Saturday, June 27, 2009

First attempt: Ruffled headband

Hello dear readers! I know I have been absent for a while, and it is not that I haven't been crafting. I have a few things under my belt to show you, but the weather has been so temperamental as to make taking pictures quite a chore.

However, the weather and my schedule have finally coordinated as to allow me to take pictures! So here was my first craft for the week: a ruffled headband.

I found the tutorial for this cute headband on the wonderful Heart of Light. I decided to alter it a bit and not have the ruffles cover so much of my head, as my hair is rather flat and not as cute as the hair in the tutorial, and I thought it would look strange.

I also used a wider ribbon that I had lying around-- another bad idea for my hair. I love the color of the ribbon, but the width did not work with my head.

Instead of simply letting the ribbon tie around my head, I added a piece of elastic to make a stretchable headband. To do this, I just folded the edges of the ribbon around into a cone shape--after applying some fray check-- and inserted the end of the elastic into the whole, then sewed the elastic into the ribbon.

I like the idea of tapering down toward the elastic, as it would decrease the amount of width behind the ears-- which can cause funny hair poufs in the back.

I do think the finished project turned out beautiful, but not beautiful for me. The wider ribbon would probably work better for a person with more volume in their hair.

Next time, I will definitely follow the directions--instead of going for convenience-- and use a smaller ribbon! I do definitely recommend this project, and you can check it out at Heart of Light.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Button Love

I always feel like I am talking about "'stache" like "mustache" when I use the word "stash." But, for today, I am talking about just a collection of like items, namely, vintage buttons.

I honestly love buttons. So many projects can be made special with just the right button. And I love my button collection, and yes, I do admit that I have them color coordinated!

This vintage collection of buttons came from several places, mostly my grandmother's collection of old buttons, which I painstaking went though to find the most unique pieces.

You can also check out a beautiful vintage button collection on How About Orange.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Information overload and link love

My blog reader was stuffed near to explosion-- which in the virtual sense means my browser froze trying to download all the pictures. It was very inconvenient.

But as soon as I got it booted back up, I wanted to share all the delicious goodies with all of you! So here is a little link love from me to you...
  • The blog This Artist's Life by a wonderful potter and one of my favorite Etsy sellers.
  • The wonderful, wonderful craft closet at Martha Stewart. I aspire to have one like that some day-- well, that well-organized and with that many cupcake liners.
  • The cutest little cupcake mobile.
  • Some delectable-looking mint brownies at Make it Do.
  • And lastly, but not least, some free printable bookplates from Orange You Lucky.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Peanut Butter Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

I bake when I am mad. Honestly, I have been mad and stressed a lot lately. But this is one easy, delicious recipe that puts me back into the right mood!

These chocolate, peanut butter cookies require no baking, and thus, are much quicker to make than normal cookies. Or perhaps they should be called a candy. Either way, they are delicious.

Ingredients
  • 1 stick butter or margarine
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 5 Tablespoons (or less) cocoa powder
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 3 cups (plus some) of quick cooking rolled oats
Directions
  1. Melt butter in a large saucepan.
  2. Add milk and sugar to the melted butter, and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
  3. Mix in cocoa powder-to your liking.
  4. Add the one cup of peanut butter, and stir the mixture until the peanut butter has combined.
  5. Slowly combine the oats into the peanut-butter-chocolate-y goodness until all the oats are covered in chocolate. Then drop the mixture onto a sheet of wax paper by the tablespoon.
You can enjoy these treats hot and cold, although I can never hold out until they cool. These really are perfect for a bad day!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Projects, projects everywhere and no time to think

I have projects and more projects galore, but I can't seem to find time to do anything. Right now, I am wishing to have a few days off, and it is only the beginning of summer, and the weekend hours seem to fly. I'm reeling at the prospect of having to go back to work tomorrow. I feel like I've barely had a weekend at all, and it's already Sunday afternoon.

Hopefully, I can put my nose to the grindstone and finish all the projects that I've started. Honestly though, the fact that I am the procrastinator doesn't help much.

But as a little sneak peak for you, just so you know that I haven't forgotten you, I'll post some pictures of a few projects in the making!

Friday, June 5, 2009

Happy Friday everybody!

It's hard to blog on a Friday. I'm just unmotivated, tired from the week and looking forward to getting things done on the weekend. But I found lots of amazing and cute things to share.
  • Firstly, jello printing at craftzine! How amazing!
  • And Cucumbersome is highlighting toile! If you can't figure it out-like myself- it's a must see!
  • Also, a flower pin from ribbon at Make it Do!
  • And lastly, a wonderful makeover at Craftynest!
So, check these links out, and hopefully have a fabulous and crafty weekend!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

The greatest reaction...


I recently gave a pretty flower clip to the little girl down the street. She absolutely loved it, and it was such a treat to get to see her prance around feeling pretty. I know how good it feels to have a new accessory! I'm really starting her out early, no? But, I thought I would share this lovely picture with you all... She's such a sweet heart.

She also reminds of another little girl...

Monday, June 1, 2009

Fabric flower variations

I've been out of commission for a while, after a little bit of oral surgery and starting a new job, but I've still done a bit of crafting, of course! I seem to be stuck on making these flowers. But who can blame me? They are super simple, easy to adjust to whatever you need, and so cute.

I finally found my way to the quilting fabric store. My boyfriend had to reign me in because I had 20 fat quarters. Oops. However, I finally got some cute, floral, vintage-reprints that I think are perfect for spring.

The lighter fabrics are much better for spring than the heavier felts. They are also much easier to cut and sew, especially with this tutorial from Nest Decorating.

I've made a few variations to make a clip, which is the same technique as the blue bird hair clips. I also made the loop smaller on one to fit a skinny barrette for my sister.

I really do love all the things you can do with a few simple techniques, some cute fabric, felt, and vintage buttons!