Kender Crafts

Double Move!

2011-12-03T19:39:00.001-06:00

I know I have been absent from the blogging world for quite a while, but I have a good reason! I moved. That's right. I moved from the Chicago suburbs to the Springfield, MO area. It was crazy, hectic, frustrating, exciting, sad, and hopefully for the better! We have tons of family down here (well, hubby does anyway and they all seem to have welcomed me with open arms). I now have a full-time job. It's not my dream job, but it pays and offers insurance which we desperately needed!

Hubby has also started his own business. He's working hard at it and we're crossing our fingers that it will grow quickly. My reasons may be a little selfish, though. I miss being a stay-at-home mom - it's hard not to be there for all the little things in my kids lives, I want to go back to school so I can do something I love, but I can't do any of that right now because we need my income and insurance. Maybe someday though. A girl can dream, right?

The kids seem to be adjusting well down here, though. They have their friends and they like the school.

There's a couple downsides to our semi-sudden move to MO though. We are currently living with my hubby's 80 yr old Grandma. While I am eternally grateful she took us in and is giving us time to get back on our feet, I am so anxious to have a place of my own again. There's a few things that we need to take care of before that can happen, but we have some ideas blooming in our brains!

But, if you notice, the title of this post says "Double Move!" What's that all about? I am moving my blog from Blogger to my own website. That's right. I decided to finally get use out of the domain I have been paying for the last few years. To be honest, I don't know if anyone reads this blog anymore - especially with the recent lack of posts - but for those that are interested, the new blog will be at http://hippiekender.com. I have imported all my old Blogger posts and will be adding widgets, gadgets and other do-dads as I have time (please be patient with me as I get everything situated - I literally just installed the blog). And hopefully, I will be posting much more often. I will also be looking into a way to make the transition as seamless as possible, but if you want to keep tabs on my blog, you may need to head over there and "follow" it.

That's about it for tonight. It's been a long day and an even longer week. I think it's time to go play some video games with the hubby!

Take care,

Mug Rugs [swap]

2011-02-25T17:00:00.003-06:00

Or Snack Mats, or Mug Mats, if you prefer. I joined a swap on Craftster.org to make mug rugs with 2 swap partners.

My first partner said she likes Greens, blues (especially turquoise) and modern flowers. I came up with this (mostly following a tutorial):

And here is the back, to show size. It's just a normal sized coffee mug.

And in return, she sent me a red and black mug, to match my kitchen, inspired by a mug I had on my wists.
<<-- Front & Back-->>

My second partner said she would love a purple and white mug rug (her school colors). She also said she likes squares and rectangles, so I ran with that.

And with the mug

And in return, she sent me a lovely rug. It's also red and black to match my kitchen, and I think it's inspired by a mug rug on my wists made with a dresdon plate. (This swap taught me a lot about quilting, like, I don't know how to do it!)

<<---Front & With Mug--->>

I love my mug rugs! If you want to try quilting or just need a quick small project to work on, mug rugs are wonderful! They're great for learning new techniques. Plus, they're all the rage right now, so whip yourself up one today!

PS what do you think about the new signature? Should I add "HippieKender" to it? Does it look stupid or pretentious?

PPS Normally, I link to tutorials for you to follow, but I only have one bookmarked - the rest are on my pinterest which is under maintenance right now.

Valentines, part 2

2011-02-18T22:25:00.002-06:00

Since I shared the Valentines I made for my son, I thought I would share the ones I made for my daughter.

I don't have some crazy story about how I spent all night making valentines. I actually planned ahead for these and my daughter got to help make them. She was so proud.

They are just 4 hearts cut out of scrapbook paper, glued together with a lollipop in the center. Thankfully in preschool they don't have to write the names of all their classmates, just their own name on them.

I'm pretty sure there's a tutorial over on Martha Stewert, but these are pretty self explanatory.

Handmade Valentines - Pencils

2011-02-11T11:30:00.003-06:00

I decided this year I was going to make my kids' valentines - you know, the ones they have to bring to school and give to every kid in the class. I picked up most of the supplies a couple days ago and was looking forward to a weekend of crafting with my kids.

Last night, after dinner, I check over my son's homework and go to sign his planner when I notice, written at the bottom, "Valentine's Day Party Tomorrow." Wait, what?! I thought the party was going to be on Monday.... you know... VALENTINE'S DAY? I hadn't gotten any papers home telling me the date of the party, or a list of all the kids names so the valentines could be filled out correctly. I had just assumed I would get that all on Friday so i could spend the weekend being creative, then have everything ready for Monday... guess that's what I get for assuming.

So, now i am freaking out. It's 7:30pm and I still need to get the kids bathed. I do not have time to run to the store for valentines before bedtime! I quickly run to the computer (thank you Google!) and search for valentine's card ideas. I had bought pencils for my son to give with his valentines, but wasn't sure how to attach them together. After a bit of searching, I decide to do a heart with the pencil through it like an arrow (classic Valentine's day, no?). Great, now I have an idea! But what to make the hearts out of? I am out of card stock and I wanted them to be a little sturdier than plain printer paper. I spot some craft foam and get excited (yes!). I quickly realize that I don't have enough craft foam to make 28 valentines. Now I am frantically pacing around trying to figure out what I am going to do. I find a stack of index cards. They're sturdy enough, there's plenty of them, but are they big enough? After a quick sample, I find that they are! Score! After getting son's approval on the valentine idea, I cut out 28 of them, punch holes, realize those holes are not big enough for the pencil, cut slits to make the holes bigger, write cheesy sayings on them, consider how plain they look, embellish, have son write his name on them all, shove pencils in and rejoice that I am finally done with them!

Now to make 16 valentines for daughter's class. Her party is actually on Monday... I checked.

New Purse (take 2)

2011-01-31T10:25:00.004-06:00

A couple posts back I talked about how I had made myself a new purse with some fabric that I had tie-dyed. I love the idea of the purse, the general pattern, but I thought it was too big and bulky for my every day needs. Basically, I just wasn't in love with the purse. So, what's a girl to do when she is unhappy with her purse? Why, make a new one, of course!
I decided to "fake join" a purse swap on Craftster (it's a "fake swap" craft-along). So, first things first, I bought a pattern from etsy and got to work.

Here's the outside. There is a large pocket on the front, perfect for my cell phone. The top zippers closed.

And the lining! Now I can carry the music with me! This side has 6 credit card pockets and a zippered pocket. The other side has 2 standard pockets.

And what's inside the zippered pocket, you ask?

Rainbows!! This pocket makes me ridiculously happy!

Now for the "swap" we are supposed to make or buy 5 items to go inside the purse. 2 of those items must be handmade. I decided I needed a new wallet. The one I was carrying before was large enough to be a purse all on it's own, and I wanted something small and cute. I followed Babyangel's tutorial for a wallet and came up with this...

I have a zipper pocket for change, 2 credit card pockets and a larger pocket for cash or receipts or whatever. This is really all I need in a wallet. I only need to carry my credit card and ID. The other cards (insurance cards, gift cards, business cards, etc) will be getting their own pouch. Possibly 2 or 3. I'm still debating on fabrics, though.

With 2 kids, it's important for me to carry tissues, so I made a cute tissue cozy for my travel pack of tissue.

I just love this fabric. I got it in a swap over on Craftster.

So let's see... I have a wallet, a tissue cozy, I'm going to make a business card wallet, and I bought a tiny brush (for those days my daughter forgets to brush her hair before we leave the house). That leaves 1 item to make or buy. I will probably just buy something. The purse isn't all that big and I'm not sure what else I can cram in there. Maybe a little notebook! I'm always in need of paper to write things down. Yeah, I'm gonna go with that.

Well, that's enough babbling. I really should go work on a resume. I am wonderfully proficient at procrastinating.

List of Wants and Needs

2011-01-20T10:39:00.009-06:00

Here is my crafty to-do list. Most of these don't really have a "due-date" so it's whenever I get to them. Listed in no particular order.

NEED to make...: - Knitting Bucket Organizer - swap; - Yarn Caddy - swap; - Tea Cup Candles - swap; - Tatted Jewelry - STS and swap; - Mug Rug x2 - craftster swap; - Heat Packs - STS; - Corset Coffee Sleeve - STS
WANT to make...: - Resin Pendants w/tatting & beading; ~~- Corn-filled foot warmer~~ done; - kitty hat - melody; - bomber hat - jesse & Sam; - Shirtdress - melody; - Corn heat pack for end of bed; - Wire Ear cuffs; - Paper Bead Roller; - Paper Beads; ~~- Puzzle Necklaces~~; - Pajama Pants - melody & Sam

After reading these lists I can't tell if I am over-inspired or under-motivated. But, hopefully seeing the list will let me work on getting them completed. I will be "checking off" items as I finish them.
Oh, and this list is in addition to the list in my side-bar.

EDIT: I have added a "Project List" page, so my side bar no longer has a to-do list.

Hey, look! It's a post! [crafting update]

2011-01-13T17:50:00.005-06:00

I know it's been awhile since the last time I posted. I have been uninspired to craft, to post, to take pics, etc. Plus the holidays came around and I was frantically trying to finish last minute gits, plan the holidays and deal with everyday normal things. My hubby has been out of state looking for work, so there are all kinds of new challenges and responsibilities I have taken on.
So, I am going to do a little catching up here. This will be a hodgepodge of my crafts done since the last time I posted (WOW! Way back in October! What a terrible blogger I have been!).

Tatting:
I have been working on learning to tatt. Mostly jewelry. I need to work on consistency and learning to read patterns. I am pretty pleased with how things are progressing though!
First I have a tatted pearl necklace.

Pattern by TotusMel. I also made the necklace display! It's covered in a faux leather.

I also found a cute pattern for some tatted earrings.

These are just a little wonky because I was still testing out the pattern. I did make a couple nicer pairs, but I gave them away as gifts before I took pictures.

These are the ornaments I made this year. I have a tradition going where every year I make a different kind of ornament and give them to family. Since I learned to tatt this year, I figured these were appropriate!

The one on the left is closer to the original pattern while the one on the right is modified to make it easier for me to needle tatt using SCMR. I've asked people which they prefer, and the results are about 50/50.

And lastly, I made two pairs of earrings using Kirsti's Stumpy bookmark pattern.

Tie Dye:
I've recently been bitten by the tie-dye bug! I started with some onesies that I won in a giveaway. A friend of mine just had a daughter and I thought it would be a nice gift.

I started with pinks and purples then thought it would be cute to do yellow/orange/green.

I was pretty darn pleased with them! I went back later and ironed on some cute patches, but forgot to take pics before I gave them away. The purple ones are scrunched and the yellow one was swirled. Those went over so well, I decided to do some more! I asked the kids to find some plain white t-shirts.

Top left is the first t-shirt I did. It faded a lot on the first wash. It still looks neat, but I wanted really vibrant colors. Next I did daughter's and another for my son (top right). Son's faded again, but daughter's looks pretty darn good. What did I do different between the two? Nothing. I have no idea why the colors faded on one and not the other. I even threw them in the dryer before washing (but after rinsing) thinking that the dye (RIT Dye) needed heat to set. It didn't help.
But, I was right. RIT dye does need heat. Normally you would use really hot water, but I was using cold water. I found that if you microwave the fabric (post-dye but pre-rinse) the colors are much more vibrant!

These are shirts I tie-dyed for my cousins and brother-in-law. I was so happy to find 3 men's shirts just sitting in my craft room! I had forgotten I bought them! They don't fit hubby, but are the perfect size for the cousins! Do you see how much more vibrant/saturated the colors are? I microwaved the shirts for 1 minute inside a ziplock bag. The color scheme was requested to be dark.

Then I found this tutorial for making Mandalas with tie dye! I love mandalas, and I love tie dye, so of course I had to try this out!

I was going for a rainbow effect, but only had the 3 primary colors on me. I'm not sure RIT dye mixes as well as procion dyes, though. My corners are not as crisp as they could be, but I don't mind practicing these! It was suggested to me that I make a quilt out of these, and I love that idea! I need 23 more mandalas to make a twin size quilt. Do you think it's gender neutral enough that my son would like one, too?

Sewing:
I haven't dome much sewing lately. I did make some heat packs as gifts for Christmas, but of course forgot to take pics of them before I gave them away. I do plan on making more of them, so I will try to get pics when I make those.
I did buy myself a pattern from ebay for a new purse. I've been carrying around the same purse for a year and a half. It was made by MelMakesPretty and I love it to pieces, but i figured after a year and a half I needed a change.

I love it! there are 4 pockets on the outside and a TON of pockets on the inside! You get to decide how many pockets you want inside and I kind of went pocket crazy!

I was too impatient to try it out, so there's already some of my junk in there.
I also tie-dyed the outside fabric. It seems that I didn't microwave it long enough because the colors washed out quite a bit, but I still love it.

I think that's about it for my massive post of projects from the last month! If you made it this far, thanks for reading! :)

Another Crafty Crow Giveaway - thirty-one & Imagine Childhood

2010-12-03T10:51:00.003-06:00

Yep, that's right! The Crafty Crow is having another giveaway. This one is from thirty-one. Oh my goodness! If you haven't seen their products (like I hadn't) you NEED to check them out! Their stuff is amazing! I honestly can't pic a favorite but I could spend all day looking at the catalog and dreaming (and possibly drooling).
Head over to The Crafty Crow for all the details on how you can win a $25 gift card to thirty-one.

Whoops! Here's another AMAZING giveaway from The Crafty Crow from Imagine Childhood. They are giving away a $75 gift certificate! I know, right?! And have you seen their stuff? I am in love! They have something for kids of all ages (and that includes you parents, too)! I am already picturing the hours upon hours of imagination induced play my kids will have! You don't want to miss out on this! Head over to the Crafty Crow and see how you can enter to win!

Winter Holiday Giveaway via The Crafty Crow

2010-11-30T20:36:00.002-06:00

I just saw this giveaway over on The Crafty Crow and had to share!

Gingercake is giving THREE winners FOUR PDF patterns each!! They are fantastic patterns. I think my favorite is the Love Your Lunch Tote but I also love the Art Caddy Tote, the Notebook Slip Covers and the Crayon Art Folio!

Head over to The Crafty Crow for more info about Gingercake's amazing giveaway!
If you can't wait for the contest to end and must have these adorable patterns right now, you can head over to Gingercake's bigcartel and buy the patterns. Or, if you don't sew, you can buy finished products at their etsy.

First Tatted Necklace

2010-10-24T11:43:00.002-05:00

So, I've been trying to learn the art of tatting. I've been learning for a little less than 2 months. Right now I have no interest in doilies, but do have a strong interest in jewelry (or things that can be incorporated in jewelry) and Christmas Ornaments (because that season is fast approaching).
I made this necklace for a swap over on Craftster. My partner was TheSapphireMoon. The swap was Givers and Needers and she had sent me an amazing package! I had also claimed some tatting supplies from her in the STS (shop the swap). I figured I could learn to tat something and combine my thanks for both swaps into one package! Here's what I made.

It was made using size 8 thread, a needle, and totusmel's pattern.

My original package to TSM included a completely different necklace. Unfortunately, my cat thought it was a toy for him to play with, knocked it off the counter where it was waiting for an envelope, and the dog thought it was a treat for her so she ate it. I was very upset, but decided to make a new one. I stumbled upon totusmel's pattern and decided to try to make it. I was so pleased with how it turned out. I guess losing the first necklace turned out to be a blessing in disguise because I love it so much more than the original I had made.
I will probably be making it again, possibly with beads.
What do you think?

TataniaRosa's anniversary giveaway

2010-10-08T14:02:00.004-05:00

So my latest obsession is tatting - I am still very much a beginner and learning the basics. Once i get the hang of tatting I will be posting some of my creations, but in the meantime I drool over the amazing creations of others (and dream of one day being that good).

One of the people I admire is TataniaRosa. I started following her blog a while back and love to see all her new creations. And now she is having a giveaway!

The prize? These amazing coasters. Aren't they elegant?

But, that's not all! If she gets 40 entries she will also give away this stunning bracelet:

And, that's not all!! If she gets 100 entries, she will ALSO give away this dramatic necklace!

How can you win these amazing pieces, you ask? There's not just ONE way to enter, there's EIGHT! Go check out her blog for all the details. Good luck!

[SWAP] Tiny books

2010-10-02T20:38:00.002-05:00

I've been in a crafty slump lately (that's probably apparent by my lack of blog posts). Not really sure why. I'm happy to say that the fog has been slowly lifting. The swaps over at Craftster.org have been helping. It may have been the challenge that helped push me along.
So, I joined the OTT Book swap and was partnered with the lovely lady4feet. Here is the book i made for her.

It measures about 3"x4.5"x1" The cover is faux-leather/vinyl. She says it's super soft!

Here's some inside pages. I Coptic bound the book (basically, make folded stacks of paper and stitch them together.

The inside covers are skulls and crossbones (one of her favorites, she says). It's actually tissue paper glued to card stock.

Most of the pages are plain printer paper, but I did sneak in some Origami paper...
...and some doodles.

I'm not very good with paper crafts, so it might not have been the Work of Art that other books were, but I am pleased with how it turned out.

I also made her a pair of earrings and a pendant in the same way. They are Coptic bound but this time I used REAL pages from a book! I had a hard time convincing myself that it was okay to cut up a book. In the end, the only reason I managed to do it was because i had 2 copies of the book, and it wasn't very good. The covers on these were made from a paper bag that had a print designed on it that reminded me of brocade (another of my partner's themes), though it probably looked more brocade-like on a larger scale. Either way, these were hard to let go of!

I didn't measure them, but as you can see, they are not much larger than the ear wires.

Bookmaking may not be my calling in life, but I sure did have fun making these!

Mag Bag [for a swap]

2010-07-17T15:40:00.002-05:00

i joined the FOC (friend of craftster) swap over on Craftster (obviously). My partner was beeker. The goal was to browse their wists and create a "duplicate" or an item inspired by their wists.
I found this magazine bag and decided to make beeker one (it's the one directly from her wists).

I read through the whole thread and pieced together how to make this bag. I tried to use magazine pages that had full bleed (color all the way to the edges). I folded each page in thirds then in thirds again. I covered each page in clear packing tape then wove them together. I did 10 pages across and 18 pages down. I t folded up the bag to be the shape I wanted.
My partner says she really likes it, so I am thrilled. I was pretty unsure about the whole thing right up to the point when I put in the lining. Then it all seemed to come together and I fell in love with it. I kind of want one for myself.
It's the perfect size for a night out or to take to a theme park while on vacation. Not that I have recent experience with lugging a large bag around a theme park. Okay, so i do, and I am wishing I had this bag to carry instead!

Pot Holder Swap pt 2

2010-07-04T11:54:00.002-05:00

Here is the amazing package I received from my swap partner, Pearliepie.

I love the round one. The shape and fabric make it so whimsical! The butterflies are fabulous and I love the decorative stitching. And of course, I love the red/black one because it matches the beautiful place mats.
What place mats??
These place mats!!

I don't know why that 2nd picture is squished like that. Photobucket must be having issues with my photos. They are all very lovely and I can't wait to use them!
Thank you, Pearliepie!

Pot Holder Swap

2010-06-22T10:30:00.003-05:00

I recently did a pot holder swap over on Craftster. Here is what I made for my partner, Pearliepie.

I started out with the pot holders. Pearliepie and I decided on 3 pot holders. I decided to make 3 different styles but keep the same feel to them. There is one with rounded corners, one that's squared and one with pockets to put your fingers into. They are each quilted differently and I made the bias tape to go around the edges. My first time making bias tape, quilting, and making pot holders!

We also agreed on extras, so i went with some place mats. They are the same fabric on both sides (inspired by some bead work on my partner's wist). I've never made place mats before, but these were really fun to make. There is a layer of felt in the middle for some padding.

Then, I couldn't resist making my partner some of these coasters with the scraps. They were just too cute to pass up.

And, a shot of everything all together! My partner says she likes everything. What do you think?

D20 Bag

2010-06-20T01:51:00.003-05:00

I've been working on this D20 bag for a few days now. I kept getting interrupted, ran out of time before guests came over and then got called into work! But I finally finished it. Here is my result.

I tried to match up the numbers to an actual 20-sided die, but I don't think I managed it.

Here you can see the lining and my hand for size reference.
I was thinking about making these to sell, but I don't know if I will be doing that. I cut all the little numbers out by hand. I think next time I will look for pre-cut iron on numbers (if I can find them at the store).

If you would like to make your own icosahedron, you can go here: http://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/d20bag
If you don't want to cut all those pieces (20 outer, 20 lining, 20 interfacing plus all the numbers!), that website also sells kits.

I might try other versions, too. Like a d12, d8, d10, maybe even a d6 and of course a d4. If I can figure them all out, I might sell them on Etsy. I wonder if dice bags sell well.
What are you thoughts ... about the bag, about different versions, about Etsy, about the dice bag market?

Also, my partner received in the Pot Holder swap, so I will try to post those pics tomorrow :D

Catnip Kitty Toys

2010-06-02T20:08:00.003-05:00

I just got a kitten last Friday (May 28). He is adorable! We adopted him from the animal shelter at 11 weeks old. He started purring the minute I picked him up. I knew he was the kitten for us. He is not skiddish or shy.

He spends a lot of time here:

Which makes it very difficult to do anything on my computer.

I've had a few tutorials bookmarked to make toys for pets, but I didn't have a pet to make them for so I never really had the motivation to do it. But today I decided Oliver needed some catnip toys. I use this tutorial: Heart Mice and whipped up 8 of them in no time.
Unfortunately, I don't think Oliver likes catnip much. He doesn't go nutso for it like some other cats. I will probably give away a few to some cat-owning friends and family, keep a couple for Oliver and give the rest to the animal shelter we adopted him from.

If you have a kitten in your life, I recommend these! They are fast and easy!

New Website Design

2010-05-04T19:23:00.003-05:00

After a year or more of trying to come up with an attractive website design that I made myself, I finally gave up. I went to wix.com and created myself a flash website. They are a good company and have some wonderful designs. I was just bothered that i hadn't really created it myself, from scratch. I would like to learn Flash someday, but that is in the distant future.
I did, however, learn to slice and code a website in CSS. My first attempt was with my gaming guild's website Dominus Nihil. I did not create the images, but i did slice and code them into a functional website. It's much more attractive than the previous design. Trust me. It took me 3 days, lots of frustration and a little cursing to get it going. I think I talked a little about this in my last post.
Then I got ambitious. I designed myself a website, sliced and coded it and it's up and running right now! It needs some updated content, but otherwise it's fantastic (imho lol).

(clicking image will take you to my website)

What do you think? You can be honest.

Notebooks, Rings & other little projects.

2010-05-02T13:57:00.004-05:00

I've recently made a few little projects that may not be dynamic enough to deserve their own post, so I've gathered them up so I can post them all together.

First up, matchbook notebooks. I followed this tutorial and made some of my own. I used marketing from my work that would have otherwise been thrown out. I find these very useful to set next to the computer to make all those little notes that I seem to be constantly taking.
(click to enlarge)
- -

I love how simple these were to make. Mine are 2" and 3". I also like how you can easily tear out the pages.

I also saw a tutorial for a cluster ring on Cathie Filian's site (she calls it a cha-cha ring). Here is the one I made:

My daughter wanted one of her own, but I didn't have another ring blank so I improvised. I used a piece of 20g wire, fit it to her finger and added the beads. I'll try to get a picture later. If I made another for myself I would use bigger beads. I think I have 15 beads on mine, and that's all I could fit.

I'm trying to get supplies together to make the Amy Butlet Weekender bag. 2 of them actually, for when the kids visit grandma's houses.

But i have been distracted by web design. My guild (Dominus Nihil) was looking to expand on their website. They wanted something more than just forums. So as a community we worked on the design, came up with something simple and I coded it. It's ugly, trust me! So another member came up with a design that was sleek, simple and attractive. Over the course of 3 days I learned to slice and code a webpage. After much frustration, cursing and bullying my way though I finally got it. Hubby tells me that I am so stubborn and won't give up until I figure it out. It's true :) Now I need to design my own webpage so I can practice (and have something pretty that I designed myself).
Check it out: http://hippiekender.com/test/dn_test.html

I think that's all for my update. This post probably took me an hour to type up. My daughter and son have friends over and I am constantly checking on them, getting them drinks and snacks and making sure they are playing nicely and sharing. So I'd better get back to that.
Until next time, take care!

Pokeballs

2010-04-02T18:12:00.003-05:00

My kids have been playing old-school Pokemon on my DS. They enjoy it so much they pretend they are pokémon trainers. The other day I was watching them play Pokemon in the yard and realized they don't actually have pokéballs (or any other suitable sized balls) so they were using sticks to represent their pokéballs. I found this to be very sad.
I decided to make them some "real" pokéballs. I thought about making some out of fabric (and am still considering it) but remembered some Styrofoam balls I had left over from a Christmas ornament project. Unfortunately, one of the 4 balls I found had been partially turned into an ornament already, so it is kind of ugly (both as an ornament and as a pokéball).
I coated the Styrofoam with Mod Podge, painted the top half red, added a black stripe to the middle, and that brought me to this:

The red isn't quite as dark as it looks here. My camera has decided it only wants to work when it feels like it, so I had to take these with my phone.

Even though I was impatient (as were the kids), I waited for the black to dry before I added the white circles.

Ignore the ugly one in the back, that was the one that was originally supposed to be an ornament. Hubby picked me up some more Styrofoam balls so I can make a 4^th nice pokéball (then the kids won't fight over who has to have the "ugly ball").

My son with his pokéballs.

I choose YOU!!

These were pretty easy and fast to make. I just popped on Hulu while the kids were in bed. Added the white circle in the morning and the kids have been playing with them all day. I'd say they are a hit!
I'm thinking about making other kinds of pokéballs too.

DIY Dish Giveaway!

2010-03-30T12:55:00.002-05:00

DIY Dish is having a giveaway. Go here for more info!

"To celebrate the launch of this new show, our friends at Janome are letting us give away TWO (yes, TWO!!) dream machines! Someone is going to win the Janome 350e EMBROIDERY machine and a second person is going to win the Janome DC4030 SEWING machine! Now how cool is that?!"

Crayon Apron

2010-03-28T10:04:00.003-05:00

My daughter went to a birthday party for a preschool friend (turning 4) and her sister (turning 3). I had to come up with not just one, but 2 gifts! One of the girls is into Hannah Montana and I don't know anything about her, the TV show, or the music. So I decided to make the gifts.
I combined a couple tutorials, some inspiration and came up with reversible crayon aprons. One side stores the crayons and the other is just a regular apron with pockets (always a must for things I make my daughter).
Here they are, laid out flat...
...Apron Side...Crayon Side

And on my daughter

And how I wrapped it up to give as a gift

Hopefully the girls like them. My work wouldn't let me have the day off, and the party ran late, so we had to leave before cake & presents. I have no idea how well they were received. I'd bet they went over fairly well since my daughter kept thinking I was making them for her. Maybe I should make her one. She might like it better than the Small Crayon Tote I made a while back. She never even touches that one.

Here's a couple tutorials for you to look at.
Art Apron from Dish Towel
Crayon Roll
Crayon Apron
Crayon Apron
Or doing a Google search will probably bring up tons of stuff.

Bell Bottoms

2010-03-18T10:08:00.002-05:00

Guess what I made? Bell Bottoms! What? You couldn't guess that given the title of this post?

Please ignore my shoddy photography skills. My camera batteries died so I had to take these with my phone ... in the bathroom mirror.

I started out with a regular pair of jeans.

I opened the seams up to the knee. Then I took my son's outgrown jeans, cut them up, sewed them back together and inserted them into the sides of my jeans!

And some more views ... because I am smitten with these bells!

And my favorite pic ...

Hubby kept telling me how much he hated* them while i was sewing them up, but when they were all done he said he like them and they "are kinda cool." What do you think?

_{*He likes to say he "hates" a lot of things I make because they are retro/hippie and girly. He's mostly joking ;)}

I made a book

2010-03-16T10:19:00.002-05:00

Yes, that's right. From start to finish, I made a book. I was absolutely inspired by this post on Craftster.
So i searched out tutorials on how to make a book and got started...

First, I made registers and sewed them together.

Then, cut cardboard for the cover - I didn't have chipboard, but i had a cardboard box.

I tried to pretty up the cover with some green tissue paper. I wanted to give it some texture so I crinkled it up. Now I'm not sure I like the textured look.

And ... here is my finished book.

I am not 100% happy with the finished product. I can't tell if that is because I am never really happy with anything I make, or if it really sucks that much. I'll probably try it again with some small changes. I would make more registers so the book is thicker. I would also make the cover a little larger than the registers (I think you're supposed to, but I didn't remember until I had already cut them out). I would also make the cover prettier. Less texture, maybe find actual chipboard or thinner cardboard. The size isn't too bad. Since I used regular printer paper for the registers, the finished book measures around 5.5"x8.5"

The two tutorials I used:
Basic Binding of Books
Daydreaming on Paper

And a few others I have bookmarked:
Bookmaking Workshop
Journals by Curiously Crafty
Journalling - a set on Flicker

All in all it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, but I think I need practice to make it as neat and pretty as i would like it to be.

Custom Labels

2010-03-05T22:58:00.002-06:00

I tried my hand at making my own custom labels using this tutorial on Craftster.org. I used GIMP to design the label.

Printed up a bunch of them on transfer paper. Don't forget to reverse the image when you print so the image is facing the right way when you iron it on.

After I ironed the labels to the ribbon, I cut them apart and used a lighter to melt the edges a bit so they don't fray.

And here is how it will look (kind of) when sewn into a seam.

Screen Printing with Mod Podge

2010-03-03T18:50:00.005-06:00

I decided to try screen printing with mod podge. I read a couple tutorials and decided to jump right in. I settled on the "Blue Sun" image because it's something I can see myself making a bunch of (so far I have made 3 (the other 2 were freezer paper stencils).
I started with an embroidery hoop, some sheer fabric, mod podge and an image.

Here is a better view. The funny outlines are where the fabric paint stained the mod podge.

I tried using my homemade squeegee and fabric paint first. It didn't work very well. The fabric paint did not want to go through the screen.

Next, I tried using a paintbrush instead of the squeegee. It worked better, but still left big gaps where the paint didn't want to go through the screen.

I finally caved and bought some screen printing ink. Worked great! Well, except for one little bleed. See it on the bottom left? I didn't put mod podge all the way to the edge of the embroidery hoop because I thought I would be painting in the image.

After fixing the problem area, I finally made hubby a t-shirt! He's been waiting so patiently for so long. I did have to do some small touch ups, but nothing major. I probably also should have used a larger hoop - I had some trouble getting the squeegee to fit in the hoop above and below the image to evenly spread the ink.

My thoughts:
-Making a screen with mod podge is not any faster than cutting out a freezer paper stencil.
- Screen printing ink is expensive (at least it is at the crafty store).
- The process was actually enjoyable!

Verdict: For images that I will only be printing 1 or 2 times, I will just make a freezer paper stencil. For images that I will be using over and over again I would definitely make another mod podge screen.

Total cost: $7.50 Not bad for a custom printed shirt.
hoop: $1.50
shirt: $4.00 (could probably find cheaper; I got mine at the craft store)
mod podge: already had
fabric paint: already had
ink: $21 for 3 bottles. I don't know how many images I can get from one bottle (at least 3).

Total time: 4 days. Between letting the mod podge dry between coats, letting the ink dry before I set it, and procrastinating/generally being lazy.

Resources:
Mod Podge Rocks
Screen Printing with Mod Podge @ Crafty Crow
ThreadBanger Instructions

Sorry for being so long winded. =)

Cardboard Laundry Folder

2010-02-24T22:58:00.003-06:00

I saw an instructable for a shirt folding system (among other things) that was inspired by the FlipFOLD. I decided I would like to give this a try. I'm not sure it will really make my laundry folding faster, but it will make it more amusing (for a while). I decided to make my own.
The box I used was probably about 10x11 all folded up.
I cut 3 pieces that measure 7x18 inches. I tried to make one of those pieces have a fold right in the middle of it. It will be the center piece of your cardboard laundry folder.
I reinforced the creases on the side pieces with packing tape.
I then taped the sides to the middle only going halfway down with the tape. In other words, only tape until you get to the crease in the middle panel.
Then I folded the sides in (one at a time) and taped the back, around the fold. If you don't fold before you tape the back, it won't fold anymore. Clear as mud, no?
Here's a pic:

All you do is lay a shirt (or towel or what have you) centered on the middle panel. Fold up any excess hanging off the bottom. Fold first one side in, then the other. Then fold the middle panel up and you're done!

And this is what was left of my box I started with.

I sized this for children's clothing since most of my shirts are hung, not folded. If you would like to make an adult size one I recommend making 3 panels that measure approx 9x27 inches.

Let me know if you have any questions; I know I wasn't crystal clear.
Happy folding!

Heart Crayons

2010-02-10T19:53:00.003-06:00

Today i decided to make some heart shaped crayons. I separated the crayons into their color groups.

I didn't notice until after I had melted the wax that my daughter had mixed a green and orange crayon into the yellow jar.

After pouring the melted wax into the molds. I found the pink mold at the dollar store and the red one at Target for 2/$2.50. The pink one has little nibs in the middle of the hearts while the red one is nice and smooth on the inside.

Here they are, un-molded. I was impatient for them to dry, so I put them in the freezer for a few minutes.

I didn't realize until I had taken the crayons out of the mold that the pink mold's hearts are slight smaller but thicker than the red mold's.
I'm debating if I should give these to daughter's preschool friends tomorrow at her Valentine's day party.

On a side note ... I have tried melting down crayons to make fun new crayons before. I use the cupcake tin method where you line the cupcake tin with foil and melt the crayons right in there in the oven. Those turned out fairly well, but they were a little large for toddler size hands. It made it difficult to color with so they never got used. A mini cupcake tin may have worked better.
Making them in these (ice cube trays) molds seems to work out best. They are smaller and easier for small hands to grab. There are multiple surfaces to give you different results when coloring.
... Well, the kids are jumping around me now. I can't seem to keep my train of thought. Better go spend some time with them =)

edit: Here's some links that might be useful. Forgot to add them earlier.
Make your own crayons - discovery.com
Crock-pot method
Crayons and Crayon Roll from Cathie Filian of Creative Juice
Another oven method on Craftster.org

Shamrock GIMP Brush

2010-02-08T19:27:00.002-06:00

I made another brush for GIMP. If you don't know what GIMP is, you can read my post about my Valentine's Day Brushes. This time it's shamrocks for St Patrick's Day! My husband is just about all Irish (making our kids almost 75% Irish) and his family takes St Patrick's Day very seriously. They throw a huge party every year! Not that his family has anything to do, really, with my inspiration with this brush.

The idea popped into my head yesterday to make a shamrock brush that would surprise you with a 4-leaf clover. That's precisely what this brush does. As you click or drag your mouse around the canvas the shamrocks will randomly rotate. Every once in a while you might just find a lucky 4-leaf clover!

In other news I have been scouring the sale bins, resale shop and dollar stores. I picked up some sheets and table clothes for $5 (quite a few yards of fabric, yay!). Not sure what I will make with it all yet, but I'll figure it out! I also picked up some silicone ice cube trays in the shape of hearts. The one I got from the dollar store has little mold nubs in the centers of the hearts. Not a big deal for ice cubes, but won't be very pretty for making crayons and resin stuff. So I picked up a couple more from the $1 bin at Target. The ones at Target are nice and smooth. I didn't see any shamrock ones, but I will be keeping my eye out for them - I really want to make resin shamrocks! =)
That's all the news on my end. I'm thinking up ideas for making an Easter themed GIMP brush. I'm also wanting to pickup some resin, pendant bales and ring blanks. I'm going to try to Freecycle for some empty baby food jars to make heart shaped crayons.

Valentine's GIMP Brushes

2010-01-29T09:12:00.003-06:00

I'm not sure why I haven't been sharing my GIMP resources. They're crafty right? Plus they can help you be crafty. I'm not going to share my artwork here. That's over on deviantART. But I will share my brushes and any other resources I create for GIMP.
What is GIMP? It's a free, open-source image manipulation program comparable to PhotoShop. You can download it (and read more about it) here. As with any program, there is a bit of a learning process. I suggest finding tutorials and trying them out - even if you have no use for the final result. Trying new tutorials will help you learn where the tools are, what is in each menu, and what each tool does. I suggest GimpDome if you are looking for a forum with great tutorials and helpful people. I may be a bit biased since I am a moderator for those forums. Also, GimpTalk is a great place to find tutorials. Or, you can always do a search for GIMP tutorials.
GIMP is the only program I have resources for (so far), but if you are looking for some other free, open-source art programs, here are a couple to try out.
Inkscape - Vector program, like Illustrator.
Apophysis - Fractal program. Download the latest version.

Okay, on to the Valentine's Day brushes!
There was a request over at GimpDome for a heart brush that would randomly display to create a wallpaper. I started with plain hearts.

I made the heart in Inkscape then brought it into GIMP to create the brush. The hearts randomly rotate as you click or drag your mouse. You choose the color. Click the image to download.

After that I decided to try making the hearts look like Conversation Hearts. I didn't get around to adding the words, so these are just 3D hearts. I dig them anyway.

I took the heart base from the Plain Hearts brush and used GIMP to give them a 3D look. These also randomly rotate as you click or drag your mouse. Click image to download.

Eventually I managed to get some words on the hearts. Took me a few days to complete all the wording.

Taking the 3D heart brush base, I added sayings to each one. This brush has 18 different sayings on multicolored hearts. Clicking or dragging the mouse will randomly choose one of these 18 hearts. Click image to download.

I have a whole list of free programs. Pretty much, if there is a program that requires you pay for it, I probably know of a free one. I won't list them all here - I'm trying to stay on topic - but if you are looking for a certain program feel free to ask me and I will see what I can dig up.
Let me know what you think of my brushes, too!

Hair Accessory Storage

2010-01-26T19:48:00.002-06:00

After making the hanging wall storage from scrap vinyl I was inspired to make something to store my daughter's hair accessories. I looked all over and couldn't find a tutorial - or even an example! I drew out some sketches and went to work. Here is what I came up with. (Sorry for poor quality pics. My good camera's battery died and I took these with my phone's camera)

And filled with accessories:

There is a viny pocket to store the hair ties... I'll have to search the house for more, I see.

And a place to store the headbands. The hair clips run down the sides.

The bottom cross piece was supposed to be for more headband storage, but my daughter decided it was to store her glasses.

The hanging parts are some double fold bias tape I had left over from other projects. Hopefully she'll keep all her hair accessories together now.

Hair Bows

2010-01-25T14:35:00.003-06:00

I sat down last night and made some hair bows for my daughter. I had made one many months back and she loves it, so I was wondering why I hadn't made any more since. Now she has 13 and they are waiting for the storage ...thing i have planned. Hopefully I can get to it in the next few days.
Here are the hair bows.

I really thought I would like some of the contrasty combinations, but ended up liking the more monotone bows. I think the pink is my favorite closely followed by the green ones. I think the yellow one is her favorite (at least for today).

Here are some closer pics.

This is a good resource if you would like to make your own. I didn't use the elastic thread - hand sewing through the centers seemed easier to me.

Scrap Vinyl Organizer

2010-01-23T14:05:00.005-06:00

Using Vegbee's tutorial for a vinyl organizer, I made this for my daughter's room.

I decided on 4 rows of pockets instead of 3. They work better for what will be stored in them. I forgot the interfacing on the back, but I think it will be ok anyway.

Wait! What happened to the cute ribbon hanger? Well, because I didn't interface the back fabric the whole thing wanted to curl on itself. I ended up taking out the ribbon and just using a nail through each eyelet.
Here it is all loaded up. My daughter was excited to help and just started shoving things in there. I will need to make a 2nd one, so I will re-fill them both after I get around to doing that.

The vinyl was re-purposed from the packaging my son's bedding came in. The back fabric was bedsheets my mom gave me from a project she did. Yay for free projects!
I also picked up an eyelet setter tool (the kind that looks like giant pliers). I LOVE them!

Patchwork Twirly Skirt

2010-01-04T17:34:00.003-06:00

I've been wanting to try this tutorial for a Patchwork Twirly Skirt for a long time. It just seemed like a lot of work on a conventional machine. Well, this Christmas, my mom got me my very first Serger! I am very excited. I decided it was time to finally make this skirt.
Day 1: Cut 4" squares of fabric
Day 2: Finish cutting squares of fabric & start sewing together.
Day 3: Finish sewing tiers together.
Day 4 (today): Add elastic to the waistband.
Don't feel daunted... I have to work my craft time in between taking care of the family and house.
Here is the result of my hard work.

Casually tossed on the floor

Full circle. Measures about 4 feet across!

A close-up of the rolled-hem edge! I was just proud I managed to do it.

Here she is modeling it. Doesn't she look happy?

And the obligatory twirl shot.

I'm not going to lie, I kind of want one for myself! But I don't know that I'm ready to make another yet.
Total number of squares cut: 232 - Thank goodness for a rotary cutter!
All work was done on my serger (including gathering) except for the elastic casing. I wasn't sure how to do that on the serger, so I brought out my standard sewing machine.
Hubby says she looks like a little hippie ... and I don't mind that one bit!

Craft Room (and office) Makeover!

2010-01-01T14:59:00.002-06:00

WARNING: Long post with many pictures!

A couple years ago I got a craft table thinking it would be good for storing craft supplies and crafting and sewing on. It was pretty good for storing supplies, until I started trying new crafts. Eventually I had too many for this table to handle. It was also never good for sewing on. It was a little wobbly and I didn't want to test it's sturdiness by sewing on it - especially when I had my older machine. I did all my crafting and sewing at the dining room table, or a fold-out table that hubby had bought to play Warhammer on. After being inspired by some posts on Craftster like this one and this one, I decided to get my supplies organized.
Hubby was also excited. I guess he has been eyeing my craft table for a long time thinking it would make a good painting table.

Brace yourself, here are some before pictures.

My side of the room. The 2 blue totes are full of fabric. Underneath the table is full also, with things trying to escape the shelves under there.
Here's another - in case you can't already see how horrible it is.

And here is the view into the room from the doorway:

And now for hubby's side of the room...

The bookshelf held all his miniatures. I had taken over part of his side of the room with my craft supplies, so he didn't even have room to store all his painting supplies!

And now for the afters! Yay, this is the exciting part.

The new view into the room (on my side).

I still have a little bit of organizing left to do, but I am extremely happy with this new set-up.

And hubby's side:

We still need to get him some floating shelves to store the larger scenery pieces and finished miniatures/armies. He also hasn't rescued the rest of his supplies from around the house yet. We're not sure if the blue curtains are staying on the drawers. I put them there to hide the disaster that was under there, but he won't need to do that.

his desk area. I had originally planned to put the media tower on my side, but our walls are angled strangely and it didn't fit. He likes it next to his desk though. His desk was covered in video games, so it's nice to have them all neatly stored.

Whew! I think that's all the pics. I forgot to take pics of the coat closet (right across the hall) that I was using half of to store fabric and other supplies. I got all the fabric out of the closet, but have since moved the rolling set of plastic drawers into there. It uses much less space though.
The shelves are from IKEA, billy series. The metal bars and hanging metal baskets are bygel series.
The fabric was ruler folded. I used this site as a guide but modified how I folded my fabric to fit on the shelves I have.
Any questions you have, just ask me!

Tree Skirt 2009

2010-01-01T14:42:00.003-06:00

Whoops, I almost forgot to post this!
Last year I made a new tree skirt and blogged about it here. I added new hand prints this year, of course! Instead of gluing the hand prints (like I did before I knew how to sew, and also when I transferred the hand prints from the old skirt to the new one), I tried to applique them. Let me tell you, it's hard to satin stitch around tiny fingers! It's not perfect, but neither am I so it's okay!

All together

Close up of this year's hand prints

Close-up of Son's hand print.

And Daughter's hand print.

Don't laugh at my horrible applique skills.

Quilted Ornaments & Resin Coasters

2010-01-01T13:53:00.003-06:00

This year I made quilted ornaments as gifts. I only made 4, but they are pretty time consuming. Plus, I don't really have that many people to buy/make gifts for. If you would like to make your own, you can look here or here.

This one was the first one I made, and is stll probably my favorite. This one went to my Aunt. Her tree is pretty classy/classic so I thought it would fit in better than some of the others I made.

The 2nd one I made. This is the one I kept. I like the color combo, but should have stuck to one color plus the patterned ribbon. Live and learn.

I chose these colors for my daughter. I didn' t have a thin ribbon to match the pink/purple combo so this one didn't get a bow on top. I think i like them better with the bow. This one went to my Step-Sister and her Fiance.

This was the final one I made. The blue was for my son. I changed up the pattern a little bit and finally figured out how to make the bow at the top correctly so it hangs right on the tree. This was my 2nd favorite ornament. This one went to my mom.

The ornaments I used were larger than the suggested size in the tutorials so I used larger ribbon to compensate.
Using 3" pieces of 1.5" ribbon, I used a total of 120+" of ribbon per ornament!
Also used 250+ straight pins per ornament.
I'm not sure how long each one took me to make. I'd guess at least 2 hrs. I did them while watching TV.

I also made a couple polymer clay and resin coasters. I plan on making 2 sets of them for friends, but have to pick up more resin first. Here are the test coasters I made.

I thought these were going to be AMAZING with the retro pattern in the center. It was not as amazing as I was hoping. I probably won't be making more of this type.

These green ones are much prettier in person. I found these coasters hard to photograph. I will be making more of these. 2 sets in multiple colors as gifts for friends. Let me see if I can find a better picture ... Hmm, nope. But I will try to get better pictures when I finish the sets. The center looks soft, like it would be plush, but it's under a layer of resin so you can't touch it.

I had a tiny bit of resin left over from making the 2 coasters so I dyed it black and poured it into a skull mold I have.

I think that covers all of the holiday crafting i did this year. Next blog: New crafty area!

Washer Necklaces

2009-12-18T21:00:00.002-06:00

I was inspired by this post to try my hand at making some washer necklaces. I was thinking I could give them away as Christmas gifts, but I'm worried about how they will be received and if they would be used. You know how it can be giving crafty gifts to non-crafty people. Maybe they can be saved for birthday gifts.
They are made with metal washers, origami paper, clear dimensional coat and leather cord.

On to the pics!

- All together

And thumbnails of the close-ups

...And finally ... How they look when worn

The discs are interchangeable to coordinate with almost any outfit =)

Wine Charms and Portal Earrings

2009-12-17T20:15:00.002-06:00

Today my son came home with a cootie catcher/fortune teller a friend had made for him. This lead to a few more fortune tellers being made. He got to write out his own fortunes which was fun. I love seeing his imagination at work! When he read my fortune, I got: You will find something you recently lost. I think it might be my crafting mojo! This month I have crafted more than I have for the last 6 months combined.
-Quilted Ribbon Ornaments (future post because I have 1 more to make)
-Polymer Clay and Resin coasters (also a future post, I have 1 more set to make)
-Wine charms (below)
-Portal inspired earrings (below)
-Misc Stuff not worth picturing, such as pillow gift boxes from old Christmas cards.

I was looking for some small, quick gifts to make and came upon the idea of making some wine charms. I made 2 sets. One is from pre-made earrings and the other is made from memory wire.

Then I was shown a link to a pair of earrings that a friend really wanted. I was inspired to try my hand at making something similar. Next time I would like to use mirrors for the back part of the earring (like the inspiration), but otherwise I really like them. In case you are not a gamer geek, here is a link to Portal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal_%28video_game%29
We're going to do thumbnails because I got picture happy!
- Weighted Companion Cube, pre-bake
- Earrings, pre-bake
- Finished Earrings
- Blue side
- Orange Side
And one last one to show depth:

Okay I am done flooding you with pictures now. When I get the last ornament and set of coasters done I will post again.
Merry Christmas :)

Quilted Ornament Ball

2009-11-30T10:26:00.002-06:00

I found a couple good tutorials that inspired me to actually craft something! *gasp* I know!
Christmas Bauble on Craftster and Quilt Balls on make-stuff

My fingers are sore from pushing in all those straight pins, and I had to fiddle with the ribbons so the Styrofoam ball didn't show, but in the end I really like the result. I even ran out to buy more ribbon and pins so I could make more as Christmas gifts. Hopefully I have enough Styrofoam balls - I forgot to check.
I don't know if my crafting mojo has fully returned, but I sure had a lot of fun making this ornament. =)

Yet another non-crafty post!

2009-11-19T16:40:00.003-06:00

But I feel like updating anyway.
So, whats new with me? Not a whole lot. Kids birthday party went well. I found it much more relaxing to have it at home vs at Chuck E Cheese or some place similar. Hubby said he found it more stressful, but I think that's because he was trying to keep the kids entertained outside without letting them run into the street.
My Aunt and Uncle are angels in disguise. They purchased us a used car to replace one of the cars that died. I am still in awe of how generous they are. We still have one car that is broken, but friends of ours are loaning us a Jeep until we can get that car fixed. We have amazing friends.
After 5+ years of being a stay-at-home mom I am returning to the work force. I have been hired as a part-time seasonal employee at The Children's Place, a clothing sore for children. I am pretty excited. I think the time out of the house will be good for me, and Heaven knows we can use the money.
Still nothing new on the crafty front. I have all kinds of patterns and tutorials I would like to try out, but don't seem to have the motivation. Who knows when my crafting mojo will return.
I have been neglecting Blogger for a while so I am trying to catch up on everyone's posts. Shame on me for being gone so long ;)
Here is the image I made for hubby's tshirt that I talked about in my last post.

Apparently I was on a "shield" kick because I also made this for a contest on a forum I moderate called GimpDome. I actually didnt get the entry completed on time so didn't get to enter the contest, but I am pleased with the result anyway.

So, that's it for me. Hope life is treating everyone well. Orientation for my new job is in 2 days and they will be putting me on the schedule for next week. Thanksgiving is also coming up quickly. I will be going to my Aunt's and Uncle's for a small dinner. Should be nice. The next few weeks are going to be busy. Maybe even the next couple months as I adjust to being a mom and an employee again!

Lack of motivation!

2009-09-14T13:53:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure if it is because of the hectic summer, the messy craft room, financial problems (both cars broke down within 2 weeks of each other) or general Crafter's Block (like writer's block), but I have been highly unmotivated to create anything. I haven't been sewing, playing with poly clay, making jewelry, creating digital art .... nothing. Well, not nothing, but not really anything to write home about. I glued some ribbon to some D-rings to make a collar for my daughter's stuffed dog. I also created an image for hubby's LARP to iron onto a shirt. I might post that, because it's amusing to me.
I am throwing a birthday party for my 2 little ones this weekend. My son turns 9 tomorrow (OMG!) and my daughter turned 4 on the 3rd. I'll have to clean up the crafty room so the guests don't see that I craft in chaos! My daughter also started preschool this year. I now have 2 hours free on Tues and Thurs! I'm hoping those two things combined will help motivate me to be more crafty. I have patterns I bought months and months ago and never used. I have lots of projects in mind that I would like to make, but lack the motivation to get started. First on the list is a play house made from old bedsheets that fits over a table. I thought I had the inspiration bookmarked, but can't seem to find it. The kids are always making forts out of blankets, so I thought this would be a good solution for them.
After a google search, I found this: http://nothingfancyschmancy.blogspot.com/2008/06/table-playhouse-tent.html It just slips over the table, can be folded up when not in use. I wouldn't make mine so girly (my son will want to use it too, I'm sure), or as coordinated (I'll be using whatever large scraps I can find around the house), but you get the general idea.

Well, that's it from me. Hopefully it won't be so long before I update again. Right now i have to hop in the shower before I bike 2 miles to pick son up from school. It's nice weather and good exercise, but I miss having a working car! It's hard work towing a 4 yr old behind you in a trailer. Hubby is going car shopping tonight - keep your fingers cross we get a good deal!

[CraftFail] Sun Hat

2009-08-16T18:10:00.003-05:00

I decided to make some sun hats after being inspired by this post on Craftster.org. I was a little confused about how she made the brim, so I also used these instructions. Well ... I kept them in mind while I cut pattern pieces. I didn't really take the time to fully understand and think about what I was doing and forgot to add seam allowances to half of the pieces. At least that's what I think I did...

Looks cute right? BTW, that's purple check. Purple is hard to photograph, apparently (especially with my phone's camera).
Let's take a closer look...

Yep, that giant fold in the brim is because I had the correct measurements for the brim but not the rest of the hat. How do I know the brim was right and the rest was wrong?

Look how tight this hat is!!

...fail.

My new haircut

2009-07-30T10:47:00.003-05:00

I know this isn't really very crafty - at least not for me since I didn't cut it myself.... but I wanted to share :)
Before:

After:

And just for giggles.... I drove 10 hrs to pick the kids up from their vacation and got driver's sunburm.

Beaded Pendant & Mason Jar Pincusion

2009-07-06T13:35:00.007-05:00

No, these projects are not related, but they are both small so I tossed them in the same post instead of doing two separate posts. I was going to make more of the pendants (and probably still will. I just don't have a time frame yet) but for now this is all I have. I actually made this for a contest on deviantART. I should find out how I did by tomorrow (I hope). That's when the contest ends, anyway. Who knows how long judging will take.

Here is my entry. It's pretty big. You can click the thumbnail to see the full size.
I teamed up with phoenixleo. He created the fractal. I printed it out, transferred it to a thin piece of polymer clay and beaded around it. The beading holds it to the felt - no glue needed! I'd like to make more of these so I can practice the peyote stitch. That's what gave me the most trouble, though I hadn't beaded like this in a long time so it took a little time to get the hang of it again.
This is part of our joint entry - my solo entry being the bottlecap jewelry.

I also made a pincushion out of a mason jar (canning jar). It was more difficult than I had anticipated only because adding bulk to the lid makes it hard (or impossible) to shut. I had to fiddle with it quite a bit to get it to fit. The inside of the lid is not as pretty as it could be, but the buttons in the jar make up for it, right? Plus, the lid shuts now, and that's important, ha ha!

I had tried to find these jars at the resale shop, hoping to get a deal on 6 or more of them. Unfortunately, none of the jars I found had lids. I finally found some at Hobby Lobby for $1.25 each. i wonder if they are cheaper to buy from the grocery store in sets of 4-6 or how ever many come in a box. I've been thinking about things that would be cute to sell at a craft faire. I think these would be wonderful. Could even make them into mini sewing kits, or a starter sewing kit, or something.

I should really be working on my altoid tin for a swap, but I am easily distracted by small side projects. The tin is done, I just need to work on the fillers. I also have 2 more tins half decorated, waiting to be turned into things like candles, sewing kits, first aid kits, etc. I'll get to those eventually, too.

Whoops, almost forgot to add the links.
Inspiration for beaded pendant
Pincushion tutorial

What have you been crafting lately?

I-Spy/Treasure Hunt Bags

2009-06-29T21:36:00.003-05:00

I had come across this tutorial on Craftster a while back (pre-Christmas) and decided I needed to make a few. I finally got around to it yesterday. Unfortunately, my internet went down (for over 14 hours, GRR) just as I decided I wanted to make them, so I couldn't use that wonderful tutorial and had to wing it on my own. But I wanted to share the link because it's where I got my inspiration. Here's my results:

Here they are all together

And separately:

Each bag has 27 items in it. Of course I thought of more ideas AFTER I sewed them shut. Hubby thought I should add some kind of opening so the items could be swapped out - but I had horrible visions of rice meeting carpet and vetoed that idea.
I forgot to take a pic of it, but behind the image card is another card with a word list of all items in the bag.
I like the button hole to hold the cards on, but would like to try some other methods. I'll have to find some more friends with kids who would enjoy a toy like this. (Hubby likes them, too.)

And now I am off to play with some polymer clay. Hopefully I can at least finish the altoid tins I have been staring at for days now. I have another craft in mind, but I need to find a good base ... and maybe the right supplies.

One Tiny Thing Swap

2009-06-23T10:48:00.005-05:00

My partner (deadbathducky) received her package so I can post pics! For the One Tiny Thing Swap you give your partner a list of 5 themes which they choose from to make you ... one tiny thing. Must be 4" or smaller. One of my partner's themes was a Survival Kit (First Aid Kit).

This is the top. I tried a new caning technique and love how it turned out! I want to cover a tin (or two) for myself now! I actually do have plans to cover 3 more tins - 2 for myself and 1 for another swap. I want to cover my little sewing kit that I keep in a tin and make a candle in a tin. I'm not entirely sure what I am going to do for the other swap yet. I'm still brewing ideas. BUT! Back to this particular swap...

Here is the side. It's black clay textured with a texture sheet and rubbed with silver mica powder. I love how this turned out, too. the bottom has the same texture and was also rubbed with the powder.

And the contents. Band-aids, antibiotic wipes and cream, pain killers, tweezers, etc. The little roll of tape didn't make it in. The bottom and top of the inside were covered in origami paper and there was a little emergency magnet stuck to the top where you can store important numbers to call in case of emergency.

Well, that's it. Now I am just waiting to see what nifty tiny thing my partner made me. I'm so excited! In the mean time I need to get working on some other crafty projects.

Father's Day, Eyeball T-shirts & Windows Vista Gadgets

2009-06-21T12:15:00.004-05:00

First of all I want to wish all the dads out there a wonderful, happy Father's Day! I have some fond memories of when I was younger. Making "Chicken McRicks," having "must-gos" for dinner, going on my first roller coaster, getting my first cat, going to the beach and Disney Land, and one of my favorites: him playing the guitar for me.
As I posted earlier, the shirt i made for hubby for Father's day was given to him about a week earlier because 3yr olds don't know the meaning of "keeping a secret." I did manage to hide the shirt the kids made for him though. They gave it to him this morning and he loves it. My mother-in-law bought a kit and sent it out to me.
_{all thumbnail pictures may be clicked for larger view}

I found the wonders of Windows Vista Gadgets. I am posting this from the Blogger gadget. It's a small-ish window I can drag to my desktop to post blogs instead of having to log into the website. I think it would be great if I didn't post pictures in every blog, but it seems to be a little more work to post pictures through the gadget than through the website - especially when needing to re-size them. Plus, my firefox spell check doesn't work, ha ha! I'm betting I will need to go back and edit this post so the pictures are okay.

And finally, the crafty bit! I saw this clip on Martha Stewart about making Eyeball T-shirts. Martha had found them on Creative Kismet's blog, specifically here. They are much faster to make than I thought.
Front of son's shirt:

And the back:

My daughter wearing her shirt (couldn't get son out of PJs, ha ha!)

And the Back

And a close-up of the eyeball:

I think I am going to see if my nephew would like an eyeball shirt. Then I have something fun to bring him when I visit next month.
Well, I think that's all for today. I hope this post turns out okay - we'll see if blogger gadget for Vista is worth it (I don't think the Facebook one is).

Edit: Blogger Gadget failed to post my blog, had to copy/paste everything and log into blogger the old fashioned way. Will play with it more and see if it was operator error.

Stenciled T-shirts

2009-06-18T17:56:00.005-05:00

I decided to try my hand at freezer paper stenciling. From the first stencil (BlueSun - see Father's Day, pt1 post), I was hooked!

A very short tutorial (because people have asked me):
Materials:
Freezer paper (or butcher paper)
Something fabric to stencil on
Fabric paint
paint brush
iron

How-to:
Find an image you would like to stencil and print it out on regular printer paper
Tape image to paper side of Freezer paper.
Cut out image using a craft knife
Remove printer paper from freezer paper
Place a sheet of freezer paper on back side of fabric, shiny side up (or inside t-shirt, shiny side up) This will keep the paint from bleeding through to the back of the shirt and help stabilize the material while you paint.
Place stencil on top of fabric (or t-shirt) shiny side down.
Iron using a medium setting -NO STEAM- making sure all edges of stencil are firmly attached
Paint in stencil with fabric paint.
Let paint dry according to paint instructions
If needed, heat set paint according to instructions. I use Tulip Soft which does not require heat setting.

Now that that's out of the way, let's move on to the shirts I made! The first was of course BlueSun for hubby. Next up was "Serenity" because the BlueSun shirt was a little small and he wanted something he could wear out of the house.

Next, I started getting ideas for the kids. I asked my son what he wanted on a shirt. I was expecting Ironman or something Star Wars, but no. He asked me for a Space Marine helmet. I looked up images and found they would be far too difficult for this noobie to convert to a stencil. I asked him to pick something different. He picked the Blood Raven symbol. I can do that!

Yes, the blood drop is crooked. Remember earlier when I said to make sure the shiny side of the stencil is touching the shirt? That's important. I didn't double check that for the droplette border and acidentally stuck it to the bottom of my iron. Frustrated I stuck it back to the shirt, but apparently didn't make sure it was aligned properly this time. Ah well. He's 8 and the shirt cost maybe $1.

Next up is the shirt for my daughter. She mentioned something about a dolphin and for some reason the Fail Whale popped into my head.

Reattaching the tiny parts in the middle of the wings was tons of fun... The net and birds' eyes are puffy paint. I like that it gives it a little bit of dimension.

She did not want her picture taken.

And finally, the Transformers shirt. I had my heart set on making this shirt from the beginning. I was really hoping my son would ask for a Transformers shirt, but he didn't. I made one anyway! I hope he likes it. Hubby likes it and has requested one in his size.

Individual images

I really like how they all came out and I see many more in the future. They are quick, easy and inexpensive to make. And who doesn't love a one-of-a-kind handmade shirt?

Helpful Links:
Serenity Stencil created by me
Firefly BlueSun stencil
Fail Whale stencil, created by me
Decepticons Stencil, created by me
Autobots Stencil, created by me
Blood Ravens Stencil, created by me

If you need better directions on freezer paper stencils, you can do a google search. I don't recall where I originally read about them to give you a good link.

Father's Day, pt1

2009-06-13T13:07:00.003-05:00

Last night I made Jesse a t-shirt. I hid it in plain sight to dry (thankfully, he didn't see it) then hung it in the crafty side of the closet, knowing he would never look there. Unfortunately, my daughter stinks at keeping secrets and showed it to him as soon as he got up today. Hey, she's 3, give her a break! I used the freezer paper method and was shocked at how well it works! Here's the result.

And here's an in-progress shot:

I opened up hulu.com, watched some Intervention (I know, I should have been watching Firefly), exacto'd everything out and went to town! i had to mix the blue specially, all I had was a baby blue or navy blue, so i mixed the two. Turned out great, I think.
Unfortunately, it is highly addicting and I have plans to make at least 4 more shirts!

And an "action" shot. I had to ninja this pic (teehee).

Nintendo DS case [WIP]

2009-06-08T11:21:00.003-05:00

I found this amazing carrier for a Nintendo DS on Craftster. The creator had posted a link to their blog where they had posted a tutorial. Unfortunately, they were forced to take down their blog so I no longer have access to the tutorial (even tried the WayBack Machine). Having just recently picked up a DS, I really wanted a case for it (specifically, that case). I decided to see if I could duplicate the design by just looking at the pictures. Immitation is the sincerest form of flattery, is it not? Here is my first attempt.

Ignore the strings. I didn't bother to cut them off since I knew this wasn't going to be the final version.
Changes:

Could be taken in as much as ¹/₂ an inch on each side.
Would move the larger GBA slots to the bottom row
Needs to be taller, exact amount TBD.

Notes:

Use walking foot when sewing vinyl/plastic on. Mine kind of bunched up because it wasn't feeding right. Or maybe tissue paper since I found it hard to see the edge of the vinyl when sewing.

Other than that everything else seems to work. There is a slot to hold your stylus, or maybe an extra one, but you can't see it in the pictures. That will be fixed when I make the next one taller.
If I manage to get this case exactly how I like it, I might consider posting a tutorial. I would ask the original creator of course. I figure it shouldn't be a problem since they did have their own tutorial posted once, but had to take their blog down for legal reasons.

More Resin Bottle Cap Jewelry (Now with Fractals)

2009-06-07T18:07:00.004-05:00

I entered a contest on deviantART where you incorporate your fractal artwork into an artisan/traditional piece (ie, not digital). I made a jewelry set. Here is the finished piece showing all resin bottle cap jewelry and all fractals used.

Fractals were created and rendered using Apophysis. They were then sized down and printed to fit in the bottle caps which were then filled with resin. After the resin cured the bottle caps were turned into jewlery. I am really loving the longer earrings. They are not as heavy as they look. In fact, I forget I am wearing them until they swing.

Click image to view full size (1800x1200).
Click here to see entry on deviantART.
Click here to read more about the contest.
Click here to see my deviantART gallery.

About Apophysis.
Download the latest FREE version of Apophysis (2.08 beta 2)

Hide the Clutter!

2009-06-07T18:00:00.002-05:00

I had the idea to make some fabric panels to hide the junk (i mean, extra supplies) that are stored under my craft table. [Who knows where ideas come from, they just appear!] This is the result.

Before:

And after:

I know there's a gap. I had to still be able to open the drawers, like so:

I'd apologize for the mess, but in all honesty, this is just about as clean as my crafty area gets. I do think the panels seem to tidy things up a bit. There are actually shelves under the table, but it still looked cluttered. The room is done in a yellow&blue color scheme, so the panels match pretty well.

Upcycled Jewelry

2009-05-31T21:45:00.002-05:00

Short story even shorter: My mom gave me some really short notice to make some jewelry as a gift. This is what I came up with.

First up is a pair of flower earrings. They are made from seed beads and recycled #6 plastic - specifically the lid off of onion rings from Buffalo Wild Wings.

Earrings and necklace made from bottle caps (Mike's hard lemonade, leinenkugal's honey and berry weiss), polymer clay and resin.
The necklace ended up being a bit long. I'm going to alter it and send it back out.

Earrings. One short pair and one long. They are lighter than they look.
...

All pictures can be clicked for larger views.
Shrinky Dink Flowers

Toothpick Porcupine

2009-05-31T19:38:00.003-05:00

For my birthday, my Grandpa gave me this little guy that he made.

He holds hundreds of toothpicks - I'm not even going to try to count them all, haha! I adore him, and so does everyone else.

Need a toothpick?

Fill a Purse Swap - Sent

2009-05-23T19:54:00.002-05:00

Here is what I sent to my partner, MelMakesPretty, in the Fill a Purse Swap on Craftster.
I didn't get as good of pictures as I would have liked, but I was pretty rushed. I don't think I managed my time as well as I could have.

First the purse.

I used Butterick 4409 view D. The bottom corner patches are a vinyl/pleather. I wanted the handles to be the same, but my machine would not sew through 6 layers of vinyl. I ended up using a heavier black cotton. The inside is a satiny black. I added a hidden zipper pocket that wasn't in the pattern. You can never have too many pockets! I chose the pink because my partner's favorite color is pink, she loves flowers and anything girly. It reminded me of vintage flowers. I wish I had gotten a pic of the handles and where they connect. I think it's cute.
And the extras...

Key fob with floral ribbon, gamera cozy, and tissue cozy.
Inside of camera cozy. I used a pre-quilted fabric for some cushion.

I also made a matching coffee cozy (or corset, or shoe ha ha)

It's lined with black felt to help keep your fingers from burning.

And finally, all accessories together.

Not previously pictured: Cosmetic case and reversible notebook cover. I wish I had gotten a better picture of the notebook cover. Everything except the key fob and tissue cozy was a first for me (and even the tissue cozy was a new pattern I found).
She says she loves everything, so i am a happy crafter!

Fill a Purse Swap - Received

2009-05-23T19:30:00.005-05:00

I joined the Fill a Purse Swap on Craftster.
I just received from my partner, MelMakesPretty. Prepare to be blown away!
First up, the amazing purse:

I love the colors, the shape, the size, the cute hidden pockets on the front, everything!! Plus it stands up on it's own.
Here is the inside.

She also made me an adorable tote:

I've been wanting one for trips to the library and to bring snacks to the park for the kids. Mel the mind reader ;)

Next up ... accessories and extras!

I got an mp3 cozy (fits perfect), the most fantastic wire wrapped butterfly earrings, a notebook with cover and beautiful beaded butterfly, a zipper pouch with another stunning beaded butterfly, a cute multicolored pen, and 2 erasers (or rubbers, if you prefer, hehe). I barely got a pic of them before the kids snatched them away.

I don't want to overload with too many large pics, so here are some clickable thumbs (though all images in my blog are clickable to view larger).
- Close up of the earrings, on the adorable stamped display and in my ear.
- Check out the bead work!
And one just to show how well the mp3 player fits -

She nailed my style perfectly! The colors, the shapes/sizes, the butterflies, sparklies... everything!

Mouse pad and wrist support

2009-05-02T13:49:00.003-05:00

I made my own today! I've been working on a Purse Swap for Craftster, but ran out of coordinating thread. I worked on some of the fillers for the swap last night, but was still feeling crafty today. Instead of dragging the kids with me to the store, I made myself a matching mouse pad and wrist support. I'll run to the store for thread when hubby is home so he can watch the kids for me.

I kind of used this tutorial but changed it up a little. I cut my fabric about 1/2" larger on all sides and tucked it between the 2 pieces of interfacing then top stitched 1/8" around the whole thing. The wrist support I did according to the tutorial, filling with as much rice as I liked.

Starburst Mirror

2009-04-28T16:13:00.003-05:00

Found an Instructable for this and knew I *had* to make one. It works up really fast and it's very easy. Hubby says he hates it (but I think it's growing on him) and daughter says she wants one for her room. :D
Here it is just finished. My carpet is not really that dark, I took the pic at night.

Some pics on my wall.

I don't know why it looks so small here, it actually fills the wall nicely.

The second one is closer to my wall color - dark grey.

Here is the link so you can make your own.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Starburst_Mirror/

Notes: Next time I will use the acrylic paint. I had a tough time getting the spray paint to cover well.

Daughter's new coat

2009-04-24T20:51:00.004-05:00

First, I have to preface this entry with some trivial babble. Growing up I always thought the difference between a coat and a jacket was their thickness. Windbreakers, light weight cover-ups, etc were all jackets regardless of length. Same goes for anything worn in cold weather, they were all coats. I learned fairly recently that jackets are only jackets if they are waist/hip length or shorter, regardless of their thickness/heaviness. Coats are anything longer than hip length. It still seems strange to call a light/medium weight covering a coat, but that is what this is. It is a Fairweather Coat from Vegbee (though she calls it a jacket, too).
I don't know how long this took me. i worked on it off and on for 3 or 4 days, but only short stints at a time. The shell fabric was from my hubby's grandma (thanks, Nancy). She had given it to me to make purses or other things out of, but it became a jacket instead. The lining is a pink bed sheet my mother-in-law gave me (thanks, Karen) that had also been used to make my daughter's princess Halloween costume (see archives. The buttons are covered in the same fabric as the lining. Enough of my blahblahblah, on to the pics! Please excuse the goofy poses and facial expressions.
Front open (pre-buttons, really)

Front closed & With buttons!

And a flamingo...

Bck of coat unbuttoned (pre-buttons, actually)

And buttoned (on a flamingo again)

You can kind of see the pockets... (look, mom... one leg!)

And the hood (my fav pic of the bunch)

Some things I love. Of course, the pockets. My daughter loves pockets. I dig the faux belt, though I am wondering if I should have made it pink instead of the floral fabric. I adore the fold-up sleeves. I like the contrast and the room to grow they give. It seems pretty roomy right now, so hopefully she can wear it in the fall too.
The only thing I didn't like was the pattern was written with 3/8 inch seam allowances. My machine doesn't really have a 3/8" marking. 1/2" or 5/8 would have been better for me.
Also, and this one is my fault, I should have used different colored upper and bobbin threads to match both the shell and lining. Maybe next time.

Pin Cushion/Thread Catcher

2009-04-19T17:33:00.004-05:00

I've been coveting one of these for months and finally got around to making one. I found a great tutorial online that I altered slightly. I folded the straps differently so there were no exposed edges. I also didn't have Velcro so my straps are permanently attached. I switched it around so there are no exposed seams on the lining. I didn't have package strapping, so I used zip-ties.
Things I would change next time: I would either use Velcro, or shorten the straps to accommodate for not having it. I would not top stitch around the pin cushion (ie, suck it up and hand stitch the opening).
I think I am really going to get good use out of this pin cushion - I really dig it.
On to the pics.
Top view of the pin cushion.

Front view of the bag.

Hubby demonstrating how it works...

And full of thread and scraps

Resources:
Pin Cushion/Thread Catcher Tutorial

Easter Eggs

2009-04-16T15:05:00.002-05:00

I had to wait to post this in case my mom saw the eggs before I gave one to her on Easter.
This first one is covered in a sheet of polymer clay. The sheet was left over from a botched attempt at another project. Hand sanded and buffed. My daughter has claimed this egg.

Next up was an attempt at Filigree. I believe it was my 2nd attempt ever. Strands of polymer clay dusted with pigment powders before baking. I was told it looks like a brain, so I decided I could use it as a zombie deterrent. My daughter also claimed this one.

Lastly, a much better attempt at filigree. I used much smaller strands of clay, otherwise it was the same process as the above egg then coated with a shiny varnish. My daughter tried to claim this one but I refused!

And, because i find it amusing... here is a side-by-side of the filigree eggs to see the difference.

Now I need to make a friend of the family an egg or two.

LARP Props

2009-04-10T11:56:00.003-05:00

If you don't know what LARP is, I'll spare you the explanation! Basically, it's yet another way for my gamer husband to geek out. He has recently gotten back into LARP and asked me to make a *few* props for him. A few turned into many - some he helped with, some I made on my own.
The biggest project he asked me to take on was the bag he had envisioned in his head. He sketched it out on paper and I ran with it. I'm not sure, but I think the material is ultra-suede. It was bought for another project many, many years ago and never used. It has a circle bottom and is fully lined in cotton.
Measurements: about 24 inches tall and 10.5 inches across. Strap is about 56" total length.
Full view:

Strap. he didn't want the ends to be trapped in a seam, but rather to run up the back of the bag. Hence, the strangely connected ends.

Drawstring (leather cord) and lining [oops, forgot to clip a few threads]:

And of course he had to have some matching pouches. I made 3 of them. These are not lined. They measure about 7"x9".

Next he asked if I could help him make a crystal from resin. He carved the template from wax and created a mold which we filled with resin. The mold compound was not the right kind and bled into the resin as it cured, but he still likes it. The mold also created large pits in the resin so we topped it off with another thin coat to smooth it out. The mold also caused the resin to be extremely soft and flexible so we're hoping the extra coat will harden better. Measures approx 6"
..

Already in the crafty mood, I decided to adorn some of his other projects with polymer beads.

I only made the beads. Inside is a Styrofoam egg covered in silicone molding compound. It's very neat. I had nothing to do with it's creation though, so i won't be posting it here.
We did some other resin casts too. I think I am going to decorate them before I post them. I also don't like the brand of resin I bought, so when it's gone i will be buying a different kind.

Adult T-shirt to toddler dress [recon]

2009-02-22T16:49:00.002-06:00

Highly inspired by Cheytown's recon and Vegbee's tutorial I made my little one this dress today.

Her "model pose." :D

Good view of the front. My first lettuce edge! :D

Kind of an action shot. I think she looks like she's from the 80's with her tights & mismatched socks :D

I forgot to take a before shot, but it was one of those airbrushed shirts you get at carnivals and Six Flags Great America...
Kind of like this: (I stole this image off of a google search)

I started off by tracing a dress I knew fit my little one. I then proceeded to alter it highly. It could have been a little tighter around the chest, but she likes it, and that's all that matters. It was my first time semi-drafting my own pattern and I'm fairly pleased with how it came out. I lined the top because the material was so thin.

Notes: T-shirts are evil to sew. I wish I had picked a shirt that wasn't 15 years old and so thin you could almost see though it :D

What do you think?

BTW: Her name is not Steph - that's me.

New Wallet - Long and covered in Flutterbys!

2009-02-17T14:02:00.002-06:00

I made a tri-fold wallet a while back that matched my purse. I thought it was cute and little. Unfortunately it could have been made a little better and some parts started falling apart making some of the wallet unusable. What's a crafty girl to do? Why, make a new one of course!

Old wallet compared to new wallet - closed

And open:

Close up of the card slots. You can also see the pocket I could use to carry paper money.

It's also large enough that I could carry my checkbook. I don't normally though.

Interior fabric of the large pockets

Zippered pocket to use for loose change

I think I am really going to like this wallet. It's more proportionate to my purse. Plus none of the pockets are falling off and there's not a hole in the change pocket large enough to lose dimes out of, ha ha!!

Resources:
http://elily00.wordpress.com/tutorials/wallet/ (tutorial)

NIU Hoodie to Cute Pillow

2009-02-15T17:07:00.002-06:00

My step sister was going to get rid of this hoodie so my mom gave it to me and asked me to make something out of it. The only rule was I had to make something for my step-sister and not for my daughter
I started by measuring to get the largest pillow I could. I made a tissue paper template and cut one piece from the front making sure to center the logo and one matching piece from the back. I ripped off the pocket and reattached it to the back of the pillow, sandwiched the hood between the front and back and sewed my square.

Front of pillow

With the hood. My 3 yr old wore the pillow around on her head for a while.

Back with the pocket

And because it's hard to see, I stuck some cards in the pocket

To make it easier and faster, you could fold the front of the hoodie in half and sew it up that way. It would save you the trouble of ripping off and reattaching the pocket, but you would end up with a much smaller pillow.

CPSIA Update!

2009-01-30T18:00:00.001-06:00

copied from Etsy:

Breaking News: The CPSIA Mandatory Testing & Certification Has Been Suspended for a Year

We are so excited to announce that the Commission has voted for a "Stay of Enforcement of Certain Testing and Certification Requirements of CPSIA" — which means that the burden of lead testing and certification has been suspended for a year while they take more time to review the rules and plan enforcement! All of your hard work has paid off (for the time being at least!). You don't have to pay to do the certification and testing, though you are still liable if your products are found to have lead. We are so pleased that artisans and vintage sellers got their voices heard. Your hard work is not over; we must continue to play a role in advocating for small business people throughout the coming year.

"The action taken today provides breathing space to get in place some of the rules needed for implementation, but it should not be viewed as a full solution to the many problems that have been raised." —U.S. Consumer product Safety Commission

You'll find the press release below:

CPSC Grants One Year Stay of Testing and Certification Requirements for Certain Products

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission voted unanimously (2-0) to issue a one year stay of enforcement for certain testing and certification requirements for manufacturers and importers of regulated products, including products intended for children 12 years old and younger. These requirements are part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which added certification and testing requirements for all products subject to CPSC standards or bans.

Significant to makers of children’s products, the vote by the Commission provides limited relief from the testing and certification requirements which go into effect on February 10, 2009 for new total lead content limits (600 ppm), phthalates limits for certain products (1000 ppm), and mandatory toy standards, among other things. Manufacturers and importers – large and small – of children’s products will not need to test or certify to these new requirements, but will need to meet the lead and phthalates limits, mandatory toy standards and other requirements.

The decision by the Commission gives the staff more time to finalize four proposed rules which could relieve certain materials and products from lead testing and to issue more guidance on when testing is required and how it is to be conducted.

The stay will remain in effect until February 10, 2010, at which time a Commission vote will be taken to terminate the stay.

The stay does not apply to:

Four requirements for third-party testing and certification of certain children’s products subject to:
- The ban on lead in paint and other surface coatings effective for products made after December 21, 2008;
- The standards for full-size and non full-size cribs and pacifiers effective for products made after January 20, 2009;
- The ban on small parts effective for products made after February 15, 2009; and
- The limits on lead content of metal components of children’s jewelry effective for products made after March 23, 2009.
Certification requirements applicable to ATV’s manufactured after April 13, 2009.
Pre-CPSIA testing and certification requirements, including for: automatic residential garage door openers, bike helmets, candles with metal core wicks, lawnmowers, lighters, mattresses, and swimming pool slides; and
Pool drain cover requirements of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act.

The stay of enforcement provides some temporary, limited relief to the crafters, children’s garment manufacturers and toy makers who had been subject to the testing and certification required under the CPSIA. These businesses will not need to issue certificates based on testing of their products until additional decisions are issued by the Commission. However, all businesses, including, but not limited to, handmade toy and apparel makers, crafters and home-based small businesses, must still be sure that their products conform to all safety standards and similar requirements, including the lead and phthalates provisions of the CPSIA.

Handmade garment makers are cautioned to know whether the zippers, buttons and other fasteners they are using contain lead. Likewise, handmade toy manufacturers need to know whether their products, if using plastic or soft flexible vinyl, contain phthalates.

The stay of enforcement on testing and certification does not address thrift and second hand stores and small retailers because they are not required to test and certify products under the CPSIA. The products they sell, including those in inventory on February 10, 2009, must not contain more than 600 ppm lead in any accessible part. The Commission is aware that it is difficult to know whether a product meets the lead standard without testing and has issued guidance for these companies that can be found on our Web site.

The Commission trusts that State Attorneys General will respect the Commission's judgment that it is necessary to stay certain testing and certification requirements and will focus their own enforcement efforts on other provisions of the law, e.g. the sale of recalled products.

Please visit the CPSC Web site at www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html for more information on all of the efforts being made to successfully implement the CPSIA.

Retro Scalloped Apron

2009-01-28T18:18:00.001-06:00

I made an apron today. I think it helps my SAHM/homemaker image... in a kitchy way because I am so not a stereotypical homemaker, ha ha! What can I say? I am easily amused.
Get your copy of the pattern here: www.susanbranch.com/shopping/shop5-07/aprontest.pdf
Modeled by my folding table

And now this is where I get REALLY brave. I have never made anything for myself aside from purses, so this is the first time I am posting a picture of myself here... modeling the apron...

I know my outfit is not attractive, and no, I am not afraid of getting something on it Today has been laundry/cleaning day and I didn't feel like changing just to take a pic of the apron.

What do you all think?

Blog-In [CPSIA]

2009-01-28T09:08:00.000-06:00

As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.

Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.
Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.

Who Cooks in a Pineapple Under the Sea?

2009-01-25T11:52:00.001-06:00

Spongebob Squarepants... and my daughter!
I made her a half apron to use with her play kitchen set. It started off as a pair of men's pajama pants found at the resale shop for $2.

There are 2 small pockets for her to put...whatever she wants into, I suppose. It's lined with white and the ties are ribbon. I should have made the ties longer, but she still likes it.

...I think

Resin and Polymer clay

2009-01-20T13:20:00.002-06:00

Here are my first attempts at resin. I tried to find some at a craft store, but ended up buying it from a hardware store. The hardware store doesn't carry cute molds made for resin (or anything else for that matter). I improvised and used part of the packaging from my son's toy. They turned out ... different than I had expected. I had intended them to be pendants, but they are much too think for that. Not sure what I am going to use them for yet.

^^This one uses wooden beads. I seemed to have forgotten that wood floats when I made this.

^^Polymer clay Fortune Cookies.

Here they are together.

Is it sad that my 3 yr old took this picture and it's better than the ones I took?

Another section of the toy packaging gave me these.

Mixed with gold pearl-ex powders. I like these and will definitely be making them into pendants.

My attempt at knitting needles/hair sticks.

Yea, see that bubble?

I found out that I would need a different type of resin to make these as the kind that I bought gets bendy and flexy when warmed by the heat of your hands. They would make for horrible knitting needles.

Lesson for the day? Use the right kind of materials and supplies. It makes life a whole lot easier.

Here is the polymer clay covered Altoids tin. I was trying to follow this tutorial I found online to make it rainbow-ish. I don't have a ripple blade, but thought, "How important can that be?" Very. The pattern didn't come out as expected. I like it anyway :)

^^Cute little feet

Oooh, so shiny! *drool*
I didn't babysit this as much as I should have, but ended up with only 2 small bubbles in the lower left hand corner (everything else that looks like tiny bubbles is glitter built into the clay).

Whew! That was a long post. if you made it this far, thanks and congrats! ;)

My Little Love Buttons

2009-01-15T14:49:00.006-06:00

(Yes, Julie, that title is for you!)
I was looking at the craft swaps on Craftster (I have a small addiction) and was inspired by a love themed one. Here's what I made.

I used bottle caps (mostly from Mike's Hard Lemonade and Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss), Polymer clay (white sculpy original and liquid clay), pearl-ex powders, and a cutter made from the metal top of a pencil that holds the eraser (the ferrule). Oh, and magnets - they weren't attached when I took the pictures.
For some reason I felt the need to bake the base layer to cure it then add the TLS and bake it again. That was not a good idea. The super thin layer of clay at the bottom burnt and the top layer of TLS never got perfectly clear. Also, the TLS is not self-leveling so you can see the pour lines which I do not like.
Next time I will make the bottom layer, cure it then top it all off with resin to make it shiny and glass like. In fact, depending on what hubby is up to, I might do that tonight.
My daughter had a blast playing clay with Mommy - helping cut out little hearts and rolling clay through the pasta machine.

--------UPDATE!!--------

Here is my second attempt at these bottle cap magnets. These use more contrasty colors (I had been told the first set was too washed-out-looking. I also topped these with resin instead of liquid polymer. I love how these look - so much better than the first batch.

And here's a pic showing how shiny they are. Taken about halfway through the curing of the resin.

Some of these have small air bubbles trapped in them. I didn't babysit them as well as I should have. I don't really mind them though.

Pepto-bismol scoodie (my first)

2009-01-14T11:30:00.002-06:00

Following Vegbee's amazing tutorial, I made my daughter a Scoodie! I found the fleece in the discount remnant bin and knew what it was destined to be. The outer shell is made from a bed sheet.
I traced the hood of her current winter coat (just like the tutorial says). I used a regular scarf for the pattern, but it turned out to be much too wide (10"x60"). I of course didn't fully realize this until I had already attached the scarf to the hood, so had to go back and cut the scarf in half. Much better! And now there is a pepto-bismol colored scarf just in case you're REALLY cold!

And one that kind of shows how long the scarf part is. [no more pictures, mom!]

Here you can see the whole thing.

Next time I think I will take a little length off the hood so the scarf can cover the nose and mouth easier (It gets darn cold here in Chicago). The little one loves it though and now I really want one for myself!
This worked up much easier than I had thought it would, so I can see myself making many of these as gifts. Maybe if I start now I can have a bunch done before next Christmas!

P.S. I'm sorry for the nakedness, my daughter refuses to wear clothing indoors.

Whoops!

2009-01-14T11:19:00.002-06:00

I was messing with my website and messed something up. As a result, I had to do a restore and lost about a month's worth of posts. I will get them back up there ASAP. I apologize for making you view them multiple times :)
Also, archive links are not working... I will see what I can do to fix those - if anything.

EDIT: I have moved the location of my blog so I am no longer hosting the files. This seems to have cleared up any problems I was having. Hooray! All archive links should work and all posts should be displaying now.

Tree of life

2009-01-04T21:54:00.003-06:00

Pendant I made using a 2.5 inch ring, some 22 or 24 gauge wire and some turquoise chips. This worked up so fast. Made in less than 30 mins while giving the kids their baths/showers. I want to make more, too bad I am out of turquoise. Time to run to the bead store I think!

Tree Skirt

2009-01-04T12:10:00.004-06:00

Last Christmas I made a tree skirt inspired by this post on Craftster. I used instructions from Martha Stewart to make the skirt. The problem was Martha thinks everyone has a 15+ foot tree so the skirt was HUGE! Plus I didn't like the uneven, unfinished edges and the opening in the middle was too large and showed too much of the tree stand. I found a cute, free pattern for a new tree skirt from Amy Butler.
Now for the pics. Here is the old tree skirt:

Here it is kind of bunched up under the tree:

An in progress shot to show the size difference:

Mostly complete. I need to reattach the hand prints and add the buttons. I made all 4 buttons, but my daughter ran off with 2 of them and I haven't seen them since.

Here it is under the tree (missing the hand prints).

What do you think? Does it look better?

New Sewing Machine

2009-01-04T12:02:00.003-06:00

My grandma gave me her machine a few years ago. It's a JC Penny Denim Expert. I didn't know how to sew back then so it just sat around. My mom bought me sewing lessons for Christmas a year ago so I got the machine tuned. It still gave me trouble - mostly with the tension. Sometimes I would have to walk away for a while, but eventually my machine and I would come to an understanding and get the job done. I was also having trouble finding parts and accessories for it and JC Penny said they can't help me.

I guess I complained too often because for this Christmas my mom bought me a new machine! It's a Brother CS-6000i. It sews like a dream and I haven't had to argue with it yet.

I am thrilled with little things, like the drop in bobbin, needle threader, and the fact that I can see how much thread is left on the bobbin before I start a seam. I also love all the decorative stitches. I think it's a great machine for a novice like myself.

I will be keeping the JC Penny because it was from my Grandma. It may not be an antique (though I would love to have an antique machine or two) but it is special to me.

Misc Crafting

2008-12-22T13:26:00.004-06:00

Here's some miscellaneous items I have made. I don't recall if they have been posted and I am too lazy to check!

Bottle Cap Pin cushion:
I used a water bottle cap, which is not the same size as a regular soda bottle cap. I think it turned out cute anyway even if my embroidery skills need some work!

Regular sized pin cushion:

Cute, quick and easy! If I had more sewing friends I would make tons of these!

Fabric Coasters:

These are super cute. If I owned a coffee table I would make myself a set! I gave these away in a swap.

Resources:
Criss-Cross Coasters
Bottle Cap Pin Cushions
Pin Cushion Tutorial

Ornaments 2008

2008-12-22T12:50:00.005-06:00

Here are the ornaments I have made this year. At least one is a duplicate from a previous year, but I think he is too cute!

--Ornament coated with pink pearl-ex powders. I was going to give this one away but it didn't turn out as sparkly as I had hoped so it's now on my tree.

--Same deal as the pink one. Why I made two I will never know.

Fabric ornaments in Red/green, Green, and Purple:

--Snowman (he's one of my favorites!)

--Felt Reindeer
--Felt Owl
-- a d20

--Clear glass bulb filled with curls of paper.

--And of course my beaded ornament (posted below in my Macro Photo Studio post).

Resources:
Fabric Ornaments
Snowman Ornament
Felt Reindeer [at time of posting the pattern is not up, but she is adding patterns ASAP]
Owl
d20 ornament
Beaded Ornament

Applique Give-away!

2008-12-10T13:49:00.002-06:00

I happened upon this blog through a post on Craftster.
Ismoyo has what looks to be an adorable book about applique and is giving away a signed copy to one lucky winner!
You can buy the book here: http://ismoyo.webasyst.net/shop/category/pre-order-ismoyos-applique-craft-book/
Blog to enter to win a copy found here: http://www.ismoyo.com/2008/12/bookrelease-100-applique-motifs.html
Even if I don't win, I will be checking this book out. I really want to get into applique - it makes everything cuter!

Macro Photo Studio

2008-12-04T17:51:00.001-06:00

This kind of falls under art (photography) and crafting (constructing the "studio").
I made myself a macro photo studio using this guide: DIY Macro Photo Studio
My box is slightly smaller than 12x12 (though the author doesn't recommend it), I didn't have poster board for my tests today (I used computer paper), and I added a hanger for the ornaments I make (seen below).
Total cost: $0 (though I will probably pick up some poster board in the future as the printer paper is not long/wide enough).

Here is what my standard photo of one of my beaded ornaments looks like. Standard room lighting with built-in camera flash.

And inside the macro studio. One light on the side. No camera flash. I will probably add another light to the other side, but I was too lazy to search one out before testing my latest creation.

What do you think? Which photograph do you like better and why?

Taggie-type blanket

2008-12-02T11:38:00.003-06:00

I made some taggie style blankets for the two newest additions to my family. They were fun, easy, and quick to make!
Front:

Back with the minky-like fabric:

Close-up of my mad applique skills. It's the first time I have appliqued something:

The babies (both 5 months old) loved them! I couldn't have been happier! The gold mesh ribbons started pulling out so I removed them before I gave them to the babies. Is there a special way to sew mesh?

Measurements:
Blanket = 15in pre sewing, 14 in after sewing
Ribbons = 5 inches pre sewing, 2 inches after folding and sewing

How to make a symmetrical 5-point star in one cut!

Pretty Pretty Princess

2008-10-24T10:20:00.004-05:00

I just finished my daughter's Halloween costume! I used McCall's 5731 view B. Parts of this dress were troublesome, but I managed! As always, click images to view larger.

Full dress, on hanger, as modeled by my blinds.

Spread out to see all the details.

Modeled by it's owner, my daughter. Her silly faces are due to the wonderful song she was singing me. It goes something like, "I'm a princeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssss!"

Nap time. It's hard work being a princess.
And just to show how large the skirt is...

hopefully I can get some better action shots ;c) I'm glad she likes it though... especially since she refused to wear the first dress I made her for days!

Pyramid Bag

2008-10-17T19:26:00.004-05:00

Found instructions for this bag here and here.
Decided to grab a scrap of fabric and give it a whirl.

My result:

Side-ish view to see it in all it's pyramid-y goodness.

Open. I did not line it. Maybe next time.

And full of dice:

The real reason for making on of these? Because they look like 4-sided dice! Yes, I am a geek! Hubby has already claimed this one, but I will be making more. He has already requested on with numbers on it. =)

Chocolate Charms

2008-10-15T11:01:00.003-05:00

Here are 4 chocolate charms with strawberry filling made from Polymer Clay (Sculpy III and FIMO). They measure just over 1/2 inch.
I had originally made them to be magnets for my fridge, but found out they are too small for the magnets I have. Of course I didn't measure them before I baked them.

Small Crayon Tote

2008-08-30T23:00:00.002-05:00

I saw this post on Craftster.org and knew I had to make one! My daughter loves to color and is almost obsessed with bags/purses (teach 'em young, right?). I was trying to decide which scrap fabric to use as most of my fabric is still packed away. I should really get my craft area more organized. As I was standing in my craft space, contemplating, I noticed a fat quarter sitting next to me. It's super cute fabric that I had no other use for and thought it would be cute. Excited, I got to work.

The lining is the same as the handles.
My daughter was super excited to find it in the morning. Since I didn't have a small notebook on hand, she's been storing other things in it - like her Hello Kitty mirror/lip gloss. I think these would make great stocking stuffers, good bags for parties, etc. I want to make more. In fact, my son saw it and wants one now too. I'll have to find some "manly" fabric for him.

Some notes:
Don't drink while sewing - if you do, write down more specific directions. I only wrote measurements down as this should have been a quick project. It was not. I couldn't figure out how to get the lining on the right way and had to rip out the seam once. I also had to boot up my computer and check the online tutorial... twice. Oh well. It looks great and is well liked by it's recipient.
I am thinking of making another, but bigger. Coloring book sized that holds either 16 or 32 crayons.

I made artwork for my walls!

2008-08-30T21:54:00.003-05:00

Taking inspiration from This Thread at Craftster, I went to the dollar store and picked up 3 8x10 frames. They were all split at the corners, but a little wood glue fixed them right up. I also spray-painted them blue to match the revamped clock I made earlier.
I tried to get a size reference shot, but any further away and my camera wouldn't focus on it.

Fleur De Lis

Butterfly, shape taken from a sticker I bought, scanned in and enlarged.

Tribal Ravens/Wings. I found this one specifically for Jesse. The artwork is from here.

This is the first time I have hung pretty much anything on my walls since my first apartment 8 years ago. I think I just never bothered because I always lived in rentals. I am definitely enjoying the look and feel of having things you enjoy looking at hanging on the walls.

Some notes:
My printer paper is super thin. You can see the magazine strips though it - I found that out after I had cut out the tribal ravens/wings. I re-traced them onto photo paper and re-cut them out. It was a pain. Luckily, I was smart enough to print the butterfly directly to the photo paper and just skip the printer paper all together.
Using an exacto knife is much easier than using scissors .
A paper cutter is a life saver!
Larger designs (like the fleur de lis) seem to work better than the smaller tribal designs - and are easier to cut out!

Key Fobs - Ribbon and Fabric

2008-08-25T18:16:00.002-05:00

I found a couple tutorials on key fobs and went to town!

There were a few more, but they were claimed before I could get a picture of them. The music note one has also been claimed (she just needs to get her butt out here to visit so she can have it!). And of course the butterfly one is mine since it matches my purse, wallet and tissue cozy.

Resouces:
Fabric Key Fob Tutorial at cute2carry.com
Ribbon Key Fob Tutorial at jcarolinecreative.com
Key Fob Hardware at cdwplus.com - the cheapest I have found.

Marble Magnets [too many images!]

2008-08-20T12:10:00.003-05:00

I got my inspiration off of a few posts on Craftster and from NotMartha.org. These are super fun to make, and more than a little addicting! Over the past 2 days I have made 32! I used stones (marbles) from the dollar store, E6000 glue, magnets from walmart (50 for $5!) and random images cut out of gaming magazines, origami paper and the newspaper. Origami paper is a little thin and you can see the magnet through it. Next time I will back the paper with card stock or something similar. I will also buy better stones/marbles. The ones from the dollar store worked okay for my first attempt (and were cheap at 37 stones for $1), but have an iridescent coating that I don't like. They are also not as domed as the more expensive ones so they do not magnify the images as well. The more expensive stones are more regular in shape and would be easier to get images for since I would be able to use a large punch instead of tracing around each stone. Enough babble, onto the pics! I warn you, there are a lot of them! (images are sized down, click to see full size)
-- Here they are all together.

And here are close-up pictures...

Whew! That's all of them ... for now!

Bags of Butterflies!

2008-07-08T12:15:00.003-05:00

I found a great tutorial for a reversible tote bag (it's not as big as it sounds, it's about 9x9"). Tutorial can be found here: Bias Tape Tote.
This is the one I made for myself:

You can't see it, but the lining is blue to match the butterflies. I also added 4 pockets - a purse is not complete without pockets!
I decided I needed more accessories to match my wonderful butterfly purse. I happened across a tutorial for Key Fobs. Here's another one for Ribon Key Fobs that I used, but I packed up my craft supplies in anticipation of the big move, so I will have to post pictures of them later.
Here's the one I made to match my tote:

if you look closely, you'll notice my purple carabiner in the shape of a butterfly. Also note the skull key chains. The backside/inside is the same blue as the lining of the tote.
Still feeling like I needed more accessories, I found a tutorial for a tissue cozy (travel tissue holder). Tutorial can be found here.

I altered the pattern. I lined mine (yes, in that same blue) and didn't add the ribbon accents.
I also made myself a matching wallet! I started with Babyangel's tutorial and modified it to have a paper money space and a zippered coin pouch on the back. I think I also added a few extra card slots on the inside.

After making all these accessories, I found that my new super-cute butterfly purse was too small to hold all my belongings! After I stopped crying, I decided to make myself a new purse. I had happened to pick up a pattern for a messenger bag (I think they actually call it a fisherman bag) for 99¢ at Hancock Fabrics. The pattern is Butterick 4147 view F. I made no alterations to the pattern, though I was tempted to add many more pockets (ha ha!).
Front of bag, with flap closed:

Notice the same blue fabric used as an accent! This was the best remnant ever!
Outside of bag with flap opened:

the pockets are lined with more of the blue fabric. This was my first time using magnetic snaps (or any snaps for that matter) and I found them to be easy to install but super strong! They are difficult to open. The pockets look floppy, but they do their job well.
When you open the bag? YARR!

I love the lining. It's hard to see, but there are 2 inside pockets. I also love that this bag zips closed; something that was lacking on the tote bag.
I tried to take pictues of the entire bag including the strap, but my camera refused to focus on it. It hangs to about my hip. So far I am in love with this bag. Everything fits with room to spare ... perhaps for a book? It's not big enough to fit my brand spanking new laptop (bag measures about 9x13"), so that may have to be my next project.

DIY Style Party, July 10

2008-06-25T10:41:00.001-05:00

My sewing instructor asked if I could help spread the word.

Full size image: http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f340/HippieKender/DIYStyleParty-Front.jpg

In case you can't read the card (my scanner stinks sometimes)
DIY Style Party
Thursday, July 10, noon-8pm
Hyatt Rosemont O'Hare
$20 at the door

Create Cool Fashions in our Design Lab
Inspiration Galore at the Fashion Stage
Sewing Machines in every "Stitch Station"
Plus Music, Food and Good Times!

After the DIYStyle Party, come to the American Sewing Guild Marketplace 7-9:30pm FREE with DIYStyle Party ticket.

First Tissue Cozy

2008-06-20T14:10:00.004-05:00

I've been wanting to sew, but can't afford to go nuts buying fabric right now. What's a girl to do? Make small things! ;)

Here is the back/bottom:

Top/front:

And the lining:

What is it? Obviously you didn't read the title. It's a tissue cozy! You put your travel pack of tissues in it (see the second picture) and it's much cuter than the ugly plastic pack of tissues. I used a tutorial as a guideline, but changed some things around. I now need to alter my measurements. I love that these take so little fabric, and they are even lined. For this one I used scraps from a shirt that I had originally been planning to use to make Melody a dress. The dress was a flop, but at least the scraps have a use! I'm sure I'll be making many more of these; they were super fast to make!

edit: The tutorial I used can be found at craftpalooza. I didn't use the interfacing, or the ribbon. Mostly I just used the dimensions (that I will have to alter) and the construction instructions.

Sleeveless Purple Dress

2008-05-25T16:18:00.002-05:00

Pattern: Suddenly You're Sewing Dresses 103
View: A (with sleeve facings)
Alterations: Changed 2" hem to 1" hem

I cut all the pieces out Friday night and spent most of Saturday sewing this before a friend's BBQ. I started at about 11am and finished at 5-ish. I was literally walking around the house, clipping stray threads, trying to get the kids ready to go. (*clip* "Where are your shoes?") We weren't too late to the BBQ, and she looked adorable (if I do say so myself). She did get something on it, and it smells like bonfire.--Showing me her Care Bear.

--The closest I can get to a back shot since she doesn't like to turn her back to the camera. Sorry for the lack of focus. By the time I realized I had my camera on the wrong setting, she had run off.
I did notice it was much easier to make this dress than last time - and didn't take me nearly as long! I wish I had re-read the pattern for the pocket instructions before making all those purses. They would have looked so much better. Ah well, live and learn.

Baby Shoes

2008-05-19T11:54:00.002-05:00

Before you ask, No I am not pregnant! My sister-in-law and cousin-in-law are both pregnant though and due next month (I think) so I thought it would be cute to make them some baby shoes - and other baby things?
Here are my first attempts at teeny tiny shoes. First up are the Cross Over style. I like these and they were fairly easy to make. I do think they will fall off easily though.
The second pair I made were the Mary Jane style. I think the strap will help these stay on. They are super cute, but involve hand sewing (I detest hand sewing). I didn't attach the straps yet. I was going to try to do a button closure, but the straps are so very tiny that I think I'd have a problem fitting a button hole on them. I'll probably do some velcro, but I don't have any right now. These are also the only ones that have a hidden seam on the sole - hence why hand sewing is required.
The third pair is a clog style. Hubby and I both liked this version best. I think they will stay on fairly well and they were pretty easy to make - with no hand-sewing involved! I did make a mistake ans sewed the fake leather soles on upside down. They are pleather on one side and fuzzy on the other side. The fuzzy was supposed to go next to baby's foot and the leather on the outside, but they're still cute.
I got the mary jane and crossover styles from greenjelly.etsy.com. She calls the crossover style Japanese Style.
The clog style pattern was free and I found it here.
The best part about these shoes (other than their super cuteness) is the cost to make them. Each pattern calls for 1 fat quarter of fabric, but I can make 2-3 pairs from a fat quarter. That brings the cost of each pair to $1.50 (not including the pleather that I bought as a remnant)! Can't beat that price, especially since babies outgrow everything so fast!

Full Length Dress

2008-05-16T20:43:00.002-05:00

I found this fabric in the remnant bin at the fabric store. It was too cute to pass up. I was going to make a more summery dress (knee-length), but I liked the border at the bottom hem. I had thought about cutting it off and using it somehow - maybe re-sewing it at the bottom of the shirring.
As a side note, I did not shirr this dress, nor did I smock it. It came that way. I did make the straps, fit it to my daughter and hemmed it. Hey, I'm still a newbie, what do you want from me!I think she likes it. She's wearing it right now. In fact, she wanted to wear it before it was hemmed or had straps. It is a little big on her (only in the straps). I am debating if I want to take the straps in just a touch or let her grow into it. She walks a little funny in it because she's never had a full length dress before, but it's cute. The fabric is really light weight so she should be able to wear it even when it's fairly warm outside.
It does need to be ironed...

Aviator Cap

2008-05-16T09:43:00.008-05:00

I found a tutorial for an aviator cap and decided to give it a try.

Front

Back. I swear it does not look like a mullet in real life. It definitely looks more like the fake fur that it is. This was the "fur trim" from my son's winter coat (shh, don't tell my mom). He didn't like the fur trim and never wore it anyway.

Goggles up.

Side view. I had forgotten to take a picture before hubby went off to work, so Happy was a wonderful model.

This thing was such a pain in my butt to make. Some of the mistakes were my own fault. I forgot to add seam allowances to some of the pieces. I also sewed the band on backwards and didn't realize it until I was halfway around. I also bought extra thick thread thinking it was necessary because I was sewing with pleather. After finishing this, I don't think the thick thread was really needed. It didn't want to wind correctly on the bobbin so it kept jamming up my machine. I was so frustrated when I was finished with this hat!
Of course, after I was all finished, hubby decided he wanted a fur trim on the back to make it look like the cap was fur-lined. We found the fur trim from my son's winter coat and used that. Don't worry, my son hated that fur trim and it spent the entire winter sitting on my mantle/coat rack. I never want to sew with fake fur again! Even using the zipper foot to get close to the edge and switching to normal thread didn't help. I am so happy it's done! Hubby likes it (despite his facial expressions in the pictures) and that's all that matters.
Will I be making another? Probably not. Though I do have some black pleather. Hubby asked me if I could make him a bomber jacket from it. I laughed and told him no. Thankfully it's less than a yard, so I couldn't be convinced to make one against my better judgment.

New craft/sewing table

2008-05-14T20:44:00.005-05:00

I know this isn't a craft, but it's directly related so i'm posting it here. Ha! Take that!
I noticed that Joann's was having a sale on craft tables and I just so happened to have enough birthday money saved to get one! I plan to use it as a sewing table and maybe as storage for some other craft supplies. But mostly sewing.

More Info

Regular price is $199.99 and I got it for $99.97! I am so thrilled. The only downside is that I don't have room to put it up here, so it'll have to wait until we buy a house (if we ever find one). Until then, I'll just have to keep using the kitchen table.

Butterfly Bias Tape Tote

2008-05-13T20:02:00.003-05:00

I like the reversible tote I made my mom so much I made one for myself!
One side is butterflies:

The other side is blue:

The color is a little off in the pictures because it's storming here [throws the light off], but the butterfly picture is closer to accurate. These actually whip up pretty fast!
Next I should make one for my sister since her b-day is next month. She might get two, but I'll have to see if I can find the fabric I am looking for.

Mother's Day Bias Tape Tote

2008-05-10T16:05:00.002-05:00

I made this for my mom for Mother's Day. I haven't given it to her yet. I'll update tomorrow and let you all know if she liked it.
Backstory:
My mom got me sewing lessons for Christmas, so I wanted to sew her something to show my appreciation (vs buying something). I also knew I wanted to use fabric with owls on it. My grandmother (my mom's mom) was obsessed with owls. They were all over her house. She died 25 years ago. I wanted the special Mother's Day purse to remind my mom of her mom. So this is really like a 3 generation bag. I'm hoping it will make her cry (in a good way).
Technical Details:
Fabrics are cotton with a medium weight interfacing. Handles are double fold bias tape. (My first time using bias tape!)
Bag measures approx 9x9inches.
The bag is reversible (as seen in the photographs). Owl side has pockets. I was going to add pockets to the red side too, but forgot before I had it all sewn up and didn't want to deal with the frustration of ripping out seams just to add pockets.

Tutorial to make this bag can be found here: [link]

Edit: She loved it! I was so pleased. She knew right away the owls were for her mom =D She even told me that she would most likely carry it owl side out most of the time! Hooray!

First Wallet

2008-05-10T15:57:00.003-05:00

I made this wallet yesterday using some scrap fabric I had laying around.

Here it is all closed up:
Opened:
Pockets:
Ugly zipper stolen from an old pair of jeans:
My First Button hole:

At first I didn't like this wallet but it's growing on me. I love the size - my current one is big and bulky. I would add/change a few things if I were to make another one. I would add a place for paper money, more pockets (can never have too many) and move the zipper part to the outside. I thought the button closure was going to be annoying (I didn't have velcro or snaps), but it was easy and fast to open when standing in line - unlike my current purse.