Recycled Can Lid Necklace

Well I have this idea and another in my head for awhile, so when Fawnda from Fireflies and Jellybeans announced a competition for the Iron Crafter using recyced cans, I knew I must enter.

 Lets get started!!
First I took the lids off using a borrowed pampered chef can opener.  They take the complete lid off leaving no sharp edges. 

Next I make a hole at the top so I could turn it into a necklace.

Then I planned how I wanted to decorate the inside of the lid.  I thought of it like I was scrapbooking.  Then I put the base paper which was a brown paper with pink dots.  I glued it all down with mod podge.  I carefully made the hole in my paper to match the lid and re-inserted the nail to keep the hole clear.  I put judkins diamond glaze on top and let dry.  When it is dry remove the nail and string and bead. If you need instructions on making a necklace check out this previous post for a  Necklace Tutorial

I really wanted to have another entry for this competition but I doubt I will have the time. Maybe it will be a future post. 

Showcase Sunday

Well my shop is slowly creeping in the google shopping searches.  As I have said in previous posts, I had a bug that affected my shop.  I was not the only shop affected by this either.  I found myself spending hours in the forums looking for answers and support and while I was there I met Lori from Kidnaround Creations.  She has an amaizing etsy shop.

 I really hope you will go check her out! She has everything from crayon rolls to puppets and games. Her shop is a perfect place to shop for birthdays or just a fun gift for a the special child in your life.  I picked a few favorites to show you.

 Kidnaroundcreations has amazing prices that these precious gifts are hard to pass up. 

For my showcase I chose my pirate outfit.  I made this for the first time last summer and I must say my son is such a cute model.  It is hard to believe how fast time flies!  This set is only $22.00

boutique-boy-pirate-skull-and-cross-bones Short Set

Order this - this week and get free shipping.  Just convo me before purchase and I will adjust the listing for you.  (ends June 5)

Shaka Shake Tutorial

I have been meaning to put this up for awhile but time always gets away from me.  This is a great craft to re-purpose those Easter eggs and to make a musical instrument for your child or they can make it themselves.  My daughter calls it a shaka shake so that is what I am calling it. To start you need rice, egg, tissue paper, brush, tape, and mod podge.

Go ahead and fix yourself a drink too!

I put about 1/8 cup of rice in the egg.

Then tape close.  The first time I did this craft, I made it with my MOPS group.  I told them to use the mod podge to seal the egg shut and I thought that would hold up but my kids busted theirs open by the end of the day.  So go ahead and tape it.

Then you will paint the egg with mod podge and begin putting tissue squares on top.

You will also paint some mod podge on top of your tissue layer to seal it.

Once it is completely covered with tissue and mod podge, let it dry and the best place to put it that I found is on freezer paper because it doesn't really stick to the wax side when drying. When it is dry it is ready to

SHAKA - SHAKE

ENJOY!

And the Winner of Washer Necklace is....

Dawn said...


I love the 2nd one in on the left and the zebra one!!!



I'm a follower now!
Congrats Dawn I will be contacting you to get your address!

Question???

Where do you find the best deal on designer fabric?
Thanks for any suggestions you have

To Do Tuesday

So I have already been busy on some of my to-do list even though I have a million other projects I am in the middle of.  First up I have completed and will blog about later.

1.  This recycle craft brought to you by Krafty Mum is just awesome.  I have plenty of scrap fabric and empty ribbon spools.  VERY CREATIVE! Be sure to check out how she made these beauties.

2.  Becky over at Clean Mama is my kind of woman! She is quite organized which is what I strive to be.  She has a great tip for gardening and I just love how she mixed different flowers in this pot.

You can see more about her tips Here

But that is not all she also has a wonderful art project to go along with planting and some favorite picture books.  Check this link for the plan.

3.  Fawnda has a crafty blog that I am sure you have heard of called Fireflies and Jellybeans.  This post she shows you how to put together a water table-PERFECT for these hot days.

4.  This next item on my to-do list is more of a dream than an actual "to-do"  I am not good at decorating cakes.  I can envision it but the follow through is no where close to what I have in mind.  I have already told my sister in law (who is good at it) that will be her job when birthdays come along.  Anyways, Kalleen over  At Second Street made this AMAZING cake.  I love the colors and all the details she put on it and the cool thing was her daughter was the one who designed it.  I just don't know if I could eat it- it is just too pretty.

5.  Sammy and Ruth have a great blog over at Scraps N' Strings.  They have great post on how to make these magnetic boards.  I am thinking about our traveling over the summer and how much we need these for some care entertainment.

6.  This last project really is a must for me.  It is a Toddler Sewing Basket.  I am sewing quite a bit and my kiddos desperately want to sew and help.  This will not only let them feel like they are a part of my work but also is wonderful for their fine motor skills. This project is from My Mommy Makes It

Take the 7th day to REST!

Be sure to enter my follower giveaway but of course if you don't win you can always make it yourself.

Washer Jewelry Tutorial and Giveaway ENDS Friday

Showcase Sunday

It is Sunday Evening and as I wait to watch the series finale of Lost I am thinking about my Etsy shop.  It is still suffering from slow sales and views due to a bug that is much bigger than most can imagine.  It seems to be effecting most shops whether they know it or not.  So in the slow times, I try to enjoy relaxing, movies, and being creative in my own time.  I was also thinking about how to show off my work and the stories behind them and possibly showcasing other wonderful crafters.  Since I just decided to do this like 2 minutes ago and I am impatient to talk to other Etsy folks, I will just blog about my shop tonight. So I want to start with this outfit.

This was my daughter last summer- soo cute!  I just started selling on Etsy a year ago- in fact I really started sewing again Feb 09.  I sewed in High School and didn't do much of anything until then and I graduated in 94 so it has been awhile!  I am amazed how much I have learned in a year of sewing everyday.  ANYWAYS, I had this pillowcase dress for sale.

I had a message from a wonderful customer who loved the fabric combo but wanted it to be a romper. I had to google romper- I was clueless back then and still am sometimes.  I knew if I was to do that I would have to follow a pattern and I am like I said too impatient to do such a thing!  So I said I would make something that a girl could play in that would be birthday party worthy.  I ended up with this outfit and I did have to follow a pattern somewhat for the little pantaloons.  They are actually capri pants I put elastic on the bottom to make into pantaloons. This has been one of my biggest sellers and has been popular for so many little girl's birthday parties.  I am so grateful for customers who work with me on custom orders and aren't afraid to ask.  Here are some other pictures of this outfit and it is for sale for $30 at Fancy Pants by Jamee.  You can actually see the little girl for whom this set was made for in my feedback.  The customer attached an appreciation photo- I love those!

 The following pictures were taken by Cassandra of Captured by Cass 

If you need a photographer in Lubbock Texas you should check her out! She is a very talented photograher.

Here is another version I have done as well.

It is great to be apart of so many special occasions!

Washer Jewelry Tutorial and GIVEAWAY

I saw this tutorial on DIY Creative Juices over a year ago and it has been one of my favorites.  I used this craft in our last MOPS meeting.  Here is what you need.

Some of my instructions have changed over the year.  I also want to mention that you also need some craft glue of some sort that was not in this picture.  I was trying this mod podge product "dimensional magic" instead of judkins diamond glaze. (my opinion:  i like diamond glaze better but for availability and price the mod podge product worked fine for 4.99 at hobby lobby)

ON WITH THE TUTORIAL:  You will need to trace your washer on your scrapbook paper of choice and cut it out.  Use an exacto knife to cut the center circle.

Then you will use the craft glue which i used tacky glue but i have used regular mod podge before to adhere the paper to the washer.

You will need to let it dry.  By the way the picture above is the washer with the glue and the paper was put on directly after.  You don't need to put glue on top of the paper afterwards. Once this is dry I like to sand the edges.  I am pretty rough with my sand paper because i like the scuffed look.  You do this so there is no paper hanging over the edge of the washer which could cause your paper to eventually peel off.

Now you are ready to apply the dimensional magic or diamond glaze.  You want to be somewhat generous with this especially if using the dimensional magic it is not quite as thick as the diamond glaze.

Use a brush to push the glaze to the edges. It looks blue but dries clear.  It takes about 2-3 hours to dry.  Then you can put it on a string.  For this craft I found these snap clasps.  I tied cording to the hoops on them.

Finally put your washer on the necklace.  You can make these two sided too so you get two necklaces in one.  I have also attached rhinestones to them to give another layer to the necklace.  And if you play washers (the game) why not play in style;) I think that would be a great Fathers Day gift for my dad!!

Follower Giveaway- I hit 300 followers-WOW - you like me, you really like me! I will give you a washer necklace of your choice- pick from the ones in the first picture.  To enter just be a follower and leave a comment telling me which one you want and e-mail address so i can contact you to get your address.  Winner will be announced may 28.  Thanks for all your support and comments- I love hearing from you!

Meal Plan Monday

1. Oven Fried chicken and mash potatoes, gravy and biscuits
2. Pasta Bake and salad
3. Pork Chops, veggies and rolls
4.  Cobb Salad and leftover rolls
5. Enchiladas, rice and beans
Dessert  Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oven Fried Chicken (from Bisquick)
1Tbsp marg
2/3 c bisquick mix
1 1/2 t paprika
1tsp. garlic salt
1/4 t pepper
4 chicken breasts

Heat oven to 425. melt butter in 13x9 glass baking dish in oven.  Stir together Bisquick mix, paprika, salt and pepper.  coat chicken and place skin side down in heated dish.  Bake 3in.  turn chicken and bake about 15 min. longer or until juice of chicken is clear. 

My Work Space

Sorry I have been absent this week, just gettng some work done.  I just wanted to share a find I found at one of our local thrift stores.  I got it for $35 and it is on wheels and has a plug in strip, which allows me to move my glue gun out of the kitchen.

It has lots of great storage too.  So my husband was thrilled I moved the glue gun out of the kitchen but was not thrilled about this.

He was a little concerned when he saw I loaded my ribbon on dowels and put them in his gun racks.  It is not a great solution because the racks are made for guns so the slots are uneven for straight hanging otherwise it would have been perfect in my eyes.  I told him it was temporary so we will see what i come up with next;)

I will post again soon- i promise!!

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