Guest Towel Cupcakes

I got home from a long and tiring day trip to NJ last night, wondering what the heck I was going to do for a project for my Sizzix blog today. As luck (or divine intervention) would have it, there was an email from my friend Jonathan Fong, a fabulous designer, author and lifestyle expert I met at CHA a few years ago. Jonathan said that he had shot a quick video showing how to create this adorable Guest Towel Cupcake project in response to a call out for new talent from Oprah. She is branching out with her own network and sponsoring a contest in search of a TV host. So Jonathan's video is his audition and he needs votes! Please go and watch the video to see how to make the cupcake... and while you are there, place as many votes for him as you can- there's no limit! I love that he gives such easy instructions.

After I watched Jonathan's video, I immediately knew what I was going to do for my project. I cut five ScoreBoard cupcakes in coordinating colors on my Big Shot with some washcloths that I had just picked up at Target.  I assembled the cupcake holders using my tape gun. Unfortunately, I did not have small red lollypops on hand (due to a severe Tootsie pop addiction). I know that somewhere in the far reaches of my Christmas craft supply area, I had some large red berries, but I decided the cupcakes were just fine the way they were (it was 2:30 AM). I made them just the way Jonathan said to. I also added a small rubber band around the cupcake washcloth so it stayed together.

The cake stand is made using two mismatched plates and a dollar store candle holder. I use E-6000 to adhere the candle stick and small plate to each other. Let dry for 24-48 hours. Stack this on top of a cool plate of the same color or general style and add your cute little cupcake guest towels!

Miscellaneous 411

This past Friday, I stopped by the Great American Scrapbook Show in Chantilly, VA (right down the road!) It was a good show and seemed pretty busy- definitely more traffic than I remember last year, although it could be that they made the aisles narrower so it just looked that way.... I was happy to see some old friends and picked up a few interesting items along the way but overall, I found myself trying to stick to only buying what I would use. I just have so much stuff already! When I am designing a project for publication, I can only use the most recent products because the project often takes 9 months until it's published. The manufacturer doesn't want to have to tell people that they can't have that certain item because it is discontinued- it's bad for business. My studio needs a good spring/summer cleaning!

Drumroll please.... I am blogging for a new company and will be posting twice a week with projects, product reviews, reports of events and tips and techniques! I would like to invite you to visit the Memory Keeping Collections site. Isn't that fun? Please say a prayer I don't run out of projects! You may recognize some of the Sizzix ScoreBoard Blog Hop designers as well- Candice Windham, Jen Goode, Michelle Cummings, and Lisa Rojas! I know you will want to stop by and see what everyone is up to. For pix of me and famous scrapbooking celebrities from the Scrapbook Show, please visit Memory Keeping Collections this coming Tuesday! :-)

"When it rains, it pours". That's how work goes! I have been working like crazy on a bunch of new projects and hoping I can get them all done AND still have something cool for CHA. Nothing like a little pressure to get the mojo going... :-)

Here's where we have been relaxing at night! Of course there's more water now :-) For those of you who have been following my hives situation on Facebook, (when I got in the pool, wound up with huge welts all over me two times) I am happy to report it hasn't happened again. Actually I felt a little itchy and just got out. Someone suggested that it was a cold water allergy, which I had never heard of before. But my latest thinking is that that was what it was. So thanks for your input on that!

There's a new ScoreBoards project up on the Sizzix blog. Instructions for the flower will be posted later this week so please stop back!

Have a great week everyone!

Exploring Maryland

In the course of our RV adventure last weekend, I had the joy of stopping in two of my favorite discount stores: the Christmas Tree Shop and Ollie's Outlet. Unfortunately, I think that both of these chains are limited to the East Coast but hopefully someday you will have the pleasure at stopping in one or both of them. There were all kinds of treasures to be found. Although it's called the Christmas Tree Shop, their product line is not at all limited to holiday merchandise. There are a lot of seasonal items, right now they have lawn and garden, housewares, stationery and just fun stuff. The prices are amazing and I always find great deals when I go. Ollie's is a little more quirky- really, how can you NOT love a store whose motto is "Good Stuff Cheap"? They have a huge selection of books- not new, but pretty current, and great prices. I have been buying up books for Trinity and putting them aside for Christmas. They have rugs, hardware, food (sometimes labeled in other languages) and all kinds of interesting things that you have to just poke around to find. But I go for their scrapbooking and stationery items. There aren't too many places left these days where you can go in a store and come out with a big bag and you have only spent $25.

While I was at the Christmas Tree Shop, I spotted some brightly colored plastic placemats for $.69. I had been thinking (in Aruba) that it someone should invent a book wrap that would keep your reading material dry, especially when you had wet hands. So I fiddled around and came up with this. No, it's not rocket science but it works! It will adjust to most size books that you would read on vacation (not War and Peace). The one that's in there is the Oprah's book club size paperback and works great.

All you need is a plastic placemat (a piece of flannel backed tablecloth would work too), 4 binder clips paper clips and some ribbon.Measure the height of the book. Fold the placemat down on top and bottom and paperclip together on fold. Center the placemat and wrap around the covers. Binder clip the folded under flap and book.  If you want a handy carrying strap, wrap the ribbon around the book horizontally and vertically. Knot at the book edge and again on the end of the ribbon.

Happy Father's Day, if any fathers happen to read this! Don't forget to call your dad...

Flag Day

I cry at parades, baseball games and pretty much any event where the colors are flown or "The Star Spangled Banner" is sung. I can't explain why. I think much of it comes from our family's connection to the military. Those stars and stripes just get me. We just found out a couple of weeks ago that our son will be deploying to Iraq for his third time three months sooner than he thought he'd have to go. We are so proud of him but wish he could be here with his wife, daughter and us. I just got off the phone with my Coast Guard daughter who was talking with her new fiance about getting married THIS October before my son leaves so that he could be at their wedding. I think of all the sacrifices that our military is making and the hardships their families endure for our freedom and cry some more.

So, here's my Flag Day project. I saw this ad on the cover of a trade publication I get and loved the industrial look to the stars. I thought about how I might achieve this look with everyday materials and gave it a whirl. I do like how it came out although it has a somewhat softer look to it than the original. However for the materials I used, I thought it came out pretty cool. Click here to see my version of the finished project. I'll be talking about how I did it on Cool2Craft live web TV show today at noon EST. Last Monday, a new segment was introduced called "Too Cool". This is a place where guest designers come on to show what inspired them and how they interpret the inspiration piece to reflect their style. If you miss it, no problem- it's recorded :-)

Hope you can join me. This week I will share the fun purchases and resulting projects obtained during out jaunt last weekend so make sure to stop back.

I am a guest blogger today at Lois Winston's blog. Lois is a mystery writer who also crafts. Her lead character, Anastasia Pollack, is a magazine crafts editor. She's a widowed, debt-ridden mother of two teenaged boys and the reluctant caretaker of both a cantankerous semi-invalid, communist mother-in-law and a five-times widowed mother convinced she descends from Russian royalty. When the magazine’s fashion editor, suspected of having had an affair with Anastasia’s husband, is found dead and glued to Anastasia’s office chair, and the murder weapon is Anastasia’s glue gun, she becomes the prime suspect. Anastasia must use both her wits and her crafts skills to find the killer before he finds her. We join the story as Anastasia and her fellow magazine editors have gotten together to blog at Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers. You'll find craft projects and tips; recipes; decorating, beauty, travel, fashion, health, and budget advice; and Book Club Fridays where Anastasia will host guest authors, many of whom will be giving away copies of their books. Stop by!

Cool2Craft - Eileen Hull - ScoreBoards by Sizzix - TeaCup Blog Hop

Wow- I was just talking with my buddy Ann Butler and she told me about how you can link YouTube videos directly to your blog. I had to check it out and give it a shot- thanks Ann!

Thoughts on deadlines...

I just finished a "rush" project and am very happy with how it came out. Not sure why I need a tight deadline to really get my creativity in gear but there you have it... I am curious how other people operate. I would like to say that I have everything all organized in my head and know exactly how I want to make something but most of the time, once I get started, the design just kind of comes out. Anyone else work that way?

Another weekend ahead... tomorrow we are driving off in the RV for an overnight adventure. At this time of year, it's usually hard to get away, but we found ourselves with nothing planned this weekend so thought we should take advantage of it. The weather is not supposed to be great but we'll be in our cozy camper listening to the rain pattering on the roof as we enjoy our traditional Scrabble game and then perhaps a DVD. There's something about being away from home that inspires me to think in a different way. The first summer we had the RV, we camped a lot and I basically planned and wrote Matboard Magic while on the road. So who knows what will come to mind this trip! The funny thing is that I was NOT in favor of buying this RV in the first place. The way my husband got me to the dealer's was to offer me the choice of working on taxes OR going to look at RV's and lunch at Burger King. Well, of course you know what I chose... and as they say, the rest is history!

One of the many good things about a house on wheels (besides having our own bathroom) is when an interesting place is spotted, we just pull over. I always have a good book on hand and will read, maybe do a little work or have a nap. Same for my husband... and that bed is pretty comfy! All in all, it was a good investment. Plus it was on sale :-) I'll let you know what I find.

Are you a self-taught crafter or did someone teach you? Check out the link to Fave Crafts and see my answer.

I hope you can stop by Cool2craft on Monday, June 7, where we'll wrap up the ScoreBoards blog hop and see some of the amazing bow projects that the designers created all using the one die.

Have a great weekend!