Here's what's going so far in preparation for a small get together I'm throwing this weekend.
Blah, boring mantle before:
Christmas party mantle!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Show and Tell: Christmas Mantle
I have to admit that the dining room doesn't really get used very much during the year. But Christmastime is a whole other story! I usually have at least one dinner party so I like to deck out the fireplace to make the room feel nice and cozy.
Here's what's going so far in preparation for a small get together I'm throwing this weekend.
Blah, boring mantle before:
Christmas party mantle!
Come back on Friday to see what I've done to my chandelier!
Here's what's going so far in preparation for a small get together I'm throwing this weekend.
Blah, boring mantle before:
Christmas party mantle!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Make it Great Monday
Here we go...one more week closer to Christmas!! Are you excited? I am! Next week the parade of Christmas crafts begins and I can't wait to show you everything I've been up to. But for now, let's start the week off on the right foot with a couple a great features.
First up is Lisa from Pursuit of Happiness. She came up with the simplest idea for bracelets that have major bling power. Head on over there to see just how easy it is to create this dazzler:
I absolutely love everything Moroccan so I also want to make sure you check out this beautiful lantern project from Titti over at Shoestring Pavillion.
And now it's time to see what you've been doing!!
Now that our little party is starting to grow I think it's time to add a few requests, please read before you join:
Please only link:
1) Family friendly projects
2) Crafting, sewing, or recipes that you've made yourself
3) Maximum of 3 projects that you haven't link up before
4) Please, no shops or giveaways
You don't have to be a follower of Etcetorize to join the party but I can't tell you how happy it would make me if you were. I do ask that you post my party button somewhere on your blog though so that we can spread the word.
Let's link!
First up is Lisa from Pursuit of Happiness. She came up with the simplest idea for bracelets that have major bling power. Head on over there to see just how easy it is to create this dazzler:
I absolutely love everything Moroccan so I also want to make sure you check out this beautiful lantern project from Titti over at Shoestring Pavillion.
And now it's time to see what you've been doing!!
Now that our little party is starting to grow I think it's time to add a few requests, please read before you join:
Please only link:
1) Family friendly projects
2) Crafting, sewing, or recipes that you've made yourself
3) Maximum of 3 projects that you haven't link up before
4) Please, no shops or giveaways
You don't have to be a follower of Etcetorize to join the party but I can't tell you how happy it would make me if you were. I do ask that you post my party button somewhere on your blog though so that we can spread the word.
Let's link!
Friday, November 25, 2011
Fringed Cowl
While I was sick I couldn't do much of anything except watch Coronation Street and sleep. After a few days though I was getting a bit stir crazy and really wanted to get into to the studio to make something. I was itching to create. But I really just had zero energy and couldn't do much of anything at all
Until I pulled out my spool knitter! I was able to do it while laying on the couch watching TV. Once you know how to do it there's really very little thought that has to go into it and the end result is usually something both beautiful and useful!
So, here's one last spool knitting video for the year. In this one I also show you how to make and add fringe to your project.
If you're new to the series you can learn how to make your own spool knitter here , learn the basics here, and catch up on fun spool knitting projects here and here .
How to fringe your spool knitted cowl:
Have a great weekend everyone! Stay warm~
Until I pulled out my spool knitter! I was able to do it while laying on the couch watching TV. Once you know how to do it there's really very little thought that has to go into it and the end result is usually something both beautiful and useful!
So, here's one last spool knitting video for the year. In this one I also show you how to make and add fringe to your project.
If you're new to the series you can learn how to make your own spool knitter here , learn the basics here, and catch up on fun spool knitting projects here and here .
How to fringe your spool knitted cowl:
Have a great weekend everyone! Stay warm~
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Winner of the Big Plaid Giveaway!
Today is the day you've all been waiting for! Well, I have at least. It's always so exciting when I get to help give something away.
There were 52 comments from all of you lovely Etcetorizers and comment # 50 was the winning ticket!
That means the winner is....
This is especially exciting because I know that Khadija lives in Pakistan and doesn't have access to Mod Podge there. Have fun with it Khadija! I can't wait to see what you create with everything in this great prize pack!
If you didn't win, don't fret...there's still lots of time to enter Plaid's Crafty Christmas Contest. They're giving away Plaid gift baskets worth $50-$100!
Great big thanks to everyone who entered and a big welcome to all of the new Etcetorizers. I'm so glad you're here. I can't wait to get down to Christmas crafting with you next week!
There were 52 comments from all of you lovely Etcetorizers and comment # 50 was the winning ticket!
That means the winner is....
If you didn't win, don't fret...there's still lots of time to enter Plaid's Crafty Christmas Contest. They're giving away Plaid gift baskets worth $50-$100!
Great big thanks to everyone who entered and a big welcome to all of the new Etcetorizers. I'm so glad you're here. I can't wait to get down to Christmas crafting with you next week!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Show and Tell: New Jewellery
When I get into a new crafting experience I really fall head over heels and it's hard to hold me back. Case in point, my new jewellery "collection".
I went a little overboard.
I started out by playing with my new molds from Mold Muse, and then I started making my own molds, and then I was officially obsessed. Everything is double baked and many of the pieces are triple glazed. It gives the clay a sort of opaque resin look that I like.
My friend is going to take some for her little shop but it's consignment and it's sort of out of the way so I don't expect to make loads of sales there.
I'm hemming and hawing over putting some in my shop on Etsy. Etsy is really so much more work than everyone lets on.
I even made buttons!
I went a little overboard.
I started out by playing with my new molds from Mold Muse, and then I started making my own molds, and then I was officially obsessed. Everything is double baked and many of the pieces are triple glazed. It gives the clay a sort of opaque resin look that I like.
My friend is going to take some for her little shop but it's consignment and it's sort of out of the way so I don't expect to make loads of sales there.
I'm hemming and hawing over putting some in my shop on Etsy. Etsy is really so much more work than everyone lets on.
I even made buttons!
I guess I could just have a new bauble to wear every week of the year!
At least I have a head start on a few home made Christmas gifts. What do you think? Should I put them in the shop? Should I do a giveaway? Any other ideas????
I hope you've entered the Big Plaid Giveaway because today is the last day to enter. It's a wonderful prize pack that any crafter would love to get! Go check it out~
I hope you've entered the Big Plaid Giveaway because today is the last day to enter. It's a wonderful prize pack that any crafter would love to get! Go check it out~
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Make it Great Monday
Time to start the week on the right foot with another Make it Great Monday linky party! Before you link up though, let's check out a few of the wonderful posts that were shared last week.
First up is my bloggy buddy Andrea from The Cottage Market. Check out all of the pretty tags she made!
Everything she makes is gorgeous. Take a look at her blog and her Etsy shops and I'm sure you'll agree~
And now pull out your hankies for two very lovely and heartwarming posts from Janlynn and Meredith.
Janlynn from Janlynn Sew More shared the story of how she was gifted with this great old sewing machine:
And Meredith from I am a Mother Seeking... reminded us about what's important in life with a very special tribute to her daughters and her father:
Grab a button from the sidebar ladies~
And now for this week's party. You can share any family friendly sewing, crafting, or cooking projects that you've made yourself, that means NO SHOPS OR GIVEAWAYS. (Please only link up a maximum of THREE projects that you haven't shared yet. Thank you~)
You don't have to be a follower of Etcetorize but it sure would be nice. I do ask that you post my party button somewhere on your blog though. That way others can come and join in the fun.
OK, everyone...go for it! Let's link!
First up is my bloggy buddy Andrea from The Cottage Market. Check out all of the pretty tags she made!
Everything she makes is gorgeous. Take a look at her blog and her Etsy shops and I'm sure you'll agree~
And now pull out your hankies for two very lovely and heartwarming posts from Janlynn and Meredith.
Janlynn from Janlynn Sew More shared the story of how she was gifted with this great old sewing machine:
And Meredith from I am a Mother Seeking... reminded us about what's important in life with a very special tribute to her daughters and her father:
Grab a button from the sidebar ladies~
And now for this week's party. You can share any family friendly sewing, crafting, or cooking projects that you've made yourself, that means NO SHOPS OR GIVEAWAYS. (Please only link up a maximum of THREE projects that you haven't shared yet. Thank you~)
You don't have to be a follower of Etcetorize but it sure would be nice. I do ask that you post my party button somewhere on your blog though. That way others can come and join in the fun.
OK, everyone...go for it! Let's link!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Trash to Useful Treasure
I have yet another spool knitted scarf/cowl tutorial for you but I figured it would be nice to take a break from all of that knitting and do a quick little junk transformation today. Besides, I'm still a little under the weather and needed something super easy and quick to do.
I picked up this little shelf at the second hand shop not too long ago. All you need for this project is a junky shelf like this, some hot glue, crochet lace, and scissors (which of course I forgot to throw in the picture).
It's supposed to have wooden pieces across the fronts of each of the shelves and probably some little drawers or something in the bottom. It's really pretty much trash but I figured I could salvage it for something useful though.
I had every intention of bringing it home and immediately coating it in white paint. But after walking past it a few times I realized I sort of liked that cute folksy floral thing at the top and the colour kind of matches my kitchen table.
So, I just cleaned it up a bit and started gluing.
I put down a bead of hot glue along the side and then some crochet lace coming away from the shelf. Seem strange?
Well, I didn't want any fraying raw edges showing, so this way you can lay down another bead of glue on top of the lace and fold it back over. That way you get a nice clean edge.
A tiny bit of glue along the bottom of the shelf and on the other side secures the lace in place.
Then I just repeated on the other two shelves.
And added my sad excuse of a recipe card collection. (I don't really like cooking and trying new recipes.)
Here's where I usually keep my recipes:
It gets all greasy and gross on the outside because it sits right there on the stove.
I have no idea what will go on the bottom just yet. And if I ever get my little desk alcove in the kitchen finished this is where it will hang. I'm planning on painting the back wall with magnetic and chalk board paint and that little tiny wall will get some cork board.
Tah dah! And now my next task is to make some cuter recipe cards, but I've got all winter to do that~ For now, I'm just happy to have someplace handy to stash my recipes. I think if they're out like this I might just remember to pull them out and use them once in awhile instead of just relying on whatever box or can Ican reach in the cupboard.
Where do you keep your recipes? What do you think I should put in the bottom sections? Leave a comment below with your ideas!
Have a great week everyone!
Don't forget to get your entry into the Big Plaid Giveaway. The winner will be announced on November 24th!
I picked up this little shelf at the second hand shop not too long ago. All you need for this project is a junky shelf like this, some hot glue, crochet lace, and scissors (which of course I forgot to throw in the picture).
It's supposed to have wooden pieces across the fronts of each of the shelves and probably some little drawers or something in the bottom. It's really pretty much trash but I figured I could salvage it for something useful though.
So, I just cleaned it up a bit and started gluing.
I put down a bead of hot glue along the side and then some crochet lace coming away from the shelf. Seem strange?
Well, I didn't want any fraying raw edges showing, so this way you can lay down another bead of glue on top of the lace and fold it back over. That way you get a nice clean edge.
A tiny bit of glue along the bottom of the shelf and on the other side secures the lace in place.
Then I just repeated on the other two shelves.
And added my sad excuse of a recipe card collection. (I don't really like cooking and trying new recipes.)
Here's where I usually keep my recipes:
It gets all greasy and gross on the outside because it sits right there on the stove.
I have no idea what will go on the bottom just yet. And if I ever get my little desk alcove in the kitchen finished this is where it will hang. I'm planning on painting the back wall with magnetic and chalk board paint and that little tiny wall will get some cork board.
Tah dah! And now my next task is to make some cuter recipe cards, but I've got all winter to do that~ For now, I'm just happy to have someplace handy to stash my recipes. I think if they're out like this I might just remember to pull them out and use them once in awhile instead of just relying on whatever box or can Ican reach in the cupboard.
Where do you keep your recipes? What do you think I should put in the bottom sections? Leave a comment below with your ideas!
Have a great week everyone!
Don't forget to get your entry into the Big Plaid Giveaway. The winner will be announced on November 24th!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Did you enter yet???
Only one week left! Make sure to get your entries in to win all of this from Plaid:
(I just took a peek and so far there are only 38 entries, so your odds are really really good! Go ahead and enter!)
Just click HERE, add your comments, and check back next Thursday to see if you're the lucky winner! It's that easy.
While you're at it you should check out their Crafty Christmas Contest too~
(I just took a peek and so far there are only 38 entries, so your odds are really really good! Go ahead and enter!)
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Show and Tell: Just a Simple Dress
That's right, it's the simplest of dresses. But guess what? Whenever I wear it I get the most compliments. I'm not sure if it's the fit, the fabric, or the colour, but it all seems to have come together very nicely.
Normally I wear it with a very long gold chain but I got lazy taking these shots and left my new jewellery on.
Here's a close up of the fabric. Just a cute little floral print rayon:
And this is the pattern I used:
I made view B without the band at the bottom. ( I just checked the Butterick site and it's still in their current line up.) This was super easy to put together. If you know how to do facings and zippers you can make this dress easily.
Once again, classic elegance seems to have trumped elaborate design.
Even Katya agrees~
Don't forget to enter the Big Plaid Giveaway if you haven't already. If you're making Christmas presents this year, it's a pretty awesome prize!
Normally I wear it with a very long gold chain but I got lazy taking these shots and left my new jewellery on.
Here's a close up of the fabric. Just a cute little floral print rayon:
And this is the pattern I used:
I made view B without the band at the bottom. ( I just checked the Butterick site and it's still in their current line up.) This was super easy to put together. If you know how to do facings and zippers you can make this dress easily.
Once again, classic elegance seems to have trumped elaborate design.
Even Katya agrees~
Don't forget to enter the Big Plaid Giveaway if you haven't already. If you're making Christmas presents this year, it's a pretty awesome prize!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Make it Great Monday
I've been sick in bed all weekend, wishing and dreaming about crafting, but I can't seem to muster enough energy to go anywhere near the mod podge let along the sewing machine. Wah, poor me~
The great thing though is that I did get to look though all of the fun projects that were linked up last week! Our little party is growing week by week and I'm constantly amazed at all of the amazing talent out there.
Here are this weeks features:
I just love these cute wine bottle covers from the Rebel Crafter over at Crafting Rebellion. I don't drink, but if I did, my bottle would be wearing one of these for sure! I'm sure this will come in handy at Christmas gift time. Make sure to check out her post because she made some super cute ones out of decorative tights too.
The second feature is pretty much the exact opposite vibe. I was so impressed with this side table redo by Aimee over at Twigg Studios. It's not just the new paint and the mod podge, it's those great drawer pulls that she made herself! So pretty~
And now let's see what you've been up to! You can link up any family friendly projects that you've created yourself, PLEASE NO GIVEAWAYS OR SHOPS.
You don't have to be a follower of Etcetorize but it sure would be nice. I do ask that you post my party button somewhere on your blog though. That way others can come and join in the fun.
Let's party! (Don't forget to enter the Big Plaid Giveaway before you leave~)
The great thing though is that I did get to look though all of the fun projects that were linked up last week! Our little party is growing week by week and I'm constantly amazed at all of the amazing talent out there.
Here are this weeks features:
I just love these cute wine bottle covers from the Rebel Crafter over at Crafting Rebellion. I don't drink, but if I did, my bottle would be wearing one of these for sure! I'm sure this will come in handy at Christmas gift time. Make sure to check out her post because she made some super cute ones out of decorative tights too.
The second feature is pretty much the exact opposite vibe. I was so impressed with this side table redo by Aimee over at Twigg Studios. It's not just the new paint and the mod podge, it's those great drawer pulls that she made herself! So pretty~
You don't have to be a follower of Etcetorize but it sure would be nice. I do ask that you post my party button somewhere on your blog though. That way others can come and join in the fun.
Let's party! (Don't forget to enter the Big Plaid Giveaway before you leave~)