Hope-Strength-Faith-Courage Breast Cancer Butterfly Tin

I put lots of good vibes, happy thoughts, and a whole lotta fight into making this pretty washi tape tin. My Mom asked for it for a friend and I got right on it. I had a simple silver tin that I had really wanted to upcycle.

I had just gotten some new fabric washi that I wanted to show case and this was a perfect place to use them. Got to try them all! You can see it a lot easier on the back side...

I added a real knob and lots of pretty flowers on top of a modge podged doily. Lots of room in this tin for treats. I used a really cool image from Regina's store THE CUTTING CAFE that was a graphic used to cover the bottom of a Hershey Kiss. I love being able to use something in a slighly different way. It made a nice centerpiece for that butterfly!

Such a pretty top! All flowered up! Sending this off to Mom soon with extra hugs and prayers for her friend!

Have a great Tuesday!

A Flying Thank You for Memorandum Monday

A couple of weekends back I spent a big part of the day in Bath, which is around a half hour away from here. Luke was at a bowling fundraiser for Civil Air Patrol. He isn't really good at bowling, so they are lucky that most of his sponsors gave him a flat rate. I made a few little cards for him to send out as thank you notes.

It was then I learned he had no idea where the address label went or the stamp...or even the return address label, which then prompted a quick lesson. Got me thinking of when I learned how to address an envelope. It was probably around third grade. When quizzed, both kids told me that since they don't have to mail things all that often, they didn't really know but yes, they learned it in third grade.

Guess it was good training as I had him fill out the envelope for his Civil Air Encampment application....life skills. On a side note, the fund raiser was for Aerospace Education and I can't wait to hear what exciting things he's learned. I'll stick with teaching him the fundamentals...like where the stamp goes.

Happy Monday! I'm here talking about letters and mail for Memorandum Monday with my friends over at Sian's From High in the Sky blog. If you sponsored Luke, you have my thanks and a little card is flying your way!

Painted Plate & Cupid Clock: Junkin at the ReStore

I always keep my eye out for hand painted plates. I have a little collection going at the moment that includes plates that my Grandma Skip made and that make me smile as I walk by them. This one is lovely in it's bright colors and shading.

E.S. Wilcox did a really nice job on those roses. I am sure she won't mind if her plate hangs out with all my other pretty plates. And check out that crazy egg? Someone local must be an egg artist as I've come cross those at the ReStore that have been cut in half and turned into boxes. This one is going the other direction and has that angel cut out of it. In fact, someone added some pretty sparkly stuff to the inside. I'm not sure how I'm going to alter the egg or in fact that crazy cupid clock, but they all made me happy.

One more close up of the clock. I think I'm going to replace the clock with a new one. It might involve some fancy smancy work though. I just really liked the lines on this piece. Plus it was only $4, how can you not want to spray paint it and mess with it for that. Or maybe I'll leave it and get all fancy with flowers...one never knows. This photo has a little more snow it it for Lizzy Hill who always worries we might skip out on winter here.

Anyhow, happy Friday to you! I'm back tomorrow with a layout that I thought I had set up to post earlier this week but gasp....I never finished the post.

Hugs!

Birds of A Feather Birthday Layout

You ever have a cool element you want to use so you make up a title around it? Yup, did that right here. Love those swans!

My Close to My Heart consultant was selling this autumn paper packet that included those cool swans all put together. So I swam with it. (Silly Pun Intended) I added that feather as further illustration. Fun title! Also added a little shimmer spray to the photos because...well, it was pretty.

So glad this page is done. I've been feeling guilty that I've got a stash of layouts to get done. In fact, next week will be a lot of layouts of Luke...getting caught up!

Happy Saturday! Hope your day was awesome. Mine involved a lot of paper, washi, and glitter glue.

Legs in the Air Chalk Paint Table

THE MAN does not share my vision. In fact, at times he might say it was very clouded as far as things that need saving. By saving, I mean painting. So when this showed up out in his garage last week there was quite the eye roll, snort, and implied suggestion that this table was fugly.

I had some extra chalk paint left over from my last project and more wax and look at this edge! It was just crying out for some waxing and sanding. I had to save this table. She was tipped upside down with her legs in the air at the ReStore in their very back junk pile and had been left there since this summer. It's under an overhang, but she was still exposed to the elements. When I show you the before picture, you will see what it did to the laminte wood on the edges. For now, lets enjoy the finished piece.

Those splotches are actually gold spray paint because I got crazy and decided to add splatters like I would to a layout. LOVE them. And look at those pretty little legs!

Those legs weren't always so pretty. In fact, this table was a bit wobbly so I used a dead blow hammer & some glue to tighten the pressure fitting of the leg into the top. I also tightened all the screws and it's much better!

What a hot mess! I think maybe THE MAN had a point. Although I'm super happy with the outcome! Bringing her back down to the store as I've been told no more furniture!

Hoping this time they let her in the door to be sold. ;-)

Pink Pussy Hats and Not Jurying for Memorandum Monday

Remember last week when I was talking about possibly having to go to Jury Duty? Well, I called on Friday night and they didn't have any cases! Must be everyone was too busy watching all the news around swearing in our new president and knitting their pink pussy hats. So anyhow, my unhappy mail was then happy!

As far as the hats go & marching, I am all kinds of impressed that a civil rights movement involves a craft project. In fact, I hope that there is sparkly yarn so you can kinda knit in some glitter with your hat. In all seriousness,  I will say that it seems as far as numbers go that it's a rather dumb ass move to alienate all the minorities. It's like spare change, if you add it all up you might just find out you have more than you thought. Not to mention, aren't women half the population?

Anyhow, onto other things that are pink, like these cards! Both are heading to my friend Starlene who is hanging out on her couch with a bum foot. I am sending her one to enjoy and one to send along to someone else after she adds her own sentiment. I'm also including some tea, because well, tea rocks. As does super thick gold glitter and butterflies! (Thanks Lizzy!)

So Monday, here's to you for a fresh start! A wave to my friend Sian, our host for Memorandum Monday who is far away from the US and probably watching our shenanigans with her own cup of tea and ball of yarn. Also a big thanks to the Pink Pussy Hat Peeps for making their voices heard in peaceful assembly all the while looking stylish, displaying one of our greatest freedoms.

Very Lizzy Valentine's Day Cards for The Cutting Cafe

oh goodness. I set myself up for success when I made these cards. First, I gathered all my little lovelies that my friend Lizzy Hill sent me. She has been playing with punches and that super chunky gold glitter and shared some goodies with me, so I've been hoarding them for a bit.

Then I made a pile of some new fabric washi that I picked up that was on sale....pulled out the gold paint and small stapler. Then, I went to my handy dandy stash of files from THE CUTTING CAFE and fell in love with this XOXO. It's from the XOXO Word Shaped Card file. I only cut out the very top layer that was welded together as it's intended to make a whole card. Here it's my main element on these Valentine's Day cards.

I used paper with a white core so you can see the white peeking out after embossing the letters. AND BAM, how do you like that big butterfly. It's SWEET, is it not. ;-)

You can see some of her white butterflies and little doilies under the those awesome letters too! Can't wait to send these off. I'm doing a Valentine exchange with Aunt Peaches. I got some really pretty cards last year so I can't wait! It's happy mail in the box.

Happy Friday! I'm off today working on a sanding project as I'm working tomorrow at Build Club. I'll be sharing that this next week! Can't wait!

Junkin' Tea Pot Treasures

One of the benefits to working in an office connected to a Habitat ReStore is that you can get your hands on the newest stuff before anyone else does. Oh wait, we don't have that benefit. Someone made a silly rule that we have to wait three days until we're able to buy a new item. Unless of course they mark something like this tea set at $50 and you are like....ah. Yeah. Not. A little too expensive for a tea set I just want to play with, three days be damned. Guess everyone else agreed with me.

So, I waited the six weeks until we had a green dot sale and pounced. It was then half off. BAM! Add in some credit I had to the store and I got this tea set for $10. My kinda bargain. Plus, then I can dress it all up with pretty candy, tea, and a flower without guilt. I did ask my MIL who dabbles in antiques if it was actually worth anything as the set appears to be hand painted Nippon. She was less than enthusastic. I guess it's worth what someone is willing to pay. ;-)

Lexi and I have been contemplating a tea party so I think I'll take my payment in memories, thank you very much. Plus, an excuse for pretty little cakes. Any Brittish peeps willing to give us some pointers, we'll take them!

Happiest of Hump Days to you!

A Magical Movie Layout

Tis the Season to use up those Christmas scraps! I really pieced them together here....in fact I had a nice big chunk of paper left over from THE CUTTING CAFE  that I misted down with some sparkle spray and thankfully made a good base for my page. The good news is that now I have to buy a new paper packet for Christmas next year which is awesome. No stale paper left me to use use up!

The other lucky item was this Christmas card from Lizzy Hill where she added a wand to her card. I added the entire card because it was so pretty and those red stars she sent me last year. Then I added a flower to it so it matched the rest of the page and some splatters.

I do still have quite a nice stash of velvet holly leaves. Those are vintage and like I said, I'm hoarding them. So pretty on top of a vintage playing card. I thought all these things fit the movie we went to see. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was awesome! Even better was the free pass for the family to the movies complete with popcorn and soda! It was an early morning showing so we popped in to see the movie and then enjoyed the rest of the day home prepping for Christmas.

I do believe this is last Christmas layout. I still have quite a stash of pages that need to be done since most of December I spent playing with other fun stuff! Back tomorrow with a junkin' find though!

Happy Tuesday!

Happy Mail & Unhappy Mail for Memorandum Monday

It's dark this time of year when you stop at the end of the driveway to collect the mail from the box. In fact, its dark when you leave for work. Then it's hurry up to the top of the driveway to wrangle supper, opening bills in between the cooking. There is the special tear just a little of the envelope off the power bill as one never knows what delights might wait inside since you are using all kinds of extra electricity to keep things warm and lit. It's no wonder a yummy package will get set lovingly aside for a better time. A time when things aren't hurried, perhaps there is wine, and nobody is menacing you for dinner. Sometimes that good time is a wee bit off from the actual package arrived, so I'm so glad that I'm allowed a little grace in that category since it was totally worth the wait!

Since we are talking about mail over at Memorandum Monday, I'd like to share a very special piece that arrived around the holiday time frame. Huge hugs to Lisa from AZ who is hopefully experiencing slightly warmer temps. The shaker has little clear HEARTS in it and I love those clear little droplets!

Incidentally, this is the most snow I've seen for a while! After you are done enjoying all those pretty little flowers and that jingle bell? Check out how the sidewalk is clear! (Don't tell, but this kind is way better!!!)

If you'd like to join us, we're hanging with Sian from High in the Sky who has themed this years Memorandum Monday to talk about mail, letters, etc. My second choice topic was to discuss the jury summons I received, but I figured I can always save that for a later date. I am hoping that not only does the snow stay away, but they don't pick my number to hang out at the court house for jury selection.

Happiest of Clear Mondays to you!

It's All Words and Imagination D & D Party Layout

It's that fabulous time of year here where when you leave for work it's still nearly dark and when you come home it's dark, making taking a photo of a layout nearly impossible! The upside to all of that is a cozy fire, permission to scrapbook as much as you want and massive tea consumption, so I'm only complaining just a little.

It's not my Saturday to run Build Club, so here I am blogging a bit to show you a newly completed layout. My kids being cool cats didn't really want presents this year but they wanted us to host a Dungeons and Dragon Party on December 26th. Seemed like a good plan to me.

Lexi is one of the Dungeon Masters so she had a fair bit of planning to do with Will. They also required a certain set up in the living room, so I had to borrow some tables from work.

Another requirement was plastic table cloths, you know the kind with the stars on them. Since I had no idea what that might be, I bought some sparkly sticker stars which are some of the same ones that landed on this layout.

It also happens to be the season where you only have the dregs of your Christmas scrappin' paper left so I augmented a bit with those glittery letters, so not only did I use up paper scraps but also all my extra homeless letters, so I was quite pleased. Oh and what is Lexi holding in her hand? They also had a White Elephant gift exchange so I'll be making layout on that at some point soon. She happened to get number six. One of the Pratt kids kinda went overachiever on his present so it deserves a layout!

Happy Saturday to you! Hope you are adding some glitter to something somewhere! Hugs!

Nancy Drew Shelves

A fresh coat of paint, some new molding, and a new vintage top, I have a new shelf! A bit of a clean out and some rearranging, I love all my boxes and cases shown off. I thought maybe I was going to add a decorative wooden flower to that top, but I like it plain better I think.

Take a peek and let me know. Do love those little spindles at the top! My favorite!

And why you ask is it a Nancy Drew shelf?

Well, because it's actually a door to a closet. A hidden door that I didn't even know existed until after we closed on the house. Every good craft room needs a secret stash spot, no?

Happy Hump Day!

Cornwell Tool Box

The other day, one of our volunteers came in to work waving a new set of trowels. She was pleased as punch that she'd have her own tools when we put down our next tile floor. I was proud of her too. Just because you are a girl doesn't mean you can't own your own tools. And by owning your own tools, I don't mean that crap they make FOR girls that is pink and chintzy. (Might be talking a little about that Big Shot on that bottom shelf that is also on it's last legs, seriously ugh)

Having blown through four or five hot glue guns, give me one that costs more and that will be around when I need it. Same goes for can openers. I'm looking at you Oxo. Awarding winning, my foot. But seriously, you ever notice we don't get the same consideration when it comes to tools that guys do? So anyhow, skip the pink tools, throw away the notion that you can't shop at any of the big hardware stores and start your collection.

Recently over the holidays, THE MAN decided to take apart the tool box that was passed down to him by his grandfather and whip it into shape. By whip it into shape, let's keep in mind that this previously red Cornwell box rattled around in the back of a pick up for over a decade because real men carry tools in their truck. I did always love Nate's Grandpa, even though he had the mistaken impression that girls couldn't drive tractors. Ole Cornwell here got a new coat of paint. This is the good stuff too. It's the black paint you use on tractors so meant to take a beating. Good thing, 'cause I now have a new tool box in my office.

How did he paint the drawers, you wondered?

It was some what strange wandering into the garage and seeing them all hanging by strings.

Tomorrow I'm blogging about my newly completed Nancy Drew shelves. What fun! Maybe by the end of this week I'll have a page to share!

Take Some Time to Rest He Said for Memorandum Monday

I woke up stiff the other morning. It didn't really start to hurt until I was crawling around the floor cleaning trim off so the people who were painting behind me could paint it at Build Club on Saturday. Thankfully it was nearly the end of the day and I came home & took a hot shower. Yup, wrenched the back a bit.

The fact we were painting a lady's bedroom who is wheel chair bound from ALS did not escape me. I had quite a lot of compassion laying in bed binge watching The Magician all day Sunday. She doesn't even have a bedroom set up yet downstairs as she has been waiting on a variety of agencies to rework her house. We're the last one in and we're painting. Love the purple for her bedroom.

Anyhow, to cheer myself up I opened this awesome present from Yvonne. It came sometime during the holidays and I wanted to wait until my birthday to open it. Sometimes having a birthday neatly sandwiched in between Christmas and New Years means you are a smidge forgotten. Anyone knows a gift from Yvonne is one that you will like, so I was thinking it would be nice to wait.

Low and behold I had a ton of things to open so then I opted to save it for when I was feeling down. Tweaked back counted as being down. Such lovely good yummy things. I got caught playing with my trinkets and was told to scoot back to bed immediately by THE MAN. He had witnessed a time up north when I had to crawl around the house due to back pain so knows it's better to just use a firm voice.

He said with flashing eye balls....take some time to rest. So, I did. Maybe I did watch too many back to back shows of The Magician...I am not sure his eye balls really flashed...

Sharing this with you for Memorandum Monday which is a brain child of Sian over at From High in the Sky.

Inspired by Iceland Collaboration Piece

Made this piece about a month ago. I wanted to hang with some art peeps who were working on an Iceland inspired piece and I was feeling the burn of too much Christmas stuff to get done so ran with something really simple. The Stardust container came from the ReStore as did the vintage polar bear. I really liked the container but the cork top was looking a little rough.

I hand dyed a couple of small Christmas trees (also adding glitter snow) and then went to town with my hot glue gun and some fake snow. Really like the simplicity of the piece as I've been enjoying it on my window for over a month now and it still makes me smile.

Love these pieces side by side with an added penguin that also came home with me. I wasn't sure if I needed him for my piece or not! Turns out, he is happy hanging out far away from the bear!

Check out the rest of these artists! I always like to see the wide variety of items created and such talent!

PLEASE CLICK to view works for the Inspired by Iceland Challenge...

1. Michele Kosciolek - Stuff By Belle

2. Laura Mooney - Inspired by Iceland

3. Christy Strickler- Inspired by Iceland

4. Mitra Pratt - Stardust Container

5. Sanna Lippert - Forest Elf

6. HOSTESS Tina Walker - Northern Lights

7. Milagros C. Rivera - Aurora Borealis

8. Yvonne Yam - Blue Lagoon

9. Sandra Strait - Puffin Art Doll

10. Beth Soler - Iceland Art Journal

11. Kristie Taylor - Northern Lights

12. Keren Tamir - Inspired by Iceland Canvas

13. Hope Malott - Iceland Glimmer

14. Krisy Podolak - Inspired by Iceland Art

15. Scrap Addiction: Inspired by Iceland

16. Annette Gearside Australia