Category — Craft

Instead of my usual Silk Transfer Easter Eggs, I went another route this year. On Pinterest, I found Cocktail Napkin Easter Eggs.

I hard-boiled 9 eggs and used the technique explained HERE for the first eight eggs. Then on a whim, I tried another technique and ended up with the egg above. I love the end results and will show you how to do both.

Plus I’m putting up links to all of my Easter recipes as listed on the Complete Recipe Index – over there on the left if you are still trying to figure out what to make.

Cocktail Napkin Easter Eggs

8 to 12 white hard-boiled eggs, cold
Printed paper cocktail or lunch napkins
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Open the napkins and separate the printed top layer from the plain second layer if the napkin has two layers. Discard any plain sheets.

Cut each napkin into four squares, along the folds.

Dip a small pastry brush into the beaten egg white and use to adhere and apply a square onto the front center of an egg.

[Read more →]

Wow, this week went fast! I can’t believe it’s Friday already.

Once again, I shall be answering one of Lori’s questions. Lori put forth several when I asked you to pose questions to me. This is one that I didn’t expect to be getting to quite so soon. But the week flew by so fast, that I wasn’t ready to answer the tougher questions she asked… here we go:

Are you going to unveil your plan for your “playroom” when you figure it out?!?

Yes, Lori, it’s not only figured out.. it’s all done. Well, not completely done… but done for now.

I desperately needed a space to store and organize all my craft supplies in one central location. I have so many crafting supplies, it felt like they were coming out my ears! Everywhere I turned, there was some sort of craft. From the rolls of washi tapes to paints and stickers, it was everywhere. It’s been stuffed in several places throughout the house; the garage, my closet, in the buffets in the dining room, the master bedroom sitting room, in the kids’ rooms (under their beds – without their knowledge), and even in the backyard patio area.

As I mentioned in a post earlier this month, I’ve reclaimed a portion of a large room upstairs that we’ve always called “the playroom.” The playroom has always had a television, couch, and computer desk. In the early years, it had a dozen shelves along with two of the walls. Those shelves housed Marissa’s extensive collections of Disney figurines and Connor’s huge collection of Star Wars action figures. The shelves came down and the toys went up into the attic, years ago. There were also about a half-dozen tall white cupboards, in the early days, that held school craft and art materials, games, videos, and toys… those too are long gone.

More recently the room has been an extra bedroom, with a trundle daybed, and also sadly became sort of a junk room. When your kids are college age, they accumulate dorm/apartment furniture and when they finish college, that stuff has to get dumped somewhere… this room became our “somewhere.”

Currently, the room is divided into three distinct areas – the television lounge area … also known as Connor’s lair.

… Connor’s computer desk area …

… and my craft area, which still has the daybed included in it. Here are some of the details and close-ups.

[Read more →]

This, the simplest and the least expensive of the crafts, is my absolute favorite. So sweet and old-fashioned.

[Read more →]

The following instructions are for the easiest winter craft ever.

Although we did not make these at last weekend’s craft party, I will be making them at a private craft party this weekend.

Many thanks to Barb Fenzl and Les Gourmettes Cooking School for helping me collect enough clear wine bottles! 

[Read more →]

A lovely, easy, and rustic project at the 2013 Christmas Craft Party was this pine cone garland.

I found the rope at Home Depot. A 50-foot package costs about $8 and is enough for 4 garlands.

We don’t have many pine trees in the desert, so I purchased the pine cones at Hobby Lobby and Micheal’s. That is also where I found the thin jewelry wire used to attach the pine cones to the rope and the ribbon and bells used for decoration.

[Read more →]

As usual, I found all the craft ideas for the 2013 Christmas Craft Party on Pinterest. This is a craft I really wanted to do but wasn’t able to finalize until 2 days before the party.

The problem was finding reasonably priced frames. Even with 50% off at Hobby Lobby and Micheal’s, the best I could find was around $19, and that was just for the frame. I’d still need to add in the cost for the bells, ribbon, and twine.

I was about to give up when I decided to give Micheal’s one more look-see. I found the clearance aisle and lo and behold, I found 10 perfect frames!  They were exactly what I had in mind and they were marked down to only $8.00. I bought all the red, white, and black ones off the shelves.

Then, I went to get the bells and found that they were on sale for 50% off.

Now that’s what I call a successful shopping excursion!

Find the easy instructions below and then be sure to read to the end and hear (and see) my pitiful and sad bow story – that has a happy ending.

[Read more →]

Yesterday was Christmas Craft Party 2013.

Twenty of us had a glorious afternoon socializing, eating, drinking, and of course, crafting.

I’ll share the crafts and recipes with you as the week goes on, but first I want to show you the Coffee and Cocoa Bar.

Since the crafting was done outside and the high on Sunday was an unusually chilly 55 degrees, hot beverages were a must.

[Read more →]

This is the final post for the 2013 Fall Craft Party. A wrap-up, of sorts.

(*For links to all the craft projects please scroll to the bottom of the page)

The basket of fresh herbs was used to make bouquet garni.

Bouquet Garni is a bundle of herbs, tied together with string, and then used to prepare soup, stock, stews, and such.

The bouquet is cooked along with the other ingredients of a dish but is removed prior to serving.

We used bay leaves, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and basil for our bouquets.

Here’s how to make BOUQUET GARNI:

1.  Gather the fresh herbs you wish to bundle –make sure they are fresh, not dried. Also, be sure that you have allowed them to completely dry after washing them. Do not bundle moist herbs—they will turn to mush or worse yet, mold!

2. Take a few stalks of each herb you wish to include in the bundle and only one bay leaf for each bundle.

3.  After gathering them together–use kitchen twine to wrap around {crisscrossing} and then tie in a knot at the end.

4. Allow your cute little bundles to sit out for a few days to dry—and then store in an airtight container until ready to gift as gifts or use for soups, stews, stocks, etc.

Kim was the most prolific bouquet garni maker – I think she may have gone home with a dozen. (I do not know why there is a pair of pliers in this photo -weird – you do not need pliers to make bouquet garni.)

It was requested by about half of the attendees that we once again make the burlap and fabric pumpkins. I happily obliged. Detailed instructions may be found HERE.

This table was one of the busiest places, all night long.

Dozens of beautiful pumpkins were created…

[Read more →]

This, the fifth craft, from 2013 Fall Craft Party is my favorite. I can’t wait to use these at our Thanksgiving and Christmas tables.

(*For links to all the craft projects please scroll to the bottom of the page)

For $5, the crafters could make a set of four of these fantastic burlap and lace flatware sleeves. Flatware not included.

I once again received the burlap coffee bean bags free from my dear friend, Tram Mai, and her husband, Stephen. The bags came from their Press Coffee Roasters.

I am not a coffee drinker, but if you are, you should go to Press! I am told their coffee is the best, so good in fact that the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North buys their beans from Press. Now that’s a rave endorsement if ever there was one!

The cost of the craft covered my cost for the lace and the bottle of Tacky Glue. Lace ribbon is so expensive – I had no idea.

I think the set with a mix of burlaps and a mix of laces is the best.

Here is the “almost too easy to have to explain” no-sew instructions:

[Read more →]

Today is my birthday!

Yahoo! I really truly totally and completely love my birthday.

There are so many silly people (my husband included) who sigh, moan, and groan about their birthday. “Woe is me, yet another year older.”

Wake up people, the alternative is not so happy!

You may be wondering then, “If she loves her flipping birthday so dang much, what’s up with the ‘birthday pity party” title?”

Oh, that has nothing to do with it being my birthday.

The Pity Party is in reference to today’s featured craft from the 2013 Fall Craft Party.

See that photo above? How darn cute is that?!? It’s an Urban Scarecrow Wreath. You know, urban, ’cause there’s not a real need for scarecrows in suburban Scottsdale.

No corn that we need to scare crows away from.
To be honest, there aren’t even that many crows here in suburbia.

We have plenty of pigeons though, so if somebody invents a working scarepigeon – I’m in! Until then, I’ll continue to research ways of taking the matter into my own hands. I quite like using my pellet gun to control the pigeon population in my yard!

Anyhow…. one of the nine crafts the guests might have chosen to make was an Urban Scarecrow Wreath.

There were 23 crafters and 13 wreaths available. Guess how many wreaths were made. Come on, shout out your best guess…

No, not thirteen.

Not nine.

Not even five.

…………..

…………..

…………..

None! That’s how many!

Not one wreath was made.

Sigh. Moan. Groan.

This photo was taken late in the evening. You can see ladies in the background, happily working on their Boa & Glitter Wreaths and Bundt Pan Pumpkins. Yet, there in the foreground we see the sad, empty, and ignored scarecrow wreath station.

Bitter?

No, I’m not BITTER! I’m fine with it.

Look, at what I’ve done with all the fake pumpkins, gourds, some of my rusty springs, and one of the crows… I’ve made a really cute centerpiece for one of the patio tables.

The crow stands guard, watching for any returning crafters who regret NOT making the cutest fall wreath ever.

Don’t try coming back.

It’s too late!

The 13 crows and me – yeah, we’ve moved on!

(*For links to all the craft projects please scroll to the bottom)

His other crow friends are now part of the Halloween decor throughout the house, including this disappointed happy little guy on the living room mantel.

The 13 wreaths are neatly and happily stacked in the dining room, awaiting their next potential project – most likely some sort of Christmas wreath craft that anyone with good taste will be fighting over – just for the chance to make.

The people at Goodwill will be happy to resell all the shirts I bought, that have now been re-donated.

All is well, don’t worry about me. I’m just fine. It’s my birthday, for goodness sake, I am happy, happy, happy!

[Read more →]