Craftypants:: TV Trays Go Chic

Oh, the whims of blogland. Sometimes I forget that not everyone has a compulsive need to read five kajillion crafty/dom-goddess/super-mom/juliachild themed blogs per day and so is not party to the "peer" pressure and project-envy I feel when there is some new rage sweeping blogland.

I fell in love with a gem of a project over on Tatertots and Jello last week. She re-did a table for her front porch with chevron (swoon) fabric covered with resin.

I mulled it over for a few days and expressed my interest to FMG. The dear man wouldn't let me "re-do" any of our current, perfectly fine just the way it is, furniture. Besides, my front porch isn't shaped the right way for a table like that. 

Side note/Confession: we eat in front of the t.v. - often. I admit it. I feel shameful. We have plenty of at-the-table dinners but with the sports obsession that FMG had goin' on and the limited tv watching I'll actually tolerate (it's the ADD, man) we tend to do it with dinner.

Which brings me to my point.

TV TRAYS!!!! There was nothing *wrong* with our tv trays - but they could certainly use a facelift! After getting the green light from my rational half (who only requested that they "still be flat", sweet man) I was OFF! The HobLob stocks the resin I'd read about.

FOR THIRTY FOUR DOLLARS A KIT.

I died.

And then I bought it anyways.

I started with a coat of No-Sand since there wasn't anything wrong with the wood surface of the TV trays. Brie, ever my helper, supervised the process. Then she got bored.

Then the wood surfaces got two coats of a navy-ish blue paint  (BEHR ULTRA Satin "Starless Night") left over from a front porch make-over last spring.

Then the fabric! I really struggled with how to best measure and cut the fabric to fit perfectly in the tray. I ended up making a template out of scrapbook paper and labels. Just lay the pieces in the tray and stick 'em together.

Then just pin and cut! My corners were square and my sides were straight and the fabric fit perfectly in the trays.

As mentioned in the TT&J tutorial, and in the directions for the resin, I sealed the fabric with two coats of Mod-Podge to prevent discoloring and major air bubbles. This fabric is by Brother Sister Design Studio and is from the HobLob.

Despite my careful planning, the fabric ended up being about 3/4 of and inch too big. I think it stretched when I was mod-podge-ing it down. I trimmed the fabric and let the mod-podge dry thoroughly (aka pool time). Then it was time to tackle the resin!

My only complaint  was that there is no mixing container or mixing device included in the package. I know it wouldn't really work out because you can't re-use it but I don't have a stash of disposable measuring containers. I DO have a stash of clear party cups and plastic knives. I figured I needed about 6 oz of resin to cover the tray. So I measured 3 oz of water into the cup and marked it with a sharpie.

Then I added three more ounces - for a total of six - and marked that spot. I felt so smaaaart.

Follow the directions to the letter - I set the kitchen timer before I started mixing so all I had to do was press "start" when the parts were mixed. Then pour! The resin had a consistency like honey. Not super runny but liquid enough to push and spread around the tray to get 100% coverage. You can see the little bubbles. Don't fret!

Kitchen torch to the rescue! The CO2 does some cool sciency thing to the resin and the little bubbles just pop right out! While searching out the tiny air bubbles I actually found one or two tiny spots that weren't completely covered and I was able to get them covered before the resin set.

Perfect and smooth!

After curing over night the tables tops are hard and smooth and not tacky at all! I'm so in love with the new-and-improved version!

...and we wasted no time putting them to good use! (Yes, cloth napkins on the TV tray. No matter where we are eating, if it took me longer than 15 minutes to cook it we're using the dang cloth napkins. It's a good rule.)

I'm so in love with this process that Jojo and I are working on a project at her house! Details to come soon! (I know you can hardly wait...)

Linked up here @ A to Z!

Craftypants: Fun & Funky Necklace

One of the best parts of summer is that I get more time to indulge in two of my most favorite things. One: Stalking crafty people's blogs. Two: Being crafty.

I was totally inspired by a tutorial over at Tatertots and Jello for this:

Source: tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Off I went to the HobLob for all the supplies and goodies. I went a little overboard. (I know you're shocked.) I decided I needed three different kinds of faux-pearls, three fabrics, and an obscene length of chain. I really really like the necklace but I don't think I need to make another one - which was my original plan.

I clustered my beads a little bit more than in the tutorial. It made the necklace a little heavier and more time intensive but I liked the over all effect better.

I found that it was *really* important to keep the chain and the thread really taut throughout the process.

You can see that I didn't really have a rhyme or reason in how I got the beads threaded on there. It all worked out in the end!

I went with three flowers hot glued to felt which was then sandwiched around the chain with aonther piece of felt. The thread is glued in with it.

Voila! I'm super pleased with it and can't wait to wear it more!

Can you even imagine the combinations you could put together? I'd like one in every color!

There it is in action! (See it behind the precious penguin?)

We've Got Green!

I'm not a gardener, but I love the idea of a garden and can grow a decent pot of basil. Jojo always had tomatoes and other goodies in pots around the backyard so I felt fairly confident that I could, too, grow cherry 'maters et. al.

FMG constructed two raised bed planters in the side yard for us to try out some "gardening" this summer. We started with tomatoes, jalapenos, basil, thyme, rosemary, squash, artichoke (??), and three different kinds of lettuce. WHen FMG gets into one of my projects he REALLY gets into it.

The lettuces were eaten by the squirrels. The thyme died. All but one of the tomato seedlings croaked except one. The artichoke was kind of a joke. (Did you have any idea that it takes YEARS to cultivate an artichoke crop. No kidding.)

The garden is in the side yard, fenced off from the rest of the yard so that sweet Brie stays out of it!

The squash exploded and are doing awesome. Minus the fact that we have a million blossoms and no fruit. Did you know you have to, um, "help" them pollinate sometimes. Me either.

This basil is not the basil we started from seed... that basil didn't make it (squirrels, birds, neglect?). This is basil I picked up at the farmer's market from a guy who cultivates herbs that thrive in our hot south Texas summers. It is a basil beast!

The parsley looks really sad - but its totally my fault. I LOVE flat leaf parsley and put it on or in almost  anything. I got a little chop crazy and need to let it fill back in for a week or so.

The jalapeno plants are nice and strong - and we finally have some blossoms. I can't wait for the peppers to come! These are not from the seeds, either. I think next year we'll skip the seeding thing. It was fun - but at least with the established plants I know I'm getting something!

The tomatoes are great - I forgot about caging or staking  them... so I tied them to the fence with kitchen twine. Make it work, right?

We have four different kinds - big ones, smaller ones, cherry ones, and some that will be a surprise because we don't remember.

This guy is the "surprise" plant... He's from a seed we planted. He survived and thrived! No fruit yet, but soon!

Not bad for a little kitchen garden! Next summer I'll plan better and plant smarter. For now, I just enjoy having my little garden to look at and play in and pick stuff out of. I can see how this gardening thing could get addicting!

I'm in Love with Pinterest!

Pinterest is a fabulous "virtual pinboard" where you can save (or pin) ideas and things you see all over the internet in one place. Here are some of my favorite from today, some I found and pinned but most are from friends and inspiring people I follow:

Source: sewingin-nomansland.blogspot.com via Amanda on Pinterest

I can't sew and I don't have a two year old daughter, but I love this project!

Source: etsy.com via Amanda on Pinterest

My friend LMG pinned this and I totally identify.

Source: horchow.com via Eliz on Pinterest

EJH pinned this and I think it's just lovely. Doubtful it will ever be a reality in my house but I appreciate its beauty.

Source: psimadethis.com via Amanda on Pinterest

It's also a great place to store "someday" projects. I'd love to try this t-shirt make-over!

There are a million more fabulous things floating around Pinterest and I could spend hours looking through them and adding to the stashes. I literally have to set a timer for myself so I don't get sucked into it! :)

A Sprinkle

Our sweet counselor at school had a precious baby girl last week. Just before she had her we gave Baby C and CCG a "Sprinkle" at school. She already has a beautiful little girl and just needed a few things for the new princess.

In lieu of  a sheet cake or cup cakes, we decided to make a cake ball tower - the cake pops on top almost look like a bouquet!

In the center of the cake pop bouquet is a candy melt C. The flowers on the cake balls and pops are all made from candy melts.

Thinking it would look like an elegant petitfour, the cake balls were nestled in mini baking cups.

I really adored the way the flowers came out. They were fragile, but not so delicate that they were hard to work with. I "piped" them onto foil using a baggie with the corner snipped and  the left over melted candy. A quick swirl in really warm water every now and then kept it just the right consistency to flow but not spread.

The flowers were attached with more warm candy melt. The pops took a little more work to stick than the balls. :)

We weren't sure if Big-Sis-to-Be was going to be there or not, so we wrapped up a pop just for her. These would make adorable (albeit labor intensive) favors at a baby or wedding shower.

The set up at school... The tower was generally disassembled to transport to school. The balls rode nestled in a shirt box and the bouquet was left in tact, gently wrapped in plastic wrap and nestled in a box with air filled baggies around it. It arrived with jsut a few broken petals.

I can't wait to meet Baby Calissa!

Crafty Pants : Felt Flower Pillow

S-e-r-i-o-u-s-l-y into these felt flowers!

A spring break trip to Ikea resulted in some fresh pillow covers for my couch. I picked white. Why? I'm not sure. Who puts WHITE pillows on their couch? They just looked so clean and crisp. They begged me to add something to make them go with the rest of our de colores house.

I obliged.

The pink flower started with a yellow fringed and rolled center.

Though I usually keep the back nice and flat, I actually rolled and glued this one with the slightest inward dome... I was anticipating massive amounts of hot glue holding it onto the flower.  

Lots of pink felt petals... I think I'm adding hot pink felt flower petals to my favorite things list.

Two rows of blue grosgrain ribbon hot glued to the pillow made the base for the flowers.

 I'm straight line challenged... so I used a piece of scrap paper to keep my spacing consistent while gluing the ribbon.

Back to the pink petals... pinched, glued, and layered into a flower! 

I was going for "dahlia" and I think I just narrowly missed "poinsettia". I'll have to remember this for next Christmas. Poinsettia Pillows...

Finally the yellow center!

I added an orange circle to spiral flower with a pink center and a yellow rolled flower with a "ruffle" around it after I decided that the pink flower was begging for company. Voila! A fresh, crisp, seasonal punch of color on my couch. I love flowers in the house and these are guaranteed to look perfect even after five days!