Sunday, August 29, 2010

Vintage linen pillow

I have been collecting vintage linens for awhile. They are so pretty and unique. So I finally got around to using some of them. For this project I used a 14" x 14" pillow form, new white & yellow cotton ruffle trim, a piece of soft yellow bedspread, a striped pale blue sheet and an embroidered finger towel.


I loved the embroidery on this towel. I cut it to size to use as a front panel. I stitched it to a piece of the blue striped sheet.


Then I pinned the ruffle trim between the blue striped piece and the yellow bedspread piece. Putting right sides against each other. I stitched around 3 1/2 sides of the pillow, turned it inside out and stuffed the pillow through the opening. (next time I am making this a pillow case so it is easier to get the pillow form in and out of - duh to me) I then hand stitched the rest. I just love how it turned out. If my bedroom were these colors I would keep it for myself, but I am put it in my Etsy shop or sell at the next craft fair.



Thursday, August 26, 2010

Flower Power

I love today's weather - a nice cool breeze on an normally hot August day. One day closer to the weekend - yeah !

I have finally made some flowers that I have seen a lot of lately. The five cream flowers are made from an ivory chiffon. I just roughly cut circle shapes out randomly. Then I lightly held the fabric circle by a candle flame to heat the edges to singe them. Sometimes getting to close for my own fingers. Maybe next time I will try using my long handled tweezers to hold it. Then I just stacked the layers and sewed 3 simple beads in the center. Not sure what I will use these for yet, but you can now find them on headbands, pins, hair pins, clothing, purses. The other two flowers I die cut fabric scrapes and linen with my sizzix flower petals die - it cut really well. Then I pinched some of the smaller petals and hot glued them in the centers. Then I glued four of those onto the next size petal and so on. I continued layering the petals. I really love how these turned out.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

On my Walk

So I took an hour plus walk at lunch yesterday and this is some pictures I took. I really tried to take in the sights that I normally just take for granted. It was a beautiful walk. I need to do this more often. The Chicago lakefront, flowers by Buckingham Fountain and Buckingham Fountain. So I email Jason (my oldest son) the picture of me by Buckingham fountain and ask him to guess where I was walking during lunch - He emails back and asks if that was a retirement home !! Oh I that kid makes me laugh !!!





Saturday, August 21, 2010

A Cold Candle?

I got this idea from a magazine and for the life of me I can't remember which one - (I am admitting an addiction to all magazines related to creating - guilty pleasure) SO easy to make. I bought a thrifted sweater and cut the sleeve to fit around a glass candle holder. Tucked the edge slightly under the bottom and glue it with modge podge. Let it dry completely and cut a piece of self adhesive cork for the bottom to make sure it was a nice smooth surface. It needed something extra and I already had the ribbon flower pin made just waiting to be used on something. The ribbon flower was also easy to make. Just use a piece of wired ribbon - pull the ribbon along one side of the wire, turning as you go and forming it how you like. It is easy to manipulate. Then I glued a felt circle to the back and secured a pin back. I glued some scrap bead trim and there you nave it. So this is a dual purpose creation - beautiful candle holder that will provide a soft glow when lit and a bonus flower ribbon pin - So cute and fun to make. I already have some other ones in the works. Just think of the possibilities.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Banner fun

Who doesn't have tons of paper scraps. I know I do and I don't now why I can't seem to throw them out. SO I decided to put them to use. I punched a bunch of double sided patterned and solid card stock with two scallop punches in different sizes, circles Sizzix die and the party hat sizzix die. I randomly sewed them together with pink thread. I really need to use my sewing machine with paper more often - SO EASY. I ended up with 28 feet of paper banner fun !!!! Great colors and patterns - (pinks, creams, tans, silver) I am going to put this in my etsy shop this week. It will be great for any girly party - young or old.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Treasures

One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is to treasure hunt at estate sales. I never know what I am going to find. Sometimes it seems sad that people's entire belongings are sold to strangers - Where is the family, what happened to the owners, what is the history behind the stuff I buy.



So the first one I went to I got a vintage scrabble game - I pick them up all the time, I know have 4 or 5 of them. Some small wooden plaques that I will upcycle to create something fun with, 5 felt stuffed shapes - just thought they were kinda cool, a brand new pack of white tissue paper (always comes in handy), a big baggy full of costume jewlery (some junk, but some cool stuff I can re-use), a few wooden shapes I can craft into something and this real cool vintage photgraph album full of pictures for the 1920's and 1930's. This is one of those things I wonder why a family member didn't want. Maybe she had no family, so I gave I a home. All those goodies for 10.00



The second one I went to had a houseful of stuff. But I managed to find two pillow cases(not in the picture) that have some really cool pink edging on the end, one of my favorite finds is the vintage bird cage, two metal angel ornaments, a metal bird ornament, a metal snowflake, a vintage Fannie Mae valentines day tin. I have had another one of these for a few years and saw this one and thought it needed a buddy. It had some small heart fabric shapes inseide - bonus !! Got all those goodies for 7.00. So all in all a good treasure day. I posted a few more things in my Etsy shop and I noticed I got added to my first Treasury - So cool.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Time Flies

I have so neglected my blog but not any more !!! I am dedicated to trying to post everyday and also focus on creating. I have revived my Etsy store. Today I listed a few things, some tags and my finished chalkboard frames. Speaking of chalk, Jason told me someone had defaced the back yard - Well, Jason took some chalk I had out on the table and wrote on the back driveway a common thing he has been saying about Tank - Poor Tank, he gets so much verbal abuse from Jason and he doesn't even know it. Today Tank and I went for a 4 mile walk. We were walking by some people and I heard a few guys say "now there is a dog". I am so proud of my handsome Tank. Another walk that was kinda hot for him - he spends so much time cooling off. I am really careful not to overheat my poor little pup.


Back to my creative side - I am hoping that someone likes them enough to buy them. I really like these cute little tags.



I am also starting to think about making some Halloween stuff - It's only August but it gives enough time to create some good stuff.
Create away !!!!