Happy Halloween!

Just a quick little last-minute project made with all of the cool new "Twilight" goodies from Pink Paislee. This makes a great little card for your kids (that can later be used as a door hanger), or even a quick hostess gift for those Halloween parties I know you;ll all be attending tonight. It only took about a half an hour to put it together (aside from waiting for the glitter and glue to dry).

Everyone in the Hanks houshold wants to wish you the happiest of Halloweens as well. Including our new rescue Frenchie, Zee...



She looks real happy, doesn't she? Yeah... not so much. Next year I'm going to devise a costume for her that looks like "Spike" from the movie, Gremlins. Everyone keeps telling me she looks like a gremlin, so I figure, "Why not?"

Sake's just glad that she avoided having to wear the hot dog costume again this year. The skeleton suit is much more dignified... and it glows in the dark!



I'm quite certain that my dogs hate Halloween. But, not my kids. Luka threw a fit until I relented, and bought him this Brobee costume. Not the most manliest of things, but Bryan isn't home for this Halloween to complain. *wink*





As for Hazel, we've managed to avoid the generic princess costumes... until this year. But, her obsession with all things glittery has taken over, and she fell in love with this Cinderella dress when she spied it this summer at Disney World. Fortunately, the Disney Store had it for about $30 cheaper. She looks beautiful... if I do say so myself.





I hope you all have a wonderfully fun (and safe) Halloween! Trick-or-treat!

Gettin' spooky...

I am so lucky to be able to participate in this year's Sweet & Sinister Halloween swap hosted yearly by the queen of Halloween, Kari Ramstrom aka Artsy Mama. (Who coincidentally also happens to be my swap partner!)

One of the swap items is to be something that we handmade especially for the recipient. So, here are some little trinkets that I made for Kari and her two kiddos.



If you've been paying any attention around the vintage/home decor circles lately, you'll know that collecting old prize ribbons (especially of the equestrian variety) is all the rage. Who would have thought all those ribbons I won way back when I showed hunter jumpers would actually be considered a hot commodity in the circles of home decorating someday? Good thing my mom saved plastic tub upon plastic tub filled with them. I really should ask her to send them to me...

Anyhow, if you aren't fortunate enough to have your own collection of dust-collecting rosettes sitting up in your attic, you can always make your own. And, they're quite simple at that. All of these prize ribbons are made from the new "Twilight" line by Pink Paislee, some bits of vintage trim from my stash, and a little bit of Stickles (because we all know I can't create something without a little sparkle).

I tried a couple of different techniques for the centers of the rosettes. The most simple is to start off with a couple of the circular designs from the Twilight Punchouts. I used a 2" circle punch to trim them down, and then punched out 2 circles for each rosette from a piece of thin chipboard (like you'd find on the back of a slab of patterned paper). Mount the punch-outs on top of the punched chipboard. This just gives it a little more of a sturdy background. Ink the edges of the rounds with some black dye ink. You'll end up with something that looks like this:



You'll notice a different method used for the piece on the bottom left. For that, I cut a 3" circle from one of the Twilight Patches. Then, I only inked the edge of the circular tree stamp from this set, and stamped it onto the fabric (using some black Fabrico ink). Then, I secured it to another 2" punched circle of chipboard. Secure the edges of the fabric to the back of the chipboard using hot glue. You'll have something like this:



Next, we'll be working with some of this fabulous fringed crepe paper from Bethany Lowe. I cut a strip of it, and then cut it in half length-wise to get a thinner strip with a straight edge. Use hot glue to run it around the back edge of the chipboard:



Then, we'll add an edge of pleated black satin ribbon. I buy pre-pleated ribbon, but if you're a whiz with a sewing machine... go ahead and pleat your own. But, as I said... I buy mine (to save both time AND sanity). Affix it to the back of the chipboard using hot glue:



The back will look like this:



Now for the ribbon tails. I cut 3 lengths of black satin ribbon to about 6" long. Attach them to the back of the chipboard like so:



This is all beginning to look a bit messy, isn't it? Not to worry! Remember those extra circles we punched from the chipboard? We'll just cover that mess up with one of those (and some more hot glue):



I know, I should really buy stock in whatever company manufacturers hot glue. It is my best sticky friend. Again, with the hot glue... adhere a pin back to the back of the chipboard:



Now, it's time to get those rosettes prettied up in the holiday finest! I added names to the ribbons using some Expressions Whimsies Alhpas in "Pumpkin," and added a little sparkle atop them with my trusty Stickles. I also edged some elments in the centers of the rosettes with a bit more sparkle. Add some bling... make it purdy!



To the center of the fabric covered rosette, I used the bat image from the Twilight Rub-ons, applied it to a piece of smooth white cardstock, cut it out, and adhered it to the middle of the fabric circle. You can see it in the bottom right of this next image... all gussied up with some sparkle of its own:



"Now, what the heck am I actually supposed to USE these for?" you're asking. Well, I used them to label little goodies bags filled with Halloween treats. Simply punch two small holes at the top of a folded-over goodie bag, and run the pin back through them:





Something else that might be fun... make actual prize ribbons out of them! We host an annual Halloween costume party at our house every year. Well, every year that B isn't deployed. So, instead of names on the ribbon, wouldn't it be cool to write "1st Place, "2nd Place," etc., and hand them out as awards for the best costumes at your party? I'm definitely adding that to my to-do list for next year's party. *wink*

Aaaaand, she's back!

Holy crap. What a week! That's all I can say. This deployment is kicking my butt, and we're only one week into it. You name it... it has gone wrong. Terribly wrong. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

Anyhow... on to more fun, pretty, crafty things! Today, I have a video tutorial (and a GIVEAWAY of *NEW* Pink Paislee) for this garden journal that I made using the new Pink Paislee "Amber Road" line...







In addition to being something nice to make for yourself (that is, if you're a gardener), these also make lovely gifts for any gardening friends you might have OR a lovely housewarming gift for a new neighbor! There are so many great flowers and veggies that make for great fall-starts in your garden. Here's an article that talks about all of your fall/winter vegetable gardening options.

As for the journaling kit, hey're quite simple to make and only require a few basic supplies. There are 6 coin envelopes contained inside the box that are the perfect size to store a packet of seeds, and have plenty of room on the outside for your gardening notes! So, shall we learn how to make one of these? Yes, let's...



Now that you've kindly sat through my video tutorial, I have an opportunity for you to win some *NEW* Pink Paislee "Amber Road" goodies. You will win everything pictured here:



It includes:
* A template for the garden journal box (that's right... no measuring or cutting for you!)
* 6 coin envelopes (not pictured)
* One of each of the new patterned paper designs that are part of the "Amber Road" line
* One pkg. "Amber Road" Bella Brads
* One pkg. "Amber Road" Punch Outs die cut tags
* One piece of "Amber Road" Patches canvas tag
* One pkg. "Chocolate" Expressions cardstock alphabets
* One pkg. "Pear" Expressions cardstock alphabets
* 1 yard cream grosgrain ribbon
* 1 yard jute twine
* 1 coordinating Prima flower

You have until Monday, August 31st at 11:59 pm PST to leave a comment on this post to be entered to win this nice little prize pack! I will announce the winner the following day (Sept 1st).

Speaking of video tutorials, my fabric embellishment tutorial was featured today on Mod Podge Rocks. So, if you missed the tutorial a while back on the Label Tulip blog, be sure to check it out!

As for all of the projects that I had been planning on featuring this month... not to worry. They will all be coming over the next few weeks. This start of this deployment has been much harder than I had anticipated... especially for the kids. That, and I've been busier than a one-armed paper hanger for the last several days (you'll understand VERY soon exactly why). *wink, wink* Thanks for your continued readership and support... I promise not to disappoint. There are lots of fun projects, new ventures and secret surprises in store! Stay tuned...

something simple

Everybody likes simple projects that use up our extra scraps, right? Well, I have a quick little project to share today that anybody can do, and has so many possibilities!



Hazel has this on the nightstand in her room. It keeps all of her little earring safe inside. But, you could always use it to house other things... spare keys on a table near the front door, cotton balls in the bathroom, you wedding ring (if you take yours off while doing dishes like I do).

These box come in all shapes and sizes, and are available at Michael's starting at about 99 cents. Just like the uses for the box, the embellishing has endless possibilities. The above box is made using all products from Pink Paislee's "Enchanting" line. To start, you'll want to cover the box in patterned paper (or you could even paint it). I used super-strong double-stick tape from Magenta to adhere the paper to the box, but you could use any strong, dry adhesive. Heck, you could even Mod Podge it!

Once you cover the box, you can start adding the extra special touches. For the top box, I used one of Pink Paislee's Petals topped by a wee brad. The edge along the box top is trimmed with some pretty ribbon from last year's holiday collection. I finished it off with some glass pebbles glued to the bottom for "feet." You don't have to do that, but I like to keep the paper of the box off the surface it sits on... just in case something gets spilled near it. ;0)

And, to give you some different decorating ideas, here's the box I have in my room for my earrings...



These little boxes are great ways to use up odds and ends from your stash. And, if your little girl is is anything like mine, she'll have plenty of treasures to stow away inside. I'm thinking about making another one to hold her collection of holiday pins that seem to be breeding atop the vanity in her room.

Of course, you could always make a few of these at Christmas time, and stash a gift card inside. Then, the recipient would have a lovely box to keep, and a gift card to spend! See? Endless possibilities...

*in a pickle*

We're gonna' kick of the blogiversary with a foodie post of sorts (which also, coincidentally, has a little craft project to accompany it). Perfect, right?



It's safe to say that I am officially addicted to this whole pickling/canning/jelly-making thing. Not only is it delicious, but it's so rewarding to be able to provide food stuffs for your family. AND, *bonus*... a basket full of home-canned goods with some accompaniments makes for a lovely gift! Please, please, please... don't let yourself be intimidated by canning your own goods. Seriously. I was for years. But, it is SURPRISINGLY easy once you get than hang of it. Even jellies are pretty simple (we'll save that for another post, though.) Anyhow...

I have finally (after much trial and error) perfected a dil pickle recipe that I wanted to share with you. The last pickle recipe I shared was for a bread and butter pickle (a little on the sweeter side). But, this one is for those tried and true dill pickles we all love. And, they're pretty delicious if I do say so myself. I found the recipe in the Ball canning guide to be a tad on the salty side with a little too much of a pungent flavor, so I've tinkered and tweaked it a bit to get it just the way I like it. Plus, their recipes always call for huge quantities of produce that my garden doesn't, well... produce. So these quantities are adjusted to suit the more average gardener like myself. This recipe makes about 3 wide-mouthed pint jars full of pickles. Ready? Here we go...

"Grandma's Dill Pickles"
For the pre-soak (Yes, folks, this is a 2-day project)...
4 lbs pickling cucumbers, sliced to about 1/4" thick rounds
Lots of ice (like clean out the bucket of your ice machine "lots")
1/2 C pickling salt
4 C water

In a lg. stainless steel or glass mixing bowl, alternate between layers of ice and cucumbers (ending with a layer of ice on top). In a lg. pitcher, dissolve pickling salt into 4 C water. Pour over the cucmbers/ice. The cucumbers should be entirely covered with water, so keep adding plain cold water until they are covered. You'll end up with something that looks like this...



Invert a plate over the top of it, and weigh it down with a couple of jars filled with water. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours, but no more than 18 hours.

For the actual canning process...
4 C water
1 Tbs. pickling spice
3 C white vinegar (Once you get into canning, you'll be wanting to buy those HUGE jugs of vinegar - both the white and apple cider variety. I always looked at those in the store and wondered who in the H-E-double hockey sticks would need that much vinegar. The answer? You will... if you want to do a lot of canning!)
1/2 C pickling salt
1/8 C granulated sugar
2 1/4 tsp mustard seeds(this will be divided later)
1 1/2 Tbs, plus 1 1/2 tsp. dill seed (this will be divided later)
3 cloves of garlic (I use the minced variety that comes in a jar. This will also be divided later.)

Prepare your canner jars and lids. If you need some hints on how to do this, I provided a pretty easy step-by-step in this previous post. Meanwhile, tie your pickling spice into a spice bag or a square of cheese cloth. In a lg. saucepan, combine 4 C water, pickling salt and sugar. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Reduce heat, cover and boil softly for 15 min. Meanwhile, transfer cucumbers to a colander placed over a sink and drain them. Rinse with cool running water, and drain thoroughly. Pack cucumbers into prepared jars, filling to within 1/2 from top of jar. Add 3/4 tsp. mustard seeds, 1/2 Tbs. plus 1/2 tsp dill seed, and one clove of garlic to each jar. Ladle hot pickling liquid into hot jar to cover cucumbers, leaving 1/2" head space. Wipe rim. Center lids on jars. Screw band on until fingertip-tight.

Places jars back into canner, cover completely with water, cover and bring to a boil. Process for 10 minutes at a boil. Then, remove canner lid; wait 5 minutes. Remove jars, cool and store. Voila! Delicious pickles! Be sure to wait 24 hours before ravenously diving into your pickles.

But, wait! Don't want to eat all of those pickles yourself? How about sharing some with your friends and neighbors? You'll want to pretty those jars up first, though! This is a great way to use up your fabric remnants and assorted scrapbooking supplies.

First, find a circular object that is a couple of inches larger in diameter than the top of your jar. I used this roll of tape... a plate would also work well. Use a fabric marker to trace the circle onto your fabric.



Use pinking shears to cut out the circle of fabric.



Secure the fabric around the top of the jar using a rubber band.



Use a dot of hot glue to secure some ribbon to cover the rubber band.



Then, adorn away with tags, stickers, rub-ons... whatever your heart's desire. And, there you have it... a lovely homemade treat in pretty packaging!



Thanks for joining me today! I haven't quite decided on tomorrow's project yet, but I'm thinking I might share some peeks of my Christmas ornaments I'm making to swap this year (we'll see how much I get done between now and then)! See you tomorrow!

***NEW Pink Paislee***

As promised, albeit a day late (sorry, my mother-in-law is in town for her birthday, and we have been entertaining her)... If you haven't already been checking out the Pink Paislee blog to take a gander at their new products for release at the current CHA, I have some little peeks to share with you here. First, we'll start with my favorite collection... "Cupid":





Then, there's one of my favorite new collections for Christmas, "Mistletoe & Co.":





Then, we have their fun Halloween collection called "Twilight":









And, finally... some lovely "Amber Road":



These collections were just begging to be paired up with some vintage photos, so this was the perfect opportunity to break into a box of old photos that my dad recently gave me.

I think you all will really enjoy playing with these new collections. In my opinion, they are some of the best Pink Paislee project ever, ever! I have lots of fun projects planned for putting them to use throughout the rest of the year, so keep your eyes glued to the Pink Paislee blog for more fun in the coming months!

*productivity*

For once, I'm ahead of the game. Maybe I should pretend that every month, on the 20th, I am going to leave for an out of town trip for 2 weeks. Then, I might not find myself procrastinating until the last minute. It feels really good to have almost everything deadline-related complete... only one more project to go. Then, I can concentrate on the last-minute details of a fabulous vacation. I have lots of things to share before I leave, so we'll try to space them out over a couple of days.

Today, the last 3 of my Label Tulip sneaks...







Trust me, June's kits are AMAZING! You'll want to snag all 3 of them! And, tomorrow night at 6pm PST, you'll get your chance! In the meantime, don't forget to upload your projects to the LT gallery for May's challenge: Scrap something nobody knows about you. You have until the 18th, and then I'll select the winner for this month's RAK.

Not only the challenge projects, but anything you upload to the Label Tulip gallery will have the opportunity to be selected for our monthly member lift challenge. Each month, one of our Tulip Girls selects an outstanding layout from our member gallery for each of our designers to "lift." You'll have your name, photo and project featured in the monthly Label Tulip newsletter and the monthly gallery. In addition to seeing all of the fun interpretations of your layout from our Tulip Girls, you will also receive a $10 gift certificate for a future Label Tulip purchase. So, get those pages uploaded! You might just see your creation front and center next month!

I'll be back tomorrow with more eye candy! But, if you need something else to tide you over, today was my turn on the Pink Paislee blog. I did a fun little shrink plastic tutorial, which you can read here. And, once you've mastered your shrinking skills, you can put it to use by creating this altered frame project:



You can download a PDF project tutorial here. Enjoy!

Springing along...

***EDITED TO INCLUDE THE PINK PAISLEE BLOG HOP WINNER**
First, I want to announce my winner from the Pink Paislee blog hop! By total random selection, my winner is Shaina Longstreet! Shaina, please e-mail me you mailing address at charmedgirlnc@gmail.com so that we can get your prize pack in the mail to you!

Now, I have another Pink Paislee project for spring to share with you!



I had been wanting a nice spring/Easter centerpiece for my dining room table, and the last project I shared wasn't quite big enough to fill the space. But, this little flower box does the job perfectly! The box itself is a wooden CD holder from Michael's. I painted it up with some antique white acrylic paint, and filled the inside with blocks of floral foam. Cover the floral foam with some Spanish moss, and then it's time to work on your flowers and the "bloom & grow" plaque. For the flowers...



I took several of the tulip chipboard shapes, and removed the top patterned layer. You'll want to paint the chipboard with some antique white to get the most color pop once you apply the glitters. After the paint has dried, apply a layer of Diamond Glaze or Glossy Accents and sprinkle on a layer of glitter. I worked with Pink Paislee's Pixee Stix in Bubblegum, Berry Blue, and Lemonade. You'll want to apply at least 2 coats of glitter for the most color, so keep repeating with layers of Diamond Glaze and glitter until you're satisfied. While those tulips are drying, go ahead and paint a wooden dowel (available at Michael's or your local hardware store) a light green; set aside to dry. Next, you'll need to make your leaves. Take one of the long multi-leaf shapes from the chipboard sets; remove the top layer of patterned paper. Use the same glittering technique as the tulips, working with Green Apple colored glitter. Once everything has dried, assemble the flowers with a hot glue gun; poke them into the floral foam until you're happy with the arrangement. Now, for the plaque...



For this, I butted two of the scalloped chipboard pieces together from two of these sets, and covered them with the woodgrain patterned paper. I used a chipboard label topped with a sticker label for the middle of the plaque, and applied it with some Pop Dots. Spell out "bloom & grow" with some chipboard letters, add some glitter and jewels to the plaque and you're done! Enjoy your gorgeous tulips that will never wilt in a flower box that stays full year-round!

Here comes Peter Cottontail!

As part of the Pink Paislee design team, I am excited to bring you a nifty little Easter project as part of their rockin' blog hop this weekend!



I covered a little papier mache basket from Michael's with some of the new "Enchanted" papers. Then, I spruces it up with some handmade flowers and a little "Happy Easter" label. And, if you know anything about me and my craftin'... you know I love glitter. All glitter. Anything sparkly. So, I had a blast painting up these papier mache eggs and coating them with LOTS of Pixee Stix glitter in Coconut.



It makes for a nice little table top decoration for Easter... simple and adorable!

We also thought it would be fun for you to get to know the designers a little bit better...

1.) Where did you grow up? I was born and raised in Texas, but finished up high school in Alaska. Do you still live there? Nope. Neither place. I live wherever the army sends the hubs... currently: North Carolina.
2.) What is a typical day like for you? Crazy! Just plain crazy. LOL! I'm a SAHM to a 2 and 5 year old with a husband that is RARELY home. You never know what to expect around here, but I try to keep the basic routine schedule the same (i.e. lunch time, bed time, etc.)
3.) What is your favorite fashion accessory? Well, before I cut my hair, it would have been my collection of head scarves and headbands. My hair's a little too short now to put it up, and I miss using them terribly. Must. grow. it. back. Why? I just love how much changing your hairstyle can change your whole look. I love to dry different things with my hair. I'm forever changing the color, the cut, the accessories...
4.) What is playing on your ipod right now? "If It Kills Me" by Jason Mraz... totally diggin' on that song lately.
5.) Name one television show that you MUST TIVO each week? Well, I still haven't come head-on into the 21st century... I don't have TIVO. But, if I did, I would have to say The Hills or The City. I can't ever stay up late enough to watch them, and I always miss the re-runs. So, inevitably, I end up watching them in poor quality on my computer later in the week.
6.) What is your favorite movie of all time? Across The Universe.
7.) What is your favorite Pink Paislee product? That's a tough one... I love 'em all! I guess it would have to come down to a toss-up between the Pixee Stix and their whole variety of alpha stickers.
8.) If you could only keep 1 scrapbooking tool what would it be? My 9" Xyron machine. I can't scrap without it, and I use it all the time for other crafting and DD's school/cheerleading projects. Totally worth every penny!
9.) If you didn't scrapbook what other activity would you spend time on? Gardening. I spend quite a bit of time doing it anyway. It relaxes me, and I love the whole idea of planting something from seed, and watching it grow. Nothing beats the smell of fresh earth and flowers in the spring time.
10.) What advice would you give to someone who wants to start scrapbooking? Don't go out in the beginning and just start buying everything you see. Start with a few basic supplies and tools. Figure out your style before you invest a lot of money in a ton of product. I have so much stuff from when I first started that I've never even used. I just bought, bought, bought. Now that I know how I like my pages to look and what I use most, I am able to make wiser decisions and limit my spending.
11.) What would you say your scrapbook style is today? I never know what to say to this question. You let me know if you figure it out. ;0)

Now that you've made it through a little me-me, and I've shown you a quick little Easter project, I have a surprise for you. As part of this weekend's blog hop, Pink Paislee has been generous enough to allow each of us designers to give away a little prize pack on our blog! Here's a snap of the goods:



All you have to do is leave a comment on my blog, and you have through the end of the day on Sunday. I'll be drawing a winner on Monday, so be sure to check back! Hoppy weekend!