easy button brooches

Feb . 20 . 2013

Today is a pretty cool day for me because it’s one of those rare days when the two design teams I create for, team up.  This week, The Play Date Cafe Challenge is sponsored by The Twinery!

 

 

The Challenge:

My project this week stems from my daughter’s incessant pleas to “do more crafting”.  I’ve been looking for easy, kid friendly crafts that don’t require much in the way of supplies.  These button brooches are made from scraps of fabric and craft felt, spare buttons, hot glue, inexpensive bar pins, and bakers twine for the bows.  Just cut graduated  circles or other shapes onto your fabric, stack and glue.  Megan is going to want to make one for every single outfit.  (Yes, she is the coolest kid in the first grade.)

I can’t wait to spend the weekend doing more crafting with my girl.  :)

Be sure to stop by The Play Date Cafe and The Twinery to see what the designs teams have come up with using this color story.  Both companies are running great creative challenges, where crafty people show off their talents by creating and posting projects that follow certain themes or colors.  I encourage you to try it!

♥, Ashley

<<< leave a comment >>>
February 21, 2013 - 11:01 pm

Anonymous - Very cute brooches – love the circles with the buttons!

February 21, 2013 - 1:12 pm

Monika Wright - Crafting time with the kiddos is always the best! Your project is adorable and makes me smile, Ashley!

geometric bead necklace

Feb . 13 . 2013

As I make plans to renovate my home (and closet) I’ve been gravitating toward simplicity in my style and toward clean pastel colors.  I always thought pastels were too cliche Easter and babies,but I’m feeling differently lately.  Maybe it’s my new penchant for Cath Kidston fabrics or the promise of spring, but I really like these soft pops of color.  Evidenced by this week’s project for the Play Date Cafe – a simple necklace with geometric wooden beads, painted in Carnation, Mint, and Juniper.

 

I painted these beads with Martha Stewart craft paints, using strips of washi tape for clean lines. I don’t wear a lot of jewelry, but I love this sweet and simple piece.

 

If you’re up for a creative challenge, I encourage you to check out The Play Date Cafe.  This week’s sponsor is Simon Says Stamp, and there are some great prizes and honors for those who play along.  And just look at this pretty board…..

 

 

Happy Valentines Day everyone.  Here’s hoping you all get a little extra love today.

♥, Ashley

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February 20, 2013 - 10:28 pm

Sue Lelli - LOVE the beads and thx for telling us how you used the washi tape to get the clean lines. Great tip!

February 16, 2013 - 10:30 pm

Marlena McDeavitt - Beautiful geometric beads!

February 15, 2013 - 10:31 pm

Tiya-b Nucci - Stunning use of the coors, great necklace.

February 15, 2013 - 6:42 am

Wida Yusufi-Miller - What a gorgeous necklace!

changes

Feb . 13 . 2013

Yesterday I made a few big decisions while sitting with my crochet, and I must have been on a roll because I finished the scarf I was making in two hours.  A record.

First, I came up with a plan for our remodel.  For a while now, we’ve been struggling to come up with a plan that would be meet the needs of the house and be within our modest budget.  But after hours spent watching Rehab Addict and browsing Apartment Therapy, I finally came up with something that will work.  Mike is already taking meausurements and staring wistfully at the rooms.  A sign that we’ll soon be living in construction again.  Which means progress toward some even bigger plans.

The next is that I realized that I’m not loving running a business.  Specifically, it’s the shop.  I love etsy and I love the idea that there are people in New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Washington with something I’ve made in their home.  It’s a deeply satisfying feeling.  But what doesn’t feel great is worrying about whether the items I list are relevant enough, cool enough, or trendy enough.  I worry that I don’t have enough listed, or that there’s too much variety or not enough, or that there’s nothing special about the things I’m listing.  I hate pricing my work – I sometimes feel bad setting prices, like my work isn’t worth that much, even when that price undervalues the time and love I’ve put into something.  I don’t love marketing myself.  I’m not good at it and it makes me uncomfortable.  Like a door to door salesperson selling vaccums or the people in the mall who yell at you when you walk because they want to straighten your hair or file your nails.  And I don’t like the pressure to only make what will bring in a sale.  I actually hate that.

So I’m calling it off.  Maybe down the line I’ll come back to it, but for now I’m closing down the shop.  I want to create whatever I want and not worry about if it’s something I’m making for sale or pleasure.  I want to plan booths at fairs and festivals, make gifts for my friends, and occasionally take on some custom projects (which I will still do!).    I want to take photos of my kids and our home and blog about it all.  I want to sew and stitch and share without all the other junk.  I want to get back to the thing I love.

And already, I’m happy again.

♥, Ashley

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February 22, 2013 - 7:12 pm

Heartmade Life - THANK YOU. <3

February 22, 2013 - 10:52 am

behind the scenes » heartmade life - [...] been sort of quiet around here since I broke the news about my shop, and I’m enjoying having the freedom to create with the pressure.  And even though the blog [...]

February 14, 2013 - 4:16 pm

Alyssa Maier - Good for you! I’ve learned that taking a little break from the hair world has brought me happiness in abundance already. That’s what it all comes down to- what makes you the most fulfilled. Do what you need to do, girl!

February 13, 2013 - 5:53 pm

Laura Zastrow - your photos are awesome, your new kitchen will be wonderful, and you gotta do what you gotta do. love to you. <3

be our valentine (pt 2) – the twinery

Feb . 8 . 2013

I’m back again for Day 8 of the Be Our Valentine Series with The Twinery, this time with my personal favorite category – home decor.

 

 

If you follow this blog or my work with The Twinery, you know that I really enjoy finding creative ways to marry bakers twine into my home decor projects – for example my ribbon and twine lamp here, my bakers twine heart art here, and my hanging bud vases here.  So I’ve been looking forward to sharing this Valentines pillow with you.

Every time I make a new pillow, I’m reminded of a scene from the terrible movie Along Came Polly, when Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston start viciously stabbing throw pillows.

For most of my pillows, I like to make a removable cover, so that I can wash them periodically and switch them out whenever I like.  (Less pillows to stab.)  For a tutorial on how to make an envelope back pillow like this one – try this excellent tutorial from Freshly Picked.

To make your own twine laced heart, draw and cut a heart onto blended wool felt.  Use a tapestry needle with a large eye and add a simple running stitch around the edge with your choice of bakers twine.  (I used Gold Shimmer.)

After you have your running stitch, use some Heat N Bond on the back of the heart and iron it to the front piece of pillow fabric.  (I used permanent Heat N Bond, but you can also use the lightweight and then sew it on.)  Then sew your pillow cover together, turn it right side out and insert your pillow.  Using a long length of bakers twine, weave in and out of the running stitch, however you fancy.  I did a zig zag pattern, but you can also do stripes, x’s, or something more random.  I waited to weave in this last detail until after I inserted the pillow, so that the stitches wouldn’t pull later.

If you’d like to see more Valentines Day projects, download free printables, and get a chance to win some prizes, check out the full Be Our Valentine Series.  You can also visit this post to enter to win one of my crochet heart garlands!

Thank you so much to The Twinery for running this Celebration and allowing us designers to be a part of it.  I am always honored to work with this talented bunch and for such a great company.

Happy Weekend.

 

♥, Ashley

<<< leave a comment >>>
February 9, 2013 - 5:38 pm

Pam Castell - cute pillow

February 9, 2013 - 2:13 pm

Judith - Nice! Looks cosy

February 8, 2013 - 10:36 am

Kathy Skou - Such a cute idea!

“always you” valentines embroidery

Feb . 6 . 2013

Today marks my first “official” start with The Play Date Cafe, where I am the newest Private Blend Designer.  Each week I’ll be sharing a Color Story and a new project inspired by those colors.  For anyone who likes to design and create but needs a little push, this challenge is great.

This week’s Color Story is perfect for those who love traditional Valentines Day colors – Cranberry, Raspberry, and Petal.

A quick sift through my floss drawer and an internet search for a quote to stitch and this Valentines Day embroidery was born.  Of all the crafts out there, I love the dedication and thoughtfulness of embroidery.  And I wish I knew who penned this beautiful calligraphy.  I found it on pinterest without proper link backs or credit (a huge irk of mine), so if you spot it somewhere, let me know so I can give credit to the artist.

I really love this quote because looking back on the life I had before my husband, and the men I spent time on, I really feel like Mike and I were somehow waiting for each other.  Under all the ick and stupidity of our early 20s, I believe there was always supposed to be an Us.  He’s the only one who doesn’t flinch when he comes home and I’m still wearing yesterday’s tee, have dried cream cheese in my hair, and I’m dancing to “Call Me Baby” like Elaine Bennis.  Okay, so maybe he gets scared, but he doesn’t run.  And isn’t that what love really is – finding someone who won’t hit the accelerator when all your lazy and crazy comes out?

This week’s challenge colors lent themselves perfectly to this Valentines Day embroidery and I hope they encourage you to play along with The Play Date Cafe and this week’s sponsor, Avery Elle.  Also, I hope you like it.  :)

For more Valentine’s Day projects, head back to yesterday’s post for some sweet garlands and a chance to win one.  I’ll announce the winner Monday morn.

♥, Ashley

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February 7, 2013 - 11:30 pm

Julie Ranae Murray - this was simply *perfect* for this week’s challenge, Ash! We are thrilled to have you with us over at The Play Date Cafe : ).
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