Links I'm Loving :: fall crafting and a bit of inspiration and wisdom

It should feel like autumn no? It was 90+ degrees and humid outside this past week. And my son came home from school recess looking a little like a sweaty tomato.

My favorite season is fall. I love the way it smells, the way it sounds, and the way nature gets ready to tuck itself in for slumber. Acorns, felt fabrics, flannel sheets, apple pie, fresh pressed cider, and new knitting projects all signal to me days growing shorter, and nights cooler. I do however, have issue with pumpkin guts. I just can't get past the smell and the slime. But that bright orange smooth skin and funny green twisty stem, has me crafting these guys in a different way. More to come on that. But open one up? Not near me please.

So in the mindset of autumn, here are some nifty links I am loving...

Wonderful fall paper craft! Recycle those paper bags. From A Place For Us.

Witch-y silhouette Trick or Treat bag tutorial...from Positively Splendid.

This one is so inspiring! Can't wait to be a part of her next project. Congratulations on such a successful event! From Bits of Splendor...Project Hope.

 

Needed this read after a tough morning with my daughter...for the moms Choosing to Take Beauty from I Take Joy.

Origami Butterfly Wall Art - Tutorial

Ahh, we're back. After a bit of a trying week, we are back. Maybe not normal yet, but better. Up and running. Stronger and with more momentum.

I like that feeling of gearing up. The lists, the planning, the thinking, the ideas and the doing. As a new project takes off, so does my heart and soul. The different possibilities bring optimism into my little corner. This little boost pushes me off my landing spot and into the wind. And I feel free again.

Life is a bit of a roller coaster. That is so cliche, but as I get older, it is so true. My roller coaster travels from intense deep dark blue to the lightest of yellows. My lows are darker, grumpier, and more achy. My highs are light, breezy, and floaty. And it is a fact that my path travels to both ends. Life modulates.

I have tried so hard to control it. "I'd be so much more productive if I could just extend those highs. How do I avoid those lows? Exercise. Diet. Medication. Supplements. Lifestyle." But the only thing I've found to be true, is to embrace it. Rest when the body says to rest. Leave the guilt of nap-time hours behind. Productivity will pick up. It will soon. And without variety, this wouldn't be...life.

So take each day as it comes. Be productive when the body and the inspiration allows. Rest when there is no other choice. And embrace your soul, the time you have here on this earth, and live each day to its fullest. I know I can't do any more than that.

Now, onto the craft....


We are sorely in need of some cute wall art in this house. I've been eyeing so many butterflies on the Internet lately and since spring is in the air, I decided to invite some into this home.

I found this site for all things Origami butterfly. I looked at about half the links, but there are so many other patterns out there to explore! Take a look around and see which one you like.

This is a very simple, very budget friendly piece to put together. I found all the items I needed around the house. Most of the project time is spent waiting for paint to dry and folding paper.

Materials:
Damp rag or paper towel
Sand paper (any fine sand paper will do)
Paper or drop cloth to protect the surface on which you intend to paint
Paint brush
White pant (I used flat indoor paint)
Scrap wood (in any dimension, in any shape, here I used 1/2" MDF)

Regular paper (I used 12X12 inch scrapbooking paper, color on one side, and this was totally enough)
Scissors
Ruler
Pencil
Nails (I used 1 1/4 inch long nails and I used about 6 of them)
Hammer

Craft Glue

How To:
NOTE: I did not affix a hanger on the back of my piece. If you would like to hang your piece, select an appropriate wall hanger and attach it to your board, BEFORE you start in on the rest.

1. Sand scrap wood until edges and faces are smooth. Remove any dust and debris with a damp cloth and let dry.

2. Paint scrap wood white with paint and brush. You many need to do two coats, letting each dry in between.

3. Go here to find out how to make the origami butterflies. This is a very complete and easy to follow tutorial in my opinion and she gives you two sizes to choose from.

4. Measure and draw as many rectangles for as many butterflies as you'd like. I varied the sizes of mine and I just kept on making them until I got tired of making them!

5. Lay out your butterflies on the white piece of wood. I choose to make them all face more or less one direction. Then choose which you'd like to elevate. These little lucky ones will be mounted atop the nails.

6. With the pencil, draw dots where the nails will be hammered in. Then hammer in your nails. Don't worry if your little butterflies try to take flight while you are hammering, they don't go far, and you can re-arrange them later.

7. Add a dab of craft glue to the top of each nail, and place the lucky butterfly atop. Adjust it's angle as you please and let dry.


8. Apply craft glue to the bottom edges of each butterfly and secure it to the board. Let these butterflies dry.

And there you have it. Display and admire your work!

Spring Tissue Paper Wreath - Tutorial

I've never been a fan of money. I like the things you can get with money, sure...like crafting supplies, an education, or a good read. And I don't really mind earning money, though I feel supremely lucky that I don't need to command an income presently. But the way that green stuff just twists you up inside with worry sometimes doesn't feel like very nice at all.

"I want this, but I shouldn't buy it. I would really like this, but I don't need it. Is this worth it? Is this being wasteful? BUT I JUST WANT IT! I deserve it." Then the credit card or the cash comes out and in a flash that light of instant gratification is turned on. A feeling of warm euphoria wraps its arms around me and pushes up my lips into a smile. It teases my brain saying, "you did good." And then the shopper's-high is gone. And so is the money.

So that I don't have buyers remorse, or spenders-withdraw, I like to change it up with a thrifty endeavor sometimes. This craft is pretty inexpensive while being relatively impressive. Tissue paper is pretty cheap, though I'd recommend quality stuff for this project. The really thin stuff just rips too easily. And with a wreath form, a dab of glue, and a bit of ribbon you can make a very pretty spring tissue paper wreath. (A side note, if your wreath form comes shrink wrapped in plastic, don't even take that off. Just glue the tissue paper right to the outside of the plastic. That way when you get tired of this decoration, you can just take off the plastic and start over designing another wreath!)

The butterfly and flower adornment are a recreation of my beloved blue hydrangea but you can use any accent you wish. Store bought or hand-made, either will work fine with this simple wreath. I attached a bit of wire to the back of the butterfly, threaded the flower through and then stuck the wire through the foam wreath form to keep it all in place. Like most of the projects I love, this job takes some patience and a little bit of time. But I believe time well spent, considering the nifty result.

Materials

• Green tissue paper (how much depends upon how big your wreath form is. Mine was 8" and I needed approximately 1/2 a package)
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Pen
• Wreath form (this one is 8" in diameter)
• Craft glue
• Orange ribbon (how long depends upon how long you'd like the loop to be. I used about 24".)
• Chopstick (use one from the take-out bag! You are going to use the non-eating end.)

How To

1. Knot the ends of the ribbon together. Make sure the ribbon isn't twisted. Fold the circle in half, (so you'd get two length of ribbon side-by-side) and loop it around the edge of the wreath form. Pass one loop end through the other loop end and affix it all with a dab of glue to the back of the wreath form.


2. Measure with the ruler, and mark with the pen, 3"x3" squares of tissue paper. Cut them out with a scissors.

3. Take the chop stick and place the larger end at the center of the tissue paper square. Gather up the edges of the tissue paper around the chop stick, and set this aside, with the chop stick still inserted.

 4. Spread a dab of craft glue onto the wreath form and use the flat end of the chopstick to press the tissue paper bunch onto the wreath form. Remove the chop stick and let the tissue paper stand up.

5. Continue folding tissue paper squares around the chopstick and then pressing them into the glue on the wreath form. Of course, spread more glue as necessary. Try not to glue a large area at one time, since the paper bunching takes time and you don't want the glue to dry too much. Bunch the paper together as little or as tightly as you'd like to get a less, or more dense effect.


6. And then you get your basic tissue paper wreath. Adorn it with the accent of your choice and hang it up to admire your work.

*     *     *

Outtakes:

It took me longer to create the butterfly flower accent than it did for me to come up with and shoot the wreath tutorial idea. I dipped newspaper into old coffee to antique it. I did glitter tape and glue glitter. I did beads and wire...and I ended up doing a simple paper motif. Figures.

Inspiration:
Butterfly inspiration from Laeriss from the blog A Heart in Provence
And Sea Mat by Cornflower Blue Studio -- see, inspiration can transcend mediums!

A February Birthday

February is the time for birthdays in this home. Little Miss turned 4 years old last Saturday. A big number for a big girl. In the past year, she entered a new pre-school class. She graduated to a car booster seat. We topped 30 pounds, learned to use the potty, learned to feed herself and turned into an older sibling. And we were accepted into Montessori school.

 

Since she is the only little girl in our family, we go all out. Part of me just can't help it.

This year it was a garden tea party. Fairy wings and wands, vintage touches, and tiny tea cups and treats completed the event. A couple of peeks into what went on behind the scenes this week.

We gave fairy wings and wands to each little friend to take home. We made special picture frames, adorned with sticky jewels, to frame the portrait of all the party goers.

I made sewed little purses out of vintage-like blue floral fabric, one for each little shoulder.

And I made paper roses out of coffee filters and watercolors.

Oh, and the gluten free goodies, linzer cookies, petite fours, and strawberry tartelettes...delicious. More to come on that later.

All for a little girl who turned four. For a mama who loves to craft and bake...and a sweet little girl who loves to help...it was definitely worth it. Oh

Paper Roses

I remember seeing this Martha Stewart Show segment years ago. Sitting in my living room, with a baby and crafting fingers just itching to create...I said to myself, "I could do that." And so I did. Some years later. Learning all the way.

Making these beauties is a labor of love. Tracing, cutting, arranging, taping, painting, drying, painting again, curling, and shaping...all turns into a lovely product.

A little knowledge about paper crafts and water color painting is very helpful. My later specimens are much better than the earlier ones.

Not having the cash at this juncture to spend on fresh flowers for Little Miss' fairy garden tea party, this was the time investment that will have to do.

Oh, the craft tutorial is here.