OH the SPARK-ling Possibilities... with Rinea® and Designer Crafts Connection

Greetings everyone! Today the Designer Crafts Connection is creating with the beautiful, SPARK-ling Rinea® Double-sided Paper Foil... are you ready to SPARK your creativity?! Where I live, summer has arrived and I'm getting a jumpstart for family picnics and BBQ's. 

If you are not quite ready to think about 4th of July, tempt your cre8time muse checkout these cute Easter Baskets using Rinea®... and for the fashionistas folded Rinea® bangles.

For this challenge, the maker of Rinea® has provided each of the Designer Craft Connection designers with product to use for creating. When you are done visiting here, be sure to pop over to the beginning of the hop HERE to see more inspiration using Rinea® Double-sided Paper Foil!!!

The star embossed pattern into the Rinea® foil is so lovely.

 

Rinea® Double-sided Paper Foil is a specialty craft paper imported from Germany. It is made up of a thin sheet of paper sandwiched between two layers of thin aluminum foil - the paper gives it sturdiness and stiffness while the foil gives it the shininess and the malleability to maintain the shape however you bend or fold it. It is more than just origami paper due to the specific thickness and the quality of the foil used, making it ideal for many interesting crafting ideas. The paper does not wrinkle like foil and does not cause painful cuts like thick sharp foil can. 

The paper is as popular in Germany and parts of Europe as construction paper is in the US. In Germany it is known as Alu-Bastlefolie which means Aluminum Handicraft Foil Paper. It is very difficult to find this paper in the US and those that want it have to import it from Germany. Our goal is to introduce you to unique and interesting crafting ideas popular in other parts of the world made possible only using this paper and, at the same time, make it easily available in the U.S. The paper comes in many interesting colors with shiny, matte, and embossed surfaces giving you lots of options to play with and combine.

This wonderful SPARK-ling Rinea® paper makes dimensional ornaments and whimsies from folded paper OH-so much better! Rinea® Double-sided Paper Foil solves this issue while providing a metallic {solid or textured} finish in a variety of colors that lends itself to folding and holds it's shape. For my project I have used the Magic Star/Frisbee origami pattern found in "The Origami Handbook" by Rick Beech.

I take the time to always make a sample out of scrap paper first to test the process, sizing and to figure out the final segment assembly.

First I begin by cutting all of my squares needed.

These stars are will be so wonderful made

from red, silver and blue Rinea® foil!

Following the steps from the book,

I begin folding all cut squares in half.

I follow along the steps and complete folds for each color. This pattern calls for 8 squares that are folded down to a parallelogram, then nested together and linked into final shape. The royal blue star is completed and assembled.... using NO GLUE!

Did I mention it has a fun twist... it's kinetic!

When pieced together, this is not only a star... it is a spinner.

You can open the star into an open octagon.

The star shape closed.

When you slide the points pushing outward,

the shape changes to this open octagon.

When complete you not only have a fabulous patriotic star coasters... they make a fun party favors too!

This is a fun project that can be sized up or down depending on the use. These can be smaller and strung on string to make a garland, or larger and attached to dowel rods for yard decor. This is a great project for the kids too!

What festive party decor

will you create with Rinea®?

CLICK HERE to jump over to the beginning of the Rinea® Double-Sided Paper Foil Bloghop at the Designer Crafts Connection blog and find more SPARK-ling inspiration and projects using this gorgeous foil paper!

You can find more info on Rinea® Foils

at their website www.rinea.com

Find lots of creative inspiration on the Rinea® Foil BLOG

Thanks so much for visiting!  Sb :)

** This is a sponsored post. Rinea has provided products for use in this project in exchange for my creative ideas, views and opinions. My ideas and opinions are my own.

Make a #Cre8time Quick Change... with Designer Crafts Connection and Expo International Inc.

Hello Friends! Today is a fabulous day full of glitter and gold! I am part of a new Designer Crafts Connection Bloghop challenge and the designers are creating with assortment of terrific Trims, Buttons and MORE from Expo International.

How do you take something from day to night??! You bling it up! For my Cre8time project today I have transformed a zipper makeup pouch from the Dollar Tree into a beautiful clutch to accompany a little "RED" Dress. 

Expo International sent me a selection of items to create: Tuva Woven Beaded Trim in Red/Gold; a package of Carla Crosstitch Rose-Iron-on Patch Applique; and Tianna Beaded Pom-pom Trim Multi Colors {the latter I will be using for a real special holiday project - stay tuned}.

I reserve playing dress up for special occasions and as for accessories, I steer in the direction of less is more. I have this little red velvet halter dress that I scored on sale when shopping for a dress to wear to a formal event. Its funny how you find things when you aren't looking. I don't have anything else to finish this look... but today I will be more than halfway there! 

OMG - look at this TRIM!! It will go with my dress perfectly! The Tuva Woven Beaded Trim is about 1 1/2" wide and comes in 7 different colorations.

Starting with a plastic zipper makeup pouch from the Dollar Tree I transformed this into something stunning with just a few additional supplies from my stash: scissors; one sheet of Graphix Double Tack Mounting Film {a permanent double sided adhesive paper}; a few Marvy colored pens; and Diamond Glaze. 

The pouch was a bit longer than I liked so I turned it inside out, measured a few dots down from the top, then traced a line. I took this to the sewing machine to stitch one seam and trimmed away the excess. I could have used adhesive for this, but the sewing machine had this done in a quick minute {I didn't even change out the green thread in it}.

Enter the super fun and quick way to alter anything... PENS!

This plastic pouch is durable with a hot pink zipper enclosure... and SO WORTH $1. Sewing zippers is a bit tricky and is certainly something that I need to go back to school for someday. I used two pens to prep for the final transformation: a Marvy Liquid Gold pen to color the zipper pull and the teeth; and red Marvy Plume II brush pen to color the hot pink zipper fabric. I colored along the sides and bottom of the pouch with gold as these may be slightly visable after applying trim. I don't mind spending few extra minutes on these little extra details -- they make all the difference in the end result.

I gently rubbed the edge of the gold nib along the zipper teeth. To my delight and suprise... it's all gold when closed!

Now to add the trim! I cut a sheet of the self adhesive paper into 1 1/4" strips and applied to the backside of the trim. From the height I made the pouch, I will need four stripes to cover top to bottom. I like dry adhesives over wet for ribbons/trim. I could have also used my Xyron X sticker maker or stitch in place with sewing machine.

I aligned to the top of trim to the zipper edge, removed backing and wrapped along front, and bent to continue around to backside -- leaving only one exposed seam edge. Having adhesive on the back helps keep trim from fraying when trimming to size. 

I repeated applying three more lengths of trim and touched up the seam edges with dabs of Diamond Glaze to prevent fraying and to keep cut edges of bling in place.

FROM THIS...

TO THIS!!! 

What a transformation! Paired with my gold resin bangles and some gold earrings {nothing fancy, these are all regular day wear} all I need are some shoes. 

With summer approaching I'm sure I can find a cute pair of gold strappy heels to complete my look and I'm ready for the next weekend getaway with the hubs!

What would you transform
from day to night with
Expo International Trims?

CLICK HERE to POP over to the DCC BLOG for info on how you can enter to win a Treasure Trunk of Trims from Expo International! For more information on Expo International and products to dress up anything please visit website HERE.

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Thanks so much for visiting! CLICK HERE to pop over to the beginning of the Designer Crafts Connection "Expo International Terrific Trims" Bloghop and enjoy a treasure trove of inspiration. Sb :)

** This is a sponsored post. Expo International has provided trims for use in this project in exchange for my creative ideas, views and opinions. My ideas and opinions are my own.

Getting #Cre8time Girly... Last Minute Gift Idea Bloghop

Hello friends! Are you still crossing off all the names on your holiday gift list... you are in luck today. Welcome to the LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEAS Bloghop hosted by Einat Kessler. Hop along and get Cre8time ready to finish off your list with some ideas for fabulous handmade gifts. At the bottom of the post there is info on how you can link enter a grand prize of a $100 gift card - YAY!!!

I have many girls in my family, two sisters, four nieces, and I'm always on the hunt for fun handmade gifts I can give. I've recently been introduced to Etchall® Etching Créme!... and I am totally hooked! 

Today I'm sharing a quick and easy GIRLY project with you - one that holds a special place in my little GREENcrafting heart, too!

Supplies needed:

• Etchall® Glass Etching BEE-Ginner Kit
• removable stencil letters {or traditional letter stencils}
• permanent marker
• adhesive vinyl {I used Cricut vinyl}
• contact paper
• glass compact
• xacto knife or swivel knife
• rubbing alcohol
• soft towel
• scissors
• plastic fork or craft stick
• timer

If you are like me, you probably are picking up little gifties as you find them throughout the year. I happened upon these fabulous mirrored compacts at Michael's and bought about a dozen of them for a couple bucks a piece. What I really love about them is that they have a beautiful jeweled bezel top on them. A great base to add a custom handmade touch... enter Etchall® Etching Créme!!!

If you aren't familiar with this product - Etchall® is a REUSABLE, easy to use etching créme that creates permanent etched designs on large or small areas of glass, mirror, ceramic, porcelain, marble and slate. No curing, drying required... it just takes 15 minutes! CLICK HERE to read more about this fantastic product. I don't know how I've went on this long never having etched. I have a whole box of glass items I've collected from around the house that I want to etch designs into for home decor and gift-giving throughout the year.

The preparation is the most time consuming part, but since I'm doing a several at once - the process goes quick and easy... and it's FUN! 

This is a fun and easy project that can be done in under an hour. After opening compact from packaging and removing protective film, I cleaned off the bezel surface with rubbing alcohol and dried completely with a soft cloth. Then I cut a small square of Cricut Vinyl to fit over center of compact.

Using pick tool from Etchall® Glass Etching BEE-ginner Kit, I peeled backing from vinyl square and centered onto compact, and burnished down with squeegee tool {also included in kit}- pressing out any air bubbles from center outward. I selected a letter for a monogram and pressed onto the vinyl. I traced the letter onto vinyl with permanent marker, removed stencil and connected lines to fill in gaps. 

Now I'm ready for the hardest part... the cutting! I can cut fine freehand with an Xacto knife, but if you have one of these swivel knives in your studio stash - this is the kind of project that the swivel tool is made for. The swivel blade makes cutting curves so easy. 

I placed my compact on a paper towel to steady it, then as I started to cut, I rotate the compact - NOT THE KNIFE - as I follow the blade along the outline. I find it easier to cut towards myself as apposed to away. 

**A TIP** I recommend doing a test run with contact paper to get a feel for how you are most comfortable cutting vinyl before your finished project. Also to make sure you applied enough pressure to cut through material {it doesn't take much - but it's definitely different than cutting paper}.

After all lines are cut, I used the pick tool to gently pick up the letter and remove to expose the letter shape for etching. I go back and re-burnish to make sure all cut edges are sealed down.

**ANOTHER TIP** I did a dry run of this using contact paper in place of vinyl first. Though it did work, the edge of the edging was not as crisp and sharp as when done using the vinyl. I think it's because the tackiness of the contact paper allowed a bit of etching créme bleed under the edge. The result was fine - but I wanted to see for myself if there really was a difference in vinyl -vs- contact paper... the answer is YES. It's worth it to invest in the vinyl for crisp, sharp edges. 

Before adding etching creme, I add sections of contact paper around vinyl square to fully cover - adding plenty of overlap - to protect from any etching creme drips. It's pretty thick like pudding, but one can never be too careful when making a special gift.

Using the back end of a plastic fork, I placed an even layer of Etchall® Etching Creme to the exposed letter and set my timer for 15 minutes. The leftover creme on applicator goes back in the bottle. This little bottle of créme can be used over and over for loads of projects!!

With the etching créme evenly applied, I set the timer for 15 minutes and wait for the magic to happen.

TIMES UP!!!

With the back of my applicator, I gently scrape away the etching créme and it goes back into the bottle for reuse later. Now the IMPORTANT PART... LEAVE the VINYL and protective contact paper in place and completely wash away any remaining etching créme with water. You don't want to accidentally get any etching smears or fingerprints on the rest of the piece. Rinse under water and rub surface with your finger to ensure all is removed, then dry with paper towel. 

Now it's time for the REVEAL!! Gently peel back the contact paper and the vinyl letter stencil so you can reuse again {I place mine on a sheet of salvaged sticker backing sheet}. I love how the monogrammed letter has added dimension since this bezel is not only glass... it's also mirrored. 

This gift is done and ready for giving paired with a couple other girly gifts - a lip gloss and some bling! The compact was pretty enough by itself... but with the addition of a custom monogram - it's now so much more special and looks so expensive. I can't believe I did it myself. Even my husband was impressed!

Ready for some more last minute gift ideas??! Please hop along at each of the links below and be sure to take a moment to leave each artist a comment and some blog-love.

Einat Kessler {our Hostess} -- Perpetual Calendar 

Ola Khomenok -- Mini Album - Wallet  

Patti Hodder -- Old Fashioned Ornaments 

Kathy Clement -- Pop-Up Gift Card Holders

Alexandra Morein -- Interactive Flip Book 

Sandy Trefger  -- Mini Album Gift Card Holder 

Gloria Stengel -- Altered Notepads/Giftcard

Pam Bray -- Flower Packet Gift Card

Einat Alagem -- Shabby Chic Frame 

Keren Tamir -- DIY Christmas Ornaments  

Terry Ricioli -- Leather Leaf Earrings 

Katelyn Grosart -- Chocolate Gift Box  

Susan M. Brown {sbartist} -- Etched Monogram Compacts

Steph Ackerman -- Ornaments

Eileen Hull -- Sizzix Twist and Style Gift Tag

Rita Barakat -- Mixed Media Altered Items

Mahe Zehra -- Vintage Dictionary Art

You can enter to win some amazing holiday blog candy... a $100 Visa Gift Card! Please enter following the Rafflecopter instructions below. *The winner of the $100 Visa gift card will be announced on einatkessler.com on Sunday, Dec 25th. Good LUCK!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks for dropping by and I'd love to hear what your favorite last minute gift ideas are. Wishing you all a Happy Holidays and I'm off to Chicago for hopefully a white Christmas! xo Sb

** This is a sponsored post. Etchall® has provided products for use in this project in exchange for my creative ideas, views and opinions. My ideas and opinions are my own.

#Cre8time gets a Vintage Makeover... Dollar Tree Frame REDUX

Welcome to my stop on the Viva Las VegaStamps! and WOW! Embossing Powder week of inspiration... two product lines that are a match made in creative heaven. I'm so excited to WOW and AMAZE you with my project today - using two stamps and two embossing powders, and a few staples from my crafty stash.

So you don't miss anything,

please be sure you check out these links:

For WOW! Embossing Powder : 

Shop • Blog • Facebook

For Viva Las VegaStamps! :
Shop • Blog • Facebook

Today I'm sharing a dollar store REDUX project... a $1 framed mirror RE-Imagined into a vintage boudoir tray! I was excited to find a 5x7 beaded trim frame with a glass mirror at the Dollar Tree - the perfect item to alter with stamps and some embossed goodness.

The frame was a black matte finish with a dotted gold beading on the inner edge... but not for long! 

I mount my Celtic Cross stamp to an acrylic block that is very close in size and inked up with black Versafine pigment ink. I stamped once at a diagonal and continued stamping to create a pattern - reinking the stamp after each impression.

This took a bit of time and patience... and a few wipe offs with alcohol and starting again. The resulting decorative pattern using just one stamp is stunning and worth the time invested!

Once the Celtic Cross pattern was completely stamped, I completely covered with WOW! Verdigris WL05 embossing powder and tapped away excess.

There was a lot of powder clinging to non-inked areas due to static cling so I blew away as much as possible using a thin straw. Then I gently heat set - careful not to overheat, as I was concerned that the glass might break.

Ooh-la-la!!! This looks so amazing! The embossed mirror now has this gorgeous pattern with a distressed patina. The brand new mirror looks like it's been around for years.

Now this frame needs some attention too. Working on one side of frame at a time, I inked the Charred Wood Background stamp with black Versafine pigment ink and pressed onto the frame - bending the stamp around edge to give imprint on front and side; overlapping and continuing stamping down entire side. This is a large stamp so I could add texture to the entire side with just one inking by moving stamp and impressing a different area until entire surface is covered to my liking.

The WOW! Embossing Powder comes in cute little tiny containers that make precise application easy. I cover the stamped area with WOW! Clear Semi Dull WA03, tap off excess and heat set. Then pour back into container and move on to repeating process on next side of frame.

Now this plain jane frame has some wood grain texture!

I finish off the frame with a daubing of Ranger Distress Paints in a few coordinating colors, then rubbed into the faux woodgrain texture to bring out the detail and give some color.

I give my metal brads and recycled hardware a matching kiss of the same coloring, then pounce the metal recycled hardware into the ink, then the WOW! Verdigris WL05 embossing powder.

When heat set, the hardware now has the same gorgeous distressed patina as the mirror. I mount them with some E6000® adhesive and mount some recycled glass floral beads for feet on the bottom. This transformation is complete!

Now this frame is ready for the dressing table... the perfect touch of girlie vintage grunge! I can't believe I stamped this!!!

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SUPPLIES: From Viva Las VegaStamps: Charred Wood Background #16387 and Celtic Cross #7958 stamps. From WOW! Embossing Powder: Verdigris WL05 and Clear Semi Dull WA03. Other Supplies: Mirrored Frame from Dollar Tree; black Versafine pigment ink; heat gun; thin drinking straw; recycled metal hardware; brads; E6000® adhesive; recycled glass floral beads; paper towel and Ranger Distress Paints.

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Thanks so much for dropping by! Don't forget to check out the other works during this week of inspiration from the VLVS! and WOW! Embossing Powder teams... if you visit each blog stop each day and leave a comment, there is blog candy to be won.

I'm going to link up and enter this in the Craft Stamper Magazine "Take It Make It" July Challenge and also to the current Anything But a Card Challenges "Vintage + Recycling" Mini Challenge. Happy Stamping!  :) Sb