Vintage Valentines in the Etsy Shop

Valentines Day is 2 weeks away. This is the first year my daughter will be in school and able to pass out Valentines to her friends. Sure I could go to the store and pick up a pack with Dora or Diego, but that is not our style. I think I will send her with a batch of these retro 70's sporty cuties. I have plenty to share, just check out my Etsy store. You can send your kiddo to class with a batch too.


If you prefer a more antique look with your Valentines I also have these vintage beauties available.

I Love to Create - Ahh Shucks you Painted Me Chucks for Valentines Day

I'm one of those mother's that lives to dress my kids in theme. Valentine's Day is no exception. Novelty Valentines T-shirts are a dime a dozen, but shoes cute enough for Cupid are something special. Here is how to make your own.


SUPPLIES
Tulip Soft Fabric Paint
Paint Brush
Canvas Tennis Shoes


The first thing I did was paint the purple shoes pink. If you already have a pair of canvas shoes in the color you want you can skip this step. However, with just two coats of Tulip Fabric Paint the purple was gone and it was all about the pink.


I could have left the shoe laces white, but why when they look so much cuter red. I know, I know this picture implies that I painted them striped with a red fabric marker. I did at first, but then later went back and used red spray paint.


Next I painted the toes of my shoes red and while the paint was wet I coated them with red glitter. I also added a little heart to the back of each shoe.


Now Tallulah can celebrate Valentines Day in style. Heck they were so easy to whip up I might make the whole family a pair.

***This is a sponsored post by I Love to Create - I was compensated & given free supplies. Mama has gotta pay the bills somehow and really who in their right mind would say no to free craft supplies***

Losing the Baby Weight - My Body is My Latest Craft Project

I know, I know, usually I only post about crafts here. I'm not usually one for long drawn out personal wordy blogs, but I was in the mood. Lately I have been crafting something a little different. I have been trying to craft myself a new and improved pre-baby body. Yup click out now if a weight loss story does not interest you.

I notice that when I post a goal on the internet I stick with it better. I know that sounds weird, but somehow when I know strangers are also holding me accountable for something I said I would do I get better results. Take for example the time I cleaned out my studio. I posted weekly update pictures and everyone was so kind to give me moral support and cheer me on. I felt obligated to post improvement pictures for everyone to see weekly. My thoughts are this, maybe if I post about trying to lose weight on my blog it will actually happen. I have been writing about it on Facebook a bit so let me fill you in.

My sister got married this fall. Remember the plastic flower bouquet I made. Well, when I saw the pictures from her wedding it was the last straw. The baby weight was starring me in the face and not going anywhere. Now given Baxter was a 10.8 lb baby, and they say it took you 9 months to gain that baby weight so give yourself 9 months to lose it. Well, Baxter is now 10 months and I still have baby weight. I can't blame it all on Baxter. I never really tried to lose weight after Tallulah since I knew I was going to have another baby. My excuse after Baxter has been that I am breastfeeding and I didn't want to diet and screw with my milk supply. I have recently learned that Weight Watchers has a program for nursing mothers so out went that excuse.


So ya, Weight Watchers. I have never tried an official diet program before. In the past when I wanted to lose a few pounds I typically just kept a food diary and exercised and that did the trick. Really it is just a matter of eating fewer calories than you burn right? Anyway, I didn't feel like counting calories and I had a good friend and some family who had lost weight on Weight Watchers so I decided to give it a shot. I started on the 1st of the year so I am about a month in and as of today I have lost about 17 lbs.

17 lbs in that short of time is not typical. weight Watchers even scolded me for losing too fast. I think it is because the further away you are from what you should weigh the easier it is to lose. The closer I get to my goal I'm sure all the pound a week losses and plateaus will start to drive me nuts.

One thing I have to say about the new Weight Watchers Point Plus System is that I get to all the fruits and vegetables I want. I sound like an ad, I swear I am not a paid spokesman. In the last month I have eaten things like fresh okra (who knew it is even better when it is not fried), beet greens (usually I just throw the tops away they are yummy in salad) and grapefruit (mmmm broil with honey and ginger on top). One day I was feeding Baxter and Tallulah and realized they were both sitting there eating organic fruits and vegetables and I had a piece of Spam in one hand and a Coke in the other. Seems silly that only my kids should eat healthy and not me and Chris. Right?


I also got the bright idea to start jogging. That part of the plan did not work out so well. I started a couch to 5k podcast and on week 2 I hurt my knee. I thought it would pass, but alas here I am a couple of weeks later on crutches and scheduled for an MRI on my knee. I should get some little weights and start doing some upper body work out stuff while I am stranded on the couch with an ice pack on my knee. I might need to think of a different exercise plan since jogging did not work out so well. Bike rides? Walking? Who knows when I can walk without a limp again I will think of something to do. The one bonus of a stress fracture is that I also can't get off the couch to get to the fridge so I lost more weight this week than I did the weeks I was jogging.

So my body is my latest craft project. I promise not to blog about it obsessively. Like I said last time I blogged about my studio clean up project all the support I got kept me going and got the job done. Sadly, my studio is a wreck and even worse than before. I'll start that clean up journey when I can walk again. Hopefully, my baby weight loss journey will stick better than the cleanliness of my studio.

What are you tips tricks and thoughts on the matter? Did you too make a New Year's resolution to shed a few pounds? Do you have a favorite low points Weight Watchers snack to share? A vegetable recipe you love? A favorite work out this gimpy lady can do from the couch? I'm all ears.

P.S. Pretty wedding pictures taken by Cory Ryan. I'll post some after soon. My mom swears she could tell in my face in the 'Put a Bird on It" Brooch post.

Mastering Manual - Taking the Training Wheels Off My Camera

Last year one of my New Year's resolutions was to buy a DSLR camera. Lucky for me my friend Erin from Design Crisis was in the market to sell hers. I have been happy as a little clam snapping away with my camera on manual for the last year, but this year I knew I had to take the next step and really see what this baby could do.


Enter my father-in-law Phil - the best, most handsome, most thoughtful, best cookie baking father-in-law a girl could ask for (he reads my blog so I need to butter him up, but it is all true). This year for Christmas he got me photography classes at the Dougherty Art Center here in Austin. Every Thursday I sit in a room with a dozen other people who have also been perfectly happy with manual and get my mind blown with terms like F-stops that happen in half stops and thirds. So many numbers, I just want to take pretty picture.


These are the 4 pictures I took for my first assignment. Our homework was just to take 4 pictures in manual without using the flash. Finding the perfect ISO, aperture and shutter speed symphony is tricky business. How am I going to adjust settings, get the kids to stay in the same place and hobble on crutches (ya there was another resolution about jogging that didn't work out so hot).


This week I need to bring 8 pictures with examples of natural light. I'll share next Friday. Any tips to share on photography? Any great articles that really helped you understand all those numbers and combinations? I recently highlighted an article on BlogHer about food photography that I thought was interesting. Wish me luck and please leave pearls of wisdom.

I Love to Create - Mirror Mirror on the Wall Who is the Craftiest of Them All?

I have hand mirrors on the brain lately. Maybe it is all those Snow White and the Huntsman commercials. Maybe it was last week when I decided to hot roll my hair and realized I had no way to see the back of my head. Whatever the reason there was no way I was going to have a plain jane hand mirror on my vanity.


SUPPLIES
Felt
Scissors
Liquid Fusion Glue
Hand Mirror


The first thing I did was decide on a design. Once I knew how I wanted my mirror to look I cut out pieces of felt.


I attached all the felt to the mirror using Liquid Fusion. Be careful not to use too much so that it does not darken your felt. I also added a hairbow from Jen at Hell Razor.

Now next time I need to see the back of my head I'm ready!

P.S. Don't forget that hand mirrors also make great picture frames.

P.P.S. Please excuse the slightly blurry pictures. I am taking photography classes and my teacher made me change all the nice settings my photag friend Erin had put my camera on.


***This is a sponsored post by I Love to Create - I was compensated & given free supplies. Mama has gotta pay the bills somehow and really who in their right mind would say no to free craft supplies***

Blogging Away on BlogHer

I know it seems as if I have not been posting much these days, but I have. Just not here. Don't forget 5 days a week I am posting over at BlogHer. Recent posts include fun stuff like how to pimp your preserves, decoupage your shoes, make a chapstick cozy and painting your walls to look like a forest. Fun craft finds to click and read all week long. Also, I am posting all kinds of craft treasures through my @blogherdiy account on Twitter so be sure to follow along.

I Love to Create - The 'Put a Bird on It' Brooch an ode to Portlandia

If you are looking for some stellar television to add to your list of much watch shows, might I suggest Portlandia. I was skeptical with a dude from Saturday Night Live and a chick from Sleater Kinney - and then I watched it - and then I fell in love. I have always heard that Austin and Portland are sister cities and after watching the skits on this show I believe it. One of my fave segments was entitled "Put a Bird on It". As we all know good craft trends die hard and this feathered favorite appears to be here to stay. In celebration on Portlandia's second season starting I am making my ode' to the show. The 'Put a Bird on It' brooch.


SUPPLIES
Wooden Disc
Scissors
Aleene's Liquid Fusion Glue
Collage Pauge
Forest Picture
Hot Glue Gun
Collage Pauge Decoupage Medium
Faux Bird
Faux Eggs
Embroidery Thread
Aleene's Fabric Stiffener and Draping Liquid
Vasaline
Small Bowl
Pin Back
Ribbon


This whole idea came to because I started thinking about making a nest out of embroidery thread. I used a small plastic bowl and lubed that sucker up with petroleum jelly to act as a release. Next I cut long strands of brown embroidery thread. One by one I began dipping the thread in fabric stiffener and wrapping it around my bowl. Once you have it looking like a nest leave it to dry.


While your nest is drying you can work on the backdrop. I used a small wooden disc. I found an image from a vintage book of a forest that I cut out and decoupaged onto the wood.


Next I cut my nest in half. At this point I was not sure if I was going to go with shoe clips or brooch. I only had one bird so brooch won. I'll save the other half of the nest for another project.


Using a combination of Liquid Fusion Glue and a Hot Glue Gun I attached the half nest to my collaged backdrop. Once the nest was in place using Liquid Fusion I put my bird and her eggs in the nest. I also added a ribbon around the edge to cover up some messy glue spots. Last but not least, I glued a pin back to the wood.



I am totally smitten on the way everything turned out. Portlandia was right everything looks better when you put a bird on it.

I leave you with the video clip that inspired it all - Put a Bird on It!


***This is a sponsored post by I Love to Create - I was compensated & given free supplies. Mama has gotta pay the bills somehow and really who in their right mind would say no to free craft supplies***

I Love to Create - My Favorite 11 Projects of 2011

Happy New Year! I hope you did something more exciting than going to bed at 10pm like I did. As I laid in bed on New Years Eve I reflected on the last year. What had I made, accomplished and done? So many deep questions to ponder. To commemorate the last year in craft I thought I would do a roundup of my fave projects from 2011.


11) Big Game Hunting on a Thrift Store Safari
This beauty still hangs in Baxter's room. Actually, he just got a friend for Christmas from my mom. She made him a mounted robot zebra head made from a lampshade and brush. Ah-mazing!


10) Not Your Typical Bridesmaid Bouquet
My sister Hope got married this fall and I was lucky enough to be the Matron of Honor. I was pretty smitten on how my bouquet turned out. She had one made of rhinestone brooches so I made myself one of vintage plastic flowers.


9) Recycled Retro-Style Jewelry Box
Every time I look at this jewelry box I smile. The bright colors, perky flowers, the way it matches my Bakelite collection. What is not to love?


8) Yarn Wrapped Antler Mobile
Apparently I really adore Baxter's nursery since this makes two projects on my list that reside there. I love this colorful antler so much I want to cut the pom poms off and set it on a coffee table as art. Right after Baxter quits putting everything in his mouth I'll take it down and set it out.


7) Slice of Citrus Tote Bag
We have not even had a day below freezing here in Austin, TX but I am already counting down the days until summer. Until I can go swimming I will just carry this perky slice of citrus tote bag to remind me of warmer days.


6) Mid-Century Modern Knitting Needle Clock
This clock is probably one of my favorite things I have made ever and that is saying a lot for someone who has been crafting over 30 years. This beauty still hangs and tells time proudly in my dining room.


5) Personalized Placemats
I am proud to announce that over the holidays the recipients of these placemats announced their engagement. I like to think it was because they could never bear the thought of parting with their placemats.


4) Valentine's Paper Chain
I need to pack Baxter up and toss him in a photo booth to add some links to my paper chain this year. I made this project for Valentine's Day, but really you could make it for any occasion.


3) Milkbone Memorial Frame
2011 started off with a kick in the teeth losing our beloved dog Lucy. However, I thought this glittered milkbone picture frame was the perfect send off. Also, I have had people tell me they have seen her hanging on the wall in Chuy's so her memory lives on.


2) Brooch Bouquet Topiary
While trying to figure out how to store and display my collection of colorful vintage brooches this topiary came to me. It seems a shame to let jewelry this cute sit in a drawer or a box waiting to be worn.


1) Baxter Dabney Boehk
As the saying goes - I'm so crafty I make people. By far the best thing I whipped up this year came in March weighing 10.5 pounds.

What were your favorite things you made in 2011? Any crafty goals for 2012? Top of my list is to get my studio cleaned AGAIN. I am starting a photography class next week which has always been a goal. I must crochet Baxter a blanket since I made one for his sister. I'd like to get a books worth of Digital Scrapbooking pages finished to have printed. I'm sure more will come to me, but for this week that is enough to think about.

***This is a sponsored post by I Love to Create - I was compensated & given free supplies. Mama has gotta pay the bills somehow and really who in their right mind would say no to free craft supplies***

Adventures in Digital Scrapbooking

Since one of my New Years Resolutions is to make and print a book of my digital scrapbooking designs I thought I would share a few of my latest creations. Recently I have started going back and making pages for major kid milestones.


Digi Sources: Kitschy Digitals, Cosmo Cricket


Digi Sources: Kitschy Digitals, Cosmo Cricket, Minitoko and Nutmeg


Digi Sources: Kitschy Digitals, Cosmo Cricket, Lily Bimble


Digi Sources: Minitoko


Digi Sources: Kitschy Digitals, Cosmos Cricket & Pugly Pixel

What do you do with your digital scrapbooking pages when you are finished with them?