Blog - Laura Kelly's Inklings

April 29, 2013 by: admin

Polka Dotted Flower Pot Gardening

It is true. White dots on black is my favorite way to decorate…indoors, outdoors, gift wrapping, card making, etc. So today when I make my annual spring trip to Lowes to purchase flowers for planting on the deck, I grabbed a few extra pots and some high gloss black spray paint. Of course I already have outdoor FolkArt white at home from my crafty stash of Plaid products.

Painting…

I decided to finish a birdhouse I started last year too. 🙂

Planting…

tada…

If you want to add color to your garden, hop over to Buttons Galore and More’s blog to find out how to make fun ribbon/button flowers to add to your pots.

Happy Springtime!

Love,

Laura

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April 25, 2013 by: admin

Attention Little Birdies – These Houses Are All Buttoned Up For The Fairies!

Buttons and Birdhouses

I love birds AND I believe in fairies. When asked to join in on this fun blog hop sporting cardboard “bird” houses and buttons from Buttons Galore and More, all I could think of was how many houses there would be for birds and how would that make the fairies feel? So, mine are for the fairies…one for the woodland fairies and one for the fairies who live near the stream (aka water fairies).

I used Folk Art paints from Plaid (the outdoor kind) and painted them both black then added white polka dots and a stripes around the bottom. I made the polka dots big enough to outline the buttons I chose to use. (Hint: I taped the cording at the top with packing tape to keep it from getting painted on.)

Then I made two layered buttons stacks in my Buttons Galore colors Candy Apple Green and Wild Raspberry and hot glued them to the centers of the white dots. I LOVE these buttons because when they are custom dyed these awesome colors, the assortment of buttons used varies greatly in size and shape so there are always so many to choose from. I saved my three favorite buttons to use last on the peg steps under each of the entry holes into the houses.

Then to finish them up, I removed the packing tape from the cording and tied my favorite ribbon into bows on each then signed the bottoms with a silver paint Sharpie marker from my collection.

And then came the fun part…placing them in the “wild” for the fairies to find. Here they are…one in the woods…

…and one over the stream.

(Fairy tip #1-very IMPORTANT: If you see a fairy in the wild, do not disturb her. It would be greatly distressing!)

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Love,

Laura

April 24, 2013 by: admin

Creatively Speaking – Saving Money Totally Rocks

I am one of those shoppers with a wallet full of cards…memberships, savings cards, grocery store cards, etc… When I have time to dig them out and have them swiped, I use them. I am realizing that it really pays off today. My mailbox was filled with a jackpot of surprises! I received a gift card from Lowes for $180 (rebate that I actually filled out), $25.10 from Staples (recycling ink cartridges I think), a free day of car rental from Thrifty (get one for every 10 days paid rentals), and $5 from Hallmark (rewards program). Then I discovered that I get a free taco on the back of my ticket from the high school lacrosse game.

The cool thing is that most of these can be used WITH the coupons in my GoPlaySave book which makes for even more fantabulous savings. I can see why people get addicted to saving money.

I woke up and in my inbox was an email from Harris Teeter announcing that it is TRIPLE coupon day. I don’t really cut our coupons regularly. We don’t get the paper delivered. So, I went online and found a site where I could print the ones I could use and I did. WOO HOO…I saved as much as I spent (saved $33.21 while spending $33.22) and we have a few new things to try as a result. Eggo Muffin Mini Tops are not a staple around here and will probably be gone by bedtime tonight.

There are always good coupons from General Mills for items with BoxTops which I LOVE. I accumulated 12 BoxTops which means $1.2o more for the girls’ school! Check out my BoxTop purchases.

Okay, so I really don’t have time to be obsessive about saving money and rewards programs. I have too much creative energy waiting to be turned into projects with the craft materials, art supplies and fantastic products in my studio. So, I sign off with a big smile…to get back to my work. Of course I will be out shopping later. After all, Lowes and Staples both have pretty awesome shelves full of bright things that I could add to my crafty collection (hmmm….paint, markers, wire….and the brain keeps thinking….)!

Happy Saving, Shopping and Creating Magic Everywhere You Go,

Laura

April 21, 2013 by: admin

Patriotic Dipped Strawberries

Oh what shall a little patriotic PEEP make with a basket of strawberries

These are so yummy and so quick to make. You only need three ingredients…white almond bark, strawberries and blue sugar crystals.

Melt the almond bark until it is a creamy consistency. I melted it in the microwave in a little dessert dish so that the heat gets it from all sides evenly. While it is melting, pour your sugar crystals into a small bowl. Dip clean, dry strawberries into the melted almond bark. Let it dry for about 20 seconds before gently rolling into the sugar crystals.

Hint: If you want to be able to move them around when they are done, let them dry on parchment paper. When they are “set”, they are pretty in a bowl, on a plate or in goody bags to share with friends.

Oh the fun of creating goodies, especially yummy ones with sugar.

Happy Red, White and Blue to YOU,

Laura

PS: If you have extra “ingredients”, you can pour the almond bark over pretzels and spring the sugar on top for an extra yummy and adorable additional treat. Salt plus sugar equals awesomeness.

April 20, 2013 by: admin

Apex, NC – Home of the Small Town Farmers Market

This morning in Apex, North Carolina was absolutely beautiful, the perfect day to walk around historic downtown and support the local Apex Farmers Market.

I always love parking by the caboose and thinking back on the days of my boys playing on it along with all of the many visitors we have taken to see it. The old town fire department’s truck was shining in the bright sun and the flag at half mast served as a reminder of the past few days in Boston and how much we have to be thankful for each day that we breathe and spend time with people we love.

We did buy some great stuff. We found some German mustard made locally in Apex and some honey too.

While all of the people selling their foods and such were friendly and helpful, the boy from Queen B Farms was my favorite. He informed us that he owns the chickens on his farm, takes care of them and collects the eggs. He taught us to carry our free range chicken by the meat and not the plastic to ensure that the seal stays in tact. There is something special about a kid who is proud of his family, what they do and acts with such respect, responsibility and helpfulness. To learn more about Queen B Farms, they have a website.

We also bought a vegetable that is new to me…swiss chard. I can’t wait to test it in a recipe and determine whether or not it is to become a favorite. I love the colors and am hopeful that I will love the flavor too. Don’t Grandma Helen and Ryp look adorable showing off our find.

On the way out of town but still on Salem Street is Carden Farms with their own Farmers Market so we stopped there too. I always love their awesome selection of antiques, hand carved art, vegetables, meats and assorted other hand-made items. They are truly a special part of our downtown shopping.

Grandma Helen bought some pasta that is made really close by in Holly Springs, NC. I am thinking that the carved pig might be one of the cutest things I have seen in quite a while.

If you have a local gathering of farmers or artisans, I hope you make your way to them and support their efforts to continue to grow and create in our fast food world of rushing around and so many unhealthy options. In my mind, the farmers and these small business owners are heroes amongst us.

And now, time to find a recipe for swiss chard.

Happy Weekend,

Laura

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April 19, 2013 by: admin

Little Paper and Button Crafted Flower Projects

Here are four really cute little projects using scraps of decorative paper and a few of my other favorite materials and supplies.

The first step is to make the flowers. They are super easy and fun. Cut a circle out of a scrap of cardboard and add petals cut from scraps of decorative paper using Mod Podge, applying liberally before and after every piece gets added. When the flower is complete, add another layer of Mod Podge and set it aside to dry while you make your next one.

When the flowers are dry, you can add word art to make them unique. I used Tiny Text stickers from Cosmo Cricket. After I put them on the flowers, I went over them with the Mod Podge just to make them blend in better. I waited to use my ad-tech hot glue to add the Laura Kelly colored buttons for centers until the flowers were on the projects, just in case another layer of Mod Podge might be needed first.

The first project I made with one of the flowers was a container topper. I filled the container with sprinkles and I am going to give it to a little girl I know who is going through some tough days with a message that says, “Everything tastes better with sprinkles.”

The second project I made was a decorative hanger for my baking shelves. I twisted some wire around a paintbrush and then bent it to make a hanger. To get the flower attached, I used a big glob of ad-tech glue and then added a button to cover it.

The third project I made with a flower was a little notebook from a mini composition book. I am going to give it to my adorable niece tomorrow. I used the Tiny Text word “Imagine” because even though she is 15 now, I still want her to believe in magic and use her imagination to create. I used Mod Podge and more paper scraps for this one.

My fourth paper flower creation was a gift bag. It will be perfect for a bottle of wine. Now to decide, which friend should I “pick” to give this to?

There is one more paper flower project but to find out about it, you will have to visit Buttons Galore and More’s Fifteen MINUTE Friday post. Just for fun, I will put a tiny picture of it here with the other four. Click on the picture and it will take you to that post where there are directions for making the flowers.

Have a great time creating and “picking” friends to share with.

Love, Laura

April 16, 2013 by: admin

Super Cute and Yummy Popcorn Carrot Cake

This is not the kind of carrot cake recipe that I bet you are thinking of when you think carrot cake. This one is only SHAPED like a carrot. I made it to celebrate our lovely little Zoe’s “big bunny” as he turned seven. She take her relationship with her favorite stuffed animal deep to heart and we support her. It would be great for a garden party theme too, or any other bunny occasion.

Ingredients:

1 Bag of POPPED microwave popcorn, 1 bag mini marshmallows, 1/2 cup melter butter, orange food coloring, orange frosting, lettuce

What to Do:

Melt the butter and the mini marshmallows together with a few drops of orange food coloring then mix in the popcorn. Separate the mixture into 4/5 and 1/5 portions and use the larger to shape a carrot.

To make orange frosting, I tried the new Cool Whip frosting and added a little coloring. It is really easy to spread and super delicious too.

Spread orange frosting on the carrot shape then use the other 1/5 of the mixture to cover up the frosting. To finish it off, stick a few pieces of Romaine lettuce out of the top.

It is super yummy and really cute too!

Happy Baking and Happy Birthday Big Bunny,

Laura

April 8, 2013 by: admin

American Girl Doll Birthday Surprise

In reflecting back on birthdays, I found these fun pictures from when Z turned 5 and got her first American Girl Doll, Elizabeth.

We set it us as a scavenger hunt. She opened the empty box to find the first clue which led her on a hunt to find out which doll would be hers. Here she is with her first doll after making her way through the hunt with some reading help from family.

Here were her clues.

And here she is celebrating with her big sister, J!

I made the hats for the dolls with cardstock, hot glue, buttons and pom poms. To make her new outfit extra special, I embroidered “I Love Zoe” on the white t-shirt and sewed buttons on the jeans using an outfit that I bought at the craft store.

Happy Celebrating Birthdays and Everydays,

Laura

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April 5, 2013 by: admin

Get Crafty For Earth Day Tree – A Decoration To Celebrate!

It’s almost Earth Day…which means that it is a great opportunity to get the stuff out of your recyclables saving boxes and make something to decorate. Make a Get Crafty for Earth Day Tree – A Decoration to Celebrate!

This is what we used: Recycled Cardboard, Recycled Bag, Kids Choice Glue, Adult Glue Scraps of Green Felt, Paper and Foam, Buttons

I took the base of a 24-pack of water bottles and “rolled” it to make a trunk. Then I cut up some TP rolls and glued them to make branches, adding a layer of brown paper recycled bag. Then I passed the project on to Zoe to complete after completing with adult glue.

She cut out leaves from felt, scrapbook paper leftovers and foam then glued them to the branches with special glue for kids, Kids Choice Glue from Beacon. She loves this glue because it comes out easy and is not too runny. She says it is “just right.” She is so creative and added a fairy door and a hole in the trunk with googly eyes of a critter.

The tree is a darling prop for creative play with dolls.

Feel free to download this FREE Word Search Puzzle for your celebration!

I think the tree would make a great centerpiece for an Earth Day party table! I love using recycled stuff to create things that are fun!

Happy Saving the Trees and Making New Ones This Earth Day,

Laura

March 26, 2013 by: admin

Upcycle Your Reusable Bags To Celebrate Earth Day

Do you ever get reusable bags from places that you really don’t care too much about or aren’t really in love with the bag’s words and decorations. I decided it would be fun to upcycle them and make them snazzy and fun. They are a hit at the grocery store when I go.

You can use any scraps of felt and fabric to do this. I used felt (and buttons of course from my Laura Kelly button stash) to create this fun one.

Here is another bag with a great message but a not so adorable image that I decided to give a makeover.

And here is the repurposed version. I left the message up the side of the bag and the recycling symbol exposed because I like the message they share.

If you are not much for sewing, get out your ad-tech glue gun and create with it. All you need are scissors, felt and a few bright buttons! I used the high temp gun for this project. If you are working with kids, I recommend a low temp.

This one turned out so cute it got snatched be the new library book bag for our family.

Do you have bags that you could create into something that would make for a snazzier shopping trip to the grocery? If you do, I say give it a shot. It is fun and creative and makes the people around you start talking about getting creative themselves. Who knew? Upcycling reusable bags and sharing them when you shop inspires others. I love THAT!

Happy saving the earth every day, Laura

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Polka Dotted Flower Pot Gardening

Attention Little Birdies – These Houses Are All Buttoned Up For The Fairies!

Creatively Speaking – Saving Money Totally Rocks

Patriotic Dipped Strawberries

Apex, NC – Home of the Small Town Farmers Market

Little Paper and Button Crafted Flower Projects

Super Cute and Yummy Popcorn Carrot Cake

American Girl Doll Birthday Surprise

Get Crafty For Earth Day Tree – A Decoration To Celebrate!

Upcycle Your Reusable Bags To Celebrate Earth Day

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