Vintage Soda Crate Re-Do

Sorry for the lack of blogs lately, I was so burnt out after Christmas I am now finally getting back to making a few things here and there.  Last week, I was sick of my vintage soda crates b/c the cubbies in them were so dark, you could barely see what items I had in them.  I had an old copy of Alice in Wonderland I had found at a library sale and everyone knows how much I love it!  So I took the pages out of it and glued them to cardboard from cereal box and put the cereal box in the back of the soda crate. They turned out so cute!

I like the crates so much better, you can see the colorful decorations I have in them even better.  I actually made some changes as well.  I have a ton of old wooden thread spools and to give them a pop of color I wrapped embroidery floss around them so they look original!

I also took some scrap fabric I had, ripped into into strips and wrapped it around some of the larger spools I had.

The heart shaped lock below is one of my latest finds at an antique shop in Lake Placid.  It is in working condition and has a great decorative key!  I love old locks, I am always on the look out for them!

New decoration sets just in time for Valentine's Day!

Sorry I have been a little lax with my blogging lately, I have been super busy.  I was in Pittsburgh all last week for a Google Analytics and Adwords training as well as working on finishing my Master's degree in Information Technology to graduate in Spring 2012!

But somewhere I found some time to make these two lovely decoration sets.

Bed Spring Wreath with Sheet Music Hearts Accented with Red Glitter 

Wreath & Set - $32.00

Just the Set - $12.00

Bed Spring Wreath with Sheet Music Flowers

Wreath & Set - $32.00

Just the Set - $12.00

Hopefully I will find more time to blog some great tutorials next week!  Have a great weekend!

New Recycled Book Page Banners Added to my Shop!

I got a wonderful set of scalloped heart dies for my Epic 6 Die Cutting Machine and the largest size heart is the perfect size for banners!  So I made 3 this weekend to add to my shop!  Hand-stamped in red and strung on twine, they are an adorable vintage style Valentine's Day decoration!  Check them out!

"Amore" Banner - $10.00

"Love" Banner" - $8.00

"Be Mine" Banner - $12.00

I also do custom banners, in whatever color, saying or shape you would like for $2.00 a letter.  That includes stringing it.  

Enjoy!

Dr. Pepper Rose Wreath at the Oddball Emporium

Today, I am dropping off a few wreaths to go on consignment at the Oddball Emporium in Potsdam.  One of the decoration sets that will be available there are these cute Diet Dr. Pepper can roses!  They are larger than my original roses b/c I am now creating them using my die cutting machine!  Definitely a unique Valentine's decoration.  Stop by the Oddball Emporium and check them out as well as a few of my other sets!

Die Cut Machine Soda Can Flowers

I started cutting soda cans with my Epic 6 Die Cutting machine before Christmas, but finally found the time to write a blog about it! Using the dies gives a more distinct look and greater size options than the hand punches. For today's tutorial, I am using a daisy style flower shaped dies from Lifestyle Crafts.

Supplies:

Die Cutting Machine (I use a Epic 6)
Cutting Mat
Flower Die Set
Soda Can
Scissors

Step 1: Cut the top and bottom off of your can with the scissors cutting one the side of the can to leave one large rectangle.

Step 2: Arrange the dies you want to cut out on the cutting mat, make sure the arrangement is no larger than your can. I also added a thin piece of cardboard to my cutting matt to help it cut all the way through the can.

Step 3: Place soda can rectangle over top of the dies and then place the top of the cutting mat on top hold it together to make sure the dies don't slide!

Step 4: Send it through your die cutting machine! You may want to send it through twice especially if your dies have foam on them like mine.

Step 5: If necessary, carefully pop out flowers from soda can.

Tada! You should now have the layers for your flower. Glue them together to create the finished look. You may also choose to slightly curl the edges to give it a more 3D look!!

The Button Lantern

If you have been following my blog I'm sure you know how much I love buttons! I bet I have thousands in a rainbow of colors! I was cleaning out some cabinets after Christmas and found what I believe was originally a candle holder from party lite. It basically is two circular pieces of glass, one inside of the other and I think it came with paper scenes you could put in between for the seasons. I don't know what happened to the scenes but I decided to put some of my more colorful buttons in between the glass! I love how it turned out,

Watch you local thrift store, flea market or garage sale for 2 glass vases that will fit with enough room to spare to make your own!

Happy Crafting!

New Shop in Potsdam: The Oddball Emporium

There is a new little shop in Potsdam, called the Oddball Emporium on 17 Maple St, right near the Ace Hardware.  Yesterday was their grand opening and of course being interested in all things odd I had to check it out.  I arrived a little before noon and the owner was still setting up but allowed me to take a look around and I found this darling little toy tin phone.  I love tin toys and tea sets and basically any of that old metal stuff.

It is slightly rusty, but still in working condition and makes an adorable display piece and priced well at $20.  It is currently on one of my end tables, but I am hoping to create more display space with a project over my Christmas break!

Stop by and check it out!  They had other interesting pieces and I'm sure more to come.  It has been added to my regular shopping stops in Potsdam. I was actually approached back at the Upcycled Show about putting some of my own creations on consignment there!

If you are looking for a unique gift, I will be at the Christmas Vendor Market at the Old Phil's Florist Shop in Downtown Massena this Saturday, Dec 17th from 10 - 2!