Tutorial:: Faux Frosted Glass

From Kayce of WorldofWhimm and On a Whimm.  

It's hard to tell that it's Spring here in the Northwest. The sun is finally out, but the wind whipping through makes it feel like it's still below freezing. So I need to do things to bring Spring indoors. I need something that would make me smile and help me hold on to hope that warmer weather is just around the corner. So I decided to do a little spring version of a mirror decal that I came up with for my daughter's birthday party. Her party was Alice in Wonderland so I made the decal to go with the theme. It was so much fun that I've decided keep one up in the bathroom for special occasions and holidays.

Here's how to do it:

Materials:

• Contact paper (also called shelf paper - I used white)
• Scissors
• Exacto knife
• Cutting Mat
• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Clip art, printed and cut around edges (optional)

Step 1: Plan your design. I did this on a separate piece of paper. Just a quick sketch of what I wanted.

Step 2: Measure your mirror and cut the contact paper to fit (for the Alice in Wonderland piece, I used two vertical pieces).

Step 3: Turn it over and on the back draw your design (in reverse). I recommend pencil for this step... I used pen so that you could see what I was doing. Either way, it won't show since the back piece of paper will be removed. I also drew my design freehand. If you aren't this confident, you can print some clip art on your printer, cut around the outside of them and trace the silhouette onto the back of the contact paper (I did this for some of the Alice in Wonderland design).

Step 4: Cut out your design. If you have pieces that are islands, be sure to keep track of them when you cut them out, or don't completely cut them out - leaving it attached to the larger piece with a thin strip (see my letter "A" and "R"). I used scissors for the larger parts and an exact knife for the details and inside pieces. I also used a hole punch for the bird eyes.

Step 5: Clean your mirror. Then start on the straight edge of your contact paper, if you have one, and fold it back so that only an inch is exposed. This will make it easier for you to line it up and make sure it's straight before you peel it all off.

Step 6: (I recommend having two people for this step - one to peel, one to smooth) Slowly peel away the back as you press the sticky side of the paper against the mirror, doing your best to push out all bubbles. I found it difficult to get rid of all bubbles - but I didn't have a helper. Beware that if you pull the paper off, do it carefully as it will stretch slightly which will only add to the number of bubbles you have.

Step 7: Clean the mirror one more time if you have fingerprints all over - and your done!

The contact paper comes off fairly easily when you are ready to remove it. I did have to pull it off in several pieces and it left some glue in a few spots. However, the glue washed off easily with a mixture of vinegar, lemon, dish soap and water. I'm sure a glass cleaner would work as well.

Happy Spring!

Kayce can be found online on her blog On a Whimm, facebook, and her Etsy Shop: 

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Introducing Marissa V

Today We Introduce You To Marissa of Marissa V

Q: What motivated you to start your shop?
I started my company, from marissa v., in London in 2005, because I wanted to start my own business, and my hobby was making clothing. Initially it was just women's apparel. I had my own online shop as well as selling to stores. After I moved back to the US in 2008, and had my first daughter, I added a baby line. I subsequently found out about Etsy and created my Etsy shop. My Etsy sales soon surpassed my personal website sales so I closed my online shop. It's great that you don't have to pay a monthly fee on Etsy!

Q: What is the story behind your shop name?
My company's full name is 'from marissa v.' It's a bit awkward to say and write! But I wanted a sort of personal feel to the name - from marissa v. to you.

Q: Do you have a favorite Etsy Shop (non-child related)?
I like looking at the weird, intricate art of Lisel Ashlock http://www.etsy.com/shop/liseljane

Q: What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
It takes a long time to dispatch orders, unless you have a bunch of orders at the same time! I don't have enough room to leave out all my packing/tagging/etc supplies so it takes a while. I don't really build that time into my prices.

Q: What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
That there is so much stuff on Etsy, I feel like it's hard to get potential customers to notice you. Once they do find me, I get a lot of repeat customers!

Q: What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
The products reflect my modern, often minimalist aesthetic. Many of the baby items are unisex, which reminds me of a more Scandinavian way of dressing children.

Q: How would someone (other then you) describe you?
Motivated but lazy. My husband thinks I'm disorganized, but then he's never cleaned a bathroom.

Q: What music do you have on while you are creating?
Music? I'm so out of touch with what's going on in music! My two girls are listening to an album of Australian kids' songs.

Q: What do you do when you aren't working?
Reading, jogging and crossword puzzles! During holidays, my husband and I torture ourselves by taking our 1 and 3-year-old daughters camping. We also go to England for long periods to visit my husband's family.

Q: Anything else you'd like to tell us or share?
I'm thrilled to appear on the blog!

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Tutorial:: Bunny & Egg Garland

From Peggy at ComfyCozyKeepsakes.
[This craft makes an excellent after school activity for older children .]

Your crafty decorator is baaaaaaack….. with another fun project to replace those adorable Shamrocks that hung from your windows for St. Patrick’s Day. Today we’re making bunnies and eggs! The concept is the same as the Shamrocks, so go gather up a few simple items and we’ll be hopping down the bunny trail.


Materials needed:

• Bunny and Egg clip art or draw your own to suit your taste.
• 2 sheets of paper or cardstock. Cardstock works better.
• Scissors. For this project I used pinking shears because it looks cuter.
• Hole punch or awl. I have a punch with a very small hole, which is better than your average hole punch.
• Glue
• Fabric marker or permanent marker
• Yarn – white
• Felt or Craft Foam. I like the “natural” look of felt over foam. I chose pastels and ecru. Darker colors don’t show up as well from the street as pastels.
• Craft pompoms, large and small sizes. Coordinating colors for your bunny nose and tail.
• Tape

Now, let’s get started:

1) Copy or trace the Bunny & Egg shape onto the paper/card stock. Cut them out. I have 2 sizes of bunnies on mine.

2) Trace bunnies & egg onto Felt or Foam. If your bunny shape is symmetrical, you can fold the shape in half, fold the felt and place the shape on the fold before cutting it out – see picture on right, below. Don’t cut the fold. 

           

3) Cut them out. Pinking shears give a more festive look to these shapes instead of straight-edge scissors.

4) Glue a pompom on one side for the bunny tail. I used small pompoms for my little bunnies and large ones for the big bunnies.

5) Glue small pompom on the OPPOSITE side for bunny nose.

6) Cut TWO very SMALL holes with hole punch or awl, evenly
spaced about an inch from the top and bottom of shape. I chose
to make them right at the tail and nose of bunny shapes.

7) Cut yarn to desired length for windows or doors. I wrap a piece of tape on the end of the yarn so it doesn't fray and is easier to slip through the holes.

8) Slip yarn thru holes in bunnies & eggs. Tie a knot at the bottom so the bunny doesn’t slip off.

9) Hang with tape on windows or doors. TA DA!

If you are REALLY creative, add glitter or other adornments to your “egg” shapes. You can cut circles or other shapes from the felt and glue onto the eggs. I think I’ll be embellishing mine for next year!

So now you have these for St. Patrick’s Day and Easter. I’ll be back with another one soon. I’m considering creating a kit to sell and/or taking orders for completed decorations. Let me know what you think. Would you rather go the craft store to buy all the materials and make this yourself (with your kids), or open up a box with a set for your favorite holiday?

Now I’m going to break into the speckled eggs and celebrate a little early! Happy Easter!!

Keep up with ComfyCozyKeepsakes on facebook and at her Etsy Shop:

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Book Nook: Inner Perfectionist Beware!

From Cherice of InnerPiecesGallery.

I believe that within each of us lives at least a hint of perfectionism. After all, who among us really WANTS to make a mistake?

Apparently, Barney Saltzberg does. In his delightfully creative book, BEAUTIFUL OOPS!, he shows us how to use our mistakes, mishaps and blunders (yes my friend, we ALL make them) as opportunities to set our imaginations free!

From the very first page you know that you’re in for a special treat. This book is clearly exciting and mature enough for an older child yet feels as sturdy as an infant’s board book. That’s important because you’ll want to explore these artistic pages again and again. Secret fold-always throughout the book show inquisitive minds just how beautiful a smudge, a stain, or a spilled blob of paint can become.

Inner perfectionist beware. Once you read BEAUTIFUL OOPS!, you and the kids may find yourselves searching for excuses to make more oopses!


Find InnerPiecesGallery online at their blog, twitter and Etsy Shop.

InnerPiecesGallery, EtsyKids Team nor Etsy is affiliated with the books author(s), illustrator(s) or publisher.  This review is provided simply for the joy of sharing good books and for supporting the work of inspiring authors.

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April 2012 EtsyKids Desktop Background

Here is the desktop calendar for April 2012! This month the theme was Easter with lots of bunnies and chicks! You can see a treasury of all these items here.

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Featured shops: fortheloveofzebra, Sweetchildofmine, ToastieStudio, CrochetVilliage, Raegun, LilBDesigns, crocheting4baby, CuddleWumkins, Avabowtiquee, boygirlboygirldesign, PipandOlive, Prettydreamer, stitchinnetka, WoodPondDesigns, jennifernoeldesigns, pieshomecreations, LuckyLuCreations, CakeInTheMorn, TizzyDee, lollipopsandunicorns.

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EtsyKids Design Challenge: We have a Winner!

Congratulations to the winner of our March's challenge, Gender Neutral Baby Bib, Yellow Bee, Baby Shower Gift, 6 Months by maddywear!

"Gender Neutral Baby Bib, Yellow Bee, Baby Shower Gift, 6 Months

Maddy Wear® bibs are a unique, one-of-a-kind, handmade bib that is made with a soft durable cotton fabric and flannel lining. These bibs will protect your child's clothing and save you money! 

Before using Maddy Wear® bibs, customers stated that they weighed what types of food to feed their child based on what they were wearing, but now their clothes remain virtually stain free!

These bibs are a symmetrical tank style design, which is also reversible, so they are four bibs in one! One shoulder is sewn, while the other has a snap with two additional snaps that run along the torso of the bib. 

With this easy-on, easy-off design children don't realize they are wearing them, so the tug of war with standard bibs is over! They are also a great space saver in the diaper bag by getting you through multiple meals!"

Please be sure to visit Maddy Wear, an innovative Etsy shop that caters to little messy eaters.  It's adds style, function and fun to an important part of child's wardrobe - bibs!  

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Introducing Tizzy Dee

Today We Introduce You To Courtney of TizzyDee

Q: What motivated you to start your shop?
Three years ago my sister bought me a "teach-yourself-to-crochet" book for my birthday. I got a little addicted/obsessed and after multiple requests from friends, I opened my Etsy shop.

Q: What is the story behind your shop name?

The shop is named after my daughter, Tizita Desta. Tizzy Dee is what we used to call her before she joined our family from Ethiopia.

Q: Do you have a favorite Etsy Shop (non-child related)?

I love Paint4Ethiopia. My friend Gina does amazing work with a portion of her proceeds going back into Ethiopia.

Q: What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?

I'm always surprised when I get international orders. It's amazing that people all over the world find my little shop and like my creations enough to purchase one!

Q: What do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?

It is hard for me to find the time to make all the ideas I have in my head actually come to life.

Q: What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?

I try to create everything from my own patterns. I also try to create products that I enjoy making so my customers can see my love and care coming through each item. Almost all my items are custom-created after the order is placed, so each item can be customized by size and color, which makes each item fun and unique for each customer.

Q: How would someone (other then you) describe you?

Outgoing, expressive, fun.

Q: What music do you have on while you are creating?

I usually watch Netflix on my computer. I've burned through all seven seasons of Melrose Place, various wedding and cooking shows, and just started The United States of Tara.

Q: What do you do when you aren't working?

Play with my daughter, hang out with my husband and my family.

Q: Anything else you'd like to tell us or share?

We are an adoptive family and the sales from my shop have significantly helped us with the costs involved in our second adoption. I don't promote my shop as a fundraiser or say that a percentage of my sales are going towards our adoption, but it has been an amazing help! I want people to know that when they purchase from my shop, their money will be well spent. :)

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