I'm really excited about it. It has a pocket on the front of it that proves to be handy for keys, pens or other small things. I hope that it finds a good home! :)
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
GO HAWKS!
I'm really excited about it. It has a pocket on the front of it that proves to be handy for keys, pens or other small things. I hope that it finds a good home! :)
Sunday, August 21, 2011
An Afternoon Project...
...that took a week to finish! Never have I had a project that every step I did the result ended up in me adding another step!
So, I may have mentioned this before, but I have a new obsession called PINTEREST. It's awesome! Kind of like a huge virtual pin board and you can see all of the things everyone else pins. I like it because it is a place for me to keep all of the tutorials and project ideas that I want to try. If you haven't checked it out, you should!
I saw this post on Pinterest and saved it to my board.
I thought...hmmm, I could do Max's whole name. Pick up a few cheap frames at the re-sale store as well as some Hot Wheels, cut big letters out of black contact paper, stick it on some foam core and be done with it. Yeah, right! I only found 2 cars and no frames, so I was back to step one. I really wanted to do this, but didn't want to spend a lot of money doing it. A friend of mine was over last weekend and we set off to Hobby Lobby to see if I could find some decent frames in the 1/2 off sale. Well, no luck, but we started walking around and I saw the canvases and thought I could make that work. Just paint the letter on and glue the cars. Wouldn't need a frame and it would be easy to hang. They had 2 packs on sale and the black craft paint was on sale too.
The first step was to get the letters onto the canvas...how do I do this. Well, there was a link for a DIY overhead projector using a lamp and cardboard box. A lady had put her transparency in front of it and used it to enlarge a drawing on her wall. Well, it didn't work for me. So, I broke out the ruler and pencil. Figured it was 3 letter with straight lines. I measured the width of 2 cars, added a little extra and drew my letters on. Then it was time to paint them. I had to do about 3 coats to get it nice and covered. I had this...
I decided that I did not like the white background since I wasn't going to frame it and I could see some smudges from the pencil marks. Since there is no good way to get pencil off of canvas, I decided I was going to paint the background a solid color. Hubby voted for green, so off I went to get some more paint.
Of course, I chose a shade that was too dark and had a hard time seeing where the letter was. So, now I had to outline the letters...great. Not only were all of these new steps being added, but each step was another way of potentially messing up the whole project. Every step I started with the A because that was the easiest letter to draw and I had one extra canvas, so I thought I could re-do it if I had to. OK, so there I sat one night with my silver paint and my little paint brush going around each letter at least twice.
I ended up with a decent product! I thought I was in the clear. Just the road stripes and glueing the cars on and I am home free...yeah right! I thought the easiest way to do the yellow stripes on the road would be with duct tape. So, I bought a roll and came to the horrible realization that I could not cut a strip long enough because of the stickiness. UGH! A little more investigation and I found a sheet of duct tape. It's duct tape, but comes stuck to a sheet of paper that had a grid on it. Perfect. I sat and cut the lines and cut them into strips and stuck them on. Got them all done and we looked at them and decided they were too thick. Out came the yellow craft paint and paint brush once again! Luckily, I had drawn pencil lines down the middle of the letters to line the tape up with, so I just used those as guides. Then I was left with this...
Nearly finished! I just wanted to do a quick coat of black around the edges and I thought that I needed to put a clear coat over everything before I glued the cars on. Once again, I started with the A. Well, it didn't turn out so well. I got the clear coat thicker in some places and it was just bad looking. I had to repaint the black and green parts of the letters and then decided to forego the clear coat.
On the home stretch now...just have to get the cars glued on. It was a little tricky because I would get the glue on the wheels and then they would turn, but I was bound and determined to get those suckers put on! This morning they were still there and stood the test of being turned upside down.
So, then we just had to hang them up and little man could enjoy looking at his cars!
So, a week after I started this project, it is finally wrapped up! I am happy with how they turned out and I think Max loves them.
Now, onto the next project...
So, I may have mentioned this before, but I have a new obsession called PINTEREST. It's awesome! Kind of like a huge virtual pin board and you can see all of the things everyone else pins. I like it because it is a place for me to keep all of the tutorials and project ideas that I want to try. If you haven't checked it out, you should!
I saw this post on Pinterest and saved it to my board.
I thought...hmmm, I could do Max's whole name. Pick up a few cheap frames at the re-sale store as well as some Hot Wheels, cut big letters out of black contact paper, stick it on some foam core and be done with it. Yeah, right! I only found 2 cars and no frames, so I was back to step one. I really wanted to do this, but didn't want to spend a lot of money doing it. A friend of mine was over last weekend and we set off to Hobby Lobby to see if I could find some decent frames in the 1/2 off sale. Well, no luck, but we started walking around and I saw the canvases and thought I could make that work. Just paint the letter on and glue the cars. Wouldn't need a frame and it would be easy to hang. They had 2 packs on sale and the black craft paint was on sale too.
The first step was to get the letters onto the canvas...how do I do this. Well, there was a link for a DIY overhead projector using a lamp and cardboard box. A lady had put her transparency in front of it and used it to enlarge a drawing on her wall. Well, it didn't work for me. So, I broke out the ruler and pencil. Figured it was 3 letter with straight lines. I measured the width of 2 cars, added a little extra and drew my letters on. Then it was time to paint them. I had to do about 3 coats to get it nice and covered. I had this...
I decided that I did not like the white background since I wasn't going to frame it and I could see some smudges from the pencil marks. Since there is no good way to get pencil off of canvas, I decided I was going to paint the background a solid color. Hubby voted for green, so off I went to get some more paint.
Of course, I chose a shade that was too dark and had a hard time seeing where the letter was. So, now I had to outline the letters...great. Not only were all of these new steps being added, but each step was another way of potentially messing up the whole project. Every step I started with the A because that was the easiest letter to draw and I had one extra canvas, so I thought I could re-do it if I had to. OK, so there I sat one night with my silver paint and my little paint brush going around each letter at least twice.
I ended up with a decent product! I thought I was in the clear. Just the road stripes and glueing the cars on and I am home free...yeah right! I thought the easiest way to do the yellow stripes on the road would be with duct tape. So, I bought a roll and came to the horrible realization that I could not cut a strip long enough because of the stickiness. UGH! A little more investigation and I found a sheet of duct tape. It's duct tape, but comes stuck to a sheet of paper that had a grid on it. Perfect. I sat and cut the lines and cut them into strips and stuck them on. Got them all done and we looked at them and decided they were too thick. Out came the yellow craft paint and paint brush once again! Luckily, I had drawn pencil lines down the middle of the letters to line the tape up with, so I just used those as guides. Then I was left with this...
Nearly finished! I just wanted to do a quick coat of black around the edges and I thought that I needed to put a clear coat over everything before I glued the cars on. Once again, I started with the A. Well, it didn't turn out so well. I got the clear coat thicker in some places and it was just bad looking. I had to repaint the black and green parts of the letters and then decided to forego the clear coat.
On the home stretch now...just have to get the cars glued on. It was a little tricky because I would get the glue on the wheels and then they would turn, but I was bound and determined to get those suckers put on! This morning they were still there and stood the test of being turned upside down.
So, then we just had to hang them up and little man could enjoy looking at his cars!
So, a week after I started this project, it is finally wrapped up! I am happy with how they turned out and I think Max loves them.
Now, onto the next project...
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Little Man's Room
I have slowly been getting the little guy's new 'Big Boy Room' set up. He has been sleeping in his big bed for about a month now, but I didn't have the room anywhere near ready for him. Honestly, I thought we would have to gradually move him in, but he really liked his room and slept through the night the first night. Needless to say, there was no turning back. So, I've been doing things here and there. I painted it a few weeks ago. The color turned out to be more blue than I originally wanted it to be, but it is ok.
My favorite thing so far is the toy storage bin in the corner. Inspired by a pin on Pinterest, we bought some waste baskets at IKEA. Daddy and I sat and drilled holes in them, then zip tied them together one day. Works great in the corner!
And, a close second, is another idea from Pinterest. The fabric book sling.
I found some cute fabric at IKEA and since the little dude is all about cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles, I thought it would be perfect!
I wish I would have thought more about where to put it and how long to make it, but I just followed the tutorial. We'll have to move it at some point, but I think it will work well for now.
Here is another project I did.
My hair lady is moving to Nebraska. So sad to see her go. She has been the only one to cut my hair since I moved to Iowa 6 years ago. She became a great friend to me and I will miss her. I made this little pillow for her.
I was impressed with myself...my first pillow and I thought the piping added that extra special touch. I traced a map on the fabric, then went over it with fabric paint. Then the hearts and connection were embroidered on.
So, that's what I've been up to...have some more projects lined up downstairs, so I better get busy!
My favorite thing so far is the toy storage bin in the corner. Inspired by a pin on Pinterest, we bought some waste baskets at IKEA. Daddy and I sat and drilled holes in them, then zip tied them together one day. Works great in the corner!
And, a close second, is another idea from Pinterest. The fabric book sling.
I found some cute fabric at IKEA and since the little dude is all about cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles, I thought it would be perfect!
I wish I would have thought more about where to put it and how long to make it, but I just followed the tutorial. We'll have to move it at some point, but I think it will work well for now.
Here is another project I did.
My hair lady is moving to Nebraska. So sad to see her go. She has been the only one to cut my hair since I moved to Iowa 6 years ago. She became a great friend to me and I will miss her. I made this little pillow for her.
I was impressed with myself...my first pillow and I thought the piping added that extra special touch. I traced a map on the fabric, then went over it with fabric paint. Then the hearts and connection were embroidered on.
So, that's what I've been up to...have some more projects lined up downstairs, so I better get busy!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Pink and Blue Owls!
Seriously...how cute did these turn out? My photography skills need MUCH improvement, but I love these little bags. I made one for me a few months ago and I use it every day. It is great to keep your wallet, phone, keys, chapstick in as well as lunch. It's just the perfect size. On the weekend, I can throw in a few diapers, wipes and a sippy cup and we are ready to go! The front pockets are perfect for your phone and keys so that you can easily find them. There is also a fair amount of spare change in mine! Well, these totes are up for grabs, and I'm sure I'll have plenty more in the future. I've been organizing fabric this week and there are so many cute prints. So, let me know if you're interested!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
S'mores Bars
So, the other day, I was browsing my new addiction, Pinterest. I love it and find myself using it so much. Anyway, found a post for some S'mores bars. They sounded so good, so I thought I would give them a try. I did make a few changes...basically, I used my recipe for egg-free chocolate chip cookies, so the little man could enjoy the gooey yumminess as well!
So, here is how I did it...
Line a jelly roll pan with graham crackers that are broken in half.
Preheat oven at 375.
Cookie Dough
2 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon vinegar (I know, sounds weird, but trust me)
2 Tablespoons apple sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
In my Kitchen Aid mixer, I cream the softened butter. I add all other ingredients. When mixed well, I add the flour. Once that is all mixed together, fold in:
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
Spoon about a tablespoon of cookie dough over each graham cracker and smoosh it down.
Bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Take them out and put a square of Hershey chocolate bar in the middle of each one (I bought a big bar and had to cut each rectangle in half-I still ran out of chocolate). Put back in the oven and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool on rack or eat them while they are warm and gooey!
Hope you enjoy them...great way to have yummy s'mores without the camp fire!
 |
| Before they went in the oven... |
 | |
| Adding the chocolate chunks. That would have been the only improvement...more chocolate! |
Friday, June 24, 2011
Summer Beach Robe
So, last week Dana over at MADE posted this and I immediately emailed Hubby and asked him to get it for me (since he has a PayPal account)! The digital pattern is AWESOME. I wouldn't expect anything less. Dana is amazing at taking such wonderful pictures and really walking you through each step. I am happy to say that I finished my first beach towel robe this afternoon.
Ta Da!
Got the beach towel at Kohl's for FREE. Well, it was $8, but I had a $10 gift card, so I didn't pay for it! AND, I probably have enough left to make another one...it was a big towel! I can't wait to get it on the little guy and see how it fits. The pattern came with 3 different sizes and I used the medium for him. But, with the first time you do anything, or I do anything, there are little imperfections. Really, the only thing I'm not pleased with is the bias tape on the tie, but hopefully, I'll get better with that. I know exactly what I'm gonna make for my little Hawkeye! You guessed it..I'm gonna get a black towel and I have some great Iowa material I bought from a fabric liquidation to line the hood and hopefully make my own bias tape. I say hopefully, because all of my efforts thus far have failed. If not, there is the perfect shade of gold at Hobby Lobby!
Oh and check out these serged edges...
...not the best picture, but believe me, they look pretty great! I finally busted out that serger and it is the smoothest machine! I want to put gold thread in it for the contrast against the black on my next robe, but I'm scared I won't be able to get the machine threaded. I'll have to look at/study it a little more. I'm so excited!
Well, we're off to get the boy and venture out to Riverside to see what this Trek Fest is all about! I'll post more pics when I finish the next robe!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Finished Bag and New Project
I finally finished my Amy Butler Cosmo Bag! Didn't get it done for our trip last week to the Dells because I ran into some problems with a skipped step. I skipped the stay stitching step because I didn't understand what it was and just wanted to hurry up and finish. Well, I had to go back and stay stitch around those curves and slit them in order to sew the bag together. I did some research online for some clarification to the directions. I love crafty ladies of the blogosphere. They are so helpful.
Anyway, here is a picture of the bag.
I used it this week to take to the pool for our swim classes. Two beach towels fit in there with lots of room left over for sippy cup, snacks, change of clothes and dry diapers. I can't wait to find some fabric to make another one. I think it will be even better the next time. I will pay attention while cutting and not skip steps! Those were my lessons learned with this project!
So, on to my next project. I found a sew-along for a cute, wavy top tote bag. I'm a few days behind, but I think I'll be able to catch up. Even if I can't, the instructions are all there. It's my first sew-along. Check out the button to the right and join in if you would like. I found some cute material on sale this week, so I hope to get started soon! Here's a sneak peek!
Until next time...
Anyway, here is a picture of the bag.
I used it this week to take to the pool for our swim classes. Two beach towels fit in there with lots of room left over for sippy cup, snacks, change of clothes and dry diapers. I can't wait to find some fabric to make another one. I think it will be even better the next time. I will pay attention while cutting and not skip steps! Those were my lessons learned with this project!
So, on to my next project. I found a sew-along for a cute, wavy top tote bag. I'm a few days behind, but I think I'll be able to catch up. Even if I can't, the instructions are all there. It's my first sew-along. Check out the button to the right and join in if you would like. I found some cute material on sale this week, so I hope to get started soon! Here's a sneak peek!
Until next time...
Friday, June 3, 2011
New Project and Recipe!
So, just a little preview of what I'm working on now. I got an Amy Butler book back in March. I finally got the courage up to tackle the Blossom Bag. I think it took me more time to cut out all the pieces and prep them than it did to do the actual sewing. Anyway, it turned out ok. There were a couple of bumps along the way. Keep in mind, the first time you do anything, it is not going to turn out perfect. You will measure wrong, mis-read some instructions or just space out at some point. No worries, there is always something to learn and it gets you thinking about how you can alter the pattern to make it more "you" and in my case, easier to construct! :) Sorry, no picture of it here.
Anyway, I wanted to make this weekend bag from one of my other books, but didn't feel up to tackling it. I was pleased with how the Amy Butler book read, so I decided to try out the Cosmo Bag for weekend trips or to take towels and a change of clothes to the pool.
Here is a finished Cosmo Bag as pictured in her book...
And here is the fabric that I'm using for mine...
I love it! It took me 2 movies to cut out all the pieces the other night. (For the record we watched I Love You, Phillip Morris and How to Lose Friends and Alienate People...both good) And, of course, when I tried to start putting it together, I found that I didn't cut the 8 handles out correctly. I had to change my color scheme and just use what material I had left, so my bag is going to look a little different without contrasting fabrics on the outside, but I think it is still going to look cute! REMEMBER...pay attention to cutting instructions!
Last night, I finished the exterior of the bag, so now I just have to construct the lining and I'll be done...hopefully, this weekend at some point. Shouldn't take long, like I said earlier, the actual sewing part doesn't take long, it's the cutting and prepping that takes FOREVER!
And, now a picture for my sister-in-law.
We were looking at something on the internets awhile back and we stumbled across this recipe for a Mexican Dorito Casserole found over at Jam Hands. We both thought it looked good and every time I was in the store I would think about it but couldn't remember the ingredients.Well, this week, I made a list and last night we tried it out. Here is a picture right out of the oven...was going to take one on the plate with the rice, corn and tortillas, but the boy was hungry and I just forgot by the time I was able to sit down. Hubby said, "It wasn't bad", but I thought it was really good, especially with the tortillas. I'm having leftovers for lunch today, so we'll see how good it is the second day. Also, I used the Taco Doritos instead of regular Nacho Cheese. They kind of taste like Cheese and Ranch Doritos mixed together. It is a super easy recipe and yummy...not the healthiest, but oh-well!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Away we go!
So here it is, my first attempt to start a blog that I hope will showcase creativity and be entertaining to follow. For Christmas this past year, I received a sewing machine. I had asked for one and was very excited when I opened it. I've never been much of a sewer and besides the one semester of costume crew and the costume construction class I took in undergrad (yes, I was a Theatre major) I've never done much on a sewing machine. I remember 'sewing by hot glue gun' because I was so intimidated by the costume shop and the different machines that were in there. But, the first machine I used was a serger and I thought it was the most amazing thing! Once I learned the machines and spent hours making multiple Clara gowns and soldier jackets for our production of Nutcracker that year, I wasn't quite so intimidated. But, it is not something that I kept up with. Fast forward 13 years (jeez!) and I have been a teacher, a student again, a stage manager and now a mom. There started to be an 'itch' to create things. I have dabbled in other crafts throughout the years. Tried scrapbooking...didn't like it. I found that I would stress out so much because I wanted it to look as if things were just thrown on to the page and it took a lot of work and effort to get it that way. So, paper, stickers, page protectors and an unfinished project for my niece sit in the basement (sorry, Cora). I also got really into making jewelry. I had so many supplies. I made rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings...and do I wear jewelry? Nope. Just my wedding band every day and occasionally a necklace that I also just go for Christmas. But, there were so many great ideas out there and being single, I had a lot of free time. I did give things to my friends and family and even made a little money at one craft show that I did. But, once I entered grad school, all of the supplies just sat in the closet. Now and then I would pull it all out, try to make some stuff and then realize that the 15 minutes of free time that I had, was over. Then I got married and started a new job and it all sat in storage for a year. Then came the baby and the realization of how much of a choking hazard all of that stuff was. So, up on craigs list it went. I sold the whole lot to a lady that was really excited to get into making jewelry. I then discovered that I needed some sort of crafty outlet...after all, I am my Mother's Daughter! :)
So...I get this sewing machine for Christmas and am so excited to get started. But, you have to buy everything...thread, seam ripper (I knew I would mess some stuff up), bobbins, patterns, material...the list just kept going. I made some pants for the little guy and realized that working from a store bought pattern was not that much fun. So, off to explore the internet I went. Wow! Between YouTube, blogs, about.com, and just google search you can figure out how to do just about anything! I found some wonderful blogs and websites that had ideas for different projects. I love making things for baby and have really enjoyed making bags.
So, here it goes. My adventures in sewing! I will post projects that I complete and maybe someday, I will have items available for sale. I'll have to first get some of that free time again. Hope you enjoy!
So...I get this sewing machine for Christmas and am so excited to get started. But, you have to buy everything...thread, seam ripper (I knew I would mess some stuff up), bobbins, patterns, material...the list just kept going. I made some pants for the little guy and realized that working from a store bought pattern was not that much fun. So, off to explore the internet I went. Wow! Between YouTube, blogs, about.com, and just google search you can figure out how to do just about anything! I found some wonderful blogs and websites that had ideas for different projects. I love making things for baby and have really enjoyed making bags.
So, here it goes. My adventures in sewing! I will post projects that I complete and maybe someday, I will have items available for sale. I'll have to first get some of that free time again. Hope you enjoy!
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