Serenity

  I love how the geranium and vine embraces the  Our Lady of Guadalupe statue.  

Garden Journal Book

There is just something so  rewarding to see what you planted, come to life! 

I created this garden journal to help me remember what and when I planted, as well as illustration my garden as it comes to life.

You will need:

• Joy Embroidered Iron-On Letter Sheet- in Aqua or White (if you want to color your own).
• Tacky Glue
• Notebook with pages and pockets
• Floral Washi tape

 

See the full tutorial here.

Decorated Succulent Container

 So most of you know by now that I love to work with foil right? And not just any foil, but Rinea foil! Now they have this fantastic new product called Ghost Ink. Its insane! It lets you stamp onto the foil and then when wiped off, removes the foil color where you stamped.
Cool right? Check it out below.

For this project, I used the following:

• Emerald Star Struck Foiled Paper
• Ghost Ink by Rinea
• Butterfly Kisses by Joy Clair Stamps

Empty container, clean and dry.

Paper trimmer

Heat gun

70% Rubbing Alcohol

Baby wipes

Clear packing tape

Foam pad

*Optional -

Colored permanent markers, Glittered washi tape, Q-tips and rhinestones.

 Measure and cut your foiled paper to fit the width of your container, but still narrower than the tape.

Ink up your stamps with the Ghost Ink.
Use a foam pad under the foil when stamping to get better results.

Be careful not to wiggle the stamp or you will have smeared results. Lift up carefully. Use the heat gun to set the ink- 2 seconds on high...or...5-10 seconds on low.

Put some alcohol onto the baby wipe and wipe away the dried ghost ink.
Continue this process all along the strip.
  For a little extra fun, dab a Q-tip into the Ghost Ink and add some dots to the border or detail to the butterfly's.

 Use your permanent markers to add color in some of the stamped design.

Adhere the stamped foil to the container with the clear tape. The tape helps protect the foil from everyday use.
Add washi tape if desired and rhinestones.
lastly add your potting soil and a plant. Mist lightly and place in a sunny window.

Thanks for coming by! Be sure to stop by the Rinea blog for more inspiration!

Garden Makeover Challenge

Join me in a 'Open to All' Garden FB Challenge!

 Don't be shy, post your (before) photos here!
This might be the incentive you & I need...

-to get started ...to get planting, pruning and cleaning up!
Gardens can be small, large, lush or desert dry....
Feel free to share 'during' photos as well, then your 'after' photos by May 31st, 2016
3 participants will be a lucky Winner-

 of a Gardeners gift pack- seeds, tools, decor and more!

Good Luck!

How to make Flowers using Soda Cans

 

Here's a tutorial I posted in April of 2013.
 It's probably my favorite of all my spring crafts.
I hope you enjoy it!

For this project, you will need:

* Favorite flower dies that will cut through tin. I have a bunch of retired Sizzix big dies that work great!
* Embossing folders
* Die cutting machine
* Soda Cans
* Wet and dry towels
* Gloves and Scissors
* Alcohol pens or inks
* Assorted nail polishes
* Floral wire
* Buttons
* Jewelry pliers.
* Craft sheet or protected surface

 

 Begin by cutting up your empty soda cans and clean them with a wet cloth.
The can will automatically curl up, so gently curl the opposite way being careful of any sharp edges.

Cut the tin into sections that will fit the flower shapes you want cut out. Run them through your die cutting machine. Then place them into the embossing folders and run them through again.

 Working on a paper towel and a craft sheet, use the fine and wide tips of your alcohol pens to color in the flowers. If using alcohol inks, use a q-tip to add the color.
Try using multiple colors for a mosaic effect. 

 

 Select your nail polishes. 

As you can see, I have quite a few!
I love to "paint" my nails as much as I love to make art! 

Add more fun detail to your flowers with the nail polishes.
Play with some of the solids and glitters.
Make sure to work with a window or two open as some nail polishes stink more than others, and it's usually the one you like painting with the best!
Once dry, the nail polish will act as a sealer.

  Leave your pieces to dry while you clear your work space for the next step.

 You will now need the floral wire, pliers and assorted buttons.
Play with your flowers to see which two will pair well.
Then find a button that mostly matches the bottom flower.

The other two buttons don't matter. You just want to make sure the buttons are larger than the flowers hole.

 Fold a bit of the wire as shown. Then thread the first button onto the bent wire to rest at the end. Add the small flower, a button, the large flower and the final button.

 Wrap the small bit of wire around (as shown) at the back of the large flower.
 Be sure to leave room for the flowers to spin.

 Fold the remaining wire so you can secure the end piece at the back of the flowers.

  Now you have made a beautiful flower!

 Place these inside to brighten up lonely indoor plants, or outside with natures best and watch your colorful creations spin in the warm breeze!

The combination of the alcohol pens and nail polishes really pick up the outdoor light. Maybe give a couple to a friend to brighten up a office.

Garden Seed Caddy

I have been busy getting the garden ready for Spring and Summer that my blog has fallen short of new postings.
 I'm so sorry.
So I am re-sharing this seed caddy I made March 2014.
It holds all of my favorite seeds and is still so pretty to look at!
See tutorial here.
Enjoy!

How to Make a Chicken Wire Crystal Chandelier

At the beginning of 2015, I along with other craft bloggers attended a Blogger Networking Event at the Craft and Hobby Association Show in January.
Bloggers received a sample of new products from participating sponsors of that party.
Everyone who participated created fantastic projects!
These are the newest, hottest  items to hit the craft industry.

* * *

  I made this Chicken Wire Crystal Chandelier.
On the website, I was limited to one photo for my submission. Here are a few  extra to better explain my tutorial.
Enjoy!

  Materials List

• MD Chicken Wire
• MD metal working gloves
• MD Brass Metal Sheet Roll
• Prima Swarovski Crystals
• Sizzix branch die
• Sizzix Flower die
• Sizzix Embossing Folder
• Die cutting machine
• Red and green alcohol pens
• 25 Heart shaped crystals
• Gold floral wire
• e-6000 glue
• Jewelry pliers
• Scissors
• Gold spray paint

Instructions

-Working carefully with the gloves on, roll out the chicken wire and cut a 12" X 12" piece with the jewelry pliers.
-Shape chicken wire into a cylinder shape.
-Carefully interlock wire ends together with your gloved fingers and pliers. 

-Pinch the top of the cylinder closed and push down until the cylinder measures 6".

* The reason I pushed the top down, was to give the metal branches a 'shelf' to hang onto. *
-Spray completely with gold paint and let dry.
-Cut and emboss 4 flowers from the brass sheet.

 

 

-Cut 4 branches from the brass sheet.
-Use the edge of your scissors or a bone folder to make indents into the leaves.

*I used the blank space of the die for a cushioned surface when adding the indents to the leaves.*

 

 

-Color the leaves and flowers with alcohol pens.
-Attach crystals with e-6000.

 

* If you make a mistake with the coloring, a little rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover works great to remove unwanted color!*

-Use colored floral wire to attach branches to top of the cylinder.

-Glue the flowers to the branches.

 *The hearts came on a strand with the large jump rings. I simply bent the jump rings with the pliers into a "S" shape to hand on the chicken wire.*

-Hang hearts, prism side out, in the chicken wire holes.

-Attach a wire hook and hang in a sunny spot, indoors or out in the garden for all to enjoy!

Contest Update*
Congratulations to the following Winners!

1st Place: Cathy  Parlitsis, Distress Ink Watercolor DIY Greeting Card
2nd Place: Betsy Burnett, Restyled Red Shelf Home Decor Craft
3rd Place: Linda  Peterson, Succulent Garden DIY Wall Decor

See more Fave Craft inspiration here!
 

Succulent Mini-Planter. Before and After.

Here is a before and after of a Succulent Mini- Planter I made!
It's a 1 month difference.
Pretty cool, right?

You can see the DIY here.
Enjoy!

Easy as 1-2-3 Watering Jug!

Last month, we had a cold water slab leak in our kitchen and the plumbers had to shut off the water line for about 3 days. This also cut off the water to my outside hose and we happened to get a high heat wave the next day!

I tried filling a plastic watering can up by ways of the bathroom sink but it slipped from my hands and busted a small hole when it hit the tile floor. Thus, I had water everywhere.

So I decided to make up my own watering can with a empty milk jug.
I first used a paper piercer to poke holes into the milk jugs cap.
Then I used a ice pick to enlarge the holes.
I flipped the cap and poked the holes again, wiggling the ice pick as I worked to keep the holes big.

Then I filled the jug up with water but not all the way and made a small hole near the neck of the jug with the ice pick.

Now I have a handy watering can  :)

A Butterfly Decorated Seed Caddy

This  project was inspired by my love of gardening and that I needed a practical yet attractive holder for all my seeds!

I started with this small plastic art caddy that my son had out grown.
I first wiped it clean with a wet then dry cloth.

 I used a few paper plates, a foam brush and Gloss luster Mod Podge.

I sorted through my collection of printed paper napkins. I get the majority of my napkins at a discount store called Tuesday Morning.  The rest in specialty shops when the design catches my eye.

 I tore up copies of vintage music sheet paper and cut out parts of the napkin that I knew I would use.

I applied the torn music sheet paper to the inside of the caddy with the Mod Podge and foam brush.
 I also added some of the music sheet paper to the out side of the caddy, just under the lip.
Next I applied the napkin cut outs with Mod Podge to the entire outside of the caddy.
I filled in exposed areas with assorted purple tissue.

 I roughly trimmed out 2 of each butterfly images and applied them to sturdy white cardstock with Mod Podge. When dry, I carefully trimmed them out.
I used Tombo glue to adhere the first of each butterfly securely to the outside of the caddy. Then I placed a bit of glue to the center of each butterfly...let that set up a bit and placed the center butterfly onto the first, folding up the wings a little.

 For the inside border, I used a scalloped border punch on some aquamarine cardstock.
Then I inked them with teal ink before gluing them in place.  Lastly I filled in space on the caddy with an assortment of rhinestones other embellishments.

 I measured my seed packets, and created some divider cards with some pretty papers and a tab punch.

Here are my seed packets.

 I reused old prescription bottles and spice containers for my bulk seeds. I combined all my miscellaneous flower seeds so I'd be surprised as they bloom! Some of seeds were harvested myself and some were given to me.

 I adorned the butterfly's with the dew drops.
I just LOVE butterfly's!

 Thank you for coming by!
 I hope you have enjoyed my creation and are inspired to make something like this for yourself or even  friends. :)

Click here for more idea's and inspiration.