Papercrafting and Stashbusting: What to Watch Journal

 

In this digital / AI age, sometimes, the best solution is an old-school analog one!

Age or too many choices? Not sure. But we can never remember way too many shows we see advertised as "coming on XY date" or shows that we might want to watch. We think we will...NOPE! 

Sure, either or both of us could keep a list on our phones, iPads, etc. But I came up with a simpler solution and made this small TV Journal where we can jot them down. It was also a great way to use up paper scraps. 

Supplies:

• Mini Composition Books (Dollar Tree)
• Paper Scraps
• Embellishments

Behold, the eponymous composition journal! But in mini-form. And my bin o scraps. I have one for black/white/neutrals, and another for colors. 

Speaking of colors, they come in these three colors. 3 of these for $1.25! Not that the colors mattered since I was covering the notebook but ya know...FYI in case you want them as is. Shown on the paper scrap I chose for my journal. 

I measured the paper to a little larger than the cover, covered the cover with tape using my tape runner, and applied the paper. I used a brayer to get good adhesion. 

After the paper was applied, I trimmed the corners just using the notebook covers as a guide. I covered the front and back with the same paper. 

The paper scrap I chose was reversible! So I cut down a piece smaller than the cover and used the reverse side to make a panel for the front cover. 

I dug through my embellishment scraps and picked out some self-adhesive metal studs that coordinated, and grabbed a "T" and a "V" from some alphabet stickers on hand, and added them to the front. 

And now we have a convenient place to reach for in the moment when something new we want to watch is advertised! It sits in the thing I call the "spindle" where we keep the remotes. 

Next, I'm going to make one for all the songs Mr. Chocolate thinks he knows the titles of, is usually incorrect, and he fights with the smart speaker to play! 

Home Decor: Johnathan Adler Inspired

 

When I popped into Michaels to peep their Johnathan Adler Collection (if you're not familiar with him, he started out as a ceramacist and branched into lines of home decor sold at boutiques, his own stores, and now, at Michaels) I remembered that I had some "Adler-esque" pieces in my stash from Dollar Tree.

He uses a lot of bold geometric shapes and lines. 

Supplies:

• Unfinished Geometric Pieces
• Waverly Multi-Surface Paint
• Apple Barrel Multi-Surface Paint
• Rub and Buff

These are the unfinished ceramic pieces I scooped up at Dollar Tree when I saw them because they seemed like the kind of things that I'd regret not getting, even if I didn't have a plan at the time! I've since seen them at some stores but you never know, so glad I played it safe. 

Clean any dust or residue with a soft cloth. 

I went with this Waverly No Prep Paint in Steel for the candle bases. The bisque surface required a couple of coats. 

This is the first coat, and you can see the surface peeking through. So, second coat!

Hard to see here because it's been gloomy out and I probably need to move my desk, but painted these vases/candleholders/whatever they are with Apple Barrel Multi-Surface white, then dry-brushed with a metallic silver. 

I used silver Rub and Buff to highlight the raised edges. A little goes a long way with this stuff so start with less and go from there. Buff with a dry cloth. 

I also went around the rim of the candleholder base with a little of the Rub and Buff. I didn't glue them together because I switch pieces up and use them differently throughout the year, but you easily could!

For now, I'm using them as candleholders and I have battery operated lights from Dollar Tree in them. 

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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. 

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Spring and Easter Decor: Jeweled Wood Carrots

 

I mentioned in my "Peep My Eggs" post that I also had some wood carrots I picked up at Dollar Tree last year that I'd be playing with. Here they are! 

Wood Carrot Cutouts

• Green and Orange Acrylic Paints
• Mod Podge
• Self-adhesive Gemstones
• Faux Greenery
• Jute Twine

I grabbed some green paints from my stash in English Ivy and Kelly Green and painted the tops. 

Here's the Enlish Ivy coat.

Then I dry brused over the English Ivy with the Kelly Green to give it a bit of variegation.

I traced around the carrot shapes and cut out the tops from a sheet of orange ombre scrapbooking paper from the Bright Ombres stack from Michaels in my paper stash. 

Squirted some matte Mod Podge on my carrots, then applied the scrapbook paper. 

As with my eggs, I used my Cricut Mini to get a good seal on my paper and then went around the edges with a sanding thingy. 

I forget where I found this leafy bush, but wherever I did, I thought the stems worked as carrot tops. I pilled a few of them off, and hot-glued them to the carrot tops. 

Then I grabbed some jute twine and wrapped it several times around the top of the carrot and the carrot top, hot gluing it down. I also made a bow from the twine and glued that down as shown.

I grabbed some orange paint (Waverly Multi-Surface) and lightly went around the exposed wood sides of the carrots. 

If you've been to my blog before, you know I'm a "it don't mean a thing if it don't have that bling" person, so I grabbed some irregular shaped self-adhesive rhinestones (Dollar Tree) and place them atop the carrots. 

Voila!

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