I can make just about anything, but ask me to brush on some color, and you'll get the uncomfortable, shifty eyes. I'll admit it: I'm NOT good at painting. My crafty pal Amy from Mod Podge Rocks, however, is good at painting. Really good. Check out her 8 Tips for How To Use Acrylic Craft Paint, and see all of her best tricks and techniques in one place!
I found the section on preparing surfaces to be especially helpful. Who knew that you had to prime canvas?!
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The meticulous work that goes into this wee felt umbrella project from Cynthia Treen is beautiful and impressive. She's shared the pattern and step-by-step tutorial over on The Crafts Department. The umbrella is an accessory to an adorable felt frog prince pattern she also created. He looks so dapper with it sitting on his shoulders!
"Les Trois Inventeurs" ("The Three Inventors") is a beautiful 1980 papercut animation film about a family of inventors that build amazing machines but are misunderstood by others. It's the story of an encounter between the soaring joy of creativity and the destructive nature of fear.
In one scene, the father glides elegantly through the air in a hot air balloon, sitting in a bird-shaped basket and using a wing-like oar to navigate. When he lands, the local people, frightened by the strange contraption, hide in fear for a minute, and then they attack the balloon, harpooning it with pitchforks.
The film was directed and animated by Michel Ocelot, a French-born writer, designer, and director of animated films and television programs. Ocelot has also spent time living in Guinea and Los Angeles. In 1983, he had a French children's television series called "La Princesse Insensible." More recently, he directed a music video for the song "Earth Intruders," off of Bjork's 2007 album, Volta.
The film is in French, but any viewer will be able to understand the story arc. I asked my sister, who has a better grasp of the French language than I, to translate the ending. Here's what the narrator says: "No, it's not true. It didn't truly happen. It couldn't have happened. I assure you. You see? It's film!"
[via The Heart of Papercuts]
Several months ago, I found packs of awesome red/white and green/white clothes line rope at the dollar store. I grabbed them, thinking I'd used them in some kind of Christmas craft project. I fiddled with a few gift topper options and didn't have much luck, so I stuck them in my craft-supplies-to-experiment-with-later drawer. Thanks to Hannah at Knick Knacks & Ric Rac, I think I've found what I can do with them! She used a knifty knitter to replicate a raffia flower loom and created giant flowers with the same kind of dollar store brightly colored polyethelene rope. See how they came together over on her blog.
Need some help picking a gift for your Valentine this year? Check out the Handmade Companion's Valentine edition.
The Paper Source blog, P.S., has a few quick ideas on how to dress up paper straws for a Valentine's Day party. Check out their post for a PDF on all the goodies you'll need to make these.
My kids and I love to go letterboxing, and one of the best parts is coming up with our own stamps to use. If you're wanting to make a simple stamp, but don't want to mess with carving, Michele of Michele Made Me shows how you can use craft foam and old wine corks to create custom stamps.
Looking for some heart-themed inspiration? No Biggie has updated their Valentine Page with all sorts of project ideas.
Significant others, fear not! Even if you're not quite as craft-sensitive as Handmade Ryan Gosling, Jenny from Craft Test Dummies has made it nice and easy for you. Check out her DIY craft valentines to find out what the crafter/beader/sewer in your life REALLY wants for Valentine's Day.
What would you put in yours?
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A couple of weeks ago, my daughter and I went camping together. The weekend was unusually cold for Texas (sadly, it already feels like spring here) and we had to do some serious bundling up to stay warm. We'd brought along packs of handwarmers, and while they were handy - pun intended - I felt like they were wasteful. By the end of the weekend, we had a bag full of them to be thrown away. I like the idea of reusable handwarmers instead, and even more so when they involve cross-stitch. This tutorial from Wild Olive is a perfect fit!
Related:
How-To: Hot Dog Hand Warmers
How-To: Crocheted Striped Handwarmers
