Handmade

Today’s lovely {diy} is so fun and so easy!  All you need is some white nail polish, and red Sharpie, and a clear topcoat.  This is indeed as easy as you think.  All you do is paint the white base and let dry completely.  Then take your red Sharpie and carefully tap the tip to create evenly spaced rows of dots.  I staggered the dots to make the look more uniform.  Then let them dry for about 15 minutes before applying your clear top coat.  That’s it!  Happy painting! ♥RobbieLee

Welcome to the 3rd {diy} of 7!  Today I will show you just how easy it is to make paper fortune cookies.  Here’s what you’ll need:

• Paper (the thinner the better…card-stock is tricky)
• Something round to trace (any size)
• Glue Gun or Glue Dots
• Paper to write little love fortunes on
• Candy as filler

Here’s what you do:

1. trace and cut out your circles.

2. Then you bend/fold the circle in half – but don’t crease it.  Keep a smooth bend.

3. Then you hold both ends between you thumb and middle finger and pinch.  I sometimes use my index finger to press in the middle to help the pinch go easier.  The paper will naturally fold as it should.

4. Then fill them with sweet love notes and chocolates!  To secure closed, I prefer to use a drop of hot glue (hold for a minute or two to dry) or you can use stronger glue dots.  Once you have folded and pinched the fortune cookie, you will see areas where the paper touches – that’s where you want the glue to secure it.

Voila!  There you have it, simple and fun Valentine’s Fortune Cookies.  These are perfect little treats to sneak in your Loves lunch or briefcase!  I’ll see you tomorrow! ♥RobbieLee

Here is another cute little Valentine’s {diy} for you!  I love to use these little clothes-pins to clip on gift tags.  They are such a sweet little touch that go a long way.  Don’t stop there though; use them to hold up your garland, clip your mail together, or even add a magnet on the back and hang photos on your refrigerator!

1. Start with a traditional clothes-pin.
2. I like to paint one side of the clothes-pin with red acrylic paint, because the glitter doesn’t stick to every last part of the wood.  The paint will give the illusion that it’s all glitter and it will make it look very rich.  Let the paint dry completely (usually about 5 minutes).
3. Generously brush on glue (I like Mod Podge in Matte).
4. Immediately after applying the glue, generously sprinkle your glitter (I used Imported German Glass Glitter from Meyer Imports) over the glue and let sit for about 10 minutes.  This allows the maximum amount of glitter to stick.
5. After 10 minutes, shake off the excess glitter (save it for another project) and allow to dry for another 10 minutes or so.  Then to ensure that the glitter doesn’t fall off, spray each glittered clothes-pin with Krylon UV-Resistant Clear Acrylic Coating.  Do this outside or in a well-ventilated area and allow to dry completely.  That’s it!

I also made some pink ones, using the same technique and supplies.  This is such a fun and easy {diy} and you can make them in any colors you’d like!  I’ll see you back here tomorrow for another Valentine’s {diy} project, and in case you missed it, here’s yesterday’s. ♥RobbieLee

It’s the first of February and that means that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner!  To kick the month off right, I’ve prepared 7 lovely {diy} projects for you.  So, starting today through the 7th, I’ll post a daily {diy} in the name of love.

On that note, I  L O V E  root beer floats, so naturally I had to make a float for Valentine’s Day.  I came up with a Strawberries ‘n Cream float, and geez it’s yummy!  It’s so easy too, all you have to do is grab your favorite glass and add 3 large scoops of the creamiest Vanilla Bean ice cream that you can find (I like Dryer’s).  Then you slowly poor in your strawberry soda just below the brim, (I like Crush, but any brand will do).  Add a pretty straw and a spoon and there you have it!  It is so creamy and delicious and a perfect treat to share with the ones you love.

I also like to make cream soda floats (pictured above), orange ‘n cream floats, Coke floats, and Dr. Pepper floats.  What’s your favorite?  I hope that you’ve enjoyed this little recipe.  Stop by tomorrow for another lovely {diy}. ♥RobbieLee

Hey lovelies!  Check me out over at New York State of Mind.  There you will find a few other sweet people too!  Stop in and say hello.  Oh, and don’t forget that tomorrow is the first of 7 Valentine’s {diy} projects!

Happy Monday!  This week I’m sharing a list of things that I’m currently working on.  It’s a very busy time for me, as you may already know.  So, I’m…

→ still working on the blog + shop revamp (making progress!)
→ sewing tons!  I’m adding so many new things to the shop
→ catching up on emails and twitter comments
→ preparing 7 lovely Valentine’s {diys} for you (they will be featured February 1-7!)
→ writing and planning for future projects in my sketchbook… good thing I got new ones for Christmas
→ learning more about my camera. Getting educated…
→ keeping my studio organized between projects (well, trying to at least)
→ cleaning up my inspiration boards… adding lots of new photos and notes
→ sketching for some new Robblin’s paintings… can’t wait to share!
→ prepping for taxes… enough said

That’s what I’m working on, how about you?  Are you keeping busy this month? ♥RobbieLee

Today’s {diy} is something that I’ve been doing for years.  It’s a quick and easy way to dress up your ordinary envelopes for any occasion.

All you need are a few tools:
• Envelope ( any size or color will do)
• Scrap paper (any color)
• Scissors
• Ruler
• pen/pencil
• Glue (any kind that is good with paper crafts – strong glue stick, Elmer’s, Tacky Glue, etc. Scrapbooking glue works great!)
• Optional: A paint brush to spread the glue, or you can use your finger

Now that you have all of your tools, let’s get started!  First, flip your scrap paper over and trace your envelope onto the back of your scrap paper, and cut it out.  This gives you a good size to start with.  Next, flip the envelop flap open and center the envelope over the scrap paper and trace the flap onto the back of the scrap paper. 

Now you can test to see if the scrap paper fits inside of the envelope (it probably won’t fit, so you will need to trim off a small sliver on each side of the scrap paper to make it fit). 

Once you have it just right, you can apply the glue to the back of the scrap paper and fit it inside of your envelop being sure to leave room for the seal across the flap.  This part is tricky and can be messy, but after you do it a few times, you’ll get it.  Now just place it flat under a stack of magazines or something heavy and let dry for about an hour or two, and once it’s dry, you can carefully fold the flap and write a nice letter to a friend!

Easy, right!?!  I like to make a bunch at one time so I can always have them on hand for birthdays, weddings, or fun letters to mom.  I hope you enjoyed this little {diy}. ♥RobbieLee

I was going through my image bank and found these photos that I took this past Fall.  They are some of my late granmother’s wonderfully-vintage things.  It’s amazing how well she took care of her things, because everything was in such great condition!  What’s better than finding these vintage beauties, you ask?  Well, the fact that they were hers and not from a shop, means the world to me.  I hope you enjoy this little peek into her world.

Welcome to my newest weekly feature – {a list of…}!  I’m a list-maker.  Whether it’s a to-do list, a list of goals, a list of things I’m currently loving, or whatever, I’ll put it in a list and check it off.  I make so many lists, that I thought I’d share them with you each Monday.  So, here are a few things that I’ve been obsessing over lately…

→ My iPad (Thanks to my sweet sweet hubby)
→ Sketchbooks and Journals
→ taking Instagram photos of everything!
→ The snow
→ Dresses: Sparkly and girly ones
→ Listening to Lenka as I work.  She’s an amazing songwriter, if you didn’t already know.
→ Pigeons + Geese… these are my two favorite birds of all time!
→ My family… pets included!
→ Wearing a new coat everyday…
→ …and taking photos of my feet on cool floors!

These are just a few… what are some of the things that you are currently obsessing over? Do tell.  ♥RobbieLee

The new year is in full swing for me, because I’m in the middle of giving Chickiedee a face lift.  You might notice that the logo is slightly different (in a good way!) and some of the imagery is changing.  I’m changing things on a daily basis at the moment, so be prepared.  There will be a new shop soon, but in the meantime, the old one is still up and running.  My sweet Mr. is helping me with the back-end coding; I couldn’t do it without him.  He’s such a blessing.

In addition to working on the blog and shop itself, I’m also busy working on new products (…hint, like the headband in this photo!).  I can’t wait to share everything with you, so stay tuned for sneak peeks, new Valentine DIY projects, and more!

Have a sweet Sunday and I’ll see you later! ♥RobbieLee