Helping the Nail Polish Obsession

I have an addiction. I know I am not alone, my cousin is addicted too...we can't get enough of finger nail polish!!! I LOVE all the pretty colors and the new textures.

Recently I cleaned out my polish stash. I had some that where old and drying. I can't tell you how hard it was to throw them out.

I have a pretty nail shape so painting my nails has always been a pleasure. I went through a phase where I changed my color every couple of days. Now with 3 kids, not so much.

Then I came across this: Make Your Own Wonderful Galaxy Jewelry.

Oh my!!! My mind started to whirl. I had some flat bottom marbles from the dollar store. Of course, I had nail polish.

Thus started my addiction!!!!!

My little slice of the universe.

I used all the dollar store glass marbles and then headed to Michael's. They have glass marbles that don't have that weird sheen to the top of them.

I am not sure what to do with them now. I was thinking of making them into a stepping stone. I have avoided the glass marbles at both stores...too much temptation!!!

Hope I don't spread the addiction.

Here are some more pictures:

I just love them.

These are from the dollar store. They have that sheen.

The center one is from Michael's. It does not have the sheen.

Nylon Bags and Gymnastics

My 7 year old is on pre-team gymnastics. What exactly is "pre-team"? Well, at the gym we are at, it means a day less of practice as team and also a little less expensive. She is technically a Level 2 gymnast.

She LOVES gymnastics. When she was 3, we began with ballet. She danced until this past year when she decided to give gymnastics her full attention.

The gym tries very hard to maintain the cost of the pre-team low. (Which I appreciate very much.) Because of this, they do not have a team bag. At our first meet, all the girls had their own bags to put their shoes and sweats in while they competed.

For some reason this drove me nuts. I decided to take it upon myself to buy the girls bags. The most inexpensive option is nylon, drawstring bags. The problem with this kind of bag is getting decorations to stick.

After looking EVERYWHERE online for information (and finding very little) I decided to experiment. I only needed nine bags and received twelve.

Online you can find a special kind of vinyl for nylon, but it requires a professional iron press. I just couldn't see how I was going to use it at home. I tried regular iron-on vinyl: no go. Then I picked up some fabric paints: the color was not bright and did not stand out. Lastly, I tried out my paint pen. Winner!!

I was able to use a silver, oil based paint to draw the team name on the bags. I then tried to layer a second color (fabric paint) on top to get the look I wanted. The fabric paint came off so I used a second oil based paint for the top layer. This worked perfectly!!

SO if you buy nylon bags, use oil paint pens!! I found mine at Michael's by the paint, not by the fabric paints. (Don't forget to use your coupon.)

The paint pens I used.

The finished bag.

Thanks for checking out my post!!

Fun With Shrinky Dink

I remember playing with Shrinky Dink as a child. We would draw a design, color it, cut it out and then watch the oven mesmerized by the plastic as it would wrap up then flatten out. Of course times have changed, and so has Shrinky Dink.

I picked some up at the craft store the other day. This specific kind of shrink paper is able to go through the ink jet printer. The background is white, not clear.

I decided that it might be a cute idea to make some My Little Pony necklaces for the girls at my daughter's party. Then I realized I could use them as tags for the goodie lunch boxes.

I found images of each pony and put them onto a word document. I made sure to lighten them a bit, as directed on the Shrinky Dink instructions. At 50% lightened, the shrunken finished product was light. I really liked them since the colors where true. My daughter and husband liked the ones I made with the image lightened to 80%. Either way, I made a bunch.

My favorite part was still watching them shrink. There is a moment of panic when the picture curls up tight and I kept thinking it wouldn't lay flat. I know that very cheap shrinking paper will get stuck curled and be ruined.

I can't wait to buy another package of paper. The 40% off coupon will come in handy.

Here are some pictures of what I made.

Here are the tags I made.

Tags/ necklaces.

The top one was 80% lightened while the bottom was 50%.

My Little Pony cuteness. 

Butterfly Hole Punch Has Broken

I have loved my butterfly hole punch. I have a box full of beautiful butterflies I have punched from magazines. Now that I won't be using my hole punch again, I guess it's time to do something with all my butterflies.

I was at a thrift store last week and found a couple of cooling racks. I am going to make some butterfly mobiles. These have always been my plans for the butterflies, but I always put other projects first.
In honor of my broken hole punch, I am going to make one.

I didn't realize how much loosing my hole punch would bum me out. I receive various magazines and I always automatically look at the color combinations I could use my butterfly punch on. Now I flip through my magazines and think "what if."

So if you have an extra butterfly hole punch...or if it is sitting in a drawer somewhere gathering dust...I would LOVE to have it.

Birthday Parties and Pintrest

I love birthday parties. I am the kind of person who will stay up all night to decorate. I start planning the birthday theme months in advance so I can keep an eye out for things to pick up when they are on sale. I make as much of the decorations as I can. For the goodie bags, I try to include as much as I can but spend as little as possible.

I have friends who do not like parties as much as me.  Being the great friend I am, I have told them "look on Pintrest." Yeah, that's not really helpful when you are not a crafty person and don't like parties.

Here are some simple things that you can do to make your party great, without having to be crafty.

1. Use streamers. Streamers are inexpensive and make for a quick party place dress up. If you don't want to hang streamers from the ceiling, just drape them on the wall, or put them up the wall.

I like to bring the streamers down the wall a little.

I removed a picture to cover the wall in streamers.

Streamer flowers

2. Make a birthday sign. You do not have to buy the "Happy Birthday" sign in the store. Use colored paper or book pages to make a unique sign.

The name banner is pages from a winnie the pooh book.

I took pages from a winnie the pooh book that had pictures on them and made a banner for the food table.

3. Cover the tables and surfaces with table clothes. Use solid colors, use the ones from the dollar store, use them on lots of surfaces. If you buy one from the store that has characters, use it on the table that will be the center of attention. Use accent colors for the area where the presents will go or if you have a table on the side with the goody bags. If your character table cloth is not big enough for the table you have, place solid color ones under it and then use it in the center of the table. Don't be afraid to layer them.

The table cloth made this table with the goody bags a part of the decor.

4. Balloons. Balloons. Balloons. We all know that nothing says party like balloons. I use them on the mailbox by the curb to make the party guest feel festive as soon as they pull up. The balloons don't have to be helium filled. I like to blow them up and tape them to the walls. (See picture above.)

5. Have fun. If you do nothing more than the above, the party will look great. The most important thing is that you set the tone for the kids. If the kids think you are unhappy with the party, they will be as well. Remember parties are a celebration. Don't stress if everything is not perfect or PINTREST worthy.

Which brings me back to Pintrest. I think as moms we tend to compare ourselves to other moms. We look at what they do and feel like we are inadequate. Don't fall into that trap. Use Pintrest to gather ideas not to get down on yourself. Use Pintrest as a tool to help you, not as a tool to make you spend more money.

I hope I have helped a little to make that next party less stressful.

Thanks for stopping by,

Door Decor over Christmas

After making the number two for the door when it was our son's party, I knew I wanted to do something more. I had some left over green streamer and the Christmas tree idea came to me.

Cutting the tree out of the foam board was really easy. I just used a ruler and a box cutter. (I put a piece of scrap cardboard under the foam board so that I didn't damage our wood floor.) I painted the "trunk" brown with some acrylic paint I had. I then attached the streamer with hot glue a little at a time. I used a low temp glue gun so that I could ruffle the streamer while the glue was hot. Starting at the bottom, just glue, ruffle, glue, ruffle and when you get to the end of the row you cut the streamer and move up. I glued the streamer to the back so that the side of the tree was covered. I attached the tree to my door with a command strip. (I only used one since the finished piece is really light.)

The silver star is from the dollar store and taped above the tree to the door.

The door decoration is super easy to do. We decorated it with some sequins, butterflies and cupcakes. I let the kids use my butterfly and cupcake punches on some glitter foam we picked up at the dollar store. I am sure you could just as easily add small tree ornaments.

 

  I am picturing a glitter or sequin heart for Valentines day. I will be sure to post a picture if I do.

Thanks for stopping by,

Yadi

Fun with a book!

My dad is an avid reader. He goes through times that he reads almost a book a day. That said, you can't just buy him a book for his birthday or a holiday. The other day I was in the Goodwill store and they where having a great sale on their books. 5 for $1.00. I picked up a book for my dad...sure enough, he had read it.
So, what to do with a book he had already read that was a great deal?

Have any of you ever watched the movie "The Shawshank Redemption"? Remember what was hidden in the bible? Yeah, I got that idea.

I decided to keep some pages free at the beginning of the book and use the rest to make a secret compartment. First I put a piece of wax paper after my last page of "free" section and after real last page (in front of the back cover). I then used my  mod podge to glue the pages between the wax paper together. After you apply one coat, let it dry with other books or something heavy sitting on top of it. This will insure the pages are pushed together while they dry. Add a second or third coat. Then you can begin to carve out the inside. Let me just say that this is not any fun. I have kept all the page pieces to use on other project as well.

Once I finish carving out the inside, I will mod podge the inside. I will use sand paper to make sure the sides are smooth. I might even paint the inside with acrylic paint just for a "pop."

I will show you some of the other crafts that have come out of this project!

I have two days a week that both kids are in a program at church. Yay for me time!!

Thanks for coming by,

Spring Petal Bag

I picked up this bag at the dollar store a while back with all the intentions of making another petal bag. I found a really cute dress for my little one yesterday and finally got motivated to make the bag.

The process is simple and inexpensive. The bag was $1.00, the petals where also $1.00. The bead trim I had on hand, but could  have easily used ribbon.

I glued the petals right onto the bag using hot glue. I staggered the rows.When I got as far up the bag as I wanted to go, I trimmed the petals even. I then glued some pearl bead trim I had sitting around.

It took me no more than 45 minutes.

We're using for Easter eggs tomorrow!!

Thanks for coming by,

Use for Extra Stuff

I got new jeans a while back and happened to keep the hem. (It was about 2 inches.) I had thought that maybe I would make a headband. Looking around the blog world, I began to notice the "fabric flower" trend.

I trimmed the cut end so that it was even. I then hand sewed a running stitch with a knot at the end. I pulled it tight and got a flower!! I then added some buttons in the center. All I have to decide now is if I want to put them on hair clips or headbands.

Another little tid bit. I find myself facinated by empty dvd towers. The last one I had I covered the inside with tissue paper and added a battery operated tea light. With the short tower I finished the other day I had an "aha" moment. There are two cords I use all the time. My ipod cord and the camera cord. They usually are found under the mess on my desk or next to the tower. I coiled them and put them in the tower: PROBLEM SOLVED. It made me smile!!

(I am thinking of cutting holes into the sides so that I don't ever have to open it to use the cords, but can just pull the end out.)

Two post in one day!!

Smile often,

Flower Lantern

I saw a paper lantern "makeover" on craftynest. They show the large lanterns redone. I marked it as something I wanted to remember for future use.

Today at the dollar store, I found a paper lanterns with battery tea light and decided to try it out.


HOW TO:

materials-
1 paper lantern
3 flower stems
hot glue
string and tac (to hang)


Assemble the paper lantern. (I hung mine from my kitchen cabinet so that I could work on it.)

Take the backs of the flowers. Glue the center and petals together. Trim the back off the center so that it is flat.

Glue the flower to the lantern. Make sure the flower petals overlap. Glue some of the petals to the lantern where the flower petals fall away too far.

 

To further fill the space, trim extra flower petals and glue them in where needed. Use them to fill where the lantern images are easily seen.

WHAT I LEARNED:
* Next time I will use smaller flowers. That way can cover the lantern completely. (Like craftynest.)
* I will use lighter colored flowers as well. My lantern had print on it so I needed to cover it, but I think yellow flowers would look really cute as well.
* The lantern I purchased had a tea light that changes color, so having some of the original lantern show was a good idea.
*The whole project took a little over an hour, but next time it should go faster.
* In order for these to be table top, the flowers should not be so close to the bottom.

 The tea light changes colors so I tried to take some pics where you could see that. Sorry for the blur, I could not get my camera to cooperate. (purple, red and green)

 Thanks for stopping by!!

Quick Pillow/ Stuffy Tutorial

I was in Walmart the other day. I was looking at some t-shirts when my little one got hold of one that had Kai-lan on it. Of course, the t-shirt was a size 6 and my daughter is 19 months. She just hugged on it and would not let it go.

That of course gave me an idea when I got home. I made her a Kai-lan pillow out of the t-shirt. I was surprised by how cute it came out and how quickly I got done. Here's how.


Need:
t-shirt
sewing machine
stuffing


Here is the t-shirt I started with:

Turn the t-shirt inside out and pin it together.

I traced a line around the image about half an inch away. This was my sewing line. I pinned along the line so that the shirt did not move. Then just sew, but make sure to leave an opening so that you can turn the shirt inside out. (the picture below is of the shirt sewn.)

Next cut away the excess shirt. I left a little less than half an inch. Also be sure you clip into the excess, being careful not to cut a stich, so that the curves are smooth when you turn it inside out. I forgot to take pictures of this step or when I turned it inside out.

Once it is inside out, stuff and then stitch your opening closed. My little one loved it so much, she took her nap with it.

The whole process took me less than half an hour. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I am very new to sewing so if I can do it, anyone can!!


Thanks for stopping by!!

Staying Busy

The work on my desk has come to a stand still. It is too cold to try and stain it. I know that I would be wasting effort if I stain now. So, I am waiting for Texas weather to get back to normal. Meaning, get back to being warm in the winter.
I found this tutorial a long time ago at Make and Takes. I have actually had all the supplies on hand as well. I ordered Diamond Glaze right after I saw this. I finally got around to making some tiles. I am not going to use all of them as pendants. Some may become push pins or magnets.

Here is what I have made:

I have some other items I am working on...coming soon.