Carol Duvall Holiday Workshop Chat 11/17/2002

HGTV: Welcome to HGTV's hosted chat room. We hope you enjoyed the Carol Duvall Holiday Workshop. Although Carol couldn't join us for today's chat, we're pleased to welcome Robb Weller, Donna Kato and Mary O'Neil, who will be happy to answer your questions. Hello, everyone! It was another great show!

Robb Weller: It was a terrific show, and we've completed a very successful 2002 Holiday Workshops thanks to the likes of Mary and Donna. And everyone. We sure had fun, and we'd love to be able to present something like this to you again. So let's get some great questions for the Incredible Donna and the Amazing Mary! And Happy Holidays to everyone.

Question: I need help with the holiday pop-up boxes and how to fold them.
Mary O'Neil: The best suggestion I have, if you really want nice, clean boxes, is to go to www.hotpotatoes.com and purchase them online. All the supplies are available there. The instructions for making the boxes are on HGTV.com, but if you buy the pre-made box, you won't need help.

Q: Thanks HGTV for such a great Carol Duvall workshop, and I am glad you are feeling better, Carol Duvall, keep improving. Mary O'Neil, I enjoyed your great project. Like Carol I enjoy the paper and box projects. All the other guest and viewer ideas were great also. Thank you!

Mary: You're welcome! And I enjoyed all the other guests as much as you did.

Q: Today, when you showed the Gingerbread Birdhouse, you stained the bottom and the roof, and on the side did the cookie cutter. The floating on the sides and in the cookie cutter shape was down with the stain again or brown paint?

Robb: Priscilla couldn't stay with us for the chat today. However, all the instruction are available on HGTV.com Illustrations to follow shortly.

Q: Hello, first I'd like to say to Carol, we all missed you and hope you feel better very soon. I have a question for Donna Kato. Would I use black only with red, white and blue clay colors, or do I need to use more colors to make the clay tube?
Donna: The great thing about this project is that you can really use any color, and I've never made one I didn't like so feel free to experiment with your own creativity. I've made as few as two colors and as many as 10. So there really aren't any rules about this. Just use more than one. I've used black clay as my core, my beginning cylinder, because I've found that the black clay shows less than a color like white.

Q: Will there be more holiday items in the upcoming shows?
HGTV: There are many holiday programs with great projects coming up on HGTV in the next month. Check out the Holiday Ideas package on HGTV.com for a schedule of holiday shows and the projects featured on them.

Q: How did Barb do the T-shirt with the trees? She mentioned bleach but didn't give details.
Mary: When working on T-shirts, I suggest using a household cleaner instead of straight bleach because it won't destroy the fibers as quickly. You can use SoftScrub gel... any product like that with bleach in it. You can apply bleach cleaner directly to your stamp. Stamp your T-shirt, let it dry and wash it out. The washing removes the dye. It works best on natural fabrics And you should always test your fabrics first.

Q: Come back soon Carol! Can we still donate ornament to the show to be given away?
Robb: Unfortunately, all the ornaments are being donated on Monday. It was pre-arranged so that's already set. However, I'm sure there's probably a local charity in your community such as the Ronald McDonald House and other place for children in your community that would be more than happy to accept a handmade ornament.

Q: I'd like to know where one can buy Donna's clay?
Donna: Hobby Lobby and at www.prairiecraft.com. Thank you for asking.

Q: Mr. Weller, we enjoy from years ago on the home show, you did a great job in Carol's absence. When will you begin new shows?
Robb: Thanks and we're glad you've enjoyed the shows. There are new shows currently airing. And another series that's been taped will air early next year.

Q: Donna, where can I find the tool that you use to mark off your logs of clay? I cannot find it in any store. Please help.
Donna: That's my patented tool called Marxit. You can find them at Michael's, Hobby Lobby and at www.prairiecraft.com

Q: I tried stamping with a permanent ink. Is there any way to get that color off of my stamp?
Mary: Okay. There are bigger things to worry about. LOL! However, I know that some of you like your stamps clean. There are stamp cleaners available at any stamp or craft store. Try one of the commercial stamp cleaners. Sometimes I use an orange solvent but then you'd want to wipe your stamps off very quickly.

Q: Mary, yesterday you made a Christmas ball wreath on wire. Could you use grapevine wreath instead? Thank you.
Mary: I'm sure you could with no problem. I chose the wire wreath because it was .97 cents. I prefer the wire wreath for the price and the smoother surface.

Q: Question for the Velvet Queen: Where can I purchase large amounts of the velvet you use?
Mary: I'm so glad you asked! Velvet has become more difficult to find since 9/11. Velvet manufacturers have closed--there's only one left in the country. But I have a nice stockpile at, you guessed it, www.hotpotatoes.com.

Q: I wanted to ask if someone can possibly give me the details on the slim Santas and the blown egg penguins? I thought those were great!
Robb: Yes, those were great projects, and Carol was really pleased to have them on the show. However, we don't have instructions for those on site.

Q: Would you please let Donna know that Doreen C, from SCD is in this chat?
Donna: Oh, hi Doreen!

Q: Thanks for the wonderful holiday show. Hope Carol will be back soon. The fold-down boxes were explained very simplistic. That's the way instructions should be. I get inspired by seeing the crafts and want to try a lot of them, adding my own personal touch. Thanks again for the wonderful Carol Duvall's show all year long.
Mary: You have made my day! You have no idea how much that compliment means. Thank you.

Q: This question is for Mary O'Neil. Can I emboss with rubberstamp the red velvet holiday ribbons found in retail stores? Or are they too poor quality?
Mary: I doubt it. Check the fabric content. If it's polyester or nylon, I don't think you'll have any success. I honestly think I'm the only manufacturer of the rayon-acetate ribbon. Silk velvet ribbon is available and works but it's very expensive.

Q: I have some clay that I have had for several months that is very hard even though kept in a airtight container... Can it still be conditioned??
Donna: You can try conditioning your clay adding a clay softener like Mixquick. Try that. It should make it very simple to condition your clay. If you find that the Mixquick isn't working and your clay is still very, very stiff or crumbly, then it sounds like you really should begin with fresh clay.

Q: Donna, loved the segment. I'll bet the beads are just as fabulous in person. Are you planning any new videos? When and where can we purchase them?
Donna: I just shot another video. Very soon I expect it to be out and available on our website. Thank you for asking.

Q: I watched Carol's Christmas Special today and did not catch how to make the stamps on the T-shirts permanent. Can you help?
Mary: When you stamp on fabric, any design becomes permanent if you're using a fabric paint. The guest also stamped with an inkpad, so you'd want to use a permanent inkpad. If using a bleach technique, because bleach takes color out it's always permanent. Hope that helps.

Q: Hi, I'm new to poly-clay... And don't have a pasta machine yet. What is the best and easiest way to condition the clay?
Donna: The best way is to divide the block into six to eight pieces. Take each piece and knead it in your hands, then knead the kneaded pieces together. Really, once you get started in polymer clay you'll find that the pasta machine is invaluable for conditioning clay and improving the overall quality of your work.

Q: Donna Kato, normally you suggest sanding and polishing the projects. Is that necessary for the beads that you showed today?
Donna: No, absolutely not. It's unnecessary, and I wouldn't do it.

Q: How long does the marshmallow snowman last?
Robb: The woman who made them said you could put them out the next year at the holidays. We did some marshmallows here to test it and within two weeks they were hard and had yellowed. If you want them to look pristine, just make them over each year.

Q: Could you post a diagram of Mary's fantastic box on the website? From the description, I had a hard time figuring out the triangle cut outs.
Mary: Look forward to a diagram coming to the website soon. And the show will be re-broadcast tentatively scheduled for Friday, November 29 at 9 a.m. EST. and on Saturday, November 30 at 2 p.m. Check your local listings. The episode number is CDW-502.

Q: What kind of houses did the crafters in the kitchen use? What were they made of?
Donna: The houses were made of paper maché.

Q: Mary, do you prefer "Potato Princess" or "Velvet Vixen"?
Mary: Velvet Vixen is a bit more glamorous.

Q: Donna, how do you clean your pasta machine, and how often do you need to clean it?
Donna: I clean my pasta machine when it absolutely, positively needs it because it's laborious to take the machine apart. You want to set the pasta machine on the thickest setting, then start taking it apart. Don't lose any pieces. Clean the rollers with a paper towel and alcohol. Once you've cleaned all the different loose pieces, carefully put them back together. People complain about streaking on their clay and frequently think it's the oil from the machine. This isn't true, there's a chemical reaction that takes place between the metal rollers and the clay. So this is something that you just have to live with unfortunately.

Q: Mary, I'm just starting to get into stamping and really like the velvet project... Will I still be able to use my stamps with ink for paper projects after or does the heat from the iron hurt them?
Mary: That's a great question. Welcome to the world of stamping. You can use your stamp for all the purposes you've listed. Some stamps however will not hold up to the heat of the iron. Once you find a stamp that can withstand the heat, it can be used for all projects. Stamps with solid images are best. And Hot Potatoes stamps are guaranteed for heat velvet embossing. Find them at www.hotpotatoes.com

Q: What is an easy last minute stocking stuffer gift to make? Thanks!
Mary: Embossed velvet bookmarks made from velvet ribbon.
Donna: Wine charms made with polymer beads.

Q: Is there an easy way to stamp on glass? Every time I try I smudge it?
Mary: I couldn't agree with you more. I find it very frustrating. However, there is a new stamp pad called Staz-on that's supposed to be perfect for this technique. I haven't tried it but I would purchase that one first.

Q: Mary, I missed the part about what weight paper to use on your box. What is the best weight?
Mary: Card stock would hold up the best.

HGTV: Well, everyone, our chat hour has ended. Thanks of joining us today, and thank you Robb, Mary and Donna, for answering our questions. PS-If you missed any answers on this chat or yesterday's, the transcripts will be on HGTV.com next week.

Robb, Mary and Donna: You're welcome!! Goodbye and happy holidays.