Shabby Apple Giveaway

My friend Aubrey, over at All Things Bright and Beautiful, is hosting a giveaway for a Shabby Apple gift card. Swing by to enter!

Baby Quilt

I do realize it's been a while. Ok, maybe more than a while. Pregnancy, third baby, hip surgery and well, life, interrupted my crafting. But I'm slowly finding time to get back to things. Slowly. Here's my first real attempt at quilting--A Moda inspired quilt for my sweet baby boy.

Red Clay Voting

Do you like what you see?

Please come vote for my entry here!  

THANK YOU!

Easiest Star Wars Cupcake Toppers

What is it about Star Wars that makes little boys (and girls) go nuts?  My eight year old knows more about Star Wars than anyone I know.  So for his birthday last week, of course he wanted Star Wars cupcakes.  At first he requested that I use frosting to create Yoda, Obi, etc. on the top of each cupcake.  That was quickly vetoed (not only am I on bed rest for this pregnancy, but there's no way on earth I was going to do that!).  This is what I came up with:

Blue for the good guys

Red for the bad guys

Seriously, these were so easy to make!  I grabbed two packs of Star Wars stickers from Target (24 stickers in each pack), then stuck two matching stickers together with a toothpick in the middle.  The kids loved them and they only took a few minutes to make!

I'm linking up to:
Tatertots and Jello Weekend Wrap Up Party

Red Clay

Have you heard of Red Clay yet?  If not, I'm sure that you will soon!  This is probably one of the coolest ideas I've seen for the creative world.  The idea came from founder, Abigail Kiefer, who just happens to be one of my childhood friends.  Of Red Clay, Abby says, "Red Clay stages challenges to solicit designs from the design community at large.  Each challenge sets design parameters by selecting a sustainable material, such as organic cotton, and identifies a provocative theme.  Red Clay searches out up and coming designers to contribute, giving them a platform on which to build their portfolio."

Not only is this a place for us to share our creative designs, it's also a place where we have the opportunity to vote on which designs we want to see produced.  The top ten designs receive a monetary prize, but even better than that, your design will be PRODUCED and SOLD, through Red Clay.  How cool is that?!

The first design challenge has already begun--Let Summer Shine In: The Textile Challenge.  There are already some amazing ideas out there.  I love that the only guideline given is the fabric.  You can literally create with any color that you can imagine.  Red Clay encourages you to think outside the box.  This is so much more than just a summer pillow design: Bags, ottomans, picnic blankets, wall decor, table settings!  If you can imagine it, they can make it!

I am definitely not a graphic designer, but more of a hands on person.  The design submissions don't have to be created on a computer.  Feel free to draw your idea, take a picture, then submit that.  The most important things right now is that the current design challenge ends at 6PM PST April 22, 2011.  The voting period ends Sunday May 1.

This is an amazing opportunity.  Where else can you design something in your own home, knowing that there's a possibility it will be produced and sold around the country?  Go visit Red Clay now!

Rainbow Cake

Remember this, last year's attempt at a rainbow cake for St. Patrick's Day? What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment--I had to try a rainbow cake again this year.  I know what you're thinking... But it worked!  I went smaller, lots smaller this year.  Let me show you.

I only used one box of white cake mix.  I just divided it into six bowls, used food coloring to create six different colors, then poured them carefully into the bundt cake pan.  I started with the red, then poured the orange on top of that, then the yellow on top of that, etc.  I wasn't sure if I'd end up with a big brown mess, but as you can see, it worked wonderfully!  So simple, so fun.

St. Patty's Day Centerpiece Tutorial (Kid-Friendly!)

This is one of the cheapest and easiest projects I've ever done.  I am a leader for my daughter's Frontier Girls troop--We have six girls ages 4-6.  I did this project with all the girls on Monday afternoon and it went fabulously.  I was a little worried about Mod Podging with six wee ones, but they did a fantastic job, which emphasized to me how simple this project really is.

Want to know the best part?  Each centerpiece costs under $2!  All of the supplies (except for the Mod Podge) were purchased at our local Dollar Tree.

SUPPLIES

-Small square candle holder

-Scented tea candle

-Green decorative glass

-St. Patrick's Day Napkins

-Mod Podge  (Not pictured)

-Foam brushes (Not pictured, but available at the Dollar Store)

-Scissors (Not pictured)

Unfold a napkin.  Use your scissors to cut out two of the green squares with clovers inside.

Mod Podge a clover square to two opposite sides of the candle holder.

Fill the candle holder with the green class about 2/3 full.  Place the tea candle into the center of the candle holder.  (You can kind of twist it down into the green glass a little bit.)

Enjoy!

I'm currently working on a Home/Life Organization Binder.  It's nearing completion, so I hope to have photos up soon.

Also coming soon... A Spring Wreath! 

Clovers

I love St. Patrick's Day.  Maybe it's the Irish in me or maybe it's just another excuse to celebrate and decorate... Whatever the reason, I'm excited for the 17th!  Last year, I snagged a couple of wood clovers from Goodwill.  Each one cost me under a dollar.  I finally got around to Mod Podging them last week.

Later this week, I'll have a tutorial for a kid-friendly St. Patrick's Day centerpiece, made completely from Dollar Store supplies and costing less than $2!

Valentine's Day Tic Tac Toe

I have to say that I'm really quite pleased with how this turned out.  It was inspired by my daughter's love for Tic Tac Toe.  Actually, it was mostly her idea.  I just took care of the details.  This is a fantastic craft for kids, as my daughter (5 years old) was able to share in the work and do a lot by herself.

This was so easy to make.  I simply cut a heart template out of construction paper, then used it to cut 10 red hearts and 10 white hearts.  (Even though there are only 9 hearts on the board at a time, you want to be sure that each color has enough to win!)  I put two hearts together, used a hot glue gun to glue almost all the way around the inside edge, filled the hearts (through the unglued opening) with pinto beans (my daughter did all of the filling), then used the glue gun to seal the hearts.  Voila!

Next I cut a big heart out of pink fleece.  I chose fleece because it doesn't fray and I wanted to create a no-sew project.  Before you cut the heart, lay your bean bag hearts on top of the fabric to ensure that your game board heart will be big enough.  I cut four pieces of ribbon, pinned them to the heart in the shape of a Tic Tac Toe grid, then used the hot glue gun to glue them in place.  That's it!

The best part?  The game board ties up around the bean bags, creating its own storage space.  What more could you ask for?

Finally.

It's been a while!  I apologize for my long absence in crafting and posting; I have spent the last months experiencing all of the joys that a first trimester of pregnancy can bring.  It was rough, but I am finally regaining some of my energy and trying to find the floor in my craft room again (kids...).  I have a fantastic Valentine's Day craft in the works and will hopefully finish it by tomorrow.  Thanks for sticking with me!

Emily

Triplet Train Bunting

A friend of mine has triplet boys--Can you even imagine?  She is a complete saint and one of the best moms I know.  With three infants, though, she has people in and out of her house (helping) day and night...Lots of people.  I've been going over every Thursday night; in the beginning, I had trouble remembering which baby slept in which crib, as they are all three in one room.  I wanted to make something special for her boys and thought of a name bunting to hang over each crib, a way to make sure that all of her helpers know which boy sleeps where.  Here they are:

What do you think?

wingflash designs Giveaway WINNER

Thank you to all who entered the giveaway!  RANDOM.ORG chose the winner:

The Giveaway Diva said...

love the little treasure necklace!

SEPTEMBER 27, 2010 3:42 AM 

Congratulations, Nicole!  Please send me an email by Wednesday, including your address, to claim your prize!  marthashmartha@gmail.com

A special thanks goes to Laura at wingflash designs!  Please keep her in mind whenever you're in need of new, beautiful, and unique jewelry!

Glow-in-the-Dark BOO

I must admit that I was skeptical about Martha Stewart's glow-in-the-dark glitter at first.  After using it, though, I am a proud supporter!  The bottle was so easy to use, with the easy-pour lid, and the glitter was just right for the coverage I needed.  I painted BOO onto a plastic pumpkin with Mod Podge, then poured the glitter on top.  

VOILA!

Articles of Faith Book

A while ago, I came across a huge poster with the 13 Articles of Faith (from the LDS Church) in a closet.  I didn't really have anywhere to hang it, but decided that it would make a fantastic book.  My five year old daughter has already memorized the first three Articles, but would really like to know the rest.  The only problem is that she can't read fluently yet, and thus needs photos to help.  I had a book from Bare Books in my supplies that was perfect for the project.  The book was so easy to make!  I simply cut up the poster, put an Article of Faith on the left page, and cut up pictures to match each Article for the right page.  My daughter is ecstatic about the book.  I'm excited to have a wonderful addition to our Sacrament Meeting bag for Sundays!

FRONT COVER

 INSIDE FRONT COVER

 PAGE EXAMPLES

 INSIDE BACK COVER

 BACK COVER

***Don't forget to enter the wingflash designs giveaway by Sunday!***

wingflash designs GIVEAWAY

I am so excited to be hosting this giveaway!  Today's giveaway comes from wingflash designs, a jewelry store owned by my high school friend, Laura, who is unbelievable talented.

wingflash designs is a tiny, one-woman-run jewelry business in Tucson, AZ.  Owner/Designer/Jeweler Laura Kepner-Adney has been making jewelry since she was five, but only started marketing her work in the past three years, after apprenticing for a jeweler in New Zealand.  Her goal is to make pieces that are practical enough for everyday wear, but classy enough for a night out; she says, "I design jewelry that looks equally sexy with a shovel and a cocktail dress."  

Laura has generously agreed to giveaway this stunning necklace:

It is a shark tooth electroformed with 24k gold, and a ruby, hanging on a gold-plated sterling silver chain.  The necklace retails for $120.  

What I love about Laura's jewlery is that, not only is it absolutely beautiful, it is completely unique.  I'm quite jealous of all of you who are eligible to win--I wish that I could enter!

How to Enter:

1. Visit wingflash designs and let me know which piece is your favorite.

2. Like wingflash designs on Facebook.

3. Become a follower of Martha Shmartha.

4. Like Martha Shmartha on Facebook.

5. Link up to this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or post it on your blog.

Please leave me a SEPARATE COMMENT for each way that you enter.  (i.e. Comment 1: I follow your blog.  Comment 2: I blogged about the giveaway, etc.)
This giveaway is open until 11:59PM on Sunday October 3rd.  I will chose a winner randomly on October 4th.

GOOD LUCK!

Fall Blessings Barn Star

I've been eyeing barn stars for months now, but haven't wanted to spend the money to buy one.  Yesterday, though, while walking through Michaels, I found a paper mache barn star that was much cheaper than the plastic/metal ones I've seen previously.  I simply mod podged each star face with a different paper representing many of my favorite things about fall.  My 5 year old summed it up perfectly when she said, "I love it, Mommy.  I could just stare at it for hours."

I'm linking up to:

Princess Tea Party

My daughter turned five years old yesterday, so we celebrated with a Princess Tea Party!  Because she's still so young, we only wanted to do something small.  We had six girls, for just an hour and fifteen minutes.  It was perfect... Any longer and I think it might have lost its magic.  Let me show you what we did!

Decorating was the main event.  Luckily, we were able to dig around our house and find just about everything that we needed.  I had purchased the giant rose wreath months ago at Goodwill--I was going  to pull the roses off and use the frame, but it was perfect for our tea party.  The lamp is from my kids' bedroom.  Then we just filled every glass jar we could find with pretty candies.  I picked up the china cupcake stand for a couple of bucks at Goodwill, as well.  We really only bought candy and balloons!

The cupcakes were a cinch to decorate.  I whipped up a batch of buttercream frosting, dropped a dollop of white onto each mini-cupcake, refrigerated them until set, then dropped another dollop of either pink or purple on top.  I topped them with a tiny pearl candy.

The cake is a two layer chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting between the layers and on the outside.  I then used giant confetti sprinkles to polka-dot the whole thing.  I used the mini candy pearls (like on the cupcakes) to make a "5," and to outline the rose.  I created the rose from marzipan, then used edible pearl dust to color it pink.

To begin our tea party, we rang this beautiful bell.  It was my grandma's.

My daughter found this fancy hat candle holder at Goodwill, too, for only $2.  I always think of big hats when I think of tea parties, don't you?

To set the table, I purchased a cup and saucer for each girl, from Goodwill.  Each cup and saucer only cost about $.30, so to say that it was cost effective is an understatement!  We sent them each home with their own teacup and saucer, in lieu of goodie bags.

We began the party by decorating the crowns you see at each place setting (12 for $2.50 at JoAnn's).  The girls could color their crowns or glue tiny jewels onto the front.  (We already had the jewels, as they were actually the dragon scales that we used in the wand cores for my son's Harry Potter birthday party in April.)  This was a good opening activity, as it gave the kids something to do when they arrived, and while they waited for the actual tea party to begin.

After crown decorating, we painted their fingernails.  I just grabbed a few dollar varieties, plus some cheap decals that we put on once their nails were dry.  This was a big hit; all the girls talked about how excited their moms would be to see their pretty nails.

While the girls had their nails painted and waited to dry, my husband did face-painting.  We didn't do anything crazy, just whatever little thing the girls wanted.  It was mostly balloons, butterflies, hearts, etc.  I do think he did a castle with a moon in the middle and a red Christmas tree, though...

After the nails were dry and faces were painted, we served pink hot chocolate.  We don't drink real tea, plus I figured the girls would prefer hot chocolate to tea any day.  I simply heated eight cups of milk on the stove, poured in a bag of white chocolate chips (once the milk was steaming), added a touch of vanilla, then some pink food coloring.  Voila!

We also served the cupcakes, candy, cookies, etc. that were being used as decorations during this time.  This was the actual tea party!

Once the hot chocolate was poured, we sang Happy Birthday and ate cake.  Did I serve way too much sugar?  Yes.  Was it worth it, though?  Definitely!

Then we opened presents and time was up!  Short and sweet describes our Princess Tea Party perfectly.  My daughter loved it, the other girls had fun, and it was so very simple to do.  What more can you ask for?

I'm linking up to: