DIY Easter Egg Ladies

On Thursday evening, I went to my mum's house to dye Easter Eggs, eat hot crossed buns, and drink shirley temples. (Best combination ever--- thanks mum!)  I decided to change up the Easter eggs a little bit this year, and make some sweet little dollies eggs too! They turned out way  better than I had expected (isn't it lovely when that happens?) I even made a self portrait one (above!) This would be a super cute project, especially with families-- each person can be an egg! (just what you always wanted! haha) Here's how:

All you need is:

• Food colouring
• Vinegar (optional but we always have used it)
• Sharpie
• Pencil (optional)
• Acrylic paint
• Paint Brush
• Sharpie paint pen (optional, I had it on hand)
• Markers (non permanent)

 Basically, all you do is dip half/three-quarters of the hard boiled egg in dye as usual. Waiting until it has reached your desired colour, then place into egg carton to dry.

Take a pencil and sketch a hairline and eyes (or freehand with a sharpie if you're feeling confident)

Once you have your lines down, paint the hair with acrylic paints and a small paintbrush. Let that dry, then decorate the outfit (dyed part) with sharpie paint or markers. That's it! 

I may have taken a RIDICULOUS number of pictures... but they were just so cute I couldn't help myself (thanks to my mum for letting me raid her china cabinet for props!)

PS: Don't they look like they're riding on a bus in the egg carton? Too cute!

Hope everyone has a lovely Easter with their near and dear!

Do you have any Easter Traditions, Egg-related or otherwise?

Yarn Swatch DIY

Hello! This is a little DIY I put together.

I always end up at the yarn shop staring blankly at the acres of yarn. I know which brands I use, but sometimes the colours are quite similar and I want to make sure that I'm purchasing the right one. For instance, there are two very similar shades of orange in Vanna's Choice, and I didn't want a doll with un-matching pigtails (aka a bad dye job).

I decided to create a yarn swatch ring to keep in my purse so I can stock up on my favourite yarns during sales!

 To create the yarn swatch, buy a binder/ cue card ring. You can purchase these in a package at office supply stores like Staples

1. First you get your yarn collection together, and cut snippets off the end. 
2. Double knot the yarn to the ring so it doesn't untie.
3. Don't worry too much if the yarn is uneven, you can trim it later. 
4. Once all the yarn is tied on dampen, fix with hairspray, and smooth the yarn so all strands are facing the same direction (so it's easier to see each strand)
5. Trim the edges and admire your handy-work!

So there you are! You can connect multiple rings together for different varieties (variegated, chunky, baby fine, etc)

Simple Valentine How To

This is the valentine I made for my boyfriend. It's not your standard heart shaped doily kind, but I'm pretty happy with it. We love watching retro sci-fi movies (Forbidden Planet, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Day the Earth Stood Still etc). We watch episodes of The Twilight Zone on date night and WallE is probably our favourite romance movie... so you can see how it is pretty perfect.

Everybody likes glitter (even boys.) It gives an object sparkle, texture, and a bit of whimsy. I bought a Martha Stewart Glue pen and a multipack of glitter before Christmas, and I have had SO much fun with it. It's really extremely easy, and it takes your homemade cards to a new level. I bought the glue and glitter at Michaels (yay %40 coupons), but I noticed that Wal-mart carries it as well.

Here is the glue pen

Super easy to use nib

Step One-- trace the outline or create your own image in the glue pen

Step Two-- choose colour of glitter

Step Three-- tap glitter over the glued area

Step Four-- shake off excess (use paper as funnel to put it back in the jar-- less waste= more glitter for later- yay!)

Step Five-- choose new colour, repeat steps 1-4

Repeating...

Finished product!

Glitter in the sunlight... isn't it pretty???

Hope you enjoyed my mini-tutorial--- get glittering and sparkle up someone's day! (You'll have fun, I promise.)