Happy, Little, Time Waster

 

DIY Cute Cat Bookmark

Happy, Little, Time Wasters

 Get comfy with your favorite beverage for this tutorial.

DIY Pockets for Junk Journals

Vintage Page Designs

Happy, Little, Time Waster

 

DIY | NO Sew T-Shirt Bag (SO Easy!!)

Happy, Little, Time Waster

 

Non-Crafter Shops for Craft Supplies

T Stands for 2OLOTR: Authentic Women Circle and International Women's Day

The real reason Teague and took a trip to Ogunquit, Maine was to attend the Authentic Women Circle. Teague has belonged to this group for many years. I wasn't a member but have participated in a couple of the events. I taught a Japanese stab binding album for the group many years ago and also participated in the Circle when the group moved to Ogunquit 15 years ago and this weekend was the anniversary. The meeting also fell on International Women's Day so that was celebrated also. The leader asked Teague if I would like to tag along. 

I loved the blue, wooden, fish sculpture that was in our suite. I was tempted to put him in a Fish Relocation Program and bring him home with me.

Saturday morning, March 8 was still cold, but not as windy.

The function room set up for the Circle. There were 12 women in attendance. I was the only new person in this group though I knew the leader as she and Teague are good friends. We have also visited her at her home when we have traveled to Ogunquit. Her daughters also attended the group, I had heard about them when they were little.

The Circle opened with music performed by Teague and her guitar. The format of the group is that each person gets a chance to talk. So I introduced myself as Teague's imaginary friend as so many people said to me "Oh, so you're CJ!"

We had been asked to bring photos of women who had inspired us. We did a show and tell about our women and what they meant to us.

At the other end of the function room, tables were set for luncheon

We had a wonderful view of the ocean

and a delicious, buffet lunch. Pictured are Avocado Caprese Sandwiches which I did not take as I do not like cheese. I was fascinated by the apple swan. There was also a lovely squash and apple soup, salad with chicken, green beans Almondine, and cranberry upside down cake. Water, coffee, and tea were available during the entire Circle.

In the afternoon, we had a half hour craft session where we chose a name from a pot. We could make a card or write a note to the person.

I received this lovely card

filled with wonderful affirmations: You are so loved. You are enough. You are such a gift. You are special.

The afternoon continued with learning some of the history of International Women's Day. 

Gorgeous orchid

Then we were asked to comment on something that was a highlight of the day. I think it was at this point or it might have been earlier, that a woman who had been sitting across from me said she had been in the Japanese Stab Bound Album class and still had her album!

The Circle ended with another song from Teague and the group joined in the chorus.

A shadow box table filled with gifts from the sea

An amazing day ended with  a beautiful 

sunset.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

Happy Mail

I'm always tickled around St. Patrick's Day to receive St. Paddy's Day cards. I'm amused to be honorary Irish 

Deb from Learning 2 Just Breathe sent me a delightful card. I loved how she used the Year of the Snake stamp on the envelope. I know things are bigger in Texas, but I have never seen a cancellation mark that large.

Her note included some fun stamps and washi tape. She also pointed out that her littlest granddaughter had applied the shamrock stickers on the front. Didn't she do a great job?

Good friend, Nan, never forgets me on St. Patrick's Day. She sent an adorably twee card. Find Your Luck and Share It. Now, she never forgets to send a card, but she forgot the stamp and the post office delivered it without stamping postage due in red letters all over it. The envelope didn't even get a cancellation mark

though the front and back have a faint orange bar code. Maybe the card was delivered by Leprechauns.

Monet and Me

 

inspired by Happy Mail (you'll see it on Wednesday), decided to make some cards. We found some great ideas at 14 DIY Valentine’s Day Cards for your Love It was a fun way to use up scrap paper.

Happy, Little, Time Waster

 

Making Flat Paper Tassels

Second on the Second - Groundhog Day Craft

 From: Thursday, February 2, 2023

Join me and the millions of preschoolers around the country that celebrate a rodent predicting  666 days left of Winter.

For this craft you will need: scissors, white glue like Elmer's, 5 or 6 cotton balls, an X-acto knife, craft stick, paper to draw a groundhog, pencil, and a 3 oz. (bathroom) paper cup

If you don't want to draw your own groundhog, head over to Clipart Library where you can find a selection of copyright free images to download. You may need to resize the image to 2 in. wide by 3 in. tall. My finished image measured 2 in. by 2.5 in.

I used mixed media paper, watercolor pencils, and a Pigma pen. Cardstock would also be a good paper to either print or draw on.

With your X-acto knife, carefully cut a slit in the bottom of the cup. The cup I used was plastic so I had to cut a notch so the craft stick would slide up straight from the bottom of the cup.

Fluff out the cotton balls and glue them around the top edge (drinking edge) of your cup. The is the snow that surrounds your groundhog's burrow. Set aside to dry.

Draw, color, and cut out or print a clipart groundhog, color, and cut out. I had some googly eyes which I used on my groundhog. 

Glue your groundhog to your craft stick. The ground hog's bottom should be about 1.5 in. from the top of the stick

Insert the craft stick into the top of the cup. Pull the stick through the slot until you can only see the top of your groundhog's head.

Push the stick up and your groundhog is ready to predict whether Winter ends, and there's an early Spring, or if there are still 666 days to the longest month of the year (February). Hint: there are still 666 days left.

I made a little sign for my ground hog to express my feelings about Winter,

I have friends who delight in Winter and snow, and they love to tease me because I do not share the same joy. They gleefully send me memes  such as the one in the image above.

I made another sign for the groundhog and my friends who revel in Winter. Happy Groundhog Day

It's your turn to play. From Elizabeth: Now it's time to share your Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable.  Join hosts Bleubeard and Elizabeth to see what else is being served up the Second Time Around.

The Friday Five Good Things

 Five good things that happened this week.

1. Nostalgic fun we watched some Christmas movies with the Girlies. We watched The Muppets Christmas Carol and Die Hard.

 

2. I bought the pieces parts I needed to make this year's wreath

3. I had lunch with my calligraphy teacher and a classmate. I hadn't seen them in forever so it was fun to catch up.

4. The new oven was delivered 

5. Had a crafternoon session with the Young One.

How was your week?

Happy, Little, Time Waster

 

Can Crochet Summon Dragons?

The Friday Five Good Things

 

Five good things that happened this week.

1. I mailed a package of craft stuff to The Young One. The eyes arrived so she could finish a project

2. I did some cleaning and purging and switched the Summer and Winter wardrobe

3. The laundry was caught up for all of five minutes

4. I found a recipe for crockpot lasagna using frozen ravioli

5. A blast from the past, I got an email from a calligraphy classmate.

How was your week?

Himself's Craft Project

 This long weekend has me not knowing what day of the week it is. I posted the usual Sunday How Does Your Garden Grow on Saturday, too. It just felt like Sunday to me. If you came here looking for How Does Your Garden Grow, you can find it here.

Anyway, I forgot to include this picture in the How Does Your Garden Grow (and home decorations)

While in a waiting room, Himself noticed a wreath made of baseballs. As a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan, he was quite taken with the idea and decided he could make one. 

Be my guest. I mean why bother to try to find one online when you can spend a couple of hundred dollars and man-hours making one? 😉🤣

I have to say, he did a great job and the addition of the ball with glove and crossed bats was his idea. He finished it in time for the Fourth of July so our house was patriotically decorated in style.

Retirement Card

 

I made a card for a friend that will be semi-retired. I followed an exercise from Lindsay Ostrom's Creative Hand Lettering Book. The exercise called Writer's Block, required dividing your paper into blocks and using different hand lettering. You wrote a word or made a doodle and then rotated your paper a quarter turn. That way some of your writing would be upside-down, side-ways, or the right way up.

I wrote things one could do in one's "free time". Like going to lunch sleeping late, watching the clouds. Just a fun way to acknowledge the next phase of her life.

Gingerbread House Gift Bag

 

An idea to save for next year if you need a gift bag. I used a brown lunch bag to make a holder for a gift card. I cut about 3 inches off the top of the lunch bag. Folded the corners to the middle to make the roof. Doodled designs with Gelly pens. Punched a couple of holes and used some baker's twine to make a bow. Ta-da!

You could use a white lunch bag for other holidays/occasions.

Happy, Little, Time Waster

 

Unique DIY Custom Stationery

Gift Tag

 

done in the style of Lindsay Waltman-Ostrom, Creator of Cuteness. Micron Pigma pen, watercolor pencils on Canson mixed media paper.

Happy, Little, Time Wasters

 

Jason Christian - Red Dragon

This video is long at 36 minutes long, but so fascinating to watch the process of glass blowing. 

Three Different Ways to Print With Bubbles

Bubble printing is messing fun. You can use colored inks, tempera paints, acrylic paints, or food coloring. If you are doing this activity with children, I suggest you use food coloring. Just in case they inhale instead of exhale, the solution will taste nasty, but won't kill them.

For all three methods you will need: shallow containers (I used yogurt containers. One for each color), water, dish soap, and your colorant (paint, ink, food coloring) and plastic drinking straws. One for each color. If more than one person is playing, each person gets their own set of straws. Watercolor or Mixed Media paper. You may also want to cover your work surface with newspaper or plastic trash bag.

If you are doing this activity with children, use a pin to punch a hole or two halfway up the straw. Hopefully, this will prevent any liquid getting to the mouth end of the straw if inhaled instead of exhaled. Again, food coloring would work best for the kidlets.

In each cup mix a tablespoon of soap with a couple of tablespoons of color. I didn't measure anything just eyeballed.

Add a half cup of water to each cup. You may need more water, soap, and colors depending how big your containers are.

Method 1: Printing with the Foam

Gently blow bubbles into the cup. Try not to blow the bubbles too far over the rim. Gently press your paper onto the bubbles. The bubbles will leave an imprint.

Your mileage may vary, but I used acrylic paint and found the color didn't really come up into the foam.

 I had to add a lot more color. I suspect the paint was too heavy for the solution.

Many years ago, I had better luck using colored ink or food coloring.

Method 2: Printing with a Single Bubble

If you hold the straw upright in the bubble/paint solution and then put your finger over the top of the straw, capillary action will draw a bit of the solution into the straw. Move your straw over the paper and release you finger. A drop of liquid will fall on the paper. You can also use a cleaned out eye or medicine dropper or pipette. You just need a little drop.

Insert the straw into the drop and blow gently. You should get a bubble.

When the bubble pops, it will leave an impression behind.

Method 3: Star Burst Effect

If you hold the straw upright in the bubble/paint solution and then put your finger over the top of the straw, capillary action will draw a bit of the solution into the straw. Move your straw over the paper and release you finger. A drop of liquid will fall on the paper. You can also use a cleaned out eye or medicine dropper or pipette. You just need a little drop.

This time instead of blowing across the drop, place your straw over the drop. You may need to stand up. Then give a quick puff. The color should scatter in a star burst or fireworks effect.

You can use your creations as collage fodder or as a background.

Flower Pounding

While wandering around the yard, I thought the fuchsia blossoms would be good to use for flower pounding.

If you've never heard of flower pounding, you take blossoms, lay them on watercolor paper, and pound them with a hammer for some savage amusement.

If you Google flower pounding tutorials, most will tell you to use fresh blossoms. My plant is so pretty and doing well, I didn't want to take fresh blooms. Some had recently passed and fallen on the ground. I also pulled a few that were just going.

On a hard surface, you arrange the blossoms on your paper. I'm using the inside cover of my giant dictionary as I didn't want to do this on the hardwood floor.

After the petals are arranged the way you like, you can cover them with wax paper or a paper towel. Then grab your hammer and go to town

You want blossoms that still have some moisture in them and aren't  completely dried out.

When you're done pounding, you remove the spent blooms.

You're left with a "watercolor" impression. Sometimes the colors are different than expected. You can use the finished paper as collage fodder or to make a card. You can outline  and doodle around the image, too. 

I haven't decided what I want to do with this piece yet.