Nick and Grandma’s Mini Garden

May 5, 2014June 17, 20188 Comments

A few weeks ago, Nick and I talked about making a special project.

I decided we should make a miniature garden for him to help me take care of.

Saturday, my little buddy came over to help me work on it.

We had previously collected moss, sticks, bark and rocks for our project.

I added some mini plants (for fairy gardens), potting soil, a small park bench, tiny garden fence,

green spray bottle and a set of teeny tiny tools.

While cleaning out the garage a couple of weeks ago, I almost threw out this rusty broken

wagon. I’m so glad I decided to keep it. It was perfect for our mini garden.

All I needed was one excited 3 1/2 year old to help me.

I added a piece of paper towel over the holes in the bottom of the wagon and we filled it

with potting soil. I added the small fence, large flat rock and bench. I let Nick finish the rest.

Nick loved digging in the dirt and adding the plants.

We put rocks around the little fence and even added a chicken to our garden.

Occasionally, Nick had to stop and water other things. Like my tulips.

I don’t know who was more excited about the garden, him or me.

Since, grandpa had brought the little white picnic table up from the barn.

Nick decided we needed to have a picnic lunch. All in all, a day very well spent.

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10 Things you may or may not know about me

May 2, 2014December 17, 20193 Comments

Here are 10 things you may or may not know about me. (in no particular order)

1. I have lived in the Mid-West all my life. I love it here, I love everything about it. (Well maybe not this last winter. But even that’s becoming a distant memory.) The Midwest’s home. It’ll be a hard sell to get me to ever move away.

2. My Favorite kind of Vacation is a “Beach Vacation”. One of my favorite things to do is to sit on the beach under a beach umbrella, listen to music and read a book. (Getting to the beach from the Midwest can be a challenge.)

3. My favorite color is RED. Anyone who knows me even a little bit has probably guessed this already. Even though I don’t wear the color red often, I love the color red. I think every room in the house needs a pop of red. I even collect Red Toile dishes.

4. I am a middle child. (No, I don’t have a problem with that.) I am one of 5 kids, 4 girls, raised in a very small ranch house with only one bathroom. Funny thing, I don’t remember that being a big issue at the time. (at least not for me.) Bonus Trivia: my husband is also a middle child, 4 boys, one girl.

5. I met my husband in Hawaii while on Spring Break. One of us may have been a flirt. Long story for another day. (Bet that has you wondering.)

6. I was always a shy and quiet kid. I never would have guessed that I would love sharing and teaching my projects to groups. It’s easy when you’re doing something you enjoy.

7. I don’t embrace change well. My family will agree on this one. New things scare me and make me nervous. (I had to be talked into getting a microwave in the 80’s.)

I’m not an artist. I do, however, consider myself a creative person. I did take art classes all through high school and even in college. I enjoy art even though I can’t draw. One thing I’ve learned about art is that there are all kinds of art and art is subjective. One of the reasons I enjoy Paper Crafting so much is that I can be creative and make small little masterpieces that make me happy. When I was a kid I loved doing all kinds of crafts. At a very young age, I even had a thriving candle business for a while. (or least I thought I did) FYI: I don’t like being called “crafty”. I am “creative”.

9. I love flowers. I enjoy photographing them, growing them in containers and in gardens. Flowers make me happy. I love Springtime when I can make all those treks to the Garden Shop and pick all my flowers to plant. My favorite flowers are daisies, roses and hydrangea. Wouldn’t they look lovely in a vase together?

10. My Family is Everything to me. Last but definitely not least is my family. One of the most important things in my life is my family. I have three wonderful children, a loving husband, two adorable grandsons, great daughter and son in-laws, sweet father, fun siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews. All who mean the world to me. Family is Everything! I love my crazy family.

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Disclaimer: This blog uses ads and affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase using one of the links, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) that helps offset the costs of maintaining this blog. Thanks for your support!

Wedding Wish Tree Tag

April 16, 2014June 20, 2017Leave a comment

An old tradition that has been gaining popularity with brides is the Wedding Wish Tree.

The Wish Tree is a Dutch Wedding custom where the guests are given a piece of paper, either shaped like a leaf or tag made of cardstock. When the guests arrive at the reception, they write their wishes to the happy couple and then hang them on the tree using ribbon, clips or string.

The Wish Tree will make a attractive centerpiece and a great statement to wow your guests. It can also be used as an alternative to a traditional guest book. Can’t you just see branches painted white with twinkle lights full of wonderful wishes.

Casual, Elegant, Rustic or Baubles and Beads. Individualize your tree, the possibilities are endless. While Wedding sites on the internet suggest that Manzanita branches are the best to use, for those more creative souls, let your imagination run wild. The style is up you.

Why stop at weddings? The Wish Tree could be used for any special occasion.

Marvy Uchida

Clever Lever Extra Jumbo Scalloped Circle Punch
Clever Lever Extra Jumbo Scalloped Heart Punch
Clever Lever Extra Giga Merchandise Tag Punch

Additional Supplies: (*affiliate link)

Tea Rose Ink (Clearsnap Inc.)
Distress Ink Pad, Peeled Paint*
Ink Blending Tool*
Mini Misters*
Piercing Tool*
Decorative Scrapbook Paper
Cream cardstock
Small brad, twine, small adhesive pearls
1/8″ Hole Punch*
Computer generated greeting

Instructions

Making the flower is easy.

Punch six cream scallop circles.
Using a ink applicator, ink the edge of each scallop circle with the Tea Rose ink.
Mist the circles with water, allowing ink to run.
Stack all the circles together and pierce a hole the the center of all circles. Attach circles with small brad.
Starting with the top circle, carefully scrunch the circle to the center. One by one, continue scrunching the circles until you have a small paper wad.
Gently unfold the circles to start forming the flower.
For extra color, apply a little more ink to the tip of the flower. This can be done while the flower is still damp or wait until it has dried. Allow flower to dry.
Punch two cream scalloped hearts.
Ink hearts with Peeled Paint Distress Ink.
Mist hearts and scrunch in your hand. Carefully unfold.
Glue dried leaf underneath the flower. Another alternative for the leaf is to pinch the two rounded ends of the heart using the pointed end as the tip of the leaf.