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

Lavender Bottles

Spring has sprung, and it makes me happy. Some days are warmer than others, sometimes it rains. But I'm very glad winter is over, and I will take all unexpected weather I get. As long as it's warm.

A wonderful part of warmer weather is flowers. And when things start to bloom, so do ideas.
I love to press flowers for future use (use a phone book) or make sachets. Which is what this post is about.

Today's project is:

Lavender Bottles

What you need:
fresh lavender stalks
ribbon
string

First gather some lavender, cutting the stalks at least a foot long.
If you have to do this when it is fresh, because you bend it. And if the lavender is dried out or old, it will crack and break instead of bend.

Take about twenty stalks and tie a string around the whole bouquet, under the blossoms.
Then, one by one, bend the stems backwards downward. You will be encasing the blossoms in a 'bottle'.
This is an old fashioned craft.

Tie a ribbon around the stems about half way down. And use as a room air freshener (wave it around and it is a natural way to scent the air).
Or put it in a glass tray or place a few in a vase to keep the air smelling like wonderful lavender.

Now I have discovered as it dries out, the blossoms tend to fall out. So if I do this again, I will wrap the blossoms in netting BEFORE encasing them in their own stems.

Tip of the day:
This has nothing to do with lavender, except this tip smells good too, in a different way...BACON.
I find that a pack of bacon is too much for my hubby and I at one sitting. So when I buy bacon at the store, (especially when they are on sale then I buy several packages), I cut the whole package in half. Put each one in a ziploc bag and throw in the freezer. So when I need some yummy bacon, I take the half pack out, defrost in the micro, and fry up in the pan. It turns out to be just the right amount, with maybe a few left over for future use (bacon bits on salad, or BLT's).

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

Talent

I am surrounded by talented people, and I LOVE IT!
My family is talented, my friends are talented, my neighbors are talented.
Many can create art, some write, or dance, some craft, some sing.
And believe it or not, EVERYONE is talented at something. Whether you cook, or are good with people, perhaps you have a way with animals, or you can sew or knit, or you might be a great organizer, a photographer, etc., there is a special talent in you.

I just visited my future son-in-law, Yori's website. He's getting ready for an upcoming museum gallery show Feb. 2012. He has been working hard in his newly built home studio besides working full time at the junior college. Check out his site for a behind the scenes look at a sculptor at work.
http://www.yoriseeger.wordpress.com/

My daughter Dana has been driving up to Berkely these past few months on the weekends for a residency in print making. So besides planning their wedding, and working full time, these two have been super busy. She's making some great new prints, and actually is going to be teaching a class there in the future. Check out her website and blog.
http://www.dana.danabetsy.com/  and  http://www.apairofneedles.blogspot.com/

My younger daughter (by 1/2 hour) Betsy is in Nebraska right now. She took a leave of absence from her full time job at the University for a two week residency painting and creating at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center in Nebraska City. She is making some incredible new paintings. Check out her sites.
http://www.betsy.danabetsy.com/ plus you can go to Google+  and search for Betsy Barnum.
http://www.melittaberze.blogspot.com/  is her blog.

My husband also has a blog. He focuses on his travels, mostly with the BMW motorcycle club.
You can see some of his adventures at: http://www.tomtuco.blogspot.com/

So I hope you can find some inspiration today and bring out the talent in you. Today is a good day to look inside and do what you do best, whatever that may be! Perhaps you can start a blog of your own. It's easy, go to http://www.blogger.com/ and share your special talent.
If you have a blog already, I'd love to see it
Leave a comment below with your blog site.

tip of the day:
Take a second and let people know you appreciate them and their special talents.
A kind word from you sure can make someone's day!
I appreciate YOU!!! Thanks for reading.

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

May Flowers

Time to recycle. Time to renew. Time to plant some seeds to watch flowers grow.

My neighbor has an awesome garden. She is always on top of the planting times, fertilizers, etc. I often go there and gaze longingly at her bounty. Then I come home and make my own flower garden.

No fertilizer, no dirt, no planting, no weeding. Just get a colorful soda can and a pair of scissors and watch a flower bloom.

Today's project is:

Aluminum can flower clip

you will need
a can (the more colorful the better)
scissors
E600 glue
hair clip
embellishment
emery board

The more colorful can you can get the better (Arizona Ice Tea has really good ones). Rinse out the can and let dry.
Take your scissors and cut off the top and bottom of the can. Be careful not to cut yourself at this stage. So now you have a semi flat area to work with. Cut 3 or 4 layers of big petal flowers freehand or you can use a paper punch if you have it.
Cut each one getting smaller in size, so you can layer them.
You may a couple of cans, if you are making a large clip.

File the edges with the emery board so they are not sharp.
You can use a charm or button or some embellishment for the center, or just cut a little circle to use.

Using the E600, glue each layer on top of each other. Weigh it down with something heavy and let set overnight. Then glue the clip (or pin back) to the bottom of the flower.  Make sure you put some wax paper or small crumpled up tin foil into the middle of the clip so it is open (or you will glue the two parts of the clip shut along with gluing it onto the flower. Let set several hours.

Now you can use this in your hair, or on your scarf, or lapel, etc.  Very cute, very recycled, very unique.
These make great gifts for teenagers. Recycled and colorful, you can't go wrong.

Happy Spring!

tip of the day...
We are going to think ahead for a future project and take any small flower blossoms and press them.
Take a sheet of wax paper and fold it in half. Take flower petals and put them on one side of this. Fold the other side over enclosing the petals. Place this in a phone book, or under heavy books. The petals will dry flat and then we can use them for a project in the future. Just don't forget where you put them. :)

That's all for this week.
: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

Easter Bunny

Hey,
     I had a great Easter, and hope you did too.
I became a Godmother, to my neighbor's little girl. I'm soooo thrilled. It was a nice baptism on a very special day. My own daughters were christened on Easter Sunday. So this was a special day.
I am a Godmother to 3 girls now, and each one is very special to me!
     We had an awesome brunch at our friend's house, and I think the whole neighborhood came. The weather was great and the food and company was fantastic. The weather cleared up and was bright and sunny and warm. A nice respite from the cold and rain we have been having. There was an Easter egg hunt outside and the kids sure had a great time.
     The night before, the Easter Bunny (me) visited a couple of homes and left 'footprints'.
I made a stencil from butcher paper of paw prints and using a flour sifter and flour I left bunny prints for the little ones to find in the morning.
     I did this with my own little darlings down the hall of our house when they were small. The looks on their faces was priceless.
     Hope some of you tried out the egg decorating tips I posted last week. They were a hit this year as always. :)

tip of the day:
You can use your hard boiled eggs in lots of ways. Add them to salads, make egg salad (chop up and add mayo, chopped up pickles), egg salad and potato salad together make an awesome side dish. Peel the eggs, and put them in a jar with the juice of pickled beets. (either eat the beets right away, or put them in another container). After a week or so, the eggs will have a wonderful pickled flavored, AND be purple around the edges when you cut them up. Pretty!

That's all for this week...
Dee
  

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