Blast from the Past Crafts

I know it's been a while since I posted. I thought with my classes ending, I'd have plenty of time for crafting. Jason's new photography adventure was a pleasant surprise to fit into my schedule. And work has just plain been crazy for the past month... Rest assured, my lack of posts does not mean that I haven't been crafting. In fact, I've completed a few things that I started a looooooong time ago. Last summer, Jason and I built this dollhouse. The photo isn't the best, but you get the idea...

Well, this week, I asked Jason to show me how to finish wiring for electric. We moved the house into the craft lab (formerly the office/ craft nook/ library). I took over the computer desk in order to work on the finishing touches. I have the room wallpapered and floored, except the attic. As you can see, there are several slopes, so I'll be taking my time to get those angles cut precisely. Additionally, the stairs haven't cooperated, so I still need to secure those in the dining room. All that said, I think the house is looking awesome. I'm really pleased with this first effort. I have some plans for making the decorating process easier next time. And yes, there will be plenty of next times for making dollhouses. :) Check out the progress so far...

This is the bedroom (second floor). You can see the hole for the stairs. I'm brainstorming a piece of artwork to go on the wall to break some of the lines.

And no bedroom would complete without a bedside bible, right?

Bathroom is pretty straight forward. Notice the tiled floors. :) I need a tiny rubber duck.

Dining room (first floor)- The front door enters here. There are two place settings, a basket of bread and lemonade in small glasses on the table.

Oh, I love this piece. I'm using it as the "buffet" in the dining room. Currently, it's holding the two additional place settings, the pitcher of lemonade, flowers, and more bread.

And here's the kitchen. The kitchen cabinets don't want to stay closed. I blame that on the slope of our own floors, not the dollhouse. You can see the toast in the toaster and the cookbook on the sink. There are utensils in the drawers. The fridge has eggs and Cola-- the essentials.

And this is probably my favorite... the stove has pots on the burners and one in the oven. Also, there are cookies baking on the bottom rack of the oven. The corner has two brooms and a mop. The rooms still need the lighting installed. Everything is wired, but the actual lights are expensive. I only buy them one at a time with the weekly Hobby Lobby coupon. :)

And just in case, you think I'm slacking off from the crafts. ;) I am sitting at my craft desk about to work on this other project after blogging. Jason and I freecycled this great card holder last fall. Jason spray painted the rust away last night and I'm filling it with the stationery that I have accumulated and made over the past few years. It should add some great color to my little craft nook. I'm also planning a surprise craft project today. Let's just say Michael's has some awesome coupons this week. My Cricut will be hard at work this afternoon. We are also still in the process of completing the felt and paper mache beads. You'll be seeing those soon. Happy craftin'!

It's like a line from The Sound of Music...

Lip Gloss and Toothpaste and something about kittens or somebody something like that... I just can't help but think of the favorite things song when I think about this week's projects.

Anyhow, here are the directions for my (failed) attempt at lip gloss.

You'll need:

beeswax

sweet almond oil

honey

peppermint oil

lovely little containers

something that can be used for melting the wax

Directions:

Melt the beeswax (I used natural from Michael's) and the sweet almond oil. I didn't measure everything precisely and that lead to my failure, so be sure to get these amount correct. You'll need 2 teaspoons beeswax and 7 teaspoons sweet almond oil. Melt these together then remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon honey. Whisk vigorously. This is essential, as I've read that the gloss will separate if you aren't thorough here. After whisking, allow the mixture to cool slightly and add a couple of drops of peppermint oil. I'd say you only need 3, but some recipes call for more. Peppermint oil is very concentrated and can be expensive, so decide what you're comfortable using. Mix thoroughly and pour into the container of your choice. Enjoy!

Onward... toothpaste = awesome success!


You'll need:
1 cup baking soda
zest of 1 lime
about 15 drops of peppermint oil (again, use to your liking)
a box grater
and a fabulous jar

I used this tiny box grater to zest the lime. I could have zested two and been happy, but one was enough work. Allow the zest to dry for a couple of hours. If you'd prefer, you can then crush the zest with mortar and pestle. Add the lime zest to baking soda and peppermint oil. Shake all the ingredients in your fabulous container. This recipe was easy and quick to make. Jason and I tried it last night and this morning. I'm totally sold... I won't buy toothpaste again.


Here's a close up of the tooth"paste"-- it's really just flavored baking soda.



And here is my fantastic container:



The dogs stayed up late with us last night as we prepared these recipes. Clearly, they needed a nap today from all their hard work last night...

I have a final exam Sunday and another on Wednesday. My craft adventure for this week will be paper mache beads... it might be a two week adventure with these finals, though.
Have a crafty week!