Banner, Bunting or Garland Tutorial

♥Red White and Blue♥

It seems like some Holidays come and go's so fast that I don't always have time to decorate. I've been wanting to make a Stamped Garland for awhile now, so with 4th of July around the corner I decided to go with a red, white and blue theme.
The best part about a project like this is you can use what you have, no need to pick up any special supplies.
What you'll need: Fabric{two kinds}, Scissors{if you happen to have a rotary cutter it makes it a little easier}, Stamp, Ink, Ribbon{anything will do, I used rick rack}, and a Sewing Machine.
Cut your fabric into Triangles. The fabric you choose for the back piece needs to be slightly larger than the front piece. I made my banner for a small space, so you may need more pieces depending on how large you want your banner to be. This size is perfect to drape across a mantel, doorway or a mirror. I cut 7 Blue and 4 White.
Stamp front Triangles{if you don't have a stamp, you can always sew something on the front piece OR leave it plain}.
Pin together....
Sew in place.....
Pin ribbon in place. Sew across the top of each piece.....
Hang!

The Beach...

is where we'll spend a lot of our days
this summer...

A starfish~ an unusual sighting, at least for this beach.These guys might look sweet and innocent, but they're some of the pushiest seagulls I've ever seen. Every time I left my towel two or three of them would dig through our stuff! This guy just stood there waiting for me to get up again.
The hard part is convincing my kids it's time to go....after lounging in the sun for two hours I realized I missed sunscreen on some important parts of my body, like my forehead & the tops of my feet~ yikes, it's going to hurt later!!

Craft Room & Studio Storage

I just read the most wonderful post over at Magpie Ethel's Blog. She share's the inside of her Cottage Studio. You have to see it to believe it....it truly is a Vintage lover/Crafter's paradise.
{A shabby shelf in my craft room where I use jars to hold some of my trinkets}

Storage and Decor inspired by Magpie Ethel's Happy Studio{found on Etsy}♥

1. Antique Doll Dresser, by: simplychictiques
2. Vintage Jars, by: designarchives
3. Vintage Labels, by: mushroomandmoss
4. Vintage Kitchen Cabinet, by: thevintagesupplyco
5. Metal Storage, by: TagSaleFinds
6. Antique Striped Luggage, by: BrightWallVintage
7. Metal Tray, by: folkcity
8. Tissue Honeycomb Balls, by: dimestorechic
9. Vintage Floral Tin, by: spacejam

Inspiration on flickr:
1. Vintage Wallpaper Collection
1. File in Style
1. Dresser Drawer-UpClose
1. Milk Crate Storage for Studio

I love seeing how others store and organize their craft supplies and findings~ so many creative and fun ideas!!

Summer Craft Shows

I wish I'd planned better so I could have been able to be a vendor at a few Craft Shows this Summer. If I can't be a vendor at least I can be a shopper :) I've been searching for Art/Craft Fairs coming soon~ I found that some sites charge for a list, so here are three that don't. You can search for Craft Shows in your State: here, here and here.

One Craft Fair I'm really excited about is the Renegade Craft Fair! There will be over 200 Artists{many who I've been a fan of through Etsy for years} plus Craft workshops~ how fun!!

Inspiring Craft Show displays:

1. craft show display, 2. My booth at Garrison Art & Craft Show, 3. Booth Shot, 4. Craft Fair- my table!

I'll be sure to bring my camera :)

Flea Market Finds...

No vintage sheets, but I did find a few other fun things.
Vintage Buttons
Two vintage style valise cases & vintage doll.
Tin world bank & scotty dog planter
Just a couple of the vintage tablecloths I found, drying in the sun after soaking. I'll be using them in sewing projects{they each have some issues, so they're perfect for cutters}I'll also be putting together Tablecloth bundles for my Shop.

On the hunt for Vintage Sheets

I've been on the lookout for vintage sheets for awhile now, needing to replenish my stash. It used to be that every time I went thrifting I had plenty to choose from, now they're harder and harder to find. I've got a lot of sewing projects planned over the summer: re-cover dining room chairs, kitchen cafe curtains, dog bed cover, and lots of bags{like the one's below}to send my fabric scraps in.


My ultimate goal will be to somehow create something like these:
I found these beautiful curtains on the darling Blog of maggie and sparrow, made of vintage sheets and pillow cases.

I've been gathering vintage sheets for years, and never knew there were so many others interested in them until recently. I really realized the popularity when I came across the Blog: The Vintage Sheet Blog . Now I grab the sheets I come across while thrifting/flea marketing because I know if I don't someone else will!

Flickr Inspiration

1. apron , 2. Vintage Sheets, 3. YAY, 4. Vintage Sheet Quilt, 5. June Block for Evelyn, 6. Vintage Linens, 7. skirts for sisters, 8. Vintage Patchwork sheet cutains, 9. Waiting for Inspiration..., 10. chair, 11. Vintage Funky flower sheet set, 12. Pillowcases, 13. Smock top14. Not available15. Not available16. Not available

I'm heading out to see what I can find, and hoping to return with a pile of sheets :)

I ♥ Handmade

I wanted to write a quick post about something really cool I recently bought. When I find something amazing I want to share it with everyone, especially when it's handmade. I've been wanting to buy a handmade purse for over a year now. I've searched all over Etsy, trying to find the perfect bag....then I found Pansy Maiden. I love everything about this purse, the size{now that my kids are older I don't need something huge to hold all the misc. stuff you need with little ones}, all the compartments, how well made & sturdy it is~ I can't say enough great things about it, so if you're in need of a purse check out their Shop.

Last night I had to do the thing all pet owners dread. I had to put my dog Daphne to sleep. This is the third time I've had to do this, and each time I say I'll never get another dog. So today is a little strange{and so sad}not seeing her laying across the floor in what ever room I'm in or hearing her nails on the hard wood as she walks through the house{something I'd hear in the middle of the night as she was figuring out who's bed she was going to sneak into}.

My other dog is probably wondering where her partner is{they were BFF's, always together as you can see from the pictures below}.
I'm going to have a sad little 7 year old who I've got to break the news to when she gets home from school today, something I'm not looking forward to :(