The Paisley Farmhouse

You'll Need:

Large urn
Large craft pumpkin
Medium craft pumpkin
Small craft pumpkin
Tin dome spot light
Electrical tape
moss/silk leaves
hot glue gun
Drill and 2 sizes of large bits
X-acto knife

1. Cut large holes in the bottoms of all 3 craft pumpkins with an X-acto knife.

2. Cut large holes in the tops of the large and medium craft pumpkins. (Not the small one.)

3. Drill random holes of different sizes in all the craft pumpkins.

4. Hot glue the pumpkins together from largest to smallest. Make sure the large holes are big enough for light to shine through well.

5. Separate the spotlight fixture from its tin shade and attach it underneath the pumpkin tree with electrical tape so that it illuminates all the pumpkins. Tape over all openings in the light hardware.

6. Glue moss and silk leaves around the top of your urn.

7. Nudge the pumpkin tree down into the moss and urn. Hold steady with hot glue if needed.

8. Plug it in and enjoy your pumpkin topiary under a well covered porch or inside your home!

If you are a local crafter, artist, or maker of yummy treats and would be interested in hosting a booth at our Handmade Harvest, please contact shanda@paisleyfarmhouse.com. Tell us a little about you, your art/craft/treat, and attach a picture or two of your goods. Space is limited to about 20 vendors, and we want a nice variety so we can't accept every entry.

Email us your submission by August 24. We'll let you know by August 31 if you're in. There is a $35 entry fee required of all accepted applicants and 15% commission on all sales to cover advertising, promotions, credit card fees and outdoor music. All transactions (cash, credit cards, debit cards, and sales tax collection) will go through The Paisley Farmhouse checkout center. The event will take place on October 24th, 2009 in Birmingham Village shopping center (980 Birmingham Road, Milton, GA 30004).

Also, we would like to extend the invitation for groups and organizations to participate. For example, a youth group could accept cash donations for face painting or a pumpkin carving contest at the event! There is no entry fee for this type of booth. Email shanda@paisleyfarmhouse.com to get involved.

We look forward to hearing from you,
Dianne, Shanda, and India
The Paisley Farmhouse | paisleyfarmhouse.com

Materials:
Acetone nail polish remover
Cardstock
Inkjet or laser print
cotton balls
Hard edge such as a Popsicle stick (optional)
Ventilated area

Directions:
1. Lay your inkjet print facedown (printed side down) on the cardstock.

2. Soak your cotton ball in acetone nail polish remover.

3. Hold the print still with one hand and rub the wet cotton ball all over the ink area so that it is soaked with the other hand. The acetone will evaporate and dry quickly. Repeat. If you can, buff/rub with a hard edge.

4. Lift the inkjet paper to reveal the transfer!

Use your creativity to use this method on greeting cards, tags, etc. Email us to share your paper photo transfer creations anytime!

Mark your calendars:

A Handmade Market - June 6th from 10am-7pm. Join us for our first craft fair in Birmingham Village. 20 artists are preparing their goods as we speak to dazzle you! Check our website often for info on this event. There will also be other events happening on the same day in the village... we’ll keep you posted.

Summer workshops and classes are in the works! Let us know if you have a skill that you’d enjoy teaching to others or if there’s a skill you’d like to learn.

Our online store will be launching this Summer! Stay tuned...

Also, we are working on a frequent buyer program to reward our very loyal customers! Hopefully, we will be starting this June or July, so keep checking back for updates!

What you need:
plate/dish
can of chalkboard paint
foam paint brush
chalk
Optional: steel wool & painter's tape

Step 1: Paint a layer of chalkboard paint in the center of your dish. Keep the edges clean and straight as you can. Painter's tape comes in handy on a square plate. Let dry.

Step 2: Use steel wool to smooth, then paint another layer. Let dry.

Step 3: Write a nice message and pair with a plate hanger, plate stand, or chalk for a great gift! Teachers and others will love it!

This project was adapted and inspired from http:tuesdayswithmolly.blogspot.com.

by Emily Kirk

Ribbon is perfect for gifts and bows, but there are plenty of other uses. Whether it's an accent on a scrapbook page, a trim on your little girl's favorite jeans, or a way to tie together a springtime bouquet... you're going to love coming up with new uses.

Ready to take ribbon up a notch? How about some starter ideas? Let's walk through 3 fun and easy ribbon projects.

Spruce up your Shade

Supplies:

• Lampshade
• Hot glue gun
• 1 1/2 - 2 yards of your favorite Paisley Farmhouse ribbon (This will cover a lampshade of about a 12" diameter.)

Directions

1. Start at the seam of your shade and put a dot of glue.
2. Adhere the end of the ribbon to the glue, so that the end of the ribbon and the lampshade seam line up.
3. Place another dot of glue about 3/4" from the original dot. You can continue around the lampshade like this if you want a straight ribbon edge.
4. For a ruffled effect, you will overlap your ribbon as instructed.
5. Where your ribbon adheres to your second glue dot, place another dot of glue in the same spot, this time on the ribbon itself.
6. Lay the ribbon back on top of that to glue it down. This will overlap the ribbon creating a ruffle.
7. Now place another dot of glue 3/4" further on the lampshade.
8. Continue gluing like this all the way around the lampshade (glue the shade, glue the ribbon) and voila, you're done!

Create a Candleholder

Supplies

• Plain glass candleholder
• Tissue paper
• Modge Podge and a foam brush
• Enough of your favorite Paisley Farmhouse ribbon to wrap around your candleholder.

Directions

1. Start by tearing your tissue into small pieces.
2. Paint Modge Podge onto your glass, using the foam brush.
3. Begin layering your tissue paper over the candle holder. (You can cover the entire glass or just select areas.)
4. Modge Podge again over the tissue paper.
5. Brush on a layer of Modge Podge where your ribbon will be placed, and then Modge Podge over the ribbon.
6. Let dry, and you're all done!

Fancy a Frame

Supplies

• Photo frame
• A photo
• Adhesive (glue, tape, whatever you'd like to use)
• Your favorite Paisley Farmhouse Ribbon (as much as you want to use!)

Directions

This project is all about your creativity. If your frame has matting, you may choose to just use ribbon there. If there's no matting, creating a frame with your ribbon on the photo itself may suit you. Another idea: use the ribbon as spacing in a photo collage. Play with your design until you're happy with it. There is no right or wrong way to do this!

So that's how we feel about ribbon. The opportunities are endless! What are your favorite ribbon projects?

by Emily Kirk

Looking for ways to reuse those Loaded Toffee and Rosemary Bar Nut mason jars you got from the Paisley? Here are some fun ideas to get you started:

1. Toss that teapot! Now that the weather is heating up, your jar is perfect for a single serving of old-fashioned sun tea.
   
   
   
2. Whether it’s a special occasion or just dinner with the family, adding fun filler and a tealight candle dresses up any meal. Some fun centerpiece ideas:
   • Jelly beans for Easter
   • Cinnamon hearts for Valentine's Day
   • Sand for a beachy centerpiece
   • Hard candy at Christmas
   • Pebbles on a picnic
   
   
   
3. Teaching your kids to save in tough times? Why not make a bank? Stay in for a night and help them decorate a jar bank. Bring out the construction paper and glue... they’ll want to hang on to every penny! (Tip: Cut a coin slot in cardboard or a pasta box to top off your bank.)
   
   
   
   
4. Fresh taste is at your fingertips when you plant your favorite herb in your jar. Keep it in the kitchen and add it fresh to your cuisine.
   
   
   
   
5. Road trip or rainy day, when your kids can’t go out and play, make them a treasure hunt in a jar! Fill the jar almost full with small fish tank rocks, orzo pasta, small dry beans, or even birdseed. Leave about an inch of space. Add 15 to 20 different everyday items such as paper clips, rubber bands, coins, marbles, or anything else you find lying around. Mix them in well and seal up the jar. Your kids―or fellow grown ups―will love looking for all the loot by turning and shaking the jar. Bet they can’t find it all!
   
   
   
   
6. Whether a single stem or a simple spray, a jarful of flowers will brighten your day.
   
   
   
   
7. It's your pet's turn to enjoy treats from your jar. Decorate your jar to suit your furry friend, then pamper your pet with a jar full of treats. Looks like it's her jar now!
   
   
   
   

What are some of YOUR favorite fun ways to reuse things?