Mardis Gras, Baby! Get your face on!

Enquiring minds want to know...

or, eerr I wanted to know!

So here is the definition of Mardis Gras

according to Wikipedia.

The terms "Mardi Gras" (pronounced /ˈmɑrdi grɑː/), "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and ending on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday" (in ethnic English tradition, Shrove Tuesday), referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which started on Ash Wednesday. Related popular practices were associated with celebrations before the fasting and religious obligations associated with the penitential season of Lent. Popular practices included wearing masks and costumes, overturning social conventions, dancing, sports competitions, parades, etc. Similar expressions to Mardi Gras appear in other European languages sharing the Christian tradition. In English, the day is called Shrove Tuesday, associated with the religious requirement for confession before Lent begins.

Now go ye forward, fast and confess!

Sharing this post for Tablescape Thursday with the awesome Susan at Between Naps on the Porch!




I'm late coming to the "get your face on party"
 but my number one, can't live without, make your face glow secret is a good hair color!
Here are the ugly roots of the story

and the magic formula

Finally some time to create!

Yippppeeee!

Somehow I managed to squeeze in an hour to make these!

I'm thrilled with the way they turned out and even happier that I had time to unwind my brain and make something fun!

I found the frames at the dollar store

Valentine print paper came from Target's dollar bins

and the rubber stamps came from the dollar bins at Michaels.

Awesome deals and cute designs

what more could you ask for!

So true too -

All you need is love, faith, family, gratitude and hope...

and maybe a little bit'o luck! ;)

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone

I hope all of your sweeties are super sweet!

A Trivet, a Basket and a Collage

Happy Wednesday Ya'll!

I haven't had time to work on any Valentine crafts over the past few days but I found a few ideas at Woman's Day.com that I would love to try!

I'm sharing these with the hopes that someone

will have the time to make and enjoy them!

This is a great craft to make for the master chef in your life! With a little tracing, gluing and a lot of creativity, you can create a stove top trivet that's bound to show your love.

 You'll need:

6"-square white tile, glazed or unglazed
Small (3/8") mosaic tiles: 75 rose, 66 varied off-white (from crafts or tile store)
Liquid Nails Adhesive for Small Projects
1 small container of premixed tile grout
Grout float or cardboard; sponge; rag
Fine-point permanent marker
Tracing paper


Trace heart, printed over text, on folded tracing paper, placing fold on dashed line. Cut out heart. Trace outline on center of tile with marker.
Glue a border of mosaic tiles evenly spaced along front edges of the large tile, using 10 whites on each side and a rose tile in each corner.
Glue rose tiles along heart outline, then inside following contours.
Glue off-white tiles in remaining spaces around heart. Let dry.
Spread grout over tile and between squares using float or a small piece of cardboard. Let grout set for about 15 minutes. Wipe off excess with damp sponge. Let dry for 48 hours. Polish off any haze with the rag.

Create this woven felt basket to hold a gift for your sweetheart—or some goodies for you to share!

You'll need:

2 1/2" x 9" strip each of red print and pink print fabric and red and pink felt
Two 21/2" x 9" strips of iron-on bonding material (HeatnBond)
12" of 1/4"-wide pink grosgrain ribbon
Fabric glue or tacky glue
Ruler; sharp scissors

1. Bond fabrics to matching felt strips.
2. Fold strips in half with short ends together; cut matching curves at ends.
3. Cut three 3"-long slits 5/8" apart from fold toward curved end of heart (see diagram 1). Leave strips folded.

4. Follow diagram 2 to weave folded strips together: Insert first red loop (R1) between layers of first pink loop (P1); insert P1 between layers of R2, insert R3 between layers of P1, insert P1 between layers of R4. On next row, insert P2 between R1, R2 between P2, P2 between R3 and R4 between P2. Slide woven strips close together. Weave remaining strips in same manner. Separate layers to open basket.

5. Cut ribbon length in two. Glue 1" ends of one strip inside to top of curves of heart front and ends of the other strip inside to curves of back.

We can't think of another craft that's as friendly, inexpensive and satisfying as a collage. You make all the rules and you have all the fun!

Materials:

Cardboard for backing
Scraps of assorted papers (rice, construction, origami), fabrics (cotton, velvet, lace, burlap, canvas), buttons, ribbons, dried or artificial flowers
Sharp scissors
Glue stick
Spray adhesive
Tacky glue for bulky materials
Optional:
Double-sided adhesive sheet for smooth application of fabrics; frame (hearts are framed in 14" and 5" squares and a 5" x 18" strip); glazier's points, brads or duct tape

Cut or tear 4" fabric or paper squares as backgrounds for hearts.
Cut or tear fabric or paper hearts to fit on squares. Hearts can also be a layer of rosebuds, an outline of delicate flowers, a collage of torn leaves, a cluster of buttons, crumpled brown paper or layered brocades.
Glue hearts to squares and squares to background.
Place in frame and fasten with glazier's points, brads or tape.

Please share photos if you are lucky enough to make one!!!