~Pamela Susan~

DIY Easter Baskets

Hello world!  Happy Spring from our little corner in Oregon.  What gorgeous, warm days we've been enjoying here.  I just wanted to jump on here real quick to share a fun creation I made for my littles for Easter.  Actually for Spring.  {The past couple years we've made a few changes to how we celebrate Easter and Spring.  In effort to help my children (and me!) focus on the reason we celebrate Easter, the Atonement and Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ, we've decided to enjoy our baskets full of chocolate bunnies and eggs before Easter weekend, and make it a fun celebration of Spring.  We are loving this new tradition--it has really made a difference in our family.  This is the book that helped inspire me, just in case you're interested!  And I picked this one up a couple weeks ago.  It's a quick, beautiful read.

This year I wanted to make their baskets more special, more SPRINGY! :)  So off to Michael's I went, with coupons in my pocket.  I found three nice, sturdy ones, along with the perfect artificial flowers and greenery.  

**To make these baskets, just separate the bundles of greenery from its main stem and hot glue them around the rim of the basket.  Add some of the flowers, a few sparkly butterflies, and your done! {One tip--make sure the ends of the stems that you place on the basket are hidden between the rows of wood to conceal them. Hope that makes sense!**

And if you're lucky enough like me, you might come across some amazing plastic grass at your favorite thrift store to cut up and add to the baskets.  I wish I knew where this grass could be purchased--it's perfect for baskets!!

I'll never forget the moment Avery ventured outside to collect our mail but instead saw three happy little baskets nestled amongst the tulips and daffodils.  She stood there amazed for about 10 seconds before calling out for the rest of us to come out.

 

Here they are examining the baskets' gifts.  So cute.

 

 

I found these vintage-inspired postcards at a local estate sale, along with the glass bunny containers.  SCORE!

 

The butterflies add the perfect touch of whimsy.

 

 

 

And of course the Spring Bunny left a little surprise for them in our chicken coop.  hehehe

 

 She was the first to discover them.  Love how she put them in the basket along with the other eggs!

 

And here's a quick update on our bees--they're happy and well!!  A little too well... when I opened their hive a couple days ago bees practically spilled out there was so many!  I bought a new hive yesterday and will be splitting the colony so we can have two happy hives.  This little beekeeper is quite happy about that. 

 

 

Let me know if you have any questions about the baskets!  If you make one I'd love to hear about it.  And I promise you you will love doing it!  So much fun. :)

 

xo,

Pamela

Easter

Sooo I was just about to publish a post I had all written up and then BAM, my computer restarted all on it's own and there went my post.  *sigh*

I'll try this again but with less text, okay?

In a nutshell I shared random pictures from our festive Easter weekend, starting with this one of girls watching an Easter Bible movie on my laptop while the sun set in our new backyard...

I'm not going to lie--I'm kinda obsessed with watching the sunset from this room.  It puts a big smile on my heart!  And my girls are kinda obsessed with that movie, which also puts a smile on my heart. :)

Saturday we celebrated Easter with aunts, uncles, and cousins by eating delicious food and watching the the kiddos hunt for eggs around their yard.  I still can't get over the perfect weather us Pacific Northwesterners were gifted with this weekend.  Absolutely perfect.

And here's my newest little cousin--ain't he a cutie?!  I adore his mama--I'm so happy she married into the family!

And here is my lovely aunt (my mom's only sister!) holding her very first grandbaby.  Precious.

And Easter morning?  Well, the girls woke up to these creative scavenger hunt clues that led to their Easter baskets.  Their Daddy did this all by himself.  My hubby is awesome.  He seriously is. :)

And here's my crazy little bedhead.  Talk about someone who is addicted to chocolate--this little stinker snuck into my bedroom after putting her to bed tonight and ate the entire head off my chocolate bunny!  As if she didn't get enough candy today!!  Stinker indeed.

Here's a quick snapshot of the two older girls in their church dresses and Jane in her... swimsuit.  She refused to put her dress back on after changing out of it the minute she walked through the door from church.  Don't get me wrong--she loves her dresses, but she loves her swimsuits even more! 

I kinda think this picture is perfect--it truly captures the stage Jane's in right now. :)

And this next picture melts my heart.  These little girls are becoming such wonderful little best friends.  Oh how I love them.

I hope you're weekend was wonderful, too!

 

xo,

Pamela, a mama who is quite content in life right now, even though the unpacking isn't completely done--but almost! :)

 

New and Old designs for Tuesday's {March 12} Shop Opening!! And some exciting news at the end of the post...

Hi there!  I'm ready to introduce the jewelry designs that will be available in the shop tomorrow (Tuesday, March 12 at 6:30 pm PST).  Each design is perfect for your loved one's Easter basket (or yours!  sometimes the Easter bunny brings me little gifts my husband didn't plan on...  that little rabbit sure can be sneaky! hee hee). :)

In celebration of Spring and the buds that are popping out on the trees and plants all around our home, I present to you the Bud earrings ($22)! One pair will be available.

And these next lovely earrings are so versatile.  (I guess you could say they look like Easter eggs, though I didn't plan it that way. :) )  Two pairs will be available. ($22)

And I'm bringing back one of my favorite designs, the Add a lil' Oomph earrings ($26).  Two pairs will be available.

Now I'm sorta obsessed with this next necklace.  I haven't named it yet but I love how classy and simple it is. ($36--one will be available)

And I love the splash of assymetrical color the turquoise and ruby gems provide.

A lemon topaz gem adorns the extended clasp.

And here's another new design...  I present to you the Forever & Ever necklace!  A large (little bigger than 1") sterling silver circle that I soldered and hammered and connected to a sturdy yet elegant chain.  I made an extra one for myself I love it so much.  Two will be available. ($36)

A turquoise and garnet gem adorn the clasp.

 

And last but not least, there will be 5 I Love You necklaces available, each with a different colored posy felt hairclip made by me that will top your fabric covered box. Consider the posies an extra little gift from me! (Because if I charged for them the cost would be a lot higher!  They take a little while to make.  :)

Here are all the different colors that will be available... (such beautiful spring colors!)

For those of you who are new to the blog and my shop, here is a little description of this necklace:

This sweet necklace resembles a locket, with two domed discs facing outward--on the inside disc I've stamped I *heart* you and what you're supposed to do is this--after your daughter opens her gift you tell her that you're going to fill the locket with your kisses, and anytime you're not around and your daughter needs a little kiss from you, all she needs to do is open her locket and take one. I did this for my daughter about three years ago when I left on a five day trip and knew she would be missing me... she loved having her little locket full of 'Mommy kisses'! And to this day my little seven-year-old still asks me to fill her locket with 'kisses'. So sweet. And here I am finally getting around to making some for you! :)

These pendants are made using recycled sterling silver discs (which is why they can be offered at a lower price... lucky you! :) 

And don't forget--the posy needle books and posy bracelets will also be available! 

I hope you love these designs as much as I do! I only make jewelry that I'd wear myself and love and time have gone into each one... Enjoy!  

And as for the exciting news I want to share--there is a very good reason I haven't had time to make more jewelry like I was originally planning for my next shop opening.  We are buying a house!!  And it is the perfect house for us.  Seriously. We move in next week and I can't wait to share pictures with you!  And get this--I'm finally going to have my very own craft room/studio!  And we're going to get chickens again, and try out raising bees for the first time, and the girls will have a little tree house and garden and the list goes on!  Yaaaaaay!  I'm just a tad bit excited. ;)  So wish me luck as I continue to pack up.  Luckily our new home is only 10 minutes away, so it won't be too stressful of a move, but still.  Moving is moving, right?  But there's no complaining on my end.  I just feel so grateful to have found a house that will suit our every need. So very grateful.

 

xo,

Pamela

 

A Felt Flower Garden {& the shop is Opening Tuesday, March 12!}

Remember the felt posy hairpins I made that sold with the I Love You necklaces?  Well, I've kinda been obsessed with making them.

Here's my little flower garden so far (won't they make perfect Easter gifts??  They look like just the thing the Easter bunny would want for his Easter baskets... so colorful and springy!)

After making the hairclips I found myself making a needle book to keep my needles nice and organized (because I'm horrible at losing my needles!!) and decided to make a few extra for when I open my shop next Tuesday, March 12 at 7:00 PST.

They'll make great Easter gifts for the hand sewer in your life!

So far I only have three, but each one will come with an 'inspirational' pin and two regular needles.  Cute, cute.

I also think they would make a great earring organizer for traveling (smaller, simple earrings would work best, I think).

And these little posy bracelets just put a smile on my face...

Miss C likes, them, too.  She also likes this little wooden frog pencil sharpener...

Perhaps a little TOO much! lol

Hee hee. :)

I haven't taken pictures of the jewelry I've made so far, but I do have some fun designs ready.  I was hoping to have more but our family has been pretty busy with some exciting news (No, I'm NOT pregnant! lol), and I don't want to say what it is just yet, buuut I'm mentioning it now to let you know why I won't have as many as originally planned. 

So, once again, the shop is opening next Tuesday, March 12 at 6:30 PST.  Mark your calendars!

 

xo,

Pamela

Even though Easter was over a week ago...

I still want to share some of the gifts that the Easter Bunny gave the kidlets.  My hunch was right... he did bring some Strawberry Shortcake dolls to add to their collection!

Miss J received Blueberry Muffin and her sidekick Cheesecake Mouse...

Miss C was gifted Apricot and Hopsalot...

And Miss A has been adoring her little Lime Chiffon and her companion Parfait Parrot...

Miss A also received some fabric to make a purse.  How many of you know the poem The Owl and the Pussycast by Edward Lear?  I'll have to post it later, but Miss A and C memorized it last month and I couldn't resist (um, I mean, the Easter Bunny couldn't resist) this fabric for her.  I think I got the last bit that was available on Etsy (YAYYY!).  Both the Owl and the Pussycat and guitar fabric was designed by Heather Ross.  OH, how I love her fabric.  Such gorgeous, whimsical designs and talk about high quality.

Back to the dolls though, I just love watching the girls play with them.  So sweet.  I just love the good old fashioned dolls, ya know?  

How many of you have these little vintage dolls in your home?

 

xo,

Pamela

Happy Easter!! {and here's a new twist on the mini Lindt chocolate bunnies, chicks, and lamb craft from last year!}

Ahh, Easter.  The holiday that brings out bunnies, chocolate and flowers.  Even though we just moved and can't find out Easter decorations, I was able to dig out some scrapbook paper, plastic baggies, trim, Lindt mini chocolates, and my trusty hot glue gun.  Do you remember the teeny-weeny Easter baskets I made last year?  Here's a new little twist on them--I added plastic Easter grass to the bottom and got busy decorating the tops...

They really are a hoot to make; you should make some!  They put a smile on my face and hope it does the same for their recipients!

And some more yummies... Easter egg cookies!  The girls and I had a grand ol' time in the kitchen dressing them up.

Lay them atop a plate of Easter grass and drop them off to friends and family!

Another tasty treat my tummy enjoys this time of year are Whopper's malt eggs... scrumptious.  I've been known to eat mass quantities of these little buggers at one sitting.  MASS QUANTITIES, I tell you!

And take a looksy at these beautiful tulips Aaron brought home to me a few days ago.  Their presence in the kitchen put a smile on my face each time I enter the room.

But amidst all the fun decorations and goodies that Easter brings, I try to keep my focus on the real reason for Easter.  If you have an extra 2 minutes and 40 seconds to watch this video, please do!  

 

 

 

xo,

Pamela

p.s. I have a feeling the Easter Bunny is bringing some friends for the girls' Strawberry Shortcake Collection... which ones will they be?? :)

Good news!  The Ava's Nest flew onto the set of General Hospital again yesterday!

The lovely Siobhan (Erin Chambers) looks smashing in the necklace, doesn't she?   I tell ya, it's still so weird knowing my necklace has made it to TV!  I just can't get over it.

Thanks to those who have placed orders for this design this past month.  It truly is one of my favorites and I hope you are enjoying yours!  For those of you who are interested in purchasing one yourself, it will be available in my shop when it reopens next Monday and Tuesday, May 2 & 3.

And on a completely different note, here's a fun Easter decoration idea I forgot to share with you yesterday. 

I purchased this cute little bunny for $.50 at our local thrift store and slapped some spray paint on it along with a strip of fabric for a bow (recognize that print?!).  Oh, how I love spray paint!

Perhaps a fun idea you can slip in your back pocket for next year??

 

Happy Thursday...

 

xo,

Pamela, a happy little jewelry designer

 

 

The Winners Are...

Numbers 6 & 9!  Congratulations Stephanie B. and Glenda E.!  Please email me your addresses ASAP so I can plop your gifts in the mail today.  :)

And here's another fun idea for place card holders I recently found in a magazine.  Handwritten names on egg holders using dry erase markers! (Egg holders were $1.99 at Bed, Bath, & Beyond.)

 

Love it. 

And for my newer readers, here's one more idea that I made a couple years ago that still puts a smile on my face...

(sorry the above picture is so blurry!)

I found the metal holders online and the bunny stamp came from Michael's.  I used my favorite scalloped scissors to cut them out.  Also, I recently found great alphabet stamps (like the one I used above) in the dollar bin at Michael's.  Actually, now it's the $1.50 bin. 

I hope these ideas are helpful for those who are still looking for place card options for their dinner table this Sunday!

 

xo,

Pamela

 

 

A Giveaway!! Who needs Wool Roving and a Felting Needle to make Felted Easter Eggs?!

Okay everyone, I'm long overdue in hosting this giveaway.  I've noticed my blog has been receiving a surge of hits for the Needle-felted Easter Eggs for a while now and since I received some nice roving from National Nonwovens I want to give some of it away so you can make your own!  I was hoping to have this giveaway up at least a week ago but you know how it goes. Sorry!

Sooo... who needs some wool roving and a felting needle to make some of your own Easter eggs??  Here is a tutorial how I made mine.

I made these a couple years ago... another fun Place Card Holder!  Yes, I stole the tag off mine to use for the Mini Easter Basket.  Sometimes you just gotta save time. :)

(these eggs are my own and are not part of the giveaway... sorry!)

Here are the two bags of roving that will be given away, along with one felting needle that I purchased at JoAnn's.  All you need to do is find some foam to work on and you'll be set (Foam is available at JoAnn's in the pillow area--perhaps you can purchase a small piece?  Refer to my tutorial on the size I use.

 

TWO winners will be randomly chosen and announced tomorrow morning (April 19th) as soon as I wake up so I can plop them in the mail--so be ready to send me your address!  I'll need to send them lickety-split so you'll have enough time to make them before Sunday.

So hurry, hurry, don't delay!  You have essentially 24 hours to enter.  To enter:  The Giveaway has ended!  Thank you!!

1.  Leave a comment telling me if you'll be having an Easter Egg hunt this weekend.

For an additional entry:

2. Join my Facebook Fan page!  After joining please come back and tell me that you did in a seperate comment.  If you're already a fan (thank you!) then you can announc the giveaway on fb or invite a friend to join as well--be sure to come back and tell me you did, otherwise the additional entry won't count. 

 

Thank you!

 

xo,

Pamela

p.s.  I'm also overdue in hosting the April Birthstone Necklace Giveaway, so stay tuned!

p.s.s.  Thank you for your kind comments about the Mini DIY Easter Basket!  So happy you like it.  :) 

 

 

 

A DIY Mini Easter Basket Place Card Holder

Okay, I'm back.  So much has transpired over the last last couple weeks I don't even know where to begin!  Jewelry orders...that's where I'll start.  All but one have been shipped and I'll finish the last one tonight--I was waiting for some supplies to arrive and they did yesterday, so all is good business-wise.

My hands have been busy doing other things, too--some fun crafts that I think you'll enjoy making!  Things like making gigantic paper hibiscus flowers for a luau, experimenting with handmade fabric pincushions, decorating a trinket box for Miss A's school's fundraiser, and selecting fabric for curtains... all sorts of good stuff.  I'll have to show you pictures next week because today I want to focus on a merry little Easter craft.  A trip to Whole Foods inspired this idea.  While shopping there a couple weeks ago I found the CUTEST little gourmet chocolate bunnies wrapped in clear bags with cute paper tops.  Eight bucks was too much to spend on them so I decided to make my own.  But teeny-tiny size.

To make these, first, go to the store and buy a package of mini Lindt bunnies.

 

Second, remove the foil wrapper (after washing your dirty hands, of course!) and tie a colorful ribbon around its wee little neck.  Plop it in a mini clear bag and decorate the top with scrapbooking paper (I already had a stash of these bags on hand that I purchased long ago--small lollipop bags from Michael's should work, too!)

Place it in a mini Easter basket filled with grass and tiny Easter egg candy.  You can also find flower lip gloss at Michael's like the pink one below.  So pretty.  Don't forget to adhere snazzy fringe to the top of the basket using double-sided tape!

 

Don't like the fringe?  Go ahead and change it.

For the paper flower I implemented the same technique used in making the paper flower balls.  Instead of using a pin for the center I placed a half pearl sticker found in the scrapbooking section. Scalloped scissors provided the pink embellishment on the bottom.  I'm in love with my scalloped scissors.  Use them all the time.

 

Voila... you're done!  You've got yourself the perfect Easter gift for a friend, or perhaps the perfect Place card holder for Easter dinner!!

 

A merry little Easter craft indeed!

 

Happy Weekend!

 

xo,

Pamela

 

p.s. I purchased the mini baskets at Michael's but you can find some at The Dollar Store, too!

p.s.s.  Don't delay--head on over to Sarah's blog ABeachCottage for some beautiful inspiration!!