Capsters Egg Hunt

Pretty pastels, fluffy white bunnies, yummy chocolates and marshmallow peeps. Is there anything sweeter than Easter? I think not!

But there’s one Easter tradition on which I’m not so keen: dyeing eggs. Coloured eggs are cute and all, but the mess, oh, the mess! It’s too much for this clean-crafter to bear, so this year I’m giving my Easter eggs a modern, mess-free twist by making treasure-filled Capsters for the whole family!

It’s so simple! Just load up the Capsters with trinkets, stickers, beads and whatever else you’ve got on hand. Then set it in the special glaze, let it dry and you’re good to go!

Create personalized place cards for the dinner table, decorate cards and gift bags, and hide them around the house for a food-free Easter hunt, or set this Klutz book out on the big day and let everyone have a turn making their own bottle cap treasures.

Happy Easter crafting all!

A Klutz Trip Down Disney Lane

Disney and I go way back. Back to a time when I could recite every word to Beauty and the Beast and would stage kitchen productions with nothing more than a cassette tape and a love of singing that could not even be discouraged by my horrible voice. And though I still delight in returning to my old Disney friends, I have never quite been able to recapture that magical bond we once shared.

Then I happened upon these two Disney-fied Klutz kits, Buzz Lightyear Foam Gliders and Make Your Own Princess Tiaras, and I had an idea that just might work. So, I called in some reinforcements—my favourite little kiddo and my kid sister—and found that getting back to that special time was as easy as one, two, three!

We set to work bedazzling tiaras, popping together planes and chatting about what we did over Spring Break, and I could already feel that familiar buzz of excitement beginning to return. I was reminded that four chairs and an old blanket can magically transform into a castle, and a handful of colourful plastic magnets can be anything from a cobblestone path to a fire to roast marshmallows over.

With my child-like enthusiasm sufficiently renewed and our tiaras set aside to dry, it was time to head outside for some flight practice. Setting our sights on our target—the Evil Emperor Zurg—we practiced our flight pattern and battle formations in the hopes of defeating our enemy. Turns out we weren’t terribly successful, but we had a ton of fun trying and boy, did those little planes really hold up in battle!

Eventually Zurg was defeated and the galaxy was safe once again, so we headed inside to celebrate in royal fashion. Belle is my best gal, but its Ariel’s voice that really makes me swoon, so I paid homage to my favourite mer-princess with a pretty pink crown decked out in seashells. And with expandable Velcro closures, thankfully these tiaras will fit even the most grown-up of heads. Decked out in our glittery gear, we smiled for some shots for the paparazzi and our adoring fans.

Finally, when we’d flown our last flight and twirled our last twirl, I remember another thing about being a kid—it’s exhausting! So I headed off to dreamland and my Disney adventure was complete.

Paper Pups and All Things Spring

Somewhere between the icy chill of Monday and this flurrying Friday, spring sprung up to say hello. So, I kicked off my winter coat and dreamed of splashing in puddles and picnics in the park. I felt silly and fun and carefree! (The first signs of spring will do that to a girl.)


Sadly, this spring break was short-lived, so I’ve put my plans on hold. But I’m clinging to the memories of that glorious day in the sun with some crafts that are sure to cure my spring fever.

First I took some Paper Pups out for a stroll! Pajamas and tutus and swimwear; oh my! These mess-free pets, dressed up in their finest, are enough to melt the heart of anyone!

Next some Twisted Critters came out to play. I twisted, twirled and wrapped a bumbling bee spreading pollen for spring, a baby carrot peeking up out of the ground, and an little yellow chick hatching just in time for Easter.

Finally, I made some Super Simple Sewing accessories that even the littlest of hands can fashion. Pretty pastels, felt florals, and a little pink coin purse, just begging for some warm weather to show themselves off!

Surrounded by a few of my favourite spring things, I’m already starting to feel my fever subside. And with only 11 days left till spring’s official start, hopefully I won’t have much longer to wait…

One final note for French readers out there: I wanted to let you know that a lot of Klutz activity books are now available in French! Click here to see what's available.

A Not So Long Time Ago in a Living Room Far, Far Away...

As the daughter of a computer programmer, when it comes to cool, I never really had a chance. Give me a book or a video game and a comfy couch, and that’s where I’d rather be any day!

So, it’s an embarrassing blow to my nerd credentials that I've never actually seen the original Star Wars Trilogy. I have a vague memory of watching The Empire Strikes Back in daycare, and being promptly put off by a man inside the carcass of a very large animal. I have never tried to watch them since... 

Then last week, a video game swap left me with a copy of Lego Star Wars. As I played through the levels, I felt ready to give the movies another try. When I discovered there were some awesome Klutz kits to make my movie marathon extra special, and I knew the time was right. I hunkered down on the couch with Star Wars Folded Flyers, Draw Star Wars, a giant bowl of popcorn and all six movies, and began.

I folded out paper versions of a Jedi Starfighter and the Millennium Falcon, zooming them around the living room in time to the action. And, since I’m now a drawing superstar, I whipped up some Clone Wars characters to get in on the action. I may have even been caught in the middle of a paper-Star-Wars-theatre production, but I didn’t care. I was having too much fun!

Now that my two Spring Break goals are officially complete, I’ve decided to tack on a third because, hey, March has only just begun! Next week I’m challenging myself to show some love to animals, which if you’ve been paying attention, for me is no easy feat. 

Stay tuned!

Colour Me Surprised

In my crafting life, I've come to accept that drawing is my Achilles heel. No matter how many times I try to draw a face or sketch out scenery, I quickly remember that it's not my forte.

 

For Spring Break this year, I have two things on my to do list: re-watch the entire Star Wars saga, and get better at drawing. I’ll tell you more about that first goal in another post, but this week it's all about rehabilitating the pour soul who created this into someone who might be able to tackle this.

First, I dug into my magic box of Klutz and pulled out two kits to guide me in the right direction. I warmed up with Splat Art. This kooky book is packed with all sorts of splatted, stamped and squashed things that you can re-imagine into something new. I made a sponge print into the "Knight Bus," turned some string art into yummy cotton candy and (okay, so technically this one isn't drawing) I transformed an looping ribbon into a miniature royal decree.

Once I had mastered the Splat, it was time to move onto something a little more challenging (relatively speaking, of course.) Because, with pre-printed backgrounds and an amazing fold-out book (so you can flip the drawing instructions right out front of you), it doesn't get much easier than Mix & Match Drawing. Still, this is me we’re talking about, so I was skeptical at first.

Turns out I’m not so bad! I may have struggled to keep things to scale (that knight should probably be a bit smaller than his fire-breathing foe), but the step-by-step, shape-by-shape directions held my hand till the end. I sat back to discover that I had drawn something pretty decent. Sure, there were a couple of small gaffes, but I’m getting better! And that’s more than I’ve ever been able to say before.

One goal well on it's way to completion and one left to go.
What are your goals for Spring Break this year?

Stamp Collector

I fell in love with Stamp Art a while back when I used it to make place cards for my big birthday party. When it came time for me to make valentines for my class -- or the grown-up girl’s equivalent, her coworkers -- I knew that stamp-art cards would be a huge hit. And since I had already thrown down the challenge to banish the box, it was time to put my money where my mouth was!

I got to work, peeling, sticking, stamping and colouring to create a set of too-cute handmade valentines. Flowers, hearts, cupcakes and ice cream sundaes materialized out of the basic rubber stamp shapes, and with just a little touch of colour they were ready for gifting!

Tomorrow, I’m looking forward to a day filled with creative cards, good friends, sugary sweets and lots of love. I hope your day is just as special!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Pretty Painted Tips

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Here's a Valentine's treat

That's just for you!

Valentine's Day is all about giving, but that doesn't mean you can't treat yourself too! Why not celebrate with some funky Nail Art? This book is packed with tons of tips and techniques, patterns and designs, plus a rainbow of non-toxic, peel-off polish, so you can change your tips to match your mood. This month, I'm full of sweet kisses, swoon-y daydreams and little love notes. Next month, who knows?

Unless you're ambidextrously blessed you might need some help to make a matching set, so grab a friend and get busy. Valentine's Day is only a week away!