Inkling: hugs and kisses valentine card – free download

Valentine’s Day is just a few weeks away and I wanted to share a card I made with you.

The PDF is for the full size card or you can print it out at 50% to make cute Valentine tags.

You can find the PDF for this card under the Goodie Bag Tab. Hugs and kisses (and hearts)!



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This project is linked at the following:

      

Mad in Crafts

 

Etceteras: faux capiz shell luminary

I saw this amazing capiz shell chandelier in the West Elm catalog. I love capiz shells.

I wouldn’t attempt to make a chandelier but I did make a luminary.

To make faux capiz shells, simply glue or mod podge white tissue paper onto plastic. I used plastic that I had saved from the tops of stationery and toy boxes. Once the mod podge is completely dry, cut out your shapes. Wrap string around the jar and then glue the shells onto the string. I repeated this three times to make three layers of shells. I wrapped wire around the top of the jar in case I decided to hang the luminary.

Add your candle and enjoy.




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This project is linked at the following:


Kojo Designs   ~  Finding Fabulous   ~   Fun To Craft   ~   Fingerprints on the Fridge   ~  
It's a Hodge Podge Life   ~   So you think you’re crafty   ~   Simply Sweet Home

Upcycling: wood tacks

Yard work means more clippings for the recycling bin or for the craft bin.

If you prune your trees or bushes, you can save some of the twigs and branches to use on a variety of crafts.  These smaller branches worked perfectly to make thumb tacks.

After the branches were pruned, I left them outside to dry. Once they were dry, I sawed them into ½ lengths. I used sandpaper to smooth the edges and glued them onto a thumb tack. I used Aleenes’s Original Tacky Glue and let them dry thoroughly before using them.

Wood thumb tacks - a fun and easy project. Yard work – not so fun or easy…





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This project is linked at the following:



The Shabby Chic Cottage   ~   Somewhat Simple  
Life as Lori   ~   Life with the Lebedas   ~   Yesterday on Tuesday   ~  

Making it with Allie   ~  A Little Knick Knack   ~   Suzy's Artsy Crafty Sitcom   ~   Finding Fabulous   ~   Fun to Craft   ~  WhipperBerry

Sew and Tell: vintage towels

As long as I had my ironing board and sewing machine all set up from yesterday’s scrappy pillow, why not dress up some plain white towels.

Decorative towels are fairly expensive at department or linen stores. Look for plain towels that are on sale at discount stores and add your own embellishments for a fraction of the cost.

For these towels, I used the edge of a vintage cutter table cloth with a pretty floral pattern and minty turquoise scalloped edge.

It’s amazing how fresh towels and a pretty bar of soap can change the feel of your bathroom. And at this cost, you can change out the look whenever you feel like it.

Sew and Tell: vintage scrappy pillow

It’s hard for me to throw away little scraps of fabric, especially when it’s vintage fabric. I have quite a few scraps of pretty fabrics from table clothes, runners and aprons that I’ve been saving.

  

You can use up some of the smaller pieces of fabric by making a scrappy pillow. 

Simply trim the scraps and pin them onto a piece of plain fabric. Sew across all the pieces vertically and then horizontally.

Sew on the back of the pillow and stuff with fiber fill.

I love the designs of vintage fabrics and this pillow is now like a scrap book page of some of favorites.

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This project is linked at the following:

C.R.A.F.T.    ~   Skip to my Lou    ~   SSB Mad Skills Monday   ~   Texas Monkey   ~  

Mad in Crafts   ~   Sew Chatty   ~   Santa’s Gift Shoppe Year Round   ~   Today’s Creative Blog   ~   These Creative Juices   ~   Sugar Bee Craft Edition   ~   Hope Studios   ~  

New Nostalgia   ~   Krafty Kat   ~   Vintage Wanna Bee   ~   Lady Bug Blessing   ~  

It's so very Cheri   ~  Tea Rose Home   ~ The Trendy Treehouse   ~   seven thirty three   ~   The Thrifty Home   ~   Someday Crafts   ~   All Thingz Related   ~  My Backyard Eden   ~   All Things Heart and Home   ~  The Shabby Chic Cottage   ~ Somewhat Simple   ~

 Life as Lori   ~   Life with the Lebedas   ~   Yesterday on Tuesday   ~  

Making it with Allie   ~  A Little Knick Knack  ~   Suzy's Artsy Crafty Sitcom   ~   Kojo Designs   ~   Fingerprints on the Fridge   ~   Simply Sweet Home   ~ 

It's a Hodge Podge Life   ~   So you think you’re crafty

Etceteras: bread basket bird nest

I sense that the craft world is ready to move on from winter. I’m seeing a lot of colorful projects that include pastels, flowers and delicate fabrics. I’m ready too, but before I spring into spring, I wanted to create one more winter centerpiece for my table.

This snow bird centerpiece is made out of a silver bread basket. Because I may want to use my bread basket again someday, I lined the bottom with paper and then glued down oasis and a mound of moss. I painted twigs, a branch and a green ceramic bird with white spray paint.

This little snow bird will stay warm and cozy on my dining room table until spring. As the season starts to change, I may add eggs and small flowers and use this as a spring center piece.

If I can wait that long... I may have to give this little snow bird an early spring. 

Etceteras: homemade ribbon wreath

I saved the cardboard core from a roll of tape. I know there are others out there who do things like this… save things like tape rolls. At least I’m hoping that’s the case.

The cardboard roll measures about 2 inches and I’ve been saving it to make a tiny, miniature wreath.

With the ribbon I made from yesterday’s post, I rolled tiny little rosettes and glued them onto the cardboard. I rolled, I glued, I rolled, I glued…

I like the variegated shades of the rosettes and I’m happy my cardboard tape core has been put to good use.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

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This project is entered in the CSI Pantone Honeysuckle Challenge

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This project is linked at the following:

        

  

Etceteras: homemade ribbon

I received a gift at Christmas that was wrapped with beautiful pink and red variegated ribbon. I saved it, rolled it up and put it in my ribbon jar. It would be perfect for wrapping Valentine goodies but I don’t have enough.

Solution… make your own ribbon. Ideally, if I do this again, I’ll buy a spool of white grosgrain ribbon. For now, I went a little more homespun and used white cotton fabric strips – raw edges and all.

To make this variegated ribbon, I cut strips of white fabric and rolled them up. I dipped one end of the roll in a small bowl filled with water and red food coloring. Once the food coloring started to bleed up the fabric roll, I took it out and placed the roll in a tin pan. I dripped undiluted food coloring onto the roll and let that bleed into the fabric. I unrolled the strips and let them dry.

I’ll use this ribbon on cello bags filled with Valentine goodies and other small packages.

I also used this ribbon on a fun craft project. Come back tomorrow and check it out.







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This project is linked at the following: