Big Huge Mounted Color Photos...

...for next to nothing.  

I did these for our house a few months ago.  I love them, they look great.  And EVERY TIME people come over to my house, they always say:

1. I can't imagine how much those canvases must have cost!
2. Where did you get these done?

or, if they KNOW me...

3. There's no way you paid for this.  How did you do that???

:)

Well, partly to help those wanting to know, and partly to save myself from ever having to explain how to do this again...here we go!

OK, #1.  I know what many of you might be thinking - contractor prints from Staples, right?  No.  I tried that, and they came out terrible!  Or, terribly.  Anyway.  They did not look good.  I was so glad I only spent $4.99.

So here's what you do.

1. Order "rolled poster prints" from Winkflash.com.  *They did not pay me to say that!  Winkflash just has the best prices I could find, and the quality is really, really good.  Highly recommend!*
Cost of the prints I ordered:
30"x40"...$15.57  (no joke!)
20"x30"...$11.37
(2) 16"x20"...$6.57 each = $13.00 total (or so)
Total prints = $40 approximately.  I used my rounding off powers to figure that out.
2. Carefully unroll and put heavy things on the prints to flatten them out a little.  I put a towel on top of each print so they wouldn't get boogered up.

3. Go to Home Depot and get a big 8'x10' sheet of home insulation board.  I know this cost me less than $10.  Take some helpers if you want!

4. Cut it up into pieces a little larger than each print.  Go outside on the deck.

5. Spray a board with Elmer's Spray Adhesive, then lay the print down.  Smooth it out with a hand towel.  *It doesn't matter if you get the print on straight or not!  Don't worry about that.*

6. Here's where you get to make them look all nice & straight: get a cutting mat & ruler, and an EXTREMELY SHARP utility knife.  Like, a brand-new blade, sharp.  Line up the ruler along the edge of the photo, and cut!  Don't worry about the knife going all the way through.

Once you've made a nice straight cut, even if the knife did not cut all the way through the board...you can just "pop" the edge open, like this:

Can you see that?  It just pops open and gives you a beautiful clean edge.  THEN, turn the board over and, using your straight edge, cut the other side. 

7. Rinse & Repeat for as many photos as you have.

8. Find some creative & ingenious way to hang these on your wall.  Pat yourself on the back!  Invite friends over. Let them think you paid the big bucks.  Or not!  They will ask where you got them.  :)

There you have it!  That's how I did four nice-sized mounted poster prints for a little under $50.  


Sharing with...
Sumo's Sweet Stuff
Sew Chatty
Sew Can Do
Making the World Cuter

 

New Fall Wreath. Makes me want to get a new door.

I have never tried my hand at making wreaths, because I always assumed I'd be terrible at it.  (That's the spirit, right???)

Well I just got tired of the one I've had hanging on my front door, for forever, and decided it was time for a change.

I really like the look of the yarn-wrapped wreaths.  So cute!  But have you ever wrapped a wreath form in yarn?  It is a major pain in the patoot.  I did it once and vowed never to do it again!  I mean, I'm all about tedious crafting and all, but please.

So a yarn wreath was out.  But fabric...fabric I could do!  So a-ripping I went.

Did you know you can rip fabric in straight lines, if it's a woven material (not knit)?  Major time-saver for me.  Plus, it gives you a pleasantly frayed edge.

Well, I didn't do a tutorial (because the blog world needs no more tutorials about much of anything these days), but I did take some finished pics.

Love my new wreath!  The only issue is, it doesn't fit between the door & the screen/storm door.  The flowers get smushed.  So at present, it's hanging on the inside of the door, looking at us.  It really does make me want to get a nice, new door.

I think I'll put that on the priority list.  It can go on the bottom.  #586 in line.


Linking to:
http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/
http://www.southernlovely.com/
http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com/
http://www.the36thavenue.com/
http://www.houseofhepworths.com/
http://www.theartsygirlconnection.com/

Featured!

Hey, I've been featured at some blogs lately!  How fun!

Diann at The Thrifty Groove featured my post a little while ago about my good day of yard sales.  And a good day it was.  I may be going out this weekend; we'll see how busy things get.  Today, unfortunately, groceries have to take priority over vintage Christmas ornaments.  Sigh. 

And Kristi at Creative Kristi featured my un-finished knitted pillow cover.  Who says you have to have a project finished in order to put it on your blog?  Haha.  I revel in my inability to finish projects within a year of starting them.  Revel, I tell you. 

Thanks Diann and Kristi, that was a really nice surprise!  :)

Needle Book

So, speaking of embroidery, I'm getting ready to start my ill-fated map of the United States tonight.  I can't wait!  I love maps, atlases, globes...all of it.  I can name every state capitol, too, and I'm darn proud of it.  ;)

When I finished up my recent project (the orange/red/yellow flower embellishment thingy from my last post), I needed a place to put my needle.  The pincushion is out of the question, because LITTLE FINGERS in my house like to push needles way down into the pincushion, never to be found again.  I often go into my sewing room to find all the pins in my pincushion arranged in some clever way, or in a pattern, or ALL pushed down...who needs Toys R Us?  I think I'll just get the kids a pack of pins this Christmas. 

So I made this little needle book out of felt and covered it with some scrap fabric - which was actually a cloth napkin from the Dollar Tree - isn't it cute?

I have to admit, I lifted this idea 100% from this post on Betz White's blog.  It's kind of similar to an exact replica of her needle books.  I love everything she does.  Just want to give credit where credit is due.  ;)

This would be a perfect little gift for all of my friends who do needlework!  Except that I don't have any that I know of.  Boo-hoo!

I can't help it.  I love to link.
http://southernlovely.blogspot.com/
http://www.alittletipsy.com/
http://www.sweetlittlegals.com/
http://mygirlishwhims.blogspot.com/
http://tearosehome.blogspot.com/
http://wearethatfamily.com/
http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/
http://everything-underthemoon.blogspot.com/
http://www.passionatelyartistic.com/

Misadventures in Embroidery

I like to refer to cross-stitch as my "gateway" craft.  It's what started it all for me.  It was the summer of 1996 - the only reason I remember this, is because the Summer Olympics were on TV.  I had just broken up with some loser boyfriend, and was all upset about it.  I needed something to distract myself.  So I went to Joann's, wandered around, and bought a bunch of stuff from the cross-stitch aisle.  I thought I'd make a wedding gift for my friend.  I ended up cross-stitching a Precious Moments bride & groom.  :) I was SO PROUD of that thing!  And more importantly, I was totally hooked.  I cross-stitched a LOT after that.  Always working on a project.  I think when the kids came along, that's when the needlework went away.  (Need I explain?)  I found other things to kind of be creative with - sewing being the biggest one - and when I learned to knit, it felt SO RIGHT to me.  I couldn't put my finger on it at first, but I realized it was something for my hands to do. Since developing carpal tunnel is on my bucket list, this is just perfect.  Just kidding.

Anyway, so fast forward a couple more years (like, now), and I started reading Allison's blog (she's going to think I'm a stalker because I mention her on here so much - I'm not!  I promise!!!), and looking at needlework on Pinterest (wanna see my "needlework" board?), and realizing that it's not all just Precious Moments and fruit baskets and horse heads anymore.  There is a lot of really cool, modern designs out there.  And I figured, hey, my kids are old enough now, they know not to try to eat the needles...maybe I'll try this again! 

So I thought I'd try embroidery - I didn't feel like messing with a cross stitch pattern just now.  Here are some things I've been doing over the last few weeks.

Here's the first thing I embroidered.  It's OK, you won't hurt my feelings.  I know it sucks.  Well, those blue lazy daisies in the middle are good.  But the rest?  Not good, ha ha!  But I wasn't expecting it to be great; just wanted to try something out.  Apparently I was on a learning curve with the "stem stitch." 

After playing around a bit on some scrap fabric, I moved on to this.  Better, right?  :)

Check out the French Knottage...not too shabby!

The curved orange line is done in stem stitch - can you tell a difference from my teapot?  Ha ha!

So at this point I've got all kinds of confidence.  And I think, I've got this.  So I ordered an iron-on transfer pattern from Etsy.  And I realize that my sense of confidence may be a little...well, inflated.

I learned a new stitch or two.  That's in my brain now.  Which means something had to go, to make room for this new knowledge.  The fact that PLASTIC MELTS WHEN UNDER A HOT IRON was, as I found out, the bit of info that drew the short straw and got tossed overboard.

Why yes, that unsightly blob IS permanently melted-on USPS packing tape.  Why do you ask?  

I couldn't find the masking tape, OK?  Oh, also, I didn't think to cut out the seller's logo from the pattern  before ironing it onto the fabric.

Can you even imagine my IRE at this point?  No, you can't.

 Oh, and?  I'm not very good at ironing patterns onto things.  Observe:

Ugh!

Double ugh!

 "Luckily," the pattern instructions said that you may be able to get another use out of it, if you apply heat for a little longer.  So I try that.  It didn't work.  :(  Well, I paid money for this thing, and I'm not paying for it again to get a new one.  So my job now is to deal with the mistakes and make it work!  I have some ideas...but I'm open to ideas, too. 

Linking up:
http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/
http://www.skiptomylou.org/
http://craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com/
http://makingtheworldcuter.com/
http://www.creatingreallyawesomefreethings.com/

Laptop Cover for under $5

Hey there! How was everyone's weekend? Mine was extremely restful and very nice. Saturday was scheduled to be a really busy day...we were going to go to a cheerleading competition (just to watch) and then ice skating with friends, and then to church (because I forgot that DH was not working Sunday). Well, I woke up Saturday morning to my little guy standing next to my bed.  I said "hey Buddy!" and he said, "Mommy, did you recognize that it's snowing outside?"  (Did I "recognize?"  How cute!)  Uh, no, I didn't recognize that, but it could be the answer to all of my un-prayed prayers for the day.  So I went over to the window with him, and sure enough, we had time warped from October to February.  It was coming down hard!  Everything was coated with about 3-4"...even Mr. Plow was out.  Perfect!  I got to cancel going to the cheer competition, and we all agreed to save ice skating for another day, and then I realized that DH did not have to work on Sunday, so we didn't go to church Saturday night...it was a day of loafing.  Movie watching, card playing, minimal cleaning/laundry (minimal)...and some sewing!  

I've had my laptop since June, and I have been wanting to sew a cover for it since about...June.  ;)  It was hard to decide, because there are so many styles and different tutorials out there, but I settled on this one because I just wanted something simple that would keep it from getting scratched up, but one that I didn't have to mess with a zipper or pouch every time I wanted to use it.  

So I dug out some fabric - actually, it was a skirt from Goodwill! - and some felt, because I thought that would give it a little padding without being puffy.  I do not like puffy.  I'm not a puffy person.

Anyway, it was really easy to sew...just basic straight lines and all.  It took very little of my precious time.  ;) And when I finished, I was happy, but not really.  

 I mean, it's fine...it does a job...it's made of cute fabric...but I don't know.  I just wasn't thrilled.  For one thing, I mentioned that this fabric used to be a skirt.  Well, do you see the seam about an inch up from the tab (in the first picture)?  That bothered me.  So...I busted out my ribbon stash and made a little cute thingy to slap on top of the seam, and slapped a button on the tab.  Lots of slapping involved here.

So...it's definitely better.  Cuter!  But I still wasn't completely happy, because...

...because I tend to be lazy and I don't want to mess with taking this thing on & off my computer every time I want to use it.  And since I don't have x-ray vision, this is a problem.  

So I thought, well, the fabric (skirt) cost me about $3.  And I've got about an hour invested into this thing.  So if I ruin it, no real harm done.  Deep breath...

OK, so after I cut out a little "TV screen" around the screen, I did the "lazy girl hem" all around it, which is just a zigzag stitch that goes halfway on the fabric & halfway off.  It's sort of like faux-serging, but not really.  I don't know.  I just didn't want it to look all ghetto like it does in the picture above.  

Because nothing says "class" more than covering a computer with some used piece of clothing I scavenged from Goodwill.

Anyway, it all worked out, and now I have a cute laptop cover that I don't have to mess with.  I can finally move on with my life!

Linking up:
http://www.skiptomylou.org/ 
http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/
http://makingtheworldcuter.com/
http://www.craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com/
http://www.thegirlcreative.com/
http://kristensjunkdrawer.blogspot.com/
http://www.sweetlittlegals.com/ 
http://southernlovely.blogspot.com/

Quick Knit: the GAP-tastic Cowl

Just in time for the cold (read: soon-to-be frigid) weather here in western PA…I finished my GAP-tastic Cowl.   It has been in my Ravelry queue for probably going on 2 years now. (And by the way, if you’re on Ravelry too, add me as a friend! I don’t know that many people on there, and it’s fun to see what my friends are doing.

Anway…the Gap-tasic Cowl. It’s ridiculously huge, bulky, and squishy.  And need I say warm?  I love it! I used just 2 skeins of Lion Brand Wool-Ease thick & quick, with size 13 needles. Whoa. Talk about a fast knit. I did most of it while at a conference – sitting in an arena for about 6-8 hours a day, for two days – this projects was perfect for that. It’s a “mindless knit," meaning there are no charts or complicated patterns to follow. It’s knitted in moss stitch (or seed stitch, I always get those confused)…but anyway, it goes “knit, purl, knit, purl…….” until you’re done. (Basically.)  Wanna see some pics?  :)

Check out those stitches!  Love it!

I know my one "real life" knitter (crocheter/spinner/yarn dye-r/general fiber magician) friend Allena is a reader here.  When I was learning to knit, she was the one who fixed all my mistakes for me helped me figure out how to fix my own mistakes (ahem), and showed me more advanced things, such as "picking up stitches" and all that nonsense.   Do I have any other knitting friends here? 

http://www.skiptomylou.org/

My tacky yard sale find

Remember...if you haven't entered my handmade bag giveaway yet, hop to it!  It ends on Wednesday. 

DH & I were, as is our custom, at a yard sale earlier this summer.  At this one sale, I kept seeing this sad little wooden cat. It was super-tacky.  (See exhibit A, below.)  I thought to myself, "who would buy that?" And I don't know why, but I kept thinking about it - where it would end up (Goodwill or the dumpster, I figured), or what kind of person would look at it and decide that they'd pay a quarter to have it in their house.

Exhibit A: The Tacky Wooden Cat, bless its heart

 And then, inexplicably, I picked it up.

What the heck, say you???  I honestly don't know!  I just think I thought, if I can make this stupid tacky thing look cute, I will be amazed, and declare myself the queen.  Queen of what, I don't know. 

So it sat for a while in my sewing room, staring at me with those sad, crooked little eyes.  As if to say, "don't make fun of me. I'm just a wooden cat."  I just needed it to sit there until I figured out what to do.  Well, when I don't know what to do with something, usually the spraypaint comes out.  Either that, or Mod Podge.  Well, this time, it was both.  A double dose!

First the spraypaint.

Ahh, better already!

Next, I just kind of had an idea of some sort of stylized design.  Vinyl, maybe.  It would have been glorious to have a Silhouette machine for just such an occasion, but alas. 

So I turned to the SCRAP BAG.  I have to type SCRAP BAG in all caps, because it is such a ridiculous bag of scraps.  Crammed full of fabric. 

Behold: the SCRAP BAG.

Sometimes when I'm feeling extra lazy, I'll stuff a piece of fabric in there that's probably too big to be considered a scrap.  That's why the bag has become a SCRAP BAG.

Yikes!

And then I turned on the TV and started cutting.  This was a perfect "TV craft" - the kind of craft that doesn't take too much brainpower.  I love those.  I usually like to knit while I'm watching TV, but in this heat (with no air conditioning), I'm not touching any kind of yarn.  Not with a 10 foot pole.

I cut the scraps into smaller scraps, then laid them out in some formation that didn't exactly look like what I envisioned, but it was pretty interesting nonetheless.

 Then I Mod Podged them all down...

that's my official Mod Podging finger. 

It was at this point that the second-guessing began. 

...and decided that I wanted to do a little more....so I just went with it.

You could say that this was an "organic" craft process.  Mainly because no pesticides or hormones were used.

So I present to you: The Wooden Cat That Used To Be Tacky But Is Now Kind Of Cool.

I'd like to put it to a vote, and you won't hurt my feelings...

Is this an improvement, or did I only make matters worse?
Would you have this in your home? (And the attic doesn't count)
Am I nuts?

Don't answer that last one.

 Personally, I'm loving it!

Linking this week to: