iLoveToCreate Teen Crafts: Geek Chic Dazzling Calculator Cover

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iLoveToCreate Teen Crafts
Geek Chic Dazzling Calculator Cover
Copyright Avalon Potter
"Teen crafted, mom approved."

Avalon is one of those amazing kids who excels at math and science and the fine arts. She takes advanced level classes and there are times when the work gets pretty tough. What better way to face the daunting task of a quadratic equation than armed with a little sparkle power? Tulip PDA (Personal Dazzle Assistance) makes quick work of taking a calculator from blah to BLING as quick as you can say Pythagorus. Isn't this fabulous? I am a proud mom indeed. Go, Avalon!

Materials
Calculator with cover
Tulip Glam-it-Up PDA Crystal Set in red and clear crystal
Scrapbook paper or cardstock
Heart stencil (we used the Fiskars 3" heart shaped template, cutting out the center of the heart using the 2.5" stencil.)
Aleene's Tacky Dot Runner

Tools
Fiskars Hearts Template and Cutting Tool
Nimble fingers!

1. Use template and tool to create open center heart using cardstock or scrapbook paper.

2. Use tape runner to add a little stick to the back of the stencil and adhere to the center of the calculator cover. Be sure cover is clean.

3. Starting from outside work your way to the center of the heart adding crystals as in photo. Alternate between red and clear crystals until you reach the center red crystal. Remove stencil and wipe any glue residue away.

4. Use the crystals to frame the outer edge of your calculator cover. Work only on the hard areas, leave the soft areas uncovered. There are 16 clear crystals at the top and bottom with 15 red crystals directly beneath them. On the sides there are 5 clear crystals on the top sides and 22 clear crystals on the bottom sides. This is a TI-inspire calculator, so adjustments will need to be made if using a different model. This calculator cover is 3"x8".

5. To create the x patterns, form a v shape with five clear crystals at the point of your heart. Add a second 10 crystal v shape using the red crystals. Create a 15 crystal v shape using the clear crystals. Repeat this pattern to form a mirror of the top half as in picture. Add 10 red crystals in the open areas of the center crystal x as in picture. Repeat this process at the top of your cover.

6. Check back to be sure all crystals are securely applied. Now get to that math homework already!

ILovetoCreate Teen Crafts Cupcake Sparkle T

Cupcake Sparkle T
Avalon Potter for ILoveToCreate Teen Crafts
"Teen crafted, Mom Approved."

I love baking cakes and decorating them with fondant, but I also love making and eating cupcakes! Really, who doesn't love a cupcake? Tulip has these super cute iron on words and embellishments that make it so easy to customize a simple t-shirt to celebrate anything you love!

Ingredients
White T-Shirt
Tulip Glam it Up Iron-on Studs (pink)
Tulip Glam it Up Iron-on Fashion Designs Large Cupcake pack
Tulip Express Yourself Iron-on Applique Cupcake

Tools
Tulip Mini Fashion Iron
Tulip Cordless Heat Setting Tool

1) Large Cupcake Pack – cut the text “cupcake” from the pack and position it on the shirt in the desired placement with the plastic side up. Cover with a thin cloth and press and hold your iron for 45-60 seconds. After it cools remove the plastic.

2) Cupcake Applique – position the cupcake image with the design side up. With your iron at the cotton setting, press and hold for 30 seconds. Turn the shirt inside out and press again with the iron for 30 seconds.

3) Iron-On Studs – I chose the pink studs to match the color of the cupcake text. Position the first stud with the glue side down in the middle of the shirt collar. Use applicator to attach each crystal, one at a time to maintain positioning.

Remember to turn your shirt inside out when you wash it!

ILovetoCreate Teen Crafts: Blue Christmas Card

ILovetoCreate Teen Crafts
Blue Christmas Card
Created by Avalon Potter
"Teen crafted, Mom approved."

This week I wanted to do something that is fun for the person to give and fun for a person to receive. So not only is it a gift for someone else, it's a little gift to you. I decided on a holiday greeting card. You can easily make many of them if you have a time crunch on gifts or you just want to make something simple but nice.

Materials
White Card Stock (or holiday colored)
Blue Card Stock
Tulip Dimensional Fabric Glitter in Crystal Icicle
Foam Dimensional Stickers
Tulip Fashion Graffiti Big Phat Black marker
Large Snowflake Stamp
Aleene's Acid Free Tacky Glue Stick

Tools
Scissors
Paper Cutter
Tulip Sponge Pouncer

1. Cut your white card stock into an 11.5"x5.75" rectangle.

2. Use your marker to color the entire stamp and press down firmly in the middle of the card stock.

3. Re-apply the marker to the stamp two more times and stamp half of the stamp on the card stock in the upper right hand corner and again in the lower left hand corner.

4. Repeat step two on your blue card stock making two snowflakes. Cut the snowflakes to fit in the two empty corners.

5. Put a few dimensional stickers on the bottom of the stamped blue snowflakes and attach them to the two empty corners.

6. Once the ink has dried, take the tulip silver sparkle paint and apply to the blue snowflakes and to the snowflakes on the white card stock.

7. Put a personal message inside of the card by printing it out on the computer, cutting it out to the size and shape you like, and applying to the card using Aleene's Tacky glue stick.

ILoveToCreate Teen Crafts Falling Leaves T-Shirt

Falling Leaves T-shirt ILovetoCreate Project Copyright Avalon Potter 2010

Once again I bring you another fun, easy and stylish project using ILovetoCreate products. This past week I’ve seen the leaves falling outside and the beautiful colors surrounding me, and when I saw the Tulip fabric sprays and foam leaves in the local craft store I knew exactly what my project would be. I would make a shirt inspired by the leaves scattered all over the ground using fall themed Tulip fabric sprays and glitter. I had a great time making this project with my dad, we really had some quality time together making this and I hope you will have just as much fun.

Materials:
Cotton tee (white and prewashed to remove sizing)
Foam shapes( doesn’t have to be leaves)
Three or more tulip fabric sprays
Tulip glitter dimensional fabric paint in silver
Tulip craft sponge
Double sided tape
Tulip fashion form

Instructions:
1. First gather all your materials, then take you shirt and put it on your tulip fashion form.


2. Next lay out were you want your foam shapes to go, you the size, shape or amount you use depends on what you want to do.

3. Attach your shapes with double sided tape and make sure all of your corners are down because you don’t want excess fabric spray leaking under your shapes and deforming the way they will turn out.


4. Make sure you cover the area underneath the shirt to prevent getting any spray on the floor! Then one by one spray around and on your foam shapes you can leave white in areas but I filled mine in with glitter.


5. Let the paint dry then the next day take of the foam shapes and apply the glitter paint with a sponge on the white spots where the foam shapes were.

ILoveToCreate Teen Crafts: Hallowe'en Masquerade Ball Mask

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I was really impressed when Avalon showed me the mask she created and the outfit she styled to go with it! Tres chic, n'est pas? I must admit, seeing my little girl look so sophisticated and grown up was a little tough to take, but I'm so very proud of her creativity. Here's this week's fabulous teen craft created by the lovely and talented Avalon Potter!

Hallowe'en Masquerade Ball Mask
Copyright Avalon Potter
ILovetoCreate Teen Crafts
"Teen crafted, mom approved."

Since I created an invitation to a Halloween masquerade ball last week, I decided that this week I would make a mask for the ball. Every girl needs a sparkly mask to complete her fabulous ensemble. This is a great project because you really make it your own, for example you can switch up the pattern or size of the crystals or you could even change the color pallet of the mask. I had a lot of fun making this and I hope you will too.


Materials
• A plain mask of any color (preferably fabric)
• A fabric flower of any color
• Tulip Glam-it-up™ crystals
• Tulip Glam-it-up™ cordless heat setting tool
• Aleene’s Liquid Fusion glue


Instructions
Step 1. Once you have gathered all of your materials get your mask, hot fix crystals, and applicator. Plan out where you want your crystals to go so you know where to apply them ahead of time.

Step 2. Apply crystals using your applicator. Designer Note: If your mask is plastic or made of plastic do not use the applicator it will melt the mask. Use Liquid Fusion glue to apply the crystals instead.

Step 3. Once you have finished applying your crystals, decide where you will want your fabric flower to go. I put mine in the upper corner of the mask.

Step 4. Use Liquid Fusion to glue the flower to the mask.

Step 5. Allow glue to dry. Once you finish you’ll have a beautiful mask to complete your costume.

ILoveToCreate Teen Crafts: Spooktacular Halloween Party Invitation

Spooktacular Party Invitation by Avalon Potter for ILoveToCreate Teen Crafts

Avalon has another fab teen craft for you this week. She made a gorgeous Halloween pop up party invitation that is perfect for the season. Pop up cards are surprisingly easy and fun to make and this design could easily be modified for any number of holidays and special occasions. Avalon loves working with paper to make dimensional projects and this one really rocks!

Spooktacular Party Invitation
Avalon Potter for ILoveToCreate
“Teen crafted, mom approved”

With September coming to an end I thought it was time to do a Halloween craft. At my age more of us go to parties then trick or treat so I decided to create a Halloween party invitation. This is fun to make and then a few weeks later you will have even more fun at your party! Making cards is simple, enjoyable, and a great way to kick off October.


Materials
Decorative black and white scrapbook paper
Orange cardstock
Halloween themed ribbon
Martha Stewart rickety fence edge punch (or other decorative Halloween themed edge punch)
Googly eyes
Aleene’s Tacky Glue
Aleene’s Tacky Glue Stick

Tools
Computer
Printer
Paper cutter
Craft Knife
Paper Scissors
Bone Folder

Step one: Once you have all of your materials cut your decorative scrapbook paper to 11 ¼” x53/8” inches. Fold your cut cardstock in half, the card fold is in the center of the 11 ¼” length. Make sure there is some of the decorative cardstock left over you will need it later. Use a bone folder to crease the card.

Step Two: Punch the fence from the orange cardstock. Make sure you have punched a little over 5 3/8 inches so if by accident you trim a little more paper off of your fence it won’t be a problem.

Step three: Cut the fence to fit the bottom edge of your card, attach with Aleene’s Tacky Glue stick. Any excess fence can be trimmed with your scissors.

Step four: Now get your ribbon, Aleene’s Tacky Glue, and scissors. Cut your ribbon so it won’t overlap your rickety fence, around 5 inches long. Apply it to your card by putting Aleenes tacky glue on the back then sticking on the left hand side of the card.

Step five: Take your orange cardstock and scissors. You will cut a piece of cardstock about 4 ½ inches long and 4 ¾ inches wide and then the paper about ¼ of an inch long on both sides so that you can use those flaps to attach the paper to the card


Step six: Now take the flap from and bend the ends into flaps. Bend a 1” fold and a 2.5” fold. This becomes the base for your pop up element. Use the glue stick to attach one flap on the bottom of the card and one on top so that when the card is open it makes a rectangle. See photo. Make sure when the card closes it bends with the card.

Step seven: Now take your remaining orange card stock and cut out a pumpkin to about 3 ¼”x4 ¼”. You could switch the pumpkin to a skull, spider, or black cat. This is the part where you can feel free to be creative.

Step eight: Use your craft knife to cut out a jack-o-lantern mouth with a small tooth at the top. You could also add a nose if you want to.

Step nine: Adhere the googly eyes to the pumpkin using Tacky Glue. Allow to dry.

Step ten: Using a fancy font (I used King and Queen font from dafont) write You are cordially invited... in 16 pt.. Then write the date, the address, the time span of the party and the R.S.V.P date in 8 pt.. Print. Don’t feel obligated to use black as the font color try red or maybe orange.

Step eleven: Use your paper cutter to cut out the printed material. The larger front element is 4.5”x1.25”. The invitation information is 3”x2.5”. Use the glue stick and glue the invitation into the pumpkins mouth with the tooth overlapping at an angle. Glue the pumpkin onto the front of the pop out piece of paper you glued to the card in step six, the invitation should almost rest on the bottom of the card when fully opened.

Step twelve: Apply the greeting on the front of the card with your glue stick. Glue it on an angle to give it a creepy affect.

Step thirteen: Punch a second fence element using the decorative scrapbook paper. Glue this to the inside of the card at the bottom.

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ILoveToCreate Teen Crafts: Trashionista Mixed Media Purse

ILoveToCreate Teen Crafts
Trashionista Mixed Media Purse
Margot Potter
"Mom crafted, kid approved."
Copyright Margot Potter All Rights Reserved

I have an ever bursting at the seams pile of fashion mags that sit by my bed and on the kitchen table. I peruse them at night before I go to sleep and while I’m noshing to trend spot. The problem is that they start to take over my house if I’m not careful! What I don’t recycle, I love to use to make accessories. The words and images on this purse are all made of recycled paper. This is all about layers of paper, inks and paints and every purse will turn out differently. I love that! 

Teaching our teens about the many ways they can recraft, reuse and repurpose is crucial. Plus this project will be a lot of fun for them to personalize. You can do this with old cigar boxes and get hardware and a handle to retrofit. Avalon loved this one and I’m hoping we can whip up some more soon together.

Materials
Wooden purse blank
Aleene’s Traci Bautista Collage Pauge Matte
Crafty Chica Little Chica Paints Red
Fashion Graffiti Paint Cannon Fabric Paint White
Fashion Graffiti Big Phat Fabric Marker Black
Fashion Magazines
Vintage book pages or newspaper
Inkadinkado Animal Print Clear Stamps
Fiskars Clear Stamp Block
Sizzix Big Shot Flower Die

Tools
Sizzix Big Shot
Mini-screwdriver
Paintbrush
Foam Brush
Old toothbrush
Scissors

1. Remove hardware from purse. Sand, clean and coat purse with a layer of racy red paint inside and out. Allow to dry.

2. Use Big Shot and die to cut three vintage book page or newspaper flowers.

3. Select words and images.  Decoupage flowers and cut and torn magazine words and images to the purse front using Collage Pauge matte and a foam brush. Allow to dry. If bubbles form under the images, wet your finger with water and work them out from center. Don’t fret about bubbles, they’ll go away once the medium is dry.  (I had to remove and replace a word at the top of this purse...which you can do while everything is still wet.) 

4. Use the Big Phat marker to put a layer of ink on your stamps and randomly stamp the leopard and tiger prints around edge of purse. Allow ink to dry.

5. Use marker to make angled stripes on thinner edge of purse. Allow ink to dry.

6. Dip an old toothbrush into the white paint and flick it across purse front. Repeat using red paint. Allow to dry.

7. Reassemble purse.

ILoveToCreate Teen: Graffiti Fabric Flower Headband

ILoveToCreate Teen Crafts
Graffiti Fabric Flower Headband
Margot Potter
"Mom crafted, kid approved."

It's National Craft Month and in Studio Madge it's starting to feel like National Craft FAIL month!  I started this project out with a graffiti fabric sling in mind for Avalon, who broke her wrist recently.  There's this old saying I seem to have trouble remembering about measuring twice...

...so the fabric I made was too small for a sling...but I love the fabric so I decided to keep it for future projects.  Today I cut off four strips and made some fabric flowers using the ribbon flower technique I shared recently.  I love the tough and tender look I ended up with here and this will be even cooler as the flowers start to fray!  Fabric flowers are EVERYWHERE this season and they are really easy to make.  So again, I remind you not to be afraid to make 'mistakes.'  Sometimes that's where our best projects come from!

Try adding these flowers to a pair of flip flips or attach them to a strip of felt and adding ribbon ties for a funky bib style necklace or sew them on the neck of a t-shirt or on the front of a hoodie...have fun with these!  You can make a bunch of these fabric swatches and keep them around for crafty inspiration.  The Tulip Fashion Graffiti line makes it fast and fun!

Materials
Tulip Fashion Graffiti Paint Cannon 
Tulip Fashion Graffiti Cannon Fabric Paints in lime green and hot pink
Tulip Big Phat Fabric Markers in yellow, black and hot pink
Tulip Fabric Spray Paint in fuchsia, lime green, deep green, hot pink and orange
Tulip Fashion Graffiti Stencils Love, Peace, Peace Sign, Fancy
Large white cotton sheet (pre-washed)
Liquid Fusion Glue
Thread

Tools
Scissors
Sewing Needle

1.  Fold a large white cotton sheet in half and put on a flat surface.  If it's warm, a front porch or driveway would work well.

2.  Place stencils on sheet and spray with paint canon and fabric spray colors.  Spray colors around sheet in layers.

3.  Remove stencils and repeat as desired.

4.  Use markers to accent stenciled words and images.  Draw your own shapes with the markers.

5.  Keep adding layers of color until you reach your desired result.  Let paints dry.

6.  Cut the sheet into 8" strips, they should be smaller on one end and graduate so they'll be a triangular shape when cut.

7.  Use a needle and thread to sew fabric strips into flowers.  Here is a ribbon flower tutorial with pictures.

8.  Attach flowers to headband.  First tack them down with thread and then secure them with Liquid Fusion glue.  Allow glue to dry completely before wearing.

Free Holiday Teen Craft Project by Margot Potter: Have Yourself a Twilight Little Christmas

(Click on images to view close up)

Have Yourself a Twilight Little Christmas
Twilight Themed Ornament/Pendant
Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter for iLoveToCreate Teen
“Mom crafted, kid approved.”

I thought we’d escaped the phenomenon of Twilight. Avalon showed no interest in the books at all...until last month. Then suddenly she wanted to read the first one. So we bought it. She read it in one day. Then we got the second book. Alas, she’s hooked. I thought in light of this and the incredible popularity of this series and the films, I’d be remiss as a teen craft designer if I didn’t come up with something Twilight themed.

I have always loved silhouettes. I don’t know what it is about them that I find so intriguing, but I do. I’ve been meaning to work on a silhouette craft project for a few years now, so this seemed like the perfect match. I figured fans of the film would recognize the silhouettes of the actors who play Edward and Bella...and just in case they didn't I added a “Bella & Edward 4-ever” to the other side of the framed images. You are welcome to use the template I’ve made. It’s sized to fit inside a 2”x2” frame and you’ll need to clean up any rough edges when you cut it out. I made the ornament and thought it would be a cute pendant, so I did a variation. It’s the same thing, slightly different.

(Twilight and my designs are under copyright and you absolutely can not take this project and resell it. This is intended for personal use only.)

Ornament Materials
2”x2” gun metal Ranger Memory Glass frame
2 2”x2”Ranger Memory Glass squares
19mm Lucite leaf bead from The Beadin' Path
2mm freshwater pearls
K & Company Brenda Walton Evergreen Designer Mat Pad
Tulip Dimensional Glitter multi
Aleene’s Glass and Bead Slick Surfaces Adhesive
Aleene’s Archival Glue Stick
Liquid Fusion glue
Printed image sized to 2”x2”
The King & Queen Font 9 pt. black “Bella & Edward 4-ever” centered and cut to fit frame
(Similar free fonts available at DaFont.com)
Thin black satin ribbon

Tools
Scissors
Computer
Printer

1. Right click and save image. Print silhouette. Cut out carefully with scissors.

2. Cut out tiny heart from red area of plaid holly paper. Dab a small amount of dimensional glitter on heart and allow to dry.

3. Trace with 2” glass square and cut out plaid holly paper to fit frame.

4. Cut out holly shapes to edge image on both sides of frame. Add a thin layer of dimensional glitter. Allow to dry.

5. Assemble the collage using your glue stick to adhere layers.

6. Print text. Trace with 2” glass square and cut out to fit frame.

7. Place front and back of collage together between layers of glass.

8. Slide into frame.

9. Glue three pearls into a small Lucite leaf with Liquid Fusion glue. Allow to dry.

10. Glue leaf to front left corner of frame with Glass and Bead Glue. Allow to dry.

11. Spread a thin layer of dimensional glitter on frame edge. Allow to dry.

12. Attach a thin satin ribbon to loop at top of frame.

(For the pendant, spread a thin layer of dimensional glitter on cut out image. Shake on a generous amount of Crafty Chica glitter in Be Bop Black. Allow to dry. Insert with text on back as before into frame. Glue a small satin bow to a red button with Liquid Fusion. Allow to dry. Glue button to frame edge with Glass and Bead glue. Spread a thin layer of dimensional glitter around frame edge. Attach to a chain with a 10mm jump ring. All materials used in these designs were given to me to use in my work except for the satin ribbon.)

iLoveToCreate Victorian Snow Day Mixed Media Canvas

(Click on images to view close up)

Victorian Snow Day Mixed Media Canvas
Recycled Teen Craft Idea
Margot Potter for iLoveToCreate Teen
Copyright 2009
'Mom crafted, kid approved!'

I love little canvases, not just for paintings but also for setting off a variety of mixed media art projects. This is one of those “use what you’ve got” ideas. I happen to have a generous stash of old bits and baubles around my studio, but this idea works equally as well with last year’s Christmas card and the trims and broken jewelry bits from your own drawers (or if you’re a teen, ask your mom for some stuff to use here.) If you like this vintage inspired look, you can find Victorian era postcards and old jewelry on eBay and if you don’t care about the condition (which I mostly don’t because I’m using them for my artwork) they can come very affordably. Dover Books has a huge selection of permission free images from this time period. If vintage isn’t your thing, adapt the idea to a more modern style.

I rummaged around my studio drawers for things to adhere to the edges. I had some faded old lace from an Estate Sale, broken rhinestone jewelry, old buttons and a vintage stash of Rick Rack trim. I love this silver, white and red color palette, but you can switch it up however you like. The idea in everything I do is to inspire you to be creative and make it your own. Inspiring you to ‘create without filters™’ is what I’m all about. What a fun project for Mom and teen to work on together and these make absolutely lovely gifts.

Materials
Oval 8"x10" mini canvas
Printed permission free image scanned and sized to fit center of frame (mine was 4.5"x7")
Trim (I used red rick rack)
Accent items (buttons, old jewelry, ribbon...whatever you like)
Flourish stamp
Ranger paint dabber silver
Fabric fusion
Liquid fusion
Tulip dimensional paint silver
Tulip dimensional paint multi glitter
Tulip fashion ultra fine multi glitter

Tools
Scissors
Paper cutter
Sea sponge



1. Select an image for your canvas. If you need to scan and size it, do so, but remember that you can’t copy images that are protected by copyright like thinks in books or magazines. Copyright protection in the US is 100 years, so this Victorian era postcard image is officially permission free. Try Dover books for a great selection of permission free images. The image needs to fit the center of the canvas, so size accordingly.

2. Use a sea sponge to apply a layer of silver paint to the edges of the canvas leaving area where picture will go unpainted. Add a layer of glitter paint to canvas. Sprinkle a thin layer of glitter on top of paints and shake off excess. Allow to dry.

3. Dab the silver paint dabber on the flourish stamp to stamp around edges of frame.

4. Place Fabric fusion glue in four corners of your printed image and adhere carefully to canvas. Run a thin layer of Fabric fusion along the edges of your picture and add fabric trim. Cut off edges as you work to frame the picture.

5. Create a fabric bow and use Liquid Fusion to adhere a decorative element to it. Allow to dry. Glue bow to bottom right edge of frame.

6. Glue buttons to bottom left and top right edge of frame.

7. Glue a recycled jewelry accent to the top left edge of frame.

8. Allow to dry overnight.