Hello, Dear Friends...
I hope you are staying dry and cool. The only reason I am both is that I am inside. I am waiting out a small storm so that I can go out and get a few essential groceries (COFFEE CREAMER! I haven't had coffee yet!!!) before the next bigger batch of storms hit. Yea.
Whats...
What I did... Okay, are there subliminal messages in Pinterest? I am like a moth to a flame! So many awesome ideas! I love looking at everyone's blogs and seeing what they made from Pinterest. Here are some crafts ideas that I played around with from Pinterest inspirations...
Patriotic Votive...
I saw one where someone had tied a little flag around a jar to make a Independence Day decoration. Well, I needed to primify their version a bit, but I did have the items on hand. I realized the other day when I was taking the dog out, that there was a little flag in my flower bed. I probably overlooked it from last year. It had faded a bit, so I decided to coffee stain it to age it more. I think between that and the modge podge, it actually made the colors more vibrant!
I modge podged some plain beige tissue paper to the jar. It needed something. Even my husband said so (Have I brought him to the "Prim Side"? Insert Star Wars foreboding music here.). Well, if you put some beige tissue paper on the jar, it will need a liberal sprinkling of cinnamon to go with it! I tied the flag on with a bit of jute string. I did put some modge podge over the whole thing to help the string stay and the flag not to slide off.
I put a battery votive in it, stuck it in my bowl of shells from the Outer Banks (In prim grays and tans, mind you...), and there you have it!
Burlap Banner...
Another craft that was easy to make are those burlap banners that you see everywhere. Burlap is so perfect for many styles of decor. I had some burlap that I used as a garland around my one tree. I have been trying to think of some crafts to do with the leftovers. I may make some little candle pockets as well. Trouble is that burlap MAKES ME SNEEZE! Acchoooooooo!
To make the banner, I cut out little flags first (you can see how I cut them in the picture). They are folded in half and then notched. Next, I printed some letters from Word on the computer, just on regular paper.
First, I thought I could use carbon paper to outline and transfer the outlines and then fill it in with a black sharpie. Yeah. Don't do it. It doesn't work. Trying it 2 or 3 more times doesn't make it work any better. What did Einstein say about insanity? Ooops. ANYWAY, I just tried to draw them as best as I could.
I put a running stitch to make a tube to run the string through. I am sure that you could hot glue them as well. I would probably put the string in first and then stitch (... guess what I didn't do...). I really didn't have trouble running my ribbon through, but it probably depends on what you string them on. I also tied some homespun before the first letter and after the last so they wouldn't slide off when I hung them. I though it might look cute with a bit of homespun between each letter, as kind of a spacer. But, Steve liked it the way it was. The fact that he LIKED it was good enough for me!
What Nots...
What did I not do? Go outside I mean to work. Okay, well I drove to the grocery store to get creamer for coffee. I don't know about you all, but this weather is killing my sinuses! I have had so many headaches! So, since I DID do some chores, I think I will watch a movie. I rented
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day from our library. The one actor is the main character (Capt. Wentworth) from the old version of
Persuasion (one of my three favorite Austen books/movies). So, I will be having some coffee and hand pies from the grocery (they called to me!) and watch a movie! So I guess this is more of a what- being a couch potato... Gardening will have to be another day, in a galaxy far, far away where it ISN'T perpetually raining and storming. Oh, and anyone hear about the hurricane that might come up the East Coast? Jolly fun! But it could be worse. Another thing I am NOT doing is getting on an ARK! Praise God for keeping HIS PROMISES!
Genesis 7:11-24
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in.
The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.
Well until tomorrow, dear friends. Tomorrow we can chat about why you shouldn't try to put wax paper through your printer, and how I finally got to meet a dear, dear blogging friend... TTFN! Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to chat! You are all too sweet!
Love,
Heather, Charlie, and Bailey
So, how do you fix the scratches? Well, I had some Antiquing Medium in Apple Butter Brown. It is almost empty because I use it for everything. I decided to rub it into all of the scratches. It worked great! Yea!!!! But, the wood lost some luster when it dried. Awwww. So, then it was time for an appearance of my other best friend, Miss Modge Podge. I coated the entire thing in the Matte Modge Podge (Which really still has a slight gloss to it). That sealed the deal. I even used the MP to fix the lid. The sides of the lid aren't perfect, but that's prim for you! Finally, I took one of those felt lint brushes (from my husband's sock drawer. Shhh. Don't tell him. I put it back!) to the needlepoint. I worked out some of the dust, and then I just used a damp cloth to finish the job.
First, a flag holder from an old floral frog. I have two different ones. I love them, but I am not sure how to display them other than sitting on a shelf. I have been seeing a lot of finials with flags poking out of them, and I love the look. So, why couldn't this work with frogs? This shaped frog works best because it has a center hole so that you have a more balanced effect with your flags. My squarish one didn't work as well! I bought some $.50 flags and coffee stained them a bit. And, well, there you go! Easy!
.JPG)
