The Easter Parade

Are you having the most fun visiting our friend's blogs and seeing the wonderful Easter creations being made?

We have the most talented ladies in our group, and one of my very favorites is Shirley of Zetta's Aprons. To me Shirley is the quiet member of our community not drawing any attention to herself. Instead she so graciously uplifts each of us with her kind encouragement. Her creations are perfection!

When I saw Shirley's Easter Parade inspired by Sandy's Show and Tell, I just knew there would be much twitter among the characters of my own craft room.

I'm telling you the chatter has been nothing but "Parade, parade, parade!" It's not enough that my planters were happy enough just to sit on their shelf, they were "volunteered" to  showcase each parade participant.

Oh, the oohing and aahing as each float passes the assembled crowd. The Grand Marshal perched where everyone can catch a glimpse.

I could make dozens of these sweet parade floats, they are just that much fun. Shirley says she has one more to share with us; and I for one can not wait!

This is the most popular float in the parade. The one where trinkets and sweets are tossed to the children along the sidelines.

 Double duty on this float!

There is always that one right angle turn to make along the parade route. The crowd holds their breath as each float seems to be coming right at them before veering sharply and continuing on their way.

This ambassador of Easter cheer doesn't seemed fazed in the least. He must have complete confidence in his driver!

As with every parade, it's over too quickly. I think I am in agreement with Shirley that you can never have too many floats in a parade. I just might have to add another one or two! Thank you Shirley for all that you inspire..

Please do not Pin pattern on Pinterest

"Can you believe it?"

I tell you I make my own self laugh on a daily basis due to my unbelievable Cluelessness. Home Alone this week and needing supplies, I headed to Michaels coupon in hand. I have been wanting all spring to make some type of small hanging ornament to feature in a centerpiece for my Easter table.

Checking out my most favorite $1.00 bins just before leaving, I saw these packages of what I thought were tacky silk flowers for .50 cents. I thought I could pull them apart and make them do. When I opened the first package and lifted out a rose, it fell apart in my hand. "Oh My Goodness! They are paper!" So I thought.

Things were looking up. Each box of roses came with matching ribbon. "How lucky!" Egg picks also found for $1.89 matched perfectly as well. A bag of paper Easter grass had exactly the same colors as the flowers. "It's as though Michaels planned this all out for me!"

I ironed the ribbon and began making little ornaments from the largest petals of the rose. I dabbed a bit of hot glue between the petals to add stability. One stem of the egg pick is hot glued inside one petal, top of pick bent over. I hot glued the medium sized petals to the tops of the hanging branches. (Wire form, Home Goods $8.00). "Oh My Gosh! This is turning out so wonderfully!"

I took one strand of each color of paper grass and balled them in the palm of my hand then tucked inside each ornament. Tiny chicks found at Party City for .89 cents were nestled comfortably. I began to notice the most lovely smell in my craft room......

"OH MY GOSH!!!" My tree nearly completed, I decided to read the packaging label of the roses. BATH CONFETTI!!!! "OH MY GOSH! This can NEVER get wet! It could dissolve before my very eyes!"

Clueless I tell you, Clueless. But isn't this absolutely the sweetest centerpiece ever? I am thrilled with my $!.50 ornaments! "Can you believe it?"

Gangster Squad

You might not believe this about me, but I have a dark side. I love the romanticized ideal of being on the wrong side of the law. The motion picture side of the wrong side of the law. The Gangster side of the law.

I would like to have been a gangster's moll not having to do anything at all but look glamorously slim in beautiful satin gowns at swanky nightclubs and sleeping in until three the next day having only gotten in at two.

Of course my heart would still reside in it's deep-seeded Midwestern values keeping it open to the persuasion of a handsome law abiding copper.

I always look for the moment a bellhop or doorman appears in a scene with their smartly buttoned coat and hat at just the right tilt. "Delivery for you!" The 1930's are my favorite time in our history, and all of my characters reflect this era.

My daughter and I just went to see "Gangster Squad" set in 1930's Los Angles. We were so excited to see her Depression Era dishes, Desert Rose, featured in a breakfast scene and the cutest vintage nursery wallpaper in another. It had little ducks on it just like this sweet little guy.

We had such a fun evening together, but my TSG does not allow ANY talking, and boy do I love to point out the background detail. This move is a MUST SEE for all the wonderful vintage detail.

The performances in "Gangster Squad" by Josh Brolin and Sean Penn are riveting.

And Ryan Gosling as a very dapper cop of the type that make you swoon!

His romance with Emma Stone's character is very sweet. I won't spoil it for you by telling you if they end up together by story's end.

What fun I have had creating my Easter Squad of characters. I absolutely love every one of them, and I hope you do as well!

Thank you so much: 
Carla Easter Chick and Easter Duck
Kim K. Love Birds Set 1
Joyce Delivery Man
Amy Jo Bluebird
Lorraine Love Birds 2
Susan Shirley

Lavender Dreams

I believe, if the stages of our lives were fanned before us as paint strips found at the hardware store, we would recognize immediately the colors that belonged to us and those we love. Bold colors for a father's remembered tie, riotous colors for a mother always in motion, lavender for a young girl's dreams.

My mother so carefully and lovingly decorated my childhood bedroom for the young lady she expected me to be. Gradient ruffles of lavender spilling over the edges of my bed to pool on a floor of soft blue. Furniture in white trimmed in gold, crossed gossamer hung from windows with casements in white to let in the breeze.

  
A bed always made and clothes neatly hung, it was as though the room itself expected me to act in a certain way.  When I left it's confines in the morning for school, it's quiet dignity seemed to cling to me as though it expected others to recognize immediately from where I came.

Homework hours and spend the nights, joyful days and heartsick worries, lavender dreams before I closed my eyes. Would True Love ever find me. My mother said it would.

When I think back now to the Courtship Days of my life, I think of the room my mother decorated especially for me. Vases of flowers and paper declarations of love, gentle manners matching my own. Someone who was looking for the occupant of a room just like mine.

Special Delivery characters made to recall the sweetest days of my life.

Hat band will be half width of one in pattern. Please do not Pin pattern on Pinterest

"Who's The Boss?"

With the dawning of the Age of Aquarius and my mother's budding independence, my brother and I found ourselves "in charge" of own selves more frequently than not. Our parents seemed to be resolute in their confidence that they would return from their own day's agendas to a home still standing and children as they had left them.

 As the oldest sibling I considered my self the Boss of my younger brother, John.

He considered himself, unbossable.
 

So I really was surprised one morning near Easter to find upon opening our front door, the largest raccoon I had ever seen standing on his hind legs looking as though he wanted to come in. I called my brother to the door, "John, Mom and Dad have gotten us an Easter Raccoon. Come and get him." And he listened to me!

As soon as my brother stepped onto our front porch, the raccoon began to chase him. My brother on two legs was not fast enough for the raccoon on four. A tackle, a tumble, arms and legs flailing, a brother bitten to pieces upon our parents arrival home. Shots in the stomach for Easter a reminder never to listen to his sister again!

Please do not Pin patterns on Pinterest

Paper Clay Tutorial

Does it amaze you that you are able to create your own holiday decorations? I think it is wonderful and such fun at the same time.

If you haven't yet given Paper Clay a try, I do hope this tutorial will encourage you to do so. Tools needed? Your hands! I know, amazing again! Paper Clay can be found at Michael's or online.  As there isn't a single direction on the package, I hope you will allow me to share my own techniques.

PREPARATION:  A sheet of paper for your work surface, a small amount of water, porous Styrofoam shapes (not smooth), toothpicks, pipe cleaner stems, craft wire cutter.

HEAD:  
STEP 1:  Press small amount of clay at a time to surface of Styrofoam. (Close package each time clay is removed).

STEP 2:  Using your thumb press clay in a forward direction until you feel an even thickness under your thumb. (Clay should be applied thinly, but you should not see the texture of the Styrofoam through clay.)
STEP 3:  Apply next amount of clay a slight distance from already applied clay. Push new amount towards existing edges. (All shapes are covered in this manner.)

HAT:
STEP 4:  Roll small amount into ball shape in the palm of your hand. (Should cracks appear in the clay, apply moisture with fingertip dipped in water). Roll ball into a rope with fingertips against work surface. Apply to head with slight pressure.

STEP 5:  Press rope to thickness against face that is pleasing. With finger, pull flattened rope from the face
edge towards the back of head until smoothness is achieved.

STEP 6:  Wet finger and further smooth clay.
STEP 7:  Insert half a toothpick in bottom of head.

EARS:
STEP 8:  Make 2 same sized balls of clay by rolling in palm of hand. Slightly elongate by applying pressure to one side of ball as you roll.
STEP 9:  Attach to head use pulling technique with finger.  Slightly elongate clay into ear shape.
STEP 10: Smooth edges further with fingertip dipped in water.

NOSE:
STEP 11:  Press small ball of clay to surface of face. Use same pulling technique to further adhere.
STEP 12:  Wet fingertip with water, smooth clay into nose shape. Head is complete, set aside.

BODY PREPARATION:  Twist 2 pipe cleaner stems together. Insert stem without cutting 1/2" into bottom of egg shaped Styrofoam for leg. Bend to create ankle and foot, snip with wire cutters. Repeat for second leg and arms. (Second set of twisted pipe cleaner might be needed). Remove stems to apply clay.

BODY:
STEP 13:  Repeat same techniques used to apply clay to head.
STEP 14:  Reinsert pipe cleaner stems.  Character is now complete!  (My husband had hidden my Valentine's Day card and gift for me to find!)

DRYING:  Allow air to circulate around pieces. A fan can be also be used. Area of country you live in will effect drying time.  NOTE: When dry, your piece should feel as light as the Styrofoam did without clay. If it feels heavy, you know you applied your clay too thickly. CRACKS: Apply small amount of Paper Clay to crack, smooth with wet fingertip.  Allow to dry again. (If the crack is small, I don't worry about it as my paint and glitter will cover)

BASE: Save those ribbon spools! I have traced my spool onto my image and then adhered it to white card stock before scalloping edge.

FACE: Draw eyes on clay with pencil, paint white. Paint face flesh. Reapply flesh to cheek and nose area, drag brush already coated with flesh just along a dot of red. Apply to wet paint, blend with clean brush. (I adore MS Love Dove) Paint eye color. (On small figures I do not outline in black for a softer look) Paint nose and whiskers. Paint inside of ears. Paint white on hat. Let dry.

BODY: Draw oval on body, paint. Paint white on body. Let dry.

CRAFT VARNISH (found alongside craft paints) is applied to areas that are not going to be glittered. Let dry.

GLITTER: Martha Stewart Clear Glass Glitter is applied to clay by thinning Tacky Glue to the consistency of milk. (I no longer use Modge Podge as I noticed my white pieces yellowed over time).

GARLAND:  Make bow with tails from sheer ribbon, hot glue to center of chenille stem. Bend stem over "hands" and trim. Tails of bow are looped around stem and hot glued in place. Position and hot glue paper flowers and eggs. (Michaels $1.00 bin)

And there you have it, Your Cute as Can Be Easter Garland Hangers!

 I promise your first Paper Clay creation will not be your last. And I do hope your Valentine's Day was all that you hoped for and more!