almost instant center pieces

When you have flowers as beautiful as these hibiscus all you need are a couple of blooms in a bowl to make a great eye catching centerpiece.

blooms in a silver bowl.  These are so big, two were all I needed.

These are from the plant Ron gave me a few weeks ago, gorgeous

A stand I made from a garden statue, light shade a little paint and glue.  It's not really crooked , just the photographer  is

best pulled pork ever

It takes a long time for this to be done but the actual prep time is pretty short.
4-7# pork shoulder or roast
Put the pork in a large pan or zip bag and add
1/4C salt
1/2C brown sugar
Pour on enough water to cover.  Let it sit covered in the refrigerator over night
The next morning drain, pat dry and put into a baking pan
Rub in the dry rub and roast uncovered in the oven at 225 for 7 hours You can also use the grill.  Add water if the bottom of the pan seems dry.  After 7 hours turn off the heat and let it sit in the oven 1-2 hours.  Shred with two forks and serve with your favorite BBQ sauce.
 dry rub
1T each cumin, garlic powder, salt, chili powder, black pepper, red pepper onion powder and 1/2C brown sugar.  Just mix it all up in a small bowl.  If you have any left after applying to the pork you can save it in a sealed bag or mix into the shredded pork.

OOPS I did it again

As with every thing in my life, I'm always making mistakes.  Since I believe you learn more from your mistakes than your successes I ought to be the smartest person in town.  No such luck.
 I started this up-cycled tin can project to use as a vase for a wedding shower I was going to be providing flowers for.  Of course I wanted it to be soft, pretty and romantic.  I clean and removed the label from the cans and sponged painted two coats of white, ivory and cream acrylic paint.  Mistake one, I didn't let it dry overnight and I didn't spray on a coat of clear sealer, a necessity on metal or the paint will scratch right off.
Redo.
The first layer was burlap which I thought would be fine just tacked on with the glue gun.  It wouldn't lay flat.
Redo  Mod Podge to the rescue.
The second layer was strips of scrap book paper. The  first can strips were 2", perfect.  The second can was 4", not perfect.  It would not lay flat and was lumpy and ugly.  Peel it all off.
Redo.
I cut two different 2' strips and glued those onto the burlap.  That worked.
The rest of the project went OK with the exception of the fabric roses.  Usually I hand stitch these but decided the glue gun would work as well.  No redo, just a couple of burnt fingers and plenty of grumbling. Maybe a bad word or two was uttered, but the cats won't tell.

The cans turned out great, the flowers were beautiful, the shower was lovely and the bride to be was thrilled.  That alone was worth some aggravation and a few do-overs.

mixed media project

I made this little piece to submit to a magazine for publishing.  Hope they like it.  The focus of the entry is suppose to be, use at least three different mediums and pull it together with stitching.  I started with a square of painters tarp, I printed one of my favorite sayings " you are closer to God in a garden than anywhere else on earth" all over the fabric using a paint pen.  I mounted that onto a slightly larger square of card stock as a base, which I had stamped.  I then decoupaged part of a floral napkin on top, added a small piece of vintage doily, lace and buttons .  I then stitched around the flowers and edges.  I made a tag from salt dough, painted it with nail polish for shine and hand printed the word bliss.  I tied the tag onto the piece.
Every thing on this speaks of me from the soft colors, flowers and pink to the verses and even the fabric.  That's the best way to do art, make it about what you know.  I've never done a mixed media piece before, so even if it doesn't get published I learned several new things.  Keeping your mind active is always a good thing.

pieces and parts

stamped back ground

Add caption

There is stitching around the flowers you can barely see.  Maybe it needs a few more buttons?

Now all I need to do is photograph it and send in my submission to the magazine next week..

garden visit

Most gardeners are interesting, generous and fun people.  The owners of this garden live next door to my BIL and SIL in Sun Prarie, Wi.  I don't recall there names, but they could not have been nicer when they found me wandering through their back yard.  It is so perfectly landscaped I could tell it was a labor of love.  Even though I go for a much messier, loose look in my garden doesn't mean I can't appreciate and learn from this kind of space.  The stone work alone must have taken months, let alone all the beautiful annuals and perennials.

melon secret

We love melon around here.  Unfortunately we have not been able to find really sweet melons this year.  A little simple syrup will add that touch of sweet if your melon just isn't quite there.
Mix together 1/2C each water and white sugar, bring to a boil until the sugar is melted.  Let the mix cool and pour over cut and peeled melon.  Chill before serving.
I almost didn't get the bowl away from AH in time to take the picture.  It's a mix of watermelon and cantaloupe loaded with salt a pepper.

mini magnets

I wanted to make a little take away gift for our recent family reunion and came up with these little magnets.

Here's what you need:
1" glass globs, mine came from Dollar Tree  there were 30 in the bag which makes this gift very inexpensive.
scrap book paper or any decorative paper
magnets, buy the heavy duty kind
glue I used Elmers
Encouraging words printed on the computer, printed then cut with decorative scissors, they could have been torn or cut also.
Position the words on your paper, with a tiny drop of glue.  Cover the back of the glass with glue and position over the words.  Let dry and cut away excess paper.  Brush on an other coat of glue to seal everything, let dry and add a magnet to the back.
This would make a great make-it take-it craft by using a 1" punch to cut the circles of paper.  Glue everything together, have a snack and then hot glue on the magnet.

A great big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my friends Jeanne and Mary.  We will be celebrating with lunch, shopping and a big fabric sale later this week.

flower power

My garden is exploding with blooms this week.  We've had plenty of rain and sun.  Things will slow down in a couple of weeks as we go into the dog days of summer so I appreciate how beautiful it is now.

hydrangea are bipolar again this year.  I have pink and purple blooms on the same plant.

day lily

cone flower beginning

middle

end

thread leaf coriopsis

daisy

yeah the only burgundy day lily I have and AH ground it into the dirt with the weed whacker

pink holly hock, I use to make dolls with these at my Grand mothers house as a kid, what fun

almost black

papyrus

bee balm

yarrow

viral sign

I've stopped keeping track of how many pins this sign has gotten on Pinterest after a thousand..  I had pinned the original back in March and wanted to make my own version. The love verses from I Corinthians are some of my favorites.
 I used the back of a picture a friend had given me, I'm just not a traditional painting kind of girl.  The frame was originally bright gold so that had to go.  Then I painted a layer of red randomly across the board, next a layer of black.  I let those dry then and brushed on  a coat of crackle medium.  After that dried,

I added a layer of aqua, heavy in some areas, lighter in others.  I drew on lines for my spacing and printed up the lettering on the computer and transferred it to the board with carbon paper.  I used a paint pen to do the words varying the thickness for a hand printed look.  I wanted a hand made and primitive look so I went heavier on the crackle and paint layers.. I let it all dry overnight then carefully erased the pencil lines and carbon marks.  It now hangs in my living room over the couch.  Sorry the light wasn't great for picture taking.

mason jar solar lights

These have been all over the Internet and when I found the hooks I knew I needed to make them for my front walk.  They are beautiful at night.
1 Mason Jar along with ring and flat lid
1 small solar light I got mine at Walmart for .98
E6000 glue or you could try hot glue
sturdy wire we used fence wire
shepherds hook for hanging

Take you light apart all you need is the top solar part.  Make a pattern on card stock or paper the size of the solar panel.  This one was about 11/4" Draw around the pattern onto the flat metal lid
Cut the lid with a utility knife or hammer and chisel, it will take several passes to cut through the metal. Beware the edges will be sharp.  Glue the top onto the inside of the lid, avoid getting glue on the solar panel.  Attach the ring and lid to the jar.  You can use the plastic diffuser piece that comes with the light or not, I like the look without it.
Cut a piece of wire long enough to go around the jar top two times plus enough to make the loop for hanging.  Wrap around the jar, make your loop and twist the ends together. Clip the ends and bend in so no one gets scratched. Hang on your hook, be sure to remove the little tab on the light that turns it on first.  With out the hanging loop they make great lanterns to sit around in the evening.
The light will eventually burn out,  When burnout happens, open the jar and use a thin knife or blade to pop the solar light off the lid and glue on a new one.
We have had lots of rain here and plenty of heat so I'm getting some condensation in the jars.  If that happens just open and dump out the water.
I used six up my front walk on hooks about 21/2-3 feet tall

crystal mushrooms

I've made several of these lately and the response has been great.  People can't believe that something as simple vases, bottles, bowls and light shades can make such a pretty garden ornament.  With pieces picked up for $1.00 or less at TS or RS they are very inexpensive to make.
You need:
light shade or bowl
bottle or vase
GE II Silicone outdoor caulk in clear
gravel optional
Wash all  your parts with soap and water and let dry completely. Stack your vases, bowls, light fixtures and bottles in different configurations until  they look right.and in proportion to one another.  You don't want a great big bowl on a tiny little vase.  Add gravel to your base piece if you want, it will add more stability so they can't get blown or knocked over as easy. Glue your pieces together and let dry.  If you light shade has a hole in the top you can add a finial, ornament, glass glob or bottle stopper to finish it off, and stop water from getting in.  Display in your garden, they look even better with a patch of several placed together.

In the yard, he needs some fungi friends

up close, vintage shade and tall bottle the cost was  $2.00 plus the glue

new swing

I saw this metal swing at a farm store weeks ago.  At the time I just didn't feel I could justify buying something so frivolous and it was at full retail.  I just couldn't get it out of my mind and I knew I just had to have it.  When something stays on my mind that long and I'm willing to pay full retail, it's time to go get it.  Unfortunately the first three of the store I checked were sold out.  I finally found it in Paris, Illinois not France.  When I got to register it was 25% off, even better!  AH and I put it together last night and it fits our fanny's perfectly.  There's nothing like sitting on a porch swing on a warm summer night rocking with your sweetie.

curb appeal

You hear a lot about curb appeal on design shows, especially if you are trying to sell a house.  We're not selling, but I thought it was time for the front entrance to have a little updating.  We had a couple of patches of dead grass next to the sidewalk(don't ask) so made those into little display beds with mulch.  I filled the flower boxes with bright flowers in pink, purple and white, along with ferns for softness. The same colors filled enamel pans sitting on old metal ice cream chairs. I added solar lights made from blue canning jars hung on hooks from the dollar store. The front door got a coat of aqua paint to match the outdoor furniture and I added a new wreath from Salvation Army..  A few extra touches and we have a new looking entrance to the house. The cost was less than $40 including the mulch and plants, I had everything else on hand. I'll do a tutorial on the solar lights and the crystal mushrooms next week.

Black doors are boring and white are impractical so why not blue, green or red for a pop of color.  That's Diva strolling up the walk.

flowers, metal chair, watering can and a crystal mushroom.  You can barely see the hanging jar light on the top far right

other side of the walk

gift

One of my sons brought me this gorgeous hibiscus when he came over this weekend  I've never had one before and I've already found the perfect place for it right next to the pussy willow.  Ron knows me so well, he knew he couldn't have picked anything I would like more.