Vote for Iain's "Animal print frame"

It's time to vote in the August craft challenge! Just click HERE to go to the voting page, and vote for Iain's "animal print frame"!

The AUGUST Craft Challenge

When I received the packet of items for Christy Nelson's August Craft Challenge, I ripped open the envelope, dumped out the contents, and said -- out loud -- "What in the WORLD?" I was not prepared for the random assortment enclosed: some black tulle/material; a baggie of blue beads; a baggie of random hardware; some super sticky, "extreme" adhesive squares; and a brown parchment-type paper with random, oddly named animals... and little details (in Spanish?). (Am I out of the loop here? What ARE these things!?!?!)


At any rate, I placed the craft items in a cabinet for storage... and started thinking about what I could possibly create with those things. After weeks and weeks, nothing came to me, so I finally pulled the items out the other day and left them out on the kitchen counter, where I was sure to see them... and think about them... and hopefully figure out what I would make!

Today, an idea finally hit me: I could make a frame!

Now, I have no clue where I got THAT idea, but I just went to work! I grabbed an unused, inexpensive, plain, black metal frame and a few extra items (some black and white giraffe-print fabric, string, and Mod Podge), and I started cutting out the little animal squares and making small strips of fabric.


Then I strung some of the beads. I pasted a large square of the black fabric on the cardboard that came in the frame, and I arranged the little parchment animals around the edges. I added some of my black and white giraffe fabric (with those AWESOME adhesive squares) and arranged the blue beads on the top and the bottom edge. I also tied fabric strips to the top of the frame and glued on some of the hardware pieces, along with a small strand of blue beads, just for some added color and decor! :)

When I put the frame back together, I was quite pleased!


I even tried it out with one of Iain's latest photos (that needed a frame, anyway).


Hooray! I met the challenge for this month.... AND I got a really fun and unique frame out of it! It's now sitting on the dresser in Iain's room! CUTE! :)


(You can see my post about June's challenge HERE! And you can get in on the crafty fun by visiting Christy's etsy store, HERE!)

Pillow Talk

I have been drooling over the gorgeous personalized pillows on Etsy that the clever creator made by sewing buttons in the shape of an initial. SO darling! But a bit expensive, too....

Then I had an idea: I already had a simple, striped pillow that matches our bed skirt, but it was a little plain and in need of something.... and I ended up with over 100 brownish and neutral-colored buttons for $1.00!

So, I made my own!

HERE is my "A" pillow, made with those buttons! (I think it took about 70+ buttons. I lost count after about 45!)


And HERE is my new pillow on our bed!

Me? Again?

I was just featured on Etsy again in yet another treasury, "my favorite four letter word"! :) That's so exciting!
As well, I've finally made my first few online sales! (Of course, those who live near me don't have to worry about shipping and such, so I can create a cheaper, custom listing if y'all want anything!)




You can visit my etsy store and see MORE LoveTubs and other crafty doo-dads by clicking HERE!

I WON!

Thanks, guys, for the votes! :)
I did not win the overall challenge (you can see a photo of the winner, below), BUT... I won the blog part of Christy's giveaway, which means I get a FREE craft challenge packet for the month of August! SO.... looks like I will be crafting again. We'll see what fun and unusual items come with this challenge!
Should be fun!

Vote -- for me!

Well, the candle holder I made for the June craft challenge is now up on Christy Nelson's site, and people can vote on their favorite craft item!
I must say, however, that some of the entries for this month confuse me a bit, since I stuck to the bag of craft supplies and did not throw in any other crafty things.... so you'll have to look pretty hard for the pill bottle, clay, raffia and glitter paper in some of these items! Weird!
ANYWAY, I'd love to get your vote (especially since I voted for the bird feeder. Well, it's cute!) So click HERE and vote for my candle holder! :)
THANKS!

The June Craft Challenge

I discovered a really fun craft blog, Christy Nelson's site, by happy accident a few weeks ago. I noticed that she has a store on etsy in which she sells "craft challenge packets." Of course, I HAD to find out what that was all about! :)

The basics of this whole craft adventure comprise the following: for $5, you can purchase a craft challenge packet for the upcoming month, and you get a shipment with some random craft supplies that you must use to make.... well... something! Then you send in a picture of your creation to be entered into a contest. When Christy receives photos of the various craft items created with the challenge packet goodies, she posts them on her site, and people vote for their favorite project! The winner receives a fun little prize... and some crafting bragging rights, I suppose!

At any rate, I decided to join in on the fun, not knowing at all what to expect! I mean, I like crafts, but I am not an expert crafter or anything. I don't have any fancy tools or handy dandy things to help me out, either! It's just some dull scissors, a bottle of glue and my two hands!

I was quite anxious - and I think a little nervous - to get my packet. And here is what I received in the mail: (directions, 2 sheets of glitter paper, 1 pill bottle, some blue clay, a pile of raffia and 1 white favor cup)


Using only the items supplied, here is what I created:


I first took the raffia and created a fun "bracelet" thingie by cutting it into tiny pieces and knotting it in a decorative way.


Then I attached that raffia thingie (very technical terminology, here!) to the favor cup and added a little glitter paper to the top. I also used the glitter paper to decorate the pill bottle in a polka-dot pattern. Then I molded the clay around the cap on the pill bottle and attached it to the bottom of the bottle, for support. I used a little more of the clay to spruce up a plain candle and stuck it down into the pill bottle with some more clay to hold it steady!


Next, I slid on the decorated cup, which is a handy - and cute - little wax catcher! ;)

Ta-da! A cheery candle holder!


June's craft challenge was quite fun. And it was definitely a challenge! :)

Thanks to Christy for her ingenious way of snagging us craft-happy peeps who are always eager to take on a fun new project!

Bookmark fun on Swap-Bot

I enjoy crafts and love to get things in the mail, so I've thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the Swap-Bot community, where you can join random swaps -- for just about anything! -- and make or buy things to send and swap!

For example, so far, I've swapped things like lip gloss, note cards, hot chocolate, candy, bibs, letters and e-mails with folks from all over the world! Just for fun!

And two of the most recent swaps I was in called for handmade bookmarks! I discovered that my first random swap partner liked stained glass and irises... so I made a bookmark that incorporated those things, in a weird, puffy paint sort of way! :)


The second swap partner mentioned in her profile that she loves tulips and all things Fitzgerald. The first bookmark was fun, so I made her a similar one with some tulips and a nice Fitzgerald quote about flowers and friendship!


Just thought I'd share...

Perhaps you, too, love to get fun, little things in the mail. You may want to join us swappers on Swap-Bot!