It is a good thing I ran out of pipe cleaners. If that had not happened, I don’t know if I ever would have stopped making these adorable Valentine ornaments.
What’s more, these fun Valentine’s Day crafts are easy to make and use simple materials like paper bags and pipe cleaners.
You may recall that I entered my Elfville project into a craft engineering contest last fall. I was pleased as punch when I learned I was a winner and got some fabulous prizes. Yesterday, I got even more exciting news.
The folks over at the Robin’s Nest sent me this permanent badge for my blog. They have been so busy with new product launches that they didn’t have time before now to send out the winning badges. I am honored to display this on Paper Calliope. Thank you Robin’s Nest!
The circus theme continues here at Paper Calliope with these cute-as-can-be Valentine elephant ornaments. Please check out the full tutorial on how to make them over at the Robin’s Nest. Read the rest of this entry
So, by now you probably know that I love making vintage circus art. It probably has a little something to do with the fact that my kids have gone to a circus performing arts school since the youngest was still in diapers. Yep, The Daughter™ hung from a trapeze, even before she was out of Pampers.
Aside from my kids’ involvement, I also like making circus-themed art because of the vibrant graphics and the endless opportunities for whimsy and creativity. Over the last week,I have been laboring over a special project that has been on my to-do list for a long, long while. It was finally time to make a paper calliope.
Be still my heart–at least until I get my heart rate down. There’s been such a flurry of Valentine projects underway at Paper Calliope that I haven’t had a moment to blog.
That changes today however. Please stop by the Robin’s Nest and see a tutorial for this fun little box I created using paper and the spring from an old ballpoint pen. Read the rest of this entry
So it was just a week ago that my 8.5 ounce baby boy was born. Well….a week and 18 years ago. It feels like a few days ago. Cliche or not, where the hell did the time go?
Since he is past the age of wanting action figures for presents and since he is always broke, his dad and I decided to give him small denomination gift cards that he can use throughout the year. I tied it into the chance to remind him about the incredibly awesome parents who threw so many over-the-top theme birthday parties over the years. Aaaannnnd, since I’m still Mom, I decided to also use the opportunity to boost his awareness about Mother’s Day other important days throughout the year. Read the rest of this entry
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt from the heart.” –Helen Keller
Each month the Robin’s Nest provides its International Design Team with a quote to inspire our art projects. This month’s quote got me thinking about focusing 2015 on the “things” that are important to me. One such beautiful thing–which cannot be seen or touched–is loyalty in friendship. Read the rest of this entry
I’m still in the midst of the holiday craze and don’t have much time for blogging, but I had to stop in and make this quick announcement.
I am thrilled to report that I have been invited back and am re-joining the 2015 Robin’s Nest Design Team as an Altered Art Artist. Make sure to check out the rest of the fabulous team.
In between board games and cookie consumption, I am actually working hard on my January projects for the team. At least one of them takes me in quite a different direction and I can’t wait to share it with you.
In the meantime, have a safe, sane, but equally fun New Year’s.
xoxo Betsy
If you need a truly eye-catching gift or just want to make your own Christmas tree more festive, try making these honeycomb ornaments. Read the rest of this entry
Ok, Now I’ve done it. With that headline, I have officially made the worst pun ever. If you can forgive me, please check out my Altoid tin (breath mint) tutorial over at the Robin’s Nest.
