It’s spring and things are blooming all around. Some of the most vibrant and beautiful blooms and foliage are from the tropics. It’s what inspired me to create the Tropical Tote Bag and conduct a giveaway. I so love giving things that inspire. I decided to add a copy of my Locking Loops book to ensure our Color Crazy winner has illustrated instructions at hand and more ideas for locker hooking. The Tropical Tote is an easy and fun project to make. It can also be hooked very quickly once you’ve painted the canvas. Minimal locker hooking involved on 3.75 Mesh Canvas that is painted with a shimmering Citrine Lumiere paint, and if you didn’t win it, you can still make it by downloading the free pattern. The kit includes everything needed minus a paint brush and scissors.

Color Crazy’s Tropical Tote Kit & Locking Loops Giveaway

Color Crazy conducted the drawing today and chose the winner. Everyone that received the newsletter or were a new subscriber during the month of March was in the running. There were a total of 889 contestants–each was assigned a number. I used a Random Number generator and the number chosen was 302! The winner is Patricia Gonzales!

(Congratulations Patricia!!! Please contact me so that I know where to send this fun crafting package! My email is on the website.) Now it’s time to think of the next Color Crazy giveaway. In order to be included, you need to sign up for  Color Crazy News. I welcome ideas for the next giveaway. Post your ideas here and like and comment on the Color Crazy Facebook page.

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

The post Winner of Tropical Tote Bag Locker Hooking Kit appeared first on Color Crazy.

In this post, I want to highlight a few of my favorite locker hooked spring baskets. I think my all time favorite is the Floppy Eared Bunny Basket featured in the Locking Loops book. It turned out so sweet with a cute little bunny face. I used strip of pink velvet to create the little bunny mouth and nose. It’s locker hooked on 5-mesh canvas with Color Crazy Natural Muslin strips, Color Crazy Rayon Ribbon and yarn. You can locker hook small baskets to give as gifts–fill with a jar of preserves or other treats. The Garden Preserves Basket featured below is easy to make and is also featured in the Locking Loops book. Find a free pattern for the Mini Blossom Basket at Color Crazy. You can easily locker hook the handle to attach. Hook a spring basket to give as a gift, or to keep for yourself.

Floppy Eared Bunny Basket Locker Hooked on 5-Mesh Canvas

Locker Hooked Spring Gift Baskets – On 5-Mesh Canvas with Fabric Strips

Locker Hooked Easter Basket — Ready for an Easter Egg Hunt

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

The post Spring Baskets — Locker Hook for Easter or a Gift appeared first on Color Crazy.

In celebration of March as Craft Month, Color Crazy is holding a drawing for customers that shop during the month. I also want to share new ideas for locker hookers and crafters out there that are fun and make finishing projects easy. This month, it’s about creating with exposed painted canvas and minimal locker hooking. The Tropical Tote Bag below is made by painting the canvas and locker hooking around the edges. The kit with materials needed to finish this project is the giveaway this month!

Win the Tropical Tote Bag Kit at Color Crazy

You can create any size tote bag this way. The Farmer’s Market Tote Bag shown below and featured in the Locking Loops book is a great example. By the way, Locking Loops is 50% OFF on Color Crazy this month. I loved using the Color Crazy Velvety Flannel strips for this project. The strips are sturdy with a velvety texture.  It’s also accented with a leaf motif created with the “Ruched Frames” technique. I used Turquoise and Spring Green Velvety Flannel Strip colors for the Tropical Tote design. I also layered the new Color Crazy 1/4″W Fabric Strips in the Jungle Waters color over the flannel in the top rows for a loopier, textured look.

Farmer’s Market Tote Bag – Featured in “Locking Loops” book

The new 1/4″W Color Crazy Fabric Strips are great for layering on as you locker hook to create bigger loops for more texture. Below is a closeup of this look. You can also use them to crochet, knit or even make jewelry. See simple coaster design below.

Closeup view of loops layered with 1/4″w strips.

To get this effect, hook with two strips and use your hand to pull up one strip higher as you continue hooking.

Coaster crocheted with 1/4″w Color Crazy Fabric Strips

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

The post Color Crazy for Craft Month — Giveaway & New Ideas for Fabric Strips appeared first on Color Crazy.

I’m hoping this year more people will discover locker hooking. I’m working on sharing more about this craft, and thanks to Stampington & Company and their beautiful and collectible publications, more crafters will discover it this spring.  Their latest issue of GreenCraft Magazine features my contributed article, “Hooked” on Sari,” covering locker hooking bangles with recycled sari fabric and silk strips. The bangles feature the standard locker hooking technique  covered in both of my books. The rich blue and green bangle with the silver clasp is made using the new “Ruched Frames” technique introduced in my Locking Loops book. 

Color Crazy has a free pattern and the “How to Locker Hook a Bangle Bracelet” tutorial video. You can also find some great locker hooking supplies like bundles of Color Crazy Sari Ribbon, canvas and tools.

Locker Hook Bangle Bracelets with

Fabric Remnants

Bangle Bracelets– Locker Hooked, Blue & Thin Designs with Ruched Frames

 The bangle designs above are locker hooked on 5-mesh canvas with recycled sari fabric and silks. They’re framed with silk and rayon ribbon.

Color Crazy Sari Ribbon–Available in 5 Different Color Combinations

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

The post Hooked on Sari–Colorful Locker Hooked Bangles in GreenCraft Magazine appeared first on Color Crazy.

Heart Box with Locker Hooked “Ruched Frame” Lid

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Here are a couple of creative gift ideas for special valentines–colorful heart shapes you can craft and bake.

The Locker Hooked Heart Box:

Locker Hooked Heart Boxes on Paper Mache–Painted with Lumiere Paints.

The heart box full of scrumptious texture and love: Create your own colorful and textured heart boxes for gift giving. Just trace a heart shape on canvas, cut and locker hook with a variety of fun fibers, ribbons & fabric, then glue onto the box top. The heart boxes are made of paper mache and are painted with Lumiere luminescent paint. The small box is covered in a locker hooked “Ruched Frame”–a technique featured in the Locking Loops book. Buy a set of these 4 1/4″ x 4 1/4″ boxes at Color Crazy. Locker hooked on 5-mesh canvas with Color Crazy Fabric Strips, raffia, ribbon, and Color Crazy Sari Ribbon (made with recycled sari fabric.) Pull up alternating long and short loops to create texture. Fill the boxes with a variety of chocolaty treats and voila! You have a special handcrafted gift. It’s just like locker hooking an ornament. View the instructional videos for ornaments at the Color Crazy1 Channel on YouTube.

Conversation Hearts in Crazy Colors–a Cheesecake Treat:

Colorful Cheesecake Hearts for Valentine’s Day 

I discovered this yummy recipe on the Hungry Happenings page last year. They are perfectly color crazy and delicious too. Ideal for a dessert surprise on Valentine’s Day. You can find the heart shaped Wilcon molded pans on Amazon.

Locker hooked heart box with chocolate kisses & sweets.

 Fun tip: Paint the inside of the box in a different color for a charming effect.

Give a Hooked Heart

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

The post Textured Hearts–Colorful, Crafty & Delicious appeared first on Color Crazy.

I love decorating for the holidays and you can certainly get creative with wreaths when using color, but it’s also wonderful to stick to traditional colors. This year, I decided to locker hook wreaths in different sizes (see below) and share the pattern with readers and fans of locker hooking. I used Color Crazy fabric and Rayon Ribbon strips on 5-Mesh Canvas. You can use these locker hooked wreaths to accent doors–absolutely charming on a guest room door for holiday guests. You can also use them as table top accents with pillar candles or votives. I also hooked a mini wreath for a door or votive and  a small ornament size and added twigs. It also makes a great accent on a gift box. There’s a free Holiday Wreath pattern on colorcrazy.com. Once you make your first wreath, you can make them in any size. Give them a try and get creative with your favorite colors and embellishments. You can also purchase a kit for the 11 1/2″W Holiday Wreath, but do it quickly! It’s available in limited quantities.

Locker Hooked Holiday Wreath–Accent a Door or Table

Get creative by adding strips for fringe in different colors…

Mini Locker Hooked Door Wreath

The Mini Wreath I made is 7″W and is perfect as a table top accent with a votive candle. Locker hooked in Color Crazy Pumpkin, Chartreuse, and Mulberry Wine.

Locker Hooked Mini Wreath with Votive

Locker Hooked Holiday Wreath–Table Accent with Pillar Candle

I added twigs for the ornament sized wreath to give it a whimsical touch.

Locker Hooked Ornament Sized Wreath with Twigs–great on a gift box too! 5″W

Below is the Holiday Wreath in progress. I like to paint the canvas just in case any of it peeks through. I also secure the edges with Quick Grip adhesive to ensure no unraveling. The edges are framed with the Color Crazy Rayon Ribbon and it’s hooked with the pre-cut Color Crazy Cotton Fabric Strips.

Locker Hooked Holiday Wreath in Progress–On 5-Mesh Canvas

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

The post Locker Hook Colorful Holiday Wreaths appeared first on Color Crazy.

After a recent visit to Santa Fe, New Mexico, I came back inspired by the colors found in the natural surroundings and the abundance of art found everywhere. Santa Fe is a haven for so many talented artists. I fell in love with the simple adobe architecture, the sculpture and woven masterpieces like the beautiful baskets woven by Navajo Indian women. The colors of the clay soil in various shades of amber, ochre and even purple plum shades were incredible. The chartreuse yellow of the cottonwood trees was stunning against the deep blue skies. Below is a montage of inspirational photos, and I have to share some simple designs I locker hooked upon my return with ceramic tiles and Color Crazy Fabric Strips. These are easy designs to create and give as gifts. They can be used as wall hangings trivets, or table top accents. Try the Ruched Frames Technique from the Locking Loops book to add woven texture.

Baskets woven in the 80s by Navajo Indian Women

Below are wall hangings I locker hooked on 5-Mesh Canvas with Color Crazy Fabric Strips and Ceramic Tiles. To create woven texture, I used a combination of locker hooking and the Ruched Frames technique  featured in my Locking Loops book for the first Santa Fe design. The Santa Fe Plaza design was 100 percent locker hooking.

Locker Hooked Wall Hanging or Trivet –Santa Fe Design

Locker Hooked Wall Hanging or Trivet–Santa Fe Plaza

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

The post Santa Fe’s Natural Colors and Native Art Inspire appeared first on Color Crazy.

Lately I’ve been noticing so much texture in designs–in fashion, home furnishings and items for decor. It’s nice to see because I love texture. Below are some simple designs with frayed edges that I locker hooked. The first is my Rags and Silk purse design from my Locking Loops book hooked with Osnaburg and recycled sari silk strips. The following designs are a bracelet in linen burlap and earrings in 6-mesh canvas–both made from leftover remnants. The last is the Spiral Squares locker hooked rug from Locking Loops in recycled denim and Osnaburg fabric. It’s so fun to tear strips with frayed edges you can use to create beautiful designs. Very stress relieving. Tear away!

Rags & Silk Locker Hooked Purse–With Osnaburg & Silk Strips

Linen Burlap Bracelet with Frayed Edges & Earrings Made from Remnants

Spiral Squares Rug Locker Hooked with Osnaburg and Recycled Denim

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

The post Torn! Frayed Edges with Rich Colors appeared first on Color Crazy.

I started locker hooking a basket with my ruched frames technique and what developed was a super bright and colorful design. I love the quilted look the ruched frames adds. This is the new technique I introduced in my Locking Loops book. While it took a little time to finish, I learned a few things. One thing is that some baskets–especially if they’re larger– need additional support. You can easily add this with a lining that has a medium to heavy weight stabilizer or iron-on fusible. Also, if you’re going to add a handle, you can create a wider base by folding out and securing your edges. Add piping on the sides with a heavy yarn before you frame the edges to give the handle a sturdier yet smoother edged look.  I also discovered that I love the extra texture jute twine can add. Can’t wait to try this on a tote bag design.

Basket Locker Hooked with Ruched Frames

I used a 3.3 mesh canvas for a sturdier base and pre-cut strips in Marigold, Tangerine Orange, Turquoise and Chartreuse Lime from Color Crazy. I also used a fluffy cotton/wool blend yarn for nicely padded ruched frames. For the locker hooked frames, I hooked Tangerine Orange with an orange jute twine above for extra texture.

The finished locker hooked basket pieces before assembly.

The basket before I added the handle. I am definitely going to add a lining to this basket but only around the inside wall. I think the bottom looks great with the ruched frames.

The bottom of the basket with “ruched frames.”

I shaped the handle and secured the edges with Quick Grip adhesive before I framed them.

Creating the shape of the basket handle and framing.

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

The post Locker Hook a Basket in Bright Colors appeared first on Color Crazy.