Pincushions- The Ordinary Made Extraordinary

Pincushions aren't just for sticking pins in to anymore!

 

 

It began with the quote below- I have been carrying it with me for years.

 I knew I needed to create something so that I could be inspired

on a daily basis by those words.

 

 

I love quotes, sayings, phrases and words. Phraseology art allows me

to combine a few of my many creative obsessions together

to create something inspirational and unique.

 

 

In this case it all came together in the form of pincushions!

 

 

I gathered a couple of my favorite quotes that I felt best inspired me

in the craft room.  I then searched for the perfect vintage images on

The Graphics Fairy.com, combined the words and images together

and printed them out on to linen fabric.

 

The frames are from Michaels craft store,

 a crafter's favorite creative resource!

 

 

All it took was a bit of creative embellishments..

 pearls, rhinestones, flowers and tinsel to decorate

the store bought frames along with a bit
of fiberfill stuffing to fill the pincushions....

 

 

...add some handcrafted pins and there you go!

 

 

 I feel part of being a creative woman is looking at the ordinary

and creating the extraordinary!

 

 

Thanks for stopping by-

Come back soon!

Pam-

 



3 CRAFTY WAYS TO USE FREEZER PAPER-

Freezer paper has been a kitchen staple for generations. 
Crafters, quilters and hobby enthusiasts are already aware
 that freezer paper has many more uses.

 

The manufacturer brags about the additional uses

RIGHT ON THE BOX!

 

 

Here are 3 crafty ways to use freezer paper-

 

  1. FABRIC TRANSFERS

 

2. CRAFT TEMPLATES

 

     3. IRON-ON TRANSFERS


*Always remember that freezer paper
 has 2 distinct sides to it,
a dull side and a shiny side.

 

   When a HOT iron is applied directly to the shiny side
 it melts in to a glue type substance that will stick

to your iron and make a mess.

If this should happen take another sheet of freezer paper

and fold it in half, the dull side facing out.

Now run your sticky hot iron over the dull side of the freezer paper

until the "gunk" is gone from your iron.

Okay, let's get started!

1. FABRIC TRANSFERS-

Use an 8 1/2"x11" piece of cardstock as a
template and trace it several times on to the dull side
of the freezer paper and cut them out.

  It's always good to make a bunch of templates at one time!

 

Now you'll want to pick a fabric that you want to

adhere the freezer paper to with a HOT DRY iron.

 

Below are a few of the fabric choices I use

all the time and they work GREAT!

 

  

As you can see from the photo below, you'll want to spread

your fabric out on to your ironing board and lay

the freezer paper sheets on top of the fabric, shiny side down.

 

Run a HOT DRY iron back and forth

over the freezer paper until you can see

that it has adhered to your fabric.

 

 

Once you've let the sheets cool down,

all that is left to do is cut the bonded freezer

paper and fabric in to individual pieces of

ready-to-use fabric transfer sheets!

 

 

The fabric transfer sheets are ready

to be used in your inkjet printer!

 

I load one sheet at a time so there is

less chance of them getting jammed.

 



2. CRAFT TEMPLATES

The first thing you'll want to do is make your 8 1/2"x11"

freezer paper templates, following the directions we

outlined in making fabric transfer sheets.

 

Again, it's always easier to make a bunch at a time.

 

Place a sheet of cardstock together with a

sheet of freezer paper, always making certain

that the shiny side is facing towards the cardstock. 

 

 

Take your HOT DRY iron and run it

back and forth over the dull side of the freezer paper

making certain to press down firmly on the corners

and along the sides.

 

The bonded freezer paper and cardstock

 are now ready-to-use craft template sheets. 

  

 

Run your craft template sheet through your inkjet

printer and cut out the template piece.

 

Once printed on, your craft template needs to

be separated from the cardstock.

 

To do this, take a DRY HOT iron and run it

over your printed template. The glue will heat up

 and allow you to pull the bonded papers apart.  

 

(Do this while the paper is HOT) 

 

 

After you have pulled your freezer paper template

away from the cardstock, you can iron it to your fabric.

Place your craft template shiny side down on

to your fabric. With a HOT DRY iron

go back and forth over the freezer paper,

the craft template will stick to your fabric and

allow you to cut it out with precision.

 

  

Remember, freezer paper craft templates

are reusable. 

 

3. IRON ON TRANSFERS

By now you know how to trace and cut out the

freezer paper in to 8 1/2"x11" sheets.

 

What is different with this technique is

that you will use a glue stick

to glue the freezer paper, dull side down to a sheet of cardstock.

 

Yup, for the iron on transfer technique,

the shiny side will be facing UP!

 

You now have ready-to-use iron on transfer sheets!

It's that easy

 

Once you print on to the transfer sheet, be careful.

The ink is sitting on top of the shiny slick

surface of the freezer paper and is wet.

Handle with care!

 

You will need to work pretty quick. You don't want

to risk either smudging your wet transfer or

having it air dry.

 

 

Place your transfer wet side down on to your fabric.

 

I use a HOT DRY iron (where have we heard this before)

to transfer the image.

The iron will allow for the most available ink

 to transfer to your fabric.

 

 

DO NOT run your iron in a back and forth motion,

but rather press down, lift, and move your iron to

another spot and repeat until you are satisfied

with the image quality.

 

 

Freezer paper iron on transfers are for

when you want a slightly lighter more distressed

fabric transfer effect.

 

There you have it!

 

3 crafty ways to use freezer paper for-

 

  1. FABRIC TRANSFERS

 

2. CRAFT TEMPLATES

 

     3. IRON-ON TRANSFERS

I hope you'll try one or more freezer paper techniques
and let me know what you think!

Come back soon-

Pam

Fabric Yo Yo's Should Come With A WARNING LABEL

Making fabric yo yo's can be much like eating a bag of potato chips...

 you can't stop at just one!

 

 

Trust me I tried... over 15 years ago! 

Today, the amount of EXTRA fabric yo yo's that I have made

and not needed for one project or another

fills an entire vintage trunk of mine!

 

 

I have to say yo yo's are the perfect
 take along craft for anyone, especially new moms.
I know, because that's exactly the phase

of life I was in when I first saw these beauties in a magazine.
 

While I was a busy mom raising my babies and running around

there were two things that I was sure to have with me at all times. 

I had a fully stocked diaper bag and a Ziploc bag
filled with fabric, needle, thread and a small pair of scissors!

 

I can say that after teaching many friends,

family and young girls in the neighborhood how to make yo-yo's,

they all agreed with me. Once you begin

it is hard to stop!

 

 

Thing was, I didn't know what the heck I was going to do with them all.

I had found pure joy in just making them- lots of them.
But, now what!?

 

Well, I found myself fearless, not afraid to fail or make a mistake.

 I simply left it to my imagination
and I have never looked back.

Here are some of my more creative endeavors-

 

 

A YO YO VALENTINE HEART PILLOW
 

 

 A YO YO STUFFED BUNNY
 



 

AN AMERICAN FLAG WALL HANGING
 

 

 AN AMERICANA TABLE CLOTH
 

  

A HALLOWEEN TABLE RUNNER
 

 



A CHILD'S COVERLET OR TABLE CLOTH

 

 

I hope you might be inspired the same way

 I was inspired the first time I saw something created

from gathered circles of fabric! 

 

And... just to be sure that you get bitten by the yo yo bug,

let me show you how to make one.

 

 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR FABRIC YO YO

 

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

 

Fabric

Sewing Needle

Thread

Scissors

Circle Template

Pencil/Pen

 

1. Gather your fabric choices together.

 

100% cotton quilting fabric works great

for yo yo's, but feel free to use what you like

there is no right or wrong choice!

 

 

2. You will need a circle shaped template piece.

 Trace the circle to the backside of the fabric

 and cut out with scissors.

 I use a 5" plastic template.

This will make approximately a 2 1/2" finished yo yo.

 

 

 **HINT**

 Keep in mind when choosing a template size

that your finished yo yo will be

approximately 1/2 the size of the template piece.

 

 

3. Thread and knot your sewing needle.

Sew a simple running stitch catching a scant

 folded 1/4" of the outside edge of the circle as you go.

     This gives a finished edge to your yo yo.

 

 

4. Every few stitches pull your needle through.

   You can see here how the turned 1/4" edge 

looks on the outer portion of your circle

with the running stitch going through it.

 

 

Your doing GREAT!

 

5. You will continue folding and sewing a running stitch

    all the way around your circle until you find yourself 

back to the point where you began your first stitch.

 

 

**Here's where the magic happens!**

 

6. Find your knotted end of the thread and hold.

             Take your other hand and hold the end of the thread

             where your sewing needle is...and PULL the threads.

 

 

TA-DA! You have a perfect gathered circle.

 

7. Take both ends of the thread that you pulled

and knot them together. This will secure

your gathered circle now a finished yo yo.

 

 

You will want to trim your thread and be sure to leave

a small opening in the center.

 Do not pull so tight

that you close the hole.

You want it there!

 

 

 CONGRATULATIONS!

You now possess the skills necessary

to make a yo yo!

Go....make one, make 100 and enjoy!

 

I think you will find that while potato chips may taste better,

making 100 or so yo yo's are better for your health!

 

Drop me a line,

 I would love to see what you

create with your fabric yo yo's.

 

 

 

Come back soon!

 

Pam

Wool felt Valentine Fortune Cookies-

 

 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

 

 

 

These wool felt fortune cookies are such a simple project to do with your kids.

 

What I find especially wonderful about these little cuties,

 (the cookies not my kids-though they are a bunch of cuties too),

is that they can be created for any special occasion!

 

Left 2 the imagination- Anything is possible!

 

Here let me show you-

 

I am a wool felt artist, so I went with what I have in my studio

grabbing red, raspberry and white wool felt for

these valentine fortune cookies.

 

 

 

 

I  decided on a 5" circle template(I traced a DVD).

This will make approximately a 3" cookie.

 

I traced and cut out the number of circles I would need.

 

You will also need for this project,

pipe cleaners

glue stick 

 fortunes of your choice. 

 

 

 

 

After the circles are cut and the fortunes

are printed and cut to size,

you'll want to take your pipe cleaners and trim

them to approximately 4 1/2" long.

 

Take a pipe cleaner and glue it

to the middle of the circle.

 

The pipe cleaner is what holds

the fortune cookies shape.

 

 

 

 

Good so far? Pretty simple and straightforward!

 

Take a paper fortune and lay it down

on the top half of your circle.

 

 Fold the circle in half

 over the pipe cleaner that you glued

to the middle of the circle.

 

 

 

 

With two hands, and your thumbs in the center of the circle,

 bend the ends of the circle down.

 

Bring the ends of the circle towards each other

while pinching the center.

 

 

 

 

You will be amazed how easily the shape

of the fortune cookie is made and how

well the pipe cleaner holds the shape!

 

(Feel free to give your self a round of applause, I did!)

 

 

 

 

 

That's absolutely all there is to this project!

 

Make as many as you need!

 

 

 

 

I will say that it can become addictive to make these cuties.

 

 

 

 

I don't think it's possible to have too many!

 

 

 

 

I would love for you to let me know

if you try this at home!

 

See you again soon!

 

 

-Pam

Cupboard Makeover- Postcards, Paper, and Pottery

I purchased this vintage built-in cupboard at one of my favorite second hand shops for the thrifty price of only...$40.00!

I had big eyes and big ideas for this cupboard! 

It's only taken me 5 years to do something with it!

 

 

Uninspiring to say the least-

 Take a closer look, I don't mind.

I think I was going for a tone on tone, shabby chic look.

 I'm certain we can all agree I hit it out of the park on shabby, but missed completely in the chic department.

 

 

 

Here is the AFTER!

 What a difference!





 

 I found an amazing postcard wrapping paper that I didn't even know I owned.

The postcard wrapping paper was my inspiration for the vintage look

 I would create in my cupboard.

 

 

I took the original paper to Staples and made lots of color copies

(any good crafter will tell you to never use the original, save it for future projects!)

 

 

I  glued the color copies to poster board and adhered them to the walls of the cupboard with Command strip removable tape.

 I liked the idea of being able to remove the postcard paper

should I ever want to change the look of the cupboard in the future!

 

 

 

  I wanted to create a book page wreath, to add to the vintage look of my cupboard.

 I've always wanted to make one and now seemed like the perfect time.

 

There is no end to the creative people on Pinterest that offer amazing tutorials.

My thanks goes out to the wreath tutorial on Janinascasa.blogspot.com!

I love how this piece turned out!

 

 

Now came time to learn a little origami!

 

Back to Pinterest where I saw these amazing 8-pointed stars.

For great directions on how to make these origami stars try homebylinn.blogspot.com.

Her photo tutorial needed no further explanation! Thank you Linn!

 

 

Next came a chance to make this cute little origami flower I saw on Pinterest!

I loved the easy to follow tutorial that I found on fancypantswedding.com.

 

I have to say that origami isn't as hard as I once thought!

 

 

 

The star, tissue paper flowers and origami flower were supposed to make up a bouquet  providing another vintage layer to the cupboard makeover.

It seemed appropriate considering the cupboard was filled with vases.

 

The origami star and flowers however decided they preferred to stand each on their own.

Who am I to argue?

Things happen for a reason!

 

 

I would be remiss if I didn't thank my Mom, my best friend.

 

 Several of the treasures in the cupboard, the rolled paper "P"

as well as the scrabble tile names were made with love by her as gifts to me

and my 3 sons! 

 

 

 

After all these pieces were made

and other treasures were gathered from around my home it was time to pull it all together!

 

Take a look-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There you have it!

My cupboard makeover.

I think it very nicely tells the story...of Postcards, Paper and Pottery!

 

 

Come back soon!

 

Pam