Today is the last day to enter the giveaways for November Giveaway Day!!!! Make sure to scroll down to view all three giveaways :)
11.30.2011
11.28.2011
Vintage Butterfly Necklace DIY
If you have been reading my blog, you know that I have a soft spot for vintage things. I especially love the vintage graphics that were used on postcards, advertisement, etc.
So I wanted a necklace that was a butterfly, but not just any butterfly. One that looked like it came off of a vintage valentine or something. I thought and thought of how I could make this happen and then it came to me: printable shrinky dink paper. Yup. That's it.
Can I just say I adore how these came out? I'm thinking about doing some more with different vintage clip art, like a bee or flower. They are really easy to make and would make a great present! Christmas is just around the corner......
Here is what you will need:
- Printable Shrinky Dink Paper (I found a pack at Hobby Lobby. Now, this stuff is twice the price as regular shrinky dink paper, so save a coupon if you can. It also said online they sell it at Michael's. Make sure your printer will work too, so you don't waste your time and money. You can find it here online.)
- Vintage clip art of your choice (I found these on The Graphics Fairy)
- 4 jump rings (mine were size 6mm)
- chain of choice for necklace
- lobster clasp for end closure, or another closure of choice.
- 2 pairs of needle nose pliers
- hole puncher
Begin by preparing your graphic to fit on a piece of printable shrinky dink paper. I created an 8"x10" document in word and then made the graphic as big as I could for printing. I highly suggest you do a print test on regular paper first. The paper also comes with instructions on how to prepare the graphic (you have to fade it down before printing), so follow those instructions as well then print.
Once it's printed, cut it out. I had to use manicure scissors for some of the tighter areas. Then take a hole puncher and make a hole in each of the wings.
I don't have a picture for this next part, but prepare to stick it in the oven according to directions. Really keep an eye on it because I had to flatten out each butterfly myself before it got too hard. The wings and antennae are prone to curling, and if it gets hard you can't flatten it back down. I tried to reheat it to get it bendy again, but it didn't work.
Once it has cooled off you need to cover the printed side with a coating. The paper instructions suggest Krylon acrylic coating as the best, but the coating in the above picture is what I found and it worked great. I guess you could use mod podge or another medium, but I didn't want to take the chance of the ink bleeding by painting that stuff on. After spraying, let it dry for a while.
Now its time to make it into a necklace.
Cut two chains for each side at your desired length. I did 13" for one and 11" for the second necklace.
Then attach a jump ring to each butterfly wing using your needle nose pliers and then add the chain to it. I somehow wasn't paying attention and got a double jump ring and it was a bit of a pain to work with but it was more secure. If you do not know how to attach a jump ring, see here.
Then on the other end of the chains, attach a jump ring to both sides. Then add a clasp to one side. Now it's ready to wear or give as a gift.
So I wanted a necklace that was a butterfly, but not just any butterfly. One that looked like it came off of a vintage valentine or something. I thought and thought of how I could make this happen and then it came to me: printable shrinky dink paper. Yup. That's it.
Can I just say I adore how these came out? I'm thinking about doing some more with different vintage clip art, like a bee or flower. They are really easy to make and would make a great present! Christmas is just around the corner......
Here is what you will need:
- Printable Shrinky Dink Paper (I found a pack at Hobby Lobby. Now, this stuff is twice the price as regular shrinky dink paper, so save a coupon if you can. It also said online they sell it at Michael's. Make sure your printer will work too, so you don't waste your time and money. You can find it here online.)
- Vintage clip art of your choice (I found these on The Graphics Fairy)
- 4 jump rings (mine were size 6mm)
- chain of choice for necklace
- lobster clasp for end closure, or another closure of choice.
- 2 pairs of needle nose pliers
- hole puncher
*If you aren't into messing around with this kind of jewelry making, you could always just use ribbon/thread and tie a knot in the end pieces. Just make sure it's long enough to go around your head.*
Begin by preparing your graphic to fit on a piece of printable shrinky dink paper. I created an 8"x10" document in word and then made the graphic as big as I could for printing. I highly suggest you do a print test on regular paper first. The paper also comes with instructions on how to prepare the graphic (you have to fade it down before printing), so follow those instructions as well then print.
Once it's printed, cut it out. I had to use manicure scissors for some of the tighter areas. Then take a hole puncher and make a hole in each of the wings.
I don't have a picture for this next part, but prepare to stick it in the oven according to directions. Really keep an eye on it because I had to flatten out each butterfly myself before it got too hard. The wings and antennae are prone to curling, and if it gets hard you can't flatten it back down. I tried to reheat it to get it bendy again, but it didn't work.
Once it has cooled off you need to cover the printed side with a coating. The paper instructions suggest Krylon acrylic coating as the best, but the coating in the above picture is what I found and it worked great. I guess you could use mod podge or another medium, but I didn't want to take the chance of the ink bleeding by painting that stuff on. After spraying, let it dry for a while.
Now its time to make it into a necklace.
Cut two chains for each side at your desired length. I did 13" for one and 11" for the second necklace.
Then attach a jump ring to each butterfly wing using your needle nose pliers and then add the chain to it. I somehow wasn't paying attention and got a double jump ring and it was a bit of a pain to work with but it was more secure. If you do not know how to attach a jump ring, see here.
Then on the other end of the chains, attach a jump ring to both sides. Then add a clasp to one side. Now it's ready to wear or give as a gift.
11.24.2011
Get Your Shop On *Black Friday Deals*
I hope all of you had a good Thanksgiving! We sure did :) We even got our Christmas tree and decorations up. Well, now that it's the day after Thanksgiving, you know what that means.......Black Friday!!!!! I don't usually get too into it, but there are some really great online deals going on right now that I wanted to share with you.
***Silhouette***
Happy Together readers get 40% off of everything in the Silhouette online store (except the CAMEO, subscriptions, download cards, and gift cards) using code TOGETHER
This discount is available through November 28th.
***Shabby Apple***
***Silhouette***
Happy Together readers get 40% off of everything in the Silhouette online store (except the CAMEO, subscriptions, download cards, and gift cards) using code TOGETHER
This discount is available through November 28th.
Also, the CAMEO will not be found in the regular online store but only on their ‘secret’ Black Friday page. Using code TOGETHER will allow you to get a discount on the CAMEO. Check out the site to see the special price. Just remember, to see the special price, you have to enter the code.
***Shabby Apple***
Use this code: GIVETHANKS
this sale is on now through November 30th!!!
11.22.2011
Continuing On in the Kitchen
I am pleased to say that I totally surpassed my goal of a new recipe a week last week! I tried out 5 new ones :) And........they were all good! Whoo hoo! They were also super easy to make.
Above: Southwestern Chicken Soup
My own version of Chimichangas (mixture of a few different recipes)
Now I need to find some good recipes for leftover Turkey/Ham with Thanksgiving coming up. Anyone have any?
A Bear"y" Cute Hat Tutorial
The last of hats for my baby: A "beary" cute hat. I must say, she's been a good sport for me with more than normal photo shoots last week. That being said, I think she had had enough when it was time for this one.
This is the only, the ONLY, pic I could get of her where she wasn't crying or protesting or falling over! I decided it was good enough and told her she could have a little break from pictures now :)
To make your own hat, you will need a few things:
-Stretchy material for the outside and lining (I used minky left over from the football blanket and a t-shirt for the lining. You could also use fleece, sweatshirt material, sweaters, and different knits.)
-A hat for creating a pattern
To begin, I wanted to make a paper pattern, so I folded a hat in half and placed it on paper.
I pushed the folded side towards the edge and made a half of a beanie hat shape. The edge of the paper becomes the "fold". Remember to add a little bit extra around the edges for seam allowance, but not too much since the fabric is stretch.
Take the fabric you are using for the outside and fold in half. Make sure the stretch of the fabric is horizontal so it will stretch. Otherwise, it won't stretch and it won't fit well on baby's head.
Place pattern piece with "fold" on the fold of the fabric. Cut out and then repeat and cut out one more piece.
Then you will do the same for the inside lining and cut two pieces for that. Again, make sure the fabric stretch goes horizontal!
Now you will need to cut two pieces for the bottom cuff of the hat. And yet again, make sure the stretch of the fabric is horizontal!!!! It needs to be the same width across as the bottom of the hat. The height depends on what you want......
Just remember, it will be folded in half eventually.......
then rolled up once sewn on.
You will also need to cut out four identical pieces that look like ears. Then place two ear pieces right sides facing and sew around edges, but remember to leave the bottom open for turning. Repeat for the next two pieces.
Turn the ears right side out and place on one of the outside pieces with the open ends over the edge of the hat.
Tip: You could aslo add a ribbon loop near an ear as well so you can easily clip a hair bow onto the hat if you like.
Place the second outside piece on top, right side facing down. Sew together, leaving the bottom open.
Place the two lining pieces right sides facing, and sew together leaving the bottom open.
Now sew the two cuff pieces together on the ends (this would be the "height").
Leave the lining inside out and
place inside the outside hat part (which will be right side out). Match up the seams and pin in place.
Take the cuff and fold in half.
Turn hat inside out and pin the open side of the cuff onto bottom of hat. I highly recommend matching the side seams up. Sew cuff onto hat.
Turn hat inside out.
Then flip the cuff up, covering the seam.
If it's for a girl and you added the ribbon loop, you can clip on a cute little bow now. Now we wait for some cooler weather to return so we can put this hat to use!
11.20.2011
*Now Accepting Sponsors*
I had done away with this while I was pregnant, but now that baby is getting older I'm getting back on track with things :) If you are interested in becoming a sponsor on Happy Together starting for the month of December, see here for info. Thanks!
Fun with the new Cameo
Well wouldn't you know that life happened and I didn't get the hat tutorial done until last night? So, while I'm putting the pics together for that, let me share with you my new machine :)
Did you know that the new Silhouette Cameo is out? Let me tell you, it's even better than the Silhouette SD. They just sent one to me and I've been having some fun with it.
If you have never heard of the Silhouette Cameo, it's an awesome machine that cuts out shapes/letters/pictures from paper, fabric, vinyl, and more! I have used it to cut quite a few different things and it's always worked great. In the above picture, I used the Cameo to cut "big sis" and "lil sis" letters from fabric that was ironed onto fabric interfacing. I used my own interfacing that I had on hand, but you can find fabric interfacing from Silhouette here. They have two kinds to cover various needs.
A new thing I just tried was using the smooth heat transfer material. I created my own silhouette to create the aviator glasses to go on the onesie below.
This is of course a baby present for a friend. The smooth heat transfer material worked really well and looks very professional. I like it and have some more ideas for it.
The Cameo comes with everything you need to get rolling. It has a great book that explains things clearly and with pictures. I like it when instructions add pictures.
It also comes with two discs: one is for the program and the second is a instructional video. I watched the video and it was really helpful. They give an overview of how to use the Cameo and it lasts for no more than 15 minutes. But, if you even need more help, they have tutorials online and other individuals have things posted on the internet as well.
Some of the differences I really like are how much bigger the machine is for cutting purposes, the way they made it so you only need one changeable blade for every project, and the updated program. I love it when companies always try to make their product better instead of the the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude some can have.
Before I go, I just wanted to share real quick how I created my own silhouette to be cut out. They do have an online store of where you can buy lots of pictures to use (they even offer free ones all the time), but they didn't have a pair of aviator glasses. So, I first found a pic of what I wanted and colored it in with a sharpie. Then I scanned it into the computer and opened it in the Silhouette program.
Then I chose the "trace" choice that is on the top right of choices. I boxed it and it created the red lines around it (I had to box the whole thing and then the spot in between the two "lines" at the top of the glasses). Then I deleted the picture so only the red lines were left and sent it to be cut.
Did you know that the new Silhouette Cameo is out? Let me tell you, it's even better than the Silhouette SD. They just sent one to me and I've been having some fun with it.
If you have never heard of the Silhouette Cameo, it's an awesome machine that cuts out shapes/letters/pictures from paper, fabric, vinyl, and more! I have used it to cut quite a few different things and it's always worked great. In the above picture, I used the Cameo to cut "big sis" and "lil sis" letters from fabric that was ironed onto fabric interfacing. I used my own interfacing that I had on hand, but you can find fabric interfacing from Silhouette here. They have two kinds to cover various needs.
A new thing I just tried was using the smooth heat transfer material. I created my own silhouette to create the aviator glasses to go on the onesie below.
This is of course a baby present for a friend. The smooth heat transfer material worked really well and looks very professional. I like it and have some more ideas for it.
The Cameo comes with everything you need to get rolling. It has a great book that explains things clearly and with pictures. I like it when instructions add pictures.
It also comes with two discs: one is for the program and the second is a instructional video. I watched the video and it was really helpful. They give an overview of how to use the Cameo and it lasts for no more than 15 minutes. But, if you even need more help, they have tutorials online and other individuals have things posted on the internet as well.
Some of the differences I really like are how much bigger the machine is for cutting purposes, the way they made it so you only need one changeable blade for every project, and the updated program. I love it when companies always try to make their product better instead of the the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude some can have.
Before I go, I just wanted to share real quick how I created my own silhouette to be cut out. They do have an online store of where you can buy lots of pictures to use (they even offer free ones all the time), but they didn't have a pair of aviator glasses. So, I first found a pic of what I wanted and colored it in with a sharpie. Then I scanned it into the computer and opened it in the Silhouette program.
Then I chose the "trace" choice that is on the top right of choices. I boxed it and it created the red lines around it (I had to box the whole thing and then the spot in between the two "lines" at the top of the glasses). Then I deleted the picture so only the red lines were left and sent it to be cut.
Be on the look out for a special discount for Happy Together readers for Black Friday :) If it's on your Christmas list, I suggest you remember to check back for this special!
11.17.2011
She's a hoot!
This little girl of mine! Oh how I love her smiles! She gets in these moods where she looks like she is going to explode with laughter, but just holds it in :) I'm hoping for some good big belly laughs here soon.
This is hat number 2 I made for baby. You can find the pattern here. It's really easy (well, if you crochet that is). It didn't take much time either because it's such a small hat.
I found the cute onesies and leg warmers at Target. The perfect little extra brightness needed to make it a complete outfit. One more hat with a tutorial coming tomorrow! Well, as long as things go as planned (and sometimes kids don't go along with the plan! hahaha).
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