Sharing is good. Here are a few things you can download and print out as often as you like until your heart's content and you never have to pay me a dime. Seriously, it's all free. Just scroll down on the link below to find the one you want.
Come by this summer at paw the goods in person! The perfect places to find tons of amazing wares by tons of talented folks. So far, the agenda this summer includes the following shows.
Later this summer, I'm teaching three workshops up at Squam Art Workshops in New Hampshire with lots of other creative folks. I've done several summer art workshops in the past and these are by far my most favorite environments for getting inspired and creative. Registration now open.
People can say very nice things about us and it makes me most happy. Sometimes, they even include us in their books. You can view the list of all the major mentions (click here), cause that makes me even happier. :) The list includes links to download Adobe pdf versions of the articles.
You can also find most of the online mentions by searching for "press" (click here). I try to make it comprehensive but frankly, sometimes I miss a mention or two. Know one I forgot? Let me know!
This week, I made some twine and yarn holders with my handpainted beads. They are made from metal canisters which can easily be filled with a skein of yarn or large ball of twine.
There’s a hole through the center so you can easily access and pull the length of yarn you need. I use these yarns all the time for wrapping up orders so I need something that made for some easy pulling.
I’d like to make some for the shop but things have been a bit busy so I’m not sure exactly when it will happen. But they make me chuckle seeing them on my desk.
And for some other twine holders, I use a sewing cone thread holder and a holder from Marilyn’s So Softie’s Etsy shop (which are no longer available but she has a big sale going on so go check our her other stuff!).
I sometimes like artwork to just be propped up around the house without any fussy frames or mats. While I love a mat and can happily cut my own, sometimes it just doesn’t feel right. Yet, I also don’t won’t to ruin stuff having it propped up on ledges or window sills around so I make a plexiglas sandwich to protect it. Though true, true, this is not a permanent archival solution. Rather a casual shorter term display option.
This happened to be the perfect solution to the photographs I recently bought from:hannah’s shop which I wanted to put behind the sink but also didn’t want to ruin with the errant water droplet. First, you get a piece of plexiglas and then a backing board. I use an acid-free illustration board or cardboard. Cut the plexiglas to the size of the piece or 1/8″ larger. Plexiglas can be cut with an x-acto blade and ruler. Just score the line repeatedly and then it will “snap” along that edge and break. Be sure to run the x-acto blade down the line 4-6 times so you get a deep enough score line to snap.
Next, I cut the backing board to size and stack all the pieces together: plexiglas, artwork, backing board. Then you can use virtually any kind of tape to secure the sandwich together in the corners. Since the tape does not touch the artwork, you don’t have to worry about using an archival or linen tape. Fold the tape over the corners as shown.
I am trying to get some summer clothes done and this one ended up similar to the linen work dress I made a bit back and love.
Originally, this was a wrap skirt made from a vintage Butterick 2643 pattern. It was missing the instruction sheet but had all the pattern pieces so I winged it and it turned out. But then standing in it, I realized my short stature really does look pretty ridiculous in skirts so I added a top to it to make it a dress.
The cool thing about the skirt was the construction of how the wrap worked. See how it feeds up under the pocket top? There is a loop at the side seam but the feeding it under the pocket bit is brilliant.
The top was from a pattern I made based on the proportions from that linen dress. I switched up the patterns and linings a bit and I dig it though it’s really yellow. Hello spring, hello me. I need to go get some more muslin though so I can cut in the linen stash I’ve bought confidently and not worry about messing it. I think I’d feel much better if I had a dress form so I need to get on makingone like I’ve said for so long and keep linking to but never make.
We decided we wanted to bake something for our mother’s this Mother’s day. And then I decided I wanted to make cupcake picks for the Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes we decided to make. (This is about the recipe from when I made it for Halloween.) I found this super cute bird plate locally from @Home for a pretty small price so it was set. It’s a white plate with a small bird in the center which allows for four cupcakes to circle it quite nicely.
I picked up most of the cupcake pick supplies from @Home, the small flower bouquet, yellow ribbon and snails. But you can find similar flower bouquets at D. Blumchen or Tinsel Trading or some super cute Forget-me-nots in Caramelos Artful Supplies Etsy shop. (I also included a snail cupcake pick and I think this might be the same snail, too.)
The cupcake pick bouquets are super simple and super sweet. This is what you need:
Supplies: small bouquet of flowers, length of twine, small stick or toothpick, yellow ribbon, square of unbleached wax paper
1. Take the wax paper square and fold in half. The wax paper is about 2.5″ square.
2. Take the small stick and insert 1″ into the middle of the paper. Glue in place. (I used small mini dowels like these that I picked up from Michael’s.) I used a low temperature hot glue gun for all the gluing in this project.
3. Cut a small clump of flowers from the bouquet and glue on top of the stick.
4. Fold over the top point of the square so when you flip it up over the top of the flowers, you can see the tops of the flowers.
5. Wrap the rightside of the wax paper over the top of the flowers.
6. Wrap the leftside of the wax paper over the top of the flowers. Put a small bit of glue to hold down.
7. Using the jute twine, tie the flower bundle at the bottom.
8. Make a small bow with a narrow ribbon and glue on top of the twine knot. That’s it!
We’ve been packing more lunches around here and I wanted something that wasn’t disposable for our sandwiches and even our dry snacks. I had seen this Wrap-N-Mat but wasn’t happy with the fabric choices and knew I could sew my own. So I did and I dig it.
This is it all wrapped up. To use it you place your sandwich in the center and fold in the sides.
And then fold up the bottom.
And then fold down the top and secure with a velcro tab.
Then when it’s open it doubles as a placemat.
It is shaped like an octagon so to make it I first made a paper template for a pattern.
Then cut out the hexagon from a vinyl coated fabric (I got mine from Reprodepot) and then out of a cotton fabric for the exterior. For the velcro closure, sew on the bottom middle portion the hook side of the velcro and then slip in the loop side of the velcro into the top middle. You should put about 2 inches inside the layers so the flat side is against the outside cotton fabric. This ensures it will flip correctly when you turn it rightside out. (First, I sewed a decorative twill tape to the top of my velcro but that’s not necessary.)
Then, with front sides together and sew around the edge. If you use a vinyl coated fabric, a walking foot is super helpful to prevent the vinyl from moving on you. If you don’t have one, here are more suggestions for sewing vinyl by machine.
Just be sure to leave an opening so you turn it rightside out afterwards. Finally, run a topstitch around the edge which will sew up the opening you left and you’re done!
Edited to say: Thanks for all the feedback! There have been some comments and information about the choice of using a vinyl coated fabric in this wrap. There seems to be plenty of information pointing to the dangers of PVC and vinyl in particular so I’m making another one with just canvas interior and exterior which will make a perfect sandwich pack! Then I’ll just throw it in the wash. There has also been the suggestion of PUL fabric which seems like it might be a good option but for my sandwich packing I don’t think it would be necessary.As for the dimensions, the wrap is about 11 inches wide but how about making a couple in various sizes so you can wrap up sandwich bread, wraps and snacks.
