I just wanted to take a quick second to tell you the amazing thing that is going on today.
Little Miss Momma is giving away a Silhouette Cameo!!! I'm super excited. Those of you who are my facebook friend can tell because I have been entering giveaway's all morning. Go over there and check it out, There are also some more giveaways, check my blog roll to enter more.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Craft Clay Ornaments
Keeping with my "what everybody got for Christmas" series of posts, this next one was also for my husband but from the kids. We made craft clay ornaments and I had the little one paint them for his daddy. I even painted one myself with baby girl's hand print, as a baby's first christmas kind of thing. Sorry I don't have any pictures of him working with the dough cutting out the ornaments. We were having so much fun I totally forgot to take pictures.
Normally I like to use salt dough, but I wanted to try something different and actually make something that I have pinned on pinterest. So I used this Easy Craft Clay recipe I had found. You use baking soda and corn starch (that's where your box of baking soda went honey haha) and cook it on the stove, which was really cool to watch. It also comes out a bright white color which was nice.
Noah LOVED playing with the dough, he rolled it and smashed it, after we cut out all the ornaments we needed (using a glass, and a straw for the hole) he played with the left over dough for a few hours, it took forever to get him to stop.
One thing I did not like was that the bigger ones we made cracked. You were supposed to let this air dry, which takes a few days, and over those days the craking starts. I would have much rather used a salt dough next time and baked it so that it came out right. But who knows, it could have been something I had done wrong. If you try it let me know how it turns out.
It took a while to get nana's handprint right, the internet makes it seem easy, but it's not, she did not like it. I even tried her foot, which i realized was too big to actually hang. When I first painted it, it didn't look christmas enough, so I added glitter with Mod Podge. I recommend if you do, add Mod Podge to top to seal it in. I just added the words with a fine tip sharpie.
He also had fun painting them, I was a little nervous about letting him use my acrylic paints because I never painted with him before but he was very good and we both had a blast. I tried to coax him into using more christmas colors, but then I figured he was having fun let him do what he wants. But next time I think I may draw designs on a few for him to work on painting in the lines.
Normally I like to use salt dough, but I wanted to try something different and actually make something that I have pinned on pinterest. So I used this Easy Craft Clay recipe I had found. You use baking soda and corn starch (that's where your box of baking soda went honey haha) and cook it on the stove, which was really cool to watch. It also comes out a bright white color which was nice.
Noah LOVED playing with the dough, he rolled it and smashed it, after we cut out all the ornaments we needed (using a glass, and a straw for the hole) he played with the left over dough for a few hours, it took forever to get him to stop.
One thing I did not like was that the bigger ones we made cracked. You were supposed to let this air dry, which takes a few days, and over those days the craking starts. I would have much rather used a salt dough next time and baked it so that it came out right. But who knows, it could have been something I had done wrong. If you try it let me know how it turns out.
It took a while to get nana's handprint right, the internet makes it seem easy, but it's not, she did not like it. I even tried her foot, which i realized was too big to actually hang. When I first painted it, it didn't look christmas enough, so I added glitter with Mod Podge. I recommend if you do, add Mod Podge to top to seal it in. I just added the words with a fine tip sharpie.
He also had fun painting them, I was a little nervous about letting him use my acrylic paints because I never painted with him before but he was very good and we both had a blast. I tried to coax him into using more christmas colors, but then I figured he was having fun let him do what he wants. But next time I think I may draw designs on a few for him to work on painting in the lines.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Stenciled Apron
Hope everybody had a wonderful Holiday. I know that I did! Christmas being over always makes me a little sad because I love it so much, but I am excited I get to share with you all the fun projects I made as gifts this year.
This first one was for my husband. A stenciled apron I made using freezer paper. Now this was my first time using freezer paper stencils and I am VERY happy with the results and have to use this technique more.
The technique is pretty easy and doesn't really need a tutorial but for the newbies to this I'll just tell you how I did it. First thing I did was cut my paper to 8 1/2 X 11 and printed off my design (on the matte side). After I had already printed it out, I had the idea to next time just set the font to an outline to save computer ink.
I taped my paper to the back of my cutting mat and cut the shapes out with an x-acto knife. Clumsy / accident prone people shouldn't have sharp objects, so the whole time I kept saying to myself go slowly and carefully. Once my hand started to get a little shaky I stopped and finished again later.
Once all cut out place on your fabric (don't forget to put the little pieces back inside, like in the D and the A) shiny side down. Iron down the paper with your iron setting to a medium to high setting. DO NOT over iron! After it sticks and looks good, stop. I think I started to over iron a bit and it started to picker up and not stick anymore in some places. Once attached take out our paint and paint away!
Here it is all painted before I removed paper. Removing the paper is easy it just pulls right off any doesn't leave anything sticky. There were a few spots around the edges where it sort of bled through but that was where I over ironed, I think it adds character and over all I am happy how it turned out, and the hubs loved it!
This first one was for my husband. A stenciled apron I made using freezer paper. Now this was my first time using freezer paper stencils and I am VERY happy with the results and have to use this technique more.
The technique is pretty easy and doesn't really need a tutorial but for the newbies to this I'll just tell you how I did it. First thing I did was cut my paper to 8 1/2 X 11 and printed off my design (on the matte side). After I had already printed it out, I had the idea to next time just set the font to an outline to save computer ink.
I taped my paper to the back of my cutting mat and cut the shapes out with an x-acto knife. Clumsy / accident prone people shouldn't have sharp objects, so the whole time I kept saying to myself go slowly and carefully. Once my hand started to get a little shaky I stopped and finished again later.
Once all cut out place on your fabric (don't forget to put the little pieces back inside, like in the D and the A) shiny side down. Iron down the paper with your iron setting to a medium to high setting. DO NOT over iron! After it sticks and looks good, stop. I think I started to over iron a bit and it started to picker up and not stick anymore in some places. Once attached take out our paint and paint away!
Here it is all painted before I removed paper. Removing the paper is easy it just pulls right off any doesn't leave anything sticky. There were a few spots around the edges where it sort of bled through but that was where I over ironed, I think it adds character and over all I am happy how it turned out, and the hubs loved it!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Last Minute Gifts - Crochet Cowel
Today I wanted to show you one of my (very) last minute Christmas gifts that I made. Last Thursday my husband comes home and asks me to make something for his supervisor at work to give to her tomorrow. Freaking out on what to make with only having one skein of yarn and only a few hours I browsed raverly on a good and quick pattern. This cowl is super cute and only took about 5 hours of continuous work to complete ( I went to bed about 2am that night). I was super exhausted when I was done but was so proud I had created something so cute in such little time. You can find the pattern for this here and create one for yourself or as a last minute gift for someone else.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Lady A's Knits
Today I wanted to share with you a wonderful website called Lady A's Knits. This site is owned by my friend Andrea who makes WONDERFUL crochet scarves.
Everything is made by her from her original designs which are totally fab, and an even bigger plus is that each creation is a one of a kind so you will be the only one wearing it.
Here is just a sample of some of her creations
See that super cute dress on the mannequin.....it's made of wrapping paper....yeah, she's that amazing.
Check out her page now, place an order for a scarf or two (or a dozen). She also does custom work so she can supply all your warm and cozy crochet needs.
Everything is made by her from her original designs which are totally fab, and an even bigger plus is that each creation is a one of a kind so you will be the only one wearing it.
Here is just a sample of some of her creations
See that super cute dress on the mannequin.....it's made of wrapping paper....yeah, she's that amazing.
Check out her page now, place an order for a scarf or two (or a dozen). She also does custom work so she can supply all your warm and cozy crochet needs.
Monday, December 12, 2011
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
Today I thought I would share with you the hub's Christmas gift from last year. This adorable little crochet Christmas tree with matching tree skirt and even little yarn covered presents to put under.
This was such an easy project to do, it was my first "amigurumi" type project that wasn't a hat or a scarf, and although a very last minute idea (made on Christmas eve) I was very pleased with the outcome. Honestly it took only a couple hours for the tree itself, would have been shorter if I didn't have to keep pulling it out and starting over.I found the pattern for it online, you can see it here, for my tree, however, I used a regular green worsted weight yarn (Lion Brand's Vanna's Choice) and the size hook it said on the label. Also I used some brown yarn and made a circle the same diameter as the bottom, stuffed, and sewed it on. This is stuffed with an old t-shirt because at the time its all I had, but I'm sure you would get a much fuller tree with some poly-fill.
For the skirt I just made a circle with a double crochet stitch until I liked the size,then added a scalloped edge. The yarn I used for this was Lion Brand's Homespun. I don't know if this is the correct way to do the edging, but the way I did it was: {single crochet in first double crochet, chain 4, skip next double crochet, single crochet in next}repeat around.
The boxes are just paper origami boxes. Here is the tute I used. I'm not quite sure how I made the smaller box, but it was made with paper also, after that I just used glue to wrap with yarn, used some yarn scraps to make a bow, and sat under the tree.
I have been wanting to make little ornaments to go on the tree, or at least a tree topper but I'm not quite sure how I wanted to make it. I felt that a topper should be made with yarn too, so if you have any ideas please leave them in a comment below ( I love stars, so if you know a pattern for a little 3D star that would be nice). I was thinking that for ornaments I would do pretty round beads on ear ring findings as bulbs, but I wasn't quite sure if it would look right since the tree "branches" are so close together. For right now, the simplistic look is just perfect.
I may make some garland from embroidery thread and beads.....when I ever find them in my boxes of stuff haha.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Dear Santa...
I'm so excited for Christmas to get here, it feels like it is taking forever. I finally figured out what handmade gift everybody will get so I hope to start on them tomorrow!
Yesterday I told you about the number one things on the lists for the kids, today I thought I would share whats on Mama's list.....Craft storage.
Since moving I haven't been able to craft like I want to. Part because of space, part because I'm still trying to balance having to kiddos and baby girl grows so fast she wants to be into everything, and mostly because I know what I have but i have no clue where in the 4 stacked boxes and 1 suitcase it is. HIGHLY discouraging. Sometimes I feel like I would rather buy new whatever instead of attempting to dig around to find it. This year I asked Santa for a tall dresser to store all of my madness in an organized fashion. Now the thing I WISH Santa would bring me is a Workbox. What? You never heard of one? Let me introduce you to one of the greatest things ever made. The workbox by The Original Scrapbox.
Isn't this thing great? Look at all that storage, and a workspace too. It's like a little crafting sanctuary all in one little piece of furniture that looks oh so nice when tucked away. Not only does it come in white they have a few other colors/finishes to choose from. The Original Scrapbox makes a few other styles of crafting furniture that is worth going to the site and taking a look at.
If you want to see a really cool craft room that uses all of the Scrapbox products check out Linda's craft room from Craftaholics Anonymous. She even has a video tour to envy this room even more. Seriously, if this room had pink accents, and a papasan chair, it would be my vision for my future craft room with the grey walls and white furniture.
That's all for now, maybe I will be good enough for Santa net year, who knows. ;)
Yesterday I told you about the number one things on the lists for the kids, today I thought I would share whats on Mama's list.....Craft storage.
Since moving I haven't been able to craft like I want to. Part because of space, part because I'm still trying to balance having to kiddos and baby girl grows so fast she wants to be into everything, and mostly because I know what I have but i have no clue where in the 4 stacked boxes and 1 suitcase it is. HIGHLY discouraging. Sometimes I feel like I would rather buy new whatever instead of attempting to dig around to find it. This year I asked Santa for a tall dresser to store all of my madness in an organized fashion. Now the thing I WISH Santa would bring me is a Workbox. What? You never heard of one? Let me introduce you to one of the greatest things ever made. The workbox by The Original Scrapbox.
Isn't this thing great? Look at all that storage, and a workspace too. It's like a little crafting sanctuary all in one little piece of furniture that looks oh so nice when tucked away. Not only does it come in white they have a few other colors/finishes to choose from. The Original Scrapbox makes a few other styles of crafting furniture that is worth going to the site and taking a look at.
If you want to see a really cool craft room that uses all of the Scrapbox products check out Linda's craft room from Craftaholics Anonymous. She even has a video tour to envy this room even more. Seriously, if this room had pink accents, and a papasan chair, it would be my vision for my future craft room with the grey walls and white furniture.
That's all for now, maybe I will be good enough for Santa net year, who knows. ;)
Monday, November 28, 2011
Thinking About Christmas
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend. I know I did, it's so nice to spend time with family! Now that thanksgiving has passed us by everybody is thinking about Christmas. I absolutely love Christmas so I have been thinking about it for a while now. We have even had our tree up for a week already, haha.
I have a few upcoming projects in mind to start on, but the sad part is I cannot post them until after Christmas since they are gifts (don't want to spoil the surprise). That being said, I love giving handmade gifts, they are so much more personal and heartfelt. What kind of handmade gifts will you guys be giving this year?
Sometime the smaller kiddo's don't appreciate the handmade gifts as much and rather have a new toy with extremely hard to open plastic packaging. That's ok though, I picked out the perfect gifts for them this year. For the boy we are getting the Leapster Explorer by Leapfrog with the camera attachment, because he loves to take pictures like his daddy.
I have a few upcoming projects in mind to start on, but the sad part is I cannot post them until after Christmas since they are gifts (don't want to spoil the surprise). That being said, I love giving handmade gifts, they are so much more personal and heartfelt. What kind of handmade gifts will you guys be giving this year?
Sometime the smaller kiddo's don't appreciate the handmade gifts as much and rather have a new toy with extremely hard to open plastic packaging. That's ok though, I picked out the perfect gifts for them this year. For the boy we are getting the Leapster Explorer by Leapfrog with the camera attachment, because he loves to take pictures like his daddy.
I've done a lot of research on this toy and have read lots of reviews and I absolutely LOVE it. I know he will have tons of fun playing games and I will know he is learning. You can even track your child's learning progress by hooking it up to your computer. There are a ton of games for this toy but my favorite part is that you can download games, videos, and interactive books directly to your handheld... NO LOST GAMES! If he does get an actual game cartridge we will probably go with the Mr. Pencil game as it seems like one he would really like. Oh, and I forgot to add my other favorite part. The difficulty of these games change as your child learns, how could you not love that, you know its not going to be a game he completes in a day and is done with it.
For baby girl we picked out the cutest little doll perfect for her age. The Baby Stella doll by Manhattan Toy. This doll comes in a few different styles but we choose the one with the black hair, isn't she just the cutest?
There has been TONS of good reviews for this doll as the perfect "first doll" for little girls, and I am a big advocate of every little girl having a dolly. Stella is a nice cuddly soft doll which I love. I think soft dolls have so much more character than the plastic face/bodied dolls. She even comes with a little magnetic binky to give her
You can get lots of clothes and accessories for her which I love, every girl (even a dolly) needs lots of accessories. Looking around the Internet I did not find a lot of free (or even paid) patterns for diy clothes for this doll...except one for a diaper pattern from Treasures For Tots. I know when she gets it I will try to work on lots of clothes and accessories patterns to post as there is a lack of them on the net already. [so excited!] One day I hope to get her a Waldorf doll like the ones here, but for now, this one is perfect.
That's it for now, tomorrow I will share with you whats on my Christmas list.
Disclaimer: I was not paid or compensated by anyone to write about these products. I just really liked them and wanted to share my opinion.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Kids Krafts Friday - Pinata!
YAY! I'm so excited this is my first Kids Krafts Friday. This project was long in the making because I promised Noah that I would help him to make one of these a while ago after he saw one on Nick Jr.
It may not be too pretty but he had tons of fun making it and that's all that really matters.
Here's what you will need:
newspaper
few sheets of white printer paper (optional)
flour
water
tissue paper
white glue (like Elmer's)
scissors
Patience (lots of it)
First thing first, rip newspaper into strips, this is a long and boring process so I did this while watching TV (and browsing pinterest)
Then we mixed the glue, this was his favorite part, he told me he was Chef Noah while he was mixing it. I used a ratio of 2-1 with 2 cups of water to every 1 cup of flower. If you are doing a small pinata like the size of ours that should be enough but if you are doing anything larger, double it.
The next part may be a little common since because I think everybody has made a pinata in grade school,but just in, case you haven't I'll tell you. Dip paper in glue mixture, wipe of extra with your fingers, and put all over balloon. Be sure to overlap pieces a little and cover the entire balloon. It helps to put the balloon in a small bowl to hold it still while you are working.
Now, the ideal thing to do is let the first layer completely dry before you start your second layer, but working with a 3 year old that did not exactly happen. I figured if I didn't wait, it would turn out the same. I was right, but it took days to dry, and it made the kitchen smell like the flour mixture, so please, try to wait between each layer. About 3 or 4 newspaper layers should do it. Here he is, very proud of his first layer
Optional - add a layer or two of white paper to cover up the newsprint if you would like.
While you wait for your pinata to dry cut your tissue paper into small squares. It doesn't have to be perfect, just get some scissors and go crazy.We used Christmas paper because that's what he wanted, but it looks nice to used color paper and go for a pattern look lol. To speed up the process it helps to cut in strips, then stack the strips to cut the squares. (I had Noah separate all the pieces that were stuck together, he started to count them, then says mom there is just too many, it was funny)
After its all dry, its time to add the candy and decorate! I used a sharp knife to cut a hole in the bottom big enough to fit the candy in it(but do not cut it all the way off), doing this will pop the balloon, be sure to get that out before you do. I used tape at first to hold the hole closed, but the tape I had wouldn't stick to anything so I just glued it shut wit some strips of white paper. Since you need to hang it up the easiest way to do this is to make two holes close together at the top and string some ribbon or yarn through. I used screws to make the holes, and I used a tapestry needle to help get the ribbon through, if you don't have one of those I guess you could tape your string to a toothpick.
Give yourself a pat on the back, or clap like Noah did because you are almost done. Now its time to add all that tissue paper you cut up. We did it the old fashioned way I remember doing in elementary school. Wrap the tissue paper square around an unsharpened pencil and dip in glue, press and hold on pinata, and viola! it sticks! repeat until you are all done
It may not be too pretty but he had tons of fun making it and that's all that really matters.
Here's what you will need:
newspaper
few sheets of white printer paper (optional)
flour
water
tissue paper
white glue (like Elmer's)
scissors
Patience (lots of it)
First thing first, rip newspaper into strips, this is a long and boring process so I did this while watching TV (and browsing pinterest)
Then we mixed the glue, this was his favorite part, he told me he was Chef Noah while he was mixing it. I used a ratio of 2-1 with 2 cups of water to every 1 cup of flower. If you are doing a small pinata like the size of ours that should be enough but if you are doing anything larger, double it.
The next part may be a little common since because I think everybody has made a pinata in grade school,but just in, case you haven't I'll tell you. Dip paper in glue mixture, wipe of extra with your fingers, and put all over balloon. Be sure to overlap pieces a little and cover the entire balloon. It helps to put the balloon in a small bowl to hold it still while you are working.
Now, the ideal thing to do is let the first layer completely dry before you start your second layer, but working with a 3 year old that did not exactly happen. I figured if I didn't wait, it would turn out the same. I was right, but it took days to dry, and it made the kitchen smell like the flour mixture, so please, try to wait between each layer. About 3 or 4 newspaper layers should do it. Here he is, very proud of his first layer
Optional - add a layer or two of white paper to cover up the newsprint if you would like.
While you wait for your pinata to dry cut your tissue paper into small squares. It doesn't have to be perfect, just get some scissors and go crazy.We used Christmas paper because that's what he wanted, but it looks nice to used color paper and go for a pattern look lol. To speed up the process it helps to cut in strips, then stack the strips to cut the squares. (I had Noah separate all the pieces that were stuck together, he started to count them, then says mom there is just too many, it was funny)
After its all dry, its time to add the candy and decorate! I used a sharp knife to cut a hole in the bottom big enough to fit the candy in it(but do not cut it all the way off), doing this will pop the balloon, be sure to get that out before you do. I used tape at first to hold the hole closed, but the tape I had wouldn't stick to anything so I just glued it shut wit some strips of white paper. Since you need to hang it up the easiest way to do this is to make two holes close together at the top and string some ribbon or yarn through. I used screws to make the holes, and I used a tapestry needle to help get the ribbon through, if you don't have one of those I guess you could tape your string to a toothpick.
Give yourself a pat on the back, or clap like Noah did because you are almost done. Now its time to add all that tissue paper you cut up. We did it the old fashioned way I remember doing in elementary school. Wrap the tissue paper square around an unsharpened pencil and dip in glue, press and hold on pinata, and viola! it sticks! repeat until you are all done
When its all dry, string it up and knock it out! The hubs didn't think it was a good idea to do that in the apartment so we are going to wait until Saturday and do it outside at grandma's house. Will post a pic when we do so you can see :)
Friday, October 28, 2011
A Not So Orange Halloween..YAY!
Ok, so before I say anything, I know I have been slacking on my blogging duties and I am trying harder, lack of projects is no excuse since I am always doing something creative in one form or another. I have just been so wrapped up with research for my new design that I am SOOO excited about so I've really been spending all my free time with that. I promise I will have the first installment of my Kids Krafts Friday this upcoming Friday, if I don't, you can hog tie me and beat me up I swear, anyway on to my post.
I'm not really big on the whole Halloween thing. I mean, its just not exciting to me, love a good fall decoration though. And my hubs habits are rubbing off on me and I'm turning into a Christmas fanatic like he is. (I have asked a few times already to put decorations up) When I saw this i thought it was the cutest thing ever, you put hello kitty on anything and I'm sold.
Besides the hello kitty pumpkin which is to tie for, look at the super cue pink glitter candle. This pic was found on a website called Prunille Fiat Son Show but I found it via Craft Gossip. Just a word of advice that the original website is in some other language so I have no clue what it says and the google translator never works for me. Which is sad because craft gossip featured another post of theirs about baking bread in a pringles can which i thought was a cute idea.
Anyways, I just thought it was too cute not to share with you, hope you enjoyed it as much as I did
Till Later,
Natasha Nicole
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
I'm Baaaack!
YAY! I know right, all of you are excited I can tell, but still not as excited as I am to have internet again. While I was gone I did not do much of anything crafty. I did however make this cute little cross stitch/beaded snowman ornament that I got from this super cute yarn store in town called The Red Thread. ( If you live in the area you should go check it out, if not, road trip maybe?)
Isn't he cute? It felt so good to actually have a project and finish it, I haven't had the chance to do that in a while. Now, I know what you all may be thinking, and yes, I did go in a yarn shop and come out with a small cross stitch kit. The store was full of such beautiful yarns I was overwhelmed and didn't know what to get so I though a quick project was just what I needed. But moving on, because I could go on and on about my experience there for a while.
While I was away I also got to take a little trip to Jo-Ann's to pick up some embroidery stuff to go with my new book. (read about that here) I was so excited that the first thing I did was organize all my thread on the bobbins and arrange by color. A little OCD I know, but what can I say, at least it looks pretty....see...
Ahh, behold, the beauty of color. The actual embroidering was a little less successful. I did a few stitches and then got tired of it. I think it was because I didn't get any transfer stuff, and with no real design I wasn't exactly 'inspired'. I will try again later once I get settled. I also need some inspiration on coming up with a face design for a crochet doll for my princess.
On a different note I do not have any projects planned for the near future, but I did promise my little one I would help him make a pinata so I may do that next week hopefully. That being said I wanted to add a feature to my blog. I will call it Kids Krafts Fridays. It will feature a fun craft that I make with my little ones. I would like to do one every week but for now I will try to do as many as possible. I'm really excited about this because not only do I get more crafts to share with you, I also get a chance to sit down and have a little Noah, Mommy crafting time. Hopefully you will be seeing those in the very near future.
Last thing I wanted to add was that I am doing some research on a future project that I am spending all of my random online time looking up for. If you follow my pinterest you may have an idea of what it is. ( if you don't, there is a button on the right side of the screen, DO IT! - just kidding but it would be nice) For those of you who are not pinterest users - although I don't know what else you would be doing with your time - I'll give the surprise away.....its a craft bag. I don't know how long this project will take since I don't have much sewing experience and I am more of the learn as you go kind of gal, but I hope to open an online store -etsy or art fire- from it. So if anybody has any FREE online resources on handbag making please feel free to add it in a comment below.
Sorry to babble on, but Ive just missed this so much lol. Till later ;)
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Thank You
I haven't had internet in a while which is why I haven't posted. I'm currently at the library to use the internet and enjoy some quiet time. When I just checked my blog I was so excited that my post about my ice cream pint cozy was featured on totally tutorials again! YAHH! Then when I actually sign on blogger and saw that I now have more followers I got so excited I'm teary eyed. (yes I know, I'm a big baby)
That being said I wanted to take the time to say thank you to all of you who choose to click that 'follow' button. It really does mean a lot to me. (yay, I'm not just posting to one reader anymore lol) Just so you know, I have quite a few nifty projects coming, when I get to them I'm not exactly sure, but hopefully it will be soon.
That being said I wanted to take the time to say thank you to all of you who choose to click that 'follow' button. It really does mean a lot to me. (yay, I'm not just posting to one reader anymore lol) Just so you know, I have quite a few nifty projects coming, when I get to them I'm not exactly sure, but hopefully it will be soon.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Doodle Stitching Book Review
[Photo] |
Border's going out of business is bittersweet to me. That was the only bookstore I actually liked to go to, now that they are going out of business I will probably have to get all my books now from Amazon. Even though it's sad, the good thing is that I now can stock up my craft library for dirt cheap (yay!). There was a big sign on the window of our local store that said 10 days left so we had to stop by and see what the slim pickings were. Poor Noah was upset because "someone took the toys" the whole kids section was completely cleared out. But anyway..
There was only so many craft books left, and only like three that I considered buying. There was this crochet book called Twinkie Chain's Crochet goodies for Fashion Foodies which had really cool patterns that I wanted to try, a few with cupcakes(which I'm into now). Alas, I wanted to learn something new so I choose a book on embroidery called Doodle-Stitching by Aimee Ray.
My first impression when flipping through the pages was that it had a variety of different patterns that seemed very easy to do. As a beginner of anything that "I can do that" feeling is very important and even after flipping through a few pages I got that feeling and wanted to dive right in.
The author gives a little advice on what materials and tools you need to get started which reading that made me happy because as a new craft its super affordable. (I can get everything I need under 20 bucks with coupons from Jo-Ann's) She explains all of the basic stitches that you need to know to complete all of the designs provided in the book that you could also use in any design you come up with yourself.
My favorite idea in the whole book is the canvas shoe embroidery. I would have never thought to do that and I would love to personalize a pair of shoes like that. I have always seen ones decorated with sharpie doodles, but this is much better.
In the book she also explains how to transfer images and designs on your fabric to stitch over but what I love about the style of "doodle-stitching" is that you could really just draw a design directly on the fabric in pencil, no tranfering materials required. Hopefully this week I can grab some supplies and start on my new hobby with pix to show you guys.
P.S. Hope you guys had a wonderful Labor Day weekend like I did. I got to visit my family which made my whole weekend.
Friday, September 2, 2011
I'm In Love With The Mailman
Don't you just love getting new packages in the mail? I do, its even better when it's something you've won. That's right, my Little Pink Tool Set came in that I won from the Shanty 2 Chic giveaway.
Isn't it cute? (I mean the tool bag) I think when I find another good place to keep the tools I'm going to use it as a purse.
I was so excited to open the box I felt like a kid on Christmas. Even Noah was excited that I got a box in the mail. I love the enthusiasm of kids.
P.S. I did not model her like that, I looked on the floor and she was trying to crawl away with it on her arm :)
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Going Through a Dry Spell
I know you guys have noticed that I haven't posted any projects lately, and there is a very good reason for that.... I don't have one. {giant gasp}
I know, I know, it breaks my heart too. So much has been going on lately I haven't been able to craft anything post able, but that does not mean that I haven't been working on anything. Lately I have been working on a crochet dolly for my princess which is now a trial and error type thing with random colored scrap yarn. I'm at sort of a stand still with that because of the face. I now have a new respect for softie doll makers, the face done wrong can make the cutest of dolly's look evil. If anybody has a good idea of how to add eyes and a mouth without using doll eyes(because I want to give it to her on her 1st birthday) leave it in a comment below, I REALLY need help.
Because of Border's going out of business my cousin and I took a little trip there and she bought me a book that I wanted to read and review. I will be doing that shortly, but finding time to sit and read with a 6month and a 3 year old is kind of tough, I've attempted, but just can not focus.
My other reason for not taking the time to post (although I shouldn't make excuses) is a good one atleast, its my newest addiction. Pintrest. In case you are like I was and had no clue what that is. I like to describe it as a visual favorites list meets social media, or the greatest thing ever. You can take any picture you find on the Internet and 'pin' it to a board on your pinterest account. Not only does it save the picture but the link too. For that reason I am in the process of transferring my Internet Explorer favorites to pinterest so I can see the crafts instead of a link title. You can also re pin things that other people have pined. The pinterest community is great because these people find the greatest things. But don't take my word for it, Go on over there and join, when you do, go ahead and use the link below to follow me.
I know, I know, it breaks my heart too. So much has been going on lately I haven't been able to craft anything post able, but that does not mean that I haven't been working on anything. Lately I have been working on a crochet dolly for my princess which is now a trial and error type thing with random colored scrap yarn. I'm at sort of a stand still with that because of the face. I now have a new respect for softie doll makers, the face done wrong can make the cutest of dolly's look evil. If anybody has a good idea of how to add eyes and a mouth without using doll eyes(because I want to give it to her on her 1st birthday) leave it in a comment below, I REALLY need help.
Because of Border's going out of business my cousin and I took a little trip there and she bought me a book that I wanted to read and review. I will be doing that shortly, but finding time to sit and read with a 6month and a 3 year old is kind of tough, I've attempted, but just can not focus.
My other reason for not taking the time to post (although I shouldn't make excuses) is a good one atleast, its my newest addiction. Pintrest. In case you are like I was and had no clue what that is. I like to describe it as a visual favorites list meets social media, or the greatest thing ever. You can take any picture you find on the Internet and 'pin' it to a board on your pinterest account. Not only does it save the picture but the link too. For that reason I am in the process of transferring my Internet Explorer favorites to pinterest so I can see the crafts instead of a link title. You can also re pin things that other people have pined. The pinterest community is great because these people find the greatest things. But don't take my word for it, Go on over there and join, when you do, go ahead and use the link below to follow me.
Monday, August 29, 2011
I'M A WINNER!!!
I'm so excited I can't stop smiling. I had a wonderful 1st anniversary weekend with my hubby. We went to Shenandoah Caverns which was amazingly beautiful, even little mama had fun, she was so tired but did not want to go to sleep, she didn't want to miss anything. After that we went peach picking at a near by orchard which was fun, but by then little mama was sleep and slept the whole time in the wagon. I left that morning in such an excited rush that I forgot the camera and do not have pictures of any of this. I know, I'm sad about it too. I can't wait for the hubs to make some peach cobbler with them. Can you say YUM?
This morning I woke up with an "ugh Monday" feeling and checked my e-mail only to find out I was a winner of the Shanty2Chic Little pink tools giveaway! Yeah, if I were you I would be jealous too.
Here is what I won
This morning I woke up with an "ugh Monday" feeling and checked my e-mail only to find out I was a winner of the Shanty2Chic Little pink tools giveaway! Yeah, if I were you I would be jealous too.
Here is what I won
[Photo] |
I've never been more excited for the mail to come in my life. Now all I need this that pink drill.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Twitter Inspired Fabric
I was looking around on fabric.com for some fabric to use on a future project and I came across this
[pic] |
How cute, I don't know what I would use this for but I thought it was too cute not to post about. When I first saw it I thought it was funny, then I wondered was at an actual twitter name. So I did the logical thing, went to twitter and checked it out. Greatest thing ever. Sew to Speak is a little fabric shop in Columbus, Ohio ran by a mother daughter duo. They also have a variety of different sewing classes. Looking around on their website, I now want to take a trip to Ohio just to go to their highly adorable shop and stay long enough to take a few classes. head on over to their website here or check out their blog here
don't forget to check out their twitter @sewtospeak
while your there you can check out mine @LkyStrCreations
(shameless plug I know, but I couldn't resist)
and if you are in the market for some fabric for a project (or to stock your stash, I wont tell) The Raw Feed has some awesome coupons for fabric.com as well as coupons for many other retailers.
I Was Featured!
On Totally Tutorials today! I was so excited when I was going through my news feed on google reader I almost cried.They featured my nursing cover clip post.
If your not familiar with the site, they take really cool tutes from all over he blogosphere and feature them for everybody to see. Have a tute of your own? You can submit it just like I did and be featured too. Link there on my sidebar or click here
If your not familiar with the site, they take really cool tutes from all over he blogosphere and feature them for everybody to see. Have a tute of your own? You can submit it just like I did and be featured too. Link there on my sidebar or click here
Friday, July 29, 2011
Ice Cream Pint Holder
This tutorial is near and dear to my heart because I've had it on my to do list for some time and never got a chance to do it. I love eating ice cream straight out of the pint like I said on my favorite things post. I never eat it all at once and I hate when it starts to melt from holding it and when I refreeze it the outside tastes a little different. This nifty little cozy not only helps keep your ice cream cold, but it keeps your hands nice and warm too (finger-cicles are never a good thing) and it even has a pocket for your spoon and can hang on the fridge so you always have it on hand.
Disclaimer: I am a newbie at sewing, and I'm known for making things a lot harder than it needs to be, this is the way that I did it, although there may be an easier way, if you know one, please leave a comment and share.
Here Goes!!
Materials:
Outside Print Fabric (or large scrap) I had a quarter yard'
Inside Fabric
Insul-Brite
Coordinating Thread
Empty Ice Cream Pint. If you don't have one, go buy two. Eat one now, Save one to reward yourself when your done.
Round magnets, I got mine from Joann's. They are super heavy duty 18x3mm
Rotary cutter, mat, and ruler. (or good coordination with a regular ruler if you don't have one)
Paper scissors, and fabric scissors
permanent marker
box cutter, or exacto knife
pencil
paper (2 sheets)
Tape
Iron
1. Take permanent marker and mark line where top is on container.
2.Use box cutter or exacto knife to cut along that line, the side seam and the bottom circle
3. Now use your flattened as a pattern and trace on paper. Tape two sheets of paper together so you have enough space to add the inseam. For the top and bottom add a 1/2 inch. on the sides add 1 inch.
I dont have a picture of this because I did it a while ago, but I used my ruler and added small points from the line to where the new line will be, and then played connect the dots all the way around.
4. Cut out your new paper pattern. Then use this pattern to pin and cut out fabric and insul-brite.
5. Next use your rotary cutter ( or ruler if you dont have one) and cut out a rectangle on a folded edge of your outer fabric. The fold should be at the top, and your rectangle should measure 3in wide by 3 1/2in long.
6. The Small rectangle you just cut will be your spoon pocket. To form the pocket, fold under about a half inch on each side, and press to stay
9. Next, sew down pocket using the same method as the top stitch that you just made. Start stitching where the top stitch is. Hint: for the left side, start at the bottom so you can still use the foot as your guide .
10. Cut a square of scrap fabric larger than your magnet, I didnt initally measure but mine came to about 1 1/2 inch but whatever works for your size magnet. This is going to be stitched to the left side of your insul-brite to hold down your magnet. Again I used the smaller presser foot and pivoted the corners. After I did 3 sides, I slid in the magnet, and finished stitching the last side to close. This is a little tricky because when doing the last side, the magnet sticks to your throat plate.
Insul-Brite, With magnet facing down
Outside fabric, With pocket facing up
Inside fabric, right side down
13. Now you have a tube. turn it to the right side and press down so that it is nice and flat and even. Now you can top stitch the top and the bottom using the same foot as when you made the pocket. Leave about a half inch on each side that is not top stitched. (start 1/2in. in, stop with 1/2in left)
16. This last step is not a must do, but I did it anywy. Go over the top stitching at the top and bottom over the seam you just made to reinforce. Mine was a little uneven at the top, and the back was a little loopy because i had to feed it through myself.
Now pat yourself on the back and take that second pint and reward yourself for a job well done.
If you dont want to eat it now, flatten it, and place it on your fridge so its ready when you need it.
Since this was created and written by me and things in my head may not make sence to other people. If you are confused by anything feel free to leave a comment and ask and I will clear it up to the best of my ability.
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