Friday Friends!

Hello! I still can't get those pictures to come through from my phone to my email! I'm going to have to go dig out the cord that hooks the phone to the computer. Dang it! Why does it have to be so difficult?

Anyway, our first friend today has the cutest pictures with real live nests on them. They are beautiful! Of course, I love nests, so these are right up my alley. Yvonne at Stone Gable gets 5 stars for these two pictures. Go check them out at http://www.stonegable.blogspot.com/2012/03/nest-picture-tutorial.html .

I want, I want, I want!

Over at Cindylu's Scrapping Room, there's Easter stuff going on! She's got some Easter treat boxes that rock! They have windows so you see what's in them and they are decorated really cute. Hop on over and have a nibble. You'll like what you see. http://scrappingroom.blogspot.com/2012/03/easter-treats.html .

MeiJo's JOY has the cutest non-fattening lollipops you ever did see. They are made out of T-shirts or T-shirt knit fabric, and they look good enough to eat. There are plenty of other ideas on her blog, too, so be sure you meander when you get there. Go to http://meijosjoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/old-shirts-repurposed-no-seam-is-waste.html and have a peek.

Last but not least today is The Seven Year Cottage. It's an easy-to-navigate blog with lots of cute ideas and good recipes. In fact, the link I'm posting today is for a recipe. It's a Carrot Patch! And it's really cute. Kids will really like this one! And it doesn't look too hard, so give it a try. Go to http://thesevenyearcottage.com/2012/the-carrot-patch/ and get the recipe.

Well, that's it for today. I know I'm giving you a lot less information on some of these bloggers than I did when I started out, but I'm finding a lot of blogs where I can't even find the name of the author, let alone much info, so I give you what I can and focus on the ideas instead of the authors. I hope you will visit these bloggers and look around their blogs. Leave a comment let them know you saw them here. Until next time, remember.....you don't have to brush all your teeth - just the ones you want to keep. Bye for now,

Walking again....

Good morning! Just got out of the shower after my walk and I feel much better. I am so out of shape! I hurt in places I didn't know could hurt. My hurts hurt! But I am sticking with it. My arthritis is better when I walk regularly, but getting started is always hard. But look what I get to look at when I walk.....

This was the fog on the mountain yesterday morning. It was all gone, of course by the time we walked back. Here is some of the first trees in bloom.

This morning I noticed the little ferns all over the ground. I really want some in my yard! I took pictures with my phone but I'm having a hard time getting them to send to my computer. It's no longer morning and they still haven't come through. I'm going to shut everything down and restart and see if that helps. I'll be back later to (hopefully) show you more.

Friday Friends!

Happy Friday! It seems like this week has gone on forever! The tests on hubby are done for now, so we just have to wait for results. I did take one day out for creating some art. I go through these cycles where I have to create art or go crazy, and Wednesday gave me great joy! I didn't get everything finished that I started, but I'm getting there. I think I'll work on it some more today.

Our first friend today has a blog called la dolce villa. Her name is Amanda and her blog is all about furniture and home decorating, and she has this tutorial for coffee filter roses that is great! The roses are so pretty that I want to make enough to fill a wreath. You can check them out at http://ladolcevilla.blogspot.com/2011/06/diy-coffee-filter-roses.html . Aren't the beautiful?

Next is a darling garland (I would call it a swag) from Jo-Anna at A Pretty Life in the Suburbs . In her profile, she says she loves to eat, cook, bake and create, and her blog reflects all of those. It has a quiet, simple look and feel, and I found it almost relaxing to go through it. The tutorial I'm linking to here is so pretty. Go to http://www.aprettylifeinthesuburbs.com/2011/03/easter-inspired-yarn-ball-twig-garland.html and see what I mean. She's got some great-sounding recipes, too.

Easter is a really fun time for kids, and this little bunny will make it even more fun! (Give a treat that won't rot their teeth.) You could adapt this to any size tin you have, from an Altoids tin or a gift card tin, to larger gift tins from the Dollar Store or Michael's or JoAnn's. Diana from the Closet Crafter has loads of ideas to share, so hop on over and give her blog a peek. http://closetcrafterohio.blogspot.com/2012/03/bunny-in-tin.html

Our last friend has an idea for a really cute bunting. It's bunny butts! Jenn from Clean and Scentsible got the idea for her bunny from the side of a box of macaroni and cheese! It just goes to show, we can find inspiration anywhere. I'm going to make this with my grandchildren, and we might use something fluffy for the tails. Maybe not. Those tails are pretty cute. We'll see. http://cleanandscentsible.blogspot.ca/2011/04/bunny-bunting.html .

That's the line-up for today. I hope you like them. If you do, be sure to let them know. Now it's time for me to go to bed. I haven't been sleeping well and I'm on the verge of exhaustion, so I need what sleep I can get. Remember.........a woman's strength is demonstrated by her gentle touch, and we all need some gentleness in our lives now and then. Until next time,

Card Holder tutorial

It's time for another tutorial. I've been promising one and I finally got it done! It's something I've wanted to make for a few years now, but never got around to. I thought about it on and off, but I couldn't decide how I wanted to do the cover, and what I wanted the pages to look like, etc. etc. etc. Well, I came across an article from a magazine (I'm sorry, I don't know which one) from clear back in 2005 and they had used a photo album to make a card holder, and I thought, "That's it!" So now it's made and I'm going to show you how, too. The tutorial is kind of long but there are lots of pictures to make it better.

The first thing you need is the covers. You can use a photo album, if you want, or you can make your cover like I did. If you make it from scratch, you need 4 pieces of chipboard or 2 pieces of heavy mat board (for framing). Or you could go through your stash and find an already cut-to-size chipboard book, like I did! (It was fate!) You need to pick a nice sturdy paper to cover the covers :) and something nice for the inside covers. I don't recommend card stock for either. It doesn't make nice corners or bends. Just some nice, thick, sturdy paper.

You can see that the book boards I used had holes for a spiral binding, but I didn't want spiral binding, because I needed more room in the finished book so it would lay flat. Anyway, I took a piece of regular copy paper and cut strips and glued them over the edge with the holes, starting on one side and folding over to the other side. This won't look like it's going to be strong enough to keep the holes from breaking through, but when you glue the papers to both sides of the covers, it will be enough.

Cut your covers 8" tall and 8 1/2" wide. If you are using thinner chipboard, glue 2 pieces together for each cover. One layer of mat board will be thick enough. Then you need 4 pieces 8x1", 2 for each cover (8 pieces glued into four if using thin chipboard). Be very careful about your placement when you glue them to your cover papers. If you glue them carefully, you will have just enough room on the width of a 12"x 12" paper for all three pieces. You can see how in the picture below.

You need to use 3 little scraps to measure your gaps. Between the cover and the first strip, there should be 3 thicknesses' width. Between the two strips there should be 2 thicknesses' width. This will allow for the thickness of the papers when you fold the hinges and let the hinge pieces fold flat when the book is done. Smear one whole side of the cover with a permanent glue stick. I have used a lot of different glues, and have found glue sticks are the best. They don't make the paper bubble or stretch, because they have less moisture in them than liquid glues.

Press the cover onto the paper and rub really well over the whole surface to create a good bond. Trim the extra paper off and trim the corners. Don't cut the angle right next to the corner, but leave 1/8th inch of paper past the point. This will help cover the point without leaving the corner exposed.

Starting on the short edge at the hinge end, put glue on the paper edge, making sure to get the glue right up next to the cover. For this part, you can use craft glue or glue stick. Either is fine. My paper is really heavy and textured, so I thought craft glue would be better. Fold the paper up onto the cover and press to get a good bond.

This is the right side of the paper. Heavy with lots of texture.

Now do the two long sides. Be sure to put glue right into the corner so it will glue well and the corner will look nice. Using your thumb nails, push the paper over the corner, and then fold the paper up onto the sides, pressing for a good bond. Make sure to put glue into the spaces between the hinge pieces and the cover, then run your thumb nail in the groove so that these two layers of paper bond together, too. Last, do the front edge of the cover. Repeat for the other cover. You can use clothespins to hold the paper until it bonds if you need to. Especially on the corners.



You can see how the paper layers are glued to each other in the grooves between the pieces of book board. This is important.



Now you need to cut your inside cover sheets. Make them 1/8th to 1/4th inch small than the cover measures. Smear them with your glue stick and glue them to the cover, making sure to get glue in the grooves and running your nail along the groove again. This makes the hinge, and if you don't do this, your hinge will not work properly.

Normally, I would be almost through with the book covers, but do you see what I saw? I did something I NEVER do, and I paid for it! I used a beautiful handmade paper with rose petals in it, and the petals were coming off, so I decided to use decoupage medium to adhere the inside covers and put a coat over them to keep the rose petals in place. BUT.........do you see the horrible bubbles? That is why I never use craft glue (or decoupage medium) on the covers! I wound up ripping that paper all off.



Can I reuse all that scrap? I could use it to make more paper!

Then I had to sand them smooth.........

And do them again!

It turned out okay, and I actually like the new papers better, anyway. But learn from my mistakes, okay? Don't do what I did. Now it's time top make the pages.

Choose the papers you want to use for your pages. It needs to be cardstock, and you can have them all the same color, or a different color for each month. As you can see, I chose the latter. Each page needs to be 8 1/2" x 12". You also need a 7"x 6" rectangle to decorate each page.You need to score the pages 4" from the bottom, so they will fold nicely. You can remove your cutting blade from your paper cutter and run your bone folder along the groove for the blade to make the score.

Then use your bone folder to crease the fold.

Next, glue your decorative paper to each page all the way to the right hand side, 1/4th inch from the top and the side. It will look really lopsided, but remember that at least 1" on the left will be hidden in the hinge. Fasten each pocket on the right side with eyelets, rivets, brads, safety pins......whatever you like.

The February page has heart brads. The other two have eyelets.

April has lavender brads, May has big flower eyelets and June has curly paper clips.

July has navy blue safety pins, August has moving fasteners, and September has another curly paper clip.

October will have pumpkin brads, November has a different type of fastener, and December has metallic eyelets.

The pocket edges do not have to be glued. The eyelets, etc. will hold the outside edge and the cover will hold the other edge. The only two I glued the outside edge on were the two with the curly paper clips. I didn't think they would hold very well with cards in the pockets. I added a few embellishments, but not many, because when the pockets are full of cards, they won't show. Then I printed up some rectangles with lines to write the birthdays and anniversaries on, stamped the months and inked the edges, then glued them on.

Next, you have to punch the holes. I used my crop-a-dial, but you could use any hole punch that you hit with a hammer, like those with eyelet setters. Punch the first holes in the spine of the cover, which is the strip in the middle, between the cover and the outside strip. Punch several inches in from the top and bottom and centered on the strip. Use these holes to mark your pages, then punch them, too. I didn't want my pages to be too wobbly when the book was put together, you know when there is not enough paper on the posts and they wiggle around. So I made page spacers.

I used some plastic chopping mats I got at the Dollar Store. I cut them into 1" x 8" strips, and punched them in the same places as the cover and pages. You need 11 of them. Now take your album posts and unscrew them and put them in the holes in the back cover. Place the December page, then a spacer, then the November page and a spacer, and so on until all the pages are in. Put the front cover on and screw the top onto the post.

The plastic is clear so you can't see it, only the spaces it makes between the pages.

The flap folds over and covers the posts.

Now you just have to decorate the cover. Most people would probably do that before putting the book together, but I like to see it all together and flip pages for a while, study the whole thing, and then decide on how I want to decorate it. Here is the finished product.

I know it was long, but I hope you understood all of it and I hope I didn't leave anything out. If you have any questions, or just don't get something, let me know. Leave a comment or send me an email. I hope you like it and will try one for yourself or for a gift. Enjoy!

Whew! That's it until Friday Friends. I'm worn out! And remember, if opportunity doesn't knock, build a door! Until Friday,

Mayonnaise Hair Treatment

Happy Tuesday!!!! I had a good day yesterday, starting with a walk, a little work on some swaps, a walk to the library, and then leftovers, which meant I didn't have to cook! And then I went to bed early because I was worn out. All that walking and then sleeping did me good, so I got up early and got going on things that needed to be done. My daughter-in-law's car broke down last week, so grandpa has to drive her to school in Ashland every day. That means it's just me and the kids for most of the day, because they are out of school for 2 weels. I started them on a project that you will see in a few days, and then I did something for myself that I've been wanting to do for a while. I gave myself a mayonnaise hair treatment. Yep....I said mayonnaise! For year's I never used a blow dryer or curling iron or straightener, and my hair was in perfect health. Now, since I straightened it and got rid of the perm, I have to do something with it everyday. I don't always use the blow dryer, but the straightener is bad enough by itself, and my hair has gotten dry and kind of brittle on the ends. Lots of broken-hair fly-aways that drive me crazy, and that feel of straw. You know what I'm talking about. Anyway, I decided I needed to do something for it before it got too bad. So this morning I got out the bottle of mayonnaise and went to work!

Mayonnaise is really good for your hair. The oil and eggs will moisturize and strengthen it without the salon or the expensive products. Mayonnaise hair treatments were really popular in the 1950's, but as all the designer products came out, mayonnaise became the "home" treatment that nobody wanted anyone to know they used. The eggs in the mayonnaise contain a form of protein that fills in the gaps in the hair shafts, causing the different layers of hair on the shaft to lie flat, so the hair looks more full and shinier. It  moisturizes the hair from within the shaft, which helps to prevent split ends and give the hair body. Some sources claim that mayonnaise can also slow down graying and hair loss, but I don't know about that.

I prefer the hot towel method.

If you don't like the smell of mayonnaise, you can make your own that has a much milder smell. Making mayonnaise from scratch is not complicated, although it takes a bit of time. Beat an egg yolk in a small mixing bowl and drizzle in 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil. It will take some time, but it will eventually turn into mayonnaise. You can also add some lemon juice or vinegar, both of which are good for your hair. If you want really smooth, shiny hair, you can take half an avocado and mash it up in 1 cup of mayonnaise. Apply the mayonnaise to dry hair (do not wash it first) and massage through thoroughly. Comb with a large-tooth comb and cover hair with a plastic bag or shower cap and leave for at least 20 minutes. You can also cover it with a hot, damp towel, too. The heat will help the mayonnaise to absorb into the hair shaft. The recommended time for a mayonnaise treatment is 1 hour, but we don't always have that much time, so a minimum of 20 minutes is okay. Rinse well and shampoo with a mild shampoo, like baby shampoo. You will have to shampoo twice to get all the mayonnaise out. You can do the mayonnaise treatment once a week or once a month, depending on your hair.

My grandchildren were taking pictures on their phones to
send to their mom, so I was making faces at them. I look
kind of like Crackers, don't I?

Well, it's all done now, and it looks all pretty and shiny. I still have the split ends, because the only way to get rid of them is to trim them off, but the mayonnaise will make your hair healthy so you won't get them in the first place! I let my hair dry naturally and I am not using the straightener today, so it looks kind of wild (that's the way my hair is) but you can sure see the shine! And normally it would be all frizzed out big, and it's not. Mayonnaise really is good stuff.

I will be back tomorrow with a new tutorial for you. I think you will like it.......I know I do! Until then, Agatha Christie said, "Good advice is always certain to be ignored, but that's no reason not to give it." See you tomorrow.

Friday Friends!

Today, I am sleeping in. Being lazy. Veggin' on the couch. Maybe. I have to finish my new project so you can see it, and I have a duck to finish, and a junk journal to make and two swaps to finish and send out.......the list goes on. So maybe I won't be as lazy as I thought I would be. Darn it! Oh well, down to business.

Our first friend today is Karla at My Serendipitous Life. She is discovering the life of a crafter and having a ball! She a new blogger, but I think she's getting the hang of it quite nicely. She has a Spring wreath, made from junk mail, that is really cute, so go check her out. Leave a comment so she knows you were there.  http://www.myserendipitouslife.com/its-easy-being-green/junk-mail-spring-wreath/

Our next blogger is Chelsea Ann at itty bitty birdie. She lives in Idaho, lovely place that it is, and says her blog is meant to remind herself and others not to take life so seriously. Well, her stuff is seriously cute! She does a lot of things with fabric yo-yos, and in this post she even patches a pair of jeans with yo-yos.    http://ittybittybirdy.blogspot.com/2011/07/patching-things-up.html. She has lots of great ideas for you to check out!

Katie and Reuben, over at House of Humble, are living a life of simple ways and big but simple dreams in Australia. They have put together a post of ideas for recycling plastic bottles. Now, I know there all kinds of these ideas out there, and I've seen some of the same ones before, but they have some I've never seen, and they are terrific! I especially love the flowers and the greenhouse. Go see what else you can do with a simple plastic bottle at http://www.houseofhumble.com/2012/03/reclaim-plastic-bottles/ .

To finish up for today, we have Mollie at Wild Olive. She has a very nice blog with some super ideas, one of which is this little bunny pin. Go see for yourself, and find out how to make this pin while you're there.  http://wildolive.blogspot.com/2012/03/project-vintage-bunny-pin.html . With Easter coming up, these would be great in a little tiny basket to give to someone special.

That's all for today. I will start looking for Easter ideas this week, so come back next Friday for a look at what I find. Until then, remember..........there are no shortcuts to any place worth going.

A new quilt...

Happy Tuesday evening! Sorry for the lack of posts. I have been busy with the hubby and doctor's appointments. And there will be more. A CT scan of his heart, an ultrasound of his lower chest/upper abdomen, more blood work, on and on. But he comes first, so even though I will be posting, it might not be very regular.

I have been having so much fun with my swaps! I have been making cards and postcards and bookmarks and ATCs (artist trading cards) and dotee dolls, along with swapping stickers and stamped images and mail art! Right now, I'm working on journal pages. I joined this swap late, so I have two pages to make up, plus this month's page to do. I'm really enjoying making art again. It's been a while, and I miss it!

I have a new project in mind for you, too. I'm still working on it, so I'll keep it a secret a liitle longer, but you are going to love it. Oh, and I made my grandson a new quilt for his birthday. He's a BIG Scooby Doo fan, and I was given this piece of fabric with camoflage and Scooby Doo all in one. It's so cute. The picture doesn't do it justice, but this is what it looks like.

Cute, huh? I didn't quilt it, I just tied it, and it didn't take long at all. I sit at the kitchen table and lay it all out, pin the layers together, and go to work. I used to do it on the floor, but I can't do that any more, so the table gets the job.

The finished product.

And the happy recipient!

He really likes it and that's what matters. (I kind of like it, too.) I have enough to make another just like it, so when he gets his own room, he'll have one for each bunk.

Well, that's it for today. I promise I will be posting, I just don't know how often. Don't give up.......I'll be here part time. Love to all and thanks for your support.