Thursday, April 4, 2013

DIY`Crazy Over Jars

I like mason jars, old jars, new jars, all kinds of bottles and jars and I like them colored, glittered and painted. So here are some how to instuctions for coloring painting and glittering glass jars.


Take any mason jar you want to color and pour in Mod Podge. If you have a large mason jar you will need about an inch and a half of Mod Podge. Next add a couple drops of food coloring or food coloring gels. Now the color is going to look pastel because it's mixed with the white glue but it will end up drying just like the food coloring you chose. Mix it well with a stick or plastic spoon..
Then after it is mixed well you will want to swirl your paint around in the jar make sure to cover it solid. Don't use a brush, it will leave brush marks.

Now place the jar on a paper plate so any excess glue pours out. If you have a tun of excess you can let it drip into another jar, but there shouldn't be that much left in the jar. (Tip: If doing multiple jars just mix a whole bunch of Mod Podge and food coloring in a bowl and pour into each mason jar.) After the excess drips out (about an hour) Flip the mason jar over and let it dry. Depending on how warm your house is this could take 24-48 hours. Give plenty of time to dry.
The finished product!
Now keep in mind these were made with glue so you cannot eat out of these or put food in them. These are for decoration only. Use it as a pencil holder or put a votive inside. Oh, and .... if you screw up and your jar doesn't look so hot when it dries you can peal off the glue and re-use the jar again.

Next up-Painted Jars with spray Paint




 
Take your regular mason jar or marinara jar, or pickle jar, or whatever you have that's clear and clean and wipe it dry and stand it up on a newspaper with no lid.
Now get your favorite high-quality spray paint. I like Krylon. It doesn't chip easily and it gives a nice even coat. I use gloss or satin. My gold mason jar was made with this exact gold leaf color. I bought all my spray paint at Hobby Lobby. Now spray the heck out of your jar (the outside of your jar). Let dry for 10 minutes and viola ~ you have a beautiful colored mason jar perfect for flowers, kitchen utensils, or anything else your little heart desires.
A sparkley, glittery, amazingly beautiful Glitter Mason Jar! I'm in love So is the lady who taught me how to do these
 

How to Make Glitter Mason Jars

 
Here is your line up. Regular glitter (any color), Mod Podge, Mason Jars (or any clear jar). I purchased all of this from my local Michaels
Pour a bunch of Mod Podge in your jar. About an inch deep if you are using a large jar.
Now pour your glitter in. The more glitter the more vibrant.
I used about 2 tablespoons for this small jar.
 
Mix your glitter and glue together. Make sure it's all combined.
Now use your hand to tilt the jar every which way until the glitter glue covers the entire jar. Make sure not to use a spatula or anything to scrape the sides because it will leave streaks. You need a good thick coating so just do as told and slide the glue around by tilting the jar only : ) 
Now place the jar on a paper plate so any excess glue pours out. If you have a tun of excess you can let it drip into another jar, but there shouldn't be that much left in the jar. (Tip: If doing multiple jars just mix a whole bunch of Mod Podge and glitter in a bowl and pour into each mason jar.) After the excess drips out (about an hour) Flip the mason jar over and let it dry. Depending on how warm your house is this could take 24-48 hours. 
And there you go! Stunning right? Now just like the colored jars you cannot eat or drink out of these. We used glue so these are only for decor. For the glitter jar on the right I used a clear jar I had in the house. You can use salad dressing jars, pickle jars, anything clear. I just love these!
 
This was featured on Home and Family on the Hallmark Channel : )

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Easter Bunny TuTu shirt design for Easter

For Easter I was asked to make several bunny items for clients as well as family.
This is one pattern I did a few different ways and colors in machine embroidery designs.
Here are step by step photos of me working on a shirt for my grand daughter, they always come first ;)
This is a machine embroidery bunny and applique as well
I did the bunny in a pretty white satin trimmed in lavender with a pretty fabric bow and then over the top I added a lace tutu
 

The machine reads the pattern from my computer and does the stitches in colors step by step
takes a little while and I have to keep a close eye on everything
Then after the basic outline was complete, I added my satin and bow fabric and it stitches around those step by step
then more top stitching, takes awhile
Finally the words I wanted to add are done the way I decide
I think it turned out really cute and it has been a popular design.
 
I would be delighted to do some custom orders for you as well
email me
 
 

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Force Spring Branches for Beltane


This will make a pretty decoration for your Beltane altar or just for your home for springtime.
you can pick up dropped branches or you can Cut some budding twigs and place in water to force for spring blooms, tie mini ribbons on and any tiny decorations you may have around the house
Forcing Instructions:
 • For high, select branches that are at least 12 inches long and that have a lot of buds
 • Cut branches from the tree or bush with pruning shears or scissors and trim the ends, removing any smaller twigs and buds toward the bottom 6 inches of the branch (or any part that will be under water once in a vase and will rot)
• Using sharp scissors or kitchen shears, carefully slit the branches at the end in several directions. The slits should be about ¼ to ½ inch long.
• Mash the slit ends into a hard surface so the ends splay out slightly to encourage the branch to absorb water (I used the concrete sidewalk as my hard surface).
• Completely submerge the branches in a container of cool to lukewarm water so that not parts are sticking out (a bathtub or utility sink are good places for longer branches) and leave to soak over night.
• Place the branches upright in a bucket or their vases and move to a room or area that doesn't get a lot of natural light (I use the hall closet, but a basement or dark corner would work too), and leave for a week or two or until the buds begin to show little signs of color. During this time add water as needed.
• Move to their permanent location, and enjoy the blooms! Depending on the type of branch, the flowers will take between 1 and 3 weeks to reach full bloom, and may last for several additional weeks. (My dogwood branches usually last for a month at full bloom!)

DIY- Make your own dog treats

A few weeks ago I heard that the dog treats that we buy in stores are not made with pure ingredients and that if they come from other countries they can be made with rotten and poisonous ingredients so I decided to find some recipes and alternatives for dog treats
I found that our dogs like raw carrots, raw pototoes, and other things for their dog treats and they are much better than what I bought for years.
There are many benefits
• Control what goes into the recipe. You can ensure that your pet is getting a nutritious and wholesome snack. You can also tailor your dog treat recipes to your dog’s taste preferences as well as cater to any dietary restrictions.
• Prevent unhealthy additives. Many brands of commercial dog treats are filled with preservatives, which help to extend their shelf life. In addition, store bought treats are often made from fillers and byproducts as opposed to natural and high quality ingredients. By creating your own treats at home, you will be able to provide your dog with a healthy snack that is not only nutritious but is also free of unhealthy additives.
• Tasty alternative. Making your own dog treats allows you to provide your pet with a tasty alternative to his usual doggie biscuit.

Quick Dog Treat Recipe Ideas

Here are a few quick and easy recipes for healthy and nutritious dog treats that you can make in the comfort of your home. Your dog will thank you for reading this!


Combine any of the following leftovers from your refrigerator to create a flavorful trail mix, which you can pack for a hike or after dog park snack
Ingredients
• Pieces of meat (if seasoned, make sure to rinse off any flavoring)
• Potatoes
• Vegetables (no onions)
• Fruit (no grapes or raisins)
Directions 1. Cut ingredients into ½ inch thick pieces
2. Spray lightly with cooking spray
3. Place in a food dehydrator or into a 200 degree preheated oven until dried

The perfect snack to cool your pet down after a vigorous play session
Ingredients
• 32 ounces vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup peanut butter
Directions
1. Melt the peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl
2. Combine the yogurt and melted peanut butter 
3. Pour the mixture into cupcake papers
4. Place in the freezer
These basic biscuits can be customized to cater to your canine’s palette
Ingredients
• 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour (substitute regular flour or oats if your dog is sensitive to wheat)
• 1 tsp. salt (or less)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. Beef or chicken Bouillon granules (can substitute beef or chicken broth/stock)
• ½ cup hot water
Optional Add ins
• Bacon or chicken broth, eggs, oats, liver powder, wheat germ, shredded cheese, bacon bits
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Dissolve bouillon in hot water
3. Add remaining ingredients
4. Knead dough until it forms a ball (approximately 3 minutes)
5. Roll dough until ½ inch thick
6. Cut into slices or bone shapes (you can purchase a bone shaped cookie cutter to make shapes with)
7. Place dough pieces on lightly greased cookie sheet
8. Cook for 30 minutes
This snack is not only delicious but is also filled with fiber, vitamin A, beta-carotene, potassium, and iron.
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 4 tbsp molasses
• 4 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix pumpkin, molasses, vegetable oil, and water together in a bowl
3. Add the whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon to the mixture and stir until dough softens
4. Scoop out small spoonfuls of dough and roll into balls on your hands (wet hands work best)
5. Set the balls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and flatten with a fork
6. Bake approximately 25 minutes until dough is hardened
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A fruity treat your dog will adore
Ingredients
• 2 ¾ cups water
• ¼ cup applesauce (unsweetened)
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/8 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 medium egg
• 4 cups whole wheat flour 
• 1 cup dried apple chips (unsweetened)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix water, applesauce, honey, egg, and vanilla together in a bowl
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix until well blended
4. Pour into lightly greased muffin pans
5. Bake 1 ¼ hours
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Some Things to Watch Out For
When preparing homemade dog treats, make sure you take into account any allergies that your pet has to specific ingredients. You will want to avoid adding any ingredient that you know that your pet has reacted poorly to in the past. If you are experimenting with new flavors, feed the treat to your dog in a small amount to see how he reacts to it before distributing an entire treat. Store your homemade dog treats in an airtight container and place them in the freezer. Allow the treat to thaw for 10 – 20 minutes prior to serving to your dog. Treats can last for up to 6 months in the freezer.


DIY: making Bath Bombs

diy: bath bombs

These I found and can say I have the ingredients and will make, because I know they will be healhier and even my grand kids can use them.

I have tried lots of bath bombs myself, I have always been a shopaholic so I try everything. Then I stop and think, is this safe? I know I could save lots of money if I had everything I needed to make my own and slowly I am switching my ways of buying ready made to making with ♥
So here I am sharing with you a tutorial that I found and have the items to actually make some.

Probably the hardest part was finding citric acid. I eventually found mine at the pharmacy counter at Superstore. It was a special order but (thankfully) I only had to wait one day for it to arrive. You can buy citric acid in varying amounts but since I didn't know how much I'd use, I started with the smallest which was a 100 g bottle. This only cost me $3 and I made about 14 bath bombs with it (this includes my testers which bombed prior to making it to a bath). Not too shabby. If you can't find citric acid, you can use cream of tartar but it doesn't have the same reaction citric acid does (it still makes the bath water nice, though). Just use half of whatever amount the citric acid was (so if you need 1 tablespoon of citric acid, you'd use 1/2 tablespoon of cream of tartar).

Initially, I used an old cupcake container I had as a mould just to do some testing, but I realized I really liked the rustic/cute look it gave the bombs so I continued using it. If you were gifting these to someone special for Valentine's day, I did spot a ton of different heart-shaped containers at the dollar store that you could easily use as a mould for bath bombs.

What you'll need to make one bath bomb (or two like mine):

2 tablespoons baking soda
1 tablespoon of citric acid (or 1/2 tablespoon cream of tartar)
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1 tablespoon epsom salts (you can find this in any store these days)
1/4 teaspoon oil (you can use any light oil you like. I actually used plain ol' canola since it's fragrance free and wouldn't compete with the liquid)
3/4 teaspoon liquid*
a drop or two of food colouring

Dump the dry ingredients (baking soda, acid, cornstarch, and salts) into a bowl and whisk together to remove lumps.


In a small jar, shake together the wet ingredients (oil, liquid, and colouring).

*About the liquid -- most recipes I tried had a bit of water and a bit of essential oil but I stopped bothering with water altogether. For the green tea and cinnamon bombs, I brewed a very strong, very concentrated cup of both green tea and cinnamon tea and I used that instead of water or essential oil. For the coconut and vanilla bombs, I used straight up vanilla and coconut extract as the only liquid (my coconut extract was older and had mysteriously changed colour so it was a good way to get rid of it). The tea and the extracts aren't as strong as essential oils would be, but the smell is kind of a small factor for me. I can smell them in their dry state, but I'm really just liking the way the bath bombs soften bath water. I don't necessarily need my bath water to smell all fancy, too.*

While whisking, dump the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. You'll see a slight reaction (if you're using citric acid), but keep on whisking until the mixture has started to clump together and is completely dyed the colour you added. It should still be a little crumbly which is what you want. If you add any more liquid, the citric acid will start to foam and you'll end up with a pre-bombed bomb (I got a few of those and your little bath bomb will keep foaming and growing right out of your mould until it completely dries).

Spoon the mixture into your mould and pack it in as tight as you can. Allow to dry for at least 5 hours before trying to get them out of the mould. Let dry for another 4 hours before plopping one in the bath or let them dry another 1-2 days before wrapping them as gifts or putting them into a storage jar, like so:


Go check out the blog for more ideas

DIY | Tinted Jar Candles

Found this and once I can get all the right supplies I am going to make time to get some done
mason jar candles weddingSUPPLIES // …this is a very long list so I split it in two pictures… 12 ounce jelly jars, beeswax beads or your favorite type of wax beads (4 pounds of wax makes exactly 7 of these 12oz jars – pictured below is one pound), pouring pot, cheap wooden spoon, your choice of scent (10z per 1 lb of wax), wick stickums, metal wick bar, wick core, wick tabs and pliers (or pre-made wicks, they work exactly the same)…
mason jar candles weddingPin…Martha Stewart ‘Liquid Fill’ Glass Paint is an absolute MUST for tinting these jars – by far this is the easiest technique for tinting glass jars and has the best range of colors. You will also need an EK Tools 2 1/4″ inch scallop punch, a cute stamp and stamp pad, a hole punch, cute twine, rubbing alcohol, wax paper, old wrapping paper roll and scissors.
mason jar candles weddingPinThis tutorial has quite a few steps and they take time, it could take all weekend to complete this project. You need to tint the jars, cure the jars, pour the candle and decorate… so take your time and have fun crafting!
How to Tint Mason Jars with Martha Stewart Glass Paint:
To start you need to clean the outside of your jars with rubbing alcohol…
mason jar candles weddingPinUsing a wrapping paper roll, slice off 2″ sections of the cardboard for your jars to dry on. Next, set up your painting area, it needs to be covered with at least two sheets of wax paper – the paint will bleed through one sheet! Also know that when tinting these jars they literally need to dry for at least 12 hours and you cannot easily move them, so clear an area for them to dry that is out of the way.
how to tint mason jarsBeginning under the lip of your jelly jar start squeezing paint onto the glass, letting it drip down the jar. You need to cover every speck of glass with paint by moving the tip of the bottle around while squeezing the paint out. Once covered the paint will begin to drip excessively – this is what we want. Place the painted jar on your cardboard stand and on top of at least two sheets of wax paper and let it dry for about 12 hours. You will be amazed at how much this paint will drip! Don’t touch it, just let it do it’s thing. When completely dry, carefully pull the cardboard base off the glass – if a little paint comes with it, smooth it back onto the glass and don’t worry about what the bottom looks like! There is a huge difference in color from wet to dry, just like the image below… you will visually be able to tell that the paint is dry.
how to tint mason jarsPin
Martha Stewart ‘Liquid Fill’ Glass Paint Tip!
This paint needs to be shaken like a gallon paint can at Home Depot – no joke. After you buy these paints turn them upside down on your counter and let them sit for an hour or two, this lets all the paint pigment that has settled to the bottom of the tube work it’s way back through the paint – then SHAKE before you are going to use the paint. I had hubby do this for me. If you choose not to do this small step, there is a possibility that the paint will dry clear and not beautiful like below. I am telling you this from experience! When you look at these paints you can sometimes see the pigment separation towards the bottom. The colors I used are from left to right, Polar Blue, Freesia, Sweetgrass, Purple Orchid, Red Coral, and Pink Hyacinth.
mason jar candles weddingPinPer the curing techniques on the bottle and website; either let them air dry for 21 days or oven bake. To oven bake put your completely dry tinted jars in a cold oven, turn it to 350 degrees and set a timer for 30 minutes. When the time is up turn off the oven and let the painted jars cool down completely before removing them from the oven. This glass has NO problem withstanding heat… after all it is a Ball Jar…
how to tint mason jarsPin
how to tint mason jarsPin
How to make your own Wicks:
This step is completely optional. You can absolutely use pre-made wicks, I just wanted to show how this is done. Cut your desired length of wicking and thread through an new wick tab. Using a small pair of pliers, crimp the wick tab ends over the wicking to secure it. Purchasing wick supplies and making them yourself can be much more cost effective than buying pre-made wicks – especially if you are making lots of wedding favors!
how to make your own wicksPinhow to tint mason jarsPinNext, place your wicks into your beautifully tinted jars. First apply wick stickums to the bottom of each wick, drop the wick into your jar and using a pencil or the like, press the stickum securely to the bottom of the jar.
mason jar candles weddingPinUsing a wick holder tie and secure your wick above the top of the jar so there is no slack.mason jar candles weddingPinmason jar candles weddingPin
Pouring your own Candle:
There are many ways to melt and pour your own candles – here is my simplified version. Carefully melt your wax in a pouring pot over medium heat – DO NOT boil and don’t scorch. I’m using beeswax here, but you can use any kind of candle wax that you would like.
mason jar candles weddingPinOnce completely liquid, turn off the heat and add your scent- a normal measure is 1 ounce of scent oil per 1 pound of wax. You might like to add more or less, or maybe none at all – scent is up to you!
This is an important step; before you pour your candle the wax needs to cool down. To avoid having to use thermometers, a good measure that the wax is ready to pour is when it starts to solidify on the sides of your pot and on your spoon… this usually takes around a half hour. Once the wax has cooled down, pour your candle leaving a little room in case you need to top it off.
mason jar candles wedding
This candle cooled wonderfully. But if yours cooled with a crack or divot, just remelt a little left over wax and re-pour the top layer. The important thing to note is that you need to completely cover the top of the candle with your second pour to make it look smooth from edge to edge.
mason jar candles wedding
When ready, snip your wick… and your done!
mason jar candles weddingPin…beautiful, Anthropologie worthy candles! Aren’t they just dreamy…
mason jar candles wedding
I also poured a candle into a jar that I didn’t tint… that one is right in front…
mason jar candles wedding
These candles would make terrific bridesmaid gifts… they might be a little expensive as favors, but definitely great thank you gifts for special people who helped you with your wedding planning including vendors.
mason jar candles wedding
To make these adorable tags you need to find a punch that perfectly fits the inside of your jar. If you are using these exact jelly jars this punch is the only one I could find and it worked perfectly! Purchased on Amazon, link in the credits. Punch cardstock, stamp with a cute stamp and hole punch the middle.
mason jar candles wedding
The hole punch allows your wick to go through the adorable tag so it can set flush against the candle wax… so cute!
mason jar candles wedding
mason jar candles wedding
be sure to go check out her blog at:
http://somethingturquoise.com/2013/01/11/diy-tinted-mason-jar-candles/