Pom Pom Garland Tutorial Madness

 Hello Lovelies!

Hope you are all doing well this fine day.

So today, I thought I would share a little story with you about some of the madness, on my part, that took place while preparing for the recent tea party photo shoot.

You see, sometimes I get a little crazy when it comes to having a vision. I picture in my mind, the way that I would like something to be, or a certain look, and will stop at nothing until I get the result. 

And that's pretty much true. Some may call it obsessive, for me, it's just the way it is, and always has been. I know I am not the only one, that gets this way... hopefully. lol!

So, I had a vision of a beautiful paper garland for my party, and thought, oh yes. How perfect that would be,dainty,festive, and oh so lovely. 

However.... when it came time to start preparing for this idea, I could not find what I was looking for. 

First, I went to 4 different local craft and fabric stores to find the paper pom pom garland. 

NO ONE HAD IT! 

I had seen it there, at these stores a million times before, until I needed it. 

NO WHERE!!!

 On the 5th attempt, I went to a fabric store that carried the Martha Stewart line, and of course, I had seen it there before, in small sized pom poms, and large sized pom poms, so thought, no biggie, I will just get it there.

I went down the Martha isle, and there it was. 1 large package with 5 pom poms, in a pretty white. Not exactly the right color I wanted, but it would do. So... I get up to the front to purchase this garland. (mind you, it was coupon day, and I waited at least 15 min. in line).

The clerk scans the item ,and says: "I cannot sell you this, as it is no longer in our inventory."

 "WHAT?!!?" 

I exclaimed, "but I found it on your shelf right over there." 

"Let me call my manager" said the clerk. "Nope, I am sorry, but we cannot sell it.We have no way of knowing the price, and cannot sell it." 

OK, at this point, I thought, "is there a trick being played on me or something", like on one of those practical joke shows? 

That's sure how it felt, anyway. 

Defeated, I went home thinking, well, I guess I am not going to have it then. and had almost given into the idea that I would not be able to complete my vision, that I would just have to accept the "not having it."

 NO!

 I could not let the thought go... A light bulb went off, maybe I could go on to pinterest, and find a tutorial or something, and I could just make my own. 

I mean, how hard could it be right? 

BINGO! 

There is was, coffee filter pom pom garland!!!

 Now I could have it, that pretty fluffy garland,I had envisioned, and the bonus was, I could make it any color I wanted!! 

The next problem was, I didn't have any white bleached coffee filters. (I only use the natural ones.) So told hubby, be right back, got to go get coffee filters... he gives me the look, you know the one,the...

 "she's out of her mind look."

Ran up to Safeway, I'll be damned. 

SOLD OUT OF COFFEE FILTERS!!! 

What the heck is going on. 

Is there a conspiracy or something???

Went to yet another small market. Walked up to the shelf,just then,I heard the songs of the angels rejoicing..

 AND There they were!

WHITE COFFEE FILTERS. 

GLORIOUS COFFEE FILTERS!!! 

Priced at $1.49 for 100 filters in a package. I happily bought 2, raced home and started to get my things together. 

I still had baking to do, among a number of other things.

Making this garland was actually not that hard to do, and I will share the process with you now.

I wish I could attach the link that I found the tutorial from, but when I went back to look for it today, I could not find it. There are sooo many tutorials there. So Thank You whoever you are, that saved me from completely giving up on this idea. xoxo

BTW, Thanks for listening to my rant, but that story was so unbelievable, I HAD TO SHARE.

Is that not the craziest thing you have ever heard?

OK...

Start by mix your color. I used apx. 5-7 drops of food coloring in this small recycled hair spray bottle.

Starting with your surface area,layout and use plenty of paper towels to catch the excess spray...

   Lay out the filters flat on the plate...

It's good to have a stack of flattened one's all ready go,that way you can keep going with the spraying.

Start spraying on both sides. I found that laying the next one on top of the other to absorb some of the loose color from the one you sprayed before, worked well.

Continue spraying both sides.

Once you have a soggy colored pile, place in preheated oven at 200 degrees for about 5 min. each side, until dry.

The first tutorial said to pile then up, but it worked better for me to get an even color by separating them slightly. 

Once dry, ohhh look at them, soo pretty!!!

Now to start the assembly...

I used a 2" punch, and made 5 of them.

 Eye ball the center, and punch again. This is where the string is going to go through to create the garland. Set aside.

 Now start folding the dried colored filters in half

Then in half again

 Then in half again, until you end up with a bunch of these. I ended up using apx. 13-15 per circle.

 Next, staple to the edge of the circle, leaving the center open.

LAYER the next one over the first, and do the same, all the way around.

 Keep going, until you have added enough to cover the circle. Remember, leave and opening in the middle to run your string through.

Use a needle for the long piece of striped bakers twine,and thread it through the hole punched center, leaving it long as you go.

 Then, start separating and pulling open the folds until you get a pom pom. You can scrunch between your hands to create a circular pom pom shape. These filters are pretty durable.

You can see the variations in coloring, and I ended up loving that in the end. You can make these in any color, bigger, or smaller, with the same process. 

I wonder how great these would be, to use a really large filter, like those Industrial ones at Starbucks? 

Huge pom poms would be great for hanging outdoors, or in a barn for a large party. Halloween Perhaps?

Endless possibilities.

And That's It!

Thanks for listening to my story, and feel free to comment below. I always appreciate your visits!

Have a Wonderfully Creative Day!

~Susan Xo

Mad Hatter's Tea Party Winner

Hello Lovelies!

Happy Saturday to you, and today is the day to announce the WINNER of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party!!!

The Mad Hatter has chosen the winner of the giveaway...

And the WINNER IS:

DogsMom!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Thank You all so much for your wonderful visits, and all your fabulous comments!!!

We really appreciate YOU!!!

Have a Magical Weekend...

Big Hugs,

~Susan

Wanderings

Hello Lovelies. 

Hope you are all well, and enjoying your summer. It sure is flying by isn't it?

I have been loving these warm days, and been keeping pretty  busy, doing not much of nothing at times, and other days cramming it all in before dark. 

While I am totally trying my best to live in the moment, my mind wanders to the thoughts of Halloween coming. Witchy art ideas are starting to make their way into my imagination, and I can't help but wonder where this will lead.

I always get this wild burst of creative energy as we start moving into August. 

I have also started watching some old scary movies this  past week too. 

The Bride of Frankenstein...

Boris Karloff's The Mummy...

Rosemary's Baby...

 The Wolfman...

These are just a few I watched this week.

I love the old classic scary movies, and the new ones too. 

It's starting!

I am excited to be announcing the winner of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party on Saturday the 27th.

Just a few more days!!!

See you then.

~Susan Xo

Mad Hatter's Tea Party 2013

Alice liked to live with her head in the clouds, a place where dreams are made. She longed for a magical place where she could be happy and free. She was a daydream believer,and longed for a world of her own. As she lay there resting under the shade tree, she was quite comfortable, so comfortable, she closed her eyes only for a moment.

 The next thing she knew, she was startled by a tiny voice. As she tried to focus her vision, she saw that there was a white rabbit, running, and frantically waving his arms about. He was yelling, "I'm late! I'm late!" Curious, she watched him flailing about, and thought she may be able to help him in some way. 

"Excuse me, Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Rabbit." 
He kept running, so she followed closely, all the while, trying to get his attention. 

If only, he would just slow down, I could speak to him, she thought. Suddenly he jumped through a large hole, not thinking, she followed right behind him, and found herself falling, and falling. When she finally reached the bottom, there was a tiny door, that was locked. A strange voice said: 
"Why don't you try the bottle on the table?"

Curious, she saw a tiny tray with a bottle and a key.

There was a bottle that read "Drink Me." She placed it to her lips and drank it down, it was quite delicious.

All of a sudden she felt so strange...

She had shrank! Now she could get through that door. "But I am locked, said the voice."

Oh dear, she had left the key on the table. She tried so hard to climb up, but it was no use, she noticed a lovely cake with the words "Eat Me" written on it.

Curious, she thought as she picked up the cake, and brought it to her lips.

She instantly started to grow taller, and taller!!!

Realizing that she could never get out, she began to cry giant tears, that started to flood the room. Just then the bottle floated past her, and she noticed, that there were a few drops left. Relieved,she gulped them down, and became small once again. So small that she floated right through the keyhole.

 On the other side of the door, was an amazing garden filled with beautiful flowers...It was a strange and enchanted world, it was the world of her dreams! Oh my goodness, she thought,I must take a closer look..

As she entered the garden she heard a voice say... Excuse me, "what are you doing in our flower bed?" "And just what kind of flower are you?" " I have never seen a flower like you before." "Why I'm Alice, if you please." 

"Well, Who ever heard of an Alice?" The Voice was coming from a talking Rose.Well everyone has, I guess. "My dear",said the rose,  

(click this link to hear to flower song, then hit your back arrow at the top to bring you back to the rest of the party:)

You really can learn a lot of things from the Flowers...

It was a lovely song...

But I'm afraid I must be going, I am looking for the white rabbit. "And he is my only hope of getting home." And off she went to look for him.

"Such a strange place this is.." She thought.

And if things couldn't get any stranger, she heard another voice. 

"WHO ARE YOU?"

"I hardly know anymore sir, I have changed so many times since I have been here, you see."

"I DO NOT SEE,SO WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?"said the caterpillar.

"Well, I would like to be bigger." said Alice.

OK, ONE SIDE WILL MAKE YOU GROW TALLER AND THE OTHER SIDE WILL MAKE YOU GROW SHORTER." He turned into a butterfly and flew AWAY.

She took a small nibble and returned to her normal size. 

"That's better." She thought.

There was no one around, yet she heard singing. 
Then she saw a mouth and then two eyes.

"Why your a cat!"

"YES, I AM A CHESHIRE CAT."

"I am lost and am looking for the right

 way."

"Could you tell me which way to go?" 

"WELL THAT DEPENDS ON WHICH WAY YOU WANT TO GO."

"BUT IF YOU ASK ME, I'D ASK THE MARCH HARE OR THE MAD HATTER." and disappeared.

Soon she arrived at a clearing where a big table was all set for afternoon tea.

"Oh how wonderful!" Thought Alice.

There, seated at the table was the Mad Hatter, and a large pink Birthday Cake.

The Mad Hatter had the most amazing hat, and there were bread and butterflies that surrounded him at all times.

It was magical!

There were lots of tea cups, and several large pots of tea.

And lovely sweet treats...

And the most amazing party decorations!

Scrumptious Treats...

And confectionery delights.

Everything was so delicious, even the Cheshire re-appeared for some of the pineapple cake.

And there was even tea for the fairies too!

And Lovely Stories were told around the table...

Alice asked, "What kind of party is this anyway?"

"Well", said the Mad Hatter, "It's our very Merry Un~birthday Party."
He explained  that you only have one birthday a year, and 364 Un~birthday's!

"Then I guess it's my Un~`Birthday too!" said Alice.

""Well indeed it is!" 
"Move down, Move Down, Clean cup" yelled the Hatter.

They were laughing at their own jokes, and carrying on with one another so much, that they didn't even notice the white rabbit run past them. 
"Wait! Wait!" screamed Alice, 
she left the table to follow him.
As she was chasing after him, he dropped his watch with a loud crash.
"Oh Dear!" "All my wheels and springs!" Said the rabbit.

And he ran off yelling, 
"I'm Late!" 
"I'm Late!"

 Alice followed after him, and found herself in a beautiful kingdom, filled with fountains, gardens, and tall hedges.
At the entrance of the garden was a gardener, painting roses red.

 "Why would you do that?" asked Alice.
"I  planted the wrong ones by mistake, and the queen only likes red roses." 
"If she finds out, it's off with our heads!"
Just then the royal trumpets sounded, and they called out, "The Queen! The Queen!"

 The queen grandly entered the room and yelled "Who painted my roses red?"

"OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!"

Alice started to run from her...
They all started to chase her.

Suddenly, all Alice wanted to do, was fall asleep and get out of this place.
She felt herself drift away, and the voices grew faint. She looked back, and could see them still running after her, but they seemed to be far behind. It was almost as if they were floating in a cloud. Their voices seemed so far away now, but they were still calling her name.
Alice! Alice! Wake up!

"What a strange dream!" 

She had been in Wonderland, and it was as real as could be. 
I shall always remember this place...

Thank You for sharing my tea party with me, and to our lovely hostess Vanessa, for making this happen again this year!!!

I am offering a little giveaway too!
A little Alice Domino Book and a Tea Cup!
All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and you will be entered to win. I will randomly select the winner on July 27th.

You don't have to follow my blog, but if you would like to, that would be lovely too!
And be sure to check out my Etsy shop and facebook page for more pretties!
Links are at the top right. :)

Thank You for visiting friends, and Cheers! 
"Clink"
"Wishing you a Very Merry Un`Birthday today too!"

Here's the link to the next tea party.
CLICK HERE

~Susan Xo