What I did on my etsy vacation

Well, not everything, but here are a couple of my projects I did in my "DIY fit."

I turned this...

into this! For my daughter's room.

I also got the chair below at a yard sale for $5 and sanded, painted, polyurethaned, and recovered into the swanky version you now see. Before it was light brown wood veneer with bad '80s sort of burgundy and green faux tapestry. I think it is much happier now.

I would put more pics up, but my camera is in sore need of batteries.

Tutorial: Fabric Labels

As promised yesterday, here is the self-printed fabric label tutorial. Basically, it is a method to make your own bubble jet set for cheap. Gotta love that.

Here's what you need:

2 1/2 oz. Alum (found in the spices at grocery store - mine costs 89 cents per 1 1/4 oz.)
2 tablespoons Washing Soda (found with the laundry detergent)
1 teaspoon fabric softener
2 1/2 cups hot water

Freezer paper (found with the aluminum foil and such)

Mix first four ingredients together in a large bowl. It will bubble. Science!

Cut pieces of fabric in sizes that are slightly larger than a sheet of printer paper. My fabric is Kona cotton, prewashed to remove any sizing. 1 yard will yield about 8 sheets.

Starting with 3 of the sheets, soak in the solution for about 10 minutes. Make sure that the fabric is submerged as best you can. As you continue with the process and you have less of the solution in the bowl, you'll probably only want to put in 2 sheets at a time. You will have enough solution to do about 12 sheets.

After the 10 minute soak, remove and squeeze out excess solution gently. You don't want to wring it out completely, just enough that your sheet is no longer drippy. Hang to dry.


When the sheet is dry (you can use a blow dryer to speed up the process), cut a sheet of Freezer Paper to roughly the same size. The freezer paper will help the fabric sheet feed through your printer.

Using a press cloth, iron the fabric sheet to remove any wrinkles. Then put the freezer paper, shiny side to the fabric, and press gently. I usually do this with the paper side up. It will look wrinkly.

Cut the fabric (now fused to the freezer paper) to 8 1/2" x 11", to feed through your printer.
If the freezer paper comes unfused, just take it back to the iron and hit it again.


This part is a little more art than science. You want to make sure that the top of your sheet (that will be the part fed into the printer) is fused together well. But beware of insane wrinkles and scorching.

Using the label function (like for address labels) on your computer, make your label design. I have only used black ink for mine, and I don't have much experience using color. Print a sample sheet on printer paper just to make sure it looks good to you.
Feed your fabric sheet into your printer and PRINT! For best results, use the "Best" setting in your printer preferences.

Now, here is the hard part. Remove the freezer paper and let these set overnight. I know, but really, the longer the ink can set, the better.

The next morning, rinse the sheets quickly in cold water with just a touch of fabric softener. The fabric softener acts as a gentle detergent. I usually swish to the count of 15 and remove.

After rinsing, don't wring! Lay your sheets on a towel, fold the towel over and gently press out the excess water. Wringing at this point could redistribute the ink.

When the labels are just damp, I give them a good dousing with starch. I like the kind that you mix yourself rather than the spray, because I think it soaks into the fabric easier, but I'm sure either kind would work. Press well.

The starch makes the labels more crisp and easier to cut. I usually use a pressing cloth for this part, too, but if your iron doesn't have tons of gook on it, you may not need to.

Cut your labels! This is the fun part. I usually go with about 1/4" on all sides.


Ta-Da!!!!! You have made your very own label!

I usually apply mine with a strip of Stitch Witchery or Heat n Bond and then zigzag around the edges. I have also pinked the edges and then used a straight stitch just inside the border. Totally up to you.

Now, I certainly am not smart enough to have made this up. I found most of the info at craftster. A generous and talented crafter posted a formula for the bubble jet set (85% hot water, 10% alum, 4% washing soda, 1% fabric softener) and all I did was use my scale to figure out the amounts. You can find out tons more by going to craftster and searching "Homemade Bubble Jet Set." There is an extensive forum post about this. But I have done this now a few times, with great success, ever since my label maker on etsy decided to call it quits.

Enjoy!

Dipping that pinkie toe in the water...

I'm back in my studio for the first time in a lonnnnnnng time today, and it feels a little bit weird. I keep feeling like I need to rearrange it or paint the walls or something to make it feel fresh, to get that new start going. I'm thinking a pale pale blue ceiling, but that's as far as I've gotten.

I'm also making some new labels today, and I promise to take pics and let everyone know the great method I've found of making your own fabric labels. Hint: everything that you need (other than your printer and the fabric) can be found at the grocery store.

Until then, how about some random pics of summer in small town Arkansas? Both of these were taken nearby.

Egg-ceptional (sorry)

I came across this through Whip Up - a great post about dyeing eggs using natural things to produce these gorgeous colors, as well as greens and blues and such.


And, of course, Martha has these stylish Botanical Eggs.

Sort of a Tutorial? Mosaic Hurricane Candle Holders

I have a hard time calling this an actual tutorial, because all I basically did was glue, but I glued with pictures! So here goes.

It all began with this sad, tired candle thing that I did a couple of years ago. It has been moved from place to place to place, and I'm just sick to death of it. But, I wanted to do something with the sea glass pieces. (Not actual sea glass. Just the stuff in the floral section in little bags for a buck called sea glass. But still, pretty colors!)

While shopping at the Evil Empire this morning, I found these vases, left over from Valentine's Day, for only $1.20 each. (Shut up! I know!) I also got a small tube of clear silicone adhesive (found in the hardware section with the caulk and liquid nails). Less than $3.

I decided the use the not-sea-glass pieces as a mosaic on the bottom of the vases.

Although this project can be completed without the Cadbury Mini Eggs, why would you want to?

The short version? Just start gluing the pieces of glass on the vase! Easy peasy.

I stole the basic technique from Betz White, who has a great tutorial on her site about making cake plates with glass plates and glasses. (Go there! I can't explain, but it is genius!)

"Your silly craft project bores me. "

This is about halfway finished. The silicone is substantial enough that it holds the pieces of glass in place.

Almost there!

I'm going to use these on my deck this summer. I'm so happy with them, and I think it was a great way to use the not-really-sea-glass. I think I may also put about a cup of sand inside each one to hold the candle, to really push home the beach idea.

The Random Post of Vagueness

First things first. The Winner of the Market Tote Giveaway is...

Congrats craftymamamia! (You should have heard my daughter saying your name when she pulled your name out of the bag! ) I hope you enjoy it!

Look what I got for Valentine's Day!

Aren't they gorgeous? I love tulips and I can't believe that my hubby was so sweet!

I made some chocolate kisses and hugs cupcakes (and a heart shaped pizza, which photographed so horridly that I couldn't think of posting it).

In other news, I recently painted my guest bathroom. I love the blue!

Then, I decided that I liked the color so much (and I had a good amount left), I would paint my shipping table...

and then a border around my studio mirror...

and my bookshelf.

Thank heavens the cat wasn't around, or he probably would have been painted, too.

I've got some new Market Totes and Headbands to list this afternoon, and the tulips came in handy as props.

Chocolate AND craftiness! Score!!!

I LOVE this idea! I'm totally using it this V-Day.

project BIRTHDAY

I needed a clever cake for my daughter's 12th birthday. She's a huge fan of Project Runway and has watched it with me since the first season, but I couldn't figure out a way to do the cake. Hmmm. Then it hit me...

I printed out models from her favorite designers over the past seasons. I tried to get her favorite designs, but sometimes they were only photographed from the knees up. I printed them on heavy paper, and then cut them out carefully. I used Stirrer Straws for the support. $1 bought me a lifetime supply.

Then I just taped them to back of the model.

I found a picture of the judges, and a picture of the designers, and printed them both. I printed a backdrop for the runway on the same heavy paper. I made a simple runway on the cake, put my models in place, and Voila!


My daughter... LOVED IT!

Baxter was a huge help during this process, and supervised carefully from his spot on the back of the sofa.

The Cobbler has no oven mitts.

Every once in a while, I realize that I am in need of a few things. Things that I can sew. I won't even show you my old oven mitts, they were so sad. But look!

Something for me! That I sewed! For myself! Wheeeee! The towels are microfiber waffle weave, which is new to me, but supposedly crazy-absorbent and strong. And now pretty!

I also took some time to make some things that I've needed in my sewing studio - a craft apron, a wrist pincushion, a new cover for my extra-wide ironing board, and I've also done some painting...

I promise to show pictures soon. Oh my heavens, I LOVE this paint color.

Insert Clever Title Here

Today is baking day. Crazy, gotta-do-it-all-today baking day. So instead of an actual post, how about a Christmas-y recipe and some Christmas-y pics?

Peppermint Bark

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
12 oz. white chocolate chips
6 oz. crushed peppermint candies (about 3/4 cup)

In a double boiler, melt semi-sweet chocolate chips with heavy cream and peppermint extract. When melted, pour onto a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Sprinkle with about half of the crushed peppermints. Chill in fridge for 20 minutes.
In a double boiler, melt white chocolate chips. When melted, pour and smooth over the chilled semi-sweet chocolate mixture. Sprinkle with remaining peppermint candies. Chill for at least an hour. Break apart into pieces. Enjoy!


Every year, each person in our family chooses an ornament to add to our collection. I always pick houses or buildings. This is mine this year.

This is my daughter's. Actually, she got two. Each year she chooses an angel, but we couldn't resist the Clara ornament, so we got both.

This is my big project from last year. I made about a kazillion felt poinsettias for package toppers. When I had waaaaay too many, I decided to do a new tree skirt. They have jingle bells in the centers. I'm told it also makes a nice cat bed.