Etched Glass

So, today's segment on Everyday with Marcus & Lisa was on etching glass.  I'm telling you it is SO not hard! and looks fabulous!! Definitely something you could do for yourself, your friends, as a hostess gift, teacher gift or even a gift for that hard-to-buy-for executive in your life (i.e. BOSS!)

Supplies needed: Armour Etch (available at Michael's, Hobby Lobby, JoAnn's or your local craft store), Exacto knife, contact paper, permanent marker, any pattern you will be using and whatever you want to etch.

For this I was doing a casserole dish.  Peel off the paper back of the contact paper and stick on the outside bottom of the casserole dish.  I am using chipboard letters for this so trace them onto the contact paper with your pencil or permanent marker. (I use an ultra thin marker)

****IMPORTANT! If you are doing the underside of something remember to trace it backwards! Test it by turning the dish over in the direction you would normally use it and see if it "reads" correctly! If so, proceed....if not, stop now and fix!***
When you have drawn your design, then trace over the lines with your Exacto knife and cut out the part your want etched. (Remember that whatever is glass is the part that will be etched!)

Generously paint on the Armour Etch over your cut-out. Making sure to coat evenly.

Once your design has been coated, you will need to wait for the Armour Etch to work.  The jar says 5 minutes, but I leave on mine for 25. (I also don't follow Advil directions very well either!) In this case, I went to shower and get ready for the day....I came back, washed off the Armour Etch with warm water, peeled off the contact paper and this is what I found! YAY!!
Here are some examples of some pieces that I etched to show on the show today.

Here is a gift wrapped up ready to give. Inside is a monogrammed, lidded glass dish, a box of brownie mix tied up with a spatula (with a nice big fingerprint!) at the bow.  Give it a try! Everyone will love it!

Get Well Soon....

We have a new friend whose daughter recently was injured in a softball game.  She had to have surgery and is now out for the rest of the season. Because I don't know her but wanted to send her something, I decided on a candy sundae....figure you can't go wrong with candy, right?!?!? I sure hope she likes chocolate because as of tomorrow she'll have alot to eat (or share!).

**After cleaning my workroom all day, I came across so 

many yummy scraps. I was determined to only use those to make the tag!**

A tutorial on how to make a candy sundae will be coming soon.  : )

A Special BEE-day party

Recently, I planned a birthday party for someone and it wasn't going to have a theme. However, after choosing the menu, it ended up with one.  I wanted a good 'ole southern meal which we had.  We had fried chicken, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, black eyed peas and biscuits & cornbread on the table! YUM! Well, of course you need honey for the biscuits and cornbread so in addition to the honey bear for the table,  I figured I would make some party favors for those attending to take home.  I bought these jars, and this honey (voted #1 in the country, BTW!) and stamped/embossed some tags with a honey bee on the front and on the inside it said Happy Bee-Day! It was a great party but I must admit, it didn't hurt that we finished it up with blackberry & peach cobbler!! The birthday card made with awesome Cosmo Cricket paper!

Weird???

Remember the "brownish" pumpkin from the last post?? Well, here it is now! I painted a large circle on the front, added our monogram and some dots and I am happy now.  Although, at first, my husband said it was "kind of weird".....I must admit, it made me second guess myself for a minute but at second look I decided that I really did like it even if it is a tad weird!  .....

What do you do when laundry is taking over???

You make stuff! Ha ha Yes, the laundry is taking over, there is dust all around me, my work room is an absolute disaster but what did I do when I came home from church?!?!??! I sat around and made rings and finished painting pumpkins! I'll post the ring pictures later but here are my pumpkins!

I am VERY pleased with how they turned out.  First let me say that they are done free hand. I am sure the diamonds on my large pumpkin would have been more even if I could have figured out the mathematical equation for lines, etc.  but let's be honest...I can make stuff but math - well, my mind doesn't work that way! Left vs. right brained and I'm whatever isn't math!!!

For those of you who might want details: these are synthetic pumpkins bought at Michael's while they were 50% off! Painted with acrylic paint...I used Outdoor/Indoor gloss by Plaid. Why did I use this? Because it's what I had...no other reason - just grabbed it and started painting.

BEFORE....AFTER.....
AFTER, AFTER.... I never noticed that the med. pumpkin was brownish - I mean I noticed but it didn't seem to matter much until I saw the end result (photo above) of the pumpkins.  I had an extra med. one that was the same white as the large and the small so I re-did it and here it is.  I am altering the brownish pumpkin and will post that one once I finish.

Got 3 minutes?

OK.  I saw these for sale at a high end boutique store in South Carolina.  I thought they were absolutely precious.  I went to pick it up and when I did, I was shocked.  I saw it was made out of an acrylic photo holder.  Once I saw that, I knew that this could be SO easily duplicated at home so I just made a mental note and came home and rushed to buy some frames so that I could make some.

I'm telling you ....if you have enough time to make a pb & j, then you have enough time to make one of these ADORABLE post it note holders!! Literally, it took me less than 10 minutes to make 3!! Now, I went very simple and didn't do any embellishments but you can get crazy and do all kinds of stuff to it if you so desire.  

Directions:

***These Post-It pad holders are made from 4 x 6 and 5 x 7 acrylic photo frames - you know the ones that are about $1 - $3 depending on where you buy them.  I was so anxious to make them, I just bought them and mine were $2 but you can definitely get them for less. Once you have the frame you need some paper, ribbon ( I prefer ribbon with wire) and your pad of post-it notes.

If you get a 4 x 6 frame, then cut your background paper to 4 x 6 - if you got 5 x 7 then cut it t0 

5 x 7.  Simply slide it in the frame like you would a picture. If you notice, on a couple of mine I put a square that would "border" the post it pad.  This was adhered to the paper before I slid it into the frame.  I cut those 3. 5 inches square. After that, peel off the back paper to the pad and stick onto the frame.  Tie your ribbon around the frame at the end that would stand on a table. After this, YOU ARE DONE!! I am thinking these would make GREAT hostess gifts for those functions that are going to start now that it is fall.  Or great teacher gifts...the possibilities are endless!

Happy 13th!

Thank goodness my youngest is pretty compliant ( and patient!) because we had planned a sleepover for her bday... It was going to be a Happy 12th! , then it was going to be a sleepover given a tad late, then I thought maybe a 12 1/2 bday party...well, before I knew it, she was turning 13 so I HAD to follow through and do a party. (anything at this point would have been good!) 

Once the idea came for her invite, they didn't take too long to make and I had one happy girl!