I've Missed My Little Blog

I haven't been able to get onto my computer since mid-week last week because of a HUGE computer mess that made it impossible.  It has taken many days and an amazing computer wizard friend to get me back here.

I've missed you.

Really.

A lot.

I mean it.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter.  Ours was awesome. 

I LOVE our church!!!  It has to be the most amazing place I have ever been.  Being there on Easter in our new building was extra special. 

I also love the family that I spent time with.  Easter just wouldn't be the same without them.

I know that Easter was two days ago (almost three now), but I couldn't post this earlier because of the above mentioned problem. 

I made this with items I bought from the Dollar Store when I was doing Lindsay's challenge.

(Okay, I just spent 3+ hours trying to figure out why my Photoshop Elements wasn't working to no avail.  Aargh!!!  Oh well, HP Photosmart to the rescue...)

Just a card, two frames and some green flowers from the Dollar Store.

I tried to find a card that would work well with my idea and this one was the best fit.  I would have loved to have found an angel, an empty tomb and a cross or dove, but I didn't see any.  I like the way this turned out though.  I don't have many Easter decorations so it will be fun to get this one out each year.

I ended up switching frames from the ones in the previous photo after a failed attempt at something fancy.  

Always learning something new even with failures.

It's hard to see, but I took out the glazing points that hold in the glass.  I wouldn't need them later because I would be gluing the glass in.  They are usually used to hold the back of the stand and the photo in the frame, but I wouldn't need them for that either.  Oooooh, are you curious yet?

Next a good coat of primer because I was afraid the shiny fronts (you're actually seeing the backs in this photo) wouldn't take well to being painted with my acrylic paint without it.

On the left is one coat of Folk Art Vintage White and then two coats on the right.  I ended up deciding on three.  Some of the gray primer still shows through, but that was fine with me.  It gave it a somewhat aged look.

Once I had the frames ready I moved on to the card.  I attached the card to a comic book backing board with Golden's Regular (Matte) Gel Medium.  I'm sure some sturdy cardboard would work, but I knew it would be visible, around the edges, in the next step so I went with something white.

Now, I probably should have waited until it was completely dry to start cutting it out, but I'm a bit impatient (just ask my husband...and my kids). 

I broke a small part of the tip off of three X-acto knife cutting blades doing this. 

I'm sure it was due to the thickness.   This part took awhile and my hands got a little sore, but it was totally worth it.

Now for my favorite part...the leaves. 

I used my green flowers to cut out leaf shapes.  The bottom two on the left are what I was going for.

Then I strategically glued them to the tree.

I used Beacon's 3-in-1 Advanced Craft Glue for this part.

Now onto assembly. 

I didn't take a photo of it, but I attached the glass back into both frames with Duncan's Liquid Fusion Clear Urethane Glue.  Awesome stuff!  A little of it squeezed onto the glass when I put it together, but once it was dry it came off the glass nicely with a razor blade. 

I chose some ribbon I already had on hand and stapled it to the top backside of the first frame.  (I'm thinking about decorating a whole wall with all the ribbon I have on hand.  Maybe I could add my buttons too.  Just kidding...maybe.)  I also stapled the tree piece (facedown, toward the glass) because I wasn't sure glue would be enough to give it stability.  You'll notice I stapled it to the backside of the frame also.  Then I glued two of the larger small pieces to the frame against the glass.

Here's where it gets complicated. 

I'm not very good at explaining things sometimes so I hope I make this clear.

On the second frame I glued the last two small pieces against the glass facing toward the back of the frame.  You can see where I didn't paint the back of the frame completely.  I knew it wouldn't be visible when I sandwiched the two frames together so I didn't waste my time on it.

Sorry, no photo for this oh, so very important part.  I used Dries White Gorilla Glue to attach the two frames back to back making the finished frame SEE THROUGH!!  Yes, I'm feeling terribly clever.  Please don't tell me that you've seen this done a million times before.  Let me revel in my delusions of grandeur for just a bit.

Ahhh, that feels good.

Here it is hung in my kitchen window. 

I just love the 3 dimensional effect of the whole thing. 

A little close-up.

And a bonus silhouette view. 

Don't the leaves look so pretty?!

It's so sad that I've already put it away and you are just seeing it for the first time.

I'll have to get something new on here real soon that isn't already outdated. 

I'm just glad I can get back on my computer again.

Happy happy blog blog.

Something Practical

Today's Just Make Something Monday #10

This...

Was necessitated by THIS:

I can only imagine what it must have looked like from the outside of the house.  (My poor neighbors!) 

Our home only has six windows.  Yeah, six.  So, we decided to cut this nice little window in our front door several years ago to give us some more natural light. 

This is what I see each morning.  Nice.

This is more like the light we see in the late afternoon when we sometimes watch TV. 

Not so nice. 

The sun either shines right in our eyes as we sit on the sofa or it shines on the TV screen making it difficult to see clearly.

This is where the flannel pajama pants came in.  They were a fix by lovely husband. 

I knew I had wanted to make a curtain for this area for some time, but the PJ's gave me a huge push to get it done.  I must say that I am very pleased with the results.

I found the fabric when I was in Jacksonville with my Mom.  It was perfect.  You see, I had originally found the clips (they're magnetic since my door is metal) at Walmart and they had almost the same pattern as the bottom fabric. 

Here is a close-up.  So pretty and yet modern looking.

If you look closely at the PJ photo you can see a little red gingerbread man shaped clip at the top left of the pants.  We used to have two of these that we used to hang a kitchen towel over the window.  A quick fix that was just a step or two above the pants.  I think you will have to agree that this new curtain beats our previous solutions.

The ribbon separating the two fabrics was my most difficult decision.  I had wanted to add some red to it with some flowered ribbon, but I decided to play it safe.   I think I may make a small bag out of the fabic I have left over.  Maybe I'll add the flowered ribbon there.  

 In an added bit of irony, I also added a flannel liner between the layers to totally block out the sun. 

I guess the flannel pants made a permanent mark after all.

The final effect is more like a giant placemat than a curtain, but it works.

  I used the same technique I used in this bag I made to adhere the flannel.  It worked wonderfully well.  It's fun how the things you learn doing one thing get used making others. 

________________________________________________________

I'm planning to start posting more often.  We'll see how that works.  Tomorrow...or maybe the next day...the answers I got concerning my post on March 15th.   Yep, looks like there aren't any....or are there? 

My New Bag

Isn't she lovely!
Just Make Something Monday #9

I am loving this bag!  I found this tutorial on Elizabeth Hartman's blog Oh, Fransson.  I fell in love with the black flowered bag in the photo.  I had such a great shape.  The fabric was not something I could come satisfactorily close to in the local fabric shop, but I do like what I chose. 
Not ever having made a bag before I didn't realize how big this bag would end up.  I had thought to use it as a purse, but in the end decided it would work very well for carrying around my portable projects.  Right now it houses some of the yarn I plan to use in making some crocheted granny squares (pattern also found on another blog) that will hopefully become a couple of pillows and a throw for my bed.  Funny thing is...I don't crochet.  The pattern is for advanced beginners, but I am determined.  I like doing new things.  I do that a lot when we have company over for dinner.  Our guests are always guinea pigs for some new dish I'm trying, but I digress (as I often do). 
This bag is destined to become my frequent companion.  I love the contrasting lining, the pockets and the vintage button I used from my beloved button box.  It is so well constructed.  I say this not to pat myself on the back, but to give praise to Elizabeth.  It is very sturdy and ever so attractive.   True, it took me many hours to make, but it has been awhile since I made anything of substance on my sewing machine.  I think my husband felt a little neglected, but he has resigned himself quite nicely to my year long commitment to craft.  I promise I made it up to him later.  Digressing again (sigh...I'm afraid you'll have to get used to it)...
Needless to say, I enjoyed making this bag very much.   I learned a lot from making Elizabeth's bag.  Things I will be able to use in my own future projects.  The wheels are turning.

I am making myself a list of all the projects I plan to work on in the months to come.  How is it possible that there is always something new being added to this list that I am excited about doing?

Somewhat craft related:
I am participating in a stationery swap.  Fun, fun, fun!  Who knows how I ended up there, but I signed up to participate in it on Megan's blog Time After Tea.  (Oh the joys of blog hopping!)
I am torn between asking my partner what she would like and just totally surprising her.  I hope she isn't too disappointed in the fact that I'm in the states.  After all the swap host is in Austrailia and from what I've learned from my partner's blog, she likes to travel.   Oh well, Florida is like its own little country.  I'm sure I can come up with something lovely for her.  I love the challenge of making the most of a $15 spending limit.

(Oh my goodness.  I am a super word nerd and I just discovered I've been spelling stationery incorrectly all my life!  I always spelled it stationary!!  Thanks Megan for helping me learn something new.  Just don't tell my Mom.  She's where I inherited my nerdiness.  In a good way.)

Yay, I Did It!!!

(JMSM #8 - Just look at my lovely new header)

Oh my goodness, that was painful, but I finally did it!!

Several hours of my life used in the relentless pursuit of success!

I like the way it turned out.  I'd better.

I think it may be awhile before I try that again.  There's got to be a better way.

If you'd like to know how I did it here's the link.  It still took me some time to figure out, but I'm just a little challenged like that.

The only thing I'm not totally crazy about is the size of the header and the color of the background.
I can live with both.  I tried several different background colors, but white seemed to work the best.

What do you think?

(Yawn...is it really 2 am?)

For the Hubster

The Official Just Make Something Monday #7 (on Wednesday)

Almost 23 years ago I married my best friend.  I love him now more than ever.

  At the time we were very young (only 19) with limited money so we honeymooned at the local beach.  It was still lots of fun for us because we had only moved to Florida from Texas 7 days earlier.  During our honeymoon we collected quite a few shells and we purchased the one in the frame above at a shell shop.  I loved how it consisted of two pieces that fit so perfectly together.  I thought it was the perfect representation of the  commitment that we had just made.  And we did, and still do, fit so perfectly together.

So, for almost 23 years this little shell has been sitting in a box waiting for the day when I would finally get around to doing something with it.  Over time it has held up very well and only has a few small chips to mar its surface.  I'm happy to say that our marriage has also managed to make it to today with only a few tiny rough spots itself.  Now our little shell has found a permanent home.  A place to be displayed where we can see it often and be reminded of the wonderful beginning of the love we are still living.  It makes me happy to see it. 

I've wanted to stitch on paper for a while and I thought it would be a nice understated way to add depth to the finished product without taking away from the shell and the quote.  I think I was a bit hesitant to add too much and mess it up, but I'm learning.  I think it still needs something, but I couldn't decide what.  Hopefully, I will stretch a bit more with my next project.  I hope you can tell that the shell is supposed to be under water and it's surrounded by seaweed and bubbles. 

I was inspired by Rebecca Sower's style and wanted to add lots of dimension and texture.  I started with a nice colored piece of scrapbook paper, sewed on it with the sewing machine, and handstitched the beads on.

  I hand stamped the quote on a piece of muslin.  I wanted to add color to the white fibers I used for seaweed so I used watercolors and dried them with a heat gun.  I wasn't sure it would work, but I like it.  I added some plain white ones to break up the monotony of the blue.  I had wondered how I was going to attach the heart and in the end I just hot glued it on. 

The frame was what actually kept me from posting this on Monday.  It is a Martha Stewart frame that started its life in black satin fabric.  I wanted it to look like driftwood so I painted on two coats of gesso.  Once that was dry I painted it with tan paint and followed that with brown that I painted on then wiped off with a paper towel.  Voila, driftwood.  Or at least something that resembles it close enough for me.

(dark color before completely wiped off on bottom portion)

(after wiping off)

I'm giving it to my love when he gets home late this evening.  I know the shell means more to me than it does to him, but I also know that he loves it when I take time to celebrate our love.  He'll give me that smile that he has whenever something I do makes him feel special.  That smile that makes me feel special too.

Hello Card

Well, this is not what I intended to post today.  For one thing I'm supposed to make something  new every week to post on Monday, but alas I cannot today.  I'm learning you can't make something for Monday by starting it on Sunday.  Who'd-a-thunk!  Especially if it involves paint, sewing, stamping and other stuff.  I'm trying something new, (Oooh, I do love trying new things) but it won't be done until Wednesday.  Barring, of course, any unforseen hurricanes and since I have three children and live in Florida.....one never knows.  To make it up to you (that is if there are any of you) I'm going to post a card I made not too long ago.  Then I'll post my project on Wednesday and I'll try to do it earlier in the day.  I don't like to make people wait.  Even if they might just be imaginary people in my head.

I think it's cute.  My inspiration was my desire to use some $1 stickers I bought at Target a while back.  It's hard to see in the picture, but they have sparkly dots on them.  I love like, a whole lot, (had to change that for my father-in-law since he's so fond of reminding us that one can only love people, not things) (Love yah, Dad!) the dollar bins at Target.  There's always something fun to play with there.

By-the-way, yesterday's Stuffed French Toast was amazing!!!  Everyone loved it.  You must try!

Ugh!  My photos are so unfabulous.  I'm working on it though.  I simply can't embarass my amazingly talented photographer sister with these sub-par photos.  She deserves better. 

Baby's First Year Album

Tah-dah!  Just Make Something Monday #6

Whew!  This was a lot of work.  Looking at the finished product I think it looks deceptively simple and easy, but no.

All that really matters is whether or not my neighbor likes it. 

As soon as Doris told me she was pregnant I knew I wanted to do something special for her.  You see, this baby was a long time in coming.  Her husband and I share a birthday month and we are the same age year-wise.  I remember very well the year we turned 35.  He had previously told me that he didn't want to have any children if they didn't have them by the time he was 35.  I disagreed, but kept quiet.  I was turning 35 that year too and I knew I didn't want to get pregnant then because the risks increase for women.  Doris was younger though and I knew she wanted a baby. 

The year we turned 35 Doris' husband bought her a new car.  Nice, but not a baby. 

I found out that I was going to have a baby in April the following year (a precious gift that we could not imagine being without).

Late last year I saw her in one of those shirts that makes you wonder if someone is pregnant or is it just the shirt.  I took a chance and YES she was.  My kids and I were so excited.  I even called the hub to tell him and he was excited too.  We had already planned to have them over if we needed to do our own little shower since we weren't sure they'd include me in any shower guest lists.  We've lived next door for almost ten years now, but we haven't socialized much due to the different lifestyle that comes with three kiddos and the constantly messy home that comes with them.  I was thrilled  to receive an invitation to her shower.  I hope my gift is just the right thing to help us beome closer and not let the next ten years be as pleasantly distant as the previous ones have been.   Either the gift will bring us closer or the 12 year old daughter I have that is anxious to babysit will.

By the way, Doris' husband, Scott, and I turn 42 this year.  God's timing is always perfect.  Seven years.  Interesting.

Okay...

Okay, so I'm not done, but I'm so close.  I could show the layouts that I've done so far, but I think it would be much nicer to see it all together. 

So...tomorrow. 

Really. 

I mean it.

I started this blog for fun, family, friends and accountability (that's why I mean it above).  I decided to make something once a week as a challenge to see if I really do like making stuff or if I just think I would like to.  I have a friend who once told me that I just like the idea of scrapbooking more than the actual scrapbooking.  That is somewhat true.  I love the products available.  The stickers, paper and other embellishments are like candy to my eyes.  I can't help but collect them whenever something inspires me.  With money being tight now it's gotten much easier to resist temptation, but I still see a lot of beautiful things.   Fortunately, I like to make a wide variety of things and all my goodies can be used in a variety of crafty endeavors.  So... back to my friends comment, I wanted to find out if what she said was true and test myself this year.  Do I like making things or do I just like collecting?  And I wanted to see if I think I have any talent.  Am I good at what I do?  Do others like it?  Should I have not let Rose's talent deter me from working on my own all these years? 

Finally, even if no one else particularly admires what I make, do I still want to create things for my own pleasure?
My first-child, perfectionist tendencies tell me probably not, but that's what Just Make Something Mondays are all about helping me discover. 

[Here's a shout-out to the one person whom I know will read this, my sweet sister Kymberly.  Thanks, it really means a lot to me.]
I'll have to tell you about her later.  She's pretty awesome.

Hand-Cut Silhouettes

Just Make Something Monday #5

Whew!  I was worried I wouldn't get these finished in time for my JMSM. 
When my nieces were here at Christmas time I took profile pictures of them as a part of my plan to make silhouettes for their parents for Valentine's Day.  I think they turned out rather good.  I tried to do them in Photoshop with a lasso tool, but I didn't have enough time to figure out how to do it that way.  I may try again in the future.  Instead I re-sized my photos and printed them onto a heavier paper to use as a template.  After I cut the girls out I traced the cut-out design onto black paper with a white pencil and cut that out.  I haven't gotten frames for them yet so the edges of the silhouettes are a bit fuzzy where they aren't flat on the white paper.  I had intended to use 5x7 frames, but I think I may have to go with oval frames since the ponytail on my youngest niece pokes out pretty far.  All-in-all I'm happy.  It was a quick project with great results.

These are the photos I used for the silhouettes:

I suppose I could have made things easier by having them pose in front of a solid wall, but I was trying to be inconspicuous.  Nevertheless, I know my brother and sister-in-law will pleased.  Valentine's Day can't get here fast enough.