May 26, 2006
Krafty Kids
School is almost out and summer is just around the corner. Here are a few projects to get the kids summer started creatively.
Bubbles and Bubble Wands
Crayon Transferred T-Shirts
Marbleized Paper
For more inspiration - Check out the DIY Message boards - you can swap creative ideas, learn a few new tricks and meet new friends. In the kids forum we have a full list of projects for kids.
diy message boards
Posted by cathieandsteve at 8:51 AM
Keeping it clean while the whole family crafts
Lets face it…part of the fun of crafting is getting messy and when the whole family is crafting things can get really messy. We have some crafty solutions to help with that mess and keep you crafting!
Save some of those old worn out shirts and pants and turn them into your crafting attire, when they get splattered with paint or glue just throw them in the wash. For kids - how about an old men’s’ shirt worn backwards? That is sure to keep them covered and clean. Another fun idea is using old pillowcases. Just cut holes for the arms and head and using fabric paint, have the kids personalize them with their names and artwork.
Oilcloth can easily be sniped and stitched to create a quick art smock or table cover that wipes clean. You can find a link below to our easy art smock instructions.
Purchase an inexpensive foldout table that will be the “Craft Table” this will eliminate accidents that could happen on that beautiful dining room table you cherish. Once you are finished crafting, wipe it down and it can easily be folded up and tucked away. Keep wet wipes and some paper towels on the table for any cleanup or accidents that might happen.
We love to recycle, and have found that using frozen food trays with individual compartments is a great way to keep your craft table clean. Each compartment can hold something different in it, such as, glue, beads, paint, glitter, and whatever else you might need while making your craft project. Lids and containers from mayonnaise, mustard, yogurt, and laundry detergent caps can also be used as reusable paint palettes or holders.
Grab the family – get creative, get messy and stay clean!
Posted by cathieandsteve at 8:37 AM
May 22, 2006
Swimming with Olives
This weekend Cathie and I were at a friend’s house taking a dip in the pool, we noticed green pod like things floating around - our interest was perked and we asked what they were. We learned that they were olives from the century old Italian dwarf olive trees that line the yard and the perimeter of the pool. That got us thinking about olives and what we could do with them. We brain stormed and came up with a few fun Ideas for you.
Infused rosemary and garlic olive oil is so easy and delicious. This recipe is fantastic over pasta with your favorite grated cheese or tossed with a simple salad. My personal favorite is pouring some of the infused oil on a plate with a dash of salt for dipping French bread.
What you need for the infused oil is:
100% Olive oil
Mason jar (Or Any glass jar with sealed lid)
Five Cloves of garlic
Sprig of rosemary
Instructions:
Fill the Mason jar with your choice of 100% Olive oil. Add five cloves of peeled garlic (rough chop) and one sprig of fresh rosemary. Seal the lid tightly and store away in a dark place for about 2 weeks.
We also found a great way to decorate our glass jar to give it that old Italian feel. Gallery Glass by Plaid is a fun way to get a stain glass look by painting directly onto any glass surface with your own personal design. We painted beautiful olive branches with plump green olives hanging off.
Who new that swimming with olives would stir up some great crafty Ideas?
Posted by cathieandsteve at 8:35 PM | Comments (1)
May 17, 2006
Crafty Supplies From Your Kitchen
We were brain storming today about craft supplies that you can find in your own kitchen. Here is the list we came up with. Feel free to add your own clever ideas to the list by adding a comment.
Plates - tracing circles
Potatoes - stamping
Wax Paper - protecting surfaces
Quick Meal Trays - paint trays
Muffin Tins - sorting beads and baubles
Egg Cartons - drying racks
Coffee Cans - paintbrush holder
Yogurt Tubs - storing mixed paints
Small glass Jars - storing beads and baubles
Teas - dying and soap making
Double Boiler - melting wax for candles and batik
Dish Soap - felting
Shelf Liner - stencils
Freezer Paper - applique
Bamboo Skewers - gluing, turning, and shrink plastic
Knife Sharpener - sharpening scissors
Paper Towel Roll - holiday crakers
Posted by cathieandsteve at 7:25 PM | Comments (7)
May 16, 2006
Record Maina plus an extra craft project!
Pull those old records off the shelf, and let's rock! On today’s episode of Creative Juice, we are tackling some fun music-inspired crafts, including a groovy room divider made from old LPs; a vintage-looking rock T-shirt made with bleach pens; a cute photo scrapbooks made from old gate fold record sleeves; and origami folded CD covers that are perfect for your photo and music CD’s.
This is one of our favorite episodes. We had so much fun going to all the thrift shops to collect the albums. We got lost for hours just looking at all the covers. The record album room divider is great project for a teenager’s room or a dorm room. We got so many letters from viewers saying they had no idea you could drill records until they saw us do it. If you are planning on making this project - make sure you pick up a few extra albums just incase a few crack while drilling.
Also – the bleach pen project works great to make cool T-shirts and you can use the same technique to make art work. You only need a few supplies.
Bleach Pen Art Work
Cotton Fabric (medium to dark color)
Bleach Pen
Stencils
Wooden stretcher frame – (art supply shops)
Staple gun
Picture-frame hanger
Stack of old newspapers
Steps:
1.Measure the fabric to fit the frame and add 3 inches per side to allow for wrapping over. Cut out fabric. Lay the fabric on a stack of old newspapers and use the bleach pen to draw in a design. You can also use shelf liner stencils, plastic stencils, or masking tape to help create a design. Allow the bleach to set for 3-5 minutes and rinse. Allow to dry. If you are working with a large design you might have to work in sections so the bleach is not on the fabric for more than 5 minutes.
2.Lay fabric face down. Center the frame on top. (front-side down) Starting on one corner, fold the fabric over the frame and staple in place using the staple gun. Repeat on the other corners, making sure to stretch the fabric taut. Next, fold and staple the fabric back around all sides.
3.Attach a picture-frame hanger.
click here to see the projects from today's episode.
record album room divider
You can write to Cathie and Steve at info@cathieandsteve.com.
Posted by cathieandsteve at 11:13 AM | Comments (5)
May 12, 2006
80's Inspirations!
Since our Spring celebration weve been shut up in our offices hashing out show ideas- dotting the is and crossing ts. Were ready to stretch our legs and see what inspires us. Im going to a concert- and getting a little 80s inspiration with The English Beat @ the KeyClub. Theres sure to be some fashionistas who will pull out the black/white checker board fabrics and perhaps a great red belt. Its awesome to people watch and see where they get their fashion gems from- rehabbed, recycled or anything all your own. The sky is the limit. The trick is to get out there and have a good time with whatever youre doing~
Steve, however, has to go under the knife and have his wisdom teeth removed. Everyone in the office is recommending a bag of frozen peas as the best ice-pak ever. 20min on 10min off. And hell recover in no time (and if that won't do a frozen bag of rice is just as nice)- meanwhile he can catch up on all those 1 love the 80s specials- or that stack of magazines and catalogs hes got- which is a great way to get inspired and see the sort of fun you can have when you put your mind to it. New tools, colors and delicious foods- I hope he orders that IceCreamMaker from Sur la Table- (hint!hint!) Ive got the mint and the fresh fruit garnish all ready!
Posted by cathieandsteve at 4:00 PM | Comments (3)
May 9, 2006
Springtime Glues
Hey There- Last night we toasted in Spring with a get together- daiquiris and the grill- que perfecto! On search for the best outfit to match my springtime mood I realized it is time to rehab the wardrobe. So I grabbed a dress from last year and added a bit of trim around the neck with a little Fabric-Tac glue. Easy as pie and it looked great.
This season we’re bringing back our Wardrobe Redo Episode – we are working on purses and pocket wall hangings, which are going to be fantastic no-sew projects using Fabric-Tac (by Beacon)- You can use it for just about everything and it’s good for your wearable art projects (You can’t beat machine washable!)
My sister Erin is in a horse club; Steve and I designed the uniforms they wore for the Hollywood Parade- it worked perfect for all those yards of glitzy trim.
Ciao for now!
Posted by cathieandsteve at 4:33 PM
May 5, 2006
Homemade Bagel Chips
Yesterday our neighbor brought us a bag of 25 bagels that were left over from his daughters soccer game – he though we could make something crafty with them. We thought about stamping with bagels and that just seemed silly so we froze 10 of them in individual packages for quick morning bites and made bagel chips with the rest.
They were delicious and so inexpensive to make, especially since we got the bagels for free. If you have extra bagels or if you want to make a yummy homemade treat then this is the recipe for you. They are wonderful alone or they are great on salads, with a creamy dip or with chopped tomato and garlic. The recipe can be easily be doubled if you want to make a larger batch for a party.
Ingredients needed:
15 Plain Bagels
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
2-3 Garlic Cloves – Chopped
1/2 Tablespoon Salt
1/4 Tablespoon Pepper
1/4 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1/2 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1/4 Tablespoon Paprika
Pinch Cayenne Pepper
Pastry Brush
Parchment Paper
Instructions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add the chopped garlic and the dry ingredients. Cover and let the oil infuse with the garlic and spices for about 10 minutes.
Slice the bagels as thin as possible using a sharp knife. You can make large chips by slicing (horizontal) through the bagel or small quarter sized chips by slicing (vertical) through the bagel.
Line the sliced bagels on the on the baking sheets. Brush the oil on the chips with a pastry brush. Bake until golden brown (about 10 minutes) and turn and bake on the other side about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.
Posted by cathieandsteve at 11:12 AM
May 4, 2006
Re-Crafting
Steve and I are really getting our creative juices going. We are gearing up for a more episodes of Creative Juice so we are writing projects like mad. Some projects are heading to the trash bin and some projects are being created out of trash.
We love recycling so we are trying to come up with some clever ideas for “recrafting” something you might normally trash into something fabulous. A few ideas that won’t be heading to the trash bin are: large bowls made from strips of magazine pages, funky flower pins made from vinyl tablecloths and a kitchen message board made from an old piece of scrap wood. Of course, we still have to test these ideas.
I just received a blast from the past in the mail – a friend just sent me a bottle and jar cutter. Do you remember bottle cutters? Back in the 70’s they were very popular. (In fact - Steve’s sister had one) It is a crazy contraption that braces and cuts a bottle all in one. I recently saw one for sale at a jumbo craft store and was thinking I would use my 40% off coupon to purchase it and then I got distracted (probably by glitter and beads) and never went back for it. Well, I guess I can use the coupon for something else because my crafty friend sent me one. Later today we are planning on cutting a few bottles and seeing what we can make out of glass rings.
here is a link for bottle and jar cutters
Next up…. I need a new sewing machine!
Posted by cathieandsteve at 10:59 AM | Comments (10)
