iPod Soft Cases & Hand Towl Bib

Ever have one of those days where your head is not in the game? Yeah, today was one of those days for me. My seam ripper and I were best friends today. Anyways, without further ado here is what I was working on during nap time today:

A hand towel bib - just in time for Halloween! I loved having those cute little bibs for my son last year for all his first holidays (First Valentine/4th of July/Halloween etc) but it's a little harder to find cute bibs for the holidays that don't contain the word 'first' on them. I originally saw the bib made from a hand towel idea on Pinterest (love that site!) that lead me to the tutorial over at Martha Stewart.


It doesn't tell you much other than you need a hand towel and double fold bias tape. The thing that confused me the most was the dimensions - I mean, what do you mean by lollipop shaped hole Martha? Seriously! I still want to make another one for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and maybe a few more for everyday. So I'll put up a proper tutorial when I get those done, that way you won't have to try and figure out the dimensions of a lollipop. ;)


I also made a smaller version of the Nook soft case for my iPod Touch. It fits perfectly and it keeps my (or should I say, my son's) iPod Touch all snuggly and safe. I even added a D-ring so that I can attach it to the hook inside my (future) purse. Yes, I'm that kind of crafter. ;) There's one thing that I would've done differently about the zipper but I didn't think of it until it was too late. So again, I'll do a tutorial to show you how whenever I make another one. :)



Check out that pretty blue zipper! I love colored zippers, I think it's getting to be an obsession.

I was featured!

I was featured today on Craftaholics Anonymous!

Click here to see my wreath

Check it out, my fall wreath is up there! I'm squealing over here, I'm a huge fan of CA. It's one of my top craft blogs I visit on a regular basis and to see my little wreath up there is just so cool. I'm so glad you all liked it! :)

Laundry Lines Card

Are you a scrapbooker that saves every little piece of paper? Good, this tutorial is for you! I made this thank you card for my mother-in-law who recently took me clothes shopping for my birthday.




I didn't photograph a step-by-step tutorial, but it's really pretty simple. I promise. :) Here's what you need:

Leftovers/scraps of scrapbook paper (if you don't have any just use any paper you want)
Brads in any color you want
Glue dots
Scissors
Pencil/pen/marker

Ok, so here's what I did to create this card:
1. Take the largest scrap of blue paper you have, square off the edges (ie cut off uneven edges) and cut into a rectangle. Fold in half. If you want a particular size card then just double the length to get the rectangle. For example, if you want a 4"x6" card then you need a rectangle that is 8"x6"
2. Find a green scrap of paper and cut to the length of your card, but made it a little wider than you need for the grass. Tear one side of the paper and adhere it to the bottom of your folded blue paper with glue dots, leaving some extra green at the bottom. Fold over the extra green to create a little flap, this will help your card to stand up.
3. Draw clothing shapes (pants, shirts, dresses, etc) onto the back of various colors of paper. Cut out and adhere to card, just above the grass.
4. Using your marker to draw a line across the length of the card, just above the tops of the clothing. If needed, reposition your clothing to "hang" better on the line.
5. Attach a pair of brads above the tops of each article of clothing so that the brad will cover the tips of your clothing and the line.
6. For the interior take a scrap of paper the length of the card and wide enough to cover the brad flappy things (sorry, I don't know the tecnical term). I trimmed mine with pinking shears, but you can use regular scissors or various other edge scissors (like scallop) to get a pretty cut. Write a simple message on it then adhere it to the interior using glue dots.
7. This part is optional, but for the back you can write a simple message saying it was handmade. I simple wrote "Made with love, Ashley"

And there you have it! Write your message and give to whomever! :) Enjoy!

Nook/Kindle Soft Case

A girlfriend of mine asked me to sew a soft case for her Nook with a fabric she loved. So after searching online a bit for a good tutorial I came across the one at Little Birdie Secrets. She sent me a picture of the fabric so that I could find a coordinated soft fabric for the lining, and I even convinced her to do a hot pink zipper! :) I got the fabric last week and today I was finally able to sit down and sew. I started a bit later than usual -- thank you very much thread tension >:/ -- but I think it came out so cute!

Her fabric:



The lining is a soft material (for the life of me I can't remember what it is, but it's not fleece) in a pretty pink:


Check out that hot pink zipper! I love colorful zippers, I'm so glad I talked her into it. :)

I plan on modifying the cut dimensions to make a smaller one for my iPod Touch. Stay tuned for that one!

The tutorial link: Little Birdie Secrets

Jewelry Pouch for a Cause

A friend of mine had asked me to create a special necklace to be donated at a charity raffle. I happily agreed but once done I decided to take it a step further (and use up some of my scraps!) by sewing a pouch for it, in the charity's colors of teal, purple and white. Here is what I came up with:

The special tag that's inside and includes the washing instructions

The necklace in its new home

And I can't leave you without a good close-up of the necklace I made.


Here is a link to the tutorial I used: The Purl Bee
Took 20-30 minutes to create, a great quick & easy gift to make for any occasion!

If you would like a necklace or any other type of jewelry, please check out my jewelry blog: ANP Jewels
It has a list of all the jewelry I've created, a link to my shop and my contact information.

Fall Wreath Tutorial

I love the fall, don't you? The cooler weather, the smells of pumpkin spice and of course, the colors! Today I made a wreath because I love the colors of fall so much. So let's dive into my first ever tutorial!

Supplies:
1 - 18 inch grapevine wreath
About 4 bunches of flowers, berries or whatever you desire on your wreath
Some scrapbook paper
Stamps and ink pad (if you choose to create the banner this way)
Twine, ribbon or something to string the banner
Wire cutters
Hot glue gun
Scissors
Pencil
Ruler

I have two of everything because Michael's was having an awesome sale (2 for $5 wreaths and 40% off fall florals!) that I couldn't pass up

Ok, got everything you need? Good. First thing you want to do is to lay down some sort of covering on whatever surface you're working on. Grapevine wreath are kinda messy, and it's just easier clean up.

Next, you need to turn those bunches into singles. If your bunch has a plastic handle (see below) just snip the individual stems at the base, as close to the handle as possible.

If your bunches are held together by florist tape (like below), use your scissors to carefully score the stems and separate the flowers.

When all your bunches are separated you should have a nice size pile of fall pretties. Here is where the fun part starts. :) Start arranging your flowers in a design that you like, bend the stems to get the flowers to lay flat while you are working on your design.

This is the design that I came up with.


Ok, now you need to flip your wreath over to the back side very carefully. Find all the stems from the flowers and twist them into the wreath so that the flower doesn't fall out and it blends in to the wreath. You may have to flip your wreath over a few times and test all the flowers to see which ones you've missed.


On to the banner, you can do this one of 3 ways:
1. You print your letters onto scrapbook paper
2. You hand write your letters onto the paper
3. You stamp your letters onto the paper
I did it the first way, but it's probably much easier the other ways. Anyways, if printing select your font and size, then print onto a sheet of 8.5"x11" scrapbook paper in a coordinating color - the simpler the paper the better. Mine is mossy green with raised polka dots.


Next, cut out the letters into 1" wide by 3" long rectangles leaving more room at the top. Snip little triangles into the bottom of each letter. They don't have to be perfect, the imperfections give the wreath more character.

Next, measure 1/2 of an inch from the top of each letter and use your ruler to get a crisp fold.

I didn't take a photo of this part (so sorry!) but it's pretty self explanatory. Take your ribbon/twine/string and put inside the fold of the letter. Use hot glue to close it shut. You can have your letters close or far apart, it's really up to you.

Next, find where you want to tie the ends of the banner and make a simple knot. Hot glue that knot and then wrap the string around and knot again, hot glue that second knot. Do the same for the other side. Measure the ends of your string to the bottom of your end letters and cut.


And voila, it's done! Now go hang it on a door or in your house.


Isn't it so pretty and welcoming? :) I love walking up to my front door now!


Remember I said I bought two of everything? I made a second wreath, slightly different than the first. The possibilities are endless!


Hope you enjoyed my first tutorial. Now go out and make one yourself. Happy Fall! :)

Linking up here:
Craftaholics Anonymous
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating