The Creative Patch

You Hold the Key

2012-02-14T04:36:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Here is a cute and fun project to give to your special loved one today or any day... You hold the Key to my Heart!

Supplies Needed:

Paper Mache Heart

Cream Paint

Glitter Paint

Distress Ink

Seam Binding

Bits of Vintage Lace, Rick Rack, Buttons, Key

(whatever makes your heart happy)

Vintage Journal Paper

Glue Gun

Paint Brush

Paint heart and let dry.

Add distressing ink to the heart to age it.

Add glitter paint over the top.

Print out your words on vintage journal paper.

Then add your vintage treasures and words to complete your heart.

This heart I will be giving to my special someone today... and it will be hanging up year round as a small reminder of our love.

Wishing you all a creative day, sweet friends.

Exclusive Kit for February

2012-02-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

This month Sarah, brings you a Vintage and New Paper Doilie Kit for all your crafting needs.

Sarah as put together a little kit mixed with vintage and new paper doilies that are perfect for mixed media arts, scrapbooking and more.

You will receive 8 different doilies, 3 heart shaped and five round doilies.

Click here to grab yours now!

Wishing you all a beautiful day.

Kid's Corner - DIY Personalized Valentines

2012-02-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

There is a really fun and easy way to make DIY personalized Valentine's for your kids to give out in class on Valentine's Day!

Step One - take some pictures of your child

Step Two - pick out your favorite photo and using your favorite photo editing program, edit the photo and add frames, clip art, etc. to the picture.

Step Three - order online at a place like CVS, Walmart, Target, Walgreens, etc. and have them print them out one hour.

Step Four - pick them up!!!

Step Five - let your little one personalize them on the back with a marker

Hope you enjoy making your own Valentines!

Patterned Paper Tutorial

2012-02-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

Hi there! I am happy to be here again with you as today’s Guest Gardener. My home blog is Kids Napping? I’m Scrapping! and I’d love to have you visit after you’ve soaked up all the sweet ideas and tutorials here on The Creative Patch.

Valentine’s Day, my favorite holiday, is upon us. All of my favorite things celebrated on one day: love; hand-delivered mail; flowers; chocolate; romantic picnics; the colors pink, white, and red, kisses; gift-giving; baking; bling (adhesive gems or diamonds are both winners with me); love notes; and hearts.

I love Valentine’s Day crafting, and today I will be sharing how to make your own patterned paper to use on your projects.

You will need:
light, neutral-toned cardstock (you could even use music sheets)
ink pads or paint
rubber or acrylic stamps

After you’ve gathered your supplies:

Ink the stamp of your choice:Start stamping on your cardstock:Be sure that the images are somewhat offset. It is more pleasing to the eye and looks more natural.To stamp on the edges, you will need a scratch piece of paper:Put the scratch sheet of paper behind your patterned paper:Now, stamp the edge of the paper allowing the other edge of the stamp to come off the edge. This will give the patterned paper a continuous look:Once you have completed stamping your paper:You can take a very, fancy pen for coloring:a nearby crayon will work fine, too, if all of your crafting supplies are still in boxes. ;)
Voila! You are all done:I used my paper to make a heart.
I took a chipboard heart to use as a template:I traced the heart on the back:Cut out my heart with scissors:And now? There is a naughty message for my husband on the fridge:;)

Love Notes

2012-02-07T05:13:00.000-08:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More antique

Here is a little love from all of here at the Creative Patch.....

We you enjoy!

Heather, Sarah & Sheila

Digital Download

2012-01-31T18:27:00.000-08:00

Sharing some Digi Love with you all....

Enjoy,

Sheila

Shabby Vintage Inspired Magnets

2012-01-26T15:51:00.000-08:00

If there is one thing I always need more of, then its definitely magnets. My refrigerator is covered in art work, pictures, permission slips, grocery lists, and math and spelling reviews for the coming week. So whats a shabby vintage loving girl to do?

Well, make some magnets of course!!

Supplies:

Magnets - I purchased these at Lowe's as I am not fond of regular craft store magnets. These are strong and sure to hold many papers together without falling off every time the fridge door is opened and closed.

Buttons in various sizes - I used all vintage mother of pearl buttons

Vintage rhinestone earrings and buttons & vintage beaded clip on earrings

E-6000 glue

Rice

Shallow dish or pan to hold the rice

Start out by stacking buttons and vintage rhinestone pieces to get an idea how your magnets are going to look. You may have to clip shanks or earring back off with a pair of jewelry nippers, but please be careful because those little metal pieces will go flying. Its best to wear safety glasses or even sunglasses to protect your peepers!

The backs of beaded clip on earrings can have their backs pried off with jewelry pliers. This allows the magnets to sit nicely inside the back of the earring.

Using E-6000 glue, start gluing the magnets onto the back of earrings or rhinestone buttons and set them into the rice so they will lay flat and avoid the magnets from sliding around while drying.

Using E-6000 glue start gluing the buttons and vintage bits and pieces together and then set them into the rice so they will lay flat and avoid the buttons/rhinestones from sliding around while drying. Don't glue the magnets on yet.

After about an hour or two, to allow the glue to set up a bit, flip the buttons over and glue the magnets on the back of the buttons and again lay them flat in the rice to avoid the magnets from sliding while drying.

Allow your magnets to dry for 24 hours before using them.

Now you are ready to use your magnets! These are perfect for any magnetized surface, such as this vintage enameled tray. A vintage postcard and vintage photo is finished off with a few pretty shabby vintage inspired magnets.

For more details about using E-6000 and rice, please see the Sparkling Vintage Bling Ring tutorial.

Heartfelt Banner

2012-01-24T20:02:00.000-08:00

Do you love sweet heart doilies and creamy vintage buttons?

Here is a sweet heartfelt banner that is a fun, easy and beautiful way to tell those special people in your life how much they mean to you.

Supplies Needed:

Assorted Doilies

Ink Pad - I used Van Dyke Brown Ink Pad

Alpha Stamps

(you can also hand write sweet messages instead of stamping)

Twine

Maya Road Heart Stick Pins

Vintage Buttons

Stamp (or write) sayings on each doilie.

After completing each doilie, now is the fun part...

Add vintage buttons to a stick pin and pin each heart on the twine.

Then hang up and enjoy....

If you want something a little more colorful, spritz Tattered Angels Glimmer mist on doilies "coloring" them your favorite color. Let them dry and then add your stamps and complete with colored stick pins and buttons.

Wishing you all a creative day.

Sheila

Kids Corner - Valentine's Day Mug

2012-01-20T05:30:00.000-08:00

With Valentine's Day just around the corner (26 days to be exact) I wanted to share a fun and easy project that moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas and teachers would love.

These mugs can be used as coffee cups, and would also make a wonderful pencil holder at a computer desk, or even a nice little vase for some pretty handpicked wild flowers. If you do use to drink out of, I would recommend handwashing and gentle dish soap.

What you need:

* Plain white mugs from the Dollar Store - you can also use plates, bowls, platters, etc.

* Oil based sharpie paint markers (You can also use porcelain paint markers - be sure to follow the instructions on the package.)

I did want to mention that I purchased these markers for other projects, but you can find them at Michael's in a pack for around $15 dollars or about $3 each. If you use your weekly 40% off coupon than you can get them much less!

Let your little one draw and write to their hearts content and let them help you wrap it into tissue and package it up and then they are ready to give!!

These are also sweet little gifts that can be given year around and decorated depending on the holiday. I also think it would be a fun end of the year gift to a teacher if you had all the students write their name on the mug or a plate. The possibilities are endless!!

Bottlecap Blooms

2012-01-19T04:10:00.000-08:00

I love flowers. What girl doesn't? But, this being the month of January...there aren't too many flowers blooming these days. I miss flowers.

What's a girl to do? How about make your own blooms...an easy-peasy project, I promise.

Supplies needed: pages from an old book, bottlecaps, scissors, glue, magnets, glitter{I used Stickles}, a 1-inch hole punch, a circle cutter.

Now I don't own a circle-cutter, so I had to make my circles the old-fashioned way. Placing several book pages in a stack, I traced around the top of a mason jar to make a circle and then I cut around it. Holding my circle pages together, I cut from the edge towards the center, all around, creating "petals".

Then, I scrunched my paper flowers a bit {I also sprayed one with TatteredAngels Glimmer Mist and inked another...optional steps} and glued a bottlecap to the center.

I used a variety of embellishments to place in the bottlecaps. One bottlecap, I chose to print out "seek joy" and use my hole punch to make a center. I also used a stamp and a pre-made die-cut image. I glued the centers to the inside of the bottlecaps and then placed an epoxy dot{optional} on top of them.

You could use just about anything...a vintage button, a bingo calling number, a flower, or even an old clip-on earring. Whatever you want. I made magnets out of my blooms, but you could use them without as an embellishment for a card or scrapbook layout.

I found it worked best to glue each "flower" page to the next...creating layers. On the back, I glued another bottlecap with a magnet glued to it.

And for just a bit of shimmer, I added some Stickles{cinnamon} to the edges of my petals. And there you have it..."fresh" flowers for wintertime!

Keep on blooming!

Simple Seashell Heart Ornaments

2012-01-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

I've always had a fondness for the gorgeous Sailor's Valentines of yesteryear.

Hundreds of tiny shells, placed ever so carefully in a beautiful pattern...

I can only imagine how long they must have taken to complete.

Just breathtaking!

These heart ornaments are fun, simple, and much less time-consuming!

Supplies:

Cardboard scraps

Assorted small seashells

Clear-drying liquid glue (such as Elmer's or Tacky Glue)

Strong scissors or an exacto knife

Twine or string

First, cut a heart shape from the cardboard.

Then, decide on a pattern and glue the shells in place.

Let dry completely and add a string loop to the back for a hanger.

Make a bunch to decorate a Valentine's Day tree, or to tie onto gifts!

January Exclusive Kits

2012-01-11T11:54:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to offer our January Exclusive Kits to get your New Year off to a creative start.

Heather has created this creamy goodness...

Vintage Petite Inspiration Kit - Snowy Whites

A lovely little tin full of fabulous vintage jewelry bits to add to your

creations.

Items are made of glass and plastic and include beads,

cabochons, and rhinestones ~ in gorgeous shades of white and cream.

Limited Quantities. Click here to order your Vintage Petite Inspiration Kit - Snowy Whites.

I am excited to offer....

Nesting Inspiration Bracelet Kit

This kit kincludes all the pieces to creating your own Nesting Inspiration Bracelet.

(see one example of a completed bracelet below)

Complete instructions will be included to create your nest charm and beautiful bracelet. You can purchase your Nesting Inspiration Bracelet Kit Here.

This year, Sarah, Heather and myself are working on some wonderful new things, in addtional to our creative tutorials, that we can't wait to share with all of you!

Wishing you all a creative day!

Sheila

Little Girl Cape and Leg Warmers Tutorial

2012-01-09T06:36:00.000-08:00

Okay I have to confess, I LOVE redesigning sweaters. After taking a class taught by Charlotte Lyons at Silver Bella over two years ago, I have been hooked. Charlotte taught us to make hats and I went home and made five! Then, I started making scarves and have had sooooooo much fun. This year I saw 100 scarves leave my hands to keep others warm. All made from sweaters.

When I began making the scarves, my daughter, Kitt, wanted one for herself. I knew that a 3 year old would never keep a scarf on longer than a minute so instead of a scarf, I made this...

She enjoys wearing it but I thought it was time for an update....

Here's what you do...

Find a round neck wool sweater, wash and dry on hot, and you are ready....

Cut half way across and then fold the sweater so both sides are even....

Set your sewing machine on the zig zag and sew the edge....

The edge will naturally ruffle.

Add some little lovelies and you're finished!

With the extra part from the sleeves, zig zag the tops and you have a pair of leg warmers!

Add some lace, trim, anything!

I was so happy to hear that she wants to wear them to dance on Tuesday!

(NOTE: I cut the collar out for this one and then did a zig zag stitch because the neck hole was too small after it was washed.)

Happy Upcycling!

Wire Bird Nest Charm

2012-01-05T12:29:00.000-08:00

As the holidays draw to an end, I find myself thinking new possibilities, paths and adventures for the New Year; each much like little eggs in my nest. Here is a quick and easy nest charm tutorial that I hope you enjoy.

Supplies Needed:

Wire (I used 20 gauge)

Beads

Round Nose Pliers

Stand 3 beads at the end of wire and turn under the end to keep the beads on.

Start making the nest by wrapping around the "eggs" several times.

Thread end of wire up through nest.

Pull through and then continue wrapping around eggs and threading up through to make nest.

Once the nest is the size that you want pull through the last time to make a hanger.

Bend wire around the round nose pliers.

Then wrap several times around the base of the hanger. Trim off excess wire and crimp end down.

I hope this inspires you to make a few nest charms for your next jewelry project.

Heather, Sarah and I are excited about offering our January Exclusive Kits that will be shown here in a few days.
Wishing you all a wonderful and blessed New Year.

Sheila

Winter Wonderland Download - Happy New Year

2011-12-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

Our gift to you...

Click on the image and them save.

Wishing you a winter wonderland filled with peaceful moments.

Happy New Year from all of us at The Creative Patch.

Sheila

Trash To Treasure - Recipe/Photo Holder

2011-12-29T06:10:00.000-08:00

Do you love quick and easy projects made from things normally thrown away?

Here is one that I hope you enjoy...

Supplies Needed:

Old spine from vintage photo album

(click here for a fun Christmas ornament using these album pages)

Exacto Knife

Buttons & Floss

Chipboard

Recipe Cards or Photos

Lace to embellish

After trimming the album pages from the album, cut the spine from the back of the album with an Exacto Knife.

Measure the the width and length of the spine and cut a piece of chipboard.

Glue the chipboard to each flap of the spine...

creating a half circle.

Then add floss to buttons and glue buttons to each end of the album spine.

Add lace to recipe card and stick in the album spine for an easy recipe/photo holder.

I can't wait to make a few more of these.

Wishing you a creative day..

Sheila

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T05:28:00.000-08:00

From our Patch to yours, wishing you a very Merry Christmas.

Sheila, Heather , Sarah

and all the wonderful

Guest Gardener's!

a little something......

2011-12-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

I am always in need of extra little gifts during Christmas time....and I love giving handmade treasures that your special recipients can use throughout the home. I love burning candles....but thought I would whip up something a bit different than the norm and decided upon some fragrance jelly jars. These are soooo easy peasy to whip up....a perfect craft to do with the kiddos as a last minute gift.

You will need.....

clean jelly jars

4 packets unflavored gelatin

food coloring (if desired)

fragrance or essential oils

water

salt

First start by getting your glass jars ready for the mixture. I had some small canning jars on hand.

Now....take 1 cup of water and bring it to a boil. You can either do this on your stove top or in the microwave. As soon as the water starts to boil remove water from the heat and add 4 envelopes of unflavored gelatin into the water and begin to stir to dissolve the gelatin thoroughly. While your gelatin is dissolving you can go ahead and add some food coloring to your empty jars as well as the essential oils or fragrance oils. I used only 2 drops of food coloring to each jar and added 2 small capfuls of fragrance in each jar. I used candle making fragrances that you can find anywhere online or at your local craft store.

Now pour 1 cup of cold water and 1 tablespoon of salt into your gelatin water mixture and stir. Pour into your jars of color and fragrance and stir carefully. They will foam a bit....not to worry it will disappear. I like to go ahead and refrigerate them to set them up a bit quicker. I added a frosty pink scent to my jars....hence the green tinting. You can add a tulle or lace bit to the tops....tie some pretty ribbon around each one.....and viola'....and instant gift. Merry Christmas everyone....peace to you all!

Ellen

Kids Corner - Rudolph Sandwiches

2011-12-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

My youngest, Colton came home from 1st grade last week really excited about the Rudolph Sandwiches they had made. I tweaked it just a little bit, and this is what we came up with at home:

Ingredients:

Bread (we used 100% whole wheat white bread)
All natural peanut butter
Cherries
Chocolate chips
Pretzel sticks

The great thing about this sandwich is that you can use whatever you have on hand as a substitution, for example raisins instead of chocolate chips; Twizzlers instead of pretzel sticks; red M&M's instead of cherries, etc.

Step One - let your little one spread the peanut butter with a butter knife or with the back of a spoon.

Step Two - Have an adult cut the bread into a triangle.

Step Three - using some peanut butter as "glue," add the cherry for the nose and two chocolate chips for the eyes.

Step Four - Tuck two pretzel sticks on each side of the sandwich for antlers.

Step 5 - Grab a nice cold glass of milk and enjoy your Rudolph Sandwich!

Let it Snow Ornament

2011-12-18T23:30:00.000-08:00

These sweet vintage ornaments are so cute and easy to assemble, you will want to make several.

Needed Supplies:

Small Vintage Album

Bits of Lace

Vintage Hymnal - Sheet Music

Buttons

Glue Gun

Glitter

Glitter Glue

Plastic Snowflakes

Exacto Knife

StazOn Black Ink

Tinsel Garland

Seam Binding

Vintage Mica Snowflakes

Cut album pages from vintage mini album. (Save spine of album - pictured - for later use)

Trim sheet music to fit album page.

To make tinsel garland antique looking, ink up with Black StazOn ink pad.

Glue garland tinsel onto snowflake in a circle and add button in the center with hot glue gun.

Apply glitter glue to snowflake and add vintage mica snow (or extra glitter - as you can never have enough) to your snowflake.

To decorate album page add lace, buttons and snowflake. Add hanger on back with seam binding and then glue sheet music into place on back to show through album page.

We all hope you are enjoying this Christmas Season. We will be back this week with more tutorials for your holiday inspiration.

shabby trees; a tutorial

2011-12-17T00:24:00.000-08:00

hello friends! first of all, let me just say, THIS is the kind of gardening i can totally get into! i'm miss lynn, from create*breathe and i am so very pleased to be here with you! i love visiting the creative patch, and am grateful the girls asked me to share a little pretty!

the shabby trees project i'm sharing today can be constructed with supplies you most likely have on hand. as i was digging through my stash, i came across a copy of A Christmas Carol (totally my favorite Christmas story next to the one from Scripture) and was inspired to use it for my tree theme.

the tree of Christmas Past...

the tree of Christmas Present,

and the tree of Christmas Future.

each tree uses an empty cone shaped spool for its base.

the tree of Christmas Past, is covered in vintage crotchet lace.

i painted the spool an old fashioned pink and wrapped a layer of lace around the spool once and adhered it with hot glue. then i worked my way up till i was finished.

for a pretty garland to trim the tree, i used a strand of tatted loopies. ohmygoodness, don't you just love this stuff?!

i used white buttons and fake pearl beads for ornaments.

the topper is a teeny tiny frozen charlotte with pink foil angel wings. (i bought the wings from heather's shop years ago!) i stuck a glob of hot glue on the top of tree and added some shredded paper for extra shabbiness.

i covered a toilet paper roll with pages from the book, dipped the edge in glue and glitter, and set the tree upon the trunk. i liked the height it gave the tree.

the tree of Christmas Present used four yards of crepe paper.

cutting the paper into 18 inch strips, i folded the strip in half - the long skinny way - and stitched a basting stitch near the fold. then i was able to gather the paper and glue the strips right onto the spool. i used hot glue for instant adhesion.

the tree topper, vintage bingo pieces (2011 - get it?) glued onto a paper covered poker chip, are resting on crinkled paper. i used a phrase from the book, "my life upon this globe is very brief." (isn't that the truth?!?)

the trunk for this tree is also a toilet paper roll, i just shortened it so that the heights of each tree would be different.

and finally, the tree of Christmas Future, is created from one inch by two inch strips cut from the book. after each strip was glued onto the spool, i covered it with mod podge and glittered her up!

the tree topper is a vintage photo of an adorable baby named gladys. (or so it says on the back) she is adorned with wings cut from craft paper and glittered. i happened to have a piece of silver tinsel on my table that worked perfectly for the "nest".

and there you have it! three shabby trees for your holiday crafting and decorating!

thank you for letting me share a little ditty at the patch, friends! merry Christmas, and so, as tiny tim observed, "God bless us all, every one!"

Snowman Sauna Mug

2011-12-16T13:23:00.000-08:00

Hello! Welcome to The Creative Patch! I am delighted to be today's Guest Gardner. My name is Jessica, and my blog home is Kids Napping? I'm Scrapping!

Today I will be sharing a tutorial for a versatile holiday gift: a Snowman Sauna Mug. This gift is a whimsical spin on the traditional mug and hot chocolate (or coffee) gift.

First gather your materials:
Glass mugs (mine were inexpensive at my local dollar store)
Snowman marshmallow Peeps
Marshmallows
Candy canes
Seasonal peppermint Kisses (my favorite!)
Your favorite hot chocolate mix (mine is Nestle's Abuelita's instant hot chocolate)

In each mug, place a hot chocolate mix, marshmallows, a candy cane, a few kisses, and one snowman marshmallow Peep.

Attach the following instructions:
"Snowman Sauna:" In your “hot tub” add bubbly hot water and hot cocoa mix. Top with marshmallows, and then slip your snowman in for a warm, delicious bath! Sit back and enjoy.

Kids and adults alike are sure to appreciate this whimsical treat.

They would be fun as place settings at your next holiday party, as party favors, or as a gift for a neighbor or teacher.

If opting to use one as as gift, you can wrap your Snowman Sauna with cello wrap, baker's twine or ribbon, and attach a stamped "Snowman Sauna" tag as I did for my daughters' teachers' holiday gifts this year.

I also made a card using Papertrey Ink's Friendship Jar and Holiday Fillers stamp sets...
I pasted the Snowman Sauna instructions on the back.

I also added plenty of glitter for sparkle!

... You could also omit the mug, place the marshmallows, candy cane, kisses, and marshmallow snowman in a baggie with snowman instructions as festive gifts for your child's classmates.

As a thank you for visiting today, I am giving away a Snowman Sauna Mug with one of my vintage Christmas tiny books.

Leave a comment on this post and I will draw a name on Monday, December 19th.

Happy, warm winter wishes to you!

Edit: 12/20
The winner of the Snowman Sauna Mug is Jen at Jen's Unchartered Territory.

:)

O, Christmas Tin!

2011-12-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hello, friends!

Julie here...also known as "A Vintage Chic" in Blogland. So glad Sheila asked me to pop in during the holidays to share a project with you!

I love creating things from vintage finds...

...this beautifully detailed muffin tin was a steal this summer at a yard sale--just 25 cents! I really hesitated altering it, but....that's just what we do, isn't it, ladies?!

This was very simple project, really. First, I just looked online for some wonderfully retro Christmas images (thank-you, Pinterest!), traced the bottom of one of the cups, and used that pattern to cut out each image...

After deciding where I wanted to place each image in the tin (using just a touch of glue for each), I circled the images with some Platinum Stickles (just about my favorite product on the planet!), softened the edges a bit with a fine paintbrush--blurring it onto the image a bit more--and that was it for the images!

I decided it needed just a little something more...snow, of course! A little dimensional white paint was added under each cup, and then some fine iridescent glitter was sprinkled on top--just the right amount of sparkle!

For the center, I adhered an wonderfully shabby vintage light reflector I found in a box of old Christmas ornaments I picked up at another yard sale this year, topped it with a button, and the "Merry Christmas" sentiment typed up using a vintage typewriter font.

Some lovely seam binding was dyed with Glimmer Mist in two different shades of green, then tied in a big, loopy bow and attached to the top of the tin--then crowned by two wonderful vintage buttons from my stash...

...a few more vintage plastic buttons (don't you just LOVE them?!) were added to the bottom, and that was it! Easy peasy!

So fun to make your very own "vintage" Christmas touches for the home...hope you'll give it a try!

Wishing you all the merriest Christmas of all!

Julie

Glittered Pine Cones Tutorial

2011-12-12T13:03:00.000-08:00

My daughters and I love making these sparkling, natural beauties.

They make beautiful ornaments, package toppers, or bowl fillers.

Materials:

Clean, dry pine cones. (There are directions for cleaning pine cones here.)

Waxed paper

Spray adhesive, such as Elmer's

Gallon-sized plastic zipper bag

Fine glitter in your choice of color

Clear spray sealant, such as Krylon Acrylic Crystal Clear (optional)

Instructions:

1. This project should be done outdoors, in a well-ventilated area.

Be sure to wear "play clothes" and disposable plastic gloves.

It gets ~~messy~~ glittery!

2. Place about 1/2 cup of fine glitter in the zipper bag. Set aside.

3. Hold a pine cone by the end and coat with spray adhesive,

being careful not to miss any spots.

Quickly place cone in bag of glitter, seal the bag, and shake to coat.

4. Remove from bag and let dry on waxed paper.

Repeat for other pine cones, adding more glitter to the bag if needed.

5. If desired, use spray sealant to help the glitter stay in place.

Baking Bread

2011-12-11T05:48:00.000-08:00

Christmas in our home means baking batches of pumpkin bread. It's a family favorite. As a tradition and a yummy treat. And it makes a great gift for friends and family...I even give some to our mail carrier!

In keeping with the season of giving, I wanted to share the recipe with you:

Pumpkin Bread

3 cups sugar 1 1/2 tsp salt

1 cup oil 3 1/3 cups flour

4 eggs 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 (15oz) can of pumpkin 2 tsp baking soda

2/3 cup water 2/3 cup raisins

1 tsp nutmeg 2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients (stir by hand) in a large bowl. Its best if you add the baking powder and soda to the flour first, otherwise they may clump in the mix. Pour batter into greased loaf pans (makes approx 3 large pans or 5 mini loaf pans); fill the pans 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes.(Check bread by inserting knife...if it comes out clean the bread is done)

Remove from oven and let cool. Store pumpkin bread(covered) in the refrigerator; this bread also freezes well.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to all!

Christmas Photos That Make You Smile

2011-12-08T18:05:00.000-08:00

Hello.

My thanks to Sheila, Heather and Sarah for having me back.

I am a scrapbooker.

That was one of my first big creative endeavors.

I love the creative outlet and the joy the albums bring my family.

Taking photos during the holidays is not always an easy task.

There is always so much going on in all the photos, sometimes we forget to even pick up the camera, and then there is the whole bad lighting situation.

I am going to give you some ideas on what types of photos to take. Offer a few tips on when to take them and how to embrace the photos you do capture even if they are not perfect.

Make sure you capture photos of the some of the traditions and fun leading up to Christmas.

Every year I try to take photos of some of my decorations.

It's always fun to look back through the scrapbooks and see how my decorating has changed over the years. Sometimes the photos even come in handy when I want to recreate a vignette.

When taking photos in the house. I always do this during the day and at a time when that particular room is filled with light. I try to get by without using the lights or my flash.

I also like to capture the kids getting ready for the season.

Again, shot in the day with natural light flowing in through the window.

No need for flash here.

Christmas Eve is always held at our house with my side of the family.

It's dark outside by the time everyone arrives so there will be no natural light. Bummer.

I still opt for no flash because my camera has very high ISO numbers.

I understand that many cannot do this, so use your flash.

This is where we embrace what we can't control.

Make sure you catch some candids of the festivities...

as well as posed shots...

Some of these are a little blurry because of low light, or too warm because my white balance was off, but that's ok. I still love them anyway.

They show our family having fun and that is what my scrapbooks are about.

Christmas morning is so much easier for photos.

Make sure you reset any settings you may have changed from the night before and you are ready to go again.

I always try and capture our tree with all the presents before we dive in.

Again, I try and capture some candid and posed moments.

And make sure you have a family member grab the camera and take some of you.

You are a part of the family too.

And don't forget to get a photo of the room after presents are opened.

You know, right after the tornado goes through.

Wow, look at that mess. And I didn't even know it at the time, but I caught my daughter and her boyfriend hugging in the background. Extra special photo now.

So there you have it. My tips for taking photos that will make you smile and make your scrapbooks shine.

Merry Christmas to all of you.

December Exclusive Kits

2011-12-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

Heather, Sarah and myself are so excited to be able to offer you inspiration, exclusive kits for your
Christmas crafting enjoyment.

Heather is offering a Vintage Poinsettia Kit -

This kit uses vintage petals, leaves, and stamens to create lovely silk poinsettias. There are enough materials to create four flowers ~ 2 large poinsettias with green leaves, and 2 smaller flowers. This is a quick and easy project and the results are beautiful!

These flowers can used as gift toppers or craft embellishments. Pins could also be glued on the back to make brooches. These are old-stock, believed to be from the 1950's. All materials and instructions are included. (Green floral tape is not included and optional, but may be wanted for a more finished look.)

Pop on over and order you Vintage Poinsettia Making Kit today.

Sarah has a special Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kit for your Christmas crafting:

These beautiful vintage inspired ornaments features a white glittered snowflake, a vintage tin light reflector, vintage inspired silver tinsel and a vintage photograph.

These ornaments can be customized by adding your own phrase or picture if you choose.

You will want to make a few of them to adorn your Christmas tree and to give as gifts.

You can order your Vintage Inspired Snowflake Kit here.

Sheila is so excited this month to offer another digital download O' Christmas Joy.

Here are a few easy Christmas projects that I made using the download...

This one has to be my favorite as it brings back so many childhood memories of decorating our Christmas tree with my sisters.

These downloads are so easy to use, just print out and start creating your Christmas projects...

from cards, to holiday decorations to vintage inspired ornaments to hang on the tree.

You can purchase your vintage inspired O'Christmas Joy here.

Our Guest Gardeners and all of us are preparing more Christmas inspiration, holiday photography tips with Traci, recipes, tutorials and Christmas fun that you won't want to miss.

See you soon here at The Creative Patch.

Sheila, Heather & Sarah

Sparkling Vintage Bling Ring

2011-12-05T15:45:00.001-08:00

Every year I enjoy making handmade gifts to give to friends and family for Christmas. This is something I have been doing since I was young. I remember in middle school making necklaced and bracelets for all my girlfriends and since then I have had a love for making jewelry.

I want to share with you the process on how to make a sparkling vintage bling ring out of vintage findings and new ring blanks. This process is easy and fun would make a wonderful mother daughter project and a perfect handmade gift that any bling loving girl would love!!

Supplies:

*Rice

*A good strong glue such as E-6000

*A metal nail file,

*Ring blanks (or bobby pin blanks, bracelet blanks, bail blanks, etc.)

*Jewelry nippers (not shown)

*Vintage rhinestone buttons or jewelry findings (if you cannot find vintage buttons or jewelry, the craft store offers great alternatives - look in the jewelry section for jewelry findings and the sewing section for rhinestone buttons)

Starting with the rice, put a good amount in a bowl or dish. Make sure the bowl or dish is deep enough to allow the ring or other jewelry blanks to sit flat. I personally like to use an old baking pan as I tend to make a lot of rings or hair clips at one time.

In this instance, I am using a vintage buttons, Using the jewelry nippers, cut off the shank of the button making sure you are leaving it nice and flat without any metal sticking out. If you are using vintage clip on earrings clip off the earring backs carefully as close to the back of the earring as you can. This also applies to pendants, pins/brooches, etc. Using your metal nail file, file down any sharp metal to ensure it doesn't snag or scratch the wearers skin.

Put a glob of E-6000 or other strong glue on the base. If you added to much glue use a q-tip or toothpick to clean up the excess glue.

Position and center the vintage button (or finding) on the ring base and carefully set into the rice. The rice holds the ring blank in place so that the button doesn't doesn't slide around and dry in a different position other then the one you want. Please note that the picture also shows what the ring blank and bobby pink blank would look like with out the vintage findings on it while sitting in the rice. These instructions can also be adapted for any kind of jewelry blank so have fun playing around with different jewelry blanks and vintage findings!

Now here comes the hard part ---

You must leave your ring alone for 24 hours to allow the glue to cure and dry.

After 24 hours are up, you now have a beautiful ring to wear or give as a gift!

Be sure to check back often this month for lots more great tutorials from our contributors and guest gardeners!!!!

Sparklin' Spool Tree

2011-12-01T11:04:00.000-08:00

Here at the Patch, it's beginning to look a bit like Christmas. And I have the {unexpected} honor of "kicking-off" its holiday season for you. Be sure to visit The Creative Patch often this month for lots of holiday inspiration, recipes and creative tutorials. Also, there will be some lovely new gardeners participating this month; you won't want to miss them!

Every year for more than a decade now, my daughters and I have gotten together with Sheila and her two children for a pre-Christmas party. We always make a few crafts and a glittery mess, too! When I saw a Christmas tree {in an issue of PaperCrafts magazine} made out of cute little spools, I knew it would be a fun craft for all of us to enjoy.

To make one of your own, you will need the following supplies...

Spools, tart tin, spray paint and adhesive, mica flakes and/or glitter, decorative papers (I used pages from old books}, glue gun & glue, scissors or paper-cutter, ribbon, and a variety of embellishments

{ buttons, pins, etc}

The first thing you'll want to do is to spray paint the tart tin {and the spools if you choose} and allow it to dry. Then spray the tin with an adhesive {like Elmer's} and sprinkle some glitter all over it.

(Hint: It's best to use the spray paint and/or adhesive outdoors or a well-ventilated place. And be sure to protect your surface so you don't get unwanted patches of paint/glue on anything special!}

While the paint dries on the tin, you can cut strips of paper to fit the width of the spools. Wrap a strip around each spool, remove any excess and glue the paper to the spool.

Next, you'll need to start gluing the spools together to form your tree. Lay each row of spools end to end, placing some glue between them, and press them together. Starting from the bottom, add each layer and glue together. For my tree, I used twelve spools total...

two rows of 3, two rows of 2, 1 spool for the top, and 1 for the trunk.

After your tree is formed, then spray it with adhesive {I did one side at a time} and sprinkle mica flakes/glitter all over the spools {it will be messy, so again, protect your crafting area}. Let dry for a few minutes.

All that's left to do is wrap some ribbon around the trunk/base and glue the whole thing to the tart tin.

Add some pretty embellishments and enjoy your sparklin' spool tree.

Wishing you lots of holiday happiness! And remember to stop by TCP often to see what else will be sparkling.

Upcoming Holiday Inspiration & Merry Digi Download

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

Sarah, Heather and I along with a gathering of Guest Gardeners will be gifting you this holiday season with more inspirational tutorials, recipes and holiday goodness starting December 1st.

We are pleased to announce that Traci and Leah will be returning again this month to share their beautiful work. You won't want to miss out on their tutorials!

We also have invited some more friends to join us for the holidays:

Julie of A Vintage Chick will be there to share a creative tutorial. I just love her vintage style and her heartwarming stories of her family.

Miss Lynn of Create Breathe will be sharing some creativity that you don't want to miss.

Ellen of One Ripe Peach will also be here to share her inspiring holiday tutorial.

Our gift to you....

Click on the image and them save.

We hope you enjoy our holiday gathering of friends and inspiration.

Sheila

Giveaway Winners!

2011-11-27T20:50:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!! I meant to announce the winnners of the Santa Letter kits on Friday, but I ended up out of town and away from a computer.

The winners are:

Jessica

Sandy

Kris

and Gayle

Please email me at mysocalledjunkylife@yahoo.com with your addresses and I will get your kits out to you!

Congrats ladies!!

Christmas Card Mini Album

2011-11-25T05:08:00.000-08:00

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families.

I sure did.

I am so honored to be a part of The Creative Patch.

A wonderful community of very creative women.

Today is Black Friday.

For many of you it is a day of shopping.

For me it is a day of decorating for the Christmas season.

I love everything about this upcoming holiday.

Even getting the mail.

I love Christmas cards - sending them and receiving them.

For the past few years I have saved all of the cards received and assembled them in a mini album.

A great way to save your holiday greetings in one place.

I always love to look back at them each year, read the sentiments and view any photos sent.

All you need to make this mini album - metal rings, cards, hole punch, ribbon and other holiday embellishments and a cover page.

I use one card as a template and line up the other cards with it and punch the holes.

Then I just assemble them all in the rings and tie on some festive ribbon.

I used a Christmas overlay for the front of this album and added a few embellishments.

In other years I have covered cardboard with holiday paper.

Whatever you have around your creative space.

I also try to include the Christmas card that our family sent out at the beginning of each years album.

It's so fun to see how much the kids have grown each year.

I am hoping to get my kids outside together this weekend for a photo.

Have a wonderful day ladies.

Thanks for stopping by The Creative Patch!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T04:52:00.000-08:00

Today, I am reminded of how blessed I am to be able to put together this creative blog with help from Sarah, Heather and all our fabulous guest gardeners. You ladies continue to inspire me and I couldn't have done it without each and everyone of you.

Thank you....

And a very special thank you to all our blogging friends that have left sweet comments and words of encouragement here at The Creative Patch. You give us all joy by just visiting..

Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving.

Sheila

Bottled Blessings

2011-11-21T04:18:00.000-08:00

I am a collector/lover of bottles and jars. While I love to decorate my home with them, I like to embellish a bottle or jar now & then. And since this is the month for giving thanks, I thought I would "bottle" up some of the blessings I've been counting.

Supplies needed: an empty bottle or jar, vintage paper, twine or ribbon, label & sticker paper, embellishment{mine is a bejeweled flower by Prima}, glue gun & glue, scissors. Print, type, or handwrite some "blessings" on a plain piece of paper.

Choose a graphic image to fit your bottle/jar. Glue your "label" to the front. Or you can scan the image like I did and print it on sticker paper{available at office supply stores}. Cut the image out and adhere it to the bottle/jar.

I printed my "list of blessings" on plain paper and cut them into strips. Then, I folded the strips accordion-style and stuffed them inside the jar.

Once you have the blessings "bottled up", cover the top of the bottle/jar. This can be done a variety of ways...a cork, stack of buttons, some bling, etc. I decided to wrap the bottle neck with a strip of vintage ledger paper. With the paper "cap" in place, I then wrapped it with some twine.

Now, all you have to do is add an embellishment or two. Using my glue gun, I simply glued the flower to the neck of the bottle. As an afterthought, I added some letter stickers to my label because it seemed a bit too plain.

And there you have it, a bottle full of blessings.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

Kid's Corner - Dear Santa! and A Giveaway

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving around the corner, my kids are really starting to think about Christmas, especially what they want for Christmas. One of the most important things for a child to do around Christmas is to either see Santa or write him a letter or both! My youngest was lucky enough to visit with Santa a couple of weeks ago, but was devastated a couple of days later when he realized that he forgot to tell Santa that there was a video game that he wanted for Christmas. I surprised him with a little Dear Santa kit a few days later and he was able to write his letter to Santa!

These kits are really easy to make and is also a nice little gift as well.

Supplies: Blank Note cards and envelopes

Christmas Stickers

Christmas Pencils

Stamps

Ribbon

Gather all supplies and bundle together with ribbon and they are ready to give. You might consider adding a little tag with the recipient's name on it or instructions as to what it is for if you are giving it as a gift. The wonderful thing about these is that they also can be used to send out thank you notes after Christmas and since they are already stamped, all little ones need is a little encouragement and mom or dad's help addressing the envelope.

This is also very versatile and stickers and pencils, or you can add markers, crayons, glue, glitter, etc. that can be changed out depending on the Holiday or for a Birthday.

Dear Santa

I want pokemon hart gold a dsi and a new wii remote

love Colton

To add a little Christmas cheer, I am giving away four Santa letter kits. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and I will pick four winners on Tuesday, November 22nd! You will receive five note cards and five stamped envelopes, two sticker sheets, and two pencils! Be sure to leave an email or blog info so I can contact you if you are the winner.

Good luck to all!!

Ribbon Napkin Rings Tutorial

2011-11-12T08:30:00.000-08:00

Looking for an easy project to dress up your Thanksgiving table?

These ribbon napkin rings are simple to make and so fun!

I love the mix-and-match look, but you could definitely make them all the same.

Supplies:

Assorted ribbon, trim, and burlap in coordinating colors.

Buttons, lace/fabric scraps, vintage jewelry, silk flowers, acorns, or other embellishments

Scissors

Hot glue and glue gun.

Cut ribbon pieces to about 6.5 inches.

Layer ribbon as desired and glue down. Glue embellishments to center of ribbon.
.

Flip over ribbons and fold down about 1/2" inch on each end. Glue in place. This will help prevent fraying and create a more finished look. Roll ribbon into rings and glue ends together.

Easy peasy and so pretty!

Creamy Christmas Trees

2011-11-10T04:28:00.000-08:00

Do you want to add some creamy vintage goodness to your holiday decor this Christmas Season?

With a few minutes and some vintage goodies, you can turn these small trees into creamy goodness with a little bleach and hot water.

Supplies:

Small Christmas Trees

Bleach - approximate 1/4 cup to approximate 1 gallon of hot water

Vintage Pearls and Small Cream Vintage Buttons

(I used pearls from a broken vintage necklace)

Vintage Mica Snow

Spray Glitter

Hot Glue Gun

Soak mini Christmas trees in a bath of approximately 1/4 cup of bleach to a gallon of hot water. It took approximately 15 minutes to bleach these trees.

Once the trees are bleached, set aside to dry completely

Once dry, decorate your trees with vintage cream pearls and small creamy buttons by using hot glue to adhere them to the tree.

Then spray trees with glue and roll in Vintage Mica Snow to give them a dusting of freshly fall snow.

You won't be able to stop with just one tree, you will want to make a forest of Creamy Christmas Trees to add to your Christmas decor.

As I made my forest of trees I found myself humming "I'm Dreamin' of a White Christmas"!

How about you? Are you dreamin' of a white Christmas? I know I am!

Sheila

November - Monthly Kits

2011-11-06T17:46:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to be offering exclusive kits blooming with inspiration

from Sarah, Heather and myself...

Heather is offering a beautiful vintage wallpaper scrap pack.

A lovely packet of 10 vintage wallpaper pieces. These are medium-sized sheets, all measuring around 8" x 10". These are perfect for collages, cards, journals, and many other crafting projects ~ even gift wrapping! There are 10 different styles of wallpaper. The collection is full of soft colors ~ creams, light greens, grays, blues, and metallics.

*As a bonus, you will also receive a mini scrap pack with a dozen or so small pieces! (Shown in second photo. Patterns and sizes will vary slightly in the bonus pack.)

You'll want to collect these beautiful vintage scrap pack for all your creative projects!

I am excited to be offering my first digital collage printable sheet - Thankful Happiness.

(Artwork using Thankful Happiness - Digital Collage Sheet)

Order this digital collage sheet and print these lovely vintage images to use in all your creative artwork this fall season.

Sarah is offering this Vintage Inspired Shabby Chic Ornament.

This kit features a vintage bottle brush wreath, vintage mercury glass beeds in pink, silver, blue/aqua and mica flakes. All you need is glue, glue and more glue to create this fun Vintage Inspired Weath Ornament. This ornamnet looks lovely on a tree or nestled in a bowl.

Please note: The mercury glass beads will vary in size.

We all have enjoyed creating exclusive kits for your crafting pleasure this month. Limited kits are available, so place your order soon.

See you soon for more creative tutorials.

German Glass Glittered Gift Box

2011-11-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

With the holiday season well on its way, I like to create my own gift wrapping and gift boxes when I can. Nothing says Christmas like lots of sparkle and twinkle and this German glass glittered box is the perfect box to share a special present with someone you love.

Supplies:

Paper mache box (in this instance I used a 3 inch round box found at Joann's for $1, but you can use any size or shape)

German glass glitter - mix of fine and medium grit

Glue - you need a litter glue or a nice think sticky/tacky glue to help grab the glitter as I have found that a runny glue such as modge podge doesn't grab as well

Pretty scrapbook paper, vintage sheet music, ledger paper, etc.

Paper flowers (these are from the Prima line)

You also will need either a paper cutter or scissors, hot glue gun and paint brush (optional)

I would like to talk about German glass glitter for a moment. There are two different kinds, either plain glass or the kind that is coated with actual silver. The kind with silver, often times called pure or real is the kind that will tarnish over time when exposed to air. Personally I like to use a mixture of both since the un-coated is cheaper. You still get the tarnished look, but not as heavy or as dark as I have seen, and I personally like that better. Also be careful when using this glitter, as the shards are sharp - don't handle it too rough or hard, or you will be digging out little pieces of glass with some tweezers much like a splinter.

Holding the box and lid together, using either your fingers or a brush, cover the entire outside of the box with glue. I personally like to use my fingers, which is a lot messier, but I feel like I have better control of the glue and I am able to cover it thoroughly as opposed to a brush.

After covered, gently pull the lid off the box with a slight twisting motion. Here is what it should look like:

Using your fingers, dip the box into the glitter and using your fingers, push the glitter into the glue.

Repeat this step with the lid. Set aside and allow the box to dry completely.

While the glue is drying you can work on your paper rosette. I cut an approximate 1 inch strip off of a 12" scrapbook sheet and began folding it like an accordion.

Once the entire piece is folded, glue the ends together and then add a paper flower with a big dollop of hot glue and press down to get a nice flat rosette.

Lastly adhere the rosette on top of the box.

Now you are ready to fill this box with a special trinket or gift.

I hope you enjoy this tutorial and if you have any questions, leave a comment and I will be happy to answer any and all!

Sarah

Witching You a Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T03:00:00.000-07:00

From all of us at The Creative Patch.

Join us in November as we welcome new Guest Gardener, and my sweet friend, Traci Thorson. She is a spectacular photographer and creative soul and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us.

My dear friend, Leah, will be back with us again to share her creative tutorials. Her creative talents continue to inspire me.

Then Sarah, Heather and myself will be featuring November kits of the month on November 6th to inspire you and more creative tutorials, Trash to Treasure, Kid's Corner Tutorials and more.

Happy Hauntings,

Sheila

Autumn Blessings Download

2011-10-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

Our gift to you...

Click on the image and then save.

Wishing you bountiful autumn blessings.

Sheila

Autumn Apple Crisp

2011-10-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

Living in New England, apples are a major part of our autumn meals.

Here is a recipe for our favorite seasonal treat, Apple Crisp.

For the filling:

10-12 large apples, peeled and sliced (Cortlands are our favorite)

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the crumb topping:

1 cup quick oats

1 cup flour

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan.
Place the sliced apples in the pan. In a small bowl, mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tsp cinnamon together. Sprinkle over apples, then stir carefully to coat the apples.
In a bowl, combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes, until apples are soft and topping is golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Original recipe from here, just slightly adapted.

Hocus Pocus

2011-10-24T05:13:00.000-07:00

With a little bit of magic {aka creativity}, you can turn a book cover into some spooky-sweet Halloween decor. Grab yourself an old book, a few embellishments, and you'll see it's really no trick at all to make.

Supplies needed {not all shown}: front/back cover removed from an old book, wire & wire cutters, crop-a-dile hole punch, glue gun & glue sticks, burlap, tulle & ribbons, glitter, 3 glass vials {I got mine on etsy}, inks & glimmer mist, sandpaper, letter stickers, a bingo card, and assorted embellishments to fit your theme.

The first thing I did was take a little sandpaper to the book cover and inked it a bit because I like the distressed look. Then, I punched two holes near the top and attached some wire.

I chose a bingo card {Tattered Angels product} as the base for my "art", so first I inked the edges and sprayed it with some glimmer mist. Next, adhere the burlap to the card. You can glue it or sew it on to the card.
{I cheated...since I don't sew...Sheila was kind enough to stitch the piece of burlap for me}

After that, I poured some glitter into all three glass vials. {The ones I found came with cork stoppers but you could "close" the open end with buttons glued on top or wrap them with paper & thread.}

Then, I glued the glass tubes on top of the swatch of burlap. You may want to use a stronger adhesive for the glass; if so, let them dry before going on to the next step.

Next, wrap the whole thing with tulle and/or ribbon. Add a pretty pin if you'd like. Using a glue gun, adhere the wrapped bingo card to the book cover.

Now it's time to add a word or phrase and some embellishments.
I glued a fabric flower near the top of my card

and spelled out "hocus pocus" with some letter stickers near the bottom. I added an image to a bottlecap and glued that in place of the letter "o" in "pocus".

For a final touch, I added another bottlecap with ribbon, an old domino{wrapped with wire} and some tulle to the wire hanger.

And there you have it...

a quick little treat just in time for Halloween.

I hope you'll have some fun creating a bit of your own "magic"!

Frosted Pumpkins

2011-10-19T04:03:00.000-07:00

Add a little frosty bling to your mini pumpkins this fall season.

By gathering a few simple supplies and following these easy instructions, you will have a whole patch of frosted pumpkins in no time at all.

Supplies:

German Glass Glitter

(you may substitute regular silver glitter, but there nothing like using the "real" thing)

Glitter Glue

Mini Boo Pumpkins

Apply glitter glue to the top of the pumpkins where you want the "frost" to adhere.

Sprinkle German Glass Glitter over glue - shake off onto a piece of paper so you can funnel the glitter back in the jar.

Allow to dry.

These frosty pumpkins are a sweet reminder of crisp, cool, frosty mornings. Place your frosted pumpkins in your fall vignettes to add a bit of bling or put a bunch of frosted pumpkins in a stoneware bowl for a punch of creamy frosted goodness.

For a Halloween twist to the frosty mini pumpkins, add eyes, nose and mouth with glue then sprinkle with glitter to a bling your small jack-o-lantern.

Hope you find some time to add a little sparkle and frost to your fall decor.

Hope to see you on Monday, Oct 24th as Leah joins us as a Guest Gardener!

See you then!

Sheila

Kid's Corner - Spooky Bookmarks

2011-10-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

Ever since my boys were old enough I have done little craft projects with them that were fun, perfect for their little fingers, and some education involved, like counting or math, etc. I have made these really fun book marks with both my boys for several years now and the great thing about it is that its fast and fun for kids who are on the go, like my boys who don't like to be doing one thing for too long.

Supplies needed:

Black felt

Glue

Googly eyes in different sizes (I will get to that in a minute)

First cut your felt into quarters. These will make big book marks which make them harder to loose in a book and easier on little fingers.

Because there are different sizes of eyes, this will be a great way to work with your little one on matching and understanding how to tell the difference in sizes like tiny, small, medium, large, extra-large. Either let your child dab glue onto the back of the eyes or you can do it for them depending on their age.

Let your child fill up their bookmark until they are happy with the way it looks.

While the bookmark is drying, encourage your child to read or read to your little one, so they can put their new bookmark to use!

Trash to Treasure - Wishing on a Star

2011-10-12T04:09:00.000-07:00

After the death of my beloved grandma over a year ago, we were going through her kitchen when I happened on some old tarnished silverware. If it were left up to my husband these would have definitely hit the trash, but since he was no where in sight the hit my bag to go home.

Supplies Needed:

10 Pieces of Old Silverware

A combinations of knives, forks, spoons and/or butter knives

E6000

Clothespins (not pictured)

Position your silverware to form a star.

I tried to let the silverware patterns show as much as possible as I laid out my design. Then glue each piece together. Use clothespins to hold securely until dried. Let dry completely.

Once dry you can hang your star up.

Wishing you all a creative day. Come back soon for more fun tutorials!

Sheila

Vintage Spoon Spider Ornaments

2011-10-10T05:20:00.000-07:00

I recently picked up a few vintage spoons while out junkin’. They had nice tarnishing and pretty handles. I didn’t really have a plan for them, until I realized that I needed to make some Halloween ornaments for a swap. For some reason, spoon spiders came to mind! Here’s how I made them!

Tools and supplies:
Goggles
Vintage spoons
Hammer
Sharpie marker
Drill and small drill bit
Dremel or metal file
Wire
Wire cutter
Small pliers
Flat glass pebbles
Beads with holes that fits snugly on the wire
E6000 Glue
Ribbon

Instructions:

***Wear eye protection!***

Use the hammer to flatten the spoon.

(There are several tutorials online. I just hammered the spoons on a wood plank.)

Decide where you would like the legs to be and mark with the Sharpie.
Drill holes on marks.
(Be careful ~ the spoon may get hot from the drilling.)

Smooth the holes with the Dremel/file.

Use pliers or a vice to fold over the handle of the spoon to the back.
Cut the wire for the legs.
Decide the length of wire that you would like for each leg, and add 1 inch.
(You will need one piece of wire for each leg.)
Insert wire in leg hole about .75” through the back and bend the wire in half.
Wrap the wire around itself using pliers. Twist tightly to secure.
Bend legs as desired.
Repeat for each leg.

In a well-ventilated area, dip the very end of each leg into the E6000 glue and add a bead.
Repeat with all legs.
Glue the glass pebble to desired spot for the head.
Let dry for a day then add a ribbon hanger.

October's - Exclusive Kits

2011-10-03T06:59:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to be offering exclusive kits blooming with inspiration

from Sarah, Heather and myself...

Sarah is offering these fun Sweet or Scary Kits that is sure to please everyone...

Celebrate your scary or sweet side with this fun earring kit. Each kit comes with two howlite skull beads come with either pink or gray flower cabs, sterling silver ear wires, sterling silver ball head pins and sterling silver spacers. These earrings are perfect for Halloween or Dia de los Muertos, will be sure to get lots of notice each time you wear them. This kit is an easy mommy and me project to teach your little one basic jewelry techniques or perhaps you want to make an easy handmade gift to someone special in your life. All you need is to provide a good strong glue, such as E-6000, round nose jewelry pliers and cutters or a nail clipper.

Heather gathered together a delightfully spooky Midnight Kit to let your create some goulish goodies just in time for Hallowen.

A collection of mainly vintage artsy goodies in shades of black and cream. This kit would be fabulous for Halloween projects, yet versatile enough for any vintage-inspired crafting.

Midnight Kit

Includes:

Over 3 yards of new and vintage lace and trim

2 larger lace scraps

3 yards of vintage seam binding

A collection of vintage stones, cabochons, and embellishments in glass and plastic

A collection of paper ephemera including an antique ledger page, sheet music page, and vintage dictionary pages

Two antique photographs/cabinet cards (These will vary from the photo.)

Vintage BINGO card and wooden call numbers

Charcoal gray mica flakes

And more!

Available at Speckled Egg

I enjoyed putting this one of a kind kit, The Witching Hour together.

Witching Hour Kit
Includes:

Vintage Whisk Broom
Vintage Key
Hand Dyed Cheese Cloth & Wool Pieces
Bat Lace
Sweet Halloween Image Transferred to Osenberg
Fabric Leaf
Black floss
Vintage Black Button
Witching Hour Tag
Please Note: Due to vintage items used , kit contents may be slightly different than pictured.

You can order your Witching Hour kit here....

We all have enjoyed creating exclusive kits for you this month. Limited kits are available, so order them now.

Thank you so much for all the wonderful heartfelt and encouraging comments about our new creative blog. Please know that we have read each one and though we may not have been able to get back with you all, each comment means so much to each of us.

Now here are a list of the Winners for the Giveaway picked by Random Number Generator:

Speckled Egg Giveaway Gift Certificate

Kai said...

WELCOME to BLOGLAND! I was so excited when I saw what Heather had written about Creative Patch! GREAT IDEA! And goodness knows, I can USE some tutorials! THANK YOU!

Blessed and Distressed Giveaway

#23

jengd said...

I have your button: http://jensunchartedterritory.blogspot.com/

My So Called Junky Life Gift Certificate

#54

Cecily said...

I am so excited for the new blog. I love a good creative blog that will help to inspire me!

I will be contacting each of the winners today.
Thank you all again for playing.

Be back soon as we have more tutorials, Trash to Treasure, Kid's Corner and Digital Downloads coming! See you in The Creative Patch!!

Sheila, Heather & Sarah

Quoth The Raven............Nevermore!

2011-10-03T06:06:00.000-07:00

I love decorating for Halloween with a black and white palette and the crows/ravens found at craft stores are a perfect addition to my decorating. Over the years I have added them to pumpkins, blinged them up with vintage rhinestones, added paper crowns and cones, etc. This year I added a handmade nest, rusty springs and a little bling for the perfect tabletop or mantel decoration.

Supplies Needed:

Moss (found at the craft store or dollar store)

Rusty Spring (found HERE)

Burlap

Craft Crow/Raven

Hot Glue Gun

Jewelry Cutters

Vintage Glass Pearls

Vintage Rhinestone Junk Jewelry

First pull off a big piece of moss and shape it into a nest. Please note that moss is very messy so you may want to do this outside or keep a vacuum handy.

Once you are happy with the shape of the nest, flip it over and cut out an approximate 2 inch circle out of the burlap. Using your hot glue gun, glue the burlap to the bottom of the nest. This helps give the nest some stability.

With your jewelry cutters, cut off the wire stand on the bottom of the bird and then glue the bird into the nest.

Add a vintage glass pearl strand and rhinestone piece and then glue the next on top of the spring. Optional embellishing ideas include: adding a tea dyed tag stamped with BOO!, making a glittered crown or hat, attaching some grungy ribbon, etc.

The possibilities are endless!!

Don't forget to enter our Giveaway below! Sheila, Heather and I are all giving away some amazing prizes!! And be sure to check back often for lots more tutorials, freebies and more!!!

Welcome, Boo Bucket Tutorial and Giveaways

2011-10-01T03:24:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that the day has finally arrived to kick off The Creative Patch! Heather of Speckled Egg, Sarah of My So Called Junky Life and I have been working hard to bring you inspirational tutorials, digital downloads, kid’s corner, trash to treasure feature and special kits to help your creativity bloom. We are excited to have Leah of Family Matters and Everyday Chatter, join us this month as our special Guest Gardener.

Do you have a special treat to share with your ghoulish goblin? That special treat would look delightfully creepy in these cute Boo Buckets. So simple and easy to assemble that you will want to make a lot of these Boo Buckets for all your little ghosts.

Supplies Needed:

Peat Pots

Burlap

Wire

Buttons

Glitter - Various Colors

Black Paint

Black Ink

Glitter Glue

Glue Sticks

Wire

Ribbon

Various Pattern Paper

Scalloped Circle Punch
Plastic Spider Rings

Dry brush black paint on burlap. Let dry and adhere painted burlap and ribbon to pot.

Cut 2 strips of 1 1/4" x 12" Pattern Paper - and accordion fold each approximately 1/4".

Edge with black ink if wanted.

Adhere together to form circle.

Push center down and adhere circle punch on front and back to hold pinwheel in place.

Edge scalloped circle with glitter glue and add German Glass Glitter for a vintage look. Add tulle if wanted.

Using spider and assorted plastic rings for a fun accent on your boo buckets.

Add glitter glue to rings.

Dip ring into glitter. Once glue is dry cut off ring and adhere to boo bucket.

For handles use wire and punch hole through sides and wrap back around handles. Using buttons and ribbon as accents on the wire.

You'll want to make all your little pumpkins these fun and easy buckets to fill up with yummy goodies.

Have fun creating!

And now for more fun....

We all joined together to offer 3 wonderful giveaways!

Heather is offering...

I am offering some vintage goodies, including ephemera, vintage lace, vintage photo album pages, buttons, vintage millinery and a bottle of German Glass Glitter.

Sarah is offering....

ENTER TO WIN:

You will have until midnight on October 5th to enter.

You will have three chances to win.
1. Leave a comment here
2. Leave a second comment here letting us know that you added The Creative Patch button to your blog.

3. Leave a third comment here if you are a follower. You won't want to miss all the tutorials, trash to treasure features, kid's corner, digital downloads and exclusive kits... so stay tuned by following.

It is that simple! This giveaway is open to US bloggers only. Sorry!

If you don't have a blog be sure to leave your email.

Be on the lookout between now and Oct 6th for another creative tutorial.

Come back on October 6th as we announce our 3 winners

AND

we will be bring you some exclusive kits to help your creativity bloom.

See you soon here at The Creative Patch.

Sheila

Come to The Creative Patch

2011-09-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

We are gathering together a creative crop of artist’s friends that will be sharing inspirational FREE tutorials and exclusive kits to help your creativity bloom and grow throughout the year. You will be able to drop in and find a sprinkling of creative tutorials, a trash to treasure feature and a kid’s corner craft feature by the Creative Gardeners. Grab a yummy drink to sip on as you find creative inspiration blossoming throughout the month.

We are excited to be bringing to you our creative tutorials starting on October 1^st. Come back then as we kick off The Creative Patch with some lovely giveaways. Then the 6^th day of each month each artist will be creating some wonderful Creative Garden Kits that you can purchase and create with. Then come back often as we share fun tutorials and creativity throughout the month.

Please share the creativity that is blooming here at The Creative Patch.

We’ve created this cute blog button so that you can add The Creative Patch link to your blog.

See you back here on Oct 1st!

My Dream - The Creative Patch

2011-09-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

As young I as can remember I have created things with my hands. Inspired by my loving mother at her sewing machine and my sweet grandma crocheting, I always seem to have a crafting project in the works, sometimes several at one time. I started with counted cross stitch, progressed to paper art, soldering, sewing, jewelry making and mixed media. When I started turning my love of creating into teaching at local venues that is when I truly felt inspired. I have been blessed to meet so many wonderfully, creative women that share my love of crafting. When I began this creative journey, I never imaged all the incredible people I would meet and the wonderful friendships made by sharing my creative passion.

This past year, I have dreamed about expanding this into a larger venue with a few of my creative friends, thus the idea of The Creative Patch was born. A place blooming with creative tutorials, ideas and artistic kits to nurture your creative soul. Each month, Sarah, Heather and I – along with a few Guest Gardeners will be sharing their creative talents. My dear friend Leah, will be our first Guest Gardener and I am so glad she decided to join us in October. Starting October 1st, we will be kicking off our new site with some fun giveaways. You won’t want to miss all the excitement.

See you here in The Creative Patch.

Sheila