Gnome Homes, here we come!

I am so excited about my newest project! Tomorrow I will attempt to build a gnome home out of wood.  Today I made one out of card stock.  It turned out pretty good (better than the pictures did). Check back in a day or two to see the finished product!

Check out the pictures.

More Ideas for Teachers and Mother's Day

Here is another cigar box Teacher purse that I made. I love the blackboard decor with the stamped letters and school bus. This one has the globe at the top of the side, rather than sitting on top like the one in the previous post and does have the wooden "apple" beaded handle. This would make a really great gift for the class to give to their teacher. Or, for someone who just graduated and will begin teaching next semester.

Is Grandma a Red Hat Lady? Well, I have the perfect Mother's Day gift for her! How about a Red Hat purse? I love these purses. Padded and lined, with some extra little surprises inside, like a pen/lipstick holder, a feather and mirror, and even a lipstick/pill case to match the purse!

If your special person has other tastes, there are plenty of ideas to make her happy!  This is one of my favorites, with an Asian feel to it. It is decoupaged on the outside and lined with red silk on the inside. The handle is made with wooden beads with oriental script on them.

Is Mom or Grandma a golfer? This would be perfect! Here are two choices. One is very unique because it is a slide-top cigar box.  Makes a great purse because it is very secure, no chance of the lock breaking because you have too much in it! You just set it down on the back when you get ready to open it! The front has decoupaged fabric cut-outs of various pieces of golf equipemnt. The back, covered in green felt, has game tiles spelling out game terms.  Even the handle has some wooden "golf ball" beads! The other, more traditional style purse, also has fabric cut-outs decoupaged on the front. The woodgrain on this box is not covered up with paint or stain. It is just varnished. The inside has a mirror held in place by two golf ball buttons. (I apologize for the poor pictures. The finish on this was so glossy, I could not get a good picture without the big white blur in the center.)

Another one (this one sold before I could even finish it!) is the Lighthouse. It is painted blue on one side, with fabric cut-outs of lighthouses decoupaged. The sides and back are varnished over the black stained box.

And finally, another one that sold before I could finish it is the Spring Purple. Such pretty colors made this one popular! I have made a few similar to this one.  Fabric decoupage on the front, varnished over the black stain of the box and lined inside with fabric, it is just too pretty to keep it closed!

These are just a few samples and suggestions. No two purses are just alike and the design is up to you. I also have some collegiate purses that are so unique and so cool, husbands want their wives to have them! Here is a sampling:

It can take up to 10 days to make these cigar box purses, made from authentic cigar boxes, not craft store plywood boxes. Contact me to place your order!

Mother's Day is just a couple of weeks away

I love the smile on the face of a mom or grandmother when she opens a pretty little package containing one of these suncatcher/ornaments.

I can take your favorite picture, print it on a transparency sheet and make a very special gift that will look beautiful on your tree at Christmas or hanging in your window all year long.  What a lovely hanging vignette for a grandmother to have her kitchen window filled with pictures of her children and grandchildren! (Even "bubbles" of family photos or characters from nursery themes, hanging over a cradle would be a great nursery decoration.)

Here are some I have done this past year and would LOVE to do for you: 

GRANDPARENT'S HEART

Picture taken of grandmother and granddaughter,
on the steps of the family home
where 4 generations have lived. 

Grandparents and granddaughter

Black feathers in bottom of ornament,
crocheted lace around rim,
embellished with a pink rose.

Precious first portrait trapped in an ornament.

Here are two shots of this so you can
 see a better view of the picture in one...

...& the crocheted doily in the bottom to match the crocheted blanket the baby is laying on.

MISSING LOVED ONES

Loving couple.....

he passed away a few months before Christmas; 

their love is captured in a Christmas ornament.  

Mother & Daughter...
Daughter passed away shortly after this picture was taken;
their last Christmas morning & last photo taken together.

the last photo taken with her brother & his family,
a bond forever a part of the Christmas season

Another loving couple....
picture of loving couple on their honeymoon in the 70s,
kissing in front of the fireplace.
He passed away, leaving her with 30 years of memories.

WEDDING DAY

First Christmas---

I made this from a picture of my Princess and her Prince Charming on their wedding day. It is embellished with ribbon from her bridesmaids' bouquets and a button replica of the flowers in the wedding.

Mother and Daughter pictures are very special.
This one has some embellishments in and on it,

using the colors that were used in the wedding and reception

I would be happy to help you with your 

Mother's Day shopping!

Ornaments are custom made with your 

gift-recipient in mind.

$12 + shipping and handling

orders need to be placed 5 to 10 days ahead

remember to check out For Your Love for gift cards, greeting cards, and gift wrap and bags!

It's Prom! It's Graduation! It's Mother's Day!

It's all of the above!

I am running about two weeks behind on the new Monkey & Scooter web pages, but it's not because I have been sitting on the sofa popping Bon Bons and watching soaps! (Well, the Bon Bon popping, maybe......) But this weekend, I am trying to get some items onto For Your Love for the first time!

 

I have been working on some cool ideas for graduation and Mother's Day gifts! Over the last couple of weeks, Facebook has been covered with beautiful prom pictures, posted by proud mamas, grandmamas and aunts. Last year I made some glass ornaments with mother-daughter pictures from weddings, one of my own Princess' wedding pictures of her and Prince Charming, and babies' first portraits. I thought, "well, why not take some of these prom pictures and pictures being used on graduation annoucements (those new ones that everyone is now using) and make ornaments with those?" They would be great gifts for parents and grandparents, some grads might even like them!

Here is the first one I did using a prom picture. I am still working on one using a graduation announcement picture and some school monograms.

Here are a couple of wedding picture ornaments, as well. My Princess and her Prince Charming are included along with my friend and her daughter on her daughter's wedding day.

I just had to throw this one in. It's the very first glass ornament I made. It's of the best grandmother that ever lived! My Mama Shofner at her 80th birthday celebration. She lived almost 2 decades after this picture was taken.

Here is an ornament for a mother of a grad. I used the picture the grad's uncle took to use on his graduation announcements.



This is a private school's monogram, in school colors with some sparkly blue sticks in the bottom:

And finally, for those graduating from the home of the NCAA National Football Champs complete with feathers!:









Stay tuned for more glass balls/suncatchers using graduation pictures and school monograms!

If you need cards to go with these unique little gifts, check out For Your Love!

And please keep checking back with Monkey & Scooter to see evolving pages!

Graduation (kindergarten to college), Mom's Day, Teacher Appreciation

Just a reminder for those end of the year---I can make a custom gift for your favorite teacher! This cute Teacher Purse, made from original cigar box (not those craft store plywood boxes), is perfect for that teacher your child adored this year, or for that college grad who is getting her Education degree this Spring. Just contact me and it can be customized just for you. (The inside can be padded and lined, or left bare; pockets and pen straps can also be added)

Also, don't forget cards for your favorite graduate! I have some on my new page "For Your Love". These can be cards to mail with a gift card or check in them, cards to be given in lieu of a gift, cards to be added to a gift. I also have those wonderful cardfolios to which you can add several gift cards, or photos. These are great for teacher, as well!

And, of course, my post yesterday, with the suncatcher/ornaments showing off your favorite grad's school monogram, prom picture, or announcement photo. (These make very special gifts for the mother of the grad!!)

Happy graduation! Contact me if I can help solving your shopping problems