K-cup apple basket

Make some more veggies for your K-cup bushel baskets.  These apples are easy as pie (apple pie that is) to make. You can quickly create them in a few minutes with inexpensive polymer clay. 

You will need:

Polymer clay, red, yellow

Polymer clay gloss finish

Green floral wire, wire cutters, and needle nosed pliers

Small paintbrush

Tacky glue

Toothpick or clay pick tool

Waxed paper to protect work surface

Aluminum foil

Oven for baking (Do not use a microwave)

Make the K-cup basket as detailed in the following blog post: http://makeiteasycrafts.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-to-make-miniature-bushel-basket.html2.

1.     Roll an equal amount of red and yellow polymer clay into snake shapes and twist together.  Keep kneading the clay, blending the yellow into the red for a streaky effect.

2.     Pinch off small amounts a bit larger than pea size and roll into an apple shape tapping on the work surface to slightly flatten the bottom.  Poke a hole in the top with the toothpick or clay tool.

3.     Snip a small ½” piece of floral wire and curl one end.  Poke into the top of a few apples.  You do not need to do it to all of them.

4.     Cover a baking pan with aluminum foil and bake the apples 15 minutes at 275 degrees

5.     When the apples have cooled, spread some glue on the top area of the basket and start adding the apples.  Pile them on top in a pleasing arrangement with the ones with the wire stems facing up.  Let the glue dry.

6.     When the glue has dried, brush some gloss finish on the apples to make them shiny.

   

Paying Forward with OWH

As this week's featured card maker Lisa so eloquently says on  The Purple Place, it is indeed an honor to be a part of Operation Write Home and it is a work of heart to make cards for our heroes and their loved ones. It is wonderful to be a part of the OWH family.

My sincerest thanks to OWH and Julie for choosing to showcase one of my designs and a few sample cards. I have to say the pressure was really on -- and I hope this week's sketch inspires a lot of wonderful creations!


Operation Write Home has provided me with a way to pay forward for all of the blessings bestowed upon my family and me over the years.

• As with many OWHers, the military has played a significant role in my family's life. As some of you know, my father-in-law was a B-17 pilot, flying several missions over Germany during World War II. He is the most amazing man -- one of America's Greatest Generation.
• And, my Uncle Charlie and Uncle Ken served in the Navy and Army, respectively -- with my Uncle Ken serving in Vietnam. (Needless to say, the Army-Navy football game is a major event in those two households!) 
• Finally, as a former high school teacher, I taught a number of young people who enlisted in a branch of the military following graduation. It's humbling to think that one of their loved ones could be receiving one of my cards. Paying forward, indeed!

A few quick words about the sample cards.

• The Gratitude card is from my favorite paper -- the Bo Bunny Snowfall collection -- and was featured in a previous post.
• The paper for the Asian-inspired card is KaiserCraft's Lush Collection. When Julie contacted me this week about using my sketch, I knew we needed a springier sample and this card was born.
• Of course, the patriotic card is my Any Hero interpretation for the week. (I'm happy to say that I have 5 Any Hero cards going out in my shipment this week!) I've had the star paper forever -- and think it's from Creative Memories. The Kraft paper is by BasicGrey. And, it might be worth mentioning that the kraft star is 3 layers -- with the bottom layer adhered directly to the card and the top and middle layers adhered using a pop dot.

Thanks for stopping by Scrapping with Purpose! :)   And, kudos to Operation Write Home for being such an awesome group that does amazing things one card at a time! 

Happy scrappin'!

Crafty recycling--How to make a miniature bushel basket from a K-cup

You asked for it and so here it is a K-cup craft that is easy and cost well, practically nothing. These would make a great decorative accent for a kitchen knick-knack shelf and no one will ever guess its beginnings was an empty K-cup.  You use a handful of pinto beans to represent potatoes, but be sure and come back next week for a tutorial on making other veggies for your baskets.  Pretty soon you will have an entire farmers market!

You will need:

An empty K-cup

A Paper bag (thinner lunch size work best)

A compass

Scissors, ruler, pencil

Tacky craft glue

Small amount of pinto beans

Black marker

 Two unused staples

1.     Remove the filter and wash and dry the used K-cup.

2.     Cut open a brown paper bag and smooth it flat.  Using the compass draw a 3-inch diameter circle and cut out.

3.     Set the K-cup in the center of the circle and mark around with a pencil. (I used a marker so you can see it better) Use this circle as a guide and cut slits all around just up to the line.  Spread some tacky glue in the middle of the paper circle where you marked it and attach the K-cup.

4.      Spread some tacky glue on the K-cup and press on each of the slits, working around the K-cup.  Turning under at the top.  Make sure you liberally spread the glue on the K-cup and on the edge of the previous slit.  (See photo) When you have finished covering the entire K-cup, let dry.

5.     Cut two strips of brown paper ¾” x 7.”  Fold in half and then fold each edge to the center. Fold in half again.  Glue on one strip around ½” from the top edge.  Trim any excess.  Repeat with the other strip around the bottom edge of the basket. 

6.     Scrunch up some leftover paper bag and stuff the basket up to ½” from the top.  Glue a staple to each side of the basket. Cut a circle the diameter of the top of the basket and glue on top of the paper stuffing, letting the staples poke out of the sides.  Let dry.

7.     Spread some glue on top of the paper circle and attach some pinto beans.  Keep gluing one bean at a time until the basket appears full.  Print “taters” with a permanent maker if desired.

This Sunday's OWH Sketch

Hi, all,

A short post before work. I wanted to let everyone know what an exciting week it's been for me on the OWH front.

1. My blog has been added to the OWH Blogger Circle! (Now, if someone can help me figure out how to add badges to my blog, I'd be very grateful.)
2. A little bird named Julie told me that a sketch and a few sample cards of mine will be featured on this Sunday's sketch challenge. More information to come.  :)

Happy scrappin'!

I am a Bastard, Ain't I ?

Her words still weigh around my neck; I can hear them echo inside my head. Rewinded and replayed again and again with astonishing clarity. It’s been a couple of days and one long night and still the words persist. There was something in those words of hers that made them so heavy, may be it had to do with the way she had put it or may be it’s the simple truth it encompassed. Either be the case (though how much I ever deny it the later is the real truth, I just grow convinced of the fact) her words has stung me good and it still does stings even more.

What have you ever done? She asked

There was a flare in her eyes; it certainly was not pity. I need not see her to know that, her voice was just enough. 

What happened? 

I coughed up as innocent sounding as possible, but I knew that I was not going to get an answer and it was not going to be ending well.  Truth is that I had no idea what was headed my way!

I could start hearing her well hidden sobs grow louder; there was a sense of insecurity mounting in her heavy breaths.

Do you even love me? 

She asked through her sobs, breaking the melancholic silence that filled the air. 

All i could manage to do was to push out a slight hum through my throat that seemed to have gotten clogged almost instantly. Words were too heavy to push through.

What have you ever done for me? She continued after what seemed like eternity.

You were never there for me whenever I wanted you, 

She was no longer waiting for me to answer, as if she already knew that I would not have an answer for any of the questions she had for me.

Do you remember the time I fell down and sprained my ankle? She asked quizingly. 

How could I ever forget, it was her twentieth birthday and after all the deliberations of the celebration she was chasing her friend around her hostel veranda when she slipped and fell. Nothing serious ever happened to her. That itself was a great relief to me considering how subtle and sublime in construction she was. But worst was yet to happen, the very next day I was a total JERK, there is no point in hiding it when I myself know what I have done to her. She had a sprained ankle and I didn't even bother to look at it, may be in intoxicated illusions she was healthy as a horse, but then again I was a total 'jerk'. When every one knew she was hurt badly the one person whom she wanted by her side was not with her. And when she wanted to go to a doctor and when she asked to accompany her, I so harmlessly denied. I was an idiot then and I had no idea that I was being one. I so foolishly drew a dagger through the one heart that loved me, cared for me and looked out for me. I am a bastard, am I not? 

I knew I could get out of this with some sweet words and a lot of apologizing and some empty promises, but she is not some random fling of mine, she is the one. She deserved better, all I could think of was to let her pour out her heart and I knew that is what she wanted. Hours later we called and she seemed to have had no recollection of her words before. She had forgiven me, she had forgiven me along time ago, but when her heart got burden she just had to let it unload somewhere and I am lucky it’s me. But if that was all to it I wouldn't have been writing this at all. 

The truth is when she said those words, it moved me. It moved me because I knew in my heart she deserved better. Upon hearing her soft sob, all those illustrious letters and poems embroidered with colorful words no longer mattered; they have transcended themselves into items of no real value. What value does the word love project when there is no love involved at all? I had to ask myself was I just all words and no real material, were all those speeches of love just Musings of an empty can, was I just one of those many substitutes that inhabit the earth? Had I become what I had set out not to become. Above all this question taunted me most, could I ever love anybody, and the prospects really do scare me now more than ever. I do stare into an abyss and now with trembling fingers and a racing heart I wonder whether i could turn it around or am I weighed down by the chains that's I myself have crafted. The truth is I am a bastard and I know it, if only I could undo my doings.

Crop Supply List

I've signed up for a day-long crop on Saturday -- my first since making cards for OWH.

As I looked around my craft room, I thought there is no way to take all of these things. And, I don't have a whole lot of extra time to figure this out.

Then I had one of those light bulb moments. Thinking this probably won't be my last day-long crop, I decided to make a crop supply list -- ala a grocery or packing list.

And, when I was creating the list, I had the second light bulb moment. I realized the very first thing on the list needs to be sketches of the cards I'll be working on at the crop. Then, I can use the sketches to go through the list and check off what I need for the day.



If you think this list would come in handy, feel free to use it.

But, you may have noticed my list is missing a Cricut machine. (Sadly, my craft room doesn't have one of those.) So, if you're lucky enough to have one -- or some other great tool you'd like to include on the list, I'd be happy to send the word doc as an attachment for you to customize to better fit your needs.

And, if you've already come up with a similar list/tool -- and have suggestions on how this one can be improved, please share!  :)

Thanks for stopping by and happy scrappin'!

Folded paper heart pin with arrow tutorial

You can make this cute origami style paper heart pin pierced with Cupid’s arrow in no time for very little money.  So why not make a bunch for all your friends and family?

Folded paper heart pin with arrow

You will need:

Scrapbook paper in choice of color

Small square wood picks

Two triangle rhinestones in choice of color for each pin

Tacky craft glue (I used Aleene’s thick tacky glue)

Clothespins

Scissors, ruler

Bone folder (optional)

Pin back

Note:  When folding go over each fold to make a sharp crease with your finger or a bone folder if you have one.

1.     Put a dab of tacky glue on each end of the wood pick and attach a triangle rhinestone at each end pointing in the same direction.  Let dry.

2.     Fold two paper hearts.  Cut two pieces of scrapbook paper 1 ½” x 3 ½.” 

3.     Fold in half lengthwise. Open and fold the other way making sure you have  a sharp crease.

4.     Open and fold the bottom edge up to the middle crease line.

5.     Fold up the paper to the center crease, (See photo) and repeat on other side.

6.     Turn over.  Fold over right edge to meet the other colored edge.  Repeat on other side. (See photo)

7.     Fold in the top two corners of top right side to make a rounded edge. (see photo)  Repeat on other side.  Turn over. This is the front of the heart.

8.     Repeat steps 3 -7 to make another heart.

9.     Spread a diagonal line of glue on the back of one heart and attach the wood pick with the rhinestones. (arrow)  Spread some more glue all around and place the other heart on top with the right side facing out.  Use some clothespins to hold the hearts together while the glue dries.

10. When everything has dried glue on a pin back and let dry completely.

OWH Sketch #105

Hi, everyone,

A short post today so I can get back to making cards during the football games.

The top card follows the sketch to the T. The middle and bottom cards take a little bit more liberty with this week's sketch. (The bottom card is this week's Any Hero card -- 4 for 4!!!)

All three cards were made using the same gorgeous paper as last week's card. (The Any Hero card has the same lovely ribbon, although the ribbon didn't scan quite as well in this image.) And, all three cards have gold embossed images from Hero Arts Stamps and Swirls collection and embossed/inked cardstock from AC. Finally, a white ribbon and gold stickles add a little extra shimmer to the top and middle cards, respectively.

Think that's it today -- off to make cards I go.

Happy scrappin'!