World of BrideCraft

So, I have good news and I have great news! The good news is I am now engaged, with a Halloween 2013 wedding in the works. The great news is I love him dearly, and we've dated for 12 years. Yes, 12. If our relationship was a baby it would be in Junior High school already. We want a funky, DIY-type wedding, so it will be easy and fun and not put us in the poorhouse.
But of course, this raises the ever-oppressive question "What would Martha Stewart do?". Martha Stewart would probably faint if she heard our ideas, that's what. We want a Tim Burton meets Vintage Gothic meets Death Metal meets Motorcycle Gang wedding. Lots of black, ravens, feathers, silver, lilies.... think of it. Weddings are "'til death do you part", so why not run with the theme?
That brings on another dilemma. This is a wedding, not a funeral. So as much as I love gory, scary, repulsive Halloween, I have to remember that my 84 year old Catholic grandmother probably does not share that passion. (My whole family thinks I'm strange anyway, but there's a fine line between 'strange' and 'scarily strange').
So after logging a billion hours of Googling and Pinteresting, I have come to the following (Martha Stewart-unapproved) conclusions about weddings (and staying within budget)-

• Weddings are expensive. But they're cheaper when you do what you want, rather than what other people want you to do. One example is a Church wedding. They are more expensive than a City Hall wedding. Everyone knows we've been living in sin anyway, so why shell out an extra $300+ to be reminded about that indiscretion?
• Weddings are easier to plan within a budget if you have always been a tomboy and never played wedding as a kid. I never fantasized about 'the perfect dress' or what kind of flowers I would have. Heck, I'm looking at floor-length dresses because I can hide my Doc Marten combat boots underneath. No other reason.
• The fact that I can make invitations, centerpieces, party favors, and all that crafty stuff is finally going to be helpful. Usually, it just creates a flurry of papers and glitter and accomplishes very little, but now I have an excuse "I'm making this for the wedding". Plus, I get to slap glitter and rhinestones on everything, and I just adore shiny things.
• Keep the peace. And work together.  Hubby wants a top hat and spats. I am beyond tickled that he wants to dress like a Charles Dickens' character, but I think spats are a bit high-fallutin'. Ladies, take note... if Hubby wants to help plan the wedding, let him. It's his wedding, too. And unless the request is absolutely crazy ('I want to kill the Groomsmen and bury them in the yard'), go with it. The more I thought about it, spats are elegant, very Phantom Of The Opera. Also pleasantly surprised that he cared enough to think about what he wants, rather than making me plan every little detail.
• No matter how weird you think your wedding may be, there are odder ones out there. And they can be beautiful. One couple had their photos shot in a creepy old cemetery. Not my first choice of backdrop, but still one of the prettiest shoots I've seen.
• Have fun. On TV, these Bridezillas micromanage everything. When one little thing isn't 'perfect', these women have mental breakdowns. Guess what? Life isn't perfect. Just invite people you love, and have a big bash that allows you time to enjoy it. Nary a guest will notice that your roses aren't the exact shade of blush as your candles... but they will notice if you disappear to the washroom to cry for an hour over it.
• You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em. There are some 'must-haves' and some 'sorta-wants'.  I absolutely do not want cake smashed in my face. So, I'll put my foot down on the cake thing, but am willing to be flexible with everything else.

I will add more spine-tingling details about our upcoming wedding in the next few days. I apologize for shifting the focus of this blog but at least it's still crafting-related.
L'chaim!

10 Ways To Make Over Your Stickers

I am a sucker for many things. One is makeover shows- I just love seeing how happy everyone is when they look prettier... and another is stickers.
Ahhh, stickers... fond memories as a child, collecting them and swapping them with friends. Before you judge, I actually do not have any of those stickers left from twenty-odd years ago. What I have are a million stickers, bought early in my papercrafting journey. Most of them were just cheap and there was little selection, so I got suckered in to buying ugly stickers :). So, here's a list of 10 ways to make over the drawer full of stickers you know you have too

1. Ink 'Em- this works really well to tone down and antique those shiny stickers, and adds a shabby chic look to matte ones. Lightly tap a brown inkpad over the top of the sticker, or use a piece of cosmetic sponge to apply a little ink over the top
2. Paint 'Em- This adds a bit of country charm, and is nice on bright colors to mute them. Using a very dry paintbrush and the smallest amount of paint, brush on white or light-colored acrylic paint. Or, you can use acrylic paint and fill in parts of a matte sticker to alter colors for your needs.
3. Bling 'Em- I love glitter... it hides almost anything by blinding you with its bling. Using Stickles or generic glitter glue painted on thinly with a paintbrush adds just a bit of bling. Painting the glitter glue on straight from the bottle will add a bit of dimension and glitz. Or, you can use white glue and glitter from a jar or bottle and add a lot of thick, chunky bling. This is cute on feminine, kids, or holiday stickers.
4. Chipboard 'Em- apply sticker to a piece of chipboard (I use old cereal boxes) and cut out. You now have a 'dimensional chipboard element', which sounds way more impressive than a sticker. This is easiest with sharp scissors, and bigger stickers with little detail to the edge.
5. Layer 'Em- if you have multiples of a sticker, apply one to a piece of cardstock and cut out a few areas you'd like to add dimension to. Using foam or pop-dots, layer the cut-out pieces.
6. Sand 'Em- using a piece of fine sandpaper or an emery board, lightly sand the sticker. The white underneath will begin to show. This works well to tone down shiny stickers, and works well for masculine or vintage themes.
7. Punch 'Em- sounds violent, huh? I mean, paper punch! Apply sticker to cardstock and use a punch to cut out just a small portion. A great reason to bust out the square, round or oval punches. This can also add uniformity to different-looking or various-sized stickers, since they will all be the same size and shape due to the punch.
8. Collage 'Em- Take a piece of paper, and just add stickers in random order, over lapping as you go. Cut strips or use a paper punch to add a fun accent to a scrapbook page or card. This is a great way to use up odd stickers you only have one or two of.
9. Use 'Em Together- if you stick a bear sticker to cardstock and cut him out, you can cut around his paw and tuck another sticker (say, a flower) underneath, so it looks like he is holding it in his paw. That theory goes for anything- layer a house underneath a car, and it looks like the car is driving past it. Layer a dolphin behind the waves and he looks like he's in the water.
10. If All Else Fails...Donate 'Em- preschools, grade schools, Senior Centers, VA Hospitals, Ronald McDonald Houses, scout troops, and many other organizations would be delighted to receive your castaways. Maybe the local Church has a cardmaking ministry, or the local Yeshiva has an afterschool program. Someone will use what you can't. Just use Google or the phone book to find a charity you're interested in and contact them.

Double Duty From The Dollar Store

I am always amazed by the endless rows of stuff that can be acquired cheaply, but if I can't find a use- or two or three- for it, then it's just a wasted dollar. I don't like wasting anything if I can help it...
Here's a few items at the local Dollar Store that I am proud to say I have invested in...

• Toothpicks- paint art on your fingernails using nail polish, apply small amounts of glue, or hold down small items while they dry
• MakeUp Spnges- AKA Cosmetic Sponges- cut into smaller pieces, these make ink daubers, and are a good to get ink from an inkpad into tiny corners of paper. They can also be cut into stamps, and mounted on a scrap of wood or an old block.
• Toothbrushes- the best cleaning tool out there to remove dry ink from red rubber stamps. Load with paint and use for spatter effects by running your finger over the brush (do this in a box or your yard- it will get messy)
• Eyeshadow Applicators- use as chalking tools, or ink daubers.
• 4x6 Photo Albums- store brass stencils, die cuts or any other small paper bits, turn into a mini album for a last-minute gift
• Dryer Sheets- (unused) sweep across paper before stamping and using embossing powder to avoid static and stray bits of powder. Then use them in the dryer. Used, they can be stamped on or have ink rubbed on for homemade designer 'mulberry' paper. Put a small ball in the middle, gather all sides and tie with a string and you've got a Halloween ghost to decorate with.
• Glass Ware- can be decorated using etching powder (available at most craft stores). Can be drawn on with a Sharpie and baked at 350 degrees for 30 minutes to 'cure' (handwashing recommended). Can store craft goodies, bath items, and 'gifts in a jar'
• White Glue (any brand will work)- add 50% glue and 50% hot water to a tight-sealing jar and shake well to make Mod Podge, or decoupage glue. Add a few drops of thin acrylic paint and stir well, to make glossy 3D effects. Also the best glue for glitter I've ever found.

How to make the useless more useful- thrifty papercrafting 101

I have a lot of random, useless-seeming supplies. As a craft-hoarder, I had to find a use for them.

• Foam Sheets- OK, STILL not sure why I bought these, except they were a huge pack on clearance. They have come in handy as dimensionals. I use adhesive to stick a bit of foam between layers to 'pop' them off the page. Much cheaper than 'pop dots', and I can cut any size I need- from teeny-tiny to 4x5 inches.
• Charms/ Beads- Charms can be strung on ribbon, or added to a bow for a new look. Tiny seed beads work well in shaker boxes, and larger beads can be used in the center of a bow.
• Baker's Twine- I loved the look, but not the price, of baker's twine marketed to papercrafters. So I headed over to the cake decorating aisle of my craft store, and found Wilton Baker's Twine. Sure, it was only in three colors- red, black, and yellow, but it was less than half the price. Use it to tie on embellishments, like beads, or even sew it into your paper projects.
• Packaging- Any time I buy something craft-related, it usually comes with a bit of 'oaktag' or thick cardboard backing, and a plastic domed front. The backing, I use to thicken up my ATCs (Artist Trading Cards), bookmarks, and my Inchies. I have also used cereal boxes, but the packaging pieces are usually a better size to work with.
• Old Books- There are two schools of thought. One the one hand, if a book is decent enough to be readable, I do not destroy it. But I did have four different dictionaries in my house, and one was a really lousy student version. I have since cut it apart, and use the definitions on my projects. If it was a hardcover, I probably would have hollowed out the pages inside and made an altered book.
• Instant Coffee- I wet down some paper and 'watercolored' a light wash of coffee and water. Then, I sprinkled on a few granules while it was still wet. This coffee produced an awful cup to drink, but pretty paper to work with.