Baby Gift #2 - "Dress Up" Onesies

Hello friends
For the baby shower I decorated some onesies for the soon to arrive Baby L.  Two are similar to ones that I have posted about previously . . . painted necklaces with fabric flowers. Here's the look:

The onesies were washed first to remove any sizing or whatever. The beads were stamped with a pencil eraser (a new flat one) using fabric paint. I drew half ovals in black Sharpie on a piece of paper sized to fit the shirts and then pinned it in place inside the onesie. This provided guide lines for painting and also prevented any paint bleed through to the back of the shirt. 

 I began in the center of the shirt, following the outlines and spacing the dots somewhat evenly to create the necklace strands. (Handmade is not perfect.) The beads were shaded by brushing on a bit of white paint to add dimension. Finally the beads were connected by painting in little lines with a fine tip brush. 

After drying overnight (the bottle says 4 hours), I heat set the painted areas on both sides of the shirt using a dry iron over a pressing cloth. This flattened the bits of fiber that had arisen during the painting process and gave the pieces a nice finished look. 

The flower is simply four 1" circles of cotton print, each folded into quarters and the tips sewn together onto a smaller scrap of fabric. A button found in Annie's button box completes the look.  I sewed this on very thoroughly and tightly so there is no chance of it coming off and becoming a choking hazard. 

The tag made using the little bear from the "Stampin' Up" Bear Hugs set has washing instructions on the reverse and proclaims these to be "Dress Up" onesies. 

Stay tuned for tomorrow's "Denim-Friendly" onesies.

Cheers!

S.

Babies and such . . .

Hello friends
I hope you are enjoying the warm temperatures and spring greenery that have finally decided to appear here in eastern Connecticut.

I journeyed to the suburbs of Washington, DC last weekend for my niece's baby shower. Baby L is due to arrive in mid-July but "like a fine wine" will come in time. It was wonderful to spend time with Mama L in her new home (well, new last year) . . . we don't get to do that very often  . . .

An elegant cake - would you believe made of diapers - made a beautiful centerpiece!

The banners I made using the Julie Nutting baby stamps added a whimsical touch to the traditional colonial decor at the shower venue.

Living with "the crafty gene" as my niece terms it, I created my shower gifts rather than shopping from the registry. Before we knew which flavor the little one would be, I had sewn a bright but  "gender neutral" flannel blanket. The hexagon print flannel is backed with navy and white dots . . . very washable and both picnic and car friendly. Tagged with a balloon image stamped from a  Tim Holtz set, I called it the "Take me to the park" blanket. It's ready to travel on lots of outings.

Stay tuned for the rest of the gifts next time !

Cheers!

S.

A Crafty Workshop Morning

Hello friends
Today, I watched a number of YouTube videos  . . . what? you ask . . . crafting videos, of course. YouTube is the next-best-thing to attending workshops with the rock stars of the crafting world, since few find their way to CT.

I watched (actually re-watched) some of the demonstrations of  new products and techniques that were introduced at the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) Mega Show in January.  I wanted a refresh of the products introduced by my favorite designer, Tim Holtz. Tim is the Creative Director for Ranger Industries and also teams up with various companies including Advantus, Stampers Anonymous, Sizzix, Tonic Studios, Core’dinations, and Westminster Fibers/Coats to bring unique products to the market.

I do love Tim's products and design aesthetic . . . and my craft room shelves show it. One of my best experiences was meeting Tim several years ago (three years ago today, to be exact) at a workshop in Westbrook, CT. Tim is most gracious, friendly and full of knowledge. It was a thrill to meet him.

The ScrapTimeVideos channel on You Tube is worth a look for information on the newest products and how to use them.

Til next time . . .

S.

Made from the Printed Page - Three Cards

Hello friends,
Have you noticed all the items out there in the marketplace that have a "bookish" feel? As a "librarian for life," I have an affinity for all things "wordy" and there's lots out there to see. The emphasis on up-cycling and recycling certainly contributes to the longevity of book pages, sheet music, dictionary pages, document text and the like being incorporated into home decor, clothing, textiles, and more.

Here's three cards made using book pages . . .

Hearts were punched from various book pages and mounted on black paper in a "specimen" design. A red heart was added as a focal point. Then the hearts were outlined freehand with a black pen for emphasis and the panel was mounted on a gray card. The inside is blank for a personal message.

For the second card, an origami dress folded from a dictionary page has been mounted on a black card. Accented with red - ribbon and tape - as well as a lace-like strip punched from a book page, this is a simple but eye-catching design.  I left space at the bottom front to mount a strip of paper for the appropriate stamped or handwritten greeting such as Happy Birthday or Congratulations. When using a black card, I attach a piece of light paper inside the card to have an area for writing a message.

The third "bookish" card was made using a Scotty dog die cut from Sizzix, embellished with a ribbon and mounted on a dictionary page. Framed in black and adhered to a gray card, it is a clean and simple design. Inside is blank for a message or greeting.

Til next time . . .

S.

Bunnies to the Attic

Hello friends
I am putting away the few Easter/Spring decorations I scattered around the house this year. As I was gathering them up and admiring my work, I decided to share their make-overs with you.

This large bunny was found at JoAnn's on sale and with a coupon. He stands 9" tall from surface to ear tips; both his stance and size appealed to me but his paint job was reminiscent of a case of the mange.  I was so eager to start his make-over that I neglected to take a "before" picture. Trust me, it wasn't pretty.

Some of the best patterns and designs can be found on paper napkins, especially cocktail size ones. I buy the ones I like whenever I see them. I've found pretty ones at both TJ Maax and Home Goods, and at after season sales in gift shops.

Looking into my stash, I found the perfect design and decoupaged it onto the body. Simply separate the layers of paper napkin, using only the single, top patterned layer. Then paint the Mod Podge onto the bunny and smooth the pieces of napkin onto the body. Wrinkles are OK - they will not show and "a man on a galloping horse" will never see them. I worked the napkins around the eyes (so no re-painting there) and used brown paint for the nose.

Adding white paint for the bow was the finishing touch to make him much more handsome . . . now this bunny has a high-end decorator feel rather than a poorly painted Made in China look.

Here's a four-side view. I had thought for a millisecond to paint his tail white but decided against it. All in all, I was pleased with this handsome guy.

The little bunnies (4" tall) seen below were found at the Christmas Tree Shop. Each was spruced up with a new look using the same decoupage method. 

None of the four I bought had perfectly clean fur (what do you want for $1.29?) so out came the Mod Podge, napkins and tissue paper. Here's the before and the after in their Easter finery:

The French script bunny is covered with tissue paper I rediscovered in my supplies. I used some green napkin for the base and painted the flower and nose with nail polish. 

Paper napkins were used to make a twin to the large bunny and for the more feminine stripe bunny. Again, I worked around the eyes on all of them so I didn't have to repaint. Nail polish nose.

The bottom of each was covered with coordinating paper to minimize furniture scratching.  I added a postmark from the tissue paper to the green bunny base for a bit of whimsy.

 Now that they have ushered in Spring, they are off to the attic 'til next season! 

If you happen to have a decorative piece you like but are tired of its look, try the Mod Podge and paper napkin makeover. It's pretty simple and fun to do.

Cheers!

Susan

Birthday Tees

Hello friends
Recently my grandniece celebrated her 1st birthday.  I put together a bag of goodies for her (or her Mom) to open the party which happened (unfortunately) while I was on vacation in Pinehurst, NC.

These are the tees I embellished for her . . .

I drew the U-shapes on paper, fitting them to the shirt, then placed the pattern inside the shirt as a guide. Using fabric paint and a pencil eraser, I stamped the beads on the shirt, then went back with a fine brush and added the "string" between the beads. Next was to add a light shadow on each bead with white paint, giving each bead some dimension.  Last step was to fashion the flowers from circles of fabric (fold circles in quarters and stitch the points together), sew a button in the middle and sew to the shirts.  I was quite pleased with the result. What do you think?

The gift bag held the shirts, two pairs of coordinating leggings, a funky hat purchased a the Farmer's Market in Richmond, a bunny I sewed, and a book.  I hope she liked them!

Cheers til next time

S.

It's been a while

Hello friends
After many months of silence, mulling about blogging, I've decided to attempt to be a more regular writer. However, the posts will be briefer and will reflect what I've been making (or thinking about making)  :-).

So . . . I happened across some cards recently online that struck my fancy. They were made with a Stampin' Up set called "Sketches" and after investigation I learned the set was "retired" in 2003 (!). The "dog with a bone" in me came out and I hunted around on eBay, found it (ta-da!) at a reasonable price and it flew into Connecticut last week.

Here's a card I made using one of the images in the set - stamped, tore around the edges, and added a bit of color with Tim Holtz Distress markers and a wet paintbrush. Found some paper among the thousands of sheets in my craft room and there you have it.

I was quite pleased with the results and sent it off to a friend . . .

Til next time . . .

Cheers!
Susan