pleated purse

I'd like to try this pattern. I'm wondering if it would work well for a diaper bag???

party invites

I love lemonheads so naturally I love this invitation idea. This was used for a baby shower, but you could use the same idea for any party or event. I think it would be perfect with a letterpressed invite.

party supplies

I just bought these for Elle's birthday party.  I found the best combination of price/quantity here, but shipping was expensive (almost 1/2 the total cost).  Overall it was still a better deal.  I got...

- 250 2oz. paper souffle cups - $4.39 (for cupcakes)

- 250 3oz paper souffle cups - $4.99 (for cupcakes)

- 1000 wooden ice cream spoons - $14.99 (for mini ice cream scoops)

The Wilton brand of cups ranged from $2-$4 plus shipping for only 24 to 30 cups.

Anyone need wooden spoons???

baby shower drinks

I think this is such a cute idea for a baby shower. It just takes a piece of fabric, diaper pin and a bottled drink.

baby kimono shoes

I love these handmade baby shoes. Find the pattern here.

letterpress cards

elum creates amazing lettepress products. The detail and intricacy of their designs are unbelievable and create such beautiful inked impressions. With the letterpress technique, I'm sure they feel as amazing as they look.

for lizzy

Get the how-to here.

[create] chore/activity chart

This is a project I've been wanting to create for a long time to help Elle understand and maintain a basic schedule. I kept it very simple knowing that there are key things I'd like her to do every morning (items on the left) and night (items on the right), but in general, my schedule is inconsistent which means her schedule is inconsistent. I'm hoping it can also help with establishing a bedtime routine that will get her to bed earlier than 10 or 11 at night...seriously what 2 year old gets to stay up that late???

As the first project I made in my quest to start creating with all of the craft supplies I have sitting around, this project used:

- metal sheet (given to me by a friend who bought it from a local steel company that will cut sheets to any size)
-clear pebbles (found on clearance in the home decor section at Target/find at any craft store)
- ribbon
- patterned paper (I used a set of greeting cards that I knew I would never actually write in and send)
- QuicKutz black vinyl and transfer tape
- QuicKutz adhesive-backed magnet sheets
- Silhouette Digital Cutting Tool
- diamond glaze

PART 1: CREATE MAGNETS


- Cut a piece of adhesive backed magnet sheet to fit your piece of patterned paper.
- Adhere the patterned paper to the adhesive side of the magnet sheet.

- Draw a circle around the glass pebble.
(Don't worry about drawing directly on the
patterned paper because you will cut inside of the drawn line.)



- Cut out circle.




- Glue patterned paper to the pebble with diamond glaze.
(You could also use basic glue, a double-sided adhesive sheet, etc.
I like the clearness of diamond glaze and happen to have some in my craft supplies.)



PART 2: CREATE VINYL LETTERING


- Use your Silhouette to cut out desired words in any font you like.
(I used MA Sexy for Elle's name and Ahroni for the chore words.)
- Weed the excess vinyl from the word (shown in picture above)


- Place transfer tape over the top of the vinyl word and rub to adhere to vinyl.
(QuicKutz sells a hook tool and scraper that makes these steps fast and easy)



- Remove backing from vinyl and place vinyl word on metal sheet.
- Rub to adhere to metal sheet and remove transfer tape.
(Transfer tape is just an easy way to transfer vinyl letters or images to your desired surface all in one step without ruining the layout or design of the vinyl images.ie. transfer the entire word 'elle' in one step versus trying to apply an e, then an l, l, then another e
and keeping the letters straight, consistent etc.)


- Thread ribbon through holes in metal sheet to create hanging loop.

- Hang chart in desired location and use pebble magnets to check off activities when completed.

This same project idea could be used to create to-do lists, family home evening assignments, homework charts etc.

[create] projects

I like craft supplies, just like my husband like tools. I like to have a good variety of products and supplies, and this is one place where I have a difficult time throwing something away (there just always seems to be some future creative potential!). Working in the craft industry also hasn't helped minimize this collection of stuff.

Unfortunately, I seem to have a hard time actually using these things to create the projects I want to make. Life, family, church, work, home all seem to take up more time than I have to give. Consequently, my collection grows larger and the list of "things I want to make" gets bigger.

So instead of just letting my stash grow and grow without any use, I've decided to pick projects I've been meaning to make and actually create them. Watch for these projects showing up under the title [create].

easter basket redo

Last year I wanted the perfect Easter basket for Elle but couldn't find one that I liked so I decided to make my own. It was really easy and satisfied my need to create and make something. I went for an earthy, natural look with leaves and the color green.

How to:

Simply take an Easter basket with a handle you like.

Buy artificial leaves and/or grass and hot glue them to the basket.

Tie a ribbon around the basket for a finishing touch.

fabric doll house

A friend of mine has a fabric barn that stores little stuffed barnyard animals. Elle loved playing with it. Plus, it's the perfect storage container to keep the animals toys picked up. I found this tutorial to make a fabric doll house. With our increasingly "girl" house, dolls, doll houses and cute ways to store them are all a must. This is definitely on my list to do.

mini pies

These mini pies might be a fun addition to Elle's "mini-themed' birthday party. And if not for that, at least some girly get together or lunch in the summer.

perfect bow

Tieing a perfect bow is definitely an art and something I feel like I'm completely inconsistent at. This tutorial from Paper Source may be the solution I'm looking for to get that polished, finished look everytime.

mini ice cream treats

I've started to plan what I want to do for Elle's birthday party next month. I'm thinking a mini or tiny theme with cute tiny party hats, a mini cake just for Elle, cupcakes and finger foods for everyone else. These mini ice cream scoops might be the perfect addition to theme.

terra cotta entertaining

I must be thinking spring - here's another post with terra cotta pots. I love this idea for entertaining. It's simple and allows you to pull together a cohesive look easily and without a lot money.

chalkboard paint

I love the look of chalkboards. This is a recipe to create your own chalkboard paint in the color of your choice. I think the terra cotta chalkboard pots would be the perfect place to test it out.

3 teaspoons acrylic paint (color of choice)
1 1/2 teaspoons glazing medium (water-based)
1/2 teaspoon powder tile grout

Mix all ingredients together, blending very well.

chalkboard pots

I love this idea from MS. Simply paint the pot with chalkboard paint and then write the name of the plant directly on the pot with chalk. I'd like to try it with the entire pot painted in chalkboard paint and use a chalkboard pen to make sure the writing is clear and dark enough. I think it'd be perfect for a small indoor herb garden.

photo journals

Check out this tutorial from five and a half to create your own photo journals. I love any and all notebooks. They're the perfect place to express and dream up creativity.

leather day planner

Anything planning, calendar and/or notebook is right up my alley.

From Martha Stewart: Leather is forgiving to work with -- it doesn't fray, so there's no need to finish edges, and if you purchase a 1/16-inch or thinner hide, it can be fed through a sewing machine. You'll need sturdy poly-cotton thread, a leather needle, and a Teflon pressure foot, which will keep the leather steady. Raise the tension according to your sewing machine's instructions, and make the stitches slightly longer than you would with fabric, to prevent the leather from tearing. Mark lines by scoring with a bone folder before sewing.

Tools and Materials:

One hide (5 1/2 square feet) leather

No-slip rulerRotary cutter

Multipurpose cement

Poly-cotton thread

Sewing machine equipped for leather

Leather hole punch

1/2-inch binder rivets

7-inch 6-ring spine

Rivet setter

Mallet

Paper inserts

Grommet kit or elastic cording (optional)

Leather Planner How-To

1. For standard refills (6 3/4 by 3 3/4 inches), use a rotary cutter to cut a rectangle of leather that is 10 3/8 by 7 1/8 inches. Mark the midpoint of the length, and score with the bone folder. For the closure, cut a 3 1/2-by-1-inch tab to fit in a 3-by-1/4-inch strip.
2. Cement a 1/4 inch of the tab halfway up the inside of the back cover of the planner; let dry, and then sew. Cement the strip halfway up the outside of the front cover; let dry, and sew ends. For side flaps, cut two 3 1/4-by-7 1/8-inch pieces. Cement them on all but the inside long edge; let dry, and then sew all around, leaving a 1/4-inch border.
3. Backstitch at start and finish. Place the spine on the halfway point, mark each hole with a pencil, and punch out marks with a hole punch. Align bar over holes, and stick rivet posts through each one; snap the cap pieces onto posts from the other side. Position rivet setter over each rivet head, and pound them into place with the mallet. Fill binder with paper inserts. Use flaps to store loose items.

First Published: January 2003 Martha Stewart

fabric wall squares

I love the clean, stylish look of this framed fabric project by Martha Stewart. Maybe I'll implement this in the girls' room.