Etsy Shop Update: Beaded Ivory Satin Brooch

This one really came out of nowhere! It's almost like it developed entirely in my subconscious and my hands just sort of worked it out on their own while I watched SNL. :D I'm very happy with it--so happy, in fact, that I finished it up and put it in my shop this morning!

Constructed of ivory/antique white satin over 2 layers of stabilizer, with 2 brooch pins on the back to keep it in place. Measures 3" by 3". See more here!

Happy Shopping!

Tag! She's It...

Little Miss will be attending her first day of preschool on Thursday, and in preparation I have made her a very unique name tag for her not-so-unique Disney princess backpack which, I have a feeling, won't be the only one of its kind in the cubbies this year.

I haven't yet, but I plan to print our home info on transfer paper and iron it to the back.

I have this idea that, as she gets older, I'm going to teach her to have her own sense of style and not to be a slave to fashion trends--and, therefore, the trendy price tags that go along with it. I realize just how far-fetched this idea might sound, but I'm sure gonna try! Starting now, we'll at least mix in some nice handmade items into her wardrobe. And we'll see how that goes once the designer labels become a bigger deal, as she gets older. Wish me luck!

Etsy Shop Update: Satin Rosette & Peacock Feather Cuff

Here it is:

Another gorgeous bracelet!

My parents have peacocks* and my mother is kind enough to pick up after them as their feathers fall out. Somehow the bag of feathers kept getting closer and closer to my bucket of beads and bracelet supplies, until I finally put two and two together and cranked out this beautiful piece which is, honestly, a little hard to sell! It's stunning, and I plan to make one for myself when I have more time.

I absolutely love it, which means that you're sure to as well. And that's why I've added it to my Etsy shop!

Happy Shopping!

*Back story on the peacocks: My parents did not choose to have these noisy birds. The thing is, they feed their flocks and their new neighbors do not. That's how you acquire a number of animals who are capable of wondering the countryside! By simply taking care of their own poultry and fowl, they are now the caretakers of these majestic, albeit LOUD, peacocks who leave their beautiful feathers all over the place. And that's how I got them! So, rest easy knowing that no animals were harmed in the acquisition of these crafty accents. Much to the contrary--they are spoiled rotten. :D

Etsy Shop Update: Custom Made Beaded Cuff

This project was one of much creative searching, inspiration, contemplation, and inner reflection. It is incredibly unique and made especially to match the funkier side of my personality, and I just have to say, it absolutely does. And it pleases me to say, it's BEAUTIFUL!

Because it has made such an impression on those who have seen it--and one friend in particular who received one as a gift--I have decided to update my Etsy shop with a listing for Custom Made Beaded Cuff Bracelets like this one.

No, it's not inexpensive, but they take at least 8 hours to make and are something so unique and expressive that there is no way you'll not LOVE this!

Here are some pics of the 2 I have made in this fashion so far.

The great thing about these bracelets is that they can come in any color and they're so personal when your own trinkets are thrown into the mix.

Not to mention that you will NEVER run into someone wearing the same fashion accessory! :D

Happy Shopping!

My No-Brainer DIY $5 Window Treatments

I can't say that this is anything spectacular but it looks good, was insanely cheap and easy, and gets the job done! My 18 month old son was up with (or before) the sun, so I needed a very dark window covering. Because I am me, I didn't want to spend any real money on it. So here's what I did:
First I bought two very dark blue twin flat sheets at the Evil Empire (that's WalMart, of course) for $7 total. Their length and width was exactly what I needed, when turned sideways, for the dimensions of the windows (one sheet = two curtain panels). When cut in half, I needed to only hem one side of each panel, and was able to use the other hems as already finished edges. So, no work there!
At the top, I folded over a few inches and stitched it to make a tube for the rod to go thru. I could have gotten fancy and added a ruffle at the top by simply adding one more straight stitch an inch or so down from the top, but I chose to be lazy. :)

Because I didn't want my darling husband to be pulling on the rods every time he wanted to open the curtains (the sunlight is good in this room when the curtains are open, so we don't need the lamp on all the time) I made some very easy-to-use tie-back hooks. This was the fun part:

First, I invested in 4 mug hooks. TIP: Cup hooks, which are a little small and cheaper, may have worked a little better. I originally wanted to put them on the side of the trim, but the size made it impossible to screw them in. Then I took felt scraps, cut out star shapes in graduated sizes, glued them on top of one another, and glued an elastic hair band to the back. I glued another felt strip over the band on the back for stability. Finally, I glued the elastic band to the hook so that it wasn't always falling off.

Then I drilled a tiny hole in the wood and screwed the hook in by hand. (Instead of drilling, you can hammer a tiny nail into the wall and then remove it to make the pilot hole.)

Now, whenever we need it to be dark we let the curtains hang, and when we need some light we use our elastic loops to hold them open. So easy! And cheap. And fun. And, if you can find a used sheet or curtain or material to use, it'll be green, too!

I'm overestimating the total cost at $5 per window. It's probably more like $4, but I can't find my receipt for the hooks, and we'll just say $5 in case you're buying everything new.

Tidbits for Little Miss and her Friends

WOW, it's good to be back! This is the first weekend in over a month that we've spent at home, and how nice it is to wake up in our own bed, go to our own church, put the kids down for naps in their own rooms, and hang out at our house on a Sunday afternoon!

My hot glue gun and I were on FIRE this afternoon (don't worry--only figuratively). I did some repairs, and then set to work on a small project for Little Miss. A few weeks ago (the last time I saw my craft room!), she brought me some scraps of Russian tulle that I had used for the bridal veil I recently made. Of course, I immediately put on my to-do list to make a pint-sized veil for her. I still had the practice flower piece from the real veil, so I glued some pearl beads to the center of the flowers (where the crystals had been on the real one), bunched up some extra tulle scraps behind it for added charm, and mounted a piece of tulle on the front for a blusher. A small hair clip glued to the back, and voila!

She's been strutting around in nothing but the veil and an old kids' square dancing petticoat pretending to be a bride since she woke up from her nap. It's pretty cute.

And because I've been privy to more than one sharing predicament during play dates, I made an extra one for her to share when a friend is over. I took a few pics along the way because, I mean, why wouldn't I?
I totally owe you a tut after my prolonged absence, and I've just been itching to do one lately, anyhow. :)

You need next to nothing for this project: some fake flowers, yoyos, ribbons, buttons, feathers, or any flair you want to use for the clip; a length of ribbon, popsickle stick, nail file, fabric scrap, or anything a couple of inches long to glue your stuff to; as much tulle as you need to cover the desired area of the face (or back of the head if you turn it around); a hot glue gun; and a hair clip (tip: the bigger the better, as long as it's all covered). After it was all done, I could have done lots of fancier things with it, but I was sticking with what I had on hand.

1. Glue all your flair to the ribbon (my "ribbon" was some left-over homemade bias tape). Make sure to cover the whole thing. Layer your flair for dimension.

This is the front of the piece, all layered up and covering the entire ribbon.

Optional: I glued a piece of tulle behind it, for added affect. Make it as big and loud as you wish!

2. By folding the top edge of the blusher tulle over a couple of times, you can gather it up so that it curves around the face instead of sticking straight out. This will help make it look better. Glue it to the back of the ribbon.
3. Glue on your hair clip. I found a little too late that small clips don't work as well (this was a no-cost project, I just used what I had on hand), so I'd recommend using something bigger or a big bobby pin. And... YOU'RE DONE!

These are the two I made. Little Miss is in love!

Clip it in over the forehead. It seems to work best to pull the hair back. Play around with it. You might find a completely different way to wear it. Any way you do, this is incredibly fast, easy, cheap (or free!), and such a great addition to any costume stash!

PS-- Pics are due any time from our stunning veiled bride, and I'll certainly put them up when they arrive in my inbox!

Unveiling: the Preview

But I have no "done" pics yet. So I'll give you a teaser. I've been working on this wedding veil for what seems like years now (okay, about a month, minus camping), and I put the seal on the envelope at 2 o'clock this morning. My bedtime has become 9:30 since sticking a bun in the oven, and the only reason I've seen the 2 am hour lately is getting up to pee, so I'm a little pooped today. But I'm managing.

Here's the flower piece on the clip. I LOVE how this part turned out. The rest of the veil is Russian tulle, which was a huge pain to work with, but all in all it's a pretty good project, I think.

I'm just hoping the bride approves! We'll see this weekend, when I can hopefully get a good picture of it on her. The ones I took at 2 am turned out... well, I'm not posting them. Nobody saw me at 2 am last night, and that's how it should stay! :D

And the lovely little box that I sent it in. This was a box of chocolates that Hubby brought me back from France, covered in wrapping paper, and I LOVE how it turned out!

This AM In the Craft Room Part II: Lacey Yoyo Button Pins

The other projects I did for MOPS were these cute little things. They're incredibly easy, very versatile, and I probably have no reason to do a tutorial for them except that I did bother to take pictures, so... why not?!?! :) FYI: I made 2, so the pics have 2 of each part in them, but I'll write the tut for only one. Here goes...

Start by cutting out a circle about twice the diameter as your finished pin will be.

Sew a long running stitch along the edge of the circle. It should be wide so that you can pull it tight and close the opening. A finished edge is not necessary because it will be covered.

Pull the running stitch tight to close the circle.

For the lace layer, I estimated how much I would need to make the appropriate sized flower, cut the length, and sewed long a running stitch along the bottom. I then pulled it tight to gather the flower, knotted the string to stabilize it, and then whip stitched the end edges closed (right sides facing).

Grab your hot glue gun and layer in this order: 1. Yoyo. 2. A plentiful circle of hot glue. 3. Lace flower (right side up!). 4. A healthy dollop of glue. 5. Button.

For the back, I cut two small felt circles and glued a pin back to them. I then attached that to the back of the yoyo with hot glue.

Let the glue harden, and there ya go! I love these. They weren't anywhere near as complicated as the black flower, but they fit the personalities of the ladies who received them perfectly. And they're cute!

Think about putting these on a hair clip, headband, elastic band for a corsage... the possibilities are endless!

This AM In the Craft Room Part I: Punky Pretty Black Flower Pin

I've mentioned before that I make the flair for our MOPS group's Thank-You baskets that we give to our guest speakers. As an end-of-year thank-you, we're also giving these baskets to our Moppets workers (those angels who watch our drooly children). We have 4, and I need to make 3 baskets (the other one's a guy, and we give him a gift card). One of the 3 ladies is a teenager who is gorgeous, has very dark hair, wears a lot of dark colors and chunky boots and such. She's the sweetest thing, and a little goth. I wanted to make her something that would go with her punky style, but something that's pretty at the same time. So, going off the flowers that I made in practice for my friend's veil, I made this black one with tiny green beads on plastic wires, whisping around the outside. Pretty, but edgy in black with raw edges here and there. I LOVE it! But I couldn't get a good picture of it to save my life!

Anyway, here's how I made it:

I started with a length of fabric. This was left over from another project. It's not long; probably about 12 - 16 inches. It gets wider toward one end. That part's optional.

Fold it in half lengthwise, tuck in the short ends, and run a gathering stitch down the long raw edge.
My machine gathered mine for me. Not sure what that was all about, as it was at its regular setting. If your machine doesn't do that, loosen your tension and lengthen your stitch as much as possible and pull your bobbin thread to gather it.

You'll need a long rectangle for the back, to attach the flowers to, and a bunch of squares for the middle of your center flower and for the outside flowers. I can't remember exactly how many I used. Probably about a dozen for each end flower, and 5 for the middle of the center flower. They don't have to be perfect, or the same size.

Run a circle of hot glue in the middle of your backing and attach your center flower piece to it in a spiral shape. Glue all the edges down well.

For the whispies (what else would you call them??), I used fishing line that I found in a box (what was THAT doing in my craft room???) and some tiny green beads from an ill-fated barefoot sandal project sometime last year. Cut about 6 inches of fishing line, pinch it in the center, and pass a flame near the tip of the loop. It will cause it to crease. Thread a bead on the line, dab a TINY drop of hot glue on the crease, and immediately slide your bead over the glue.

For all the pieces with a raw edge, I used this method:

Take a square. Fold it in half. Fold in it half again. You now a have 4-layered square. Run a needle through the folded corner. Repeat with as many pieces as you need to achieve your desired fluffiness.

Run a few stitches in and out of the folded corner to keep it stable.

Tie it off and trim your thread.

Dab a ball of hot glue in the middle of your center flower. Layer the following:

1. Whispies, centering the middle in the glue ball.

2. One unfolded square, centering the middle onto the glue ball.

3. More glue.

4. Your folded, stitched squares (the little flower you just made).

You now have your completed center flower! Take about a dozen squares and repeat the folding and stitcking it on a needle parts.

Once all your squares are on your needle, fan them out. This will give the width you need. Stitch them all together so that they don't move.

Make 6 more of these.

Put a few squeezes of glue on the corner of your side flower. Lay 3 whispies across it, at the middle of the whispie.

Lift up the side of your center flower and tuck your side flower, glued end first, under it. Put all the glue you need between the center flower and side flower to stick it well.

Glue the side flower to the backing. Make sure it sticks well.

This is what you'll have:

Repeat for the other side.

Trim up the backing once your side flowers are in place.

Hot glue a pin on each end on the back. This is pretty wide, so it needs two.

And you're done! It really is lovely in person. I'm absolutely tickled with how it turned out. And I hope I'm not the only one!

Part 2 of This AM in the Craft Room will have to come later. I just received word that I might be let out of the house for an hour or two tonight sans Little Miss and Gusto, and I have a lot to do before I go!