squirrels and a tutorial

well, my year on the May Arts design team has come to an end. i have loved working with their ribbon throughout the year and creating out of the box projects. my goal when starting this job was to transform the ribbon into something it wasn't originally intended for and i think i succeeded. for one of my final projects, i created a stuffie squirrel with a rather fluffy may arts ribbon fringe tail.

this is my first (of hopefully many) stuffie patterns, so bear with me, it definitely gave me some challenges :)

click here to make this cuteness!

May Arts and Graphic 45

it's blog hop time with May Arts, so who is ready for another tutorial?

this time i am bringing you a shadowbox where i combined may arts ribbon with graphic 45 paper and metal embellishments - sort of a scrapbook page on steroids. so many elements in this piece excite me and i can't decide if the wired pom pom ribbon, the metal button or the printed quote is my favorite part!

click here to download the instructions and start crafting!

there are prizes being given away each day, so be sure to check out the May Arts blog for details. make sure to stop by my fellow ribbonista's blogs to see their creations as well today...

Clare
Kristin
Sharon
Jenifer

tutorial and a blog hop

for my latest May Arts tutorial, we are doing things a bit differently - a blog hop with a chance to win some goodies. what could be better than that!

making a camera strap has been on my to do list for months now. nothing too complicated, just a bit of prettiness to quickly identify my camera. click here to download the tutorial or, as always, visit my "make-it" page through the link up top to see this and other tutorials.

for the first set of prizes, you can comment anywhere along the hop for a chance to win either a ribbon carousel from May Arts or 4 spools of ribbon from Ribbon Carousel. there are also give-aways happening on both companies facebook pages. all winners will be announced through May Arts on friday, may 4th.

wreaths and rest

happy monday!

i'm laying low today between a bachelorette party on saturday which i am still recovering from and a numb mouth due to a chipped tooth. please note, these 2 events are unrelated. i am not that crazy... anymore :)

check out my latest tutorial for may arts - a tiny ribbon wrapped wreath. click here for full instructions. 

have a great week!

easter and a chick

happy (soon to be) easter!

this may be my very favorite tutorial that i have created so far for may arts. say hi to my sweet easter chick and click here to download the tutorial so you can have some of this cuteness in your house as well!

she is a mash up of all the things i love - ribbon, vintage jello molds, sewing treasures, and typography. if you can't raid your mothers/grandmothers kitchen for these jello molds, i have lots of luck at yard and estate sales. so much luck that i am overflowing with them in all different shapes and sizes.

what do you think her name should be? she looks like a Millie to me :)

owls and envelopes

owl you doin' today? this mini owl card and envelope is my newest make-it, also featured on the may arts blog. the template for the owl is a stamp i inked onto a piece of canvas to use as a template for my embroidery. thanks for the inspiration jenni!

click here to download the card/envelope instructions and don't forget to check out my make-it page for more tutorials.

bunnies and banners

 i have become totally obsessed with easter decorating this year, but not just easter, i am doing an overall spring theme so that it can last longer. i have a table in my entry hall that i always like to change with the seasons and when i recently found and purchased my first dome lid, i knew just what i wanted to do. first, my favorite little iron bunny is decked out with home made pompoms as a necklace. have you ever made pompoms? you are left with a ton of yarn fuzz that usually gets everywhere and on everything. the pink and peach fuzz was so pretty this time around that i sprinkled it on top of the cake plate for some extra texture. when i returned from my trip, i noticed my mom had added some moss she found in my studio. and that's all it took to pull this vignette together.

above the table is a mirror that i strung with my latest mayarts tutorial. this spring banner is so easy and versatile because it can be adapted to any sentiment you want. to download the tutorial, click here. i love this corner and it makes me smile every time i walk down the steps or come through the front door.

link to:
the lettered cottage spring fling party
between naps on the front porch 
vintage gwen
ginger snap crafts
DIY by design

ribbon and shades

my latest mayarts tutorial is this ribbon embellished vintage lampshade. here is what i wrote as an introduction...

I have a complete obsession with anything lighting related. If I see a wire lampshade frame at a yard sale, I can’t pass it, especially the vintage ones, which have such pretty details. I use them as risers on a party buffet, displays for my festival booth, you name it. This tutorial shows how you can embellish them, but still keep their original shape. Best of all? It is super easy and can be accomplished in under half and hour.

click here to download my latest make-it!

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 :)

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!

an advent and a tutorial

my latest may arts tutorial is for a christmas advent calendar. this idea actually came from something similar that my mom made for us when we were younger, although mine always included butterscotch candies because i was a picky eater ;)

click here to create an heirloom piece that you can use year after year!

thanksgiving and a tutorial

i am so excited to show you my latest project for leaf and ribbon place cards. with halloween behind us, i think it is the perfect time for a thanksgiving tutorial ;)

 

it's no secret that I love to decorate and i especially love to decorate my table for holidays. i am not much of a cook, so at least one thing that day is pretty, right? i want my thanksgiving guests to feel special, so i decided to create personalized placecards that they can take home as a small gift or even use as an ornament on their christmas tree. due to drying times, this project is spread out over a few days, but it is so worth it in the end when you see the shimmering leaves paired with beautiful may arts ribbon.

 

i am also thinking about making some leaves, stamping them with words like; joy, hope, love, and painting them gold for christmas tree decorations. 

click here to be introduced to some projects you might not have used before and learn how to make this place setting.

friends and cupcakes

here is a new tutorial i created for may arts. i am on a serious roll lately with all my inspiration from their beautiful ribbon.

when I have friends over to the house, i love going the extra mile to add something special to the evening. we were hosting game night last friday and celebrating a friend’s birthday at the same time. i decided to make cupcakes for dessert because they are the perfect treat for kids as well as the adults, but i wanted to make them extra special. i looked around my studio and my eyes landed on 2 beautiful may arts ribbons and I knew immediately that i wanted to make some glittery cupcake toppers. these are super easy to make and come together quickly. plus, this tutorial could easily be adapted to different color schemes with all the color options may arts offers in these specific ribbons.

click here to get started!

spin and sparkle

i'm so excited to post my new tutorial for mayarts - a nursery mobile that spins and sparkles.

i love going to thrift stores and sales with my friends because i am always interested in what they find as well as what i find. sometimes you need your friends to help you think outside of the box. one of my partners in crime, joy, picked up a couple of bike wheel frames the other month to hang on her son's wall and i couldn't help think about how cute it would be turned into a mobile. i ordered some blue velvet trim and this amazing white iridescent ribbon to start my project and it all came together very quickly. i always cringe when i think about defacing books, but i had one lying around that had been scribbled with crayon and in all around bad shape. i think the only exception for cutting up books is if they are meant for the trash bin and you are transforming them into something wonderful!

are you decorating a nursery or heading to a baby shower? click here to download instructions for this mobile that will be sure to mesmerize any baby.

pillowcases and a little trim

hi all! i have another ribbon project for you that can also be found in the tutorial section on the left hand side of my blog - embellished pillowcases.

as you know, i am no stranger to estate sales. i love seeing crafts that were popular during out mothers and grandmothers time. one of my most favorite are the decorated pillowcases and embroidered hankies. they are all so unique and so sweet. i think everyone needs a little bit of unexpected beauty in their lives.

so, this time around, i decided to embellish some pillowcases for my guest room. in our grandmothers time, they would sit for hours hand crocheting or tatting around the pillowcase opening, but in our crazy packed days, many of us don't have that time to devote. so i though, why not use crochet trim where all you have to do is sew it on. perfect!


click here to download the instructions and to start beautifying your room!

bookmarks and boredom

holy cow, anyone else feel like this summer is flying by? for those of us in the lovely south that have children who go back to school the first or second week of august, well our summer is about half over!

our days have been filled with swimming, movies and general laziness. but sometimes i have to do something constructive to fill in the gaps. when i start to hear "mom, i'm sooo bored" i know it's time for a project. so, anyone who wants a quick, easy craft to do with their munchkins - this one is for you!

the kids and i made some bookmarks out of what else, mayarts ribbon. i really have a thing about grosgrain - i can't get enough of it and usually have a lot lying around the house. if your little ones are too small to sew, no worries, there is always the fun tassel fraying bit.

click here for the downloadable pdf tutorial. happy reading!!!

owls, totes and a tutorial

yay! i finally finished my newest tutorial. it is a sweet owl tote bag created from a store bought canvas tote and lots of fantastic mayarts ribbon. this is my second entry into their design team challenge and i have loved working on this project. they will be posting the finalists soon for voting, so hopefully you guys can help me out a bit - i will keep you updated:)

i love looking at things different ways, so even though these suede leaves come in the form of ribbon, i couldn't help but see them as feathers. with that in mind, i was fixated on making a feathery owl. summer break is quickly on the horizon and i know i will be taking my munchkins to the library quite often, so what better thing to make than a fun library tote. don't need another tote? this owl could easily be applied to an apron or even used as a wall hanging.

want to make? click here to download - happy sewing :)

may arts and a ribbon tutorial

remember when i went to the atlanta gift mart show and came home with some fabulous ribbon? that ribbon was from may arts and they are currently looking for a tutorial writer for their blog - how cool would that be??? when i read the design team call, i knew i would be perfect for the position. because, if there is one thing i love, well, it is ribbon!

for my tutorial entry, i wanted to carry on the path that i have been going with embroidery hoops and flowers. i created this sweet flower vignette using only may arts ribbon, buttons and embroidery thread.

want to make one for yourself? click here to download the pdf :)

hearts and love

 

 i'm tyring to get back on track after a long weekend away, so just popping in to give you guys a little valentines freebie. if you are looking for the perfect card to give to your someone special, click here and you can download my sweet little sketch. the file is set up to print as a card. simply cut it out and fold, then write you and your partners initials inside the carved heart. enjoy!

apron winner will be announced on friday!

summer and heat

last summer, when we were vacationing in emerald isle, nc, the family and i took a boat trip out to their local "shell" island. this is something i vow to do every year, it was amazing. you would not believe the quantity of shells these islands block from reaching the main shoreline. seriously, whole intact conch shells found only a few steps in the water. not sure what the shells pictured above are called, but they are clam like, and vary from 6 inches to 3 inches across. i collected a ton of them and planned on making them into candles for christmas gifts. they were made, but then christmas came and i already had gifts to give, so i ended up keeping the whole lot of 20 or so for myself.

making candles is so easy to do and doesn't require any new tools, just things that you have lying around the house. the only supplies you need to buy are candle wax and some wicks. i bought a 3x10 inch block of wax from michaels. it is a bit expensive, but with a 40% off coupon, totally doable. you can also get wicks there and some candle scents if you wish.

to begin, i took a metal can i had lying around the house that held soup and placed it into a pot of boiling water to create a double boiler. then i chopped up the wax and dropped the pieces into the can. i used a can rather than another pot because the can can be thrown out when you are finished. next, i dipped the bottom part of the wick into the melted wax, then pressed the wick down into the center of the shell base. it held perfectly! next, using tongs, i picked up the tin can and poured wax into each shell. when the wax dries, it forms a dip around the wick so i applied wax once more to each shell before i was finished. that's it, a beautiful and simple homemade gift for a friend or, ahem, yourself!