Here are some of the goodies I've made for my boyfriend's parents the last couple years. They're super traditional so I didn't get too crazy!

First, some ornaments I made out of felt and then embroidered:











(I put they're names on the stocking - Lou Ann and Bob - and left the stocking open so they can put candy or whatever in it)





And, I embroidered this fleece throw for them last year, and remembered to take a picture this time when I saw it on their couch. I drew the acorn and pinecone designs.

aliastriona_angerbo da: I love your Paris shrine! How did you do the leather? Is it actual leather or a technique? The whole thing looks genuinely antique.

stifflersmom: That shrine reminds me of the La Sirena loteria card. I agree that the boat could be toned down a smidge but the sequins are awesome as-is!

petuniahead:I love Frida! Your colors of your shrine are perfect! And I like that you used a tray...

*I have another one to share too! Here's my Shrine to 25:





You can see more details here:

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=148766

So, my 25th birthday is in a couple weeks and I'm trying this whole "self-betterment" thing. Wah wah, right....Anyway, so I made a quick little shrine to remind myself of what I'm trying to accomplish.

I started with this box that orginally held these little cards that had quotes on them about new beginnings. I kept the original spine & I used this really nice paper with scientific illustrations of shells on it:



Front:





Inside - the red paper has a faux velvet thing going on:



Details of inside



the fortune says "to conquer your flaws, you must first accept them" with this gangsta picture of me from my New York I.D.



And, the back:




It's been forever since I've posted anything. Comments/suggestions welcome!

I had this cool old suitcase with a broken zipper...and realized that it was perfect for a large shrine. I've had my old Ouija board lying around (haven't had any sleepovers in a while    ), so decided to make a "fate" shrine - featuring some of the ways people put their fate in the hands of different fortune-telling devices.



I used Italian-made tarot card paper for the background:


I had a mini fortune-cookie box with an accordian style sheet of fortunes:


And I recently found the perfect finishing touch in a pair of old wooden dice I found at an antiques market:



One last thing I may add is a mini 8-ball. We'll see...Thanks for looking!

Ok. Here's all the wonderful stuff I got from msmeow!



Lots of magnets (and I really needed magnets):


A bunch of notecards with choice quotes (here's a close up of a few):


The felt toe doll/pillow complete with green toenail:


And the super awesome double-sided tote bag (msmeow sells all sorts of cool bags on her website too - check it out):





Thank you msmeow! You were such a great partner. This swap was so much fun!!

Another one inspired by Readymade magazine. In the latest issue they had instructions for making a standing bookcase out of 2 suitcases...but our apt doesn't have too much xtra floor space - but we do have high ceilings! Just pry off the lids of suitcases (don't worry - I've got plans for those), attach the suitcases to each other, then use the old "L" wall supports and attach to the wall. I especially enjoy the juxtapose of my boyfriend's playstation games with the antique cases...





Thanks for looking!

Ok...not too much craftiness here, but a good use for 3 of the 4 skateboards my bf and I had lying around the apartment. Pretty self explanatory - just attached "L" supports and attached to wall - woot!





Cool.

I've had this dresser since I was little and at one point I painted white over the original wood, but never did much else to it. I bought sheets of loteria cards recently and thought I'd add some color!







I did this the same way I did the tarot card coffee table:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=38971.0

Thanks for looking!

In the shrine-a-long thread I was talking about creating a shrine to Dracula...at first I was going to glue the pages of the actual book, cut out a block and make the shrine in there. After gluing 100 pages I gave up! So I dug through my craft room & found 2 mini old-fashioned suitcases...so I decided to make 2 shrines - 1 to the Drac and one to his true love: Mina. Hope you like them!

Here's the 2 together - connected by black lace


Drac shrine








Mina shrine








And here are the backs...not sure if I should do anything to this part since they'll probably be displayed with the backs to the wall...but I don't want them to look unfinished...though ts?



Thanks for looking!

For this shrine I was inspired by DevilDoll's Man's Ruin shrine:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=16738813.0

I collect a lot of ridiculous things...clothing tags, rubber fish, grass skirts, dirt...and it adds up and takes over my apartment (which in the land of precious real estate is disasterous). So I decided to put a lot of it to good use all in one shot - and the Shrine to the Ridiculous was born! Enjoy...

The whole shebang (I used a basket from the grocery store with the handles removed as the base):


The invisible woman as the figurehead (vegas-style):


I didn't have a sexy lady, so I subsituted a rubber fish with fake eyelashes:


Details of the knick-knacks on the bottom:




And...that lei in the background? It lights up - Behold!


Yeah I know, I threw up in my mouth a little too. Feel free to comment.

Oh, and this is a shrine I completed for the "Shrine A Long," which anyone is welcome to join at any time:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=97953.0