Fruit and Veggie Sticker Flower Pot

Wednesday, July 31, 2013 2 comments
I will admit this project took me a LOT longer than my usual craft.  I had this little flower pot from the dollar store randomly floating through my house after a project I did for GMT.  I was in Anthropologie one afternoon (my drug of choice) and saw a little flower pot completely covered with fruit and veggie stickers and I thought-that's cute, and kind of interesting....and thus my obsession with finding fruit and veggies at the store with cute stickers began....
I bought them, usually ate the item, then stuck that sticker on my flower pot until it was completely covered.  
 I tried out some interesting fruits in the process of trying to find unique stickers....
I guess I'll never grow out of a love of stickers.  I added a little herb that I slowly plan on killing over the next month as it tries really hard to resist my brown thumb via it's home in my kitchen window....but at least it'll have a cute home in it's last few days, right?  

Le Retreat-Part 5

Tuesday, July 30, 2013 1 comment
 
 Five years ago I began a tradition of heading North to Gainesville, TX for a few days away to retreat.  There are a group of 8-10 of us (depending on the year) who meet up to quilt/scrapbook/mostly laugh and tell stories.  I've written about the house we stay at here.  We headed down again last week...this go 'round we added a day.  I brought more stuff than ever before, and somehow finished it all.  That's a first for me.  I've had random projects sitting in my sewing closet for years that I bought just because I liked the fabric.  I didn't try anything 'difficult' like the 'real' quilters who come along.  I want to learn, but I don't feel the need to be an expert.  If you ever want to take up quilting-an easy place to start would be with a pattern like Turning Twenty (they sell the pattern and instructions at quilt stores).  I used it to put together a bunch of 20's themed fabric I just like.  I'll now take this to a quilter to quilt (which, as I've said before-really just makes me a 'piece-er')
My friend Sonia is a 'real' quilter and she put together about 17 quilts in this time period.  She lines those points up like no tomorrow and usually works with pieces dolls would even say were small...
Sonia taught Mary and I about quilting, and Mary has taken it much further.  She's a lifelong sewer....and quite handy with the seam ripper.  I saw more ripping than sewing.  Mary was my mentor teacher at work-she's pretty much one of the most incredible people I've ever met....12 years later.
Debbie has been willing to come and hang out, but she hasn't tried out the quilting yet...we are working on it, but then....it would be hard to lose all that help! 
I put together two quilts, and then started on some smaller projects....some I'll post instructions for later.  But here are a few....I made a blanket for my godson to go along with what I'm getting him for his Birthday....in January.  His Mom's obsessed with argyle.
I usually monogram blankets, but I decided that might be scratchy on a baby blanket, so I cut out a C this time and just stitched it on one corner. 
Along with the quilters, half of the group brings their scrapbooking supplies (the house has internet)-some online scrapbooking/some paper/glue goes on...
I heart this week each year.  I know there is something about a time away with good girls and no demands other than what your creativity insist you do. 

Christmas in July: Angel Shutter

Monday, July 29, 2013 1 comment
I made this in April.  I waiting until July because I figured posting Christmas projects in April was obnoxious, but July is totally fine (ha!).  I meant to make this last year, but....life got in the way.  Again, I found these shutters at a garage sale, the lady was given them away, it was in a pile that said free, but I felt so guilty about just taking something and not buying anything I bought a lampshade I didn't need and haven't used...true story.  I figured I might could do something with it someday.  
My friend Terry cut the face and arms out for me from some thin wood I had from Home Depots scrap section (buy the cutting station, there is some good stuff back there!).  They also sell circles and ovals at Michael's in the unfinished wood section, just in case my friend Terry isn't available to cut it for you....and my jig saw never shows up...
 I painted it with flesh colored paint, added the eyes with the side of my finger, and the cheeks and mouth with these dabber brushes to make a perfect circle.  I flicked it with black and white paint using a toothbrush I put a little paint on and ran my nail down...I just like the finished...
I added Spanish Moss for the hair (with a glue stick) and made a halo with wire I stapled on the back before nailing this to the top of the shutter.  
 You could make wings via wood as well, but I found this fun little design in the unfinished wood section of Michael's...this would be a cute chalkboard, but....I painted it white, outlined it with gold and flecked gold paint on with my trusty toothbrush.
 I nailed all the pieces together and found this little hanging heart at JoAnne I painted up with a little message...
 It's July, but she's ready to go....
...and now I'm off to work on some Valentine's crafts....I kid.  I kid.  

Spirit Dress

Friday, July 26, 2013 3 comments
A friend of mine asked me to make a spirit dress for her.  These have been popping up all over college campuses and sports games.  You can make them with just an oversized tshirt, but she asked me to add some fabric to the bottom to add some length.  Basically, but an oversize tshirt...
 Cut off the sleeves (leave about a quarter inch more than the rest of the shirt to fold in and sew so it's even with the rest of the shirt).
 Cut of the top (so it's an even line)...
 Sew a seam down the sleeve so it's one continues line with the original sides.

 Fold under the neck and sew this around as well, leaving a hole for elastic.
 Measure and then thread the elastic through....
Sew the elastic....
 You could be 'done' here and wear it....I pinned it where I was going to slice it off and then add fabric.  It's important at this step that you take a picture on your camera that you need to rotate before loading, but are too lazy to rotate, so you load it sideways and decide mediocre is good enough for this blog post...
 Sew another seam up to thread a second piece of elastic.
 There are some people that might be 'done' here as well....just sayin'...
 I took double the amount of fabric that it took to go around my friend and then trimmed one end (that would be the bottom), and then sewed the two ends together to create one big loop.
 I ghetto ruffled and pinned it to the bottom of the halter top so it was cinched in places....
 Lots o' pins....
 I sewed these two piece together, but stretched out the elastic (or tried not to catch it in the thread) as I went around.
 Ta Da....
 Ta da...the back.  I was going to add a ribbon to the waist, but then I remembered I was going for mediocre and I thought a ribbon might be too close to the borderline of not mediocre anymore....and I really don't want to have to go rotate that picture too....

Cookie Dough Yogurt

Thursday, July 25, 2013 No comments
I saw the recipe for this yogurt one Suburbangirl.  Cookie dough, you say?  Sign me up!  OK-clearly, it's not QUITE cookie dough, but it is super delicious for yogurt, and a relatively healthy snack.  I used dark chocolate too-brownie points on the healthy scale-as in, if you are eating chocolate-it's the healthiest chocolate you can eat....there is an antonym lesson somewhere in that sentence just waiting to be taught....
But in the meantime-super yummy yogurt snack....
Cookie Dough Yogurt
6 oz pack of plain Greek Yogurt, 1 T chocolate chips, 1 T Peanut Butter, 1/2 t. vanilla extract, 1 T honey

Christmas in July: Recycle Crafts

Wednesday, July 24, 2013 No comments
This is what my friend Terry does all summer long.  I have ADHD of the crafting world and I find I can't mass produce, but she does.  She also is the reason the show hoarders will probably be back for a new season b/c if you craft, and have spent 3 seconds with Terry you will realize you can never throw anything away.  Ever.  Because she canfind a way to use anything.  Case in point, the project above is a snowman face.  She painted it, cut out a few pieces for the nose and eyes out of scrap woods and attached them to cabinet doors she found in an alley.  Below she just painted up an adorable little Jesus in a manger.  
 How clever is this....fan blades....Santa's beard is made out of shredded old sheets, and the hats are little sweaters etc she gets at thrift stores.
 She haunts the thrift stores in Dallas for old Christmas supplies and uses these in her project-she made the candy canes in the boot out of pipe cleaners.
 She found these trays and cake pans at a garage sale-you can add magnets or just use these as is...
 Old shovels she added Elf/Santa faces too and they can sit on the corner of a porch.
 Old lamp shades she paints...
 ...or dresses up like some of our favorite December friends...
 These little guys are some of my favorite made from scrap woods-the beads were from necklaces from the thrift shop.
These are just a few of a million little projects she makes out of fence post etc.love the 'hair' made out of broken Christmas lights.  Seriously....can't wait to head over and see what she has going on this summer.