Super Cute Sock Puppets made with Fabric Fusion

Check out these adorable puppets that were forwarded to us on Facebook! Jaime Gaydos Fletcher grabbed the kiddos and all those random socks not eaten by the infamous Dryer Monster and created these super cute sock puppets! It just goes to show that kids don't always need expensive electronics or toys to have a good time! Socks, simple embellishments, and some Aleene's® Fabric Fusion™ do the trick!


Socks, socks, and more socks! You probably have piles of these laying around your washing machine too!


Feathers, yarn, pom poms, and googly eyes (you can't forget them) give these little critters personality.


It's pretty obvious from their faces that they were having a blast!


And this little face looks pretty happy too!


You can get Fabric Fusion™ at your local craft or fabric store. It's the perfect glue for all your fabric and craft creations!

If you have a craft project using Duncan, Aleene's®, Crafty Chica™, or Tulip® products, please share it with us. Send your submission to ilovetocreateblog@yahoo.com and you may be featured on our blog or one of our future Crafty Roundups!

Crazy for Ombre

Ombre fashion is everywhere! It's evident in this collage created with Polyvore. Making these little collages is a lot of fun!

You can get this look too and for a whole lot less expensive than the designer duds that you see above. All you need is Tulip® One-Step Fashion Dyes™. See some of the great looks that are on www.ilovetocreate.com!


– Ombre Pink Shirt

– Ready for Summer Capris

– Shades of Summer Ombre shirt

– Graduation T-shirt

For more info on getting this style, check out this great video we created showing you how!

Crafty Roundup

– Capture the beauty of a desert sunset for your home décor with the perfect partnership of Crystals™ Glazes from the new Earth and Sky Series and Concepts® Underglazes! This Duncan Oh Four™ Freeform Vase colored in rich earth tones will bring vibrance to any room in your house.

– Don’t brew over creating the perfect teatime setting! Bonding those delicate papers and ribbons together is as easy as the pie you’ll be serving with tea, thanks to Aleene’s® Crystal Clear Tacky Spray™. Choose your favorite prints and colors, then spray away, knowing your guests will only see the tasteful décor, not the glue that holds it together!

– Go crazy for crystals! A little sparkle goes a long way when it comes to décor for your favorite cozy spaces. Upcycle a decorative pillow that’s lost its touch with Tulip® Glam-It-Up!™ Iron-On Crystals™ then place it on your sofa, bed or anywhere that needs some extra dazzle!

– Get a taste of Talavera with this bracelet and choker, inspired by the beautiful designs of this popular style of Mexican tile and ceramic ware. Small wood hearts make a big statement with Crafty Chica™ Little Chica Paint Packs™ and Mojito Papers™ and Aleene’s® Original Tacky Glue®!


– Jennifer Perkins makes an eco-friendly ping-pong ball necklace with Collage Pauge™, Aleene's Paper Glaze™ and junk mail.

– Mother’s Day is right around the corner so it’s time to start making a collection of these cute bowl doilies using Aleene’s Fabric Stiffener & Draping Liquid!

– Glam up a plain lampshade with Markers with the Crafty Chica!

– Whip up an eco-friendly project like this t-shirt using Fabric Fusion.


Sister Diane creates this awesome magazine reed box on Craftstylish!

– Fashion Girl gives a recap of her time at National Art Educators Association Convention!

– Susan Beal recycles baby food jars into cute terraniums on Craftstylish!

– Tracy Bautista is on Twitter now! Read all about it here!

If you have a craft project using Duncan, Aleene's®, Crafty Chica™, or Tulip® products, please share it with us. Send your submission to ilovetocreateblog@yahoo.com and you may be featured on our blog or Crafty Roundup next week!

Inspired at Home Radio

Get your green on this Earth Day!

Going green in your crafting is all about reusing and repurposing what you already have to create something totally fab and new! It doesn't have to cost a lot of money (actually the idea is the cheaper the better) and it should make you feel good knowing you are upcycling your stuff laying around instead of going out and buying new! This movement has really taken off with the downturn of the economy...everyone is getting back to basics!

Here's some awesome ideas to inspire you and help get your green groove on! All you need is a super strong glue like Liquid Fusion! It dries super fast and clear and is environmentally friendly. What could be better than that?


This funky mirror project uses all your bits and pieces around the house!


Make a terrarium from a liter bottle and watch plants grow!

Turn old bracelets into a kitschy new vase. So colorful!

This berry branch mirror brings the outdoors in!

The perfect tote for Earth Day

How marvelous is this tote by our designer Debbie Rines? Just love all the detail she added in to make the water have more dimension. So cool!! And this is an extra blingtastic tote that you can reuse time and time again. A perfect way to give back to the Earth by reusing instead of using plastic or paper bags!

Oh, and learn how to do the project: Sea to Shining Sea Tote

Crafty Roundup

– Make this Fringed and Fabulous Laptop Bag using Crafty Chica™ Iron-on Appliques™.

– This elegant black and white plate uses Concepts™ Glaze for Bisque and Majolica.

– This Pieces of Fun Frame uses Aleene's Platinum Bond Super Gel.

– Revamp your old shirts using into Flaming Skull creations using Tulip® Permanent Fabric Dye and Tulip® Sticky Fabric Stencils™ .



– Make easy candleholders with Inspired at Home.

– Turn your favorite collection into cool, new jewelry with Jennifer Perkins of Naughty Secretary Club.

– Crafty Chica™ wants to hear all about your ideas. Learn how to submit one today!

– In honor of tax day, create a frame using old receipts and UPC stickers.

Learn a new technique today!

Get a jumpstart on your creativity and learn a brand new technique! Our technique library is filled with all kinds of great techniques that will inspire you to try something totally new. Choose from a wide variety of techniques as shown below:

– Tie Dye Painting
– Tie Dye Ombre Technique
– Paper Pressing using Dimensional Paint
– Embossing fabric with a Stamp
– Decoupage Basics
– Applying crystals
– Applying an iron-on transfer
– Paper pressing dimensional paint

And great ceramic painting techniques like:

– Glaze spritzing
– Mask n’ Pell
– Majolica
– Bisque sponging
– Using Quick Crackle
– Marbelizing and much more!

Below is a step by step of how a technique is shown on our site (click on the step by step image to get a better view) to get the sunburst technique seen on the model. As you can see, we provide you with clear explanation and step by step photos to help you achieve the best results.





So visit our technique page and get started learning a new technique today!

Basic Tie Dye Video with Maya!

Crafty Chica's™ daughter Maya seems to have gotten the crafty gene too! Check out this funny and highly creative craft video that she made. Great job Maya!

Crafty Chica™ Madness!!!

Hey guys! Wanted to share some cool Crafty Chica™ web news!

First off, Kathy is now seeking submissions for Inspiration Friday. Find all the details here. She wants to here your creative voice, whether it be crafting, writing, funny stories, videos, or anything else creative you may do. So head on over and read all about her brand new inspiring feature!



Secondly, Crafty Chica's got a brand new Facebook page! Woo hoo! Click here to check it out and sign up to be her fan. There's lot of Crafty Chica goodness going on on there, so you need to get in on the action!!

And if you haven't signed up to be a friend of www.ilovetocreate.com on Facebook, remember to become a fan of it too! Click here to visit it now.

Oh, and last but not least, there's still time to sign up to win a cool Crafty Chica prize pack via our Myspace page. Head on over and register to win!

Crafty Roundup

Another week, another dose of crafty inspiration for everyone out there who loves to create! Check out some of the hot ideas in our www.ilovetocreate.com project library!

– Feeling blue? Make a new tie-dye shirt using the Moody Blues™ Tie-Dye kit!

– Create this puzzle piece necklace! It's a fast and fun kid's project using Aleene's® Crystal Clear Tacky Spray™.

– Jazz up any room with this Crafty Loteria Wall Clock using Crafty Chica products.

– Enhance your décor in richness with these Puzzle Vases using new Earth & Sky Crystal Glazes.


Check out what some of our other crafty bloggers are up to this week!

– Make cute handmade gift boxes at Inspired at Home.

– Crafty Chica™ shows you how to create faux Easter chocolates.

– A Peep® project goes terribly wrong with Vickie Howell.

– Make your own designer necklace with Jennifer Perkins, The Naughty Secretary.


Here's some more inspiration and ideas we found this week on the web!

– Make paper cherry blossoms with DIY Maven at Curbly.

– Express Your Creativity shows us how to make cool crafts from old records like this cupcake stand!

– Crafty Nest shows us how to make amazingly modern hemp pendant lamps.

– Create a colorful, custom scarf with Sacred Yoli.

– Make a pretty paper corsage for Easter at Instructables.

– Swelldesigner shows you how to make Tie-Dye Rainbow Rosettes!

– Creative Home Arts Club shows you how to make pretty ribbon eggs.

– Put your buttons to good use on these simple button eggs from DotComWomen.

Hope you love these ideas and feel inspired to make them yourself! If you have an idea you would like to submit to our Crafty Roundup using Aleene's®, Duncan, Crafty Chica™, or Tulip® products, e-mail us at ilovetocreateblog@yahoo.com! We'd love to see what you do!

I Love to Create Technique Videos!

One of the great things about www.ilovetocreate.com is the vast amount of resources that are available to crafters looking for new techniques and projects! Our technique videos, found here, give you step by step instructions on using our Tulip paints and dyes, Duncan ceramic paints and bisque pieces, and Collage Pauge products. We will constantly be updating this page, so look back from time to time to see what new product/project video is being featured! And we'll fill you in on this blog when we have new updated videos!

Check out our featured video above using Tulip® Cool Color Spray™ for Fabric and Tulip® Cool Color Block Resist. Alexis shows you how to make a custom heart with wings tee. It turns out so cute and colorful!

Hope this inspires you to want to create a new, fab project!

Featured project: Urban Graffiti Eggs!

Sacred Yoli sent us her fabulous Urban Graffiti Eggs using Crafty Chica Varnish.

We heart her mixed-media take on Easter eggs. This is a great project for anyone who is more into bold and brights, not pastels!

Talk about taking a project to the next level! Great job Yoli!

Eggscellent Easter Crafts!

Easter is almost upon us and the perfect time to craft! Whether you are creating a fun and festive project for your Easter table or enjoying craft time with family, there's something for everyone at www.ilovetocreate.com .

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– Create this colorful placesetting using Tulip® One-Step Fashion Dyes™ and Aleene's® Adhesives.

– Paint this beautiful blue flower placemat using Tulip® Soft Fabric Paint.

– This bunny plate will be a crowd please using Concepts® Underglazes for Bisque and Majolica.

– These Mosaic Eggs would make a beautiful centerpiece for your Easter table.



– Break out your ribbon stash to make this Ribbon Egg using Aleene's® Tacky Packs!

– Create this adorable Bunny Face Box for candy and goodies using Concepts® Underglazes for Bisque and Majolica.

– Give this Bunny Pocket Pal to some bunny you love using Aleene's® Quick Dry Tacky Glue™.

– Personalize Egg magnets for the entire family using Aleene's® Crystal Clear Tacky Spray.

What Easter crafts have you created? If they've used Tulip®, Aleene's®, Crafty Chica™, or Duncan products, we want to see your work! Send us an e-mail at ilovetocreateblog@yahoo.com showing us what you do! Please put in the subject line "Ilovetocreate project". We might even feature it on this blog or on our other social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, or Myspace!

Prom Inspiration!

Prom is only a few weeks away and if you haven't found the perfect dress, accessories, or footwear, it's not too late to glam up your own custom creations! So break out the Tulip™ paints, glitters, and crystals and Aleene's™ adhesives and channel your inner Molly Ringwald as seen in Pretty in Pink (just minus the sewing machine)!


– How adorable is this sparkleicious dress adorned with Tulip® Glam-It-Up!™ Iron-on Crystals™?

– Use Tulip® Soft Fabric Paint™ and Glam-it-up™ Crystals to make these pretty party dresses.

– Make them stop and stare when you wear this Glam Girl Glitter Dress using Tulip® Fashion Glitter™

– Stand out from the rest in this colorful number using Tulip® One-Step Fashion Dyes™



– Transform a plain headband into this bow-dacious headband using Tulip® Fashion Glitter™ and Aleene's® Platinum Bond™ 7800 All-Purpose Adhesive!

– Tulip® Fashion Art products put the pizzazz on a polka dot purse you decorate yourself.

– Spice up your prom footwear with these bowed shoes created with Aleene's® Fabric Fusion™ Permanent Dry Cleanable Fabric Adhesive™.

– Go glam with these star-studded shoes using Tulip® Glam-It-Up!™ Iron-On Crystals™.

What prom designs have you created? If they've used Tulip®, Aleene's®, Crafty Chica™, or Duncan products, we want to see your work! Send us an e-mail at ilovetocreateblog@yahoo.com showing us what you do! Please put in the subject line "Ilovetocreate project". We might even feature it on this blog or on our other social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, or Myspace!

www.ilovetocreate.com Crafty Roundup

This week there were a lot of great craft ideas and inspiration to be found not only on www.ilovetocreate.com, but also on some of our favorite blogs in the webosphere! Check them out!


On www.ilovetocreate.com, new projects are up, so hop on over and check them out!

– Favorite Flower Pillow using Tulip® One-Step Fashion Dyes™

– A Taste of Talavera Bracelet using Crafty Chica™ products

– Break of Dawn plate using the new Earth & Sky Crystal Glazes

– The Flavor of Creativity upcycled containers using Aleene's® Crystal Clear Tacky Glue™

Our favorite bloggers are also at it, whipping up some awesome inspiration!!


Jennifer Perkins of Naughty Secretary Club shares how to make Recycled Fabric Bangle Bracelets

Vickie Howell throws a baby bib making party using Tulip® products!

Kathy Cano-Murillo a.k.a. The Crafty Chica™ crafts up Oil-Cloth Jewelry Box Purses.

The Inspired at Home blog creates Grab & Go Gift Bags from small embellishments and Aleene's® Tacky Glue.

And here's some more flavorful inspiration and news to get your weekend started off right!


– Read all about how Tulip® Tie Dye kits were a big hit with kids at the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice awards from Fashion Girl.

– Make peace sign plates with Ceramic Diva!

– Learn why Barbie is all the rage at Jen's Trend Spot!

– Swelldesigner shares a glam graffiti earring project on her blog.

– Traci Bautista has a lot of fun online workshops! Now's your chance to get out your Collage Pauge™ and learn a new technique!

– At Express Your Creativity, learn how to make a sweet Butterfly mobile.

Check back here each Friday for more ideas and inspiration!

See you then!

Win a fabulous Crafty Chica Prize Pack!

Enter to win a fabulous Crafty Chica Prize Pack courtesy of www.ilovetocreate.com! One lucky winner will receive a $30-valued Crafty Chica Prize Pack filled with the Love Shrine Workshop in at Box™, a Flocked Iron-On Transfer, Paint Writers, Glitter and Charms.

How to Enter:
In order to be officially entered in the contest, you must add us as your friend on the I LOVE TO CREATE MySpace page - and - leave us a comment telling us what you love to create! If you are already a friend of ours on MySpace, you will still need to leave us a comment telling us what you love to create to be officially entered into the contest.

Contest begins at 12:01 AM Eastern Time (ET) on 3/18/2009 and ends at 11:59 PM ET on 4/30/2009. A random drawing of all entries will be held shortly thereafter by the www.ilovetocreate.com .. staff. If you are selected to win, you will be contacted through MySpace for your mailing address. Your Crafty Chica Prize Pack will be mailed to you once your information has been collected.

Please note: Only one submission per person.

Employees of the Sponsors, their affiliates, subsidiaries, distributors, retailers, advertising and promotion agencies, and the immediate families of each are not eligible to enter or win. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. Void where prohibited by law.

Submission of projects constitutes consent to use writers' names and messages for editorial, advertising and publicity purposes without further compensation (except where prohibited).