Doodling

Not much crafting happening...just doodling. Try it!

Crafting with Kids

Gregory is a rough and tough four year old, but he has a soft side that loves to cuddle so I thought making a stuffed animal together would be the perfect craft. We decided on a kitten and cut out a rectangle of felted wool. Instead of stitching, I put hot glue along the edges and had Gregory carefully press the sides together. He picked out some buttons to glue on as eyes, then decided to cut a mouth and fangs out of some spare wool. I did show and help him stitch on some whiskers, but the rest of the kitty was all his doing.

Haute Couture

As soon as I saw this fabric flower brooch here, I knew i had to make one.

Designer flower:



My flower:



The only supplies you need are fabric, glue, 28 gauge wire and pinking shears.

1. cut about16 inches of wire and form it into a petal shape, twisting the ends together to secure and form a stem.
Make 10 large petals, (mine were 7" long,) and 7 small petals, (5" long.)



Cut fabric wide enough to enclose the stem when folded in half.



Lay your stem on half the fabric and run a line of glue over the entire stem. Then fold the fabric over to cover the stem, pressing the fabric firmly to the wire.



Now comes the hard part. Wait and let the glue dry thoroughly!

Once it is dry, take your pinking shears and cut out the stem shape, following the outline of the wire.



Once all your stems are cut, make 2 stacks of 5 large stems, and 1 stack out of the 7 small stems, then lay the stacks on top of each other, Large-small -large.





Once they're stacked, twist the stems together to form one large stem.



Now the fun part! Start opening the petals, spreading them out like a flower.



Turn the flower over and curl the stem so it lies flat around the flower. I covered mine in duct tape first.



Thats it! I used a large safety pin to pin the flower to my jacket. This was my prototype. I think I'll make my next flower a bit smaller.

Beaded Flowers

I like these because they have a vintage look, and can be made into a necklace, hair accessory, pin, or even a magnet for your refrigerator.

Supplies: Beading wire, I used 24 gauge
a package dark color rocaille beads
a package of light color rocaille beads
a package of assorted rocaille beads
a small piece of felt
glue gun
pliers/wire cutters

1. Forming a petal.
Cut a piece of wire, 9 inches long. string on two of the assorted color beads, (I used clear,) then string on 10 of your dark color beads and 2 more of your assorted color beads. Push the beads until they are about 2 inches from the end.



Form a loop with the beaded portion and twist once to hold the beads in place.



Working with the long end of the wire string on two assorted color beads, 20 dark color beads, and two more assorted color beads.



Form the beaded section into a loop going around your first loop, and twist to hold.



Working with the long section of wire, add 4 of the assorted color beads, 25 dark beads and 4 more assorted color beads. Form into a loop and twist.



You have now completed one petal. Follow the steps to make a total of 5 dark color petals, and 5 light color petals.



2. Assembling the flower.
Stack 5 petals together alternating light and dark. Twist the stems together.



Put on stack on top of the other and twist the stems together.



Spread the petals out, overlapping them.



On the back of the flower, curl the wire around, flat to the flower and trim.



Hot glue a piece of felt over the wire.



On the front of the flower, put a dab of hot glue in the center where the wire is showing. Sprinkle on some of the assorted color beads, a rhinestone or a large bead.
(I used the clear beads.)



Now you can add a pin back, barette, or magnet to make the flower into what ever accessory you want.

This poor blog has taken been sadly ignored lately, and I hope to remedy that in the coming new year. Until then, head over to Renovating a Brookyln Limestone and submit your Christmas craft/decorating idea, for an entry into her blogversary giveaway.

While I haven't been doing much crafting myself, I did receive an email and photo from Kelly, who made her own book page wreath. I love when ya'll send me photos of your projects!

Isn't it cute?

Felted Fower Pins

I've been felting lots of sweaters, inspired by all the great projects in Betz Whites' book, Warm Fuzzies. I have small bits of felt left over from the projects and have been making these pins to put in my Etsy shop.

Velvet Embossing

Fifteen years ago, the look of cut velvet in home decor was all the rage. This is the technique I used to achieve the look at home on the cheap, for table runners, Christmas stockings, and wine bottle bags. What ever tickles your fancy.

The cast of characters: An iron, a water mister bottle, a rubber stamp, and velvet. The velvet must be made of rayon or rayon-acetate.



Set your iron on the wool or cotton setting with no steam.
Mist both sides of your velvet lightly, with water.
Place the velvet nap side down over your stamp. While I'm using a foam stamp here, a regular hard rubber stamp is preferable. The foam stamp starts to melt after a few uses.



Press the iron on the fabric over your rubber stamp. Do NOT move the iron, just press for 30-40 seconds. Use a piece of scrap velvet to start with so you can determine the time that works best for your fabric.



Lift your iron and look at your amazing handiwork.



Move the stamp to anew section of fabric and continue with your design.

Embroidery

I've had this idea in my head for some time now, and its been a great project to work on as we wait out tropical storm Fay.
Its my interpretation of Paris in the spring.

Gift card bracelet.

Lots of crafty things have been going on here; I just get too lazy to take and post pictures. I made this bracelet for the birthday of a coffee loving friend, out of a Starbucks card. I cut the card into squares, then rounded them with my Dremel. I used the Dremel to drill holes in each piece also. Then I strung the bracelet using a piece of gold jewelry wire, I'm including a matching Starbucks gift card with the bracelet.

Button Bracelet

Inspired by Creative Kismet's button bracelet, I made this bracelet using gold jewelry wire and white buttons. I wanted a summery , seashell look and I like how this turned out.

Crafting Mojo

After being sick for some time now, I'm trying to get my crafty mojo back. I've been doing some embroidery, I adore monograms, but after seeing Hanna's free form needle art, I'm inspired to give it a try.

My monogram. Just find a font you like and print it out. Then using transfer paper, trace the letter onto your piece of fabric.
Primrose Design has a great online stitch school that I've found to be very helpful.



(Monogram Momma has a great tutorial on making a monogramed tie for Fathers Day.)

Little Birds

Friday I painted a trio of little sparrows above my front door. A pretty easy project, other than some very bumpy orange peel texture on the walls making the outline of the birds kind of wobbly.





(I saw something like this done on one of the design blogs I read. I wish I had noted which one as to give credit to the artist who originally had this idea.)

Finally, a Real Project!

With May Day on its way and the weather being perfect for outdoor dining, I thought I would make up a bunch of these jar tea light/flower holders.
All you need are some clean jars, (I love the shape of this jelly jar,) 22 gauge floral wire and wire cutters.



The first thing I do is cut a piece of wire double the length of the handle I want. Then fold it in half and twist it just like you do for the button flowers.



Take your twisted handle wire and position it on the jar leaving a, "tail on each side. Take your floral paddle wire and start wrapping it around the jar, securing the "tails" and twisting the wire to secure the end. Continue wrapping the jar, about eight times.



Finish wrapping the wire near one of the tails and cut the wire from the paddle. Secure the loose end to the tail, then bend the tails up, twisting them to the handle.



At this point you're finished. You can use it as is or embellish with ribbons or anything else that tickles your fancy. I kept mine pretty simple, putting pea gravel and a tea light in the bottom.



Using an S hook, I hung the light from y patio umbrella. I plan on making more so I can have a nice candle lit dinner.



You can use this for May Day by filling it with flowers and hanging off of a doorknob.

I Wish I Had Thought of This.

Patricia over at A Little Hut, made this candle ring out of a paper towel tube. Genius I tell ya.

I wish I could remember where I found this image and who did it...but I can't. Not only is it a nice piece of art but it is dear to my heart since it is made from discarded cardboard.

I Have a Sewing Machine!

Sometimes I just lose my crafting mojo, so I peruse the internet for ideas. This is one I think I'd like to try.

Salt Scrub

I know you've seen it in stores; jars of colored, scented and oil infused salt to use as a scrub to make your skin all soft and
glow-y. I'm sure you've seen the price tag too. Much more than I want to pay , so here is a recipe for salt scrub that will rival any store bought product. (Put in an attractive jar, this makes a great present.)
Scrub for one: 1 cup of coarse sea salt. I used Alessi brand and really like it.
2 tablespoons of grape seed oil. Olive oil works too, grape seed is just lighter
2 tablespoons of water
1-2 drops of essential oil (optional)
Put all of the ingredients in a glass bowl and mix well. Thats it. Easy and inexpensive. To use, get in the shower or bath and wet your skin then scrub with your salt, and rinse. You won't believe how soft your skin feels! (And if you have someone scrub your back for you.....ahhhh...sheer bliss.)

How I Made the Candy Buttons

The candy buttons are pretty easy to make, just time consuming. I bought a candy mold, ($1.99,) at my local cake decorating store, (you can all so find them online,) and a couple of bags of white candy melts and oil based candy coloring at Micheals. (Using my 40% off coupons.) The button molds are pretty small, the size of real buttons, so I put the melted candy in a disposable cake decorating bag to fill them. I popped the filled mold into the freezer for about 5 minutes. Once the candy is cold I took the mold out of the freezer, bent it slightly to help release the candy, then turned it upside down on my kitchen counter and tapped the back with a wooden spoon to get the buttons out. There were always a few that would be stuck, so I pried them out with a pin. The directions on how to melt and color the candy is on the back of the candy bag. For the coloring I bought basic primary colors, (red, yellow, blue,) and mixed them to get the colors you see in the buttons. Viola! Candy buttons!

Megan and Matthew.

The Cake!

Candy Buttons

Instead of crafting, I've been making these:



Hundreds of candy buttons for my daughters wedding cake.



She is getting married in our back yard on Saturday. Sunday I turn her bedroom into my craft studio.
I'm looking forward to being able to work on projects whenever I want and not having to think about cleaning up and putting stuff away all the time.... meaning I'll be able to post more crafty ideas!

Paper Clip Hearts

Using 4-5 inches of wire, find the middle and bend it into a point, then take your needle nose or jewelry pliers, and curl each end.



I use my fingers to bend the curled ends in forming a heart.



Heart shaped paper clips!

How to Remove Labels

I was asked how I removed labels from all those wine bottle, so this was my method. I filled up a big rubbermaid bin with water and a little dish soap, then sunk all the bottles and let them soak over night. By morning, some of the labels had lifted off and were floating ing the water. For the rest off the bottles, I used a single edged razor blade and scraped them off. Another method you can use with labels that don't soak off, is to use a heat gun to soften the glue. The label then peels right off, though this method can be a bit smelly.

This Could Be Addictive

So this cold has lasted longer than I thought, and I haven't been able to work on many projects. Being inspired by the video I linked to in my last post, I did make this picture.



I had so much fun cutting up magazines and gluing down the strips of paper! I think I must have made a dozen of these while resting on the sofa and watching, "Friends," one afternoon.

Coming Soon!

I've been dealing with a cold since New Years Day , but hope to get a new craft up this week! Until then, enjoy this video.

Little Valentine Note

These are quick and easy to make; perfect for little love notes, tucked into pockets or lunch boxes.
Simply cut out a heart, and fold as illustrated, tucking the pointy tail end, into the curved opening.

Glittery Acorns

Things have been so busy around here, there isn't much time for crafting. So many things I wanted to make for Christmas have gone unmade: ( I was able to whip up some gift tags using acorns I picked up on my walk around the neighborhood though. I like the acorn part, not so much the ribbon.

Why a Glass Tree?

I realized I never addressed on this blog my reason for building a Christmas tree. You see, I'm allergic to real trees and artificial trees...and the paint covering the lights..... actually, I'm allergic to EVERYTHING. Its called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, and I'm pretty much a prisoner in my bubble of a home. But it leaves me lots of time to craft, (with non toxic supplies.)

For the wine bottle tree, 25 of the bottles were mine, saved for over a year. The rest came from neighbors recycling bins and a wine bar near my home. The center post was picked up curbside from a neighbors trash; the dowel rods I had to purchase. My husband drilled all the holes for me, and my daughter helped me with de-labeling the bottles, so it was a family project.

I'm pretty pleased with the results, and as all my friends who have come to see the tree in have told me, pictures don't do it justice, its much prettier in person.

Here It Is!

My wine bottle Christmas tree!

Christmas Garland

Living in Florida, its hard to get that Christmas feeling. We don't have snow, or cold weather. To light a fire in the fireplace requires cranking up the a.c. Last year I decided to decorate for Florida and used natural materials I found outside to make this shell garland for my tree. First thing I did was drill holes in the top of all my shells, then gathered my string and some pearls.






fold your string , with the fold being where you want your shell.



push the loop through the hole.




slip the loop over the shell and gently pull tight.




continue adding shells, (and I put pearls on mine using the same method,) until your desired length.
You can use this technique to make a garland using just about anything!

W.I.P.

Crafting time has been spent on a large project. I'm working on a wine bottle Christmas tree and hope to have photos up by the weekend.

Paper Beads

Strolling through the Martha Stewart section of my local craft store I was surprised to see a craft kit she has that teaches you how to make paper beads. I learned how to make them as a kid and thought everyone else must have also. I saw that most of her craft kits were things I already knew how to do. It hit me then that I am what the french refer to as a, "woman of a certain age," So for all the spring chickens out there, here is how to make paper beads.


Cut out strips of paper. I used heavy glossy advertising pages from a magazine.


Cut each strip into two triangles. Do this by cutting from the top left corner down to the bottom right corner.


Get a skewer, (this is what you'll form your bead on,) and put a drop of glue on the endof the piece of paper. Then roll the triangle of paper up evenly and tightly, gluing a bit as you go.


You will end up with a bead that looks like this. The bead will need to be sealed, I've always used clear nail polish or matte medium. I lke sealing it while still on the skewer, but be very careful not to seal it to the skewer. Slie them of the skewer when they are dry, and use them in any jewelry making project.

Laura's Paper Flowers

I really enjoy seeing how people take an idea, change it and make it their own, Laura, who has a lovely blog, (and Etsy shop,) has posted pictures of her adaptation of paper flowers. I love how she has used book pages for some of the petals.

Just in Time for Christmas.

I started making and selling these sweet little ornament hooks 15 years ago. When people bought them they would tell me I needed to patent the idea. I didn't, and now I see these everywhere! They are very easy to make, I use vintage beads and wire from the hardware store, No directions really, just bending and twisting wire with your hands.

Book Page Wreath

Inspired by a wreath I saw in a Pottery Barn catalog, I cut a cardboard circle from a box I had laying around. I then gathered up a few old books and started cutting pages out of them. I rolled the pages and stapled them together in "hands of 5-6, then hot glued them to the cardboard. I'd like to get more books and add to the wreath as well as vary the size of the pages attached.

Wired Ribbon Favor

I made these for a bridal shower and then again for a tea party, placing one on each persons plate. I normally put a couple of little chocolate bars in them, but since all of those have been snacked on, this favor holds a box of matches.
The only supplies needed are wired ribbon, small ribbon roses and a glue gun.



I cut my ribbon to 7 1/2 inches in length, and I use a piece of cardboard that is 2 3/8 inces in width as a guide for wrapping the ribbon around. I start by ffolding about 1/4 inch ribbon over the edge of the cardboard.



Wrap the ribbon around the cardboard one complete rotation. Fold the tail end in half, then fold the front flap over.





Slide the piece of cardboard out.




Open the ribbon and glue up the two sides that will make the sides of the packet.



Fold the front flap down and sttach a ribbon rose.

Reusable Shopping Bag

Using the directions from this post on Craftster, I made a reusable shopping bag out of thrifted fabric, (more recycling!) The bag folds up into itself making it easy to tuck into my purse. I 've been cutting out fabric all day so I can make a bunch to put in my soon to open Etsy shop.

Thank Yous.

First to Kim at Todays Creative Blog, for featuring me on her blog back in August, and saying such sweet things about me.
Second to Laurie, at Tip Junkie, for giving me the Rockin Girl Blogger award!
Thanks, you two!

I'm passing the award over to Jessica at Sweet Pea Designs. Who is just getting her craft blog started.

B is for Bird

The latest of my bird collages.