confession...

Ok.. I'll share the secret of the hummingbird image below. It is my photo, it is a real bird and nest.. but.. it's dead. Perhaps I can phrase that nicer. lol! It is from an antique collection of birds and nests on display at a science museum not too far from where we live. I have a weak spot for science, especially antique images, charts, text, prints, and insects. Hence my blog, The Vintage Moth and some of my more macabre images of dead flies, etc...  the case that the hummingbird was in was table height with a glass top so I was able to get right over the bird, a moment of shifting back forth until there was no glass glare in the shot and voila! It looks like I was suspended in a tree somehow. I love this image and am very proud of it, even if the 'subject' was still life. We do have hummingbirds around our home but good grief, I could never in a million years get an image like that. I've tried to get a shot of them at the feeders and just can't do it. I also used photoshop and Photoscape to sharpen, blur, etc..

For those of you who asked, I have a Nikon D40 and love it, but am already finding it quite limited. I am hoping to get another lens and perhaps upgrade to the D90 someday. Aaah.. it's nice to have dreams..

You never know where am image is going to come from, or what subject will strike your fancy. But go with it! Even if it is dead... hehehehe...

The image above is another science display from the same place. It was very tall and outside.. you twirl the large post from handles at the bottom and the centrifugal force pulls the balls outwards as it spins.

I loved the red and blue and the rust.

xoxo~

Abbie

Scissors, pincushions, and flowers!

 I have been playing with fabrics and papers. (surprise.. they are my most favorite things!) Below I wrapped a recycled can in a fabulous red and white cotton. Just used an Elmers gluestick, but Modge Podge, double sided tape or a glue gun would work too.

The glue bottle (you can tell the brand by the orange tip) I wrapped in some pretty stationary paper from Cath Kidston.  Also used my handy dandy gluestick. (I acquired the paper from the fabulous Melissa as she was purging her stash.) The pretty crocheted flowers (above and below) and the Happy Home needle book also came from Melissa.

 

I also stitched up a lanyard of sorts for my tiny scissors. Using a strip of trim, a crocheted flower and a vintage button.

 Now I can clip it up between my scissors. The 'frames' above, are more sheets of the above mentioned stationary glue 'stuck' to my wall. :)  They help protect the wall from stray scissor tips (I am not a gentle crafter), it helps me find the nails easier and they are really pretty! (the glue sitck will just wash off with a sponge once I want to take the paper down.)

The last project I tackled over the past few days was to make myself a jumbo pincushion. You can see the two pin cushions I now have side by side. :) It's huge and I love it! I used a six inch diameter lid as a pattern. Cut two circles of fabric. Then using a pliable measuring tape I measured around the outside of the circle and added an extra inch in length to that for the side panel. (21" x 2" rectangle) Sew right sides together. Long side of rectangle to edge of one circle, then sew the other circle to the other side of the rectangle. It's not as confusing as I make it sound! :) The vertical opening in the side panel that is left is just the right size to push stuffing through. A lot of stuffing. I stitched up the small side seam and added a button tuft to the center. It holds all my pins, some needles, won't tip over, the needles won't go all the way through and I can't miss it!

I'm almost organized/picked up enough to get the girls quilts started. For their birthdays (both in June) I'm making them quilts for their beds. Now that they are both in twin beds, I'd like for their bedding to match. I hope to also make some curtains, some sweater pillows, pillowcases, a pendant bunting, and add some shelving. They don't spend anytime in their bedroom, but as they get older, I know they will. (hope they will..) 

xoxo~

Abbie

Story Bowls

I have sorting, cleaning, purging and letting go. But some things are harder to let go of than others and some treasures have to stay. But what to do with them? We had kept a cardboard box full of bits (shells, coral, etc..) that we found on the beach this summer during a family trip to York, Maine. It sat in a cupboard until yesterday.

I couldn't get rid of them.. they represented hours of searching, heavy wet pockets, and looks of glee when an extra special piece was found. So, I took a fish bowl (left over from a past pet) and tossed the goodies in.

 Sepia toned a photo of my three children, following the leader, through the tide pools and tucked it in behind.

The starfish was not from the mini vacation. It was a gift from my mother to my son and had also been tucked away for safe keeping. It fits perfectly. Although we didn't find it then, it was the ultimate goal of my son that vacation.. he wanted to find a starfish. Little did he know (or remember) that his treasure was safe at home waiting for him.  

Story Bowls are a fabulous way to display your treasures. Large enough to fit tickets, trinkets, photos and treasures (baby shoes, first spoons, etc..) and easy to display. And they aren't permanent.. meaning you can change out the contents easily and perhaps keep other stories in 'storage', sealed in plastic bins for a later time.  Waiting for their moment in the Story Bowl.

Enjoy!

xoxo~

Abbie

Vintage Suitcase in Dashing Red Polka Dots!

   (

I just love 'before and after' posts, don't you? A new project.. a vintage suitcase, I am re-furbishing for my daughter's doll clothes.  Honestly, when I started to hunt for one, I knew exactly what I wanted. An older, vintage suitcase, generous size yet small, in GOOD condition, a charming color, that need little to no work. Ha! lol! What was I thinking? No, really.. that's like asking for a man that cooks, cleans, brings home the bacon and rubs your feet! Well,needless to say, my searching left me empty handed. I did find this beast, in what appeared to be, rotten condition. After a very close inspection, the 'bones' of the piece were great! Solid wood, dovetail corners, hinges in working order and the lock, although without it's key, worked too..

The above shot shows me mid-stripping. I just peeled away all of the paper that was no longer fully attached. It took awhile but you need to get all the loose paper off, or the new layers of paper/fabric you put on will just bubble up.

I painted around all the hinges with red. A nice bright red to match my fabric choice. I probably should have primed it first, but hey, I like things done quickly. I did this so that I didn't have to get my fabric exactly to the edge of all the hinges and buckles. I like things quick, remember? It would not have been an easy task to do since the hardware doesn't remove and it has plenty of curves.

 After the paint had dried (well, ok, I didn't even wait for that) I started with the bottom. (Get the hardest sections over with first, as whenever I start a project I am methodical and precise for about half of it, then the last half of the job I just fudge it.)

I looked for Modge Podge but Walmart was all out so I bought Royal Coat Decoupage Finish and it worked perfect.  Slapped it on with a foam brush and laid the fabric on top. The corners were tricky. Can I tell you my secret? No, I did every corner completely different! It really is amazing that I get anything done... :P  As best as I could, I cut away excess fabric, tucked, glued, pressed and pulled and voila! Nearly perfect! (the glue in the below picture hadn't been whipped off yet but you can see the curvy hinges, the corner folds and the 'before' condition..)

Isn't it charming!? I just love the fabric.  I choose it for several reasons, (and yes, they are logical..) One, it had not been prewashed, so it was stiff and still had the sizing in it. Two, it was dark enough that the dark stripes on the case wouldn't show through and the grime from use wouldn't show either, and Three, well it's fabulous! It makes the piece feel very 'Cathe Kidston'don't ya think?  

 I haven't finished the inside yet. The top photo shows the inside partially covered with papers from the wonderful Melissa over at The Garden of Pink shadows.  If I finish it though, then it goes into the hands of my 2 yr old and my 4 yr old... aahhhh well... atleast I'll get to see it everyday. And putting away their doll clothes will be so much more fun! I see more of these in my future. It was so much fun to do. Hhhhmmm.. I wonder what else I can decoupage? The dogs perhaps? They would look fantastic in a floral! heheehee...

UPDATE:

All finished!

There really is nothing like breathing life into a forgotten piece.. it stays out of a landfill, I save money, and my girls get a pretty case that should now last them a lifetime.

xoxo~

Abbie

The girls love it! It works perfect for all the handmade clothes and knit accessories they got for Christmas.

 

Salt Dough Ornaments/Tags with a Twist

 As a child, I had a German friend whose mother was a very talented salt dough artist. When I'd go to her house often times we'd end up at the kitchen table completely surrounded by salt dough and our plethora of creations. It has remained a favorite medium of mine but now I try to put my own spin on the craft.

 First, you need the dough.

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

3/4 - 1 cup warm water

Mix the salt and flour until combined, and then slowly add the water and mix until the dough pulls together. Too sticky? add small amounts of flour. Too crumbly? Add little bits of water.

If you'd like to color your dough add a drop or two of food coloring to the water BEFORE mixing with the flour. A marbled effect? Add the food coloring directly to the dough as you kneed it. You can also use acrylic paints to color your dough.

Kneed the dough for approx 10 minutes. (this is tough work.. set the timer as you'll want to stop part way through!)  Cut off a chunk of dough to work with and place the rest in under a damp paper towel or wrap it in plastic wrap.

 Roll the dough out nice and thin. (atleast that is how I like my tags/ornaments) They dry quicker and feel more delicate/elegant to me.  Now, take out your rubber stamps, an ink pad and get stamping! Stamp directly onto the rolled dough. To smooth out the surface of the dough after you stamped, you can gently roll over your image with a rolling pin. (I really like the small plastic rollers that came with my daughter's playdough)

Cut out your images with a sharp knife, I like to give mine a tag look by beveling the top corners. Eyeball it! Use a straw to cut out a small hole for the string. The pieces above I had placed on a cookie sheet. Don't do this! :)

Put them on parchment paper, on top of a drying rack and flip them often over the next few hours to dry them evenly. You can bake them in the oven but I have found, even at a low temp, some have the tendency to 'puff'. Not a nice feature. They will take a few days to dry completely.  I brushed a small amount of white glue to certain spots (ie.. the tree stems, the snowflake) and sprinkled them with glitter. I am not a huge glitter fan, but the fine glitter adds a nice little sparkle.

These are limited only by the rubber stamps you have. Although, even without stamps there are plenty of things with texture that you can use to 'stamp' onto the dough. Coins, you can lightly draw with a sharp pencil, small dots with a fork, use cookie cutters to cut them out, ( my tools are only a knife and a wine glass for the circles).

They are great tags for gifts.. you can use a fine tipped sharpie to write on the reverse side. Small messages of love and friendship never get old, especially when handmade!

Enjoy!

xoxo~

Abbie

Quick Advent Calendar Craft Project

I saw something similar to these (not quite as embellished) somewhere out there on the vastness of Bloglandia... PLEASE, if you know where, let me know,  I want to give them credit!!

As I said, I found this great idea for an advent calendar using toilet paper rolls (or cut paper towel rolls).  She did not completely cover them as I do here, but I loved the idea immediately!

Start with paper rolls, 24 obviously.. sheet music or wrapping paper (I used sheet music.. noticing a trend here?) tape, glue dots, scissors, images, ribbons, etc...

Cut four slits at one end of a roll up about an 1 inch and half. (equally spaced around the roll)

Fold over ends and tuck them, paper box style, into each other. (below)

Tape the folds shut.

 

Rap the roll in a paper of your choice leaving a 2" overhang on the open end and just enough to wrap the closed end neatly. 

I used tape. You can glue the paper, for me that took too long.

On the closed end, fold in the paper and secure with tape, glue or glue dots (my weapon of choice).

 Flip your tube over and cut small slits in the paper that hangs over the tube, making fringe. I was originally going to curl this out, but it was too fussy and froo froo for me. As you can see above, I trimmed the fringe slightly and tucked it IN, thus making a cover. The kids can't see in, but they can easily reach in a grab the contents! (and it can be used over and over.. just refluff the fringe) Sometimes I amaze myself...  ;)

Use what you have on hand to decorate the tubes. The numbers came from the fabulous Cathe at Just Somthing I Made and can be found HERE.  The poinsettia image is from Dawn at
The Feathered Nest. 

 I poked a hole in the back of the tube, strung a ribbon and hung them that way. You can poke two holes, opposite each other and string them in line. (what the clever lady did in the post that I cann't find again) 

These would also be cute as small gift holders at the holidays, like Christmas Crackers..

I wanted to make this because I have 3 kids.. and did NOT want to make or buy 3 calendars. AND I wanted to be able to choose the 'prize'.. such as the candy or treat. These tubes are larger enough to hold three notes, three candies, you get the idea...

Where does the chocolate come from that is in the 2$ advent calendar's in the grocery store? (because I'm not sure I want my kids eating them! )  Hhhmmm...

 xoxo~

Abbie

German Star ~ Froebel Stern

Oh, how I love these! 

Having grown up in Germany I have a weak spot for their crafts.. such as salt dough and their paper decorations. (I'll post how to make paper bells later)

I am not going to recreate the wheel though. I found a great site that has easy to follow directions for making the stars at craftideas.info.  I copied and pasted the directions into a Word doc, reduced the image size slightly so I didn't use too much ink and printed them out. It is very nice to have them as reference for the first few stars you make. (I did finally memorize them)

Of course, I used antique sheet music, German no less.. the directions say you need 4 strips of paper, 1.5 cm by 50 cm. I found that if I took a sheet music book, laid it open and removed the pages from the center INTACT, that the side by sheets measured 46 cm and that was close enough. I taped the center fold as it was 100+ year old paper and I didn't want it to rip. The fold is perfect as you need to fold the strips in half anyway. Use a paper cutter! Your strips need to be quite exact, you don't want wonky edges..   

I took a few photos of the progress and folding. When making the stars NOTE the direction of the diagonal folds. They are important later when trying to make the dimensional points... trust me, I found out after several stars and lots of struggling.  

 Another tip, shown below, be sure to tuck BOTH ends of the strips into the loops when you start. You'll understand once you get there..

Yep.. I learned that one the hard way too... 

I strung a few on metallic thread and hung them from my mantel.. I like them simple this way but they would be fabulous dipped in a clear wax (helps preserve them) or sprayed with glue and dusted with glass glitter (something I avoid with wee children in the house). Antique them, tea stain them, add bells, make garlands, top gifts, who knows!  No sheet music? use double sided gift wrap. (both sides of the paper will show). HERE are directions to make them into a wreath..

I just love them!

xoxo~

Abbie

A winner and a secret....

Thank you to everyone who entered the Apron Giveaway! Sorry that it took me so long to post, I know, I was suppose to draw a winner on Sunday but life is crazy. Okay, weak excuse but the truth!  Onto the details, the random number generator I used popped up with #20, Becky.

"LOVE your apron!!! I would be tickled pink to win it,
so please add my name to the long list of those
wanting to win!!

I am thankful for a loving family and caring friends.
Each day is a gift from above and I am just thankful
for that, too.

Becky"

What a delightful blog she has! You really must pop over for a visit, trust me, you'll stay for a spell and browse..

I'll be getting her new apron out to her lickity split! :) Now... how did I create the display stand/half mannequin?  That is a funny story.

I have mentioned in the past that I started selling at local craft fairs. Well, it's really hard to sell an apron that no one can see. So, after fussing and contemplating getting a mannequin from EBay (my husband's idea) I knew that it needed a stand. This lamp base was dug out of the basement.

<---- Voila!

Alright now what?

Well, I had some leftover cushion foam (rectangular in shape, approx 5 feet long and 10" wide)  I folded/ rolled it into an oval and used a jean skirt from my closet to hold it closed.

Hhhmm.. how to explain this better.. I put  the foam into the waist band of my skirt and buttoned the skirt closed.  --->

 <--- here is the foam all 'buttoned up'.  Next, I shoved (that is a technical term) the lamp assembly up into the center of the foam (from underneath the skirt) so that the skirt hung down over the lamp post.  the green foam top looked less than appetizing so I used some cotton fabric and tucked it neatly between the skirt and foam, shaping as I went.

  

You can see the lamp housing peeking out from the foam here. ----->

<--- Here is the finished stand, white cotton in place with the skirt bottom scrunched (another technical term) up with a ribbon.

I just tie my apron of choice around and it's ready to go. The only draw back is that the base is solid brass which makes it a twee bit heavy. I don't have to worry about it tipping over though. You might not do craft fairs, but it works great for photographing aprons or belts even. I could stuff the skirt to fill it out more (aaahhemmm.. give her a toosh) but for my use it's fine the way it is.

 Who knew a lamp base and some foam could be so darn useful and it was free! (and you can't beat that with a wet noodle!)

xoxo~

Abbie

(You can click on the above images to see them larger)

Pattern for Silk Shell Scarf

I had several emails about the scarf so I thought I'd share what I know. Really there is no complex pattern, as I like to just work and not keep having to refer to a book or sheet of paper all the time.

I used Fiddlesticks Knitting Silk Sensationyarn in Sprout. It is 100% silk and has a wonderful matte finish to it. (50g = 115 meters approx. ) The finished project used just over one and half skeins of yarn.  My crochet hook was #5 or F. How much yarn you use depends on how long you want your scarf.

I worked in a basic shell pattern for the entire piece. Shell patterns are worked in multiples of 6 + 2. So if you wanted yours either thinner or wider you would adjust by removing or adding 6 chains. I started my scarf by chaining 18 + 2.

I followed the instructions for the shell stitch from The Happy Hooker. An absolutely priceless book for the basics of crochet. You can find a great tutorial for the Shell Pattern Scarf by Teresa <--there. It is exactly what I did, but I only chained 18 to start and I didn't follow her pattern. (as I just found it while searching around the fabulous internet)

Teresa's blog, The Art of Crochet and her video tutorials are fabulous! Simple and easy to follow she slows things down and is very nice to listen to.

Hope that helps!

xoxo~

Abbie

Blueberry Muffins

I don't often post recipes on my blog, as most of what I make is just basic, everyday stuff. Not fancy (although my meat and potato husband thinks I get too fancy or healthy sometimes) but it's good and almost always homemade. Here is a recipe for you for blueberry muffins. I LOVE these!! The blueberries we had picked this past summer at an organic farm not too far from us. I froze them immediately and use them throughout the winter for baking. (Hint, freeze berries flat on cookie sheets, then, once they are frozen, put them into plastic freezer bags. Then all your berries will be separate instead of one big block, allowing for easy measuring.)

Blueberry Muffins (makes 12-15 muffins)

2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
span >3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup butter (melted but not hot)
2 cups blueberries

Preset oven to 400 degrees. Place paper muffin cups in muffin tin. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices. Beat eggs lightly, add milk and butter. Mix together just until moist. Fold in blueberries. Fill each cup full. Sprinkle tops with additional sugar if desired. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center.

(Hint: Spray inside of paper muffin cups with cooking spray before filling, then the papers will peel of cleanly)

Any berry works in this recipe, I also love them with blackberries or raspberries, or a combination of two or three. If you don't have any that you have picked a great substitute are Wyman's Berries.

Eat them hot from the oven with a pat of butter.. yum!

(When I was working on this post I didn't realize that Alicia was also making blueberry muffins. She grabbed hers from Ina, mine are from my mother in law..)

I'd love to see what everyone has for favorite winter cozy foods.. let me know if you have something delightful!

:)