Capture the Details

valentine topiary

A pretty, flower topiary that's perfect for Valentine's Day!

I love flowers and buttons, and I think those two things came together beautifully in my sweet, little topiary.

Flowers and buttons in all shades of pink are accented with white and pink pins. I truly loved making this topiary - I like to mix patterns and colors of papers to create one-of-a-kind designs!

The topiary looks cute just so, or for a little panache set it on a pedestal base. You can find it in my Etsy shop, P.S. it's in the details, using this link here: valentine topiary.

candy corn wreath

One of the things I look forward to in the fall is the availability of my favorite fall vegetable: Candy Corn!

When I was asked to design a Candy Corn Wreath for the Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publication, Halloween tricks & treats, I jumped at the chance! You can find it on page 21 in the magazine. They are calling it the Eye Candy Wreath - clever!

Full instructions are located on page 26 in the magazine. In a nutshell, though, you cut foam cones in half from top to bottom. They are then coated with a lightweight spackling compound and sanded smooth when dry. Finally, painting and assembly!

I took a few photos of the plain wreath before sending it off for publication. BH&G added a cute bow.

I hope you are able to pick up a copy - it's available on newsstands now! :-)

glitter leaves

I'm always looking for ways to creatively recycle paper products. I came across soft, corrugated cardboard packaging that was used in shipping as cushioning between ceramic pots. I grabbed a pile of it and knew I could come up with something fun to make!

Since fall is fast approaching I decided to create some pretty leaves. I grabbed some Krylon Glitter Blast spray paint and a few other supplies and came up with these.....

 

I have five leaf colors in a set and each leaf has a coordinating paper, raffia bow and button. You can find them in my Etsy store, P.S. it's in the details.

Reuse. Recycle. Create. It's fun! Now, what to do with that stack of egg cartons I have saved....   ;-)

spring chalkboard

The snow is melting outside (yea!) and I'm really anxious for signs of spring. I've been seeing robins, so that's a good thing! Now I'm waiting for the earth to wake up. I found a really cute quote for spring and did some chalkboard art in my kitchen. It was the first time I tried using colored chalk and I like how it turned out.

Hoping to see more signs of spring soon!!!! (Flowers would be good!)   :-)

spring baby grass wreath

It's the time of year for my favorite wreath! Spring starts in a few days so it's time to get out my baby grass wreath. The Spring Baby Grass Wreath is a very welcome sight after this long, cold winter!

(I wish the grass actually would look like this right now! We're expecting more snow on Friday. )

This wreath is so simple to make - some fun fur yarn, daisy trim and pearlized pins are pretty much all you need. I added a pretty pink ribbon hanger and a little sign made from a sandwich toothpick and a scrap of white card-stock. I hand lettered the sign using my black Micron pen and some watercolor pencils.

The tutorial and supply list can be found on this blog post featuring the spring baby grass wreath. Let me know if you make one! Happy Spring!!! :-) 

valentine's day wreath ideas

Move over snowmen, it's time for hearts!

I'd like to share a few Valentine projects that I've designed for Styrofoam™ Brand Foam over the past several years. You can click on the links and head on over to the Crafts'nCoffee blog for all the instructions and supplies needed. (You may even find some other fun projects while there!)

I'm taking down the winter wreath that's been hanging on my kitchen chalkboard. I drew chalk snowflakes and it looked so pretty for the winter. Of course, when it hits the end of January and there's snow everywhere and it's so cold outside, I am ready to move on to hearts and pretty Valentine things. I'm going to hang this wreath on my chalkboard and change the decorating theme around it. It's the Valentine yarn wreath with XO banner.

 

One of my faaaaaaavorite wreaths has to be this one - the paper roses wreath. The tourmaline glitter makes it so pretty! It was featured in a craft magazine a few years ago.

Some new designs from this year are the Valentine pom pom wreath....

.... and the wall hanging made with book page hearts....

The pom pom wreath is a great project to make while sitting in front of the TV and watching a movie or show. The pom poms are easy to make and it's a repetitive process so you can be winding the yarn and watching your show at the same time. I chose some fun colors and types of yarn and it created a stunning wreath.

The book page hearts wall hanging is very beautiful. It has touches of gold that add elegance, but yet the funky ribbon and hand-cut letters add whimsy and charm!

Please visit the Crafts'nCoffee blog for all the fun details on these Valentine's Day designs! :-)

printable valentine mini flash cards

I played around with my watercolors and created some fun illustrations for Valentine's Day. I then took the illustrations and designed a set of printable mini flash cards. They turned out really cute, I think! 

There are some pretty hearts, a bee, an owl and some other love-y things.

You can purchase the downloadable file at my Etsy shop, P.S. it's in the details. There are twelve mini flash cards in the set. You can print them onto card stock or sticker paper. And with the printable file you can print out as many as you need.

 

Enjoy! :-)

valentine's day is just around the corner

I was in Kmart a day or two before Christmas picking up some last minute gifts and I noticed a display of Valentine's Day candy by the register. Out with one season and onto the next!!!

Since Valentine's Day really is just right around the corner I am working on some new illustrations and ideas for P.S. it's in the details. Here's a little peek at what I'm working on.....

So long candy canes, hello hearts!!! :-)

halloween treat bags - something wicked but delicious

Something wicked.... but delicious. What could it be? Your recipient will have to bravely reach into the bag to find out. (Insert scary laugh here) You can fill these cute treat bags with all kinds of creepy treats! Candy, cookies, even gift cards for coffee would be a great idea.

The bags are decorated with a halloween themed ribbon and a label that I designed. The label is from lettering I did with chalk on a chalkboard. I created a digital file from it on my computer and printed it out on cardstock.

These halloween treat bags are available in my store. :-)

ice cream cone and cupcake party invitations

I designed some cute party invitations for the Blumenthal Lansing Co. inspiration boards at Jo-Ann Fabric stores.

Jo-Ann's carries Blumenthal Lansing buttons, and you can shop online for them if there isn't a Jo-Ann's store near you. The fun part is just layering different sizes of buttons to make your ice cream or cupcake top!

You can visit the Blumenthal Lansing website for instructions on how to make the ice cream cone and cupcake. I have instructions to make tags, but you could just alter them to make cards instead. The cupcake and ice cream cone are still made the same way.

So, if you have a party coming up - why not hand-make these fun invitations! Your guests will love them!:-)