Valentine Theme Week-Day 4

Today’s project is another classic Valentine gift.  Well, technically, it is a classic gift for most occasions.  After all, who doesn’t like a darling little teddy bear?

He was originally going to be bigger and somewhat different, but he kinda morphed himself into what he wanted to be. 

He is made from stretchy velvety material that used to be a shirt!

I was, also, going to make him like the Mad Hatter, but then Travis mentioned how much he looks like a mouse, so instead I made him into the inebriated mouse from the tea party.

Tea Party Mouse VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

What a big mistake!  He has gotten completely out of hand!  He’s been partying to all hours!  I tried to have a talk with him about it, but he just scurried off in a spiral, and passed out! 

Valentine Theme Week-Day 3

Well, my ADD took over again!  LOL  I did finish 2 projects for days 2 & 3, but one of them is not what I started yesterday!  Let’s start with the one I did start yesterday:

Valen-time Capsule VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I am limited on time for me to work on surprises for Travis.  It is hard to hide works in progress from Travis and our destructive cat at the same time!  Technically, it wasn’t finished by the time I took the photo.  I am waiting for the development of old photos that we hadn’t seen in a while.  Once they are in, There will be a ribbon around the top.  Not everything in it was photographed.  Most of the stuff wouldn’t make sense to anyone but us.  To everyone else these things are senseless trash, but for us, these things are treasures from different points of time in our history together.  I have:

• a dated broken pool stick tip
• a dated red-orange golf ball
• a fuse
• a paper football
• an old car key to a car we don’t even have anymore
• a little plastic pirate coin
• old tickets and wristbands
• and lots more priceless, crazy treasures!

Also included is the second thing I finished today:

What better for a bass guitar player that works in construction/restoration, than a trio of guitar picks made from a sample of Formica?!

Since he plays bass guitar, I should have known that the sushi guitar picks would be too thin for the thicker strings.  He played til he broke them!  LOL  So now these are thicker, stronger, and less feminine.

If you are wondering how the picks fit the theme:  They are handmade Valentine’s gifts that were made with love!

PS:  Most of the graphics can be found on the Graphics Fairy blog!

Valentine Theme Week-Day 1

I decided to make up for missing week #4 by making something every day for this week’s theme!  I begin with a small project.  Just some hair clips I made from the flower decorations from my unbirthday party. 

I only took a pic of one of each, but both of them have a matching pair.  I thought in my poorly lit house, that taking a pick of just one at a time would make it easier to see them.

Aren’t they cute, tho?  I thought they looked too cute to just waste them, and a classic Valentine’s gift for ladies are flowers.  The pink ones are actually backed with flowers I got off a lei that I’ve had for a long time.  (I’ve gained quite the collection of leis.)  The petals don’t look even because they are curled, but they are even.  The beads in the centers were in a pencil sharpener I found.  Weird things are often left in weird places.  LOL

Handmade Earrings For My Sis

Let me start off by saying that I changed my mind about offering more gifts for the time being.  7 are yet to be claimed on our Facebook page, so I think that is a good number to stop at for now.

So anyways…

My sis gave me a ring that would fit my tragus because I my old ring wouldn’t work right since my surgery in spring 2010.  Since then, my hole closed, but I re-pierced it at my unbirthday party on January 29th, 2011.  (The day after my actual birthday.)  She gave me a replacement hood ring, too.  (Technically, they were a pair that I chose to separate since my tragus and hood wear the same size.)

Well, I agreed to trade her a handmade pair of earrings for the pair that she didn’t want from her new 6 set.  And here they are:

I had a hard time photographing them.  This pic really doesn’t do them any justice, but it was the best I could manage at night in my low light house.  (She actually gave me that polish in my birthday present, too.  I don’t paint my nails often, but I love the color!)

The earrings are glass and metal beads.  I really wish yall could see them better. 

I am surprised at how much I love these!  I knew I wouldn’t finish them until I liked them, but I’m not usually a big fan of yellow.  Yet, I seem to be drawn to purple and yellow this year!  Odd me! 

They weren’t made of recycled stuff like my sushi box to guitar pick earrings or my recycled glass bead earrings, but I think they were worth it.  The purple thing is a piece of a birthday card envelope glued on a piece of thin cardboard stuff that was folded over a sticker that I found.

I hope she likes them!

Week 3: Wishful Thinking

Although I love the cold weather, I do wish now could be spring!  I’m preparing plantings and looking at all the seed packets with all the beautiful colors.  I keep thinking of all the pretty dresses I want to wear this year since I’m not bedridden or wheelchair bound this year!  (Knock on wood!!!)

I am drawn to a different color every year.  I don’t know why.  I just am.  This year I can’t stop thinking about the color of most of the pansies that I am seeing all over the place.  I wish I had some!  I never thought of myself as a purple kinda gal, but this year I just can’t seem to get enough of it!

This week I captured a bit of that in this dress.  I know I should’ve had a better shot, but I was so busy goofing off in it that almost all the pictures came out blurry.  I like the dress.  I do need to tighten under the arms a bit, but otherwise I am very happy with it!    Sorry, no previous picture.  It was just a plain broom skirt.  Isn’t the umpire waist awesome?

I bought some red dye, too.  I probably should have done a purple project during the Amethyst month and a red project during the Garnet month.  Oh well! 

Week 2: Couch Potato

I’m a little later than I wanted to be in posting this week’s refashion tonight.  Travis’ pdaNet quit working.  So we had to go find Wi-Fi to post.

This week has been pretty chaotic, and yet, I bit off a huge chunk of a challenge!  (Almost too ambitious for this week!)

And here it is:

My new leather jacket!  And it was refashioned from this:

Forgive the crappy jacket picture.  The pile was photographed in the daylight, and the jacket was at night.  I don’t know why part is absorbing the light and part is reflecting it.  Maybe it is the way I have my arms.  I saw a jacket in a magazine that was one of those “not supposed to close” kinds, and I loved it.  However, I’m not as excited about my version.  I have more leather left, so I will probably be RE-refashioning this one.  I think I like how the cuffs tie.  I might keep that.

Overall:  Not bad for an experimental pattern used on leather that used to be a COUCH!  (The title makes more sense now, huh?  LOL)

The leather cost me nothing since it was given to me some time ago by a friend of mine whom repairs furniture.  Therefore, my $260 for the year has remained untouched! 

Week 1: Comfort the Sickies

Here we are.  At the start of a 52 week long project of refashioning frenzy.  Thank you to anyone who has joined my support team.  And thank you to those that have helped me thru this rocky start despite my being extremely sick!  Now on with the show!

Some of you may have guessed what I was making by the theme.  Other’s may have guessed based on Wednesday’s sneak peek.  Here’s a refresher:



The starting material for this project was a dark grey blanket.  I, also, used some “barberry red” bias tape that my MIL passed to me in a treasure trove of Great Grand’s old crafting supplies.  I had the thread for it.  So all together, this week cost me $0 of my project budget!  Such a spender, huh?  LOL

And here are the PJ’s:

Yup!  You guessed it!  PJ’s!  I didn’t make a top to go with it, because I knew I wouldn’t wear it.  I always wear Travis’ t-shirts with my PJ pants.  For the waist, I used the same bias tape to match the mask.  There is elastic hidden inside to keep them up.

Not bad for week #1, huh?

As of this morning, I am on antibiotics.  So as soon as I feel better, you’ll see me “hit it like a hurricane!”  (And return to my beloved kitchen!)  Keep coming back Friday nights for more of the 52 Week Wardrobe!  And catch bonus refashions as well as other randomness along the way!

I snuggle up in my PJ’s to some classic rock (old rock) as I leave you with a project that I found online that I really felt matched the theme.  It would be a great project to try next time I am robbing my bean bag toys for beans for hacky sacks!  LOL

Click here to check out Stuffed With Love Animal Scarves at Crafty Schemes.

<a href="http://henthornehandmade.blogspot.com" title="52 Week Wardrobe at Henthorne Handmade Button"><img src="http://i.picasion.com/pic37/ae663dc3a56197b17112bdceb6665903.gif" width="150" height="150" border="0" alt="52 Week Wardrobe-Fridays at Henthorne Handmade" /></a>

ERROR FIXED! :)

New Project Intro and Sneak Peek

I wanted to post the introduction to this year’s major project sooner, but I’m off to a rough start due to being struck with the PLAGUE!  Everyone in our household is sick!  I’ve been struck with the worst of it.  Travis started having symptoms on the 4th.  And the fur-babies even have it!

But sickness or no sickness, I was determined to not launch this new project on a bad note!

I’m calling it my 52 Week Wardrobe.

In the 52 weeks of 2011, I will be replacing my wardrobe one refashioned outfit at a time.  I will even be making some shoes, purses, jewelry, and other accessories along the way as bonuses!  I am giving myself a total budget of $260 for the year.  (That comes out to $5 per week.  Yep!  That’s right…an entire outfit for $5!)  By the end of 2011, any remaining money in the budget will be donated to charity.  (The exact charity is to be voted on by you in December!)

Every Friday, I will be revealing the refashioned outfit of the week.  And look for bonus refashions throughout the remaining week days.

The first week’s theme:  Comfort the Sickies!

And here’s your sneak peek:

Not much, yet.  Just an eye mask.  Come back Friday to see the rest and what it was refashioned from! 

Time Capsule Ornament

Time to put away the holiday decorations!

This post is actually way over due, but hopefully you’ll forgive me anyways! 

Every year, Travis and I write a little holiday love letter to each other.  However, the love letters are not to be read for a whole year!
These letters will more than just profess love, they may also mention how grateful we are to have each other, and clues as to what stage of life we were in at the time we wrote them.  Perhaps even mention of a holiday memory that we don’t want to lose.
These letters are put into a handmade ornament to wait out the year with the holiday decorations in storage;  just to be found when it comes time to redecorate.  (The picture was taken on the day the ornament was made.  Not all of the final contents are shown.)

This year’s ornament was made from all recycled components except the label.  We used:

• Mentos gum container (If you scrape the surface of the sticker with a blade, the painted surface comes off like a lotto ticket, leaving behind a glittery, holographic-looking background!)
  
• A ribbon scrap to hang by (saved from making bows for presents)
  
• Foam letter stickers left over from Halloween to make the snowman
  
• Gift tag label the March of Dimes sent me

It hangs on our tree, slowly collecting random embellishments, stickers, ideas, recipes, and such to be used next year.  It will be packed up in the first week of January with all the other holiday decorations.  Then it will sit in storage until Black Friday when we decorate again.  At that time, we will read the letters (and scrapbook them), use the ideas to come up with a theme, use the embellishments to make gift tags, ribbons to make bows, and so on.  Just to start the whole process over again for the following year!
This year’s favorite throw in is a little heard of organization called Christmas Commandos.  We found out about it too late to participate this year, but we would like to see into it next year.  Christmas Commandos are escorted by police at midnight, Christmas Eve, to the homes of children spending their first Christmas after the loss of a parent.  While Santa is stuffing the stockings, the Christmas Commandos hang presents from a tree in their front yard (or in case of no trees, places them on the porch.)  Isn’t that neat?
If you do this project, I would love to see it and hear about what you filled it with! 

Kitchen Fluff

Ok, so this is a mix on the last project.

Instead of using 2 sponges, I used only one small, thin sponge.  It was used to keep kitty toys straight in the packaging.  Instead of throwing it away, I made a mini bath time fluff with it, and used waterproof glue and part of the ribbon to attach it to the end of a thick chopstick.  Now it can clean where my hand can’t fit!

The picture was taken while the glue was still drying.  The ribbons will be removed after the glue is dry.  Isn’t it nifty?!

Bath Time Fluff

How was your holiday?  Mine was nice.  A little more stressful than usual since we had to celebrate with both families on the same day this time.  Travis and I have decided that will not happen again.  Next year, if the Henthorne’s celebrate on Christmas Day again, then we’ll just celebrate with them the following year.

So anyways…

I told my mom about my favorite lotion.  (Actually, I told everyone about it!  I was determined to drop hints until I got a refill!  LOL)  So one of my Christmas gifts this year was a hand arranged basket, from Mom, with the complete Vanilla Lace collection from Victoria’s Secret!  AHHH!!!!!  Lotion? Check!  Hand cream? Check! Body spray and perfume?  Check and check!  Body wash?  Oh so fabulous!

So now, all I needed was a fluff of fabulousness!  So here’s what I did:

  I picked 2 new sponges out of my cleaning supply drawer. (I bought a bag of mixed sponges and scrubbers when we moved.)  One is very dense, and would likely be great at polishing my skin.  The other was very porous and fluffy, so I thought it would create a great lather.

  I used my straight edge pocket knife to cut the dense sponge into 4 equal pieces, lengthwise, and the porous sponge into 5 equal pieces, crosswise.  Then arranged them in a checker board pattern with the mid-section of every piece lined up together (like in the picture.)

  Then I wrapped a scrap piece of ribbon around the middle, tied half of a square knot, and pulled tightly before completing the knot.  As a last touch, I tied the ends of the ribbon together for it to hang by in the shower.

  And, yes, it is just as fabulous as I hoped it would be!  YAY!!!

Santingo-Free Christmas Game

This is my first post using a new blogging method called Windows Live Writer.  I am hoping it will allow me to create my posts offline, and then post the finished work at a later time when I have internet access.  If anyone has any hints, tips, or tricks for offline blogging, please do share them with me!
Ok, on with the show!
I created a game that I thought I would share.  I named it Santingo.  Ya know…a mix between the names Santa and Bingo.  I don’t know if anyone else has thought it up, too.  It is so simple, I wouldn’t doubt it.  The cool part is that it is really 2 activities!  The first activity is having each child assemble his/her own game card.  The second activity is actually getting to play them!

Directions (Activity One):
1. Print a Santingo game card and clipart set for each child.
2. Supervise each child as they cut out his/her game card and clipart blocks. (Or cut it out for them.)
3. Provide glue sticks for each child to glue the blocks in the order they want them on their card.
4. Allow to dry, and the game is ready to play!
How to play (Activity Two):
· Ride around a neighborhood with lighted decorations.
· When you see a present decoration, mark out the present icon on the game card. Do so for each icon as you see them.
· The goal is to be the first to get a straight line up and down, left and right, diagonally, or each of the 4 corners. Then call out “SANTINGO.”
· To mark out the icons, you can use a crayon.
· If you laminate the card, you can use stickers to mark the icons. The stickers can be removed after the game is over, and the cards can be reused!
 
This game would be great to play if you have a local Festival of Lights like we do.  It would also be fun to play in a different town than your family is used to, but it can be fun in your own town, too.
We will be playing on Christmas Eve with Travis’ parents and little sister.  What better way to tire us out in time for Santa to come, huh?  LOL
Please do let me know if there are any problems printing this game!
Happy Holidays!

I made top 10! Please vote for me!

OMG!  Not only did...

My sushi guitar picks and earrings made the top 10 Stashbusting September Crafts list on The T-Shirt Diaries!  I am sooo excited!  I actually have happy tears!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE VOTE FOR ME!!!  TO VOTE, GO ---HERE--- AND FIND THE VOTING THINGY IN HER RIGHT SIDEBAR!

What a roller coaster today!  Spencer is finally off the antibiotics, but now Blue is on them!  :( 

A ton of tests were done today.  I will hopefully receive the results tomorrow.  Please keep your fingers crossed for him!

Spencer still isn't in the clear, either.  Now he has 2 mineral crystal types in his urine.  Hopefully, we will be able to gather the funds for his surgery, soon!

I finally have a phone worth having!  (AKA one that works!  LOL)  Thanks MIL!  I truly am blessed!  As soon as I figure out how to use it, I will be able to blog more efficiently!  YAY!

Agh! Ye found me treasure

This was supposed to be posted yesterday, but there I go forgetting to hit "publish post" again!

Argh!  There be treasure in me in-laws house!  LOL  We stopping by Travis' parents house and much to my surprise, she had 3 boxes of '70's treasure for me!  They were craft supplies from Travis' great-grand mother!  So the pack-rat that I am, of course I wanted them, but I had no room!  So off to work I went... 

I got this box for $5.00 at a yard sale a few weeks ago.  Yeah!  5 bucks!  It is solid wood throughout!  And no that is not gold leaf.  That is real brass inlay!  The top and front look hand carved, too!  I was planning on using it to replace an ugly plastic bin that I keep fabric in (in plain view-for lack of a better place.)  Well now I have real treasure to put in my treasure chest!  :)

What is in it so far isn't even half of what I got, but at least this much is better organized.  (Who knew that I could organize?  LOL)  I have tons of ribbon and lace;  A pile of zippers;  Handmade patterns;  Vintage store bought patterns;  A book of iron on transfers;  Many loose transfers/buttons/this and that's...  Even some unfinished projects.  The whole time I kept thinking, I wish I could have known this woman!  She passed away 5 years ago.  I remember going to her funeral with Travis a few months into our relationship.

I'm still going through the stuff and my MIL says she has much more for me!  Some of it I'll save.  Some I'll use.  Some of it I have no idea what I am going to do with.  (I never really was the type for lace.  Some pieces of lace look handmade, too.)  Maybe I'll find use for it, or pass it on.....

So if anyone remembers that my niece was supposed to have heart surgery on her 3rd birthday:  It has been postponed.  We will be celebrating her birthday this weekend.  I'll post pics Monday!  :)