Shrink Plastic

I saw this pretty blouse at Macy's and it was pricey.  Dare me to try it from shrunk plastic?

Queen of the Day

Here she is...not only the Queen of the Day but she's the Queen of Crafts.  We gathered to celebrate the 90th birthday of this amazing lady, ALEENE!  

Aleene's Family

Here's the fam minus daughter Candace.  

The Aleene's Crew

It was awesome catching up with old friends!

Joan Martin Fee and Pattie Wilkinson

Got in some Pattie hugs and yes, my necklace was made from shrink plastic!

Julianna Hudgins and Pattie Wilkinson

The ladies enjoying the party.

Butterfly Tiara

I love, love, love butterflies!!!

I created this tiara from a photo I took on a recent outing.  I printed it on hard plastic so it will become a cherished heirloom for many, many years.  It's now available on my butterfly etsy shop. www.etsy.com/shop/ButterflyGiftShop?ref=si_shop

Gift Basket

Neighborhood Gift Basket

My neighbor has an amazing lemon tree and every couple of months I am gifted a bag of lemons.  I too give them away, bake with them, slice and freeze them, etc.  Before Christmas I taught a Gifts from the Garden class and created Limoncello using my neighbor's lemons. 
 When the last bag arrived about Christmas time I made my neighbor and his wife a batch.  There are many recipes on the internet so for my class, I made a quick version (5 days) and then a longer version (about a month).  The ladies in the class said the quick version was stronger and the longer batch more mellow.  I let this batch ferment for almost two months. 

Being the crafter that I am and getting back into my love of shrink plastic, I created a quick label using some clip art I found on the internet, added their names, printed it off and shrunk it.  If you're not familiar with shrink plastic, it starts out very thin and when you place it in the oven it shrinks in about five minutes to the thickness of a nickel and very hard.  Perfect for jewelry, gift tags, cupcake picks, etc., etc.  I LOVE it!

 The tag turned out great!  Follow the instructions on the shrink plastic package and you'll get good results.

 In addition to the Limoncello, I made this a 'Harry & David and Neighborhood' basket.  I was given a box of Harry and David pears so I added in some of those, I included some pickled green beans from my garden, an avocado from a neighbor's tree, an amaryllis from my yard and some Rosemary and Lemon Cookies made from my neighbor's lemons and rosemary from another neighbor's yard.

My neighbor was so surprised when I took over the basket last night. Random acts of kindness make my heart sing...

Family Reunion Favor

We have a family reunion coming up and I ran across this picture of my mom with her sisters.  I printed it on shrink plastic (be sure to read all the instructions before you print on it), then shrunk it in the oven and now they're ready to have a magnet glued on the back.

If you haven't played with shrink plastic, it starts out thin enough to run through your printer, cuts with regular scissors and when you place it in a warm oven it shrinks 50% and to the thickness of a nickel.  It's great for jewelry, Christmas ornaments, cupcake decorations and on and on...

Feeling Special

Feeling extra special.  I received a box of Harry and David pears today!  Yummy!

Valentine's Day Ideas

I had such a fun time making all of these projects using the EZScreenPrint product.  You start by creating just the design you want - yes, you use your own design - that's what makes this product so neat - you can totally customize whatever you want! 



Greet your guests with a cute hanging decoration.  I put cup hooks under the handrail on my stairs so I can decorate for all of the holidays.  A few of these would also look great hanging from your light fixture.

Use fabric paint and stencil on cloth or paper napkins.

 I love this centerpiece.  I stenciled the hearts onto heavy cardstock and while still wet, I sprinkled on glitter.  Let the paint dry. Cut them out, glue a skewer to the back and when they're dry, add them to your floral arrangement.

 Cupcakes are all the rage.  I stenciled on shrink plastic that's for use with ink jet printers.  Right after I applied the paint, I placed a paper towel over the paint and gently blotted it.  If you don't, your paint will get kind of furry looking and we can't have that!  Follow the instructions on your shrink plastic to shrink.  Oh!  For those who have never used shrink plastic (I have adored shrink plastic since I was a kid) you do your image on the plastic, put it in the oven and it shrinks about 60%, gets the thickness of a nickle and hard.  Great for making cupcake picks and tons of other projects.  Another, oh!  As you're cutting out each cupcake pick, leave about a 2" long x 1" wide piece at the bottom to insert into the cupcake.

 Come on over, I have cupcakes!



You'll want to make your gifts extra special too.  Stencil right on the wrapping paper, gift bag or card.  Sprinkle on some glitter if you'd like and be ready for a special evening.

This t-shirt adds a great touch to tie your entire Valentine's Day celebration together.  Add some iron-on crystals in a coordinating color and you're ready for the perfect party!

Ready to try screen printing?  Get started with a 15% off discount - just use joan15 when you're checking out and there's no minimum order.  Screen printing is as addicting as chocolate!  www.EZScreenPrint.org  Check it out!

Do It Yourself Screen Printing

I'm having a fun play day getting ready for Valentine's Day using the EZScreenPrint.  I was amazed that in less than an hour I could make my own custom silk screen stencils and be ready to make awesome creations.

Once you print your artwork, it only takes 1 minute exposure to the sun to 'develop' and a little bath time. Love, love, love EZScreenPrint!!!  For those who are having less than sunny days at the moment, they also sell a light kit so you can make screens 24 / 7. (Since I live where we sometimes have dense fog, I know I'm going to be using my light a lot.) Check out the Customer Showcase for year round inspiration.  www.ezscreenprint.com 

Want to create your own custom designs for an upcoming family reunion, sports team, birthday party, craft ideas, etc., etc., etc.? Get 15% off when you use coupon code JOAN15 at checkout - no minimum!!!

I'm outta here and back to making Valentine's Day projects with the beautiful hearts.  Check back because I'll post my finished projects very soon!

EZScreenPrint

It's super easy and fun to create custom printing on just about anything with the EZScreenPrint kit.  Check out their website - it only takes a 1 minute exposure to sun to make a custom screen - imagine ALL the possibilities.  Ready to get started?  Use JOAN15 at checkout to receive a 15% discount with no minimum.  Have fun!  Let me see your creations!

Wilton Edible Accent Stars

Thanks to the Wilton Edible Accents I got at Michaels, I'm ready for a cookie exchange.

Candy Cane Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these yummy cookies for a cookie exchange tonight.  It's a different idea - each of us takes one dozen baked cookies and the rest of the dough is divided up (I put mine in zip-top bags) and each of us gets to take home eleven taster sizes of dough that we can bake or freeze.  Can't wait to see the variety!

Christmas Card Ideas

Working on Christmas cards

Fused Glass Footed Bowl

So bright and cheery

Digital Vintage Postcards

Vintage Postcard Alert - Need some cool old artwork for your holiday projects? Come on over to my etsy shop for downloadable 1907 vintage postcards from my family's collection. Great for scrapbooking, card making, shrink plastic, shirts, stockings, etc., etc. Holiday and fun everyday postcards. Can be resized and cropped to fit your project. https://www.etsy.com/shop/JoanMartinFee

Last Minute and Inexpensive Thanksgiving Decorations

With Thanksgiving approaching here are a few ways to decorate your table with things you have around your home.  Last weekend I had a potluck at my house and had been so busy I didn't have any ideas to decorate my table.

I had bought a pumpkin basket at Michaels for less than $2.50 for part of a popcorn bar I had for my Bunco group.  (There is something to be said for waiting until the last minute to buy holiday decor - it was 80% off!)  I added some succulents from my yard to the basket and thought it wasn't Fallish enough.  I added in faux Fall leaves - still not enough pop of color.  That's when I saw my very Fallish colored cocktail napkins.  I opened them up, twisted them at the center and placed them among the succulents. 




I wanted a little favor for everyone to take home so I added some lentils (I was scrambling for ideas here...) to little cordial glasses a friend gave me, plopped in a succulent, added a faux leaf and cut a napkin in 1/4's and used them as little additions of color in the center of each place.

Check out the faux leaf inserted in the tongs of the forks.

Here's my less than $4 centerpiece (I'm guessing!)  Since not everyone has succulents, you could use some other kind of greenery, real Fall leaves, etc. to fill your basket - check out your yard, even ask a neighbor if you can do a little trimming for them!

 I used double-sided tape to stick faux Fall leaves on fishing line and tied them to my light fixture.

My guests were there from six until eleven so I think it was a successful night...

Gifts from the Garden Projects

It was my turn this month to come up with an idea for our garden group gathering.  We've visited gardens, a couple of months ago we visited a wreath making company so this month I thought making gifts from our garden would be a great idea.  There were almost 25 people there and we crafted our little hearts out.  We created the four projects below.  From Limoncello to Rosemary Salt all the items are from the garden, are inexpensive to create and easy.  Enjoy!