Thursday, December 8, 2016

Balls Up Christmas machine embroidery

Balls Up Machine embroidery stefanie Girard
Just me being silly with a little Christmas double entendre machine embroidery.

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Circle die cut paper Christmas tree and frame

sizzix die cut circle christmas tree, paper christmas tree, circle scrapbook paper frame, stefanie Girard, die cut crafts
I like using both the interior and exterior of the things I die cut and today I have a post that features two projects- one that uses the inside of the circle die cuts - A hanging Christmas tree and another that uses the outside of the circle die cuts - A photo frame.

To make these two projects I used a variety of green scrapbook paper and Sizzix Framelits Plus set of 15 circle dies.
sizzix die cut circle christmas tree, paper christmas tree, circle scrapbook paper frame, stefanie Girard, die cut crafts
After I die cut all the circles I cut a slit in each one half way through the circle to the center.

Then placed it on a piece of thin green yarn and glued the circle flaps together forming a slight cone shape. 

You can adjust the cone shapes as narrow or wide as you like and space them close together or far apart to make your hanging paper cone Christmas tree any shape you like.
sizzix die cut circle christmas tree, paper christmas tree, circle scrapbook paper frame, stefanie Girard, die cut crafts

With the "leftover" outside circle shapes I glued them together with the largest on top and working through to the smallest underneath.

I placed a cute photo of my nephew in the final circle.

Then I trimmed up the top page to a square and glued it onto a 12 x 12 piece of scrapbook paper.

To hang up my concentric circle photo frame I clipped it into a vintage wood clip hanger.
sizzix die cut circle christmas tree, paper christmas tree, circle scrapbook paper frame, stefanie Girard, die cut crafts
 I hope you have enjoyed my twofer circle die cut project and you'll give them a try!

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Easy Halloween decoration- Candy Corn Stack of books

If you have a stash of books why not make an easy Halloween decoration with them by stacking them by color to form a candy corn.

Cost: Zip!

And best yet when the holiday is over no need to worry about where you are going to store your out of season decorations simply pop them back on the shelf where they belong.

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Mummy cat rubber stamped and redacted recycled book page Halloween decoration

redacted book page altered art mummy cat rubber stamp Halloween decoration
Have you tried redacting book pages to make quotes and fun phrases? I love it. It's like a puzzle but creative.
redacted book page altered art mummy cat rubber stamp Halloween decoration
I thought I'd make some more book cover art with the redacted book pages and adding my favorite new Halloween stamp - a mummy cat from Judikins.
redacted book page altered art mummy cat rubber stamp Halloween decoration
 This page I actually found Kat and craft on the page!

The other 2 say

"One of the problems...an ordinary...person....is to keep a covert eye on him. He....would...hide behind.....tombstones.....of course.

and

What do we know?....asked....the....tail....he's....to...destroy....incriminating.....information.

Try hide and seek with words!

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Wiggle eye planner clips oh my!

wiggle eye planner clips stefanie girard
Fun and easy project for you today.

Simply grab your stash of wiggle eyes in a variety of sizes and some paper clips.

Heat up the hot glue gun and attach the wiggle eyes to the single bend end of the paper clip.

These wiggle eye planner clips are so easy you could make a whole bunch and give them out as treats to all your friends.

This project approved by my pompom candy corns.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Easy way to dress up an old pair of boots with a stencil

bird stencil boots stencil1
I can't stop stenciling! I had this great bird stencil from Stencil1 and an old pair of motorcycle boots that were just calling for embellishment. I slipped some cardboard into the boot to flatten it a bit and used a Sharpie to draw in the bird onto the side of the boots. I'm thinking about hand painting some color into the outline of the bird shapes?

Monday, September 19, 2016

How to make candy corn planner clips

candy corn planner clips stefanie Girard
This year's Halloween theme is most definitely "candy corn". I think this is now my 4th or 5th candy corn craft so far and it's only mid-September!
candy corn planner clips stefanie Girard
I die cut 2 sets of each size candy corn in all 3 colors of scrapbook paper with the Sizzix candy corn die.
candy corn planner clips stefanie Girard
 I trimmed the top parts off the white candy corns and the bottom parts off the yellow candy corns.
Then I glued the parts onto the full orange candy corns.

Then I glued the two candy corns back to back with a paper clip in between with hot glue.

Note: I did try a wet glue but it made the paper soggy and the paper clip showed through.


Thursday, September 15, 2016

How to make yarn cone candy corn Halloween decorations

yarn candy corn Halloween decoration Stefanie Girard
As a recycled crafter I think my eyes have this way of looking at things and seeing something else....or it just could be my declining bad eyesight :) When sorting through my yarn stash I ran across a yellow one and thought it would make a fun candy corn decoration.
yarn wrapped candy corn Halloween decorations Stefanie Girard
So I went to my other boxes to see if I could find more and it turns out I had 5 cones of yarn in various sizes.
yarn stash yarn wrapped candy corn Halloween decorations Stefanie Girard
 Next step was to gather up the white, orange and yellow yarns, I even made a candy corn out of the boxes - I swear I didn't think of this it just happened when I placed them on the floor to photograph and there it was!

I had fun picking out different shades and textures of the yarns.

TIP: Start with the top and bottom of the cones then wrap the middle section I found it easier to get the proportions right and get the yarn to stay in place.

Oh and if you like the little guys on top- they are simply acorns painted orange and then little jack-o-lantern faces drawn on with a Sharpie.

Thursday, September 1, 2016

How to make a paper leather deer die cut cuff bracelet

Sizzix deer die cut paper leather cuff stefanie Girard jewelry
Sizzix paper leather is such a fun material to work with. It die cuts like a dream and one of my all time favorite motifs to use in my art, jewelry making and crafts is a deer and this Tim Holtz Holiday Knit deer sweater like pattern is awesome!

So I thought I'd make a cuff with paper leather and the deer die.
Sizzix deer die cut paper leather cuff stefanie Girard jewelry
The first step was to iron on some Heat n Bond to one side of the gray paper leather.
Then die cut the deer pattern.
Sizzix deer die cut paper leather cuff stefanie Girard jewelry
Peal off the backing paper and iron the gray paper leather to a piece of black paper leather.
Sizzix deer die cut paper leather cuff stefanie Girard jewelry
Cut the cuff to the size you would like it to be on your wrist - I did mine about 2 inches wide but you could make it any width you like.

I rounded the corners a bit and ran it through my sewing machine stitching a row of black stitches along each side about 1/4 of an inch in from each edge.

Use your favorite closure method- Velcro would work great or a button and button hole I bet would work great too.



Monday, August 22, 2016

Election year U.S. map and recycled dictionary page card

U.S. die cut Sizzix America card recycled book page Stefanie Girard Judikins field of stars stencil
I remember being at an election part for Obama's first term and the hostess had a map on a board that was colored in every time a state was announced. This U.S. die cut card is inspired by election year maps.
U.S. die cut Sizzix America card recycled book page Stefanie Girard Judikins field of stars stencil
For the background I used a page from an old dictionary and I chose the page that had California on it. To embellish the page I stenciled a field of stars with a blue ink pad and a Judikins field of stars stencil.
U.S. die cut Sizzix America card recycled book page Stefanie Girard Judikins field of stars stencil
I used the Sizzix United States die to cut out both the outline of America and the individual California state.
U.S. die cut Sizzix America card recycled book page Stefanie Girard Judikins field of stars stencil
Happy Election Year!

Monday, August 15, 2016

Glow in the Dark secret inspiration word art

glow in the dark inspirational word art Stefanie Girard
I am a big fan of little secret things in art, hidden messages, images, etc. I thought it might be fun to paint a secret message on two stenciled panels.  During the day they look like pretty decorative stenciled art and at night they glow with the inspirational word "DO".
glow in the dark stenciled art stefanie Girard
I started out with some recycled square pieces of wood.
I painted them with two different shades of FolkArt paint- Cascade and Dutch Aqua.
Judikins stencil floral art painting Stefanie Girard
When they were dry I taped the Floral Wallpaper and Nouveau Damask stencils onto the blocks and stenciled them using Waverly Chalk paint in plaster color.
glow in teh dark stencil painting art stefanie girard

 When the decorative stencil paint was dry I then laid the Waverly letter stencil over the decorative stencil (THIS IS IMPORTANT NOT TO REMOVE THE UNDER STENCIL!) and painted the letter with the glow in the dark finish paint. It doesn't show during the day but when the lights go out they show up.

Monday, June 20, 2016

How to make red, white and blue 4th of July pom poms to top of a bottle of party wine

I love pompoms and dressing up a bottle of wine with a big one when when heading out to a party makes a fun decoration to give to a hostess. This red, white and blue giant pom pom will be fun to bring to a 4th of July picnic.
red white blue pom poms stefanie girard, 4th of july, pompoms, wine topper, decoration
Gather up red, white and blue yarn along with your pompom maker and a sharp pair of scissors and plate.
red white blue pom poms stefanie girard, 4th of july, pompoms, wine topper, decoration
This pom pom will consist of 2 pompoms sewn together.  For the first side of the pom pom wrap with red primarily and then a bunch more white. As much as you can get on your pompom maker.
red white blue pom poms stefanie girard, 4th of july, pompoms, wine topper, decoration
Trim off the pompom maker and set aside.
red white blue pom poms stefanie girard, 4th of july, pompoms, wine topper, decoration
Make the second one with a base of blue and again cover it with white wraps.
red white blue pom poms stefanie girard, 4th of july, pompoms, wine topper, decoration

 Stitch the two pom pom halves together with the white section together.

Hold the pom pom over the plate and trim the pom pom round.

Tie the pom pom on a bottle of wine.


Monday, May 23, 2016

50 Small Paintings-Done!

My New Year's resolution for 2015 was to do the 50 small paintings in the book Learn to Paint in Acrylics with 50 Small Paintings. It took me a bit longer to finish them all and even a bit longer to photograph them and write this post. But I should also add I built the shelves along the way to display them too!
50 small paintings stefanie girard how to paint, paint tutorials
 And me being me I did them all on recycled plywood I had leftover from a construction project.
50 small paintings stefanie girard how to paint, paint tutorials
I cut and sanded the plywood down to 5 inch squares.
50 small paintings stefanie girard how to paint, paint tutorials
Then I primed all the wood squares to get them ready to do each painting.
50 small paintings stefanie girard how to paint, paint tutorials
This was the first painting. Boy, that seems like forever-ago!
50 small paintings stefanie girard how to paint, paint tutorials

I can't tell you how fun this was to do! The directions are excellent and each painting is such a pleasure to paint.
50 small paintings stefanie girard how to paint, paint tutorials
I would end up working on several at a time as you need to allow the paint to dry in some cases so it's fun to start the next and jump back and forth. I highly recommend this book and this process. As you can see the collection looks great and you learn so much. I have already started to use the techniques I learned by painting these pieces in new original paintings.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

3 crewel embroidery motifs used on a check table cloth

I started this project a long, long time ago and finally put the finishing touches on it and now I can share my crewel embroidery done on this check fabric using the patterns form the book The New Crewel Embroidery.
60's embroidery motifs, crewel embroidery, stefanie girard

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

How to make pom pom carrot Easter decorations

No matter what new materials come out I still seem to think of ideas to make with pm poms. Today's fun little pom pom creations are carrots that my amineko thinks are just too fun not to snuggle, I know she doesn't look happy but she is :)
pom pom carrots Easter Amineko, how to craft stefanie girard
All that you need for these little creations are a variety of sizes of orange pom poms, a bit of green yarn and a hot glue gun.  Simply glue the pom poms together from smallest to largest.
pom pom carrots Easter Amineko, how to craft stefanie girard
To make the carrot top I looped a few wraps of yarn around 3 fingers and tied a knot around them with another piece of yarn. Then I tied a piece of yarn around all the loops. Then I cut the loops open and glued the tied end into the large pom. I made a bunch because quite frankly they were so easy and cute.

Friday, March 18, 2016

Color Blocked Craft Table and Accessories

  I have entered this Color Block Craft Table and Accessories project in the Fave Crafts Craft Contest 2016- If you like it please pop on over to their site and VOTE for it! I could win $1000 bucks! Thanks in advance for your support :)
Color block craft table stefanie girard

Having a workspace that inspires creativity and keeps all your craft supplies organized can really make your crafting and art making time efficient and fun. 
How to make a color block craft table squares of fabric recycled books Stefanie Girard

I made this large worktable out of a piece of plywood and Plexiglass with squares of Fairfield Oly Fun Craft Material in between for a modern color block look. The layers are all held together with office supply binder clips. 



The center support of the worktable is a stack of recycled books! The coordinating desk accessories were embellished with all different types of paint and foil. 


The stemware glass balls were painted with Testors paint
The glasses were painted with  Design Master Tint It Transparent Dye Spray Paints
The jewelry box was given a new look with Plaid Ceramcoat Chalk paint
The little square plates were embellished with  Silver Therm-o-web Deco foil scissors. 
The little plastic animals were colored silver with the Testors Enamel paint marker

And since I plan on spending a lot of time at my new craft table coloring in books like Leisure Arts' Art of Coloring Mandalas I sewed a new cushion for the vintage stool and embellished it with a Simplicity applique.


I had a scrap of Plexiglass left over from my film industry days and it was a bit smaller than an 4x8 sheet of plywood so I had to trim the plywood down. If you are making this with new materials your plexi and plywood will likely be the same size so you can skip this step.

Fairfield Oly Fun Craft Material squares to make color block craft table stefanie Girard

I used Fairfield Oly Fun Craft Material to cover the plywood. This material comes in pre-cut squares in a great variety of colors as you can see so it was easy to lay them out and arrange them in a pretty pattern.

Then I laid the plexiglass over the squares and secured it with office supply binder clips.

One of the fun things about this color block craft table is that since it isn't permanently secured you can swap out the color blocks anytime!
To give a new look to these vintage glasses I used a variety of Design Master Tint It Transparent Dye Spray Paints.
I masked off the bases so they would stay clear. While painting them I placed them on top of some cardboard containers. This made it easy to rotate the glasses for nice even coverage

scissor transfer scissor art to plate stefanie Girard
To embellish the little plates I die cut a piece of Therm-o-web Easy-cut adhesive and applied Silver Therm-o-web Deco foil.
deco foil silver add scissors to plates Stefanie Girard
I am eager to try this technique on all sorts of recycled surfaces.
Testors paint glasware stem Stefanie Girard
The next color blocked item on my craft desk was this piece of stemware that features little ball shapes. I painted each one with a color of Testors paint.
Testors enamal marker paint toy animals Stefanie Girard
A project I see on Pinterest a lot is upcycling little toy animals by painting them with metallic paint. The Testors Enamel paint marker worked great for this!
chalk paint upcycle jewelry box drawers Stefanie Girard
In keeping with my color blocking theme I thought it would be fun to upcycle this jewelry box by painting each drawer a different color within the same color family.
how to paint drawers, chalk paint Plaid, Stefanie Girard

I used a variety of blues, greens and grays of the Plaid Ceramcoat Chalk paint. I used a bit of painter's tape to hold the drawer pulls out of the way while painting. I also took the glass out and scraped the floral image off with a razor blade.
easy slip on pillow cover with corner ties stefanie Girard
I love my vintage step stool but I thought it could use a bit more padding. The easiest way is to make a tie on cushion. I had a slipcover pillow that I could easily make a new coordinating slipcover for.

All I did was fold a piece of fabric over itself right sides facing with about a 4 inch overlap. Before stitching the sides I pined ribbons in each corner facing in.
how to sew an easy pillow cover with ribbon ties stefanie girard
 When turned right sides out I placed ta Simplicity applique on the new pillow cover. 
I am so excited about creating all sorts of things in my new creative space.
how to make a color block craft table with recycled books and fabric squares Stefanie Girard











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