Craft # 4 - Roses and Lemonade

Happy Monday Campers!

Is your Monday going like mine? Running a little behind?
Well I hope you will forgive me for getting today's project up a little late when you see how easy and fun it is!


Today's project is called Roses and Lemonade, but it could be also be called Daisies and Lemonade, or Lilacs and Lemonade, or Sunflowers and Lemonade... Even though I am going to be showing roses, you can use whichever flower you love most!
These flower arrangements are bursting with a fresh scent, summery color and an old-fashioned vibe, perfect for a lovely holiday weekend.

Here are the supplies you are going to need:

*Flowers of your choice (about a dozen)
*A bag of fresh lemons
*Kitchen Scissors
*Kitchen Knife
*Small American Flags
*Clear glass jars, vases or water glasses.

STEP 1
* Gather your supplies and fill your jars or vases half full with water.
(Mine are way too full in this picture! Make sure to only fill them half-way up to prevent overflow.)

STEP 2
* Slice your lemons.
(1/2 a bag of lemons per arrangement is recommended.)
*Make to sure to slice them pretty thin, less than 1/4" thick.

STEP 3
* Start filling your jar or vase with the lemon slices. Make sure to hold out 4-6 slices per arrangement for later.

STEP 4
*Prepare your flowers.
No matter what type of flower you are using you need to make sure to remove all the leaves from the portion of the stem that will be in your water.
(Tip: Most flower leaves that get left in water will mold or rot, polluting and poisoning your flowers, causing them to die quicker.)
If you are using Roses, carefully remove the little green bud leaves that surround the base of each flower. Make sure to gently detach these leaves at their base, being careful not to rip your flower head off.
By removing these bud leaves, you are creating a cleaner look for your flower and your arrangement

STEP 5
* Next trim your flowers down to the height you want them to be. I like my flower heads to look as if they are sitting right on the top of the jar.
To get a good measurement for where to trim your flower stem, bring your jar or vase to the very edge of your counter or table. Next, in front of your table or counter top, hold your flower up next to your jar or vase, lining it up with where you want to top of your flower to be. Cut off all of the excess stem that falls below the table or counter top.

STEP 6
* Fill in with leftover lemon slices.
After you have trimmed your flowers to the height you want them to be, place your flowers in their jars or vases. Next fill in around your stems with your remaining lemon slices.

STEP 7
* Add embellishment.
For your final step, add some patriotic flair to your arrangement. I like to keep this arrangement simple, and just add a 1 or 2 small American flags to each jar, nestling them in among the flowers.
Other ideas include:
*Adding a decorative ribbon around the neck of your jar of vase.
* Creating a patriotic tag, using shipping tags or a wire dangle to hang from the neck.
*Inserting summer pinwheels into the arrangement instead of flags.

These arrangements look great outside at a picnic, in a kitchen window, on a mantle or by your bedside. They are as refreshing and nostalgic as a fresh cup of ice cold lemonade on a hot summer day.

Want to expand on this idea? You can always achieve a similar look with limes and oranges, and again mix in your very favorite flowers of any variety!

Want to make some yummy summertime lemonade punch to serve up with your flowers?
Download my very favorite recipe HERE


I hope you are enjoying these projects - only 2 more to go!
(Don't forget to upload your finished projects to the Camp STORIA Flickr group. I would love to see what you have created!)

Craft # 3- Almost Effortless Apron

Good day campers! Well today is Friday - the weekend is here at last and now you can really get serious about your camp crafting!

I am switching things up a little and posting the Apron Craft today instead of next week. I thought you might be able to hit some sales and find your supplies for this craft a little bit better over the weekend.

Today we are going to make what I call the "Almost Effortless Apron."
Here are the supplies you are going to need:


* 1 Small to medium sized bunting/swag/fan American Flag
*Ribbon at least 7/8" wide, enough to go around your waist and tie.

Optional Supplies:
Needle and thread
Stitch Witchery
Sewing Machine
Iron
STEP 1
* Purchase your bunting swag.
Here are some online sites that I think have good selections of this type of flag if you want to do your research before shopping...
Flag and Banner.com
Lillian Vernon.com

You can also usually find these flags in "big box" stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Lowes. I bought my flag at Big Lots last summer. You might also be able to find a great vintage buntings if you hit the flea markets. You just never know what is waiting for you!

STEP 2
* Run your ribbon.
There are several ways that you can attach your ribbon "belt" to your bunting.
1) You can simply tie a length of ribbon to each of the end corner grommets, then tie around your waist.Voila! You are done and ready to serve your guest in style!
2) Another option is to trim the full waist of your apron with your ribbon.
To do this cut enough ribbon to run along the front of your apron's waist, plus enough yardage for tying in back, and make sure you allow yourself an extra 3 inches for knotting your ribbon in the middle. (See picture below)
If your bunting is like mine it will have 3 grommet holes. One in the middle and one on each end.
To secure my ribbon in the middle, I simply pulled the middle of my ribbon through the center grommet, and knotted it on the backside of my aprons waist. This knot held my ribbon in place in the center, and gave my apron a clean look. I then ran the remaining ribbon on either side of the middle grommet to the end grommets, pulling the ribbon through the ends and knotting again to secure my ribbon, before tying it around my waist.


If you want your ribbon to be even more securely held in place you can hand sew, or use your sewing machine to attach your ribbon to the front of your apron's waist, after your have pulled your knot through the center grommet.
Another option is to use a product like Stitch Witchery to fuse the ribbon to your apron's waist without the hassle of sewing. I am a huge fan of Stitch Witchery, especially for simple projects like this one.


Step 3
*Embellish.
If you want to give your apron some added flair you can always add fun fringe or pom pom trims along the waist line or bottom of your bunting apron.
For a more vintage look, you can tea stain your apron, giving it a more aged and weathered look. (Which could come in handy if you are going to use your apron often and may actually spill some yummy holiday goodness on it!)

No matter if you tea stain it, starch it or keep it simple, your apron will be lovely because it was made by you. It will be the perfect accessory to wear to your patriotic gatherings for years to come!

________________________________________________________________
I hope you have enjoyed Camp STORIA so far. We are halfway through, with several more crafts, downloads and surprises still to come...




Here is one more goody for you to experiment with this weekend,
A SURPRISE 4 page Printable to download HERE - I think you will get a kick out of these - they are YUMMY!

(PS- feel free to copy this image for crafting!)

Craft # 2 - Brown Bag Surprise

Good day campers!

How is everyone enjoying camp?

Are you still getting your feet wet and checking things out before you start diving in?

That is OK, take your time - let the ideas form and roll around before you get to crafting.

Or maybe you have already done a cannon ball into the crafting pool and are ready to serve us cold drinks on your lovely Summer Serving Tray?

Whatever your crafting speed is, please feel free to go at your own pace and enjoy Camp STORIA the way that best suits you!

One exciting announcement I have is that this Camp session will be made available in PDF form that will be free to all registered campers. This will allow you to keep your Camp STORIA craft instructions for future reference.

Are you ready for today's craft? Let's get started then!

Here is what you will need:
*Brown (or White) Paper Bags
*Printer
*Single Hole Punch
*Satin or Grosgrain Ribbon (5/8 or 7/8 width)
*Scissors
*Pinking Sheers
*Glue (optional)

This craft involves printing on paper bags. If your printer is not friendly and does not want to pull or print your paper bag through, don't worry, you can still create a lovely paper bag surprise!

STEP 1
*Decide on a image for printing.
Here is the image I used on my paper bags. Feel free to use any vintage image you have on your computer or that I have provided the past few days.
If you would like to use this picture, I have a PDF with this image lined up for printing (as I did it on my printer) HERE

STEP 2
*Printing
When I printed my bags, I fed my paper bags in bottom first, lined up with the right side of the paper tray. I ran a couple of "testers" through my printer before I found the best position for printing my image on my particular printer. I would encourage you to do the same. (If you find that your printer and your paper bag are incompatible, simply print out your chosen image on brown or white paper and glue to the bag instead, see picture below... )

STEP 3
*Pinking.
After you have successfully printed (or pasted) your image onto your bag, trim the top of the bag using pinking sheers or other fun craft scissors. I trimmed mine down about 1 1/2 inch's from the top of the bag. Depending on where your image prints on your bag you can trim as high or as low as you like.

STEP 4
*Hole Punching.
Next, put one hole punch on either side of the bag, following the seem in the middle.

STEP 5
*All tied up.
Next choose your ribbon, and run it through both holes, knotting each end to secure the ribbon in place and allowing a "tail" to hang on the outside of your bag in both sides.
You have now created a little "handle" for your brown bag surprise. If you use a thicker width or heavier ribbon make sure you are careful not to tear your holes as your thread your ribbon through. If you want to re-enforce your holes, you can use simple hole protectors, like those found in the office supply section of any discount store.

STEP 6
*Add your surprise.
When I made my bags, I used them to deliver flowers to friends at a holiday picnic. I simply placed a plastic party cup inside half filled with water and then added fresh flowers. Voila! A cute, vintage inspired flower arrangement!

Other ways to fill your bags are these:
*You can use these great little bags as luminaries on tables or along a driveway, poolside or sidewalk during your 4th of July party.
*You can fill them with holiday treats for any guest or children who might be visiting during summer vacation or for the holiday.
*They can hold helium filled balloons in patriotic colors, weighted down with a sand bag, and set on a table for a colorful centerpiece.
* You can pack picnic lunches in them for a poolside party, or a short road trip to visit family.


* Fill them with party favor gifts such as sparklers, small American flags, and noise makers for parade day.
*For a sit down event, hang your bags on the backs of chairs, adding "name tags" to each bag, creating an informal "place card." Name tags are easily made by stamping, or writing, each guest name on a small shipping label, (these can be found at any office supply store.) Fill your bag with plastic cutlery, napkins, flags and any other treats you can think of to help each person feel welcome.

Finally, because these bags are made of fairly thin paper, if you are going to be placing something heavy in them (like cups filled with water holding flowers) I would suggest holding them from the bottom of the bag when carrying and not by their handles.

When I delivered all my fresh flower bags, I gathered them up in a large basket, which I thought looked like a lovely arrangement all by itself.

Remember, the only camp rule is that you have fun! Make this craft your own - you can always print/paste images on both sides, add glitter around the edges of your image or hot glue a row of colorful buttons along the bottom, let your imagination run wild and surprise us all with your Brown Bag Surprise Craft!

Crafty Camping, Day 2

Good afternoon campers! Hope everyone is having fun at camp, and I hope that you are finding inspiration for creating your Summer Serving Tray. I am sure most of you have noticed that I have started a Flickr group just for you, so you can begin posting your pictures there anytime.

Over the next 2 weeks there will be other projects where you may want to use some vintage images. Yesterday I linked a place where you can download 2 sheets of vintage images in PDF form. Today I have uploaded them as jpegs for you to copy and use as you feel inspired.

____________________________________________

I am also providing PDF links that will enable you to download and print your own patriotic papers. (These are the same ones I sell at Storia HOME.) I have printed them on red,blue,pink and green papers - you can print them on any color you want, and use them for scrapbooking, clip art ephemera, small gift wrapping or any other craft you can think of!

Flags

Blue Stars
Brown Stars
Star Spangled Banner Paper
Betsy Ross

_______________________________________________

Tomorrow I will be back with our next Craft - Brown Bag Surprise.
If you have any questions or comments about yesterdays craft, or today's downloads, don't hesitate to comment...

In the meantime, if you want an amazing summer salad to munch on whilst you cut and glue, glue and cut, visit the Smitten Kitchen for her amazing barley and corn salad recipe. It will knock your flip flops off I promise - and I don't even like barley!

Craft # 1 - Summer Serving Tray

Ready to make a great vintage inspired serving tray that you can use and display all summer?

Here is what you will need to get started:
*Decoupage Glue
*Magazines and Catalogs (that you are willing to cut up)
*Sponge Paint Brush ( or other small brush)
*Scissors
*Sturdy Inexpensive (or vintage) Sheet Pan (any shape)

STEP 1
* Gather any magazines, catalogs and other ephemera that you don't mind cutting up and gluing down. Look for images that remind you of summer - I like images of the 4th of July, picnic scenes, yummy summer treats like ice cream and fresh fruit, along with images of vintage flags and Adirondack chairs. All things that sing of a classic Americana summer to me.
What says summer the most to you? Let your images reflect that!

STEP 2
*Once you have chosen & cut your images, start laying them out on your cookie sheet or pizza pan, making sure to gather different shapes and sizes. Make your "decoupage collage" as random or symmetrical as pleases you. Remember you can overlap pictures as needed, and add smaller ones on top of larger ones. Layering is encouraged!

STEP 3
*If you choose a rounded pan, the best way to get your pictures to smoothly fit up to the edges is to create a crease in your pictures as shown above, creating a "pattern" to trim them down by.

STEP 4
*After you have creased your pictures (if using a round pan) or made your final selections and arrangements on your pan, do any final trimming needed before you start gluing!

STEP 5
*Let the gluing begin! Using whatever type of glue you prefer for this type of craft ( I used Mod Podge this go round, and I have used regular craft glue when in a crunch,) give the back of your images a light coating. Next place them down on your clean pan. If you have used a vintage pan I suggest you get any flaking off and sand it down so that is a clean and smooth surface.
After gluing your pictures down, smooth out the bubbles using your fingers or a brayer.

STEP 6
*After everything is glued down and in place, it is time for the top coat of your glue. This time take your glue and generously and gently coat the top of pan and all your pictures, continuing to gently smooth out any wrinkles (if you can't get all the bubbles out, don't stress out about it - remember the goal of Camp is to HAVE FUN!) with your fingers or brayer tool.


STEP 7
*Let Dry! Even a craft needs it's beauty rest!
If you feel you will give your tray a good work-out serving food and drinks over the course of the summer, give your tray several repeat coats of the decoupage glue for added protection. Make sure to let each layer dry thoroughly before applying the next one...You don't want a goopy sticky tray on your hands.

STEP 8
*ENJOY!
Serve up some cool summer beverages on your new Summer Serving Tray and be the belle of the bar-b-que. Or do like I do, and display on a picture or plate easel for everyone to enjoy during the summer months!

Want to add some vintage images to your tray but don't have any on hand?
Well here is your first Free Download of Camp - 2 Pages of Vintage Patriotic Images!

(Want to give this craft a little extra bling? For further embellishing try encrusting the handles of your pan with red or silver glitter! Simply coat the handles of generously with craft glue and cover with glitter. Just make sure you do this step AFTER the top layer of decoupage glue has dried!)

Welcome Campers!

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time. " ~John Lubbock
Well this is it, Camp STORIA, Old Glory Session has officially started! I am so glad you are here to join me as we craft along this summer and celebrate the 4th of July together!

I truly hope that you will find your visit to Camp STORIA a relaxing one, full of inspiration and guilt-free enjoyments! Invite a friend or a child (or 2) to craft with you, or simply enjoy the time to yourself, to unwind and enjoy working with your hands, creating something new and lovely as we celebrate the arrival of summer together!


Here are a few camp details that might help you enjoy your stay here a little more:

1) Camp SCHEDULE:

*All crafts will be published @ Noon (EST) on their assigned day
6/24 - Welcome, and Craft #1 - Summer Serving Tray
6/25 - Follow-up to Craft #1 , Q&A time and Free Download
6/26-Craft #2 - Brown Bag Surprise, Free Download
6/27 - Craft #3 - Lyrical Candle, Free Download
WEEKEND BREAK - Enjoy Your Crafting!
6/30 - Craft #4 - Lemonade and Roses, Summer Beverage Download
7/1- Craft #5 - Almost Effortless Apron, Free Recipe Download
7/2- Craft #6 - Crowning Glory
7/3-Craft Follow-Ups,
7/4- HOLIDAY & WEEKEND BREAK
7/7 - Launch of Flickr Group and Show and Tell



2) About Commenting

All comments on this blog will be moderated & approved by me before publishing, so if you have comments or questions that you don't want to be seen publicly about the crafts, feel free to leave me a comment and let me know you want it to be private.

3) End of Camp

This blog will remain up until July 10th, and then we have to get ready for Camp STORIA, the Beach Bum Session! There is no pressure from me to get any of these crafts done in the next 2 weeks so feel free to print them out for future reference!

4) Show and Tell
If you would like to post pictures of your projects as we go along on your blog please feel free! And if you do, make sure to leave a comment and link so we can all go visit!
I am also going to create a Flickr Group so that we can all share our photo's there as well!
Happy Crafting!

As we go along please feel free to contact me with any questions about supplies, materials or techniques! I am here to help you have as much crafting fun as possible!