Hello Spring with Cutoff Shorts

So spring started in Atlanta with 30°F weather. I have been eyeing these cut off shorts on pinterest for a while now as I prepare for a trip to Mexico later this spring.  I've run into two styles, one is the traditional cut off with a folded up hem and the other is scalloped.  A special mention to those pairs with lace at the cuff as well but I felt those looked more like lingere instead of shorts that I'd wear climbing ancient Aztec pyriamids. So I mixed it up with folded up scalloped edges. These were super easy to make since I used no-sew fusing tape and an iron.

Things you'll need:
Bonding tape
Marker
Circle
Iron
Jeans
Sissors

Step one: I cut off the bottom half of each leg of the jeans. Cut them longer than you want because its easy to cut away but harder to add to more. Try them on leave  an inch more then where you want the shorts to end and cut again. Its easier to cut through one layer of the jeans at a time and will keep the hems even.

Step two: iron on the bonding tape. Follow the tape's directions. Mine is extra strength and 7/8 of a inch in width. This part goes fast since you only need a little heat.

Step three: do this with the jeans waist band closest to you. The circles should barely touch each other, I got four on each side.  Basically you will fold the scalloped edge up so that the edge is a straight line. Once you trace go a head and cut along your line.

step four: fold the scalloped edge up and iron again. If you need to add a little more bonding tape to weak spots you want the scalloped edge to lay flat so that it won't fray. I did one leg at a time and used the first one as a guide for the last one.

And you're done!

Happy Spring ( once it warms up of course)

The Perki Giver

About Me and 2013 Planner

So we're half way through the first month of the year and my calendar is filling up fast. So fast that I can barely keep up with my  to do lists, events, trips and goals. What I really wanted for the holidays was a blog planner to help me keep track of all the great ideas I want to blog about. Courtney over at Click it up a Notch created a blog planner jammed pack with helpful tips, bright colors lots of space to write in everything going on for the low price of $12. So far it has been worth it and of course you know I had to makeva nifty mini notebook to hold it all. I made this one the exact same way I did the Perki Smash style Monthly Calendar. A neat trick I used this time is that I found sheet cover to fit the smaller notebook at office depot. Thus helped save a lot of paper because I only have to print on goal sheet and weekly to sheet, pop them in the sleeve and write on it with a wet erase marker. I also only write on the calendar pages in pencil, because things are always changing.

I write for three blogs currently. Two are public the diy crafty The Perki Giver and my revamped lifestyle blog, Nest. The private one I share with my husband about our spiritual studies. My goal is to have some writing done in each every week. These past few weeks I have been setting this schedule all up, I truly appreciate my readers for their patience.

The pictures are below. Let me know what you think in the comment section. Have you made anything yet for 2013? What projects do you want to see done?

Hello 2013!

Super excited that 2013 is here! I have let go of a lot in the past year and my hope is to be open minded and open-hearted in order to fill those new open spaces with creativity and love. I can not express my gratitude enough  for my friends, family and husband for all their support  throughout 2012. Some things to look forward to in 2013:

Continue blogging-- I have wanted to write a book for a really long time and after failing miserably at NANOWRIMO this year I realized that there were other avenues of writing and communication.  So I combined my two favorite past times reading about crafting and crafting with writing and got The Perki Giver.
I also decided to do more personal updates from time to time  and on a family journal that my husband and I keep together. So I'll be writing all the time and maybe in the future that book will come but presently crafty blogging is the new hotness for me.

Physical activity-- I plan to keep this going as well. This past year I trained and ran the Peachtree Road Race 5K, took a spinning class, did Zumba, did yoga, hike a mountain regularly and do kung fu. You can follow me on Fitocracy as well as I level up in the coming year. I just took on a challenge to run more in January and I really want to do the Color Run in April so I think as long as I keep moving I'll be in good shape.

Craft, Craft, Craft-- This last goal kind of fell into my lap, really. It all started with a 30th birthday party at Micheals and next thing I know  I have a craft blog, and a certified scrapbook and paper craft instructor and  I'm setting up meet ups in my classroom for fellow teachers who craft. I couldn't be more thrilled! Creating and making stuff has opened a whole new world for me. It's like I'm using a whole other part of my brain it's joyous! I have tons of crafty ideas and projects for this year and I can't wait to share them with you.

Growing in Mind and Spirit-- I'm taking online classes on just about everything from teaching and graphic design to how to reason. Along with my spiritual practice I have lots of reading to do. thank go for pdf readers and audio books for getting me through my commute to work a little bit smarter.

Love-- last but not least I have been learning to express true love to those I care deeply about and to everyone around me. It is a daily test to love others as God love us and to keep that faith through the trying of times to learn and grow in that capacity to love. I want to be the best expression of that Love that I can be.

So with all that on my plate all things are possible and I look forward to all that 2013 has to bring!

Happy New Year!

Natrina,

The Perki Giver

holiday card booklets

If your like me you love getting holiday cards in the mail. I have been stumped with what to do with th though after the holiday passes. In past years I've just packed them up with the rest of my holiday gear. Some of them are really beautiful and are from  close friends and family with personal messages others are nice but I sadly can't read the signature or recall who gave them to me. So a way to honor both types I decided to make books out of them, kind of like here, which I saw on pinterest, but of course I added my own Perki flair.

Here's what you'll need:
Sicssors
A variety of Card stock and scrapbook paper
Markers
Glue stick
Hole punch
Binder rings
Ribbon, stickers and other embellishments

Step1: Making the cover. This cover is holiday turned but you could do one for just about any type of cards you have. I plan on making a birthday and wedding one next. This is also great for showers since you can punch the cards right then if you make the cover in advance. Measure where the holes will be and use the cover as a guide for the others cards. You can punch 2 holes using a standard 3-hole punchers otherwise if you have a single hole punch or adjustable 3- hole punch make sure to have enough binder rings.

Step 2--making the pages. With some cards they are large enough to be punched as they are but other are smaller or have a message in them you don't want to cut through.with those cases I mounted the card on cardstock with and punched the holes in that.

Step 3: Embellish! This is the fun part because you decorate around the cards on cardstock. I even cut  cards up and made a collage with different pieces. Use metallic pens, paper punches, ribbon and stickers to dress up each card page.

Step 4: Put it all together.
Put the cards in order by year, date, honor, theme or however it looks pretty. Hole punch each page and use the binder rings to hold it all together.

Now instead of throwing out holiday cards, you have neat decorative coffee table books of your past memories for every season or occasion. The best part is that you can keep adding to them once you get going, so Perki!

Kiss kiss!
Natrina, The Perki Giver

Painted Planters

This project I did with my sister, Natricia, for some friends of hers. It was fun and I think this is a great painting project for kids to do as well.

What you'll need:
Terracotta Pots
tempera paint
stencils
blue 1/2 inch painters tape

Step 1: Paint terracotta planters. We chose white and copper for our color scheme but any combination will do. I also like white and dark blue. Or if you know their favorite sports teams colors go with those, the possibilities are endless.

Step 2: Let the base coat dry for at least 4 hours. The pots should be dry enough that the paint won't chip when you remove the tape.

Step 3: Prepare your stencils and paint. My sister made our stencils using Microsoft Publisher by enlarging the font of her choice which we then cut out with a Exacto knife.  You can also use a packaged stencil kit as well. Use the painters tape to hold the stencil in place. We used our friends names, but you can stencil just about any words: plants, names, team slogans the list goes on and on. Let paint dry for at least 4 hours before removing stencils.

Step 4:  Fix any spots that need a touch up. Some paint might have steeped through the thin areas of the stencil just paint over the blotch with a fine tip brush and appropriate paint color.

TA-DA! 

Happy holidays!

Kiss Kiss,

Natrina
The Perki Giver

HAPPY 2013!

Hey Givers!

I know you are all pooped from celebrating the New Year. Thank you all for following, liking, pinning, tweeting and plusing this blog. Please share it with all your friends and post a comment or two.  I hope these projects helped you keep the season bright. I have lots planned for 2013 so stay tuned! 

Check out all we made in 2012!

Awesome Ampersand Mugs

Red Hot Cinnamon Pine Cone Centerpiece

Paint Chip Polka Dot Calendar

Scentsational Bath Salts

Great Guy Necktie

SMASHing Monthly Calendar

Oh Christmas Tree Art

Painted Terracotta Pots

Lots of Love in the New Year! Stay Perki!

Kiss Kiss,

Natrina 
The Perki Giver

Great Guy Gift: Ombre Necktie

This tie I made for my friend John for Hanukkah! Every year we celebrate at least one night together, its become our families' tradition. I also made one as my Step-Dad's Christmas gift in a different color which he totally loved.

Things you'll need:
Dye-able necktie
Tulip Dye (powder or liquid)
Stainless steel bowl
Water (temperature per instructions)

Step 1: Follow the direction on your Dye  for prepping your tie and preparing the dye. Some dyes need hot water others room temperature will work fine make sure you know which type of dye you are using and how the color is set, either by cold rinse or dry set where you put your item in the dryer for the color to stay. In my case for this project i used a hot water heat setting dye. I also wet my tie first according to the dye instructions.

Step 2: Begin the dying process. There are two main ways to get the Ombre effect. 

• Option 1-- Dunk your item to a point where you want the effect to begin then, slowly remove  the item  out of the dye a little at a time. 
• Option 2-- Sink your item  into the dye a little at a time watch carefully since the dye will climb or be adsorbed by the fabric in this method.. 

Both methods require some time standing over the dye so which ever method is easier for you to do for your item go for it. I tried both and it's my personal opinion that Option 2 gave me a richer color saturation than Option 1 but to each his own.

*Warning:  DO NOT cook or boil dye. Only follow dye instructions.

Option 1- submerge the whole front of tie.

Option 1- slowly pull the tie part way out of dye

Option 1- the tip of the tie stays in the longest

Step 3: Rinse  and set the  Dye. According to my instruction I rinsed my item in cold water until it rinsed clear and then popped int in the dryer at medium heat. Huzzah, a cool tie for your husband, dad, brother, son or guy friend!

Option 1-- Final Results

Here's a look at Option 2 final results, you can clearly see where the dye 'climbed' at the top. this happened when I dipped the tie and then slowly pulled it out, the dye went both directions.

Option 2-- Final Results

Happy Holidays!

Kiss Kiss,

Natrina 

The Perki Giver