hinges work well and this frame is well made. The white primed finish makes it easy to get right to work on your project and lends itself particularly well to a paint finish. I decided to drag out some old paints from my basement and finally, after sitting there for years, give a crackled finish a shot. In hind sight, it may have worked better if I had used a lighter tan paint and also used a thicker coat of the crackle accents but as this was my first try, it doesn’t look too bad. I certainly did get the rustic appearance I was going for.


I was really pleased with my experience with all the Provocraft frames I’ve tried. I know that I’ll be picking up more in the future for other projects and would highly recommend them as a great starting place if you are new to altered craft projects. If I’ve inspired you to try out a frame or if you have any questions I didn’t address in the article, I’d love to hear from you! At Craft Critique, we love to share our opinions and experiences, but we really love to hear yours as well. Below are some ideas to get you started!

Some frame altering ideas

• Paper
• Paint
• Ink
• Ribbon
• Stamps
• Embossing Powder
• Rub-ons
• Fabric
• Chipboard

Crafty Books - Create, Alter & Personalize!

Reported By Sue Mylde

As crafters, we are always looking for stuff to re-create and personalize.. even the simplest things when altered can become extra special to you or the person you give it to.

In this little article, I’m briefly looking at some book altering samples and offer some resources and inspiration for creating your own.

There are so many products out there ready to be altered. Maya Road (and many other companies) have a big range of chipboard books in a variety of sizes and shapes (yes, shapes) that you can alter. I used my Maya Road ‘Lunch’ Book to create this quick album to focus on the important things on my life: just some words to remind me when I’m feeling down. When I created this book, I knew these were the words and concepts that were important to me, but only as I journaled on the pages did I find deeper focus and true understanding of how they actually figured and related to my life.



Here are the ingredients used for my Inspiration Book 2007:
Maya Road lunch book
A set of Basic Grey Lily Kate papers and letter stickers
Stampin’Up! Cardstock
7 Gypsies ‘Inspiration’ stickers
Miscellaneous embellishment and rub-ons from American Crafts Mod Podge Matte

I’ve really loved creating this little album and journaling for it. The chipboard pages were easy enough to alter since all you need to do is stick on the Mod Podge glue, stick the papers on and trim accordingly. My only complaint with this book is that once the pages and the embellishments were placed back into the rings of the album and the rings snapped back into place, the covers wouldn’t close as tightly because it was too thick! :)


These are some of the chipboard pages I altered. The book came with 8 pieces of Chipboard - all pre-pierced. I embellished and decorated both sides for 16 pages.


My introduction page