Monday, March 2, 2009

Chocolate suede Nintendo case



I created this Nintendo DS carrying case from the tutorial so generously provided by Mad Quilter here:

Mad Quilter


I embroidered the leather to start--first time with that and the design isn't 100% perfect. I should've used a sharp needle instead of the universal.

Chocolate suede Nintendo case open

The leather was a bit bulky to sew through, and I broke 2 needles squaring off the bottom of the bag. I opted not to topstitch the top edge of the bag. It's a good thing I like the contrast lining rolling up around the top edge of the leather!

Chocolate suede Nintendo case inside

There are 8 game slots inside the pouch--plenty of options for my little Nintendo junkie!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Making the inexpensive special



I was wandering around Ikea the other day and found some pretty nice sheets marked down to $3.99 per piece. Of course $12 for a set of king sheets sounded pretty good to me! I got cottage blue fitted and flat sheets, but the only remaining pillowcases were a soft taupe. The mis-match wasn't going to stop me on my bargain hunt! In about a half hour, I added a bit of vintage (through modern invention) embroidery to the pillowcases to tie them to the sheets. The embroidery files are available on Ebay through Vintage Machine Embroidery.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Quickie Valentines



I don't like to spend a ton of time on the kids' Valentines. I like them to be cute, but the fact is that kids just want the candy! I saw these packets of Wonka Fun Dip Valentines at Aldi, and I knew they would be perfect for a fast project.

You'll need a sheet of 12x12 paper for every 3 Valentines. You'll also need the free printable located here: Secret Agent Josephine

Cut your paper at 9.25 inches. Turn and cut at 8 inches and 4 inches to get 3 strips at 4 inches by 9.25 inches. Holding paper horizontally, score at 5/8 inch, and then turn and score at 4.25 inches. Turn up the short tab and staple close to the fold. Decorate your cover and tack your treat inside. Easy!

Friday, January 16, 2009

January To Do

I'm resolved to be against resolutions. They're meant to be broken. Instead, I'm posting a list of goals. They (you know THEY are always talking) say that you're more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down.

Here goes nothing!

1. Locker hook new bathmat, thereby using up scraps
2. Finish 2nd Cracker Box Christmas ball. It's started, I swear!
3. Post some things to my Etsy stores. Both of them.
4. Knit new Odessa for my daughter. Yarn and needles are in stock.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Reflections ornament



reflections close up

reflections ornament
Originally uploaded by phunkymama


As I settle into my new craft room, I'm taking on the UFOs. I bought this kit about 10 years ago from Cracker Box. If you subscribe to "more is more," then these kits are for you!

I worked on this for a few hours at a time over about 4 days. My fingers got really sore by the end! I'd tried using a thimble, but it was just too big to get down into the spaces between the beads. I know now why they recommend a tool which is used for countersinking nails!

I did need to modify the instructions a bit. See the circular section of the silver braid, most evident on the hanger? In the instructions, it was an oval, so there were fewer wedges of bead designs on the sample. I guess the tension on the braid machine was extra tight on the day mine was made! At any rate, the increased number of wedges left me short on a few styles of beads, so I modified and simplified every other wedge.

I think the end result is still pretty fantastic!

Monday, December 1, 2008

Quickie Ikea Hack


My daughter has been wanting a clock in her room, more for decoration than for telling time. I've never been able to find something that matched her decor (aqua and lime) without it being emblazoned with characters.

Ikea to the rescue! I purchased the Rusch clock in white, bargain basement price of $3. I pried off the clear dome over the clock face and went to work. First, I colored the white plastic frame with Ranger Alcohol Inks. Then I went to work on the face itself. The hands of the clock lift right off, allowing you to pull up the paper face. I simply covered the numbered paper face with glue stick and slapped it onto a piece of scrapbook paper. When that was dry, I cut out the circle, using an eyelet tool for the center circle. The numbers were cut with the George cartridge on the Cricut. I put the clock face on a window so that I could use it as a light box to line up the numbers--even with the scrapbook paper over the paper face, the numbers showed through really well. The numbers were just glue sticked into place.

I went over the red second hand with black StazOn ink. I guess if I wanted to really get into it, I could've spray painted it, but I wasn't that committed. I did add a nice rhinestone to the center, though. I put everything back together and noticed something I didn't like. There's a channel all around the clock frame where the alcohol ink didn't go. I decided to make it part of the overall look by filling the groove with Glossy Accents by Ranger, and then pouring on the holeless microbeads in a lime color. It does take a while to dry, but I think the effect is worth it!

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Treasure Hunt Kit


Treasure Hunt Kit


Clue Envelope

Clue Decoder

Originally uploaded by phunkymama
More crafting fun! I created a fun Treasure Hunt kit with stamps from Clear Dollar Stamps. It was a bit work intensive, but definitely worth it! I'm sure my son's next birthday party will involve a fun frenzy of treasure hunting!

I had a bit of a hard time getting the red cellophane for the lenses. They did have it at AC Moore (but not at Michael's) but it was a pretty large roll, and it was $4. I'm sure you will understand when I say that I am a frugal crafter! I ended up scoring the cello at a local art supply store which also has a decent candy making department. The roll was nearly as large as the one at the Big Box, but it was only .99!

The lenses were punched from two layers of cardstock, which allowed me to sandwich the cello. They were also nice and sturdy, but I wanted to be able to have a way for the kids to carry them along from spot to spot. I decided to add an eyelet and a bit of heavy elastic thread. Mission accomplished!

To write out the clues, you just write lightly in pencil on the red stamped box on the clue card. If you're using a red lens, I also found that pale green marker works really well.