Pictures From “The Big Show” ~ Clarkson Craft, Food, & Wine Show 2012

Well, another show has come and gone. The show was a huge success and a lot of projects I’ve shared here sold out, including the melted snowmen ornaments, both the big and little homespun candy canes, the large spray painted jingle bells, the pins, and the night lights with silicone bulbs! It was a ton of fun and I thought I’d share some pics!

I also wanted to stop say thank you to all of my new followers who have commented and “pinned” some of my ideas here. It’s such an honor to have so many people who enjoy reading my posts. It all started as a little crafty area to document my projects, but it has blossomed into something bigger than I could have imagined. Thank you!!!

Have and awesome weekend and Happy Crafting!

Dollar Store Candles Turned Cute Country Decor

First of all, let me just say I am loving this crisp, cool, Fall weather and LOVE this time for year for many reasons, including:

Upstate New York is AMAZING this time of year…just sayin’. So anyway, on to the latest project – jazzing up some dollar store candles. I ordered this burlap jute webbing with many projects in mind, and I did put some of it up for sale in my Etsy store. I simply cut it to size and hot glued it in place. It is very thick, yet cuts easily. I experimented with candles and plain glass votive holders. I’m loving the tall candles – which can be found at any Dollar Tree.

Using a little bit of twine, I tied on some vintage-looking keys.

I kinda like the look of the burlap covering the entire glass holder. These would be cute for votives or even a small vase / plant / herb holder. I currently am using this one as my tooth-brush holder. Hehe.

Another variation on this project was using some torn homespun fabric. Again – just hot glued it.

Isn’t it cute? You could use any color fabric depending on the time of year of holiday you are decorating for!

There are so many ways you can take these projects and run. I’m thinking of doing a texture fierro coating on the outside, or a cinnamon / mod podge coating to get rid of the stark white of the tall Dollar Tree candles. Hmmm…so much to do, so little time!

If you make these, send me a pic! I’d love to show some variations of the project and see other peoples ideas. Hope everyone has a wonderful week and enjoys this awesome Fall weather!

Perfecting the Art of Grubby Candles

To my surprise, my little grubby candles were a huge hit at my co-op and I have been putting off making a new batch because of what a giant MESS the whole process is. It’s fun, but it nearly gives Greg a heart attack every time I make candles and wax gets splattered all over our kitchen and is a royal pain in the @$$ to clean up. Anyway, I did make a new batch and I think they came out even better than the last.

I know I already posted a tutorial on these but I figured more pictures couldn’t hurt. I have also been not-so-crafty lately, so I felt obligated to document this recent craft endeavor.

I started by melting some big candles from Wally World…I like to use these ones because of the color and strong, yummy scents. You can also use any left over wax you have lying around.

The votives I like to use are these:

These off-white votives come 16 to a pack and are significantly cheaper than the scented ones, that’s why I use them. Plus you’ll be packing on scented wax – so you’ll still have a yummy smelling final product.

Again I used my ghetto double boiler that I use solely for candle/tart making…

Then pour some of the melted wax into a disposable tin container. I get these 3 to a pack at the Dollar Tree. Let the wax stiffen up a bit so it’s more of a gooey texture, as opposed to runny (only takes about a minute). Basically when it’s JUST cool enough to work with. Set the votive down in the middle and “pack on” the wax, like you’re packing a mini snowball. I usually wear gloves….it’s WAY messy.

Then set aside on wax paper, or in my case foil…I was outta the wax paper. Anything to keep the wax from getting all over your table.

This is what they look like after they dry…

And then a final dip in wax “seals” it up and gives it a cleaner look, while still being deliciously “grubby!”

Some came out more chunky than others. I much prefer the one on the left.

Awww, how cute!

Finally, I packaged them up since they will be for sale in my booth. I use candy-making “treat bags” from the baking aisle at the craft store. They come in a variety of sizes while being very cost-effective (100 bags for like $2-$3??). Finished off with a little homespun tie…my favorite “country” accent.

*One thing I forgot to do before packaging was dust them with cinnamon. D’oh! I love that look. This is an easy way to add even more of a country feel.

I will display them in this shallow wooden box. The perfect height for my itty bitty chunky candles. I am pricing them $1 a piece, which is probably a little low for the work involved. I try really hard to price things reasonable and at a price that the average joe can afford. I want people to enjoy them, because I know these types of candles can be so expensive in the big country stores!!!

I DID try making these types of chunky candles with the BIG candles seen in the first, top picture. It was a major craft FAIL. LOL. I have to work on those before I dare take any pics!!!

Off to an estate sale and two thrift stores this weekend on the other side of town that I normally don’t get to go to. Let the treasure hunting commence! Have a great weekend my crafty peeps!

Expanding My Space At The Carriage Place, and Some Farm Fresh Finds!

Well, it’s September, and you know what that means! I finally moved into my new booth, taking over the rest of the back corner. I painted Monday night, giving the BLAH yellow walls a pop of green and tan. It looks freakin’ fabulous! Here are some pics of the new space!

Last weekend I made this new batch of grubby candles – see my tutorial for them here!

I figured I may as well rearrange my original space and spruce that up too. That cute bench in the front is a Craigslist find! I whipped up the cushion using some one inch foam, homespun fabric, and a few safety pins.

This adorable 18 piece tin tea set was a garage sale find. It’s so unique!

Wooden table: Salvo find! I put on a quick coat of Howard’s walnut “Restore-A-Finish,” even though there was technically no finish on it…just to bring out the color and wood grain a bit. It was kind of an experiment…turned out so cute!

Tarts, tarts, and more tarts! This was my project last weekend, using some silicone molds I ordered online. I melted down some yummy, scented candles in a double boiler and poured the tarts. It was a lengthy, tedious project, but totally worth it!

Here are the molds I ordered online. Cinnamon buns, crows and pecans!

This enamel top table was a Craigslist make-over, but of course I forgot to take a “before” pic. It had grungy white legs and no knob. I sanded and painted the legs and then added a cute little Hobby Lobby knob. LOVE the black & white look.

And some FARM FRESH vintage sheet music lines the other green wall. Picked them up at a barn sale the very same morning I set up the space!

As long as we’re on the topic of great finds, here are some of my other favorites from the last week or two. Starting with some vintage pins…ALL of these for .49 cents!

Love this Victorian woman head vase. She’s got a jacked up nose, but is still pretty cool and collectible.

I have been on a head vase kick after some customers have been inquiring about them at the store lately. I got this “Glamour Girl” head vase off of Craigslist for a STEAL! (Didn’t get a pic of mine, so this is a pic from online…same exact one though!)

Probably my favorite find EVER…of ALL TIME…are these antique clay marbles. I adore their muted colors. I scooped up this jar, two baggies full of more clay marbles, and 3 other mason jars full of antique glass marbles. Amazing!

Another favorite is this antique marking gauge.

It’s got a beautiful metal inlay and little pointy things at the end for marking your wood. What a great piece! This guy and the clay marbles are staying with me!!!

Can’t wait to see how things go with the new space over the next few weeks. I am busy, busy, busy working on building an inventory to keep my space filled, which is now 3 times as big as it was. Lots of Fall crafting under way. I just LOOOOVE this time of year!

Well that’s all for tonight…thanks for stopping by! Have a Happy Labor Day and great LOOOOOONG weekend everyone!

Mini Country Jar Candles

I said I wasn’t going to do the jar candles again this year but I just can’t resist the Fall scents! Pumpkin Spice, Vanilla Spice, Mulled Cider, and a new one this year: Pecan Pie! I got these at Wally World, and I think they are an awesome deal. Only $1 a piece, and the scents are very fragrant and long-lasting. Also, the labels peel right off, so they’re great for crafting!

Really, why bother trying to pour your own when you can get these for $1!

Instead of making labels this year, I decided to do something EASY and not as costly, or time-consuming. I simply wrapped the jars with a wide piece of homespun fabric, wrapped with a piece of jute, and finished with a rusty star, heart, or little salt-box house. All secured with the hot glue gun. The pictures aren’t great, because I took them with my phone. Sorry. SOMEONE went to a dog training seminar and took ALL the good cameras in the house!

Originally I was done at this point, but I wanted to do something to indicate the scent. I decided to make little tags to tie around the necks of the jars. I cut down the normal size tags to make “mini grubby tags.” I stamped them with my mini alphabet stamps to spell out the scents – some of which I changed. I didn’t like “vanilla spice” so I changed it to “spice cake.” These mini alphabet stamps can be found at the craft store OR Walmart for $1 too!

Tip: I find it’s easiest to stamp multiple tags at once. Stamp the “p” on all 3, then the “u” on all 3, and so on. It’s so much quicker stamping out one whole tag when you are fumbling around with tiny stamps like this.

I don’t stress if they aren’t perfect…that just means they are one of a kind and have a little home-made charm!

I used to print out labels on brown craft stickers and just tie a piece of fabric around the neck. The labels were a pain in the @$$ to get just right, not to mention those stickers aren’t cheap or easily accessible. Cute, but just not efficient for me.

I really hope people think my new candles are as cute as I do. Guess we’ll find out very soon! If they do sell well, maybe I’ll make a bunch for the craft show in Dec.!

In other news, here are some cool thrift store finds from last week, starting with this very cool, retro scale! I am getting quite a nice collection of old scales and can’t wait to display them together.

Grapevine heart wreaths…for a buck? Heck yeah!

Two country-style boxes, both in great shape!

A round pink jar with a wire frog lid

An itty-bitty rug beater…at least I think that’s what it is! It’s so stink in’ cute!

And lastly, this cool wood pharmacy sign. Not sure if it’s a repro or not but I love the graphics and lettering.

Well that’s all for now! Has anyone else been working on any Fall crafts yet? Or am I the only one who wants Fall to hurry up and get here?! Have a fabulous weekend and BBS!

Making Over Dollar Store Candles and a Few Other Crafty Tid-Bits…

Ever see these at The Dollar Tree? They are in the tiny wedding accessories section, usually near the craft supplies. I am guessing they are meant for favors? I don’t know, but they are good quality little jar candles, and 3 to a pack is a great deal.

I knew right away I wanted to texture them, but I didn’t want to use the dark brown or the gold. I am tired of these colors and there aren’t other colors of Texture Fierro except a bluish-gray and green.

So…I mixed these two to make a light brown/tan color! I then added a little strip of homespun with the trusty hot glue gun.

I was going to embellish them with a rusty star, but I decided at the last minute to use these left over Fimo crows I made. I originally made them to mix with some Fall themed “fixins” but I had some extras…exactly enough for the candles! It was meant to be!

I think they are super cute. and great for Fall/Halloween! I just LOVE crows!

The other weekend projects I have been tinkering around with are the mini clothespin snowmen for my December show. They were a huge hit last year so I made TONS!

All they need are their scarfs!

And finally, I have been working on some pins/magnets/wine corks for Fall with pumpkin faces. It’s taking a lot longer than the snowmen did, but I am liking the results. Here is a sneak peek!

 Welp, even though it’s a crappy, rainy MONDAY morning (eww)…try to have a GREAT day!!! I am in major crafting mode…more to come soon!!!

Happy Memorial Day!

My brother Matt, Grandpa Simonds, and Me with crazy hair

Happy Memorial Day and THANK YOU to all our service men and women for all you have done and continue to do for us. Memorial Day means a lot to me, because I have a lot of family who have served, and lots of wonderful memories of the Memorial Day parade and festivities when I was growing up.  Hope everyone has a great day today and don’t forget to thank our service people so that we have the freedom to sit down and enjoy our bbq’s and beer today!!!

Lots going on on the crafting front! Last night I finished up a huge batch of my grubby tea lights. I know I have posted about them before, I but I thought I’d take pictures anyway.

First off- I have been scooping them up in masses at the Dollar Tree for 3 for $1…you can’t beat that! Here they are all taped up ready to be textured. I do this so I don’t get any of the texture paste on the silicone “flame” and also it works as a place to hold them.

My favorite craft staple…DecoArt’s Texture Fierro in Iron Brown!

After they are dry, I usually go through and touch up any spots where the white plastic is still showing through. Then take off the masking take and Voila! I am thinking about selling them 4 to a package, in a little clear plastic baggie, tied off with some homespun and a cute tag. It’s all about presentation people!!!

The other fun weekend project has been decorating our newly re-vamped breezeway. The pictures don’t do it justice, but we painted it a lovely muted green-brown color. It’s just perfect. This giant window is there from when the garage was once attached and there was NO breezeway, so now it’s just….there. We are going to hang some curtains up but we added these black shutters as a decoration on either side. They were unfinished when I got them at the thrift store, so I spray painted them back and sanded to distress em a bit.

Added this awesome hook/knob that I got from the Hobby Lobby! Love it!

The shutters make cute wall decorations, dontcha think? Can’t wait to finish up decorating and sit out there and sip my coffee.

Have a GREAT long weekend everyone!

Folding Ruler Stars and Learning a Bit About “Courting Candles”

Welp…I got my first check and summary of sales since I have opened my booth. I made more than double my rent in a little less than 3 weeks…I couldn’t be  more excited!!! I think I definitely made the right choice of where to set up my space, and I have gotten to know a lot of the vendors and the owner quite well. I can’t wait to see what the future at the co-op brings…I hope the rest of the summer goes as well as my first few weeks!

So lately I have been doing less crafting and a lot more stock piling items from thrift stores and estate sales, trying to make sure I am able to fill my booth as needed. I’ve been in a bit of a crafting “rut” lately. I keep wanting to go outside to do some spray painting but the weather won’t let me. Anyway…I found a bunch of these folding rulers at a garage sale yesterday and remembered an idea I saw somewhere online ages ago, where it was shaped as a star. I decided to give it a try!

Pretty stinkin cute, huh? I love how they turned out. So easy…just bend em! I tied a little piece of homespun to hold it together. The hinges are pretty stiff and there’s not really an issue with the star losing it’s shape, so no need to glue it or anything…it pretty much stays in the shape you fold them!

Here are some other recent thrift store/household sale finds!

Ok, does anyone know what these scissor things are?? I have looked around online and no one knows. I keep thinking something along the lines of candle snuffer, fire tongs, etc. Anyone???

I am always on the look out for things like this little wooden sleigh, for displays at craft shows or in my booth. For .50 cents, I will use this to hold some of my Christmas trinkets at the craft show for sure!

And one of my favorite finds…this “Courting Candle” which I decided to do a little more research on:

In the 1600s to 1800s, fathers, parents or guardians of a marriageable young lady would allow suitors to visit her in her home. The couple were allowed to visit in a sitting room, parlor or on the front porch. The father would prepare a candleholder called a courting candle or suitors candle and set it up in the area where the couple sat. The father would observe the suitor and decide an amount of time that he felt comfortable with for the man to visit and socialize. The candle height would be adjusted to measure out the time. The candle was raised or lowered with a peg or thumb lever. When the candle burned to the metal at the top of the candleholder it was the firm yet polite signal that it was time for the suitor to bid the young woman good evening and leave. (Found this info here).

And lastly, in honor of Easter, I thought I would share a picture of the evil wood bunny that stares at me every time I go up and down the stairs to my craft area. He kinda scares me. Happy Easter everyone!

Grubby Candles and Tapers

Who doesn’t love a grubby, chunky, little candle? I decided to make some today, by modifying some small votives and tapers I had lying around. I think they came out pretty darn good! Wanna try?? Here’s how I did it!

Start out with your basic votives. I got these at Wally World.

The other supplies can be found at the Dollar Tree, except this large pillar candle which I also got at Walmart. I chose this color/scent to melt down, because it sort of matches the votives. I HIGHLY recommend using a tin pan or something disposable for this project. It’s SUPER messy and washing wax off of dishes is not easy. Trust me.

I made my own ghetto double-boiler using a small pan that set in a larger flat pan. This prevents the wax from getting too hot and burning. All of these pans have been sacrificed and are my permanent candle-making pans…I wouldn’t use them to cook with afterwards.

Pour some melted wax into the foil pan. You gotta work QUICK! Wait just a few moments for the wax to cool (just hot enough to work with), and start rolling your votives. I recommend using gloves! I just got my nails did, and I refuse to chip wax off of them for the next week!

Shake some cinnamon/nutmeg right in with the wax. Be liberal, depending on how grubby you want them. The consistency shown below seems to work best – when it’s still melted but just starting to harden. Roll the votive around and pack it on the sides, like you’re packing a snowball!

Meanwhile, Paco supervises this messy operation.

After they dry, they look like this.

Next, find a small container that the votive will fit all the way in, to dip them once more to seal. I cut down a ricotta cheese container because it’s narrow and I won’t need as much melted wax to fill it up. I knew I hoarded those plastic containers for a reason!

And dip…

Place on wax paper to dry. Once dry, I dusted them with cinnamon. Here’s the finished product! I love them!

And now for the tapers. I got these like a year ago, for 25 cents a piece, when some craft booth was going out of business. I knew I’d find a use for them eventually.

Any tall, narrow container will do. I used an old glass vase. Being tall and narrow, you don’t need as much wax to fill it up, as say a large pot. I like to melt as little wax as possible, for times sake. Then…dip, dip, dip away! *Please note the delicious roast in the crock pot in the background. Dinner tonight…YUUUM!

Roll in cinnamon mixture and re-dip. Repeat as much as you’d like, to create, thicker, grubbier tapers.

My professional candle drying rack…nifty, huh?

And here they are. I plan to finish them off by tying together with some raffia or homespun and adding a little rusty star, or something like that!

Whew. It’s a very time-consuming and MESSY project, but well worth it. I love how everything came out. Here my helper Paco rests after a long, day…

As always, if you try these, I’d loooooove to see some pix!

And now for that pot roast…..:P

Country Themed Dollar Store Crafts

While the selection is better, large craft stores prices can be a little rough on the wallet. There are tons of supplies for general crafting at the dollar store; i.e. tacky foam shapes, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, etc. Those can be great for kids, but it gets a little tougher when looking to do primitive/country crafts.

Here are a few projects that I have done that involve dollar store supplies. A lot of these have been featured in previous posts, so the pictures may look familiar! All of the photos with a white background were found at dollartree.com.

Salt Dough Ornies & Cinnamon Applesauce Ornies

Salt, flour, cinnamon, and applesauce, wax paper – all of your main ingredients for both salt dough and cinnamon applesauce ornaments – can be found at the dollar store. The recipes can be found all over the web, I don’t feel like typing it out…hehe. I make cinnamon applesauce ornies in bulk – usually stars, hearts, and gingerbread men for the holidays.

A wonderful salt dough tutorial can be found at

http://andbabymakesfive-colleen.blogspot.com

This “snowman pop” I picked up at a craft show looks like salt dough. I definitely want to try this. A cute stocking stuffer perhaps?

Primitive Electric Tea Lights and Jar Candles

My best seller and favorite dollar store craft: electric tea lights! I recently found the tea lights on the right at a local Dollar Tree…. 3 for $1! I have found that they are as good the ones at the craft store, and last just as long!

These particular ones have been coated with gold and brown texture fierro, a textured paste made by DecoArt (found at the craft store for about $6 a jar). I have however used plain cinnamon which I get at the dollar store. First I put a piece of tape around the base of the little silicone flame, so my cinnamon doesn’t get on it. Then, paint them with regular glue or modge podge, roll in cinnamon, and let dry. Once dry, re-paint with glue/modge podge to seal! The cinnamon technique works great, but I prefer the look of the texture fierro.

This candle was grubbied up using the cinnamon/glue technique.

These candles were found at the Dollar Tree. I used the same technique as the electric tea lights. This can be done to any glass item or jar candle. Same thing goes for these – dollar store cinnamon works great for a more rusty look!

Wooden Spoon Kitchen Decoration

You can get packages of wooden kitchen spoons at the dollar store (usually 4 per pkg) that can easily be painted and made into very cute country kitchen decorations. I spray painted them black, sanded the edges,  and finished off with a homespun tie and dollar store faux berries!

Silicone Dipped Bulbs – Christmas Lights and Country Night Lights

Hand dipping silicone bulbs looks like a daunting task, but is actually quite easy. I do this with night lights found at the dollar store and also with strands of Christmas lights. I scooped up a huge supply of plain white Christmas lights at the dollar store during the holidays to use all year round! The silicone must be bought elsewhere, but I found it real cheap at Walmart. To see how to dip silicone bulbs, view my previous tutorial here.

Turn these…

into THESE!

Christmas lights for Everyday Country Decor

As I said, I stock up on these after the holidays to use for a variety of projects. One simple idea (not a “craft” per say, but cute nonetheless) is to look for old bottles at yard sales or thrift stores, and put a strand of lights down inside to illuminate the colored glass. I got this blue house shaped bottle at a yard sale for 10 cents, added a string of white Christmas lights, and it looks so darn cute! This picture doesn’t do it justice, but I swear it looks awesome up on a shelf!

Another idea is to take small strips of homespun and knot them on the strand of lights in between each bulb. I have seen it/done it before but can’t seem to find a picture! Cute idea and super-duper easy!

Brown Craft Paper

The Dollar Tree has a surprising selection of brown crafting/wrapping paper that can be used for numerous craft purposes. The one on the far right has little gold stars, and is super cute – one of my favorites.

They also sell plain (without patterns) brown craft paper by the roll. I use this to make labels for my products like the one seen below. I use a paper cutter to cut 8.5 x 11 sheets that can be run through the copier. The Dollar Tree also sells a really great red gingham craft paper – the one that the snowmen are clipped to!

I use it to cover my craft table too, so I can make a mess and then replace it as necessary!

Brown craft paper gift bags are great for stamping.

Homespun Wrapped Candy Cane Ornaments

You get 6 plastic candy cane forms for $1…you can’t beat it! Simply wrap in homespun. I used hot glue to dab on the ends. Another one of my FAVORITE crafts of all time. This could be done with the large candy canes also found at the dollar store!

I haven’t tried these LARGE Dollar Tree candy canes, but I bet they’d look great!

Jingle Bells – As Bowl Fillers and Accents for Other Crafts

Dollar Tree sells all kinds of little jingle bells at Christmas time. I typically spray paint them barn red, navy blue, and forest green, tie a bit of homespun on the top for a little country flair.  I use them as bowl/jar fillers and tree ornaments.

This cute holiday candle decorated with these same (spray painted) jingle bells was found at re-purposed.blogspot.com.

Scatter around candles or mix in with your potpourri. Heck, plop a big wooden bowl on your table and fill it up with these suckers for a nice holiday center piece! A nice silver candle and bell display is shown here, by http://creativehomeexpressions.blogspot.com

A list of other craft supplies I have found at the dollar store:

• Small round magnets & clear gems/marbles (marble magnets)
• Styrofoam cone forms and balls (rag ball ornaments)
• Basic floral supplies (wire, moss)
• Baskets
• Mini terra cotta pots & spanish moss (country witch head)
• Jute
• Large Christmas bulbs (the old-fashioned looking ones)
• Small glass jars (use to hold potpourri, putka pods, cinnamon sticks, buttons, etc!)
• Buttons
• Glitter
• Wooden frames (to paint and distress)
• Wooden shapes for all kinds of crafting
• Super glue/basic craft glue

Visit The Dollar Diva for more great dollar store craft ideas!

Hope you found this post helpful in saving a few bucks while working on your country/prim crafting endeavors. I don’t think I could survive without my local Dollar Tree. If you have any great dollar store ideas and/or crafts, I’d love to hear! Have a great week ya’ll!

Organizing The Craft Room and Some Great Prim/Folk Art Goodies Acquired Over the Weekend!

It’s been a cold, cold few weeks here in Upstate New York…I mean REALLY cold! Here is the view of the back yard….it’s a winter wonderland out there! No kickball for me today…I’m just too sick. Damn sore throat just won’t go away. A perfect day to catch up on some blogging!

After looking out at all the snow, I suddenly got a great idea. Every now and then I get an incredible urge to dress my dog up in human clothes. It is an urge I simply cannot control! I’m not sure, but I think Paco enjoys it too. He’s such a good baby. Paco’s ready for a snow day! Tell me this doesn’t make you a little giddy inside!

Last night I decided it’s time to do a little organizing. Does anyone else’s craft area look like THIS?

As you can see I have taken over the basement. This is only one corner…it actually extends around much of the perimeter. It’s nice because I don’t have to worry about being neat, as I would if I were upstairs. However, lately, it has gotten a little out of control. After a few hours of unpacking boxes and bags, cleaning, and organizing….it now looks like this! Please ignore the messy carpet…my last job is to vacuum!

A freshly covered crafting table is so….satisfying. It makes me wanna make something!

I organized the supplies I have gotten over the last few months into bins of future projects.

1. Old Christmas bulbs: to be painted with sparkly modge podge to use as jar/bowl fillers and ornaments.

2. Large metal jingle bells: to be spray painted barn red, forest green, and possibly Americana blue, to be hung with homespun!

3. Wooden discs and mini wooden clothespins: to be spray painted white and made into snowman face pins, magnets, and clips. Some of my best sellers at the show this past Christmas! Thinking about giving gingerbread men another try too.

4. Electric tea lights: to be grubbed up with texture fierro!

5.  Night lights: to be disassembled, bulbs dipped in silicone and turned into country night lights.

So, moving onto the great stuff I acquired over last weekend while I was visiting home! I have to say thank you to my mom’s friend Beth, for sending over a huge box of antique and folk-art style goodies for me to have. THANK YOU BETH! It’s so very thoughtful of you!!! I LOOOOOVE everything!!! Here are a few of my favorites out the box!

This antique Santa is my favorite new Christmas decoration!

Here he is lit up!

This has to be my favorite primitive witch ever! My mom tried to confiscate it, but I wasn’t letting her go! Nice try Cath!

Look at the awesome details in the face, shoes, and pumpkin she is carrying!

This great Americana piece is so charming…

Check out this facial detail. I think it’s such a wonderful piece of folk art.

I don’t think I can sell these items…I adore them too much. Thanks again Beth!

That’s all for now. Check back again soon! I have been working on some new sets of marble magnets using some slightly different supplies which I need to photograph still. I’ll get em up real soon. Have a great weekend ya’ll!

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!

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!

Glass Insulators as Nightlights

I have a bunch of really neat glass pieces that I found in an old barn a few years ago, that were going to be tossed. My hoarding tendencies kicked in and I had to have them. The color is amazing…a brilliant blue-turquoise. I never really knew what they were until I found some in an antique store, labeled as glass insulators. I looked online and found that these glass insulators were first produced in the 1850′s for use with telegraph lines, and then eventually for use with telephone and electric power lines. They don’t make them anymore, and there are many antique insulator collectors out there. I also didn’t realize they came in so many great colors and shapes. I found this interesting photograph online which shows a number of different insulators:

(photo by monon738 on flicker).

Here are the kind I have:

I have debating on what to do with them for quite a while. I have always liked colored glass that is lit up, by a candle or christmas lights, so I came up with an idea to make them into night lights! First I cleaned them up and hot glued a little tea light onto the inside of the open bottom. The batteries can be replaced, so no problem there. They actually last longer than you would think…I once let one run for a week straight. It’s not a really bright light, but a soft, flickering light that is perfect for a night light!

What else could you do with them??? I have read if you flip them over, they make great candle holders, tied to a post or hung up with wire or twine. I only sold one of these at the craft show, but I still think they are a cool idea!

Any other ideas of what to do with these great old insulators, other than just collect em cause they’re neat??