Handmade Glitter Houses

Christmas and Crafts just seem to go together.
I have been collecting Glitter House photos, patterns, tutorials and cereal boxes for a LONG time.

Last week-end was the time to put them all to use when I had two of my grandchildren over to have a craft day. Emmett is 12, he admitted that he didn't think he was going to like making glitter Houses. Something about the word Glitter that made him think girly. Elise 8, on the other hand loves anything and everything that has glitter.

We all really got into it and in about 7 hours had made 5 houses. Emmett had the best time, making two. He wanted to come back on Monday, a holiday from school, and he made two more.

Emmett and I had  challenge to see how inventive we could be. He went out in the yard to find small sticks so he could make a wood pile next to his house...I put fluffs of cotton in my chimney.

He made a snowman out of clay...I made stepping stones out the door, in the snow. His fourth 'house' was a small castle that he made the pattern and did the entire 'house' by himself.
However, it doesn't count because he didn't put any glitter on it.

One of the best web sites for photos and patterns is: www.littleglitterhouses.com

As soon as I can photograph my houses (I made four houses and a church), I plan to put them on my etsy shop: www.sssstudio.etsy.com

If you haven't tried makings these, I must warn you, they are addictive!

Happy Crafting and Merry Christmas

Sally

Easter baskets, Rabbits and Paper bags

Easter Baskets, Rabbits and Paper Bags!

Spring is in the air and I am feeling crafty again.  My daughter (Colette) and her family (husband and three children, ages 16, 14 and 10)  recently moved to New Zealand.  She called to ask if I could help with her Easter Basket dilemma.
Easter is quickly approaching and all of their furniture, belongings and Easter Baskets are in a container, on a slow boat - headed for New Zealand sometime in May.  Colette was looking on several craft sites and came across a paper bag turned into an Easter Basket. I thought this would be easy to make and easy to mail. Since greeting cards are expensive there, I also made 10 hand embossed cards and added them to the package. That's more crafting that I've done since my surgery in November. Feels good to be back creating again.   And you know I love buttons - so I added a few of those as well!

Hand made Easter Bag/Baskets!

Please leave me a comment if you would be interested in the patterns!  I have also added some cute Easter Rabbit down-loads to my Etsy store!  Happy Crafting and Happy Easter

Angel Card Giveaway

Three holiday cards with handmade angels, paper pieced. Highlighted with squiggles, chalk and a vintage shell button. Use two cards to giveaway and save one for yourself.


The inside is left blank for you to write your own message: Merry Christmas, Thanks, you're an Angel or one of your own choosing.


Each card measure 5" x 6 1/2" and comes with a matching envelope.


Leave a message in the comment section and one winner will be chosen December 7th.

Christmas Angel Pattern

Angels abound at Christmas time but really are all around us all the time.
This Angel can be made from pattern paper or stabilized cloth. She can be used as an ornament or on a scrapbook page, card or tag.

Click on the pattern and save to your computer. Open from your computer and size however you would like. Print and have fun with the Angel.

Be an Angel and don't sell the printed pattern. (c)Sally Swift 2011

Glad tidings to you all,

GOD'S BOUNTY - in unexpected places...

Sometimes God's blessings are right in our own backyard, or in my case, in the park across the street. Last fall, with two of my grandchildren's help, we picked loads of acorn caps. I listed them on my Etsy shop, not knowing if anybody would want them, but not only have I sold over 400 acorn caps, they were mailed in my Michael's boxes (see below). How cool is that.
TIP: HOW TO USE ACORN CAPS: Mine have small calico fabric circles, gathered and stuffed with fibre fill, then glued into the caps. Use to decorate. They are adorable just sitting in a glass bowl or basket. Decorate the base of a candle or a small wreath. If you are not a do-it-your-selfer, you can purchase some ready made from All Things Homey.

Most of the mailing I do for my Etsy Shops are small and fit in a mailing envelope but I hoped the day would come when I would need to mail larger items in BOXES. That would add expense for my buyers that I did not want to add.

One day, a few weeks or so ago, I was shopping at Michaels when I spied a buggy full of empty boxes! I had come on a day when they were stocking merchandise. I filled my buggy with their buggy full of small and medium boxes. Yeh, thank you Lord. The timing was perfect because within a week I had orders for my acorn caps and they were mailed in my 'Michael's' boxes. How cool is that.
Thanks for taking a look and Happy Fall to you all, Sally

1929 Paper Doll Dressed Up in 3-D

Vintage Image Craft hosted a Paper Doll Party Creative Challenge in July.
They posted several vintage paper dolls on their Facebook page that could be downloaded and used in their contest. I choose Dolly Dingle from the June 27th posting.

Techniques: I printed three images of the paper doll and cut them so I would have a finished 3-D doll. Her legs are cut apart and layered. The left side of her hair is also layered and her arm is layered.

I used one of the arms as a second arm holding a bouquet of roses. I cut a pink cardstock skirt and layered it with wired sheer ribbon. The bodice is vintage lace, gathered. The belt is crushed vintage velvet ribbon. The bouquet is a gathered piece of vintage lace as the background, then gluing tiny ribbon flowers. A ribbon flower is on her hair. A pink ribbon hangs from her dress and from the bouquet.

TIP:If using wired ribbon for the skirt, make small pleats in the ribbon instead of gathering it and it will lay flatter. I used Tacky glue to glue the pleats down as I folded them.

The completed doll is then adhered to the frame background with pop dots. I painted the 3-D picture frame white. The doll is 7 inches tall and is in a frame 8x10.

My entry won 2nd prize which is a E Book: Ten Vintage Christmas Greetings to Make.

There are many sites that offer free downloadable paper dolls. Just enter Paper Dolls into Google search.

I have loved and collected paper dolls since childhood. The oldest paper doll is from 1944 and is from the funny papers. I have over 200 saved from the funny papers. I also have over 50 regular paper dolls from the 1940s, including a child Margaret Obrien and Rita Hayworth. (Anybody remember those?) I cut out all of these paper dolls and have saved them through these 60+ years. Still fun to get out and look at.

Paper Ruffle Directions

When I stopped quilting, I became creative with scrapbooks and collecting paper. To me, paper was just a different texture of fabric. Tussie Mussies are fun to make and great to give as gifts. When making Tussie Mussies I wanted a ruffle across the top and I wanted it to look similar to what Mary Englebreit would make. My solution was to pleat some paper and make my own paper ruffle.

Directions to make a paper ruffle are as follows: For an 8" long ruffle, start with a 1 1/2" wide strip of paper 22" long. (I joined two 12" strips, overlapping where a fold would appear.
If you want a decorative edge on your ruffle, it should be cut before you fold your strip. Your fold marks will go on the back side of the strip, along the bottom, straight edge. Mark your strip at 7/8" - 3'8" - 7/8 - 3/8" (etc) intervals.
FOLD 1: Fold up and over so the front edge lays even with the top edge on the back side.
FOLD 2: Fold to the left so the front lays even with the top edge.
FOLD 3: Fold top back on line 3 so that only the back is showing.
FOLD 4: Fold so that the front sides are facing each other and the back side shows outside.



Continue folding your strip. After you do steps 1-4 a couple of times, it will get into a rhythm and be easier. Always keep the front and back top edges aligned as you fold. Then pinch your folds tightly and hand stitch or machine stitch along the long bottom edge. The top can then be fanned out but still stay together. The stitched edge will be hidden when you glue it to your craft or it can be topped by ric rac, trim or another strip of coordinated paper.


Soon, I will post instructions on how to make Tussie Mussies. All my handmade items are 'one of a kind' and I post freshly made new items several times a week at my shop: www.allthingshomey.etsy.com/ - Take a look and I would appreciate your comments

ETSY -First Time to be Featured

Etsy and crafts....This week I have really been trying to learn how to market my Etsy shop. I joined a new Team: Homemadeology.etsy.com. Wow! A ton of information. Not just information to fill pages, but GOOD information, easily read and understood. I have been trying to learn about SEO (search engine optimization). You know, I really don't want to learn all this stuff but I have found out that I don't want to have a shop loaded with really nice items- but I don't have many visitors- so learn I must.
My reward for preserving was opening my email this morning to find that I have an item featured on an Etsy Treasury...Please check out my item and the treasury at:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d3607b19ddd8eefe605e72c/it-is-all-about-love-from-the?index=0
-article continues below-


This gets me excited and I want to reciprocate and do a Treasury featuring something from www.emakaye.etsy.com
Thanks Emakaye


'CRAFTY' TIP



Creating valentines can be fun! Creating the featured collage, I used pretty pink, wired ribbon that was rescued from a Christmas present package. I cut off the sparkly edge to edge the valentine image. Then I gathered the remaining edge of the cut ribbon to edge the top and bottom of the valentine image.



While shopping at Michaels after Christmas, I found this wonderful 2 1/2" wide PINK ribbon on sale, 70% off. The roll has 10 yards which I bought for $3. Wahoo!!
TIP...When checking sales, always look at the items with an 'out of the box' attitude. You'll be amazed at what you will find. Who would have thought to look for pink, polka-dot, sheer, sparkly, wired ribbon at Christmas?

Please let me know what crafts and tips you would like to read about on future blogs! And please check out my www.allthingshomey.etsy.com e-shop for more one of a kind Vintage Valentines and unique creations. Thanks for reading and have a blessed day!

Sally S Swift