making faces

I've been making garden fairies  and needed some good faces - let me show you what I learned ....

I began with magazine pictures

And used this old template I have for making circles:

I use the circle to crop in REALLY close on the features (this is good old Martha)

What I learned:

Cropping super close is what gives you the PERFECT sun or moon face.

I cut away all the non-essential stuff like ears, hair, neck, forehead,  chin. The closer in you crop, the more moonlike it comes out.

Here's my collection:

And here are the garden fairies I've made so far ....

They have so much personality, I've given them each a name.

aluminum can flowers (tutorial)

I'm always on the lookout for new ways to recycle in my art. Here's a fun way to reuse aluminum cans to make "drought resistant flowers." You can't kill them, I promise!

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Here's how:

Start with a colorful can.

Cut off the top.

(this is surprisingly easy to do with your "good" pair of "crap designated" scissors - mine are old Fiskars)

Cut the sides of the can into 16 or so spokes.

(I start with 4ths, then 8ths, then 16ths)

Bend the spokes back as shown here.

This will be the FRONT:

Flip your can over and bend the spokes in half at a slight angle as shown here.

This will be the BACK:

Flip your can over again and fold the spokes in half at a slight angle as before.

This is the FRONT:

This is the BACK:

Now you need a large can lid and a bottle cap.

Into all three of these things you will need to punch a hole in the centers with an awl:

Now you need about 10 inches of wire.

Fold this in half, forming a loop at the midpoint, and twist a few times:

Wire the three parts together.

Bottle cap, flower, can lid:

Bend back your wire loop to hold the bottle cap in place and pull all three parts to snug them up:

On the back you can twist your wire over a bamboo skewer, or make a loop for hanging, or attach to some other creation. The choice is yours.

Here I'm attaching a bamboo skewer:

(I also add a bit of hot glue so it doesn't slip down the stake)

Experiment with your folding of the metal and come up with designs of your own. Have fun!

dialing up some sun

when I crave warmth and color and all those good things that come with sunshine, 

I make a little of my own

(it's a garden marker) 

Ingredients: pie tin, Arizona Tea can, tomato sauce lid, tomato paste lid, bottle cap, copper wire

wishing you a little patch of sunshine and warmth on this winter's day

xoxo

stitching with pliers

 ... for real ...

sometimes it's just too much work to get that needle through several thicknesses of fabric

and paper can be especially uncooperative

(it has no weave to part a path for the needle-eye & thread)

... so I use pliers ...

is that what all the fuss was about?

... there's more ...

these sweet things needed pliers too:

it's a serious dose of fun color

just in case spring hasn't burst out in all her full operatic diva glory

(a little something to tide you over)

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ingredients:

can lids

bottle caps

wire

bamboo skewer

... ta-da ...

tea on the steps

first of all, what I'm having:

I found a really good organic plain old black tea

it's Newman's Own: "Royal Tea"

... at my store it's only 4.99 for a box of 100 ...

(God bless Paul Newman)

my morning cuppa was on the front steps this morning

sitting next to the potted mint

(which must be potted - or it becomes the alpha plant in the garden)

the info about how to make the mint marker is HERE

and the pinwheel was easy to make out of an aluminum can

(just look for a paper pinwheel pattern and do the same thing using aluminum)

I quickly became distracted with the miniature world in my rock and shell boxes

... I'm glad the snail is more at home here than in my mint plant!

these oyster shells are from a barbecue last year

raw oysters - one of my all time favorite foods

it tastes just like the ocean in your mouth and transports me back to my body surfing days

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and the sky this morning?

it's an oyster shell overhead

l

o

v

e

what's blooming?

friends are flowers in the garden of life

and you won't need a green thumb either

:)

or if you talk like Yoda:

thank you dear friends for all your kind words and comments

it's your kindness that waters this garden

:)

garden marker - part three

(for all three parts of the "garden marker tutorial" click HERE)

so, you should have:

a crimped can lid and a stamped (or otherwise decorated) label

next:

using mod podge, adhere your paper label to the lid

then generously coat the top of the label with more mod podge

this will help keep the rust from creeping onto your label

... as well as weatherproofing it

next:

carefully smooth your mod podge coat

(it doesn't have to perfect)

find the top center hole and enlarge it using your awl

(this is where the wire will fit)

next:

using a piece of aluminum wire (approx 18 inches long or so)

bend one end like this:

slip your can lid over the hook and slightly pinch the loop 

(that will keep your lid more secure on the hanger)

voila!

a really cool garden marker:

reduce

re-use

recycle

:)

garden marker - part two

(for part one click HERE)

these were the supplies:

today is the stamping part

**BUT you can create the label any way you'd like - of course!!!

I have this filigree patterned stamp that I love:

but I need the center to be blank,

so I'm masking it while I stamp:

that way I end up with a round frame:

and then I used my alphabet stamps to write the plant name:

tomorrow - the conclusion!

garden marker - part one

someone contacted me after seeing these garden markers I made last year

they were wondering how I had made them

... at the time I hadn't done a tutorial ...

so I'm re-visiting this project

besides, I need a marker for the mint

:)

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what you will need:

(from top going clockwise)

staz-on ink-pad (or some other type of permanent ink)

aluminum wire from the hardware store (I'm not sure of the gauge)

alphabet stamps (or your best handwriting - using permanent ink)

mod-podge

circular, patterned rubber stamp

**pineapple can lid - the pineapple can lid will rust**

(if you don't want a rusted lid, use any other type)

mouse pad

paint brush

awl

needle nose pliers

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first step: 

with the dulled side of the lid facing you, crimp the edge of the lid with your pliers

simply pinch with the plier tip and twist sideways

when you are done it will look like this:

next:

using your awl and the mouse pad, 

poke holes that go all the way around the inner edge of the can lid

tomorrow will be "garden marker - part two"

I have this tutorial in three parts because of all the pictures

(it's just a more manageable blog post that way)