Halloween Tutorial- Bat Chandelier

When I was flipping through my Pottery Barn Kids catalog, I saw this great bat chandelier but there was no way I was paying that much for a seasonal decoration.....I am just funny like that.

It looked easy enough to reconstruct so that is what I did.

Supplies needed:

3 embroidery hoops, various sizes
black acrylic paint
tacky glue
black embroidery thread
large hand sewing needle
black pom-poms
black cardstock or felt (stiff felt preferred)

Instructions:

First Step was taking the inside hoops and painting them black
Next I cut out about 31 bats. I used black cardstock because I can cut 4 at a time versus one at a time with felt. Since this was an experiment, I didn't want to invest too much extra time. I just created my own bat stencil/template but if you'd like to use it, just email me at debye@cberryfamily.com and I'll send it to you.

Then I tied strips of the black embroidery thread approx 9" long around the hoop eyeballing them about 2 and 1/2 to 3" apart like this: After all the strings were attached, I took tacky glue and applied a little to the ends to make it stiff and much easier to thread. Then I put a small amount on each knot (around the embroidery hoop) to make it more secure.

To add the bats and pom poms, I threaded each strand (one at a time) on a needle and then I strung the bat and two pom poms. I tied a thick knot at the bottom so they wouldn't slide off over time and trimmed any excess. You can really play with the length of each strand to get the effect you want.

For the top and bottom tiers I used the pattern above, for the middle tier I did an alternating pattern of one bat and on pom pom with the other stand being two pom poms.

Once all the tiers were finished, I attached them with the embroidery thread and added glue to each knot again for extra security. Viola, your own bat chandelier for under $10!

Flower Frame Tutorial

This is one of my favorite quick & fun projects to make. I have had so many requests for the tutorial that I promised ages ago so I finally threw on together today! I love to give these as gifts with an inspirational quote in the center.

Supplies:

unfinished wood frame (I purchased mine for $1 at Michaels)

(1) 12" by 12" piece of patterned card stock (for frame)

(1) piece of card stock for the flowers (solid or print)

cutting mat and x-acto knife

ink pad (i used a copper/gold color)

circle punches, circle cutter or a plain old pair of scissors

sanding block

decoupage glue (i.e. Mod Podge)

3 bead or button (for flower centers)

hot glue gun

clear polyurethane top coat (spray can)

Instructions:

pick out your patterned paper. Please note the pattern shown. The opposite side is blue pods which you will see in the tutorial. *I prefer to use a thick card stock to help prevent bubbling.

Spread a thin layer of decoupage glue on the front side of the unfinished frame. Place the right side of the frame (with glue) onto the wrong side of the paper and press firmly. You can also turn over and rub lightly to be sure to remove any bubbles. Allow glue to set.

Place frame on cutting board and use an x-acto knife to cut around the frame. Don't worry about any small tears, you will be sanding the edges next and imperfections add character to the distressed edges!

Sand the outside and inside edges of the frame

it will look like this:

Now use an ink pad to go along the sanded edges. You are just going along the edge, not the entire depth of the frame. I use the fancy art technique of dipping a finger in ink and rubbing it on the frame to get the inside corners.

Now it should look kind of like this:

Now it is time for your flowers. You will want three "nesting" circles. My largest circle has a 3" diameter. I used a Marvy Uchida circle punches but you could use and circle cutter or even a compass or trace some household objects.

I normally use solid card stock for the flowers but I really like the print on the opposite side of the card stock so I decided to use the excess as my flowers. You will cut out three sets of circles. You need to use a thick card stock to really get a good shape to your flower when "squishing" it
Before squishing, I use a q-tip to color the center of the smallest circle to emulate "pollen"

Now for the fun part, squishing!I layer each flower then put my thumb in the center and "squish" the flower around my thumb. This is not a science and don't be too critical, it is adorable and does not need to be asymmetrical!

Now I ink the edges of each circle. I like to "squish" before I ink so the ink catches in some of the folds and wrinkles!Now you can assemble all three layers of each flower with a small dot of hot glue in the center of each layer.

Then in the center you can hot glue a bead or button. Once done, I like to figure out the placement of each flower. Sometimes I do a cluster, sometimes they all go on top and sometimes on one side. Be creative and see what fit with the design.

Once your flowers are affixed with hot glue you can seal and protect your beautiful frame with two coats of polyurathane. Put a picture or a quote in the center and it is ready to go!

No Peeking Mom

I just thought I'd share one of the fun projects I did yesterday as a birthday present for my mom. I had picked up this adorable turquoise embroidery hoop from JoAnn's ages ago with an idea in mind to use it with my kids hand prints.


So last night I traced my kids hands on to card stock for a template. Next, I used some fusible interfacing on the fabrics for stiffness and durability then I attached them to some white cotton that I put in the hoop with some embroidery floss. For fun, I added the button border this morning and voila, an adorable keepsake stitched with love.....no machine required! Oh, and I almost forgot...I did use a small amount of batting to add some dimension.

I'm Lovin' It Monday

I don't know how the release slipped by me, but I am lovin' the new Heather Ross line, Far Far Away. I love her whimsical take on some of my favorite classic story tales like the Princess and the Pea and the Frog Prince.

What else am I lovin'? I am lovin' Que Sera Sera by K & Company, but good luck finding it anywhere but online (but if you do, pick up one for me too). It is so popular that it flew out of all of our local Michaels Stores but it is definitely worth the extra shipping!

The papers are just gorgeous and some of the jewel tones they use are just dazzling. Complete with some glitter and texture, you will need very little in the way of embellishments!

I'm Lovin' It Monday

Okay, how can you NOT be lovin' this dress from Downeast Basics? I immediately fell in love with the Plaza Dress! Fun tuxedo ruffle, polka dots, coordinating buttons and belt in a contrasting color.....I'm sold. But what makes this dress even better is that it is $9.99 right now. Wanna know something more? You can get an additional 30% off by entering the promo code SPRINGSALE....that makes it $6.99 . For me, my grand total for one dress WITH shipping was $12.94.

They must have just found a stash of these in storage since it was from their holiday 2007 line. I love that the two color choices offer completely different looks. Teeny black and white polka dots or large cider colored spots with the great purple accents! So, I bought them both for less then the price of what you could get a dress for on sale for at Target! Now, if they only sold that great yellow bag.....

Let's move on now for what I am lovin' for my crafting. I just love these sentiment flashcards from 7 Gypsies, what a fun addition to any layout or album. And this Birds Of A Feather chipboard set from Maya Road is just so inspiring, you will want to add one to every project!

A New Look for me and Etsy

I have been taking some time off from the "retail business" and dabbling in new crafts and techniques. Today I revamped my Etsy store with my first "home made" banner which is actually a layout that I scanned and cropped.

Along with the new look I am adding new types of products...paper crafting. You see, paper crafting can move room to room with me when I can't be in the studio for long without the toddlers attempting to kill each other plus.....I just love it!

How do you like the new look? You can see it better here

A Little Mother's Day Treat

I am lucky to say that I am friends with some pretty fabulous women that just also happen to be fabulous Moms. Better yet, they help me to be a better mom through their laughter, support and sometimes commiseration! I wanted to do a little special something for them for Mother's Day so I altered some mini composition books and made some coordinating clothespin magnets and bought some chocolate, of course, .....lots of it!

Then I decorated the front of a plain white paper gift bag and cut off the front handle so I could hang them on their front doors as a suprise on Sunday ! Hopefully this little gesture will go a long way in showing them how special they are!

I'm Lovin' it Monday

I have had a very creative last few days (posts to come) so I had to narrow it down for today's picks.

First, I am lovin' this great Jane Market Bag pattern from Alicia Paulson over at Posie Gets Cozy . I can't wait to use mine out shopping and what a great, easy gift to make. Added bonus, downloadable pattern....talk about instant gratification!

If I have mentioned this before let me tell you again how much I love Tattered Angels Glimmer Screens and Mists. The stencils are easy to wash, sturdy and reusable and are such an easy way to add an elegant and subtle detail to your paper craftin, layouts, etc. You don't even want me to get started on how great the mists are....we could be here all day!

I'm Lovin' It Monday

This Monday I am Lovin' this great custom ribbon over at J Caroline Creative. She has turned these great prints from fabric designers Jessica Jones and Patty Young into these great jaquard ribbons and I love the Proud Grosgrains by Keri Beyer!
They are a little pricey but worth it for an extra special project! What else am I lovin'? I am lovin' my Meiko CD , she has such an amazing voice and you can't help but sing along!

Word Themed Inchies

I completed these word themed inchies over the weekend as part of the 100 inchie project on Swap-Bot . I knew exactly what I wanted to do for this theme. I watercolored each of the inchies' backgrounds and then used the words as inspiration for the design.

There is nothing like an inchie for a quick burst of creative refueling! I keep a container full of them on my workspace to play with, doodle on or draw inspiration from.

I'm Lovin' It Monday

Yes, I am still alive but with Cooper still fighting a bad infection and lots of movement on Christopher's case, I just haven't been able to blog. I am praying that round three of antibiotics for Cooper and today's hearing for Christopher will bring some much needed peace!

Now, to business......this Monday I am lovin' Sassafras Lass' Paper Whimsy Blossoms . The large ones already have inked edges, what a time saver. I ran out and bought every set and I am saving them for something special!

Floppy Disk Album-Done at Last!

At last my floppy disk albums are done! I made four of these for the Relief Society Presidency, I hope they enjoy flipping through it and reflecting on its message. I think we all need visual reminders at times so that we don't forget what is important as we get caught up in the craziness of our everday lives

Business Card or Tea Wallet

I made this fun little business card holder for a Fat Quarter Sewing Challenge on Swap-bot that I am in. My partner likes miniature things, loves color and I thought this would be a fun little accessory that she may actually be able to use!

I used this great tutorial found HERE , with the size modified for a business card (instead of the tea wallet) and added my own little twist of embellishments. I made fun little stamped cards to go in the business cards slots since I figured 4 C Berry Baby business cards might seem like advertising! This project is so simple to make and lots of fun, I think I will make a tea wallet for myself as well and maybe a "Splenda Wallet" for my mom!

CD Cover Tutorial

This is such an easy and quick project I almost feel silly posting it. It can also be made with fabric or felt and would be great for a valentines gift for your sweetheart with a mix CD!

Materials:

(2) 5" by 11" sheets of main paper

(1) 2 1/2" by 12" sheet of coordinating paper

(2) 6" lengths of ribbon

optional embellishments

5" Xyron machine or adhesive (double stick tape, glue)

craft glue

First I ran one of the main sheets through the Xyron machine to cover it with adhesive (you can also just use double sided tape or glue). I then attached the ribbon lengths to each end.

note: the back side of my main paper is light blue

Then I secured the other main panel on top. The double thickness not only holds the ribbon, it also creates extra sturdiness to protect the CD.

I then folded the assembled main piece and the coordinating paper in half.

I glued along the bottom and side edges and at the crease making sure to leave a pocket open for the CD and the song list.

I then lined up the bottom edges of coordinating paper strip and the main paper and secured the two together. Once dry, you can insert the CD in one pocket and the playlist in the other. On this case, I chose to glue the playlist on one side instead...just depends on my mood!

For a variation, you can also use an jumbo brad and elastic for your closure. A few tips on this are:

1. use an eyelet to secure your elastic so it doesn't pull or rip the paper when used

2. align your brad and eyelet closer to the bottom (versus center) so that the coordinating panel will cover the brads/eyelet backs

3. cover the backs of the brad and eyelet with a sticker or square of paper so they don't scratch the CD!