Simple Father's Day Card

I got a call in from my good friend Sarah (http://www.quartersofacreative.com/) to make a fish-themed Father's Day card. I looked through all of my stamps, books and handmade stencils and found nothing fishy. Upon my rummaging, I came across my miniature brown paper bag envelopes. They are one of my favorite card accents - as they are interactive. Once I knew I was using one of said envelopes, I looked for appropriate coordinating papers and a white envelope.

Here is what I came up with:

The striped and textured card was pre-made. I added the brown paper bag

envelope. The large mouth bass is cut from Paper Source's 'Croma Lime' paper.

(I illustrated the bass first and then cut it out with needlepoint scissors).

I also used a needle to poke a hole near the bass' mouth. Then I threaded 

some coordinating blue embroidery floss through the hole. This gave the fish that 

'hooked' look.

Lastly, I put the fish away in the envelope's pocket. His mouth and the string

stick out just a little bit to let you know there is something inside. The floss also

acts as a pull to get the fish out!

I hope you enjoyed this simple Father's Day card. This would be great for any man's birthday in general. It can be customized with lots of different fish and papers too. Have fun with it!

New Embroidered Cards

If it has to do with a needle and thread I love it. While I have a sewing machine, sometimes I like to get back to things like hand embroidery and hand stitching. Recently I have been working on embroidered cards.

I always have a surplus of blank cards and envelopes at my disposal. The other things I used were my: bookbinding awl, embroidery floss, a cutting mat, needlepoint scissors, and a sharp needle. Once I knew what I wanted on the card I "illustrated" it by stabbing a series of tiny holes with my bookbinding awl. Then I picked out my colors and 'connected the dots.' (I used 'running' stitches for all of the cards, but there are many other methods).

Here are just a few of the latest embroidered cards:

Please keep an eye out for similar items in my etsy shop soon! :) http://www.etsy.com/shop/dessertforbreakfast

Lucy's Birthday Presents

Last week was one of my close friend's daughter's birthday. Her name is Lucy, and she just turned a big three years old. My friend Liz (Lucy's mom) is quite the crafter extraordinaire. I knew I was going to make Lucy's gifts, and I wanted them to impress. Knowing I had zero money for supplies I rummaged through fabric bins in search of inspiration. I knew that Lucy's parents had bought her a big girl bed recently, so I thought to make her a cute pillow for it.

I also make felt headbands. Typically I make them for women and young adults. I liked the idea of making Lucy a headband, but I knew I wanted to make her something different than the 'feather' headband. I know that she and her family are very healthy eaters. I also wanted something that would stand out and be feminine. That's when I got the idea to make her a strawberry headband. I found some amazing bright-colored little girls headbands at my Target.

So, these are what I gave Lucy:

I actually bought this fabric about 5 or 6 years ago and never used it. 

It seemed like the perfect choice for a hip and super girly 3 year old.

Some More Crochet Projects

I really have taken a liking to crochet. After finishing my first pair of fingerless gloves a few weeks ago, I quickly set in on my second. This time I have opted for a different, more intricate stitch 'shell lace.' It's a simple series of double crochets and chains. I really love the look of it - a kind of nod to art deco shapes. They're even light-weight enough to wear during the summer months as a cute accessory!

I also learned how to do some cut crochet roses. They are basically composed of a ruffle that is pun and stitched all the way around. These roses would make a cute accent on a scarf, gloves or worn on its own as a brooch.

It is my hope that within the next few weeks I can add some of these items to my etsy shop! I may even also start in on some scarves and cowls for the fall season. :)

Etsy Bordello Treasury

Hello. I don't have anything really clever to write about. I am in recovery mode from a looooong week/weekend. I just thought I would share this neat treasury that I was graciously made a part of:

 http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4bf1fec04d168eef082b19ea/bordello

(that is my journal/sketchbook on the bottom right)

Trail Mix Brownies

Ok, so this 'recipe' I made a few weeks back, and it got stellar reviews. I had a box of plain dark brownie mix. I always like to add in and make things my own as much as I can. After going through the pantry I saw that we had almost half a bag of trail mix left over. I figured I'd try it and see what happened.

GLORY! These brownies were incredibly rich and decadent and delicious. All I had to do was make the brownie mix according to the box. Then I floured the trail mix and folded it in. (Flouring it keeps all the wonderful chunks from sinking to the bottom of the batter). Then I just baked according to box instructions as well. I pulled them 2-3 minutes early to achieve a 'fudgier' texture. I let them sit for a good hour or so before cutting. *I cut all brownies with a plastic knife - sometimes run through a little water. I also grease all sides of my pan in addition to the bottom. It makes for perfect removal every time.

Each bite of these things were amazing. They were chock full of cashews, cranberries, chocolate chips, almonds and other little bits. I also felt like they were kind of healthy due to the nutrient-rich fillers. ;)

I actually made another batch of these today. I am hosting some lady friends tonight and figured these would be good to munch with our fruit, cheese and sangrias. If you make them I hope you enjoy them just as much!

Michael Jackson (R.I.P.)...

I know the title to this post is kind of weird, but it will make sense. Stephanie and I have been through 4 crochet classes now. We have learned so many new techniques and have definitely enjoyed it. My first project is this pair of fingerless gloves from a found pattern. I finally got one done. Now, I'm debating whether or not to make the other, or to just rock one Michael Jackson style - out of sheer laziness of course. I do think I will make the other...but the next project I do will be on a smaller scale for sure. Lol, this one got a little repetitive. I could never make one of those awesome throwback afghans. Kudos, Grandma!

Here is my *glove:

Hopefully it won't be too long before it has a mate! The bows also make great barrettes :)