Pin and Paper

Intervention: Put down that virtual pushpin!

2012-01-26T20:14:00.000-08:00

I, along with the majority of women in the world with an internet connection, am currently obsessed with Pinterest. I can’t even tell you the number of hours I’ve wiled away in front of my laptop screen scrolling through pin after fantastic pin.

Pinterest is great. I’ve gotten tons of inspiration, but that’s the problem. It’s inspiration overload, and I’m so drawn to finding that next great inspirational pin, that I never actually create anything based on an idea or pattern I’ve pinned. I don’t have time – I’m pinning too much other crap.

It’s taken me a while to accept my addiction and that’s the first step toward recovery. Are you addicted as well? Take the quiz below, and find out.

1. Have you even pinned a quote or image about pinning?

2. Do you find yourself jealous of your Facebook friends, not because of their great hair, flawless skin, or skinny ass, but because they’ve pinned more cool stuff than you have?

3. When someone at work sends you the recipe for that great dessert they brought in for food day, do you catch yourself looking for the “Pin It” button on your work computer?

4. Do you ever have a burning desire to crochet a rock cozy or glue plastic painted toy animals to the tops of jar lids simply because these items photograph well?

5. Have you ever sent your children to bed in their clothes and with unbrushed teeth, because, “Mommy just wants to look at one more thing – go tuck yourselves in sweeties.”

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be addicted to Pinterest. Seek medical attention as soon as possible.

My plan is to wean myself off slowly and try to cut my Pinterset browsing down by half. This time will be spent crafting instead of just planning on crafting by looking at pins of other people’s crafts. I’ll keep you pinned, I mean posted on my progress – right after I pin this one thing I saw earlier today…..

Because there aren't enough felt versions of the Hall of Justice in this world.

2011-12-19T20:20:00.000-08:00

The best thing about making gifts by hand is that they are completely and totally unique. That's what I loved so much about this project that I created for my best friend's little boy for Christmas.

Now Avery is all about superheroes. The kid is frighteningly obsessed with them for a kid so young, and he's got tons of superhero dress up toys, action figures and playsets etc. What he didn't have, was portability...and a swamp made out of felt. That's where I came in.

Behold, the portable superhero felt playmat house.

I based most of my design on the old Justice League cartoons I used to watch. So I had to have some water for Aqua Man, a forest for the Amazonian, Wonder Woman ,the Hall of Justice and the Hall of Doom of course, and then since Batman is both a favorite of mine and Avery's I did a mini Gotham City complete with Bat Signal. I was a little stumped as to what to do next. I attempted Superman's fortress of solitude, but in felt it just looked like a really weird teepee. I ended up doing a section of space instead since superheroes are eager to share their powers with those on other planets as well.

Now I wish I had come up with the idea for this playmat on my own, but I didn't. Check out Cook Clean and Craft's awesome tutorial here for instructions on how to make your very own.

Hers is a more traditional car playmat but I changed a few things in mine. Obviously, I changed the theme of the playmat, but I also sewed all of my pieces on instead of glueing. I think in general glueing felt is fine. However, the child this is going to once pulled the descriptive plaque off of a museum display with his bare hands, and I've personally witnessed his little sister reduce a cell phone to nothing but metal filings and broken plastic chunks. So, it needed to be extra durable.

Plus, I loved being able to create texture, depth and interest with the stitching.

However, sliding this huge felt playmat under my machine while trying to delicately stitch around each tiny piece of felt got pretty tiresome after a while.

At about hour 12 of this project, I turned to my husband and said, "You know I don't really like that kid this much anyway."

I persevered though, if only for the glory of being able to claim that I recreated the Hall of Doom and it's swampy locale in felt.

All in all I'm thrilled with it and I think it's going to be a hit, especially since my kid's can't seem to stop playing with it.

The best part is that it all folds up into this cute little house/scyscraper and his guys can be stowed away inside.

All ready for a road trip, daycare or a trip to Aunt Amy's house!

Near-incoherent rambling, which I suppose makes me sassy and creative which then reinforces that I am that which I hate!

2011-11-30T15:38:00.000-08:00

May I vent? Thank you.

I peruse a fair amount of crafting blogs because I’m a crafter, I’m always looking for new ideas, and I need to keep up with current crafting trends to try and make my Etsy shop successful. There are certain sites that I like more than others and I was trying to pinpoint why that is and I think I figured it out the other day.

There are a lot of guest bloggers on this particular site, you know the whole, “today we have a guest post from Yolanda of Immorecreativeandthinnerthanyou.com and she’s going to show us how she made this fabulous ruffled burlap poached egg cozy”. Which is then followed by a short introduction about how sassy and funny and creative Yolanda is. Then Yolanda gets to chime in and show us how creative and sassy and funny she is by free forming a few sentences about herself which only proves that she thinks she’s sassy but she’s really not.

This of course includes a description of how she left her fortune 500 job to stay at home with her adorable children who are the light of her life (insert photo of her looking like a recently retired runway model, her husband who just looks whipped, and her perfectly coiffed children dressed in Gap fashions sitting on a fabulous vintage couch set in the middle of a field and photoshopped so that the couch and the people are in color and the rest is in artsy black and white and the photographer did that thing where they tilted their camera at an angle, because you know they were too sophisticated to take straight photos).

Then comes the tutorial in which we get a view of Yolanda’s crafting area which of course is its own separate room and furnished to look like a Martha Stewart Crafts magazine layout. Oh and she’s doing this while her sweet lovely children are napping, or attending the local Montessori academy. And well, at that point I just start getting a little sick. I know Yolanda is not as perfect as she seems. I know that just out of camera shot she’s probably got a pile of laundry and an empty bottle of booze. But when you’ve seen 20 guest bloggers and they all are so good at pulling off this perfect sassy, creative, fun mommy crafter thing, it just starts to really make me feel inadequate.

I work 48 hours a week. I can only get something done in the wee hours of the morning or when I’m allowing my children to rot their brains out with excessive video gaming. My crafting space is wedged in the corner of my basement between the litter boxes and our far too extensive collection of Rockband guitars, and my children haven’t posed for a decent photo without making a goofy grin or having their hand in their mouths or in their pants since they were 1. I can’t remember the last time I had the courage to look at myself in a full length mirror, and when I walk through the mall, those gals at the eyebrow threading kiosk practically beg me to get my eyebrows done- not because they want the business but because they really think they’ll be doing society a favor by taming the two caterpillars currently residing above my eye sockets.

So I’ve decided to take a break from craft blog perusing. I don’t really need to know how to cover everything not nailed down in burlap, and despite what some people think, not everything needs ruffles. I love ruffles as much as the next gal but you do not need ruffles on your lampshade, and you do not need a ruffled camera strap cover. Really…stop with the ruffles already.

I imagine sitting on this couch would be like being trapped in your great Aunt Ida's bosom when she hugs you at your cousin's wedding while wearing that ruffled chiffon shirtthat she's worn to every special occasion since 1968.

"Ida, you're squeezing too tight and I think your Avon perfume is giving me a rash on my face!"

Sorry. I digressed there, but I did warn you in the title that this was full of incoherent rambling.

New Stuff!

2011-11-14T14:54:00.000-08:00

I've put a couple new items in the shop. The first is a set of flashcards I made from repurposing an old children's book.

I laminated them for durability. See the listing here.

My other listing isn't brand new, but a bit of a redesign of one of my best selling items. It's my retro inspired gift tag collection.

I've taken out some of the old tags and added in some even snarkier ones.

I've also made the listing so that you can order the full set or a set of 10 and you can customize which tags you want.

My favorite part of doing the photo shoot for these tags was getting to utilize my vintage costume jewelry colleciton.

And this sweet vintage flocked deer I got at the flea market.

Check out the listings in my shop.

And then I got so excited I needed to change my pants

2011-11-12T20:04:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I went to a local flea market. It's usually got the run of the mill flea market vendors; bulk food, t-shirts emblazoned with wolves howling at the moon or running with the wild free wind in their fur, belt buckles, wind chimes made out of hubcaps etc. However, this time there was a new vendor. She had baskets of vintage fabric, old books and....

a 1964 McCall's pattern book.

Yes, a whole section just for Muu Muus!

I have a rather large weakness for vintage ephemera, and my love of sewing and the artistry of patterns makes this a perfect piece for my collection.

I have no idea what I'm going to do with it besides just stare at it and smile and right now, that's enough.

Shark Treat Bag Tutorial

2011-10-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

I've been busy gearing up for Halloween over at my place. Let's just say that it's a good thing that fake spiderwebs and paper cutouts are cheap because I tend to go a little overboard! And speaking of cheap. Check out this adorable shark treat bag that I whipped up out of some inexpensive felt.

Now, if this cute little shark treat bag looks familiar, that's because it was inspired by a product in a well known store catalog. I won't say which catalog, but I will say that it rhymes with Lottery Yarn. Let me just say (so I can't possibly be sued) that this bag was made completely by me, from a pattern I drew up myself which was inspired by a product that I saw, only visually. I do not intend to sell this product, nor the pattern and I'm sharing it freely for people to use solely for personal use.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, let's get started. You'll only need a few supplies:

Felt: I just bought small craft sheets of grey and white felt for the teeth and gums, but you'll need to buy it off the bolt for the body of the shark, 1/2 yard should be sufficient.
Basic sewing supplies: scissors, thread, sewing machine etc.
This pattern: Click here to view
Cut out the pattern pieces. In addition you'll need to cut the following:
2 strips of blue (or main color) for the handle: 16 inches by 1 1/2 inches
2 strips of grey (or gum color): 1 inch by 9 inches, and 1 inch by 12 inches
2 strips of white (or teeth color): 1 1/2 inches by 8 1/2 inches, and 1 1/2 inches by 11 1/2 inches

Now these pictures will seem odd because the bag is already mostly assembled. However, I learned the hard way that it's much easier to add the eyes and gill embellishments before assembly than after. So I would suggest that you do those first.

I simply sewed the black felt eyes on to the main head pieces and then marked chalk lines where I wanted the gills, and stitched a small tight zigzag.

Once this is done, take your two fin pieces and sew them together. Turn them right side out.

Sandwich the fin in between the two head pieces in the spot indicated on the pattern. So you'll have the head pieces right sides together with the fin in between.

Sew the side seams.

Turn the bag right side out and your shark is already taking shape (remember that your piece will already have the eyes and gills on at this stage).

Now, let's work on the teeth. Overlap the white strips with the grey gum strips. They should overlap by about a 1/2 inch. Sew in place.

Cut your teeth shapes. I just freehanded this but you could make a template if you prefer. I rounded the teeth but if you want a more realistic shark you could certainly make them smaller and pointier. Notice how the gum strips are slightly longer. I rounded the edges of the gums with my scissors so they would recede into the mouth.

Before we can attach the teeth to the head, we need to assemble the strap. Lay your two 1.5 inch by 16 inch strips on top of each other and stitch together.

Now place the strap directly on the edge of the shark's top lip, at the seam. Place the longer set of teeth/gums on top of the strap and pin along the upper lip. Sew in place.

The bottom teeth are a little trickier because you'll need to bring the strap over and around underneath the bottom teeth. See picture for a better explanation. Be careful not to twist the strap when pinning it in.

Once you have the strap and teeth in place it's a good idea to top stitch along the top and bottom lip of your shark to keep your teeth from wanting the fold back on themselves. I topstitched with a contrasting thread so you could see it, but you'll want to use a matching thread color.

Now all that's left is to turn your bag right sides in, sew on the bottom and then turn right side out.

Then you're done! Enjoy.

A Halloween Graveyard Terrarium, or, Are two spinal columns considered overkill?

2011-09-12T19:55:00.000-07:00

I love terrariums, I love Halloween, and I love miniature dioramas. Never have all three of these things come together so well, as in this graveyard mini terrarium display.

I wish I had come up with the concept myself, but I got the idea from silvia-chenault.blogspot.com. I've included the link here, but as of the time of this post, her blog has been removed. However, I must give credit where credit is due for her great idea.

Want to make one of your own? You just need a few basic supplies:

-Floral Moss
-Black decorative sand (or if you're into realism you could just use dirt)
-Skeletons
-A container (I used a clear plastic display case I found on sale at a craft store but any clear container would work)
-Materials for headstones (I used cardboard and paint)
-twigs and black spray paint (optional)

First, prepare your skeletons by hacking them to peices with a pair of scissors.

Then cut out some headstone shapes. I just used some heavy cardboard pieces that I had lying around, but you could use small scraps of wood or whatever you have on hand.

Paint your headstones to look old and moss covered. I just used regular acrylic craft paint.

Then assemble your terrarium/diorama/morbid graveyard scene. Pour black sand in the bottom to simulate the dirt, add in your various skeleton pieces, your headstones and cover with moss.

I felt I needed some height in mine so I gathered some twigs out of the backyard and painted them black really quick with a few quick squirts of spray paint, then I stuck them in the sand to look like an old dead tree.

I played around a lot with placement. It's a fine line between, "artistic decomposing human remains" and "gory gratuity". One extra ribcage could mean the difference between art and excess.

I'm happy with it for now but plan on perhaps adding a rickety wrought iron graveyard fence by cutting one out of black cardstock and putting it up against the back of the container. Maybe I'll add some faux cobwebs in the tree or a shifty eyed little raven.

I had toyed with the idea of making it an actual live terrarium, but didn't want to go to the trouble of finding headstone options that would withstand the moisture, but considering I usually kill live terrariums anyway, it probably would have been a great effect!

I hope this inspires you to create your own mini vessel of rot and senseless Halloween gore.

Oreo afghans, and setting your phasers to stun - the best of the Iowa State Fair

2011-08-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

There are a few things in this world that provide me with unadulterated joy. Most of them involve whipped cream or that stuff that’s inside a Little Debbie oatmeal creme pie, and then there’s the Iowa State Fair.

I love the fair, I adore it. And it’s not just for the food, though that is a big part of it. It’s for the atmosphere, the free entertainment, the people watching AND the crafts.

I always find things that amaze and amuse me. This year was no different. Allow me to take you on a little virtual tour of the crafty highlights.

First off, let me say that I truly believe quilting is an art form. I’m a little bit of a quilter myself, not a great one, but enough of one to know the time, money, dedication and true skill it takes to create a beautiful quilt.

This one below has all the makings of a winner. It makes you really want to wrap it around yourself and snuggle up close.

I was quite shocked that it didn't win a ribbon. I mean look at the craftsmanship; the intricate detail...

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling festive just looking at it.

The best part though is that it was made by a man, and quite frankly I was happy for him to have his work displayed where so many could see it.

After the quilts I moved on to the yarn arts. What inspiration I found there! One of these two items will be my next winter hat. I just can't decide which one.

or
I'm leaning toward the fish because I feel it would go with just about anything. I'd be tempted to pair the viking hat only with outfits that incorporate some type of breast plate, and well that's just not always practical.

Now this next piece is truly unique. Take it in folks:

Yep, it's an oreo cook afghan. I can't really say anything more about it. I'm that speechless.

Now aside from the fabric arts I'm always blown away by the talent displayed in the fine arts buildings at the fair. This next piece shows true artistry and skill, and yet I feel like the choice of canvas was well... a little crappy.

I don't really know what disturbs me more, the tongue? the goatee? or maybe it's just the fact that someone has painted a man with a goatee and his tongue sticking out on the lid of a toilet seat...yep, I think that's it.

I also adore looking at the miniature houses and rooms. The time, effort and dedication put into these small replicas always make me smile. This one especially caught my eye. It's fabulous in and of itself, and then as I looked closer I determined that the man behind the counter was none other than Dr. McCoy from Star Trek!

My husband tried to convince me that it was Spock, but that's just ridiculous. It's clearly Bones.

I've been saying that in my head all week and imagining him setting his phaser to stun, just in case he catches someone trying to sneak a strawberry.

The most wonderful time of the year

2011-07-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

I love stuff - just about any kind of stuff really, and the stranger and the cheaper it is the better. That's why I love the summer because I have endless opportunities to find all sorts of treasures at garage sales.

Check out the finds I reeled in with just one morning's worth of work.

First off I found a ton of fabulous vintage children's books. I love the illustrations and I'm hoping at some point to repurpose them into other fabulous things.
Believe it or not, I got this entire set below for only $2. I saw it from across some gal's yard and nearly knocked over several shoppers just to get it before anyone else could snatch it up. It's one of the most fabulously ugly things I've ever seen.

I've determined that this is my new thing, "fabulously ugly" because anyone can have something aesthetically pleasing in their house, but where's the fun in that? You want some cute, sleek, ultra modern knick knack? Go to Ikea and buy something you can't pronounce. Maybe something with a vowel with those two little dots on top of it.

Me, I prefer this hideous ceramic coffee set made to look like stacked green apples and daisies. It's what you call a "conversation piece".

And speaking of conversation pieces, this was my best find yet: a holographic pictue of Jesus knocking on someone's front door.

I can't believe he only cost me a buck, and my husband can't believe that I actually hung him up in the hallway;

Me: "Look dear, every time you walk by him it looks like he's actually knocking!!"

My husband: *eye roll*

Almost every day I think of new things he might say to whoever opens that door and I imagine that will entertain me for years to come, and perhaps be added to the list of reasons why I'll never know what heaven looks like. I'm betting that old J.C. has a pretty good sense of humor though so I'm willing to risk it.

I can't wait until next Saturday!

Thought Provoking Thursday – Hobby Lobby

2011-06-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

For this installment of Thought Provoking Thursday I’m going to give you a play by play of some of the random thoughts that knocked around in my brain the last time I went to Hobby Lobby – the land of vintage pricing guns and understocked shelves.

Upon entering the store and seeing an employee stocking shelves with fake plastic pumpkins and fall leaf garlands:
“Whoa, hold on. It’s June right? Have I just entered some sort of time warp or maybe this is an alternate universe? If so am I skinny in this alternate reality?” looks down at body, “Damn, guess not.”

While trying to navigate the main aisle which is crammed full of square display pedestals overloaded with breakable merchandise that is teetering on the edges.
“Dear God, don’t let my children knock over any of those awful ceramic pitchers in the shape of farm animals because then I’d have to run out of this store and never come back. I’d rather boycott this place than to have to pay even a dime towards a rabid looking pig that you can pour lemonade out of – especially if it’s broken.”

After being lured into a clearance aisle in the hopes of unbelievable bargains:
“Why is this end table missing the drawer knob? Look at that huge scratch on the side. I bet if I picked it up that entire leg would fall off. Good lord they’re still asking $40 for this thing. Do people buy this cheap foreign crap at full price?”

After locating the item I came to purchase and finding they only have one of them in stock and I need 3:
“@#$%#$^#$%@@&^*$^&!!! Why do they only carry one of everything? $$%@$^##&%@$%@$%!”

While standing for 30 minutes at the only open checkout lane watching the poor employee search for price stickers, manually input each price and then scour the printed ad in front of her to see if it’s on sale:
“This is why this store is closed on Sunday. The employees need time to go to church and pray that the owners will at some point enter the 21st century.”

Now don’t get me wrong. I adore Hobby Lobby. Okay, well maybe “adore” is an exaggeration. I shop there because they’re the best location for certain craft supplies in my area (that is, if you only need one of each item). They usually have really good sales too…but that’s where my adoration ends and my frustration begins.

Tell me your thoughts about Hobby Lobby, or about your favorite or least favorite craft store.

Super Hero Photo Backdrop

2011-06-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

My best friend's little boy had a birthday last month. He's into all things super hero and so naturally his paty was super hero themed. The invitations encouraged all of the guests to arrive in costume and we also supplied some generic masks and capes too and we wanted to have some back drops available for the kids to take pictures in front of with their costumes.

I thought I'd share with you the quick and east photo backdrop idea we came up with in case you're planning a super hero party of your own, or if you like masks and spandex yourself - heyI don't judge!

We started off with a king size blue sheet we got from our local thrift store for $2. Just lay it on a flat surface (the driveway works well) grab some black spray paint and free hand a city skyline. Then fill in the buildings with the black spray paint.

Get a sponge and cut it into rectangle shapes, dip it in white acrylic craft paint and dab on the windows. We used these sponges to outline the cloud shapes as well. (I actually didn't have a sponge - this is some leftover craft foam from a project, but it worked just as well)

And in no time at all you've got a city skyline for your little superheroes to pose in front of.
Here's my little guy testing it out before the party.

We had a white sheet too and a plethora of cheap spray paint so we free handed a starburst/tie dyed effect.

We had to explain what a Charlie's Angels pose was to my son - kid's these days! You'd think I would have taught him better.

Both backdrops were a great success at the party.

Holy Crapola!

2011-05-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: the winners have been chosen! Drumroll please............

Congratulations Jaclyn (anyone who would want 107 oreos is a friend of mine!) and BettyCrockerAss! (because I've got a lot of days I'd like to do over too)

I'll be contacting you to find out where to ship your pincushions to.

Thanks to everyone who commented. I loved them all but unfortunately I could only pick 2.

.............................................................................................
A friend of mine pointed out the other day that I currently have 107 followers on this blog.

I’ve been flirting with the 100 mark for quite some time but to finally achieve it, and actually surpass it – well it feels like an accomplishment, even though all I do is randomly post some drivel about bears crapping in the woods.

107! Thanks everyone. It honestly means a lot to me that 107 of you find this place useful enough and entertaining enough to add it to what I’m sure is a long list of other internet stops in your busy lives. I mean Farmville isn’t going to play itself, am I right?

So to sufficiently express my gratitude I’m giving away two of these lovely funky pincushions.

All you have to do to win is tell me in the comments what you’d like to have 107 of. Consider this your thought provoking Thursday! (hey, I know it's Friday but Blogger was unavailable yesterday when I tried to post so cut me some slack)

Everybody wants 107 of something, right?

107 life sized Smurf figurines – sign me up!

107 vacation days from work - oh yeah!

107 freckles – what? I’ve got a lot more than that right now, 107 would be a reduction!

You get the idea. Now to be fair I should probably just choose a winner at random but I’ve never really been accused of being fair. So I’m just going to pick the two that make me smile the biggest and they will be the winners.

Be sure to leave some way for me to get in contact with you.

Martha left out a few steps

2011-04-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

So I stumbled across this cute crepe paper carrot idea on Martha Stewart.com and I thought it would be fun to make them for my daughter's preschool class as an Easter treat.

Crepe Paper Carrots How-To - Martha Stewart.com

1. Loosely wrap orange streamer to form carrot shape, making it thicker at top. Tuck in gifts as you work. Press end of paper down into top.

2. Fold green crepe paper in half across its grain. Download leaf template, and trace onto folded paper. Cut out; bunch up. Tuck leaves into carrot top; secure with dab of hot glue.

Look how easy and effortless it sounds right? Well as I got started I realized that Martha left out a few steps. So for the sake of all crafters I've decided to rewrite them so they're more accurate.

1. Scour every store in the city for orange crepe paper. Because most places only carry a select few colors and orange is not one of them.

2. Assemble your items to go inside of the carrots. I chose sidewalk chalk, mini bubbles and smarties candy.

3. Start wrapping. Okay, this seems like an easy thing right? Wrong. Just think back to high school when you were on the prom decorating committee. What's that? You weren't on the prom decorating committee? Okay, well then think back to high school when you TP'd that skank Sandy Collin's house because she was trying to steal your boyfriend (rotten eggs and flaming bags of dog poo are uneccessary). Anyway, my point is that when you start wrapping the crepe paper around things, it gets all kinked up because it's still attached to the roll right, and then you've got this huge mess of kinky crepe paper, which is not nearly as fun as it sounds.

Sure you could just cut off a length of it and start wrapping but then you never know if you're going to have enough and then it's still long so it starts getting all kinked up too and it's trailing on the floor and you're whipping it around and the cat thinks it's one hell of an awesome game and she inadvertently claws the crap out of your foot while chasing after it and you have to quickly explain to your 7 year old how Sh$%Fu@# is a small island in the carribean, and that he should never mention it's name to anyone because all the islanders hate America, and well it's just a social taboo.

4. So now that you've gotten the hang of it you start wrapping the actual items that will go into the carrot. You spend half an hour trying to figure out the best way to wrap them and then determine that there's no way you're going to get those Smarties in there so you just start eating them until your hands start shaking from the sugar rush. But that's okay because it distracts from the massive blood loss from your foot.

5. At some point you're going to wish that you were more adventurous in high school/college and wrapped your own, um "cigarettes" because that skill would come in handy for this project. If all else fails though you can go on Facebook and ask your cousin for some tips (we've all got one of those cousins don't we?).

Anyone got a light? I've got candy if we get the munchies later.

6. Now it's time to add on the green top. Fire up the glue gun and try to accomplish the task without burning the crap out of the tips of your fingers and having to explain to your 4 year old how "sonofab%^ch" is the Scandinavian word for "sweat socks".

7. Stand back and admire your work.

Thought Provoking Thursday

2011-03-30T20:08:00.001-07:00

Do you ever wonder what it takes to be a yarn spokesperson? I mean besides the ability to wear a formal evening gown and touch TV screens to make letters appear on them?

According to my web research (which consisted of visiting the Lion Brand web site) Vanna is "America's favorite crocheter". Really? I don't recall voting on that. How exactly was that title determined?

Her Wikipedia page states that she's an "avid crocheter". Well I suppose that's something, but I'm an avid reader, and nobody's offered to name a library after me. I'm not a low level celebrity though, so maybe that's the distinction.

Why not shoot for a more well known celebrity spokesperson. Surely other famous people like to crochet or perhaps knit. And really the rules here seem pretty lax. How about someone who just occassionally wears something knitted? Works for me.

Whose yarn would you buy?

Thought Provoking Thursdays

2011-03-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

One of my new year’s resolutions this year was to blog more often. Okay, okay it hasn’t been so successful. How are your resolutions going? Let’s talk about that bag of mini Snickers you’ve got stashed in your glove box before you judge me alright?

Sorry, I get overly defensive when faced with completely imaginary criticism.

Anyway, I haven’t given up. I’m throwing myself into this goal with wild abandon. Okay, more like mediocre interest. I’ve been searching the web for inspiration and I’ve noticed a lot of blogs do what is called “Wordless Wednesday”. Basically they just throw a random picture up and boom, blog entry complete.

My first reaction was, “pfft, those lazy cheeky monkeys” (yes that’s really the phrase that formed in my head – I’m a joy at dinner parties). But then, I realized the genius of it all. It’s a guaranteed weekly blog entry and you don’t even have to type anything! If I photographically catalogued my extensive collection of plastic windup toys I’d have blog fodder for a year! (these ones below are the pride and joy of my collection. You're riveted, aren't you?)

But you guys deserve more, right? Of course you do. You come here for . . . umm, what do you come here for? Oh yeah, craft tutorials, insights and all around entertainment. I can’t just throw some random pictures up and call it good. Besides, I started writing this post on a Thursday and I’m a huge fan of alliteration so I had to come up with something else, and I did:

Thought Provoking Thursdays!

What’s that, you ask? It’s an opportunity for me to provide you with little nuggets of wisdom, moral dilemmas, mind blowing questions or statements that will really get your mind working. You know like; “If a bear craps in the woods . . . “ no, that’s not right. “If a tree falls in the forest and hits a bear who's taking a crap does it make a sound. . .” no, no “If a tree falls in the forest, is it cut up, made into pulp and then turned into Charmin toilet paper, that a bear then uses when he craps in the woods?”

Well, next week will be better. I promise. I’ll try to make them craft related too, such as; “If a bear were to make a toilet paper cozy would he knit it or crochet it?”

On second thought, maybe I should have just waited until next Wednesday.

Taste the Rainbow

2011-03-15T20:38:00.001-07:00

Fall has always been my favorite season. But you know spring does have its advantages too.

Sweet, sugar coated marshmallow advantages!

My husband brought me these - illustrating exactly why I keep him around. Excuse me while I get my sugar rush on!

Little Wooden Cuteness

2011-03-01T16:58:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love the internet, and not just because it allows me to see pictures of Alex Skarsgard in various states of undress whenever I wish . . . umm, but because it inspires me with lots of new crafting project ideas.

I came across this wooden peg matching and sorting dolls project on Gluesticks and it inspired me to make one of my own for my best friend's daughter's birthday. It was a great addition to the fabric doll I made her.

I couldn't find the cute little wooden doll pegs that Gluestick used but I found these that were a bit chunkier, which I thought would work better since the birthday girl is only 1 and these would be easier to grasp.

I also mounted the candle cups on a piece of wood. I figured this would make it easier to keep track of them all. The cups already had holes in the bottom of them so I literally just had to secure them to the piece of wood with screws.

I made sure to sand the edges of the wooden block also so that when she inevitably smacks her older brother over the head with it, it won't bruise nearly as bad.

I had a hard time keeping it away from my kids before I got it wrapped up.

I had so much fun making these that I was kind of sad to see them go too. I might have to find an excuse to make some more.

Quick and Easy Fabric Doll tutorial

2011-02-19T13:38:00.000-08:00

My best friend’s daughter is turning 1 this weekend. My kids call her Baby Kayla. Not “Kayla”, but “Baby Kayla” which is incredibly sweet. It might not be so sweet if they’re still calling her that when she’s 15, but for now we’re sticking with it.

Of course I had to make her gift. I struggled for quite a while trying to come up with something appropriate for her age and finally decided on a doll.

I wanted it to be soft and washable, with nice long sturdy arms and legs that she could drag her around by. Of course there are countless ways to make a simple fabric doll but this is what I came up with. The design is not purely original since I’ve seen dolls similar to this in stores, but I thought I’d share the pattern that I drew up and instructions on how to put her together.

Click Here for the pdf pattern

Supplies:

Fabric: I used cotton. You’ll need a color for the face/arms, one for the body and one for the legs. You’ll need minimal amounts. Perhaps a fat quarter for the body.

Fleece: just a decent sized scrap for the hair. You could also use felt.

Stuffing: I used polyester fiberfil

Marking pen or chalk: some pattern pieces will be drawn on the fabric and then sewn so you’ll need something to mark your fabric.

Fabric or permanent marker: I used this to draw on the face but you could embroider the face or use buttons or other options.

General sewing supplies: sewing machine, thread, scissors, etc.

Let’s start with the appendages. You’ll notice on the pattern that the arm and leg pieces do not have a seam allowance. This is because it’s much easier to simply draw the pattern shape on the fabric and sew directly on the line. This allows the shape of the hand/foot to be much more accurate than if you cut out the piece beforehand.

Place your arm/leg fabric right sides together and sew directly on the marked line. Leave the end open for stuffing. Then simply cut around your sewn pieces, turn them right side out and stuff with polyfil. The pieces don’t need to be stuffed all the way to the end since about an inch of the arm/leg will be sewn inside the body.

Now let’s start on the body. Before you cut out your body pieces you’ll want to piece the head fabric onto the body fabric. Cut pieces of each fabric that will be large enough to accommodate your pattern and then seam them together.

Then place your pattern piece onto the fabric, making sure to line up the line between body and neck on the pattern to your seam and cut out 2 body pieces.

Before we can sew the body together we’ve got to work on the hair and face. Cut out the hair pieces. Seam allowance is included in these pattern pieces. I chose fleece for my doll’s hair because the ends don’t unravel and I felt it would be softer and more durable than felt.

Lay the front and back hair pieces on the head and stitch down along the bottom edges. For the pig tails, cut out 4 pieces. Sew 2 pieces together for each pig tail and set those aside. We won’t need them until we get ready to put her together.

Options for your doll face are limitless. I chose to draw on a face using permanent marker. I used these Micron markers which work great on paper and fabric. If you’re going to draw on your face you might want to test your marker on a scrap piece of fabric to make sure it’s not going to bleed or do anything funky.

You could also embroider on your facial features, or cut them out of felt and sew them on. Some stores even sell iron-on doll faces which would be cute as well.

Make any other embellishments to your doll at this time. I made a little felt flower for the front of my doll. A little pocket would be cute too etc.

Now it's time to attach your doll's hair and arms. Place them where you think they look good and then turn them in toward the inside of the body. Cover the front of your doll with the back body piece and pin in place.

Sew around the body leaving the bottom open. Turn your doll right side out and stuff firmly. Don't stuff all the way to the bottom edge.

Turn the bottom edge of the fabric under and pin your legs in place. I closed the bottom seam on my machine. It was a little awkward but not impossible. You could hand sew the bottom opening closed if you prefer.

And, she's done!

As always, if you have any questions or if something isn't clear, leave a comment or shoot me an email at pinandpaper@q.com.

Who's Obsessed?

2011-02-11T15:44:00.000-08:00

Owl's are really in now right? I've been trying hard to resist jumping on the bandwagon but recently I've just given up and embraced it. I've slowly started adding some hooters into my decor (and I'm not talking about women in orange hot pants who serve wings - much to the chagrin of my husband).

I found this set of brass ones at the flea market a few months ago for $6.

This planter was on sale for $2.50 at Hobby Lobby. I love how my spiky succulent looks like out of control head feathers.

My most recent trip to the flea market netted me these gems for only 50 cents each!

They were a little too 70's for my style so I grabbed a can of Krylon fusion spraypaint (because I'm not sure what substance these things are made of) and gave them a quick coat of white.

They're a welcome addition to a blank space of wall in my living room. I don't know if I'm completely happy with them yet. I feel they need to be paired with some other things to really make them pop, but right now I'm enjoying them.

How about you? Have you embraced the owl revival?

Rhinestones are a girl’s best friend

2011-02-01T20:28:00.001-08:00

When I was a little girl I would pry open the lid of this box and immerse myself for hours in the wonders it possessed.

My great grandmother’s costume jewelry:

And now all these years later they’re mine and the wonder and joy of them have not diminished in the least.

Unfortunately some of them are beyond repair, but most of them are in great shape and just need a little TLC.

I’ve already repurposed some of the clip on earrings that have lost their mates, into rings. The rest I plan to leave as is.

And I found my old Cabbage Patch ring! "Memories, like the corners of my mind . . . "

These two have always been my absolute favorites. When I was a girl I would pretend they were real diamonds and I was a princess.

My little princess gets to wear them now too.

I showed her how I used to wear them while pretending to be an exotic dessert princess.

Maybe now I'll find some occassion to wear them myself - and I'll make my husband address me as, "your ladyship".

In which I rant in length about my disdain for bobbins

2011-01-24T16:44:00.000-08:00

I adore sewing. I’m not just talking about the finished products; I’m talking about every aspect of it: The whir of the electrical motor, the clicking sound it makes when the presser foot is lowered, the sensation of pushing the pins into the fabric, the movement of the fabric under my fingers as it’s pulled and stitched. The whole thing is like a soothing symphony.

However, there is one thing about it that irritates me above all else: bobbins. You see I hate winding bobbins. I despise it. I think because they’re such a distraction when they run out. I could be right in the middle of a nice long stretch and the bobbin runs out and I have to stop and unthread the machine, and thread another bobbin and then put it in – it totally disrupts my rhythm. It’s like the orchestra stopping in the middle of Beethoven’s 5th because the lead violinist has to take a piss (see how I worked in that symphony analogy from paragraph one? That English degree is paying off now baby!).

I try to combat these interruptions by preparing ahead. If I’m working on a large project that I know will require more than one bobbin, I usually wind as many as I think I will need ahead of time, before I even begin sewing. This way when it runs out I simply have to replace it and don’t have to unthread, wind a bobbin, and rethread one.

This helps a little bit, but it’s still annoying. Speaking of annoying, doesn’t it always seem like it runs out when you have 3 inches left to sew? Every stinking time! You’re sewing along, you’re in the groove. As soon as you finish that seam you’re on your way to the next exciting step in your garment/project creation, and boom; bobbin thread runs out with an inch and a half left to go.

Or my favorite is when I’m working on something large and/or unwieldy, and I’ve just spent a good 3 minutes and performed several yoga moves that I didn’t even think were humanly possible, to maneuver it underneath the presser foot, I make 3 stitches and BAM – out of bobbin thread.

And don’t even get me started on how much thread you waste by having all these little leftover bobbins with varying lengths of thread on them.

I hate you. I hate you all.

You’re thinking, “What’s your point here woman? Why are you rambling on about this?” and the truth is that for some reason I think you’ll care. And also to point out to any would be inventors out there that this bobbin issue is one that you need to be working on. We as a species can fly to the moon and program a plastic bass on a plaque to sing “Take Me to the River” but nobody can figure out how to rig a sewing machine so that I don’t have to deal with bobbins?

People are out there inventing pajama jeans and shake weights but nobody can figure out how to improve the bobbin situation? It’s a tragedy is what it is. Why can’t the bobbin thread pull from a full spool like the top thread? I’d readily purchase two spools of thread of the same color to never have to wind a bobbin again.

You’re probably thinking, “well if you have such a clear idea of how this should work, why don’t you invent something?” That’s not my forte people. I bitch and then wait for other people to solve the problem, or to at least commiserate with me. That’s how this works so let’s get on it people.

Strollers and Diapers are not nearly as cute

2011-01-10T20:58:00.000-08:00

My friend Angie is expecting a baby girl and while I could certainly purchase something for her upcoming baby shower off her baby registry, what would be the point?

I mean who needs diapers? Onesies? baby bottles? Come on, completely overated!

Eveyone knows what babies really need: adorable booties

These are my favorites:

And of course a hat.

But as I gazed upon the cuteness of my creations I started wondering; "Why didn't I make my own daughter some cute stuff like this when she was a baby?" And then I remembered why. Because she was my 2nd child and quite frankly I was just too damn exhausted.

So congrats Angie and prepare yourself for the ensuing fatigue!

* baby booties were made from a free tutorial at shwinandshwin. Check out their site, they have great tutorials!

*crocheted hat was made from the scalloped beanie pattern by InnerHooker

Textured Stripes Knit Scarf

2010-12-22T18:27:00.000-08:00

There is an overabundance of scarves in my house and so when the weather started turning cooler and I donned a scarf, my daughter insisted that she have one as well. I brought out my bushel basket (yes, I literally have a full sized bushel basket full of scarves and mittens etc.) and told her to pick one out.

This one? No, too stripey. This one? No, too fuzzy. This one? No, too pinky. This one? No, to ruffly. Yep, she actually said “ruffly”. So what’s a knitter and a mother to do than to custom make the kid one.

She picked out her own yarn color and I made a small swatch first to make sure she approved of my pattern and within a week her new scarf was born.

Not too stripey, fuzzy, pinky or ruffly.

It was super easy and super quick. See below for the pattern. Well actually it’s just instructions. I don’t have much skill/experience with writing good knitting patterns.

You'll need:

Yarn – I used Threads and Loops - Aqua
Knitting needles – size 8 US or whatever size works well with your yarn and desired size.

Cast on 25 stitches

Row 1 – 10: Stockinette stitch (alternate rows of knit and purl) you’ll start with a knit row and will end on a purl row

Now you’ll reverse your stockinette so that the purl side is on the front and the knit side is on the back. This creates the bumpy stripe.
Row 11: purl
Row 12: knit
Row 13: purl

Reverse your stockinette stitch again. This will make the mini knit stripe
Row 14: purl
Row 15: knit
Row 16: purl

Repeat until you have 3 textured strips on the front side of your scarf and then do 10 more rows of stockinette stitch and then start your stripes again.

Continue until you reach the desired length. Here's what the top side will look like:

And the back side:

I hope that makes sense. It's a really cute textured scarf and a great project for a beginning knitter to practice their knits and purls.

Road Trip Supplies

2010-11-18T20:46:00.000-08:00

As if this time of the year isn’t busy enough, what with the upcoming holidays and the frantic gift shopping/making. Both of my children also have birthdays. My son’s is right around Thanksgiving and my daughter’s is the first week of December.

This year as a joint gift for both of them we’re headed to the Mall of America to celebrate at the indoor amusement park. It’s a little bit of a jaunt for us – about 3 hours. Plus we’re also making plans to visit my husband’s family for Christmas which is an even longer road trip – about 6 hours.

So it seemed to make perfect sense to make them gifts that might help entertain them on the road (sure we’ve got portable DVD players in the car but even Scooby Doo loses his appeal after a while).

For my daughter, who is turning 4, I used this tutorial as inspiration and made her a little pony playmat to take in the car.

I used a fabric base and incorporated some fish, flower and apple shaped buttons and extra stitching for texture and I think it turned out really cute. It’s the perfect size for these My Little Pony toys that we got as Happy Meal toys a while back. I love them because they’re based on the original My Little Ponies I had as a child – not what I refer to as the new “Bratz” version (freaky oversized heads and eyes paired with small bodies do not belong on ponies ok people – not on My Little Ponies – you want to do that crap to Littlest Pet Shop you go right ahead but don’t mess with the ponies!)

I mean which do your prefer? This: (my skin is crawling!)

Or this little cutie?

I rest my case. Moving on. . .

My son is turning 7 and he’s obsessed with Lego’s – as all men and boys are. He’s not that much of a builder though and he often will just play with the mini figures for hours on end without even thinking of clicking two bricks together.

So I thought something he could tote around some of his figures in would be a good idea. I found this little wooden box at my local craft store and gave it a custom paint job. I finished it off with a couple coats of polyurethane also for durability.

A small square lego base sheet came with one of his many sets that he never puts together so I figured it would get much more use glued inside the box as a base for his figures.

I'm thinking he can play quite a bit with all these little guys and their accessories on the road, and he'll have this handy little box to store them in.

I can’t decide if this is my best or my worst idea ever. Sure it looks great, and I had a lot of fun putting together this mini lego diorama in tribute to two movie characters played by Harrison Ford and then later turned into Lego figures (yes, Lego Indiana Jones is getting ready to make out with that little lego lady – she can’t resist his rugged appeal!)

But I may come to regret this gift when I’m wedged between the seats of the car searching for a Lego stormtrooper helmet. Only time will tell.

Hanging Circular Knitting Needle Holder - a tutorial

2010-10-19T17:31:00.000-07:00

I have a lovely knitting needle carrier. It's one of those roll-up types and it's great for when I'm on the go, but I rarely need to take all my needles with me and then there's the problem of my circular needles. I try to wind them up in such a way so that they won't get kinked or tangled but it never works out very well and they're just a mess.

I wanted something that I could use at home to keep my circular needles from becoming a tangled mess, and to keep my other needles within easy reach. Where to go for inspiration? Google of course and I saw some great projects and tutorials. Some of them involved binders and plastic pencil cases which looked nifty but still involved folding up the needles. Then I stumbled upon this one made from the leg of an old pair of jeans and this one made from a tie.

They're both brilliant ideas and great upcycling but I wanted mine to look a little prettier so I used some cotton prints that I had just picked up at the fabric store, and came up with this:

Here's how I made it.

Supplies:

2 fat quarters of coordinating fabric

fusible interfacing (optional but recommended for lightweight fabrics)

general sewing supplies

You'll need two pieces of fabric 8" by 19". I used different fabric on the front and back of mine to make it reversible but you could certainly use the same fabric on each side if you prefer.

Two pieces of fusible interfacing 8" by 19". If you're using a heavier fabric such as Home Decorator fabric or denim you might not need the interfacing.

Cut two pieces of fabric, 9" by 2" for the handle.

Iron the interfacing to the wrong sides of your fabric.

Fold over and press a 1/4 seam on both long edges of each large fabric piece. Sew along this seam.

For the handles, place right sides together and sew the long edges with 1/4" seam allowance. Turn right side out forming a tube. Press and stitch again along the long sides.

Place the handle on the right side of one of the large pieces of fabric, as seen below. Lay the other piece of fabric right side down on top of this; sandwiching the handle in between the two larger pieces of fabric.

Sew along the top and bottom seams. You now have a large fabric circle. Turn it right sides out and press the seams.

Top stitch along the top and bottom seams. Mark lines approximately every inch from the top to the bottm seam. These will create the "pockets" for the knitting needles.

Stitch along the lines, load up with knitting needles and you're good to go!

This is just a basic design and could be altered and improved upon anyway you see fit. Add numbers on the pockets to identify your needles sizes, make it larger or smaller, whatever works best. It would make a great gift for the knitter on your gift giving list too.

As always if you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments or shoot me an email at pinandpaper@q.com.

Useless Personal tidbit

2010-10-06T19:23:00.000-07:00

I once bought 5 yards of brown fun fur to make some stuffed animals for an upcoming craft sale and as I was getting it cut the gal looked at me and said, “What are you going to make?”

I was so tempted to say, “curtains” or possibly “Fifty furry bikini panties. Oh yeah baby!”

But I didn’t.

These are the types of things I regret.

Pattern Weights

2010-09-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

There's nothing quite so useless as a paperweight. Just a heavy object to take up space, right? But a pattern weight - well that's a whole other story.

I had seen this idea a while back and wanted to make some for myself. Pattern weights are used to hold pattern pieces down on your fabric so pins are not necessary. They're also really handy to use to hold your fabric down nice and securely when using a rotary cutter.

I suppose they could be made out of any small heavy object, but I chose to use washers from my local hardware store.

Want to make some of your own? Here's what you need:

-Washers - I used 2 1/4 inch washers. I can't tell you what kind they are, I just picked out the heaviest ones I could find from my hardware store.
- Decorative paper
- Decoupage glue

I cut out circles using a scrapbooking tool, but you could easily just trace the washer and cut your paper slightly smaller. I cut out enough to cover both the top and bottom of each washer.

Then you simply need to apply the paper to your washer with the decoupage glue. I finished them off with two top coats of glue as well to seal them.

I liked the gold color of my washers but you could always paint them in addition to or instead of decorating them with paper.

Just wait for them to dry and you're ready to go!

Is that 100% all natural love or a poly blend love?

2010-08-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

I was Pouncing on Etsy the other day. I love Pounce by the way - if you’ve never done it you should try it. It’s a great way to see what’s new and what’s selling and it’s a much more productive use of your time than trolling the internet for pictures of Robert Pattinson without his shirt on. Not that I ever do such a thing.

Um . . . anyway . . . I came across an item that caught my fancy so I clicked on it and checked out the description and I was curious as to exactly what type of fabric it was made out of so I checked the Materials listing. And wouldn’t you know it, the thing was made with Love.

Yep, “Love” was listed as a Material. Now after I threw up in my mouth a little bit I decided to do a little research to see just how many people are out there drinking rainbow juice while stroking their fuzzy flocked unicorn figurine collection and listing “Love” as a material on their Etsy listings.

The result: 93,849. And no, they weren’t all tie dyed items either, though there were quite a few of those.

Okay, I get it. These are handmade items and we all love what we’re doing and what we’re making that’s why we’re making them. We put our time and hearts into these items but really, it’s still a business. Can’t we be a little professional? Let’s save the cutesy stuff for the description area or something. Do we really need to list “love”, “fantasy” and “karma” as Materials used in the making of our products. Are we 12?

Call me a grouch, or a killjoy or whatever but it’s just really annoying and ridiculous to me and if I ever get an inclination to buy something off Etsy and they have “love” listed as a material, I’m going to just say no. That’s just me.

I’m going to go punch a unicorn figurine now . . . and then Google “Robert Pattinson shirtless”

Make a Wet Bag Using a Vinyl Tablecloth

2010-07-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

I’ve been in love with the “wet bag” concept ever since I saw my first one. A wet bag is a waterproof bag used mostly by mothers who use cloth diapers as a convenient and safe way to transport soiled diapers while they’re out and about. However, the uses don’t end there. Even if you don’t cloth diaper you could always use a waterproof bag to carry around soiled outfits and really anything else that’s been dowsed with fluids from either end of a baby.

My kids are well past the baby stage (Thank the Lord!) but wet bags are also great for toting around wet swimsuits after a day at the pool or the beach. No more leaking plastic Wal-Mart and Target bags for me!

My first instinct was to purchase one already made from one of many lovely sellers on Etsy. Then I decided I could easily make one myself. However, finding PUL (polyurethane laminated fabric) in any of my local craft stores was like trying to find a carnival worker with all of his/her teeth. I could have ordered it online but well, I’m just really cheap. So I brainstormed and decided to use an inexpensive vinyl tablecloth instead and it worked like a charm.

See the tutorial below for all the details. Keep in mind that a vinyl tablecloth is not as sturdy nor will it probably be as long lasting as a well made wet bag made with PUL. If you’re planning on using your bag often for soiled baby things, I would definitely suggest either using PUL or purchasing one made with PUL. However, since I knew my use of it would be limited to a few trips to the pool every summer, I wanted a quicker, cheaper option and after several wet swimsuit trips it’s held up remarkably well and it only cost me about $5 (3 for the tablecloth, 2 for the zipper and I’m counting the fabric as free since it was leftover from another project).

Want to make your own? Here's how:

Supplies:

- Vinyl tablecloth - the kind with the white felt stuff on the back – any size will do)

- Zipper – I used a 16 inch zipper. Choose a longer or shorter zipper based on the size of bag you want to make.

- Fabric – I used about ½ yard of home decorator fabric I had on hand (home dec fabric is a little thicker and sturdier than cotton but a good cotton will work just as well)

- General sewing supplies; sewing machine, scissors, thread, etc.

Step 1 - cut your fabric and vinyl

I wanted to have as few seams in my vinyl as possible in order for it to be as water tight as possible. Therefore I cut one large rectangle 34” by 14” (if you have a longer zipper then you can make your bag wider). Cut the same from your fabric (if you’re using scraps and don’t have pieces long enough you could always cut two pieces 17” by 14” and piece them together).
Cut a 1 ½ ” by 16” strip from your fabric – this will become your loop/handle.

Step 2 - attach the zipper

Place the lining (tablecloth) and the fabric wrong sides together (as shown above). Lay the zipper face down along the top edge of the lining and pin in place. Sew the zipper to the top edge of the bag.

Then turn the bag so you’re seeing the right side of the zipper and the bag and top stitch along the edge of the seam. Repeat for the other side of the zipper. It should look like this when you are done. Now (since we have no bottom seam) we have a big loop of fabric attached together by a zipper.

Step 3 - the handle

Fold the strip of fabric for the handle right sides together and sew with a ¼” seam allowance to form a tube. Turn the tube right side out, press flat and top stitch the edges. Fold the handle in half and pin to the side of your bag as shown below.

Step 4 - the French seam (ooh la la)

I adore French seams because they are neat and tidy and professional and I always talk with a really bad French accent when I’m sewing them and it drives my husband insane. Now the professional look of it is not really needed here because we easily could have hidden the raw edges between the lining and the outside of the bag, but I chose the French seam for this bag because it’s basically a double seam and therefore will make for a much tighter, more water proof seam than if we just sewed it once.

Transfer your bag with right sides facing you to your sewing machine. Be sure your zipper is open halfway since we’ll be turning the bag through that opening. Sew a ¼ inch seam allowance down each side of the bag.

Trim your seam as close to the stitching as possible, then turn your bag inside out through the zipper opening. Be sure to push out your corners with a blunt point.

Now sew a ½” seam along each side of the lining. Essentially you are now encasing your raw edges within another seam; making for a more waterproof seal and still keeping the outside of the bag looking flawless.

Step 5 - get wet

Now simply turn your bag right side out and you’re ready to hit the water.

See how nice and contained our seam is - and since it's doubled it is extra leakage resistant.

I like to store the kid’s dry clothes in it when we’re on our way to the pool - that way they stay dry even if the bag gets splashed. Then once we’ve changed I just toss their wet suits in it for the trip home. As always, if you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments or email me at pinandpaper@q.com.

It's a fine line, you tell me if I've crossed it

2010-07-23T18:08:00.000-07:00

You know that saying "it's so ugly it's cute"? I like to pride myself on easily being able to distinguish whether something is ugly/quirky cute or if it's just plain ugly.

However, I worry that my judgement on such things tends to lose some of its objectivity when it comes to things I've made myself. So I'm going to rely on you, dear readers.

Don't sugar coat it. What do you think of this little guy? Ugly? Weird? or ugly weird cute?

He's got a little zipper mouth as you can see and he can hold things inside him. He's a little puppy and his ears have wire inside them so they're poseable. The ribbon coming out of the top of his head is for a metal clasp or keychain so he can be hung on a backpack or a bag. He's about 4 inches tall - not including his ears.

Would you take him home or leave him in the pound and pray that some blind little old lady comes and takes him home because no one with proper eyesight would dare?

Patriotic Project

2010-06-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

Summer is in full swing and I've been busy with a lot of activities with the kids. I did however manage to whip out a quick project this past weekend just in time for the 4th of July.

I've had this flag fabric in my stash for years and all the cool banners I've been seeing recently inspired me. Two packages of bias tape later and I had a fabulous patriotic banner.

I had planned on putting it on the front porch but since it's not really outdoor fabric I worried about fading from the sun and rain, so I decided to spruce up the gazebo on our back deck instead. Add some alcohol and some food on the grill and we're set for a party!

In other good news, the container gardening is looking up. My teeny tiny squash seedlings have blossomed! I think they just wanted to live up to the fabulousness of their marker.

Have a Happy 4th of July everyone!

Recycled Can Lid Plant Markers

2010-05-26T20:26:00.000-07:00

I'm trying my hand at some container gardening this year and so far things are not looking all that impressive. I think my downfall might lie in the fact that I'm starting things from seed. I really should buy them at the nursery after someone with some skill has ensured that they survived the sensitive seedling stage. I'm not exactly renowned for my green thumb.

(Yes, I know this is not a zucchini but it makes for a much prettier picture than my sad little seedlings do.)

I realized the other day that I would need some plant markers so that I could remember what was what. Sure I could have just used a sharpie and a popsicle stick but where's the fun in that?

(This isn't really butternut squash either but that antique chicken is neat right?)

In the end I came up with a plant marker that made use of some recyclables so that I could be a friend to the planet and lessen my guilt for the untimely death of all the plants that are sure to perish in my care this summer.

Want to make your own? Here's what you need:

Can lids (I have a can opener that takes off the lids without leaving sharp edges. This is a definite must. You could also use frozen juice lids)
Forks (new, used or antique)
Hammer
Pliers
masking tape (optional)
Permanent Sharpie marker and a baby wipe
Stamping set (I used the 1/8" set and I got it from Harbor Freight. They have other sizes available so you could use a larger set if desired.)

Place your can lid on a stable surface. I just worked on my crafting table as it's seen a lot of wear and tear and is really sturdy, but you're going to be smacking this thing pretty hard so think about that before you choose a work surface.

I used a strip of masking tape as a guide so that I could keep my letters fairly straight. This is optional if you have a good eye for making things straight, or if you like the look of random letter placement.

Then you just grab a letter stamp and start whacking away.

You might want to practice on a spare can lid before jumping in with your stamps. It takes a little experimentation to find out how many hits you'll need to make to achieve optimum results.

Once you're done, remove the tape and admire your work. You could leave it as is, or use the Sharpie method to add a little more dimension.

First off, make sure you have a baby wipe handy. Then, take a permanent black sharpie pen and color over your stamped letters. Really get the ink down into the grooves. Before the ink has a chance to dry, wipe across the letters with the baby wipe. This will remove all of the markers except for what is trapped in the indentations and will give your letters more definition.

Now it's onto the fork. I found some at Goodwill, but if you've got some extra ones lying around the house, or one that's been mangled in the dishwasher then this is the perfect use for it.

Take your pliers and bend the two middle tines back and away from the rest of the fork. Then bend the tips of them back up. You'll probably have to play with it to get it in the shape you want.

There just needs to be enough gap for the can lid to fit snugly. You might also have to bend/adjust the angle of the fork handle as well so that your plant marker will stand up nice and straight and tall.

And there you have it. A cute and quick recycle project for the garden!

She's a Maniac, Maniac on the Floor

2010-05-19T20:12:00.000-07:00

Finally - I've got a new item in the shop!

Isn't she just adorable? She's made from the Sammie the Sock Monster pattern from Danger Crafts but I thought instead of socks she could rock out some awesome leg warmers instead.

I am a child of the 80's you know and her little leg warmers remind me of the heyday of legwarmers - and my introduction to them in the movie Flashdance. Every time I look at her it's like I'm reliving scenes from the movie all over again. Except of course that she's not a welder supplementing her income by choreographing and performing elaborate shower scenes at a local strip club all while harboring dreams of enrolling at Julliard.

She's just a sweet little monster with long cold legs that need some covering. Maybe I should have fashioned her a little sweatshirt with the collar cut out so one shoulder would be exposed. Nah, that would have been overkill.

Craptastic Inspiration

2010-04-23T18:15:00.000-07:00

I’ve mentioned previously that I’m currently searching for crafting inspiration. Life is hectic right now. It’s spring and that means my mind is a jumble of home beautification and improvement projects. Also my son is in T-ball and that means weekly practices and games. So between work, kids, and the house I’m pretty much too pooped to come up with any fresh, steaming craft products for the shop.

Sure I could just whip out some re-digested version of something that’s been done before but I want something of quality. Something unique, something fantastic that will show the true fiber of my talent!

I’ve been struggling with this crafty constipation for months but I felt confident that inspiration was about to explode somewhere, perhaps just beneath my shoe or on my front lawn and then I found it!

Yes, that is an entire shelving unit covered in fake poop. I came across it while browsing my local flea market. The umm, items, are made with dyed concrete. Note the attention to detail and the varied shades, textures and consistencies that this artisan has captured.

It had a profound effect on me. You see, the moment I saw this display I realized that no matter what I came up with it was bound to be better than a shelf full of concrete feces. And well, if that’s not inspirational I don’t know what is.

(In case you were wondering: yes, this entire post was just an excuse to weave in as many feces related references as possible. I really had to strain to work in “constipation”. I mean how often do you come across such a display of concrete poop? Well okay once is really more often than necessary, but still I had to share.)

Happy Crapping - I mean Crafting everyone.

Trophy Pincushion

2010-04-03T19:48:00.000-07:00

While I'm waiting for inspiration to strike for some new Etsy shop items, I've been making some small things for around the house. Things like a wallet for my son's allowance money and some little cloth diapers for my daughter's baby dolls.

I decided that it was time to make something useful for myself as well. I'd been needing a second pincushion for my craft area. I keep one by my sewing machine but often do my pinning on my work table and transporting it back and forth was just annoying. So I grabbed a vintage quilt block from my stash, a garage sale milk-glass piece and the trophy pincushion was born.

It's been named the "Trophy Pincushion" by my daughter who ceremoniously presents it to me everytime she sees it and says "Here's your trophy Momma!". I suppose it does look a bit like a trophy, though to me it's more reminiscent of an ice cream sundae.

I used the container because I wanted it to be large enough that I wouldn't misplace it, and I didn't want it to be rolling all over my workplace either.

If that milk glass looks vaguely familiar that's because it previously held some fantastic moss, but alas my greenery didn't make it through the winter. Now I've got to add moss to the list of things I can't keep alive. I'll put it right below ivy, cactus and the will to follow a low carb diet.

The Best Bingo Ever!

2010-03-16T18:52:00.000-07:00

My birthday is coming up and while normally I might lament the addition of another year to my already downtrodden body, this year I've been anticipating it with tremendous zeal. Why? I'll tell you, because this year the anniversary of my birth coincides with the DVD release of New Moon!!

I was only able to see New Moon once in the theatre (I had hoped for at least twice) and so I'm quite thrilled at the opportunity to view it again and have it available for my viewing pleasure whenever my little heart desires. Well "whenever" is not really accurate. I'll have to wait until the kids are asleep, not that it's really that scary, but just because they'll complain the whole time about how they'd rather watch Scooby Doo. Plus it's March Madness so my husband will be watching basketball games and/or highlights from basketball games for the remainder of the month. But, the point is that theoretically it will be available if I can ever squeeze it in.

I'm certainly going to watch it on the 20th! What better way to celebrate the DVD release AND my birthday than with a New Moon DVD viewing party?!

I've spent the last two weeks preparing. I've got plates, napkins, streamers. I found an extremely cheesy New Moon card game on clearance and sacrificed some of the cards to decorate some straws. I'll be serving blood red daquiri's of course.

But the best part of all is going to be my New Moon Bingo!

I must give credit to my friend Shawna for spurring the idea. She suggested it as a way to make our movie viewing night more interactive. I found a New Moon Bingo game available for purchase online but all it consisted of was varied pictures of the cast.

I wanted something that would truly help us appreciate the New Moon experience, which is both wondrously fabulous and wondrously cheesy and disappointing at the same time. You see, as much as I love the Twilight movies and the books, I have to acknowledge that they're really just downright silly at times. So to really capture those moments and appreciate them, I tailored my Bingo game to accentuate them.

There are squares for things like "Carlisle is in a scene" or "Jacob has long hair" and then there are the more entertaining squares like:

-Jasper's hair is the most frightening thing in the scene

-Edward expresses his angst by looking like he smells something unpleasant

-Jacob has a shirt on but you're imagining him without one

-Bella runs through the forest duck-footed and dressed like someone from Little House on the Prairie.

It's all in good fun and I'm hoping it makes the night more enjoyable. Want a copy of your own to enhance your New Moon viewing pleasure? It's available here. I've removed the images from the Free square (I don't want to risk any copyright infringement or whatever) but other than that it's as pictured, with 6 varied game boards, just for you. Enjoy!

Fruit Fetish

2010-02-23T18:19:00.000-08:00

I'm busy making some new stuff for the shop. Okay, not really. I'm busy thinking about making some new stuff for the shop when in reality I've hit a crafting block. Have no fear, I shall overcome.

In the meantime I've listed some vintage items in the shop and quite frankly I'm surprised they haven't sold yet because these are some high quality items - if you have a thing for fruit.

I mean, check out these fabulous vintage patterns!

Do you have a strong and unhealthy desire to be the next member of the Fruit of the Loom spokesperson group? This pattern could be your first step in the right direction. They've already got the grapes so that's out - but consider the watermelon or the strawberry! You'd be a shoe-in. What about the tomato? I mean they allow that leaf guy in there, why not a tomato. Sure some people consider it a vegetable but botanically speaking it is classified as a fruit.

My favorite though has got to be this 1988 California Raisin pattern. This thing just screams class.

You know I've had this pattern for quite some time (it wasn't mine originally I found it at a sale) and it took a lot of willpower for me to finally give it up. I used to have the little raisin figurines and all that jazz and this costume pattern brought back a lot of memories. Strange but wonderful 80's memories.

I debated this past Halloween on making my own raisin costume from this pattern, but in the end decided that even dressing as a dehydrated fruit would probably still make my ass look big.

Valentine Block Magnets

2010-02-03T17:17:00.000-08:00

I've been dying to do this alphabet block project ever since I saw it months ago, but I just didn't have the heart to cut up the kid's alphabet blocks. (project by Megan of Plum Pudding)

And then it hit me - why can't I just use plain wooden blocks? Then it hit me again - why not paint the blocks and embellish them? Then it came back at me again with brass knuckles - since Valentine's day was coming up why not use some cute hearts? And by this time I was battered and bruised, but inspired nonetheless.

Here's the finished product:

And here's how I did it.

I bought a set of 1 1/4 inch wooden blocks at the craft store and prepared the blocks following Plum Pudding's fabulous tutorial (here). Just get yourself a little saw and a 3/4" drill bit and you're good to go.

Once you've followed those instructions your blocks should be sawed, drilled and magnetized. Next, comes the pretty part.

Paint them. I just used acrylic paint. It's a good idea to slide a scrap piece of paper into the slit after each coat of paint to keep the paint from piling up in there.

Get yourself some wooden hearts and give them a quick coat of paint as well. Trace their outline on some scraps of decorative paper and cut them out.

Adhere the paper hearts on top of the painted wooden hearts with glue. I used Mod Podge. Once the adhesive is dry take some sandpaper (I used 220 grit) and rough up the edges of the paper and the wooden hearts for a nice distressed look.

If you don't want to go the paper route you can always just use the painted hearts and leave it at that. I just painted this one, sanded the edges and used rubber stamps to embellish.

Then give each heart a thin coating of Mod Podge to seal it up and then smack it on the front of the block. I used my favorite high-inducing adhesive: E6000. Hot glue would work well too but it's just no fun without the fumes you know man.

I knew I'd be putting mine on the fridge so I centered the hearts on the front of the blocks but if you wanted them to possibly sit on a flat surface for display, make sure to glue the heart up a little higher so the block can sit flat.

And there you have it. A great way to display Valentine love notes you receive.

Or better yet, pictures of your Valentines. These would make quick and inexpensive Valentine gifts too.

Of course the possibilities are endless in how you could decorate and embellish these magnet blocks. Who knows maybe inspiration will strike again, but if it doesn't start pulling its punches I'm going to have to get a restraining order.

How much longer till spring??

2010-01-27T19:53:00.000-08:00

The city I live in has had 41.4 inches of snow since Dec. 1. . . just let that soak in people . .. 41.4 inches!!! We’ve had at least 5 inches of snow on the ground for the last 50 consecutive days. (disclaimer: I know I have no right to complain because a lot of places get more snow than this on a regular basis - BUT this is the most snowfall we've seen in over 100 years so for us it's a lot and I reserve the right to bitch about it OK?)

You’re thinking, “What’s the point here Amy?” And I’ll tell you what the point is people. The point is that I’m so sick of snow that the next time I see a flake falling to the ground I will either a) curl up into a fetal position and start sobbing uncontrollably until spring, or b) figure out how to sell all of the duplicate organs my body can spare on the black market and drum up enough money for a 3 month vacation to the Bahamas.

Another point is that with the copious amounts of snow and ice on every surface of the earth around here getting out and about with two kids is not really feasible so cabin fever has set in. No, let me rephrase that; it has moved in, claimed a shelf in the fridge, used all my shampoo, borrowed my favorite pair of jeans and is currently wiping its orange cheese puff encrusted fingers on the arm of my loveseat.

Most people deal with cabin fever by finding ways to get out of the house. I combat it by purging and organizing. Because when you feel the walls closing in, the most logical thing to do is to get rid of as much stuff as possible that lies between you and the walls so that you have a little more room to breathe.

I started my purging/organizing in my craft area.

I keep my fabric in large plastic drawers and I really wish I had taken a ‘before’ picture because they were awful. The fabric was just shoved in willy nilly. Some of it was folded but most of it wasn’t and the only way I could find a specific piece of fabric I was looking for was to dump the entire contents of a drawer on the table and paw through it like a little old lady diving into the bargain bin at JC Penny.

I cut squares (or rectangles depending on the amount of fabric) of cardboard and folded each piece of fabric neatly around it. Then I organized by color. Isn’t it beautiful?

I also got rid of about 1/3 of my scrapbook paper and supplies. I really had a lot of stuff that I couldn’t ever conceive myself using.

I even made a pennant banner out of some old vintage fabric to spruce up the place. It's like the grand opening of my new cleaner space!

Maybe I can make it till spring after all. Next stop – the closet!

Those aren't raisins

2010-01-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

It all started so innocently. I had a little bit of yarn leftover from a project so I made this little cutie.

And then I thought he might get lonely, so I made him a pal.

And they quickly formed a strong bond.

A couple days later I came home to Neil Diamond on the stereo and an opened bottle of Boone's strawberry wine. I think you all know what came next.

And then things really started getting out of hand.

I can't keep the cupboards stocked. They really like cookies - I'm buying Chips Ahoy in bulk!

And I'd really like to watch somehting other than GSN. I mean I enjoy Press Your Luck and old episodes of Let's Make a Deal as much as the next gal but 24/7? Everytime I try to change the channel thought things get ugly.

So I'm shipping these little guys off to my husband's mother who will find good homes for them with the children that come through the social service office she works for.

If you've got a surplus of cookies around you can make your own bunnies too. I used this fabulous free pattern from one of my favorite Etsy sellers; Rebecca of Danger Crafts.

The Joys of the Season

2010-01-05T14:13:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday. I got some much needed time off and I happily spent it doing absolutely nothing. It was wonderful.

However, since I did absolutely nothing but revel in the joys of the holidays, I don't really have anything craft related to share with you today. But I didn't want to leave you hanging so I thought I'd show you one of the gifts I recieved this year. An Edward Cullen figurine:

As you may recall, I kind of have a small obsession and my husband indulged that obsession by putting this little guy in my stocking this year.

About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward's/Robert's hotness doesn't translate perfectly into plastic. Second, there was a part of me, and I wasnt' sure how embarassed I was of it, that was really excited about owning this figurine. And third, that I would absolutely and irrevocably keep this thing forever no matter how sad and pathetic it might make me.

I kept him on my desk at home during the holidays but I found that he drew quite a crowd. I tried to tell the princesses that Edward didn't like blondes, or seafood but they wouldn't listen. I thought Belle might have a chance being a brunette and all but she was just there to ask if Jacob was around. It seems she's got a thing for guys with fur.

So that I would have his full attention, I took him into work and put him on my desk next to my filing cabinet and I've been composing poems for him all week with my magnetic poetry set.

On a completely unrelated note

2009-12-19T10:06:00.000-08:00

Have you ever gotten a tacky gift? I'm sure you have. A few years back my best friend and I decided to celebrate the joy of tacky gifts by creating a Tacky Gift Competition. Visit here to get more information on how the competition started and its rules.

My reason for telling you this today is that it's voting time. Both she and I have purchased our tacky items and I'd like your help to determine a winner. Take a gander at the tacky beauties below and then if you're so inclined, please head to the tacky treasure website to see even more photos and place your vote.

Which is tackier? Jesus of the Sea? or Googly Eyed Fisherman with crotch protruding pole?

You decide!

Stamped Clothespins

2009-12-14T21:04:00.000-08:00

I've got a lot of clothespins hanging around my house and I've also got a fair amount of rubber stamps. This weekend I put them both to use to create some fun stamped decorative clothespins.

Here's how I made them.
Supplies:

Rubber stamps or clear acrylic stamps
Wooden clothespins
ink pad or ink markers

I chose a variety of rubber stamps though you could easily do this with the new clear stamps as well. As you can see, even if your stamp is larger than your clothespin you can still make some pretty cool effects.

I found the easiest way to stamp the clothespin was to place the stamp rubber side up on my table and then apply the ink. I used these ink markers which are very convenient and allow me extra control over what section of my stamp gets inked. Of course a traditional ink pad would work as well.

Once you've inked your stamp in the color of your choice, simply press the paper clip down onto the stamp. I used fairly firm pressure and rocked it very slightly to make sure the design transferred to the wood.

And simple as that you've got your decorated clothespin.

I think the swirl one is my favorite.

They'd work great to clip a gift tag onto a present.

Or a gift bag.

Think how cute they would be holding closed a small bag of homemade holiday goodies! You can smack a magnet on the back and use them to clip notes on the refrigerator. Decorate lots of them and use them to clip your Christmas cards from friends and family onto a ribbon or string. The possibilities are endless.

Eat The Cookie Mother!

2009-12-07T20:25:00.000-08:00

Another entry about food. I'm sensing a theme - but it is the holidays after all and this weekend my friends and I had our 2nd annual Baking Extravaganza. We got together and made tons and tons of goodies and then divided them up amongst ourselves to give as gifts for daycare providers, neighbors and co-workers.

Here are some of the spoils of the evening.

I focused on sugar cookies this year. I baked over 150 and my back and hands are still sore from icing them all.

The best treat of all though has got to be these chocolate mint brownie cookies. They're really good but one of the girls was quick to point out that with their lovely coat of powdered sugar they looked like the arsenic dusted cookies from the Flowers in the Attic movie. That movie freaked me out as a kid. Not so much the cruelty and death but that bathtub scene - ewww - it haunts me to this day. I'm all for family togetherness but I'm not letting my brother scrub my back in the tub okay.

Anyway, these cookies will forever be known as the "flowers in the attic cookies" within our little circle of friends.

This is for you girls:

Teeny Tiny Nanners

2009-12-01T19:54:00.000-08:00

Okay, this post is absolutely non-craft related, but I had to share.

Look at these absolutely adorable teensie-tiny-eensie-weenie little bananas I found at the grocery store the other day.

I must admit, a little “Awww!” escaped me right there in the store when I saw them and I had to get them. They taste like regular bananas, perhaps just a tad bit sweeter. I’m not sure there is a huge demand for miniaturized fruit, but they’re cute and a great idea for school lunches since they fit in a lunch box/bag much better than a regular sized banana.

I’ve been obsessed with them for days and I started to wonder about some of their advantages over the typical larger banana. Here's what I came up with:

1. They create the perfect number of slices to top off your bowl of cereal or stack of pancakes. See that half of a banana in the background? There would be no leftovers with the mini banana to taint your fruit to cereal intake ratio!

2. They boost the egos of really tiny monkeys – now they can carry around a whole banana instead of half of one – even animals feel shame you know.

And last but certainly not least!

3. The little peels would be perfect in the circus acts of really tiny clowns.

Clothing my inner 13 year old

2009-11-19T21:11:00.000-08:00

Who's excited for New Moon? I am, I am!

T-shirt night was a success. I churned out two t-shirts because you can never have enough of Edward right? And my friend Carrie made a *gasp* Team Jacob shirt.

We used the freezer paper method which involved some setup time cutting out letters and shapes but I think the results are much better and more lasting than an iron on. Cheaper too actually. Those iron-on things are pricey and I'm really cheap. Give me some freezer paper and a $1.49 bottle of fabric paint and I'm good to go!

Here's the one with my Edward silhouette. In hindsight I should have done him in white as the shirt is a little too dark for him to really stand out. It still looks fab though! I'm thinking I'll put him on a pillowcase next - I'm sure my husband will appreciate that.

I found a full body silhouette of Edward online and put it on this comfy green shirt. It turned out really cool and this shirt won the job of being my official New Moon movie night shirt!

"I know you don't sleep Edward, but you must be weary. Please, feel free to rest your head on my bosom!"

Ah, so juvenile, and yet so fun!

Embracing my inner 13 year old

2009-11-13T19:38:00.000-08:00

I’m almost ashamed to admit it, but I’m a Twilighter. I know, it’s so incredibly juvenile, and trust me, I had no intention of ever becoming a Twilight fan. I went quite some time refusing to have anything to do with it. I mocked it, I turned my nose up at it and then I finally broke down and rented out the movie just to see what the fuss was about and . . . the acting was completely horrid and the storyline seemed less than stellar.

However, there was Robert Pattinson's incredibly square jaw to consider (I may have watched the rental more than once to study the beauty of that man’s face) and I figured there had to be more to the storyline that possibly just didn’t translate to the movie. So I borrowed the books from a friend and the rest is history.

So here I am, along with my other twenty and thirty-something friends anticipating the upcoming New Moon movie like a bunch of giddy schoolgirls. We decided we needed a physical marker of our obsession and what better thing than Twilight t-shirts!

Now, we might be pathetic grown women obsessing over fictional characters and actors who make the cover of Teen People, but we’re not so pathetic that we want to be seen in our nearest Hot Topic picking out generic Twilight shirts.

So since we’ve all got a crafty streak we’ve decided to make our own t-shirts. We’ve got big plans and since we’re not actually constructing them until next week I can’t show you the finished products. However, I wanted to share something I have planned for my shirt in case anyone else out there has a similar Edward fascination.

I give you the Edward silhouette.

Silhouette’s are big nowadays and I’ll admit that along with fictional vampires they are another one of my current obsessions. So I decided to do one of Edward (R. Patz).

I think it’s fitting since Edward is an immortal romantic type of guy and silhouettes invoke that old fashioned romantic feel. And I’m hoping it will be a cool sophisticated design for my T. I’ll show you the finished product next week and you can make your own judgment.

I created it by combing the web for some profile shots of Robert and tracing the outline of his chiseled features. I used this photo for his face and then had to find another one for the hair and meld them together, but I thought it came out pretty well.

I’m going to paint him on my T using the freezer paper method. I got to thinking that he’d be great on other things as well like on a pillowcase, or at the end of a simple scarf, or if you’re really obsessed you could frame him and put him on your wall, use him to make invitations to the Twilight party you throw when New Moon comes out on video – whatever! I just couldn’t keep him for myself.

So feel free to right click on the picture(s) above and save it to your files to do with as you will. All I ask is that if you use him that you share what you made. I’d love to see it! Shoot me an email (pinandpaper@q.com) or whatever.

A Glitter Public Service Announcement

2009-11-08T15:33:00.000-08:00

I’m always looking for fun easy craft stuff to do with my kids and since I work full time and have a lot of other stuff going on in my life, I’ve often found Martha Stewart’s little pre-packaged craft projects are just the thing.

So when I saw this glitter butterfly card kit the other day in the clearance bin I went for it. I mean I knew glitter was a slightly dangerous option with the age of my children but I felt I could keep it contained.
I think you all know how this story is going to end but indulge me anyway.

Right off the bat my two year old grabs the open glitter container and while I’m trying to show her how to gently shake it over her butterfly she resists my help and tries to jerk her hand out of mine, therein dousing her brother and half of the kitchen table in the finest most proliferate glitter imaginable. Do you see it - do you see how teeny tiny that stuff is?

The next few seconds were a sparkly blur in my mind but I may have lost my normal calm motherly demeanor for just a moment and possibly yelled at her because the next thing I know she’s sobbing and running off to her room while I’m dusting her brother off with a broom. So I’m shouting soothing statements that hopefully she can hear over the sound of her own sobbing while simultaneously trying to corral the glitter into a manageable pile.

However, this glitter is so super fine that when I try to slide if off the table and into the waiting dustpan it literally oozes into every minor wood grain of my table creating an uncanny gold leaf effect. It’s also on the floor of course and when I try to sweep it up it pools in the grout lines.

So I sweep up as much as I can, the youngest returns to the table and we proceed with the craft because why not. I mean at this point we’re already sparkling like overly sequined showgirls on the Vegas strip.

They each complete their butterfly and I send them directly to the tub. This is when I discover the trail of glitter that followed my 2 yr. old during her tantrum; a shining, sparkling trail throughout my entire house. It’s on the floor, the rug, the couches the walls. It’s like Tinkerbell spontaneously combusted in the middle of a stiff breeze.

So while the kids are in the tub I break out the Dyson and use every attachment that baby came with to eradicate the glitter on the various surfaces of my house. I got most of it but this is glitter we’re talking about here – the herpes of the crafting world. That’s what my friend always calls it, because once you get glitter you can’t get rid of it, and it pops up randomly for the rest of your life. And sure enough when I woke up the next morning after thoroughly showering and looked in the mirror, there was a tiny fleck of glitter under my right eye.

And that’s just the beginning. I see tiny sparkly flecks still in the carpet. I’m confident that glitter particles will be cropping up randomly until I die. I had to tell my husband that he’d been exposed, it was embarrassing and degrading.

So let this little story be a lesson to you folks. Don’t make the same mistakes I made. Don’t make yourself susceptible to the insidious infections disease that is – glitter. The only way to be 100% safe is through abstinence!

Little Big Time

2009-11-04T20:50:00.000-08:00

Recently something very exciting happened concerning my little craft shop. I didn’t write about it as it unfolded, mostly because I was afraid I was really going to screw it up and I didn’t want to build it up on here only to be embarrassed about how bad I sucked.

However, now that it has come and gone and I didn’t make a complete fool of myself, I can share it with you. It started with an e-mail from a local TV producer. She had recently joined Etsy and was impressed with the site and the stuff on it. She did a Shop Local search and out of all the fabulously talented crafters in my city, she chose me to approach about doing a spot on their Saturday morning newscast.

I was completely flattered and completely nervous but I went for it and I appeared on the local morning news on Oct. 24 for approximately 3 minutes. If I could add up the amount of time I spent preparing, stressing, shopping and blubbering about that 3 minutes it would be an astronomical number.

In the end I ended up with a new outfit, a little more self confidence, a mother who enjoys asking people if they saw her daughter on TV and a tiny amount of free local marketing. I’d say it was a win-win situation.

Their focus was on Etsy as a way to earn extra money. I was able to bring some items to showcase and I was told they would put my web address up at the end but they just showed the generic Etsy address which was a disappointment, but I’m not complaining.

Here’s the interview if anyone is interested. I recorded this from my DVR last night and quite frankly it took this long to build up the nerve to watch it. I don’t think anybody enjoys watching themselves on TV and especially someone like me who avoids any reflective surface as a general rule. However, at some point you’ve got to embrace yourself as you are.

Fall busy body - and a giveaway

2009-10-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

I always seem to be more productive in the fall. I don't know if it's the invigorating chilly winds or the fact that we're forced inside more often, but I'm taking advantage and churning out some new items for the shop.
I recently listed some scarves in the shop. A special thanks to my friend Jessica for being my model. She's really much cuter than any woman has a right to be.

Also I find that I'm overrun with these recycled envelopes. I make them out of the pages of the kids' Highlights magazines. The artwork is really colorful and fun and it just breaks my heart to chuck their old magazines into the recycle bin when they start piling up around the house.

So I started out making them just for my own use but when my stack reached the 10 inch mark I figured it might be time to try and spread them around a bit. I've put some up for sale and I'd like to give some away.

Smack an address label on them and you can send them via snail mail. They're also great to house handmade cards, or to hold a special note.

This set of 6 is up for the taking. Just leave a comment on this post and I'll pick a random winner on Sat. Oct. 24th. Make sure your comment includes a way for me to contact you in case you're the lucky winner.

And stay tuned. I should have even more new stuff listed hopefully by the end of this week, and some other exciting news to share.

UPDATE 10/25/09: The winner of the envelope giveaway is Iiona! Thanks!

Black Spray Paint Halloween

2009-10-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

Things are going a little more smoothly around my place lately. My cold is gone, the laptop is back and functional (with no lost data!) and things are running so smoothly that the kids and I found some time to do some Halloween decorating.

So I whipped out the black spray paint and we went to town.

I sprayed a styrofoam egg carton black and then we cut it up and used it for the bodies of some pretty cute/scary spiders. These were lots of fun. The kids decorated them with a little paint of their own, and we added the pipe cleaner legs and of course the googly eyes. We had a lot of fun with the eyes. I think my favorite is the cyclops spider. I threaded some string through the top and we hung them around the house.

Then we located a sufficiently spooky branch from the backyard, painted it black, draped it with fake spiderwebs and stuck a couple black crows from the dollar store on it.

Granted, it might be a little spookier without the speakers behind it, but let's face it, life without surround sound would be even scarier - or at least my husband would think so.

So we were all set for Halloween and then . . . it snowed.

Thankfully it only stayed around for a couple hours.

I've had better weeks

2009-09-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

So I'm not one to complain, okay actually I am one to complain. It ranks about number 3 on my list of "Favorite Things To Do In My Spare Time", right after 1. crafting and 2. cussing. Seriously, there are few things more gratifying than being able to utter a tirade of profanity and since I can usually cuss while complaining (at least when the kids are not around) it's like a two for one special! The best thing is child free craft nights with the gals because then I can do all three, craft-cuss-complain, at the same time, and that . . . well, that is when all is right with the world.

I'm glad I got that out in the open. I mean I try to keep things professional on here since I'm promoting my craft business and all, but I'm not one to deceive my followers and customers. I'm a complainer and a cusser and darn proud of it. (see how I didn't cuss there - I'm still professional, sort of)

Now that you're aware - let me commence the complaining. First there was the cold. It started as they all do, with just a slight soreness of the throat and BAM, next thing you know I'm pouring salt water in my nostrils with a device that looks like the little teapot from hell.
I'm not kidding people. My friend swears by this Nettie pot thing that you fill with salt water and pour through one nostril and the water comes out the other nostril (I'm not going to include a picture of it in action in case anyone is eating or has recently eaten before reading this post - google it if you're interested) and I was so desperate for the use of my nasal passages that I gave it a try and let me just say that I'm still waking up with nightmares of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, holding me down and pouring salty tea up my nose.

I couldn't get my head at the right angle or something and instead of the water flowing freely into one nasal passage and out the other, it proceeded directly down my throat. So not only was I still unable to breath through my nose, but I was also literally drowning myself.

Then the next week my laptop up and dies. Yep, just completely dies. No warning, no gasping of breath, no hardrive palpitations - I didn't even have the opportunity to give it a Bayer or perform keyboard compressions. It's still at the repair place and we've yet to receive the diagnostic report on what's wrong with it.

The worst part is that I'm terrible at backing up my files. There are three months worth of photos that have not been backed up on disc on that computer. All of my image files for my Halloween tags and Retro gift tags are on there. I'm literally having a nervous breakdown about whether or not they'll be salvageable from the carcass of that laptop.

I haven't seen Ewan McGregor in a kilt for a week and a half people! (he was my desktop wallpaper - imagine this picture below tiled across the screen! Ten kilted Ewan's giving me that look - and now I'm working on the ancient dinosaur PC with a Bob the Builder wallpaper staring back at me - sigh)

And things have not been getting better, they've been getting worse. Today I merrily went to the post office to ship off an item that I had sold and was lambasted with a shipping price almost triple of what I had expected. It cost me as much to ship the item as I had earned in selling it.

Normally I estimate my shipping expenses by researching similar items on Etsy from other sellers. Not only does this give me a good idea of what actual shipping costs will be, but it also keeps me competitive with other sellers. Unfortunately in this instance it didn't work. According to my not so friendly postal worker, my item was too heavy for first class shipping and therefore was bumped into a higher price range.

I didn't weigh the item ahead of time so I can't say for sure what it weighed but it certainly didn't seem very heavy to me. It was a book, a vintage baby book/album and I shipped it in a 10 x 14 padded envelope. I've purchased books online, much heavier books than this one and I've never had to pay that much for shipping. One of my friends belongs to a book sharing club and ships books quite often and has never paid more than $3 to ship a book. This one cost me almost $8 to send off.

So what am I doing wrong? Did I not notice that the postal employee placed her 2 quart slurpee on the scale along with my package? Does everyone else who is shipping items like these for $3 have some sort of a trick that I'm unaware of?

I'll be the first to admit my ignorance of postal rates and regulations. After all I've got precious little spare time and what I do have is obviously spent crafting, cussing and complaining. I haven't made researching postal rates a high priority, though after today it has moved up on my list.

I was hoping though that some of you might have some suggestions/tips/tricks for me. What are your shipping strategies? Flat rate boxes and envelopes? Shipping in bulk? Excess cleavage? If you sell things online how do you calculate your shipping costs?

Help me out here people.

I'm still alive!

2009-09-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last posted and no, I haven't been incarcerated for moss thievery, but that's only because I have yet to be caught!

Things have just been a little crazy around here due to the start of the school year and the soccer season and all. My son has been in kindergarten for only 2 weeks and has already infected me with a horrendous cold so I'm battling that as well.

However, there has been some crafting. I scrounged through my scrap paper and whipped out some new clothespin magnets that I've listed in the shop.

I've also renewed some of my Halloween items since the holiday is fast approaching.

I've got some more projects in the works and as soon as I gain the use of both my nasal passages, I might actually make some progress.

Moss Addiction

2009-08-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is Amy, and I'm addicted to moss.

It started out so innocently. I saw some cute terrariums on Etsy and I thought 'Hey, I can make something like that." and I did and it was wonderful and then . . . well, I couldn't stop. I made another terrarium for my mother, but that was a gift - there's nothing wrong with that right?

Except I kept thinking about the moss. There was more in my yard that I could use. It was so green, so lush, so soft. And then it wasn't just the moss in my yard, I started noticing moss everywhere; in a planter outside my workplace, under a tree at the park and next thing you know, there I am at the local wading pool trying to nonchalantly dig up a chunk of moss with a plastic spoon I found in the bottom of my diaper bag while the other mothers are giving me odd looks and steering their children away from me, "No, no dear let's give the lady with the um, spoon, plenty of room. Let's walk around the other side of the pool instead."

I can't even look at everyday objects anymore without envisioning them filled with moss. I find myself at garage sales, elbow deep in dust encrusted knicknacks mumbling: "would this look good with moss in it?"

But you know admitting you have a problem is the first step toward conquering it right? Right?

Flat bottom zippered pouch tutorial

2009-07-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

I'm all about upcycling lately – that’s the fresh new term for re-purposing something into something else, right? I hope that’s the case or else I’ll just come off like some pathetic out of touch mom who says things like “dealio” and “foshizzle” to try and sound cool.

Anyway, I recently stumbled across this old casserole cozy that my friend had at her garage sale. I just loved the funky fabric and I couldn’t bear for it be donated or thrown out so I nabbed it with the intent of upcycling it into something fabulous.

And here is the something fabulous.

At least I think they’re pretty cute. They’re in my Etsy shop if anyone finds them irresistible, but I also thought that I could share how I made them in case anyone wanted to whip out something similar for themselves.

Materials:
Fabric: The amount depends on the size of pouch you want. You’ll need two pieces of your outer fabric and two pieces for the lining

Interfacing: I used a lightweight fusible interfacing. You’ll want something light so your bag isn’t too stiff. Fusible is easier to work with but not necessary.

Zipper: any kind, just make sure the length is slightly longer than the size of your pouch. I used a 7 inch polyester zipper

Basic sewing supplies: thread, scissors, sewing machine, iron etc.

Step 1: Cut your fabric and interfacing
I was limited in size by the amount of fabric I had, but you can make your pouch as small or as large as you want. I cut 2 pieces of 5 1/2” by 6” fabric for the exterior and 2 pieces of the same size for the lining.

Cut two pieces of your interfacing in the same dimensions. Attach the interfacing to the wrong side of your outer fabric (if you do not use fusible interfacing, do this by sewing it on with a scant seam).

Step 2: sew fabric onto the zipper.
Place the lining right side up on your table and lay the zipper on top of it, aligning the edges.

Then place your outer fabric (with interfacing attached) right side down, on top of the zipper, aligning the edges.

Using a zipper foot sew all layers together. You’ll want your seam to be approximately ¼” from the teeth of the zipper.

Once you’re done sewing, fold the layers back from the zipper and press with an iron for a nice clean edge. Then return to the sewing machine and make a nice top stitch.
Repeat for the other side.

Step 3: where it gets tricky, but not really

Now we’re going to trap all those nasty little raw edges so that they won’t show on either the exterior or interior of our bag.

Pull the zipper pull to the middle, we don’t want to exclude it from our bag, and fold your fabric so that the right sides of the exterior fabric are together, and the right sides of the lining fabric are together. Line up the top edges. The the zipper should be toward the lining fabric.

Note: If you want to add a wrist strap, as I did to one of my pouches, now would be the time to sandwich it in between your two exterior fabrics.

I prefer to start sewing at the zipper (just to make sure everything is aligned) then sew down the side of the exterior fabric, across the bottom, up the other side, across the zipper and onto the lining.

Sew the lining pieces together but be sure to leave an ample sized opening at the bottom to turn the pouch later on. See below, the area between the pins is open. Here’s what it should look like when you’re done sewing. Clip the ends of your zipper off as close to the seam as possible.

Now at this point you could turn the bag right side out, seam up the opening and have yourself a lovely little pouch our coin purse, but I wanted mine to sit up instead of lay flat and to do that we have another step.

Step 4: Making your pouch sit up and behave

Using a ruler, or just by eyeballing it, mark and cut out a square of fabric in each corner of your lining and exterior fabric. I did a one inch square for mine but if your bag is larger/smaller you should make your cutout larger or smaller respectively.

Pull the two pieces of fabric apart and align the seams of the side and bottom. Sew along the cut edge. Repeat until all corners have been sewn.

Turn the lining down over the rest of the pouch and close up the opening either by machine or by hand.

Now turn the bag right side out, Push out your corners so they’re nice and crisp and you’re done!
I hope you found this helpful. Shoot me an email with any questions.

Swap-O-Rama

2009-07-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

I was contacted a while back by one of the organizers of a very cool local event. Swap-O-Rama. What is it? Well they describe it as such:

"Swap-O-Rama-Rama is a clothing swap and series of do-it-yourself workshops in which a community explores creative reuse through the recycling of used clothing."

Attendees bring a bag of unwanted clothing and $10. All of the donated items are then pooled together and attendees can pick and choose items they want to modify and restyle in a series of workshops.

It sounds like a lot of fun and I was happy to supply some items for their free goody bags.

Check out the site here: Des Moines Swap-O-Rama

I can't put it on Etsy but it was good!

2009-07-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

So you may be sitting around wondering what I've made lately - or perhaps not since you most likely have a life of your own. However, in case you were wondering - here is my most recent project.

The supplies:

The finished product:

And it was good people, very good. I can't take full credit for it though, it was my friend Carrie's idea to drown the sorrows of our daily soul sucking corporate jobs in ice cream, hot fudge, reddi wip and marshmallow fluff. It was my idea to top it all with cherries.

Things on the crafting front are pretty slow nowadays. It is summer after all and I've been keeping pretty busy with gardening and home improvement projects.

I do hope to have some new stuff for the shop soon though. In the meantime I'm headed back to the kitchen. It would be a pity to let the leftover supplies go to waste you know.

A knitting milestone, and Name that Monster

2009-06-29T21:16:00.001-07:00

This weekend marked a momentous occassion in my life. I finished my first ever knitting in the round project. And what did I choose? A nice simple hat? Nope. I chose Penelope, the Empathetic Monster:

She was as easy to make as she is adorable, after I got the hang of double pointed needles that is.
I got the pattern on Etsy from DangerCrafts whose business name I adore so much that even if all she sold was ceramic coiled rattlesnake sculptures I'd probably still buy something from her. Thankfully though she sells absolutely adorable knit monster/animal patterns instead.

Even though the pattern is for "Penelope", I'm not sure that my reincarnation of her really looks like a Penelope. I was thinking she was more like a Margaret, or maybe a Mathilda.

What do you think? What should her name be?

New Stuff! Flannel and Chenille - and a Giveaway!

2009-06-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

Update: We have a winner. My random number generator (my 5 yr. old) has chosen our lucky winner. It's Michelle a.k.a Busym1. Congrats! and thanks to all who entered.

I scored some sweet cuddly flannel on sale a while back and I ran across it last week when trying to tidy up my craft room. A surprising thing happened. Instead of shoving it in a drawer somewhere, I actually took the initiative to use it in some projects.

I found some soft chenille hanging out in a corner too and ta-da! Some new inventory for the shop. Finally!

I've also been having some fun with my cricut and whipped out some cute little ladybug thank you notes as well.

And to say thank you to all of you for checking out my blog, I'm giving away a couple flannel and chenille washcloths. They're perfect for use as burp cloths, or for wiping runny noses, or even in the tub!

One lucky winner will get 2 washcloths. They look like these except they don't have the ribbon tags.

Just post a comment and I'll pick a random winner on Friday, June 19th. Be sure to include your email address or profile so I can contact you for your mailing address.

Tawashi Knot - hold the sour cream please

2009-06-03T21:26:00.000-07:00

For the past couple weeks I've been knitting some scrubbers to use around the house, tawashi knots, to be exact.

I had been looking for a quick and easy knitting project to give me a sense of accomplishment and these fit the bill nicely. I used this great little pattern I stumbled across one day online to make these cute and functional little scrubbers.

They're constructed of a long narrow strip of knitted fabric that's folded into this cute little knot. My husband, who had repeatedly asked me what I was knitting (he didn't quite get it when he saw this long strip of knit fabric, and I told him it was a scrubber) was in awe when I showed him the finished project.

"Oh" he said, understanding finally dawning on his face. "It's a crunchwrap supreme!"

And well yes, yes it is.

Whip it Good! Playtime Indiana Jones Whip Tutorial

2009-05-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

My son is absolutely obsessed with Indiana Jones! OBSESSED! I'm not quite sure when it happened or what triggered it, but there's no going back now. We've been eating, sleeping and breathing archeological machismo for weeks! I could recite the screenplay of Raiders of the Lost Arc in my sleep!

Of course the most appealing thing about Indiana Jones to a 5 year old boy is his whip. I'm more into the smoldering good looks and excessive masculinity but that's just me.

Anyway - everything in the house that could possibly be used as a whip has been - a wayward piece of ribbon, a hand towel, an unplugged extension cord (yikes) and I finally determined that I just needed to make the kid a whip.

It had to be realistic yet safe* and soft and so after some brainstorming and experimentation I came up with this: The Indiana Jones playtime whip.

I realize there probably isn't a high demand for such an item, but I thought if there were other people out there with Indiana Jones obsessed kids they might enjoy this tutorial. Of course this isn't just an Indiana Jones whip - it could be a lion tamer's whip, or you could use this same technique with a few modifications to make a safe playtime cowboy lasso.

Here's what you need:

Flannel fabric in your choice of color. (I used 1.5 yards but only because I didn't want to have to piece it together to get the length I needed. You could easily get away using only 1/2 yard) I chose flannel for its minimal fraying and its softness but you could experiment with other fabrics as well.

Sewing machine or hand sewing supplies

Piece of tape or a helper.

Step 1: Cut your fabric

Cut 6 one inch strips.

As I mentioned above I used 1.5 yards of fabric so my strips were the length I wanted (this resulted in a finished whip of approximately 45 inches). You can use less yardage and simply cut more strips and piece them together to reach your desired length.

I'd recommend the diagonal method to sew your strips together to avoid bulky seams that would be visible in your finished product. To piece your strips to avoid bulk overlap two strips perpendicular to each other and sew diagonally.

Clip the excess fabric close to the seam and ta da - a bulk free seam. It's also a good idea to stagger the location of your seams along your strips so they don't all end up in the same spot on your whip.

Step 2:

Stack all 6 strips on top of each other and sew.

Nothing fancy, you just want to hold all your strips together.

Step 3: Braiding

Here's where the fun part comes in. If you've got yourself a partner have them hold the end of the whip while you braid the strips.

Since I ended up making mine in the wee hours of the morning I had to rely on a piece of packing tape to be my helper.

To get the proper bulk you'll double up your strips - so essentially you're braiding 3 strips of doubled fabric (that's why we started with 6 strips instead of 3).

Step 4: Finishing

Once you get about 3 inches from the end you'll want to stop. Sew through all layers of fabric to hold your braid in place and to create the business end of your whip.

To make the handle end simply fold over the top to make a loop and tack it down to the rest of the whip.

Cut a 4" by 5" rectangle of flannel for the "handle". I seamed the 4" top and bottom of this piece for more of a finished look but that is completely optional.

Wrap the handle fabric over the whip being sure to cover up where then end of the loop meets the body of the whip.

Then simply sew the handle as close as you can along the body of the whip and clip the excess fabric with pinking shears or regular scissors. I also tacked the top and bottom of the handle to the whip as well so there was no chance of it migrating down the length of the whip later.

And there you have it - a soft playtime weapon - which as any parent of young boys knows - is a very good thing.

I've been whipped quite a few times wit this thing since it's creation and I can personally vouch for its softness. It doesn't sting at all - at least not when whipped around by a 5 year old and I think that's the greatest test right there.

*As always with any toy - especially rope-like toys - please be sure to supervise your children at all times to avoid any risk of strangulation.

There are starving crafters out there who don't have Cricuts you know!

2009-05-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

I'm going to make a confession and hope that you won't think less of me.

I've had a fabulous brand new Cricut Expressions sitting in my craft room since my birthday in March and I just finally used it a couple weeks ago.

I know, I know - It's awful. I'd been pining for that machine for years and then when it was in my hands I was at a loss. I could give you lots of excuses - no time, no planned projects, can't afford other cartridges etc. - but the truth of the matter was I was frightened. Here was this fabulous thing and I was humbled and in awe. Was I worthy?

Well I finally got over it and took the new toy for a spin to create some cupcake toppers for my sweet little nephew's first birthday party (it was a bug theme obviously). I also made some larger bugs to decorate the walls.

But what I've been having the most fun with is using it to cut some intricate images for freezer paper t-shirt stencils.

I'd been wanting to try this technique ever since I saw it several months ago on a craft blog but the mere idea of meticulously cutting images with an xacto knife was enough to make my head hurt. So I got to wondering if I could use the Cricut. And as you can see - yes you can.

I won't give you a meticulous step by step since there are tons of great tutorials by people out there (just do a search), but if you're curious the trick is to apply the freezer paper to your cutting mat with the waxy side up - otherwise it won't stay put and will move and rip when you're cutting your image.

Also you'll need to adjust your speed, pressure and blade settings. I put my blade at 2, speed at low and pressure at medium, but do a sample to determine what works best. Oh and if you're doing text you'll need to utilize the "flip" function on your Cricut since you'll essentially be cutting on the wrong side of the paper.

Once your Cricut has done it's work just iron the stencil, waxy side down to your t-shirt, grab your fabric paint (I used Tulip brand Soft fabric paint) and go to town.

Now that the Cricut and I have become more intimately acquainted I'm sure the projects will continue to flow.

Under the Sea Terrarium

2009-05-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

I kind of have a thing for Playmobil figures. They're just so darn cute and I love their little accessories. I found this merman and mermaid at Target a couple months back and bought them for myself - yep wouldn't even let the kids play with them. Why? Because I had a vision! An Under the Sea Terrarium. A small little glass encased world with mossy undersea hills and lush foliage. And finally this weekend I created it!

It's smaller than what I had originally envisioned but I couldn't find an apothecary jar that I liked that was larger than this one. Plus since I have tendencies to kill plants I thought I'd better start small and see if I could get it to survive before I went all out.

It was super simple. I just put some charcoal on the bottom, then layered in some soil and then placed in some fabulous moss and a small succulent-type plant from my very own backyard.

Paired on a shelf with my newly potted succulent from IKEA, it's my new favorite household accessory!

There's no place like IKEA. There's no place like IKEA. There's no place . . .

2009-04-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

"Ekktorp, Malm, Brunkrissla" - those words are like angels whispering in my ear - Swedish angels.

I've recently returned from a road trip to IKEA, the shopping mecca for all things trendy,chic and cheap. I can't say exactly when I fell in love with IKEA, it was a few years back. I had heard fairy tails of simplistic Swedish designed furniture and ultra chic accessories for affordable prices and then I went there - and it was all I had dreamed of and more. And don't even get me started on the 99cent breakfast!

Just as I was pining to return my friend Carrie informed me that she longed to head there for her birthday and me and my friend Shawna were all too happy to tag along. The nearest IKEA is 3 hours away so it required some planning, which only added to the anticipation.

I think one of my favorite things about this trip were the days leading up to it. When Shawna was making a withdrawal at the bank she mentioned that she was headed to IKEA and the teller and 2 adjacent customers instantly squeeled, "Are you going to IKEA!?" and then proceeded to launch into stories of how much they loved IKEA. They asked her what she planned on buying, and when she was going, etc. She thought one might actually ask to tag along!

Two days later I was extolling the virtues of IKEA to my mom on the bleachers at Aaron's T-ball game (she's what I like to call an IKEA virgin - hadn't even heard of it - shocking I know) and the guy in front of us instantly turned around and launched into a 5 minute presentation on the wonder and beauty of the place and their products.

You see, everyone loves IKEA.

We spent a total of 7 hours in the store and adored every minute. Here are some of my favorite purchases:

Fabric

My only regret is that I didn't buy nearly enough. You see I was too overwhelmed on our first route through the textile area so I decided to wait to make a decision until we came around for the second pass. By then though we were approaching hour 6 and I was pretty wiped. I wasn't thinking clearly!

I should have bought a yard of absolutely everything! Most of these are destined for throwpillows and the green flowers are going to be curtains for the kids' room.

Elephant tray

I absolutely love this tray. I love elephants first of all, and with the colors and patterns going on in this tray - there was no way I could resist, especially for $6.

Hello - do you see this? The baby elephant, the little birds on their backs, the patterns - it's almost too much. Now if they'd had fabric like this I would have bought the whole bolt.

Tumbler, bowl and plate set:

This may seem silly that I'm excited about plastic tableware but it's hard to find fun tableware for kids that's not made out of that awful melamine stuff that you can't nuke in the microwave and that usually has Dora or some other cartoon character emblazoned on it.

This set is microwave and dishwasher safe and their the perfect size for little ones.

I got lots of other great stuff too and I can't wait to go back. The good news is that I shouldn't have to wait too long. The girls and I have already decided to make this trip into an annual affair and my Mom is renovating her kitchen and after looking at the catalog has determined she needs to head there to check out their cabinetry.

There's no place like IKEA.

Going Vintage

2009-04-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

I’m no antique dealer but I do enjoy going to antique stores and I adore a good garage sale or flea market and so over the years I’ve accumulated quite a few interesting vintage items. Most of them I’ve put to good use in my home either decoratively or in a utilitarian way but as my tastes and décor change and as I accumulate even more things it sometimes becomes necessary to clean things out.

I couldn’t bear to give these items to Goodwill and after putting on 3 very tedious and disappointing garage sales in the last few years and vowing to myself after each and every one never to do it again, I think I’ve finally convinced myself. So since Ebay annoys me I’ve decided to take advantage of Etsy’s vintage category and place some items in my shop.

They’re all things that are either from my childhood, like this Smurf license plate or things my parents have purged me from their extensive collections of oddities. Some are items I purchased to use in my home and have tired of.

The hardest part I’m finding is determining price. I don’t know how much to ask for an old Shirt Tales lunchbox or an ashtray in the shape of a toilet and for some of the more obscure items like a vinyl E.T. costume it’s hard to find anything comparable online to even get an idea on pricing.

I mean, what would you pay for a set of the Blue Falcon Crazy Eights cards?

So I just did my best through research and guessing to come up with what I hope is fair pricing and I’m crossing my fingers that no one with a nervous constitution and a weak heart views that E.T. costume because that thing is just freaky!

I'd call it the Shawly

2009-03-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

We've all seen the infomercial - and even though it's the most ridiculous thing you've ever seen you know you secretly want one - and it comes with a free booklight! Yep, it's the Snuggy - the blanket with sleeves!

But why settle for this cheap fleece version when you can whip out one of these?

So much more stylish and practical really. I mean you couldn't wear the Snuggy to the supermarket but you could wear this. Though I might suggest you wear something underneath it besides just the wonderbra that this gal is sporting.

This is another one of the patterns in my knitting pattern desk calendar. It's a shawl (or a wrap) with sleeves. And while you can't deny that the yarn is lovely, I just wonder how many people could pull off a garment such as this? We don't all have freakishly long and flat torsos like this woman. I mean is it just me or does it look like the length between this womans chin and her hips is comparable to the length of a tennis court? Maybe it's an optical illusion caused by that incredibly low cut pair of pants. What do you think the length is on that zipper - about 3/4 of an inch?

I just can't imagine a normal person wearing this item with any outfit and not looking like she wrapped an afghan around her shoulders and cut out holes to put her arms through. But perhaps I'm being unfair. Perhaps the garment itself is more stylish than I give it credit for. I think I'm really just thrown off by this woman's freakishly long torso. Plus at first glance I swore it was Shania Twain, and I was thinking "good for her to be doing something, I haven't seen her in ages" and then I realized it wasn't her. You know you see a brunette and exposed midriff and well you just assume Shania.

What do you think? Is it stylish and cool or should it be sold with a free booklight?

Vote Early - Vote Often!

2009-03-24T17:03:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited! One of my items (The Dieter's Friend Snack Clips) has been selected for the April Fools Pranks & Gags item poll on the Storque!

What does that mean? It means that if my item gets enough votes it will be featured in the Gift Guide and on the Etsy blog!

Considering the multitude of wonderful items on Etsy I consider it a great honor to even have my product noticed.

So if you've got a spare moment please click on the link below and cast your vote! Of course you don't have to vote for my item - I mean it would be the nice thing to do, but you know, no pressure or anything.

http://www.etsy.com/voter_list.php?ref=voter&room_id=36

Felt Shopping Bag Tutorial

2009-03-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

My kids love their play kitchen. It's stocked full of play food, appliances, a cash register and even a shopping cart. The only thing they were missing were some shopping bags. At first I was set on making some that looked like brown paper bags, but I didn't have any brown felt on hand. Then I got to thinking that the days of paper sacks (and hopefully plastic bags) were numbered so it made more sense to pattern them after today's re-usable fabric shopping bags.

Their construction is incredibly simple. I've thrown together a tutorial in case you want to make some of your own.

Materials:

Felt, sewing machine and general sewing supplies, Printable fabric sheets (optional)

Step 1 - Cut the felt

I cut three rectangles at 7" by 11", two 11" squares and four 11" by 2" strips for the handles.

I found some grocery related clipart online and printed them onto printable fabric sheets. These are available at most craft stores. I used the sew-on ones but they also come in iron-on as well which might make their application a little quicker.

Step 2 - Sew the bag together

Seam the square and 2 rectangle pieces together at the sides. Then pin to the bottom rectangle and sew.

Fold the top down approximately and inch and a half and sew.

Step 3 - Handles

Place two handle strips together and seam on both sides.

Pin the handles to the top of the bag. I measured in 2 inches from the side seams so that their location was consistent on both sides.

Sew on.

Step 4 - Finishing

Turn the bag right side out.

The bag will be pretty floppy at this point (like the photo on the left) so in order to give it some strength and allow it to stand open better fold the seams together and sew a small seam on the outside of the bag.

Add your fabric transfer image if you desire, or you could also easily do a quick applique or simply leave the bag as-is.

This little bag is very sturdy and will last for many years of play and is strong enough to be used at the real grocery store as well!

Alternative method:

After I made my first bag I wondered how I could speed up the process so I decided to make one a little bit quicker by foregoing some of the steps. I cut and seamed the bag just like steps 1 and 2. However, I didn't bother turning down the top and seaming it nor did I double the layers of felt for the handles.

I left the bag "inside out" with exposed seams and quickly sewed the handles on the outside and it was done. It doesn't look quite as finished and fancy as my other one but it certainly does the trick and is really reminiscent of those re-usable store brand grocery bags.

The Good, The Unkempt and The Freakish

2009-03-04T18:07:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I got a daily knitting pattern calendar. I keep it on my desk at work as a reminder that I need my job in order to afford yarn.

Now so far it's been great. The patterns are simple, mostly useful items and I've saved quite a few of the patterns for future projects, like this lovely hat and scarf pattern. Plus having this male model staring back at me made January 12 a little more tolerable.

Hello. If I thought he'd magically materialize if I knitted that scarf and hat my co workers would have heard nothing but the clicking of needles from my cubicle!

Anyway, on Monday this pattern popped up and I thought it was slightly odd. I mean who really wants to knit a sweater for a 6 inch doll, and what's up with this poor doll's hair?

AND THEN . . . I flipped the calendar over on Tuesday to see this:

I seriously had to turn the calendar around! This little doll was freaking me out. I couldn't quite pinpoint the source of the freakout factor. Was it the fact that someone had skinned a hedgehog to make his hair? His deathly pale skin and black lifeless eyes? The fact that he was wearing lipstick? And then I figured it out - it was the variegated knit pants. I hate variegated yarn!

Craft show purchases

2009-03-02T20:30:00.000-08:00

My mom and I attended a local craft sale this past weekend and I came home with 3 treasures that I wanted to share with you. The first is a fabulous ceramic bunny planter. I was thrilled to find Chris Farr's booth at the show as I'm a big fan of her work and have several of her pieces. Her work is whimsical and durable and I can't wait to find the perfect plant to put in this little guy's cabbage!

Another whimsical find were these fabulous fireflies made by artist Don Hutchings. Mom and I have been fans of his work for a few years and we were definitely smitten with his new creations this year.

I couldn't resist this little guy made from an antique Christmas bulb.

And this wide mouthed Bell jar bug is perfect for my flower bed.

The pole is even removable and one of his little wings can be converted into a hook in case I want to hang him somewhere.

Finally - A new item

2009-02-24T18:26:00.000-08:00

It amazes me the amount of time it takes me to get a product from conception to reality and then to get it posted on my Etsy site. Of course some of that might have to do with the fact that I have a full time job and two kids to take up my time.

Anyway, the point is - I have finally listed my newest item! The Dieter's Friend Snack clips. They're a take on my paper embellished clothespins but with a little humor thrown in as well.

You're saying to yourself right now - "Wouldn't it have made more sense to use the Milano cookies as props to match the bag instead of the oreos?" It probably would have but you know I bought that bag of Milano's three days before I got around to the photo shoot, and well, that's an empty bag in that picture! In my defense - I didn't use any of these clips to seal the bag so I couldn't help myself - and hello - they're MINT MILANO's!

I'd like to experiment a little in the future with different color and fonts but for now I'm just thrilled to unveil them. Click HERE to see the listing.

I've also been making some little matchbook notepads with my paper scraps and will be including one with each purchase as a Thank you.

You're reaching for your wallet right now arent' you? I knew it! The little pieces of paper are even perforated for easy removal - how could you resist?

Finished project satisfaction.

2009-02-18T17:20:00.000-08:00

There's nothing quite as satisfying as finishing a project, expecially one you've been working on for over a month. I started this shawl over the New Year's holiday and just finished it yesterday.

It's nothing too exciting but I loved the color of the yarn (antique teal) and the open weave areas of the pattern made the project go quickly while still resulting in a warm shawl.

I plan on taking it to work with me to combat those cold corporate office breezes. If I can get it away from Gwen that is.

The second best thing about finishing a project is the excitement of beginning the next one. Right now I'm flipping through my newest knitting pattern book. I got it on sale at JoAnn's and Aaron has already requested a dinosaur and a snake and I'm kind of eyeing that elephant for myself!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T08:40:00.000-08:00

It's all about love today and the kids and I expressed our love for our fine feathered friends by making this heart shaped birdseed biscuit from a Family Fun recipe.

We put it out just in time too, before we got hit with over 7 inches of snow. I don't really mind though. We've got no where to go and I do so adore the neighbor's tree when it's laden with creamy dollops of snow.

. . . and I've got this wonderful guy to do all the shoveling!

Happy Heart Day everyone!

To Cricut or not to Cricut? That is the question.

2009-02-11T21:57:00.000-08:00

I’ve always loved die cut machines and secretly harbored a desire for one, but I could just never find them practical enough. I couldn’t justify the large price tag for the machine and then the subsequent hefty price tag of the individual dies. I mean do I really want to spend $15 on a die of a baby bottle? How often am I going to need that baby bottle? Would I even use it 15 times so that the cost would even out to $1 per use? And what if I wanted it in a different size? What’s the likelihood that I’d want a die cut dog in the exact same size every time I used it? Pretty unlikely.

So when the Cricut came out I was intrigued. After all it was much more space conscious than normal die cut machines, and it allowed you to program different sizes for your die cuts which was fantastic. I was still able to talk myself out of it though because it could only go up to 5 inches and I like big bold elements on my pages so it still wasn’t worth it, and then they came out with the Cricut Expression which can cut full 12x12 die cuts andpieces up to 23" then the drooling began. I even sit through those incredibly cheesy Cricut infomercials – have you seen those? The ones in which it appears that assembling die cut Minnie Mouse cupcake toppers is a near orgasmic experience for Cricut owners.

But just wait! Not only can you cut paper but you can cut fabric, vinyl and chipboard as well. After you’ve watched the full infomercial you’re convinced that this thing could give you a mani and pedi, fold your laundry and replace every household appliance you own! But here’s the kicker: it’s $300 and after that investment you’re still talking $50 on average for the cartridges. I’d love to have it and I’m sure I’d make full use of it if I had it but is it worth it?

My poor husband has watched me drooling over this thing for months and months. He’s seen the longing gazes towards them on the store shelves, he’s seen me caress the boxes, he’s interrupted more than one guilty viewing of that informercial and so he’s willing to make its purchase possible but I’m just not sure. It’s a lot of money that we could spend on something else.

So I’m begging anyone who has one or is thinking of getting one to let me know your thoughts. If you have one do you love it? Do you regret it? Could you live without it now that you have it? If you don’t have one are you thinking of getting one?

Tactile Toy Heart Tutorial

2009-02-06T23:48:00.000-08:00

Do you see this face? Look at it - the round cheeks, the slightly upturned little pixie nose, those eyes; brilliant and blue and larger than life. This is Avery, my nephew. Well, he's not really my biological nephew but in my heart he is since his Momma is like a sister to me. And speaking of hearts, I've just finished his Valentine's Day gift and I thought I'd share it with you in case you would want to make one for any sweet faced cherubs in your life.

It's constructed simply out of cotton fabric and fiberfill and makes a great soft toy for children of any age. Its shape makes it intriguing both to the eyes and to the touch and it's great for throwing, squeezing and even chewing on.

Here's what you'll need:

-Cotton fabric (I just used scraps but I'd estimate less than 1/2 yard total )

stuffing (polyester fiberfil or cotton or bamboo whatever you prefer)
-sewing machine

-basic sewing supplies (scissor, needle, threade etc.)

The first thing you'll need to do is make your template. Through trial and error I found that you really want a nice fat juicy heart. Mine ended up being 7 1/2 inches wide and 7 inches tall. No matter what size you make you'll want to make sure that your height and width measurements are almost equal. If you make it too tall and narrow then it ends up looking so pointed after it's stuffed that it resembles more of a weapon than a cuddly heart.

Once you have your heart template on paper place your fabric right sides together. Here I'm using 2 contrasting fabrics. Take your heart template and place it on the fabric and trace around it. Repeat for the 2nd heart.

You'll need to have 2 openings in the heart for turning and stuffing. I marked them on my heart with my marker so that I wouldn't get carried away and sew the whole thing shut (I've been known to do that).

Sew the 2 pieces together directly on the marked line. When sewing shapes I find that this method is the best for preserving the shape. It's a lot easier to follow the marked line with your needle than it is to cut out the shape and then try to line up the edge of it with your presser foot or a mark on your sewing machine. Shorten your stitch length so that the seams will be tight and very durable.

Once you've sewn the heart cut off your excess fabric. I used my pinking shears but if you don't have any then regular scissors will do but you might want to clip the seam allowance around the curved parts of the heart. I left a little extra seam allowance at my openings to make turning the edges in and sewing the openings closed a little easier.

Turn your hearts right side out and stack them on top of each other. You can experiment with placement if you like. Here I alternated the fabrics but you'll get a different look if you place the same fabric patterns together in the middle.

With a straight edge and a chalk marker(or whatever marking tool you prefer) mark a straight line from the center top of the heart down to the tip. Sew along this line making sure to reinforce the top and bottom with some backstitching.

Now it's time to stuff. In this picture you can see my favorite stuffing tool of all time. I'm not even sure what they're called but I got them in the sporting goods section of Wal-Mart. They're used for fishing - to pull the hooks out of the mouths of those poor bass and bluegills who were unlucky enough to find a hook in their afternoon snack. They also resemble those things that nurses use to clamp off IV tubes and stuff. Anyway, they're great for stuffing, especially small intricate shapes because they allow you to grab and hold small pieces of stuffing and place them where you want them. I could not live without them!

Stuff each section of the heart very firmly. Then just sew the openings closed by hand and you're done!

This would be sweet with some little bells placed inside or maybe a squeaker or two. If you're not into the heart you could do this with other shapes as well and I think they'd turn out just as cute - a circle/diamond shape etc. would be great. They'd probably make pretty good dog chew toys as well.

More pictures of the finished product below:

Worth the wait

2009-02-03T21:07:00.000-08:00

My very best friend, Shawna, presented me with this fabulous late Christmas gift this past weekend.

It's a lovely cowl and it's construction is very interesting. It's comprised of many crocheted chains that are held together only at the ends. The texture is fabulous, I love the way it lays around my neck and the Yarn Bee yarn is incredibly soft as well. Thanks Shawna!

I also recently recieved another gift, this one from my mom. It's a fabulous wrist strap for my keys. I love the ribbon she used on it and I love that I can keep my keys handy around my wrist, especially when the windchills are in negative temps. It's no fun fumbling around in your pocket to unlock the van doors when you've got a 2 year old in your arms that refuses to keep a hat on her head.

How to alter ClipArt using Microsoft PowerPoint

2009-01-25T19:58:00.000-08:00

I love Clip Art! Who doesn’t? And when I’m not using it to create a presentation at work, I often find uses for it around the house. I’ve used it to label my kid’s drawers.

This helps my 5 year old get himself dressed in the morning and is a great learning tool for my 2 year old as well.

I’ve also made them their own clock which helps us keep on schedule everyday and avoid arguments around bedtime. The clock cannot be swayed whereas Mommy sometimes can. (to make your own just get a cheap clock, pry off the plastic top and adhere your clipart to the proper times. Put a big arrow on the hour hand for easy viewing and you’re good to go!

I tend to get pretty particular about my clip art though. The images aren’t always exactly how I’d like them, and I learned early in my corporate career how to manipulate and customize them for my own needs.

I thought I’d pass on some of these tips and tricks so that others can use them as well. All you need is Microsoft Powerpoint and some basic computing skills. Let’s get started.

To illustrate I’m going to show you a design I came up with for last year’s Susan G Komen breast cancer walk. Some friends walk every year and wanted a fun design that they could print onto iron-on transfers and make into T-shirts, and knowing my clip art skills, they turned to me. Here is the finished design:

And here is the clip art that I started with.
Now before we get started let’s talk about where to get your clip art. You can get clip art many different places. You can purchase it on CD-roms, you can purchase it online from clip art sites and you can get some of it free by searching online sites. The methods that I’m going to show you in this tutorial apply only to clipart acquired from Microsoft Office. If you have Office you should have a basic set of clipart that came with the software, and you have access to an impressive supply from Microsoft online (To download images from Microsoft online, simply select the clipart and follow the download instructions based upon which version of Office you have on your computer.)

Now to get started, open Powerpoint, select a blank slide layout, and insert your image. You’ll also need to make sure that the Drawing toolbar is visible as this is what we’ll be using to edit our clipart (View/Toolbars/Drawing).

Once you have your image on your slide click on it to select it, go to you drawing toolbar, click Draw, and then ungroup. You should get a message similar to this: "This is an imported picture, not a group. Do you want to convert it to a Microsoft Office drawing object?"

Click yes. After clicking yes, you’ll have to select Draw/Ungroup again.

You’ll know the image is ungrouped when you see several selection circles rather than just four. The image is now separated into its pieces and is ready for manipulation.

In this instance I wanted to remove the background and the punching bag completely. Click off of the image so that nothing is selected and then click back onto just the area that you want to remove. See here how the green background is selected.

Delete it by hitting your delete button on the keyboard. The background image in this clipart is actually 2 pieces so I had to select and delete the circular area as well.

The same can be done for the punching bag. Since it has some variations in color it is actually made up of several pieces. You can click on and delete each piece individually, or click just outside of it, hold your mouse button and drag a selection box over the entire area to select all the pieces and then delete them.

Now it was time to alter the image of the woman. While she is lovely as is, I wanted the skin and hair color of my image to more closely match those of the person for whom they were walking. To do this I selected an area of the skin and then on my drawing toolbar selected the fill color tool (the icon that looks like a bucket of paint). Click the arrow next to it and a window pops up. Choose “More fill colors . . . “ A window will pop up with all your color choices.

I usually find a shade I’m happy with under the Standard tab, but if you choose custom you have access to every shade imaginable. Once you’ve selected a color, choose OK and you’ll see that the piece of the clipart you’ve selected has now taken on the color you’ve chosen.

Continue this process for all areas you want to change the color of. I changed the hair color, skin tone, shirt color and boxing glove color. In most images there will be small areas of shading that are different tones and they can be a little tricky to select since they’re small but if you zoom in you can usually grab them easily and change their color.

Once you’ve made all of your changes you will now want to group your image back together. If you do not then it will be nearly impossible to move it around or resize it – you’ll just end up moving around an arm or only resizing the hair etc. To group the image, click outside of it, hold down you mouse button and drag over the entire image to select all of the pieces. Then click Draw on your drawing toolbar and Group. You can now move and resize the entire image as you see fit.

Notes and other ideas:

Some images are easier to manipulate than others. It all depends on how they are created. Images with lots of shadings and/or gradations of color can be a mess when ungrouped and can consist of hundreds of tiny pieces, making their alteration tedious if not impossible. Other images might be created in such a way as that you cannot delete one part of it without deleting another part you wish to keep. It all depends on how it’s built and how you wish to manipulate it. But I find for the most part that it’s worth trying.

Use these techniques to create coloring pages or easily transferable embroidery patterns. Say you have a themed party or kids event and you cannot find a coloring page to suit your need. If you can find clip art that matches your theme and has a black outline then you can usually remove all of the colored areas, leaving only the black outline which you can then print and offer to your kids for a fun coloring activity. You can also use this technique to create easily transferrable hand embroidery patterns!

Sometimes these techniques work and sometimes they don't. It depends upon the clipart and sometimes the version of Office that you are using. Anyone who knows Microsoft knows how finicky it can sometimes be. I certainly do not claim to be a Microsoft expert but feel free to email me if you have any questions or issues and I'll do my best to help you out. pinandpaper@qmail.com

Oh Yeah, I'm cool

2009-01-20T18:16:00.000-08:00

One of my favorites gifts this year was an MP3 player. I had resisted getting one for a long time because I figured I had better things to do than sit around at night downloading music to it, but after years of listening to the same 15 CD's at work over and over and over again, I gave in.

I love it! Ok, I've only got 68 songs on it so far but I'm working on it, plus I can get my favorite radio station at my desk, which is something I never could do with my radio.

It's a Phillips and it's small and cute, but of course it needed something - a cute little case. I made this one out of felt and it was pretty easy.

I'm thinking of improving on my design and making another one, but perhaps I should focus on filling up my 450 song capacity first.

The mushroom embroidery on the front is from Annie Oak Leaves cute little things embroidery pattern.

King Me

2009-01-12T18:42:00.001-08:00

Time to share another item that I made for gifts this year. This checkerboard scarf.

I made two actually. One in this lovely green which I felt would compliment my sister-in-law's red hair perfectly, and one in cream for my mother in law. They loved them as much as I loved making them.

It was knit in Jiffy yarn and with a smaller needle so that they are very dense and cozy. The pattern is from a Quick to Knit Fabulous Scarves book.

Crayons and more crayons and a tutorial

2009-01-06T21:17:00.000-08:00

Now that the holidays are over and all gifts are given, I can divulge and show you some of the things I was frantically churning out this holiday season. Let’s begin with crayons.

I was literally up to my ears in crayons – 320 crayons to be exact. I made some very sweet little crayon rolls which were quite quick and easy once you get the hang of it. I used this tutorial from Skip to My Lou. I think they turned out to be very adorable and are a great way to tote around crayons for your little ones. The kids loved them. Here are the two I made for my kids. I also made two for my younger nieces.

My other crayon project was one that I had been looking forward to for weeks. I kept seeing all these fantastic shaped crayons and I wanted to make some, not only for my own kids, but I thought it would be a perfect and easy project to use as gifts for Aaron’s preschool classmates.

Originally the plan was to make multicolored crayons by cutting them up and melting them in the oven in a shaped mold (like this). My downfall on that plan was that I was using a silicone ice cube tray as my mold, thinking that it was made of the same silicone as my silicone muffin and bread pans. Yeah, don’t try that at home folks – the only thing that melted was my ice cube tray.

But I was determined to use my silicone Christmas tree shaped ice cube tray (thankfully I got 2 at the dollar store so I still had one left over after the oven incident) So I did some more research and found out that you could melt the crayons in a double boiler and then pour them into practically any type of mold – candy molds, ice cube trays, whatever. Thus began my hours long journey into the world of crayon molding, and so that those hours were not in vain, I want to share with you the tips and tricks I discovered in this little mini tutorial.

How to make shaped crayons – double boiler method.

Supplies:
Crayons – use high quality crayons such as Crayola, cheaper versions get all oily and wonky when melted and remolded - you will be unhappy with the results
Molds – candy molds, ice cube trays (even the silicone ones), mini cupcake pans etc.
Razor blade/utility knife
Large saucepan
Glass measuring cup or other small container to melt crayons in

Step 1 – Prepare the crayons

Gather your crayons. Any size of crayon will work though the smaller ones will melt faster and are easier to prepare. I purchased mine new because I needed a lot of them but this is a great project to make good use out of all the old broken crayon nubs at the bottom of your kid’s crayon stash as well.

Remove the paper labels. I found that the best way to do this is to slit the paper wrapper along its entire length with a razor blade, utility knife or X acto knife. It will then peel off very easily.

Cut the crayons into small pieces. You can snip them with scissors or I found the most efficient way was to cut them on a cutting board with a chopping knife. Just like dicing up some carrots!

Organize by color. Remember that these will be melted so keep like colors together. Since I was using sets of 64 colors I had a wide variety of colors and I simply grouped them into color families. The varied shades mingled together when melted.

Step 2 – Melt the crayons

Set up your double boiler by placing a small amount of water (approximately 1-2”) in the bottom of a large saucepan. Turn your burner onto medium heat.

Place your glass measuring cup* with crayon pieces into the saucepan.

*I used a glass measuring cup to melt my crayons in. The glass allowed me to easily keep tabs on the melting progress of the crayons and the spout makes for easy pouring. However, you could use any type of container as long as it can withstand the heat required for melting the wax.

Now you just sit back and wait for the crayons to melt. I stirred mine throughout the melting process (with a straw) to encourage large chunks to melt faster and to mix any varying colors together.

Step 3 – Prepare molds and pour

While the crayons are melting, prepare your molds. They don’t need any extra special preparation. Just make sure that they are clean, at room temperature and on a flat surface.

(I used some lollipop and pretzel stick molds for some of mine and the channel for the stick became a problem. I solved it by using poster tac (the silly-putty type stuff that your mother always hated you using on the wall to hang up that Tiger Beat poster of Johnny Depp). You could also use a little glob of play doh or something – really just anything disposable that you can push into the mold to stop the flow of melted crayon.)

Once the crayons are melted (make sure there are no chunks) remove the measuring cup from the saucepan (be sure to use a hot pad) and carefully pour the melted crayons into your mold.

Step 4 – Remove from mold

Allow the melted crayons to sit. They’ll start to harden fairly quickly. Once they’ve set up slightly and are not liquid you can place the mold in the freezer for a couple minutes to speed up the hardening process and to ease their transition out of the mold. I found the freezer was a necessary step for the silicone ice cube tray mold, whereas it was unnecessary for the candy mold. They popped right out of them.

Clean up any edges and that’s that. You and your kids can enjoy shapetastic coloring. (Yes, I know that shapetastic is not a word and I don’t care!)

Notes and Variations:

I did a lot of different colors so there was a lot of melting going on. The easiest cleanup method I found was to wipe the excess crayon out of the measuring cup with a paper towel while it was still hot and melted. Then I could quickly throw in my next color and place it back in the saucepan.

If you’d like a multi-colored crayons like these Christmas tree ones I did for Aaron’s classmates, follow the same instructions but don’t fill the mold all the way. Fill it partly with one color, allow that color to harden and then add a second layer of color, wait for it to harden and repeat. I found that cooling them in the freezer to ease their transition out of the mold caused the colored layers to separate in some instances, so it’s best to avoid the freezer step altogether for this multi-color technique.

As always, if something in here doesn't make sense, feel free to ask me a question in the comments or email me at pinandpaper@q.com