Crafty Leslie's Blog

Mother's Day Gift Idea

2013-04-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

Check out this super cute quilted box I made for my mom for Mother’s Day. I love it so much I think I see one of these for myself in the near future. Look for a tutorial soon.

Workshop Quilt

2013-04-28T10:03:00.000-07:00

Just complete this art quilt featuring hand painted fabrics. I took a wonderful workshop with Wendy Lewis. It was my first quilting workshop and I can see how you could become addicted to taking classes.

Portraits

2013-04-23T05:03:00.002-07:00

It seems like as soon as the weather warms up, I'm ready to get back to my portrait work. When fall rolls around I want to crochet and I'm content to quilt all winter long. How about you? Does the season inspire you to choose one medium over another?

Thriller T-Shirt

2013-04-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

So my daughter tells this morning that she needs a T-shirt for tonight's Thriller number. So here is what I whipped up. I used fabric paint to add the splatters. I created this cute shredded back and thread painted the portrait of Michael Jackson.

Teen Birthday Party

2013-04-14T13:09:00.001-07:00

No birthday around our house would be complete without something crafty. I wondered how these party decorations would go over with a group of 15 year old girls. My daughter made her own cake . . . (granted I was right by her side.)

I made these balloon flowers by twisting 5 balloons together and attaching one smaller one to the center. Good thing I took a photo before the party because they all walked out the door before the day was through.

I made this candy cake with an angel food cake pan and small mixing bowl. I covered the pan and bowl with birthday wrapping paper, stacked them on top of each other and used clear tape to hold them together. Then I hot glued the candy to the structure. It didn’t take them long to pick it clean!

Mixed Media Artist Melanie Statnick

2013-04-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

If you would like to know more about the mixed media artist Melanie Statnick, check out my interview with her on Hubpages! http://lpanfil.hubpages.com/hub/Meet-Mixed-Media-Artist-Melanie-Statnick

Mourning Dove Art Quilt

2013-04-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

Every morning I sit at the end of the couch in my living room, drink coffee and write. There is a lovely view of my back yard. And thanks to my husband’s diligence, there is an amble supply of bird seed that attracts a wide array of animal life right to my windowsill. This art quilt is inspired by the fat mourning doves that make the tree branches bow under their weight. The dove was rendered completely by thread painting and I did a considerable amount of hand beading to add texture to the snow laden branch. As much as I love this little piece, I’m ready for the wintery theme to be behind me.

I've Got Mail!

2013-03-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

Lucky me! I got to swap ATC (Artist Trading Cards) with Melanie Statnick. The challenge was to create an ATC that included some type of fabric. Check out Melanie's web site!www.melaniestatnickart.com

Quilted ATC

2013-03-19T03:20:00.000-07:00

When the folks at Blissfull ATC (Artist Trading Card) Swap Blog announced they chosen "fabric"as this month's theme I said, "I'm in." The challenge was to create 3 ATC cards for the swap.

Rather than adding a little lace to a card, I made my cards entirely out of fabric. I sandwiched bamboo batting between two pieces of fabric and marked the size of the card with a wash away pen. Then, I used a tight zig zag stitch around the edges and trimmed away the excess fabric.

From my sketchbook

2013-02-15T10:57:00.000-08:00

I'm working my way through a 6 week Zentangle course. I've never been successful at meditation, but meditative drawing might be my thing.

Sakura 50011 Zentangle 11 Piece Set- (Google Affiliate Ad)

Joining in!

2013-02-06T17:41:00.002-08:00

Last month I joined the North Coast Needlers Quilt Guild. At every meeting they hand out bags filled with nearly everything you would need to make a quilt block. You return the block at the next meeting and a volunteer pieces them into quilts for a wide variety of local charities. I consider myself the maker of art quilts and I don't do piece work, but it is fun to whip up a block and work on some new skills without committing to a huge project.

$2 Hobo Bag

2013-02-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

Here is another Dollar Store Challenge project. This hobo bag was made clothes line and a bandanna and here is how.

1. Iron your bandana. Create a 1" drawstring pocket. (You can
make this larger or smaller based on the size of your clothes line.)
The canal just needs to be large enough for the line to slip through.

2. Fold you bandana in half and sew up side seam.

3. Iron so the side seam is in the center.

4. Then sew the bottom seam.

5. measure 1" from the corner of the bottom of the bag. Connect the marks and sew. This creates a nice shape to the bottom of your bag and also insures that you won't pop a seam and loose anything from your bag.

5. Safety pin the end of your clothes line.

6. Snake your line through the canal you created at the top of your bag. Once you have the rope all the way through remove the safety pin.

7. Pull through enough clothing line for the line to reach the bottom of the bag and sew ends to the bottom near the corner that you created.

There you go! I wish I could say we are now ready for the beach. Unfortunately we are working on 6" of snow. : (

Dollar Store Hand Puppet

2013-01-30T07:08:00.000-08:00

I decided to take the Dollar Store Challenge and see what I could come up with perusing the isles of my local establishment. It is harder than it looks. So, here is one idea I came up with. It is so ridiculously simple I hate to call it a tutorial. While the challenge was suppose to be a 30 minute craft challenge – you will have about 25 minutes to spare!

Purchased at the Dollar Store:

Fake Play Teeth

Dusting or Car Care Mitt

Googley Eyes
Hair Clip (optional)

Had on Hand:

Hot Glue Gun

I made couple of versions. One with the nubby side as the face and one with that side as hair. I also switched up the eye size. I think having the eyes two different sizes is more monster like but may be disturbing to some small children.Everything was attached with a generous helping of hot glue. And while I never suggest children wield a hot glue gun, you could have your child make the design decisions and then you could do the gluing.

Additional Ideas

Attach a small teddy bear to the thumb so your monster has a play thing of its own.
You could just use one set of teeth (uppers or lowers – because we all know monsters have bad teeth.)

Crocheting for charity

2013-01-29T03:50:00.000-08:00

Warm Up America

My local craft store, Pat Catan’s, is participating in Warm Up America January-February. I love this program for several reasons. First they accept swatches 7” x 9” and then assemble them into throws. Brilliant - right? You can make a small swatch in a stitch that you have always wanted to try without committing to a huge project. Plus, let’s face it – what are you going to do with that huge stash of partially used skeins of yarn?

In addition to swatches they accept yarn donations and they are always looking for volunteers to assemble and distribute the throws.

Tip: I keep a piece of crescent board cut to 7x9 so I can gage if my swatch is the right size. Since I use this project to test out new stitches, I never know exactly how many stitches it is going to take to get my size when I start out.

Tip: This is an excellent T.V. project. I keep a basket beside the couch and a tote bag to take anywhere I think I’m going to have down time (the car waiting to pick up my daughter, the doctor’s office . . .)

If you don’t live near a Pat Catan’s, don’t despair, there are groups across the country who participate. Check out the website to find one in your area or start your own! http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/warmup.html

Special Event Survival Kit

2013-01-23T09:13:00.000-08:00

My daughter is about to embark on a month long series of show choir competitions. Since there won't be any running home to pick something up, I've prepared a "show choir competition survival kit." One is going in her garment bag and one is going to her show choir teacher. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to design a fancy label. But, I'm particularly proud of the fact that I found these pencil boxes to stash all the stuff for just 49 cents! Something like this would be really cute with hangover cures for a bachelor party.
Here is what I included:
Kleenex
Purell
First Aid Kit
Cough Drops
Hand Lotion
Listerine Sheets
Advil
Chap Stick

Craft Room Ideas!

2013-01-21T11:28:00.001-08:00

I have a serious case of hutch envy. I know every crafter secretly wants to be more organized if it just didn't take time and discipline!

Liluna.com

Keep your projects moving forward!

2013-01-20T10:46:00.000-08:00

Keep it moving!

I would love to have nothing to do all day but create. But, we all know that only happens in fantasy land. So, I’m sharing a few tips on how to keep your projects moving even when life interrupts.

Jot down what’s next. Whether you are interrupted or just find a good stopping point, it can be hard to remember what you planned to do next when you step away from a project. So, I write down my next step on a post-it-note. When I return to my project, my note prompts as to what I had planned to do next.

Keep it together. I’m one of the lucky ones, I have a room dedicated to crafting. Even so, my materials can be scattered around the entire house. But, keeping everything for a project together can save you time and aggravation. If you are a multiple project person like me, you may need to invest in a couple of pairs of scissors or to make this work.

Don't get sucked in. Sometimes I get off track because I see something online that I want to try. Fearing I won’t get back to it, I just have to give it a try NOW. I’ve curbed this impulsive behavior by using Pinterest and/or a binder. Now I know the rock’n idea is there when I really have time to devote to it.

Ritualize it. If the day gets away from you, consider adding a nightly ritual like handwork in front of the TV or working for ½ hour before the kids come home or as a reward for cleaning up after dinner.

Down time – you know, that time you spend in the parking lot waiting for your child to get out of guitar lessons or in the doctor’s waiting room. If your crafting project isn’t portable, consider stashing a crafting magazine or book in your car.

Narrow Entryway?

2013-01-11T09:16:00.002-08:00

I found this via Pinterest. The homes in our development have foyers but they are very small and narrow. We have often complained that there just isn't anything on the market that really fits. But, this DIY project seems to really fit the bill!
http://downtoearthstyle.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2012-09-12T10:29:00-04:00&max-results=10

So Much Yarn!

2013-01-04T12:20:00.000-08:00

If you are a yarn hoarder like me, you will want to add this chalkboard print to your craft room! Available now in my Etsy shop.To purchase see my display add to the left of the page.

Mannequin Pin Cushion

2013-01-01T07:11:00.001-08:00

I made this pin cushion for my mom for Christmas but there is one just like in my future also. The pattern is another pinterest find. The only change I made to the ones shown in the tutorial is: I used a wooden candle stick from the craft store that I painted with acrylic paint and distressed it rather than a glass bottom.

Here is the link: http://www.thediydish.com/2011/10/season-4-how-to-make-a-dress-form-mannequin-pin-cushion/

Hints: I must warn you that the trickiest part of this pattern is seaming the body together. Sew together slowly and use a small stitch so that when you stuff, the seams won’t pop.

Last Minute Gift Idea!

2012-12-20T08:37:00.000-08:00

Nearly every crafter I know is addicted to Pinterest and I’m no exception. But, I started to feel a little guilty when the ideas started to pile up. So, here is one I tried – button ear rings. They are made from small fabric covered buttons. The hardware to make these is available in any sewing store. Pulling the metal shank off is the hardest part of this project. You will also need to pick a fabric with a very small design pattern. I also made a few fabric button rings! Here is the great tutorial.

http://www.sadalewis.com/2011/06/fabric-button-earrings-tutorial.html

Make a Set!

2012-12-14T03:01:00.000-08:00

If one hanging towel makes a great gift, imagine receiving four! I made a set for my mother-in-law. Each towel depicts a season. I made cut little tags with the name of the season and slipped them through the button hole. Plus, they were easy to ship!

Very Vintage Christmas

2012-12-02T07:03:00.001-08:00

The hanging dish towel has graced many a kitchen. And while it may seem a dated idea, I get a lot of requests for these. That is why they are on my gift giving list this year. Your average hand towel will make two of these towels. A fine steel crochet hook inserts into the towel to make this pretty edging. I used a dc to create a post and then did 4 dc around the post. I also discovered the joys of my button hole maker on my sewing machine. I also like a fabric covered button to complete the look.

Early Christmas Present!

2012-11-25T07:14:00.001-08:00

Yes!!! 100 spools of thread. This is an early Christmas present from my mom. This set is ideal for those of you out there that would like to get serious about thread painting. I love Gutermann thread quality and this wide range of colors will ensure that you have just the right color for your project. This display weighs a ton but, if you put the tread back you will have a good record of the color you used.

Sock Owl

2012-11-24T10:31:00.000-08:00

This is made from one of my daughter's old socks. While I whipped this together on my sewing machine, you could sew by hand with one little seam! See my tutorial on hubpages.
http://lpanfil.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-make-a-Sock-Owl