Bloom

So the love affair with Prima's Julie Nutting dolls. I love them SOOO MUCH! She just released some new ones so I am hoping that maybe for Christmas? (::hint::)

It is that time of year when I need to start considering Christmas presents. Ahh, Christmas. That time of year that starts in about July each year and lasts until February. Over the last few years my husband and I have tried to downsize the expenses and the hullabaloo surrounding gifts and one way that I love to do that is to create something from the heart.

I had these frames sitting around. Naked wooden frames. Been to scared to use them until now, but today I had most of the day to myself and I decided today was the day to make a mess.

Yup, that's how it is!!! And I love every second of it!

Anyhow, I started by priming the frame with some thick gesso and then applied some Memory Keepers brown scrapbooking paint. (what exactly scrapbooking paint is, I haven't the foggiest) I lined the inside inlay of the frame with patterned paper and the rest, well...You can see the rest. :)

Of course there is a julie nutting prima doll, because...well, obsessed!!!I cut a bunch of flowers out of magazines and mod podged them down as well. Add some paper flags, some flair, scrabble tiles.....and viola!

I truly hope its new owner is happy to receive it when the time comes. I always feel a bit odd gifting something that has an expectation of use with it so I try to make it something functional when I do, and photo frames are very useful. Right? 

So cheers to the coming Christmas onslaught and all that comes with it!

DALEK DRESS!!!

So, awhile back I was SUPER stoked because I had found Doctor Who fabric!!!! So, I bought like 4 yards of the stuff...NOT on sale...that is how much I had to have it. Price didn't matter!!!!

So, after I made the dress I waited anxiously for a good time to debut it....and Mini Maker Faire Nashville was the perfect time, I do believe!!! I got so many compliments I actually lost count, which, was super humbling knowing how far I have come in my sewing. 

Check it! I even got my pic with the 4th Doctor! OMGOSH!!!

 And, a tiny TARDIS...pretty sure this was when Capaldi got stuck in his shrinking TARDIS....remember that? Kinda hilarious....

 And, of course, a hovering Dalek robot made by some students (photo credit here to Noah).

All  in all I am SO excited to have learned to sew.....now to save up the money to create my next dress....its going to be Star Wars....All about space and time!! 

Anyway, here is the link that inspired me to believe that I COULD, indeed, sew a dress!!  http://www.pineneedlecollective.com/2014/01/diy-circle-skirt-dress-video-tutorial.html

She is super cute, super geeky and super easy to follow....also, there is a VIDEO!! 

So, there it is! Hope it inspires you to get up and SEW! Cause, even if you don't think you can, I would bet you can!

Earring Book

So, I got my ears pierced a year ago and since the I have kinda gone a little nutty over earrings. They are just one more way that I am able to express my geeky self. However, I have lost and/or ruined a few pairs of my non dangling earrings because I had nowhere to properly store them and keep them organized.

I finally stumbled on an idea on pinterest and jumped on it. An earring book made out of felt and fabric. I am not convinced I am finished with it, but its going to work for the time being.

My friend, Norma, sent me some cute fabric and I figured this was a good project to use some on.

I used very stiff felt under the fabric and then sewed it to the front and back cover. I wanted it to be stiff enough to not collapse.

For the pages I used some nice felt. I plan to back it with more fabric and stiff felt but for tonight this is what I have going on and for the first time all of my stud earrings are in one place!! (well I am missing one still). There are still a few more pages in the book, but didn't want to be redundant with the pics. I messed up with the way I sewed the pages, but I plan to put stiff felt in the spine as well.

It was super easy to make once I thought it through. Sometimes I overthink things and not look at it as simply as I should. I am excited...and might need a few more earrings. ;)

Lovely

I got to craft with  my friend Kristy today!! I can't believe it! It was so good to hang out and get creative again! She just moved into a new home and finally has a craft room of her own. She asked me to make something to hang in her new craft room. I love this prima stamp. She might be one of my favorites ever. 

I did not use any of my sprays or acrylic paints this time. I primed this chip board with white gesso. I gave it a pretty thick layering. I wanted the colors to pop off the page. Added a crumpled dictionary page for texture, used texture paste with stencils for texture....and then went crazy with the gelatos! 

 Tricked out with some chipboard stickers from studio g and some quotes from Heidi Swapp.

 I love this color combo on the prima doll.She came together very quickly.  I love that the gelatos perfectly matched the papers!! I am a bug about matching!

I hope that Kristy enjoys this doll and that inspires her to keep on creating!!! Happy crafting, all!!

Kung Fu Fighting

So, Noah is in Martial Arts with Ernie Reyes World Martial Arts and he has been doing so well. It is the first thing he has really taken an interest in outside of Legos and video games, haha. So, we went for it.

Since he has been in almost a year, I thought it was time to get a book started so that he can keep his certificates safe, but also see his progression when he looks back.

In true form, I scrapped some pics in his book cause that is all I know how to do. I can't NOT decorate a page...trust me, I have tried.

Noah is now a green belt so this book will be around for awhile so I am hoping that he will continue along and be a black belt and then be able to look back  see how much he has grown and how far he has come!! I am so proud of him !!

Perler Bead Fun

No lie, I LOVE perler beads. Grew up with them, and now I am sharing with my child...its just flipping fun. No two ways about it.

Today and yesterday I had a blast making some super geeky items for my super geeky style. I am a lunch lady...for the time being...so I get to wear fun things to work from time to time.

These two hair bows will be fun to wear when school starts for sure!!

This first one is a Pinkie Pie bow. LOVE!!! Pinkie Pie is my patronus. Just sayin.....

ANYWHO....so its a bow, obviously...and her cutie marks are insinuated on the right side (balloons, cause she is a partay animal...no...literally) and then I hot glued a hair clip on the back. 

 And....viola!! Its amazawesome!! I will be making more bows for sure...Mario and Doctor Who for sure things yo!!

This next one is a Hello Storm Trooper. Cause...its cute!!!! Its a little larger than I anticipated but who cares??!! I certainly don't!! Bring on the geekiness!! Also attached a hair clip to this one.

This last thing is a first for me. I figured out how to make earrings!! Woot! The possibilities are ENDLESS now! Oh, the earrings I will make! For starters, though, I made these feathers. Also, WAY larger than I thought they would be, but you can see how much I am concerned about the size....and since they are perler bead they are super light anyhow so you don't even notice the size, really. 

Hope that you really enjoyed this post! Lots of fun things to look at and maybe inspire you to get that childish heart of yours (please, we all have one so don't EVEN) to the store to get some perler beads! (or, melty beads...whatever you can afford, haha.) Its a great, quick, fun summer indoors because the heat index is 105 degrees activity for you and you family to do together!

Yet Another Addiction

Gracious. All this time during the summer is starting to have an affect on my brain haha. I have discovered Pocket Letters and it might be a new addiction.

Essentially, you take a trading card page, create 9 ATCs and put a letter and some goodies in each pocket. Super fun!! I have missed having happy mail, haha. I like creating something too! Something that someone will love as much as I do!

I had a blast creating this. My pocket pal adores cats and owls and things so I tried too incorporate a little of everything into her page. I also did just a bit of mixed media because I may/or may not be obsessed with my new Gelatos.

 Here are all of the goodie pouches. So much yumminess!! I am sure I went a tad overboard but I just had so much fun that it was hard to stop adding things!!

Here is a close-up of the owl I sketched. It isn't high fashion art just a cute little owl that I thought needed a home in her pocket.

I loved this spread too. I like how it turned out. I cut the butterfly from a project life page and I split it between the two pockets. I can't wait to share this with you, but you will only see it when she has received it!!

I can't wait to get my next partner! I am going to try some new things!! Happy crafting!!!

Pocket Letter Pages

Omgoodness...super duper fun....can't get enough Pocket Letters!! And I just started the silly things! I am going to cry when I go back to work in August, people. It has been so fantastic having time to create and share!!

This is my second pocket letter swap that I have created but I am showing it to you first because my first swap is a friend of mine and I want it to be a surprise for her so I will wait until she is in receipt of it..

 Here is the back with all of the goodies. I went a bit overboard with the goodies but it was easy to do.. I might have to scale back a bit to continue but that's okay. I used tiny manila folders for swapping washi tape. Thought that was a fun idea.

A few things of interest:

Thought the feather and some gelato along the edges gave this a shic look. Of course the pearl too. Every girl should have pearls. 

 Thought this was so cute! Love making these washi tape banners!! So quick and fun!

 And, since jars are ALL the rage right now.....Loved the twine mixed with the smile tiles.

I can't wait until my girls receive their letters! I hope they are stoked when they receive them! I may be back with more of these quite soon!!!

Artist Trading Cards

So, the other week I remembered how much I used to love swapping and how much I used to love making ATCs (Artist Trading Cards). I joined a couple of groups on Facebook and soon was joining a swap. 

The name of the swap was, "animal kingdom". The theme was awesome, and the specifics were, one mammal, one bird and one fish or amphibian/reptile. 

I had so much fun creating these that I want to keep creating them!!!!! I used acrylic paint and my gelatos as well as texture paste and gesso and mod podge. I wanted to make them look like they belonged together. The silhouettes were printed as free images and I detail cut them with my super pointy scissors. Oh, and I also used Dylusions Sprays...mu other new addiction.

I loved the seahorse with the sentiment, "dare to be different" because what is more unique than a sea horse??? The BOYS have the babies for pete's sake!!I used the texture paste and a stencil to create a bubble effect as well as sequins and then I created paint circles using the bottom of a paint bottle.

The bird always makes me think of soaring and bravery.  It was the perfect sentiment for this trading card. The arrows were made with a stencil and texture paste.

This last one, the cat...cats KNOW that being different is good. Who else gets away with what a cat does?? Haha. The stars are stencil and texture paste and tho you can't see it, there is glitter all over the cat and the stars.

My swap partner is in Norway so I am anxiously waiting for her to receive these. I hope they are her style and that she loves them as much as I do!!!!

Mixed Media Love

Lately I seriously cannot get enough of mixed media. It is quickly becoming a real favorite thing of mine to do. I also really love Julie Nutting dolls. I could play with those dolls all stinkin day!

With this page I wanted to try a new color palette and some new techniques. I learned a lot with this page and over all I fell in love. I created my own texture paste with a quick recipe that I found. I also used acrylics as watercolors and learned to use my Dylusions sprays and I love everything about them. 

I stamped a "Stampin Up!" butterfly onto vellum and then clear embossed it and this was the result and I LOVE the effect of the vellum wings! I also to use  REAL flower petals on this girl's skirt and I mod podged them to the skirt and sealed them with the mod podge too. 

While this page didn't turn out the way I envisioned it but with all of the things that I learned I ended up LOVING the outcome. Esp the girl. If you want to know how I created the texture paste shoot me a message and I will be sure to share it with you, but you can check pinterest too. 

I hope that this inspires you to get messy and get creating! If you aren't messy, you aren't having fun!!!

Sew Happy!!!!

So, this summer I have been able to catch up with my sewing. I also have found some amazing fabrics and I am so geeked out I can't even stand it!!! Doctor Who, My Little Pony, Pokemon and Star Wars!! Woot! Also, owls and puppies....nothing is off limits. Loving our Joann Fabric right now.

The last few months, bags have been my new love. I love creating something useful that I can then share with someone. I have even been able to sell several! If you are interested in checking out some bags, Moms Crafty Closet is the place to go!! My latest two bags are of the animal variety and I love em. I have a feeling they will both be a gift for someone very special. Her birthday is coming right up!!

 So, a new venture in sewing has been making geeky skirts. Other than the way I love the fabric and love having fun, they aren't anything to write home about. Nothing fancy.  Just some elastic, some gathering and some hemming. I love them, though and I don't really care if they make my hips look big haha.

This skirt is my My Little Pony skirt, which I LOVED this fabric and had to have it. My son, who is a brony, is extremely jealous.

 THIS fabric is AMAZING. DALEKS!!!!! I looked everywhere for this fabric and wasn't able to find it until I went to a Joann further away. I bought quite a bit because I have plans for a bag in this fabric as well.

 Next, I am back to aprons. Srslly love aprons and it has been years since I have made myself an apron and it was time!!! I have been loving this fabric for ages and finally had a good coupon so I bought a few yards and then made myself a ruffly apron. Oh I love this apron and I actually don't want to get it dirty!!

Oh, did I mention I make bags? I made Noah a messenger bag with this pokemon material and he loved it! He immediately put his books in it and carried it everywhere!! (so serious)

Anyway. Just another day catching up with  my blogging. I hope to start selling more bags and aprons!! I also love sewing for the love of sewing, though.  ESP when you have FUN FABRIC!!