It's a Grand Old Flag Stand

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

Last month, Attic Gal Alysa and I found these terrific flag stands at Tai Pan Trading. We both wanted a pair, but there were only two left, and since they were a bit too tall for the niche that I needed them for, Alysa got them. Don't they look so great up on her mantle? I just love them!

Well, I still wanted a pair of my own, and I didn't want to spend the $10-20 apiece that they sell for. So I went digging around up in the attic (well, really my garage) to see what I might use.

I found the back of a broken old chair and I knew I could use the spindles.

I found some old wood spools and bought some molding rosettes at the home store for less than $2 each.

I glued/screwed them together like this. Then sprayed them with some blue spray paint I had on hand.

Then I stuck a pair of my old parade flags in the spool holes. Done!

I think my flag stands are every bit a Grand as the store bought ones, don't you?

Forever in peace may they wave!

Gift Idea for DAD

Although Father's Day has come and gone, here is a fun idea for Father's Day, birthdays, etc. I saw this idea on the Tip Junky blog and I improvised and did my own thing. I hope to do this every year for my husband. The letters and frames were purchased from Kohl's (you only have to purchase the "D" and "A"). It was too sunny for the children but the pictures still were fun. My husband loved it.

I decided to do this with all my siblings so I had each of them email me a picture of them holding "their" birth order letter. It turned out really fun. My dad even said he would hang it in his office -- hilarious. I especially love my brother, Scott, who is holding the letter "T". He use to be a boxer and always loves looking "tough" in pictures but he is the biggest teddy bear. Love my siblings!

My sister used the idea too for her family. Check out the "D" formed by her grandchildren. As you can see, there are many ways you can do it "DAD", "PA", "DADDY", "FATHER", "BIG POPPY", "CURMUDGEON" whatever fits your family.

Deck the Halls with Flags and Buntings!

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

Here are pics of my Independence Day decorations last year.  I have a few more things up my sleeve for this year, and promise more pictures in a few days, (I can't hang the buntings here too soon or the desert sun will fade them quick!) but this might get you started with  a little red, white and blue inspiration!  Enjoy!

I must admit the I LOVE this country, I LOVE Independence Day, and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE pulling out all my Americana decorations. I sing patriotic songs as I hang buntings over my door and windows, and the gigantic 48 star flag over my fireplace (actually, It completely covers the fireplace!) I love how my little parade flags look, all lined up in my milk glass bud vases. I am crazy about my old 76 flag and my recent find, the fifty flag centerpiece ($2). I got everything at garage sales. I can never pass up an old flag at a yard sale! The best part about decorating for the fourth, it that it takes me about 30minutes, compared to 3 solid days to decorate for Christmas - and to me it is just as magical. Bold stripes and bright stars. Betsy Ross is my kind of gal!

(Sorry about he lousy pictures.  They are from last year.  I'll take much better ones this year - just you wait!)

Happy Festooning!

Birthday Wishes

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

We have been a bit busy with birthdays around here, and I thought I'd share some of the pretty Birthday packaging and wishes that I've had.

This is my gift to Alysa.  It was actually several gifts, all with a monogram theme, so I had to wrap them in a monogram theme as well.  I simply wrapped the gifts in striped paper, tied it together with a black ribbon, tucked in some black ladies gloves instead of a bow, then for her initials, AHW, I used an A ornament I found for a buck at Michaels, an H embroidered old hankie I found at a garage sale, and a W stocking pin I got on clearance after Christmas.  

I love how it turned out.  I hope she did too.

Here is a great card that my mom made for my husband for his birthday.  It looks like a present tied with a tag.

But instead of opening it like a regular card, you pull up on the lid to reveal the message inside.  Pretty clever!

My birthday was Thursday, and my mom made this absolutely darling card for me using her Cricut machine and bejeweled it with tiny teardrop gems.  I LOVE it!

My dear friend Diana, who also does SU, sent me this pretty card with die cut butterflies and pearls.  It just put a little more "happy" into my "happy birthday"!

(Now that all the birthday madness is over and kids are out of school, I hope to be getting back to this blog a bit more.  Thanks for sticking in there with us.)

AGR+AGA=BFF

LOL!

TTFN

Big Cakes and Butterflies

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

For my hubby's birthday I was so excited to make his card with my new SU Big Shot 3-D pop up cake die.   Look what it does!  This is the front of the card, then when you open it:

TaDa!  A three layer cake pops up!  Doesn't that just take the cake?  

I am so excited about this new die, and my creative juices are really flowing!

*Oh, if you are a local, I am going to be having a stamp party at my house  on Tuesday, June 23 at 7pm.  If you want to make one of these, come by!*

I have a whole passel of kids and that means a LOT of teachers, which means I have to come up with a bunch of affordable teacher gifts.  Wish I could spend more, because they all deserve it, but what I lack in expense I made up for in cute!  Lookie:

I found these darling yellow fluted jars at Tai Pan for only $1.97 each.  I filled them with goodies and decorated them with butterflies die-cut from funky papers.  I made little wire antennas and their bodies are chunky colored staples.  Stuck them on with glue dots (I heart glue dots!)

Aren't they just fun?

Some teachers also got the gift I always give - rubber stamps, of course.  I just wrapped them in wrapping paper and stuck the extra butterflies all over them.  Those package look like they are going to just flutter away!

School's out, summer's here, and the family and I are heading to the hills for a camp-out.  Have a great weekend!

Saleing Finds from the Past Few Weeks. What will it be on Saturday? We can't wait to sale!!!!!

 Attic Gal Rachelle found:
The fabulous old oars with the initials, and the very long blue oar, were just $2 each!  He threw the Cape Cod sign in for free!  My twins' room is nautical, so they will be perfect in there.  Wonder what I can do with them?  Hmmm.

I fell in love with the old red chair for only $5.  I has found a happy home in my kitchen.

I scored this huge rustic basket for just a few dollars.  It now resides in my living room holding large books.

And the old window is really great.  I paid $20.  I have a few old windows now that I want to use for built-in cabinets in a niche in my dining room.  Can't wait to get that done!

I was thrilled to find this journal.  It is a new journal that has been made out of an old book.  This was and old book about Christmas cards, from what I could gather.

The old cover still has the original book plate.  I checked out the website, www.BookJournals.com.  They have a lot of old books made into journals and cookbooks.  They are all $13.  Check it out.  I must say, I think I like mine the best, and it was only $1.

The journal includes some of the pages and illustrations from the original book, plus a ton of blank, acid free pages to journal on.  I thought it was a really unique idea.

Attic Gal Alysa found:

Cute yellow roosters for the kitchen, a darling little blue bench, a Ralph Lauren flag pillow, a fun wood skimboard, and an antique yoke!  Very cool!  But the fun find was the pretty pink Petunia Picklebottom bag (Say that five times fast!).  Alysa has always wanted to find one of those!

Hats Off to the Graduates!

Attic Gal Rachelle Says:

For years I have been making these mortar board accordion books for my friends who are graduating. I had been making accordion books for a while when my sister Natalee, came up with the idea to make it look like a Graduation Cap.

It opens like this...

And folds out flat. It can be used as a photo album, or used to gather signatures from everyone in the graduating class, or to have guests sign at a graduation party.

You will need some illustration board, or heavy cardboard, black fabric, a black button, a tassel, and an ouchless hair elastic to hold the book together.

You need 2 6in squares of illustration board or cardstock. Cut the fabric in 8 inch squares. Glue up the cardboard really good and center it on the fabric, glue side down. Smooth out the fabric, and pull it over the edges and glue down, so that the front is smoothly covered with fabric. The back side with the raw edges will be covered eventually.

You will need 3 pieces of 11 inch square cardstock. Fold one in half, and get a good crease with a bone folder.

Unfold it, then fold it in half the other way.

Unfold the paper. It should look like this with the mountain folds up.

Now, fold the paper in half diagonally like this.

Unfold and push the center up. It should look like this.

Now do the same with the other 2 squares of cardstock.

It may take a little experimenting to figure out the folds. Be patient.

Lay out you three papers in a row. They should be alternating so that the first one has the center pointing down, the second one has the center pointing up, and the third has the center pointing down again.
Overlap an uncreased square from the first and second pages and glue them together. Do the same with the second and third pages.

It should look like this. Notice how the creases alternate up and down? Then carefully fold the whole book together and glue the front and back covers on.

If you were making something besides a grad cap, you could cover it in decorative paper and would glue a long ribbon between the back cover and the pages when you glue the cover on that you could use to wrap around the book and tie it together.

I didn't want a ribbon for the Grad Cap, though, so my sister came up with the idea of a black ouchless hair elastic to just hold it together. Simple.

See how it works. The front and back covers are not connected to each other so the book can open fully.

Then glue on the button and tassel.

You can customize the cap and tassel colors for the school colors if you like.

I wrapped it simply. Fun Huh?

Congratulations Graduates!