michelle my belle

washi tape & pesky cords tutorial

do you have any of those items with really annoyingly long cords?
either they're in the way or even just an eyesore.

this has been mine of late.
and finally, today i took a couple of minutes to do something about it.

i don't need it to be very long so all i did was gather it up back & forth till it was the length i needed.
then i took a few pretty colors of washi tape and begun wrapping it around and around.
i would recommend several rotations so that the cord doesn't end up tearing out of the tape.

ahhhhh. all better.
not just organized and clean but even fetching!
sometimes, it's the simplest of accomplishments that make me the happiest.

st. patrick's day cupcake toppers (free)!

st. patrick's day is already almost here!
these cute & funky st. patrick's day cupcake toppers are ones that i previously designed for a party.
i've included the free downloads for them at the bottom of this post.
i haven't quite gotten around to this years yet... not sure if it's going to happen.






do you have any big plans/traditions for st. patty's day 2012?

 
download free st. patrick's day clover cupcake topper.
download free st. patrick's day frog cupcake topper.

 

can't wait to make more of these!

both my girls are totally into cute headbands right now.
so, for this little batch of stitched felt, that's what i decided to make.

from start to finish this project probably took me a little over an hour.

(my youngest & her friend)

i'll try to take a few more pictures of the next one i make so i can write a little tutorial to go along with it. :)

happy saturday friends! xo-m

what to do with picture christmas cards?

remember my picture christmas card post from last year?
well, just in case you missed it... and are wondering what to do with all those awesome picture christmas cards.
i've got the most simple, cheap and quick way to organize and keep them.

all you need is a hole punch and some rings.
punch some holes (the same width apart), and put them together!

this year i took the pretty top off another christmas card and used it as my cover.

adding the year with this handy dandy thing of which i don't know the name of.

i bring them out every year and they're always getting looked at by us and by our guests.
this whole thing literally took me about 10 minutes.
ahhhhh.
i LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. quick accomplishments!

 

2nd ARTFEST workshop - some sculpting fun!

 




the second workshop i'll be teaching at Artfest 2012 is - dolls & dudes.
i'll be focusing on sculpting techniques, armature building and painting.

i seriously think i could sculpt creatures all day, every day.
it just makes me so happy.

craft hope - project 12 - bracelets!

i've been wanting to do one of the craft hope projects ever since i had heard about them.

for this project craft hope is partnering with orphan outreach to make bracelets for orphans in russia.

here are some of my handmade cuffs/bracelets.

if you're interested in getting involved they are accepting bracelets till june 15.
they can be any type of bracelet, you're not limited to fabric.

my initial thought was that this would be the perfect thing to do with my kids...
nailing them down was a different story!

i made some with my awesome mom on our mother's day craft evening.

and some with my friend reenie who is a big knitter/crocheter.
these are her and her kid's contribution.

a few bracelet tutorials i found:
braided fabric bracelet
super cute felt bracelet
jersey hand knit bracelet
popsicle stick bracelet
rainbow bracelet

can't wait till the next one i can participate in!

drab to fab - diy

it's finally garage sale season!
much to my hubs vexation!
i try to remind him that i'm SAVING money and all these pieces of trash will soon turn to treasures.

all it takes is a little primer.

and some pretty colored spray paint!

and there you have it!
inexpensive, quick and rewarding.

st. patrick's day clover cupcake topper

just one more!

for those of you that needed something a little more subtle.

yum!!!



click Download CloverCupcakeTopper to download your free clover cupcake topper.

lucky you - st. patrick's day cupcake toppers

  it's almost time to GO GREEN!
is there anything better than green cupcakes?
okay, don't answer that!

frankly, the traditional st. patricks day decor doesn't usually do it for me.
i'm always looking for a bit more artiness... or weirdness.

i figured you were the same.
hence, i designed some 'lucky you' frog cupcake toppers just for you and me!



click Download StPaddyCupcakeTopper for your free download.

love those picture christmas cards???

have you been wondering what in the world you're going to do with all the nice picture Christmas cards? not really wanting to throw them away but also not wanting the hassle of scrap-booking them.

here's the answer!
yearly books that you can throw on your coffee table during the holidays.

simply take your hole punch and line the card up so that it punches just the TWO holes evenly on the card.

then get some clasping metal rings that you can find at almost any store -and voila!
easy, fun and organized!