Father's Day Framed Floating Pictures in a Faux Leather FrameTutorial

There's something about my Dad's office that has kind of a manly air to it. Perhaps it's the marble core lamp or the big, fancy wooden desk or the weather thingies that hang on the wall, but there's something about a man's study. Isn't there? 

So when I was trying to think of something to make my father, I realized that he doesn't have any pictures of family in there. I mean none. Perhaps it's because it is the room he uses to get away from us all but that's just too bad, now. He's got a new frame to hang in there.

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Crochet Up Some Neon Pot Scrubbers

I don't like sponges being used in clean up situations... I've just heard way too much about germs that live up in them. But I do like scrubbies. We had a whole pile of the thing that were given as a gift. It was easy to see that they were little crocheted circles of maroon and hunter green, but I couldnt' figure out what the material was for the life of me.

So one day I'm in the craft store when I see one older lady speaking to another older lady who is putting spool after spool of tulle into her cart. "Are you making tutus?" "No, I'm making little pot scrubbers that my grandaughter sells on the internet for me." Whoa - pot scrubbers? 

Me being me, I have to go over and talk to this chick and get the skinny and I'm informed that you use the tulle like you would yarn and crochet rounds to make pot scrubbers. I grabbed a neon pink, green and blue right there on the spot.

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Make Your Momma Smell This Mother's Day at Mom Spark!

(was my title attention grabbing or what? *Disclaimer: My mother doesn't smell but if she ever sees this post I am sure she will roll her eyes.) I have three lovely mommas in my life to purchase Mother's Day gifts for and it can get expensive! Gifts that are homemade will always be my go to. Given the chance between an expensive store-bought something or an inexpensive hand crafting something I'm going to prefer the one that took effort from the giver. 

That's why I always do my best to make things as gifts. It's far easier on the pocket book often but not all of the time, sometimes you've got a case of crafts gone wild on you. But the most important thing is that they knew for however long it took me to make gift XYZ that I was thinking of them. 

How wonderful a feeling is that? To be sick in bed and being comforted laying underneath the quilt that your Momma made for you? I'm 32 and I still snuggle up with my "Smurf quilt" that my mom made for me when I was 3. There are tomato soup stains, rips and very little smurfy about it anymore (the embroidery has been coming undone) from the 29+ years that thing has given me peace.

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Penny Jewelry Tutorial

When I was a kid I spent a lot of weekends with my Mimmie and Poppa (grandparents). My Mimmie worked in a dry cleaners and it was open on Saturdays. If both Mimmie and Poppa had to work I went to the cleaners. But Mimmie had to be there early in the morning, before the sun even came out. So she'd dress me and put me in the back of her car where I would sleep and slide all over the vinyl backseat until we got there.

Even though my day started uncomfortably early, this was a lot of fun for a few reasons:

1. old fashioned calculator that spit out paper
2. tag attacher gun
3. played big boss in a squishy leather chair in the empty big boss' office
4. got driven around in a big canvas cart used to move the clothes around
5. the lady on the pants press that was addicted to candy

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Plaster Thumb Tack Tutorial

So I'm totally being a smart alec today. Sometimes I just can't help it. I had some left over alginate and plaster of paris from Gomez, my freaky statue I made from a foam wig head thingie and decided I needed to do something with it. Since it does eventually expire and there was hardly any of the purple powder left in my bag, it needed to be something small, small scale. 

Somehow one thing lead to another and I was like, "oh, yeah?" and I got the big idea to make these. Really have no clue how I got from Point A to Point B on this one, but here we are!

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I'm Digging String-Ring

Now I'm not one of those people who is always trying to better myself through self help books and honest reflection. To be honest, I'm really happy with who I am... I am awesome. 

But even someone who has confidence has flaws. I am awesome but flawed. So a while back ago, I stumbled upon the String-Ring and decided to buy myself one for my birthday. Not typically someone who buys gifts for myself, this was a big, big deal. But I liked the looks, totally dug the entire concept and loved the message of kindness behind it. 

What you get is a silver ring in a size 4, 6, 8 or 10 that bends to accommodate sizes in between. You also get 20 little waxed cord strings to tie and a little pamphlet with instructions on different types of ties. You can use one color or two and they have significant meanings of reminders to the wearer. White (which is on my ring) means peace, life & simplicity and to remember to be kind to yourself.

If you're looking for a moderately priced gift for a girlfriend, bestie, wife, mother, sister or acquaintance - I'd really consider taking a look at String-Ring. 

This is not a paid or sponsored post. Image source is via screenshot from string-ring.com.

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