Quilted Keepsake Ornaments

Rainy Days & Creating

2012-02-27T21:26:00.000-08:00

What more can I ask for......

Enjoying the little bit of rain we get here in Southern California while finishing a personalized photo ornament for one of my customers. The photo is in black and white, of a young couple who are getting married in March. Whenever I'm creating ornaments for engaged couples, I try to find fabrics that closely match what the couple is wearing. For this ornament, she is wearing a white silky tank top with black polka dots, and he is wearing a nice white shirt with a black bow tie. Lovely couple! So, I want to capture those elements in the fabrics and embellishments to make it truly a unique keepsake just for them. It's still very much feminine, but has a touch of masculinity as well. I'll try to get a photo of the finished ornament soon, but for now I'm just going to enjoy the peaceful sound of the rain spattering on the window panes.

If you would like a special keepsake made for you or someone you love, click here for more details and how to order. If you have any questions, you can contact me at quiltedkeepsakeornaments[dot]com

How To Make Your Own Light box

2012-02-14T17:53:00.000-08:00

If you make and sell products online, a light box is a must have if you want great product pictures. I purchased one on eBay several years ago when I first started making ornaments. It was a 24x24 and it required assembly every time I wanted to use it. It was bulky and a bit cumbersome, but I was able to get great pictures using it. Now it's been about three years and I'm ready to down size on my light box. I only photograph my Christmas ornaments and don't need this huge size.

One afternoon I was reading some Etsy forum posts and came across a post about light boxes. That peaked my interest and read some really great suggestions from Etsy sellers. Most suggested making your own out of a cardboard box, so I went hunting for one in my garage. It didn't take me long to find one, then I got my box cutter out and started cutting away at it. As you can see in the photos, this is my, uh...., creation. Okay, so it looks pretty bad right? Not only did it look bad, but my pictures really didn't come out the way I had hoped they would. It was small inside which caused my pictures to come out dark because there wasn't enough natural light getting in. Plus the backdrop was too wide and long that I kept having to flatten out the fabric as I was trying to get the picture. Just didn't work out. I would have thrown it away a long time ago, but my cat LOVES it! :)

As time went on I kind of forgot about the idea of getting a new light box. Plus I really couldn't justify buying a new one when the one I already had worked just fine. I lived with the cumbersome bulkiness this long, what's a little longer. Until...........

One day as I was walking down the isle in my local office supply store, I ran across poster boards, which got me to thinking about light boxes again. As I was figuring in my head how many boards I would need and how much that would cost me, it was going to be well over $30. So, again I couldn't justify it and walked on. But then as I was walking towards the end of the isle, I saw these.

Tri-Fold Foam Board. Cool! I wouldn't have to glue or tape the sides. I just unfold it and set it on the table and take my pictures. Yeah, sounds good to me, so I purchased it.

Tri-Fold Foam Board

Here I just took it out of it's packaging and opened up the sides. It's a bit tall, but that's because I haven't trimmed it down. Not sure I am even going to trim it down because you never know when you may have something tall to photo shoot. If you do trim it down, you can use the extra pieces for the top and bottom if you want. For me I don't think having a top is even necessary as my pictures come out great without it. The more natural light I get, the better.

I'm using my white backdrop that came with my 24x24 light box and it works really well with this board. I did add a few strips of Velcro to the top of the board and the fabric, just so it stays in place. I can also interchange the fabric if I want to use different colors.

I know what your saying, "such a big light box for such a small product", right? :) But again, you can always cut it down. This is not my product by the way. I'm using my coffee cup as an example.

So now I'm ready to take my picture. I always use natural light which works best for me. Those lamps (which came with my 24x24) just got way too hot and I never could figure out how to get rid of the shadows. So natural lighting is what I use on all my product pictures. Here is the final results. What do you think? I really can't claim that I made this light box, because I really didn't.

This whole process took me less than 2 minutes to set up and take my picture. Pretty good, huh?! And the best thing, I can fold it right up and slide it between my work desk. I don't even have to remove the backdrop. The sides close right on top of it, keeping it wrinkled free.

This light box cost me less than $20. The board was $17 and the Velcro strips were a couple of dollars, and I didn't have to spend hours making it.

If you're looking for a light box and don't want to buy an expensive one or have to make you one, give this a try. I love that it is so easy to set up and take down. Let me know if you make yourself one and how it works out for your products. I will even post your craft related product here on my blog if you send me a picture. I will be happy to link it to your shop.

This is one of my product pictures using my new tri-fold light box.

Quilted keepsake Ornaments

Feel free to leave your "family friendly" comment.

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-14T10:48:00.000-08:00

A Mother's Day Gift Inspiration

2012-02-03T17:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, I realize it's not even Valentine's Day yet, but I am already thinking ahead about my Mother's Day ornament design. Here's a sneak peak of the graphic I'll be using which is my inspiration for the colors and patterns I am looking for in the fabrics and embellishments. A beautiful Mother's Day message will be included in the white space, and to make it even more special and personal for mom, I can even add a photo of her on the back side of the ornament. It can be just her or with her child(ren) or grandchild(ren). I think this will be such a lovely Mother's Day gift, don't you? Check back soon!

This Graphic Purchased From An Etsy Seller

Graduation Photo Ornaments

2012-01-30T19:48:00.000-08:00

With the Christmas season behind us and folks back to their normal lives and routines, a new chapter is about to turn for our 2012 graduates. I too have a son who is graduating this year from high school, so I know how excited these kids are to finally get to wear their cap and gown and to receive their well deserved diplomas. As much as they want to grow up and be on their own, we parents want to keep them safe under our wings just a little bit longer.

A Wonderful Gift Idea For The Graduate!

COMMEMORATIVE GIFTS FOR GRADS:

Capture your high school or college grad in a lovely quilted keepsake ornament. Each ornament is delicately handmade using lovely silk fabrics and ribbons. The digital photo of your grad will be customized based on their school colors and then transferred onto high quality cotton fabric.

On the other side of the ornament, it will contain your grads school name, their name, year graduated and a cap & Tassel graphic as outlined below. Also, to add bit of charm, a silver plated 2012 charm will be fastened to the ornament that will dangle on the front side. Picture does not show the charm.

When your ornament is ready to ship, it will be wrapped in white tissue paper and placed inside a lovely white gift box. A gift your graduate will truly love and cherish forever.

To order your commemorative gift, for high school or college grads, click the link below. It's never too early to place your order.

Click To Order Here

I wanted to have an option for the boys in case they feel funny about the ribbon. For this ornament I made a ribbon hanger without all the froufrou. Looks more masculine, so if you order and don't want froufrou, just let me know.

Green and Gold is the school colors for this graduate. It was made with silk fabrics and the writing and image was edited in a software program, then transferred onto high quality cotton fabric.

Because this is a customized ornament, your ornament may differ from these examples such as the font styles, font colors and highlighting. But that makes your ornament even more unique and special for your grad as it will definitely be One Of A Kind.

Renee's Fabrics

2012-01-19T13:52:00.000-08:00

With so much fabric that I've accumulated through the years, I am now selling them in my fabric shop on Etsy.

These fabrics have been stored in nice clean containers in my sewing room and still look brand new right off the bolt.

If you're a crafty person who loves to sew, please visit my shop and take a look at what I have available. I have Marcus Brothers, Robyn Pandolph and other textile companies and designers to choose from as well as a few upholstery fabrics you can use for pillows or chair covers. Most of these fabrics are discontinued and are now hard to find, so if you find something you like you best get it now because you may not find it later.

Thanks for viewing and tell your crafty friends about my shop.

~ Renee

Pet Crate Cover

2012-01-17T09:33:00.000-08:00

Just went shopping for fabric to make a pet crate cover for a friend. Never made one before but I'm totally up for the challenge. She's always loved the color purple, so I found this deep purple calico print at JoAnns Fabrics and as much as I hate to pre-wash my fabrics, it's definitely a must since it's 100% cotton, and I'm sure she is going to be washing it a lot. Would hate it to shrink and then not fit the cage. :(

So now that my fabric is washed, I'm ready to measure and cut the panels. Her cage is 36Lx24Wx27H so it's a big one! Plus I'm going to add fasteners with velcro so she can lift each side up if she wants. I think it will come out really nice. At least I hope it does! Will post it when it's done.

UPDATED: 2/4/2012
Okay, so here it is. I finished the cover a week ago and finally got a picture of it with my friend. When she asked if I could make her one, she wanted the sides to be where her dogs can't see out. Her dogs are in agility training and it helps to keep them still and quiet while the events are going on. So what I did is, I added flaps on each side of the cage and used velcro so she can easily fasten and unfasten it. Her dogs will not be able to see anyone or anything out of this cover. I also added velcro flaps on the top of the cage on all sides so she can lift the sides up when she wants. Then, to finish it off I top stitched where the seams are so when you look underneath the cover, you see very clean sewn seams. No stringy seams on this puppy! And that is it. My first handmade (no pattern used) crate cover.

A Wedding Treasury

2012-01-02T22:11:00.000-08:00

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

I created this treasury in honor of me and my husband's wedding anniversary that we will be celebrating this month. We were married almost 19 years ago and still it seems like yesterday. So this treasury is dedicated to all the new brides who are getting married in January, and wishing you a "Happily Ever After"!

Free Craft Site Advertising

2011-12-30T10:25:00.000-08:00

If you have a craft related website or blog and would like to get more exposure to your site, I am offering Free advertisement here on my site.

Click the "Submit Your Button" tab above for more details.

Happy New Year - 2012

2011-12-27T13:51:00.000-08:00

As the new year approaches, it's time to get the Valentine, St. Patrick's Day and Easter fabrics out to create new seasonal ornaments for my Etsy shop. I sort of jumped the gun however, last week, and created my first Valentine ornament for this year which is already listed. I saw the fabric and I just couldn't wait to make it, so I did. It's also available in a kit if you prefer to make it yourself. You can check it out by going to the "shopping" tab above.

So, now I'm cutting out my St. Patrick's Day fabric and should have it listed sometime this week. Here's a sneak peak of the fabric I'm using. You can't really tell in the photo, but it has very tiny golden sparkles, giving it a very elegant look.

Then it will be time to make Easter ornaments which I have yet to choose the fabrics for, but they will be adorable, for sure. So stay tuned for some lovely ornaments coming soon to my shop.

Get Organized With Your Purse

2011-12-12T08:49:00.000-08:00

I purchased a purse organizer from an Etsy shop "Divide And Conquer" as a Christmas gift for my mom. When I received it in the mail, I wasn't really sure how it would fit inside a purse, but when I tried it in my own, I loved it!! I'm still giving it to my mom for Christmas, but I'm buying me one after the holidays.

I was very impressed with the quality and how it fit so perfectly inside the purse, and of course I left it in there for a week just to try it out and see how well it functioned. I highly recommend this product and I can't wait for my mom to open her gift. I know she will love it too!

Check out this Artisans shop. She has all sizes with lots of beautiful fabrics to choose from and if you or someone you know needs a little organization in your life, these are GREAT!

New Quilted Keepsake Ornament Kits Available

2011-12-04T09:41:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited, I finally completed a project I have been working on for the past two months. I first began writing, illustrating and creating diagrams on how to make my quilted ornaments about two months ago, and now with many draft versions later, I finally completed them. Then I had to come up with how I was going to package my kits. All of my kits are constructed by hand from creating the packaging to putting together all the kit pieces. I have lots of work ahead of me and more kits to construct.

I contemplated how I would sell my kits and instructions. I wasn't sure if I should include the instructions in the kit or keep them separate. Mainly because I wanted my kits available for everyone. If you were already familiar with the technique, you would only need the kit and vise versa. So, with that I decides to keep the kit and instructions separate. It just made more sense that way.

The instructions are in a word document and was written with complete step by step instructions, illustrations and diagrams. It also contains what supplies and tools you will need if you decide to use your own materials.

It's a lot of fun making these ornaments but it does take practice, mainly with the measuring. Once you master that, you will make absolutely lovely ornaments. I remember my first ornament back in 2008. I wish I took a picture of it. lol. It was so uneven but then I didn't have great instructions to learn from either. I had to just keep making them with trial and error until I mastered the technique. With my instructions, you should be able to master this quite quickly. I know you will have a lot of fun making these beautiful ornaments.

You can purchase the kit and/or the instructions by going to my website or Etsy shop.

Cyber Monday Sales on Etsy

2011-11-28T08:20:00.000-08:00

All Natural Handmade Soaps

2011-11-22T20:50:00.000-08:00

I purchased some soap products from this Etsy shop about three weeks ago and absolutely loved them! I bought the sample pack and then a full bar of the Pure Olive Oil soap to see which ones I would like better for my hands, but I actually had a hard time choosing. I alternate them between hand washing but I think my favorite one is the Pure Olive Oil soap. My hands feel so soft and even though there is no perfume smell to them, I love the fresh clean scent it does generate. The lather is awesome too!

This is a wonderful handmade product by Caring Valley Hands that I highly recommend! Please visit her shop and see what soaps she has for your hand care needs.

Etsy Shop: Caring Valley Hands - All Natural Handmade Soaps

Etsy Treasury - by OksanaPiven

2011-11-18T15:35:00.000-08:00

The Essence of Lavender

2011-11-11T09:10:00.000-08:00

Enjoy this relaxing and calming treasury filled with lovely beauty products and sachets, made by talented Etsians. These lavender products would make wonderful gifts for the Christmas holiday, and maybe even a stocking stuffer or two. Can't you just smell that sweet scent of lavender?!

Sumi Salad - A Holiday Potluck Recipe

2011-11-10T12:45:00.000-08:00

With the holidays coming up, I'm sure there will be many potlucks going on at work and at family gatherings. I just had a family gathering this past weekend and made this Sumi Salad. It's always a hit wherever I bring it and I'm always asked for the recipe. I wrote this recipe out for my Aunt so I thought I would also share it here on my blog.

This recipe is so easy and delicious, and only takes about 30-40 minutes to prepare once you have all the ingredients set out. However you do need to prepare it the night before because you want all the ingredients chilled prior to serving it at your potluck. I even chill the Top Ramen noodles.

Just follow the recipe and your dish will be a hit, I promise!

Click to Download Recipe
If you have any problems downloading this recipe, contact me and I'll be happy to email it to you.

Pretty In Pastels

2011-11-08T10:11:00.000-08:00

This treasury was hand picked by "dollsandbunnies" on Etsy.com. If you have time, check out her shop. She makes adorable dolls, bunnies and other crafts made with quality fabrics and yarns. Wonderful gifts for Christmas.

A Keepsake For My Tree

2011-11-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

Well, here is the completed ornament I made for myself. As stated in the earlier post, I used an old photo of me, my brother and my grandmother back in 1963. The fabrics and embellishments were exactly how I envisioned it to look like when it was done, and it turned out beautiful. There is no doubt, this will be a very special ornament on my tree this year.

Black & White Photo Ornament

Can you see why I LOVE making photo ornaments? I really do! I love making all of my ornaments in various styles, but using photos is something I will never get tired of making. I get so much enjoyment out of finding the perfect fabrics and embellishments to create such a wonderful and stunning keepsake. It's definitely something you can hand down to your grandchildren someday.

Imagine, instead of using photo albums to display your pictures, you put them on an ornament. What a collection that would be on your Christmas tree each year. "Hmmm", interesting thought.

Moments In Time

2011-10-31T12:53:00.000-07:00

As I was doing some fall cleaning and de-cluttering to get ready for the holidays coming up, I ran across some old black and white photos of me and my brother with our grandma. It was a picture back in 1963, which of course I don't remember because I was barely 4 months old. But I do remember how very special my grandma was to me in my early years. She raised eight kids of her own and had a total of 26 grandchildren. I was number 24.

My brother and I spent a lot of time with my grandparents, watching us while mom and dad went to work. I remember when my dad would drop us off so early in the morning, it would be so cold and our eyes would be half open, but when you walked into her house, you warmed up quickly with her hugs and smiles. The aroma in her house was filled with homemade biscuits and gravey, sizzling bacon and coffee that was still brewing. She would already have our biscuits cut open and buttered. We never used jelly, we used boiled "sugar water". That was our syrup and it was so good. I still make it once in a while for my son. Back when my mom was growing up on the farm, they didn't have a whole lot of money to buy real syrup or staples like we have today, so my grandma made her own syrup out of sugar and water. I know for some people it's going to sound yucky, but don't knock it until you've tried it. lol!

My brother and I loved to play and crawl under her house. We hoped to find treasures under there, but ended up with bottle caps, maybe a penny or two and of course a lot of dirt! We didn't care, it was just fun to get dirty. It was never a dull moment at Ma'Maws house. That's what we called her.

So, as I'm remembering all these wonderful times, I knew I wanted to capture this memory in a photo ornament. I've never done an old black and white photo, but it will be a very special gift to myself. I can't wait to hang it on my Christmas tree this year.

Here's the photo before editing it for the ornament.

That's me at 3 months old and my brother who was 2. And of course my Mam'maw. Oh, and I can't forget the little Chihuahua. That was Chico. I was in my teens when this dog passed away. She lived a very long time and ate only leftover scraps from the evening supper. She even got to drink milk. She was a good dog, but you didn't wrestle with her or she showed you her pearly white "sharp" teeth. lol!

I gathered all the fabrics, ribbons and embellishments I'm using for the keepsake, including a picture inside a tiny picture frame charm. It's going to be beautiful!

I will post the ornament when it's all done.

I Love Handmade

2011-07-27T13:49:00.000-07:00

Rag Quilts
In the early year of 2006, my mom taught me how to make rag quilts out of flannel fabrics. She made so many for weddings and baby showers that I wanted to make them too for myself and my friends. It didn't take me long to finish my first one and after seeing the completed quilt, I was hooked. I was constantly shopping for fabrics and making lap quilts one right after the other. It got to the point where I had no place to store all these quilts, and I didn't want to stop making them. So, in the Fall as I was searching the internet on handmade craft sites, I came across this one site and as I scrolled to the bottom of the front page, I read in very tiny print, "Hosted by: DIY eStores" I thought, "hmmm"? So I clicked on the link and after reading all about creating your own website and how easy it was to maintain with no HTML experience, I thought how fun it would be to sell my quilts online. I went to Godaddy.com and signed up for a domain, called Rose Garden Quilts. I always loved roses so I knew Roses had to be in the title somewhere. It only took me a month to get set up on my site and like they said, it was very easy to setup and maintain. And, as I kept updating my site, I eventually learned on my own how to code HTML. I don't claim to be an expert, but I knew enough to customize my shop the way I wanted it to look.

In the picture below, this is one of the quilts I made for myself. My favorite color combo is blue and white and it went so well with my home decor. This was a keeper!

I did pretty well selling my quilts and even attended craft shows. It was a wonderful experience and I learned so much about how to build and run a small online business, yet I am still learning even today.

Quilted Ornaments
In 2008, I had started dabbling in quilted ornaments. They were just so beautiful, I wanted to learn how to make them. So, I found some instructions online and made my first one. I wish I still had it because you would laugh, which is okay because I cracked up when it was done. I didn't give up though. I really wanted to learn the craft and just kept at it until I got the skill down enough to where I felt good about selling it to the public. I opened Quilted Keepsake Ornaments in June 2009 and built my skill level up to where my ornaments are a piece of art. Precision is one of the most important part of making quilted ornaments. If you don't get the precision down, your ornament will look very uneven and not very appealing. People do need to realize that when you buy handmade products, handmade is not suppose to be "Perfect", but it should be pretty near perfect if you ask me.

One Chapter Closed, Another Opens
Well, Rose Garden Quilts came to an end in 2009 due to the economy. Sales were down and I just couldn't keep paying the monthly dues. It was hard to close the site, but soon after, I opened Quilted Keepsake Ornaments. It was time to move on and do something else that I enjoyed, and I REALLY love making ornaments!

Photo Ornaments
Early last year I started experimenting with photos. I tried using different types of materials to get the best image possible and I have to say, it's one of the most enjoyable ornaments I love to make. I also collect Disney images that I purchase on Etsy and make character ornaments. I wanted my customers to be able to pick and choose the character they want, so if your interested, come visit my website and see what's available. Maybe you have a friend or family member who loves a particular character. They make great gifts for Christmas. Here are a few links to check out:

Order Photo Ornaments
Order Disney Character Ornaments

Thanks for reading. See you soon!