Polka Dot Pineapple

Desktop Picture Holder

2011-10-05T22:23:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I am sorry that I haven't been around lately. The longer that I stayed away from my blog, the easier it was to stay away from my blog, if you know what I mean. At this point, I am not sure how often I will be posting as I haven't been working on any new projects. I would like to thank you all for your comments and emails over the past several months. I literally have thousands of emails of all kinds to sort through and it is going to take me a while. I haven't been spending much time at all on the computer and I'm afraid it is going to be that way for a long while to come.

I am in the midst of cleaning and sorting through all of my craft stuff. A large portion of it has already been donated. The one thing that I cannot wrap my mind around is how much fabric I have accumulated over the years. Finding storage for it has become a real problem. I hope to live long enough to use it all and I certainly will give it my best try. For now and possibly forever, I am on a self imposed fabric buying diet.

All kinds of foolishness has been going on in my life but I won't bore you with the details. My family is intact and functioning well just in case you were wondering. In between it all, I have been working hard on getting my entire house in order, digging through decades of stuff, brutally tossing, organizing, and just trying to create a well functioning home once again.

The following is the original project that I put together for the I Am Roses contest back in May of this year. After much thought, I decided not to enter the desktop picture holder because of it's simplicity and entered my ring box instead. These pictures have been sitting in my computer since that time. Because I haven't been crafting at all over the last four months, I thought that I'd share them with you today.

For this project, you will need several mulberry paper leaves and roses, A Versamark Watermark Inkpad, glittered embossing powder and heat gun, gold 28 gauge wire, assorted small beads, a 1/4-inch paper punch, acrylic paint and paint brush, gold foiling paint or gold acrylic paint, a small flower pot, a small weight to weigh down the flower pot, small piece of styrofoam, cardboard, and cardstock, and a hot glue gun.

To begin, dip random parts of the mulberry leaves into a Versamark Watermark Inkpad.

Dip the leaves into the embossing powder.

Dip the tips of the rose petals into the ink pad.

Dip the roses into embossing powder. Use your heat gun to heat emboss.

I used a gold foiling pen to color the flower stems as they were originally green in color.

Using a length of wire anywhere between 2-1/2 to 4 inches, poke one end into the base of the flower alongside the existing stem.

Twist both wires together. The additional wire will lend more support to the rose stem.

To make the picture hanger, take a piece of wire about 5-1/2-inches and bend the upper third into a 90 degree angle.

Curl the short end of the wire into a swirl.

The wires used in this project measured anywhere from 5 to 8 inches. Add a bead to the center of a piece of wire.

Twist the wire tightly to secure the bead.

Create a flower and leaf cluster by twisting a couple of leaves around each of the roses.

Cut a piece of styrofoam that will fit snugly inside the pot. Cut a round piece of cardboard that will fit on top of the styrofoam (to hide the ugly styrofoam). Choose a weight of some kind to give some heaviness to the pot to keep it from tipping over(small rocks are good). You can use whatever small, weighty item you have laying around the house.

Paint the outside and a small portion of the inside of the pot with acrylic paint.
Glue the weight to the bottom of the pot using a hot glue gun.

Decorate the outside of the flower pot. I've chosen to keep it simple with just woven ribbon glued to the outside rim.

Cut a circle from cardstock using the cardboard circle as a template. Glue the cardstock to one side of the cardboard circle. Punch a hole in the center using a paper punch. Glue the cardboard side of the circle onto the styrofoam.

Gather all of the stems together, taking care to stagger the height of the flowers and beads while at the same time, arranging it in a pleasing manner. Glue the stems into the hole.

Here is a closeup of the flowers. They remind me of porcelain flowers. Well, sort of.

Here is the completed project.

The ring box and the desk top picture holder complement each other nicely.

I hope that you enjoyed this project. Until we meet again, take care, my friends!

Aloha,

I Am Roses Creative Contest Entry

2011-05-30T16:02:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! I thought that I would share my I Am Roses "In the Garden" contest entry with you. The contest is being sponsored by I Am Roses, a company that sells gorgeous mulberry flowers.

Please click on the video to watch. Oh, and if you have a YouTube account, please leave a comment over there. This is my first YouTube video so please be gentle. Can you tell that I was scared out of my mind recording this? I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

I don’t do product reviews or hauls very often unless it is for something that I am super excited about and/or I believe may be of some interest to you. I recently received my order from I Am Roses after watching haul after haul video on YouTube about these amazing mulberry paper flowers. As you all know, flowers are my weakness so I finally caved in and bought me some.

I just have to say that I am truly blown away at how amazingly beautiful and detailed they are and how much I love working with them.

Bunma, the owner of I Am Roses, offers excellent and personal customer service. Her prices are extremely economical and are far better than I could ever find in my stores.

It is evident that extra effort was made to ensure that I received the product in perfect condition.

I Am Roses is a company based in Thailand. I am in Hawaii and received my package in well under 2 weeks. If you would like to enjoy these flowers too, you can find her website HERE.

A HUGE thank you goes out to my son, Evan, who helped me make this video. You are the cat's meow, kiddo!

Take care, everyone!

**Music: Kevin MacLeod of Incompetech Royalty Free Music

**Victorian image courtesy of Magic Moonlight Free Images

Aloha!

Altered Dress Form

2011-04-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple of years I have been watching the altered dress form craze from a distance, always wanting to try my hand at it, but never really diving in. Well, I am happy to say that I have recently changed that. The creation of this dress form was an ad-lib project put together on a whim late one Sunday afternoon.

The dress form is hand drawn and cut from chipboard. The trunk is painted in a soft muted shade of peach and a rich chocolate was added to the base.

A big thank you goes out to Valita of Valita’s Designs and Fresh Folds for providing the bosomy bodice tutorial and also for providing the inspiration for this project. You can find the bodice directions HERE along with many of her inspirational designs. This gal is a creative genius and I am certain that you will agree. Thank you again, Valita!

The fabric that I used for the extra full bouffant skirt is called Peacock Collage and is from a line named Proud by Keri Beyer for In the Beginning Fabrics. I have been holding onto this fabric for quite a while, hoarding it like a crazed fabric junkie and afraid to cut into it because I love it so. Beneath the skirt is a flouncy tulle crinoline in a medium shade of mango.

The addition of miniature paper flowers, ribbon, and rhinestones provided the perfect finishing touches.

I hope that you enjoyed seeing my version of an altered dress form.

Take care!

Aloha!

Carrot Patch Money Holder

2011-04-14T18:55:00.001-07:00

I am always looking for fun and unique ways to give the gift of money, especially when the recipient is a young person. Since this gift will be for a 2-year old, I knew that it would be destroyed as soon as she put her hands on it. Because of the outcome, I knew that I wouldn't be spending enormous amounts of time and energy on it. At the same time, I wanted it to be cute and something that I felt good giving away.

I designed the Carrot Patch Money Holder to fit a single, tightly rolled U.S. dollar bill. I know that there are templates for carrot boxes out there but I didn't want to search for one and then have to manipulate the pattern to fit my needs. The rule that I set for myself was that it had to be super simple to make without using an actual pattern.

I found that an 8-1/2-inch salad plate was the perfect template needed for this project. Trace the template onto patterned cardstock and cut out the circle.

Cut the circle into 4 equal pie-shaped pieces. Each circle will make 4 carrots.

Make a 1/4-inch cut into the pointed end of the triangle. Trim 1/4-inch off of one side of the triangle (just eyeball it). You should get what resembles a lopsided fan.

Take the side that has been trimmed and bring it over to the opposite end, leaving a 1/4-inch margin. Crease the fold sharply. (The margin will eventually become a tab which will be used to close the box.)

Fold over again and crease the fold sharply.

Trim the pointed end of the tab at a slant.

Form a crease in the 1/4-inch margin to create a tab which will eventually be used to hold the carrot together in a cone shape.

Mark 1-inch from the top of the triangle on both sides.

Trim both sides of the triangle using the 1-inch marking as a guide. (Again, just eyeball it.)

Fold the top down using the 1-inch mark on either side as a guide. Crease well and unfold the entire triangle.

Add glue to the right side of the tab and glue the tab to the inside of the box.

Add a tightly rolled up dollar bill tied with ribbon to the inside of the money holder. Glue or tape the flaps closed.

To create the carrot leaves:

You will need a 1-3/4-inch by 1-3/4-inch piece of cardstock and a 3/8-inch by 8-1/2-inch strip of paper. Run the square piece of paper through a paper crimper if you desire.

Cut thin strips into the 1-3/4-inch square to create fringe. Be sure to leave approximately 1/4-inch at the base uncut. Glue the strip to the uncut side of the fringe approximately 1/4-inch from the edge.

Begin rolling with a quilling tool or a skewer at the base of the 1-3/4-inch square and ending at the end of the strip. Glue in place.

Glue the leaves onto a 1-inch paper scallop.

Glue the unit to the top of the box.

Make one or make more. I happen to think that a grouping of multi-patterned carrots look cute together.

The carrots were tucked into a paper basket along with some wispy paper shred. I'm sure that many of you will remember these woven paper baskets from your elementary school days. Embellish the basket with a cluster of pretty flowers for a fun Spring look.

Despite the lengthy instructions, this is super simple to create. Once I had the pattern configured, I was able to complete 8 carrots in about 45 minutes. I hope you give it a try!

Happy Easter, everyone!

Easter Treats

2011-04-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

These sweet treats have long been favorites of local island keiki (children). Although they aren't a traditional Easter treat, their "almost conical" shape reminds me of a carrot. I know, crazy imagination, right?

So....a carrot patch of confectionery goodness was born.

I created a paper wrapper to cover the outside of the container. Decorations were added with embossing and rubber stamping prior to being adhered over the wrapper.

A 3-inch paper scallop was adhered to the top of the seal.

To make the carrot top base, I used a 2-inch paper scalloped circle. I scored two parallel lines down the center of the scallop and folded both sides upward on the score lines (like a flat-bottomed taco shell).

I used a Sizzix die to create some frilly leaves. I sandwiched the leaves into the "taco shell" and brought both sides together and glued it into place.

Glue was added to the base of the carrot top which was then glued onto the center of the lid.

This fits the bill for a quick and easy Easter treat. I don't care to put too much energy into what I consider "throw away crafts." The kids will rip right into it, eat it's sweet contents, and in minutes the wrapper will hit the trash can. This way, I won't feel like too much of my hard work went into the trash can along with it.

Thank you for dropping by my blog and for your sweet and encouraging comments. I apologize for not being very attentive to my blog lately. It isn't because of any specific reason, just laziness I guess. I hope to do better in the future.

All the best to you.

Aloha!

Las Vegas

2011-03-10T19:35:00.000-08:00

She is still as sparkly as she can be and as exciting as ever. The grand old gal, Las Vegas, never seems to disappoint. As fantastic as Las Vegas is, I don't know how anyone manages to live there. The stimulation alone would kill me. I am glad to be home.

I hope to get back to work on the drawer unit this weekend. I can't wait to get the project wrapped up, not just because it is an amazing piece, but because my craft room is a mess and I simply cannot be creative in there. The one thing that I have come to realize after working hour after hour on the unit is that I really hate fixing anything, especially something so large. If given a choice between fixing the unit or going to the dentist, I sincerely believe that I'd opt to have my teeth drilled if it would mean that someone else would fix the unit!

I managed to complete an entry in my art journal this morning. Although insignificant, it fulfills my need to create.

I may still add to it in the future if the inspiration hits me, but for now, put a fork in it as I am calling it done!

Thank you for the wonderful comments that you continue to leave me. I hope that you have a fantastic weekend. Take care!

Aloha,

Rested and Ready!

2011-02-15T13:04:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone! Sorry for the long absence. This was my first really lengthy departure from blogging and I needed it more than you could imagine.

I spent most of January cleaning my craft room and reorganizing it and trying to get my creative mojo back. The newly organized space invigorated me and brought me out of my funk.

It is interesting the things that you find once you start moving furniture around. I found this partly made felt donut pincushion this morning. I make so many things that when one goes missing, I don't even realize it.

Just look at those dust bunnies clinging on for dear life.

Just in case you were wondering, the donut is supposed to look like this in it's completed state.

I have always wanted to start mixed media art journaling, so I spent most of my free time doing just that. If you aren't familiar with art journaling, do a quick search on YouTube and you too may be inspired to start a journal of your own. Art journaling is very much a personal journey since it is basically an illustrated diary. There are no limitations, therefore, it is very enjoyable. It gives you the creative license to lay down your feelings in a medium that can be combined with words. I am a beginner, a newbie to this art form, but I am truly enjoying the journey.

It was smooth sailing into February until I got my hands on this piece.

I know that it doesn't look like much in it's current state, but trust me when I say that it is going to be the piece de resistance of my craft room. I am so excited at the prospect of having 40 drawers to use for organizing my craft supplies. Needless to say, my craft room is once again a disaster zone as everything is being shifted around in order to make room for the new kid on the block.

These types of drawer systems were once used by schools as mailboxes for teachers. The office personnel would place the perspective teachers items into the drawers from the open back that faced the inside of the office. The teachers would open the drawers from the front and remove their items. I am unsure if these kinds of systems are still in use today, but they were standard fare during my school years.

I purchased this piece through a private seller. I have no idea of it's entire history but it is old, I can tell that much. The current paint job is a mess and it was let to fall into disrepair. Approximately a third of the drawers need fixing. It is in my garage until the repair work can be done and a brand new paint job can be applied. Until then, my craft room will remain upside down and virtually most of my free time will be spent in the garage.

I will admit that during my absence I did have thoughts of closing my blog. Several years of anything can lead you to stop and reevaluate what you are doing. Because creating is such an integral part of who I am, and also wanting to leave a part of me behind for my family, the blogging will go on.

Thank you to all that have been concerned about me and my lack of posting. I am fine. Even though it is often left unsaid, thank you from the bottom of my heart for the kindness that you have shown me over the years. You are my true creative inspiration and I am very blessed to have you all in my life.

Have an awesome day, everyone!

Aloha!

I'm Exhausted. Are You?

2011-01-05T15:49:00.000-08:00

The holidays have gotten the best of me and I am seriously exhausted. How are you all doing?

Thank you for your kind comments and holiday wishes. The same back at you, my friends.

I am once again in the process of cleaning and reorganizing my craft room (someone came in and blew it up again...hehehe!). I don't know about you, but I cannot create in chaos. My creativity comes to a standstill (like now) when my To-Do List gets too long. Anyway, January is the month of renewal and rebirth so I'm going to start it off right with a clean craft room.

Since I do not have any projects to show you, I thought that I would share a few of my favorite Christmas presents. I have been wanting these since I took an interest in paper crafting and now I have them in my hot little hands.

Coming from a mostly fabric background and familiar with mostly fabric related tools, these "new things" will finally bring me out of the Stone Age as far as paper crafting goes. I know that this may be old hat to paper crafters, but I know that they may be new to my fabric loving friends.

I have seen the Clip It Up used for organizing so many things. Since it spins, everything is easily accessible. There are dividers that come with it to separate each category. They also have a dust cover available for purchase to keep your items in good condition too. I haven't gotten very far with mine. For now, some of my scrapbooking supplies have been haphazardly clipped onto it. The dividers are not yet in place, but I'm getting there.

The Clip It Up seems to be a very versatile organizer that can be used to organize all sorts of things. One very creative gal clipped her folded fat quarters onto it . Can you say, amazing, colorful, and pretty?! Of course, you have to be a fabric lover like me to see the beauty in it. And then there is a gal who organized all of her recipes on it and keeps it displayed on her kitchen counter. This is a wonderful idea if you have the space for it. Check out the calendar idea that was posted this past October. Geesh, I think that I'm going to need a couple more organizers!

*Please note that I am not affiliated with this product (or any others) in any way, shape, or form, other than knowing a good product when I see one and wanting to share my excitement about it.*

Here is a link to the Simply Renee product blog. It is filled with oodles of mind-blowing organizational ideas. I bet you won't be able to stop reading it if you are an organization junkie like me. I practically lived there when I first came across the site.

Another product that I can't wait to use is my adhesive gun. This should make applying tape to my projects go much faster. As you can see, it is still unopened and in it's original box due to lack of time. I salivate just touching the box. If it is as good as everyone says it is, I know that I am going to love it.

I also received a Big Shot Cutting and Embossing Machine. I haven't used it yet, but again, I can't wait to try it out and make some pretty paper projects with it. Fabric lovers will be pleased to know that this machine will also cut shapes from fabric too.

This labeling system looks promising and can be hooked up to the computer for even more versatility. I'll soon be a labeling fool, I tell you. And a neat one, at that. No more handwritten labels for me.

Did you receive any must-have crafting supplies this Christmas? I would love to hear about it.

This year, I am going to be good to myself and not set too many goals. This just means that there will be a much better chance to succeed, right? How about you? Any new plans and goals for the new year? If so, I wish you much success in completing them.

Have a happy day!

Aloha!

Mele Kalikimaka!

2010-12-23T12:58:00.001-08:00

May the blessings of the season fill your hearts with peace, joy, and love.

Aloha!

A Forest of Christmas Whimsy

2010-12-07T11:39:00.001-08:00

A colorful collection of paper Christmas trees adorned with tiny snowflakes will brighten up any holiday table. Won't you join me in creating a whimsical grouping of Christmas trees of your own?

Begin by making the support system. Four cones made from graduated sizes of cardstock half-circles are needed for each tree. The easiest way to make half-circles is by first making a complete circle and then cutting each in half. Done this way, each circle that you make will provide you with support for 2 trees.

Cut the following circle sizes out of cardstock:

2"
2-1/2"
3-1/4"
4"

Make a notch in the center on the straight edge using a hole punch. This helps the cone to fold over neatly. To form the cone, overlap the straight edges approximately 1/8-inch and tape in place. You can use glue to close the cone if you wish, but tape is so much faster and does not show in the final product.

You will need the following strips of cardstock for each tree:

6" x 1-1/4"
8" x 1-5/8"
10" x 2"
12" x 2-1/2"

Score each strip at 1/4-inch intervals.

Pierce the paper strip using a needle tool about 1/8-inch in from the edge. Try to keep the holes centered between each score mark. Do this on one edge only.

Accordion fold the strip of paper. Glue both short ends together with tacky glue to form a tube. Load a sewing needle with strong thread and run it through the premade holes.

Pull the thread tight to form a pleated cone. Tie securely in a knot before cutting thread.

Add tacky glue to the outside of the support cone. Place the support cone into the pleated cone as far up as it will go. Hold it in place for a few minutes until the glue gets tacky and holds both pieces firmly together. Complete these steps with the remaining 3 cones.

**Please note that going through the extra effort to make the holes and sewing each of the strips of paper may not be necessary for everyone. If you are able to glue the pleated circle around the cone with ease, then please consider doing it that way instead. It will save you a lot of time. No matter how much I try, I cannot make this method work, even while making flat rosettes. So, out of necessity, sewing is my preferred way to do it.**

Start at the base and begin stacking the completed cones in ascending order to complete your tree.

The white tree is the basic tree. If you'd like to give a fancy edge to the tree, use a decorative scissor or border punch while the paper strips are still flat. A decorative scissor was used to create the scalloped border on the printed Christmas tree. A snowflake paper punch was used to create tiny snowflakes. The snowflakes were glued onto the trees with tacky glue.

Okay, now for the fun. These trees are interchangeable, meaning that because the individual cones have not been glued together, you can arrange and rearrange them to your hearts content. I love the look of an almost solid tree with just a punch of color on the third layer.

If you get tired, just change it up again.

Create a unique winter wonderland of your own.

You can use a border punch on one side of the paper strip for a lace edging. You will need to compensate by adding additional width to the strips of paper depending on the type of border punch you are using. You will lose between 1/4" to 1/2" of the edge depending on how much the punch takes away. Experiment on a scrap piece of paper first.

A colorful gathering of lacy trees.

Add snowflakes if you wish or leave it plain.

You can mix the colors for a two-toned effect.

Mix it up again for a patchwork look.

Have fun with this tutorial. I'm off to make a few more printed trees.

Aloha!

It's That Time of Year Again!

2010-12-06T13:33:00.001-08:00

While the holiday season moves full steam ahead, I have fallen way behind the pack. I've managed to get our tree up this weekend but that is about it. Most of my shopping has been done but another trip to the mall is still in order. I keep telling myself not to stress, but you all know how that goes!

Amongst the chaos, I did take some time to make toffee. It tastes divine, if I may say so myself. You can find the recipe HERE if you'd care to give it a try.

I am currently in the process of organizing my craft supplies. I have managed to accrue quite a bit of scrapbooking related items this year and my craft room is about to explode. I have decided that it is time to get rid of some of my old stuff in order to make room for the new.

This is my paint in it's before state. Over time, I have managed to collect over 300 bottles and it was taking up way too much space.

It is much lighter now after tossing over 100 bottles.

I have taken all of my glitter and placed each of them into clear glass salt and pepper shakers. I've placed all of the shakers onto a lovely silver platter.

I love the reflection of the glitter against the shiny glass and the silver platter.

There is still so much more organizing to do. My goal is to have it done before January 1st. Nothing like starting the year with a clean slate, or at least a clean craft room.

Thank you, everyone, for stopping by and for leaving me such sweet comments. I hope that you are all doing well and aren't stressing too much over the holiday hubbub. I'll be back soon with a holiday-themed tutorial!

Take care!

Aloha,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2010-11-25T13:57:00.000-08:00

May your tummy be filled with all things yummy!

Have a good one!

Aloha!

Rosette Gift Tags

2010-11-24T10:16:00.001-08:00

It has become very clear to me after doing several rosette projects like this and this, that if I wanted to continue making more, I would need to find an easier way of doing so. The old ruler and stylus scoring was getting old and tedious and took way too much time. I just couldn't see going on this way.

While doing some Internet shopping, I decided to order the Martha Stewart scoring board. I had hoped that it would be a dream come true for a rosette lover like me. And it was!

I adore this thing. It is so easy to use and makes very straight and even score lines which is an added benefit to making pretty rosettes.

Here are my gift tag prototypes that I put together this morning. With a little polishing of my technique and changing things up a bit, I can see that this is going to work out great for me.

If you are wondering, the big white space in the center of the berry on the left is going to be used to mount the gift recipients photo. I thought that this would be a fun way for them to identify their gift.

The use of a lattice paper edger adds a lovely, frilly border to the rosette. The edger was used after the lines were scored.

Here is a glimpse at the backs of some of the tags. They are very simply done with the aid of a scalloped paper punch, rubber stamps, and ink.

I just love it when I find something that makes my life a little easier and really does work as the product advertises.

Over the past week, I have done quite a bit of Internet shopping for craft supplies. Because shipping can be costly, I was wondering if I should just wait until the early part of next year to continue my quest for more supplies when I visit Las Vegas. I am wondering if anyone knows of any good craft related shopping in Las Vegas that is in the vicinity of Downtown or The Strip as I would be accessing them by taxi. I would love to get my hands on some of the Prima and Tim Holtz product lines and also see them in person before buying.

Thank you for dropping by. I hope you have a fantastic day!

Aloha!

An Interesting Adventure

2010-11-20T16:45:00.000-08:00

After months and months of actively looking at photos on the Internet of well organized craft spaces and finding out that many of the organizational pieces used were old items found in thrift shops, I decided to venture into the world of thrift store shopping.

At the end of the day, I walked away with 5 interesting pieces. After a thorough cleaning, I was very excited at the possibility of incorporating these pieces into my craft room.

When I found this piece, I knew that it had a definite function in it's first life. There are holes that were once used to organize something and the top level spins. Hubby thinks that it was once used for holding test tubes. Of course, thinking like a true crafter, I thought that it once held craft supplies. Either way, it was in tip top shape with little sign of wear.

The next step was to figure out what to do with it. Even though the investment of $2.99 was minimal for this piece, I knew that it had the potential to be of huge organizational value to me. So, there it sat on my table for a few days while I thought of every possible item that would fit into those 7/8-inch holes.

A couple of years ago, I emptied my collection of small beads into these bead organizers.

I was left with a slew of empty bead containers. To my delight, they fit perfectly in the holes.

I slowly developed a plan to pretty up my newly acquired organizer. I wrapped the tubes in pretty scrapbooking paper to hide the labels that were securely attached to the tubes. I used ink on the edges of the paper to give it an aged feel, and tied ribbon to the holes in the top of each of the tubes. Since the handle of the organizer was black and teal and was made of rubber, I knew that I couldn't paint it without the paint eventually chipping off. Ironically, the colors of the tops of the bead tubes were teal and lavender. So, by default, my color scheme was born.

This is the base of the unit. The plan was to paint it and to give it a crackle finish. Although I haven't painted anything in more than a decade, I think it turned out pretty well.

Going for a vintage look, I inked a paper doily and decoupaged it onto the center of the base. Ink and shimmer stained lace glued around the perimeter of the base seemed to be the perfect addition and completed the look perfectly.

I am sure that you already knew what was coming. Flowers, of course. I decorated the top of the unit with handmade flowers and embellishments.

I used lots of ink, shimmer mists, and a gold paint pen to add color and highlights to the flowers.

I love the bright, luminous effect of the shimmer spray on the flowers.

This is the finished piece. It turned out even better than I had imagined it would.

Now, to figure out what to put into each of the tubes.

Hmmmm.....I think that this may be the perfect organizer to hold my embossing powders and Perfect Pearls.

Something tells me that this organizer was originally made to hold these bead tubes as they fit so perfectly inside the holes.

What do you think?

I hope that you're having a fantastic weekend!

Aloha!

Post edited on 11/21/10 at 5:51pm

Almost There

2010-11-08T07:29:00.001-08:00

Hello my friends! I do hope you all have been doing well. I am still here. I haven't combusted (stress!!!) and disappeared into thin air yet. Just one more week until this flurry of making things is over. The Pineapple workshop has been progressing at marathon speed. I'm overwhelmed. Calgon, please, I beg you, take me away!!!!!!

Containers are being stacked in every place possible. Hubby is very kind and never complains about it. Gotta love him!

Here is a bin of hair pins that I've recently completed.

Yummy yo-yo key chains. A colorful feast for my weary eyes.

Sorry for the quality of my pictures. I am in a rush (not unusual) as I am expecting my nieces baby to arrive any minute. Baby sitting is very trying when you're busy-out-of-your-mind, but that is just how it is sometimes!

Have a wonderful day. See you soon!

Aloha!

Progress

2010-10-26T14:59:00.001-07:00

Just finished putting the final touches on my fabric tissue covers a couple of hours ago.

They're all stuffed full of tissue packages and are ready to go.

One more down and it's beginning to feel like I am finally accomplishing something!

Have a nice day!

Aloha!

Hmmmm........

2010-10-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

The possibilities, endless. Who knew these little orange knitted pieces could be so versatile. Smurf parachutes, baby bonnets, golf club covers, nose warmers, booties, Peruvian hats, jock straps, sling shots, gnome hats, cushions, and baby blankets. Whew, the one thing that I can say, hands down, is that creativity abounds in Blogland!

Used as a golf club cover, one would never be at a loss in determining if the clubs belonged to you.

I think they look better when viewed from the other side.

Cute, but something isn't quite right.

A view from the side...I'm not diggin' it.

Kinda reminds me of the leather football helmets that were worn in the early 1900's, but with a fluorescent 60's kind of flair.

Nose warmer. Maybe. Along with your nose, there is enough room left over to fit your compact, a tube of lipstick, and an afternoon snack.

Jock strap. It kind of gives me the itchies just looking at it.

Uhmmm.....NEXT!

Cushions...baby blankets...a very good possibility.

I don't care for how high the leaves are raised (approx. 1-3/4"). Kinda reminds me a bit of the dorsal fin of an orca in captivity. You know, kind of slumped over and floppy. I must say that this has possibilities though.

Thank you to everyone, everywhere, (including the wonderful women in the care home) for your creative suggestions. You have saved twenty-two people from humiliation. I mean, wearing a fluorescent orange bra in 2010 is so, uhm, 60's!

Sorry that I have been missing in action lately. I have been working my fingers to the bone, but yet have so little to show for it. I stare daily at random piles of fabric pieces that end up overwhelming me. I can't seem to concentrate on any one task to completion. Harumph!

A finished project. One down, so many more to go!

Have a fun-filled Autumn day, everyone!

Aloha!

Mystery Orange Things

2010-10-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

I recently acquired these bright orange knitted pieces. They were passed on to me along with a huge bag of yarn. The owner is unknown as they were originally purchased at a yard sale. There are 44 pieces in all.

I have tried to piece these together in every angle imaginable but they amount to absolutely nothing recognizable. One edge of each piece has been left open. It looks as if they either need to be joined together or be joined to a another piece (which I don't have).

I'm sorry, but all I see when I look at these are tiny little bras. Do any of you recognize this pattern?

Going by the color of the yarn, it looks as if it could be from the 60's.

The recycle-happy person in me does not want to throw these way. I mean, just look at the effort that went into making it.

It has sparked my curiosity so much that I am on a quest to find out what pattern this is.

So, my fellow hobbyists, do tell if you have any idea what these are. If you have a guess, that would be great too otherwise my next quest will be to find 22 tiny breasted people who are interested in wearing little odd-shaped orange bras. Ha!

Take care!

Aloha!

Stamped Flower Pin

2010-10-01T15:27:00.001-07:00

I am always on the lookout for rubber stamps with clear and distinct images of flowers. (I know, you're shocked, aren't you?) Aside from using the images in cardmaking or scrapbooking, I like to use it in pin making.

This flower is made from rubber stamped images that have been stamped onto fabric. A few miscellaneous embellishments, and a pin is born.

I am still mega busy, secretly wishing that I weren't, so that I could pay more attention to my blog. As I survey my sewing room, I see nothing but piles of fabric pieces that need to be sewn. The plan is to spend most of tomorrow at the sewing machine. So much to do, so little time.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Aloha!

P.S. Please note that I am not endorsing the use of rubber stamped images in items that are being made for sale. Please check with the individual companies who own the images to see what it is that you can do with their products.

No Time to Stop and Smell the Roses

2010-09-24T15:26:00.001-07:00

It is amazing how fast time goes by when you're busy almost every minute of the day. Please accept my apology for being so scarce lately. I've decided to stay away from the computer as much as possible in order to build my inventory.

While waiting for my glue gun to heat up, I decided to try my hand at making a satin flower. I'm sure that you've seen these before as they seem to be all the rage lately. It was a lot of fun to make, but I clearly need more practice. I kept catching the fabric on fire as I formed the petals. I guess it will take some time to learn just how far away from the flame the fabric needs be held.

I'm so ecstatic that Fall is now upon us even though it will probably remain pretty warm over here until sometime in November. Thank goodness for air conditioning or I would be a total slug. I don't function very well when I'm uncomfortably hot.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Aloha!

'Peppermint Swirl' Ornament Tutorial

2010-09-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

Today is Friday. I actually thought that it was Thursday until hubby told me otherwise. Silly me. Evidently, I have been so busy that I've lost track of the days of the week.

My intent was to bring this to you earlier in the week but each attempt at writing up the tutorial was futile. Each evening I'd sit my notebook on the arm of the recliner (big mistake) and attempt writing up the tutorial. Close to midnight, I'd wake up with my notebook still balancing on the arm of the chair with hardly a sentence written. This scenario took place 3 nights in a row. It is now Friday morning, and I have decided that I need a new strategy to accomplish this task. So, with coffee in hand, I am now going to write up this tutorial; once and for all.

This is a smaller version of the 'Simply Peppermint' Pincushion that I made back in January of this year. Ever since making the pincushion, I have wanted to create Christmas tree ornaments just like it. Well, since I was making a prototype, I thought that I'd drag you along for the ride.

This can be made as large or as small as you would like. You could make a miniature ornament all the way to a gigantic pillow by adjusting the size of the circle.

The supplies that are needed for this project are: fabric, paper and cardboard for pattern, scissors, Heat 'n Bond Ultra, an iron and pressing surface, felt, fiberfill, button, needle and thread, and sewing machine.

Begin by creating the triangle swirl pattern. Fold a paper circle into 8 pie-shaped pieces. For this project, I used a 3-1/4-inch circle. With a ruler, draw a 1/4-inch border around the straight edges of one of the triangles. This will allow you a 1/4-inch seam for sewing. With scissors, cut out the pattern piece from the circle.

For this project, I used a 3-1/4-inch circle for the body of the peppermint. Cut 2 circles from fabric. Cut 8 triangular pieces from fabric, 4 for the outside and 4 for the lining.

Pin one triangular lining piece and one outside piece together, right sides facing each other. Sew along the straight edges of the triangle, leaving the rounded edge open for turning. Repeat this step with the remaining triangles. Trim each seam close to the sewn edge. Turn right side out. Press flat.

Place one fabric round, right side facing up, onto a flat surface. Place one triangle, right side facing down, onto the fabric round. Sew this in place using a 1/4-inch seam.

Pin the remaining triangles, right sides also facing down and spaced evenly apart, onto the fabric round.

Place the remaining fabric round over the triangles, right side facing down. Pin in place. Sew around the perimeter being sure to leave a small space for turning above the previously sewn triangle.

A close up of the area that is left open. Again, please note that the area that you are leaving open for turning is above the triangle that had been previously sewn into place. Failure to sew the triangle into place ahead of time will result in a loose triangle that will need to be hand sewn at the completion of the project.

Turn right side out and stuff with fiberfill through the opening.

Hand sew the opening closed. This seam will not show as it will be covered when the triangles are anchored into place.

Create the holly leaves:

You will need 3 holly leaves for this project. To create the leaf pattern, start with a rectangular piece of paper the desired size that you would like your leaf to be (approximately 1/3 of the size of the body of the peppermint). The holly leaf shown in the diagram is for a 2-inch leaf. The holly leaves that were used for this ornament started off with a rectangle 1-inch in length. Divide the paper into three parts as shown in the diagram. Draw a holly leaf shape within the space as shown.

Cut the shape from the paper and transfer the shape to cardboard. This will become your holly leaf pattern.

Trace 3 holly leaf shapes onto the non-glue side of a sheet of Heat 'n Bond Ultra. Iron the Heat 'n Bond onto the wrong side of a piece of green fabric. With scissors, cut out the leaf shapes.

Remove the paper backing and iron the holly leaf shapes onto white felt, being sure to leave a minimum of 3/8" between the shapes.

Cut around each leaf shape leaving a scant 1/8" margin of felt around the edges.

To complete the ornament, bring all 4 triangles to the center and tack in place. To create a tufted look to the piece, bring your needle up and down through the center several times. Secure with a knot. Before cutting the thread, sew the holly leaves and a decorative button to the center. Add a loop of thread or fishing line for hanging.

I hope you enjoy making this project. Start now and you will have a tree full of peppermint goodies before the holidays.

It's back to the sewing room for me. Take care, everyone!

Aloha!

B-U-S-Y!

2010-09-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

It is quite overwhelming when I think about everything that still needs to be done. If only I had the stamina to work 24/7, I'd have it made in the shade.

I continue working at piecing fabric hexagons.

They were originally slated to become Christmas tree ornaments. Now I am not so sure of their final outcome.

Either way, I love these petite patchwork pieces.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your sweet comments and for stopping by and hanging out with me. I know how busy you are yet you still make time to visit my little home on the web. I appreciate it more than you will ever know. (((HUGS))) to you, my sweet friends!

Oh, and before I go, I have one more addiction to tell you about. It is for something my hubby jokingly calls "kiddie candy." I believe that you know what he is referring to. It is the overly sweet and colorful sugary morsels that usually satisfy children.

I guess this just proves what I've been thinking all along. I am just a big kid trapped in an old persons body. I do enjoy living this way, although it does get a bit difficult to see with my head stuck in the clouds! Ha!

I hope you all you fabulous people have the most wonderful weekend ever!

Aloha!

Addicted!

2010-09-08T09:59:00.001-07:00

Here I sit with my cup of coffee (addicted) planning out the course of my day. I have an overwhelming amount of things on my To Do List and it is the reason why I have been so scarce lately. As many of you have speculated after reading my last post, I am hoping to do a show this holiday season IF I can build my inventory to a respectable level.

Here are some of the Quick 'n Easy Flower Hairpins that I have been working on this week. You can find the tutorial here if you'd like to make some for the little girls in your life.

You all don't know this but I have a strong penchant for candles (addicted). I had to force myself to stop purchasing more because I couldn't burn them fast enough.

Part of the reason for not burning candles too often is my fear of causing a fire. About a year ago, I purchased a warmer and that seems to have quelled my fear. I know what you're thinking. She's afraid to burn candles yet she keeps buying them??? (I see you shaking your head in bewilderment.)

As you can see, I still have quite a collection and this is only half of them. I counted 55 votives in this one bin alone.

This week I have started melting the Autumn scented votives in my candle warmer. The delightful scent of cinnamon, pumpkin, and cloves have begun to permeate my craft room and I am happy to declare that I am officially in the mood for Fall. Bring on the cooler weather and I am good to go.

(As soon as the candle has melted down, I remove the wick and sustainer base with a pair of tweezers.)

You already know how much I adore fabric (addicted). I have recently begun collecting paper crafting/scrapbooking/cardmaking supplies with a vengeance (addicted) but that's another story for another day.

I guess you could say that I have an addictive personality. Thank goodness it is mainly for all things crafty or I would be in big trouble.

Have a wonderfully creative week, everyone!

Aloha!

Got Flowers?

2010-09-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

A mountain of puffy petals.

Come together to form a bevy of colorful blooms.

An assortment of decorative buttons for their centers.

Flowers make me happy.

I love looking at them.

They still lack their pin backings but that's next on the agenda.

Have a happy, flower-filled day, y'all!

Aloha!

A Quick Blurb of Meaningless Mumbo Jumbo

2010-08-31T09:05:00.001-07:00

I hate to fill my blog with random inane posts, but lately it seems that it is the only thing that I have time for.

I did go to a party over the weekend. The centerpieces were vases filled with flowers. I assumed that the vases were made of glass until my sister-in-law told me otherwise. It is actually made from a soft plastic that is held rigid when filled with water. I was sitting a foot away from it and thought that it was glass. Very convincing and quite innovative.

The best part about it is that it is collapsible and can be stored flat.

Thank you all for your lovely comments. I apologize for being so out of touch. Life seems to have knocked the wind out of my sails. I haven't done anything earth shattering or interesting lately. I am still stitching hexagons into ornaments and have started making puffy Sweetheart Suzy flower pins. Perhaps another random, inane post is in order about all that stuff. We'll see. Until then, take care, everyone!

Aloha!

'Sweetheart Suzy' Revisited

2010-08-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I like to revisit old items that I have made and do a little tweaking. You may remember the Sweetheart Suzy Pin tutorial that I put together in early 2009. The folded petals are flat at the base and curve upward at the tips.

I decided to see what it would look like with a tiny bit of fiberfill added to the petals .

The petals now look like little puffy pointed pillows. I like it.

Instead of a tufted center, I went with a stack of coordinating buttons.

Although the method is similar to the original, the end product looks slightly different. It now has a really nice chunky feel to it. I hope that you give this a try.

It has been a very busy past couple of weeks for our family. My son is now settled in his dorm room and my hubby and I have become temporary empty nesters (if you exclude the fur and feathered babies that also call this place home). It has suddenly become very quiet around here and something that the hubs and I will need to get used to.

I hope you have a wonderful and creative day!

Aloha!

Mundane Sunday

2010-08-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

It is Sunday and I am in my craft room surrounded by, once again, piles of stuff. I like background noise while I work at putting my room back together. I sometimes listen to YouTube. Yep, you heard that right. I listen to YouTube. I have no time to watch YouTube, so I just listen to it while I am working.

Well, this morning, I came across this hilarious video. I stopped my cleaning and sat down to actually watch this video. Sometimes it does a body good to laugh a little and boy did I get a good chuckle out of this one.

Ten stars, Paul, for the laugh and for breaking the monotony of my day. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did.

Hope that you are having a wonderful weekend.

Aloha,

Hectic Weekend

2010-08-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post while I take a few moments to catch my breath. It has been a very busy weekend with many things going on. Thank goodness these kinds of weekends are few and far between.

We just got back from a breathtaking wedding at the Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki. The wedding took place in the garden courtyard of the hotel under perfect azure skies. A wedding of a lifetime.

The reception was spectacular and elegant. I was happy to receive one of the twenty-five table centerpieces. It is so beautiful and stands a striking 3 feet tall. It is so huge that it dwarfs the lamps that sit next to it.

A close up of the vase, an art piece all by itself.

I anticipate the week ahead to be very busy as I prepare for my sons move into his college dorm. I'll be back soon. I promise.

Take care, everyone!

Aloha!

Recycled Desktop Organizer

2010-08-10T17:22:00.000-07:00

I had a cheapo plastic lazy Susan sitting on my desk collecting dust and whatever else I was too lazy to put away. It had no useful function, was just taking up space, and became a catchall. I was holding onto it because I knew that one day I could use it as an organizer. Just how, I didn't know.

Ideally, I needed something with a good number of sections to keep items separated and organized. Having my frequently used tools close at hand would be my goal. It was becoming increasingly frustrating to have to dig through drawers to find the right tools for each project.

Recycling cans to organize tools is an excellent idea and nothing new, but this method hasn't always been practical for my needs. The cans would become top heavy when fully loaded and topple over. This became frustrating and would eventually lead to the abandonment of the cans-used-as-an-organizer idea.

Then the concept of using magnets to secure the cans came to mind. This would surely solve the toppling over problem. The cans would sit securely on the lazy Susan and remain upright as they spun around. If I needed to transport the items contained in a single can to another work space, I could easily pull it away and take it to where it was needed. This would be very practical because the entire organizer would not have to be moved along with it. When I was done, the can would easily and securely slip back into place. Perfect. I wouldn't even have to glue the magnets to the cans if I didn't want to. When the organizer was no longer practical for my needs, I could toss the cans and reuse the magnets on other projects.

Here is my organizer in all it's recycled glory. Placing the cans in a flower-like configuration works great and fits well on the lazy Susan. A few paper flowers and a few other adornments and I was good to go. Quick and easy. Inexpensive to make. A bit of recycling involved. Functional. This is working out great and I couldn't have asked for anything more.

I used a Stampin' Up stamp set called Playful Petals to create the flowers.

I placed 3 magnets on each of the cans that sit around the perimeter. This provides a secure connection and keeps the cans from toppling over.

The center can (pink) does not require magnets as the cans on the perimeter all "kiss" up to it. I could easily say something about that, but I'll keep my comments to myself.

I realize that this may not be a practical organizational option for everyone but it works great for my needs. Well, at least for the time being anyway.

Have a fabulous day!

Aloha!

5 Points for Creativity

2010-08-10T14:11:00.000-07:00

Lookie what I received from Mr. Ben Bernanke himself. Ha! This is a creative and new approach from the Nigerian scammers. Five points!!

Subject: Contract/Inherittance fund credit from bank federal reserve board New York
Priority: Normal Date: Monday, August 9, 2010 10:18 PM Size: 4 KB
Federal Reserve Bank New York.
33 LIBERTY STREET, NEW YORK , NY 10038
Attn: Beneficiary

Contract/Inherittance fund credit from bank federal reserve board New York, Final Notice

This is to let you know that we received a payment credit instruction from the federal government of Nigeria to credit your account with your full inheritance fund of us$10.5million from the Nigerian reserve account with our bank.

However, what we required from you is your banking particulars where you want your fund to be transferred.

{1}. Your full name and address:
{2}. Your telephone, and fax:
{3). Your bank name and address:
{4). Your a/c name and numbers:
(5). Your swift code / routing numbers:
(6). Your current occupation:

Be informed that transfer will commence immediately we hear from you with the account information. Once more, bank Federal Reserve board will not hesitates to credit your account within 24hours in accordance with fund release order regulations.

Your immediate response is highly needed to enable us commence for the transfer.

Thanks for banking with Federal Reserve Bank while we looking forward to serving you better.

Thanks and God bless you.

Mr. Ben S. Bernanke
Chairman,Federal Reserve Board New York.

Yeah, right. I wasn't born yesterday!

Aloha!

P.S. Sorry, what can I say. It's a slow day here at The Pineapple.

Rolled Felt Peppermint Pincushion

2010-08-06T12:51:00.001-07:00

Rolled Felt Peppermint Pincushions would make ~~cheap~~ inexpensive table favors for your holiday get together with your quilt guild or sewing friends. You can whip up dozens of these in no time.

Toss a few buttons (Christmas themed would be really cute) near each pincushion and this could round out your table vignette.

I used a combination of the Sweet Sugarplums tutorial and the Rolled Felt Pincushion tutorial to create these playful pincushions.

I don't know if this is true for you, but the week has whizzed by very fast for me. This is about the time of year that I start thinking about Christmas. The holidays will be before us sooner than can be imagined and I feel the panic that this time of year usually brings. I have begun to think about holiday gift giving and what I will be making this year.

I think that a set of hexagon flower mug rugs would make a cute and useful gift.

I wish you a very creative and productive weekend. Just for the record, there are only 141 days until Christmas. Don't panic! Start working on those gifts today because handmade takes so much more time than store bought!

Aloha!

Attention Recent Giveaway Winners

2010-08-03T16:31:00.000-07:00

I couldn't let myself send you just a Floor Buddy (you're all too special for that) so I delayed shipping by one day (hope you don't mind) and did a little fabric shopping. Along with a Floor Buddy, you will each be receiving 4 fat quarters of Hawaiian print fabric. Your packages have already been shipped. I hope that this sweetens your win!

Aloha,

Giveaway Winners!

2010-08-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday, everyone! I hope that you are having a wonderful weekend. The following participants have been chosen by random number generator. Congratulations!!

Dee

Bonnita

Happy Valley Primitives

Jille

Arlette

Thank you to all who entered my giveaway. I appreciate that you took the time to enter and to offer your organizing ideas.

Take care!

Aloha!

A Bit of Everything

2010-07-30T14:24:00.001-07:00

Thank you for participating in my giveaway. Five winners will be announced on Sunday. Thank you for playing along and for offering your organizing ideas. It was a very interesting and entertaining read. It seems that many of us struggle with organization. For me, it is an ongoing process. What works for me today may not work for me tomorrow.

It is amazing what you find when you begin organizing. I must have thought that I needed more colored pencils. Why? I don't know.

I am kind of in between projects at the moment and still unsure what to work on next. I actually feel a bit scattered even though I am a lot more organized now. When I feel this way, I always opt for something familiar.

My motto: When you don't know what else to make, make hexagons.

So, hexagons it will be. Maybe more Hexagon Flower Ornaments are in order.

After all, I have 6 drawers of scrap fabric sitting around waiting to be made into something.

I'll leave you with this. We sometimes have the most amazing Hawaiian sunsets. This was snapped from my patio several evenings ago.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Aloha!

Organizing Again

2010-07-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

I am currently in the process of reorganizing my craft supplies. Many items are not being used simply because I do not have easy access to them.

I have an enormous amount of ribbon on spools. We all know how bulky that can be.

I also have glass jars filled with loose ribbon yardage. Although it is pretty to look at, it feels very unorganized and unruly to me.

I emptied these plastic ribbon containers of ribbon spools simply because they didn't work for me. They are too bulky, hold too little ribbon, and just became a huge waste of precious space.

Then there is this bag with the gazillion holes in it. It held a huge tangle of ribbon. I'm going to retire it for the time being and just use it to hold some wider ribbon spools.

After much thought, I decided to go with a series of three drawer plastic stackable bins. For now, this seems to be the most practical for my current needs. I resisted this type of storage for a long time because it leaves creases in the ribbon from being wound around spools. At this point, I'm not going to worry about it. Worse case scenario is that it will need to be ironed. I think I can deal with that being that I seldom use ribbon anyway.

Who would have thought that winding ribbon onto spools could be so time consuming. Another several days and I should have it under control.

Soooo.....since I am not creating anything at this time except a big mess, it looks like it would be the perfect opportunity to hold a quick little giveaway.

How would you like to win a Floor Buddy, a Hawaiian style foot mop great for wiping up small spills? You wear it on your foot like a slipper. No bending involved. Yep, lazy, island style cleaning at it's best. Hehehehe!

A traditional flower lei.

Swaying coconut tree.

Mouth watering pineapple.

To be eligible to win a Floor Buddy, please tell me how you organize your crafting supplies. Just pick one thing that works well for you and tell me about it in the comment section under this post.

This giveaway will end on Friday, July 30, 2010 at 6:00pm EST. Five(5) winners will be chosen by random number generator on Sunday, August 1, 2010 and packages will be mailed on Monday, August 2, 2010. Each winner will receive one(1) Floor Buddy, design chosen at random.

Good luck to all of you. It's back to the salt mines for me.

Aloha!

Sweet Sugarplums--A Tutorial

2010-07-16T03:09:00.000-07:00

A sweet confectionery reminiscent of bygone days. Old fashioned morsels of goodness that conjure up wonderful childhood Christmas memories for me. Of course, in my youth, peppermint was the dominant flavor and quite possibly the only flavoring used for these. Nowadays, they are made in many flavors but my favorite continues to be the original peppermint. One glance at these and I relive my childhood memories all over again.

To create these sugarplums, you will need 2 fabrics (white and a contrasting color), bias tape maker, fabric glue, scissors, an iron, a pressing surface, a needle, and coordinating thread.

*To make the candy wrapper, cut two 2" x 2-1/2" fabric pieces.
*Place the first fabric rectangle onto an ironing surface, right side facing down.
*Fold up 1/4" from both 2" ends. You will end up with a 2" square piece.
*Bring both raw edges to the center and press flat.
*Bring the 1/4" folded ends together. Press flat.
*With needle and thread, take running stitches at the 1/4" folded edge. Pull thread to gather and knot off. Try to hide your knots within the layers.
*Repeat this with the remaining fabric piece.

For this project, I used a bias tape maker that makes 3/4" single fold bias tape.

Fold the bias tape in half to create quarter fold bias tape that measures 3/8" in width. Press flat. You will need approximately 12" of each color to make the candy piece depending on how tight you roll it and the thickness of your fabric.

Place two bias tape pieces together and begin to roll it into a spiral pattern, adding fabric glue as you go around. The finished candy piece measures approximately 1" in diameter.

Glue the candy wrapper pieces to both sides of the candy spiral. I began by gluing one wrapper piece over the raw edge left from wrapping the candy spiral and then glued the other to the opposite end. This hides the raw edge nicely.

Spearmint flavored sugarplums.

Strawberry flavored sugarplums.

Refreshing peppermint sugarplums. I can almost taste it now.

These sugarplums would make cute embellishments on a Christmas-themed mini scrapbook, picture frame, or wreath. Or, just use it as decorations for your Christmas tree.

A garland would be really sweet with the addition of fabric yo-yo's.

These sugarplums are so much fun to make and so sweet to look at. Enjoy the tutorial!

Have a fantastic weekend.

Aloha!

Las Vegas Themed Party Favors

2010-07-09T17:18:00.001-07:00

We will be celebrating my dad's 80th birthday this weekend so I put together some quick and easy party favors for the occasion. The only vacation spot that my dad has ever been to (like a gazillion times) is Las Vegas so I thought that the favors should reflect his favorite place on earth.

The Hershey's Nuggets look like gold bullion to me so I thought that it would be appropriate for the occasion. I had an unused deck of playing cards laying around so I decided to use it to create a vessel to hold the "gold".

I used a rubber stamp to make tags and used a scallop paper punch to punch each of them out.

Double sided extra sticky tape was used to anchor the candy to the card and to each other. Holes were punched on both ends of the cards and a thin ribbon was threaded through to tie it together in a neat little bundle.

I absolutely love these simple Las Vegas style party favors and the best part of all is that they took under 2 hours to make.

Wishing you a fabulous weekend! Viva Las Vegas!

Aloha!

T-Shirt Yarn Posies

2010-07-07T17:22:00.000-07:00

A braided rug posie made from braiding 3 strands of t-shirt yarn together. I glued it onto a cardboard base in a spiral pattern and topped it off with a button. The leaves are made from excess t-shirt parts (sleeves and upper body) that were fused together using Heat 'n Bond before cutting leaf shapes from it. The leaves were then topped stitched by hand.

The other, a single strand of t-shirt yarn glued to a cardboard base in a spiral pattern. It was also topped with a button and 2 leaves made from excess t-shirt parts. The leaves were then topped stitched by sewing machine.

Braiding t-shirt yarn is fun to do. All along, I kept thinking of what a beautiful and durable rug or basket this would make. If you are interest in making t-shirt yarn, please see my tutorial here.

Something slightly different...4-ply worsted yarn and fluffy eyelash yarn held together while being crocheted with a size I hook into a loose chain before being glued into a spiral pattern onto a cardboard base.

For this flower, I chose some vintage velvet leaves for a slightly dressier look. I absolutely adore it.

Have a fabulous, flower-filled day!

Aloha!

Finale--Paper Flower Wreath

2010-07-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

I cannot tell you how happy I am that this is the last entry of the paper flower wreath tutorial. I was slowly losing enthusiasm as the week went by. I must say, although long and dragged out, I am very pleased with the way it all came together.

I used a doubled piece of floral wire to form a hanger for the wreath. Two small holes were made in the wreath base with the point of a scissors and the wire was fed through and twisted off in the front of the wreath. The flowers will cover the unsightliness of the wire.

This is what the wire on the back of the wreath looks like. I gave it a couple of twists to form a loop that will be used for hanging.

Because the rosettes are pretty flat, I decided to use paper spacers to slightly lift it from the wreath base. I cut strips of paper measuring 3/8" x 17" and rolled each of them tightly, adding glue as I went along. I glued a paper circle to the backside of each rosette before gluing on the spacer.

Begin by arranging the anchor flowers evenly on the wreath base. Apply hot glue to the base of each spacer and glue the rosettes in place.

Fill in with both medium and filler flowers. Hot glue in place.

The combination of colors and textures of the flowers worked out well for this wreath.

It was fun to make but I am glad that it is finally finished.

Please leave me a message in the comment section of this post if you made this wreath. I would love to link.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. Happy Fourth!

Aloha!

TP

2010-06-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

TP = Toilet Paper. There, I said it. I never thought that I would ever write about TP on my blog.

While moving things around in the trunk of my car, I came across this. It is a recycled drink cup that holds a half of a roll of TP. I keep it in my trunk for emergencies. If you ever find yourself needing the use of public facilities and they are out of TP, this will come in handy. It is pretty obscure and looks as if you could be toting around a cold drink.

I thought about posting this to my blog a long time ago but was a bit shy about talking about TP. I think I still am and I feel a bit red in the face as I am typing this.

The TP is dispensed from the center of the roll. Since the core is usually glued to the first sheet, I take scissors and cut the core in half and slowly ease it out, being careful not to remove too much TP in the process. I then place the TP into the cup, replace the cover, and feed the TP out through the hole.

I decided that it was about time that I make a pretty cover for my TP dispenser.

The nice thing about this dispenser is that it can also be kept in the cup holder in your car. It is very convenient to have for cleaning up little messes too.

Okay, enough said. I promise to never talk about TP on this blog again. Pinkie swear.

Aloha!

Flat

2010-06-29T23:57:00.000-07:00

Son comes home, walks through the garage and notices that my car has a flat tire. Like the good son that he is he says for me not to worry about it and that he'll take care of it. Whew! What a relief to have a capable son.

Son removes tire and loads it into his car and takes it to get repaired. He returns with the fixed tire and puts it back onto my car.

Son shows me what caused the flat. A little metal thingy between 1/16" and 1/32" in width by 1/2" long. I took a picture of it with a penny for comparison.

The damage.

Now, I know that it costs an arm and a leg and perhaps a little more than that to live in Hawaii. Yes, the cost of living is outrageous. But! Forty dollars to fix a flat tire? This got me thinking. How much does it cost to fix a flat in your area? More? Less? I thought that it would be interesting to know what it costs where you live, whether you're on the U.S. mainland or somewhere else in the world. Maybe I don't have anything to complain about. My inquisitive mind would like to know.

Aloha,

Part Three: Paper Flower Wreath Tutorial

2010-06-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

We are on the home stretch in our wreath making journey. This is a simple flower to make and will be used as the "filler" in the wreath.

Begin by punching 36 flowers from a 1-1/4" 6-petal paper punch.
Cut into the center and remove one petal.
Overlap two petals and glue in place.

Make a small hole in the center of the flower with a large needle or the tip of a scissors.
Roll each of the petals toward the back of the flower using a skewer or something similar.
Add a button to a 2-inch piece of wire. Loop the wire through two button holes. Squeeze the wire together on the back of the button. Add glue to the back of the button and glue it into the center of the flower.

They look so cute clustered together in a little bouquet.

See you on Friday for the wreath finale. Have a nice day!

Aloha!

When The Little Princess Comes to Visit

2010-06-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

It is Monday. Everything is a blur...

...because The Little Princess comes to visit.

We even remove the seat cushions to make it low enough for The Little Princess to access her throne.

It is nap time in The Kingdom. (Thank goodness for nap time.) All is quiet now that The Little Princess is sleeping.

I baby sit The Little Princess every Monday and get absolutely nothing done while she's here. Even so, I look forward to seeing her. She is such a little bundle of energy. Every picture that I took of her was blurry. It tires me just to watch her run around. Sorry, I know that these pictures are hard on the eyes.

Have a wonderful day, everyone. I'll see you tomorrow for part three of the paper wreath tutorial.

Aloha!

P is for Paper

2010-06-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

Hello! I hope that you have had a fun-filled weekend.

I am still playing with paper and still making paper flowers. It seems that flower making, paper or otherwise, never gets old for me. There are very few flowers outside in my garden, but it's sure colorful here inside my house.

For some reason, this wreath was very difficult to photograph. No matter what I did, the pretty colors wouldn't come through.

A close-up shot, but still not much better.

Oh well, I never professed to be a good photographer.

I hope you have a smashing week ahead. Take care!

Aloha!

Part Two: Paper Flower Wreath Tutorial

2010-06-25T04:55:00.000-07:00

Hello, fellow wreath makers. I hope that you're ready to make more flowers. Today's tutorial will show you how to create a medium sized shabby rose. We will be making 18 of these roses to add to our wreath.

You will need:

2" scallop paper punch
Cardstock
Dye Ink
Scissors
3" of cloth covered floral wire per flower (approx. 54" total)
2 buttons per flower (36 total)
Small container of water

Punch four 2-inch scallops for each flower.
Make a small hole in the center of each scallop with the point of a scissors. Cut slits between each scallop about a third of the way into the center.
Ink the edges on both sides of the scallop. How much ink you would like to apply is up to you. I'm a pretty heavy inker because I happen to like the look.

Feed the 3-inch piece of wire through the holes in the button. Dab a bit of matching ink onto the portion of wire that will be exposed.

Submerge the first scallop into water. Remove immediately.

Feed the scallop onto the wire through the hole in the center of the scallop.

Gently squeeze the petals over the button to form a bud shape. Wet paper is very fragile. Take care not to break the petals.

Continue feeding each of the scallops onto the wire, squishing and squeezing each layer onto the previous one.

After all 4 layers have been added, feed a button onto the wire. Twist the wire to secure the layer of petals. This button will not show so you can use old, ugly, or recycled buttons if you'd like.

Gently open up each layer of petals. The petals should have twists and turns in them. This is the look that we are trying to achieve. Once you are pleased with the petal placement, set it aside to dry. After the petals are fully dried, they will be stiff and retain their shape.

The flower on the left has not been inked. It has very little visual definition compared to the two on the right. Even so, having a few solid flowers will add interest to the project.

I hope you enjoy making these flowers. I had to stop myself from making too many. It is very easy to get carried away because they are so much fun to make.

See you on Tuesday for the next installment. Have a wonderful weekend.

Aloha!

Make a Paper Flower Wreath Along With Me

2010-06-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

Let's mix it up a bit and try something new. How about assembling a paper flower wreath along with me. I will be posting a series of 3 very simple paper flower tutorials followed by a fourth tutorial on wreath assembly.

The first flower tutorial will be made within this post. I will be posting the remaining tutorials on the following dates: June 25, June 29, and July 2. This will give you ample time to make each of the flowers. If you have any questions, please post it within the comment section of each tutorial. I will be answering your questions in the comment sections.

The supplies that I will be using throughout this project are:

* Cardstock (solid or printed, in the color scheme of your choice)
* 1-1/4" 6-petal flower paper punch
* 2" scallop paper punch
* Floral wire
* Buttons
* Dye inks that coordinate with your cardstock
* Sewing needle and thread
* Glue, tacky and/or hot
* Scissors

THE WREATH BASE

The wreath base is made of cardboard. The perimeter of the circle is 12" with a 7-1/2" circle removed from it's center. Cereal boxes or any other cardboard that you have laying around will do. Cut as many layers as you need to form a sturdy base. Glue the layers together with tacky glue. Top with a circle of cardstock.

Have the wreath base ready on July 2nd, the day of wreath assembly.

THE FIRST FLOWER

The first flower that we will be making is an anchor flower. This will be the largest of the flowers and the focal point of the wreath.

*For the first layer of petals, punch two 2" scallop circles from cardstock.
*Cut a slit to the center of each of the scallops between two petals.
(The first diagram that is drawn in pencil shows you where you will be making your accordion pleats. Do not draw these onto your scallop. I did this to show you where the folds will be made.)
*Accordion fold both scallops. You will end up with two halves.
*Glue together to form a full circle of petals.

* For the second layer of petals, cut a strip of cardstock 1-1/2" wide by 11" in length.
* Accordion fold each strip in 1/4" pleats.
* With scissors, make tiny rounded snips on every other fold to form the petals.
* Glue the ends together to form a continuous circle.
* With needle and thread, take a running stitch close the straight edge.
* Pull the thread tightly to form a rosette. Tie securely with a knot, cut thread.

Glue the scalloped flower to the top of the rosette. Glue a button to it's center.

Repeat these steps to make a total of 6 flowers.

I will be using dye ink to add color to some of the cardstock flowers in my next tutorial. It adds dimension and a nice contrast to the flower petals. Choose inks that will add color to your flowers or choose not to ink at all. I will be showing you an example of both versions in the next tutorial.

Here's a sneak peek of our next flower.

If you are making this wreath along with me and have posted these flowers to your blog or photo share, please leave a link in the comment section. I would love to see your creations and I am sure that other's will too.

See you on Friday for the next installment.

Have a happy flower making day!

Aloha!

Paper Makes Me Happy

2010-06-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

In the past, I looked at paper as something flat with little dimension. I never really had all that much interest in creating with it either. I am building a new found respect for paper as I am realizing how easily it can be manipulated and transformed into many shapes. I now understand the paper addiction that so many have.

Please bear with me as I go through this paper cupcake stage. I promise that it won't last forever.

But! I gotta say, how paper frosting can look so delicious is beyond me.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for stopping by and hanging out with me on my blog. I know that I don't say this enough, but please know how thankful I am that you choose to stop by.

To my blog pals that have been with me from the very start and to all that have newly subscribed and everyone in between...thank you, thank you, thank you! I am so appreciative of your support. Without you, I probably wouldn't continue to experiment and create as much as I do.

I hope you are having an amazing day!

Aloha,

Magnetic Christmas Countdown Advent Calendar

2010-06-11T14:27:00.001-07:00

I sit here wishing that I could turn back the hands of time and relive the early days of my life as a young mother. It is not the hectic pace that I miss, but the opportunity to make more memories during the height of my son's childhood.

Each time that I create something that I know my son would have enjoyed as a young child, deep seated feelings emerge from within me. How I wish I could have substituted this handmade advent calendar in place of the store bought ones that I'd purchase at the local drugstore with it's cardboard doors and waxy chocolate Santa's, simply because I didn't have the time it took to make one myself. Don't get me wrong. We still managed to create a zillion memories, waxy chocolate and all. But as I look back, I know it could have been better. Much better. Maybe I'm just thinking in hindsight. Realization is much clearer after the events have occurred and you have had sufficient time to think about it.

At the age of 22, my son isn't going to get a charge out of this glittery refrigerator advent calendar like he would have had at the age of 5. Of course, it is simply because he is a young adult now and the wonderment of childhood has diminished. He's still supportive when I show him what I've made but it's not the same. Sadly, this is what life is like at this stage of the game.

Let's build a memorable tradition with a Christmas Countdown Advent Calendar. Set this up on your refrigerator each year for the little ones to enjoy. Just think of the pleasure that they will have when you bring this out year after year.

To begin, you will need twenty-four, 7/8" x 12" strips of cardstock. The glittered card stock that I have chosen is very thick due to the coating of glue that was used to secure the glitter to the cardstock during manufacturing. The outcome is a very hard and durable rosette.

Fold each strip into 1/4" accordion pleats. Glue the ends together to form a continuous circle.

With needle and thread, take a running stitch close to the edge of one side of the accordion pleated circle, gathering the thread tightly to form a rosette.

Punch 24 circles from a 1" circle punch.
Punch 24 circles from a 1-1/2" circle punch.

Punch out numbers 1 through 24 with a 7/8" number punch. You can purchase ready made numbers in the scrapbooking section of your favorite store if you do not own number punches.

Glue the 1-1/2" circles to the backs of each of the rosettes.
Glue the numbers onto the front of the 1" circles.
Glue the 1" circles onto the face of the rosettes.

Glue a magnet onto a mini clothespin.

Glue the clothespin to the back of the rosette.

A glittery, sparkly, countdown to Christmas.

If you own a stainless steel refrigerator, you know that magnets will not stick to it. In this case, you will have to get yourself a magnetic board or cookie sheet to make this work.

Use the clothespins to hold a treat, a bible verse, or a Christmas memory to count down the days 'til Christmas.

As sad as this may sound, I can picture my then 5 year old sitting in front of the refrigerator arranging and rearranging these little magnetic rosettes every day until the arrival of Christmas. The sweet smile on his face. The excitement in his voice. The joy of early childhood.

A clear reminder to myself of the importance of making memories and of the reality of how quickly time passes.

Aloha!

Cupcake Obsession

2010-06-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

A sucker for a cute cupcake. Yeah, that's me. I have difficulty resisting a cupcake topped with gobs of sweet frosting. Thank goodness my passion for cupcakes have temporarily turned to the inedible kind. My hips thank me too.

I've had way too much fun making these glittered cupcakes. Glitter is now showing up in the most unlikely of places. My cat, Mouse, is now sporting a sparkling fur coat. Poor baby. He's spent way too much time sitting next to me while I happily "sugared" the tops of some of these cupcakes.

I plan to use these ornaments on my Christmas tree. I've attached a clear fishing line hanger (which I've tucked under the base of each cupcake for picture taking purposes) on each cupcake to enable it to hang.

Okay. Warning. Take heed. If you hate cupcakes, it's time to turn away now.

Oodles and oodles of sparkly cupcakes....

Looking back, I guess I have always been a bit cupcake obsessed. Remember these of yesteryear?

A fabric yo-yo cupcake topped with a sweet posie.

Birthday cupcake complete with a candle.

A tiny cupcake on a stick.

A cupcake wrist pincushion.

It is time to pack these cupcakes away until the next attack of cupcake obsession rolls around.

Hope you have a sweet weekend!

Aloha!

Button Basket

2010-05-31T13:51:00.001-07:00

Wouldn't this basket make a sweet favor for a quilters retreat or luncheon? I know that I'd be squealing with delight to see it at my place setting filled with shiny new buttons to add to my stash.

I used a 3-oz. plastic Solo cup and cut it at 2-inches high. The outside liner is cut at 2-1/4-inches so that it extends 1/4-inch above the cup. The handle is made from a Martha Stewart embossing zigzag border punch and is topped with a punched flower and leaves and a sweet little pearl.

Although petite, each basket is large enough to hold a combination of 42 large and medium sized buttons.

So simple and yet so sweet!

Aloha!

Party Season

2010-05-31T12:19:00.001-07:00

With the ladybug party now behind us, it is time to prepare for the next shindig...a pink and black casino-themed graduation party. A fun-filled night at the country club "faux-gambling" the night away.

Two hundred pink and black bows for the party favors.

An elegant card box for the reception table.

So much fun to prepare for and such an exciting evening in the making!

I am currently awaiting ladybug party photos from my sister. I'll be sure to post as soon as I receive them.

Hugs and kisses, sweet friends!

Aloha!

Oh So Sweet! Cupcake Party Favor

2010-05-20T17:22:00.001-07:00

**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**

This dainty cupcake has a hidden treat cup located in it's center. It makes a wonderful party favor or a cute gift box for a special piece of jewelry. Use it as part of the table setting at a tea party or luncheon. Eliminate the tab closure and add a loop for hanging and you will have a sweet Christmas tree ornament.

I used a 3 oz. plastic Solo cup for the base of this project.

To begin, trim the cup until it measures 1-1/2" tall.

You will also need to make a tab closure out of cardstock measuring 1/2" x 3". To make the tab more durable, I glued 2 layers of cardstock together. Glue the tab to the outside of the cup as shown.

To make the cupcake liner, cut a strip of cardstock that measures 1-1/2" x 11" and accordion fold it in 1/4" pleats.

Glue the folded cardstock together to form a ring. Add a generous amount of glue to the outside of the cup.

Slip the cupcake liner around the outside of the cup. Secure with rubber bands that are not too tight. Make sure that the liner makes gentle contact with the cup and the glue.

Glue a 1-3/4" circle to the underside of the tab closure.

To to give a more finished look to the liner, turn the cup upside down and glue a 1-1/2" cardstock circle to the bottom. Set aside to dry.

To make the frosting, cut the following strips out of paper. Use any paper that you have on hand, from an old paperback book that has seen better days to designer paper used in scrapbooking.
1-3/8" x 16"
1-1/8" x 16"
7/8" x 16"
5/8" x 16"
Ink the edges on one side of each strip. Accordion fold each strip in 3/8" pleats. Glue each of the ends together to form 4 separate rings.

With needle and thread, take a running stitch near the non-inked edge of each accordion pleated ring. Gather and tie off in the back. Clip thread.

You should have four rosettes in graduating sizes.

Glue a 2-1/4" cardstock circle to the underside of the largeest rosette. The underside of the largest rosette will be exposed so be sure to use the same color cardstock that you have used throughout this project.

Glue small circles to the underside of each of the three smaller rosettes. Be sure to use the same paper that the rosettes are made from. Use a circle paper punch if you have one available to you or cut them freehand. Be sure to leave a margin around the edge of each rosette. If the circle extends all the way to the edge of the rosette, it will show once it has been assembled. The circles are necessary and will keep the rosettes from nesting into each other.

Apply glue to the circles on the underside of the three smallest rosettes and stack in ascending order.

Apply glue to the top of the circle located on the tab closure. Place the rosette stack on top of the circle. Add a velcro closure to the tab.

Top with a cherry.

No cherry? Add a cute cupcake topper instead.

A belly band could also be added with the guest of honor's initials or photo. There are so many options to customize this little bundle of sweetness.

I chose to add a sprinkling of crystal clear glitter to the frosting for some added sugary glitz.

More glittery cupcakes.

I had loads of fun designing and making these sweet cupcakes. I hope you enjoy making it too.

Aloha!

Graduation Weekend

2010-05-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

A weekend consumed with joy and hearts filled with pride for the young graduates in our family. Congratulations on a job well done.

This lei is for a University of Hawaii graduate in his school colors.

And this for a young female high school graduate.

I hope you had a joyous weekend too.

Aloha!

Pink

2010-05-12T23:31:00.000-07:00

Pink satin ribbon wrapped around an empty cardboard ribbon spool.

Diminutive posies with pearl centers in creamy shades of pink, each flanked by pale pink bows. A sweet bracelet for a little girly girl.

Pink, pink,and more pink.

A headband for a special occasion or headpiece for a flower girl.

Miss Henrietta Hedgehog has volunteered to become our model du jour.

More pink overload. Are you sick to your stomach yet?

A feminine splash of sweetness to start your day. I hope all that pink wasn't too much for you. Sometimes it is for me. But not today. I need a blast of sweet-pink- frosting-cutesy every now and then.

You can find directions for making the posie in this tutorial. It is the flower center from my Heart to Heart Valentine Tufted Pin.

Yesterday's comments made me smile. After posting a picture of my neat and tidy living room, I had a feeling that I may be asked about my creative space. Some of you may recall that I overhauled my space last year because the inner slob in me let it fall into total disarray. I am happy to say that I have been able to keep it relatively tidy since then. Of course, while a project is in motion, things are all over the place. In my opinion, creativity and making-a-big-mess go hand in hand. After the completion of each project, I do make a conscious effort to return items to their designated area. I slip up every now and then, but I try to keep a handle on things while the messes are still manageable.

If you'd care to torture yourself, you can read through my old posts here, here, here, and here Protect your retinas, people. You are sure to get an eyeful. Looking back at those pictures make me cringe. I hope that I never find myself in the middle of that kind of chaos again.

Have a fabulous day!

Aloha!

More Thought to Recycling

2010-05-11T17:49:00.001-07:00

Large piles of empty ribbon spools had begun to take over my craft room. The byproduct of making ribbon lei are loads of empty ribbon spools. It really bothers me to send so much to the landfill. In good conscience, I just couldn't. So....another recycling project was in order.

I grabbed one of the empty spools and began pulling off the chipboard from one side. The most obvious stood out. A frame. A round frame with a built in photo mat. That sounded like a good start. Perhaps a garland made from frames would make a lovely addition to the lady bug party if done in the right color scheme. With a bit of red and black paint and some leftover black and white patterned paper, I began decorating each of the spools.

I apologize for this less than stellar picture as it was taken in haste as my sister was coming over soon and I wanted to give the garland to her. The inside of the first frame was left empty to accommodate a photograph of the little birthday girl.

The frames were connected with short segments of ribbon. I tied red, white and black ribbon between each frame to add visual interest to the piece.

I had some leftover chipboard alphabets from a previous project so I used it to spell out her name. I "sugared" each letter with iridescent glitter prior to attaching them to the inside of the frame.

I really liked how this turned out, but like many projects, what you envisioned is sometimes not what you end up with. Having had several leftover picture frames, I decided to create a keepsake box.

I added a tab made from the double thickness of card stock. A small piece of velcro was added for the closure.

A small piece of ribbon was used to connect the frames and to act as a hinge on the box.

I decided to make a butterfly to embellish the top of the box. I chose a colorful page (a pizza ad, pizza with pepperoni and yellow bell peppers to be exact) from a magazine. I placed glue onto the back of the page and glued it onto a piece of clear acetate. The acetate is from the packaging of a product that I recently purchased.

I made a butterfly template from scrap paper. I placed the template on an interesting spot on the page and traced around it in pencil.

The shape was then cut out with scissors. Glue was placed onto the acetate side of the butterfly and the piece was glued onto another magazine page to give a finished look to both sides.

Once dry, I use an emery board in a sanding motion (front to back) to remove the remaining paper. This is an easy method of removing paper from small curvy areas with very little aggravation involved.

Crease the butterfly's body in the center, lifting both wings to emulate flight. The butterfly will retain this shape due to it's acetate core.

To create the body, I took a page from a magazine largely filled with type and cut out an elongated triangle the length of the page. If you have made paper beads before, this is the same concept.

Begin by rolling the larger end of the triangle around a skewer.

Continue rolling until you've reached the end. Apply glue to the tip and glue into place to secure the bead. Slip the bead off of the skewer.

A recycled wired tie (manufacturers use it to hold their product in place) was used to create the antenna. I folded it in half and clipped it to size.

The folded end of the wired tie was glued into the hole at the top of the paper bead. The body was then glued to the center of the butterfly.

I chose to ink the edges of the butterfly in black and to add glimmer mist for a bit of extra sparkle.

I have been glimmer misting many of my paper projects. I use paper towels to protect my work surface from over spray. I have been saving the paper towels (gasp!) because they are very sparkly and too pretty to throw away.

I separated the layers of paper toweling to expose this lovely pattern underneath.

To add durability to the napkin, I glued it onto a piece of card stock. I then put it through my scalloped paper punch. The paper towel adds an interesting texture to projects. I have stamped on it before and it always turns out really lovely.

The scallop was glued to the center top of the box. The butterfly was glued to the top of the velcro tab. The box was decorated with assorted doodads that I had laying around my desk. The flower center is a 3/16" brass brad that must have fallen off of someones denim jeans. I found it on the living room floor. Finders keepers....hehehehe!

Okay, now that you have read through this post, I bet you are wondering if I am a hoarder and if you will soon have the opportunity to see me and my "collection" on television. I bet that tiny brass brad that I found on the floor (and kept) really sealed the deal for you, didn't it? Well, I am happy to say that this is not the case.

I prefer an uncluttered home and here's proof.

Aren't you relieved? Whew, you and me both!

Have a wonderful evening.

Live Aloha,

Recycling 101

2010-05-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

Armed with my pile of rubbish...uhm...I mean, recyclables, I set off to make something useful. I was thinking gift box, trinket holder, or just something to hold a sweet sentiment.

Of course, it had to be made in the style of my latest obsession, mini scrapbooks. It's kind of shabby-chic in nature and very feminine too.

There is also a little velcro closure to keep the box closed.

The ring is made from the round cardboard center of a spool of ribbon. There is ample room for a small gift or a sweet sentiment. On the inside front cover is a pocket that holds a swivel scalloped greeting card.

I used a cereal box, the round center from a spool of ribbon, pages from an old paperback book, this wonderful YouTube video for making homemade glimmer mist and a few embellishments that I had laying around to complete this project.

It was so much fun to make and I am pleased as pie that I didn't send more "stuff" to the landfill.

Have a fabulous evening!

Aloha!

Busier Than a Raccoon in Tall Corn

2010-05-05T16:59:00.001-07:00

I've been keeping myself really busy creating my newfound love, mini albums. I have found inspiration in many places and have been learning so much. If you haven't tried this yet, be aware that it can create a huge obsession.

These are a few of the pages of the album that I am currently working on. Many pages have journaling spots, pull-out tags, and areas for photos. It is all very detailed and time consuming and I am loving every minute of it.

I have also been playing with ribbon. Yards and yards of the stuff. I am in the process of making 2 more lei for upcoming graduations. By the way, I've received inquiries about why I do not add an 's' when speaking about lei in plural. There is no 's' in the Hawaiian language. The Hawaiian alphabet consists of the following 12 letters: a, e, h, i, k, l, m, n, o, p, u, w. I do agree that it gets pretty weird when combining English and Hawaiian in one sentence, but it is never proper to include an 's' when speaking in plural. Just thought you'd like to know in case you were wondering the same thing too.

I am so happy with the way my necklace turned out and have plans to make many more in different colors. It looks so delicate and pretty around the neck. It is a thinner version of my bracelet and I must say that I love it!

I hope you are having a creative day. Thanks for droppin' by!

Aloha!

Ribbon Frenzy

2010-04-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

Milk chocolate colored satin ribbon and translucent beads with a gold shimmery undertone make up this sweet bracelet.

Okay, I feel another obsession happening here. Off to the store to purchase ribbon in every color imaginable. Hmmm....I think I need a pink burgundy necklace to wear with my white shirt and blue jeans and what about that cute summer dress I just bought........
Oh, this is going to be fun.

Aloha!

Lei Making in Hawaii

2010-04-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**

It is lei making time here in the islands and the store shelves are bulging with supplies. The months prior to Lei Day and graduation is when you will find lei making enthusiasts hard at work.

In the last decade or two, lei made from ribbon, rattail cord, and yarn have exploded onto the scene. Although islanders have made lei using these materials before, the resurgence of interest in these materials brought out new design and lei like no one had seen before. They became very popular, and with it, promoted the writing of many innovative lei making how-to books.

Today, lei are made from almost any medium you can think of. This is the time of year when creativity abounds. It is always fun to create unique lei, perhaps something new that has never been seen before.

When pulled back to expose it's foundation, you can see that this lei was made from grosgrain ribbon and several colors of eyelash yarn.

Local nuts and berries continue to be popular lei making material. The kukui nut lei is quite masculine and is often worn by males.

There are so many fabulous artificial lei designs that mimic fresh flowers. The best part of having an everlasting lei is that you are left with a meaningful momento of the occasion and one that you can wear over and over again.

I sometimes give a fresh flower lei to go along with an artificial one because there really isn't anything better than the sweet smell of fresh flowers around your neck.

This is a fresh cigar flower lei made from over 2000 flowers from the Cupea Ignea shrub.

I would like to share a very basic ribbon lei design, one that mimics a double carnation with roses. This is a very feminine lei and is perfect for a young female.

You will need fifteen, 10-yard spools of 1/4-inch ribbon plus several more yards of a contrasting color for the bow. You will also need twenty, 3/4" paper roses, a ruler, pen, sewing needle, and quilting thread.

Remove the ribbon from the spool. Lightly tap the ribbon with the tip of a ball-point pen at 2-inch intervals. Repeat this for all 15 rolls. This is the mark that you will be following when assembling the lei.

I find that marking all my ribbon prior to sewing is very time efficient.

To prepare the roses, sew through the base of 4 roses and tie the threads together to form a ring. You will need 5 rings consisting of 4 roses each.

Thread your needle with a double strand of quilting thread measuring approximately 55-inches in length. Place a knot at the end of the thread.

Take the first bundle of ribbon and cut it in half making two 5 yard pieces. Set one aside for use in the last segment. Begin the first segment by taking a running stitch in and out of the 5-yard piece of ribbon, using the markings as your guide. (Place your needle down through one marking and up through the next.)

Push the ribbon to the end of the thread, stopping 4 inches from the knot. Be sure to really pack the ribbon close together. Failure to do this may leave gaps of bare thread once the ribbon settles. Add another 10 yards of ribbon in the same manner.

Once you have 15 yards of ribbon on the thread, add a ring of roses. Catch the base of one of the roses with the needle as you pull the needle through the center of the ring. This will secure the roses and will eliminate shifting.

The next 4 segments each have 30 yards of ribbon followed by a ring of roses. The sixth and final segment consists of 15 yards of ribbon.

Once you have completed adding all of the ribbon and roses, tie the lei together with a secure knot. Adding a small drop of fabric or crazy glue to the knot will prevent it from coming apart. Clip off any extra thread.

Tie a pretty bow over the knot and add some beads to the ribbon tails if you'd like.

A lovely lei for a special occasion.

Aloha,

Tote Bag Tutorial from Sew Prim Khris

2010-04-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce you to a very creative blog pal of mine by the name of Khris. She is the author of a blog called Sew Prim Khris. I know that all you tote bag lovers will be interested to know that she has just released a free tote bag tutorial. Her tutorial is clear and precise and includes detailed pictures outlining each step. The method of construction that she shares is a little different than the "standard" way and I know that you will certainly enjoy it. Soooo....hop on over to her blog for this wonderful tutorial. While you're there, don't forget to check out the sidebar for a couple more fun tutorials.

The polka dot and owl print fabric that she chose for this tote is just perfect and suits the design well. In my opinion, it just can't get any cuter than this!

Have a creative day!

Aloha!

A Petite Posy

2010-04-16T00:06:00.001-07:00

**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**

I often wonder why I have such an immense desire to create flowers. I just can't seem to get enough. Here is yet another flower project, a sweet petite posy.

I have chosen to use my 6-petal paper punch as a pattern. You can use any 6-petal paper punch for this project or draw one free hand.

Begin by punching out a pattern from lightweight chipboard.

Trace the pattern onto the non-glue side of a piece of Heat 'n Bond Ultra. Allow 3 flowers per posy.

With an iron, fuse the Heat 'n Bond to the wrong side of a piece of fabric. This is the perfect time to dig out those fabric scraps.

Cut out each of the flowers along the traced line.

Cut a slit into the center between 2 petals.

Remove the paper backing from 5 petals, keeping the paper attached to the 6th petal that sits alongside the slit.

With an iron, fuse the flower to a small piece of felt.

Trim the felt from around the 5 fused petals leaving a narrow border of felt showing.

Cut the felt away from under the 6th petal.

Remove the paper backing from the 6th petal. Overlap the petals next to the slit, keeping the petal with the felt on the bottom. With an iron, fuse into place.

Fold a 9-inch piece of cloth covered floral wire in half. Feed the open ends of the wire through the front of a button. Tint the wire with a fabric marker that matches the color of the button before pulling the wire completely through.

Make 2 small holes in the bottom of the flower with a large needle. Feed the wires through the holes.

Give the wires a single twist at the base of the flower to keep it from shifting.

Here is my little spool garden. They are happily awaiting their floral tape. I kind of like this simple arrangement just as is.

Place 3 flowers together at varying heights and wrap securely with floral tape.

I have chosen to use purchased paper leaves for this project. Place 3 leaves together at varying heights and wrap securely with floral tape.

Combine a cluster of leaves and a cluster of flowers and wrap securely with floral tape. You may choose to cut the stem to approximately 1-1/2-inches in length and leave it straight or curl the full length of the stem around a skewer to form a spiral. Add a bow if desired and don't forget to include a pretty corsage pin too.

I got carried away and made way too many.

The leftover posies make an adorable wreath.

How about a red, white, and blue wreath for the 4th, a red, pink, and white one for Valentines Day, and a red and green one for Christmas?

Oh, the possibilities!

Happy weekend!

Aloha,

Paper Flower Topiary

2010-04-13T18:54:00.001-07:00

**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**

Paper is a fantastic medium for creating quick and easy projects. I've chosen to use pastel colored card stock to make this cheerful Spring topiary.

For this project, I am using a 1-1/4" 6-petal flower punch and a 5/8" circle punch. This is the perfect opportunity to use up those scrap pieces of card stock that you have laying around. Punch out as many as you think you will need for this project.

Glue the circles to the center of each flower. Cut a slit into the center between two petals. Overlap the petals, one over the other, and glue into place.

You will also need straight pins and pearls for this project.

Place a pearl onto a straight pin and pass the pin through the center of each flower.

Aren't they pretty? It looks like sweet sherbety goodness to me!

Cover the styrofoam base by wrapping it with strips of fabric 1" in width. Secure the fabric into place with straight pins.

Arrange the flowers onto the base by pressing the pins into the styrofoam.

This is a very satisfying project that looks very labor intensive, but it's not. If you don't tell, I won't!

Happy creating!

Aloha!

Scrapbook Mini

2010-04-09T15:25:00.000-07:00

I am not quite sure why this happens to me...but it does, all the time. I don't care for something one minute, and the next, I'm totally gaga over it. Hop on over to YouTube and search for mini albums scrapbooking and you will be blown away. It seems the general theme, aside from creating something of beauty, is to get as many items onto each page with pockets, add ons, and such. I'm hooked and just beginning my journey into scrapbook minis.

I am very happy with the cover so far but feel that it is still way too plain. I mean, it is lacking ribbons and fibers and general bling bling.

I've just completed binding the pages, each of which has a pocket complete with inserts.

I already expect that this scrapbook is going to be a fatty, one that does not lay flat nor close well. That's okay. It will be loaded with all kinds goodies, and hopefully, baby's one year old party memories.

Have a fun weekend, everyone!

Aloha!

Sweet Springtime Gift Pocket

2010-04-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**

This is a quick and easy gift pocket that can be made in under 30 minutes. It is perfect for Springtime gift giving and makes a wonderful vessel for gift cards and small treats.

The pocket also looks just darling hanging from a bedroom door knob. What a wonderful place to leave little notes and treats for the little ones in your life. Think of the anticipation and the smiles that it will bring to their faces when they come home from school to find a note or a treat waiting for them.

I recommend using wool or wool blend felt for this project. It is a firm, flat felt in comparison to it's acrylic counterpart. Felt seams require no extra finishing. This makes it the ideal crafting medium when you need to finish something in a hurry.

This pattern is made from very basic shapes. The actual body of the pocket is one-half of a 12-inch circle. Look around your home for items to trace like large bowls, platters, or plate chargers.

Begin by tracing a 12-inch circle onto paper. Fold it in half and cut at the fold. The pattern is 1/2 of the 12-inch circle. Cut one from felt.

Cut a 1" x 11" piece of felt for the handle.

For the flower, cut three circles in the following sizes: 2-3/4", 2-1/4", 1-1/2".

To make the flower, cut 8 slits approximately 1-inch in length into each circle. Round off the corners of each of the 8 segments.

Stack the flowers on top of each other, ending with the smallest flower on top. Choose a coordinating stack of buttons that match your project. Set this aside while you prepare the pocket.

Using your sewing machine and a contrasting color of thread, top stitch a generous 1/4" from the curved edge of the pocket.

Top stitch a generous 1/4" on both sides of the handle. For extra durability, sew an additional line of stitching down the center of the handle. Since the handle will be enduring the brunt of the weight, stitching will help to keep it from stretching.

This project can also be hand stitched, but machine stitching will certainly speed up the process.

Using either pinking or scallop shears, trim both sides of the handle approximately 1/8" away from the top stitching. Do the same with the curved side of the pocket.

Bring both sides of the pocket evenly to the center, overlapping until the finished piece measures 4-1/2-inches. Pin in place.

Top stitch a generous 1/4-inch from the straight edge to close the bottom of the pocket.

Again, trim with decorative shears close to the stitching line.

Hand stitch the flower to the pocket through the button center. Be sure to sew through both layers of the overlapped area as this will keep the upper portion of the pocket from opening up.

To keep the flower from falling forward, add a small drop of fabric glue to the backside of the upper three petals in the last row and and glue it down onto the pocket.

Attach the handle to the pocket by machine or with a few hand stitches. Sew on a decorative button to cover the stitches and to provide a little extra color and whimsy.

Sweet Springtime Gift Pockets. It's always the little things that bring me such joy!

Happy Easter, everyone!

Aloha!

Branch: The Story

2010-03-31T12:43:00.000-07:00

While busily working on party fare, one sister turns to the other and says, "We need to create height on the candy shoppe table. I think I need a tree branch, an old dead, dried one. Do you happen know where we could get our hands on one?"

"What??? What are you going to do with that?" Older sister excitedly explains her plans to middle sister. With a bewildered and hesitant look on her face, middle sister agrees to send her son on a little hiking trip to the mountains in search of the perfect branch.

Several similar conversations later and still, no branch.

While sitting in her car at a stop light on a busy highway, middle sister gazes outside to find what looks like part of a branch sticking unobtrusively from the hedges alongside the road. She quickly finds a parking spot and runs to the location.

In a very busy intersection with many curious onlookers, the good middle sister removes the branch that is wedged into the bushes. Embarrassed and bleeding after being poked by it's many thorns, middle sister quickly telephones her older sister with the good news. "I found a branch! I found a branch! I think this is exactly what you are looking for. It's dead and dried and it leans to one side just like you described. I think it's just perfect!"

And it was.

Tiny clusters of red paper flowers...

with faceted beaded centers.

Chartreuse green leaves on delicate branches...

surrounded by sweet ladybugs.

It turned out exactly the way I had envisioned it would.

Aloha!

Congratulations, Grandma Chicken!

2010-03-29T08:49:00.001-07:00

Many thanks to all that have taken the time to drop by and enter the Good Eggs Giveaway. Your comments were heartwarming and delightful.

I am happy to report that a winner has been chosen by random number generator. Without further ado, the winner is entry number 9, imagrandma2five, a.k.a., Grandma Chicken of Grandma Chicken's House. Don't you just love her name?

Congratulations!

Have a wonderful day!

Aloha!

Party Prep

2010-03-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

My sister and I have been working feverishly over the last several weeks creating ladybug themed items for her granddaughter's first birthday party.

We just finished these sweet rosette napkin rings last night.

We also decorated several bins which will be used to hold packages of candy in the birthday party sweet shoppe.

We have been working like busy little ladybugs trying to get it all done. The party is a mere 8 weeks away and there's still a lot more to do. Can't wait to see how all the components will fit together. Will keep you posted!

Thank you all for entering the giveaway and for posting such wonderful comments. I cannot tell you how many times I laughed out loud at some of them and with others, reflected back to my own childhood.

I appreciate that you take the time to visit me and most of all, thank you for your kindness. You are just too sweet!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Aloha!

Good Eggs Giveaway

2010-03-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR ENTERING!

I believed in the Easter Bunny for way too many years. Even when I was old enough to reason, I continued to have my doubts about whether he actually existed. I am the eldest of 4 siblings and my parents kept the Easter Bunny legend alive and well for many, long years. Something inside of me said that if I stopped believing, I would end up without an Easter basket on Easter morning. So I continued to sorta-believe for most of my early years. Just in case.

I tried to keep the Easter Bunny legend alive with my son too. It worked when he was really young but when he got old enough to comprehend, he kept pressing me about how the Easter Bunny could possibly get into our house to deliver his basket since we kept all of our doors locked. Only after you have dealt with an overly intelligent, know-it-all, persistent 5 year old, would you come to understand the difficulty of keeping up the ruse.

Okay, so my story was an outright lie. I told him that the Easter Bunny was able to enter our home through our front door by opening the lock with the tips of his ears. I know that it sounds completely insane but that was a line that I had taken from one of his storybooks. If it was in print then he'd believe it, right?

Yes, I'm still asking myself, WHAT WAS I THINKING?? Couldn't I have come up with something better?? I will never forget how he challenged me and said that it was impossible and that I should stop telling stories and that lying was bad. The kid was as smart as a whip and wasn't buying any of it. As the years progressed, I blew the Easter Bunny's cover. I had to. It became increasingly difficult dealing with this issue. The kid had finally worn me down.

A part of me cannot wait to see how he will handle this with his own children. I hope that I am around the conversation just so that I can watch Mr. Smartypants get grilled the way he grilled me.

Yes, even though they were trying times, I still believe that it is a parents right to pass along these childhood legends. If I had to do it all over again, I would. Except for the part about opening the door with the tips of his ears. I'd probably change that to something about the Easter bunny and his magical powers or something. That somehow seems a lot more logical to me now. *Smirk*

A huge thank you goes out to Sandi at A Legacy of Stitches for inviting me to participate in her Good Eggs Giveaway. I expect that you will have loads of fun as there are a good number of participants giving away some really wonderful items. My giveaway is open to everyone. As you hop along the bunny trail, please be sure to read each participants rules as they may differ.

I thought that I'd pass along a small piece of Hawaii through this giveaway. I know that I live in a very special place thanks to generations before me who decided to make their home here in the islands.

This giveaway will include eight, 1/2-yard cuts of 45" dress-weight Hawaiian print fabric.

A box of Maui Caramacs and a box of Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts.

A box of Kona Coffee Macadamia Nut Cookies.

A Floor Buddy. I don't know if these are unique to Hawaii or not. They are usually kept in the kitchen on the floor to wipe up small spills. The bottom is lined in an absorbent terry cloth. You slip it onto your foot like you would slippers and use your foot to wipe up the mess. No more bending!

Lastly, a colorful Surf's Up mug for hot or cold beverages.

My giveaway will run from March 24, 2010 through midnight EST on March 28, 2010. A winner will be selected by random number generator on March 29, 2010 and the package will be mailed on March 31, 2010. Please be sure that you leave me a way to contact you should you be the winner.

To enter this giveaway, please comment under this post. Any comment will do but an Easter related comment would be much appreciated. One entry per person please.

Please click HERE to continue hopping down the bunny trail for more fun!

Aloha!

Too Many Irons in the Fire

2010-03-17T22:14:00.001-07:00

It seems that I have too many projects going on at the same time.

I'm crocheting again. I usually crochet afghans during the winter months when the weather is a bit cooler but it seems that I am a little late this year.

Having fun playing with hexagons and joining them together in a different way this time.

Making hexagon rings. I see so many possibilities with these.

Enjoying the process of piecing half square triangle blocks.

They make such a pretty chevron pattern. One day I will make a quilt from these blocks...when I have the time, which will probably be close to never.

Hopefully there will be some completed projects around here soon because having so many unfinished ones make me a little anxious.

So much to do. So little time. I'm sure that's your story too, huh?

Aloha!

Rolled Felt Pincushion

2010-03-11T15:49:00.001-08:00

**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**

This is a quick tutorial for a simple pincushion that requires little to no sewing. It is a perfect project for those that work with children in churches, schools or girl scouts. The children can make it for themselves or as gifts. If you volunteer teaching crafting and sewing in a senior's center, making one of these for each participant along with their own pins and needles would be useful in class and will make a wonderful and appreciated keepsake.

For this project, you may use felted wool in place of felt if you'd prefer. I have also chosen to use Fabri-Tac fabric glue although a white tacky glue works just fine.

Cut a 1-inch strip of felt times any length you desire. Obviously, the longer the strip, the larger your pincushion will be. For this project, I used 56-inches which gave me about a 2-inch pincushion.

Start by rolling up one end of the strip, applying even pressure as you roll.

Mark with a pin the length of the felt that will become the outside row.

Sew (or glue) some cute buttons evenly spaced along the strip.

Place glue onto the back of the strip and glue it around the perimeter of the pincushion.

Cut a cardboard circle the size of the pincushion base.

Glue the cardboard circle to the felt.

Trim the felt close to the cardboard.

Place glue onto the cardboard and glue it to the base of the pincushion.

Completed pincushion. Simple, useful, and inexpensive to make.

An alternative: Choose a bottle cap for the base of your pincushion. I prefer to have the felt protrude 1/4-inch above the top of the bottle cap. You will need to measure the height of your bottle cap and add 1/4-inch to the width of your felt strip.

**Note that a large plastic or metal lid (from plastic bowls or wide-mouthed jars) can be used in place of a bottle cap. This would either make a large pincushion or a drink coaster. The benefit of having a drink coaster made in this fashion would be that any condensation left from drinking glasses would not seep through and damage wooden surfaces.**

Roll the felt as indicated above. Add a generous puddle of glue to the inside bottom of the bottle cap and glue the felt roll into place.

To decorate the bottle cap, glue on a strip of felt and top that with some pretty ribbon. If you happen to have a really cool bottle cap, just leave it as is.

I hope that you enjoyed this pincushion tutorial. I have been making these for almost as long as I can remember. It makes a great traveling pincushion because it is small, and if you forget it somewhere, no big deal!

Have a wonderful and creative day!

Aloha!

P.S. I apologize to those of you that have me on reader and caught my earlier post. I begin each of my postings with a series of notes and photographs and then return to refine it when I have the time. I mistakenly pressed the wrong button and posted it in it's raw form. Oopsie!

Pass the cheese, please!

2010-03-04T15:51:00.000-08:00

Your every day Ruby Red variety lunching on a wedge of Swiss.

Premium Yellow with a discriminating taste for Gouda.

There's always a few snobs in the bunch!

Aloha!

Strawberry Mice Pincushion

2010-03-04T10:05:00.000-08:00

**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**

Thank you for your response to my strawberry mice. I was uncertain whether these mice would be of interest simply because they are quite tiny and a bit fiddly to make. This is just a quick little tutorial showing you the basics. If you dislike working in miniature, please feel free to make these larger. They're a fun project either way.

Let me just say that although you can hand stitch the components together (and drive yourself crazy), gluing is so much easier when working with tiny pieces like the ears. I have used a combination of stitching and gluing. My fabric glue of choice is Fabri-Tac.

To create the body of the mice, start with a 4" circle. Cut the circle in half at the center point. Each half will make one mouse.
Fold the half-circle in half, right sides together. Using a 1/4" seam, sew along the straight edge. Turn right side out.

With needle and thread, take a running stitch along the raw edge. Stuff with your favorite pincushion stuffing. If you will be using the mice as needle sharpeners, you may wish to fill them with emery. Gather tightly, knot securely, and clip thread.

To make the ears, start off with a 3/8" square of felt. Round off all 4 corners. Cut the circle in half.

To create the leaves at the base of the strawberry, start with a 1-1/2" circle. Cut 6 slits 1/2" in length evenly spaced around the circle. Trim the tip of each segment to create the pointy edge of a leaf. Make a small hole in the center and feed rattail cord through the hole. Tie a knot on one end of the rattail.

To create the tail leaves, start with a 5/8" square of felt. Round off both bottom corners and cut the other end into a point. You are trying to achieve a tear drop shape.

Glue the hull leaves over the gathered end of the strawberry, making sure to hide the knot in the rattail between the strawberry and the leaves.

Place a thin line of glue along the straight edge of each ear and glue it into place at both sides of the mouse's head.

Place a small amount of fabric glue to the rounded end of the tail leaves and press it into place around the rattail. Continue randomly adding leaves.

With a beading needle and seed beads, add the eyes and a nose. If you wish, add beads to the body for a little bit of mousie bling.

To create the whiskers, thread 6 strands of embroidery floss onto a needle. Tie a knot approximately 1/2" in from the end of the thread. Sew completely through the snout to the opposite side. Secure the whiskers onto the mouse with another knot. Clip thread to approximately 1/2". Trim each side of the whiskers to the desired length. Separate the individual threads to form the whiskers.

I am sure that most of you already know how to make a round, tufted pincushion. If you do not, I recommend this tutorial to create the body of the pincushion. It is a wonderful tutorial with clear and easy to follow instructions.
I used 8" circles for the body of my pincushion as I prefer a fairly large cushion to accommodate a larger amount of pins.
Follow the tutorial to it's completion, omitting the button on top as this will be covered by the "strawberry bush."

To create the "strawberry bush" that protrudes from the center of the pincushion, cut a 12" x 2" rectangle of green felt. Cut 11 slits, approximately 1" apart, stopping about 3/8" from the bottom edge. Trim the tip of each segment to create the pointy edge of a leaf.

With needle and thread, take a running stitch along the straight edge. Gather and tie a knot to secure.

Roll the straight edge, stitching in place as you go.

To assemble, glue the ends of the tails into the center of the pincushion. Glue the "strawberry bush" on top to hide the mechanics.

Have fun with this tutorial. I hope to see colonies of strawberry mice pop up throughout Blogland.

Have a wonderful and creative day!

Aloha!

Giveaway

2010-03-01T15:25:00.000-08:00

Just popping in to alert you to a fun giveaway by a wonderful German artist by the name of Janine She is currently celebrating her first year blogiversary on her blog, Join Janine. Her giveaway consists of a beautiful hand painted box filled with felt pens. Her work is inspiring, fresh, and whimsical. I love her painting style and I know that you will too. Besides, she is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. Please stop by and say hello, take a peek at her beautiful paintings, and enter to win a beautiful keepsake.

I will be back in a few days with a tutorial for the strawberry mice. Until then, take care.

Aloha,

Busy!!

2010-02-24T11:08:00.001-08:00

I've been so busy that I can't decide whether I'm coming...

...or going.

I am infatuated with these miniature strawberry mice and am currently designing a project to go along with them. The mice are quick and easy to make and best of all, you can't have just one. Before you know it, you'll be building yourself a whole colony. I'm pretty sure of it.

I did want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your encouraging comments and emails. I'm always taken aback by your generous and kind words. I will be back as soon as I tend to a few pressing matters. Until then....take care...be well!

Aloha!

Fleur de marguerite

2010-02-15T10:54:00.000-08:00

**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**

A bouquet of delicate daisies. Quick and easy to make and oh so pretty to look at.

To create these daisies, you will need scraps of fabric approximately 3" x 6" for the petals and 1-1/2" square for the flower center. You will also need a 3-inch square and a 1-1/2-inch square of Heat 'n Bond Ultra Hold, a 5/8" button, hot glue, floral tape, and floral wire. If you would like to add leaves to your bouquet, you will need green fabric, Heat 'n Bond, white glue, floral wire and floral tape.

Begin by making the following circle templates from cardboard:
Flower Petals--2-3/4"
Flower Center--1-1/4"

Fuse the 3-inch square piece of Heat 'n Bond to the wrong side of the petal fabric. Remove the paper backing.

Fuse the fabric to the wrong side of the remaining petal fabric.

Place the 2-3/4" petal template onto the fabric and trace lightly with a pencil or disappearing ink pen. Cut out the circle along the traced line.

Place the 1-1/4" flower center template onto the non-glue side of the 1-1/2" piece of Heat 'n Bond and trace with a pencil. Fuse to the wrong side of the of flower center fabric. Cut out the circle along the traced line.

Remove the paper backing from the 1-1/4" circle and fuse it to the center of the 2-3/4" circle.

You will be cutting 12 slits evenly around the outer circle. Cut ONE slit all the way to the flower center. Cut and remove completely two sections of petals, one from each side of the slit.
Follow the diagram for cutting.

Trim off a thin sliver on both sides of each slit. The space between the slits should measure between 1/16th and 1/32th of an inch. This will give you a slight separation between the petals. Keep in mind that each petal does not need to look exactly the same. Mother Nature's own work is seldom duplicated.

To create the flower stem, run the floral wire (approx. 18" or whatever size you'd prefer) through the button hole starting at the bottom of the button and back down through the other hole.

Twist the wire securely to keep the button firmly in place.

Place a small glob of glue onto one of the tabs(where the petals were removed).

Bring the tabs together around the stem, overlapping the tabs until the flower petals are close to each other.

Optional: Adding stems of leaves to the bouquet.
To make a simple pattern, start off with a 1" x 2" piece of cardboard. Round off both bottom corners. Cut to a point at the top. Use this pattern to trace onto fused green fabric and cut out on the traced lines.

Glue a 4" piece of floral wire to the underside of each of the leaves. Let dry completely.

Create the stem with a double strand of wire (approximately 12-1/2" or whatever size you'd prefer). Wrap with floral tape, adding leaves as you go around.

Create several stems of leaves to act as filler in your bouquet.

As you can see, the addition of leaves adds fullness and interest to the bouquet.

There you have it, a whimsical bouquet of fleur de marguerite to brighten your day.

This would make a wonderful bouquet for Easter or for Mother's Day or simply to welcome in Spring.

Take care, everyone!

Aloha!

Quick 'n Easy Flower Hair Pins

2010-01-28T18:11:00.000-08:00

**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**

Create something sweet for that cute little one in your life.

You will need five 2" X 2" fabric squares, a 5/8" circle of felt, and a bobby pin. You will also need a hot glue gun, two buttons, and a needle and thread.

*To create the petals, place the first fabric square onto an ironing surface, right side facing down.
*Fold one side to the center, press flat.
*Fold the other side to the center, press flat.
*Fold the raw edges together. Do not press. This will make the petals too flat. Repeat with the rest of the petals.

With needle and thread, take a running stitch at the raw edge of the first petal.
Repeat until you have all 5 petals on the thread.

Tie both ends of the thread together to form a circle of petals.

Sew a coordinating stack of buttons to the center of the flower.

Slide the felt round between both prongs of the bobby pin, crinkled side of the pin facing up.

Place a small glob of hot glue onto the center of the felt circle.

Glue the bobby pin to the back of the flower, concealing the raw edges.

There you have it. This is so simple that you'll probably want to make oodles.

Have a wonderful day!

'Simply Peppermint' Pincushion

2010-01-23T15:20:00.000-08:00

During the process of making my 'Simply Geometric' Pincushion, thoughts of peppermint candy kept bobbling around in my brain.

I found it interesting that the same concept would lend itself perfectly to the swirls found on peppermint candy.

So, I couldn't help myself. I just had to make one.

If you're anything like me, you can never have too many pincushions.

Thank you, everyone, for stopping by and leaving me such sweet comments. Y'all warm my heart more than you will ever know.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Aloha!

'Simply Geometric' Pincushion

2010-01-19T16:42:00.000-08:00

**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**

What better way to start off the new year than with a pretty new pincushion. Did I just hear a collective sigh of ooh's and ahh's rounded out with a squeal of delight? Oh, never mind, it came from me. What is it about pincushions, anyway? I can never get enough of them.

Here is the pattern. It is made up of circles, squares and triangles. Simply geometric! Please note that this diagram has not been drawn to scale but is for information purposes only.

Cut two 6-1/2" squares for the body of the pincushion.
Cut 8 triangles, 4 lining and 4 from decorative fabric. (I've chosen white for the lining).
For the rosette, cut two 4-inch circles with 1-3/4" circles removed from their centers.

Begin with the triangles. Place one lining and one decorative piece together, right sides facing each other. Pin in place. Sew both of the 4-3/4" sides using 1/4" seams. Trim seams to 1/8" and clip the point to reduce bulk. Turn right side out. Repeat with the remaining triangular pieces.
For the rosette, pin right sides together and sew around the outside perimeter using a 1/4" seam. Trim the seam to 1/8" and turn right side out.
Press all pieces flat with an iron.

Place one 6-1/2" square onto a flat surface, right side facing up. Center each of the triangles along the straight edges, right sides facing down. Machine baste each piece into place to keep it from shifting.

Place both 6-1/2" squares right sides together. Sew around the perimeter using a 1/4" seam. Be sure to leave a 1-1/4" opening for turning. Clip all 4 corners and turn right side out.

Stuff with your preferred stuffing and sew the opening closed.

Bring the 4 triangle points to the center of the pincushion. They should overlap by 1/4". Tack to keep it in place.

To finish off the rosette, take a running stitch along the inside circle. Gather and tie off.

Sew the rosette to the center of the pincushion and top with a coordinating stack of buttons. If you prefer, you can tuft the center by pulling the thread tightly as the buttons are being sewn on.

Here is a version with a double rosette.

I adore this color combination. Brown. Pink. Lavender. Très chic!

Now, load these pretties up with pins and start on that project that you've been procrastinating about. Go. Do it now. I said so. Pretty please. Well, only if you want to.

Have a good day!

Aloha!

Wire-Edged Fabric Flowers

2010-01-05T17:42:00.000-08:00

**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**

Hi! How are you doing? I'm having my usual beginning of the year, slow-like- molasses kind of start. Are you feeling the same way too? My body is tired and sore from the hoopla of the holidays. Even the old noggin is sleepy-sore. Unfortunately, I have grown to accept this yearly occurrence. Choosing to opt out of thinking too much, or straining the brain as I like to call it, seems natural to me at this time of year. It's a very dull and numb feeling, almost as if I went to bed, got up, but my brain decided it wanted to remain in sleep mode. Brain constipation! Hehehehe! (Can't believe I just said that, and most of all, that I have the nerve to post it!)

Moving on.........

Okay, so you say that you're a scrap fabric saver just like me. You did say that, right? It is interesting to note that everyone has their own interpretation of what constitutes a scrap piece of fabric. To some, it could be a half a yard, to others just a quarter and to some it may be much, much smaller. To me, a scrap is something that cannot be folded up neatly and placed onto the shelf to live happily ever after with the rest of the yardage. This means that I personally have massive piles of scraps. For the record, all fabric is precious to me and I enjoy finding uses for all of it, big or small.

**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**

This tutorial will show you how to create wire edged fabric plumeria or frangipani flowers from scrap pieces of fabric. You can use these general guidelines for making other flowers but will need to alter the shape of the petals.

Supplies: You will need fabric scraps, 26 gauge cloth covered floral stem wire in 18" lengths, a sharpie or a dowel approximately 1/2" in diameter, a plastic seed bead container or a dowel approximately 7/8" in diameter, Tacky Glue, scotch tape, floral tape, sharp scissors, and a pair of wire cutters/pliers.

Please note: The length of wire that you choose to use for each of your petals will ultimately depend on what project you will be using these flowers on. If you are planning to turn your flowers into a bouquet, it is reasonable to say that using the entire 18" length of wire would be prudent. After twisting the center of the 18" piece of wire around the dowel, you should end up with tails approximately 8" in length. This could then be used to form the stem of the flower bouquet.

To begin, twist the center of the wire around the bead container or dowel with the help of a plier if needed. Twist 3-4 times to secure.

Slide the wire off of the bead container or dowel taking care not to distort the shape.

With one hand holding onto the wire tail, place the sharpie or 1/2" dowel into the circle and give it a gentle tug. The harder you pull, the narrower the petal will become.

This is the shape you are trying to achieve.

The next step involves gluing the wire onto the fabric. The glue that comes straight from the bottle comes out in too large a stream. To rectify this, place a piece of scotch tape onto the tip of the nozzle at an angle.

Roll the tape around the tip to form a cone shape. The size of the stream should be the approximate width of the wire. You may cut the tip of the cone as needed.

Apply glue evenly and completely around one side of the wire petal.

Place the petal onto the right side of the fabric. Press down on the wire to achieve contact between the glue and the fabric. There will be oozing once the wire is pressed down but this is acceptable as the excess glue will dry clear.

Let the petals dry completely.

Cut around each petal as close to the wire as possible being careful not to cut through the fabric on the wire.

Place 5 petals together evenly. Apply floral tape to the wire stems to hold it together.

Shape the petals by wrapping the edges around a dowel.

Optional Step: To slightly stiffen petals(which I always do), use a 50/50 mix of Elmer's Glue and water. Paint on a light coat with a soft paintbrush. Avoid pressing too hard on the petals because once the fabric becomes saturated, there is a possibility that the fabric could separate from the wire. Allow to dry thoroughly before attaching the flower to your project.

You could turn these flowers into a petite noesgay like I did last June.

If you feel overwhelmed at the prospect of making more than one of anything then I say, just make one.

Tuck it into your hair right above your ear, sit back, enjoy a refreshing Mai Tai and imagine that you're in Hawaii. Always works for me. *wink*

Aloha!

Hauoli Makahiki Hou!

2010-01-01T15:31:00.000-08:00

Remnants of a fun-filled night.

A half eaten candy buffet.

If only I could have remembered to take "before" pictures. Sigh.

I would like to wish you all a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year!

Hauoli Makahiki Hou!
Aloha!

The Magic of Christmas Never Ends and it's Greatest Gifts Are Family and Friends

2009-12-23T21:19:00.000-08:00

Thank you, everyone, for your support throughout the year. Your lovely comments have meant so much to me. I wish you and your family joy and happiness this Christmas!

Mele Kalikimaka!
Aloha!

Cute as a Button!

2009-12-19T18:16:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for something fun and playful to wear at your next holiday gathering, have I got the perfect project for you. I found a fabulous tutorial on Jo in TAS for a scrumptious button necklace. This is a quick and easy project to make so I hope that you give it a try.

I wanted something delicious and candy-like and decided on this colorful assortment of buttons. It reminds me of the candy necklaces that I wore as a child, minus all the stickiness, of course.

This green and brown combination is a little more sophisticated and I love how it turned out.

I am not an avid jewelry maker so I do not have necklace clasps at my disposal. Since I do have jewelry pliers and wire, I opted for an Egyptian Clasp closure instead.

I love buttons so this was the perfect project for me.

Mele Kalikimaka! May the closeness of family and friends renew your spirits this holiday season.

Aloha!

Flakey Goodness

2009-12-13T10:32:00.000-08:00

Felt snowflakes on my Christmas tree...

...with sweet sugar cookie centers. Yummy!

Wouldn't they be cute tucked into the branches of a white Christmas tree? Maybe one day.

Season's Sweet Things to you, my friends.

Aloha,

Surf Kitty, U.S.A.

2009-12-12T13:53:00.000-08:00

I couldn't make it to Waimea Bay this past week to catch the 40-50 foot momboosa waves so I thought I'd hang ten at home.

Just ridin' them waves...shootin' the curl...havin' a good old time. I'm so stoked.

Mele Kalikimaka!

Aloha,
Mousie