Happy Father's Day: A Photo Project

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there who happen to read One Artsy Mama {all two of you!}.  

Today is a special day to celebrate how important fathers are and what a special role they play in our lives.  I want to give a shout-out to my dad, the source of my sense of humor, my germaphobia, and my love of ice cream, and thank him for always giving the best advice in the world!  I love you, Dad!  I also want to give props to my hubby, who is an amazing father to Little Crafter day in and day out.  Dan, I truly hope that he grows up to be the same kind of honest, loving, man of integrity that you are!

You all know about the first gift I made for hubby {I also made the same thing for my dad using a different photo}, but today I wanted to show you the other project Little Crafter and I worked on together for him. 

Here it is:

DIY Photo Wrapped Canvas

Friends, I can't wait to show you one of the things I made hubby for Father's Day!  {Here's hoping he behaves and doesn't come peek!}  I am crazy-excited about this!  Here it is...

Yup, you read that right.  A gorgeous wrapped photo canvas you make yourself at home!

Chipboard Photo Frame and a Silhouette Promotion!

Friends, you know I love me a good Cammie project!  I'm always on the lookout for new and different things I can cut or ways to make my projects easier with the help of my Silhouette Cameo.  I'm excited to report that Silhouette is now offering chipboard {and it's on sale}, which ended up being just the thing Little Crafter and I needed for a fun Mother's Day project!

{Grandma and Grammy, you can stop reading now!  Come back after the 12th!}

Are they gone yet?

Ok, now that they're not listening, I want to show you these adorable magnetic Chipboard Photo Frames!  They were so easy to make, and quick too!  Here's how we did it:

Mother's Day Button Photo Frame

Mother's Day is just around the corner, friends!  {Hooray!!}  If you're in need of a quick, cute, and easy gift project that just happens to be inexpensive too, here's One Artsy Mama to the rescue!  

BUTTON PHOTO FRAME

What a Teacher Really Wants

Hey, friends!  I have some really exciting news today!!  I am over at Tatertots & Jello sharing a gift idea for Teacher Appreciation Week, which is May 6-10!

I wanted to come up with something teachers would really love, so I polled you all on Facebook {remember that?} and asked anyone who had ever been a teacher to tell me what they liked and disliked when it came to gifts.  I didn't give any suggestions or choices, but I was amazed to see the same things coming up over and over again.  I thought you might be interested in the results...here's what I found out!  

The teachers who responded said, "Please don't give us"...

All About Mom Book: Review & Giveaway from Paper Coterie!

Friends, did you realize that Mother's Day is just three short weeks away?  Have you started thinking about what you might want to do for the moms in your life {and what those of you who are moms yourselves might want to ask for}?  I want to show you something today that I absolutely fell in love with at first sight.  Usually, I share DIY, or Do-It-Yourself, projects; this is a DIT, Do-it-Together, project I couldn't resist!

Take a look at the "All About My Mom" Photo Book from Paper Coterie!

Tree of Love Canvas

Happy Valentine's Day, friends!!  Wishing you a day filled with love and joy.  In Artsy-Land, while we of course celebrate the love between my husband and myself, we also really focus on the love we have for each other as a family.  We try to make it a special day for Little Crafter {he's particularly excited about presents and spaghetti for dinner}, and we also like involving him in creating gifts for Mommy and Daddy.

Here's a peek at the gift we worked together to make for hubby this year.  I like how the tree kind of represents a family tree and that our love as a family is always growing.

Materials:

Canvas {mine is 12x16}

Adhesive vinyl

Silhouette Cameo and Silhouette Studio 

Transfer Tape

Little helper {optional}

STEP 1: Download the free image from the Silhouette Online Store.  It will only be free this week, so even if you think you may not use it until next year, go get it!

STEP 2: Cut the image.  I cut the tree from brown vinyl, the words from light blue, and I divided up the hearts, cutting 5 from dark pink, 5 from light pink, and 6 from red.

STEP 3: Use transfer tape to place the tree image onto your canvas.

First you peel off the backing and place the sticky side of the transfer tape on top of your cut vinyl.

When you peel it up, your cut image will should be stuck to it.  Like so:

Then, line it up on your canvas and rub.  When you pull the transfer tape up, the vinyl *should* be stuck to the canvas.  This proved a bit tricky, as it wanted to come back up with the tape sometimes.  I ended up helping it along with my fingernails a bit.  LC was my expert rubber...such a helper.

STEP 4: Repeat process for the words.

Can you do this without the transfer tape and just use them like stickers?  Of course.  Is it impossible to get everything straight and lined up that way?  Absolutely.

STEP 5: Stick hearts onto the branches wherever you {or your small helper} like!

 Ta-da!  Simple, quick, cheap, easy...all my favorite things in a craft project!  Little Crafter and I had fun making it together and except for the part where he loudly asked me after dinner, "Mommy can we tell Daddy about the tree?," it was an all-around success.

I'm thrilled with how it turned out!  I also got hubby something I know he wanted; a Tervis Tumbler {we're both addicted to them} that shows off our team pride!  Woot!

And he, of course, gave me my present early...my Torrey Smith SuperBowl jersey!!  Since I'm allergic to flowers, make my own jewelry, and don't eat candy {I save my calories for Starbucks and Edy's ice cream},  it was the perfect choice!

Little Crafter is getting Angry Birds gummy snacks, a Valentine Ring Pop, a stuffed elephant, and an Angry Birds watch.  Shhhhh!

Hope you have a very Happy Valentine's Day!  Love and hugs from the Artsy Family!

Anchor Charm Necklace

So in case you couldn't tell from the Handmade Holidays series and various other holiday-themed posts around here for the past two months, I made a lot of our gifts this year.  You see, I absolutely love making things for people I care about.  I feel like I'm not just giving something I think they'll enjoy, I'm also giving a part of myself too.  I think God is pleased when we use the talents He's given us to bless other people, and I also love the way I'm able to personalize a handmade gift so much more than one I'd buy at the store.

Today, I want to share with you a necklace I made for my friend Kristen.

ANCHOR CHARM NECKLACE

Kristen and I used to be coworkers; she was an administrative assistant at a dance studio where I worked several years ago while she was finishing up her teaching degree.  Now, she is an elementary school art teacher {no doubt a fabulous one} and she and her fiancé Nate are taking dance lessons with me in preparation for their wedding.  Plus, they really just love to swing dance!

Anyway, Kristen has a thing for anchors, which are really trendy right now anyway, so every time I see one I think of her.  Recently, I received a shipment of some fun beads to sample from Wholeport, along with these fabulous antique bronze anchor charms.  As soon as I saw them, I knew Kristen needed one.

Here's what I came up with; not just the anchor, but their initials too, to make it personal.  Of course, you can make a much simpler version of the necklace too, using just the charm. 

Supplies:

{Basic Necklace}

- Anchor Charm

- Link Chain

- Jump rings

- Lobster Clasp

- Jewelry tools: wire cutters, needle nose pliers, flat pliers {optional}

{Necklace including bead charm}

- pearl or other bead

- head pin

{Necklace including stamped disc}

- 1/4" round stamping disc

- metal alphabet stamps

- hammer

- stamping block

- painter's tape

To make the simple necklace, all you have to do is use your pliers to open a jump ring {always twist apart, never pull} and attach it to the hole at the top of the charm.  Close the jump ring.  Cut your chain to the desired length...this one is 18"...and thread it through the jump ring.  Attach a jump ring to one end of the chain, and attach a jump ring and lobster clasp to the other end.  Voila!  A simple anchor necklace.

To add a bead, place the bead on a head pin.  Bend the pin 90 degrees, then form a loop.  Wire wrap around the top, trim, and attach to a jump ring.  For a video tutorial on how to do wire wrapping like this, see my dangle earring post...it's the exact same technique, just a different project.

To add the stamped disc, just place your disc on your stamping block, secure it with tape, and stamp whatever words, initials, or date you like.  Then, add a jump ring, and attach it to the chain.  For a tutorial on simple metal stamping, check out my post over at Sunny Vanilla with step by step instructions.

As I'm typing this post, Kristen hasn't received this yet, but I'm purposely going to set it to go live after the fact.  Here's hoping she loves it!! {and that you do too}!

Hugs & Glitter,

Handmade Holidays: Personal Photo Frames

Still looking for cheap, easy DIY gift ideas?  Yeah, me too.  Here's one of the ideas I came up with for hubby's dad.  He absolutely loves photos of Little Crafter, and I got a really great one of the two of them together at an Orioles game this summer.  I wanted to make it a little extra-personal, so I came up with this idea.  LC calls him "Poppy," and of course you can never find gifts with that name on them...it's always "Grandpa," so I decided to do it myself!

 

 

Materials:

- photo frame, any size {you can get nice ones for just a few dollars at Walmart, Target, or the Dollar store}

- Martha Stewart glass or multi-surface paint

- sponge dauber

- Martha Stewart adhesive alphabet stencils

 



STEP 1: Clean your glass.

STEP 2: Position adhesive stencils.
I actually found it easier to do when I left the glass inside the frame.  That way I could use the edge of the frame to help me line them up, and I knew that none of the letters would get cut off by the frame when I put it together.

STEP 3: Use sponge dauber to fill in stencils with paint.  Remove while wet.

STEP 4: Once your paint dries, you can insert your photo, and voila!

I also used the same technique to make a special Christmas gift for my friend who has three gorgeous children.  I got a frame that holds three photos, "borrowed" some of her pics from Facebook, stenciled their names, and ended up with this.



What do you think?  Easy?

Love and glitter,

Ornament Exchange: Felt Owls and More



 

I have to start off today by saying how much fun it was to coordinate the first annual One Artsy Mama Ornament Exchange this year!  I've loved checking the link party to see all the fun ornaments you made and received from each other.  We had 76 participants, which I thought was a fabulous turnout for our first try at this.  I've been so anxious to show you what I sent to my partner, Andrea, but I wanted to wait and make sure she received it first and had the fun of opening it instead of seeing it posted here first.  But now it's fair game, so here you go!!  This is what was in the package I sent to my partner:

Andrea told me she decorates in traditional red and green, so I made this fun little felt owl to adorn her tree.  She also told me she has two adorable boys, a 3 1/2 year old, and a 10 month old, and when Little Crafter heard that, he was excited to make an ornament for each of them too, using tri-beads, jingle bells, and a pipe cleaner.

This little guy was fairly easy and quick {and cheap!} to make.  

Materials:

- three colors of felt {body, wings, beak}

- google eyes

- scissors

- hot glue

- thread and a needle

- cord or ribbon

- optional: some kind of glitter paint or glitter mod podge

First, I cut out two identical owl shapes.  I just freehanded it, making it round at the bottom and adding two points at the top.  Then, I cut out two identical small heart shapes and a triangle from coordinating felt.  I hot glued the wings, eyes, and beak to one of the owl shapes.  After that was finished, I put the two owl shapes together and hand stitched around them, leaving a small opening at the bottom.  LC helped me put polyfil in to make them puffy, and I finished sewing the bottom.  Finally, I added glitter to the wings, and threaded a piece of cord through the top to make a hanger.  Easy peasy.  And I had all the supplies on hand so it didn't cost me anything either!

Of course, LC decided he needed an owl too...he wanted blue {his favorite color} with purple wings {Ravens color} and a football!  I was happy to comply...

 

I totally love how they turned out!  I made pink and purple versions too...who can resist a little owl?

 

 

There are lots of other easy and quick ornaments you can make with felt too...that's been my project of choice around here lately for some reason.  I made a few things and got hooked!  Here are a few other felt ornaments that will be decorating my tree and my gift packages this Christmas season:

 

FELT ORNAMENTS

I made these with my friend Kelly the same night we made the bottle cap snowmen.  We freehanded the ornament shapes and basically made them the same way I made the owls.  You just cut two pieces, glue on any embellishments you want, hand stitch around the edges, stuff, and add a hanger.

 

I was inspired to make these by some really cute ones linked up to Shine on Fridays by Christine at the DIY Dreamer...definitely check out her version too!  Kelly's ornament is the red one at the top, and mine are the pink and green ones at the bottom.







 

FELT MONOGRAM ORNAMENTS

I am sooo in love with these!  Again, it's the same process.  Trace and cut two circles, cut out a monogram, glue it on, sew around the edges, stuff, and hang!  I frehanded my letters {mostly because I'm lazy}, but you can also print them out on the computer for a pattern or if you're lucky enough to have a Silhouette, well, you know what to do.

 

The inspiration for these came from Pinterest {of course}!  I think they're absolutely adorable not just as ornaments but also to tie onto everyone's packages instead of using a paper gift tag.

 

And, of course, if you missed them, there are also Little Crafter's

FELT TREES

Be sure to check out the post for pics of him making them and learning to sew!

 

 

Anyway, the possibilities are endless!  And most of us have everything we need just laying around the craft room already!  So, what are you waiting for?  Grab yourself some felt, some glue, some thread, and a needle, and get started!  I'd love to see what you make.

 

Happy Crafting!

Handmade Holidays: Kadie's Blankets



I'm so excited to be here today!  I LOVE Amy and all her crafty things she does.  Amy and I started blogging around the same time and have become good friends.  My name is Kadie and I blog at Seven Alive all Livin' in a Double Wide.  I like to blog about crafting, sewing, cooking, and my favorite, crocheting.  I also like to throw in a bit about being a mom to 5 amazing children. I love to make handmade gifts for Christmas.  It's a way I can give a little bit of myself to others.  Not only can I pour all my love and talents into a handmade gift, it is often cheaper to make a gift rather than buy one.  When you are on a tight budget, which with 5 kiddos we always are, cheap  less expensive is a good thing. So this year I am making each of my kiddos their own blanket, pillow case, and pajama bottom set.  It's really fun to have something custom made for you.  There are so many prints and colors to choose from it makes it easy to find something that who ever you are making them for will love!

I'm going to show you how to make the blanket today.  I will have the tutorial for the pillow case and PJ bottoms on my blog next week.

What you will need:

• 1-2 yards Polar Fleece {it is important that you get Polar Fleece because it wont fray} depending on how large a person you are making it for.  2 yards makes a great lap blanket for an adult or a large blanket for a child. The one shown here is 1 yard.
• quilting safety pins {these are the ones with the curve in them.} You can use regular safety pins too.
•   thread in a coordinating or contrasting color. {depending on what you like} I used contrasting thread for mine.
• scissors
• sewing machine {optional, I'll tell you how to make the same blanket sewing free}
• yard stick, or fabric measuring tape.

Like I said above you don't have to sew this blanket so if you don't have a sewing machine don't pass up on making these adorable blankets.  The sewing skills you need if you choose to sew it are minimal, great for a beginner. I am going to apologize for the quality of some of the photos now.  Because I'm making these for my kiddos for Christmas I had to work on them late at night so they don't see them. To start lay out your fabric wrong sides together.  You will need a large space to work on, either a large table or the floor would work best.  Trim the fabric so that the top and bottom are the same size.  You can use this tutorial for using a rotary cutter to do this, or you can use scissors   Be careful using scissors  it's hard to make a really straight line.

I like to pin an X in the blanket first.  Try not to move the blanket after you start. It only takes a couple of hours to finish the blanket, it's best if you can do it all in one sitting because until it is sewn {or cut and tied} the fabric will move all over the place every time you move it. It's a big pain to always have to straighten it back out!  I like use a yard stick to get my pins straight.

After you have your X you are going to cut a 4 inch square out of each corner.   You might need to adjust some of your pins in your X to match up with the corners of the square you cut out.

Now you are going to pin a 4 inch wide border all the way around your blanket.  I know it's a lot of pins but trust me the more pins you use the easier it's going to be over all.

If you are not sewing your blanket then you can skip the next few steps and go right to cutting and tying your fringe. If you are going to sew your blanket, start by following the X that you pinned.  This will make it so that when you wash your blanket the two sides will not come apart and bunch like they sometimes do. I'm going to pass on one of the best tips I ever got about sewing a large blanket like this.  You want to treat it more like driving a car.  It's easiest to keep a straight line if you can see where you are headed before you get there. Remove any pins that get in your way. DO NOT run over your pins; it will ruin your sewing machine. Now sew on the outside of your pins for the 4 inch border.  Each seam should meet at the corner of the 4 inch squares you cut out of your corners.  Take out any pins that are left over. If you are not sewing your blanket, start here after pinning. Cut 1 inch strips around the blanket in the 4 inch border you made.  If you sewed your blanket make sure you don't cut through the seam you sewed around the blanket. Again I like to lay out a yard stick and cut  at each one inch.  It makes it easier than guessing and is long enough that you aren't moving your ruler every couple of inches.

After your cut your strips tie them together in a knot, all around the blanket.  If you are planning on making a lot of these blankets or if you make a lot of rag blankets you might want to invest in some spring scissors, they are a blessing to your aching hands after cutting a ton of strips.  I like to tie my strips so that the strip from the opposite side shows.  I like to tie my blanket while I watch a show, on the couch or in bed.  If you have sewn the blanket you can move it where you need to at this point.  If you haven't sewn the blanket it's best to leave it where you have been working on it until it's all tied.

One kid down 4 more to go.  The first one may take you a while but after you know what you are doing it really only takes 2-4 hours start to finish {depending on how large a blanket you are making}.  They really are fun easy cozy blankets to make.  I hope you'll give them a try and give someone you love a handmade gift this year. Thanks so much for having me Amy I had a great time.

Handmade Holidays: Blythe's Photo Coasters

 

Hi! This is Blythe from Desperate Craftwives, excited to be back guest posting at One Artsy Mama!
When Amy said she was going to do a series on handmade gifts for the holidays on the cheap, I had a great project in mind to share. Tile Photo Coasters! Family members LOVE getting these as gifts (especially the grandparents) and they are easy and inexpensive to make!

What You Need:

• Tiles (I got mine at Home Depot for about 15 cents each, measuring 4.25" x 4.25")
• Photographs (choosing which ones to use was the hardest part of this project!)
• Mod Podge
• Mod Podge Clear Acrylic Sealer Spray
• Cork or Adhesive Felt

How To Make Them:

• Trim photos to match tile size (my photographs were 4x6 and the tile was 4.25", so I had a little extra space at the top and bottom of my photo).

• Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the back of the photo and affix to tile. Be sure to smooth out any bubbles.

• Let dry completely.
• Apply Mod Podge to the edges of the tile to make sure picture edges are stuck down too.
• Spray several coats of Mod Podge Clear Acrylic Sealer onto tiles, spraying in a back and forth motion. Be sure to let it dry at least 15 minutes in between coats. I put about 8-10 coats on, which may have been overdoing it a bit, but wanted to make sure the coasters were waterproof.

• Once dry, glue cork onto the bottom or stick on some adhesive felt. 

• Now tie the tile coasters together with a pretty ribbon and make someone really happy by giving them this thoughtful, handmade gift!

Happy Holidays!
-Blythe