Megpie Designs

Spring Plant or Basket Pokes

2015-04-03T10:17:00.003-05:00

Happy Spring!

We had thunderstorms last night, and at least
one tornado touched down locally,
it's just that time of year!

Since I've been too busy sorting and packing
and loading and basically emptying my
house of all (most) things extraneous to
paint any fun spring projects,
I thought I'd share an old post.
Makes me want to paint something fun!

http://megpiedesign.blogspot.com/2012/04/spring-basket-pokes.html

Fall ~ Halloween Inspiration

2014-10-13T12:13:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!
Rather than go into the long list of
reasons I've been away, I'll just launch
ahead into a Post of Inspiration!
I am already feeling excited about
painting new simple crafts for the holidays,
but until I can manage that,
here is a list of past Fall/Halloween ideas
along with a link in case you're
interested in having more information!
Enjoy!!

http://megpiedesign.blogspot.com/2010/10/autumn-gift-tags-work-in-progress.html

http://megpiedesign.blogspot.com/2010/10/skinny-scarecrows.html

http://megpiedesign.blogspot.com/2010/10/halloween-plant-pokes.html

http://megpiedesign.blogspot.com/2011/11/wood-slat-scarecrow.html

http://megpiedesign.blogspot.com/2012/09/halloween-skull-magnets.html

http://megpiedesign.blogspot.com/2012/09/mummified-pumpkin-jars.html

http://megpiedesign.blogspot.com/2012/10/2x4-hallween-characters.html

http://megpiedesign.blogspot.com/2012/10/glittery-halloween-bats.html

http://megpiedesign.blogspot.com/2012/10/happy-witch-door-greeter.html

http://megpiedesign.blogspot.com/2013/10/easy-halloween-tees.html

Can't wait to start my Fall crafting!

~ Peace out!! ~

Dance Prop - Sign

2014-06-29T20:00:00.000-05:00

Hi! It's me! Back from the ... road, I guess!

The title of my post is Dance Prop - Sign,

because, well, it's a sign that we needed for our

Nationals number we'll be doing in

Orlando next week; but more importantly ...

I got to paint!! I painted!!

I'm. So. Happy.!!

That's enough, I don't want to be too

wordy after being silent for so long, it might

throw us all into some sort of shock.

I tried to take enough step-by-step pics

so that explanations wouldn't really be necessary

for each photo. I always use tracing paper

and make a pattern of all of my letters/words first,

then I can play with spacing. I chose the

granny/grampa pics because our number

is titled Church Ladies and it very much fits

our dance! I included two pics (although not very

good ones ~ sorry) at the end, that I was able

to take during rehearsal last week.

Enjoy!

This is the sign from March, which

replaced the sign from February,

and is now being replaced with a July version.

;)

Peace, Granny!!

~ Peace Out ~

One more photo if you've read this far;

today is my birthday.

This is the first pic I've actually been in

on purpose since my episode in December.

I mean, there's always that random

photo where I'm in the background talking

or chewing or making a bizarre facial contortion ~

those pics rear their ugly heads more often than

I'm completely comfortable with.

I had lots of inflammation after

my emergency surgery, inside and out, and

I've had to change my diet and be religious about

it. No sodas, no gluten ...I won't bore

you but it's been really tough, and requires

much longer stays in the grocery aisle reading

labels. Which, by the way, are printed with such

unnecessarily tiny print ... and I already have

to hold the box out as far as my arm will

reach to read the label ... it's a long, long

trip to the grocery store, is what I'm saying.

I believe I'll start ordering my GF

foods online. From the privacy of my own

home. Where I can enlarge the print to

max x4000 and no one has to know.

Shh. Don't tell!

PPS Yes, it's 1200 degrees outside

and I'm wearing my sweater.
I told you I was getting old!!

Smoothfoam(TM) Valentine's Day Hedgehog

2014-02-26T11:41:00.001-06:00

Here's a quick and easy

Valentine's Day project ... this

would make a great centerpiece for the

classroom or the teacher's lounge!

Supplies: 8" Smoothfoam(TM) Half Ball

Acrylic Paints: Red, White, Black, Brown

Sharpie Marker, Ruler, Stylus

Tracing paper & Transfer paper

(to transfer face to body)

Base coat the Smoothfoam(TM) Half Ball

with two coats of Red paint.

Once the paint has dried, transfer the

hedgehog's face to the body

using transfer paper and a stylus

(or the handle of a paintbrush).

Mix the red and white paint together 1:1

and paint the hedgehog's face pink.

Use brown paint for the inside of

the ears, the nose, and the patch of hair.

The eyes are dip dots of black paint.

Use the ruler and measure out

1.5" from the head in the center of the

half ball ... use the stylus to poke a hole

every 1.5" along the hedgehog's back.

Repeat this until you have enough holes

for the number of suckers you need.

(I only needed twelve, but there's plenty of

room for more if necessary!)

Paint a small heart onto each hole.

Once paint has dried, use Sharpie marker

to outline all the details. Insert

a sucker into each hole.

~ Peace and Happy Valentine's Day! ~

Valentine's Day Goodie Jar

2014-02-04T17:22:00.000-06:00

I love to upcycle ... here's a painted

Valentine's Day Goodie Jar ~

I don't usually skimp on chocolate,

but we've been battling snowy roads and

the dreaded flu ... somehow extra

chocolate evaded my consciousness as

I shopped for chicken soup and Be Kool strips

these past two weeks.

(I'll have plenty of time to stock up

before Valentine's Day!)

Supplies: empty jar with lid

Acrylic Paints: Red, White, Black, Yellow

Tracing paper and Transfer paper

(to transfer design to painted jar)

Masking Tape
Mod Podge (for sealing)

Use masking tape to tape off the

top and bottom of the jar ~

so you can paint a large band with

a 1:1 ratio of red and white paint.

(or use pink paint ... but I didn't have any

of that in my household stash

so I had to go all Old School and use

my paint mixing skills).

Paint the jar lid with the same color.

Use transfer paper to add the

main pattern lines to the painted strip.

Forgive me for not taking more
step-by-step photos ... perhaps my fever
was getting to me.

I painted the entire outline of the bee
with white. Once the white paint
dried, I add the detail lines with the
transfer paper and painted
the bee black with yellow stripes.
I added tiny pink hearts to his wings.

Base coat the heart with red paint.
Once the red paint dries,
you can add the lettering with
the transfer paper and go over the
transfer lines with a thin brush
and black acrylic paint.
I also used the black paint and the
thin paintbrush to outline my
entire design ... you could use a
Sharpie marker if you prefer.

Once everything has dried completely,
I coated the lid and the painted
surface with Mod Podge to
protect it from chipping off. No
one likes chipped paint in their chocolate!

~ Peace and Happy Upcycled Jar Gift ~

Simple Snowman Gift Tags

2014-01-07T23:12:00.002-06:00

Christmas has come and gone for 2013,

but we are still snowed in!

I made a super simple gift tag, and

it turned out so cute, I made dozens more

and thought I'd share:

Supplies:
Kraft cardstock and XL punch
1" sponge dauber
Acrylic paint: white, black
Dimensional paint: orange
Pink Powder Blush and cotton swab

Punch out your tags ...
Dip your sponge dauber into white paint
and pounce ... either in the center,
or over to the side (I wasn't sure whether
I might want to add a name or a message, so
I pounced on the far side of the tag!)

Dip a stylus into black paint
to add the eyes.

Use the cotton swab to
apply blushed cheeks to each
snowman head.

Add the carrot nose with the
orange dimensional paint.
To see a tutorial on how to make
these dimensional noses,
as well as the dots ...
click here.

Use the stylus dipped in black paint
to add the mouth. Dipping the stylus before
each dot will give you same-sized dots.
To get dots decreasing in size,
dip once and dot two or three times
before redipping. Experiment
on scratch paper first so you'll be happy
with your little black dots!

~ Peace and Happy Snowman Tags ~

Mini Canvas Ornament

2013-12-11T17:35:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

~ Peace Out ~

Clay Dough Ornaments

2013-12-11T17:05:00.000-06:00

Bright, White Clay Dough

While I can always use the salt scrub effect

on my dry, papery man-hands ~

(you know, rinsing my paintbrush after every

color change really does a number

on my skin!)

~ I've made the salt dough ornaments.

You know, the classic

"been there, done that"

so when I found a recipe for smooth, bright
white ornaments ... I had to try it!

Here's the recipe:

2 Cups Baking Soda
1 Cup Cornstarch
1 1/4 Cups Water

Stir ingredients together in a 2 quart saucepan.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat,
stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

Continue to stir until mixture is boiling.

Once the mixture starts to boil,
things will happen quickly! Continue to
stir ~ suddenly the mixture will
resemble mashed potatoes.

As soon as the mixture looks like mashed
potatoes, immediately dump onto
a cookie sheet and cover with a damp
towel. Allow mixture to cool.

Spread work surface with a light
dusting of cornstarch.

Divide dough in half, keeping the
unused half under the damp towel to
preserve the texture.
(It dries out fairly quickly).

Use cookie cutters or small knife to cut shapes.

Don't forget to poke holes for hanging!
I used a straw.
You could also use rubber stamps
to make impressions on the soft dough.
Love the idea, but we were iced
in and unable to even leave the driveway
and my stamp collection resides
down the street and across the way in my
studio. Which might as well be in
Siberia since I can't leave my house.

Shapes will air dry, but you can speed
the drying process along by placing
them in a preheated 250 degree oven.
After 15 minutes, turn the shapes and
continue to dry, or bake another 15 minutes.

Allow to cool before painting
and adding ribbon for hanging.

~ Peace and Productive Snow Days ~

Personalized Canvas

2013-11-19T10:32:00.001-06:00

Now that I'm comfortable painting

Cardinals, it's time to switch it up and

leap outside my comfort zone ...

to Hornets!

I painted this personalized canvas for a

teenager - I wanted to make it big and bold

(since my last hornet was only 2" tall!)

Let's pretend I still have a photo

of the blank 12" x 24" canvas ... and that

I took pictures while I base coated it.

uh - hm.

Visualize a paper plate with a large puddle

of dark gray acrylic paint and a large

overlapping puddle of white acrylic paint on it.

Now visualize rolling a sponge paint

roller randomly through the paint and

applying it to the canvas.

Does your vision look something like this?

I made a pattern of the boy's name and

the oversized hornet and used

transfer paper and a stylus to get the

main pattern lines onto the canvas.

Then I took a flat brush and wet it,

blotted it on a paper towel, and dipped one

corner of the brush in a small puddle

of the dark gray paint.

Next I went around the left and lower

sides of each main pattern line,

reapplying paint to the brush as necessary

(usually after every long stroke).

You're just going for some quick dimension here,

don't focus too much on perfection.

I always shade again after the base-coating

has been completed.

Next, I added some short, quick highlights

on the top and right sides of the letters

with white acrylic paint loaded the

same way; on a clean blotted flat brush

with the paint only on one corner.

I base coated the main design.

(using school colors and more than

one coat for opaque coverage)

Yikes! Scary eyes!

More fitting for a demon than an

aggressive little Hornet. We'll fix 'em!

I added a basketball for this Hornet.

Grant is our basketball star, after all!

I used a darker shade of my base color

to go over the bottom third or so of each of

my letters. This adds a bit of interest.

Now its time to repeat the shading around

the left and lower sides of the

letters and the hornet design. Once the

shading has dried, I apply highlights in the same

manner, but to the top and right sides

of each design element.

I added some highlights to those scary eyes,

and to the parts of the hornet I

wanted to appear more dimensional.

I used a very thin liner brush dipped in black

paint to outline the hornet and the letters.

I used a 1/4" flat brush to add some

border lines around the edges of the canvas.

My paint supply at the house was limited,

so in order to paint the top third

of the letters with a lighter shade of blue,

I mixed a tiny bit of white in with my original

blue base coat color.

I thought the border outline was a little

boring, so I added a thin white

line to the top and right sides of the

main black border line, and a little gray

to the left and lower sides.

Still didn't pop, so I used the liner brush

dipped in black again and sort of

outlined each design element

(letters, border, and some of the hornet)

I added some highlight lines

with the liner brush and white paint.

Once the paint was completely dry,

I used an emery board (limited supplies here)

and sanded a bit off the basketball

and the right sides of the letters.

I brushed two coats of sealer onto the

top and edges of the canvas.

I used Mod Podge in matte finish as

my sealer. I let it dry overnight and it looks

pretty great! I hope Grant likes it!

~ Peace and Personalized Canvas ~

Easy Halloween Tees!

2013-10-29T14:06:00.000-05:00

~ EASY HALLOWEEN TEE SHIRTS! ~

It's been WaY too long since I last blogged,

no excuses, just one or three major life events

may or may not have occurred in quick succession

(and some concurrently);

but here I am, and I'm sharing something

that is SO typically ME!

That is, I've been agitated lately that I'm

so busy driving and cooking and cleaning and

scheduling and checking and packing
and loading and unloading and moving and
sleeping and unboxing and tidying

that I have no time for crafting!

Then as I drop the boys off at the gym

at 0700 this morning, I'm thinking

"oh my gosh, it's Halloween in two days

and I should really made the kids

a tee shirt to wear on Thursday!"

What? Who said that?

The same person who hasn't had time to

do anything in four months and now

suddenly you want to start a complete

project and have it finished today?

Yes. I work well under pressure.

I haven't done much sewing this year,

and it's been over ten years since I added

to my fabric stash, so I just started over.

I live fifty miles from the nearest craft store

so I was stuck with Wal-mart's scaled

down version of a craft aisle. Seriously,

there aren't even bolts of fabric or buttons

at this Wal-mart. Ugh. So my selection was

beyond limited.

I (finally) found a tee shirt for my Little girl -

not my first or my second choice,

but it will do. I'm pretty happy with the

orange ringer tee I found for my Little boy,

but the Big boys tees are just okay.

For the witch, I made a pattern.

I have the pattern scanned, but
I don't know how to add a link for you
to be able to download it. If you would like
the pattern, just let me know and I
will email it to you.
Also, if there are any technically savvy
readers out there that wouldn't mind giving
me a quick tutorial - I would love
to learn how to add free patterns to my

crafty posts.

I should google uploading patterns.

Anyway, I made a pocket-shaped

face, hat and hat brim, and I used four coordinating

fabrics. Not what I had in mind when I

got this little gem of an idea five hours ago,

but here goes:

Follow the directions

on the Heat n Bond(R) Ultrahold(TM)

to cut a large background piece from the

purple print fabric.

Face is cut from green

fabric, hat from black fabric, hat brim from orange.

Instructions say to wash garment first without

fabric softener. I did not do this.

That would not be conducive to immediate

gratification, which I so look forward to.

I used a hot iron to adhere the background

shape to the center of the tee shirt.

Guess what? I decided to use rick-rack as

hair, and I didn't want to glue it.

So I ironed the rick-rack onto the Heat n Bond

and it worked BeAuTiFuLlY!!

Guess what else. When I removed the

paper backing from the adhered rick-rack,

I was able to pull on the attached Heat n Bond

and it just came right off!

I was prepared to use scissors and everything.

No need. I love wonders. May they

never cease. Ever.

I attached the face, then arranged the

rick-rack hair and adhered each piece with the iron.

I added the hat, then the hat brim.

It still needed something so I cut out

a wart and a star for the hat brim.

I have some Swarovski crystals that are

just calling out to me - they

think they would look amazing somewhere

on this cute little witch, and I agree.

PS I added the eyes and the mouth

with a black paint pen.

NEXT!

I rushed through the Little's shirts

because I really wanted to get this up on my blog,

but have a better plan for the Big's shirts.

I'm going to cut out all my skull pieces, use

the hot iron to adhere them to the fabric

that I want to use as a background,

THEN I will cut around for the background shape!

I just had a little trouble with

the spacing ... and I'm a little OCD so I

can deal with it on the Little's tees but I will be

much more precise when making the Big's tees!

Make a pattern for the background piece

by tracing around the skull design and leaving

about a 1/4" space.

I used the green as the background.

As you can see, I had some difficulty getting

all my skull pieces to line up inside

the background piece. I had to do some

trimming. I wasn't thrilled, but it worked.

I started with the top of the skull first.

I sort of got that lined up and pressed it down,

then I added the rest of the face pieces

and each bone, trimming and pressing

one piece at a time.

Love!! I'm going to go pack up my

crystals now and my E6000 - I'll have four hours

at dance class tonight to sit and glue on

stones to make this witch sparkle!!

Peace and Happy Halloween Tees!

;)

Witchy Plant Poke - Great Last Minute Gift Idea!

2013-10-28T12:13:00.002-05:00

Here's an easy~peasy Fall project
to make and give as gifts.
In fact, I made a dozen! True story.

So you start with a wood shim:

... or ten ... or twelve ...

Acrylic Paints: Green, Black, White,
Multi-Purpose Sealer
Glittery Spider brad, HALLOWEEN brad,
(these are brads I bought a few years ago~
I just placed a new order from
Oriental Trading Company for lots of
new Halloween brads ... can't wait!!)

The shims are usually pretty rough
and sometimes have splintery edges.
I used a sanding block
to smooth them down, and then
sealed the fronts with
Multi-Purpose Sealer.

Since I was making twelve of these,
I decided to cut a "face" shape
from a soda box. Straight across the top
(where I'll put the hat brim)
and a "pointy" chin.
I used a 4" paint roller to apply
black paint to the fronts
of the shims.

I used a 1" flat brush to apply green
paint to the faces...

... all twelve of them!!
Once the paint is dry, sand lightly
with a sanding block.
Paint raises the grain in the wood,
so sanding lightly gives you
a smoother surface to paint on.

I trimmed the rounded ends off
of skinny craft sticks
to make hat brims. Paint with
black paint, sand lightly.

Apply wood stain to the front,

sides,

and back of the shim.
I use an oil based stain, so I
wear protective gloves and allow
the pieces to dry overnight.

I used Tacky Glue to attach 1/2"
button plugs to the witch faces.

This photo shows me attaching 1/4"
button plugs as noses.
I waited until I'd glued on all twelve
plugs and the glue was
completely dry before changing
my mind. I decided to use the 1/4"
plugs as warts, instead.

So, to recap, 1/2" plugs as noses,
1/4" plugs as warts, and
glue on the skinny sticks as hat brims.

The eyes are dip dots of black.
(I used a stylus, but you could use
a paintbrush handle if you
have one small enough).

I used a liner brush and thinned

black paint to apply a quirky mouth.

I used a liner brush and thinned

white paint to apply a spider web to

the witch's hat.

I added some black dots to the

nose and the wart; and

two crooked teeth to the quirky mouth.

I used my trusty rusty pliers

to snip the brad off the spider brad:

Then I used hot glue to attach the

now-bradless-spider to the hat.

I made the HALLOWEEN brad

bradless, too:

Snip! Snip!!

Attach the bradless brad with hot glue.

Two years ago I bought each

teacher a potted mum,

and I poked in a Witch, a

Frankenmonster, and a Mummy.

They looked kinda (exactly) like this:

Here's this year's Witchy Plant Poke:

Maybe Frankenmonster and the

Mummy need an update, too? Always

nice to change your look

every once in a while. I'll just

add those to my ever-growing To-Do List.

~ Peace and Happy Halloween Characters ~

Rustic Wreath

2013-10-03T13:30:00.000-05:00

All Free Christmas Crafts
has a new Wreath eBook!

Free Wreath eBook!

Just click here to download your copy.

Here's a repost of my featured
Rustic Cardinal Wreath:

Thanksgiving is at my house (again) this year ...

I've made all my guests a family initial

cardinal wreath.

(I'm also making these for teacher's gifts!)

So simple ... here's what I did:

Supplies:

10" Grapevine Wreath, 4" Gold Initial, Bird's Nest Pick,

Floral Pick (evergreen, pine cones, berries),

Cardinal with alligator clip,

20 gauge crafting wire, wire snips

needle nose pliers (to help with tightening wire)

hot glue gun

First, cut a 12" length of craft wire

and wrap it two or three times around the initial.

Attach it to the side of the wreath.

You may have to turn the wreath a few times

to determine the best place for the

initial. The thinnest spot works best.

Turn the wreath over and twist the wire ends

together to secure the initial.

Poke the bird's nest pick into the wreath near

the top of the initial.

Poke the sprigs into the wreath.

Secure with crafting wire and/or hot glue.

Clip the cardinal near his nest ... and there it is!

Quick and easy! A nice take-home favor

on Thanksgiving Day.

~ Peace!!! ~

DCC ~ Etchall Challenge

2013-06-17T20:07:00.000-05:00

Personalized Casserole Dish

This month, the Designer Craft Connection

Blog Hop challenge is sponsored

by Etchall(R) Etching Cream.

This product is so amazing!

Simple technique and outstanding results!

I purchased a glass casserole with lid;

perfect for pot luck meals,

and cleaned the glass thoroughly with

a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and water.

I have a Silhouette cutting machine,

but I've had technical errors and have been

unable to upload the program and

play around with my new machine.

I know it will be amazing once I figure out

how to use it, but for now I had

to use the pre-cut stencils already on hand.

Since the frame stencil was not self-adhesive,

I used a stencil adhesive spray.

Craft fail alert!!!

Either I didn't use enough spray adhesive,

or the stencil was just too detailed

for good results. So sad.

My alphabet stencils were self-adhesive,

and as you can see, the etching looks amazing!!

All you do is apply the etching cream

with the squeegee, allow it to

sit for fifteen or twenty minutes,

use the squeegee to return the cream to

the bottle (to be reused! Love it!)

and then remove the stencil and rinse

with water.

When my mother-in-law goes to her next

pot lot dinner, there will be no

doubt as to which casserole dish is hers

once the meal is over!

Love this idea, and I have a new favorite

craft medium ~ Etchall(R) Etching Cream.

~ AmAzInG!! ~

DCC Blog Hop - Fishing Bucket

2013-06-02T19:11:00.000-05:00

~ Fishing Bucket ~

I have been trying to blog for days now.

Something is wrong with my internet. Or maybe

it's my laptop. I suppose I should just

admit it's user-error.

It's definitely FrUsTraTiNg!!! !!! !!!

That word could use some extra

exclamation points.

Better late than never, I guess, here

are some step by step pics

of the big plastic bucket I painted for

my dad to put on his boat dock.

I started with a tall plastic bucket I

found at Wal-Mart.

I wanted my design centered over the logo,

so I taped off an area with painters tape.

I used spray paint for plastic in Black,

and then I sprayed over the Black with Yellow.

I removed all the tape and transferred my design.

Transfer the main pattern lines by

sliding a piece of chaco paper underneath

your pattern.

I squeezed several shades of green onto

my palette and applied them randomly to the bucket.

Then I transferred the details

and added darker greens to shade and

lighter green to highlight.

I added some text and some Extreme Glitter!

Several coats of Mod Podge to seal my design.

I added a little bucket-topper ...

it's like a little tackle box or organizer

that fits perfectly inside the bucket. I found

it in the fishing aisle.

It's fun. It's functional. It's sparkly!!

Who doesn't love sparkly fish??
~It also makes a great gift for Dad!~

Peace and Glittery Fishing Buckets

Blog Hop - Wishes

2013-05-06T08:50:00.000-05:00

~ EaSy JaCkEt EmBeLLiShMeNt ~

This design idea is so easy-peasy,

it doesn't even need my dialogue! ;)

I "wish" embellishing was always

this simple! Click through the blog hop

today and check out more WISHES design ideas

from some of my fabulous artistic friends!

Blog Hop ~ Cousin(R) Slide Bracelet

2013-04-08T18:18:00.004-05:00

Today's Blog Hop features the

easy-to-make slide bracelet from Cousin(R)!

Cousin(R), a wholesale division of Enterprise Art

(which has been family owned for 40 years),

has a new slide bracelet line available

in JoAnn stores now!

This line consists of precut lengths of bicast

leather in several colors, and unique metals accents and

spacers that simply slide on ... then

each bracelet is finished with

silver or gold end closures that are

~ oh so simply ~ glued on!!

Immediate gratification!

Happiness in a flash!

Now that's exactly what I'm looking for!

The video shows you just how easy

it is to make your own

slide bracelet ... here are some

step-out photos that I wanted to share:

Choose your metal accent(s), end closures,

and precut bicast leather strap.

Remove the spacers from the strap.

Simply slide your metal accent onto

your strap, and replace the spacers.

Use glue (E6000 and Amazing Quick Hold

are both good adhesive choices) to attach the end closures.

Allow to dry thoroughly.

Make an original piece for every outfit!

What a magnificent idea! Mother's Day is

right around the corner ... I'm already drooling

over all the great metal accents to choose from!

Loop through the Designer Connection

Blog Hop ring to see what other

amazing slide bracelets you can create

with this new line from Cousin(R)!

~ Peace and Flash Happiness ~

DCC Blog Hop - Handmade Flowers!

2013-04-01T09:49:00.001-05:00

April's theme is

~ Handmade Flowers ~

and as an additional challenge,

handmade flowers using items found

in or around the house.

Four growing children means I have

a plethora of outgrown clothing

at any given time. I thought this challenge

would be the perfect time to use

that pair of old jeans I'd set aside!

Supplies Needed:

old jeans ~ scissors ~ needle and thread

paintbrush ~ permanent marker ~

~ assorted buttons ~

~ green tulle ~ flower stencil or cookie cutter ~

~ DecoArt SoSoft Fabric Paint ~

~ DecoArt Glamour Dust

Ultra Fine Glitter Paint in Ice Crystal ~

~ Swarovski Crystals ~ E6000 ~

First, cut along the seams on one leg

of the jeans.

Use a flower stencil or cookie cutter to

outline flower shapes onto

your piece of denim fabric.

Cut out the flower shapes.

Choose several colors of

DecoArt SoSoft fabric paint.

Apply two coats of fabric paint

to each flower cut out.

Apply glitter topcoat and

allow pieces to dry thoroughly.

Next, gather the fabric in the center

of the flower cut out

and stitch a button on to secure the fold.

Attach three buttons to the center

of each flower cut out.

~ Repeat for other cut outs! ~

Attach flowers to jacket or vest

for a little added pizazz!

Hide your stitches behind the buttons.

Cut a length of tulle into a square.

Fold in half diagonally into a triangle,

then continue to fold and gather into a leaf shape.

Tuck tulle "leaves" behind the flowers

and secure with needle and thread.

Additionally, I used a single stitch

here and there to tack down

the flowers so they wouldn't curl.

Attach Swarovski crystals to the

center threads of each button

with E6000 adhesive.

I added Swarovski crystals to the

center of each of the metal buttons

on the denim vest, just

for kicks. And because the game was on

and I needed some busy work to do.

I enjoyed this challenge ~

I love that I was able to create something

fun and simple with items

I already had around the house!

Cost? Zero!! :)

~ Peace and Happy "Recycling" ~

~ Happy Easter ~

2013-03-31T14:46:00.003-05:00

Smoothfoam ~ Spring Wreath

2013-03-21T11:34:00.000-05:00

Spring Wreath

I love the light weight of Smoothfoam ~

it makes the perfect addition to a simple wreath.

Supplies:

Smoothfoam Disc 6"x1"
Grapevine Wreath
Tulle Bow
Sanding Block
Sharpie Marker
(2) 12ss Swarovski Crystals AB
Craft Glue
15" Length Craft Wire
Pink Powder Blush
Cotton Swab

DecoArt Americana Acrylic Paints:
* Honey Brown, * Yellow Ochre
* True Ochre, * Snow White
* Peony Pink, * Razzle Berry
* Hauser Medium Green* Hi Lite Flesh
* Traditional Raw Sienna

Paint front, back and sides of Smoothfoam Disc
with Honey Brown. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly,
then use sanding block to distress surface.

Place design pattern onto Smoothfoam Disc,
and transfer pattern lines by outlining with a stylus.

Paint face and neck Hi Lite Flesh;
shade with Honey Brown.
Paint hat with Yellow Ochre;
shade with True Ochre and highlight
with Snow White.
Paint the collar Snow White.
Paint flower with Peony Pink
and the leaves with Hauser Medium Green.
Shade around hat and paint hair
with Traditional Raw Sienna.

Outline center swirl of flower with
Razzle Berry. When paint is
thoroughly dry, use the cotton swab to
swirl pink powder blush on the cheek area.

Eyes are dip dots of black. Mouth is black.
Use Sharpie Marker to outline main design
and add wisps of hair.

Because my daughter decided that this
painting was clearly of her,
that we should add earrings. I used two
Swarovski Crystal and craft glue to add the earrings.

To attach the Smoothfoam Disc to the
grapevine wreath, wrap the craft wire around
the wreath leaving 1" lengths at the ends.

Press the ends of the wires into the
side of the Smoothfoam Disc.
Tie a huge tulle bow around the wreath at the
top of the Smoothfoam Disc.

Happy Spring!

DCC Blog Hop - Buttons Galore! and More

2013-03-08T09:53:00.000-06:00

Hop through the web ring and comment
on your favorite BGM projects
to be entered for a chance to win!
BGM buttons and a container from Viewtainer
VIEWTAINER containers have clear walls, come in fun bright colors
with an easy dispensing cap and NO spilling! Proudly made in the USA!

I'll admit it ... I have a button fetish.

I LOVE buttons.

I have jars and jars of them.

I love to pour them out and sift through them.

See? Lots of buttons.

And I couldn't have been happier or

more excited when Buttons Galore! and More sent

me some of their buttons!!

* LOVE *

The arrival of the buttons happened to

coincide with my daughter's

new earring purchase for competition dance.

(Doc and I made her wait until

after Nationals last summer to pierce

her ears, and then she had

to prove that she could take care of them.

So other than the spontaneous

purchase of birth stone mouse ears while

we were at the Happiest Place on Earth! last

summer, she hasn't been allowed

to purchase new earrings or remove hers).

She wanted to keep the earrings

in a small box so she could pour them out

and sift through them ... ah hem...

(I'm not sure where she gets that).

So I used an inexpensive wood

picture frame and a sheet of plastic canvas.

Added a little paint and glue,

and a LOT of buttons,

and ... voila!!!

She loves it.
Here's how I made it:

I painted the frame with two coats of
acrylic paint, then sanded the edges.

Next, I arranged the first layer of buttons

onto the frame, starting with some of

the larger buttons, and attaching

them with Aleene's Tacky Glue.

I continued around the frame with the buttons,
using some of my own stash to fill in
the blanks (since they're not as pretty as
the Buttons Galore and More buttons).

Here are the links to the BGM buttons:
I used their Stitched Buttons,
their Spring Buttons, and their Color Mixes.

I used the cardboard insert from the frame
as a stencil for cutting the plastic
canvas to fit the frame opening.

Insert the canvas into the frame
opening and bend the brads back to secure.

To add extra sparkle, I randomly placed
Swarovski crystals onto the buttons,
and I brushed on a few coats of
Extreme Glitter Hologram paint.

She loves the earring holder!
I can tell. Every time I go into her
bedroom, the earrings are rearranged.

~ Peace and Buttons and Earrings and Stuff ;) ~

DCC Blog Hop ~ First Monday!

2013-03-04T09:37:00.000-06:00

~ Designer Crafts Connection

FIRST MONDAY post! ~

Costume Jewelry ~ Making a Brooch

When I use the word COSTUME in

costume jewelry, I am really

talking about the type of costume

one would wear if one were on stage ...

say ... in a Church Lady number,

for example.

These are three of my favorite Church Ladies.

I just love these girls.

This Church Lady in particular

needed a brooch that was big

but not distracting. ?

I bought an inexpensive ring with a large

filigree base from the discount

jewelry store. I found a string of pearls

at a flea market and cut the string

to remove the pearls.

I used a needle and upholstery thread

to attach the pearls to the ring,

until the ring was completely covered.

Then I used wire snips to remove

the adjustable metal ring band

from the back of the ring,

and I applied a hinge pin with E6000

adhesive. Perfect ...

Quite big, actually, and yet not

distracting. Cool.

Check back on March 9th and hop

through the web ring to see what our creative

group of artists and designers

made with Buttons Galore! buttons!

~ Peace and COSTUME Jewelry ;) ~

Happy Valentine's Day

2013-02-15T10:10:00.002-06:00

You may be wondering why

I haven't posted anything crafty for

Valentine's Day this year.

It's because all my craftiness has

been costume related,

and I totally cheated on the Valentines.

Thank you, Russell Stover, for making

my gift giving easy this year.

Also, Lent started really early and I hated

to buy my kids lots of chocolates

that they couldn't eat until Easter...

thus the pillow pets and cookies and Microsoft points.

I MUSTACHE U ...

... 2B MY VALENTINE!!

~ PeAcE & HoPe YoUr DaY iS AmAzInG!! ~

DCC Blog Hop - Handmade With Love!

2013-02-09T09:20:00.003-06:00

~ Welcome to the February DCC Blog Hop ~

Handmade with Love!!

First of all I might as well admit

that for the past two days I've been in a frenzy

because in addition to the usual

(including but not limited to basketball, dance rehearsals,

injuries, cooking, cleaning, cooking, cleaning,

~ yes, I used those each twice, when frankly

using the word cooking four times per

day and the word cleaning endless times per

day would be a much more accurate

portrayal of what goes on up in here ~

supply organizing, costume making, prop

painting, driving, um ...

did I already say cleaning??)

I've thought that I had a button project

due today.

Turns out, now that I've finished the

button project and I'm editing photos for

the button project and I'm looking

for all the information I have to include about

the button project,

I realize that the button project isn't

due until MARCH.

So it's a good thing I have another

post ready for today.

Doc brought home a recipe the other day.

It was hand-written, from someone
at the office, and there

was no recipe title or name.

I have made this mystery recipe

seven times in seven days.

I have adjusted the amounts of

ingredients to suit

the boys' tastes. And mine.

I might as well admit I've put on four

pounds and it's pretty clear

that this pan of deliciousness is to blame.

*Heat oven to 350 degrees.

*Line a jelly roll pan with heavy duty

aluminum foil.

Trust me ... if you use the regular

strength foil, the caramel coated goodness

will stick to the foil and you will

have to pick and peel tiny slivers of

foil out of your snack before

you eat it. This may or may not make

you cry, but why take that chance??

Ingredients:

Graham Crackers

2 Sticks Unsalted Butter

1 Heaping Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Heaping Cup Chopped Pecans

*Melt butter in saucepan on low heat.
Add brown sugar.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and

boil for 2 minutes.

Don't be discouraged when it looks like this.

Keep on stirring, and eventually

you'll get this: (which is what you want!)

Remove from heat.

*Add vanilla.

*Add the nuts.

~Since I store my nuts in the freezer

to keep them fresh,

I add the nuts and then put the pan

back on the heat and stir

for another 2 minutes.

It's going to be thick, not runny,

but adding cold nuts without putting the

mixture back on the heat just

cools the mixture and makes it really

super hard to spread.

Pour the mixture over the grahams

and spread as well as you can.

It probably won't cover the grahams

completely, but we will fix that.

Bake for five minutes,
then open the oven and use your
wooden spatula to spread the bubbly
mixture thoroughly over all the grahams.
It's MUCH easier to spread
at this point!
Bake another five minutes,
remove from oven and cool for one hour
before breaking apart and
eating the entire pan yourself.

Just kidding.
Sort of.

My boys just LOVE this tasty snack!

~ Peace Out ~

Chicken Tetrazzini

2013-01-30T18:48:00.000-06:00

~ CHICKEN TETRAZZINI ~

This is another family favorite ~

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this

recipe yet, I've probably

made this two dozen times!

~ First of all, I like to douse some frozen

boneless chicken breasts with olive oil and a

pinch of salt. Thaw them in the refrigerator, and

then bake them on a foil-lined

jelly roll pan in a 350* oven for twenty minutes.~

Once the chicken has cooled, I either

shred it or cut it into tiny cubes to use in other

recipes. You'll need 2 cups of cooked

cubed chicken for the Tetrazzini.

Here's what else you'll need:

1 package spaghetti, broken into thirds

1/4 Cup Butter

1/4 Cup Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

1 Cup Chicken Broth

1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

2 Tablespoons Water

2 Cups Cooked Cubed Chicken

1 Can (4 oz) Mushrooms

Sliced Black Olives (optional)

1/2 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Heat oven to 350*. Cook spaghetti as directed

on package. While spaghetti is cooking,

melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat.

Add flour, salt, and pepper.

Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is

smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat.

Stir in broth and whipping cream.

Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.

Boil and stir one minute.

Drain spaghetti.

Stir chicken and mushrooms

into sauce.

Add cooked spaghetti to sauce

and stir thoroughly.

Pour mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish

coated with cooking spray.

Sprinkle with shredded parmesan.

Add sliced olives, if desired.

I can only add olives to half of my

Tetrazzini ... but some day, when my boys

are no longer picky eaters, I will

smother my Tetrazzini with sliced olives!

Just sayin'

Cover casserole with tin foil and

bake for 25 minutes.

Remove foil.

Turn on broiler until cheese has

crisped and turned brown.

Add a garden salad and buttery

toasted bread for a complete meal!

Yummers!!

~ Peace and Sliced Black Olives ~

Ladybug Reindeer

2013-01-24T12:01:00.001-06:00

What do you get when you

cross a ladybug with two cacti?

A reindeer, of course!
Well, a reindeer made from
pre-cut wooden shapes, anyway.
;)

For this reindeer ornament,

you'll need (1) 2" ladybug shape,

(2) 1.25" cacti shapes,

(1) 4" length of ribbon,

acrylic paints in Honey Brown,

Chocolate, Tuscan Red, Black, White,

One Step Crackle,

Gel Stain, a Multi-Purpose Sealer,

and Extreme Glitter Hologram.

(or Extreme Glitter Red, but I was out).

Paint the following:

Cacti - Honey Brown

Ladybug Body - Chocolate

Ladybug Head - Tuscan Red

Brush a generous coat of

One Step Crackle onto the cacti

and allow to dry thoroughly.

Apply Gel Stain and wipe off with

a clean, dry rag.

The gel stain works its way into

the tiny little cracks made

by the One Step Crackle ...

See the tiny crackles??

I Love it!!

Apply Extreme Glitter Hologram

generously over the Reindeer nose.

(Previously referred to as the "Ladybug Head")

Next, cross ribbon ends to form

a loop for hanging.

Attach the ribbon to the back

of the reindeer head with

a hot glue gun:

Attach the two cacti to the

back of the reindeer head;

it's fine if the cacti overlap the

ribbon, that will help keep it in place.

I dipped a paintbrush handle into

white paint to dot the eyes.

Once it was completely dry, I

added black dots to the eyes.

I brushed Multi-Purpose Sealer

over the entire piece.

NOTE: I almost always paint the backs

of my ornaments, but since I was

going to use hot glue to attach the antlers,

I wanted a good adhesion so I

left the back of this ornament unpainted.

Just keepin it real.

Sometimes those boogers fall off,

and we don't want any of that going on,

am I right??

Up next: I have eighty ornaments

to make for classrooms this year.

(that's an 8 and a 0

it's also 10 times 8, or

8 times 10, or 20 times 4, or

4 kids times 20 students per

classroom. And, I should probably do

a recount before I get started.

Cuz I'm pretty sure I heard about

new students somewhere).

What kind of ornament do I want to

make in bulk? I want the ornament to

be special for the kids, something to bring back

(hopefully!) fond memories of elementary school.

So I'll use the school name and/or

their mascot somehow ... but, hmm ...

Here's my 2010 design:

Here's my design from last year:

Oh, wait! Do you hear that?

Yeah, that's Hobby Lobby calling my

name. I'm going to have to make a trip.

No, wait. That's my studio calling

reminding me that I have enough supplies

to make ornaments for the entire town

and I shouldn't be buying more "stuff".

Christmas Inspiration, HERE I COME!!

And I think I might just challenge myself

to make all these ornaments

with supplies I already own.

What d'ya think of that??

~ Peace and Lots of Christmas Ornaments ~