Serendipitous Sea Glass: An Unexpected Craft Project

I don't try my hand at crafts very often, and when I do, I need something simple and easy that offers instant gratification.  When I found this pretty sea glass painting idea at Child's Prose, I was inspired and considered trying it.

I have a necklace of clear glass beads that is lovely, but when I wear it, the pieces literally disappear against my skin and it doesn't make a statement at all.  Ange gave me some great pointers to paint the necklace, and suggested using clear nail polish as a sealer once I painted the beads with glue dyed with food coloring.

Her suggestion inspired me once again, and instead of taking the time to mix the glue and food coloring, I skipped that step and headed straight for my new bottle of Ciaté Paint Pots Nail Polish in Superficial.  (Knowing me, there has to be a beauty tie-in here somewhere.)

(The Before Shot, still practicing my photography skills.)

I love blue and turquoise jewelry, and since the nail polish is a great shade of teal-slash-turquoise, I took a risk and decided to use it to paint my beads.  I don't wear the necklace often, and I started at the top with a single bead, just in case I didn't like the result.  But I was pleasantly surprised, so I just kept going.

To balance the beads and keep them from smudging, I literally grabbed my bread basket off the counter and hung the necklace from it.  That proved to be a smart decision and I was able to paint the entire necklace in less than an hour.  I then let it dry all morning and painted a clear layer of (what else?) nail polish as a top coat when the boys went down for their afternoon naps.

(Halfway finished.  I put some paper towels in the basket to catch drips.)

I'm surprisingly thrilled with the end result, and the beads look stunningly beautiful in the sunlight.  For the price of a bottle of nail polish, I now have a gorgeous necklace that coordinates nicely with my pedicure.   How cool is that?

(Still drying after the clear top coat.)

(Stunning in the sun.)

For the Beauty of the Earth

We visited the family farm during Spring Break last week, and the green fields of wildflowers took my breath away.  As we rode through the pasture on our trailer ride, all of us were stunned into silence at the sea of flowers stretching out for miles and miles in all directions.  The day was overcast and cool, and it simply made everything appear especially fresh and green.  There was even a sweet smell of nectar in the air, and when I asked James what he was thinking about, as we rode along, he thought for a moment and said, "All the flowers."  It truly was a stunning sight. 

I bought this with a credit I had (it literally has my name on it, though mine is not monogrammed), and it came in the mail today.  The boys and I took a nice long nature walk after lunch, and found lots of treasures to keep inside.  I love how Victorian it looks, and that poor little wasp was already deceased when I found him, so no creatures were harmed in the making of this piece.

Dare I Say It?

I'm the oldest of three sisters and a self-professed nerd, so I'm used to my know-it-all reputation.  Remember this?  Well, I just have to add...

I told you so.

Get Your Hate On

Just have to share, because this site is hilarious!

And as an aside, I still get random comments on this old post.  It seems it's fourth on the list when googling "private Pinterest."

Couple Crafting

We're getting ready for Christmas and a pretty big home renovation project soon after, so Ryan and I are currently rearranging, packing things up, and fixing little details around the house.

Since James was old enough to crawl, we've had a wooden toy box in front of our never-used fireplace.  It works great to hold toys and keep both boys out of the fireplace, but we're a little tired of seeing it there.  Since we'll be getting new flooring, we're hoping to dress up the living room a bit, which means relocating the trusty toy box to a different area of the house. 

So how, then, to disguise the fireplace in a less intrusive way?

Ryan actually suggested boarding it up completely, when I remembered running across this clever idea several years ago when first searching for a fireplace-disguise solution.

We adapted her instructions using a piece of wood cut to fit inside our fireplace, which we then covered with ivory felt that matches the tile around the hearth.  The board is tethered to the inside of the fireplace, to prevent it from falling on the boys, and it will eventually be attached to the fireplace walls via strips of velcro.  The board is extremely thin and light, so it won't hurt our little guys even if it should bump a head or two.

I cut out different shapes and patterns in colored felt, and gave the boys free reign.  Rhys was delighted and proceeded to eat some small felt pieces, so I realize that I need to give them large pieces for now.  James had a blast making different shapes and patterns, and then literally wiping the slate, or board, as the case may be, free with his hands.  I might have gotten a bit uptight about this, and Ryan quickly reminded me that our son is not going to play with this new creation like a "sweet little girl."  Point taken.

Overall, we're pretty pleased with this new toy, and I'm impressed that Ryan and I did it together, for less than $20. 

Simple Things

While the calendar technically says it's Fall, it still feels like the middle of summer here in Austin.  Despite this, I've really been in the mood to start some autumn decorating, and James and I have been busy with a few easy crafts.  I really need instant gratification when it comes to crafting, since I don't have the patience or the time required to work on a long-term project, and these ideas can be done in one sitting.

The first, a Play Dough Tree, is courtesy of this month's High Five, James' favorite magazine.  All you need is a small tree branch and some play dough, and you just anchor the branch in a small pot or onto a plate before decorating the tree with little buds of clay.  The magazine suggested fall colors, but we only had neon, and those worked just as well, I think.  James was so proud of his hard work, and best of all, he played with the play dough for an entire hour after the tree was complete.

I ran across our second craft, Toilet Paper Pumpkins, while I was researching another very important topic that I hope to write about soon.  These are so cute and easy to make, and I love that nothing has to be glued down, so you can use everything again, including the toilet paper.  We added things found on our walks, like acorns and leaves from the trees.

And the best part, by far, is that everything was already on hand, so these cost literally nothing to make.  Hope you enjoy!

Too Private for Pinterest

So I've been reading and hearing a lot about Pinterest, the hot new site that lets you "catalog the things you love," according to its homepage.  In general, I like the concept of saving pictures and ideas for inspiration, and it's how I've been using the Bookmark function of my computer for years.

Now that my boys are a bit older and I'm not stuck up to my elbows in diapers and midnight feedings, I have a bit more time to explore things like decorating and, dare I say it, crafts.  So I've considered joining the site, which requires either an invite from a friend or adding your email to their waiting list.

Still, I'm the only person I know who isn't on Facebook and I'm nervous about this new site, too.  Even though I'm opinionated and not afraid to express my feelings on a public blog, for the amusement of my two or three readers, the fact is I'm extremely private in real life.

I destroyed my boys' blood samples, which you all know loud and clear; I close my blinds at dusk so the neighbors can't see into my house; and I still shut the door to the bathroom in front of my husband despite the fact that he has witnessed me give birth twice.  I have a problem sharing things with strangers, too, and I'm of the "Question Everything" mentality.

I'm not on Facebook because, honestly, the idea creeps me out and there are exactly two people from my high school with whom I wish to stay in contact.  One lives in New York City and we see each other once a year or so, and the other sleeps next to me at night.  The very thought of people from my past rising to the surface after years of anonymity literally gives me chills, and if I want to run into an old classmate I will just walk into the H-E-B near my parents' house and wait a minute.

I hate to sound crass, but we live in a true culture of sharing, the very idea that Pinterest seeks to promote, and every neighborhood in my town is bordered by Target, Ross Dress for Less, and Pier 1.  If you see something you like at a friend's house, you can stop on the way home and get one just like it.  But where's the fun in that?  What happened to being unique and finding your own style? 

I'm all for sharing creativity with the world, and I do believe art and literature are the great equalizers, but it often feels like nothing is sacred any longer and, even though I live in the suburbs with two children and a two-car garage, I'd like to keep some things private.  I'm probably over-analyzing this way too much, but that's just me.

I never went to any of my high school's football games, even though attendance was practically a graduation requirement; I almost lost a job because I refused to wear a college sports team's shirt during College Sports Week; and I was the only consultant in my unit, during my short stint as a Mary Kay saleslady, who never wore a suit.  I don't have a problem with authority, I swear, but I'm also not quick to follow trends. 

I think the idea behind Pinterest is really cool, and it will rid the world of piles and piles of pages ripped out from magazines.  I'm just not sure I'm ready to jump on the bandwagon yet.  Maybe if they allow private profiles, but probably not even then.

**Update:  So, I received my invitation to join Pinterest, and you must login through your Facebook or Twitter account, neither of which I have.  Problem solved, I guess.

Paper Roses

Tonight, I tried another simple craft from this great blog.  These rolled paper flowers are easy to make and don't take long at all, so I was able to accomplish this after dinner while the boys played with Ryan.  I just used some of my leftover thesis paper, similar to heavier stock resume paper, and some floral wire I've had lying around for years.  They turned out pretty cute, I think.

With My Own Two Hands

I recently ran across a really great blog with lots of craft tutorials, so tonight, I tried my hand at one that seemed fairly easy.  Since James loves buttons and I am craving more feminine details throughout my house, I thought this would be perfect.  So without further ado, check out my little bouquet of button roses.

I can't get the best shot with my phone's camera, but you get the idea, and you can see more pictures in the link above.  I had a smaller gauge wire, so I twisted it a bit more to make it sturdy, but it works.  And I like that it's not permanent, so I can use the buttons again.  The vase belonged to my grandmother, Nonnie, and is one of my most cherished possessions.  It's too tiny for more than a single bud, so it works perfectly for my little wire buttons. 

And, oh my gosh, I just created a Craft label on my blog, since this is officially my third entry under that category.  It must be the heat!

The Craft: Part II

I openly admit that I am not crafty, and I don't really enjoy making things with my hands.  But I did recently run across a cute craft project that looked incredibly easy and inexpensive, so I ventured out to Hobby Lobby last weekend and gathered the supplies.  I'm proud to say that I found everything for around $10, including a glue gun, which I can use again. Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?  (The fact that I now own such a device humiliates me just a little.)

Without further ado, here is my creation.  Yes, it's kitschy, but it was fun, and I guess that's the point.

I must admit that I had so much fun making those little flowers that I completely covered the bottom of the wreath with them after I took this picture.  And my mom loved the idea so much that she went out and bought the supplies to make more wreaths when my sisters and I visit her this weekend.  We can all sit around the table wrapping yarn around plastic for hours while our children play unsupervised at our feet and our husbands shoot the breeze outside.  How very Jane Austen.

And that's a good thing.

The Craft

I completely lack the crafty gene. My mother quilts, needlepoints, and embroiders. My sisters paint with pastels and watercolors, build headboards for king-size beds, refinish furniture, and produce lovely things out of thin air. My mother-in-law knits gorgeous scarves and afghans that keep us warm in the winter, and my sister-in-law designs her own cross-stitch patterns. My best friend made curtains for her house. I can do none of these things, and I will never be that mom who sews her son's costume for the school play. Sorry, Babycakes!

But every now and again, I get a small itch to do something remotely crafty. This time, I found a simple idea for apple yarn favors.

Now, when it comes to crafts, I am lazy and ill-suited for anything that takes much time or great effort, so this little gem was perfect for me. It's literally made of yarn and pipe cleaners, one step above lacing shoestring through pre-punched card stock, so how hard could it be? Look how sweet that little apple looks in those tiny hands! I imagined Babycakes playing quietly on the floor while I deftly rolled out apple after apple during a brisk fall afternoon. So, with my mother visiting for the day, we decided to head to Hobby Lobby to pick up the supplies.

I haven't visited that store since I needed frames for Babycake's nursery, because there is literally no reason for me to enter. My mother, on the other hand, was in crafter's heaven and quickly led me to the items I would need. On the way to the yarn, I did spy a strange-looking woman with knee-length hair and an enormous skirt, as she glanced through the dress patterns in the fabric area. I can't believe that some people still make their own clothes, and just going by her hair and the amount of fabric surrounding her feet, this woman was no expert. Seriously, lady, there are stores that sell skirts that fit, but whatever.

After lunch, my mother and I decided to attempt my little craft project, and because I'm lazy (have I mentioned that?) and don't use my laptop for its intended purpose as a sperm or egg cooker, I kept running back and forth from the kitchen table to the computer room to read the directions. We carefully followed the directions, but our little apples looked more like small balls of yarn with a pipe cleaner twisted at the top, and not like the precious treasures pictured on the website.

I was so disappointed and quickly lamented my failure at such a ridiculously easy task. Clearly, I am not cut out for even the simplest craft, and I should just stick to what I enjoy doing: reading, writing, cleaning, organizing, and above all, hanging out with Babycakes.

Later in the afternoon, after my parents left, I glanced again at the instructions, only to discover that, in my running back and forth, I had missed a crucial step in the process. Hopefully, with this step, I could transform our sad little yarn balls into beautiful little apple favors.

So, tonight, after Babycakes was rocked to sleep for the third time, I unwound the first batch and tried again. I'm happy to report that they look slightly better now, especially since I've arranged them in a basket, but I still think they have a very "kindergarten-arts-and-craft-class" look to them.

Oh well, I can always save the yarn and pipe cleaners for Babycakes, because, undoubtedly, he'll have the craft gene.