Wooden Boxes

 Had a few wooden boxes left from a set I bought a few years back to decorate for my Tarot card reading friends.  It was a quick and easy project a very fugal too.  

I decided to paint the up real quick just to get them out of my stash.  Had other ideas for them, but realistically know I'll probably keep putting them off in order to finish my Halloween projects.

So I painted them with some black acrylic craft paint I already had on hand.  I then had a few laser printed graphics on hand that I was able to cut and decoupage on.  Now decoupaging is not one of my strengths, but sometimes things should look like they are hand made. 

I was roaming around Menards with my husband in search of wire fencing when I spotted a small display of craft size paints.  I decided to mossy over to see if they had a basic black to replenish the paint I had used..  I saw this glittery glaze that could be painted over black to give it a purple iridescent look so I decided to give it a try.  I already had the painted boxes so I decided to glaze the few I hadn't glittered.  I ended up with an interesting look that I probably could have done without.  

  Any who, I decided to add a little sparkle here and there with some chucky glitter, and whaa-laah, a few more items to add to my Etsy account.

Rainy Saturday Here in Chicago

 Its a gloomy day here in Chicago.   It rained just enough to help us avoid having to water the grass and garden this morning.  And there's plenty of puddles for the birds to drink from and bath in.  It's all such a relief after sunny days of 90 and 80 degree days.

It is also a day without any obligations or appointments so I spend the day washing clothes and crafting in between loads.  The other day I started another paper  Halloween house so I took this opportunity to finish it.  I embellished it with my puka seeds, dyed moss, twigs and die cut bats and ghosts.  I cut a cardstock fence real quick and glued that on too.  I decided not to go  all around the base with the fence because I made a hole in back of the house should the recipient want to  string a small group of orange or white fairy lights through it.  They always add a special night time ambience.

Halloween Putz Houses

 Now that I'm pretty much done with Easter crafting I'm  on to Halloween.  I had planned to get a real headstart on it this year.  My focus will be paper and Putz houses.  I really enjoy making them and folks enjoy seeing them.  I'm still working to perfect the process.  My less than agile hands have a hard time working with the small pieces and lord knows I still haven't mastered being neat with a glue gun.

The little styrofoam rounds from the floral section in DT make the best little bases.  I simply paint the edges and glue on paper to the top.  No having to cut anything and they are very sturdy.  

My first house is a traditional Putz house shape by  Samatha Walker I simply made it Halloweenie by choosing black and orange papers.  I modified the front window to display a vintage gypsie and added vellum to the other windows to defuse any added lights.  

My next house was also a traditional Putz cottage that I enlarged a bit.  This time I omitted the sparkle and went for just the Halloween co.ors of purple and black.  I added grungy moss, a few little pumpkins and a twiggy tree.

My most challenging one was made from a free file I got from A Cottage in the Forest.  It had many more pieces and was a bit more complicated.  I made it larger and used a wooden base for more support.  I plan to make more hoping to get better with the practice.

Easter Candy Cones

 I love to give away holiday treats in pretty holders.  I've used this particular cut file for candy cones multiple times over the years for multiple holidays.  All I do is  change the embellishments to suit the holiday.  And they are so simple to make.  You simple cut them out with score lines.  Glue your embellishments on, fold on the score lines and glue the open side shut.  Thread the handles through the precut holes and wah-lah.  You're done.

Using my Silhouette, I sized the file to fit two cones per 12x12 page.  The resulting cone is perfect for a little paper shred and a few chocolate treats.  for colors I chose to use soft, pale taupe and a sage green for the main body of the cones.   I cut a cute bunny silhouette in pink and backed it with a creamy beige scalloped oval shape.  Very simple, yet Easterly.  

I added gold tinsel handles and filled them with pretty, pale pink and gold shred.   I plan to fill them with a few Dove treats, drop them in a cellophane bag and then tie them with more pink ribbon.

Easter Houses in Spring Colors

 Selecting colors for my projects is never easy for me.  I don't have that "eye" for which colors go with which.  So it's always a hit or miss and I have to hope for a "hit".

I decided to go with soft spring colors instead of vibrant ones.  Instead of bright pink and purple, I choose muted pink and lavendar.  And I can only hope the rest work together.

Little is always more attractive to me, so I made these 4" tall,  small enough to easily fit on a Dollar Tree Foam disk.  I cover the disk in a complementary paper and trim the disk with a paper fence.  I made a little paper push cart and filled it with baubles and paper flowers,  and  finished with a few clay Easter eggs.

Pictured below are the houses I've completed.

Making Easter Putz

 Spent this cold, Sunday afternoon working on my Easter Putz style houses.  Even though they are machine cut, they still take oodles of time.  

I decided to go with pale, spring colors.  I find them soothing and they go well with our recent grey winter days.  

After cutting the papers, I simple mixed and matched the roofs, shutters and doors.  Once I get all the pieces glued together, I spread glue all over the piece and sprinkle on sparkly glitter.  I wasn't going to glitter the houses because some folks might think it looks like snow, but what's a Putz house without glitter? 

Now to attach them to a base and embellish them a little more.

 

 

Tiny Houses

 My latest infatuation is about making little paper houses.  I don't know if it's a childhood thing or the fact that they are quick and fun to make.  Whatever the reason, I just want to focus on making more and different variations.  Here are some that I made for Valentines day.  I just sold the one on my Etsy site.

These little cuties are no bigger than 2 inches.  I found a foam disk that I had in my stash, covered it with scrapbook paper and then mounted the houses to it.  The houses are sprinkled with sparkly glitter to give them the traditional putz look and decorated with little paper hearts.