Crafty Moose gone wild!

Scarf Project

2012-01-23T16:04:00.002-06:00

Scarf Project, originally uploaded by ticklish_moose.

Okay.....about a week and a new laptop later at least I can get my picture posted. Hoping to have the photo edits done for a tutorial soon, but I may just move on at this point, ya know??

Thrifty Tiny Trees

2011-12-21T08:54:00.000-06:00

Just taking a little break from the holiday madness to show you a little tree display I whipped up a week or so back. I saw these expensive mini potted trees in a catalog that shall remain nameless (hint- rhymes with bundt cake).

You are reading it right- just under $100. I wonder if they will throw in some free shipping??

I spotted a group of mini trees at Hobby Lobby this season for 50% off of $3 each. Now you're talkin'.....

I used a few cans I had cleaned and saved- a soup can, a large size bean can, and an International Coffee can. I covered them with black and white damask wrapping paper and finished them off with some ribbon I liked. I did have red velvet ribbon and the crystal buckles but for my vignette I decided on something a little different.

It took less than an hour and total cost was conservatively less than $10.

I think they turned out cute!

Merry Christmas!

Vintage Rocking Horse Redo

2011-12-14T08:28:00.002-06:00

vintage rocking horse, originally uploaded by ticklish_moose.

Latest upcycle- this vintage rocking horse was found in pieces in a barn set for demolition. Since I found all of the pieces the owner let me have her!

My husband put it back together for me, and I refinished it using Annie Sloan chalk paints and chipping creme. It was my first experience using the chalk paint and I have to say I'm sold!! Currently for sale in my space @ The Antique Gallery.

Trash to Treasure!

2011-12-01T12:16:00.002-06:00

Trash to Treasure!, originally uploaded by ticklish_moose.

Seems I can't get enough of upcycling chairs!

Like a lot of things over 50 yrs old, this pair of Danish Modern chairs had some creaky joints and were a little rough on the surface. We gave them a complete overhaul (original finish was not salvageable) and instead of being headed for the landfill, they are now headed for my space @ The Antique Gallery of Lewisville!

walnut chair refurbish

2011-11-17T08:33:00.002-06:00

walnut chair refurbish, originally uploaded by ticklish_moose.

picked up this well worn walnut burl chair for $10 at a garage sale. The seat was covered in some darn ugly green fabric, which I removed and recovered with my own embellished design. I painted the seat frame black and just refreshed the rest of the chair with some Old English.

I think it turned out great!

Grammatically Different Plates- Fresh Ideas Tutorial

2011-11-08T20:55:00.000-06:00

Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.

Albert Einstein

'Live-Laugh-Love'

'I Hope You Dance'

'Believe'

OMG! I am LOL because it has all just gotten so ridiculous, IMHO....

Is that what life has become- someone else's catch phrase? Does it really reflect your thoughts and wishes for the day? I am thinking "we can do better than this".

By now you know I love quotes and Bible verses. I find great inspiration and comfort in many of them. I think words hold great meaning. You probably know someone that has a favorite verse as well. So wouldn't it be great to give someone (or yourself!) the gift of a word phrase that actually has some deeper meaning? I'm going to show you how with just an inkjet printer and a few inexpensive supplies.

For this project you will need:

A few ceramic plates (or tiles)

I pick them up all over. You may have a few lying around, but each of these were purchased for anywhere from .49-$2.00 ea.

Denatured Alcohol* (find it @ the hardware store)

*flammable- please use in well ventilated area away from flame

Lazertran Inkjet

(click on above link to see where to buy)

Lazertran has a TON of applications, but for this project we are applying it to a ceramic surface. I used black type, but you can print colored images if you choose. Don't worry- We'll have more fun with it another day.

Spray Polyurethane* (gloss or satin/matte)

* note: MUST be a urethane- acrylics will not dissolve film!

a few cotton balls
a pan of water about 1" deep large enough to hold transfer
inkjet printer

There are basic instructions that come with the Lazertran, but believe me- it is nothing compared to the voice of experience here. A few things to consider:

Choose a plate with a specific rim/edge detail to ease the transition from the Lazertran to the edge. You can see a faint line of the transfer on some types of plates more than others, especially with a curved inner edge.

Try to make your image a large enough size to come close to the transition line. It just looks neater.

I thought the gloss urethane gave a better result on my ceramic plates, but consider the original sheen of your item to give it a authentic look.

If you need to sand out any imperfections in your urethane finish- be sure it is fully cured and use a scotchbrite style sanding pad (fine grit) and lightly sand the surface without putting any real pressure on the pad. Then apply a light final coat. You may also need a sharp pin/needle to prick air bubbles in the transfer.

Measure your plate ahead of time to determine the size of your phrase. I like to use Publisher because it has a handy ruler on the side of the page, but use whichever program you are familiar with. You do not need to "mirror" or flip your image! Also, I do at least one 'test' sheet on regular paper to be sure I have things the correct size before I print on the Lazertran sheet. I would much rather waste a cheap piece of copy paper getting things right.

When you have things the way you want it- print on the white side of the Lazertran. I'm cheap, so I try to get 2 or more projects per sheet. Allow it to fully dry- 30 mins or so. If you are impatient you can try a heat gun, but no promises- OK?

I like to find a circle 'template' to use to get the size/centering correct. You may have a circle cutter. I do.....somewhere! If your plate is square, measure twice, cut once ;-)

Use a pencil to mark your cutting line- then cut just inside the line.

Gather your materials on a covered surface

It's good to check the back of the plate so if there is a logo you get it orientated correctly with what will be your finished product.

Soak the transfer in water. The edges will curl....it's totally normal. Push it back out flat as you can. In 20-45 seconds or so the backer sheet will loosen from the transfer film.

Slide the film from the backer sheet. It is somewhat fragile, so handle carefully.

Position your transfer on your plate- it will slide around and you have a little bit of 'open time' so don't panic if it isn't perfect- just slide it where you need it to go. Smooth out any air bubbles with your finger, or a cotton ball soaked in the denatured alcohol.

As the transfer film starts to dry, continue to look for air bubbles and push them out with the soaked cotton ball. Use the wet cotton ball especially around the edges of the transfer to help dissolve the edge.

Let it fully dry- go do something else for an hour. The transfer turns a chalky white.

Spray a light top coat. The transfer will become transparent.

Allow top coat to dry according to the directions on the can. If you have any small air bubbles, use your pin to puncture similar to doing wallpaper. Recoat with 2-3 more light coats of urethane. Allow to dry between coats according to directions. Admire your work- you're done!

This would also work great on backsplash tiles, but not anything that gets wear like a floor. Also- these items should be handwashed and are NOT foodsafe!

Here are a few more ideas:

Best of luck! Let me know what you make!

Custom Stamps- The Way To Go!

2011-10-30T17:17:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to give you a heads up on a favorite product I have recently purchased- They are custom Trodat rubber stamps from Stampxpress.com! I use them on all of my merchandise hang tags for the products in my booth, as well as return address info on packages and letters I send out.

With this being Breast Cancer Awareness month an easy way to help the cause would be to order your custom self inking Trodat stamp with the Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon so the profits go to help cure this horrible disease.

It seems that every woman knows at least one other woman affected by breast cancer. I hope that none of you has personally suffered this kind of loss, but I have lost 3 people in my family to cancer and it is so hard.

With Christmas right around the corner, many of us will be sending out cards, and it makes it so much easier to be able to stamp the signatures or return address- and you can truly get so many designs now, why not? Trodat stamps are made in the USA, and I am such a big supporter of all American made products and companies. I think it is hard to complain about the state of the economy if you are not doing all you can to support small businesses right here.

Thanks for taking time to make a difference today! I always appreciate all that you all do!!

Bad Blogger is Back With a New 'Old' Lamp Project!

2011-10-23T21:30:00.000-05:00

What can I say? It's been a busy past few months!! My son returned to High School and so we had to get back into the 'school routine', my Rheumatologist had me try a new medication which did not agree with me at all. As a matter of fact, lets just say short of my anaphylactic reaction to a few other medications I have had in the past, it ranked right up there on the 'bad experience' scale.

I also got a new great-niece! After 40 hours of labor (yes- you read that right!) beautiful (and not just because she is 'ours') baby Arwen was born!

Then I went on an 'antiquing' trip to MI, got some fabulous things, got sick from being stuck in that sardine can they call flying coach, and just barely had time to whip up a fall project! I tend to decorate for fall, not Halloween. I don't have any small children and the fall theme takes me through Thanksgiving.

Lately it seems, I have had a 'thing' for lamps. I don't know why. Possibly because they are plentiful and inexpensive. One thing for sure- I will never pay full price for a lamp or shade again!

So here is my 'latest' new 'old' lamp project:

But- as usual- we gotta get there, right?

I recently bought the barley-twist lamp in the photo at our neighborhood garage sale for $3. I switched out the shade for a narrower one I had on hand from a different lamp I was not currently using so I could group the lamps together. I think it makes for a kinda neat display :)

The 'project' lamp is an old, sad 8" tall (minus the shade) glass lamp I got at the local thrift for $4.49. You know the kind- popular in the 1980's. Depending on your age, you may already have one around the house ;-)

Be sure to look at the bottom to see that it is easily taken apart by undoing the wing-nut that holds the threaded rod that goes up the middle. Just undo it, loosen the cord up through the lamp and you are ready for spray paint.

I used black satin spray paint and put a little blue tape around the cord to keep the paint off. Paint the base, and the brass-colored threaded rod that goes in the center. Of course, you can use whatever color suits you and your project. Clean the glass and get ready to fill it up! You could use pine cones, acorns, candy corn.....I chose these cute mini pumpkins and threw in a few small pine cones from my stash.

The mini pumpkins were $5 at Walmart, and the colored leaves were priced at $4.49 at Hobby Lobby- but I used a 40% off coupon.

If possible, have a Helper Puppy near to give you kisses and moral support as you add the filling to the drab to fab lamp and re-assemble

I used a few pieces of 2-sided clear tape to stick the leaves to my shades. Since one shade is damask and one is linen I wanted them to be able to return to 'normal' when I redecorate my buffet. But if you have a shade with stains or a hole you could permanently stick them on with hot glue.

Next week I will show you how easy it is to make these great 'sayings' plates with your inkjet printer:

'Till we meet again! :D

Owlies- A Free Owl Pattern and Tutorial!

2011-08-28T19:58:00.126-05:00

I am one of those people blessed with great family members. Not to say we don't have our issues, fight now and then like families do or have a weirdo or two (which I am convinced is NOT me). But all in all, through thick and thin we love each other to pieces.

So imagine my delight at finding out that one of my nieces was expecting a baby.....and a girl at that! You know, I do love all things girly. And who can resist a sweet little baby? Unfortunately, my niece is full-term and has been in the path of Irene, but baby stayed put (whew!) and the power is back on in their area. You know how the end of your pregnancy is. And you can imagine she was thinking "Seriously?!? A freakin' HURRICANE?"

Well, enough of that.....back to me.

I wanted to make something special for baby, and much to my delight the 'theme' was owls, and the color of the nursery was to be green and brown. I had seen a cool mobile some time back and had been wanting to try one- I just knew it was the project for me! Originally I was going to attach the owlies by ribbons to a wooden embroidery hoop, but soon became obsessed with making it musical as well. I scoured all of the local thrifts for gently used baby mobiles to no avail. I was running out of time when I stopped into a Kid to Kid store to see what they had. And wouldn't you know it- amongst the pink Care Bears and blue Cars mobiles I found this:

The perfect base for my newest creation!
Couldn't wait to cut those sports figures off!!

I could not find an owl pattern anywhere that was exactly what I needed, so I made my own. Feel free to download and use it, but please give a link back or shout out-K?

Download Full Size Pattern Here

Suitable materials for this project are felt (wool or poly), suede or leather (I upcycled some old jackets), suit weight woolens (once again, I upcycled), quilt weight cotton for the tummy, and whatever buttons, embroidery threads, ribbons, etc. you would like to add. I stuffed mine with a high quality poly fluff filling and sewed it on the machine, but you could easily also sew these by hand with a blanket or back stitch.

Cut out the pattern pieces from whatever fabrics you have chosen. I used fusible web on the back of my cotton tummy piece to hold it in place while I stitched it on, and used a decorative stitch, but that is your discretion.

I wanted each of my owlies to have their own personality, so I cut odd shaped triangles for the beaks. I used some permanent fabric glue on the beaks since these will not be "loved on" by the baby, but if you use the pattern for "lovies" please be sure all items are secured and cannot be swallowed by baby. This is also the point where you can add all of the hand embroidery easily to the faces. I added eyelashes and spectacles, buttons, bows and bling until I had them where I wanted them to be. I put a lot of emphasis on the eyes, as this is an infant mobile.

One of the owls ready for final assembly:

Stitch the back to the front (1/4" seam allowance) leaving a hole on the side for the stuffing

If your owlie will be used for a mobile, before stuffing add a knotted 1/4" ribbon through the back to hang. Remember- the owlie needs to face slightly downward so baby gets the best view, so position your ribbon down about 1" from the top center.

That's it- stuff your owlie and stitch the opening closed. I used pinking shears to add a decorative edge (be careful at feet!)

My owlies (before attached to the mobile)

And finally.....added to the mobile base:

Here's lookin' at you, baby!

Finally- Folding Chair Re-Do is Re-Done!

2011-08-01T16:24:00.000-05:00

The heat must be getting to me.

Not that I don't feel justified- after all.....today's temps hovering at 107 degrees sets a new *high* temperature for today's date, and ties us for 2nd place in number of consecutive days over 100 (now at 31) with no end in sight. With August being our hottest month, we will give many old records a run for the money.

Somehow these awful wooden folding chairs called out to me while I was at my local thrift.   In a moment of weakness I purchased them and brought them home, with a revitalization plan in mind, of course. And for the record- I don't even need folding chairs....

I seem to have a weakness for rooting for the underdog.

These chairs fought me every step of the way! From the filth and split wood to the *mysterious disappearance* of the black and white toile fabric I had to use for the seats it was one thing after another. But here it is- VICTORY!!

This is a Lazertran decal I made and applied to the back of the painted chairs (image from Graphics Fairy)

Oh well, all's well that ends well, right? These are now for sale in my booth at Antique Gallery of Lewisville :D

Odds and Ends

2011-07-13T12:21:00.000-05:00

In all my years of thrifty finds- this is one of my all time favorites!

It is 40" x 40" square and still has the World Market tag on the back! I think it is going to look great in my daughter's new apartment.

I am having a melancholy day. My little doggie is at the hospital getting oral surgery and my nephew may or may not be in the people hospital after a nasty car accident on the freeway. My oldest sister does not seem to have the ability to use any modern methods of communication including but not limited to the phone, texting, email or smoke signal. So I am sending out a little prayer for you Tim and hope you are doing OK.

I am working on a super-secret project that I will do a tutorial on after the recipient has gotten it and it's not a secret any more :) This is a cabin-fever time of year for me because the heat and intense UV rays keep me from being outside too much. You would think I would get a lot done, but I spend time obsessing on things......Like this chair:

I bought this chair and ottoman 13 years ago at a great price to fill a big corner of the library of our old house. It is really large, not super-comfy but not bad either. I just keep thinking it could be more "me". But look at all of those furniture tacks! I just don't think I have it in me to completely rip into this, plus the leather is in perfect shape, as the chair has not had any heavy use. I have been toying with the idea of just re-doing the bottom cushion, the arm pads and the loose back pillow. I would like to do a foam core with a down wrapped seat so that it had more of the feel my Uncle Charlie's antiques had. So it would envelop the person sitting in it more.

I am also considering making my own fabric design for the back pillow, and toying with a few ideas:

So now you know my intentions. We'll see what happens in the end. ;-)

Ribbon Storage Idea- A 1 Hour Craft

2011-06-21T16:39:00.000-05:00

Do you ever spend way too much time looking for something to fulfill a storage or space requirement and then think "duh.....I can just MAKE that!" ?

I have had this idea for vertical ribbon storage for some time now. I kept thinking about possibly modifying a paper towel holder but the bases are typically too large. Then the other day I was clearing out some stuff from a shelf in the shed and realized I had everything I already needed! Booyah!

This is what it looks like completed

This is the pile of ~~junk~~ supplies that started the process

I also used some wood glue, a little 220 grit sandpaper, black spray paint, and ended up using a wooden spool on the top. My husband was nice enough to put together a cute little power tool kit just for me..........guess he got tired of the endless 'honey-do's' and looking for his tools :) So I got to use my awesome new cordless drill on this project!

The 2 inch diameter wooden disc is a cedar block that had lost it's scent. Any size piece of wood would work as long as it is larger than the wheel. The hole in the wheel was not quite large enough to push the dowel into, so I used my handy drill to make the hole the correct size, added a little glue to the bottom edge of the dowel and stuck them together.

Then I just glued the disc to the top of the candlestick, and the wheel with dowel attached to the disc. I let the whole thing dry about an hour.

I gave the whole thing a light sanding and spray painted it black. I decided that the ribbon spools would stay in place better with something holding them down a little, and a wooden spool I already had slipped on the dowel perfectly!

I think I am going to try this idea with a few other candlesticks I have lying around (since I have lots of ribbon) and see what else I can glue together.

Let me know if you give it a try!

Dyed to Match Buttons- Who Knew??

2011-06-12T13:55:00.000-05:00

Evidently, dye is not just for fabric!! I wanted to share a tutorial I ran across yesterday that really opened my eyes to some new possibilities.

This tutorial comes to us from Rit dye, but of course you could probably experiment with some products you had around the house as well.

And- if it dyes plastic and nylon......well, just think of the things that could use a facelift!!

Dyed Buttons

Whether you are a crafter or a sewing fashionista, you will enjoy dyeing buttons. It’s fun and easy to do. Most white buttons are made out of nylon or some type of plastic. Rit is one of the few dyes that will color these materials. That means you can transform ordinary buttons into colorful accents that match or coordinate with whatever you are making.

Assorted White Buttons before dyeing

Muffin pan doubles as a button organizer when working on craft projects

Rit Dye colors shown:

Top: Fuchsia, Lemon Yellow, Violet
Bottom: Sunshine Orange, Evening Blue, Scarlet

Buttons add a colorful accent to flower arrangements!

Rit Dye colors shown:

Lemon Yellow, Golden Yellow, Sunshine, Orange, Apple Green

Ready to get started??

Supplies Needed

Rit Liquid or Powder Dye: Any color or mix dye to create a custom color. Colors used in photographs: Sunshine Orange, Evening Blue, Scarlet, Fuchsia, Lemon Yellow, Violet, Apple Green, Golden Yellow
White Buttons
Measuring Cup
Measuring Spoons
Disposable Plastic Containers for dyeing buttons
Spoon for mixing dyes
Rubber Gloves
Plastic Table Cover
Paper Towels

Instructions

Cover work surface with a plastic table cover.
Decide what colors you like and prepare dye according to the basic recipe below. Liquid dyes are more concentrated than powder dyes so use half as much dye. Always test color with fabric scrap or paper towel before dyeing buttons. If color is too light, add more dye; if it is too dark, add more water.
Basic Recipe: Measure and mix 1 teaspoon liquid dye or 2 teaspoons powder dye with 1 Cup HOT Water. Shake liquid dyes before measuring. Water should be about 140°F. If your tap water is not hot enough, heat some in the microwave or a tea kettle.
Pour dye and water into a plastic container; stir. Make sure container is deep enough.
Immerse buttons in dye solution for 2 to 5 minutes. Stir occasionally and check color frequently. Remove buttons when desired color is achieved. Rinse buttons. Then wash with soap and water, rinse and dry with paper towels.

Thrifty Tissue Paper Lampshade (a tutorial)

2011-05-14T07:05:00.114-05:00

I haven't asked you to make me young again. All I want is to go on getting older.

- Konrad Adenauer

That quote sums up a lot of my feelings on the process of repurposing and upcycling items and clothing. I do not like the "throw away society" that we have become. I guess some of that comes from my age- after all, "back in MY day" when your TV broke you could take the back off, remove the tubes, go down to the corner grocery to test and replace the faulty parts. I love taking things that still have some life in them, and bringing them into this decade.

I have become obsessed with vintage images and image transfer. And I especially love bringing those long-forgotten images forward and creating something ~~natty~~ contemporary.

Here is the latest and greatest "after"

But ya gotta get there, right? So- let's do this thing!!

Start with one sad old lamp

My lamp is small with a vinyl-covered shade. This process would work for most any flat surfaced (non-pleated) shade. I simply downloaded this image from Graphics Fairy

Karen has 1000's of free images to use- and I go to her site often :)

I also used this image (quote) I found on the internet to build on, so to speak:

I also went online and found sheet music for 'bird themed' songs.....you know, like Rockin' Robin, Black Bird, Mockingbird, etc. Since my lampshade is just 7" high, I used Publisher to combine/print 2 images per 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper. I wanted the light to shine through the images, so I printed them onto tissue paper.

Here is where the word *tutorial* pays off for you- because I get to spare you a bunch of frustration and ~~cursing~~ sobbing.

get some 1/2" wide 2-sided tape (you may use this already for scrapbooking)
use plain cardstock paper, not textured (8 1/2 x 11)
use cheap old tissue paper- not the kind with a *nice* glossy side
if possible, print your images with a laser printer or use a copy machine. The toner-based inks do not run when you get them wet with decoupage medium.

DO NOT BELIEVE the other blogs that tell you that you can somehow stick the tissue paper with spray adhesive to the cardstock and run it through and come up with something usable in the end. THEY LIE!!!!!

Use this simple, Ticklish Moose Tutorial Tip, which makes it so simple you will laugh out loud....ready?? Bwaa-haaa-haaa!!

Tutorial Tip:
Simply adjust the size of your image so you have a decent 3/4" to 1" of margin space outside of the actual image you want to use. Stick the 1/2" wide piece of 2-sided tape across the leading edge (end that feeds into the printer) of the cardstock. You can use 2 smaller pieces on the other end just to keep the tissue paper nicely in place as it feeds through the printer. You can smooth out (or lightly crumple up) the tissue over top of the taped cardstock. Flip it over and trim off any excess tissue paper. Put the tissue paper covered cardstock into your printer so you print on the tissue paper side. Print your image and voila`...... you did it!! Carefully tear off your printed page.

Repeat as many times with the cardstock as you need images.

I used 6-7 printed sheets for my small shade (I had a few scraps leftover)

Gather up your printed pages, a foam brush and whatever decoupage medium you prefer. I used PPA for this application.

Tear your images into pieces that suit the size of the shade. I tore the first few pieces to about the size of 1/4 sheet of paper. Then filled in later with some smaller pieces. Just crumple, decoupage and layer to suit your taste. Let it dry and trim off any straggly ends hanging off the edge of the shade.

I sprayed an acrylic topcoat over it just to make it easier to dust.

You could totally stop here if you want, but being a self-proclaimed Bling-a-holic.......

I added eyelash trim with my trusty glue gun!

And a couple of Prima fabric flowers

Here it is in the daytime

and lit up at night

Have a fun week!!

The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions?

2011-04-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

Gosh.......I hope not!

Because lately it seems I have the best of intentions to get things done, and they just do not materialize. I am still nursing a swollen spleen and the fatigue from chronic/remitting Epstein-Barr, but my spirits are good overall. I do get somewhat depressed because I do not know how many times I can repeat this cycle before I become bedridden, but I do still have hope that the many prayers floating around out there will give me Divine strength and healing. So don't give up on me just yet!

Evidently- from several emails I received over the weekend- I did not get something quite right on my Linky and there was an issue with the hook-up, so I will try to remedy that this week and try again. I had set it up ahead of time since my sister was coming to visit, and did not get a chance to check it out on Saturday as we were a little bit busy.

On Friday we set out on our annual trek to an event called Antique Alley about an hour South of where I live. We had a VERY strong cold front blow through on Thursday evening that missed my area, but hit the Cleburne area quite hard. A lot of vendors get set up the evening before the event, as you can imagine, and they sustained quite a bit of rain and hail damage. But, to add insult to injury on Friday the winds were exceptionally strong- with gusts to 40 mph!- and we witnessed whole tables being flipped over and numerous glass breakage and VERY frustrated sellers. We did take refuge for awhile at Whipp's Farm that did provide some breaks from the wind and got some great deals as well! Here are a few pics from Whipp's:

I got several nice items from Whipp's Farm! My favorite was this sweet little box for $3

The best part came when I opened it!

Surprise! It was filled with Bible verses!!

This is the first one I picked out of the box:

I also got some awesome antique books and one new hymnal. Most were from 1902-1903. This sheet music is from 1940..Use as ephemera for your craft projects, or just print it out and frame- but this is especially apropos!

Remember the 'reason for the season'.....I consider Easter the holiest day! Christ is Risen!!

Have a Blessed Easter holiday!

Show-Off Saturday Linky

2011-04-15T23:56:00.001-05:00

Spring Graphics Freebies

2011-04-06T12:17:00.000-05:00

This week should have been easy, but has gone South in a hurry. At least it's hump day!

Good news!

The *new* (to me!) scanner I picked up at the garage sale has been great and so easy to use! I never could get our old all-in-one machine to work with my laptop correctly. I am not an IT genius so if it ain't simple it ain't happening!

I wanted to share a few of the spring graphics I scanned for you to use if you choose. I also wanted to share a few pics of some things I have been working on. I couldn't remember if I had posted this cuff previously on the blog. It was a cuff from a silk blouse, and I added flowers upcycled from an old lei and various vintage buttons and beads from my (vast) ~~hoarde~~ collection:

This next little project started as a horrible forest green box with runs and smears (sorry whoever's kid made it for them!). I added a black distressed finish, some decoupage and made some funky pulls out of mini spools and buttons. I added the chicken wire for fun! I think it turned out great:

I love toile!

The next picture group is a set of lavender sachets I whipped up. The images printed on muslim are saved on a Publisher Document, so I could print 4 to an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of fabric. I used the same technique as when I printed on the twill tape- you just use a temporary adhesive to stick the muslim to a piece of cardstock, and print directly onto your fabric from your printer. Just be sure to heat set (from the backside!).

These were made simpler by starting with a 5" Moda Charm Pack:

The white wire basket was one of my garage sale finds from last week!

Here are the graphics files I currently have to share. Feel free to use them for any project, but you may not sell these images alone or as a part of set.

And a fun bunny coloring page as well!

Here's to a great weekend!!

Foolin' Around on April Fool's Day

2011-04-01T20:44:00.000-05:00

In case anyone is looking for me, you can probably find me in a neighbor's garage. I am kinda nosey- no denying it. That is why the neighborhood garage sale is one of my favorite events! I snooped and chatted, talked smack about your stuff later in the day to my girlfriends that had to work and missed the fun. Yes.....it's true. But mostly had a great time, and got some great ~~stuff~~ treasures. The weather cooperated nicely as well. It was breezy, low 80's and sunny. Picture perfect. My thanks to the dad that had fired up his grill and made some awesome hotdogs with tasty toasty buns.

I am pretty worn out from my bargain hunting, but I will close with a few pics of some treasures and the promise that with the great new scanner I picked up today I will also have some neat-o things scanned in very soon to share as well.

I love spring!

Silhouette Success!!! Tutorial and Links!

2011-03-17T13:15:00.001-05:00

Okay....total excitement! I got my design to cut out of the vinyl I ordered and got it on the back of the little chair I am working on!!

I want to share a couple of good links I found. As promised, I found what I believe to be a great site for vinyl, as you can buy just a piece instead of having to get a whole roll of a color.

Click here:

Expressions Vinyl

Also, I found a really fun tool- The KEEP CALM-o-matic!

You can generate any KEEP CALM sign/poster you want! How fun is that? I used it to generate my design above, and saved the file as a .jpg so I could import it to Robo-Master. That is where you use your graphics files to make your own Silhouette designs.

Need a tutorial? Here it is:

Open RoboMaster and click on File/new

Select your page style- portrait view is shown

Click on Insert/file

I used a personal file of black silhouette .jpg's images I have saved- don't confuse that with any Silhouette SD files.....just a coincidence!

I selected a dancer I love:

Click your desired file and open. You will get a box on your page. Click the desired location, and your image should come up:

Still with me? Ok! Here is the point where you can resize the image- I find if I pull up the grid it helps. Just click View/view grid and it will come up. You can change the size of your grid in the grid properties if you choose. I believe the default is 1/2" squares.

For blogging purposes I left my image large so you can see it better.

When you have it the way you want, click on Edit/get outline.

This big box pops up. When it does, click on Convert to Outline.

It will turn into a series of points you can move, like this:

Click Paste then Exit at the lower right side of the image box.

You should see your image with a light red line around the perimeter of the image. Don't know how well it shows up here:

You are ready to cut!! Click on File/output settings and the output cutting guide will walk you through the correct settings for your material. If you use the vinyl, you do not need to use the carrier sheet.

I tested my cut first with some colored copy paper. It was okay, so I moved on to the vinyl. For the vinyl I used a 7 setting on cut depth. :) I hope this helps any of you out there looking for some info on the Silhouette SD.

My Observation- Feel Free to Comment

2011-03-16T11:19:00.000-05:00

Am I the only one- or do you find all of the jukebox additions to the blogs irritating and distracting? I realize I may have an older mind that cannot multi-task like it used to, but when I get to a blog I want to read and the music I may or may not like starts playing, all I can do is look for the box to make it STOP! (there, I used uppercase anyway!)

Worse yet- if I do manage to find the box and stop the madness, when I go to an older post it starts all over again! Ugh!

If I am in the family room on my laptop the music comes on and disturbs those around me watching a show, and it certainly keeps me from what I am trying to do, which is READ THE BLOG! (more uppercase- uh oh!)

I cannot read and listen effectively at the same time, and if I cannot make the music stop, I simply leave the blog. So, what I want to know is this:

Am I the only one that feel this way about this newfangled widget? Please leave your comments either way. I am curious.....

Blog Guidebook- Great Info and Help for Bloggers!!

2011-03-07T16:21:00.002-06:00

So, today it was a Monday....a day like any other Monday. I dropped off the carpool and came back for my 3rd or 4th cup-o-Joe, checked emails and a couple bloggers who have special Monday features. Today I ran across a blog button that I had not seen before, and of course, being the curious person I am I just 'had to see'.

The name of the site is The Blog Guidebook and the ladies there have some wonderful free info for Bloggers (you know how I love free!!), a free listing in the Blog Guidebook, and they will even give your blog an honest evaluation (yeah.....not like the one your mom gave you).

Look for the bee button on my sidebar and check them out!

You can gain some nifty tricks of the trade in simple, straightforward tutorials that will help give your blog that professional edge!

And, as a sidenote:

Can anyone tell me which font is used on these Be Calm signs?

I am working feverishly on a Silhouette SD design for a child's chair and would like to use this type of motif. If I ever did things 'the easy way' I could have been done with the chair by now. But oh no.....I have to not only learn a new set of software, I also have to make it do the hard stuff right off. Anyone else would probably just be able to choose from the Silhouette Library for their first design. No, not me. Sorry. So far I have destroyed a carrier sheet, but I am getting close. :D Not the machine's fault...totally the user. Tot-a-leee user error. But....good news...all of the fabric transfer interfacing is in, AND- I found a website I will share next time where you can get all types of vinyl on the cheap, not just for Silhouette. Yay!!

World's Best (and easiest) Deviled Eggs

2011-02-28T20:53:00.000-06:00

I am feeling quite a bit better finally today. The sun has been out for a few days which helps, for sure. It almost feels like Spring is here for good, but I think it is a couple of weeks too early to tell. What is the saying "if March comes in like a lamb...." Yeah. That one.

I love these vintage Easter cards. I have been thinking about a spring/Easter garland that includes a few of these great pics. Hmmmm......

Anyway....... back to the Deviled Eggs.....this is so easy and so good, you will never turn back. Ready?? Okay!

So there you have it. :D You should be able to click, save and print it off. This has been my *Secret Family Recipe* for years. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

Eewwww........It's The Flu!

2011-02-22T21:25:00.000-06:00

I was tired before my Florida trip, really tired while I was in Florida, and exhausted by the time I got home. I went to see my PC Doctor the day after my return pretty much draggin' myself along. I figured that a common issue that goes along with my Lyme had returned, and that is Mononucleosis (or Epstein-Barr) and the test results and my enlarged spleen did not disappoint. However, what has really gotten me down, down, down the past week has been the Flu.

So here I am.....

The good news is that between blowing my nose and sleeping with my mouth hanging open I have had some time to explore some new project ideas on the internet. I have been super frustrated the past few days looking for the new Silhouette Fabric Interfacing. It is one of the big reasons I wanted Silhouette SD, and the stuff is just sold out everywhere. I did find ONE package of the iron on type (fingers crossed) and got it ordered today (fingers double crossed), so hopefully I can be artfully creating fabulous projects of fabulosity in the very near future.

Oops.......looks like the Nyquil is kicking in again.

Okay.

(back soon)

Super-de-Duper Valentines Garland

2011-02-06T15:11:00.003-06:00

Happy Super-Bowl-Sunday!! Here in North Texas it is all we have heard about on the news for about a month now. They have even had a countdown clock (I kid you not) at the bottom of the TV screen just to give us a second-by-second update. *sigh* I do like professional football a great deal, but having the Superbowl here at Jerry World is causing me burn out.

This past week was certainly a trying one. Like most of the country we had winter return in a really ugly way. My son, who thank God is a sophomore and not a kindergartener, was home a record 4 out of 5 days last week. So at least he can occupy himself and it kept cabin fever to a minimum around here. We baked (and ate) chocolate chip cookies, watched movies, and I was free to work on projects all day long! Since there is no snow removal equipment here, you just sort of have to tough it out until the ice and snow melt and things get back to near normal. I keep the house stocked with food and toilet paper anyway, so I can hole up here for a month if need be.

With Christmas long gone, the house seems a little bare now that the decorations are packed up and put away. And let me tell you, after the gloom, sleet and snow we had last week, I was looking for a little pick me up in decor around here! So, I pulled out some supplies and got to work......here is the result:

If you have a few fabric scraps and a little time on your hands, you can easily make one, too! Here is the tutorial:

You will need basic sewing supplies and/ or hot glue

Print a copy of the Pennant Template

(note: I printed it at 125%)

I upcycled an 80's Valentines vest I thrifted, and pulled together a few remnants that complimented my decor

I started with red bias tape, but ended up using black double-fold bias tape instead. I just liked the way it looked with my accents better. I made 16 yo-yo's using my orange Clover yo-yo maker. If you do not have one, it is approximately a 4 inch diameter circle made into a yo-yo. I just mixed it up with various fabrics that I thought worked together.

I wanted to give the pennants some weight, so I cut 3 layers- the face fabric, a layer of felt and a layer of flannel. I did that for all 5 pennants, so a total of 15 pieces.

All you need to do is just layer them together, pin to hold them somewhat in place, and sew just over 1/4" all the way around the face. Don't worry if they are *wonky*, you will fix that in a little bit.

Clip little fringe close to the stitching on the 2 long sides

Trim all edges to 1/4" from stitching

To make the edges *chenille* toss the finished pennants in the rinse cycle with a little fabric softener, and dry in the dryer.

My fireplace mantle is pretty standard for our area- it measures just over 73" across at the widest part. I have found that garlands work well if my "string" is 108" or so, which is 1.5 times the total width of the mantle. Just find the *middle* of your string (in this case bias tape) and mark it with a pin. Pick which pennant will be in the middle of your garland, and center it on the center of the bias tape.

Open up the bias tape, and tack the center pennant in place with a regular machine stitch.

It was at this point that I hung the garland up on the mantle to *dry fit* the rest of the pieces. I left approx. 18" "tails" on each end so that my center pennant had the right amount of 'drop" and wasn't hanging too close to the firebox. I then took my 4 remaining pennants and pinned them into place, which was approx. 10"-11" apart from each other. I kind of eyeball things. If you are really anal about things like that, measure ;-)

After I machine tacked the remaining pennants into place, I folded over the bias tape, pinned it in place, and sewed the length of the 'string' to hold it all together. Then, I hung it back up onto the mantle so I could fuss with the yo-yo's and arrange them and pin them, then unpinned them, and repinned them until I got it 'just right'. I hand sewed each if the yo-yo's into place, but you could hot glue them if you want. Now comes the real fun- embellishment!!

If you own a printer, you can print your own clothing labels, custom fabrics, and word tape to add to projects. I have found that the best way is to use cardstock, spray with a little bit of fabric tack spray, and smooth a piece of muslin to the cardstock. Trim the edges of the fabric so you don't have excess to get caught in the printer. Print your design, no need to 'mirror image'. Pull the fabric from the cardstock and heat set your design using a dry iron at the highest temp safe for your fabric- approx 10 sec. or so per area.

For this project I decided to try printing directly on twill tape. :/

It is not as easy as doing a whole sheet, but here is the gist of it. First, print your word phrases on your piece of cardstock. Using double sided tape, stick the twill tape over the printed words. Now put your cardstock with the twill tape stuck to it back in the printer and reprint the document.

Add them to your projects anyway you wish. I used a little fusible web tape like Stitch Witchery to add a 'love phrase' to my center pennant.

I added some vintage trim and buttons to the remaining pennants, just for fun. You certainly do not have to......but remember....we were iced in for 4 days here!!

That is really the whole thing in a nutshell! It was easy, fast and totally customizable, just the way I like it!! Just a few more ideas:

Instead of buying new candles for every occasion, consider wrapping the candles you have with a piece of scrapbook paper. It's fast, inexpensive, and can be changed out on a whim.

Also, I glued scrapbook paper to a 'love' stand alone word set I had made up custom for me at Woodland Manufacturing

They will make whatever you want, whatever size you want, in whatever font you want!! Is that creative license or what????? LOVE THEM! I also had this ampersand made, and hopefully I will come up with something awesome to do with it this year.

It is way cool! I'm not sure it would be a bad thing if it were just painted black, but I was thinking maybe subway style lettering stenciled on to it.

Okay...just about Superbowl time! Gotta watch just for the neat ads and halftime show, if for no other reason. I am going to the (hopefully) sunny beaches of Florida next week, and plan to come back refreshed, tan and full of new inspiration! Happy Valentines Day!!

P.S. if you stop by from a Linky or Blog Hop and are a new follower, leave a comment and let me know, so I can visit (and follow back!). Thanks!

New Year, New Ideas

2011-01-31T20:23:00.000-06:00

I'm still here, for anyone that was wondering. I customarily use January as my month to assess what worked or did not work in the previous year. I like to re-organize things and get a fresh start.

My specialty has always been organization, and my work with the rich and famous gave me endless ways to help people keep track of what they owned. My designs were always what I liked to call 'living organization'- a true reflection of the person and how they lived. I had women tell me that they would just sit in the awesome closets I designed and eat lunch, or watch TV. Or spend hours in Butler's pantries and kitchens marveling at how it all just 'worked so perfectly'. There were private prayer rooms, secret hidden offices, beauty salons, magnificent libraries. So, people would always comment how my home must be so perfectly organized. Hmmm.....the cobbler's children have no shoes.

Honestly, it really is not all that bad. However, I always see room for improvement, and when things really just blow up all around me, I realize it is time to take stock once again.

So, don't hate me for having an awesome husband and son who work hard to make my visions a reality, but let me show you my newest little "me" place in my home:

I was at a bead, button and fiber store in McKinney when I saw the antique wooden spools used to organize the trims, as well as lots of little jars. I knew right away that it was what I wanted! So, since last April I have been collecting different sizes of wooden spools as I see a good deal, and hoarding little jars of all shapes and sizes.

This isn't all of them, but you get the gist of it. I painted wooden lids black, and used black & white scrapbook paper to cover metal lids. The best thing is- I can see what I have!! I still have a little way to go with the final design on this- I would like to add a fabric covered tackboard under the upper cabinet, and some art on the wall, but all in all, I am very proud of what I have accomplished so far!

So, that is some of the work that has gone on behind the scenes. I have bought some great books with projects that involve spray paint (one of my favorites), and easy methods to dye fabrics. So, there will be a lot of new fun projects this year- I promise.

I also wanted to share a couple of things I have for sale up at Artizan's Alley right now. They are ideas you can easily copy, or change to reflect your own tastes. The 'Texting Gloves' are certainly not a new idea, but since I only text with my thumbs, I kept the other fingers of the gloves intact. Why should all of the fingertips get cold??

I used a little fray check around the edge of the cut off thumb, but if you did this project with polar fleece gloves fraying would not be an issue.

This pair is simply a silk mum disassembled, and 2-3 layers of petals held in place with a button. A little hot pink trim just adds pizzazz!

I am still working on a way to make the file sharing easy for the embroidery fonts. I think I have it....just bear with me a little bit longer on that.

I would love to hear how you have eeked out crafting room in your home. With space at a premium in so many areas, I would love to see how y'all have overcome challenges. If you email me a photo of your space, and permission to post it, I would love to be able to share these ideas with everyone!