Let It Snow!!

Okay..I know I live in Phoenix, Arizona, where snow is reserved for snow-cones and not for sidewalks, but I can dream can't I?!! 

I'll just have to stick with glitter...and that's totally fine with me!

I love glitter. 
Reeeeally LOVE it...Like, I could probably find my bliss if I coated everything in my life in sparkly bright colorful flecks of metallic shimmeringness! 

(Is that even a word?!!) 

Yes, because I say it is...

So you can imagine the holidays at my house, I'm guessing? Yup, glitter EVERYWHERE!! Not necessarily on purpose, though...my hubby is getting a little annoyed at picking it off his own face...we aren't quite sure how it gets there, but it does! 

(Insert sinister "glittery" laugh here!)

I don't think I mentioned in my previous Snow Folk Jars post, how I made the arms, or in most cases they look more like "angel wings" making them "Snow Angels" instead of mere "folks"!!

I used a 1-inch wide strip of neutral or cream colored woven fabric to initially wrap around the jar neck, right where the head is glued on (after paper clay dries completely). I put a generous amount of tacky glue onto the glass, then started wrapping the fabric around, adding more glue as necessary. 

After the first few wraps, I glued and tightly attached "arms" with a tight wrapping several times around, adding glue to secure. I wrapped the various jars with different amounts of fabric, depending on the bottle shape. They told me when to stop! 

You can use any kind of (non-stretchy) fabric for the wrapping. You can even use burlap for a more "earthy" look, which would be adorable! Once you add the glittery "snow", even a colorful printed fabric would be fun and festive! 

For their "arms" (or Angel Wings), I used "crystal & pearl" beaded floral sprays and glittered fruit & leaf sprays, which I found at the craft store in the holiday floral trim section, but you could just as easily use small twigs and branches from your yard!

To add extra embellishments, I used "Eyelash" yarn (found in every craft store I've ever been in, at the crochet/knitting section), to wrap around the base of hats and at necks like "scarves" for an extra frilly look. I also tied jingle bells, tiny charms, and other trinkets 

around the necks, adding personalized name beads or words like "love", "peace", & "joy", for a special touch.

Today, it's time to "Snow" Glittery Wintern-ess onto my desert-born Snow Folks, and they are quite excited about it.

They're cute enough without the glitter...really they are...no one would even miss the glitter, I'm sure...but leaving off the sparkles is like giving someone a cupcake without frosting, and we certainly can't allow that, now can we? NO! Of course we can't!!

So, here is one last look at them before it "Snows"

(And if you are one of my "beloved's" and happen to see your name on a Snow Folk....it's just a figment of your imagination!!)

I used Liquitex Clear Matte Medium to paint onto the areas that I wanted the "snow" to stick. You can coat the entire head and body (leaving the glass jar clean for viewing contents), or you can just dab the stuff in random places, then sprinkle liberally with iridescent or white snowflake glitter. I like to use various types, colors, and sizes of glitter (as your imagination desires), to give a varied "snowflake" look. 

The "snow" becomes a way to unify the design, bringing all the kooky accessories and embellishments together into one cohesive design and display.

As you spend the next year gathering your doo-dads and accessories for next years Snow Folks, (and I promise you will not be able to get these cute guys out of your mind!)...don't limit yourself...think outside of the box...(toy blocks and tinker toys make great hats!)...check clearance aisles in craft stores, Party stores (for cheap kids toys and party favors), flea markets, garage sales, antique stores, hardware stores, your hubby's garage junk bins, Dollar stores, YOUR OWN CRAFT CLOSET!!

The embellishments can be anything you want or imagine...once you "glitter-ify" everything, you'll look like an Altered Art Genius to your friends!! There are no mistakes!

The ornate silver "hat" I used on one of my Snow a Folks, is actually the top of a perfume bottle that had long since been used and thrown away. But I kept the beautiful bottle top, thinking that some day I'd come up with a crafty way to use it...and I did! I absolutely lalalaLOVE the way it looks! 

(So this officially establishes me as a hoarding "enabler" as I encourage you to never ever throw out anything you might be able to use as crafting supplies....EVER!!)

But please don't tell your loved ones I'm to blame, okay?!! I have enough to deal with, just keeping my hubby from launching into orbit over my piles!!

I save anything and everything that has a remote possibility of being used in the future in one of my projects...the real problem is that I have NO LIMIT to the varied art forms, mediums, and avenues of creativity that I travel and explore, so my heaping piles of stashed supplies are growing endlessly...but it sure makes for great "shopping" in my own craft closet!

I hope you have enjoyed my adventure in "Snow Folk Jars" with me. You can find my original article on starting them HERE

With Big sugarplum Hugs!!
Deanne

Its Time For Mason Jar MANIA!

I'm a bit obsessed with Mason Jar Crafts....(okay now, be nice!) 

Actually, my list of obsessions is lengthy, so we'll skip the psychoanalysis for now...

I LA-LA-LA-LOVE Mason Jars. For canning, for collecting, for crafting...they get me giddy! 

(Okay, please stop making fun of me, or I'll go home!)

So imagine my excitement this morning when I received my latest blog update...

Go check it out! There are some inspiring bloggers hosting it, 

and it looks to be a fun time to be had, for sure!!

Mason Jar Crafting Extravaganza Bloggers Linky Party & Contest!!

As for my own jar crafts, it extends well beyond Mason jars....(think obsession!)
You probably won't be shocked to know that in my craft closet there is a big box of
old bottles and jars that I've recycled from my kitchen, instead of throwing them in the trash to eventually end up adding to the overburdened garbage dump! And YES, I might as well come clean right here...my husband thinks I've lost my ever-crafting mind!! Please don't remind him about the stacks and stacks of Mason Jar cases that top my kitchen cabinets up to the ceiling...I had hoped when I unearthed them from the storage unit, and stacked them on top of the cabinets,
that he wouldn't notice...but I was wrong...(Yes, I know...I've fallen off into the deep end!!)

But back to the important stuff...Mason Jars!!

So let me tell you....

Last Spring (2012), I hosted a "Happily Ever After" Luncheon for my Special Baseball Girls...
"What?!!" You say, "Baseball Girls?!! What's that?!!"
Well, it's this....

You see, I am very fortunate, although I have no daughters of my own, (My two amazing sons will have to do!). I live an extraordinary life that has brought many wonderful, brilliant, beautiful, generous, enlightened, inspiring young women into my life.

My husband is a pitching coach in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, and has been with them for 7 years, first as a scout, then as a minor league coach, and now, he has just completed his first season back in the Major Leagues as the bullpen coach. He pitched in MLB for many years, with the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, and California Angels
(NOT the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim...which is in Orange County, NOT Los Angeles SHEESH! Marketing "geniuses", right?!!)

Anywhoo...

The special bonds that we create in our unusual vagabond lifestyle, is not only important for emotional support and encouragement to survive the mayhem that professional sports can muster, but the "Baseball Family" that we become is invaluable in so many ways. And for that, I am grateful!

As a coaches wife, things are a bit different. It's more of a "side-line" view than a "participatory" one, but there is a great sense of mentorship, as I try to help the young wives, fiancés, and girlfriends, navigate their way through the minefield of stress, emotions,
and responsibilities that come with the
lifestyle commitment.

What I've found has been a personal treasure!
Though minor league relationships and girlfriends come and go,
they seem to live on forever in my heart!!
I've gathered them like precious charms on a bracelet that I will cherish for a lifetime!!
My Incredible "Daughters" are all adopted into my heart, instead of born through my womb!

And so....

To celebrate the half dozen weddings that had taken place that previous off- season, during Spring Training while our men were off playing on the grass, getting stinky like boys will do....
We had a lovely luncheon, and I made "Happily Ever After" Jars for each of the girls.

It was a great surprise for the girls, and a small token of my love for them to take with them.

To make them, I shaped a heart "stand" out of 16 gauge wire, forming a loop at the top center to hang a photo), then using 26gauge cream colored wire (from www.parawire.com) I crocheted a Lacey edging around the heart. I glued a circle of craft moss to the inside bottom, then simply placed the heart with double-sided cut-out photo hanging inside. I trimmed the jar lid with silk flowers, Crystal bead accents, and encircled the jar lid edge with 1/2" trim to decorate. I used my metal stamping alphabet, on tin circles (purchased at Joann Crafts) with each person's last name, to take the personalization over the top!

And now....

My current Jar Art Project for the holiday season, is a field of fabulous SNOWMEN!!!

(I'm posting some examples from other artists & hobbyists, to hold you over until mine are finished and ready to photograph, okay?!!)

Frosty Jar & Coupon by Shelly Hickox

Three Loveable Snowmen by Scrapin Kris

So...what'd 'ya say??

LET IT SNOW...LET IT SNOW...LET IT SNOOOOOOOOOWWWW!!

With Big Sugarplum Hugs!

Deenie