Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Are you trying to tell me something?

Who knew chocolate could be so motivating!!





Sometimes it's the little things that can give you that push you need!!
Wishing everyone a Happy Tuesday!!  Get out there and take care of business or do whatever makes you HAPPY!

P.S. i LOVE Dove chocolates!!

Pin It

Monday, January 30, 2012

Just call me Ms. FancyPants!

Look who got all festive and fancy Sunday afternoon!!!

source 
Okay, this is not me - obviously.  But, I could have totally rocked this big flower on my head .....face paint - not so much!



This is me in my Sunday's finest!

feathers+flowers+pearls+hotglue = cuteness!!

 Okay, Okay....not really.  This is me in my fancy Fascinator that I made!  I was invited to a birthday Tea Party for my aunt.   The invite said wear Big hats, Lovely pearls and cute heels!!  I didn't want to wear a hat so I made this!  2 people won a gift for best dressed and "I" was one of the 2......YAY!!!

I think I want to make more to wear!! I love wearing   stuff on my head - hats, bow, flowers.....I like to dress up.  It was easy to make as well.

Thanks for stopping by!! 



Pin It

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Wednesday Family Showcase....

Let me introduce to you one of my nieces. 

Milan

She is my youngest sisters daughter. She is the youngest niece on my side of the family, and she's a feisty, tiny lil thing too!! She turned 1 in November, and was already walking at 9 months, Milan has two older brothers Malaki (7) and Maddox (4). And they are already at her beck and call! She beats them up and pulls their hair, but they love her and are very protective of her. Since my sister is a sewer too, she is the little model we use.  As you can see she is a little fashionista!! 

How cute is she? 
Milan Alycia-Ann
Um, can I have the exact same outfit in my size, thanks!

Every week I'll be showcasing one of my nieces or nephews.  We love these kids as if they were our own.  
Wow, this is gonna be a lot of posts......together the hubs and I have 18 nieces & nephews and 5 great nieces & nephews!!  

I think we need to catch up and have a baby too, we're working on it!
Pin It

Monday, January 23, 2012

Trying things from blog land! Today it's Salt Dough

I wonder what's gonna be all the rage this year.....
Last year seemed to be "Salt Dough". This stuff is great and super easy to make.  I finally got around to making some and I was really surprised at the outcome.   

While making the dough was easy, finding items around the house with textures that I could use was fun.  I pressed the dough with stamps, fancy patterns on our silverware, lace, I used a small pillbox that had a design on the side.  Endless possibilities!!

I was finally able to use my 1 billion cookie cutter set, that sits all by its lonesome in the bottom cabinet with all the other stuff that hardly ever get used, lol!! I bet they're jealous of the coffee maker.

Ok, it only has 100 cookie cutters not a billion. When I'm searching for the small heart cutter it feels like I'm searching through a billion! (",)

flour, salt and water
Cute, huh!
I really ♥'d making these.
I definitely will be making more stuff with salt dough through out the year!
Pin It

Friday, January 20, 2012

Pillowcase Dress - Tutorial!!

Here is a tutorial for the Pillowcase dress....technically I used bandanas!  So, I guess you can say Bandana Dress....whatever! lol! It's super easy to make....once you make one you can't stop!  These are not the greatest pics.....there was just too much natural light coming in through the window.




I washed all the bandanas and pressed them.

2 bandanas and a yard of ribbon.  
This is why I use bandanas, finished edges.
My sister say's it's cheating, but I told her I didn't have a
serger so it's not cheating, it's working with what you got.

Put bandanas right sides facing together, you want to align them, you can pin at the bottom and the middle if you want.  This will help when you do the folds to iron and sew. (Aligning will let you know how much you need to fold, sometimes the bandana is a little wonky or off a bit.)  

Find the tag, this will be the top part of the dress and also a indicator to tell you if this is the inside or
outside of the bandana.  On both bandanas  make a 1/4 inch fold (towards you), press and sew along existing thread line of just above, also back stitch. The tag will hide inside the second fold.  Or you can just cut off.

On both bandanas make the second fold (towards you) about 1 inch and sew close to the edge. Make sure you do a back stitch on both ends. The inside will look like it has (2) seams once you've sewn the folds (*see pic below) , while the out side will have (1).

If have labels, tag it!  You made it didn't you?
After you sew up the folds, align bandanas again right sides facing each other, this will help to have a symmetrical dress and make it easier to sew up even sides. *hint folds and tags are on the outside of this bandana sandwich (",)

I measured down about 4 inches and pinned, you can decide how big you want the arm hole area.
Start sewing a 1/4 inch seam from the hem line up to where the arm hole pin is.  When  you are close to the pin pull it out and sew a small curve out then back stitch, like the picture above.  
I didn't add a picture of this but, it's up to you how you want the outside side seam to look.  After sewing up the sides, I ironed open the seam, then closed, folded and pressed to one side and sewed up from the hem line again. It just makes it look nicer and makes it a little more durable. Again you don't have to do this.  (*I had already given the dress away so no pic) 

Use 1 whole yard of ribbon.  Pin one end and push through one side , then the other.  
Once  ribbon is through , align tails and tie a bow. Adjust as needed.  I even out the tails by cutting just a small piece off, then a quick burn with a lighter so the ribbon won't unravel. 

See, easy peasy!!  Let me know when make one, I'd like to see it.  If you have any questions leave a comment or shoot me a email.


Pin It

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Wowzers!!! Thanks guys!




Well not me, my Pillowcase Dress!!  Thanks to everyone that has stopped by to take a look and has taken the time to comment I really appreciate it!!  It lets me know that people do care what I'm doing. lol!!
I've received some comments and emails about a tutorial, I'm working on one now so it will be up before the weekend. 

I'm really glad that I've had an overwhelming response to the dress.  In the past 9 days since it's been up, I've had over 1200 views.  Many parties that I link up with have featured it and it really makes me happy!!  

Again thanks to everyone and also a big THANK YOU, to all of the hostesses who host parties.  It gives all us crafters, sewers, diy'ers, creators, inventors, re-fashioners an opportunity to show off our skills!

Also thanks to all the new readers, if you're new let me know so I can return the follow!! If I don't know  I can't follow.


Pin It

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Who's the Owner? Us or them!

Well, well, well!! 

Look who thinks they own everything in the house!  I go downstairs for 10 minutes, and this happens.  
This is Ms. Betty and I caught her asleep in my craft room.  On the table, getting nice and warm with the lamp. 


Crazy Cat!

Busted Cat!

These crazy cats drive me nuts sometimes!!  They follow me everywhere!!  I know they love us but I wish they were lap cats.....they're very fickle and show love when they "feel" like it!! lol!! Oh well!

Pin It

Monday, January 16, 2012

CURSE YOU.....INVENTOR OF THE CAKE BATTER RICE KRISPIE TREATS!!

Ok, not really!! 

These little bite size morsels of yumminess are the best, if not the greatest thing eeeee-veeeer!

I made them over the Holiday's and never got a pic of them......so when I made these for Sunday football, I completely forgot to take a pic again. When I remembered this is all that was left. Everyone loved them as you can see.  These last 2 were gone right after the pic was taken!



Yum, yum!! 
Let me know if you've made them and if you added anything to them, besides sprinkles!!  
Pin It

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Let's hear it for the Texans!!

source



The Texans season is over! Oh well.....yes we would have liked for them to go to the Super Bowl, but look how far they did make it.  We'll have to wait and see what happens next season.  It was a great day spending it with great friends and eating yummy food! i.e. men downstairs screaming like the players can hear them and women upstairs talking crafts and playing on the wii!!  Good times!! Since I'm not really that big of a football watcher, I do root for my home town teams and watch with the hubby.  I'm a baseball gal, so I can't wait for the season to start.....hopefully we'll have a better season than the embarrassing excuse of a season we had last year.


Well I'm off to watch the Golden Globes!! 




TTFN ♥






Pin It

Friday, January 13, 2012

I'm just a learning machine!!

Look what I can do!!

Okay, it's not much and this will probably be the world's longest scarf until I learn how to finish it off or do something fancy.  I recently learned how to knit, recently as in this past Monday 1/9/12.  Thanks to Youtube and the Stitch  n' Bitch video's that people have posted.  Here  is a link to the official stitch n' bitch website, you can find your very own knitting group. I have yet to do that though. 

We're having a cold weekend down here near Houston, so I think I'll be knitting and watching movies.  If the hubs doesn't drag me outdoors.

Everyone have a lovely weekend!!  Can't wait to see what everyone did on their weekend! 

Pin It

Love, love, love - Valentine Rag Pillow covering

What!!! Another pillow!!  Yes, I make tons of pillows.....1) super easy to make, 2) "hello" they are too cute and 3) you can never have to many pillows.  But this one is special.......it's for Valentine's Day!!  ♥ <smooch, smooch>


Using all my red scraps!!
Sewed my bow-tie garland!! I really wanted to leave it on the wall! :^(
I cut all the bows off of the thread and positioned them on the white paisley fabric I used, I then pinned them, then sewed them on!!  Lots of work!! 
Here it is before sewing the back on.



I just love Valentine's day, not only cause it's a day of love, but because I get to eat chocolate without the guilt!! (",)

And it's just around the corner.....this year is already flying!

Linking up Today's Creative Blog here

Pin It

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Busy in the craft room - making stuff like Pillowcase Dresses

These little sausage fingers have been busy at work! Pillows, dresses, refashions - they're tired! 

Well I made this cute pillowcase dress using bandanas.  Super easy to make! Everyone makes them and there are tons of tutorials out there. If you would like a tutorial let me know and I'll post one showing how I make them.  I made this one for my besties 9 month old, the tote bag I made late last year was for her 13 year old and she loved it!

 I want kids so bad!!  I love making these little dresses.  I know I would enjoy making clothes for my baby!

Can I just say I want a pillowcase dress too!!  How cute is this? 


2 bandanas, 1 piece of ribbon and voila this cute dress
Chose this color ribbon!

I also made a little hair clip to match.
I made it, so I tagged it! (duh)


I think I'm gonna make a few to sale at the monthly open-air craft show that is in our area of town.  If you saw this would you buy it? 


linked up at Today's Creative Blog here

Friday, January 6, 2012

1 week down, 51 to go! 2012 is going to be great!

**updated pic of finished pillow added


Wow...what a year, I mean week!  lol!  I hope that everyone had a super awesome New Years Day!!  We hosted about 20 people, adults and children this year. We were all very excited to pop fireworks since we had a fire ban in place since before July 4th. So we all kind of went crazy buying tons of fireworks.  It was pretty awesome, most of the neighbors were out as well so it was quite a show that night.  Looking forward to many great things this year.

This 1st week of the year has been wonderful.  I have started on a lot of new sewing projects.  Lots and lots of cutting has been going on in the craft room. I'm going to be trying a lot of new techniques and skills.  I don't ever really follow patterns or measurement....which can be good and bad! It's always in my head....I'll cut something then measure and write it down. I usually can never find the piece of paper I wrote it down on...so I guess that's the bad part. I try it out first to see if I like it, if I do I'll do it over to make it look neater and more aligned. 

Right now I'm trying my hand at Cathedral Window's.  I've seen this done for quilts, pillows or bags.  they are all very lovely but I feel like the fabric used makes it seem "old".  I want to make it look modern. I hope I didn't offend anyone. 

I have a stack of scrap circles that was to be used for making Yo-yo's, but I stole some and have been putting them together.  I put together some reds, blues and denim circles. Again this is my first time doing this, so it's not the greatest.  When I'm done sewing the curves down I'll sew it into a throw pillow.

I LOVE red!

I guess if I were to measure correctly, this would probably look much more aligned.

It looks a little better with the curves that are sewn down.

I'm still not too sure if I liked sewing these....it just takes too long.  I like quick results. lol!  But, I'll just have to work at it I guess.  Leave comments and let me know what you think.  I'll post updated pics when I'm finally done.


**updated pic added






Linking up at Today's Creative Blog here