Words, words, words

   What a crazy time of year. School is back in session, which means, yes...Christmas is right around the corner. I know, you are thinking, is Dee crazy??? But you just wait, you'll see. Time will fly by and soon we will be talking about Christmas gift giving.
     With me, it's when craft fair season really starts revving up. Why? Well, because people are starting to think about...yes, Christmas! And that's a good thing for me, because I like making gifts for people.
   This project was squeezed in between filling up my stock for the fairs. I was visiting my daughter, Dana. And she has a kitchen table which was in pretty rough shape on it's top. So on the spur of the moment I got inspired to decoupage it. I had a bunch of old dictionary pages with me that I thought she could use in her paintings, and they were perfect to use on the table.

Today's project is:

decoupaged table top

You will need:

papers to decoupage, (these can be anything from magazine clippings, to newspapers, to gift wrap)
Spray Mount (spray adhesive)
Mod Podge decoupage glue
sponge brush

First clean the surface you will be decoupaging on. This can be anything: chairs, tables, trunks. I have even used glass plates (see previous post for that one)

Then arrange the pieces you want to use. In my case, I laid out the dictionary pages and decided which way they would go. Some of the more yellowed ones were scattered around to give it depth and interest. And I tried to make the ones on the edges (where people would be sitting) easy to read. Something fun to do while eating, learn a new word!!!

Then I took the pieces outside, and over some old newspapers, I sprayed the adhesive on the back of the page. This is messy, because the spray will get on everything, so spray down close to the newspaper. You can skip the spraying part, and spread Mod Podge on the table and smooth the paper down on that also.  But I did not have enough Mod Podge to cover the table twice.

Then lay the pieces down, smooth out any air bubbles. If you have a brayer this work well, a dowel, or a rolling pin might work too.  After these have dried, take a sponge brush and apply the Mod Podge to an area, covering completely.

This may wrinkle or bubble up a bit as it dries, but don't panic. It will flatten out again when the decoupage glue has dried.
* One word of warning: Do NOT put anything hot on this surface you it has dried. I accidently put my tea cup down on it, and it started to bubble up.  IF that happens, take some steel wool, smooth down, and apply more Mod Podge. 

If you want to make it more durable, cover the top with a varnish or an acrylic sealer.

If you have some old chairs, like the ones I found at a garage sale, that were in bad shape as far as the paint was chipping off. You can see in the picture at the top, Dana and I sanded them and then she painted them with fun stripes on one and polka dots on the other, and put new fabric on the seats. And voila, you can make some fun chairs to go with your fun new table!  Paint words on the chairs to match the dictionary pages, if you use dictionary pages.

tip of the day:
My friend came up with some great uses for coffee filters. She uses them to hold small snacks like popcorn or goldfish.  You can fold up a couple, stash in your purse for the next time you take a little one to the movies. You buy a popcorn for yourself and pour some out for their own little bowl. Then you just toss them when finished.
 And she also puts them over bowls when microwaving to prevent splattering. Clever girl.

That's it for now...
:D

picture perfect

The daffodils are blooming everywhere here in California.
I love it, that means that winter is on its way out. I know some of you love the snow,  but it ain't me, babe!
April Fools Day has always been a fun day for my mom and me. She always tried to fool me (usually first thing in the morning) with silly things. Like: 'You have a spider on you', or when I got older 'Your sister is getting married', etc. Usually I figured it out and she couldn't fool me. Well, this year, I got one daughter, but not the other (but it was close). But my hubby got me, and my neighbor got me. ARG!  How did this happen? I'm slipping. Have to be more aware of the day next year... Look out you guys, I'm putting in my phone to remind me...APRIL FOOLS DAY!

Anyway, this nice weather makes me want to be outside and taking pictures. And of course, when you get that one great photo, you will want to put it in a cool frame. So today, we will be making our own frame from recycled materials....
Today's project is:

Picture frame
You will need:
cardboard (from cereal boxes, etc.)
paper, fabric or old maps
glue, scissors, xacto knife or box cutter

First, decide how big your photo is, and measure it, so you know how big to make your "open" area on the frame.

After that, measure a couple of inches larger and that will be the outside edge of the frame.

Cut two pieces of cardboard of the outside edges of your frame. And one long rectangle for the frame easel base.

Then cut out the inner area where the photo will be displayed. Make sure you leave about 1/4" all the way around smaller than the photo. So when you slip in the photograph, it will have a nice nest to rest in.

Now you need to cut three pieces of paper (scrapbook paper, old maps, magazine page, etc.) to cover the cardboard. It will have to be at least 1" larger than the cardboard pieces. Because you will be folding it around and gluing it so it covers the ugly cereal box cardboard.

For the easel and backing: lay the cardboard down on the plain side of the decorative paper.
Fold the corners  down and glue. Then fold down the edgesd and glue.

For the "open" frame, you will lay the cardboard frame down onto the plain side of the decorative paper. Cut an X from inner corner to inner corner, you will fold and glue these edges down. And then fold over and glue the outer edges.

Glue the front and back together on 3 sides. Leave the top unglued, so you can slip in the photo.
Then fold the easel back about 2" from the top, and apply glue to this top edge, and glue to back.

This works great on purchased notebooks. You only have to make the "open" frame, and glue to the front of the notebook (leave top open to insert photo), and you have a custom notebook! Cool!

tip of the day:
Lots of you are trying to get a jump on planting those veggies. Here's a little tip to help you out ~
Protect your seedlings from the wind by planting them in paper bags, partially filled with soil. Dig a hole in your garden for each paper bag. Place the bag in the hole, but leave about 2" of the bag sticking up. The paper will protect your little plant from the wind and will disintegrate as the plant grows, letting the roots unfurl into your garden's soil.

That's all for now...
Dee

Infinity scarf

The weather has been pretty chilly lately, and I hate being cold around my neck, so I made a bunch of casual, cotton infinity scarves. Luckily my neighbor cleaned out his closet and I got some nice color variety. Scarves are a great way to add a little something extra to a plain outfit. And these simple loops go great with T-shirts and jeans.

Today's project is:

T-shirt Infinity Scarf

You will need:
a t-shirt, extra large is best
(You can find t-shirts at thrift shops, raid your neighbor's closet or buy them cheaply in a 3 pack at Walmart)
scissors

You will cut the bottom hem off the t-shirt. Then cut about 12"  - 14" up (approx.) This should be under the sleeves.

Then holding this round loop, put your foot down on the end, and pull and stretch the top upward. Be strong!
As you do this, the fabric will curl inward, so you don't need to hem this. The T-shirt fabric will not fray.

Now you have a naturally folded loop, double it up around your neck, and voila, instant fun accessory as well as keeping you cozy.

Use the rest of the shirt for rags. Cotton t-shirt fabric is nice and soft and absorbant.

tip of the day:
Buy some Altoid mints and save those great metal tins. They are good for so many things. Small sewing notions, travel jewelry case, store cards fit in them (how do we accumulate so many of those things?). If you need a small 'wallet', use one of these tins. Your credit card, coins and cash fit in nicely plus a couple of keys (without a big keychain). Stash in your pocket and off you go!

That's all for now...
:D

bottle gift bag

I was given a bag full of fabric samples, and each one had two grommets in them. So I put my brain to work, and came up with today's project of recycled fabric...
This can be used with wine bottles, olive oil, or flavored vinegars. It's a great hostess gift

Wine Bottle gift bag
you will need:
fabric, ribbon (about 18"), sewing machine or hand stitching

The sample was the perfect size for a wine bottle. But you could use these for olive oil or flavored vinegar, etc.  But the problem was that the grommets were too close to the top.  So I folded down the top and stitched the bottom edge. Also I stitched 1 inch above this to form a casing to put the ribbon through.

Then turn it inside out, and stitch along the side and bottom. Turn inside out and then take a ribbon, add a safety pin onto the end, and feed it through one of the grommets until you come to the second grommet and come out. Pull ribbon through until the ends meet.

When you go to a friend's for dinner, or for a special occasion, put a nice bottle of wine in here, tie ribbon tightly with a bow, and surprise your hosts with a wonderful, REUSABLE, bag. Or when you go to BYOB gathering, you can transport your wine in style. White, chilled wine will stay cooler longer and as it 'sweats' the bag will help with that.

(IF you don't have samples with grommets, you can use a piece of fabric, cut 15" x 13". Fold down the top, double and stitch a nice clean edge. Fold 'right sides in' and catch a ribbon, that has been folded in half, as you sew the side seam so when you turn it inside out, the ribbon will stick out and you can tie it up that way.)

today's tip is:
keeping a package of floss in your purse can come in very handy. Not only can you keep your teeth clean after meals out, but I have needed a string to tie something with in a pinch, and floss is strong and handy.

That's all for now...
Dee

Holy Pantelony

I have a favorite pair of jeans that I wear all the time. And unfortunately they have finally started to rip. Now I know, the rip and holes and frayed parts of jeans are popular right now. In fact, you buy them with the worn out parts already made. That's not for me. I tried wearing them with the long rip in the knee for a week, and couldn't get used to it.
So I am going back to the 70's
(in fact, fashion repeats itself every 20 years, so all this stuff if back 'in')
I had a pair of jeans that had so many embroidered designs on them, it was hard to find the denim.
Just kidding, but really hand sewing and embroidery are making a comeback. So today's project is right in time for...the time!

today's project is:

Embroidered jeans

Whether the rip is long, or wide or small, you can camophlage the area with a cute embroidered design. Mine was a long rip, so I chose a long stemmed flower to cover up the opening.
You will need:
embroidery thread, needle, scissors

When you buy the thread, it comes in 6 strands. You usually would separate this into two 3 strands each. If you slowly separate the threads (with the main unit squeezed between your knees) slowly pull the parts apart. Then thread the 3 strands onto the needle (with a larger eye) and knot the end (thread should be about 18").
Starting from the inside of the rip, work your up grabbing each side of the rip as you go keeping your stitches close to each other.
If you run out of thread, knot inside the pant leg.  And then start again until you have the opening covered. Be creative, use vines, birds, hearts, flowers, whatever! It is so much prettier than a gaping hole in your jeans!

tip of the day:
use your dryer sheeet to clean out the lint trap. This is important as too much lint build up can start a fire! eeks!
that's all for now....
Dee

Zip it!

I had a super great Christmas! Hope you did too. I got to spend the holidays with my girls and their guys, and we crafted, played games, watched non-stop Harry Potter, ate, drank and were very merry!

I received some fun new books for Christmas and one of the projects in there was this zipper flower. I have made a few, and added a pin to one, and a barrette to the other.
These are projects for the HAND sewing persons. So those of you who don't have a sewing machine can also make fun 'sewn' projects...
Today's project is:

ZIPPER FLOWERS

You will need a needle and thread and zipper (about 18") used/reused or new is fine. (I prefer the recycled) You can find zippers at thrift shops or off old clothes. Just cut it out!

white flower underside shows stitches
 

1. Unzip the zipper, so you only have one side. With the 'teeth' up, start winding and sewing from the bottom as you turn. the zipper will create it's own shape as you go. Keep stitching and gathering until you get to the end of the zipper.

If you want a pin, get a pin back and stitch it to the bottom. If you want a barrette you will have to get a barrette and stitch it to the bottom. If you want it on a purse or tote, just hot glue it down.

tip of the day:
I hope you have saved some of your Christmas cards this year. Cut one into a long rectangle, punch a hole and add a string/yarn/twine/jute and use as bookmark. Since you might have received some books for Christmas!
Also you can cut a few small squares out of the cards and punch a hole in the corner, add a string or ribbon and use for next year's gift tags.

That's all for now!
Dee

Mirror Mirror on the wall

Lately it seems like the fairy tale of Snow White is making a comeback. I love the original movie by Walt Disney. He invented an innovative technique using 7 cameras and shooting down vertically from above to get a wonderful 3 dimensional look that was missing in the early animations.
There are two movies out: Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman. The first one I saw, and was pretty disappointed. The second looks very dark and spooky, and I'm not sure I want to see it.

At any rate, today's project is a mirror, so I figured I'd tie it in with the "mirror mirror" trend. Of course this mirror will not talk to you, or have magic powers, but it sure will look nice hanging on your wall.

Today's project is:
Mosaic Mirror

You will need:
a mirror (if it has a frame around it, that much the better)
tile adhesive
grout (it comes in many colors)
old dishes (find a garage sales, or thrift shops)

You will have to break the plates into usable pieces. I did this outside, using a hammer.
I wrapped the plate in newspaper, then wrapped this into an old towel. On a hard surface (driveway, or sidewalk) gently but firmly hit the plate in several places to crack it up. 

After you have enough pieces, lay them out in a way that they are close to each other, but not touching. You want a gap between the glass. I used brown glass pieces in the photo to 'frame' the mirror. But the beauty of this project is that you don't need any artistic talent, the designs are already done for you on the plates.

Lift each piece in turn, using a popsicle stick, slap on some tile adhesive and press onto mirror.
Continue until the mirror perimeter is filled with glass pieces. I like to use the edges of the plates facing into the center of the mirror. In other words, so the glass not grouted on the inner edge, has a nice smooth finish, and not the sharp broken part. Keep those inside where they will be embedded with grout and not exposed to cut you).

Wait 24 hours and  mask off the inside of the mirror to keep it clean while grouting.
Then apply the grout. You will probably have to mix this up yourself. Get an old bucket or old bowl, pour the grout in and A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME add water while you are mixing it in.

When the grout is the consistency of bread dough, spread it around the pieces. After you have all the spaces filled in, take an old damp rag and gently wipe the grout off the glass pieces. This does not have to be perfect, but the more you take off now, the less you will have to scrape off later when it dries.
Then use a wet sponge and go over the mosaic pieces and grout to smooth it out. Let dry overnight and go back with a damp rag to clean off any grout from the pieces. But be careful not to gouge out any of the grout between the pieces.

This mirror will be heavy, so before you hang it up, make sure you have a strong fastener in the wall (a molly bolt is good to use).  Once you get this technique 'down', you'll be covering all kinds of things.
(I showed you how to cover a clay flower pot in an earlier post.)

tip of the day:
Pick up a couple of plastic silverware organizers at the thrift shop when you are looking for those plates. These work great in your bathroom drawer to organize makeup, hair accessories or any of those goodies we have in our drawers.

That's all for now!
:D

Red leather Yellow leather

I was an art teacher for 15 years. 11 of those years was at a Christian School. Which translates into "we have no budget for art, so do the best you can"...
So this played into my natural inclination for 'saving' things.  Since I was a kid, my mom was always 'saving' stuff.

She was the original recycler...she reused Saran Wrap, tin foil, old clothes, etc.
We spent many days at rummage sales. She could turn an old XXL dress into a cute blouse. She was crafty, and creative and a war survivor. This woman knew how to get by on nothing. And it was always fun hunting for things to recycle.

So when I had to come up with supplies for my K-8 art classes, I was always scrounging around for stuff. Many students' parents donated things from their businesses: yarn and fabric, cardboard, vinyl material (from a boat upholstery shop), and lots more.  You give me "30" of something, I'll make a project out of it.  (I DID get too many empty paper towel rolls to use up, ha ha. But everything else was utilized)

So when I get a nice supply of something, I stash it away until the creative juices start flowing. When my sister (who is an awesome artist and crafter herself) gave my daugher a box of leather samples years ago, I told her I would store it until she needed them. Well, as my kids have small houses, they have no extra room to keep stuff, so I end up with many of their old goodies. Btw...Dana when you picking up your cat? No, just kidding, we can't give her up now after 9 years.

I found this little box the other day when I was cleaning out my fabric closet and came up with this idea...

Today's project is:

Leather Flower Pins

You need:
pin backs
leather or suede scraps
E600 glue

If you don't have an old leather hat or coat to cut up, you can go to the thrift shop. Or fabric store and see what they have. Shopping online is always a possiblity too. There may be some leather manufacturers who have scraps for sale for cheap.

Usually the underside of leather is nice soft suede. So you can have two different looks and textures from one piece. I cut a flower shape from one scrap, then a smaller flower shape, and finally a third smaller shape.
Then I flipped the middle shape (so it was the leather side) so it stood out from the suede sides. When the light hits it, the different surface textures really show up.

Using E600 glue, I layered these pieces together to form a flower. I had a piece of fused glass for the center. But you can use a button, bottle cap, charm, etc. for this part. Put a glob of glue in the middle and plop the embellishment down.

Glue a pin back to the back, vertically. Take a small square of leather and glue over the pin base (with the sharp open) to reinforce the pin.

If you want to wear this as a pendant, pull a cord through the pin top and let it hang down as a necklace.
If you use a hairclip instead of a pin, this can be an awesome hair adornment.

tip of the week:
The title of this post is Red leather Yellow leather. And you may be thinking why...
Well, when my kids were in high school, they had some friends who played a little tongue twister game. Try saying R.L.Y.L. as many times as you can. The one who can say it the longest wins.
Try it, it's silly but fun!

That's all for now...
:D

Easy Easter Eggs

      Every April Fool's Day my mom would always call me up and try to 'fool' me. This usually involved some kind of unlikely pregnancy or unexpected marriage of someone we knew.
Needless to say, I usually was NOT fooled. But we carry on this silly tradition, with my girls, and friends and husband.  Every new year is a challenge, because my daughters are pretty saavy about this day.
     But, I got EVERYONE this time. hee hee... I guess that makes the Queen of the April Fools (not sure I like that title) but it was fun anyway.
     ...But onto our project for today. Easter is only 2 days away, so get your eggs ready...

Today's project is:    EASY colored EASTER eggs

You will need:
scarves or ties that are 100% silk
    (look in thrift shops)
onion skins (dry)
     save throughout the year, if you can
eggs (not boiled yet)
thin material (like old cotton pillowcases),
or nylon stockings
twist ties (or string)

Now there are two projects of eggs. The traditional eggs I've always made since childhood was a project I did with my mom every year. You start saving the onion skins throughout the year. I always wondered what that paper bag under the kitchen sink held, til one day I peeked and found the skins.

Then of course, she saved her knee high nylons, or old cotton pillowcases for this project, too. She was my original "recycler".

You take an egg, wrap the onion skins around it (the best you can) and slip it into the toe of the nylon stocking, or into the center of a cotton rag. Then you twist tie it shut. If you are using a stocking, you can stack several into one. see photo ->

Then you boil them as usual for 10 minutes (I put them into a pot of water, then get it boiling and start timing. I don't like to drop them into boiling water, because they tend to crack). Unwrap when cool, and you will find wonderfully marbelized brownish colored eggs. (I tried using red onion skins hoping for pink or red eggs, but no, they just are powerful enough to dye).

Now the second Easy Easter Egg dying project is using silk ties or scarves.
If you wrap the egg tightly against the fabric, twist tie it and boil for 10 min.  When you unwrap these eggs, you will be amazed that the pattern on the silk scarf or tie comes off onto the eggs.

When ever I make and give these as gifts, people are so amazed and totally confounded about how I got the color onto them. But it's soooo easy, I hate to tell them that, so I just smile and say "it's my secret".

tip of the day:
Today's tip is more of a suggestion of yet again, one of our Easter traditions.
We would have 'egg wars' on Easter morning. It was usually before we went to church, so we would have a little something to eat to hold us over until the big Easter brunch later.
Everyone would select an egg from our collection, and holding it in your fist with only the end showing, we would clunk them against each other. Then we would turn it over and hit the other end. The one whose egg did not crack was the winner! (of course this all a matter of where the air bubble is when you boil the egg, but it's fun and a nice tradition to pass on)

That's all for this week... HAPPY EASTER!!
:D

Purse revamp: book it

I was visiting a cool gallery in Wisconsin last year, the FLYING PIG, and  found these "intellectual" purses. I "booked" a ride on this craft trip, and "read" up on sewing techniques. This project might "turn a page" on your recycling urges.

You'll need:
an old book, with a cloth cover (hunt them out in thrift shops, or even your own library)
glue gun
fabric
scissors
handles (bamboo or fabric or chain)
D rings or split rings (used for key rings)
needle and thread

Now this is my idea of how this might work...

This is the view from the front. As you can see the artist used an book with a cloth cover and then a added a bamboo handle attached to the book with metal rings.

I'm thinking they used wire or key rings to attach the handles to the bag. But we can use whatever we want, as far as handles.

If you pull out all the pages and left the cover you will get the base for this purse. You would have to use a glue gun and fabric to add to the inside of this purse.
Remember, if you mess up, it's only an old book. Use a less desirable one to practice on. Then graduate up to a vintage book with a cool title or color.

This is the end view of the purse. So all you creative peeps check it out and see how you can figure this out.  This is NOT for the novice, but perhaps for the creative, "let's give it a try" and see what I CAN do crafters.
I know the shape, when the purse is open is wider at the top, to allow you to get into the purse easier.

 I, myself, could not tell you how to do this, because I have not tried. But I'm dying to. So perhaps in a future blog, I may get this down to a science.

I totally adore the idea that you can take a cigar box, or book or whatever and make it into a purse/bag. Cuz I LOVE those.  I will be searching for fun stuff to make totes and fun stuff make bags in a way we didn't expect!!!!

tip of the day:

I picked up some great veggies at the grocery the other day. But I think I might have gotten tooooo many. So to keep them the freshest I can, I placed a couple of brand new sponges into the vegetable bin to absorb the excess moisture. Be sure to check these every couple of days, and wring them out. You'll be surprised to see how much moisture is absorbed by these that would have made your food soggy.

That's all for this week...
:D

Wine Bottle Vases

We had an awesome party to celebrate the twins' 30th birthday last month.
We had great food and wine. And with wine, of course, comes wine bottles.
So with this great collection of different shapes and shades of wine bottles left over, I made some great stone vases.  And, of course, we are recycling...
today's project is:


bottles using a flash

 Wine Bottle Vases

You will need:
~an empty wine bottle, with the labels removed
~Granite/Stone textured spray paint
~Painter's tape
~scissors

natural light through the bottles


To get the labels
off, you can put them
in an oven on low heat.
Most glues will come off with heat. Afterward, you might want to use GooGone to get any residue off.

I put my bottles in a pot of boiling water to loosen the glue. It worked pretty well. I put water inside of them, so they would not float.
Still had to use a straight edge razor blade to scrape off some pesky pieces.

Then you will need to 'mask' off a design with the painter's tape (which is blue and easily removed, unlike regular masking tape which can be toooooo sticky).

Take scissors and cut shapes (or use strips if you want stripes) and place on the clean bottle. Remember these masked shapes will show the bottle color through.

I found the lighter green bottles were a bit nicer, because they let the light show through better.

You can find the Stone spray paint at the hardware store. I used the brown color on three of them, and a white color on one.  The brown color looks more natural, more grainy------->

After you have the bottle taped off, take it outside and spray. This will take a few coats, with 20 min. in between drying time. To spray this stuff, you have to 'spritz' it on a little bit at a time, moving around the bottle.  One thing I found, especially with the darker color, is that if it goes on too thick, you can't see the blue tape under it, and that makes it difficult to peel off later. Because you can't see the tape. So don't put more than 3 coats on.

After it has dried, peel off the tape pieces carefully. The paint will chip off if you pick at it. So no unnecessary scratching.
I used silk flowers in them, but fresh baby's breath or big sunflowers would be stunning in these as well.

tip of the day:
Sometimes I use a recipe that calls for just a bit of lemon or lime zest. And then I have the rest of it leftover. Now, I cut it up into slices, and put them in an ice cube tray, fill up with water and freeze. So when I need an ice cube for water or ice tea or a special drink, I can have ice and a citrus slice all in one.  This is great for punches too. (you can find ice cube trays at resale shops, cheap. Handy to have for lots of stuff).

That's all for this week...
:D

3 Dimensions

This post is a couple of days late, because I didn't want my girls to find out about their party...

Last week my twin daughters had their birthday.
We are planning a big bash for Saturday to celebrate. And, of course, I am happily going crazy making stuff for the party.

Their nicknames are "the Twinkies", given to them from my dad. And so I made some paper wrappers on the computer that say Happy Birthday to the Twinkies. And wrapped and taped them onto...what else...twinkies. Those are the party favors.

The left over paper strips (I cut off from the twinkie wrapper papers) became curly decorations to stick into their cake. Just take thin strips of paper, tape together at the bottom, and using the edge of the scissors, curl the ends. Attach to toothpicks or skewers with tape.


curled or not, these cute
decorations will go on the cake.

 And their cards have to be extra special, too. And this is what today's project is:

city scape



garden scene

3-D greeting cards
You will need:
~paper
~stickers or magazine pictures or recycled cards
~glue
~scissors

First you need to assemble all the parts you are going to use. The pictures or stickers or the fronts of recycled cards you have received (that's why you save all those cards you get).
Cut out the individual pictures.
Then get some card stock for the base of the card, and fold in half. The standard size is 1/2 of an 8 1/2" x 11" piece.


city scape pieces


Then get some scrap paper for the 3-D pop outs.

You need 2 pieces smaller than the base, fold in half and then fold up the bottom 1/2" and snip at the fold. These are the tabs that you are going to fasten to the base. I call these 'smaller cards'.

You will glue each one onto the base, by folding it up, put glue on tabs, place next to the fold in the base card - at an angle. Close the base. When you open it up, the 'smaller card' should open easily. 

I used two smaller cards, and 2 boxes

Adjust if need be.

Then make a couple of small 2 sided 'boxes'. These are rectangles, folded in half, with a tab at each end. Glue this onto the front of one of the 'smaller cards' and also onto the base.

Now you can start adding all the fun pieces to it. Glue them onto the 'smaller cards' and the 'boxes' and scattered around the base.



I added 'streets' before I glued
 down the pop up components.



You may have to glue this whole card down onto a larger piece of card stock if you find that your pop ups stick out beyond the base when it's closed.

You can keep adding little things until you have a look you like.

I made my own envelopes to fit these cards. I used scrapbook paper (12" x 12") and folded in all the sides leaving 1/4" space all around so the card slips in easily. I like to cut off the corners (squares). Glue 3 sides leaving top flap open.

Happy card making. Once you've perfected these simple pop-up shapes, there is no end to the fun cards you can make.

tip of the day:

When you plan a party, a theme is really the thing that ties everything together. The theme for this party is 30. Because that's how old my girls are now. All the guests were requested to make their gifts "30" themed. That is something that has 30 in., or 30 oz., or 30 pieces, or 30 on the package. It's a hoot to see what people come up with. It takes a bit more thought, but oh, so worth it, to see their creativity.

That's all for this week!

:D

fabulous felt

Did you have a great New Year's Eve? Did you stay in and cozy up to the fire and watch the 'ball drop' then drop off to bed? Or did you party hardy wearing your best duds til the wee hours? Either way, welcome 2012. Whew, where did the time go??? It's going to take me a while to get used to putting that year on my checks. I hope one of your new year's resolutions was to craft more and recycle! If so, you came to the right place.

Today's project is:

Sweaters: felting and other stuff

You will need an old sweater (that you don't mind cutting up)
   ~if you want to felt it, it must be wool.
scissors, sewing machine, chain or leather strap (optional) and pin (optional)

One project we are going to make is a felted purse. I used a sweater I bought from the resale shop for 25 cents. What a deal. Why? Because it was scratchy wool. Not so nice to wear, but great for felting.

What is felting? When the fibers of the wool shrink, they gather together actually becoming a piece of fabric that is dense and intertwined. That is why you can cut it and it won't fray.  Some of you may have used felt squares from the craft store, so you can remember how easy they were to work with.

I washed it in HOT water a couple of times, and it shrunk up well. I then cut off the sleeves and cut a long rectangle. This will become the bag and flap.

Sew up the sides (inside out), add a strap if you wish. If not, it will be nice clutch.
Turn right side out and add a pin to the flap, if you wish. It adds weight to the flap. I used a fused glass piece my daughter Betsy made.

Another project you can make which is super easy is: a sweater vase cover.
If you have a ribbed, knit sweater (does NOT have to be wool), cut off a sleeve, slip it over a vase, measure the height and cut off. You do not have to hem it, the top will be the sleeve ribbing, and the bottom can be tucked in under next to the vase.
(Add a beautiful ribbon around it, and it makes a great winter decoration. Add some big sprigs of pyracanthas, holly, or pine)

Or...you can make a Christmas stocking from an old sweater. Again, it does NOT have to be wool for this one...
The ribbed bottom will be the top of the stocking. Cut out the general shape of a sock, and cut out, turn inside out and sew.

Turn right side out, and add a ribbon to hang it. Great way to get rid of those old Christmas sweaters. May be unstylish to wear, but cute to hang by the chimney with care.

You can use the felted sweaters as pot holders, trivets, place mats, coasters, etc. Just cut out squares or rectangles. They are so dense, they can withstand the heat from hot pots, etc.

It becomes additive, you'll be combing the thrift shops for those old wool sweaters before you know it! Now is the time to be looking, because everything is on sale.

tip of the day:  I drink tea, and my mug gets stained. Bleach is an easy way to clean, with no scrubbing. Just fill stained cup or bowl 3/4 with water, and 1/4 bleach. Let sit for several minutes. The stains disappear quickly. Wash and let air dry, and they are ready to use.  I pour the solution into one mug after the other to clean several at a time. Works on those spaghetti stains, and anything that is musty or moldy.

That's all for this week...
:D

Mini Boxes

Well, Christmas was awesome for me this year!!!

And I'm glad for every moment and everyone. I hope your holiday was a special one, too.

I snuck in an extra post before this one, in case some of you clean up your holiday decorations right afterward. So I hope some of you have saved some Christmas cards, as I suggested then, because this project will be using them.

We will be making:  Mini Card Boxes 

You will need: 2 cards, tape or glue and scissors

First step is to take the front off the card. You can use the back of the card for the bottom of the box if you wish, or if it has too much writing on it, use another card front. The bottom of the box must be a little smaller than the cover, so cut 1/4" off one side and the top.

Working on the blank side of the card, you will take a straighedge (ruler, envelope, another card, whatever) and put it on the top left corner across to the bottom right corner and make a line in the middle. Do the same to the other corners to form an X. This will show you the exact middle of the card.

Then you will take the top edge, bring it to the X, and fold. Do the same with all four sides. See photo below.  Use a popsicle stick, or the handle of your scissors to flatten down the folds well.

Then make 4 cuts as shown (only on the fold lines).

Remember...if you mess up, don't worry, start again with another card, practice on a card 'back' first if you want to until you get the hang of it.

Then you will fold in the two sides, and fold up the end over these and glue or tape. Do the same with the other side. That's it!

I have used these little boxes for so many things. They are just so fun to make. Of course, the bigger paper you use, the bigger the box. You can even make gift boxes from card stock, old calendars, etc., any stiff paper will work. Remember to save any greeting cards you receive also for little gift boxes the rest of the year.

How about this year you make several of these, and put in your goals and predictions for next year, stow them away in your Christmas decorations, and bring them out in 2012, and have fun seeing how many came true.  Or put nice thoughts into them (like a fortune cookie), hang them on the tree (just add thread to the lid corner before you glue it shut) and when friends and family come over, they can pick one. Or use them for a 'treasure hunt' to find bigger gifts hidden around the house (put the recipients name on the bottom of the box). Lots of possibilities.

Tip of the day:

Are your winter sweaters looking a bit 'pilly', you know those little balls of yarn that stick out and make your knitted garments look shabby? Well, here's a couple of ideas to get rid of them, take an old razor and shave your sweater (old razor is better, not so sharp) or I saw this one on TV: use the 'sticky' part of velcro and pick up those pilly balls with it.  Or if your sweater is totally hopeless, and made of wool, you can felt it. Put it into your washing machine on HOT setting. Wash a few times, and it will shrink up tight. You can use this for lots of things, as it won't fray when you cut it. Perhaps another post on felted wool, or old sweaters next time! :) stay tuned!!

and a HEALTHY, HAPPY NEW YEAR to all !

That's all for this week...

:D

Christmas tips

Merry Christmas!
Just a quick blog before my usual Friday post...
Save all those Christmas cards.
1. tear off the covers for use later. We will make boxes, and future postcards, etc. from these.
2. save the insides for next year's Christmas card list. You will have the names of the people who sent you a card this year.

Also, my hubby came up with a great idea...
Any of those Christmas lights that don't work any more ~
if they have a plug at one end and a recepticle at the other... even though the lights don't work,
you can use it as a (lightweight) extension cord. Yank out the lights, if you are worried about stepping on them.

He even went as far as cutting off the lights, and sodering the ends of the cord together. IF you are so talented, that's great. But for me...I'll have the extra dangles there until I get to the store and purchase a 'real' extension cord.

Merry Christmas, and remember what the Wizard said to the tin man ...
You are not measured by how much YOU love, but how much you are loved by others.
So spread around the cheer! It's the best time of the year!!!
That's all for now...
Dee

Ribbons Galore



I made this snowflake 25 years ago. And I still use it.

 I love making new things from old stuff

 I finished decorating my house for Christmas. So of course that put me in the mood for wrapping all the gifts I have been buying and making and hiding all year. hee hee
I like using all the things in my ribbon box, or bits and pieces of this and that which I have saved up.
And I love to make special wrappings and bows and this is where today's project comes in...

Today's project is:
Lacy ribbon snowflakes

You will need:
lacy ribbon or velvet ribbon
Fabric Stiffener (buy it at Michaels or Joann's)
glue gun
scissors
wax paper
Optional: white pony beads or small decorations for the center of the piece (I used plastic holly)

You can also make this Poinsettia with the same pattern.
Instead of lacy cloth ribbon, I used velvet ribbon and added white pony beads.

The velvet ribbon is pretty thick and stiff already, you do NOT need to use the fabric stiffener on it.
In fact, it would mess up the soft velvet.
These can be bows on the packages, or ornaments or both!



First you will cut strips, about 5-6" long and taper the ends as the picture below shows. For larger snowflakes, make the lengths longer, but cut only 5 or 6. For smaller snowflakes, keep the length down to 4-5" and make more of them, perhaps 7 or 8.
If you are using the lace and wish to hang these up on the Christmas tree for decorations, you will need to stiffen the fabric. If you are using them for package toppers, you really don't need to do this step.

To stiffen fabric, you pour some Fabric Stiffener in a bowl (line it with foil, if you wish, for easy clean up)

Then take each strip and dip it, then run it through your fingers to get the excess off. Fold it so the ends meet at a point. Place on wax paper to dry (several hours, or overnight). The stiffener will hold the ends together til they dry. You will have to glue them afterward.

this is messy, so use a big piece of wax paper to catch drips

After the strips are dried, then you can place them, one at a time, and glue the ends. Then hot glue them next to each other, one at a time. When you use hot glue with lace, be careful not to get your fingers in the way. Use popsicle sticks to press edges together. You will form a snowflake or poinsettia when you place the last piece in place.  Poke a hole in the velvet ribbon to hang for an ornament. With the lacy snowflake, just put the thread through one of the holes.

Hot glue beads or embellishment in the center, if you wish.  I put these on my packages, and tell the recipients that after they open their gifts, they can use the "bows" for ornaments on their trees. They love it!
Remember reusing is better than throwing away.


tip of the day:
If you run out of boxes to wrap your gifts, remember that the Post Office has flat rate boxes that are free. They are usually in their lobby, and come in 4 sizes.

That's all for this week!
:D

Light 'er up!

I love making new things from old stuff!

Thanksgiving is over, and now we all start thinking about Christmas. Well, those of us who love to make our gifts and decorations better get busy, if you haven't already.  Here's a project that anyone can do, even kids, if they are old enough to hit a nail with a hammer, and not their fingers.

For that 'country' Christmas feel, it's nice to use everyday items instead of buying expensive decorations. And you get the satisfaction of recycling and making something yourself. Like this one...

Project of the day:

Tin Can Luminaries

You will need:
~empty (clean) tin cans (any size will work)
~hammer
~large nail with a large head (easier to hit, and makes bigger holes)
~towel

This project needs a couple of days preparation. You will need to start collecting your empty tin cans (not aluminum pop cans), of course. I found some canned corn that comes in a can that has gold colored metal on the inside. This makes the candle really glow. The cans can be any size, large chili cans down to small tomato paste cans and everything in between.

Then when you have several empty cans and they are washed thoroughly, and the labels have been taken off...you need to fill them with water to about 1" from the top. Put these in your freezer overnight until frozen solid. It is a good idea to put several in the freezer at the same time. That way you can alternate the hammering part. I'll explain that later...

After the water has frozen in the can, take it out and lay it on a bunched up towel. You want to make a 'nest' for the can, so it does not roll away as you hammer. It can be slippery. Also the towel will absorb any melting water. Don't do this project on your lovely glass top coffee table, or your bouncy couch. A hard surface is best.

You can make a pattern or just random holes. Random is best, don't be too fussy.
Keep in mind that the candle's light will show through these nail holes. So you don't want to just dent the can, you want to puncture the metal, and punch into the ice.  Older kids (especially boys) love this project because they can hammer, hammer, hammer away. It would be nice to send them outside if the weather permits.

The ice inside will keep the can from caving in when you bang on it. But after a little while, you will find the ice starts to melt (on the larger cans), so put this can back in the freezer and take out another one, and start hammering again.  If you get tired, leave the cans in the freezer for another time.

You will keep making holes all around the can, starting at the top and working downward. Now keep in mind, if you plan on using real candles, don't puncture holes too close to the bottom of the can. You don't want any wax oozing out. But on the other hand, you don't want a row of holes around the top only, you will not be able to see the candlelight at the bottom very well. Especially if you are using tall cans.
When you are done, leave the cans in the sink or bathtub so the rest of the ice can melt.

You can line your walk with these luminaries, and since they are metal, you can use real candles if you wish.  You can also make a nice centerpiece for your table, but if you do, I would use battery powered fake candles. The Dollar store sells them, as well as most other places now. They won't heat up the can, the table surface, or leave wax anywhere.

tip of the day:
IF you have a  paper shredder at home, which more and more people do have, start saving all those little paper pieces. AND throw in some green and red papers (construction paper, magazine ads, etc.) for some festive colors.  You can use these in your Christmas gift wrapping. Even if the item is not fragile, it looks much more special when surrounded with 'frou-frou' papers.  You are renewing and reusing. These are also great if you have to mail gifts to those far away friends and family. Pack them in your shreddings~and keep recycling!

That's all for today!
Dee

Fabric pumpkins

I love making new things from old stuff.

The neighborhood is really getting into decorating for Halloween. The air is getting colder, we've had some rain, (and snow up in the Sierra Nevada mountains, near Lake Tahoe).

So I guess I have to resign myself to the fact Autumn is here.

So I will decorate my house too! Inside and out. Today's project is: Fabric Pumpkins

you will need:

~fabric (fall colors) I used an old cloth napkin, and a tablecloth.

You can use a new piece of fabric, or scraps from previous projects.

~glue gun

~stuffing (cotton balls, fiberfill, the one sock who lost its mate in the wash, etc.)

~green felt

~needle and thread

~green wire (optional)

You will need to make a circle template. I used a pot lid. Put it on your fabric (wrong side up) and trace around it. I used a pencil. The bigger the circle, the bigger the  pumpkin.  (ie. the bigger the lid, the bigger the pumpkin)

Cut this out. Thread the needle and tie the two loose ends of the threads together, so you have a double strand (stronger). If you don't have sewing supplies, you COULD use the glue gun, it's a bit trickier though. You would have to glue the edges as you try to scrunch them together. Watch out not to burn your fingers, ouch!

Sew a running stitch ( -  -  -  -  -  -  -  ) around the edge of the fabric circle. You will pull up the threads to gather the circle, but before you gather it up all the way, put your stuffing in.

Then knot the thread so the top is closed up tight.

Next take your green felt, cut out a couple of leaf shapes. No need to be perfect on the shape.

And cut a long rectangle also. You will roll up the rectangle, periodically gluing as you go, so you end up with a stem.

Now glue the stem to the top of the pumpkin with the hot glue. (You could sew it on too, if you had no glue gun).

And glue the leaves to the sides of the stem. The stem and leaves help hide the gathered top.

If you have green wire (can be florist's wire, or telephone wire), wrap this around a pencil to make it curly. Then wrap a few times around the base of the stem and twist to secure it.

You could use curling ribbon (used for gift wrapping), too. I like the look of the wire, though.

Make a bunch, for every nook and cranny. They look nice nestled among some Indian corn, or squash, in a basket, too.

tip of the day:

If you are buying the wonderful apples that are in season now, here's how to keep them fresh for a long time.  Do not wash them, wrap them individually in a paper napkin (you can pull the plys apart if the napkin has a couple of layers), and put them in a brown paper bag.

Keep this in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. Take out the apples one at a time, as you need them. Wash them now and enjoy. You'll be surprised how long they last kept in the bag.

that's all for today!

Dee

Punkin' head

I love making new things from old stuff

Hi!
Well, things around here are looking very Halloweenie!
My neighbor and BFF Gianna was wavering between being a dragon and a knight.  So cute! I love to help out with costume dilemmas! I gave Allie, her mom, an old blouse that was silver and sparkly for her knight's chain maille cowl. And found G's dragon costume at a resale shop. Afterward I had my favorite Kindergartner Gianna over to help me with this great, simple holiday project. I found it in Family Fun magazine, and embellished it.

Today's project is:

Jar Pumpkins

You will need:
~old jars, no lids (labels off)
       pickle, olive, jelly, etc.
~orange paint (acrylic or tempera)
~green raffia, green silk leaf
~votive candle or battery candle
~painter's tape, or masking tape

To remove the labels, I soak a paper towel and wrap around the jar. Let it stand for a few hours, re-wetting periodically. The label should come off easily. You can use a single edge razor blade to scrape off any remainder.

Cut eye, nose and mouth pieces from the tape and adhere to the dry, clean jar.

Paint over the whole thing, on the outside. Not the bottom, but do the top edge.

When it dries, remove the tape to reveal the face. I sprayed it with fixative to help keep the paint from scraping off, but you don't need to do this, if you are careful with surface.

Take the green raffia and wrap around the top several times, and tie securely. Take a leaf and glue gun it to the raffia. (optional).

Put the candle or battery operated candle in and let the punkin' glow! The painting part is so easy, any age can do it. Gee had a ball, and loved her pumpkin family (she made four different sizes). These look great on the front porch steps, or grouped on the fireplace mantel.

tip of the day:
If you ever buy a cake or pie or veggie tray and it has a sturdy plastic lid, don't throw it away. Take off the paper. This is great for using under a large planter pot to catch the excess watering.  I have used these for a salad or casserole that I am taking to a potluck, and don't care if I get the container back.  It holds candy for Halloween trick or treaters and lots of other uses. Be creative and recycle!
that's all for today!
Dee

Boxed IN

I love making new things from old stuff...

I hope you've been saving those greeting cards, because here comes another idea for them. I like to use this one for lightweight gift giving. Not only for Christmas and birthday gifts, say for those pretty scarves, or a tie. Gift cards, and money fit into these nicely, too for other occasions.
And what about Halloween candy for those special kids who deserve more than a lollipop? Some cookies, and little trinkets would be a welcome treat, also.

Today's project is:

Greeting Card BOX

You will need:
~5 cards, approximately the same size (and same theme)
~ribbons, or string, or raffia
~ a hole punch
~tissue paper

The Dollar stores sell cheap greeting cards if you have not saved up any.

1. You will punch a hole in all four corners of the cards
2. The four cards you will be using for the sides should be the same size. If not cut them to the smallest card's dimensions.

3. The fifth card that you will use for the bottom needs to be a square, the width of the side cards, so cut this accordingly.
4. You will lay out the cards as shown, and tie the ribbons through the holes at the bottom corners of the sides to the box's square bottom. Don't pull the ribbons too tight or the cards will bunch up.

5. Bring up the sides, and tie the top corners as shown.

The box will have gaps in the edges, but that's okay. Because when you give the gift, you will put in a piece of tissue paper (in the case of the scarf or tie). And if you are giving little goodies, put them in a ziploc bag first, then in the tissue paper. That way nothing will spill out.

You now have a decorated box, and made it yourself using recycled materials. Aren't you wonderful? I think so!

Tip of the day:
If you roll up your kitchen towels, THEN put them in the drawer, you can fit a lot more in, than if you folded them in the traditional way.  The kitchen drawers are usually pretty shallow, and the smaller size of these towels work well. Fold them in half, then roll up. Try it. You'll be amazed how many you can squeeze in.
I also roll up the bath towels too. They fit in the closet nicely, and I have some in a large basket in the bathroom, next to the tub.

That's all for today!
Dee