Simply, To the Point

Posted on April 12, 2012 by admin

For those gifted with the DIY or crafty gene, this article is not for you. You instinctively know this.

But if you are one of those that are constantly declaring “I don’t have a crafty bone in my body”. Read on!

 

This is a super simple technique – woops, “technique” is much too strong a term; let’s call it “method” – for getting the ends of any ribbon, for any project, just right.

Simple Diagonal

 

 

 

 

 

Lay two ends on top each other, cut through both at approximately 45% angle. This way both ends are the same.

If you’re really picky about that 45% angle bit, but don’t trust yourself eyeballing it, here’s how you can still get it. Much easier than digging out the old compass, protractor or quilter’s ruler, right?

Fold one end over itself perpendicularly.                     Cut along fold for a perfect 45° angle.

Repeat for other end, or lay this cut end on top of the other and use it as a guide.

Single Point

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fold end of ribbon in half lengthwise. Hold with fold at the BOTTOM, closest to you. Cut at desired angle.

 

Voila!

Hint: If you’re picky about the angles being the same on both ends, either hold the two folded ends on top of each other and cut at once. Or, cut one then lay it on top of the second folded one and use it as your guide.

Double Point – or Nautical Flag Style

(or if you have pre-teens running in your world, you might relate more to “Vampire Fang Style”)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fold end of ribbon in half lengthwise.  Hold with fold at the TOP, away from you. Cut at desired angle.

 

Look at that – perfect end points, again!

Hint: Again, if you’re picky about the angles being the same on both ends, either hold the two folded ends on top of each other and cut at once. Or, cut one then lay it on top of the other folded one and use it as your guide.

If you’re a crafting novice, I hope this helped you gain a bit of confidence. I hope with every extra smidgeon of confidence, you will be more inclined to try you hand at creating, celebrate the end results and take joy in the process.

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Party Sack as Charming Messenger

Posted on April 11, 2012 by admin

 

With a few simple items you probably have on hand, it’s a quick 15 minutes to a fresh statement piece.

All you need is:

~ Fabric or Paper Bag with message tag (yes, I’m showing a South House jute party sack with Chalk Cloth Spot-to-Jot)
~ Small tree or two branches as I used
~ Empty Can (I used an empty Panko bread crumb can, but almost any tall-ish can will do)
~ Florist marbles, pebbles, rocks, sand (whatever you have on hand)
~ A length of ribbon
~ Florist Moss (in the craft aisle at Wal-mart or florist aisles of hobby and fabric stores)
~ 2 plastic bags

 

1)  Start with your message while your bag is flat. I wrote with Chalk Marker on the chalk cloth spot, but you can stamp or stencil on the bag or a tag.

 

 

2)  Fill the can with marbles/rocks/sand and place in the bag

3)  Twist the plastic bags and loosely wrap around the base of the can to act as filler between the can and the bag.


 

 

4)  Gather the bag around the neck of the can and tie with ribbon.

 

 


 

5)  If using two or more branches as I did, wire them together.

 

 

 

6)  Insert tree into can filler.

 

 


 

7)  For the finishing touch, add moss. Be sure to cover completely and I like to have a bit hanging over the edge.

 

 

 

Yes, this original Believe tree was for Christmas in our home, but it’s simplicity cries out to be translated to many, many occasions and seasons. How about:

For Easter/Spring – A branch from the budding redbud out back with a nest with egg nestled in a joint, or paper butterflies or pastel eggs attached and the message declaring either “He is Risen” or “Bloom”

For Mom & Dad’s 50th anniversary buffet table – tree branches bearing small pictures of each family member that has resulted from this union and the message being their initials encircled by a heart

For Halloween – of course anything creepy

So what message would you declare on your bag?

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It’s All in the Details – Setting a Fabulous Table

Posted on April 5, 2012 by admin

I just love a fabulous table!The table sets the tone for any celebration, whether sit down feast, buffet or just snacks.

A few details done right is all it takes to elevate a table to that fabulous status. And all the better if at least one of those details is a delightful surprise.

Yes, it’s the details that really make a celebration special. But those details don’t have to be expensive or difficult – or require artistic skill – if you have a few tricks in your bag.

I am so excited to introduce my newest offering that promises to elevate your table. Your guests are guaranteed to swoon when they spy these delightful bags holding a thoughtful memento of the occasion or a sweet token.

My little jute trinket bags are delightful and versatile, serving as place cards, party favors, or both. Any number of embellishments can be added to compliment your event, your decor, your honoree. And I’ve shown several way to close them up, or of course you don’t have to close them at all, just let their contents spill out.

Isn’t this placesetting wonderful? This is my corset tie method. It looks difficult, adds panache to any table, but is really very easy. Don’t believe me? Follow along here to see for yourself:

 

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Dear Santa, – Banner Creativity

Posted on March 7, 2012 by admin

The beauty of creative thinking is how we all see things differently. I am amazed at the charming ways so many of my customers use my chalk cloth and jute banners. I am particularly smitten with how one customer, Kristi, used them this past Christmas season.

She saw them as an opportunity for her kids to express their personalities – and their wishes. Could it be any more charming than this? And the vintage ice skates take it to a whole new level.

And wouldn’t this make a cute timeline to document their changing personalities by capturing in photo how the “wishes” change each year.

NOTE: Kristi reported that the kids loved to write and re-write on them. She didn’t wiping them completely clean between edits, so they show quite a bit of chalk dust. This look adds to Kristi’s vintage charm, but if you prefer, they do wipe clean with a damp cloth.

And she led with this style on the front door wreath – with her own Christmas wish.

 

Thanks for sharing Kristi. Totally loving this!

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The New Taste of Nostalgia – Marshmallows

Posted on October 31, 2011 by admin

Who doesn’t love a touch of nostalgia especially when sweet and usually associated with chocolate, whether s’mores in the summer or cocoa in the winter? But personally, nothing beats a marshmallow roasted over a fire on a long stick, slightly crispy and golden on the outside and melty creamy on the inside.

For a while now, I’ve been wanting to try making homemade marshmallows. Daughter Katie was home for Christmas, so let the experimenting ensue!

So much easier than I had anticipated! Yes, a bit time-consuming. Yes, a sticky mess that fortunately cleans up real easy as it melts instantly with warm water. YES, delicious. Now we are spoiled. Jet Puff will just never measure up.

Boil:

Beat:

Slice:

 

Enjoy
The results were so delicious that we altered our New Year’s Eve tradition. Fondue for four families remained, but rather than a doughnut fry at midnight, we rang in 2011 with a Marshmallow Smorgasboard.

Katie & I made four different flavors of marshmallows: Amaretto, Mint, Mocha, and Pumpkin Spice. Here they are looking fabulous:

 

Another family brought brownies and blondies. Each partier was given an au gratin dish to build their dessert, layered to their hearts’ content. Numerous dishes on one cookie sheet were slid under the broiler and a brief minute later, guests were enjoying a warm delicious dessert of their own design.

Also, these made awesome additions to hot cocoa!

This is the recipe that served as our jumping off point:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/peppermint-marshmallows/detail.aspx

NOTE: for the flavoring, we adjusted to 1 tsp mint extract, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp peppermint schnapps.

Want to try this idea, but think you need a shortcut? Order a delicious assortment of exotic flavored marshmallows from one of these amazing Etsy shops:
Whimsy&Spice, Oh Yum, Calabasas Candy Company and Have It Sweet.

I encourage you to indulge in a bit of nostalgia yourself and of course take your family and friends on this nostalgic journey with you.

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Mastering Party Favors

Posted on April 14, 2011 by southhousedesigns

My friend Kathy is one of those wonderful people who can elevate any celebration beyond the norm, make everyone feel special and magically make it seem effortless.

Kathy’s sister, Debbi, was preparing to celebrate her 25th wedding anniversary with her husband, Steve. They had recently lost both of Steve’s parents, so the pending celebration became more than just their anniversary, but rather a celebration of family. All of Debbi’s and Steve’s six siblings and spouses (plus a few extras) joined them for a long weekend in Bermuda.

Kathy & Debbi’s parents could not attend due to their own health issues, so be sure to check out my Flat Family & Friends post to see how Kathy included Bill & Betty in the party.

Kathy wanted to surprise her sister with a special way to mark the occasion. The expected would be a highlight video. But remember, this is Kathy we’re talking about. So….

At dinner, at each place setting was this:

When the moment was right, Kathy instructed the party to open their party favors in unison and – VOILA! – customized viewmasters with pictures of the happy couple’s life together!

What a fun way to tell an abbreviated story of Debbi & Steve! No technology required, AND everyone gets a souvenir to take it home.

Kathy raves about Image3d, a family-owned company in Oregon.  She was thrilled that it took just 7 pictures to build a reel.

See Debbi and Steve have three teenage sons. We can all imagine the dubious results of asking teen boys to find some old snapshots, scan and e-mail them to their aunt, and, oh, do all this without Mom or Dad’s help or knowledge.

Kathy added all the text she wanted while also choosing the font and color. She chose the color of the viewmasters and had the face imprinted to mark the occasion. They arrived a few short days later all beautifully packaged in individual white gift boxes. All Kathy had to do then was add a bright festive ribbon around each box.

LOVING THIS!

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Stocking Rods

Posted on December 18, 2010 by southhousedesigns

I keep getting: “So what are your stockings hanging from?” “Are those hooks custom made?” “How do you hang so many stockings but have such an uncluttered mantle?”

So here’s my very simple secret: Two, yes, just two stocking holders suspending a standard curtain rod. It doesn’t get much easier (or cheaper) than that!

So Keep a look out for two heavy stocking holders/hooks that have a hook or loop large enough to slip a thin curtain rod through. Two should do it and you can just keep adding stockings as your family grows without having to purchase more hangers.

If you have a rustic mantle, such as a distressed timber, a thin rod (even a thin wood dowel) suspended from two cup hooks screwed into the bottom of the mantle would do the trick.

When my stockings easily fit within the space, I just use a twist tie to attached each stocking loop to the rod.

But when my grouping outgrows the allocated width, then I like to tie the stockings to the rod with ribbon staggering the length of ribbon to vary the heights.

Posted in Seasonal Celebrations, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Blessings & Bliss to One and All

Posted on December 15, 2010 by southhousedesigns

Thanks to so many for making this a most incredible holiday season. With each and every package that leaves my porch heading to your door, I send my wishes for you and yours to enjoy a season of blessings and bliss.

Thanks so very much!

Hope to see you all back in 2011,

Diane

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Tips for Styling your Christmas Stockings Like a Pro

Posted on October 5, 2010 by southhousedesigns

It really doesn’t take much to take your stockings from this:

 

Before...

 

To this…..

 

And after!

 

Whether I am styling my stockings for my home or for my photographs, I use several tricks that I have developed over the years.

Start by stuffing your stockings to give them shape. My stuffer of choice is that plethora of plastic bags from the grocery store in my pantry (despite my best efforts to remember to use my green grocery tote bags).

Stuff the toe and foot as full as you like; then before you start up the leg, drop a small weighted sandwich bag in the heel. I seal a handful of florist glass marbles in a simple sandwich bag with a twist tie. If you’re hanging a stocking on a door, think about filling the bag with sand. The soft weight will keep the stocking from swinging too hard and protect the finish of your door.

Once you have the heel weighted to counterbalance the toe and keep your stocking more upright, continue to stuff up the leg. When you get within a few inches of the top, wedge a chunk of florist foam in place to support your greens and accents.

Now it’s time to add the “wow” factor. The simplest is to insert a long stem of greens behind the foam and then insert glass globes, pine cones or whatever accents are best for you right into the foam. The foam will hold them upright and secure.

Of course, this all gets dumped on Christmas Eve to make room for St. Nick and his elves to deposit their bounty of surprises.

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Throw your own Wine Tasting party!

Posted on September 15, 2010 by southhousedesigns

Host your own wine tasting party

There are those who take wine tasting very seriously and believe it’s all about the wine. They know a Nebbiolo from a Bordeaux. The difference between piquant and acescence.

Frankly, I wouldn’t know an Nebbiolo if it walked up and hit me on the head. But don’t get me wrong. I appreciate a nice glass of wine myself. But sometimes wine isn’t just about the bouquet or the year. It’s also a terrific way to get a party going. Meet new people. Enjoy old friends, conversation and lots of laughs; which of course is often directly proportionate to the amount of wine served. Just saying….

So if you are one of those diehard wine-oisseurs, stop reading. This post is NOT for you.

OK, for everyone else…here are the steps to hosting your own wine tasting. Provided you follow a few guidelines, it can be one of the easiest parties you throw all year.

Pick a Theme: Such as a Varietal  (merlot, sauvignon, pinot, etc.) or a region (such as Australia, Napa, Missouri, etc.). Be as broad or as narrow in your theme as you want.

Choose from 4 to 6 different wines that fit your theme. For example, pick 6 different Chardonnays from all around the world or just different points in the United States; or 6 different varietals of wine from the same Australian winery; or perhaps 6 different chards from Napa from 2006. Mix it up, make your own rules, have fun!

Start with the essentials, like wine!

The Essentials

Guests & Wine – Provide 4 to 6 different bottles for 6 to 8 guests. If you are inviting a larger crowd, consider 2 bottles of each wine (just be sure to label the like bottles the same).

Bottle Bags and Labels – Bottles need to be disguised, so they won’t influence the grading. And a little mystery is just plain fun. A brown paper bag will certainly do the job. But I’m partial to my jute bags with their Chalk Cloth labels.

Jute bags - a great way to disguise the bottles

HINT: label the bottles using letters since the grading is numerical. After tasting numerous bottles of wine, too many numbers often leads to too much confusion.

Glasses - Use clear wine glasses with full bowls for swirling without spillage (we hope).

Water and bowls – Have a pitcher of water and a bucket or bowl handy to rinse glasses between tastings

Don't forget water and a bowl for rinsing

Scorecards – These can be as simple as a blank note card where each guest rates the overall appeal of each wine with a single number score of 1 to 10; or a standard “wine-y” scorecard with the five main attributes evaluated, assessed and assigned a score; or my personal favorite – the four different scorecards I developed to guarantee lively conversation and lots of laughs!

These nifty scorecards make judging easy

The standard five attributes are assessed against pop culture measuring sticks. I certainly find it much more entertaining to judge the overall taste against the likes of Howard Stern versus Michelle Obama or Snooki versus Grace Kelly. And its clarity: closer to the plot of Lost or Gilligan’s Island? You get the idea.

Food - Simple is best! Bland crackers are great to cleanse the palate during the tasting, but surely something a bit more substantial would be welcomed once the grading is done. Traditionally, fruit and cheese are served.

Picking the best: Once all the wines have been tasted and scored, each guest totals his or her own scores and figures their personal rankings. The host adds all the individual totals for a grand total and announces the party-wide rankings. How did your individual rankings compare to that of the group?

ALTERNATIVE: You can set it up as a competition. The host picks a theme with each guest bringing a bottle that fits that theme. Each bottle is bagged and tagged. Yes, in some cases it is possible to distinguish your bottle from the rest by the bit of neck exposed at the bag’s opening. So here’s a hint if you feel compelled to thwart the hyper-competitive guest: pour his or her wine into an alternate clean and dry bottle, then bag and tag this alternate bottle. Hah! Continue with the tasting as before, and when the scores are all tallied uncloak the bottles and award a prize to the person bringing the top-ranking wine. Prize you say? Perhaps this amazing bottle stopper turned by incredible Etsy artist, Steve of SunsetTurnings.etsy.com. Check out all his beautiful wine bottle stoppers at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/sunsetturnings?section_id=6529140

The best thing about wine tasting among friends (and even new acquaintances) is its light-hearted atmosphere. It’s about fun, laughter and enjoying each other’s company … and a good glass of wine.

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