Tips And Techniques | Catered Crop

Chili represents your three stages of matter:
solid, liquid, and eventually gas.
~ Roseanne, May 1992, spoken by character Dan Conner

Wha ha ha . . . I AM the master of disguising gifts.

I love tormenting my brother. That's what younger sisters do, right? Since I'm in Texas and he's in Indiana, I sent him a can of nice Texas Red, Roadhouse chili with beans, "great over rice." What else could he possible need? Better than socks, right?

But, when he popped open the can, it had a few surprises, like gin, Hershey Kisses, and some dinero for his next big adventure.

I had to get this in the mail last weekend, but, before I did, I took a few quick pictures for you all to show you how to russel up some good TexMas chili surprise.

First, you'll need to round up a smooth-edge can opener. You can find them just about anywhere (Pampered Chef; Williams and Sonoma; Bed, Bath and Beyond; even Sears) or just Google "smooth-edge can opener."

Turn up your speakers and grab a seat in the Catered Crop Theater for my how-to video – Western silent-movie style.

In keeping with our family Christmas traditions, my TexMas Chili Surprise included a poem.

You can have this little poem as a free download. Just click here {Canned Chili Surprise} and then right click and save it.

Merry TexMas Brother!

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Brown paper packages tied up with strings.
These are a few of my favorite things.
~ My Favorite Things lyrics by Rogers and Hammerstein, 1959

As I'm typing it's 11/11/11 at 11:11 AM. Wowzers! That feels like something that should be commemorated somehow. So chickies – here are my 11 favorite, use-with-every-project paper craft things. Enjoy.

I know, there's nothing terribly sexy about those selections – but they're my basic, gotta-have-at-my-side-or-I-feel-naked paper craft tools. From top to bottom, left to right:

Gotta have some good detail scissors, especially if you like paper piecing as much as I do. I use Stampin' Up! Paper Snips, but Cutter Bee, Fiskars, Martha Stewart, and Tonic make good ones, too.
Perfect Layers Rulers help make wonderful, precise layers when used with . . .
A craft knife. I love Fiskars Fingertip Detail Knife.
I tried every type of paper trimmer under the sun until I finally broke down and spent the money on a guillotine style paper cutter – and it's lovely! I use Stampin' Up!'s Table Top Cutter. It's a workhorse, won't fray the paper, will cut the tiniest sliver with incredible precision, and doesn't require replacement blades.
Sizzix Big Shot Machine is a another work horse. I've run all kinds of crazy materials through it (cork, felt, metal, fabric) and they all cut like buttah. Sorry, Sizzix, though, my favorite dies are from Nestabilities and My Favorite Things.
I love Memento ink primarily because of the way it works so well with . . .
Copic Markers! Yes, I love my Copics. I prefer the Sketch Copic markers because if the lovely brush tip (nib).
Honestly, when I was new to paper crafts it took me a while to realize only one type of adhesive would NOT work. But, for the fastest, easiest application I like tape runners like the Tombo Mono Adhesive.
For a more permanent stick, I use Sookwang adhesive tape. It works like the more popular red-line tape, but it's easier to apply.
A liquid adhesive like Zig Two-Way Glue works better for teeny tiny pieces of paper or for things you want to reposition quickly on the page. It's called two-way because it gives a permanent bond if you use it immediately while it's wet. if you wait a bit and use it after it dries some, it's a temporary bond – genius.
Dimensional, pop-up adhesives are just fun. I've tried several but always go back to Stampin' Up! Dimensional dots because the others are too thick for me.

As you can see, I'm an equal opportunity shopper. And, of course, I have several other favs, but then, this would be my top squilion and not 11.

I'd love to hear some of your favorites . . .

Happy 11/11/11 – I hope you made a special wish today and that your wish comes true.

November 11, 2011 | Filed Under: Tips and Techniques | 1 Comment

Now that the Design Team from My Favorite Things (MFT) and I have teased and tempted you all week long, it's almost time to grab all your favorite Brand Spankin' New products from MFT.

But first . . . it's time for the Die-namics Feature and Pre-Release PEP Rally! The Design Team' has saved the best for last. Here's an in-depth look at this month's Die-namics, with an opportunity to revisit the amazing sets being released tonight at 10pm EST RIGHT HERE.

And while we're at it, how about we make your life even easier with a "cheat sheet" of all that's new? Head over to the MFT Blog to print out a shopping list.

Here are the details about the upcoming release on October 4 at 10 PM EST:

The MFT release is on October 4 at 10:00 PM EST. You can attend the release party from 8:00 to 10:00 PM EST here in the forum for fun, games, and prizes! All the new sets and dies will be available October 4 at 10:00 PM EST.
Be sure to check in on the guest designer contest to see who will be my successor. The announcement is made in the release party thread and the guest designer contest thread in the MFT forum on SCS.
If you'd like to see all the teasers for today, just click on over to Kim's blog now! Be sure to leave comments as you go for a chance to win one of two $10 vouchers being given away daily, just for leaving a comment.

Gardenias were my Mother-in-Law's favorite flower, so, you know, I went a little crazy with the new Rolled Gardenia Die-namic. By now, you've become accustomed to my craziness, right? I made it to go along with this card that featured the new stamp sets, "Sincere About Abundance" and "Inspired by Autumn."

If you want to roll up your sleeves and roll a lot of Gardenias, here's the DIY how-to.

Supplies:

Vase
Styrofoam ball that fits and fills the top of the vase
Fabric to cover your styrofoam ball.
Paper, felt and/or fabric to make your flowers.
The Rolled Gardenia Die-namic (or any of the rolled flower Die-namics)
Glue Dots, Tacky Glue, glue gun – whatever you prefer to glue your rolled flowers (I use Tacky Glue)
Straight Pins

And, for extra credit . . .

Liquid glue
Glitter
Old mouse pad
Stylus
(Optional) brads to put in the center of your flowers

For my bouquet I used a 6" by 6" paper pack by My Favorite Things (Lost and Found). I was able to get four flowers to each 6 x 6 page. Paper packs are perfect because of the small patterns and variety.

Cover your styrofoam ball with some fabric that will camouflage well under your flowers. I covered mine with muslin by just wrapping the ball with the muslin, gathering it at the bottom, and securing it with a rubber band. Then put your ball into the vase with about 1/2 to 1/3 of the top of the ball showing above the vase.

Run your paper, felt, fabric, etc., through your die cut machines with the Rolled Gardenia Die-namic. You can use almost any kind of fabric as long as you adhere it to some paper before you cut it out. I used two-sided adhesive sheets to adhere my muslin to tissue paper before I cut them out.

For extra credit (and to make your flowers really pop) . . .

Grab some glitter (I used German Glass glitter); some clear, liquid glue (Zig 2-Way glue); an old mouse pad; and a stylus.

Add some glamour to your flowers by putting a little glue on the tips and sprinkling some glitter over the glue.

We're going to give the flowers a little extra shape.

Turn your die cut upside down on the rubber mouse pad.
Press your stylus into the center of a petal and move it in a stirring motion pressing down on the stylus as your stir.

This will loosen the paper fibers and the shape will cup up around your stylus. Do that with each of the petals.

The cupped shape on your petals will help your petals fold back into a lovely Gardenia shape.

You're ready to roll your flower – just like any of the other rolled flower dies from My Favorite Things. Arlene did a wonderful video here with some great tips to help you roll your die cut into a flower. You know what, you can do this "extra credit" technique with any of the rolled flower dies. You can add brads to the centers of your flowers or, like I did, just one flower to be your focal point.

Now, using straight pins, stick your rolled flowers into the fabric covered styrofoam ball.

And there you have it. Of course the number of flowers you create to fill the bouquet will depend on the size of your ball and vase. I'm clueless when it comes to arranging flowers, but the shape of the styrofoam ball makes this pretty fail-proof.

I hope you all have had as much fun with MFT as I have this month. I'll see you at the release party and the after-party Product Tour.