Decorative Soap Tutorial

This is a craft project I've been doing with the kids (my "Little Green Apples") on Wednesday evenings at church.  It will be a Mother's Day gift so we have been very secretive!!!  What fun we are having and some of these children are sooo creative.  My kids range from 4 years old to 12 years old so usually we try to partner a younger with an older kid.
Anyway, today I'm doing my first tutorial so please be supportive! And I would love any constructive criticism ...offered in a kind and caring manner, of course! lol!

Decorative Soap Tutorial

Supply List
Decorative tissue paper (enough for 2 layers to wrap the soap)
Soap  (I found boxes of milled french soap on sale at Ross for $1.49 bx/4 but any soap will do)
Ribbon
Small Flowers (Vintage like velvet forget-me-nots. roses, pansies etc.are gorgeous but with the kids I mainly Snipped from some of my silk flowers)
Small Leaves
Beads, Charms, old Jewelry,  mini banner (optional), etc.
Glitter - optional
Scissors
Glue (with the tissue I used tacky glue because the tissue is too fragile for hot glue. I do use hot glue to add the embellishments.)

When wrapping the soap I double the tissue paper because it is very transparent.  Soap can be wrapped several different ways.  It can be wrapped like a gift.  If you leave you paper large enough it could be "pleated" and drawn to the middle of the backside...this works well on ovals and rounds.                                                                                  

I like to tie a ribbon to secure the glued ends as well as for decorative reasons.

I like to add glitter to some of the silk flowers and leaves... sometimes I use a spray adhesive and other times I use a tacky glue and spread it with my finger or a small paint brush and then sprinkle on the glitter


This is where the creativity comes in... play around with your arrangement before actually gluing anything unless you are experienced with floral arranging or just have a great eye for proportion and balance etc.

Adding a  meaningful charm, small rhinestone earring, bead, buttons 
or stickpin will enhance and personalize your little soaps

These look really adorable in a guest bath. They also make really nice little hostess gifts or party favors and can be made by theme, style, holiday or season.  HAVE FUN!!!

Well, I hope you liked my tutorial.  If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

Blessings,

L

 Today I will be joining:
Beverly at  http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ for Pink Saturday
Cindy at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/ for Show and Tell Friday
Donna http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/ for Saturday Night Special
 Elyse at  http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/ for Six Sisters Blog Party

Farmhouse Apron Giveaway!!!

Rebecca from The Gathering Place is having a give-away!    She is offering a shabby and chic farmhouse apron made with Rachell Ashwell's pink rose fabric.  TuTu Cute!!!

Anyone who has ever visited her blog or shop sees how talented she is... everything is perfect!

Be sure to stop in and enter for a chance to win!

I am working on my first tutorial and hope to share it Friday or Saturday!! Please stop back in... and comment!

Blessings, L

Spring ... Beautiful Spring Morns...

Well, I dug out some of my china and, after changing my mind umpteen times, decided to go with this lone cup.  My cat knocked a tub of cups and saucers down the basement steps thus a single cup ...no saucer. This is a sweet tea cup  called "Springmorn". It is fine bone china made in England by Bell  #4649 7.

I won this teacup on e-bay.  When I first discovered e-bay I went kind of nuts until it sunk in that the shipping turned a great deal into a regular deal.... and although I always seem to be a member of the Full Price Club  it just wasn't as much fun!

The photo display includes some adorable Fitz and Floyd  my daughter got me years ago for my b-day.  There is the sweet duckling creamer and decorated egg sugar bowl and the salt and pepper.  She also got me the tea pot to match ... I'll share it another time.

I am pretty frustrated right now.... I bought a tripod, actually this is my second, and the little screw thingy to connect my camera seems to be stripped... this is the type of pictures I am getting ...

I'm going to see what can be done, but in the mean time taking photos is a real trial!!!  The camera just sits there and wobbles or falls off completely!

 Blessings to you and yours, L

  

Today I will also be joining the following parties:

Table Top Tuesday with Marty at A Stroll Thru  Life

TeaCup Tuesday with Terrie at Artful Affirmations

TeaCup Tuesday  with Martha at Martha's Favorites

Tea Time Tuesday with Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage

A Return to Loveliness with Kathy at A Delightsome Life

Tuesday Cuppa Tea with Ruth at Antiques and Tea Cups



Happy, Happy Spring!

I live in Colorado and due to the altitude and volatile weather ... It will be the end of May before I can safely do any planting.  Since I just moved to this house in September I'll have a lot to do.  Due to finances I will do it in stages. Some of my favorites that I will be planting this year include: 

Sweet Woodruff and Forget-me-not's (I love to mix these)

Sweet Woodruff

Old Fashion Bleeding Heart 

Roses (ballerina is my favorite... I left a gorgeous one behind in the move)

Soap wort

Delphinium

Hydrangeas

Peonies

I can hardly wait...I plan to landscape in the back off of my porch, creating a patio area where I can use my out door furniture.

This was my Mom's favorite.  I always plant it as a tribute to her.

The art below is from one of my favorite artists Jessie Wilcox Smith. Typically she is a children's illustrator. I have collected her art (copies) for years and still keep discovering new pieces.

This print reminds me of me and my daughter, Cori when she was small.

"Mary, Mary........with silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids in a row"

"Watering the hollyhocks"

Well I'm hoping I can discipline myself to start blogging regularly again. I've really missed you all! I'd love to hear from you all!

Blessings, L

Finally ...I'm Back (sort of)...

...and I'm so glad to be "back"!  I've missed you all.... I could not find my computer for months.  One of my helpers packed it by mistake! 


So much has happened in the past 5+ months. I'm exhausted.  I have moved to a much smaller house and believe me it was a major undertaking.  The only saving grace is that this house does have an unfinished basement.  All the over flow is down there and I am still in the process of going through it all and downsizing.  About every 2-3 weeks I have a charity pick up. 
I believe in the long run this move will be such a good thing for me.  When I closed my gift shop and cafe/tea room all the overflow got packed up and came to my home.  This move has forced me to deal with it. 





Larkspur Lane figure by Lib Cummings






Some Larkspur Lane Christmas Ornaments I have collectected




I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Holiday.  Mine was quiet and subdued.... in the past I have always gone nuts decorating... my friends would say they expected  to see sugar plum fairies come out dancing (LOL)! This year due to my health and state of my home I didn't even decorate..... I did bake though!  I found some wonderful recipes online in addition to my old standby's.

May Gods' goodness bless you all ...

A thought for 2012 ...

 

Hug O' War

I will not play at tug o' war

I'd rather play at hug o' war,

Where everyone hugs

Instead of tugs,

Where everyone giggles

And rolls on the rug,

Where everyone kisses,

And everyone grins,

And everyone cuddles,

And everyone wins.

                                               Shel Silverstein

Blessings, L

Christmas in July ...



Well that's what it felt like!  In honor of her reaching 100 followers Janet  at Sunshine Days and Moonbeam Nights had a Garden themed Giveaway and  I was the lucky winner!! The thing is ... before I started blogging ... I never won anything....

that's not true .. about 25 years ago I won a bottle of wine and when we opened it tasted like vinegar! Anyway my luck has apparently changed and I struck the mother lode with Janet's Giveaway ... the box was huge... 16x16 and the gifts were wonderful and I love to garden so they will be put to good use.

To start the color theme is all orange, green with some yellow... so summer like.  There was an apron, great gardening  gloves (the good kind with rubber on the palm side),

a metal door hanger w/ a garden angel and welcome sign,

there were two adorable plush bunnies (I know Janet had a hard time letting go of them),

 a scented candle, Crabtree & Evelyn hand scrub and cream.

Oh, and there's more... a gorgeous flour sack tea towel by one of my favorite artists...Mary Lake Thompson

plus some of her greeting cards, a really nice flower vase that sits in a handled holder and has a cap that serves as a flower "frog" and it all came in a wonderful fabric lined wire basket with decorative buttons on the fabric and it has handles.... tutu cool!

This was such a generous giveaway... Janet you are wonderful!  If you have not visited Janet's blog Sunshine Days and Moonbeam Nights, please do, it is such a treat... she had me with the baby mockingbirds and little fawn! Once again, Thank you Janet.

I also won the Cottage Charm Giveaway from Janet at   Janet's Creative Pillows  and what a pillow it was ... right out of fairy land.  It is TUTU Pretty and that is as pretty as it gets!  Although late in posting this it by no means diminishes my gratitude!!!  It's gorgeous.  Take a look....




Front

 


Back Side

 Isn't this exquisite ... "My Girls" can hardly keep their hands off of it ... It's perfect to lead into a Fairy tale ... which they love!  Janet has a shop at Make Mine Pink shopping mall, if you haven't visited her shop it is well worth your time she is very talented ... Thank you again Janet!

My other win was from Susan at BigMeLittleWorld's Etsy
Shop.                    
She had a giveaway and I love her shop and her sense of whimsey.  The way she looks at the world is very refreshing and she is the nicest lady! Be sure to check out her shop, it is so much fun!




This is the Bunny Vase I won ... Adorable!

 Susan recycles bottle and jars by painting the cutest little scenes on them.  This picture doesn't do justice to her work.  She also sculpts little birds, bunnies, mice etc. out of clay ... just adorable!


This is called "Alone with God"  (front)

                                            This is my very favorite which I shall just have to buy.



(back)

                

           Thanks so much for stopping in today... you know I love your    comments also they let me know you've been here so I can visit you too!

Blessings to you and yours,

L

Of Bluebirds and Teacups...and my new blog shop...

I am embarrassed that it has taken me this long to finish this project...which I posted about "In the Studio" in May! To refresh your memory I'll post a couple of the photo's showing the beginning of the project...

   

The finished project is now for sale in my new shop The CatBird Seat Cottage Store where there are additional pictures.

The vintage and hand crafted items will also go in my Etsy Shop, however, I will always post them atleast one day in advance to The CatBird Seat Cottage Store to give my blogger friends first choice.

This is the little bluebird I made for Deb at Garage Sale Gal.... It was really fun to make.  She had just painted her kitchen yellow so I went with a soft yellow to coordinate.

This next project was pretty easy ... but just like all my projects it took more time than I thought it should have!  I took a plain wooden birdhouse and painted and decoupaged it with scrap paper.  I then glittered it and added a small paperclay bird I had made to the perch.  This will be going in my store/shop.

That's pretty much it for today.  It is good to be back ... I have not been feeling well and just decided I needed to push myself a bit more.  I am going to the Dr's again today ... atleast it is not another test. (I hope).

I love your comments and hope you'll stop in to my new store and tell me what you think.  I have much stuff I'll be adding ... I have to downsize ... and thought I would list it here before having a big sale at my house.

                                                                                       Blessings to you and yours,

L