My First Quilled Creation!!

I've found a new crafting medium!!  Quilling!  I remember seeing these things in my house growing up.  I'm pretty sure my mom either did them or a relative did....either way I wish I would have hung on to them!  So now I will just have to make my own!

I bought some basic supplies at Hobby Lobby.  A quilling tool and tweezers.  Glue and paper strips.  All rather inexpensive too.  I think I spent $15 total.  I really just wanted to get the basics to see if I would even like it first.  It is definitely not a quick and easy craft to do.  Takes some time and dedication on your part and steady hands.

So here is my first creation.....a cute little owl!

It's probably not the best out there but I am pretty impressed with it!  Now I will have to make him some friends!

Maybe someday I will be able to make something like these!

Till next time...

B

Kitties need blankets too!

My cat and my brother's cat love making the top of the couches their personal napping spots and I have had to deal with the enormous amount of cat hair buildup forever....well no more!

I made both of them their own personal kitty blanket to put on their sleeping spot so that when it gets full of hair I can just throw it in the wash!

Very easy, just one of those fleece tie blankets (but kitty-sized)!

Toonces was already in love before I even started making it!

And the finished product, with kitty...

**My brother's cat not pictured.....I guess he wasn't sleepy at the time I was taking the pictures.

By the way, I wrote this blog with a cat on my lap the entire time.

Till next time...

B

This years Christmas gifts....FINALLY

So it's only been a little over 3 weeks since Christmas has come and gone but better late than never!  A new thing I have started doing the past couple of years is making all of my Christmas presents for the majority of my family and friends.  So here is what I did this year!

Bottle Cap Magnets!

This isn't the first time I've used this idea before, but this time I flipped the caps over and cut out images and pasted them inside.  Some pretty scrapbook paper and a little glue will go a long way! I punched them out with an inch circle punch which was the perfect size for the bottle cap.  Sadly, I am not the first to come up with this cool idea.  I came across similar magnets at Borders and another store (can't remember where though).  But I like to think mine are the best and most unique!

Here are a few more pics...

Microwave Heat Wraps!

These things are amazing and so easy to make!  If you just want a simple one and don't care what it looks like all you need is a tube sock.  To make it pretty though, I put a softer, more colorful sock on the outside and just tied the top.  This way you can remove the outer sock and machine wash it when you need to.  To make the inside, I mixed rice and cut open a couple packets of herbal tea and mixed together, then sewed the tube sock shut.  When you microwave the heat wrap it's best to place a cup of water in with it or spritz it with some water.  This way it maintains the moisture and your heat wrap will last longer!

Bathroom Tile Coasters!

This gift I am most proud of this year!  It took a while, but the result was well worth it!

I took plain white ceramic bathroom tiles (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) and spray painted them black.  Several coats.  

Let them dry overnight. 

I then printed off images just with my printer at home and used spay adhesive to glue them to the tiles.  

Let them dry overnight.

Next, I sprayed them with a a clear glossy lacquer.  Used mainly for models.  Several coats.

Let them dry overnight.

Next, I cut out adhesive felt pieces to fit the bottom of the tiles and attached them.

And that's it!

Here are some more pictures of the finished product.

They really work great!  Heavy enough not to slide around or stick to your cup and they don't absorb the moisture like the paper/cardboard ones.  I'm definitely going to be making more of these in the future!

Now it's time to start thinking about next years Christmas gifts!!

Till next time,

B