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"Craft it Now" is Here!

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Guess what?  I am published and featured in the Craft it Now book!  I am doing a happy dance y'all.  We are very excited at Inspirations by D because this awesome book is now available in stores!
You can pick up a copy at Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and Indiebound.

Craft it Now is filled with over 75 simple handmade projects and inspiring ideas to make your day a creative one.


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Featured in the book are crafters from all over, including craft bloggers! Our main page is 21 and you will see the planter in other pages.  There is something for everyone.
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Anything look familiar in that photo page?  Do you remember this little project?  That is my message flower pot.  I made one for the book.  It has been one of the most popular items on the blog and I thank you all who loved this little project.
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You will enjoy browsing through the pages with all the great project ideas and beautiful photos. 
You don't have to be a craft guru to be creative. 
Get your very own book at Amazon or anywhere it's sold! 
It is out now and with Mother's Day coming up, it will make a cool little gift.


How to Add & Sell a Pattern on Craftsy

(This post contains affiliate links which means I will be compensated if you purchase after clicking these links.)



Hello friends!  Today I'm excited to show those of you who love to sew or make patterns, how you may add AND sell your pattern on Craftsy.  I have posted about Craftsy & their wonderful classes and sources in the past.  In addition to wonderful online courses and craft supplies, Craftsy also has an independent online pattern store that lets anyone upload and sell downloadable e-patterns with no fee!  

How do you add a pattern to Craftsy and start your pattern store? It’s easy! 

1. Make sure you have a Paypal account. All pattern transactions happen through Paypal, and Craftsy requires that you have a Student, Premier, or Business account in order to sell patterns.


2. Put your pattern in .pdf format. You can’t upload any patterns to the online pattern store unless they’re a .pdf file format, so if they’re currently saved as a Word doc, .jpg, or other file format, you must convert it to a .pdf before you upload it to Craftsy.


3. Include a photo. All patterns must have at least one photo to accompany them, but you can add up to five photos. Colorful, interesting photos tend to work the best for catching our members’ eyes!


4. Fill out the pattern descriptionCraftsy will ask you some basic questions around your pattern making it easier for Craftsy folk to find your pattern and know what your pattern is for. Make sure you have info about your pattern handy for this step. 


For more information on how to sell a pattern through Craftsy, or to get started, visit Craftsy today!

Shop Indie Patterns

Chalk Paint- Jaded Love Bird-New!

DSC_1872Look what's new at the shopCHALK PAINT!  This is the ONLY jar of chalk paint available right now and I figured that perhaps one of you will like to have the opportunity to buy it.  It is inspired by Annie Sloan Chalk paint and paints on beautifully.
Here are a couple of links on tips on how to use chalk paint on furniture, you may view them here and here.

Are you ready to give chalk paint a try, or do you already love it and want to paint something to give it new life?  Look at how the table below turned out?  Did I mention no sanding required?  Got to love it!

This piece of wood has one coat only, painted just to give you an idea on the color.
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(image via)
Pretty isn't it?  What so you think about chalk paint?  Have you tried it and do you love or hate it?

via




Puerto Rico All Star Vacation Island

This post brought to you by Puerto Rico, The All-Star Island. All opinions are 100% mine.
Have you ever vacationed in the Caribbean Islands?  I have mentioned that we have traveled a couple of times down to the islands.  Today I will share with you one of the many islands to visit, Puerto Rico.  It is a wonderful vacation destination filled with world class attractions. Whether you're a golfer, foodie, the adventure type, or a beach hopper, Puerto Rico has everything that you want in a nice relaxing vacation.

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Puerto Rico has 270 miles of coastline and featured in the Top 10 beaches from Travel Channel -- including Flamenco Beach in Culebra, often cited as one of the best beaches in the world. You can glow like an angel in the water in the Bioluminescent bays. You can visit the only rain forest under US national park service, El Yunque, and climb to the clouds. History Buffs can enjoy old world charm of San Juan. Adventurers can enjoy horseback riding or the magnificent Camuy caverns that runs through the 3rd largest subterranean river in the world. Foodies can experience the delicacies of Puerto Rican gastronomy and its famous Rums.
  

El Yunque is the only subtropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest Service, a place so indescribable that it must be seen, heard and felt. It’s one of our must-visit destinations.

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With 25 courses around the island to choose from, there are fairways suited for any experience level, from beginner to pro in Golf.  In fact, The Puerto Rico Open has been part of the PGA Tour since 2008.

Toro Verde features the longest Zip Line on Earth: La Bestia. It uses a specially designed harness to soar through the air across 4,745 feet of terrain.  

There is so much to do and see in this island and if you want to read more about it, visit seepuertorico.com where you will be shown the best itineraries for your next vacation.  The best part of visiting this island is that you don't need a visa or passport or foreign currency.  It is part of the states, so you just take a photo ID and hop on the plane to your dream get away.

Live your own 5-star vacation story in Puerto Rico.  Visit seepuertorico.com and tell me in your comments, why you would like to check out this 5-star island vacation and what type of vacationer you are, beach hopper, adventurer...I am looking forward to reading your comments.   Like SeePuertoRico.com on Facebook    Click Here


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DIY: Pipe Cleaner & Cupcake Liner Flowers for Kids

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I am sneaking in a post before Easter y'all.  Around these parts trees are blooming and flowers are growing, birds are chirping and we are finally feeling the warmth.  The kids are excited about going outside to play, explore and hunt for nature's treasures. But there are other ways to share in the season, lets take the time to create with our kids and make spring flowers with their own flower pots to celebrate the Spring. crafting
For this little project all you will need are the following:

1. Plastic cups or small plastic flowerpots
2. Pipe cleaners (fuzzy sticks)
3. Floral foams
4. Basket filler
5. Small cupcake liners.
6. Pencil
and the children.
pipe cleaner flowerspipe cleaner flowersThe foams that I used were the size I needed, about 3.5 inches in diameter.  I just made extra by slicing them into 3 to have enough for the kids to insert into the cups like so. Then we covered the top with the Easter basket filler (grassy shredded plastic).pipe cleaner flowers  pipe cleaner flowers
Then we made the flower stems.
Using the fuzzy sticks/pipe cleaners, make a loop on the top and bend it as seen on number 1 & 2.  This will not allow the flower to slide off the top.
3. Slide a cupcake liner through the stick making sure that the design is on the inside, so it looks like number 4.
5. Slide another cupcake liner making sure the design is on the outside.
6. Shape them to form a lovely tulip.
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Now it's time to make the leaves.  Cut one of the pipe cleaners in half and overlap it on the stem forming a cross like the image below.  Secure it by twisting it around the stem.
To form the leaf, make a loop like the second image and secure by twisting the end and do the same to the other side.
Now you have a tulip flower.
pipecleaner leafAnother flower they may create with the pipe cleaners are zinnias.  I recommend a pencil for this one rather than a finger as seen below.  Grab a pencil and wrap the pipe cleaner around the pencil similar to image (A).  When the pipe cleaner is completely wrapped on the pencil, slide it off.
Curve it like image (C) and close it in like image (B).  I know I went out of order in the photo, yikes!  But you see what I mean.  When it is closed, slide it through the stem like the image (D).
And there you have your zinnia!
Continue to make more flowers and let the children get creative in forming their own version of flowers.
PIPECLEANERFLOWERpipe cleaner flowersOnce a handful is completed, insert them into the foam in the flowerpot and voila! Now they will have their own Flowerpot for Spring.  Thank you for joining us today and Happy Spring!


Ageless Derma Apple Stem Cell & Peptide Anti Wrinkle Cream for Younger Looking Skin

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Many wrinkle creams & lotions sold in drug stores, department stores & on the internet, promise to reduce wrinkles & prevent or reverse damage on your skin from the sun.

The question that we all have is, do they work? That often depends on the specific ingredients of the cream and how long you use them. Because these over-the-counter (nonprescription) wrinkle creams aren't classified as drugs, they're not required to undergo scientific research to prove their effectiveness.

If you're looking for a face-lift in a bottle, you probably won't find it in over-the-counter wrinkle creams. The benefits of these products are usually only modest at best. That has been my personal experience.  But, when you use a cream or lotion with the right ingredients in them and combine it with a healthy diet, plenty of rest and water, then you will get results.

After becoming a mom in my thirties, I lost some of my skin's elasticity due to many sleepless nights, a poor diet, lack of drinking water & replacing it with coffee and canned sodas. Not healthy at all! My skin looked awful and that is when I decided to do something about it.  I started eating healthier meals, drinking plenty of water and combined this with a great skin cream. Beauty can only be effective if you take care of the inside as well as the outside.

One facial cream that has excellent ingredients is Ageless Derma Stem Cell and Peptide Anti Wrinkle Cream. It incorporates an apple stem cell extract called PhytoCellTec that has demonstrated 100% effectiveness in measurably reducing facial wrinkles.


Combining seven scientifically proven anti-aging ingredients into one product, Ageless Derma Stem Cell and Peptide Anti-Wrinkle Cream eliminates the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improves the firmness and elasticity of skin, removes crow’s feet and re-energizes skin for a smoother, firmer and younger look.

Each of Ageless Derma Stem Cell and Peptide Anti-Wrinkle Cream’s special ingredients has undergone rigorous scientific testing that demonstrates its ability to make dramatic improvements on aging skin.

Argireline®
Argireline reduces the depth of wrinkles in the face, especially in the forehead and around the eyes, by attenuating muscle contraction. In one study, 10 healthy women applied a 10% Argireline cream twice daily for 30 days. At the end of the study, their wrinkles had decreased in depth by an average of 27%, with some women seeing a 50-60% decrease in the depth of wrinkles.

Coenzyme 10
Coenzyme 10 is an antioxidant that is found naturally in the body. It helps the skin to retain moisture and prevents damage to collagen and elastin production.

Matrixyl 3000
This product improves skin tone and elasticity. 23 volunteers aged between 39 and 74 applied Matrixyl 3000 to half of their face twice daily for 2 months. On the other half of their face, they applied a placebo cream. The skin that received Matrixyl 3000 showed a significant decrease in wrinkle density, depth, volume roughness compared with the placebo cream.

PhytoCellTec™ Malus Domestica
PhytoCellTec™ uses the stem cells of a rare Swiss apple famed for its longevity – the Uttwiler Spätlauber – to improve the longevity of human skin cells, protect the skin from UV damage, and assist genes that repair DNA. This anti-wrinkle treatment was evaluated in a study of 20 volunteers between the ages of 37 and 64. The cream was applied twice daily to the crow feet around the volunteers’ eyes, and every subject involved in the test showed a significant and visible decrease in wrinkle depth by the conclusion of the study.

Sodium Hyaluronate
Sodium Hyaluronate appears naturally in the skin and plays a vital role in maintaining water balance and the integrity of the skin’s barrier function. As we age, the natural levels of sodium hyaluronate in our skin decline, leaving the skin dry and vulnerable. Sodium Hyaluronate 1% solution combats this by drawing in moisture and increasing the skin’s moisture-holding ability, giving the skin a soft, smooth feel.

Syn®-Coll
Syn®-Coll is an effective and needle-free alternative to collagen injections. This product is a small peptide that mimics that body’s mechanisms to produce collagen. In in vitro testing, Syn®-Coll increased collagen synthesis by 119%, and when applied as a cream twice daily by 60 healthy volunteers, wrinkles saw a 350% improvement after 84 days compared with the placebo cream.

Vialox Powder
Vialox Powder significantly reduces muscle contraction as an injection-free alternative to Botox. Volunteers who used a cream containing the powder twice daily saw up to 49% reduction in wrinkle size and 47% reduction in skin roughness after 28 days.


Even celebrities, who have access to any skincare product they wish, depend upon PhytoCellTec to maintain their luminous complexions. According to Vogue magazine, film stars such as Julianne Moore, Gwyneth Paltrow and Helen Mirren all enjoy the dazzling results of using the apple stem cell extract.

This cream is fairly new to me, so in the short time that I have had it, I noticed how smooth it goes on and contains a great moisturizing quality.  It is not greasy, so my skin absorbs it quite well.  I have a combination of oily and dry skin & so far I enjoy this product.  The cream itself is white and goes on clear. It's easy to apply with the flat surface press pump.

I received the product mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.




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