"Happy" The Snowman!

It's been years since I actually made a snowman.  Ava has been looking forward to building one ever since I found a box of wooden spools and pieces tucked away in my craft stash.
We picked out round pieces for the eyes, mouth and buttons.  In between snow flurries the other day, I took the wood outside and sprayed them with a couple of coats of black paint.

This evening before dinner, we went outside and made our little snowman.  He looks like a night watchman standing guard in our front yard!  Ava named him "Happy".

Hey, I forgot his corncob pipe! But I did remember a fresh carrot for his nose! Can't get twigs for his arms as they are buried 10 feet under the snow right now...tee hee

 

Burlap Snowflake Hanging

With all of the snow we've had in Southern Ontario this week, I couldn't resist making one more Winter Craft with Ava before we welcome the new month of March tomorrow.

This fun craft was very easy to make and I love the finished product!  Who knew my little miss would be interested in Home Decor at the age of 5?  It adds a nice touch to the door handle of my China Cabinet.

  
Here's how we made this Burlap Snowflake Hanging:
 
1.  I cut out a 4 inch x 4 inch piece of burlap.
2.  I then used my Cricut machine to cut out a snowflake stencil measuring 3.5 inches x 3.5 inches.
3.  Carefully, I taped the stencil onto the burlap, centering it the best I could.
4.  Ava used a sponge brush with Light Antique White acrylic paint and sponged paint onto the burlap through the stencil.
(I put a piece of paper under the burlap to catch any paint that seeped through).
5.  Let dry completely and thread a piece of twine for hanging.

Simple and Beautiful!  Now that's Whimsical Elegance!

Classy Rope Cuff Bracelet with Vintage Button (but of course!)

I went thrifting with a girlfriend yesterday and picked up a couple of yards of wool blend fabric.  I had planned to use it for a certain project, but decided to kick things up a notch.
I made this fabulous Rope Cuff Bracelet this morning and glammed it up with a Vintage button from my growing collection.
This bracelet is super comfortable to wear, easy to care for - just handwash and lay flat to dry.  I can either wear this with jeans or to the office.  It's unique and something I am definitely proud to wear!

Wooden Typewriter Key Bracelets - So Vintage!

I am feeling a little like the  "Queen of Vintage these days"...

I purchased several antique manual typewriters along with a rotary tool and have begun cutting off the keys (makes me want to cry, the typewriters are beautiful!) to use in making bracelets.  I have to admit I was a little apprehensive about using the rotary tool to cut through metal.  My brother demonstrated how to use it and I jumped as soon as the sparks started flying.  I finally got the nerve to do it myself, shaking like a leaf through the first few keys.  The bracelets are gorgeous, but are pricey given the cost of the typewriters and the amount of work involved in making a bracelet.

I discovered an alternative, Wooden Typewriter Keys!  I have connected with a gentleman from the States who laser cuts and burns through birch wood.  The result?  Gorgeous replicas of the antique metal and glass tyepwriter keys.  These bracelets are more affordable and so fun!  I cover the wooden keys with gloss and add vintage buttons and glass crystals to add some bling...

Here's a little sneak preview of a few I have made so far:

                                                                          "Nicole"

Beautiful Bentley Royce

I love my blonde Golden Retriever.  His fur is almost a champagne colour.
I rescued him from a puppy mill at the age of 11 1/2 weeks.  He was in poor shape when I got him, he was sick and weighed in at a mere 6.8 pounds (the vet told me he should have weighed 16 pounds for his age). 
After a many vet expenses and lots and lots of love and care, Bentley has thrived - now weighing about 85 pounds.  The vet didn't think he would live beyond the age of 18 months.  Well, we sure fooled everyone because Bentley is going to have a very special birthday this year.  He will be 9 years old on the 9th of April! 
I took this close up of him yesterday and just had to post it because he has such beautiful doe-like eyes and I also thought this was a great pic!  Sometimes his eyes remind me of Alaskan Diamonds (he does kind of look like a polar bear with a long nose!)

Ava's Pink and Purple Vintage Button Bracelet

I should know better by now....

Whenever I come up with a new design, Ava wants at least one for herself (I find that she wants 2 or 3 of whatever I am making!).  I am flattered as she is my biggest fan.

So, I worked very hard last night and made a special Pink and Purple Vintage Button Bracelet and surprised her when she woke up this morning!
 

Vintage Button Cuff Bracelet - What a Beauty!

I love everything Vintage!  Especially Vintage Buttons!  I include them in a variety of my designs - necklaces, headbands, sewn items and especially these gorgeous bracelets.  For me, each vintage button is like a foreign coin.  They all have a story.  I always find myself wondering what the history of each button is...where it was made, the type of garment they were made for and where it may have traveled when it was worn. 

"Cuff bracelets are so versatile and can be worn with a variety of outfits - casual or elegant attire." 

One of my personal favourite designs are my Vintage Button Bracelets.  I make them in a variety of widths, colours and themes.  

My latest creation is this Vintage Button Cuff Bracelet was made using 1 1/3 inch black elastic banding and a large assortment of silver vintage buttons.  Each button is individually sewn onto this bracelet using heavy duty upholstery thread to ensure durability.  I have these available in antique brass, brass or silver and they retail for $65.00 CAD each. 

Happy Family Day!

Audrey Hepburn Pendant

I can't tell you how much I admire the late Audrey Hepburn.  My husband bought me the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" a few months ago for my birthday.  I have to honestly admit that I have a picture of this Hollywood Icon in every room of my house. 
I purchased some Audrey Hepburn digital graphics online and made them into Pendant Necklaces.  Ava and I are going over to one of my girlfriend's tonight for dinner and she is going to be so surprised when she opens up my newest creation.....

A Great Sign for a Great Teacher

Ava's kindergarten teacher is named "Mrs. B." who always draws a little heart after her signature.
Mrs. B. has a hyphenated last name which can be difficult for the children to pronounce, so she keeps it short and sweet - I am with her on that one!
Since Ava is celebrating Valentine's Day today with her class (she does not attend school on Tuesdays or Thursdays), I decided to make a very special gift for her to give to Mrs. B.
I made a handpainted wooden sign and even included the heart symbol after her name.  I added pink sparkles to the heart to give it a special touch.  I can't wait to find out how surprised Mrs. B. is when she opens up her gift!

Handmade Valentine Necklace

I have a girlfriend who is very in touch with nature and loves birds.
I found a neat black and white graphic online that had a bird and a tree in the picture.  I printed it off and glued to a wooden heart that I had painted black.  I added a little red flower embellishment then covered the entire surface in Glossy Accents.
I attached a bail then hung from a black leather necklace...the result?  Gorgeous!

My girlfriend loved this gift.  It is simply stunning.  How's that for Whimsical Elegance?

Thrift Store Find! Wooden Tic Tac Toe Blocks for Valentines!

Sometimes on a Saturday, my daughter and I love to visit this little Thrift Store that's a few blocks away from our home.
We always get excited and wonder what type of "treasure" we will find that day.  We always find something pretty special.
Our mission for this particular trip was to think outside of the box and find things that we could use for Valentine's Day decorating and gift giving.
I went through the toy section and found these wooden Tic Tac Toe blocks.  There were 5 of the Xs and 4 of the Os and the total cost for all was just $1.00!  I snapped them up quickly.
Once home, I spray painted the blocks White (the blocks were a good size and I put a scrabble tile down so you could get a better idea). 
I then let the first coat dry, then sprayed them with 2 coats of Red Paint.
Once dried, I sanded down the edges to give a distressed look.  These XO sets made perfect little gifts to give for Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! Chocolate Covered Strawberries!

Making anything with chocolate is going to create a mess in the kitchen - but I have to admit, it's a pretty yummy mess!
I made Chocolate Covered Strawberries simply by dipping this juicy red fruit into melted chocolate chips.  I lay the dipped berries on wax paper to set.  I left the greens on to add a bit more colour, plus, they acted as a handle for dipping.  Once in a while the green stem would break off and I was left with no other choice but to eat the chocolate covered strawberry - isn't life tough? 
My daughter got to make her own chocolate covered strawberries, but they were for her only to eat as she liked to lick her fingers in between making each one. 

Happy Pancake Day! Buckwheat Pancakes

Happy Pancake Day!

We always celebrate Pancake Day in our home each year.  In the past, we have attended Potluck Pancake Dinners at our local church. 

Today for lunch (yay, easy lunch!)  I made Buckwheat Pancakes using my very simple recipe.  The pancakes are nice and fluffy and the kids love them. 
I recently found out that Buckwheat flour is gluten free.  It's name is deceiving because it does not contain wheat, it is made from triangular seeds, aka buckwheat groats.  It is used in many raw food diets.
Our family just loves the taste of it!

Here is a very easy recipe for Buckwheat Pancakes that can easily be halved.  (We also use the batter in our waffle maker).

2 eggs, beaten
4 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup buckwheat flour
2 tbsp baking powder

Mix all ingredients well in large bowl until there are no remaining lumps.  Drop batter into hot oiled skillet and cook until little holes appear on pancakes, then flip over and continue to cook.  Once pancakes are golden brown, transfer to plate.
Add fruit, syrup, butter or whatever your heart desires.  These are sure to please everyone.

2nd Batch of Heart Shaped Crayons

I just finished a second batch of Heart Shaped Crayons today.  I love how no 2 crayons are identical and you can really mix and match the colours for a different look each time.
I have to admit that my thumbnails are still sore from peeling the paper off the broken crayons yesterday and started using a paring knife today to get the job done..much better!
I can't wait to get these little cuties wrapped up in time for Valentine's Day for gift giving.
Here's my second batch...

Heart Shaped Crayons

With Valentine's Day only 4 short days away, I have been looking for little gifts to give the children that are an alternative to candy.
I found an amazing tutorial online on how to make Heart Shaped Crayons using broken crayons from Ava's art centre. 
I purchased a Wilton Silicone Heart Shaped Mold at Michael's Craft Store and used a 40% off coupon...even sweeter!

To make these darling crayons that are a nice size for small hands, here's what you will need:
1.  An assortment of broken non-toxic crayons (new ones work too, but can be expensive).
2.  Silicone Heart Shaped Mold
3.  Cooking Spray
4.  Sparkles (I used silver)

I started by first removing the paper from the broken crayons, making sure that I removed any residual glue.  Then, I broke the crayons into the smallest pieces I could by hand.  I then used a knife to cut them into smaller pieces.  I did sort out the colours so that they followed the same colour group (e.g. light blue, dark blue and turquoise in one pile, then yellows and oranges in another..etc.)

I sprayed my silicone heart shaped mold with cooking spray - it makes it a lot easier to remove these once they have been melted and set.
I then put a pinch of silver sparkle into each of the molds, then added about 3 tbsp of chopped crayons into each section.  Of course, I was so excited to get these babies into the oven that I forgot to take a pic of this part!
I "baked" the crayons in my toaster oven at 250 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, or just until all pieces are melted.
Carefully and with oven mitts, remove the silicone mold from the oven and let cool on a cutting board.  Wait for a couple of hours, until you know that the wax is good and cooled. 

Then, carefully pop out the Heart Crayons, gently wiping off any oil from the cooking spray.  Let dry overnight then package into little cellophane bags or tie onto cardstock  A sweet Valentine's Day gift for the kiddies without the sugar!

Painting "Cocktails" on a Vintage Wooden Cabinet

I am pretty hooked on painting my wooden signs lately.  I find myself looking around the house trying to figure out what I can paint. 
A couple of weeks ago, I found an amazing vintage wooden cabinet on Kijiji.  The seller was relocating to another town and had it listed for $100.00.  I responded to the ad saying that I would offer $80.00 and we would pick up immediately.  SOLD!!!  I was thrilled! 
I purchased this cabinet with the thought that we could use it as a home "Bar".  The top drawer is perfect for holding tools for mixing cocktails while the cupboards and deep shelving was "bar none" for holding bottles. 
It is "shabby chic" and has a lot of paint chips, but I absolutely adore it just the way it is and have decided to leave it this way for now, will just refinish the counter top in the future - I have a good idea that I will share once I have finished it.
This past Friday evening, the "Painting Bug" bit me and I sat down and painted to word "Cocktails" in French Script on the drawer, between the handles.  It turned out beautifully and the black lettering stands out nicely on the french white paint.

Introduction to "Twig Art"

I have seen some pretty amazing pictures of Twig Art around the web. 
Looking for a different type of craft for Ava to do on a snowy day, I headed out to our nearby forest and cut a branch off of a Dogwood Tree.  I came home and cut the branch into  1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces with my garden shears (okay, I think a drier branch would have been easier on my hands to try and slice through - note to self: remember that for next time).
I then put the twig cuttings into a bowl, wrote Ava's first initial on a piece of cardstock and armed my daughter with a bottle of white glue.
She then set to work laying the twigs out, glueing along the outline of her initial and Voila!  Instant Art that is fun and easy for kids!