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

Kids Paint/Craft Smock Tutorial

My middle child loves to paint and do all sorts of other wonderful crafts. One problem. He forgets to not only ask, but even tell me that he's doing these things. Needless to say, when his creativity is at work, I'm brushing up on my laundry skills. A few months ago while making this quilt from Little Birdie Secrets tutorial, I was inspired to use a vinyl tablecloth to make paint smocks for my kids. It was SO easy. Supplies: Newspaper Tape (unless your using a Wall Street Journal) Marker 1 Vinyl tablecloth (really only about 1/3-1/2, but who has that laying around?) 2 pkg coordinating bias tape 1 T-shirt Velcro

How-To:

Lay out your newspaper and tape two pieces together (if necessary) and lay T-shirt flat. Tuck the T's sleeves inside the shirt.

Outline the shirt on the newspaper with your marker. Be sure to account for seams when tracing your shirt. Remember to make the scoop in the front for the neck.

Fold table cloth in half length wise and pin pattern piece on. There should be two identical pieces now.

If you want pockets, cut out a rectangle according to how deep you want your pockets. Lay the T-shirt piece on top and trim the sides to fit.

(Sorry about the sideways picture-blogger did that. It was right in my files)

Now-down to the dungeon where I do all my sewing.

Sew the bias tape across the top of your pocket rectangle. Pin the pocket piece to the shirt piece and baste/sew together using a 1/4 seam allowance.

Determine how many pockets you'd like. Mark how far apart you want them with some pins and sew from the bottom of the pocket to to the top in a straight line.

Take the non-pocket T-shirt piece and cut in half.

Lay the two T-shirt pieces right sides together and pin and shoulders and side seams. Sew using a 1/2" seam.

Pin bias tape around all raw edges and sew. I thought this was going to be difficult on the arm holes, but turned out to be quite easy.

Lastly-add some Velcro to the back for an easy, kid-friendly fastener.

Wood Craft Workshops

We had a little bit of chilly weather last week and I couldn't believe that fall was coming yet. Well, it warmed back up, but it is still almost time for fall crafts. So, if you live in the Salt Lake Valley and want to come and craft with me, this months crafts are... Fall Leaf Trio: Leaves-$5, Stands-$3 (I plan on having different toppers for the stands every month) Acorn: $12 Scarecrow Yard Stake: $20 (This guy is HUGE! and so cute. He will look adorable in your yard or stuck in a bale of straw on the front porch) Owl: $15 (can I just say how much I love owls right now! I think this guy is sooo cute. You may paint him fall colors or you could paint him whatever colors you want. I have a lot of paint colors, but if you want specific colors, just let me know. Also, you could make him hanging if you want. Just let me know and I'll round out the bottom a little more.) Class Dates: Tuesday, Aug. 18th 6-9 pm Wed. Aug. 26th 6-9 pm Thurs. Aug. 27th 6-9 pm

Price of wood craft includes wood, paint, and all the supplies that you need to complete the craft. All you need to do is show up (and bring your money:)

-Anisa (ryanisa@earthlink.net)

A Little Accessory Organization Here

Thanks to Angie's clippie tutorial I decided to make some for my daughter...(I improvised. They are far from amazing). Anyway, right after I made these, I needed a fun place to keep them. Lo and behold. Nanny Goat had the perfect solution HERE. I put my mother (the woman is a garage sale fiend) on the scent for an ornate-looking frame. I think she found a good one. I painted it with regular acrylic paint, choosing not to prime it so that the previous gold of the frame would show through just a bit. I attached ribbon with a heavy application of hot glue. Ribbon is by (l to r) Basic Grey, American Crafts Basic Grey, Offray and Basic Grey. If not yet a fan of Nanny Goat you need to check out their cute craft blog for ideas and inspiration, too! --C

What time is it?

It's craft time:)

Okay, that was cheesy, but I just wanted to post this cute clock that I finally finished! (my big hold up was not wanting to pay $6 for the clock plus $3 for the hands, but I got the clock 40% off so it was just about $7 total for the clock parts)

The process.....

• buy the cute scrapbook paper (this happened to already be this shape)
• trace the shape onto the wood
• cut out the wood (or pay me to cut it out for you)
• stain the wood
• mod podge the paper onto the wood
• adhere stickers (I used my Cricut to cut mine out of vinyl but any stickers would work)
• drill a hole in the center
• insert clock (according to pkg directions)
• hang on wall

So, I need help from our readers....

Would you buy this clock? Is it cute enough? How much would you pay for it? I am thinking about making clocks for a craft boutique or to sell on Etsy. Please leave a comment and help me out!

-Anisa

P.S. We are now on FACEBOOK and TWITTER! Click on our links on the side bar to be our follower or friend.

P.P.S. We got our pics taken today by Kristen Spencer Photography. Look for our smiling faces on our side bar soon!

Why Should Teachers Have All the Fun?

As reported earlier...it is back to school time for our kids due to a year-round school schedule. This time of year just happened to coincide with the over-due over haul of my crafting room. As any true crafter knows, the best way to clean up the craft room is to finish at least 5 of your unfinished projects.

I did that.

Up next on the old to-do?

Examine odd items I've been holding on to then use or toss in the trash.

The first thing I saw was a long rectangular frame that my mom picked up at a garage sale. The frame had a maple look and the picture was paper-pieced flowers and bees. Not uncute, but too outdated, too cute for me.

I took the frame, removed the glass and painted it black with acrylic craft paint.

Next I saw this large roll of cork paper (3 mm thickness) and I decided to make them into a bulletin board with unusual dimensions.

I took the glass from the frame and used it as a pattern to score the cork paper. Cork paper isn't very thick so I did this three times to create enough support for anything I wanted to stick in there.

The paper only needed a light scoring and then it was ready to break easily along the lines.

I layered the three pieces of cork paper and replace the backing on frame sans glass.

I finished off this cute project with a cork paper flower. This cork paper is 1 mm thick and slips easily into a paper punch (EK Success made this punch).

The red button finished it off nicely and then it inspired another idea! I needed pins for my cork board. I used a wire cutter to remove the pinhead off a regular sewing pin (seems I have an abundance right now (may be they multiplied on there own when they saw what great homes I had made for them). Next I found two identical buttons, stuck a glue dot (I use the Glue Dots brand) on each of them and sandwiched the pin in between. Here they are on the board. Simple practical and I didn't have to buy anything new for any of it!