Quick-n-Easy Collage Board

When I was a child there was nothing that got me more excited than to see paper, glue and scissors!
I knew that meant some crafty fun and what better way to create than to start with these three basic things.

That is the inspiration behind my post today for "Busy Bag", the latest edition of  the "Craft Lightning" series hosted by Angie from The Country Chic Cottage and Carolina from 30 Minute Crafts.
This edition is also co-hosted by guest blogger: Stacey with "Glued to My Crafts". (LOVE that blog name by the way!)

When I found out the topic of this version of Craft Lightning, I was a little stumped at first as my creative flow has been lacking lately because of other "stuff" going on in life...but then I remembered a draft post I started a couple of years ago, but never completed and I thought how perfect it would be for this series!

Since I babysit two of my Grandchildren, I often try to think of Crafty Fun to do with them and making collages was something I always loved, I thought it would be fun for the older Grandgirl at the time (Little B), who was 6.

I thought it would be nice to have her make something for her Momma to have at work to remind her of her girls during the day!

We started with a plain piece of cardboard and glued on some pretty tissue paper.

Then I had Little B tell me some things her Mommy liked and of course I knew of some things that my DIL liked and together we came up with ideas to include on the collage.

One thing she really likes is vintage pin-up girl pictures and I had just recently found this cool book full of pin-up photos at a yard sale. It had been partially damaged by water and I got it for practically free, so I felt like it was okay to salvage what pages were still good and not feel guilty about cutting-up the book!

We also printed out some instagram photos using my Zink printer which was really handy for this project!

The Starbucks logo and sweet little girl graphic were printed out from the internet using my Lexmark Printer.

My Granddaughter added some cute stickers and washi-tape accents and then we attached a pretty ribbon to the top for hanging.

I kept this project fairly simple so that it could be easily done by a 6 year old and be done quickly.

Even though the concept of a collage is nothing new...I think it's always timely and loved because of the thought and planning put into it. It says a lot about the person who made it and the person it is made for!

Me and my Granddaughter had so much fun making it too!
Made for some good memories for me and for her also I hope!



Here are the tools and supplies we used to make this project:

Tools/Supplies Used:

Pin-up Illustrations/Pages out of Book, "The Great American Pin-Up"
Zink Printer
Mini Personal Photos (printed on Zink Printer)
Printed Tissue Paper, Expressions from Hallmark, Lt. Purple design on White
Stickers, Tiny Crafts, Felt, Owls
Stickers, Puffy
Stickers, Me & My Big Ideas, Girly, Mambi Mini's, Words
Lexmark Printer (not shown in photo above)
Graphic of little Girl (Internet)
Logo/Graphic of Starbucks (Internet)
Aleene's Tacky Glue
Elmer's school glue stick
Stapler & Staples (to attach ribbon)
Scissors, Large Adult Size
Scissors, Kid-Safe (not shown in photo above)
Ribbon, Satin, Polka-Dot, Fuschia/Dk. Pink
Washi Tape, Tapefetti, Monster High

Be sure to stop by the other host blogs (click on graphic below) and see all the great Kid's Busy Projects you can do in 15 minutes or less!

Thanks for stopping in to visit my blog!

Gourd Ornaments

Christmas is just around the corner and it sure snuck up on me fast this year!
I wanted to make some ornaments, but wanted to try something "new" so I decided to give gourd crafting a shot.

In October we took the Grandgirls to the Pumpkin Patch and I purchased some dried gourds and couldn't wait to make something with them, so when I realized the "No Ugly Ornament" series was coming up, I knew it would be a perfect time to "experiment" with my new craft materials!

I started out by cleaning the gourds, as the one's I purchased from the local farmer had been dried, but not cleaned. Some places sell cleaned gourds, but you will most likely pay more money for them and it's really pretty easy to clean them yourself if you have time.

I won't repeat the entire cleaning process here, but instead I will direct you to two of the sources I used to guide me, since this was my first time using gourds.

I watched this video on YouTube which was very informative and helpful:

I also visited this webpage on cleaning gourds: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-clean-a-hardshell-gourd/

Once the gourds were clean and dried it was time to get busy!

At first, I wasn't sure how I wanted to decorate them, but I knew most likely they would need to be "primed" in some way, so I painted them with some white acrylic paint (2-3 coats).

I decided to try a few different techniques since I had several gourds.

For this series I decided to make a Bejeweled "Blinged-Out" Ornament and a Hand Drawn Mosiac design ornament.

Here are the supplies I used for this project:

Materials/Tools List:

Sanding Pads (Coarse, Fine)

Delta Ceramcoat Acrylic Paint (White)

Paint Brush

Bic Mark-it Ultra-Fine Permanent Markers

Sharpie Ultra-Fine Permanent Markers

in Bloom by Bead Design, Faceted Faux Gems, Assorted 

One Button (from misc. stock on hand) - (for Hanger atop gourd)

Aleene's Tacky Glue

E6000 Adhesive

Krylon Workable Fixatif 1306

I used the fixative spray (not shown in photo) on the mosiac gourd, to keep the colors from smearing when the ornament is handled.

(This also helps if you are going to add lacquer, mod podge or other decorative coating to the surface, as some of these coatings will make the color from the ink pens run and a very light spray of fixative will help prevent this problem)

Be sure to stop by and visit all my crafty friends who are part of this great series hosted by my friend Erin at My Very Educated Mother.

I know you'll have fun and be inspired!

Halloween Mummy Pumpkin

Once again, I am excited to be a part of a "Craft Lightning" event put together by Angie at The Country Chic Cottage and Carolina from Thirty Minute Crafts.

This one is a special "Super Spooky Edition" featuring Halloween projects in 15 minutes or less (minus drying time of course)!

My project is a super cute and easy Mummy Pumpkin, inspired by a flyer/brochure I picked up at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago.

I really had fun making this mummy pumpkin and my Granddaughter liked it so much she asked if she could have it and asked if we could make one for her teacher!
(Something we haven't done yet, but will be on the list for next week's activities)

The good thing about this craft is that you can find most of the items just laying around your house or in your craft stash to complete it!

I purchased the faux pumpkin at Hobby Lobby, but I've heard that the dollar store also has these pumpkins, so check that out for sure if you are on a budget!

To keep this craft under 15 minutes, you'll want to choose a fairly small pumpkin.
The one I chose was 17" around and 6-1/2" Tall (to the stem).

Of course you can use a bigger pumpkin, but covering it will take a little bit longer time wise.

You can use gauze wrap or cheesecloth to wrap the pumpkin, though gauze wrap would be faster as it is usually cut to a good width already and cheesecloth is not.

I used cheesecloth and cut it in strips and then I used Mod Podge to apply the cheesecloth and seal it.

There is nothing more fun than playing with mod podge!

For the eyes and lips I used some white, black and red felt I had in my craft stash.

I found the fake eyelashes at the  "99 cent only" store, but you can use pipe cleaners or even craft paper to make eyelashes if you want.

It's crafting...and anything goes here!

Just use your imagination and create away!

I used the Hobby Lobby brochure as inspiration, but tried to make the mummy pumpkin "my own" by adding my personal touches, like the purple netting with glitter dots!

The purple satin flower spray was something I had laying around and I can't even remember for sure where I got it, but I think it was on a present I received years ago.

I thought the touch of purple was fitting for Halloween and added a pop of color that was needed to make this pumpkin stand out!

Here is what I used to create this project:

Faux/Fake Pumpkin (small to medium size)
Cheesecloth
Mod Podge
Felt, Sparkle Black, White & Red
Fake Eyelashes
Nylon Netting, Light Purple
Flower or Bow Embellishment
Crayola Glitter Pens
Aleene's Tacky Glue
Stamp Pad, Purple
Straight Pins
Foam Paint Brush
Flat Bristle Brush
Pencil
White Marking Pencil
Black Sharpie Pen
Scissors

Thank-you to Angie from Country Chic Cottage and Carolina from 30 Minute Crafts for hosting another great Craft Lightning Series, I always enjoy being a part of it!

This project/post is linked to the following sites/link parties:

15 Minute Craft - Ceramic Tile Photo Magnet - Mother's Day

Another Mother's Day has come and gone and I hope all of you who celebrate it had a wonderful day!

I was blessed in that I was able to spend it with 3 of our 4 children and 4 of our 5 grandchildren.

We really missed my mom and our son Rickey and his family, but I am thrilled to say, we will see them all soon!

Our family had a Mother's Day Brunch which has become a tradition of sorts in the last few years.

Every year, I struggle to think of a unique and special gift to give my sweet Mother-in-Law, she prefer's no gifts really, which is kind of my motto also, since the older you get the less you need.

Don't get me wrong...gifts from the heart are always welcome, but the best gift of all is time with your children and grandchildren! That is an immeasurable blessing indeed!

So, I always like to try and think of something that will bring back a good memory for her or touch her heart and as you can imagine, that often involves photographs, videos or mementos.

The timing could not have been better that I was participating in a Craft Lightning Challenge with Angie at the Country Chic Cottage and Carolina from 30 minute Crafts!

I thought it would be great if I could incorporate a gift for my MIL at the same time.

This lightning challenge requires that you come up with a craft that takes only 15 minutes or less to complete (minus drying time).

A great idea to get those on a limited time schedule to craft when they think they don't have the time!

I racked my brain to figure out what I could come up with that would only take 15-minutes, but would produce a lovely and heartfelt gift for my MIL.

I knew that it would most likely need to include a photo of some sort and a quote or poem about Mother's Day.

I remembered that just a few weeks before DH and I had gone Yard Sale-ing and I found a big bag of small 2x2 ceramic tiles that I thought would be perfect for fridge magnets if I could get them at the right price.

(I got the entire bag for $1.00!)

So, I thought if I could think of something good to use those for, for this project...DH would be proud of me!

(LOL...he thinks  we are gonna end up on that show "Hoarder's" one day if I don't stop collecting that kind of "stuff"!)

I decided to make a photo magnet for my MIL and wanted to make it relevant to Mother's Day.

I scoured (Googled) the internet for Mom's Day Poems and Quotes and found the perfect one for my situation:

"Men are what their Mother's made them" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I chose this because it really say's it all about how I feel about my husband and my MIL.

It is evident she did a wonderful job of raising good men! (4 of them to be exact...my husband has 3 awesome brothers!)

The love, kindness and honor that my husband has in his heart shines through in everything he does everyday and I know his mother had much to do with this as she has the same heart and makes our family thrive with happiness and love!

I could not be prouder to be a wife to her son and to call her "Mom"!

After finding the quote I searched for a photo of MIL and DH together that I could use on the magnet and came across this one:

I just loved it because it portray's so much about their life back then as well as our's today!

His family loved to go to the ocean, camp-out and go hunting and fishing.

This photo was taken in 1958 in the Sierra Nevada Mountains at a place called Cold Springs.

DH and I have tried to carry on those traditions in our children and grandchildren's lives as well, so this picture could not have been more perfect!

Here is my completed project/gift:

Here is what you will need to complete this craft:

Supplies/Tools List:

Ceramic Tile Piece, Square, 2"x2" (You can get these at most Home Improvement Stores)
Digital Photo (Cropped and sized to fit)
Photo Editing Program (Photoshop Elements, Picasa, Pic Monkey, etc.)
Quote or Poem of your choice
Font of your choice (I used Papyrus)
Photo Paper (Great White Imaging & Photo Paper - Matte Finish, 92 Brightness, Ultra White)
Ink Jet Printer (Lexmark X4975)
Scissors
Aleene's Tacky Glue
Krylon Workable Fixatif
Mod Podge (Gloss, Matte or Satin)
Foam Brush
Mini Pie Tin
Wax or Butcher Paper
E6000 Adhesive
Magnets (One or Two, depending on size & strength - 3/4" or larger)

Tutorial/Instructions:

1. Crop and resize your photo in digital imaging software (I used Photoshop Elements & Picasa)
2. Add Text to Your Photo (if desired) using digital imaging software (I used Picasa)
3. Print out photo onto Photo Quality Paper (Matte Photo Paper would probably work best and is what I used) on an Inkjet Printer.
4. Cut-out photo to size of tile (in this case, 2"x2")
5. Glue photo onto ceramic tile piece using a thick craft glue such as Aleene's Tacky Glue (Be careful what type of glue you use here, if it's too watery, it could tear the photo or ruin the image...that is why I recommend using Aleene's...it's tacky and adheres well without damaging the image.)
6. Let it dry for a bit (15-20 minutes)
7. Spray with a fixative (to protect the image from the initial coat of Mod Podge) - This may not be necessary for all images or printers, but I have had trouble in the past with colored images from inkjets "running" a bit when you brush on the first coat of Mod Podge, so just to be safe, I always use a fixative before I apply Mod Podge or other watery coating.)
8. Let dry for about 5 minutes. (Usually fixative dries very fast, but be careful not to hold it too close when spraying it or you could saturate the image and make it sticky which would make it take longer to cure. A light coat is all you need in this case.)
9. Apply first coat of Mod Podge with the foam brush. (I actually had to thin-out my Mod Podge a bit, because the bottle was older and had been sitting around for awhile and had thickened. That is why you see the pie tin in the supplies. I use that to thin out the Mod Podge when I add water.) (Usually you can use the Mod Podge straight from the bottle with no problems)
10. Let dry for 15-20 minutes.
11. Apply at least one more coat of Mod Podge. (This ensures a good seal and helps the project last longer. You can apply as many coats as you like, just be sure to wait 15-20 minutes between coats and I recommend waiting at least 8-10 hours before trying to wrap or handle any items that have been coated with Mod Podge as it becomes completely cured with time, but can be somewhat tacky at first).
12. Attach one or more magnets to the back of the tile using a strong adhesive such as E6000. (If you have very strong magnets, one will usually suffice, but the one's I had on hand were smaller and not as powerful, so I added two just to be sure the magnet with the ceramic tile attached would be functional)
13. Let dry for at least 30 minutes.

Ta-Daaa!! Your done in in lightning fast speed!

I had intended on getting a photo of my MIL with her gift at our brunch yesterday, but somehow in all the frivolity of the day, I forgot!

But I think she really loved the photo magnet and I know it brought back precious memories for her as will photos from yesterday's celebration do for me years from now.

Hope you enjoyed my post and will stop by again soon to see what I'm up to!

If you have a lightning fast craft to share, be sure to click on the "craft lightning" badge above and add your link to the list!

Thanks!

XO