Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Hot Holiday Gifts and Gadgets! 3 a.m. call time. Chicken hair!

Ok, this was 3 a.m. in the morning for me, but here are my holiday gift tips. Bad lighting, crazy hair, and not enough coffee for sure. I know, excuses, excuses! We can't always bat them out of the park!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner.......Ok, let me see what this is all about!


A few weeks ago the terrific Kathy Peterson contacted me and asked if I would do a men's blog hop featuring the FLIP-PAL MOBILE SCANNER  

I like Kathy and her work so I thought even though I'm strapped for time right now, I'll give it a go.  Besides, I would be reviewing this with some of my creative heroes like Martin Amado and Suede Baum Why not!




Many of you know that I'm not a tech kind of person at all so this scanner has been sitting on my table staring at me all weekend daring me to open it up and start working with it.  I have a few projects in mind that I want to try, but I have to tell you, I'm nervous about it.  Yes, it's just a portable scanner, but I saw the videos of the projects that Kathy made and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.   I guess it's time to open it up and see what happens right?  Here goes!


This is my first scan.......So far so good. Let's see what happens!
Stay tuned.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT:  The owner of this blog was compensated with a Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner to use and review.  Even though I have received this item for free, I will give you my honest opinion about it regardless. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.
Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.





Monday, November 28, 2011

BARBIE GETS CRAFTY........With Mark!

Not long ago Mattel asked me to design a special Barbie Dream House.  After it heads to headquarters tomorrow to be photographed, the prototype will then be auctioned to raise money for Project Angel Food in early December. I couldn't be happier.
Yesterday I took the dream house outside to see if I could get some good photos before I send it off. Here you go!
This house is filled with things made from my various craft books.  For example, the Rope Side Table and the Harlequin Table are both from THE BIG ASS BOOK OF CRAFTS.
Also pictured here is the Glitter Blasted Sofa and Sunburst Mirror, a Frida Kahlo, hand painted Calder, Fornasetti and Damian Hirst spin art painting.
The wallpaper is hand printed and the gold striped lamp and corner lamp both work.
Detail of a floor vase filled with branches and flowers.

The bedroom features a Domino Side Table and two Andy Warhol lithographs along with paper lanterns and hand printed wallpaper.  Originally the bedding had tons of black lace, but it was just too dark for the room.
These lounge chairs are made from 2" wide striped ribbon and chopsticks.  I sewed the canopy from thin white cotton canvas and lined the edges with ribbon and accented it with tiny buttons.
The kitchen features Glitter Blasted table and chairs, a Paint Chip Painting (from THE BIG ASS BOOK OF CRAFTS) and hand printed wallpaper.  The sisal rugs are made from a Chinese mat and 1/4" ribbon.
I kept the bathroom very simple.  Though the rug took me forever to make.  It's rick-rack twisted together and then sewn in a circle.  The wall paper is made from tiny book pages (because you know I love to cover things in book pages).
More professional photos to follow. This is just a sneak peek for my friends. 

Friday, November 25, 2011

Lisa Maxwell is our winner!

Ok folks, just had the official drawing for our Glitter Blast Tuesday contest and Lisa Maxwell is our official winner!  Congratulations Lisa!  Please get in touch with me and let me know where to send your prizes!  You have a set of Glitter Blast coming from KRYLON and THE BIG ASS BOOK OF CRAFTS 2 from me!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

CONTEST! IT'S GLITTER BLAST TUESDAY.......YAY!

Y'all know how much I love my Krylon Spray Paint, right?  Well, they have generously let me give away a set of GLITTER BLAST spray paints with an ongoing contest every other Tuesday from here on out!  Rock on Krylon!
Winners not only get my NEW book, THE BIG ASS BOOK OF CRAFTS 2, they will get all of the colors of glitter blast sent right to their front door.  Just a few simple rules to enter.
GOOD LUCK!
And may the glitter be with you....
RULES
1.  LIKE and COMMENT on the KRYLON FB page that I sent you!
http://www.facebook.com/KrylonCrafts?ref=ts
2. LIKE and COMMENT on my fan page that your entering the contest.
http://www.facebook.com/MarkMontanoNYC?ref=ts
3.  JOIN my blog if you haven't.
4.  LIKE my BIG ASS BOOK OF CRAFTS on Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Big-Ass-Book-Crafts-2/dp/1451627807/ref=bxgy_cc_b_img_b
5.  COMMENT here that you've done it AND what your favorite spray paint project is.

Keep an eye out for the winner.  I'll post it here and on my FB page.  
It helps if you can leave a way for me to contact you, too!

Friday, November 18, 2011

NO SEW LACE PILLOW......

A quick holiday pillow makeover.........
I’m always looking for a good way to cover up a stain on a pillow.  I finally found one.  OK, I’m only half kidding!  I just like gluing fabrics together because the bond is just amazing! Hot glue is an amazing fabric bond and did you know that E-6000 is washable? Either glue will work wonders on this project.  
Any lace will do for a project like this and if you’re really adventurous, try doing it all over an old ottoman that needs some sprucing up.  I think you might really like the results.

YOU’LL NEED:
E-6000 or hot glue gun and glue sticks
1 yard lace that you can cut apart
Pillow 
Scissors *Fiskars is my brand of choice
Fray Check
Straight pins

HERE’S HOW:
1.        Cut your lace apart to separate the flowers and leaves.
2.        If there is a rough edge or an edge that you think my fray, use Fray Check on it.
3.        Carefully remove the stuffing from your pillow (or if you’re making a pillow, do this before you start stuffing it)
4.        Lay your pillow flat and start arranging how you want your lace flowers.
5.        Pin your lace pieces in place
6.        Start gluing them with the hot glue until you’re satisfied.
7.        Stuff your pillow and sew the hole closed and you’re done!
For this project and 100 more check out 
 Also, for 150 terrific projects using items you probably already have, check out

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

OUR BOOK WINNER!

Carissa M is the winner of my last book contest give away! Congratulations Carissa! She's a loon that loves to croon with coffee in the afternoon. I say keep on crooning!
You get a brand spanking new copy of THE BIG ASS BOOK OF CRAFTS 2!  
BIGGER, BETTER, S'ASS'IER! 

Monday, November 14, 2011

LARGE WONDERFUL WALL CLOCK.........


 My friend Peter has a huge clock in his kitchen with a collage of his friends.  It was my inspiration for this  very large wall clock.  Sending special thanks to all of my friends for their endless inspiration today.

YOU’LL NEED:
Plastic box frame that is 18”x24”
Image that is enlarged to 18”x24”
Florescent orange Krylon spray paint
Contact paper
Scissors *FISKARS make the best scissors 
(and their Teflon blade is perfect for cutting sticky stuff!)
Craft knife
Clock that you can take apart *Check the 99c store
Drill and 3/8” drill bit
Spray adhesive
Clear packing tape

HERE’S HOW:
1.           Enlarge your image to 18x24.  Staples can do this easily for a few bucks. *This image is from a Dover book with mortised images that are perfect for clocks.
2.           Place your image inside the frame to decide where you want your clock to be placed.
3.           Drill a hole in the frame for your clock parts.
4.           With your image inside the frame cut out your oval in contact paper to use as your stencil for the florescent paint. *I cut out leaves and clovers and added them to the oval so that it would have some interest.  I placed one on the lower right corner and randomly.
5.           Peel and stick your oval and your flourishes to the frame.
6.           Spray paint the frame with the Krylon florescent paint and let dry for 5 minutes and carefully remove the contact paper.  If you’re having a hard time getting it off, take the tip of your craft knife to lift an edge.
7.           Place the cardboard inset inside your frame and cut out a hole in the area where your clock parts will fit.  My clock was square so I traced it and cut out the exact size.
8.           Spray mount your image to the cardboard inset and put it inside of the box frame.
9.           Poke a hole from the inside of your frame outward through the hole that you drilled.
10.        Remove your clock hands and push the little nubby thingy where the clock hands are attached through the hole that you drilled.
11.        Tape your clock in place with packing tape.
12.        Put on your clock hands and you’re done just in time.

 
But, don't forget about my new book, THE BIG ASS BOOK OF CRAFTS 2!  



Friday, November 11, 2011

CONTEST! 11/11/11 Happy Friday Shiny People!

CONTEST!
LeAnna from Lee Lee's Sweets won the last contest so here we go again awesome people, just follow the rules below.

1. SHARE this contest on Facebook and Twitter

2. Join my blog if you haven't: http://markmontanoblogs.blogspot.com/


4.  Join my FB page if you haven't

5. Comment here that you've done it all.  Make sure to check on the blog for the winner!
I'll announce the winner on FB, Twitter and on my blog.

Hot Holiday Gifts and Gadgets......a live interview from Atlanta, GA

 Ok, this is just a screen shot and I'm not very good at capturing the moment, but if you click on the link below, you can see one of my 30 very early morning interviews from Wednesday.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

LeAnna from Lee Lee's Sweets won the last contest!

Congratulations LeAnna!  You've won a copy of The Big Ass Book of Crafts 2.  I saw your blog when I picked your name and I love your baking skills.  You are super talented! Get in touch with me at MarkMontanoNYC@aol.com so that I can send you your book and get your mailing address!  

99C STORE: Silver Antique Mirror

I challenge myself recently to invent a way to make a silver leafed mirror without the cost and trouble of actually silver leafing something.  I got this round mirror at the 99c store to experiment but then quickly realized that this was the PERFECT mirror for a project like this.  So here you are my creative friends.  My 99c store Silver Antique Mirror!
Today it's also featured on Plaid Crafts site.

YOU’LL NEED:
1 cheap mirror with frame (99c store)
1 roll of aluminum tape (also purchased at the 99c store in the hardware aisle)
Scissors
Folk Art Metallic Gold acrylic paint
Folk Art Leaf Green 447 acrylic paint
1 can of Silver Metallic Krylon Spray paint
Rag or paper towels
Two 3” wide by 30” long strips of green organza OR 30” of wide matching ribbon.
Hot glue gun

HERE’S HOW:
1.    Take the mirror out of the frame.
2.    Cut your aluminum tape in small pieces and start taping them around your mirror frame.  Don’t worry if you get creases, you want creases!
3.    When your entire frame is covered rub it with a rag to make sure the tape is sticking everywhere and shows the shape of the frame perfectly.
4.    Dab your paper towel or rag in some green paint and rub it along the frame so that it catches in the creases.  Rub most of the paint off only leaving hints of it here and there.
5.    When dry, repeat the process with the gold metallic paint until you get the desired effect.
6.    While that is drying, lightly dust the edges of your actual mirror with the silver Krylon Metallic spray paint.  Do this right on top of the mirror to give it an antique aged feel.
7.    When everything is dry, replace the mirror in the frame.  I like to hot glue my mirrors in their frames (especially cheaper frames) so they are more sturdy.
8.    Tie a bow in your ribbon or organza and hot glue it to the back of your mirror to hang.
Don't forget to check out another 150 projects in my new book
THE BIG ASS BOOK OF CRAFTS 2

Monday, November 7, 2011

LUCITE PLATE HOLDER CHANDELIER

Before I begin, I would like to invite you to join my blog!  Just sign up and you won't have to head all over the internet to see my projects!
It's so easy, just follow by E-mail.
Thanks
I don’t usually pick favorites, but I have to say that this just may be my favorite project in
THE BIG ASS BOOK OF HOME DECOR.  It’s beautiful, easy to make and if I do say so myself, it was a stroke of crafty heaven when it finally came together.

YOU’LL NEED:
6 clear plastic plate holders.  *I got mine at the 99C store.
Household Goop Glue or E-6000
6” socket and cord set
Small bulb for your socket and cord set
Office tape
Newspaper
Dremel Tool with grinding attachment (standard with Dremel)

HERE’S HOW
1.         Unfold 3 of your plate holders and arrange them equally on your table on a large piece of newspaper.
2.         Carefully mark on the newspaper where each of the legs touch the newspaper because this will be your guide.
3.         Tape your 3 pieces together and then take your socket with your bulb screwed in and figure out how much space you will need to create for them on the inside of your chandelier once it’s finished.  Because the 6” socket set is so small, you probably won’t need to create much room.
4.         With your Dremel, grind out enough space for your bulb and socket.  Do this on each of your 6 pieces.  *Now I know this sounds difficult, but it’s not.  Just take your time and grind baby!  Make sure to grind out enough room so that you can wiggle out your bulb and change it when it’s time.

5.         Using the guide you created on the newspaper, glue your 3 pieces together. *The hinges are where mine fit together beautifully.
6.         When those 3 pieces are dry, glue the other 3 pieces together the same way.
7.         When you have your 2 sets of 3 pieces dry, carefully slip in your socket with bulb and glue all 6 pieces together feet to feet.
8.         With a dab of glue take your cord and attach it to the crease in the chandelier so that you can hang it from a hook.
ALSO AVAILABLE with over 150 projects is
Enjoy!