Your cart is currently empty!
Tag: inspiration
-
Christmas Ornaments Crafting (I may have a problem)
In my last post I told you about crafting Christmas ornaments for our tree. It’s something I do every year. The goal is to use as many handmade ornaments as purchased ones. I may even one day have enough to use only the handmade ornaments. If so, it will be a few more years.
The original Pinterest ornament I saw this little block on Pinterest. I fell in love. So in short order I was after Richard to make some little wooden blocks that I could make for our tree. Some time back I picked up a couple of old hymnals that were headed to the trash can. They are in horrible shape, so they make perfect crafting paper!
Making these is really quite easy. Well, after Richard made the blocks, which are 2½” cubes. I have no idea how much work they are to make. He made six without complaint, so I assume they aren’t too difficult. But who knows?
My finished Christmas ornaments Here’s my process: I used glue mixed with water at a 1:1 ratio to seal the block. By the time I finished sealing the last one, the first was dry enough to start decoupaging the first. I cut the paper into slips just a little smaller than the sides of the blocks, about 2¼”. Then, it’s just a matter of gluing them on using the glue/water mixture. I left them to dry for a couple of hours and painted on one more coat to seal the paper. I wasn’t terribly particular about the slips of paper, but I did begin with Christmas carols and cut them so that it was clear.
After letting them dry overnight, I was able to add the embellishments. These little items came from Dollar Tree. I picked up several floral picks and a couple of little candle wreaths. I cut them into pieces and keep them in a large containter that I can rummage through. When I need something cute and small, they are ready to go. Of course, by small, I mean with enough stem that I can use them as is or trim them down a bit. Small bits of wire and heavy string also go into the container. Everything at the ready.
I like lots of variety but want the blocks to look as though they form a set. To that end, I use only small embellishments and mix them up from one ornament to another. However, every one has a small pinecone.To that I added a fourth or half of a plastic snowflake, red berries, pine needles, or winter greenery. Some ornaments have four or five pieces. Some have only a couple of pieces.
Mostly I just wanted to fill the top and hide the bottoms of the embellishments because I used LOTS of hot glue. After all, I have grandchildren who love to touch. Finally I included a long piece of jute. This way, I can cut the loops and tie them as needed to fit on the branches. What do you think?
-
Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Chevrons
Back in 2016 I wrote a Fleur de Lis SQI post on chevrons. It’s time to update that post.
Back then chevrons were just finding their comeback. Although, we don’t call them zig zags any longer. Now, five years later, Pinterest is inundated with chevron pins.
Also, I’ve added a chevron section to the “heart, quilts” board. Here are a few from that section.
-
Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Beautiful Blue Skies
Don’t you love blue skies? Who wouldn’t? Firstly, there’s the perfect weather. Secondly, sunshine. Thirdly, stunning shades of blue.
Originally I intended the color of blue skies to be the inspiration, so when I discovered these gorgeous peonies in the just-right color, I couldn’t resist. Oh how I wish peonies could survive here!
Then these shells came across my feed (I may have entered a new dimension on Pinterest) I just had to include them. Surely, we don’t have anything in these beautiful colors on Louisiana shores. Although, we have our own kind of beautiful.
Somewhere along my Pinterest finds, I discovered this bird pincushion. It’s a bit darker than the blue skies of a sunny day, but even those have to fall into darkness and night.
And this little guy is just too sweet to pass by and not give him a nod. Doesn’t he make you want to play in felt just a little?
However, for all the pretties that I found, I have to get to the quilts. And so, here we are. Blue sky quilts! Doesn’t that sound like the name of a wonderful shop? Wouldn’t you have to drop in? I know I would.
Before I forget, let me remind you that these are in my “heart, quilts” board. The section is titled “blue and white.”
I must be on a blue kick, because last week’s SQI was denim. Hmm, I wonder what’s going on with me. Maybe it’s the beautiful blue skies that we’ve had since Hurricane Ida destroyed Southeast Louisiana. Thank goodness cleanup is progressing and most people now have power. Hurricane season still has at least two months to go, so continue praying for the safety of the Atlantic coast and the Gulf coast. Have a great week!
-
Christmas in September? Well, sure!
I spent entirely too much time on Pinterest. I’ll just put that information out there. It’s probably not news to most people. Anyhoo. Lately I’ve been looking at Christmas crafts and posting them to my Christmas ideas section in the “diy craft make” board.
Photo credit: Pinterest.com These recycled jewelry trees caught my eye. Between projects last week, I began gathering up old jewelry and other items that I could put onto a tree. Silly me, I thought I had enough items just sitting around. Maybe if I made a four inch tree!
I generally go big. So of course I my first attempt was out of reach. Worse, I sort of threw everything in. By everything I mean all of it. Wow, what a mess. So much. That taught me a lesson in restraint. Ha! I peeled it off so quickly that I forgot to take a photo. Trust me, it was a fail.
This photo and ones that follow are simply different sections of the same piece. But I’m a determined chick, so once everything was back in its original condition–goodness, I’d put a lot of hot glue–I organized. Some things were just not going to work. Some colors were clashing with every other color. Some gawky items were too big! Talk about gawky. (Gawky is a Southern word for over the top tacky.)
So starting over, I reevaluated my options. In the end, I pared down the pieces to metals and pearls. Then I pared down the size of the tree. (Maybe I should have measured.) Of course, now I really didn’t have enough stuff, so I started digging through old buttons. I have many, as it turns out. In all states, colors and conditions. Add few beads and I began again.
I love this piece! From the beginning I thought I’d use my old silver sugar bowl as a stand. I cleaned it up, sort of. I left most of the tarnish on the legss and more ornate parts, which gives it a beautiful contrast of shiny against the dull parts. In the end paring down my choices really makes it work.
It’s a good thing that I can “eyeball a thing” because I didn’t consider measuring. Nevertheless, it’s a perfect fit–tight enough that I don’t have to glue the two pieces together, so cleaning will be much easier and I can change the base. How’s that for eyeballing a thing? (I like that phrase!)
-
Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Denim
What do you do with your favorite pair of jeans when it’s time to take them out of commission? Insterestingly, those jeans can come in any manner of clothing, including shoes, jackets, and bags. Also interesting, you can deconstruct many of these other items and use the fabric in quilts and other projects.
Quilts in denim . . .
Which is your favorite? How likely are you to make a quilt using upcycled denim?
-
Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Plushies
Since I spent some time making plushies for my grandchildren this past week, I thought it might be fun to see what other plush toys are on Pinterest. Here’s what I found.
-
A Herd of Unicorns… Honestly
An entire herd of unicorns came through my living room this past week.
I discovered a unicorn pattern online and in less than a minute decided that I had to make one for Milly. She loves unicorns and insists on a unicorn story every time I offer to tell one. Ryder is into big trucks and dinosaurs. Telling one story with all three favorites can become interesting.
Before making the first plushie, I changed the pattern to simplify it somewhat and also to make the neck space larger so that Milly could also use it as a neck pillow. Then I experimented with markers to draw in the eyes. Eventually I chose to use the Derwent Inktense pencils, which worked beautifully.
Of course, as soon as I completed the first one, I found out that Milly’s favorite color is blue. I used a yellow knit. That meant only one thing: make a blue one. I did. However, once I pulled out the knit pieces, I decided to go ahead and make several.
Horns, manes, and inner ears are all made with gold lame’. Using my changes, I made several in almost no time. Stuffing them got a bit boring, because making the neck space larger meant the neck itself is smaller and I had to push every bit of stuffing through and then place it into the nose, head, and throat. Otherwise, I had a floppy, not-very-pretty unicorn. Well, we can’t have that now can we?
Update: Miss Milly loves her unicorn. When I showed her how to use it as a neck pillow, she threw herself onto the sofa and pretended to sleep, loud snores included.
-
Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Fish, fishy, fishes
First some fish to inspire you…
I used the fish idea for an SQI in 2016. There are many more fish inspiration pictures, most are of the pretty, goldfish bowl kind. So I thought I’d post something different this time. Interestingly, all of these arty-types just popped up.
Inspired? Well then, let’s make some quilts!
Last Sunday’s SQI is here just in case you missed it. Have a wonderful week, everyone!
-
Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Origami
If you’ve been visiting on regularily on Sundays, you know that I’ve been struggling to keep up. I suppose that means thanks for bearing with me. SQI posts are meant to inspire you with everyday items and ideas. Last Sunday SQI was about old architecture. I’d love ideas, so if you come up with any, just drop them in the comments or send me an email at mary.marcotte@gmail.com.
So, SQI begins with everyday ideas (goodness, there have been lots already!) and then moves on to quilts that somehow use the theme in piecing design or quilting motifs. In the case of origami, these quilts hint at origami that I’ve seen.
Thanks for coming by. You can find many, many more quilts on my “heart, quilts” board here. And there’s a board just for previous Sunday Quilt Inspiration posts from my old Fleur de Lis Quilts blog.
-
Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Old Architecture
As readers of any amount of time, you know how much I love old buildings. Especially old barns, mills, gins, and sheds. I just can’t help myself. I see an old building and I feel something. I know there are stories there. Someone, at sometime, loved the place. Had a home or job or hope of some kind. Grant it, I love old books and their stories. Yes, and old journals! Therein lie some stories! And dishes of comfort food. And I love old furniture with dings and scratches and tears. Old farm tools that worked the land. Oh, and what about old photographs and their black and white or sepia coloring?
So I suppose I’m a romantic at heart and everything old is really something new in its own way. It’s the reason we love old things. There’s a history in old things. Stories about people and time and place. I want to know those people and, if I can’t know their real stories, I want to make up stories for them.
But today we need to look at beautiful quilts, so I’ll stop rambling and romanticizing. The first quilts are architectural quilts, meaning they all deal with buildings in some manner.
Although I wasn’t able to determine if my theory is correct, I think the next few pics go together in one quilt. At least, I think they would make a stunning quilt!
A few more architecture, quilts and we’ll move on. I love these two art quilts. The first photo was taken at the 2012 Road to California Show.
You can find the last SQI, about hot air balloons, here. And you can find my Pinterest board, “buildings, architecture, construction, edifice, structure” here. Have a great week everyone!
