Freezer Paper

Just in case you don't know of the perfect union between freezer paper and the Cricut...

Cut out the desired shape, number, character on your Cricut {make sure to put the shiny side DOWN on the mat}.  Have your 6 year-old "weed" the parts you want to paint.

Iron the freezer paper to the fabric shiny side down.  I usually use a medium setting on my iron...depends on the fabric.

Have the continually talking 6 year-old paint inside the stencil.  I just use acrylic paints unless we're doing t-shirts.  Then we use fabric paint so that we can wash the finished project.

Stand up and smile.

Allow to dry.

Peal off the stencil and admire.

This is a great kid project.

They could be used for just about anything. 

These two are going to be pillows in the Little Red House...

maybe they will be finished by this Christmas.

Feeling behind in my Christmas duties...anyone else?

Becky

Turkey Tree

I'm always looking for an excuse to decorate a "Christmas" tree.  During a recent mind numbing blog hopping hour or two I came across Sugar Pie Farmhouse.  She goes to incredible lengths for her fall decor.  Her "Save Your Fork" tree inspired me to do the same.

My tree is the top of a full size white tree that I bought "real cheap, Clark" from a floral shop.  It had been stored in the sun over the summer and turned the perfect ivory color...well, perfect for me...not so perfect for the shop owner.

We used the Cricut to cut out the tags and hung them with twine.  We pasted a few copies of old Thanksgiving postcards on to some of the tags.

The best part is the old tarnished silverware.  The forks and knives are tied on with scraps of muslin.

Lucky number 7.

Gotta love a turkey.  God giggled when he made these guys.

Found the box in the barn.  Sprayed it with a bleach and water combo.  Rinsed it with water and watched the yuk wash away.  No scrubbing needed.

I was inspired by Beyond the Screen Door when I made the table runner.  It's burlap with a fu-fu ruffle on both ends.

Sidebar:  Shortly after I took these photos the tree crashed to the ground.  I was mad.  It laid there for 2 days.  Then I said to myself, "Aunt Ruthie wouldn't leave her tree on the floor." 

I put on my big girl boots and reassembled the darn thing. 

Enjoying Fall-

Becky

Company's Coming

Hey, girls!

My sister is coming this weekend!  I'm so excited for her to be here because I have lots of projects planned for us to do together {she doesn't know that, yet... she says with an evil taskmaster tone}.

I had to show you how we decorated the bed in The Little Red House for her stay.

Do I mean anything by this?  Of course, I do.  Hellooo... she's my sister! 

 Even better...my LITTLE sister.

The idea for the "Wicked" banner came from Miss Mustard Seed. 

I love her stuff and want to grow up to be just like her.

The bed was my grandmother's.  It was 1960's maple - not 1930's oak - therefore, I felt comfortable painting it FLAT black.  Think it looks cool with the wood on the walls.

The holster came from a little antique store in Franklin, IN.  Quite the cowboy look.

For the "cowhide" pillow, I tea-stained black and WHITE fabric that were curtains in the girls' room.  Then sewed them together with chunky flat-fold seems.

The witch pillow...I ADORE the witch pillow.  Mostly because I love using freezer paper stencils.  I used the CriCut to cut a stencil of the witch - ironed it on to the fabric {waxy side down} - then used soft black to paint the witch onto the fabric/drop cloth.  Then whip it into a pillow. 

Sidebar:  I get all of my "pillowforms" from Goodwill.  Usually, throw pillows are only a dollar and after a wash they are more than great under another homemade pillow cover.

The dress form is dressed in a thrift store black witch-like dress and draped in orange organza.  The orange came from the fabric bin at Goodwill.  Kinda fun, huh?

I'll share our weekend projects soon.

Sleep tight!

Becky

Cattle For Sale

Happy Sunday evening! 

Hope you've all had a relaxing and/or productive weekend.  Whichever you prefer.

I saw this photo in the September edition of Country Sampler.  I'm not usually one for stuff THIS primitive but the sign on the wall caught my attention. 

 

We don't have pigs anymore but, hey, we've got some cattle around. 

Here's how it went...

Found the perfect rough-sawn board in the barn.  Spray painted it black.  Did a reverse stencil thingy-thing.  Cut out the letters on the Cricut and used spray adhesive to stick them on the board.  The edge is masking tape.

Spray painted the whole thing with white paint.

It wasn't perfect when I took the letters and tape off...but that's the way we want it now, don't we?

I abused it with the sander and rubbed a coat of "Early American" stain over the whole thing.

The result is a vintage-been-on-a-fencepost-for-30-years look.

I'm STILL squealing with delight when I walk through the dining room

. 

My cowgirl model likes it too.

Later Taters-

Becky

Family Tree

Lou Lou was here this weekend.  That's my mom... we call her that sometimes. 

We had the opportunity during nap time on Saturday to spend 3 hours with the beloved Cricut.  She had a few projects in mind and I had one that I hadn't had the guts to try.  Together - we did it!  Sounds so triumphant when actually it just involved putting a vinyl Cricut cut out on an old window.

I forgot to take a picture of the window before I started.  I think you can use your imagination.  The window came from the Habitat Restore for $5.  The hardware is what made me fall in love.

The vinyl is off white and came from Expressions Vinyl for $1.98 a sheet.  I get all of my vinyl from this place. Their options are endless and reasonably priced.  They have lots of usage tips for each product.  Helpful in reducing "Cricut Frustration".

The tree came from the "Stretch Your Imagination" cartridge.  I made it as big as possible - Fit To Page option.  Then I used the transfer tape to put it on the BACKSIDE of the window. This is so that little fingers can't pick off the pretty tree. 

CAUTION:  the transfer tape is very sticky when it comes to glass.  I suggest cutting off the excess to prevent things sticking where the shouldn't.  Again, every attempt is being made here to eliminate "Cricut Frustration". 

Helpful Hint:  Re-use your transfer tape!  It will let you know when it's had enough.

The finished product-

I like the simplicity.

Not bad for somewhere around $8.00!

Blessings-

B