Pumpkin Topiaries Just In Time For Thanksgiving!

I  l.o.v.e  topiaries!  All kinds of topiaries!  So, I have a habit of making them for all occasions and Thanksgiving is no different.  I love the little Jack Be Nimble Pumpkins you find in your local grocery store and every year I have to fight the urge to buy tons of them for decorating.  The problem is....what do you do with them after Thanksgiving?  This year I refrained and only bought a few and since the Thanksgiving season is coming to an end in just a few days, I needed to do something with my pumpkins instead of having them piled in a bowl on my table.  I decided on topiaries!  They are very easy to make and after the holidays I don't feel quite so guilty throwing them away since I had already poked holes in them.  Here are a few easy steps:

Supplies you will need:

You will need a miniature pumpkin, 1/4 inch wooden dowel, and a container. You will also need a little oasis or styrofoam for the pot, some Spanish moss as a filler and a piece of ribbon or raffia for the bow.  You can use any kind of container...I chose a little terracotta flower pot that I am going to paint using a crackle finish.  I love the effect of crackle and it's so easy to do.  You will need 2 colors of acrylic paint, crackle medium (you can get this at AC Moore or Michael's) and a paint brush.

First paint your bottom coat of paint.  This will be the color that shows through on the crackle.  Let it dry.

Next, paint a layer of your crackle medium (it's sticky) and let it dry.

Next, paint a layer of your second color using short strokes.  Paint only one coat and don't go back over where you've already painted.  As you start painting you will notice it crackling.  Isn't it cool!!  I love this stuff.  When your pot has completely dried spray it lightly with a clear acrylic sealer.  Now sharpen one end of your dowel rod and insert it up into the little pumpkin.  Fill your container with oasis and then stick the dowel into the pot, use some Spanish moss as a filler and finish off with a pretty bow!

I hope ya'll are all enjoying the preparations for turkey day on Thursday. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year and I can't wait for my Georgia family to arrive and the festivities to begin!  And, believe it or not, I've been listening to Christmas music for a few weeks now and have already changed out all the CD's in my car to my favorite Christmas tunes.  I've been enjoying everything from Mannheim's Steamroller, to Martina MacBride and James Taylor and some nice Christmas piano tunes!  I love this season and hope you all are enjoying it too!  Until later . . .

Creating Cardstock From Your Favorite Prints!

In this tutorial you're not exactly going to make your own cardstock...I'm going to show you how to use your favorite patterned wallpaper, wrapping paper, or scrapbooking paper to create your own customized cardstock for crafting in any color you need!!

I use Microsoft Publisher to do this but you can use any desktop publishing program that will allow you to change the color of the graphic.

Choose the paper you would like to "recolor" and print as cardstock and cut it into a sheet measuring 8.5" x 11".  I happen to love toile and polka dots so that is what I will be using.  I lucked out on the beautiful navy toile wrapping paper when I was shopping at Marshall's several years ago!  I just seem to find everything I need there!

Scan your 8.5" x 11" piece of paper and save it as a graphic file on your computer.


Using MS Publisher create a new blank document (Full Page) then Insert -> Picture -> From File
Navigate to where you have the graphic saved, click on the file, then click Insert

Your graphic is now in the document.
Right click on the picture and choose Format Picture

Click on the Recolor button

Click on the More Colors line

Click on the color you would like to change it to.



Click OK on the next 3 screens.  And, there you have it!

Print this out on white card stock and this is what you get!  I did the same process with the polkadot wrapping paper I had.  I just changed the color to orange. 

It works best when what you originally scan is a dark color such as navy or black.  Now you can use this cardstock to make some pretty bag collars for all those gift bags you need to decorate!  This is exactly what I did on the aqua gift bag in my previous post!  Try it out!  It's easy and fun.  If you have any questions, you know you can always email me!! 

                                                                                                     ~ Becky

I've Jumped On The Band Wagon!

I have finally decided it's time to start a blog! Not that what I have to say is all that important but, I love to share. I love to share decorating ideas, craft ideas, foods I love to cook and special memories that I hope others will enjoy reading. I'm not really sure what all I will include on this blog so it will be a surprise from day to day to see what will pop up. I love the south and all that it holds, therefore a lot of what I will share will have a southern twist. For a long time I have memories from my childhood that keep popping up in my mind. Obviously these memories must have a special meaning or I wouldn't keep thinking about them, so from time to time I will share them with you and maybe you have some of the same memories and just need someone to stir the cobwebs in your brain.

First I would like to share a little about myself. I am a Christian and I give God credit for everything. Yes, the good and the bad. I don't believe God causes bad things to happen, but I do believe He allows it to help me be a better person. I truly believe there is good in everything. More on that later. I love to be creative! I sew, cook, craft, garden, decorate, monogram and entertain and I go on very little sleep. Every once in a while it does catch up with me and I crash! All of these things are fun and wonderful but there is one pitfall . . . I have a hard time just buying something already made! I will see it in the store, turn it over in my hand, turn it over in my brain and then say, "I think I can make this!" Another late night figuring out how it's made and then trying it out! A few months ago I gave a bridal shower to a friend of my daughter and I had made several of the items I gave as a gift. The bride to be was very grateful for her gifts and commented on how pretty the wrapping paper was and asked where I got it. Another young lady piped up and said, "She probably made it!" That's how bad I am. I am addicted to fabric stores, obsess over ribbon and can never have enough cook books! But that's just me! I do, however, enjoy just sitting down with a good book on my screened porch.

I hope you enjoy this blog, I have lots to share with you! So pull up a chair and sit a spell, there's no telling what I will come up with to talk about! I thought this graphic would best describe me and the things that make me happy! If you would like to create one you can go to http://www.wordle.net/. Until later . . . ~Becky

A special thank you to my sweet daughter Brooke over at Shrimp and Glitz for creating my beautiful header!