One of our cute creators!!

Sunday, May 31, 2009

She made a mini time capsule tin using Crafty Chica products, Aleene's
Tacky Glue, and embellishments.

Loving all the creativity!!

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Check out some of the amazing designs created in our Maker Faire
booth. Crafty Chica's glitter canvases were a HUGE hit. It's 6:30 now
and the faire closes at 8 and we still have a crazy busy table!! It's
so cool how so many people truly do love to create!

Maya making a marvelous t-shirt a

She's showing how to do the crumple tie dye technique on a t-shirt at
Maker Faire.

This giant cupcake comes complete with shades!

So cool. It was so funny watching him scoot around the parking lot!

Just one day til Maker Faire

Friday, May 29, 2009

The booth is set for tomorrow! We hope to see you there! So excited.
Met a lot of the Craftzine and Craftster folks today. Will be so much
fun!

Get the look: IKAT!

Thursday, May 28, 2009
Did you know that our site, www.ilovetocreate.com has lots of cool trend resources for our crafters and fashion designers? Jen, our top-notch trendspotter researches hot trends as well at upcoming ones and brings awesome reports that are posted on our media page. The report above (click on the pic to enlarge it for reading) is all about one of summer's hottest trends, IKAT! We look at these trends and create projects like the ones below for our site!

get the look-IKAT!
These are our t-shirt and plate of the month projects and in a couple of days, we will have another set of projects of the month based on another trend! It's all about keeping up with what we are seeing in fashion...from the street, to the runways, to what's online! We keep tabs on it and will bring it to you! We hope you like it!

We're live blogging at Maker Faire!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The time is upon us! This weekend, we will be live-blogging, live-twittering and facebooking live from Maker Faire! If you are in the San Francisco Bay area, plan to attend and enjoy the day seeing the coolest technology/ crafting/building/hacking event in the universe.

Visit the Maker Faire site for more info and visit them online on their Facebook and Twitter pages!

While you are there, stop by our www.ilovetocreate.com booth and craft with our very own Crafty Chica! We'd love to meet you!!

Craft Corps wants you!!!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Have you checked out the inspiring Craft Corps site that is a celebration of the craft community??

It coincides with the release of Craft Corps: The Book, which comes out in May of 2010! Read all about the upcoming book here.

The site gives you the chance to share your own personal craft story. Vickie is looking for inspired crafters of all ages and mediums! Share your story here.

Share your story, become a part of the weekly mailing list, draft your friends, and read more stories of inspired crafters!

Crafty Roundup

Friday, May 22, 2009



From tableware to runway fashion, it’s all about Ikat this season! Create these trendy Ikat tees easily and affordably with Tulip® Soft Fabric Paint™ and ordinary grey T-shirts.

This Vintage Aleene’s Bread Dough Roses Jewelry Box" is made with Aleene’s Bread Dough. You can create these roses to use in dozens of ways including jewelry, home décor, collage, altered art and mosaic.

Coated in Concepts® Underglazes, this Contemporary Cool Mug and Vases is too cool to ever become a thing of the past! These smooth, organic designs will bring an ultra mod, charismatically chic vibe to your table and home décor.

Sharing your adventures with others is almost as exciting as the adventure itself! Keeping a My Adventures Collage Journal of all of the exciting times and travels in your life is one way you can preserve your special memories and share them with others. Add some color and flare to the outside to match the fun captured inside!


Customize your kicks with Jennifer Perkins of Naughty Secretary Club!

Make mason jar and twine vases with Vickie Howell!

Craft up a Mini Canvas Pencil cup with the Crafty Chica™

Make fantastic jewelry for a night out using Aleene's® Original Tacky Glue® with Inspired at Home.


Fashion Girl
whips up a quick Summer Salsa on her blog.

Bionic Butterfly shows you how to make some cool kicks!

Express your Creativity shares an idea for Memorial Day Party Ware!

Jen at Jen's Trend Spot shares some photos at Duncan's Annual Summer Picnic!

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!

Graduation Crafts!!

Thursday, May 21, 2009
celebration

It's that time of year! Right around the corner, graduates will be shifting the tassle from right to left! Celebrate this occasion with a special gift you can make yourself! And for the graduate, there are plenty of fun craft ideas for jazzing up your graduation look or senior style!

– Don't let your mortarboard be a big mortar-BORE! Jazz it up with ribbon, Tulip® Sticky Fabric Stencils, Aleene's® Adhesives, and Tulip® Soft Fabric Paint™! You will definitely stand out in a sea of graduates!!

– These Graduate Frames are created with Aleene's® Tacky Packs, the Tulip® Super Big™ One-Step Tie-Dye Activity Kit™, and Collage Pauge Instant Decoupage™. Make one for all your graduating girlfriends!

– This Glitter Frame created with Tulip® Fashion Glitter™ and Aleene's® Clear Gel Tacky Glue™ is the perfect frame to showcase your shining star!

– Give a Graduation Trinket Box for your glowing grad! It's quick and easy using Opaque Acrylics and Home Decor Bisque Designs.

– This Class of '09 Shirt, created with Tulip® One-Step Fashion Dyes™ and Tulip® Fashion Glitter™. Customize to match your school colors!

– Make a heartfelt Graduation Card using Aleene's® Paper Glaze and Aleene's® Original Tacky Glue Sticks. Adding a few buckaroos? Now that's totally up to you! It would make for a happier graduate, though!

Hope you are inspired by these fun graduation ideas. Oh, and we totally realize that some of these projects are soooo last year (meaning 2008), but we have a feeling you get the idea!

If you have a graduation project or other craft 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!

Showing off her inner rocker and love for Adam Lambert!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Debbie, a member of our research and development department, totally rocks out in this awesome tie dye tee! When I asked her if she made it she said, "I saw Adam Lambert wearing one just like this on Idol and I wanted to recreate it!" See his version below!

Looks like by using a few simple tie dye techniques, Debbie totally nailed the look!

If you haven't noticed it already, American Idol is a hot spot for fashion trends. It seems all the contestants like to make bold statements on their jeans or by wearing tie dye creations! And it is really easy to recreate these looks just like Debbie did using Tulip products! All you need to get this particular look is a plain tee (you can get it at a craft store most times for around $3-$4 bucks, sometimes even 2 for $5!), and our Tulip® One-Step Fashion Dyes™.

Regardless if Adam or Chris wins tonight (Debbie is crossing her fingers it is Adam) on American Idol, you can get a rockin' look anytime with our Tulip products just like Debbie did!

Inspiration from our team!

Monday, May 18, 2009
Check out this awesome cuff bracelet that Lauren, one of our new product development managers created! Isn't it awesome? She created it using some strips of leather sewn together along with Tulip® Soft Fabric Paint and super sparkly Tulip® Glam-It-Up™ Iron-on Crystals™.
Her finished project turned out super high-end, like something you would get in a boutique!

Here she is modeling her creation. Great job Lauren!

Multi-Tasking Mama inspired by Crafty Chica!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Check out these super cute shirts and hat that Multi-Tasking Mama made with the kids! It's such an easy craft project and it looks like the kids had a blast making their creations! We love to see families crafting together and sharing their finished projects that they make with our products!
Love these awesome photos of the kids in action! Looks like they are in serious concentration mode!



They created these projects using Crafty Chica™ DIY Appliques™ Value Pack. They didn't use our paint, but we totally recommend Tulip® Soft Fabric Paint™ for your fabric projects, because it is machine-washable and covers beautifully. It is highly opaque yet extremely soft to the touch, making it the perfect choice!

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 in one of our future Crafty Roundups!

A weekend in the life of an I LOVE TO CREATE designer

Monday, May 11, 2009
When most people find out that we have people on staff that do all the designs that appear on our web sites, packaging, and displays, they immediately say, "Wow, that must be so cool to get to be creative all day!" It may be a creative job, but like any other job there are tight deadlines and demands! Case in point...check out the "homework" that our designer Allee Marderosian (at right above) took home one weekend in order to have projects ready for a Monday photo shoot!

The driveway is the perfect impromptu spot for drying tie dye! The colors look so vibrant!

Friends who paint together stay together (admittedly, that was really cheesy, but how awesome is it that her friend helped out?. And don't those jeans look fab?

Tulip®, Aleene's® products, and project sketches take over the table! An inexpensive plastic tablecloth made for easy cleanup!

Allee ended up completing the projects in time for the photo shoot and they looked awesome! Great job Allee! The ultimate compliment was when the models at the photo shoot got super excited about the clothes they got to pose in! They wanted to take them home with them!

Crafty Roundup

Friday, May 8, 2009

– These cheery cupcake wraps will showcase your sweet treats. Perfect for any special celebration, it’s super easy to do, using Aleene’s® Clear Gel™ Tacky Glue™.

– The best gift anyone can give a graduating student is life advice. This Life Tips Graduation Book will do just that. Using the Crafty Chica™ Collage Journal™ Workshop-in-a-Box™

– Your surroundings will blossom to life with this Blooming Brilliance Set created with Duncan Oh Four™ Seasonal Blooms collection coated in brilliant Concepts® Underglazes!

– Give your wardrobe a burst of color with this Rainbow Radiance tee created with the the Tulip® One-Step Tie-Dye Rainbow Kit™.


– Create Mother's Day Art Crowns with Crafty Chica™!

– Make a felt and fabric covered photo album with Naughty Secretary Club!

Vickie Howell shows you how to create magic wands!

– Make fabric stiffened silk roses for your canvas art with Inspired at Home!


Fashion Girl shares some cool, crafty news features on her blog!

– The swine flu mask gets trendy on Jen's Trend Spot.

Ceramic Diva shares all about Duncan's new Crystal Glazes on her blog

Cheryl Ball, one of our fab www.ilovetocreate.com in-house designers, shares the many things you can upcycle from an old shirt on her Still Crafty After 50 blog!


– Create a Jonas Brothers concert tee using fabric paint from user schonwiedersamstag on Craftster!

– Make a felted teacup pin cushion from old sweaters from antelucandaisy on Instructables!

Swelldesigner gives you cute ideas for turning buttons into fruit embellishments for cards and scrapbooking.

– Make leaf-stamped baby onesies from Jennifer Worick on Craftstylish.


– Make Victorian jewelry for mom at Express your Creativity.

– Have you heard about the Onesie Decorating Contest on our blog?

– Make personalized retro kids shirts with Tangled and True.

– Make cool with Super Mario Brother coasters susieoregon on Craftster.

Crafty Chica™ Myspace contest winner announced!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Congratulations are in order for Tessa Green, the winner of the Crafty Chica™ Myspace Prize Pack! Crafty Chica is currently in the www.ilovetocreate.com house, so we asked her to do the honors!

One of the qualifications of the contest was to friend us and leave a comment on our page...here's what Tessa told us that she loved to create:

"I love to create gifts for friends and family and sometimes myself :). Now that I have a sewing machine most all my crafts use it in some way. It's so rewarding to be able to finish a project in an afternoon. Since discovering the Crafty Chica at the Austin Maker Faire I've used her blogs and books to inspire many a project."

Thanks so much to Tessa and everyone else who participated! We are always going to be finding ways for you to win...in fact, if you didn't win this time, check out our Baby Onesie contest that is going on now for an additional chance to win cool products from www.ilovetocreate.com.


Oh, and in honor of Cinco De Mayo, hop on over to Crafty Chica's Crafty de Mayo blog post for lots of artful and inspiring ideas!

Oh, Baby Onesie Decorating Contest

Monday, May 4, 2009

We LOVE our baby onesies . . . so cute, so tiny, so perfect for sweet Tulip® Baby Couture™ Iron-On Transfer™ designs. What mama wouldn't love a basket filled with decorated onesies for every day of the week?!

We're launching our Oh, Baby Onesie Decorating Contest from now until June 15th. Choose your favorite Tulip® Baby Couture™ and Tulip® Fashion Art products to transform plain and practical onesies to Baby Couture! The winner will receive $30 worth of Tulip® Fashion Art products. And check these SUPER SPECIALS to get you started!

OK, so just to clarify, you are encouraged to use the Baby Couture iron-on designs; but you don't have to. All we ask is that you use a Tulip product(s) of your choosing and totally glam up that onesie. You can stitch, slash, spray it, just be sure to use a Tulip product of some kind! Here's some suggestions:

– Dye your onesie with Tulip® One-Step Fashion Dyes™.

– Add amazing details and brushwork detail with Tulip® Soft Fabric Paint™.

– Add dimension with Tulip® 3D Fashion Paint.

– Stencil on your look with one of our many Tulip® stencils!

– Check out our Tulip® product page for more great projects to get inspired by!

To enter, join our www.ilovetocreate.com community and add your pic to the online gallery or add it to the facebook fan gallery instead. The best determined winning entrant will be chosen from all the entries.

Oh and for additional inspiration, check out Jennifer Perkin's blog on How to Throw a Onesie Making Party! Lots of great ideas!!

Don't miss these special events!

Friday, May 1, 2009