Spotted Canary Blog

Hey everyone! Just thought I’d take a minute to introduce myself – I’m the new Expert Blogger here on the Spotted Canary Expert Blog. My name is Catherine Scanlon, I’m sure you’ve seen my projects around here and there in the Spotted Canary Gallery. I’ve been on the Creative Artist Team for EK Success Brands for about 7 years or so.

I live in Maine with my husband, 11 year old son and our dog; I feel blessed to be able to stay at home doing what I love - creating art and sharing it with you. I also love to travel, spend time in my gardens in the spring and summer (both vegetable and flower), cook and preserve good food for my family, read on my new Kindle, and run. I also spend a lot of time creating artsy fartsy projects in my studio and teach on-line craft classes. I'd love for you to take a minute to check out my personal blog if you want, just click on this link to take you there Art from the Heart .

So let’s, get on with the post this week!

Have you ever heard of Sandra Lee? She’s got a show on the Food Network focused on mixing partially prepared food items with home-cooked techniques and scratch ingredients to create really delicious dishes. For example, she mixes a cake mix and items from the pantry and refrigerator here to make a delicious Cupcake cake. She’s definitely got something going because she’s in her 15^th season!

What a great idea when you either lack inspiration, time or experience. Let’s incorporate these ideas into crafting.

I like to send hand-made cards, but not everyone appreciates the time and effort we put into making cards – and I don’t always have an hour to make a truly fantastic and creative card, since I typically wait until the last minute to send my cards out. For those instances, my Semi-Homemade cards are perfect. They don’t take a lot of time, look completely hand-made, and are very pretty.

To make some cards like this, you’ll need to pick up a package of cards (your cake mix, so to speak) from the dollar section of your local craft store, here’s the pack I picked up this week along with the other tools and basic supplies I used to make my cards.

I had a 40% off coupon for the metal embellishments, so with my dollar cards and the tags at $2.40 I’ve got $3.40 plus sales tax invested in this set of 5 cards, plus I have 3 cards left over to use another time. Not too bad if I must say so myself!

Other supplies you may need from your craft pantry:

I like making cards this way – can use the pretty image from the purchased card without taking the time to stamp and color or paint or spend time cutting flowers and layering them to make a pretty floral image – and the final result looks as pretty as if I had. Bonus all around!   

The next time you find yourself short on time, inspiration or creativity – try making a set of Semi-Homemade cards, I think you’ll like how fast and pretty they look! Thanks for stopping by the Spotted Canary Expert Blog!

One of my favorite quotes is

“Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning.”

We give meaning to “love” by creating cards for the special people in our lives.

 A handmade greeting is treasured by all who receive it.

They know the time and love that went into creating it.

Do you save the handmade cards your children made for you? I sure do.

• I love their handwriting,
• their misspelled words,
•  and their art.

One of my favorite cards my daughter made for me is her drawing of me as a giant circle with my eyes, mouth, arms and legs coming out of the circle. I framed it.

She is thirteen now and asks me why do I still have that hanging in my studio. It is a simple answer -- “I love it because you made it with your heart!”

Valentine’s Day is approaching and it is time to express how much we love our family and friends.

What a better way to do this than to make a handmade card.

In my head I was trying to think of an affordable way I could make many cards. I like assembly line card production when I need to make many cards.

So I started with a card sketch.

By using simple lines and shapes, I can use different accents to highlight my message on each card.

I wanted to create my own accents so I went to my punch collection and pulled out a heart, of course!

Then the creative wheels started spinning in my head, and I thought Valentine’s Day is on February 14.

Why not 14 ways to use my one punch to make 14 cards?

I am sure there are many more ways than what I am thinking. I bet you have some great ideas using this punch to share.

Let’s get punching!

1.  Punch Holes Heart --

Simply punch holes in heart shape using a small circle punch or office punch. (I have seen the office type punches for $1 in my dollar stores.)

2.  Stitched Heart --

Write a message or an initial with your pencil and simply stitch it. A tip is to poke your needle through the paper and make a hole for you to go back and stitch through. This helps me keep my stitches even.

3.  Stamped Heart --

Grab your favorite background stamp and make designs on your punched heart. Scrolls, polka dots, or floral designs work well.

4. Flocked Heart --

Create a rich design using flocking. It gives your image a soft, velvet like feel. I stamp my image first and then apply the flocking to the stamp.

5.  Glittered Heart --

Punch your heart from glitter paper or cover your punched piece with glue and add glitter. Once your heart is dry, it will sparkle.

6.  Dimensional Heart --

Punch 4 of the same image and fold it in half.

Glue together as shown to create a dimensional heart.

 The nice part of this project is it will lay flat in your envelope.

7.  Photo Heart --

Find a favorite photo and punch out the image.

It may be a picture of scenery from a great beach vacation or a picture of a beloved pet.

8.  Woven Heart --

Cut slits in your heart and weave pretty papers through it.

9.  Rub-on Leftover Alphabet Heart --

I always have random letter rub-ons left over from projects and alphabet stickers.

Arrange those leftovers on a heart to create word art. You could spell a name or place an initial.

 My goal was to use up my leftovers.

10.  Book and Magazine Page Heart --

For a “tween” in your life, punch a magazine page; or to create a vintage heart, try punching a heart in an old book or sheet music.

 I buy old books at my thrift store.

Sometimes I find piano music or old hymnal books for my crafts.

11.  Negative Space Heart --

Punch a heart in your card.

Place paper inside the card so it highlights the heart you just punched.

Add a transparency to the inside flap of the cards. It makes a window to display your punched heart.

12.  Punched Piece Heart --

Punch your heart from cardstock, cut it in half, and create a mouse.

Bonus: You can get 2 mice from one punched heart! I have also seen beautiful punched flowers using a heart punch as the petals. You may want to give it a whirl.

13.  Border  Hearts --

Punch a favorite border and layer it onto your heart. It will create texture and design.

14.  Stencil Heart --

Punch a heart from cardstock.

Your cards are ready to embellish. 

Using the negative punched image that remains in the cardstock,

 chalk, paint,or ink the inside of the image to create a softer look to your heart.

Use the sketch to guide your designs.

 Once all your cards are made, “All you need is love” -- as John Lennon and Paul McCartney once sang.

I wanted to also give you a few money saving tips:

Would you love to win a punch to make your own projects?

Simply leave a comment or share a tip using punches, and your name will be entered in our drawing.

Be sure to enter by Friday, February 11, 2011. Winners will be announced on Valentine’s Day, Monday, February 14, 2011.

Thanks for taking a moment with Miss Nifty Thrifty.
Have fun creating!

Love, Happiness and Crafting!
~Miss Nifty Thrifty (Studio Pink)
Kara Ward 

 As I am writing this post,

Mother Nature has unleashed her wintry blast in my town.

Every inch of my neighborhood is covered in blankets of snow.

The forecast predicts snow all day and snow again tomorrow.

The kids are home from school,

 and I am cozy in my slippers thinking of a project that will keep me warm this winter.

I don’t know about you,

but I go through mittens and gloves like they are water.

• I put holes in them
• and they unravel.
• So many times I lose one of them -- never both mittens.

I pick up extra mittens and gloves frequently in the dollar section of my discount store.  

I have found them 2 pair for $1.99 at my neighborhood drug store.I usually buy a matching hat or scarf.  

This time of year hats and scarves are on clearance.  I picked up a warm black fleece hat at Old Navy for half off. It cost me $3 total. 

Scarves are always more expensive.

I have found several at my thrift store.

I simply wash them in some good smelling detergent and they are like new.

My girlfriend had this clever idea to make her own scarves. She said her mother-in-law made them and donated the scarves to area shelters.

I loved the idea! Only one problem, I can’t knit! Oh how I wish I could knit but currently I can’t.

So my girlfriend suggested using fleece.

Fabulous fleece

• doesn’t unravel when you cut it.
• It is a very warm and cozy fabric for a scarf.
•  Fleece is also durable which is important since you will be wearing it.

My thrifty self watched my local newspaper ads for fleece fabric on sale. I found it for 50% off.

When I walked the aisles in the fabric department, I was amazed at all the colors and patterns.

 I initially planned on a solid colored scarf but the polka dotted pattern called my name.

Most scarves are 1 ½ yards long and 9 inches wide.

Select one of your favorite scarves from your winter collection to use as a pattern for sizing.

Here is how to make your scarf:

1.  Buy 1 ½ yards to 2 yards of fabric. (A little extra is nice if you want to make a matching hat). 
2. Use a scarf from your closet to create a pattern.
3.  I doubled my fabric and sewed one side of the material to make it look more finished.
4. You don’t have to double the scarf. Simply cut the shape of you scarf, wrap it around your neck, and keep yourself warm this winter.
5.  Fringe the ends of your scarf or add trim.
6. You can sew trim onto your scarf or you can use fabric glue like Liquid Stitch or Fabric Fusion.
7.  Both glues are permanent adhesives for fabric.

 Have fun embellishing your scarf with gems, wool roving, or felt die-cuts.

The ideas are endless.

Once you have all your winter gear collected, then you need to personalize it.

•  Adding a name, 
•   initial, 
•  favorite sports team,  
• or an icon you like (for example, my girlfriend loves Mary Engelbreit so everything has cherries on it)

--Will add a little personality to your winter wear.

I really love bling!

Yes, you could say I am a girly girl!

 I wanted a longer lasting gem for my fabric so I chose these.

 Lucky for me, I found them on sale at the craft store -- buy one and get one free.

I can wash these which was important to me because winter salt, sludge, and dirt gets all over everything I touch.

This is such a fun and easy way to embellish hats, scarves, and gloves you already own.

No need to buy more if you have what you need.

Simply add a little bling and upcycle your old scarf.

I think one of the least expensive crafts I have ever tried was needle felting.

It took the needle and the block along with some wool roving.

The block and needle came as a kit from my local craft store at a cost of $3.99.

The roving cost $2.49 for two colors.

It is super easy to do.

Basically, you just move your needle up and down over the wool roving to lock the fibers into the fabric

.

I thought it would be fun to needle felt onto my fleece scarf. It is easy to create patterns from paper punches you may already own.

1.  Simply punch out a shape from cardstock using your scrapbooking paper punch.  
2.  Then lay the punched out paper onto your fabric as a stencil for the shape you wish to create.  
3.  You can trace the shape onto the fabric using a pencil. 
4.  Use your felting needle and move it up and down throught the fabric to lock the fibers. 
5.   Bring your needle felted design to life by adding gems, buttons, or trim. Don’t be afraid to create your own free style shapes.  
6.  Simply roll the roving into a snake shape and create an outline for the shape you wish to make. 

Another easy way to embellish your scarf is to use your die-cut machine.

I made this scarf last winter for gifts. I was able to pick up the scarves on Black Friday for $3 apiece.

Wa-hoo!

 I then used felt at 20 cents a square to embellish the scarves.

I die-cut my shape and stitched it onto the scarf. I embellished the die-cut with sequins, beads, and buttons.

It warms my heart when I meet my girlfriends for coffee and they are wearing one of the scarves I made.

  

I hope I have inspired you to dig in your closet and find your winter gear.

•  Let it reflect your own personal style by adding gems, felted design, or a die-cut.
• If you need a new scarf, I hope you make your own using fleece. 
• Create scarves as girlfriend gifts or donate them to area shelters.
• But most importantly, keep warm this winter.

If you haven’t made a New Year’s Resolution yet, then make it to create something new this month.

I look forward to a year of thrifty and inspiring projects!

Peace, Love, and Craftiness,

Miss Nifty Thrifty
~Studio Pink,
Kara Ward

So a few weeks ago a friend and I attended a wedding rehearsal dinner … we both were bridesmaids … yeah, stop laughing … anywhooo, despite the chilly 40ish degree temperature at the outdoor venue, my friend wore her newly acquired leggings.

Ring ring, hello, 1986 calling. Now don’t get me wrong … she looked FABULOUS in them with her cute shirt dress and sparkly flats … and I’m not just saying that because she is reading this : ) … I just had some serious flashbacks.

Took me back to high school. To my days of Depeche Mode posters hanging from my ceiling, white high top Reeboks lined up in my closet and Aqua Net hairspray clouding up the bathroom.

My dresser drawer was overflowing with leggings. I’d top them off with a big shirt and cinch a wide belt around my waist … ah, those were the days … the days when I could actually find my waist …

… so are the …’s annoying you yet? What’s up with all those? My right pinky must have a twitch in it today.

Anywhooo, back to the leggings and my reason for bringing them up … other than I’m totally jealous that my friend could pull the legging look off and if I even dared to squeeze into a pair these days I’d be arrested for indecent exposure … yeah, not pretty. I came to the realization that evening that I am now old enough for trends to start repeating themselves.

Uh, hello! How’d that happen? When did I become that person who says things to their child like, “You realize that’s not a new song? It’s a remake that I listened to all the time when I was your age”. Ack!

So that adage, Everything Old Is New Again, yeah, it’s true. Dang that mother of mine. She’s right. AGAIN!

Leggings are back. They may not be here long, but nevertheless, they have returned to the racks at Macys’. Mocking me. Hanging there, torturing me with their tininess and past memories of what has been. Sigh.

But not everything that makes a comeback has to bring such agony on. Old things can be good … and when repurposed and refurbished, can be even better than in their original state … well, except for maybe Joan Rivers.

Now, how does this apply to party hosting? Well, come with me and my friend Jane on an adventure to Canton, Texas. Home of First Monday Trade Days.





Jane called on her way home from work the day before New Year’s Eve and asked if I would get up at the crack dawn to go with her to First Monday. Um, how early? Well, ok. But we are stopping at Sonic first, right?

So she arrived at my front door and blurry eyed I crawled into her car and we drove the hour and half to Canton.

Stopping at Sonic. At least once : ).

Canton is the Mecca of all flea markets. The place you can get everything imaginable. From top dollar custom furniture to velvet Elvis paintings. From vintage lace doilies imported from France to crocheted toilet paper covers complete with Barbie topper. Yeah, there’s a huge gamut.

Jane arrived with a list. I arrived needing a bathroom.

We did after all stop at Sonic.

We started in one of the covered buildings. Working from one end to the other, our pace was slow. There was so much to oooh and ahhh over. Our voices almost hoarse by the time we emerged into daylight again.

From there, we meandered to the “junk yard”.





It was at this point that I became hooked on Canton. I became an addict. I sit here now planning, plotting and dreaming of my next visit.

The yard of junk is filled with hidden treasures. And if you dig deep enough, you’ll unearth them. Booth after booth over laden with things you didn’t know you needed.

Until you see it.

And then must have it.

So here, dear reader, are some pictures of items we unearthed to inspire you. Items you can repurpose and refurbish to use at your next shin dig.

I hope you enjoy the journey.

We sure did : ).

Invites

One tent had boxes and boxes of found items … items you might find in your junk drawer at home, but which seemed all the more tempting and totally worth the overpriced cost when amassed in old Tupperware containers.





How about using these keys for a house warming invite?





Or these clock hands for a New Year’s Eve or birthday party.




What about a bingo card for a game night get together?


Party Favors

These letters would be fun, and different, to send everyone home with. Guests could display them on a shelf or use as a paperweight. Either way, an amusing memento of your evening together.







Centerpieces

Add these barbed wire sticks to any “rough and textured” centerpiece for added height and conversation.



This box spring heart hung on a wreath hanger would be sweet for a Valentine’s party. And since seeing this piece at Canton, Jane and I have seen old box springs used in all kinds of home décor displays. Even hanging from a ceiling draped with fabric and twinkle lights … which we decided would be great outside as a pergola type covering to a dining area. Think about it. Cute, huh?





These next two pix are more art than “junk”, but how awesome would they be as go-to pieces in your party arsenal. I’m thinking a “When Pigs Fly” party would be a hoot. Don’t know what the theme would really be, but how stinkin’ adorable is that pig! And the frog? Baby showers and bridal luncheons … “You gotta kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince”. They are big and would definitely make a statement. Plus the colors … yummy.








Now here’s one that would be a stretch. But if you had the right table, one reinforced with steel, you could adorn your table center with this delightful pelican. Ring ring. Long John Silver’s calling. They’d like their yard art back.







Caddies and Catch-alls

Can you see this wooden tool box filled with paper plates and cups or condiment containers or even mason jars filled with silverware? Line it with potted flowers and there’s a quick and easy centerpiece done.






Here’s another option for holding tableware. I love the aged wire and see-thru aspect. Lining it with cloth napkins and then stuffing it with baguettes would make an Italian or French themed event even more charming.




This next “caddy” was pricey. Cha ching! But what a statement it would make! I believe it’s a chicken feeder … someone correct me if I am mistaken … but how much fun it would be to take it for a spin at your next party.




I have seen these bottle crates around before. Mostly used for holding magazines. But now with a new perspective, I can see this holding bottled waters or condiments or even to display party favors. It could even be filled with vintage bottles, one flower stem slipped into each and tied with a table number tag for a wedding reception. Sweetness.




Add a galvanized tub to this wire cart and viola, instant beverage station. I need me one of these. When not being used for parties, fill with plants, blankets for the TV room or stacked magazines.





Jane found and suggested this next one. Clean this circa 1970 plant stand up, re-paint it and add a wine/champagne bucket. Chilled beverage, no counter space required. Thanks Jane! I owe ya a trip to Sonic Happy Hour for that one!





This 3-tiered wooded stand went home with Jane. She couldn’t resist its rustic charm. We loved the wire loops at the top that will hold signs. Slip one in to match the party theme. And think about how she can top the upper tier with flowers and fill the bottom ones with favors, food or tableware. We thought this was our best score …




… until we found this roaster. Three pieces for the price of one. We knew immediately they’d be perfect for serving trays. The blue speckle pattern speaks Fourth of July. But the most excellent part to this roaster … Jane got it for $10 under the guy’s asking price. It was her first experience haggling … and she did very well … $10 well to be exact. She has the bug now … next trip, she’ll be talking everyone down … no full price for her ever again.





Well dear reader, is your mind racing with ideas for things to go “junking” for? I hope so. I know I have turned a corner in my judgment of what’s trash and what’s hidden treasure. I’ve got the “junking” bug.

I can hear my hubby’s eyes rolling right now. His mind racing with how he’s going to fit more shelves in the attic to store all of my new found old party pieces.




Um, good luck with that honey!

Happy “junking” dear reader!

~ Elizabeth (ekb)

PS ... For more info on First Monday Trade Days read this article by Country Living magazine.  Great photos ... but not quite as great as Jane feeding the LJS pelican!