How Cute!

While visiting my sister, yes, the famous one from My Sister’s Jar, I noticed that she had cute red beads on the cords of her blinds in her kitchen.  How cute!  I decided that I needed to have cute beads like her!  See, my cords have never been cut and I just throw them behind that Mexican vase.  Untidy, I know.  The search for blue glass beads in the craft closet was quite successful!  Oh, I love blue…..

Much to my disappointment, the cutesy craft didn’t go down as planned.  First I removed the plastic pulls and cut the cords with plenty of room to spare.  Fine.  Then things went down hill rapidly.  The beads didn’t have large enough holes for the ropes.  I think my sister has thinner cords than I do.  I did figure out that the cords have an inner thinner rope that did fit through the beads, but stripping blind cords does not work as smoothly as stripping rubber off wire.  Right before my eyes the strings got shorter and shorter… I started wondering if the blinds might not go all the way down any more.  So I stopped, frustrated… and tied new knots on the lame, plain cords and replaced the lame, plastic pulls. 

Well, at least they don’t lie in a puddle on the counter behind the Mexican vase anymore.  It only took me five years and one month to cut the cords at my kitchen window.  I guess I could be considered a slow learner.

TaHoe cRafTiNg

Those who know me well, know that I love crafts and crafting and being crafty…. and craftsy.  Trying new projects brings joy to my soul.  So, my current new-to-me idea is soldered charms/ornaments.  A friend of mine shared a link to her friend’s etsy.com site where she sells these darling handmade trinkets.  See more at:  www.MyMelodieDesigns.com.

Not knowing how to create these little gems, I did what all craft-direction-needing minds do… I went to YouTube.  Yes, I found many instructional videos and made my shopping list.  Today, I’m off to JoAnn’s to get the booty… with coupons, of course.  For the first time ever, I’m glad I saved my glittery scrapbooking paper scraps from my Christmas albums.  Sweet!  I knew I’d eventually find a reason to use them!  It has presented itself, much to my liking.

This week I’m getting together with my highschool bosom friend, Connie.  We are known for trying new and uncharted waters when it comes to crafting.  In March we covered the antique chair with vintage quilts and green piping.  I can’t remember if I blogged about that, so here is the finished product:

I also can’t remember if I ever showed a pictures of our Macramé beach bags???  I made mine about 1/2 a day ahead of Connie and figured out that I should have made the flowers all smaller.  So her bag has tidy, neat flowers in little rows and doesn’t look as spread out as mine does.  Here’s mine:

In a few weeks I’ll post our finished product pictures!  Please stay tuned!

Scrapbooking “Vacation”

Sunday night I returned from four days of Scrapping in the Pines up in the mountains in Prescott, Arizona.  It’s lovely up there because it’s 20 degrees cooler than the Valley of the Sun.  PLUS, it’s no kids, no cooking, no cleaning…. just relaxing, scrapbooking, chatting, movie watching, munching and belly laughing.  Lots of belly laughing went on.

Twenty-one pages were completed in my album, which is pretty good, but nowhere near the 65+ pages like the days of old when we scrapbooked in Prescott.  Thank God we’ve relaxed a bit.  OK, A LOT.   Here are a few peaks into my family scrapbook. Sorry the pictures are not totally clear.  I’m too tired to take them out of the page protectors.  :o)

This page of Larisa is the first time I’ve used pressed-foam raised shapes that you cover with paper (the flowered ring) and paint the sides.  The effect is cool with the three-dimensional frame.  There is also bling on the flowers at the top that don’t show that well.

I simply love pictures of boys being boys.  I still need to do my journaling on the striped paper on the right, but I love the color combination on this page.  Titles I’m considering: “Hoopla”  “Just hangin’ Around” or “White Men CAN Jump.”  I’m open to voting.

You’ve possibly seen this photo on my blog with the story behind the grin… So cute!  My boy!  A friend brought up her Cricket machine, which is totally awesome!  It cuts out the letters I used here for the title.  You basically put your paper in, tell it what to cut out and whammo!  It’s done.  Pretty slick, if you ask me.

Two weeks ago I was talking to two women from our church and I mentioned Anne of Green Gables.  Neither one knew Anne with an E.  I was amazed.  Shocked.  Dismayed.  I thought everyone knew Anne with an E.  So this past weekend, while scrapping, we watched all THREE LOOOONG Anne of Green Gables movies.  It was truly a delight for our souls. (However, I still think Lucy Maud Montgomery would be flipping over in her grave if she saw the third movie in the series!  It’s missing the verbiage, scenery, flavor and sentimentality of the first two which she indeed wrote.)

There you have it.  I need to go take a nap now.

OH!  The scissors-through-the-chicken bag will be up Monday morning on www.bagsforzaza.blogspot.com. Bid on a bag and help bring our daughter home from Colombia!

CraFt PhAseS oF LifE

I’m sure I’m not alone in my travels through the myriad of crafts that are out there at our disposal. Anyone else into macrame in the 70s?  Cross Stitch in the 80s?  Wallpaper fans in the 90s?  Scrapbooking in the 00s?  Me too. That doesn’t mean you’re normal.  It means you’re weird like me.  :o)  Mixed in there without a specific decade are also stamping, candle making, card making, sewing comes and goes throughout the years, quilting, knitting, etc.  (No, I’m not going to mention acrylic crown-shaped albums…. and get my blood pumping.)

It’s secret confession time once again at My Sister’s Jar.  I recently found a macrame market bag pattern that is calling out to me.  I know what you’re thinking.  Nerdsville.  Not so.  It doesn’t involve large owls with beaded eyes or metal rings for plant holders.  I have finally gathered all the necessary materials to make the braiding board as well as the bag.  The knots are tied so the entire bag is made up of flowers.  It’s cute.  Really.  No, REALLY!  I’ll eventually share photos and you’ll all be envious.

I’m not usually the type to think outside the box on most things.  Well, no, that’s a lie.  Let me rephrase that.  When a craft or pattern is shown to me, I usually do it just as shown, with wilder fabrics and brighter shades.  But when Jennie (www.bagsforzaza.blogspot.com) made the tote this week, she threw off my groove.  I didn’t consider making bags in other designs.  This thought inspired me and I made a purse today that is just that.  A purse.  It’s not a carrier bag.  It’s just a purse.  I can’t decide if I like it.  Here it is:

I can’t even decide on the button for the closure, so it’s naked.  The bottom is ultra suede and the rust colored circles are actually a circle of fringe.  I’m not sure what I’m not jazzed about, maybe it’s not my typical colors??? (And yes, that’s danger tape on my son’s bedroom door.  Boys!)

I did finish a ladybug bag this week that is completely made from a valance, chenille robe and fabric remnants from my friend Connie.  So adorable.  Not for me, but for someone who loves ladybugs.  Or someone who is hard to buy for.  Or for a friend who needs a designated collection… like ladybugs.  It will be up for auction on Monday at Bags for Zaza.  And did you see the total money raised lately????  Go.  Look right now.  www.bagsforzaza.blogspot.com

Thank you Jennie for dreaming up a fundraiser for Zaza.  Thanks Connie for your recent donations.  Thanks to Jenn and Leah and Mom for also sewing up beautiful bags.  Someday Zaza will thank you.