Spring has Sprung!

 All my flowers and roses are in full bloom and 

looking just beautiful!.  This is one of my 

favorite times of year spring and fall!

2 years ago we transplanted this climbing rose and this year it's happy as can be!

Happy Birthday Mr Kevin!

Its so hard to believe Mr. Kevin is a year old today!!

Happy Birthday beautiful boy!

Finished Projects

Busy day today! I finished Mr Kevin's mini 

monkey birthday cake!  Its a little funky looking 

but I like it better then the first one I made 

  You can see it HERE

I also finished painting a stool for Mr Kevin. This particular stool his daddy had made in shop class in Junior high for me, so Ithought it was only fitting to pass it down to Mr Kevin :-)

Made in the USA

I received this in an email and found it very interesting
so I'm passing it on.  I will definitely start checking
from here on out.

Made  in the USA -  Very Encouraging 

         READ ALL  THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM!  LOTS OF GOOD INFO HERE!   

                           Costco sells  Goodyear wiper blades for almost half the price that you  will pay on the outside and they are made in the  U.S.A.
Read and do the following.Subject:  Made in the USA  - Very Encouraging
Unfortunately  our politicians and top CEO's have pushed for trade to china  and mexico for years so Americans are now out of work.Did  you know that there is no electric coffee maker made in the  US and that the only kitchen appliances made in the US is  Viking?  This information came from the a report by  Diane Sawyer.Hopefully this has changed or will soon!!  

I DIDN'T KNOW HALLMARK CARDS WERE MADE IN CHINA!  That is also why I don't buy cards at Hallmark anymore, They  are made in China and are more expensive! I buy them at  Dollar Tree - 50 cents each and made in USA

I have  been looking at the blenders available on the  Internet.  Kitchen Aid is MADE IN the US. Top of my  list already...

Yesterday I was in Wal Mart  looking for a wastebasket.  I found some made in  China for $6.99.  I didn't want to pay that much so  I asked the lady if they had any others. She took me to  another department and they had some at $2.50 made in  USA. They are just as good.  Same as a kitchen rug I  needed. I had to look, but I found some made in the USA -  what a concept! -  and they were $3.00 cheaper.  

We are being brainwashed to believe that everything  that comes from China and Mexico is cheaper.  Not  so.
One Light Bulb at  a Time..
I was in  Lowe's the other day and just out of curiosity, I looked at  the hose attachments. They were all made in China. The next  day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I  checked the hose attachments there. They were made in  USA.

Start looking, people . . ...In our  current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do  affects someone else - most often, their job. 

My  grandson likes Hershey's candy. I noticed, though, that  it is now marked "made in Mexico."  I don't buy it  anymore.

My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in  Mexico...now I have switched to Crest.You have to read the  labels on everything.

This past  weekend I was at Kroger . . . I needed 60W light bulbs and  Bounce dryer sheets
I was in the light bulb aisle, and  right next to the GE brand I normally buy -- was an  off-brand labeled, "Everyday Value."  I picked up both  types of bulbs and compared them: they were the same except  for the price . . .the GE bulbs cost more than the Everyday  Value brand, but the thing that surprised me the most was  that that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand  was made in - you guessed it - the USA at a company in  Cleveland, Ohio.

It's Way past time to start finding  and buying products you use every day that are made right  here.

So, on to the next aisle:  Bounce Dryer  Sheets... yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is  made in Canada. The Everyday Value brand cost less, and was  MADE IN THE USA!  I did laundry yesterday and the dryer  sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using  for years, at almost half the price.

My challenge to  you is to start reading the labels when you shop for  everyday things and see what you can find that is made in  the USA - the job you save may be your own or your  neighbor's!

If you accept the challenge, pass this on  to others in your address book so we can all start buying  American, one light bulb at a time! 

Stop buying from  overseas companies - you're sending the jobs there.   (We should have awakened a decade ago....)

Let's get  with the program and help our fellow Americans keep their  jobs and create more jobs here in the  USA.


I passed this on .. ..  . will you???

Crafty Blogger Blurbs

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world 
This week at Craftside there are tutorials on how to paint vintage style dahlias, 2 ways to create collages and make a recycled soda bottle bird feeder along with a recipe for atomic tofu pecan loaf.

Crafty Princess Diaries 
Tammy reviews an interesting new e-book on Fair Isle knitting that has some very cool embedded videos

Eileen - The Artful Crafter 
How to create cute clay pot garden bells for your yard.

Mixed Media Artist 
Got a few paint-soaked paper towels lying around? Don't you dare throw them out!

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery 
See how to sew a scissor holster garter.

Tag Art Part 2

More Tags part 2...I'm on a roll and it's hard to stop! The middle tag is textured and I then swiped a Stazon ink pad across the raised areas.

Click HERE to see my previous Tags or HERE to view my shipping tag tutorial and last but not least click HERE to view my stained-glass tutorial

Tag Art

Its been a long while since I did any drawing and 

I didn't realize just how much I've missed it.  Today 

a friend of mine inspired me with her art, and I did some 

tag art.  I started out with plain manila shipping tags and 

then used OTM's Color Mists for the backgrounds. 

Once They were dry I used paint pens and an 

extra fine black sharpie. 

I'm looking forward to doing some more!

Click HERE to see more of my 

whimsical drawings!

Giveaway!

Swing by Allen Design's new blog and enter to win their fabulous giveaway!new blog and enter to win $150 shopping spree onhttp://www.close2myart.com/!
http://www.close2myart.com/blog/2012/04/close2myart-giveaway/

Patina Petals

Patina PetalsI just love the copper patinaed look I achieved using the new Patina Collection Color Mist! Its a bit difficult to tell from the pictures but in person they have such a nice metallic glimmer to them.  Adding the copper washers and wire really adds to the real metal look I think.
Supplies Used:
Color Mists The Patina CollectionPaper FlowersCopper WashersCopper WireAdhesiveBeadsWire cuttersRound Nose PliersHeat Gun

First step is to mist your 

paper flowers

Don't be afraid to layer your colors

and spray heavily. Between each layer

use the heat gun to dry your flowers.

To really get a nice build up of

color I do this 4-5 times until

I get the desired look I want.

Once your flowers are completely

dry stack and glue them together

with your adhesive.

Cut about a 2.5" inch piece of

copper wire and bend it in half 

making a loop at the bent end.

Stack your copper washers and 

adhere them together.

Feed your wire threads through the

center of your flowers and the washers.

Thread the wire ends through a bead

and spiral each end using the pliers.

These would make great embellishments for your art, scrapbook pages, packages and more!

Crafty Blogger Blurbs

About Family Crafts 
Read all about the Dr. Suess themed baby shower Sherri threw for her daughter and learn how she made many of the decorations and gifts.
Craft Buds 
Die-cut felt flowers and string of grosgrain ribbon are the ingredients for this simple toddler toy. Get the tutorial for a button snake, to keep your little one busy during a summer car trip or in the waiting room.
Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world 
This week at Craftside there are tutorials on how to make two paintings at once, applying and underpainting, a whole bunch of color variations of the Dutch Tulips quilt block and some springtime cross stitch patterns.
Crafty Princess Diaries 
Tammy has been trying to take a decent photo of her latest finished object, a crochet ripple shawl. 
Eileen - The Artful Crafter 
How to make a beaded pull chain for overheads lights or fans.
Lindsay Sews 
Do you tackle one sewing project at a time, or work on multiple projects at once? Lindsay shares modern quilt blocks from a few recent works in progress.
Mixed Media Artist 
Cyndi experiments with rubbing alcohol and acrylic paints...and ends up with a fun background paper!  

Stripping and Globe Art

This is one of those you never know what you'll

find at a garage sale moments....Anyone for a

record with music to strip to on it?

Nope I didn't purchase it LOL

My cool find of the day was a light up world 

globe for a whole $1.00!  

I wasn't sure at first what exactly lit up until I put a new bulb in it and turned it on.  I kept trying to find key points that might light up but it actuallyshines through the globe itself.  
Why did I want an old out dated globe? Toalter it of course! Now my mind is running wild with ideas of what I can do...the hard part willbe to settle on an idea!
Click HERE to view my Pinterest board of globe art I've been pinning.  

Planter

Just had to share the wonderful redwood planter Son #3 made me for my herbs.  He did such a nicejob on it :-)

Preserved Lemons

I previously posted about my abundance of lemons

and in my search of lemon recipes I discovered

a recipe for preserving lemons HERE.

I had wanted to find some way to have 

lemons year round.

The recipe called for Meyer lemons, butI used regular ole lemons and they worked just fine.
Since making my first batch I have cometo love my preserved lemons, and have made them for friends and familyas well.
I recently made some lemon chicken pasta using my preserved lemons and it was very tasty. I started by pureeing a couple of wedges in the blender with a clove of garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil. After sauteing chicken breasts in the lemon mixture I removed the chicken then added a tablespoon of butter and a little more lemon juice then added some cooked pasta.  The combination of salty and lemon was perfect.
Click HERE for more of my lemon recipes and HERE for my printable recipe cards.

Spring Bird Banner

What the heck I had thought I had posted this already, 

but I guess it was one of those imaginary acts I often

have now days.

I wanted to share my friend Christy from 

Artchicadees Reflection's Bird banner.

she had bought one of the bird banner kits 

at www.OutsideTheMargins.com

then put her own creative spin on it.

It's so bright and cheerful it just 

screams spring to me.

Here's another up close....as with all the picturesjust click on the image to enlarge it.

Here's  her spin on www.OutsideTheMargin'sPocket Posey Kit.

Crafty Blogger Blurbs

Carmi's Art/Life World 
Carmi explains how her puppy became the Easter Bunny for a set of greeting cards.
Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world 
This week at Craftside there are tutorials on portrait poses, how to make frosting bunnies, chicks and eggs, along with info on house rabbis and a recipe for white bean dip with rosemary oil.
Crafty Princess Diaries 
The Crafty Princess explains how to make a simple art book. 
Eileen - The Artful Crafter 
Don't throw those Easter egg shells away. Here's how to make an egg shell mosaic box using them.
Mixed Media Artist 
Never throw ANYthing out, not even paint-soaked paper towels! 
Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery 
A bunch of unusual Easter egg decorations. 

Colorful Easter

Happy Easter 2012My tub overflowth with flowers and color!Hubby originally made the can birdhouses from olive oilcans we had saved.  They looked pretty cool with theirgraphics the first few years, but then as they began to fade and rust not so much. So hubby freshened them up with some spray paint and now they are waiting for me to paint some scenes on them like I did to this one HERE
Check out how my garden bathtub has progressed over the years!