More shirts!

We had a new baby in our squadron, a new baby for a friend of mine from an E-2C squadron back in Japan, and Anthony requested a very special "super fast Blue Angel" shirt.  These are so much fun to make!!

A much needed break

With the holiday season, illnesses, hanging out with new friends, etc. I didn't really have a whole lot of time to work on things.  I fulfilled a few orders on Etsy, and after that was pretty much wiped in the creativity department.  I was reading through a few blogs last night and came across the idea of freezer paper stenciling.  Since my husband is back to work and I don't really have much going on, I was excited to work on a project today.  Anthony got a plain blue t-shirt for Christmas and I decided to play with that.  I stenciled his daddy's helicopter on it.  It was super easy and I LOVE the way it came out.  I wanted to add some text, but small letters and an exacto knife just don't mix in my clumsy world.  So, we'll just leave it as is.  Anthony had a huge smile when I showed him the shirt - so I got approval from one of my toughest critics!  Then 5 minutes later he told me my earrings were a "little bit ugly."  I guess I can't win them all.

Before:

After:

Christmas Present for Teacher

I came across this idea from another blog and LOVED it!  I thought it was a perfect idea for Anthony's preschool teacher for Christmas.  I hope she likes it too!

Silhouettes

I wanted to share a project that I did for my mom's birthday.  It's really hard to ever get her anything because she never needs or wants anything.  The only thing she ever seems to want are pictures of her kids/grandkids.  So, I had seen these sort of silhouette photos done before and I thought they were very cool.  Usually, they end up in a round frame, but I picked this frame up because I really liked it.  She did too!!  It was super easy and a great take on a family picture.  I think I may hunt down and see if I can find some silhouette photos of Anthony from every year.  I'd love to make something to show is age progression.  But, in the meantime, I will make one of these to hang in my house!

Oatmeal Cave

My office is in some serious need of sprucing up.  I have yet to paint the walls or decorate it in any way, shape or form.  The builders grade paint and light fixture are starting to depress me.  So, I'm on a mission to spruce it up.  I have neither the time, nor the patience, to start painting it at this point (that would be a nice deployment project), so I decided to make some fabric wall art.  I came across this project awhile ago and loved the idea!  I was always too afraid to try it, but little did I know how easy it would be.  I think I spent more time picking out a fabric than actually putting it together.  I decided to hit up the local "fine fabric" store to get some Amy Butler fabric.  I LOVE her stuff.  I picked 2 patterns from her "Love" collection.  I've made one wall hanging fairly quickly (the one shown) but am working on make the 2nd one just a little more interesting.  Landon told me today that he should get some stock in Hobby Lobby/Michaels/Joann Fabrics as I seem to be there on a fairly consistent basis.

P.S.  Have I ever mentioned how much I love Photoshop?  I am nowhere near mastering this beast of a program, but did a 30 day free trial to see if it is something I'd like to purchase.  Needless to say, it's on my Christmas list.  My first project - a cheesball birthday card for my dad.

I'm really on a card kick...

I have one last card (at least for the next few hours).  A friend of mine here in Jacksonville had mentioned and been fundraising to create breast feeding bags to give to new moms in the hospital, vice the formula ones that you always receive.  I think it's a great idea (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=106888179344869&topic=145#!/pages/Jax-Breastfeeding-Bags-Project/138516602864499) as I definitely could have used some better advice than what was given to me by a lactation consultant who seemed more aggravated by me than anything else.  I'm certainly not a card carrying member of La Leche League (not that there is anything wrong with that!)...but I do think more support and encouragement would be a great thing :)

Get stuffed

I am really into this card making right now....especially with embroidery.  I wanted to do a Thanksgiving card and I couldn't really seem to come up with a great way to embroider a turkey.  So, I just ended up creating one with a publishing program.  The funny thing about this card is that when I googled "turkey" to find a design, I was a little confused by the crescent moon and star image that I kept getting.  A light bulb went off and I thought to myself "not that Turkey!"  Maybe I should design a Thanksgiving card like that (because I'm super cheesey).  Anyhow, here is what I came up with...nothing to exciting, but it's to the point :)

 

P.S.  Here is one more card that I was working on the other night that I found under a pile of stuff on my desk.  

Hand Embroidered Baby Announcement

I've really been into this embroidering thing lately and always loved the way sewn paper looks.  So, I took the opportunity to combine the two and make a baby announcement for my younger sister who is set to give birth any day now!  We're still working on the lettering and layout and such, but I at least got the embroidered design down which is the main focus.  Here is a sneak peek...

Go Navy!

I don't know why I created a Navy ornament for Christmas...I just did :)

Did I just embroider something?

The other day, Anthony and I were in Barnes and Noble so we weren't stuck in the house during some nasty weather.  I wanted to check out pretty much all the sewing/crafting books they had (my search at 2 libraries on Monday were pretty fruitless) and Anthony could play on the train table and look at some books as well.  I did see one book I liked, but decided I shouldn't get it as it seems I have a lot of projects I want to do and should probably finish those before starting anything else.  So, I put it away...but upon leaving B&N, I saw a cute little cross stitch kit and decided to get it.  It looked like something to do and would be a nice break from sewing.  I got a little frustrated upon doing research in hopes of finding a way to integrate some cool, modern cross stitch into my sewing.  I also ran into a lot of topics involving hand embroidery and I immediately wrote that off (I need machines to do my work...I don't have the dexterity to do much else!).  I finished this little cross stitch this afternoon and remembered that I had some linen coasters a friend was going to toss last year, but gave to me instead.  I ended up just drawing on it with a pencil and just stitched away!  Granted, it isn't perfect by any means (having a child jump all over you while you're trying to follow a faint pencil line as your husband turns off almost all the lights, isn't exactly a great environment to do this in), but I am very excited about the possibilities :)

And here is a cat picture Anthony colored, next to one of my cats.  Anthony has really been on a cat kick lately and it's pretty cute.  Although, I do worry a little about his future.  I feel like, at this point, he could either end up a Veterinarian...or a hoarder. 

Project Flashback - Brag Book

I wanted to include this photo book that was one of the first projects I had ever completed when I first started sewing.  It's a little photo brag book with a twist :)  I love the pictures being stitched directly onto the paper.  It makes a fun little present/stocking stuffer and sold many of these on Etsy the past few years at Christmas time.  It's not a hard project, just a lot of steps involved...but I always love the end result!

Over the Shoulder Bag

A new friend invited Anthony and I to the zoo last week and we were excited to join her!  I went searching through my closet to try to find a soft sided bag that would not only fit the contents of my purse, but my camera, and some snacks/drinks for Anthony and I as well.  I wished I had one that I could wear over my shoulder (messenger bag style) to have these things accessible, as well as something soft enough to shove in the basket of the stroller (let's just say that my normal purse, by the name of Kate Spade, really does not like being shoved anywhere and is looking a little beat up because of the bad things I have forced her to do).  Alas, I had nothing.  While out shopping, I saw a few bags that were ok, but I really did not want to spend the money on one for a day at the zoo.  I made it through the day with an old bag from Target that had a strap that was literally hanging on by a thread.  So, I searched around the internet and found a very easy tutorial and just made one myself.  It has a button closure and even a nifty pocket inside.  Granted, a light color isn't really what I had in mind for a bag (hello dirt everywhere)...and I wanted to use up some of the fabric I already had, so I went with the light corduroy on the outside (see my nautical pillows).  The inside is a blue canvas that I had made a laptop sleeve out of a year or two ago.  I figured that the inside of my bag gets WAY nastier than the outside (thanks to Anthony's half-eaten lollipops, leaves I have to hold, spilling drinks, etc.), so I went with a darker lining.

It was a fun little project that I finished in just a few hours.  Now I really must focus on getting some housework done!

Bulletin Board

Here is a bulletin board that I made for my office over the summer. I hate clutter on my desk, so I think it's better to have the chaos on my wall! At least it's organized chaos. I took a simple cork message board and covered it in some Amy Butler fabric and glued some trim on it to give it some extra oomph (and cover up the fabric's raw edges!). I also made some fabric covered push pins. I love how it adds some color to this very beiege room and helps keep me organized!

Totes

I checked out a few sewing books from the library over the summer, and this looked like a fun and easy project. It's a tote bag made out of - placemats! I found 3 place mats that I liked, sewed a strap, and voila! Then, I put it in my hall closet where it stayed, unused, for months. When my mom came to visit, I gave it to her as a tote bag I had made her when I started to sew 2 years ago was looking a little beat up. I think I'll move into make something with a flatter, reinforced bottom. But this is definitely a great, sturdy bag!

Applique

I recently updated Anthony's room to a "big boy" room. I found an awesome bedding set that features vintage airplanes. I attempted to make a fun little decorative pillow, but I don't think I'm a big fan of the red stitching around the plane. I didn't realize it would look so...Russian military? That needs to be updated ASAP....or in a few days...or month...or....when I get around to it.

I love pillows!

I FINALLY made some new pillow covers for my couches. I found some awesome fabric while I was out shopping and decided it was time for an update. I love the nautical print as it adds a lot of color to my very beige sofa, very beige carpet and very beige walls. The soft corduroy on the back is a nice soft place to lay your head when you are catching up on all your reality...err, the news. Also, this was my first attempt at inserting a zipper. I had made envelope pillows before, but I really wanted to be able to use both side of the pillows - especially since I loved both of the fabrics. A friend of mine had me so freaked out about zippers for so long that I was afraid to even try. But thanks to YouTube (the greatest sewing teacher ever), I succeeded :) I certainly bought way more fabric than I needed for these, so if anyone is in the market for a nautical pillowcover (come on, I know you all are) let me know!

My attempt at card making

Because my neighbor has inspired me so much with her creations, I decided to try coming up with things myself. My designs are certainly very simple, but with practice I know I will get better. I have really gotten into embossing cards. I think it adds a certain richness to the card. Also, I really love to stitch in paper. It's something that's very unexpected, so I tooled around with some card stock, embossing powder and my sewing machine today. Here is what I came up with :)

Christmas Card Stamp Camp

I recently went to a Stampin' Up stamp camp that my neighbor held on a recent Saturday. She is so talented and I am truly amazed at some of her creations. These are the Christmas cards that we made that day. They were super easy and it was fun to hang out with a bunch of other ladies and enjoy some good food and good conversation. These make perfect Thank You Cards, or even mini-Christmas Cards. They measure about 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches. I have even consulted with Melissa in coming up with a personalized photo card to send out to all of my family and friends. I look forward to what we come up with! If you are interested in any of these, please let me know. And please check out Melissa's blog at http://melissaspad.blogspot.com/ for some of her awesome creations!

Candles...finally!

So, I finally got up the guts to create my own soy candles. I have a candle burning somewhere in my house about 99% of the time. I used to buy these awesome soy candles from a friend at a previous duty station, but alas, we have since parted ways as we both live in different states now. I decided it was time to to finally start making my own. I picked up just a few supplies at the local hobby shop to see if it were something that I could do somewhat successfully - and I can't believe how easy it was! The best part is picking out the scents as well as finding some fun containers to put them in. If anyone is interested in treating themselves or a friend to an awesome little gift, I'd be happy to oblige. Above are some of the containers that I have for future skills, but the sky is pretty much the limit on this one! Also, I will be tracking down the awesome Christmas Tree scent that my friend used in order to get some great smelling Christmas candles :)

P.S. You can see how thrilled Anthony gets when I am on a crafting binge...

Today was a busy day...

Thank goodness I finally broke down and just got my own craft table. This sure beats working on the counter or kitchen table! Anthony still gets "handsy" but at least I have my own space. My own craft table in my own office. Ahh...now that's heaven.

Welcome to my blog!

At the urging of a friend on Facebook, and to better be able to show things that I am working on, I decided to start a crafting blog.  I started to get into sewing back in the fall of 2008.  I really love to create things and to teach myself how to do new things.  Thanks to the advent of things like the internet, youtube, etc. you really have a limitless world in gathering skills, ideas, etc.  (I had to use youtube to show me how to thread my sewing machine when I first got it).  I started with a few sewing projects, which I will showcase, and have moved on to different things.  I set up a store in Etsy and was even successful in selling a few things!  I'm hoping that by getting my blog out there, I can be successful in selling more and ultimately fund my "habit."  And truthfully, there are only so many candles and pillow covers that I can make for myself!  So, I'd love to make things for other people, if given the chance.

My husband has been deployed for the past month and it has certainly given me some time to dust off that sewing machine and get back into business.  So here is my attempt to show what I am working on.  If you are interested in any of these items, please contact me and I will let you know what I can do for you  :)

Thanks for visiting.