Hair Bows and Accessories Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed! Check back later for the winner!


The party continues this week with another awesome giveaway!!! I have some very crafty friends and I so appreciate their support in my nutty adventure!!!


I would like to introduce you to Shannon of Fox Den Productions. 

I've known Shannon for about 5 years. She was a high school English teacher, mother of 3 boys (with a girl on the way), she loves to do crafty things, she is not afraid to be silly (which I really appreciate, because I tend to be more on the serious side), she really digs her man, and she is very kind!!! Her bow and hair accessories are very popular. It is not uncommon to see many young (and older) girls sporting her creations in our area. I, alas, have no little girls to dress up with these fun adornments, but if I did, I'm sure we would have a bow or two ;-)


And now for the giveaway.....
Shannon is giving away one of her "Baby Girl Basics" and here is her description of this darling set:

"Baby Girl Basics is a set of cute, coordinating bows and headbands to start your collection! It contains 2 crocheted headbands that fit from newborn to adult (one in pink, one in hot pink). Also in the set are: 2 butterfly bows in shades of pink, a korker (curly) bow in pink and mint green, a hot pink flower with a rhinestone middle, and two little clippies for holding back bangs or wisps of hair. 6 bows and 2 headbands! What a cute gift (or keep it for yourself!)"

So what are you waiting for, these are too cute to pass up.

To enter:

1. Leave me a comment (all you have to do is click on the comment button at the end of this post and leave one). 

Additional Ways to Win (must leave a separate comment for each entry to count):

1. Visit Shannon's website, Fox Den Productions, and come back and leave a comment sharing what other item(s) you love of hers.

2. Follow Orange Peanut Designs blog (look for the follow button on the right sidebar)

3. "Like" Orange Peanut on Face Book

This giveaway will end Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 11:59pm. The winner will be announced on Sunday, February 6th. Note: Comments to enter this giveaway must be left on this post (not on others on my blog). Thanks!!!

Best of Luck to you,

Winner of Dinky Bird Boutique Giveaway

And the winner of this darling blossom 

is....

... is #7, Mindie who said, "I favorited Dinky Bird on ETSY. Love her items." Congratulations to you!!! I will email you shortly to get your mailing info!!! 


Thanks to all who entered!!! Stay tuned for next weeks lovely giveaway - darling Hairbows and Accessories, from Shannon at Fox Den Productions - for the girl in your life (that could be a little girl or even for you)!!!

Simple Valentine Decor

I have been busy making some simple things for our Valentine's decorations and I only have a few burns on my fingers after all is said and done (well one really good blister, but that was from helping the activity day girls with a project)!!!

I have seen many different crafty people sharing their crape paper "kissing balls" as of late and had first seen it here (I love The Idea Room blog). So for the how-to's visit Amy's blog. For the Valentine Advent Calendar tutorial click here. I am just loving these colors together - in fact I am trying to finishing painting two tables that my boys made for me for Christmas in that lovely blue color!!! Those will be posted soon!!!


And, in my spare time (haha), I cut out 4 triangles from some burlap I had laying around and then I used some letter stencils and painted the letters to spell "love" and then threaded some jute string through the burlap and then added some extra tissue paper rosettes to the burlap. Ta-Da a simple and cute banner!!! Seriously - this one took me about 20 minutes to make (I already had all the supplies so that cut down on the time)! 

Hope you are having fun getting ready for Valentine's Day!!! Stay tuned for the classroom valentines treats I'm making for my boy's classes!!! Fun stuff!!!

I will be linking up to these fun parties!!!

Happy Creating to you,

Where I Create

(Here is another popular post from my family blog. This was my Mother's Day gift from my family.)

... presenting, my new crafting area!!!! Happy Mother's Day from my boys!!!! Thank you so very much honey and my little ones for making this possible!

The desk cabinets were free (love Craigslist). We sanded them down, my youngest and I painted them, and my husband surprised me with putting them in my nook and adding hardware and the desk top! Trust me sanding and painting them was quiet a task seeing that I don't feel that well, but I was determined to have this finished.

My wonderful husband hanging the pegboard! He even added trim. 

This was waiting for me this morning. So spoiled and I am so indeed grateful for the love.

Ryan added a shelf, lights under the shelf and will install a vinyl rain gutter that will hold my ribbon!!! 

I love when my design sketches come to fruition and look so much better than I imagined. Thank you dear for helping me make the pencil drawings so beautiful in person!

I love the pegboard!!!! 

We just have a few more things to do to finish this craft area and then we will be able to move on to the nursery. Here's to hoping I feel less queasy soon so that I can take advantage of this space!!! (Peanut #3 is now 5 months old - as of Jan 23. 2011)

Happy Crafting to you,

How to organize your ribbon

Here is one of my most popular posts from my family blog. I have to say it is a great tool for me and is super cute too!!!

Is that ribbon in your gutter? Why yes, yes it is!!!


So I have seen vinyl rain gutter's used as book display shelves but I wanted to find a way to have easy access to my ribbon and to have an interesting way to display it. So why couldn't I banish my ribbon to the gutter?

Here's the finished look:

Supplies and the How-To:

*1 Vinyl Rain Gutter - 10ft (I got mine from Home Depot for about $5)

*1 Miter saw and miter box

*Gutter Braces/Hangers (also from Home Depot for about $1 each)

*Gutter End Caps (sold in pairs at Home Depot for about$6)

1. Measure the length you want your ribbon holder and then transfer that measurement to your rain gutter using a sharpie.  

2. Cut your rain gutter using the miter saw and box. You will need to use some muscle and be sure that the gutter is secure as it will slip.

3. Once the gutter is cut to size, slide the braces onto the lip of the gutter (see picture below).

4. After the braces are in place the end caps on each end - you can see part of the end cap in the above picture.

5. Place the braces at equal distances from the edge and then screw into the wall (you may need to use dry wall anchors if you are not screwing into a stud). Note: I placed my braces 10.5 inches from each end (the gutter is 52" long)

6. Send your pretty ribbons to the gutter! Please note that the larger spools of ribbon do not fit into the gutter but because I am a hoarder of ribbon (and fabric too) I still have a few (okay a lot) of ribbon still in drawers. 

* Because I still have over 5.5 feet of gutter left (and we purchased extra braces and end caps) I will be making some book shelves for my boys room! Maybe this will prevent the collection of books from appearing behind the bunkbeds - one could hope right?

Now get your mind out of the gutter and create something today,

Dinky Bird Boutique and a Giveaway

Giveaway Now Closed!!! Come back for next weeks giveaway!!!


I am bursting with excitement to share with you the talent of a dear friend of mine!!! She is my very first sponsor and she is sharing one of her beautiful flowers for our first GIVEAWAY - HOORAY!!!!


I met Stephanie over 10 years ago at church and am so grateful for her sweet influence in my life. I have always been impressed with her creative talents, her classy style, her children, her written word, and the relationship she and her sweetheart have. May I introduce you to Stephanie, owner of Dinky Bird Boutique and creator of the most adorable flowers you will ever see:

Here is what Stephanie says about how Dinky Bird Boutique came to be:


"Dinkybird Boutique was started after I received compliments on a fabric flower wrist corsage I made. I learned the basics of creating these flowers from Shannon Fox at Fox Den Productions. Since I started in November 2010, I have widened my repertoire and now make many styles of flowers, from vintage to glam, in all price ranges. They are completely handmade, beginning to end; there are no pre-made silk parts in my blossoms.

The name Dinkybird has special meaning and comes from a favorite childhood poem of the same name by Eugene Field that my mother used to read to me. It always makes me think of unlimited imagination, something I have when working with my flowers - thinking up more designs than I can make!"


See, I told you she is pretty great!!!


And now for our first GIVEAWAY:


Stephanie is giving one lucky Orange Peanut reader one of her precious blossoms!!!

"The flower is made out of pink and Asian print chiffon and has a glass pearl bead center. A bar pin is attached with felt to the back and it measures about 3 inches."


Here are three ways to enter this giveaway (leave a separate comment for each entry to count):


1. Become a follower of Orange Peanut - be sure to leave me a comment letting me know you did.


2. Go check out Stephanie's Etsy Shop (Dinky Bird Boutique), add her shop to your Etsy favorites and then leave me a comment to let me know you did. Did you also check out all of her cute creations? I just purchased the poppy flower hair pins and I love them!!!! 


3. Follow Orange Peanut on Facebook (click on the "F" button at the top of my sidebar) . Then leave me a comment back here letting me know you "like" my FB page.


This giveaway ends Friday, January 28th at 11:59 pm. The winner will be announced on Saturday, January 29th. So cool - a free, beautiful flower, all for leaving a comment or two!

Best of Luck to you,

Valentine's Advent Calendar

I have a special place in my heart for advent calendars! Not only do they look pretty but they help keep my kiddos from asking me how many days until (insert holiday name here). 


With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I had been racking my brain for what I could make with items I already had in my craft space (check out this post showing where I craft). On the back of each triangle are simple ideas of service that we can offer that day to foster the spirit of charity (which is another word for pure love).


I present to you my simple Valentine's Advent Calendar:

What you need:
1 wooden tray
white paint
1 12x12 sheet of scrapbooking paper
1 12x12 sheet of cardstock (in coordinating color)
14 mini clothespins
modge podge
distressing ink


Tools you will want to use:
paper trimer
paint brush
glue gun
sharpie
stencil with numbers
wax paper


How To:
1. Paint the sides and back of your wooden tray white (or whatever color you desire). Let dry.

2. Measure and trim your scrapbook paper so it will fit the inside part of the tray. It may not fit perfectly so you may need to cut off a scrap to use as a filler (if you look closely at my picture you will see that at the top and bottom I have a piece of paper that has been added to fill the gaps. You could use coordinating paper or ribbon to fill this area.


3. Modge Podge the paper onto the tray. Let dry completely.

4. While your tray is drying, carefully take the spring off of the mini clothespins and set the pieces on the wax paper.

5. Paint the clothespins white (or whatever color you choose).

6. Once clothespins are dry, carefully replace the springs. Yeah this step wasn't my favorite, but I really like the way they look painted with the spring still looking like a spring.


7. Cut 14, 1.5" triangles on to your coordinating cardstock paper. I actually used powerpoint to create a 1.5" x 1.5" triangle that I then printed, cut and used as my stencil. 


8. Once the triangles are cut, use your distressing ink to "ink" the edges of your triangles.


9. Once the triangles are cut out, use your stencil that has numbers and trace the numbers 1-14 on the triangles with a sharpie. On the back of each triangle I have written some type of service that we can do as a family that day.


10. Take your completely dry tray and arrange your clothespins on your tray. I did two rows with 5 across and one with 4 across. Each row is about 2 1/2" apart and the clothespins are about 1 1/2" apart. Once you have them where you would like them, use your glue gun to adhere the clothespins. (Note - the scrap paper became my guide in placing the clothespins. I had marked the spacing on that paper and just laid it in the tray to help with placement of the pins).

10. Place your triangle numbers onto the clothespins.

Whahoooo - I've been featured here:

Happy Advent Making to you,

It's Party Time

Orange Peanut here, just dying to share with you some news (no I'm not pregnant, remember that's what I did last year):

I am happy to share with my family and friends my new and improved Orange Peanut blog!!! Many of you have been visiting my blog, at kanzlerthoughts.blogspot.com, for several years now (thank you) but I decided to buy the orangepeanut.com domain a few years ago and am realizing one of my goals from last year - to get my craft/decorating/how-to's/etc... blog up and running and now that the blog has been decorated I am in the process of moving over my more popular posts. 


I am so excited to continue to share with you simple, inexpensive craft and decorating ideas; church activity ideas; as well as sharing with you some real life experiences from my adventures in mommy-hood.  My other blog will remain my family blog and allow me the opportunity to share with family and friends what we are up to (kanzlerthoughts.blogspot.com will be going private in a few months).


So, sign up as a follower of orangpeanut.com (see the sidebar to the right where it says "Feeling Nutty") and come back often to see what nuttiness I am up to!!! While you're at it, grab my button (click on the "buttoned up" link on my sidebar) and help me spread the word. Also take a look at my facelift - I am still working on getting all aspects of it up and running, but I was like a little kid waiting to open presents on Christmas morning, I just couldn't wait any longer to share!


And, as a way to get this facelift PARTY started, I have lined up a few giveaways from some very crafty ladies. Our first giveaway will be posted this afternoon!!! So stay tuned.


A huge shout out to Krystal from blogdesignbysassysanctuary.blogspot.com . She patiently held my hand through the remodel of my blog and I am so grateful that my nutty need for perfection didn't drive her mad!!! Now if she could only help me with the small wrinkles I am finding all over my face...oh well, I guess I have to deal with one facelift at a time!!!