BFF Open House

 

Whew! Another week basically on the books. I hope everyone who celebrated had a Happy Easter! April is cruising right along. With all of the chaos and stress in the world, it's great to have a creative outlet. I keep seeing articles about what we Makers have always known...picking up an analog hobby (although yes, we have lots of digital/electronic tools too) is a way to refocus ourselves and reduce stress. So knitting, crocheting, sewing, papercrafts, etc.? We were ahead of the curve, right? 

An assortment of features from last week's party. Some ideas to Pin for next year, others to try yet this year!

Coffee Filters are such a versatile crafting material, and Steph Creates shared yet another way to use them in this Wild Daisy Wreath! 

Petticoat Junktion transformed a "seen better days" sale find into this beautiful Side Table, and I definitely vote for the "after" when it comes to the "before and after" which you can see in the post. 

Waste not, want not, especially with things being expensive. My French Twist shows how to make Fabric Scrap Twine because where there is fabric, there are always scraps. Perfect to use in other creative projects! 

Finally, got leftover Peeps? Save this idea for next year: Instant Pot Rice Krispies Treats using Peeps! From Crystal and Co. 

Thanks to everyone who linked up and can't wait to see what you've got in store this week! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Free Art: Random Rocks

 

I hope everyone who celebrated had a lovely Easter! 

When we were at the Tucson Botanical Gardens recently, Mr. Chocolate found a rock intended to be found and enjoyed. This isn't new...it's something that's been done for a while now...but it reminded me that I have a "big ol" bag of rocks in the garage that I bought for reasons I don't remember, and decided to play. 

With the world in the state that it's in, I think things like this are more important than ever. A reminder of shared humanity. Art is one thing that has gotten people through difficult times. So, I'll leave these anonymously when I'm out and about. Inspired by the one he picked up. Paying it forward in some small way. It was also very therapeutic for me. It also led me down a rabbit hole of some great You Tube accounts to learn from as I do more of these! And my oldest friend (as in one I've known the longest!) sent me a fun kit to play with, which I still need to!

Supplies:

• Found or purchased rocks. 
• Acrylic Paints, Pens, Dotting Tools
• Sealer, I used Mod Podge Crystal

These are the river rocks I picked up at Lowes. I gave them a quick wash before painting to remove any dust etc. 

I painted some of them with white paint as a background. Then I used a pencil to do letters / images, and went over it with acrylic paint pens. Easy peasy! 

That's how I did this flower rock. 

Others, I used mandala dotting tools to make, some with backgrounds, some directly on the rock.

I grabbed my Crystal Formula Mod Podge to seal them. I debated whether to include a hashtag or anything on them, but decided that in the real spirit of randomness, just to leave them anonymous. I'll leave them around town. 

 

BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve, all, and Happy APRIL! Yikes. I spent too many years thinking in terms of business quarters, so being in "second quarter" already is...WOW. I hope everyone survived April Fool's Day, a thing I've never enjoyed, but I know some people do epic pranks. We had a guest for a few days, so I didn't get to play in my craft room, but we did get to visit the Tucson Botanical Garden, which is a really wonderful place. 5.5 acres in the middle of the city that have been turned into beautiful gardens, a fabulous butterfly garden, a replica of Frida Kahlo's Blue House, and art installations throughout. There's even a miniature train garden with replicas of historic train stations around the country. Worth a visit if you ever get to these parts! 

Happy Passover to all observing, and I know others are busy getting ready for Easter, so let's take a look at some fun ideas you can still do or pin for next year. 

Check out this gorgeous Mosaic Egg from Selep Imaging. The colors and patterns are really make it work!

Hunny I'm Home DIY shared these fun DIY Easter Bunny Juice Boxes, which would be fun to add to a drink table or Easter basket. Complete with a free template!

Check out this STUNNING Spring Charcuterie Board from Rose Bakes! So perfect for Spring entertaining. 

Finally, wouldn't this colorful Jello Poke Cake shared by Flour on My Face be a great addition to any dessert table? So pretty and bright! 

Thanks to everyone who linked up and can't wait to see what you've got in store this week! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve, all. This week's been much better than last week at Casa Chocolate, thankfully! Hope it's been a good one for you. I can't believe that Easter is about a week away, and Passover starts April 1. Time just continues to speed up!

I managed to squeeze out one more Easter craft this week. Twine carrots! 

And you all shared some fun Spring and Easter projects last week, so here are  just a few. 

Nothing screams Spring like a bright shot of color, and Petticoat Junktion has exactly that with this bright yellow Chair Makeover. 

Studio27 by Jennifer Adams shared an idea I'd never have thought of: using Thrifted Greens outdoors! Yes, outdoor faux greenery mixed in among the real stuff. 

Crazy Little Lovebirds shared yet another creative way to use Paint Sample Cards by turning them into bookmarks! Perfect to share with a book club, Mother's Day is coming, just because...

Finally, how stinkin' cute are these Bunny Butt Oreos! From Hunny I'm Home DIY.

Thanks to everyone who linked up. Enjoy your weekend! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Spring and Easter Decor: Twine Wrapped Carrots

 

This week's BFF Open House continues here through tomorrow. 

I had fun making these Twine Wrapped Carrots which were super easy to make!

Supplies:

• Jute Twine
• Styrofoam Cones
• Straight Pins
• Faux Greenery
• Hot Glue

I picked up a couple of the styrofoam cones they have all the time at Dollar Tree. I can't remember if that's where I also got the twine, but twine is everywhere! And it was either there or Michaels that I found this green bush I used for the carrot tops. Does that happen to anyone else? You throw things in your craft stash and can't always remember where you got what if it's not a familiar label? For me, it's one of three places. Michaels, Dollar Tree, Walmart! So, one of them!

First, I shaved down the sharp edge of the large end of the cone using a sanding block to make it look more natural carrot shaped. Warning: MESSY so do this over a garbage can. Then, I put a dot of hot glue in the center of the large end, and began coiling the twine. Once it got to the body of the cone, it was easy just to wrap around it tightly.Along the way, I secured the twine using straight pins. 

I debated about adding something to the small end of the cone to bring it to a point, but decided that big thick carrots often end in a stump so I left it. 

After my carrots were all wrapped, I poked a hole in the middle of the top with a bamboo skewer, pulled some of the stems off from the green bush, and worked one down into the hole. Then added some more stems until I was satisfied. 

To finish, I made a bow from more twine and hot-glued it to the top. Using a few more pins, I added some iridescent sequins because I felt like it. How I roll. 

I plopped them into my giant vase I change out seasonally. 

Sharing At:

BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve, all! I hope you all had a great St. Patrick's Day if you celebrated. As for Casa Chocolate, well...the hits just keep on coming. After getting my mom back on her feet after her mini-stroke in January, guess whose turn it was to spend last weekend in the hospital? Yup! 

Lovely abdominal infection that kept me there thru Monday. Once again, I will say that Nurses are angels who walk among us! I was not built for the kind of work they do, especially dealing with some of their patients. ANGELS! 

Slowly healing. Restricted diet and rest. Yeah, I'm tired of hearing about Casa Chocolate's illnesses, too! 

Needless to say, I haven't done anything creative this week, so once again, I'm excited to live vicariously through what you share. So let's take a look at some of the features from last week's party! An unplanned roundup of some great ways to use everyday materials. 

Sonata Home Design shared a fabulous Paper Bag Art project with the dang cutest subject!!

Steph Creates Things shared another wonderful upcycle into this cute piece of Spring Decor. I especially love the little bunny! 

Petticoat Junktion shared some creative ways to add to Easter Decor, such as repurposing a light fixture, shown here. How fun! 

Finally, My French Twist shared an ingenious way to Repurpose and Reuse Egg Cartons. Pretty and practical! 

Thanks to all who linked up and can't wait to see the goodies you have to share this week! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter