No Craft - Just Pig

Guinea Pig Warning Alert!  

If you don't like cute Guinea Pig photos 

you'll want to return to your regularly scheduled blog list.  

We have a piggy. 

 His name is Frank.  He was named after Frank Sinatra.  

Our daughter moved out. 

 She did not take Frank with her.  

Sunday we cleaned Frank's cage.  

I took photos.  

Why? 

 Because. 

No crafts were involved. 

 Because, well, that would be...ewww....

Patiently waiting to get back into his "house."

Stealth Guinea Pig maneuvers.

Well, as stealth as a Guinea Pig could possibly be.

White hot blur!

Strategically figuring out how to get back into his house.

Can I get an awwwwwwwwww.....

from the congregation?

Frankie.  At the speed of light.

Actually, it's more like a snail's pace. 

Frank sort of lumbars.

He thinks he's speedy!

Guinea Pig.

Nose or Derriere.

You decide.

Frank contemplating the fate of universal paradoxes.

Actually, 

I think he's just wondering

where we keep the lettuce.

Frank smiling.

Can I get

an AMEN!

Happy Sunday 

and

Happy Halloween!

I Before E - Except in Budweiser

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE ALCOHOL.

So...I'm still working on things for the upcoming craft show.  I made more necklaces and I'm not sure how thrilled I am with them.  I love little houses.  I thought these bits from Tim Holtz's Idea-Ology would make good roofs.

And they DID!

 I made

 the Love Shack.  

I have it displayed on a wine bottle. 

 Love Shack.  Wine Bottle.  Get it?? 

I just amuse the heck out of myself some days. 

 It's pretty kitschy, though.  

Hence, the naming The LURVE Shack (said with attitude)

Then I made this.

It's not right.

The jingle bell is too big.

The red and green appendage...well...it just ain't natural.

I put it away.

I got it out this morning. 

 Laughed myself silly at how ridiculous it looked.

Then I changed it up.

To this:

Smaller bells.

Smaller dangly bit.

Better.

I'm still not sure that I just love it.

My daughter says it's "almost."

Then because I have alcohol ink still out on the counter

I did this:

This was a hideous gold color. 

 It was part of a crazy pair of earrings that I somehow acquired.

I covered it in alcohol ink.

That stuff sticks to anything with a hard surface.

You can recolor anything metal.

It's great fun!

I added this piece to it.

And these pieces.

These things look like snails.

They are busted bits of jewelry.

I ended up with this:

I think it's kind of spiffy.  

The ultimate in recycling.

Or bad taste.

If I pop open that bottle of wine,

it may start to look better.

The 12 Step Program Bow Tutorial

I'm not making fun of the 12 step program.  I just thought that it was interesting that while I was working with the pictures for this tutorial, it ended on the 12th step.  I'm not sure, but this could be a message to me from the great beyond.  Cue the loud booming voice:

"Kathy!  You need to clean your house, do laundry, and STOP with the crafts, already!!"


Ahem...  Here is my tutorial to make a really cool star bow out of vintage, yellowed, books.  Read that as: asthma inducing, inhaled dust particles creating a sinus "situation" and an altogether toxic, allergy causing substance.

To start of with, you need only 3 things.  An old book, scissors, and doublestick tape.
 Maybe a box of tissues for your nose.


STEP ONE  (You say we need to talk)
Oops. I was channeling The Frey.

STEP TWO

Cut 8 strips.  They need to be 7 inches by 3/4 inch.

Looks like the beginning of Star Wars in this shot doesn't it?

Sorry.  I digress..

STEP THREE

Fold the strips in half to find the middle.

Unfold. 

Put a piece of doublestick tape 

 on the middle of the strip where the fold was.

Turn the strip over so that the tape is on the back side.

STEP FOUR

Make a loop with the strip folding towards you to the middle.

Twist it to where the tape is on the back.

This is hard to explain in print.  

Hopefully the pictures will help.

STEP FIVE

The back side where you taped it

should look like this.

STEP SIX

Repeat with the other side of the strip.

STEP SEVEN

You should now have a piece that looks like this.

Another view.

STEP EIGHT

The back side should look like this.

You can trim the little hangy bit off if you want.

STEP NINE

Make eight of these babies.

STEP TEN

Now.  You start stacking 'em up.

Using the double stick tape layer the loops

one on top of the other. 

 Turning 180 degrees each time.

Remember, it's a Star bow.

STEP ELEVEN

Continue adding the loops.

STEP TWELVE

TA DAH!!!

These take ten minutes to make.  I can make 6 an hour.

I was thinking of selling them for  .50 a piece.

That is, until  my husband pointed out

that I'd only

be making $3.00 an hour.

My husband figured it would take me about

14,000 days to make a million dollars.

I haven't checked his math on that.

I'll get back to you 

and let you know 

how it works out.

My husband thinks he's funny...

I'll get back to you

on THAT, too.

A Break From Crafting

I went to Hobby Lobby today to pick up a few things they had on sale.  

On the way home, I took a detour as the sun was setting.

I kept heading west driving right into the sunset.

I had Bob Seger's  Roll Me Away on:

"Took a look down a westbound road,

Right away I made my choice."

The suns rays shooting up through the clouds

just about made me wreck the car.

You think texting while driving is bad?

You should try taking pictures.

It's not a good idea.

At

All.

Cute bumper sticker:

Honk if you love Jesus.

Want to meet him?

Text while driving.

Back to your regularly scheduled

crafting blog.

Just a few things I've been making.

Working on some Christmas

Old Christmas cards scanned and made into charms

for necklaces.

The backsides.

I love these two.

I added a little glittery Stickles

to the pictures.

It really makes the necklace sparkle!

Nothing says Christmas like a

1960's pink

Christmas Tree.

This, IS my favorite!

Instant Vintage! - Grunge Tutorial 101

 I decided to dye some paper tags.  

I had a big pot of super strong instant coffee

 on the stove.

I like to boil it.  

It's not necessary, but I think it stains better if it's hot.

And here

we

go...

Get three different colors

(shades of brown)

of alcohol ink.

Put about 3-4 drops of each color

into a small plastic bag

with a zipper top.

Drop the paper tag

into the coffee mixture.

Approximately 2/3 cup of instant coffee

to 6-8 cups of water. Heat on stove.

My husband came in to the smell of what he referred to as burnt coffee.

I like to call it Cowboy Coffee.

He said, "I am not a cowboy."

Some people just don't understand 

the importance of crafts.

Remove the tag from the coffee.

Drop it into the plastic bag with dye.

I use tongs for this.

Don't leave the tag in the coffee 

too long.  The paper will dissolve.

I thought about contacting

 the tag manufacturer

and asking 

WHY the tags don't hold up

to a good cowboy coffee boil?

I figured I'd get the same look

that I did from my husband.

So I didn't.

Smoosh the tag around in the dye.

Lay them out to dry.

Preferably, all over the kitchen counter.

Thus, further confounding your husband.

I actually poured a little vanilla on top 

of the tags while they were still wet.

I thought it would make them

smell nice.  It did!

Don't even ask me

what my husband thought.

See!  They look old and decrepit now.

My husband said I should 

put them in the garage and

just back the car over them.

Hey!  That's an IDEA!

I'll be right back...

Decorate 'em up.

There you are.  

And

 they only took 

a little over 12 hours to make.