Crafting Old School with Iron Ons

Finally our 6 week series on Onesies is coming to a close. Refer back through the weeks to learn how to throw a onesie making party, where to shop on the net for hipster onesies, how to make a personalized appliqué, embroidering teal ponies and using stencils. Today is probably the easiest of all the onesies, iron-ons.

I’m a big fan of making customized iron-ons myself. All you need is some of your favorite images, a scanner, computer and iron-on paper compatible with your printer. For Christmas I made Chris several different onesies for the baby with his band logo that he seemed to enjoy. For my baby shower I scanned in several of my favorite images out of my Pop Ink series of books. What baby does not look smashing in a onesie depicting a bunny with a chainsaw or Biggie Smalls?

Don't feel like making your own Iron Ons? Well don't forget you can find all kinds online like the whole series by Generation T, Iron On letters in badassical fonts by Dutch Trade and there is even a whole book of iron on goodness: Sukie Iron-On Craft Pad from Chronicle Books. I love the adorable designs and oodles of options by Sukie. Some of the girls at my baby shower were clever and used the Sukie iron on as a guide line and colored in the image with fabric markers or fabric pastels for extra umph.

I Love to Create: Making Customized Thank You Cards

Thank You notes are a lost art. Handwritten notes and cards seem to be disappearing. In a day and age where all communication between friends seems to be sent via email, text or Facebook – even the telephone seems to be becoming obsolete. That makes things like hand written thank you notes and greeting cards that much more special. Think if on top of that those cards were hand made and customized for that particular person, now that would really blow their dress up. Today on I Love to Create we are going to be delving into the world of paper crafts and whipping up some easy and adorable thank you cards.

The etiquette rule books would tell you the best time to send a thank you note is right away. I know from experience that if I wait too long so much time elapses that I feel silly sending one at all and then I beat myself up about it later. Sending thank you notes is easier said than done when you are about to have a baby and trying to send thank you notes for shower girfts or just returning from your wedding and honeymoon and trying to practice good thank you manners. However, remember store bought thank you cards are fine and dandy and will make your life that much easier. On the flip side if you are a crafty gal it may be hard for you to pass up the opportunity to do a little paper crafting, I know it is for me.



SUPPLY LIST
Photo Quality Printer Paper
Photoshop
Computer
Scanner
Printer
Scissors
Images for Patterned Background
Images of guests
Aleene's Original Tacky Glue Sticks
Craft Felt
Ready Made Cards
Cardstock
Fabric Fusion Glue

The first thing I did is flipped through my copy of Handmade Hellos for inspiration. I knew I wanted to do something customized with pictures of my guests and also wanted to incorporate in unusual paper. While perusing the paper aisle at the craft store I didn’t see any that tickled my fancy so I decided to make my own. You can do this in a number of different ways as long as you have a computer, scanner and Photoshop. I just so happen to be fortunate enough to own a copy of The Petit Pattern Book: Kids and Toys that is stocked full of adorable prints and comes with a handy dandy disk that pops into my computer for easy access. I opted for whales, apples, penguins and snails!

For the actual card I decided to use boxed ready made cards. They are the right size, paper weight, come with envelopes and are available in oodles of cute colors. I measured the envelopes and cropped my images on the computer to be slightly smaller. Also on the computer I wrote the words “Thank You” in the corner.

To customize the thank you cards I sorted through all the pictures taken at the event and found a picture of each card recipient. If I could find a picture of the two of us together that was even better. I cropped those pictures on the computer to the correct size and then printed all the images out on photo quality paper.



Once all my pictures were printed out it was time to cut. Using an oval shaped template I traced my images and cut them out. Some I knew I wanted to double up so using card stock in various colors I made a larger oval for the background and then a slightly smaller oval for the actual photograph of the guest.

After I decided what pictures were going with which card I began assembling. I used Aleene's Original Tacky Glue Sticks to adhere everything. For a few of the cards I spiced things up and used lavender craft felt as my larger background oval and in those instances I used Fabric Fusion Glue.



Once you have your customized cards made only half the battle is won, now you have to actually write inside of them and get them mailed off. The only mail most people get these days are bills, how thrilled will your guests be to get a handmade card in the mail. Not to mention one they might actually put up on the fridge or pin to a bulletin board.

Do you tinker in the world of paper crafts and card making? What are some of your favorite supplies to use? Know of a place to get cute paper? Have a glue tip you would like to share? Leave me a comment and let me know. I’m a jeweler after all and always looking for new and exciting tips in the paper world.

Yarn Shopping in Austin

A few weeks ago my cyber pal Linda Permann became a real life in person friend when she came to Austin for a visit. We hooked up and did all the obligatory fun stuff like lunch at Polvos, thrift store shopping and Linda’s favorite a pit stop at Hill Country Weavers. As someone quite new to the realm of yarn I was a bit overwhelmed though completely impressed with the store. Linda on the other hand being a seasoned crochet pro was blown away. So much so that she wrote up a little blurb about the store for Craft Stylish!

I can hardly wait for August when Linda’s book Crochet Adorned hits the shelves. I’ll be sure to head back to Hill Country Weavers then to load up on tasty colored yarn!

Seventeen Magazine + Naughty Secretary Club

If your March 2009 issue of Seventeen Magazine has not arrived in the mail yet let me fill you in on a couple of things to look out for while flipping through the pages. Naughty Secretary Club makes two appearances in the issue. First check out our one of kind Hammered Hottie Necklace. This necklace is sort of my take on a leigh and with summer right around the corner it's perfect! A few pages later you can spot our Like Totally Texas Necklace in neon yellow. This necklace is for Texans who want to show their state pride with a wink and smile.

The Pin Show

Hey fashion savvy Dallasites looking for something to do this week? Might I suggest the Pin Show this Thursday at Union Station. Check out the line up of designers and read on for more info about the show.

The Pin Show was founded by Independent Designers Rachel Nichelson and Julie McCullough Kim in 2007 to provide all emerging fashion industry designers, photographers, artists, stylists and retail buyers a profound launching platform for independent work in the fashion industry. Realizing that Dallas is a central hub for Fashion it only made sense to create this new avenue for the emerging talent in this industry that is located between New York and LA. The Pin Show will provide regional boutiques and buyers an opportunity to view these independent lines during one showcase and give them a chance to meet the designers personally to discuss future opportunities. In addition it will provide the public a unique fashion experience that is generally reserved for high end designers and their clientele. Retail buyers and reps will have the opportunity to see the latest lines from independent-regional designers and meet with them following the show to discuss future business relationships.

Beginning in 2009 The Pin Show will be held twice a year in September and February to allow designers to showcase their Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer lines during the months that retailers and buyers are looking to make such purchasing decisions.

Designers, Stylists, Make-up & Hair Artists, Photographers, Volunteers and respective Buyers are encouraged to visit the participate section of our website to find out how the can become involved.

What's On Crafty TV This Week with Jen?

Early bird gets the crafty worm is what I always say. Either that or you can sleep in and set your DVR to catch the early morning episodes of Craft Lab and Stylelicious. This week I cover everything from basketry to bracelets with a trip to the Dollar Store thrown in for good measure.

CRAFT LAB
Eco-Friendly Baskets
February 23, 2009
5:30 AM Central
HGTV

Mother Nature supplies us with a great project demonstrated by guest Mark Barnes, who demonstrates how to make baskets out of vines.

STYLELICIOUS
All in the Wrist - Episode DSTY-209
February 24, 2009
3:30 AM Central
DIY NETWORK

Wrist wear is what it is all about today. Host Jennifer Perkins cooks things up by melting vinyl records to make them into a wrist cuff. Host Vickie Howell introduces us to leatherworker Mark Stowe, who has a rockin' take on the all-purpose leather cuff. Host Jen Arntson incorporates a traditional leatherworking style, called trapunto, on vinyl to create a wrist strap bag.

STYLELICIOUS
Dollar Store Challenge - Episode DSTY-209
February 26, 2009
3:30 AM Central
DIY NETWORK

Our Stylelicious ladies are presented with a challenge to create wearable fashions out of dollar store finds. Host Vickie Howell creates a corset top out of washcloths. Host Karly Hand makes a skirt out of an umbrella, and Host Jennifer Perkins makes a purse out of a photo album and toy snakes.

Crafty Carnival

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
The amazing detail packed book Boutique Knits by Laura Irwin provides the inspiration for a half felted/ half non felted bag Sweater Surgery Style.

Aileen's Musings
Aileen crafts a whimsical birthday banner from rock salt, watercolors and fun embellishments! Let yourself be inspired and create your very own banner!

Crafty Princess Diaries
Tammy and her DH show off their donation to a local Humane Society event. The piece is call "I Heart Animals Necklace" and combines her metal clay skills and his chain making skills.

Cross Stitch at About.com
"Let the Good Times Roll" with Connie's free Mardi Gras Cross Stitch patterns.

Swelldesigner a.k.a. Alexa Westerfield
Swelldesigner shares a fast and fun sticker project and breaks out her old sticker collection in the process!

Layers Upon Layers
Layers Upon Layers continues to explore lot of different snow-themed art works.

Naughty Secretary Club
It’s Stencil 101 at the Naughty Secretary Club. Learn how to make your own Headphone Hotties Skirt and enter to win free fabric paint!

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
A sneak peek into Angela Cartwright and Sarah Fishburns' new book: In This Garden, as well as Robert Vetica's: Good to Great Hair, a watercolor Maneki Neko (Lucky Cat) greeting card and two fun uses for vintage garter clips.

The Impatient Crafter
Madge shares another fab free jewelry project from her new co-authored book Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed. Leave a comment for a chance to win a free book while you're there!

About Family Crafts
Are you up for a crafty challenge? Design your own simple Mardi Gras mask.

Raised in Craftivity

I hope you caught my blog post yesterday with a review of Stencil 101 by Ed Roth and a contest to win some fabric paint! Yesterday I showed you how to use the stencils to adorn a skirt and blouse. Today we are continuing our series on onesies and I wanted to show you what kind of magic these bad boys can do to make custom baby clothes. If you are tuning in for the first time be sure and refer back in this 6 week series. We have covered embroidery, personalized appliqués, internet favorites and how to host a onesie making party. These pictures are actually from the same party and give you another idea about Lil’ Whips wardrobe.

There are many perks to owning a copy of Stencil 101. First of all the stencil options are not hideously ugly like most stencils at the craft store. I hate to be that way but I didn’t want a onesie with a Fleur de Lis or roses. I want my baby to wear sumo wrestlers, boom boxes, cassette tapes and Super 8 cameras. Thank God the girls at my onesie making party agreed. The second bonus about the stencils is that there is a myriad of ways to apply them. Some of the girls opted for fabric paint while others went with fabric makers a few even opted for pastels especially made for fabric.


Anne Marie opts for a set of Fabric Fun Pastel Dye Sticks to illustrate her “Baby Rolls Big Body” Onesie. Her car actually looks a lot like that oddly enough.


Even after you have stenciled on your onesie, nothing says that you can’t go back in with additional fabric marker embellishment. Karly adds green grass underneath her sunny Sumo wrestler.


Erin carefully places her fawn stencil on a wee little striped onesie.


Photographer extraordinaire Cory Ryan opted for the Super 8 camera stencil and a rainbow pallet of Tulip fabric paint.


Erin’s fawn and Cory’s camera hang on the line to dry completely. I recommend letting the onesies dry for 48 hours and then going over them with a hot iron or running them in your dryer for 30 minutes. Be sure to wash them inside out!


After carefully weighing her stencil options Tina opted for a hot pink boom box on her onesie.


No little Texan is complete with out a Lone Star onesie. I’ll have to make sure Lil’ Whip is wearing this outfit when he or she has their obligatory picture in the bluebonnets made.


Not to play favorites, but I think the Raised in Craftivity Onesie by Karly was the stenciled onesie I was most smitten on. Karly used the ape from Stencil 101 and black Tulip fabric paint and embellished with a catchy slogan using Crafty Chica fabric markers.

P.S. Thanks again to Cory Ryan for the extra pictures (the pretty ones).

I Love to Create: Stencil 101

Today on I Love to Create it’s Stencil 101. Thought stencils only came in the shape of ivy vines and came in pastel colors? Clearly you have not flipped through a copy of Stencil 101 and seen the amazing range of colors and paints from Tulip!

I first met Mr. Ed Roth at the summer CHA show in Chicago, Illinois last year when he stopped by the Duncan booth to say hello. Here we all are Me, Ed, Kathy Cano Murillo, Jenny Hart and Hope Perkins thick as thieves. I already heard about his company Stencil 1 and his book Stencil 101, but had yet to get my hot little hands on a copy. Now that I have I don’t ever want to let it go or set it down.



Stencil 101 is in the same vein as say Jenny Hart’s Craft Pad. It’s not a craft book with lots of example pictures and step by step instructions it is a book literally of stencils and a brief overview on how best to use them. The stencils can be used with any number of different paints and placed on several different textures. Want a stencil of a boom box on your wall or a poodle on your favorite skirt? Stencil 101 can make it happen.



Being fond of the wearable arts myself I decided to try my hand at a few of the projects in Stencil 101. Sit back, relax and enjoy my crafty adventure. Hopefully you will be inspired to pick up a copy of the book and you can win the fabric paint at the end of this post just by leaving a comment!



The Buck Blouse
SUPPLIES

Light colored cotton shirt
Tulip Cool Color Spray for Fabric (Caribbean Blue)
Buck Stencil from Stencil 101
Aleene's Tack-It Over & Over Glue
Piece of cardboard



I got the idea for this technique from the Average Jane Crafter blog. She had made a T-shirt using Tulip Cool Color Spray for Fabric so I thought I would give it a try since the author does suggest an airbrushing technique and a spray bottle of paint was the closest thing I had. Following the books instructions I chose a light colored cotton top and a darker color paint. I first applied a very light coat of Aleene's Tack-It Over & Over Glue to the back of my stencil and then placed it on my blouse. The theory was that this glue would stick the stencil in place, but at the same time allow me to peel it up when I was finished.



Once the stencil was firmly in place and I had pieces of cardboard between the front and back of the shirt to prevent bleeding I sprayed my teal fabric paint lightly over the shirt. I used several coats.



My report is that the glue worked really great holding the stencil down. The instructions in Stencil 101 mention that this is a dry brush technique and the Tulip Cool Color Spray for Fabric is pretty wet, but it didn't seem to be an incompatibility. The end result turned out rad and my brand new buck blouse was born.



Headphones Hottie Skirt
SUPPLIES

Cotton Skirt
Red Embroidery Thread
Embroidery Needle
Aleene's Liquid Fusible Web
Cotton Fabric
Tulip Soft Fabric Paint (Sunshine Yellow)
Headphone Stencil from Stencil 101
Painters Tape



I love the look of contrasting fabric appliqués against pattered clothing and my Headphone Hottie skirt is the perfect example. First I chose the skirt and the fabric to stencil on.



Using painters tape I stuck my stencil down to my appliqué fabric. Using Tulip Soft Fabric Paint and a sponge brush I applied two coats of paint allowing drying time in-between. Once the paint had dried completely I cut out my appliqué and placed on my skirt using Aleene's Liquid Fusible Web to hold in place. Once the fusible web had dried and been ironed into place I embroidered the edge for extra contrast using red floss.



One of my favorite things about this book is the hip designs. I love the concept of stencils, but they are never my style or something I would dream of using on my clothing or in my home. Ed Roth has come up with a winning combination of stencils with designs ranging from urban-cool to naturally organic with his awesome book Stencil 101 from Chronicle Books. The stencils easily tear out from perforated pages and there is a pocket on the back cover of the book to hold your used stencils. One word of warning that I learned the hard way, even though the stencils feel like plastic, they are not. In other words don’t pop them in your sink for a quick rinse off or you will ruin them.



Now for the part you have been waiting for – the contest! Leave me a comment and let me know what you think about Stencil 101 and stenciling in general. Do you have a copy of the book – what do you think? What is your favorite method of stenciling? You have one week to give me the stencil gossip and then I will pick one lucky blogger to win a set of Tulip Cool Color Spray for Fabric in 3 fun colors!

Tune in tomorrow to see how handy Stencil 101 comes in at a Onesie making party. Every baby needs outfits with pictures of apes, muscle cars and sumo wrestlers!

***This is a sponsored post by I Love to Create - I was compensated & given free supplies. Mama has gotta pay the bills somehow and really who in their right mind would say no to free craft supplies***

You're Never Too Old to Wear Barbie!

Wanna learn how to make your very own Totally Hair Barbie Necklace plus find out various ways to help Barbie celebrate her 50th? Well then pop over to my post on the Austin Craft Mafia blog all about it.

Survival of the Fittest: Blogs Vs. Magazines

Remember that song “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles? Who knew how prophetic that song would be in so many different genres? I have always heard that when videos became popular people like Joe Jackson made a nose dive in the charts. “Steppin’ Out” is an awesome jam, but apparently in the looks and charisma department he was no Hall and Oates. Sometimes I feel that The Buggles theory rings true with old school craft websites (www.InsertCraftWebsiteNameHere.com) and Etsy, but that is a whole different ball of wax. The latest Nostradamus like prediction coming from this 80’s pop tune is that blogs might be doing to magazines what video did to the radio star.

As of late it seems that magazines are dropping like flies. There is the environmentally conscious side of me that is waving adios and then the hoarder in me that wants to cry. I have had many a heated debate with people lately about the downfall of magazines and the rise of blogs and it seems people are torn. The bloggers love magazines and don’t want them to go, where would they scan their pictures from? I’m sure Daryl Hall liked Joe Jackson too; he probably just didn’t realize he was inadvertently killing his career. Bloggers are not intentionally killing off magazines; it’s a natural progression – survival of the fittest if you will. There is a whole Darwinism thing going on and the heard is getting thinned with not just the help of the bloggers but also with the help of our craptastical economy. Maybe Missbehave and Cottage Living should ask for a bailout, everyone else is so why not.

Blogs are prevailing and magazines are taking notice. Many are refusing to say they are actually closing and phrasing it that they are going strictly digital or looking for new publishers. I think it is a smart move in a lot of ways and some of these magazines will probably do even better in the digital format and already have wonderful blogs. Take Craft Magazine for example their blog is one of the best on the internet for crafters. At $15 a pop I admit I never bought a single issue, but I check their blog several times a week. Maybe they killed themselves in some respects having a blog that was just a little too good? Speaking of blogs I was very surprised to see Domino not keep up with theirs. Maybe a spin off blog is in the works like Shelterific to Budget Living. I’m glad to see some of the magazines not completely fade away and stay with us on the internet.



I love reading blogs, writing a blog and just the word blog is kind of fun to say. However, blogs no matter how hard they try will never be a magazine. There is something about the tangibleness of magazines that you can keep and refer back to time and time again. Sure you can book mark things on blogs, but it is not the same and not near as portable. Lap Tops are cumbersome to take into the bathroom with you, not as much fun to read in bed, you can’t cut the pictures out for your journal and when you are on a long flight you just want a magazine because it’s hard to comment on a blog flying over the artic circle. Some are saying that magazines are becoming obsolete along with newspapers, what’s next books? Now that’s just redic.

I have no real opinion on all the magazines folding either way. I’m sad people are losing their jobs, that much I do know. It’s sad for any medium to become extinct. Extinct is a strong word and some magazines will prevail and weather this current financial storm, but I’m sure this is not the end of the closings. I can’t say that I am not helping with their demise in some ways. I am a blogger after all. Also, as someone who used to advertise in print media every month, I have switched my advertising dollars to digital. Not only is it cheaper, but it makes more sense that someone would click a banner ad on a website and come directly to Naughty Secretary Club rather than hoping someone remembers my URL in a magazine they are flipping through on the couch and plugs it into their computer later. I think a lot of business feel the same way and are skipping the thousand dollar print ads in lieu of the hundred dollar web ad.

Good luck magazines, I’m rooting for you. As a blogger I don’t mean to hurt you if I do. To the magazines that are going strictly digital welcome to the blogosphere full time, you will be happy here. To the magazines that are gone forever and those soon headed to the big recycling plant in the sky we will miss you.

Celebrating President's Day with the Barackster!

At first I thought I might be a day late and a dollar short with this post about Obama goodies since every blog in the world posted right around election or inauguration. However, I thought what better time to celebrate than on Presiden't Day! “Yes We Can” has officially turned into “Yes We Will” and with a few choice items you can continue to show your support of the Barackster in style.


The amazing Obama Ring is only second place in my heart to the Abraham Lincoln Ring also made by CBTs Closet.

You bet your bottom dollar I ordered one of these President Obama Air Force One Wood Toys for Lil’ Whip. This toy is gonna be a collectors item and might put him or her through college one day after a quick and lucrative EBAY transaction in 18 years.

I love these adorable little Michelle and Barack hair clips by One Plaid Aunt. If you have a copy of The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girls Guide to Handmade Jewelry you can make yourself a pair by following the Hanky Panky Bracelet instructions (they are online at Etsy and N.E.E.T. as well).

I always lamented not getting the Nick Nolte garden gnome when I had the chance. When I saw this Barack Obama necklace by Rovakada I felt a little bit better. When I realized the necklace glowed in the dark I felt a lot better.

Remember when I was debating on the perfect alphabet poster for Lil’ Whip? Well one called ABC Love by Jennifer Ramos came in a close second. This poster with a hidden message of “Yes We Can” by Dented Curls reminds me of the poster and maybe that is why I love it oh so much.

I want a pair of hand painted Barack Obama high tops by Shared Madness. What girl in their right minds wouldn’t? Makes me want to rewatch the episode of Craft Lab where Traci Bautista and I whip up a pair of graffiti themed Vans or the episode of Stylelicious where my sister Hope shows how to paint on shoes.

Ya know I bought all the supplies to needle felt awhile back and have never touched them. Maybe this Barack Obama Needle Felting Kit by Fancy Tiger is just the inspiration I need to get started.

Sometimes when you wake up in the morning it’s hard to get going. You sit in your jammies and think 'I feel like crawling back into bed, I’m not sure I can do this again today'. Well if your morning cup of coffee was coming to you in a custom mug by Freedom Ware you would think “Yes I Can” and every day would be efficient and awesome.

A little piece of history safely protected inside clear plastic can be yours if you stop by Elefants Donkees Etsy shop and snag yourself an Obama Tote - New York Times November 5th Issue.

So hopefully the novelty and excitement of our new president has not worn off for you already. It’s only been a month the relationship is still in the new phase and we should all still be smitten! Happy Presidents Day!

What's On Crafty TV This Week with Jen?

CRAFT LAB
Spa Gifts for Men
February 16, 2009
5:30 AM Central

Guest Sabrina Collins makes soothing spa gifts for men. It is feet relief for the weary cowboy! Sabrina mixes up a foot scrub and gift wraps it in a western boot, makes and packages homemade bath salts in shot glasses with an embellished wooden box, and puts together some lemongrass massage sticks.

STYLELICIOUS
Rock N Roll - Episode DSTY-308
February 21, 2009
3:30 AM Central

Stylelicious rocks out with Rock n' Roll inspired fashions. Host Tina Sparkles combines old band shirts and a Victorianesque shirt to create a frilly rock frock. Host Jennifer Perkins shows ways to add a rock edge with jewelry made from guitar picks. Jen Arntson spraypaints cool designs on shirts and tote bags.

Crafty Carnival

The Impatient Crafter
Madge's new book Beyond the Bead has hit the shelves! Check out this sneak peek free project and leave a comment to win a free copy and a special prize!

About Family Crafts
Find out how you can get your creatie ideas, tips, reviews, and photos published!

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Craftside is sharing the love with free knitted and crocheted flower patterns from Margaret Hubert's new book, Rejuvenated Jewels from the new book by the same name by Amy Hanna, a Valentine heart envelope how-to and an ATC from a box of Goldfish.

Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner
Make sand heart Valentines or mix it up with a variation on the idea. Swelldesigner shows you how!

Cathie Filian
Baby slings are all the rage and can cost a fortune in retail stores. Cathie Filian has a simple pattern that only requires 2.5 yards of fabric.

Crafty Princess Diaries
The Crafty Princess has caught up on a little Etsy work, which means more star charms and a few finished piece.

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
The four letter words are flying this week with a fun altered glove project using Wrights Iron-ons.

Cross Stitch at About.com
Do you ever find yourself in a stitching slump? Vote in the poll and read (and discuss in) the comments on Connie's blog

Layers Upon Layers
Cyndi explores making small quilts from rusted fabric.

Naughty Secretary Club
This week Jen is wishing Abraham Lincoln a sparkly birthday with 10 tips on creating wearable glitter portraits from Hot Pink Pistol.

Aileen's Musings
Aileen gives a magnetic twist to her paper towel background technique!

Onesie Shopping: The Best of the Web

We are on the home stretch of our series on Onesies. So far we have covered making personalized appliqués, embroidered onesies and how-to throw a onesie making party. Coming soon look for iron-ons and stencils! Today is not a how to it is more of a round up of a few of my favorite onesies on the internet. There are so many cute ones to choose from. Many of the designs I wish were on T-shirts in my size, and actually thanks to Threadless some of them are!



Future Librarian – Sarah Utter
Sarah is an adorable little lady who once came to play on an episode of Craft Lab with me. I adore her line of clothing with vintage clip art images and witty quips. Check out Buy Olympia for more choices, big kid sizes too.

Lions Are Smarter Than I Am – Threadless
A few issues ago Inc Magazine had a story on the guys behind Threadless. One of the partners was sporting a Lions Are Smarter Than I Am T-shirt in the article and I fell in love. When I saw that it came in the form of a onesie it was a done deal and is currently hanging in the closet.

Indigo Whale Infant One Piece – Baby Wit
If I could bring myself to pay $34 for a baby outfit, I would be all over this Moby Dick inspired onesie. Features hand screened anchor and blue whale on baby blue infant one piece.

Ahoy Baby Onesie – Baby Wit
This onesie is handmade with appliqués (check out the little polka dotted collar) and I love it oh so much, but $37 for a baby outfit kills me. Well maybe I could get the baby’s picture taken in it and then it would be worth it.

Fauna Baby Onesie – Squirrel – Design Public
The people at Fauna make about a bazillion different animal onesies that I would buy. As a matter of fact they are on sale for $19 at the moment and I do love the kimono style. If this came in big kid sizes it would be mine. I also LOVE their pillows!

Race – Threadless
I’m just waiting for Threadless to have another $5 sale before I score this adorable little onesie. How can you say no to multi-colored zebras? Reminds me of Fruit Stripes gum.

I Heart Public Transportation – Buy Olympia
More kitschy goodness by Sarah Utter. You better bet I scored this little number. While we are on the topic of Sarah I also have her purple ‘Let’s Roll’ T-shirt in the baby closet.

Cowboys and Bananas – Rose and Duke
I scored oodles of cute onesies at Maker Faire 2008, but one of my very favorites was this one depicting an embroidered cowboy and banana.

Foxy – Threadless
This is another onesie that I could not say no to and is already hanging in the closet. It seems to be a real crowd pleaser when I bring it out to show friends. The key I have found is to buy all these outfits in lots of different sizes I think it will be close to a year before Lil’ Whip can wear this one.

I’m constantly cruising Etsy and the rest of the internet looking for the cutest baby duds around. Do you have any favorite places to shop when dressing your baby? I’d love to hear about your favorite Etsy sellers, online stores, brands and more.

Wanna know who won last weeks contest to win a set of Crafty Chica fabric markers? Sure you do! Well I decided since we got so many comments I would give away two sets of markers. The first set goes to Nikki K of Stitch Tac Sew. I loved her story about having a party where everyone decorated “Pimp Cups”. I can totally see my friends loving this idea and taking their crafty pimp cups to parties for years to come afterwards. Our second set of Crafty Chica fabric markers goes to Jennifer Cameron of Glass Addictions since she is thinking she might squeeze in a few onesie crafts at her sister-in-laws upcoming baby shower that she is hosting. Thanks everyone for all the awesome comments and ideas. I love reading what everyone thought about the party and their own experiences with similar baby showers and parties!

I Love to Create: Happy Glittery Birthday Abe Lincoln!

Not only was Abraham Lincoln the tallest president the US has ever had, after my sister Hope Perkins got through with him he was also the most sparkly. Today is the big guys birthday and to celebrate here on I Love to Create we are going to take a little trip down memory lane. Stitch Fashion Show and Craft Bazaar 2007 at the Austin Convention Center my sister Hope Perkins of Hot Pink Pistol teamed up with Tulip Fashion Glitter and Abe never looked better.



“Tulip Fashion Glitter is the only medium I look forward to finding in my belly button 3 days later”. This is no joke, you can’t walk out of Hope’s house without shimmering a little bit, there is a glitter crumb trail leading up to her door and once you see her stash of sparkle you will be amazed that glitter comes in so many different colors. Glitter sometimes gets a bad wrap and is often thought of as a rudimentary craft supply or art medium. Hope and her glitter portraits completely prove these theories wrong. Not to mention her art is wearable, the best kind in my humble opinion.



I was once one of those people that thought glitter only came in red, green, silver, royal blue and multi – but oh was I wrong. Tulip Fashion Glitter comes in 28 different shades enough to give any presidential portrait definition and character. Tulip also makes a Fashion Glitter Bond to help keep all the sparkle on the dress and not the floor.



I like to think that Mr. Lincoln would be pleased as punch with his portrait. Who in their right mind would not like a glittery portrait of themselves painted on a Hawaiian muumuu and worn by cute girls? Find me that person, I dare you.



Thinking you might like to try your hand at glittery presidential glory? Well lucky you Hope was kind enough to send over 10 hot tips about working with glitter. Everything you need to know to get you started!

1) When you want a shade of glitter that does not exist in your pallet you can combine 2 glitters in an empty glitter container or on a piece of paper to make your own colors.

2) To darken a color of glitter mix in a little bit of black glitter. In order to lighten glitter sprinkle in some gold color glitter.

3) When using multiple colors of glitter it's best to go from light to dark glitter because the light colors will sometimes stick into your dark glitter and ruin the effect you are going for.

4) For a more 3 dimensional look using glitter use Scribbles Dimensional Fabric Paint as your bonding agent to adhere your glitter to your piece of clothing.

5) For more complicated color gradation use Tulip Glitter Bond to apply your colors. Glitter Bond lets you sift your colors on lighter and build up a color which allows for more color variation.

6) If you are using an actual image like Abe Lincoln it is best to choose an image to base your design on that has more of a color block or paint by number look to it. Think Shepard Fairey's Obama or better yet Abraham Obama by Ron English!

7) If your going to use multiple colors be sure to add them to your wet paint or glitter bond one color at a time allowing for complete coverage. Otherwise when you add your next color of glitter any exposed wet paint from before will adhere to that glitter color.

8) When using iridescent colors of glitter for instance white glitter be sure to use white paint as your bonding agent. However, for a different effect you can experiment with using a different color paint as your bonding agent to give you a different hue with the iridescent glitter on top.

9) If you are painting on a patterned or colorful dress and want to use the iridescent glitter be sure to use paint as your bonding agent rather than the translucent glitter bond which will show the pattern and color underneath.

10) Once your project is completely dry go over the image with a lint roller to pick up extra glitter.

Happy glittery birthday Mr. President, happy birthday to you. Got any glitter tips or tricks you want to share with us? We would luv to hear all about em!