creative little daisy

Love My Cutter linky party

I jumped on the bandwagon and purchased (after multiple failed attempts at winning) a Silhoutte Craft Cutter. My friend Kelli bought one too, and we're wondering, what now? What cool things can we do with our new toy? Help us out by sharing what you've done using your Silhouette or Cricut. We'd love to see some Christmas gift and decor ideas. Kelli has a teenage daughter with lots of freinds. Any good ideas for teen girl gifts? How about the neighbor who has everything?

This being my first ever linky party, I hope things go smoothly. I'm not one for a bunch of rules, the only thing I ask is you don't link to an item that is for sale. This isn't about advertising, it's about sharing ideas.  And since it is a "party" don't just drop your link and run. Mingle, visit the other guests and it would be great if you posted a link on your blog so all your other friends can join the fun.  You don't have to be a follower of this blog to participate, but I'd love it if you were. I love making new friends!

 

Lets get this party started.

 

Making cookies and a new toy

Miss Bayleigh and I baked cookies last night. Not from scratch, but hey, we did have to use the oven, so we did bake. Right?

She's not discriminating. It didn't matter that they came out of a pack.

Nope, didn't mind one bit.

I got a new lens yesterday. Finally, I can take fairly descent photos in low light without using a flash.

And I'm no Pioneer Woman, but check out the bokeh.

 

Please remember to come back tonight at 8 to link up your Silhouette and Cricut projects. 

 

Singed Fabric Flowers... a little how to

First let me start by saying, I know I am not the first to post a tutorial on how to make flowers and I don't think my technique differs much from any other method I've seen out there. After I posted photos of the singed flowers I made, I received a few requests for a tutorial, so here it goes.

If you are grossed out by old lady looking hands and unmanicured fingernails, this tutorial isn't for you. If you decide to continue on, laughing at my hands is not allowed.

I will show you two differnt styles. One by simply cutting circles, the other involves petaled blooms.

The one on the right is made up of layers of circles, the one on the left the layers are cut into petal shapes.

Here's what you'll need:

A note about the fabric. You want a synthetic fabric that will melt. Not cotton. I've found  lighter weight fabric gives you fuller more ruffly flowers. Lining type fabric. Today I'm using a light weight satin. Think bridesmaid dress.

I like to make the back of the flower so that you can wear it in your hair with a clip or a headband or as a corsage with a pin back. That is where the stiff interfacing (peltex) and heat n' bond come in. 

Peltex can be found in the interfacing section of fabric stores and if your walmart still has a fabric section they have it there too.

The heat n' bond allows you to fuse two fabrics together, or in this case fabric and the peltex.  It will make sense in a moment.

Cut a small square (~3") from the peltex, your flower fabric and slightly smaller piece of heat n' bond.

Using your iron, fuse the heat n bond to the peltex.

Allow to cool and remove the paper backing from the heat n' bond

Place the fabric over the peltex and iron. This fuses your fabric to the peltex.

You could actually skip the steps above and move on to the next step. They aren't necessary, but it allows the back of the flower to look nice.

Cut a circle from your fabric covered peltex (or just peltex) about 2 inches.

This is a little hard to see, but with a seam ripper or x-acto knife, cut two small slits about 3/8" that are about 1/2" apart.  Am I totally confusing you? It will make sense.

Now set that aside, that will be your flower back. Lets make a flower.

For the first one, cut circles ( 2 or 3  of each size) in graduating sizes- the largest being about 4 inches, the smallest about 2 inches.

The fabric is thin so you can fold it and cut several layers at a time. Just pin the layers together to keep things from slipping around.

Now that your circles are all cut, let's heat things up. I like to use a small jar candle to singe the edges. Don't actually touch the fabric to the flame, just hold it close enough to melt slightly. You can play around to get the feel for how much melting and curling you like and how close or far from the flame you need to hold it.

Very carefully, continue all the way around the circle for all your circles.  For the smaller circles you may want to hold the fabric with some tweezers to keep from burning your fingers.

 

Once you have all circles singed, stack them largest to smallest and secure in the center with a few stitches or a dab of glue between each layer. I like to secure it with a pin then place a few stitches in the center with my sewing machine.  Then I dab a tiny bit of hot glue here and there between the layers. You don't want much glue, just a tiny dot to secure things a bit. You can also add  circles of tulle between a few of the layers to give it some extra dimension if you like.

I didn't take a photo of this, but you can embellish the center any way you like. Buttons, beads... whatever suits your fancy. For this one I had an old rhinestone button I glued to the center with hot glue.

Now for the back. Grab that circle you cut earlier and slide some tweezers through the slits.

Run a bead of hot glue around the perimeter of the circle.

Still holding it with the tweezers, slap that sucker on the back of your flower. You want to position it so that it is above center so the top of the flower doesn't flop outward when you have it pinned on.

See, the back looks nice and neat and because you only glued the perimeter those slits remained open to slide in a hair clip,

or a headband

Or a pin back. Sorry I couldn't find one today to photograph. They sell these at any craft store. Open the pin and slide the back portion under the slits. It may take a little wiggling, but it will work.

Now you are finished and you can enjoy your flower in your hair, on your clothes, on a purse. Anywhere you like.

For the other flower, you follow the same steps except instead of cutting out circles you cut a clover shape. I just found a clover in clip art in microsoft word and printed three different sizes.  Just print it in black and white. No need to waste ink. You are just using it for the shape or you can draw it freehand if you're good at that type thing. I am not.

So I printed mine.

Use these as patterns to cut your fabric. Again, 2-3 of each size, depending on how full you want your flower. And remember to secure the layers with a pin. That slippery fabric likes to shift.

Another method that works almost as well as using a pattern is to begin with a square of fabric.

fold it in half

in half again

and again.

Then cut off that top pointy part. Round it so that it looks like an ice cream cone. With a tiny scoop of ice cream on top.

Then continue the steps above for melting the edges. For this style flower, I also hold the flower directly over the flame, so as to melt the center slightly.

It causes the flower to pucker up and gives it a little more dimension. Remember, don't actually touch the flame, just hold it above.

Stack the petals and you have a flower.

Here is a photo of the machine stitching I do to secure the layers in the center.

Embellish the center any way you like, glue that back on and you're in business.

pretty back with a hair clip

same pretty back with a headband

 

The pretty color of the purple flower didn't come through in most of these photos, here's one more that shows the color better. You can also see the size. It's about the size of the palm of my hand.

wish I had noticed that little string of hot glue earlier

Now go forth and make flowers, but please don't burn anything down.

If you'd like to win these two flowers, leave a comment and I'll randomly select a winner Monday morning, say 8am.

 

At least she looked angelic

Bayleigh and Mrs. Jill

A week before our church's Christmas program I was asked to make costumes for the three littlest angels, Bayliegh included. Needed were three dresses, three halos and one set of wings. The dresses and halos were easy, but the wings gave me a bit of an unexpected fit. When we had a week to play with Alyssa got online to find a set we could buy. Oh no, there is no need to buy, even if they are only five dollars a set. No, they will be easy to make. I was so sure they would be so easy, I didn't stress at all. Just use one of the sets we have as a guide, bend a coat hanger, cover it with white tights or pantyhose, add some glittery accents and done. No prob. You know where this is going, right? To make a very long story short, after a few failed attempts for various reasons, on Sunday afternoon, I still had no wings. In a panic I grabbed a set of pink fairy wings off the shelf at the Dollar General with no idea how I would make them work.  I rushed home and painted them white with acrylic craft paint. I'm sure you can imagine how that worked out. Not too cute and still pinkish. I grabbed a can of white spray paint and saturated them, hung them outside to dry and prayed. Just as I was beginning to think I was going to have to cut a set out of cardboard Alyssa came to the rescue. She remembered an old costume hanging in her closet. Attached to the hem was a big white feather boa. She said, cut this off and glue it onto the white spray painted wings. Oh yea, I can do that. I can glue like nobodies business. With minutes to go, I emerged from the craft room with a beautiful set of angel wings. So beautiful we worried that it may seem I was playing favorites by making Bayleigh a prettier set than the other angels. Of course that wasn't the case. Here she was being angelic in the vestibule of the church. It went downhill from there. As time drew near for her to walk down the isle of the church with the five other angels, she began to protest. She wanted Nana to hold her. OK fine, I'll walk down with you, I can carry you and  I'll even sit with you in the choir loft. As the doors opened the tears turned to sobs, the further down the isle we went the louder the crying. The angels were to walk, two by two, down the isle, step onto the stage and enter the choir loft from either side. As we approached the stage the crying and wailing had turned to screams.  I stepped onto the stage and didn't even bother going into the choir loft. There was no way I was going to sit up there with this wailing child.  I  walked right off the side and tried to clam her.  Her mommy came over and retrieved her, since between the wails she could hear I want my mommy. Even after being placed in her mommy's arms, she continued the crying, only now she's calling for nana. Unable to console her, Alyssa took her out of the sanctuary and waited in the fellowship hall for the program to end. Her big stage debut was over. Oh well, she sure did look pretty. Maybe next year.

 

 

I'm getting a little nervous about my party planned for Sunday. What if no one shows?  I can see myself like the geeky teen, who invited all the cool kids to her birthday party. You know the scene, the poor geeky kid is eating chips and sipping punch by the lonely food table at midnight, because no one showed up for her party. I hope you'll show up and bring a friend with your cool projects made using a Silhouette or Cricut. Sunday beginning at 8pm.  I even made a little button you can take if you like buttons. The button and code are over there on the right.

 

What I was doing a few days before Thanksgiving

We had about 20 people here for Thanksgiving. What do you think I was doing the Monday and Tuesday before? If you guessed cooking, you'd be wrong. Cleaning? Nope. Painting and hanging bead board wallpaper? BINGO!

On Wednesday I was making curtains and a coffee filter wreath.

Somewhere in there I also painted a thrift store light fixture, dressed it up with a pretty shade, installed it and hung some plates on the wall. 

On Thursday, I was a cooking, cleaning fool. Thank goodness we didn't eat until 6.

I still need to come up with a Christmas Centerpiece for the table.

Cause I love a good before/after, here's the before.

Don't forget to link up your Silhouette and Cricut projects here, beginning Sunday at 8pm.

I'll be linking up at some of these parties.

You are invited

To my first ever blog link party!

Do you love your craft cutter?

This party is for you!

Linking begins on Sunday,  December 12th at 8:00pm.

and will continue through Wednesday at midnight.

Please plan to attend and invite a friend.

I broke down and bought a Silhouette craft cutter and I'd love it if you would drop by my blog this Sunday and share projects you've made using your Silhouette or Cricut.  I know it's short notice, so it would be great if you would help me spread the word. You can grab a button, over in the sidebar. See you Sunday at 8!

 

A fireplace makeover

Just in time for Christmas.

This is how it looked last Christmas

And now.

I painted the brick a couple of months ago and last week with a little help from Mitch, I added some molding detail above the mantel.  When trying to come up with something special but cheap to hang up there, I remembered seeing several versions of book page wreaths around blogland.  After studdying a few tutorials I fired up the glue gun and got to work.   I think what I came up with is a combination of the tutorials I read. It's made up of several layers like the ones beautifully detailed on  Jones Design Company  and Living With Lindsay, but instead of folding the pages, I rolled them into cones, as shown on Primp.

It's huge! I stared with a 14 inch wreath and used most of a 400+ page novel. It took about four hours and seven hundred glue sticks. OK, seven hundred may be a slight exaggeration, it was probably more like 600. Really, no less than 20, but that's a lot of glue.

I'll be linking up at these parties.