Gettin Crafty Momma

Halloween Etsy Finds

2010-09-16T17:37:00.001-04:00

In honor of Halloween (yes, I realize it's a month and a half away), I've put together a list of my favorite current finds on Etsy.

Just for Fun Summer Giveaway @ Jones Design Company

2010-07-28T11:11:00.000-04:00

Head on over to Emily's blog and sign up to receive her blog via email. You'll automatically be entered in her Just for Fun Summer Giveaway.

Fresh Coat Friday!

2010-07-23T15:10:00.003-04:00

My most recent paint project was featured on today's Fresh Coat Friday

Before:

After:

Nothing, nada, zero, zilch!

2010-02-09T14:59:00.000-05:00

I have nothing to show you today. I thought for sure that I would, but I don't.

No painted table, no Valentine cards, no hanging charger plates and no heart wreaths. Instead of working diligently on these projects over the weekend, I chose to spend time with my kids, husband and extended family. And it was totally worth it!

My husband, however, spent all of yesterday putting up crown moulding in our master bedroom. I have to say that it's one of the best home improvement projects that he's ever done. Way to go, honey!

I'll hopefully be back tomorrow with pictures of what HE did and possibly a few pictures of what I managed to do. ;-)

Rain=Indoor Projects

2010-02-05T10:27:00.000-05:00

It has been raining in our area since late last night and will continue raining throughout today. I'm pretty sure we should be several feet under by the time it's done. Only kidding! ;-)

With that said, I will be diving into several projects while I'm stuck inside. For starters, I'll be working on those silhouette chargers that I've been saying for two weeks now I was going to do. Then, I'll be making one of these:

This particular wreath was made by ItzFitz on Etsy. I absolutely adore it! And hopefully I'll have it hung just in time for Valentine's Day.

Last, I will be repainting a small side table we bought several years ago. It has definitely seen better days and I just can't take the cup stain on top anymore!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Snow!

2010-02-01T10:35:00.001-05:00

Yep, we had our first snow early Saturday morning. Most everyone in our county had snow starting late Friday night but the area where I live didn't get any until several hours later. I was completely fine with that though because I don't really like the snow--to be completey honest!

I take that back. I like the snow, I don't like the ice!

Overall, it was a pretty fun time being at home with my kids and my husband who managed to get an extra day off (due to the snow, of course). We were able to repaint our entire bedroom, which I absolutely love!

I say all of this because...I am behind on my other craft project. You know, the one that includes the charger plates and silhouettes. I'm behind for two reasons--our printer is out of ink and painting our bedroom was top priority once we started it. ;-)

I hope to finish my other project this week, so again...stay tuned!

What do a charger plate and silhouette have in common?

2010-01-29T09:31:00.000-05:00

My next project!!! ;-)

I'll be using a gold charger plate similar to this one:

And silhouette's of my kids. Although I'd prefer REAL china plates, I'll be using plastic ones because that's what I bought!

Stay tuned to see the final result.

All you need is love

2010-01-28T10:15:00.000-05:00

How many of you out there send Valentine's each year? I have good intentions but have to be honest and admitt that I don't always succeed. It can be really hard finding time throughout the year to send cards for each holiday.

Valentine's Day has been and always will be one of my favorite holidays. There's just something about getting to tell your loved ones (even more) how much they mean to you. That includes spouses, children, parents, extended family and friends.

My parents did a great job of spoiling us (and still do) during every holiday and making it extra special. I've tried to carry on the same tradition with my kids. Although some may say that those type of things aren't necessary, I believe it's a matter of opinion. I spoil my kids in more ways than one. ;-)

I am prepping myself to make Valentine cards this year. I don't really have any ideas in mind yet, still trying to get that part together. I'll be making a trip to the craft store in the next week or so but I came across these adorable cards sold by various shops on Etsy. Thought they were worth sharing:

Make someone smile this year by sending a Valentine card.

When all else fails...

2010-01-27T08:20:00.000-05:00

hang a door on the wall??? Yes, a DOOR! I struggled for months trying to figure out what to hang on one of the walls in our living room. I would literally sit on the couch for an hour trying to visualize different decorating techniques. Let's face it..there is nothing normal about me OR my decorating style. The beautiful magnolia picture that I once adored was just not doing the job anymore.

So, I took advice from The Nester . Y'all, she is seriously awesome and if I could ever have one person decorate my house, it would be her. You just don't understand...her style is so comforting and practical. Check out her blog when you have a few seconds and see what I mean.

Back to "the door". My husband picked up one of these bi-fold doors from the Habitat for Humanity store:

I believe he said it was about $20-25. It's not exactly what I wanted but for the price, it was the best choice.

That same day I picked up a sample can of paint from Lowe's for about $3. The color I chose was Cut Ruby--gorgeous! If you haven't tried the sample paint cans yet, do it! It beats spending $10+ on a can of paint that you'll probably never finish off.

I was able to paint the entire front of the door and the sides in a matter of an hour & then my husband went around the edges with extra paint we had sitting around (see what I mean about the extra paint that typically doesnt get used???). This is what we had by the end of the night:

I loved it but wanted something more. Me, want more? NEVER! ;-)

The finished product ended up with a custom shelf that my husband made and two lights that we bought from Home Depot. I think it adds needed color in our living room which is mostly brown and khaki green (can you visualize that color?).

I am just visualizing the many ways I'll be able to use that shelf throughout the seasons and holidays. One of the best and most useful projects we've done yet!

A Lost Art

2010-01-26T09:45:00.001-05:00

Let me tell you..I absolutely adore silhouettes! I've liked them for as long as I could remember but have you noticed HOW popular they are becoming again? Everywhere I look someone is doing something creative with them. My most recent "favorite" item using a silhoutte is jewelry.

These are to die for!

They're made by Le Papier Studio on Etsy . Check out their other products as well. I could seriously go broke buying from their shop!

Have you ever tried to make your own silhouette? They're pretty simple, actually. My mom came up with this great idea at Christmas time to make silhouette's of all the grandchildren and great-grandchildren as a gift for my grandparents. There are 13 of us total! Do you know how hard it is to find gifts that will accommodate names and/or photos of 13 kids? Go ahead, I dare you to find something! Of course we could have done a simple family photo but we are not simple people!

A few weeks before Christmas I stumbled across a beautiful decorative tree at Things Remembered. At last, something that would hold pictures of the whole gang. This picture does not do this tree justice.

So, one by one I used Photoshop Elements and made the silhouettes. It doesn't take much creativity, just time and patience. Here are a few of the sihouette's that I did:

I wish I had a picture of the finished produt to share with you but of course I don't. Hopefully one day soon I can snap a picture or two. Just try picture it in your mind though---GORGEOUS!

My next project includes the silhouettes of my children, husband and myself. In addition, I'll be using charger plates. You know..those things that rich people use under their regular plate? Don't ask where I came up with this crazy idea but I'm going with it for now.

Fall Photos

2009-10-12T09:19:00.000-04:00

As promised, here are photos of my Fall decorating. Please excuse the fact that they are blurry. Our regular camera was damaged during the home invasion two weeks ago.

Lentil Soup...mmmm

2009-10-08T11:02:00.003-04:00

A favorite in our family is lentil soup...it's something that we ONLY eat when we go to a nearby restaurant, Crown Point. The hubby and kids both love it, much to my surprise for such picky eaters. So why do we only eat it a few times a year??

Primarily because I've heard that lentils can be hard to cook AND I'm afraid of not measuring up to Crown Point's famous soup. That's right, I said it...I'm intimidated! How could I possibly compete with something so delicious made by a family with YEARS of experience (not to mention that they are Greek and we all know Greek's can cook!).

I've decided though to give lentil soup a try. If I succeed then I can see it easily becoming a staple meal in our home. I'm imagining the days now of coming home from a long day of work and eating a big bowl of soup with my family.

So, do any of you have a recipe for lentil soup to share? I am still on the hunt for something hearty and delicious that will please everyone in my family. Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Fall Decorating

2009-10-07T09:53:00.000-04:00

There's no doubt about it that Fall is my ABSOLUTE favorite season. I adore the colors, smells, weather and taking my kids to a pumpkin patch not far from our home. You better believe I was at Starbucks the first week they released their "pumpkin spice latte". So why haven't I bothered to decorate yet??? Primarily because we are in the process of trying to sell our home and I don't want to distract possible buyers from looking beyond the decor. I've come to the conclusion though that I'm just going to break down and decorate anyway.

This past weekend my hubby and I broke down and bought mums, kale and hay bales. I couldn't take it anymore, I just had to do it! It was complete torture seeing beautiful flowers every time we went to Lowes and NOT buying any. I've already setup the hay bales in front of our house w/our little scarecrow. I've added a big pot of mums and whispy grass although I'm not set on keeping it there. I'm hoping to take the kids to a pumpkin patch this weekend to pick out pumpkins but in the meantime the scarecrow will just hang out and wait on his buddies.

I just love this idea found on Midwest Living's website--

Who doesn't have a wheelbarrow sitting around anyway? Get some mums and kale and fill it up.

One of my favorite ways to decorate outside our home is to put a wreath on the door, no matter what the season or occassion is. Doesn't this wreath just screm FALL!!!

Now for the inside, I typically pull down my cornucopia that I made a few years ago and throw some garland up in the doorway separating our kitchen from the living room. I also like these ideas for table centerpieces--

How will you decorate for Fall? I promise to post pictures of my home as soon as I'm done decorating.

Yummy Peanut Butter Cookies

2009-10-06T08:29:00.000-04:00

My little chef, Griffin and I made these cookies the other night while Daddy was at the store. We had EVERY ingredient in our pantry already which was a miracle in itself. They didn't take more than 30 minutes to mix up and bake and they are SUPER yummy!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

In medium bowl, cream together the shortening, sugar and peanut butter. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the creamed mixture until well blended. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Press balls down using a fork dipped in sugar water.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

2009-10-05T16:30:00.000-04:00

Just as I thought I was back on track with blogging, our family experienced a "nightmare". My husband called me last Tuesday afternoon with something that I had hoped and prayed we would never have to deal with---our house had been broken into. I raced home in tears trying to understand it all and attempting to explain to my kids why Mommy was crying.

After spending nearly 2 hours with the police officer we were left to clean up the mess and try to grasp what had happened. I cried for hours while putting clothes back in the dresser, wondering why this happened and why it happened to us??? Not that it should happen to ANYONE but the neighborhood we currently live in has always been safe and there has never been any reason to worry about someone invading our home. No one else was broken into that day. Did they target our home because it had a "For Sale" sign in the yard? Or had someone been watching us noting our every move and schedule?

We still don't have the answers and we still at feel violated at times but I refuse to be scared in my own home! This is something that I know our family will overcome and I'm so thankful that none of us were home when "they" broke in. Please say a prayer for us and the person(s) who did this.

~T-Shirt dresses~

2009-09-29T09:04:00.007-04:00

...they typically run you between $30-60 if you buy them handmade on Etsy. I've been dreaming for months now of buying one for my daughter from a popular Etsy seller but let's face it, I can't afford to shell out THAT much money for something that she will only wear a few months.

My mom reminded me the other day that "I" used to wear them as a child and that "SHE" made them for me. Well, there's a thought...why not make one myself! So, for several days now I've been researching fabric designers and reading up on how exactly to make the dresses. These are some of my favorite patterns sold by Michael Miller:

They bring a smile to my face and I know my daughter would love them to! My next project is to attempt to make a Halloween tshirt dress for Ms. Roxie. Don't you just love this dress made by another Etsy seller?!

I totally dig the retro/vintage patterns right now! I believe this dress will be my inspiration for the one that I make for Roxie. Can't you just see some cute little tights and mary janes with it?

Long time, no blog

2009-09-28T15:19:00.002-04:00

Oh, blogging---how I've missed you so!

I've been up to my eyeballs celebrating birthdays, throwing baby showers and participating in craft fairs for the last 2 months. Somehow I made it through everything. Next on our agenda, selling our freshly painted home! My husband and I got a "wild hair" one day and decided to contact our realtor. I don't remember exactly what sparked the idea, I just remember sitting at the kitchen table with John giving consent for him to sell our home. It's been a stressful experience so far and this is only the first week!!! We've been decluttering, touching up paint and cleaning carpet almost every night since BEFORE we met with the realtor. The positive thing is that we are selling our home for more than what we originally purchased it for. I can only imagine what the price tag would be if the economy was better than what it is now.

So with all of this said, I've been a total slacker with keeping up with my blog. I'm truly sorry for those of you who actually try to keep up with it on a regular basis. I'll try to do better! :-)

Nifty and CHEAP (to make) coasters

2009-07-02T10:58:00.002-04:00

I'm still working on the old window pane that I have but in the meantime I'm also making coasters to sell at our upcoming F4L craft fair.

Have you ever noticed that really durable, nice coasters are priced too high? Take it from me. I used to work at a very well known card/gift store and we sold sets of monogrammed coasters for $25-30!!!! That just seems a little high to me and unless I REALLY need something, I'm not typically willing to spend THAT much money (unless I have a coupon of course..hehe). It just seems a little ridiculous.

I'm actually taking an idea that I saw on another blogger's site and doing something similar. Go to your local Lowes store and see if they have any small ceramic tiles on sale. The ones that I bought were on clearance for 26 cents each! Yes, you heard me right. I would say that's a deal. I am almost positive that they are 3in x 3in, just large enough for a regular size cup to sit on top.

Next, get your favorite stencil out (obviously one that will fit on the stencil) and tape it down real good so that it doesn't slide everywhere. Pull out your stencil brush and stencil creme of your choice. I purchased some stencil creme from AC Moore. It's supposed to be permanent and the kind that I have is not nearly as "creamy" as regular paint. It's more like a really thick paste sealed in a tiny round jar. They aren't kidding when they say that the creme goes a long way. Just dab your brush down in the creme and then get to work on filling in the stencil. I've found that tapping the brush works better and has better coverage then simply brushing the creme on. Do whatever you like. It really just depends on what kind of look you're going for.

With the creme I was able to remove the stencil almost immediately. Let the tile sit for 24-48 hours so that the creme can dry. Once this is completed go over the tile with a clear sealant so that the creme doesn't run. I'm not convinced that anything is waterproof these days. Even waterproof mascara isn't waterproof!

The last step is to line the back of the tiles with corkboard so that they don't fly off the table if it's bumped OR scratch up the table. You can find corkboard at most craft stores, possibly even a hardware store. If you want to add a little pizazz to your coasters add SMALL rhinestones depending on the type of design you have. I would recommend gluing these on with a hot glue gun or Gorilla glue and do it BEFORE you put on the varnish. You want those pretty little boogers to stay on, right?

If you plan to give the coasters as a gift, wrap up a few with a pretty little ribbon.

Cooking up somethin' good...

2009-07-02T10:55:00.002-04:00

Go check out ClassiclyAmber's blog to see how she's making homemade honey wheat bread. I think that I may try to whip some of this up over the weekend myself.

http://classiclyamber.wordpress.com

Updated Pics of our house

2009-06-23T09:43:00.000-04:00

I was finally able to snap a few pictures this morning of our new house color. Dustin was able to get the shutters painted and up as well. I am so proud of him for making such great progress on this project.

Our latest endeavor...

2009-06-18T10:11:00.000-04:00

I havent had much time lately to post pictures of the projects that I'm working on because my husband and I decided this past Saturday to take on an even bigger project than what we could chew. I'm really surprised that we haven't done it sooner. We've now gone through 2 layers of primer and 2 shades of yellow. I think we finally got it right. The second picture is actually the first color that we chose. I'll try to take a picture tonight of the newest yellow color. It's called Mark Twain Historic Yellow (I believe). We plan to paint the shutters black to add a little contrast. More pics to come soon!

That old thing...

2009-06-12T14:49:00.000-04:00

So, about a year ago I picked up an old window pane from a local "antique" store. I had plans to turn it into something fabulous but of course that never happened. While trying to conjure up ideas for an upcoming craft fair I remembered that old window pane sitting on the side of our building. Last week I pulled it out and started washing it off. The more I sprayed, the better it started to look. The white paint that someone had applied shortly before I bought it started coming off and underneath was a beautiful green color. I brought it inside last night and finished cleaning it up. The night before I had found the exact stencil that I've been looking for all along at Michaels. So I pulled out my brush and my paint and got busy. This is what I have so far (pics to come later today). It's gonna be REALLY hard not to save this for myself. :-)

Friends4Life Craft Fair

2009-06-12T14:42:00.000-04:00

Come join Friends4Life for a fun filled day of purchasing handmade goods! You never know what you will find. Drop in at any point on Saturday, August 1st. We will also be featuring various home businesses, too. Keep checking back here for updates. There is more to come!

**Wanna make some money? Contact me about setting up your own booth at the fair!**

Wow, a free HANDMADE apron!

2009-06-12T10:47:00.000-04:00

Go on over to Kelli's blog and check out the chance to win a free handmade apron. You can also check out her Etsy shop:

www.sustainingcreativity.wordpress.com

www.kellimayhorn.etsy.com

The beginning of a new adventure!

2009-06-08T14:01:00.000-04:00

I have to admit, I've hesitated for a while now with starting my own blog. I've kept up with several different blogs for months and thought "I could never sound as cool as them!" but I finally decided to have faith in myself and just do it! I want another outlet (besides my Friends4Life) for expressing myself and my ideas. At various points throughout the day I find myself thinking of nifty ways to take items that I already have and turn them into something fabulous! So what better way to document them, than starting a blog?!? Who cares if I sound eloquent and spell everything correctly, I'm a Southern Belle for goodness sake!

Thanks for taking the time to read my first blog. Stay tuned for more!