Christmas Giggles

So my sister and I have this on-going joke

about funny things, in general.

My family has a strange sense of humor, you could say.

We laugh at things out of the norm.

Ridiculous.

Awkward.

Strange.

Funny.

We also like to laugh at ourselves, 

and the mistakes that we make.

It eases the tension.

And breaks up a dismal mood,

making it happy, instead.

So this year for Christmas, I decided to get my sister something fabulous.

Something that her and I could joke about.

Over and

Over again.

I found some pretty hilarious pictures on Pinterest.

I chose my two favorites.

And I sent them away to be developed.

Well, later that day,

I picked them up,

put them in a lovely frame,

and wrapped it up for Christmas.

When it came time to open our gifts,

I sat by in giddy anticipation.

And the look

on her face

was priceless.

It made me happy,

and she laughed.

And we laughed,

together.

And now every time she looks at the picture

hanging up in her room,

she will remember

that Christmas present

that gave her more than just a tangible object,

but a happy thought, reoccurring.

And we can both laugh, together.

What will you do to brighten someone's life?

Writing {inspiration}

Sometimes, I get the urge to write.

And more often then not, I start writing, and find that I don't have much to write about.

Either that, or I have a really good idea,

but then don't know how to carry it through.

I'll forget about it.

And then find it later.

I'll read it,

And realize how much I've improved since then.

And then I'll forget about it all over again.

I have a feeling that I'm not going to be able to help you with the forgetfulness part,

But I sure am gonna help you get some good old fashioned in-spir-a-tion!

So, what does inspiration mean?

Well, according to dictionary.com, it means

1. an inspiring or activating action or influence

2. something inspired, as an idea

3. a result of inspired activity

4. a thing or person that inspires

But to me, inspiration just means

where all of your good ideas come from.

such as

nature

an author

a person

an event

etc.

Nature is a big inspiration in my life.

Since I live so close to the mountains, it's all around me,

every day

all day.

And I love it.

For inspiration, look to the leaves

trace your finger along the veins,

feel the papery texture of it's skin

break one open and smell it's scent.

and repeat.

Do this with other things, to get more ideas.

Authors and people can be a vast store of both

information, and inspiration.

Look to them for wisdom and ideas.

Events in your life is self explanatory enough.

Try twisting them in new ways,

just to make them more interesting.

And last of all,

write away!



Week 5 {Self-Decorated Bulletin Board}

I know, I know.

Its been like 700 weeks since my last post. 

Not literally, but still, its been a while.

But, its been busy. 

And its been fun.

And I'm here to tell ya that I've got another tutorial for you.

Its called the Self-Decorated Bulletin Board.

And, to be honest, its one of my favorites.

So, be prepared to have your socks knocked off your feet!

Materials:

- A Bulletin Board (the size doesn't really matter,

just make sure you have enough paper to cover it!)

- Scrapbook paper (cute, coordinating paper is always best ;)

- Mod Podge

Optional:

- Sanding Paper

- Paint 

*Ignore the fabric and buttons I have on there....

Step 1.

If you are going to paint the edge of your bulletin board,

you may want to consider sanding it.

It gives it a more "vintaged" feel.

Which we love, of course.

What I did with mine was to find certain points

That I wanted to create imperfections...

and sanded them.

I made little divets in the wood until

I got it looking how I liked it.

Step 2.  Pant the frame.

In order to get a more personalized look and color, try mixing

paint to create your own color.

This color is a mix of dark brown, red, and light brown.

(paint after wiping off the dust from sanding of course)



 Step 3. Lay out your papers and then mod podge.

There really is no right or wrong way to do this,

but there are a few tips.

When you're laying them out, I suggest making them fit

around the bulletin board, so you don't have to cut any

hanging edges.

This meands tucking papers under if you must.

Once you have your papers all laid out, start mod-podging!

Start with one paper at a time, and try applying mod podge directly to the paper.

If that doesn't work, then add it to the board itself instead.

Step 4. Let dry and enjoy!

Bulletin boards are especially fun for hanging notes, pictures, etc. on..

Personalize it as you wish, and most importantly.......

Have fun with your ridiculously easy self- decorated

bulletin board!

Week 4 {using flowers on cards and how to make the swirly ones}

I have found no better tutorial on the web than this one.  And there is no way that I could explain it better.  

If you have not checked out littlebirdiesecrets.com, its a must read.

I like to use them on cards as a centerpiece.  Try experimenting around with them, you never know what you'll come up with!  Cards are fun because they always turn out different - no two cards are the same!

Week 3 {Paper flowers with inked edges}

Okay, so I'm a little behind.  But that's okay, because I promise to do better.

Here's the tutorial for week 3:

Materials:

Buttons

(patterned or not) paper

Ink pad

Hot glue gun

For the flowers, I have a tutorial on how to make torn paper flowers.  Go to my blog, and click on 'older posts' a few times, you should see it pop up.

Now for the inking part.  Make sure to roll up  your sleeves because you will probably get ink on you.
Cut out your individual circles, and ink them one by one. You can either use a sponge dipped in an ink pad, or rub the circles on the ink pad by themselves. 


Tips:
There is no certain method to doing this, just keep going until it looks right.
Try not to go too crazy with it -- a little ink on the edges seems to work just great.
When you get to this point, DO NOT PUT YOUR FLOWER TOGETHER.  The ink will rub off and get all over your fingers.
I recommend letting them dry overnight, and in the morning, assemble your flower to your hearts content.

Enjoy!



*I did not take these pictures -- they were taken from blogs on the web.

Week 2 {how to dry flowers so they retain their color}

Week two is here!  A little bit late, but better late than never, right?!

So here are the materials that you will be needing.....

1. A ribbon that is long enough and sturdy enough to tie around your flowers and hang them up

2. A push-pin

3. A dark room

4. Flowers of course!

Steps:

1. Gather your flowers when they are starting to die a bit... that way you can still enjoy them while they are living!

2. Tie your ribbon around the bottom of the stems of the flowers - tight so they don't come out!

3. Take your flowers into a dark room and pin the ribbon and flowers to the wall - upside down

4. Wait a couple weeks, checking on them often.  When they are completely dry, remove them from the dark room and enjoy!

Week 1 {Binder Page Cover Tutorial}

Hey Y'all!

I'm back.  Like I promised.  It's Week 1 and I'm doing good.

Week one is the binder page cover tutorial.  I recently made one for a church calling, but you can make one for other things such as school, and just to organize.

Here are the supplies that you will be needing:

1. A binder with a clear covering (so that you can see the page when you slip it in)
2. Some scrapbook paper of your choice (preferably to match whatever you are making it for)
3. A flower for embellishment (Stay tuned for a tutorial later on how to make inked flowers)

Now... Lets get started!

The first thing that you need to do is layer your scrapbook paper according to your liking.  Make sure that you measure how big your binder is so that the page cover can easily slip into it, but is not  too small.

Once you have your paper cut, you need to lay it out so it looks good.

Lay it out something like this so it creates a look of symmetry.

After that, glue it together (I would recommend using a glue stick and stacking books on it as it dries or rubber cement), and stand back to admire your work!



Come back next week and I promise I will have tutorial number two ready -- so get out your flowers and be ready to dry them!

Looking Forward {Summer Crafting Bug}

I confess.  I've been WAY too far behind on my blog.  And now I'm hear to make it up to you.

School's out and the summer is here!  That means more time, warmer weather, and more "camera moments".

I promise that I will give you at least a post a week - and I'll start now by giving you a sneak peak for what's to come......

Week #1 - Binder Page Cover (perfect for Church callings, school, and organizing!)

Week #2 - (I'm sorry this is a horrible picture on my part) Dried flowers that retain their color

Week #3 - Inked Edges on Flowers (gives it a more "vintaged" feel)

Week #4 - Using flowers on Cards and how to make the swirly ones

Week #5 - Self- decorated Bulletin Board (my personal favorite)

Week #6 - spruced up agenda cover

Week #7 - Ruffled Flowers Tutorial

 Week #8 - Editing Photos to your Heart's Content

Whew!  Looks like I've got a project ahead of me - Come back next week, and I PROMISE that I'll have tutorial number one waiting for ya!