Make It a Banner Valentine's

Here's a fun way to express your sentiment for whatever holiday is coming up...a festive little banner. This one was made in just a few minutes by cutting out hearts and running them through a crimper. You can get crimpers of all sizes at the craft stores or you could use one of those little tools for squeezing out the last bit of paint in a tube. I have both and either works fine. Then I cut out tags from black card stock and letter "LOVE" in white ink and tie them on wire with ribbon. I wrapped some white wire around a thin dowel to make the spiral look and then stretched it to the length I needed.

Quick and easy...and you can adapt it to birthdays by lettering the birthday celebrant's name and do one for every kid in the family. I have one I did years ago that has "NOEL" lettered on craft colored hang tags with black folded stars tied on the wire with old twill tape...it's old as the hills and I hang it every year and still love it. It has a real "vintage" look.

So play and piddle and add a festive banner to your holidays!

Piddlin' Around with Somebody's Heart

Here's a litte heart box you can use for giving little tiny valentine treasures. If you click on the pattern, you should be able to enlarge and print it. Then go to a craft store and buy a few sheets of scrapbooking paper in a heavy, card stock weight and cut and paste away. I found this in Las Vegas the very first time I went. We stayed at the Stardust Hotel...that should tell you how long ago it was...and as I was walking through the lobby, I passed an Ethel M Chocolate store. Oh my. And this little box caught my eye. I promptly went in an bought the little box of chocolates solely for the pattern. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I've tweaked it just a bit to suit my needs and I know Ethel would want you to have it. It's easy and quick and will fit on a 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper. You can add embellishment...raffia or ribbon and stuff it with crinkle cut paper and it just looks so festive and sweet.

Hurry...you just have a few days to get these done for everyone on your list so I'm making this short and sweet because you don't have any more time to read! Go...chop chop...get 'er done...!!

Oh...and Happy Valentine's from my heart to yours!

Presentation at the Garden Club

I had a fun morning. I was asked to present a program at the Ocean Drive Garden Club meeting. Their theme for the year is "going green" so I gave them some ideas for doing an edible centerpiece and an edible gift of fruit. The pictures above will give you an idea of the finished products.

When doing the centerpiece, I started with a piece of corrugated cardboard that can be bought on a big roll from your local paper supplier. I always have a roll hanging from the rafters in my garage and I use it for all sorts of things, from shelf liners in my kitchen to a valance over the window in my studio. I love the stuff...it's inexpensive and I like the way it looks. I've even made invitations out of it...and embellished gift wrap.

For this centerpiece, I took a small piece of cardboard and rounded the corners. I used fresh, colorful veggies and just arranged them on top and then added black beans around the outer edges under the vegetables for a finishing touch. This centerpiece cost about $14.

For the fruit arrangement, I cut a short strip of the corrugated cardboard to fit all around the bottom of a cardboard box that I'd cut. I scalloped one side and then glued that on to the box with hot glue. Unbleached parchment lined the box and then I just piled the fruit in. I like to add unexpected little snacks in unusual containers in with the fruit. I put peanuts in the shell into a tiny paper sack and tied the top with rafia. I added strawberries in a little wire basket, and cherries in a clay pot. Chocolates went into another paper sack. The entire fruit gift cost about $23.

The garden ladies were a fun and appreciative group. It was a great way to spend my morning and I enjoyed meeting some new people and seeing some friends I hadn't seen in awhile. I was also able to promote next fall's "Move Over, Martha!" our fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. They very graciously offered to help us sell tickets come November. I'll be taking them up on that offer!