HAPPY EASTER

Wishing you all a very happy Easter …….. I think I am ready …… with many thanks to the pound shops of Wolverhampton on my last visit.

Iris and Bertie, Laura, Tom and Lucy will all round for full and robust Easter Lunch, when donning bunny ears and tails will be compulsory for everyone.  Then, if the weather is good, there will be an Easter Egg Hunt in the garden, and some egg and spoon racing.  I hope this will become a new family tradition, laying down happy memories for years to come for Iris and Bertie as well as us grown ups.

HAPPY EASTER WITH MUCH LOVE

Easter Chick Lolly Stick Fridge Magnet

For this Easter Chick fridge magnet I used five mini/half sized, plain lolly/craft sticks found in The Works, (£1).

I used a square of yellow card to act as a base for the chicks body and then coloured the sticks in with a yellow Sharpie pen.

I then cut out two feet, two wings and crown of feathers from scraps of orange card, sticking them on the back, with part to show from the front and then hid all the gunge and edges with another yellow square. I also added a square of self adhesive magnetic tape so he would stick to my fridge door.

For the face I used two googly eyes and a diamond shape of orange card to make the beak, with eyebrows made lightly with a black Sharpie pen

…….. all done and suitably dusted.

Easter Bunny in a Jar

This is what I put in Lucy’s room to greet her at the start of her Easter stay at The Towers ………

…… a bunny in a jar!  The mason style jar came from Home Bargains 79p and the mini chocolate bunny was from a pack (of 6???) from Aldi - £1.49.

The grass was in a bag of other Easter crafty bits and pieces, and there was just enough to swirl round the bottom of the jar, with an added sprinkling of punched white flowers to give it a little more interest.  I did buy some mini cream eggs to go round the bunny, but didn’t use them in the end because they made the jar look overcrowded.

The butterfly, stuck on with an adhesive foam pad, came from a pack of 6 assorted colours (99p) also from Home Bargains.  I must go and get another pack before they disappear after Easter as they were of a very good, sturdy quality and would be excellent for projects needing wings or on gift tags etc.

I must also start pinning some more “Gifts in a Jar” ideas from the many on Pinterest, as they are always good for small, fairing gifts, as well as inexpensive items to fill a craft stall later on in the year.

Easter Bunny Tags

For these tags I used two small, wooden frames (from a pack of six), along with the background papers from a 6” x 6” paper pad both from Poundland found last time I was in Wolverhampton.

I thought the frames would be something a bit different to use as a base for a gift tag.

The rabbits were part of a mix pack of rabbits and butterflies from this years Lldl Easter range. I glued the background papers onto a strong piece of white card to add strength to the tag, after it was glued onto the back of the tag, without it the paper came be a bit flimsy and curious fingers easily poked through.I used my modellers drill to add a hole for tying/hanging thread. I am always wary of using the drill on new materials just in case they splinter, but it went through a treat and a perfect hole was made.  I added a natural coloured bead to the blue thread.

A solid back is also perfect for adding an Easter message.

I finished the tags by adding a handwritten sentiment, obligatory googly eyes and, as I didn’t have any mini white pom poms, a swirl of pearl dimension paint for the rabbits tails, which worked a treat.

These tags will be attached to the Easter bags I have bought for Iris and Bertie to put their eggs in during our Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday afternoon after lunch.

Iris and Bertie’s Easter Bunny Lollypop Stick Picture Frames

After having never used lollypop sticks in my crafting before, I think I am in serious danger of getting addicted!

These are two bunny picture frames I have made for Iris and Bertie for their invitations to Easter Lunch chez moi, followed by an Easter Egg Hunt, an Egg and Spoon Race and giant frog tiddlywinks in the garden, at the back of my flat.

I first coloured the lolly sticks with a green and yellow Sharpie pen and then glued them together with PVA glue to make the frame.

I stuck the background scene onto a scrap of strong white card to strengthen it, not wanting curious fingers to poke right through.  I added a square of self adhesive magnet on the back too, as one of the walls in their hall is painted with magnetic paint.

I then built up the pictures by adding bunny bodies etc. before adding the self adhesive, felt heads and carrots (from Yellow Moon), and then lots and lots of faux stitching in white gel and black fine liner pens.
A handwritten sentiment finishes off the design, but can be removed after Easter.
I now have quite a few more ideas for lolly stick frames …….. I am already thinking calendars and Save The Date fridge magnets.

The Twelve Frames Of Christmas – Festive Patchwork Box Frame Decorations

When I am browsing, looking for ideas, I love to look at how people, particularly in the U.S seem to decorate the whole of their home at Christmas.  Now, my flat is pretty small and I reckon I could just about manage it too …… and I am thinking about starting in my L shaped hall.

At the moment it has twelve Ikea Ribba box frames on two of the walls containing insect brooches, but I have only used masking tape to hold the backgrounds in place ……. they could be very easily replaced temporarily, if only for the month of December.

So, that is what I am planning to do……. making twelve festive patchworks, using Christmas papers and embellishments, and making good use of the giant square punch I got for £1 at the recent HobbyCraft Show at the NEC.

One a month should be easy, but as we are now in April I may have to double up on some months.

With a plan in my head, I gathered all the bits and pieces together and set them out roughly, but knowing that I would probably make changes as I went along.

Each square measures 1.5ins and was mat and layered on silver card, with faux stitching round the edges.  These squares were then arranged on a larger square that would fit within the mount that comes with the frame.

The next bit was to glue the twelve chosen embellishments and then fiddle fart some more by adding lots of flat backed gems, eyes, stars etc..

It was easy to get carried away, but at Christmas, less is more really doesn’t count.

Usually, I am quite particular about things fitting within the squares and being in proportion to each other, but I’ve let those ideas blow in the wind, I want the frames to look really homemade and not over overthought.

The frames also stand perfectly on a shelf, so I might consider buying a few extra (£3.50) to make up and give as presents to people, like my sister in law, who would really appreciate a decoration that is a little bit different.

Well, that’s one done, only eleven more to go!

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/decoration/frames-pictures/ribba-frame-white-art-00078032/

Halloween Lolly Pop Stick Spider Fridge Magnet – Incy Wincy Spider

This is not my original idea, I found it and then pinned it on my Inspiration Board on Pinterest http://makingofamom.com/craft-stick-spider-craft/ ….. and then made a few minor alterations.

I have never used lolly pop sticks in my crafting before, but they kept cropping up during my Pinterest browsing, something I always do in bed for about half an hour before turning off the light …. so finally I decided to get me a few packs to play with, and this spider was the first thing I decided to make.

I coloured the sticks using a black Sharpie pen.  Positioning the sticks to get an evenly spaced, convincing spider leg combo was a bit tricky, but in the end I got there, securing them with a “tacky” PVA glue.

I can’t believe that I didn’t have any black card to use for the spiders body, but this corrugated card turned out to be a much better substitute, because it added some texture.  I punched it with a large, scallop edged circle punch and then again coloured it with a black Sharpie.

More dollops of glue ensued, plus two pieces of self adhesive magnet strip.

The final touch was the googly eyes, it was tempting to add a couple of fangs too, but I resisted.

Although originally with Halloween in mind ….. I think Mr Spider can go on my fridge and be Incy Wincy Spider for now.

Bertie’s First Birthday Card – Old MacDonald’s Farm Card

I think this must count as the most cheatiest card ever!

The birthday card I had originally planned for Bertie’s first birthday turned out to be totally pants, time was running perilously close, so what’s a girl to do but raid her sticker box ……. and this pack of farm stickers answered my prayers!  I just took them out of the packet, left them on the card backing exactly as they were and just did a bit of emergency mat and layering on patterned and silver card!  Bertie, bless him, will never know, that all the animals etc. were not the result of many hours strategic and very careful placing by his Nanny, who was really hoofing it.

The card base was hand cut from an A4 sheet of white linen effect card and measures 21cms x 13cms.

Halloween Door Wreath

Oh my life, Halloween in April?  Have I finally totally lost the plot, in more ways than one? 

Well, there is method in my madness.  I can’t say my Easter Wreath was the easiest of projects, but I had the other half of the ring left, and if I didn’t use it quickly, it would have just languished in the box under the bed and more likely as not got all damaged and grubby until I chucked it out ……. but I had an inkling of an idea ………

……. as I had a huge bag of plastic spiders and snakes after making a spider and snake hunt for Iris last Halloween and I swear they have been breeding since then!

First I wrapped the ring with wide, purple ribbon, followed by a narrower orange one, and then finally with some spiders web ribbon that I got from Micheals in Las Vegas four years ago, sometimes it just takes a while to finally use those craft bits and pieces that you swooned over years ago!

It was then in the lap of the gods as to how the rest would come together, especially after my experience with the flowers on my Easter wreath, but this simply  made itself.  I started with the spiders, gluing them with a glue gun, followed by the snakes .

I then used green flat backed gems to add some extra colour, as it looked a bit too orange and purple, plus few gold stars. Seeing that it was turning out pretty well, it gave me the confidence to fiddle fart even more by adding googly eyes to the spiders, giving them more character and tiny flat back gems for the snakes eyes.

In my haste to get this post done, yes, there are blobs of glue all over the shop, and when its all dry, a few of the glue stick strand can be removed.

I think it could also take a few larger silver stars to fill some of the large gaps,  but at the moment I can’t remember where on earth I have put them.

…… and then at Halloween (in …. owwwww 6 months time!), I reckon I will be able to wrap a set of small battery operated lights around the wreath, concealing the battery box at the back, to give it an extra spooky look.

Can’t believe I am saying this now …… but I am looking for some more wreath bases as the ideas just keep on coming!