Big Organic Garden Giveaway Winners

We'd like to congratulate the two winners of the Big Organic Garden giveaway. Please contact us with your email addresses so we can pass it on to Big Organic Garden. They will contact you!

Congratulations to The Boddies and Chris Newman!

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 1 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

1. The Boddies said...

I "liked" big organic garden this morning. Jamie was telling me about it so I looked it up. It sounds awesome

April 11, 2011 8:39 AM

True Random Number Generator Min: Max:

Result: 28 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

28. Chriw Newman said...

I like Our Seven Dwarfs on facebook

April 11, 2011 7:27 PM

*Please excuse how the random generator looks.  I am having technical difficulties and can't get it to print the screen like Jill can.  I have tutorials in front of me and everything!  This proves, I need Jill! Anyway, I wanted to get the winners announced.  Congratulations to both of your families for winning a truly great thing.

Scrap Wood Signs-A Tutorial

These were made out of scraps and completely without a cutting machine!  Anyone can do this!

I used a ribbon spool to draw a bunny head.

I cut ears out of paper and traced them on the wood.

Very easy!

Can you see the chicken I drew free hand on this wood scrap?

They're ready to paint.

I did a very thick layer of white paint for the bunny.  I really wanted him to STAND out.

The yellow chick is coming along.

They're done. This was an easy, fun craft. You don't have to have a fancy cutting machine for great crafts.



Easter Sign-A Tutorial

I wanted to make a simple, vertical, Easter sign. This is what I came up with.

First I painted a board a fuschia color.

Then, using my Silhouette, I made a stencil from vinyl.  I used Annabel Antique Script.

I painted each letter a different Spring color.

Here's the sign after it dried.  It's a little dull to me so I decided to glaze it.

After the glaze dried, I drilled holes at the top for the ribbon.

Then I distressed it.  If you look closely, you can see how the glaze brightened the sign.

I love this yellow polka dot ribbon with the fuschia board. I made a bow and sealed the edges with the lighter.  If you just put it close, it melts the edge to keep from fraying.

I put the "hanging" ribbon through the holes I drilled.  The ribbon is knotted in the back, to keep it in place.

Here's a close up so you can see the great effect the glaze added.

Here's the finished board with the bows hot glued on.

Bookpage Bunny Sign-A Tutorial

I have seen so many projects, using pages from a book.  I wanted to create an Easter decoration using a book page.  I decided to make a book page bunny.  Since I've been working on signs, I decided a sign would be a great way to display my book page bunny.  First, I took an 8x8" piece of 1/4" birch plywood and painted it a great blue.  I painted very lightly so you could still see a little of the wood peeking through.

My friend used her Cricut to cut the bunny out.  I used my distressing pad to distress the edges of the bunny and distressed the actual page.

I dry-brush painted some grass on the bottom of the board.

I Mod Podged the bunny to the board.  I waited for the bunny to dry (about 30 mins.).  I then Mod Podged the entire board and let it dry.

After the board dried, I used my mouse sander to distress the board.

Then, I used my Silhouette to cut out the words, "Hippity Hop" on vinyl.  I used the font: Monster Paparazzi.

I used the vinyl as a stencil.

I painted a light coat of brown.

After the paint dried, I peeled off the vinyl and this is what I had!  It's a keeper!

The Bunny Stops Here Sign-A Mini Tutorial

Here's my latest sign:

I am so happy with the way it turned out.

Here's the board I started with.  I painted it green running cream paint through it to give it a dimensional look.

My friend Lesli designed the sign and saying.  She used her Cricut.  She cut it on vinyl.  I pulled the vinyl off and used it as a stencil.  I carefully positioned everything and rubbed it down well, so paint wouldn't "leak" under the stencil.  I decided to paint the bunny brown.  I ran some tan paint through the brown to try to give the effect of fur.  I wanted the words to be lavender but thought the hot pink was close to the typical red used for stopping.  I really like my color choices.  Sorry I didn't take pictures of the process.  I simply forgot. After the paint dried, I used my mouse sander and distressed it well.

I drilled holes in the top of the sign to thread a ribbon through.  I knotted the ribbon in the front and cut off the excess. I then hot glued bows on top of the knots.  The bows really helped balance the overall look.

Here's the finished product.  It hangs on our house, by the front door.  It's another sign I LOVE!

Spring Sign-A Tutorial

I am really getting into this sign making thing.  Making signs is versatile, fun, cheap, quick and easy. The end results are amazing!

Here's my latest creation: A "Spring" sign.

First I painted a piece of 1/4" Birch plywood, yellow.

Then, I cut out letters on cardstock. I used the font, "Waterfalls".  Now, I admit I used my Silhouette to cut this; however, you could EASILY print the word on cardstock, using a word program, and cut it out.

Because I wanted to show the possibility of doing this project without a cutter, I traced my cardstock letters, on scrapbooking paper and cut them by hand.  Just remember to trace the letter, backward, on the back of the scrapbooking paper so that pencil lines don't show.

The "stencil" is on the left, the useable letter is on the right.

After cutting all the letters, on different patterned scrapbooking paper, I distressed the edges to make them stand out on the board.

I positioned the letters on the board.

I used Mod Podge to glue them to the board.

I Mod Podged and top of the entire board and let it dry well.

I decided to "whitewash" the project.  I put a few drops of white paint in water and painted it over the project.

It was whiter than I wanted so I took a clean foam brush and wiped off any extra paint.

I let it dry.

I got out my mouse sander and started distressing.  I didn't want the board to look old, just well blended.  So, I distressed lightly. I mainly distressed the edges of the board and corners.

I drilled holes in the top.  I threaded a thick satin ribbon through the holes (I chose turquoise).  I tied a knot to keep the ribbon in and give a decorative look.  I also cut the ribbon ends to "finish" them.

Can you see the dot on the "i"? I used the turquoise ribbon, folded it in half, sewed it, gathered it, and made it a ribbon rosette.  I then sewed a button in the middle of it to give it a spring flower look.  I hot glued it onto the board.  It really gives an extra pop.

This little guy is happily hanging in front of the fireplace.

Here's the fireplace now. There are still some changes to come but we're certainly making progress!