My Little Valentines

I was walking through Michael's the other day, trying to decide how to use my Christmas gift cards, when I stumbled upon a display that was all set up for the next major "holiday." 

Valentine's Day. 

Ugh!

Matthew was never really a fan of Valentine's Day, but we always did something, however small to celebrate the day. This year is different because it's the first year in a very, very long time that I don't have a Valentine. 

Then I realized, I don't just have one, I have 4... 

These sweet faces are all the Valetine's that this broken-hearted Auntie could need! 

 So I scooped up this package of heart shaped boxes to make little valentines for my sweethearts! 

 And a little Valentine candy for some inspiration...

 I pulled out my paints for the first time in way too long, and went to town! 

 I used my awesome Silhouette machine to cut out sayings graphics for my heart boxes with pink vinyl. 

 Then I applied the graphics to my little boxes.

 After applying the vinyl sayings, I applied a coat of polyurethane varnish to keep the paint from chipping off. 

Once they dried, I was finished.

 Now I have cute little treat boxes to give my nieces and nephew, and even a few extra to give to a few special people I know... now I just have to decide what to put inside. 

Have you done any Valentine crafting yet? 



I'm sharing this project at the following link parties: 

~ What's In The Gunny Sack @ The Gunny Sack ~ Tutorials & Tips Link Party @ Home Stories From A to Z ~ Take-A-Look Tuesday @ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ Tell Me Tuesday @ Him & Her ~ Time to Shine @ A Diamond in the Stuff ~ Too Cute Tuesday @ Funky Polkadot Giraffe ~ Lil Luna Link Party @ Lil Luna ~ Wow Me Wednesday @ Ginger Snap Crafts ~ Your Whims Wednesday @ My Girlish Whims ~ Wicked Awesome Wednesday @ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Show & Share @ Southern Lovely ~ Creative Juice Thursday @ Momnivore's Dilemma ~ Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Creek Cottage ~ Wildly Original Link Party @ I Gotta Create ~ BFF Open House Link Party @ The Answer Is Chocolate ~ Delicately Constructed Friday @ Delicate Construction ~ Anything Goes Link Party @ Bacon Time ~ Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity Now ~ Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tatertots & Jello ~ Free For All @ Young & Crafty ~ Strut Your Stuff Saturday @ Six Sisters' Stuff ~ Show & Tell Saturday @ Be Different Act Normal ~ Think Pink Sunday @ Flamingo Toes ~ Sunday Show Off Linky @ Twigg Studios ~ Sundae Scoop Link Party @ I Heart Naptime ~

Thank you for featuring this project!!!

I Love You, A Bushel And A Peck

I've seen several of these projects via Pinterest or on other blogs and recently got around to making a few cute little signs of my own. It helps that I had a ton of canvases laying around from a $2 mystery Michael's bag. (Score!) 

I cut up a few yarn magazines and I'd been sent, making sure the pictures were colorful. 

Then I decoupaged those pictures to the top of the canvases. 

Once the canvases were dried, I applied a saying using contact paper that I bought from the dollar store and cut out with my Silhouette machine. 

Then I painted over the entire canvas...

And peeled the contact paper up to show the colorful pictures underneath. 

My cousin, Maggie requested an orange sign that said, 'I Love You, A Bushel And A Peck.' I thought it was a cute saying so of course I made it for her.

 

To be honest, I think it would have turned out better if I'd have used a lighter picture as a background, or used a lighter paint for the top coat. 

I made a few other signs while I was at it. 

This saying is one that makes me think of Amazing Boyfriend Fiance!

I know a 13 year old that is going to LOVE having this in her room!

 I have ideas to make a few more of these, possibly using lighter pictures and darker paint colors. But these signs were a lot of fun to make.

I was featured!!!






I'm sharing this project at the following link parties:

~ What's In The Gunny Sack @ The Gunny Sack ~ Make It Great Monday @ Etcetorize ~ The Cure For The Common Monday @ Lines Across My Face ~ Craft & Tell @ Cherished Bliss ~ Talent Tuesday @ Vintage Wanna Bee ~ Tutorials & Tips Link Party @ Homestories From A to Z ~ Take-A-Look Tuesday @ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ Tuesday Talent Show @ Chef-in-Training ~ Tiptoe Thru Tuesday @ Crayonfreckles and Tiaras & Bowties ~ Time To Shine @ A Diamond In The Stuff ~ Tell Me Tuesday @ Me & My Boys ~ Show Me What Ya Got @ Not Just A Housewife ~ Wow Me Wednesday @ Ginger Snap Crafts ~ Lil Luna Link Party @ Lil Luna ~ Your Whims Wednesday @ My Girlish Whims ~ Wicked Awesome Wednesday @ Handy Man Crafty Woman ~ Show & Share @ Southern Lovely, Vintage Gwen & My Lil' Pink Pocket ~ Creative Juice Thursday @ Momnivore's Dilemma ~ Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Creek Cottage ~ Show Me Extraordinary @ The 36th Avenue ~ Spicy Link Up @ It's Just Called Spicy ~ T.G.I.F Linky Party @ Craft Junkie Too ~ Delicately Constructed Fridays @ Delicate Construction ~ Weekend Bloggy Link Up @ Serenity Now ~ Anything Goes Link Party @ Bacon Time ~ Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tatertots & Jello ~ Creative Genius Link Party @ The Creative Paige ~ Free For All @ Young & Crafty ~ Strut Your Stuff Saturday Link Party @ Six Sisters' Stuff ~ Show & Tell @ Be Different Act Normal ~ Saturday Seven Party @ Positively Splendid ~ Sunday Show Off Link Party @ Twigg Studios ~ Think Pink Sundays @ Flamingo Toes ~ Sundae Scoop Link Party @ I {Heart} Naptime ~

Unruly Children Will Be Used As Weed Pickers

I love my Mom, but trying to come up with something wonderful to make for her for Mother's Day can sometimes be a challenge. I wish that I could take her on fun vacations or a shopping spree through her favorite yarn shop, but alas, I just don't have that kind of money. 

So I made her this instead. 

Amazing Boyfriend Fiance helped me out by using his blow torch on the box to bring out the wood grain, giving it a rustic look. 

When he was done, I painted on the saying.  

When the paint was dry, I sprayed it with a polyurethane spray to protect it from the elements. 

When the polyurethane coat was dry, I added a pot of plants and a card and took it over to my Mom, who loved it!

Did you make your Mom anything for Mother's Day?

I'm sharing this project at the following link parties:

~ What's In The Gunny Sack @ The Gunny Sack ~ Make It Great Monday @ Etcetorize ~ The Cure For The Common Monday @ Line Across ~ Craft and Tell @ Cherished Bliss ~ Talent Tuesday @ Vintage Wanna Bee ~ Tips and Tutorials Link Party @ Homestories From A to Z ~ Take-A-Look Tuesday @ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ Tip Toe Thru Tuesday @ Crayonfreckles and Tiaras & Bowties ~ Tell Me Tuesday @ Me And My Boys ~ Show Me What Ya Got @ Not Just A Housewife ~ Time To Shine @ A Diamond In The Stuff ~ Too Cute Tuesday @ Funky Polkadot Giraffe ~ Love It And Link It Up @ The Little Giggler ~ Lil Luna Link Party @ Lil Luna ~ Wow Me Wednesday @ Ginger Snap Crafts ~ Your Whims Wednesday @ My Girlish Whims ~ Share The Wealth Wednesday @ Laugh, Love & Craft ~ Weekly Link Party @ Sew Woodsy ~ Wicked Awesome Wednesday @ Handy Man Crafty Woman ~ Spicy Link Up @  It's Just Called Spicy ~ Show & Share @ Southern Lovely ~ Hoo's Got Talent @ Night Owl Crafting ~ I Made This @ Grits & Giggles ~ Creative Juice Thursday @ Momnivore's Dilemma ~ Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Creek Cottage ~ Show Me Extraordinary @ The 36th Avenue ~ BBF Open House Link Party @ The Answer Is Chocolate ~ Creative Genius Link Party @ The Creative Paige ~ Anything Goes Link Party @ Bacon Time ~ Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity Now ~ Project Party Weekend Link Up @ Bubbly Nature Creations ~ Delicately Constructed Fridays @ Delicate Construction ~ Free For All @ Young & Crafty ~ Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tatertots & Jello ~ Show & Tell Saturdays @ Be Different Act Normal ~ Strut Your Stuff Saturday @ Six Sisters Stuff ~ Saturday Seven Party @ Positively Splendid ~ Sunday Show Off Link Party @ Twigg Studios ~ Sundae Scoop Link Party @ I {Heart} Naptime ~ Sister Sunday Link Party @ Sisters of the Wild West ~ Think Pink Sunday @ Flamingo Toes ~

Be Your Own Kind Of Beautiful

Anyone who regularly reads this blog knows that quite a few of my crafty projects are gifts that I make for my family and friends. 

So I had to show you what I made for my niece, Gabby for her 17th birthday. (Yes, I said 17, and yes, that does make me feel old!) 

I made her a jewelry hanger out of a hinged shadow box! 

I got the idea from the craft store where I bought the frame. The back piece is canvas that I painted champagne gold, than stenciled a flowery pattern onto in purple. I added clear thumbtacks that she can use to hang her necklaces, bracelets and earrings from, and she can even move the tacks around to position her jewelry better. ABF added the decorative knob on the door of the frame so that it's easy to open and close. (Sorry, I didn't get a better picture of that part.)

 

I added a vinyl quote 'Be Your Own Kind Of Beautiful' that I felt was appropriate encouragement for a 17 year old girl.  

My pictures don't really do it justice. It turned out awesome! I wasn't really planning on blogging out it, but I loved how well it turned out so of course I had to share. 

P.S. Happy Birthday, Gabby!!! 

Top O' Tha Mornin' To Ya!

I have a special fondness for St. Patrick's Day. It might be because I have quite a bit of Irish blood running through my veins or the fact that it's the closest holiday to my birthday, but I just think it's such a fun holiday. 

I didn't get to do a lot for the holiday last year since we had just moved, although I did make some pretty stylin' St. Patty's day t-shirts for Amazing Boyfriend and myself. 
 

This year I decided I wanted to do something fun for my nieces. 

Last year I found these adorable leprechaun hat treat containers that Jeromina from Paper, Plate & Planes created. Such a clever idea! 

So I picked up some small plastic containers from the dollar store.  

I painted the outside lip of the container and the outside rim of the lid with a small paintbrush. Then I used a sponge brush to paint the rest of the container. I did two coats on each. 

When they were dry, I cut enough black ribbon to go around each container. I used glue adhesive to stick the ribbon around the container. 

When I had my ribbon glued on, I used mod podge to glue on the "buckles" that I had cut out of cardstock. 

Then I added shamrocks. 

Finally I filled it up with leprechaun gold!

I think my nieces are going to love them! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Are you wearing your green?