My Only Sunshine

My kids are KLUTZes too

This is Bitty's fairy from the Paper Fashions Fairy book I told you about last week.  I learned two things from working on this with her.  One, 8 year olds will make each individual piece a different color and pattern if you let them.  Most of the time they don't care if these colors and patterns look good together.  Two, 8 year olds may have a hard time visualizing what they are doing if you try to help them draw their stencils on the back of the patterned paper to avoid the pencil lines showing.

This is Bug's "Mermaid Fairy Waitress".  I learned a couple of things working with her as well.  One, 10 year olds will also put as many colors and patterns as possible together but at least this 10 year old will stress over what goes together and what doesn't.  They may not end up making the right call on this.  Two, 10 year olds are old enough to understand the concept of mirror image when it comes to drawing on the back and flipping and also making one glove stencil work for both right and left hand gloves.

I also have a word of warning to any of you who might use this with your kids...  Kids love glitter glue.  This little bit of trouble (it's both glue and glitter, how can that not be a problem on occasion?) is outweighed by the fact that my kids have spent HOURS just playing with the stencils.  They love drawing different fashion ideas on plain typing paper over and over.  It's wonderful to see how their imagination has been sparked.

Bug actually liked this so much that she spent her own money to buy this...

Now they can mix and match their stencils and papers.  Oh, and more glitter glue!!!

Don't forget that if you want to win your own Paper Fashions Fantasy book you need to comment with your email address to this post.

KLUTZ - Paper Fashions Fantasy

Several weeks ago I received this very cute book from KLUTZ.  They wanted to know if I'd like to review it.  Boy, how could I pass up crafts, fashion design, kid projects, and tiny little clothes hangers all wrapped up in one package?  I mean really, look at those tiny hangers!

Things have been totally crazy at my house but I did make time to tear this open and do a little paper fashion design and it was SO MUCH FUN.  Here's a synopsis of the book.

"In the Klutz paper fashions tradition, this book comes with everything girls need to design an entire one-of-a-kind wardrobe, including irresistibly tiny hangers to finish the fashions in style. Unique to this book, though, are fashions that are the stuff of fantasy: goddess gowns, pretty princess dresses, fairy finery, and more. Specially designed papers and stencils make it simple to create everything from flowing cloaks and twinkling tiaras to mermaid tails and fairy wings. And we've even added glitter to the glue — a simple way to sparkle up any fashion.
 
For ages 8 to Adult!"

On my first pass through the book I noticed that it had several types of fantasy fashion to build on.

You can create Fairies, Princesses, Witches, Goddesses, and Mermaids.

The ideas for these different ladies are amazing.  Whoever did the designing for the book is very creative.  I was completely engaged without having even opened the crafting supplies. 

Along with all the lovely pictures and ideas the book comes with patterned and solid paper and some great sheer and glittery paper as well.  The embellishments include ribbons, beads, sequins, and sparkly glitter glue.  The contents I found most wonderful were the stencils.  KLUTZ has broken down the different design pieces into their elements and created nice sturdy template plastic stencils.

I found the kit very easy to use which left me wide open to creativity.  I decided to go a little Project Runway for my first fantasy dress.  You know what I mean, big collar going straight up on the shoulder.  It was so much fun to make.  I do have one hint.

I used my stencils on plain paper first to put the different design pieces together so that I could cut them out as one unit.  Then I laid the piece that the pattern had been cut away from to lay on my final paper so I could make sure the paper design would show through the way I wanted before I cut on the paper I only had one small piece of.  This picture is my white paper laid over my patterned paper for placement.

Here's the final product hanging on it's teeny tiny hanger.

See the big collar?  So PR, Non?

Tonight I am going to let the Girlies play around with me and I will show you how that goes on Monday.  Oh, and I can't forget, KLUTZ has generously offered to give three of my readers a copy of this cute little book and kit.  Leave me a comment and be sure to include your email address and next week I will draw three names.

Copic Markers

Want to read more about this color chart?  Go take a look at my article on Craft Critique and don't forget to leave a comment so you can win some really cool stuff.

Creativity has left the building

Wow, I fell off the posting wagon, didn't I?  I meant to keep up better but things have been so crazy.  School started, PTA board started, Craft Critique is ramping up, dance is in full swing, and we had birthdays.  I've had more than I can keep up with.

Another big problem, I am not feeling at all creative this week.  I feel like I used it all up for the birthday party (did I mention we had nearly 60 people?) and now am just worn out.

I do have one exciting thing to mention though, Stalker Angie is back!!!  Yay.  Boy have I missed you!

The Birthday Week

My Girlies have birthdays that are 8 days apart.  Right now we are in that 8 days in which they are 8 and 9.  It's a funny time.  We always seem to have a week of gifts instead of just one day each.  Not only that, but a week of cake, and the birthday song, and everything that goes along.  It will all be capped off by the giant carnival we are having at our house this weekend.  We're all very excited.  The only bad thing about the carnival...  I have more than you can imagine to get done.  So I'll leave you with this picture of my 8 and 9 year olds.