Giveaway-Custom T-Shirt Memory Blanket

Are you a fan on Facebook yet?

Well if you are, you can go right on over and enter to win a Custom Twin T-Shirt Memory Blanket (an $85 value)! Contest ends Thursday at 11:59pm EST.

If you are not a fan yet, make sure you click here to become one and get a 15% off coupon valid in our Etsy shop!

The Past Few Months In Photos

It is time to play catch up from the past few month using photos in order from the last blog post till now....

I participated in the Broad Ripple Art Fair Student Sale!

I organized and put on our school's K-8 Art Show. These are some linocut landmark prints from 7th graders! They are pretty talented!

Became a couponer, who gets lots of things for free (but does not store stuff under beds or in kids playrooms like that show...). Thanks to Coupon Pro, Coupon Mom, and Money Saving Mom for getting me started in the right direction and for their updates!

Thanks to them, I am now the proud owner of items like.... 150 boxes of pasta (that I earned $1.50 back when shopping), 32 sticks of deodorant, 25+ boxes of brownies, 43 containers of tic tacs, tooth paste, shampoo, and conditioner for a lifetime and lots more. I have been waiting for my school to host a food drive or something.... I do no need all of this, but it was all FREE! Maybe couponing leads to hoarding....I think both of those shows are on TLC.

Went fishing in St. Petersburg Florida with my husband and two awesome friends!

My sister-in-law got married. I took a photo with a giant yellow pepper!

I became the next American Idol!

Not really, but I had a ton of fun taking photos behind a rear projection screen!

I did eat a lot of crab legs while attending the Home Video Studio Getaway 11 and the "Hanley Awards" in Las Vegas.

Currently I have been adding new Rainbow Crayons to my shop and preparing to go back to school (I am an art teacher).

So there you have it... Summer has been so busy and has gone by so fast. I hope you enjoyed the photos and stay tuned for a giveaway from our Facebook Fan Page and a sale in our Etsy shop!

whoopdwhoop

Whoopd-what? That is right! Whoopdwhoop!

My friend, Jamie, introduced me to a new site (I believe it started in January-ish) that allows users to upload handmade items for trade without exchanging money. You do not even have to trade with the person requesting your item!

There is a credit system (Whoops) used for making trades based on the value and shipping of that item. The amount of Whoops ranges from 1-5 Whoops.

I have only listed one item so far, but I plan to list more once I get the hang of things.

Go to this link to sign up ( I also get.25 Whoops if you sign up with this link, so that would be awesome): http://bit.ly/hWi4qY

You can also check out their Facebook page here.

Let me know what you think!

My Newest Crafting Project!

Today I got up bright and early to give a presentation on "Producing Photo Books" and the Blurb program for Home Video Studio. Ever since I got home, I have been sewing up a storm and waiting for my sister-in-law to arrive. Earlier in the week, I had spent a few hours after school melting down plastic I had collected over the last few weeks in preparation for my new project I have been meaning to try out for the last year.

Today I tested out my pattern for a fused plastic bag lunch sack (the small size) and produce sack (the larger size). They turned out really night and the sewing machine did not screw up on my like it had been when I used it last. Here are some photos of my trials. I am not sure what to charge if I sell them at one of the next 4 craft fairs I have later this month and next, but I was sure happy with the outcome. I would love to know what you think!

Want more information about fused bags? Check out my DIY Tab above for great ideas and projects!

Happy March!

Hello! Boy, do I have some catching up to do. I have been so busy with new crafting projects and teaching my art students... More in-depth blogging to come, but I wanted to share a few links and photos for now!

TREASURIES

Here is the latest I have created! Help it get hot by visiting and clicking on the handmade items!

This is one of my favorite treasuries I am in currently (out of about 120), which has our Building Block Men Rainbow Crayons.

MAKEOVER

My shop is slowly, but surely getting a make over. I am changing up my listing photos so most backgrounds are white in color. I think the white helps the handmade items pop out a little more! Here are some of the new photos and listings...

Handmade Journals

Rainbow Butterfly Crayons-Large

Check back over the next few days to see what else has been going on in the crafting and art world!

Quilting Ideas and Photo Quilts

My great grandparents on my grandmother's side.

This weekend I made a trip to visit my grandmother and continued scanning all the family photos she has. It was amazing to see so many memories from so long ago. I even have pictures of my great, great, great, great grandparents! It is my plan to create a photo quilt of some of the photos and use some fabric from my grandfather's old clothes (he passed away two months ago). I am very excited about printing the photos on the fabric (which is super easy), but a little nervous about starting a quilt since I have never technically quilted.

My grandmother, Phyllis Fitzgerald.

I think I am going to sew a few border strips around each photo, then the squares together and keep it simple. Has anyone ever taken their finished top to a fabric or quilt store to have it finished with the batting and stitching on top? Do they use a clear thread? Anyone have any good quilting sites or locations around Indianapolis, IN to go to for these services?

Any help, tips, or suggestions would be great! I will keep everyone updated with my progress!

ETSY ARTIST FEATURE: Hip to Piece Squares

Tonight I was poking around on my Facebook as usual and this awesome Etsy shop I had fanned awhile back popped up on my newsfeed. I wanted to share their shop with you because their items are just TOO CUTE!

Hip to Piece Squares (or Etsy name sarahminshall) has so many great items from totes to house shoes, which I want to buy soon! I really like these scarves that look quilted (see below), and hope they put some in their shop!

Make sure you check out their Blog, become a fan on Facebook, and shop their Etsy page!

New Treasury Widget

I love using Craft Cult's site for a variety of things Etsy! I am especially loving their treasury widget. This new tool allows one to search all the Treasuries they are in or they have made, customize the look, and get an html code to post on their website or blog.

Check out the current Etsy Treasuries I am features in (I found 75 total, but the most recent are some Front Page-worthy Valentine's Day Treasuries!

DIY: Mittens from Recycled Wool Sweaters

Over the holidays, I wanted to make something fun, useful, and something I was NOT planning on selling on Etsy. I wanted a simple gift for friends and family that I could make without spending a ton of money, but super creative at the same time.

I remembered that I had purchased the warmest, and best made recycled mittens at a local holiday boutique this past November. I wanted to learn how to make them myself, so I Googled the project and found some helpful sites.

The best site, instructions, and video came from Studio 5. They also provided the pattern.

*I suggest cutting the pattern a little longer/bigger than the pattern or else they will not be long enough for all hands, but you can tweak the pattern to your needs.*

I live in a nicer part of town, so the Goodwill I visited had 1 Wool Sweater for me to buy and felt. That was a little disappointing. I am learning that tons of people are felting wool and making similar items, so they were fresh out of recycled materials I needed. With the help of my friend, Jamie, I was able to find 7 sweaters at another Goodwill a week later!

My first few pairs I only made one or two minor mistakes (having the wrong side of the cuff facing out, making the mitten too small, etc), but each pair of gloves I made are wearable and no one would notice that I made any mistakes at all unless I pointed them out. I only wound up with one extra fleece insert (that I am going to use as a dust rag) when I was not paying attention to the previous position of the insert.

Check out the photos below!

Overall a great experience and only spent about 1/2 Hour-45 minutes on one pair. A big thanks to my mother-in-law, who provided me with thread, patience, and her sewing machine.

**I like looking at examples when trying to make something. If you would like to be in a drawing for a pair of recycled mittens I made (I did not secure the layers with extra stitches, so it is easy to take the lining off to see and learn, then slide back on to use), just comment on the article and leave your e-mail address. I will choose a winner soon! Be sure to share with your friends, Tweet, and Facebook!**

Welcome 2011!

Happy belated New Year to everyone. I hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday.

We have returned from vacation and are currently working on our 2011 line of New Rainbow Crayons and ideas for our shop and blog. I wanted to share our two newest and updated Rainbow Crayon items.

Building Block Men Rainbow Crayons (Solid Color Set of 8)

*They are actual Lego man size, but cannot refer to the word "Lego" on Etsy*

Egg Rainbow Crayons (Set of 5)

While you are shopping around for Valentine's Day, do not forget our Heart Rainbow Crayons both in Jumbo and Mini Size, as well as a card to go along with your gift to say, "I'm Yours."

I would love any feedback or comments you have! Thanks for checking in with us!