Back to School DIY Bling Galaxy Backpack

As I was going through my youtube feed and seeing what was New, I came across this Idea

DIY Galaxy Backpack You take a black backpack and paint Galaxies all over it.

I thought, wow, now that’s a neat idea. So I decided to comment on the video and tell my daughter,

“We’re going to make a one of a kind backpack for you going back to school”. She agreed to do it.

Of course when I do a dupe of something I have to put my own spin on it!

So I added Glitter and Bling. This isn’t a full tutorial, but rather a DIY Instructional Post. Enjoy!!!

 

Supplies: 

A Plain Black Backpack (as shown above, but painted), I got mine at Walmart for $8.88.

2 Towels and 1 Washcloth for stuffing the Backpack makes for an easy surface to paint onto..

 

You’ll also need Tulips Soft Velveteen fabric paint, In Colors White, Grape, Blue, and Azalea (Pink).

I purchased these in the t-shirt painting section at Michaels for about $1.50 each (not bad).

 

I used Plastic snack bags for the paint to sponge onto the backpack.

 

   I used a big sheet of wax paper to dab off excess paint.

I then used one yellow kitchen sponge $.92 at Walmart, that I cut into two halves.

Cut the edges off to make it easier to work with and used each corner for a different color.

I also used 2 fine detailed paint brushes, which I purchased a while ago at Michaels in a

set for about $8.00 ?? They are to nice to work with, very Ergonomic for the hands..

 

    I had some glitter on hand and have been wanting to use my daughters Aqua,

Crystazzi Flatback Crystals also purchased at Michaels, which I have used clear flatbacks before

in my tutorial Bling out your last years sandals.

  A close up of the pretty glitter Aqua, Magenta, and Purple

 

We also used bigger generic Crystal gems that were about $1.00 at Michaels.

 

Directions: So we proceeded to load up the sponges with one color at a time.

Then we would dab as much off as we could onto the piece of wax paper, when applying,

you almost want the paint to be rubbed on dry and not splotchy or clumpy

to give each galaxy softness and depth. We used a mixture of Grape and white mixed together first,

then Blue and white, then Azalea Pink and white. We made little clusters just dabbing on a little at a time,

we’d turn the sponge and onto the next color and so on!

 

  Here’s a close up shot of the Galaxy Clusters, yours will look different than mine but you get the idea.

 

Stand back every so often and take a look at how its coming along.

You may need to add more of a color as you go.

 

Also make sure that you randomly dab on the paint twisting your hand as you go,

so that you don’t get the same pattern on each galaxy.

 

We used the paintbrush ends to dab on stars in a circular pattern to simulate a galaxy of stars.

Again, very random or you could paint on a constellation like the Big Dipper,

which my daughter did at the very bottom right. Do you see it  ;)

 

      We also dry brushed on some shooting stars and simulated gaseous explosions,

as seen in space telescopes. We dabbed our finger into some glitter

and before the paint was completely dry, spread it across each galaxy for twinkle.

 

Then we added the Crystazzi flatbacks with Nail Glue (my go to glue for applying gems).

 

 Here is what the final product looks like in Daylight.

I have to admit, My daughter and I were quite impressed with the job we did and

one of the best parts was it was sooo easy. Plus we had a nice Mother/Daughter bonding time.

Just let go and have fun! And that’s just what we did!!

 

Here is a close up of one of the generic crystals from Michaels @ $1.00, you can’t beat that.

 

And another Pretty Blue one, a Planet or a Blue Sun, who knows it’s Outer Space!!

 

Now we chose to go a little heavier with paint on the arm straps, because the material is heavier in nature.

 

Then we glued the bigger Gems onto the Zipper Pulls, those babies aren’t coming off, I tell ya!!

So let me know if you try this project out and send me a link to your blog post or pics.

I can’t wait till my daughter goes to school to hear what comments she’ll get on her New Backpack!!

This project is rated EZ on the DIY scale and is suitable for ages 5 and above with supervision.

 

What back to school projects have you been working on

and if you like this project leave me some comment Love!!

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+

Check out my sidebar for all social media…

XOXO,

Christina

Quote of the Day:
Work keeps us from three great evils, boredom, vice and need.
--François Marie Arouet Voltaire

Technorati Tags: Back to School,Backpack,Galaxy,Bling,Craft,Creative,DIY,Fun,Inspiration,kids,michaels,Paint,Pink,Purples,saving money,style,tips

Pinterest (Rules of Engagement) Poster

Hey everyone, thought that I’d make a little post about one of my favorite topics “Pinterest” if you can’t tell already! I am always over there pinning to my hearts content and felt compelled to get my Photoshop Elements out and make a Pinterest (Rules of Engagement) Poster. You’ll see it below. First of all, I wanted to add that I have been pinning for over a year I believe it’s’ been. In that time I’ve gotten to know the ins and outs of Pinterest. Second, unfortunately there are some pet peeves I have, but also alot of positive things I enjoy about Pinterest. Rather than tell you about it I’ll show you, then (of course) I’ll “Pin It” then you can too. Please leave a comment, follow me on twitter and I’m now on Google +, click on the sidebar and join me over there!

Thanks for visiting,

~Christina

Quote of the Day:

Everybody is creative, and everybody is talented. I just don’t think everybody is disciplined.

— Al Hirschfeld

What’s in my Purse Tour, Organizing My Chaos & 22 Purse Must Have’s

So I got my new purses and can only use one at a time, oh darn. So here’s the one I chose. The black one for now and I’ll change it up, when the mood strikes. I don’t know about you but, I cannot have too deep of a purse, in fact I prefer a more shallow purse that is wide so that when I go to dig for something it doesn’t take long to find my items. I have to have an organizer in my purse too it keeps everything in it’s place Now I just need to get an apparatus to hold all of my fly away receipts and a trash can installed and I’ll be set. hehe. See how beautiful it looks all nice and neat. Trust me it’ll start filling up with receipts soon don’t worry, so I have to clean it out at least once a week.

Here’s a list of my “Must Have’s” for a purse that survives a chaotic household.

1. A cell phone pocket.
2. Sunglass holder pocket.
3. A Kangaroo pouch, a big purse organizer turned inside out and a small one put inside it. Easy to see into and keeps chaos organized. Or a purse organizer of some sort.
4. Pens for when you need to write notes. 
5. Markers and Note Pad (I always seem to run out of these, need a stockpile for sure), for those creatively sparked ideas when your out and about.  For me it’s usually for the home or my blog.
6. Lipstick, organized upside down so I can see what color I am hurriedly reaching for, gotta have this handy.
7. A card holder, just for health insurance cards, kids pictures, social security cards, and store cards. Will be doing a tutorial on what I did to put all of my large store cards together, even though I have the key fob ones attached to keys, at a later date.
8. I have a sample sized deodorant on the left side pocket and usually my body spray is in there somewhere, need to go get some more. Love Vampire, I get this at Rite aid. I get so many compliments on it, people follow me around.
9. Girly items inside discreet pocket.
10. Kabuki brush (not shown) for touch ups.
11. Hand Sanitizer
12. Change (especially quarters) for when your kids bug you to do the claw.
13. Band-Aids and Neosporin for the boo-boos.
14. Chargers when on the go.
15. Small pouch of wipes or napkins for messes. Also keep wipes in my car too.
16. Small trial sized hairspray.
17. When I am at a family function for a couple of hours I take a mini makeup kit, for touchups, cause we get to laughing and there I go touching my face again.
18. Small snacks for car drives.
19. Stamps
20. A couple of plastic sandwich bags for trash, more organizing etc.
21. I stick my keys right on top or stuff them in next to my check book.
22. A Checkbook Cover and Checkbook I really don’t ever use my zipper because it is so impractical with 4 kids that I have no time for fussing at the store counters. So it stays unzipped but I always carry it on my forearm for safety. You’ll notice in the next picture that my cell phone looks damaged and melted, well I left it in my car in 100 degree heat, which I don’t recommend, still works though.Now go organize that purse of yours. Just dump it like I do and start all over. Sometimes my daughter even reorganizes for me. Any questions, contact me on the side bar or Please leave a comment. Thanks for reading, Christina

Day 30 CHALLENGE My final day for my month long posting Challenge is over! I DID IT!!! Here's what I learned...

To begin with I wanted to just thank all of you for following along as I went through my daily post challenges. The challenge was to just post everyday for 1 month and see what happens. I didn't plan this, I just posted it one day and that was it, I had to do it. I kept myself accountable everyday. I did take off for vacation though, and because of that I started right back up as if I never stopped. I only missed one day due to the chaos of my household.

 Here are the things that I learned along the way.   I honestly didn't know where this would take me, but since I started this is what happened.

1. Sometimes the road veers off a little bit, but you get it straightened out eventually.
2. When you set a goal, you keep at it till you get there.
3. When you put your mind to it, you can accomplish the things you want and Great things come from that.
4. I went from only 5 followers (thanks so much for hanging in there, by the way) to 43 followers. That is what really impressed me.
5. Being diligent pays off, because I have my readers that come and visit me everyday, you know who you are. ; )
6. I can't back down from a CHALLENGE no matter what.
7. I surprised myself with what I could accomplish and when I look back over the month, I have a ton of posts that I can lookover for inspiration later on.
8. I learned to find my Blog Voice, am still tweeking it, but I am loosening up a bit with my writing, letting the personality out more and more.
9. I have a Facebook Fan Page and I am on Twitter. This is just for my blog too. You can click to the right and there is a like box. My Twitter name is @creativetizzy
10. People who visit me seem to love my recipes and my tips.
11. I took my blog design to a whole new level with pics I had from posting, to make my banner. I love it.
12. I am learning how to manage my time, when it comes to preparing and scheduling my posts.
13. The ideas, I just let them come. Somedays I was prepared far in advance. Some came to me just hours before. I let the creative process happen organically, if you will. Although I put pressure on myself to post I laid off the pressure to be creative and let it just flow out. And it did, each and every time.
14. What I love the most is that so many people from all over the world have visited me and I am blown away by how far they are.
15. I have learned all kinds of skills to get my blog out there. Blog marketing, posting on anothers blog, my signature, by following others blogs & blogfrog.com my favorite, and tweeting and facebooking.
16. I have become a better cook.
17. I have become a better photographer.
18. I have become a better version of myself, because of this self expression.
19. I treated this almost like a part time job, but something I got to do, not something I had to do. Attitude is everything.

In conclusion, I am loving this. It keeps me sane and my mind alert and in constant thought about what I am going to do next. Since I am always coming up with ideas anyways this is the best outlet for that. I hope that if you followed along and you also did the posting challenges that you 1. Had fun, and 2. Accomplished some of your own goals 3. And learned somethings about me and you along the way. Till the next post, I bid you happy blogging. ~Christina

Day 25 CHALLENGE 10 Tips when going to the Movies. Especially when you have Kids

Going to the movies? Well you'll need these tips..Okay so my hubby, kids and I are professed movie buffs. We love at home DVD movies, Online movies and Theater movies. We go to kids movies, action movies and funny movies. My kids and I especially like 3D movies.

10 Movie Tips~

1. Look through your Entertainment book for deals on movie tickets or freebies they usually have. Or if you can find any other coupons then use 'em. Entertainment can be found at your local Walgreens and they are $20 or you can pay for them online and get a discount I believe.
2. Use http://www.fandango.com/ plug in your zip code then it takes you to whatever cinemas are in your area. I have paid ahead of time before online if its a movie like the last Twilight movie I saw, to reserve my spots. They charge you for it though, so I only recommend that if it’s a premiere. If you are trying to save, like me then don’t order online. More for me to buy Charming Charlie stuff.
3. Check out your time, lately I have been going on~off times, like 3:00 pm, on weekends near me the cost is $6.50-$6.75 on Saturdays or $5.00 per person on a Sunday, that is at a Carmike theater. They also have free movies for kids during the summer and they did have recession Tuesdays (not sure if they still do), where their food and drinks were dirt cheap. Call ahead to find out deals in your area. Saves time and money.
4. A note on timing, I leave 40 minutes before my movies start time, leaving me 5 minutes driving time, 7 minutes for Walgreens trip for candy (explain that one later), 5 minutes to get tickets and 5 more minutes for food/drinks, then I am able to get a good seat wherever I want and get situated.
5. Make sure the kids hit the bathroom before you go then you don’t have to take a potty break when your in the theater when there’s a good part on. Doesn’t it always figure too?!
6. Find a parking spot near one of the exit doors on either side of the building and then you can hit the bathrooms on the way out and then exit and your parked right outside, bypassing the next crowd of people walking in.
7. When you get there, make an initial purchase of $15.00 for a bucket of popcorn and when you bring it back the next time the refill is $2.50. This is at Carmike, not sure what deals are at your local theater, but I would call them up to ask, or fish around online. I saw alot of movies last year and spent $2.50 each time for a big bucket o' popcorn, lifesaver.
8. Okay some will bawlk at this, but I do it and will continue too. I hit up the local Walgreens and I get my $1.00 Goobers/Whoppers/Junior Mints/ and Snowcaps. You could go to Walmart too, they have the same candy. Sorry folks I am a smuggler, I really refuse to pay, especially since I had had a conversation with one of the ushers at the food stand asking him why the outrageous prices and he literally told me, we don't make anything on the actual movies that's why we charge so much for sodas and snacks. That's dishonest in and of itself...I could get 4~2 Liters of coke for the price they charge for a large soda with ice. So I refuse, yes I have smuggled in sodas before. I am not dishonest just cheap!! lol. They can charge an arm and a leg, so I get rebellious, shhhh, don't tell...
9. When you enter the theater and if you’re like me and don’t want anyone sitting right in back of you, (let’s face it sometimes you pick seats and it’s pretty empty and you sit down only to have another family sit down right behind you (could they possibly pick another spot, so that I don’t have to overhear their whole conversation, you know the type, hehe)), then sit in the first section all the way down but the absolute last row that separates the upper section. Your near the exit, for potty breaks and no one will be directly behind you. I always pick the middle for optimal viewing.
10. Make sure you turn off you phone, or put it on vibrate, sit down, add the junior mints to your popcorn and have a great time watching your movie. Oh and don’t forget your big handful of napkins. Have fun.

5 stars and 2 thumbs up!!

Day 4 CHALLENGE Your Own Dream Journal

Being a severely creative person, I have many ideas/goals/dreams/aspirations floating around in my head, which can become mental clutter. But when I write them down I feel as if a weight is off my mind. So I need not only a creative outlet, but a place to put the many blurbs I think of. If I could I would put them all into a blog, but some things are just for me. I tend to have such random ideas and they may come in the form of a dream I've had or an inspiration from looking at something or someone and on and on. I am a mom first and foremost and sometimes that leaves me little time for me to just space out and gather my thoughts so my dream journal helps me. Usually late at night, right before bed I'll jot down whatever is going on in my mind. I bought my journal at Walmart for around $10 they have pretty ones also at Borders and at Barnes and Noble (two of my favorite stores, I love books).

I wanted to write down positive thoughts about myself, what I like, Positive Affirmations, believing in myself, what I want to do with my life and what the core of me really is. Sort of an exploration to figure out "me". I have found that through the process of dream journaling what defines me is "creativity", and everyday I practice it, whether in thought or in daily things I do around my home, with my family and around my community. Forget about the box, I am an out of the window thinker. And whoever said that quote Jack of all trades master of none was not creative in the least. I believe if you want to do many different things than there is a way, no limits. My blog is an extention of that. I want to encourage all of you, to spend some money on a journal, spend some quiet time in thought, and spend some writing time figuring out what defines you. It may just be that you will learn a few things about yourself in the process and get excited about what lies ahead in something fun that is just yours. Write down anything that
comes to mind, hey even doodle on the pages or draw pictures of your ideas, quotes are also fun
and so on. It can be so freeing to read what you've written. i dare ya!! Have Fun.

Day 1 of CHALLENGE Decorative Floating Initial Hair Accessory Holder

My daughters 8th Birthday is coming up and I thought I would make something for her room. We are going to redecorate it in blacks, browns, and beiges. Neutral colors are best, because we will be staging our home soon for moving. To start off with here are the supplies,

1. 2 8x10 in Plain wood picture frames from the dollar store, will be using 1 of the frames and both pieces of glass.

2. Tacky glue (was out of hot glue)

3. A wood initial, I chose an A.

4. Fancy scrapbooking paperclamps.

5. Black, ivory, and clear matte finish Krylon spray paint.

6. 4 screw hooks

7. Scrapbook paper, fancy glittery and textured

8. Various Beads

9. Various ribbons

10. Various stencil shapes

11. Scrapbook mounting squares

Now let's get started

First make sure all glass is cleaned and fingerprint free. Next cut scrapbook paper into 6x4 rectangle. Add scrapbook mounting squares to the back, each corner and 2 in between each corner and 2 in the middle. Peel off squares and center onto one of the pieces of glass. Shown here:

Add glue to each corner, I would have added hot glue, (the best for this project in my opinion) but I was out so I used Aleene's Tacky glue. Sandwich 2nd piece of glass over top making sure all corners are even. I then used the paperclamps to squeeze the glass together for drying. Shown here:

 Now, I added the Screw hooks before I took it outside to Spray paint. I needed to use a hammer to gently get the screw started, then twisted them into place. I used 4 and eyeballed the placement.

I also added the paperclamps I used earlier for the

glass and glued them to the frame.

I then painted 3 coats of black satin Krylon to the frame and the initial, then I used the stencils as a negative and laid them down randomly on the black frame, sprayed a little bit and it gave a unique effect.
I sprayed the frame with a final coat of Clear Matte Krylon.

I added the glass to the picture frame, since it does not have a back to it, I had to carefully fold over the staples on the back, but not all the way so I wouldn't break the glass. I added the various beads to the corners. I also tied bows interlocking all the ribbons together. Glued that to the glass in the corner of the 6x4 paper and glued the A right next to it.

Shown here:

Here is the final product, you could then add a picture hanger to the back to hang on the wall.

New Inspiration, Creative Touches, and A Surprising Mother's Day!

I wanted to give you some inspiration for today in the spirit of Mother's Day here's something to dwell on:
A creative woman is a selfish woman.
And a selfish woman is a dangerous woman because she is willing and able to feel her own feelings. To own what it is that she wants . And she is willing to try and get it.
A creative woman is an empowered woman. She is able to set boundaries and say NO to what she doesn't want. And a big fat YES to what feeds her and pleases her and nurtures her.
A creative woman, a selfish woman, an empowered woman cannot be controlled. She is the queen of her own life, her own time, her own body.
A creative woman is a passionate woman. She is on fire with being alive. She is hungry for color and adventure and boldness and being swept away by the energy of her creative desires.
A creative woman is an honest woman. She knows how to see clearly, to tell the truth and to no longer lie to herself about what she needs and what truly works for her to be happy.
A creative woman knows how to shine with her own life, to be big and take up space in the world. To be seen and heard and visible.
A creative woman, a selfish woman, a woman full of her self, paradoxically is actually capable of tremendous generosity because she has a lot to give. She is full of energy and is overflowing with her many creative gifts because she is tapped into her own creative source.
But she gives only when she chooses to do so. A dangerous, creative, empowered, selfish woman understands that she can only do so much. And is not willing to damage her own body and psyche and heart by giving more than is good for HER.
written by chris zydel of creative juice arts via dirty footprints studio who said it best...
This is through my new friend Amy at: http://www.amyrehnae.blogspot.com/
I hope that this gives you some insight on yourself and what you are capable of!! 
Here's what I recieved as my Mother's Day gift: (besides going to see Iron Man 2 and eating at Red Lobster, (my one and only cheat meal for the week, deservedly so))

 Can you say Suweeet! This is my new toy. I am a gadget fiend here's my other toys. Everything is touchy!:

My HP TouchSmart, My Verizon Vogu100 htc (competitor to Iphone), and my new IPod Touch, love them all. 
Talk about being Creative, I can use Photoshop Elements 8 on my laptop to design scrapbook pages and edit photos. Being able to touch the screen makes games so much easier and doodling fun!! Use my Ipod touch and Vogu100 for creative scheduling and filing. Ahh to be loved! ~Fin