Tuesday, November 6, 2012

All the goodies we are working on in our magical workshop!

Hey Binker and Diva Dog fans, here is just a taste of some idea's we are currently working on for the impending holiday season.  We have snow here this morning so we are really getting excited for all that is to come in the next couple of months.  Enjoy pics, more information to follow!


These lanterns will make our Thanksgiving table sparkle with delight!   We picked up the lantern at Ikea for $7 and then the ribbon and picks from Mighty Dollar.  Our total cost for the whole project came in between $10-11!  Remember when you buy picks to use in this manner, cut them apart and tuck them around you get more BANG for your buck.  Any hoodles, this looks like something you would see in the pages of a high end magazine spread.  When the candle is glowing, it is magical.

Our Big Fat Greek Bridal Shower!!



 Diva Doggie and I were lucky enough to host a fabulash bridal shower for the daughter of a dear friend!  Did I mention this darling girl is Greek?  And guess what!  She is marrying a delightful Greek young man!  You know what that means?  WE GET TO THROW A BIG FAT GREEK BRIDAL SHOWER!
Our goddesses were divoon!  We found directions to make an authentic greek chiton quickly and easily (see below)


 Diva Doggie and I believe everything is better with glitter so we drew greek key borders in glue and sprinkled with glitter.  We happened to have some old trim lying around that we spray painted gold for the belts!  Voila!  Serving girls for our beloved Goddess Bride-to-Be and her guests!

Our lovely serving girls greeted each guest with Nectar of the Gods in a gold trimmed flute (who knew the ancient Greeks had the technology to make plastic flutes!  Geniacs!)  It was deeLISH!  To make your own:

Nectar of the Gods
12 oz Frozen Orange Juice
`12 oz Frozen Lemonade
24 oz Pineapple Juice
2 Pints Brandy
2 Bottles Champagne

Upon receiving said Nectar, our guests were encouraged to enter Mount Olympus


Our theme colors were Fuschia, Turquoise, and White (with touches of Gold)  Believe it or not, Diva Doggie and I made the columns AND the bougainvillia!  So!  To recreate this fabulousness, lets start with the columns!


 We started with two 48" Quick Tubes we got from Lowe's.  Now, this is where you can be as adventurous and authentic as we absolutely had to be because we are insane OR you can go for option B for the Nervous and Unsure. We don't judge.  Much.   For those adventurous souls, follow me into the insanity.

We found the most amazing and cheapity cheap recipe for Paper Mache right here:  http://ultimatepapermache.com/paper-mache-clay  We love this blog.  I actually love it more than Diva Dog because I follow directions...not that I am casting aspersions...just saying....but yeah...LOVE THIS STUFF! For the Adventurous, go get this recipe and tell the blogger there she rules.  We'll wait.

ADVENTUROUS AND AUTHENTIC
Step 1:  Use your styrofoam cutter to cut 2 12" squares for each column.
Step 2:  Press your tube onto the styrofoam square (making sure it's centered) to make an indentation in the styrofoam.  Remove the tube and make the indentation deeper with the styrofoam cutter so it will stay put on the tube.  Repeat on all.
Step 3:  Triple the paper mache recipe.  We used this much for each column.
Step 4:  Cover the tube and styrofoam (except for the base of the styrofoam) with a thin coating of the paper mache.
Step 5:  To get an authentic, weathered, ancient column look, we used our index fingers to draw lines down the tube all the way around.

Perfection is not the key here.  You will love how weathered this looks!  We were thrilled!  It takes a few days to dry thoroughly but it dries very hard and sturdy!  We have thought of a million more things to do with it!

NERVOUS AND UNSURE:
Step 1.  Use your tube to draw a circle on the sides of two square boxes  (we frequently use the express mail boxes available at FedEx Kinkos).  One for the top and one for the bottom of each column.  Cut out the hole and insert the tube to create the base and the top.
Step 2:  Spray Paint the tube light gray (it doesn't matter if paint gets on the box top and bottom).
Step 3:  Use painters tape to create stripes rounding the top and bottom of each piece.

Step 4:  Spray paint everything white.
Step 5:  Allow to dry and remove the tape!  VOILA!


MORE TO COME!!!!  This was a smashing success and you must see it all!  Stay on the edge of your seat.....