Monday, February 28, 2011

I will try to demistify........

I have had a couple of ladies that are sewers that didn't follow my direction on how to cut the fabric to keep it in one long piece to wrap a candle.  Well........I will try to spell it out another way.  I will warn you though....I usually just talk in circles and make things more confusing :)

First - cut your fabric a couple off inches longer than the circumfrence of your candle jar.  You will need to cut a piece of inner fabric (I used el cheapo muslin) and a piece of fabric for the outer cover - pretty stuff :)  Now - lay them on top of each other - left to right being the long way.  (a rectangle with the longest side being the top and bottom)

Take that fabric sandwich to your scallop square clear die.  Lay the die face up.  Place the left hand short edge just over the scallop cutting edge.  Fold the rest of the sandwich back and forth - NOT LETTING THE FABRIC CROSS THE LEFT OR RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE DIE.  The folds must allow the right hand side of the rectangle of fabric to cross the cutting die.  Sandwich that between two cutting plates and run that baby through the big shot.  Now, i didn't worry about the scallops lining up when folding the fabric because I was planning on snipping the edges and washing it to shabby it up a bit.  Here is a look at that die again - Hopefully I have cleared some things up for you.......


Did I help you?  Please let me know in the comment section so I know I didn't do it in vein ;)

Now - Do  you want to see the candle that came out of that sandwich????

There you have it.  I sewed a strip of velcro on it to keep it wrapped around the candle and embellished it with a few jumbo buttons.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Wanna Know How?

Do ya?  Do ya?  Do ya?

Would you like to know how I cut that fabric with my big shot to create a one piece scalloped edge wrap for the candle in the last post?  You remember - this one??


Well.....I have a quick picture for you.  I decided ot make one for a gift I need for this weekend.....this might just become my "go to" gift for a while.....lol!!!

First - measure the candle jar circumfrence.  The candle I bought is approximately 15 inches.  I cut my fabric roughly 17 inches.  I also cut a piece of el cheapo muslin for the inside about the same size.  I am really particular with measurements, huh?  hehehe!!!

Lay your two pieces of fabric together.  Lay on your scallop square clear die, being careful to only let the outer edges cross the die's cutting edge on the left and right.  You will have to fold your fabric back and forth something like this:

Make sense?  Don't mind the candyland game box in the background.....I was in a super hurry to take the picture....so I just whipped it onto my chair and snapped the picture - throwing caution to the wind of what was in the background.  lol!!!!

I will then cut a piece of felt by the yard instead of using quilt batting.  For craft items like this, the felt is heavy enough.  I will quilt it by machine and then attach the velcro strips to create a wrap.  Don't forget to snip into your scalloped edges and wash and dry it to create a raggy look.  When I get it finished - I will share that with you too.

Well.....I better run, I have two days worth of stuff I want to accomplish in one day.  What else is new, huh?

Monday, February 21, 2011

By Candlelight........

Hi Stampers!!!

Guess what?????  I have a new goodie to share with you today!  My grandma's birthday was this weekend and I had a gift idea in mind to make.  She almost always has a jar candle burning and I got to thinking.......What if a person likes the scent of a particular candle, but doens't like the color?????  You know....one of my favorite Ynakee scents is pink and I don't have a pink thing in my house except my little girl's room.  Now, that color hasn't stopped me from buying it....but what if it had? 
{lol}  Am I the only one who thinks up these thoughts????  {probably....}

But anyway....I got to work. 


I wanted to make a fringy type of cover, a cozie of sorts.....out of fabric.....something that could be used for more than one candle......(I put paper embellies around a jar candle for both my Grams and thy hated to burn them because the paper embellies couldn't be used again.....)

Wanna see what I did?

Do ya?


I can't hear you.........


Ok, that's better!  ;)


I cut the fabric with the big shot and the scallop square die.  But - you say - it is in one solid piece......not in squares like th erag bag you made........  That my friends will be for another day ;)

Wanna see it from the back??


I sewed a strip of velcro enclosure along the one edge to make it removeable and easier to wrap around another jar.

How about a closeup of that pretty little bow/button thingy?

It was made from a bow of always artichoke seam binding ribbon, a loop of vintage lace ribbon, and a big button.  Cute, huh?

well....what do you think?

Thursday, February 17, 2011

I'm SEW in luv........

with the project I have for you today!

I completely fell in love with the sew suite collection in the Occassions Mini - but I do have a slight confession........this is the first I have had time to play with it.  I have lots of ideas to execute......I just need an extra day in the week to execute them.....maybe what I need is an extra week in the week - LOL!!!

First - a little background.  Last fall, I pursuaded my hubby that we should move my stampin studio down stairs where our original living room was that turned into a toy room when we started using our bar/den for everyday lounging.  I made some pretty good arguements, obviously, because he did finally give in and say ok.  Now mind you - I have a TON of stuff, furniture, stuff, accessories, stuff, etc.... to move.  I finally found some awesome book shelves that were 16 inches deep to accommodate my scrapbooks without their spines hanging out - he put them together, we mounted them to the wall.....put some stuff on them....he carried down one of my tables and then  - HE BROKE HIS ANKLE!!!  So we are at a major stand  still in the big move.  BUT I do know I want to set up a little dedicated sewing area in my new space.  I have a regular sewing table but never use it because I didn't have room for it upstairs.....so hence - my sewing machine sat - untouched - sadly in it's case. 

 So - where am I going with this, you ask????  ( I do tend to ramble, huh?)  lol!!

When the sew suite collection was released, I decided to make some fun decor for my sewing corner.  Wanna see what I made first?  Do ya? Do ya?  OK..........


Well?????  How did I do?

The entire banner is made form the sweet stitched designer series paper.  I adhered the tangerine tango pom pom trim to the bottom edge with sticky strip.  I used the jumbo buttons at the corners of each letter banner.  The ribbon is very vanilla tafffeta ribbon.  The letters are cut with my big shot and alphabet die made from chipboard and melon mambo textured card stock.  I used crystal effects to completely cover the letters to give an epoxy finish with the textured letter underneath.

I will break down each letter banner for you.  Wanna go in order?  lol!
Here is a closer look at the "s" banner:


Some goodness to mention here - The thread spool and tomato pin cushion were stamped onto watercolor paper and colored with blender pens and ink refills.  The tomato is adhered with a stampin dimensional.  And then I adhered a button from the brights collection with some white crochet thread.

How about the "e"??

I gotta say, I am torn between the "e" and the "w" for my favorite goodness.......
I stamped the measuring tape stamp onto daffodil delight satin ribbon - luv that!!!!
I adhered it around the panel and in a wavy like way around the images on the "e" banner.  you like?  me like.

And now - for the "w"..........


The sewing machine was also stamped onto watercolroor paper and colored with a blender pen and ink refills.  Do you see my little sewing project coming out of the machine?????  I cut a little piece of the fabris from sweet stitches and adhered it to the needle part of the machine and the adhered it to the banner with mini glue dots.  Yummy goodness!!!!!


I would love for you to leave a comment below and let me know what you think of this little project.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Sale A Brate! Sale A Brate!

Dance to the music!  Sale A Brate!  Sale A Brate!  Dance to the music!

HI All!!

Guess what????  I had a little stamping time this week.  My daughter has a birthday party this weekend - so I decided to stamp up a little goodness for her.  I already had in my mind that I wanted to stamp out a sentiment in rainbow fashion, so I pulled out the FREE sale a bration set, So Happy for You.  Can you get over the FREE goods that we can select from out of this year's Sale A Bration catalog?????  Oh MY!!!!

To get my mojo flowing, I pulled out the mojo monday sketch for the week.  Wanna take a look at that?

BUT - my rainbow sentiment wasn't going to fit that sketch......SO - I flipped it.  See??

The card base is real red.  The sentiment panel was stamped with real red, tangerine tango, daffodil delight, wild wasabi, pacific point and rich razzleberry.  I backed that panel with basic black.  The whisper white circle was cut with my big shot and the new 3 inch circle die in the Occassions Mini.  I used the scallop- circle die and the pacific point designer series paper to back it with.  I decided to "pump" up the three brads in the circle with the flower stamp, also from So Happy for You, in tangerine tango.  I used black brads for the flower centers.  Tie a bow with daffodil delight satin ribbon - adhere the sentiment panel with stampin' dimensionals and Voila!  A birthday card.

A have another project to share with you using the Sew Suite collection that I am in love with...be sure to keep checking back within the next couple of days to see it.


Now - Go Stamp!  ;)

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

SALE-A-BRATE good times -

COME ON!!   do do do do do do do do....... There's a party going on right here - A sale-a-bration that happens once a year!  Bring your good times, and your laughter too - I'm going to sale a brate my party with you!!!!

Now, maybe some of you will have that song in your head all day like I will :)  lol!!

I have a little Sale-a-Bration eye candy for you this morning.  Wanna see????

As soon as I saw the set, Sweet Summer, I immediately thought of a field of wildflowers being pollonated by little busy bees.  Did you have the same vision?  And It is a totoally FREE stamp set with a $50 purchase - Does it get any better than that????  I'm serious - Does it?  I don't think so. :)

I started by stamping my flowers out onto shimmery white card stock with black staz on ink.  I then colored them in with my blender pen and ink refills.  Did you happen to see the busy bee's dotted trails?  That was soooo easy to add in - I just took my basic black stampin' write marker - used the fine point and made little "flitts" of dots.  Super easy and I think it really added to the bees - do you?

Oh yeah! - I had to add some grass with two rows of old olive cut into slivers.  My sentiment is also a FREE stamp set through sale a bration - So Happy for You.

Have a wonderful inky day!