maybe I'll open a t-shirt factory

I may be getting carried away. Freezer paper stenciling is so fun!

the assembly line

sock monkey shirt for our buddy Jack who is turning 2

Oscar's sock monkey shirt sadly went wrong. wah, wah....

Anyone know what makes the paint bleed? I did both onesies the same way.

Lastly, some little angel wings for Valentine's Day. I think Oz will make a cute cupid.

crafting for a cause

I came across a crafty volunteer opportunity online with WEME Mainstream Nutrition and Health Center - a meals-on-wheels program serving approximately 500 frail homebound elderly on the upper west side of Manhattan. They are looking for volunteers to make valentines day cards that will be hand delivered to the seniors. Many of the seniors in their program are lonely and feel forgotten. Hopefully, receiving a valentine will let them know that someone cares and is thinking of them!

Step 1: Get out all your pink and red crafting supplies, make a huge mess and go crazy.

Step 2: Send your sweet homemade valentine over to WEME and brighten someone's day.

If you'd like to participate, send your handmade valentines to the address below. They would like to receive the valentines by February 5th.

WEME
ATTN:BETH
263 WEST 86th Street
New York, NY 10024

UPDATE: I contacted Beth at WEME, and she emailed me the following card suggestions

• The cards should be approximately 4x6 inches, no envelope required
• No heavy glue or glitter
• Suggested message: "'Thinking of you' or 'Sending you Good Wishes,' etc. on Valentines Day"
• Messages not suggested: anything including "V-Day" or "XX OO" (i.e. phrases the seniors may not be familiar with) or personal messages
• Please sign the cards "From your Friends at WEME" - they would prefer no names

p.s. - fellow book clubbers: if any of you want to donate a valentine to the package I'm sending, please bring them to book club next Thursday!

happy valentine's day!

Hi friends!  Sorry I haven't been around much lately.  You know how some bloggers seem to be able to have a baby and barely skip a beat posting?  I am obviously not one of of those bloggers.

Having three small children is challenging for me, testing both my patience and my time management skills (I have very little of either).  And while Cora is evolving into a delightful baby, I find that I just don't have as much time for things.  I can squeeze in some sewing, or fit in a few minutes to blog, but not both.  Maybe that will change in the coming months?  I hope so.

Anyway, late last night I made some little valentines for the kids to pass out at their playgoup today.  I realize I'm too late to help you out with valentine ideas this year, but maybe you can file these away (pin them away?) for next year.

We opted for non-food valentines.  Oscar gave his friends bubbles with a tag that read, "Valentine, you make my heart float!" (idea from Dollar Store Crafts).  I found Miracle Bubble party packs (6 bottles) at CVS for $4 and made the tags with my Silhouette machine (the font is SNF School Yard).  Quick and easy!  The kids loved them.

For the little ladies, I made a handful of felt heart hairpins and a cute little valentine girl to clip them to.  I saw the idea a while back on Stitch/Craft.  I even used the same clip art she mentions in her post, but used microsoft paint to edit the face a bit (I actually used two clip art faces and traded a few facial features).

The felt heart clips right onto the girl's headband, and the valentine is on the back.  It was cute to see all the girls running around in their matching clips.  I sported one myself!

I hope you had a special day with your loved ones!  Speaking of loved ones, look how big this one is getting ...

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day

squirrel scherenschnitte valentine for jared ... template from Little Acorn

Simple CD Wallet

 

  

Jumping on the Valentine craft bandwagon, I made this little CD wallet for someone special and filled it with my favorite tunes.  

No tutorial for this one, but it is easy to make.  You'll need two pieces of fabric measuring 12 1/2 x 6 inches (the outside and inside of the wallet), and one piece that measures 12 1/2 x 4 inches (for the inside pocket).  Back them all with fusible fleece interfacing for a nice, soft wallet.  I topped my pocket with a strip of double fold bias tape and added a elastic and button closure.

The CD labels are from Chronicle Books.

Happy Valentine's Day!

my new toy: the L Letterpress

Are you a fan of letterpress stationery?  Me too.  I love the look, the texture ... it just feels luxurious.  This week I've been playing with the L Letterpress combo system from Lifestyle Crafts and it is kind of rocking my world.

The L Letterpress is actually a plastic system that you run through a die cut machine to simultaneously ink and deboss the paper, which creates the look and feel of real letterpress.  I love that this system gives the at-home crafter the opportunity to experiment with letterpress - you don't need a studio, or a 1,000 pound machine (although that sounds dreamy, too).   While it won't replace the ancient method, it sure is a lot of fun.  You can learn a little more about the L Letterpress by watching these demo videos.

Last night I devoted the evening to my tube of pink ink and made lots of valentines.  For this first card, I did a blind deboss (no ink) for the words "I" and "you" using the Scholastic Plate.  I also pressed some matching envelopes with my last initial on the back flap.

 I used the Blossom printing plate to create this all-over blink debossed card, and a die cut to add the love tag (the word love comes from the Twigs and Sprigs printing plate).

More love cards ...

And finally, a little something for Ruby's wall.  Now I just need to find a frame.

Can you tell I love that Blossom all over print?  It is one of my favorites.  I also can't wait to get my hands on the new plates that have just been released - the Botanical and Wooden printing plates are calling my name.  And don't get me started on the custom plates.   I see glorious Homemade by Jill letterpress in my future.

If you want to get in on the letterpressing fun, Lifestyle Crafts is offering you a 20% discount using the online code: LC2011BLOG02.  The code is valid through Friday, February 18.

Check out The L Blog for more eye candy and inspiration.

valentine cookie bags

Tonight I am having a little Valentine activity with the ladies at church.  We are decorating heart shape cookies and making these little cookie bags to go with them.  Nice and simple.

The bags are just a white lunch sack that is punched along the top using a Martha Stewart scalloped edge punch (decorative scissors would work, too).

I cut the tags on my Silhouette.  It is a two piece tag that I designed myself (although, I'm being liberal with the word "designed" - the software is so easy to use). If you want a copy of the files, just email me!  homemadebyjill@gmail.com

Do you love my background today?  I have a new craft tool.  :)  It is fun, easy to use, and makes beautiful things.  Check back tomorrow and I'll show you more.

In other news, I was diagnosed with shingles yesterday.  Boo hoo for me.  I am accepting all forms of pity.  :)  Pray for me that it will pass quickly?  Thanks.