Crafts After College

Shamrock Ring

2012-03-08T11:58:00.000-08:00

I saw the cutest felt shamrock on Pinterest the other day and I knew I had to do something with the idea. I could not figure out the original source, but here is the link to my Pinterest board so you can see the original idea.

Ingredients:

Green Felt
Small Scissors
Needle & Thread
Ring

First I made a pattern. I always make patterns or I will probably end up messing it up and wasting material.

I used this pattern to cut out 3 leaves. you can cut out 4 if you want a special shamrock. I also used a bit of scrap to make a stem.

With thread I used a couple stitches to connect everything.

Disconnect the needle and pull both ends toward each other. At the same time adjust the felt so it folds in the right places. And you make ....

A pretty shamrock! At this point you just tie it off and you are done. You could attach this to a hairpin or headband if you want. I decided to make it into a ring.

With more thread I just randomly sewed the shamrock on an old ring. I really liked having a ring with a space open so I could really make it secure.

After this you could add some glue or something to make it super secure, but I didn't. Too much bother for me. I hope you like it! Simple, cute, and cheap. Felt was about 30 cents for a sheet and the ring was recycled!

Paper Shamrock

2012-03-05T10:20:00.003-08:00

I am really enjoying making St. Patrick's Day decorations this year! I came up with this one while babysitting this adorable girl who is obsessed with making paper snowflakes (even though it's March). I decided to try something different and poof, I made a shamrock!

Ingredients:

Paper
Scissors
Pencil

First make a square with your paper. If you were ever a child you should know how to do this :)

Now fold the square in half again, point to point.

I like to have an outline before I cut, or I mess it up big time. So if you are like me, go ahead and draw a heart in the bottom corner. Make sure to have the sides of the heart go low down. However, make sure the heart is still connected and the bottom (the center of the shamrock). In the picture below the heart sides do not go down enough. I actually cut it further later.

Cut and enjoy!

The picture above is how deep I cut the sides of the heart. If you do not cut so far down your shamrock will not have the indents shown below.

The best part of this craft is that it costs almost nothing and you can make so many things with it. String a bunch together to make a garland or frame a couple for a cute St. Patties decoration. Make a ton and get ready for St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patties Day Card

2012-03-04T06:26:00.000-08:00

Being Irish, I wanted to celebrate this holiday with a fun, easy card. I found these cute glittery button stickers at Michael's in the sale isle. They are so cute! I wish my camera could capture the glittery-ness, but I am camera deficient.

I decided to use velum on this card too. I always forget about velum, but it can really give a card a cute accent. The only thing I did not like was that the velum got a bit wavy when I used the embossing gun on it.

The ribbon actually has a four leaf clover pattern on the other side, but I did not really like it so I flipped it over and thought it looked pretty cute with the stitching.

All in all this card probably took me 10 minutes to make. Easy!

The New and the Old

2012-03-03T20:17:00.001-08:00

I know it has been a while since my last post. Lots of changes happening for me in the past week! I received a job offer (finally) and I am going to start work in a week! This job is on the coast so I will be commuting from here to there once a week. Because of this, I bought a new car!

I am so in love with my Ford Focus! I did not know I could love a car this much. I did love my old car (Wendy), but it was a love/hate relationship that revolved around a broken transmission that I could not afford to fix. I had so many good times in that car though so I will take a few minutes to talk about the good times:

I was gifted Wendy senior year of high school after I turned 18 and got my license. I was then able to create my own schedule (within limits) and drive myself around to visit friends.
I went on a long weekend trip to Monterrey with my girl friends and my first foster kittens in tow. Very memorable.
Wendy drove me home to California every break during college so I could visit family and friends who I DEARLY missed. The drive was long, but with a Monster drink and some good music it was actually really fun.
During college my stress reliever was to do a late night drive to Michael's and Target.
Wendy carried so many foster animals to and from the Humane Society. Her passenger seat was just big enough so I could put the carrier sideways and talk to the animals while I drove (it keeps them calm).
Driving Wendy in her last months was difficult, but also a bit exciting. I never knew if I was going to make it. On hills I could not go over 45 mph which was difficult on the freeway :) When her radiator blew it was a crazy experience driving home and stopping every couple minutes to let it cool down. Learning to drive an automatic like a manual was fun, but I won't miss it.

I won't miss the difficulties that came with an old car, but she will always be my first :)

Now I have a new job, a new car, and a new outlook on life! Thanks for reading. I will be posting my St. Patties Card tomorrow so stay tuned!

St. Patties Bacon & Eggs

2012-02-24T14:14:00.000-08:00

Green Eggs & Ham! Oh Dr. Seuss, you have changed the world. I have seen these all over the place so I knew I had to try this for St. Patrick's Day. What could be better than chocolate and pretzels? Not much.

Ingredients:

Pretzel Sticks - you can also use the square pretzels and have eggs on toast :)
M&Ms - green (although you could use any color you want)
White Candy Melts - found at Michael's
Parchment Paper

First line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper. This is not absolutely necessary, but good to use in case the candy melts too much into a gooey mess. Preheat the oven to 350.

Then put down the pretzel sticks in twos.

On each pair put a candy melt.

Put them in the oven for literally a minute. You just want them to melt, but not fall apart.

When they are melted take them out and place a green M&M on each egg. Press gently or you will squish it!

YUM! These are absolutely addicting!

Sequin Headband

2012-02-21T17:34:00.000-08:00

This is a very simple headband design with sequins for a splash of sparkle. I would love to make a couple colors and wear them all together!

Ingredients:

Strung Sequins
Headband - smallest you can buy
Hot Glue
Scissors

This is pretty simple. Place the glue down in sections and press the strung sequins down to make sure they are secure.

As for the ends: trim them down and remove the extra sequins. Then glue the ends down by wrapping them under the end.

Then you have a finished, cute headband!

Happy Banner

2012-02-18T16:08:00.000-08:00

I have been furiously working on two scrapbooks for the Oregon Humane Society. They are so cute! The layouts are primarily for showing off all the success stories and cute pictures that people have sent back to the shelter. The stories melt my heart!

Coming up with scrapbook layout ideas has been a bit difficult, but taking it one day at a time helps. For one of my layouts I made this cute banner. This turned out to be really easy and you can make it to decorate anything. I have even seen banners on cakes!

Ingredients:

Paper (cardstock)
Circle punch or some way to cut out perfect circles
twine, yarn, or something to hang the circles on
glue

I used my Cricut to cut out all the circles, but you can use something else. You could even use scissors if you have the patience! Take your circle and fold it in half.

Put glue on one side and in the crack.

Slip the twine in between the two halves and fold the circle. Hold for a couple seconds to make sure it sticks.

Make a whole strand and decorate anything you can think of. What's cool about this is you can make it really large and use it as a party decoration. Also instead of circles, you could use diamonds to make a banner with flags!

New Shepard's Pie

2012-02-16T18:09:00.000-08:00

Shepard's Pie is one of my favorite recipes ever! It uses up leftovers and is so tasty. I made it a bit differently this time by using cut potatoes instead of mashed. I also used ground turkey instead of beef. I am trying to be healthier ...

Ingredients:

4-5 yukon gold potatoes - sliced thin
1lb ground turkey
As many peas as you like
1 big carrot - shredded (this was actually really good!)
1 cup chicken broth - fresh or buillion
Roux (flour with water - for thickening)
salt and pepper to taste
butter

First boil the potatoes until they are done; but don't let them cook until they fall apart.While doing this cook the ground turkey in a pan and drain the extra grease.

Once the meat is done add the chicken broth and heat until simmering. Add a bit of the roux at a time until it becomes the desired thickness. Also add any seasonings you want at this point. Pour all this into the dish. Add peas and shredded carrots. Layer the potatoes on top. Add butter (not required) on top :)

Use a fairly shallow, flat dish so you do not have to layer the potatoes too much. To get a good browning on the potatoes they need to be on the top.

Since everything is cooked you pretty much need a good browning. I cooked it at 375 until it was brown on top. I think it was about 20 minutes. When I cook I guesstimate so please excuse my vagueness.

Yum! It turned out so good!

What Do You Think?

2012-02-15T21:25:00.000-08:00

I hope the new look has not put you off of my blog! I would love to hear your thoughts regarding the change. I started a poll so you can anonymously tell me what you think. (It is above my picture on the right) However, if you would like to give me more detailed feedback (don't be shy!) leave me a message on my blog! Messages can also be anonymous :)

Also I would love to know what you think about my posts. Readership is down so I want to make sure I am creating crafts/etc that are still desirable. Again if you have any suggestions please do not hesitate to leave me a message.

Without my valuable readers I am really just documenting random crafts to myself :P

Just so you know I have a Pinterest account that you can follow: http://pinterest.com/postgradcrafts/

I also created a Twitter recently and I only have a couple friends :( Be my friend? @jessicrafts

Reusable Present Decoration

2012-02-15T11:19:00.000-08:00

Decorating presents is a way you can be really creative, but most of the time (hopefully all) your work is destroyed. Reusing materials can make wrapping presents a breeze and more eco-friendly. Here is my tutorial to make present decoration (of all kinds) reusable:

Ingredients:

Paper Clip - matching color is better, but not essential
Present Decoration
Glue

Pretty much all you do is glue the paperclip to the back of the decoration. You can use hot glue or Elmer's (which takes longer). Make sure to keep the paperclip slightly open so you don't glue it shut. That would make it useless...

Then paperclip your new decoration onto your ribbon. Now when your present is torn mercilessly to shreds you can save the prettiest part!

Map Frame

2012-02-14T09:24:00.000-08:00

This may not be a stereotypical Valentine's post, but it is still really cool! Maps are so fun to use in crafting because they add a sense of adventure. I especially love this one because I was able to get the whole west coast onto one side. Both my boyfriend and I are from opposite ends and we met in the middle :)

Ingredients:

Mod Podge & Brush
Map
Frame ($3 Target)
Screw Driver (to remove hardware)

First take apart the frame. You do not want Mod Podge on glass!

Then figure out where you want your map to sit on your frame. After you are satisfied with placement, start layering.

For the inner corners cut a line inward and fold the map in. This creates a polished look.

Don't worry too much about the paper bubbling, it will deflate as it dries. Plus maps are pretty intricate so it won't be obvious.

Don't forget to poke the hardware holes so you know where to attach everything at the end.

After it dries attach the hardware and replace glass. Then put a picture in the frame. I picked one from a trip to Mexico!

My map was not very large so I pieced together a bunch of map parts. If you look closely you can see Greenland above the US and Canada covering NY. But from a distance it looks really great. Maps are so cool!

My 25 Things

2012-02-12T19:27:00.000-08:00

I recently saw a post about another bloggers "25 Things" and thought I should do the same. It's basically a list of random things about a person; likes, dislikes, and random facts. I thought this could be a fun way to get to know me a bit better.

1. I love Flamin' Hot Cheetos. These babies have gotten me through some tough times.

2. I have only dyed my hair twice. The first was self done red streaks (mistake). The second time was using colored shampoo (mistake). I have never dyed it since.

3. I watch Friends (the show) re-runs all the time. I also follow Grey's Anatomy, Cake Boss, Glee, and Face Off.

4. I am obsessed with Country music.

5. I have always thought it would be super cool to have shiny, blue skin.

6. My favorite color is yellow but it changes pretty often. Past favorites: Red, Purple, Green.

7. I love thrift shopping and finding amazing treasures.

8. I am severely afraid of becoming a hoarder. I actually get anxious when I have too much stuff.

9. I will eat pretty much anything ... except Uni.

10. I am not a big fan of puppies. They are cute until they use you as a chew toy.

11. I adore cats/kittens. I foster any time I can. My first foster kittens were adopted by my mom because I could not bear to part with them.

12. I have a moderate case of road rage although I am a very cautious driver. I yell at people in my car when they are being stupid drivers.

13. I would much prefer to have an intimate gathering of friends than go to a raging party. I actually usually get really bored at big parties.

14. I have a very small head and feet. I can shop in the children's section.

15. I am always cold.

16. I believe family is the most important thing, even if you don't like them. (not directed at anyone)

17. I studied abroad in Australia for 5 months and I want to go back as soon as possible.

18. There is no reason anyone should be limited to one best friend. I have several: Keely, Bonnie, Maya, Bri, and my Mom.

19. I binge read books. I especially love mystery/romance novels.

20. More often than not I have mismatched socks. Also they most often have holes (not because I cannot afford new socks, I just wear them out at an astonishing rate).

22. I have always been jealous of people who have freckles.

23. I may be small, but I am pretty spunky. I am not afraid to tell people what I think.

24. My favorite flowers are white calla lilies and poppies. However, I think receiving flowers is embarrassing.

25. I am pretty sure I have met the man I want to spend the rest of my life with : )

Butterfly Card

2012-02-10T16:51:00.000-08:00

I am going to a craft fair in March which includes a Card Swap so I have been working on my card making skills. This card was inspired by a conversation with a recruiter yesterday that went pretty well. I am sending her this card as a thanks. The butterfly stamps I bought a couple months ago and forgot about them. This card turned out so cute and I am really happy with it. I hope you love it too!

To make this card you need a bunch of tools, but it was pretty simple. The butterfly is embossed with silver sparkle powder over white ink. Each wavy stripe on the card was cut out with wavy scissors and then glued on top of each other. The ribbon was attached on top. The last detail was the pearl on top. I absolutely *love* pearls.

Snapshots ~ Deborah Hamouris

2012-02-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

My grandma is a very talented artist and is creating an album of music. 90% of the music is her own creation and they are "snapshots" of her life. The music is a blend of jazz, blues, and folk music. She is currently seeking backers so she can finish this album.

To get a better idea of her creative process watch her movie:

Help out an independent artist and you will receive gifts in return! For example, she is knitting kitty hats for people who donate $60. To donate go to:

Kickstarter Campaign

Anything counts!

No Sew Bow

2012-02-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

This is a very simple bow tutorial. There is no sewing involved and just a bit of glue. The great thing about this is that you can make one on the fly and if you don't like it, you can take it apart and make a different one. Any fabric will work so you can be really creative!

Ingredients:

Fabric
Hair Clip
Hot Glue (optional)
Scissors

First cut out a piece of fabric. This will be the body of your bow. Longer and thinner pieces will be long and thin bows. Short and fat pieces will be short fat bows. You get it.

Turn the piece over and fold the two sides inward and have them overlap about an inch.

Now pinch it in the middle three times so it looks like this:

Now trim a piece of fabric that is long and skinny. This will be the middle of the bow.

Carefully tie the long strip around the middle of your bow. make sure the knot is in the back.

Tighten and adjust til you like it. at this point you can either tie on the hair clip or glue it. Either way works. Then you can either cut the ends off or keep them.

Easy as pie!

New Blog Design and Name :D

2012-02-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

Hello friends (and family)! I have decided to update my blog and create something more visually in tune with me today. I started this blog on a whim to create something fun to take up time and to share my crafts with other people.

Now I feel like my blog is past it's adolescent stage and needs a more polished look. I really hope you like the new design and the new name! Please tell me what you think. If you have any trouble accessing any of my old posts, leave me a message so I can help you re-find them. Thank you for supporting me!

*The blog link is the same even though the name has changed. It turns out that changing the domain link is a lot harder than I thought. So, until I can figure out how to change the domain without losing all my work, the domain will stay the same. Enjoy!

DIY Bling Shoes

2012-02-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

Everyone needs a little bling in their life! This is a very simple way to revamp some boring shoes.

Ingredients

Shoes
Sticky Backed Gems (Scrapbook Section)

I love shoes! For this design I just started sticking on gems to see what I liked. These buggers stick pretty well so don't push down too hard until you are sure that is where you want them.

I decided to go with a line of gems down the back of the shoes. It reminded me of the subtle sexiness of tights with a line down the back. They turned out better than I thought!

I think total these shoes cost me around $10. I love them!

Foster Kitten Fun

2012-01-30T09:25:00.000-08:00

Look at one of my cute foster kittens! Her name is Verbena and she is a doll! In this picture she is in a bag being tickled.

If you have not found your furry soul mate head down to your local shelter and adopt one of the cute animals up for adoption. If you are not ready for adoption but want someone to cuddle with, try being a foster parent. It is rewarding and gives a second chance to many animals who would otherwise be abandoned. If you have any questions leave me a message below!

Valentine's Day Cards

2012-01-29T20:12:00.000-08:00

I had a couple of ideas for Valentine's Day so I made them all! I tried using different textiles to make the cards interesting. Here is the first and simplest one:

Ingredients:

White Paper
Red Felt
White Thread & Needle
Heart Shape (for a cut-out)
Red Pen

I took a blank white card and cut out a heart shape. Then I put the felt behind the cut out and taped it down. Next take a needle and thread and stitch a ... stitch on the heart. On the inside write a message:

To finish it off cover the inside felt with white paper so it looks finished. Cute!

The next one uses felt and burlap to make an interesting blend.

Ingredients:

Background Paper & White Paper (background)
Burlap
Red Felt
White Thread & Needle

I cut a heart out of the red felt and stitched it to some burlap. Then i cut the burlap to fit around the heart. I cut a patterned piece of paper a bit smaller than the card and glued it on the white background. Then I attached the heart to the background. All done!

The last one has way too many steps so I won't lecture you. The colors look a bit off in the pictures but it looks really good in person.

The realistic heart might make it look a bit creepy, but for us medical peeps it is pretty cool ... well at least I love it.

Tell me what you think :)

Go 49ers!

2012-01-22T11:06:00.000-08:00

Support the 49ers today!

Ingredients:

Gold, Red and White Nail Polish (I used a white striper)
Clear Top Coat

First put down a gold base.

Next carefully make a red tip.

Make a white stripe to separate the gold and red.

To make this design extra special add the SF logo.

All done and ready to root for the SF team!

Winter/Spring Wreath

2012-01-21T22:51:00.000-08:00

I was going to make a wreath for winter, but that did not quite happen. As most crafting goes, it's better to follow your instincts even if you veer away from your original idea. This was definitely that type of project. I wanted something dark and dreary like the weather, but then I found this bright, happy, yellow and I could not resist. Actually it is kinda perfect since the sun decided to come out today! So here is my winter/spring wreath :)

Ingredients:

6" Wired Ribbon (expensive! ~ $7)
Fabric
Wreath ($5 at Joann's)
Hot Glue

First make a couple cute fabric rosettes. I have a tutorial if you need more instruction. I made one out of the ribbon as well to tie it together.

Then take your giant ribbon and tie a ginormous bow on the top. It is really handy to have wired ribbon because it holds it's shape better and does not wilt. Trim the ends.

Attach the rosettes with hot glue.

To hold up the wreath I made my own hook on the back with some extra ribbon. I glued down each end in an arch so it would hang evenly.

Hang and enjoy!

Lightening Nails

2012-01-20T08:36:00.000-08:00

In keeping with my weather theme I made a design with clouds and lightening. Striking! This was inspired by my friend Maya after a delicious feast of stuffed shells last night. Enjoy the tutorial!

Ingredients:

Gray, White, and Yellow Nail Polish.
A Dotting Tool. I made my own since I did not want to buy one. They are only a couple bucks though.
Toothpicks
Clear Top Coat

First paint a gray base. Take your dotting tool and make some white dots in a cloud shape. Leave your middle (lightening) finger without clouds for now.

While the dots dry move on to your lightening bolt finger. Use a toothpick and carefully create a lightening bolt on the nail. Go slowly. I practiced on a piece of paper first. I made the middle line first and then pulled the polish down and up for the other lines.

Now add clouds to the lightening bolt.

To create dimension take your dotting tool and dip it in the gray. Dot slightly over the white cloud dots.

Now do the white dots again.

Don't forget your clear top coat!

Cloudy with a Hint of Sun ~ Nails

2012-01-19T08:08:00.000-08:00

Gray and light yellow are my new favorite colors! I absolutely love the duo together. Since I have been drawn to the weather I thought I would do another post about it. Gray skies with a hit of sun :)

Ingredients:

Gray and Light Yellow Nail Polish
Clear Top Coat
Toothpicks

First a gray bottom coat.

It would have been much easier if I had a yellow stripe brush, but alas, I do not own one. So I used toothpicks to make the sun rays.

I even overlapped a couple rays onto the next finger. Next create the body of the sun.

Pretty awesome. It might be better to do the sun on a different finger, but I like putting the big designs on the thumb. Enjoy!

Rainy Day Nails

2012-01-17T15:05:00.000-08:00

The gloom of winter has finally caught up with me. It is raining, snowing, and windy here. The darkness of the days makes me a bit more gloomy than usual. So, in keeping with the mood of the weather, I painted my nails to look like the rainy day outside.

I like how messy you can be with this design. Don't worry about smudges or drops that are different sizes.

Ingredients:

Gray, Light Blue, and White nail polish (I used a white art deco bottle with a long skinny brush)
Toothpicks
Clear Top Coat

First put on a couple coats of gray.

With a toothpick add drops of light blue on the gray.

With the white add streaks of white and small white dots.

Put on a top coat and you're done! You can alter this design to fit your own weather :)

Brides Against Breast Cancer Charity!

2012-01-14T13:24:00.000-08:00

Are you in Portland and getting married (or know someone who is)?! Go to this great event to find a gown of your dreams and help save lives! Jan 20-22.

http://bridesabc-ehometext.eventbrite.com/

"Join us for a unique opportunity to find the gown of your dreams at a remarkable price while helping make wishes and memory-making events come true.

When you purchase your special dress at a 'Brides Against Breast Cancer™' charity wedding gown sale, you not only save hundreds -- even thousands of dollars -- you will help make a difference in the lives of those affected by breast cancer.

To ensure that no one has to face cancer alone, Brides Against Breast Cancer ™ contributes to programs for cancer patients and their families."

Check it out :)

Fabric Button Earrings

2012-01-11T13:04:00.000-08:00

I love the idea of using fabric buttons to decorate mundane things. This tutorial is for making fabric button earrings, but you could make fabric button magnets or push pins. I got this idea from this website. After you buy the basic supplies you can make tons of these. I gave a couple pairs out for Christmas and they loved them!

Ingredients:

Button Blanks ~ I found them at my local craft store but you could also find them at Joann's. After you buy the button blank original set you can just buy the refills. They come in several sizes. I like the 5/8 set the best.
Fabric ~ I like to buy fat quarters to get just a bit of fabric.
Earring Posts
Scissors
Pliers or wire cutters
Hot Glue Gun

Gather supplies. I only had the refill pack but the button blank original set has the white and blue plastic forms. You will want to get that pack to start off. The earring posts you can buy in a couple different size packs.

There are instructions on the back of the pack:

On the back there is a button pattern. Cut it out. This is your fabric pattern. Then cut out a circle in your fabric with the pattern.

Now take the button backs and remove the wire. This is necessary so you can attach the earring back.

Now follow my pictures to figure out what to do...

Push down {into the hole}

Fold fabric in. Put button back on top and push down with the blue thing.

Push the finished button out of the white thing!

To attach the earring backs use hot glue.

I made a couple :)

DIY Headband

2012-01-05T10:07:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love headbands. Besides that fact that they sometimes give me headaches, I think they are the perfect accessory for my head. They are especially useful for hiding greasy hair on short notice :) Since you only need a bit of fabric for this use any scraps you have left over. If you do not have fabric laying around, find a fabric store that sells "fat quarters." They are cheaper (I got 10 for $27) and they are a small amount of fabric.

Ingredients:

Fabric
Headband - $2.99 at Michael's. I like to get the ones that have fabric on them because then you can recycle the inside ribbon to finish it. I used a 1" headband. The larger ones fit my head weird.
Hot Glue
Scissor

First strip the headband of the fabric. Make sure to keep the inner ribbon intact for use later.

Measure the fabric with the headband and cut out a long strip. Leave about an inch of extra fabric at each end just in case.

Before starting to glue, figure out how you want the fabric to sit on the headband.

I like to start gluing in the middle. Just put a bit of hot glue in the center and fold the fabric over. Then put another dab of glue and fold the other side of fabric over.

Work your way down each side until you get to the end. Make sure to clip the extra fabric so it won't poke out the sides.

To finish the end clip each end until you have about 3/4 an inch. Put a dab of glue down on the end and fold the extra fabric down on top.

Now apply the ribbon to the inside. This finishes the headband and makes it look more professional. I have tried to find this specific ribbon in stores, but I cannot find it! So i just rip it off of the headband and reuse it.

Looks pretty good! The cool thing is the possibilities are endless! You can use bigger or smaller headbands and any type of fabric you want. Plus you can add bows, feathers, or ribbon to the top as an embellishment. Try it out and tell me what you think!

Christmas Card

2011-12-26T15:49:00.000-08:00

This year I really struggled to come up with a cute Christmas card. I had a couple good ideas, but they just did not come together into a finished product. With the deadline quickly approaching I settled on this design. It is not my favorite card, but it's quirky and fun. It did contain quite a few steps so I will upload a picture description of the process.

Ingredients:

Cardstock - Several Christmas patterns (I used about 8)
White Cardstock - for the card base. One 8.5x11 cardstock paper makes two card bases. Just cut it in half.
Ribbon
Center Brad (I used a star)
Stamps of your choice
Ink pads
Glue or Tape Gun

The center "present" paper needs to be about 4"x3". Or at least make it small enough to fit on the paper. Now make the "present" tag.

Set this aside and go back to the "present" base. Make the card base with the white cardstock. Fold and stamp it.

Now finish the "present. Use ribbon to tie it up. poke a hole in the center. You may have to use scissors to cut the ribbon instead.

Now assemble the whole card. Poke the brad through the ribbon to secure the tag on the "present." Then mount the "present on the card base. To finish it off I like to add a bit of dimension by using a foam dot.

All done!

Easy Bracelet Tutorial

2011-12-26T10:39:00.000-08:00

Bracelets are great gifts that can look really classy or fun. You can use any type of beads you want. To make a bracelet you need several tools.

Ingredients:

Chain
Clasp
Flat Head Pins - about 25 depending on wrist size
Small Metal Circle
Beads
Needle Nose Plyers
Wire Cutter

Start by measuring your chain. Cut and set aside.

For the beads you start with a pin. Slide the bead on and trim the top. You will have to experiment a bit with how much to snip. Then use your needle nose pliers to curve the tip into a circle.

Your finished product should look something like this:

Now make a bunch of these. To attach them to the chain just open the circle and slip it on the chain.

I put the beads on every third chain. To finish up put your small circle on one end and your claw clasp on the other end.

The finished bracelet should look a bit like this:

These basic skills can help you make a LOT of jewelry. You can make earrings, bracelets, anklets, or whatever you want. Be creative and try out a new skill!

Easy Yarn Ornament

2011-12-23T19:22:00.001-08:00

This idea came to me because I had an extra ornament and some yarn out. Combine the two and you get a yarn ornament! Patience is required for this craft.

Ingredients:

Ornament
Mod Podge
Yarn
Scissors

Spread the Mod Podge on the ornament and start winding the yarn.

The first half is the easiest. The second half is harder to get the yarn to cooperate. Just be patient and use more Mod Podge to help the yarn stick. You may have to squish the yarn down too.

It is almost impossible to make the yarn wind around perfectly so you will probably have a space on one side of the top. To fix this use smaller pieces of yarn and fill up the space.

Mini Yarn Tree

2011-12-22T16:00:00.001-08:00

This yarn tree was originally supposed to be a wreath, but it was taking too long to crochet so I decided to make something different. I guess crocheting is not as much fun as I thought... But, this idea turned out pretty cute so I'm glad I finished it.

Ingredients:

Yarn & Crochet Hook
Hot Glue
Foam Tree Shape
Mini Tree Ornaments or Puffs (like me!)

First crochet a LONG string. To make it wavy you single crochet twice in each loop. Then do it again the other way. To make it more curly add more crochets in each loop. Here are the three layers I made:

Once you have a very long, windy strand start gluing it on the tree. Start from the bottom and work your way up. Try to glue the yarn close together so there are no spaces.

Glue, glue, glue and it will look something like this:

Leafy! Add some embellishment and admire your work :)

Ornament Wreath

2011-12-16T17:23:00.000-08:00

Holiday wreaths are the best! This was my first time making one and I had a great time. I saw so many wreaths on Craftgawker made out of ornaments and I knew right away that this was what I wanted to make. I got my ornaments in $1 tubes at target so this project was really cheap!

Ingredients:

Ornaments - large and small
Hot Glue
Bells (if you choose)
Ribbon
Foam Wreath Base

First get organized.

Attach the ribbon to the top first. Start with the large ornaments first. Glue them around the outer and inner edges.

Then put large ornaments on top too.

Then fill in the blank spots with smaller ornaments and bells. I also added a couple red bows.

Hang on your door and enjoy :)

Feather Ornament

2011-12-12T21:00:00.003-08:00

Oh man this was such a good idea! My god son is obsessed with birds so I wanted to make him something with feathers for Christmas. I am making a lot of ornaments so I thought, why not? This was actually really easy and cheap. The feathers were $3 for a big pack and the ornaments are 4 for $5. Pretty cool.

Ingredients:

Ornament
Mod Podge
Feathers - small
Scissors

First go through your feathers and pick out the bad ones. Lay them out so they are easy to get to. You will have one hand holding the ornament so you need to be able to reach the feathers with one hand.

Start applying the Mod Podge and layering the feathers from bottom to top. Do not start from the top because it is really hard to put feathers under feathers after they are glued down.

Go around the whole ornament and then add even more feathers to cover the blank spots. At the top add small feathers to cover the stems (stems?). If there are blotchy areas, just add more feathers.

Should look something like this when it is done. This will look different depending on what feathers you use, obviously. I have some spotted ones that I will try next. I love these!

Nail Polish Ornaments

2011-12-08T15:31:00.001-08:00

I saw this amazing idea on Craftgawker the other day and I knew I had to try it. The idea is from this Tutorial that explained exactly how to do this process. It is actually pretty easy. Even if you screw up you can start all over with a bit of nail polish remover!

Ingredients:

Glass Ornaments
Nail Polish
Water and a small cup or bowl - just big enough to fit the ornament
Nail Polish Remover - for mess ups
Toothpicks

You kinda need to work quickly but make sure to be creative and have fun! I like to use OPI nail polish because it spreads easier in the water. Put a few drops in the water, one after another and watch them spread out. Use a toothpick to create a cool design.

Dip your ornament in the water/nail polish and let it sit there for a couple seconds. Pull it out and smile at your beautiful creation!

Here is a picture of it in the sun :)

I made a bunch of them! I really like the blue and yellow ones. Try out different colors to see what you like. This was really fun! The cool thing is that you can do this to your nails at the same time.

Snow Ball Ornaments

2011-12-08T15:29:00.001-08:00

I found this great Snowball Tutorial that uses Snow-Tex to create a textured look. I have never used Snow-Tex before but it is really cool stuff. It is a wet, fluffy, cream cheese like spread and it hardens when it dries.So, excited to try something new, I went and bought some Snow-Tex to make some snowball ornaments for the tree.

Ingredients:

Snow-Tex
Foam Ball
Wire or Ornament Hanger
Butter Knife - for spreading the Snow-Tex

This is a really easy project that requires little skill. You are pretty much just frosting cupcake or buttering a roll. The easiest thing to do is to "frost" one side, let it dry, and then do the other side. It takes 2-3 hours for it to dry unless it is very thick and then you should just leave it overnight.

I used scissors to hold the balls steady while it dried. After it is all frosted stick a hook in it and decorate your tree!

The look really neat! There are so many crafty ideas that are possible with this stuff. The thing is I was only able to find it in these small tubes for about $4 each so it is not the cheapest material. I was able to frost three medium sized foam balls with one tube with a little bit left over. I am very happy I tried this :)

Candy Cane Reindeer

2011-12-06T09:51:00.001-08:00

I have been making these deer since high school and I love them so much. They are perfect for decoration or for Christmas favors. I like to give them to people who I would not ordinarily buy a gift for. They are really easy to make and cheap!

Ingredients:

Candy Canes
Tiny Jiggly Eyes
Tiny Red Puffs
Brown Pipe Cleaners
Glue or Hot Glue

First cut the pipe cleaners in half.

Twist the pipe cleaner around the "head" of your cane and bend it into the antler shape you want.

Using glue, add the eyes and the nose. Work quickly if you are using a hot glue gun in a freezing house!

Make a herd of them to pull your sleigh :)

Enjoy!

Glitter Christmas Ornaments

2011-12-01T16:20:00.001-08:00

As you know I love glitter, so why not put it on my tree? Well, of course not on the tree, but on the ornaments! This is the first Christmas we are celebrating in our new house so of course we do not have many decorations. Which means more crafting for me!
I made a variety of different ornaments for the tree so I used a lot of different stuff.

Ingredients:

Mod Podge
Ornaments (glass or plastic)
Glitter
Cello Glitter - looks like snow

With the basic glitter ornaments I painted the glass with Mod Podge and then covered it with glitter. Remember to take the top off the ornament before crafting.

Awesome! Be careful when sticking your fingers in the glass ornaments, I learned the hard way and sliced my finger :(
For a couple other ornaments I put Cello Glitter on the inside or the outside of the ornaments. I think it looks a bit like snow, but sparklier (I know it's not a word)

The other ornaments I filled with these puffy, sparkly things I bought at Michael's.

My tree looks pretty awesome! I hope these ideas are inspiring you to try new things!

Jingle Bells

2011-12-01T16:07:00.001-08:00

I found these great bells at Michael's and I knew I wanted them on my tree this year. They came in two sizes and in many colors, but I loved the blue ones the best. To attach them to the tree I used ribbon and some elbow grease.

Ingredients

Bells
Ribbon

I chose a couple different colors of ribbon just to keep things interesting. Blue, tan, white, and silver.

Cut pieces of ribbon to size, string the bells, and tie a loop. Simple and easy.

Hang and enjoy :)

Holiday Rolls

2011-11-28T10:58:00.001-08:00

Bread is one of my many weaknesses. There is nothing as good as a warm, fluffy, roll when it gets cold outside. Plus bread goes with practically anything. My boyfriends mom found this recipe and it turned out amazing. Specifically they are called "Bowknot Rolls" because you tie them in knots!

Ingredients:

7.5 - 8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp salt
2 packets of rapid rise yeast
1.5 cups milk
1.5 cups water
.5 butter (one stick)
2 eggs

I do not have pictures of the first couple steps because I got too caught up in the cooking and forgot - sorry! But I promise you the recipe is really easy.

Mix 3 cups of flour, the sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl. I put it in my kitchenaid mixer bowl since you are going to be mixing it a lot. Then heat milk, water, and butter. I used a saucepan and heated it until it was warm but not too hot to the touch. You do not want to hurt the yeast. Then add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix in the two eggs. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Then start adding flour in increments to form a soft dough.

Then put your dough on a floured surface and knead for 6-8 minutes. I found the dough to be really sticky so I added more flour as needed.

Then cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Next separate the dough into 3 mounds. Roll each mound out and cut 1" strips.

Tie each strip into a knot (like a pretzel) and lay it on a greased baking sheet.

For longer strips I knotted them twice. They look too funny with long tails.

I actually really like the big ones. They look really pretty after they are cooked. Now cover the rolls and let them rest for around 45 minutes. The recipe says they are supposed to double in size but my dough barely rose at all. I am not sure why. But they turned out delicious anyway.

The recipe gives some complex instructions on how to cook, freeze, and then cook them again, but I ignored that. I baked them at 350 until they were a golden brown. It took about 7-10 minutes. Yum!

Las Caletas Coconut Snack

2011-11-20T21:36:00.001-08:00

When in Mexico I went to this private beach called Las Caletas. Vallarta Adventures owns this land so you have to pay to get there. It is considered an excursion because you can dive, snorkel, and hike. While I was there a man was selling coconuts to eat. It was the most amazing and simple recipe. However, you need to have access to a coconut and a machete. Good luck.

Ingredients:

Coconut
Lime
Chile Powder
Salt
Machete or some other method of cutting open the coconut

First cut open the coconut with your machete.

Then carve out the coconut and cut the meat into small pieces.

Put the coconut meat back into the husk shell and add lime juice, salt, and chile powder. Just add a couple shakes each of the salt and chile powder. Then eat!

*My coconut is pink because it was first a drink called Loco Coco :)

23rd Birthday

2011-11-20T20:46:00.001-08:00

I don't usually talk primarily about people on my blog, but I had to give some kudos to my boyfriend and my friends for making my birthday awesome. I did not have much planned for my 23rd since it is not really a ground breaking age. But, I was given ice cream (see above picture) with candles. My awesome boyfriend knows just what I like <3.

Then my girls took me out to get food and they sang happy birthday to me!

Sometimes it is hard to remember how lucky I am to have so much love in my life. I am glad I got a reminder! Love you guys!

Souvenir Sand in a Bottle

2011-11-16T11:38:00.001-08:00

My boyfriend and I just spent two weeks in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and it was so amazing! I cannot describe how life changing the sun is when you live in a constant rain cloud. Anyway, I brought back sand so I could start a collection of vacation sands. I guess it won't work if we go someplace without a beach, but I will figure that out later.

Ingredients:

Sand
Clear Bottles (with tops)
Velum (the kinda see-through paper)
Sticker Making Machine (I use xyron)

First I filled the bottles up with sand. It turned out I brought way too much sand home! I wish I had known; I could have saved pounds in my luggage.

Making the labels is the longest part. First type out what you want the label to say.

Then print it out on the velum paper and cut it to size. Notice how you can see through the paper a bit?

Then use your sticker-maker to turn your labels into stickers.

Stick your sticker onto the bottle.

Now your done! Easy and cute! I hope I am able to expand my collection :)

Dyed T-Shirt

2011-11-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

When I was younger I used to work for my grandmother in the summers. She made Shibori scarves and sold them as a business. It was at times hard work, but mostly it was fun and creative. This was a while ago so it was fun to do some dying today. I found that you can buy single servings of dye to use. This was really fun!

Ingredients:

Rit Dye - I think it was only a couple bucks. I used royal blue.
Hot Water
Gloves
Timer - a kitchen timer works awesome
T-shirt - $5 at Michael's

I used the hottest water I could and mixed it with the package of dye. I used a medium sized metal bowl and put enough water in to completely cover the t-shirt when submerged. Mix mix mix.

Bubbly!

Now here is the part that is the longest, depending on how dark you want the dye. The longer the fabric stays in the dye, the darker it gets. I decided to have the bottom of my shirt be darker so I submerged the shirt in 10 minute increments until it was fully submerged.

This took about an hour. Then I brought everything to the sink and rinsed out the t-shirt with hot water. I decreased the temperature as the dye washed out.

I scrunched my t-shirt into a tube when I dyed it so it came out a bit splotchy. At first I was upset, but I actually really like it now. After the water ran clear I threw the t-shirt into the dryer so I could put it on right away.

It's like an ombre/tye dye shirt. Pretty cool for such a cheap project.

Feather Hair clip

2011-11-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

Since I have been having so much fun with feathers I thought I would make yet another hair doodad.

Ingredients:

Feathers
Hot Glue Gun
Hair clip

This is a very easy craft and requires no experience or expertise. You pretty much just put glue on the clip and then add the feathers in whatever pattern you want.

I guess first you have to pick out your feathers. There are so many to choose from!

Simple, but cute!

Carving Pumpkins - The Best Part of Halloween

2011-11-01T17:42:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin carving really is the best thing about Halloween. I look forward to picking out my pumpkin, carving it, and eating the seeds more than costumes or candy.

This year I picked out a pumpkin that was tall and lopsided. I loved it because it was different and imperfect. I discovered, however, that it did not sit upright ... So I carved it on it's side.

I really recommend getting those little saws from the store. They are immensely easier to use than a regular knife and you can be really precise.

First I sketched my design (It's supposed to be a bat and the moon).

Then I emptied my pumpkin of it's guts.

I drew my design on the pumpkin (I know I look a bit crazy).

Then I carved it!

Apparently I look very stern when I concentrate. I did not even notice my honey taking pictures of me.

After all that work I have my finished product. With a little light the pumpkin comes alive!

What a fun night!

Felt Bird Wings

2011-10-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

My adorable god son is obsessed with birds.

(Side note: I love how little kids become fascinated by the most random things and then they make it their whole world)

So he decided to be a Ring Necked Pheasant for Halloween ...
Now I just happened to see this Bird Wing Tutorial online but it was not detailed enough for what I was planning. I went to my local fabric store and struggled to find what I wanted to use. The extremely brilliant lady at the desk said "why don't you make the feathers out of felt." Easy and I do not have to finish the edges. I almost kissed her.

Ingredients:

Felt - To make these wings I used about 4 sheets of felt per color. It seems like a lot, but do not under guess or you will be running back to the store like I did ... three times.
Black Paint for the details
Foam Brush
Good Fabric Scissors
Duck Cloth - For the base. I got a 1 yard.
Some sort of ribbon or string for the wings to be held onto the body
Child

First measure your child from base of middle finger to base of the other middle finger. This is your arm length. Then measure from the neck to the knee to figure out how long the wings will go.
Then cut a giant half circle out of your duck cloth and cut it in half down the middle. These are your wings!

Now gather supplies and draw your feather template. I just drew one quickly. Mine worked okay, it would have been easier if my template feather was fatter so I did not have to cut out as many feathers.

Now start cutting out a ridiculous amount of feathers. I cut out 210 to be exact. You need an even amount because you have two wings and want the same amount on each wing so they match.

I traced them with pencil and then cut them out with scissors.

This is just an example feather. For the rest of them I added paint to the tips to detail the feathers.

After they dried I snipped the edges.

Then I realized I did not have enough and I ran to the store and bought more felt ...

When I finally thought I had enough I started sewing the feathers on the duck cloth.

And then I ran out of felt again. Damn.
As you can see they are not exact matches, that would be really hard to accomplish. But as long as they look pretty much the same it is fine. The kid is just gonna run around anyway. They are not going to look at it too closely.
All that is needed now is the ties. I did this in a hurry so I was not able to take pictures but basically you need three ties. Two go on the top corners to tie to the wrists and the third goes in the middle to hold together the wings and tie to the neck.
The hardest part is getting them to stand still long enough to get a good photo.

Turned out pretty good for my first time.

Flower Nail

2011-10-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

This was surprisingly easy to do since I have a pretty steady hand.

I first did the french tips then I used the end tip of a makeup brush to dot the petals and middle of the flower.

It did not turn out perfect, but good enough to look cute.

I will do a picture tutorial if you want. Leave me a comment if you need help!

Paint Swatch Earrings

2011-10-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

I have a ton of paint swatches laying around and I thought it would be cute to make some of them wearable.

Ingredients:

Paint Swatch of your choice
Scissors
Earring tops
Hole Punch

First choose your swatch.

Start to cut them down to a desirable size.

Curve the edges with scissors to make them look like mini swatches.

Hole punch the tops and attach the earring tops.

All done!

The great thing about this design is it comes in every color! Happy crafting :)

Feather Earrings

2011-10-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

Feathers are so awesome. I bought a bunch for a couple dollars and have been having a lot of fun with them. My first project was feather earrings. I have seen them everywhere recently and I wanted a pair of my own.

Ingredients:

Feathers
Hot Glue Gun
Earring Tops and small metal hoops

First attach the little hoop to the earring top. This will make a place to attach the feathers to so they face the front.

Then add a dollop of hot glue to the little hoop and start piling on the feathers. You may need to add more glue as you go. Work fast because the glue dries quickly.

Pretty!

I made two pairs ...

I am sure you could add beads or string and go really crazy, but I thought the feathers were so pretty on their own.

I Heart Nails

2011-10-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

I was feeling so much love for all my new blog viewers and supporters so I pulled out my nail polish and voila! This is what I came up with. I guess this is better suited for valentines day, but I think hearts are acceptable year round.

First give yourself white french tips. Refer to my three ways for french tipped nails tutorial if you need to learn how to do this.

On whichever finger you choose, paint a small red heart. I used the round end of a bobby pin to be precise. I started with two dots for the top of the heart and then I pulled down to make the point. Add more polish as you go and fiddle with it until your satisfied.

Ghost Nails

2011-10-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

BOO!

Bring a bit of fright with you wherever you go with this easy nail design.

All you need is nail polish and a dotting tool/makeup brush/toothpick.

First make the outline of the ghost on your nail. It should be round and the top and flare out toward the edge of the nail.

Then take whatever tool you choose and dip it into the black. Apply two larger dots at the top for the eyes and one smaller dot below for the mouth.

I chose to french tip the other nails with black, so you can do the same or do something different. Apply a clear top coat to make it shine. Make sure to give you ghost a lot of time to dry before applying the top coat or it will smear.

The ghost looks mad in this picture...

Try it out and show me pictures!

Show Your Support

2011-10-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

Do you like my blog? Would you like to show your support in an easy, non-monetary way? I will show you how. On the left side of my blog there are several buttons for your convenience.
The first one is my favorite because it is public support of my blog. The "Followers" button is blue and says "Join this site." When you click it you can choose whether to follow the blog privately or publicly. I prefer public because it is a sign of support. The only thing is you need to have a gmail account to be a follower.

If you do not have a gmail account and do not feel like making one, you can always subscribe. I'm not sure what the limitations are for this one.

Another way to show support is to share my blog with your friends through Facebook or Twitter. I put my new posts on Facebook but I only have so many friends. If you have any friends who you think may be interested in my blog, share it!

If none of these options appeal to you, you can always follow my blog through email. This is a private way to follow and no one will know, not even me.

If you are interested in knowing how many people visit my blog just look at the "Total Pageviews."

The more you click, the higher the number! Showing support is so easy!

Dorothy's Shoes

2011-10-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted a pair of sparkly red shoes just like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Unfortunately they are really hard to come by outside of child size 6. Little known fact, however, is in the original story Dorothy has silver shoes. Actually a lot of the story was changed in the film. I guess MGM wanted to make more of a statement. Sorry L. Frank Baum I prefer the red shoes!

To make these shoes you need a few ingredients and a bit of patience.

Ingredients:

Shoes - any type will do. I happened to have some awesome pumps that needed some TLC.
Red glitter - $5 8oz jar at Michael's
Fabric glue or Jewel glue - make sure to get a kind that dries clear.
brush

Brush a liberal amount of glue over the shoe and spread with the brush.

Cover that area with glitter

Make sure to put down newspaper or something because you will make a mess!

You can work in patches or do the whole shoe at once. I used the heel to hold onto as I worked then I covered it afterward. You will notice after one full coat that you can still see the shoe underneath.

Let it dry for at least a couple hours (or until you can rub it without messing it up) before you add another coat. I added two full coats and I am really happy with the results.

Now I have red, sparkly, glittery, heels! This was really easy and cheap! Because I had shoes and glue already, I only paid for the glitter. Which means I made fabulous shoes (I would price at $40 respectively) for $5. Amazing, 3 clicks and I am home.

It was really hard to take a picture of my own feet!

The only problem is wherever I walk I leave a discreet trail of red glitter. If that is the only problem I have then there's nothing to complain about :) Plus who would'nt want to leave a trail of glitter wherever they go?

Glitter Spider

2011-10-16T14:22:00.000-07:00

I really hate (yes I know it's a strong word) spiders. Yet, for some reason I really like fake, cute spiders, especially as a Halloween decoration. Since I have been having fun with glitter I decided to make a spider out of glitter and a foam ball.

Ingredients

Styrofoam Balls - $6 for 6 at Michael's. I got the 3" ones.
Black Glitter
Black Pipe Cleaners
Googly Eyes - random sizes
Glue, Mod Podge, or anything sticky.
Brush

*This takes a lot of time because you can only cover half the ball at a time and then you need to wait for it to dry before starting on the other side. I did two coats of glitter/glue so it took a while.

Cover half the ball with glue and shake the glitter on top.

Let the glue dry. I used the glitter cap as a place to set my ball while it dried. It was kinda like a pedestal for the ball so it would not roll away, onto the floor, spilling glitter and glue on the carpet.

After the glue is dry turn the ball over and add glue and glitter to the other side. Then let it dry.

As you can see there are a lot of white spots after only one coat, so repeat the first steps so the whole ball is covered twice with glue and glitter. While waiting, cut the spiders legs out of pipe cleaners. You will need 4 pipe cleaners per spider for a total of 8 legs (obviously). Cut them in half.

Attach the legs by pushing the pipe cleaners into the spider body.

Now it looks like whiskers, but don't worry! It will look like a spider soon enough. Add eyes now. As most people know, spiders have many eyes. So, I used a mixture of large and small googly eyes.

Cute right?

Now bend the legs into whatever position you want. I chose spider pose.

I named him Stan, Stan the Spider. Here he is in a picture with our new pumpkins!

Candy Corn Nails

2011-10-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

They look yummy, but please do not eat them!

This was a complicated experiment for me. It took me a while to get these perfect. This could be because it was hard, or because I am a perfectionist...

Ingredients:

Yellow, Orange, and White nail polish
Clear top coat
A steady hand

First paint your nails white. I had to do two coats. I guess you could just paint the top half, but I like to paint the whole nail to prevent bumps.

Then paint the bottom 2/3 of your nails orange.

I used tape for this but it made it so much harder. The tape kept sticking to the nail polish and lifting it up. I had to redo so many nails using this technique. I even tried waiting 2 hours for the white to dry before using the tape and it still stuck. It was awful so I gave up on tape and did the rest by hand. It turned out pretty good though. It's not as straight as I wanted, but it's better than I thought it would be and it took a lot less time.

Then add the yellow polish to the last 1/3 of the nail. It gets a bit bulky so be careful. It will also take a long time to dry since there is so much polish. Don't forget your clear top coat. So shiny!

*tip: if you mess up there is an easy way to correct it. Get your finger a bit wet with spit (yes I said spit) and then correct your mistake. For some reason spit does not mess up nail polish and you can smooth out mistakes easily. Gross but useful.

Mutant Corn

2011-10-10T19:10:00.000-07:00

I have been thoroughly enjoying the corn from my garden. I always pick the biggest ones to eat and they have been incredibly juicy. The season is ending and my supply is dwindling. Now the corn that I pick is small and sad. Tonight I picked mutant corn!

It looks like some of the kernels just gave up and the others got really chubby. They kinda look like yellow pearls. I was a bit apprehensive about eating it, but I cooked it anyway.

Hey, it turned out really good actually! They looked more normal after cooking. I'm sad about the growing season ending, but there is always next year!

Halloween Cards

2011-10-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween! Making cards is also awesome, even when I have to make 18. When I went to Michael's the other day I got this really cute stamp and I knew I had to make Halloween cards with it.

This is a pretty simple card but it has a lot of elements including shading, stamping, and the use of spray webbing. It turns out to be 4.25" x 5" card that fits in a standard A2 envelope.

Ingredients:

Paper
Stamps
Black Ink Pad
Ribbon
Spray Webbing
Spider Plastic Confetti
Tape
Pop Dots

The base of the card (orange) is a regular 8.5" x 10" page cut in half and then folded in half. Set this aside.

The decoration starts with a white background. It is 1-2cm smaller, on all sides, than the top of the card base (orange). This gives it a nice orange border.

Take the white paper and roughen up the edges with the black ink. Practice this on other paper to figure out what you like. I like it a bit messy with it darker on the edges and fading into the center a bit.

The center orange piece is sprayed with silver spray webbing first. It is really cool stuff. It comes out like silly string but it smells bad and dries really fast. The piece was cut into a 2" x 4.25" rectangle, stamped, and placed crooked on the white paper.

Ribbon was measured and cut to fit on the sides of the paper. I taped it to the back to secure it. The pieces can be very small since no one will see the back.

The ghost on the front is stamped onto white paper and then cut out. I decided I did not like the feet so I cut them off.

Then I added some shading with the black stamp.

To make the ghost "hover" I used a pop dot which is basically a foam dot with stick-em on both sides.

Looks pretty good so far. It just needs the spider confetti and the orange base.

Then all it needs is a greeting on the inside of the card.

All done! I ran out of ribbon but luckily I had some other options (thanks Debbie).

I used black envelopes with a quick stamp on the back to add a cute detail.

I hope you like them!

Burlesque Mini Teasers

2011-10-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

I received my other box of O.P.I nail polish minis! These ones are a promotion for the movie Burlesque. I am so in love with these colors. They range from gold to dark red and all four have a shimmer to them.

I am truly enjoying these mini bottles and I plan on buying more in the future! If you have not seen the movie Burlesque I definitely recommend it. It is an easy, fun movie perfect for a girls night. The singing is great and the costumes are fabulous.

I am ready for the night life with these colors!

O.P.I Nail Polish Minis

2011-10-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

I have discovered something amazing ... O.P.I minis! O.P.I nail polish is so expensive yet they have really cute colors. Apparently you can get some colors in mini size! I was given a mini gray from a friend and I fell in love with it (I love everything mini). I quickly logged onto my Amazon account and bought 8 more colors. They are a promotional thing so there was not a ton to choose from. I bought this really great set of soft pinks.

I love these minis because I do not have to buy a whole bottle of nail polish. I do not paint my nails too often and I have had plenty of nail polishes go bad. Problem solved! Plus, this set of polishes kinda give off a ombre vibe.

The last color is a sparkle and it was SO hard to photograph. Take my word for it, it sparkles with purple and blue hues.

My next shipment of minis should be here soon. I got the promotional Burlesque mini teasers. I am so excited! They also had a Pirates of the Caribbean set, Little Shooters set, Katy Perry set, and a 2011 summer stems mini set, but I thought I should pace myself. whew!

Oops Risotto

2011-10-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

This risotto had a big mistake that I thought would ruin it, but instead it turned out fantastic! My friend came over for dinner and brought the cheese for the risotto. I told her to get Monterey Jack Cheese and she got Pepper Jack Cheese. A little different. So I was a bit apprehensive. It actually tasted amazing! It had this yummy bite to it and was not overpowering. Thanks Maya!

Ingredients:

Arborio Rice - 1 cup
Chicken stock - 2.5 cups
Milk - 2 cups
White Wine - 3 tablespoons
Butter - 2 tablespoons
1 Onion - chopped in large pieces
1 zucchini - chopped into small pieces
1 clove garlic - minced
Pepper to taste
Pepper Jack Cheese - 1/2 to 3/4 grated
Basil - minced

First saute the onions with the butter for around 3 minutes. At the same time mix the milk and chicken broth in a saucepan and put it on low heat.

Add the garlic and rice and stir for 1 minutes straight. Then add the white wine and stir until it is absorbed. Start adding the broth mixture 1/2 cup at a time. Make sure to let each cup absorb before adding another cup.

After about 10 minutes add the zucchini. Cook until the rice tastes tender. This may mean you use all the broth or less/more. Just use your best judgement. When you are almost done throw in the basil and pepper. Stir stir stir!

Remove the mixture from the heat when the last addition of broth is absorbed. Scoop the risotto into a bowl and add the cheese. Fold the cheese into the risotto and watch as it melts into gooey deliciousness.

Basic risotto consists of the arborio rice, cheese, and broth. Beside that you can add pretty much anything you want. Sometimes I add tomatoes or other vegetables. Some recipes call for sausage or another type of meat. Because it is so versatile you can experiment. Try it out!

Make Your Own Vanilla Extract

2011-10-04T13:33:00.000-07:00

This process is really simple. The hardest part is waiting for the extract to finish. It takes a couple months for the liquid to actually taste like vanilla.

Ingredients:

Vodka - I got the cheapest kind, hopefully it won't affect the taste. $9 is perfect for my budget though.
Vanilla Beans - I got some online from Beanilla. I did some research and getting them online was the cheapest option.
Bottle - They are about $3 at Michael's
Knife

First clean the bottles off and let them dry. Open the vanilla beans and smell that amazing smell!

Take a vanilla bean and cut it down the middle in half and lenthwise.

Cutting them exposes the vanilla paste on the inside which is what makes the flavor.

Put the bean in the jar and fill it with vodka.

Now let it sit for at least two months. The longer it sits, the more potent it will be.

I will tell you how it goes!

Hassleback Potatoes

2011-09-30T07:17:00.000-07:00

All I can say is ... YUMMY! I already love potatoes, but this was seriously awesome for such a simple recipe. This recipe reminded me of a mixture between potato chips and scalloped potatoes without the cheese.

Ingredients:

Potatoes
Olive Oil/Butter - I used olive oil to be healthier
Salt - Sea Salt is the best
Knife
Cookie Sheet
Oven (duh)

First cut the potatoes. Try to make them thin and even. Cut down almost to the bottom. It helps to look at the potato from the side instead of from the top.

Try not to cut all the way through. But don't freak out if you do. It's still cookable and eatable.

Place them on a cookie sheet and pour olive oil over them. I tried to get some in the cracks too. Then sprinkle some salt on top.

Pop them in the oven at 425 for about 40 minutes. They are done when crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

I paired it with a big caesar salad. I barely got a picture before my boyfriend ate it all!

Fabric Rosette Headband

2011-09-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

These fabric rosettes are really cute and easy. I have seen them on so many craft projects and I fell in love. I learned how to make them from this tutorial. I like them because they are messy, yet cute and compact.

Ingredients

Fabric - the longer your strip of fabric, the bigger the flower will be. I used a 2"x 12" strip for my big flowers and a 2"x 9" strip for the little one.
Hot Glue Gun
Scissors
Headband - or whatever you want to attach the flowers to

Cut out your fabric and fold it in half lengthwise.

*I have no idea what was going on with the background colors

Tie a knot at the end. Make sure to leave a tiny tail so you can fold it under the knot.

With some hot glue, fold the little tail under the knot.

After it is secure start folding your long fabric strip around your knot. Twist inward towards the knot and secure with glue at intervals. I glued every two twists.

Keep twisting and gluing around the flower. As you get toward the end make sure to leave enough to tuck under the bud.

Twist the end and tuck under. Secure with glue.

Once that is dry flip it over and attach a small circle of fabric to the bottom. This helps keep the flower from falling apart and covers the gritty bottom edges for a clean finish.

Clip the edges of the circle so they do not stick out from under the rosette. Now you have a finished product! They are so easy it was hard not to make a bunch of them.

I did make a couple more so I could put them on a headband.

I used the hot glue and attached them to the headband. I adjusted them so they covered the spots on the headband.

This turned out really cute! I love this headband and I cannot wait to wear it. I will wear it to work today!

SGW - Shed Garage Workshop

2011-09-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

We have finally (almost) finished the SGW.

If you are wondering why it is called SGW it is because my boyfriend says it is a garage (even though only a smart car could fit) and I call it a shed; and we both agree it is a workshop. So I dubbed it SGW to be a peacemaker.

We finished painting the outside walls and trim this week. The inside is unfinished, but that will come in time.

I think this is a major accomplishment for my sweetie. He, with family help, built this shed from scratch. I am so impressed and proud of him. Here are some pictures to show the transformation:

Quite an endeavor, don't you agree? I helped a bit...

... and then I decided this was not my thing. I prefer crafting.

Bloody Nails

2011-09-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

I just killed something! No, not really. But, I made some super scary nails that are perfect for Halloween. Whether you plan on being a zombie or a slasher, this look can add a 'polished' detail to your costume.

I love this idea because it is really easy and it doesn't matter if you are messy.

First put either one or two globs of paint on a nail.

Then drag the glob up toward the end of your nail and then put a thick, imperfect line on the edge of the nail.

Make each nail different and don't forget your glossy, clear top coat.

* Evil cackle not necessary, but encouraged

Make Your Own Chicken Stock

2011-09-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm fresh chicken stock is such a treat. I usually use those chicken broth cubes, but it is nothing compared to homemade stock. Considering how long this takes it's really not that labor intensive after the first hour. This can be the base for so many things like soups or risotto. It can be frozen and chucked into the freezer until you need it.

Ingredients:

2 chicken carcasses
1 onion - quartered
2 to 3 large carrots - chopped in thirds
3 celery stalks - chopped in thirds
3 whole garlic cloves - unpeeled
Seasonings - I used salt, pepper, and basil and added them to taste.
A large pot
A bunch of water
6 to 8 hours of free time

Put everything into a pot. I used an 8 quart pot (my new one!).

Add a lot of water. You will be adding water as you go, so don't worry too much about measuring the initial water. Just make sure to fill it up so everything is submerged. This can be difficult because everything floats in the beginning, but just use your judgement.

It already looks tasty, but it has a while to go. Turn on the heat as high as it can go until it starts to boil (which takes a while) and then turn it down to a tiny simmer. You will see the water on top start to get foamy. This is the fat and impurities coming to the surface. For the first hour you are going to be skimming these fats off about every 15 minutes.

Use a shallow spoon and bit by bit take out the scum. In the words of Dory (from Finding Nemo) "Just keep skimming, just keep skimming, just keep skimming, skimming, skimming."

After an hour there should be less scum to skim and then your only job is to make sure the water is still submerging all the ingredients. Eventually the onion and garlic dissolve and a lot of the chicken melts away into the broth. The carrot softens and the celery gets really dark. The broth tastes like water in the beginning (obviously) and then starts to taste really flavorful after about 4ish hours.

After 6 to 8 hours you are done! If you have a thin strainer use that to separate the broth from the bits. I do not so I used a pasta strainer over a big bowl. It worked except for some fat bits. I let it cool and then skimmed those bits off the top.

The food left in the pot is really gross. You can try it, but all the flavors are now in your broth so just chuck it. You should have about 5 quarts of stock. You can freeze it as one large patch or in smaller individual containers so you do not have to thaw the whole thing for a cup of stock. Enjoy!

Homemade Pesto

2011-09-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

I have never made homemade pesto before but it looked easy enough. I was not exact in all my measurements because I believe in cooking by your taste buds and not only by a recipe, unless you have no idea what you are doing. So I started with:

Ingredients:

Basil - A full medium sized bowl. At least 4 cups of un-chopped basil
Olive Oil - I think I used 1/2 a cup
Garlic - 4 to 5 cloves
Pine Nuts - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste

First pick the rest of the basil in your garden (finally) and pick off all the leaves.

Brown the garlic (with skin on) and the pine nuts. The garlic took about 10 minutes to soften and the pine nuts took only 5 minutes.

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and chop, chop, chop!

Taste and add whatever it tastes like you need. I added a bit more salt and olive oil. Yummy!

Goodwill Gold

2011-09-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe not gold, but definitely stainless steel! This deal was definitely a steal!

Okay enough jokes.

I usually do not go to Goodwill that often even though we live rather close to one. Today I had this impulse to go and I found myself at the front doors. I did not expect to find much since my last visit was such a doozy (I bought nothing), and I did not even pick up a basket at the entrance. As I wandered among the slightly to heavily used items I found a couple cute things to buy. The store is very small so my interest started waning at about 20 minutes.

Then out of the corner of my eye I glimpse something shiny. At first I ignore it, brushing it off as some child's toy. I went down another isle and happened upon the shiny object again. With closer inspection I see a "Cuisinart" etching. Now my brain switched into high gear! I quickly grabbed anything with a glint of silver and horded them (like a small child) on the floor. Since I neglected to grab a basket, I now had way too many items to carry. But now that they were in my possession I could now look at them closer. The more I looked the happier I became! They were brand new, with original stickers! There was a saute pot, a sauce pot, and a stock pot and ... they all had their original lids! This was too much and I sat on the floor with my treasures. Whew.

When my mind finally settled I decided my items were not safe until I had a receipt so I lovingly (yet awkwardly) marched right up to the counter to pay and completely forgot about the other items that I left on the floor. C'est la vie.

It was the most money I have spent at a thrift store, yet it was also the best find ever! I paid $50 for $150 worth of cookware. It goes to show you that thrifting is a game of chance. One day you can completely fail and the next (or two days later) you can find diamonds in the rough (yes I did quote Aladdin).

Happy Thrifting!

Lace Rose

2011-09-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

Making your own lace rose is surprisingly easy. I tried this on a whim and it turned out really well.

Ingredients:

A Roll of Lace
Button
Cute Beads
Hot Glue Gun
Scissors
Felt - a color that matches or is lighter than the lace because it will show through

First cut out your circle of felt. Your flower will be a bit bigger than your felt circle so keep that in mind.

Next take your lace and trim the edge so it is rounded. This will make the edge less harsh.

After your glue gun heats up put a small line of hot glue on the edge of your felt and attach the trimmed edge of lace.

Continue along the edge of the circle until you come to the beginning again.

Now you are going to start to layer the lace and curl in toward the center.

You only have to go inward until the space in the middle can be covered by your button. Cut the end and round it like you did in the beginning.

Next put a big dollop of glue in the center and add your button.

Now turn it over. Add another round of lace to the edge of the back. This will hide the edge of the felt and make the flower look complete.

Make sure you round the edge after cutting it.

Then put another dollop of glue on top of the button and add some cute beads. This adds detail and brings together the colors.

You can add a hair tie, pin, or head band to put it in your hair or use it as an embellishment on practically anything. Enjoy!

Newspaper Nails

2011-09-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

This nail polish tutorial is based on the video by Cute Polish.

I absolutely love anything by Cute Polish. She is exceptional with nail polish and has this lovely, soothing voice that makes you want to watch every one of her videos ... which I did.

Despite how this nail polish looks, it is actually quite easy.

Ingredients:

Nail Polish - I chose gray instead of white because it looks a bit more like newspaper
Rubbing Alcohol
Newspaper - Not a magazine
Little Glass - I used a shot glass
Clear Top Coat

First put on your top coat and let it dry completely. ( Don't mind the blue background. I'm not sure how that happened since I was outside )

Dip your nail in the rubbing alcohol for about 5 seconds; just long enough to get it a bit wet.

Quickly, without letting the alcohol dry, apply the newspaper to you nail. Press it down so it covers the whole nail. After a couple seconds peel back the newspaper.

*If you did not let your nails dry, this is where the newspaper would stick and make a big mess. I totally did this; no shame.

Do not rub your nails or you will smudge the print! Put a layer of clear top coat on and let it dry. You are done!

Mine are very imperfect, but I really like them. Try it out :)

DIY clock

2011-09-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

Making a clock out of a picture frame, genius! At least that is what I thought when I saw this great tutorial.

Ingredients:

Picture Frame - I got one at Goodwill for $3
Clock Mechanism - $7 at Michael's
Spray Paint - Any color. I used Rustoleum Bronze Metallic
Paper & Scissors - Or someway to cut out numbers for your clock

I loved this idea at once and went to get the necessary items. I knew I wanted to get a cheap, old frame from Goodwill, but that week they did not have anything I liked. Bummer. But I found a fun frame this week so I am in business. Luckily I still had spray paint from my DIY Dresser Tutorial. Then all I needed was a clock mechanism. They had several to choose from at Michael's. I did not need one with numbers because I would make them myself, and they are cheap looking anyway.

1. Sand the frame.

You want to sand it really well so the paint will stick. This took me about half an hour. I put a sheet down because it made a mess. I would have done it outside but the Portland winter has begun and I prefer to stay warm and dry.

2. Wipe down the frame with a damp cloth. This removes all the dust that you just made sanding.

3. Spray painting is a no no inside, so I took my crafting outside. Luckily I have a covered porch (Yay!) so I did not have to wait until next spring. I did not bother with priming it because it will not be messed with after it is hung on the wall. It did take a couple coats of bronze to cover up the deep forest green.

First coat. You can still see so much green!

Second coat. Looks a little better.

Third coat! Looks amazing now. I definitely hosed this thing down with paint to make sure it was covered.

The can says to let it dry for 30 minutes, based on 70 degree F weather, so I decided to double that since it was probably around 60 degrees and raining. While waiting for this to dry I worked on the clock face.

First I decided on a color scheme and the paper I wanted to use. I have this beautiful leaf cardstock that I knew would look amazing on the clock.

Make sure to find paper that looks good with the frame!

Then I cut out the numbers. I have a Cricut Machine which is this amazing contraption that cuts paper for you! I recommend it to anyone.

As usual I made the project harder than it needed to be. I wanted the leaves on the cardstock, but not the brown background. So, I went to work cutting out leaves. I used an x-acto knife for this as it was so detailed.

Next I had to put a hole in the center for the clock mechanism to go through. I wanted to do this now before I put the decorations on the paper, just in case I ripped it badly and had to start over. I measured the paper to find the very center (do this on the back). Then I took the washer and traced the inner circle on the paper. Using the x-acto knife I cut out the circle. I did this to the background paper and the cardboard backing.

To attach the leaves you could use a normal glue stick, but I have something much better. It is called a sticker creator. You feed the paper into the front, turn the handle, and out pops your paper with stick-em on the back. genius! For the bigger pieces I used a glue pen.

Gluing everything on was the best part of this project. I finally got to see these cute leaves in action!

The clock mechanism came with no instructions; lucky me. It was pretty easy to figure out on my own though. First I stuck the main mechanism through the center hole. Then I attached the first hand.

Then the second, followed by a tiny screw.

And finally the last hand which just pops in on top.

I added the last few embellishments and it is done!