Have a Nice K!

First Day of School

Getting ready for my son's first day of school by trying to come up with a sign to use for photos in the AM. I'm not ready for the school year to start, but this sign is good to go.

Aug 23, 2015 6:38:36 PM

Easy Easy Mini Enchanted Fairy Mirror

This week's girly-girl project is from my "Made by the Mother of a boy" series. Ok, I just made that up, but sometimes I wonder why I bother making things like this when I am the only girl in the house. Nevermind. I know why, because it's fun and I can give my posts silly names, like this one. And because I already have the supplies to do it, so there's no turning back.

Oh look! It's a picture of me showing you why the photo quality is so bad (taken with phone)!

This mirror was made out of boredom.

And the need to use some of the random materials that have been laying around for months, or even years, in some cases.

Around Christmastime, I decided that I wanted to see what would happen if I put embossing powder on a mirror. So I tried it on a few mini round mirrors, and I loved it! And then I did nothing with them for a few months. Well, that's a lie, I put one in my purse to randomly use to make sure that my eyeliner hasn't gooped up in the corner of my eye.

Fast forward to last week when I was playing around with a little box of $1 Quick Pick gems from Webster's Pages and some other embellishments that float around my craft room. They are all so much fun, but I didn't want to waste them on just anything, or anyone. But in my manic I'm-just-trying-out-anything-and-everything-to-see-if-something-works impromptu crafting session, I discovered that these little gems looked so lovely on the mirror. So, a little E600 on the gems and a little more on the lace loop in the back and done! Easy, easy!

Any questions?

And me one more time, because I can.

May 8, 2014 9:29:09 PM

Easy Easy Embellishments

Over the past nine months, my life has changed in so many ways that I don't recognize the person who is typing out this blog post. New jobs, changes at work for my husband, new volunteer activities, new people in my life, my grandmother passing...all contributed to a new version of Kiersten. The jury is still out on whether or not this is a better version, but regardless, it has meant that any crafting is restricted to the moments in life when I truly feel I need to regain some sanity, and even then I have to push myself to give up some time to unwind. Anything I make has to be easy and not something I want to tear apart and re-do; I'm looking for almost instant gratification. My next two posts will feature the projects that have kept the creative fires burning.

My oldest friend Courtnie had a birthday in February and I needed a little something extra to include with her gift. When I can, I like to give her something I've made because she's always been such a great cheerleader for my creativity ever since we met in high school, and she has witnessed its evolution.

About a year or so ago, when Target first started to put really cute crafty stuff in their Dollar Spot, I picked up a few burlap pouches that I knew I could do so many things with. The pouches had plenty of potential, it was my motivation that was lacking, and they remained in a closet for a long time. But that's a good thing, otherwise I wouldn't have a gift for Ms. C.

Now what to do with the blank slate I had before me?

I'd ordered some adorable mini multi-colored jingle bells at Christmas time, that didn't arrive until late January, so I thought it might be cute to sew them onto the pouch in a scallopy pattern, but knowing me, there was no way that was going to happen in a reasonable amount of time.

Think, think, think... Fiddle with the vase of scraps on my desk... Think some more...

And out came the soft little embellishments that you see below.

I've been a fan of rosettes for awhile, but just recently started making those loopy flowers that you make by folding a strip of fabric in half (felt works much better and doesn't have an issue with fraying) and then cutting slits all the way down on the folded side. Next, you just roll it up and hot glue the end of the poofy flower. I admit, I've seen many more amazing ones, but the little gray and yellow polka dot one I made for the pouch added to the shabby feel.

Once I had each of the flowers made, I just sewed them onto the pouch and then sewed in the strips of lace, tulle, and gold knit material, which also came from my scrap vase.

Any questions?

Mar 9, 2014 7:04:57 PM

Halloween Mini Treat Bags

Ok, moment of honesty. See the little treat bags below...?

...I made these for no reason at all. NOT A ONE. This is the first year that I've actually completed multiple Halloween projects (patting myself on the back). I've really loved all of my Halloween supplies, which are now strewn about my craft room...and dining room table...and kitchen counter. I eyed a stray plastic spider on the floor of my son's bedroom and thought, "There's got to be something else I can do with that!"

So, I did something. I pulled out the stash of little paper bags that have been clogging up a skinny drawer in my semi-organized (in my head) set of drawers. It's one of those sets of multi-colored drawers that you see at craft stores, usually on sale, and tell yourself that all those colors are so cute and it would be great to have for ALL THAT STORAGE, but in the end it doesn't really match anything and The drawers are thin and can only really hold a lot of little things and you eventually forget that you even own them.

I digress.

I have a great set of papers and stickers from the October Afternoon Witch Hazel collection. It's one of those collections that I love SO much that I cant stand to part with any of it, or, to my horror, try to use them and end up screwing something up and have to waste my coveted papers. But I practiced a little self-induced therapy and challenged my inner hoarder to just go for it and give those papers a purpose.

This is not going to be one of my half-assed tutorials. I'd simply just like to post some pics of these little works of art that helped me get through a couple of insomnia plagued nights.

Moment of honesty #2...

Nothing I've done on these treat bags is all that different from my usual projects, and let's face it, none of it is all that difficult to figure out. I just love how fun they are!

The one thing that I do want to point out is the bag that has the rosette with the middle circle that says "beware." I was especially proud of myself for being so resourcefully creative when it came to finding the perfect paper to set off the embellishment. I have a large selection of Halloween-themed papers, mostly thanks to the October Afternoon collection pack I bought last year at their warhouse sale in Apple Valley, MN, but none of them seemed appropriate to use on the rosette because the prints were too big for the small Epiphany Crafts circle shape that I planned to use, and I didn't feel like defaulting to my usual plastic jewel or clay piece. As I perused the stack of oranges and blacks and pumpkins and witches, I looked down at the cover paper from the OA collection that displayed a shrunken down sample of each of the papers. I was instantly attracted to the typography on one of the examples. The words would contrast with the rest of the treat bag, plus they were actually small enough to fit on the small DING! DING! DING! We have a winner!