Decorating Vintage Bottle Snowmen // Tutorial

It's been awhile since we've done anything crafty on this Blog, so I decided to share this snowman project with you!
A friend gave me a decorated snowman a couple of Winters ago, and I thought it was such a unique idea, so I began making some of my own each year.
The credit goes to my friend for this idea, but I'm here to share it with you!

Supplies:

• Small bottles of various shapes. I got a few from JoAnn's, but I like to keep an eye out for old bottles at thrift and antique stores too!
• Styrofoam balls. You can get different sizes depending on what will look good on the size of bottle you have.
• Hot glue. It's the fastest option. For a sturdier option, you could go with E6000.
• Orange clay. For the carrot noses. :)
• Something for snowman eyes and mouths. You can draw them on, or you could use little bling dot stickers, or glitter glue, or paint. It's up to you. I used little black dot stickers. 

o~o

Decorations:

• Various ribbons and laces of your choice. I like to keep with the same color scheme (gold/ivory/silver, occasionally pink), but you could dress your snowman up really fun with some loud colors!
• Buttons, pearls, small brooches, decorative pins, charms, chains, and anything else small and decorative. Use your imagination! You can buy lots of embellishments from craft stores, or you can collect small things from antique shops. It's up to you!
• You will also need some 'fillers' for your snowmen. Something small and decorative to put inside of your bottle to look pretty. I have chosen some cellophane glitter and some pearls for mine.

~*~*~*~

First you will need to put your 'fillers' in your bottle. Whether you chose pearls, beads, glitter, or anything else, fill your bottle about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way with it. Or more, if you like.

Glue the Styrofoam ball to the top to secure the insides.

Now is the fun part! You can start decorating your snowman anyway you like! If your bottle has a long skinny neck, you might try tying some lace ribbon around it to look like a tie, or a lady's fluffy collar.

You also have a great opportunity to play around with some decorative snowman hats. I had a little crown charm that was too big for a bracelet, so I put it on one of my snowmen! For this one, I have a ruffle-y piece of tulle that I'm using for a hat. It turned out pretty cute!

Don't forget to also put something around the bottom of your snowman! It really pulls the look together.

For that snowman on the left, I used a metal flower charm stacked on top of some paper flowers.

When all of your decorations are glued on the way you like it, follow the directions on the polymer clay package to shape and bake some carrot noses. Be sure not to make them too big! You can also use the drying type of clay; I just used my sister's polymer clay that bakes at 275.
When your carrot is cool, glue it onto your snowman, as well as some eyes an a mouth. Or you can draw them on, whatever you decided to do.

Looks like a fine lady snowman to me. :)

And there you have it!
I love this idea. It's the perfect Winter craft when I don't want to spend too much time on a project, but still want something cute. It's also a great gift!
Well, I hope you enjoyed this change of pace for The Storybook Journal. I'm sorry I haven't done a craft post in a long time! Unfortunately, crafts are not something I have a lot of time for these days. :P

Anyways, let me know if you make any snowmen!
I hope you guys are enjoying your winter.
-Amaris

p.s. The snowman on the far left was the one my friend gave me. She used a feather-y boa and some charms for her collar!

Birthday Haul {2017}

Oh. My. Goodness. It seems like just YESTERDAY I was writing LAST YEAR'S birthday post.
AM I REALLY GETTING THAT OLD THAT FAST. STAAHHHP.
Anyways, I know it's kinda weird to post this when my birthday was more than two weeks ago. But, you know how life is. For one: I couldn't get any good sunny days to take my pictures, Two: my camera stopped working for some reason and it took me awhile to figure out what was wrong with it, and Three: I got sick in the middle of it all.
So yeah.
Here's the post I promised over two weeks ago...enjoy.

*~*~*~*~*~*

My birthday was quite a fun time this year.
I love antique stores and thrift stores (as you may have been told), so on January 21st, I devoted an entire day to explore those stores in my area. We went to a lot of places, and I had no idea my city even HAD that many second hand stores.
But it did.

Image Credit: vodkacupcakes.tumblr.com

Before I begin, I just want to clarify that when I show you guys my presents and stuff, I'm not really in the mindset of 'here I am, look at my stuff... give me attention', because I don't think Christ is behind that sort of thinking.
Possessions do NOT satisfy the need in a person's life that only Christ can fill.
I only want to share because birthdays are SO fun and I like to write haul posts as much as I like to read them. And I thought you guys might enjoy reading about my pickings. :)

So anyways.
I also bought a few birthday gifts for myself (because... why not) so I'm tossing them in here as well.
Lastly, be warned that this post turned out slightly longer than I intended, so bare with me. :) 
Enjoy!

*~*~*~*~*~*

1. Book: Hidden Places
By the time I'm actually writing this post, I've already finished this book. So, I can tell you that THIS IS A GREAT BOOK. SO GO AND READ IT.
I think Lynn Austin has established herself as one of my favorite authors now. She just writes. so. good.

2. Book: Eve's Daughters
I was thrilled to find this book at the thrift store for 50 cents. I'm not quite finished with it yet (although I'm reading it night and day...), but I'm LOVING IT so far. It's a lot like Hidden Places, actually, but with different settings/times and such.
But I love the characters and I think I must confess that there MAY or MAY NOT have been a time where I cried a little... while I was sick... and while I had eye makeup on... and was a mess thereafter.
Thanks, Austin.

3. Book: Daddy Long Legs
Haven't started this one yet, but it LOOKS interesting and it was recommended to me and the cover is adorable... (why did I just think of Moriarty when I typed 'adorable'...? I think I've watched too much Sherlock lately... oh, wait. There's NO SUCH THING.)
Hem.
How did I get off subject so easily...

4. Book: Fascinators 
I don't know if any of you have noticed from my Pinterest profile that I have been a little obsessed with hat-making lately, but I definitely am (I already have more tulle and flowers than I know what to do with...). I've only just begun, but I'm trying to learn more so I can make hats to sell, and it's been a jolly good time so far.
So when I saw this book at Jo-Ann's, I had to add it to my birthday list. There are some very advanced as well as beginner projects in here, and I can't wait to get going on some of them. :)

5. Urban Decay Naked2 Eyeshadow Palette
I have been 'eyeing' this palette for a long time now (pun intended). Not many people know this, but I am rather in love with eyeshadows. They are just SO FUN to work with, and since I've been getting better at them lately (or at least pretending to get better at them...), I decided to invest in a nicer palette, and I do not regret that decision at all.
The colors are lovely neutral shades (I just adore neutral/natural makeup) and extremely pigmented and pretty. I only wish that the palette had more matte shades. Most of them are shimmers, which I like, of course, but I just love matte eye shadow to bits and pieces.

That other smaller eyeshadow single is 'midnight cowboy', another little tidbit I picked up from Urban Decay.

6. Nyx Avant Pop Nouveau Chic Eyeshadow Palette
I know, I know. One more palette. I just love Nyx Cosmetics because not only are they affordable, but they have such nice quality products. Their eyeshadows are quite pigmented, so I couldn't resist picking up this pretty little palette for a birthday present to myself. :)

I love the mixture of neutrals and colors.

7. Green Dress
One of my favorite feelings in the world is when I find a dress at the thrift store or the antique store that actually fits and looks good. I was so excited to find this dress. I couldn't get a good full-length picture of it, but it comes down to my ankles (and I'm kinda tall).
I really like the details and it has the most elegant look when it's put on. I'm going to make a few accessories to go with it (such as a hat. :) ), and I think I'll wear it to the next English Country Dancing ball. :)

I think I love the sleeves the most. They are so flow-y and puffy. :) Anne Shirley would be proud. #MarillaLookAtThePuffs

8. Hat with Tulle & Flowers
I think the tulle is what made me buy this hat. I just love the way it gives the whole hat a soft look. I am trying to decide if I should 'upcycle' this hat somehow, because I think it's pretty the way it is but I also feel like It's missing something. : / Maybe I could just replace the flowers.
I don't know. :P What do you all think?

9. Vintage Bracelet
I really liked the look of this bracelet, even though it is slightly too big for my wrists. I might adjust it sometime.
But I just loved the very old, almost Regency, look that it has. :)

It kind of makes me think of The Scarlet Pimpernel for some reason. :) #BookINeedToReadAgain

10. Pins
I love collecting little pins (or brooches, whatever you want to call them) because they're not very expensive and there are so many cute and pretty ones out there. :)
Plus you can wear them with your own outfits to instantly dress it up or make it vintage looking!

For perspective, that round one is about the size of a quarter.

11. Vintage Piggy
Look. at. this. piggy. LOOK AT IT.
I have no idea why I picked this little guy up. I just saw him, and he was ADORABLE (Oh, Moriarty again...) and soft and even though he was quite old, he was still in like-new condition, with the tags and everything! So he wasn't grimy or gooey or icky like SOME used stuffed animals tend to be.

He is super soft (I keep saying 'he' but it could be a 'she'...) and heavy, being filled with sawdust, which gives him a very comfortable feeling. I love him so much. The people at the antique store laughed at me when I said, "This is weird to say, but I think I'm most excited about the pig."

One does not find a pig stuffed with sawdust every day...

He also had this super adorable onesie thing on, but I took it off to see what he looked like in his birthday suit...

I just love the adorable 'sleepy' face.

Ok, why is the stuffed pig getting the most pictures?!

Moving on...

12. Beaded clutch
I found several of these clutch/baggie things for a large array of different prices. I finally found one I liked for cheap: $2. I love how it has a nice weight to it. It's almost heavy, which gives me the idea that it's a quality product. *shrug* But how would I know?

13. Oxford Heel Shoes
I'll have you know that I rarely, RARELY, RARELY wear black. Like, never. Not at all. That doesn't mean I don't LIKE black, it just doesn't GO with me, or anything I do.
Deep down inside of me, I think there's apart of me that likes black and darkness (not EVIL darkness, but just darkness)., which probably comes from the same part of me that loves stars and moons and stuff.
BUT ANYWAYS.
I don't wear black, but I FOUND THESE SHOES. And they were adorable. And they were vintage-looking. And yes they were black, but...
I got them.

I don't really like the laces, though. They kind of look scraggly and twisty and unattractive. I was thinking of putting some black lace ribbon through the holes instead.

14. Beaded Collar
I 'm not sure when I'll actually wear this. There's no way to fasten it in the back, although I suppose I could attach a ribbon back there or something. We'll see what I end up doing. :)

I just loved the details with the trimming. :) The beads are so nice. At the same place they had some lace collars too, but they were like $30 apiece for some reason. :P

15. Blue Vase
I'm not sure what I'm going to put in this vase yet, but right now it's just sitting for decoration on my bookshelf. :)

*~*~*~*~*

Well, there you have it! I hope you're having a good day. If it's your birthday, then happy birthday. If it's not, then have a good day. :) ACT like it's your birthday.
I hope you are enjoying Valentine's season. I sure am.
I hope you don't mind that I seem to have taken a liking to hashtags. If you don't like hashtags (even I used to think they were annoying), then I'm sorry. #itried

-Amaris

How to Make a Simple Cocktail Hat

I wasn't sure if this is technically called a "Cocktail Hat", because I wasn't following any rules of fashion when I made this, but for now that's what I'm calling it. It might be a different kind, but I wouldn't know.
Anyways!

You can see it's very simple. I made this hat because I wanted something to wear with a dress that I'm wearing at an English Country Dancing Ball in December. It turned out really cute, so I made a couple more to sell at a craft fair that I'll be doing in 2017.
For this craft, you don't need a ton of stuff.

• An empty cereal box (or a piece of cardboard the same thickness as a cereal box)
• A sheet of felt (in whatever color you choose)
• Tulle (I bought a roll at Michael's- you don't need very much. I have almost the whole roll of tulle left when I'm finished)
• Thin floral wire (I used 30 gauge) 
• Flowers of your choice (You can use whatever kind you want. Keep in mind that it's good to get flowers that have a flat bottom so that they glue easily to the hat)
• Metal Clips (or you can use hat pins or whatever else works. You could even use a headband!)
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Optional: Pearl spray embellishments (I found some from the Wedding section at Michael's)

I got all of these things at Michael's, which makes this craft easier for me because I didn't have to run around to 15 different stores to find the supplies. :)

First, I cut out a medium sized circle in my cardboard (about 4 3/4 inches).

Yes, I'm cutting up my hamster food box to make this craft. Yes, my hamsters are doing fine, thanks for asking.
At this point, I also cut out a circle from my felt that was about 1/2 inch larger than my cardboard circle.

BEFORE I attached my felt onto the cardboard, I cut a slit just to the center of my circle, and I overlapped it to make a little bit of a dome shape. It looks better on my head this way.

 THEN I glue my felt on. You might notice that the felt overlaps into a pucker when I glued it on. I'm not worrying about that, because I'm going to cover it up later. Just be sure to glue it flat.

Then I cut half inch slits all around the hat to glue down. Make the flaps small make things look precise and neat.

Oh look, there's Phil. Hi, Phil. (Who's Phil...?)

After the flaps are all glued down, I cut one more piece of felt the size of my hat to glue underneath and seal everything up. This ensures that no one will ever be able to tell that I made this out of a cereal box. :)

Now that the base is done, it's time to get out the tulle. :)
This part you can do however you want. Holding it with my fingers, I just made three loops with a tail on each end.

Then I secured the loops at the end with wire by wrapping it around several times.There's really no right or wrong way to do this. You just kinda 'do it' and it always ends up looking right. :P Just be sure to secure the ends like this so they stay put.

Then you can kind of fan it out with your fingers to make it look the way you want.

 Now we just glue the wired part flat onto the dome. Be sure to glue it so that we can cover the little pucker of felt that we had.

Now that we have the tulle ready, we can start thinking about how we I want to arrange our flowers. 
I pulled flowers off of this hydrangea to arrange them the way I want them.

Just glue until you're satisfied with the arrangement. :)

If you like, when you're finished you can put some pearl embellishment on it. I put some on a different hat that I made like this, but I kind of liked my blue hat without them, so I just kept it the way it is.

With my pink hat, I put the pearls right at the base part of where the tulle comes out. You could do that if you like.

Now I just gotta think of a good hairstyle to go with it. :)

If you make this, I hope you have fun doing it! It adds quite a statement to MY outfits. :)

Byyeeee!
~Amaris