Summer Sizzler Warehouse Sale

September 2nd, 2010 in News
By Danielle Dews

On Saturday, September 11th we will be holding our 8th Annual Summer Sizzler Warehouse Sale, here at C&T Publishing headquarters in sunny Concord, California (map). The event will be open to resellers from 9am – 11am, and open to everyone from 11am – 3pm.

There will be some awesome deals to be had on overstocked books, patterns, magazines and more. There will be over 170 titles for sale.

A special addition to this year’s Warehouse Sale line up are the creative demos we’ll have going on all day. The demos will feature some of our newest products—the Liquitex^® Surface Design Center, TAP^®Transfer Artist Paper, Lutradur^® Mixed Media Sheets, and more. The best part is that when you watch a demo, you’ll get a coupon for a special cash-n-carry discount on the featured product.

Can’t make it to our warehouse to shop in person? No worries – you can shop our Summer Sizzler Sale online all weekend, Saturday and Sunday, September 11-12, and get the same great deals. The coupons for watching demos won’t be available though – we aren’t posting those online, I’m afraid.

Meet Insul-Fleece

September 1st, 2010 in News, Projects, Quiltmaking, Sewing
By Danielle Dews

We have a hot new product called Insul-Fleece™, a metalized mylar insulated interfacing that comes as a 27″ x 45″ cut in a Craft Pack.

It’s easy to sew through and you can machine wash and tumble dry with no bunching. And with just one craft pack you can make a whole lunch bag, several pot holders, or two of the below handy, dandy Christmas Casserole Carriers featured in Christmas with Possibilities by Lynda Milligan and Nancy Smith. To get your Insul-Fleece experience underway (as well as get you started on your holiday crafting nice and early this year), read on for the Casserole Carrier project.

Casserole Carrier made with Insul-Fleece

This Casserole Cozy fits an 8" x 8" dish

Holly Casserole Carrier

by Lynda Milligan and Nancy Smith

Materials and Yardage

Yardage is based on fabric that is at least 42″ wide.

Prewash fabric and Insul-Fleece so carrier will fit after laundering.

Fabric: 1 1/8 yards
Insul-Fleece: 1 square 15″ x 15″
Heavy cardboard: 1 square 7¼” x 7¼”, 4 pieces 2″ x 7¼”

Staff Pick: Jane Dávila’s Surface Design Essentials

August 31st, 2010 in Staff Pick
By Megan Scott

There was a point in my life when I never thought I would be comfortable with the words “surface design.” For some reason the term carried a scary, intimidating and unachievable connotation to me. Turns out, I was being pretty silly. Surface design is totally achievable, easy, forgiving, but most of all FUN! What turned my opinion around? Jane Dávila’s Surface Design Essentials.

In preparing for the launch of the Liquitex® Surface Design Center, we had several staff training sessions where we practiced techniques from Jane’s book. There are 15 techniques in the book, and I can honestly say I can do them all, but of course I have my favorites.

One of the techniques is called sunprinting. It is so easy and I was so thrilled with the results. I don’t want to give too much away, but lets just say it involves laying your project in the sun and watching it transform with unique designs. I also loved working with the Derwent Inktense pencils, which are water-soluble and as vibrant as ink. Its like painting with pencils.

What I love most about Jane Dávila’s Surface Design Essentials is the license it gives you to play, experiment, get dirty, and not worry about messing up or being perfect. Its not every day we get to approach a project without expectations and pressure to achieve perfect results. Surface design lets you do that and it feels GREAT!

Visit ExploreSurfaceDesign.com to see all the products we have to accompany you on surface design adventure, and click here to find a shop near you that carries the Liquitex® Surface Design Center.

Lutradur Calling Card Case

August 30th, 2010 in Projects, Surface Design & Mixed Media
By Tristan Gallagher

This stylish calling card case created by Creative Troupe member Diane Knoblauch makes a thoughtful and one-of-a-kind gift. Diane layered Lutradur^® over silk for a delicate and artistic look, but because of Lutradur’s strong fabric-like quality, it is sure to hold up as it slides in and out of pockets.

Lutradur Calling Card Case

designed by Diane Knoblauch

Materials

Lutradur^®Mixed Media Sheets
silk fabric
Acrylic paint, such as Liquitex^®
Spray gold mist
Heat tool (optional)

Instructions:

Cut Lutradur and silk fabric to desired shape and size.
Paint Lutradur with acrylic paint.
Overspray with gold mist, allow to dry.
Sew or quilt the Lutradur to the silk using desired stitch style.
Using heat tool, carefully heat/melt textual holes into the Lutradur.
Sew button hole.
Fold over and sew around all edges using a satin stitch.
Sew button on.

The perfect companion gift to this Lutradur card case is Calling Cards – Connect with Style. But by simply altering the dimensions and color it could be tailored to other needs, such as a business card holder, or gift card holder. Read on for project instructions.

Everyday Inspiration

August 28th, 2010 in Inspiration
By Diane Pedersen

A creative life is filled with challenges and rewards, puzzles and curiosities. This ongoing series of poems attempts to express the “Aha”s and “What if”s, the deep ponderings and casual observations of an inquiring mind trying to make sense of reality. May it serve, for you, as a bit of “Everyday Inspiration” along your own creative path.

We do—

What we

Make time

For.

Are you

Making time

For the most important

Things

In your

Life?

Feeling crafty, feeling better

August 27th, 2010 in Behind the Scenes
By Amy Marson

I was feeling down because I had been sick and had not felt good enough to be creative in a few months. I was looking through a bag of papers and other stuff from Quilt Market in May and I came across this wonderful Our Lady of Guadalupe fabric that I had bought. At first I could not figure out what to do with it, I wanted to make something for my Mom, but was stumped. I even considered making a doll and I really don’t like dolls.

Then it hit me! Face one panel either way and call it a table runner. So I took the fabric that I got and combined it with some solid strips from Robert Kaufman and made a delightful runner. I even stitched on a four milagros for good luck. It was super easy and I got it done in an afternoon.

It is such fun when inspiration hits and you take off running. And the best part was that after making it I felt even better. I got to get creating again, and that put a big smile on my face.

August Creative Troupe Round Up

August 26th, 2010 in Inspiration
By Alyice Edrich

After checking out our Creative Troupe’s blogs this month, I can’t help but think about getting a jumpstart on Christmas! Here are just some of the really fun projects I found to help you jumpstart your own creative muse.

Stefanie Girard is a whiz with a crochet needle and sewing machine, don’t you think? This little kitty is named Jane Doe and she loves to be in the kitchen.

In her post, Stefanie shares the online tutorial for creating the crocheted cat, and the book that inspired the apron. Get a headstart on your Christmas shopping by creating this pet for the cat lover in your life.

Metal embossing anyone? Marie Johansen shares her struggles with creating an embossed metal accent along with her recommendations for three books that are sure to help you create something just as lovely.

Did Disney’s latest rendition of Alice In Wonderland spark a new interest (or rekindle an old one) in the beloved fairytale? Then you are going to fall in love with Melinda Cornish’s latest creation! She created an absolutely stunning apron with vibrant colors and whimsical fun—and it’s all based on the story of Alice in Wonderland.

Lorraine, of Love Of Collage, shares how you can create a cute gift by de-stashing your studio. This gorgeous wooden frame is created completely out of the stash she had on hand. And the image in the center? That’s her work, too! It’s a photo of her felted landscape.

Gabriella Delworth creates a Multi-colored Crystal Bib Necklace “on the cheap”! Not only is this necklace stunning and perfect for a night out on the town, but it is truly simple and quick to make! I can just see myself whipping up a dozen or so of these beauties for my long-distant friends and relatives this holiday season. What about you?

These are just a few of the amazing projects our Creative Troupe members have been creating.

Have you joined the Creative Troupe yet? It’s free. It’s fun. And it only takes a moment to sign up!

Click here for all the details about Creative Troupe membership. Then check out the Creative Troupe’s blog links here for a little more artsy inspiration.

Kaleidoscope Kreator 3 & Innovative Fabric Imagery for Quilts Giveaway

August 24th, 2010 in Contests
By Lynn Koolish

When I first started working on our books focusing on inkjet printing on fabric, I found out about this really great software called Kaleidoscope Kreator*. Over the years they have come out with new and improved versions. It’s great for printing on fabric or paper, and there are template packs, and project CDs as well. I started using it to make clocks.

I’m really impressed with their latest release, and have been having a great time with it. They have very generously donated 2 copies of the software for us to give away along with Innovative Fabric Imagery for Quilts by Cyndy Lyle Rymer and me, Lynn Koolish. Here are some of the images I’ve created with it.

To be in the running for the Kaleidoscope Kreator 3 & Innovative Fabric Imagery for Quilts giveaway, leave a comment here or on Facebook telling us what you’d make or do with the software of you win it. Comments will be closed at 9am PST on Monday, September 6th, 2010 and two lucky winners will be announced later that day.

Extra comment entries are available to you if you want to maximize your chances at being the giveaway winner! If you take one or more of the actions listed below, enter an extra comment for each, and in that comment tell us what you did and link to the proof where that’s possible.

Place one of our blog badges on your personal blog (make sure it includes the html code that links it to our blog)
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Tweet a link to the giveaway & mention our twitter username @ctpublishing

* Kaleidoscope Kreator 3 only runs on PC computers. Sorry, Mac folks.

Winner of The Quilt Show Summer Giveaway

August 23rd, 2010 in Contests
By Tristan Gallagher

We are thrilled to announce the 5 lucky winners of The Quilt Show Summer Giveaway! Please say congratulations to Wendy, Joanne Lendaro, Sandra Sonka, and Judy Chain and Diane Hansen from our Facebook community.

Thanks to everyone who left comments! Be on the lookout for the next giveaway to be posted tomorrow.

Fabric Painting with Antoinette

August 23rd, 2010 in Behind the Scenes
By Amy Marson

Another craft date with my sister, Antoinette. This time we painted fabric using C&T’s line of Liquitex® paints and inks. We did silk color washing, sun printing and then were not sure what to do next.

My sister brought over a linen table cloth that had been contact stained by being stored wet. It was about 6′ x 10′, yellow, with a red border. Antoinette had bought it at a rummage sale in the hopes of giving it a new life. We decided to paint it with big strokes of color. When we were done we hung it up to dry on my son’s soccer rebounder.

As we were walking away I realized it matched this dress Antoinette had given me. It was the brightest, most colorful, ugliest dress ever, and i had sworn I would never, EVER wear it. But now the brush strokes on the tablecloth looked just like the dress. So I ran inside, stripped, and threw on the dress so we could get a picture of the dress and the table cloth together.

Antoinette is delighted with the table cloth. And I am thinking of making her an apron out of the really colorful dress so that she can have a hostess set and be very matchy-matchy.

C&T Publishing Blog

Summer Sizzler Warehouse Sale

Meet Insul-Fleece

Holly Casserole Carrier

Materials and Yardage

Staff Pick: Jane Dávila’s Surface Design Essentials

Lutradur Calling Card Case

Lutradur Calling Card Case

Materials

Instructions:

Everyday Inspiration

Feeling crafty, feeling better

August Creative Troupe Round Up

Kaleidoscope Kreator 3 & Innovative Fabric Imagery for Quilts Giveaway

Winner of The Quilt Show Summer Giveaway

Fabric Painting with Antoinette

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