our first designer is named...

We are so excited to annouce that Cecilia Swatton is the first member of the design team to be selected. She is a wonderful person and artist and I am thrilled to be working with her.

Read more about Cecilia by clicking here

We are still looking for a mixed media jewelry designer and someone that loves to work with the Lisa Pavelka line of products and polymer clay in general.

Details and application is available here

Do you use a cricut machine?

I came across Craft Edge Scrapbooking Software while surfing the web. They offer a downloadable product called Sure Cuts A lot.

Here is what they say about the product:

""Sure Cuts A Lot" is an extremely easy program to allow you to cut your True Type fonts and various shapes on your CricutTM Machine. With the combination of using your Fonts and importing custom artwork (SVG), the possibilities are endless!"

Click here for more information

Crafter's Cafe is putting together a design team.

Click link to apply

http://crafterscafe.com/store/index.php?main_page=page&id=38

We are growing faster than I can keep up! I find my days filling orders, doing paperwork and talking to customers. I am not complaining at all but it really has left me with little time to create. My goal has always been to provide as much information as possible on how to use the products I sell and currently find that hard to keep up with. So, I am currently looking for three creative minds to join a newly formed design team.

The selected members will receive an automatic 10% off all items in the store, free shipping on all orders, plus an additional $20 per month added to your account for you to spend on products to be used in submitted projects.

You will be asked to submit at least one project by the 20th of the month. If you are selected to be a team member I have a special site for you to visit, there you will complete a wish list of new products that I am considering adding to the store. Just for completing the wish list you will get your $20 to get you started creating.

Click the link above to apply.

Are you JUST a crafter?

I am going to revisit a topic that I brought up a while back. A friend recently said that she "is just a crafter". I asked why do you say "just" your work is beautiful?

Crafter - why do some think it is a dirty word, something to be ashamed of. Does what you create define who you are? Or is it the process that defines you? When you hear the word Craftsman does it bring up visions of someone tooling away in a work shed making a fine piece of furniture? How about, Artist? Do you vision someone standing in front of a canvas, paints spread on a palette? What do you see when you hear Crafter?

Who are you? How do you define yourself and your work? Can you be an artist that creates crafty items or if you create cute useful crafty items are you condemned to a far less superior world known as "just a crafter"?

Powertex prices down again

I just reduced the price on Powertex Textile Hardener again. Prices are now at or below wholesale prices. If you are familiar with Paverpol, Powertex is a similar product. These are closeout prices and limited to stock on hand only.

Click here to shop

created some free backgrounds

I have been playing around digitally and created some backgrounds and some other "grunge" images here are a few that I thought I would share with you. The images in this post are free for you to use on your blog or website. If for commercial use please give credit as an alt tag.

I created the words transparent so they can be used on top of background images.

More to come...any suggestions? I was thinking ART, CREATE, HOPE

Finished Necklace

I used a 16" copper chain from Crafter's and added the pendant and a polymer clay bead. I also added a few small links at the neckline (not pictured) to increase the length a bit more. They can be added and subtracted to change length.

I like the asymmetrical look. I never was one for repeat patterns.

If you are intersted in purchasing this necklace click here.

Free tutorial - copper pendant

I created an unedited, unscripted tutorial on how to create this pendant. Later I will make into a necklace, but here are the steps.

Step 1: Add Lisa Pavelka Foil to Polymer Clay (I used Cernit Phthalate free clay)



Step 2: Stamp on Pendant with Pearl Ex Essentials Black Ink
In this step I stamped in the foil using the About Face texture stamp by Lisa Pavelka, I used Pearl Ex Essential Black for the ink.


Step 3: Glue Polymer clay piece in blank bezel frame
Be sure to glue the pendant in the frame - I used Polybonder - it is a high temp cyanoacrylate glue.


Step 4: Add Magic-glos
This is my favorite part - adding the Magic-Glos! Magic-Glos is a one part, UV cure epoxy, that self levels. A little practice makes perfect with this product. In the video I mention putting into cure oven - I should have said cure light. I told you it was unedited and unscripted!



If you liked the tutorial and would like to create one of your own here is a coupon for 15% off the products used. 32cb6184bd is the coupon code.

If you were stranded on an island....

and you could only have 10 art / craft supplies (not tools) what would you want? I think my list would be...
1. White paper, handmade
2. Transparent Powertex (for my adhesive)
3. Drawing Pencils (yeah this is one item...hey it's my list)
4. Gold Paint - I think I use gold in everything I make
5. polymer Clay
6. Magic - Glos
7. Pinata Inks
8. Black permanent ink pad
9. Colorbox ink pads
10. Foils (by Lisa Pavelka)

I think this is my list - what's yours?

May contest

Here is the giveaway for this month. I also posted instructions on how to complete this project. Link is on page after you sign up for contest. Click image to enter.