Made: a photobook

The idea was simple enough: make something for Valentine's Day unlike the things I've made before.  That idea then stretched a little--make something that isn't just for Valentine's Day, but something that can be special every day.  That's a nice tall task.  Still, the idea took on a form.  I would document my day, those little mundane things of my Monday to Friday life, print them, and put them in a book I would make myself.  Then my husband, when he's at work all day for the long hours of busy season, can find a picture of what I'm probably doing at that moment, and in a little way, I am with him.

Supplies:

decorative paper (for the cover), heavy paper (for the pages), masking tape (mine was 1/2 inch wide), printed pictures (mine were printed on regular paper so they wouldn't be too thick), scissors, glue, cardboard or chipboard (for the cover), ribbon, stamps, and embellishments, calligraphy pen

Steps:

Print the pictures.  Glue them to the heavy paper in chronological order.  Use the masking tape to bind the pages to each other.  Cover the chipboard or cardboard with the decorative paper, then use the masking tape to bind it to the pages.  If you want to attach a ribbon to tie the book closed, glue the ends of the ribbon under the decorative paper on the inside of the cover.  Once the book is put together, you can stamp and embellish to your heart's content.  You might want to label the pictures, too.

woolly branch centerpiece: a tutorial

I meant to post this on Friday last week, but then we went to Louisville and I was thinking about other things, so it's a bit late.  But then, anyone who knows me well can tell you that being late is sort of common with me.  I mean, I'm good about getting to work or to class on time (or very, very close to it), but if you're planning to have dinner with me at six, be ready to wait until five after (or even quarter after) the hour before seeing me.

Besides, do you ever really remember when bloggers say they'll post something next week or the week after?  I know that I don't.  Maybe that's just me and an early onset of those senior moments my middle school history teacher used to claim to have.  If I'm having them at twenty-two, though, I'm a wee bit concerned for the future.

Oh, what's that?  This is supposed to be a tutorial and not a stream of consciousness narrative concerning my momentary memory lapses?  I've done it again.  Here is a very simple project that looks very pretty in real life.  The photos confirm the great need for more sunshine and better light in the month of April here instead of ten-plus inches of rain.  Thank goodness the sun came out on Friday and Saturday!

It really is that easy.  Happy wrapping!

You may have noticed that I didn't use wool in this woolly centerpiece.  However, wooly sounds better than yarn-y (or does it?) and even though this was an acrylic yarn, it still has a bit of a wooly look.  I'm also allergic to wool, so I generally don't use any wool yarns.  Itchy reddish fingers, hands, and arms are unpleasant.  How's that for some great imagery?

Happy Easter!

{an allergy friendly Easter centerpiece: yarn wrapped branches, an empty spaghetti sauce jar, kraft paper with hand drawn polka dots and gel pen writing, and tags from Eat Drink Chic (in black and white because I have no color ink at present).  more pictures and a tutorial to come next Friday.}

ventures into the blogosphere :: screenprinting tutorial at Lil Blue Boo

For at least the last year, I have wanted to try my hand at screenprinting.  I haven't had time to take a class and there's no way I'm going to try it in a completely carpeted rental, even if this kit at Urban Outfitters has been teasing me with its all-your-supplies-together-ness. There are a million tutorials available that tell you how to screeprint, but I've always found them incredibly confusing, even the ones that claim to be simple, except for this one from Lil Blue Boo.  The materials are simple enough that I can get them at any craft store, and the method doesn't require anything too complicated or expensive.  Guess what I'll be doing this summer?

Lil Blue Boo is the internet home of Ashley, maker extraordinaire.  She paints, sews, prints, operates a clothing and pattern store through her website, and still has time enough to post clear and helpful tutorials.  Right now, she's doing a series of posts called "What would YOU make?" that features a bunch of different bloggers.  She sent a bundle of the same fabric print to each of them--a darkish floral number--and asked them to create their own pieces from it.  All the different creations from the same fabric are so interesting, because they are so similar and yet each one is completely unique to its maker.  I really like the premise of the project.  It'd be fun to do with all sorts of materials--maybe a packet of different papers, or a notebook and a pen, or some other limited number of raw materials.

If you have some time, take a look at her other tutorials, and maybe you'll find one you'd like to try, too. 

Have a lovely day!

"The amen of nature is always a flower." -Emerson

I completely missed sending out Christmas cards, and while I know a lot of people don't bother with them, I still wanted to.  But at the time, I was working full time at the university and part time at the movie store and had very little time to design, create, and mail a whole bunch of cards.  So I'm sending them out for Easter instead, and this has the added plus of a timely note to family and friends that we're moving.  I'm having the worst time getting good pictures today, ones that actually capture the soft pastel color of the cards, but a couple of these still turned out to be shareable.  I used the leftover paper from my graduation announcements, some green card stock paper, and a stamp my mom gave me for my birthday.  I'm sending these to friends and relatives that live out of town and out of state--the people I hardly get to see.

I love the quotation on the stamp, as noted in my title: "The amen of nature is always a flower."  While I often found Emerson to be a bit on the pompous and irrational side, I can't deny that he has a gift with turning a good phrase, and the thought captured in this one is perfect for this season.  If "amen" is taken for its meaning of "let it be" in addition to its more religious connotations, then we can read this phrase to mean that nature says "let it be" with these beautiful, delicate things that spring to life from the smallest seed.  

It is beautiful, no?

P.S. I'm linking here, here, and here.  The buttons are on the right.  Click them to see more projects by other bloggers!

making nice with my sewing machine

My sewing machine and I squabble sometimes, but it's never Janome's fault that many patterns are sized for girls with rectangular bodies (when you find one, let her know I've made a skirt that should fit her) and that I never measure twice and cut once.
But sometimes I make friends with Janome again, and we work out our differences and make pretty things.  I've learned it's best if I stick with plain shapes, like rectangles, squares, and the occasional buttonhole.  This time, though, I managed some gussets, of which I'm quite proud.  I'd write you a tutorial if I had made it in a way that was logical and could be recreated, but any directions I give you are liable to get your sleeve sewn to your bag (almost happened) and leave you ripping out seams every fifteen minutes (did happen).  Instead, I'm sharing only the finished product, with adjustable straps inspired by this tutorial spotted on pinterest and a little bit of pattern mixing.

{straps button on at two different lengths}

{fully lined}

{gussets!}

{altogether+overstuffed bookshelf}

I've gotten a lot of blurry shots lately.  I think I need to get a tripod.  I really want a DSLR camera and a class on using it well, but that doesn't seem likely to happen in the near future.  Still, if I find a great price on at least the camera, well, I'll figure out the class.  In the meantime, I'll keep waiting and hoping for sunny days, which are getting more common now that winter's over.


It's a whatever Wednesday on Momma Hen's Coop, so there's a button in this post.  You should look at this table she rescued and prettified with paint.  It's also a plus that she's from Kentucky.

special feature: a washi tape project

This funny thing happens when you actually look at your blog archives: you find posts you forgot to actually, well, post.  Is there a way to phrase that sentence without being so redundant and repetitive?

Sorry.  I'll stop with the wordy puns.

So here's a post I wrote in the early fall, and never published (ah, yes, that is the right word!).  It's sort of a how-to just for you.  I did update the dates and such, now that C. and I have been married almost a year (when I first wrote this post, it had been two months).

Last summer, my husband of ten months and I celebrated the second anniversary of our first date.  It was an awkward date, as all tend to be, but grew more comfortable as we sipped white chocolate mochas (in July, I know!) and talked for over five hours.  We then parted for two weeks, which would soon prove the longest we would stay apart.

Over the past two-plus years, we have celebrated some momentous occasions--a wedding, a proposal, I-love-yous, and a first kiss, though not quite in that order--and I wanted to celebrate.  So, drawing inspiration from all the amazing washi tape projects I've seen around the blogosphere, I created a simple-yet-special card to give my husband.

I started with some blank notecards.  I bought a pack of 200 at Target a few months ago, in all different soft shades, which have proven enormously useful.

On each notecard, I wrote down the date of an occasion, a little title, and a few words of description.  I also stamped little hearts under each date, with the number of hearts correlating to the event's place in chronological order.  I chose eight different days, starting with our first date, and ending with our anniversary.  But it would be very simple to extend or shorten the number of cards you use.

I then attached the matching envelopes to each other with a glue stick (acid free), then wrapped washi paper tape around the top and bottom to secure the attachment, since the glue sticks aren't super duper strong and washi tape is far more pretty.  I had a marker with a heart stamp on one end and did a border above and below the washi tape.  I tucked the ends of the top piece of washi tape inside the envelope so that it appears seamless.  Then I just set the cards into their own little pockets and they were ready to go!

It's so fun to look at the cards and remember all the big days of our relationship, but it also reminds us of all the happy little days in between.  Enjoy sharing the same memories with your special someone!

Best,

Katie

p.s. this project seems to coordinate well with my new blog's colors.  hooray for slight success in matching!


p.p.s. I'm submitting this for the itssoverycheri blog's project party, hence the button at the end of this post.  Cheri has a nifty tutorial on making fabric tape, so you may want to check it out.

ventures into the blogosphere :: getting crafty with Poppytalk Handmade

I'm always looking for good DIY projects, things that you can personalize  and make your own, and this project, a guest post by Janis Nicolay of Pinecone Camp is most definitely of that sort.  Poppytalk Handmade is a site with that wonderful wabi-sabi aesthetic ever-present, so it's no surprise that I would find something I love here.  I don't know if the style in this project would fit well with my home in the style shared here, but I have some old wall paper found at the thrift store (formerly used to cover a headboard found on the side of the road) that just might work.  You could also use some odds and ends for this project--maybe the cover of a takeout menu with a pretty design or some wrapping paper.  I'd advise against any newspaper, though--with mod podge, the ink tends to run, I've learned.  You could always photocopy something, though, if you want that kind of a look.

poppytalk: Getting Crafty in Chinatown!

 

 

{Image by & belongs to Janis Nicolay}

holiday DIY of the day #1

Ready for a countdown to Christmas?

It's the last day of November, and there are twenty-five days until Christmas.  I'm going to find a fun DIY project for you every day until then, and perhaps (if the clouds would just clear and give me some photographably useful light) post the whatnot garland that will soon hang from the wall of our living room.

For today, I took a little adventure to Nice Package and came across these...

babalisme: Art Swap : Continued

{if the picture doesn't show, click on that little blue box with the question mark.  I'm having some technical difficulties at the moment}

I believe these darling little ziploc bags would be too fun to replicate as an easy and personalized way to deliver edible Christmas gifts.  I'll be trying my hand at one later, though I believe it may end up on my desk as a storage option. Most baked goods don't make past C. or me.

definitely want to do this #7: book page fabric

um, brilliant!

maybe I should just start a category of "awesome design*sponge DIY projects," because there are a lot of them--and most of them I can actually do!

Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » diy project: brenna’s book page fabric

Want to make.

definitely want to do this #6: market bag makeover

Oma gave me a few random little canvas totes (and I have a few of my own, naturally) that could be enormously adorable if I just adopt this little tutorial...

Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » diy project: market bag makeover

I'll update once my sewing machine arrives and I make one!

a before and after.

I spotted this on my way home from work at the university today:

(sad, tired out headboard)

I was lucky.  It's super lightweight and short enough that I could slide it into the trunk of my civic coupe, with the back seats flipped forward, of course, just steadily enough to drive the tenth of a mile (or less?) home.  I cleaned it off and brought it inside.

Yesterday, my family came to visit.  My mom, sister, and I went over to Peddler's Mall just for the fun of it.  I picked up a roll of wallpaper in a nice Waverly print to use for paper crafts.  So when I brought this sorry headboard upstairs, I had a thought and here's what happened...

With that and some bed raisers, we have a new headboard.  It didn't have a way to bolt in--that part had broken off at some point--so I have it wedged into the bed raisers and stuck felt furniture pads on the back so it won't damage the wall.  I need to touch up the paper a little bit, but overall, I think this turned out very well for a roadside trash find, a dollar roll of wallpaper, and twenty minutes this afternoon.

craftster find

A few months ago, I got married.  My dear bridesmaids wore these headbands that I made...

{as worn by my beautiful little sister}

They were simple and very pretty and I wanted to share how I made them, but I think I'm a disaster at writing a tutorial.  I tend to be far too detailed on some steps and not detailed enough on others.  I also get annoyed by saying "then" and "next" a million times because I feel so redundant.

So when I found this tutorial on Craftster, I had to contact its creator and ask if I could share it.  She added a step--burning the edges so that they curl.  I used silk taffeta scraps from the flower girls' dresses that my mom made, so it wouldn't have worked the same as with the polyester in this tutorial, but I really love the effect!

This tutorial is by Connie of ReFabulous.  She's a homeschooling mother of eight--I know!--children and runs a darling etsy shop as well as her blog.  Her creativity is definitely inspiring, no?  So without further ado, here is the tutorial.  Have fun!

Flower hair clips -- with TUTORIAL! - JEWELRY AND TRINKETS.

1. Cut out circles (or whatever shape you like) from the polyester that are slightly larger than your desired finished flower size. We used concentric circles for ours for a fuller, layered look. Be sure to cut a few extra, to allow for experimenting and mess-ups.

2. Light your candle, and place on a sturdy surface, away from flammables, pets and children. Place your jar of water within reach.

3. Using a clothes pin, hold one fabric circle over -- not in -- the flame of the candle.

Quickly rotate the fabric circle above the flame. The fabric will curl and may change colors.

You'll want to experiment with a few extra circles, as different fabrics will act uniquely when held near the flame. Some will curl in one direction, some turn colors, some crinkle. Holding them closer to the flame or longer will also achieve different results. Once you've achieved the look you want, set the circle aside on the foil to cool.

4. Repeat on all the fabric circles. Extinguish your candle when you are finished.

5. EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: If you hold the fabric circle still for too long, or too close to the flame, it will scorch and/or catch on fire. If this happens, quickly and carefully place the burning fabric in the jar of water to extinguish the flame. Be very vigilant -- as some fabrics tend to ignite quicker than others!

6. Next, arrange and stack your fabric circles (petals) into flowers.

7. Using your needle and thread, sew a few stitches through all the layers of petals -- just a little "X" will do -- fastening all the petals together. Tie off thread in the back of the flower.

8. Now, attach your flower center. If you are using beads or buttons, stitch them in place, tying off the thread in the back of the flower. If you are using other embellishments, a strong adhesive (such as E6000) may be used to attach them to the flower.

9. Finally, attach your flower to a hair bobby, clip or pin back using your strong adhesive.

10. Set aside on the foil, and allow it to dry thoroughly, according to your adhesive's recommendation.

And that's it! So simple, and so pretty. The possibilities are endless -- imagine these flowers layered with ribbon, mesh, tulle, organza. . . or topped with an antique brooch or cameo! These would make sweet little gifts for teachers, co-workers and friends, or even lovely stockingstuffers. Have fun!

~

Visit ReFabulous for more photos, a video, and to see a few other projects.

definitely want to do this #2: done!

I have looked for a nice comforter for our bed.

I had one that was the right weight and size, but according to Cory, it was a little bit too feminine (probably true).  So I had the idea in my head to make a duvet cover.

I finally got around to it on Thursday.  I had fabric (a gift), a king-sized flat sheet, and a twin-sized flat sheet, none of which were in use.  I followed (loosely) this tutorial from design*sponge, particularly to use the french seams.  I'm so glad I did, because the entire project looks more finished.  Now with a bit of straightening up, we'll have quite a nice looking room.

our home - a set on Flickr

I also had some fun decorating our bathroom.  More on that later...

quick project: old sheet=new dress

I'm posting this in the current craftster challenge.  Kat had the link to the site, I saw it, and a few weeks later...

[gallery]

One twin-size fitted sheet from when I was ten, two nearly-empty spools of thread, and my circa-1980s Pfaff, inherited from my aunt via my mother.



It needs some alterations to be worn alone, but with a top and a cute sweater, it's ready to go.  I think I'll wear it to work tomorrow.

Maybe tomorrow (when I'm not dozing), I'll post how I did it.  I made many mistakes along the way, though, so my instructions may be lacking.

eh, goodnight.

ventures into the blogosphere: snippet and ink, etc.

I took a nostalgic trip back to wedding planning and looked at the weekend links on Snippet&Ink.

One sent me here and then I found these beauties:



Baroque Bookshelves, Home Accessories | Graham and Green Home Accents

They're so stinking nifty.  I'd love to take some plain boxes and put frames around them to replicate the effect, hopefully for less than forty-five pounds (whatever that may presently be in in dollars).

currently loving: Olive Manna

I have never bought anything here, but I love looking through the selection and imagining what I could create with the little goodies.

I wonder if I could knit with the cotton twine?  I mean, I'm sure I could, but maybe I should improve my knitting skills first.  Maybe I should actually get going on a project first!  Of course, to do so, I would need my fabric, sewing supplies, and everything else in one place.  Right now, it's scattered between my parents' house, C's parents' house, and our apartment.  Oops.

all images via Olive Manna – Home.

after-wedding project

so cute. so fun.

Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » sewing 101: making a pouf

definitely want to do this #1: book of notes

envelope book: one.

Originally uploaded by ohhellofriend

I am in love with this.
I found it via Oh, Hello, Friend.
Danni's blog is one of my favorites by far! I can never stop reading it once I begin. So many lovely images and ideas...