Stained Planter Boxes

My ex Chuck was nice enough to being me some wood boxes he got at work.  They use them to ship equipment in.  He thought I could use them to plant a garden at my new house.  

 I ended up staining them with dark walnut!

Here are 2 of them with Strawberries planted!  I will post the others once I get them planted!  They are really sturdy and look great!

so ready for summer!!!

Making a fairy house

I have been making a fairy house out of a gourd.

It is still a work in progress but it is a project I have been wanting to do for some time.

 Side Views

Here are pictures of the front.

Im finding it a relaxing project and may even do a few more and sell them....or give them away. :)

Nephews derby car

This is what I did today! lol Just this.  A Pine wood derby car for my nephew.  They will put on the wheels later.  I used my dremel tool and acrylic paints.  We stole the hair from the smaller car.

My house is a mess!!!

Back to work I go...

Or the next project :)

Magnet Board Redo

For some time now I have had a large magnet board hanging in the hallway.  The frame was black and the background was plain silver metal.  Over time however the metal looked more scratched than anything and the whole thing was looking a bit blah!  So, after seeing a photo on Pinterest...  I decided to fix the background.  I used an old book that was yellowed and falling apart.  Then after cutting up the print into various sizes, I modge podged them to the metal.  When it dried it had a nice durable glossy finish.  It does look much better than the original and is one of those projects that I look at and wish I had stumbled upon a long time ago.  It is such an improvement!

I have not yet hung it back up yet because I am thinking I need to make magnets to go with it.  Which gives me another project to do!

Valentine Tree Quilt

Here is my latest project.  A Valentine's present for my guy...

I had wanted to do something that he would use, and enjoy.  But also something that would remind him how much I have come to feel for him.  He has been a rock for me these past months and wants to give us a new happy future.  Something I thought would never happen after losing my late husband to a sudden heart attack.

I am very pleased with the way it came out.  I found tree material at Craft Warehouse.  I also backed it with a soft soft material perfect for snuggling.

I wanted it to look like our initials were literally cut out of the wood material.

I am so excited to give it to him.  I wont be able to wait until Valentines Day! :)

L'huile de coco fouettée

My recipe for my massage oil.......

Whipped Coconut Oil

My ingrediants:

     coconut oil

     aloe vera 

     pepermint oil

I use a jar of coconut oil.  Plus roughly a cup of aloe vera gel.  I love the healing properties both put into the mixture. Then as it was whipped, I dropped in the pepermint oil.  I added the pepermint because I suffer from migraines and the pepermint helps.

I then whip it until it is smooth and creamy.

After, I peeled off the label by filling the coconut oil jar with hot oil.

I then put the mixture back into the jar.

I labeled it....   L'huile de coco fouette

which is just "Whipped coconut oil" in french.

Necklace Holder DIY

For years my necklaces have been a tangled up mess in a box.  Yeah, not good.  For a long time I just rationalized that it was because I am not a jewelery person.  Oh well...  Then recently we were given another box of assorted necklaces.  Talk about a tangled mess!!!!  After spending some time untangling tho I realized that some of the necklaces were actually kind of nice.  So I threw on a couple one day and got several compliments.  Ok, time to get off my butt then and figure out how to keep these necklaces separate.  Plus it took me a few HOURS to untangle them all!

So,  after doing alittle pinterest research I realized I may have just what I needed already at home....

What I used.....
      Unused metal towel bar
      shower curtain hooks
      bronze paint

Thats it!!!  I had found the towel rack while we were camping.... Yeah an eww what the hell find?! but it got tossed into the camper and then in my craft room.  I then seem to have a collection of shower curtain hooks that I haven't used.

I then spray painted everything bronze.  Let it dry and then mounted the towel bar to the wall.  Then i just hung my necklaces on the hooks and then on the towel rack.  Looks ok and now they wont get tangled!

Love a nice easy project!

New Chickens!

I went this morning and picked up 3 new 1 year old chickens!

Im so excited!  Especially since it was so sad our last ones were killed.

We have yet to name them.  But I have spoiled them a bit with apples, strawberries and a banana.

Love them already!!

Mending my heart!

I have been in a funk.  I hate funks.  I have also been feeling very down the past few days.  My heart hurts.  I need to pull myself out of it.  I know I do.  I also know what is bothering me shouldnt.  But it does, more that I care to let it.  So,  I figured today I should at least channel that into a project.   

I dont know about you but I love collecting heart shaped rocks.  I have a basket full in my bedroom.  I then always keep one right in the middle of the pile to remind me that life is good.  Life is worth living.  And that life needs LOVE!

So, I grabbed the heart rock.  Gave it a good scrubbing and repainted it to show a mended heart.  Because that it what I need mine to do!

 My finished heart - I even painted a tiny bandaide on it.  

And then I replaced it on the pile!  See!  Feeling alittle better already! 

leaf gourd

updated to show finished gourd :)

My latest project almost finished.....

Still needs a bit of sanding and prepping, but almost done.

ugh, wish it wasnt so hot in my shop!

Black Brown Nails

Nail art for the day!

Nail polish

My nail polish for today. 

That is all.

New personalized photo frame I made

My first soccer season is dwindling down at my new job at the trophy store.  We still are getting orders, but they are nothing like the crazy busy we were last week.  As tired as I was by the end - I have to say it was fun.  I really enjoy putting together trophies, knowing that they will be recieved and reward someone for their hard work.

I did find the time to put together one project.  A frame I have been wanting to make for my step son and his new wife (my new step daughter in law). 

The photo of it isnt the best, but the project came out looking good.  In fact Im going to make one and put one of the photos Otis and I had taken last weekend for our bedroom.

It is an 8x10 plaque with a 7x9 piece of silver/black flexi engraved on the front.  Their photo will go in the middle.  I love working with the engraving machine, and am already thinking of different versions of this for Christmas presents!  If you would like one let me know and I will let you know the costs etc.  I can pretty much engrave any saying etc you want onto the front - how cool is that?!!!

I havent dont much more int he way of Halloween decorating - at least not like I did last year.  Im finding with all the work Im doing I just dont have the energy for it.  Oh well, its life.

My main goal today is to relax, regroup, do alittle house cleaning, some fall yard work (which I dont want to) and then go fishing!  I really hope that happens!

My daughter made cake pops!

My daughter has been wanting to try these for a long time so finally we just decided to go for it!

The recipe was simple -

1 box cake mix
1 jar nutella
melted chocolate to coat.

Libby made the cake, and crumbled it into a large bowl.  She then added the nutella and mixed until it was smooth.  We then scooped and formed balls.

We then stuck the sticks into them and froze them overnight as she had a babysitting job.

The next day they looked like this....

So yummy looking already!

We then melted some chocolate in my tempering machine.

She did have fun dipping the chocolate!

We did have a fun time!

Ring from a quarter!

I guess this is what you do when you can't sleep.  And you miss your Mr. Sweetheart so much.

You make him a ring!

It is a silver ring with the words "All my heart forever" engraved on the outside.

The best part?  I made it from this....

Yep!  A quarter.  It does have to be from a 1964 quarter of earlier I think and here are the instructions I used.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-silver-ring-for-25-cents/

It takes a long time.  But it is cool.

Still counting the days till my hubby gets home.  Ugh - still really miss him :)

Gnome Whisperer

After a long day I settled in for the evening to relax.


I heard a light knocking on my door and went to answer.


It seems I have new visitors to my home....

Three small gentle gnomes stood at my door.  They were very shy and quiet but seemed to want something very much.  They had the most pleading look in their eyes.....

It seems word has gotten around in all the popular gnome "hangouts" that I'm the one to see if your a gnome in the need of some umm, how shall we say it.... gnome lifting?  I guess Im the go to person if your a tired weather beaten and worn out gnome looking for alittle "work" done.


Hmmm I said, come inside and I'll see what I can do....

The relief on their faces was quick and truly genuine.  I was touched and quickly ushered them into my laboratory.....oops,  did I say that? ..... I meant craft area. 


Let the work begin...

"Insert evil gnome laugh here"

Painting gnomes -cause they told me to!

I dont know how many of you out there have seen Gnomeo & Juliet, but it came into our house a while ago and we have seen it a couple times over the summer.  I will tell you now if you dont already know this.  It will change your life FOREVER.  You didnt know that?  Oh yes, you will never be able to look at gnomes the same way!

So, about a week ago my 91 year old Grandma asked me if I could spruce up her gnomes in the backyard.  Of course I said yes.  I then went out and collected them.  (she only gave me 3 at first - Im thinking its some sort of test :p  ) 

I didnt get to them right away because it has been busy around here but after a stressfull week I decided to hide out in my craft area and get to work.  And that is when I realized I was forever changes by an animated movie!  I no longer have the ability to just paint a gnome without imagining that it is coming to life when I am out of the room - yeah - Im crazy.  I even found myself excusing myself politely and promising to hurry back at one point when I left to go to the bathroom --- see!  Goin crazy!  At its worst I stayed up till after 1 am painting the two gnomes because I really felt they would be unhappy in their unfinished state.

I am somewhat done with 2 of them so I thought I would post a before and after.  That and I was starting to feel like I hadnt posted anything crafty in ages!

So here is the before....

they really were very sunbleached.  poor things.

And here is the after....

Much brighter!  My mother says they even look happier! 

Im still working on the third one - he is turning out much trickier than the first two.  Even still he is calling me from my craft area as I type!  Oh the Gnome guilt!  I just cant resist. 

Oh and did I mention that at my sisters I noticed some small gnomes in her garden.  All bleached out and worn looking.   They are calling to me too!  Will probably snag them tomorrow to give them a facelift.

Maybe Im the gnome whisperer?

Grandma Camp!

 Last week my mother and daughter held "Grandma Camp" for the other grandkids!  They held it everyday in the afternoon from 1 - 3 pm.  They made alot of crafts each day, had a snack and played a few games.

 They painted bird houses!

 They made smores!

Here they are holding their purses!

Here is a photo of my daughter showing them how to make their daily craft (she is the one with the brown long hair and white t- shirt!)

In the end they were all had a great time and Grandma (my mom) and my daughter were worn out.  I still think it is a bit early to ask if they are going to do it again next year!