bag redo

I bought several of these tote bags from the dollar store.  They are well made and cute, they are also white.  The first time I used  it it had dirt on it just from being in my car.  Out came the markers and in a short time I had a new bag.

Be sure to use permanent markers, mine are by Bic.  I just did circles using lids as a pattern and free form squiggles, lines and stars.  Whatever makes you happy.  Unfortunately since i first wrote this I can no longer find these bags at Dollar Tree.  Why do companies put out a product, see it sell out and not stock more?  You can find similar bags at other stores or on line.  Just get light colors so the markers show up.

great news

If you're a regular reader you have probably heard this, since I've been shouting it from the roof tops, but just in case.  One of my craft projects is going to be published in a national magazine.  You can read about the project here at tote bag February 2, 2011.  I sent this off to Sommerset Life, an art magazine that  I love.  This is the first time I've ever sent anything to a publication.   I thought the bag was cute and it followed the guide lines of using flour sack towels as the base for a project.
I was totally shocked when I got an email from them asking for permission to publish the bag along with an article that I have to write about what inspired me, how it was made and how will I use it.  I've got the rough draft done and sent off to an English teacher friend of mine for tweaking.  If nothing else ever comes of it it's a huge boost to my ego and an incentive to get off my buns and create more without letting self doubt or fear hold me back.  What's holding you back from doing what you love.?After the magazine comes out in July, believe me you will see it here.

faux mercuty glass

I love the look of mercury glass.  The antique things or even the new are very expensive.  I saw this in a magazine and thought I'd give it a try.  Pick up some clear glass at thrift shops or rummage sales.  Try to get things that have lots of texture and interest.  Wash everthing with soap and water and dry.  Spray the inside of the glass lightly with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water, drain but don't dry.  Go outside and spray 2-3 light coats of silver mirror finish paint on the inside.  Let dry.  That's it, easy as can be.  Of course if you want to put flowers or food in any of the pieces you will have to use a glass or bowl as a liner.



before



after

pretty bottles

These blue bottles are from a new brand of beer.  Sons and AH drank the beer, I just grabbed the bottles out of the trash, washed them and removed the labels.  I'm thinking they'll be great to bottle limoncello when I get it done.  Did you know you can make this yummy liquor with oranges and limes also?  I'll definitely try the orange.  You could also use a bottle cutter and make the bottoms into glasses.  Be sure to look at everything before you toss it into the trash.  Making it into something useful is good for your wallet and the earth.

file folders

I needed some file folders to keep my business papers organized.  You know me a plain old vanilla folder just isn't going to work.  Gather together some floders, scrap book papers and glue.

Glue the paper on to the folders.  Add a strip on the top of the folder where the tab is.  Trim off excess, let dry.  Decorate as you like.
I'll use paper clips or brads to hold a small strip on the tab for what is in the folder instead of writing directly on them.



use words, colors and patterns that inspire you.



display stands

 I needed some way to display our products for an upcoming business expo KC and I are participating in.  I started digging through my stash of glass wear and stuff and stacking things together to make interesting stands.  These would look great for cakes and cookies at your next party or a place to display jewelry.  Use E6000 glue to put everything together and if you've used paint put food on a paper doily or napkin.

Wine glass and a stove burner cover from the $ store.  A coat of spray paint ties everything together



Just start stacking what you have until it looks good to you.



Old glasses, burner covers and a coat of paint.



The finial on top a block and two beads



"silver" trays form the $store, glasses, a votive cup and beads.  Only the beads got painted on this one.

Don't use you good glassware or trays for this.  You can pick up all these kinds of things at rummage sales or thrift stores for less than $1.00.

playing with paper pulp

Sometimes I just have to get my hands messy and play around experimenting .  I had gotten these cookie molds out junking and decided I'd make paper pulp and use the molds to form something I could use in other art work.
Take 6-8 plain, cheap paper towels and tear them in small pieces.  Put the pieces in a blender or food processor and cover with water, I used about 2 cups.  Run until it's mush.  Scoop out and pile into molds.  press down with your hand over a sink to remove most of the water.  Press firmly and evenly with a towel to remove even more water.  I then put mine in the oven on the lowest setting until they were dry about 5 hours, or you could put them over a heat vent.  Gently use the tip of a knife to remove the image and let dry.

The resulting form is the exact shape of the mold.  The results will be revealed later.  Hmm what can I make?  A valentine, a picture, can I water color, stamp, decoupage or add other embellishments?  Check next week.  What would you do?  Send me ideas I'd love to hear your ideas.

Christmas goodies

Some times you want to give a gift that isn't expensive or large but looks great.  Here's what I did with some dry spice mixes I put together for family and friends this year.  Recipes for mixes will be added later.



Empty jars, I just rinsed and let them dry.



Cover the out side with pretty paper and add a label.



Glass jars I only bought a few because they were too expensive.  I also recycled a few glass jars and spray painted the lids then added a label.  It's the one in the center back.







Under construction.  A bowl for $1, plastic bags in the bottom to make it fuller and fancy shreds.  All that was left was a little fluffing and a large clear basket bag with a ribbon bow and tag.  They look great.



I boxed the rest of the mixes in plastic cups with lids 5@$1 added a label and stacked them into small bakery bags, tied then off and added a name tag.  They made cute useful gifts for everyone on my list.

winter centerpiece

Red twig dogwood branches from the yard.





Spary branches lightly over newspaper and sprinkle with crystal glitter.



Dollar store 6" star ornament, cute but not the look I'm going for.  2 coats of white spray paint and a little glitter make them look much better.



Fill clear vases with sugar, salt or sand, stick branches in.  Place on a tray, add pine cones, stars and a few snowflakes.  it's wintery without screaming Christmas so I can leave it up a while.




I added a few battery votives tucked behind to stars and pinecones.  They're much safer than regular candles.  These were 3 for a dollar at Dollar Tree.  You just gotta love that place.



more wrapping ideas

Even the simplest gifts become more special when they are wrapped in a beautiful way.  Take the idea of the bakery bag you can find anywhere this season.  Pop in your gift and tie on a pretty bow add a tag and you're done..

Fabric bags are also a big hit.  They are easy to make and reusable.  Guestimate how big your sack needs to be to hold your gift and gather the top to tie it closed.  Cut 2 pieces that size plus 1/2" for seams.  Sew 3 sides together, use pinking shears on the top or fold over the top edges and stitch down.  Turn inside out and add your gift That's it instant gift bag.

packaging

The holidays are getting closer every minute and it's time to think about all that wrapping.  Now I'm known for plopping the gift in a bag with a couple of sheets of tissue poking out more often than not.  This year I've been searching for new and creative ideas for gifts.  Here's one  for those small little gifts, jewelry, ornaments, cosmetics, Chinese take out boxes.  They are cute, sturdy and easy to find.



these are 8 and 16oz boxes.



A quick Christmas stamp add your gift wrapped in tissue if you're feeling fancy and a bow around the handle.  You could even hang these on the tree to give to your visitors.

I'll use  mine for little soaps and lotions for tall those little gifts I like to give.

holiday wreaths

My friend Kathy's birthday was last week and I wanted to make her something she could enjoy not just for Christmas but for all the winter season.  She had admired a wreath at a recent craft show we went to so I used that idea as my inspiration.
I bought basic green wreaths  and picked up some picks, flowers and snowflakes at the dollar store.


fluff the branches of the wreath to give it a fuller look



I like to put all of my materials in front of me before I start, here I'm using 2 kinds of little white flowers. Just hot glue them in so the bottoms are nestled into the wreath.



Add your focal materials.  Here I've used frosted looking fruit picks.




The last detail I added was 4" snowflakes and gold berries.  Yes that's my head casting the shadow.  I'm still not a good photographer.




The final product. 

The wreaths can be used through the winter season, on a door, as a candle ring or 2 wreaths stacked one above the other on a door or wall.  Total cost $15.00for the pair because I bought everything new.  Total time 35 minutes.

puzzle pumkins

I made these pumpkins a few years ago.  They are simple and inexpensive and my grand kids love them.  Sorry no before pics but you can get the general idea.
Here's what you need:
1X12 lumber for 2 times the size of pumpkins you're making.
Paint
Clear spray
Draw out the shape of a pumpkin on newspaper first.  Notice mine are all slightly different shapes.  Cut a slot 3/4" from the top half way down on one side, from the bottom half way up on the other.  This sounds way more confusing than it really is. Make sure the pieces will fit together.  Sand your pieces and paint with 2 coats of your base color.  Add high lites and shading to suggest the pumpkins ridges and curves, keep it simple.  Let dry and spray with 2-3 coats of sealer.  Store as flat pieces just so they don't get stuck together.

Quick sachet

Some times you need a little gift for someone or even a little pick-me-up for your self.  This one couldn't be easier.  Here's what you need:
Wide ribbon that is already sectioned off into bags.  You can usually find this in the bridal section at Walmart, Michaels or Hobby Lobby.  If you can't find it make your own by stitching two layers together around 3 sides.
Dried lavender
Narrow ribbon for tie
Fill the bags with about 2T of lavender and tie the top into a bow.  It helps to make a paper funnel to get the lavender into the bags. 


this ribbon comes already to fill, just cut apart



I buy my lavender by the pound



my kitchen/workroom smelled heavenly for hours



tie a pretty ribbon and your done



a paper funnel makes filling easier

 That's it a great mini gift.  Stick them in your dresser drawers or between your sheets in the linen closet.  Think showers, girlfriend lunches, package tie ons etc.

gourd candy dish

 Apple gourds are the perfect gift for teachers.  They can use them on their desk to hold treats, supplies or surprises for the class.

Here's what you need:

Dried appple gourd

Paint

Clear sealer

Paint pen (optional)

Use a  fresh apple gourd and dry it for a year in your attic or other dark warm place.  Or go to a local pumpkin patch and look for already dried gourds.  Most of them have a pile of these somewhere.  You can also find them online.

Clean the gourd by soaking in warm water and using a scrubbing pad to get of all the debris.  Let dry.

Mark a line about 2" down from the top and cut with a saw.  I used a band saw but you could use a saber saw or table saw.  Sand the edges smooth.  I often use emery boards for small sanding jobs.  Mark a vertical line with a pencil on the inside to line up top and bottom.  Clean out the ribs and seeds inside the gourd.  The easieset way to paint these is by dumping in paint and brushing it around to cover completely.  Use 2 coats.  Let dry.
Paint the outside with several layers of paint to get the blend of colors.


This one started with a gold base coat and then I brushed on a couple of shades of red letting some of the gold show.



Glue a small piece of vinyl, leather, heavy fabric on the inside as a hinge, making sure to line up your top and bottom.  E6000 is a great all purpose crafting glue for heavy duty jobs like this.

You can add the teachers name on it with a paint pen if you like.

Spray with clear sealer at least 2 coats.  Use only wrapped candy.

transformed gourds

I have a lot of people that ask me about the abundance of gourds that I display in the fall both inside and out.  Each year I start gourd seedlings and then give them to friends who plant them, water, weed and harvest them.  Some years we have an abundant crop, some years not so much.  The first year I just display the gourds as is.  Before freezing weather I put them in the attic to dry clear until the next fall.  Clean them up and paint them so they look real.  Easy.  i think I have 3 full garbage bags of them now.  I do give a lot of them away.



fresh gourds, not sure what kind, probably a mutant




Dry them for a year in a warm dry place that will not freeze.  When they come out they will be gross, covered in white fuzz, black gunk and dried skin.  They are suppose to look like this.  Discard any gourds that are cracked or broken.



Soak them for a couple of hours in a bucket or sink, turning every so often.  Scrape the gunk off.  I use the side of a spoon, paring knife and scrubie pad.  This is long hard work.  Each gourd can take 30-60 mniutes to clean.   Let them dry.



Use acrylic paint to base coat and add details.  It will take several coats to blend colors together.  If you don't like it cover it up with more paint.  In your world if you want them purple or black paint em that color.
















Continue to add details until you're happy.  Let dry and then spray with sealer.  Store them for the next fall in a warm dry place.