jane's apron

clipboards & buttons

Just a quick post today to try out the new Firefox browser (that allows rich text editing in TypePad)....so far, so good.

I am in the mood to make clipboards so I'm just going along with it...running to the store for more supplies before I lose my clipboard mojo.   I talked before about how I have used buttons to cover the manufacturer's name on some clipboard hardware.  I dumped out my small vintage button stash looking for a black button and had one on its original little card...so I just threaded the whole thing with checked ribbon and put it over the clip.  I love stumbling on a new idea that way.

I added two of these legal-sized (big!) clipboards to my etsy shop yesterday...

robin's egg train case

I finished the cool robin's egg blue train case that you might have seen in the vodcast at diystyle.net and here.

I love to see and hear about the process of making things so I thought I'd share a little of that for this project. Of course, the train case is the base of the design...robin's egg blue with silver specs, perfect inside and out, a tray for holding lots of goodies and, as an added bonus, it has its original key. I didn't want to completely cover the case and chose oranges, reds, and yellows to contrast with the blue. My favorite pattern images are very 1960s...not too kitchy...kind of modern...kind of cool. Just look at the image on the side of the case...the red patterned blouse and gypsy earrings are straight out of an Anthropologie catalog.

I cut out the images I might use and then arrange them until they look right to my eye. I added a few extras...paper edges and cutouts and such to define spaces a little more. I cut out the "It's Young Fashion!" statement for the front of the case.

There are sometimes images of the back of a sewing project and I love to use those on the back of the case.

Finally, the train case had its original tray but it was a little stained. I covered the tray in sewing pattern tissue...so cute for what might be used as a sewing kit. I used a small scrap to make a tag for the key (tied with black and white baker's twine).

I am listing this case and another fun "patchwork" one in my etsy shop today. With Mother's Day approaching quickly, I hope to list lots of new stuff throughout the week also.

On the technical front, the Mac or PC decision was made and I'm waiting on a new MacBook...also waiting on a new Photoshop Elements (in the mean time, all I seem to have is "edge blur" in iPhoto so be patient with my photos over the next week or so). For some reason, I'm only getting an html editor when creating a post in TypePad (had a choice on the PC)...this is little too irritating so early in the morning...am I doing something wrong?...looks like TypePad does not support rich text formatting on Safari...oopsie.

mac or pc

There is never a good time for your computer to just stop working but there are definitely times that are worse than others. Our notebook PC has completely lost its power supply. I have all my data stored on an external hard drive...but can't get to any of it...and I was in the middle of working on all of the certificates and signs for our school auction this weekend. So I've had to move all work over to our iMac. Now the big question around here is what to replace the notebook with...a PC or a Mac? I spent all day yesterday creating auction documents in Word:Mac and it wasn't too hard to make the transition. I even uploaded one picture from my camera...no Photoshop though. Has anyone jumped from a PC to a Mac and not liked it?

Other than the auction stuff, I have also been busy this week finishing up not one, but two, altered train cases. I am using the paper squares pictured to make a nice patchwork background on one of them. The other is the pretty robin's egg blue case I posted about a few weeks ago. I've been contacted by a few readers about my train cases and decided to create an email list to send information about etsy shop updates and such. Just check out my sidebar on the left for information about getting on the list...I promise not to pester you with lots of emails and, of course, will never share your email address. If I can figure this whole Mac thing out, I hope to have a big update to my shop on Monday.

Now, I've got to get busy on those auctions documents. Have a good spring weekend!

craig's list table redo

Guess what we did last weekend?  To review, we were fixing our living room walls and I bought a dining room set on Craig's List with the idea to cut the dining table in half to make two console tables for either side of the fireplace.  I said at the time that my husband was a bit of a goofball carpenter...this is still true.  If we can manage something like this, I know that anyone can.

The challenge with the china cabinet was to make it look a little more casual and not too stiff or old lady-ish. I'm still working on it but I think by adding fun thrifted stuff, family photos, magazines, and stacked books, it looks just right. Two thrifted robins's egg ceramic planters have been my inspiration for adding color into the room...I'm loving the robin's egg/orange combination.

I still have to redo the dining chairs and fix the TV area with the dining room buffet so there's more to share....later.

what I know about glue

I have been asked a few times about the glue I use on my projects and I am happy to share everything I know about glue...

• Mod Podge is the sealer that I use on anything that will be handled (like clipboards, altered train cases, etc.).  I'm a bit of neat freak with glue and I apply this sealer with a nice wide watercolor brush.  The brush doesn't put "too much" on the piece.  I sand lightly between coats and usually add about 3 coats.  I also use the matte finish because I'm not a shiny girl.  The biggest piece of advice that I can give about Mod Podge is to apply it and WALK AWAY from your project when it starts to bubble or wrinkle...don't even peek in on it.   Learn from my mistakes and know that the stuff always dries flat.
• UHU is the glue stick I use for anything that doesn't need to be sealed (cards and paper collages that will be framed).  I use an old magazine or catalog as my scrap paper to catch extra glue...just turn the page to get a clean surface.  I use a bone folder to smooth the top of the piece to make sure everything gets glued to the edges.
• WackyTac (labeled as k&company craft bond) is the super strong glue I use to apply buttons and other heavier things to my projects.  It just takes a drop and it dries strong and clear.
• Finally, I use a Quickie Glue pen to add touches of glitter to some projects.  I'm not a big glitter girl and this pen allows you to put a small, precise amount of glue.  I apply the glue and sprinkle the top with fine glitter, let it dry, and then brush off the glitter with a small round paint brush.

I hope this is helpful...if you have any questions, just ask! 

 

art case

When my daughter turned 7 a couple of months ago, all she wanted for her birthday was a pink Nintendo DS.  No problem, I thought, I just saw those at Target.  Whatever I may or may not have actually seen at Target was nowhere to be found again.  I spent a good two weeks making the rounds at the usual stores (yep...online too).  When I finally found one, I was very happy.

I was even happier when I stopped at my pink thrift store on my way home and found one of those small hard-sided "going to grandma's house" little suitcases.  I covered the case in red and white patterned paper, added a red gingham ribbon, vintage buttons, and a tag at the top tied  with baker's twine. Ellen is not really wild about my sewing pattern stuff (a small form of rebellion I'm sure), so I added a transparent "Every child is an Artist" quote.  The suitcase is now Ellen's art case...almost as good as a Nintendo DS.

thanks sew much

My milestone 200th post was my previous post.  Oh well...any post is a good reason to thank everybody with a little celebration giveaway.

I received a few copies of "Apronisms - Pocket Wisdom for Every Day" from EllynAnne Geisel.  EllynAnne sent them as a thank you for contributing a vintage linen story to her new book.  About the same time the books arrived, I scored a big group of aprons with pockets at my thrift store.  I'd love to give a copy of the sweet little book along with an apron to one of my blog friends.  I don't think the apron is vintage but it is handmade and really cute.

I also have new postcards from my latest collage and added the phrase "thanks sew much".  Using the word "sew" is still making me smile...but I'm easily entertained.  And so thankful again for how far this little blog has taken me.

Now, I love giveaways but don't like the wait...so I'll pick a winner for the apron and book and 2 more winners for a set of postcards tomorrow afternoon and update this post.

Just leave a comment and you're entered.  Do you have an "apronism" or momism to share?  The only one I can think of comes after a big garbage disposal repair last night...."If you see a quarter go down the disposal, tell Mom".

update...

liz (mabel's house) has won the apron and book

goody-goody and sally have won the postcards

Thanks again everybody!

kids and crafts

I have been a room mother in one or the other of my kids' classes for 8 years now.  It's not that I'm that Mom...more that our school is small and the room mother pool is pretty scarce.  Add the fact that I'm also the reluctant Brownie Scout leader and you can see why I've held so dearly to my Martha Stewart Kids magazines.  We've made ornaments from old Christmas cards, crowns from paper plates, and official looking name tags from office supplies. I'm always under budget and take a lot of crap from my friends.  "I can't help it" I tell them "that's just the way I was raised!".

One of my earliest crafting memories is making a purse from a cereal box.  I was not in school yet so I must have been about 5 years old.  We never had any special art supplies around...just your basic crayons, scissors, and glue...and lots of imagination.  The idea of making something from nothing is part of who I am.  When my own kids come home from school and start drawing or making an animal from pipe cleaners, I also know it will be with them when they grow up too.   

As always, Charlotte Lyons has put what I'm trying to say so nicely into words in her recent post about Amanda Soule's "The Creative Family".  I have not seen the book yet but the whole idea behind it makes me happy...crafts and ideas "all within budget, without commercially marketed products. Fabulous, thrifty, home-made fun". 

desperate crafting

For me, there are lots of types of crafting.  There is thoughtful crafting where you have an idea, maybe make a few sketches, and then turn the idea in your head into something.   There is inspired crafting where you really don't have a plan but just start making something until it looks "right" (this is my favorite kind).  Then there is desperate crafting...

This is the kind of crafting when you remember that you need to donate something to the school auction and the deadline is today.  I had been hoping that the "inspired" crafting thing would happen but it didn't...and then I ran out of time.  The collage pictured above has been sitting in my etsy shop for over a year.  I always liked it but decided to pull the little wall flower from the shop, give her a new spin, and donate her to the auction.  I punched holes in the collage and used vintage buttons to hold the twill ribbon.  Now she's a pretty wall hanging that I hope someone loves. 

 

our house

As promised in this post, I have framed and hung some of my new artwork. I sat on the steps in our front hallway to take this picture.  I love the stair banisters in our house and wanted to include it.  The "Our House" print fits right into the front hall.  A few years ago I painted the bottom 4 ft. or so (including going up the stairs) in a subtle "washed" paint look.  It does a really good job of hiding hand prints and other marks that find their way onto the walls.  This picture also includes a peek into our living room.  You can see the new "coffee" walls and my two new orange sofas (scored one at Macy's floor sample clearance and got the other delivered from the warehouse at the same price).  They marked my sales ticket at Macy's as a "fly by" purchase.  You can also see that my console tables are not there yet...finishing a room is a long, frustrating process around here.