Feltalicious Tuesday Night

Yesterday was our monthly girl's craft night. We were inspired to work with felt because of the tutorials we found online (see below). As you can see we had TONS of felt and it was so much fun. We are sad that Sarah and Clairissa weren't able to make it. Now we just need to come up with a fabulous project for next month.Here are Alison's finished projects, Alison is the one that taught us all how to do the cute rosebuds:

Here are Melissa's finished projects:

Here are Rosalie's finished projects:

Here are Britney's finished projects:

Here are my finished projects:

And here are the tutorials we used for inspiration:
http://vermillionrules.blogspot.com/2009/02/headband-night-and-felt-flower-tutorial.html

http://junepfaffdaley.blogspot.com/2009/09/sweet-sweater-rosettes.html

http://www.madebylex.com/2010/02/heart-felt-headbands-a-valentines-gift.html

http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2007/06/easy-felt-magnets.html

http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/2009/11/fall-headband.html

http://idonteatpeas.typepad.com/idonteatpeas/2009/12/felt-flower-headband-or-clip-.html

http://sewhipmama.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/rosette-headband-tutorial/

http://www.purlbee.com/rose-barrettes/

Little Girl's Top

One of my favorite things to do is take old clothes I don't wear anymore or that I find at the thrift store, and turn them into something wonderful for my kids to wear.

I forgot to take a picture, but imagine a big, unattractive, lavender, polo-style shirt. That's the "before" picture.

This is the "after" picture:



I made it using this tutorial. I just altered the length and the sleeves a bit for a cute, new play shirt.

Fabric Rose Wreath

Remember those fabric rose wreaths I wanted to try? Nearly 3 yards of white fabric and how many hours later........ here we are. I really do love it, but next time I will definitely try something smaller :)

Rainbow of Felt

I wanted to write a little more of what this blog means to me and why I wanted to start one. I have never considered myself very crafty but I have always wanted to be. Now the next part of this may sound rather silly but since I am turning 30 this year I feel like I need to start to challenge myself and go beyond my comfort zone. I thought what a better way then to put what I create out there for others to see. That is what this blog does for me. In a way it holds me accountable for the challenge that I am taking. I am grateful for the girls that participate on this blog with me and their support. I am looking forward to the many things that I will learn from each of them and the ideas shared. With that said here is something that I worked on yesterday.

A Rainbow of Felt. Can't wait to use it.

I'm starting something big.

Hey! I'm so excited to be a part of this awesome craft blog! For my first post, I'm revealing something big I've started. I have been wanting to make a quiet book for my little girls for some time. I researched and looked at many examples online, made a plan for my own, and recently bought some materials to finally get started. Now, this is no small undertaking. Every blog I've read about quiet books states how time-consuming they are and that it is truly a labor of love to make. I have found that to be the case, as well. But, I am loving how it is turning out so far. So, here are my first two completed pages!

Under the Sea


I got the idea for this page from here.


All the animals are attached with velcro.


They can be rearranged however you want. Everything on the page is sewn down and everything on the animals (except the velcro) is held on with hot glue. It's much faster than hand-sewing.

The Barn


I also got the idea for this page from Homemade By Jill. Ok, I didn't JUST get the idea, I copied it exactly. Search her blog for the templates for the barn and animals. She is awesome!


The doors open up.


Cute finger puppet friends are inside!


I used fabric and felt for the barn, and felt (the cheap kind) for the animals. I painted the faces with fabric paint and used a combination of machine-sewing, hand-sewing and hot glue to hold everything together.

Now I only have 10 more pages to make!

Last Second Homemade Valentines

Anyone need some last-minute Valentine's for their kids' school parties, but want to avoid the stereotypical grocery store cartoon character in a box-type of love tokens? Have no fear, the lovely Brittany from Cottage Road Designs is here! She drew and designed these herself and is offering them for free download. How awesome is that?! Get them here. We printed them off on cardstock and they will be accompanying those lovely baby food valentine candy jars that Melissa introduced us to. Pictures to come.

Refashioning Clothing

Have you noticed the trends in the stores lately? All the fabric-accessorized shirts and cardigans. I'm loving them, but not loving the prices. For example, at Ann Taylor Loft, just a plain-ol t-shirt that had a couple extra rosettes thrown on there was $35-50! I kept walking around the store snapping pictures with my camera phone (see below), thinking, "I could do that!!"

 

  

 

So I went home and grabbed a short-sleeved sweater that I hadn't worn in a long time - because I just didn't like it that much - and grabbed some white fabric remnants and started designing my own "trendy" shirt. Now this once-drab Old Navy sweater that I never wore, has become a new favorite. And whenever I wear it, I get several comments about where I bought it! This was just a test run, but now that I feel a bit more confident with the concept, I'm totally going to get a bunch of cheap t-shirts and spruce em up for spring with my own fun designs. Do I hear a craft night a-brewin? Who's with me??

Quick Projects

Here are the watch bracelets that I made the other day. It was so much fun learning how to make these fun pieces. Thanks Sarah and Melanie for showing me how.

Here are some frayed burp clothes that I have been working on this past week. I have TONS of girlfriends that are expecting around the same time I am and I thought theses were too cute and would be great for gifts. For a tutorial on these super easy burp cloths click HERE.

I absolutely love leg warmers for kids, they are too cute. I don't know if they bring me back to being a kid in the 80's and wearing them with my super skinny jeans with the zippers on the ankles so you can get your feet in and out of them or what, but they are too cute. I was shocked when I went to the store to get them for my niece for her birthday and they were $10. I was not willing to pay that price for half a sock so I found this great tutorial that is SUPER easy from Samster Mommy Here. What is so great about them is you use your old socks or get a pair of socks on sale like these:

And they turn into these adorable Leg Warmers:

i'm here too!

it is after midnight, i am just getting home from work, and i have nothing real to add.
but i wanted to post something to say "i'm here!" and to use my fancy signature at the bottom of the post.
so, i consider myself the scrapbook girl of the group.
i haven't any time in my life for much more, to learn new things
but holding a craft night a month will be an awesome way to get me to try some of these fun projects...
now if the three of you would stop doing things while i'm at work. you're making me jealous :D
love the craftiness so far.
off to bed. maybe i'll dream up something creative.

Beaded Watch Bands

Back in October I made a couple of beaded watch bands at a class taught by our good friends Sarah and Melanie. I love the bands. They allow me to wear a watch and a bracelet all at once. So when Sarah and Melanie said they were getting together to make more I signed up. Today I made the pink band with the matching earrings. Watch bands is definitely a new hobby of mine. Melony was there today too and made some really cute bands, we will have to get them posted as well.

Organza Heart Garland

Forgive the awful picture.....taken with my camera phone. But just wanted to show a quick project I did for Valentine's. I had a bit too much organza sitting around that wasn't being used and decided to cut some hearts out with pinking shears. I just ran them through the sewing machine one heart after another, in one long chain to make a sort of garland. I know a lot of people use paper or cotton or felt to make Valentine's garland, but I kinda like the sheerness of the organza. Makes it a bit whimsical.

Wanna make your own? Here are some fun valentine garland tutorials we found:
One Hour Craft
Oh So Crafty
Oil Cloth Addict
How About Orange

Treat Jars

I love the treat jar idea that I found here. The jars are so simple to put together and cute as well. Here are the jars that I did for my daughters preschool friends. What would make a three year old happier than a jar full of M&Ms.

Modge Podge Party 1/26/10

As our first official meeting we all got together to refashion inexpensive walmart clearance shoes such as these.

And made them into these gorgeous and much more fashion forward shoes!

One of the gals brought a pair of snake skin peep toe heels and they turn ed out amazing.
For a tutorial for how to join in our fun go HERE.

Up and Running

I want to say thank you to the friends of mine that are helping with this blog and the crazy idea that I had to start one. I do feel like it will be a great way to share our crafting ideas and give each other inspiration. I am excited to learn new things each month and along the way strengthen friendships.
Let the crafting adventure begin.