I'm on an ornament kick!

I have mentioned before just how much I love Chloe (my Silhouette).  I never get tired of playing around and learning new things to make with her.  We recently became addicted to glass bulb ornaments.  I made them for my kids' teachers for their Christmas gifts as well as the people I visit teach (for church) and a gift exchange party I went to.  Of course, I couldn't leave my kiddos out, they got one too.  I took an ornament tutorial I found on pinterest and changed it up a little.  I used vinyl on transparency paper instead of paper like the original did.  I then added some of the glittery, fake snow from the craft store.  My favorite was the baby Jesus in his manger.  I also loved the snowman, and felt like he really wanted to be on my tree, but I let him go to his new home ;). I also discovered that it is impossible for me to take a good picture with clear ornaments!  I did add ribbon to the tops of the other ornaments, but forgot to take pictures of them that way before they were given away.  Oops

Photo boards

     Wow, I have been MIA lately!  I am here, I promise!  The Christmas season always leaves me so busy, just like everyone else.  I did get some crafting in there thank goodness!  My sanity needed it! 

   I adore these boards that I made for the sibling gift exchange for my hubby and my side of the family.  I found the tutorial here.  They were so stinkin easy!

The boards really are straight, but for some reason every time I took a picture they looked crooked.  I am so far from being a professional photographer that it is sad really lol.

I fell in love with them and almost didn't want to send them, but decided that I will definitely be making some for myself very very soon!

It was super inexpensive to make, and I learned how to make the felt rolled flowers for it too.  I really couldn't believe just how simple these were to make and just how beautiful they turned out.  Although, as I am typing this I just realized I forgot to attach the ribbon before mailing them.  Oh man!  That is the story of my life though, lol.  I guess I should go call some siblings and explain that.

Good ol Daddy's day

I went simple and cheap frugal for Father's day this year.  I was having a difficult time getting my brain in the mood to celebrate after our horrendous mother's day, but I wanted to do something.  I have the worlds best hubby and we both have pretty great dads too, so I had to let them know how thankful we are that we have them in our lives.  I found the tags for the Padre's mugs on a linky over at Tatertots and Jello on a weekend wrap up party, but can't seem to find them again.  If anyone finds them please let me know so I can give credit where it is due!  They were too cute! 

This was my first time trying glass etching, so it was a new experience that I now am addicted to.  (The hubby thanks you Michael's for supplying us with yet another addiction!) ;)

The mugs I got at the dollar store, they are super strong and sturdy.  Try saying that 3 times fast!  It is hard to see the writing, so I will tell you what it says.  For Clayton's dad I put "Grandpa" with a picture of an elk since he is an avid hunter.  For my dad it says "K7BSU" with a heart since he is an avid Ham radio guy.  I am sure that is the technical term for that too lol. Also my dad is right handed, and the father in law is left, so I tried to put the vinyl on accordingly.  Of course, the vinyl was cut using my Silhouette to make the stencil. I filled them up with Reese's pieces to go with the tags of course.  I think they turned out pretty stinkin cute!

Mother's day... finally!

When I saw the saying for this craft, I knew it was the one! It couldn't fit anyone better than my sweet mother in law! My mother's day was spent in the hospital, as was the couple of weeks leading up to it, so my gift for my amazing mother in law was way late.  (Sorry again Marie)  I made the vinyl on my beloved Silhouette (her name is Chloe) and put it on a piece of beadboard I had laying around (I love ReStore).  So this project was free... well, sort of, the Silhouette was bought by the hubby for Christmas and the beadboard I bought a while back for another project.  Anyway, I am counting it as free. Oh, I also hung it with a piece of red ribbon that I also had on hand!

Do you like Peeps?

Ok, so my hubby didn't get this craft at first.  Please tell me it was just him, that it is funny!  I will feel so silly if I am the only one in on the joke! If you guys don't get it I will explain, but I don't want to if I don't have to cause I will feel really dumb lol!  I love peeps and thought these would be perfect for a little Easter/ Spring love to my house... I had this giant piece of beadboard that I got at restore for next to nothing a while back, and had the hubby cut it into 12x12 squares.  The rest I just created on the Silhouette in a baby blue vinyl.  That is what I had and I was too impatient to wait for some to come via mail.  I also cut out their eyes and noses with a scrap piece of black vinyl.  What do you think?  You can't really see it, but the ribbon I have it hanging from is pink polka dot material that I had a scrap of. I was too impatient to wait to buy some blue ribbon, but probably still will so it matches.  Can't wait to get my next project up so I can show it to you, I love, love, love it!

Linked up ">here and tatertots and jello

Oh Christmas Tree!

Thank you so much everyone that has been hitting this blog! I am in shock! I never thought that anyone would look except for family, so this is beyond my wildest expectations! I am so glad though. My hubby and I have had a good laugh that the most popular "craft" I have ever done was cutting shapes and taping them to the fridge. Too funny!
I made a discovery the other day... I found an Idaho Youth Ranch outlet store. I had to go to Boise for a dr appt with my daughter and my hubby had told me to check out the Youth Ranch (he knows that I love me some thrift stores). I got there right before they opened and there was a huge line. It looked like Black Friday! I asked some guy what the deal was and he said it was this way every day.
Once they let us in I had to shop fast because my daughter and I felt like we were going to get lice just being in the building :). It was bad! We didn't touch anything, just peered in the boxes unless I saw something promising.
This place charges by the pound. Have you ever heard of that? I ended up getting this hideous, wicker tree (more on that in a sec), an embroidery hoop and a large mirror that I plan to paint purple for my daughters room. I got it all for $2.63. Talk about a bargain! I know I could've gotten more, but I will have to go back without kids.

So on to the tree. Here it is in all its hideousness I told you it was bad!  I wanted to do something with it, just wasn't sure what would work with all the holes throughout.  So I took jute (actually I think it was hemp) and hot glued it to death all the way around.  It took FOR.EV.ER!  After I got it done it was still lacking a lot.  My kids thought it was a hat.  So while at walmart today I found some plain red buttons.  I hot glued them around, but I am still not sure.  Any suggestions?  I guess if I have to toss it Im not out a whole lot, right?

Christmas Coasters

These were so easy, and surprisingly turned out really pretty!  I participated in a homemade giftexchange at craftaholics anonymous and it seemed like everything I tried to make was a total flop.  I had done my Christmas pillow and loved the material so much, that I wanted to create something with it to send to my exchangee.  These took so little time I couldn't believe it!
  I cut the material in 5 inch squares and cut some scrap material for the insides to give them a little bit of thickness.  After a little sewing and ironing they were all ready to go!  I hope she likes them

I love snowmen!

I love snowmen! Seriously, they are so dang cute! I could use them all year as decoration but I think my husband already questions my sanity and I don't want to scare him away ;).
These little guys really were so easy! I took strips of white tissue paper and mod podged them on to empty canning jars. Any empty jar would work. After I got the strips on I put a layer of Mod podge over the top to seal it and took the rounded tip of a paint brush and did the eyes and mouth. I also painted the rim black.  My kids each did one with me, but I think they were a little too messy for their skill level (7 and 5). I think these would be cute either filled with goodies, or just as deocoration like I have them. I want to try to stick some Christmas lights in them and see how they look, what do you think? I am linking up to thrifty decor chick
linking up here

Beautiful Christmas pillow

There really aren't many times in my life where I can make something and actually say it it beautiful.  Really, I am not that good, but I fell in love with this pillow and now I need to make her a few friends!  I won some fabric on a giveaway at the creative crate.  I never win anything so I was so excited!  Some of the fabric I picked was this adorable Christmas set.  It was called the 12 days of Christmas, how cute is that?!  Anyway, I didn't know I was going to start this blog so I didnt record pictures of my how to, but I cut the middle square and then cut strips of the outer and sewed it all together.  I had some plain cream colored material that I sewed to the back red fabric in a ruffly design.  Then, I sewed them together.  I ironed everything as I went giving me a nice straight edge, which I am sad to say, is something I just learned you have to do recently.  In my defense I have only had a sewing machine for 9 years :)!  Anyway, I L.O.V.E IT!
I am linking up here




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My snowman fridge

I don't know about you but I love me some snowmen.  They, along with nativity sets. pretty much complete my Holiday decorating.  I think they are so cute.  I was driving around running errands yesterday when it hit me... make a snowman out of my fridge! Sounded simple enough, if I could just clear all the art work and clutter that I seem to have on the front of my fridge all the time.  Best part is that most of us can do this for free!  I took my trusty circle cutter and cut cirlces in different sizes (2 for the eyes, 5 for the smile and 3 for the buttons) and just taped them on.  It would've worked just as well with construction paper, but I didn't have any so I did it with scrapbook paper.  I also cut a large triangle out of some orange scrapbook paper.  Then I used wrapping paper that I cut in strips and taped. ( I got the wrapping paper free last year with a coupon for Hallmark stores) Doesn't it look so good as a scarf?  I know it really didn't need an explaination, its pretty easy.  I love it!  So simple, but a fun way to add a little pizzaz to your house.  I guess I should be thankful for my old white fridge now, huh? ;) Linking up to thrifty decor chick




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