Painted AMERICAN BIRDHOUSE – Tutorial

 Summer holds a whole lot of good things, and for us, it really kicks into high gear in the beginning of July, with back to back celebrating of the 4th of July, and our oldest daughter’s birthday!  Then the summer rides out with a little more down time, just chilling on the beach, making day trips, and hanging out chatting and laughing around the camp fire at night. So about this time in June, we’re getting excited for all of the fun to come, just around the corner! The gardens are planted, we’re reaching the end of our school books, and we can just feel the summer vibe coming on the sea breeze!  

What really gives me so much joy, is helping make my home and gardens, reflect the seasons and holidays!  Around here, about mid-June through July, it is all about red, white and blue!  Our family’s homestead is that much more enjoyable, with the little bits of decor I add, and it just puts the happy in my heart, to see it.  But the greatest joy in it all for me, is planning and creating all of those little things around our home.… Read More

Call Us Copy Cats! / Crayon Wall Art


This crayon art thing that is happening….You know, the one that’s sweeping the nation?  It’s been pinned to death, and it’s invaded Blogland, like there is tomorrow.  And although I am never one to copy someone else’s ideas, or follow trends for the sake of everybody else doing it, I KNEW I was going to do this art-craft with my kids, the very-first-time I saw it.

Even at the risk, of being called ‘Copy Cats’.

(Sticks and stones may break our bones….)

So I picked up a 16″ x 20″ white canvas. I knew I was going to love this piece when it was done so I wanted it as big as I thought we could manage, without buying every store in town out of Crayolas.  Oh yes!Read More

A T-Shirt Craft / Wicked Cool, Fun, Easy, & Not Messy!

This just may be the coolest and most fun craft, I have ever done with our kiddos.  If that wasn’t awesome enough, it is super easy, and it doesn’t make a mess either!!  I know, right? It’s perfect for kid’s birthday parties, scouts, camps, etc.  Our kids didn’t want to stop.  They even made a couple of shirts for their friends.  But all of you mothers, as we show you how simple this project is,….think outside the box, for yourselves, or other projects, too. I am!

All you need is:

  • some white t-shirts (in your sizes)
  • sturdy plastic cups
  • rubber bands
  • bottled rubbing alcohol
  • a (liquid) dropper
  • and Sharpie Permanent Markers in colors!
  • Read More

Tissued Tins

Sometimes, us creative people, have ideas that come our better in our head, than they do in real life!  Agree? But this project was the opposite.  On the one hand, it may have been just a tad more difficult than I had imagined.  Only because I should have remembered how tissue paper and I, can go round and round and round.  We just don’t seem to get along. I normally do not have the patience for the stuff, and end up making the tissue a wrinkled mess. So much so, that I refer to my husband, to put the tissue in gift bags if I can, and he also is so kind, as to do all of my packaging for my portrait photography orders for my clients.Read More

Kids Crafts: Making Something Out Of Anything

Sometimes, I like to plan arts and crafts for my kids.  I’ll have an idea, or see some great crafts project in a magazine or online, and we’ll do it.   But whether I plan arts and crafts or not,  it still happens in this house, and all over this house, every day.  The kids sure don’t need me, to come up with creative ideas.  In fact, I’d go so far as to say, that their wild imagination tends to venture further than mine does.

I try to keep the school room stocked with art supplies at all times, so that the kids can get creating any time it strikes their fancy to.  But to tell you the truth, they often end up using lots of materials I didn’t supply, or would have even thought of.  Every time I turn around in this house, there is some new creation sitting there, or they are playing with one, or someone is suddenly at my side saying, “Mama, look what I made!”.… Read More

Stained Tissue Easter Cross

eastercross

The kids have been working really hard with their school work, and will actually be done with their formal work in just a couple of weeks.  So in preparing our hearts and minds for this Holy week, we decided to do some more lengthy study of the Stations of the Cross, and then get creative today and make a big Easter cross decoration for our Easter celebration come this Sunday.

There were really only 5 things we needed:  a very large sheet of window cling, lots of colored tissue paper, a sponge brush, some Modge Podge and a pair of scissors.… Read More