RED ROSES FOR A DECEMBER WEDDING 12/22/2012

I made many, many fresh floral arrangements using just red roses, for a December  wedding last week.  Tall and short arrangements for the tables at the reception.  I was helping a friend who booked the wedding.  All in all we used well over 1000 fresh red roses!    The red roses are pretty hardy and are easy to work with, it's just labor intensive to make so many arrangements.  Here are a few pics...

                                                                Work in progress.....

                                                              More work in progress....

At the reception hall

(the lighting was minimal)

These were on the Bride and Grooms table, she wanted the red roses with some red carnations mixed in, three graduating sizes on mirrors.  So very pretty.

Handmade dish towel apron

I had been looking for an apron with a dish towel attached but had no luck finding one, so I decided to make my own!  I bought two  seasonal dish towels at the dollar store.  I used one (side ways) for the skirt part of the apron and cut the second  towel  in half, using one half for the bodice part of the apron..  I sewed the other half to the front (skirt) of the apron (for easy wiping of the hands when cooking).  Then sewed some grosgrain ribbon to each side of the apron for the ties. When I sewed the bodice to the skirt of the apron I realized that the top of the towel (top part of the bodice) had a folded edge creating a perfect casing to feed the grosgrain ribbon through for the ties that go around the neck. And there you have it!!  An apron made with dish towels!!  ^_^
It only took me about an hour from start to finish, It might not be perfect but I love it!!!  Oooh, maybe I can make some for Christmas gifts!!

THANK YOU CARDS

I have been busy today, in between errands, making some Thank You cards!  I used my new ATG!  I had a great time creating these.  I used my Cuttle Bug for embossing, assorted punches, pop dots, ribbon, colored art pens, stickers, daisy paper edger and of course some assorted colored card stock.
I am trying to re-train myself to put things away as soon as I am through with them, so I don't wind up with my table full of stuff when I'm finished!!!  So far, so good!

A SURPRISE FOR ME!!!

Visited with my cousins Norma and Nora a couple of days ago, we had loads of  fun!  I love spending time with them because they are awesome!!  Well, Norma and I had an amazing surprise waiting for us.....Nora gifted each of us a brand spanking new Scotch ATG!!!!!  Wow!!!!!  Was I surprised!!!  I had mentioned to Nora a while back, that I have been wanting to get one for the longest time....and she acted on that and gave me one......I started to cry because that was just the sweetest and most thoughtful gift....and it came directly from her heart. It was a genuine gift of love. She even gave us some self adhesive sparklies to bling them up with (which I promptly did)!!!
 I  LOVE  IT   ♥ Thank you Nora, you are an amazing woman!!  Love you!!!
Now, down to some serious paper crafting using my new ATG!!!

Deco Old Fashioned Milk Can

My best friend, Elsie, gave me this wonderful huge old fashion metal milk container.  I decided it needed some decoration, so I primed it, then gave it a couple of coats of white paint.
The theme in my kitchen is "Chefs", and I have some "Chefs" wall paper trim I had bought to use for decorating, that I had actually never used, and I thought it would be so perfect for this milk container!  So, I measured around the can and cut the wall paper trim to size, wrapped it around the can and glued it down.  I think it looks so cool!!!  I'm really happy with how it turned out!  Best of all, it was soooo easy!!!

CHILD'S APRON WITH ICE CREAM CONE

I bought a blank hot pink child's apron, some really colorful bits of fabric and some iron-on fusible webbing.  I decided I wanted to make a large ice cream cone on the top front of this apron.  So, I took the fusible webbing and ironed it onto some yummy pink polka dot fabric and did the same to some star studded blue fabric and some fabric with cherries on it.  Cut out the shapes, positioned them on the apron and ironed them on, adding the cherry on top and a drop of melting ice cream on one side. I outlined it with dimensional glitter glue (for fabric) for added glitz.  Loved it!  Really easy but soooo pretty!!  Early start on Christmas gifts!!!♥

SEWING KITS IN CANNING JARS

I have been working on some crafts for a crafts fair, here are some pictures of some Sewing Kits that I made with glass canning jars and lids, I really like them and I'm thinking of keeping one for myself. : )  They are "sew" easy to make.

CAROUSEL HORSE BOXES

I love Carousel Horses and I am always on the lookout for material or scrapbook paper with that theme and I recently found some beautiful carousel horse wall decor stickers, so I grabbed some up along with some papier-mache boxes.  I painted the boxes inside and out then decoupaged the horses on to the lid of the boxes, added some pretty trim, sparkly gems and lots of fine glitter.  They will make really nice treasure boxes for some lucky little girls.  I think (hope) these will sell at the craft fair.

COFFEE CANS AND OLD BLUE JEANS

I've been making some jean pocket crafts out of old jean that don't fit anymore and have some jean legs left over, so I'm searching my brain for some crafty ideas for them.....suddenly it hit me.......maybe I can slip the bottom of the jean leg onto an empty coffee can!  It can be used for a silk floral arrangement or just place a jar of water in it and fill with Daisies!!  It can also be a catch-all for pen and pencils or fill with scissors, crafting supplies or whatever strikes your fancy!!
If you would like to create one too, just gather a few items that you probably already have at home;
1 large empty coffee can with plastic lid (save lid)
1 bluejean leg
1 small jean pocket...the small one that's inside the front jean pocket (the regular pockets might be too big)
Hot glue
Trims and lace for embellishments

This is the inside view, you can see the plastic lid at the bottom

 Cut the jean leg at the knee, slip it, hem side first, over the open end of the coffee can all the way down until the hem is flush with the bottom of the can.  The jeans I was working with just so happened to fit snug on the coffee can.  Tuck the top of the jean leg into the can, if it bunches too much at  the bottom, trim it to where it lays flat on the bottom.  Measure the inside bottom of the can then take the plastic lid, apply the measurement to it and trim off the excess until it fits snuggly into the inside bottom over the trimmed jean fabric, thus giving you a clean, smooth bottom in the can..  Glue the small pocket onto the outside, making sure not to glue it shut, and embellish away!!!
I'm making several to sell at the next craft show!!

FOOTBALL SPIRIT BRACELETS

These are some really cool bracelets to show school spirit for this upcoming high school football season.  They're so easy to make and can be made as simple or as fancy as you like and in any color combination that you desire!

Here's a list of supplies you'll need;

1mm diameter Stretch bead and jewelry cord

Jump rings

Football trinkets

Small cowbells

Needle nose pliers (for opening and closing jump rings)

Pony beads or Jewelry beads in your desired colors

All of these items can be found at most crafts stores or online.

Tray of supplies

Just simply cut a strand of the stretchy cord at desired length, leaving a few extra inches to allow for knotting.

Attach the jump rings onto the trinkets that you will be adding to the bracelet.  Feed beads and football trinkets onto the cord until you reach the length you need, knot the cord a couple of times and trim off excess.  Side a bead over the knot to hide it.  Now you have made an awesome Football Spirit bracelet!!  Add as many bells and trinkets as you like, the more the better!!

ALTERED CEREAL BOXES

 Hi guys!!   I've got a very cool project that is really a lot of fun to make!   My darling cousin Nora Flores showed me how to create these charming boxes that can be made into purses or adorable boxes for treasures! These make wonderful gifts as well!!  And guess what!  They started out life as Cereal boxes!  Yep, simple cereal boxes that will now be altered and transformed into a beautiful piece of functional art!!  We can do our part in recycling trash to treasures!!!   Things you will need for this project are....
One large to medium empty cereal box, scissors, ruler, pen, decorative papers or card stock, glue or paper adhesives, decorative embellishments and a bit of Hook and Loop fasteners (Velcro, for flap to close securely)

Pic #1 is of the cereal box cut to the size I needed for this project........


1. Take the cereal box and measure the size you would like the finished box to be, (I measured 6 inches from bottom to top) and draw a line across the front crosswise, and along both sides as well

2. Turn the box around to the back and measure 11 inches from bottom to top, draw a line across the back side crosswise, this side has to be longer than the front because it will serve as the flap that folds over the front

3. Using scissors or an X-Acto knife, carefully cut the box along the line you drew across the front side and also the two sides equally. DO NOT CUT THE BACK SIDE OF THE BOX (look at this first picture for reference)
                                 Pic. #1

4. Referring to the back side of the box now, cut the line across the top of the box where you measured 11 inches high

You should now have your box looking like the one in my picture. Bring the flap over and fold across the front of the box like a flap for a purse. You can use a bone folder on the folds.

                                          Pic. #2

Now comes the FUN part!! Using decorative papers or card stock of your choosing, cover the whole box and you can also cover the inside to make it look finished. Then you may embellish to your hearts content!! Use various ribbons, flowers, rhinestones, lace, tulle, etc., etc. You are only limited by your imagination!!
You could also make it a purse by cutting slits on the top flap and slipping some ribbon though those slits then knotting the ends of each ribbon on the inside, leaving the ribbon long enough to use as a handle.  Very cool!!

Here is the finished product!!  I chose brown and cream colors, which go together nicely.  I used cream ribbon to make a flower for the lower left side and for the bow on the upper right side.

Inside flap....you can see the Velcro dot used to secure the flap when its closed.

The polka dotted one you see in the picture below,  was the very first one I ever made, the dots are glittered and sparkly.   I used ribbon to make the flowers on the lower right side.  

I used printed scrapbook paper with small polka dots for the inside.  Notice the Velcro dots that I use to secure the flap when its closed.

I had lots of fun making this project, I love recycling.  I use the box with the polka dots to hide my wire cutters and needle nose pliers and other tools from my hubby because he will take them to use in his work and I will never see them again!! I have even spray painted the tools purple or pink and slathered glitter all over them but that does not deter him, he says "A purple hammer works just as good as a black one"!  Oy!!!  So...........he would never think to look inside this pretty sparkly pink polka dot box for my tools!!!  Bwahahaa!!!