happy accidents

i've recently realized how much more i'd be able to create if only i could really sew.  since i'm not quite commited enough to put in the time and effort it would take to learn, i've been exploring sewing shortcuts.  my first pseudo sewing experience was with pillowcase dresses.  in case you haven't picked up on the pattern, all of my projects are super simple and this one was no exception.

with all of my success with these cute little ensembles, i was more encouraged than ever to venture into the world of textiles.  my goal was to try some iron ons to spruce up some plain baby tees.  what actually happened was quite different.. i purchased what i thought was iron on material and got started.  thirty minute and one ruined shirt later i realized i had actually bought no sew adhesive.  after the discouragement wore off, i decided i already had the stuff so there was no reason not to put it to good use.  turned out to be one of my favorite projects yet!

now on these i not only originally thought i was working with iron ons, but i also thought i was capable of making the shape of an egg.  regardless of these mix ups, i still think they turned out fun.  i thought i would go with words for my next try (i'll admit i was lazy and instead of using the cricut to perfect the letters i just free handed everything so it's a little sloppy but i feel it turned out appropriate).  "all good things are wild and free" seems one of the most fitting quotes for my gal, so that's what i went with!

now that just about every shirt my child owns is covered with additional fabric, i've also experimented turning this idea into home decor.  i'm a fanatic of bold prints, so i just loved how this turned out.

long story short, i'm obsessed with no sew adhesive!

spring fever

beautiful weather just has a way of inspiring all kinds of fun spring themed projects.  here is my most recent endeavor - a festive flower headband for elise! 



in case you couldn't tell, she loves it!



to make your own, you'll need two or more silk flowers, a hair accessory of your choice (i.e. headband, hairband, barrette, you get the idea), and a needle and thread.  the first thing you will need to do is take the silk flowers apart, then you will start stitching your flowers layer by layer to the hair accessory with a simple X.  Keep in mind the more layers, the fuller the flower but harder to stitch.  for the very last flower, i did a running stitch through the petals and pulled my thread tight before tying it off. 

magnets!!

this project is so simple & really cute!

tracing, cutting, and glueing was a little much for the 2yo but my baby sister and i (okay, not baby.. she's 9) had tons of fun making these (50 of them!!!!)

SUPPLIES:

• .75" round magnets
• silicone or glass glue
• round, flat, clear, glass marbles

HOW TO:

• go through magazines, pictures, papers, and find some images you'd like to use (you are going to want smaller pictures than you'd think since the marbles magnify the images)
• use the magnets to trace around the images & cut them out
• glue the image to the magnet
• put a small glob of glue in the center of the flat side of the marble and press it into the center of the image
• wipe and excess glue from the edges and let dry!





mandy & monoprinting mayhem

<<< this is me, mandy.  i'm a mom, a partner, an accountant, and what i call a craft adventurer - an explorer of all things crafty and artsy without any real sense of direction.  (spoiler alert: i'm flying by the seat of my pants here)


 monoprinting is one of my favorite projects to do with my soon-to-be two year old daughter, elise, but it's great for all ages.


the best part of these totally unique monoprints are how simple they are to create.  to make ours, we lined a large cookie sheet with wax paper (saran wrap also works well) and then i let elise paint, fingerpaint, and squeeze paint onto the wax paper.  once she was done designing, we pressed our canvas (paper works, too) face down on the cookie sheet. once you are confident the paint has transfered, flip the canvas, let dry and VOILA! you've got yourself a one of a kind print :)

(if i were to do anything differently on this project, it'd be to paint the canvas' a solid color and let them dry before starting so as to avoid the boring white background)

many more old & new projects to come!