November 25th Pajama Party LIVE

Just in case you missed tonight’s LIVE event – you can watch the archived episode – http://ow.ly/FKYK.

Click here to learn how to join our next LIVE event!

Maria Nerius – Craft Concierge – Needle Felting

GRASONVILLE, MD – Monday afternoon – On last night’s Inspired at Home Radio show, Craft Concierge Maria Nerius, answered the question “What is Needle Felting?” Did you know that there are three popular ways to hand felt? Do you know why a felting needle is shaped so differently from regular needles? To learn more go to Maria’s on-line report or listen to podcast report – GO>>

Craft Concierge – Handmade Paper

GRASONVILLE, MD – Monday morning – Maria Nerius, our Inspired at Home Craft Concierge answers your craft questions!  Last night’s Inspired at Home Radio topic was Handmade Paper. There are two very distinct ways to make a sheet of handmade paper. The first is called the pour method – where you pour your paper pulp into a paper mold. Listen to Maria’s podcast report – GO>>

Artist Play Date – Maria’s Seahorse

PALM BAY, FL – Sunday morning - On last Sunday’s Inspired at Home Radio show, I set out the “challenge” to the my radio mates that we all take some time this week and get creative and make a tag. That way, we would all have to commit to our artist play date!  Here’s the inspiration behind my play date!>>Maria

Inspiration

I wanted to share a little of my Labor Day scuba diving trip. It’s always amazing to roll into the ocean and descend down onto a reef. It was a drift dive which means you don’t really even have to do anything but let the current gently (and sometimes rather rapidly) take you along the reef. It’s a whole new world down there!

I actually designed the tag backwards and had to work in an interesting fashion, but I wrote the instructions in the proper order. I was feeling very antsy when I created this tag and that’s just the opposite of how I feel when diving. The images calmed me down a bit! The raffia was supposed to show some motion.

When I scanned the tag my first thought was how simple it looked. I design simple, clean. Yet, the tag had layers… some secrets! I loved the touch of sparkle from the crystal gel. Under those waves many things just sparkle as you drift by on a dive. I had to add the beautiful beads; I love this little company’s ceramic beads!

Sharing The Sea
by Maria Nerius

Materials

• Cardstock (K&Company Designer Mat Pad Textured)
• Scrap cardstock (lime green, orange, yellow)
• 3 Seahorse stamps
• India Ink Black (Stewart Superior)
• Distressed Ink Old Paper (Ranger)
• Scribbles Crystal Gel Sparkle
• 3 Peruvian ceramic beads (clownfish, trigger fish, sea turtle)
• Raffia
• Paper Trimmer and scissors
• 6 Small brads
• Small hole punch
• Sponge

Instructions

1. Trim textured paper to shape of tag, small hole punch at top/center. Use Distressed Ink around edges of the tag. Sponge on the ink over the tag’s body… front and back.
2. Stamp seahorse images onto 3 colors of scrap cardstock or paper. Trim to size smaller than tag. Trim to be able to stack or layer each on on top of the other. Sponge on Distressed Ink to age and matte the images. Add a touch of sparkle gel to outline the seahorses and allow to dry.
3. Now it’s time to get our images layered and adhered. Large image on top, smallest on bottom. Small hole punch in area that will not take away from images. A little patience and you’ll find it. Use 1 brad to adhere the layers. Then 2 more small hole punches to top image and insert a brad in each hole.
4. Sponge Distressed Ink onto tag. Find placement of the layered seahorses. Find the best area to adhere the smallest image. Three hole punches and insert brads. This allows the images to be moved and viewed. The seahorses are now part of the tag.
5. Thread raffia through tag’s top hole. Knot. Thread on beads, watch placement, and knot to secure beads onto the raffia.
6. Sign back of tag.

Craft Concierge Report – What are Rubbings?

GRASONVILLE, MD – Monday afternoon – Our Inspired at Home Craft Concierge Maria Nerius reports weekly on questions submitted by our readers and listeners.

This week, the spotlight is on “Rubbings”.  Maria was doing some family research and learned that a distant cousin had uncovered the tombstone of her great, great grandfather and great, great grandmother. Rubbings are a great way to capture historical markers such as tombstones and memorials.

Listen to Maria’s podcast report – GO>>

Read Maria’s full report on how to get started in the art of rubbings - GO>>

Craft Concierge – What is Polymer Clay?

GRASONVILLE, MD – Tuesday night – We just love the weekly creativity reports from our resident Craft Concierge, Maria Nerius! On Sunday’s Inspired at Home Radio show, Maria answered the question “What is Polymer Clay?” Although polymer clay has been on the market for many years, when it was introduced, it became the talk of the craft town because it was the first clay that was designed to be cured in a household oven or toaster oven. Before polymer clay, most clays had to be cured in some type of kiln. Polymer clay gave great freedom to sculptors, artists, and crafters.  Click here to listen to Maria’s podcast report!  Click here to read Maria’s report!

Click here to learn more about Inspired at Home Radio!

Craft Concierge – What are Style Stones?

GRASONVILLE, MD – Monday night – In last night’s episode of Inspired at Home Radio, Heidi, Candace and I stepped in to cover for Maria Nerius, our Inspired at Home Craft Concierge, who was feeling a bit under the weather!

Our pick this week is Style Stones by ClearSnap. These cultured stone embellihsments are available in many shapes such as rectangles, cameos and tags and can be used in cardmaking, scrapbook pages, magnets, ornaments, embellishments and our favorite, jewelry! We love Style Stones and use them in a variety of way! >>Tiffany  Listen to last night’s podcast report – GO>>

Craft Concierge – What Glue Do I Use?

GRASONVILLE, MD – Monday morning – We’re excited to launch our new Craft Concierge feature at Inspired at Home and who better to embrace that title than Maria Nerius! Maria has been in the creative craft industry for about 20-years and her passion is talking crafts, telling stories, and pointing people in the right direction for them to discover the creativity they already have inside!

For her first radio show interview, Maria picked the topic of  “What Glue Do I Use?”.  On last night’s Inspired at Home Radio show, Maria shared the most amusing story of how she started her career in crafting.  A cousin suggested that she sell crafts at outdoor arts and crafts shows and she thought “Why not!”. She bought some felt and some glue to make Christmas ornaments to sell. Well, in Maria’s own words, “What a mess!”. The ornaments were horrible. She even wrote the glue company to tell them that a bad batch of glue must have gotten onto her local craft store’s shelves.  How does the story end?  Well, you’re going to have to listen to Maria’s report!  P.S.  It has a happy ending   Listen to Maria’s podcast report on “What Glue do I Use?” GO>>- and- read her report on-line! GO>>

Do you have a crafting question?  Just email craftconcierge@inspiredathome.com or post your question here and we’ll research it and get you an answer! Get Creative! Get Inspired! >>Tiffany

Great Radio Show Last Night!

GRASONVILLE, MD – Monday morning – We had a great visit on last night’s Inspired at Home radio show with our very special guests!

Brenda Pinnick inspired us with COLOR!  What a great discussion! Brenda is a member of the Color Marketing Group, serves on the CHA Design Council and is a graduate of the Creative Circus, a prestigious portfolio school in Atlanta, GA. She shared insights on how color is a powerful tool that can transform our environment, elevate our mood, spur creativity and even help you lose weight.  Brenda talked about which colors enhance our creativity, which colors make us hungry and which turn off our appetite  –plus — colors people should avoid wearing (OK here’s a little hint, I’m definitely, positively, never ever, ever wearing solid green again!), why some people are attracted to certain colors at certain times and the universal favorite color! Listen to Brenda’s interview from our podcast page – GO>> - or – listen to the entire show at your leisure! GO>>

Ketra Oberlander first began painting at the age of 40 when her vision deteriorated into blindness. In the six years since, she has been a professional artist whose work has received over a dozen awards, has thrice shown in the prestigious MH de Young Museum in San Francisco, has been juried into international exhibitions, including winning the Award of Excellence in the Kennedy Center-sponsored “Visions from the Heart” exhibit, and her work has graced two homes for episodes of ABC-TV’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition. In 2008, Ketra expanded her creative mission into a social vision, launching Art of Possibility Studios, an art publishing and licensing company exclusively representing physically disabled artists. On tonight’s show, Ketra discussed how she began painting after she lost her sight and how she expanded her creative mission into a social vision, launching Art of Possiblity Studios, an art brand exclusively representing physically disabled artists for profit so they may generate independent income. Check out Ketra’s on-line shopping. Our favorite pick from this collection is the notepad sets! No, wait! Probably the bookmarks. No, definitely the Phenominoes! Oh well, we love them all!  Listen to Ketra’s interview from our podcast page – GO>> - or – listen to the entire show at your leisure! GO>>

Join us every Sunday night for Inspired at Home Radio. And don’t miss our after the show segment (the last 30-minutes of each show) where our guests, reporters Katheryn Tidwell Bieber and Maria Nerius and our favorite “tacky glue lady” Aleene join us for an open mic chat. You never know what we will talk about! Get Creative! Get Inspired! >>Tiffany

Dragonfly Shaker Card

GRASONVILLE, MD – Monday afternoon – In last night’s Inspired at Home Radio Show “After the Show” segment, we were taking phone call questions from radio listeners and chatting about matboard and foamboard with Eileen Hull, author of “Matboard Magic” and “Foamboard Magic”.

Maria Nerius called in to the show to join in the conversation and shared with us her idea for a Dragonfly Shaker Card.

As promised, here’s a photo and instructions. Thanks Maria!

Dragonfly Shaker Card
by Maria Nerius

Materials

• Decorative paper or cardstock
• Scissors or craft knife
• Metal ruler
• Craft plastic, acetate or page protector
• Thick craft foam, cardboard or foamboard
• Paper glue
• Shaker stuff:  confetti, small paper punched shapes
• Optional:  mat cutter (oval or circle)

Step-by-Step

1. There is more than one way to make a shaker box or card. And you can buy shaker box kits or pre-done pieces.  This is a way to make one from scratch.
2. There are 4 pieces to a shaker box:  The front, the window craft plastic (or acetate or page protector), the thick frame and the backing.
3. Decide on the design of your shaker box.  For beginners, a simple square is best.  But keep in mind you can use a square with a circle window or even cut out a shape for your shaker box.  Let’s start with a square with a square window.  The measurements will be 4” x 4” with a 3” x 3” window centered in the middle.
4. Cut the front, the plastic, the frame and the backing.  All will be 4” x 4”.
5. Cut a window for the front and the frame.  The window for the front should be slightly smaller that the window in the frame.
6. Adhere the backing to the frame.  Backing can be simple plain cardstock.  Or if you want a decorative paper to show through the window, make sure you glue the right side showing through the window.
7. Adhere the plastic to the front.  Make sure you get a good seal all the way around the window.
8. Add your shaker confetti into the frame.
9. Adhere the front to the frame.  You might want to put a heavy book on top for a few hours to get the best seal.
10. Shake, shake, shake!  Shaker cards are fun as card fronts, accents on a scrapbooking page, embellishment of an altered book, or as part of a collage.  You can increase or decrease the size and proportion to fit any need!