Locke Into Design

New House, New Ideas, New Projects

2012-06-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

So... I know I have been neglecting my blog lately but I have good reasons. For the last year my husband and I have been trying to buy a house. As a result I have gone back to work and all of my time has been consumed by trying to find and buy a house. But hard work has paid off and we are finally moving into a new (well... new to us) house. I am so excited I can hardly contain myself because it means that there are so many possibilities.

So... While I have neglected my blog and my two readers (thanks, Mom and Dad, for reading my blog) I am now going to make it up to you by writing about all of the projects my husband and I do around the house. We love home improvement projects and we are both very creative but we are always on a tight budget. This means that trash to treasure projects will be in overdrive and trips the the local thrift store and salvage yard will be frequent. You can also bet on some thrifty and interesting solutions to problems.

So here it is... our house. I know, it's not much to look at. I call it the "80's leftovers" house, but in time it will be a Locke Into Design paradise fit for it's new owners. Just the thought of it makes me want to roll up me sleeves and get to work.

The first order of business for the outside is a new roof, some paint, and pulling out the overgrown bushes to make way for landscaping. On the inside the popcorn ceilings are coming down and some color is going up on the walls. The kitchen is being remodeled by reusing as many of the old 80's cabinets as possible, and the vinyl flooring is being replaced with tile.

I know what your thinking... the only good thing is the carpet and yes that vase that the previous owners left on the fire place does look like they left grandma behind but thankfully they did not.

We are going to raise the ceiling in the kitchen and open it up to the living room. Painting the cabinets grey and the walls a fresh shade of sea glass green.

The dinning room and living room don't need much. The fake beams on the ceiling and horrible fans are the first things to go and we are still debating on whether to keep the wood stove.

You'll just have to keep reading to see what happens anything is a possibility. We're starting with a blank slate and doing all the work ourselves.

Wish us luck.

Wine Cork Serving Tray

2012-02-26T11:16:00.001-07:00

I came across some bags of wine corks at the thrift store and it didn't matter that I didn't know what I was going to do with them, I had to have them. I decided that I would spice up an old serving tray that I had bought several months before for use in one of my son's school projects. To date this serving tray has been used, repainted, sold in a thrift store, served as the base of a Native American village diorama, and now it has returned to being a serving tray. Only with a little Locke Into Design flair.

The first thing I did was prep the surface for a new coat of paint. The dark brown just wasn't doing it for me so I lightly sanded the surface and wiped off the dust with a damp cloth. For the paint color I rummaged around in my left over Wall paint and found a light blue green color that was left over from my son's room. Most people would probably look at wine corks and think brown or burgundy but I wanted a color that was bright and fun that made the wine corks pop out rather than blend in.

After painting the sides of the tray I cut the corks in half lenghtwise and laid out my pattern in the bottom of the tray to make sure they all fit. The corks didn't quite fit all the way to the end of the tray as whole pieces so I cut some in half and staggered the rows so that I wouldn't end up with a whole row of half corks at one end.

To cut the corks in half lenghtwise I used a pair of pruning sheers and sniped about 1/4 of an inch through the cork at a time. I had to have some scissors handy too because the plastic around the synthetic corks didn't always want to cut all the way. After I filled the bottom of the tray with a layer of corks I lifted each one at a time and hot glued them to the bottom of the tray.

The finished tray has found a home on the ottoman next to my arm chair and it looks great. You may think that with the bumpiness of the corks things might fall over but they don't because being right next to each other they create a consistent surface.

Reupholstered Sofa

2012-02-26T10:19:00.002-07:00

As I have mentioned before I have a tendency to take things that others are throwing away and fix them up for my house. So naturally when my husband found an old love seat on Craig's List that someone was giving away for free, he thought that it would be the perfect Christmas gift for me.
Now... I have reupholstered things before but I have never undertaken anything of this scale and I have to say NEVER AGAIN!
Reupholstering a couch is not really that complicated but it is certainly not for the faint of heart. (As I quickly found out.)
It takes determination and hard work to pull all the old fabric off and to remember how to put it back on if you have never done it before. Once you start, there is no turning back. You have to press on and finish.
This is what I had to start out with...

and this is what I had two days after pulling out what must have been thousands of staples and three bandaged fingers latter...

It was time consuming and painful but if you want to be efficient and have a pattern to follow when you are done you can't just start ripping fabric off.
Starting at the back of the couch, every piece I took off I saved to use later so that I knew what shape and size I need to cut out of the new fabric. They became the pattern pieces for the new fabric.

I also kept track of the order in which I took the pieces off because that determines the order in which they go back. The first piece I took off was the last piece to put back on and the last piece I took off was the first of the new fabric to put back on. A good tip is to number the pieces as you take them off, cut the corresponding piece out of the new fabric and then work backwards to put the pieces back on.
Once I got all of the fabric of it was time to get new fabric. I chose a raspberry colored fabric in a light weight cotton canvas.
Why raspberry? I'm so glad you asked...
When my husband an I were in the process of buying our first house we looked at furniture and found a raspberry pink, slip covered sofa at Restoration Hardware and my husband, of all people, loved it. (real men love pink couches) : ) We thought it would be a fun statement piece for our new decor. But, alas, by the time we had closed on our house, they had discontinued that color and we went with an evergreen sofa instead.
Every once in a while my husband will say, "I still want my pink sofa." So, in getting me one that I had to reupholster he was really ensuring that our honeymoon dreams of having that Restoration Hardware sofa would come true in some small way. When I asked him what fabric I should use he didn't skip a beat.
This is what the sofa looks like now.

The hard part is done. I still have to finish the bottom skirt to hide the worn legs and sew covers for the cushions but you get the idea and if you ask me it looks fabulous.
A few tips if you want to attempt this yourself:

When choosing a piece to reupholster look at how many details the piece has. Every place where separate pieces of fabric meet there will be more than one row of staples or tacks. For example my couch had a piping detail so there was a row of staples for the top fabric, then one for the piping, and yet another for the bottom fabric. Three pieces of fabric meeting = three layers = three rows of staples.
You can eliminate details like piping along the edges in order to simplify the design and make your life easier. I took out the piping all together to have more of a casual slip cover look and I decided to put a skirt on the bottom to hide the legs and eliminate complicated detail.
Wear safety glasses when pulling out the staples. A staple in the eye is not fun and depending on how old and dirty the piece is you may want to were a dust mask as well. The fabric on my couch was old and had a coating on the back that had became brittle. Even though I vacuumed it thoroughly before I started, every time I pulled a staple out I let loose the coating on the back.
If you have trouble remembering how the pieces go back on the couch, number them as you take them off and note how they were attached. ie. tack strip, staples.
Use the old pieces of fabric as a template to cut new fabric.

The finished Product.

I'm Thankfull For...

2012-02-26T10:17:00.002-07:00

This year has been a really stressful year and I am glad that Thanksgiving has rolled around so that I can shrug off my discontent and be thankful.
For the past year my husband and I have been trying to sell or condo, get approved for a new loan and by a house to no avail. Discouraged would be an understatement but in all of this I keep reminding myself that I have so much to be thankful for.

Even though we hate our condo with a burning passion I am thankful that we have a roof over our heads and that by some miracle we are able to pay our bills. Everyone is going through hard times and thankfully even though my family has been hit we have not been knocked out. I am thankful that my husband still has a job and that we are all healthy.
I am thankful for my family. We have two growing boys who bring us joy everyday. We also have parents, grand parents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters that provide us with support and love. This Thanksgiving we are assembling at my parents house and I can't wait to be there. When I am with my family all of my troubles seem to disappear.
Part of our Thanksgiving this year will be spent at the hospital. Just this last week my husbands Grandfather had a seizure. Both of our grandparents' health is becoming very fragile and we fear the day when we get the phone but I am thankful that we will have one more thanksgiving with them and that my children will be able to remember them.
Of all the things I am thankful for, the thing I am most thankful for is knowing that God will always provide for me and my family. I am thankful that he provided for my salvation by sending His Son to die on the cross for my sins. I am thankful that He holds the whole world in His hands and that nothing and no one is greater than Him.

Holloween Costumes

2012-02-26T10:16:00.002-07:00

In keeping with the traditions of my mother I don't buy costumes for my kids, I make them.
I have two rules when it comes to Halloween costumes. The first one is that they are not allowed to be anything scary or evil. I know what you're thinking... that's what Halloween is about, scaring the pants of people. Well, I think of Halloween more as one big dress up party and I don't like gross scary stuff, so that's my rule. Deal with it.
The second rule is that you can't be the same thing twice. Each year has to be something different. This rule is especially difficult for my oldest son because if he had his way he would be the same thing every year.
This year the little one wants to be a robot like his brother last year and my oldest wants to be a dinosaur.
When starting to plan the costumes, I remembered that the boys had a large plastic "blow up" toy dinosaur that they put a hole in. Instead of throwing it away I put it in the closet not knowing what I would ever do with it. Turns out I needed it for a Halloween costume.

I cut it apart and put arm holes in it so that he could ware it like a coat and used duck tape to hold whole thing together. I thought I might use juice pouches to fill in some of the spaces if the plastic dinosaur shell was too small but all of the dimensions worked out well. With a green shirt and sweat pants on, everything will blend together.

I guess you could say I was determined to use juice pouches to make a costume because I asked the little one if he wanted to be a juice pouch monster but he insisted on being a robot. It didn't take me long to figure out how to use juice pouches though. Instead of a box, spray painted silver, like I did for his brother I made the body of the robots out of juice pouches and used dryer vent for the arms and legs. The finishing detail will be to glue some circuit boards that we took out of some old toys to the front of the body.
Can't wait to add their photo to the gallery bellow. Have a safe and happy Halloween. Scary too (since I know most people who aren't me like it that way) but mostly safe and happy.

The first time we went trick or treating I dressed my oldest up in one of my shirts, tied scarves around him and bought a few props to make him a pirate.

His first year of school he had to dress as a story book character and bring the book to school with him. He went dressed as Remy the rat from Ratatouille.

Next he was a very green alien and the little one had a penguin suit that a friend gave us.

Last year they went as a robot and Handy Many. The little one had to stop his brother every few houses and fix the robot.

Oak Leaf Wreath

2012-02-26T10:14:00.001-07:00

Another fun fall project!

I made a wreath out of juice pouches and I have to say that it came out beautifully. Also, I have to confess that while I was making it my hatred for plastic grocery bags seemed to subside a little bit.
That's because I used the plastic bags that I refuse to throw away to make the ring for the wreath.
I tied two bags together at the handles and then tied the bottoms together with some floral wire to make a ring.

With six of these plastic bag rings made I used the floral wire to tie them all together wrapping it around the bags tightly to make a solid ring.

At this point it was not very pretty. When making a wreath in this way the plastic bags need to be covered with something. You can use fabric or ribbon but I decided to stick with juice pouches.

I made a strip of juice pouches and wrapped it around the plastic bag ring. I used some hot glue to secure the ends of the juice pouches and to tack down the ribbon so that it wouldn't move too much.

The leaves that I made were all cut out of individual juice pouches and sewn around the edges. To attach them the wreath I used straight pins with pearl heads to fix them to the wreath. Before I attached them I crumpled them up in a ball to give them more of a three dimensional shape.

I love the way it turn out and I plan to use this same technique to make other wreaths. I think the most fabulous thing about this project is the use of the plastic bags. Wreath forms can be really expensive but using plastic bags and making your own costs pennies!

Kids Craft Aprons

2012-02-26T10:13:00.001-07:00

On Friday this week I have the absolute honor of going to my son's class and doing Masterpiece Art with them.
What is Masterpiece Art?
It is a non-profit organization that helps expose kids of all ages and grade levels to the world of visual art. As a volunteer you are provided with a poster print of a famous or sometimes not so famous work of art and a packet of information about the artist and their art. You go into a classroom once a month and give the kids a mini art lesson complete with art project.
This week my son chose the poster of Andre Derain's The London Bridge. We are going create our own paintings in the style of Fauvism using bright tempera paint colors. I am a little nervous about letting the kids paint in the classroom. Last time I did that my son spilled a cup of water on the table right unto the little girl sitting across from him... and it was picture day.
This time I am going to be prepared with craft aprons made out of juice pouches for all the kids to keep their clothes clean. As a parent I know this effort will be most appreciated by other parents.
The aprons were very simple to make.
I started by sewing 8 juice pouches together in the same manner that the place mats are made to make the bottom of the apron.

Then I sewed 6 more together to make the top.

I sewed the top and the bottom together being carefull to center the top.

I used a small round plate as a guide to round of the corners of the juice pouches at the top of the apron.

The small opening it created in the pouch made a perfect place to sew the ribbon in for the ties around the neck.

I decided for the waste to have a continuous strip of ribbon across to make the ties.

I could have just used the ribbon on either side for the ties and saved myself some material and money but I liked the way the band across the waist of the apron looked. I used whatever scrap ribbon I had, shopped the clearance ribbon, and bought some from the thrift store and dollar to save myself money.

Thank goodness they were that easy! There are 27 kids in his class!

Juice Pouch Pumpkin

2012-02-26T10:09:00.001-07:00

A combination of magazines featuring Autumn projects and the fall air have put me in the mood for crafting. Today I decided to make some fall decorations out of .... you guessed it....Juice Pouches!

Searching through my endless supply of juice pouches I found some orangey gold ones that I thought would make a cute little pumpkin.

I started by making two sheets of juice pouches in the same manner and size as the Juice Pouch Place Mats. Instead of putting ribbon around the edges I sewed them together back to back and punched holes evenly along both the top and the bottom edge.

Next I threaded ribbon through all of the holes at the bottom and pulled it tight gathering the bottom of the juice pouches together. It made kind of round bowl.

Once the bottom was tied and secure it was time to stuff it. This is where all of those plastic grocery bags you got when you forgot your eco-friendly reusable bags at home come in handy. I stuffed some of those plastic bags that I despise into the bowl as tight as I could and threaded more ribbon through the holes at the top.

Two green juice pouches sewed together serve as a stem. I put the stem in the opening and pulled the ribbon and the juice pouches tightly closed. Tied the ribbon off with a bow and there ya go.... Fall has a new recycled look and darn cute if you ask me.

Juice Pouch Trash Can

2012-02-26T10:08:00.002-07:00

Second bathroom project done! Yeah, I could have just made a square basket and had it done a lot sooner but what fun would that have been. I wanted something with a little more design worked into it and sewing straight pouches together doesn't do it. I also wanted to add some reinforcement to the sides to make them more sturdy so that the sides would not fall in on each other.

My solution was to use a technique that I have done before by sewing two pouches together from one corner at a 45 degree angle so that when they are opened a square is made in the center. I choose to use Kool-Aid Jammer juice pouches because of the solid bright colors and because the iconic kids drink brings a since of novelty to the finished project. The extra juice pouch at the seam helps to make it more sturdy and the squares on one side with the 45 degree angle meeting on the other side makes a really fun and interesting pattern.

My initial thought was that the angled part on the right side of the juice pouches would be the outside of the basket but after seeing the square design on the wrong side of the pouches I decided I liked that better. I like it when it isn't obvious that something is made out of juice pouches but the pouches are still recognizable. In this case the outside of the basket will have people looking twice asking what is that and the inside of the basket will be a dead give away with the Kool-Aid man smiling back at you.

The bottom of the basket was a challenge to put in. I wanted a round basket but juice pouches do not lend themselves to making round shapes. I cut a circle out of a sheet of sewn together juice pouches the same circumference as the cylinder for the sides. I cut tabs around the bottom of the cylinder and folded them inward.

Then I placed the circle on the inside and sewed it to the tabs. It took me a few time to get it right and I'm still not completely pleased with it but now that I know the best way to make it work the next one will be better. The bottom line is, I ended up with the cylindrical shape that I wanted and it looks fabulous.

Now that I have the waste basket done I think I have to go for the shower curtain. I figured out that the shower curtain is going to take over 200 pouches. Wish me luck.

Lawn Chair Repare

2012-02-26T10:07:00.001-07:00

I know I promised more juice pouch bathroom projects but you know how it is when a great project comes up and you just have to get started because you can already see the finished project in your head. Well that's what happened to me this Labor Day weekend and I just couldn't help myself.
My neighbor was cleaning his back yard this weekend when he popped his head over the fence and asked me if I wanted these two lawn chairs that had been left out in the elements. I had to think about it for only two seconds. That's how long it took for me to size them up and decide that all it would take to make them beautiful would be a little sanding, a coat of paint, and some new fabric.

I started by removing the canvas fabric from the chairs. The way the chair was designed made this very easy. All I had to do was slide the triangle rod out of the end of the fabric and take it off the chair.

Next I gave the entire thing a quick but thorough sanding just to knock off all the loose stain and dirt and smooth out the rough wood a bit. After sanding I wiped the wood with a damp cloth to clean off the dust.

Finally I gave the chair a coat of paint. I chose to use a brush to apply latex paint because I was not able to take the individual pieces apart. Spray paint would have been faster but it would have gotten in between the pieces and when it dried the pieces would have been unable to move. Spray paint would have been more expensive too. I went to the hardware store and shopped the "oops" paint. I got a quart of red latex paint for $2.

The last part of the project was to replace the canvas for the seat. Using the original fabric as my pattern I cut and sewed some new canvas fabric to fit the chair and once the chair was completely dry all I had to do was slide the triangle rods back in and I had two perfectly good chairs again. Not to mention darn cute too.

Two chairs that were headed for the trash have become beautiful additions to my outdoor space. The chairs were free and the supplies to fix them cost me $20. I could have done this project for less than $15 but I decided to go with the fancy, printed outdoor fabric from the fabric store which was more expensive. I couldn't help myself. I saw it and I loved it.

Tissue Box Cover

2012-02-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

The first project for the juice pouch bathroom makeover is done.
This is the prototype for the tissue box cover.

I was glad to find the juice pouch was just the right proportion to make a box big enough to cover the tissue box. It took ten juice pouches total to complete it and I think it came out pretty well. One of the things that I have to work on is the opening in the top. I think the opening needs to be a little wider so that the tissue comes out more easily and doesn't pick up the whole box when you grab one. Another design feature that I will want to include in the next one is some sort of bottom piece to keep the cover securely on the box. I think I will be able to add that feature to this one and test it out to make sure it works.
The next project I think that I will take on is making a trash can out of juice pouches. Should be pretty simple but let's see if I can make it a little more interesting. I could just make a box shape the right size but that would not be a challenge and very boring.
The shower curtain is going to take the most work so I am saving that one for a rainy day.

The Bathroom Challenge

2012-02-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

Inspired by a "how to" video that turned empty toothpaste tubes into a toothbrush holder, I got to thinking, what if I could do an entire bathroom with juice pouches? Shower curtain, tissue box, toothbrush holder.... The possibilities are endless and it would be quite the challenge.
So today I decided to start small, but still challenging, with something that I have not tried before. I have already made small containers that can serve as tooth-brush holder so that's not much of a challenge and I will have to work up to the massive project that making a shower curtain will be so that leaves me with..... the tissue box.
Here is my plan-
Step one- measure the tissue box
Step two- figure out a pattern with the juice pouches
Step three- figure out how to make the slot in the top of the box. (that's the challenging part)
and
Step four- sew it all together
Thankfully my sons' bathroom makes the perfect testing ground for my creations. We'll see how I can transform this small bathroom into juice pouch craziness with some juice pouch know how, a lot of imagination, and a little bit of design.

Other Trash to Treasure

2012-02-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

I have a love of taking things out of the trash and fixing them up. When I was growing up in Colorado my friends and I would go to a dumpster behind the thrift store down the street. It was a treasure trove of things.
I don't go dumpster diving any more but I have been known to pick things up from the side of the road and I even enlist my family for help. After telling my dad that I wanted an old desk for my son's room, he and my husband got in the truck went up the street and picked up one that had been set out on the street for trash pick up.
I love mixing old things with new things in my home decor and I love finding new uses for things that no one has thought of. I have come to believe that if you look closely you can find the beauty and usefulness in just about anything and all it takes to bring it out is some cleaning, maybe a little paint, some glue, and a screw or two.
Getting "Locked Into Design" is not just about recycling juice pouches. It's about using art and design, imagination, and a little elbow grease to turn even trash into beautiful things.
Here are some of the things that I have recovered.

The chair I found at a thrift store for $5. It was originally blue and white with paint splattered all over it. I spray painted it, recovered the seat and the back, and replaced a few of the screws. It sits in my kitchen and serves as step stool, time out chair and extra seating.
The shutter I found at an architectural salvage yard and it cost me $2. After cleaning it and sanding it I decided to leave it the natural wood and just replace a few of the slats. I added a knob with a brushed nickel finish to dress it up and make it easier to open. It adds a really nice touch and privacy to my bathroom.
The Canada Dry box my husband brought home for me from the junk yard. (He often brings me home presents from the junk yard instead of flowers) All I did was clean off the dirt and put a piece of wood on the top. The boys use it to put their shoes on and my 4-year-old loves to hide things in it that I'm looking for.
And then there's the desk. Some paint and some new screws and you wonder why it was ever discarded. It holds all of my son's crafting supplies and gives him a place to do his homework away from his brother.
As I find more trash I will let you in on how I turn it into treasure and I hope that you will take the time to find treasures of your own or maybe just stop and think before you throw something away. Does it just need a new coat of paint? A new screw? They have those things at the hardware. It's not hard to do, it keeps things out of landfills, it saves money, and it adds character to your decor. Plus, you won't have the same chair or side table that everyone got from the same big box store. You can not only help the environment but find your own sense of style in reusing old things.

Flagstaff Community Market

2012-02-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

This last Sunday was my first day to sell at the Flagstaff Community Market. I spent all winter collecting juice pouches, sewing, and getting ready for my favorite time of year- community market season! The night before, I loaded up my car with tables and stands, bags and boxes filled with juice pouch items, and I went to bed anticipating the next morning.

I woke up Sunday morning at 5:30 took a shower, got dressed, and had breakfast. I took inventory of all of my things to make sure that I had everything I needed and then trucked down to the market.
I love getting there early. Most of the large growers are just setting out their harvest and I am the only one in the middle of the parking lot setting up my little stand. As every thing comes out of the bags and boxes my little makeshift shop takes shape and then I get to sit back and watch the rest of the activity as plant growers, fudge makers, bee keepers, and others set up their goods. Some of the vendors walk around to check out everything before the market begins. Everyone smiles and says good morning.

The market is really a small community that comes together every Sunday morning and the camaraderie among vendors always makes me smile. The vendor next to me had help from three others to guide his truck into place. Narrowly missing my rack of bags and the canopy behind him. The wind had everyone on edge, keeping watch over canopies. Half way through the market my two display racks blew over and the gentleman behind me came over and gave me two of his weights that he wasn't using because he had decided to go without his canopy. A smart move with possible 40 mile an hour gusts.

Little by little the customers start arriving and you can find some real characters at the market. I sit on my chair, smile, and say good morning to the passer byes. Most people stop for a moment to look at my things and exclaim what a clever idea I have or how wonderful I am for recycling.
Now I have to mention something important here. What people don't realize is that the people who make things out of recycled materials are not the heroes. The people who buy things made out of recycled materials are the heroes saving the environment.
It doesn't matter how clever my idea is, how creative, or how much I recycle. If people don't purchase the product that I am offering then I cannot continue to make them. I will not have the money I need to buy the thread to sew them together and if no one buys them they may as well have been thrown away in the first place. If we want to save or natural resources, prevent trash from going into landfills we have to create a demand and a market for reused, recycled and up-cycled goods.
But I smile anyway at the people who don't care to buy and appreciate their kinds words. My favorite incident on Sunday were to gentlemen who passed by and told me I had such a wonderful idea that I was going to start selling my things at Wall-Mart and become a millionaire. As they walked on they told the vendor next to me that I was going to be a millionaire and that the fact that I was pretty as well would help me. Little do they know that Terracycle already beat me to it.
In four hours time you meet all kinds of people and have enough stories to last you the rest of the week. Like these two little girls who were very curious about my bags. They were trying to find a pouch that still had juice in it. The older one kept asking, "Juice?" I had to keep telling her that all the juice was gone and it was just a bag now. She was very disappointed.

In the end I packed up all of my things (thankful that I was a few things lighter) settled my account with the market manager and went home wishing that next Sunday was not so far away.
If you live in Flagstaff you should come check it out. If you have a community or farmers market in your area you should go. You might be surprised what you find. I have to congratulate the organizers of the Flagstaff Community Market. They have managed to put together a market that gives you a taste of everything and stays true to their purpose. I have heard people from out of town say more than once that our market is better than their one at home or that they don't have a market at all and I think that ours is doing a wonderful job.

Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth

2012-02-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I was asked about public art. Whether or not we should invest in public art projects with the current state of the economy and what public art should look like and what is appropriate.
In Flagstaff we have a lot of public art, from bronze statues in the square to murals on the sides of the downtown buildings but my thoughts went to the public art project of the Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth.
We meet the people behind the project through my mother-in-law who was helping them at the county fair. They had a large mountain lion sculpture that they were asking kids to come over and paint. My kids of course obliged and I got to learn about what the organization's goals were and what they were trying to promote with their art.
The Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth is dedicated to the development of children and youth through community programs and outreach. Their mission is "To provide leadership in developing community-wide strategies that enhance the well-being of children and youth in Coconino County, AZ".
In the style of Cows on Parade, their public art project called PAWS (Promoting Assets With Art) seeks to promote and educate people about 40 developmental assets that are believed to be essential to raising successful children. They hope to have one sculpture to represent each of the 40 assets, sponsored by a local business or group, and painted by a local artist. The original mountain lion sculpture was created by artist Dion Wright. To this date there are only 7 sculptures that have been painted and put on public display.
The colorful mountain lions add a welcome cheer to our public areas and whether or not you agree with spending money on such things during a time of tightening our belts, we all benefit from such a positive expression of ourselves.

Eco-Napkins by Stacey

2012-02-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

I love selling my juice pouch items on the internet through Etsy.com. I have met a lot of really great people who make a lot of really nice things. One of the most recent things that I have discovered is Eco-Napkins by Stacy. Stacy promotes the use of her handmade 100% cotton reusable napkins as an alternative to using paper napkins saving trash from being thrown away. Anything that is a practical and functional way to keep things from being thrown out is right up my alley.
We all have a set of cloth napkins tucked away in a drawer somewhere. They come out on special occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner but we should really consider using cloth napkins on a daily basis to wipe dirty hands and mouths and to clean up little messes. Instead of using a paper napkin once, you can use a cloth napkin over and over again rinsing it out and washing them as many times as needed. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to clean off sticky little hands with a wet paper napkin only to have it fall apart in my hands and make a bigger mess than I started out with.
Stacy's Eco-Napkins are perfect for everyday use. After I washed the napkin for the first time I was surprised how well the bright colors held up and didn't fade. I also expected it to come out of the dryer all wrinkled and that I would have to iron them but none of the edges curled under and it came out relatively wrinkle free.
I was so inspired by her hundreds of patterned napkins that I decided that her funky eco-friendly creations needed a napkin ring that was just as fun and eco-friendly so of course I took the liberty of making some out of recycled plastic juice pouches.
I started by cutting the juice pouches in half lengthwise and sewing them into strips. One strip I tied into a knot around another strip for a little decorative touch. Then to make the ring I used a metal eyelet to hold the two ends of the strips together. An Eco-Napkin By Stacy with a juice pouch napkin ring was the perfect finishing touch to my juice pouch place setting and perfect for any special summer occasion.
For every day use I made a juice pouch basket to store those napkins in a convenient place right within reach. I wove strips of juice pouches together to make a square basket. The process took a lot more juice pouches than I thought it would and a lot longer to make. I don't think that I will be making another one any time soon. At least not until I come up with a more efficient way to make it.
To get your own Eco-Napkins you can visit Stacy's Etsy shop or visit her website at www.eco-napkins.com. They really make life a little easier and a little cleaner. The hardest part is having to chose from all of her wonderful designs.

Photography By Terri

2012-02-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of having local photographer Terri Attridge set up a photo shoot for me and take pictures using all of my juice pouch bags. The day the we were suposed to meet was overcast and I was worried all day about rain being in the forcast but as the photo shoot rolled around the clouds broke and the sun came out. We met in down town Flagstaff. She brought models Samantha Lake and Sami with her and her lighting assistant Noah Vickenstien. She took photos of the girls carrying my bags until the sun faded away and we were all cold from the wind. We got the photo shoot done just in time because the next day it decided to rain and then snow. The photos are beautiful and I couldn't be more thankful to Terri for choosing my bags as her inspiration.
Originally Terri is from Clinton, New Jersey. She came to work at the Grand Canyon last June and has been living and working inside the national park ever since. She is currently work for a small local newspaper as a photojournalist. She has a BA in communication and a minor in French from Rutgers University. She worked in a studio for many years and is now expanding her experiance and portfolio through an internship with celebrity photographer Christopher Barr.
As an event photographer Terri travels all over Norther Arizona including Flagstaff, Sedona, Presscott, and surrounding areas. If you are looking for a photographer who can capture formal group photos, modern compositions and/or candid moments of your event Terri Attridge can certainly deliver. Her style of photography and her great eye always capture people in their best light. These are the photos that she took for me. To see more of Terri Attridge's work visit her website photographybyterri.com

Craft Punches are not Just for Paper

2012-02-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do when I am feeling crafty, but short on inspiration, is to go to the local craft store and wander the isles. I look at everything they have to offer, read the labels of all the products, and think to myself, "What can I use that for?"
These days I find that I keep going back to a specific isle in my craft store asking myself ,"How can I use that for juice pouches?"
The isle is dedicated to a craft that I have done before, but have never been able to get into. Scrapbooking.
I discovered that scrapbook tools are not just for paper and my favorite tools that changed the way I look at juice pouch crafting are Paper Craft Punches.
It was actually an office tool that first made me wonder what else I could use. My son was required to have a pencil pouch with holes to put it in a three ring binder when he started 1st grade.

Not all pencil pouches can do this. When my son asked me to make him one out of juice pouches I had to figure out how to make it happen. None of the pencil pouches on the internet that were made out of juice pouches had holes in them but the most obvious solution to me was to try the tool that made it possible to put documents in a binder. A three hole paper hole punch. To my joy and satisfaction it worked and it opened up the floodgates of opportunity.

In order to flex this new creative muscle I bought a hole punch that made two lines next to each other to assist me in my next project that I was working on. I made a hat out of juice pouches just to see if it could be done and as a finishing detail I wanted to weave ribbon around the crown of the hat. To give the hat even more detail I punched holes around the brim of the hat to simulate a woven look.

The success of this hat and the woven look I created by repeating the punch over and over inspired me to do an entire purse with a hole punched detail. It took several weeks of planning and punching and in the end my hand was ready to fall off but I had a one of a kind purse. No pain, no gain. Right?

There are all kinds of hole punches. Ones that punch decorative corners, ones that punch borders, and all kinds of shapes and sizes. One of my favorites that I have used is a large scalop design with a circle cut out that makes it look like lace trim. I used it to make ruffles on my bags and handles with ribbon laced through them.

The posibilities are endless for not only craft pinches but all of the items in the scrapbook isle and I will continue to explore them and share my favorite ideas whith tips on how to use them.

When choosing and using craft punches for plasic juice pouches there are a few things to remember and concider.

Choose a good quality craft punch. One that has all of its working parts made out of metal. Punching plastic puts alot more strain on your tool.
Remember that plastic pouches are thicker and harder to cut through so punches will be worn out sooner than if they were just cutting paper.
Choose punches with larger, more simple designs. Because of the flexibility of plastic smaller, more detailed designs may not punch out all the way.
Punches with guides to show you where to line up your punches are very helpful.
When punching a boarder on the side of a pouch start in the middle and work your way out to the edges.
Work on a hard protected surface.
Sometimes pouches will get stuck. Don't force them to come out. Just gently wiggle the pouch out carefully.

If there are any craft tools that you think would be great for juice pouch crafting or if there is a tool you would like me to try and review just leave me a comment. I love new ideas and challenges.
To comment on this post click on the "comments" link at the top of the post under the tittle.

My Insiration...My Mom

2012-02-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

As I sit here trying to write about my mom I am finding it very difficult because my mind keeps wondering back and forth between all of the wonderful things my mother has done and all the inspiration she has given me. She has crafted all of her life and has passed that crafting bug to me. She also raised four kids. I always knew I wanted to be a mom just like her, making Halloween costumes, cooking dinner, and helping out at the school. When I talk about the women in our family I call us by my mothers maiden name because we have a long heritage of women that are not only strong in crafting talent but also strong in character. Ever since I can remember my mother and grandmother have always thought of others before themselves. We have antiques, hand made items, and a set of values that have been handed down through generations.
As a little girl I remember my mother always having a casserole dish ready for anyone who needed it. If someone was sick or just had a baby she was in the kitchen preparing a dinner for them. She spent hours at her sewing machine to make sure I had a new dress for Easter Sunday and then got four kids ready for church on Easter Sunday. She was always taking care of things behind the scenes and sacrificing her own time to make sure that everyone else was having fun and had everything that they needed. I never heard her complain.
If there was something we couldn't find that we wanted or needed we made it ourselves. I think my mother has tried her hand at just about every craft you can think of. From flower arrangements to painting to sewing she she could do it all, and if she didn't know how to do something she taught herself. Two of her constant crafts were sewing and painting. She made all of my Easter dresses, and Halloween costumes. My favorite was the little dutch girl costume that my mother made using a skirt that she had made for herself when she was young. She made home decorations that included pillows, curtains, and table clothes. She also did tole painting, and painted countless wooden figures, signs, and ornaments that decorated our home.

The dining room table was where she worked while the rest of us watched TV or played outside. The table would be completely covered with fabric and patterns or wood signs and paint. My father helped cut out wooden pieces for her to paint and photographed all of the finished pieces. My favorite were the watermelons that he cut out of a fallen tree with a chain saw in the back yard (yeah my dad is pretty crafty too).

(The backdrop for the photos is a quilt that my mother made and the quilt that was used to cover the table at the craft show was made by her grandmother.)
She sold her painted items at the Christmas craft show at our school. At times the craft show was boring and I would run around the school trying to find something to do but mostly I would sit next to my mom and take in all of the other crafts. We were frequent craft show patrons but we went more to be inspired than to buy. When we moved away from our small town in Colorado there were no craft shows for her to take her things to so her tole painting faded away a bit. With four kids all having their own activities there was less time for crafting. But between working at my brothers school and diving us around, there was still time to be creative. Home decorating became the new trend and together we watched every home decorating and home makeover show on TV. We never missed an episode of Trading Spaces.
Now that us kids are all grown my mother has more time for herself and her crafting and she still uses it to provide for others and make them happy. The first thing she took up when my littlest brother went off to college was jewelry making. She made bookmarks for gifts and a necklace for my aunt. Then my aunt got her into making Santa figurines out of empty wine bottles and she started recycling all the empty bottles that she could find. Finally she started sewing again. At the request of my sister in law she made baby bibs that wouldn't soak through onto my nephews clothes and then a stylish custom laptop sleeve.
Now we are helping out each other in our crafting endeavors. My mother told me that there were websites dedicated to selling crafts and I investigated and decided to go with Etsy. After setting up my shop my father said "That's great. Now get your mom to do it." I told my mom how easy it was and how you don't have to know what you are doing and now she has her own fabulous Etsy shop, Sj Studio. She sells her recycled wine bottle Santas, baby bibs and changing pads, tote bags, and custom laptop sleeves.

My mother and I ask each other for advice, bounce ideas off of each other, and keep a look out for any new opportunities that one of us can take advantage of. I am very blessed to have such a wonderful mother. The most wonderful thing I think my mother has ever said to me was, "You're an inspiration". I never expected that the woman I looked up to and admired all my life would ever be inspired by me but maybe that is the greatest gift a mom can have. Looking at my children, with Mother's Day so close at hand, I hope that I can be an inspiration to them but even more I hope that they will become people who inspire others with their love, determination, character and talent.
Happy Mother's Day

I Hate Plastic Bags But Old Habits Die Hard

2012-02-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

There are so many ways to be environmentally conscience and many of them are easy to do. I think that people either overlook the little things that they can do or they think that just one person will not make that much of a difference. And then... there are people like me who want to make a difference no matter how little it is and see the simple things that they can do but for them- old habits die hard. Just like the movie, those non recycling, wasteful habits that we have don't go away so simply, no matter how many times they get thrown out of a window.
My personal Achilles heel is plastic grocery bags. Yeah. I know what you are thinking. There are so many reusable grocery bags out there and I can make my own out of juice pouches. A double save the environment whammy, right? Well, you would be right if my bad habit didn't have a death grip on me. The truth is, not only do I have tons of reusable bags but I keep half of them in the car so that I have them whenever I go to the store. The problem... I forget they are in the car.
I know. I know. Really? You forget they are in the car?
Yes. I do. By the time I get my son in the car, drive to the grocery store, take my son out of the car, explain to him that it doesn't matter that he doesn't want to go to the store because we have to do it anyway and I don't want to be there either, drag him into the store, and put him in the cart I realize that I forgot to bring the bags and by this time going back for them seems to much like a chore and I hate myself for giving up and giving in to the convenience of creating more waste.
One day I was so angry that I forgot my bags that when the person bagging the groceries asked me if plastic was okay I told him to just put the groceries back in the cart. The person ringing me up asked me if I was saving the environment and in my anger toward plastic bags I blurted out "No. Screw the environment. I just hate plastic bags."
Now, before you leave me nasty comments about how I am an awful person because I don't care about the environment, let me just say that I didn't mean it. I would never do anything intentionally to hurt the environment and I do care a whole awful lot. What I meant was my pure hatred of plastic bags trumps any desire I have to save the environment even though the two go hand in had.
Secondly I live in Flagstaff, Arizona and saying something like that will get you sent to the rack. The shocked look on the check out girl's face was enough to tell me that I had gone too far but the man standing behind me who I expected to give me an earful because honestly (I know I'm stereotyping people here) he had that hippie look about him and his own reusable bags waiting, to my surprise, chimed in and said "Yeah! I hate them too. They don't hold as much and they break all the time."
His reasons for hating plastic bags are the same as mine. If they give me one at the store and only put one item in it, it drives me crazy. I hate the thought of them sitting in the landfill so I never throw any of them away. If I am in a bad habit rut, they pile up around the house so quickly that I can't even imagine how fast they pile up in the landfills not to mention the fact that plastic bags are very dangerous for wildlife. They look like jellyfish to sea turtles who try to eat them.
If you have a bad environmental habit like mine and are trying to kick it,whether it be plastic bags, plastic water bottles, or just taking the extra step to the recycle bin, just know that you are not alone and that just because you mess up sometimes, doesn't mean that you are a bad, environment hating person. It just means that old habits die hard and everyone has them. All that matters is that you continue to try to change and hopefully we can come up with some creative and convenient ways to helps us make it easy.
My goal of course is to never use a plastic bag again but until then there are things that I can do to ease my conscious. The first is that my local grocery store has a bag recycling program. Even though I can't put my bags in my city recycling bin, if they pile up around the house I can take them back to the store. That is, if I can remember.
On the craftier side of things, people have been innovating with plastic bags and finding all sorts of thing you can do with them. Plarn is plastic yarn made out of plastic grocery bags. The Plarn Project is a national art project created by artists Jennifer Gonzales and Nathaniel Hein. Their website gohein.com tells you all about the project, their art and how you can participate.
Making plarn is a great project for kids and there are also easy craft projects that you can do with your own plarn. The website and blog, My Recycled Bags, is also all about plarn and plarn projects. Cindy crochets amazing things using plarn and blogs about other green ideas. Her site has instructions on making plarn, free patterns, and a shop to buy some of the things she creates. If you are into recycling crafts, knitting, or crocheting you will love RecycleCindy and her blog.
Another crafty idea to do with kids is making plastic bag monsters. I have not tried it yet but I happened to see a Toy Smith brand, Plastic Bag Monster Activity Kit at one of the stores here in Flagstaff. You can get them online at Sears and Amazon. The kit includes full instructions and enough crafting supplies to make two monsters. These would be great for kids to play with, decorate their rooms, or do as a project for Halloween.

What did I do with my plastic bags, you ask. I had an innovation of my own by combining them with another project I have been wanting to do. A local craft hero was on the news one day demonstrating how to make a Duct tape dress form. With the assistance of my mother I made one of my own and stuffed the body with all of the plastic bags I had on hand.

Now I have a useful display piece for my crafts. I plan to hang bags off of the shoulders and put belts around the waist at craft shows. I don't think that I am in danger of falling in love with plastic bags but it feels really good to be using all of those plastic bags that I hate in a useful and creative way.
If you have any other suggestions about what to do with plastic grocery bags I would love to hear them. Leave a comment for me by clicking the comments link at the top of the post below the title.

How to Make a Juice Pouch Zipper Pouch

2012-02-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

A simple and basic item to make out of juice pouches is a zipper pouch.

What you will need:

6 washed and dried juice pouches
tape
12 inch (or longer) zipper
Sewing Machine
Thread
Hole Punch (optional)

Begin by laying out the juice pouches and taping three of them together overlapping the sides of the pouches by about 1/4 inch. Use a metal square to help keep the straight and even. Tape the remaining three pouches together as well.

Sew each set of three pouches together using a zig-zag stitch to make two solid sides for the zipper pouch. Remove the tape as you go so that you don't sew over the tape.

Line the zipper up with the top of the juice pouches. Make sure that the closed end of the zipper is placed just before the end of the pouches.

Sew the zipper to the pouches using a straight stitch. Repeat on the other side of the zipper with the other set of pouches.

Partially unzip the zipper and trim the zipper to size. Leave about 1 inch of the zipper past the end of the pouches. Fold the juice pouches together and tuck the end of the zipper down between the edges of the pouches.

Sew down the side of the pouches using a zig-zag stitch securing the end of the zipper between the seam and repeat on the other end as well. Tucking the end of the zipper in the seam.

Finish by sewing the bottom together with a zig-zag stitch as well.

If you prefer to make your zipper pouch into a pencil pouch that can go inside a three ring binder, before sewing the bottom use a three-hole punch at the bottom of the pouches. Line up the bottom of the juice pouches in the hole punch just as you would a piece of paper. Finish off the bottom of the pouch by using a straight stitch on either sides of the holes.

These basic steps can be used to make any size zipper pouch that you want. A pencil pouch is only one option. Smaller ones made out of only two pouches make great little coin holders. Larger ones are great to put inside a purse to organize small items and even larger ones make excellent makeup bags for travel. When making a zipper pouch, first think about what you want to use it first and then decide what size it needs to be in order to serve that function.

A Purse of My Own

2012-02-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

For many years now I have been creating juice pouch purses and selling them to people, telling them how wonderful they are. They are stylish, fun, unique, and durable. But for these past years I have not been practicing what I preach. I have not been using a juice pouch purse on a daily basis. I have never made one to call my own, but that is all about to change. I have decided that it is finally time to make a purse for myself and I have chosen some very special juice pouches to make it out of.
As I have mentioned before I started collecting juice pouches when my son was in kindergarten. Now he is finishing up second grade and it has taken 3 years to collect the juice pouches that I am using for my purse. These pouches are like little gems. I could never find a store in my area that sold this particular juice pouch. They sold the brand but not the flavor, and yet they showed up in my recycle bin one at a time. I managed to only get eight of these rare and precious gems over the course of three years. Eight out of thousands of juice pouches that we collected and I am convinced that I will not be finding any more because the flavors that I could find in the stores have all had their packaging changed.

I know what you are thinking. Eight juice pouches are not enough to make a purse, and you would be right. But, I have a solution to that problem that you can use whenever there are not enough juice pouches and you do not want to mix styles of pouches. For this purse, as I have done with others, I decided to use the silver side of the pouch to fill in for the lack of matching pouches. I didn't want to use any other colors of juice pouches because I wanted the rare juice pouches to be the stars. In the purse inspired by my shoes I used the silver side because the stitching was more predominate on that side but in the past I have used the silver side of the pouch to make straps and other things. Using juice brands that are in great supply in order to save my fewer colors.
The design of the purse that I decided on is similar to the purse inspired by my favorite pair of shoes. I used the same quilting technique but I put all of the "right" side pouches at the top of the purse and all of the silver "wrong" sided pouches at the bottom of the purse. Instead of a double strap I decided to do a single strap just long enough to throw over my shoulder.
I had a little trouble deciding on what kind of a closure to do at the top of the bag. I wanted as much of the apple juice pouches to show but I wanted a flap to close as much of the top of the purse as possible. The result was a flap with a magnetic snap that was half the size of a juice pouch with the corners folded in.
I finished off the bag by lining the inside with my standard off white cotton fabric with red ribbon around the top rim and burgundy accent buttons. Now I can proudly show off my craft every day and enjoy the occasional compliment that I enjoy when I am testing out a new bag and I can stop feeling like a hypocrite when I tell people how wonderful and functional they are. I can proudly tell them that I carry one every day and that they should too.

Recycled Frame for Recycled Art

2012-02-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

For almost any piece of art, the perfect frame is the final touch. For my piece that I am entering into the recycled art exhibition I decided I must have a frame. Believe it or not, my passion for framing things is just as strong as my passion for juice pouch recycling. I love framing things and I will put just about anything in a frame. A frame has several purposes. It provides protection for the art, it accents and enhances a piece of art, and it draws the viewer's eye into the picture.
I worked many years for a large retailer of custom picture frames. I learned not only how to design a custom frame package that best compliments a piece of art, but I also learned how to cut mats and glass, how to properly mount artwork, and how to join frames.
I also learned about how much waste was created by the company. Scrapes of glass and mat board were abundant and usually recycled, but a lot of materials were just tossed in the trash. I cringed every time I had to toss a perfectly good, beautiful frame in the dumpster. But, it was company policy. Keeping a frame was grounds for termination and selling the frames was too much trouble for the company. Not to mention the fact that it is easier for them to sell a new $200 custom frame to a customer when they don't have any other choices.
You do have a choice and you can save a lot of money by reusing, recycling, or up-cycling old, unwanted frames. If you have the right tools you can cut frames to size to fit your piece or cut mats to make the piece fit in the frame. If you get really creative you can change the color and finish of the frame to coordinate perfectly with any piece. This is what I did for my juice pouch recycled art. I found a frame that would have otherwise been thrown out, cut it to size, and refinished it to create a frame for my art.
The frame that I am using for my recycled art piece is a large molding about 2 and 1/2 inches wide with a coppery pink and black finish. The cost of this frame made new for my piece would probably have been over $200, but I picked it up for $20 and with a little work it will be the perfect finishing touch for my art.

I start by cutting the frame to size with my miter saw. I measure my piece then measure and mark the frame molding, and cut the molding at a forty-five degree angle. The trick to cutting frame molding to size is to know how to measure. Measure the length and width of the piece to be framed, then measure the width of the frame molding. The frame has a lip on it called a rabbit where the glass and picture sit. Measure the width not including the rabbit and then multiply that number by 2. Add this number to both the length and the width that you want the finished frame size to be. Mark the frame measuring from the outside corner and cut at a forty-five degree angle.

For my frame I wanted the finished size to be 29 1/4 inches by 28 1/4 inches. The width of the frame not including the rabbit was 2 1/4 inches so I added 4 1/2 inches to my finished size. This formula can be applied to any frame molding and makes cutting a frame to size a simple task.
The original finish of the frame would not do for a piece made out of recycled juice pouches so the next step was to make the finish of the frame accent my piece. I began by spray painting the frame a vibrant blue color to coordinate with the glossy blue that is the main color of the juice pouches I used. After that I joined the frame together before I made my next move.

I wanted the entire feeling of the finished piece of art to be elegant and the style of the frame that I end up with will help determine this. Just leaving the frame a high gloss blue would be complimentary and look fine but I thought that it would look more juvenile and simple rather than elegant. So for the second part of the finish I used silver leaf to create a finish with little bits of the blue showing through. Nothing is more classic and elegant than a silver leaf frame and I think that I created the look I was going for. The piece is now ready to go to the show and I am proud to say that everything was recycled- even the frame.

For your art (recycled or not), someone else's art, or even family photos you can create a finished look with a frame and you can even help the environment while doing it. Keep an eye out for frames at garage sales, and thrift stores. If you don't want to cut frames you can always have a mat cut to fit. Don't pay any attention to the finish of the frame. A coat of paint can quickly take care of that. When in doubt refinish the frame in black. It's classic and easy to do. Any frame looks good in basic black, it fits into almost any decor, and black can work with just about any art.
Places that sell custom frames may sell mistake frames that you can use. I am happy to say that the company that I used to work for finally got smart and started selling mistake frames to their customers and that is how I acquired the frame I used for my recycled art piece. These major retailers will usually be willing to help you pick out mats or cut mats for you and help you determine other things that you may need to create a wonderful framed piece of art.
Have fun, use your creativity and recycle.
Here are some of my favorite Etsy shops that have great up-cycled picture frames:

BusyBeaversAttic.etsy.com
DirtRoadDecor.etsy.com
amye123.etsy.com

To comment on this post click on the "comments" link at the top of the post under the tittle.

Inspired by My Shoes

2012-02-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

These are my favorite shoes. My purple Gianni Bini ballet flats with zig-zag stitching. I love these shoes! They have so much personality and are so unique that I will most defiantly cry when I finally have to give them up. Which won't be until they have holes in them and I manage to find something just as special to replace them. I was wearing them the other day and carrying one of my juice pouch purses when I was hit with inspiration.
No, it didn't hurt. Getting hit with inspiration just kind of tingles.
The shinny finish of the shoes is the same as plastic juice pouches and the deep purple color with zig-zag stitch and cheerful raspberry trim have the same feeling as juice pouch purses. Quirky, fun, and stylish. They inspired me to make a purse that had the same quilted look that the zig-zag stitch gave the shoes. Making and old, classic look, new and modern.
But how do I do that?
I began by deciding that my purse would have a classic diamond pattern to make it look quilted. And what else would make it look quilted but the thing that makes a quilt a quilt. Batting. The stuff that is sandwiched between two layers of pieced together fabric and gives them that comfy, cozy feeling.
Piecing together the juice pouches like the fabric of a quilt was no problem but how to include the batting was. After much consideration and a trip to the craft store to get the batting I decided that the batting would have to go inside the pouch itself. Each juice pouch would be stuffed with a piece of batting cut to size but before they were stuffed I had to create the pattern that I would follow for the stitching.
I think that now is a good time to introduce one of my must have tools. A clear quilting grid ruler. The one that I have is an Omnigrip by Omnigrid, it measures 12 inches by 6 inches (which is plenty big enough for juice pouches), and it has a texture on the back side which grip the juice pouch and keeps it from sliding. It is a wonderful tool that helps me to measure juice pouches, make straight lines, and diagonal lines. If I add a cutting mat underneath I can run my cutting tool right down the edge. This tool made drawing the diamond grid on the back of my juice pouches a snap.

After all my guidelines were drawn I putting the batting in the center of each juice pouch and I used the sewing machine to stitch down every line. Making that classic quilted look. One thing that I have learned from stitching 20 juice pouches to make diamond pattern is that it is better to use a smaller needle for stitch work. People have asked me before if I use a special needle. I always tell them no and they are always surprised. This goes against the logic of having to sew such a heavy material but now I know why this is true. A smaller, sharper needle goes through the plastic easier with less resistance.
For very thick seams that are harder to sew through a larger needle may be needed, but to do decorative work a smaller needle is better. Listen to the sound of sewing juice pouches. If sewing your juice pouches sounds like you are popping bubble wrap then your needle is too thick. You can also tell that your needle is too big by looking at the underside of the juice pouch that you just sewed. If the thread looks like it is swimming in the hole that the needle made and the hole is raised a bit around the rim then your needle is too big.
By the time I figured this out I was over halfway through the pouches. Sometimes I'm not too quick to figure these things out but that is how these things go. I have sewn hundreds of items but I never stitched in a straight line long enough to see what my needle was doing. I never know what I will end up with when I try something new. As I found out later when I was piecing the purse together and came across a dilemma.
I thought that the purse would be entirely made up of the colorful juice pouches to mimick the rich color of my shoes. But when I laid them out I discovered that the quilted effect stood out more on the back side of the pouches and was a little lost in the busyness of the juice pouch. What to do?

After about an hour of contemplation I decided to incorporate both sides of the juice pouch. Then it was back to sewing. I finished the basic structure of the purse. It will probably take me another two days to figure out the perfect handle and then one more to decide how to attach it. The decision making process always takes more time than the production of the piece but the end product is worth it. In the end I will have a fabulous bag inspired by a fabulous pair of shoes. But this purse, unlike the shoes, I will be willing to part with. The only thing that makes me happier than finishing a wonderful piece is finding someone who loves it too.

When this piece is finished it will be posted to the gallery and available for purchase in my Etsy Shop. LLDesignJuicePouches.etsy.com
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Art Shaow Project

2012-02-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

Today I am working on a very special project. Every year the Flagstaff Cultural Partners have a recycled art show at the Coconino County Center for the Arts. This year is the Ninth Annual Recycled Art Exhibition and I thought, "what kind of a juice pouch artist would I be if I didn't enter my work in the show?" So I got inspired and I got to work.
I am entering two items in the show. Even though I love to make bags and purses I decided to make a piece of art to hang on the wall. I guess it would be called a wall hanging. It was inspired by the work of an artist that I am studying for one of my classes, Ross Bleckner. He is a contemporary who paints large abstract images. The image that inspired me is titled Inheritance (2003). Bleckner used an orange-red color and tones of light and gray to make cell like shapes that are connected together in almost concentric circles. The blurred image reminded me of a flower like the lotus blossoms found in the art of eastern Asia.

As I began to think about a similar floral image made out of juice pouches, the title of Bleckner's piece also seemed appropriate to inspire me. When I think about the trend in green energy, recycling, and sustainability, one of the motivations that has always been behind the movement (before it was about saving money) is the kind of environment we want our children and our children's children to inherit. This piece represents that idea.
The other piece that I am entering is, of course, a tote bag. The style of the bag coordinates with the wall hanging. I wanted to show how juice pouches can be turned into something beautiful and something functional. Both being a work of art.
The handles of the bag are something that I have not done before. I created a braid with the juice pouches an attached them to the bag. Each side of the bag is going to have a flower shape on it similar to that of the wall art. All the finishing touches are going into the bag as well. The inside will be lined with fabric, it will have inside pockets, and a magnetic snap closure.
Entries have to be in by April 4th and the opening reception for the recycled art show is on Saturday, April 9th from 6-9 p.m. So I have a lot of work t do to finish all the details. Wish me luck and check back in April to see how it went and my own review of the show.
For more information about the Recycled Art Show in Flagstaff, AZ visit the website for the Flagstaff Cultural Partners www.culturalpartners.org/recycled.htm
Check for recycled art in your area by using the custom Google search at the top of the page.
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