Here Kitty, Kitty....

For all the animal lovers out there this is a quick and easy project to make a treat jar for your beloved pet(s). I started with an old jar I already had around the house and used templates I found on another craft site for the paw prints and wording. I didn't like the cat images the craft site provided so I took matters into my own hands and found a Victorian image more to my liking. I also didn't have any spray adhesive on hand so I used a quick set tacky glue to secure the image to the glass jar and it worked perfectly.

Once I had the image in place I put two coats of Mod Podge on the image as a sealer. Using the templates I found online I taped the images to the inside of the jar and with a fine tipped pen traced the paw prints and wording onto the jar. Please allow proper drying time as it will take some time for the ink to dry on the glass surface. The entire project took less than an hour and was created from a jar I already had around the house! I loved the way the cat treat jar turned out so I intend to make another for dog treats as well once I find the perfect jar.

Finished product.

Here's the image I used.


Here doggy.....

  Treat jar for the dog.

Image I used for the doggie treat jar.

Yeah... my pets are pretty spoiled, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Baby You're A Firework....

Wow... I've definitely been a bad craft blogger for the past two months. Actually, I've been a bad crafter for the past two months. After Easter I really didn't have another holiday to create any decorations for, but that recently changed when I realized the 4th of July is upon us! It's not only been a lack of holiday's though. There have been some major happenings in the household lately. My mother was recently diagnosed with cancer so between the shock, chemotherapy, and anticipation of starting radiation I haven't had much time to think, much less create. However, one night while she was resting I remembered a craft I had seen a while back of a paper fire cracker and feeling inspired I got out my crafting paper, mod podge, and fired up the Cricut. Presenting Victorian Fireworks!

Although I didn't take progression photos (I know I promised, but I always get in the craft zone and forget) this project is very easy. All you need is card stock paper, glue, images of your liking, floral wire, and tinsel. I have already decided that this upcoming Christmas season I am going to load up on Christmas tinsel. I'm running out and Christmas is still 6 months away. What ever will I do!? Hopefully I'll make it to October which when shoppers usually see the first of many holiday items hitting store shelves.

Back to the fireworks.... First you form your wire to look like a firework smoke tail. The bottom needs to be a connected circle, for stability, and then you simply twist the remaining wire to create a spiral. Cover the wire in tinsel, so far I have used gold and silver, and viola! You have the smoke tail for your firework.

Next you take a piece of card stock paper and roll into a tube shape. Glue the back seam and let dry. Once dry you can decorate the tube with stripes or stars (as seen in the picture  below) and take a patriotic image of your choice and glue to the front. I happen to like Victorian images so I always use those. Once I have the image glued in place I like to add a layer of mod podge. One it protects the image, but it also makes the image pop with a hint of gleam. For the top cut a circle from your card stock paper and slice it to the middle. Roll the circle into a cone shape and glue to the top of the tube. Once the tube is completely dry you take the tinsel smoke tail and glue to the back inside of the tube. So far I've made two, but I intend to make a third, slightly smaller than the smallest one I have so far and then I will have a complete centerpiece that will look great at any 4th of July event I happen to throw or attend. Just wait until you see the dessert I have in mind. :) Hopefully it won't be another two months before I update again, but until next time.... Happy crafting!

 

Made the third and final firework this evening during a thunderstorm. Storms bring out my creative side. I think the three look very good together. Now I have a complete centerpiece!

Easter Doo-Dad

Yesterday was primarily a waste of what could have been useful time and I spent most of the day staring at various craft supplies and pondering craft inspirations. As the sun was beginning to set I finally got around to actually making something and not just thinking of making something. I wasn't sure what to call my creation since it doesn't serve any real function. It's basically just a pretty.... a doo-dad as the old folks might call it.

I know you're asking yourself the same thing I've been asking myself. "So, what is it again?" A day later and I'm still not sure. I took an empty ribbon spool, some craft foam, fine glitter, some pink Easter grass, and a few Victorian images I found online and created a little Easter pretty. I suppose its sole function is to sit and be pretty. People buy porcelain what-nots for the same purpose so why not create a craft that has no purpose other than to be pretty. Here's the finished doo-dad, whatnot, what have you....

I don't know why, but the the curled ribbon looks coral in the above picture. It isn't. It's a deep rose pink color which can be seen in the following photo. I tried several different settings on my camera to take photos of this doo-dad, but most settings produced a blurry image and the only setting that didn't discolored the ribbon. Putting both images together should be able to give you a better mental image of the actual coloring of the craft. I'm beginning to think it's time for a new camera.

So while it serves no real function I think it can still be appreciated for artistic effort. What could have turned into a major craft fail morphed into an actual craft. So what if it doesn't open to reveal little secrets inside. This is the little craft that could. The little craft that didn't need any surprises. It's just pretty. It doesn't need to be anything else.

Easy Peesy.

This is quite possibly the easiest craft I've ever made and it's all because of the greatest little crafting tool ever created... the Cricut! Anyone that likes crafting and/or scrapbooking needs a Cricut. Those little machines are monsters and if you're willing to invest in the different cartridges then I promise you will not be disappointed. Think of all the money you already spend on backgrounds, borders, and stickers... well the Cricut makes all of that and more, but this isn't an ad for the Cricut. This is a craft blog so let's get on to the craft.

I had purchased a small Easter tree at the Dollar Tree about a month ago. I wanted to get them before they sold out, and lo and behold, the last time I was in the Dollar Tree they only had a handful left and they looked pretty bad so I was happy with my impulse Easter purchase well before Valentine's Day. The Dollar Tree provided glitter foam egg ornaments, that are very cute in their own right, but I wanted something a little different for my tree. I already decorate a larger feather tree with egg ornaments for Easter and keeping with my love of all things Victorian I went to the Cricut with an idea in mind. Luckily we had a cartridge with a tag design I rather liked and thought would fit well with the Victorian theme. I cut all the layers on the Cricut. White background, pink middle, and the white scrolling frame. Next I simply printed the Victorian images on plain printer paper and used an oval template to cut to the appropriate size. Here's the finished product....

They are very small and dainty, only 1 1/4 inch big, so I strung regular pink sewing thread through the top to make the hanger. The following picture shows the ornaments on the tree I purchased. I still may add a few foam egg ornaments, or some ribbon on the base, but I think for one dollar and a few odd cents it looks pretty good.

After egg and ribbon embellishments.

Before egg and ribbon embellishments.

Supplies Used:

1 small Easter tree from The Dollar Tree

1 package of foam glitter eggs from The Dollar Tree

Textured paper for ornament templates

Victorian images gathered from the internet

Ribbon removed from 1.00 candy package from Wal-Mart (Yes I bought the candy in question. LOL)

Cricut (Used to cut ornament layers)

X-Acto knife (Used to cut Victorian images for ornaments)

Glue stick (Used to assemble ornaments)

Pink sewing thread

Top o' the morning to ye!

I have decided, after much careful consideration, that I will not be posting progression photographs with all my craft projects unless I happen to obtain followers that are looking for step by step instructions on how to create some of the things I make. I know my blog is in its infancy, and I shouldn't expect to have a ton of followers since my blog is centered around Victorian crafts and antiques, but perhaps as time goes on I might gain a small following and someone may ask for instructions for the crafts I create. At that time I will happily start with the progression photos again, but until that time I find it easier to sit down and complete a craft project, start to finish, without having to stop after every step to take a photo. And in all honesty the crafts I create are so simple that I can easily explain the steps when showing the finished project.

First I want to share an update to an earlier craft I made, my Easter tussie mussie. The more I looked at the pictures, the more I noticed that something seemed "off." It was almost as if the tussie mussie was lopsided. In person it wasn't as noticeable, but in pictures the off center rose at the bottom didn't seem to complete the look in a balanced way so I simply added two leaves. Just those two leaves made all the difference and gave the tussie mussie a more balanced look.

As a fan of holiday decorating it never occurred to me to create something for St. Patrick's Day. Sure, it's a fun holiday that involves pinching and green beer, but when it comes to decorating ol' St. Patrick doesn't get many options. Some people decorate for St. Patty's Day parties, and it's always a fun day at the office, but at home it's really a forgotten holiday so I decided to create something special just for St. Patrick's Day. No tussie mussie this time. St. Patrick's Day was getting its own personal, one of a kind, craft. Presenting the 'Pot O' Gold' trinket box.

I started with a plain white crafting box that can be purchased at any crafting store. Mine was similar to the one shown, but slightly smaller.

To start I covered the bottom edges with fine crafting glitter. I began with a light base coat in light green and went back to add contrasting stripes in a pretty Kelly green and vibrant gold.

For the bottom I simply cut a piece of green crafting foam using decorative scrapbooking scissors. The foam was peel and stick so all I had to do was remove the backing, stick it to the bottom of the box and contrast the edge with fine white glitter. Some of the gold and green fell onto the edge, but it adds overall depth and character. I'm not afraid of a little boo-boo here and there in crafting.

On the lid of the box I cut a piece of green foam and adhered it to the top. I also covered the top in the fine white glitter to create a contrasting decorative base for my decorations. (FYI: I'm not really a fan of undecorated foam in crafting. It comes in handy to add dimension, but it can also look cheap so I always embellish crafting foam for a more finished look.) I lined the top edge of the box with small green tinsel that was left over from Christmas, hot glued two bells, one gold and one green, to the center of the lid for easy opening. To add further contrast I glued two bells to each front corner of the box as well which you can kind of see here. Sorry it's sort of blurry.

 

For the lid I first cut two contrasting shamrocks from two colors of green foam to add a three dimensional look. On the top shamrock I added a Victorian image I found online that I printed on the textured paper I've mentioned in past blogs. Because the textured paper is matte in appearance I simply painted a thin layer of Mod Podge on the image to create a shiny appearance. I lined the image on the shamrock with green tinsel. The bottom St. Patrick's Day banner was also found online, printed on the same textured paper, given one layer of Mod Podge, and cut out using my handy X-Acto knife. I used adhesive mounting squares I found at the Dollar Tree to lift the image from behind to create a 3D appearance. I did the same on the top back of the large shamrock and that last step concludes the making of the St. Patrick's Day 'Pot O' Gold' trinket box.

Easter Tussie Mussie.

Sorry for the lack of updates, but I haven't been feeling very creative in the past couple of weeks. I attribute most of that to the weather because warmer weather wrecks havoc on my sinuses, but you aren't here to read about the perils of Amy. You're here, hopefully, to see and discuss curiosities and crafts.

So speaking of crafts... I spent a little downtime this evening to create a quick and simple favorite craft of mine, the Victorian tussie mussie. I apologize now because I did not take progression photos, but I opted to create while sitting in bed and watching my current favorite television program, "The Vampire Diaries." I know, I know... I promised to take progression photos, but tussie mussies are super simple to create and the steps, I think, can be described in good enough detail without any accompanying photos. First, I will show you the end result and then describe the few, simple steps it took to create this Easter project.

This tussie mussie is slightly unlike others I have made because I began with a piece of scrapbooking paper that was pre-cut with a decorative edge. If you look at the top of the tussie mussie you will see the scalloped design. The paper, also embossed, was round in shape so all I had to do was roll the piece of paper into a cone shape.

First I printed Victorian images I found on the internet on the textured scrapbook paper I've used on previous projects. I cut the designs using scissors and an X-acto knife. On the large image I detailed the edge with decorative ribbon that I folded into pleats and sealed with a hot glue gun. To cover where the two pleated pieces come together I glued an egg/banner design that I had typed Happy Easter on using a photo editing program. I attached the completed piece to the front, middle of the tussie mussie.

Because I didn't want to cut the decorative scrapbook paper I used to create the cone I had a small opening in the bottom of the tussie mussie that is normally closed on my regular tussie mussie design. To fill the void I cut a small pink rose from a bunch I had purchased for crafting and used craft feathers to further fill the opening until the feathers were full and fluffy.

Instead of gluing the ribbon used to hang the tussie mussie I took a hole punch and made corresponding holes on each side and knotted large ivory ribbon through each hole. I took scissors and cut a V pattern into the ends of the ribbon to create a more polished look.

So that's my simple tussie mussie. I have began making them for every holiday so expect to see many more in the future. Also, keep checking back as I have a few other Easter craft ideas floating around in my head and I promise I will try to take progression photos on future Easter projects. Until next time....

With Love's Greeting

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and while it's not my favorite holiday I have had fun creating vintage Valentine crafts and baking Valentine treats. I began my fun-filled Valentine weekend Friday night. I baked sweetheart cupcakes for my sweetheart while watching "A Charlie Brown Valentine."  I got the super cute cupcake wraps and picks at The Dollar Tree.

His and hers cupcakes. The background image on "A Charlie Brown Valentine" is perfect, and totally unplanned, I promise it was a complete accident. Isn't it handy having a television in the kitchen? Love it.

Anyone that loves to bake, especially cupcakes, needs one of these Wilton cupcake pans with a lid. My boyfriend's mom and dad got it for me for Christmas. I adore it.

On Saturday my boyfriend and I traveled to a really great Flea Market in London, Kentucky where I got the family dog, Annie, some really cute homemade doggie treats. Don't worry, everything is made with dog friendly carob. She loves to lick the carob icing off the treats. She's spoiled rotten. :)

 

After we left the flea market we went to a local Vendor's Mall where I saw tons of great antiques, but opted out of buying myself anything because I was shopping for others for Valentine's Day. I noticed at walmart you could buy really cute Valentine's Day bags for 4 or 5 dollars and those really cute bags weren't in my budget. The Dollar Tree was already wiped out of Valentine themed bags so I simply purchased two plain bags on the cheap and decided I would oomph them up at home. 

For my mamaw's gift bag I got a simple pink bag with white handles. These cost one or two dollars depending on the size. The heart tissue paper I picked up for a dollar was really cute, but not enough embellishment for me. This project gave me the perfect opportunity to play with mom's Christmas gift, a Cricut. I bought her a holiday themed cartridge for Christmas. From that cartridge called "Celebrate With Flourish" I cut the layered "Happy Valentine's Day" message in pastel textured paper. My mamaw loves kittens so I cut a kitten with a heart in its mouth from the cartridge called "Four Legged Friends" from the same textured paper. Here's the end result.

 

Don't tell, but this is mamaw's Valentine gift. It's the softest little puppy imaginable. I hope she likes it. I think she will. :)

 Poor Todd... he won't get his Valentine's Day gift until we receive our tax return, but I think he will be okay waiting considering there will be some pretty cool technology involved. Although I didn't have much money to spend this year I still wanted to buy my parents a little something. The gifts inside the bag will remain a secret since mom reads my blog and while it isn't much it's the thought that counts and they deserve something since they help me so much. I got a larger bag to hold both gifts and it was another cheap bag with stripes. Pretty, but also pretty plain. I was finished with the Cricut for the day so I pulled out some heart doilies I had on hand and used the same cupid image I put on my 3D image box earlier this year. Again I printed the cupid on textured paper and cut him out with an X-Acto knife. I put a hint of glitter on his wings and glued him to the layered heart doilies. I simply glued the entire image to the front of the striped bag. Here's the end result.

 

Happy Valentine's Day! My gifts are all packed up and ready to go. For those of you wondering why I have Sarah Jessica Parker hanging on my wall... it's an autographed photo a friend got for me a few years back. My friend works in the movie industry and I'm a huge "Sex and the City" fan so he hooked me up. It's even personalized to me. :)

Last, but not least, I spent part of today baking a Valentine treat for my parents. I made cupcakes for my sweetie, but for my parents I opted for a cake. Both were simple Valentine Funfetti cakes (Yay, Pillsbury for your themed Funfetti cakes!) but both were personalized in different ways. What screams Valentine's day more than hearts? Mom had a heart cake pan in her array of cooking and baking devices so I braved my first ever layer cake. I simply love to bake, not much on cooking, but I love to bake so even I found it surprising that I had never made a layer cake before. I had some trouble with one of the layers sticking inside the pan. I guess I got in a hurry and didn't properly grease the pan, but I had a strict agenda that I needed to get all Valentine projects finished well before the start of the Grammy's. I am an absolute dork over award shows. I love them. The Academy Awards are my favorite, followed by the Golden Globes, then the Emmy's...etc. The Grammy's, while not my favorite, are a lot of fun. I watch nearly every award show that is broadcast, even the Tony's. There's something old-fashioned about award shows that I love... anyway... I've gone off on an award show tangent that has nothing to do with Valentine's Day so let's get back to the cake. After the small sticking cake mishap I was able to get the cake layered and crudely decorated, but I'm sure it will taste divine!

 

Unfortunately I had mishap number two. The cake plate lid doesn't fit around the cake which is extremely frustrating because I measured, but every time I tried to put the lid on, it scraped the edges. Oh well. That's why they make toothpicks and plastic wrap, but hopefully after we eat a few pieces after dinner the lid will fit. :)

It's not quite Valentine's Day yet, but I wanted to complete everything today so I wouldn't have to do so much on the actual holiday. I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day whether or not you have a sweetheart to share it with. I've always thought there was too much emphasis on couples during Valentine's Day, but I always make a point to recognize family and friends as well. Don't be depressed if you're single, embrace that single-dom and have fun! Spend VDay with your family, friends, or sweet little furbabies. It doesn't have to be a couple's holiday anymore. Just get out there and make it your own!

Curiosities we must bring back.

As I sit here watching the snow fall in Southeastern Kentucky I am reminded of a favorite snow time activity. Children old and young see snow as an opportunity to grab a sled, or even a piece of tin roofing or a garbage can lid, and set sail down one of the many rolling hills we are blessed with in the Appalachia's. I can even remember once using a small plastic kiddie pool to speed down the rather steep hill behind my neighbor's home. This weather always makes me long for something I have never experienced, yet always wanted to. It's something I have seen in movies, and read in books, but I've never actually had the pleasure of experiencing a sleigh ride in a horse drawn sleigh. I know some larger cities offer the service in winter and for weddings, but not here in good ol' Southeastern Kentucky. Maybe it's offered in the Lexington area, where they are famous for horses, but not here. It just seems to me there would be little danger in getting to your destination in a horse drawn sleigh -- which is very unlike the machines we call automobiles. Yes, I wouldn't mind getting out and traveling in the snow, but only if one of these were provided with a very gentle horse to guide me.

I don't pretend to be a connoisseur of antiques and it's not my life's ambition to become one, but I have a fondness for anything old... anything that may tell a story or makes me wonder how other families may have enjoyed its presence in the home. In the last year I have been to a handful of estate sale auctions and road side yard sales in search of the perfect little find. Unfortunately most of the things I covet most have been well out of my price range. Sure, my boyfriend and I have gotten a few treasures, including a piano from the early 1900's for 20.00, but the items I have wanted most have slipped by me as the auctioneer recited prices higher than I had to spend. Two of the estate sales I attended were for members of the family. Both of them were my great great aunts. At one auction I desperately wanted my aunt's hall tree and secretary desk, but I was happy to walk away with a couple antique mirrors and a kerosene lamp. My other aunt, whom I was very close to as a child, had a carnival glass set I wanted, but again the price was out of my reach. From that auction I left with a handcrafted baby bed my great great uncle had made and a small side table I gave to my mom. 

My aunt had a secretary desk very similar to this one. Can't you see why I would loved to have had it? Imagine the stories this wonderful old desk could tell. The many letters that were written on that small flip front desk. The papers and envelopes that were stored to the left. The whatnot the lady of the house may have sat on the little shelf under the mirror. So many imaginable stories. I hope to one day have one because I still believe in the art of a handwritten letter or card. Ask my friends... they will tell you I still send greetings by snail mail.

This is a hall tree. This definitely is not what the associates at Pier One are trying to sell you as a hall tree. This is a thing of beauty and artisan craftsmanship. This is where the man of the house should hang his hat and sit to remove his worn out work boots. My aunt had two hall trees, both were smaller than this, but just as beautiful.

Another day, another blog, and I will share with readers (when I happen to gain any) the cat turd hunting treasures I have gotten, and of course, explain a little more in detail just what cat turd hunting means.

Today I'd like to focus on antiques I'd love to have, but currently don't have the money to buy. :) I'm not a fan of most mass produced objects. Sure those particle board book shelves from walmart come in handy when you're running out of room, but where's the craftsmanship? Where's the ornate designs to make it one of a kind? In a word, they are boring. Sure at 30.00 bucks you can't beat the price, but they are cheap, fall apart within a few years, and honestly don't look very good. Do I have them? Oh yes I do and as I said they come in handy. I have them, and they work, but that doesn't mean I have to love them.

Take baby furniture for example. I understand safety precautions and updating items for the safety of a child, but does everything need to be plastic with Winnie the Pooh stamped on the side? When I think of plastic I think of all the uneven little surfaces that can catch germs and food. In some ways I am a germaphobe and while I don't have any children yet I still think about how I'd like to decorate my child's room... you know... just in case. Let's a take a look at what lovely child's furniture looks like.

 Are these beautiful strollers very practical? Not really, but could you imagine being the mother who lived in town and took their child to the mercantile in one of these? They are very lovely, but I'm quite sure they aren't going to fold down and fit into the back of a minivan. Still, I would prefer one of these over the plastic monstrosity with cartoon characters plastered all over.

I love baby cradles and these are two of the prettiest I have seen in my short research this morning. They don't look very dangerous to me, and although they would need closer inspection, from the photos themselves I see no reason why I wouldn't allow my baby, again if I had one, to rest in either of these antique cradles. Even a far more primitive design I found largely outweighs the current plastic models in overall style.

High chairs. I  vaguely remember the high chair I had as a baby and it was wooden. The same could be said for my red outdoor porch swing. They were not plastic, they were wooden, and they were lovely. I wish more of my baby furniture had been saved, but I also understand the concept of not keeping things one no longer needs. I still have several of my baby dresses and my rocking chair, which I love, but no longer do I have my crib or high chair. Again, in a house full of people I understand having to let go of things that are no longer needed and not having these items will give me the opportunity to perhaps someday shop for the antique variety. Please understand that pinched fingers are gonna happen with any kind of high chair that has a removable table top. I just happen to prefer mine in a oak, cedar, or maple.

Waterfall bedroom sets. My mamaw had a later model waterfall bedroom set, probably 50's or 60's, but my favorite waterfall sets are more ornate, older. I think it's becoming obvious that I really enjoy the more Victorian style of furniture that is unfortunately really rare. There's just something regal about the waterfall sets. The dresser could double as a woman's vanity. Reproductions cost almost as much as the antiques so if they can mass produce boring dressers why couldn't they reproduce one of the waterfall variety? Just saying...

 

You know what would go perfectly with the waterfall bedroom set? A lovely chifferobe. Before the time of cookie cutter houses, and unimaginable walk-in closets, families relied on furniture for storage. You had a chest of drawers for clothing, chifferobes for undergarments and maybe bed linens, and a dresser for smaller treasures. You didn't have very much clothing so you didn't need a walk-in closet. It was a far more simple time and women didn't need 50 pairs of shoes. Think how desensitized we have become to material belongings. Sometimes I wish that I lived in another era where technology and material things didn't matter so much. To heck with the Kindle... I prefer holding onto a good sturdy book. Would I take a Kindle if it were given to me? Of course, but that Kindle would not stop me from buying real books either. Moving on... here's a very nice chifferobe.

One of the many things that are readily available at most estate sales are steamer trunks. Before mass production of the automobile, or the invention of the airplane, people traveled quite rarely because it took so long to make even the shortest of trips. Think back to when people had to travel to Europe only by ship. The trip would take weeks so when you traveled you had to literally take most of your belongings with you. Even with the invention of the steam engine trips were not taken frequently. Todd and I use a steamer trunk his mom and dad have lent us as our coffee table. It still has some of the original travel stickers on the sides. The inside is dingy and musty, but I absolutely adore it and wouldn't sell it for any amount of money. So even though I have a steamer trunk in use I would love to find one that has all the individual compartments inside. They are much more rare and so very interesting to me. This one was lovingly decorated by the lady that once owned it. Can you just imagine the places she could have seen with this trunk in tow?

Last, but certainly not least, I'd like to introduce two kitchen items that I have always adored. The first is the icebox. Not very practical in today's time with the invention of refrigeration, but they make very lovely accent pieces which can be used for storage. The other is something that only the privileged likely had in their home... the tea cart. I love antique tea pots so it's safe to say that I would like the tea cart to go with them. Imagine the spoiled, silly women eating petit fours and having tea from the cart during their weekly tea luncheons. Perhaps I'm overly romantic because of all the period piece movies I enjoy and the Victorian Literature I was forced to read in college, and then loved despite myself, but I love the idea of girl friends gathering for tea instead of overly cooked food at the local grill. Now tell me that these two items aren't beautiful?

I hope to someday have the means to fill my home with some beautiful finds reminiscent of the items I showcased today. Unfortunately, my style is quite expensive whether I would have to buy the items antique or as a reproduction. Right now I can barely afford the 30.00 particle board bookshelf at walmart, but there's always the lottery. I suppose I should need to buy tickets to win. Now where is that horse drawn sleigh to whisk me off to the convenience store?

Will you be my Valentine?

My desire to craft began with Valentine's Day 2010. I have always enjoyed decorating for Christmas and had tons of Christmas decorations, but come February I realized I had none for Valentine's Day. I scoured the local shops, mostly walmart and various dollar stores, but they really didn't have much of a variety when it came to Valentine decorations. I  don't live in an area that has many specialty shops so I realized my shopping had run it's course and there would be no Valentine decorations for my apartment. Sadness.

That's when I got inspired. My mom has always had a crafty spirit and often saves things she thinks could be used in crafting projects. It just so happened she had saved a couple chocolate heart boxes from a previous Valentine's Day. I grabbed them and sent her after crafting supplies while I brainstormed. She came home with two bags full of shiny hearts, pretty ribbon, and various paper items. I grabbed the glue gun, some scissors, and printed some Victorian images from the internet. I pondered, and snipped paper, and crumpled ribbon, and eventually I walked away from my first crafting project with two valentine wall hangings and a vintage valentine bucket that I put a small electric candle inside.

Front View

 

Back View (Notice the vintage valentine's in the pockets.)

 

Hanging View. (The garland around the door was another Dollar Tree find.)

And thus began my new found love of crafting. I've found another easy way to decorate your home for various holidays, which I absolutely adore to do, is by simply printing a holiday themed image from the internet and placing that image inside a frame. I personally prefer Victorian images, but you could use any that were themed for the current holiday. 

 

I purchased the frame at the Dollar Tree, but it only came in black or brown. I enjoyed the vintage design of the frame itself, but not the color. I thought it was nothing a little paint couldn't fix and for one dollar you can't really go wrong. So once home I found a picture I liked, printed it off, and chose a complimenting color for the frame. I painted the frame with a dry brush to create a slightly antiqued, shabby chic look so that just a smidgen of the prior black coloring shown through. I added a hand crocheted doily, my vintage crafted bucket, and a small heart candle to complete the look.

 

This frame was given to me from a friend. It has the old, antique look I love, and I change the pictures inside depending on the current holiday. This is the valentine version. I promise the frame itself isn't crooked, but I can't say the same for the photographer. :) Again, this is an easy and inexpensive way to decorate your home for any holiday and the best part is that the entire project was free! Victorian images are easily accessible on the internet and because the Victorians loved postcards and paper ephemera there are hundreds of images to choose from. Simply choose your favorites and get to framing.

Fast forward to Valentine's Day 2011. Within the past year I have created a handful of designs for various holidays, but today I'm sticking to the Valentine designs. Never fear... I will likely share my prior projects at a later date, but for now I'll focus on one holiday at a time.

In keeping with the Victorian theme I love I printed several different block images of the valentine variety for a simple and easy block project. I purchased three small styrofoam blocks from the Dollar Tree and covered them in tissue paper for a smoother finish. You could use any color tissue paper because the block will be completely covered, but I used red. I cut the block images to size and used Mod Podge to adhere the images to the different sides of the tissue covered blocks. After the blocks dried I took a paint brush and painted thin strips of tacky glue to the edges and covered them in chunky red glitter. (For future projects I promise to keep a conscious effort to take progression photos.) This is the end result.

 

After finishing the blocks I moved on to one of my favorite Victorian themed crafts to make... paper tussie mussie cones. They are simple crafts to make and can be filled with small treasures, trinkets, candies, or the intended flowers. I have used them in gifting baskets before, but mostly I make them to use as decoration. You can find various size tussie mussie templates online by using your favorite search engine. I tend to make smaller tussie mussies to conserve paper. Of the size I tend to make I can get 4 tussie mussies from one standard size piece of scrapbooking paper. Just follow the steps for creating the cone shape and grab whatever you'd like for decorating. For my Valentine tussie mussie I used my mom's Cricut to create the Happy Valentine's Day wording and tag on which I glued the Victorian image I printed from the internet. To embellish I used white feathers, two types of Valentine themed ribbon, and a small metal tag on which I glued a vintage floral image to hang from the bottom. Presenting my tussie mussie....

I cannot, and would not, try to take credit for the following craft. Most crafts can be interpreted from images or things we have previously seen, but putting your personal touch on them makes them somewhat original. I can't personally say I thought of the tussie mussie idea, but I can say the above is an original of my own creating. The following craft is not an original of mine. I got the idea from a vintage crafting site and printed off the images and templates they provided. I used two images of my own, but the others were provided to me on the crafting site. My variation uses red tinsel, not plain cord as the site suggested, and golden vintage buttons, not plain beads as suggested. They called the hearts, Kissing Dangles. I made them to hang in a very small window in my apartment. I covered the hearts in Mod Podge to create a sturdier finish. Overall I think they turned out well. (Ignore the dirty window. lol I was so excited to take a picture I forgot to clean the window first.)

Last but not least I created a 3D cupid valentine box. I took a a heart shaped box I had purchased at the Dollar Tree and covered the bottom portion with a piece of iridescent valentine ribbon because I didn't like the original foil look of the box. The top portion I covered in simple white tissue paper. I cut one long pieceof tissue paper to attach to the side edge and cut a frayed design with scissors. To compliment the top line of the fray I added a piece of silver tinsel. To finish the top edge I used a piece of simple red ribbon. For the 3D design I printed the cupid on textured scrapbooking paper for a vintage feel. I used an X-acto knife to carefully cut the outline of the cupid from a full postcard design. Under the paper heart doily I added a piece of pink paper for contrast. I glued the cupid to a fanned piece of valentine tissue paper, again for further contrast. Once I had the major portion of the centerpiece completed I had to stand the image. I used heart picks, with long bamboo handles, purchased at the Dollar Tree to support the image from behind. To cover the support I simply fanned pieces of tissue paper and covered the columns. It isn't nearly as pretty from the back, but at least it has a more finished look. (I will try to add a picture of the back later.)  To complete the desired look I embellished the top with small paper roses (printed on the same textured paper as the cupid and cut out with the X-acto knife) added a scrapbooking tag with the word "love" and secured to the bottom of the cupid image with ribbon. An outline of fine grain silver glitter covers the top edge of the box and a Happy Valentine's Day banner printed on the textured paper completes the top view look of the box. Here are a front and top view.

 

Front View.

Top View.

So how does it all come together to create one cohesive look?

I purchased this shelf at a local hometown festival in the fall. It has the shabby chic/antique look that I am constantly looking for and it compliments my crafts nicely. The "Home Tweet Home" hanging is one of the few mass produced Valentine decorations I have found that I liked. I purchased it in 2010 at K-Mart. The small Valentine frame, with a picture of my sweet cats, was another Dollar Tree find from 2010. I'd also like to recommend the Lemon Icebox Cookies candle shown here from the Swan Creek Candle line. They can be found at various retailers or online. It smells delish. :)

This is the small window I mentioned earlier. You can see one of my first Valentine hearts hanging in the top left hand corner and of course the Kissing Dangles in the window. On the sill I have some simple blocks, a small Valentine basket I'd gotten years earlier from a co-worker, and a candle. On the outside you can see my small Dollar Tree bird feeder. I think it's important to help feed the outdoor critters in the winter. :)

Because I hadn't intended to create a crafting blog until recently it never occurred to me to take progression photos. However, now that I intend to continue with this blog I do hope to remember to take progression photos to help anyone that may like to try their hand at any of the crafts I make. Remember that I am an amateur crafter and I am certain that anyone could easily make any of the crafts I present on this blog. Most of them will use simple supplies, like paper, and a lot of the supplies will be purchased on the cheap at places like the Dollar Tree. If you'd like any further instructions on something I have made here please don't hesitate to ask. Happy crafting folks.