MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
ENJOY PICTURES OF SOME OF MY FAVORITE
CHRISTMAS PLACES, DECOR AND IDEAS!!

CHRISTMAS AT BILTMORE

MORE THANKSGIVING DECOR!!

Here's some more Thanksgiving decor I use to decorate my home....
Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday together!!

THANKSGIVING DECOR!!

Thanksgiving is almost here, and I thought I would share some pictures of some great items I use to decorate my home for the holiday. 
Sometimes Thanksgiving gets lost in the shuffle because all the Christmas hype starts so early, and it's a shame!
My neighbors across the street already have their Christmas tree up and lit!!

DRESSER MAKEOVER

Been a while since my last post, very busy, took a short vacation, busy with graduate school and work, but now......

Another great furniture makeover from cool2craft blog....

Using dollar store stickers!! Very cute and creative!

Click on the link below to see how......

Dresser Makeover

ANTIQUE WASHSTAND TRANSFORMATION

HELLO, SORRY IT'S BEEN SO LONG, BUSY WITH A NEW JOB AND GRADUATE SCHOOL!!

Here's a great project from one of my favorite craft/decor blogs,
Sweet Pickins Furniture.

Click on the link below to see how 
this really nice antique washstand was transformed!

Antique 

KITCHEN FOIL BIRD

Continuing to feature awesome craft projects from my favorite
craft blogs....

From Cool2craft, a little bird for your kitchen.
I love the faux patina look, and you can get everything you need
to make this cutie at Michael's!

Just click on the link below to get started......

                            Kitchen Foil Bird Project

BEADED EARRINGS

I really enjoy crafting, especially making jewelry, specifically earrings. Here is a sample of my recent work. 
I also like seeing what other crafters are doing.
If you are a jewelry making diva, let me know and I would love to follow your blog!

CUTE BUTTON WALL ART!!

Another great craft project from Cool2Craft!
Button cupcake wall art!
What a great way to use that jar of buttons you've been meaning to do something with!

Here's the link...Button Wall Art

HOW TO SPRAY PAINT FURNITURE

ANOTHER GREAT TUTORIAL FROM CRAFTAHOLICS ANONYMOUS


HOW TO SPRAY PAINT FURNITURE, LUV THIS CRAFT SITE!!

HERE'S THE LINK TO THIS GREAT TUTORIAL....

How to spray paint furniture

HOW TO PAINT FURNITURE PART 2: DISTRESSING FURNITURE

Sorry it's been so long since my last post, I've been on sort of a hiatus, meaning VACATION!!

Anyway, let's look at another great tutorial!!
Here's part 2 on painting furniture from a great craft blog, 
Craftaholics Anonymous!!

Just click on the link below to find out more......
Distressing Furniture

CLIP BOARD MAKEOVER!!

I found another great crafting blog, CreateStudio!
There is a wonderful, easy tutorial on how to decorate a plain clipboard. You can use any paper stock, wrapping paper, wall paper, you name it! This would make a great teacher gift!

See how cute and crafty they are!

To find out how to make these, click on the link below...

Clipboard Makeover

IDEAS FOR REPURPOSING ITEMS

Just found some great ideas for repurposing everything from furniture to teapots!
From a fantastic blog DIY Home Sweet Home...

I just love what this site has done to show you can do something new with an old item! Very clever and good for the environment!

Check out this cute idea! Making a kitchen island out of an old dresser...love the color!

Just click on the link below to find out more.....
Repurposing Items

HOW TO PAINT FURNITURE

I love Craftaholicsanonymous! They have a great Facebook page and wonderful website!
They just posted the start of a fabulous series on how to paint furniture. If you've ever wanted to repurpose or upcycle an interesting piece but don't know how to get started, check out this great tutorial!!

I really like this distressed piece shown above. This tutorial tells you everything you need to know to paint like a pro!
Click on the link below to get started!

How To Paint Furniture

GRAFFITI PICTURE FRAMES

I just love these cool picture frames I found on the crafting website
cool2craft.com!!

They are made from picture frames from the dollar store and leftover nail polish! These would make such great gifts!

I've posted the link to this easy tutorial on how to make these fabulous frames!! What a clever, inexpensive idea!

Graffiti Picture Frames

FINDERS KEEPERS: A very unique and creative concept!

FINDERS KEEPERS!

What a great name!

There is a little town in western North Carolina, Hendersonville, with a very unique store called Finders Keepers.
Finders Keepers sells repurposed, upcycled home decor and accessories. They have a very unique concept. The owners go out and scour the area for different and unusual items that can be repainted, redone or repurposed for sale. They take their time and their store is only open for one weekend every few months. 
They just finished a sale in April, had one last October, and will likely not have another sale until this October.
Believe me, it is worth waiting for!!
Check it out!

You can find them easily on Facebook, and they also have a blog.
I've posted a link to their blog below, which has wonderful pictures from their last sale of tons of unique furniture and home decor items. There is even a coffeepot lamp!!

Finders Keepers

SPRING FELT FLOWERS!!

Spring is in the air, and it's time to craft and make flowers!!

I found an oldie but goodie tutorial on Craftaholicsanonymous on how to make flowers out of felt!  These are so cute, they are shown on a wreath for your door, but I know you can use them for so many other things!

Just click the link below and see how easy it is to make these cute flowers! You could put them on packages, dress up a mason jar or a vase, the possibilities are endless!! 

Felt Flowers

ANOTHER GREAT WEBSITE FOR DIY: HERBSANDOILSWORLD.COM

Herbs and Oils World: A great DIY website!


In the past, I've had fun making my own lotions, lip balms, and if you look at one of my earlier posts, candles.
I love this website, they have great tutorials with instructions on how to make everything from eye cream to candles!
And the ingredients are all natural and smell great!

I love this idea I just saw on the herbsandoilsworld website, how to make your own lavender candle in a lovely teacup!

Click on the link below to see how....

Lavender Teacup Candle

CRAFTAHOLICSANONYMOUS....A FANTASTIC CRAFTING WEBSITE!!

Craftaholics Anonymous 

I was lucky to find this great website via Facebook. They have a lot of great ideas and free tutorials on almost any kind of crafting.
One of the great things about their Facebook page is you can post a crafting question or problem and then they will put it up and let readers help you find the answers! They even message you and let you know when they will post your question. Fantastic! 
If you need help with a project, looking for ideas, or help finding something for your crafting, this is the place to go!

Check out the link below to see a great looking and well organized craft room on their blog.  ENJOY!!

Craftaholics Anonymous

KITCHEN FAIRY!!

Another great crafting website:  cool2craft.com


Check out this cute kitchen fairy!
Click on the Kitchen Fairy link below to find out how to make this cute item.
Great Mother's Day gift!!

Kitchen Fairy

ANOTHER GREAT DECOR AND DIY WEBSITE: YOU REALLY NEED TO CHECK OUT SWEET PICKINS FURNITURE!!

For decor bloggers and DIYers, Sweet Pickins is a great site!
They show you how to repurpose, decorate and update
all kinds of fantastic furniture.
I've posted a link showing how to paint furniture 
using spackling paste. They are so creative!

Click on the link below the picture to see how and lots of 
other great ideas! They turn this old chest into a very 
cool rustic looking piece!




Painting furniture

NEW GLITTER AND BLING HAIR BOWS!!

Check out my newest styles and colors!
I make these as accessories for show horse riders, it adds a little style and color to the rider's outfit and completes the look.
The top picture shows how riders wear them. This is a beautifully shaped hair bun with a great looking bow in place!
Check out my previous blog post and read how I got started making and selling these fabulous bows!

Favorite blogs and websites!! Check out DIY Home Sweet Home

Every so often I'll post links to some of my favorite blogs and websites.
There are so many great people posting wonderful ideas!!
Want to share!!

                             This is one of my favorite crafty blogs, DIY Home Sweet Home.
                     They post amazing ways to reuse, upcycle, recycle and just have great ideas!
                     Check them out, they had a great post on "16 Uses for Recycled Pallets"
                                                          http://diyhshp.blogspot.com

BOTTLE CAP CRAFTS

BOTTLE CAP EARRINGS

BOTTLE CAP MAGNETS


One year, when I was on vacation, I was at a local arts and crafts fair, and I saw a clever idea. An artist was selling earrings made from pop bottle caps, like Nehi Orange, Grape, etc. When I returned home I decided to expand on the idea. It's hard to find soft drinks in bottles anymore, but beer bottles are easy! I started out making earrings from my favorite beer bottle caps like Blue Moon, Bud Lite, Michelob, etc. They were very popular with many of my co-workers and I gave them away as gifts.
Then I saw the possibility of making earrings with different logos such as my favorite college team, the University of Louisville Cardinals. I was able to find a variety of stickers and logos to glue on to the bottle caps, as well as painting my own.  I then expanded to magnets, which was so much easier! I painted the bottle caps with regular acrylic craft paint, attached a sticker or painted on a logo, then applied a coat or two of clear varnish or polyurethane.
I found small round magnets at Michaels. I cut a round piece of foam to put inside the bottle cap, glued it and then the magnet. I wanted the magnet to sit out a bit from the back, so the edges of the bottle cap wouldn't scratch your fridge or wherever you placed your magnet. You don't even really have to glue the magnets on, since they already stick to the metal bottle cap!! Easy and fun!!
The possibilities are endless, you can make pendants for necklaces  or hook them together to make cool bracelets! Love to hear any other ideas you crafters come up with for using bottle caps!!!!!!!

LET'S GO CARDS!! WIN FOR WARE!!

JUST WANT A QUICK POST TO CHEER ON THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS MENS BASKETBALL TEAM FOR REACHING THE FINAL FOUR!!

For those of you who might not know, Louisville player Kevin Ware was seriously injured in the win against Duke. He suffered a horrible compound fracture of his lower right leg.
So, the team is dedicating their efforts to #5, Kevin Ware!!!

LET'S GO CARDS, PLAY HARD AND BRING HOME THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP !!!

DRY, CHAPPED CRAFTER'S HANDS?? HERE'S A SOLUTION!

EASY, QUICK, INEXPENSIVE SOLUTION FOR THOSE 
                  CHAPPED CRAFTERS HANDS!!!

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with my blog lately, but I'm very busy in graduate school, working towards my Master's in Nursing. Also, a friend and former co-worker was killed in a tragic car accident and it's been difficult to deal with....

Chapped, dry hands are always a hazard for crafters, especially with the glue, paint, stains, etc. we deal with.
Years ago a hair stylist gave me a terrific tip, which I have expanded on. I was complaining about how my hands get so dry in the winter, which was compounded by my crafting and washing my hands so much.
She told me to use hair conditioner or creme rinse as lotion for my dry skin!
Ever since then, I've been hooked! You can use any type of conditioner such as the example above, Suave, White Rain, etc.
I also use the little packets of conditioner that come with my hair color (yes, I color my gray hairs, don't tell!). Those are great to tuck in your purse or suitcase when travelling.
The best part is you can find these and other name brands at your local dollar store!!
Believe me, the conditioner works just as well as any lotion, and you can get them in a nice variety of scents. I generally use the ones for dry hair. Dry skin, dry hair, they work on both!!

Another tip from hair salons:  Many use their line of shampoo in their restrooms for hand soap!
So, when you're at the dollar store buying conditioner, pick up a bottle of shampoo and put it in your kitchen and bathroom soap dispensers.
Again, you can find shampoos in a variety of scents and colors to match your mood and decor!
Note: Some people believe you need to use antibacterial soap, but I will tell you that as a Registered Nurse I know that studies show antibacterial soap is no more effective than regular soap. The key is the physical act of washing your hands thoroughly.
Antibacterial soaps are also more drying to the skin.

SO, CRAFTERS, NO MORE DRY HANDS!!
IF YOU TRY THIS, LET ME KNOW, AND GIVE ME YOUR TIPS ON WHAT WORKS FOR YOUR CRAFTERS HANDS!!

Glitter Bows

GLITTER BOWS!!

Just found some great sale ribbon and made these cool bows!!
The top one is red velvet glitter, the bottom ones are pink and purple glitter, of course with bling!


So, you might be asking yourself, who are these bows made for?
Good question. Many years ago I owned and showed American Saddlebred horses. I showed at local county fairs, prominent horse shows in the south and at the World's Championship Horse Show held in Louisville, Ky at the Kentucky State Fair every August. There are strict rules for what you wear when you show, and they include for daytime a three piece custom-made suit, jod boots, derby hat and gloves. Everything has to be properly color coordinated to match not only yourself but your horse. You want a put together look that stands out and makes a good impression.

For women, the look, especially the hair, has to be neat and well groomed. Most with longer hair pull it back into a small bun. It has become the rage to attach a color coordinated bow to the middle of your bun, and that's where my bows come in. Glitter and bling are super popular today, especially with the younger girls. Colors have varied over the years, ranging from pale pastel pinks, purple, lavender to eye-popping neons. Most love a bling crystal in the middle of the bow. I started making and selling bows a number of years ago and have been mildly successful. I love finding the right color ribbon, making each bow by hand and then knowing some show rider will be wearing my creation in the show ring!  

Here's a lovely picture of a World Champion horse and rider. You can't see it, but riders like her are wearing bows on their hair buns! Maybe mine! That's what keeps me excited about what I do!