Dear Blog o' mine

Please know that my intentions are always good. Please

know that if life were calmer I would be visiting you

everyday. However, life doesn't slow down. I can't

put one of the kids on the back burner. I can't make the laundry

wash itself. I can't make the kids fetch their own meals

and well I do need to get some sort of sleep at night.

But KNOW that if all that were some how mysteriously handled

I would be here with you daily. I would sit at my computer

and visit other bloggers, leave comments and scan pinterest all day long but of course that is not the case.

 

But what I have been up to has been celebrating my 13 year wedding anniversary with this guy {my LOVE}

 

 

and making Halloween inspired goodies...

 

{burlap wrappers for your votive candle holders}

 

Oh yeah and my pumpkins were featured over at

 

wait till your father gets home

check out the link on the left side....Yeah - boy that really brightens my day (my week actually).

 

Here's hoping my dear blog and the readers who do me the favor of visiting will come back soon and not give up on me...

 

have a great Friday -

xo 

Pocket full Pumpkins

I love my fat, orange & white pumpkins...all sizes all colors & even the funky bumpy ones.

I wish I had space to start my own pumpkin patch - really - that is a dream of mine

to have a farm that I can grow a year around crop...oh maybe one day.

In the mean time I have been busily making my own --- with fabric, needle & thread.

I decided to use a bunch of fabric scraps & material that I already had on hand.

Like this really fun corduroy in tan...

I also tried one using some vintage chenille bedspread in white.

These are made simply by cutting out a circle, then using a needle and thread to

run a straight stitch along the top of the circle pulling it closed adding

some beans or rice to the bottom for some stability then stuff it...

I wanted my pumpkins to have an authentic look to them so I added broken sticks

and some moss to the top and of course I added my own label...cute right and clever wouldn't you say.

Anyway, I am in the midst of creating some more fun pumpkins....happy crafting and thanks for visiting
xo

I am linking this up to the following weekend parties:

countdown to fall

primp your pumpkin

EBTKS

freestyle friday

weekend showoff party

keep calm & link up

Banner-riffic

Boy do I have HALLOWEEN on the brain! I absolutely LOVE that holiday.

the colors, the excitement, the decorating, the candy {wink}

So I decided to make a new and different {for me}banner this year.

and here she is

 

I used 3 sheets of 12 x 12 papers - cut them in 1/2 {6in} then again in half {3 in} 

 

 

did the good ol' accordion fold on all the pieces

 

now here is the tricky part...not really but...here is a heads up

 

when attaching the ends of the folded strips REMEMBER to attach them

1 printed side to one white side (in other words do not attach same color side to same color side) if you remember this then the piece will flatten

nicely when finishing the piece off - otherwise you get this funky kink in the piece.

 

I used my extra jumbo punch and cut out some circles to add to the top of each rosette - but you could also use a circle cutter or a plate and some scissors.

 

I had these cool chipboard letter from MS which were white and used some

black gloss spray paint and they turned our magical and so shiny!

 

I used some hemp twine, some fun fabric scraps and tulle to add some decoration and fluff to the banner. 

 

 

I am supah-dupah happy with this banner. I just pulled out my Halloween decorations and can't wait to get to decorating - only 1 more week to go.

I am linking this up to the following parties:

uncommonly yours
market yourself mondays
craft-o-maniac
made by you monday
one project at a time
tip me tuesday
too cute tuesdays

happy crafting ---xo



 

seasons change

Well officially FALL is here but weather wise - it is STILL summer

and not just a nice summer but a AFRICAN summer -

hot, humid & dry---ick...sorry but I am just so over this heat!

I know I complain alot about it - but I would much rather be in

rain all year around...and cold....LOVE

 

So a few posts ago I shared my updated door wreaths

 

and so in keeping with the crafter in me - that has to change things up

almost monthly - I wanted to make my front door a bit more

in tune with the FALL so I added some stuff to ring in the season

 

 

I cut out some triangles to make a banner for the wreaths - out of scrap muslin...see nothing to perfect

 

 

then used my stamps to add my saying

HELLO FALL

 

then because I wanted to be able to change this out seasonally -

I just tied the bakers twine to the muslin scraps around the wreath.

 

I also made a cool burlap flower and this to, is pinned on

 

I am really liking the look of this - nothing to over the top but

still says FALL...and after all that is what I am going for.

 

I am linking this up to the following parties this week

 

a crafty soiree

freestyle friday

weekends show off party

EBTKS

once upon a weekend

transformation thursday

 

have a crafty weekend

xo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



SHABBY ACCENT

I wanted to share this really cool looking altered candle I made awhile back...I actually made a few of these cool altered "ALTER" candles.

You can buy these types of candles at any drug store or Hispanic food market some

have pictures of religious icons on them but they do have all white wax

with clear glass - those are the ones I used.

I used some old ledger paper and decoupaged it then entire candle.

Then grabbed up some different bits & bobs...things that went with

my decor or the look I was trying to get.

here is a side view of the decoupaged paper.

 I tea dyed some funky thick lace. Tied it to the candle and added

some adhesive so that I can make sure it stays on for good.

inside view of the candle----

always cut that wick down before setting it on fire. {FYI}

I added a funky rusted knob and tied the lace through the knob

and secured it with E-6000...then added a bit of CREAM SEAM BINDING to

tie the vintage ceramic leg - which by the way is hollow

so you could put mini flowers into it....COOL RIGHT?

sweet shabby accent --- could even work in a rustic chic room or studio.

Super easy to make and used most items that were in my own stash.

These would be fun to use as wedding centerpieces...or to give as gifts for the holidays.

I will share the other candle I made - and at the end of the week I will list them in my shop...

you know - IN caSe! :D

I am linking this up to the following parties:

handmade - tuesdays

show me what you got

too cute tuesdays

whatever goes wednesday

wednesday wowzers

happy crafty week to you all

and thanks for stopping by ---xo

Going to grandmas

(warning this post has lots of photos)

Usually a trip to grandmas house is fun but this time the kids didn't really want to go.

But dad & I are going to Palm Springs for a golf weekend and well the kids weren't invited.

Being the great mom that I am {wink} I decided to make them a treat bag filled with

some candy treats and some things to do....because after all look how precious they are

{wink, wink}

this isn't something new or even to hard to make - what makes it special is the

effort you put into making the bag...

All you need are some paper bags (lunch bags), some scraps of paper and some stamps...

None of this is exact science or precise measurements...I just cut a piece of scrap paper

to cover a section of the front of the bag

then I inked the edges and glued the piece down. Just anywhere.

I used one of my punches and some more scrap paper just to add a

little decoration...ink those too

then I glued them down in different places & also added another punch out

just to make it pretty -

then take some stamps or some stickers and add your childs name to the bags...

I had to make all three bags close to the same because if your kids are like mine

they notice if she got an extra butterfly or he got more candy

so all three bags are almost exactly the same.

then I just filled them with the treats - most items are from the dollar spot

and some from the dollar tree...and can I tell you that they were super happy

to get them and have something special to have and do at grandmas house this weekend.

BTW- this really helps with the mommy guilt too...

Here's hoping you all have a fabulous weekend with or without your kids.

xo

I am linking this up to the following parties:

FRIDAY FROLIC

EBTKS

ONCE UPON A WEEKEND

WEEKEND SHOW OFF PARTY

FREESTYLE FRIDAYS

SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY

Longing for FALL

Boy, am I ready for FALL. I long to feel the cool breezes, sit by the

warmth of the fire and drink hot coffee & spiced cider. I am willing it

to come early. But of course today being sept 6th---it is just cool enough - a bit dark

but close following is the dry humidity...lingering, waiting to creep BACK up on us...

I mentioned yesterday that I got into a card making frenzy and wanted to share another

card I made this time with FALL in mind...

these papers are from BASIC GREY aren't they lovely?

I wanted to make a pocket so that I could put a sweet note hidden inside

you know for someone special. then the pocket looked too big so I decorated

it with some fun strips of paper...added some flowers and some letter stickers...and

all finished. Turned out o.k. I think.

I am linking this up to the following challenges:

delightful sketches - FALL days

southern girls challenges - FLORA

ABC-challenge - V-vanish...something hidden

happy crafting

xo

card making

I had a fabulous holiday weekend and hope that you all did too.

I have been a maniac busily crafting away - it's that time

of the year again - CRAFT SHOW PREP- has begun

I did take some time and get back to making

cards. I forgot how quick and easy they are and how much

instant gratification they offer.

here is one of the few I made this weekend.

I know what a way to start off with a sympathy card but I never have these

on hand when I need them. I think it is because I THINK who wants to make a SYMPATHY

card in advance - perhaps if I make one I will be thrust into having to use it....

oh, me and my delving to DEEP into something...its just something to have on hand...

no more no less....moving on...

I gotta tell you that I love this and the colors of the whole thing. Very shabby rustic.

well here's hoping you are having a crafty week.

I am linking this up to the following challenges:

SOUTHERN GIRLS CHALLENGE - FLORA

THE SISTERHOOD OF CRAFTERS - SYMPATHY

PERFECT SENTIMENTS CHALLENGE - ANYTHING W/A SENTIMENT

CRAFT YOUR PASSION - FLOWERS

xo