Make a 3D Truck without Dies Video + Smile!

Hi, there!  I've had a great weekend with Louisa here.  It's been getting colder, so we stayed in most of the weekend playing with buttons and paintbrushes.  Who knew it could be so much fun to pretend to paint pictures on a bedroom door?!

When we were outside, the wind would gust and blow leaves off the trees and Louisa would say, "What is that?"  She asked me about ten times and the thought still makes me smile!

This adorable image makes me smile, too!  I had so much fun coloring it.  It reminds me of Louisa pulling leaves off the tree to help them out!

I really wanted to make some 3D trucks for Thanksgiving.  I thought a truck would be so cute with pumpkins and a small bag of pumpkin shaped candy in the back.

I was a little sticker shocked when I saw the price of the 3D truck dies.  So, I kept thinking surely I could figure out how to make one without dies.  First, I looked through my stamps and I didn't have a truck stamp big enough. 

So then I looked through clip art on Etsy.  Found a watercolor truck set that I really really liked.  Thought about how it might work and decided to buy the file.  It was a little more than I usually spend on digital files, but I thought even if it didn't work out for a 3D truck, I might use it for something else.  It has a cute car and other pretty elements, as well.  Besides, $7.99 is waaay, less than $48.00!  

Then I set out to figure out how to put a 3D truck together.  Turns out, once I figured it out, it was really easy to do.

I put a video together to show you just how to make your own 3D truck.  Check it out:





I may even put some trucks together for Christmas - that would be fun!

Paper Pumpkins + TV Experience!

Guess what?????  I was on TV yesterday morning!  YES, me!  Are you wondering why? 

 Promise - it wasn't a mug shot.  I got to do a craft segment on our local Rise and Shine morning program!

Out of the blue, I got an email from Sweeney PR Firm asking me if I would like to do a fall craft TV segment for JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores.  At first, I thought "Yeah, right."  But I googled the firm and the person and they seemed legit.  Called and talked to a lovely lady who said they found me through my blog.  Fast forward a couple more days and I actually did it - LIVE!  I keep hoping they'll get the segment posted, when (and if) they do, I'll link to it for you to see.

It was a 5 minute segment, so the project had to be easy.  And, of course, I wanted it to be cute.  Answer:  Paper pumpkins, sweet and cute paper pumpkins.

These are so easy I've even done them with first graders.  You've probably made a paper chain and that's what these are, but instead of linked together, they are wrapped around each other.

Here's how:

For the large pumpkin, cut 4 strips 1 1/2" x 12.  For the medium pumpkin:  1" x 10 1/2.  For the small pumpkin:  1" x 9 1/2.

Place the ball on the strip diagonally.  Place it so that the open spaces align with the strip.

Add a stem and decoration.  These stems are made with wooden spools.  You could use corks, too.

Have a wonderful weekend!