Well. I think this must be a record for the longest I have gone without blogging in the past few months. Not because I didn't want to blog -- but life has been getting in the way. I finished my training at Cleveland, only to come back to two weeks of jury duty with Franklin County Municipal Court. That ends next Friday. In the meantime, Bob's Dad is still in the hospital, and the recovery has been at a snail's pace. He's been flying or driving back and forth from Nashville and it's been tough on everyone. I want life to get back to normal, (that was why I went back to work!) Seems all I can do is to practice patience, which is not in high reserve just now.
Happy Mother's Day to everyone. Alekha had a pre-K tea party that I got to attend -- the kids were so excited, they had made books and cards for us and prepared a song, plus gave each of the moms a plant. It was the best mother's day, ever - just to see the delight in their eyes from having their moms there!
I have been busy in the evenings with Melissa Frances projects. Incidentally, Melissa is doing a giveaway on the MF blog -- so be sure to check it out and go toss your name in the hat - the prizes are wonderful! I am fortunate indeed to be able to design for MF. I still am pinching myself about that!
Here are some recent projects that I created with Melissa Frances' new 12" tin star and the new Little Guy Page Kit collection; it's designed for boy themed pages, but I thought it was perfect for creating projects for upcoming Memorial Day, Fourth of July or any Americana type project.
When I was in high school, I was a marching band geek. I played in the band for two years, and then joined the flag corps. Every year, without fail, we had to perform at the Annual Memorial Day Parade. I resented it at first -- what was a holiday after all if you had to show up for a school activity?? I didn't appreciate it as a teenager but now I remember those parades fondly, all the pomp and circumstance, the sense of community, elaborately decorated bicycles with streamers woven in and out of bicycle spokes, the parade route with the cheering crowd, majorettes twirling batons and scores of war veterans in their decorated military uniform. The excitement culminated in the singing of the national anthem followed by doughnuts and coffee and at the fire station. Good times. The next two projects are a tribute to those Memorial Day Parades. Just fun home dec projects to make. I LOVE how the stars and stripes blossom turned out -- that was made with a painted vintage wooden spool. It would be awesome to make up a whole bouquet of them and hand them out at the parade!
To make the stars n stripes blossom, paint a large new or vintage wooden spool, let dry and then sand off some of the paint to allow the wood underneath to show through, Make a rosette from wide striped ribbon, cutting off enough to fit around the top of the spool. (If anyone needs instructions on making the rosette - just let me know -- I think I learned how to do them from Candice. Punch vintage text with a large scallop punch, then punch a circle in the middle. Make a single cut so that you have two separate ends. Wrap them around the spool on top of the rosette and glue the edges together. Insert the dowel rod through the spool (try to get one close in size to the hole in the spool). If it is too loose, xyron some ribbon and wrap it around the edge of the spool before inserting to hold it in place. Let about 1/4 inch of the dowel show at the top - and glue the ruby poinsettia gem to the dowel head. Cover the dowel with vintage text - just glue it on by cutting strips and wrapping them around the dowel. Apply Melissa Frances Rubon to cream cardstock, cut into a banner shape and punch holes in it to slide it up onto the dowel. Fashion paper leaves by using your scallop punch to cut two patterns, cut them in half and glue different patterns back to back. Bend and form these into leaf shapes and glue to the dowel rod. You're done, now present your patriotic posy to someone you love!
Gotta go get Alekha some dinner. Have a wonderful mother's day.
