Leo

This is Leo. It was a doggie that a friend at work commissioned me to make for her mom. It's the first bigger plush animal that I've done. I think it turned out really cute.
I think I'm going to make a couple more in different colors and textures.








Hope everyone has a great holiday!

Update!

I got a bunch of these vintage buttons from a friend's mom...I love button bunches it's like searching for treasure!


Shop Update!!!!

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Handborn

So Handborn was last night and it was a great success. Thanks to the ones that came by and supported me! At first I was a bit nervous but then as soon as the event started I relaxed and just had a good time. There was a ton a people and I was really happy that they liked my stuff.

I'm thinking of doing more shows and craft fairs. I have new ideas for future items and I've learned what sells and what doesn't and what to do different. I'm going to put whatever was left from the fair and put it at the shop. I have no listings yet but by the end of the weekend I should have a new batch of owls, bags, jewelry and a few new items. I'm excited.

Here's my table:




Can't wait to start designing some new items!

I love gifts!

Giving gifts that is...

Went to my friend Danielle's housewarming party so I made her this set of fabric coasters they match with how she decorated her new house.




Anyway I'm getting ready for Handborn...so I've been pretty busy...although I'm hoping to take some time off this weekend and visit Alba in Oakland, I need the break!

All settled in

So I am all moved in back to my parents. I drove a HUGE uhaul for the first time yesterday and let me tell you that was an interesting experience! Anyway now all I have to do is organize my room, get a desk, and a new bed frame.

In other news I finished this doll I made for my mini-me (my goddaughter) and since making dolls are not my specialty and this was for a gift that had to be done in about a week I used Emily's Black Apple Doll pattern from the Martha Stewart website HERE but I made the little bloomers and the dress from scratch I had to make my own pattern for it...yes it did take me almost a week to finish it but I think it turned out pretty good.






aren't her bloomers cute?




So last weekend I went to Joann's and I got some fabric I waited about an hour to get my fabric cut but it was worth it!



Oh and I made some earrings and a necklace...these are the kind of necklaces I will be selling at Handborn oh yeah I forgot to say it's been confirmed that I will be having a spot there at the end of this month. The necklaces and earrings are all made from vintage and new beads and sterling silver chain and findings.


Now I'm going to focus on making stuff for the craft bazaar and starting my first quilt!

I love mail

The other day I came home to find a package waiting for me...it wasn't much of a surprise since my bestie Christina was all excited to tell me that she got me "something." Too bad she has a big mouth and let the cat out of the bag on my journal as a comment hahaha. Anyway she got me these great business cards. The best part is that they are MOO cards. She took a bunch of pictures of some crafts I made and put those as the image on the front of the card. Isn't she great? I looooove them :)






Today I ran errands all over the place! After leaving the voter registration office (yes I'm registered now), I went to this lovely bead shop downtown. I LOVE this place. Beads of Contenment has so many types of beads they give you a little basket to put all your beads but oh my god it's addicting and after a while you tend to lose it and start buying all kinds of stuff! I restrained myself today and this is what I bought. I have a few ideas for some earrings I want to make. Might put them in the shop or gift them for Christmas we'll see...




Do you see the bicycle charm?? That's for a bracelet I'm making Dena for Christmas since she's crazy about biking...I think she's going to love it shhhhh don't tell her! I'm thinking black cord either with knots or a sterling silver clasp.


So this weekend I'm going to focus on jewelry and packing. I'm going to leave the sewing stuff for next week. I have so many projects that it's sometimes overwhelming I need to finish one completely THEN start another, but that's hard cause there so much I want to do!!!!

amazing log bowls

I was browsing all my favorite blogs the other day and I found a post about THIS amazing bowls. Now what is so great about these? Well take a look at them yourself.




How can I NOT want one or all of them. I'm obsessed! So imagine my disappointment at the fact that these aren't for sale. They are a lovely work of art. Created by The Loyal Loot Collective check out the rest of their lovely creations. Maybe I can somehow use these as inspiration to make my own. That's a thought!

OWL tutorial

Materials:
fabric (any will work it's where you can get creative, I like using a pattern for the body and muslin or canvas for the belly (that's the smaller pattern piece)
needle and thread
embroidery thread (for the beak)
buttons (for the eyes)
felt
cardboard or 3 x 5 cards

(NOTE: I hand stitch all the owls I don't use a sewing machine, but I'm sure it's possible. I just like hand sewing these, I usually cut and pin a bunch of the pattern pieces and then put them in my purse, I sew while at work, watching tv, long car rides, and waiting rooms haha)

Here is the pattern (sorry it's not some fancy file you can download I didn't have time to figure it out on the computer) I drew it on a 8 x 10 blank piece of paper just so you get an idea on the size:



here are the pieces already cut:



Pin the smaller piece on the right side of the fabric like I show here:



backstitch along the edge like shown here (I usually go over it a second time cause the fabric can fray while you sew):



fold the fabric including the belly in half and pin the top like you see in this picture:



open and pin the side that's not stitched like this and then backstitch that side like you did with the other side:



Then fold again and stitch from where the stitching you just did starts to the top point (it's only necessary to do it once), then cut the extra fabric at the very top point without cutting where you stitched:



Turn the fabric inside out and use a sharp point like a pencil or closed set of scissors to get the point like this:



fold the top point towards the front and pin ( you can just eyeball it and decide where you want the beak, the lower you put it the smaller the owl):



now starting from the inside (that's where the knot will be) use the embroidery thread and stitch the beak (make sure you are not stitching the owl together, I made that mistake more than once haha) like this:



now before stuffing the owl do a running stitch all along the bottom:



stuff the owl to your liking ( I like them a bit chubby!) and pull the thread, gather the fabric and knot:




Now you have the owl body: next you will need a piece of felt, and the small piece of cardboard or 3 x 5 cards (this is what I use cause it's easier to work with and it's handy):



cut the felt in a circle the size of the bottom of the owl. Then cut the 3 x 5 cards in a smaller circle leaving some fabric so you can stitch around it:



before stitching the bottom sew on the eyes first, I like using mismatched buttons the most :)



Pin the cardboard/3x5 cards to the bottom of the owl so that you don't sew it on crooked:



backstitch around twice ( I like using contrasting thread):



and you are DONE!



Hope that was helpful and if anyone has any further questions let me know!

new owls in the owlery

I finally finished the rest of the owls I had started a while ago...Once I finished I realized how freaking cute they are!!! So I gathered them up for a class picture :)

This is them hanging out mingling talking to each other I mean after all they just met...plus they have to find a partner otherwise they will get lonely when they are given away.



Class picture! They were very well behaved...well except the zebra print and yellow one I have to keep my eye on that one...


These two are my favorites!





I think I might have to start an Etsy shop soon...

A few things

I kind of love sundays. They are either going to go two ways for me...lazy or productive...today was half and half. I tried organizing my craft supplies but realized I have too many! and it just gave me a headache. Instead I sat down in front of the tv and watched the Law & Order CI marathon while finishing off some projects.

BEFORE all that though I went to my parents and hung out with my mom for a bit...I visited my sister's crazy cockatoo Peak-a-boo...why do I say she's crazy? cause she thinks she's a cat now. She meows EXACTLY like one...haha I'm sure she picked it up from the stray cats it's just hilarious to hear her do it...oh and she loves being petted. She also likes to dance and talk all kinds of gibberish which really sounds like she's telling you off or something. Kosmo doesn't like her much, why you might be asking??/ cause she likes to chase him around the house yes he's a wuss and what!




I also took some pretty pictures of my dad's flowers...I wish I had inherited his green thumb :(




Now for some crafty things...

I had a few of these already sewn up but I just needed to finish them up...I'm thinking of giving them away in pairs. Cause they will get lonely by themselves don't you think??

oh and last but certainly not least I love this little flower pin I made out of ric rac it's my first attempt so I know it's needs some work but practice makes perfect...I think I'm gonna buy some more in different colors and make a bunch