DIY Recipe Box

When I got married, I went from eating cold cereal for dinner to actually having to cook meals! I was at a loss for food ideas so I went on a search for easy family recipes. Oh how I wish someone had given me a set of recipes for a bridal shower gift!

So instead of buying the newlyweds something that they will never use, what about giving them a handmade recipe box filled with your family's favorite recipes?!

CHA 2014 Recap -- New Mod Podge Products!

One of my favorite booths as CHA every year is the Plaid booth. They always have such fun products, especially in their Mod Podge line. Last year, they debuted their Mod Melts (which are AWESOME!), but this year, they really outdid themselves. 

The new milk glass Mod Melts

 This year, they introduced Mod Melts in a harder material with a milk glass finish (see photo above) and a Mod Melts melter (made especially for your Mod Melts -- no more using a glue gun). But by far, their hottest product was the new Collage Clay! This stuff is A-MAY-ZING! It comes in what looks like a cake decorating bag complete with a rosette-type tip. Just squeeze the bag and out comes this fun, puffy material that even looks like cake icing but it's a clay!

I covered the top of this little acrylic heart box with the Collage Clay in the pink color called "Strawberry".  I then added some bling and a cupcake Mod Melt that I painted with acrylic paint. It's so easy -- just lightly press your embellishments into the Collage Clay. 

Can you imagine the fun projects you can make with this? I would love to do a cell phone cover (which only takes about one-third of a bag of Collage Clay)!

The clay does take quite a while to cure so this is not a product that you can use when you need something finished right away. When it dries, it's not a completely hard; it still retains a slightly "squishy" feel to it, but it still holds tight to any embellishment you may have added to it.

I am fired up to see this product in stores! It will be a fun new item in my crafting arsenal!

Side Note: Thanks to watching my mom decorate cakes for 20 years, I actually did a really good job on the piping, but if you are new to using a piping bag and tip, you may have to practice the "kiss and release" method a few times to get rosettes like these.

Me with the super-talented DIY gurus Steve Piacenza and Cathie Filian!

And me with Glossy!

CHA New Product Debut: Mod Podge Mod Melts

The best thing about CHA is seeing all the new products. One of the coolest new products is from Plaid: Mod Melts!

They look like candy molds, but are even better.  The Mod Melts resin sticks go in your hot glue gun. Once heated, just fill the molds with the resin. In just 4 minutes, you've got these cute little embellishments! The resin is white, but you can color it with paint, ink, Copic markers, and more.

Cathie Fillian shows off some finished Mod Melts!

Oh, and I couldn't resist getting my picture made with Glossy!

I just wish they made jars of Mod Podge this big!

Review of "CHA Live" with Scrapbook Royalty

As you may or may not know, it is one of my big dreams to actually go to a CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) show. The thought of all of those scrapping companies and all of that new stuff just makes my heart go pitter-patter, but so far I have not been able to attend one. Just when I was feeling sad about missing CHA Winter 2011, I read about being able to watch it LIVE with Scrapbook Royalty!

So what is Scrapbook Royalty? Scrapbook Royalty is a volunteer-run non-profit organization (now under the umbrella of CharityWings.org) that helps crafters raise money for various causes. The group hosts and sponsors scrapbooking events all over the country to raise money for charities such as Susan G. Komen, American Heart Association, Boys and Girls Clubs, Autism Speaks, and more. The CHA Live event raised money for Crops of Luv, a charity that makes scrapbooks for terminally-ill children who have been granted wishes through groups such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

This year, Elena Etcheverry (founder of Scrapbook Royalty) and her team of talented ladies took on the daunting task of broadcasting live from CHA for all of us who couldn't attend the event. For three-and-a-half days, Elena did interviews with vendors and crafting "celebrities", ran all over the floor to show cool booths and products, and had fantastic make-and-takes that we could do at home (at-home participants got a BIG goody box with TONS of product!). We got to "chat" with other participants, ask questions to the vendors, and enjoy CHA without the hurting feet! There were minor technological glitches related to the site that was being used for the chat room, but Elena's enthusiasm and the opportunity to see so much of CHA more than made up for it.

I am so glad that I was able to be a part of this event. It was great to "virtually attend" CHA and the new products and websites that I learned about will keep my wallet empty well into the year! I can't say enough good things about Elena and all of the wonderful volunteers at Scrapbook Royalty for their time, dedication, and enthusiasm for this event.

Also thanks to Nikki Sivils, Flower Soft, Unity Stamps, Westcott, Clear Snap, Bazzill, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L, Prima Marketing, Faber Castell, Maya Road, Mod Podge, and Copic Markers for donating products included in the "swag bag".

P.S. All of the vendors that Elena spoke with were more than happy to donate some of their products for eBay auctions to further benefit Crops of Luv. So head on over to eBay (Seller name: princesslanie) and bid on the cool things that are being auctioned for a great cause.