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

It was my husband’s birthday the other day and I wanted to make him cupcakes~they are so festive looking stacked up on a cupcake stand. My problem…I don’t have a cupcake stand. My other problem…I hate to look of store bought ones. So, of course, I set out to make one.

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

Whatever shape or form your inspiration boards take, they are essential for a creative life. Here are mine. They are a series of 9 that I sewed then stretched across 12×12 inch cork boards. I use them daily to plan and be inspired.