Free Printable Valentines at Skip to My Lou

Hey, y'all!  This must be the week of the guest post because today I'm over at Skip to My Lou sharing these cute Bugs and Kisses Valentine Gift Tags & Bag Toppers.

You can find the post HERE.

DIY Scrap Paper Art at Flamingo Toes

Hey again, y'all!  I had to pop in one more time today to let you know I'm guest posting.  Bev from Flamingo Toes is hosting a really fun blog series called the Scrap Busting Extravaganza.  When she contacted me about being part of the series, I had a mini craft-attack because I just love Bev's blog.  She is the sweetest person and creates the best projects, so when I thought about that fact that lil' ol' me would be posting on her blog, well, let's just say I squealed a little.  Of all the scraps that I have in my craft stash, my scrapbook patterned paper scraps came to mind when I was trying to come up with a project.  I ended up creating this fun Rolled Scrap Paper Heart Art as my contribution to the series, and I'm pleased with how it turned out.  You can find the full tutorial HERE. I hope you'll hop over to Flamingo Toes and say hello!

DIY "Makers Gonna Make" Mug with Free Cut File

Hey, y'all!  I love a cup of coffee in the morning.  Normally when I go to school, I put my coffee in a travel mug, but on the weekends, I love to have my coffee in a cute mug.  Lately I've been Miss Clumsy, and I broke both of my favorite mugs.  I put a plea on my Facebook page to get my followers to help me choose a new coffee mug, but then I got to thinking that since I'm crafty, I should really make my own.  So that's what I did!  And today I'm sharing my DIY personalized mug with y'all.

To begin my project, I purchased a clear glass mug from Walmart.

The mug cost around $2.50, but I have been told that some dollar stores carry a similar mug for a dollar.  Unfortunately, my local dollar store does not.

I decided that since I'm crafty I wanted to pay homage to that with my mug by putting the quote, "Makers Gonna Make" on it.  I came up with a design using my Silhouette program, and guess what?!  I'm giving you the cut file for the quote so you can make your own mug or t-shirt or whatever else your heart desires.  You can download the free cut file HERE.

Once I was pleased with the design I made, I sized it to fit the front of my mug.  I used my Silhouette to cut the quote from outdoor vinyl, and I cut a piece of transfer paper the same size.

I covered my design with the transfer paper and applied it to my mug.  Now y'all know I keep it as real as possible around here.  My first application was terrible.  You can see in the pic that the decal is not in the center of my mug.  I could have left it, but it would have bugged me for the rest of my life (or until I broke the mug with my clumsiness).  I just had to remove the decal.  I then cut another and applied it again using this technique for applying decals to curved surfaces.  Yes, I knew about this technique when I tried to put on the first decal, but I had totally forgotten about it and was in too much of a hurry.  Anyway, the second decal application was MUCH better.

And now that the decal is centered, I am in love with my new mug.

It's so me! (And a complete pain in the rear to photograph since it's clear and the glass is reflective.)  I'm already itching to make myself another mug.  I'm thinking maybe a monogrammed one or one with polka dots.  Any other suggestions?

Today I'm Guest Posting

Hey, y'all!  I just wanted to pop in really quickly to let you know that today you can find me at my friend Bethany's blog Southern Couture sharing a fun free Valentine printable gift tag!

If you remember, last week Bethany shared her lovely Wood Pallet Heart Art here at Pitter and Glink, so today I'm returning the favor with my guest post at her blog.   You can find my post HERE.   The link to download the free gift tag can be found in the post.   Happy Tuesday!

Free "I Love You Dearly" Valentine Printable

Hey, y'all!  Can you believe it's almost February?  It's seems like we just celebrated New Years!  With February so near, that means Valentine's Day is quickly approaching.  I got a head start on my Valentine's posts a couple of weeks ago when I shared my "Love You Dearly" Valentine Gift Tag.  I had so much fun creating that gift tag that I decided to make a matching art printable to share with y'all.

The masculine deer antlers paired with the watercolor flowers (found free at Angie Makes) are trendy yet timeless, making this printable perfect for your decor.  You can display the print on your Valentine mantel, but, honestly, the it would be lovely all year long in a gallery wall art grouping or in a baby's nursery.  

You can download the 8x10 printable {HERE}.  As with all my free printables, the "I Love You Dearly" printable is for personal use only.  If you use the print in your decor, I'd love to see a pic!  Share one with me via my Facebook page, tweet me, or tag me on Instagram.
Related Posts:

 28 Free Printable Valentines

"Love You Dearly" Free Printable Valentine Gift Tags

Hand Stamped Monogram Necklace

Hey, y'all!  I think you know by now that I just love monograms.  (I mean, it would be un-Southern of me not to love monograms!)  When I was making Christmas presents for family members in December, my love of monograms inspired me to create hand stamped monogram necklaces for a couple of my cousins.  The necklaces were so easy to make, and of course I'm going to show you how to make one yourself!

To create your own stamped monogram necklace, you'll need a few basic metal stamping supplies and jewelry making supplies.  (Many of my stamping supplies were sent to me a few months ago by GoodyBeads.) Supplies:

• Two-Ring Circular Brass Stamping Blank
• Brass Metal Stamping Hammer
• Stamp Straight Tape
• Bench Block
• Lower Case Metal Stamp Set
• Upper Case Metal Stamp Set--I bought this set from Hobby Lobby with my 40% off coupon.
• Black Permanent Marker
• Alcohol
• Polishing Pad (not pictured)
• Chain
• Jump rings (4)
• Lobster Clasp
• Metal Cutter
• Jewelry Making Pliers

Begin by taping the blank to the bench block.  Make evenly spaced marks on the tape so that you space out your monogram correctly.  Stamp the middle letter (the last name initial) first with an upper case stamp.  Then stamp the two outside letters with the lowercase stamps.  (Of course, the first letter will be the first name initial, and the last letter will be the middle name initial.  

**For more detailed directions on how to stamp metal, check out this post and this post.**

Once your design is stamped, color over the letters with a Sharpie.  Wipe off the excess with alcohol and shine your piece with a polishing pad.  Then it's time to put together your necklace.

Using the wire cutters, cut a piece of chain the desired length of your necklace.  Find the center point of the chain and cut it in half.  Use jump rings to attach the two sides of the stamped blank to the two pieces of chain.  Attach the lobster clasp to one end of the chain with a jump ring.  Attach the remaining jump ring to the other end of the chain.  And that's it.

I love the simplicity of the necklace.

It would be even prettier with a smaller, daintier chain.

My cousins loved their monogrammed necklaces, and I love that they were a great inexpensive handmade gift.  Now I just need to make one for myself.

RELATED POSTS:

 Create a Monogrammed T-shirt with your Silhouette

Monogrammed Makeup Case

A Guest Post: "I Love U" Wood Pallet Front Porch Decor

Hey, y'all!  I have a great treat for you today.  I recently made a new blogging friend named Bethany. Yep, we're name twins.  She's visiting here today to share a lovely project with you, and I hope you'll give her a very warm welcome.

*Pause for Applause*

Hey y’all! I am Bethany from The Southern Couture. And, yes, another Bethany. I don’t hear the name that often so I love when I find someone else with the same name. I love to share fun crafts and DIY projects on my blog which makes it a pleasure for me to be able to join all of you today. 

Celebrating holidays are a must for my house too, which is why I love to create new things to decorate with bringing me to this adorable wood pallet heart décor. I have been looking for something different than the usual Valentine wreath, so I created this “I Love U” wood pallet front porch décor. I was shopping at Joann one weekend and stumbled upon this wood pallet shaped into a heart. I knew I had to have it for Valentine’s décor and couldn’t wait to make something with it. 

This is one of those projects that could be used in so many different places in your house depending on your preference. I love having mine on the front porch. Another great place to use it is over a mantle.   Let’s get started with gathering all the supplies. 

You will need... 

• Heart shaped wood pallet- If you cannot find the wood pallet style, a basic wooden heart would also work great. 

• “I” and “U” wooden letters 
• Sandpaper 
• Paint- You will need different colors for the heart and letters in order to make it pop. 
• Burlap ribbon- Choose the ribbon of your choice if you prefer something besides burlap. I just can’t get enough of it. 
• “Love” stencil 
• Adhesive runner 
• Foam paintbrushes 
• Foam pouncers 
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks 
• Wood glue 
• Paint tray 

First I had to sand my wood pallet heart to give it a smooth finish once it was painted. Depending on what type of wooden heart you use, you may not need to sand it. My letters, for example, were made differently and didn’t need to be sanded. 

Paint your heart and letters with whatever colors you choose. I wanted the heart and letters to be two different colors so the letters would stand out and not just fade into the heart. 

Once the paint has dried completely, you will want to go ahead and attach the ribbon to the back of the heart if you are planning to hang it. Start by measuring the length you will need for the ribbon when hanging it and cut it accordingly. 

Place a dot of hot glue on each side of the top of the heart and place the ribbon into place holding it down until the hot glue hardens. 

Glue your letters onto the heart in whatever arrangement you prefer using wood glue. 

I made a stencil using my Cricut to cut out the phrase “love.” You can also find stencils at most craft stores. Run the adhesive runner over the back of the stencil and press it on the heart. 

Using the foam pouncers, paint the inside of the stencil. 

Let the paint dry completely and remove the stencil. Then you are ready to hang it up once you are happy with the finished product. 

Enjoy this sweet tooth of a holiday, and as I always love to say, enjoy the little things in life too! 

Thank you to my fellow Bethany for the opportunity to share with all of you something fun to brighten up your Valentine’s Day! 

Please stop by and visit me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter. I would love to meet y’all and know what you think of this craft. 

 Isn't Bethany's project so cute?  I also love her XOXO Valentine Wall Decor and her Valentine Memo Chalkboard over at Southern Couture.  Make sure you hop over there and tell her hello.