Lunch bag Album

Last year I visited my Aunt Carolyn & Uncle Ken (AC/UK) that live in Fl and I wanted to make them a gift for every day I was there. Yes, a bit overachieving but it gave me so much joy to have something waiting at the breakfast table for them every morning when they got up.

The last day was my big gift - a Lunch bag album. Making the album wasn't hard, but tracking down each family member to write AC/UK a message was a bit of a task. But here is what you do:

4 white lunch bags. Fold them in half and hole punch 2 holes. Add ribbon. On each page glue coordinating paper. Now what I did was put a pic on one side and had that person write a message to AC/UK on the following page. Also there are pockets (from the bag openings) in the album where I inserted an extra page so that someone could write a favorite memory they have of AC/UK.

This ended up turning out better than I ever thought it would. And I hope it becomes a keepsake for them so that they are always reminded of how much they are loved.

Mod Podge a Canvas

Here is a cute mod-podge craft for you. Just take a pic, enlarge it, and make a color copy of it. Even if the image is b/w it must be color copied (don't aske me - I didn't make the rules, just follow them). Mod-podge the canvas 4 times...use a blow dryer to help quicken the process. On the last time attach the photo to the canvas. Again let me remind you that there WILL be bubbles. If you want to antique the edges take a wet paper towel to the ends of it. This pic was antiqued however it didn't show thru that well in the photograph.

Wait til morning and give a final coat of mod-podge. Bubbles will rise again. By later that day the bubbles should be gone. Then just add ribbon and whatever embellishments you like!

Mod Podge "family"

Ok, so it's been what...2 or 3 months since I last posted? Does absence make the heart grow fonder? Or is it like when I went off to college and I asked my parents if they were going to miss me and they replied "out of sight, out of mind". Either way - I'm back.

I had found these letters cheap at Kinko's of all places. So for those who don't know the wonders of deco-podge let me fill you in. Find whatever coordinating paper you like and cut out the letters. Just put one layer of podge on the (cardboard)letters and then put your paper on it...the podge acts as glue. Let me warn you now - there WILL be bubbles. No matter how smoothly I put the podge on, there is always bubbles. But don't try to scrunch them down because when it drys the bubbles will be gone - I PROMISE.

Once the podge is dry (give it about 4 hours) then put another layer of podge on top of the paper...now the podge acts as a sealant. Again, you will see bubbles reappear. And I'm telling you, have no fear because by morning it will be perfect again. Then you can add whatever embellishments you like. I intended for "family" to hang straight across but I just wasn't feeling it, dawg (whatup randy). So over the dresser it went. So hope this spells it out enough so you will want to go mod podge it up this weekend. I'll also try to put another mod podge craft up by the end of the week to give you ideas. Enjoy.

These kids are crafty!

Dear Me! I just love these kids....they sure know how to make me laugh. I have so much fun going over to my sisters house and just hanging out. Now usually we are all holding cards and placing bids, but even when we're just sitting around and doing nothing I wouldn't wish to be anywhere else in the world.

Crafts in India!

The crafts have gone global! My dearest friend had told me about a couple she knew from Tx that moved to India to start an orphanage for girls. I had always thought about supporting a child but was skeptical of the big organizations. Since Tami knew the couple personally I trusted her judgement and what a joy it has been! There are currently 14 girls and some are still needing sponsors so if you have a heart to do this you can look it up at www.hhinternational.org.

I had made clipboards for my nieces and nephews over the holidays and so decided to do the same for the girls. No, it isn't practical...but who always wants a practical gift? I wanted something fun that they could use for school. So I packed up 16 (14 for the girls and 2 for the daughters of the couple running it) clipboards with baggies of hairbows etc. Ruby just sent me pics of them all plus one of my "niece" Chinthamani...isn't she adorable? Anyway, just wanted to share...

Upholstering

I so wish I had the Before pic of the 2nd chair. I got it at a Model Home Auction for $25...it was black with Asian fabric. Not exactly my decorating style. This is something anyone, yes even you Katherine, can do. Painted it cream, and then found fabric that I liked and staple gunned it to the chair. Here is a pic also of the cording...all you do is wrap the fabric around cording and sew it down the middle. Hot glue that to the chair. I didn't need to do the cording but it gives it a finished look. It has become my favorite chair in the house - to look at, not sit in...that leads me to my favorite chair to veg in...

The first pic was my first attempt at upholstering/slipcovering. Dear Me! Never knew how long it would take...which was a full weekend of doing nothing else. I got this fabric for around 50 cents a yard and thought it was cheap enough for me to experiment with. I took the chair completely apart and thought I'd just staple the material to the base...not so easy. And I've only ever had 4 sewing lessons and it never quite covered how to slipcover an overstuffed chair. I think next time I'll just pay the $250 and have someone do it for me.

Biggest Craft Project of All

So I'm finally putting a pic up of my house...aka The Hut. When I first moved in, it hadn't been lived in for over a year. Foreclosure. There was no grass, no landscaping and the inside needed an update from the 70's. It's been my biggest craft project of all. It's been alot of work, yet it has been great fun too. I've loved painting all the rooms (don't look too closely at the trim please), tiling the kitchen & learning how to take a toilet apart (apparently putting a toilet together is the tricky part).

The house is in what I like to call a "hubcaps optional" neighborhood. Neighbors are great and I feel very safe there...however I'm the only English speaking one there is. Korean? check. Mexican? check. Chinese? check. Indian? check. We've got it all! Gotta love it when I'm taking a bike ride and in one house I see a hamock hanging on a living room wall (shout out to the Mexicans) and the house right next to it is a woman in a burka. Good times.

Neighbor across the street has binoculars on my house at all times. I'm not joking. He knows everything that goes on and when I see him on my walks he asks me about things I thought he never would've noticed. Through his window he'll see me carry in a box from my car and then later say "so how do you like your new DVD player?" What? Some may find that freakish, ok, maybe alot of you will. But I find it assuring. If someone was to break into my house, he would be all over it. And God help the workmen I hire...he lets me know how long my landscapers lunch was and how many phone calls he took while doing the job. I LOVE IT. For me, he's the greatest selling feature my house has to offer.