Cinnamon Sticks

Winter in western New York sucks…to say the least. It’s gray, depressing, and we probably won’t have sunshine for another 3 months. Needless to say I have been kind of lagging on my crafting lately, even though I’ve got a bunch of really great ideas for 2011.

Lately I’ve seen cinnamon sticks on sale at the craft stores…not sure why they are all on clearance, unless they are considered “Christmas” or holiday items? Anyway, I have always found great uses for cinnamon sticks and thought I would share a few. Sorry the pictures aren’t great!

Basic long cinnamon sticks like these are great for making “cinnamon stick stars”. I just laid them out in a star shape and tied the ends with a small piece of homespun. You have to “weave” the sticks, so they don’t fall apart. You’ll see what I mean if you try it. These are so simple and cost next to nothing to make! A cute Christmas tree topper perhaps?

The other great idea I had was a simple one – use them as jar fillers. These were some small ones I had on hand that I mixed with a few seed pods/potpourri, and filled these small jars I found at the dollar store. I spray painted the lids black, and sanded the edges. I did the same thing but in mason jars, with slightly longer cinnamon sticks. I used this jar set up (below) which then creates a cute votive holder!

Even easier is bundling them to sell as decorative bowl fillers. I literally tied together 6-7 sticks, tied with homespun, and added a grubby tag that said “Cinnamon Sticks” and sold them as is. A cute prim tag can do wonders! I love the simplicity of things like this.

Though these are not cinnamon sticks, I did the same for these really cool bean pods that my mom found. She picked them off some tree and we let them dry out…they were really neat! Does anyone know exactly what they are or what kind of tree they come off of?  I tied and labeled them and they couldn’t look cuter in this little cast iron bowl.

Lastly, I tied them onto some rose hip potpourri just as a fun accent.

I found this picture at Country Living and would like to try this eventually. Seems easy enough…just hot glue em on to the side of a little glass votive! They look very Thanksgiving-ish here, don’t ya think?

Guess that’s all for now. What other ideas do you have for using cinnamon sticks??

Happy Crafting!

More Marble Magnets, Cool Skeleton Keys, and Stocking Up on Some Crafting Staples…

Gosh I have been so busy lately…too much WORK and not enough FUN! By fun I mean crafting!

I have been experimenting with the marble magnets and think I may have got it down. Here are the latest sets:

Vintage bugs and butterflies found at my favorite clip art site The Graphics Fairy!

These were little scrapbooking stickers that I had left over from a project from years ago, and they were the perfect round little circles. They worked great. The designs are a little teenie-bopper-ish but I made them more for experimenting sake. I like that these stickers were smaller in diameter than the marble…and that they were pre-cut…it’s a much cleaner look.

So I did find smaller magnets. Here is one of each. I can’t decide which I like better. The small magnets look nicer (you can’t see them as easily when it’s up on the fridge), but the bigger ones are more hardy and cover the whole picture used on the back of the marble. I am leaning towards the larger one. What do you think?

This is the glue I used and it works GREAT!!! I let the original sets dry completely and then tried to pry one apart to test its durability. Those babies aren’t going anywhere!!! Home Depot carries this brand…probably Lowes does too.

Since I was having a hard time finding pics in magazines, I decided to make my own themed sets, as you saw above with the vintage bugs and butterflies. I got the pictures from The Graphics Fairy, brought them into Photoshop, and laid them out at about 18 mm wide at 300 dpi. I printed them out and then used the magnet to trace a circle around each picture and then cut it out to size. This way I can create my own themes and sets, and don’t have to rely on finding random pictures that “go together.” I am doing the birds next!

So…I just had to share these awesome skeleton keys I found at the Hobby Lobby for half off. I got a few sets of them because I thought I could use them for different projects. I LOVE their look and the different shapes of each key. They are reproductions obviously, but I felt they still looked old and had a certain charm.

I found this picture on Confessions of a Plate Addict using the same exact keys attached to a great little French County inspired tea-stained tag. How clever! I will just have to try this! Another thought was Christmas ornaments, hung with a homespun tie. I have also seen them sewn on hearts for Valentine’s Day decor…hmmm. Any other ideas?

Went to the Dollar Tree last week – a different one than I normally go to – and I found these 3 packs on electric tea lights!!! 3 for $1…score! I cleaned out the whole box of them…and looked like a crazy person with a basket over-flowing with candles. They are they are the exact same ones I used before and run just as long as any of the more expensive ones, at least in my experience. I also got a bunch of these Christmas lights on clearance because I want to dip the small bulbs in silicone and make a few strands for my next show. Not necessarily for Christmas, but just as general country decor.

Last but not least, I got this little guy for .50 cents at Hobby Lobby because I thought he would be great for small cinnamon applesauce ornaments. I made larger gingerbread men out of cinnamon applesauce dough and they sold like hot cakes at the show, as scented bowl fillers. As I always say…I love anything in miniature!

Hope everyone has had a great week. I’d love to hear about some of your post-holiday crafting!!! Be back soon!

My Attempt at Marble Magnets…How FUN!!!

After two weeks of dog sitting, I am happy to be home and get my hands on some craft supplies and go to work. I haven’t done a whole lot since the New Year, so I was itching to play around with some new ideas, as seen in my last post. I decided to try the marble magnets first. They are SO much fun, but I must say they are going to take a little experimenting to get them just right.  I like the way they came out, but the perfectionist in me feels there could be some improvement. I used the tutorial found at Not Martha, but here is my experience!

You’ll need:

Clear decorative marbles – make sure they are not the iridescent ones. I found these at Michael’s.

Silicone Sealant – I could not find this at the craft store, so I went to Home Depot and found this DAP brand adhesive. It worked great! I do want to try super glue gel, as recommended on another random site. It think it would dry quicker, which would be nice.

Magazines or scrapbooking paper for your designs – I had bad luck finding little pictures in magazines so I turned to some scrapbooking paper that I had lying around. It worked great because of it’s heavier stock.

Magnets – I found these at the Dollar Tree.

Scissors – for obvious reasons. As stated at Not Martha, a large hole punch would save a ton of time!!!

Toothpick – to apply small amounts of silicone sealer to the top of the magnet.

A tip: Don’t bother using the large marbles. They are not as clear as the small marbles. It is hard to see in this picture, but images appear tinted brown through the marble. Look closely at the whites behind each marble and you can see the difference. It’s very obvious in person. Also, all of the big marbles had major defects on the back and would not create a clear image. Oh well…lesson learned!

I was going to use a small button to trace a circle around the image I wanted to cut out, but found it’s just as easy to use the magnet itself to trace. The edges of the pictures seem to stick out a lot once the marble is in place, and I don’t like that look. It helps to cut the picture slightly smaller in diameter than the magnet, as seen above. I applied a small amount of silicone sealant right smack on the top of the image and pressed on the marble. Oh I LOVE that part! Seeing the glue spread out under the marble is most satisfying. I had NO problems with bubbles at all.

Here’s my first set…not too bad for a first try!

And my second set! See how the paper sticks out a bit on the edges? This really annoys me. It can’t really be avoided because the magnets are almost the exact size of the marble. Maybe finding some smaller magnets would help? Also, once they are up on the fridge, it’s not noticeable at all.

I think I will go out and get some new scrapbooking paper and try some more soon. I want to make these as gifts for a bunch of people…the themes and ideas are really flowing!!

That’s all for now. Hope everyone had a great weekend. We are covered in snow here in western New York, and it just keeps on coming! Stay warm! Oh, and if you decide to try these, I’d love to hear about them!!!

2011 Crafting Goals: Craft Tutorials From Fellow Bloggers That I’m Dying To Try!

I’ve had that itch to craft lately…and BAD! But, I am across town dog-sitting for some very adorable pooches, so no crafting this weekend. I decided to post my “2011 Crafting Goals”…which are basically some tutorials that I have had bookmarked on my computer for ages that I want to try. I am gonna try to accomplish some, if not all, of these by the end of the year!

Not Martha: Marble Magnets. I find that magnets sell very well, and are a great gift idea for anyone. I love the simplicity of these, yet they are so charming. I have seen sets of magnets like this sold in some rather high-end stores, so I think they might be a fun new product to add to the craft show.

Our Big Earth: Bottle Cap Ornaments. Similar to the one above, this tutorial would make for great magnets! I like them as ornaments, but I think I’d like them even better as magnets. I think the rippled edge of the bottle cap makes an awesome border some mini-vintage art. Not sure where this magnet obsession is coming from. I guess it’s because they are easy, fun, and everyone loves them!

The Graphics Fairy: Halloween Fabric Art. You really could take this idea and run with it…using all kinds of great graphics, monograms, country phrases, or holiday themed vintage art like the Halloween ones shown below. This website is one my favorite places to find wonderful antique and vintage art of all types!

And Baby Makes Five: Sparkly Snowmen Salt Dough Bowl Fillers. I have had my eye on these bowl fillers for quite some time, and I am DEFINITELY gonna try them this year. I for sure want to try the sparkly snowmen – see the amazing little 1/2 circle snowman faces on the second picture down! The possibilities are endless…I’ve been keeping my eye out for new cookie cutters just for this reason!

Preferably Prim: Homespun Raggy Prim Christmas Tree. I love anything wrapped in homespun, and stumbled across this cute little tree at Preferably Prim. It reminds me of homespun rag balls, but way cuter! I love the addition of the rusty star on top.

Bakerella: Cheesecake Pops and Mint Oreo Truffles. I know, these aren’t really “Craft” goals, so much as “Baking” goals…but I had to throw them in. I love this website and have often wanted to try many of the delectable treats featured there, but of course I never got around to it. I VOW to try both of these recipes. As you know I recently made the regular Oreo truffles which came out so amazing, and to try them with MINT is just….genious!!! I’m drooling now…

Last but not least are these cool rag ball ornaments, but I can’t remember where I found them. I just saved the picture in my “ideas” folder and forgot about it until now. I love this twist on traditional rag balls…with writing on them. It’s so elegant, yet still country. I’m officially keeping my eye out for fabric with writing on it…I’ll keep you updated!

Oh, and one more thing. I decided I don’t wanna do “Simple Pleasures Sunday” anymore. Yes, I still think it’s really neat to acknowledge the simple pleasures in life, and not take them for granted. I just don’t like being on a schedule with the blog…I wanna post whenever I feel like and not be obligated on Sundays. Ya know what I mean?

So anyway…what are YOUR crafting goals for 2011? Anything fun?? Please share…I’d love to hear!!

After Christmas Sales and Thrift Store Finds

As you know, right now is a great time to shop for any and all things Christmas, because it’s all on clearance! It’s a great time to stock up on winter/holiday crafting supplies as well. I got a ton of these large metal bells for 80% off, which I will probably paint green and red and embellish with homespun ties. I also got a large stock of little wooden discs to make my snowman pins and magnets for next year!

We have a Goodwill that sells the usual donated items, but they also have a stock of seasonal new items that are priced very well. Add after-Christmas sales and you’ve got a ton of really great deals! I got two of these “Let It Snow” wooden snowmen at a VERY low price!! I am sure they’ll sell great at the 2011 show. I might just keep one!

This box of electric candles is screaming for a country prim make over, with a little texture fierro and silicone dipped bulbs. Can’t wait to work on them!

You know I love my enamel ware. How about 3 pieces in PERFECT condition, less than $5 for all 3…talk about a great score! Great olive green color too!

Got a handful of these cute little snowman figurines. Different colored scarves too. Love them!

Miniature snowman watering can ornaments!

And last but not least, these itty bitty snowmen figures glued on the end of clothespins so that they can be clipped anywhere…even on a Christmas tree! I think they are SO darn cute, and I love to stock up on snowman stuff!

Guess that’s all for now. Hope everyone is keeping warm and enjoying 2011 so far! Thanks for stoppin by!

Oreo Ball Deliciousness

I had some of these delicious Oreo balls at our family Christmas gathering (thanks Carol!) and ever since, I have been craving more! So since one of my New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight, the first thing I did on New Years Day was run out to Wegmans and buy Oreos and the rest of the supplies to make them! Not off to a great start…oops…

You’ll need:

1 pkg of regular Oreos

1 8 oz. pkg of cream cheese

Melting chocolate of your choice

Wax paper

Since I am such a classy baker, I smashed up the Oreos in a ziplock bag using this wine bottle. Hey…it worked, didn’t it??

Then add the cream cheese and mix in using a blender or by hand, until smooth. I used this handy-dandy NINJA blender thing that Greg’s mom got us for Christmas and it worked GREAT! I suppose a food processor or regular blender would yield the same results.

Roll into small balls and place on a cookie sheet.I LOVE recipes that are inexpensive yet make such a large quantity! Place in fridge to chill for 15-20 minutes so the balls are a little more solid and easier to dip.

Microwave the chocolate melting chips for 30 sec intervals, stirring in between, until melted..or use a double boiler if you wanna get all fancy. Dip Oreo balls in melted chocolate using a fork to drain the excess, and place on wax paper to harden.

I drizzled blue/milk chocolate on top for decoration. Just put the melted chocolate into a ziplock bag, cut the corner off (very tiny bit, to make a thin line) and drizzle away! They look like a hot mess right now…but once you put them on a plate and break off all the little excess pieces of chocolate drizzle, they look gourmet!

YUM!

Hope everyone has a FABULOUS New Year’s weekend!!!