The Apple Street Cottage

  Welcome back to Christmas in July at The Apple Street Cottage.  This time I have a quick and easy project for you that doesn't cost much at all.  Why, you ask? Because it's also Ten on the 10th - when a  group of bloggers share ideas and inspiration for under $10. 'Christmas in July' is the theme for the hop and I've got a sweet little ornament you can make.  It all starts with a small block of polymer clay. The first step is to roll it out.  The instructions mention a thickness of 1/4" so I used two pencils and rolled out the clay between layers of waxed paper. I needed a little more surface area for my cookie cutter, so I rolled it a bit thinner until I had the size I needed.  I used my bell cookie cutter and peeled the excess clay from around the edge. Since it looked a bit plain, I grabbed an embossing folder that I had to give it some texture.  If you don't have any embossing folders laying around, rubber stamps, a piece of lace, or anythi...

  Welcome to Christmas in July at The Apple Street Cottage. It's always nice to get a head start on projects before the holiday rush begins.  Are you ready for the first project?   Let's get started! Wood round signs are everywhere and I decided to make one when I found these at a yard sale: They are 15" wide and were 3 for a dollar.  Of course I took the picture after I got started - you know me! lol   They are made of plywood, which made me happy since they were not too heavy - better for hanging.  To begin, I painted one with black spray paint and taped off half of it.   Some spray adhesive was used to attach a piece of burlap. The edges were trimmed and folded over the back.  Tacky glue was used to hold down those edges. A piece of decorative burlap ribbon was added with a piece of satin ribbon on each edge to give it a more finished look. I made a bow. After fussing with it, the bow was glued on with tacky glue.  I used a...

You know how it goes, September, October & November roll around and Christmas ideas are everywhere !  So much that it can get a bit overwhelming.  Join me in July for ideas that you can make (or at least get started) before the holiday rush takes over.    Mark your calendar.  The fun begins next Saturday!    To My Email Subscribers:  Beginning July 1, 2021 the Blogger subscription service will be turned off.  Therefore, you will no longer receive emails when a new post is published at The Apple Street Cottage. I offer you the alternative of  Bloglovin' .  If you subscribe to The Apple Street Cottage there, you will receive emails when a new post is published.  You can go to my Home page, click the 3 little lines at the top right and you will see the box for following. I hope you will use this alternative and I look forward to seeing all of you at The Cottage!

It's been a while since I've written a 'This & That' post, so I guess it's time.  Welcome back to the Cottage.  It's early summer, winter is over (finally), it's warming up, and I can be outside!  That means my garden is growing and yard sale season is upon us.  Let's have a look..... Everything is coming up roses! There just isn't anything else to say about this rose except.....I sn't she a beauty? A double Painted Daisy had to get into the act!  I'm hoping they will bloom a second time this season.  I had no luck last year so fingers crossed for this year. My Donald Wyman Lilac bush finished blooming about a week ago.  The fragrance on the back porch was heavenly ! The sage has doubled in size from last year.  I will have to start harvesting it soon along with the dill and basil.  They will be used fresh and will also be dried.  Once you start growing your own, there's just no going back to the grocery store variety. The vegetables...

 It's summer around here and that means   BBQ's  and summer parties.  W elcome back to 10 on the 10th.  A group of bloggers sharing ideas and inspiration for under $10.  This month our theme is 'July 4th/Summer' and I've created  the perfect way to 'dress' a bottle of wine.   Whether you're bringing the Hostess a gift or you've been asked to bring some wine to the party, it always looks better when it's 'dressed-up' a bit.  Here's what you need: An old pair of jeans, a pocket, rubber band, ribbon, a flag, and a bottle of wine.   Start by cutting off one of the legs from your jeans.  I cut mine a little longer than the wine bottle. Turn the leg inside out and run a stitch across the cut end.   Sit the seam flat on a table and stitch either end.  It makes the bottom of the bag neater. Turn the bag right side out and decide on the placement of the pocket.  I used Aleen's Tacky glue to attach it. The basic ...