Dressing up canvas bags---inspired by my sister

Today I had some playing dress up with a few canvas bags I picked up awhile ago for a dollar each!

Really they were pretty simple to make----and I am SUPER excited to use my bag this weekend at thrift sales and the farmers market!

But I must explain that my crafting today was inspired by my little sister.

I made this for her:

Because today she was on my mind.  All day.

And what better way to show someone you love them and are thinking about them than by making them something special.  Something personal and thoughtful.

You see today my little sister took her final 4th year boards for med school.

And I am SO proud of her.

It seems like just yesterday I was with her celebrating her having finished taking the MCAT.

And now that I am thinking about it, it seems like just yesterday I was taking my 4th year boards... and she was there for me during that time... It is hard being far away from her during her big exam because I know how much it meant to me that she was there with me for mine. 

I hope this little gift helps her know how much I was thinking about her today!

{This is the back of the bag, I added an extra little picture for her

because she does have two furry children}

And in case you can't tell by now, she is CRAZY in love with her dachshunds! 

So I think this bag will make her day!

Anddd lets face it, my pups would have felt super super left out if I hadn't made them a "doggie bag" as well!

I tried to hold back on the flowers for this one because I know there is a good chance that my hubs will get stuck carrying it sooner or later.

I really think this bag is going to get A LOT of use, my dogs need "stuff" when we go out and about---and it seem like right before we are trying to leave the house a collar or leash has always gone missing....

NOT anymore---"doggie bag" is here to save the day!  (Or at least that is how I picture it!)

And finally my pretty farmers market bag!

Here is the quick "how to", I won't go into the entire tutorial because I have used the cirtra solv method more than a few times now and I can imagine you might be getting sick of hearing it! 

Click here and here  and here to see a few!  (The first couple are some of my first EVER tutorials....don't judge!  We have to start somewhere right?!?)

-I found the images on graphic fairy

-I reversed the quote on the computer

(to do this you have to convert the file first to a pdf, then to a jpeg and finally filp horizontally)

-I used the citra solv technique to transfer the image

-I cut old pieces of fabric (hubs had a pile of old dress shirts that he gave me)

-and just wrap and hot glue to get the flower look

Let me know if pictures would help!  I took some but then decided I didn't want to explain the obvious!

What do you think?  Would you take this to the farmers market?!?

I am linking up to a few of these wonderful parties---check them out to find amazing crafty inspirations!

My first typewriter project!

Ahhh I lovee my new typewriter!

I do have to wonder how in the world a person could have enough finger strength to type long letters with it, but for my little project it was super fun!!!

So my little project started out as just these two frames buttt....

The basket kind of became part of the "walls" decor also!

I started out with some old frames that I haven't used in a long time...

Anddd apparently if you are sitting around my house and not being used then you are GOING to be up-cycled sooner or later!

So I used some of my favorite scraps of paper and added one of my favorite quotes to them with my typewriter.

I realize you can't make it out but it says:

"I love you to the moon and back"

Then I added the "hardware name plates" with additions to my quote---all together it says "I love you -way more than- to the moon and back -times 7 million"

I just hot-glued the name plates in place and slid the paper right in.

I know some of you might be thinking that this is a silly project since you can't really read the wording unless you are up close...but I think that is what I like about the project.  It adds a pop of color that I am trying to add into my first floor living area annnddd it has hidden meaning---that is so SO so my way of decorating.

And here is where the basket gets to come into the picture:

this is the view from the hall to the living room---

The wall just seemed a little too plan to me even with the two frames... sooo I scoured my house for things I could hang on the wall...

And this is what I came up with.

Ahhh much better!  

I like how the pops of red in the living room now kind of tie into the pop of red in the hall....

Did you notice I added a contact, sponsor or guest post button to the top of my blog?!?!?  

Go check it out if you are interested in any or all of the above---it would just make my day!!!

I am linking up to a few of these amazing parties---be sure to visit them, it is a great way to be inspired!

My newest-vintage craft machine

Ahhh it seems I am a bit addicted to the "machines" that make crafting fun/unique/different. I just recently discovered some of the things that I could do with my newest "toy".

Here is a hint to what my new toy is....

Ahhh isn't it pretty?  But not just pretty,  pretty & functional, I have plans and fun projects in mind for this pretty toy!

The best part?!?!  It is prime time to find a "toy" like this one at a garage sale or flea market.  

Mine came as a graduation gift from my sweet sister who understood yet embraced the irony of getting me a typewriter for my graduation....most people would want a computer I suppose.... but not me, I am a crazy crafter and think this dream machine is amazing!

I know my graduation was about a month ago, but my gift just arrived two days ago.....ahhhh I have been waiting!!!  

I love that you can stick any size paper in it and just "go to town" typing in the perfectly uneven, so not perfectly inked font....it's crazy cool in my eyes.

What do you think?  Will you be swiping one of these from the garage sale you go to???  

What would you do with your typewriter????

My first little project was to make a simple tag to send along with the giveaway coffee sack I am going to get in the mail today!!

A summertime tradition--baked bean salad

Alright my friends, I would like to share with you one of my most favorite summertime salads.  I was making it this weekend for a BBQ with my love and I thought of all of you-my friends in blog-land and decided I had better snap some photos to share before the salad was long gone.

 This is a salad I grew up with---a summertime tradition with burgers and brats!  

I must note that you can't judge this book by it's cover....

lets just say that there is no way to pretty this salad up, but the taste is worth the poor picture appeal.  Trust.  Me. 

Looking at the salad you can probably understand why when I was young and my mom would make it for our church potlucks, we alway left with a fair amount left... (which I must note I was never unhappy about---more for me!) it's not pretty but don't be scared it is so so good! 

Here is the official recipe card (with official "measurements")----a few years back my sister and I hounded our mom to hand write out a bunch of recipe cards for us just like her mom did for her.  There is just something special about handwritten and just for me that makes this so so so special each time I dig it out for reference!!

Although I know you can read the recipe card, I thought I would still type up my version of the recipe incase you can't make it out in my mom's script.

Buttt first I must digress again.  

Is anyone else crazy about carefree "mixology" type cooking like I am?  Because I can rarely get myself to measure out anything for a recipe----that just feels like work.  Yeahhhh so here is my "mixology" version of the recipe----because this is one that you can't do wrong but I also have to note that you must taste test while making to ensure your flavor is jussttt right!

-Can (or two) of beans (drained)

-Pickles chopped up (lots of them---I really don't think you can have enough pickles) 

*I use kosher dill---just what I like the best, no real reason besides that*

-Hard boiled eggs--cut up (I used 6)

-A "blob" of miracle whip or mayo

-A few squirts of yellow mustard

Mix, Chill & Serve 

Ha ha... okay now I am embarrassed at how not-specific my version of the recipe is, 

but really try it---it is simple!  

What do you think?  Would you try it or pass it up at a potluck?!?  

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Annnddd the wonderful winner issss........ Ruth!  I am so happy to share my coffee sack with you annnddd of course if you would like to share your coffee sack project with Crafty Scrappy Happy I would LOVE to feature your project!  I wish I could give all of you thank you gifts for being so wonderful---you are the reason I blog!  Ruth---lets get in touch!  

____________________

Ruth said...

OOOH!! I want a chance to win. Love these coffee sacks and it would be awesome to win this.

Thanks!!

Ruth

___________________

 P.S. have you missed me?  I was away for a quick trip to Washington D.C. with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law Cassie.  We were busy apartment shopping for Cassie who will be going to school there this fall----exciting!  Needless to say I thought I would have the chance to blog about what we were up to, but with 90 degree weather and about a million miles of walking a day I decided to just stay focused on the task at hand!  

Anyways I am sure I will be back with new projects soon!  And again, thank you all for being so wonderful!

My very first BLOG SWAP with Angela from Love Sweet Love!

Woohoo for my first time blog swapping!!!  Does that mean I officially have a blog someone else would want to be featured on?!?!??  Ohhh man that makes me super super excited!

I am SO so SO so excited to have you "meet"
  Angela from Love Sweet Love!
She is simply said, the best.  I adore her, her blog and her friendship!  Although we are only bloggin friends I am sure that we could be amazing real life friends too!  What I wouldn't do for a crafty friend like her here in Wisconsin!

Anyways ENJOY her amazing tutorial!  Show her some Crafty Scrappy Happy LOVE and stop by and check out some of her other amazing crafts!!!
And please stop by her blog to see what I did with this glass bottle!!!

And if you are a huge Angela fan stopping over to see her project HI!!!!!  I am so so excited you stopped by!  She is just great isn't she?!?  But you already know that!

Be sure to enter my giveaway if you are interested----a coffee sack is up for grabs because I think my blogging friends and followers are amazing.  Anddd along with the sack comes a chance to be featured on my little blog :o)
head over here to get all entered!
___________________________________________
HELLO Crafty, Scrappy, Happy readers!!! I am Angela, the voice behind Love Sweet Love, and I am beyond thrilled to be blog swapping with the incredible Jaime today! She has inspired me in so many ways and it is such a privilege for me to be making an appearance on one of my all-time FaVoRiTe blogs!

I use my little corner of the blogging universe to share my creative ideas that involve easy DIY projects for the home, craft ideas for kids, thrift store makeovers, and holiday decorating (the reason I started blogging!). My life is over-flowing with Sweet Love and I needed a place to share it!!

Through Jaime's blog, I have been SO inspired to create meaningful decorations for my home. The very first post of Crafty, Scrappy, Happy's I ever read she said something along the lines of...Why pay money for something that means nothing to you, when you could make something for less that means everything? It was then that I knew we'd be fast friends. So in an effort to thank Jaime for that motivation, I wanted to do something super-duper special for her readers and create a project that was meaningful, from the heart, and easy to do so you could join in on the fun too! So today I will be sharing a tutorial for a DIY
Declaration of Independence.

Holidays are everything to me and I just can't help but go all out! As my 2 little ones get older, it has been fun to begin explaining the meaning behind the holidays so I thought this decoration would be a perfect way to give a little meaning to my July 4th mantle. I came across this idea while scouting for July 4th decorations online.


Want to make one with me?! There are just 4 easy steps:
1. print a copy of the Declaration onto paper
2. soak it in tea
3. let it dry
4. burn the edges

If your a details person here's a step-by-step tutorial!!

I started by using THIS copy of the Declaration of Independence and copying into a word document. I chose the Alison font in size 12 for the body text. The same font was used for the title but for the date I used size 28.

• For my own twist, I selected the words Land...of...the...free throughout the text, starting at the top and moving towards the bottom, and put them in a different font and size. For that I used the font Scriptoria Small Caps SSi in size 26.

I changed the page orientation to Landscape, the margins to narrow (.5), while keeping the size of the paper at 8.5x11.

I also used an idea given on the website I found to add the name of each member of our family on the bottom and have us sign it to make it more personal.

When I had the document the way I liked it I printed it out and it came out to be 2 full pages.


Next I made a little cup of black tea...


...and poured the entire cup over the paper (I just did one sheet at a time).


I let each sheet soak for about 20 min.


And then laid it out to dry on paper towels.


I was
too impatient
really excited to see the results so I thought I'd speed the drying process along by using my blow dryer. I dried it on low first, just so that it wasn't soaking wet, and then sprayed the entire paper with a couple coats of hair spray so that it would stiffen the paper a bit. After the hair spray was applied I used the hair dryer on high until it was completely dry. It worked great and I got the exact outcome I wanted. I love how the edges of the paper naturally curled up and the paper bubbled in spots from the heat and hair spray mixture.


Next, I burned the edges of each of the papers individually using a lighter, and then glued them together using a glue stick.


CAUTION: Hairspray is flammable! The paper will burn a little more easily because of that so watch your flame. Oops!


Here's our new page :). Document signed by the family and ready to go! (Kylee had a little help from her older brother)


And that's it!


Your very own, personalized, July 4th decoration!







I love how the words Land Of The Free stick out, but I think it would look awesome if they were in a different color font...maybe red??


I am so in love with the way it turned out and for $2 (the cost of a box of tea), it's a great way to decorate on the cheap! :)

Thank you SO much to Jaime for blog swappin' with me today and a thanks to YOU Crafty, Scrappy, Happy readers for reading along with me! You are welcome anytime over at Love Sweet Love, it would mean the world to me to have you pop over for a visit! Have a HaPpY and safe 4th of July!