Nerd Alert: Harry Potter T-shirts

I'm sure I have mentioned it before, but it's worth saying again-- I am a huge Harry Potter fan. The books and movies have been a part of my life since they first became popular in like 1999. I was 11, Harry was 11. We grew up together, and the end has finally come. 

We're grown ups now, Harry.

But that doesn't mean I can't still express my love of magic through crafty projects.

For the midnight premier of The Deathly Hallows Part II, my mom and sister helped me make these t-shirts:

We used freezer paper stencils and fabric paint for the front, and free-handed the back. We were all pretty impressed with how well they turned out.I'll be using the freezer paper again.

Although we had a lot of fun, the whole night was very bittersweet. I can't think of any other time I will get dressed up and go to a midnight release for something. I've read every word of every book and watched every movie. I know the whole story from beginning to end. I don't know what to do with myself now... and I'm sure most of the Potter fans are having similar feelings.

This video describes it in a funny way. This girl speaks for a lot of us.

As for the movie, I was pretty satisfied. Since I read the books I had all the extra info that the movie never addressed, but that's ok. I understand that movie makers have limitations that our imaginations don't. I did get really emotional though... like from the moment Harry walked into Hogwarts until the credits... just about an hour of constant tear flow. 

Even though the movies and books are finished, I will always love Harry Potter. I will read the books to my children and grandchildren, and the magic will live on forever. And in the meantime, I'll just embrace all the real-life magic.

Source

My First Guest Post!

Hey you guys, I'm guest posting today over at The Mrs. I'm sharing a quick little tutorial for this magnetic chalkboard. 

I'd love for you to go check it out, and let Megan know you stopped by!

Gifts for the Bride

A friend of mine is getting married next weekend in Cabo San Lucas!

I'm not attending the wedding, but her bridal party asked if I would put together a few gifts for the bride, Michele.

I bought a plain boyfriend tee at Tar-jay and some fabric paint & went to work. I just printed the words out on paper and since the fabric was sheer enough, was able to trace the letters.

 For the hat, I couldn't trace the letters and I don't have the patience to make a stencil, so I just free-handed the letters.

 I also added the wedding date and a little heart on the back.

 The bag is my favorite part! I made a reversible tote in cream-colored cotton.

On one side it says "bride to-be"...

 ...and when you turn it inside-out it says "just married"!

All of the gifts turned out better than I had imagined. I will definitely use these Tulip fabric paints again!

I know the happy couple is going to have a blast in Cabo!

Have a wonderful weekend, and please follow my blog!

I have a giveaway planned when I reach 50 followers, so tell your friends :)

Feather Hair Clip

I thought I'd pop in for a minute to share this pretty little thing I made using Eisy Morgan's Feather Hairclip Tutorial.

It was very simple. I'm really into these guinea feathers right now. So whispy, and you gotta love the spots... you can find them at most craft stores.

For the center I sewed on a button, and covered it with one of my grandmother's vintage button covers... it just snaps onto the button, and SHAZAM! Instant vintage glam.

Have a happy Tuesday :)

Where I Create

Ok people, this is my craft room.

I know I am one lucky lady to have my very own room where I can craft and sew to my heart's content. I've been saying since we moved in that I want to paint the walls (or maybe one accent wall?). I also need some more storage and window treatments.

This is what I'm working with right now.

Here is what you see when you walk in...

Looking to the South:

East:



I know my desk looks like a heaping pile of yuck. But seriously, this is very organized. For me.





North:

West:

The West wall is the most in need of TLC. I'm thinking about stringing up some twine and clothespins and making an inspiration line. I've seen that somwhere but i can't remember where.

I'd also like to paint all the wood white, just so that it looks more uniform, and any color that I add will stand out.

Let's just say that these are the "before" pictures, even though I don't have any immediate plans for the "after." I'm just doing a little bit at a time, and we'll get there when we get there.

Any suggestions for wall color? Window treatments? Storage? What to do with that black futon cover?

Dry Erase Fabric Frames

'Member these frames I got at the thrift store?

Have you seen this post from Prudent Baby?

Put them together and see the new pretty frames for my craft room!

It was super simple... I just taped my favorite fabrics to the cardboard on the inside of the frame and boom! Instant color/liveliness in my blank-walled craft room!

I'm using one as a checklist to keep me organized...

(psst! If you haven't read Pastoralia by George Saunders, I highly recommend it. I'm not finished yet but so far, it's absurdly hilarious)

... and the second one I'm using for funny/inspirational quotes. I asked my sister for a suggestion and it took her about half a second to blurt out this gem:

Tomorrow I will post about my entitre crafty space and you can see the bare walls for yourself!

Prepping for a marathon

Yeah right, I'm not prepping for an actual marathon. Psh, last time I checked you have to be in shape for one of those. The marathon I'm planning is a craft marathon of sorts. This upcoming weekend will be my ONLY free weekend in the month of February. My weekdays are filled with school and work, and I don't have time for much else. So this weekend is going to be packed with projects I have been putting off this whole month. Here is what I'm planning on getting done:

Coffee Cozies! I haven't stocked them in my shop since they sold out over the holidays, but I have about 12 cut out and ready to be sewn together.

Ruffled Clutches! This is a new product (of which I have already sold 2 (Thanks Judy!)), and I'm planning on cranking out at least a few. I have made some with buttons, some without. You can view photos of both on my Facebook page. Let me know which ones you like better. Leave a comment here or on Facebook to let me know what you think.

Heidi Bag! I offered to pattern test for Julie of Vibrant Designs, and she sent me this great handbag pattern. I'm not quite finished yet, but I hope to have it completed by the end of the weekend. The pattern will be sold in the Vibrant Designs shop shortly.

Duffel Bag! Ok, so I bought this pattern on Etsy awhile ago, and I have been doing a little bit at a time.



Image via StudioCherie on Etsy

It's a pretty complicated project, made even more complicated by my lack of a serger. I have had to attach a narrow binding to every edge of this bad boy because there is no lining, and I couldn't bring myself to leave the edges raw. I chose the first one to practice on as my own personal duffel bag, but once I get the hang of it, I plan on selling them in my shop. Here are the fabrics I'm using for mine:

See? All the pieces are ready to go, just waiting to be assembled.

Last but not least... I need to make and send my February craft for the Great Create. I'm not gonna say which item from the list I'm making, but here's a hint: It's kind of something I need. That narrows it down quite a bit. But seriously, I'm going insane without this thing and I need it ASAP, so my lucky exchange partner will also be receiving one, whether she needs it or not. I hope she does :)

So my schedule will be like this:

Friday I'm taking Raelene, my crafty partner in crime, to the LA fashion district to go fabric shopping! I've been a couple times but this will be her first. Prepare yourself Rae Rae, it can be overwhelming.

Saturday I'm supposed to meet up with the members of VC Handcrafters, an Etsy team we are trying to get going for people in Ventura County. After the meeting, I have no plans and I'm going to confine myself to my craft room for the whole day.

Sunday I'm going to my parents' house to watch the Daytona 500. Actually my real plans are to eat food and cut out patterns while my dad and boyfriend watch the race.

I hope I can put a dent in my "to sew" pile. I will post an update next week to let you know how I did. Don't forget to check out Facebook and let me know what you think about the ruffled clutches: buttons or no buttons?

Also make sure you take advantage of the Janemade Jewelry reader discount. Become a follower of this blog and enter the code YELLOW15 at checkout and receive 15% off each item from Janemade. Expires Feb. 28, 2011

Thanks for stopping by... Have a crafty weekend!