Double Wine Tote

Other than my Beautiful Butterfly Hairpins, I've been in a bit of a craft funk lately.  I'm having a hard time finding the energy to come indoors to sew and craft when I'd rather be outside playing in the garden or just sitting and reading a good book.

So when I need a little crafty pick-me-up I turn to Mod Podge.  It's messy, but it's easy and fun.  And there's always something laying around the house that could use a little Mod Podge makeover!

 I'm not much of a wine drinker myself, but it's nice to give as a gift...and 2 bottles is even nicer!

Here's what you need to make your own Double Wine Tote:

 Supplies:
-Mod Podge, sponge brush (optional brayer)
-pretty scrapbooking papers
-even prettier embellishments
-scissors or a craft knife and straight edge (not shown)
-optional: glue runner
-caddy base (I used a hair products container)

Here's what I started with:

It's the container that my new
shampoo and conditioner came in~

I know in a lot of other countries this is a funny phenomenon but in North America everything comes in jumbo sizes.  This container held 1 litre bottles of shampoo and conditioner.  I couldn't bring myself to throw it out because something kept telling me it might come in handy.

Steps:
1) Just lay your container right on your paper, trace, and cut out the pieces with scissors or a craft knife.

2) I had some neat paper from a pack that was meant for making a wedding album.  I tried to be careful about my cuts, positioning the large squares that were meant to hold photos, so that they'd be centered on the box.  Before I glued all of my cut pieces on I got out my new little stamping set from Wholeport and did a bit of embellishing.

I pressed extra hard to get the arced edging.
If you press lighter you just get the corner flourish design.
This set is pretty cool.  You get 7 wooden stamps plus 2 double ended stamping pens.

3) Once all of your paper pieces are cut and ready to go, just slop on that Mod Podge nice and thick and lay your paper down.  Mod Podge can dry quickly on a large surface like this so don't be skimpy.  The extra glue will let you move your paper around a bit to position it too.

4) Once your box is covered with paper you can add as many embellishments as you want.

You'll notice that I didn't bother with the top piece.  It seemed like it would get too fidgety, so I took the easy route and just found matching paper instead.

I'll add a little note to the front label
once I figure out who the lucky friend is that will get this.

You know what?!?!  It worked.  I had a bit fun getting messy and felt like I finally accomplished something in the craft room.  Now I'm ready to get back at it and the ideas are starting to return to my little head.

What's your standard gift when you visit someone else's home?  What do you like to receive?  Leave a comment below~

Three Maids for a Crown

A book about the most fascinating 9 days in English history~

Summary (from Goodreads.com): In the second novel from Ella March Chase, we meet sixteen-year-old Jane Grey, a quiet and obedient young lady destined to become the shortest reigning English monarch. Her beautiful middle sister Katherine Grey charms all the right people--until loyalties shift. And finally Lady Mary Grey, a dwarf with a twisted spine whose goal is simply to protect people she loves--but at a terrible cost.
 
In an age in which begetting sons was all that mattered and queens rose and fell on the sex of their child, these three girls with royal Tudor blood lived under the dangerous whims of parents with a passion for gambling. The stakes they would wager: their daughters' lives against rampant ambition.

My favourite painting in the National Gallery in London
Lady Jane Grey by Paul Delaroche

Review: I have been a "fan" of the story of Jane Grey since I was a young teenager. I fell in love with the romanticized Hollywood version of events and have often wondered why the life of Jane Grey is so often skipped over.

While reading this novel I also listened to Leanda de Lisle's non-fiction version titled The Sister's Who Would Be Queen. This helped me to dispel the Hollywood version in my mind and to assure me that this novel is true(er) to what really happened. Although, it was an overload of the Grey's, I helped me to feel confident that this version was not only entertaining, but very close to historical fact.

It's interesting to look at this family and see both sides of the fate of being born to a family so close to the throne. I won't go into the complexities of how the Grey sisters came to be heirs to the crown but suffice it to say that none of them wanted it. It was a plot schemed up by the adult courtiers in the family that put the lives of all the women in the family in jeopardy.

While Jane is the best known Grey, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her two sisters. Both Kat and Mary mature beyond their years and function in heartbreaking circumstances far better than anyone in today's world ever could.

Seeing Jane's life in context with the rest of her family was a real eye opener for me. She is usually portrayed as a young woman who was extremely intelligent. I think her sisters are equally so though. To be able to navigate the twist and turns of court life under 3 different monarchs would have been no easy feat, and they were the ones who survived.

I strongly encourage you to read this book if you're a fan of the Tudor era (and want to read about something other than Henry's wives).

My all time favourite movie (and not because Patrick Stewart play Lord Grey):

Have you read any other Lady Jane books?  Have one to recommend?  Leave a comment below~

Perfect Peasant Top

My love of the peasant top/dress is well documented on Etcetorize.  But when trying to figure out what to do with a little remnant I had I realized that I had only made the style for myself!  To remedy that I made the cutest little top for my niece.

I originally bought this fabric to make a dress for her but never got around to it.  Instead I ended up using it to make my Convertible Top project and had about a half metre left over.

I used this old pattern but lengthened it just a bit.

There's nothing overly special about this top but I think it'll look super cute on my  niece.

Now I just need to get her a straw hat and some buffalo sandals so she can wear this with her cut-offs and she'll be the perfect summertime hippie~

Prairie Darling

Now you know I love whenever Burdastyle comes out with a new set of online patterns.  And they've really been amazing about releasing new styles every couple of weeks.  But there were a few pieces in last week's "Prairie Darling" collection that were a bit off the wall.

As a Prairie Darling myself, I can attest to the fact that these patterns are just not very Prairie and not very Darling.

In all my years of living on the prairies I don't think I have ever gotten out my most ill fitting cocktail dress to stand on the fence to gander at the horses or cows or whatever it is she's so happily gazing at.

Do I even have to comment on glitter shorts (that look like they would fit a grown man) to wear while you're wheelbarrowing around the field?  I hope you guys know....prairie girls don't do this~

There were a few other pieces that did hit the Prairie Darling vibe right on, but I know I would never make them.  They just look like way too much work.  You can check out the rest of the collection here and decide if you're a Prairie Darling or not~

The Sewing Machine Song

Sunday Inspiration