Unique Gift Container

Who doesn't like the insulated canning jar cups that are out on the market now? I've found a way to use them as part of the gift AND the wrapping! They are coming out in some really great colors now & you can even buy extra replacement straws too!

This is going to be a really quick post, but I wanted to share it with you in case your scrambling for a last minute Easter "basket" for someone special. In fact, this idea is perfect for any time, not just Easter!

My older sister lives in a group home with 3 other ladies and they all have some kind of mental disability. My sister has Downs, and we just recently had it confirmed that she has the onset of dementia. I'm trying to figure out what I need to do from here, as it seems to be progressing quicker than I'd like to witness.

I always try to do something for each of the members of their house at the gift giving holidays and even a little something for their staff, because those ladies put up with a LOT!  Actually, I don't do enough for them, but I try.

I wanted something different from the usual basket that they really have no other uses for, and I hate to waste my money on such disposable items. I wanted them to have something useful & yet make it look a little pretty in it's presentation. I have a ton of tulle ribbon, so this was a another use for that, even though it barely made a dent. 

I purchased the cups at Walmart. They're less than $5 each for the smaller ones, like these. This cup is for my sister. Her favorite color is purple, but since they didn't have that in their selection, this is what I settled for. I tied hers with some turquoise tulle and the others have light pink. She loves bright & festive things, so this should please her.

This is one of the other cups that's clear, so you can see the contents inside. It's still hard to tell, but there's a little bit of Easter grass in the bottom to make it feel festive.

I'm hoping you were a little bit inspired to think outside of the typical gift box with this unique & useful idea!

 Happy Easter & God Bless!

Teacher Appreciation Sign

We're getting closer to the end of the school year and come some time in May, we'll be doing Teacher Appreciation week around here. 

Now mind you, this project was not originally my idea and I don't know anything about the original artist, so I won't post their photo without being able to give them proper credit. I was sent a phone picture by one of my customers asking me to make something similar. I believe the original one was done freehand on canvas maybe, while mine was done with the help of my Silhouette Cameo on wood.

I wish I could tell you what all the fonts are, but I had this melt down with my lack of proper judgement by installing the newest version for my Cameo much too soon. I ended up installing & uninstalling it AND the old version 3 times each just to get this project done by the deadline. I can tell you that the font for TEACHER & the name at the bottom is Cornfed. Others are TMJ, Hello Heartache, Comic Sans, Happy Sans, Hippy Movement, & maybe Segoe Script? I know there are some more, but if you want to make this sign yourself, make it your own & choose which fonts YOU like! I'm thinking the apple was part of a title image from the Silhouette store, I just made one fat & one skinny.

All you have to do is paint your board black first. And here's a little tip for making your colors POP on a black background, do a primer coat of your design in white first. 

Trust me, if you didn't do a white base coast first, the pink & green paints would have had a black undertone to them & harder to see, plus you would have had to do many more coats. Since I cut my "stencil" design using plain white contact paper, it makes it easy to keep it in place & do each color over the white with little hassle & barely a trace of the white. I had a couple of letters with a white edge, but I touched them up with a fine artist brush. Once the paint is completely dry, I like to spray a couple coats of a matte sealer. 

 

**I have to mention that my late Mother In Law had a hand in creating this sign. I was afraid I was going to have to out & purchase another bottle of pink paint, since that's what my client wanted, but I went to check my stash, just to make sure. Wouldn't ya know it? There was a bottle of Country Rose paint that I had inherited from my MIL, Barb. And it was EXACTLY the right shade too. I only have one other bottle of pink paint & it's baby pink. I just had to share that with you, for those that read my blog & knew my dear Mother-in-Law.

Have a great day!

Fancy Smancy Frenchy Table

Gee, I haven't posted anything new since 2013. Oh, I've started at least 3 new posts that never got finished, and now here we are into April. Time sure does fly!

You can usually tell my excitement for Spring by my anticipation for blooming flowers in my gardens, especially after the long, snowy winter we've just had this past year.  

We STILL have a 2 tiny piles of snow left in our yard, & no, we didn't just get hit with that snowstorm that Minnesota & the Dakotas (& Canada) just got a week or so ago (thank you Lord!)

 

Of course, these piles are from the massive piles that my husband created from plowing our driveway & we live in the woods, so the shade from the trees help to keep them around even longer than usual.

I do have some very tiny flowers blooming right now, so that's good to see!

These little blue ones are some escapees that I need to transplant somewhere else. I've learned that these will spread like crazy if left unchecked! I want them by the edge of my woods, behind my garden shed where they can just "go to town!"

My poor looking Rhododendron tree took a hard hit from the long term freezing temps. It's looking pretty rough! I wonder if I'll get very many blooms on it this year? It's never looked this bad in the 11 years we've lived here.

This is what it looked like last year in 2013, I guess we'll see what May brings for it.

 

However, as much as I LOVE to see my plants and flowers emerge in the spring, there just might be one other thing I love a tiny bit more....

 *

 *

 *

...GARAGE SALES!! 

In years past, it's been warm enough once in a while that there might be some as early as late March & even more in early April. This year, nothing in March in my small town. But there was one yesterday in a nearby town. I tried to be good & not go there, and I didn't! Buuuuut, I learned that my sweet hubby was working in that town & it just happened to work out that he was able to go scope it out for me at the end of the day. I'm sure there was more there that I would have probably liked, but what he sent me pictures of with his phone was enough. 

He found a wicker-like birdcage, a pitcher and bowl in a wash stand, and this beauty!

I had no idea the table looked this pretty based on the photo my hubby sent. It had pillows sitting on one side & a throw on the other & it was far away, so I didn't notice the inlay detail.

It does have a repair that looks easy enough to take care of. I've dealt with worse.

I had my husband do a little wheelin' & dealin' on a price for everything - a little "bundling".... you know, American Pickers style!

I want to get started on this piece right away, because I have an Artisan Market on May 3 that will have the kind of clientele that just might be in the market for something like this. I'd love to keep it myself, but I don't think it's a right fit in my woodsy, rustic home. Well, I could if I wanted to redo the entire living room over, which would be much to my husband's dismay.

So keep your fingers crossed that you'll get to see a post on the finished table! (and maybe say a little prayer that we have great weather for the artisan market too)