T-Shirt Garland Kit

When our whole family gathers in over Father’s Day weekend, I want to have some fun crafts that work for *kids* from pre- schoolers to 80+. My latest idea is a decoration that everyone helps create—T-shirt garland! To keep everything handy, I decided to make a kit with all the necessary materials. Then I can simply hang some baker’s twine across the windows and we can pin on our paper T-shirts as we “customize” them.

To make the kit, I first found an empty box that was just the right size. (This one once held a chocolate cake that came in an order one of our kids sent us from Omaha Steaks . . . yum!!!) I cut off the lid and then cut, folded, and glued the lid cardboard to divide the box into four compartments. Here it is with clips holding everything in place while it dried. When the inside was ready, I traced around the outsides and covered them with scrapbook paper, then made a simple word-processed label for the front using clip art and a text box.

Next, I googled “printable t-shirt template” to find a pattern I like and watched a couple of movies while I traced and cut them out on light-colored paper. I also shopped for tiny clothespins and found these at Amazon.com. They’re REALLY tiny—about one inch long—but perfect for hanging paper items. I also found a small empty jar in the pantry to store them in since we’ll need to keep them safely away from the babies and toddlers. (I later glued three of the pins to the lid for a-la-mode.)

Finally, I added markers, crayons, and colored pencils for creating the T-shirt designs. Since I already had these and the paper on hand, my only expense was the clothespins—and they’re so cute I probably would have bought them anyway. I’ll be sure to show you a photo of our garland after everyone is here!   P.S. I think this would be a fun way to commemorate family activities over the summer, too . . . books the kids read, trips to the beach and zoo, special treats they get to eat, and that sort of thing. If only I’d thought of that when MY kids were little! ♥

Global Girlfriend Love

Have you discovered Global Girlfriend yet? Besides my friends’ shops, it’s my favorite shopping spot EVER! This fair-trade boutique sells handmade clothes, jewelry, handbags, accessories, bath and body products, and paper goods from all over the world, and the money goes to help craftswomen make a living to feed their families. They also have gift certificates, which the special girls in my family LOVE to get for their birthdays . . . even though it can literally take hours to decide which gorgeous items to spend them on!  Right now, in honor of Earth Day, Global Girlfriend is offering FREE SHIPPING for $25 U.S. orders (code: FREE25) and $50 international orders (code: FREE50). Please check them out if you get a chance . . . it will definitely brighten your day! They’re also on Facebook here  and my Shop Love! page here. P.S.  Below is one of my favorite GG purchases, a set of inspirational cards made from handmade paper. I love them so much that I’ve also displayed them on my office wall! ♥

The “Mix Things Up” Apron

Here’s my latest apron . . . and I must say, I had LOTS of help! Here’s the scoop:

• The adorable design on the bib came from my blogging friend Megan of A Kitschy Kitchen. Click here, and this original drawing can be yours, too, as a gift from Megan! Since I used a heavy muslin (a remnant I had on hand) for the bib, I was able to simply trace the design. Then I embroidered it while watching TV when we were snowed in. Megan has an Etsy shop, too . . . here’s a post about it!
• The skirt, bib ruffle, and neck and waist ties are made from this fabric I bought from Karen of KRS Designs. The cute baking motif was perfect for this project! You can find links to all of Karen’s shops on her blog.
• And now for the ruffles. The blue one was from a gift of fat quarters I got for my birthday. It has a seam in the middle, but it’s pretty well hidden. The fabric for the pink and brown ruffles came from Laura of LC’s Cottage. Click here for Laura’s blog, here for her Etsy store, and here for a previous post I wrote about her shop.

Details about the design are available on my Wonder Woman Retro Apron post . . . a free tutorial from the Jo-Ann web site along with a few tweaks of my own. The only thing I changed on this one was to line the bib to hide the back of my embroidery and make the top ruffle smaller so as not to hide the mixer.

I had SO much fun making this, and thank you to my friends for your lovely contributions! ♥

Art Apron

Recently I shared “Another Wonder Woman Apron”  (a version of the Wonder Woman Retro Apron) that I made using a denim apron body from a sack of remnants a family member gave me.

A little more digging uncovered another one—a light blue this time—but again just the body and a bib pocket with no straps.

So . . . I decided to make another art apron!

First, I removed the pocket, googled a clip art picture of a paint palette, penciled it onto the pocket, embroidered it, and stitched the pocket back on.

Then I used the zebra fabric you’ve seen on some of my other projects (originally a set of sheets from Target!) for the neck and waist ties.

Ta-da! ♥

FREEBIE ALERT: The Upcycling Queen Strikes Again!

In my “Meet an Upcycling Queen” post last month, I introduced Mahe of Altered Upcycling. Many of you picked up the free ebook she offers from her blog and loved it! Now Mahe has another free offer starting TOMORROW, February 23 and running through Wednesday, February 27—a card-making ebook available here on Amazon.com.  (If you don’t have a Kindle, you can download “Kindle for PC” from Amazon.com here, also for free.)  Mahe was kind enough to send me a preview copy, and I found:

• cards featuring paint chips along with items many of us already have around the house,
• cards for lots of different holidays, seasons, and occasions,
• step-by-step directions and photographs,
• links to youtube video demonstrations,
• and much, much more!

Please take a moment to help yourself to this lovely gift which is regularly $2.99 but ours for free for the next five days. Thank you, Mahe! ♥

Crafters With Heart

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I have a little story to share. For me, it started with this sweet post from Claire of The Penguin Theory about an amazing artist from Portugal named Sandra. When the Etsy community learned that Sandra had faced a great loss, they banded together for a fundraiser sponsored by Esther and Estella of Star of the East (with an Etsy shop here) who invited fellow artists to make a donation toward a raffle with more than 50 Etsy items as prizes. The response was overwhelming, and I know all the winners are just ecstatic! Others have ordered items from Sandra’s own Etsy shop called Azulado, where I found this gorgeous ceramic heart. It arrived this week just in time for the holiday, beautifully wrapped in a handmade box tied with ribbon.  Please visit Azulado when you get a chance (and also Etsy angels The Penguin Theory and Star of the East) from this post or anytime from my Shop Love! page above. Love and prayers to you and your family, Sandra! ♥

Another Wonder Woman Apron!

Remember my Wonder Woman retro apron? (You can take a quick peek here!) I’ve made and given away three so far and have more in the works, but I wanted to make a simpler, non-ruffly version for art teacher Tiffany (one of the beautiful brides on my mantel!) who wears fun aprons at work in her job as a middle school art teacher. Then I received a bag of sewing hand-me-downs, and tucked between some fabric remnants was a denim work apron—just the body with a pocket on the bib, no neck or waist ties . . . perfect! To WW-ize it, I:

• removed the pocket,
• appliqued one of my WW bibs right over the top of the denim,
• used the pocket I removed for the inside of a new WW star fabric pocket and sewed it on the skirt, and
• made and attached star-fabric neck and waist ties.  Done! ♥

P.S.  Click here for the heart-to-heart garland and here for the red sweater heart pillow.

Red Sweater Heart Pillow

Remember the little hearts I sewed on my recent travels—upcycled from a sleeve of a cozy old red sweater?

I used two of them for little-girl barrettes with pink button a-la-mode and all but four for my heart-to-heart garland.

Then I looked at the sweater again and decided that the body had to become a BIG red Valentine pillow, like this:

• Fold the sweater in half lengthwise and, starting at the fold, cut a large half-valentine from the front and back. Unfold.
• Pin and stitch strips of the sweater’s hem and sleeve binding across the pillow front for a-la-mode.
• Pin and stitch the pillow front to the pillow back, right sides together, leaving about three inches unsewn.
• Trim the seam, then turn the pillow rightside-out, stuff, and handstitch the opening.

It’s the softest pillow ever! ♥

P.S. The drawing in my office is a print of I’m Into Art by Elizabeth “Grandma” Layton of Wellsville, Kansas.  You can read a biographical sketch of Mrs. Layton’s life and see close-ups of her drawings here.  She’s one AMAZING lady!

Le Trango

I’ve been following Christina at Le Trango: An Illustrated Accessories Company for quite awhile and always get a smile when I see her adorable illustrations coming through my WordPress reader. So I decided to check out her Etsy Shop and found this sweet set of notecards I can send to my friends and family. The shop also features Christina’s whimsical creatures on canvas tote bags, pocket mirrors, and stuffed toys. Click here for Le Trango’s blog, here for the Etsy Shop, and here for the FB page from this post or anytime from my Shop Love! page above. Thank  you, Christina! ♥

Nicky Grace

Have you discovered the Nicky Grace Vintage Fabric & Gorgeous Things blog? It’s a feast for the eyes! And when I checked out Nicky’s Etsy shop, I just had to buy this beautiful set of 10 fabric collage cards, two each of five designs. Look . . . some of them even have HEARTS on them . . . perfect for Valentine’s Day! Nicky also has other fabric collages, embroidery, hearts, ceramics, paintings, bunting, pillows, bags, dolls, pincushions, and even shapes cut from vintage fabrics for crafting. Click here for Nicky’s blog, here for her FB page, and here for her Etsy shop from this post or anytime from my Shop Love! page above. Oh, and you MUST check out these photos of Nicky’s amazing Pop-Up Shop! Thank you, Nicky! ♥

Open Hand Creations

My newest Shop Love! post features my blogging friend Allison of Thoughtful Creations who makes AMAZING handpainted, collaged, and mixed media zipper pouches for her Etsy shop called Open Hand Creations. Allison also included this beautiful bookmark with my purchase, which I’ve tucked into my winter wreath along with my favorite red cardinal ornament. Besides her blog and Etsy shop, you can follow Allison on her FB page as well. Thank you for the lovely purchase and inspirational quote, Allison . . . I can’t wait to gift it to someone I love! ♥

Charlotte’s Fancy

I recently won a 2013 Art Calendar by Blue Sky and Egg Press in a giveaway sponsored by my blogging friend Molly of Charlotte’s Fancy. It’s PERFECT for my home office! Then, generous person that she is, she also added a whole BAG of cards and labels—some artistic, some crafty, and some cute.  I put a few of them in the collage below . . . I just love them all!  If you’re not already acquainted with Molly, please check out her blog, including the “About” page where you can find links to her projects that have been featured on other blogs and even in magazines! Thank you Molly! ♥

From Scraps to Crafts

See these beautiful flowers? They’re painted on a vinyl record album!!! I love it! This work of art was created by my friend Kristin and her parents. Kristin was a student teacher in my school and is now a full-fledged teacher, newlywed, and brand-new Etsy shop owner. I’d like to invite you to check out Kristin’s blog here and her shop here—featuring painted glassware, handmade cards, candle holders, and more—or anytime from my Shop Love! page above. Thank you again for the lovely gift, Kristin! ♥

Clouds of Colour

As you know, I LOVE writing to people on notecards with original art. My New Zealand blogging friend Bec of Clouds of Colour has gorgeous prints in her Etsy shop, and when I asked her if she could transform this beautiful pink doily crochet watercolor into cards, she jumped right on it! I know you’ll enjoy checking out Bec’s work from the links in this post or anytime from my Shop Love! page above. Thank you for the lovely purchase and customer service across the ocean, Bec!

• Click here for Bec’s blog.
• Click here for Bec’s FB page.
• Click here for Bec’s Etsy shop.

P.S. Please help yourself to Bec’s adorable and FREE downloadable, printable gift cards, perfect for Valentine’s Day and other special occasions. Just lick HERE! I can’t wait to use them . . . thank you again, Bec!  ♥

1840 Farm

When my blogging friend Judy of Grandparents Plus 2  emailed me about her daughter Jennifer’s small business, I couldn’t wait to check it out!  I purchased this beautiful handmade coiled fabric berry basket from the 1840 Farm Mercantile, and I just LOVE it.  Plus, I found out that Judy and Jennifer use to live in my state (Kansas)!  What a small world!  Besides baskets, Jennifer creates and sells lovely knitted and fabric items.  Please check out her links from this post or anytime from my Shop Love! page above. ♥

• 1840 Farm FB page
• 1840 Farm blog
• 1840 Farm Mercantile Etsy shop

Christina Designs Art

My newest Shop Love! post is for my blogging friend Christina of Christina Designs Art. Just look at these gorgeous handmade earrings and the pretty hairpins-with-a-la-mode! These will make such lovely, welcome gifts for some of the sweet girls in my family this year. Click here for Christina’s blog and here for her Etsy shop, where you’ll find many other styles of earrings and beaded hair pins as well as memory wire bracelets and acrylic paintings. Thank you, Christina! ♥

The backdrop is one of my favorite books: MADELEINE L’ENGLE HERSELF: REFLECTIONS ON A WRITING LIFE compiled by Carole F. Chase

More Art Card Love!

Ooohhh . . . MORE cards with reproductions of original art!  And they’ll be PERFECT for invitations for a big birthday party I’m throwing this summer for the head cowboy in our family, thanks to my blogging friend Beverly of Beverly Dyer Fine Art and Stationery, who also sells her beautiful creations in many stores in the Chapel Hill, North Carolina area.  She even added this beautiful memo pad to my order!  Click here for Beverly’s web site, here for her blog, and here for her Etsy shop featuring painted art prints, cards, pendants, and pillows, or find her links anytime in my Shop Love! page above.  Thank you, Beverly! ♥

Gone Rustic and Stitched Up Mama

I absolutely love to send people cards made from original art and photography reproductions, so I was very excited to find these in the Redbubble Shop of my blogging friend Rita from Australia! Rita has her own studio and gallery, teaches classes, hosts exhibitions, and has MANY creative irons in the fire including quilts, fibre and textile art, mixed media, and collectibles. Here are Rita’s links, which you can locate anytime in my Shop Love! page above:

• Gone Rustic WordPress blog
• Gone Rustic Etsy Shop
• Redbubble Shop
• Pilgrim Cottage Collectibles Etsy Shop
• Stitched Up Mama WordPress blog
• Stitched Up Mama Etsy Shop

Thank you for the beautiful cards, Rita! ♥

Photo Star

Yes, I’m about to share ANOTHER amazing daughter-in-law craft! We were so excited to get this beautiful star with photos of our dear little ones for Christmas.  Jen was kind enough to send me a tutorial this week . . . and she must have known I’d ask, because she’d even taken a photo of her materials!  Thank you, Jen! ♥

(1) Get a wooden or metal star from a craft store, some scrapbook paper, Mod Podge, a paint brush, scissors, and photos.  Tip: Photos that are further away from the subject work better than close-ups.

(2) Use a piece of plain paper to cut templates for each side of the star points. Then look at the pictures and decide which ones to put on the star and where they will go based on their sizes and vertical/horizontal positions.

(3) Use your template to cut out the pictures, making sure they are facing the same way as their position will be on the star.

(4) Paint the backs of the photos with Mod Podge and stick them to the star.

(5) Cut scrapbook paper to fit any extra space on each point of the star and Mod Podge it on.

(6) Paint the whole star with Mod Podge and let it dry overnight.

(7) TA-DAH!!!

Meet An Upcycling Queen!

Do your New Year’s resolutions include using more of what you already have in your crafting, gift-making, and home decor?  Then you’ll want to meet Mahe at The Altered Upcycling Blog and Altered Upcycling. Mahe explains that she has a Master’s degree in Operations Research, works at a software house, and is an avid altered artist who is constantly looking for ways to make the world greener one small craft project at a time.  And, if you sign up on her blog or web site, you’ll receive her FREE pdf book called The Ultimate Guide to Upcycling  for one-of-a-kind jewelry, cards, gift bags, wall art, and more.  Mahe sends out free ideas and how-to videos in her email newsletter as well, such as how to make a beautiful card from a dinner napkin, old dictionary page, leftover ribbon, and glue!  Mahe writes in a friendly, conversational style as if she’s sitting right beside you, includes what worked and DIDN’T work for her, and supports her ideas with step-by-step directions, photographs, and alternatives.  You can get your copy by clicking on the link in this post or any time from my Shop Love! page above.  Thank you, Mahe! ♥

Zuliganz and Wired for Impact

My newest  Shop Love! artists made two of my Christmas and birthday gifts this year!

Their friend and colleague (my art teacher daughter-in-law Tiffany!) sent me this adorable chicken from Zuliganz and these gorgeous felt-ball earrings (made by the same artist who created the measuring tape earrings Tiffany gave me last spring) from Wired for Impact.

This husband/wife team sell their creations locally in the St. Louis area and at their Unboxed Art Etsy Shop in support of causes near and dear to their hearts.

I hope you’ll get a chance to check out their web site and store soon . . . and THANK YOU, Tiffany! ♥

J-O-Y to the World!

Welcome to the “JOYFUL” edition of Collectively Creative, hosted by Kelly of Cobwebs, Cupcakes & Crayons! My project is easy and fun . . . similar to the Instagram collage letters I made this summer. . . . and I love how it turned out!

(1) Purchase some wooden letters at a craft store. Mine are 12 inches tall and were on sale for around $2 each.

(2) Optional: Paint the letters and let them thoroughly dry. I spray painted these with the green paint left over from my antique milk bottle project.

(3) Get out Christmas cards you received and saved from last year and cut out pictures and words to fit the shapes of the letters, overlapping them as in a collage. Attach these bits with Mod Podge. Or, if you don’t have cards available, use images and words from holiday magazines.

(4) When each surface is covered to your satisfaction, coat the entire letter with Mod Podge and let it thoroughly dry.

(5) Display your letters on a shelf or drill small holes or attach hanging hardware to the backs and hang them on the wall. Mine are now over the stairs along with my peppermint wreath where they’ll greet our Christmas Day guests at the front door. ♥

P.S. Before I link to our other Collectively Creative posts, I’d like to give a shout out to some other amazing bloggers who have shared their J-O-Y this season. Thank you to ALL of you for your inspiration!

Daisey Jane

Alana Jones-Mann

My Latest Project

Diary of a Mad Crafter

Our Next Great Adventure

Made in a Day (and here!)

COLLECTIVELY CREATIVE:

• Framing Christmas PJs - (Cobwebs, Cupcakes & Crayons)
• How To Display Christmas Cards - (Organized Living Essentials)
• Adding Joy to Every Room - (Neaten Your Nest)
• DIY Gift Bows (Upcycled Toilet Paper Rolls) - (Inspire and Indulge)
• How to trim a Christmas tree: ornaments, Lego trains and whipped cream - (The Thing About Joan)
• Joy Advent Calendar (And Giveaway!) - (Cul de Sac)
• Joy To The Cookies: Having an Annual Holiday Cookie Baking Party - (Green Door Hospitality)
• The Spirit Of Christmas - (A Ponytail Kind Of Day)
• DIY Themed Mini Christmas Trees (This One’s for My Husband!) - (Mrs. And The Misc.)
• Wrapped In Christmas Lights (Happy Little Kiwi)
• Sharing Joy  – (Gentle Stitches)
• The Joy Of Discovery - (Love, Laughter and a Touch Of Insanity)

Art Jars

A couple of years ago I saw a kids’ art jar online and thought it would be the perfect gift for a special little girl’s birthday.  It was so colorful and intriguing . . . but when we dumped everything out, I found LOTS of pretty raffia filling and WAY too few actual art supplies.  Live and learn, right? So, when my dad was preparing for a recent move and asked if I’d like to have some empty plastic snack containers, I immediately thought, “ART JARS!”  I began collecting artsy/crafty items from the dollar bins at Michaels and Target, plus hitting the dollar stores, and soon had a huge bag of fun things to include.  These will be under some Christmas trees soon! ♥

Arts and Crafts Mission Market

Here are the tags for this year’s donations to the silent auction at the Arts and Crafts Mission Market at my church. It’s such a worthy cause . . . all the money goes to a local daycare center for families in need. Click here to see how to make the Christmas wreath pillow and here to see the Americana pillows.   P.S. Below are my gift baskets from markets past, each based on . . . you guessed it . . . a pillow! ♥

That Kara Lynn is SO Creative!

I got the sweetest giveaway gift in the mail today . . . stationery, notecards, and a memo pad designed by the fabulous designer Kara of Karalynn Creative . . . plus, the most amazing pencil I’ve ever seen made by Anthropologie! Besides Kara’s WordPress blog, she has a lovely Etsy shop for you to visit, too. Thank you, Kara! ♥

How Cute Are These???

I met my super-crafty, super-sweet, and super-pretty daughter-in-law Shannon for coffee, and look what she made for me!  Tiny easels with paint and ribbon a-la-mode and tiny art canvases with paint and paper decoupage (and tiny spools for Frankenstein!) for my Halloween decor!  I LOVE them!  THANK YOU, Shannon! ♥  P.S. Click here to see an example of Shannon’s mixed media “She Art.”

“Start Where You Are . . .”

 

Recently I’ve been pondering an intriguing quote I read on Bows, Baubles, and Beliefs, so I decided to make something with it!  I cut the letters for the saying in not-perfect rectangles from a remnant of black and white alphabet print I’ve used for a few pillows and glued them onto the squares of some gingham a friend gave me–a bit of “randomness on order.”  I ran into a little glitch when I discovered that the fabric has no r’s . . . but I took the quote’s advice to “use what you have” and turned some n’s into r’s with a black sharpie, so all is well. ♥   I finished the project the same way I made my fabric memo boards (here and here), by covering a piece of cardboard with quilt batting and then stretching the fabric over it and stitching it together at the back. Finally, I added my biggest black button for a-la-mode. Will it hang on my office wall? Or become a gift? Time will tell! ♥  P.S. THANK YOU to SownInPeace for helping me track down the author of this quote. The original version was “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”  (Teddy Roosevelt)

New Books!

This isn’t my usual sewing or crafting post, but my “real” job is writing education materials for students, teachers, and parents, and . . . my newest books are out!  These 14 books are part of a 60-title Classic Tales series consisting of retellings of short stories, folktales, fairy tales, pourquoi tales, myths, legends, and fables for kindergarten through second-grade readers.  Didn’t the artists do a fabulous job on the covers???  (My earlier books are at www.edwriter.com—click on the BOOKS link and then use the pull-down menu to select “Books for Students” or “Books for Teachers.”) Most of my assignments involve writing or editing teacher’s guides and language arts lessons, prototyping new products, and other non-book tasks, but they’re ALL challenging and fun.  Thank you for letting me share a bit about my other creative ventures today! ♥

Instagram Collage Letters

I was so intrigued when I saw some wooden letters decoupaged with maps on House of 34 and decided to make a set for a gift. However, the birthday guy is an amazing photographer who creatively explores the city of Philadelphia with all of its amazing architecture, landmarks, murals, and street art. So . . . I printed off some of my favorite Instagram photos he’s shared on FB and cut out different bits to create a “Mod Podge collage” on each letter instead. I love that I can show him how proud I am of him . . . and it was fun, too! ♥  P.S. You can follow on Instagram at mr_fisher. And Ashley Bollinger has some other fun Instagram art projects here.

FREE Owl Art Print!

I was SO excited that the October issue of HGTV magazine has a tear-out print of a new painting by designer David Bromstad! Click here to see a 30-second video about his creative process via Pier I Imports. But guess what . . . you don’t even have to buy the magazine to get it! Simply click here and scroll to the bottom of the page to download a pdf you can print at home! I think it would be lovely as fall decor or in a nursery. At our home, it’s the perfect guest room dresser buddy for this fun lamp. ♥  P.S. Click here for more fun and free autumn prints!

Fork Easel

I was rummaging for a frame yesterday and found my long-lost fork easel! I didn’t make it . . . I bought it at a craft show. But I think I could make one now that I know A Ponytail Kind of Day! She has a post here about her fork easels. Plus, if you go to her Category Cloud and click on “silverplate,” you’ll see knives, forks, and spoons made into candleholders, bracelets, necklace pendants, money clips, vases, key chains, and napkin rings! I’ll try it if you will! ♥

P.S. Click here for a tutorial for a rock and wire photo display option . . . another fun upcycle! P.P.S. And now I just discovered this AMAZING silverware starburst mirror! You must check it out! P. P. P. S UPDATE: Spoon rings now on A Ponytail Kind of Day!

Fall Art Print

If you haven’t already visited the 9-15-12 post at We Don’t Need Sleep, you MUST take the next 60 seconds to do so . . . and download your beautiful FREE seasonal art print! I so love this gift, and it’s available to EVERYONE! Thank you, Kristin and Callie!   UPDATE on 9-24-12: I just got a tip that we can find 12 more free fall printables at My Blessed Life! Thank you, Myra! ♥

Artists I Admired On Our Trip

On our recent trip to visit Baby Katy, I saw some adorable creations in her nursery! I also discovered the most amazing fabric art at the Philadelphia International Airport—Kay Healy’s “Coming Home” life-sized fabric mural in Terminal E. (Click on photo above for a larger view).  I couldn’t stop looking at all the intricate details!

Now for those fun nursery ideas . . .

(1) The top picture is “She Art” lovingly created by Katy’s Aunt Shannon. Visit Christy Tomlinson’s blog (the founder of She Art) to learn more about this art form.

(2) The owl and flower paper collages are by a lovely interior designer and friend of Katy’s mom and dad. Please check out her web site at Ashley Heath Design. (And we loved how the flowers coordinate with Katy’s new mobile!)

(3) Katy’s mommy, author of the delicious cooking blog Consumed: My Culinary Adventure, made this beautiful curtain “gift-wrapped” with ties sewn from a coordinating fabric. I love it! ♥

That Nellie is So Craftie! :)

When I began blogging, I didn’t know about GIVE-AWAYS! What fun! And I was recently the lucky recipient of an adorable fabric bag, bookmark, and set of  vintage photo notecards handmade by Kim from Craftie Nellie. Thank you, Kim! ♥  P.S. Click here for Kim’s Etsy shop!

Road Trip Projects

We spent fifteen hours in the car this weekend for a fun trip to see family. In my project bag I brought along . . .

(1) blue and gold scrapbook paper to cut into circles for garland for my class reunion next weekend,

(2) fabric and buttons to make flowers, and

(3) two embroidery projects to finish (posts to come!).

I also received these adorable earrings as a surprise gift from our hostess! They’re created by a nonprofit called Unboxed Art . . . please check out their website when you get a chance, and have a lovely week! ♥

 

 

More Vintage Treasures!

Thank you for all the WONDERFUL ideas I’ve received so far for my vintage bow ties! With a super-busy week ahead (in a good way! ) sewing isn’t on the agenda, but as soon as I get back to my machine I’ll be trying them out!  In the meantime, I thought I’d share the other goodies Dad gave me this weekend. My mom won these ribbons for her paintings at county and state fair competitions . . . she was so amazing! I have a bunch of these stashed away from my 4-H days, too. I also have a class reunion coming up during fair weekend in August, and I offered to make the decorations, and wouldn’t the ribbons make a festive bunting??? My other newest treasures include  (1) a “VOTE!” necktie from a 1972 election, (2) some hand-embroidered and crocheted linens, (3) a hand-sewn and crocheted baby dress, cap, sweater, and booties, and (4) a colorful nylon kite that no longer flies. I’m going to have so much fun with these! And if you have suggestions for projects for any of them, please feel free to share here, too. I never cease to be amazed at all the creativity out there! ♥

New Roll-Up Pencil Kit

I previously posted about the easy, fun roll-up pencil kits (upcycled from placemats) that I learned how to make using this Martha Stewart tutorial. Here’s my newest one! I love using mats that are patterned on one side and plain on the other . . . perfect for showing off the pretty pencil colors. ♥

Roll-Up Pencil Kit

As you know, I’ve been exploring projects I can make with those beautiful placemats from World Market. The latest idea came from the queen of crafts herself, Martha Stewart. Although I generally view her projects with considerable trepidation, I love this one ! Here’s the link, and here’s the result! ♥

Tangerine!

Design-her Gals is the best web site ever for creating business cards and other personalized products. I’ve used it for several years for my Edwriter cards, and I’ve never been disappointed. Plus, it’s fun designing your “gal,” they have lots of great sales, and a portion of every purchase goes to the Gal to Gal Foundation for Stage IV breast cancer research. I was intrigued by a recent email from Design-her Gals about the “color of the year” . . . tangerine:

Tangerine combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. Associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics, it represents enthusiasm, creativity, determination, and success. Add a little tangerine to your life this year!

Since this was my new favorite color last spring, I took my camera to my living/dining/kitchen space to see just how many shots of orange I could find. ♥

Handmade bowl

Calendar

Coaster

Grandma’s apron

Pasta

Kitchen rug

Pillow

Plate by Ally & Kira

Front door rug

Ceramic tablespoon on placemat

Handmade dish towel from Mexico

Adorable Tyler

Kitchen valance

Vida’s handmade egg

Patio door rug