Glitter Toes

I *LoVe* Glittery Goodness!

Items Needed:
Glitter
Clear Top Coat
Colored Base Coat
Wax Paper

If you want to spice up those nails here's what you do

1- Paint a base coat that will coordinate well with the glitter.

2- While the paint is still wet generously sprinkle glitter on each nail and make sure it's totally covered. It's important to have a piece of wax or parchment paper underneath so that the excess glitter can be saved and/or reused. Shake your foot a few times to get any extra glitter off, or
you can also brush off some of the extra glitter with a small paint brush (because you WILL have glitter on the sides of your toes).

3- Paint a clear top coat over the top of the glitter to help seal it and to give it a little extra sparkle.

Additional Tips:
I used the Martha Stewart Gemstone Glitter Set that I bought at Walmart. It had a large variety of glitter to choose from.

Glitter on the outside of your toes is perfectly NORMAL. Just wait until the top coat dries, then wash off the excess.

I added another top coat the next morning just to make sure everything was sealed in.

Giant Bubbles Recipe

Every year my moms side of the family gets together for a family reunion (usually held in Lava Hot Springs, ID). One of the fabulous activities for the children this year was a big tub of bubbles. She said it was a hit! Jadi also has this posted on her craft blog (also a cousin).

1 gallon water
1 c. Dawn dishwashing soap
1/2 c. light corn syrup

Mix ingredients together slowly in a large plastic storage tote.
Dip plastic hangers in the bubble solution to make the bubbles (the hangers are used as wands). We used the small childrens plastic hangers, but we also had a few large adult plastic hangers. This was the perfect amount of solution for my three kiddo's, but when the neighbors saw how much fun we were having we ended up making more. You might as well double the recipe because they're too much fun! (You should have seen me and my husband).

2 more Pen Pals please!

I am still in need of two more "pen pals of the month" for my daughter Addison. Please see the post below for details. I'd like to get this out of the way before I post any more crafts.
Thanks!
-Erika

*Thanks again all you ladies who have so kindly volunteered. We are both so excited we can hardly stand it!

Looking for some help!

This is my daughter Addi. Addi is being home schooled this year and would like a few pen pals for the school year. I am looking for 1 person a month to adopt Addi and send her a package of your favorite things or something to help her get to know you better and correspond through mail and/or email. Age really doesn't matter, although I do hope to get a few around her age (she's 7).
If you are willing to take a month please sign up in the comments box. I would LOVE to give Addi something to look forward to every month and her favorite thing is to receive mail or packages in the mail, so if you are up to it we'd GREATLY appreciate it!

*September-Rachel & Savanna
*October-Jadi & Kaylee
*November-Kara's Niece
*December-Deanna's Niece
*January-Wolsey Family
*February-Merynne
*March-Ellie
*April-Heidi
*May-Brenda

Thanks again ladies!!!!!

Fabric Flowers

Materials:

Fabric (Can use coordinating fabrics)

(about 42" strip x 1 1/4" wide)

Needle & Thread OR Sewing Machine

Felt

Alligator Clip

Glue Gun

Topper:
Small clear glass marble (flat on one side), modge podge, & paper
or

Button

or

Fabric Covered Button

1.-Cut your strips of fabric to desired size

(I cut mine different sizes so I could layer them).

*tip: have fun and play around with various widths and lengths

2.- Hand stitch or sew along one edge of the fabric.

(If you are machine sewing do a loose basting stitch)

3. Once you have finished stitching, slowly pull the thread and the ribbon will begin pleating forming your flower.

(If doing this with a sewing machine, test which thread will give more easily by pulling on both pieces. Which ever string you can pull easier will be the one to use, be careful not to pull too hard, or else you'll have a broken string...boo.)

4. Start forming your flower/s and stitching in place.
(If you have more then 1 flower, glue gun them one on top on another, then stitch into place)

5-If making a glass marble, brush modge podge on the back of the marble, and glue onto your paper. Then cut off excess paper from the marble. Let dry. Then hot glue marble to fabric.

If using a button, either hot glue or stitch button to flower.

6.-Hot glue a piece of felt to the alligator clip. Then add more hot glue to the bottom of the alligator clip and fabric, then glue to the bottom of the flower.

(Hopefully you can understand this)

More Fabric Flower Links

From Wise Craft...fabric flower (includes a fabulous flower template)

From Little Birdie Secrets...(lots of other fabric tutorials)

Ready...Set...."Action"

Original Photo

I don't know about you, but I don't know much about photography, at least in manual mode that is. I think I've got the point and shoot down pretty well! But did you know that you can doctor up your photo's at home for free? As long as you have photoshop, you can make your photographs look pretty darn professional with some free photoshop/Photoshop Elements Actions from http://www.coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com/.

What is an action you ask? Well...I guess the best way to describe it is that you can basically press "Play" and the action will perform the steps for you, or it will tell you the changes you need to manually make. It's awesome! I'm not going to lie, it may take you a few times to get it down, but for the most part it's simple.
Coffee Tea Photography has designed these free actions for you to use. She also gives tutorials for photoshop & PSE users. Please go to http://www.coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com/ to get your free actions.

This action is called "Coffee Shop Bright Eye"

This action is called Sweet Bakery Soft Blueberry Glaze

This action is called Sweet Bakery Intense Honey Glaze

CoffeeShop Perfect Portrait

Creamy Chocolate

Original


Black & White

You're not only limited to Picture re-touching....you can do some REALLY cool things with actions. And did I mention, you can find them FREE?

Picture Cube


Puzzle