Project FAIL

Remember the mason jar pinterest challenge redo I planned on doing? Notice how I never posted the results? Well I figured today should be the day to share them. 

 I was so confident that this time it was going to work. I searched near and far for what I assumed was going to be the magical products that would turn my streaky, lumpy, yucky mason jars into gleaming, glossy, smooth, beautiful, vintage-looking jars. And how did this latest attempt turn out??? It didn't. It was an epic FAIL!!

The yellow and blue jar above was my third time trying to get this DIY right.  Obviously it didn't work very well.  I used a tutorial that seemed to me to be foolproof.  The paints I used were Deco Permenamel and Deco Paint Thinner. The instructions stated that you thin the paint so that it is transparent, then you simply brush the outsides of the jar with this mix.  Well I made the paint as transparent as I could without it dripping off the jars, and it still wasn't all that transparent.  And it was still lumpy, streaky, blah.  

Next step was to bake the jars in the oven.  As some other DIY's I suggested, I figured the streaks would disappear, but noooooo.  All the baking did was seal the paint permanently to the jar exactly as it was.

Then I thought maybe, just maybe my problem was the shape of the jars.  I had chosen the curvy jar over the straight jars.  So I decided to find a straight jar to practice on.  I found an empty salsa jar, another tutorial, and tried it AGAIN.

This time the paint was smoother, less streaky, and more transparent.  I was so excited and was going to bake it when I turned the jar around and got a lovely surprise.  Just take a look at the photo below and you'll see what I mean.

This was actually a bit comical to me.  I just don't know what the issue is here.  I guess my final conclusion of this redo challenge is I was not meant to work with paint and glass.  That's the only thing I can think of.  

Does anyone have any suggestions on what you think went wrong?   

I am now moving onto another project which is to make a tutu and leotard/swimsuit for my daughters American Girl Doll.  Let's hope I have better luck with this project lol. I'll be sharing when their complete :)

Hope you all have a great weekend!

XO,

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Fabulous Friday Finds ...

Sometimes it is difficult to come up with a nice gift idea for Father's Day.  Unless the Dad your buying for has a collection or a hobby, it's not easy to come up with new or unique ideas each year.  Personally I hate giving someone the same type of gift twice, or at least too close together.  An example of this would be that if I give my Dad candy for his birthday, then I cannot give him candy again until at least a year later.  That's just one of my quirks :)

So this week's theme is all about Dads! I decided to see what cool handmade gifts for men there were on Etsy.  Normally when I think handmade, manly items don't come to mind.  So my challenge this week was to come up with my usual nine items, thinking it would be a very difficult task, but boy was I pleasantly surprised with all that was available! There is something for EVERY Dad out there! 

Each item is numbered, and a direct link to each Etsy shop is listed below the collage.  

Enjoy! 

1}  Handcrafted Olivewood Pens by Elegencebyelaine on Etsy

2}  Snoopy-and-his-typewriter Vinyl Decal by thevinylwall on Etsy

3}   Men's Natural Shaving Soap by RightSoap on Etsy

4} Herringbone Wood iPhone Skin by fieldtrip on Etsy

5}  Spiral Nautilis Dali Gold Good Fortune Resin Clock by Backstreetcrafts on Etsy

6}  Chevron Striped Necktie by MeandMatilda on Etsy

7}  Emergency Moustache Corkscrew by MrMoustacheMan on Etsy

8}  1 Gallon Brewery-in-a-box with Recipes by UrbanBrewery on Etsy

9}  1-Pound Assorted Hand Dipped Chocolates by BellaRoseChocolates

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Fringe Banner

After posting a link to a Fringe Banner DIY the other day I decided I just had to make one right away.  Of course I didn't have enough materials, but I was so excited that I just went with what I did have, and made a small one to start.

I ended up using tissue paper, letters from my scrapbooking stash, and I added a crepe paper ruffle along the top.  I actually think the ruffle is the best part of the whole thing :)

Mine looks nowhere as nice as the one on the DIY, but it definately shows my style!
Colorful with contrasting colors, and a bit quirky like me!

I still have a bunch of projects in the works, but now that school is almost finished for the summer, I feel like I need get moving or it'll be fall before I have a chance to actually start any of them. Hope you all have a great day! Remember to stop back tomorrow to see what theme I've chosen this week for my "Fabulous Friday Finds" weekly post!

 XO,

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Wordless Wednesday ...

This morning Autumn's class held a "Publishing Party". Each child took a turn sitting in a chair at the front of the room to read out loud their final story of the year, which was turned into an actual book. The words are typed, and then the pictures are drawn by the kids.  Then of course their are yummy snacks after :)

 I'm so proud of Autumn who is quiet at school, but was brave enough to read her story, which was appropriately titled "Chickens".

Now it's time to show me what got!! 

Join the fun and add your WW link below!

xo,

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Creative Crush ...

This weekend was super busy with softball activities and a graduation party.  

In between the busyness I was working to finish up an Etsy order for my Little Birdie Thank You Notecards. I've also been working on my Tinted Mason Jar Re-Do Project, which I must say is beginning to stress me out a bit. 

After this week is over I will be ready to enjoy summer vacation with the kids, and to begin some NEW projects.   I already know what my first summer crafty adventure is going to be.  My newest creative crush is on fringe banners!! I discovered a DIY on one of my fav blogs {Dear Lizzy} for the cutest Fringe Banners.  They are pretty, inexpensive, and they seem easy to make.  They are great for parties, showers, or to display a inspirational word, or your child's name.  {I'm now also envisioning adding fringe around the bottom of my beach umbrella.  Now that would be cute! At least I'm thinking so!}

Photo coutrtesy of  elizabethkartchner.com

  

What projects do you have planned for the summer?

***
A look ahead to what's included in this week's posts ...

♥ I'm finally giving up, and will show you the results of my Tinted Mason Jar Re-Do.

♥ Come join me on Wednesday for my Wordless Wednesday Blog Party!
You can link up your WW photos, and discover some cool new blogs.

♥ And of course Friday will be my usual "Fabulous Friday Finds" post!
What will the theme be this week ???

Have a Lovely Day,

xo,

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