This was one of my favorite May Day projects.  We made a cone out of scrapbook paper and filled it with pixie sticks.  We made the pixie sticks look like flowers by adding some punched scallops and circles.  I also used some fun stamps to embellish the flowers.  I punched a hole in the back of the cone and added an eyelet to thread the ribbon through.  Super easy to make!

We made these little matchbook favor boxes last year for May Day.  Here is the tutorial on how to make those.

This year I haven't decided on what we're going to make for our baskets.  I have a feeling fabric and felt will be be involved.  I'll be sure to post the finished results.

Speaking of finished results...want to know the winner of the April Craft Challenge?

You can use different materials to make these beads as fancy as you'd like.  We used some glossy paper that I had on hand.  Think about using scrapbook paper rolled up and finished with a clear lacquer and then mixed with glass beads for a funky bracelet or bookmark.  Maybe I should try that...

Supplies:

junk mail (magazine paper, brochures, etc...)
toothpicks (we couldn't find ours so we used matches)
Elmer's glue
scissors
string

1. Pick out your paper. We used  paper cut from one of those playground brochures.

2. Get your stick.

3. Cut your paper into triangles. The longer the triangles, the thicker the bead. Experiment with the size you like best. Then, starting with the largest side, start rolling them (right side down) onto the stick.

4. When you get to the end, put some glue along the tip and then keep rolling. You want to have a little excess so you can roll it across the rest of the bead. Your fingers will get a little messy---that's what crafting is all about! Using Mod Podge would be a better option if you're making beads for more than just play.

5.  Here are some of our finished beads. You can then string them onto string, yarn, or beading cord. We just used some old crochet thread I had lying around (turquoise/silver...oooh la la). The girls loved them!

Today is my last day doing Cricut demos.  I'll miss hanging out with my crafty friends and cutting stuff out on the Cricut for hours and hours a day.  I won't miss the being on my feet, lugging boxes, and Costco snack bar.  Over the next couple of days I'm going to show you some of the cool things I've been making.

The first day I focused on making these nesting dolls using the Paisley cartridge.  That cartridge has a whimsical style and involves a lot of layering.  I don't mind layering as much when I have a large time to dedicate to cutting.  Also, I don't mind when the finished product turns out as cute as these!

I cut the largest one out at 3 1/2" and cut each smaller one out in 1/2" increments.  That means the smallest is 2".  These are a great project to use up all those little scraps of paper that you can't seem to get rid of.

You know you have some.

Here is a little coupon book that I made for my husband three years ago for Valentine's Day.  I used a few different Stampin' Up sets to make it.  I'm pretty sure they are all retired now but I'm posting this now more for the idea and less for you wanting to make an exact replica.

The inside used the Create a Coupon stamp set.  Each coupon has a perforation on the inside edge for easy removal.  I did that using the perforation tool from the Stampin' Up cutter kit.  I layered the coupons in between my front and back and then used my Crop-a-dile to add two large eyelets on the sides.  The ribbon is decorative.  It isn't needed to hold the book together.

This is a relatively easy and very inexpensive gift to give for Valentine's Day.  The best part is that it is super customizable.  You choose what you want to offer on the coupons so it is the ultimate thoughtful gift!

Punched paper flowers were all around at CHA Winter this year.  Almost every paper, punch, and scrapbooking booth had some on display.  The flowers shown in the picture above were made using Punch Bunch paper punches.

I love all the detail you can get in a flower using just a few different paper punches.  This last picture reminded me of the hanging bouquet I made for my daughter.  I may need to do another one using paper flowers!  It would certainly be less expensive.

]]> http://www.christynelson.net/2010/02/trendspotting-at-cha-paper-flowers/feed/ 0 http://www.christynelson.net/2010/02/featured-artist-for-dinotalk-at-cha/ http://www.christynelson.net/2010/02/featured-artist-for-dinotalk-at-cha/#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:14:09 +0000 christy http://www.christynelson.net/?p=2811 I've given you a few sneak peaks of the projects I completed for the Dinotalk booth at CHA.  Now it's time to reveal all.

I altered a total of four products.   All of the products come "naked".  They are blank canvases ready for embellishment.  Each product also has a recordable device so you can put your own audio message inside.  I think my favorite one was the frame.  I love how it turned out.  I might be a little swayed by the fact that I used an actual picture of my family inside.

I have to apologize for almost every single picture I took at CHA.  The last day I discovered a smudge on my lens.  I couldn't tell how bad it was when I was taking them because I was using my display.  My bad.  At any rate... the frame.  I used so many different products that I don't know if I can remember them all.

The paper is from Glitz.  I cut it out to fit the frame and Mod Podged the heck out of it.  I used a metallic pen on some chipboard letters (family).  The cute quote chipboard cutout is from Buzz & Bloom.  I actually got it at CHA summer.  I used more Glitz paper on that and then added the rub on letters (play).  I arranged for the arrow to point exactly where you need to push on the frame for it to talk.

I thought myself quite clever at the play on words.  If you had no idea you could actually play a recording, the frame would still be a good representation of the picture inside.

This is the extra large talking envelope.  I used some Glitz paper and applied it with Mod Podge.  I made a fabric flower using 3 different kinds of fabric and a button.  I cut out three different sizes of wonky circles using some pinking shears.

I used some cardstock stickers to add some dimension.  Unfortunately, I don't have a good picture of that.  The stickers match the flowers on the paper so it just looks like some of the flowers are popping off the envelope.

This gift card holder was my last minute one.  I was coming down to the wire and I finished this just hours before I got on my flight.  I used corded frame from Buzz and Bloom that perfectly matched one of my metallic writers from EK Success.  I mounted it with foam tape and filled up the middle with Glossy Accents.  I pushed in some chipboard (4u) and sprinkled it with glitter.  I didn't have time to get it perfectly level so it is a little bumpy.  It's handmade, people...not perfection!

Here is the talking ornament I made.  I used Glitz papers again, along with some of their rub ons and a clear stamp.  The rub ons made my husband bonkers.  He lived in Paris for a couple of years and apparently, the grammar is terrible.  I could care less...I love the look.  But, I guess it is something to take into account if you're wanting correct French grammar.

I added another grammatically incorrect rub on inside.  It has a spot for a photo but I didn't have one that really fit the "look" of the ornament.  I also glitter embossed around the edge of the circle.  Oooh.  Sparkly.

So, there you have it.  Those are the items I made to put in the Dinotalk booth at CHA.  What do you think?  What kinds of things can you imagine making with those products?

Here's another peak at one of the products I made for the Dinotalk booth at the CHA trade show.  The trade show portion begins today and my samples will be on display for all to see.  I will be heading over there first thing to check out their booth and snap some pictures.

Today is the day where I will be running around like a crazy woman trying to report on all the cool new things that will be coming to a craft store near you.  I've also got an interview set up with Kathy Ireland this afternoon.  Are you as excited as I am?

When I was demoing the Cricut last week in Michigan, I made some Christmas cards for demos.  We had the Winter Woodland cartridge and it was the first time I had the chance to use it.   For the Warm Winter Wishes card I used the Winter Woodland cartridge exclusively.

This cards looks really cool in person.  I used Winter Woodland and Storybook.  I put glossy accents on the corner swirls.  You also can't really tell from the picture but the paper is sparkly.

This is an in-progress photo of my own personal Christmas cards.  I brought some paper from home (Stampin' UP's Kiwi Kiss and Riding Hood Red) to cut out with the Cricut.  SU paper in the Cricut?  Not that impressive.  It didn't cut out as nice as some of the other paper brands we had on hand.  Oh well.  I used Doodlecharms for the trees.  I can't remember where the Season's Greetings sentiment came from.  Maybe Wild Card?

Do you all make your own Christmas cards?  What is your opinion on Christmas letters?  Do you include them or not?

The first thing I made was a mini calendar advent.

How festive!  An advent calendar hanging on boxes and boxes of Cricut Expressions.  If I had made this at home, I would have hung them up on a ribbon using mini clothespins.  I didn't have access to those supplies so I made do.  I punched two holes in the envelopes and strung a ribbon through all of them.

I used two different cartridges for this project: Wild Card and Designer Calendar.  For the envelope I used the Doily Envelope from 'Wild Card (size 2") and the numbers were from the calendar cartridge (square numbers size 1/2").

It was as easy as that!