My Grandson Nicholas had his very first soccer game on Monday.
While waiting for his turn to go back in, he decided to entertain me with some faces.
This kid’s cute even when he’s making silly faces!
Happy Cards for a Happy Day…
Yesterday was such a lovely Spring day.
The sun was shining, the birds were singing.
My teenage son wanted to go out with me for dinner!
You know… a “Happy” kind of day.
So a good day deserves some “Happy Day” cards.
Cards to make you “Smile”.
And… if you like these cards and would like to make a set for yourself, we will be making these cards in my “Happy Day Cards” class that I’ll be teaching in May at The Paper Forest.
Happy Day Cards
Enjoy life’s little moments with cards made from the Happy Days Collection from Pebbles Inc.
Saturday, May 30th
10:30-12:30
Cost: $20.00
Contact The Paper Forest at 309-745-3440 for more information or to sign up.
Supplies Needed: Scissors, Paper Trimmer, Tape Runner, Foam Mounting Squares
Glittered Bunny Egg
Are you ready for Spring?
Warm Weather, Pretty Flowers and Sweet Little Bunnies and Easter Eggs.
My project today is a Sweet Glittery Little Bunny made from a Smoothfoam Egg.
To Make the Glittered you’ll need: (*affiliate links)
- Smoothfoam Egg*
- Smoothfoam Craft Sheet*
- Craft Knife*
and Craft Cutting Mat*
- Sanding Block*
or File
- Small White Pom Pom
- Craft Glue*
- Mod Podge*
- Cream Paint, Paintbrush
- Glitter
- Small Heart Brad, Brown Micro Brads, Pink Paint Pen, Fine Black Marker
and 
- Cut two bunny ears from the smoothfoam sheet
- Lightly sand Smoothfoam egg and bunny ears.
- Glue ears onto Smoothfoam egg.
- Paint with cream paint. Paint inside of the bunny ears pink.
- Cover the entire bunny with a thin coat of mod podge and sprinkle with glitter.
- Insert micro brads for the eyes and heart brad for the nose.
- Draw small mouth with fine black marker.
This project was created for and sponsored by Smoothfoam.
*Disclosure: 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!
How to make an Up-cycled Watering Can Wind Chime…
My Version of turning Lemons into Lemonade. (sorry Jim)
On my Birthday, a couple of years ago, my husband wanted to make my day special and
shower me with lots of little gifts. Of all the places to shop, he choose to shop at a outlet
store in Southern Missouri that was filled with things that I wouldn’t have sold even when
I had my gift store in the 90’s. (he’s no longer allowed to shop there)
This Christmas watering can was one of those gifts.
I honestly thought it was a gag gift. (I may or may not have laughed)
I ran across it again when putting away my Christmas Decorations this past year.
Instead of throwing it out or giving it to Goodwill I thought I’d re-purpose it into
something I would use.
My Shabby Watering Can Wind-chime (*affiliate link)
Supplies:
- Small Watering Can
- Old Keys
- Rust-Oleum Spray Paint, Matte French Cream*
- Extra Fine Sandpaper
- DecoColor Premium 2mm Calligraphy Pen, Silver*
- Folkart Home Decor Stencil 4″X4″-Regal French
*
- Natural Twine
- Thin Wire
- 3M Scotch-Blue Painters Masking Tape*
- Beacon Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive, 4-Ounce
*
- Small Birds Nest (Melissa Frances)
- Small Decorative Bird
- Adhesive Pearl
Directions:
- Re-purpose a old decorative watering can by taking off the paper covering. Soak in water if necessary.
- Sand to remove any additional paper and to make smooth for painting.
- Spray-paint watering can and keys with cream paint.
- Puddle silver ink onto a piece of scratch paper by pumping the nib. Use the tip of your finger to rub ink directly onto watering can around edges to highlight and distress.
- Mask off the center of decorative stencil with blue painter’s tape, lay onto watering can.
- Rub silver paint onto stencil as in step #4.
- Wind thin wire around the end of a piece of twine. Insert wire into the holes in the spout and pull through to the inside of the can. Repeat for however many keys you plan on using.
- Gather the ends from inside the can and tie them altogether in a knot. Pull the opposite ends to bring the knot back through the spout. (The ends will now be hidden.)
- Tie keys on to end of each piece of twine.
- Glue bird inside of nest.
- Glue bird-nest inside of the watering can.
- Add adhesive pearl to decorative accent on side of the can.
Best for covered porches or decorative use.
Before you throw me under the bus…
I’m really not an ungrateful, insensitive person. (really I’m not)
I love and appreciate my husband very much. He’s the greatest!
(Phew…these are the days I’m glad he doesn’t read my blog)
*Disclaimer: This post 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!
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Spring Bling for your Garden
Add a little Spring Bling to plain boring terra cotta pots.
With Spring Fever setting in, I decided I needed a new flower to perk up the place.
I chose a pretty little African Violet that reminds me of my grandma.
Grandma loved African Violets.
In no time at all, armed with a few simple products, I transformed a boring terra cotta pot into
something sparkly and fun. Just what I needed.
To make my Spring Bling Pot you’ll need: (*affiliate links)
- Crystal Sheet (Black)
- 4 1/2″ Terra Cotta Pot
- Black Acrylic Paint and Paint Brush
- Black Damask Tissue
- Mod Podge CS11202 Original 16-Ounce Glue, Gloss Finish*
- Beacon Quick Grip All-Purpose Permanent Adhesive, 2-Ounce
*
- Vintage Button
- Start with a 4 1/2″ Terra Cotta Pot painted with black acrylic paint.
- Cut Black Damask tissue paper the width of the lower portion of the pot. Cut the strip into smaller sections. (my sections were 2 3/4″ x 1 1/2″)
- Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to a small section of the pot, add tissue paper and apply another layer of Mod Podge over tissue.
- Continue adding tissue sections until the bottom of the pot is covered.
- Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge over the top of the pot to give it a nice shiny finish.
- Cut a strip from the Black Crystal Sheet to fit around the rim of the pot.
- Glue crystal sheet onto rim of the pot.
- Glue vintage button over seam for added sparkle.
- FYI: I could have used the Weldbond glue shown in the picture above which is a good permanent glue. But, because of the weight of the crystals I decided to use my Quick Grip glue instead.
My Spring Bling Pot was created for and sponsored by Connie Crystal.
Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you chose to make a purchase using one of the links, I receive a small commission that helps offset the cost of running this blog. Thanks for your support!
Vintage Home Sweet Home Layout
Lately, I’ve been noticing more and more people using embossing paste on their scrapbook layouts.
Hmmm…. I haven’t used embossing paste in years.
Matter of fact… my jars of embossing paste are over 10 years old. (and still good)
So, I thought I’d give it a try with a simple layout and this old house picture.
Quick, Simple and adds a subtle punch to this layout. I think I like it.
Using embossing paste is easy:
- Lay stencil onto cardstock, fix in place with removable masking tape.
- Apply a thin layer of embossing paste over the stencil using a palette knife.
- Remove stencil and allow time to fully dry.
- Make sure to clean embossing paste off stencil right away.
- It’s as easy as icing a cake.
Products Used:
Click on the pictures above for more information through Amazon*
Disclosure: This project was created for and sponsored by Clear Scraps.
I am an Amazon Affiliate.
What do you treasure?
I gave Nicholas an old cigar box to use while he was working on one of “his projects”.
As I was getting ready to put away all his treasures, I was struck by all the bright colors
and the little trinkets in the box. (So I took this picture.)
When you’re four you need to collect a lot of things.
I’m a few years older than four and I still collect a lot of things.
I’ve often thought, if I only had 20 minutes to grab my most valuable possessions,
what would my treasures be?
Besides my family of course, I’d grab the clock that my parents gave us as a wedding present,
a few pieces of sentimental jewelry and my photo’s and photo albums.
Oh…and maybe the baby books. (but, I wasn’t too good at filling those things out.)
You see, all those other things are just stuff.
Clothes, furniture, etc…they can all be replaced.
My photo’s are a different thing, they are my treasures, my memories.
So why do I have most of the photo’s from the last several years still on my computer?
Good question.
With my digital camera’s I easily take 25 times more pictures than I took before.
Instead of taking one more picture for good measure, I take 12.
The more pictures you take the better chances of getting that perfect shot. Right?
The problem:
Once I received my first digital camera, I stopped regularly printing pictures.
Unless I was working on a special project or giving them away as a gift,
I never seemed to get around to it.
I currently live in fear of my laptop crashing and losing all my precious photos.
I should back them up on my external hard-drive. (and I do, sometimes)
So here’s my goal for 2015:
To go through the last few years of pictures and print them out. (maybe even put them in an album)
I don’t want to risk the chance of losing them forever.
So if you’re in the same place as me…
Print them out!
I use Shutterfly* a lot for printing and photo books and they always have a deal going.
New Customers get 50 free 4″ x 6″ prints for just opening up an account.
But I should let you know…
If you decide to click on the above picture and just happen to place an order,
I will receive a very small commission.
So… wherever you decide to take your pictures, it really doesn’t matter.
Just as long as we print them out.
Disclosure: I am a Shutterfly Affiliate.
Tattered Tangles: Happy Birthday Tag
Do you ever need a really large Birthday Tag to make your present “POP”?
This tag uses Tattered Tangles a fun doodle art from Canvas Corp. Brands.
Tattered Tangles Collection is printed on a paper called Leather Paper making it
perfect for coloring and different paint techniques.
Supplies Used on the Tattered Tangles Happy Birthday Tag:
- Happiness Tangled Pack
- Green and Teal Burlap Fringe
- Mini Green Clothespin
- Tombow Art Markers
- White and Black Cardstock
- White Curling Ribbon and Scissors
- Rick Rack
- Diamond Stickles Glitter Glue
- Foam Mounting Squares
- Self Adhesive Tape Roller
- Craft Glue
- Paper Cutter
- Cut Tattered Tangles Birthday image down to 3-3/4″ to 6″. Color image with colored markers.
- Add clear glitter glue to flame on the birthday candle.
- Adhere birthday image onto black cardstock.
- Adhere small scraps of teal and green burlap onto the corners of a 4-1/2 x 7-1/2″ piece of white cardstock. Glue rick rack onto the top and bottom. Layer onto another piece of black cardstock.
- Mount birthday image with foam mounting squares onto the burlap and white cardstock.
- Curl white curling ribbon and attach to the top of the tag with a small green clothespin.
Disclosure: This project was created for and sponsored by Canvas Corp Brands and uses affiliate links.
Winter Fun Sledding Layouts
I finally got around to scrapping the fun sledding pictures I took of Nicholas and his Mom sledding.
What a fun time they had and I had a really great time taking pictures.
I used Authentique Paper’s Cozy Collection.
Click on picture for ordering information from Amazon* (I am a Amazon Affiliate.)
Favecrafts Best Blogger Craft 2015
Last Sunday, I shamelessly asked for your “vote” in the Best Blogger Craft 2015 Contest.
This Sunday, I decided not to do that.
Instead I’m just going to remind you that if you haven’t checked out all the awesome entries
into the contest that you really should. http://www.favecrafts.com/voting/Blogger-Contest
And….. if you just happen to want to “vote” for my Precious Baby Girl DIY Gift Tag,
I’d be forever grateful.
You can only vote once. Voting ends March 10th , 2015 at midnight CST.
