Turmeric Sun Prints for Notecards

Hello there!

The weather is still warm where I live.

It's more like summer than fall but I can deal with it.

I thought I could use these last 

sunny days to make something fun.

I want to make some sun print note cards.

Things we will need:

watercolor paper or white cardstock

package of blank notecards

1 TBSP. Turmeric, from your spice rack

4 TBSP. Isopropyl Alcohol

a mixing cup or bowl or glass jar

coffee filter or paper towel

1 to 2'' wide paint brush

Flat or dried leaves and flowers

a pair of gloves to keep from staining hands

optional- glass from an old frame

to hold everything in place. 

a flat tray or cookie sheet with sides

 1 Tbsp. Baking Soda mixed with1 cup water 

I found the paper and notecards at the Dollar Tree.

I cut my paper 4'' by 5'' to fit the notecards.

I also cut a couple bookmarks and 2'' squares 

to make small tags.

I put the filter over the jar, add the turmeric then poured

the alcohol over the top and let it slowly strain through the filter-

I used the brush to paint the paper.

Leave a border or paint to the edge.

After the paper is painted, let it fully dry in

 a DARK AREA, AWAY FROM THE LIGHT.

Pick your leaves and flowers.

Your flowers and leaves don't have to be completely dried

they just need to be flat so your print comes out sharp.

It's best to use a heavy book!

You can use glass from an old picture frame to hold down

the foliage and paper.

Lay your leaves or flowers on top of the painted area.

Take your paper outside in full sun.

Leave outside in full sun for 3-4 hours.

Check on your prints-

Remove the leaves and flowers.

Submerge the prints in the water mixed with Baking Soda

to neutralize the process.

This will help to prevent fading.

Lay out the prints to dry.

The prints will turn from a golden yellow to a dark orange color.

Glue to notecards or frame to hang!

I added the name of the flower in pencil.

These will be lovely for fall-

maybe a Thanksgiving card for a loved one

I plan to make more for the next Holiday Boutique.

The tiny ones will be gift tags.

I stamped the back-

I just made these leather earrings

 for a friend and I 'll use  one of the tags!

Thank you for your visit-

It's so nice to have you here.

It was fun to give it a try-

Let me know if you tried to make some sun prints.

Enjoy this beautiful time of the year!

xo Lisa S

Here I showed how I made a flower press 

from a vintage Tennis Racket cover. 

How to make Grubby Candles

 






Hello my friend!

It looks like a mess, but I promise it's not that bad.

I'm going to show you how I made 

some grubby candles using a battery powered base candle.

I had some that were old and wax was cracking....but they still worked fine.

You may have some already on hand.

Everything I used today was from the Dollar Tree.

Yes, they have the candles for $1.25.

First add your batteries, and make sure they are working.

You will need:

a battery powered or LED candle

matte or gloss Mod Podge 

dry instant coffee

cinnamon or pumpkin spice

1'' wide brush

plate or pan to mix dry spices

Mix spices together,

 no measuring needed

about a Tbsp. of each

Use your paint brush to Mod Podge the opening.

Use a spoon to add the spices and roll the candle

side to side.

Mod Podge the brim and sides.

After all sides are covered,

dab Mod Podge over everything to seal the spices.

Allow to dry.

Mod Podge will dry clear.

If you want your candle darker you can add another layer.

I liked it the way it was so I only painted one layer.

I just couldn't wait to turn on the switch!

It has a wonderful glow.

Feels like Fall, but nice for Christmas too-

I put the candle in a wood bowl with some berries

and leaves.

Beautifully bumpy, lumpy and grubby !

These really smell wonderful!

Thank you for visiting.

XO Lisa S

Note: This technique can be used on the outer portion of regular candles

if you use a pillar that burns on the interior only.

Do not burn candles that have been covered by Mod Podge!

Here's another way I used a battery powered

candle to make a personalized gift

Faux Birch Tree Candle

Just Getting Started- A little FALL Decor

Hi friends,

I was at the Dollar tree 

getting something else when

I saw these Maple leaf stems.

I know I could spend more and get better quality

floral at Hobby Lobby or just about anywhere else.

I had an idea and I wanted to see if it would work.  

I love the brown and beige tones.

I bought 2 stems for $1.25 each, so not a big investment .

Found some old book pages in my paper stash.

I used one of the leaves to make a pattern.

Then cut some Maple leaves from the book pages.

You could even stain your pages 

with coffee, tea or watercolor paints.

I folded the leaves down the center.

Then glued the leaves to a center piece that 

did not have a leaf...

but looked like it needed one.

It made the stems nice and full !

I put one stem in an old cider jug...

It works for me-

nothing fancy!

Here's a close up of the leaves.

I put the other stem in a white pitcher.

This year

I plan to decorate with my brown transferware, 

lots of browns and neutrals.

It turned out like I was thinking....I like it-

Okay... tell me what you think. 

Are you thinking about Fall?

Or are you 'enjoying' 105 degree weather like I am ???

Have a great week!

xo Lisa S

Faux Cinnamon Roll

 Hello!

I found air-dry clay at the Dollar Tree.

It looks like it's a terra cotta color

I wanted to test it out-

I immediately thought about cinnamon rolls....

Who doesn't love cinnamon rolls year-round ?

I cut the moist slab of clay

 in half lengthwise and rolled it out

 with a rolling bin wrapped in parchment paper.

I rolled it into one large cinnamon roll.

It was easy to roll.

The edges were smoothed out 

with a little water and fingertips.

It dried overnight-

The clay is dense and weighty-

No cracking.

I painted the swirls with Matte Mod Podge and real cinnamon.

I decided to paint the clay with acrylic paint.

I used white paint for the icing and let it drip over the sides.

After the paint dried, I went over just the icing with

GLOSSY Mod Podge.

The icing stayed glossy.

It looked real to me-

A delicious paper weight!

I enjoy making faux foods- it really fools the eye!

This clay was a win!

Definitely worth a try.

An 8 oz. package made 1 extra large roll or

 could easily make

4 mini rolls.

Have a great week!

xo Lisa S