A Valentine vase, some flowers and more

                           A dozen roses arrived the other day.

 Out of the blue and "just because"!
So sweet!
So I started rummaging through my vases and didn't really find what I was looking for.  A few posts ago, I made the French Cache Pot with a label from the Graphics Fairy.   But I gave that pot/vase away,  and I was thinking how pretty these flowers would look in something similar.  So I went back to look at more labels on the Graphics Fairy and found a few that were perfect.  Then, I went out to look for some trumpet shaped vases and found several of them at the thrift shop (for $1.99 each)!

A little spray paint, some Tacky Glue, a shot of Matte Acrylic Spray, and I had exactly what I was looking for.  Since the Graphics Fairy has labels and clip art to go along with absolutely anything, you can make vases to go with any holiday!  Just look for vases that have either flat or smooth round sides that will hold the labels you like.  Remember, you can resize the labels before you print them so that they're just right for your container.  The clip art from her site remains clear and crisp, even when the image is enlarged to the size of an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of cardstock.

I love this owl and he would look great on a Halloween
 container.  Use a clear glass or ceramic container and 
fill it with chocolate pretzel rods or some other Halloween treat.

This would look nice on a Thanksgiving
container holding rustic colored mums.

Beautiful little rabbit print would be perfect decoupaged
 on a small square of plywood and attached to an Easter basket.

Valentine's Day, of course!

I love this patriotic label.  I'd attach it to a
metal container filled with red licorice 
or American flags on a Fourth of July picnic table.

So, once you have your ceramic container painted, print out your clip art onto card stock.  You can adjust the size of the clip art printout before you print.  I brought mine down to 70% because the design would have gone too far around my vases if left at 100%.   Then carefully cut around the image.  Evenly spread some Tacky Glue all over the back and smooth it in place on the container.  When it's dry, I like to rub the container all over with Old English Scratch cover for an aging effect.  But it looks great without the antiquing also. Then a little Matte Acrylic Spray and it will be sealed against water damage and wear and tear.   

One for my mom who loves all things blue and white!

My beautiful roses.

A vase for Easter with this sweet label from the Graphics Fairy

And, finally, a pretty little nest and bird label for a spring bouquet.  It won't be long and we'll be looking at seed catalogs and planning our summer gardens.  I'm looking forward to filling up lots of vases with my own garden flowers!

From green glazed Goodwill find, to one-of-a-kind vase!

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Finding Beauty in the January Garden

We live in Wisconsin.  It's January.  Usually it's cold and dreary, and there is sand, salt, and grit everywhere.  At this time of year, in my neck of the woods, it's hard to believe spring will ever come.  The lush beauty of July in Wisconsin is a faded memory.  In the height of summer, my husband and I will take what we call, "garden walks". When we walk through the garden on a summer night we'll get a view like this.

Well, today was my day to tromp through the snow and find the beauty of our winter garden.  And, lo and behold, it's there!  Here are some photos from my January garden walk.  The sun is shining and the icicles are dripping.  We're going to be in the 30s today and it's beautiful!

Pretty as it is in January, I still like July the best!

Just for fun . . . some grass in January

 Desperate for some green (again) in the middle of a Wisconsin winter, I started looking through some photos of terrariums. I came across these beauties planted in some mercury glass compotes. This gave me an idea. I remember planting some "cat grass" in a container in my classroom a few years ago. The kids loved it and so did I, because we could actually "cut the grass" in the middle of January, and get a big whiff of that fresh cut grass scent! It was such a pick-me-up in the middle of a dark and cold winter.

So, I hunted around the house for something that could hold my little winter lawn. Looking at this child's antique wagon I knew I had found the perfect container. Not only would it look great filled with a bed of grass, but I love the wagon and distinctly remember my dad bringing it home to my mom one night, many years ago. At that time, it had been filled with eight little clay pots filled with flowers. So, the wagon holds some really special memories.

To protect the wooden bottom of the wagon, I lined it with Glad Press'n Seal.

Then filled it up with potting soil and a thick layer of

"Kitty Grass" seeds from the pet store.

After lightly misting it for about 8 days . . .

Voila!  I have a wagon-full of spring in the middle of winter.  Which led to this -

Just cut the grass.  It had grown to the top of the dome!

This project makes me think about these . . . Edwardian Cases

     

    

             



I think I could make one of these.  It would have to be a summer project.
Our youngest son left an old terrarium stand in the basement years ago . . . and a few panes of glass . . . and my soldering iron . . . 


This post is linked up with Fireflies and Jellybeans, The Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday, 
My Romantic Home's Show and Tell Friday, and 

Sweet 100 Giveaway!

Spring is coming and who wouldn't like to celebrate with a sweet little bird's nest adorning their wall? When my followers list hits 100, I'll be giving away this original 5"x5" acrylic painting on gallery wrapped canvas, to celebrate the milestone!

AND

one of these labeled jars to hold that first green sprig when spring finally arrives!

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is:

1. become a follower of You Could Make That, and

2. leave a comment stating where you might hang the "Little Nest" in your home. For an extra chance to win, please post the giveaway to any of your social networking sites (facebook, blogger, and/or twitter),

and don't forget to leave a separate comment here for each social networking

site you posted the giveaway to. You must leave a comment for each entry! If you choose to remain anonymous, please leave me your email address so I can contact you. The winner will be determined by Random.org.

Good luck and spread the word!

Grain Sack Runner, French Cache Pot, and a Lesson

Busy working on one of these. It's a gift for a really sweet friend. These are my inspiration pieces. You can find grain sack runners on many of the blogs, but these are some of my favorites. Soon, I hope to have finished my own version of a grain sack table runner. I'm checking around to see if I should line it or not. I wish they would show the back side of the runners so I'd know what to do! I think unlined is a little more authentic.

Ruffled or plain? Monogram? Stripe? Stenciled design?

I hope to have the finished product done by Friday night - since it needs to be pressed and wrapped by Saturday morning! I guess I'm putting up this post to to commit to having it done by then!

2 hours later . . .

This is really a pretty quick project. I made the runner the length of her table plus two inches, so the ruffle would hang nicely. I just rolled a quarter inch once, then once again for the hem on either side of the runner. Then I used some creme colored damask for the ruffle, twice the width of the runner. I did decide to go with unlined. After sewing a ruffle on each end, I did a zig-zag stitch on the seam to keep it from fraying with use. Then I was ready to stencil. I ordered the stencil from Maison de Stencils.   It was a little pricey but I figure I can get my money's worth out of them in no time.

I used masking tape to keep the stencil in place before I started painting. I knew I should try out the stencil on a piece of scrap fabric first, so that I could troubleshoot on something other than the finished runner. However, I am not known for my patience, so I forged ahead and started stenciling right on the runner. I was lucky. It worked just fine. I used a dark brown acrylic paint. Now, before I wrap it, I'll need to set the paint with a hot, dry iron - then spray it with fabric protector.

This isn't a stencil brush, but it's close enough. It's a large,

round, flat-bottomed brush that's pretty stiff.

I had to try it out on my table to see what it would look like.

And now I need to make one for myself!

Along with the table runner, I'm wrapping up a "French" clay pot. I was so excited to get
started on this one that I forgot to take before pictures. Can't believe I did that, but you'll
just have to believe it started out with a glossy red glaze.

Kind of like this . . . it's the closest I could find to the before "look". Ugly.

The red was horrible but I loved the shape of the pot. The inside of the pot is raw clay. I painted the outside with white acrylic paint using a brush to get a little more texture, and left the inside as raw clay. After two coats, I glued on the French chocolate label that I found on The Graphics Fairy, then rubbed some Old English Scratch Cover over the whole thing. The label had been printed on off-white card stock. I was a little worried that the stain would obliterate the details on the label, but it just made the label look old and worn. Then a coat of Matte Mod Podge for protection and it's done!

Since the label is for chocolates, I filled it up with the same! It could also be used to

hold silverware on a buffet table, a fresh bouquet of flowers for a centerpiece, or a potted plant.

Ready to wrap with no time to spare - the birthday
luncheon is about 12 hours from now! Time for bed.

Saturday afternoon:

And, now for the lesson! Assuming your friends don't check your blog very often, is a mistake! I thought I was safe. But, unbeknownst to me, Pam had looked at this blog post . . . several times . . . and she had seen the progression of this gift all along the way! That'll teach me to be more patient with my posts! Anyway, there was no surprise when she opened her package today and saw her table runner and cache pot. We did have a wonderful day, and it all made for a good laugh - and a lesson. Happy Birthday, Pam!

This project is linked up with:

and

and

We Did It Wednesday @ Sewmuchado.blogspot.com

and

Funky Junk Interiors!

and

Faded Charm Cottage's White Wednesday