The Napkin Rings were Lonely...So I added a Runner to Match :)

WHEW!
Huge sigh of relief. Today was the day to turn in all of our donations for the auction. I think I will never procrastinate again.  This is a lie, of course but I will repeat this to myself anyway. I work best under pressure but I sure hate it when I am in it.

So.  The runner and how it came to be.  The napkin rings are so lovely but I felt it was not enough.  I would have bought napkins but...well, white is boring yet I wanted to stay neutral.  So I figured I would find a generic runner and just add my flowers to it.  Which I did.

But let me tell you how excited I was when I saw this runner at Target! I mean, it would totally match the texture thing I had going on when I added the flowers!  Whoa. And this runner is kinda....ehh...all by itself. But adding the flowers gave it this sweet compliment and I loved the outcome.

However.
I felt like my own one man sweat shop getting all this stuff done. The kids got nuggets and mac and cheese, the best husband in the world got them ready for bed...and I just sewed and sewed. Again, not digging the last minute thing.

I made 6 flowers, 3 for each side and they really worked out so well. But it did not seem quite right.

That space there to the left felt like it needed 3 more flowers. I had tried putting the flowers at the very end but figured if this hung over the ends of the table, the flowers would get lost and look a little weird. But sadly, I only had a yard of chiffon and I really needed 2 to make another 6 flowers. And 9 cups of coffee to jack me up and keep going.

So in a rare display of crafty resignation...I said it was fine. 

I am way too picky, and I am leaving it the way it is.

So I rolled it up, tied it with more twine, and smiled with the relief of being alllllllll done. :)

Fabric Houses Wall Art

So here is my second completed project for the silent auction.  This one has me biting my nails since this will depend on personal preference and taste.  But I am also hoping things like this will be in my  soon to be Etsy shop. This particular piece is in a glass frame but I like working directly on canvas.

 The materials I used were all from my fabric stash: burlap, linen, old towels, an old bed skirt, and yarn.

This would be so perfect for a little girl's room. I kept the fabric pattern colors light and playful.

I love the look of handmade stitches.  They are imperfect, childlike and whimsical.  

And the frayed edges of the fabric give it just the right texture.

I am loving the swirly blue sky and green grass too.

I hope someone likes this enough to bid on it!  

Do YOU like it? 

(be gentle)

Off to sew and create some more!

You HAVE to Enter this Giveaway! (Closed)

Oh. My. Goodness. This adorably cute felt playhouse is so awesomely amazing and I so want it!
And guess what?   

You can enter a giveaway to win it! 

When my dear friend Tammy from she wears flowers asked me to post about the giveaway she was sponsoring I was completely on board to spread the word! So go enter this giveaway HERE for one of these spectacular playhouses from the Etsy shop Miss Pretty Pretty.

This giveaway is for a playhouse worth $200! This is WAY too good to pass up!  All you have to do is go check out her shop to pick out your favorite one (It is hard...there are A LOT) then go back and comment at Tammy's blog about which one of these you like!

Are you as excited as I am?
***GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED***

Pretty Little Napkin Rings

I have been a busy girl this past week.  I have been a crafting bee to get ready for an upcoming gala and silent auction we are attending at the end of the month. Like, a bit fancy.  I have no idea the last time I was fancy.

First, let me back up and explain.  For those of you who are new to reading my blog, my oldest daughter attends a unique Christian school that is a hybrid of classroom teaching and homeschooling.  The kids go to school 3 days a week and are home schooled two days a week. This community of parents and teachers work together to teach our kids both biblically and academically.  It truly is awesome.

So two times a year, the school holds two fund raising events.  A golf tournament in the fall and a gala in the spring.  The gala is super fun and we hold a silent auction where local businesses donate tons of gift certificates, products, and baskets.  Part of my contribution is to make several things that can be auctioned.

So this is my first COMPLETED (all others are "in process") item...these pretty napkin rings!

I first made some of the flowers from this ivory chiffon that I am loving to work with right now and using the buttons from my paper and button flowers.  I decided to make 6 since it is rare to find that many in a set. I know there is only 4 in the pic but I made 6.  Honest to goodness. Each flower has a different button sewn in the middle and I love how it makes each one a little unique.

And here's the fun part.  To make the napkin holders I used hemp twine and PVC pipe. The PVC were 43 cents each.  Oh yes.  Loving the way cheap materials.

All I did was wrap each one from the inside to the outside and used hot glue.  It was super easy but time consuming.  Took me 2-3 hours to do all 3. I did not want any gaps so I went slow. Then I hot glued each flower to the the rings.

Again, I am addicted to texture so I am loving all the contrast of rustic twine with the sheer, feminine flowers.  LOOOOOOVE it. Is that OK to say about your own creation?  But I do love it.

I promise to show you more projects as I make them.  So if I am a bit MIA this week...that is why. 
I am also working on some art pieces that I am pretty excited to share with you.  Nervous...but excited. :)

Hugs!

Fabric + Cookie Sheets= Fab Trays!

I have had this little project on my to do list for months now. I saw a photo on another blog (that sadly does not exist anymore) and a video tute is actually on Martha.  I just never got around to it but once I did, I seriously wondered at my crafty prowess.  This particular DIY was a bit tricky.

I actually bought my cookie sheets from the dollar tree (the mini 13 x 9 ones).

I was not sure what fabric I was going to use but I went with the green.

I laid out a rough amount of fabric that I knew could cover around the front, edges, nooks and crannies (that nearly drove me loony), and the back. After doing it, I realized I should have been more precise with my cutting to make it look neater on the bottom of the cookie sheet. 

To adhere the fabric, I used spray adhesive.  

My word, this sticky stuff is really hard for me to work with.  

 But it's very forgiving on fabric so you can pull it up if it starts to bunch.  

I just sprayed the middle and up the edges first...

...and laid my fabric and started working it into the corners.  

Warning: This is not as easy as it seems.

See the bunching here in the corner?  This happens a lot and I had to keep lifting it up and redoing it.

Once I was totally exasperated happy with my corners, I flipped it over and began going over the edges starting with the longer sides first.

There are a lot of rolled edges so it was hard to tuck the fabric in there.  I would use a sturdy, plastic knife to kind of tuck it in there.  While you are at it, use a dough scraper or credit card to get out all the bubbles on the flat parts.

Now here is the part that made me almost not post this tray tute but I figured we all are not perfect, sometimes we need to hide our oopses and enjoy the process.  

So I posted to tell you what NOT to do.  

At my expense.

Your welcome. :)

You are supposed to fold the edges in like a present. As you can see at the top I did not do that. Not enough fabric.  But on the other side, I had too much!  Will I ever learn to take my time? Probably not. 

Weellllllll...I folded it in too much so it got all crazy looking. My advice? I would actually try NOT to make such a severe fold, and factor this in when you initially cut the fabric. I wing it too much.

I did cut off the excess but ended up exposing some of the tray on the bottom which just plain irked me.

The last step is to adhere felt to the back to give it a nice clean finish. I used a 8 x 11 piece of craft felt and cut it to size...the wrong size. You like how I stretched it a bit on one corner?

Sheesh.  Now I really am regretting this post even as I type.  But I will probably still post it because hey...I am not perfect and hopefully you will still love me. 

Even if my crafty endeavors sorta, kinda...don't work out like I hope.

Ahhh...yet when you flip it over...no one sees the crafty woopsie and it still serves it's adorable purpose.

I think it is really pretty and I want to make a ton of these! 

I think they are great for a coffee table or a sturdy surface on my ottoman.  

How about for a great Spring tablescape?  

I love the idea (since they are small) to use them at each place setting for a dinner party.

What could you see them used for?  

I would love to hear your ideas!

Hugs to all you super creative and lovely friends!

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Chiffon Corsage: Good Living Magazine Project 3

Nope.  I  did not publish the wrong post by mistake and I do realize Mother's Day is almost 2 months away.
It IS a tad early to be featuring this but the magazine issue comes out this month and the next issue will not be until Summer.  So it needed to be on the blog for the tutorial and well...that's that. :)

We have all seen this flower craze ebb and flow but what I love about these flowers corsages is they are so delicate, feminine, and completely appropriate on a day like Easter and especially Mother's Day.  Who wouldn't love a handmade gift like this to treasure for always and not just for one day?

 I love these so much!  They have a modern feel without feeling too overdone.
Another bonus?

They are incredibly light on your wrist!

 This yummy grey and brown combo is just so pretty!

Here is how you make one...

 

 I will try to re-post this one closer to Mother's Day.  

Hugs and smiles to each of you dear friends!  

All of you bless my socks off!

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