Purse giftcard/money holder

I saw a really cute little purse on "Beth's Paper Cuts" blog.  She made hers using diecuts and it is a flat fold item.  I wanted a little purse that would stand up under the tree or hang on the branches and would hold money or a gift card, sooooo, since I don't have die cuts to use and I am not a very patient person when it comes to working with paper and gluing and such, I set out to make one on my cutter that would work all in one piece...well two when you count the inside piece, but the main purse is just one shot that needs to be folded and can be embellished however you like.  I just wanted to make sure it cut on paper how I thought it would in my head and this is what I came up with.  simple embellishment for the closure.  I kind of like how it turned out and will defiintely make these for the cash and gift card recipients on my list this year! I used one sided paper, and of course double sided paper would work best, or you could just cut two of the single sides and tack them together with runner tape. TFL :)

Snowman Muffin Tin

I love the beautiful red background and snowmen that are hand painted onto an old muffin tin, they are gorgeous!  But, I love vinyl and I wanted my snowmen to have a blue background to get a colder feel...snowmen and blue represent cold to me lol.   Thank God for the dollar store!  I painted the blue and white and then sprayed it all with a varnish so it will hold up, if I choose to hang it outside, then added the vinyl faces, lettering and snowflakes.  This is my version of the muffin tin snowman with vinyled instead of hand painted faces. TFL

Dragonfly Zipper Pull

I found a really cool little beaded dragonfly on pinterest.  I have tons of beads so after seeing it I drug out all of my beads to see if I had what I needed to make it.  Now the one I saw on pinterest had the bead hole of the wings on the end of the bead.  I didn't have any of those.  The only wing type beads I had went from end to end, so I improvised by using a small bead at the end of the wing to be able to thread it back through the wing and on to the next wing.  I think it turned out ok for not seeing any directions and just doing my own thing lol. TFL

HTV Onsies

A good friend from highschool and I have kept in touch since graduating, 34 years later, her Son and his wife are having their very first baby (her second grandchild).  The shower is coming up soon and so I thought I would make some onsies with HTV.  I can't wait to give them to the happy couple!   I would have loved to have been able to make them more specific, but since this is the first baby for this couple, they want to be suprised with the sex so we don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet...we'll find out soon though, she is due in November. I think my favorite is the "Potty like a rockstar" shirt.  TFL

Happy Hallo-Scream

This is probably one of my favorite new files in the Halloween section.  I saw a sign in a store that just simply said, "Happy Hallo-Scream" and I thought cute, but so plain!  Immediately my brain was reeling with the possibilities of what I could do, so I went home and set to work!  This is the results.  It's a devilish little

child trapped in the crystal ball of an evil, wicked witch.  I love how it turned out!  TFL

Giving back to the Community

There is a very special little girl in our community who has seizures. They have reached the point to where she could lose her life if medication is not administered fast enough. The family of this little girl needs to buy her a special dog that will be able to alert parents and her teachers of an impending seizure up to one half hour before the seizure comes on. The problem with this is that the dog costs appx $13,000.00. Our community is coming together with several fundraisers to help this sweet little girl, one of them being a silent auction. I thought since Halloween is just right around the corner, I would make these two Decorative Halloween Signs to donate to the silent auction. TFL

Fabric Christmas Tree Ornament

I had seen these on pinterest and really loved the look of them, but...I hate sewing lol, I will do it if I have to but it's definitely not my favorite thing to do.  Anyway, the original pattern has all this sewing that I really cut down on.  In the original pattern you fold the circle in half, right sides facing, sew outer edge of the circle to nearly the top, turn it all right side out, iron in place then fold and iron again and sew any imbellishments to it that you want. Not this girl!  I decided to skip all that prior sewing and ironing. I folded it, ironed it and then sewed rickrack to the outer edge, covering up the edge of the fabric so you don't see it.  I added some more rickrack to the top for a hanger.  Much easier, and in a fraction of the time..  I like how it looks and am happy with it. :)  TFL

Business Decals

Recently cut some custom decals for a friend of mine. Tried to convince him to let me put a little more realistic and not so cartoonish looking man inside a whirlwind dust storm, but he wanted it to be exactly like the logo on his business cards.  So this was the result, the logos are on both sides of the van.  He was pleased as punch and now wants me to make 4 magnet logos for their vehicles.  YAY! lol :)  TFL

Minecraft Shoes

I saw these shoes on "thegreenwife.com" and knew I had to make a pair for my grandson who will be turning 11 in September.  He is a huge minecraft fan!  I didnt have paint markers, but I did have brand new sharpie markers!  Ionly had two colors of green and a deep turquoise color that seemed to blend pretty good with the greens, so I thought I would try them out.  Here is the result.

 I hope he likes them!  TFL

Wedding Plate and Keepsake Tag

I did this wedding plate as a gift for a same-sex couple.  I was really kinda bummed out because I didn't have my SCAL to work with, so I did the best I could using only my cricut cartridges.  I guess it turned out ok.  I was feeling crafty and decided that I wanted to make a decorative keepsake tag to put on the package as well.  Their colors were black, red and yellow, but I decided just to follow a black and white theme throughout.    Below are the results.  TFL

Keepsake Wedding Tag

 Close-up of smaller tags hanging from larger tag

Keepsake page attached to package.

Crocodile Stitch Christmas Tree

Saw these adorable little Christmas trees on pinterest done in crochet yarn.  Wondered what they would look like using Crochet thread instead.  I had lots of turquoise beads and just decided to use black thread.  In the original pin that I saw, they sewed the beads on randomly after the crocheting was done.  On this particular project, I decided to thread the beads before I started crocheting and just slid them up the thread as I needed them.  It worked very well, but not so sure I like the outcome of pre-threading them.  I think I actually prefer the random look.  Live and learn through trial and error lol.  TFL

 This is what it looked like before stitching it together in back.

This is what it looked like after stitching, free standing and not yet formed.

Dual Color Braided Ribbon Wreath

After watching a tutorial yesterday on how to make the braided ribbon wreaths, I wondered why I haven't seen more than one color braided together and then wondered if it could even be done and still look good, so I sat down to try it.  This was the result.  It can be done!  For those of you who would like to know how, you can look up any tutorial on braided ribbon wreaths.  The difference in one and two colors is that with two colors, I did not fold my ribbon to find a center point.  Instead, I left a long tail and made my loop with both strands of ribbon held together.  Then just like the single color, I pulled the bottom color through the loop to begin the braiding process, leaving the second color hanging, while I pulled the loop down tight to secure both colors.  You then just alternate the colors, whatever color the loop is, you pull the other color through it.  When I got to the end, I wove both sides of ribbon though the opposite sides on the back to secure the wreath shape.  I then made a bow with both colors to put on the front bottom at the joining and secured it with hot glue.  I also glued a little loop to the back in order to hang it.  TFL

Easiest Ribbon Rose you will ever make!

All these years I have been rolling and folding my ribbon roses, sometimes they look beautiful, sometimes not so great and they had to be started all over...time consuming and tedious, especially if you want to make several.  Today I learned how to make them a different way, a way that is so simple, even your children can do it!  These would make great little roses for most any project and the best part is that you can use any size ribbon and the results will be equally as beautiful.  This would be a great project for mommy and daughter to do to make some cute little headbands.

For this tutorial, I used a 12 inch length of 1/2 inch ribbon. You will need more ribbon for the larger sizes.
Fold your ribbon in half and hold the center point between your thumb and pointer fingers.  Take the bottom ribbon and fold it over the top and hold it, you will simply continue to pick up the bottom ribbon and fold it over the top ribbon until the ribbon is completely folded.  It should be a nice little square shape of folded ribbon when you are done.   When you are have folded it as far as you wish to fold, hold on to the last two folded squares of ribbon and let the rest go.  I should then look like this:

close up view of what it looks like when you let loose of the squares.

You will then take the bottom ribbon, yet again, while holding loosely onto the top.  Pull the bottom ribbon as far as you can pull it and you will see the rose take shape before your very eyes!  This is what it will look like then:

Now you simply get out the hot or cold melt glue gun and secure the last two folds to keep the ribbon in shape.  Cut your ends so that they don't show and there you have a very easy, super simple, yet beautiful little rose.  My head is spinning thinking of all the things I can use these roses on!

Garden Maidens

I have a wonderfully creative friend named Deniece Halford.  She made these awesome garden maidens and they were just way too beautiful not to share with everyone.  I have wanted to make these every since I first saw them, but wouldn't you know it, I can't find the darn doll heads anywhere! :( boo hiss! lol.

She started out with three doll heads that she found at the thrift shop.

 Then she cut their hair very short.

once that was done, Deniece cut the tops of the heads off.  She said this was the toughest part as the heads were very stiff and sturdy.  Perhaps using tin snips after making the first initial incision would work much easier than using scissors.

Once this process was complete, she sprayed them with gray paint,

While the paint was still wet she sprinkled them with sand which gives the doll a faux concrete/hypertufa look.  The doll was then sprayed with clear varnish as a sealant.

Once they were thoroughly dried, she planted the plants of her choice and the result is this beautiful set of garden maidens.  You can find Deniece on Facebook.

By the way, the total cost of Deniece's Garden Maidens was as follows:

Total Cost = $14.00
$4 at thrift store for doll heads. $6 for plants, $4 for paint and varnish. versus the $108.00 ones that she viewed at her local garden center.  Now that is an amazing bargain! 

Hawaiian themed Birthday party

My beautiful grand daughter Gigi turned 6 today and she wanted to have a Hawaiian themed birthday party.

Her momma decided to make the cupcakes and cake for her birthday and I thought they turned out so cute that I just had to share them with you!  The pictures don't do justice to the real thing.  My favorite was the plumeria flower cupcakes that she made with Key Lime cake and pink lemonade frosting.  The flowers were done with marshmallow slices, if you can believe that and miniature marshmallows for the center and pink sprinkles for color!  She made it look so simple and they turned out so  beautiful!

The flipflops were just adorable and were done with pink lemonade cake and pink lemonade frosting,

The sand and surf cupcakes were key lime cake with vanilla frosting and graham crackers for the sand.  They were a big hit with the boys at the party.  TFL

Weddings, Weddings Weddings!

Gosh, I feel like I have been gone forever!  My computer gave up the ghost and I am finally back!
So many things to post but to start off today I am posting some recent things that I have done for some weddings.
The first is as set of  cups that the bride gave to her wedding party as gifts.  Her colors were mint and yellow.  When I first heard it, I was thinking...hmmm, I'm not so sure...but I have to be honest, I love this color scheme together.

The next items I did as gifts for a friends wedding presents.  Just a simple plate and a set of wine glasses that said bride and groom on them.  Not sure why the plate looks so dirty...it was actually crystal clear...maybe its my laptop reflecting on it ...anyway, I put green behind the second plate pic. to take care of the reflection glare. The plate was decorated for a Hawaiian themed wedding.  The flowers and flourishes are all done in light cream and the names and dates in white.

The last one was done as a result of the bride's mother falling in love with her daughter's wedding gift and asked me if I could do done very similar for her nephew's (the bride's cousin) wedding that was taking place in two weeks.  in case you can't read the second name it is Quyen, pronounced "Quinn"  TFL

St Patrick's Day

I'll tell you what...in all the years this partly Irish girl has been doing corned beef and cabbage, this is the first time I have ever decided to try it in the crock pot, mostly because I had so many other things going on that same day so I decided to do it the "set and forget" way.  I have never had a corned beef that turned out sooooo very tender as this one did!  I will never go back to the old way.  Dinner was delicious and there were no leftovers at all!  Oh an my soda bread turned out so pretty this year that I decided to share a pic of it with all of you! :)  So nice and crusty on the outside and tender and melt in your mouth flaky on the inside...and with only four ingredients, who can go wrong?   I know I should have posted the recipe before St. Patrick's Day, but this bread is great with any hearty soup or stew as well...even with chili! TFL

Irish Soda Bread Recipe:
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly flour baking sheet. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Mix in enough buttermilk to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball. Turn out onto lightly flour surfaced and knead just until dough holds together, about 1 minute. Shape dough into 6-inch-diameter by 2-inch-high round. Place on prepared baking sheet. Cut 1-inch-deep X across top of bread, extending almost to edges. Bake until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on bottom, about 35 minutes. Transfer bread to rack and cool completely.

Crocheted Curtain Edging

A very good friend of mine had a beautiful shade tree in her front yard, that they recently had to remove, which provided lots of shade for her front porch deck.  After the removal of the tree, she found that too much sun shone directly into her living room in the early morning, so she had an idea to do some shabby chic curtains, but couldn't find the type of lace that she wanted.  I told her I could crochet the edging for her and so we set out to gather the materials we would need to do so.  She already had the white sheets that she intended to use and she decided to go with a more natural cotton twine.  This is the result of my crocheting the seven inch edging on to the curtains and her sewing the curtains to the length needed.  I think they turned out really quite nice, and she loved the finished look of them.  TFL

Updated pics of the Monster High Party (picture heavy)

Just a few pics of the finalizations of the party.  I learned something important...I AM DEFINITELY NOT A CAKE DECORATOR!!!!  haha, but Lylli loved it and that is all that matters.  I have no patience for it and to top it off I couldn't use scall with my cricut cake because I didn't have the software update and was afraid that if I updated, I wouldn't be able to use my SCAL soooooo, I had to use the diamond on the cartridge that came with it and ended up with one layer instead of two.  But on a positive note, the cake topper came out just adorable.  Again, Lylli absolutely loved the cake and all her friends thought she was so lucky..so it was all good :)  TFL

renamed sodas

Picture taking area, 

Personalized cups for each girl (14 of them!) stuffed with prizes instead of goodie bags

Dress-up clothes and accessories for photo op

sign for dress up

close up of accessories

finished marshmallow nail polish treats

close up of the glam squad area

glam squad area

glam squad face repair sign

 another sign

 yet another sign

 the birthday banner with coffins, bats, hearts and VINYL!!! :)

 the Creepeteria sign

 mas'scare'ade masks

personalized Lip gloss containers, ready to go

 close up of the banner

 sign for bathroom door

 Roll call sign in (had the moms write girls names and addresses so that we can send out thank you notes with the pictures of their daughter dressed up at the party.

close up of roll call sign

The Cake, such as it was lol....you can see on the top and side where it began to crack open...I filled it with frosting as best I could.The kids didn't even notice it, they just couldn't wait to dig into it!  Ah well, such is life

 The first table set up...we had this one and an 8 ft table to accomodate everyone

Lylli modeling her brand new, specially made Monster High Tutu made by Alicia Cockerum from Pixie Tutu's, you can find her on Facebook! :)  Thanks again Alicia!  Notice the pic was taken after lylli did her own makeup! lol