Seedlings Craft Boutique

We are all participating in the Seedlings Craft Boutique today!!! Come and check out our stuff.

Countdown to Crafts- Easy Throw Pillow

We have started something new and fun!!! We are doing a Countdown with Crafts to help you get ready for the Holidays. For my first project, I bring to you and fun and easy throw pillow. If you go to Joann Fabric and Craft Stores this week, they have their Soft n' Crafty pillow forms on sale for 40% off. I made this pillow by taking basic white fabric. I pinned the ribbon on to the fabric, then sewed it on.... make sure you sew down both sides of the ribbon. I used ribbon from my stash, but scrapbook ribbon is also on sale at Hobby Lobby this week. After I made this pillow, I saw this post on Ucreate from the guest blogger Polka Dot Chair for a skirt just like my pillow!!! Weird Deja Vu. Check out her tutorial, she does it a little differently.

This pillow is also for sale at my SEEDLINGS boutique this FRIDAY at my home. Check out the blog for details!!!

Christmas Wood Craft Workshops

I just finished up the Thanksgiving Crafts and wanted to get started on the Christmas crafts before life gets too busy and crazy.

Dates:

Thursday, Nov. 12th 6-9pm

Tuesday, Nov. 17th 6-9pm

Wed. Nov. 18th 1-3pm and 6-9pm

***Tuesday, Nov. 24th in St. George, UT from 6-9 pm***

For the St. George class, I need to know what you would like to make by Wed. Nov. 18th.

Wreath- $25 (just in case you didn't get to make one last month. makes a great christmas gift. Can be personalized with last name.) Elf- $18 (He can be a yard stake or will look great sitting on a shelf... I just make a base for him and a smaller sign) Nativity- $17 Angels- $10 (if you need the stands, I've raised the price to $5 for 3 stands)

Please try to let me know by Friday, Nov. 6th what you would like to make.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me. anisascholes@gmail.com Anisa

The Start of Something Big: Countdown with Crafts

With the holidays just 'round the corner and tight budgets everywhere, we thought we'd do something that will help you fill your Christmas gift list with fun crafting ideas.

Each week on Tuesday, we will feature a craft with products featured in the ads of various chain craft stores. We realized that using the ads isn't going to be helpful for everyone, but the inspiring craft ideas will! As a kick-off, I offer the following:

Wooden-framed magnet boards often go on sale (or you can always use your large percent discount coupon). I used an inexpensive red spray paint (after removing the steel insert).

I am using this in my craft/inspiration room as a home for all my Magnetic Poetry. I love the stuff, but haven't had a place for it, especially since I've been raising little ones.

I wanted to use rub-ons in poetic flourishes as an embellishment. Not only were there no rub-ons on sale, I couldn't find any I liked well enough anyway.

However, the acrylic stamps were on sale at Michael's and they had a great selection of said flourishes.

I was a little doubtful as to how they'd turn out because the only black ink I had was StazOn, but as you can see it turned out well! The clear stamps are Inque Boutique brand. The nice thing about stamps like these is not only can you see when you stamp with them, but you can place them where you think you might want them before you stamp.

Here's a stamping detail.And the finished piece (sorry about the bad lighting) and I'm really pleased with it.

Remember to check us out on Tuesdays for our Countdown with Crafts posts, all the way till Christmas after we get a chance to check the ads. Look for our other posts as well.

--C

Product Challenge: Buckets

Our product challenge this month was buckets! (I can't lie to you, I was super excited because I already had a project done with buckets that I hadn't posted yet). So all I had to do was take a picture. Do you love the dollar section at Target as much as I do? Well, they often have buckets. So, awhile back I bought several buckets at Target to keep my ribbon in. I made a template out of paper for the bucket, then used my scraps of scrapbook paper and covered the buckets with every color of the rainbow... and then some! I then tied little scraps of ribbon on the handle of each bucket. This helped organize my obsession with ribbon (well, at least the smaller pieces. I have the full rolls of ribbon just in a cupboard... I really like ribbon). Hey, let me know if you want to see pics of my whole craft room sometime and I'll try to clean it up to make a post!!! Just leave me a comment.

So, the ribbon ones are totally cute, but you can't forget my favorite bucket of all..... my thread bucket. I love this thing. I keep it next to my sewing machine so when I clip off the thread I have a quick place to throw it!!! -Anisa:)

My bucket project ended up not being a craft but an organizational project. I had been reading Pretty Organized Palace's blog and one post in particular caught my attention. She was sharing some fun ways to cozy up the home for fall and winter. With my inspiration starting there, I headed to my local Hobby Lobby and purchased this large bucket/basket. At home I filled it with all my yummy yarn for crocheting (and one day hopefully knitting) and placed it by the fireplace. I love how it makes my family room just that much more comfy cozy with the bonus I have yarn storage in plain sight.

-Ang

Check out these darling buckets that one of our readers... Shellie... sent into us. Super cute storage. Here's what she says about them,

"Here is what I have been doing with buckets. I only have 3 done. I still want a ribbon one and thread etc… I just bought some for a couple of dollars and spray painted them, cut out vinyl on my Cricut for the letter."

Way to go Shellie!

Wow! 50!

Just a quick thanks to all our followers... There are FIFTY of you now and we're so excited! Thank you to all our readers for helping us build up Twiddle-Thumbs! We've been having so much fun!

A little bit of decor in my master bath

So I have this fun little alcove in my master bath where the bathtub is. Kinda boring, right? I started with this window that I had purchased for $1 at a yard sale. It was white and I spray painted it black. Kind of a little boring by itself.

I was over visiting Trey and Lucy awhile back and saw this cute idea. And what do you know.... a few weeks later, I found this wreath at a yard sale for $2! I totally knew what to do with that!

On the wall above the towel rack, I was thinking of doing some vinyl of some sort. But you know how much I love wood and all of my wood crafts.... So what I did instead, was I used my Cricut and the Storybook cartridge (which I borrowed from a friend in July and really need to return). I cut the little bird swirly thing out as big as I could do it.... 12x24. Used that as a pattern and cut it out of wood. It's fun to have a nice black silhouette but actually have some dimension to it. By the way, I will be selling these at the Seedlings boutique coming up in a couple of weeks!!! Or, you could buy one from me directly if you're interested, just send me an email at anisascholes@gmail.com

And here's the semi-final product. I'm thinking it needs a little color, so I'll probably get some ribbon to add to the wreath and what-not. Leave a comment and let me know what you think! -Anisa

Photo Pendant Tutorial

Start with a small wooden tile or large metal washer...anything flat that could be covered with paper. For this tutorial, I'm just going focus on the wooden tile (purchased at a local craft store). You'll also need it's dimentions later, so measure it. I then painted the tile black. You can leave it the way it is, but painting it a unifying color looks good.Next look on the internet or at your own photos or create something that can be printed. I wanted to make something special for my friend, Ane, so I looked at pictures from New Moon for Jacob Black.Photoshop comes in handy here, but if you don't have it...later. When you open up the photo you want to use, click on the Crop tool. You can set the shape of the crop it will do to the dimentions of your tile (that you measured, remember?) The orange arrow is pointing at this feature.

If you don't have Photoshop, just drag the photo into a Microsoft Word document and play with the size in there till you think it'll be just bigger than your tile.

Print out your picture on regular printer paper and cut it out.

When the paint on your tile is dry, paste the photo onto it.

I used a SMALL bit Ranger Ink's Glossy Accents Clear Dimensional Embellishment, pressed the photo firmly to the tile and wiped away any leaking adhesive coming out of the sides. I put it face down with a weight to keep it flat and left it for several minutes.

At this point, you can attach a bail or some other type of loopy finding on to the back of the tile so that you'll be able to wear it. You'll need a serious glue for this. E6000 was used here.

When the glue is dry, sand the excess paper away.

You can touch up the paint on the sides now or later, if you want. Or you can have a more distressed look.

Personally, I just look in the mirror for a distressed look.

Now it's time to apply the Glossy Accents Clear Dimensional Embellishment. Never shake this stuff. You don't want air bubbles in it. They don't disappear and get trapped over your image. Not a great look.

Slowly let the stuff flow to the tip. I like to outline my tile first then slowly and patiently fill it in.

It is applies very thickly.After it's all filled in, it'll look all hazy like this. It's not ruined, it just needs to dry. Make sure it's level (this would be a good reason NOT to put your loop on the back yet, but mine is propped up on one end to make it lie flat). Now walk away!!! Do not allow yourself to be tempted to test to see if it's dry. The safest bet is leave it alone for the rest of the day and/or night, otherwise your project will be ruined by fingerprints, dents, ripples, etc. When it's done it'll be all shiny and will not crack (like embossing powder).

The shine doesn't show up well, but it's there and it makes all the difference!

Enjoy!

--C