I can now die happy. I was able to figure out in one afternoon how best to make needle felted mushrooms without stabbing myself to death. No secret, really…just work slow and be happy.

All there is left to do is trim off the fuzzies, sew on a jump ring and attach to a necklace. Ahhh…bliss.

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

Alright~you got me…I should be nose-to-the-grindstone in my novel rewrite, but I discovered how to needle felt. Holy Crow! (As Aunt Midge always says). I’m in love!

Check out these little pouches I just made while taking a break from the book. They are so small, in fact, that I am hanging them on beaded chains and calling them modern craft lockets. When I get home I’m putting pics of my favorite peeps in there.

Now back to work!

Vacationing in Boulder, Colorado affords me the opportunity to pick up wool sweaters at thrift stores~nary a one can ever be found in Phoenix. The other day I found a half a dozen, and yesterday I spent the day felting them. I wouldn’t normally make a wool plush toy, but this particular sweater was sooo soft, I was compelled.

I was heartbroken to have to choose between CHA and an opportunity to hunker down and finish my novel. While I will miss my dear crafty friends (especially the Mixology Girls) I was offered a beautiful getaway in Boulder for the next several weeks where I will have the peace, quiet and inspirational surroundings to complete the final revisions of the book before it is released to the wolves of the editing world.

I brought my sewing machine and a pile of fabric as my only respite from the rewrite. That’s not to say I don’t love the process of writing (most the time)~I just know there will be times my brain will need a break and my crafty hands will be hankering to make something. My plan is to create bags from canvases I painted several years ago. I’ll be reporting on both things as they progress

Dolly

Lace-up boots

Buttons and quilting

Neck seam sewn at zero tension exposes stiches

Wink!

I found an egg…it needed a nest.

(Pine needles soaked overnight~then lovingly woven)

I have been getting so many requests about the construction, I am leaving the post to the blog that covers it. The renovation was primarily done by my husband and he blogged about it here >> Cyclocontractor.wordpress.com

It took a long time to get these babies to grow, but am I glad I planted them. I pulled up this bunch to throw into the mix for dinner and they were superb! I know carrots are good for you and me, but I wanted to share a bit of knowledge from the smart guys over at Organic Facts. The health benefits of carrots include reduced cholesterol, prevention from heart attacks, warding off certain cancers and many others. Whew! I feel better already. So~get out there and get you some carrots!

If you want to read all the good stuff, go to Organic Facts page on carrots, here >>

I used the Cuttlebug to emboss a plain piece of tin purchased at a hardware store. It was really easy to bend over the sharp edges then wrap it around 2 “D” rings from another (old) belt. After sewing in a length of double-faced ribbon from SAS Fabrics, I was ready to go!