Day 4: Thankful For My Thanksgiving Wreath

My door was looking rather blah after I took down all the Halloween decorations. So I figured I would make something fall-ish. I knew I wanted simple and wanted to use felt. 

I started with a piece of round cardboard (from a frozen pizza, ha ha ha) as my starting point. Using some felt I already had and a hot glue gun, I created the first covered round. 

Then I started on my flowers. Again, I wanted simplicity, so I took leftover squares from blanket making and trimmed them into circles. The I cut the circles in a spiral pattern. I then took the rounded end for the center, and wrapped each layer accordingly. I secured the end piece with a dab of glue and then flipped the flower over and used hot glue on the back as well, to make sure they kept their shape.

 

When all the flowers were complete I arranged them on the cloth covered circle. I thought it looked cute, but it needed another color to lighten it up. I also wanted the wreath to be a bit bigger. So, I cut another circle out of cardboard, covered it in cloth and then adhered it to the back. I liked this look much better :)

 Next for the ribbon. I went with brown to accent the brown flowers. I cut the desired length of ribbon for the hanger, and then started working on the bow. This bow was super easy. Just take a few strips of ribbon (descending sizes if you want the loops to be smaller in the middle), fold so the ends meet in the middle, angle slightly and then glue together. Use as many or as few as you wish. I wanted a small but somewhat full bow, so I continued to layer until my liking.

Once the bow was set I decided it need some bling. I added varying size faux pearls to the centers of my flowers to make them pop a bit. For the top bling, I added a dab of hot glue on a piece of wax paper and then arranged the pearls in the design I liked. (You have to work quick before the glue dries). Once set, I peeled the arrangement from the wax paper and glued it to the center of my bow.

After I attempted to hang the wreath, I realized I needed another loop of ribbon at the top because the wreath hook was so large. I just cut another strip of ribbon and glued it to the back. I made it small enough so it would blend in with the bow.

And here is the final product :)

Day 3: The Stand Will Stand Again

I have this little plant stand that I have been hiding from my husband for years. He has tried desperately to rid of it. Every move, spring cleaning, bulk pick-up, and even some trash days he has asked to put it out. But I think it is cute. Old and beat up, but cute nonetheless. Well, I finally found the spot for it and gave it little make-over.

Silly me, I forgot to take a "before" picture, but you can probably picture it - old, dingy, boring brown wood with knicks and the case of the wobblies. Well I fixed the wobblies (just needed a little tightening) and took the idea from Pinterest to use Elmer's glue to create a crackled look. While I love the rustic look of the crackle, something about it seems too "country-ish" to me. So, I decided to use some more modern colors (really, can you go wrong with black and red?) and then add a clear gloss over top for some shine.

Here are some pictures before the gloss overcoat. (It was just too matte for me and I really wanted the red to pop more). To get this I applied a layer of Elmer's glue directly to the wood, using my finger. Waited a bit for it to get "tacky" (but NOT dry) and then took my paint brush with color (acrylic - red with a bit o' black) and lightly went over the glue. Only use one stroke on an area and only go in one direction, otherwise the glue will not crackle correctly. I let the first coat dry and decided to add another. I could still see some of the wood beneath the colors, and wanted to cover it up. I repeated the previous steps and really liked how it looked. Talk about instant gratification from watching the crackle start after only a few minutes. Pretty darn cool if you ask me. And the best part?  I did it with inexpensive school glue and acrylic paint I already had. Score!

(Note to self: Stock up on school glue next time it is like 25 cents a bottle)

Before gloss:

 

After gloss:

 

 

Post note: Now that the gloss has had a few days to set, it is not quite as shiny as above.

It turned out perfect! I can't wait to use it for photos and plants.

Inspired By: Pinterest

Day 2: Fall is in the Air...and it Smells Divine

I love when I walk through the front door and there is an inviting scent welcoming me - especially after a long day. This quick recipe is just the right thing to make that happen.

The directions on Pinterest called for orange peels and cinnamon.  I didn't have many oranges in the fridge, so I threw in some apple peels and a couple drops of vanilla too. It smelled heavenly and the scent lasted all day :)

Directions: Add orange peels and a Tablespoon of cinnamon to boiling water and reduce to a simmer - VIOLA! (Yah, it really is that easy)

Inspired By: Pinterest

Day 1: Spaghetti n' Dogs

I am always looking for new recipes that the kids will enjoy. (What parent isn't?)

I saw this on Pinterest and thought I would give it a go. It seemed simple enough and only consists of spaghetti noodles and hot dogs - pretty impossible to mess up.

 2 Ingredients: Hot dogs & uncooked spaghetti noodles

 Slice up as many hot dogs as you think you will need. This picture shows 

four dogs, sans the ends. Then add the spaghetti noodles one at a time. 

(I used about 8 noodles per hot dog slice.)

 Add noodles and hot dogs to boiling water and cook to desired noodle flexibility :)

 Drain noodles and dogs. 

(And "ooooh and ahhhh" over how awesome they look)

 Serve with a side of ketchup...or whatever else you prefer.

I actually thought they were tasty by themselves. No dipping sauce needed.

Super easy, fast, and yummy!

Inspired by: Pinterest

One A Day: The Art Vitamin For Me

I've given it some thought, and I am pretty certain that art makes me who I am. Now while art alone does not define me - as I am so many others things as well - it does make up a rather large portion. You know that expression, "She was born with glitter in her veins"? Well that is how I feel...only light on the glitter. I truly feel like art runs through me. The ideas, the process, the final piece - it all awakens me from within. I know, sounds deep, huh? I am trying not to sound like a nut, but I can't find any other way to put it. I think and then I create. It is me, I am it. Get where I am going with this?

Since my artwork tends to be large in size and take some time to complete, I feel an uncontrollable need to create smaller things in between completions. Mostly "crafty" things that interest me along the way. Things I see somewhere and say, "oh, I need to try that".  They are usually things with the kiddos, for parties, or some type of house decor. Crafty things. And while they are usually simple, they keep my artistic side updated and fresh.

I've found that if I do just one thing that provides instant (or almost instant) gratification, my day seems more complete. And since I have been told by others that I should blog these things, then perhaps I will do just that. Some day's projects may be simple and others may be more complex, but I will attempt to, for one full year, create something new and share it on my blog. That is 365 "things"... I can do it.

So follow along if you so desire and I'll lead you to my soul...er, uh, ummm.....creations.

Oh, and one more thing. I am a complete Pinterest (www.pinterest.com) addict so a lot of ideas and projects come straight from there. Something I re-pinned today pretty much sums it up:

Pinterest is to women, as fantasy football it to men :)

Foamie Sticker Fun

I feel like I should post my daughter's latest artwork too.

I needed something to keep her busy during my son's football practice yesterday. It was a total impromptu thing and for a 1 1/2 year old I thought she did pretty good - even added some dimension. And the best part...it kept her busy for almost an hour. One point for foamie stickers!

Items:

* Heart-shaped foamie stickers ($1 from Dollar Tree)
* Scratch pad paper (I would have rather used card stock, but only had the scribble pad with me)
* Large black foamie sheet (To create a border and make it more sturdy for hanging)

Pretty cute!

I'm Back (and Outdoor Fun!)

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I left my job (well, the one that pays). There has been no rest though. With a new house, wedding, two munchkins and a loving husband.....this girl has been busy! After finally getting the playroom in order yesterday I feel like I have accomplished something so I treated myself to a little art project today.

School starts in a few days for my big third grader, so I thought I would jump start his creativity. That, and it is actually really nice outside today and I know there won't be many days like this left. So, an outdoor activity it was!

Our  playroom (loft) has a blank wall that is in need of some color. Since most of the toys and furniture in this area of the house are primary colors we just went with those.

What you'll need:

*Acrylic paint (I didn't use the expensive kind. Michaels had them on sale today for 77 cents a bottle. )
*Something squishy to throw. (We used these great rubber balls that I found at Target for $1 a piece)
*Drop cloth (And old sheet would work great too)
*Blank canvas(es) (If you wanted to make this a more "simple" project paper would work too.)
*Thumbtacks (Or something else to hold up the drop cloth. A clothesline and clothespins also works)
*Paper or plastic plates or bowls (I find that plastic plates work best)
* Something to prop up the canvas (This goes behind the drop cloth so it will be protected from paint)
* A place you don't mind getting a little messy! (We took this project outside!)

 Getting Started:
-Set up drop cloth (We pinned it to two trees, used rocks for weights and a hose container for the prop)
-Place canvas on the drop cloth (against the prop)
-Lay out the plates and add paint.
-Roll the balls (or other objects) in the paint
-Stand back and THROW!!!!!

What we found worked best:

A hose nearby for occasional hand washing and to rinse of the balls if the colors started to mix is nice to have.
Different angles, speed of the ball, and proximity to the canvas creates different designs.

We can't wait to hang these in the playroom!
(We will use non-marking velcro to hang the canvases on the wall since the backs are flat)