Two new obsessions

So, if you know me even at all, you know I sometimes get "obsessed" with things. Yep, obsessed. And, right now, I am obsessed with two things; my new iPhone and twine. The first being a gift I bought myself after a two-year self-imposed restriction on all smart phones. I had a dumb little flip phone that I kept breaking....so, I decided if I could keep the little flippy safe for two years, I deserved an iPhone. AND, iPhone, you have completed me.

My second obsession is twine. Recently, I created yarn letters (read previous entries), which are indeed fantastic. HOWEVER, I then tried twine cover letters...even more amazing (I'll show you pictures soon). So, I have been hearing all the craze about yarn balloons, where someone blows up a balloon, covers it in glue-soaked yarn, lets it dry for a day, then pops the balloon. That's all fine and dandy, but I didn't want a balloon-shaped hanging thing. I wanted a circle and I wanted it covered in twine....

Behold and see what I have created!!! With inspiration of course from the many balloon yarn balls and such I have seen on pinterest (I stayed away for awhile, but I can't anymore...this is due mostly to my iPhone). Anyway, the twine balls await you...seriously, they are AMAZING!!!! (read on to see how they are made...amazing)

This is the completed twine ball. I will eventually hang this up from the ceiling with clear fishing line.
Probably a cluster of twine balls will hang from my ceiling!!

The bouncy children's ball covered with glue-coated twine.

The magic that holds this project together!!!

The children's ball (deflated to remove from the twine ball) with the magic pump!

Okay, so how this project was made. I went to the store and bought a children's play ball (about $3), a roll of twine (about $5) and a tube of tacky glue (under $2). I drew a circle on the top of the ball with magic marker...this was a two part plan. First, I thought I might someday add a light bulb into the twine ball and needed ample room for the fixture. Second, I needed enough room to defeat my ball and remove it. Anyway, after the circle was drawn on the ball, I went to town!! I set out a trash bag, poured a lot of glue into a little bowl (it was easier than constantly pouring out more glue, trust me!). I covered my fingers in glue and went over every inch of twine as I was winding it around the ball. I tried to make the twine go every which way and fill the space equally. You will use an entire ball of twine and an entire tube of tacky glue (small size...not mini, but small). You can pretty much tell how it'll look as you're going. I was then out of twine and my ball looked great. I sat it down and let it dry for 24 hours. I then deflated my children's ball and removed it from the twine ball.....it held it's form perfectly and I love it!!!

This is something you must try, as it's so easy, so fun and looks so original. ALSO, you can reuse the children's ball again and again!!! Good luck! Stay tuned for my other fun twine creations! :)

L.O....E. Wait a minute....

I am blonde. I am constantly multitasking. I am sometimes preoccupied with other things than the task at hand. I am daydreaming about something much bigger than myself that is out there for me! I am getting older every single day. I am a woman. Whatever the reasons are, I am forgetting everything lately!! Anyway...the lesson for this blog is: if you at least start something, you are more likely to finish it than if you never start it at all.

Hmmmm, let me explain that whole first paragraph and introduce ya'll to some yarn art!! Let me take you back to last Friday. It was a rainy little day and I had nothing in the world to accomplish except some errands. Since we live in a smaller town, my errands consisted of an hour-long drive to the 'bigger' town down the road. I adore these days. I cherish my alone time on the way up there and just love looking around all day at some of my favorite stores.

I was in Hobby Lobby (sigh of contentment!) and I had been inspired recently to cover some chipboard letters with yarn. Standing in front of the letters, I was trying to think of what word would look good. "EAT" in the kitchen...hmm, no good...I don't need a reminder to do that. "ALEXANDER" in the hallway...hmm, too long of last name. "SLEEP" above our bed all cutesy-like....nah. "JOY" somewhere in my house....no, this wonderful word reminds me too much of someone I used to know named Joy. "LOVE"....this word can never be overdone. It's perfect! So, I grabbed my chipboard letters and then scooted over to the yarn aisle to buy four of my most favorite colors of blue and green to cover my letters.

I arrived home, got out my recently purchased supplies to start making my project. OH HEAVENS!!! In front of me lay an: L, O and E. I messed up and forgot my V. You can NOT have LOVE without the V!!! I went through the whole array of emotions in literally two seconds (from frustration to humor) and started to work. Part of me wanted to just wait until I had my "V" in hand, because I wanted a finished project. However, I knew that I had the time, energy and gusto to work on my little yarn letters right then, SO I DID.

Have I made it back up to Hobby Lobby yet? No. Did I put up the "LOE" in my hallway already? Yes. Did I have lots of people over to my house to see the "LOE" in my hallway? Ha, yes, I did! But, I figure that if I walk by it everyday, I won't forget to finish this very fun project. So, people, start something, even if you don't have all the stuff to finish it right there!!

Lastly, here's how you do this quick little masterpiece. Buy letters, cut them out yourselves, whatever you would like to do...then get some yarn and just tie a knot in the back to start it and then start wrapping. It takes a few minutes, but it's easy and oh so cute!!!

A closer look at these letters wrapped in yarn...sorry for the HORRIBLE lighting!

I have the letters sitting on a small shelf in my hallway that is surrounded by pictures. The "V" will be a darker teal than the "L" and it will make a lovely little "LOVE." Until then, "LOE" your neighbors!!

Good luck my friends and Merry Christmas!!!

Tag, you're it.

Ha, I am still giggling on the inside of my creative little title of this entry. So, I'm going to talk about tags today. I like them. I love how you can go into a store and right beside the gift-wrapping is all sorts of little matching tags. Ah, glorious! But, if I ever see something in a store that I like...well, you best be believing that I think I can create it! So, this little entry is about some homemade tags...well, kinda. Some of my friends here in Mississippi have been inside my 'craft closet' and seen my boxes and boxes of home-made tags I have made, just waiting to go on presents someday. I have issues people! I create things by the masses...seriously! I don't just make one really cute tag, I make thirty of the same one. People think I am kidding, I am not. If you have ever read "my intro" to this blog, you will understand, that working with my hands is my therapy...so if I'm in a 'mood,' I generally can be found hunched over working on something. And, then I go overboard and make thirty of the same thing. SO...wow, long rabbit-trail there, but my point is: this entry is NOT about all those tags, but one other tag in particular. Whew!

Anyway, for me and my favorite's wedding reception, we had the task of assigning people to particular tables for dinner. For all those who have had weddings, I am sure this is a task you might not have relished. I LOVED IT! I could not wait to make these fun little place cards and tell people where they were to sit....maybe it's the bossiness in me! Either way, I decided to make our place-cards into 'place-tags.' Our colors were black, white and that fun little apple green, so that is the colors I used. What should tags be hung from? Well, a home-made mini-tree of course!

What I did and how I did it: I bought some manzinta branches at a local whole-sale flower shop, zip-tied them together (zip-ties are AMAZING...and if you have never used them, I insist that you try someday) and spray painted them black. Bought a little bucket-of-a-thing to put them in, mixed up some concrete to pour in the bucket and hold the branches into place. I then covered the concrete up with some moss. As for the tags: I cut them out to the size I wanted, cut out the numbers as well (by cut, I mean use the amazing cricut that cuts anything I want for me), bought a white-pen so I could write on the black tag and there you go! Then, I got green and black sheer ribbon to hang them with and waaaLaaa, place-tags done! I am sure the pictures will explain this MUCH better than I am attempting to.

I don't know if I will ever throw a party in the future that will require place-cards, but if so, I will have my tag idea ready to go!!

A far-away view of the tree with the 'place-tags' hanging from it. I will try to find a better picture!

An up-close view of the tags.

And, mad props go to my sweet, sweet husband for assisting me with the creation of the tree...he doesn't always see my vision when I explain it, but he's always there supporting it!

Orange you glad....

As I mentioned earlier, my parent's home is crazy creative and full of color; Simply put, I LOVE IT! There is an office upstairs that serves as an extra bed when people are visiting. It used to be done in 'man colors,' but to my pleasant surprise, it is now done in ORANGE and it is FABULOUS! Did my mom make the headboard on the bed? YES. Did she also make the curtains? YES. Did she make some of the pillows? YES.  However, in these next pictures, I would like the world to focus on these hanging lanterns. They are just wonderful and I am going to find a place in my home to put something similar to this.

What she did: She bought strips of leather, sewed them together to create the cord which the lantern is hung. She attached hooks in the ceiling to hang the leather from. She found the lanterns at a local store (only color they had was orange...of course!) and then placed in them white candles for this amazing look! If you find lanterns you want, spray paint can be used to get them the color you want! I am contemplating how I can re-arrange my bedrooms to add these hanging lanterns to my own home. White lanterns with some bright candles would also be amazing I think!

Below are some pictures of these amazing lanterns that added some originality to this amazing-retro-colored room!!!

I LOVE THIS! These lanterns are just AMAZING!!!!