eat.

merrill hates the obviously stated.

hates it.

so being the wonderful wife that I am, I decided that it would be cute, to post something stated quite obviously, because I thought it would be cute and rather fitting.

while hunting down corbels for a project that has cost me much time, sweat, and tears, I came across these at hobby lobby.

aren’t they cute!!  they are about 2 feet long.  so fun.

I had to put the word eat above them..  had to do it.

and merrill hates it.

(maybe hate is too strong a word.)

he really dislikes the obvious stated.

“I know what to do when I see a knife and fork.”

(maybe sometime I will have to go into more of this particular conversation wherein he told me that he resents me for making him read everyday.  “you put this stuff up around the house that I have to read..  I pass it everyday, and I know what it says, but every time I pass it, I have to read it.”  see, resentment.)

oh well.  I think it’s cute.

I look forward to making the word “read” and hanging it in the reading area downstairs.

(I love my scroll saw.)

and before we leave the subject of eat..

(didn’t we, when I started talking about reading?…)

I made these.

found on pinterest.

they are good.  and I am talking about every step of the process, from licking out the sweetened condensed milk can, to cleaning the pan, to you know, eating them…

(I used yellow cake batter cake mix.  it is merrill’s favorite and I used it trying to coax him into liking my “eat” wall wordage.)

(hey, the tasty bribes worked with the wee ones.)

(don’t judge me.)

but I would suggest following her recipe for the glaze.

this silly woman (finger pointing at me) thought she knew better, tweaked it a bit, and well, we were left eating them like this:

with a spoon.

but they are tasty.

(and the picture isn’t as pretty as hers.)

let the countdown begin!!

i am one of those kind of moms..
the kind that would rather have her kids home more than anything!
i sincerely look forward to summer..  this year we are counting down in style.

got kinda crafty (despite the fact that i am currently homeless, craftroom type homeless, that is..) and made these.
i used crystal wilkerson’s “sweet summertime” papers, mod-podge, acrylic paint, my trusty sander, some contact paper and black vinyl, and my cricut (doodletype font), and these wood blocks (that heaven knows i have plenty of..).
(see all those cute papers?)

i sanded my blocks pretty darn good, if i do say so myself, and then gave them just a coat of white acrylic paint.  while that was drying, i cut my papers and rounded all the corners.  those got mod-podged on the blocks and then top-coated with more mod-podge after they dried. 
i used the contact paper as a stencil after i cut out the numbers with the cricut.  i spaced between each number and then used my rotary cutter (think my fabric rotary cutter..  sooo easy!) while the contact paper was still on my cutting sheet to separate the numbers.  peel, stick, and paint!  i did find, after doing one set with the foam brush, that it is best to use a little paint on the brush and then a scrunched-up paper towel to pounce the paint around where you need it.  it ends up looking aged and not so bold.
one block gets 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 on it and the other gets 0, 1, 2, 6 (which upside-down works as your 9), 7 and 8.
the lettering was a bit too tricky at 3/4 inch to use as a stencil, so i just cut out vinyl and stuck it down.
i top-coated it all with more mod-podge and let it dry.
then i sanded some more..  i like that distressed look.  they looked perfectly cute the way they were, and they could be left that way if you want. 
but i sanded more, roughed them up real good.  then i brushed them off, and mod-podged another protective coat.
i love mine…
and well, if there is a day this summer break when my kids drive me nuts, like to the breaking point..  i can let them all know how i feel by flipping them around…
  :D
p.s. there are some great deals happening over at jessica sprague..  a sale starting today and going through sunday for insd (international scrapbooking day) all scrapbooking supplies are 25% off.  if you spend $20 or more, there is an additional 10% off!!  and then there’s one that will last the whole month of may (hello!!  birthday month there!!).  buy one item, and get one of equal or lesser value (from the same designer, no mixing and matching) for freee!!!
see, go have fun..

Christmas in July #2..

Yup..
I am ever aware just how far away July is.  It is so far in the rearview at this point, but now is when I also have the time..

This sweet little block was inspired by a craft idea I saw on “How Does She”, but this version has a couple of twists to it.
(But gotta give credit where credit is due!!)
I simply took a 4x4 post, cut it, with some help ;), down to 12 inches.  It also works great in other lengths.
I painted the edges that would later peek through the paper and let it dry while I cut my scrapbook paper.  I chose to round the corners on this one, I like the way it turned out.
Next, I modge podged that cute pre-cut scrapbook paper onto the block and let it dry while getting all the wrinkles and bubbles out.
When the modge podge and paper combo. was thoroughly dry, I marked on the top, very lightly, 12 staggered little dots where I drilled with a 1/16 inch drill bit.
(You might want to distress it by sanding and staining here a little too..)
I cut wire in two lengths, 8 and 11 inches, curled half (sometimes a little more), and kinked the base of the curl. Those got stuffed in the drilled holes (and can be glued if your kiddos are like mine…  I used E6000).
So cute to display cards, pictures, notes, or even activities for the holidays, snowy days, or even birthdays..
I have a Christmas one too..  this one is for my January Snowman theme.  But I will be making many more!  A birthday display block is next on my list.  Let me know if you want to play too!

Christmas in July series: Part 1

Yes, I know, it is no longer July, but it was when I made these…

I love Nativities, LOVE them.
I like even more, when they are virtually indestructible.
(Three very excitable little girls helped teach me to love that aspect of a good Nativity.)
So here’s your supply list:

- 2x2 cut into 3 separate lengths; 5 inches (Joseph), 4 inches (Mary), and 3 inches (manger).
- 1 2-2 1/2 inch wooden infant (I bought the old school clothespins and cut them down to 2 inches).
- 3 6x6 squares of cloth
- hemp or other fiber (optional)
- paint, paint brushes, and sandpaper.
- Hot glue.
(My specific paint colors were: Light Foliage Green, Wedgwood Blue, AC Flesh, Light Ivory, and Burnt Umber; all Delta brand.)
I only did one coat of paint, and distressed all the pieces but the heads after they dried with the sandpaper.
Glue on the heads too.  You don’t want to miss that step!
See, they are cute..
But we’ll add to that.
 
For the fabric head dresses, take and fold down about 1/2 inch, then do it again to hide the raw edge.
Once..

And again..

Place a dot of glue in the center top of the head, and position the folded section of the fabric on top.

Dot some glue in the middle back to attach the fabric.

Repeat for the other half of our pair.
If desired, cut some fiber and tie it around the head after the fabric is attached.

And now for our little guy…

All you really see is his little head, so you don’t HAVE to paint the body, unless you are obsessive like me…  and this is how we swaddle him.
Fold the fabric in half diagonally and place your little guy in the center, the top of his head at the fold.

Fold down, one corner at a time, and securing with a dot of glue, so it looks like this:

And then like this:

The next fold makes a tighter wrap against the body.  Secure these with a dab of glue too.
 
So he looks like this:

And then, dabbing some glue on the bottom “V”, fold the tail up to meet the “V” in the neck.
 
Glue your little bundle on the manger, and re-unite the happy family.

Double duty.

I am loving using all sides of everything lately.

My next theme for decorations is “Sunshine” and I had these blocks to do, but couldn’t leave that other side bare…

So I hashed it out, and “Thankful”, was what fit perfectly!

Call me crazy..

But I am slightly excited for fall.
I know..  I know..  it’s still summertime, an I do not wish it away or wish for it to go by any faster than it already is, but Halloween is one of my favorites, and crafting for it is heavenly.
So I was excited to have these come together..  they have been sitting around since last fall…

I used a scrap wood post that has been sitting outside, getting nicely weathered and worn, mod podge, scrapbook paper, sand paper, the remnant of a white curtain rod from the girls room cut and then painted chocolate brown and then moss green and sanded, oh, and love.

And when you turn them around, they are all ready for Thanksgiving and fall fun!

July crafts.

I was working away, trying to get my July crafts finished before July began, and well, I succeeded in at least getting them finished before the fourth.

What can I say…

Busy fun.

I have been trying to find some relaxing time crafting.  Can’t wait to do more, and to scrapbook with the fun new paper I bought..

(Like I need any more paper…)

Guess who’s line this was made with?..

If you guessed Crystal Wilkerson, you’d be right!

I was probably a wee bit too giddy when I found her paper at my favorite scrapbooking store.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE digi, but I also love to use my hands and actual product.  It is quite therapeutic..

I {heart} brackets

With my craft room in working order again, I have gotten to some long awaited projects..
My magnet board in the kitchen just needed a little "something"..
So I added a "P".
But then the "P" needed a little something too..
That is where the {brackets} came in.

But did you know, that with all the fun wood cut-outs that are out there, there are NO BRACKETS?!  What an atrocity, I know.
I took my Alphalicious Font cartridge and new Cricut Expression, cut out some brackets at 7 and 1/4 inches, traced them onto some scrap wood, and went to visit my scroll saw.
I love that thing..
After some sanding, and a quick coat of spray paint, I ran the paper brackets through my Xyron (with permanent adhesive, of course..) and adhered them to the black brackets.
A little more sanding, some cute trim tied to one, and PERFECT!!

I guess the only thing I would be missing is a calendar for the year 2009..
But I have made it this far in the year..  why bother? ;)

The Butterfly Project..

I had mentioned the butterflies would be taking flight, and while it took a bit longer than I wanted for them to take off, they have.
Flight took off a while ago actually, but with all of this moving fun, it took me even longer to get to this post. :)
The first step is to find an outline to use for tracing purposes and print it off in various sizes to get you different sized butterflies.
I used a FREE PhotoShop brush, found here.
I stamped it down on my project sheet, then stroked the outline to get my lines. I printed it off and used one of my favorite tricks to get the lines on to the wood.
You pencil in a wide line over the printed line (sloppiness is appreciated in this step :D).


Then do the same on the back side of the paper.


When you put your paper on the wood, and trace over the lines again, the lead transfers onto the wood to leave a faint, but noticeable line to help you in your cutting.


This way, you don't have to print out your shape, cut it out, and trace repeatedly onto your wood surface.
See, easy.
Then you cut, sand, and paint them the desired color.


I traced some so they were in half, then painted and glued them at an angle so they looked like they were flying off the wall.
You could stop at this step, attach the ribbon bodies and hang away, but I took it a step further..
I used the same tracing technique on the WRONG side of some fabric (same fabrics used in Peyton's duvet cover..) and cut those out.
I then took Modge Podge (this is my new favorite finish of Modge Podge, Hard Furniture, I used it on her nightstand project too.) and adhered the fabric onto the appropriate butterfly.


After letting that dry well, I took my trusty emery board (some people call them a nail file) and sanded the edges so the raw fabric edges were clean.
I measured ribbon to two and a half lengths of the butterflies middle section, folded it in half and looped it through the other end, securing it around the body with a knot.
That gave them some cute little antennae and a great way to hang them.


Couldn't resist the cute quote from one of Merrill's favorite songs.. when it comes to his little girls, he loves this song.. but don't tell him I told you! ;)

I love my scroll saw..

I always have..
He and I have just lost touch.
The last time I used it, it was honestly 2 years ago.. we were finishing our floors. There was some small detail work that needed to be cut on one of the trim pieces, and it was used then.
I used it much more often back in the days before three children became my life..
I have had a couple of projects lined up that required it's assistance, and I finally dusted it off, and got to work.
It also helps that my mouse needs little to no attention now. :)


For Peyton's room, I wanted to replicate the tulips that are on her flat sheet and pillow case.. I will forever be thankful to all the tricks I learned from my ex-boyfriend's (okay.. fiance..) mom who was a crafter..
Tracing is not the fastest method to this madness..
Cutting, I learned tips for that step too..
And painting..
It was my job for a while..
I think they turned out cute.


I also loved the long-grain rice that found a home holding them up, perfectly in the flower pot.
This lamp was a purchase when I was preggers with Lynn (#1).
I loved it then, it matched the nursery colors and theme so well! I just couldn't toss it into the DI box, I re-purposed it.
DI-d the dusty blue shade and replaced it with a new pink one from Target, and took the yellow star pull off the beaded chain, and put on one of the tulips that I cut while cutting the others.


For tomorrow: "The Butterfly" project..