M&J Trimming Blogger's Challenge

I had the pleasure of participating in M&J Trimming's Blogger's Challenge this year - which I was thrilled about, because M&J Trimming is the most spectacular trim spot in NYC.  I loved going to that store, and Jared dreaded it, because I always wanted to look for "just a few more minutes" (a.k.a. hours on end).

Each blogger received a mystery box (pictured above) and we had free reign to use it however we liked.  I have to admit, some of the materials had me totally stumped ... but I pulled it together in the end.  Head over to the M&J Blog to check out all the blogger's projects (complete with instructions!).

Here's a peak at one of my projects...

Also, leave a comment (with email contact) on the M&J Challenge 2 post for a chance to win the same box of supplies.

crafting with the stars - vote for round 3 projects!

The fabulous Round 3 projects are awaiting your vote on Crafting with the Stars.  You can vote for your three favorite projects, so with only six contestants left, this is going to be a very close round.  Every vote counts!

My partner, Melanie, did an excellent job (as always).  I marvel at her ability to turn things out so quickly.  The contestants don't find out what the weekly theme is until it is announced to the public, so they are conceptualizing, creating, and photographing these projects from start to finish in only five short days!  Talk about pressure.  I'm so glad it isn't me.  :)


Go vote!

halloweened out

We may have outdid it on the Halloween front.  After 3 days straight of Halloween festivities, I am totally pooped. 

 Oscar and his BFF, Audrey, were big fans of the trick or treating.  The hand-holding kills me.

Remember those other costumes I made?  Take a look at them in action:

   Toddlers are so dang cute.

I'm ready to move on to Thanksgiving and Christmas!  I have a Thanksgiving Dinner event coming up quickly for the ladies at my church, and I'm starting my first Christmas craft this week.  Prepare yourself for some hand-stitched felt goodness.

In the meantime, make sure you head over to Crafting with the Stars to vote on Round 2!  This time you can vote for your 3 favorite projects.  Melanie is rocking this competition - I love what she made.  Can you guess her project?

my partner in crime for Crafting with the Stars

Hurray! My Crafting with the Stars partner is Melanie from The Crafty Cupboard!  I'm very excited to work with Melanie.  I've been a long time reader of her blog and she makes lovely projects.  You can see all of the other partner match-ups HERE.

Check in on Sunday to vote for Round One projects from the theme, Brand Inspired/Knock Offs.

crafting with the stars

Do you have what it takes to craft with the stars?  Head on over to Sew Dang Cute to submit your audition project.  Twelve contestants will be selected and paired up with some of your favorite online crafters, including yours truly.  Check out this list of "stars"

1. Amy (The Idea Room)
2. Amy (Mod Podge Rocks)
3. Becca (Blue Cricket Design)
4. Beckie (Infarrantly Creative)
5. Char (Crap I've Made)
6. Cheri (It's So Very Cheri)
7. Heather (Dollar Store Crafts)
8. Jen (Tatertots & Jello)
9. Jill (Homemade by Jill)
10. Lorie (Be Different...Act Normal)
11. Michelle (Someday Crafts)
12. Shelley (How Does She?)

I'd love to work with one of you!

Hand-Painted Matryoshka Dolls Mini-Tutorial

 

 

For my last project on So You Think You're Crafty, I painted a set of Matryoshka Dolls.  Also known as Russian Nesting Dolls, these sets of dolls traditionally represent motherhood.

I started out with a plain wooden set of matryoshka dolls.  I spotted mine randomly in the clearance section of Urban Outfitters, but you can find sets online at Amazon.com or other online retailers (just do a google search).

First, paint two coats of your base color.  I chose vibrant colors because I made this set with my toddler in mind. 

 

Using round sponge brushes, paint a circle in a skin-toned color to make the face.  The sponge brush won't give you a very tidy face, so use a brush to smooth out the paint, especially around the edges.  Depending on the size of your sponge brush, you may need to enlarge your face circle, but it gives you a nice starting point.

 

 

Add a face, hair, clothing, and any other details.  I used a ball-head sewing pin to paint most of my details, such as the doll's eyes, rosy cheeks, jewelry, buttons, polka dot patterns, scalloped hem, etc.  For very tiny dots, like in the bow tie on the yellow doll, you can use the sharp tip of the pin.  Just dip the pin generously with paint and place your dots.  Very easy, and gives you a consistent dot.  I painted other details with a fine tipped paint brush.

When you've painted all your details and the dolls have dried, give them a few coats of clear polyurethane varnish to protect the paint and give it a little shine.

 

And there you have it ... a custom set! I painted mine to look loosely like our family.  The only real resemblance is the little Oscar (the green doll).  I'm pretty sure Jared has never worn a bow tie, and I don't have a cute red and white polka dot apron (hmm ... maybe I should make one?).  Oh yeah, and there are a few phantom children in there.  Room to grow, I guess.

The fun part about this project is that you can paint a plain set of nesting dolls anyway you want.  I choose to paint mine as a little family, but storybook characters, groups of animals, or a modern approach with only stripes or geometric designs would look great as well.  Or, can you imagine a set of GLITTER dolls?  ooh.

If you do this project, I'd really love to see pictures!

SYTYC, Toy Society Drop, and UCreate award, apologies, and other year-end wrap-ups

Hi friends!  I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and other happy holidays.  I really didn't mean to take most of the month of December off ... it just kind of happened.  With the new year rapidly approaching, I figured it was time to get back on the horse!

First, an update on So You Think You're Crafty.  Today is the last day to vote on this week's theme, Gifts.  I really enjoyed making my project this week.  With only four crafters left in the competition, I think it is getting easier and easier to spot who made what.   Which project is your favorite this week?

In week 5, I made the "Snowed-In" Ornament, and in week 6, I did the Printable Mitten Gift Tags.  I know the holidays are behind us, but I'll be posting the printable (which actually could still be appropriate during the winter months) and the tutorial for the ornament in January.

Speaking of tutorials, I owe some of you an apology.   Many readers have requested the Plush Tractor tutorial from my first week on SYTYC, hoping to make it as a Christmas gift.  I am really sorry that I didn't get it up in time!  The problem was, I lost the main tractor pattern piece ... I looked everywhere for it and finally decided it must have been thrown away.  But good news!  I started taking down my Christmas tree, and found the pattern piece hanging out in one of my Christmas decoration boxes.  Happy day!  So I am working on that and plan to have it up next week.  Better late than never, right?

This year I participated in The Toy Society's Worldwide Christmas Drop.  You can see my toy drop here.  We walked up to the Santa Barbara Mission and left a Black Apple doll hanging on the fence post at the nativity (which was awesome and included a sheep, goat, and our very favorite ... a mini donkey and baby mini donkey.  eee!)

 Not to rub it in, but this is what Santa Barbara looks like on Christmas Eve:
(photo courtesy of my sister-in-law, Holly)

I missed having a snowy, wintery Christmas for about 5 minutes, and now I'm over it and enjoying the sunshine.

In other happy news, my Quiet Book Templates post was named one of the Top Ten Tutorials of 2009 on UCreate.  What a fun surprise, and I'm in such great company!  Check out the full list for some great tutorials to add to your to-do list.

Finally, can I just say thanks for reading my blog this year?  There are a lot of places to go on the internet, and certainly no shortage of craft blogs these days, so I'm really honored that you stop by to visit mine.  Thanks for your encouraging comments, your lovely emails, and your bloggy friendship.  It means a lot to me!  Happy New Year, and here's to a crafty 2010.

Glitter Wreath Tutorial

As seen on So You Think You're Crafty, Week 2!  Thanks to everyone who voted for this project.  I know autumn is behind us, but it is so easy to customize this wreath in seasonal or holiday colors.  It would be a great last minute (not to mention inexpensive) Christmas project, if you still need some decorations.

Supplies Needed:

• Cardstock
• various shades of fine glitter (do I need to mention that the Martha Stewart glitter is the best?)
  
• spray adhesive
• a wreath form (mine is 10 inches, and I found it at the dollar store)
  
• wire for hanging
  

1.  Cut out a basic leaf shape to use as your template.  Cut out approximately 60 leaves out of cardstock.  I used a 10 inch wreath form.  If you are making a bigger wreath, you will likely need more leaves.

2.  Divide your leaves into groups for glittering.  Spray each group with spray adhesive and coat in glitter.  Shake off the excess.  I used the following colors of Martha Stewart Crafts glitter for this fall wreath:  Smokey Quartz, Yellow Gold, Cinnibar, and Fire Opal.

For a holiday wreath, a selection of green glitters would look nice, especially with a big bow and some red jingle bells. 

For a wreath to last all winter, I'd choose a variety of white and silver glitters for a snowy effect.

 

3.  Add a wire loop to your wreath form for hanging.

4.  Begin hot gluing the leaves to the wreath form, overlapping the bottom tips.  The hot glue gun will melt a styrofoam wreath form a little bit, but it holds well.

 

5.  Continue gluing leaves around the wreath form.  I changed the direction of the leaves at the bottom, but you may want to continue placing them in the same direction all the way around the leaf.

 

6.  Attach a bow.  My secret weapon for attaching bows to wreaths is a paper clip (or maybe everyone does this and it's not such a secret?).  Slide the small end of the paper clip though the back of the knot in your bow.  Then use the large end of the paper clip to attach the bow to your wreath.  This works especially well on a paper wreath like in this project, but I use this trick on all of my wreaths (it also makes it really easy to switch out your ribbons).

Need a bow-tying lesson?  You can find some tips at Martha Stewart.

 

Hang your wreath and enjoy!

cozy car caddy tutorial

Thanks to everyone who voted for this project in the So You Think You're Crafty competition!  It was an exciting week.

Without further ado ...

Cozy Car Caddy Tutorial

Materials used:

two pieces of denim (17 x 10 inches and 17 x 6 inches)

one piece of Duck Cloth or other heavy fabric (17 x 10 inches)

gray and yellow felt (gray felt cut to 17 x 3 inches, yellow felt cut into seven 1 x 1/4 inch pieces

White Piping (two 17 inch pieces)

6" belting

1" Velcro

scrap fabric for applique

freezer paper, sponge brush, and acrylic paint

sewing machine and supplies

1.  Cut your fabric.  I used an old pair of jeans for the denim and duck cloth for the front.  Between the two heavy fabrics, it makes for a sturdy car caddy.

 

2.  Take your 17 x 6 inch piece of denim, fold it in half, and press.  This will be used for the car pockets.  Line up the raw edges of the denim with the bottom on the duck cloth and pin in place.  Sew along the bottom edge to secure.

 

3.  Sew vertical lines through all the fabric (3 layers, since the denim is folded in half), spacing the lines 2.75 inches apart.  Be sure to back stitch at the top and bottom.  If your child is especially rough on pockets, you may consider going over each line a second time.

 

4.  Sew your road piece centered in the top half of the duck cloth.  Pin the road dashes in place and sew around each dash using a coordinating thread.  Set the duck cloth aside.

5.  Add a car applique to the denim backing.  Center the car in the bottom half of the denim (see photo below).  When the caddy is folded together, the top half of the denim will be inside.

I used scrap cotton fabric for the car body and felt for the wheels.  You can use a fusible web like Wonder Under to hold your applique in place.  I was all out, so I just pinned and sewed. 

 

6.  Add decorative piping to the top and bottom of the denim backing.  Actually, add the piping all the way around as well ... I only had enough on hand for the top and bottom.  ;)

Line up the raw edge of the piping with the raw edge of the denim.  Pin in place and sew in place

along the existing stitch line on the piping.

7.  Pin the 6 inch piece of belting to the denim fabric, again lining it up centered on the edge of the bottom half of the denim piece (see photo above).  Leave about 1/4 to 1/2 inch overhang, so it will be enclosed between the denim and duck cloth layers when they are sewn together.  Stitch the belting in place using about a 1/4 inch seam (go over it a few times for extra strength)

I forgot to take a few pictures at this point ... bear with me.

8.  I added my velcro pieces last, but now would actually be a better time to do it.  Sew one side of the velcro to the end of your belting strap, and the other piece in the center of your car applique.

9.  Lay the denim piece and the duck cloth piece on top of each other, right sides facing together, and pin.  Sew around the edges using a 1/4 inch seam (try to follow the seam of the piping along the top and bottom).  Leave about a 3 inch gap for turning the caddy right side out.

10.  Turn the caddy right side out and pin the opening closed.  Sew around the entire outside edge again, closing the opening.  Go slowly around the bottom corners - all that denim gets thick.

11.  Fold the caddy in half horizontally and make a crease.  Sew a seam, following the crease, down the middle of the caddy (between the pockets and the road - see the final product photo for seam placement).  This will make the caddy easier to fold up.

 

12.  Using the templates found at the end of this post, cut the numbers out of freezer paper.  If you've never done freezer paper stenciling, you can find easy instructions at Angry Chicken (and everywhere else online - do a google search and I promise you'll find tons of help).

I sponged 3 light layers of white acrylic paint for my numbers (let each layer dry before applying another).

Fill your pockets with matchbox cars, and you are ready to roll.

  

 

Here's how it folds:  Fold the caddy in half so the road meets the pockets.  Then fold in thirds.  Wrap the strap around the front and velcro closed.

 

Enjoy!

p.s.  This project is similar to Sharla's Car Cozie at My Little Gems, who I have just recently gotten acquainted with.  If you plan to make this project, you should check out her tutorial as well, since they are different and you might like her construction better. 

Also, check out this awesome car caddy/crayon roll combo project at Create Studio.  Love it!

S.Y.T.Y.C. update

S.Y.T.Y.C. is back from last week's hiatus, and I've made it through another round!  This week's theme is Snow.  Can you spot my project?

I just barely eeked through Turkey Week with my pom pom turkey table topper.  Would it be okay if I skipped that tutorial?  It was not my proudest crafting moment.  :)  I ditched it in New York.

My goal is to have the tutorials for the glitter wreath and the plush tractor up this week!  Pray for me ... I am less than productive lately.

S.Y.T.Y.C week 2

Have you seen the new entries for So You Think You're Crafty? This week's theme is leaves! And I have to say, the ladies crafted their butts off for this challenge. All of the entries are really cool! Make sure you stop by to vote for your favorite. Which one do you think I made?

Also, did you notice the new Giveaway section on the S.Y.T.Y.C. site? There is a giveaway from one of the sponsors, DECOmod Walls, this week. If you love vinyl decor, or just getting free stuff, check it out. :)

Congratulations to the ever-talented Dana, who won the week one challenge with her Harvest Dress and Dinner for Two.  Her tutorials are now posted.

Did you figure out which craft was mine last week?  Thanks to everyone who voted for my tractor!  :)

I did some serious sewing this weekend, and none of it is top secret!  I'll have new projects up very soon.

S.Y.T.Y.C. Week One: Harvest

The theme for week one of S.Y.T.Y.C is Harvest.  This one really stumped me.  I don't usually do many seasonal crafts or decor (besides Christmas) so I didn't know where to start.  Voting for projects is anonymous, so I can't tell you what I finally came up with.  I guess you'll just have to vote for your favorite!

I am amazed at the variety of projects that turned out from this theme.  They are all so different!  Lots of creative ladies involved here...

Voting is open now until Friday night.  Please Vote!

P.S. In my last post, a few people commented that when they clicked on the SYTYC site, they were notified of a virus.  Missy had it checked out by Blogger, and no virus was found.  You shouldn't have trouble opening the site to vote, and it should be safe.