cr*eations crafts

We have moved!!!!!

2011-12-11T17:34:00.002-05:00

creationsgettingcrafty has moved!!!! Exciting News!!!

We wanted to put together a better site with a better .com. Please come and follow us over at...

creationscrafts.com

Still somethings to fix and make work better but we are up and running and would love for you to join us at our new site!!!

Thank you!
Casey

I am on lucky gal

2011-11-16T18:26:00.003-05:00

With my first craft fair behind me and having some time to reflect on it I can say that I am one lucky lady! I had the best support team out there! I had friends and family at the booth almost all day. I was probably only along for a half hour at most! I am so lucky to have their support and encouragement!

I am so blessed!

I even got this AMAZING card in the mail from one my my dearest friends and pro craft fair lady Sarah Coyne from Egg-A-Go-Go. Check out her site and her Esty shop! Some amazingly wonderful things!

1st Craft Fair

2011-11-12T21:38:00.001-05:00

What a day! I participated in my first craft fair today. Over all it was a great day. I am so lucky to have all the wonderful visitors that came by to see and support me. I am just so lucky to have the friends and family I have.

I would say that I did well in sales, yep friends and family helped but it was a food learning experience. Things that I thought would sell well did not sell as good as I thought they would and others did better then expected.

Just want to post a little something tonight. I am now going to post more now that I have more free time... Well I will for a free days then I need to start making my Christmas gifts : )

2011-10-02T21:32:00.001-04:00

This is SO me!!!!!

Mason Jar Cards

2011-09-12T15:56:00.003-04:00

Mason Jars seem to be something that I am obsessed with at the moment! I made up these cards for a friend the other day and I wanted to share!

All I did was print out my design on some paper that I had left over from another project (trim down to the size I wanted) and glued it to some card-stock blank cards that I had. Then I wanted the envelopes to go as well so I printed out the image on the back flap of the envelope. Super simple. I printed everything from my home printer!

Easy and simple gift!

2011-09-06T13:45:00.001-04:00

Quick Swing Set Face Lift!

2011-08-25T16:40:00.006-04:00

When we bought our house the previous owners left their swing set. We don't have children but we do have children visitors so I decided that the swing set needed a face lift this summer. We used extra stain from our deck to give it a fresh stain Then I needed to do something about the canopy. It had gotten ripped when we had some little visitors over so it was time to do something about it.

In this photo the swing set has already been stained & you can see that I used some handy duck tape to tape the canopy back together.

I believe that this was a brighter green at one point!

I had picked up a vinyl table cloth at Target a while ago thinking that I would make a beach bag out of it but I never got around to it so I measured the already existing canopy and folded and cut the table cloth so that when it was folded in half it was the right width. I had it so that both side of the new canopy had the vinyl side facing out. I made it longer then what I had measured as well so that there would be enough to glue and nail to the cross bars to keep it in place. It took me 10 - 15 mins to do the sewing....super easy!

Once it was all stitched up I draped it over the existing beams so that it mimicked the existing canopy and I glued and nailed it into place.

This face lift was super easy and used all things that I already had here at the house! So far the new vinyl canopy has help up and it makes the swing set look so much better!

Another Freezer paper Pillow

2011-08-25T16:35:00.002-04:00

I made another set of freezer paper pillows for my Lacrosse captains at the end of the season. Here is a photo of the pillow unfinished. They are super easy to do and I have plans to make more for Christmas.

I know... I know... I am already thinking about Christmas but I will be student teaching starting in January so I need to do Christmas on a Budget this year! The only problem is that I LOVE giving gifts and I can go a little overboard!

Just think of all the things you can do with freezer paper!!!

2011-05-19T22:25:00.000-04:00

New Season, New Pillows!

2011-04-01T22:46:00.005-04:00

Finally it is Spring! It does not look like it outside with the snow that we got today but it is Spring and that means it is Lacrosse season!! That also means my life gets a little crazy but I always feel inspired this time of year. So I thought that I would get creative and make some new pillows.

I went to Joanne Fabrics and pick up a plane cotton fabric and a pretty patterned fabric. I also decided this time to buy the pillow form but you do not have to. Here are the instructions that I followed.

Supplies:
Fabric
Paint(I use fabric paint, whatever works on fabric should work for you)
Freezer Paper
Hobby Knife
Iron
Some sort of sponge brush
Something to stencil ( I designed mine but there is a TON of stuff on the web and clipart)

1. Find yourself a stencil. You can draw directly on the freezer paper (sticky side down of course), or use a stencil someone else made. I have not tried but I heard you can cut the freezer paper down to 8.5" x 11" and run it through your printer. Will need to print on the non waxy side.

2. One of the great things about freezer paper is that you don't have to worry about islands. Since you're ironing on the design, you can just place any white bits that aren't connected to the main part of the stencil.

3.Heat up your iron, and lay out your fabric. You will also want to iron your fabric as well. Position the stencil on the fabric, waxy side down, placing any islands in their respective positions. Now press the iron flat down on each section of the fabric for a good 10-15 seconds. Poke the paper to make sure it's firmly on, you may have to go back over it, but the better that stuff sticks, the crisper the lines will turn out.

4. Now apply your paint. I would advise using as little paint as necessary to get whatever effect you're after. Heavy coats of paint on shirts tends to be uncomfortable. Take care while painting so as not to pull up the paper. I usually give my shirts a day or so to dry completely. I added a second coat to this one to give a nice dark finish. You can you this stencil more then once but you must be careful when pulling it off the fabric.

5. Then just sew your pillow together and you have it! I plan on doing more of these!

Tile Coaster Tutorial

2011-04-01T22:21:00.004-04:00

While letting my fingers wonder around the wonderful world of craft blogs I came across this tile coaster tutorial and had to bookmark it for me to try it out later. I got the blog from "The Cottage Home"

Check out the tutorial HERE:

Supplies:
4 square tiles from your local hardware store (4.25" x 4.25")
4 pieces of scrapbook paper (3.75" x 3.75")
4 pieces of felt (3.75" x 3.75")
Mod Podge
Sponge brush
Glue (i.e. Fabri-tac or other strong adhesive)
Clear acrylic sealer

The directions are super easy to follow and they look great when you are done! I did this set for my Mom's living room. Plus a couple to have up in my bedroom. I plan on make many more of these and have a few more idea's on how to make these even better!

2011-02-14T21:40:00.003-05:00

We opened up our hearts and home to a new pup! Please meet Sugar! More pictures to follow but this is the dogs first day together with me in the office. I now have two assistants! They loved trying out each other beds! Sugar is loving her crate but eventually she will be out like Hadley. But I have never seen a dog so comfortable with her crate, even Hadley wanted to test it out. Sugar is one happy pup!

Please adopt a pet, save a life and offer them a better home!

2011-02-14T15:53:00.002-05:00

I found this old railing and I loved how it looked. I picked it up for $10! I wanted to use it for a quilt that my sisiter made me when I graduated from college. With that said it needed to not damage or stain the quilt. I did a light sand and washed it with the hose and a wet rag but it was still dusty/dirty to the touch. That just not ok. But then it hit me! I could keep the old warn look that I loved and still protect the quilt. All I had to do was cover it with Mod Podge!!! Me and my 10 year old buddy did the work together. We did one good coat over the whole thing and now I can get the look I wanted without the dirt on the quilt! I put a little cork on the bottom that is against the floor and the part the leans against the wall to protect both surfaces. I love how it turned out!!!

Recipe Book - Cover Fix Up

2011-02-10T13:43:00.004-05:00

This is a recipe book that my dear friends Kate game me one year for Christmas. This is just a blank journal that she did up as a recipe book! I use it all the time! She did up the cover and hand wrote in the recipes that I loved that she made when we lived together! I have since added in more recipes that I have made and have been a big hit! I either hand write them in or cut and past them on to the pages in the book. Such as easy way to keep all your favorite recipes in one place!

I decided that the cover needed a little love this week because it was getting a little worn (so much use!). So I Mod Podged it up and it is good as new again.

I would recommend this as a great gift for someone! I know I love it!

Love this saying!

2011-02-08T15:49:00.002-05:00

I sent this out to some lovely ladies I know today! Love this!

Hadley - got to love my pup!

2011-02-08T14:21:00.002-05:00

New Look!

2011-02-07T20:46:00.004-05:00

My Blog has gotten a new look!!
What do you think?

This is all thanks to the great people out in blog land who have written some great tutorials! Thank you!!

Here are the last two tutorials I used, they are GREAT:

The "Keep" Pile

2011-02-07T19:32:00.005-05:00

Have you seen those wonderful t-shirt quilts out there and want one for yourself... Have you set aside a pile of t-shirts that you are going to try your hand at making a quilt out of. I have seen both of these but I have a better idea for you...

Go Check out

The "Keep" Pile

"At all stages of life, t-shirts (and other clothing) are used to commemorate special events and stages. Whether it’s a baby shirt that says “Big Brother”, a jersey from a high school sports team, or a t-shirt from your first Sorority event, we all have clothing that holds special memories. These are the items that have survived numerous closet cleanings, and are always put in a “KEEP Pile”. But the question lingers, ”What do I do with these keepsakes?” You could keep them in a garbage bag in the corner of your closet, but that just takes up too much room. You could leave them in the plastic container on the top shelf, where they are never seen. You could put them in the attic at your parent’s house, and just pray that they don’t end up in the “.25 box” at a future yard sale. Or….YOU COULD HAVE ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL MEMORIES BEAUTIFULLY DISPLAYED ON A FUNCTIONAL QUILT FOR ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO SEE!

While there are various companies that offer such a service, THE “KEEP” PILE fully customizes the design of each quilt to make sure that every memory is carefully placed and beautifully displayed. As a part of the customization, the buyer has the option of choosing such features as backing and edge colors, embroidery and monogram choices, and design highlights. Memory quilts can be made in any size from a small throw blanket to a large King size bedspread. They can also be made to be hung on display. Although the options are virtually limitless, we want to help you determine the absolute best way to preserve your precious memories."

Now place your order!!!

Blog Guidebook

2011-02-04T22:28:00.003-05:00

I came across this amazing site today, Blog Guidebook! It is a wonderful site to find all the blogs you are looking for! You can search by category and find tutorials here as well. I hope to be up on their site soon! Keep your eye out!

Check Them Out
Blog Guidebook

More organization!

2011-02-02T22:48:00.006-05:00

While I was sitting at my desk I decided it was time to get a few folders together. I have shoved things in them over the year and it was time to get them organized! So I went out and got a few pretty binders from Target. If they are going to sit out then they need to be my style!

I had picked up stickers for my gratitude journal project so I used the letter to label my folders.

Once I put the stickers down it was time to make sure they would stay. I marked off the side of the binder with painters tape and put a couple of coats of Mod Podge.

Now they are perfect and perfectly organized!

What are you grateful for?

2011-02-02T22:12:00.007-05:00

I was inspired by friends and I have decided to make a few gratitude journals. I think this year is a good year to start to think about the things I am grateful for.

* *Directions * *

Look for things during the day for which you are grateful. Make mental notes throughout the day. Notice how the gratitude journal shifts the focus to a more positive outlook.

Write thing you're grateful for each night before bedtime. Review the day and include anything, however small or great, that was a source of gratitude that day, e.g., a baby's smile, a flower in bloom, or the smell of a newly cut lawn. Make the list personal.

Begin looking everyday for the positive angle in all things. View obstacles as opportunities to appreciate. Focus on the wonderful things in life to attract similar encounters in the course of the day.

Personalize the gratitude journal. Expand it with clippings, photos, quotes or verses from magazines or other sources.

I made these with small notebooks. I cut out and covered the front with some scrapbook paper. I then got some great stickers and did up the fronts. I finished them off with a couple of coats of Mod Podge (Matte Finish). I use Mod Podge on everything!!!

Will the snow ever end?

2011-02-02T22:07:00.003-05:00

I have to say I have loved the snow this year because we got snowshoes for Christmas and we have been having a great time going out with family using them. But After this weeks storm I think we are good for a while!!

But I did get out to take a couple of pics!

ALASKA Here We Come!!!

2011-01-04T11:09:00.004-05:00

If you haven't heard the news me and my girl friends from high school (The DIVAS) are taking a trip to AK in June! If we have to turn 30 this year then we have to make the best of it!!! So we have decided to take a trip to AK to see Ginger and where she lives. We will be flying into Anchorage and we will be there for a few days then we will take a small plane to Port Alsworth (where Ginger lives).

I can't tell you how excited we are! Half my Christmas and Birthday gifts where based around this trip! I got my new camera!!! Now I need to stop blogging and figure some of its features out! Anyways, all of the Christmas gifts the girls and I gave each other where based around this trip. My gift was a hand made bracelet that featured Port Alsworth. It was a very easy project, you just have to have the right materials. I got my pendent and resin off of Annie Howes Website. Then I got the chain and clasps at a local bead shop, The Bead Store and More. I went in when they were having a Christmas event and I ended up winning a gift basket! Great store and I got lots of help in picking out the best products for my bracelet. Everything worked great and I was super happy with how it all turned out. Just follow the instructions on the resin and you will be all set! I think the ladies loved the bracelets and I even made one for myself! I love a cr*eative Christmas!

AK HERE WE COME!!!

Travel/Mileage Log

2011-01-04T10:43:00.006-05:00

I love January! I know it is going to sound super dorkie, but I love it when it is time to clean out my filing cabinet and get my self reorganized for the next year. I love getting out my label maker and sorting through all the stuff I feel I need to keep during the year! When I was cutting up some of my stuff...

Ben asked me
"why are you cutting that up, you need those for your taxes."
to which I replied;
"these are not work receipts these are all of my receipts from the last 3 years."
Ben, "you keep them all!?!"
I sure do! crazy!

Don't worry I have all my work receipts saved too : ) Those are in another folder. I really have a problem. I LOVE organization. No matter what I do I feel I can be more organized. So this year I decided that I would make my own travel/mileage log! I will not lie, I saw someone on Esty make one and it was not exactly what I wanted so I used their idea for inspiration and made my own. I designed it myself and printed it at home on card stock paper. Then I went down to my local Staples and had them cut it (I was feeling lazy) and put the spiral binding on it. I also found in my stock of saved paper and such, a clear plastic that I could use for the front and back of the log. Staples also cut this for me. You will see that I have split the month in half with subtotals at the end of each half of month. This should save me from the mass calculation that I have to do at the end of each year for taxes.

I will road test this design for the year and see how it works out!

Sugar, Sugar

2011-01-01T23:20:00.005-05:00

Sugar, Sugar...

This is one of my homemade Christmas gifts. I found this article on how to make homemade sugar scrub. It is a great how to article and for the 3 big containers that I made it was not an expensive gift but it is a nice scrub! I tried out a little! Shhhh don't tell...

I got the containers at the dollar store and I wanted them to be able to sit in the shower so I glued down the labels and then I taped them off so that I did not have to Mod Podge the whole container. I put on 3 layers of Mod Podge in hopes that it will stayed sealed while they use of the scrub.

Here is the tutorial that I followed: Thank you Ruffled!

2011-01-01T22:38:00.006-05:00

* Welcome 2011 *

A new year and new hopes of keep up with my blog. I would love to make sure I blog and have time to craft every two weeks or more. That would be wonderful! We will see what I can find time do to with school and Lacrosse season around the corner but I will give it my best effort in 2011!!!

Here we go!!!!

Thanksgiving Day Update:

Finally have some time to update my blog with the things that I have been working on. Here are the pumpkins that I did for Thanksgiving.

Craft Items:

* Styrofoam Ball * 2 Rubber bands * Marker * Butter Knife * Quilt Padding * Fabric * Hot Glue or White Glue * Scissors

Use 3 rubber bands to wrap around the ball evenly spaced as possible and then drawn the lines down the sides of the rubber bands and remove them.

Then slice into the balls with the butter knife down the lines that you have drawn. Also cut down the bottom of the balls so that it will have a flat surface for them to sit on. Also use the end of your marker to push a hole in at the top and bottom of the ball where all the points meet. This is where you will tuck in the fabric ends in and the stem.

Then use the patter pieces (I will include the PDF of the pattern later in the week). First apply the quilting padding with a little glue and tuck it into the creases that you have already made. Once you have done this you can repeat it with the the fabric you have chosen.

Just tuck in the fabrics all around the pumpkin, use fun different fabrics to give it a festive feel. Once you are done wrap up some brown fleece and make it the stem and add leaves and a little curled green wire for finished look. Again I will post the real directions later in the week. Much better at explaining then I did! I love how they turned out I made 8 of them! Maybe more next year!

Finished Products:

Lap Quilt Part 1

2010-02-15T22:13:00.003-05:00

For my Mom's birthday I told her that I would make her a quilt and she decided on a lap quilt. So a couple of weeks ago we went out to a couple of fabric stores in search of the fabrics for her quilt. She wants a blueberry theme for the living room but we had a hard time finding just the right print and here in New England it is hard to find a blueberry print! Or one that we liked : ) We were going to give up on the blueberry theme but I was able to find the perfect print online! So I am now in the process of putting together my 2nd lap quilt. I made the first one for my sister when she graduated from college but really Cheryl did all of the heavy lifting & sewing! This one did have a lot of guidance as well but I feel like I understand it much more.

On Saturday I set out for Chery's house for cutting help. She helped me figure out where to put what fabric and to see how it would all be laid out. We go everything cut on Saturday! Plus two sample squares for me to follow for the rest of the 7 squares (12" x 12"). I am very excited and hope that this weekend I will get the front all put together!!! Here is a couple of pictures of my progress.

Christmas Craft - T-Shirt Scarf

2010-02-03T17:03:00.003-05:00

This year at Christmas I was feeling very creative! I wanted to do a "made" gift for my friends. I had seen in a magazine a t-shirt scarf and I thought to myself that "I can do that". So I got t-shirts and started figuring it out. I got a lot of help from Cheryl with this!!! It was super easy. My suggestion is to start early and search around for cheap t-shirts. You can even use children t-shirts (you will just have to use more). I made each piece 8.5" wide by the width of the t-shirt. I Just trimmed off the side seam. This gave you a front and back piece for the scarf. It took about 4 adult t-shirts to make the right length. Then I just sewed them all together! Super easy but t-shirt fabric can be a little tricky to work with. I made about 7 of these but here are 3 friends modeling them!

Tote Bag - for Hadley

2010-02-01T19:40:00.004-05:00

Must have my tea!!! Crafting and tea go great together!!

Another weekend another project!

This weekend I tried out a tote bag. I have been wanting to make a fun doggie bag to carry Hadley's stuff around when we go places. So I thought that I would try out this design on her first. I love the bag and will make more but this was a great tester. I got the template from Mama's Pocketbook. It is a great design with great instructions. I did the handles wrong but I know it was a mistake that I made not the instructions. Plus I only had to rip out the seams twice on this project compared to the 4-5 time I had to on my other bag. Maybe that means I am getting a little better?!? I really love the size and shape of this bag. I used a heavy weight interfacing and I wish there was an even heaver one. (next time)

Shoulder Bag

2010-01-24T12:48:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I wanted to do one thing and one thing only... I was going to make a bag. I didn't know what bag but I was going to make one. I went searching the web for a pattern. I found this bag at Tiny Happy. This was the perfect bag to make. Good instructions and I wanted to have a shoulder bag for going to craft shows when I didn't want to worry about a bag and it allowed me to have my hands free. I made some mistakes making it and need to invest in a seam ripper for when I make mistakes (it happens!) But the bag came out great, again I had to hand stitch a couple of spots but with more practice the better I will get! That is what Ben tells me when I get frustrated. Here is my cr*eation!

Sarah said "show me what you have made"

2010-01-24T11:37:00.001-05:00

I was chatting with my friend Sarah and she wanted me to show her what I have made with my new sewing machine. So I decided to make a blog. This blog is from a beginners point of view. I will be trying out new crafts and posting them here. Most will probably be sewing, but I want to be able to have a table at craft shows this fall so I am going to be trying to find things that I can make and sell. Other things I will make just for me.

This will be my crafting journal through my crafting journey : )

Here is the order of my sewing cr*eations over the past few weekends.

First thing I sewed with my sewing machine. Super simple! Ben's mom (Cheryl) had one and so I made one. It is just a little bag to hold my cutter and scissors. This is extra fabric from Cheryl's aunt. It was fun and a bright print, and a perfect fabric to make my little "sharp things" holder.

Next, is my pillow covers. I had gotten these pillows (with Sarah) at Ikea for $4. They are these great big pillows. I think they will be good for the living room for when we have guests over and they want to sit on the floor with pillows. My aunt had given me this extra fabric she had and it matches that living room perfect so I made these pillow covers. I have them all done except to close the top. Need to figure that out this week.

My Next Project was using zippers. Not as easy as I thought!!! I attempted to make a cover for my new Mac Book. I had seen a lot of them on Etsy and thought that I could make my own! Well, the first one was a little too perfect in size! Once I put the zipper on, the computer would not fit. It made it just a little too small. Needless to say I was a little frustrated!!! But I tried again and this time did not use a zipper. I made a flap with velcro and it came out great! A few small places where the fabric wanted to pull a little out the the seam. I was afraid of making it too small so I did not give the 1/4" I should have. But it is only in one spot and I am probably the only person who can see the imperfection.

I was not going to be defeated by zippers! I tried again and made a little bag to hold my pens, gum, and stuff for my graduate classes. This came out pretty good.

Yeah!!! My first Projects!!!