Gone Crafting!

FOOTBALL SPIRIT BRACELETS

2012-02-08T15:38:00.007-06:00

These are some really cool bracelets to show school spirit for this upcoming high school football season. They're so easy to make and can be made as simple or as fancy as you like and in any color combination that you desire!

Here's a list of supplies you'll need;

1mm diameter Stretch bead and jewelry cord

Jump rings

Football trinkets

Small cowbells

Needle nose pliers (for opening and closing jump rings)

Pony beads or Jewelry beads in your desired colors

All of these items can be found at most crafts stores or online.

Tray of supplies

Just simply cut a strand of the stretchy cord at desired length, leaving a few extra inches to allow for knotting.

Attach the jump rings onto the trinkets that you will be adding to the bracelet. Feed beads and football trinkets onto the cord until you reach the length you need, knot the cord a couple of times and trim off excess. Side a bead over the knot to hide it. Now you have made an awesome Football Spirit bracelet!! Add as many bells and trinkets as you like, the more the better!!

ALTERED CEREAL BOXES

2012-01-06T14:27:00.006-06:00

Hi guys!! I've got a very cool project that is really a lot of fun to make! My darling cousin Nora Flores showed me how to create these charming boxes that can be made into purses or adorable boxes for treasures! These make wonderful gifts as well!! And guess what! They started out life as Cereal boxes! Yep, simple cereal boxes that will now be altered and transformed into a beautiful piece of functional art!! We can do our part in recycling trash to treasures!!! Things you will need for this project are....
One large to medium empty cereal box, scissors, ruler, pen, decorative papers or card stock, glue or paper adhesives, decorative embellishments and a bit of Hook and Loop fasteners (Velcro, for flap to close securely)

Pic #1 is of the cereal box cut to the size I needed for this project........

1. Take the cereal box and measure the size you would like the finished box to be, (I measured 6 inches from bottom to top) and draw a line across the front crosswise, and along both sides as well

2. Turn the box around to the back and measure 11 inches from bottom to top, draw a line across the back side crosswise, this side has to be longer than the front because it will serve as the flap that folds over the front

3. Using scissors or an X-Acto knife, carefully cut the box along the line you drew across the front side and also the two sides equally. DO NOT CUT THE BACK SIDE OF THE BOX (look at this first picture for reference)
Pic. #1

4. Referring to the back side of the box now, cut the line across the top of the box where you measured 11 inches high

You should now have your box looking like the one in my picture. Bring the flap over and fold across the front of the box like a flap for a purse. You can use a bone folder on the folds.

Pic. #2

Now comes the FUN part!! Using decorative papers or card stock of your choosing, cover the whole box and you can also cover the inside to make it look finished. Then you may embellish to your hearts content!! Use various ribbons, flowers, rhinestones, lace, tulle, etc., etc. You are only limited by your imagination!!
You could also make it a purse by cutting slits on the top flap and slipping some ribbon though those slits then knotting the ends of each ribbon on the inside, leaving the ribbon long enough to use as a handle. Very cool!!

Here is the finished product!! I chose brown and cream colors, which go together nicely. I used cream ribbon to make a flower for the lower left side and for the bow on the upper right side.

Inside flap....you can see the Velcro dot used to secure the flap when its closed.

The polka dotted one you see in the picture below, was the very first one I ever made, the dots are glittered and sparkly. I used ribbon to make the flowers on the lower right side.

I used printed scrapbook paper with small polka dots for the inside. Notice the Velcro dots that I use to secure the flap when its closed.

I had lots of fun making this project, I love recycling. I use the box with the polka dots to hide my wire cutters and needle nose pliers and other tools from my hubby because he will take them to use in his work and I will never see them again!! I have even spray painted the tools purple or pink and slathered glitter all over them but that does not deter him, he says "A purple hammer works just as good as a black one"! Oy!!! So...........he would never think to look inside this pretty sparkly pink polka dot box for my tools!!! Bwahahaa!!!

'Thank You' card using paper bags

2011-12-14T15:29:00.006-06:00

I created a 'Thank You' card from white paper bags using two bags, decorative papers, cricut cutouts, glitter, card stock and lots of white glue. Using only two paper bags made for an easy card to make. There are a lot of tutorials on Youtube on how to make cards using paper bags. My cousins Nora Flores and Norma Jasso showed my how to create these!! I love it!!!!

BROWN PAPER BAG ALBUM

2011-11-14T12:34:00.036-06:00

I tried my hand at making a brown paper bag album this week. My wonderful cousin Norma W. Jasso gave me instructions on how to create one. Her sister Nora Flores, showed her how to make them. So thanks to my adorable sisters/cousins, I created one that I am really happy with.

This is the front cover.........

There are 5 pages, including the front and back cover, and 4 half pages. The full pages have side loading pockets as well. Love it!!! I can't believe this sweet album started out as plain old brown paper bags!!! I'm making lots more for gifts!!

FABRIC YOYO'S!

2011-07-12T11:00:00.003-05:00

A very good friend of mine gave me a huge bag full of wonderful colorful fabric yoyo's she bought at a yard sale recently. Wow!!! I can't wait to use them...........I'm thinking of all kinds of ways to use them in my crafts!!!

Thank you Elsie for this wonderful bag of sunshine you gave me!!!!!!

CINDERELLA Themed Quinceañera

2011-06-02T18:50:00.007-05:00

My sister-in-law Olga and my niece Stephanie, owners of "Weaver's Thoughts" (an event decorating business), did a beautiful job decorating for a Quinceañera recently. A Quinceañera is the Hispanic tradition of celebrating a young girl's coming of age - her 15th birthday.

The theme was CINDERELLA. In the photo there is a beautiful horse drawn carriage, upon which the honoree sits and her escort sits in the chair to her right. I love the clock which is almost striking midnight and the two Royal Knights standing guard. It all looks so beautiful!! I just had to share this on my blog!

WEDDING BOUQUET...FRESH SUNFLOWERS

2011-04-30T23:11:00.004-05:00

For the same wedding as those two floral arrangements in the previous post. Very large and a little heavy bouquet, but the flowers were beautiful! Had to really secure those heavy fresh sunflowers with wire so they won't slip out of the oasis bouquet holder.

FRESH SUNFLOWERS!

2011-04-29T20:54:00.004-05:00

Making two large fresh sunflower arrangements for a friend who is decorating for a wedding for tomorrow. These sunflowers are huge!! Using some leather leaf, baby's breath some ivy and these huge sunflowers. There arrangements are going to be placed on the altar at the church, then later at the reception.

WEDDING CARD

2011-04-08T15:23:00.010-05:00

I created this card for a cousin, who just got married recently. I didn't want to make it too frilly or fru-fru, so this is was the end result.

Materials used;

Dark blue card stock cut down to 81/2" x 11"

Cream colored card stock

Printed card stock (for heart cutouts)

Dark blue mulberry paper (ripped it by hand)

Decorative paper edger

Fine glitter and glue

Wide black Sharpie marker (outline card and hearts)

Spray adhesive (I love to use "acid free" spray adhesives)

I used my PC to type and print the wording on the cream card stock, then hand ripped it to fit on the card front.

On the inside I glued down a piece of cream card stock that I ripped by hand and two smaller heart cutouts.

I could sit here and design and make cards ALL DAY LONG!! I love it!! But, alas, there is always something around the house that needs to get done!!

BIRTHDAY CARD

2011-04-01T09:25:00.015-05:00

Made this birthday card for one of my granddaughter'today. I decided a carousel horse (clip art) would be just perfect. I cut a 12"x12" decorated scrapbook card stock page down to 8 1/2"x11" and folded it in half to make a card. I used the carousel horse graphic and colored it in with Prismacolor pencils and embellished with lots of sparklie glitter, some shaped brads, and added a couple of silk flowers. On the inside, I just cut out a piece of the same colorful cardstock paper and layered a smaller piece of white cardstock over it and then glued it all down to the inside, then added a silk flower on the upper left hand corner. I love making special cards for the special people in my life!♥

WEDDING BOUQUET

2011-02-21T21:12:00.011-06:00

A while back,one of my relatives asked me to make a wedding bouquet for her wedding day, she wanted fresh cream colored roses in a round shaped bouquet. This was the end result, and I was happy with it and she totally loved it! We took this picture the day she came to pick it up.
Fresh floral wedding bouquets are not my area of expertise, but I gave it my best shot. You don't know what you can do unless you try, right? Love, love, love creating!!!

Gourd Art

2011-01-28T10:58:00.019-06:00

I thought I would try my hand at creating art with something a little different, sketching in a design and do a little wood burning and applying some color on the surface of a dried gourd. I've had this one gourd for a while, it was fresh and green when I first got it and it had to be dried so I hung it up in the back corner of my patio away from rain and such, I left it there for about 4 months until it dried totally. I didn't like waiting such long time but what could I do, it takes a LONG time to dry. I asked my hubby to bore a hole in it for me because I thought it would make a really cute birdhouse and then I hung it in my craftroom. I stood back and looked at it then decided it needed to be altered with art!
So, the above picture is the finished project.

This was like a blank canvas.........
A Southwest design is what I had in mind and I sketched it, then burned it in with the wood burning tool. Those tools get really HOT! I accidentally gave my hand a minor burn! Ouch!

I used PRISMACOLOR Pencils, to add the color, they blend in so nicely.
Next, I'll be using a good spray sealer.
I need to get some more gourds to paint on!!!!!

Making more yummy cards...

2011-01-24T15:58:00.003-06:00

Made a birthday card for my BFF, her birthday is in February. She LOVES collecting faux cupcakes, so I thought I make a card with a huge cupcake on it for her. I used a paper crimper and my Cuttlebug. Hope she likes it.
I also made a card for any occasion, I used a rubber stamp dragonfly and rubber stamp flower on this one. I used Prismacolor pencils to color them, then used Glossy Accents to highlight some areas. I don't think I will ever use a store bought card again!

Fake Cake (Money Tree) #5

2011-01-15T00:07:00.013-06:00

Another fake cake money tree for a Quincenera Celebration for this weekend.
This time the colors are Fuchsia, Black and White. I think that color combination is so pretty.
The ribbons are Grosgrain, nice vivid colors. I used glittery fuchsia tulle to make the skirt and hot glued it around the bottom of the cake, giving it a nice finished look. Made a large black bow for the cake topper. The cake is 25 inches tall, from the tip of the top feather to the bottom. It is 41 inches around the largest layer. It's pretty large and will accommodate lots and lots of birthday cards.

Complete instructions on how to make a money tree cake is in my blog archive dated October 21, 2009.

This is a close up view of the bottom layer.
This is a close up of the fuchsia tulle skirt that is hot glued from underneath the cake.
This the the top view, where you can see the slot for dropping in the well wishers cards.

Stepping back I realized that maybe it needed something more............perhaps some black feathers........hmmmm. I decided to add a few black feathers to the fuchsia ones and added feathers to the bow cake topper as well.
Okay, I think that did the trick. I'm happy with it now. Hope they like it!

Quick Wine Bottle gift wrap-up

2011-01-08T12:40:00.006-06:00

If you have a bottle of Champagne or Wine you are going to present as a gift, this is a great way to wrap it up quickly and prettily. Using some mesh tulle glittery fabric, cut into a large square (making sure it will be more than about 8 or 10 inches bigger than enough to cover the bottle), lay the fabric on a table and place the bottle standing upright in the middle of it, then bring all four corners of the fabric together and gather it right on the neck of the bottle, underneath the top leaving the sealed top of the bottle above it. Tie a ribbon around it to secure it or use tape. Attach a pretty bow and some curly ribbon, add danglies or a gift tag. You can trim the top if it is too high over the bottle.
There you go, quick, easy and pretty wrapping. Leaving the top of the bottle free will allow it to be opened and used freely without tearing the wrapping off.

Handmade Christmas Cards....

2010-12-16T14:56:00.003-06:00

Here are a couple of Christmas cards I created for two of my adorable grandkids....I used my cuttlebug, ribbon, glitter, brads and some cute Christmas cutouts. Love it!!!

GINGERBREAD MAN CHRISTMAS WREATH

2010-12-04T12:02:00.010-06:00

I'm back with a simple Christmas wreath idea, this is the wreath I made yesterday and hung above the fireplace. I took a large wire wreath form, wrapped green tree branch garland all around, added colorful mini lights, then filled it up with bright, shiny round colorful ornaments and fake Christmas candy and candy floral picks and then positioned a soft sculpture gingerbread man in the center. Added a florist bow to finish it off, and it's done! I love that it is so large and colorful. Very easy to make. Making your own is so much cheaper than buying a ready made one. Dig through your Christmas decorations boxes and use items you already have on hand, like extra ornaments and Christmas floral picks, etc. and let your imagination take over!

Give-away by Becky Conley

2010-12-03T16:11:00.001-06:00

Check out this awesome give-a-way by Becky Conley!!

MY 2ND CHANCE: A BLOG GIVE-A-WAY!

Location:MY BLOG: http://beckyconley.blogspot.com/

Time:5:30PM Thursday, December 2nd

POTPOURRI PIE (faux)

2010-11-23T20:28:00.013-06:00

I really enjoy making unique holiday decorations and this is one that I love making and giving as gifts to my friends and family to enjoy throughout the festive season.
It is a pie.....a fake pie that looks and smells real!
I use a glass or ceramic pie dish, that they can use later for actual baking.
Here are supplies that you will need to make one for you to display or to give as a gift (this would make a wonderful Hostess gift):

1 ceramic or glass pie dish
1 package potpourri (vanilla, or cookie/pie scent)
12x12 square brown netting (or tulle)
2 12x12 pieces of light brown or tan felt
ground cinnamon
Low Melt Hot glue gun and glue sticks (use care when using hot glue)
pinking shears
regular scissors

Place the contents of the potpourri bag into the the glass pie dish. Remove the pieces of the potpourri that are too bulky or large (or break them up into smaller pieces). Hot glue the netting onto the pie dish over the potpourri by placing a dot of the hot glue on the rim of the dish every inch or so, using care not to touch the hot glue, press the netting in place, making sure the netting is taut as you make you way around, after the netting is glued down completely around the dish use scissors and trim off the excess netting that extends over the rim of the dish.
Use the pinking shears to cut felt into 10 strips, 12 inches long and 3/4 inch wide. Place 5 strips evenly spaced over the netting and place 5 strips in the opposite direction, weave them to create the lattice (refer to picture). Glue the strips down at the point where they meet the rim of the dish. After all the strips are glued down, trim the excess felt that extends over the rim.
Using the regular scissors cut about 5 or 6 strips of felt 12 inches long and about an inch wide.
Refer to the picture and start to hot glue the strips around the rim of the dish, one at a time, fluting as you go along to make it look like a fluted edge on the pie.
Once you have finished, sprinkle cinnamon all over the pie as you would for a real pie.
After that you will have a pretty realistic, wonderful smelling fake pie to place on your table or counter for a long lasting fall or Christmas decoration (or for anytime).

CAROUSEL HORSE APRON

2010-11-18T14:18:00.009-06:00

Here's what you need:
1. Ready made apron, any color and size you wish
2. Glitter dimensional fabric paint (assorted colors)
3. Fusible webbing (follow manufacturers instructions)
4. Iron (dry iron no steam)

This is an apron I had fun embellishing not too long ago. The apron is from Michael's, just solid purple (my favorite color) and I wanted to do something special with it. In my fabric stash there was some fabric with these beautiful carousel horses printed on them. I ironed some fusible webbing on back of the fabric and then carefully cut out the three prettiest carousel horses. I ironed them onto the apron, and when they cooled off, I used the glitter dimensional fabric paint all around the entire outline of the carousel horses as well as the mane, tail, saddle and other areas on the horse. Then with the same glitter paint application I wrote words having to do with carnivals all over the apron. Let it dry overnight. I really liked the way it turned out. It's completely washable. Great for a kids craft, with adult supervision of course.

FLOWERS EVERYWHERE!

2010-11-14T00:02:00.010-06:00

Whew, been really busy these last couple of days, I've been helping a very good friend of mine (a florist) prepare flowers for a big wedding for this weekend. This bride wanted lots and lots of beautiful flowers, which she got!

Beautiful Wedding Bouquet, she made with many white roses.
She used lots and lots of beautiful, wonderfully scented flowers! She is a very talented floral designer!

ALTERED BOOK....3D CHRISTMAS

2010-11-01T18:06:00.012-05:00

Great Recycling Project!!

Do you remember making Christmas Trees out of Readers Digest publications, where you fold each page into itself twice then fold the bottom flap up? Well, here is a great twist on that craft.
I took a regular hardbound book (with maybe 185 to 200 pages) and folded each page that same way. Books with more pages than that will be too many and you will end up ripping pages out. I then spray painted the inside flaps and the Christmas tree 'Hunter Green' and spray painted the entire outside cover black. You can use a gold metallic marker to write anything you like on the outside cover. I wrote 'Merry Christmas'.
After folding and spray painting I waited for it to dry thoroughly, maybe 1 hour. I then took some Christmas scrapbooking papers, cut them to size and glued them down to the inside flaps using white glue. Then came the fun part! The embellishments!! You are only limited by your imagination...I recycled old Christmas cards by cutting out and using the graphics and the inside greeting, but you can use die cuts, photos, anything your heart desires!! Photographs would work perfect!! You may decorate the tree by gluing Christmas trinkets all over it. I used low-melt hot glue.This is a simple and wonderful craft you and your kids can make together. I think grandparents would love a gift like this from their grandkids especially if there are some photographs involved!!

BABY SHOWER fake cake (money tree)

2010-10-09T23:55:00.010-05:00

Made another fake cake (money tree) for a baby shower this weekend. For "It's a girl", pink and white. It looked so cute with the Kewpie Doll cake topper, got that at Hobby Lobby.
I love creating and making things for baby showers!!
This cake is 25 inches tall from the base to the top of the Kewpie doll's head and 41 inches around the larger cake part (bottom layer).

View of cake top. Slot for the cards to be dropped into.

Embellished Journal

2010-10-01T21:00:00.003-05:00

I embellished the cover on this journal for the daughter of a friend of mine. Gave it to her for her birthday, she loved it I am happy to say. I used textured papers, rubber stamps, dimensional objects, beads and colorful fibers. Personalized it with a metal star tag with the initial of her first name. I think I will start making more for Christmas gifts.

KNITTING A SCARF

2010-09-20T22:18:00.005-05:00

I taught myself how to knit from reading instruction books. I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I have been working on a fluffy colorful scarf for one of my little grand daughters. I am using two strands of nubby and textured yarns together, giving it a very soft and textured feel. Can't hardly wait to finish it and send it off to her.

HOT, HOT SALSA!

2010-09-18T14:16:00.004-05:00

Darling hubby whipped up a batch of really, really hot salsa and my tongue is numb from one little itty bitty taste! I'm no stranger to hot salsa, but this is TOXIC HOT!!!
He used about 25 serrano peppers, garlic, red wine vinegar, spices and some other stuff. Whoa mama!!! Nothing to buffer the serrano peppers!
He poured it into an (almost) empty Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey bottle (cute) and I made a label for it on my PC.
Hope it doesn't instantaneously combust in the fridge.

BIRTHDAY "MONEY TREE" FAKE CAKE

2010-08-15T09:43:00.013-05:00

Adding a picture of another "money tree fake cake" I created for a large birthday party being held this weekend.
It's only two layers this time with the slot for the birthday cards in the center of the top layer. I love the ribbon with the stars and swirlies, very colorful! I added some glittery metallic stars garland over the ribbon giving it some glitz. The topper is made with a square piece of styrofoam, wrapped it up with the same ribbon, placed some crinkle paper on it then inserted some birthday picks and some metallic frills. I was very happy with the end result.

This is a close-up of the cake topper.

MONEY TREE (fake) CAKE

2010-07-02T12:33:00.041-05:00

For any party that needs a money tree....well, instead of a tree, why not make a fake cake! Decorate it to match the party theme and the guests can drop their (money filled) cards into a slot on top of the cake where they safely stay until you are ready to remove the contents. It looks so much like a real cake and will look really pretty on the gift table.I made this one for my niece for her "Quinceanera" this upcoming weekend.
I used hat boxes that I had purchased at my local craft store. If you are interested in making one, you can find the instructions in my October 2009 blog post.

Here is the cake in action at the Quinceanera.

This is the before picture, I used Taping Compound (from hardware store) for the frosting. It's in powder form and when mixed with water it looks just like real frosting and spreads on just like the real thing too and it dries rock hard, at which point you can brush paint it or airbrush it. I simply gave it one coat of white Gesso.
Here is the top view of the cake, before and after.

JOURNAL COVER

2010-06-22T01:02:00.005-05:00

This is a gift journal that I made for a friend of mine. I used glittered felt, metal letters, fabric fibers and other embellishments. I think she'll like it.

QUINCENERA CENTERPIECES part 2

2010-06-14T01:02:00.008-05:00

This second picture is the finished project. So much fun to make! 20 made, one for each table.
As you can see I designed it so that the yellow tulle looks like a delicate cloud on which she is standing. These pieces are meant to be 'take home' memento's for guests.

QUINCENERA CENTERPIECES

2010-06-13T23:50:00.019-05:00

I've been working on some centerpieces for a Quincenera for my niece. Her celebration is next month (July). One thing for sure is that a lot of hot glue is used! It's really fun to make these. Here is a before picture where you can see most of the materials I used, which can be bought at any craft store or a floral supply place. I made 20, one for each table.

Zebras

2010-05-13T01:22:00.003-05:00

My sister-in-law, Olga, decorates Reception Halls, Ballrooms, churches and such for special events such as weddings and Quinceanera's and other special celebrations and she was working on a Quinceanera that had a theme of Zebra stripes along with the color Magenta. She had 4 flat carousel horse shaped wood cutout blanks that she asked me to paint like Zebras. I did just that and see how beautifully she created the backdrop set for the Quinceanera and her escort, flanked by 2 of the painted Zebras. That ballroom looked so beautiful.....pictures just don't do it justice.She did an outstanding, beautiful job.

Wooden Zebra blank before painting stripes.

HOME MADE DRESS FORM part 3

2010-05-05T00:45:00.000-05:00

Yay!!! Here is my finished homemade dress form!!!!!
I think it looks pretty good even if I do say so myself. I dressed it up in the bustier I dyed and decked it out with some vintage jewelry. So, I guess I don't have to buy a dress form after all......just make it myself!

HOMEMADE DRESS FORM part 2

2010-03-28T00:00:00.002-05:00

Here is the 2nd step of my attempt at creating a homemade dress form. I used strips of newspaper and a white glue/water mix (papier mache). Two layers of that, letting it dry in between. The next step is to paint it with Kilz (a primer) then paint, then decoupage then the fun part, alter and/or embellish it!! I'm really having fun with this.
I placed the form onto a lazy-susan to make it easier to rotate to apply the paper strips on it, however, when it was bone dry the form stuck to the lazy-susan and my hubby had to help me pull it free without damage to the form. It was a really a huge help though, rotating the form made it so much easier for the even layering of the papier mache.

HOMEMADE DRESS FORM

2010-03-23T17:00:00.000-05:00

I have been looking locally for a dress form to buy, just the torso, and have been having no luck at all finding one for sale. Every single shoppe I've inquired at has informed me that they do not sell their mannequins! There are many on line but are a little pricey and there's the shipping and handling to consider. So, I decided to make one using duct tape and lots of wadded up newspaper. It was a little harder than I thought, but kept at it till I was more or less happy with the shape. Next step, cut strips of newspaper to make papier mache to wrap it and after a couple of layers of that comes the painting and then the fun part.....embellishing with all kinds of lovely lace and things....I am anxious to finish it!! More pictures will be posted soon!

Mom's vintage jewelry

2010-03-22T10:35:00.000-05:00

I love looking at my late mother's old jewelry....I remember as a little girl, I would sneak into her room and get into her jewelry boxes and play with all those lovely, twinkling pieces of amazing colorful sparkle. I think that is where my love of sparkly, glittery things began.
These are a few of my mother's many pieces of jewelry...a long strand of soft yellow beads and an owl pendant.
She really liked owl pendants and broaches. She would wear the long strands of beads and tie a knot in the middle like the picture shows. She loved wearing gloves on formal occasions, this black glove is among many she had in a cedar chest.

4th of July door wreath

2010-03-20T23:29:00.001-05:00

It's never too early to start working on Summer projects!
Here's a really nice festive wreath you can make for the 4th of July!
It's a straw wreath that's covered in red, white and blue bows, just make a bunch of florist bows, attach them to the wreath with wire or floral picks, position the colored bows to resemble the American flag. You can add a small flag and glittered stars and sprigs of metallic embellishments. Very easy to make and it looks great on the front door.

NATIONAL CRAFTING MONTH GIVEAWAY!

2010-03-14T00:24:00.000-06:00

CraftTestDummies.com is giving away a chance of winning a craft give-away package of awesome goodies including a Polymer Clay necklace made by Lisa Pavelka! Just for mentioning their blog and putting their link in your blog and leaving a comment on theirs! This is really worth checking out!!!!! The contest will close Monday 3/15 around noon EST and the winner will be announced by 4:00PM EST.
Here is the link:

http://www.crafttestdummies.com/commenttary/national-crafting-month-giveaway-2/

Hurry, hurry, hurry!!!!

ST. PATRICK'S DAY March 17

2010-03-01T18:00:00.000-06:00

St. Patrick's Day is on Wednesday, March 17!!!
Here is a cute idea for a scrapbook page featuring my little granddaughter when she was only 4 months old!!! She is 3 years old now.
I used a light green cardstock background with darker green polka dots, some stickers, sparkly rhinestones and charms, and of course the main star.....Our own adorable little "Lucky Charm" Mia!!
I can literally spend all day long scrapbooking!!!

Wishing you all a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!!!

MARCH IS NATIONAL CRAFT MONTH!!!

2010-03-01T16:45:00.000-06:00

March is National Craft Month! So, everybody join in and craft your little hearts out! Those of you who have always thought about creating a little something all your own but never have....by all means run to your nearest craft store and go wild!!!
On your mark......get ready......set.......GO!!!!!!

Decoupaged Chefs

2010-02-15T16:05:00.000-06:00

I love to decoupage, I do it a lot. I like to use Mod Podge from Plaid (gloss luster) it's a glue and sealer. Here is a project I finished recently, it's a wooden pedestal I created from two pieces of shaped and finished wood that I bought at Michaels, I glued them together and painted. Had lots of fun painting it with a whimsical flair. I then cut out the chefs from wall paper trim and decoupaged it onto the top of my pedestal. Very easy. I have a chef theme in my kitchen so it fits right in!

Wall Photos

2010-02-04T18:50:00.000-06:00

This is my is my idea of displaying family photographs. I am not one to have pictures all over the house, so I decided to display pictures on one wall. This are of my 2 granddaughters. I had my hubby frame a large part of a hallway wall and I painted within the frame, then I bought cute picture frames and placed them all within the larger frame. I call it my "Wall of Babies".
Next I will have my hubby do the same on another wall down the same hallway with pictures of our grandson!! Can't leave him out!!! I am very happy with how it has turned out.

PUPPIES!!

2010-02-04T18:43:00.000-06:00

This is Dixie...she is one of three born. Isn't she adorable?! I will take pictures of the others later. She was born Jan. 21. Her mom is a white Siberian Husky and the dad is.....well.....a cross between a Terrier and German Shepherd.

2010-01-26T14:17:00.000-06:00

Here is something a little different...this is a sketch of John Wayne I made a good while back, I feel like I'm getting the sketching bug again!
Oooh and we have puppies again!!! I will post pics of them real soon!! I just love puppies all shiny and new!!!!! My doggie had only 4 puppies this time but 1 was a still birth. The other 3 are thriving...she is such a wonderful mommy!!!

Tooth Fairy Fabric Wall Hanging

2010-01-23T16:17:00.002-06:00

I made this adorable wall art for the little tyke's room, it's there for when the child is ready to hand over a tooth to the Tooth Fairy. Just tuck the child's tooth into the little pocket and hang over their bed and wait for the Tooth Fairy to magically stop by. Made out of fabric, batting and embellishments, these were easy and fun to make, and I am ready to send one to each of my grandkids!!♥

The instructions for this project was from the book "Aleene's Angels Made Easy" (Oxmoor House) which I bought many years ago, the wonderful designs are by Heidi Borchers.

It is jam packed with angel projects, and I love angels. I highly recommend it. I am not sure if it is still in print. I love it!!♥

2010-01-21T16:04:00.000-06:00

I crocheted this extra large tote in turquoise a while back, I stuff my yarn and current crochet project in it and take it with me to appointments that I know I will be sitting for a while....really helps pass the time. I've gotten lots of compliments on it. I love it!!♥

2010-01-18T17:23:00.001-06:00

Hi, it's been a little while since I last blogged.....my digital camera died and I could not take any pictures of anything I've made, but I recently borrowed my son's camera and now I am able to post some pics!!!! Yay!!!!!
Here are some small crochet tote bags I made for my adorable granddaughters, 4 year old Emily and 3 year old Mia, one is in Camouflage colors and the other two are a lot more colorful! It only took me a couple of days to complete them. I love adding embellishments like those colorful beads. They are easy and quick! I love to crochet and I try to teach anyone that wants to learn around here!!

2009-12-10T21:34:00.001-06:00

Fairies

2009-11-28T00:43:00.001-06:00

This is a sneak peek at what I will sell on Etsy if I ever get it going. This is a fairy that I made with lots of ribbon and specialty yarn. Lots of fun making it....the background still needs something...not sure what...but it will come to me.

Fake Cake (money tree)

2009-10-21T13:30:00.000-05:00

Fake Cake/Money Tree
Hi again, here is a fake cake that I made for one of my brother-in-laws and his wife for their Wedding Anniversary Party. It took the place of a money tree...the guests just dropped off their cards into the slot on top of fake cake! It was a big hit...looked just like the real cake!! It was in December thus the poinsettias.

To make one like this, you'll need:
3 hat boxes, different sizes - 1 large, 1 medium, 1 small (remove all lids, save for later use)
white acrylic paint
1 or 2 sponge paint brushes
small piece Styrofoam 5"x2"
hot glue gun and glue sticks
craft knife
About a foot of wide red ribbon (any type, to cover Styrofoam)
Silk Poinsettia bush with multiple blooms (medium flower size)
--the amount of blooms depends on the size of the finished cake.
Bush of sparkly Christmas greenery
Embellishments (I used strands of gold puffy hearts for this cake)

You can buy most of these supplies at Walmart or Dollar Stores.

Paint all boxes, excluding lids, with white acrylic paint. Let dry thoroughly.

Large hat box.......turn box upside down, take medium hat box and place on top of the large box - center it carefully, then trace all around it. Remove medium box. Take craft knife and cut about one inch on the INSIDE of the traced circle on the bottom of the large box.
Medium hat box....turn box upside down, take small hat box and place on top of the medium box - center it carefully, then trace all around it. Remove small box. Take craft knife and cut about one inch on the INSIDE of the traced circle on the bottom of the medium box.
Small hat box.....turn box upside down, measure about the length of a large greeting card (roughly 9 1/2") add 1" to that, draw a line that length (10 1/2") on the outside of the bottom of the small box (make sure it is centered) and cut a slot on the line on the bottom of the small hat box wide enough to allow the envelopes to slide through easily, about 1/2" wide. After all the cuts have been made, paint the boxes again..to ensure good paint coverage.
Take the large lid and carefully remove and discard the band leaving only the circle of cardboard. Turn large box right side up and glue the circle of cardboard to that side of the large box thus sealing it. That will be the bottom of the cake. You will still have the opening on the other side of the box that you cut out before, that will be the top of the box. Next, place the medium box (upside down) over the cut out part of the large box and center it, once you know where it needs to go, lift it and apply hot glue along the rim then place it back down again. Now you have two layers with an opening between (for the cards to fall through into the large box). Take the small box and glue it upside down to the top of the medium box making sure the slot for the envelopes is on top(which is actually the bottom of the box). After all three boxes are glued to each other, you have a three layer cake. Run a bead of hot glue along the layers where they come together to secure. Paint the complete cake again if you like.
Then comes the fun part...Decorating it!! I glued a running strand of gold puffy hearts along where the layers meet (to cover the bead of hot glue) See picture. Then I hot glued poinsettias going up along one side of the cake curving around all the way to top. Make a small arrangement on the small piece of Styrofoam for the top of the cake. Cover the Styrofoam with a wide red ribbon, glue the arrangement to the top of the cake behind the card slot to allow for the people to insert their cards. The contents of the fake cake can be removed by cutting out the bottom of the cake after the party. It can easily be fixed for the next party!

You may of course make this cake for different occasions, use your imagination, let your creativity run wild!! It will be the hit of the party!!

Mardi gras masks

2009-10-21T10:17:00.000-05:00

Fun Mardi Gras masks!

These Mardi gras masks are not so hard to make, just a little labor intensive.

Materials you'll need (to make blue mask) :
Blue poster board
3 Ostrich feathers (white)
Assorted matching sparkly ribbons and glittered tulle strips;
about three yards long each, different widths (cut off 1 yard of at least 6 or 7 of the ribbons to use for bow)
Stringed beads...metallic (silver or gold)
Blue glitter
Assorted embellishments
Honeycomb metallic ribbon (for ruffle around mask)
Glittered curly reeds
Stapler and staples
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
White glue
Small paint brush
Florist wire
1/2 inch diameter wooden dowel cut down to 18 or 20 inches long
One 10x10 inch square of black felt
1 small amount of black acrylic paint

All of these supplies may be purchased at Michaels, Hobby Lobby or Floral Supply Warehouses.

Draw a mask shape of desired size on blue poster board. Cut it out including eye holes (do the same with the black felt for use later). Use small paint brush to apply white glue all over the front of poster board mask, cover entire area with blue glitter, tap excess glitter off, set aside to dry. (may need a couple of hours to dry) Clean paint brush and use it to paint the dowel black.
Meanwhile, gather all the ribbons, stringed beads and glittered tulle and fold in half lengthwise, secure with a 10 inch length of florist wire.
Make florist bow with the ribbons that had been cut and set aside before, attach the gathered ribbons to the back of the bow with the wire used to make the florist bow and set aside.
Now, back to the mask, after the glitter has set and dried then you may begin to embellish it. Click on above picture to see close up. To make the ruffle around the mask, you will need to take the honeycomb ribbon (as in the picture) or other ribbon of your liking, gather it into a ruffle, securing each ruffle with a staple until you get the length to go around the mask. Glue the ruffle all around the BACK of the mask, making sure it shows prettily from the front of mask. Glue the curly reeds first then the feathers also to the back of the mask (see picture for placement), then embellish the front of the mask to your hearts content, use white glue or hot glue to attach items until you get it just the way you want it. You may also glue embellishments on the feathers. After your mask is decorated just the way you like, take the painted wooden dowel and place it on the right or left hand side of the back of the mask next to the eye hole and hot glue it down. The dowel is used for holding the mask up to your face. Take the black felt mask shape that you cut out at the beginning and glue it to the back of the mask, covering the back entirely (except, of course for the eye holes), leaving the back of the mask neat and clean. Now attach (glue) the bow and ribbons to the dowel right below the mask.
And there you have it...a beautiful Mardi Gras mask that you made yourself!! ENJOY!!

2009-09-26T21:35:00.000-05:00

Hi again...this is a paint can I decorated for gift giving...you can fill it up with Christmas goodies, or a secret Santa gift or fill it to the brim with candy and set it on your desk or table.
All it takes for this fun project is just a few things and a new empty paint can with lid, you can purchase clean new ones at the hardware store in the paint department (also purchase the handy lid lifter/opener, to help open it in case you close the lid too tight).

Items needed:
1 new empty paint can with lid
1 lid lifter/opener (attach with ribbon along one side of can)
wrapping paper of choice
glue (decoupage or white glue)
glue gun and sticks
1 wooden 1" ball painted matching color
1 matching Christmas ornament
2 or 3 jingle bells
assorted short lengths of matching ribbon
dimensional glitter glue (in a tube)

Start by measuring around the paint can, width and height and cut the wrapping paper to those dimensions. Wrap the paper around the can, cut notches to allow for the handle. Once you get it just right..glue it in place. Do the same for the lid. (see picture) Trim around with dimensional glitter glue on top edge of wrapping paper, do same for the lid. Glue painted wooden ball to middle of lid. Tie short lengths of the matching ribbon to the handle as many as you like, attach an ornament to one side of the can (off the handle) and 2 or 3 jingle bells to the other side, add a gift tag and WaaLaa!! There you have it!
Imagine the possibilities, here are a couple of ideas;

Leave unwrapped and decorate with handyman tools stickers on the outside and fill with useful household tools for someone moving into a new house or apartment. You may leave this one open, to allow for those items to stick out the top.

Decorate with baby wrapping and give it to the new dad filled with goggles, tongs, face mask, rubber gloves, spray deodorizer and an apron so he can help change baby's diaper!! This one is a big hit at baby showers!!

And the lists goes on...

Pretty cover for watercooler bottle

2009-09-18T18:20:00.000-05:00

Would you like to pretty-up your yucky 5 gallon watercooler jug that sits on the dispenser. Well, here is an idea that will add a decorative flair to your space.
Purchase 2 large table placemats to match you decor, here I chose a Chef because the theme in my kitchen/dining room is Chefs. Measure around the widest part on the 5 gallon jug of water, measure the placemats and make adjustments and sew together, end to end. Then sew a coordinating ruffle on the bottom. Very easy. You will also need a piece of fabric matching the ruffle.
Lay the piece of fabric over the 5 gallon jug over the bottom of the jug (as you know it sits upside down on the dispenser) let it drape down about 4 inches and trim around. Then slip the cover you just made over the jug and fabric and there you have it.......all dressed up and ready to show off!
You may make one for every season. There are some really beautiful placemats out there, especially the seasonal ones. At Holloween make a witchy one and place a witches hat on top, at Christmas make a santa one and place a santa's hat on it!! Very fun! Believe me, you will get lots of compliments on it and be prepared to sew some up for your friends because they will ask you!

Yellow/blue diaper cake

2009-09-16T13:21:00.000-05:00

This is a real good idea for a unique gift for a baby shower, I know there are so many diaper cakes ideas out there but I just have to show you one I made that got many compliments at a recent baby shower.
Use Newborn disposable diapers, they work really well for this project.
They really are so easy to make, use cardboard to cut out a circle any size you want the bottom layer to be...
1. Start from the middle of the cardboard, place the diapers in a circle working your way outwards, tie a thin ribbon around the diapers to hold them in place. When you get the desired size make sure they are snug.
2. Start the second layer...position the diapers the same way only you do not need a second round cardboard and make it smaller than the first. This may be done on the counter or table top.
3. Start the third layer...same as before, making it smaller than the second layer.
Place the largest layer on bottom, followed by the second smallest on top of the first, then the third smallest on the very top. (refer to picture above)
Tuck in some matching crinkle paper here and there to make it look really pretty.
Take some wide ribbon and place around each layer (hiding the original thin ribbon you used to hold diapers together), finish off with a bow. Line the layers up so that the bows are on the same side. Add a matching decorative ribbon around the bottom of the cake to give it a finished look. (refer to picture above)
Tuck baby items here and there, top off with a baby doll or a stork or any thing you think will look pretty as a cake topper.
See, I told you it was easy.
Transporting to site of party might be a little tricky because layers might slip off. Treat it as you would a real cake...gingerly. You may purchase an extra large clear cellophane gift bag and place the cake in it, and gather it at the top, finish it off with ribbons and a huge bow. Attach a cute gift tag and it's good to go.
Depending on the size of the diaper cake you want to make be prepared to buy several packages of Newborn disposable diapers!
Added tip: You can tuck in some gift certificates for the mommy-to-be as an added surprise, maybe; Starbucks, book store or baby sitting coupons....use you imagination....she will certainly appreciate it!

Chocolate covered yummies

2009-09-16T01:51:00.000-05:00

How about surprising some of your favorite friends and family with some yummy caramel covered, chocolate coated, nut encrusted apples, or chocolate covered pretzels for this upcoming holiday season. Sound good?
All you need are some green Granny Smith apples, chocolate almond bark, white (vanilla) almond bark and caramel wraps. Wrap the apple with the caramel wrap, insert stick into top of apple about half way in, dip the apple into or spoon melted chocolate almond bark over the apple, covering it entirely (follow directions on package label on how to melt) then quickly attached chunks of pecans or walnuts directly onto the chocolate, don't wait too long or the almond bark will harden and the nuts will just fall off. You may spoon melted white (vanilla) almond bark over the nuts for added deliciousness and presentation. Sit them on waxed paper to set, it won't stick. I add artificial fall leaves on the top for added flair. Not only is the finished product beautiful but very delicious as well! Once the chocolate sets you may slip one into a cellophane bag and attach a bow and some ribbon to make it look really festive.
I hope you try this....they make really impressive gifts.
The pretzels are so easy, just dip into chocolate almond bark and sprinkle with any kind of sprinkles you desire or just spoon the white (vanilla) almond bark over the chocolate covered pretzel with a zigzag pattern. These are especially great for those folks just want to give a little something to. I love them!! My very good friend, Elsie, showed me how to make the apples. She is amazing!! I love these kind of gifts because they are Homemade from the Heart.

2009-09-15T10:32:00.000-05:00

Just a thought........
Don't you think daisy's are beautiful, they are unassuming and happy swaying in the wind, almost like they are dancing to music only they can hear.....but, if you close your eyes and listen very carefully, you can almost hear the soft twinkling musical sounds the fairies are making as they flutter around the daisies playing hide and seek with one another...

PERFECT MUNCHIE GIFT

2009-09-13T15:58:00.002-05:00

I've made these really nice birthday gifts for friends and family...(a little while back).
I used to own a very small gift basket business, and these were one of my best sellers.
The Igloo Company no longer produces these small personal size coolers (much to my distress). This size was perfect for this kind of gift!! I made so many munchie gifts like these, for different themes and occasions. It's two gifts in one, the munchies and the cooler. The new small coolers the company makes doesn't really work well for this kind of project.

Items: 1 small personal size cooler, assorted snacks, 1 or 2 soft drinks, some brown paper grocery bags or butcher paper. One Shrink wrap bag* (size to fit item) or shrink wrap film* and a heat gun* and some clear adhesive tape. Optional ribbons and bow.

Instructions: Leave lid open and fill inside bottom of cooler with some crumpled-up brown paper bags to fill half way to top. Place munchies in and arrange prettily, I use clear tape to attach those goodies, that will not cooperate, to help them stay where you place them. I then slide the shrink wrap bag over the top and all the way down (trim bag if too long) bring together underneath and use clear tape to secure. (Or you may use shrink wrap film (on a roll) cut off enough to cover the entire munchie filled cooler and drape over it and secure with the tape underneath). Then plug in your heat gun, switch to medium heat, let it warm up for a couple of seconds. FYI....Please read all the manufacturers instructions on the Heat Gun before using it. Be very careful with this heat gun because it does blow very hot air and the business end of it gets EXTREMELY HOT!!! Hold heat gun about 12 to 18 inches from the cooler and slowly rotate the cooler, you can see the shrink wrap start to shrink and conform to the munchie cooler. DO NOT blow the hot air on one spot too long or it will burn a hole in the shrink wrap....then you will have to start all over again. Believe me, that happened to me many times until I got the hang of it. When the wrap looks nice and snug...you are finished with the heat gun. Finish off with a nice bow and some ribbons... and whoever you give this to will love you for it!!

You notice that in the above picture the shrink wrap is not even visible...but it is there, keeping everything in place.

*You will find the items( marked with the asterisk) you will need to complete this project on the internet for purchase (just google it) or at your local florist supply centers. Have fun!!!

Something new....

2009-09-12T17:10:00.001-05:00

Just created my Blog!! I will soon be adding lots of crafting and scrapbooking ideas!