DIY Painted Glass Ornaments by Sugar and Charm

I am going to keep going with this DIY Christmas. It is so much fun! I am staying busy.. All of my projects are in the works. So no photos yet. But I do have some inspiration for your garlands or tree- check out Sugar and Charms glass painted ornaments. She decided to make her own set this year. Full post here for more details and photos. 

Inspired? It is craft time!

It Would Be A Dream To Call It Home..

You may or may not know but we plan to build the "dream" cabin/s. A sustainable rural retreat for family and friends to gather. A place "away from it all".  I found this Danish cabin that is located in Ordrup Næs on My Scandinavian Retreat Blog. The cabin was designed by architects Hanne Dalsgaard and Henrik Jeppesen, featured in the book Arkitekternes Sommerhuse. This darling cabin is just what I have in mind.. Just add an outdoor living room, garden, water catch system, solar panels and you have here my dream house. I love the seperate room attached to the house with bunk beds too- guest house!

Eat Drink Chic Freebies for your DIY Christmas

Amy Moss at Eat Drink Chic does it again.. Another amazing freebie! Peace, Love and Reindeer Hugs(sounds like it would hurt) downloadable gift tags for your holiday gifting. She printed her tags on white card stock. Check out the post here to download the pdf file.

As noted on her blog. It is for personal use only.

I Am Thankful For..

Thanks to Pinterest I found more Thanksgiving printables for you from SissyPrint (blog full of free printables). This one is meant to be used as a guessing game. Every dinner guest writes down what they are thankful for and tosses them in a bowl, then try to guess who each one belongs to. Great for a big family of course.

Download SissyPrint's pdf file of "thankful notes" here.

On a side note(as you may have expected by my most recent Thanksgiving post) Please read the article "The Truth About The First Thanksgiving" by James W. Loewen. James Loewen is a sociologist, historian, and author author whose best-known work, "The Lies My Teacher Told Me- Everything Your American History Text Book Got Wrong". Loewen spent two years at the Smithsonian Institution, where he studied and compared twelve American history textbooks then widely used throughout the United States. He concluded that no one textbook does a decent job of making history interesting, memorable nor does any single textbook provide accurate documentation. Check out the article, or buy the book at Amazon(link).
Young peoples of this country are waking up. Embrace your freedoms of learning the truth while you can. I'd like to share the list of shame: The 19 senators who have openly signed the bill to censor the internet despite a bunch of law professors explaining to them how this law is a clear violation of the First Amendment. Here is a link to the pdf file of a summery of the bill.

I am thankful for the ability to seek truth. The internet is the only hope American's have for real truth, and education. Protect our freedoms by singing the petition here at Demand Progress.

My Sisters Birthday Adventure/ My decorations

My sister text me last night and told me it is just going to be her and her boyfriend on this birthday trip. My first reaction was "What!? I made decorations for ladies night! Not couples night! haha So this morning I woke up at 5am and "fixed" the 'Do Not Disturb' sign. from "drinking with my ladies" to "drinking with my wonderful boyfriend". Clever right? I also added a '31' to the cupcake bunting. My work gave her some champagne, and Moonstruck chocolates. Lots of sweetness on her birthday. I stopped by Saint Cupcake as I said I would. I havn't been in their new location. Mama Like!! All of their goods melt in your mouth. If you don't have many teeth.. No worries. There is no need to chew. Yum! hehe

I hope you can find inspiration for someone you love on their special days.

It Is Party Time!

Welcome to another day in the life of me. It is my sisters birthday tomorrow, so I have been puting together some decorations. Her and some lady friends are getting a hotel room at my work. So I am planning to decorate before they arrive. I bought a Martha Stewart 1 inch circle punch to make a dot garland(got mine at Michael's for$9.99). I used 3 different colors of paper, and sewed them just like the bat garland. You have to set the stitch length and width as high as it will go, so it will allow you to space the dots apart. My sewing machine is set at 5 for both.
I also hand drew the lettering for the door. Her own "Do Not Disturb" sign. I got the inspiration from a combination of fonts I found online. Next I made a cupcake bunting. I plan on running to Saint Cupcake and decorating the box(Yum!) I also got her some whipped cream vodka, and orange juice so they can have an "Orange Julius" apon arriving. Tastes like a orange-vanilla creamsicle(I hear).

I will take pictures of how I decorated the room tomorrow, and post ASAP.

If you would like to see me spoil my family some more.. follow my blog.(hehe)

Thanksgiving Inspiration & The Dream for Truth

This is my Thanksgiving Pinterest Photo roundup. Follow me on Pinterest here! I hope you find inspiration.

Historically this is one of the worst holidays..

“Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past.”

Such applies to the history of  Thanksgiving. The real story has never been printed in text books. “A day of Thanksgiving, thanking God that they had eliminated over 700 men, women and children.” It was signed into law that, “This day forth shall be a day of celebration and thanksgiving for subduing the Pequots.” The massacre happened beacuse a white man was found dead in his boat. Ninety armed settlers burned a Native village, along with their crops, and then demanded the Natives to turn in the murderers. When the Natives refused, a massacre followed.
Captain John Mason and his colonist army surrounded a fortified Pequot village and reportedly shouted: “We must burn them! Such a dreadful terror let the Almighty fall upon their spirits that they would flee from us and run into the very flames. Thus did the Lord Judge the heathen, filling the place with dead bodies.” The surviving Pequot were hunted and slain. The next day there was a feast. The year was 1637 (source).

 The holiday has changed into a day of gratefullness(which alot of us lack) & gathering with family for a filling meal. I appreciate it. I am one grateful little bird.. I just understand, and respect my history, and hate that my government wont make things right. I want the truth.

1. Dessert Plates at West Elm- on sale each at $6.99, 2. I am grateful for- free printables in 4 colors, 3. Give Thanks 12x24 pillow cover at Dear Lillie- $24.95, 4. Better Homes and Gardens Fall decorations, 5. Give Thanks Platter at West Elm- on sale at $14.99.

Happy Monday!

Happy Monday! I've got a little photography/color inspiration for you on this fine day.

Wayne took this photo on our adventure to Mount St. Helens. I think it is a beauty. Check out his Flickr account for more great photography!

Update on DIY Personalised Gifts This Christmas

Hello Friends,
I have completed my youngest nephew's drawstring screenprinted backpack(see my most recent post for other nephew's backpack). Now the task is finding supplies to fill the backpacks with. Lucky for me I have a while to hunt. I know right now the plan is to go to Ikea for cheap flat sheets. I'll eventually post the complete gift+supplies as I get them. Maybe I'll even fill it with a book, snacks, and a string of lights. So many ideas! Very cheap, and alot of fun.

Hopefully I have inspired you to have a DIY Christmas.

Personalised Gifts This Christmas

I got this idea from Pinterest. Have you seen it(click here)?

Personalised Kids Fort Kits! My version is a screenprinted drawstring backpack, instead of a iron-on flocked vinyl laundry bag. I am going to fill it with a dark flat sheet, clamps, rope, grommets on the ends, flashlight/small lantern. I might even screenprint glow in the dark stars on the sheets if I find the time. I completed a second bag for my other nephew. Those photos I will have to post up in a few days. I just rememeber making forts out of anything! Stack up books, blankets over the back of chairs, make a tunnel by draping a blanket from the back of the couch across the front, and just think there will be two kits full of supplies to tear apart my sisters house(hehehe). It is going to be a great Christmas. I want to try to make and personalise every gift this year. I just hope I started early enough! I will post more photos soon!

If you have any suggestions on what I could add to the fort kit. Do tell me!

Adventure to Mount St. Helens

 Yesterday we drove to Mount St. Helens. Named after a British diplomat Lord St Helens, a friend of explorer George Vancouver who made a survey of the area in the late 18th century. The Klickitat tribe called it Louwala-Clough, and the Sahaptin called the mountain Loowit. You should look up how the tribes gave Helens her name. It was a battle for a lady! Wiki it(very interesting, and educational). Before May 1980 Helens was asleep for 123 years. She is the newest of the major Cascade volcanoes.
I had a BLAST(get it?) on this road trip, which wasn't very far at all. I couldn't believe how sunny and perfect the weather was minus the 60 mph wind gusts we were getting in the vacuum between cliffs. It was the craziest wind I have ever experienced. I was laughing till I almost cried. I love how prehistoric things looked. I feel like we were on the moon, or dinosours should have been walking around. I think that is what I am made to believe the earth looked like 160 million years ago. Speaking of dinosaurs, we saw 2 bald eagles! I didn't have the right camera lense to capture them. But we stopped and watched them till we couldn't see them anymore. We also saw dragonflies! I thought they would have migrated already. There were thousands in the wetlands around the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center. I would have been satisfied to have just stayed there and bird watched all day, so the rest of the sights were just a cherry on top!
We also stopped by the largest totem pole(from a single tree) in the world. It is a 700 year old western red cedar that stands at 140 ft tall on the port of Kalama, Washington. It was erected in 1974, and carved by native American artist and craftsman, the late Chief Don Lelooska in the early 1960's. It can be seen for miles. There are four totem poles there featuring mythical forms, symbols, and creatures of Pacific Northwest Native American culture.

This is our adventure!

Wit & Wistle DIY: Hand Painted Mug

Amanda at Wit & Whistle came up with this creative hand painted porcelain coffee mug. I love this idea, and love the design she went with. It would make a cute gift either full of coffee beans, cocoa, or cacao(organic, direct trade, shade grown-of course).

Supplies are two things: Cute mug, and Porcelain paint(links).

Check out her link here for the complete tutorial.

I Have Been Bird Watching!

Sorry for not making any posts recently. I havn't been too into anything in the blogosphere lately. For the most part I have just been finding things I can document on my own. I started some screen printing- I will be posting photos up real soon. We have also been spending alot of time with Wayne's mama- such a sweet lady(Hi Patti). She has the most precious birds in the area she lives in. So much diversity. I try to bring a camera when ever possible when we go to visit. So if you guys are interested I'd like to share a few breeds of birds I have captured. The fun part about bird watching with a bird feeder to draw them in- They wait their turn! Most same breeds will eat together. The only rude guy around seems to be the Steller's Jay. They kick everyone out thinking they own the place, but I think the Northern Flicker is much bigger. If the Steller's Jay were a human they would probably drive a "tricked out" truck and tailgate poor old ladies..hehe

Happy Learning.

Today's Inspiration is from bookhouathome's Etsy Shop

Today's Inspiration is from bookhouathome's Etsy shop. The creative artist's names are John and Arounna. A couple based out of Toronto, Canada. They emphasize on natural handmade materials and small production pieces.
John Booth received his education from Queens University and his architecture degree from the University of Toronto.  He is currently working with form and structure in both painting and furniture.

Arounna Khounnoraj received her education from the Ontario College of Art, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and  a MFA from the University of Waterloo.  She is currently exploring pattern and image in her textiles and sculptures.

Check out their website, and Arounna has her own Blog.

2012 Calender 18x20- $20, Tote Bag  18Wx12Hx5D- $80, Spring Linen Wall Art 18x20- $24, Day Bag 14Wx10H- $56, Bucket Tote 14.5Wx12H x7.5D- $46,  Small Tote Bag  12Wx13Hx2.5D- $60

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Tutorial: How to Carve Your Own Stamps!

Today I decided to carve my own stamp so I could show you just how easy it really is. I purchased all of my supplies back in February at Hyatt's -All Things Creative. I bought all Speedball supplies because I didn't know a thing about what I was doing, and it is a leading company for screen printing.. So I figured it was good.
My supplies include:
Speedball Linoleum Cutter Set
7 Different Speedball Colors- Oil based- I wouldn't recommend them. Just use a normal raised(<--very important) water based ink pad.
Speedball Speedycut Blocks- I bought 2 different sizes. Large is 6.75x11. The one I used today was 4x5.5.
A Pencil
Exacto Knife
Protractor
Plain Piece of Paper

First kids, I put my Speedycut Block on my piece of paper and outlined it so I knew how big my drawing could be. I then took my protractor and made a evenly curved line across the usable space. I wasn't feeling confident in my ability to make even lines so I cut out a triangle with thick paper to trace for my bunting. Once completed I filled it in so it will show up when I transfer it to my Speedycut Block. The transfer is easy, place the drawing face down on the block. Hold it in place, and on the back side of the paper with your pencil draw only where your drawing is. When you take the paper away the drawing is transfered perfectly, and now the carving begins. The Linoleum Cutter Set comes with 5 different sizes of cutting tools. Start with the smallest one in the shape of a V. That is the tool you use to outline the drawing, and get all of those details in. Next you move to the largest tool in the shape of a U. This tool is to carve away the rest of the unwanted space. Since I used oil based paint I had to dab and spread the paint on with a foam brush, then push it down on my subject. I just used a recycled scrapbook sheet. If I were to do it again. I would do this for wrapping paper or a gift bag with an ink pad.

Let me know if you have any questions!

These puppies are my entire collection so far : ) They aren't anything amazing... Just something that is relaxing to do. Give it a try! Happy Carving Friends!