Flower Pens!

Wow you guys... I'm REALLY bad at posting things... I'm so sorry... I'm making a new years resolution to blog more! I figure this is how it will go:
Monday through Thursday I'll blog when I can about random tidbits from my life/advice from my crazy life, and Friday will be, of course, Foto Friday! :D I've been working with Picmonkey, and honestly, it's as good as Picnik (maybe a bit better?). I've got some awesome photo tutorials up my sleeve, and I can't wait to show them to you! Saturday I probably won't post anything (but then again, I kinda lack a social life, so maybe I'll drive you guys crazy post something ;) ). Sunday will have a little spiritual post. Maybe some music, a story, just something to lift your spirits and maybe even build your testimony! Just a little way to bring the spirit into your life (and mine!)! :) So, let's hope my crazy schedule will allow me to post more! :D I have a lot to show you guys! :D

Today, we will be doing a craft! I swear, I don't have a crafting bone in my body (well, it's REALLY, REALLY tiny!!), but I can do a few things really well! And one of those is making roses out of pipe cleaners! :D

Aren't they cute?!?! :D I should have posted a tutorial about making the rose, but I'm sure you are all so smart that I wouldn't have to tell you how to (though I'll probably post one later, since I got a video camera! :D Eeee!).

Step #1: Well, you make the rose (I REALLY should have made a tutorial for that...). You could make your own flower, or you could buy some plastic ones. Whatever floats your boat.

Step #2: Find a pen! I got some of Papermate's Ink Joy pens at the beginning of the school year (partially because the guy in the commercial looks like Steven Sharp Nelson, I swear!!). They are seriously amazing. AMAZING!! (not like this is an ad or anything... I just really like their pens!) So, I tried to color-coordinate the flowers to their appropriate pen color (it didn't quite work out, because I have a black and a brown pen, and I'm not going to make roses in that color...) so that I would know what color I'm picking up out of the flower-pot.

Step #3: Put a bit of hot glue (I just got my first hot glue gun a few months ago!! :D ) at the top of the pen and secure the flower there. I put the rose stem at the top because I wanted to give it some strength so it wouldn't flop around. I also put some hot glue on the top of the pen and glued the end of the twirly part of the pipe cleaner (the one inside the rose, not the stem!) so it wouldn't flip-flop around (I did the same thing on a mechanical pencil, only I glued it to the clip so I could still use the eraser).

Step #4: Wind the rest of the stem around until it reaches the bottom. You can decide where it ends. I've found it can be really nice to put the end of the stem where your fingers will be, so you have a place to put them (your fingers, that is!). But, you can also end it closer to the top. Whatever floats your boat! :) Once you decide where it is going to end, put some hot glue (and without burning yourself for the ump-teinth time...) on the pen and put the end of the rose there.

And there you have it! Once the pens were done, I painted this pot that I've had *forever* and put beans in it. I went a bit all out and edged the side of the pot with beans too... It says, "Pens" if you didn't notice... Now I'm kinda regreting it because some of it is falling off and it doesn't look very professional... But hey, I had fun and **finally** finished a project that I had put off for the longest time because I didn't have the hot glue gun, and then I didn't have time. SO yeah... Hope you enjoyed the craft! (There may be more in the future!) And, just so you know, I started this blog post Saturday night (it just didn't get finished until almost 12:30 am... 9 am church is going to kick my butt tomorrow...).

Have a great day and don't forget your camera!

Hope you guys like my new photo! The other one was really old (my hair
has grown a lot!) and I wanted to replace it with one that was more current!
My friend took the photo when we were out to eat after our Youth Symphony
concert!