Gwenny Penny

Point of View: Green

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:55:00 +0000

Welcome to this month's Point of View reveal! The theme for February is "green". There are lots of ways you can go with this theme... take it to mean St. Patrick's Day, something you made that is green, something you made that is "green" (recycled, upcycled, reused, etc). Take a look at the great ideas the members of Point of View have come up with this month...

Jonie from Just Between Friends
Leanne from Organize and Decorate Everything

Gwen from Gwenny Penny (Click HERE to find the tutorial for my Reusable Snack Bag)

Amy from Ameroonie Designs

As always, you can check out each of the projects by visiting each of the blogs listed above.

You may have noticed that the collage is smaller than usual this month. Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to Camilla and Michelle. They are both really talented ladies and their participation in Point of View will be missed! Not to worry... we have some very exciting Point of View news coming soon!

On with the show... My project this month is a Reusable Snack Bag with French Seams...

The thing I love most about these snack bags is that they are linen and they aren't lined, so they're not bulky. That makes them super easy to ~~ball up~~ fold up and stash in your bag without taking up a lot of space. These are great for when you're on the way home from Target and the kids want to eat that bag of goldfish crackers you just bought. They each get their own little snack bag to hold, they don't dump the entire bag you just bought all over the car, and they don't eat the entire bag on the fifteen minute ride home. I don't have a serger, so the French seams keep the inside of the bag nice and neat... no loose threads falling off the seam edges into the crackers. Click HERE for the how-to.

Now it's your turn. Do you have a "green" project that you would like to share? We would like to invite you to join the Point of View Green Link Party over at Just Between Friends. Any project that can be considered green – in any sense of the word – is welcome at the link party. It doesn't have to be a new project... If you have something in your archives, link it up! We want to see any and all green ideas. And remember, by linking up you have the chance to be featured by one of the members of Point of View next week! Hope to see you there!

Reusable Snack Bag with French Seams

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:50:00 +0000

A few years ago I purchased two reusable snack bags to carry around with me. They have gotten a ton of use, and the time has come to replace them... one of them is falling apart and the other is amongst the missing. This month's Point of View theme – "green" – gave me a good excuse to make up a couple of new ones. Not only did I use green fabric, but the bag itself is "green" in the eco-friendly sense of the word since it's a reusable alternative to disposable bags.

These are great for when you're on the way home from Target and the kids want to eat that bag of goldfish crackers you just bought. They each get their own little snack bag to hold, they don't dump the entire bag you just bought all over the car, and they don't eat the entire bag on the fifteen minute ride home.

I know there are a ton of snack bag tutorials out there, but the tutorial I'm about to share is for an unlined linen bag with finished (French) interior seams. Why linen? Linen is a natural fiber (and I can throw it in the washing machine). There is always an argument over what is and isn't food grade when it comes to waterproof options, so I stayed away from those entirely. I don't need these snack sacks to hold anything but crackers, Tings, and maybe some gummy fruit snacks.

Why unlined? Two reasons: 1) Less bulk. That makes them super easy to ~~ball up~~ fold up and stash in your bag without taking up a lot of space. 2) You know when you get sand stuck between the layers of your bathing suit and all the washing in the world doesn't seem to get it all out? Same goes for a snack bag... those crumbs wriggle their way between the layers and get stuck in there. Eliminate the lining and you eliminate the cruddy crumb trap.

Why French seams? I don't have a serger, so the French seams keep the inside of the bag nice and neat... no loose threads falling off the seam edges into the crackers.

Have I convinced you that these are awesome? Here's how to make your own...

Materials (to make one 6.75" x 5.5" snack bag):

linen (A large scrap will work. You only need an 8.5" x 13" rectangle to make one bag.)
cotton scraps to embellish
hook and loop tape (flexible sew-on type... I used 5/8" wide but trimmed down.)
fusible web (I used Heat n Bond Lite.)
thread

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut your linen into an 8.5" x 13" rectangle. For the accent strip, cut a piece of cotton that is 8.5" x 2.5".

Step 2: Match up the short ends of your piece of linen and press in half. Unfold and lay flat.

Take your 2.5" wide accent strip and lay it right side down. Press both long edges in 1/4" toward the wrong side of the fabric.

Step 3: Take your accent strip and align the bottom edge 1.25" above the pressed fold line in your linen piece.

Pin in place. Sew the accent strip onto your linen by stitching 1/8" inside both the top and bottom edges of the accent strip.

Step 4 (Optional): Choose a fabric element that you would like to add as an embellishment on your snack bag (I chose the cute little apple from the Alexander Henry Farmdale collection). Cut a piece of fusible web a bit larger than your fabric element, and iron it onto the back of your fabric. Carefully cut around your fabric element ( I left about 1/8" of the white background fabric around the outside edge). Remove the paper from the back of your fusible web and place your fabric element wherever you would like it (but keep it at least 1.5" from the right and left sides of the bag).

Press in place. Slowly and carefully sew around the outside edge of your fabric element. Make sure your linen isn't folded in half while sewing... I may have spent some quality time with my seam ripper after this step :)

Step 5: Time to start putting this thing together. Refold your linen in half along the pressed fold line. Your accent piece should be facing out (i.e. fold with wrong sides together).

Make sure your raw edges match up, and pin along both sides. Sew down both sides using a 1/4" seam allowance. Seam allowance is very important when creating French seams.

Clip the two bottom corners, turn the bag wrong side out, and press.

Sew down both sides again using a 3/8" seam allowance. I'll say it again... Seam allowance is very important when creating French seams.

Step 6: Leaving your bag wrong side out, press the top edge down 1/2" all the way around. Fold over 1/2" again and press to conceal the raw edge.

Stitch all the way around the bag 1/8" up from the bottom edge of the fold.

Step 7: Time for the hook and loop tape. Measure your bag from on inside seam to the other to determine how long you need to cut your hook and loop. Mine ended up being just under 7" for each side of the bag. I had some 5/8" wide hook and loop tape in my stash, but I cut it down to about 3/8" wide so that I could zigzag stitch it onto the bag and cover most of the width with the widest zigzag setting on my machine. Still keeping your bag wrong side out, pin the hook tape to the top edge of one side of the bag. Pin the loop tape to the top edge of the other side of the bag. Sew in place using a wide zigzag stitch, remembering to backstitch at the beginning and the end.

This picture shows the zigzag stitching on the outside of the bag with the bag turned right side out.

Step 8: Now turn your bag right side out.

Push the bottom corners out with a blunt object. Press to make it look nice and neat. Now look inside at those beautiful French seams...

Nice, huh? Now fill it up with cookies... you deserve a treat after all that sewing :)

Now it's your turn... Check out this month's Point of View collage and link up your past or present green projects at the Point of View Green Link Party! What does green mean to you? St. Patrick's Day? Something that is the color green? Something you made that is "green" (recycled, upcycled, reused, etc)? All interpretations are welcome!

I'm linking up...

A Farm Birthday Party

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:01:00 +0000

We had a little birthday party for my youngest's second birthday two weeks ago. She has a thing for farm animals – cows in particular – so we went with a farm theme for her party this year. Here's a rundown of the party...

These are the invitations that I made...

We read Big Red Barn every single night, so I went with the book cover for the invitation. I just cropped out the book title, etc in Paint, then added my own wording in Picnik. I printed that out, glued it onto a piece of green gingham paper, then added a little piece of black and white polka dot washi tape at the top.

I found these cute mini red takeout boxes at Michaels to hold the party favors...

I just decorated them with stickers and made little stamped tags with each child's name. The favor boxes held a little pig-shaped flashlight, stickers, and one of these most-adorable little cow erasers (found at the party store)...

I reused some little red buckets that we had from my oldest's Hello Kitty birthday party last year. I stuck on some fancy farm stickers (found on clearance!) and used them to hold utensils...

The hit of the party, however, was the cupcakes. I usually like to do all of the cupcake/cake stuff myself, but this year it just wasn't going to happen. We were away for a week just before my daughter's birthday... something had to give. So, I ordered fondant cupcake toppers from Cookie Covers. (I am so glad I found this woman's Etsy shop. She does amazing work.) They were so adorable, and everyone just loved them...

So cute! I tried to make the frosting look like grass and hay. The hay came out a little on the orange side, though...

The pig was by far everyone's favorite...

A cow print tablecloth, a few balloons, and some multicolored buntings completed the decor. It was a nice little party, and my daughter had a really great day.

I'm linking up...

Doll Diapers and Wipes

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:01:00 +0000

On Monday I shared the doll quilt that I made for my daughter for her birthday. Today I'm sharing the doll diapers and wipes that I made for her. My aunt gave her a small Cabbage Patch Kid for Christmas, and my daughter and her doll "Lena" have been inseparable every since (which is new for me because I was never into dolls as a kid and my oldest isn't either).

These were such a quick sew. I used this tutorial from Skip to My Lou for the diapers, but I had to modify the template to fit my daughter's doll. Just print the template, cut it out, and wrap it around your doll to see how it fits. I just trimmed the template until it fit properly.

I also made her a little wipes set...

I used this tutorial from 2 Little Hooligans. This was her favorite birthday gift. Seriously. This girl could sit there and wipe her doll all day long. Poor "Lena" ;)

Valentine Gingerbread Houses

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:01:00 +0000

Every time I see Cheryl's (a pretty cool life) gingerbread houses that she makes with her kids, I think "I should really do that", but I never have... until now! Cheryl and her kids make gingerbread houses for every holiday, and when she posted a little photo how-to on her blog last week, I decided it was high time we tried it out. So, Friday afternoon we got down to business...

I ran into the little grocery store that's between our house and my oldest's preschool to pick up supplies. Apparently I should have been more prepared and bought supplies earlier in the week at the big grocery store because the selection of Valentine's Day candy was pretty poor. I had to improvise...

Mini marshmallows, conversation hearts, Teddy Grahams, animal crackers, and Pez. And, just like Cheryl, I hot glued my graham crackers together. Best. Idea. Ever. They were sturdy and worked great!

The girls had a blast and spent the better part of an hour decorating their houses. Every time I asked if they were done or started to clean up, they insisted that they still had room to add another cracker or another piece of candy. We will definitely be doing this again.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Scrap Jar Stars Doll Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:01:00 +0000

One of the gifts that I made for my two year old for her birthday was a doll quilt. I had a really hard time deciding what pattern to go with. I ended up choosing the Scrap Jar Stars block from A Little Bit Biased because a) I love this block and b) I will never have the patience to make enough of these blocks to create a large quilt from this pattern. Here's the finished quilt...

Of course I went the way of ROY G BIV :) I had a hard time selecting the right pink, but I think the one I chose works pretty well. The quilt is about 17.5" square.

The back is a single fabric multicolored polka dot print...

To label the quilt I just used a fabric pen to write a little something in four of the polka dots...

So here's the kicker... my daughter couldn't care less about this quilt. It bothers me a little, but I kind of expected it... she's two. One day she may surprise me and start playing with it :) But it doesn't matter... I love it!

I'm linking up over at {Sew} Modern Monday at Canoe Ridge Creations and Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story.

Valentine's Flag Bunting Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:01:00 +0000

This tutorial was a guest post that I did over at At Home With K a few weeks ago as part of Kindra's 2nd Annual Be Mine Bonanza...

This year I have a Valentine's Flag Bunting tutorial for you...

I've made similar buntings over the past few years, one for Halloween and one for Thanksgiving. I decided it was time to add a Valentine's bunting to the list, too. And since I've never shared a tutorial for how I make these, this is the perfect time :)

Materials:

felt (I used gray for the flags and white for the hearts)
cotton fabric (I used two different fabrics)
3 buttons (I used 3/4" diameter)
embroidery floss
ribbon or twill tape - about 2.25 yds (I used 1/2" wide white twill tape)
disappearing or water soluble marking pen or pencil
pinking shears
scissors or rotary cutter
ruler
coordinating thread
needle

Instructions:

Step 1: Click HERE to print out the template for the flags. Print at 100%, no scaling. Cut out around the larger triangle.

Step 2: Trace your template from Step 1 onto your felt. Do this five times. Cut out your five felt triangles.

Step 3: Take your template from Step 1 and cut it down to the smaller triangle size. Trace this triangle onto your cotton fabric. You will need five of these triangles. I used three solid red triangles and two red and white striped triangles. You could make all five the same or all five different, too. Cut out these five triangles using pinking shears on the angled sides.

Step 4: Take one of your felt triangles and set it in front of you with the point toward you. Lay one of your cotton triangles on top of it, lining up the top edges of the triangles and centering the cotton triangle horizontally on the felt triangle.

Sew from the top edge to the point of the cotton triangle, about 1/8 - 1/4" from the edge.

Leaving the needle down, lift your presser foot and turn the triangles so that you can sew up the other side of the cotton triangle from the point to the top edge. Lower your presser foot and sew.

Repeat this step for all five felt/cotton triangle combinations.

Step 5: Now for some decorating. I drew a heart on a piece of paper and cut it out, but you could also do a Google Images search for a heart outline to use. My hearts are about 2.5" square. Trace your heart template onto your felt. You will need three hearts if you are adding them to every other flag like I did. Cut out each felt heart. Choose which flags you are adding your hearts to. Place your hearts about 1.5" down from the top of each flag and pin in place. Carefully sew around the edge of each heart, about 1/8" from the edge.

Step 6: More embellishment... Use embroidery floss to attach a button to the center of each heart. I just knotted mine on the front to hold them in place.

Step 7: Take your ribbon or twill tape and leave an 18" tail at one end. Line up the top edge of your ribbon over the top edge of your first flag. Pin in place.

Leave a 3" gap and pin your second flag in place. Repeat this for each flag, leaving a 3" gap between them and an 18" tail of ribbon at either end of the bunting.

Sew over each flag along the top edge of your ribbon, remembering to backstitch at the beginning and end of each flag. If you are using a wide ribbon, you may want to add a row of stitching along the bottom edge of the ribbon as well.

You're finished! Now hang it up :)

Don't sew? Use glue to hold all of your layers together :)

I'm linking up...

An Apron for My Mom

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:01:00 +0000

I've finally gotten around to sharing the last Christmas gift that I made this year. I made this easy, "no seams exposed" apron for my mother...

Isn't it cute? I love the long ties on it. I'm thinking I'm going to have to make one for myself soon. I followed this tutorial from Stitches in Play. This is one of those great "didn't take very long but looks like a million bucks" gifts, so I highly recommend this tutorial :) I have it pinned here if you want to add it to your pin board.

The fabrics are from Denyse Schmidt's Daisy Mae and Sugar Creek collections at Jo-Ann's. My mother's favorite color is blue, so this was a perfect choice. I added a little twill tape tag at the waistband...

Around here... we're still licking our wounds after Sunday's loss :( Next week I'll be sharing my youngest's 2nd birthday party and some gifts that I made for her. And thanks to all of the great responses I got to this post about the end of Picnik, I'm planning to put together a post on some of the alternatives that are available. Look for that later this month. Happy Wednesday!

Go Pats!

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:33:00 +0000

Point of View Feature and Theme for February

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:23:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who linked up their love-themed projects at the Point of View Love Link Party last Friday. If you haven't taken a few minutes to check out all of the great "love" projects that were linked up, be sure to take a look.

This month's feature is these Valentine's Watercolors from Laura of Beauty and the Beard...

Aren't these gorgeous?!? Laura shares three other little painting that she did using watercolors and a Sharpie. They are adorable, so make sure you check them out!

The Point of View theme for February is... GREEN! Point of View is all about your interpretation of the theme. We can't wait to see what you come up with. The next reveal and link party will be Friday, February 24th. Hope to see you there!

Love Where You Live (or Got Married) Hoop

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:01:00 +0000

Remember Chris's Love Where You Live Ornament that she shared during Haul Out the Holly? I loved that idea, and I knew right away that I had to make one. But instead of making a "love where you live" hoop, I made a "love where you got married" hoop as a Christmas gift for my brother-in-law and sister-in-law who got married out in Michigan in September...

Chris's tutorial is so great, and this was a really fun project to put together. I used a small 4" hoop, and I used purple fabric for the state cutout because that was one of their wedding colors.

The most difficult part was figuring out how to put Michigan back together after I had the two pieces cut out :)

This would make a great wedding gift, too. And it doesn't have to be a Christmas ornament... it can be hung on the wall year-round. I'll say it again... love this idea!

I can't believe I'm still sharing Christmas gifts and it's February 1st! I also can't believe that my baby is turning two this week. More on that soon :) Happy Wednesday!

Vintage Vinyl Journals Giveaway Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:10:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who entered last week's Vintage Vinyl Journals giveaway.

The winner of the Grease journal is...

Meg from In the Loop who said...

Congratulations, Meg! I sent Meg an email to notify her of her win. If I don't hear back from her by Friday, February 3rd at 7:00am (EST), I will choose another winner.

Don't forget Vintage Vinyl Journals for your future gift-giving needs. These things are awesome! Thanks again to Katie for this fantastic giveaway.

I'm Being Featured on Knock Off Decor Today!

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:18:00 +0000

My Land of Nod Wall Art Knock Off is being featured on Knock Off Decor today!

Beckie (of Infarrantly Creative fame :) started Knock Off Decor as a place to
"showcase the amazing work of some seriously talented designers
while giving those with less of a budget a chance to mimic them.

Because after all 'imitation is the highest form of flattery.'"

Check out the feature here.

If you are visiting from Knock Off Decor, I'm so happy you're here today!

Hope you'll take a few minutes to look around.

Thanks for the feature, Beckie!

A Tale of Two Quilts: Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:01:00 +0000

Last Monday I shared the first of two quilts that I sewed as Christmas gifts for my girls. Today I'm sharing the second quilt, the quilt that I made for my youngest...

I mentioned in a post way back in August that I wanted to make a plus quilt. I'm so glad I did. I really love this quilt pattern.

The finished quilt is about 43" square, and I used charm squares again. If you're interested in making a plus quilt, Jeni at In Color Order has a great tutorial, which I used to decide how to sew my quilting lines. Love the look of it...

Here's the back. It's a little busy, but I kind of like it...

And here's the label on the back of this quilt...

Same style as the label I made on the other Sherbet Pips quilt. Again, I got the idea for this label design here.

I love these quilts, and I really think I'm getting hooked on quilting. In fact, I'm working on a doll quilt right now that will be a birthday gift for my youngest later this week. Hopefully I'll be showing it to you soon. I still have to show you some other Christmas gifts that I made, too. Can you believe January is almost over?!? Crazy! Have a great week :)

I'm linking up over at {Sew} Modern Monday at Canoe Ridge Creations and Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story.

Valentine's Flag Bunting

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I'm guest posting over at At Home With K today as part of Kindra's 2nd Annual Be Mine Bonanza. Today I'm sharing a tutorial on how to make a Valentine's Flag Bunting...

Head on over to At Home With K for my tutorial, and while you're there check out the other great Valentine's Day ideas that have been a part of this series.

And don't forget to link up your "love" themed projects at the Point of View Love Link Party going on now! Have a great weekend :)

Point of View and Love Link Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:56:00 +0000

Point of View is back for 2012! The theme for January is "love", and this month's projects are really beautiful. Take a look...

Jonie from Just Between Friends
Amy from Ameroonie Designs
Meg and Steph from Do It Yourself Divas (Our guests this month... Thanks for joining us, ladies!)
Camilla from Rosy Red Buttons

Michelle from A Little Tipsy
Gwen from Gwenny Penny (Click HERE to find a mini tutorial on my Mixed Media Song Lyric Hoop)

As always, you can check out each of the projects by visiting each of the blogs listed above.

My project this month is a Mixed Media Song Lyric Hoop...

This is the first line of the first song my husband and I danced to at our wedding ten years ago. It's a Valentine's Day gift for my husband. Click HERE for a mini tutorial on how I put my mixed media hoops together.

Now it's your turn. Do you have a love-themed project that you would like to share? We would like to invite you to join the Point of View Love Link Party right here on Gwenny Penny! Any idea that you feel relates to the theme is welcome at the link party (love, hearts, Valentine's Day, etc). It doesn't have to be a new project... If you have something in your archives that's love-related, link it up! We want to see any and all love ideas. Add the Point of View button to your post so that others can join the party. And remember, by linking up you have the chance to be featured by one of the members of Point of View next week!

Mixed Media Song Lyric Hoop (A Mini Tutorial)

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:50:00 +0000

The first song my husband and I danced to at our wedding ten years ago was the Led Zeppelin song "Thank You". This is the first line from that song...

When I was trying to come up with a project for this month's Point of View theme ("love"), this idea popped into my head, and I decided that it would make a nice Valentine's Day gift for my husband, too. I'm in the process of redecorating our bedroom, so this will find a home on one of the walls in our room. This type of project would make a great gift for anyone who has a favorite song that has special meaning to them. It would also make a great wedding gift, if you know what song the bride and groom will be dancing to.

Since these particular song lyrics probably mean nothing to 99.9% of you, this is just a mini tutorial that kind of walks you through my thought process when I make these kind of hoops (like my Spring Embroidery Hoop Art or my Birth Announcement Embroidery Hoops).

The whole thing started with a basic idea. This sketch sat on my desk for a few weeks...

I originally wanted to embroider the entire thing, but time is always a big factor in how I go about doing things, and I ran out of it, so this transformed into a mixed media project.

I gathered up some materials and got to work...

I decided to use yellow fabric backed with fusible web to create the sun. I used a ruler to figure out what size I wanted it to be, then I went into Microsoft Word and drew a semicircle to create a template...

Embroidering the entire song lyric would have taken me forever, but stamping looks nice and is a lot faster. When I do fabric stamping, I like to use a pen on my stamps instead of an ink pad. It gives me more control over where the ink goes so I don't end up with stray marks. This is the pen that I use...

I just draw right on the stamp...

and stamp it onto the fabric...

I chose to embroider one word from the lyric. I used a pencil to lightly draw the word on the fabric...

At this point I put the fabric in the hoop and started embroidering...

For the sunbeams, I just started embroidering without drawing any lines first...

And that's it, in a nutshell :) Have fun and get creative!

Now it's your turn... Check out this month's Point of View collage and link up your past or present love-themed projects at the Point of View Love Link Party!

I'm linking up...

How Do I Live Without You, Picnik?

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:01:00 +0000

If you are a fan of Picnik, you have probably heard that they are closing down in April. I use Picnik all the time, and I am already starting to mourn the loss. Picnik and I are pretty tight, but it's time to get out there and find something new :) So I'm putting the question out there to all of you... is there another online option that is just as good and easy to use (or better) than Picnik? Or, do you use a purchased photo editing software program? I'd love to hear about either one, likes, dislikes, etc.

What I like about Picnik and am looking for in a new program...

basic photo editing aspects
photo touch up options
ability to add words and stickers (like arrows and lines) to photos
photo collage options
easy to use
relatively inexpensive (I paid for the Picnik premium membership... $25/year, but I'd rather not shell out hundreds of dollars to buy photo editing software.)

Thanks! Hopefully this will help a lot of people out :)

Giveaway: Vintage Vinyl Journals (CLOSED)

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:01:00 +0000

This giveaway is now CLOSED.

In celebration of a new year, I have a really awesome giveaway for you today... A brand new journal for jotting down your creative ideas. A new journal is like a new year... a fresh start. But this is not just any journal. This is a Vintage Vinyl Journal, and it is gorgeous!

Katie Pietrak left the corporate world to launch Vintage Vinyl Journals last spring. On her website, she says, "We rescued the forgotten vinyl record and lovingly crafted a one-of-a-kind blank writing notebook for those who appreciate a simpler time – when albums started with a pop and a hiss as needle met groove and thoughts were recorded pen to paper." Don't you just love that sound?

Every journal features a recycled vintage album – the original vinyl album on the front and the album cover art on the back. These journals are eco-friendly and handcrafted in the USA from recycled materials and 100% acid-free paper. Each journal contains 240 high quality unlined pages.

These journals would make fantastic gifts for music lovers. Katie has a wide range of genres and artists available, so take a look for the perfect gift for someone in your life.

Let's get down to business... Katie is generously giving away one of her beautiful Vintage Vinyl Journals today! And guess which one it is?!?

"We go together like rama lama lama ke ding a de dinga a dong"... Grease!!! I love that movie!

Wouldn't you like to get your hands on this journal and start filling its pages? Here are the details on how you can enter for a chance to win a Grease journal from Vintage Vinyl Journals...

Please note: No international entries for this giveaway. US residents only. Sorry!

This giveaway is now CLOSED.

Mandatory entry:
~~Visit Vintage Vinyl Journals, then come back here and leave one comment on this post telling me which journal is your favorite.~~

Optional extra entries:
~~1. Sign up for the Vintage Vinyl Journals newsletter. Leave one additional comment on this post letting me know that you did.~~

~~2. "Like" Vintage Vinyl Journals on Facebook. Leave one additional comment on this post letting me know that you did.~~

That's up to three entries per person. Make sure you either leave an email address in your comment or that your email is attached to your Blogger profile. If I don't have a way to get in touch with you, I will choose another winner. This giveaway will be open until 10:00pm (EST) on Monday, January 30th. The winner will be chosen using a random number generator. I will announce the winner on Tuesday, January 31st, and they will have until Friday, February 3rd at 7:00am (EST) to respond before I choose another winner.

Thanks so much to Katie for this giveaway :) Good luck everyone!

All photos in this post courtesy Vintage Vinyl Journals.

A Tale of Two Quilts: Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:01:00 +0000

I told you I'd be back today ;) When I checked in after the holidays, I mentioned that I had sewn two quilts as Christmas gifts for my girls. These quilts were a long time coming. I bought the Sherbet Pips fabric for them way back in March of last year, intending to get them done right away. When December rolled around, I finally used Christmas to motivate me to get them started. I am so happy with the results. Today I'm going to share one of the quilts, the quilt that I made for my four year old...

I used Rae's Storytime Squares quilt pattern, slightly modified. I had to change things a little because I was working with a charm pack (5" squares) instead of the 5.5" squares that the pattern calls for. I went with wider sashing around the outer edges of the quilt and traditional binding. I used Kaufman's Quilter's Linen for the sashing. This was my first experience with this fabric, and I really like it. It has a nice weight to it. The finished quilt is 43" square.

Here's the back...

I really like the way the back turned out. I was afraid it was going to end up crooked. This is only the third quilt I've ever made, and this was the first time I used more than one fabric on the back of a quilt. I added a little Pearl Bracelet in red (from Lizzy House Outfoxed) and solid gray to the Sherbet Pips for the pieced column.

I incorporated the label into the quilt itself instead of sewing it on the quilt at the end...

I got the idea for this label design here.

My daughters were thrilled when they opened their quilts on Christmas morning. They knew they were getting them, and they saw the quilts as I was working on them, but I didn't let them see the finished product until they unwrapped them. Santa brought them little red armchairs this year, and these quilts hang on the back of their chairs in the living room. I love finding the girls curled up in their chairs under their quilts reading books or seeing them build a fort by flipping their chairs over and covering them with the quilts.

I don't think I have ever been more proud of a project that I have done. There is something so satisfying about completing a quilt. And it's even more satisfying to give that quilt to someone you love. I believe I may have been bitten by the quilting bug :)

I'll be sharing the second Sherbet Pips quilt next week. Tomorrow I have an awesome giveaway for you guys, so make sure you stop by. It feels good to be back!

I'm linking up over at {Sew} Modern Monday at Canoe Ridge Creations and Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story.

Hello 2012. Just checking in...

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:01:00 +0000

Hey, everybody! I've missed you. I know I said I was taking a break for a "couple" of weeks, but a "couple" is turning into "several". I have some non-blog stuff I'm trying to take care of right now (Like cleaning out my closets so I can actually open them without an avalanche ensuing. And trying to start exercising and eating better... you know, all that New Year's resolution stuff that I'll give up on by the end of the month :) I also have some non-blog business to attend to next week, so I am going to pin myself down right now and tell you that I will officially be back to blogging on January 23rd. You can count on it. And the first thing I'm going to share with you is one of two (yes, two) quilts that I made in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I'm so flipping proud of them :) They were a huge check mark on my to-do list... the Sherbet Pips quilts that I have been talking about since last March! I think I completely missed the boat on the Sherbet Pips craze, but I still love that fabric line, and my girls love their quilts. I guess I don't move fast enough to stay on top of the latest and greatest ;)

I love blogging. I love the people I have met through blogging and everyone who stops by here and visits. But I also love my family, and it has been so nice to spend more time with my girls and enjoy my evenings sitting on the couch watching TV with my husband for the last few weeks instead of working away at the sewing machine or at the computer all night. I think I just needed a little break from it all. It was during one of these evenings sitting on the couch that my husband asked me where his quilt is, so I guess I've got another quilt on the list for 2012 (I think I'm up to 5 that I want to make this year. If last year is any indication of how quickly they are going to get done, I'm in trouble :)

The girls working on their gingerbread house with my mom.

What else do I need to tell you? Oh, my bedroom is painted! I mentioned in a decorating post back in October that I had chosen "nimbus cloud" from the Martha Stewart Home Depot line. I love it! It turned out fantastic. It's so calming. I haven't done anything else in the room yet, but you'll be the first to know when I do.

I already posted about this just before Christmas, but in case anyone missed it, I started a Gwenny Penny Flickr group. If you have made anything using one of my tutorials, I would love it if you would add some pictures to the Flickr group.

Point of View is back! The theme for January is... LOVE! Point of View is all about your interpretation of the theme. We can't wait to see what you come up with. The reveal and link party will be Friday, January 27th.

Also, I want to let you know that my friend Kindra is hosting her 2nd annual Be Mine Bonanza over on her blog At Home With K, featuring seven Valentine's Day tutorials from seven different bloggers (including me!). The event starts next Sunday, January 22nd.

This has turned into quite the random mishmash of a post, huh? But it's like talking to a friend you haven't seen in a while, you know? So much to say, so many things to fill you in on.

OK, so I will be back soon with the quilts and some other Christmas gifts that I made. Oh, and I have a really cool giveaway lined up for the week I come back, so be on the lookout for that, too. Hope everyone is enjoying the first weeks of 2012. See you soon!

Happy Holidays (and a break)

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I'm taking a blog break to enjoy the holidays with my family. I'll be back in the new year.

I'm not sure exactly when I'll be back... I'm thinking of taking a couple of weeks to recharge. After all the busyness of Christmas preparations and Haul Out the Holly, I need some time to reconnect with my family and think about what direction I'd like to take this blog in the next year.

I have some Christmas presents I made that I'm itching to share :) A couple of big projects that I finally got crossed off my list. I won't be able to stay away too long ;)

Thanks to all the wonderful people who visited my blog this past year. Your encouragement and support mean the world to me. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and a safe and Happy New Year! Enjoy every minute with your family and friends. See you next year...

So I started a Flickr group...

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:01:00 +0000

Over the weekend I received an email from Kelly of kelbysews. She sent me a link to some pencil pouches that she made using my tutorial. I've gotten other emails from people who have made things using my tutorials, and they have been showing up in my inbox more regularly, so I decided that it was time to start a Gwenny Penny Flickr group where people can share things that they have made using (or inspired by) my tutorials. You can find the link to the Flickr group HERE.

I get a kick out of seeing people using my tutorials :) Kelly already added photos of her pouches to the group, and I couldn't believe it when I saw that neshamamama added a photo of the 38 pencil pouches she made as birthday party favors! Yes, 38... that is not a typo! Wow!

If you have made anything using one of my tutorials, I would love it if you would add some pictures to the Flickr group... I can't wait to see what you've been up to!

Have you voted in the Pink Chalk Studio Handmade With Love Tutorial Contest?
My pencil pouch is a finalist! Voting ends today!

Gingy Junior

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:01:00 +0000

Several years ago my mother bought me a giant fleece gingerbread man. I have no idea where she got it, and she can't remember buying it for me. When my oldest was about two and a half, she took quite a liking to it when it came out at Christmastime. She named her Gingy, carried her around all day, and slept with her every night for the month of December. She did the same thing last year, too. Well, I wasn't thinking about Gingy when I got out the boxes of Christmas decorations this year, but guess who was sitting right on top when we opened the first box? And guess who proceeded to fight over her for the next two hours? Yes, both my girls. This is my 22 month old's second Christmas but her first realizing that Christmas is fun. I could see that Gingy was going to be a problem, but two Gingys would take care of everything :) I went to Jo-Ann's that afternoon, and by the time I went to bed ~~the next morning~~ that night...

Gingy Jr was born! I love how this cutie turned out :) When the girls woke up the next morning, I brought out Gingy and Gingy Jr, and they were happy as could be. All gingerbread-induced fighting ceased. Each girl carries around her respective Gingy during the day and sleeps with her Gingy at night.

My oldest understands that Gingy goes away after Christmas and won't be back until next December, but it will be interesting to see how my youngest reacts to putting Gingy Jr in a box headed for the basement in a few weeks.

I guess it wouldn't be so bad to have a gingerbread man out all year, but I kind of like what a special treat it is at Christmastime. Fingers crossed the little one doesn't have a total meltdown :)

Have you voted in the Pink Chalk Studio Handmade With Love Tutorial Contest?
My pencil pouch is a finalist! Voting ends tomorrow, 12/21.

I'm a Finalist!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen @ Gwenny Penny) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:01:00 +0000

About a month ago Pink Chalk Studio posted a Handmade with Love holiday tutorial contest. After some encouragement (thanks, Simone!), I decided to enter. There were 153 entries, and guess what?!? My pencil pouch made the top 15!!!

The contest is broken up into three categories: Gifts for Friends, Gifts for Little Ones, and Deck the Halls. My pouch is competing in the Gifts for Little Ones category. There are some great tutorials in the final fifteen, so make sure you check them out. The Pink Chalk Team narrowed the field down to 15, but now it's up to you to determine the winner in each category and the grand prize overall winner. Please take a minute to go vote for your favorites in each category. Voting ends Wednesday, 12/21. Thank you!