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Morning! A funky handmade wedding gown to cure your Monday Morning Blues today. I love the effect of the colors and the blue hemline....sort of like a colored crinoline without the pouf. What a fun way to work in that "something blue." You can check out the rest of the wedding photos and get all the scoop on this earth-friendly DIY wedding over at Offbeat Bride.
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I can't believe it's been three years since I shared my very first DIY project on this blog...seems like 10 years ago!! LOL. But it's true...this tutorial for DIY Pocket Valentines was my very first and it went live on February 12, 2010. I have recently re-edited the photos and updated a few expired links, so I hope you'll check it out!
What were you doing three years ago? Something for you to ponder...LOL. Have a great weekend! XOXO, Cindi
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It's that time of year again, when I pull out my craft supplies and get busy making Valentines. I make them for my daughter to take to school and for friends and family near and far. This year's design, was inspired by finger knitting. Strange, but true. My daughter and many of her schoolmates are really into finger knitting, so I thought it would be fun to incorporate yarn or wool into their Valentines this year. I did a quick inspiration search online and found a vintage knitting Valentine with the phrase, "Wool you be my Valentine?" I thought that was pretty cute and my daughter liked it too. From there, I made the leap to a fuzzy wool sheep and immediately knew I wanted to use some of my felted wool sweaters. We changed the spelling of "you" to "ewe" and this is what we came up with.
Here's the design sketch my 6-year old had given me to work with...who could resist such a cute client??
I always enjoy sharing my projecst, so....are EWE ready to make some Valentines? Here's how to do it...
GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES:
*cardstock
*printer
*felt or fabric cut into approx. 2 x 2 1/2 inch ovals (I did this freehand...no need to be perfect. If you are really motivated, you could even try to cut a scalloped edge.)
*scissors
*spray adhesive
*google eyes
*heart punch (optional)
*glue
*glitter (optional)
Felting Tip: I find wool and cashmere sweaters at thrift stores all the time and always snap them up to make felt with. They usually have holes in them, so I have no qualms about cutting them up to make something new. Felting them at home in your washer keeps them from fraying and makes a nice sturdy material to work with. Just wash them in hot water and dry on high heat...it may take a few cycles to get them where you want them, but it's easy.
STEP 1: Save the image below to your computer by right clicking and saving. Print it out on 3.5 x 5" cardstock just like you would a photo. You may need to adjust your printer's settings to do this. (I cut down an assortment of 8.5 x 11" sheets I had left over from other projects, but you can also buy pre-cut "4 bar" sized cards from places like Paper Source. If you would rather print four-to-a-page and cut apart after, here is a PDF file for you... Download Wool Ewe Be My Valentine.)
STEP 2: Spread your printed cards out on the table to get them ready for adding the wool sheep bodies.
STEP 3: Lay your ovals face down in a box or on some paper; then spray the backs with spray adhesive. (I used a paper lined pizza box leftover from the previous night's dinner....using a box helps contain the spray, so you don't end up with adhesive all over your floor.)
STEP 4: Apply your felt ovals to the printed cards.
STEP 5: Glue on google eyes and punched hearts if you wish.
I thought they looked pretty cute at this point and could have called it quits, but something was missing. I was feeling a strong urge to add glitter. So glitter I did...all 45 of 'em!
KICK IT UP A NOTCH: Pour plain white glue into a shallow dish and pour glitter into a second dish. Dip just the edge of the card into the glue and then into the glitter...repeat for all four sides. (Be sure to check the back too, so you don't end up with sticky bald spots on the back.) Set them out somewhere to dry.
And, voila! The finished product is pretty darn sweet if I do say so myself.
Now onto the hard part...getting my 6-year old to sign them all...LOL! So that's the project. I'm excited to hear what ewe think, so feel free to leave some comments, won't ewe?? XOXO, Cindi
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Morning friends! A little something to cure those post-Superbowl Monday Morning Blues...
When you think of an ugly duckling, smokin' hot retro lingerie is not usually the first thing to come to mind....but it should be! When I spotted Ugly Duckling on Etsy last week I knew I had to share. Despite the name, Gal Angel's retro designs are anything but ugly. She also does retro-inspired swimwear, but I chose to feature the lingerie today because I am equally smitten with the charming illustrations she has incorporated into her photos. How cute are these??? Turns out, they are the work of her friend and very talented illustrator, Hagar Wertheim, who doodles pretty much all of the images in her delightful blog, 1 Hug A Day.
I am loving the blue set above as a perfect "something blue" for a vintage or retro bride. And the swimwear is definitely honeymoon worthy...scroll down for a sneak peek at the end of the post. All of the pieces look comfy and flattering to a wide variety of body types...just be sure to allow time for delivery, as the pieces are all shipping from Tel Aviv!
To see the rest of the line, click the image below to be taken directly to Ugly Duckling on Etsy:
To see more of Hagar's wonderful illustrations and check out her adorable blog, 1hugaday.com, click this one:
Thanks so much for stopping by today! For more clever ways to add that perfect little "something blue" to your big day, check out the whole Monday Morning Blues series. Got a favorite indie biz that you think would be a good feature for this series? Leave your comments below and I'll check them out. In the meantime, I hope you'll follow along at any of the links below so you don't miss a thing. XOXO, Cindi
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