Excuses....Excuses

I need to apologize to all of you for missing our first link up party but unfortunately my laptop's screen has cracked so I have to wait for it to get fixed. Christina @ The Tattered Tag is still hosting the link up so make sure you stop over and show us how creative you guys are!

P.S. I managed to "steal" the PS3 in order to post this little note and hopefully will be talking to you all soon.

Glass Coasters

So I have had these photo coasters for several years and after using them quite often they had begun to chip around the edges.

 



So what’s a girl to do? 
Well, first I removed the backing for the photos and decided to soak these bad boys.





After washing them about 3 times I finally got to just the glass.  The black was actually just super strong vinyl that eventually peeled away.





It was actually really nice glass and had no chips or cracks so I decided to redecorate them :)  I went through my stash of rub ons and decided on some cute roosters.  {Did I ever tell you I LOVE roosters?}













I love my new old coasters!  What do you guys think?

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Let’s Get This Party Started…

Hey guys, I am so pumped to announce that Christina from The Tattered Tag and I have put our heads together and came up with a new kind of Link Up Party starting March 31 and every Thursday there after.
Are you pumped yet??? I am…and want to know the best part??  It is a Link Up Party that we will be participating in as well!  We will be getting our thrift on and getting creative with 3 *thrifty* items every week along with the rest of the link ups :) 

The List of 3 things to get creative with will remain on both of our blogs so you can know what’s ahead. 



We decided to challenge ourselves to get more creative with less so I definitely hope you guys will put your crafty side to the test with us!  I think it’s going to be fun to see just how creative we all really are with the same basic supplies!  {I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with!!}

The rules are going to be as basic as they come and we only ask that the majority of the project is made up of any combination of the 3 items listed.  Glue, tape, paints, etc (unless specifically stated) are considered standard items that can be used as needed along with a few simple embellishments.


Remember the party rotates each week between both blogs. Don't worry, we'll have reminders and links pointing you to the party each Thursday.

So make sure you stop by on Thursday to join in the fun and check out what everyone comes up with!

Cherish Photo Block

Hey guys, how is your week going so far?  Mine has been moving right along…fast as ever I must say.
Anyway, I wanted to show you something I made this morning from one of my many wood blocks.  I decided to bend the wire to make it look a little more “fancy” and was wanting to get your opinion.  So do tell! What do you think?



P.S.  I changed the background again but I think I actually like this one :)

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Blue Cricket Design

Coffee Filter Topiary

I originally saw this lovely post from Meream @ bored and crafty and knew I had to try this.





The only difference is that I decided to go for the topiary look.
I started off by cutting a small 3in circle out of cardboard.  I then got my filters and folded each one in half.








I then folded the filters into a fourth, grouped 3 together and stapled them together at the point.








I then used hot glue to attach the filters to my circle.  It is important to overlap them as you are gluing.








When you are done gluing you can either fluff it out by separating the layers or attach a rod like I did for a topiary.  {If you plan on only hanging the pom pom then I suggest you punch a hole in the cardboard circle in the beginning of the process.}  I hot glued my rod to the cardboard circle.





I already had the perfect little bucket in mind to use for my new topiary.





I decided to use Spanish Moss as my filler.





After filling the bucket with Moss and adding the new topiary I was really happy with the result.  It only took about 20-30 minutes but looks awesome in our entryway.








So, what do you guys think?  Add some color to the tips or leave well enough alone?

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Fake It Til You Make It

I recently picked up some frames at my local craft store and have pondered for days what to do with them until today.  Sunday afternoons are the best time around here to get my projects done.  I love the rustic looking frames with small planks of wood and finally figured out how to imitate them!



Wanna know the secret??



POPSICLE STICKS :) {who’da thunk it}
Well, I first Mod Podged the cut sticks onto the frame one at a time trying to line them up.  I wasn’t worried about perfection because this look just doesn’t require it. 





I then painted a coat of Brown acrylic paint and after letting it dry I put a nice coat of regular white glue on it.





Before the glue dried I lightly brushed on a cream color acrylic paint to give it a crackle finish. 



I got a little sand crazy and ended up sanding a lot of this off but still needed to include this step to show you how I incorporated the white. I also used a piece of craft wire to go in between the sticks and bring out the definition a little more.



After that all I had to do was find the right picture for it and I was good to go. I love how rustic it looks and the fact that it only took about an hour & half to complete.











I would love to hear your opinion on this one so make sure you let me know what you think!


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Decorating with Washers

After recently swapping with Michell from Girl In Air on Whoopdwhoop.com, I have got to show you how awesome these washers are that she makes!  I asked her to put Simplify and Beauty on mine.  These are the results and I LOVE love love them!











Thanks again Michell for my awesome new washers!  What do you guys think?

P.S.  If you haven't already...I would definitely check out WhoopdWhoop because there is some awesome stuff on there!

What I am Lovin…

There are so many awesome projects to swoon over that I thought you might like like to see my latest obsessions. :)

Rainbow Wreath from Melissa at 1Pure Heart

Knock off Inspired by Another Knock Off from So Fabulously Flawed

Chunky Books from Memory Makers


Well what has caught your eye lately? I would love some more great inspiration!

P.S. Make Sure you check out my guest post over at Pinkapotamus today! Happy St Patrick's Day everyone!

What Have YOU Been Up To?

Life gets a little hectic around here so let me fill you in…

First off, the kids are getting so incredibly restless with this whole winter thing.  Every single day I have to explain why there is no snow but we still can’t ride our bike outside and play at the park.  Needless to say that even after all my explaining temperatures and talking about all the cool toys they have to play with indoors, they are so not impressed with being stuck in the house anymore.





So that little fact in itself has kept me beyond busy trying to keep them occupied.  We have tried every craft online, colored every page and even finished the ones we never planned on finishing, played made up games, sang songs and watched every movie we own and on Net Flix atleast twice. I have to admit I cannot wait for them to be able to run freely again.  I live in PA so winter feels like it will never end.  We get a nice day and then BOOM…another Blizzard!  If I never saw snow again I think I will be okay, people. LOL. 
Olivia and Tre are so close in age it feels like all they do is fight.  {Does anyone else know what I am talking about?}  Chase is a little older and sometimes is the biggest culprit but I guess we are ALL ready to play outside!  I cannot wait until our Spring has Sprung!  I mean just look how happy they look when they are outside…









Okay, okay…Tre isn’t outside in that last one but he looks awfully happy, right? 2 outta 3 is good enough for me!
  I have worked on so many little projects that aren’t really worthy of making it to the web but other than that haven’t really had time to get my craft on.  Everyday seems to be flying by…it’s like that hour we gave up has completely thrown me off.  Silly, right?  I am sure I will have it together pretty soon, hopefully. LOL
Well enough of me... how about you?  I would love to know what you have been up to…

Blog Swap with OCD

{Hey everyone, today I am doing a Blog Swap with one of my FAVS...Jen over at OCD ...so make sure you come show some bloggy love!}

 Hey Me N My Thrifty Idea's friends I am so thrilled to be here today!

My name is Jen from

 Amy has become such a great blog friend, really helpful and soooo talented. Have you checked out her buttons??? Seriously you need to. She designed my button for me, if that gives you any idea. {So when you're done here check out her buttons!} And her talent doesn't stop at the buttons and computer stuff, she is a mad craftin mamma! But ofcourse you already know that....

Over at OCD I blog about endless things, crafting, cleaning and organizing and even makeup tips. But I have to say right now my most fav thing I am doing is the series

I am having so much fun going through totally random areas of the house that don't get cleaned often, cleaning it and then blogging about it. I started this because I know if I am not thinking about it often (the cleaning fanatic I am) others may not be either. It is fascinating to me, how clean I am, yet there are areas in my house that are so gross.

I realized quickly that cleaning these areas is also like getting to the inner stuff we shove inside and don't deal with. I like to use the time I spend cleaning the super dirty and neglected places to get inside myself and pray about the neglected areas of my life, bring those things to the top and clean them off too. So come join in with me on this journey to cleaning your house and cleaning your soul!

Click here to start at the beginning or just join me every Thursday to see what is next and tell me...

"How Often Do You...Clean It?"

Thanks again Amy for letting me blog swap with you today! And thank you friends, I hope you enjoyed!

Jen

Family Art

This is project that I completed a while ago and just now thought you might like to see it :)

I took the word FAMILY and branched off of it to spell out our family members names.  I used a shadow box, black felt and wooden letters for this project.  It is a very simple yet very personal touch for our home.  While planning this project I first thought to use our last name or even LOVE.  I guess it all kind of depends on what letters you need to spell out everyone's names.

What do you think?

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WhoopdWhoop

Hey everyone, I wanted to share a really awesome site I found that you may just be interested in.
WhoopdWhoop.com  is the currency free creative marketplace for us crafters who want swap creations free of charge!  You can list any creative endeavor you would like to swap with others, including but not limited to: Photography, Art, Jewelry, Handmade Items and Paper Crafts. Please remember, anything you add should be Family Friendly.
You can earn whoops by adding creations to your "store," accepting swaps from others, marking swaps as received, leaving feeback after the swap is complete,signing up for the newsletter, and inviting friends to join whoopdwhoop.

A whoop is what you swap for the creation you are requesting. It's also what you earn when you successfully swap your creation with someone.

WHOOPS SUMMARY

Action	WHOOPS rewarded
Add creation to community	+0.15
Accept swap	+asking value
Request Swap	-asking value
Mark Swap as received	+0.1
Leave feedback on successful swap	+0.1
Sign up for newsletter	+0.25
Invite friends to join whoopdwhoop	+0.25 for every friend that joins

You are able to assign your creation 1-5 whoops. When deciding what your creation is worth, consider the following:

• is the process of making your creation extremely time consuming?
• is your creation large or heavy, therefore making it more costly to ship?
• are the materials used in making your creation costly?
• how quickly do you want to accumulate whoops? (the more ‘costly’ your creation is, the more difficult it will be for someone to afford a swap) 

I just recently joined the site and added my Twine Decor Balls to the creations and encourage all of you to check it out.  This post wasn't part of the sign up or an incentive.  I just wanted to share something cool with all of you!  They do have these cool little gagdets to add to your blog though {Mine is located at the top right of this page}

Blog Extras

Hey everyone, I know I told you I was playing around with blog designs and creating backgrounds, right?  Well I have started designing little blog buttons to add to your sidebar for a little extra style so make sure you check them out!  If you want me to make you one or can think of a great quote, just add a comment and let me know! I will be adding to this collection often so make sure to check out my Extras page whenever you visit!

*Enjoy*

All creations were made using elements from the fabulous Summer Driggs.
 

Believe Sign

Hey everyone, I just wanted to show you a simple but pretty sign I just did.  I was attempting to do the crackled look with this one and it didn't quite work out.  I ended up painting about 3 or 4 times with different colors but still love the way it turned out.  As always, I love to hear what you think!

Dollar Tree Twine and Pine Cones

Hey everyone!  How is your Sunday going?? Good, I hope.  This morning I was trying to come up with something to put in my vase when I realized it still had the same old twigs in it.  I really am not a floral person so I came up with this...

 I also braided some of the jute to wrap around the vase and attached a piece of coordinating ribbon as the center "button".

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