Sara's Blog

  

Since it’s been so quiet here this week without Keith around, I decided it was the perfect time to do some heavy-duty crafting, so Saturday night I made up a couple of different teas and coffee and dyed manila tags and silk flowers.

Why different tea? Because Earl Grey will give a rich, aged effect while peppermint, lemon and rooibos teas result in a lighter, sometimes yellowish tinge. I dyed the silk flowers in black coffee. The white flowers change the most dramatically, of course, but I also like the subtle aged look on red silk flowers, or the vintage flea market look on pastel pink flowers.

Here’s how to do it: Brew a cup of tea or coffee like usual, letting the teabag steep for 3-5 minutes. Flowers can be dyed in a mug, but I usually put the tags in a wide, shallow container like Tupperware or the lid of a baking pan. Leaving the teabag in the container with the tags will make the color stronger. Let them soak during the day or overnight and then lay them flat on a paper towel to dry. You’ll get different results depending on the length of time they soak, and the strength of the coffee or tea. You can always add more water if you want a subtle effect, or brew with two teabags for stronger color.

And since Keith FINALLY comes home on Monday, I made him this welcome home banner from our Finished in a Flash™ Birthday page kit. (We haven’t seen each other for a month!) I stamped the letters, matted them on patterned paper and white cardstock for extra strength, then added brads and loops of ribbon. Turn the letters face-down (double-checking the order they’re in) and tape ribbon across the back to attach the pieces together. I love how bright and cheery it looks, and how everything I needed was in one kit. Then came the challenge of where to hang it…eventually I had to tape it to the windows!

(And yes, this is what I do on Saturday nights…pretty wild, isn’t it?)