TRU TALES FEATS

Card Wallet

2012-01-25T16:39:00.001-06:00

I have all these cards in my purse, over and above my debit and credit cards, which I keep with my checkbook.

So these include store reward cards (cards you use instead of having coupons), library card, AAA card, and the like; you get the picture.

Previously I had these in one of those photo holders. You know the kind, thin, plastic, that comes with a wallet. Anyhoo, it has been worn out for a while now from putting the cards in and out. I mean seriously worn out as in most of the pockets were ripped and my cards and pics would fall out when I was trying to get one of the cards out.

So, enough was enough, when I realized I had lost one of my store cards and had to get it replaced. I got the inspiration and tutorial from Pinterest of course.

Here’s the pin on my “Things I'd Like To Make Or Just Find Interesting” board if you’re interested: http://pinterest.com/pin/83105555593591545/ While you’re there, why don’t you become a follower? I’ll always follow back at least one of your boards that interest me.

You can find the tutorial for this card wallet at Nancy's Couture. I didn’t do another tutorial, because I think she did a wonderful job of it, so she gets the credit.

So, here’s my version

I didn’t add the snap, because this is always in my purse, so I didn’t feel I needed one. As you can see, I don’t have enough cards to fill it, so I finished it out with pics of my grandkids.

On a side note, I used a couple of my Christmas and Birthday presents to do this project. These were both from Gary. The first is my new self healing cutting mat, which you can see in the background of the above pics. It is 24”X36”! I have a little dinky one that just wasn’t big enough for a lot of the projects I do and I have a larger cardboard sewing mat that you just can’t do any cutting on except with a scissors.

This is the kind of mat I got. As you can see it is black on the other side. You can buy it at Amazon.

The second gift I used is a 12”X8” carpenter square. I’ve been wanting a smaller square for some time, but whenever I would go shopping I would forget to either put it on the list or simply forget about it. Outta sight, outta mind as it were. As you can see it is not very expensive at Amazon; although he got it at the local True Value hardware store.

So that’s what I did this afternoon. It only took a couple of hours, including writing on the blog about it. In fact the writing probably takes longer, since I write, read, reread, rewrite and so on, until I get it just the way I want.

Have a great evening!

Betty Crocker 11 Piece Decorating Kit

2012-01-05T16:20:00.001-06:00

My daughter and her family got me this for Christmas. I guess she thought I needed some more decorating paraphernalia, since she recently borrowed some of mine and I do seem to be missing some pieces. Anyway, I had seen decorating tubes like this on the web, but was reluctant to get them, because I thought they might be more difficult to clean.

Now, it says it is 11 piece, but in actuality, there are 23 pieces, plus the instruction booklet. They count each bottle, with all the pieces to the cap as 1 piece. Most things you buy nowadays, the cap is considered a piece of it’s own, but potatoes, pattatoes, makes no difference to me.

This is what’s included:

3 accordion style bottles

1 tall, smooth bottle

4 (3 piece) caps, which include the bottle cover that screws on, a tip retainer nut, which also screws on, and a tip cap which snaps over the retainer nut

1 spoon spatula

1 flexible angled spatula

5 decorating tips, including a round #2, leaf #67, open star #16, open star #32, and petal #104

1 instruction booklet

I used it, for the first time, for a New Years treat of cupcakes. Filling one of the accordion tubes as full as I could, by tapping it to settle the frosting, I could do 5 cupcakes in a spiral style. That’s maybe only a couple less than using a bag, but I did not have to worry about frosting coming out the top, which I tend to have, because I probably am not doing something quite right with my hold.

So, to fill the bottle, use the spoon spatula and start scooping frosting into the bottle, scraping off the spatula on the side of the bottle. Tap the bottle several times on the counter/table and repeat process until you can’t get anymore in. Screw on the bottle cap, put a tip on, and screw on the retainer nut.

You are now ready to start decorating with one hand holding a cupcake and the other (dominant) hand holding the bottle. Place the end of the tip on the edge of a cupcake and start squeezing the bottle, as you rotate either the cupcake or your bottle hand, whichever feels most comfortable to you. Spiral in toward the middle of the cupcake, keeping the rows tight and stop in the middle and then lift off.

I thought it worked quite well, but here are my pros and cons.

PROS:

Can frost using only 1 hand; I generally use 2 hands with a bag.

Don’t have to worry about frosting squeezing out the top.

If you need to chill the frosting, you can just put the cap on and put the bottle in the fridge for a bit.

Can store the leftover frosting right in the bottle and use it up in a few days, so you don’t have to throw any out or save such a small amount in another container. I used it on donuts a couple of days later.

By soaking it in warm, soapy, it was no harder to clean out than a bag.

CONS:

The flexible angled spatula is pretty useless for scooping up frosting or even doing any spreading. It is just too flexible and I will stick with my metal ones for major decorating. It did; however, work good to scrape out the pleats of the accordion bottle when I was cleaning out the last of the frosting for my donut; not completely, but good enough.

Would have been handy to have a large round tip for cupcakes, but I already have a couple, so that was no big deal.

The biggest drawback I had was that you cannot use larger diameter tips for bigger open star decorating. What I mean is that I like to use the following tips (4B, 8B, & 1M) when decorating cupcakes, because I have to make less spirals and it is more dramatic looking. These have a larger diameter opening at the base and there is no way to secure them to the bottle. With a bag, you just have to cut a larger hole.

In conclusion, I give this a thumbs up!

I think it will be handier for doing star decorating on cakes where you have a lot of little stars to pipe. I will definitely be using it on my next decorating project. I wonder how writing will work with it. I can’t wait to try it on a cake.

Have A Sweet Day!

Crock Pot Swedish Stew

2011-11-14T10:35:00.001-06:00

I was trying to come up with something different for dinner, and was kinda hungry for stew. We’d just had a tomato based stew, so I wanted something different. We like Swedish Meatballs, so I thought why not try that type of sauce in a stew. It smelled great, but the real test was that Hubby said he really liked it and that the recipe was a keeper. I figured I better get the recipe typed up and recorded somewhere, so I don’t forget how I made it, the next time we have it. (I tend to do that; make meals by adding different concoctions, and then forget what I did.) I served it with a slice of buttered rye bread and it was delicious. I hope you like it too!

Crock Pot Swedish Stew

1 1/2 pounds beef roast or round steak

Small amount oil for browning

Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

1 can cream of celery soup

1 cup baby red potatoes, quartered

1 cup frozen peas and carrots

1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle

Cut beef into bite size pieces. In a skillet, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, brown the beef in oil, seasoning with the salt pepper, and garlic powder. Place the quartered potatoes in the bottom of a crock pot. Add the browned beef next, followed by the cream of celery soup, dill pickle, and peas and carrots. Cook on low for 7-9 hours or high 4-5 hours. Stir to incorporate anytime after halfway through the cooking cycle.

Alternate ingredients: You can use regular medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1”size pieces. You could also use fresh peas and carrots, but then put the carrots in the bottom with the potatoes, since they will take longer to cook.

Enjoy!

Linking to:

Baptism Cake And Some Helpful Things I Learned From Pinterest

2011-08-01T08:13:00.001-05:00

I made this cake for a Baptism celebration we attended Sunday.It’s kind of hard to tell, from the picture, but I made this in the shape of an open book. Since I’m too frugal to by a lot of shaped pans, I improvised. I used a 13x9 pan for the bottom layer. For the top, I cut a 9x9 cake on the diagonal, using the top of the cake for one side and then flipped the bottom over for the other side, putting the thick sides to the middle. I had to cut off approximately 2” on each side of the top layer, so the edge was even. This was my first time making and using fondant and I think it turned out quite well.

So, what did I learn from Pinterest?

I have a board on my Pinterest page called The Been There, Done That Column where I put the tips I’ve tried and projects I’ve copied. These are the tips I used for this project:

The Best Tip EVER for filling a pastry bag!! @Chef Mommy

REVIEW: This totally rocks! I wasted so much LESS frosting and cleanup was easier! I could even switch bags, from a large tip bag to a small tip one, just by wrapping another piece of plastic around the original. The only change I made was to knot the back end; thereby, preventing end blowout.

How to Make Marshmallow Fondant @Clockwork Lemon

REVIEW: I found that constantly dusting your hands with the sugar keeps the fondant from sticking to them better than the butter did. I used a tsp. of vanilla and it tasted good; much better than any bakery fondant. I did find that you have to use a lot of sugar to get it to the point of non stickiness. When rolling this out, I found it works best between 2 pieces of parchment paper, then stick it in the freezer for a few minutes and it comes of quite easily.

Quick and Easy Smooth Icing Using A Roller @ Cake Central

REVIEW: How to make a smooth frosted cake with a paint roller. This worked best for me with just the roller. 2nd best was with paper toweling. The wax paper did not work with my frosting recipe, stuck to it. I did not try parchment paper.

Do you Pinterest? It’s a great way to bookmark pictures you find on the internet and full of loads of inspiration. Why don’t you check out my Page and maybe become a follower, if you are so inclined. And if you need an invite, let me know. I’ll gladly send you one.

MILK GARDEN

2011-07-26T06:02:00.001-05:00

Remember this garden bed I was working on?

The plants have finally grown in in my “milk garden”, so I can show what the finished flower bed looks like.
The idea is that the milk can has tipped over and spilled out the “milk”; in this case, plants. In keeping with the theme, I also have my “Ice Cream Sundae” totem in front of the Planter Bench made from an old metal bed frame.
For the milk, I planted some Nettle, which is a perennial, but because they won’t fill in for a couple of years, so I filled in with Dusty Miller, which is an annual in my area. The Dusty Miller is much whiter than the Nettle.

From Pinterest

This was the inspiration for my garden bed, but I wanted to use white foliage plants instead of flowers, so that the effect would be long lasting. I suppose if I wanted to spend tons every year on annuals, I could have gone with flowers, but I just can't justify that cost.

I had a milk can that I was no longer using as a plant holder, so it came to this garden bed. In the inspiration photo, they used a much smaller can, so I can see where they could get away with less cost on the flowers. I left the can as well as the bench rusty and peeling paint.

There is flat stone around the garden bed, so I can mow right up to it. In the non-milk area, I have planted Ajuga, but it will be a while before that fills in, so I covered the bare areas with wood chips. Underneath this all is heavy plastic from a silage bag, with the white side up. I guess, once the plants filled in, it didn’t really make much difference if it was black or white, but before the white blended a little better. Behind the planter bench, I planted Dahlia bulbs. They won’t flower for another month or so, but they should get at least as tall as the back of the bench and will have dark red flowers. It is a very beautiful Dahlia that I’ve grown for years.

I am pleased with how it turned out.

Plant Stand For The Summer

2011-07-07T15:15:00.001-05:00

Remember the PLANT STAND I made out of a coffee table and end tables last fall?

I gave it a mini makeover for the summer, now that the plants are outdoors.

Here’s what it looks like now:

I removed all the plants to outside for the summer…

Rearranged the gardening magazines and books…

Switched out candles for the garden tools I had in these vases…

Shifted some of the other knickknacks I had on it…

And added a couple of other things from other parts of the room.

Not a bad look if I do say so myself.

I actually think it looks better than with all my plants on, but alas, the purpose is for plants during the winter.

Technorati Tags: Decor

Planter Bench From Metal Bed Frame

2011-06-29T07:00:00.001-05:00

Remember my plans to make a planter bench out of an old metal bed frame?

Well, here it is:

It’s part of my new front garden bed. That’s my ice cream sundae totem just to the left.
Basically, what I did was to cut the footboard in half; but it was a little too deep for what I wanted, so I cut off another 6” or so. I was going to prime it and paint it, but decided I wanted a rusty kind of look. Problem was, I had used corner braces to connect it and they were shiny silver. I sprayed the braces and all the nuts and bolts with black paint and then just kind of lightly went over the rest of the bench, kinda feathering it out from the painted hardware. Turned out ok.

Look at that, a spider has already built a web on it. HA!

I cut the rails to fit the width of the headboard, Gary welded it back together for me and I used the original brackets to attach it across the front. I cut a piece of the other rail to fit across the back and he welded that to a brace that was already there. I did; however have to cut the side pieces down to match up with that back brace. It was too tall on the sides anyway. This looks much better.

Front

Back

I stuck a solar light in there, but I keep forgetting to go out front at night to see if it’s even working.

I cut pieces of deck board to fit between the rails and left spaces to slip some oblong planters in. There was just the right space for the planters and I didn’t have to rip any boards down to make it work. How cool is that?! Again I originally was going to paint these boards, but decided to let them weather naturally. Of course for this year, they are going to be golden instead of gray, but it’ll do.

See how the boards fit nicely into the bed rails?

Finally, I drilled holes into the top of the backboard to put in some plant hangers that I cut and bent out of a 1/4” rod. I have Dahlias planted behind the bench, but they are only about 6” tall at this point. I can hardly wait for the plants to fill in some, but it’s looking pretty decent already.

The planter hangers I just left to rust.

I am very pleased at how it turned out.
Stay tuned for the complete reveal of the whole garden bed in an upcoming post.

Technorati Tags: DIY,Outdoor Design,Recycle

Linking to:

{Dot}{Dot}{Dot}

Ice Cream Sundae Totem

2011-06-28T11:22:00.001-05:00

This is the totem I made for my new garden bed. I used a small green flower vase inverted to serve as the “holder” to slip over the post (ice cream cup stem). I found these great posts at Menards, which are 60” long and are plastic coated metal hollow rods. I only used 30” for this project, so I have the other 1/2 to use for another totem. I cut them off with a chop saw, but a hacksaw would work as well.

Here’s how the totem stacked up:

On top of the vase, I adhered a yellow dinner plate and yellow salad plate right side up (bowl of ice cream cup), followed by a sort of pumpkin shaped white canister upside down, that I had used to keep my utensils in on the kitchen counter (scoop of ice cream). Next came a fluted carnival glass plate we received as a wedding gift 35 years ago. I very seldom used it, except to put candy in once or twice. This also was upside down (caramel topping). A clear cut glass bowl, also upside down came next (whipped cream) and it was topped off with a metal cupola, I guess you would call it, from a lantern candle holder that I made into a solar patio lantern. I spray painted the cupola red to simulate a cherry. I finished off my sundae with a tablespoon, which I cut off 1/3 of the bowl, with a chop saw, and glued to the bottom of the whipped topping.

These are the steps I followed:

First, I marked where the pieces needed to go by tracing them with a marker. I then “sanded” these markings off, with a little over each way;

with a dremel, fitted with a diamond tip bit. This made short work of the task of roughening the areas for the glue to adhere to.

Secondly, I cleaned the area to be glued well with alcohol and a rag.

Starting with the plates, I next applied clear silicon adhesive sealant, liberally to one surface and glued them together. I glued all the top pieces, above the vase, the same day. To attach the spoon, I hammered the bowl of the spoon a little flatter, to be close to the same arc as the whipped topping bowl. I then glued it on with the silicon adhesive and propped it against a tall object until it was set. Worked out ok, so far, but we’ll see how it handles the elements. I then waited a day and turned the piece upside down , placing it on a roll of painter’s tape, so the “cherry” was in the hole; therefore, resting mostly level. I then glued the vase, upside down to the bottom of the dinner plate and waited another day before tipping it over and putting it on the post which I had pounded into the ground. I used Loctite clear silicon adhesive sealant, but I’m sure there are other brands as well.

So, here is my ice cream sundae in the new garden bed. It is next to the planter bench I made out of an old metal bed frame. More to come on that another time.

Technorati Tags: DIY,Outdoor Design,Recycle

Vegetable Garden Started

2011-06-02T21:37:00.000-05:00

This is my vegetable garden plan for this summer of 2011. Today, I planted the tomato and pepper plants, as well as the zucchini, cucumber and bean seeds. Hopefully, all danger of frost is done for this year. It is after Memorial day, so things should be safe, but it has been a screwy spring. We are at least a month behind with putting in crops and the trees and flowers are behind as well. Tomorrow, maybe I can find time to plant the rest of the plants I started indoors. Usually, I only get mornings to work on my projects, 'cause I have to help with fieldwork in the afternoon. On a positive note, though, my tomato plants are very dark green, being in the greenhouse for such a long time this spring. As long as they don't suffer too much from transplant shock, I've got a good start on them.

Here's To A Great Growing Season!

Address Me As Ms. DIY, If You Please

2011-05-22T15:57:00.003-05:00

Just a little project I completed today.

I’ve had these cut out for about a month now, but just waiting for the weather to be warm enough to apply. I bought this vinyl off Ebay and it is supposed to be sign vinyl, so we’ll see how it lasts outdoors. It very little protected under the eaves, and it will get direct sun for part of the day, as well as rain. This will be a good test to see if I want to do something bigger outdoors.

I washed the area and prepped it with alcohol before applying the vinyl. It seems to have adhered very well.

Here’s the full effect:

It doesn’t look like it, because of the slight angle of the picture, but it is centered under the light fixture.

I think it looks pretty nice.

Now I just have to wash the rest of the siding and maybe repaint those light fixtures.

Have A Nice Afternoon!
Linking to:
Sew Many Ways

Homemaker On A Dime

Technorati Tags: Silhouette,DIY,Outdoor Design

Garden Work….. Finally! A New Flower Bed

2011-05-19T21:27:00.002-05:00

The weather has finally been warm enough and dry enough, that I could do some garden work. Not vegetable gardening yet, too cold for that. My tomato plants are still in the make shift greenhouse I fashioned out of hay bales, cattle panels and tarps. Seems to be working ok, but it would be nice to get the plants in the ground.
The garden work I’m referring to is a new flower bed that’s going in the front yard. I worked about 2 hrs. on it yesterday and about 1 1/2 hrs. today.

This is what I have done so far:

I’m not sure if you can tell, but the lawn is on a slope here. That figures into my bed perfectly.

The first day, I collected the flat rock that will be the border of the bed, laid out the bed, and dug about 1/4 of the sod out. That was enough for one day, since I’m “old”. J/K, the fact is that’s about all my injured leg could handle for one day. the good news is all that stretching should help my leg to heal faster.

Today, I finished digging out the rest of the sod. I had five loads of sod that I dug out.

And what did I do with all that sod, you ask? I dumped it in a low area in front of the shed that always fills with water when it rains. It would be a great place for a rain garden, but it’s also an area where the guys tend to park a lot of the farm equipment during the summer months. Oh, how I would love a rain garden though. Maybe someday, if we ever move to a different home for retirement.

So here’s my inspiration for what I envision for the new flower bed:

I found this pic on Pinterest. I already have a milk can I can use and I plan to put my metal bed frame planter bench in the vignette also, as soon as I have it built. For the “spilled milk”, I bought some Dusty Miller plants. Hopefully, they will be white enough. The finishing touch will be a tea cup bird feeder.

On another garden related matter, I transplanted some ferns I got from a friend’s property. I transplanted some last year and they came through the winter fine, so I got some more this year. Believe it or not, these ferns were only as tall as the short ones in the pic, just a few days ago (those are the ones I transplanted last year). They seem to grow about 2'” every day!

They are a pretty tough fern. If you look closely at the pic on the bottom below, you’ll see some green coming in an otherwise dead looking plant, as in the pic on the top.

The Autumn Fern I bought from Menards last year, on the other hand does look like it has bit the dust. In a cursory inspection, I could not find any signs of returning growth. The label states that there is a 1 year guarantee, so I’ll have to hunt up my receipt and check it out. I don’t know if I have to take the dead plant back or if I just need the receipt. I will have to call and find out.

Have A Great Evening!

Technorati Tags: Outdoor Design,DIY,Garden

Silent Auction Donation

2011-05-18T16:55:00.002-05:00

I made another bird feeder to donate to the Church’s silent auction they are having in conjunction with their chicken dinner, this coming Sunday.

I really love the cup on this one. It is a Holstein print on the outside and bright yellow on the inside. I believe it was intended as an ice cream cup, because on the bottom, it said made especially for Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. After I got it all done, I liked it so much that I kinda wanted to keep it for myself. Oh, well, if I want it, I’ll just have to bid on it and try to win it. I’m not sure I’ll ever find a cup like that again.
I did a couple of things differently with this one. First, I used clear epoxy for the whole thing. I just feel a 2-
part epoxy will be stronger than a 1-part glue. We’ll see. The other thing I did differently was to cut the copper pipe to a point, after I hammered a flat end on it, with a hacksaw. Hopefully it will poke into the ground easier this way; although, the other way worked ok.
I included a small bag of birdseed and a card with instructions on how to assemble this. Believe it or not, there is a right way to do this. You do not want to put it together and then push it into the ground. You risk breaking the dishes. Also, you do not want to twist the feeder on the post, because if you are using glue, it will loosen the bond. The best thing is to get it into the position you want and slide it on straight. If it’s not quite where you want it, take it off and start again. Trust me, a little caution will save you repairs.

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Have a

Mootiful Day!

Technorati Tags: Outdoor,Design,Recycle

Planter Bench Design

2011-05-12T14:34:00.000-05:00

I bought an old metal bed at an auction, this past weekend.

My plans are to make a planter bench out of it.

Here's my design for how I imagine it to look:

Whadda think?

Mother’s Day Gift

2011-05-08T21:19:00.003-05:00

Here’s what I made for my MIL for Mother’s Day:

It’s a sugar bowl bird feeder/waterer

Here’s a closer pic

I got the inspiration here from a teacup bird feeder tutorial.

I could not find any teacup/saucer combinations I liked, so I went with a sugar bowl. I actually like this better. It has a bigger area for water than a teacup and I could use a bigger plate and spoon that would not look out of place if using a smaller teacup.

Basically, this is how I made it.

1) Plan this for several days in advance, because you need to have the glue cure.

2) Find a nice sugar bowl, plate, and spoon. either of your own or from a thrift store or garage sale. Mine were matching, but you could certainly do coordinating or even contrasting colors.

Even my spoon had a rose on it to match the plate.

3) You need to sand around the bottom of the sugar bowl, the bottom of the spoon and the 2 coordinating areas on the plate where they will both sit to roughen it up so the glue will adhere well. I didn’t take pics of the sanding process, but I think it is self explanatory. Just be sure to sand quite a lot of the glaze off.

4) Glue the bowl and spoon to the plate using E-6000 glue. This is some strong glue that is waterproof. Follow the directions on the package. It takes about 24 hrs. to cure before you can flip it over and do the backside.

5) After the glue has cured for a day, turn the feeder over and glue a 1/2” copper cap in the middle of the plate. Again the surface of both the plate and the cap need to be roughened up with sand paper. Make sure to apply a generous amount of glue to the plate and cap, because the cap is usually convex, so you need to make sure it is going to be held over the entire cap.

Original way.... didn't work out so well.

** UPDATE **

5) It was not sturdy enough with the E-6000 and just that small area to apply glue to. One twist with my husbands strong hands and it wanted to move too easily. This is what we did to reinforce the cap and make a larger surface for adhesive. My husband soldered a fender washer to the top of the cap and then filed it to roughen the surface and make it even. Meanwhile, I scraped off the glue from the bottom of the plate and sanded a larger area to accommodate the fender washer size. This time around, I glued it with waterproof epoxy. It dried to a light amber color , but that's ok, since it's underneath and won't be seen. After curing for 24 hrs., it's solid and not going anywhere.

New improved version with a fender washer soldered to the cap

I didn’t even bother to remove the entire tag, since it will be on the bottom and not show.

6) In the meantime; while you wait for this glue on the bottom to cure. You can prepare the stake. This is made from a 36” piece of 1/2” copper tubing. I bought a 10’ piece at the hardware store because I plan to make one of theses for myself as well, but I saw you could get these in 5’ sections also, which were more expensive/ft. Personally, I think I might like more than one of these in my yard. Cut the tubing with a pipe cutter if you have one, or a hacksaw. Sand around one end of the tubing as far as the cap will go on, so that the cap will slide on easily. These are very tight fitting; after all, they are made to hold water. On the other end, hammer the tubing flat , to make a “knife edge” to poke into the ground easier.

7) Stick the pipe into the ground about a foot. Once the glue has cured on the back of the plate, you can turn it over, slip it onto the pipe, and fill the bowl with water and put some bird food on the plate.

Here's the bird feeder in my in-laws front yard with bird seed and water.

This is the card I made to go along with her gift:

The envelope I made last year out of a heavy magazine cover.

Here’s a closer look at the card. It is a “Do Not Disturb” hanger for the door.

I got the inspiration here.

Happy Mother’s

Day
Linking to:
Fine Craft Guild

Baby Shower Gifts

2011-05-03T07:00:00.013-05:00

I attended a baby shower a couple of weeks ago. The mom-to-be likes frogs, so I tailored my homemade gifts to go with that theme.

Hooter Hider

I pretty much followed the tutorial here, except I used a metal fastener and I always double seam, to make sure the seams are not going to rip apart easily.

Frog Hat and Booties

For the booties, I used my standby Best Crochet Slippers pattern, but adjusted the pattern to make them smaller, by using a smaller hook, only one strand of yarn, and less rows.

For the hat, I followed the pattern here, except I did the eyes a little different and I used 1/4” ribbon instead of yarn for the contrasting edge.

Burp Cloths

This is the tutorial I followed, roughly. Mine had a more rounded shape on the ends. To achieve this, I used a dinner plate to trace a pattern of 2 circles, then joined the circles with an inside arc. I used bar towels for the absorbent backside.

Ribbon Tab Toy

Here’s what I did:
1) I basically just traced a circle with a dinner plate onto 2 fabrics, 1 cotton and the other fleece and cut them out.
2) Cut various lengths of ribbons ranging 2-4”.
3) Fold the ribbon strips in half and pin them between the the 2 circles of fabric right sides together, ribbons in toward the middle.
4) Sew around the edge of the circle with a 14” seam, leaving about a 3-4” opening for turning, (leave out 1 ribbon until after it is turned and stuffed). I always double seam, to make sure the seam is sturdy. Turn it right side out.
5) Wrap a large bell , or several small bells, with poly batting. Put about 1/3 of the batting in through the opening, then put in the wrapped bells and finish stuffing with poly batting.
6) Slip stitch the opening closed along with the last ribbon.

Pacifier Leash

Follow the tutorial here

Closet Dividers

For these, I made a template out of cardboard, traced them, and cut the shapes out of foam board. I covered them with contact paper and used acrylic craft paint to color around the edges. I cut out the letters on my Silhouette, applied them, and Bob’s your uncle. Easy Peasy!

Froggy Bank

I made this bank from a recycled coffee container. It was decaf, since that’s the kind that comes in green.

Here’s what I did:

1) Removed the label with Acetone. They do not make paper labels anymore, but paint them on, so it is a little more difficult to get a label free surface.

2) Clean the container up real well. I place newspapers inside to get rid of the coffee smell. Most of it was gone the next day

3) I cut out the frog and phrases on my Silhouette, but you could easily draw these on with a permanent marker.

4) Cut a slot in the top. I made a frog face (with no mouth) on my Silhouette and placed it so the slot is the mouth and the ears stand up on the edge. I left the backing off on the vinyl behind the ears so they would not stick to the container.

The irony of this is that the container came from the mom-to-be in question! In fact she asked me what I was doing with it. I told her I couldn’t tell her and she left it at that.

Gift Bag

All these goodies went into the gift bag I decorated with a frog.

Have A Hoppin’ Good Day!

Linking To:
Someday Crafts
Night Owl Crafting
Beyond The Picket Fence

Fireflies and Jellybeans
Paisley Passions

The CSI Project
The Thrifty Groove
My Re-purposed Life
Remodelaholic
The Creative Crate

Technorati Tags: Sewing,DIY,Crafts,Silhouette

SILHOUETTE LOVE

2011-05-02T11:47:00.015-05:00

A few weeks ago we celebrated my Mother-in-law and Father-in-law’s 60th wedding anniversary. Each child’s (of theirs) family was asked to contribute some type of wall decoration, poster, pics, etc., to decorate the church cafeteria, which was where the affair was held. This post is a long time coming, because I was waiting for nice clear pics from the photographer that was there that day. Unfortunately, either the pics of the tree did not turn out or she forgot to take them, so I’m stuck with my usual point and shoot camera pics.

This was our contribution:

What I did was to make hearts on my Silhouette. For the children, of which there are 8, I started each branch with the child’s and spouse’s name and the year of their marriage in another heart at the bottom. Next on the branch came the child’s children (grandchildren), followed by their children (great-grandchildren). For these it was just the grandchild’s name and spouse (if applicable) and just the great-grandchildren’s name on hearts after each of their parents.

I used an online poster maker, Block Posters, to make an image of a tree trunk, which I cut out from black poster board and placed the branches starting from it in a willow tree type shape. Here it is laid out on the living room floor to check for size and composition.

Across the top of the trunk I put the cut out phrase “All Because Two People Fell In Love” on a gold ribbon.

Under the ribbon; the tree trunk is attached, with thumbtacks, to a cork strip that runs across that short section of wall in the church cafeteria. That was a pretty sweet way to put it up. Luckily, nobody else needed that much space, so I could use it.
For the anniversary couple, I made a B&W copy of their wedding photo and placed it in a heart which I cut out of wood print contact paper. The two intertwined hearts at the bottom contain their names and date of their wedding.

I took these pics the day before the event when we set up for the party, so I don’t have a final pic of the Family Tree. What I added was a large Black Heart at the center top with 60th Anniversary and the date of the party, just because I felt it needed something in that space up there. I think it turned out rather well and I got numerous compliments on it.
I left the backing on the hearts and just cut out the main part, so that we could just attach them with some double sided carpet tape and each sibling could take their family’s branch home with them to do as they pleased. I plan to make some sort of framed picture with our family’s hearts.

Have A “Love”ly Day!

Linking to:

Fireflies and Jellybeans

Polly Want A Crafter
Homemaker On A Dime
Sew Many Ways
The DIY Show Off
Someday Crafts
Night Owl Crafting
Beyond The Picket Fence
Fireflies and Jellybeans
Paisley Passions
The CSI Project
The Thrifty Groove
My Re-purposed Life
Remodelaholic
The Creative Crate

Technorati Tags: DIY,Silhouette,Love

FROGS

2011-04-16T14:42:00.014-05:00

Technorati Tags: Silhouette,Crafts

I just attended a baby shower, where the mom-to-be had a frog theme.

This is the gift bag I decorated to put my homemade gifts in (more on those in another post).

It started out as a plain green bag to which I added some cut outs from contact paper, made on my Silhouette cutting machine.
I did trace around the letters and the features of the frog with a fine tip marker, just because they didn’t quite show up as well as I would have liked.

This is the cutting file I used for the bag and the outline frog I used for another project.

These are my own creation and I am sharing the zip file if anyone is interested in the frogs. I am not sure if this file will work for any other cutters, since it is labeled a Silhouette studio file on my PC.
This is the first time I am sharing a file, so I would like some input as to whether or not it actually works. If so, I will share some more in the future.
Zip file ----- http://www.mediafire.com/?d4keui6ax3digp3

Linking to :

The Creative Crate
Sew Many Ways
Homemaker on a Dime
The Idea Room
Polly Want A Crafter
DotDotDot
DIY by Design
Remodelaholic
The Creative Crate

KITCHEN OFFICE PLANS

2011-04-05T13:16:00.003-05:00

I have this area in my kitchen where I have my desk for doing book work. It is about the size of a closet, but not a closet. Get my drift?

Anyway…..

This is what it looks like now.

Not very pretty or even neat. I have a lot of stuff to file and put away.

This is how I would like it to look.

Whadda Ya think?

Now I just have to wait for the weather to warm up some more so I can get to painting in the garage.

At least I can be dreaming in my home designer program until I can actually work on something.

Technorati Tags: DESIGN

I WON SOMETHING!!!

2011-03-29T08:09:00.000-05:00

If you enjoy reading my posts, leave a comment at the bottom.

I really like getting feedback and respond to every comment or question.

So please, won't you leave me some footnotes!

Remember my Plant Stand?

I had entered it in Readymade's Readymade 100 contest.

I received this email yesterday, informing me I was in the

top 25!

Hello Trudy!

Congratulations! Your fantastic Stacked Tables Plant Stand made it into the top 25 projects of our ReadyMade 100 contest. We worked with local builders and designers (and you, as you might remember!) to bring your project to the pages of our April/May issue, and we’d love to send you a copy. Please send us your address and we’ll get one out to you right away.

We’ll also have a actual prize to send you in the coming weeks, but we’re still working on finalizing the design. In the meantime, if you can fill out the attached release and email it back to me, I’d greatly appreciate it.

Please feel free to spread the word about your inclusion in the story—and stay tuned to readymade.com where you and your work will be featured in the coming weeks.

Thanks so much for entering and for helping to make our new issue one of the best yet!

Your friends at ReadyMade

WooHoo!!!

The people at Readymade made over all the finalists projects and this is their version of mine.

Compliments of Readymade.com

You can see the entire blurb about my project and me HERE.

Thanks to all who voted for my project, way back in December. That's what got me into the top 75, to have a shot at a prize.

Now that's a great start to the week!

Blog Guidebook

2011-03-17T20:46:00.000-05:00

If you enjoy reading my posts, leave a comment at the bottom.

I really like getting feedback and respond to every comment or question.

So please, won't you leave me some footnotes!

I just joined the Blog Guidebook.

You can sign up for free until June, 2011
From their site:The Blog Guidebook is the vision of two friends who want to see the blogging community grow in friendship, creativity and beauty. Creating a blog whose format is pretty, attractive and a little bit girly. We want to make it easy for you to find answers to those basic blogging questions, when you just need that little bit of extra help.

MICRO-MINI GREENHOUSES

2011-03-17T16:32:00.003-05:00

If you enjoy reading my posts, leave a comment at the bottom.

I really like getting feedback and respond to every comment or question.

So please, won't you leave me some footnotes!

S 3-20-2011 - UPDATE S

I had to cover the tops with some plastic, as there are holes in the top as well as the bottom, and too much air was getting in and drying the soil. I had doe one greenhouse in a plastic donut container that I just cut holes in the bottom and this created the expected condensation and I already have some kale seedlings coming up.

Springtime is nearly here, so it's time to start plants indoors. I like to start tomatoes and peppers indoors for sure, because they take longer to get to maturity. I also start some of my herbs, like parsley, since the seedlings are so small that I can't tell if it's the plant I want or a weed, when I plant the seeds directly outdoors. This year I'm also going to try cantaloupe and cucumber, since I had good luck with starting zucchini last year, I thought they might do good as well.

You will need coffee filters, cardboard egg carton, plastic strawberry container (or other fruit container, as along as it has holes in it), and seeds. Of course you'll also need potting mix, but I didn't want to haul the bag in from the garage, so I just filled a plastic bowl with some to bring in and use.

Place a coffee filter in the bottom of a plastic fruit container. This will catch any stray potting mix, so it doesn't all wash away when you water and create a mess under your greenhouse.

Cut the top and closing flap off the cardboard egg carton and discard or find some other use for them.

Next cut the egg carton bottom carefully in half, so that you two trays of six full cups. Place one tray in the plastic fruit container on top of the coffee filter.

Place some potting mix in each cup. I used a plastic spoon and found a heaping spoonful to be pretty much what you need.

This is what I did for larger seeds, in this case cantaloupe. Place two seeds in each cup diagonally one way on the top row and the opposite way on the bottom row. That way your plants will have room to grow for awhile before needing to be transplanted. push them down the required distance as stated on the seed packet and cover with a layer of potting mix. For smaller seeds, like kale and parsley, which I planted later, sprinkle a few seeds in each cup and cover with potting mix. These you will most likely thin out later.

For tomatoes, which are more hardy, I did not use individual cups, but just put the potting mix directly on top of the coffee filter. I only put about 3/4" of mix in the container, because as the seedlings grow, I will add more mix, so they develop roots along the stem.

Place the greenhouses in a tray to catch the water that will drip out through he drainage holes. I placed them with the hinged sides to the center, so that after the seedlings start to grow, they can be opened up and one cover will not cover the other greenhouse. Water them well (a sprayer works well for this) and close the tops down and snap in place. I also labeled the plants on some tape applied tight to the drip tray, so the labels would stay put during watering.

Place your greenhouses on or in front of a south facing window. I have a bay window that faces south, so that works well for me. If you don't have a wide sill on your window, put them on a tv table in front of the window. Be sure to put a plastic bag or something waterproof underneath in case you spill during watering.

There you have it .....

Micro-mini greenhouses!

Have a green thumb St. Patrick's Day!

Linking to:

504 Main

My Repurposed Life

Remodelaholic

STYLISH BLOG AWARD # 3

2011-03-12T20:01:00.001-06:00

If you enjoy reading my posts, leave a comment at the bottom.

I really like getting feedback and respond to every comment or question.

So please, won't you leave me some footnotes!

Wendy at a and w gave me back this award that I gave her a couple of weeks ago.

Thank-you Wendy!

Since this is the 3rd time I am doing this award, I am not following the rules.

(Oh no, I may go to hell for that one!)

Anyway, here are a couple more things about me:

1. I graduated 3rd in my class back in high ,but only went on to Technical School. I'm sure most people thought I should have gone to a 4 year college, but I was totally sick of school by that time (I loved school all the way to my senior year and then it was like a switch was pulled and I couldn't wait to get out), and I really couldn't afford it either.

2. I hate winter. I tell Gary that about every other day during the winter months. I don't usually mind the snow as long as it could be 50° out! This year; however I am totally done with the snow! Too much for too long!

3. I CAN'T WAIT TIL SPRING FINALLY GETS HERE!

So, I am passing this award on to some more of my followers.

1. Katie @ On the Banks of Squaw Creek

2. Michelle @ The Homesteading Apartment

3. Diann @ The Thrifty Groove

4. Pam @ Sallygoodin

5.Cindy @ The Gathering Room

6. Marissa @ The Design Confidential

Here are the rules if you care to follow them.

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!

SWAP FOLLOWINGS

2011-03-08T13:04:00.000-06:00

If you enjoy reading my posts, leave a comment at the bottom.

I really like getting feedback and respond to every comment or question.

So please, won't you leave me some footnotes!

I'm linking up with one of my new follower's blog swap linky party.

The rules are you have to follow 2 new blogs, which shouldn't be a problem, 'cause the blogs in this party are all new to me. If you get a chance click on over and meet some new bloggers.

KITCHENS AND STUFF

2011-03-04T12:26:00.000-06:00

If you enjoy reading my posts, leave a comment at the bottom.

I really like getting feedback and respond to every comment or question.

So please, won't you leave me some footnotes!

http://imgfave.com/view/969605

Just my opinion, but does anyone else not like this, or is it just me? I have no problem til I get to the barn board cabinet doors.

http://imgfave.com/view/998796

This would be a great idea for a craft table. You could elegantly label the drawers with craft supply names.

http://imgfave.com/view/953593

Kind of a neat idea for a kitchen herb garden, but I'll bet it's expensive.

http://imgfave.com/view/933659

Wouldn't I just love to have a kitchen garden like this!

http://imgfave.com/view/933658

Here's another view.

http://imgfave.com/view/899934

This would be nice for a covered porch. Don't think I'd like it for a kitchen or dining room, though.

http://imgfave.com/view/881014

All I can say is.... WOW!

http://imgfave.com/view/866917

I really wish I could pull off something like this in my kitchen, but probably not.

Now this would be my dream kitchen for a new house. Just couldn’t make it work in our present house. Some of these images are from the Kohler website and some I took myself at the Kohler Design Center.

Have a Dream Filled Day!

BLOG AWARD #2

2011-03-02T12:19:00.000-06:00

If you enjoy reading my posts, leave a comment at the bottom.

I really like getting feedback and respond to every comment or question.

So please, won't you leave me some footnotes!

Melanie from Creative Art & Design visited my blog and left a comment giving me my second blogging award.

Thank-you Melanie!!!

The rules are a little different this time around.

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!

7 different things about myself

1. I like to make things (Betcha couldn't tell that by my blog, huh?)

2. In a long ago life, I worked as an LPN in a nursing. I have been working the family dairy farm since 1991 with my husband. I DO NOT miss working out.

3. I blog for myself and to share with anyone who cares to read. I don't post on a timetable, only when I have something to share and the time to write it down.

4. I generally don't enter blog giveaways. Just not what I come to the internet for. I make a few exceptions where it is something unique that the blogger has made themselves.

5. I stalk linky parties for ideas. I only wish the pics were bigger, so I can see what the projects are and not have to click on a link only to find it was not something I'm interested in.

6. One of my favorite sites for house ideas is Houzz.com

7. I will most likely never earn money from my blog. As I said, I blog for myself. I don't ever want it to become a full time job that I can't find time to respond to comments from anyone who cares to read.

These are the blogs I am passing this award onto. I do this in appreciation for them being followers of my blog.

Thank-you!

1. Tasha @ DotDotDot

2. Rhonda @ My Photo Art and Fab Fibers

3. Kitty @ A Law Student's Journey

4. J & A @ Joyful Living

5. Heather @ Feather's Flights

6. Gina @ Labelladiva

7. Johnnie @ Saved By Love Creations

8. Cassie @ Re Use * Re Invent* Re Design

9. Tiffany @ Killing Time

10. Lauren @ West Furniture Revival

11. Judy @ DIY by Design

12. Cindy @ Le Chaise Parfait

13. Leslie @ Night Owl Crafting

14. Lisa @ Raising Future Leaders

15. Wendy @ a & w

Surprise!

2011-02-28T14:16:00.001-06:00

View Full Album

I threw a surprise party for Gary’s 55th birthday. Too bad he started to get suspicious a couple of days before the party. I really had him going though, until that time. When I sent out the invitations, I sent them out from a neighboring town, but it was on a Saturday and I put them in the outside mailbox. Well, they went all the way to Milwaukee, before coming back here. Couldn’t have worked out better if I had tried! Of course Gary (we) got a completely different invitation than all the others. I set up a fake email address for the RSVP. He was none the wiser, ‘cause he is not computer savvy AT ALL! He was a little suspicious at first, but I quickly squashed that by replying to our RSVP saying it was a party for someone I knew who was moving back to the state after many years gone.

Here’s the invitation others received:
Shhh!                                                            For    Gary xxxxxxx
This is a surprise party for                         Date Feb. 20, 2011
Gary's 55th birthday.                                 Time 12:30 pm
We will have an appetizer                         Place St. Anne's Cafeteria
style buffet and drinks.                                         Main St. xxxx,xx
This is a Retro Party,                                 R.S.V.P.     Regrets Only
so come dressed as a                                                    xxx-xxx-xxxx
black and white TV                                                    If you don't call,
or Movie character.                                                   we'll expect you!
NO GIFTS PLEASE!

And the one we received:
For Retro Black and White Party
Date Feb. 20, 2011
Time 12:30 pm
Place St. Anne’s Cafeteria
        Main St. xxxx,xx
R.S.V.P. By Feb. 13, 2011
    undercoveraffair@ xxxxx.xxx

This is the response we got to our RSVP:
Hi Tru,
I'm sorry I didn't get back to you a little sooner, but I had to check a few things first.
I can give you a little information on the Retro Party.
First of all the clothing does not have to be black and white, just clothing like a black and white era TV or movie character. So, say you wanted to dress as Gilligan, you would wear a red shirt as opposed to a grey shirt. Make sense?
Secondly, we will be serving a buffet type meal.
Although; I can’t tell you who this party is for, because we want it to be a total surprise for the guest of honor as well as the guests, I can tell you a little about why you were invited.
My friend is moving back to the area after many years in another state. With the help of my friend’s family, I am throwing a party for them to reconnect with old friends. During the reminiscing, your name came up as someone who is fun loving and enjoyable to be around. I will tell you that my friend is someone you worked with back in the day.
I do hope you and your husband decide to attend. I am so looking forward to meeting you.
Ruth

So I made it all about me and that really threw him. We were trying to figure out who this person could be and I almost had myself convinced it was a party for someone else. I had the most fun trying to keep him from finding out about the party.
We had black tablecloths , black balloons and black and white streamers. You get the picture; it was an over the hill party. We had a good time!

Here are some pics from the party, plus you can click on the slide show up top for some more.

The cake I made. I bought some black frosting in a tube which I could put my decorating tips on with the collar. Sweet!

These are some of the people who dressed up in the photo op cut out I made. Not everyone dressed up; there were some party poopers, but those that did enjoyed themselves.


Curly from The Three Stooges	Mary Bailey from It's A Wonderful Life and Shirley Temple	Ralph and Hank Kimball from Green Acres


Ginger Rogers	Jethro and Ellie May From The Beverly Hillbillies	Granny and Jed Clampett From The Beverly Hillbillies


Hogan and Fraulein Helga from Hogan's Heroes	Wyatt Earp and Ma Barker

Some more pics!

View Full Album

GIFTAWAY WINNER!

2011-02-07T12:24:00.003-06:00

If you enjoy reading my posts, leave a comment at the bottom.

I really like getting feedback and respond to every comment or question.

So please, won't you leave me some footnotes!

There were only 12 entrants into my GIFTAWAY, so I just wrote the numbers 1-12 on slips of paper, put them in a hat and had Gary draw one .
And the winner is……

#12

Rhonda Rogalski Photo & Fiber Art said...

I am a follower. I LOVE the Mary Jane style - ladies sz 10. Thanks for the opportunity!

Congratulations Rhonda!

Rhonda has chosen the Mary Janes in a dark color such as Eggplant for 1st choice, or Green or Blue as 2nd choice.

Thank-you to all who entered and for all the new followers. I gained 10 followers!

Have a WOOHOO of a Day!

GIFTAWAY ENDS TOMORROW!

2011-02-05T11:35:00.001-06:00

Don’t forget to enter for your chance to win a handmade custom pair of

Ballet Slippers or Bootie Slippers.

The GIFTAWAY ends tomorrow at midnight CST.

You can enter HERE.

CROCHET RIBBON NECKLACE

2011-02-01T07:00:00.005-06:00

I made this necklace for one of my daughters for Christmas.

Materials and Tools

1 spool of 1" ribbon
1 spool of 1/4" ribbon
5 large beads
Size H crochet hook
Large embroidery or darning needle

Instructions

Using the 1" ribbon; leave an 18" tail and make a slip knot onto a size H crochet hook.

Ch 18 - Fasten off leaving an 18" tail at the end.

Using a large embroidery or darning needle, thread 5 beads onto the 1/4" ribbon. Attach the 1/4" ribbon to the 1st sc and then ch1 sc in each of next 2 ch.

* Slip a bead down to your work, sc in each of next 3 sc.

Repeat from * 4 times, ending with sc in last 3 ch.

Ch 1, turn, then sc in each sc across. Fasten off.

Make sure both tails of larger ribbon are pulled tightly to make a knot at each end.

Wave ends of both ribbons over a flame to seal and weave smaller ribbon ends into the back of the piece.

With 18" tails, it can be worn as a choker as in above image, or it can be worn lower on the neck.

Have A Ball Today!

GIFTING IT FORWARD

2011-01-30T07:00:00.017-06:00

Would anybody like to win a pair like one of these?

Or these?

Recently I've been having some nice bloggers be good to me.

Back in November, when I purchased my Silhouette, I used Beckie's, from Infarrantly Creative, code and she sent me some Bottlecap Magnets she made herself. Thank-you, Beckie!

Then...

Several weeks ago, I inadvertently entered a giveaway at Simply Southern. I say inadvertently, because I just went to the blog from a linky party to see a project someone had done. I liked it and commented on it, but kinda skimmed over the giveaway part, 'cause usually I don't enter giveaways; except for the Silhouette giveaways, which I didn't win. So, anyway, I happened to win this one without even trying. WooHoo! This is the goody package I received in the mail.

A Photo Block, which I put my Grandchildren's picture cards on from Christmas, a paper mache star, some lovely scripture cards, a checkbook cover, and matching keychain. Wow! What a nice haul! Thank -you Debbie!

And...

Just this past week, I was awarded the Stylish Blog Award, by Melinda at Mocrochet. Thank-you, Melinda!

In appreciation of all these, I would like to gift it forward and send a pair of crocheted slippers to the winner of this giftaway. It will be their choice of style, color and size. I will be adding this to my PROMOTERS linky parties this week.

To enter this giftaway:

#1 US residents only, please.

#2 Become a follower, if you are not already. (Follow at the bottom of the page.)

#3 Leave me a comment stating which pair you would like to have, either for yourself or a special someone. Make sure you leave me an email address if you don't have a blog so I can get a hold of you!

#4 Open from now until February 6, 2011 11:59 Central time.

#5 Drawing will be held February 7, 2011.

#6 Winner will have 72 hours from when I post to contact me, before I choose another winner.

GOOD LUCK!

I'm keeping this low tech, so I'll just ask my hubby to pick a number between 1 and ? (depending on the number of comments). I won't tell him what I'm asking for until after he picks. He doesn't read my blog, so no danger of him knowing ahead of time.

READY,

SET,

COMMENT!

Have A Gifted Day!

Linking to:

Under the Table and Dreaming

Let’s Just Give It Way

Someday Crafts

Night Owl Crafting

Fireflies and Jellybeans

Saved By Love Creations

Beyond The Picket Fence

Someday Crafts Giveaway Directory
504 Main
Remodelaholic
Tatertots and Jello

BLOG REVIEW PARTY

2011-01-28T07:07:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to be part of a very unique blog hop. Gail @My Repurposed Life and MeganDVD @ Beauty in the Attempt are hosting “The Bold and the Beautiful-your blog reviewed”.

Please take a look around my blog, check out the layout, pages, buttons, sidebar and gadgets. I would love for you to gently critique my blog. I’m hoping you will leave me some positive feedback about my blog. It would be great if you could give me constructive criticism but be sure to tell me what you like about my blog too! Do you like my pictures? Does my blog load quickly for you? How about the font? All tips and tidbits welcome!

You are welcome to join the party, it starts Thursday night and is open for a week.

BLOG AWARD

2011-01-27T11:27:00.002-06:00

Melinda from MoCrochet visited my blog made a comment on my Teapot recipe holder and then gave me my very first blogging award.

Thank-you Melinda!!!

So here's how the award works:

First - I have to reveal several things about myself:

1. I married my high school sweetheart and we have been together totally for nearly 40 years!

2. I like to sing, especially when I'm doing my chores; my son absolutely hates it. He insists I can't sing.

3. I'm a counter, mostly when I'm measuring out large quantities, like water that doesn't have to be exact. I guess maybe I'm borderline OCD. So, how do I combat this? I sing! HA!

4. I have 4 children, 3 girls , 1 boy and 4 grandchildren, 2 girls, 2 boys. I probably would never have been nominated for mother of the year, but my kids all made it to adulthood not drug addicts and not in jail. Hey,what more would you want? They all went to college and I am proud of every one of them!

5. I'm a blog stalker. I follow 138 blogs in Blogger alone and nearly 200 total; all via Google Reader. I love to prowl the linky parties looking for new ideas.

6. I asked Gary, my husband, to list some interesting things about me and these are what he came up with. Now remember he loves me, so he may be biased.

- Very self-motivated and determined person in planning a trip, building a project, and so on.

- Loves her family, even ME!

- Flower lady and gardening (not so sure about this,'cause God does most of the work)
- Smart
- Cougar

Don't ya just love that last one! He really has a sense of humor.

Second - Pick 3-5 blogs you admire and pass on this award linking back to the person who gave you the award (in this case, me). Make sure to leave a comment on their blog that they have won.

1. Amy of WhisperWood Cottage and Junkologie
She has a clean looking blog and she always comes to visit my blog when I leave a comment on hers. She's a member of the DIYClub.

2. Maria@BubblegumandDuctTape
Maria is always visiting my blog and leaves such nice comments.

She shares a lot of fun projects and fun info about herself.

3. Sunny @ Life In Rehab

She has a colorful blog and shares a lot of fun projects and funny commentaries.

4. Holly @ 504 Main

She's another DIYClub gal and has a nice blog with lots of projects. She also has a weekly linky party called Tickled Pink.

5. Roeshel @ the DIY Showoff
Yet again, another of those DIY Club gals, with a nice clean looking blog and lots of projects.

6. Becky @ Beyond The Picket Fence
She has a nice looking blog with a scrapbook feel to it and she hosts the Under $100 Linky Party every week.

Have An Award Winning Day!

CROCHET BALLET SLIPPERS - VARIATION

2011-01-25T08:29:00.002-06:00

This is a variation of my Crochet Ballet Slippers.

You can find the whole pattern HERE, but this is the alternate finishing:

Edging

With the size H hook, attach 1 strand of yarn in the first stitch to the left side of the back joining with a sl st.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc evenly around top left rim of slipper (about 3 sc per row on the sides), in each sc across front, and evenly around top right rim of slipper. Join with sl st to first sc.

Rnd 2: Ch 1, * sc in 1 sc, dec over next 2 sc. Repeat from * around.

Rnd 3: Repeat rnd 2.

Rnd 4: Sc in each st around. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Here they are with a flower embellishment.

And modeled.

Have A Cozy Day!

CROCHET BALLET SLIPPERS

2011-01-09T07:00:00.004-06:00

My daughter wanted some ballet type slippers. I looked at several patterns online and did not like any of them. For one thing, they didn't seem to have much substance for slippers. I made up my own pattern. I started with my trusty Slipper Sock pattern and developed it from there.

**You are welcome to use the pattern, and even sell any slippers you make from it, but please don't sell the pattern and pass it off as your own. Kindly link back to this post if you use it.**

**If you see a mistake in the pattern or something is not clear, email me and I will try to help.**

♥email me♥

Here's the pattern:

Crochet Ballet Slippers

Materials

Worsted weight yarn approximately 6-8 ounces

(Can be made with 1or 2 colors)

Crochet hooks size I and size H

Large button

*Note: These are made with 2 strands of yarn.

Instructions for womens size 11. For smaller sizes, use a smaller size hook, or do a few less rows in the ribbed part.

Right Slipper

Rnd 1: With size I hook and 2 strands of yarn, ch 2, work 5 sc info 2nd ch from hook to form a circle. Mark last st of this rnd with a pin, then move pin to mark the end of each succeeding rnd.

Rnd 2: Work 3 sc into each sc around: you should have 15 sc.

Rnd 3: * 2 sc in first sc, sc in each of next 2 sc, rep from * around: 20 Sc.

Rnd 4: * 2 sc in first sc, sc in each of the next 3sc, rep from * around 25 sc.

Rnds 5-12 Work even on 25 sc, making sure to move your marker each round.

From now on sc in the back loop only.

Rnd 13 Ch 1, turn. Sc in back loop of next 18 sc.

Rnds 14-31 Ch1, turn. Sc in back loop of each sc across. (18sc)

Dec Row 1: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each of next 7 sc, dec over next 2 sts as follows: draw up a loop in each of the next 2 sts: 3 loops on hook, YO and pull through all 3 loops on hook, dec as before over next 2 sts, sc in each of next 7 sc.

Dec Row 2: Ch1, turn. Sc in each of next 6 sc, dec over next 2 sts, twice, sc in each of next 6 sc.

Dec Row 3: Ch1, turn. Sc in each of next 5 Sc, dec over next 2 sts, sc in each of next 5 sc; ch 1, turn.

Fold back section in half, carefully matching sts. Sl St inside loops of sides tog. Fasten off.

Edging and strap

With the size H hook, attach 1 strand of yarn in the first stitch to the left side of the back joining with a sl st.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc evenly around top left rim of slipper (about 3 sc per row on the sides), in each sc across front, and evenly around top right rim of slipper. Join with sl st to first sc.

Rnd 2: *Ch 1, sc in next sc, dec over next 2 sc. Repeat from * 8 more times.

Ch 30, join with sc in 10th sc back from chain in same row, sc in next sc back in same row.

Ch1 turn, skip first sc, sc in next sc and in each chain back around. (strap)

*sc in next sc, dec over next 2 sc. Repeat from * around to back. Join with a sl st and fasten off.

Left Slipper

With the size I hook, crochet the main part of the slipper the same as the left one.

Edging and strap

With the size H hook, attach 1 strand of yarn in the first stitch to the left side of the back joining with a sl st .

Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc evenly around top left rim of slipper (about 3 sc per row on the sides), in each sc across front, and evenly around top right rim of slipper. Join with sl st to first sc.

Rnd 2: Count 13 stitches to the right of the back joining and place a stitch marker.

* Ch 1, sc next sc, dec over next 2sc. Repeat from * around to the marked stitch.

Ch 30, join with sc in 10th sc back from chain in same row, sc in next sc back in same row.

Ch1 turn, skip first sc, sc in next sc and in each chain back around. (strap)

*sc in next sc, dec over next 2 sc. Repeat from * to back joining and fasten off.

Weave in ends. Sew a button on the opposite side from strap directly across from the center of the strap on each slipper.

Alternate finishing:

Edging

With the size H hook, attach 1 strand of yarn in the first stitch to the left side of the back joining with a sl st.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc evenly around top left rim of slipper (about 3 sc per row on the sides), in each sc across front, and evenly around top right rim of slipper. Join with sl st to first sc.

Rnd 2: Ch 1, * sc in 1 sc, dec over next 2 sc. Repeat from * around.

Rnd 3: Repeat rnd 2.

Rnd 4: Sc in each st around. Fasten off and weave in ends.

You can see the finished variation HERE!

CUTTING BOARDS

2011-01-08T08:00:00.003-06:00

These are the cutting boards we made for our future daughter-in-law for Christmas.

Here they are before oiling.

We bought a scroll saw last summer and finally got it set up to make these. We traced a couple of my cutting boards onto an oak board for the pattern. When Gary came in with the new boards and asked me if I liked them, I was thrilled. I loved them and told him we may have to make some for me! Gary did the initial sanding on the belt sander and I did a little final touchup by hand. Then I oiled them with mineral oil and after that soaked in, I waxed them with beeswax. That is supposed to close up the pores of the wood some, so bacteria can't get in. I think they turned out wonderful!

Have a "cut-free" day!

ICE CREAM SUNDAE GIFT BASKETS

2011-01-07T15:13:00.002-06:00

I made these gift baskets for some friends for Christmas, but they would be appropriate at any time of year I think.

Here's what's in them.

Apothecary type jars of sprinkles, toasted pecans, and mini M&M's.

Homemade strawberry, pineapple, and hot fudge sauce.

An ice cream scoop and 2 bowls with a vinyl ice cream sundae cutout, I made with my silhouette.

I was going to add 2 bananas, but when I bought them they were green and looked good. After a couple of days ripening, they started looking crappy, with brown bruising areas on them, so I figured the baskets would look better without them.

The baskets were up in my junk room and I cleaned them up, whitewashed them with some thinned down acrylic paint ,and sponged some gold paint on for accent. One of the baskets was an old Easter basket, so I cut the handle down and glued it into the weaving with super glue. The pink and green showed through the whitewash a little, but I think it just gave it more character. I added some frayed fabric in the bottom of each basket, filled them with the goodies and wrapped them up. The cellophane wrap is some that I bought more than 5 years ago at a white elephant store. I got a whole roll for $1.00 and usually use it at least once for a gift each Christmas. I still have at least half of it left, so I'm good for another few years. The ribbon was left over from my middle daughter's wedding.

They turned out pretty nice, but I'm not sure how long the vinyl is going to last through washing.

Have a sweet day!

BLOG CHANGE

2011-01-06T14:00:00.000-06:00

I changed the template of my blog. Whadda think????

TEAPOT RECIPE HOLDER

2011-01-06T12:24:00.002-06:00

This a crocheted recipe card holder to put on the fridge or other metallic place. I made this for a dear lady who is the mother of a friend of ours and makes us kringles several times a year. They are delicious, and I have been unable to duplicate her recipe.

I got my inspiration for the base from this teapot coaster.

I just used the coaster pattern, but it is meant to be part of a square for an afghan. The directions can be found at this forum, ~~but I'll reprint the coaster directions here for simplicity.~~

Sorry, but the lady who developed the pattern decided she did not want me to reprint the pattern after all, but link to it on her forum, so you can find the pattern HERE. I am nothing if not cooperative.

The pattern is

“Vicki’s Teatime”

12” Crochet Square

And Teapot Coasters

Kathy Hudgins, Designer

This is how I made the rest of it:

I took apart a spring type clothespin and painted the wood part with acrylic paint. - I used the color linen.

Then I wrote RECIPES on the front section and drew a little flower with a paint pen.

I threaded the metal spring into the teapot coaster and then reassembled the clothespin, with a wooden section on each side.

I glued a small magnet to the back with tacky glue.

That's it. Easy Peasy!

Have a tasty day!

FEATURE, FEATURE, HOORAY IN THE BLEACHERS!

2011-01-05T13:09:00.001-06:00

My Stacked tables Plant Stand is being featured this afternoon on

polly want a CRAFTER.

So head on over and check out my project, HERE.

Thanks, Cassity, for the feature!!!

While you're there, poke around a bit and see all the wonderful crafts and DIY projects you can get inspiration from.
You'll be glad you did.
Be sure to make a comment on some post and tell Cassity, I sent you over.

CHRISTMAS GOODIES

2011-01-05T08:28:00.000-06:00

These are the tools I got for Christmas.

I got the Dremel trio, which I hope works good and doesn't break bits, like I've read in some reviews. I will have to settle with reading the user manual for now, since it's too cold to work outside or in the garage. I will be so prepared, that when the time comes, I can get to it and use that baby!

I also got a Double Edge Pull Saw. Not the one I had on my Amazon list, but that was just for reference anyway. Doesn't matter to me the brand, just the fact that it has a flexible blade, so you can cut stuff off flush and not leave scarring on the project. This is an Irwin and the blade removes from the handle for storage. Very Cool!

See that big thing in the back I used as a background? That's the fancy schmansy router table I bought for Gary! I can't wait til we can set it up and use it. I say we, 'cause I've watched so many woodworking shows and it looks so cool that I want to try my hand at using a big router. On Gary's cheapy table I bought him years ago, it just didn't seem to work as easily as they show on TV. Even he didn't care for it. Funny thing, a few weeks before Christmas, Gary needed to rout something and of course, didn't want to use the one he had, so he called his brother and asked if he had a router table. Luckily he did, so I didn't have to pony up Gary's Christmas present ahead of time.

I can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can use them. It's times like these, I wish we had a full basement.

WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS?

2010-12-23T14:34:00.000-06:00

Here's my WISHLIST!

Dremel Trio Kit

Although the jury is still out on this one, 'cause the reviews I've read are not overly glowing as far as the unique expensive bits this takes and their tendency to break easily.

Japanese Flush Cutting Saw

Cutting Mat Translucent 24x36

I have a small cutting mat measures 4x16 and not translucent. I want a larger one and clear so I can put it on top on projects.

Stanley 03-046 Yankee Push Drill

There are a few other things that I have on my Amazon wish list, but these are the things I want for DIY. Most women ask for jewelry or clothes, but I'd rather have tools.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

I'M A TOP 11 CONTENDER!

2010-12-20T10:17:00.001-06:00

I made the top 11 of thediyclub's Project Party for December with my Stacked Tables Plant Stand.

WOOHOO!!!

POST HIGHLIGHTED

2010-12-20T08:15:00.000-06:00

My project of redoing the valance above my kitchen sink was highlighted on My {re}purposed Life.

WooHoo!!!

Check out the other highlighted projects. There's some awesome work out there!

GIFT IN THE MAIL

2010-12-18T20:13:00.000-06:00

Looky what I got in the mail!

They're fridge magnets made form bottle caps.

Aren't they cute?

I got these from Beckie over at Infarrantly Creative for using her code to order my new Silhoutte.

Thanks, Beckie.

You should check out her blog

I'm sure she'd love some more visitors!

OVER THE SINK VALANCE REDO

2010-12-15T20:07:00.012-06:00

This is what the valance over my sink looked like before.

Kinda plain and that clock just SCREAMS 70's.

I used my trusty MS Picture It! 99 to make a mock up of what I wanted my valance to look like.

The clock has to stay. It is not easy to find a clock that will fit in that space and yet be big enough to see clearly from across the room. I know 'cause I've been looking for years!

So, here is the clock before. This is the 2nd redo of this clock. Love those yellow numbers! Look at the original color on the inside. That matched the 70's print paneling that used to be in the kitchen, before we reinsulated the walls and put up drywall. Now the walls are a calm Antique White.

Again I used MS Picture It! to make a new clock face. I scanned in the old clock face and added new numbers in black and a script font over the positions of the old numbers.

Moved the old face down and you can see a beautiful clock face.

Added a homemade paper color to the background.

Lightened the background and deleted the old clock face.

Printed it out on matte photo paper with a borderless edge.

In the meantime, I primed the green of the clock case with Zinsser BIN primer, because I didn't think the lighter color would cover the green in less than 3-4 coats. I used one of those cheap glue brushes to apply the primer, 'cause that stuff needs to be cleaned with ammonia and I'm not sure I want to do that with my good Purdy brushes. If nothing else, I can just toss the cheap brush, but I'll probably use it for glue.

I painted it with acrylic paint, the color "Linen", with my 1" Purdy brush.

This is my first project using my new Silhouette SD and so far I’m really liking it.

After measuring the valance from each side to the clock, subtracting an inch on the ends and next to the clock, I used the software program that came with the silhouette to map out my design.

Now, you can print it out the way it is on the screen, and it will do up to 39", but the vinyl is so expensive, that I put all my characters on a 9x11 page and cut them out separately. It was a little more labor intensive, but I didn't waste all that extra vinyl. I just kept referring back to my layout to see where I needed to put each phrase.

I taped off the sides, top and bottom, to keep things level; then applied my phrases where the needed to be.

Here is the after. Now that the clock is cleaned, it's much harder to get a clear pic without the flash reflecting off the glass. I think it dresses up the area and am pleased with how it turned out.

Linking to:

The Idea Room

CSI PROJECT

2010-12-14T20:51:00.001-06:00

I'm linking up my Stacked Tables Plant Stand to the

“Painted With a Brush” Challenge at the CSI project.

Head on over there and check out all the projects..

Painting with a brush: That's usually the only way I roll baby!

THE BEST CROCHET SLIPPERS YOU'LL EVER MAKE!

2010-12-08T08:42:00.008-06:00

I have been making these slippers for years. First for myself and my kids and now for the grandkids. Some of my adult children still ask for some for Christmas.

These are the ones I've made so far for this Christmas. 3 1/2 pair - I still have 1 1/2 pair to make.

I don't remember exactly where I got the pattern, but it was from some crochet pattern book, back in the 80's I think. I've been recopying it for years and finally put my copy in a plastic page protector, so I don't wear it out.

You know when the felt liners in winter boots wear out? These make good replacement liners. They are thick since they are made from a double strand of yarn.

Check back after Christmas and I'll show you what else I make with just one of these slippers.

So, here's the pattern.

Slipper Socks

Men's: Fits shoe sizes 8-12

Materials: Worsted weight yarn. 8 oz; size J crochet hook (Canadian size 3) or size needed for gauge.

Gauge: in sc, with 2 strands of yarn. 5 sts and 5 rows = 2".

Women's: Fits shoe sizes 5-10

Materials: Worsted weight yarn, 8 oz. size I crochet hook (Canadian size 4) or size needed for gauge.

Gauge: in sc, with 2 strands of yarn, 3 sts and 3 rows = - 1".

Children's: Fits shoe sizes 9-12

Materials: Sport weight yarn. 4 oz., size I crochet hook (Canadian size 4) or size needed for gauge.

Gauge: in sc. with 2 strands of yarn, 3 sts and 7 rows = 1".

Size Note: Instructions are written for children s size with changes for women's and men's in parentheses.

Note: All Sizes are worked with 2 strands of yarn.

INSTRUCTIONS

Rnd 1: Ch 2, work 5 sc info 2nd ch from hook to form a circle. Mark last st of this rnd with a pin, then move pin to mark the end of each succeeding rnd.

Rnd 2: Work 3 sc into each sc around: you should have 15 sc.

Rnd 3: * 2 sc in first sc, sc in each of next 2 sc, rep from * around: 20 Sc.

Rnd 4: For men's and women's sizes only. * 2 sc in first sc, sc in each of the next 3sc, rep from * around 25 sc.

Work even on 20 (25-25) sc for 12 (12-14) rnds more. Do not finish off.

Back: Ch 11.

Row 1: Using both loops, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each of next 9 ch; sc in each of next 20 (25 - 25) sc; sc in each ch on opposite side of beg ch; ch 1, trun.

You should have 40 (45-45) sc.

From now on, sc in the back loop (loop away from you) of each sc.

Rows 2-9: Sc in back loop of each sc across; ch 1, turn.

Dec Row 1: Sc in each of next 18 (20-20) sc, dec over next 2 sts as follows: draw up a loop in each of the next 2 sts: 3 loops on hook, YO and pull through all 3 loops on hook, work 0 (1-1) sc, dec as before over next 2 sts, sc in each of next 18 (20-20) sc, ch 1, turn.

Dec Row 2: Sc in each of next 17 (19-19) sc, dec over next 2 sts, work 0 (1-1) sc, dec, sc in each of next 17 (19 -19) sc, ch 1, turn.

Dec Row 3: Sc in each of next 16 (18-18) Sc, dec, work 0 (1-1) Sc, dec, sc in each of next 16 (18-18) sc; ch 1, turn.

Finishing: Fold back section in half, carefully matching sts. Sl St inside loops of sides tog. Finish off

!Enjoy!

And Have A Wonderful Homemade Christmas!

Linking to:

Polly Want A Crafter

Purdy Awesome Party

2010-12-02T20:27:00.001-06:00

I've entered my plant stand in the diyclub

It’s a PURDY Awesome PARTY

Check it out at thediyclub

PLANT STAND

2010-12-01T11:19:00.010-06:00

This is how I went about trying to figure out where I needed to cut the legs. I used whatever I could find to get my legs to the height I needed for each level. From here I moved my work out to the driveway and put it on a jigged up plywood sheet to have some semblance of an even place to work.

I started with the middle bottom table and worked my way up from there. Those legs I cut off all at the same level, as compared to the table on the right, so I wouldn't have to cut those legs, then went back and started putting my two other bottom layer tables on. I used a torpedo level to make sure the first table was level and leveled off of that one all the way up. It's pretty close , no more than 1/8 of a bubble off, and I'm not so sure that wasn't my plywood jigged on the driveway causing the problem.

This table had some serious bubbling going on and a slit in the top, so I chiseled and pried and took the top veneer off and replaced it with a piece of 1/4" plywood, which I glued down with Gorilla Glue,tacked in place with some brads and put some clamps and gallon jugs on to hold it in place while it dried. It didn't have to be replaced with veneer, since I would be painting it. I filled in the edges with Rock Hard after the glue had dried.

Luckily, the two legs I took off that table were the exact height I needed to replace the legs in the table on the other side.

As I cut off legs and added tables, I would rearrange my "supports" and mark for the next table. Again, I used whatever I could find that would give me the right height.

Pay no attention to that ~~man behind the curtain!~~ messy garage. Right now it looks like Dorothy's tornado went through! It'll get straightened up before the snow flies.

And, see that little black L-shaped thing? That's a Clamp-It Assembly Square, that I bought from Rockler several years ago when when Gary and I started building toy boxes for the Grandkids. It comes in very handy and I find myself using it on almost all my woodworking projects. It's made of plastic, so it slides around real nice on your work surface without scratching. Plus, it's smaller than a typical triangle square. Here I used it to make sure my tables were square to each other. I also use it to measure, when I need certain spaces to be the same, by placing a piece of tape on it where I need the measurement to be. Oh, and it can be clamped on to make 90°corners, inside or outside. All in all, a handy little tool.

All I can say is clamp, clamp, clamp and level as you go. You can never have enough clamps.

You can click on this image to make it larger, but what I did here was trace around each leg so I could line up where my holes would be placed for the hanger bolts that would hold the tables together.

Yes, I goofed a little with my marks, but that's why you measure, measure, measure, before you make your final cuts or drill any holes. This image shows it better. X marks the spot.

Here's the holes drilled in the top of one of the tables. And yes, I drilled in the right spot.

Fortunately, I only had to buy 4 more hanger bolts, since I took the ones off the legs from the table with the stepped shelf and we had 4 extra legs, from an old couch, I believe, laying around. They have a screw on one end and a bolt on the other end. This is what they look like.

The fastening system holding the tall table on the bottom are longer cabinet screws, some washers and two cabinets knobs, which I painted to match the main piece.

I drilled all the holes and put in all the hanger bolts before painting , and did a dry fit just to make sure everything lined up the way it's supposed to. And it did!
I removed any drawers from the tables, filled in the holes with Rock Hard and these will be replaced after they are painted. I replaced them after painting, 'cause I wanted to make sure it was painted under, just in case it would show through the cracks.

I then marked and drilled holes on the front of each table and will put the handles on the front. There were two tables that didn't have drawers, so I swiped some handles from some drawers my son was throwing away. As you can see, I'm not perfect, my math skills escaped me for a bit and I did not measure in the center the first time. Oh, well, that's what Rock Hard is for.

I used Rub n Buff to make all the handles pewter. You can see what I did Here

The two tables without drawers were just a little too small to fit my final table on top, so I added a piece of 3/4" oak plywood to each so they would be long enough. It gives me added space for plants to boot. I wanted to cover up the plywood, so I added trim molding which we got from an uncle when he was getting rid of excess construction materials from his projects. Never so NO to FREE! WOOHOO!

This project was taking a long time for various reasons, so it got too cold to paint in the garage, so I had to move my work into my living room. That'll get you to start moving your butt and get things done.

Here're the first two tables primed and ready for paint. I used Zinsser BIN primer and recommend it. I didn't have to sand much at all, just where there was fingernail polish spilled on one of the tables, over the areas I filled with Rock Hard, and the plywood piece I applied to the one table. The rest I just gave a cursory once over with sandpaper. Some people have reviewed the Zinsser BIN primer and said it stinks a lot. I didn't find the smell to be near as offensive as the ammonia you have to use to clean the brushes and rollers. One tip I have is; rather than clean your brushes and rollers after every step, put them in a bag and put them in the refrigerator. I used a recycled cereal bag. For the paint, I just put a bag over my entire paint tray and brushes and rollers and that kept moist til the next day. However; this primer dries so quickly, that it needs to be chilled to keep from drying onto the tools.

I used Dutch Boy Porch and Floor paint, in Pine, because I figured if the paint could hold up to foot traffic, it should do pretty well with plants. I used a foam roller for as much of the painting as I could, but I did have to use a cheapo brush to pounce the paint into the crevices. I couldn't see risking ruining an expensive brush on this, so I just tossed the cheapo brush when I was done. When It comes to the finish, though I use a good quality brush, so my finish is smooth and the poly goes where I want it to.
So, here's the first two tables in their final resting place. Once I have it all painted and together, I will put a brown glaze over the whole piece. I did not want to do this separately,'cause I was afraid it wouldn't match up the same.

I needed a little extra height so the screws would tighten fully, so I "glued" these washers together with paint, to make sure they would stay in position. Then I could paint the tops, bottoms and sides as one piece. It worked out rather well.

That small table was certainly a pain in the butt all the way through. First, I had to replace the top and here in this closeup, you can see the tiny detail running around the top. I used various ways to try to get this area painted, including a small brush, a foam brush, a roller and finally in some places a toothpick to spread the paint in the crevices. I wanted to try to keep as clear of detail as I could and not fill it in with paint. In the end, it turned out pretty well.

These are the next two tables I finished and added to the mix. I used some bubble wrap on the tops to place the hanger bolts on to try to prevent scratching the paint on the previous layer. This worked pretty well, but I still had a couple minuscule spots to touch up.

Finally, the last two tables done. With these two, being it was getting higher, I needed help to put them on. I did a few touch ups, where I missed some and any little dings I made while assembling it. Here is the stand with just the paint finish.

I had to be very careful with my painting now, because the plant stand was now in my dining room and there was not much room to maneuver things. I put a glaze on it using thinned down acrylic paint in Burnt Umber using a combination of techniques that worked for me, but this is where I got the most helpful tips: My Re-purposed Life.
Finally I put a coat of Minwax Polycrylic, satin finish on to further seal it from moisture.

These are some of the supplies I used. I didn't include the cheapo brushes, 'cause I had already tossed them, before I was ready to take pics, but that's my PURDY brush for the final smooth coats of the polycrylic.

The plant stand has been done now for a couple of weeks, but first I needed to let the paint cure. Then, my Christmas cactus was so close to blooming that I decided to wait with the reveal 'til I had a nice floral display from it. It still has more blooms to open, but I couldn't wait anymore.

Sooooooo.......

Ta-Da!

I brought in the glass block monogram from the deck to display for the winter. I replaced them with a bird feeder for the winter months. I tried to keep everything displayed, garden related, so I have my garden books and magazines, as well as some of my garden trowels in the vases at the bottom. I have a photo of my deck garden from this past summer in the rose frame and the hope is to switch that out each year with the current summer's photo. The tissue paper flowers on the right are from my granddaughter.

I think it turned out pretty well and I am pleased with it. It is a little large for the dining room, but if we ever build our dream house, we'll make sure to incorporate a large enough space to handle it.

I'm entering this in the December DIY Project Party

thediyclub.com.

Tables - $21.00

Supplies - $40.00 + lots left over

Labor - several days here and there

Not having my plants pull my ceiling down at midnight - PRICELESS!!

Linking to:

I HAD A DREAM LAST NIGHT

2010-11-06T10:48:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to figure out what to do with my plant pots in order to display them on the plant stand I'm making, which is coming along nicely BTW. I just have the glazing, which I have been procrastinating about, because I've never done it before, and the poly finish to do. If it turns out 1/2 as good as the ones I've seen on the web, it's going to look nice.

Anyway, back to the pots. I have several different styles and colors of pots. Now, mind you, these are not nice designer pots. Most of them are the typical plastic hanging pots you find at the home improvement center.

So, I had seen this idea about putting decorative shelf liner around the pots, like this at http://hisugarplum.blogspot.com/2010/10/before-after-entrance-hall-take-2.html,

but the only kind of shelf liner I can find where I shop is solid color, and I don't think that would look particularly attractive.

Then, I thought, maybe I can wrap them in fabric and secure it just under the lip of the pot. Sorta like this.

Of course, this image is just for visualizing purposes only. It would be neater around the top, no corners hanging out, probably rounded. If I went the fabric route, I was thinking maybe different patterns of black and white, or maybe just black with white dots and white with black dots, or maybe the same idea with stripes. I have deep saucers for under the pots, so watering would not be a problem getting the fabric wet.

So, last I night, or really early morning, I had a dream that I was crocheting baskets to put around containers and thought "hey, that's what I should do with my pots". When I woke up, this kinda stuck in my mind , but I thought "boy, that's gonna take a lot of yarn!" Then I remembered about this craft for making a headwrap out of old t-shirts at http://sewhomegrown.blogspot.com/2010/10/diy-braided-t-shirt-yarn-headwrap.html

I figured, I have a lot of old t-shirts around, maybe I could crochet some covers out of t-shirt yarn.

Then I'm wondering, should I go with a vertical pattern

or a horizontal pattern,

or maybe a basket weave.

So, what do you think? Fabric or crochet? Or do you have some other idea?

I would love for some input on this, 'cause I an indecisive and I know there are a lot of creative bloggers out there.

BLOG ADDITION

2010-11-03T14:47:00.000-05:00

You'll notice a lot of posts added recently. That's 'cause I decided to streamline and combine my Design and Feats blogs into this one. I found that I had different readers on each blog and the ones following the design blog did not always pop on over here to see the finished results of my ideas. This way it'll all be in one place and make for a more cohesive thought process.

Have a great day

and welcome to those of you

who transfered your following

from my design blog to this one!