Tag Archives: crafts

Easter Eggs 2012

08 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by in crafts, Easter, funny, words

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The egg decorating kit looked spiffy, with pretty colors and cute rub-on decals of chicks, eggs and bunnies. But the decals didn’t stick at all. Not happy there. But we don’t give up easy so we rummaged around in my little box of scrapbook stickers and found a couple old sheets of rub-on decals from Valentine’s Day years ago. We had to think like an egg in order to figure out which words might work on an egg. Quite the stretch. Here are our eggs, which we put all in one basket.

Easter Eggs 2012, decorated with rub-on decals - click to see a larger image.

My personal favorites?
“Most embarrassing moment” on a cracked egg.
Also the egg with “And so the story goes…” Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
The egg of course.

Easter Eggs 2012 with words - decorated with rub-on word decals. And so the story goes...

Altered Vintage Book – Teaching and Teachers

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by in altered books, crafts

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I finished another altered vintage book. The original was a book on Sunday School teaching methods and teachers. I will use the book as a journal about teaching and teachers. The entire text of Teaching and Teachers is available on google books. The book was in fair condition, considering its age.

Altered vintage book – Teaching and Teachers

I cut a window shape in the book cover and used a sheet of beautiful textured paper with silhouettes of children for the endpaper. The window frame is pieces of wood that I stained with red, green and brown paint to look aged.

Altered vintage book – Wood alphabet beads are colored and glued to the window sill to look like alphabet blocks.

I removed many pages from the books, especially damaged pages, which were set aside in order to glue interesting paragraphs back into the book later. The pages remaining in the book were glued together in bundles in order to make them more sturdy and then coated with gesso to provide a surface for journaling.

Both front and back covers were cut off the book and then reattached to the spine. I removed all the crumbling and dry rotted material from the spine and then reattached the covers. The front covers are attached using small hinges tied on with black ribbon. The back covers are hole punched and stitched to the spine with black ribbon. This binding allows the book to be opened flat.

Inside the front cover – decorative silhouette paper provided the perfect design for a book about teaching.

A peek inside Teaching and Teachers altered book. The original book was devoid of illustration. I tore out motifs from the decorative paper and glued them on some of the pages.

While applying gesso to the pages, I read each page first to see if there was a quote I wanted to showcase. For this spread, I kept the small side bar “The three-fold method” and the chapter title “Any Plan Better Than None” by spreading gesso carefully around the text.

I was a homeschool mom for 24 years and taught Sunday School for many years so I’m looking forward to filling this book with thoughts on teaching and teachers.

The Princess’s One Thousand Gifts Journal

30 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by in altered books, crafts, projects

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Recently I read a book about a woman who was able to pull out of a dark depression by realizing she had much to be thankful for. A friend challenged her to list one thousand gifts, one thousand things that she was thankful for. Ever since “gratitude journals” became popular years ago, I’ve been wanting to make one.

I’ve always wanted a space to write down just the “and it was very good” and “she was pleased” stuff. I’ve wanted to write a book that was one giant exhalation of praise and thanksgiving, words that can be inhaled like fresh oxygen, a forever document of the things I am truly thankful to God for.

I found the perfect book to alter at a used book store. The original title was “The Princess Elizabeth Gift Book”. With a little paint and glitter, I turned the book into “The Princess’s One Thousand Gifts Book”, in which I will list one thousand and more things I am thankful for.

After cutting off the covers from the book, I cut out the initial “E” and removed the name “Elizabeth” from the cover. I added old rhinestones to the crown on the cover.

The name "Elizabeth" has been removed from the book title. Rhinestones are glued into the crown emblem.

The binding is simple, just holes punched through the cover and all the blank pages within, then tied with a cord. For closure, I punched holes in the back cover and added a covered button to the front.

A cord loop from the back cover is placed over the covered button on the front. The ends of the cord exit from inside the back cover and are tied around the loop when the book is closed.

Dozens of blank pages are sketchbook paper and sheets of vintage wallpaper.

To finish the book, I added text to the title, sponged pink and brown paint on the cover and set a resin cameo in the cover, surrounded by glass glitter. I’m looking forward to listing things I am thankful for.

The Princess's One Thousand Gifts Book.

Love playing with beads

28 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by in All Sparkled Up, beading, crafts, Gilded Girls, jewelry making, words

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I really ought to stop playing with the beads. But once they become a bracelet, they will never again live an alternate life as Words.

Love.

The beads are not glued down. One breath or tiny bump to the table sends all the round ones scrambling. Such a challenge to patience! The position is so fleeting. Then I brush them back into the bins and the surface is once again bare.

Valentine Candy Bouquet

21 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by in candy, crafts, food, party, projects, tutorial, Valentine's Day

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We are still nibbling at the Valentine Candy Bouquet. It is delicious but very, very sweet. At this rate, it may hang on till Easter! Oh my! I do love the sparkling look of it though.

Valentine Candy Bouquet – 2012

Granddaughter Chloe nibbles a cake pop from the Valentine Candy Bouquet.

Here are directions on making the bouquet.

Prepare basket.

1. Cut Styrofoam to fit tightly in the bottom of a basket. Secure it firmly in the  basket so it won’t shift or move at all.

Secure Styrofoam in the bottom of a basket.

2. Spread out a set of battery operated bouquet or centerpiece lights over the Styrofoam in the basket. I purchased this light set at either Michael’s or A.C.Moore several years ago. Alas, I do not know if these lights are still made or sold elsewhere. Insert toothpicks around the light set in the area where the ball will be placed.

Spread light set around the edge of the basket.

3. Cut off a slice of a 5” Styrofoam ball so it can sit flat. Press the Styrofoam ball down firmly onto the toothpicks. Insert several other toothpicks around the base of the ball to secure it tightly. Trim toothpick ends with wire cutters.

Press the Styrofoam ball firmly down on the toothpicks

4. Scrunch a length of 12” wide tulle around the base of the ball, covering the lights and wires. I used a piece 12″ by about 6 feet long.

Prepare the candy.

5. To make Conversation Heart Batons, use royal icing to secure conversation hearts to a lollipop stick. When dry, pipe royal icing between the hearts and sprinkle with mini sprinkles. Tie a bow at the base with an 8” piece of ribbon; trim the ends.

Conversation Heart Batons

6a. For candies with square wrappers, twist one end of wrappers and wire three candies together.

Wire together three small candies

6b. Twist the candy bundle together around the end of a lollipop stick and secure with the wire. Tie with an 8” length of ribbon.

Wire the candy bundle around a lollipop stick & tie with ribbon

7. Cut a heart from gold paper, punch a small hole at the top and write a message. Tie a piece of lace and the gold heart to a lollipop with string.

Tie lace and a message with string to a lollipop.

8. Prepare cake pops as desired. I made chocolate cake pops by following the directions in Bakerella’s Cake Pops cookbook and using homemade frosting instead of store-bought frosting. These were the first cake pops I’ve ever made so mine were a little lumpy. But I was really happy they turned out and they are delicious!

Round cake pops.

9. Cake Pop secret – use lots of sprinkles to cover up mistakes.

Cone-shaped cake pops.

10. To help disguise the printed text at the base of lollipop wrappers, cut a fringe in the wrapper. Tie with a bow or twist tie.

Fringe bottom of lollipop wrapper and then tie with ribbon or twist tie.

11. I ended up not adding these to the bouquet. They looked very pretty in a glass dish next to the bouquet.

A dish of gold-wrapped Ferrero Rocher chocolates.

Assemble the centerpiece.

12. Using wire cutters, cut the end of one candy stick to make a slight point and insert it into the Styrofoam ball to see if you like the length. Remove the stick from the Styrofoam and adjust the length as desired. Cut sticks and insert candies, starting with the candy of which you have the fewest. I only had 8 sticks of rock candy so I inserted them first to evenly distribute them.

Cut sticks shorter with wire cutters and insert into Styrofoam ball.

13. Start in the center and work your way out as you fill the bouquet. Cut some sticks shorter so the candies help cover the Styrofoam ball. Next time I will make more of the little candy bundles to fill in the base better. I made 11 but 14 would have been better.

Valentine Candy Centerpiece

14. If desired, fill in any remaining spots on the Styrofoam ball with ribbon or tulle bows on wires. You can also use green gumdrop leaves, tissue paper or artificial flowers and leaves. I decided to leave the center open so the light set would light up the candy more.

To make ahead, the cake balls can be prepared a day or two ahead, as recommended in Bakerella’s cookbook. This bouquet was made on Valentine’s Day and then refrigerated that night, covered with plastic wrap for storage. It is one week later and the bouquet still looks wonderful and the cake pops are every bit as delicious, especially cold. Next year, I’ll prepare the cake pops several days before, refrigerating them until needed. The candies can be prepared well in advance and set aside. Allow an hour or so to insert all the prepared candies and cake pops.

In addition to holidays, a Candy Bouquet would look lovely for a Baby or Bridal shower, or as a Birthday centerpiece.

Valentine Candy Bouquet – click for a larger image.

Cascade Heart Wreath – In the Garden

13 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by in crafts, projects, tutorial, Valentine's Day, wreath

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I’m quite happy to finally finish my Cascade Heart Wreath, Garden theme. This is the first of four Cascade Heart Wreaths I’m making, all completely different in color and style. But they all start with a Styrofoam frame forming the top of the heart and a cascade of hanging trim forming the lower part of the heart. I have been wanting a heart shaped wreath for some time now but wanted a more organic, flowing design. Making a heart with a cascade bottom was the perfect solution. An unexpected bonus: when the cascade is made of lighter material, it flutters with air movement. Having that movement is soothing to me, like a gentle spring breeze catching leaves.

This wreath reminds me of the kind of garden you would discover at the edge of property, not always tended, sometimes forgotten, a little bit wild but still beautiful. Pockets of little stones are scattered around the mossy knoll and the picket fence is a perfect resting spot for a baby bird. I adore swings and decided this garden needed a secret swing, hidden in the ivy.

Cascade Heart Wreath - Garden theme, with ivy vines hanging down

Cascade Heart Wreath - The flowers at the end of some vines help define the heart shape

Cascade Heart Wreath - A baby bird perches on the picket fence.

Cascade Heart Wreath - The wreath is embellished with moss, stones, ferns, flowers and tiny clear, glass beads, like dew.

Cascade Heart Wreath - A tiny butterfly perches on the rope of a secret swing hanging amidst the vines.

To see the tutorial for making a Cascade Heart Wreath, click for more.

Continue reading →

Brave Heart <3

01 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by in crafts, Gilded Girls, Inspirational, Valentine's Day

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Scripture says that we are all one body. Jesus prayed that we would all be one. Did you ever wonder what part of the body you are?
–Bone cells are very rigid. They are supposed to be that way. They don’t like change. But they have to be healthy with a little flex or they will become brittle and break.
–Nerve cells are super sensitive. They respond instantly and impulsively. They pass on messages without even thinking.
–Blood cells travel. They don’t stay in one place. They are very social. They pick up nutrients and components from some parts of the body and pass on nourishment to other parts. They are in constant communication as they travel.
–Heart cells go through repetitive motion, day and night. They don’t move around and they work incredibly hard.
What part of the body are you? What does an eyelash do? What does a toenail cell do? What does a skin cell do? What does a brain cell do?

I’ve wondered over the years what part of the body I am. Sometimes I think I know and then that changes and I’m not sure. But this I do know: I was made to meditate and be creative and make things with my hands.

I have friends who think arts and crafts are simply trivial stuff to do when you have spare time from your “real life” occupations. They think craft materials are a waste of money. But what if…consider carefully… what if being creative and making things with your hands WAS what you were created to do from the day you were formed? And if you stopped functioning in the capacity God planned when he made you, it would be a loss to humanity?

…pausing to reflect on this…

This was made with my hands.

Heart Box - materials and directions from Gilded Girls Stash Society


The beautiful design is by Alisa Noble using materials from Gilded Girls Stash Society.

For too many years, I set aside making things because it wasn’t considered valuable in my social circle. It wasn’t considered an asset to society. It was thought to be frivolous and unworthy and wasteful. But it was God who made me creative from the day I was formed and being creative fulfills his design for my life. When I live fully the way I was made, life is amazing and good and there is no darkness there.

Please be encouraged, dear creative reader, that what you do with your hands has enormous value to God. What you feel with your heart is valuable to humanity. What you say with your mouth is enlightening to society. Rejoice and be brave, don’t hold back.
I can’t remember where this is in the Bible but these words have encouraged me to be brave and pursue the creative life God planned for me. And this is my prayer for you:
– – – Be strong and of good courage, fear not nor be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, he it is that goes with you, he will not fail you nor forsake you. – – –

Miniature Birthday Fiesta

07 Saturday Jan 2012

Posted by in crafts, miniature, party, tutorial

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Host a doll-size Birthday Fiesta! This is one of the chapters that didn’t make the cut in Tiny Treats, a book I wrote in 2004. The centerpiece is a sweet little palm-sized pinata filled with real candy and plenty of delicious treats. Try the Three Teeny Quesadillas if you please or the Spicy Sombreros for a tiny treat. Use mini pinatas as place card holders or decorations on the table.

Miniature Birthday Fiesta!

For simple directions, see below.

For the Quesadillas, simply cut flour tortillas with a small round cookie cutter. Top with Beanie – refried beans and grated cheese, Cheesy – cream cheese with little slices of string cheese, sprinkled with paprika, or Sweetsie topping – apple pie filling with mini chocolate chips.

For the Spicy Sombreros, mix a little chili powder into cream cheese. Spread the cream cheese mixture in a little mound in the center of a round tortilla chip to make a hat. Sprinkle crushed corn chip crumbs over the cream cheese. Decorate with Pimientos.

Here are steps to make a Miniature Pinata.
You will need:
Toilet paper tube
Scissors
Masking tape
Paper punch
4 pieces plastic drinking straw, cut 1 1/2” long
Mini candies
Crayola Model Magic modeling compound
White acrylic paint
Tacky glue
1/2” wide strips of colored tissue paper
2 small black beads

Supplies to make a miniature pinata

Step 1: Cut a toilet paper tube in half lengthwise. Cut a 2” section from one of those pieces. Roll it into a tube to make the body and tape it.

Prepare candy-filled tube. Add straw “legs”.

Punch 4 holes on one side of the tube for the legs. Insert the pieces of straw for legs. Before inserting the back legs, add small candies to the tube. Cover the ends of the tube with masking tape.
Step 2: Use Crayola Model Magic to form the neck and head of a donkey or horse. Add more Model Magic to make the legs thicker. Let dry overnight.

Add Crayola Model Magic clay to make a head and legs



Step 3: Paint the piñata white. Let dry.
Step 4: Cut fringe from the tissue paper strips. Spread the legs with glue and wrap them with the tissue fringe, starting from the bottom and working your way up. Glue on more pieces of tissue paper fringe and crumpled tissue paper as desired to cover the whole pinata. Glue on a tissue paper tale. Add two black beads for eyes.

Glue tissue fringe around pinata

To remove candy from pinata, pull tissue and tape off one end of the tube.
Ole!

Tiny Pinata

If at first you don’t succeed… (Vintage Glitter Cloche)

04 Wednesday Jan 2012

Posted by in Christmas, Craft Fail, crafts, projects

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Working on the Vintage Glitter Cloche was a good learning experience in crafting. Here is my first attempt at making those awesome cream-colored bottle brush trees.

Bottle Brush tree fail.


What a hoot! I had no idea that the trees would disintegrate if left in the bleach solution too long. The green trees were placed in the big jar of 40% bleach/water solution and left to bleach. I stirred them occasionally and watched the green leach out for about an hour. Then I went Christmas shopping. When I returned hours later, the trees looked wonderful. But when I pulled them out of the solution, they were rusty and disintegrated. Such sorry little trees! I’m going to make another cloche that will fully showcase the awesome character of these trees. Perhaps a Dr. Seuss-inspired cloche. That will do nicely! Never waste a crafting failure, just re-purpose it!