Taking the Long Way Home (With Cat's Cradle & Me vs. You)

 

Every summer, when I was a child, my parents would ship my sister and I up to the cottage for a month to hang with the grandparents and soak up the sun before heading back to school. Those summers at the cottage are some of my favourite childhood memories!

But all that fun came at a price, and that price was a six hour car ride…each way! Oh, the hours my sister and I spent, listening to the same couple of cassettes on repeat and singing at the top of our lungs (sorry dad!). Now that I’m a little older, it’s a price I would gladly pay but, boy, when I was little it was just the worst!
 

So, this year, as we headed up to the cottage for a long weekend trip, I packed some Klutz kits to keep us occupied and spare my dad’s exhausted ear drums. We squashed ourselves into the car and, between naps, pit stops and snack breaks, we had a back seat blast!

First was an epic showdown  of Me Versus You, red versus blue, and sister versus sister for the title of Queen of the Car Ride! We popped apart the two pads and flew through page after page of classic pencil games—word searches, scavenger hunts, jumbles, and more—smiling smugly at our wins and suffering graciously through defeat. And when there were no more games to be played—this was a six hour car ride, after all—we declared a winner and decided to move on to co-operative play time.

Who doesn’t love a good game of Cat’s Cradle? There is nothing more satisfying than remembering that magic combination of pinches and tugs that transforms one stringthing into the next. And with illustrated instructions for five different string figures and a sunny-coloured, tie-dyed loop of string, it’s as easy as a summer breeze! 

By the time we arrived, it felt like no time had passed. These low-tech boredom busters had whiled away the time and all that was left were memories of crazy competition, wild giggles, a Cat’s Cradle crown, and tons of road trip fun!

Sidewalk Carnival! (With Chalk the Block & Balloon Twisting)

What's a crafty girl to do on a scorching hot long weekend at home?
 

Grab some Klutz kits and throw a carnival, of course!
 

That’s right folks, step right up to the amazing Sidewalk Carnival, where we're Chalking the Block and Balloon Twisting till the day is done!

Colourful cotton candy, Canada Day flags, balloon animals, games, even a roller coaster! Our cool little carnival had it all.
 

What did you get up to this wonderful long weekend? Any fun crafts to share?

(Paper) Stained Glass Summer

The last time I tested out Paper Stained Glass, it was the dead of winter. So my options for dressing big, bright and sunny windows were rather limited and I had to get a little creative. But now it’s finally summer, and a scorcher to boot, so I’m going stained glass crazy!

These pretty little creations are a great way to add some colour to your house, just in time for Canada day. With tons of intricate designs, vibrant markers, and a couldn’t-be-easier, colour-by numbers format there’s no reason not to let the sun shine in!

Daddy-Daughter Day (with Foam Rockets & Coin Blaster Arcade)

For all the ways that I’m just like my momma, I am just as much my father’s daughter, too. Yes, this crafty gal has always looked up to her brainy dad, so when Father’s Day rolls around every year, I want it to be great!

My dad is out of town this weekend, but I’m not going to let a little thing like a continent get in my way. Before he left, I snuck a secret package into my dad’s suitcase with instructions to meet up for a video chat on the big day.

Since we’re celebrating from far away, and because my dad is a bit of an astronomy nut, I broke out Foam Rockets for some Father’s Day fun. They’re so easy to assemble; just punch out the paper rocket pieces, attach them to the foam body, pop it all on the air bulb launcher and 3… 2… 1… blast off! I gave my dad a one-of-a-kind card by attaching my Father’s Day message to these high flyers and putting on an out-of-this-world air show just for him.

Next, it was time for presents! My dad has it all, so I figured the best gift I could give him was an afternoon of fun. Inside his secret package, he found a copy of Coin Blasters—the latest, greatest, kookiest Klutz contraption yet—with more than ten tabletop games you play with a coin. We flipped from colourful, pop-out page to page playing Hot Shot Hoops, Skee Coin and Penny Putt Golf with the cool Coin Blaster—a finger-powered mini-cannon that really sends your coins flying! 

And, okay, maybe another thing my dad and I have in common is our complete lack of hand-eye co-ordination, but we sure did have a blast!

Wanna see what the Coin Blaster masters can do? Check out this video below.

 

Paper Fashions Fix

Summer is my favourite season for fashion. Bright colours, flowy dresses, cute accessories; I love them all! It's the time of no muss, no fuss, throw it on and go casual, and I couldn’t be more pleased that this season has finally rolled around. 

And while my budget may not be as big as my ambitions, I found a way to get my summer style fix with Paper Fashions by Klutz. 

There are so many colours, patterns and stylish stencil silhouettes to choose from, so you can create any outfit with the simple snip of your scissors. I filled my fantasy closet with tons of trendy summer pieces!

 Printed Peplum and Cool Colourblock

White Hot Pants and a Marvelous Lace Maxi

The best thing about this cool little kit is, if you can’t find the pattern you’re looking for, any scrap of paper can serve as inspiration. 

Now, if only real clothes were this easy to create!

Thumbs Up for Summer (With Fingerprint Fabulous & Splat Art)

 

My summer vacation started early this year, when I took some time off to enjoy last week’s beautiful weather. I went to the beach, drank pink lemonade, hung out with friends, and picnicked outside. It was perfect! But no week is complete without some Klutz, so when the sun got too hot to handle, I snuck in to the cool of the AC for a little crafting. 

But even inside, I just couldn’t put away my summer spirit! And so I made these cute postcards to send to friends. Because after the summer vacation goodbyes are all said and done, there are still stories to share and secrets to tell. So, I’m going retro and sending out my thoughts snail-mail style. And the best part? These postcards are truly one of a kind because they were made with my own fingerprints!

 

Fingerprint Fabulous turns your prints into art with tons of fun examples and backgrounds for you to choose from. Stamp some finger flowers for your shop, make a garden full of creepy crawly thumb bugs, or whip up some sweet treats with just your pinky! As soon as I found these postcards at the back of the book, I got busy printing up a storm!

 

Then, just when I thought my thumb doodling was all done, I mixed it up and moved my prints to another Klutz doodling favourite. Remember when I played with Splat Art a while back? Well, I had some pages that remained untouched after my first adventure, so I dressed up those drips and dribbles with colourful thumbprints to make even more finger art!

 

Sunshine, summer postcards, and a little cross-Klutzing? That gets two (very inky) thumbs up from me!

A Sweet Summer Send-Off (with Safety Pin Bracelets)

Ah, the start of summer!

Those lazy last days of class, watching movies and mulling over summer plans, signing yearbooks and saying goodbyes.

As a girl who would spend most of her summers at sleep-away camp and the cottage, it was always a bittersweet moment for me. Summer was a time to say goodbye to all my friends till the new school year began. Between sorrowful farewells and promises to keep in touch, we always made sure to exchange small tokens to remember each other by, through (what seemed like) our eternal separation.

Well, I may not say "so long" to school friends anymore, but summer has still brought about some big goodbyes. Goodbye to my parents who are leaving on a six-month vacation; goodbye to a friend who I know I won’t see for a while; and goodbye to another friend, off to travel to far-off places and start a new life. I’m looking for a gift that will suit all three goodbyes!

Safety pins were a hot accessory a little while back, but those of us with a softer sense of style were happy to let that trend pass us by. Now, this edgy accessory gets a sweeter side with Safety Pin Bracelets. These simple pins are back in a big way, with colourful beaded bracelets that are fun for anyone!

For something that looks so intricate, these bracelets are surprising simple to make. Pop beads on the safety pins, then string them together to create all sorts of patterns and designs. I was having so much fun that I decided to branch out into other accessories. Bright fireworks earrings, a pretty peace sign pendant, and a colour block bracelet are the perfect accessories to send my friends off in style!

  

Whether you’re saying goodbye to old friends, trading tokens for summer separation, or just looking for a fun afternoon craft, these polished bracelets are pretty much perfect!