Patriotic doily banner.

It's very difficult for me to find patriotic projects that I like.  Maybe I'm picky, but a lot of red, white and blue stuff makes me cringe.  George Washington would beat me in the head with his wood teeth if he heard me say that, but I'm just being honest.  And wasn't he the one who never lied?

I spotted this patriotic doily banner at The Scrap Shoppe, and I wanted to share because I really like it.  It's all the circles that are doing it for me - you know I'm a polka dot person.  Though these aren't polka dots, they are shaped liked them.  So it works.  I like it, and I would totally hang it on a mantle.  Go visit Michele here to see the entire tutorial.

Sewing inspired art collage.

I love covering things with leftover clothing patterns - remember the gift box I did a few years ago?  You can always get fabric patterns like this inexpensively at the thrift store, or you can use any of those leftover from a project you did.  Either way, this art is great on a budget and uses up a lot of items in your stash.  It was created by my friend Cathie Filian for Plaid, and I can see a wall of different types of art like this.  I would also love to receive one as a gift, wouldn't you?  Find the complete instructions here.

How has social media changed your life?

I know it seems crazy, but I like to talk about other things besides Mod Podge.  The latest discussion I started in the Coffee Talk Community on Blog Frog was about how social media has changed your life.  If you like chatting too, come join the conversation here.  It's really fun!

PS - If you do want to talk about Mod Podge or ask me questions, I'm still here for you.  Visit my Mod Podge Community on this site and ask me whatever your heart desires.  I promise I'll answer.

Mod Podge "SEW" letters.

Attention Mod Podging beginners - I have not forgotten about you!  I get asked about projects for those who have never Mod Podged before, so I wanted to share these letters with you, because these are perfect.  They were Podged by Faith at Fresh Lemons, and the paper is so pretty.  Faith made these for her craft room and they look great on her wall.  Take a peek at some of the pictures and get a link to a tutorial here.

A Man Podged table.

 

I have the burning desire to make my own table, which is why I was really like Man Podger David's project this week.  I'm still amazed that you can go to the hardware store and buy the supplies to make furniture.  I know that's probably funny to some of you who are into construction, but I'm so scared to do it myself.  That's where the Man Podgers come in!  If you are like me, David's project is going to give you the confidence to build something yourself - this is a great "beginning builder" project.

Keep going for more David action - and a Mod Podge giveaway to celebrate.

Do you watch The Bachelorette?

Don't be too jealous but - I met Constantine tonight!  He was good about not revealing secrets.

Nuts!  Must know who wins. . . .

Oilcloth fabric turns coupon holder.

With all of the Extreme Couponing going on, I thought it was a great time to show off this decorated coupon holder by Amanda at Imperfectly Beautiful.  Have you seen the show?  It even gets me inspired to clip some coupons!  So how did Amanda dress her this coupon organizer?  She actually made her own oilcloth fabric by attaching vinyl to a large piece, and then she Mod Podged it to a $.24 coupon organizer.  Find out more about the project here.

Fourth of July rocket wreath.

I love it that my friend Jen from Tatertots and Jello has become obsessed with Dimensional Magic.  I think she and I need to start a support group!  Jen actually used it in a different way than I've seen before which is as a coating on a Fourth of July front door wreath.  It's ingenious.  Those little red thingies?  They are red hot candies.  Fun, huh?  This wreath is easy to assemble - just follow Jen's tutorial here.

PS - Speaking of holidays, find my review of Every Day's a Holiday, a kids' crafting book, here on the Craft Critique site.

Girl's World review and giveaway.

If you haven't heard of Jennifer Paginelli, you simply MUST visit her site, Sis Boom.  Jennifer is a fabric designer (among other things) and her fabric is a visual feast for me.  I mean, the colors are right up my alley.  So I was excited when I found out she authored Girl's World with Chronicle Books.  Just the cover had me wanting to dig in - then I spotted some pom-poms in the background.  I've been thinking for awhile that I need more pom-poms in my life.  Because who doesn't?

If you have a girl in your life (from toddler to tween) that you'd like to sew for, then Girl's World is a must have.  Here are my five favorite things about this book - with a giveaway.

DIY baby blocks.

I've posted some different baby/kids' blocks before, but Sara from Creative Jewish Mom has an added twist on hers.  She's added a paper mache base to some recycled scrap wood pieces and then decoupaged napkins right over the top.  The paper mache helped make an even surface for Mod Podging - and you could this same technique to make baby blocks out of other recycled surfaces too.  I actually find these blocks to be shelf worthy as decor.  For the full tutorial, visit Sara here.

For more Mod Podge projects like this one, visit these Martha Stewart trendy baby blocks, story blocks, vintage toy blocks and animal puzzle blocks.

Note: Mod Podge is an acrylic, waterbased and non-toxic product, so it is okay for your children to handle.  However, I don't recommend your child keeping one in their mouth for an extended period of time as Mod Podge is not food safe.

PS I Made This maps on a tray.

I'm not even close to finished featuring Mod Podge projects that use maps - because I love them.  I've featured a map album, map coasters and even a map dresser.  And now?  A map tray from Erica at P.S. I Made This.  I feel like it's pretty natural to be interested (and even obsessed) with symbols featuring the world in which we live - and what better than the globe?  Take a peek at Erica's map tray here; I find her style of putting together tutorials to be awesome and I think you'll like it too.

Paint chip quatrefoil art.

I'm the person that loves to go to Home Depot (or Lowe's) and get paint chips.  I feel like there are so many wonderful things that you can do with them!  This intersecting circles wall art from Two Girls Being Crafty is a perfect example.  The canvas takes a little bit of what I like to call "mathmagic" - but once you figure out the circles and how to cut them, it's a great way to get an inexpensive piece of wall art.  If you aren't mathematically inclined, get the full tutorial with a template right here.  I'm ready to make one with all blues!  How about you?

Make frames from plates with Mod Podge.

 

Have you ever thought of using old plates as frames?  It's a great idea, don't you think?  Can I ask one more question?  These Mod Podged plates are another great project from Mitzi at Mitzi's Collectibles.  Sometimes frames on the wall are nice - but sometimes you need something a tad more interesting or with personality.  That's where these plates come in.  Easy to make, easy to gift - and get the full tutorial here.

Awesome kids' wall peg board.

So do you remember meeting Man Podger Walter last week?  He's finally here for realz, with his first project!  This kids' wall peg board is fit for a child's room, or my room if you please.  What I love about having Man Podgers now (besides that fact that both are amazing) is that both will surely do things differently than me (which is good) and teach me something too!  Walter's peg board is a perfect example.  I'm not a pigment ink person, but I've always been interested in them.  I think I'm getting ahead of myself though; Walter's project is so fun and he's got a tutorial.

Let's jump in (plus we're having a giveaway - see below).

A cool geek craft.

Geek crafts are hugely popular - there is a website about them and even a book.  Being a total Star Wars nerd, I fancy this section of the Starwars.com blog.  I promise you that geek crafts are only going to get bigger (or "worse," if you don't appreciate them!).

I wasn't suprised when my friend Cathe Holden of Just Something I Made came up with this geek necklace for CRAFT.  She is pretty much good at every craft, so of course she is good at geek crafts too.  That isn't a real eyeball, but doesn't it look like one?  Though you may not be a nerdy crafter, you might know one - and if you do, pass Cathe's easy glass eyeball necklace along.  I promise they'll enjoy.

Mod Podge starter pack giveaway.

Happy Father's Day!!

Want more Mod Podge?  Okay.  You don't have to jump through a flaming hoop.  Just leave a comment.


Here are some other things to know for today's giveaway:
1. Comment on THIS blog entry. Say anything you like!
2. Only one entry per person.
3. Contest will close this Wednesday, June 22nd at midnight (EST).
4. PLEASE leave your e-mail address if it's not attached in Blogger - I need some way to reach you.

Full contest disclosure here.
Winner of last week's starter pack giveaway was Sarah.

Large and in charge earrings.

I'm known around these parts for my large silver hoop earrings - yep, I'm not afraid to go big.  When I spotted these earrings at Handmade with Love by my Mod Podge pal Racheal, I got excited.  They are large and pretty and would look great with some of those cute summer dresses I'm seeing at Target (my favorite store!).  You need to check out Racheal's blog here for the process of handmaking these earrings - yep, she even cuts the wood herself.  Her store also offers three sizes of earrings (and other jewelry too), so if you are a little more conservative you can go a little smaller.  Visit Racheal's online store here.

Make a Mod Podge floorcloth.

I'm a child of the 70's, so I think it means that by default I have an obsession with patchwork.  My mom made me patchwork dresses when I was little, and I've never forgotten it.  When I spotted this bold and bright floorcloth at Craft Apple, it made me reminisce.  What I like about these fabrics is that they are all colorful and unique, but they all come together so well.  If you aren't a seamstress, you can complete this project with Mod Podge - nice if you don't have a sewing machine, or if you have a ton of scraps to get rid of.  Visit here for more pictures.

Meet Man Podger David.

I'm SO SO excited to be introducing two gentleman who will be doing projects around here every Tuesday - the Man Podgers.  I have been wanting to get more "male-inspired" projects on this blog, just for a little variety.  There are so many great Man Podgers out there and I have found two of the best!  The second Man Podger I'd like to introduce is David Cheney.

Here's what David has to say about himself:

Hi!  I'm David and I think of myself as a reluctant crafter.

I grew up the youngest of four and the only boy. My mother is an amazingly creative woman – there is nothing she can’t do. My dad is a self-taught carpenter and my sisters all followed suit From the time I can remember all of them have produced oceans of astounding and beautiful homemade items.

As I child I spent what seemed like endless hours being dragged to needlework stores or the dreaded “Cute Little Shop” (of which there seemed to be millions) and I eventually began breaking out in hives if the phrase “we’re going to stop by the fabric store” was uttered.

In the course of this I, naturally, absorbed all this knowledge. I knew about glue guns and chenille pipe-cleaners, and decoupage and the wonders of felt. But I pretended I didn’t (knowledge of pinking shears is so not cool in a teenage boy) and suppressed all my crafty instincts.

Until recently.

I realized a few years ago that my 9-5 office work was leaving me completely drained and totally bored. One day I was in the garage fixing up some furniture for my fixer-upper home and realized that I was humming, smiling and truly, for the first time in a long time enjoying myself. I determined to make a big change and began to embrace my inner crafter.

I started out fixing up and painting furniture and then slowly expanded into more “from scratch” handmade goods. With the encouragement and support of family, old friends and new friends like Amy (she totally inspired me!) I opened an Etsy store.

I named my shop CheltenhamRoad in honor of my family. Cheltenham Road is the street I grew up on in Columbus, Ohio and the place where they taught me everything I know.

And now my brain explodes with ideas for projects. The staff at Michaels is starting to recognize me and I even, occasionally, venture into fabric stores of my own free will. I am, in short, reluctant no more.

Amy has asked me to share some of my ideas for projects with you and I hope you find them useful.

Isn't David great?  Among the awesome things in David's Etsy shop are his vintage coasters.  Check them out!

Find more David in the following places:

• Etsy shop
• Furniture before and afters
• Blog (brand new!)

Come back on Tuesday the 28th for David's project and a very special Man Podge giveaway!

Art table made from a cabinet door.

You can't tell what this is from the picture, but that's because I'm hiding the finished project from you on purpose.  I do that from time to time to keep you guessing.  Okay, I will tell you - this is an art desk made from a cabinet door.  Cool, huh?  This was a feature I spotted on Ucreate from guest blogger iCandy Handmade.  I found this project to be ingenious and I'm wondering what I can make with cabinet doors.  For the full tutorial and pictures of the finished projects (there are two - both equally awesome) go here.

Washi tape and Dimensional Magic clock.

My friend Jen from Tatertots and Jello is totally supporting the washi tape and chevron patterned paper market with her crafting using these two things.  I joke, but truly, Jen is amazing with both of these craft supplies.  I'm digging this clock that she came up with using both of them AND Dimensional Magic.  If you don't know Jen yet (but I'm pretty sure most of you do), then you need to pay her a visit.  Not only is she talented, but she's one of the nicest bloggers in the whole world.  Visit Jen's washi tape and Dimensional Magic clock tutorial here.

Meet Man Podger Walter.

I'm SO SO excited to be introducing two gentleman who will be doing projects around here every Tuesday - the Man Podgers.  I have been wanting to get more "male-inspired" projects on this blog, just for a little variety.  There are so many great Man Podgers out there and I have found two of the best!  The first Man Podger I'd like to introduce is Walter Silva.

Walter and I have known each other through e-mail for awhile, so it's a thrill that he accepted a position as a Man Podger.  Here's a little bit about Walter that you should know (from the man himself):

• I am a Illustrator and Product Designer with a passion for kids picture books and kids decor. 
• I live in a New England city, Providence, RI. I love all that NE offers, especially RI beeches and Cape Cod!
• I have a thing for all sorts of papers, wrapping, scrapbook, handmade, ephemera and retro packaging. 
• These are the elements and inspirations that fuel my creative collage style.
• I use Mod Podge for most of my products and ART found in my SHOPs.
• Other things that inspire me Antique Malls, flea markets, museums, European illustrations, Folk Art, Graffiti and vintage toys! 
• Blueprints, Geometry, Patterns & the fabrication of many quilts fascinate me. 
• I can't imagine not being creative and hope that my work makes people smile and/or inspires others.

I love pretty much anything that Walter does, but I REALLY love his art blocks.  Check out this cute owl wall plaque in his shop.

To get more Walter action, visit him at the follow places:

• Etsy shop, Artfire shop
• Craft and shop blog
• Illustration blog

Come back next Tuesday for Walter's project and a very special Man Podge giveaway!

Make your own cute summer clutch.

I am just so blown away lately - you guys are making such amazing projects!  I mean truly.  This summer clutch by Jen at Scissors and Spatulas is a great example.  It's bright and gorgeous, and the flower accents?  Perfect.  I love everything about it, especially the $1 price tag on the base purse (from a garage sale).  Do you have fabric in your stash?  Because I know I do.  For the tutorial, visit Jen here.

PS - I was featured at Funky Finds recently - they are so kind!  Check it out here.

Mod Podge measuring tape.

Katy from No Big Dill decorated this tape measure as part of her never enough orange (NEO) series.  I totally feel that way about orange so I'm glad some crafty bloggers are recognizing this great color (thanks Jess from How About Orange).  You know my favorite color is blue, so naturally I have to like orange - it's complimentary, which means it's basically blue's best friend.  But I digress.

Katy's tutorial for embellishing her measuring tape is super easy to follow, so I recommend a visit asap.  The best part is that her true love is sewing, and you won't believe the gorgeous things she makes - so take a tour of her whole blog.  I highly recommend her Once Upon a Thread series to be blown away.

Summer fun live chat.

One of the fun things we get to do in the BlogFrog CoffeeTalk community is have live chats - and we have one coming up!  Here are the details:

• Date: Tuesday, June 14th
• Time: 9 - 10pm EST
• Topic: Summer Fun - click here to join!

I also have a special BlogFrog community just for Mod Podge: the Mod Podge Rocks Community embedded on my site.  You can ask me questions about Mod Podge and we can have interactive discussions.  Yay!

Mod Podge starter pack giveaway.

Want more Mod Podge?  Okay.  You don't have to jump through a flaming hoop.  Just leave a comment.


Here are some other things to know for today's giveaway:
1. Comment on THIS blog entry. Say anything you like!
2. Only one entry per person.
3. Contest will close this Wednesday, June 15th at midnight (EST).
4. PLEASE leave your e-mail address if it's not attached in Blogger - I need some way to reach you.

Full contest disclosure here.
Winner of the Vinyl Crafts giveaway was AmandaSue.

Mod Podge Flickr group roundup.

I'm feeling a lot of love for you guys right now.  You've been great about adding awesome projects to the Mod Podge Rocks Flickr group.  There's no shortage of talent out there.  I'd love to have more of you contribute, so come on and join in!  I'm featuring eight projects today that caught my eye.  The first featured piece is this Love Block by Carolyn Gallo.  I love, love the paper and the combination of the background and the word.

Styrofoam tray craft.

Does this look like an old Styrofoam meat tray to you?  Not to me either!  Of course it doesn't, because it comes from Sara at Creative Jewish Mom.  She made it pretty with paper mache - pretty enough to hold jewelry, or whatever you want, really.  Sara is really good at Mod Podging, so you should take a peek at her tray craft post but then poke around for some other projects.  Enjoy.

$200 Resin Crafts giveaway.

Remember my upcycled jewelry box from Monday?  Myself and several other craft bloggers used a product theme of resin (specifically Envirotex Lite) on all of our projects.  This product goes SO well with Mod Podge!  We had a blast and even did a linky party, which you can see if you visit my jewelry box post.  Here are some of my faves from the linky party:

Bust 'em Blocks at Expect Moore

Lazy Susan at Sugar Bee Crafts

Big Time Bracelet at Less Cake More Frosting

The grand news?  ETI, who makes Envirotex Lite, is giving away $100 worth of product and a $100 Visa gift card to support your crafting at their blog Resin Crafts.  It's easy to enter to win - simply click on the image below to pop over to Resin Crafts and the follow the instructions.  Good luck!

Flower of the month - water lilies.

I don't post nearly enough children's projects, and it's "that time" of year when school is ending, so I know you're in need of them.  Vanessa of Silly Eagle Books is always great at providing kid-friendly projects that are also educational in nature.  It reminds me of when I was little.  My mom was always reading to and teaching myself and my brothers . . . and then doing art projects based on what we'd learned.  That's totally how a cool mom rolls, I guess!  See more on Vanessa's water lilies here.

DIY cupcake flags.

I'm absolutely starving right now - I'm trying to lose about ten pounds, so everything looks good to me.  Have you noticed how hard it is to lose weight as you get older?!  When I first spotted these DIY cupcake flags at Momtastic I could only focus on the cupcakes, but then I noticed the flags.  Anything cut with pinking shears definitely gets my attention!  These flags are actually great scrapbusters, which is perfect for me because I have tons of fabric pieces in a little stack.  Check out the super easy tutorial here.  I'm planning on flagging all my food shortly.

Vintage food labels - flour sifter upcycle.

Mitzi from Mitzi's Collectibles is always coming up with new Mod Podge projects inspired by her love of antique finds.  The great thing about them is that she's always giving something "old" a second life.  I love these flower sifters turned gift holders . . . which you can even alter for home decor.  Mitzi printed up the labels and Mod Podged them to the sides.  Super cool!  Visit her blog for two free label printables and to see photos of the other labels she worked with (love the Snow White one).  Mitzi also has a great Etsy shop.  Want even more Mitzi? Here are some of her fine Mod Podge projects I've featured:

• Wallpapered and decoupaged chairs
• Vintage brass butterflies
• Dress up bottles and jars
• Kewpie doll decoupage
• Vintage hatbox makeover
• Anthropologie inspired mirror

Upcycled jewelry box with Envirotex Lite.

I recently made a Goodwill run and scored a load of goodies for $15.  One of the surfaces I got was perfect to use with Mod Podge and my absolute favorite resin Envirotex Lite: a mini-jewelry box for $2.  I have a larger jewelry box, but I've been needing a smaller one to keep out on the counter for all of the jewelry I use regularly and need easy access to.  This upcycled jewelry box was a relatively easy project and I had everything on hand.  Here's how I made my new favorite decoupage piece.

Vinyl Crafts review and giveaway.

I'm a huge fan of personalized art, and I like the vinyl decals that I see all over blogland created with special machines.  Here's the thing - what if you want custom vinyl decals but can't afford/don't want a special machine?  That's where Vinyl Crafts comes in!  Becky runs the store and has NINE children.  Can you believe that?  She has to be amazing!

Vinyl Crafts offers a wide variety of product ranging from custom decals to lettering to subway art to monograms.  She has a large shop with just about anything you could imagine wanting to customize your home decor.  You can purchase the decals separately or already on the board for an instant piece of art.  Becky also has a great color range for her decals - if you need a color match, she's got it.  Here are some examples of her best sellers:

Laundry Subway Art

Family Rules Subway Art

Our Love Story Subway Art - customized

There are so many more in Becky's shop; you must check them all out.  Her products are high quality and guaranteed to last - you'll have a permanent piece of art in your home!  And because Becky is so kind, she'd like to offer a gift certificate for $50 to one Mod Podge Rocks reader.  Isn't she sweet?  Here are the rules:

1. Comment on THIS blog entry and tell me your favorite design from the Vinyl Crafts Etsy shop.
2. Get an additional entry by liking Vinyl Crafts on Facebook.  Leave a second comment.
3. Contest will close this Friday, June 10th at midnight (EST).
4. PLEASE leave your e-mail address if it's not attached in Blogger - I need some way to reach you.

Full review and contest disclosure here.
Winner of the PictureKeeper giveaway was Lindsay Brohman.

International Delights CoffeeTalk community.

Hey everyone!  I'm pleased to announce that I'm a community leader in the CoffeeTalk Community at BlogFrog.  It's very fun - I love chatting about all kinds of topics (I'm one of those schnerds that can be online for hours discussing things) not limited to but including crafts.  As a community leader, I start topics such as when I recently asked your prediction for the next crafting trend.  Come join me in the community! 

I also have a special BlogFrog community just for Mod Podge: the Mod Podge Rocks Community embedded on my site.  You can ask me questions about Mod Podge and we can have interactive discussions.  Yay!

Mod Podged shelves.

We all have them.  Those shelves that have been with us longer than some of our friends and husbands.  I have several endtables that I've had since I was 20 - lamps too.  There's a sentimental value there.  The good news is once your beloved furniture is completely trashed from years of use, you can bring it back to life with Podge.  A great example of this scenario is these shelves from Michele at The Scrap Shoppe.  She's had them since she lived with her parents, and that's quite a feat. 

I love her fabric selection, because all that color is so ME.  For more pictures, visit Michele's fabric covered shelves at her blog.

Pennant birdhouse.

I'll never stop loving pennants, because there is something about those triangle shapes on a string that just makes me happy.  There is added happiness when it involves a birdhouse - and this is a real one.  Cute, right?  Spotted at the Chipper Nelly blog, you can add bunting to a birdhouse just like this with Outdoor Mod Podge.  I guess the next question is, how far do you take it?  Pennants on the front of your home?  That might be cool.  Visit the Chipper Nelly blog post here (chicken pics too!).

My five favorite things right now.

I'm always searching the internet and I'm always finding cool stuff - but besides that, there are things that I personally buy or engage with in my life that I love.  I want to share some with you today and I hope we can get a conversation going about what you love too!  Here are five things I'm diggin' right now.  And by the way, this is totally unpaid and my personal opinion.  When I write about my five favorite things (which I plan to start doing regularly), you won't have to worry - they won't be influenced.  It will truly be a list of things I love!

1. Wit and Whistle cards on Etsy.  I don't remember where I first spotted this Father's Day card, but it could not be more perfect for my dad, coming from me.  I'm a total Star Wars dork.  The thing is that after I saw this Darth Vader card at Wit and Whistle, I shopped around and bought five more cards because they are so awesome.