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Just hanging out with Scarlett and Ina. 

It has been cold here at night.  Well, by No. California standards anyway.  Time to put away the flip flops and switch to regular shoes. 

We thought it might be too cold for the chickens so we rigged up a heat lamp in their coop for them.  Basically it was just a 60 watt bulb that we clamped to the rafter in their coop.   

When it gets dark they tuck themselves into bed.  They all march up their little gang plank and settle into their spots. Some like to sleep in the nesting boxes and other like to sleep on the perches. 

Only this time when they got into their coop they were a little confused.  It was light in there.  Daytime already?  So they all marched back down.  Then they looked around, rubbing their brows in confusion (well if they actually COULD do that, they would have) – it was dark again.  So up the gang plank they went.   Wait a minute – it's light again!  So back down they went.

This went on for a half an hour.  Finally we took pity on them and drove to the pet store and bought a ceramic heat bulb that doesn't emit any light.  Just heat.  We switched it out and they settled right down.

Silly girls.

Here they are helping me hang Christmas lights on the deck.

 

They like to be where the action is. 

And now they want to come inside and have a cup of hot chocolate. 

 

 

I was test-driving centerpiece arrangements for our Thanksgiving table.  This one didn't make the cut but I thought it was really simple and pretty.

I love glittering up those mini pumpkins (who I am I kidding – I like glittering up ANYTHING….).  I just used white craft glue and Martha Stewart's glitter in Smoky Quartz (which is a rose gold color to me).  

I like to keep centerpieces simple.  I like the food to take center stage. 

The reason I didn't go with this one is we used my sister's cream and gold plates and the white and the rosy gold just clashed. 

I'll show a picture later on in the week what we did go with – very clean lines and modern.  It would make a wonderful Christmas centerpiece too. 

 

 

 

Tussie Mussies – The Tutorial

This is going to be a picture heavy post.  Click on any picture to enlarge for better detail. 

First I would do a Google image search for Tussie Mussie or go onto Flickr and do a search for Tussie Mussie.  You'll get a ton of inspiration.

Okay ready?  Let's go.

Supply list:

Decorative paper (I prefer cardstock weight)
Ribbon
Rick-Rack
Tinsel
Chipboard stars or snowflakes
Glitter
Crystal drops
Rhinestones

Tools:

Paper cutter
Scissors
Hole punch
Glue gun
Glue
Double sided tape
Pencil
Paintbrush

Template:  Download Tussie Mussie Template (Note:  This is a .pdf file.  You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.  You can download it here if you don't already have it on your PC)

Okay let's take a look at our supplies and tools:

 

 

 

 

You will need to print two copies of the template.  One for the cone and one for the contrasting band at the top.  This makes a Tussie Mussie that is about 8" tall. 

Using a small piece of double-sided tape affix the template to the backside of the paper you want to use for the cone and band.  I like to use the tape to keep my template from shifting while I am cutting.  You could trace the template to the backside of your paper if you prefer.  I use just a small piece of tape that is repositional so that it doesn't damage my paper.

Cut out your cone pieces. 

For the rosette cut a piece of cardstock 1" by 12" (Note: If you want a larger rosette cut your strip 1/4" wider) and a small circle (about the size of a quarter).  Fan fold the long strip of paper.

I'm including a picture of my scissors because I think these are brilliant for paper cutting.  They are super sharp and very comfortable to use. 

 

Asembling the rosette takes a bit of patience.  I like to use cardstock weight paper because it makes for a sturdy rosette.  But glueing it and getting it to stay can be tricky.  If you are comfortable with a glue gun it does make things go quicker but a good white glue works too (Alene's Orignal Tacky Glue is my all time favorite craft glue and what I used here).

First glue the ends together to form a circle or band:

 

Now here is the tricky part that I will do my best to explain – You want to push the center down and put a small blob of glue in the center.  This is where the glue gun is especially useful since it sets up quickly. 

 

Excuse me but when did my hands get so old looking?

Flip the rosette over (being careful it doesn't pop out of shape like it may want to) and glue the small paper disc to the back.  This will help stabilize it and it makes it easier to attach it to the cone. 

 

Now if you want you can make another, larger rosette, out of crepe paper and affix it to the back but in my personal opinion unless you have lovely, vintage crepe paper that has faded nicely it tends to look cheap.  I haven't ever found new crepe paper in satisfactory colors.

I brush on a little glue on the edges of my rosette and dip it in glitter (German glass glitter being my favorite). 

Affix a chipboard star or snowflake to the front.  I found these wonderful dimensional snowflakes at Michaels (Jolee's Boutique is the brand – a division of www.eksucessbrands.com) but they were on clearance so I don't how widely available they are.  You could just glitter up your own chipboard stars or snowflakes, adding rhinestones if you want.  Or use a pretty button in the center.

Okay let's move on to the cone. 

You'll notice on the template that one side of the cone and the contrasting band is a little bit longer than the other.  This part will overlap the other edge.

Crease it slightly and apply glue to this overlapping "flap."  Gently fold over the other edge and position (careful not to crease or wrinkle the cone) and then fold over the glued edge. 

 

This is what your glued seam should look like:

 

Wrap the band around the top of the cone and glue the edges together.  You can either trim the top edges so they are perfectly even or leave as is – the top gets covered pretty well by the trim.

 

Okay now we get to the fun part – embellishing.  Cover the top and bottom edges of the contrasting band with whatever trims you will be using.  Christmas is a good time to stock up on trims because craft stores seem to have an abundance of gold and silver trims in their ribbon section.

Once the trims have been added glue the rosette to your cone.  Be mindful of where the seam is and have that be the back of your cone, with the rosette on the front. 

Punch two small holes on either side of your cone, just below the top trim and insert a ribbon, making a small knot at each end once you have threaded the ribbon through. 

On one cone I just added some ribbon streamers to the bottom.  On the other I hung a small crystal drop.  Be as creative as you want with your embellishments. 

Now you can fill with little gifts or treats.  I hope this was useful.  If you end up making one I would love to see how it turned out. 

 

 

The only drawback to a short work week is trying to cram five days of work into three.  Seriously cuts into my blogging/crafting time.

I'm trying to make a Papiertuete or tussie mussie.  If I can get it down I'll share a template for making them.  Making a paper cone is harder than you would think. 

I hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving, if you are in the US, and just an all around fabulous day if you are not!