Wood Notecard Box Makeover

My dear friend sent me a wood box that previously held notecards because she knows I'm mad about boxes.

I did a streaked paint job in black on the bottom and then applied flat latex in cream to the lid. I lightly sanded over the cream paint to give it a roughed up look and then did an image transfer using Citrasolv on top.

Because the box has a textured finish, the image is all vintagey looking which is what I was aiming for.

Rustic Christmas Star Giftwrapping

My simple gift wrapping this Christmas was done with my typical kraft paper wrapped with white bows and adorned with gold glitter salt dough stars.

I am lucky enough to have a ton of off cut fabrics from a bedding factory, so my ribbons and bows are ripped into strips using the offcuts, but you can certainly use old white sheets that are destined for the rag bin.

The simple salt dough recipe is:

1 cup of salt (get it at the dollar store, it's cheaper than the grocery store)
2 cups of flour
3/4 cup of water

You may have to adjust the water/flour by a bit, and I always add a bit of oil, about a tablespoon. This keeps the dough from sticking to your hands.  Once you've rolled the dough and cut out your shapes, bake at 200 degrees for about an hour.  You can also leave them to dry for a day or so.

I brushed my stars with Mod Podge and then sprinkled gold glitter all over.

I used a stamp set to mark the name of the recipient, and I'm going to see if I can stamp right onto bare dough ornaments because I think that would be a cute presentation too.

Felt Christmas Soldiers

I crafted these adorable Christmas soldiers today using felt, some gold braid I found at the fabric store, and some gold beads.

After assembling and gluing the front of the soldiers, I traced out the finished soldier on a solid piece of black felt and then glued front to back to add some stiffness to them.

Snowman Winter Wreath

I made this simple wreath today with a wreath that was destined for a yard sale this fall, and a bunch of dollar store snowmen that I had collected over the years and wasn't using anymore. 

I added a few recycled jingle bells and some pine cones I had found on the ground during a summer picnic.

Dragonfly Tablet Sleeve

I know, I know! My dragonfly love is getting out of control!  But I gave into my addiction to sew up a simple tablet sleeve.  I did some stitching on the wings to resemble veins but it's not showing up here.

The wee pocked holds the wee SD card adapter or whatever the kids are calling it these days. The shade of green is not true to the colour in this photo.

Why did this turn sideways? Baffled.

I used synthetic felts for this project and I was iffy about it because I have only ever used pure wool felt, but I actually like this stuff as it won't pill or fray, so I have found it to be a decent product and it costs fifty cents for an 8X8 piece.

If you can believe, it was cheaper to have this shipped from freaking TAIWAN than from any vendor in Canada or the USA, on Etsy.

Fall Luminary

I made this simple luminary with a glass mayonnaise jar and coated some maple leaves with Mod Podge and arranged them on the glass.

Fall on the Wall

I saved some glass jugs that once upon a time were filled with Sangria (hic!), and trimmed some branches from my maple trees for a quick and zero cost outdoor decoration.

I set out two more on the side table and I'm waiting to see how long they'll last because Canadian Thanksgiving is this Sunday, and I'd like to have them as part of my dining room decor.

I love fall so much, but the changing of the leaves needs to last longer than it does, because it's just so spectacular and stunning.  I love the smell of dying crisp leaves and the rustling sound they make when you walk through them.

I will say that they break my back to rake them up, though.  That is some serious pain!

Altered Mini-Suitcase to Nail Polish Storage Case

I altered a dollar store cardboard mini suitcase into a box to hold my nailpolish. I covered it using a wrinkled Taiwanese newspaper my son sent me which was used to wrap a breakable item. The dragonflies are images I found, printed and painted using watercolours, then I applied glitter to the wings.  Everything was set into place using Mod Podge.

My son had a seal made with my name on it, and that is stamped in the lower left hand corner. Seals are used to 'sign' your name on official documents in China and Taiwan, and no two are alike, even if you have the same full name as a thousand people. Fun fact!

I told my son that I chose to believe that the Chinese writings were all thought provoking or spiritual articles, but it's actually the classified section and contains ads for iPhones and Honda Civics. Ha!

Altered Stationery Box Turned Sewing Stash Box

My son gave me a boxed set of stationery eons ago, and I have a thing for boxes and save everything he's ever given me, so this box sat empty in a drawer for over a decade.

I've recently fallen in love with altered art in all its forms, so it was only a matter of time before I remembered the existence of this box, and tried my hand at turning it into a useful item.

The image of the ladies came from a photocopy of an Advantage sewing pattern from the early 1960s and was printed using an office laser printer (Shhh!), and the embellishments were items I gathered up from my sewing stash.

I haven't quite decided it I've achieved maximum overkill with all the elements I've added because I tend to keep things simple, but it's growing on me.

I keep it on end table within reach of where I sit on my couch and it's filled with the items I am constantly in need of when I'm hand sewing, because I'm too lazy to run a flight of stairs to retrieve them.

Here's the before shot:

Cables & Lace Knit Cardi

I found this sweater while browsing patterns on Ravelry and wanted to knit it. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the pattern itself, so I decided to write my own pattern based on the existing design.  You can find my pattern by clicking this link:  Cables & Lace Cardi Pattern

Be warned that this is only the third pattern I have developed, and there may be some typos or mistakes in there.  I have done my best to avoid errors, I can't guarantee it's perfectly composed.

If you knit this sweater and find a mistake, please let me know by way of comment here, and I'll correct it.

I'm going to try and get better photos one of these days...

Hand Knit Wee Baby Uggs

These measure 4 1/2 inches from heel to toe.  Knit for sale at my Etsy Shop.  Buy my Uggs!

Criss Cross Baby Shoes

I knit an updated version of Baby Jane shoes which are apparently popular among moms these days.  They're in my Etsy shop. 

Will someone please buy all my stuff?!?!

Mary Jane Baby Shoes

I'm still powering through this leftover blush pink cotton and still wishing I had a baby girl around to put inside of the finished items.

Alas, these go into my Etsy shop but have given me pleasure while I knit them.  Each stitch was knit with a good thought of the wee one who will one day be trying to kick them off.

Blush Newborn Baby Cardigan

I knit this wee baby cardigan because I am guilty of worrying about having insufficient yarn to knit a project, then end up having too much.

This was knit in 100% mercerized cotton and will be in my Etsy shop when I've knit a matching hat and booties or shoes, because I still have yarn left over for Pete's sake.

I really, really need a baby girl to play dress up with and rock and coo all over.

Little Country Girl Rag Doll

I made this doll and sewed her some new clothes to match the colour scheme of the room she sits in.  Yesterday, I knit her a little sweater vest to complete her ensemble.

Framed Rusty Tools

I was cleaning out my dad's tool bench recently and found these assorted rusty tools hiding at the bottom of the drawers and decided to frame them because looking at them makes me happy.

I don't know what my dad is going to think when he sees what I've done with his stuff, but they were just sitting there unappreciated in all the glory of their age and rust.

These tools are up to fifty years old, they just don't make them like that anymore.

Norah Gaughan Cabled Summer Sweater

I knit this adorable cabled cardigan and finished it last week.  It's pure cotton so I can wear it in warmer weather.

I'm in love with everything about it.  It's the second sweater I've knit using this pattern because.  Cables.

Details can be found on my Ravelry page.

Tiffany Blue & Red Crochet Edged Pillowcase

I made this for a friend who likes to bring her own pillowcase when she travels.  I'm in love with this print!

Upcycled Bucket to Clothes Peg Holder

I've been using a redneck Margarita cocktail bucket to store my clothes pegs in for three years now.  It's great because it keeps my pegs dry, I'm able to hang it from a post within reach from my clothesline, and it's just the right size.

It's become grody over the years, and since everything else about it is perfect, I decided to cover it.

I'll give you some tips on how I did it after the break.

Sunflower Pillow

I sewed this sunflower pillow to give to my mother on her birthday.  

I have a tutorial for this project here - these petals are a different shape from those in the tutorial, but the pillow is made in the same way.

Don't you hate it when you photograph something and then you notice a wall socket figuring prominently in the finished product?  Ugh.

Wedding Memento Subway Art

I made this canvas to give as a gift for a cousin's upcoming wedding shower. 

I simply painted over a canvas I was tired of looking at, then arranged Dollar Store stick-on letters, using three different fonts.  The bride to be is Italian, hence, the use of that language in some of the words.

I painted another coat of the same colour, and voila, a unique personalized gift that will be treasured long after the honeymoon is over.

Deck Decor

I came extremely close to selling this unused tea cart that was living in my basement.  I never thought to use it on my deck in the summer, but boy am I ever glad I finally realized it's a useful and pretty thing to have outside!

It does double duty on sunny laundry days, and it's going to be handy as heck during barbecue season.  My sister completely surprised me with this galvanized watering can that is forty years old.  I literally jumped up and down when she showed up with it.  She has four of them sitting mostly unused.  I am dying to poke around in her basement because she has a ton of things like this gathering dust.

Dollar store cherubs.  Can you even stand it? I can't!  Dollar store, I just love you to bits.

Decorated Birdseed Mason Jar

I saw this idea on a crafting blog and made one a little different.  I made the bird from cotton muslin and the legs out of bent out paperclips.  I had wee heart shaped wreaths on hand and that became the nest.  Add a bit of greenery, a bow and a flower or two and you're done.

The little flower arrangement was made using a candle holder which I absentmindedly sat in cool water after it had been on low heat on the stove to melt the wax in order to clean it out.  It cracked (ugh!) so it became a flower pot.

Peonies In Milkglass

I'm so thankful for my bountiful garden.

Frame Your Child's Poetry or Artwork

My son won a Canada wide poetry contest when he was 14 years old, competing against youth up to age 18.  His poem was published in Word Weaver magazine, and I was a very proud mom to say the least.  I actually needed  to sit down and cried when I read this poem at parent - teacher night midway through the school year.  The poem is a tribute to Roland Deschain, the main character in Stephen King's Dark Tower series, which we both love.   I framed it yesterday and hung it in a place of honour where the  light allows me to read it day or night.

I splattered the paper with out of the ordinary things like olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, sprinkled trace amounts of cocoa powder over spattered  water spots, then carefully rubbed burned blackened  paper bits over some areas with my fingertips.  I sat a coffee mug on one edge to produce a, well, coffee ring stain, then misted the whole page with water, and voila, paper that looks convincingly old.  The frame was brilliant gold, so I toned that down with black paint and glaze.  The poetry was mounted on faux cherry wood which I also toned down by dry brushing it with black paint.

 And there you have it.

Mouse In An Anchovie Tin With Tutorial

I made this mouse for a friend who travels around the world, and brings a similar mouse I made for him for company.  He shoots photos of Ivan the mouse bungee jumping in Australia, touring the Pyramids at Giza climbing Kilimanjaro, and the list goes on.  I think I counted 30 or more places in the world Ivan has been so far with my friend Jyriki.  I thought Ivan could use a friend other than a human, so I sent him Fu.  I'm placing a tutorial after the cut.

Garden Inspirational Art

I put together this decorative canvas to hide a rusted fan cover that's mounted onto the brick wall beside my deck today.

My mother was visiting and told me about a botanical garden she toured and that these words were on a plaque, and I thought they were lovely.
  
Disclaimer: I should have written Buddah instead of God since I'm more of a Buddhist, but I was on auto pilot today and my Catholic upbringing is ingrained in my soul. 


Here it is hung over the fan cover with the recent addition of a butterfly made out of feathers.

I'm placing a very simple tutorial behind the cut.