CraZy TACKz to the Rescue!

Hello and Happy Fall!  I decided to put up my fall garlands yesterday.  I am a little bit late for this month, but we still have all of November to go!  I love decorating my house.  It makes everything seem a little cozier when the bad weather starts to set in.
Against my better judgement, I am going to show you some photos of my walls when I went to hang my garlands.  Mind you, we have had years of decorating in this home.  We have used staples, nails, and finally, a little plastic hook that does not penetrate the wall.  The only problem here, is that you have to take them down and get more the next time... or leave them up.  I tried to take one down (wondering WHY I had left them up in the first place, and discovered that the plastic had hardened and it was hard to pull down)  So, I just left it with a tiny piece ripped off! Don't get me wrong, this little hook was an amazing discovery and they do serve a purpose for the greater good.

Here is a photo of one wall, below is another....my walls of shame!  Lol.

Ok, I have surveyed my walls, found that I still have the hooks in place, so I am going to hang my fall leaves this time.  I am a little embarrassed about the nail holes, but you know how time gets away from you...(excuses, excuses...)
I got my leaves out and started in the dining room.  They kept popping out of the plastic hooks and I didn't want to put anymore nails in the wall....then I REMEMBERED!  I have CraZy TACKz!  The little tack with a hook that will hold up to 2 lbs. and really doesn't damage the wall!  So, I got out a box and went to work.

Here is one angle, below is another.  The leaves are all "HOOKED UP!"

I have been crafting so much with these little tackz, that I haven't thought much about their original purpose.  They are so quick and easy to use!  I got my leafy garlands up with very little effort, thanks to my CraZy TACKz!
Speaking of the Tackz...do you see the sheers tied back in the photo?  What do you suppose I have stuck in the wall holding them back?  Yep, you guessed it!  CraZy TACKz.  I have them holding my curtains back all over the house.  They work great!

The last picture I will leave you with is this visual comparison of the little plastic hooks and the CraZy TACKz.  When you remove the Tackz from the wall, it can easily be painted over to fill in the tiny hole.  Much better than the nail holes you could see in the photo of my wall.

Because this product is so new, you may not find it in your local stores yet.
You can purchase it for the retail price on the website for a limited time.
You can check it out at www.crazytackz.com.
Be sure to check back for more ideas and crafts that are weekly and even daily being added to the Blog.  We are just getting started!

So, until next time,

Happy Decorating!

Marilyn

Design Consultant

for

CraZy TACKz

www.marilyngossett.com

www.crazytackz.com

We help you "Hook it Up"!

Tutorial - All that Glitterz!

#1)  Tutorial - Glitzing up your CraZy TACKz

 Let's start with the simplest fun way to jazz up your CraZy TACKz.  If you want them to stand out on the wall, or glamour up a project, this tutorial will show you how to do that.  First, you must gather your basic supplies as shown in the photo below.  You will need: a piece of Styrofoam brand foam,

your CraZy TACKz, paper plates, Dimensional Medium..(your choice), and of course, Glitter in various colors.  

Now you are ready to start!

Open the box and insert the CraZy TACKz into the foam.

This is one of my favorite parts.  I love the sound it makes when you push them into the foam.  This is a great way to store your decorated TACKz and keep them in a safe place.

I like to use a paper plate to apply the glitter.  This way you can catch the excess and put it back into the glitter bottle.  Hold the TACKz by the hook.  Hold over the plate and apply an even coat of dimensional medium to the top surface of the tackz as shown above. 

Have the glitter ready and sprinkle generously over the tackz as shown.

Place the glittered tackz into the foam.  Allow to dry thoroughly before handling.  This takes an hour or two to dry completely.

Here are some of the decorated CraZy TACKz.  Ready to go on a project or straight into the wall.  They will hold up to 2 lbs. in sheet rock.  Great for hanging jewelry, keys, glasses, etc.  I like to use them for my sheer curtain tie-backs.  They are awesome for quick little jobs around the house.

Would you like to see a couple of project examples that I used the decorated CraZy TACKz on?  The following are a few of them.  Look closely for the glittered tackz!

 Christmas Advent Calendar...with chocolate treats!

A fun wood wall hanging for little treasures (you must use soft wood for this)

Below is another advent calendar featuring die-cuts.

So, here are some fun ideas to get you started.  Tutorial #2 will show you how to further decorate your CraZy TACKz using Paper Punches.  There was a little hint in one of the earlier pictures in this Blog.  Stay tuned.

It will be fun!  Visit your favorite craft store to find the supplies listed

in this Blog.  If they don't have CraZy TACKz, ask them "Why?"

HapPy CRAFTing with CraZy TACKz!

Marilyn

Design Consultant

for

CraZy TACKz

www.marilyngossett.com

www.crazytackz.com

Have any questions?  Leave me a comment!

My Little Helpers!

Today has been all about learning to take better pictures in all light conditions and, which settings work best for each project.  I am a total "right brainer" and have trouble with reading and following the directions.

This would make most people that know me chuckle to themselves, because for so many years I have been writing the directions for various projects.  Somehow this works for me a lot better than having to read and FOLLOW them myself! Anyway, I have had a few little helpers.  This furry helper

was more in my face, getting right in the middle of what I was trying to do.  He is my daughter's Halloween kitty, Terror. Yes, that is his name.  A self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts.  Her other kitty is named "Boo".  I guess she was waiting somewhere else to jump out when I passed by.

Anyway, he was right in the middle of things and kept jumping back up on the table.  Just when it seemed like I was alone and could get my groove back, who should show up.....?  The Ankle Biters!

Our little house guest Roxley....and his BFF, my dog, Tucker.

This is Tucker. 

Anyway, they both seemed to think that I might have something for them.  At the least they expect me to throw a couple of toys or get them some treats.

Have you ever tried to concentrate on a task under these kind of circumstances?  "Craftus Interruptus" I guess you would call it!  Lol!  So, such is the way it goes in my world most every day.  Pets are good company, but they also demand quite a bit of attention!

I have been working on several different variations of a "Countdown to Christmas" project that uses CraZy TACKz.  I have used die cuts, hand held paper punches and Christmas themed stickers.  The first calendar that I posted on here was featuring die-cuts from a personal die cut machine. It is this project that I have shown on a prior blog.

To save time on the first variation of the original design, I used

packaged die-cuts and stickers.  It is pictured below.

And a close-up below.......

See the close-up of the CraZy TACKz?  These handy little tackz have a clear stopper and a hook that will hold up to 2 lbs. in sheetrock.  I used them here for a reusable Advent Calendar that can be brought out year after year.  Of course you will be replacing the chocolates or little gifts each year! We are all into recycling these days, right?  (Who would have thought the word "vegan" could be used when referring to a handbag for example!?)

Makes me think I could eat it! But, that is beside the point!

Below is the other variation using the paper punches.  I used a gingerbread man and a tree.  This was very easy and I just wrote the days on each one as you can see.

Then, here is a close-up.  (I glitzed up the CraZy TACKz with some glitter).

To apply glitter to the CraZy TACKz, hold a tackz by the hook, apply dimensional medium to the stopper, then sprinkle the glitter over that.  I then push the tackz into a piece of Styrofoam brand foam and let it dry.  This is a fun project by itself.  There are so many pretty colors of glitter you can find at your local craft store. The tackz are then ready for any job you would have them to do!  Check out some previous projects on this Blog.

Here is a fun Calendar Holder.  This project will be featured as a Make-It-and-Take-It at Springfield Ben Franklin Crafts and Frame Shop in mid November.  If you are within driving distance, come and join us!  It will be a fun packed night with Holiday projects and classes!  The calendar is hung on the CraZy TACKz at the bottom as shown; and the snowman looms above the calendar.  This same concept can be used for any shape that you like!  They will make great little add-on gift for the holidays.

We will be creating project sheets with instructions for each project I am showing on the Blog.  You can check out CraZy TACKz at www.crazytackz.com.  We have a new website being designed that will feature videos, craft projects, etc.  So, stay tuned!  It will be fun!

If this is your first time of reading this Blog, CraZy TACKz are a brand new patented product that are just being introduced.  The inventor is Gordie Murphy of Washington state.  He was just looking for a way to hang up the vines of a plant and a plain tack just wasn't doin' it!  Don't you love innovation?  We have found many more uses for this CraZy little tackz since then!  We anticipate lots more uses that we haven't even thought of yet!
So, come back!  We'll have lots more to show you.

HAPPY CRAFTING!

Marilyn

Design Consultant

for

CraZy TACKz

www.marilyngossett.com

www.crazytackz.com

Christmas with CraZy TACKz

Hello and Happy Fall!  It is still October, so I don't want to rush things...But! Time has a way of speeding by, so we are starting to look ahead so we can bring some Holiday projects in time to get to work on them!  In my last blog, I took you shopping with me to Ben Franklin Crafts in Springfield, OR.  I am going to show you what I did with all of those fun supplies I picked up at the store.  I am creating a project sheet for this Advent Calendar so thought I would share.  This is a "simplified" version of one that I showed in an earlier blog made with my personal die-cut machine.  This calendar is made with Christmas themed packaged Die-cuts, Christmas countdown Stickers, Christmas Cardstock, and of course CraZy TACKz.  Some chocolate is involved.....so of course there has to be some EXTRA so you can munch on a few while you craft.

Here is the unfinished wooden frame with a 12" indent that we started with.

I painted the frame with Black acrylic paint, then finished it with a top coat of Satin Varnish.  A 1" flat brush worked great for this.

I gathered all of my supplies to make sure everything was at hand!

There are two pieces of 12" square foamcore board behind the cardstock.

The die-cut shapes were layed out with five to a row, the larger tree in the lower right hand corner.  They total 25 shapes.  I just played with them until they looked good!

The chocolate nuggets were wrapped in contrasting cardstock....actually the reverse side of the sheet of memory paper that is on the front of the calendar.  I purchased two pieces of the same memory paper for this project and used them both.  Once the paper wrapper was adhered, the stickers were placed on the top of the chocolate pieces as shown.  Then I glued a ribbon hanger to each chocolate.  I used a 1/8" metallic ribbon, making a 1/2 " loop that will extend above each candy.  Glued the tails to the back of the candy so each one is ready to hang on a CraZy TACKz.

Here is a close-up of the CraZy TACKz that were placed in the board.  I actually designed a template for easy placement of the tackz.  If you want to take the time, it is a lot of fun to apply glitter to each of your CraZy TACKz before placing them in the calendar.  I did not apply glitter to these, but you can see some that are decorated in the earlier blog I posted with the first Advent Calendar I posted.

Here is one more picture of the finished project.  This Advent Calendar can be put away and used year after year.  You might even want to exchange the chocolates for some little prizes!  I will be bringing some more seasonal ideas using this same design concept.  Stay Tuned!

Happy Crafting!

Marilyn

Design Consultant

for

CraZy TACKz

www.marilyngossett.com

www.crazytackz.com

On the road with the "CraZy's"

Did the title catch your attention?  "CraZy" in plural, namely CraZy TACKz and their CraZy inventor (in a totally good and fun way) Gordie Murphy, took a road trip to a favorite retail spot yesterday.  What "Favorite Retail Spot" you ask? Well, I would love to tell you and I am going to show you with some pics that I took at the store!  Ben Franklin Crafts and Frame Shop in Springfield, Oregon was the prize at the end of the trip.  My friends, Paul and Darlene Johnson have owned the store for 21 years.  They are presently celebrating their 21st year and they have lots of fun lined up for their patrons.

This is Darlene holding up a project created from some of their scrapbook papers at the store.  Speaking of scrapbooking papers....they have a plethora of scrapbooking supplies to rival any you would see anywhere.  If you can make the trip, make sure to allow plenty of time to peruse the isles and isles of awesome papers, stickers, embellishments, etc.  I could literally spend hours just looking through every little treasure.  Then to make a decision on what to buy!  That is the "hard" part! 

We have found that Gordie's awesome little patented invention of CraZy TACKz has been proven to work very well with MANY of the supplies you will find at the Craft Store.  We take this useful little Tack with a Hook, decorate it with stickers, glitter, etc. and incorporate it into an aesthetically pleasing Home Dec item.  You can see projects on this Blog and I will be adding some new ones in the very near future.  Lots of fun to be had!

Here is Gordie, Inventor Extraordinaire!

Here we are in the class room looking at projects and in the foreground you can see a point of sale display with the CraZy TACKz...even some of the new colors and shapes that are coming in the near future.

Another pic in the classroom.  I think the "decor" is something that all of us crafters can relate to.  We start with the entire table surface and end up working in a 6" space with all of our treasures around us!  Can you relate?  I like to call it a Creative Mess!

I almost forgot!  The store mascot Ziggy!  Hey Ziggy....look up here!

Ziggy! 

There's Ziggy!  You can't see it in this picture, but he has an awesome feather hair adornment that enhances his handsome looks.  He is as sweet as he looks!  Visit the store and you are sure to see Ziggy in his home away from home.

I know these are hard to see detail on, but I wanted to take you with me on my shopping trip through the store.  The following pictures are Christmas papers and stickers that I am choosing from for my newest project...which I will be showing on here very soon!

More beauties......

Chipboard die-cuts, stickers and matching papers!  Oh boy!

More die-cuts and embellishments.  So cute!

See this 12" unfinished frame?  It jumped into my cart!

There it is!  (Yes, this picture is blurry, it is not your eyes!  Sorry!)

Oops!  Almost missed the Dimensional Medium...then there

was even a jar on the shelf saying "Yes!"  Cheering me on! 

I made my purchases and brought them home!  I am now working on a couple of new exciting projects that I will be sharing in the very near future.

By the way, you can now find CraZy TACKz at your Ben Franklin Store in Springfield!  Stop by and pick up a pack.  We will keep bringing you new projects and ideas. www.benfranklin-crafts-frames.com

Hope you are enjoying the Fall Season!

HAPPY CRAFTING,

Marilyn

Marilyn Gossett

Design Consultant

for

CraZy TACKz

www.marilyngossett.com

www.crazytackz.com

marilyn@crazytackz.com