Etsy Christmas in July is Over

Well, the Etsy Christmas in July event is over.  I had three sales during the time period my coupon was running, about one month.  That is very good.  This is my first year participating in the Christmas in July event, and as long as I have the time I will do it next year too.  It is a lot of time, and work, and I didn't get to put in as much time as I would have liked to, but still a success.  Thank you to all the Etsy shops who participated, and supported each other.  I hope they all had some sales too.  Now, it is time to start getting my creative juices flowing for back to school, and Halloween.  Monday, is my day to paint, and wood burn, so I will be doing something new with those two mediums.  I also started an adorable Halloween baby bear costume for an infant boy, or girl.  I can not wait to see how it comes out.  I also have to get our homeschool portfolios together, that is a week project at least.  I guess I will be busy.  That is good, because it is too humid and icky to be outside.  You can always check out my shop by clicking the My Etsy Store widget, in the left hand column.  I offer free USA shipping, layaway, and of course custom requests.

Wood Burning Project #2 Wedding Picture Frame Keepsake

Last night I sat down to do my second wood burning project. I purchased a basic wooden frame, at my local craft store. Then I hand drew all the items onto the wood. Then of course I burned the design onto the wood. You can see the results. You must have some good hand strength, and a steady hand too, to do wood burning. I wear a sock, or glove, when I wood burn, because the instrument gets so hot it is hard to hold for long periods of time. My son, and daughter both want to give wood burning a try. I think it is fine for my son, not sure about my daughter. This is available to purchase in my store, Melissas Menagerie of Stuff, on Etsy. It can be stained, painted, and personalized with name and date. I think I like the frames better than the plaque, which I did last time. It just seems to be more usable than a plaque. But, I will do those too. Custom orders are always welcome. I am using a new photo editor, and getting use to it,  so if some of the edges look funny that is why. 

How To Paint A Lotus Flower

Today, I went and picked up another pair of flip flops to paint on, and a wooden frame to do my second try at wood burning. They probably won't get done until Monday, but that is ok. The Lotus flower paint video below, is for water colors. I use acrylics, but I am sure I can figure it out. Rosebuds are my favorites, but I truly love all flowers. I have not attempted to paint the lotus flower, yet. The wooden frame, I think I am going to make a baby theme, or wedding theme. I have not completely decided yet. Have an awesome weekend!

My New Crafty Love: Wood Burning

At our last 4H meeting, one family of kids was giving a talk on how they learned to do wood burning. The parents were there, supervising, and I asked some questions. I thought it would be something affordable, and fun, that maybe myself, and DJ could get into. Caitlin said she wanted to try it too, but it gets really hot, and you have to have a strong, steady hand. I might let her give it a whirl. So, I bought a simple wood burner, at my local Walmart and a wood plaque. DJ only tried on one small part, just to see if he would like it. He said yes. Anyway, I hand drew the deer head onto the wooden plaque. I wanted something for Father's Day, but not too difficult to start with. I wrote in pencil Happy Father's Day 2015. I figured the words would be the hardest, so I started with them. They weren't that hard, just had to go slow. The antlers were way more difficult. Now, that could be because my hand was tired, and hot. I am not sure, but I did the antlers last, and that was a killer. Of course I want to do more intricate designs. So, the next time I head off to Wally World, I will buy three pieces of wood, or maybe a wooden box for me to dabble with. Anyway the Father's Day deer head plaque, is available in my Etsy shop, click here. I left it natural, but it can be stained, painted, and even personalized.

Ooh, and don't forget I have a Christmas in July coupon available.  Read the details in the listing.