Blank Canvas

Canvas Bags.

Really.

They aren't much too look at.

They're sturdy.

They're practical.

They're good for the environment (as shopping bags and library bags).

They are also brimming with possibilities!

They come in a lot of shapes and sizes.

For this bag (which is little more than 7" tall) I used die-cut felt from Fancy Pants designs. I used a simple running stitch to applique it onto the canvas bag. You can't see it, but I wove embroidery floss through the braided handle to add a touch more color.

They come in a small variety of colors.

I did not want to buy a $14+ backpack for my new preschooler, so when I saw a colorful canvas bag I decided that this would be perfect for my little girl. It didn't take much convincing her. She loves it! The solid shapes are painted with regular acrylic paint and outlined with fabric paint. (Before you paint on a canvas bag, make sure you have a piece of cardboard inside the bag to prevent the paint from seaping through to the other side) The buttons are attatched with glittery fabric glue. The fluffy pink trim was simply attached with hot glue and it has held up perfectly.

And you can embroider them, paint them, sew on them, attach iron-ons, appliques, buttons... Craft with one today!

This is my new reuseable library book bag. I love it, but I'm also far from done with it. It seems like a fun project that I can add on to indefinitely and yet still use it in the meantime. It's mostly embroidery, but I'm beginning to add sead beads to add a bit of sparkle. Love it!

--C

Practically Cute

Practically meaning practical. My little family has a BIG road trip planned soon. I've been a little nervous as it's just me and my man and 3 kids 7 and under-no grandparents or other babysitter type help. All summer I've been thinking of what to do to make the long hours in the car happy ones. Three of three little monkeys like to color. So I thought I'd do something practical like this: that they can use as a little lap table for their travel projects.

But, how could I leave that sad little thing so plain? I couldn't, so with Pride and Prejudice on my ipod and a few hours to myself....

So much better. Practical and cute! I love what a little Mod Podge, paint and paper can do. the kids have seen these and love them. The best part is they can be simple like this or go crazy with embellishments. This just worked well for us. (I did not want to take the blame for a flower-rubbing on a Darth Vader picture if ya know what I mean!)

Glass Etching

My sister in law thinks I'm crafty.... I wonder where she gets that idea. So, a couple of weekends ago, she called me up and said she needed to do some glass etching. This is a craft I have never done. I'm up for trying a new craft any time. So, off we went to buy some fun glass stuff.

Here's the basics of glass etching.

1. You need to make a stencil. We used the Cricut to cut a stencil out of contact paper. I'm sure that is way easier than trying to cut out a stencil with an exacto knife. What we discovered was that you need to have a stencil that is one continuous pattern. You don't want to have to put tons of tiny pieces into place.

2. We stuck our stencil on what we wanted to etch. Can I just say that it was really hard to wrap the stencil around the vase. I would suggest flat surfaces or a pretty straight image for a vase.

3. We used this glass etching cream. You dab the etching cream on according to package directions (I would check your local craft store for etching cream.)

I love the finished project... They turned out sooo cute. This is definitely a craft project that I need to perfect. For us beginners, it was a lot of trial and error. Make sure you have lots of extra contact paper:) -Anisa