October 30, 2015

JUST IN: Hoffman Challenge 2016 Fabrics

The Crystalia collection is this year's Hoffman Challenge fabric!
As the company describes it, the 2016 Hoffman Challenge is "renewed, refreshed, reinvented, and realigned" for today's modern home quilter! This year, "Crystalia" is the selected Challenge collection. For the first time in the history of the Challenge, Hoffman has selected a Spectrum line for you to work with. All Spectrum fabrics are digitally printed to create an incredible range of tonal depth and vivid color. Sound great? Click here to view and purchase Crystalia.

Coordinating fabrics include Hand-Dyed Watercolor Batiks.
This year, the Challenge theme is Kitchen & Tabletop, to suit the new Home Decor category. For your project to qualify in the Challenge, Crystalia must be used in the body of the quilt or in more than one spot for applique quilts. For a full list of rules and entry instructions, click here!

May 13, 2015

DIY Painted Bottles




Paper Mobile How To





Cardstock Mobile
Read ALL directions before beginning




Supplies Needed:
-Embroidery hoop
-3-4 different colors of card stock -4 sheets of each color
-paint and paint brush
-string and scissors
-2 inch gold ring
-Mod Podge
-3 different sizes of circle punches

Directions:
1. Pull the top embroidery hoop off ( the piece with the metal screw attached)


2. Take the underlying embroidery hoop and paint it.


3. Set it aside to dry

4. Punch 40 large circles of the top color




5. Punch 60 medium sized circles out of the middle color


6.  Punch 80 small circles out of the bottom color


7. Cut 10 pieces of string- each one 36 inches long



8. Lay out your first piece of string


9.  Take two pieces  of smallest punched circles. Mod Podge one side of one circle


10. Place the end of the string in the middle of the circle with the Mod Podge on it. Place the dry circle on top so that the end of the string is sandwiched in between the two. Press together


11. Measure 1 ½ “ up the string, and repeat with 2 more circles


12. Continue 2 more times with this same color, leaving 1 ½” in between each circle. (There will be a total of 4 pairs of the bottom color of the string)

13. Using the next color attach 3 more pairs of circles

14. With the top color attach 2 pairs of circles

15.You will repeat steps 8-14 for each string



16. To attach take one string with circles hanging below and wrap the string around the painted hoop 1 ½ times (make sure the top punched circle is 2-3 inches from the bottom of the hoop). The extra string will come out the top edge of the hoop.

17. Go across the hoop and repeat with another string.

18. Continue until all 10 pieces are hung at staggered lengths. Asjust as needed, collect all stings together centered over the hoop and tie into one large knot through a 2 inch gold ring. Stand back and see if you like the placement, adjust accordingly, cute off the extra strings and hang! You did it!!





May 4, 2015

How To: Stain Crates









How To: Stain Crates


Supplies:
Crate
Steel Wool
Vinegar
Tea bags
2 jars with lids
Paint brush
Protective gloves
Plastic to cover work surface



1. Put one piece of steel wool into jar and cover with vinegar allow to sit for at least 24 hours,
(it can sit for a day or weeks).




2. Make a batch of tea... we used 5 tea bags and filled jar with boiling water... could also add coffee.... experiment to get the color you desire... remember that different teas will produce different colors :)


3.Paint crate with tea water, first and let dry completely.


4.First slat has been just painted with the vinegar/steel wool mixture.

5.This is a great picture for you to see how quickly the steelwool mixture changes the look when it is put over the tea stained wood... the left slat was done first and then moving right
to "paint" each slat!

6.To add even more character you can sand to rough up a bit and dry brush with craft paint... the options are endless.  Have fun!!