WOODLAND GNOMES

Hello! It's been awhile since I posted last....my neice is here visiting and we are motivating each other to get healthy. That means eating better {I'm doing Weight Watchers, she's doing Atkins} and working out A LOT. Zumba and Billy Banks have been kicking my butt! I love it though, I haven't felt this good in a REALLY long time. On top of that, I sold TWO of my party kits out of my etsy shop {www.libbysixproductions.etsy.com} can I get a "WHOOP WHOOP!!!?" I was so excited! However, my little man has been sick, sick, sick. Fever for four days now and a bronchitis diagnoisis, so antibiotics and breathing treatments for him. Also, my daughter, Heather, and grandbaby, Kayden, fly in tomorrow and they get to stay for two weeks! I cannot wait to get my hands on my little Kaydie Bug!!

In between customizing the etsy orders, creating and staging a Superbowl party, making a secret party kit {more on that to come}, I was able to finish up my Woodland Gnomes Party Kit. It is now in my etsy shop, but here is a peek:

Gotta have the Gnome beards!

Food tent labels

Cute banners!

Gift bags

Cupcake wrappers and toppers

Adorable {if I do say so myself ;)}

My handsome boy who wanted to be the "chef."

 If you are in need of a Woodland Gnome Party Kit for this Spring {baby shower, birthday party, gardening party for the little ones, or any occasion} check it out!

V-DAY CARDS FOR THE TROOPS

My nephew is a brand-new Marine and my family couldn't be more proud of him! This is not only his first time being away from family, but his first time out of the US too. Yup...straight out of boot camp and deployed to Afghanistan :/ My neice, Randa Bliss, and I decided to make him and his fellow Marines some funny valentine's cards and send them some yummy treats!

I {mustache} you a question.....

{If you need a quick decor just for that little area, grab a wooden block and draw a heart on it with chalk!}

...will you be my Valentine?

Treat bags....don't worry, there is a lot more candy than THAT!

My nephew {Marine Adam, hee hee hee} is very homesick, so I hope this Valentine's box will cheer him up and give him a laugh! 

Linking here:
Fabulously Flawed
The Shabby Creek Cottage

I WAS FEATURED!

Honey at 2805 featured my Banner with Lights on Potpourri Friday!  Thanks Honey!  Please head to her blog and post YOUR projects on her Potpourri Friday linky party!

Libby :)

The KEY To Happiness......

I just love my new print to match my non-traditional Valentine's Day decor!  I have a key and heart theme going in turquoise, brown and white.  The background paper was found here from Far Far Hill....I just discovered this blog {AMAZING!}  Freebies!!!!!  And really AWESOME ones!  The skeleton keys were found here at the Graphics Fairy.  I first printed the "newspaper" print on cream cardstock, then printed the keys, then I made the saying in Word and printed! 

I had the frame already {bought it at last years neighborhood yardsale} and sprayed it with Krylon's Ocean Blue very lightly, and then I sanded it down to distress it.

What colors are you using for YOUR Valentine's Day decor?  Traditional or going outside of the box? 

Linking here:
The Tattered Tag
DIY Home Sweet Home Project
Polly Want A Crafter?
I Heart Naptime
Sisters of the Wild West
Young and Crafty
Too Much Time On My Hands
The Shabby Creek Cottage
Stuff and Nonsense
The Romantic Home
The Charm of Home
2805
French Country Cottage
At The Picket Fence
Common Ground

ANIMAL PRINT

While I was creating this bulletin board for the One Month To Win It contest {which I was eliminated from during the 2nd week}I also created two dessert stands!  I used stands that I had made previously to hold Christmas decor.  They are silver trays and candle sticks from the Dollar Store.  I used E3000 to glue them together.

I primed them first so my acrylic paint would stick better

After the primer dried.

Sorry I don't have pictures of the painting process, but basical I just put down an all over color for the base, then painted in the patterns.  I free-handed the prints.  I honestly believe that you can NOT screw up animal print!

Leopard print.

Zebra print.

My daughter can use these to hold jewelry or her tiny elephant collection...or I can totally steal them to use for parties! 

Do you like the animal print trend?

Libby :)

Linking To These Parties:
Young and Crafty
Too Much Time On My Hands
A Little Tipsy
Polly Want A Crafter?

TRAY MAKEOVERS AND MY "WORD"

I've been a little MIA lately...for some reason after my husband left for overseas {AGAIN}, and I was eliminated from the One Month To Win It contest {please remember to vote for the remaining contestants!}, I have been in a SLUMP....not really a crafting slump {I have been creating}, but a BLOGGING SLUMP.  Right now I feel like haven't been coming up with anything original....does that ever happen to YOU?  I happen to follow Liz from Bon Temps Beignet {love her and her blog...she saved my life once, well, not really, but she did this} and she is participating in the Word of the Year link party hosted by The Lettered Cottage {while three days overdue, yes, you read that right!}.  I have seen "word of the year" on several other blogs and while reading through the reasons that people choose their words, the two words that kept running through my mind were "believe and courage."   Believe....I need to believe in myself, I need to work on my confidence.  I want to sell my crafts and my party kits...yes, it's true, I've never actually sold a party kit to anyone who wasn't related to me, so my confidence and belief in myself is low {so low}.  I need to have the courage to put myself out there IN PERSON, like at craft fairs, especially at our local farmer's market right here in our neighborhood.  Now, my friends do encourage me, they tell me my stuff is awesome, but I do not believe it {I find the imperfections, even if they do not see them}.  So, my two words for the year are "BELIEVE and COURAGE."  Now on to some crafts......

Two tray makeovers:

This is an $8 unfinished tray from JoAnn's {obviously, painted in this pic! AND used a 50% off coupon!}  I put a light coat of white spray paint, then a coat of Krylon's Caramel Latte Metallic spray paint, then a light coat of black acrylic paint, and then I sanded it down for a distressed look.

I used my cammie to cut out a deer head stencil and used vanilla acrylic paint.

I also sanded down the deer head silhouette.  I like it!  Don't know where I'm putting it yet, but I do like it alot!  My next tray was also from JoAnn's.  It was on sale at 50% off so it cost 7 bucks.  It was a finished tray, but I knew I wanted to do something on the bottom of the tray.  I dug out some vintage looking stickers I've had for awhile and went to town.

While deciding the pattern as I'm going along, I decided to make it a little personal.  It's not really obvious and wouldn't mean anything to anyone else.....

See the 4 and the four "H's?"  Those are for our children {yes, all their names begin with H} See the April calendar?  We were married April 30th, 1993.  See the 30 and the 93?  Uh-huh...and the "L," "C," and "W?"  For my hubby and I's intials.  I LOVE this tray.  I LOVE that it holds a secret.  I love that it includes me, the hubster and our babies....that brings me back to my two words of the year.....If I don't believe in myself and I don't have the courage to go for what I want, how in the hell can I set an example for these two???? 

I'm thankful that I have a very supportive husband, friends and children, but this is the year for me to take a chance and lead by example.  My favorite motto that I like to spout to everyone is, "Fake it til you make it."  Now I need to take my own advice!

What is YOUR word of the year??

Linking here: The Lettered Cottage

Garland/Banner with Lights

Happy Saturday everyone!! This is how I made my garland/banner, it is super EASY, and NO sewing required! {This post is brought to you by the girl who can't sew on a button. Seriously!}

My lights were left over from Christmas and I bought my material from JoAnn's.  I'm just in love with this material, the color and pattern.  I'm trying to figure out how else to use my leftover material!  The black material is actually an old shirt of mine that was heading to Goodwill.  I cut the black material into strips, but I just ripped the other fabric into strips so it would fray.

I tied the strips of fabric directly onto the string of lights.  It took me a good hour {okay, a couple of hours because I would get bored and take a break!}

All finished with garland.  So pretty with the lights!  I think I may do this next Christmas!  I've made this type of garland before, except it was on twine and I also added bells for our tree, but I'm loving the lights!

On to the banners!  I cut out two different sizes of triangles and laid them out in the order I wanted them to be on the banner.  See that poor, dirty glue gun?  That's my BFF.  I hot glued the smaller triangles onto the muslin triangles {just the corners} and then I used turquiose ric-rac, cream pom poms and black ribbon to embellish the banner.  This part took me about 20 minutes.

I then glued the banner to cheap twine/string.

I attached the banner by using left over strips of fabric to tie the banner to the lights {about every fourth banner}.  I love it!

It would be so cute at an evening get together hung outside or a sweet little vintage birthday party.

My triangles aren't perfect and I didn't iron the material before cutting...I think it adds to it's shabby charm.

Will you try making a garland like this?  So many different possibilities!  I think I'll make one with lights and fabric tassels!!!  I'm off to find the perfect material......

Linking here:
Sweet little Gals
Sisters of the Wild West
I Heart Naptime
The Tattered Tag
Making the World Cuter
DIY Home Sweet Home Project
Be Different...Act Normal
Young and Crafty
Too Much Time On My Hands
Funky Junk Interiors
The Charm of Home
2805
Blissful and Domestic
At The Picket Fence
Stuff and Nonsense
Common Ground
Polly Want A Crafter?
Making The World Cuter