Dried leaves piled into a bowl have that holiday spirit. I picked leaves off my fruit tree and dried them under a heavy sheet (that allowed the edges of the leaves to curl a bit, giving the leaves a holly feel). They are too delicate to string into the garland, so the alternative is this arrangement that reminds me of a wreath. Love!

A waterless snow globe: miniature tree, tiny gifts and kosher salt captured in an inverted glass and glued to a glass coaster. The gifts roll around in there to my delight.

A circle die, wool felt and a sewing machine can make wonders. Follow this link to a picture tutorial: felt-scarf-tutoroal

Black and White and Read all over! That’s the state of my library. I have lent out so many books, and received so many in return I cant keep track. That is~until now.

I decided I needed a way to track my books and remind my friends~in a pretty way~of who owns what. Every time I lend a book I make a book plate to put inside. It has my name on it with the date. When I return a book, I make a special “Thank You!” by tucking in a cute bookmark, like this one. Everyone remembers and I even get requests to borrow books because everyone wants a bookmark!

Here’s how to make this bookmark:

1. White Bazzill Basics paper in the Cuttlebug with the A2 Floral Fantasy Emboss Folder
2. Black Bazzill Basics paper in the Cricut Expression Machine using the Cindy Loo Cartridge
3. Navajo Blue Bazzill Basics paper hand cut bird
4. All pieces glued using tacky craft glue
5. Ribbon strung through hand cut hole and fastened with white brad.

It’s that easy!

Happy Reading!

Now that I know the magic of the Cuttlebug Machine I can make all the jewelry I want. Lately I have been attracted to the tough-but-cute cuff bracelet, the kind Wonder Woman is famous for. For this one I proclaimed my love for my favorite animals~birds. Make your own, here’s how…

How to make an embossed bracelet:

1. Buy two pieces of thin sheet metal (tin and copper) from a hardware or hobby store.
2. Determine the correct size for your arm by wrapping a piece of paper around your wrist…be sure to leave allowance for folding the metal over an eighth inch all the way around. The metal is sharp! You’re going to want to protect yourself.
3. You’ll need 10mm letter punches if you want to put your own words on the bracelet (buy them here.>>) Otherwise you can run both layers though the Cuttlebug.
4. Cut the metal bands using tin snips or heavy duty scissors—watch the edges! They’re sharp!
5. Select the patterns you would like embossed into the metal from the large line of Provo Craft embossing folders. For mine, I chose the Typeset Folder, ‘cuz you know me and the letters.
6. With a rubber mallet punch the words into the tin and emboss the copper with the folder.
7. Using the rubber mallet and the edge of a work surface, hammer the edges over to hide the rough edges.
8. Adhere the two metals together using brads, and you’re done!

Now get in that invisible jet and go save the day!

Recently, the Girls got together and had a Spa Party. CC hosted, SB provided the food, CM brought the ingredients to make lotions and potions and I personalized the party favors. We each invited another friend and had a great time celebrating our friendship and making new friends. At the end of the day we all left with several containers of handmade beauty products and these fun little favors (pictured above).

Make your own personalized lip gloss and nail polish favors:

1. Buy products in packaging that is nearly devoid of design and type. Often, products like these can be found at Target or other box stores.
2. Buy rolls of vinyl made for the Cricut Expression cutting machine. If you do not have the Cricut Expression, you may hand cut the vinyl with sharp scissors.
3. For these designs, use the Cindy Loo cartridge and Give a Hoot cartridge. Hand cut the cloud for behind the flying bird.
4. Position the vinyl pieces over existing logos and type on the bottles.
5. Place each pair in a pretty bag for giving, or put at each place-setting at the table.

Until Tomorrow~Sarah

I went to the White Dove thrift store down the street and found a candle stick, a vase, and three plates~all ceramic. Then, at home I glued them up using e6000. Voilà~the chicest cupcake stand I’ve ever seen.

Make your own cupcake stand from thrift store ceramics:

1. In a thrift store, look for three plates that (A) do not match, (B) are graduated sizes, and (C) all have smooth, flat centers on top and bottom.
2. Next, look for tall, thin ceramic pieces like vases and candle sticks. Let your good taste and personal style lead the way, and remember there needs to be enough room around the base for (standard) three-inch cupcakes.
3. While still in the store, carefully assemble your pieces to check for stability. All stacked up, the plates and so-called pillars should be able to stand on their own. This ensures the glue will hold securely. If there is rocking or the pieces don’t fit together, keep looking.
4. Bring it all home and wash and dry. Be sure all pieces are completely dry inside and out before gluing.
5. e6000 is a stinky glue. Read directions and get plenty of ventilation.
6. Start by gluing the upper pillar to the underside of the top plate (Section #1).
7. Separately, glue the bottom pillar to the underside of the middle plate(Section #2).
8. Let these two parts (Section #1 and Section #2) dry overnight outside or in a well ventilated area.
9. The next day, glue Section #1 to Section #2. Let this dry for another day.
10. Finally, when all the joints are dry, glue the tower to the bottom plate and let that dry for a day.

A note on the decorations:
I used Imaginesce paper (from the Birthday Bash collection) in the Cricut with the Cindy Loo cartridge to make the cupcake wrappers. The Cricut was set to 2-1/4″ and I got five up on a 12×12 sheet by cutting four (with paper saver on) then turning the mat around and feeding it back into the Cricut to cut one more with the “portrait” setting on.

The cupcakes are chocolate with cream cheese frosting decorated with coconut or sprinkles.

Until Tomorrow~Sarah

The “How to” is forthcoming…

The time has come when it’s just too hot to sit outside~and that means covering the outdoor furniture with drop cloths to keep it clean. I recently reupholstered my patio furniture and was sad to not be able to see it anymore, so I drizzled a design on the existing cover.

Make your own pretty furniture covers:

1. Buy a painter’s drop cloth large enough to fit each piece of outdoor furniture you plan to cover
2. Also, while you’re at the paint store, buy a quart of color you love
3. Lay the cloth(es) out in the grass or on a protected part of the patio
4. Scoop two cups of paint into a Zip-Loc bag
5. Breath into the bag and close it to trap enough air in it so it is easy to hold on to
6. With some sense of what you will be “drawing” (like, words or just swirls) grab a pair of scissors and position yourself over your starting point.
7. Clip the corner of the bag (best to start out smaller and see how you like it). I usually have a piece of scrap fabric or newspaper nearby to test on before I start.
8. Gently squirt out the paint. To stop the flow, simply tip the bag back so the paint runs away from the opening.
9. Good luck. Once you get the hang of it you’ll want to use this process on everything~I did!

Until Tomorrow~Sarah