Day Eight of Paper Calliope’s 13 Days of October has me a little batty. As I am crazily crafting Halloween projects, my mind keeps wandering ahead to Christmas crafts. Talk about not staying in the moment.
Tag Archives: Robin’s Nest
Cool contest–not that I want the competition
No bones about it, these Halloween putz houses have guts
Glittery haunted houses

More Halloween crafts just for you–It is Day Six of Paper Calliope’s 13 Days of October and today I am featuring the second of four itty-bitty teeny-weeny Halloween houses.
Created in a putz style, these adorable haunted houses glisten with glitter.
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Golden Age of Travel Altered Art Box Tutorial at Robin’s Nest

There was a time during the 1940s to 1970s when some families got to experience the Golden Age of Travel. These were the days of roomy planes with curtained windows and hot meals; luxurious hotels with gloved bellhops; and even wood-paneled stationwagons with kids frolicking unbuckled in the back, while adults navigated empty interstates using a map from the Amoco station.
Ok, truth be told, I don’t remember most of those either. I am not prehistoric after all!.
My altered art box reflects how I imagine some mid-century Americans families spent their holidays during this era You can read more about this altered art box, see a tutorial on how to make it and even find out what it has in common with Oprah by visiting my post at the Robin’s Nest.
Make an altered art Halloween Book
With the season of ghosts and goblins fast approaching, I am thrilled to share my tutorial for an altered art Halloween mini album. You can see the entire tutorial with lots of detailed pictures of creative pages on my Robin’s Nest Design Team post.
Altering books is one of my favorite activities. With so many options available from pre-made books found at craft stores to repurposed children’s books to making books from scratch, I find making altered books almost as irresistible as sneaking Reeses’ Peanut Butter Cups out of my kids’ trick or treat bags. Please note that emphasis on almost, because, well, I really like Reeses. Read the rest of this entry
Paper Calliope featured at Bella Crafts Quarterly
Phew! School is back in session and after a crazy August I am finally going to have time to get posting again.
What better way to kick of the new season than with some exciting news. I am delighted to announce that I have been asked to be a writer for Bella Crafts Quarterly!
My first article was published today. It features an easy-peasy tutorial on creating your own coasters from paper crafting scraps. Please visit the Bella Crafts Quarterly Blog to check it out. If you have time to leave a comment on their site I will be eternally grateful.
And you…light up my life…
Move over Debby Boone. My latest post at the Robin’s Nest is going to light up your life (and boy oh boy, did I just date myself). Read the rest of this entry
Learn how to brighten someone’s day with this greeting card tutorial

The Robin’s Nest recently gave a challenge to think outside the box when creating greeting cards. Since I don’t think a box exists that contains enough nooks, crannies, twists and turns to hold my little ol’ brain, this seemed like the perfect challenge.
I love creating three-dimensional and interactive cards such as explosion cards, pop-up cards and cards with secret compartments. (I also like creating irreverent cards with vintage images, but The Robin’s Nest might not want their upstanding name associated with that). At the same time, I think a lot of manufacturers would like designers to get back to the basics and offer tutorials that crafters can complete without an engineering degree, $47K in specialized tools and a tattoo of Tim Holtz’s autograph on their arse.*
With that in mind, I created a three-dimensional card that can be completed in one sitting, requires no special tools and remains flat enough to be mailed in a regular envelope. Read the rest of this entry