Christmas Ornaments for the 2015 Year

I decided this year I would make my ornaments from recycled throw away materials

Either way I had a great time making these Christmas ornaments to give family and friends.

These were created with empty Bath & Body Works Wallflowers.  The empty glass was the perfect shape for an ornament.  Coated with clear drying glue, rolled in "snow" and when dry coated again with the clear drying glue to ensure the "snow" doesn't end up everywhere.  I added a ribbon, flower embellishment and mini bells.  The hanger are recycled from old broken glass ornaments. 

I hope you find a way to make something out of nothing.

Happy Crafting!!!!

Repurposed Glassware into Angels

Recycling is all the rage.  We are all doing things to reduce our waste. From recycling metals, paper, plastic or glass to  finding new uses for our discarded items that are still useful but just not the same as it used to be.  I started making angels out of old glass items after I saw one on Pinterest.  I fell in love with these. 

A vase turned upside down, something like plates, candy dishes, or banana split boats for wings, a round globe, fish bowl, or round candle holder for a head, and a small bread and butter plate for a halo and you have and angel. 

The trick to making these celestial beings is using a clear, water resistant, and heat resistant glue and not getting it everywhere.  Patience is key and finding a way to balance or prop the odd shapes so that they stay put.

Another trick is finding the right sized items that will work together.  The wings should be big but not so big that the overcome the project.

Colors should compliment each other.

Sometimes you can find on dish that looks like 2 wings. 

These are beautiful used in the landscaping and if you put them over a solar light they light up at night.  A word of caution, put them in an area of the landscaping that is somewhat protected so that if a hail storm happens they will not get broken.  

Perhaps there are some of these items that are not longer being used in your cabinets.  Don't stop with an angel.  You can make many things out of old glassware and the nice thing is each thing made is unique in it's own way.

Happy Crafting!

Just Christmas Crafting

Life got so busy.  

News in my life includes me going back to school.   I start this Tuesday.  I am so excited about that.  I never thought at my age I would want to go back to school.

I am also going to be a first time Grandmother sometime in January.  My daughter-in-law, Kim, is actually due January 15, 2016.  

Also on life events, my daughter, Bree, starts Cosmetology School on January 4, 2016.  

We have been a busy family.

On a crafting note, I have been doing a lot of crafting and thought I would share a couple of the things that I have been making.  

Today I am sharing the snowmen.  

These are constructed out of a dinner sized plate for a base.  I turned the plate upside down.  Then  the body of these snowmen are either round fishbowls or vases.  The hats are a pillar candle base and a drinking glass.  The top hat is accented with half-marbles to form the scarf on the hat.  

ALL of the painting or snow effects are done inside the bowl.  

They are glued with a CLEAR water resistant/heat resistant glue.  

I was very pleased with my end result.  When the sunlight hits them there are rainbows on the walls.  I sold everyone that I made with the exception of the 4 that I have held back as gifts.

I love making things from things that people discard. 

Still Alive and Kicking

I haven't had much time to devote to crafts of any kind lately. I have not been in the garage to wood work, I haven't been in the craft room to scrapbook, nor have I sat and crocheted anything.  The few things I did make have been given away as gifts and I did not take pictures of them 

It is funny how life sometimes gets in the way and free time that normally would be spent crafting is allocated elsewhere and the fun things in life are put on the back burner. 

I am currently recovering from surgery and then come the week after Valentine's Day it will be back to my regular job. 

I hope to get back to crafting soon.

A New Love In Wood

I have said many times that I like finding a new and unique woodworking pattern.  Not so difficult that I get frustrated but something that makes me say, "I love that!"

I wanted to make a few more gifts that would "wow" people but still not take weeks to make.  I found what I was looking for with a designer named Diana Thompson. She has a site called Scroll Saw Inspirations.  That site some of her patterns for sale.  I also found that she has book published in the scroll saw family.  I was so impressed with her flowers that I had to try my hand at make them.  I bought several of her patterns hoping that they were easy to make yet had that "wow" factor that I was looking for.  Her patterns did not disappoint!

I started with the "Vase of Valentine Flowers" pattern.  I carefully chose my wood and went to work.

I used walnut for the vase and oak for the flowers.  I also chose colored wood stain instead of paint.  That way the grain of the wood is still visible so that people could see that they were indeed made of wood.

Here is my end results:

 

 

And here is a couple of close ups of the flowers:

 

Every component of this project is wood (even the stems and they are also hand cut.)  I had a few issues putting those petals together and this was certainly a lesson in compound cutting. Later I found out some tips and tricks for putting those pieces together.  I loved doing this project so much that I went back to the site and bought almost every flower/vase pattern the woman has to offer on her site.  

I can't wait to try more of these unique flowers and vases.  

Happy Sawing  ! ! !

Brenda

Sometimes Bad Is Good

Mistakes happen when you are crafting.  Those mistakes can either ruin an item or make it look totally different than what was expected or desired.  This is one of those instances.

I love using different colors of stain on my wooden projects.  I am not much on painting them.  I love the look of natural grains and the earthy brown tons of stain.

My husband had just brought home a new color of stain called 'Early American.'  He explained that this stain darkens the grain of the wood but is lighter everywhere else on the wood.  He said he was going to use it on one of the necks of his guitars.  He convinced me to try it.  I had two projects completely cut out, glued, and sanded that were ready for finishing.

I was horrified when I dipped the piece in the stain and it turned the entire piece very dark, almost black.  I thought I had ruined the little boxes.  My saving grace was that these boxes were made from scrap wood and I was only out my time.  I just set them aside and figured I would do one of two things with them, either paint them or throw them away.  I decided to try to salvage them first.

I waited to the stain to dry and then decided that I would try to knock off some of the dark stain with my new sanding mop.  I was pleasantly surprised that the sanding mop was pretty easy on the detailing of the basket box and left an antique look to the piece.

Here is a couple of pictures of the end result:

Then there was also a square box that I also had ruined with this stain.  I used just a regular orbital sander on the sides of this one.  Here is the end results of that box:

 

This box actually looks like it is made from different types of wood.

These two projects were rescued and I am thankful that my time was not wasted.  I am also thankful that I was no too hasty in throwing them away.

I guess this is where I ask you have you made any artful mistakes lately and how did you fix them ?

Happy Crafting ! ! !

Brenda

I Am A Winner. Jersey County Fair!!!!

In life there is always a story to tell.  My life is no different.  This story will forever make me smile.

I have several hobbies.  One of which is my scroll saw cutting.  I love to make new and different things.  He also has a very creative side.  His hobby is making Cigar Box Guitars and odd string instruments.  This hobby is new to him but he loves doing it.  He has even sold a few of them.

I have been busy making a few gifts for the upcoming Christmas season.  A very dear friend of mine asked me to see what I had been creating.  After showing him, he said that I should enter some of my art in the local county fair.  In the past I had heard people talking about entering various items in the fair but I had never went out and walked through the exhibit barn to look at what was there.  I was always more interested in the food!  He explained a little more about the process to me and convinced me to enter a few of my hand made items.

On the day that I had to take my entries to the fairgrounds I turned to my husband and said, "Grab a couple of your guitars and perhaps there will be a category for you to enter."  He laughed at me and said, "Seriously?"  Never kid a kidder!

We went to the fairgrounds only to find out that we would be competing against one another.

I entered my Fancy Angel and Round Basket into the 'made of wood' category and then my original square basket with the Celtic braid handle into the miscellaneous category.  Joe entered 2 of his guitars in each of the same  categories.

He beat me for the first place ribbons in both!  I got a 2nd place and a 3rd place ribbon in the 'made of wood' category and didn't place at all in the miscellaneous.

Here are photos that he took of our items on display at the fair:

Coming home from picking up our winnings my husband pats me on the shoulder and tells me, "Thank you for the blue ribbon because you were the one that got me to enter."  Yes, I was thinking, that could have been my blue ribbon!

We had a great time and learned a lot about entering items and the different categories that are there.  We are both looking forward to next year!

Have you ever entered items into your county fair?

Happy Crafting ! ! !

Brenda

Fancy Little Angel

I love finding patterns for wood projects in the most unlikely places.  This pattern came from a scrap booking die that I own.  I cut one of these out of black card stock, scanned it with my computer, saved it, re-sized it using Adobe Photo Shop, and then printed it so that it was approximately 6 inches tall.

This was supposed to be done last Christmas and if you read my last post you know that it was cold in my workshop and I stopped sawing as soon as I had enough for my gift giving needs.

This one is for me to keep.

She was a lot of work with all of those little cut outs but the effort was well worth the end result.

I have started to play with computer font (dingbats) to make some more patterns for the upcoming Christmas season.

Find inspiration in out of the way places.

Happy Crafting ! ! !

Brenda

Unfinished Projects Being Finished

Christmas 2012 was my first flurry of making ornaments.  When I had completed enough to give to family, co-workers, and friends I stopped.  I still had 3 ornaments prepped and ready to cut out but just didn't have the desire to be in the garage cutting wood when the weather had turned so cold. 

I have been working on those uncompleted ornaments and slowly getting them from the unfinished pile to the finished pile. 

Here is the last of the filigree angels:

I put kept setting this angle aside because I felt like there was something "dark" or "Gothic" about her.  I know that is really not the case but she was not as inviting as the rest of the patterns that she came from.  She is now finished. 

I had a friend of mine, who is in a nursing home doing rehab, ask is she could have this angel.  Donna said that she loved having the angel that I gave her at Christmas time hang above her bed.  One of her aides knocked it off and when it hit the ground she broke.  Donna said she always feels like the angel watches over her.  So this little girl is now watching over Donna as she does her rehab and works her way home.

Make someone happy and make a little something just to give away.

Happy Crafting ! ! !

Brenda

Back To Wood And An Original Basket

Now that spring is here and I can be in the garage without freezing I have been busy sawing again.  I didn't actually start this project at the saw though.  I put pen to paper and designed this one myself.  It  is somewhat rough in the aspect that because I drew this pattern myself, it is not perfect.  I did not design it using a computer program (although it probably would have been easier if I had that knowledge.)

The piece went together pretty easy for me but I learned a few things while making this.

First I will share the pictures of the basket:

Front view:

Side view:

And a view to show you that the handle does move:

 

The finished basket is fairly small.  The finished dimensions are from table to the top of the handle is about 7 1/4 inches tall.... from table to the top of the basket part is 3 1/2 inches tall. the basket is 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches square.

At this point I am not sure how to share the pattern with all of you. I can't get the PDF file to copy here.  I am still learning how the "Blog" works.

I hope that this is an inspiration for all of you to try your hand at designing.  The reason that I decided to do this is I could not find a square basket that I liked and could see the basic concept of the design by looking at other patterns.    

Happy Crafting ! ! !

Brenda