Monday, April 30, 2012

May's Plaque Attack -- A Tribute to Grandmothers!

Mother's Day is fast approaching, and I think it's appropriate that May's Plaque Attack pay homage to the exceptional grandmothers in our lives. There are many special women in my life that are fabulous examples of grandmotherhood to me -- my mother and mother-in-law, my sister and sisters-in-law, and many of my friends. This plaque could be given to any one of them!


There are some beautiful greeting cards available for Mother's Day with very sweet sentiments, but these plaques actually cost less than a greeting card and give the recipient something a little more substantial and heartfelt!


Collect the following materials to make a plaque of your own:
  • 6 1/2" square wooden plaque {available online or at craft stores like Hobby Lobby}
  • 1 piece of scrapbook paper 
  • acrylic craft paint or spray paint in a color to compliment your scrapbook paper 
  • clear matte spray sealer
  • Mod Podge {matte finish is best}
  • paint brush
For a tutorial on how to make these plaques, go here!


If you are interested in receiving the document for these Plaque Attacks, simply email me with "Plaque Attack -  May 2012" in the subject line of the email. My email address is listed on the sidebar of my blog.


By requesting this copyrighted document you agree not to sell the document or sell any items that use this document. It is for personal use only. You may make as many copies for yourself or to use as gifts as you would like. If you post about your plaque on your blog, please link back to this blog post for your readers to receive the document. Thank you! 


Remember: To receive the document with these plaques simply put "May 2012 Plaque Attack" in the subject line of your email and please remember to leave a comment below!


Enjoy!  

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Thankful Thoughts...

What moved me this week?

For the last couple of months I've intimated that our family has run up against a few bumps on our typically smooth road of life. I've learned a lot about what is truly important as a result of these trials. Inconsequential things that used to concern me have lost significance and meaning. It's much simpler to determine what is crucial or what is immaterial when crises arise. I consider this new-found ability to judge situations and circumstances more clearly a huge blessing.

This week one of the bumps on our road got a whole lot smaller. About a month ago my daughter-in-law was diagnosed with cancer. Preventative surgery followed that diagnosis, and when the pathology reports came back this week it was determined that the cancer hadn't spread -- at all. No further action is necessary. We were weak with gratitude. I'm aware that not all outcomes are this joyous. I'm just grateful that hers was.

What moved me this week? 

1.) The knowledge that prayers are answered. 
2.) The belief that miracles do happen. 
3.) The feeling that God watches over us all.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Fabric.com Give Away Winner...


I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to host this fun Give Away! Fabric.com is a favorite online fabric source of mine, so I know anyone receiving this gift certificate will have a fabulous time browsing their fabric selection.



The winner of the $25 Gift Certificate is:



Congratulations Karyn... and a big "thank you" to all who participated!


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

One More Outdoor Cushion...

I love to make lists. Every morning I make a "to do" list and faithfully check it off throughout the day. There's something about a "graphic organizer" that gives me the fuel I need to get things done. My lists have been long lately. Ten to twenty items are checked off every day. Although that would give you the impression that things are getting accomplished around here, there's not much to show for it. Yesterday, however, I finally finished one important item on my list and checked it off!

Earlier this month I recovered some outdoor cushions for two of our patio sets and repainted the wrought iron furniture...

Fabric: Volary by Thomas Paul for Suburban Home

Fabric: Kimono by Thomas Paul for Suburban Home
Paint: Rust-oleum Painter's Touch Espresso 

I still had one more item on my list to check off before I finished redecorating our outdoor furniture. Our rattan bench cushion needed to be recovered. Yesterday afternoon I cranked that one out...


I chose an outdoor fabric that I found at Fabric.com for this bench seat cushion. In order to make sure this fabric would compliment the other fabrics I had already chosen, I first ordered a fabric swatch. Tommy Bahama Indoor/Outdoor Redonda Raffia was chosen from a couple of possibilities. I was so happy that I was able to buy swatches before the final purchase because the fabric that I was leaning toward, wasn't the one I ultimately chose.

   

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Bloomin' Tuesday

Last week my husband and I traveled to Utah for my son's graduation from BYU. We had a fabulous weekend with family. There were many highlights, but one for me was traveling to Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah, to take in the "Tulip Festival." It was phenomenal. Acres and acres of gorgeous blooming tulips in beautifully manicures gardens. I was so happy we were able to fit this casual walking tour into our weekend. With over 100 varieties represented and a quarter of a million tulips spread over 55 acres, it is a sight to behold! This week and next I will feature some of those gorgeous blossoms...

Above -- the entrance to "The Gardens" at Thanksgiving Point

Tucked in between the tulips are a gabillion pansies...








Linked to:
Bloomin' Tuesday @ Ms. Green Thumb Jean's 
Garden Tuesday @ Sidewalk Shoes

Friday, April 20, 2012

Friday's Fabulous Finds...


{Remember to enter my Fabric Giveaway for a $25 Gift Certificate to Fabric.com.}

I spy with my Etsy eye something...
flaming!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Trellis Necklace Tutorial...


A few weeks ago I met my good friend Cindy for lunch and a day of shopping at a favorite mall. Upon her arrival I immediately noticed a gorgeous beaded necklace that she was wearing. Upon closer inspection I realized that it wasn't beaded -- that's when she told me about "Trellis Necklaces."


Have you ever heard of a Trellis Necklace? It's a crocheted necklace made of trellis ribbon yarn {sometimes called trellis fiber, ladder yard or ribbon yarn}. Trellis ribbon yarns are small, bright panels of color suspended between two rows of thin fiber...


From several feet away the ribbons look like small beads. When woven into a necklace this ribbon yarn makes a beautiful creation and one that is feather light! I love the new fad of bobbly-beaded necklaces, but they can be so heavy around the neck that they become uncomfortable. A Trellis Necklace is so light that, if not for the compliments you'll receive, you will forget you're wearing it! The necklace also sports a bead that when drawn up or down will lengthen or shorten the necklace -- fabulous!


While Cindy and I shopped two young (20-30ish years old) clerks in different stores stopped Cindy to asked where she bought her necklace. When Cindy explained that she had made it and how easy it was to make, they were stunned. I don't know if these would appeal to all younger women, but I think women 40ish and older would love them. I made some for my sister (50ish) and mother (80ish) a few weeks ago and they both enjoy wearing them too -- as do I!


With Mother's Day fast approaching I thought I would post a quick tutorial on how to make these amazingly easy-to-make and inexpensive fiber necklaces. The cost per necklace is approximately $1 -- no kidding. This necklace only requires a crocheted chain stitch that even the novice crocheter can accomplish. Go here for a You Tube Chain Stitch refresher course!

Materials needed: 


  • Trellis Ribbon Yarn {sometimes called: trellis fiber, ladder yarn or ribbon yarn}: I wasn't able to find local stores that carried trellis yarn, so I found a source online by Googling "trellis yarn." There are many Etsy stores that sell trellis yarn. I bought mine for $4.95 plus shipping, but there are a number of sources that are better priced on Etsy. You should be able to make at least 6 necklaces with one ball of trellis ribbon!
  • Crochet Hooks: size K (101/2-6.50MM) and an one with an itsy-bitsy hook 12/100MM.
  • Beads: I bought at Hobby Lobby (Michael's also carries this particular bead) in a package or 12. The hole in the bead needs to be big enough to draw all the fibers through, but small enough to hold  it's place on the necklace.  
  • Ruler & scissors

Directions:

1.) Cut 5 strips of yarn 2 1/2 YARDS long. 

2.) Measure 9 inches from one end and make a slip knot to begin your chain stitch. Chain until you come to within 9 inches of the other end; pull the remainder of the ribbon through the last chain to finish first strand of necklace. Lay this strand aside and repeat this same process with the remaining 4 strips of yarn.

3.) When all 5 strands are completed, bring them all together and line up the place on one end where you began to chain the stitch on each strand. Tie the ribbons together in a knot where you began to chain.


4.) Do the same thing at the other end of your strands of yarn by tying a knot at the end of the chain stitches there too.

5.) Take your bead and with your itsy-bitsy crochet hook snag the ends of the yarn lengths {on both sides of the necklace} and bring them through the hole in the bead.  Make sure the ends of the yarn are even through the bead (some strands might be a little longer than others) and make a knot at the end of the fibers by making a loop and pulling the ends through the loop -- pull tight and trim the ends even. The bead should slide up and down the length of the yarns to create a longer or shorter necklace. 


6.) Enjoy your beautiful fiber necklace!

This necklace is adaptable to your circumstance and size. Cut the fibers longer if you'd like a longer necklace -- and put more strands together if you'd like it more full! 


That's as simple as it gets! These necklaces can be made within a half hour -- start to finish. So fun and easy and beautiful to wear. Please remember the "Print" button at the bottom of this post if you'd like to print, with ease, this tutorial!

Because my creative juices are fueled by your wonderful comments, please leave one if you appreciate this tutorial. Thank you!


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Fabric Give Away...

This contest is now closed.

A couple of months ago I wrote a post entitled, "A Little Lesson on Fabric." In that post I mentioned that I often buy high-quality fabric online and that my preferable go-to source for online fabric is Fabric.com. The powers that be at Fabric.com got wind of that article and sent me two $25 Gift Certificates. I gave one away last month and now is the time to unload the other! {The fabrics in the photos are some recent purchases of my own from Fabric.com}

Fabrics, top to bottom:  Pinfeathers Peacock Turquoise;  Pinfeathers Chicks on a Wire Teal ; Pinfeathers Floral Cream/Blue


Why shop Fabric.com?
  • Free shipping for orders over $35
  • Free return shipping
  • Generous cut, 37" yard
  • New deals added daily
  • Frequent shopper program
  • Swatches available
  • A wide selection of fabulous fabrics 

Fabrics, top to bottom: Meadow Friends Bug Collection Grass; Meadow Friends Turtle Texture Pond Blue
Meadow Friends Bug Collection Pond Blue; Meadow Friends Lots a Dots Dirt Brown


To enter this Give Away, 
simply leave a comment below. The winner will receive a $25 Gift Certificate to Fabric.com. This contest is open to U.S. and Canadian Residents only and will run through Wednesday, April 25th, at 10pm. The next day a winner will be announced. No anonymous comments please, I need an email address or accessibility to a public blog in order to contact the winner.

Fabrics, top to bottom:Pinfeathers Peacock Pink/Green;Meadow Friends Lots a Dots Posie Pink;Pinfeathers Chicks on a Wire Pink/Red


 Good Luck!
 

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Bloomin' Tuesday


One of my favorite and most reliable springtime plants is the "Bleeding Heart". Every year my Bleeding Heart grows a little larger and heartier. She's tucked away in a rock garden by my front door...


Bleeding Hearts (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) are perennials that usually bloom from late spring through early summer. Because our weather is so much warmer this spring, this one is strutting her stuff a little early this year.


This popular plant is perfect for flower gardens. In a moist, cool climate it will grow in full sun, but here in Colorado where the climate is drier it requires some shade. Mine has thrived in a spot that has shade most of the day.


Another favorite spring blossom is the Forget-Me-Not shown in the foreground in the photo below. In Colorado this plant is a perennial, but in more moderate climates it's considered an annual. It's seeds scatter in the fall and volunteers shoot up in the spring, sprinkling our garden with their happy faces.


Did you know that according to German legend, as God was naming all the plants a tiny unnamed one cried out, "Forget-me-not, O Lord." God then replied, "That shall be your name." ;o)

For more Bloomin' Tuesday posts, go to Ms. Green Thumb Jeans.