Time to Decorate The Tree...

Time to decorate the tree? It's not December!

Decorating the Eeaster Tree is a tradition in my family for almost 50 years. In 1973, we were living in Chattanooga and I was selling my Mini Easter Trees at a local art and craft shop. From their connection, I was featured in a full page story in the local Chattanooga Free Press newspaper.

This year, my granddaughter Elise helped me decorate the tree, something she has been waiting to do for almost three weeks.

A couple of the eggs on the tree are 50 years old. Most of the ones from the 1973 tree have broken through several moves. Even though I cherish the old ones, I always enjoy making new ones each year.
This year I have 6 real quail eggs that I have glittered and decorated. They are listed in my etsy Shop: http://www.allthingshomey.etsy.com

Spring is in the air

What comes to mind when you think of Spring? I think...flowers!
Flowers bursting forth from bare tree branches.
Flowers springing forth from the warming earth.
God's rhythm of nature coming alive again. The rebirth of nature after a season of winter.
Like the plants, sometimes we feel a bit dormant after a long, harsh winter. Does not your soul feel like it's renewed when you hear the birds chirping and see the trees and bushes budding forth in color.
To celebrate Spring, I have made little bursts of color in the yoyo flowers centered with vintage buttons and 'planted' in a vintage wooden spool. These may be purchased from my Etsy shop: http://www.allthingshomey.etsy.com.
Or if you would like to make your own Spring bouquet, I have made kits that contain all you need to make your own. These may also be purchased from my Etsy shop.

Thanks for stopping by please leave comments,
Sally S Swift
http://www.allthingshomey.etsy.com
http://www.threasures4ewe.etsy.com

Mini Tussie Mussie Tutorial

Historically a tussie-mussie was a small Victorian bridal bouquet. In the decades that followed, this term also became synonymous with a small cone-shaped vessel to hold a single flower or some other type of treat. Tussie Mussies were popular during May Day celebrations.
Last month I gave instructions on how to make a paper ruffle for a Tussie Mussie I was making. This month I am giving instructions on how to make the Tussie Mussie.

The four Tussie Mussies above are 5" high not including ruffle and the ribbon for hanging.

The following instructions are for this size.

1. Use a 10" diameter plate to draw a circle a 12" x 12" piece of paper or cardstock.

2. Find the center point of your circle and divide into 4 equal parts. Cut apart.

3. Fold 1/4" on one long side, cutting off the bottom corner.

4. Decorate

5. Glue long edges

To Decorate:

Tip: always decorate before joining the sides into a cone shape.

Decorations could include:
Lace ruffle, ric rac, gold trim, metallic pipe cleaners, ribbon. Wired ribbon is great because you just pull the wire and it gathers the ribbon.

Embellishments can be glued to the center front. I've used vintage lace, printed Victorian images, glitter shamrock, flowers, vintage buttons, ribbon, rhinestone, gold trim and ribbon flowers. The hanging ribbon can be glued on the cone before or after gluing on the ruffle. If attached to the outside of the cone, cover the ends with a little ribbon bow or button. I have used both tacky white glue and glue gun.

To glue the cone, use tacky white glue along the folded edge. Roll the cone so the two long edges glue, one edge on top of the glued edge. This can be tricky and frustrating but hold in place until dry.

Ideas on how to use your Tussie Mussies:
Give as a hostess gift, give as favors at a birthday party, to welcome a new neighbor, to welcome a baby, holds an invitation to a party or use as a container for a present.

Visit: http://www.allthingshomey.etsy.com for other Tussie Mussies and more handmade,original items!
Visit my blog http://www.allthingshomey.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by - comments are welcome!

Creatively yours,

Sally S. Swift

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

Ornaments - Past and Present!

"I started making Christmas tree ornaments when my first child was 10 months old. I made ornaments that I could hang on the lower branches that she could touch without their breaking. I have given her some of these ornaments for her tree but a few of the 46 year old ornaments I have left are shown in the picture. One of my favorite ornaments that I have made through the years is a 'sheep' ornament. Picture 2. I have made a FREE PATTERN for you to copy and paste to your computer. Instructions follow.


The sheep should be about 2 1/2" wide so print your pattern accordingly. Cut out the pattern from cardstock (I use a file folder) to use as a pattern. Trace around pattern onto cardstock/file folder. Cut sheep. Ink in the head and feet with a black marker, on both sides.You will need between 5 and 6 feet of white, fuzzy yarn. Begin wrapping around the center body, then go to the head and wrap as shown in picture 1. Then wrap the legs about 3 times, picture 2.



Wrap yarn between the legs and over the sheep back, picture 3. Wrap diagonally over front and back of sheep, picture 4. Continue to wrap to plump up your sheep. Tuck the end beneath one of the yarn strands. Thread a needle with gold thread and sew through the center, top of the sheep for your hanger. Make lots of these. They are so cute and fun to give away.` Please leave me a comment if you like the ornament and want to see more FREE downloads! And please check out my allthingshomey.etsy.com e-shop for more one of a kind Christmas ornaments.

If this is work - why am I having so much fun?

These are just a few of my buttons but enough to get me started 'working' at making button magnets for the refrigerator. I couldn't stop. I have made about 40 magnets which took over 120 buttons and I still have some I want to make. Problem is, what am I to do with all these button magnets? Hopefully, of course, is to sell them in my Etsy shop. That's the plan anyway.