Summer Wreath

This project started out as a spring wreath, but since I only just finished it, I'm now calling it my summer wreath.

The wreath foundation is made from burlap upholstery webbing, wrapped around a foam wreath form.

There are tutorials all over the blogosphere for how to make fabric flowers.  Suffice it to say that a lot of twisting and rolling were involved.  I used some fabric glue to hold them together, since it is easier on my fingertips than the glue gun. 

I put the flowers on by sticking sewing pins from the dollar store through the centre of them and into the wreath form.

I was looking for something to put on the other side, since it looked a little unbalanced and I was tired of making flowers.  I remembered that I had kept the black metal house numbers that we took off of our house when we painted it two years ago - I put up some bigger, bolder ones on the house.  I dug out the old numbers and painted them with some craft paint.  Then I stuck them on by putting pins through the screw holes.

I'm quite pleased with the finished product.  And - a nifty feature - since the flowers and numbers are simply pinned on, I can reinvent the wreath for other seasons as well.  At the rate I move, I had better start making some fall flowers now!

DIY Starfighters?

Our latest crafty endeavor is unlikely to make it onto Pinterest and I doubt anyone will be clamouring for me to open an Esty store, but it can't be beat for local popularity.

Somehow I managed to grow up in the 70's and 80's without ever watching Star Wars.  Ever. 

Then I had boys.  Boys who, as it turns out, love all thing Star Wars related.

So, we made these beauties.

This one is Owen's.  It is modeled after Anakin Skywalker's starfighter (isn't it obvious?).

The similarities are striking, don't you think?

This is Padawan Neil, with his starfighter, modeled on Asoka Tano's.

The details of how we made them are horrendously complicated, but may have involved me cutting some cardboard into star-fighter-like shape and then setting us all loose with craft paint.

Good times!

Robin's Eggs

My egg obsession continues.  And my obsession with painting things blue.

I bought some craft eggs at Michaels last weekend when they were 40% off.  They were not bad looking in their unaltered state actually, but I really wanted them to look like robin's eggs.

I painted them with a custom mix of craft paint - one was a little too pale, the other a little too vivid.

Then I added some speckles with a toothpick.  It is possible that toothpicks are my favourite craft tool.

I put them in a moss "nest".  I'm fairly certain that robin's don't actually build their nests out of moss, but they probably also don't have eggs the size of chicken eggs.  I'm not overly concerned with authenticity.

Happy Easter!

Easter eggs - glittery and music-y

In my on-going efforts to do some crafty things - not just read about them - I finally broke out some of the Martha Stewart glitter that I've been hoarding and made some glittery Easter eggs.  I used some styrofoam eggs from the dollarstore, glopped on some Mod Podge, and glittered away.  My first specimens were a little questionable, since I kept getting my fingers in the glue and leaving holes in my glittering.  Then I got the brilliant idea of sticking a toothpick in the egg for a handle, and that was much much better.  I used a piece of styrofoam for a drying stand and just stuck the toothpick in it.  Boy, I'm really making progress in figuring out some of this crafty stuff. 

I also decoupaged some of the styrofoam eggs with some sheet music.  (Decoupage sounds so much more elegant than saying that I basically glued some paper on the eggs, don't you think?)  I didn't get any pictures of the work in progress due to some very messy fingers and the lack of a conveniently located husband to record the great event.  My first attempts were more conical than egg-like, but I just buried them deeper into the bowl in the end.

I'm kind of liking the finished product.  I've since added some pale lilac glitter to the hoard, so I might add some more eggs eventually.

Mr. Owl's Makeover

I discovered Mr. Owl at Value Village.  He had personality, but was a little rough around the edges.  Definely in need of a spring makeover.

So a quick coat of paint (Folkart 465 Sky Blue) and he is much improved and ready to greet the season.





I heart Martha and Michael(s)

While at Michaels Crafts yesterday morning I came across a huge bin of ribbon on clearance for $1.00.  Being the bargain hunter that I am, I had a good dig.  Most of it was cheapo ribbon anyway, but amongst it were numerous rolls of Martha Stewart ribbon with original prices up to $11.95, all in pretty spring colours.Yes, please!  I came home with these -

I'm not sure what I'll do with them, but for now they are going to sit out where I can admire them!

Thrifted silhouettes gone groovy

I bought these at Value Village for $3.99 a piece. They are pewter silhouettes, made locally in Nova Scotia.  I liked the classic look of them.

Although I didn't entirely hate the frames, I thought they could use a little colour.  Or maybe it is March and I just needed a little colour.  Anyway, I taped them off and painted them "Calypso Blue" with some craft paint.

I love a project was going to put a coat of varathane on them too.  But then I didn't.   I'm calling them done!

Felt flowers - tiptoeing into doing "crafty things"

One of the items on my life list is to "do crafty things".   For about a year now I've been perusing blogs and bookmarking things that look interesting and "doable".  But I rarely or never would actually do them.  Well, no more.  I'm breaking out the glue gun and the sewing machine, baby!

There is nothing much easier to work with than felt.  Glue guns are a bit trickier (I've got a scar on my forearm from last summer's project where I stuck scrapbook paper to the inside of my kitchen cabinets).  But I thought I could manage it.  These little babies are inspired by Mrs. Priss' Felt Flower Pom Pom Flower Thingmabobs and Classic Felt Flowers. 

Sure, they don't look perfect, and I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do with them.  But they exist, and I made them.  And that is good enough!