The Bow Must Go On: Bow-inspired gift wrap

Dapper Dan, is that you? Oh, no, it's just the bow show, continuing after the fun had on Monday with Megan my bow tutorials.


I put a few of those bows to good use on a couple of debonair designs for my handsome Valentine.



Lookin' fine, Valentine.






What would my Valentine be without a matching card? Do cards get any easier than this? It's a bow on a piece of paper. Whoa! Mustn't overdo. ;)



Okay, so I also added a sentiment. Not wanting to disrupt the bow-tie feel of my card front, I adhered a new My Mind's Eye journaling card to the top of the back of the card.




So, the gift within this package is less than exciting.  



Tell me something, do you think it's smart to dress the gift to the nines when it will be opened to reveal a... meh? Or do you think it's better to set the stage from the beginning? You know, wrap my ho-hum gift in a plastic grocery sack or something. Jury's out for me. You might say it's a bow tie.  >:<

Cheers!

Easy Burlap Gift Wrap & CKU Details (at the hop!)



Welcome! Whether you hopped this way from Michelle Hill's blog as a part of the CKU (Creating Keepsakes University) blog hop that's going on today or you just happened by, I'm happy you're here.

Let's talk burlap wrap!

Wanting to share my love of burlap with you, I'm giving you a sneak peek at something special I'm working on for my CKU class students. Shhhhh... don't let the cat out of the burlap bag. ;)

(I'm teaching at our special CKU reunion event next month. Woot! But more on that in a minute.)

Let's paint some burlap.


Supplies you'll need:

  1. Burlap bag(s) (or canvas, or paper, or any style you fancy)
    1. Note: My bags are from Jamali Garden, a fab floral shop in NYC. If you're reading this from NYC and wouldn't mind picking me up some more, please let me know. I promise to make it worth your while. :)
  2. Acrylic paint
    1. Note: I used the new and lovely Martha Stewart line of paints in Summer Haze blue and Wedding Cake white. I purchased these at Michaels. Check out my girl, Marth, talking up her paints. 
  3. A tag or scrap of cardstock
  4. Paint brush or sponge
  5. Foam stamps and/or number stencils
    1. Note: I used the Monogram Serif Stencil set from MSC. 
    2. The foam stamps are a former Creating Keepsakes kit. I'm afraid it's no longer available, BUT you will get to play with these stamps if you take my Got Your Number class at CKU. (Again, more on that soon.)
Ready, Freddy? It's as easy as either stenciling or stamping a number on a bag with your paint. 

Note: Because this is a special treat for my CKU class, which has a number theme, I used numbers, but you can do this with anything--a monogram, an ampersand sign (&), a heart--anything! 

Before you paint, make sure you insert a heavy scrap (i.e. tag, cardstock, or cardboard) into the bag to keep the paint from bleeding through. Muy importante. 




I stenciled the No. and stamped the 2.




The burlap took the paint beautifully. Well... except for the glitter paint. It didn't show up as well. But I do like the subtle, almost water-mark look it creates. Do you see the 3?


Make any gift stand out with this quick and easy gift-wrap project.

Now, let's talk getaways...

Calling all Creatives! 
Do you like playing with paper? Fancy a little fabric and sewing? How about the oh-so-popular mixed media craze? Are you a beading babe? If you're anything like me, you said "YES!" to all of these questions. (I know how we creative peeps are.) Whether you like one craft specifically or dabble in several areas, you're going to love the CKU Reunion!


I feel very blessed to be joining this fantastic group of instructors as a teacher at this highly anticipated event.



I imagine you recognize many of these friendly faces. Each of these talented gals have something unique and inspiring to offer you during this fun-filled weekend.

My Class: Got Your Number
Anyone born before 1985 knows that Jenny's # is 867-5309, but what are your digits? In my all-day album class, you'll discover that many numbers make up your beautiful life.



Huzzah! We are going to have a blast exploring our life numbers.

Take a look at what you can expect!


I'm VERY excited about the fun to come in Sunny San Diego, California, Oct. 27-29.
Will you be there?
There's still time to register!
An entire weekend of creative fun for only $295!
And once you've registered, I'd be honored if you had my number and dialed into the sure-to-be-fun Got Your Number class.



Hop On!
Thanks for hopping in to check out my bag project and learn a little about CKU. Time to hop on to the next blogger in our line up, the stellar Kim Watson, and see what she has in store for you. Tell her hi for me!

Note: If you're interested in starting at the beginning of this here hop, jump on over to Mou Saha's blog, where the fun begins!

One More Thing, a la Sesame Street
Before you go, here's a quick flick to enjoy. Since I'm working on my CKU class today, which is all about having fun with numbers, I've watched this gem more times than I'd like to admit. Thought we'd take one more listen together. (Click the image below to let the fun begin.)

Hope to see you at the CKU reunion next month!

Japanese Masking Tape Projects (and a little TV Time)


Domo arigato, Japan. Japanese masking tape is one of my favorite things to hit the crafting market in a long time. I love how versatile it is. Thanks to its not-so-tacky tack, I can put it on my wall without damaging the paint, and I can even peel and stick it on paper several times without messing up the paper. It’s a masking marvel. Check out a few things I created with it, using the Love My Tapes brand, for a local TV segment.

Build a Banner
I wrapped the tape around a ribbon and adhered it to itself to create this banner. It’s a quick way to dress up the home or the yard.


For a more seasonal take, I punched bits of cardstock and added letter stickers to spell “spring.” I then attached the letters using the pretty tape.



Create with Clothespins
The tape will adhere to several surfaces, including wood, so I used it to dress up an ordinary clothespin. It’s a unique way of adding a placecard to a table setting.



Tape Up Some Letterhead
I cut the tape into triangles and added a little stitching to create a banner across the paper. I will either add my name to the banner to create personalized stationery, or I will turn this into a scrapbook layout. Either way, this is a simple way to make a playful banner.


Wrap without Paper
You don’t need wrapping paper to dress up a present. Instead, wrap a basic box with Japanese masking tape. It’s colorful and quick…what a gift!

Enhance an Envelope
Make your letter standout from the crowd with a little tape.

And don’t forget the back. Slap a little tape on the flap.

What About You?
I know I’ll be doing more with this fun-to-use craft medium. Have you had a chance to play with it yet? What’s your favorite use?

TV Time
If you're interested, you can check out my Studio 5 segment, where I shared these and other projects. You'll love seeing what Darin, one of the hosts, did with the tape. It was very creative. Enjoy the show!

Also, you can check out several of my past Studio 5 appearances by visiting the section of the "Apperances" Creating Keepsakes website. Thanks for taking a peek. Your support is always appreciated. :)