Craft Fairs & Jewelry Displays

Howdy Everyone!

Let me tell you about this fabulous craft fair

that I visited early this month.

It's called the Renegade Craft Fair held annually at

the McCarren Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

There were free stuff like magazines & buttons...

Live music...

A photo booth...

Craft workshops...

And over 300 booths of spectacular crafts from clothes 
to jewelry to home goods, bags and paper products!

Craft fairs & flea markets are on my "To Do" List this summer, but as a shopper rather than booth owner for now. This got me thinking, maybe some of you will be participating in fairs & markets to sell your handiwork. I'd like to help you out with some ideas to display your wares using the blah to TADA! philosophy.

Blah: empty rolls of tissue & paper towels.

Find the center of an empty paper towel roll

then make a hole using a pair of scissors 
or craft knife.

Insert one end of another empty paper towel roll into 
the hole and secure with hot glue.

Make several in different heights.

Cover neatly with felt or fabric.

Mount on a thin yet sturdy piece 
of wood with hot glue.

To keep it from being wobbly, I did a sandwich system

from the bottom up: wood + glue + small piece of 
cardboard {directly under the paper towel roll} + 
glue + felt + paper towel roll.

TADA! A necklace & bracelet rack!

Add your handmade necklaces & bracelets

for a neat display.

{Avoid using this for heavy, chunky pieces.}

Even if you aren't participating in a 
craft fair, you can use this at home 
to organize your jewelry.

See you tomorrow!

Cool Compacts

I'm cleaning up my makeup kit and who knew that makeup

makes for wonderful blah to TADA! projects?!

Yesterday, I made weathered compact cases new again.

Today, I've got a few more ideas.

Let's begin with this eye shadow palette {missing a lid}.

I turned the eye shadow into paint the other day,

now let's see what we can do with the case.

Eye shadow's gone, case is cleaned &

ready for a makeover.

TADA! Turn it into a mini picture frame!

Resize the photos & print them on paper.

Cut & glue onto the little compartments.

Attach a ribbon and display!

Now here's an idea for a compact case

that has a mirror:

Detach the part with the mirror {a little force gets it done}

from the part that holds the makeup.

Dress it up with some scrap fabric.

Sew a pouch & leave one side open.

Turn pouch inside-out & insert the mirror.

Cut a square to reveal the mirror.

Tuck in the loose edges and secure

to the mirror with hot glue.

Close the open end of the pouch

with more hot glue.

TADA! A dressed-up pocket mirror!

It's an essential in every woman's purse!

Now that my makeup kit is clean, I think

it's time to shop for a new set!

Have a happy weekend &

Happy Father's Day to all you

dads out there!

Cute Cases

Happy Thursday! It's all about makeup on my blog this week.

Specifically, makeup that's past its expiration date.

I bet you have a few of these, too!

Compact cases for eye makeup, powder/foundation and lip color.

If the makeup police say "throw", go ahead and get rid

of the makeup (remove the small aluminum tray

containing the makeup) but keep the case!

TADA! Compact cases that look brand new!

Just clean it up with soap & water, dry thoroughly

and embellish with some bling.

TADA! We can put stuff inside!

This one keeps oil blotting paper (folded to fit).

Works for tissue, too.

This one can hold business cards.

Depending on the size of the compact, it can

fit traditional-sized cards or these mini ones from Moo.

You can steal a glance of yourself before you hand out

your card.

Keep vitamins & prescription meds

in this lovely case.

Great to take when travelling!

Mints or gum can also fit this one snugly.

See you tomorrow for more ideas!

Animal Prints

I was rummaging through my makeup bag and came up with a large pile of cosmetics that I need to throw out. But I told the trash can not to display the "Welcome" sign to my stuff just yet. We've got some blah to TADA! to do.

Blah: Powders like eye shadow, foundation & blush.

You can only keep them for two years.

Pry them out of the compact and

pound them into a fine powder.

Add the powder to a half-filled bottle of glue.

One color per bottle.

Mix thoroughly using a skewer.

Make sure the color reaches the

bottom of the bottle.

TADA! Our very own paint!

My custom colors inspired me to make some

animal-print note cards.

I used the brown paint for this giraffe print.

The black paint for my zebra print.

Let this dry overnight.

Ooops, looks like I didn't grind the powder that well.

But I quite like the 3-D effect and grainy texture!

Using glue gives an embossed look and the glitter in

the eye shadow adds some sparkle!

Imagine what else you can do with pink blush and

electric blue eye shadow!

Lots of Kisses

It's all about makeup this week.

Old, beyond the expiration date makeup...

Such as lipstick and lip gloss.

Lipstick & gloss should be thrown out after 2 years.

But you know we won't do that just yet!

We have to create some kisses & make them last.

Here's how:

Apply lipstick & make kiss marks on slips of paper.

If the lipstick is past its prime {we don't want any infections},

get a lip brush and paint some sexy lips on paper.

TADA! You can send kisses to everyone you love!

Insert some kisses in the next greeting card you send.

Fill a box with kisses and mail it to your boyfriend

who lives far away (make your long distance relationship work!).

Seal an envelope With A Kiss.

Friends can send kisses to a loved one

fighting cancer -- she can hang this by her bed

and always know that she's loved.

So what are you waiting for?

Send out those kisses!

Mwah!

Makeup!

I hope you all had a nice weekend!

Today, I want to talk to you about makeup. Honestly, I'm not a big makeup fan. I'm really just a blush & gloss girl. But when formal occasions come up, I need to whip out the eyeshadow, mascara and lipstick.

I had a ball while streamlining my make-up bag...not because I want to put on some, but because I have to get rid of many tubes, pots and compacts. And you know me, these won't go directly to the trash, they'll go from blah to TADA!

The first on the list is mascara.

Experts say, you can only keep mascara for 3 to 4 months.

If you can no longer wear it,

treat it like paint!

TADA! I made my own gift wrapper!

Simply smear it on tissue paper for your

own version of modern art.

Allow to dry for at least 24 hours.

Then use it as gift wrapping paper!

Add a ribbon in a contrasting color.

Smear some on card stock.

And make matching gift tags!