Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Baby Christmas Gifts 1: Appliqued Onesies

I wish I could say that I am making EVERY Christmas gift I'm giving this year - but I'm not. Maybe one year that will be the case - but not this year. What I AM trying to do, however, is make sure that everyone gets a touch of handmade loving with their gifts. You know, 'cause I like to keep it real like that! : )

One particular little lady in my life will be receiving a couple of appliqued onesies. If you've been around for awhile, you know that I LOVE me some appliques! I really enjoy making my own appliques and customizing store-bought pieces. It's a nice way to add a personal touch.


To see my tutorial on making and sewing your own appliques - head HERE.

I cut a whole bunch of appliques for this project - I like to have extras on hand for last minute gifts...


I just LOVE these little elephants! Serious cuteness!




The outline stitching done by machine doesn't need to be perfect - a little bit of crooked-ness adds to the charm. At least that's what I tell myself! : )


This one took a lot of time since there were so many appliques to sew on, but I think it turned out super cute!




And you haven't seen the end of the appliques yet! They will be making an appearance here again soon! (amongst other things... don't worry!)

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, December 14, 2009

Christmas Guest Post Series #1: Crafty Ornaments with angelina la dawn tomato

Happy Monday! We're kicking off the week with the first in a series of four guest posts here at Ready, Set, Craft! Today I'm thrilled to have Angie, of angelina la dawn tomato, guest posting and sharing her adorable ornaments with us. Enjoy!


i'm a fan of all things plushy, so i've been making a ton of these ornaments lately! they're really easy, and i love the final product- crafty with a rustic touch


supplies:
(my crafting philosophy is all about using what you have and making it work for you, so i see most of this as a guideline)

scissors
hot glue (a crafty girl's best friend),
sewing machine (or needle and thread since there is minimal sewing involved)
ribbon (just a few inches worth)
embellishments (puff paint, buttons, and sequins)
fabric in two colors (i'm using wool fabric upcycled from thirft store skirts) but you can use whatever you have. if it's not heavy enough just use some fusable interfacing
polyfil (or other stuffing)
freezer paper (one of my favorite craft supplies!)

before we start, a word about freezer paper. it's amazing! you can use it for lots of different crafts. it's paper on one side and plastic on the other, so you can write on it (if needed) and iron it onto pretty much anything and it peels right off. (which also means you can use it again) you can get it pretty much anywhere (it's with the foil and plastic wrap), it's cheap and you get a lot of it (i've had my roll for over a year)

in this craft, i use it for ironing onto fabric to use as a pattern of sorts. it's easier than pinning something down, or tracing onto fabric (but both will work if you don't want to use/get it)
i could go on and on about it but i won't, and we'll move onto the directions!

step 1: take your freezer paper and draw a circle (i'm using a cup as a guide) and then add a little sqaure on top. (see? it's ornament shaped!) now iron it onto your chosen fabric (since freezer paper is actual paper, make sure the iron is on a dry setting with no steam so it won't pucker)




after you've got it ironed on, cut it out, peel off the paper and then repeat (so you have two pieces of fabric the same shape)



step 2: put your two pieces of fabric together and pin the ribbon in place and sew all around the edge. make sure to leave a small hole so you can stuff it!




step 3: stuff it! and when you're done, sew up the opening.


step 4: make a snowflake on your freezer paper (if you're like me and can't draw at all, find an image you like on the internet. just make sure it fits onto your ornament)

iron the snowflake onto your fabric, cut it out and peel the paper off.



step 5:
after you've got your snowflake cut out, hot glue it onto your stuffed ornament (you can sew it on if you'd like, but you have to do that at the beginning of step 2, and i think it's more work than it's worth)



step 5: embellish! i put some iridescent puff paint and sequins in strategic places so it sparkles and finish with a button in the middle.


ta da! you're done! now go make a whole bunch more :)
(which should be easy because you've kept your freezer paper patterns!)


you can of course use all kinds of different designs or images, and embellishments. maybe letters (you can line them up to spell "peace" or "joy") you could sew on beads or use yarn instead of ribbon. personally i think there are lots of possibilities. i also made matching wreath.


So what are you waiting for? Leave Angie a comment and let her know how FABULOUS her ornaments are, and then head over to her blog to check out her projects, photos, and stories about her life in Kansas. And don't forget to tell her that Joanne at Ready, Set, Craft! sent you over! Love her stuff so much you have to have it? Check out her Etsy shop!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Angela's Christmas Candy




This candy has been a tradition in my home since high school - although I can't take any credit for it. My high school BFF and her mom would make this at the holidays - and I fell in love with it. Now it's not Christmas without it!

And the BEST part? It is sooooo easy to make! Maybe that's what I like best about it? : )

Angela's Christmas Candy


Ingredients:
1 1lb bag peppermint (red and green)
1 2lb bag white chocolate


First, melt your chocolate. I start with about half the bag in a double broiler and add more as the chocolate melts.


Yum, getting melty...


Once it's melted and smooth, add in your peppermint. I never add the entire bag - I think it's TOO peppermint-y - but it's entirely up to you.


Stir it in well. (And no, my hands are not that manly, that is hubby doing the stirring - what a nice guy!)


Pour onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

Spread, then tap the cookie sheet on the counter to smooth out the top of the candy.




Freeze for about 15 minutes.

When it's solid, bring it out of the freezer and begin destruction! I used the end of my rolling pin to smash. This could be a stress relief exercise?



Then all that's left to do is enjoy the chocolate-y peppermint-y goodness! YUM!



PS) You can get the peppermint and chocolate from any good candy making/baking store. I get mine from "The Candy Lady" in Kalamazoo, MI.

PPS) Angela - if you're reading - feel free to chime in with any other tidbits about this treat!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Christmas Cards 2009

I can check one thing off my list! I finished my Christmas cards! Of course there's still the Christmas letter to write, and the actual signing of the cards that needs to happen... but I feel good about getting the most time-intensive part of the process complete. Waahoo!

I made a set of five designs:


They're all variations on this card that I came up with and showed you a couple of weeks ago:


The only major change to the original design was that I embossed the trees...





I made 55 cards in all. Thank goodness for my tabletop paper cutter!


Oh, and special thanks to my little crafting assistant... she provided lots of morale support along the ways...


Have you been working on YOUR Christmas cards? Head over to my "Holiday Projects" album on my Facebook Fan Page and upload your pictures! I'd love to see!

Stampin' Up! Products Used: Merry Moments Designer Series Paper, 5/8 Grosgrain Ribbon in Old Olive, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Cardstock and Ink in Old Olive, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Clear Emboss Powder & Heat Tool, Season of Joy Stamp Set.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Does anyone elses dining room table look like THIS?!


YIKES! It's like my craft room overflowed and exploded in the dining room! I have so many projects going on at once I don't know where to start!

Luckily we're (finally!) decorating the tree this evening so all of these ornaments will be out of the way...


And see these?


Oh, those are just the 55 Christmas cards I cut and prepped last night. I still have to cut ribbon, stamp and emboss them, and adhere everything together! Not to mention the actual writing of the cards... aaaaaaah!

I feel like I've got a touch of the Christmas crazy in me right now... anyone feel the same way?!