Stocking Up With Sales

Holidays are over, but that doesn’t mean the shopping has ended yet.  I made all my gifts, so I still have cash to spare.

First I made a stop at SAS, I do believe I have mentioned the wonder that is SAS before (see Done Already?).  I got more eyelet lace for $1 (as if I needed more), a huge roll of elastic that was also $1, 4 bells for 5 cents each, and 6 rolls of ribbon.  Two of those were 99 cents each, the second two were 65 cents, and the last two were free.  They were having a buy two get one free sale on ribbon, and they were insistent.  I had only picked out four rolls and the lady at the counter refused to ring me up until I had picked out the two free ones, not complaining about it.  Free is free.

I stopped by Wal-Mart this week as well, everyone’s heard of their 50% off Christmas clearance, right?  The only Christmas thing I liked was this cinnamon scented candle on sale for 50 cents.  It smells fantastic, much better than the pine and spiced apple ones.  While browsing I found these cute little erasers.  They had a bunch of them and they are only 50 cents a pack.  So cute, and shaped like desserts, junk foods, sushi, toothbrushes, cooking utensils, etc.  So many to choose from, I think I want to go back for more.

My mom gave me all her Bookman’s trade credit for Christmas, so I had to make a stop there.  I got the PatLabor vol. 7 DVD for $4, a baggie with and inkpad and 6 self-inking stamps for $1, and a rubber stamp of a heart-shaped bar of soap for 25 cents.  I also got a book but I didn’t like it so I’m taking it back, they have an excellent return policy.

I also got some hair elastics from DollarTree (obviously for $1), and some serger thread for $2 and white gloves for $1 at Joann’s.  They didn’t seem to be much of a point to take pictures of those, who doesn’t know what thread looks like.  Plus you will probably get to see the elastic and gloves eventually anyway, I am planning on doing something with them.  Might as well since I am now fully stocked up on ribbon and lace.  Look forward to it.

Read More »

T’was the Day of Christmas

T’was the exact day of Christmas, and all through the house,

Every creature was stirred up and mucking about.

The stockings once hung, but not anymore.

They’re tossed with shredded wrappings all over the floor.

The children are wide-eyed and shrieking with glee.

The adults are stumbling, still half asleep.

They rip through all the gifts in ten seconds or so,

Burying everyone in bright torn paper and bows.

One got a doll, but not the right one.

She wanted the pink one, the blue one’s no fun.

The second got such a loud toy, he loves it ever so much.

It doesn’t have an off switch, mom says “thanks a bunch”.

Third is the baby, but he’s growing so quick.

Too bad all the clothes he got already don't fit.

Mom is a little fed up with this “festive” sight,

Luckily someone crafted a gift for her that was just right.

A handmade eye mask to block out the view,

It will keep her content for an hour or two.

By then her mood will improve, she’ll be brimming with cheer.

Wishing all a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

Read More »

Holly Jolly Christmas

 

As promised yesterday, here is the dress I made.  I actually used a Christmasy tablecloth with a lovely holly print, it was another dollar find.  The dress is trimmed with off-white lace, has shirring on the front and back, and laces up the front.

Here’s the backside.  As with all the dresses I make, it has a sash that ties in the back.  I plan on wearing it to church Christmas Eve.  We (the choir) sing every year at the 11 o’ clock service.  It should be fun, but a little tough the next morning. 

Read More »

Cutting It Close

I said I would finish the list by today, and that’s just what I did, sort of.  I finished the dress on my list, but kind of forgot to take a picture of it.  I’ll have plenty of that up tomorrow.  Here’s the rest of it.

Everyone should know by now that I love to craft with corrugated cardboard and that includes making decorations.  Hence the creation of this cardboard wreath.  I cut out a bunch of circles with the help of my niece and glued them to a ring that was also cut from the cardboard.  After that all I had to do what paint it white and sprinkle glitter all over.  Then came the ribbon, I reused some ribbon that someone was going to toss.  They were going for more of a silver and gold look this year. 

This is a small doll of the main character of Sayonara Zetsubou-Sensei, a manga series my brother likes.  It’s only about 4 inches tall and made with scraps of white an black fabric, fleece, a few beads, some wire, and plenty of glue (for the hair and shoes).  Knowing my brother, he will probably point out the the colors of the outfit aren’t quite exact.  Otherwise, it probably came out okay.

I had a bunch of labels left unused and a whole bunch of rubber stamps, also unused.  Put them together and now I have a bunch of homemade stickers, perfect for stocker stuffers and such.

Here’s that skirt I wanted to make, I wore it to church Sunday since it was a special day along with…

…the tie I wanted to make.   Simple black bowtie, dressed up with a touch of lace.  It went perfectly with…

…this lovely hair accessory.  It was a little bonus that went perfectly with the skirt and tie.  There are fabric roses on both sides.  I actually got more compliments on this then the skirt and tie.

And with some of the scraps left from the skirt, I made this ruffled collar for Midnight.  We match!  It’s being modeled by my niece’s stuffed dog named Ruby.  Ruby could use a trip to the washer.

For the nephew who doesn’t like “girly” plush toys, a plush robot.  Made from an assortment of fleece scraps.  My mom thought it looked like one of those one little toys, I forget the name, I think it was Knac-knacs or something like that.

And last is a Christmas cracker for Midnight, or at least my version of one.  Wrapping paper rolled around a tube and filled with cat treats.  She usually gets one in her stocking most years.

Here’s the updated list:

• Doll jacket
• doll clothes
• Tissue pouch
• Pins
• Scarf
• Boxes
• Purse
• Ornaments
• puppet
• Wreath
• Sweatshirt makeover
• Mascot
• Stickers
• Robot
• Collar
• Red skirt
• Tie
• Christmas cracker
• Dress

Nineteen down and out.  Whoo Hoo!  Don’t forget, I’ll be putting up pictures of the dress tomorrow.

Read More »

One Week to Go, Eek!

Okay, starting to panic.  Due to several distractions (i.e. social stuff, sleep, the sniffles), I am officially behind schedule on my list.  But that shouldn’t be a problem, it happens every year.  Sort of a holiday tradition, the ones you don’t want.

First up is this sweet little purse I made for one of my nieces.  I used scraps of jeans and lined it with a cute pink cotton print with dots.  It’s trimmed with an off white eyelet lace and snaps shut with a pretty snap that was a pain in the butt to get on correctly.  Hopefully she will love it.

Next is these ornaments I made with pinecones.  I basically drenched them with glitter and Mod Podge and then glued on little bows and cord to hang them.  My niece thought they looked like little Christmas trees.

I realized I forgot something else from my list, again.  How does that happen twice?  Anyway, this is a doggie hand puppet for another one of my nieces.  She is a natural when it comes to dogs, so I thought she would love a cute dog puppet. 

If anybody has been paying attention, this is that sweatshirt I got from that last rummage sale (see Numbers Game and Perfect Heels).  I loved it because it was pink, but that was about it.  I wanted to make it prettier, so here’s the before…

…and here’s the after.  I chopped off the hem and neck and cut it down the front.  I covered the new neck with ribbon and added ruffled lace along the other edges.  Now it’s really cute and extra girly.   Perfect sweater for this weather too.

Here’s the updated list:

• Doll jacket
• doll clothes
• Tissue pouch
• Pins
• Scarf
• Boxes
• Purse
• Ornaments
• puppet
• Wreath
• Sweatshirt makeover
• Mascot
• Stickers
• Robot
• Collar
• Red skirt
• Tie
• Christmas cracker
• Dress

Ten down, nine more to go.  No worries, I will have this list done by Tuesday without fail.

Read More »

Touch of Origami

When I was younger, I learned how to make little boxes like this, though I forget exactly where I learned it.  They are so very handy for organizing and such, but I have a different purpose in mind, gift boxes.  There are perfect for all the pins I made (see Pretty Pins and Pouches), just the right size and light weight too.  Of course, now I have to figure out how to wrap everything else.  Plus, I have to finish everything else.

Here’s the updated list:

• Doll jacket
• doll clothes
• Tissue pouch
• Pins
• Scarf
• Boxes
• Purse
• Ornaments
• Wreath
• Sweatshirt makeover
• Mascot
• Stickers
• Robot
• Collar
• Red skirt
• Tie
• Christmas cracker
• Dress

Six down, twelve more to go.

Read More »

428

If by now you still haven’t figured out what to make for everyone on your list, here’s a little help.  Craft Stew has compiled this list of sewing patterns, 428 of them to be exact.  You should be able to find what you need there, there’s also some recommendations for which to choose.  So it’s no sweat.

Read More »

An Old Favorite

I believe this is the third time I made one of these, it’s a t-shirt scarf.  You can find a tutorial for it here.  I used a blue long sleeve t-shirt this time, it was way too big as is so I had to chop it up into something.  I think I could make a skinnier version with the leftover sleeves, bonus gift!  Anyway, they are so easy and make great gifts, especially for those on your list who are hard to craft for.

Here’s the updated list:

• Doll jacket
• doll clothes
• Tissue pouch
• Pins
• Scarf
• Boxes
• Purse
• Ornaments
• Wreath
• Sweatshirt makeover
• Mascot
• Stickers
• Robot
• Collar
• Red skirt
• Tie
• Christmas cracker
• Dress

Five down, thirteen more to go.  I might have a surprise tomorrow.  Cross your fingers.

Read More »

Pretty Pins and Pouches

Another couple of projects from the list.  First, I had a shirt that was plain and boring except for some lace along the hem.  With some cutting and this tutorial, I made these…

…Tissue pouches.  Super easy and they make a great gift, at least that was the idea.

Next, another project using fleece scraps, pins.  I have made similar pins using felt before, but not quite as abstract looking.  I just cut shapes I thought were interesting, glued them together, then stitched around some of the edges.  Finish with a pin back, and I now have some colorful pins to give away.

Here’s the updated list:

• Doll jacket
• doll clothes
• Tissue pouch
• Pins
• Scarf
• Boxes
• Purse
• Ornaments
• Wreath
• Sweatshirt makeover
• Mascot
• Stickers
• Robot
• Collar
• Red skirt
• Tie
• Christmas cracker
• Dress

Four down, fourteen more to go.  Up next is something familiar.

Read More »

Doll Clothes for All

Anybody remember that cute little doll I made for one of my nephews a while back? (See Dolls for Dudes)  His astute preschool mind pointed out that the doll doesn’t have a jacket for this chilly 70 degree weather. 

So for Christmas, I made this little jacket with scraps of fleece.  I also made a little scarf and hat to go with it.  This will keep him warm.

 

I realized I had somehow left off the Barbie clothes from my list.  Oops.  One of my nieces asked for clothing for her dolls, specifically a ballet outfit.  So with more fleece and other scraps, I made this leotard and skirt…

…A poncho and scarf (I love ponchos)…

…And this strapless dress.  Hope she will like them. 

Here’s the updated list:

• Doll jacket
• doll clothes
• Tissue pouch
• Pins
• Scarf
• Boxes
• Purse
• Ornaments
• Wreath
• Sweatshirt makeover
• Mascot
• Stickers
• Robot
• Collar
• Red skirt
• Tie
• Christmas cracker
• Dress

Two down, sixteen more to go.  I’m right on schedule, yay!

Read More »

Start Jingling

I finally finished my Christmas list, much later than I intended.  The problem was deciding on gifts to make for a couple of relatives.  Why are guys so hard to craft for?  And age makes no difference, when a little boy thinks everything plush is too “girly”, it really narrows down what toys I can make for him.  And clothes are still okay but no fun for small children on Christmas morning.  The one guy I know who appreciates hand made gifts is even harder to decide on simply because he appreciates them.  Anyway, the list is ready and all that’s left is to get it all done.  So here it is:

Holiday Craft List #2

• Doll jacket
• Tissue pouch
• Pins
• Scarf
• Boxes
• Purse
• Ornaments
• Wreath
• Sweatshirt makeover
• Mascot
• Stickers
• Robot
• Collar
• Red skirt
• Tie
• Christmas cracker
• Dress

I plan to have it complete by the 21st, is that too unrealistic?

Read More »

For Today and Tomorrow

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. 

To help things go smoothly,  here’s a list of several holiday recipes from CraftZine, many of which can be made very quickly for those last minute dishes. 

And for tomorrow, here’s some recipes for the leftovers from Living on a Dime.  Enjoy!

Read More »

Decorating and Launching

I managed to finish everything on my list within the past few days.  Yay!

 

First up, this wallet.  I decided my old wallet was getting a bit cruddy, so of course I had to whip up a new one.  I used some scraps leftover from the skirt I made and decorated it with some bows and a scrap of lace.  It has a bill fold, two roomy pockets on the inside, one on the outside and…

 

…a zippered pocket for change.  This is a necessity for me.  I love getting change, but seldom have a place for it in store bought wallets.  Guess that would explain why I bother making them instead of buying them, not just because it’s fun. 

Next is a notebook.  I got this notebook as a promotional freebie some time ago and I never leave the house without it.  It is the perfect size to tuck in my bag and has a pen holder that actually works.  Of course years of being tossed into my bag has left it a little roughed up.  Easy to fix that.

 

A touch of paint, some adhesive gems, glitter and Modge Podge all come to save the day.  This photo doesn’t do it any justice, it looks so good now in person.  Now I love taking it out to jot something down.

Now this basket, I rescued it from being tossed, a good basket is always handy to have around.  I thought it would be a great place to store all my laces and other trimmings, but it needed some “trimming”.

  How’s this?  A glue gun and scraps of lace are all it took to turn it from a plain Jane basket to, well what would you call it?  I wish I had more baskets lying around now to decorate, these would look lovely on a dresser or in the bathroom.

Now the last and most ambitious project, a forum site.  Click the image to check it out, hope you all like it.  It isn’t too much at the moment, these sort of things are never fully “complete”, but that’s what makes a forum so much fun.  They are always changing to fit the user’s needs, evolving into a better being or whatever.  I just hope I can keep up with the future needs, it should be a blast.

Here’s the updated list:

Sunflower dress

Black headband

Update pioneer dress

Prettied up shoes

Pleated skirt

Wallet

Makeover notebook

Trim basket

Forum

Nine down and out.  No time to rest though, I now have a forum keep up and two holidays to plan.  My Christmas project list should be up in a few days, look forward to it. 

Read More »

Of Pleats, Weird Clothing, and Hiking?

Oops, I knew I forgot to do something last week, like posting for instance.  Actually it has been more than a week, but it could be worse.  I do know of a few bloggers who have gone two months without so much as a sentence, of course when they came back they had so much to talk about that it was so worth the wait. 

Anyway, the next project on the list was a skirt that I wore church last Sunday to show off.  Lately every piece of clothing has been something I can only pull off at church.  Maybe it’s time I either start making casual stuff again or start wearing the weird stuff while grocery shopping or whatever.  Now back on topic, all the skirts I have made before were gathered at the top, so I thought it would good to try pleats instead.  I am now regretting that thought since it took way more time than usual to do and the end result wasn’t what I expected.  And I messed up on the back pleats which is why I didn’t take a photo of the back side.  On the bright side, the skirt still looked cute with my capelet, and a strange woman said I looked adorable as she drove by.  At least I think she was talking to me, no one else on the street at the time.

Here’s the updated list:

Sunflower dress

Black headband

Update pioneer dress

Prettied up shoes

Pleated skirt

Wallet

Makeover notebook

Trim basket

Forum

Five down, four to go.  Here’s a bonus, my Sunday school class joined up with a local hiking group this weekend.  It was the first time in years that I went hiking, so I was understandably slow on the trail.  I did manage to take a quick shot of the area just as the sun was setting.

Hope the photo isn’t too bad.  We saw a cute rabbit too, but he was too fast for my camera skills :(

Read More »

Numbers Game and Perfect Heels

First off, I want to show off what I got at the rummage sale this weekend.  So by the numbers…

3 white collar shirts, 2 t-shirts, 4 pairs of socks, 2 ribbon belts, 1 pair of shorts, 1 pink sweatshirt (yay pink!) and…

3 videos (Spice World, Holiday Sports Bloopers, and Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion), 2 fashion dolls, 1 dress pattern, 1 small loom, 1 length of black tulle (nice), 1 baggie of ribbon and gift tags and…

2 flat sheets, 2 fitted sheets and 2 pillow cases.  These will of course be cut up for crafts, it’s a cheap source for fabric.  Anyway, all of this came to a grand total of $3.  I win.

Moving on, I finished two projects from the list and wore them both to church yesterday.  Here’s the before photo for the first. 

This is a dress I snagged at Goodwill for a dollar.  I love plaid, but the style looked more pioneer woman than anything else, not exactly my cup of tea.

Here’s the after photo.  I cut down the neckline slightly since it was incredibly uncomfortable, then added a bib and some white bias tape.  That improved it somewhat, I also shorten the skirt and made a sash with the cut off fabric. 

Slightly more my taste now.  Funny thing is that the dress wasn’t what everyone at church complimented.

It was these, the second project.  I had this scrap of really pretty lace from a baggie from Goodwill, it was too small to do much with it.  Then I got the idea to use it for my shoes. 

Took less than two minutes to do, that’s counting the time to heat up the glue gun.  I had perfect strangers walking up to me to ask about my shoes.  Strange what some people will notice.

Here’s the updated list:

Sunflower dress

Black headband

Update pioneer dress

Prettied up shoes

Pleated skirt

Wallet

Makeover notebook

Trim basket

Forum

Four down, five to go.  Should have the rest done soon.

Read More »

“The Time Has Come”, The Walrus Said

I had a remnant of black fabric that came in a pile I got from Goodwill several years ago.  It was too small to use for the usual projects, so I thought “hair accessories!”  Nothing is too small for that.

So I made this stretchy fabric head band, it has just enough elastic on the back to keep it in place, but not so much to make it look like those scrunched up ones for babies.  I added a simple bow on top, it kind of looks like that one from that Alice in Wonderland movie, the animated Disney one.  Anyone remember that, I got it as a gift when I was about seven I think.  Maybe I should make the rest of the outfit?  Hmmm.

Here’s the updated list:

Sunflower dress

Black headband

Update pioneer dress

Prettied up shoes

Pleated skirt

Wallet

Makeover notebook

Trim basket

Forum

Two down, seven to go.  The next one will be up in a couple a days, assuming I can finally decide on what to do with it.  Speaking of tough decisions, I have been really working hard on getting that forum up and running.  I had the hardest time deciding on a name for it.  I had some help from someone on etsy, so it will be called……”Crafting Up”.   Not too bad right?  With that obstacle out of the way, it won’t be too long until it will be ready to show everyone.  Look forward to it.

Read More »

Hmm…Stuff to Do….

Just a few quick items today.  I forgot to mention this before, but Craftster is currently have their DIY Halloween contest for costumes made for Halloween 2010.  The details are here and you need to post them here by November 7th, so hurry while you still can.

Also, if you are in the Phoenix area this weekend, here’s a treat.  My church is having their bi-annual rummage sale this Friday and Saturday.  Tons of great bargains to score as always, no wonder why I have been looking forward to it for months.  I am finding it hard to stand waiting one for day.  If you are interested, it will be from 7:30am-3:30pm on both days and the church is on the south-east corner of 1st Ave and Center in downtown Mesa.  Special tip: stick around for the last hour or so on Saturday, prices tend to drop then.

Read More »

Sunflowers and Candy

I had intended to post this yesterday, but Halloween night kind of did me in, more on that in a second.

Here’s the first from my latest project list, and what I wore to church on Sunday.  I used the fabric and lace I bought last week and some white fabric I had on hand.  I think I might have made the sleeves on this one a tad too small, not sure how since I have been working to improve the pattern.  Hopefully no one noticed.  I had mostly the usually reactions to this one.  The “you look so cute” and the “you look like a little girl”, and I even got a “where’s your tuffet?”  What was odd was when someone asked me if it was Amish.  Huh?  It’s way too colorful for that, but I’ve heard worse.

Here’s the updated list:

Sunflower dress

Black headband

Update pioneer dress

Prettied up shoes

Pleated skirt

Wallet

Makeover notebook

Trim basket

Forum

One down, eight to go.

Now for the Halloween night stuff.  I went trick or treating with my sister and her kids again, and we covered way more ground than normal.  I came back with sore legs, but plenty of candy all around.  The rest of the evening was spent watching that new Sherlock Holmes series on PBS and snacking on all that candy.

Speaking of candy, here’s a warning of what not to do next year to all those giving it out.  Fairly early in the evening we came up to a house that had this…

The sign may have said to “take one”, but we all know why the bowl was empty so soon.  This left several little children disappointed and several older individuals snickering, don’t let this happen to you.

Read More »

13 But Lucky

I know I said I would have this list up yesterday, but never got around to it.  I was too busy starting on it, the first one is almost done.  This one isn’t the longest list I have ever had, but it might be the trickiest to complete.  Can you tell why?

Craft Project List # 13

• Sunflower dress
• Black headband
• Update pioneer dress
• Prettied up shoes
• Pleated skirt
• Wallet
• Makeover notebook
• Trim basket
• Forum

Noticed that last one?  While commenting about some failed craft forum sites a while back, I mentioned it may be easier to start my own then trying to revived a dead one.  With that idea in the back my mind, gears started to turn.  Uh-oh.  Anyway, I thought it would be really fun to get one going, and you can never have too many places online where thoughts and ideas are shared.  I will probably need plenty of help with it though, so feel free make a few suggestions if you wish.  I would greatly appreciate it.

Read More »