Friday, January 31

Single Ladies Chocolate Boxes


Valentine's Day and all the smooches and gooey lovey-dovey stuff involved can make single people barf. And anti-Valentine's thoughts can get a little bitter. So I thought I'd come up with a happy medium. I call these Single Ladies Chocolate Boxes - celebrating being single and loving it. I've been married for 23 years, but have friends who are still looking for that special someone, so this is dedicated to them!
Treat yourself to your own dang box of chocolates and the best part is you don't have to share! Make a set and pass them out to your single friends and all of you can indulge together! Maybe it will help hold you over until your soulmate finally arrives. 
Click below to read on to see the full tutorial!

Thursday, January 30

Vintage Valentine Plate Portraits


I have a soft spot for vintage crafts. Each time I see a pair of plates with a spiffy felted couple on top I’m tempted to buy them. Finally today, I broke down and made my own Valentine’s Day themed pair. A little different from the traditional pair with the lady in her veil and hat and the mister with his pipe.

Easy Image Transfer on canvas using Collage Pauge

We've been in a BIG image transfer mood these past couple of weeks in the design studio here at iLoveToCreate!  I printed out several of some of my original photography and my crafty friend Miranda has been helping transfer them onto canvas and wood. They have been turning out so awesome & distressed.  The photo transferred above actually looks almost like painting. Let me show you how we did this cool and artful technique!  I promise you are going to want to try it for yourself once you see how easy it is to do!

Tuesday, January 28

DIY Phases of the Heart T-shirt


Phases of the Heart Finish2 generation-t.com
I was inspired by a DIY phases of the moon T-shirt I saw on Pinterest, and thought it would be fun to try a heart shape in place of the moon. Though Valentine's Day is an odd one to celebrate -- it's gotten a little commercial in the past few decades for my tastes, but I do appreciate another opportunity to tell the people dearest to me that I care about them with an extra hug, a simple handmade valentine...or a T-shirt! (PS: Did you know that it's celebrated as "Friend Day" in Finland? I love that!)
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Monday, January 27

Congrats to Grammy Winner, La Santa Cecilia! We love your shoes!


Yesterday, the Los Angeles band, La Santa Cecilia took home the award for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative AlbumWhy are we so excited for them? 

Well, because lead singer (and now Grammy winner), Marisoul is an avid crafter. One of her specialties is making her colorful wardrobe ensembles for her performances - which includes numerous pairs of dance shoes that she embellishes with PUFFY PAINT! 

Read on to see her magical shoes that she paints, and music videos too!

DIY Neon Friendship Bracelets



Neon is making a comeback and these DIY Neon Friendship Bracelets are one cool way to add some serious color to your arm candy and they have a bit of sparkle!  
OK, so neon is on it’s fourth or fifth come back. But, this time there are so many new and creative ways to incorporate it into your wardrobe without looking completely ‘80’s dayglo! 
These bracelets so quick and fun to make you’ll want to make lots and that’s good because they look amazing stacked together and don’t forget to make them for your friends too!

Friday, January 24

Peel & Stick Applique Jacket

Ask anyone who visits my house regularly - if you leave an article of clothing here, there's a good chance it may end up embellished. Such is the case with this jeans jacket. Its former owner was named Dan, and he was a temporary drummer in my husband's band about 10 years ago. He left this jeans jacket at our house. 

In my defense, I waited two years and he never came back, so that means I can have it right?

Hello, markers, fabric paint and glitter spray! I needed something hearty for the sleeves and back - so this is what I did...(click below to see the full tutorial)!

Wednesday, January 22

DIY BFF Earrings


Best friends are forever, true blue and faithful to the end.  Why not show your BFF a little love with these super simple DIY BFF Earrings?  A little paper, some decoupage medium and twine turn craft store wooden hearts into two sided earrings that are sure to cheer your BFF up every time she wears them!  PLUS they're cute coming and going!  Avalon and I put our heads together here, she loves these muted colors and simple jewelry, I scaled back on my usual over the top size to make them easy and comfortable to wear every day.  These are perfect for a trend savvy teen.

Tuesday, January 21

Neon Kicks

 
I was a kid in the 80's and one of my very favorite pair of shoes were some neon chucks. My grandmother thought they looked like "the ugliest bowling shoes ever" but I remember them fondly! With the resurgence of neon it seemed the perfect time to recreate those fun, neon kicks!

Monday, January 20

Get Organized Crafty Style in 2014




This time of year a goal on almost everyone’s list is to be more organized. I know it is on mine. As a matter of fact I am trying a 52 weeks of organizing type program. So far so good. Luckily, I have a few cute craft suggestions to make organizing easy.









Tie Dye Glitter Necklace

 This Tie Dye Glitter necklace was inspired by this fabulously over the top Dior runway design below.

Friday, January 17

Sequined Embellished Bottle


Being a craft blogger can be a lot of work. With so many trends, techniques, and ideas out there, sometimes my mind goes blank. I just want to make stuff and not think about any of that. Therefore, every now and then I just have to pull down the shade to it all and go back to my roots. 

For me, it's all about loud and shiny. I think it's my Mexican roots. In Mexico, many people just take whatever is at their fingertips and decorate it. Cans, Cigarette boxes, tins, you name it. and of course - beer bottles! Absolutely anything goes. 

That is the case with this week's project. I came across this awesome Corona beer bottle and knew a glittering session was in store. It's heavy, chunky and has a beautiful shape. I love the printed label on the glass. It also gave me a chance to use up some sequins that I purchased all the way from India! I can use my bottle as a vase or candle holder, or just to add a blast of color.

Thursday, January 16

Eye Candy & Fun with iLoveToCreate at the 2014 Craft & Hobby Show

All of our team at a great time at the 2014 Craft & Hobby Tradeshow and Convention!  Our booth this year was loaded with inspiration and we had a blast sharing the work of our talented team with attendees.  A lot was going on in our booth...from Pattie (above) decoupaging her fabulous magazine mannequin to enthusiastic tie dye action from our favorite reality TV star Rupert Boneham.  Let us take you on a mini tour of all the activity!

Glittered Heart Napkins

 
Wahoo! It's almost time to celebrate Valentine's Day and I have to admit something to you. I am not really a fan of the actual holiday BUT I am a fan of the colors involved with this holiday. Who doesn't love loads of pinks, reds and whites! Today I will show you how to make glittered heart napkins. These can be used for a table setting, a gift, a place to put your favorite things on or a dish towel. The ideas are endless! 

Let's go make some glittery napkins, y'all! 

Tuesday, January 14

Jean Panels


I have seen so many leggings and jeggings with different panels added to them. I thought that using  Tulip's holographic, iron on transfer sheets would be a great way to add a little spark to an old pair of jeggings or jeans.
 I really love the way they turned out.
There are a few tricks, so lets get to the DIY.

Monday, January 13

'Beaded' Heart Beanie DIY


Polar Vortex got you feeling a little chilly? This Heart Beanie will warm your head and spread love with a cute 3 dimensional heart using Tulip’s Beads in a Bottle. Hearts are a huge trend right now (especially with Valentine’s Day right around the corner)! Inspired by Moschino’s heart beanie, you can create your own for a lot less. Stay warm and fashionable with this simple and chic hat embellishment.

Friday, January 10

Dyeing Natural Fibers: Yarn Collage Scarf


Being an avid crocheter, I am often asked about what kinds of yarns I use. Some people don't like acrylic or polyester yarns and want natural fibers like cotton.

But to find brightly colored natural fiber yarns at the craft store is a challenge, and if you go to a gourmet yarn store, they can be really expensive. I decided to make my own!

Wednesday, January 8

Kanzashi Flower Frame Hack


Valentine's Day is just around the corner and this simple frame hack is the perfect gift!  Put a photo inside or print a sentiment like we did.  We've included the printable here.  We found the frame in a three pack at Target for a few dollars, added some ribbon and faux gems and turned some fabric into a fabulous Kanzashi Flower, Aleene's adhesives made quick work of throwing it all together in a flash.  Miss Avalon and I worked on this design together, she picked the quote, helped assemble the frame and took the step by step photos.  Crafting is so much more fun when you do it together!

Monday, January 6

BFF Heart Matching Phone Cases

I love doing freelance projects for iLoveToCreate, because I always get a challenge to create something totally new and outside-the-box!  This month I was given the task of making BFF glitter phone cases and I'm so excited about how these turned out!  I would make one for my BFF, but unfortunately he doesn't have a phone...it's my dog Sebastian (you can see him on my blog here). Anyway, this is perfect for my human BFF instead and is super simple to make! Let me show you  how!

Sparkling Sweatshirt DIY

 A few years back I was working on a new logo with my mother who is an amazing graphic designer.  One of the ideas we were exploring was using my brand name letters around a collar like a necklace. I loved the logo, but ended up going with something else.  Still, that idea of letters forming a collar stuck with me.  Flash forward to this week and a sweatshirt I scored at Target for under six bucks on clearance.  It's so soft and comfy and made of recycled plastic bottles, so it's eco friendly to boot!  I loved this sweatshirt hack from Crafty Chica, so I decided to work a little crafty magic using Tulip and Aleene's products, creating a virtual collar and bracelets.  I love how this turned out!

Friday, January 3

Floating Gem Necklace (with buttons!)


I'm starting the new year by completing a project I've been thinking about all of 2013 - the floating gem necklace! I've seen versions online and wanted to do my own thing. I love all things bright, chunky and sparkly and this project fits that bill. To add a different spin, I incorporated buttons as well.

Making Mixed Media Art With The Munchkins


Thursday, January 2

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