wishes and a blue bird

latest peek into my studio for your viewing pleasure.

i'm on a roll friends, on a roll!

parties and photo opportunities

this newest tutorial is very close to my heart. personalized party hats were a prerequisites at both my munchkins birthday parties when they were little. really, you can't deny how cute a little kid is wearing a party hat while blowing out their candles.

since i never wanted to mess with buying elastic and the perfect type of card stock to make a hat from scratch, i would always buy the ugliest bag of hats found in the bargain bin to use as a starting point. transformers, sponge bob, what have you - the cheaper the better.

these can be customized to match any party theme and so very easy. click here to start the party preparations! and don't forget to check out the "make-it" link at the top for other projects :)

houses and character

i have been so inspired lately. honestly, i have no idea what i am going to do with all the stuff i keep making, but i guess i can't worry about that. it feels so good experimenting that i don't want to stop.

mixed media: wooden house, ledger paper, pattern paper, rapido-sketch, string and vintage button

dreams and introspection

this is the last piece of my 3 orange/brown canvases. they are currently hanging in my bedroom and i just love them, i just love this new style i have discovered.

i think people get caught up in life and put their dreams on the back burner, they do this so often that they completely forget about reaching for the stars. it's always good to have a little reminder.

beaches and totes

i am headed to the beach in a bit and was on the hunt for the perfect floppy tote. nowhere i went had what i was looking for. probably because there was a bug in the back of my head that kept telling me i should just make my own.

i designated wednesday as a sew in pjs' day with no other distractions and i was able to knock this out.

i am comfortable enough now to not follow a pattern exactly, so this purse is a mash up to say the least. the bottom portion is from an old oh frannson pattern that has been retired. it has a great pleat and a little loop that hooks onto the button and closes up the bag.

i improvised with the back and added a double pocket with snap closures. i am a sucker for a back pocket on a purse - it is perfect to slip your phone into so it doesn't get mixed up with everything else.

the entire purse is stitched from vintage sheets. i also dared to use some binding for the first time and it wasn't nearly as frustrating as i was expecting.

my favorite part is this little hook. it allows me to make the purse be an over the shoulder bag or longer as a cross body tote. i stole this idea from another bag i have and it is perfect for me because i am forever picky about where i want to carry all my stuff.

i just love mash-ups!

ribbon and a book

it's time for a new tutorial! this nifty little custom notebook is my latest may arts creation. it is so easy and the best part is it can be customized for all you leftys out there

click here for instructions.

have you been to the may arts ribbon blog yet? they just went through a major face lift and the resident ribbon lady is offering a great give way. the paper packs are wonderful, but i am telling you - the scor-pal is so, so cool! head on over there for more inspiration and a great giveaway :)

happy crafting!

paint and chalk

ok guys, i need your help. my dining room is forever being worked on and one of the last items on the list is the buffet. i bought this piece over a year ago at an estate sale and let me be the first to say it is a beast. measuring over 6 feet long, but with size comes all the storage i could possibly want, so it's perfect.

in the room redo, i painted the walls white because i want my accessories to be the pop of color this time around. the yellow chandelier will soon be moving to the laundry room and will be replaced by the crystal one lying on top of the table. i love the direction the room is moving, but the sore thumb is the buffet which is located behind the table. i want to paint it, but cannot decide which option to chose which is where you come in. seriously guys, i see that you are reading, now is the time to pipe up and leave a comment about what you would do, humor me. my options are to have it professionally painted a hi-gloss color like midnight blue (similar style to my sewing table). or jump on the chalk paint craze and do it myself in a grey/yellow combo or something along those lines.

i have one piece that is already pretty close to chalk paint, but my apprehension is that this technique is too much the "shabby chic" style that i am trying to steer away from. i did that years ago and i want to move my house into a bohemian cottage style. lots of color, lots of mix/matched items. but the appealing part is i can do it myself and i am always up for learning a new technique.

here is a close up of the doors that have huge knobs. once i am finished painting, i hope to find some reproductions of these drapery tiebacks to be used as knobs.

so there you have it, my decorating dilemma. what would you do - professionally paint or chalk paint at home???

aprons, hoops and lamps

last night i worked my tooshie off and did a HUGE update to my shop. so. very. excited that it is done. woohoo! you can now find tons of aprons in any color way you could imagine.

i have also listed a lot of hoop art. these would be a perfect valentines gift to plant in your man's ear if i do say so myself.

and lastly, i have some new lamps to share with you. i have about 7 more sitting on my desk waiting to receive wiring supplies to finish and then they will be posted as well. i have a push and pull relationship with making lamps, but right now, i am LOVING them. i love collaging individual pieces together and making one of a kind creations for you to add a little sparkle to your home!

hearing and listening

do you all know about The Brave Girls Club daily emails? i absolutely love them and i know you will too. if you sign up, you get a daily inspirational email telling you various words of wisdom that you have probably needed at one point or another in your life. just a quick little read to set your day off on the right foot.

in each email, they share a birdie art piece from submissions they receive. last thursday, i was lucky enough to have this new canvas featured. so exciting! the more and more i travel down this art path, i am reminded that all it takes to get your work out there is to put it out there. simple enough, right? so why is it so hard to take the first step and write the first inquiry letter, the first submission letter?

if you have an email or a request for submission that you have been holding on to and have been hesitant to hit the send button, please, please just do it. push that button and send your dreams out into the universe. chances are you will be pleasantly surprised about what you receive back.

celebration and good cheer

i cannot begin to tell you how creative i have felt over the last 18 days. taking time off from my graphic design biz was the best thing i could have done. even though i work out of the home, i have realized that i still hold onto a lot of stress from the job. and that stress reflects in my creativeness.

i finished a bunch of wooden canvas pieces like i showed you last week and i managed to knock off another flower for my calendar. this time it was the poinsettia. since you only buy these one time of the year, i figured i better get on it :)

4 more to go and them i am finished. larkspur, gladiola, aster and marigold.

makes and minimizing

this post is for everyone viewing my blog through some other reader (like flipboard, which is my latest ipad obsession). since you probably have not seen the changes i have made recently, i thought i would fill you in.

with a new year, comes a new look to the blog. i didn't change my logo or my branding, i just did a little spiffying up, a little minimizing of the eye candy you could say. the biggest change is that all the tutorials you could previously find in my left hand sidebar, have now been elevated to their own page. they are awfully excited about it as well, i assure you! 2011 has seen the creation of many new linwood avenue tutorials and they were getting a bit out of hand so you can now find everything you want under the "make-it" link highlighted in the top left of the header bar. as this section grows, i will probably break the items into sub categories, but for now they are all cozy next to one another.

if you make any of my tutorials, please send me pics, i would love to see your spin on things. also, i am a horrible typer (note: not a horrible speller), so if you notice any oopsies, kindly let me know that as well. i will quickly remedy the situation and not be offended in the least bit, i promise :)

so there you have it. download what you like and make your home a linwood avenue home in 2012!