Monday, May 31, 2010

Flower baskets and pots... well almost


I set out today to buy flowers to finally finish sprucing up my patio with flowers. I know it is late but then again, here in MN you never know what the weather will be. This spring we had no snow in March or April, which is very unusual but then in May we had frost and some snow flurries one night! I'd like to says I'm done, but....... I ran out of potting soil before I could finish. Above are the plants I picked out. So I went for 'flowers' and came back with mostly 'plants' that don't flower. But it was what I liked and I thought they made a good combination.


Here is the hanging basket all done and hung up. I even put up a new hook in the patio above me so I wouldn't have to hang the basket in the middle of the patio or right above where I usually sit and read in the morning. Nothing like having to move a chair everytime I water so I don't get my chair wet.


Oops... ran out of potting soil. I thought the big bag was way too much so I ended up picking up two smaller bags thinking I had a little bit left over and I only had a hanging basket and a pot to do. Oh, I guess I estimated wrong.

Maybe this can be the solution???? How long do you think I can leave the plants like this before they start to sprout roots out of the bottom of their small little pots??

Hmm, maybe I'll have to head to a dollar store to see if they have potting soil and the beads I want to work on the chandelier from the dollar store hanging baskets I bought Saturday. Oh, and I decided that I 'need' a wreat or something to hang from the wreath hanger that I have outside. Nothing has been on it since I took down the santa wall hanger this spring. I guess I might just have to make another trip out today.

Happy crafting

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Garage sale bust

I had high hopes in finding great deals at garage sales today but that didn't happen. :( I guess it was not meant to be. The barn sale I thought would be going on today was not today either. Double bummer. The only thing I picked up at garage sales were a couple magazines for 25 cents each. One for me and one for my daughter, who right now thinks I'm crazy. I guess I was making the weirdest face and that cracked her up. Anna's graduation was a nice time, it was nice to sit and visit with my sisters and other family and friends.

One the plus side, I did stop and pick up a ream of white cardstock and a few other craft supplies. The best purchase would have to be hanging wire baskets. I'm going to attempt to make a chandelier like ones at www.dollarstorecrafts.com. I was hoping to work on them tomorrow or Monday but I couldn't find any beads at the dollar stores I stopped at so I will have to order them from Oriental Trading. I just hope that they arrive earlier than projected so I can start working with them before I get together with my sisters and we all make them. I don't really know what I got myself into yet since I have not made one and I agreed to put together a 'Sister craft day' where we make them.

My one completed craft today was a quick and easy graduation card that my Mom requested to give Anna today. I love coredinations paper with embossing folders. I finally used the star folder, I thought that would make a great background for a graduation card.




The cardstock is actually more of a teal color, the picture makes it look more like a light blue. I saved time and paper by embossing the card itself and not adding a layer like I usually do when embossing. I don't know the maker of the graduation cap, maybe from The Stampin Place but I'm not sure as I've had it for many years. It has a red cushion and Tack it Over and Over on it and I really can't remember the last time I mounted a stamp like that and not on EZ mount. The Good luck is a Stampin Up set that I borrowed from one of my sisters. I think that when I am able to order that unmounted I might just have to order it unless The Angel Company comes out with a set that I like better. I can't wait until the end of June and July for new stamp catalogs. I can just about hear the cracking open of a new catalog.



Well that is all for now - happy crafting and a big shout out to all the veterans out there and their families and friends.

Garage sale finds


I went to a few garage sales yesterday. These are a few of my finds. The two wood frames were 50 cents and the diamond shaped one was FREE! That is the one that I can't wait to get revamped. I was able to get one coat of paint on it yesterday and pull off the paper insert for a pattern. I don't think I'll get to finish it today as I'm off to the mall for my daughter to take back the clothes I bought for her birthday. I guess I can't pick out too many clothes for a 13 year old.


This afternoon we are going to a graduation party. Last night on the way to the ceremony I saw that there was a few garage sales on the way so of course we will be leaving early so we have time to stop at all the sales on the way. I think I might go the 'long' way to see if a barn sale I have stopped at a few times is open this weekend. If I remember right from last year it was open this weekend.



Here is a thrift makeover that I received yesterday. I din't make this one, my friend Shellie from Wingsofflutter on Etsy made this ring from an earring that I sent her. I love it and can't wait to show it off.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Thrift frame


Well I made over the 30 cent frame I bought yesterday. I decided to make a Mom frame so I could submit it for a TAC contest about Mom. I decided that since I have more crafting time now that I should try to submit items for contests so I can potentially win some free product. I know it is probably a long shot but worth the try.

The frame didn't take too long, I used the same glossy navajo white paint I used on the butterfly frames. I think I should go get another can as I will probably be using it on everything pretty soon!

This one I put light coat of a shimmery gold paint as well. I couldn't get it to show in any pictures. It gives the frame an almost iridescent sheen. The shimmery gold paint was on clearance at Michael's. I might have to see if there is still some there and pick up another can. I think it was $1.50 a can. It is a smaller can but well worth that price. I even used some of it on some of the paper I used.

I used patterned papers from TAC's More Mimi collection and an light cardstock that I ran a brown inkpad over to get the color I wanted. The brown's I had were not quite dark enought. I have not used buttons much lately - I guess I got all my buttons on this one project. I used most of the matching buttons in dark pink and green that I could find in the MM Lemonade Buttons and Blossoms set. Good to finally use them. I might just have to keep using buttons, maybe a whole frame filled with buttons?? I better get thrifting.....

On the lighter side, today was Kira's 13th birthday. I think I was able to surprise her with the cake I ordered. Coborn's did a fabulous job. I asked for a picture of the Click books Kira loves and mentioned that she really liked the background from some of the books. They printed off a picture of most of the books and put it on the cake and filled in the rest of the background and sides of the cake with the background scroll work. It was nice to see a genuine smile on Kira's face.


Well the frame was the only creative project I completed today, well so far today. This week I have been most creative late at night. I need to put away the remenants of supplies I used on the frame and that will probably lead to some more late night crafting today.

Here's to a creative day....

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Late night birthday card

Ok, seriously, who forgets that they don't have a birthday card for their daughter until 10pm the night before??? Well, I guess that would be me.... As I put out a gift so Kira can have a present first thing in the morning it dawns on me that I don't have a birthday card. Well, I have lots of birthday cards made but nothing made special for Kira so here is my late night creation.

I used a TAC set that I just got this week. I ended up using every stamp in the set, I can't remember that last time I used all the stamps of a set on one card. I attached a small pencil to complete the birthday crossword. I wrapped it in ribbon and attached it to the card by running the ribbon throught a eyelet in the corner of the card. I wrapped the pencil in ribbon to hid the printing on the side of it. See Jennifer I'm still using the pencils you gave me. :)

I made a pocket of sorts on the front of the card to store the list of words to find. Inside the card I attached a covered coin envelope that I put the answer key in. I don't think Kira will need the key but I thought I should include it. I took a picture but I didn't realize it was so blurry until I went to upload it and I had already put the card in an envelope and sealed it. Lesson learned, check the pictures closer before you package the card.
Happy 13th birthday Kira! I love you.


























Altered tin CD holder

I grabbed a bunch of tin cd holders at a discount store that were just calling out to be embellished. I think they would be great as a gift tin to pass pictures on. I originally thought of holiday photos or a cd of pictures for grandparents. I picked up some floral paper yesterday at JoAnn's so I decided to use that at my first attempt at decorating a cd tin.


I decorated the front cover, the back cover and the inside front cover. The tins came with a foam cushion for the cd so I didn't think I needed to decorate the inside of the back cover. I attached the paper with mod podge but I think I might have to rethink that for future ones. I pulled on the ribbon to help open the tin and the back paper started to peel off. I ended up pulling it all off....... it was way to easy to do so I know it would not hold up if I gave it as a gift.

I used a sanding block to sand the back a little bit and reapplied the paper with the mod podge. I'm hoping it will stick a bit better. Maybe I'll have to use all cardstock and not the thinner scrapbooking paper. The back cover was sc
rapbook paper and the front was scrapbook paper on top of cardstock. Maybe that was why only the back paper came off when I pulled on the ribbon. Maybe if I waited more than 5 to 10 minutes I would have had better luck with both the front cover and the back cover sticking well.

I cut the letter, number and tag from a Cuddlebug set that I was lucky enough to snag at JoAnn's a couple weeks ago for $9.97..... yep, that's right $9.97. They had 3 different sets that day and I picked up one as they were all fairly similiar. I didn't think I would use it too much as my Sizzix alphabets have not seen a lot of use lately. So far I've used them three times. Not a lot but not too bad. Worth the $9,97 if you ask me.

I think I feel another altered frame coming up. I found a small frame for $.30 at TJ Maxx today. The easel back is broke but I can either fix that or take it off completly and hang it up once it is altered. TJ Maxx has been a suprising source of crafting items for me lately. Today along with the frame I picked up some WR Memory Keepers ribbon, $1.99 for 30 feet, and a package with a single and double piercing bugs from Cutter Bee for $2.99. I don't know if I will use the double piercer a lot but I think I'll use the single one quite a bit.

Happy Crafting...

June










Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Pink and Black Christmas cards


Ok, I'm officially loving pink for my holiday cards this year all thanks to Scrapbook Trends call for unique colors for holiday cards. I've made pink and brown and now pink and black. I don't think I ever would have thought of using pink and black for Christmas but I'm hooked now.

These two cards are made with coredinations cardstock, black cardstock and embossing folders. I made the mats, tag and the flower punches from the 'back' of the coredinations cardstock as well. Two cards with layers all from one sheet.

I did use some twine on the tag and frost and sparkle Shimmer spritz but that it is. Pretty simple. If you look close you can probably see that one of the backgrounds on has the ornaments and designs embossed and the other one is the debossed side.

My poinsettia is actually a Martha Stewart Pop up Water Lily punch. I think it is a perfect poinsettia.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Butterfly frames


I finally decided on a place to hang up my re-vamped butterfly frames. They are on the main wall of the living room, right by my entry door. I love them and will be able to look at them often. Not bad for about $5


Today my creative challange will be to decorate some cd tins I have. I'm thinking maybe decorated with holiday papers so they would be great holiday gifts when a cd of recent pictures is included.
Happy crafting -
June

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Nestabilities and cork



Today was one of those days that I made cards with some supplies that have been hanging around for quite some time in my craft area.

The newest thing would be the flowers as they were bought a couple weeks ago. They are from the bridal section, a box of 300 petals from Wilton for $6 since I had a 40% off coupon at JoAnn's. What a steal even when using 2 or 3 layered together. Ifirst painted them with Luna Lights paint then aged them with walnut ink that only recently started to see the light of day in my crafts again after probably years of just sitting there not being used.



I don't remember my original plan when I bought the cork sheets but they called to me today after I started thinking about making a Father's day card. Both of my cards today are square, they just called to be square with the Lables One Nestability I used to cut out the cork.

Happy stamping-

June

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Butterfly frames

Embracing the life of unemployed and looking for work, I decided to be share my cretive life. Ok, without a job I will have to be frugally, creative.
Here is the first thing I'll share. I picked up these frames at our humane society garage sale for 25 cents each, well, really $1 total as I told them to keep the change!!












I just knew the frames had potential just waiting to be revamped. It didn't take too much time for me to decide to paint them and frame butterflies that I had picked up from Etsy last month. At first I didn't know if I should paint the frames gold, white or cream. I finally decided cream was the best with the butterflies and I'm not disappointed at all. Here is one, I'll post another picture when I decide where I'm going to hang then.