Showing posts with label paper crafts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paper crafts. Show all posts

Saturday, February 14, 2015

A Lovely Day

Above: from Victorian Trading Co.

The flowers at the Safeway grocery store were in abundance.  I was so tempted to buy some but restrained myself. Please click on the roses, above, for a larger view.

I am mad about these white hydrangeas but will hold out for the potted version for my garden.

This hydrangea has pink on the petal edges. mmm!

Would you like a fresh bouquet in each room?


More flowers at the grocery store.

I took the above picture to show all the glittery pots!

I acquired one of the smaller containers and put a potted rose in it.

Some of the bouquets had the crystal stick pin inserted in each rose but they were completely sold out today. 


Below are pictures of the artificial flowers at Dollar Tree today

I already have a bouquet of the velvet-look white roses, so I tried not to be tempted with these, but they were sure appealing.

Here is a bright spot in he new Women's Weekly, a cheap magazine that is always cheerful.  I only get one after flipping through it at the grocery store if there is something in it worth keeping. 

I will be saving this page for my scrapbook or framing it.  So vivid! Please click the picture for a larger view!


This glitter heart inserted in my wall candleholder is brightened by the daylight coming through the opposite window.

I wanted to share that I have a new kettle from Hamilton Beach Company to boil water and it has an automatic setting which heats the water when it gets cold.  When no one is home but me, it is like having a friend get hot water ready for me when I want to make my frozen-berry tea. Just hearing the water click on makes it seem like there is someone in the kitchen getting things ready.  I love the little comforting noises when the house is quiet.


Someone will ask me about the orphan saucer sitting  under the teacup. It is called Meadowside and I have never seen a matching cup.  I got this one at a garage sale.
I live that scene and hope to immitate it someday on a patch of lawn.

Below is a simple heart I cut freehand today and outlined with silver glitter paint from a tube.

I do not have anything smart to talk about today as I am absorbed in housekeeping, but I am thinking about it :-). I hate to see a day full of soft and pretty celebration elements end.  This should go on all month. Please be sure and check out the blog links on the left to see other people's flowers today.

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Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Beauty at Home


Good Morning Dear Ladies,

Today I am publishing for the first time from email to see how it works. I actually miss the big clunker computers because there were many publishing features that the new gadgets do not have. 

I enjoy the homemade Valentine cards  of this season and hope you will type in the search area on this blog on he upper left to see some of the original cards I have published with patterns for anyone to use. I like that so many bloggers are making at least one card or craft of this season, and enjoy seeing the materials they use.  There is nothing pressured about the Valentines season, as it seems to only require a nicely set table and good food.  I like to make a special dress to wear and create new tablecloths or placemats.  The flowers are not expensive if you go for the bedding plants, and use dollar store pots like I showed in the previous post called The Delights of the Day.  A dollar is all you need for some velvet type artificial flowers in pink, red or white, at the dollar store. 


Loveliness has been on my mind lately, possibly due to all the Valentines Day promotions. It is cheerful to go to the market or look at blogs and see the variety of things that are so soothing and make the heart lifted.

When the most grungy jobs at home are viewed with and ending of beauty, they are accomplished with much more optimism.

A few questions arrived from ladies who want me to address certain subjects, and I am formulating some possible answers. Of course I always look forward to reading your answers as well so be sure and leave comments when there is a subject you are interested in.



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Saturday, March 31, 2012

Easy Paper Basket

Old World Roses in a Basket
by Albert Williams  (English 1922 - )


This is a simple paper craft that I created for a 5-year-old, but it could be used to accent a table for tea guests, with each basket made to give away holding something else handmade, or anything that suits your theme.  You can use really high-end scrap papers, or you can use a paper from a brown paper bag. I used children's construction paper.


The only ingredients are paper of any size, scissors and tape.


Square-off your paper by picking up a point and bringing the paper over to line up with the straight edge on the other side. 

Fold any excess paper sticking out, evenly lined up with one edge,

and cut it off along the folded line.

Set the excess piece aside 

Open up the paper and fold one side up to the middle line.

Fold the opposite side up to the middle also.


Open up the paper again,

and fold up the other two sides to the middle.


Open it up again and you will see the fold lines of a lot of even-shaped squares.

Cut off all four corners.



This is what it will look like with the corners
cut.  You can use this for a template and just trace around it to make other baskets, or you can follow the entire proceedure for each basket. In my observation, children would rather know how to do this step-by-step so they can pick up a piece of paper any time and do it themselves, so I do not make a template. However if you are making 20 of them for a special event, make a cardboard pattern and trace around it.

Pull up the corner sides and put one piece of tape on each corner to secure it.

Fold that left-over strip of paper in half, lengthwise.


Cut along the fold into two pieces.

Use one piece for a handle, taping it once on each side.

These are not strong baskets, but will hold some lightweight paper craft, hand shredded paper (made with a hand held shredder usually available in craft and scrapbooking stores) or used to hold some kind of food served at the table.



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Thursday, March 22, 2012

First Day of Spring

This is what came the first day of spring, covering the pink blossoms on the trees.

The blue spruce looks great with a bit of white powder, and there are some willows bending over with the weight of the snow.

These are holly trees and a large old maple.



Here is a simple creative way of potting a flowering plant. I've taken some primroses from my garden and put them in these waterproof containers to make colorful favors for ladies Bible classes, or other occasions. If you have no cards you want to part with, use new ones that you buy in packages of 8 or 12 from dollar stores and craft stores.




The containers are any plastic boxes similar to the ones that contain unsweetened baking cocoa. There are quite a few grocery items pack in waterproof containers, as you might notice from looking in your pantry.


Remove the lable and trace the container on to the blank side of scrapbook paper, wrapping paper or a greeting card.

Deckle edged scissors can be used to trim the card to fit, and you can fill in the back with other scraps of cards or paper. Cards or paper sticks well with white glue or tacky glue. I prefer Elmer's white glue. (Dollar store white glue seems to be too wet for craft projects.) Paint white glue  or decoupage glue on the outside with a sponge brush to make the card or paper more durable. 

 Put a few rocks in the container for drainage, and add  a plant from your garden or purchased from a garden center. If you like, you can add a ribbon around the box, and set it on the lid. This makes a good accent piece for a small side table, a desk, your mantel or kitchen sill.
Here is another one done with a left over piece
of pre-pasted wall-border. Just dip it in water and it will
stick.




I will be giving this one away.




Not home made, but just as enjoyable, are these little water pitchers found at Dollar Tree for one dollar. They  come in light blue, green, yellow and coral.  

Put outdoor plants in them for front porch gifts, or a dining table centerpiece.





Here is another frugal idea. For many years I had spare "lefties" from my pair of rubber gloves, as the "rightie" always got a hole in it. I considered advertising for spare "rights" from left-handed dish washers, but finally got this idea. So far, it is working.  I buy two pairs of rubber gloves, one larger than the other. I put the lower quality, cheaper glove (yellow) inside the larger glove (purple or pink Playtex brand).  So far, it has been a month, and no holes. Not only that, but there is no feeling of heat through these gloves and I can use really hot water. I do have a dish washer, but end up washing many different kinds of dishes, such as tea cups, pots and pans with handles that are not dishwasher safe, or different kinds of bakeware.  I hope to update this with a report of the first leak in these gloves.  I enjoy not running to the store to get a new pair of gloves.


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