Vintage Easter Eggs in a Homemade Basket

Who doesn't love Easter? I mean, what's not to love?? Bunnies, carrots, chicks, eggs,,, really - the cutest holiday of the year! This year I decided to create some vintage Easter Eggs by decorating some uber cute store bought eggs, and placing them in the easiest homemade Easter Basket you will ever make!

I started with the lid of a business card box - yep, something I was getting ready to throw away. I covered it inside and out with some hoarded vintage Graphic 45 papers and decorated with some simple twine. For the "nest" in my basket I cut a vintage sewing pattern into thin strips and fluffed them up to fill the box. I LOVE the way it looks!

Egg number one has the cute printed ribbon that is used on the front of the box wrapped around it (you can't see it in the photo) and I added some floral stamens, some metal, and some flowers.

Egg number two got a cascade of flowers across the top and a tiny little wooden bird from Maya Road. More floral stamens and miniature flowers complete this egg.

Egg number three got some ribbon and crochet thread, a fabulous metal embellie, and some paper roses.

I wrapped twine from Maya Road and more crochet thread around the box, added a bow, some flowers and a trio of stick pins. To see how to make your own stick pins check out my tutorial here. I promise they are so easy to make you will be wondering what took you so long to get started!

What are your plans for Easter this year?




Easiest Handmade Flower Ever - Seriously

So I got a lot of comments on my flower from a post earlier this week. This is a super easy handmade flower - and I promise you can make one too! Or ten or 15,, whatever.

Every flower you make will come out a little different, which is great because in nature there are no two flowers that are ever alike. Perfect!

Supplies:
  • cardstock (I used French Vanilla from Bazzill, which is my favorite color from them, ever, and a random scrap of pink) 
  • a water mister
  • ink
  • two small flower punches. I used my McGill punches from wwwaaaayyyyyyy back in the day. WAY back there. The stone ages. Seriously. You know the ones I am talking about. You know you probably have some too, so no judging. This is a judgement free zone :)
  • Beacon 3-N-1 Adhesive

Anyway, you want to trace 2-3 circles in graduated sized on your cardstock, then cut out with a jagged edge. Do NOT try and cut a perfect circle. I actually wiggle my paper back and forth as I cut it so the edge is rippled. Then you want to cut 6 small notches into each one. Here's the easy method
  1. Cut one notch
  2. turn the circle around and cut another notch directly opposite, you now have two "halves"
  3. visually divide one half into thirds and cut notches there
  4. repeat on the other half
Now punch some layers with your flower punches - for this one I used one large 5 petaled flower and 4 smaller ones.

Ink everything up - I like to use VersaMagic from Tsukineko because it is an opaque ink that gives a vibrant color.  Now give al the petals a LIGHT spritz with water. LIGHT spritz. Do not saturate the paper.

 Fold each one of the layers up as shown in the third photo above. Start by pinching them in the center and then folding all the sides together until they form a sorta cone shape. I like to roll the cone between my palms to really crumple the paper.

Carefully unfold each layer, leaving one of the smallest layers in the cone shape. You don't want to flatten the layers, you just want to unfold them. Allow to dry. Start gluing the layers together from the bottom up, making sure you stagger the way the petals line up.

Using your Beacon 3-N-1 adhesive, start gluing from the bottom layer up, using a small amount of glue for each layer. Add some stickles around the edges of your petals and allow to dry.

Ta-Da! Sit back and admire your flower!

DIY Dog Cape using Oly-Fun Metallic by Fairfield

Welcome to the Designer Crafts Connection Blog Hop sponsored by Fairfield World. There are so many fun and beautiful projects to be seen - so don't miss a single one. 


Say hello to Miss Eliza,, how cute is my puppy?? Yes, she is still a puppy. She is barely a year old and still has quite a bit of growing to do. We love to go walking, but I get super tired of everyone calling her a HE.
How old is HE?
Is HE going to get bigger?
How much does HE eat?
on, and on, and on,,,,,
Enter the Pink Super Dog Cape!  I am hoping that people will see the PINK and maybe, just maybe, notice that SHE is a GIRL :)

In case you are wondering, Miss Eliza is an Irish Wolfhound and is as sweet as can be. As I type this she is laying in my lap pushing my laptop to the side.

I adorn her Super Cape with Metallic Oly*Fun™ provided to me by Fairfield World. I am pretty impressed with the new metallic colors - they are so shiny! I used the Rose Gold for this project - it also comes in Gold, Silver, and Red.

There is a fabulous prize up for grabs!
Be sure to make it all the way to the bottom of the post.




I started by making a pattern with newsprint. This took a couple of tries. NOTE: the pattern only represents HALF of the finished project, the side at the bottom of the photo is placed on the fold of the fabric.
Then I measured her from the neck down her back as far as I wanted the cape to go; I decided on 28"long and 24" wide.

I cut 1/2" wide strips of the Rose Gold Oly*Fun™ and Stick Double Sided Fusible Interfacing (Not the Structure pictured, I decided that wasn't going to work as well as I wanted).


I applied 4 strips across the end of the cape. Ironing with a damp pressing cloth to seal the Oly*Fun™ to the flannel.  This was more tedious than it sounds.  I added a simple straight stitch all the way around the edges to finish it off, 


 I overlapped the flaps in the front, punched holes and threaded a ribbon through to tie a super cute bow. 
I don't know what I was thinking. I have to put the cape on her, then thread the ribbons through the front flaps to tie the bow. The entire time that is taking place she is either
  • licking my head
  • chewing on me hair
  • trying to eat the bow
  • or just wiggling around in general
That is not going to work, so I am going to have to rework it before we go out in public!



Prizes? Who is interested in winning a prize?

Be sure to head back over to the Designer Crafts Connection Blog to find out all the details on how you can win a bolt of Metallic Oly*Fun™.






Re puposing craft supplies to make Mixed Media Cards

Mixed Media Cards
Do you re purpose your supplies for other things? I do! I wanted to create a project using supplies that I already on hand - Mixed Media Cards popped into my brain and there it stayed. I am not a huge mixed media crafter, but I do like to play around with it from time to time.  Almost all of the supplies are ones that I use on my scrapbook pages!

Each card is 10" tall by 4" wide and they are created using the Bo Bunny Genevieve paper line. I used stamps and stencils from Wendy Vecchi, crackle medium, dies, Gelatos, matboard, inks, sprays, and of course Stickles. Because no project is ever complete without Stickles!

Mixed Media Cards Gold Flowers

For this card I stamped my sentiment (from Wendy Vecchi) onto patterned paper and then used a Little B punch on it. For the flowers I used a new product I saw at CHA and was WOWED by it!!

Mixed Media Cards Nuvo
This product comes in Gold, Silver, and Copper and is amazingly easy to use. You apply Zig glue to your embellishment and let it air dry, then rub the Gilding Flakes onto the glue. BAM! You now have sparkle galore. I also used, Wendy Vecchi Texture paste, Petaloo flowers, StazOn ink, and Stickles
Mixed Media Cards Yellow Flowers


For this card I made the flowers by hand using a Sizzix die and inked them with VersaMagic Dew Drop ink. Notice the Maya Road centers - they are amazing! (you have to sing that last part). The background is made using Wendy Vecchi stamps and stencil. This time I inked directly onto the card through the stencil using VersaMagic Dew Drop in Hint of Pesto. Because this ink is opaque it will cover the pattern on the paper! I also used Sizzix Matboard to cut the silver swirl, DecoArt Crackle Paint and Metallic Lustere in Silver on the matboard, Dylusions spray ink in Lemon for the ribbon, Signo white pen to add accents
Mixed Media Cards Coral Flower


For the last card I made another flower using cardstock and punches, highlighting the edges with Copper Stickles. The small flowers tucked behind are from Petaloo.

Mixed Media Cards Stenciled LEaves
These leaves are made using the same stencil I used on card two, this time I used texture paste through the stencil and let it dry. I then colored it with Gelatos (Pistachio). I also used Wendy Vecchi stamps, Distress Stain, the butterfly is a die from Eileen Hull, chipboard from Blue Fern Studios
How can you repurpose supplies you already have to create something new? I would love to see - please leave me a link in the comments!
Signature1
List of art supplies:
  • DecoArt: Metallic Lustre (Radiant Red, Silver Spark), Media Line Fluid Acrylics (Multiple colors), Sand Texture Paste, Modeling Paste, Mat Medium, Crackle Glaze, 
  • Therm-o-web: Deco Foil (Hot Melt Adhesive, Pewter Transfer Sheets), SuperTAPE, Easy-Tear Tape, 3D Foam Squares, Sticky Dots), 
  • Sizzix: Dies (Paper Sculpting Daisy, Flourish, Butterfly Vine & Flowers), MatBoard
  • Wendy Vecchi: Stencils (From the Garden, Lovely Leaves), Stamps (Garden Art, Just Word Art, Ornate Dots, Dots and Dashes, Heirloom Art)


Deflecto and Stampendous Welcome Spring

We’re super excited this week to play with our friends over at Stampendous. With two amazing teams joining in the fun you will want to check in every day of the hop.  There will be some fabulous projects, and we’re going to be showing them off all week long.


Are you social? We are too! Please check us out at the following locations




Stampendous - Facebook Group

Stampendous - Facebook Page



I received the amazing 9 Bin Carousel Rotating Organizer from Deflecto to work with. I love those things for organizing small supplies. To see how I used another set of these please check out my blog post here

Our hop theme is Welcome Spring so I was super was super excited to receive this beautiful coordinating stamp and die set from Stampendous to work with. How beautiful are these daisies???  

I wanted to have a pretty bouquet of daisies popping up from the center of the carousel and this item ships with the perfect piece to make it happen. I used the little piece of packing material in the center of the carousel to arrange my flowers in.  I used Flexible Sign Danglers to hold my daisies up.

I wrapped the Sign Danglers around a paint brush handle and then stretched each one out to the length I need it to be. 

 I used a ART Grip Aquarelle Watercolor Pencils from Faber-Castell to color my flowers and leaves. I love these pencils folks - they are so easy to use! 

Now for the fun part- the PRIZES!


You’ll want to get your commenting fingers ready! Each comment on a post this week will enter you to win a fabulous prize package! (one comment per post, per person) Contest open to USA residents only.
We will be drawing three random winners from the comments to receive a 3-Tier Cupcake Stand from Deflecto.  SE=eriously, who doesn't need one of these?





Now click on the links below and get to hoppin'! Remember to comment on each blog and then return to the Deflecto Blog and leave a comment here for your chance to win.




The Flamingo Chronicals (You are here!)
Be sure to return here to the Deflecto Blog and leave a comment for your chance to win!
Happy Hopping!



Sharing a Smile Frame

I really am afraid I have turned into that grand parent I always complained about. I have a compulsion to share my cute grand daughter's photos with everyone every single chance I get! So check out this uber cute Smile Frame using Deflecto Crafts 4 x 6 Green Craft Frame.

I used black cardstock for a photo mat and added white faux stitching; when dry I inserted the photo into the frame. I added white rub-on's in the upper corners on the outside of the frame, then highlighted them with black rhinestones.


 I used a wood embellishment from Michael's and colored it with the green marker from the Wet Erase Marker Set. Note: the color does not exactly match the cap!

To finish off the outside of the frame I added a bow made from silver rick rack, some paper flowers and leaves, and a couple of resin flowers. I used a white paint pen to add highlights to the wood embellishment and glued it to the top of the ribbon.

Supplies:
Deflecto 4x6 Green Craft Frame
Deflecto Wet Erase Marker Assortment
Black cardstock
Wood Embellishment
Silver rick rack
resin flowers
white paint pen
Beacon 3-N-1 Adhesive
Paper flowers and leaves
Rub-ons
Rhinestones




Etched Monogramed Hurricane Centerpiece


We have a wedding coming up this spring in our family and what is more perfect for a table centerpiece than an Etched Monogrammed Hurricane? This is the south after all, we do love our monograms!
I picked up a set of these Hurricane Globes at an estate sale last fall and I have been looking for the perfect project to use them for. Wedding? Perfect! I used Etching Creme, etchmask®, and tools from etchall®, along with masking tape and a sharpie.


I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the etchmask®. In order to apply it to this extremely crazy curved surface I removed the backing from the center of the mask first and centered it on the hurricane.

OK. This project almost ended up smashed on the floor. Seriously. It was crazy difficult to apply the mask to this thing! I don't mind curved surfaces, but this thing curved out, then back in again. Notice there are a couple of bubbles in the mask - since they were in the part I was going to remove, I wasn't too concerned about it. I just make sure that there are no bubbles on the cut lines.
NOTE: - I use a sharpie to trace over some of the cut lines before I apply the transfer paper to the front. This lets me see where my design is so I can apply it where I want it

Finally I am able to take the transfer paper away and then I use the Squeegee tool to smooth down all my edges, just in case. At this point I am ready to apply my Etching Creme - let it sit for 15 minutes, then return the excess to the jar. (You do know that etchall® is reusable, right??) Rinse away the remaining creme and remove the mask.

Please forgive the outside in the yard photo. There were so many curves on this thing it was impossible to get a shot with no glare/reflections on it inside the house!

I welded several designs together to get this monogram that goes almost all the way around the hurricane.  I am pretty happy with how it turned out- now I just have to do it again so I have a matching pair. Sigh.

Hop on over to the etchall® blog to see all the great products, tools, tutorials, and projects available.




Mermaid Mixed Media Art

I created this piece of art a while back and never had a chance to blog it. It is one of my favorite pieces and I have it hanging in my hallway so I can look at it every single day. The base is two pieces of watercolor paper layered together. The mermaid is a digi stamp from Sparkle N Sprinkle that I cut using my Silhouette Cameo - Print and Cut is an amazing thing.

The background is colored with an array of products including:
  • Gelatos® (solid and mixed with water to spray)
  • Perlescent Liquid Acrylics from Daler-Rowney
  • Tsukineko Shimmer Spray
  • Colorbox Spray inks


I colored my mermaid with PITT® Pastel Pencils and PITT® Watercolor Pencils from Design Memory Craft. Once I had the base colors on I added dimension with glazes and gel pens.

This photo taken with a flash shows how much this piece really sparkles!

I added a sentiment from Wendy Vecchi and highlighted with a white pen.

The coral at the bottom was made using the Tim Holtz Tree die and heat embossing with various colors of EP. I was really happy with the results on this piece - not my usual style - but lots of fun!