Watercolor Doodle

Been awhile since I wrote last.  Things have been busy... but I have missed doing my crafts.  I need creative outlets!!  So, here is what I did last week.  I got this idea from an old neighbor I had.  It is actually a lot of fun.  This is for anyone who likes to doodle.
Here is what you need:
Watercolor paper
Watercolor paints
Paint brushes in various sizes
Thin point sharpie markers

Mix your watercolors in the colors you want.  Then paint designs, stripes, any abstract looking thing.  Let it dry.

Take your sharpie and trace the natural lines where the colors meet.

Now comes the really fun part.  Inside the shapes made by the lines, draw pictures, make designs, write words.  Just do whatever you feel like.  There is no wrong way to do this.

Now frame it, and you have an original piece of artwork hanging on your wall.

Soda Can Candy Bouquet

When I was in high school, I was in a local flower shop looking for a gift.  I saw that they had these soda can candy bouquets for sell.  I think they were asking like fifteen or so dollars for them, which is ridiculous since they are easily made at home.  So, here is my soda can candy bouquet.

Here is what you will need:
Hot glue gun with extra glue sticks
Drinking straw
Soda can of your choice
Big bag of candy
Styrofoam ball

I chose to use a sprite can because this particular bouquet is for my Grandma.  However, now I am stuck with five cans of sprite and no one at my house drinks it unless we are sick . . . oh well.

Take your straw and cut it to a shorter length.  By the way, you want to use a bendy straw.

Take a pair of scissors or a knife and poke a hole into the styrofoam ball.  Then, stick the straw into that hole.

I took a knife and cut off part of the bottom of the ball to create a flat surface.  Then, I used my handy hot glue gun and glued the ball to the top of the soda can.

Once you have done that, you just start gluing the candy all over the ball.  You will have to do more than one layer to cover all the holes.  You don't want any of the styrofoam ball peaking through.  Once you have done that you will have a beautiful, edible bouquet.  Voila!

I couldn't figure out how to flip my picture, but you get the idea.  So long for now!!

Feather Headband

Feathers are all the rage right now, so I decided to make a feather headband.  I especially love peacock feathers, so that is what I used, but you can use any feathers you like.  Here is what you need:

-Black headband

-Feathers

-Black tulle (I got 1/4 yd. just in case I messed up)

-Rhinestone button

-Hot glue gun

-Scissors

First take the tulle and cut a rectangle.  Fold the rectangle in half so that it is around 5-6 inches in widtth. Next, fold the bottom right and left corners in so that you now have a triangle.

Hot glue the tulle to the side of the headband folded side down.

Next glue the feather on top of the tulle.  You want the tulle to peak out about an inch above the feather.

Take your rhinestone button and cut the metal loop off the back.  You want it to lay flat.  Then, all you have to do is glue it to the bottom of the feather, and then you have made a feather headband.

I wore my headband to work today, and I have gotten lots of compliments!  So have fun making your feather headbands.  Until next time...

Citrus Sugar Scrub

For Christmas I made several of the ladies in my life a cocoa sugar scrub as presents.  I also kept some for myself, and I loved it soooo much, I decided to make some more.  I thought I might branch out a little, though, so last night I tried a citrus sugar scrub.  It smells really good.  I can't wait to use it.  The recipe is really pretty simple.  It's made from things you can buy at the grocery store and hobby lobby.  This recipe filled quite a few little squatty mason jars.  Here is what you need:
2 cups white granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 T. honey
2 T. orange peel
1 T. grapefruit fragrance for soaps and scrubs
5 T. olive oil
Mix all ingredients together, spoon into mason jars, and enjoy!
Next time I am going to try a lavender sugar scrub :)

bead and ribbon bracelet

So I made a super easy bracelet to give to a few friends who have birthdays coming up.  All it requires is 26 gauge wire, 45 medium sized beads in three colors (I used white, black and gray), several 4 mm black beads and 1/8" sheer black ribbon.

Cut enough wire to wrap around your wrist and string 45 of the medium sized beads on the wire.  Twist to connect the bracelet when you are through.

Cut a length of wire longer than the first and twist to secure it to the bracelet.  Start stringing the 4 mm black beads along it.  Wrap it around the bracelet over and over as you string.  Twist to secure when you are done.

Cut a length of ribbon slightly longer than the bracelet.  Wrap it around and around the bracelet and tie in a bow once you have gone all the way around.

There you go...a cute little bead and ribbon bracelet!!  I did it while watching Burn Notice - it required very little concentration.   Happy birthday, Trista and Allison!!

child's scarf

So I decided that this week's crafted gift would be a scarf for my three year old niece, Sadie.  Fortunately it has been 55 degrees lately so there is no real need for it right now, because it is taking me longer than I had anticipated.  I forgot that I am a slow knitter.  Plus I have not quite gotten the hang of purling yet, so this scarf is strictly made up of knits.  I cast on fifteen stitches in this pretty multicolored yarn and knitted 20 rows.  Then, I did 20 rows in a pretty lavender colored yarn.  I am just going to keep alternating until I have a long enough scarf.
When I decided to learn to knit, I had all these lofty goals.  Thus far, I have only made scarves. I've got to learn to purl!!!  Anywho . . . I'll post a picture as soon as I finish it.  I may end up having to do this and another craft for next week if I don't get the lead out and finish it soon.

Getting Started

As a typical middle child, I found myself searching for my own unique identity.  I tried to be the crazy cat lady, the fire starter, the mullet maven, but nothing seemed to fit.  Finally, out of sheer desperation, I turned to arts and crafts.  It has gotten me through a lot of bad situations, bad decisions, and bad hair cuts.  So, I have decided to set a goal using my crafting to make 52 homemade gifts  in 2012.  Truth be told, I am not completely sure I can do it, and they may not all be winners.  But, as I refuse to make new year's resolutions, this is as close to one as I am going to get.  And so it begins...