Crafts

I’m a rather non-traditional kind of girl.  When I think of Fall, I don’t necessarily gravitate to reds, oranges and browns.  My mind tends to find it’s muse in rather odd places.  On our trip to Santee Alley, I found this AMAZING fabric that just whispers the coming of Fall to me.  The green, brown, and blue just seems to say, “It’s coming. The end of the summer is near”. 

Yesterday was my daughter’s thirteenth birthday, so I thought that would be a fun excuse to make some fabulous almost-Fall cupcakes to celebrate the day.

To begin, I found a fun pattern for cupcake wrappers from The Sweetest Pattern Shop on Etsy.  I love that cute shop!  I discovered some wonderful paper that complimented my AMAZING fabric and got to work.  Here is the finished product…

  

 

First of all, isn’t that fabric DIVINE?  I have mounted it on some canvas to hang on the wall, so that I can look at it when I want to feel happy.  What makes you happy?  What makes you think of fall?  I would love to hear.

In honor of Fall I am joining a Fall Frenzy Linky Party at Craftaholics Anonymous.  I can just feel the crisp Fall air, can’t you?  Go to Craftaholics Anonymous to check out all the fun!

Some exciting news to share!  Gabrielle Blair a.k.a. Design Mom featured my Beaded Binkie Clips last week on her blog and on Babble.com.  Can’t you just hear my squeals of delight?

Heather

We’ve linked to…

• Craftaholics Anonymous Best of 2010

My latest obsession…wedding stalking.  I have discovered some amazing Do-it-Yourself weddings recently.  I found this one on Lisa Leonard’s blog from Lisa Leonard Designs.  I am sooo in love with her creations, but that’s for another day.  By all means, go check them out.  You too will fall in love!

Lisa attended this wedding a few weeks ago and I just had to share!

{Guests were able to type notes to the bride and groom.  The one above says, “you are the mint in my tea.”  My heart is a flutter.}

{Guests were invited to fill hand stamped bags with flavored coffee beans. AMAZING!  I especially LOVE the photo below.  I have also become obsessed with old windows and I love how they used them as design elements for their big day.}

I love, love, love all of the personal and rustic elements to this wedding.  What a fun day to share with your family and friends!

On a side note–I think I forgot to mention that I have sponsored a giveaway at {Oh}Brooke.  Head on over and check it out.  If you have been dying for a fun WhipperKeeper now is your chance to win one! 

Heather

Here is the paper flower tutorial I promised. I first made this flower for the Ellie Pooh card, and then again on one of the favor boxes.

 

Step One:

Start with heavy white paper. With a pair of scissors cut a circle slightly larger than you want the size of your flower to be. I don’t use a punch or a circle cutter because I think the flower looks better if the circles aren’t perfect. Continue cutting circles, successively smaller and in graduated sizes from the first. The more circles you use, the fuller the flower will be. For this example I use nine.

Step Two:

Cut slits from the edge of each circle towards the center. Make the cuts varying lengths and widths apart, while still keeping them fairly close together.

Step Three:

Use a paper scratcher, or the edge of a serrated knife, to scrape the paper from the center outward. This helps to give the paper a worn, aged look.

Step Four:

Color the circles, one at a time, using inks or dyes. For this example, as well as the favor box, I used Tattered Angel Glimmer Mists, but for the Ellie Pooh flower I used Tim Holtz Distress Inks diluted with water. While the circle is damp, use your fingers to crush it into a ball. Use a heat tool to dry the paper while it’s still in the ball. When it’s almost dry, gently unfold the paper circle being careful not to rip the “petals”.

Step Five:

Layer the colored shapes, and glue them together with a drop of craft glue at the center of each circle. Top it off with a button or rhinestone, and voila! You have yourself a super shabby-chic flower that can go just about anywhere.

If you make one, send me a picture. I would love to see it. Have fun!

I’m finally home from an unexpected extended vacation.  Well, the vacation was expected, the extension was not.  But it was a wonderful extension. 

My cupboards are bare, I have mountains of laundry to climb, but I had to share one of my loves from the trip.   Part of the little jaunt was to the Peach Festival in Palisade, Colorado.  I am originally from Colorado, so heading home is a breath of fresh air for my overly cooked Las Vegas self.  While we were at the festival I stumbled upon this super yummy crepe trailer. 

Not only were their all-natural organic crepes delish, their cute little 1963 travel trailer was to die for. 

 

Isn’t it fun?  What is your favorite festival food?  Have you found a fun food truck or trailer?  I would love to hear!

Heather

My mom and I love furnishing our homes.  Nearly every time I pay her a visit, we stop by an old antique shop in the quaint little town of Shelly.  Here, Bramble Furniture sells their amazing pieces for a fraction of their retail price.  My mom has some of their furniture in her home and I just wish so badly that I could afford it myself.  Really, it’s the finish that I love.  Here’s an example…

 

Gorgeous, isn’t it?  I’d really like to add another piece of molding to a shelf that I have in my family room and create this look.

 

I love it.  I must add though, you have to be really careful when decorating with pieces like this.  They ooze with character, and you wouldn’t want to overdo it.  Keep the rest of your decorating around it simple so that your piece can “sing”.
When I found Design*Sponge’s tutorial for her milk painting technique, my heart nearly jumped right out of my chest.  I truly thought that this finish was made for the pros only, something that I could only purchase.  However, Barb has written up a beautiful step-by-step guide to aging your furniture with milk paint.  It’s definitely going up high on my eternally lengthy list of things to do.

What do you think of this finish?  Do you think it’s fabulous?  Like it belongs at the dump?  Be true, I would love to hear.

Whitney