DIY Wedding Gifts #1: Thumbprint Guest Tree

One of my friends is getting married next month.  She and her fiance are Pinterest fans and have used some of the ideas there for their wedding plans.  I pinned a really cool thing awhile ago that the bride also liked:  a thumbprint wedding guest tree.
Have you see these?  There are several varieties available (search Pinterest and Etsy).  The idea is simple: guests leave a fingerprint instead of signing a traditional guestbook.  They are not all trees…balloons seem to be a popular choice and the peacock is pretty cool.My friend asked me to give the tree a shot, so out came my watercolors. I haven’t painted in a long time…it was fun!I cut the paper so that the painting would fit in a 16 X 20 frame.I decided to add a city skyline….we love our San Antonio!And, a big tree!







The sky went in next with a washed-out skyline. Then, the field and the tree itself.
The bride and groom’s initials “carved” into the tree!I had to add a few bluebonnets!A few finishing touches and the wedding info…and it’s done!
What do you think?  With “leaves”, I think it’ll be a neat keepsake.  I hope they like it.








This post is linked to:
http://shakentogether.blogspot.com/2012/04/whats-shakin-link-party-6-party-faves.html
http://www.niftythriftythings.com/2012/04/nifty-thrifty-sunday-55.html
http://www.simplyklassichome.com/2012/04/simply-klassic-sunday-and-features.html
http://craftygsquared.blogspot.com/2012/04/pin-ed-it-made-it_27.html
http://www.flamingotoes.com/2012/04/think-pink-sunday-no-58
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http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2012/04/office-updates-shell-charger-progress.html
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http://www.sweetlittlegals.com/2012/04/turquoise-lovin-36.html
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http://www.notjustahousewife.net/2012/05/show-me-what-ya-got-72.html
http://www.oopseydaisyblog.com/2012/05/wednesdays-wowzers-17.html
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http://www.theroosterandthehen.com/need-inspiration-rrr-transformation-party/
http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/2012/05/show-and-tell-saturday-050512.html

DIY Washer Jewelry

I’m sure that most of you have seen the cute “washer jewelry” and “Mom jewelry” that is all over Pinterest, Etsy, and the blogosphere.  I just love it and I’ve been dying to get a set of metal stamps so that I could try it myself.  I also needed some fun, creative gifts to make for a couple of girls at work.  Good excuse to buy those stamps, right?
I picked-up two sets of stamps at Harbor Freight…a 1/4” and a 1/8”…and a couple boxes of assorted washers.
There are lots of tutorials online for how to stamp on metal, but it’s really not that difficult.  You should plan to have some spare/practice washers on hand while you get used to how many times to hammer the stamp, line-up the letters, et cetera.
Basically, you need a hard surface (preferably cement), a protective surface (I used a plastic cutting mat), a hammer, washers, and your stamps.
The garage floor and front porch step worked well for me, along with an old plastic mat.  I hammered each letter about 5 times.After stamping the washer, I filled each letter in with a black sharpie.  It gets a little messy here and you need to wipe the Sharpie off right away.  You can use a wet wipe or cloth.The black ink stays inside the letters and makes them stand out.I made one for Baby Jude’s momma…this is her first baby!  I used black cord for the necklace and added a copper washer.  I also found a cute little boy charm at Hobby Lobby to finish it off.This one is for my friend Pam, who is having her third little one.  I included a washer with each of her kiddos’ names on a triple hanger that I found at Hobby Lobby.I also put one together (as an early Mothers’ Day gift) for my mother.  This one is on a chain and has her grandkids’ names on washers and the word “love” on another copper piece.  BTW, they all LOVED their gifts! Of course, I just had to throw one in for myself!And, since I was on a jewelry-making kick, I made one for a bride-to-be friend too.  I included their initials and wedding date.Aren’t they fun?  I am totally enjoying these stamps and am looking forward to more projects.  Maybe I’ll finally open that Etsy shop and put them in there…









This post is linked to:
http://youngancrafty.blogspot.com/2012/04/free-for-all_20.html
http://tatertotsandjello.com/2012/04/weekend-wrap-up-party-and-kristens-custom-creations-giveaway.html
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