First Day of School

We have a little tradition in our family of having cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

Sometimes you just need a little extra frosting. 

Then we always take a photo before school starts.

What fun traditions do you have in your families?

Label Making Tutorial, Pickup style

I have found that if you want to be organized, you have to play the part...even if you aren't to begin with.  What am I referring to?  Labels, my friends.  If you label baskets and bins, then items have a home.  And magically, they start to find their way back to that said home.  Another plus, it gives the illusion of organization when necessary (like in staging your home for sale, for instance!) 

Now if you are like me, one of those expensive label makers is not an option.  I also have a stack of scrapbook paper my mom snatched up for me for free (have I mentioned how great my mom is lately?)  So I came up with a way to make labels that was really cheap, meaning I made them with stuff I had on-hand, with the exception of the laminating plastic.

You'll need:

• your computer and printer
• white cardstock
• decorative paper in a pattern you love
• paper glue or glue dots
• hole punch
• scrapbooking paper cutter, if possible
• paper scissors
• skinny zip ties
• a roll of self-laminating plastic

I looked at purchasing a packet of expensive self laminating plastic in the office supplies aisle at wally world...and then I cruised down the closet organizing aisle and found this:

I got a huge roll of this fun stuff for half the price of the spendy stuff...and got about 3 times the laminating power.  So, try the shelf liner area, and you should find some there. 

I also tend to add little illustrations with pen and colored paper, but those are completely optional.  I do it mostly for my little kids who can't read yet.  I also did it for my color-challenged family when it comes to sorting laundry.

Step one.  Determine what needs to be labeled.  I emptied my kids' closets.  We sorted through all their junk stuff, and decided what was staying and going.  Then we grouped things into categories.


Step two.  Make some labels on your computer.  I am no expert, but I found that if I used a two column format, with enough space in the middle, that I could cut them out and everything looked even.  I have uploaded a basic example HERE.  You just have to cut and paste for your own label needs.  I used my favorite font, Quicksand.  Print the documents on white cardstock. 


Step three.  Cut out the labels so you have equal distance from the lettering on all four sides.  I also left room for illustrations.  The key is to keep them all about the same size.  Glue the cardstock label onto your pretty paper, and repeat cutting an equal distance so you have a fun boarder all around.

Step four.  Punch out holes for your zip ties.  You can skip this if you are adhering your labels in another fashion. 

Step five.  Laminate your labels.  I did this by carefully removing the paper backing from the plastic, and then laying out my labels with enough space in between.

Now, CAREFULLY apply plastic to the other side of the labels, making sure to minimize any air bubbles or wrinkles.


Step six.  Cut out your labels, leaving a thin strip of plastic on all sides. 

Step seven.  Use your scissors to open a small place for the zip ties to go through, and then use zip ties to attach labels to baskets.  (Or in the case of my laundry  labels, I used poster gum to adhere them to the wall.)

There you have it, a fun way to label your stuff and get more organized, or at least pretend that you are! 

Here are the laundry sorting labels:

Close up:

These labels have helped a lot...if only for my mental health. What do you do to attempt organization at your house?

Featured on One Pretty Thing.  

Linking up to Be Different...Act Normal, Creative Jewish Mom,  Under the Table and Dreaming,  The Girl Creative, Sew Can Do, Skip to My Lou,  Today's Creative Blog, and Shannon Makes Stuff.

Everyone loves a parade

We live in the country in Southern Idaho.  Part of country living is the excitement surrounding the county fair, including the parade.  Thanks to a dedicated aunt and uncle, we had some pretty sweet seats. 

 The parade included lots of horses, which baby loved.

 Local high school cheer teams...Go Declo!

 Vintage vehicles.

 A crazy guy riding his motorcycle on a semi and specially made cage.

 My children's favorite part...folks handing out candy by the bucketfuls. 

And local kiddos showing off their skills.  How would you like to do back handsprings down a 3 mile parade route? 

When we first moved here, I was filled with trepidation.  I had grown up in a large metropolitan area, and was worried about living in a small community.  But, I have grown to love it.  Now we're preparing to relocate.  I got a little misty eyed during the parade.  It is fun to see folks you know and love marching down the road. 

Summer pajamas from pillowcases

My two older kids needed some new summer sleepwear.  My son needed some shorts.  Using a pair of his shorts as a pattern, and also following a similar process to my design your own pajama pants tutorial, I made him these:

He chose the golf ball print...not me.  I used an old pillowcase to make the side stripes and pockets.  I added a false zipper pocket so he could tell front from back.  I also added a little detail on the pocket to try out one of the decorative stitches on my machine. 

For my daughter, I used this tutorial from Gingercake, making adjustments for size, to make a pillowcase nightgown.  I loved that this pattern had sleeves.

 I'm happy with how well the nightgown came together.  It was done in about an hour, minus cutting out the pieces. 

My daughter was tickled to find a rose button on the back.  I used a hair elastic to loop the neckline closed.

Forgive the wrinkles.  I forgot to snap a photo until the next morning after she'd slept in it.  At least you know she wears it!

Linking to These Creative Juices,  Today's Creative Blog, Blue Cricket Design,  Someday Crafts,  Tea Rose Home, Somewhat Simple, House of Hepworths, Those Northern Skies, KoJo Designs,  Creation Corner, and Tatertots and Jello.

S'mores anyone?

I saw this (click on the link): recipe on Everyday Food and had to try it.

I made them for a party my kids' had earlier this summer.  I don't usually do kid parties.  But, desperate times call for desperate measures.  It was a water party complete with water balloons, popsicles, a slip n slide, and then these cookies and water punch for a treat. (If you every make water punch, granular citric acid is found at health food stores, and you can substitute 1/3 cup lemon juice for 1 T. lemon extract.)

A couple tips I learned.  First, if you use salted butter, reduce the added salt by a quarter teaspoon. Second, if you substitute milk chocolate for dark, don't add the squares until half way through the baking process.  Milk chocolate doesn't like to bake.  Third, you will use a lot of chocolate.  Go for the big bars.

Fourth, kitchen shears work great for cutting large marshmallows in half. 

And, fifth, these puppies don't last long. 

Don't they look pretty?  They taste even better.

Featured on Be Different...Act Normal.
Linked to The Girl Creative.

My own little chair

I share creating space in the office that adjoins the living area in our home. We took the backing off the desk, and my machine sits opposite the laptop most of the time. I used the piano bench to sit and sew, because moving around the desk chair was not always amenable.  My baby loved the piano bench because I'd sit on it sideways and there was plenty of room for her to climb up and hang on my neck, monkey style, to watch me sew.

That's all a thing of the past, now. I have my own little chair. She arrived looking a little worn and very dark.

 Thanks to a few cans of white spray paint and a very sore thumb, she looks like this:

To get her to this height of beauty, I spray painted her white without any primer.  It took several coats.  Then I sanded the edges so you could see some dark peeking through.

There were those cool grooves that were crying out for some color, so I pulled out the same paint I used in my laundry room and added some accents of aqua.

I also made the chair pad.  If you'd like to see how I did it, I'll throw together a basic tutorial for you.  I repurposed the old mattress for my girls' doll crib with some extra padding, then made a cover with turquoise piping and long ties for a dramatic bow.

Isn't she fun?  I have been so happy to have my own chair, finally, and my older daughter doesn't have to worry about me taking the piano bench anymore.

Linking up to Someday Crafts, Creation Corner, Tatertots and Jello, Along for the Ride, and Be Different...Act Normal, and C.R.A.F.T.

Featured on Creation Corner.

Submitted to the CSI Turquoise challenge.

Kitchen Bling

My kitchen and dining areas are pretty neutral, and needed some shaking up.  My go-to colors have been a lemony gold with splashes of cranberry red and leafy green.  With all the turquoise popping up around, I was inspired to add some touches of aqua to liven things up.

First project, a table runner.  Following Amy's tutorial, I made my first quilted table runner.  The back is made from a half yard of Moda's Botany line.  (Appropriate, I thought, for my landscaping husband's profession.)  The top was created from some fabric I purchased, and some I had on hand.  A few months ago, fabric.com had a huge Westminster fabric clearance I scored on.  So, there's a bit of lots of things in there...all fabrics I love.  This was not my best binding job, but I didn't feel like picking it out.  Call me lazy.

For my second project, I made a pretty fabric "drainboard cover" as my great-grandmother would call it.

I followed Darby's tutorial fairly closely.  I had to adjust widths so it would be close to the same measurements of the bathmat I repurposed.  The mat was originally in my kids' bathroom, but somehow had developed a small hole.  I mended and patched the hole, and then made the drainboard cover.

The fabrics are from Heather Bailey's pop garden...the chevron strip that I've been drooling over for months, and a really cool gold/green/aqua print called Gabrielle by StudioE fabrics.

I LOVE the color it brought into the space.  And I smile now when I do the dishes.

For a final touch, I made this simple framed menu, based on Lynette's tutorial.  It's in this little nook opposite my kitchen sink and sandwiched between the pantry and refrigerator.

It's much simpler than Lynette's, but it fits me and my kitchen, and I love the polka dot paper.  You'll see more of that soon.  My kids love it, they now don't have to bug me about what's for dinner.

Table runner featured on U Create! 
Linked to Skip to My Lou,  Sugar Bee,  Blue Cricket Design, and Tea Rose Home.

Sewing 101 Giveway Winner!

Congratulations, #80!  You're the winner of the Sewing 101 Giveaway, thanks to random.org.  

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: 113 Result: 80  

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Lisa 

You are the lucky winner, my dear.  Please email me :: burleyaudio (at) gmail (dot)com:: asap so we can arrange shipping these fun things to you.  

Thank you everyone who entered.  I've never had so many comments at one time.  You said so many kind things, I am humbled and tickled all wrapped into one. 

Stay tuned for more craft ideas, more family fun and creativity, and more tutorials in the future.  

Hugs to each of you!

Sewing 101 Giveaway

::Giveaway is now closed.  THANK YOU for entering!::
I wanted to do this during July, but life got really crazy for my family.  So, how about a giveaway now?

Up for grabs, some fun sewing supplies to get you beginning sewists ready to go.

I've put in lots of fun little items so you can start a few different projects.  First of all, fabric from my stash.  A fun turquoise fat quarter from Moda, and two Joel Dewberry prints, about 1/2 yard each.  I'm including a vintage pillowcase that was embroidered by some relative in my family, (obviously not a close one) that would make a fun nightgown using Gingercakes' tutorial.  Three different bias strips hand-made by me.  One is the extra from an SYTYC project, the black check would make an awesome birthday banner, and some Anna Maria Horner bias just because I am so glad you guys read my stuff! Also included, a couple zippers that would make the  beginnings of some awesome Noodlehead gathered clutches, 3 sets of alligator clips and felt so you can make some ruffle clippies or simple bow clippies, and some of my must have sewing notions...a seam ripper, disappearing ink pen, and fray check.  Oh, and I threw in some gold ricrac from my great-grandmother's stash, just because it looked really cool.  

Here are some close-ups of the loot:

Just a little way to say thank you for reading my ramblings, and wanting to express your creativity.  Really, that's the whole point of my blog.  I share things in the hope of inspiring you to develop YOUR creativity. It's in there, you just have to find what avenues work for you. 

To win, you simply need to comment, one per person please.  The contest will end August 14 at 8pm MST.

Be sure to keep checking the Sewing 101 archive.  I will continue to have monthly guests each first Saturday, and will keep adding to this post when I find great info on other sites.


Linked to Someday Crafts Giveaway Directory.