A Week of Bottle Caps

Did you have a lovely weekend ladies?

I must say I did. Beautiful, sunny weather

seems to equal a beautiful weekend!

Nothing major really.

A good book, a slice of pie & a root beer

are just the right ingredients.

Root beer has been a treat for me this summer,

leaving me with lots & lots of bottle caps.

I keep the caps in a little zipper bag &

brainstormed how I could turn these

from blah to TADA!

It's funny how the universe whispers

the answers.

A few Fridays ago, I visited the American Folk Art Museum

located in New York City.

What an eye opener -- the works on display

had so much love infused in them from

paintings, to tapestry and even sculpture!

It's a museum for the crafter.

Take a look at this piece:

It's called "Bottle Cap Snake" by Ron Rodriguez.

The plaque beside it says that the artist "combines the

woodcarving skills of his family lineage with a common

practice in folk art: recycling. Transforming material

from its original use to a new one distinguishes many

vernacular objects valued as folk art."

Gasp! I love to recycle! Does that mean

I'm a folk artist?! Hee hee, I can dream, can't I?

Anyway, back to my bottle caps:

So blah.

But now...TADA!

The images are magazine cut-outs and

attached to the inside of the bottle caps with glue.

Magnets are secured at the back end with a glue gun.

Use these for your fridge or a magnetic white board.

Another alternative is putting tacks instead of magnets,

to dress up your cork boards.

More ideas tomorrow!

Hang It Up

We made it! It's finally Friday!

I hope you all had a productive week.

These wire hangers had the pleasure of a

blah to Tada! transformation everyday this week.

Like yesterday's project, we'll re-shape the hanger

and keep its purpose of hanging stuff.

TADA! Turn it into a mood board.

Use clothespins to display magazine clippings

and other inspirational sheets of paper.

This particular one is for cooking ideas.

{I'm planning to bake a batch of butter cookies &

then frosting them for an upcoming picnic.}

Here's one for future brides -- a place to

pin up your favorite wedding details.

I'd make one, too, containing ideas for

everyday dressing...very helpful

on days when "I have nothing to wear!"

By bending one end, it can hold

artwork without the need for a frame.

A bunch of these on an empty wall is

a wonderful way to display your kids' doodles --

art gallery style!

Have a lovely weekend!

Belt Central

All this week, I'm creating a new look for this wire hanger:

Here's how we'll turn it from blah...

...to TADA!

A few bends on both ends --

it's now a nifty belt hanger.

You can hang up to 5 belts per hanger

without distorting the hanger's shape.

Organize your belts based on color,

style or frequency of use.

If you're not a big belt fan,

use this for your sashes,

scarves and shawls.

See you tomorrow!

Wire + Paper

I hope you're having a terrific week!

Today, I've got another wire hanger transformation.

Blah: wire hangers from professional cleaners

Tada!: A pretty paper chandelier!

I straightened the wire hanger,

cut it into two using a wire cutter;

one longer than the other.

Then shaped each piece into a circle.

Ends secured tightly with tape.

The handle and connectors are

made of invisible thread/fishing line.

These were decorated with paper flowers,

punched out from old envelopes

and scrap paper.

This can add a touch of whimsy

to any room or can be used as

a party decoration in lieu

of balloons & buntings.

Into the Garden

This week, I'm recycling these blah wire hangers:

And like yesterday's project,

they're going from the closet to the garden.

TADA! I turned the wire hanger into a

plant stake.

They act as a support to keep my tomato plants

from drooping as they grow.

I "tie" the body of the plant to the

stake with twisty ties -- you know, those

wire thingies that keep cords {electronics}

bundled up.

See you tomorrow!

Wire Hangers

Happy New Week Lovelies!

Do you have wire hangers around your house?

We've got quite a few, and while they are useful

for some clothes, for others, they leave

little corners on the shoulder areas.

They also don't hold clothes very

well -- dresses easily slip off.

What a blah.

So this week, I've concocted

some ideas to turn them

from blah to TADA!

Straighten the hangers and cut them

into pieces using a wire cutter.

You'll also need a piece of Styrofoam

{from supermarket/on-line packaging},

scissors and a glue gun.

Cut the Styrofoam into the desired size,

write the name of your garden plants

and puncture the bottom of the

Styrofoam with the wire stick.

Secure in place with hot glue.

Tada! Instant plant labels!

They're not only decorative,

they also politely introduce themselves

to visitors to your garden.

Have a wonderful day!

Gift Enclosed

This week, I told you about the Benevolent Postcard Society. Even if you aren't a member, I hope it inspires you to write a postcard on your next holiday or make one for a friend's birthday.

Next week, it will be August and I'll be mailing another postcard. I wonder who it'll be for? But I'm not wondering what postcard I'll be sending out. Wanna see?

Remember this box I made a few weeks ago?

I'm putting my postcard inside!

"What postcard requires a box?", you say?

Well, this one's three-dimensional!

Blah: an empty decorative tin that

used to hold a jar of the most luscious

dulce de leche from Argentina.

It's so cute, I had to find a new use for it!

You can open it two ways.

I printed out a blank vintage postcard.

Then removed the original label from the can

and replaced it with the postcard.

{I'll attach the real one with a more personal

message once I get my pen pal's name}

And I just had to tuck a gift inside:

Tada!: A set of jacks!

Enclosed also are the instructions on

how to play jacks... to refresh her memory

or to teach her how to play if it wasn't

a childhood game for her.

My postcard fits perfectly inside the box.

Who says postcards need to be flat?

I can't wait to mail it!

Please do something fun this weekend.

Enjoy everyone!

Sharing a Cup of Tea

At the start of every month, I have the pleasure

of sending out a postcard to somebody I haven't met,

sometimes from across the world.

In the same month, I find a postcard in my mail box, too!

It's always a pleasant surprise.

It's a commitment we've made as members of the

Benevolent Postcard Society.

When we started out last September, I would send out

postcards from my collection that I bought from

different trips. But when I saw how some members

were being creative by making their own postcards,

I had to step up my game!

I wasn't being competitive.

It was a great excuse to do some blah to TADA!

Here's one of the postcards that I made:

Blah: a gift card envelope from Crate & Barrel.

Blah because it's now empty.

I've maxed out the gift card to get this!

Not wanting to waste the envelope, I gave it

a little make-over.

TADA! I spruced it up with felt & embroidery.

And I enclosed a few tea bags.

Then I wrote a cheerful note & mailed it.

I hope Becky from Canada enjoyed the tea!

Wisdom from Raisins

It's all about postcards on my blog this week.

You see, I'm a member of the Benevolent Postcard Society.

We're this century's version of the pen pal.

In this age of texts, Twitter & Facebook,

it's a rare treat to receive a postcard, greeting card

or handwritten letter your mailbox.

And here's one that I found in my mailbox

a few months ago:

It's from Lori, the brains & muscle behind

the Benevolent Postcard Society.

I had won a contest she hosted!

I still have a high from that win

{I'm not very lucky with these things}

and the magnets are on my fridge door.

Anyway, today I am sharing another postcard I made.

It's not required to make one (store bought will do);

but hey, I needed an excuse for some

blah to TADA!

Blah: empty raisin boxes

Check out the flap.

TADA! -- some words of wisdom.

They made an impact on me, so why not

share them with someone?

So I cut them out and glued them

to a blah postcard.

I hope that whoever receives this will

be reminded of the things that matter.

I decorated the back of the postcard with

magazine cut-outs and will finish with

a short & sweet message.

A Vial of Fortune

Yesterday, I told you about the

Benevolent Postcard Society,

where I am a member.

We keep the art of letter-writing alive.

We meet new friends from all over the world.

We express our creative side.

All through a postcard.

Today, I'll show you one of the postcards I assembled.

It started with these wise words from fortune cookies.

{I'm guilty of regularly ordering Chinese take-out!}

There are some fortunes that I agree with.

There are some that rang true in some points of my life,

for example, "You will travel to new places".

Maybe that's why I collected them.

But it was time to share my good fortune.

So I put them in this vial

{It's originally packaging for a make-up brush

that I just embellished.}

Tada! A vial of good fortune.

Then I wrote a short letter at the back of this

postcard that I got from Hong Kong.

Yes, I had a little "Chinese" theme going on,

even if fortune cookies did not originate in China.

I put these in an envelope and mailed it to Jane

and she kindly sent me this e-mail:

Hi Claire

I got your lovely package in the mail yesterday - thank you!
Such a lovely treat to come home to on a Friday, after a long work week.

That vial of good fortune brought the biggest smile to my face.
Thanks & Happy March!

Jane
xx

Snail mail rocks!