Here they are! These are seriously addictive. If I didn't have so much party planning to do for Em's big day I'd spend all my free time making these :)
As for Emma's 1st Birthday party... we've decided to have two parties (one for family and one for friends). I think this decision might've saved my sanity.
Jennifer of Odette New York (one of my favorite jewelry designers in the entire universe) posted the results of their dreamcatcher craft night last week. No joke, I immediately started foraging for twigs in my backyard! As for feathers - I decided to make mine out of paper (real feathers give me the heebie jeebies- don't even ask.)
I'll show you my final dreamcatcher once I'm done. I'm almost there!
A simple gift. I wish I had time to give glass etching a go, but until then I guess adding a strip of Japanese tape to a recycled pickle jar will have to do! I guess you could also wrap the twine around the jar over some of the tape and glue it down for more pizazz (as I've seen others do) - two steps beyond...
As usual Ms. Ez inspired me to make a few new ornaments for my tree this year. She posted a couple of DIY projects a couple of weeks ago and I found myself running to Michaels... looking forward to having a little craft helper in a couple of years!
By the way, the gingerbread "cookie" designs were inspired by these real cookies on Martha.
Instructions:
Felt ginger cookie ornaments
Faux sugar cookie ornaments
PS. I was so shocked to see snow outside as I whipped open the curtains this morning - it's definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!!
By the way, wish me luck - I'm off to see Emma's pediatrician today. Poor thing has been sick for a week and has developed a rash on her torso, back and neck!
Our little one is ready for her first Halloween...
This was really easy to make by the way - inspired by this.
I finally got around to starting Emma's costume for Sunday! I used this as inspiration. All the pieces are cut I just have to glue everything together and OH I still have to make her eye mask but that shouldn't take so long. I'll be sure to take some pics and post the finished product on my model :)
Hope everyone had a great weekend! It's another scorcher this week, climbing up to 99° F today!
I wanted to share some of the craft projects that I've been working on... I found a great Animal Mask tutorial on Bloesem Kids last week and made a couple for my friend's daughter (as part of her birthday present).
I also put together a nostalgic library kit which included a set of library pockets & cards (thanks to Ez's amazing templates on Creature Comforts), date stamp, ink pad, a book and I also designed personalized library cards (template provided below)!
Here's a template for the library membership cards, for those of you interested in creating a similar kit! Enjoy!
Here's my latest project for Emma's room - a hanging twig mobile! I haven't quite figured out its final destination (over the crib, the mirror... nursing station...) but it's finally done!
You'll need:
One or two dried-out branches
White paint - I used craft acrylic paint
Paint brush
Twine
Glue gun or other strong fast adhesive glue
Various trims
Clear nylon wire/fishing wire
Ceiling hooks
Steps:
1. Gather branches & paint
2. Glue Gun branches in desired position (if using more than one)
3. Tie branches with twine for added security
4. Paint twine white or leave natural
Note: If you're using only one branch, the balance thing won't be as much of an issue.
It might be a good idea to attach the fishing wire to the mobile at this point so you can get a feel for the way it will fall/hang - which will determine where you will be attaching the decorative elements. Securely tie/knot fishing/clear nylon wire at both ends of your mobile (I attached mine to the two ends where the two branches meet). Figure out how high or low you want the mobile to fall from the ceiling and cut your wire accordingly.
Gather trims and temporary attach them to the base (branch). This is the fun part, there’s no right and wrong, just put them wherever you think looks good! Most trims (vintage leaves and foliage) have paper covered wire stems which will allow you to wrap them into place. You’ll eventually glue gun them in place, but I would wait until the mobile is permanently suspended in its final position. Why? You may need to adjust the position of your trims depending on the way the mobile will naturally balance itself out - so save yourself the aggravation/time and wait to permanently attach the details. You’ll need a step-stool or a ladder and potentially an extension cord for the glue gun if you’re hanging it high up.
Attaching to ceiling: You’ll need to screw in tiny ceiling hooks to the ceiling, so you can attach the other ends of the wire.
Great resources for trims: Papier Valise, Blümchen, if you're lucky enough to be near Parcel (it's a perfect place to find most of the ones I used!)
I've been saving my Bonne Maman jam jars for the longest time - knowing (hoping) that one day they'll come in handy. The day has come! I was over at Ez's blog Creature Comforts the other day and spotted a glass jar full of beautiful fabric strawberry sachets. As much as I LOVE the chez sucre chez sachets, I've been spending waaaay too much money on the nursery... so I decided to try and make my own. Plus, my stomach has been giving me issues so I've been taking it easy this week and definitely had some major down time.
I found some helpful tutorials (bread and buttons, Moda Bake Shop and Embroideroo) to help get me started and learn the basic steps. I was too lazy to bust out the sewing machine so I hand-sewed everything. I also used four different sizes of fabric (approx 6", 4" and 2" circles before cutting in half).
When you start to get busy, it's easy to get sucked into taking short cuts & cutting corners. I started working on my next order yesterday and wasn't 110% happy with one of the materials I was working with. It probably would've been fine and something only I would notice... but it was stressing me out beyond belief! Hillsy reminded me of the importance of addressing doubt. Running a business is hard enough, running it with even an ounce of doubt is not acceptable so I'm heading into the city today in an attempt to source a very specific type of fabric - I really hope I find it!!
I know it seems like a no brainer - but it's something that I think we all need to be reminded of once in a while. You have to be at least 100% behind all of the products you sell, not only the end result but all of the little pieces that make up the whole package - every nook and cranny... the thread, type of glue, etc!
You know how I changed the logo for Heart Handmade right? Well I was planning on ordering new biz cards (for the Gift Fair) but I missed the window so I decided to just make my own.
I think they turned out pretty good. I didn't have a corner punch so I cut the corners by hand.
Shop update this week!! The Bag o' Jacks are already in the shop...
I'm working on processing the photos for the new garlands (I know I say this all the time, but I really think these are my favorite so far!) so I can post them to the shop this afternoon.
Handprinted and come in a variety of colors and sizes.
Been busy and I haven't been able to update the shop as often as I'd like. I'm currently working on these words, you can see a few more pics on Heart Handmade today.
I'm such an overachiever today, went out running with Hillsy at 5:30am. I know! AND I'm actually showered before 9am - dear lord it's a miracle! (pat, pat, pat)
No. I'm afraid it's not one of my sick new fetishes... just me doing a little crafting.
I had some tulle and wanted it to look not-so-new and I've always wanted to try dying with tea, but never got around to it. I'm happy to report that the crafting goddesses only speak of the truth - it is in fact a great and easy way to antique fabric/textiles.
I brewed some tea, steeped it longer than I usually do (for drinking). Allowed it to cool off a little bit, since I was using tulle I wasn't sure if pouring piping hot water on it would've been a good idea. Poured in the tea, waited 10 minutes, fished it out, rinsed it off, paper towel dried, checked out the level of stain, thought it was too light, dumped it back in, waited another 10 minutes, fished it out, washed it off, dried it, happy!
Remember those pesky resolutions? Well here's a way for me to really force myself to start creating more this year. The new WUNDERLUST shop is a collection of whimsical treats straight out of the magical tiny teal workshop. My goal is to create a new limited series/collection every month - I hope you enjoy following along... www.wunderlust.etsy.com
I found my next big craft project...
I've always wanted to try and make my own clothes. So when I saw this dress pattern, (it was like love at first sight) I knew it was time to bust out Miss Greta. I placed the order yesterday so it should be here by next week!
I of course wanted to buy every single pattern on Built by Wendy but told myself take it easy girl, one dress at a time.
So you wanna take a stab at making some recycled catalog notebooks? I just posted a step-by-step tutorial on Heart Handmade. I decided to start a Craft 101 feature there, so if you want to contribute or have tutorials on your site that you'd like to share - send me an email at hearthandmade[at]gmail.com with the subject "craft 101"! Now go and check it out!
I did it! I finished my mini-project.
I'm putting together a step by step how to post - it should be ready by mañana!
I saw this great Recycled Notebooks project on Martha (watch the video, it really is an easy one) a couple of months back and I earmarked it as a must try. Since I don't work in a traditional office, I don't have that much scrap paper (I don't even own a printer!) laying around. This project would be perfect for those of you who work in offices - you could start a scrap bin by your desk or by the printer and start collecting unwanted/unclassified print outs.
I noticed that my Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters and Free People catalogs were stacking up - I'm not sure why, but I have a tendency to save these like magazines. Anyway, I decided to try and make notebooks out of the pages that were light enough to be written on.
I've been pretty busy lately so we'll see how long this project takes me. I figured I'll do it in bits and pieces, during breaks - when my eyes need a break from the computer.
So today, I just removed all of the staples - baby steps =)
