Blogging From A to Z - 2018 - Z is for

Welcome to the letter Z in the A to Z Challenge for 2018.  This year I am making my way through the alphabet as seen in Michaels Arts and Crafts store.  We have reached the end of the road today with the letter Z.  It was one of the first letters that I looked around the store to find something to feature since I figured that if I could get a "Z" I'd have the alphabet licked.

Thank goodness for Zentangle!  The cover says "Drawing your way to increased creativity, focus and well-being."  I call it doodling and it totally would have fit in with my letter D for drawing, but I needed a Z so there you go.

Fortunately for me, they make Zentangle tool sets so I had some additional information.

I didn't research too much but there are apparently different types of tool sets.  The Apprentice set is for children.  

The Renaissance set is for drawing on old-looking papers.  The colors are more browns and tans.  

This is what is in the Renaissance set.  

They even make special "artist tiles" which are pieces of paper cut to a square.  These are 6 x 6 and the paper is black.

I have never tried Zentangle and oddly enough, I don't really doodle much.  You would think I'd be all over doodles but no.  Intimidated maybe?  I color great if someone else draws the thing. 

This one almost made it into the X-tras Friday but I decided to keep it here.  Michaels has zippers.  Not many, but you can get some.  

During my last round of picture taking for this A to Z as I was in the scrapbooking section taking a picture of the X-ron machine, I saw the Zips and Zots and had to add them.  

Zips and zots are small round bits of adhesive that you can use to hold your embellishments down.  I use them a lot when I am adding flowers to a project because the round shape is perfect to hold the middle of the flower down but leave the petals loose.  Sometimes they are raised a bit because the Zot is thick.  Even more dimension.  

The flowers on the front of this card 

and this Easter Mini-album are held on with Zots.  

You can see the dimension it adds and the petals are loose but the flower won't come off because the Zots are very strong.  

Well, I made it!  Last year I finished the A to Z but not on time as there were some of the entries I had to add in after the fact.  This year was much easier and once again I have to give a shout out to Jacqui Murray at Word Dreams for giving me the idea to base my A to Z on the things you could find at Michaels.  

As you exit the store, and my A to Z posts, I'll leave you with this:

I hope that you have enjoyed the journey through the store with me.  I found some interesting things during the six months I worked there (September 2017 through March 2018) both in the store and in the people I interacted with.  It was definitely a learning experience.  

Now I have to think about what to write for next year's A to Z.  Got any suggestions?  Did you like my Michaels series?  Learn anything?  Do you Zentangle?  Love to hear about it.   

(Note:  I decided I should add a disclaimer to these posts because I certainly don't want to give the idea that I am being paid by Michaels to do this or that they are furnishing me with material.  All pictures used in this blog series were taken by me at local Michaels stores, or are my personal pictures and every Michaels store may not have everything shown.)

Blogging From A to Z - 2018 - Y is for

Welcome to the letter Y in the A to Z Challenge for 2018.  We are down to the last two days here in the A to Z of Michaels Arts and Crafts.  The letter Y is definitely for Yarn.

Yarn has a whole section of its own.  There are so many different colors and thicknesses of yarn for any kind of project from blankets to hats to baby items.  It's hard to tell from my pictures but the yarn in the picture on the right is SO big.  You can kind of tell on the teal one on the bottom and the cream colored one above it how thick the strands are.  If you look at the same teal color in the picture on the left the strands look much thinner.  I have no idea what people do with the yarn so thick.   

Red Heart, Loops and Threads and Vanna White are some of the brands. 

Yarn can be expensive so it is kind of a big deal when there is a sale.  

These are called Sugar and Cream.  I don't know why they want to call yarn by food names but whatever.

They call these Caron Cakes.  They come in Big Cakes, Cakes and Cupcakes.  Mix them with the Sugar and Cream above and you have cakes with frosting - LOL.  I think they are pretty neat in that when you are making something you don't have to change colors, it is automatic.  I suppose you might have to pay attention to what pattern you are making so that the colors match but mostly I make blankets and shawls so I think it would be okay.  

Perhaps these big knitting needles are for the large yarns.  I don't think I'm coordinated enough to handle something so big.  I'm not a knitter anyway, crochet is my thing. 

Fortunately there are plenty of both knitting needles and crochet hooks to satisfy everyone.  Well, almost everyone.  One of the unpleasant experiences I had while working was with a customer who could not find the size needle she was looking for.  When I tried to help her she was less than courteous as I explained to her that we didn't seem to have the size she was wanting.  It ended up with me calling the manager over because I just could not satisfy her.  I had to bite my tongue and not tell this lady she was wacko.  It was situations like this that reminded me how lucky I had been to be able to work for myself from home for the last 18 years and it helped me make the decision to stop working at Michaels.  I mean, look at this selection!    

There are even loom sets for those more adventurous.

And lots of instructional books and patterns to chose from for all manner of things.  

Even the Celebrity baby fashions!  How cute is that?  

Two of the scarves that I crocheted are on sale in my Etsy shop.  I got the yarn from Michaels :)

Okay, tomorrow is a day of rest from the A to Z and then Monday is our grand finale, Z.  Hope you'll be able to make it to the end with me.  

(Note:  I decided I should add a disclaimer to these posts because I certainly don't want to give the idea that I am being paid by Michaels to do this or that they are furnishing me with material.  All pictures used in this blog series were taken by me at local Michaels stores, or are my personal pictures and every Michaels store may not have everything shown.)

Creative Live Classes

I've mentioned that I am an affiliate for Creative Live and I promised that I wouldn't bombard with pitches but this one is a good one.  $20 classes on a wide range of topics from photography to self-help.  I'm thinking about a collage one.







20 Classes For $20 Each


Can't hurt to check it out, right?  Even if you can't watch it now, they are downloadable so you can take it whenever you have time.  These are on sale from 4/27 to 4/29/18.

Happy Friday all. 

Blogging From A to Z - 2018 - X is for

Welcome to the letter X in the A to Z Challenge for 2018.  This year I am highlighting the alphabet as seen in Michaels Arts and Crafts store.  You might think I would have a hard time with the letter X but fortunately there are a few products whose names help me out!

We have X-acto knives.  These are handy for all kinds of things and do come in a couple of different styles.  Look at all the different blades the first one has!  I didn't even notice that until just this minute when I was typing this.  I may have to get one of those - when I get a 60% off coupon!

Next is X-treme.  These are tape runners in the scrapbooking section.  With some of the items I make, like the mini-albums, I like to use this kind of tape to make sure it will hold up to lots of wear.  Xtreme will hold things in place for sure!.

Last but not least is the Xyron brand.  These are sticker maker systems and come in a variety of sizes.  I don't have the Creative Station but I do have a couple of the smaller sizes.  

I have this size that I can use to make any piece of paper a sticker up to about 2-1/2 inches wide.

I have this one too and it will make stickers up to an inch and a half wide.

You just put whatever you want to make into a sticker in the slot and pull it out from the other end.  

You get this and those embellishments are now sticky on the back.  Pretty clever actually.

Xyron also makes a tape runner.  Theresa Collins is one of the bigger scrapbook designers.   

Those are the legitimate X's but I'm going to stretch things a bit and add some X-tras because these are things I found when going through the store that didn't make it into other posts and I didn't want to waste the pictures.


Michaels is also a place to get interesting gifts.  These are some cute animal themed mugs and things for the dog and cat lover (pet parent).

Since it's getting close to Mother's day they also have some bath-related items and summer totes, etc.

There is a whole section of "design it yourself" ceramic and plastic items that you can paint and personalize to your hearts content.

While I showed you the styrofoam heads in the "Unusual" category, there is a whole section of other styrofoam bits and pieces that you can use for wreath making and any number of things.  The round ones are used a lot for the kids who have to make the solar system projects.  

In addition to the wedding section, there is a section with gift bags, bows, tissue and filler for presents for all occasions.  

There are summer themed dishes for the backyard barbecues that will be coming soon (provided winter goes away).

Paints, paints, paints galore.  

Lots of different sizes and fonts of letters too.  You definitely can get your A to Z here!

This is modeling clay.  I just took a shot of the small packages but there are tubs of modeling paste available too.  

I noticed these in the home decor section the last time I went.  I love the vibrant colors.  

Not sure what I would do with this big flower but I thought it was kinda cool.

Finally, my last X, fancy shoelaces with decorative buttons.  

That about covers the X's and the X-tras.  What do you think?  

Only Y and Z left.  I have the pictures and the posts drafted so I think I'm going to make it this year.  Please stop by and see what others have come up with for the letter X.  Hope to see you tomorrow - Y? because I like you!

(Note:  I decided I should add a disclaimer to these posts because I certainly don't want to give the idea that I am being paid by Michaels to do this or that they are furnishing me with material.  All pictures used in this blog series were taken by me at local Michaels stores, or are my personal pictures and every Michaels store may not have everything shown.)