Paper clay, it's EASY (but not sleazy)

have you tried paper clay?  i did and i like it!!  

i've had some down in my stash for a long time, but haven't really done very much with it.  gee, i wonder why?  i've only started 794 projects the last 2 years-don't ask how many i've actually  finished, maybe 3?  i'm no expert on paper clay, but i did make some cute little pendants yesterday (and finished them today, 'cause i am a procrastinator extraordinaire!).  i'm just starting to realize all the FUN stuff you can do with this air drying clay.

i made an easy little tutorial to get you started too!

grab: some paper clay (duh!). i used "creative paperclay" it's an 8 oz block that i found at Michael's Arts and Crafts.  also a pasta maker (dedicated to crafts ONLY), some mini rubber stamps, mini cookie cutters, a small bowl of water, paint brush, silver paint and wax paper.  if you don't have a pasta maker for crafts, you can always make 2 equal stacks of playing cards that you can put the clay between and roll out.  stack as many as you need to get the thickness you'd like.  i put my pasta maker on the thickest setting which is kinda thick, but not really.  have i mentioned i got a D- in math every time i took it?

i suggest keeping your clay in a plastic baggie and then down inside a little tupperware thingie. 

 i rolled out my clay then made a light mark with my circle cutter before i stamped so i knew where i was going to put my design.  if you cut the circle 1st then push your stamp into it, you can distort your circle.

 push your stamp down in and gently rock it back and fourth.  if you don't like your 1st stamp, wad it up and re-flatten.

 once you get it cut out, take your finger and dip it in the water then run it around the edge of your pendant to get rid of those little edges (i know, this picture sucks!)

 go see my buddy's blog to see what this amazing girl is doing with paperclay

unusual girl studios

use a pokie thing (i'm technical too) to make a hole in the top.  be careful when you start to move that clay around, you might get some cracks, just use your finger in the water again to smooth it down.

i let mine dry overnight on the wax paper and them got out some silver acrylic paint.

 you can see below how i didn't smooth my clay out real well in the "K" pendant, i should have smoothed it out before i let it dry... easier to fix while it's still damp.  

once the paint dried, i put a little jump ring thru the hole and wrapped a swarovski crystal too, 'cause i'm fancy!

 these really are pretty quick and easy to do, something even your older kids could do (mom of 5, i'm thinking of YOUR girls:).  cute jewelry, gift tags, charms... if you try some, make sure and leave the link in the commets!

i gotta run, mad max 2: the road warrior is on!  happy thursday friends!

So, i go to Target the other day...

as i sit here, i wonder what story to share with you? maybe the story of when i stopped at the bathroom in target and almost lost my breakfast because someone has blow up from the "backside" in and on the toilet and on the floor and on the stall?  and then how i go to the front desk and tell the dude there that they need to send someone into the ladies room for a clean up (oh, that poor dear soul!!) and how he thinks he needs more info so i tell him in the nicest way possible what's going on in there.  he still has a very confused look on his face so i get down and dirty with him and now he looks at me like he's going to barf and i think "geesh fellow, i tried to go easy on you but you just wouldn't work with me!" that story is a bit gross, so, how about the story of how i decided to paint repaint my front doors, but then again, wouldn't a story like that be as bad as watching paint dry?

or a story of how i went to water the bulbs that are coming up around my porch

and i forgot i was filling my water can...

so pretty much the only things i can think to tell you about are poop, paint, and plants...

no one wants to hear about that, so i'm off to make a DIY tutorial about making paper clay pendants.

check back with me, will ya?

Vintage Owl figurines are baaack!!

i finally was able to get my hands on 2 more vintage owl figurines.  2 very ugly brown owls from the 70's that were just begging me to coat them in several layers of glossy paint!  so here, they are in all their repurposed glory

orange glossy, perfect for year round or halloweenie decor:

 glossy white, cottage style:

 they will SOON be listed in my etsy shop give grandma sugar

and for you "dog people" enjoy this lazy beast.  he is on my "list" as he just had his 2nd run in with a skunk in less than a year!  i have found the cure to the smell though:  pour 1 giant bottle of hydrogene peroxide on him, then coat him in baking soda and let him baste for 10-15 min.  i then gave him a bath with tea tree oil shampoo and he's back to his regular smelly doggy scent!   

i'm headed outside to enjoy this wonderful west michigan sun and heat.... IN MARCH!  hope it's sunny where you are.

how a GREEN lamp changed my life...

(Whewww, i wrote this post last week, but i could NOT get online, i felt like my right arm had been cut off!  so, without further ado, here is my old post where i make a short story long:)

how a green lamp changed my life, or at least my master bedroom!  let me just start by saying, i have paid my dues, so the fact that re-doing my master bedroom is high on my list of "stressers" is okay!  though i prefer to NOT go into the "ugly years", trust me, they were ugggggggleeeeeeeeeeeeeee! so now, i have a very wonderful life which means i have shallow things to stress about, which is great, but temporary, because in only 4 1/2 years, i'll have a teen age daughter and then we'll start the REAL stress...  

ok, back to my life changing lamp!  my bestest buddy, mental twin chris http://viewsbychris.blogspot.com/ just happens to be a real life interior designer.  poor her, she has me for a pal.  i paint, buy bedding and then see something that changes my whole plan.  i have a new idea faster than we can EVER finish a room, yes...yes, ADD decorating!  1st the master bedroom was light blue with black and white bedding then one day i was like "what the heck? this looks like something out of a jc penney catalog (no offense jcp!)" so i found those bird curtains, 'cause i'm all about sticking a bird on it!

well, these threw off my wall color, then my bedding and then me!

i had chris on the hunt for bedding and paint that would make these work but told her i was willing to sacrifice the curtains (and the wasted $$) if "we" found something else.  i prayed the mister wouldn't notice if they suddenly disappeared! i couldn't sleep at night, i spent hours scouring the internet for bedding, i read my benjamin moore paint color deck like it was the Bible... see?  shallow stress at it's best!

then 1 day i heard a voice from above, it was TARGET calling, so i hopped in my tank

and drove to the motherland.  there it was, the lamp that changed my world

so now.... i just have to change my wall color and my bedding, but the curtains can stay.  geesh, i guess i didn't save myself that much work (or $) after all, but... the curtains can stay!  didn't that just make your day?

tomorrow, i'll have some new items to show you, some new things for my vintage etsy shop

www.etsy.com/shop/givegrandmasugar

to say this shop looks a little sad, is an understatement... i'm sorry!!

have a great day, the sun is up and i'm headed out to put 8 miles on my new running shoes...don't be jealous!

the Lorax, the giant colon and the awesome shoes...

that would be my weekend, in a nutshell!

 (ooooo, and i finished my "twinkie chan" cupcake hat for my darling!  yes, she took her "snuggly" to the movie... the blankie.)

 yep, those ladies are in a giant inflatable colon, how much better could life possibly be?

below is actually how much better it can be!!!

let me tell you, these shoes.... i saw them in the macy's flyer and knew they just had to be mine!  we went to macy's, they had a 5 1/2 (which was a miracle in and of itself, even though i wear a 5, i buy up to a 6 and stuff them full of shoe pads.  kinda takes you back to jr. high when that "one girl" was always stuffing TP in her training bra... and no, that was not me because i didn't even wear a training bra in jr. high, i was still in an under shirt!!).  anyhoooooo, they have a 5-1/2, i have a gift card AND a coupon, so guess who pays $1.32 

for these shoes!!!?!?!?  yep, i'm pretty sure that the super coupon (not to be confused with the super colon) show is going to be calling!!  i'm off to prance around in my flannel PJ pants whilst wearing these gorgeous shoes!

have a great monday!

Hats to China update...

i just remembered i forgot to post these pictures... back in october i sent allllllllll the hats you sweeties sent for some little kiddo's in china.  i included a note and a camera, crossed my fingers and hoped we'd get some pictures.  christmas came and went and no pictures... and then a couple months ago i got a package in the mail, it was the camera!  i rushed the pictures to the store to get them developed because apparently it's still 1991 over here!  seriously, how long has it been since you've developed pictures at a store?  anyway, i got the pictures back and to be honest, they really weren't that great.  :(  i'm so glad they sent some, but the orphanage we sent to the previous year spoiled us by taking a ton of photo's with lots and lots of little kids.  the hats are for the kids though, so i'm just glad the package arrived and that their little melons are being kept warm!  

so, here are the pictures i did receive:

awwww!!!  

thanks to everyone that sent hats AND donated $$.  the donation this year cost just over $85 to ship to china!  WOW!!  i'll take hats and donations anytime (see the tab at the top of the blog) but i start the official collection in late summer....

Dr. Oz said so...

oh my gosh, anyone else watching those "dr." shows?  "the doctors", "dr. oz"?  i record dr. oz everyday, it's a recent thing, ever since i saw how certain teas will make me thinner, stronger, smarter, richer and,   (i wish,) taller!  seriously, the chinese have known all of this for years and dr. oz is bringing it to us here in the usa!  thanks to the new (to me) information, i am starting each day with 2 cups of full leaf "pu-erh" tea. if he's bringing us important information like this one day, what in the world will i miss if i don't record every episode?  so this past week the good dr. convinces me i have worms living in my intestines.... i know, i know, i am a marketing persons dream girl, all you have to do is put the word "miracle" on any type of packaging and i'm buying it!  so anyway, apparently my guts are host to thousands of worms that are robbing me of vital nutrients.  one way to get rid of these unwanted tenant's is to eat 1/4 c of papaya seeds mixed with 1 tbs of honey- that doesn't sound so bad, does it?  

i immediately run to the grocery and grab some papayas.  Are you curious as to how my extermination is going....???

yep, it was THAT good!

so, now i've decided to keep my butt worms as pets, 'cause there is NO way i'm eating that ever again!

i think i should discontinue taping those dr. shows and start thinking of new names for my pets...