Etcetorize

Free Patterns: Amy Butler

2012-02-23T07:30:00.000-06:00

I can't end this series of Free Pattern posts without mentioning Amy Butler. Amy designs beautiful fabrics which are now also textiles, stationary, towels, rugs, bedding, and even luggage! You name it and you can probably get it with Amy's wonderful designs on it.

She also has several sewing books and patterns available. And as an added bonus, from time to time, she posts FREE PATTERNS on her website.

There are two links you can follow. Go HERE and you'll find some super cute paper craft projects like these:

But what I really enjoy are the FREE Sewing Patterns.

There are quite a few quilt patterns:

Each getting more gorgeous than the previous one. Some look like they would be perfect for first time quilters:

It's not all quilts though. Here are a few more fun and easy projects:

There are even a few projects that you probably don't really need a pattern for, but for someone who's just starting to learn to sew it might be good practice to follow one:

I've sewn a few of her patterns and have a couple of her books and have always been pleased with the results. Give one a try and let us all know how it turns out!

Show and Tell: Rusty Roses

2012-02-22T07:30:00.000-06:00

You won't believe me but this really is a nice dress...it just doesn't photograph all that well.

The neckline is overlapped and makes it look sort of bulky in the photo, but in reality it looks quite pretty....really ... it does!

I used this Vogue pattern,

Best of all, I didn't cut the bottom hemline too short, like I usually do~

Make it Great Monday

2012-02-19T21:00:00.000-06:00

I am just so darn lucky! Not only am I still on one totally wonderful, sunny, beachy holiday, but all of you still come to visit to share all of your great crafty ideas! And on top of that, I've got someone else to help me pick out the features! You don't know what a big job that is.

My lovely bloggy friend Khadija from Khadija's Creative Mind is here to tell you what caught her eye last week! Take it away Khadija:

These are just perfect for the features! First up, this Cork Earings Display by Raising Oranges:

The second feature this week is this 'Love'ly Rosette Headband by Vixen Made:

Beautiful work ladies!

Make sure to stop by Khadija's Creative Mind to see her latest colourful crafts. I don't know where she finds the time but she's always got something fun to share.

And now it's your turn to share!

Before you link and leave, please remember to only link:
1) Family friendly projects
2) Crafting, sewing, or recipes that you've made yourself
3) Maximum of 3 projects that you haven't link up before
4) Please, no shops or giveaways

Please stick around and visit one or two other links and don't be afraid to leave comments at eachother's blogs. We all love comments don't we??

I have a new party button!

You don't have to be a follower of Etcetorize, although it would really make my day if you are, but I do ask that you post my party button somewhere on your blog so that others can join in the fun~

Are you ready? Show us what you've got!

Pretty Beaded Pins

2012-02-17T07:30:00.000-06:00

Here's a little weekend project for that night when someone else does all of your lovely household chores for you. Letting you put your feet and your hair up so that you can head out enjoy a night on the town~

Today's project is super easy but hopefully will give you that little extra sparkle to make your evening out special.

Here's what you need:

Steps:
1) Using your wire cutters, cut a piece of wire around 8"-9" (20-23 cm). This isn't exact because it depends on the length of your bobby pin and the size of beads that you're using. A good estimate to use is about 3 times the length of your pin.

2) Wrap the end around the rounded end of the bobby pin a few times and squeeze it down with your straight nose pliers. Make sure the wire isn't sticking towards the inside of the pin or it will catch on your hair.

3) Start adding your beads. As you add beads wrap the wire around the pin, leaving the underside free of beads.

Just keep adding and wrapping until you get to the bottom of your pin.

4) At the end just wrap the wire around itself 3 to 4 times and once again squeezing the end down with your fingers or straight nose pliers.

And that, my friends, is that! So easy...but so pretty!

So easy, in fact, that I made another pair in one of my fav colour combo's...gold and pink!

And now I need to hear from you....my friend Gen has bet me that all my life I've been wearing my bobby pins upside down. Which way to you wear your bobby pins? Squiggly side up or down? Leave a comment and let me know, I've got a box of bobby pins riding on this~

Free Patterns: Burdastyle

2012-02-16T07:30:00.000-06:00

I'm sure all you sewers out there have heard of Burdastyle.com, and if you haven't, you absolutely need to check it out~

There's loads and loads of information, contests, giveaways, and other neat stuff on their site, but today I just want to tell you about their FREE patterns.

You can find patterns here from other members and you can also find low priced Burdastyle patterns, but there are also FREE Burdastyle patterns that you know will fit properly.

Like this cute dress:

I love this bathing suit:

Maybe a classic blazer is more your style:

You do have to sign up to be a member, but it's super quick and easy. And once you're a member then you can post your own creations, enter giveaways, and become part of the Burdastyle community...if you want.

Or, you can just load up on FREE patterns.

Show and Tell: Purple Peasant Dress

2012-02-15T07:30:00.000-06:00

If you've taken a peek at the Show and Tell tab up top you might have noticed that I sort of have a thing for peasant dresses. I love them! They're cute, they're pretty, and best of all...they're super comfy.

Here's one I made ages ago, but have yet to wear.

I don't have a pattern to show you because it's one of those ones where I just took the best bits of a couple that I liked. I think it's a Vogue blouse bodice and neckline, some other sleeves with a ruffle added, and then lengthened to a dress, with a ruffle added to the bottom hem.

It's made with a very light weight georgette type fabric. I just love the big paisley pattern so much.

And what's really fun, is that if I feel like being a little flirty I can bring the neckline down around my shoulders because it's elasticized.

It's just so pretty, but where the heck am I going to wear it???? Anyone having a garden party? Maybe I could drop by in my pretty dress.

Happy Valentines Day~

2012-02-14T07:30:00.000-06:00

You guys must be very important to me because I rarely ever acknowledge Valentine's day (memories of a very bad and overly dramatic break-up on the big day make me want to black it out), but here you go, just for you, because you really are so very special to me...your very own Valentine's card:

Have a lovely day everyone~

Make it Great Monday

2012-02-12T21:00:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm still very busy sitting on the beach enjoying the sun, the surf, and the sand in Southern Thailand. So, my good friend Gen from Cabin Fevered Gem is helping me out by choosing this week's features:

Happy Monday ladies! This week I couldn't resist V-Day crafts and more specifically... edibles!

Have a look at Ode to Inspiration's cookies. Terrific job on the icing Maysem!

Next, how could I not be tempeted by this fab Hershey's Kisses Rose Bouquet from Compulsive in Texas?

Make sure to head over to Cabin Fevered Gem to check out my latest crafts! Cheers!

Gen xox

And now it's time to see what else you've been working on!

Before you link and leave, please remember to only link:
1) Family friendly projects
2) Crafting, sewing, or recipes that you've made yourself
3) Maximum of 3 projects that you haven't link up before
4) Please, no shops or giveaways

Please stick around and visit one or two other links and don't be afraid to leave comments at eachother's blogs. We all love comments don't we??

I have a new party button!

You don't have to be a follower of Etcetorize, although it would really make my day if you are, but I do ask that you post my party button somewhere on your blog so that others can join in the fun~

All right...are you ready? What are you wait for? Let's link!

Valentine Bookmark

2012-02-10T07:30:00.000-06:00

Here's a cute and quick Valentine craft for you last minute romancers.

You need:

You'll need scissor too if you don't have
electronic cutter~

Steps:
1) Using up your bits and pieces of scrap papers to cut out some hearts. Mine would fit in a square that measures around 2.75" (7cm) for the large one and 2 1/8" (5.5cm) for the small ones. This is not exact, just play it by ear.

2) Embellish your hearts by edging them with in, try different colours to get different effects~

3) Add some Glimmer Mist if want a little extra shimmer.

Make sure you have lots of covereage when your spritz
or everything nearby will be covered in Glimmer Mist.

4) Once you've matched up your hearts and decided which ones will go together, turn over the small heart and add some glue along the top edge.

5) Adhere to the inside of the large heart.

And that's it! Easy peasy!

Yummm, they almost look like pretty sugar cookies!

If you're really romantic (and organized), you could write a little love note on the small heart.

Antony & Cleopatra-the greatest love story of all time~

Make lots for your kids to hand out to their friends. If you don't do all of the embellishing and have an electronic cutter, this will take you no time at all to make loads.

Hope you all have a wonderful and romantic Valentines Day~

Free Patterns: Sew News

2012-02-09T07:30:00.000-06:00

Do you know what the tagline for Sewnews is? It's: the trusted sewing source. Well, you can't really beat that when you're looking for sewing advice, tips, and FREE patterns!

When you go to their website you can sign up for free sewing e-books or you can click on the Web Extras. They have a list of free patterns, sewing tips, and articles that go back to 2006!

I can't possibly show you everything, but here are some of my favourites:

Starting with something simple, I've been meaning to make a pressing ham for ages, one of these days I'll get around to it, maybe with this pattern,

Advice on how to alter your patterns to add pintucking and folding details to a regular pattern:

Have a fancy shmancy event to go to? Maybe this cute bow clutch is just what you need to finish off your special outfit:

Make a very snazzy looking tote to take to the market:

And some cute super simple projects for the beginners:

There's loads more clothing, crafting, and home dec projects. Check out it and see what you find~

Show and Tell: Pink Pencil Skirt

2012-02-08T07:30:00.000-06:00

I have no clue what pattern I used for this pretty skirt (hopefully you'll like it and agree that it's pretty). It's nothing special really, just a regular old pencil skirt.

My best school teacher impression~

Except that I made it with upholstery fabric~

As soon as I saw this fabric I could only see it as a skirt and couldn't imagine it as a chair or couch or some other piece of furniture.

It's a great outfit for those work meetings when I actually have to look professional and put together.

Everyone should have at least one great fitting pencil skirt in their closet. Do you???

Make it Great Monday

2012-02-05T21:00:00.000-06:00

While I'm off enjoying the sunny beaches in Southern Thailand, my good friend Gen from Cabin Fevered Gem is helping me out by choosing tonight's features...take it away Gen!

Hello lovelies! I couldn't resist a couple of kid picks this week. I'm loving these Dino Hoodies from VixenMade. My son Simon would totally rock these!

And this crayon roll from Raising Oranges. Great tut Katie!

That's all for me ladies! Catch up with you next week. Gen

And don't forget to visit Cabin Fevered Gem . Gen shares cardmaking, crafts, and recipes when she's not busy getting ready for her biggest project...a new baby!

And now it's time to see what else you've been working on!

Before you link and leave, please remember to only link:
1) Family friendly projects
2) Crafting, sewing, or recipes that you've made yourself
3) Maximum of 3 projects that you haven't link up before
4) Please, no shops or giveaways

Please stick around and visit one or two other links and don't be afraid to leave comments at each other's blogs. We all love comments don't we??

I have a new party button!

You don't have to be a follower of Etcetorize, although it would really make my day if you are, but I do ask that you post my party button somewhere on your blog so that others can join in the fun~

All right...are you ready? What are you wait for? Let's link!

Travel Journal

2012-02-03T07:30:00.000-06:00

By the time you read this I should be somewhere between Hong Kong and Bangkok. But did you really think I'd leave you hanging with no projects while I'm away...no way!

Whenever I go on vacation it's usually for a fairly lengthy time, usually far too long for me to be able to keep track of everything that happens inside my little head. So, I always take a travel journal with me, a new one for each trip.

Instead of purchasing something though, I decided to embellish something I already had laying around. It seems the latest and greatest "gift" to give employees at my workplace are small recycled plain notebooks. I suppose the idea is that we're supposed to use them for work, seeing as the logo is plastered right on the front, but you know, I like to be a little different~

Here's what you'll need to make your own journal:

I also used my Silhouette SD, add a pair of scissors
or punches if you don't have an electronic cutter

Steps:
1) At first I was going to cut out some flowers to put on the front of my book but I just couldn't find anything that caught my eye in my Silhouette library. Then I remembered...I'm a butterfly girl! So, I cut out some cute little butterflies in several bright papers.

2) I used Mod Podge to adhere them to the front of my book. I decided not to do another layer of Mod Podge on top just to go along with the whole recycled earthy look the cover already has.

I forgot to take a shot with them all glued down
but you'll see that in a bit~

3) OK, big deal right? So I glued some paper down over the company logo so I can really enjoy my vacation. Does that really warrant an entire tutorial? No...but here's where we add a little something to make things special!

I "designed" this little shape above to make some tabs so I could section off my book. It's really just a series of rounded corner rectangles welded together, so if you don't have an electronic cutter you could probably just do something similar on your own with a ruler~

4) Just cut a bunch of tab shapes in the same pretty papers, score the centre lines and get ready to glue.

5) Press your first side down on the front of the page:

6) Turn the page over and press down the other side. So super easy!

7) Section off your book and add your tabs throughout. In my travel journals I like to have these sections:
-journal
-blog notes
-photo log
-purchases
-miscellaneous

Tah dah!

So pretty right?

But wait...there's more! While I had my Mod Podge out I figured I better cover the logo on my pen too.

So, there it is all together and ready to go. I can't wait to use it!

If you want to keep up with my travels just click here.

Free Patterns: McCall's

2012-02-02T21:38:00.000-06:00

Last week I showed you some of the cute new designs out in McCall's early spring pattern catalogue. Did you know that McCall's began as a small company in the States in 1870?!?! You know if something's been around that long, they must be doing something right.

Did you also know, that you don't always have to pay top dollar for their patterns? You can find Free Downloadable patterns on their website.

You'll find several different kind of organizers.

Bags:

Even Hats:

There are lots of crafty type projects too!

Check it out and see what you find~

Show and Tell: Soaps

2012-02-01T07:30:00.000-06:00

Have you ever bought something thinking you couldn't wait to use it, just had to have it because it was such a great deal, and you just knew it would come in super handy...and then it sat in the closet for years...untouched???? Just me? Ohhhkayyyyyyyy, anyway...

A few weeks ago when I pulled out my long forgotten Candle Making kit to create my Pinspired Crystal Candles, I also pulled out my long forgotten Soap Making kit.

It's been many years since I bought it but I do remember it was a steal. It came with a pack of soap, a mold, and a cool soap melter, all for the low low price of $9.99. I had to have it!

And here's what I made with it:

I used a silicon mold I bought when I thought I was going to get into resin work (another unopened box in my closet).

I think the bumpy hydrangea petals will feel good in the shower~

And these ones were made with the mold that came with the kit.

I love how transparent they are~

I took a peek in Micheal's recently and they have loads of neato soap making supplies. This just might become another new obsession. It was super easy and wasn't anywhere near as messy as I thought it would be.

And they make super cute little gifts!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2012-01-31T07:30:00.000-06:00

This is it guys! This is the week that I get to go on my long overdue extended vacation!

I will be spending the whole entire long glorious frigid cold deep freezer month of February here:

Yeah! That will be me!

Maybe here:

And sure, why not, maybe here too!

Every couple of years I pack up my backpack and head off somewhere interesting in the world (you can see some photos from other amazing countries I've visited up top on the Inspiration Shot tab), usually in an attempt to avoid the cold Arctic winter here in Canada. In case you don't recognize the above photos, this year I'm heading off to SOUTHERN THAILAND!!!! Yay!

Even though I'll be very busy sitting on the beach, playing in the water, and finding amazing deals at the markets, you'll barely even notice that I'm gone.

#1- I've been busy and have scheduled regular posts throughout February for you, including the Make it Great Monday Linky party.
and
#2-You can join me on my trip! Well, you can follow along at least. I've set up an online Travel journal and you're all more than welcome to check in, leave a message in the guest book, and even subscribe for updates. From time to time I'll post photos and short videos and let everyone know what I'm up to. (I do this so that my mom doesn't worry about me, but you're invited too!)

I don't leave for a few more days and it will take me a couple more days to reach Bangkok, so you probably won't see much in the journal until next week.

I hope you'll join me in this fun adventure but don't forget to check back here regularly for fun projects and inspiration too!

Make it Great Monday

2012-01-29T21:00:00.000-06:00

You guys blow me away each and every week! I'm so happy that you all stop by to share your creativity! You don't know how hard it is to only choose a couple of projects to feature.

Have you seen this awesome Anthropologie knock-off from Abbie over at Five Days...5 Ways?

She saved herself almost $1,300 by making them herself! You have to go over there and check out the full post to believe it.

And I love Rebekah's version of the scarf top from Potholes and Pantyhose.

She has an excellent tutorial to show you how to make your own!

And the creativity doesn't end there...let's see what you've been working on this week.

Before you link and leave, please remember to only link:
1) Family friendly projects
2) Crafting, sewing, or recipes that you've made yourself
3) Maximum of 3 projects that you haven't link up before
4) Please, no shops or giveaways

Please stick around and visit one or two other links and don't be afraid to leave comments at eachother's blogs. We all love comments don't we??

I have a new party button!

You don't have to be a follower of Etcetorize, although it would really make my day if you are, but I do ask that you post my party button somewhere on your blog so that others can join in the fun~

All right...on your mark, get set, LINK!

Glitter Frame

2012-01-27T07:30:00.000-06:00

I got the big pack of Martha Stewart Glitter for Christmas and have just started digging into it...yahoo! It's a glitter fest!

Here's what you need for today's glitter party:

That's a glue pen below the frame, a must-have tool for this project~

Steps:
1) Paint your wooden frame with some acrylic paint. You'll most likely need to do at least two coats. Don't forget to paint the sides and the inside edge.

2) With your glue pen, draw your design. I'm making roses...because it's easy~

3) I just drew a couple of roses at a time so that my glue wouldn't dry out before I got to the next step, the fun part, adding the glitter!

4) Make your way around your frame, adding glue and glitter as you go.

I didn't seal mine, which I may regret, but I'll see how it stands up.

I have to say, I'm quite pleased with this. It's been a project in my head for ages, I wasn't sure what it would look like in reality, surprisingly it's quite pretty!

You could go crazy using different colours or a contrasting colour to the paint. You could even mod podge something first and then glitter the edges of a pattern! Ooooh! The wheels in my head are suddenly spinning!

Let me know what you think. Do you have a glue pen? What handy uses do you use it for? Leave a comment~

Free Patterns: Fabric.com

2012-01-26T07:30:00.000-06:00

Stay tuned, because from now until the end of February, I'm going to show you were you can go for the best deals on sewing patterns from reliable, professional resources. How good are the deals you ask? Well, actually...they're FREE!

One of my favourite places to go for FREE sewing patterns is fabric.com. That's right, they have more than just fabric, and you don't even have to pay!

Why do I like it there so much? Because they have loads of FREE apparel patterns from HotPatterns. HotPatterns has some of the coolest, most modern, and up to date styles out there, but they aren't cheap...unless you go to fabric.com.

This cute skirt/dress pattern is definitely on my list of things to make for this summer:

How about a stylish top:

Or some retro style lingerie for nighttime?

I even like their handbags!

There's two whole pages full of free stuff there including knitting projects, Halloween costumes, and even a very cool looking beach pillow.

This is a great place for new sewers to get started. Patterns can be pretty pricey, might as well start with something that you won't be afraid to cut.

Anyone else out there a fan of HotPatterns? Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Pinspired Creations: Gift Tags

2012-01-25T07:30:00.000-06:00

Next to make from my Pinterest Board are some beautiful handmade gift tags.

I saw these ones made by Nancy at Tattered Treasures:

Source: mytatteredtreasures.blogspot.com via Etcetorize on Pinterest

I even entered her contest in the hopes of winning some, but no such luck.

So I made my own!

What caught my eye with Nancy's tags is the edging. I love that she uses colours besides brown and black. So, I used Olive green. I really need to work on my edging techniques but practice makes perfect, so I think I'll try my hand at a few more with some other colours.

I also spritzed mine with some pretty peach shimmer mist and used fat stick on thingies to create more texture and dimension.

I even made some for next Christmas with some paper scraps I had! Sickening...I know.

I used a gold stamp pad for the edging on these ones.

These were the perfect addition to my Pinspired Crystal Candles when I gave them away as gifts.

What do you think? I hope it inspires you to try some of your own~

Thanks for the inspiration Nancy !

Follow My Friends: Grow Creative

2012-01-24T07:30:00.000-06:00

There are so many of you who are new to Etcetorize that I thought I 'd better bring something to your attention. Look up...waaaay up (Friendly Giant reference for all you Canadians out there). See that little tab that says Follow My Friends?

Well, if you publicly follow Etcetorize through Google Friends Connect, that's where you can post your blog button if you want some free advertising and the possibility of a feature post from yours truly.

It's my way of saying thank you to all of you.

And today I'm saying thank you to Elise from Grow Creative.

Elise seems to have a tiny bit of crafter's ADD ... just like me! She does a little bit of everything, and shows you how you can do it too~

One of my favourite tutorials that she shares are these cute can lid crafts. She uses these to make all kinds of pretty things!

If you go to her tutorials page you'll find all kinds of cool things to try.

Like these DIY cranberry stamps:

Starched Fabric Decals:

Mod Podge:

All that, and I haven't even mentioned yet that she's an artist! Check out her gallery page to see some of the pretty items in her Etsy shop. Here are just a couple:

Head on over to Grow Creative and tell Elise I said "Hi!". Don't forget to come back here and let us all know what you found.

Have a great day everyone and don't forget to check out the rest of my friends on the Follow My Friends page up top~

Make it Great Monday!

2012-01-22T21:00:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! Time to start another great week off with some awesome crafting and sewing projects! Even though there were more than a couple of technical glitches this week, I had a great time checking out all of your amazing work.

So sorry if I wasn't able to leave a comment on your linky entry. I'm being blocked left, right, and centre these days but I'm trying to find a fix.

Anyway, onto something more positive.... like this super cool idea on how to make your own light table from Kelly over at Here Comes the Sun.

Kelly uses hers as a fun spot for her son to play on, but I can think of all kinds of other ways it would come in handy, like making stencils and tracing intricate patterns. Love it!

Donatella over at Inspiration and Realization always has something amazing to share. She gets inspired by beautiful, but crazy expensive, designer items, and then makes her own for a fraction of the cost...and shows you how you can do it too! This week she shared this cool leather corsage necklace.

Both ladies have excellent tutorials to show you how you can make your own~

Speaking of your own...what have you been up to this week? Before you link and leave, please remember to only link:
1) Family friendly projects
2) Crafting, sewing, or recipes that you've made yourself
3) Maximum of 3 projects that you haven't link up before
4) Please, no shops or giveaways

Please stick around and visit one or two other links and don't be afraid to leave comments (if you're able to) at eachother's blogs. We all love comments don't we??

I have new buttons to share! I was pretty attached to my old ones but I figured it's a new year, it's time for new buttons. You can continue to use the old ones or you can update.

Either way, you don't have to be a follower of Etcetorize, although it would really make my day if you are, but I do ask that you post my party button somewhere on your blog so that others can join in the fun~

All right, let's link!

The Easiest Belt Ever

2012-01-20T07:30:00.000-06:00

Some of you may have made a resolution to drop a few pounds this new year, and if you're successful you're going to need something to keep your pants up! Here's a super easy, super fast, and super stylish way to do just that.

You'll need:

These are enough supplies to make two belts~

Steps:
1) Use ribbon that has some body to it so that it doesn't just fold over in your belt loops. Grosgrain is great because there's no wrong side to it, but some beautiful velveteen ribbon works too. First, wrap your ribbon around your mid section and add about 10-12 inches (measure lower if you're planning on wearing it with low rise pants). Snip.

2) Fold over one end and iron down.

3) Place two D rings down on the end of your ribbon and fold it in. Once you've decided how much to fold, remove your D rings and steam the fold down.

4) Place your D rings inside the fold and stitch down your ribbon close to the edge.

5) Fold the edge of the other end over twice and stitch down. The trick to this step is to fold it towards the right side of the belt. This end will double over and you'll see the back side on the outside. Make sense? Not really, but trust me, fold it forward.

That's basically it. You're done! Throw it on over a pretty blouse, sweater, or with some dress pants to add some razzamatazz to that blah boring outfit.

For velveteen ribbon I didn't even finish the ends. I just used some Fray Check and stitched it down. No ironing, it just crushes the velvet. See? Super simple!

Pin It

You actually don't even have to drop any pounds, you can just wear one of these to feel pretty~ (Go ahead, have that extra scoop of ice-cream, oooooh, I know, I'm a bad influence.)

Spring Patterns are out!

2012-01-19T07:30:00.000-06:00

I seem to get most of my patterns from the bins at the second hand store lately, but I still get excited each season when the pattern companies start to release their new designs.

Here's a peek at what McCall's has to offer for early spring. I have absolutely nowhere to wear something like this but I think it's super pretty:

I can't help it, there's something about the wide legged version of these pants that I really like:

It seems that Simplicity is the place to go if you want a royal copycat wedding ensemble:

And New Look has a few new designs out too. Like these lovely day wear dresses.

I hate the Simplicity Project Runway patterns (sizing is wonky and directions are sketchy) but I wonder if these are better? Anyone out there ever tried a Workroom pattern?

Butterick and Vogue are still on their holiday catalogues but I'm sure they'll both have some great ideas soon. Can't wait!
What's your favourite pattern company? Do you still use patterns or is everyone just DIY'ing their own? Leave a comment below~

Next week I'm starting a series, showing you where to find great FREE patterns from reliable professional resources. Check in each Thursday to find out the best places to shop...for FREE!

Pinspired Creations: Crystal Candles

2012-01-18T07:30:00.000-06:00

How addicted to Pinterest are you? I still have to laugh because I talked about Pinterest in one of my very first posts (before everyone was doing it~) and one of the commentors said they didn't think it was a very good idea to share like that, it was over exposure. Just try to find someone who doesn't pin these days.

I try to be a bit judicious on my pinning though, only pinning those things that truly inspire me to create something similar or that spark a totally new idea.

Like many of you out there, I've been doing a good job of pinning, just not the follow through. So, I'm trying to change that with what I'm calling my "Pinspired Creations".

First up are some beautiful handmade candles just like these ones from my good bloggy friend Andrea over at The Cottage Market .

Source: thecottagemarket.com via Etcetorize on Pinterest

I had a candle making kit that's been sitting in my closet since the beginning of time so I just got that out, melted down some wax and poured it into some pretty crystal pieces I found at the second hand shop.

For mine, I also scented them with some incredible natural oils that I picked up in Egypt ages ago, and then I gave them a little sprinkle of Martha Stewart glitter (I got the big pack for Christmas!! Look out world, here's comes the sparkle!).

I'm giving a couple away as gifts but I just have to keep at least one for myself. So pretty, but oh so easy. What do you think? I hope it inspires you to try some of your own~

Thanks for the inspiration Andrea!