michele made me

Construction Zone

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Sun, 19 May 2013 12:13:00 +0000

The blog is under construction. Some things are working, others are not. Thanks so much for your patience while I sort it all out!
♥M

For Otilija And Orlando

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Sun, 19 May 2013 01:30:00 +0000

You've probably heard this tragic news. Two bright lights have dimmed. Yet two bright lights remain. Please, if you can, consider helping. Donation details can be found here.

♥M

Wisdom

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

♥M

Video Tutorial: Egg Carton Gift Bow

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Hi there.

How've you been?

Me?

Oh good.

I took a bloggy break there eh? I've literally been away from this little place for a whole seven days... It went by like the wind. Been busy. I'm riding a learning curve the last little while. Learning all kinds of good stuff. Over the last week I've been focussing on video editing. In the not-too-distant future, my hope is to offer a mini-online class. The ability to edit video will go a long way in making that a reality, so I've been practicing practicing practicing like a little fiend.

Below is my very first 100%-Michele-made video! (Lo pretty much edited the first two. I pretty much just plied him with coffee...) This time, though, it was ALL me. Granted, it's not as polished as a Lo-made video, but you know what? That's okay. I'm a beginner right? Stephen Spielberg needn't fear for his job just yet. Still, I'm pleased with my maiden effort. The notion that I have the skills (sorta) to make a movie from start to finish is a little bit exhilarating, you know? Movies! I can make movies!!!

Anyway, blabber blabber blabber... Just show the darn video Michele.

Okay, okay. Here it is: My "Egg Carton Gift Bow Video Tutorial"!

Kinda similar to the last video, eh? I'm making a gift bow video series apparently, tee hee. If you're fond of recycled gift bow ideas there are a few more here, here and here. For a slew of other egg carton crafts, click here.

Have a lovely day now, won't you? See you in two shakes...

♥M

Junkmail Puzzle Wall Art

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Sat, 04 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I think "the facilities" is an interesting choice of words for the household bathroom, don't you? Because if we're honest here, is there really anything "facile" about it? I say no. In fact, facile is probably the last word I would have chosen to describe the room where we go to do our business. I think maybe the word-people hoped to send us psychic messages of relaxation when they picked that one. Not surprising then, that they called it the "facile-at-ease". "The loo" on the other hand is a great term for it because no one is quite sure where is comes from. Consequently "the loo" has no discernible baggage and is perfectly harmless. It causes zero anxiety. It puts one under zero pressure to perform or to be in any way competent whilst in that room. It's even a little bit humorous when you say it out loud, hee heeee... The loo. The loo... It sounds like a song and I like it.

Now, say you've come over for a cup of tea, and nature suddenly calls. You will require the use of the loo and, at our house, that will take you by way of the stairs. Along the way you'll encounter a few things: a landing, an ugly boat painting, naked windows, a ragtag rock collection. And when you've almost reached your destination, you'll see in front of you what seems to be a framed rectangle of white nothingness. "Strange to frame a bit of wall like that," you might think to yourself, examining the nothingness. And I would agree with you wholeheartedly.

That is why I took it upon myself to change the framed-rectangle-of-white-nothingness (which, by the way, is the access to the loo's plumbing). I mod-podged it with my junkmail puzzle from back here, and embellished it with black marker and little daubs of dimensional paint.

This is a much pleasanter prelude to your forthcoming loo appointment than the framed-rectangle-of-white-nothingness, wouldn't you say? Indeedy.

♥M

For other junkmail craftiness, click HERE!

You Guest It: Craftypod's Sister Diane

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Thu, 02 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

It's the first Thursday of the month and you know what that means, don't ya? Right. "You Guest It", a post that is created just for you by a wonderfully crafty human that isn't me. Today's offering comes to you courtesy of the unstoppable Sister Diane Gilleland of the Craftypod. Take it away Diane!

***

New Life for Old Quilt Blocks: The Octagon Tote

Hi, everyone! It's so cool to be hanging out with you today on one of my very favorite blogs. I'll try to do justice to Michele's recycling genius by sharing one of my favorite upcycled sewing projects ever.

The whole thing started when I found a stack of quilt blocks at a thrift shop – the product of someone having taken a seam ripper to a pretty groovy old pinwheel quilt. These blocks were full of nifty vintage fabrics, sun-faded to the prettiest mellow colors. I snapped them up with grand plans to return them to quilt form.

Well… rookie mistake. I didn't notice until I got them home, but many of the blocks had been torn right along the seam line when they were taken apart. So, I couldn't simply sew them back together. Then I thought I'd just cut them down to a smaller size and add some sashing. That's when I discovered that the piecing was just inconsistent enough that cutting the blocks down only made them look very wonky.

Sigh. I put the whole mess in my stash. Four years went by. You know how that goes.

Anyway, during that time, I got interested in English paper piecing, which you've seen in action with Michele's beautiful hexie quilt. It finally occurred to me that maybe I could use this technique with my blocks. Since the pinwheel design of the block has eight sections, I thought an octagon shape might just fit the bill.

And you know what? It did! So here's how I rescued my quilt blocks and turned them into two pretty tote bags (and enough left over for coasters).

The Plan

I didn't get too crazy with the measuring when I designed my tote. I knew I could get octagons measuring 4 ¼" across out of my quilt blocks, so I worked from that.

I decided that nine octagons this size would make a reasonable-sized tote panel, and I decided that, once I'd pieced together the octagon parts, I'd add some strips of solid fabric around the edges. So I used ¾ yard of solid to flesh out the rest of the tote's outside, and ¾ yard of a thrift-store sheet I had in stash for lining.

My finished totes measure 15" x 15", with 25" long handles. But the beauty of this kind of project is that you can end up with any size and shape you like.

Part 1: Make the Octagon Patches

If you've never English paper pieced before, there are so many good tutorials online. My all-time favorite is this one from Sunshine's Creations.

I used freezer paper to make my octagons because I wanted to be very sure the paper wouldn't move while I was basting the fabric to it. So I drew an octagon using a drawing program on my computer (Google Drive's Drawing tool is a dandy free option). I printed two of them onto card stock, cut them out, and cut one of them precisely in half. (I'll explain why in a moment.)

Then I traced the octagon onto the dull side of the freezer paper 18 times (I needed nine octagons for each side of my tote). I used that half-octagon to trace myself some registration lines across the middle of each octagon in both directions. Then I carefully cut them all out.

Next, I placed the freezer paper over the wrong side of the fabric, shiny side down, and I used those registration lines to match up with the seams in the quilt block. (Not every block was a perfect match, but those lines helped me get very close.) I pressed the paper with a hot iron, which lightly fused it to the back of the block. Now I was ready to baste!

From this point, making octagons is a lot like making hexagons. I trimmed the quilt block to a generous 3/8" outside the edges of the paper. Then I threaded a needle with some contrasting thread, so my basting stitches would be easy to see and remove later.

Here's how I baste a patch this size: I start by taking a large-ish stitch in the middle of one side, sewing through both the paper and fabric. Then, I fold the next side down over that one, and I take a little tack stitch, just through the fabric at the fold point. I alternate those two stitches as I make my way around the octagon.

When I get back to where I started, I leave a couple inches of thread hanging from my last stitch, but I don't tie a knot. Your basting will stay in place just fine with this method, and be much easier to remove later. (You can see this whole process in action in this video of mine.)

Part 2: Making Square and Triangle Patches

Unlike hexies, octagons don't fit perfectly together – they leave little square spaces in between! So I cut some more card stock shapes to fill in those spots. For each side of my tote, I needed nine 1 ¾" squares. Four of them I left as-is. I cut four more in half on the diagonal, making eight triangles. And to fill in the very corners, I cut one last square into quarters on both diagonals.

I basted my solid fabric to these shapes. To do this basting, you can either pin or lightly glue the card stock to the wrong side of the fabric. (Have you ever tried using glue stick for English paper piecing? Hoo, boy is it dandy. You just use a tiny dash, so it doesn't damage the fabric at all. And you never get stuck by pins!)

Anyway. I basted these patches through both the card stock and fabric, just using large stitches to hold down the points where I folded one side over the other. Since the pieces are so small, you won't need more than one stitch at each edge.

Part 3: Sewing Stuff Together

The thing I love about English paper piecing is that you can sew a whole bunch of shapes together like this, and get very precise corners with little effort. Here, I sewed my octagons and squares together first, and then added the triangles at the sides and corners.

I like to sew my patches together with a whip stitch. It's just a matter of lining up the edges you want to sew together (right sides facing), making sure their end points match up. Then, take very tiny stitches; just a few threads from the edge of each patch. Make sure you sew all the way from one end to the other – don't leave any gaps at the ends! (Sunshine's tutorial covers the basics of whip stitch nicely.)

If your stitches are tiny, then you won't see them at all on the right side of the fabric. If you are seeing stitches on the right side, try a smaller needle and smaller stitches.

Part 4: Finishing

Once I'd sewn all my patchwork together, it formed two big blocks. I gave each one a good pressing – papers and all. I pressed a whole lot around the outer edges of the blocks, because I knew I'd need sharp creases there (more on that in a moment).

Then, I carefully removed all the basting stitches and papers. That's my favorite part of English paper piecing, incidentally – when this stiff, crackly thing transforms into beautiful flowing patchwork.

Now, in order to sew anything accurately to these patchwork blocks, I needed to square them. Here's where I used those sharp creases I was pressing around the outer edges.

I carefully opened out the folds along one edge of the patchwork, but I didn't press them. The crease that runs along this edge is my seam line, and I need an accurate ¼" seam allowance extending from that.

So, I used a ¼" line on my quilting ruler and lined it up with the crease, making sure it lined up both at the top and bottom of the block. (This being hand sewing, there are always a couple places where the alignment's slightly off, but you can aim for the closest possible overall alignment and it'll work just fine.) When I had the whole edge lining up with that ¼" line, I used a rotary cutter to trim away any excess fabric bits. Then I pressed the edge out flat before sewing. I did the same thing on all four edges of my blocks.

From there, I machine-sewed solid strips to to all four edges of the patchwork. I used 3" wide strips at the bottom and sides, and a 1 ½" wide strip at the top. (That extra width at the bottom and sides allows the tote to have some depth while keeping the patchwork centered on each side.) I made two panels like this; one for the tote front and one for the back.

…And then I gave the panels a bit of reinforcement. Let's face it, vintage quilt blocks are somewhat delicate, so I didn't want any of those old seams carrying the weight of my library books and farmer's market produce!

I cut two pieces of lightweight canvas the same size as the tote panels, and then pinned one to the wrong side of each panel. I used a walking foot on my sewing machine to stitch some simple quilting lines over the surface to hold the layers together.

From there, I used my favorite-ever tote tutorial from Skip to My Lou to make up the rest of the bag.

***

You see that? It was wise to keep those old quilt blocks around for all those years after all. I just love that she's repurposed them into these extra pretty patchwork totes. It is such a great way to highlight their simple beauty. Note to self: Keep eyes peeled for yummy old quilt blocks.

Now where do I start with Sister Diane? Wow, there's a question and a half.

Well... Diane is a Renaissance woman if ever there was one. She is not only a talented crafter, no no. That does not even begin to scratch her surface. She is also an author of books. "Kanzashi in Bloom" springs to mind, "Quilting Happiness" is due out in late summer, AND she's written ebooks of both the crafty and bloggy varieties. Diane is a teacher. She has an online class coming up in June called "Getting Started Craft Blogging". And as someone who has taken a number of her classes, I can tell you that she is super-knowledgeable, extra thorough, and darned sweet. Plus, she's been a blogger forever, so she knows stuff. Diane is a thinker. This month on the Craftypod, she'll be exploring the idea of "Your Actual Audience" and trying to help pinpoint who out there is really paying attention to you as a blogger/business person. Seriously. I could go on all day. But my point is this. Just check her out. You can thank me later. I'm not going anywhere.

Dear Diane, thank you so much for the gorgeous post. I'm feeling pretty darn blessed right now, you know that? Massive cyber-hugs from me to you!

♥M

P.S. Have an idea for an eco-craft? Seeking a new audience? Consider submitting a guest-post idea to Michele Made Me's "You Guest It"! Get all the details HERE.

What would you call this mood I'm in?

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

♥M

Loving is Listening ReCraft-Along: Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Today marks THE END of the "Loving is Listening ReCraft-Along"! I'm so glad I did this. You know what? I quite enjoyed the easy-going pace of this little event. No hurries, no worries... And, in time, something pretty gets made. Joys! I will definitely be exploring the craft-along idea again in some form... Oh yeah baby.

As of last time, I believe we had made the birdie family which we set aside for the moment. And we had attached the lettering, like so...

So let us end our spring recraft-along on a high note. Let us build a nest for our chicks, get our mama bird settled in, and grow blossoms on our tree! You with me? Walk this way...

Loving is Listening ReCraft-Along: Part 3

Nest-Building

Step 1: Start with my secret little move, which is to remove that shiny layer of paper from a section of cracker or cereal box. Just stick your fingernail (or you could use a craft knife too) under the layer of shiny paper in one of the corners of your piece of cardboard and peel away that paper. You'll want to prepare a few differently-shaded pieces of cardboard in this way.
Step 2: Now cut your pieces into tiny strips. Mine are quite narrow, about 1/16"( 1.5mm) wide. Cut some of these tiny strips from the differently-shaded pieces of cardboard.

Step 3: Now, between the two major shoots of that bottom branch, start glueing on the strips every which way without going too far beyond that top branch. What I do is I round each strip between my fingers, apply glue to the center of the strip only and glue it on randomly. The ends of each strip should curl up.
Step 4: Continue adding strips until you've added about 20 of them, rounding each between your fingers and attaching them to the box to form a very rustic nest shape. Don't worry about ends that stick too far out. We will be trimming them once we've glued everything in place.
Step 5: Once you've added roughly 20 strips, it's time for the chicks to move in. You made those last time remember? Apply glue only to their bodies, allowing their heads to stick out freely beyond the upper branch. Continue glueing on the tiny strips behind, beside, below, and even directly onto the chicks themselves (to hide the bottom half of their bodies).

Note: This nest-construction process is so organic and so much fun to do. I want you to trust your building instincts and enjoy it!

Step 6: Now, I prepared a few curly strips to add extra dimension to the nest. Curl the strips by wrapping them firmly and carefully around a large yarn needle (or you could use a wooden skewer). Keep them on the needle or skewer for a few moments so they retain their curly shape.
Step 7: Apply glue to a couple spots on these curly strips and attach them to the nest in a few different places. After the nest has dried, trim it as desired. Pay particular attention to the word "Listening". I found that I had several strips obscuring it and needed to trim them up quite a bit.

Mama Moves In

Step 8: Now it's mama bird's turn! Glue her onto her branch as shown below. And as per the Loving is Listening Birds and Details Template, copy and cut out a worm and glue both wormy pieces under mama's beak. Yummy.

Bring On The Blossoms

Step 9: Using the carbon paper and the lightest colour of cracker/cereal box cardboard, copy and then cut out several flowers. I made nine flowers all together.
Step 10: Using a regular hole punch, punch out 9 pieces of confetti from a darker colour of cracker/cereal box cardboard. Glue a confetti circle to the center of each flower. To give each flower dimension, place each flower center on the eraser-end of a pencil and firmly bend down the petals.

Step 11: Glue the simple flowers onto the branches. Finally, into your beautiful box place two or three jars, and fill those jars with flowers or twigs or sedges or whatever your little heart desires!

And now I think we're completely done... Aaah yes... It's a very pretty thing, isn't it? With Mother's Day just around the corner, I think this will do nicely, don't you?

Now, I will be keeping my eyes peeled for action in the Loving is Listening Flickr Group to see what magic pops up over there. The intent, of course, is to feature your versions of this craft right here on the blog. I'm very much looking forward to that, so don't forget to post your photos!

♥M

Previous posts in the Loving is Listening series: Introduction, Part 1, Part 2

Loving is Listening ReCraft-Along: Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Hey, how are ya? Well, I hope!

Have you been following along with the Loving is Listening ReCraft-Along? If you've missed any of it, here are links to previous posts: Introduction and Part 1 (which includes a list of tools and materials). These should catch you up nicely. By this point, you should have a lovely box decorated with a set of branches.

Today we'll be biting off the next morsel... We'll be focussing on lettering and birds. Let's get started!

Loving is Listening ReCraft-Along: Part 2

Prepare the Lettering

Step 1: Print off copies of the Love is Listening Lettering and the Loving is Listening Bird and Detail Templates. Use the carbon paper to transfer the words "Loving is" onto a dark-shaded cereal or cracker box.
Step 2: Cut out the letters using a craft knife or pair of scissors. Remember the big secret I shared in Part 1?... That secret comes in quite handy at this point. It makes the cutting of letters possible with scissors. SO much easier, in my opinion. If you prefer to use a craft knife, remember to protect your work surface with a cutting mat or old phone book. And once you've cut out the word "is", you can apply a light coat of paint to it. I'm using my son's cake paints for the painty bits of this project. Use what you have available!

Step 3: Take out the remaining bit of the scrunched paper bag.
Step 4: Transfer the word "Listening" from the template to the paper bag using that carbon paper of yours.
Step 5: With your trusty pair of scissors, slowly cut out the word "Listening". Don't forget to cut out the dots for the "i"s.

Step 6 Optional: I reinforced my "Listening" by glueing it onto the remaining piece of paper bag and cutting the word out a second time. This makes the word doubly sturdy, and much easier to work with. Note that it's a lot easier to cut out the innards of letters like s, e and g using a craft knife.

Step 7: Glue the words onto the base according to the Full Template. Once all letters and words are in place, I like to, very carefully, place a light book on top to make sure everything lies flat while the glue dries.

Heep! It's coming along none too shabbily now, eh?

Hatch Some Birds

Step 8: Use the Loving is Listening Bird and Detail Template and the carbon paper to transfer the mama bird details onto a medium-shaded cereal or cracker box. Remember the secret? I used it here too. Cut out all the pieces. Use a regular hole punch to punch the bird's eye out. Be nice though!
Step 9: Use the cake paint (or whatever paint you have around) to paint the mama bird bits. I used the colour mauve with varying amounts of water to achieve different shades on pieces 1, 2, and 4. Similarly, I used the colour grey with varying amounts of water on pieces 5 and 6. I left piece 3 as is.

Step 10: Use a marker or bit of black paint to colour in the mama bird's eye on piece 5. Make sure that your eye aligns nicely with piece 6.
Step 11: Gather the mama bird pieces and layer them as you would if you were glueing them together. Do NOT glue them yet. Make sure they stack nicely and look good. Make small adjustments now by trimming with scissors if necessary. Once you're pleased with the look of your bird, glue all pieces together. Place a book on top to ensure the bird dries nice and flat.

Step 12: Use the Loving is Listening Bird and Detail Template and the carbon paper to transfer the baby bird details onto two different shades of cereal or cracker box. Cut out both pieces. Repeat this step for a second and even third chick if you like!
Step 13: Stack the pieces and glue them together.
Step 14: Add the little chick's eye dot with a black marker.

Set aside the mama bird and chickies for now... And remember if you have any questions, don't hesitate to let me know in the comments.

Next up: The Loving is Listening ReCraft-Along nest-building-flower decorating big finish!

♥M

All other "Loving Is Listening ReCraft-Along" posts: Introduction, Part 1, and Part 3 (finish)!

You Guest It: Artist in LA LA Land

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

On the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month here on Michele Made Me, I step aside and let some other crafty soul take care of things. Today I'm so happy to have the gifted Melissa of Artist in LA LA Land guest-post. Have you ever met her? Well now's your chance, eh? Please make her feel at home!

***

First of all, I wanted to thank Michele for this opportunity to do a DIY tutorial on her wonderful craft blog. I've been following it for over a year and have shared all the DIY fun, joy and tears with her and all you blog readers. It's a real honor to be here with you.

Today, I'm going to take you through the process to make a Springtime Bird Fold Out Wing Card. I've created different versions of this clever card (which is also an articulated paper doll) for my online shop and blog, Artist in LA LA Land. But I designed these ones special for you and they are made completely out of recycled paper and junk mail.

DIY Bird Fold Out Wing Cards by Artist in LA LA Land

Here are the supplies you'll need to get going on the Fold Out Wing Bird Cards:

thin cardboard (the kind used for cereal boxes, tissus boxes and packs of soda or beer.)
glue
pencil
paper fasteners
self-healing mat or a thick surface you can cut on (like thick cardboard or an big old book.
scissors and craft knife (exacto-blade)
printable PDF I created for you at this link: Spring Birdie Fold Out Wing Card. It has the bird patterns and directions on it.
junk mail, old catalogs, old calendar, etc. (recycled paper for decorating)

Read all the directions and print out the PDF. You could easily make the Bird Fold Out Wing Card on your own after reading the PDF, but let's do it together here, just to be extra sure of how to do it. Cut out all the PDF pattern parts and trace them onto the thin cardboard. Cut out the cardboard parts.

I think the fun part starts after you've done this prep work. Now, you get to decorate all those cardboard parts with your recycled paper. Choose the papers you want and think about how the colors and patterns will work together or not. I think since you've created quilts and done crafts before, you'll be pretty good at this. I only used paper, but feel free to use washi tape, old ribbons, glitter, scraps of paper or whatever you have in your craft supplies at home.

Trace around the cardboard parts onto your chosen paper. Cut out the pieces from the recycled paper. Then glue the paper to the cardboard. Take your time and make something really special and pretty. Remember both sides of the wings will need to be decorated. The rest of the pieces of cardboard will only need one side decorated.

After decorating the bird, glue on the pocket as the directions say (add glue just around the bottom edge of the pocket and stick it to the bottom of the bird above the tail).

When all the decorating and gluing is finished, you'll want to assemble the bird with the paper fasteners as the directions say (the wings to the wing tabs and the head to the body). I make a tiny "x" with my exacto blade to make holes for the paper fasteners, but you may have a tiny whole punch or an awl to do this.

Then repeat the same process for the rest of the birds, little bird, heart and egg. The little bird, heart and egg carry your special message to your recipient. When making the little bird, keep in mind you'll want to write a message on his belly and/or wings, so don't decorate with paper that won't allow you to write a message upon it. For the hearts and eggs, your message will be written on the blank side of the cardboard.

When you've finished your Fold Out Wing Bird Cards, tuck either the little bird, heart or egg in the pocket of the big bird. Then fold closed the wings and insert him in an envelope. It will fit in an 8.75" x 5.75" envelope. Your recipient will be thrilled to receive this very special and very clever bird card.

Not only do these birds carry your special message, but they can also be played with. The wings fold in and out, but they also flap up and down. I think that makes them twice as fun. Use them for mother's day and father's day which are coming up. And why not for a birthday, to say I LOVE YOU or to your special pen pals! There's lots you can do with them.

I think these three birds tell a story too. First, there was love as you can see with the fold out heart card. Next, there was a union made as you can see with the egg card. And finally, they made a family as you can see with the little, baby bird card. Have fun celebrating the best moments of your life with these special Bird Fold Out Wing Cards.

Thank you again for having me here on one of my favorite craft blogs!

***

As you can see, Melissa is a uniquely talented paper artist. She is also a busy papier-maché sculptor, blogger and shop owner. If you visit her Artist in LA LA Land blog, you'll quickly come to realize just how prolific this young woman is, and how very open she is about her art-making process. I particularly enjoy seeing some of the custom orders she works on. For example, take a look at this one-of-a-kind custom squirrel wedding invitation she recently designed! Pretty amazing, eh? But that's just the tip of the iceberg... Here are a few more tasty links to get you started:

Conjoined Twins Papier-Maché Sculpture

More gorgeous (and free) printable PDF paper-play

Bunny Love painting from the Weekly Bunny Painting Series

Artist in LA LA Land Etsy Shop

Thank you Melissa for your beautiful Bird Fold Out Wing Card guest-post. I'm so happy you could come and share your talent with us today. What a super way to start the day!

♥M

P.S. Have an idea for an eco-craft? Seeking a new audience? Consider submitting a guest-post idea to Michele Made Me's "You Guest It"! Check out the details HERE.

Loving Is Listening ReCraft-Along: Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Happy happy Tuesday!

In case you missed it, on Saturday I introduced the "Loving is Listening ReCraft-Along". That intro is here for your perusal, btw. Now that the idea is out there, I'm most anxious to hit the ground running. If you have any questions big or small, do leave them in the comments okay? And remember that I will be answering recraft-along questions in the comments so readers can share them equally.

So today we will (1) list the tools and materials you'll need for the recraft-along, (2) prepare the base, and (3) create the branch element. You ready? Let's do this!

Loving Is Listening ReCraft-Along: Part 1

First things first. Here is the complete list of stuff you'll need for the recraft-along.

Tools and Materials

A few cracker boxes or cereal boxes in various shades (In other words, try to find boxes with a variety of neutral colours on the insides.)
If you'll be decorating a large cereal box, as I am, you'll need a large cereal box for the base. I'm using a 525 g box of Cheerios.
Medium size brown paper bag
Iron
Carbon paper (for transferring the design)
Child's set of cake paints or watercolours
Paintbrush
Newspaper or something to cover your work surface
Craft knife or utility knife
Pair of scissors
Regular hole punch
Pencil and eraser
Ruler
PVA (white) glue
Masking tape (for clamping)
Black marker (I use the Sharpie brand)
Cutting surface
Yarn needle (or wooden skewer)
The templates: Loving is Listening Full Template, Loving is Listening Birds and Details Template, Loving is Listening Branches Template, Loving is Listening Lettering Template
a printer to print the templates

Note: The "Loving is Listening" Design is for personal use only. Please do not make items for sale from this design. Thanks!

In Saturday's post I suggested a few ways in which to use the "Loving Is Listening" design. For the purposes of this recraft-along I will be focussing on decorating a cereal box. But do feel free to frame your finished piece, or make a gift box, or whatever tickles your little fancy!

Prepare The Base

For my base, I'll be using a large family size cereal box. If it helps, this one contained 525g (~18oz) of cereal. Let's start by removing the top edge of the box and turning the whole thing inside out.

Step 1: With your fingers, carefully pry open the box at the seam and flatten it out. With a ruler and pencil, mark a line 5 cm (2 inches) from the top of the box. Cut off the top of the box at the line with a utility knife.
Step 2: Now simply re-fold the box so that the lovely neutral inner surface is now on the outside. I apply glue to the narrow side flap and bottom flaps. At this point, I use a few pieces of masking tape to clamp the gluey flaps temporarily in place until the glue dries. Note that I don't fully flatten out the bits of masking tape. I leave the corners of the tape curling up so that it's easy to take off again. Once the glue is set, I remove the masking tape slowly to avoid lifting and marring the surface of the cardboard.

We'll now take out a paper bag and use it to finish the top inner surface of the box.

Step 3: Grab your paper bag. Cut off the bag bottom and cut it open along the seam.
Step 4: Scrunch up the bag several times. Do this carefully so as not to rip it. Scrunch and re-scrunch until it is evenly wrinkled throughout.
Step 5: Press your paper flat with a dry iron.

Step 6: Cut out a few wide strips from your paper. My strips are 3 inches wide but you could go wider if you like. You'll need enough length to go around the inner top edge of the box.
Step 7: Apply glue to the entire outer edge of the paper strip.
Step 8: Place the gluey strip flush with the inner top edge of your box. Flatten and pinch the strip in place along the edge making sure it is adhering nicely all the way around. Beauty.

The box is now ready to decorate!

Note: If you happen to be turning this into a gift box, HERE is a post that suggests some creative ideas for nifty handles. Now would be the optimal time to install handles, by the way.

Make The Branches

Step 9: Use the link provided in the "tools and materials" list to download a copy of the Branches Template. Print it out. Use a sheet of carbon paper to transfer the branch design to the inside of one of your larger cereal boxes.
Step 10: Cut out the branch. I used both a utility knife and pair of scissors to cut my branch out. Fine details are more easily handled with a utility or craft knife.
Step 11: Paint the branch. I used The Boy's black cake paint on my branch. Yes, I asked permission. Allow the paint to dry. If your branch curls, place it under a heavy book for a while to flatten it out again.

Now I'm about to share ONE OF MY BIG SECRETS for using cereal and cracker box CARDBOARD in my crafts. Ya ready? Y'excited? Okay here goes...

You know that shiny layer of paper that covers every cereal and cracker box? I sometimes (though not always) peel it off. Especially if I want to get amazing adhesion between cardboard layers. What I do is I just stick my fingernail between that top layer of shiny paper and the rest of the cardboard and peel the dang thing off. I throw the peelings back into the recycling bin whence they came, and I'm left with a supremely glueable surface!!!... (Okay, maybe it's not that exciting, but still.)

So for example, once I've cut out the branch...

Step 12: I peel off most of that silly layer of shiny paper and then I apply the glue to my branch. See?
Step 13: And finally (for today), I attach the branch to the box and stick a light book on top to make sure it is super-glued on there. Nope, that baby ain't goin' nowhere.

Oh and by the way, if you happen to take any process photos, feel free to share them in the dedicated "Loving is Listening Flickr Group", yes sir. And lastly there's new "Loving is Listening Button" down in the sidebar there for ya, in case you're joining along!

Next up: Taking a break for an extremely lovely "You Guest It" on Thursday. I'll be back on Saturday with the next installment of the "Loving is Listening ReCraft-Along". Until then, you have a great week!

♥M

All other posts from the "Loving is Listening ReCraft-Along": Introduction, Part 2 and Part 3 (Finish)

Loving Is Listening ReCraft-Along: Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Hi!

Guess what.

I'm starting this new-to-me year of blogging with something I've never done before: a craft-along! Actually I'm calling it a recraft-along because there are no new materials used in this craft, aside from the glue that is. The project is made entirely of paper recyclables. I invite you to join me 'cause it'll be fun fun fun and the result will be very pretty!

What are we making?... A valid question.

When I was toying with the idea of doing a paper craft-along, I was reading a booklet called "The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember". Numerous times in this little gem of a book, Mister Rogers mentions how important listening is when it comes to truly caring for others. And I, for one, 100% agree with him. Unfortunately I am far from being the model listener. I'm so distracted with everything I do, I often tune out even my most beloved people. And worse still, I sometimes fail to listen to my own heart. Know what I mean?... So, I thought I'd make myself a gentle reminder. I distilled Mister Rogers' message to simply say "Loving Is Listening" and created a spring flavoured design to go along with it. And then I thought, if I could use this reminder, then maybe others could too? Thus, the recraft-along was born.

Now, you could simply take the design, and produce it on a flat piece of cardboard and frame it. That would be great. Personally, I'll be refurbishing a cereal box. I'm thinking my altered cereal box could be used in a few different ways. It could serve as a fancy gift box for Mothers Day, eh? Or as a decorative storage box? But it might also work as a sweet flower pot. In fact, that's how I'll be using mine. I promise to show you pictures of my flower pot a little later on. So the final use of this thing is entirely up to you!

If you choose to work through the recraft-along with me, there are a few things you might want to keep in mind.

This craft was designed for the intermediate crafter. But no worries. If you want to do it, it doesn't matter what your level is. The recraft-along is here for you and so am I. But also, I would NOT suggest this craft for kids as there are craft/utility knives involved.
If you have a question, leave a comment in the comments section. I will do my best to answer any recraft-along questions within the comments section so that everyone has access to the answers.
Despite how it looks, this is not the quickest craft. It will probably not get done in one sitting. I mean, it is possible to get it done in one sitting, but it is unlikely. And in fact, there's no need to rush it. You'll get better results if you don't. So take your time and enjoy the process.
There's a newfangled "Loving is Listening Flickr Group" somewhere... Oh HERE it is. Upload process and finished photos there if you like.
You can do what I do, but you don't have to do what I do. In other words, feel free to take the design and make it your own, change things up, move elements around, use completely different materials. See, I don't know everything you like. So go bananas and totally do your own thing with this! And then post photos to the Flickr group so I can check 'em out!

Note: The "Loving is Listening" design is made available for personal use only. Please do not make items for sale from this design. Thanks.

One last thing, I'm still working on a craft-along button. It should be ready for next time methinks... Okeedokey, I think that's it for now.

Oh and here's the button now! (If you wish to get a button for yourself, the button code is located at the very bottom on the blog!)

Next up: The Loving Is Listening ReCraft-Along officially begins for real... Wahoot!

♥M

All "Loving Is Listening ReCraft-Along" posts: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 (finish)

Celebrating a Crafty Day Off!

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

One of the big blessings/curses of my life are my brothers and sisters. I have 10 of them. Seriously. I won't go into names and such 'cause I'd like to get to the point sometime this decade. But one of my favourite things to do with them is to share a meal. Another favourite is to argue about every tiny insignificant meaningless little thing under the sun. That's always fun. But my ABSOLUTE favourite thing to do with them is to sing. For real. When we sing together, everything falls away. You know all the baggage that sits there between brothers and sisters? It just evaporates. The feelings I get when I'm amongst them singing is... well honestly, words fail to express it... When we're singing together and I close my eyes, I am transported to another place. It's very strange because these are my siblings and they drive me nuts for the most part, right?... But in these moments, when our voices come together, I am almost convinced there's a heaven.

I wouldn't trade these moments for the prettiest craft room in the world. Or even, come to think of it, for the world itself.

So today, on this blog's 3rd blogiversary, I'm putting my feet up, whipping up a tall cool glass of lemonade, and giving myself the crafty day off. I'm also presenting myself with the following gift. It's a video of one my singing siblings.

Here's my little brother Joel regaling us with his song "On The Blue"...

Happy 3rd blogiversary to me, eh?

♥M

The Space Between

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 18:01:00 +0000

When I was little and I went to bed before the sun did, I'd lay in my bed and make pictures with my hands. You know when you take both hands and bring the thumbs and index fingers together? You know that space that lives in the middle there between them all? In that space I'd create a whole world of shapes. I'd make all manner of hearts and trees and animals and letters, and my mind would wander aimlessly, and happily, through them all until my eyelids grew droopy and I fell asleep.

For reasons that I don't really understand, I have very few recollections of when I was a kid. This is a memory that just recently came back to me. And it's a good one. I think it came back to me because it was an activity that I repeated over and over again. It was imaginative and natural and easy and free and portable and quiet and good, and the results belonged only to me. Plus, it is probably the creative root of everything you see here.

What, you might well wonder, does this have to do with Dresden placemats? Oh nothing. Nothing at all in fact. I'm just so glad the memory is mine again. And I was reminiscing out loud.

♥M

P.S. As you can see, I finished the Dresden placemats, yipee-kayay! Previous posts about this scrappy little project live here and here.

Free or Not Free, That is The Question.

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I mean, if free-motion quilting (FMQ) is highly planned, can it really and truly be called FREE-motion quilting? I doubt it severely. I mean, yes, I used all the same settings on the ol' machine, the darning foot, machingers et al... But I designed the above quilting pattern - the quilting is represented by the coloured bits, not the black bits. And then I marked my Dresden placemats with a slightly improved version of this design before proceeding with the quilting. So with all that prep work, does this still qualify as FMQ? And if it's not FMQ then what, pray tell, is it? Please educate me on this question if you could. I really need to know. Like, really really really. Like, yesterday if at all possible. Thank you.

Furthermore, despite the plan to have these done by March 25th (of this year), I'm still weaving in ends and sewing the binding on them, tarnation. So no finished placemats to show yet, blasted. Maybe they'll be done one day when we're all living on the moon and we've all learned to play the steel drums 'cause that's the only instrument you can make from moon dust... But no. No placemats today. Sigh...

♥M

P.S. I seem to recall having one more question for you... What was it again?... Oh ya! What would you say to some sort of re-use/recycled paper-based craft-along? I've never done a craft-along before so Gord only knows how it would go, but if you're game, I would love to give it a shot? Opinions?

You Guest It: A Happy Stitch

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Every 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month I'm doing something new. It's a thing I'm calling "You Guest It" and it's where I let a guest do their crafty thing right here on Michele Made Me. Today I'm welcoming A Happy Stitch's Melissa Q! Oh look, she's starting...

***

Hello Michele Made Me friends! I'm so excited to be one of Michele's guests. I love Michele's blog... Her projects and her perspective are so inspiring and honest. I am just thrilled to be here.

I'm sharing how to make what I call the Super Scrappy Scarf but 'scarf' really doesn't scratch the surface of what this scrappy chain of knit fabrics can be. Intended to spark the imagination, the Super Scrappy Scarf is a great open-ended play-thing for little people and in our home it has been everything from pretend hair, a tail, 'water', a finish line and on and on... It's super!

So, let's get cracking on how to make it!

Because the Super Scrappy scarf involves sewing with knits, it offers a great chance to practice sewing with knit fabrics without any pressure of getting it 'right'. But, it does involve a few specific supplies that make the whole process much easier.

Supplies:

Scraps of knit fabric sized around 5" to 7" squares and rectangles. To make mine I cut up some of the many, many old t-shirts we seem to always have around. I wasn't very specific about size, just cut the shirts into similarly-sized not-too-big scraps.
Jersey (or stretch) sewing machine needles (these are really, really helpful to sewing with knits and relatively inexpensive..I don't recommend trying to sew knits without the correct needle).
100% polyester thread, I happen to have 'maxi-lock' thread, which has a bit extra stretch to it but any 100% polyester thread works great.
A walking foot or Teflon-coated sewing foot. Both sew well on knits and make the process much, much smoother. I love my Teflon foot.

Now to get sewing.

1. Set up your space: Begin by organizing your fabric scraps by color and set them alongside your machine and within reach as you sit at the machine.

2. Set up your machine: Put in the jersey needle; thread the bobbin and the machine with the polyester thread; put on the Teflon (or walking foot) sewing foot and set your sewing machine to a stretch stitch or zigzag stitch. The picture below shows what a stretch stitch looks like, on my machine. The stretch stitch works beautifully but a good zigzag stitch is also great... Just be sure to avoid sewing with a straight stitch because as soon as the scarf is tugged, the stitches will break.

3. The rest is simple! Start sewing and as you get about halfway along one fabric scrap grab the next one in a different color, lay it down and sew over it. Once you get going, you won't even need to stop sewing while you grab the next scrap! Keep on grabbing scraps and sewing until you have made the scrappy scarf as long as you want it or until you use up your scraps! So easy!

You can see below there is a great deal of overlap from one piece to the next. This gives the scarf a great full look.

The best part is you don't have to worry about fraying edges with the knit fabric, so you can even make one super long scarf and cut it in half to make two scarves in one go! This is especially handy if you have two boys, like I do, who always need to have an exact replica of what the other is playing with.

Throw that Super Scrappy Scarf into the mix of their dress-up play and see what happens. For us one afternoon, it was a kind of scooting limbo game. I mean, why not?

Heck, you might even like the scarf enough to wear it yourself! What can I say, it's super scrappy!

***

Thank you for sharing your totally multi-FUNctional Super Scrappy Scarf with us today, Melissa Q. Whipping one of these babies up promises to put smiles on little faces, doesn't it? What a simple yet versatile toy!

Visit mother, sewist, artist, teacher, Melissa Q online at her blog, A Happy Stitch. You'll notice in her writing, in her photography and in the things she makes, that this is a woman who lives passionately and finds joy in the little things. My kind of girl. Melissa says: "A Happy Stitch is my dream come true. I spend my days teaching sewing classes, making memory quilts, selling patterns and hawking my handmade wares while singing loudly as I stitch away." Aaah yes... Sure sounds like she's living the dream, doesn't it? And here are a few posts that pretty much prove it:

Go on now... "Happy" exploring to you!

♥M

P.S. Have an idea for a lovely eco-type craft? Seeking to widen your audience? Consider submitting a guest-post idea to Michele Made Me's "You Guest It"! Find out how right HERE.

Five Additional Little Things

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

As in five additional little things you probably don't need to know about me but will in about 1.3 seconds:

Thing 1: Isolating and removing wheat from my diet for the whole of April to see if it will help an irritating skin condition I've tolerated for the last 15 years.

Thing 2: I live for wheat bread. White. Whole wheat. Cakes made with wheat. Lo's homemade donuts. Cookies. Noodly dishes. I LOVE Mini-Wheats. If I was marooned on a desert island with only a solar-powered breadmaker, some yeast, and all the necessary ingredients to make white bread, I would pretty much be in heaven. Well you know, except for the skin thing.

Thing 3: My husband, Lo, got me a beard for my birthday... Er... um... Well he didn't really GET me a beard for my birthday... Well yes he did... But it wasn't like he bought me facial hair for my birthday or anything... Well he kinda did... Um, okay. Here's the thing. I wanted a beard for my birthday okay?... Like, not for MY face or anything... No no... I wanted HIM to grow a beard for ME. So he grew one on HIS face for MY birthday... Get it?... Okay good.

Thing 4: Lo is sizzlin' hot with his salt 'n pepper beard. Like, tssssssssssss... I like. I really really like.

Thing 5: Been meaning to play with interesting shapes in junkmail since last summer. So playing, I am. See photos.

Now it's your turn. What little detail about YOU would you like to share with me? Come on come on... Let it out in the comments!

♥M

Previous posts in the Five Little Things series: here and here.

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Wishing you the Easter holiday of your dreams! One filled with hope, love, good food, laughs, sweet kisses (both kinds), jumping jacks, and lots of junkmail flowers. That's right, baby.

And thanks so much for lending me a hand with the survey. You are just just wonderful!

♥M

Answers Wanted!

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:49:00 +0000

Hi!

How are you today? Well, I hope.

Can I ask you a favour? I have a few questions - five of them actually - related to future projects for the Michele Made Me blog and business. I wondered if you could take a moment and answer a short survey as honestly and as best you can. I would be so grateful. All you do is click the link provided below and you'll be swiftly - and painlessly - transported to the curious land of surveys whereupon questions will materialize before your very eyes. Good luck and Godspeed!

THIS SURVEY IS NOW CLOSED. Thank you so much for your help!

Have a lovely day now. Me? I have some unfinished placemats to um... finish.

♥M

Kid Craft: The Boy's Robot Maze

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Over the March Break, The Boy had a chance to create some really fun art work. One of the things he made, the following kid craft, was directly inspired by the work of art teacher, Christie, and the kids she teaches. Her blog, Fine Lines, is one we both enjoy perusing.

Using Christie's Pattern Pathways as a jumping off point, The Boy created his funky "Robot Maze". He started with two sheets of 8-1/2"x 11" printer paper, and cut each into 6 small rectangles. He built his "robot" from the resulting 12 rectangles, and concocted his continuous maze first in pencil and then in marker. He then added colour to the snakey bits of the maze in colourful marker. And finally, he painted the outside of the maze with cake paint.

Once the paintings were dry, we placed them under a stack of books to flatten out the wrinkles. His Robot Maze is displayed proudly on our kitchen cabinets.

It's an organic looking sort of robot, isn't it? Pretty cool, I think.

Thank you Christie for the flow of art ideas for children. I want you to know that we love and appreciate your talent and hard work.

♥M

P.S. In the next post, I'll be asking you to fill out a 5 question survey. I need your excellent input on a few things and thought a little survey might just do the trick! Until then?

Video Tutorial: TP Roll Flower Gift Bow

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 14:41:00 +0000

Happy Saturday!

Lo's been re-teaching me how to edit video. Don't know if you remember my last attempt all those moons ago in the far distant past over here... Well, I'm back in the saddle. Here's my second little video tutorial.

A pre-Easter moving gift for you... Enjoy!

♥M

I should not fail to mention Lo's - that's my husband, btw - input in this project. Suffices to say, I would still be at the computer breaking things if it weren't for him saving me from myself. Thanks Lo. You are my love.

And thank you to Jill as well. For encouraging me back up on the video horse. So glad to have found you in the vast ether. Let's keep supporting each other ok?

You Guest It: Sun Porch Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Michele Pacey) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:00:00 +0000

On the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month, through a new feature I'm calling "You Guest It", I'm happily sharing this Michele Made Me space with a fellow creative. So if you don't mind, Mary Jo from the lovely and warm Sun Porch Studio will be handling things for today. Oh, here she is now... Welcome Mary Jo!

***

I have a difficult time wasting things. I consider something being wasted when I carelessly toss it away without taking into consideration what it may have become. Could there be another use for these corks that I pop out of my bottles of cabernet sauvignon? Do you ever save an abundance of something with the hopes of manifesting some creative potential? I have a strong desire to find a new life for the things that get tossed so frequently. Such as paper. How much paper to you drop into the receptacle each day? Oh my!

This is the story of how something as simple as tossed paper can be transformed into something beautiful and celebrated.

I am an artist and an art teacher and began brainstorming the ways I could reuse scrap paper in the art studio. I decided to experiment with seed cakes. If I layed seeds in a cake of wet paper pulp would it dry and hold the seeds inside itself? Could I plant these cakes and grow an actual flower from the seed and have the pulp decompose into the earth? I thought it would be a sweet mothers day gift so I jumped on it with a group of students. I challenged my first graders to save all their scrap paper in a labeled bin in the classroom. After a few months, we used this paper collection to make paper pulp in a blender. We rolled tiny golf ball sizes of pulp in our hands and pressed them down onto blankets of felt making a flat cake. We then pressed seeds into the cake and let them dry on the felt overnight. The next morning I removed them from the felt and decided to stack them on the window sill. An inherent seeker of beauty, I began stacking them in size order and, gasp, discovered how each small stack of concentric circles was a glorious layered flower! I shared this discovery with my students and we decided to make more pulp, this time adding liquid watercolor to the water and omitting the seeds. We made cakes of various sizes, let them dry, assembled them from large to small, added a pin on the back with tacky glue and, wallah, we had our Mother’s Day flower broaches!

I made these again on my own as a bridal shower favor for my best gal. I find that blue and purple dyes come out best.

There are so many creative ways you can use recycled paper pulp, such as handmade papers, beads, sculpture, tree decorations. I have broken down the process for the recycled flower pins below. Please engage your eyes.

Tutorial: Recycled Beauty Paper Flower Pins

You will need:

A blender that you don’t use for margaritas (or smoothies, not all of us crave tequila)
Lots and lots of recycled paper (white absorbs color better but any type will do)
Liquid watercolor or liquid dye, blue, red, and purple work very well (view some at School Specialty or Dick Blick)
Broach pins from your local craft supplier
Large sheets of felt (color does not matter)
Tacky glue or hot glue
Water, aqua, H₂O
Optional: iridescent confetti or flakey glitter

Begin by setting up a workspace that is covered in newspaper or an old tablecloth that will absorb a lot of colored liquid dye. Cut or tear your saved paper into tiny bits no larger than your thumbnail as it tends to clump around the blade of the blender if too large.

Pour a cup of water in a blender with a few drops of liquid watercolor or until you arrive at a desired shade of color. Add your loosely packed pulp to the water using a 1:1 ratio of paper bits to water and don’t forget to place the lid on top!

Blend at low or medium speed until your bits have transformed into a mushy pulp and pour out onto a tray or container that you don’t use for culinary purposes.

Pick up a golf ball size or smaller and squeeze a bit of the water out over the tray. Your hands will be stained by the dye for a day so if you have a black-tie affair that evening I would suggest you wear gloves. But it does feel soooo good to use your hands and feel the cool mush!

Place your mush ball on the felt and, using your flat palm, press down and flatten the ball. The felt will absorb the water and the cake may stick to your palm. If this happens, carefully peel the cake away from your palm and place down onto the felt. The more times you press on a single cake, the more dye will be removed creating a lighter shade.

Let it dry as is or press in some confetti or flakey glitter. I've used crinkled gold flakes before with the blue and purples and found it looks stunning! However, a solid colored flower pin without any glitter is simply divine.

Let your cakes dry overnight. Feel free to feel them after a few hours and, if they feel semi-moist but solid, you can move them to a new dry section of felt to speed up the drying process.

Once your cakes are dry you can experiment with different layers and configurations and begin connecting them from the bottom layer up with your tacky glue.

Layering your flower is a personal process. Some of us like 3 layers, others may want 5. Add a pin to the back and wear one (or two) with pride. FYI flowers can be attached to hair clips, headbands, and even handbags.

***

Well, I'll be... Aren't these whorled flower pins a delight? So interesting what can be made with a bit of layered, mashed-up paper. Might have to give these a whirl, eh? Thank you Mary Jo for the gorgeous and inspired tutorial!

On her blog Sun Porch Studio, Mary Jo "tells the story of the creative encounters she has with the world around her." A committed teacher and artist who writes lovingly about how to engage the artist in each child, she also shares joyful snippets of her own personal art journey. A few delights I've found on the Sun Porch include:

It's so nice to sit back and be the reader and admirer for a change. Mary Jo, thank you for so skillfully taking care of things on the old blog today. It's been an honest-to-goodness pleasure!

♥M

P.S. Have an idea for a lovely eco-type craft? Seeking to widen your audience? Consider submitting a guest-post idea to Michele Made Me's "You Guest It"! Find out how right HERE.

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