Handmade ornaments and decorations

More Christmas decorations! For these I used a jar from Target, trees and bear from Michaels and little pine cones from outside. Everything is super glued to the lid.

For these above and below, I got these super cute small cake stands with lids from Michaels (they have a couple different sizes and are in with the miniature furniture and accessories--at least at my nearest Michaels). I used the Glitter snow as glue on the bottom and stuck everything in when it was wet. I then super glued the lid on. Below is the other side.

Below is the same thing but a lot smaller. The stump with squirrels is from Michaels. 

This little tiny ornament is also from Michaels. The bottom comes off and you can put things in it. It comes in two shapes and is very delicate! I broke 3!

Below is the same as the one with the stump in it. Everything from Michaels.

These would make super cute and easy gifts!

If I Lived in a Snow Globe Craft

We are doing this craft in Ava's class next week so I helped Emily make one as a sample. 

HOW.STINKIN.CUTE.IS.THIS????

"If I were trapped in a snow globe"

or

"If I lived in a snow globe"

Google that to see all the cute ideas for it. 

I got the idea from here.

The teacher had the kids bring in snow jacket, hats, mittens etc. and had them act out something  Ava chose running away from the Abominable snow man  and Emily chose being scared of the Abominable snowman although in her story she said she'd be friends with him:) Some kids wadded up paper and acted like they were throwing it (snowballs).

I used baby blue printer paper and glued the whole thing to cardboard (I want to keep this forever). I also used clear plastic plates from Smart & Final because the ones at the grocery store had a weird "scalloped edge, These plates are 7".

Gnome and Deer Clock

I took a clock from Joanns and made a little winter scene. Here are the details:

1. Clock: Tim Holtz Ideaology collection (from the scrapbooking section at Joanns)

2. Bottle Brush tree from Joanns

3. Mushrooms (comes in a bunch on stems) from Michaels

4. Deer: from Michaels

5. Sparkly snow glue: Michaels

6. Gnome: Germany but you can check etsy, ebay , etc.

7. Background scrapbooking paper: stuff I had but I'm 

sure you can find something at Joanns or print something from the internet

8. I painted the inside blue with spray paint 

The back comes really easy so you can get in there and 

Painted Logs Yule Love

Painted logs inspired originally from here but then I found these!  How adorable are his logs?? He's genius. Just genius! I mean come on, look at the bearded guy! If you live in the UK the price isn't bad but living in the states it would be $39 for one log. I wish shipping wasn't so expensive. So what do you do when you can't afford something? You make it yourself!

I found the logs at Michaels and I think they are Birch (?). They were long so I had my dad cut them in half. I think they are so cute tied in a bundle under the tree or next to your fire place. I plan on making more out of different wood. I used acrylic paint. Easy as a Sunday morning.

Half gold frame

I took this cheap unfinished wood frame from Michael's (can't find it online but it's call Artminds unfinished wood, square) and using blue painters tape, taped across the middle, spray painted with metallic gold paint and then added a piece of faux glass since it doesn't come with glass. I used a very thin piece of plastic cut to the size of the picture. Like a plastic template or the plastic you'd use on a presentation folder.. I have saved several over the years for when I have a cheap frame like this and need a piece of "glass". You can't tell it's plastic! I'm starting to have an unhealthy love for gold items for the home. I have hated gold for ever. I associate it with tacky/cheap but not any more. The stuff I am seeing all over the internet is new and cool and "not your grandmas gold"!

Halloween 2014 Cleopatra and her Cobra

Cleopatra costume made by me and Cobra costume from chasingfireflies.com

Emily and Ava as Cleopatra and her Asp. Did you know Cleopatra was killed by a cobra? So fascinating was her life.  Married to two of her brothers, she had relationship that produced a son with Caesar and a relationship with Mark Antony that produced 3 children (I think I have my facts straight...). Rather than be enslaved after Egypt was captured by Octavian she had an Asp (Egyptian Cobra) bite and kill her (or so they say. Apparently there are different theory's). One of the best books I have read on her is Memoirs of Cleopatra. Also, if you've not seen Rome you need to!

So how did we decide on these two? Emily wanted to be an Angler fish but we couldn't decide on a matching costume for Ava . I found this Cobra and Emily was immediately excited and wanted to be it. But what to do for Ava...Cleopatra! What sold Ava on the idea was the golden headpiece (from amazon).

So Emily's costume is from chasingfireflies.com  but Ava's is made. I used Simplicity 2329 in a size 7 (she's 6.5 and the 7 was huge on her. I cut off about 4-6" off the bodice width and about 15" off the length of the skirt). I used a stretchy gold/black velvety fabric for the dress and a gold pleather-like fabric for the neck and waist pieces. The cape is a gold/black lame that just snaps onto her neck piece. All beads and fabric are from Joanns. I didn't line or interface anything. I also didn't follow directions on the cape so it's off-center and wonky:)

Victorian Demon Silhouette

More Halloween decorations. I can't decorate outside but I can inside. Buut...I think I'm not feeling it so much this year because I have to bring all my Halloween stuff from storage (go to storage, put it in the car, drive it back and carry big tubs across a parking lot to my apartment) and I really don't want to do that. I live in about 250 sq ft (only half joking) so I don't want to bring more stuff in. 

SOOO I'm really only decorating with some stuff I've found at Target or Michaels that I really wanted.

I love silhouettes. Love them. And I love silhouettes on plates (remember these? Kelly them)

Above is a silver charger from Michael's. and below is the silhouette I made on my Silhouette Cameo out of vinyl. I used 3 different designs from the silhouette store to get this. The first is the lady then I bought a demon and used it's wings then I got devil horns and put them all together.

If you look close, you can see she has fangs!

Chalkboard Tombstones

I wasn't really ready to blog these but I realized Halloween is in 2 weeks so I had better just blog the photos I have! I had seen these chalkboard tombstones on the Pottery Barn website and HAD to make them. HAD TO. And I knew just the person to help me. Hi Dad! I've been waiting years to come back to the states so my dad and I can work together in the garage making things. 

I made these about the same size as the Pottery barn ones and out of about 3/4" wood and googeled tombstones for the shapes. I made little patterns from pattern making paper to get the right shapes then made big ones (see 3rd photo down) for the actual patterns. We traced and cut and then painted with chalkboard paint. They have about two layers each. I prepped the surface with the regular chalk like suggested then used chalk pens to draw.

To get my letters on the tombstone I googeled  chalkboard lettering tutorial. Can't remember which one i used but it's the method of rubbing chalk on the back side then tracing over the letters on the front side. It will leave a faint outline of each letter. I didn't do this for the B.A. Frade because my friend Lisa did that one free-hand. We didn't have a printer handy when doing that one.

I made another Martha Stewart witch silhouette for my sister-in-law. I have it propped up at my parents and I just got a call saying this view right here scared the crap out of them (more than once). It scared me too actually. I rounded the corner and yelped! 

  Back in August I think, I was contacted by Heather D. to make her daughter an Astrid costume  like Ava's.  How cool is that? I LOVE this version way better than Ava's. The skulls were made by this etsy seller and they are perfect, They don't break or crumble and are uniform in size. I had a rough time aging them but other than that I love them and recommend this seller. The costume was made a while ago and already shipped. I hope to see a picture of her daughter in it!