Another Giveaway :)

Ok, so I'm trying to win something else....that will go really well with why I'm not blogging (see below). Anyway, head on over to Tatertots and Jello for this fabulous give away from Barn Owl Primitives. I absolutely adore all of them but I'm really hoping for this one.

Good luck and happy shopping!

-dara marie

Blog Hiatus

Hi fabulous readers! I'm so excited to have some new followers and to share my crafts and what not. However, I will be on a bit of a blog hiatus for a little while...about a month I think. Not much time or space for crafting right now but hopefully I'll have some exciting news to share soon. So don't forget about me while I'm not blogging and check back soon! Thanks!

Shamelessly trying to win...and so should YOU!

Ok, I'm shamelessly trying to win a Silhouette. How much would I LOVE one of these machines?! The possibilities are endless and I can just imagine all the wonderful ways to add a personalized touch anywhere you want! So, I'm going to link up to all these other wonderful blogs that are having a giveaway. Now I know you're dying to win one too so check them out!

Check it out here...


Or here...
The House of Smith's

Or here...
Desgin Dazzle

Or here....
The Shabby Chic Cottage

Or here...
All Things Thrifty

Or here...
Lemon Tree Creations

Or head over to Miss Lovie for some other places that you can enter.

Good Luck! I hope we all win! :)

Winter Wreath

Nothing too exciting to share with you today, just a couple of wreaths I have made recently. They bring a little pretty to the front door after taking down all the fun of Christmas (isn't that such a huge let down every year?).

These supplies were bought during Christmas. The garland is from Hobby Lobby and the Snowflakes are ornaments from Michaels. It's a little over the top for this girl but it's wintery and pretty. Easy to make too...just used some floral wire to tie the garland and ornaments to the grapvine wreath.

I think it would also look nice with just the snowflakes placed around the wreath without the garland.

This is for my Aunt's house. It's a little mix of winter and spring so hopefully this will also transition into other seasons too. Found the berries at Michael's with the Christmas clearance stuff. Go check it out! I bought a bunch of pink and gold ones for myself...don't know what I'm going to do with them yet but I couldn't pass up a good deal.

Hope you're staying warm and safe in all the snow. I think I actually have to be productive today. ;)

Valentine's Heart Wreaths

First, let me say, YAY for snow days so I can blog a little. Second, I'm pretty excited to share these sweet little heart wreaths with you. I apologize that I'm not very good at the whole tutorial thing yet. I just forget to take pictures when I should but I think you'll be able to figure it out. Here's to a little love and fun for your Valentine's Day! (I'm also pretty pumped that I actually did a project before the holiday so you can make one too!)

Supplies (this is where I always forget to take the picture)...

• ribbons of your choice-I used 5/8in grosgrain ribbon. I found the Valentine's theme ribbon at Michael's and bought the others at Hobby Lobby when it was 50% off...love that!
• hot glue
• heart wreath form...I used a wire one and covered the back of it with felt so that the ribbon would stick. If you could find something that was flat with a better gluing surface I think it would be easier.

And that's all you need!

I cut the ribbon into little strips, rolled them, and hot glued them together. I'm not sure how long I cut the pieces, probably about 2 1/2 or 3in.

Then just start gluing them all around the wreath how you want! Again, I had trouble getting it to stick to the wire alone so I added some felt to the back (sorry I didn't take a picture).

And just keep going until it's all covered and you don't have any holes! Add a little ribbon on the back and hang in the perfect spot (which I haven't found yet).





Here's a close up of the ribbons I used:

Here's another heart wreath I made from a tutorial at The Idea Room. Thanks to Allie from Miss Lovie for sending this one to me!

Just be careful not to drop it. :(

I'm not sure what I am going to do to get it back together. I tried hot glue but the foam just soaks it all in. I'll try again later or maybe try out my Gorilla Glue for the first time. And if that doesn't work I guess I'll buy a new form. The circle cutting was the most tedious part of this project so it wouldn't be too hard to re-do it.

Happy Heart Making!

Flower Pin

 
I'm sure many of you have seen sweet little things like this if you follow other craft blogs but I just wanted to share my take on the lace flower pin. I gave these as gifts this year. I think they'd be perfect on a coat, clutch, cardigan, you name it! All you need is some lace "ribbon" (I bought mine at JoAnn's for $1), felt for the backing, hot glue, pins, and pearls or other embellishment.

1) Cut a felt circle, this is probably the size of a half dollar or so. Then, just start gluing the lace around the circle.

2) As you go you'll want to make little folds to give that petal look and it also helps it lay flat. Be patient as you go because the glue takes a little longer to hold since the lace has holes in it. And don't be afraid to use a lot of glue, it'll all be covered up eventually. :)

For this size, I made three layers, just stopping where I started and making sure to cover the felt.

 3) Add pearls or embellishments how you like.

 4) I didn't take a picture but the last step is just adding a pin to the back with your trusty hot glue.

I hope everyone's 2011 is getting off to a great start! I'm doing everything I can to avoid getting ready for school tomorrow. It's been a wonderful break and although I'm not thrilled about the 5:30am alarm going off, I am excited about seeing my kiddos tomorrow. I've got a couple more projects in the works so I'll post again soon. Happy New Year!