Inexpensive gifts

At this time of year, in this economy, we are all looking for an affordable gift. Our studio can help you out with that quest. One of our many affordable gifts are these beautiful keyrings. We love them so much; the colors and textures are fun. They also make life a little bit easier, they slip over the wrist so you can keep your keys handy when you have your hands full!

Key Fob - $5

What's more, they are handmade. Stop by the studio Tuesday or Thursday to pick one up.

Why Buy Handmade?

You may ask, why buy handmade for the holidays? Why buy handmade for gifts? Why buy handmade for yourself?

The website buyhandmade.org addresses those questions. This is what they say:

"Buying Handmade makes for better gift-giving.
The giver of a handmade gift has avoided the parking lots and long lines of the big chain stores in favor of something more meaningful. If the giver has purchased the gift, s/he feels the satisfaction of supporting an artist or crafter directly. The recipient of the handmade gift receives something that is one-of-a-kind, and made with care and attention that can be seen and touched. It is the result of skill and craftsmanship that is absent in the world of large-scale manufacturing.

Buying handmade is better for people.
The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. We are encouraged to be consumers, not producers, of our own culture. Our ties to the local and human sources of our goods have been lost. Buying handmade helps us reconnect.

Buying handmade is better for the environment.
The accumulating environmental effects of mass production are a major cause of global warming and the poisoning of our air, water and soil. Every item you make or purchase from a small-scale independent artist or crafter strikes a small blow to the forces of mass production."

Conveniently, Kerry and I make homemade. We have lots of artisan friends who make homemade, too. We also have links to lots of other blog and Internet friends that make and sell homemade. If you want to buy homemade, too, come to the studio on one of our open studio days. Or check out our website or our Amazon store. Or look further and find your own local artisans to support. Even if you can't buy entirely homemade this season, try to find just one special gift that's handcrafted. Maybe you will be lucky and receive handmade.

Enjoy your holidays!

Oh Baby!

Two of my friends have had babies recently. I decided to try my hand at making baby blankets for their wee-ones. I have been drooling over the super-soft polka-dot fleece at the fabric stores for quite some time, but had no reason to buy pastel blue, pink or yellow for myself. So now the occasion arises. Having never made a baby blanket, it was a learning experience.

My concept was simple. One side of the blanket would be a super soft fleece, the other a cute cotton print, all bound together with one of those satin blanket bindings.

The execution of the concept was a learning experience. The fleece, I found, tends to bunch up in the sewing machine. The satin, I found, tends to slip. The woman at the fabric store gave me a tip, use a walking foot on my machine, but I don't have one. My solution was to use lots and lots of pins to hold all the pieces in place while I stitched. ( I really hate pinning! It's so tedious.)

First I borrowed one of my daughter's blankets to figure out what size. After washing the material, I cut the two pieces to the appropriate size. Cutting the fleece was an exercise in fuzz-making. Then I pinned the two blanket sides, right sides together and went to the sewing machine to stitch...and realized, I needed to pin them with the right sides facing out. So, I un-pinned an re-pinned the blanket--did I mention, I don't like to pin. Next tip, stitch so the cotton is on the feed-dogs, not the fleece, that will help avoid the bunching. After the two pieces were stitched together, pin (again) the satin binding on the edge of the blanket. Working one side at a time, I attached the binding and mitered the corners. Again, the stitching worked better with the cotton side down.

With one blanket done, the second one was a breeze! Wow! Two blankets done in one day! What do you think? I will put them in the mail, and hopefully my friends and their babies will be happy with their new cuddly blankets.

A picture says 1000 words...

... a picture can say "I love you" over and over again.

Several of our friends had Kerry and I make these photo pendants for their mothers or friends for Mother's Day. We hope they enjoyed them.

It was fun working with these cute kids pics and the wonderful handmade paper collection we have in the studio. Each person choose their favorite paper to complement the child's photo and the wearer's sense of style.

We hope the recipients enjoyed their gifts last weekend as much as we enjoyed making them.

Almost Mother's Day

In addition to sewing more costumes (yes, I know, never let anyone know you can sew), I have been busy making Mother's Day gifts. The first one I completed is a pot holder set for my mother-in-law's newly renovated kitchen. (shhh! don't tell her I made these for her! It's a surprise!)

I took this pattern from the Sew Simple Book I told you about earlier last week. I thought the pattern was simple enough, make a pieced piece of material using tapered strips of material. The trick for me was to alternate the wide an narrow ends of the strips. I think that I goofed it up several times, but you might not notice if I didn't point it out.

I used a color palette that matches her kitchen colors, a bright blue and yellow. I thew in the green to add some 'pop' to the design. I had fun mixing the colors and large and small patterns to create visual texture. I found heat-proof batting to use inside the pot holders, and added a loop of ribbon for hanging. I made the towel top so that it can be hung from a convenient spot in the kitchen. All I have left to do is add a button to keep the towel attached.

The book suggests that the same idea could be used to make coasters as well. Upon reading that idea, my head started spinning to all sorts of other ideas to use this construction: table runners, place mats, even the front of a tote bag. The possibilities are obviously endless.

I was so excited about the design, that I started piecing more material to make a set for my grandmother. Unfortunately, this set is yet unfinished because I was consumed with making 8 Lullaby League skirts for the Wizard of Oz at the elementary school and the fabulous photo pendants that Kerry and I made for several customers this week. I will show you those next week--I don't want to spoil anyone's Mother's Day surprise!

Oh Lord! What a find!

I must first confess before going any further with this post, Rachel and I went to the store that I refer to as "The devil's playground." I can't even say the name because I am so ashamed, but I'll give you a hint - they have great prices on fabric and every town has one. Enough said. We decided to go down the Easter aisle to see what goodies they might have for the kids. We made an amazing discovery, Mary and Jesus right there on the shelf! They were Barbie and Ken size and spoke words from the Bible! We grabbed them right away and put them in the cart. There was no price on Jesus and Mary but then again how can you put a price on the Lord. We made the mistake of pushing Mary's talk button and then she wouldn't shut up. She went on for at least 10 minutes! Who knew Mary was such a talker?
Later on we found out they were $14.99! Too rich for our blood, so back to the shelf for Mary and Jesus. Maybe some other lucky shopper will find them and they can join Barbie and Ken in the Dream House for cocktails.

BEHOLD

S a n d y l a n d - Handpainted Pottery

Next Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20, we have invited 4 artists to join us for our fall art and fine craft sale. I would like to take the opportunity to introduce you to each of the artists who will be joining us.

Today, you will meet Sandy. Sandy has a gentle soul, and a big heart. She is new to selling and marketing her art; it is a challenging and vulnerable position for anyone to be in. We think that Sandy's art is special because she takes regular items and turns them into magical, whimsical creations. When looking at her pieces, it's hard to even imagine that they had a "life" before she got her hands on them.

She says this about her work: "My work takes on many forms from pottery, painted tiles and "found" objects to greeting/post cards, prints, magnets, pins, containers, tote bags, clothing, et cetera. A large part of my inspiration comes from a desire to honor the Earth and all living Beings. I RECYCLE gently used items so that they will be REUSED, thereby RENEWING each item so that it is REBORN. Each piece has a chance to return to life rather than taking up dead space on our planet. Inventory is constantly changing as I "find" new treasures to paint/rebirth. This process also supports local agencies, charities, those-in-need as I purchase most of my items at places like the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store, Greenwood Wildlife Thrift, Ares, Salvation Army, Savers and many, many more. Most of my work involves recycled parts, some does not. My images range from the comical to the spiritual. "

Sandy redefines "recycling" and uses it as a creative outlet. Her pieces are special, she gives new life to carefully chosen pieces with her magical painting. She takes re-purposing to a whole new level. We are glad that she will be joining us for the sale. And, we are happy to be able to share her work with you.

You can read more about Sandy and see her work on her website. You can come to our studio on October 19 and 20 and see her work in person. What more could you want, a unique piece of art that is eco-minded as well?

Tray Project, Part 2

Okay, here are the directions for making the tray. Let me know if you have any questions and I would be happy to get back to you. Happy crafting!
Supplies:
-1 wooden tray, tissue box, keepsake box or other item to decoupage
-Hand written messages (you could use color photos or copies of other original art however I would recommend having them color copied with a non-smudge ink at your local copy store)
-1 large jar Mod Podge (I chose gloss finish)
-1 foam brush
-Colored paper scraps, (I used an assortment of handmade papers ordered from the Oriental Trading Company; if you choose standard colored tissue paper, check to see that it is colorfast, most isn’t)
-A Bone Folder or Flat Popsicle stick

Step 1 -Develop a plan for where to lay out your memorabilia. You can lay them on your tray (with no Mod Podge) to see if they will fit; do any trimming now.
Step 2 -Choose colored paper scraps for your base layer, be sure that they are the size, shapes and colors that you need. You can use lots of smaller ones for a more collaged effect.
Step 3 -Begin adhering the paper to the tray. I generally coat the back of the paper with a thin layer of Mod Podge and lay it on the tray. I press to smooth out any bubbles. A bone folder is helpful in this step; or use my favorite tool: fingers. Repeat this step until you have one surface covered in paper.
Step 4 -Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge over the covered surface. You may see some air bubbles at this point. Use your fingers to smooth them; most of them will resolve when the Mod Podge is dry.
Step 5 -Let the surface dry until no longer wet, it may be slightly tacky to the touch.
Step 6 -Repeat steps 3 – 5 until all the tray surface are covered with paper and sealed. Then adhere the messages or memorabilia in the same way the paper was applied.
Step 7 -When you are satisfied with the look of your item, apply a thin, even layer of Mod Podge over the entire surface. Let dry. Repeat. I would suggest 2 – 3 coats in for an item that may be handled. You can apply multiple layers for a more durable surface.

The Mod Podge will be dry to the touch in a few hours. It will take several days to “cure.” The surface can be cleaned by wiping with a dry or slightly damp (not wet) cloth.
I hope you enjoy this project. I enjoyed making it, and I know the teacher enjoyed receiving it. Let me know if you give it a try!

Tray Project, Part 1

The end of the school year is jam packed with so many activities, my head is spinning. Regular field trips, end of the year field trips, literacy night, the learning fair, teacher appreciation week, and the other culminating activities are enough to make kids, teachers, and parents batty. Then you throw in the nice warm weather, Mother’s Day, and Memorial Day we all end up with spring fever!

This year, I was the parent coordinator for the teacher appreciation gift for my eldest daughter’s 2nd grade teacher. I liked the project so much; I thought I would share it and the directions, so you could do this project, too. It would be a great gift for a teacher or grandparent, or even a wedding or baby shower.

I made a decoupage tray (actually 2 trays, one for the teacher and one for the student teacher)and tissue box. In order to get ready for the project, I had each student write a message to the teacher. I provided an artist quality paper, cut in a 3 x 3 inch square and some archival, non-smudge, fine tip markers and pens. Each child had to think of their message, use their best spelling and handwriting, and sign their name.

This was a wonderful part of the project. Each child put their best effort into thinking and writing something wonderful to their teacher. One child even wrote “You changed my life!” It can’t get much more heartwarming than that!

When I took the messages home, I began assembly of the tray. Check back in tomorrow’s blog for step by step instructions.