Spring Fling Day 5 : Watering Can Planter from Love Grows Wild

Well, everyone, all good things must end, and so ends our Spring Fling Series.  It's been so amazing to have our crafty friends share some of their time and talents with us.  If you've missed any of the previous Spring Fling posts, click here to catch up.  We are finishing up the series with our good friend Liz from Love Grows Wild.  We love her simple, elegant style and know you will too.  Here we go:

Hello! My name is Liz from the blog, Love Grows Wild, and I'm so excited to be here at Occasionally Crafty during Spring Fling Week!

I love Springtime when the days start getting longer and little flowers start to popping out of the ground. It is such a welcome change after the cold, dreary winter months! This change in weather has me itching to get outside and start digging in my garden, but here in Indiana it is not quite warm enough for that just yet. So I decided to plant some flowers in containers I can use indoors for now and transfer outside in a few more weeks.

While looking through my house searching for containers I already had (because I'm cheap thrifty like that), I came across a metal watering can that actually held an Edible Arrangement bouquet from my bridal shower a few years ago. I thought it was way too cute to throw away, so I kept it hoping I would find a use for it someday. {Light Bulb Moment!} The watering can would make an adorable planter for some pretty flowers!

I stopped by a local garden center and found some pretty little yellow violas for my planter. I added a little bit of potting soil to the bottom of the watering can and then added a few violas. I filled the rest of the can up with more potting soil and gave it a little bit of water to help settle everything in. 

My new little planter looked adorable, but I wanted to add something to dress up the watering can a bit. I'm a craft blogger... I can never leave anything looking plain! : )

I found a spare wood medallion in my craft supplies and gave it a quick coat of white spray paint. I used my favorite letter stamps to add "Grow Your Dreams" to the painted medallion and tied it around the planter with twine.  I thought the words were cute play on the planter and flowers and would be a sweet reminder to dream big! We all need to be reminded of that from time to time : )

I set the planter on my desk where I can look at it everyday and be inspired!  

Thanks so much to Valerie and Laura for letting me share my Spring project with you all today! {HUGS}

I've had a wonderful time hanging out with you at Occasionally Crafty, and I hope you'll stop by Love Grows Wild sometime soon and check out more of my projects and recipes! I love making new friends, so come on over and say hi!

I am a wife and mother of two rough and tough little boys, and when I'm not chasing my little super heroes, I'm sharing my creative passion on my blog, Love Grows Wild. I write about crafts, DIY projects, home decor, recipes, organization tips, and more! I've always got a new project up my sleeve, so stop by anytime!

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Thanks Liz!  I absolutely adore this planter!  It's so cute, and I love the upcycle of something she already had.  I would totally make this if I didn't kill plants!  :(

That's it folks.  The end.  Please don't forget to enter our awesome giveaway, and please share the word with your friends.  It will be open until Sunday night at midnight, and the winner will be announced next week.  So enter before you miss it!

Have a wonderful weekend!

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Spring Fling Giveaway Sponsor: Cutting Edge Stencils

We are huge fans of Cutting Edge Stencils!  They have so many awesome choices to kick up your home decor a notch.

If you'll remember, awhile back, Laura used their Paisley Allover Stencil to update her bathroom. 

 I finally got to see it in person over Thanksgiving (remember- we live in different states!).  It really is gorgeous and so clean!  I asked her how much she had to touch up any bleeding through the stencil. She told me "None!"  Cutting Edge Stencils are that good!  It was her first time stenciling, too.  We highly recommend them if you'd like to add something special to a room, or even to curtains or a rug!  You can check out their blog here for more design ideas.
Cutting Edge Stencils is generously giving one of you a $50 Credit to their store, good towards a stencil of your choice!  Awesome!
Click here to enter the giveaway, and please, spread the word!
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Spring Fling Day 4: DIY Colored Cake Plate from {I Love} My Disorganized Life

Welcome back to our Spring Fling Guest Post Series! 

We've got another one of our blog friends here to share an awesome project with you.

We also met Rachel through Online BlogCon, and just fell in love with her fun blog and bubbly personality. I even got to meet her in person at an AZ Blogger meet-up last year. So- here she is!

Hi there, my name is Rachel and I blog over at {I Love} My Disorganized Life. Before we get started, let me just say that I am very excited to be here today! Now a little about me. I live in Southern Arizona with my husband, our five children, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. I am a stay-at-home-mom and love every crazy minute of it. I love to eat! I have quite the sweet tooth, so you’ll see lots of treats on my blog. I love all kinds of food, too, but Mexican and Italian are my favorites. I have been doing more crafting and sewing lately and am really enjoying it. Making the time to do it, however, has proved to be a little challenging.

When Valerie and Laura invited me to participate in their Spring Fling event, I jumped at the chance. I immediately knew what project I wanted to share. It is something that has been on my mind for a while now.

I have been seeing colored jars everywhere and love them. Then one day I was at a discount store and fell in love with a colored cake plate. But for the size and price {$13+ tax}, I just couldn’t justify the purchase. That’s when the idea hit me. Why not make my own colored cake plate?

I know, genius, right?

So here it is. Very simple, very inexpensive.

Color ‘recipe’ from The Frugal Girls

Here’s all you need:

1. 
   
2. 1 tsp Gloss Lustre Modge Podge
3. 1 1/2 tsp water
4. Food coloring
5. Small paint brush
6. Clear glass candle holder
7. Clear glass plate
8. Glass glue {I used Loctite}

Here’s all you do:

1. Mix the ingredients together {use 3-4 drops of food coloring, more if you want a darker color}
2. Turn the plate upside down and paint bottom. Coat evenly, trying to brush out as many of the bubble as possible.
3. Place on microwave-safe plate and heat for 30 seconds. Let cool.
4. Repeat with candlestick
5. Once both pieces are dry, glue together {be sure to center the candlestick, you don’t want to have to try to reposition it to get it in the center of the plate}
6. Let set for several minutes to ensure glue is dry

***Due to the Modge Podge, the color WILL come off if washed. I recommend careful hand washing of the top of the plate ONLY***

I purchased about 15 plates and 4 candlesticks from a thrift shop for just under $10. I already had the Modge Podge and food coloring, so all I really needed was the glue {just a few dollars}. So when you do the math, this cake plate cost me $3.75. That’s about 75% savings! I don’t know about you, but I really like those numbers!

Look how it shows off this Lemon Pudding Poke Cake!

I hope you have enjoyed our time together as much as I have. Stop by and see me sometime, I would love to hear from you!

Thanks so much Rachel!  I definitely have to do this NOW!  After you've checked out Rachel's blog, don't forget to enter the awesome giveaway here.  We'll be showcasing another of our sponsors this afternoon, and then tomorrow is our (sniff, sniff) last guest post!  We hope to see you there!
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Spring Fling Giveaway Sponsor: The Sheet Shop (Vintage Sheet Fabric)

I am thrilled to introduce our newest sponsor to you :  Becky Sharp, owner of The Sheet Shop. 

 I'll let her tell you a little about her and her shop:
Hi! I'm Becky Sharp. I am a work-at-home-mom of two boys and a girl, ages 9, 6, and 3. As if they don't keep me busy enough, I love spending the rest of my time on my artistic business ventures. I've always loved creating art of all kinds, but especially enjoy stained glass, fused glass, quilting, bookbinding, painting & photography. I graduated with a degree in Visual Arts from Brigham Young University in 2006 and started selling online and at craft fairs in 2007. I mainly sell stained glass and fused glass jewelry, but also have sold a few handmade books and handbags over the years. My glass jewelry shop is still going strong at Becky Sharp Designs.
 Last year, my mom taught me how to quilt (as if I needed another hobby!). That resulted in my recent obsession, and has filled my art studio with fabric and projects of all kinds. Then I was introduced to vintage sheet fabric and fell instantly in love with the soft feel and colored patterns that you can't find in modern fabrics. I started visiting every thrift shop, searching and digging for the most unique vintage bed sheets I could find. Well, now I have way more fabric than I can ever use myself, so I decided to open The Sheet Shop! I only select sheets that are in great condition. I sanitize them in my washing machine, then I rip and cut them into oversized fat quarters (19x23 inches) or other yardages if requested. I do all the work so you don't have to! Vintage sheets are great for any sewing project, but are really the best for making super soft, cozy quilts. I can't wait for you to see all of the great colors and patterns over at my new fabric shop: The Sheet Shop!
I absolutely love vintage sheets. They are so beautiful, unique, and the fabric is so soft.  Becky generously sent me a few samples to try out and they are exactly as pictured in her shop.  Plus, they smell wonderful and are super soft.  (no stinky thrift-store smell here!) Here are some of the fabrics she currently has in her shop:

Aren't they gorgeous? Becky is generously giving away 10 Coordinating Vintage Sheet Fat Quarters,  a $26 value.

You can enter the giveaway here.
You can find Becky and her creations in these places:

Etsy: http://www.beckysharpdesigns.etsy.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BeckySharpDesigns

Blog: http://www.beckysharpdesigns.blogspot.com

Becky is also a sponsor of our blog this month.  If you just can't wait to see if you won, you can get 10% off your order with the code SHEETSHOP10 at checkout.  So go pick out some cute fabric and enjoy!

Connect with us! You can find us here:

Spring Fling Day 3: Urban Outfitters-Inspired Bun Wrap by Peacoats and Plaid

Okay crafters- you are in for a fun treat today!  I "met" Bre through Online BlogCon and became an instant fan of her blog.  She makes crafting so amazingly fun and sassy.  I just love her style and have so much fun reading her blog.  And her projects?  (singing voice) Awe-some!   So, let's get to it!

Hey there, I’m BreAnna from Peacoats & Plaid. I'm dropping by to share my latest knock-off project:

I found this accessory while perusing the Urban Outfitters site and thought,

"Hey, self. I can probably make one of those. For way less. Challenge accepted."

Lucky for you, I'm willing to share my secrets so that you can make one or ten of your own.

1. Felt of various colors to create flowers and leaves

2. Florist wire

3. Hot glue

4. Hot glue gun

(not pictured) scissors, flower tutorials

Using whatever flower pattern you would like, make a few small felt flowers. 

Cut a few leaf shapes out of green felt (I free-handed them.)

Cut 3 pieces of florist wire approximately 11 inches long (my buns are pretty big *bah dum ching!* so I wanted to make sure my flower chain was long enough to wrap around it completely.)

Twist the wires together to make a stronger, long wire piece.

Hot glue a 3 inch piece of florist wire to each leaf shape.

Stagger the leaves along the main twisted wire piece and secure by wrapping the ends around.

Hot glue a 3 inch piece of florist wire to the back of each flower.

Stagger the flowers with the leaves and secure the same way, 

by wrapping the end of the wire around the main wire piece.

Cut a 1/4 inch strip of green felt, secure to one end with hot glue. 

Work your way from the bottom to the top by wrapping tightly and hot gluing every few inches. 

Make sure you cover where you secured the leaves and flowers to the main wire piece.

Tah dah! This is what it should look like laid out straight...

... and this is what it looks like wrapped around.

To wear: wrap around your bun and secure the ends by twisting around each other.

Hope you enjoyed my crafty-kitsch alternative to Urban Outfitter's flower chain bun wrap. 

I think it's very flower child-ish and totally spring appropriate. 

For more crafty fun (among other things) come visit me at Peacoats & Plaid.

See?  Awesome!  Now, don't forget to stop by this afternoon to see the CUTEST vintage fabric my friend Becky is offering one of YOU.  See you soon!

Connect with us! You can find us here:

Spring Fling Giveaway Sponsor: Bow Mama Hairbows

I'd like to introduce you to one of our giveaway sponsors (who is actually a personal friend of mine from high school!)   Sally is a mom that creates beautiful custom bows and clothing items in her shop Bow Mama Hairbows.  She sells online and can also be found in several Chicagoland stores.  There are classic hairbows, boutique style bows, headbands, flowers, and more.  Really, you can find adorable hair accessories in any color or style or for any occasion!

                               

You can find Bow Mama Hairbows on Facebook, too. Sally is donating a Mud Pie Outfit with matching headband, size 0-6 months.  Retail value is approximately $35. This would be the perfect spring/summer outfit for your little one, or an adorable baby shower gift to give a friend! Click over to enter the giveaway here.  Good luck!   And don't forget to come back tomorrow morning for another awesome guest post! Connect with us! You can find us here:

Spring Fling Day 2: Spring Rice Krispie Treats (Gluten Free!) from One Creative Mommy

Hi everyone!  Welcome back to our Spring Fling Series!  Today, we have a good friend of ours joining you.  We love Heidi's blog because it has so much to offer- crafts, delicious recipes, and some great educational tools for your kids.  Here she is:

Hi, everyone! I'm Heidi, from OneCreativeMommy.com, and I'm thrilled to be guest posting today on one of my very favorite crafty sites. Valerie and Laura are such great crafters! On my site, I share crafts, DIY projects, printables, and gluten free recipes. (One of my kiddos has Celiac disease, so I've been learning all about cooking gluten free.)

Today I'm sharing a quick and easy treat that is yummy with or without gluten.

Quick and Easy Spring Rice Krispie Treats with Chocolate Frosting {Easily Gluten Free}

Begin with the basic Rice Krispie Treat recipe. (I bet a many of you know it by heart!)

Ingredients:

• 3 T butter or margarine
• 4 cups mini or 40 large marshmallows
• 6 cups *Kellogg's Rice Krispies Gluten Free Cereal (or any crispie rice cereal for non gluten free)

*If you do not need to eat gluten free, you may use any generic crispie rice cereal. For gluten free, you must use the Kellogg's brand Rice Krispies that say "Gluten Free" on the box. There are several different flavors. Only the brown rice version is gluten free, so be sure to check.

Hint--If you will be using a mold like I did, I suggest preparing only half of the recipe at a time. It gives you more time to mold the shapes before the marshmallows begin to harden. If you plan just to cut the treats into shapes, go ahead and make the full recipe.



Directions:

Melt the butter over low heat, and add the marshmallows. Stir until marshmallows are completely melted. Remove from heat and add rice krispies. Stir gently until completely blended.

Use a buttered spatula or wet fingers to transfer the mix to molds. (Clean, wet fingers work best for me, but be sure to let the mixture cool a little bit first.) Empty the molds onto waxed paper.

(0r)

Pour mixture into a 9x12 baking dish, allow to cool, cut into shapes, and place the shapes on waxed paper.

Easy Chocolate Frosting

Place one cup of any flavor chips into a plastic bag. Microwave unsealed bag up to one minute. Using scissors, snip off a tiny corner off of the bottom of the bag. (The larger the hole, the larger your stream of frosting.) Carefully hold the bag (chocolate will be hot) with two hands. While your bottom hand slides down toward the chocolate, gently pull up with your top hand. The chocolate should flow slowly out of the hole.

Draw designs on your treats. Repeat with another flavor/color of chips. If desired, add sprinkles before the chocolate hardens.

To make treat pops, place the treats in the fridge or freezer to harden, and then insert a lollipop stick into the base of each treat.

Great treats in less than a half an hour. It doesn't get much easier! Click here to learn my Frugal Treat Packaging Trick.

Thanks for letting me share my ideas with you. I'd love to see you at OneCreativeMommy.com. I share crafts, home decorating, educational downloads and gluten free recipes.

Thanks so much Heidi!  Those look delicious and oh-so-cute!  Now readers, don't forget to click here to enter our Spring Fling Giveaway, and come back this afternoon to learn more about the prizes being offered.  See you then! Connect with us! You can find us here: