Summer of the Anklet (with Beaded Bands)

My favourite summer camp accessory is definitely the anklet. It’s low key, totally casual and, when you spend all summer in shorts and bathing suits, it really gets a chance to shine. So, every year, I whip up a fancy friendship bracelet to wear from the lake to the campfire to bunkhouse and back again, until it plum falls off from exhaustion somewhere along the way.

Now that I’m a little older, and ever so much more mature (ha!), I wanted to give my favourite summer accessory a sophisticated twist! So, I grabbed a copy of one of my favourite Klutz books, Beaded Bands, and whipped up one of those pretty little wrap-around bracelets that were such a hit at Christmas!

My beaded anklet was so pretty that a friend wanted one too, so I beaded up one for my summer-anklet-sister and we pranced around camp in our fancy new footwear! And, sure, I’ll be sad when this summer camp anklet expires but, just like summer, it’s short time here is what makes it so special! And, plus, that just gives me a chance to make up a fancy new one for next year!

Greetings from Summer Camp (with Cootie Catchers)

I woke up this morning to find the strangest thing… A patch of colourful Cootie Catchers growing wild by the water!

So I picked a bouquet to share with all my camp friends and we had a great day of fortune-telling fun! First, a game of truth or dare on the dock, followed by some silly fill-in-the-blanks over lunch, then a fortune telling session by the camp fire, and a glow-in-the-dark midnight game of cootie catchers in our cabin. It was so much fun that I stashed my bouquet in a jar on my dresser so that we can do it all again tomorrow!

If you’re not lucky enough to stumble upon a patch of wild Cootie Catchers, fear not! You can find these pretty little fortune tellers pre-packaged in one sparkly little book! If you’ve got camp on your summer agenda, be sure and pack this fold-and-play summer essential in your duffel bag!

Pom Pom Monsters High (with Klutz: Pom Pom Monster Salon)

I went to see Monster University last weekend and, guys, it was amazing! I had pretty high expectations for this one and wondered how a prequel would do without cute little Boo... But it definitely lived up to my love of the first and, after that, I just couldn't get those monsters off my mind.

So, I grabbed a copy of Pom Pom Monster Salon and put my inspiration to work. I took things even further back and whipped up some cute pom pom monsters to populate my Monsters High School!

School’s out guys, congrats!

What will you get up to this summer?

Beachy Keen (with Window Art)

One thing this crafty gal has always dreamed of — besides my very own crafting room, of course — is that one day I will get to live near a beach. As a born and bred city gal, sometimes this dream seems destined to stay just that... But with a little inspiration from my favourite friend, I’ve found a way to bring the sun and sand to my skyscraper-filled view.

With a  couple of rounds of Window Art under my belt, this time I decided to take those pretty little paints off-book and make some dreamy summer scenes that take me to my happy place.

So, I searched out some beachy clip art online and printed them out in full page format (don’t worry if it gets a little grainy, as long as you can see enough of the picture to trace, you should be good to go). Then I popped them in the plastic sleeve and got to painting. And all those bright and shiny colours that I raved were perfect for fall and Christmas, turned out to be pretty great for summer too!

So now, this city-bound gal just has to look out her window to see soft sand beaches and bright turquoise water! Turns out, with a little help from Klutz, dreams can come true!

Pretty Summer Suits (with My Fabulous Look Book)

The season of swimming is upon us, yay! 

But with it comes one of summer's most aggravating rites of passage...

The search for the perfect swimsuit.

To find it, you have to brave fluorescent lights, bunched up underwear underneath, and the inevitable comparisons between the way you look in the suit to how the model on the poster right next to you looks in it. Swimming season has its downsides…

But when you find a winner, oh boy, is it great! There’s nothing like hitting the beach, playing in the waves and soaking up the sun (through a thick layer of UV protection, of course!) without a care for too loose straps or a recurring wedgie.

So, in preparation for my summer swimsuit search, I grabbed a copy of My Fabulous Look Book to try and pick out my ideal styles before I hit the stores.

I mixed and matched bright neons with classic black, a retro high waister with a bustier top, a daring strapless beauty with a pretty gold accent, and a Minnie Mouse inspired skirt suit that I absolutely love!

So many choices, so much time in the change room avoided. Knowing what you’re looking for is half the battle. Now my only problem is deciding which I like best!

Flip Book Fashion Show (Ft. The Marvelous Book of Magical Horses)

I had so much fun making my Star Wars Thumb Doodles comic book, that I had to give the idea another try. So, I dressed up some magically marvelous friends and we put together a little flip book fashion show!

May the Fourth Be With You! (Ft. Klutz: Stars Wars Thumb Doodles)