More With Texture Paste

So, last week when I helped Christina make her cupcake bouquet for Prom, we barely had enough time to get everything made.  At one point when Christina had to run her son to an appointment, I ran in the garage and made this box used as the base.  I really wanted to emboss it with texture paste, but just didn't have enough time.  

I got my chance to do-over when Ashley asked me to bring a cupcake bouquet to her Singer Mother's Day Brunch.  Here is how you emboss with texture paste...

To start, I grabbed this stencil out of my stash and covered up any openings I didn't like in the design with masking tape.  I taped the stencil to the box so it would not move when working with the paste.

I bought this tube of green texture paste, called dimensional paint here, at Michael's Craft Store for $2.30 on clearance.  They also had red and yellow.  I normally use a white, but I really wanted to have the green color show through and I had already painted the box.  You can use the white, paint it a base color, top color, and sand, but this worked best for this situation.  

Anyway, squeeze out a blop onto they stencil just outside of your desired design.

Normally I use a putty knife to spread the paste, but since I put it in a location to make it easy to find....I can't find it.  I grabbed this weird metal plate out of our garage stash.  It worked just fine.  I have been known to use a popsicle stick in a pinch :0)  If it has a flat surface, it is usable!  You could even use your cookie spatula if you really wanted to! 

Drag whatever you are using across the stencil, pulling the paste across the openings.  If you end up with spots that didn't fill in all the way, just go back over the whole thing.  You need to be careful though!!!  If the stencil moves or bubbles up you could end up with paste underneath the stencil and that means MESS!

Worst case, just pull the stencil up, use a wet rag to wipe the paste off, and start again.  No biggie!

It should look something like this.  Carefully pull the stencil up and off!!!  Oh, how exciting!!!  Just looking at this makes me want to find something else to emboss!  I really have a hard time stopping once I start.  "No Vanessa, don't look around the room for something else to texture paste!!!"

OK, once you pull the stencil off, just the design should remain.  Leave it alone and let it dry.  It usually dries to the touch in 15 minutes or less.  You can go back at that point and add more leaves/vines/whatever, or you can move on and get out your paint!

Here it is after I ran a coat of white paint over top.

Once the paint is dry you can sand lightly!!!  Really, isn't there something else around here to texture paste!

I just don't think I can look at these pictures and not paste it up.

There you have it!  My embossed floral box.  I would have liked a swirly flourish design but I couldn't find the stencil I was looking for.  I guess it is time to bite the bullet and clean out the garage again.  It may have to wait just a little bit longer though.  I have more orders to fill and eventually I need to make Emmers a new sundress :0)  So many projects, so little time!

Singer Sewing Brunch

I was so excited to get to go to Ashley's Singer Mother's Day Brunch.  She won the chance to do the party through Houseparty.com.  She had a personal lesson on how to use the Singer Sewing Machine, then the rest of us got to benefit from all of her preparations.   

Speaking of preparations, Ashley made this chocolate sewing box herself!!!  The entire thing is molded chocolate!  It must have taken her FOREVER to make it!  Sew cute!

She also made these darling Oreo Cookie Pops.  She stenciled the designs on with spray decorator coloring.  They were just ADORABLE!!!  What a good idea.  I may have to do some of those myself.

Here is the fancy machine and spotlight of our sewing event.  It was super smooth and fun to use.  The decorative stitches were adorable.  

Ashley came up with some fun projects for us to make while trying out on the new machine.  We made cute little Key Fobs, Book Marks, and my personal favorite, a Tissue Holder!  I would show you what I made but my kids have already claimed them as their own.  Funny how this was a "Mother's Day" event.  I guess that means I got to go make the projects, not that I get to keep them.  I will take what I can get :0)

We had quite the spread of yummy food to choose from and Ashley had made up some amazing goodie bags.  

Here is a closer look at what was inside...

Enough Joanns coupons for an army, a skirt pattern, a purse pattern, a number of other coupons and offers, a measuring tape, and spools of thread.  Ashley made the cute sewing machine magnets.  Apparently the purple toe separator is to store bobbins!  I was told that the bobbins fit in each toe spot and keep the bobbins snug.  I can't wait to give that one a try!

Ashley also made us all these darling necklaces and earrings herself!  WOW!  She must have been one busy little lady the past couple weeks!  I am so glad because I had a great time.

What a fabulous way to spend a morning, crafting, laughing, snacking and sitting in a room completely void of CHILDREN!!!  Thank You Ashley!!!  And thank you Singer, too!

Felt Like Some Light Reading

I got busy Wednesday making little books for a friend.  She couldn't make up her mind, so I just made a whole library's worth and let her choose.  This one is at the top of my list.

Who doesn't LOVE Lovable, Furry Old Grover!?!  I really want to get the "Monster At The End Of This Book" that has Elmo in it.  Maybe I can slip a letter in to the North Pole after I finish this post :0)

OK, so I shrunk down some books that we have, printed them onto iron-on-transfer, and ironed it onto felt.  Then I machine sewed felt pages inside.  I didn't go all crazy and print pages or anything like that, but don't you think THEY ARE CUTE!?! 

My girls won't stop playing with them.  I baby sat for a friend last night and the kids sat around forever just moving them around and stacking them up like blocks.

Notice anything weird?  Yes!  All of these books are in Arabic!  Yep, my friend reads Arabic :0)  Don't I have smart friends!  

Phoenix Zoo Monkeys

Emmalee and I got to add ourselves to the monkey population at the Phoenix Zoo this week.  We were invited to tag along with Ashley, from Cute As A Fox Creations,  and her two cuties.   

Check out this splash pad!  It comes complete with waterfall!  Cute little Morgan looks excited to give the waterfall a try :0)

I guess I should mention that we got to the splash pad around 8:30am.  It was a little cold, even for Phoenix :0)  This was the point we decided to dry off and see some animals.

I snapped this photo of the sleeping monkey with my big lens.  I have had a lot of fun trying to figure my camera out.  I am certainly not a pro, but the animals and crazy kids at the zoo were the perfect practice for me.  Just to bore you to death, here are some more :0)

This is Emmalee with her claws out to scare the bear.  She has seen a little too much Dora and Diego.  She kept telling the kids to growl like a bear to wake him up and Morgan kept telling her it wasn't working.  You know, in her defense, it always works for Dora :0)

This bird was so very ugly and so very pretty all at the same time I just had to take the picture!  I am still trying to get aperture and exposure compensation down, especially for outside photos.  I think it might be time to take a class.  I am having that feeling like I have figured out all I am going to figure out on my own.  It's time for some professional help!

Remember that embarrassing post about me in my neighbor's yard taking a photo of their pet rabbit, stupidly thinking it was a jackalope?  Well, this really is one :0)  Now it isn't my fault if you end up in your neighbor's yard taking a picture of their pet rabbit.  I have shown you what they really look like!

The splash pad was our main destination, but we were able to both see and act like wild animals the whole visit.  It really was fun.  Emmalee loved to play with new kids, I loved to play with a kid my same age :0) and with my new camera.  Thanks for the invite Ashley!

Satin Blooms

I crafted this luscious plum outfit for my little dolly this weekend.  It was all made from the one yard of floral ribbon fabric I purchased on Saturday.  I made the skirt in the same circle manner as in the past.  

Here is a closer look.  I had a little fun with my PSE actions this morning so here is a look at what the skirt looks like in full color...

This picture makes it look rather bright comparatively, but it is really a sweet plum color.

This fabric is soft and has a lovely shine to it.  While I admit it is a little over the top for the skirt, I am so very tempted to make a whole pile of purses and hats :0)  

I knew that Emmalee would not be a huge fan of the hat, so I made this hairbow out of 4" wide pearl lined lilac shear ribbon, 1/2" lilac satin ribbon, and flower branches from a hydrangea I bought a while back.  

Here is the hat.  I started out making it barre style, cut two circles the same size, cut the center out of one leaving a 2-3" outer circle.  Sew the two together and added a 2 1/5" band.  It ended up a little different than I was imagining, but none the less, I am totally enamored with it :0)

I actually can't wait to try another.

I didn't even try to get a picture when Emmalee got home from church yesterday.  Now-a-days, when I pull the camera out she runs in the other direction laughing.  It has become a sport between her and I, the fawn and the huntress :0)  Today, since she was in a rather good mood, I pulled out all the stops and bribed my babe with a cookie balla as fair trade for a few snapshots. With a willing heart she let me dress her back up and annoy her with my camera in her face yet again.  Wahoo!

As for the fabric, I bought it from my new favorite fabric store, SAS Fabric in Phoenix.  As a matter of fact, it was Ashley from Cute as A Fox that took me there the first time.  Now I must return every two weeks or sooner. Ashley, don't worry.  I didn't tell Scott it was you that started it all :0)

This fabric was only $12.49 a yard.  Wow you say?  Well, I managed to make this skirt, hat and am in the process of making a matching handbag :0)  I think it was totally worth it and don't tell me any one piece alone could have been purchased for the mere $12.49 I paid.  If you are ever in Phoenix, you will have to stop by SAS and check it out for yourself!