Girls Trip!

August 26, 2010

Tomorrow I leave for my friend Diane's Birthday weekend in Napa.  There's 11 of us going from the 'hood and it will be F-U-N fun.  Since we are going to the wine country and specifically several wineries there, I made these little personalized wine charms for all the wine glasses we will be using at the rental house.
This is the one I made for Diane ("50") and a letter for everyone else.  The only duplicates were two K's for two Karens.  Ha! Go figure!  And since I will not be drinking wine at the house (I'm strictly beer these days) we should be good.

I even got these cute little boxes from my favorite store, The Container Store, to "gift wrap" them.

And since I'm getting all Martha-y, I stopped by a scrap booking store to get my supplies for this Happy Birthday banner:

Not too bad for my first solo foray into chipboard and glitter.  Although, the nice gal at Melrose Vintage set me up with every thing so I didn't really do a thing except pick the shape and colors.  Fancy!

I'll update when I return from the weekend celebration!

Question:  What was your favorite birthday celebration?
Mine would have to be my 40th birthday at the Happiest Place on Earth with the entire family.  I'm hinting for DisneyWORLD for #45.

Glue + Cork + Burlap = Lovely

August 13, 2010

I am not the craftiest person I know, so I am pretty pleased with myself today.
I bought this ugly "decor" at my favorite neighborhood consignment store, Smarty Pants for $7.  Really I paid nothing because I had clothes that I had consigned.

The painted flower pot is not at all cute, but I liked the use of the cabinet door as a hanging decoration.

It sat in my guest room for months while I thought about what color I might paint it.  Then I had an "aha" moment.  I had recently bought some cork for a coaster and thought I could make a cork board where the lovely flower painting is.  

Then I got even more clever and thought about Mod Podge-ing some scrapbook paper onto the cork so it would be prettier.  My friend, Nikki, saw me starting this project and said, "Hey, burlap would look good over the cork."   And, what do you know? I happened to have some burlap I  picked up as a remnant when I had new pillow cases made.  

So I glued (spray adhesived actually) the burlap to the cork and then to the frame, and . . .

A new old jewelry organizer for my room.

Some straight pins to hold my earrings and the hooks (those were already there) for some necklaces.

And this sweet sign my friend Jeannette gave me.  

I think it looks pretty good for a non-crafty person.

Karen

P.S.  I have been forgetting my questions....

What are your hobbies?  Mine are reading and the occasional craft.  I guess I have no "real" hobbies.

Wall Art

June 5, 2010

Grace and I made these cute wall decorations for her room last week.

We saw them at a little shop in Mesa.  The shop used several small hoops but Grace wanted the BIG ones so we super-sized the project.

It's just embroidery hoops I spray painted white and fabric stretched in the hoop and trimmed off.  I didn't even hang the smallest hoop, it;s just resting on the others.  Easy peasy.  But now that I see it from a different perspective, I am going to go adjust them so they don't look like they are leaning to the right.

Christmas Decor Update & Gingerbread Houses

December 6, 2009


So you all have been just dying to know what "something" I found for that vintage-tin shelf Cathy gave me for my birthday, haven't you??
I went to a craft fair Friday night looking for just that special "something."

I got this star. . .
from Tricia, the talented lady who helped me make the Haunted House of Wax in October.

Alas, when I got home it was too tall for the shelf.

 But it looks good on a wall by itself.

I foun this fun garland at Frances. . .

This "vintage" art is just PERFECT for the shelf!

How happy does this smiling girlie make you?

And the glitter letters make me MERRY just looking a them.

GINGERBREAD HOUSES

OK. . . I was going to save this event for a blog post of its very own,

but, I'm usually too pooped on Mondays to do much when I get home, so I am sharing it now while there are no kids or husband at home (ahhhh. . . the quiet).

Grace, Emmie, Kathy, and I made gingerbread houses today at ACC.

All the fun, none of the clean up!

Actually, Grace and Emmie made them.

 Kathy and I watched and took pictures.

Here they are intently decorating . . .

Emmie apparently inherited her Mother's affinity for well-matched accessories

and craftiness

Here's Grace's . . . more (non-Christmas) colors, but just as pretty

The other side is a tad more traditional . . .

The "back door" and window (I thought it was an animal)

Ta Da!

Karen

Crafty Kid

October 7, 2009

Today Grace, Aunt Kackery (aka Kathy), Emmie and some of Emmie cutie-pie friends had an after-school crafty-play date.  They made these adorable bottle cap necklaces.  Kathy is more talented than Martha Stewart.  Just imagine old Martha trying to do this project with four six year olds and a fourth grader.  I don't think she'd have the patience Kathy had. 
Here's how it went:
Kathy made a hole in the cap with a nail.  Then she painted the bottle caps, long before the girls arrived.  Cause those kids have no time to sit and watch paint dry...who does? 
The girls picked out several designs Kathy had made ahead of time (more good thinking on her part).
Cover the designs with clear packing tape, then cut out the design in a circle shape, and glue to the cap.
Put a circle of Elmer's Glue around the inside of the cap, cover with teeny-tiny beads. 
More waiting for glue to dry. 
Put on a Sound of Music skit (only if you are a funny little girl under the age of 10).  What better way to pass the time?!
Place the ring (purchased at Michael's) in the hole and thread the colorful ribbon through.
Waa Laa. 
Beauty-ful jewelry. 
Here it is:

How lucky are we to have an Aunt Kackery? 


Karen