Crochet Edge!

 

I have been making baby blankets with flannel or fleece with this bad boy:

THE SKIP STITCH

 

Fits into any normal rotary cutter and then you run it along the edge of the fabric of your choice. GO back with a crochet hook and go to town! So easy and faster than making a whole blanket from scratch!

Embroidered Shoes

I realized after "pinning" one or two of my pictures on Pinterest that my blog has been getting more action lately!

I have been crafting-just not updating. Oops.

I really should update-I am more stressed these days. Not sure why, maybe it's the wedding I am planning! Yes, you heard that right I am engaged. Exciting!

I have also recently taken up crocheting. After many attempts, over many years I finally figured it out. (will post pictures later)

For now:

I also got into embroidering shoes! I have my own pair, but a dear friend of mine asked me to make some for her son. Ocean theme!

1.  Buy a pair of black canvas shoes (Tom's, Soda brand at Tilly's, Target has Mossimo type), make sure they are relatively thin.
2. Buy a big strong needle and some white chalk.
3. Start drawing your design on the shoes using chalk.
4. Grab some embroidery thread and get creative! Be careful-sewing down near the toe can be dangerous to your fingers!

Easy Summer Shoes

I have been working on these for the afternoon. I bought a pair of super cheap shoes at Target (these have a flowery sole and owl imprinted on the inside). 

I purchased some very thick, very sharp needles at Ace Hardware. 

Using regular white chalk, I hand drew my own designs onto the shoes and got stitching! 

I am not done yet-I still have to work on the sides! 

Super fun, but man my fingers hurt!

Let's hope I can keep this up!

Hello blog world!
I have been crafting, I promise! Ask my girlfriends we even had a Christmas craft day! I just haven't made posting a priority in my life, especially with Facebook to keep most people updated.

In 2011 I made: baby blankets, onesies (lots of them!), my first quilt top (soon to be finished I hope), I started water color journaling, crafty projects for my students, and a huge piece of wall art for our bedroom using canvas and acrylic paint!

However, I have been very bad at posting. Since I am not at home right now I will post what I have been working on since I have been on Winter Break!

My mom and I went to Cottage Crafts in San Jose during Thanksgiving and fell in love with a puffy white scarf. We didn't buy it and figured there had to be a way to make one. Right? So after some researching we found: Bunny Tail Yarn which can be found at Michael's.

(Picture shown is not white, it's ecru)

I found some white and was determined to make a scarf! I used size 6 knitting needles, 12 stitches across and two skeins of yarn. In hindsight I should have done 8-10 stitches, 12 is too wide! And if I had only used 8 stitched...I could have used 1 skein instead of two. Regardless it only took me a few hours to complete and I LOVE IT!

 Now I need to plan a trip in the new year to somewhere cold with snow, so I can show it off! Hope you all had a lovely holiday and a very happy New Year!

Well it's been a while!

It's summer vacation (for exactly 8 weeks). I have to fit some crafting in while I can! My mom is an avid watercolor artist. She gave me a set of paint and I have been trying it out.

I had to learn the hard way, you have to wash your brush in between each color. Now that I know why, colors mix together. It makes sense!

 The school that I work at has a college theme. My college is California State University Monterey Bay. Yes, even in my crafts I think about work. I decided to make an ocean themed mobile to hang in my office. I started with white cardstock. I find it's the closest thing to watercolor paper without being really expensive. I painted and splattered all over it to make a wave. This becomes the top of my mobile.

 For my sea creatures I used die-cut sea creatures using manila folders. I used an embroider hoop for the top of my mobile as I wanted the round shape. I also played around with an oval, but I didn't like it as much. I used plain sewing threat to hang. Probably should have used fishing line....

 Hard to take a picture of the mobile once it's done. I threaded all the animals onto the strings with a small needle. The hard part was getting the wave to adhere to the embroidery hoop. Once all the creatures where tied on, I had to glue the mobile while hanging, using hot glue. Then I realized you could see the wood....so I had to paint over that too...

 Ta da! For the summer this will be hanging in my room.

To infinity and beyond!

My boyfriend's cousin had a baby boy last week. Naturally I had to make a blanket. Again, this is Amiee Ray inspired. I just love her book!! I put my own spin on her designs by changing colors, sewing and using felt. Enjoy!

Notice the strange green? It's glow in the dark accents using puff paint!

I just can't get enough of making baby stuff. This blanket was rather tough to sew, multiple layers of fleece and felt. Let's not forget the glue used to hold the figures in place. I broke about 5 needles making this puppy! Well worth it for the cuteness.

Watercolored blown eggs

Are these not colorful and full of spring!?

 I used a micron permanent pen, watercolored and then used master shine to seal the paint in and make them shiny!

This one is my favorite, this is inspired by Aimee Ray!

 Another Aimee Ray inspired design

 This basket was designed by me!

 Snail, and bugs by me! Flowers and strawberries by Aimee Ray designs!

 Vino and Flowers by LittleTurkishGirl Ashley J!!! Pug Angel! We had a great craft day today! Ocean and Russian doll are Aimee Ray.

How do you blow out the eggs? Poke a hole in the top and the bottom of the egg with a nail. Use a paperclip undone, stick it in the hole and stir up the egg to break the yolk. Use a small red drink straw to blow out the egg.

How to dry? Put the blown, empty eggs on a papertowel on a plate, and microwave for about 45 seconds or until the eggs are hot. Scrub off any excess leaked egg with a sponge. OR if you have time, leave eggs in a sunny location for a few days.

Other variations: Glitter your eggs! Use colored pencil or sharpie markers! Use tissue paper, scrapbook paper or stencils. Be inspired!



Refurbished Bike!

A few months ago I bought a rustybike on e-bay. I haven't ridden it much as it needed some work. Well here is the new improved bike! This is the original color, polka dots were added befor I bought it. I took off the rusty basket and used double zero steel wool to remove most of the rust.

 I love glitter, (most of you already know that), thus all the polka dots now have glitter on them! The bell is Electra, totally rusted....used some tacky glue, white paint and more glitter. Good as new!

 The chrome in multiple places was rusted as well, so I used more tacky glue and wintergreen glitter by Martha Stewart!

Now to buy a cute helmet, new basket and I am ready to go!

Bunnies, bunnies, bunnies!

It is a tradition from when I was younger to have an Easter tree. I found this amazing wire tree at Pier 1. Bird and ornaments from Michaels. Added extra felt animals from a gift bag I had from my birthday.

 Another tradition was a cross-stitched witch from Halloween. Well we found the patterns and now I have a matching bunny! Soon to have all the holiday dolls cross-stitched. Can't wait to finish them all!

 A card my mom made me! Had my astrological sign, flowers and tree of my birth month, my footprints and my birth certificate information! All watercolored, and put on cardboard so I can keep it for years.

 I saw this on Craftzine today, a orgami bunny basket. I just had to put my jelly beans in there.

Birthday and Easter

 I adore April and spring! Why? Because my birthday is in April and usually Easter falls in April too! My mom gave me a present with cute little felt bunny's and chicks stuck on it. I couldn't bare throwing them out. So, like most crafters I upcycled!!

 Hot glue and a pin for the back, ta da!! Perfect for work!

 I went to JoAnn fabrics today and they had this adorable reusable bag! $1.99 Couldn't be more perfect for a crafter!! The handle is a measuring tape, come on ADORABLE!

I have been eyeballing pinking shears for months, but they are usually rather pricey. However, I found this pink pair of pinking shears at JoAnn's today. I had to....

Arn't they cute!? Can't wait to use them!

A little behind...

Well hello blog world! I am so far behind in my crafting blog. So, let's get straight to the projects! A teacher at my work was pregnant with her first baby. This was a blanket I made using Amiee Ray doodle stitching motif book!  Bought a premade blanket and did all the felt and stitching myself.

Love is in the Air!

Sparkle Valentine Candles!

 Print desired design. Tape to candle. Trace with pencil hard enough to make a bit of an indent. Take of paper design and make sure the design transfered.

Finish up by tracing the design with puff paint. Then sprinkle with glitter. Let dry and then light!

If anyone needs a good scent for Valentine's Day, Mad Love by Pier 1 is amazing being sold in pink rose tins now!

Inspiration in small packages

I bought these stickers because I love snails. However, while I was looking at them I realized they woud be perfect for a baby blanket motif for my friend Jenna!

I bought a baby blanket already edged. Then used felt to applique my patterns onto the blanket.

I drew the patterns just by looking at the stickers.

Hot glued the felt on (if I had more time would have completely stitched or used wonder under)

I used blanket stitch for the majority of the stitching but some chain stitch here and there. I think this is my favorite baby blanket I have made yet!

Coming soon: Valentine crafts and you guessed it another baby blanket! I also bought a crochet hook, I have tried before, but never got the hang of it. I have old yarn that I may try to make a blanket out of! We shall see! Oh the possibilities and the endless projects piling up!