Crafts — Dear Creatives

Festive Fall Round-Up of DIY s & Ideas

29 Oct posted by Theresa Huse

Lots of fun seasonal & holiday things have been catching my eye lately. I just haven’t had time to do a round up in awhile, but today is the day! Hopefully you’ll find inspiration from this to create your own. I am always so overwhelmed with the talent that is abound in our crafting, creative & food community! Not to mention the generous nature the share, create tutorials & give a freebie here or there. I hope you enjoy todays round-up!

Festive Fall Round-up get ready to get your craft on!

There is still time to create a fall wreath! I loved this Fall Wreath Diy

I love meals you can throw together quickly & bake. That gives me more time for crafting & doing other things. I don’t know about you but, Mexican food is one of our favorites in our home. This dish reminds me of our fav fast food Mexican Pizza but in a cassarole form. If your like us you’ll love to try this Chicken Tostada Casserole from AmandasCookin.

This Thanksgiving there is going to be quite a few kids at our gathering, many who are little as our family is growing. I was so inspired by this cute idea I know we just have to make this diy for the kids tables & let them have some festive fun! Thanks to Liz at Hoozier Homemade you can too with her Woodland Creatures Mask Tutorial.

& here’s a few more crafty, sewing ideas perfect for fall fun & making!

Sewing Diy- Quilted Circle Coasters
Diy Gourd Drum for kids or decor
Sewing Diy Bohemian Fabric Feather Headress perfect for kids playing
Printables Free Printable Jam Tags

Then I saw this thoughtful article on Do I need all this? About giving to the needy & pairing down. I know this is something I want to work on in my home. Becky of Organizing Made Fun shares how you can give to the needy & where. She also shares some organizing tips. Giving to the needy & giving from your abundance with Novemeber coming up it is the perfect time to remember to be grateful & give not only now but, all year long!

Before you know it we’ll be on our way to creating holiday crafts. I am super excited to share this affiliate offer for a Felt Holiday with Betz White.

Fab Felt Holiday Crafts

What festive, fun fall projects are you working on or wanting to work on?

12 Comments
Filed Under: Crafts

A Is For Autumn & Another Fall Banner to Love!

2 Oct posted by Theresa Huse

I managed to create another banner this past week. Paper crafting is something I love to do, its fun putting together the pretty papers with earthy twines or pretty ribbons. Finding the right combinations that just seem to fall into place. Sometimes it’s trial & error as I have tripped over my own choices many a time. I am inspired by creative paper crafters out there. There are some that work by hand, paper cutting which is a true art & then like this project today which is done with a die cut machine & putting all the elements together yourself. I did create the design cuts with Cricut’s online studio.

I just love this autumn paper with leaves that came from a pack of paper called Autumn Splendor by DCWV. I don’t know about you but, I am smitten with paper designs, pattern & textures. Then adding different thicknesses, textures of twine or using a pretty ribbon, adding glitter it’s all icing on the cake!

I haven’t had too much time for creating this past week. I had decided to sign up for Alt Summit for Everyone, its an online blogging course. I was really glad I did although anytime I leave an inspiring conference or online class it leaves my head spinning! Ideas, to do lists…& talented folks everywhere. Writing about so many topics such as design, fashion, photography, styling, crafting or just articulating their niche finding the success in their creative place online.

But, finding a little time to create this banner was slipped in. Ya! I did glitter my mini clothes pins myself, as explained in previous paper-crafting post. I am falling in love with designing fall banner. I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoy making them. On each side of autumn is a pumpkin & twine long enough to hang at a fire place. I used my Cricut to make them to see exactly what cut cartridges I am using & other details such as twines, glittering the mini clothes pins (& why I do it myself)…

Visit this post: Fall Banners PS: Don’t forget to share your posts here at the party if you have something to share! ! & of course if you want a banner just email me for details. I know I’m not done yet having fun coming up with ideas for pretty fall banners.

Disclosure: This is an affiliate link should you visit & purchase something I will earn a small comission to help maintain my site.

Thanks to for making it so easy!

Have you been doing some fall crafting?

12 Comments
Filed Under: Paper-Crafts

Fall Banner Easily Made: #Paper-Crafting

19 Sep posted by Theresa Huse

Hope this finds you well today! I am sharing a paper-crafts project today.I started working on a few banners. So far one Halloween, three fall. I managed to get a few photos of one of them. I am loving the ones I have made so far. Fall is my favorite time of year! Banners, burlap, pumpkins, wind rustling, falling leaves & all the beautiful colors of autumn. I did create some traditional banners, but I also am playing with color. This one fits nicely with my decor & new bird cage covers. If you missed them just scroll down the side bar.

Cricut cutouts, papercrafts, fall banners, Theresa Huse 2013

For this banner I used mini clothes pins I purchased & had at home, hence the mix match. But, I have since bought & glittered my own as I am doing multiple banners. It’s cheaper that way. The average price is $2.99 for 12 glittered. Stringing the banner was easy I used a lovely twine & pinned the tags to it. Material list to help you at bottom of post.

I used a pretty blue lightly accented paper, for the background & lettering a fall pattern.

These little pumpkins do have slits in them & at times a little sunlight peaks through.

The banners I am making are all made with my Cricut. Don’t worry if you don’t have a Cricut yet you can still make fall banners I have plenty of how to’s on my projects – crafts page! If you can’t find a banner template online email me & I will draw one & add it to this post for you! & you can cut them by hand. And for lettering if you cut by hand just use a stencil onto paper to cut them out.

Today’s post was brought to you by my lovely Sponsor Cricut! Please visit them if you like.

Cricut’s Free Cut of the Week!

What I love about my Cricut is the online Cricut Craft Studio making it so easy to design on your computer & cut out your designs. Cricut also has free cut’s of the week! If you own one or want to see what I am talking about visit to see this week’s Cut of the Week. You can also rent, buy indivdual images, buy bundles…

For this banner project I used the:

Cricut Expression Machine (right now: Halloween Bundle for $139.99 vs. $165.99 this is a refurbished machine & catridge pkg. such a deal!)
I used the online Craft Studio which is free you just load program onto your computer once you purchase any machine, but it’s not necessary if you don’t want to.Personally it makes it so easy for designing.

Cartridges used:

Gypsy Wanderings for the pumpkin
Plaintain Schoolbook for the tag
Plantain Schoolbook for lettering (which you typically receive when you purchase your machine) Any fonts you have will work!

Other items:

Mini Spring Clothespins 1 3/4″-24/Pkg
Koch 5480307 520-Feet Jute Twisted 3 Ply Twine, Natural
Martha Stewart Crafts Glitter, Desert, 3-Pack
Elmer’s E4020 CraftBond Repositionable Glue Sticks, 4 Sticks per Pack, 6 Grams per Stick, Clear
EK Success Cutter Bee Precision-Cut Scissors (the best small paper scissors I have ever found!)

Right now on sale is this Halloween Cartridge
Get the Cricut Create Machine for ONLY $129.99

Do you have a Cricut or other die cut machine? Have you made a fall banner yet this year?

6 Comments
Filed Under: Paper-Crafts

#Free Pattern Round-Up Crafting, Knitting & More + Big Craftsy Sale! Up to 75% Off

18 Sep posted by Theresa Huse

I created a round up of free patterns from Craftsy. I also wanted to share with you about their big sale going on until Sat 9-21 ! It’s a huge sale on classes, yarn & fabric up to 75% off!You are sure to find something you have been wanting to learn that’s on sale or even a class you bookmarked that maybe was to expensive full price. Classes on sale have a huge range from $9.99, $14.99 & up! Which beats the typical $39.99- $59.99. I know I am headed there this week. I can’t wait to share what class I end up getting & then projects I finish from it. This is also a great time to pick up classes to gift to someone you know who loves crafting, sewing or any of the many catagories of classes they have! Below are some of the free online classes. Then I will also share where to get your sale classes & more.

Disclosure: This post does contain some affiliate links all opinions are 100% my own & I highly recommend Craftsy based on my own personal experience from taking classes, grabbing patterns & having a page where all my classes are located. Craftsy stands behind their classes with a 100% guarentee. You can read more about it on their site. Craftsy is one lovely sponsor making classes affordable to all!

I can’t believe my class I signed up for before is on sale for $9.99 from the $39.99 Jam & Marmalade the Blue Chair Way. I’ll be sharing some jam I just recently made soon! I made raspberry & then some with a combination of flavors. I am waiting to edit photos. You can see links at bottom of post for all sale classes! Classes on sale which range from home & garden, sewing, quilting, knitting, jewelry, cake decorating & more!

The Round up of free patterns:

Thatched Cottage Zip Up Case free Pattern (Knitting) Shown above
Apple jacket cozy (crochet)
Basic Jewellery Tools Pattern - In this tutorial, you will find a complete description of the basic tools needed to get you started making wire jewelry, how and when to use them, how to look after them and lots of useful tips to help you with your new hobby. With no less than 47 photos, I hope you will find this free tutorial a valuable resource.

Of course if you are looking to find more free patterns Craftsy is a great resource! In case you missed these easy to follow & find your free patterns here they are again!

Yes, I grabbed the zipper case for myself, hoping to pick up the needles & get better at knitting to do this project sometime. The apple jacket cozy as it is an easy beginner crochet pattern which I thought might make a fun teachers gift for the holidays. The Jewellery Tool Pattern: to get to know basic tools for wired jewelry making is right up Sammie’s interests in jewelry making. Since I don’t know too much jewelry I think it will be a good starting resource for us. I can’t wait to share her paracord project soon.

Saleabration Up to 75% off

Now onto the sale! Yes you can grab deals at the Craftsy Sale: Up to 75% Off All Courses, Fabric and Yarn! The list is too long to mention just head over to see what interests you & save some money by getting them on sale! It’s the perfect time to sign up or grab some supplies you might need. If you sign up for a class I’d love to know what one you decided on. Maybe you can share your finish project here on the weekly link up!

What classes are you interested in taking?

2 Comments
Filed Under: Crafts

Special Price on Unlimited Online Crafting, Jewelry & Sewing +Other Classes

10 Sep posted by Theresa Huse

Today I wanted to share a special going on for unlimited access to classes at CreativeBug. Right now & only in Sept. you can purchase & lock in the low rate of $9.99 a month for unlimited access to CreativeBug classes. Typically classes are anywhere from $9.99 – 19.99+ per class & a varied subscription rate. This is quite the savings. Not only that but, there are some free classes with 14 day trials. If you have ever wanted to take a few crafting classes & have them at your access now is the time to check out what is being offered & save some money if you decide to purchase a subscription at the reduced rate.

Creativebug classes

Disclosure: I am a CreativeBug affiliate. & there will be affiliate links in my post. These are 100% my honest opinions. If you choose to purchase a class it helps me to maintain my site by earning a small comission fee & I thank you in advance for your support.

I don’t limit myself to where I take classes or subscribe to them for viewing online. I look for classes I am interested in & that are affordable. I love to learn & stay creative. I love taking classes online. Then I can fit the classes into my schedule. Making learning easy! CreativeBug is another way I do that.

There are always classes that I find I want to take. A few that I have been eyeing for quite a while are the Boho Leather Cuff & Carving Rubber Stamps (this one is free right now with 14 day trial)Workshops.

There are over 200 Workshops to choose from!
New workshops added weekly
Any workshops, anytime

Whether you are looking for creative classes for yourself or as a gift the selections of the workshops at Creativebug are too numerous to list. Oh, they do have classes for kids too!
What will you make today? Inspiring arts and crafts video workshops on creativebug.com

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Crafts

#Craft Room Organization & Remodel – Design Ideas

20 Aug posted by Theresa Huse

We want to give our kitchen a face lift this fall, but at the same time add some craft room organization to the kitchen. Our kitchen the heart of the home & yet at this point hasn’t been updated. Being on a budget we are looking for ideas to incorporate how we live into the space. It gets the best lighting for photo shoots, is warm & our go to place. We love to bake & craft in the kitchen, but with limited counter space, a square design &having support walls we can’t take down to expand. (without huge labor & expense) Being on a budget we are going to have to get creative! I thought I would share things that are inspiring me for the day we start the task of combing our kitchen with craft room. Who knows you might find yourself using some of the ideas for new ways to store your items or re-design for yourself.

Traditional home decor
houzz.com

Nook organic
pinterest.com

Organic
pinterest.com

Modern decor
houzz.com

Annette Tatum Collections office supply
houzz.com

Red lipstick, all on the paper.
tumblr.com

sewing room
pinterest.com

I really love the idea of an island vs a table setting as we do have a dining room for when we have company. Having that extra storage, a space that has a surface which can work for baking & crafting would be a dream. A cart for holding my Cricut would be perfect for storing it along with the cartridges & tools for paper-crafting. Wall storage would be amazing as the cabinets although go to the ceiling don’t have the depth for storage needed to add in my craft items.

I thought I would share our design process & photos when we get to working various projects all things remodel. One of my favorite rooms was by Jamie at Raising up Rubies. You can see her craft room & article on BHG & her blog post about craft room.

kitchen / craft room

I would love to have shelving nearby for added space & storage. Do you have a post about kitchen remodeling, craft storage, kitchen/dining craft room combo or ideas. Please leave me a link. I’d love to see it! Don’t forget to link up your ideas & posts on Inspiration Spotlight parties right here on the site! I can’t wait to dive into sharing the design & process of the re do. Visit here if you would like to see my Craft Room Inspiration Board on Pinterest. You can also see my remodel board & follow along if you like.

Do you have any craft storage tips? Ideas? or Favorite places to see them? I’d love to know!

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Crafts

Great for Crafting! Treat Bags 4 Designs Great Price! $3.99 for 40!!

13 Aug posted by Theresa Huse

When it comes to fall there are plenty of opportunities to get crafting or baking & giving. These handy treat bags are one way to get started.They come from Pick Your Plum & are in 4 great designs & for a great price. I have seen these bags elsewhere for 10 for $3.99 but, Pick your Plums Offer is for 40 at a great price of $3.99!

What’s great about these bags is you can stamp them, tie them, embellish them, stuff them gift them or use them any way you like!

Simple. Classic. Unique.

Three words that describe these treat bags to a T!

Sorry this image/offer no longer available check Pick Your Plum for the latest deals!

There is something about a brown paper bag that is romantically simple reminding us to slow down and enjoy the life we are working so hard to fill full of wonderful things. Add on trend designs and we are in love! Thanks PICK YOUR PLUM

Each set comes with 40 kraft bags.

They are food safe and have a grease proof liner.
4 designs to choose from
At $3.99 for 40 bags

Saving you money? We LOVE that! Cookies & treats of all sorts protected by the food save & grease proof liner. But, don’t stop at the treat option! Oh no. We are entering the count-down-to-the-next-holiday season.

Need some more ideas check out my packaging board, but don’t forget to, grab your kraft bags! *Before they run out!!

These are fantastic for that! Crafting up some pretty packaging! From back to school to dressing them up with some Halloween or fall flair for your table settings. What about sending your kid to school? We bet that putting veggies in these bags will make them more fun to eat. What ever you decide to do with these cute bags you can’t beat the price! & cute designs!!

How much fun can come in a bag?

PICK YOUR PLUM OFFER 40 bags for $3.99

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Crafts

Inspiration Spotlight #LinkUp 51 #Crafting #DIY #Recipes & More

26 Jul posted by Theresa Huse

Dear Creatives, It’s that time again to link up & gather inspiration. Ready to link-up your posts? Its time to get inspired, get creative & get linking up! This week happy to have you & welcome any new comers to the link party & blog hop. I can’t wait to see all the crafts, decor, sewing, diy, recipes or helpful blogging tips & anything else your like to share to inspire us! You can still see all of last week’s entry’s to link party #50.

Now onto the featured entries & this week’s Inspiration Spotlight:

In the Spotlight

Carrot Sunflower Sandwich Cookies

These lovely cookies come not only with sunflowers, but a love painting that Ellya created. I love her natural style of water coloring. Ellya makes it look effortless, but I know different. They are not the easiest paints to master. Be sure to view her video & grab her lovely recipe.

DIY Wood Box

Ricki shared how to make your own wood box & then she went on to add jars of flowers. She’ll show you how easy it is to make your own. This would be a quick weekend project anyone could tackle. You can always ask for the boards cut to size at the lumber yard or other home improvement store.

Mason Jar Tote

Connie shares a diy for taking a found tote & transforming it with a new paint job & lettering. She shares a quick way to do the transfer. I love it don’t you?

Handmade Aloha Beach Bag

Liz shared her handmade & sewn handbag. She has made several styles of the same pattern & shares where to get the pattern & step by step tutorial. It’s always so much fun to see how different fabrics & ribbons can change the look of a pattern & the end results.

Hope you all are having a great summer & finding time to add a little cooking, creativity & crafting into your days. Remember you can see all last week’s great entries right from the link at top of post! If you’d like to share the link on your blog this week grab the code, it’s summer & a lot of people are out of town but, maybe some of your readers would enjoy linking up too. get the InLinkz code

Now it’s your turn to Join In & Button Up!

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.dearcreatives.com/"rel=nofollow" title="Dear Creatives"><img src="http://www.dearcreatives.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Button-inspiration-spotlight-dearcreatives.jpg" alt="Dear Creatives" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Featured Button!

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.dearcreatives.com/"rel=nofollow" title="Dear Creatives"><img src="http://www.dearcreatives.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Button-Inspiration-Spotlight-I-was-featured-2013-DearCreatives.com_.jpg" alt="Dear Creatives" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Widget May Take a Moment to Load!

An InLinkz Link-up

22 Comments
Filed Under: Crafts

Summer #Crafting, #Sewing…Online Classes for You & the Kids Plus 2 #Free!

10 Jul posted by Theresa Huse

Here’s another round-up so you don’t hear those kids say they are bored! Or maybe even grab a crafting class or two your yourself while your looking. Right now at Creaftsy: What is great is right now you’ll even find a class or two that are Free! Now you can’t beat free, right?! Or maybe you know someone having a summer birthday & are looking for the perfect gift for that creative person. I’m going to share a few favorites, two free classes & what I am currently taken from Craftsy. I hope this sparks some creative learning with the convenience of online classes!

Links for these two classes below if you want to brush up on your sewing skills or are helping teach a teen or tween to sew. Disclosure: Yes, I am an affiliate & that helps me share the best of what is being offered with you. When I mention taking a class or working on a project it is because I am & love sharing my honest opinions about my experiences. The nice thing as all the classes are 100% Guaranteed.

Summer Classes:
Craftsy Summer Course Gallery
A selection of Craftsy classes that are great for summertime! Work on your garden in the sunshine, or beat the heat by learning to knit inside.

Kids Classes:
Craftsy Kids Course Gallery
Looking for ways to entertain your kids and teens now that school is out? Check out these beginner craft classes that are great for kids of all ages. Classes are priced from $9.99 to $29.99, and three are even FREE! Your kids and teens can learn to knit, make a purse, cook a pizza, and more.

Free Classes:
Bag Making Basics- Reversible Tote & Zipper Pouch

Bag Making Basics-Drawstring Bag & Bucket Bag

I recently purchased the Shoot It Class & it’s on sale right now. To help with my photography& product shots for blogging. I am enjoying it so far & can’t wait to get back into it now that I have a bit of time set aside. This is where I left off at composition. That’s the nice thing if you pick up a class you’ve been looking at you can use it anytime. Sometimes you can catch those on sale. Just go to the course gallery link above & then look at the left side categories & you will find it on the SALE classes!! (if you don’t see it look toward the top hit sort by alphabetical)

Another thing that is great is I found out you can gift classes & they are sold by 1, 2 or 3 class increments when adding more the price goes down. So if there is someone you are looking to give a great gift to. Selecting a Craftsy Gift Any Class Card for them would make the best gift for anyone creative, someone looking to learn a new craft or sewing skills to food & cake decorating.

Features

Gifted classes never expire
Give one, two, or three Craftsy classes
Deliver on any date (up to three months in advance)

I hope you have the chance to check out some of the free classes & other classes being offered. Maybe you’ll find what your interested on sale!

Have you taken any Craftsy Classes? or What other online classes have you taken?

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Crafts

Bright Bold Fun! Infinity Permanent Markers for #Crafting #Illustration + #Giveaway !

9 Jul posted by Theresa Huse

Dear Creatives, I had the chance to try out some Infinity Permanent Markers from The Write Dudes. I was super excited as I am always looking for quality art & craft supplies that suit not only me but, that I can share with Sammie too. Especially as her interests in drawing & illustrating are growing. It’s always fun to get creative with quality permanent markers. You don’t have to be an artist to get great uses out of Infinity Permanent Markers either.Perfect for crafting & illustration the pens are bright bold & fun, but also great for marking containers…! They are also great for school projects. I will share some ideas & projects that we did with them. Then enter to win a package of pens for yourself.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored campaign from Sverve. These are all my honest opinions of the product s & results from using them that I am sharing. All images, tips & opinions are 100% my own.

First thing I decided to create some illustrations (images later in post) & just writing with the Infinity Permanent Markers just to get a feel for them. Which means, how the pen flows, grip – feel , does the pen bleed, types of paper its great for & then I also decided to try the pens on fabric. Yes, you heard me right, fabric. You can use permanent markers on fabrics you just have to test them out & then either use a heat gun or what I used is an iron & good old fashioned wax paper to heat set the ink. (washing anything with pens separate in cold water will be recommended)

Qualities of Infinity Markers:

Quick Drying
Odorless
Non Toxic
Fade Proof
Acid Free
Bright Colors
Great versatility for a variety of projects from labeling, to arts & crafts to school projects

Infinity Pens, Theresa Huse 2013

After I used the pens for illustrating on paper a bit I decided to try something different. I took a strip of muslin & using the pens sketched outline of feathers & colored them with the Infinity Permanent Markers.

Of course I wanted to try all the colors so I varied my designs. I also wanted to create small lines, bolder lines along with using the pens for filling in & creating dots.

Ok, so now I have this strip of fabric that I decided turned out too good to just leave it as is. I decided to make a pouch or clutch for holding our sketchbooks out of the fabric, using the strip all the way around the clutch.

Tip*if you try & make something out of the penned fabric make sure to let it try completely, then heat set it prior to making your items.

Then Sammie ( age 11) made me some of her illustrated characters she is working on. Summer is so much fun when you can sit down together on a hot day where it’s cool and have fun with pens!

Our results

Infinity Markers Performance results from our using them:

Feel great in your hands & aren’t over sized
Have great flow to the ink allowing you to drag lines without putting pressure
The pens have a lot of ink so high pressure for use is not required
Can easily make thick or thin lines
Can fill areas while blending well
Works well on several types of paper
*NOTE still bleeds through back with 90lb. paper or lighter ( we didn’t test illustration board or other papers)
Works well on my tested Muslin Fabric (will bleed to side if you hold pen down too long & not pulling on fabric)

Tips for working with permanent markers:

Note: with thinner papers the pens ink will bleed through the back (which is common with permanent markers)
Make sure to work on a surface that is protected if using lighter weight papers & fabrics!
Or lay down a protective paper, plastic mat …when working with permanent marker pens
Pens will bleed a little if you press to hard on fabric as fabric absorbs ink fast so work light handed

Enter any of the ways to win your own set via the RaffleCopter! (USA & Canadian Residents Only) Sorry International Fans

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MFSP: $9.79 Infinity NEON Fine Point Permanent Markers 12ct package (These pens come in various package sizes)

You might like to visit The Write Dudes online at their store where they carry a variety of products for home, office & lockers.