Happy New Year 2012: Upcoming Projects

Wow, am I behind!  Lots of fun things have been happening.  Most notably, we bought our first house!  So, yes --- I finally got to PAINT something!  Granted, the only painting we've done is the front door (purple, yo), but it is OURS.

 

Another big deal is getting my first "grown-up" phone...on Wednesday.  LOL  Yes, it took me that long to get a touch screen, internet, and Words with Friends on my phone. 

 

The last big piece of news is that I've professionally partnered with Refuge for Women, a non-profit that ministers to adult entertainment workers and victims of human trafficking.  They are the only "safe house" in the country that doesn't require the women to pay or to detox before coming --- if women are ready to escape, they have a place to go!  Anyway, they are currently full to capacity and have to turn away any new applicants.  A bunch of us local Mary Kay beauty consultants have partnered with them to raise $30,000 for a downpayment on a second house...and we need your help!  There are two ways to help.  First, I need sponsors -- .50 per face, $1 per face, $2, $5, even $10 per face, to sponsor my 30 faces during the fundraiser.  Second, I need faces.  :)  Every woman who gets pampered this month (for FREE), whether it's a facial, a makeover, or a pedicure, earns the sponsors' donations to the Refuge!  So get your winter skin care update, learn a 3-minute makeup routine, and get your foundation perfectly-matched...and give back at the same time!  When was the last time you could recharge your emotional batteries, look and feel better/younger/healthier, have some girl time (time to yourself or time with friends) for free AND support such an impactful ministry at the same time...?  So get your girlfriends all excited and contact me, if you are a current client of mine OR if you are currently without the services of a professional beauty consultant!  (P.S.  Anyone in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or Guam can get pampered or sponsor!)

Here are some of the projects I've been working on.  When I get a chance, I'll post tutorials.  Click to see larger pictures:

My 6 year-old vinyl planner cover was cracking and falling apart, so I designed a new one!  Leopard print, of course.  I <3 felt!

Made one for a sister beauty consultant, too.



Started a new Christmas tradition this year, too.

...and who learned to read?

Each Christmas Eve, we give the boys new pajamas.  This year, I found some "Agent P" thermal PJs for our 5½ year-old, but they didn't come any smaller for my 2¾ year-old.  I bought a pair of coordinating plain blue thermals and then just free-handed a felt applique of Perry to sew on the front.

Last year's Christmas jammies get worn ALL.THE.TIME.  Like, 24 actual hours a day, several days in a row.  Even out of the house. (Hey, they're covered, they're warm, we aren't late because of getting dressed, and I don't have to fight with them to wear socks.  Parenting WIN)  However, as a result, there are several holes in the feet.  That meant I had to learn how to darn!  Who knew it was so simple?

My boys' play store has some plastic food, but they keep asking for the kinds of food we eat -- like whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes.  Enter felt!  These pancakes were my first foray into self-designed play food: chocolate chip on one side, plain on the other.  Just for kicks, I made two with felt "chips" and two with French knot "chips".  That was fun!  Got in a bunch of American Pickers on Netflix while I made those bad boys.

Guess what kind of felt play food I'm working on here?  My own design -- I'm so proud!

We LOVE Family Fun Magazine and always turn down the corners on several projects.  Then never make them.  Finally, I decided to go through the magazine with the boys and ask them which projects interested them.  Then I'd have accountability!  LOL   Here's the first one we worked on: posable felt animals.  They aren't finished yet.

That's all for now, but if one project gets a bunch more comments than another, I'll put up that tutorial first!

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Rescuing Blemished Clothes

Ack, that sounds so serious!

This post has nothing to do with cleaning, let me tell you.  It has to do with having/finding a piece of clothing that is only one small stain (or ugly design) away from usability.  I should call it "Save That Shirt"!  LOL  This will open your eyes to keeping those cherished onesies, shirts, and pants that fell prey to spills.  Or, in my case, taking advantage of a super-affordable item that has a less-than-ideal picture on it.  Now I'm lamenting all the cute clothes I tossed that had stains or sports on them...and now I'm also spending more at Goodwill!  (Like that needed to happen...)

Figure out what design or picture you want on your item and sketch it out to get a feel for the size.  Caspian chose Plex, and fortunately settled for just his head.  He'd outgrown all of his light outerwear, and I found a great hoodie at our Habitat for Humanity ReStore for 50¢.  Well, it was great except for the yucky football screenprint on the chest.

Take some felt (on sale 8-for-$1) and some embroidery thread (which you probably already have) and, in my case, a button from my late grandmother-in-law's sewing stash.

Then make-over your hoodie!  Granted, I wouldn't have chosen a grey design for a grey hoodie, but I didn't have silver felt and Caspian wanted Plex, end of story.  :)   I positioned all my pieces, then Fabri-tac-ed the layers together and stitched each piece down before Fabri-tac-ing them down to the next piece.  I hand-sewed the button on (it's Caspian's favorite part).  At the end, I fray-checked all the threads and knots on the backside.  Can you find the feature I forgot to topstitch...?

Think of all the possibilities!  Coordinate a plain shirt to match a patterned skirt, personalize with monograms, the mind reels!  Felt is so inexpensive and user-friendly.  I was totally inspired and empowered by my IRL friend Andrea, who is a felt appliqué goddess.  Just look at this, and this, and this, and this, and this, and THIS, and oh my gosh THIS (I know, it's not felt, but wow).  You can do this with fleece too, which you also don't have to finish, or you can use regular fabric, which will fray.  For now, I'm sticking with felt.

Got plenty more in-progress pics to come!

Rescuing Blemished Clothes

Ack, that sounds so serious!

This post has nothing to do with cleaning, let me tell you.  It has to do with having/finding a piece of clothing that is only one small stain (or ugly design) away from usability.  This will open your eyes to keeping those cherished onesies, shirts, and pants that fell prey to spills.  Or, in my case, taking advantage of a super-affordable item that has a less-than-ideal picture on it.

Figure out what design or picture you want on your item.  Caspian chose Plex, and fortunately settled for just his head.  He needed some light outerwear that fit, and I found a great hoodie at our Habitat for Humanity ReStore for 50¢.  Well, it was great, except for the yucky football screenprint on the chest.

Take some felt and some embroidery thread (which you probably already have) and, in my case, a button from my grandmother-in-law's sewing stash.

Then make-over your hoodie!  Granted, I wouldn't have chosen a grey design for a grey hoodie, but I didn't have silver felt and Caspian wanted Plex, end of story.  :)

Got plenty more in-progress pics to come!

Ultimate Crayon Roll, purse-sized beta: part 1 (fear)

Crayon rolls have been on my mind.

Unfortunately, I  am a control freak  am very picky  have high personal standards when it comes to my own craft projects.

That "high standard" is otherwise known as "fear"...or "perfectionist's paralysis."  I am so afraid of messing up my carefully-chosen-and-irreplaceably-precious materials, I never get started.

Which is why, for example, the bazillion dollars worth of scrapbooking materials I carefully handpicked while I was pregnant with Caspian is still in its cellophane wrapping.  Pregnant with my 4½ year-old, Caspian.  Still in its unopened cellophane wrapping.  Over 4½ years later.  (Admit it: some of you just had a mental image of storming my house to rescue my neglected Creative Memories cardstock.)

But technically, "perfectionist's paralysis" isn't quite the issue here.  The fear in this instance stems from something I'll call..."my sewing machine."

I've always aspired to sew, but it just seemed so involved.  Bobbins and threading and darts and seam allowances and stitch length and all the other big intimidating things that you veteran seamstresses are rolling your eyes at.  I received a Janome Sew Mini for Christmas 2009 and, prior to this month, used it exactly twice: to make a tissue holder for my purse and to put together my kids' Halloween costumes last year.  My house is still a work in progress — though it's getting MUCH better — so I have to use the kitchen table and living room desk whenever I need to sew and iron.  (Remember though, "whenever" means "twice in the last 14 months".) Since I know that eventually, when I get my act together, I'll have my craft desk to sew upon, I keep putting off sewing projects in the hope that I'll get my act together sooner rather than later.

The crayon roll, however, won't let me rest.

Here's how my train of thought has progressed in the last few weeks:

1. My kids have crayons.
2. Those crayons are in a box from IKEA.
3. I need that box to store something else.
4. I should make a crayon roll for my kids.
5. It would be great to make one with a denim exterior, for durability.
6. I should use my hubby's old jeans for that project.
7. I should make a practice roll first.
8. None of the roll tutorials have all the features I'm looking for.
9. I should make my own design.
10. I've only ever sewn 2 things and go all sweaty at the thought of patterns.
11. Can I do this?
12. Aaaauuuuggghhh!
13. I shouldn't use my sewing machine until I can get my craft desk unearthed.
14. Ooh, I found a Buzz Lightyear bed sheet that gives me inspiration for my design!
15. Now I really need to make a practice roll.
16. I'd better make a practice-practice roll, to get the hang of it before I try to get fancy.
17. Well, I'm going to get fancy anyway, but at least I can use "normal" materials on the first run-through.

Fast forward past my revolutionary sheet-using design to my practice-practice design, which is more traditional.  Well, except that I designed it to incorporate all the features I wanted in a crayon roll: 8 crayons only (for purse-carrying, which didn't exist in blogland tutorials), a flap to contain the crayons, decorative trim, elastic-and-button closure, AND (my proudest achievement) a custom pocket to hold a little notepad!  Why hasn't anyone else put in a notepad pocket?  My very own design out of my own little head — I'm so excited!  I am just astonished that what started as a pencil sketch in my home journal progressed into handwritten step-by-step directions that actually turned into a real thing...which looks like the original sketch!  It's like holding a little alien in your hand.  Is it really real?!

I can't believe I sewed this thing. And I designed a sewing project!  With seam allowances and top-stitching and pressing and interfacing and, and...  ((hyperventilating))   Okay...okay...I can do this.  I did this!  Wow.

The fabric is from the fat quarter wall at WalMart.  Caspian chose what he calls "red lava" as the main fabric.  The button is from my husband's deceased grandmother's sewing stash, which was given to our family.  The pocket was designed for a little spiral-topped notepad (or "handy dandy notebook", as it's called at our house), but I couldn't find ours for the life of me.  The one pictured is some freebie from a hotel.

The detailed tutorial and dimensions will follow.  You are welcome to make my Ultimate Crayon Rolls or gift them, but full credit AND a link back here must be directly attached, please.  I worked H-A-R-D on this design!   :D   Thanks!   As EllieG puts it, "Do not repost without linking back, do not alter or claim as your own.  Personal use only."

Repurposing Old Jeans: crayon roll, part 1

I've wanted to make a crayon roll for the boys for a while now. Their crayons are currently in a plastic box from IKEA, but I'd like something a little more travel-friendly. Good thing it's a newbie-friendly project, because I'm going to have to do a tutorial mash-up to get the one I want. :D I like the fold-over flap from Feels Like Home, the trim from Skip to My Lou, the elastic closure from The Pleated Poppy, and the dimensions from Make It and Love It or The Idea Room (since my crayons are the tall twisty kind too). The idea to use vinyl inside is great, too (like on Stitched Boutique).

As if that wasn't enough, I got the bright idea to use some of my hubby's discarded jeans (which, he knows now, go straight into my fabric stash) so the roll will be durable. Is that even possible?!  (UPDATE: Craft Knife used upholstery samples from Goodwill, so probably.) (LATER UPDATE: Craft Knife also did it in denim and corduroy!) We'll see if my machine can handle it. This thing is going to end up being the size of a duffle bag, isn't it...?

Halloween 2010

When Caspian saw the colorful wings at Dollar Tree in September (or was it August?), he immediately declared that the entire family would be faeries: green for him (grass/-hopper faerie) and orange for Perrin (pumpkin faerie). Since I actually OWN a sewing machine now, I was excited to combine crafting with thrifting to create some boy faerie costumes.

I made my own "Asian green jewel beetle" faerie wings using wire hangers, pantyhose, and craft paint. Caspian's leggings were from a thrift store, his tunic used to be an Indian costume from the Peddlers' Mall, and his leafy headdress (also seen on Perrin) was made from elastic and craft leaves. Perrin's tunic used to be a pillow case from Goodwill.

Eventually, I'll get the full step-by-step tutorials up. For now, here are some action shots. (And yes — when the day finally came, Caspian refused to wear the wings that inspired it all.)