Happy 4th of July

 

Wishing you a Safe and

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY !!



Hope for Oklahoma Art Auction

 

 

 

There is a fundraiser art auction

happening this week on Facebook.

 

 

 

Proceeds will benefit  the tornado

victims in Moore Oklahoma.

 

click the link below to see auction items up for bid...

 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.659945030688715.1073741837.652944824722069&type=1

 

 

To bid you must have a Pay Pal account.

 

Of the near 100 items
here are a couple of my favorite items ;)

A watercolor bird pendant necklace
hand painted by my daughter...

 

 
And this multi-media canvas art
piece created by me.

Titled "Romance, Key to My Heart"
vintage sheet music is used as the background
decorated with vintage lace, vintage
buttons, hand-sculpted paper roses,
and a little key charm
swings on a piece of lace
connected to an old heart-shaped brooch...



 

 

Run on over and take a look!

Will you find a favorite to bid on?

 

 

 

 



Toilet Paper Roll July 4 Rockets, Firecrackers Tutorial and the 4th of July Decorated Tree

Here's what you'll need:

- empty toilet paper rolls

- decorative paper(s) of your choice (art paper, wrapping

   paper...I used a gift bag)

- bamboo skewers

- Christmas tinsel

- glue  ( used Elmer glue sticks and hot glue)

- scissors

To make the firecrackers in the last photo,

I added an extra piece of lightweight cardboard to 

one end of the TP tube; 

 a wired piece of blue yarn serves as a "fuse"

(could also use a pipe cleaner).

For table decorations,

give them a little extra something by wrapping

candy treats in tissue paper or a twist tie bag,

 then insert in open end of rocket or firecracker

...and...

here's what they look like as a tree decoration 



Have a safe and happy Holiday!!



UPDATE:  To see my 2014 tree click here





Easy St. Patricks Day Garland and Decorated Tree

Top o' the mornin' to ya,

Time to celebrate the wearin' o' the green, it tis.

My office window Valentine garland

shown in a previous post here 

was a big hit with coworkers as well as patients, so

 I made another for St. Patricks Day

I felt the Valentine garland was a bit

"over-the-top" as far as office decor goes.

But, as one of our nurses explained to me,

"we're a girly office, we like pink and foo-foo!"

For St. Patty's Day, however, I wanted

a narrower garland

and I found the perfect ingredient when

a kelly green bath pouf

 practically jumped into my shopping cart

as I walked thru a dollar store. 

Seriously, have you ever had one of those

unravel on you, they're at least 12 feet long!!!

I had to try it.

I wound a green wire with shamrocks around it

and there you have it. 

It Works!!

and the best part...Simple and inexpensive!



Next, the waiting room tree...

The tree the department puts up

for Christmas is a white one.

A nurse suggested to me this past Christmas

that the patients might enjoy it if

we kept the tree up year around

and decorate it for each holiday.

Here's our St Patrick's Day themed tree.

No, not more body pouf, just green net



Little plastic leprechaum hats

from the dollar store.

A couple of big shamrocks...

Glittery foam shamrocks

also found at the dollar store

These leprechauns were the center graphic

on some paper party plates

8 to a package also found at the dollar store.

I just cut them out with my scissors.

Isn't he cute?

I think these pots of gold are my favorite.

Little black cauldron- type pots.

Then I found these "bows" which are

a bit of gold tinsel with gold metalic discs all over

found, where else,  the dollar store.

I just hot glued the bow onto the pot

a perfect fit. 

I've already received many comments from

patients and coworkers.

Something a little more

unique and unexpected,

It brings a smile, lightens the heart

and brightens the day.

Wishing  you a great day wherever you are.

Joining these parties:

                       

http://www.firefliesandjellybeans.com/2013/02/show-off-your-stuff-party-166.html

Warm Hugs,

A Valentine Garland

 

 

 

Welcome to my reception window!

 

 

 

 

Having stumbled upon a tutorial on

 how to make a mesh garland 

 HERE  at the end of the Christmas season,

 

I was inspired to make one for the upcoming

Valentine holiday.

 

 

Don't you LOVE this one from Prettify Your Life?

 

 

 

 

 

Without having any Deco Mesh products, I improvised and just kind of went my own direction.  I'm pleased with my first attempt but after reviewing the

tuturial again just now, I realize that I didn't follow the directions closely enough so I'm looking forward to my next garland being even more impressive.

 

 

 

 

I  used 5 yards of white netting,

a spool of each pink & magenta colored glittery tulle,

and a wire with red hearts....

 

 

 

 

 

 I hung a couple of flying pink glittery cupids

on the red wire with Christmas ornament hangers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I also added larger hearts I cut from metallic and glittery gift bags and taped to the wire.

 

Pretty fun!  

 

What do you think?

 

 

 

How have you decorated for Valentine's Day

at your work place?

I'm partying here:

Craft Junkie Too T.G.I.F. Party

 Fireflies & Jellybeans Show Off Your Stuff Party

 

 

Warm Hugs,

 

Rose Trellis Angel and Christmas Doors & Porches

click photo to enlarge

 

 

 

Here she is all finished and waiting to go

to the Church Bazaar.

 

Of the pieces I donated to the annual Bazaar fundraiser,

she was the first to find a new home.

 

 

 

Transformed from a few odd pieces...

 

a small rose trellis on a summer clearance

sale for just a couple dollars,

a white painted wreath for under a dollar at

a resale thrift shop,

and a glittered, white painted bunch of twigs

from a crafters garage sale

still sealed in the bag.

 

 

 

 

 

First I removed the outdated existing decoration on 

 the wreath.

 

Then hot glued and wired everything together

like this...

 

 

 

Added some faux pine branches

and a big bow made from upholsterer's webbing.

 

 

 

 

Sorry she doesn't show up very well in these photos

against this stone wall.

 

 

 

 

But I'm sure she will look amazing in her

new home...

...I imagine her on a porch

next to the front door welcoming guests

for the holiday season.

 

Here are some Holiday decorated

Doors and Porches found around the internet...

 

 See 10 more porch decorating ideas at

Front Porch Ideas and More


 

 

 

A Whole Bunch of Porch Decorating Ideas

 

 

 

 

 

HGTV Rate My Space--Christmas on a Country Porch

 

 

 

 

My dream house has a big wrap around porch... 

 

click photo to enlarge

 

Do you live in a house with a front porch?

 

 

 



Lighted Glass Block Update

 



click photos to enlarge

 

 

As promised in an earlier post

here is the lighted cardinal block.

 

I tried several different ribbons

patterned...solid...glittery...red...blue...gold,

wrapped around the block with a big bow,

with holly/pines poked in 

but couldn't get anything to look "right".

 

I felt it was just all too much

and distracted from main focal point.

I preferred it left without any additional

decoration.

 

Here is another block I painted with the

Plaid Gallery Glass paint.

 

I know it's not Christmasy, it can be enjoyed

throughout the year.

 

 

 

I only managed to get two cardinal blocks

and this one rose block

completed for the church bazaar.

 

I'm happy to report that

they all 3 sold and I have an order for

another cardinal.

 

So glad to have done my small

part in helping raise money for this 

annual worthwhile fundraiser.

 

Warm Hugs,