DIY Christmas projects free series of videos just started!

Hello everyone!

I love this time of the year! I am starting preparation for Christmas and decided to have a new series of videos to share simple projects that can be unique gifts or decoration for our houses! 

All simple projects, using a few materials, scraps of fabrics, paper (sometimes reusing cereal boxes), and glue!! 

For more details and to see the projects I will be sharing, take a look at this video:

I will be sharing one project each week of November in my FREE online course Joy of Cartonnage. If you are already part of this course, go there and see, the first video is already there! If you are not my student yet, it's simple, it's easy, it's free, just click here and sign up! (keep your password in mind, you will need it everytime you access the course)

As the videos will be in my online school, they will be there for a long time, so, you can see them over and over and make the projects in your free time!

So, the first video is already available and you will learn how to make unique magnet boards. Watch it now!     Next one will be available on November 10! See you there!!!

The workshop Basics to make fabric boxes just started!

Hello, the first video of the workshop where I will be showing how to design and make one fabric box is already available! More videos coming this week and they will be available untill next Monday, October 03!

If you have registered to be part of this workshop, then check your inbox, you have received one email letting you know how to access the workshop! If you have registered and didn't receive this email, please check your spam folder!

If you didn't registered yet and want to have fun learning how to make fabric boxes, it is still time to participate! Click here to have more information, register and be part of this workshop!

Let's have a great week! See you in the workshop!

Claudia

Repurposed shutters and my new studio is ready for the workshop!

Hello my friends!

You may or may not know, I just moved from Fishers, IN to Grand Haven, MI. Here in my new place I got one special space to have my studio. In this room, I will be creating and making my arts, taking the pictures of the pieces for the instructions and also making the videos for my online classes! I'm so excited about this! 

Everytime I have a new space I love to decorate it in a special way! And it was not different this time! I had one idea in mind for a long time, but wasn't sure if would work! Then.....well.... let me know what I did and......had so much fun making!!

All started when I saw some pictures of shelves in the internet, reusing old shutters, and I loved the idea! Here in West Michigan there are many antique shops and I went to several of them till I found what I felt could work!

Then, after settled in the new house, I decided to work with this project! So, following the directions I have found on internet, I painted all of them with latex painting. 

Next, I applied chalk paint in different colors.....but I was still unsure how all of this would end up.....

After this, I was ready to distress, wiping away the paint with a wet cloth! Wow! That was awesome, it was the first time I did something like that!

And then, my garage floor was full of new looking shutters! 

The next step I couldn't be done if wasn't my husband's help!! Thank you so much my dear!!!

So, after figuring out what would be the best way to put the pieces together, we decided to make the way we did!! 

With all pieces together, we figured out, the best place to add the shelves...... and he fixed them to me! 

I ending up not using all the shelves I was thinking, but I loved the final result ....it is much better than I had figured out!!

Then we fixed in the wall of my new studio and ........ I have a great place to work now!!!

I really loved it! How about you??

Then, I have already started making the videos for my first FREE Online Workshop about Cartonnage, the basics to make fabric boxes. The workshop will be from September 26 to October 03. Have you already registered for that? Don't miss this! It will be great!! I'm looking forward to see you there!!

REGISTER FOR THE WORKSHOP about making fabric boxes HERE! It's FREE!

You are invited for a FREE online Cartonnage workshop!

I am so excited to share with you that I have started registration for my FREE online Cartonnage Workshop that will be happening from September 26 to October 03!

The workshop will be a serie of online videos where I will be sharing the basic about the technique, as well as I will be making one  fabric box and also will teach you how to design and make your own box with the dimensions you want! 

The fabric boxes are great handmade gifts and we can have so much fun making them!

To be part of this workshop you have to register. To do that, click on the link below to have more information, register and also get one eBook to start practicing now!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS FREE WORKSHOP

I'm preparing everything with so much care! I'm looking forward for this event!

Any question, suggestions, comments? I will be very glad to hear from you! 

Claudia

New DIY cartonnage kits! Now also available in selected stores!

I am so glad  to let you know that I have updated my DIY cartonnage kits! That was in my mind for a long time and finally I made them much more functional, not just to use in my classes, but also for everyone that wants to make fabric boxes or other pieces using Cartonnage technique.

Each DIY kit now has 2 options: 

*  STARTER kit with instructions, that comes with all pieces of paper board, poster board and kraft paper precut to make the project and a CD with instructions that contains lots of pictures showing the whole process, step by step! 

*  THE KIT ONLY, so, if you already know how to make the piece then you can buy just the kit itself, with all pieces of paper ready to add your favorite fabric and make the project!

As an example, here are the options for the Small fabric box - DIY kit 102 (and the box instructions are brand new! Much more details now):

With the same instruction you can make more than one size of box, so, with the instruction that come with the Small Fabric box (DIY kit 102) you can also make the Medium fabric box (DIY kit 131) and the Square fabric box (DIY kit 106). 

Another kind of kit is for boxes with dividers! They are great to hold tea bags, K-cups and other coffe cups.... With the instruction that come in these boxes is possible to make the Fabric box with 4 divisions (Tea box) (DIY kit 108) and the Fabric box with 6 divisions (for tea bags, dog treats, or k-cup without dividers) (DIY kit 143).

Another way to learn how to make the linged lid fabric boxes (without or with dividers), it is learning online. You can buy the DIY kit only and learn with videos in my FABRIC COVERED BOX online course, this course also include the instructions with pictures step by step.

A fabric pencil box with magnet closure is a great idea! The students are so happy with this box!

And the project that was my first piece when learning cartonnage: the journal cover!

For the journal cover, you can also buy the DIY kit only and learn online in my JOURNAL COVER online course.

Here are all the CD with instructions I have made so far, soon I will have DIY kits also for other projects:

Here are the pieces you can find the DIY kits available now:

The instructions are very clear and complete. Plus, complementary basic information and videos for all cartonnage projects are always available in my FREE online course: Joy of Cartonnage.

Also to make the boxes and cases we have some special tools (very simple and inexpensive), that facilitate the process so much! They are now available with printed instructions:

Do you want to know where you can find these kits?

*Local quilt stores in Indiana that will carry them very soon are:

      Always in Stitches - Noblesville (317 - 776 4227)

      Quilt Expressions - Fishers (317 - 913 1816)

* ColorWay Arts online shop  (due my moving process, in August the shipping time can be 1-2 weeks - sorry!!) 

I am planning to have kits like that for other projects I already had classes and for the future projects. 

I have prepared these kits, the instructions with so much care! They are part of a project that has started in  2014 when I taught my first Cartonnage class! My huge thank you to all students that have joined me in the classes till now, you are an essential part of this process! I am looking forward to the classes that will be coming in the next months!

If you have any question, suggestions, I will be very glad to hear from you!!

Thanks,

Claudia

I’ve been absent for a while, but for a good reason....

Life is full of surprises..... our family was so happy in Indiana, lots of friends, my work was growing, more students were join Cartonnage with me….. and then….. suddenly we got to start everything over again! Due to my husband’s new job we have to move… look for a house in a new city, new state…. and we have been in this process for almost 6 months…. 

If you have passed for a situation like that, you probably know how exciting and frustrating that can be at the same time…. but now, that everything is getting solved,  we found our place and as we have been enjoying a great summertime in our new city near the Lake Michigan (even in a small temporary living), we can say that we will be very happy in Michigan as well! I know winter time will come with lots of cold weather and snow, but we will enjoy it for sure. Grand Haven, Michigan, will be our new address (our definitive moving will be by the end of August)! God knows our path better than us, so, even when we don’t understand the things in the moment, latter we will find the purpose!!  

(My family at Muskegon State Park, MI, June, 2016)

During these six months, I have been planning the future, learning new fiber arts techniques with an amazing new friend (thanks Lynn!!), listening to my heart and deciding how to continue my work from now! I know some of my students were expecting more classes, but trust me, I needed that time to think and to start over now with much more confidence!

I also have been working in the new plans I have for the future! I can’t tell so much now, but I think you will love, I am preparing everything with so much care!  The DIY kits will have a new look and will be available in selected stores….. A great online Free workshop will happen in September…. New online classes are coming! I am enjoying the time and making all of them the best I can! Wait for more news as I go ahead and finish them…..

Another thing I have been working and enjoying so much is looking to my projects in a different way…. instead of designing more advanced pieces at this time, I decided to turn my hinged lid boxes and journal covers into something really unique, something that I am so proud and happy making …even with my lack of skills for that!!... but that doesn’t matter for me now, the important thing here is that I had so much fun making and I know everyone that join me in this new journey for Cartonnage will be so happy with the results as well! At the end, I don’t know if will be easy  to give away the pieces…. Because they are made with the soul... they are not just crafts….they are arts!!…… but for sure those would be amazing gifts!

What you will see below is what I am talking about! Inspired in the nature that I am surrounded now (tulips, flowers, lake, boats…..) and mixing other arts with cartonnage, those are what I got till this moment! Please don’t take a closer look to my sewing’s…. I am not good at all in this….I have so much to learn from all of you, my students and friends that are great quilters…. And I will learn soon…. But I had to make those even with this lack of skill to sew, because I loved the overall results, and I am imagining how beautiful pieces my students will make from here…..

The first ones I made right after visiting Holland for a Tulip Festival in May….. For these pieces I used a fabric that I had hand painted some time ago and I coordinate it with denim (I love using denim!)

                              (Tulip Festival, Holland, MI, May, 2016)

(Boxes and journal cover made with hand painted fabric and flower applique)

Then, I was wondering if I could make some projects out of quilts…..I have made some in the past, but just applied miniature quilts to the cover, now my goal was to make a quilt at the size of the piece and then, make the boxes and covers….. and I just LOVED the result…..and  I can’t wait to see my student’s beautiful quilts turned into boxes!!!

(Quilted boxes.... Is this an appropriate name?)

I spent some great time at the beach in our new city with my family…. And looking to that amazing nature I was so THANKFUL, and got inspired to make more…..

For these next pieces, I started hand painting the fabric, then I applied the boat and then, I sewed over to create the scene! (please don’t judge my terrible stitches….I said I will be better in that!). Then, I made the journal cover and the box! How amazing is that?!!! How many different boxes and cases we can make mixing techniques?? Endless…………

(My cartonnage art at North Shore Beach, Spring Lake, MI)

Last, but not least.....in my free time I also love cross stitch. And I was far away from my fabric and glue sometimes during these months, and then, I made some stitches and applied to my box!

Well, that’s part of what I have been doing recently.  I hope you liked… I can tell you that I had so much fun in every part of the process. For sure I will continue making pieces just covered with fabric, but with this option of mixing arts we can add even more value, personal value to Cartonnage pieces, do you agree? Do you want to try it? I will love hearing from you! Comment!