Lorraine D. Hebler

Mosaic Hearts for Grandchildren

By Lorraine

I finally got to it!
I have been wanting to try my hand at making a mosaic project.
I bought some glass tiles and broken china on eBay a few years ago.
Then found a box of supplies at a garage sale.
I used a coupon to purchase the cutter and picked up a few heart shaped pieces of wood.
And it all sat in the closet ~ until now.

This Valentine’s Day I would make some hearts for the little girls in my life.

 Not sure where to begin, I donned a pair of goggles and began cutting some pieces and playing around with a design.  Trying to make the finished heart a little more useful, I added a tiny peg that can be used to hang a necklace or two. I glued down each piece into place with an adhesive for mosaics.

 When the glue was dried, I opened the bottle of grout to find it was rock hard.  Off to the craft store for a new one and then on to the messy work of grouting.
Being sure that all of the spaces and crevices between each cut piece was filled, I scraped the excess off and waited about 30 minutes.
I lightly sprayed the surface with a water bottle and began rubbing away the grout that covered each tile.
Finally each little heart was finished.  A loop of ribbon was glued to the back and covered with a heart-shaped piece of card stock.

With an ‘I love you!’ sticker on the back, these hearts are ready to box up and make their way to the post office on Monday bound for some precious little girls that melt my heart.

Totally Frivolous

By Lorraine


Usually I am careful to use my time productively.  Today I spent an hour crocheting a scarf for my dog.  In a hounds-tooth pattern, of course.  Though it won’t keep him especially warm, he does look dapper in it.

 

 Little Ella likes this scarf too.

ahh… can we share?

Pattern by Claire@Crochet Spot.
(This is a great blog with so many patterns and techniques.  Stop by for a visit!)
~*~
Houndstooth Pet Scarf

Main Body
With red, ch 82 (or any multiple of 3, plus 1 turning chain)
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook, (dc in next ch, sc in next ch) across: 41 sc and 40 dc
Row 2: With black, sl st in first sc of row 1, ch 3 (counts as dc here and throughout), (sc in next dc, dc in next sc) across, change to red: 40 sc and 41 dc
Row 3: With red, ch 1, sc in first dc, (dc in next sc, sc in next dc) across: 41 sc and 40 dc
Row 4: Pick up black by pulling loop up through first sc of row 3, ch 3, (sc in next dc, dc in next sc) across, change to red,  fasten off black: 40 sc and 41 dc
Row 5: Ch 1, sc in first dc, (dc in next sc, sc in next dc) across: 41 sc and 40 dc, finish off.


Fringe (Optional)
For each row end, cut three pieces of the same color yarn measuring about 4″ each. Fold all three in half together. Insert hook around post of row end, pull folded end of yarn through, and pull out all the ends through the loop.

Cute Knitted Cowl Pattern

By Lorraine

 
Make a stylish, over-sized knitted cowl or hoodie with this easy to follow pattern. It is not complicated yet looks beautiful while keeping you warm and cozy.
Looking for a warm, cozy knitting project that is really cute too? I finished this knitted cowl from an easy to follow pattern from the Lion Brand Yarn site. (Thank you Marta, for the inspiration to pick up my needles again) I love the colors and feel of the cowl and the way it drapes around my neck.Continue Reading

Letter Signs

By Lorraine

Here are two Christmas gift projects I just finished.  One for AJ, our Mustang loving, drag car racer and the other one for our daughter, Jamie.
I started by snapping pictures in AJ’s meticulously organized garage looking for letters or items that worked so I could spell out MUSTANG.  I cropped the photo’s in photoshop, converted to a black and white image and ordered prints.

Here is a shot of AJ in his beloved mustang.

 After calculating the length of board needed, John cut the board and I sanded and painted it black.  Rubbing off some of the paint with sandpaper softened the stark black.
Carefully aligning each photo evenly, I taped (I didn’t have it but double sided tape would probably work well) and glued them down.  I actually think the tape worked better getting the edges flush.
The next day, using a sponge brush, I applied polyurethane. 

To add a more masculine look, I attached hex head zinc screws on each of the four corners.

To finish, I cut a brown paper bag and folded to fit the back.  A paper stapler is strong enough to go through the pine board. (oops, I see I need one more staple there)
Not shown in this photo, John added two saw-tooth hangers to the back for hanging.
 For Jamie, I searched for items that would form the letters of her last name. To match  her decor, I painted the board a light tan and then used some brown acrylic paint to antique lightly.  This time the photo’s were printed in sepia.

I searched scrap-booking stickers for ideas for the edges but just couldn’t find what I like for what I wanted (rather didn’t want) to pay.  I bought a little paper punch to make tiny flowers.  Then gold head tacks for the centers that I found at Lowe’s.  I liked the way it was looking… but maybe one more thing.

A little hard to see here, but I added drawer handles on each side of the board.  The added detail gives a more finished look.  They were extra from our kitchen re-do and had a bright gold finish.  I coated with a mix of brown and black acrylic paint and then a coat of Mod Podge to seal.
All done and ready for gift-giving.

Count Your Blessings

By Lorraine

I saw this great idea on Julie’s lovely blog Less-Than-Perfect Life of Bliss and knew I wanted to follow her instructions to make one too.
Instead of using letter and number stickers, I simplified my project by printing the words on some pretty paper. After carefully lining the three pages up, I taped them together to get the length I needed to fit the frame.

I inserted the pages into a frame I got on sale (Julie found a great frame at a thrift  store)
Then I attached a few very pretty paper flowers that a kind blogger named Sandy @Quill Cottage sent to me this time last year.

Using Dry erase makers, I can write directly on the glass the many blessings that fill my days.



Praise the LORD, my soul;
   all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
 Praise the LORD, my soul,
   and forget not all his benefits—
 who forgives all your sins
   and heals all your diseases,
 who redeems your life from the pit
   and crowns you with love and compassion,
 who satisfies your desires with good things
   so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5

Thanksgiving Gratitude Banner

By Lorraine

Visiting a blog with the cute name of The Answer Is Chocolate,  I found a banner perfect for Thanksgiving.  My banner is very similar to the instructions Carol provided on her blog and was easy to make with what I had on hand.

Little wooden clothes pins are embellished and used to hold each letter in place for hanging.

I kept the edges straight but Carol used her Cricut to cut out a scalloped edge on the patterned paper that looks very nice.

Since I did not have the pretty Tulle as the one I copied, I used cotton yarn and just crocheted a long chain. 

A quick search turned up these quotes on gratitude:

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.  Have you used one to say “thank you?”  ~William A. Ward

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts.  No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.  ~H.U. Westermayer

Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.  ~G.B. Stern

There is no such thing as gratitude unexpressed.  If it is unexpressed, it is plain, old-fashioned ingratitude.  ~Robert Braul

When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time.  Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?  ~G.K. Chesterton

The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.  ~John E. Southard

The unthankful heart… discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!  ~Henry Ward Beecher   

Grace isn’t a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal.  It’s a way to live.  ~Attributed to Jacqueline Winspear

Who does not thank for little will not thank for much.  ~Estonian Proverb

When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep?  ~George Canning
     

Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe…
Hebrews 12:28 NASB

Giant Bubbles Fun Summer Activity with Grandchildren

By Lorraine

Time with grandchildren is some of the very best moments of all. They are even more precious when those grandchildren live a distance away. As our daughter Jill and husband, Brad’s visit was nearing an end, we had one last activity we wanted to do with the kids before they head back to up-state New York. Making bubbles. GIANT bubbles. Bubbles they could almost climb into. And it was so much fun! If you are looking for a great activity to do with kids, grand kids, your own kids, neighborhood kids, youth group kids and even big kids, make a batch of bubble solution together and see who can make the biggest one!
Ryan caught on quickly and was making some pretty impressive bubbles in no time.
Shaela needed a little help at first from PopPop
 She soon caught on and was making some amazing bubbles all by herself.
 And, pretty thrilled about it.
How To Make GIANT Bubbles
For convenience, supplies can be purchased from Amazon through links below.

Supplies to make the bubble solution:
1 Gallon Purified Water 
5 cups Unscented and uncolored Dish-washing Soap
1/2 cup Glycerin

Directions:
Pour the water into a bucket. I used a clean plastic container. 
Pour the dish-washing soap into the water. Then mix it gently with a wooden spoon. 
Pour the glycerin in. Mix gently again. You don’t want ANY bubbles. 

NOTE: Humidity has a lot to do with good bubble making so you might want to add a little more or less water to get a good consistency. Since it is so humid here in August, a little thinner was better.
Supplies for making the wand
2 Wooden or Poly Dowels, we cut them 16 to 24-inch 
2 Eye screws
3 to 4   1/4 inch nuts  (to weigh the line down)
Cotton String (we used kitchen twine) 

Directions: The photos will be a help in making the wand

  • Drill a small hole in the end of each dowel. 
  • Screw the Eye Hooks into the holes you just drilled until they are secure. 
  • Cut a 70-inch piece of cotton string. Cut another piece of string that measures 30-inches. You can make the string as long or short as you like just as long as one string is longer than the other. 
  • Put the 3 to 4 nuts through the 70 inch string. 
  • Put the ends of both pieces of string through one of the eye hooks and tie a knot. Do the same thing on the other eye hook. Now you should have a long string and a shorter one that runs from one dowel to the other.

    Even our pup lent a paw in the process of measuring the string and making the wand!

    Now for the Fun part: 
    Making Giant Bubbles 

    • Head outside with your bucket of solution
    • Put the end of the dowels in the bucket so the string is submerged in the bubble solution. 
    • Bring the ends of the dowels up from the bubble solution, together until about chest high. 
    • Then separate the dowels by pulling them outward so the string makes a triangle that points down. The washers will weigh the center of the bottom string down. see photo below.
    • Step backward quickly so that the air goes through the bubble solution between the dowels and makes a bubble.  

    We had to give it a few tries before getting the hang of making the bubbles but as you can see, even little kids were quickly able to master it.

    And the big kids couldn’t resist a try 🙂





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    Home Sweet Home

    By Lorraine

    a sentiment near to our hearts…
    This little cross stitch was made when we first moved into our new home.
    Remember back in the 80’s and 90’s when counted cross stitch was popular?
    I made many and still have a few framed and hanging on my walls.

    The Little Home
Edgar A. Guest

The little house is not too small
To shelter friends who come to call.
Though low the roof and small its space
It holds the Lord's abounding grace,
And every simple room may be
Endowed with happy memory.

The little house, severly plain,
A wealth of beauty may contain.
Within it those who dwell may find
High faith which makes for peace of mind,
And that sweet understanding which
Can make the poorest cottage rich.

The little house can hold all things
From which the soul's contentment springs.
'Tis not too small for love to grow,
For all the joys that mortals know,
For mirth and song and that delight
Which make the humblest dwelling bright.
     ♥
     
     
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