FALL Flower Bouquet Tutorial

As I was cleaning up the garden and preparing for the upcoming chilly weather, I noticed the wonderful variety of flowers still in bloom. Don't get me wrong, mum's are nice and I'm sure I'll even be planting a few of them myself. But while we think of fall as a time of colorful leaves on the trees, you might want to take a moment to notice the many other colorful contenders.

For this week's pay-it-forward, I decided to gather a variety of flowers, foliage and other fauna and arrange it into a vase to give to a neighbor. (I make a point to purchase inexpensive used vases from thrift stores and yard sales and keep a supply on hand, as this PIF can be done throughout the blooming season.)

So my son and I went exploring to see what we could find, keeping an open mind to what we could put in our vase. It really was amazing to see the assortment of flowers -- and shrubs -- that are still putting on a show.

Sedum, hardy ageratum, mini blacked-Susan, asters,....

... Japanese anemone, tall verbena, caryopteris, and butterfly bush.

Don't forget the not-so-obvious which work great for filler, like crabapple, persicaria, boxwood, euonymous, ...
... blooming annuals (which will be dying soon anyway,) decorative tree branches like birch or curly willow, fall-colored leaves, and annual foliage.

You never know what other unexpected treasures you'll find on your search, like this fascinating praying mantis that my son found.

After clipping a variety of fresh blooms and foliage, my son helped me arrange it all into a vase and then delivered it to a neighbor. She was so pleased, she insisted on rewarding my son with some candy treats, which my son considered to be a great idea. And after making one for our PIF project, we still had enough flowers and foliage to make an arrangement for ourselves.

For your own flower and foliage foraging, you'll want to bring with you a bucket of water and a pair of garden clippers. I also recommend wearing gloves, because you don't want to accidentally grab onto something that has legs without your hands being protected. If you don't have enough of a variety in your own backyard, browse the roadside -- but be careful of traffic. Your child might also want to bring along a magnifying glass, for those more interesting creatures!

FALL Handmade Card Tutorial

I'm quite sure that when my mom taught me how to sew a few decades ago, she never imagined I would someday use the ability to stitch greeting cards. But the selection of thread colors and fancy stitches available with sewing is like adding a whole storage cabinet to your scrapbooking closet, but without requiring the added space.

This particular card was done with a combination of paper and fabric. Printed fabrics are available in a wide variety of designs that are appropriate for a fall card, or solid-colored fabric cut to shape works well too. A coordinating piece of sackcloth, a few buttons, and a little raffia add some dimension to the effect.

The leaf in this example was selected fresh from the outdoors and secured to the card front using 5 metal eyelets. Hammering the holes and attaching the eyelets is my son's favorite part.

The inside of the card was done in a similar theme. In this case, I used the card for an October birthday, but it could be used for any occasion.

And if you don't have a sewing machine, hand-stitching makes for an even more personal touch.

Do you REALLY want to know?

Does the nutritional value of your lunch make the grade?

Check out this website, which boasts an extensive list of fast food restaurants, menu items, and the associated nutritional information for each. For those of you that can't quite digest all the information about protein, carbs, sodium, fiber, etc., this site makes it easy by assigning a letter grade to each item, just like in school.

Average your "food grade" for a day. If you're failing, you have bigger things to worry about than having to retake a meal. This would be a great activity to do with your children, and an avenue for teaching them healthy eating with a grading system they can relate to.

Garbage in, garbage out!

Thinking of you....

Take just a moment to write a note to an old friend. Yes, I said "write." Not email, not IM, not text or call, but write. With a pen.

Let them know that you're thinking about them, what they mean to you, how much you appreciate your relationship. Take the moment to do it now, rather than put it off.

Candy EARRINGS Tutorial

These earrings look good enough to eat! I wouldn't recommend eating them, but they will make a "sweet" embellishment for your earlobes. Make them now and you can wear them for Halloween, or the next kids' party, or just for fun. Everyone will think they're a real "treat."

For supplies, you will need
- 2 head pins
- 2 french hooks
- 2 12mm "candy" beads (any beads that remind you of candy)
- 2 4mm x 6mm crystal flower caps
- 2 4mm crystal disc beads
You will also need a wire tool. It doesn't have to be a jewelry tool, but something with a small tip that will cut and twist wire.

Load the beads onto the head pin, starting with one of the flower caps, large side first. Follow this with one of the disc beads. Next, the "candy" bead. Then finish up with another disc bead and the another flower cap, small side first.

Now, clip the wire to within about 3/8" of the last bead. Using the wire tool, form a small loop, leaving a slight gap for the french hook. Place the closed loop on the french hook onto the open loop of the head pin, then close the loop using the wire tool. Repeat with the second earring.


Added tip: You can skip the disc beads if your candy bead doesn't have too large of a hole, which would embed the flower cap too deeply into the candy bead. Leaving out the disc beads results in a slightly different look, and is also a bit smaller which works well for younger girls.

These make wonderful gifts for school teachers, babysitters, hair stylists and more. Depending upon what quality of beads you purchase, you can easily make them for under two dollars a pair. If you need to make a lot, Fire Mountain Gems and Ring 'n Things have some great deals if you purchase in bulk.

NOT So Shabby...

I love trash to treasure projects! Whether doing it myself or seeing something done by someone else.

Here are a few before and after pics of some projects I did a while back in a Shabby Chic theme.

A nasty desk lamp before....

And after...
An old-fashioned cosmetic case before...

And after...

A simple wooden shelf before...

And after...

A tarnished silver plate before...

And a jewelry keeper after...

A rusty brass vase before...

And a fancy jewelry keeper after...

An old collander before...

And a fancy soap dish after...


Hopefully, these projects will inspire to you take a new look at an old item before you toss it into a nearby landfill.

Beaded Zipper Pull Tutorial

This simple zipper pull (or key fob) is very easy to make and a great idea for gifts. By adjusting the bead colors, you can theme them for a school, sports team, or simply for a person's favorite colors.

The materials you will need are as follows:
1 - 14mm or larger lobster clasp
1 - 4mm x 7mm bead cap
1 - fold-over oyster bead
1 - 15"-length of 28g or thicker bead wire
1 - large drilled faux diamond
12 - seed beads
3-4 large mixed-style beads
For tools, you will need a wire tool and glue (optional)

Most of these items can be acquired at any store that sells beading supplies. If you're not familiar with bead styles, be aware that some of them can be quite pricey. For the faux diamond, I found mine at Michael's. If you can't find these, any large bead can be substituted.

To begin, thread the faux diamond onto the wire, positioning the bead mid-way on the wire. Fold the wire in half and tie a knot in the wire tightening it onto the bead.

Line up the ends of the wire and thread the wire through the bead cap, wide side first. Position the bead cap so that it covers the top of the faux diamond.

Loading the beads can be done in any order to form any pattern. In the sample pictured above, there are 3 seed beads between each larger bead except for the matched pair. The wire should make it easy to pick up the beads. I find it easiest to have the ends of the wire different lengths, so that you're not trying to thread both wires at the same time, but whatever works for you.

Once the beads have all been loaded, it's time to add the oyster bead.

Thread the ends of the wire through the hole in the oyster bead. Make sure all the beads are positioned tightly next to each other, including the oyster bead, and tie a knot in the wire. It might be necessary to knot the wire several times to be sure the knot is large enough not to slip though the hole in the oyster bead. I recommend applying a dot of glue onto the knot so prevent the knot from slipping loose.
Using a wire tool, squeeze the oyster bead closed, being careful not to scratch the bead.

Next, position the hook on the oyster bead through the loop on the lobster clasp, and use the wire tool to close the loop in the hook.

Now it's ready to adorn a zipper on a pullover or purse, or to be added to a key ring.