lindaalbrecht

Ode to Hobby Lobby

Sigh... I LOVE Hobby Lobby...

I'm sure that if you read here , you have seen me mention buying supplies there often.  Not only is it a great source for all things crafty, artistic and creative but the housewares and decorative items are soooooooo awesome --- and the sales are constant.  I very rarely pay full price for anything that I buy there.  I've wondered how they manage to stay in business with their amazing sales, but I remind myself not to think about it --but to just enjoy that I can afford to shop there.  I'm going to say this too -- please don't disillusion me with any information about where their merchandise comes from.  I have a guilty conscience from the amount of money I spend there anyway, so I don't need to worry about who in America I am putting out of work because I shop at Hobby Lobby ;-) ;-)  (You know that I am teasing, right?!!)

So in my creative whirlwind that I am on recently,  when I needed to make something with the wonderful new Creative Cafe from Creative Imaginations,  I thought that it would be fun to make a Birthday Giftcard holder.  For the base I used a clear glass pillar candle holder that I purchased at my beloved Hobby Lobby for under $3.00 !!!!! (on sale.)  I had the idea in my head to do this when I went in to the store, but not with a candle holder.  Just knew that I wanted to make a "cake" for a giftcard holder and to put it on a pedestal would be too cute.  So combining my little HL "pedestal" and Creative Cafe product I created this:

All of the embellishment done to the project is Creative Cafe, except for the bell, round box, and pom pom trim.  Oh and I can't forget to say that I recycled with this project too!  That bottom round piece is the plastic cover to a disposable food container.  I just sanded it quick and applied paint and glitter.  Everything is glued together, including the pillar candle "pedestal" base. 

Here's a little close up of the tags from Creative Cafe too.  Love the colored rub ons--they are so fun to use.

Okay, now I am off to clean up my creative mess and to vaccum up any stray glitter.  I sparkled up that cake big time!   What's new,  heh?!!

Love to all,  Linda

PS:  One of my very favorite people in the scrapbooking world has a new baby. Courtney Walsh has another son, that they named Samuel Benjamin.  Ooooooo, how I love a baby!!!!  Stop by to see her new little angel and wish her congratulations.  Such a lucky one he is to be her's -- just love that girl to pieces.

Meet Crystal...

She is hanging out on top of  a gift box that I think would be perfect for a few Christmas cookies or candy.  I used Melissa Frances paper on the box (can you tell that I am not a traditional Christmas colors girl?)  and also used some for her cute little hat.  Love her hat -- it looks like she is at a party.  She is much sparklier in person-- and so are the rest of us here at our house.  Glitter is everywhere!!!  I vaccum over and over and also after every time that I glitter something and it still manages to find its way onto our faces and clothes.  Sneaky little stuff it is -- it even knows how to dodge the soap and water of a shower.  Wonder how it does that?

So, this is how I made her if you want to know the supplies:

2 styrofoam balls - They started out to be 3" balls, but I cut some chunks off with my scissors for the bottom piece to make the body not quite so perfectly round.  Then I pushed my finger in here and there.  For the head I cut off a whole bunch to make it smaller.  Could have bought a smaller ball, but I found these in the basement in my stash, so I used what I had.  It measures about one and 3/4" now. 

Melissa Frances Chipboard glitter wings - (the larger ones in the package) I added a bit of distressing with a Colorbox fluid inkpad (creamy brown) to the tips and some globs of white glitter. Also added a metal snowflake brad with a sequin in the middle to each wing.

Glitter for body is by Sulyn Industries (found at nearly every craft and hobby store).  I mixed 2 colors - Disco and Crystal white.  I use a spray adhesive then rolled the balls in the glitter.

Her cute little nose is one of the silver beads that are on her collar.  I used a piece of wire to insert into the bead hole then poked it into her head, brushed on a really thick coat of white paint and poured the glitter on.

Her eyes are black mini brads.  I used my finger to put a round spot of blush on each cheek then added a small clear opal colored sequin on each.  Her mouth is a piece of black wire--just add glue and poke it into the ball a bit. 

The star is a styrofoam star that I found in the Christmas picks at my Hobby Lobby.  It was silver -- I changed it to the aqua blue with Melissa Frances ultra fine designer glitter.  She has a piece of Christmas greenery too with tiny little bells on it that I found at Michael's.

The trims (lace with silver and the tinsel on the hat) were all picked up at Hobby Lobby.   The tinsel is in the miniature trees decorating section and the lace (it's stretchy elastic in the middle--too cool ;-)  in the fabric department.

Okay, I so want to make more of these.  I bet that Cort would like to make one too.  Kids could make these so easily with a little assistance for teacher gifts.  I picked up some red of that stretchy sheer lace stuff too.  It has red velvet  along the center instead of the silver. 

What are you busy making for Christmas?  Let me know and even give me a link -- I'd love to have you share your ideas.  In my post with the House toppers for albums, Lynn Whelan posted in the comments that she saw a house like those on top of a Bell jar.  How cute!!  I want to add one to a jar top now.  Would be so awesome to fill the jar for a Christmas gift.  If you share a  link  I will draw for a little giveaway.  Maybe you'll get your own little snowgirl to add to the top of something ;-) ;-)  So, don't forget to share -- it's what the season is all about!

Have a very creative day!!  Love,  Linda 

On the run and a share...

I have not popped in here for so long that I had to log in with my username and password.  Sheesh!  I have excuses-- lots of them-- but you've heard them before so I will not bore you with them again.   Today, like many of you I have a few last minute ingredients to pick up for pies and such that I'll make tonight for Thanksgiving tomorrow, so as soon as I add this little post I will be off.  Off into the madness of crazy last minute shoppers like me.  Ugh-- why do I always seem to be trying to beat the clock and NOT winning?  ;-)

So, here is a fun little project for the upcoming holiday season.  I used 2 of the cute Paper Mache box albums by Melissa Frances and topped them with paper houses.  I have been wanting to do these for a year now.  They sort of have a sweet vintage look and the Melissa Frances papers helped with that.  If you are interested in sources for the other products that I used on this project, just ask and I will get back to you.

Nothing that I used is a real vintage item.  I had intended to find actual vintage tinsel, bottle brush trees, etc. but I just don't have access to much of that so I went with what I could find easily.  I love love my little pink bottle brush tree!  It was green to start with.  I bought a 3 pack at Hobby Lobby for .75 cents (on sale of course;-).  Then I mixed up some paint with a bit of water (about 70% paint/30% water) and used a bristle paintbrush.  So easy.  Sounds messy and time consuming, but with the paint being watered down it took less than 5 minutes.  After it dried I used some of the ultra fine Designer glitter from Melissa Frances and it looks almost authentic to me.  I did this with the aqua colored trees also.  The other 3 are just glittered up with a dark aqua color glitter.  I use a spray adhesive to adhere all of my glittering on large areas--works like a charm. 

My "tinsel" is silver pipecleaners.  I also made some scalloped garland for the big house with them and added little silver beads.  The other little accents (keyhole, buttons, and glitter chipboard star) are by Melissa Frances also.  Just love that vintage feel that Melissa's products give.

There are chipboard accordion style albums in those boxes under the 2 smaller houses and I am not quite done with them, but will share later.  I plan to put Holiday photos and memories inside.

So, now I am off to shop for groceries.  Wish me luck and lots of patience.  I just know everyone else in the tri county area will be doing the same thing that I am.  I wish everyone a great Thanksgiving and a blessed upcoming holiday season.

Lots of  love,  Linda