a.clayton design

Twin Lens Reflex

2012-01-26T10:31:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've entered a fabric design in Spoonflower's weekly contest. The theme this past week was "Outdated Technology" and I already had my "Twin Lens Reflex" design, which definitely fit in the category. So, I submitted it. It fared okay, but definitely wasn't anywhere near the top ten. It came in #73 out of 203 designs submitted. eh. Oh well.

Burp Cloths

2012-01-26T10:17:00.000-08:00

I decided that it was high time I actually made something that I pinned on Pinterest. So, I started small and made these cute burp cloths since I'm due to have my son soon.

I found a 12-pack of cloth diapers at Ross for like $7 (they normally retail for about $16, so I was pretty excited). But when I got them home and opened them up, they weren't quite what I was thinking they were going to be. I remember cloth diapers having a thick padded middle section, but these were pretty much just big, thin pieces of fabric. boo. I ended up folding them in half and sewing them up to double the thickness. Then I simply added a wide strip of flannel fabric to the center of each burp cloth for added absorbency and cuteness.

I was a little disappointed at the variety of flannel fabrics. I found the monkey print at Hobby Lobby and the dinosaurs at Wal-Mart and I made three burp cloths with each. That only used up half of my cloth diapers, so if I want/need to make more later, I can.

Card Table Playhouse

2011-12-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year, I decided to make my girls a card table playhouse. I kept mine pretty simple- you can find some elaborate ones online. I used white felt for the main body of the house, with brown felt for the roof and shutters. I lined the whole thing with a bright striped fabric and used various pinks, greens, yellows and purples as accents.

I had to explain my choice of the house number to my husband. My 4 year old's birthday is February 7th, and my 2 year old's is June 1st.

This thing was a little bit of a beast to sew together. I've never made anything that used so much fabric, which is why I decided not to stress myself out too much by going overboard with it. As far as the cost goes- I think I spent about $60-70 on all of the fabric and I didn't already own a card table, so I picked one up at Wal-mart for $30. I guess it ended up being about $100 total. These sell for around $200 on etsy. I think it turned out really cute though and I think that my girls will love seeing it all set up under the tree on Christmas morning.

New Purse

2011-10-06T10:57:00.001-07:00

I was in desperate need of a new purse! I've been dragging around the same ugly diaper bag for the past 4 years. blech. I bought a pdf for The Lizzy Bag on etsy and made this little cross-body purse yesterday:

Can you believe I bought that cute fabric at Wal-Mart? I love everything about it!

Maternity Jeans

2011-10-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

19 weeks preggo and the pants were a little tight. I had this pair of super-low rise Levis that I LOVE- but they didn't stay up very well. I thought that they might work well as maternity jeans since they hit below my belly normally anyway. All I had to do to them was take off the belt loops and button and sew on some thick elastic. I'm loving them so far- we'll see how far into the pregnancy I can wear them.

Some Fall Banners

2011-10-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

2011-09-26T17:43:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Bill, who sent me this gorgeous picture of my banner at his daughter's birthday party. Doesn't it look like it's straight out of a magazine? I wish I could take credit for it!

2011-09-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

My fabric design, Birds & Branches was #35 (out of 341 entries) in this week's Spoonflower contest! The theme was "Birds" and it was palette restricted. This is a pattern that I had drawn up a long time ago, but I just changed the colors to fit with the contest.

2011-09-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

I just finished up a cute 1st birthday banner for a little girl named Charlie. It says "Happy 1st Bee-Day Charlie!" This was a repeat customer. I made a birthday banner for his older daughter last year.

Halloween on the Brain

2011-09-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for quite awhile. But I've been thinking about Halloween a lot recently. I know it's still almost 2 months away, but I like to plan things in advance. I just made my first decoration of the season. I've seen these online- I didn't come up with the idea myself.

These were sooo easy to make. I think I spent maybe 5 minutes on them. I just found some pictures of my husband and daughters, changed them to black & white, printed them out on cardstock, and added some googly eyes. I had a couple of random old frames lying around the house that weren't being used, so I just stuck them in (without the glass because the googly eyes bulge up too much).

Here are some close-ups:

(This was my husband's Halloween costume from last year- a bum clown- I thought it looked great with the funny eyes)

And check out what I picked up at the $1 store today- raven and rat silhouettes for my windows. Awesome.

Paper Bag Puppets

2011-07-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

We had fun making some paper bag puppets the other day. It's amazing how entertaining googly eyes and pom poms can be.

Bookshelf

2011-07-09T12:58:00.000-07:00

Finally getting around to posting about the bookshelf that I made for the girls' room (from Ana White's plan found here) . I painted it the same dark brown as their bunk bed and I got the fuschia closet maid bins to keep all of their socks, underwear, and pajamas in. Greta's dollhouse finally has a home on top of the shelf. It's been sitting in my living room for the past 5 months and had out-stayed its welcome. I made a little runner to put in between the dollhouse and the shelf as well for a little added protection.

Bedroom Name Banner

2011-06-25T18:20:00.000-07:00

I made a new banner to coordinate with the girls' bunk bed. I'm testing out the triangular shape instead of my typical rectangle and I used ribbon instead of cord.

I think it turned out super cute, but I used my button-hole maker on the slits and it was a little unpredictable on the felt. If I decide to keep doing the triangle banners, I might have to experiment with different techniques.

Paper Bugs

2011-06-20T11:19:00.001-07:00

My 4 year old and I made paper bugs the other day. One bug soon turned into ten since she had so much fun. We made ladybugs, spiders, and the long ones are supposed to be dragonflies. Don't laugh.

Done!

2011-06-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

The bunk bed is finished and the girls LOVE it! It was a big project and I'm glad to finally be finished! Not that this is the end of my building adventures though- after my brief hiatus, I'll be making a matching bookshelf to go in their room and then some little sling chairs...this could develop into a very bad habit.

Bunk Bed Progress

2011-06-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

The bunk bed is coming along nicely! I still need to finish filling in some spots with the wood filler, paint, add the slats, and buy some mattresses for it. But I think it'll be finished up sometime this week! This thing is super sturdy too- I couldn't be happier with it!

Fabric Sales

2011-05-31T20:48:00.000-07:00

Some of my fabric has been selling over at Spoonflower and it makes me so happy that people actually like my designs enough to pay like $18/yard for it! I get a small (10%) commission from the sales that I can use toward purchasing fabric for myself. Right now I have about $30 in my account! I need to decide what I want to spend it on...

Husband Gone...Building Begins.

2011-05-31T19:58:00.001-07:00

My husband is gone all week at a conference in Vegas. Before he left, I had him pick me up a load of lumber so I can build a bunk bed for the girls. I am attempting to make the "Classic Bunk Bed" from Ana White's website. This is what her sketch-up looks like:

And this is what I have so far:

I needed to make it a little shorter because their room has a ceiling fan and I didn't want anyone getting hit by it while trying to climb into bed. I'm leaving off the bottom of the legs, so that the lower bunk ends up on the ground instead of elevated 8". I'll post pictures of the final product when I'm all done.

And today while my 2 year old was napping, I made this for the toy room (also from Ana White):

All it consists of is a 1x2 and some wooden clothespins painted white. So easy to make and it's such a fun way to hang up all of the drawings that the kids do.

Entry Table

2011-05-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

When my in-laws came to visit us this past fall, they brought all of my husband's stuff from their basement. Among his possessions was this dirty, old trunk that was storing some of his high school artwork.

It was in pretty bad shape and even had some curse words written on it and scribbled over in sharpie marker (he claims that he did not write them..)

I decided that I wanted to put it next to my front door and use it as an entry table.

I ended up sanding it down, adding a few nails and wood glue to certain spots, and re-staining it. I really wanted to get some hairpin legs, but I decided just to get some slightly cheaper but similar metal legs from Home Depot instead.

I knew that it wasn't going to look "perfect" no matter what I did to it because it was such an old trunk, so after staining it, I roughed up some of the edges with sandpaper so that it still had some character. I kept the original back hinges, but left the front hinges off because the trunk is a little warped and doesn't close very well. And now I finally have a piece of furniture in my entry way!

Book Shelves

2011-05-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post some pictures of the cute little book shelves that I made for our toy room. I screwed together some 1x4's and 1x2's and then primed and painted them white. This is the pre-painted picture:

The books used to all be on that bulky looking shelf on the left ( I still need to move it out of the room). By having them mounted to the wall, the room feels a lot larger because they aren't using up floor space.

This was my first woodworking project, so they aren't perfect, but I love how they look and work in the space.

Squaris Wheel

2011-03-31T19:33:00.000-07:00

So, I've been a little obsessed with finding other building plans after discovering Ana White yesterday. Check out this beauty:

"Dubbed a "SQUARIS WHEEL" by its designer because of its square wheel, this pint-sized backyard version of its big brother, the ferris wheel, will bring safe carnival fun right to your own home."

Awesome. But I don't know if I'd trust my kids on it.

If you want your very own "Squaris Wheel", you can find the building plans here.

Ana White

2011-03-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

I was searching online tonight for building plans for a kid-sized picnic table and I came across Ana White's website. And now I'm totally in love. Her website has free plans for a ton of adorable furniture pieces. I'm already trying to decide what I want to attempt to build.

Beds for the girls?

A chalkboard easel?

Someday maybe I would be good enough to build my own entertainment center or a playhouse...

But maybe I'll just stick with the picnic table for now. It seems a little more doable for me.

Projects

2011-03-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

I made this cute alphabet for the toy room. It was inspired by this project by Destri of The Mother Huddle. It was really easy to make and I hung it up above the girl's book shelf.

A girl contacted me recently and asked if I would be willing to make her a banner similar to this one from Martha Stewart. Her wedding colors are off-white and navy, so this is what we came up with:

It has a navy felt backing to give it a little extra weight. Her nephew will be carrying it down the aisle during the wedding ceremony.

Love This Bungalow

2011-03-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

I found a new bungalow plan that I am in love with (found here):

I think I would move the living room fireplace to that wall on the left and add built-ins on either side in true Craftsman fashion.

This is another picture of it- minus the garage. I like the look of this more. Mostly just the color combinations and the beautiful tapered column on the porch.

Cute Prints

2011-02-26T13:09:00.000-08:00

I just found Parada Creations on Etsy and I'm totally smitten. These prints are so fun and beautiful! She also has other "love" prints besides the camera like a bike and a stack of books (I just happen to have a fascination with photography).

Currently Working On

2011-02-04T09:57:00.000-08:00

I'm working on a dollhouse for my daughter's 4th birthday next week. I got the shelf from IKEA, used scrapbook paper for the walls, bought flooring at Hobby Lobby, and have been collecting various furniture from ebay. Hopefully it all comes together as nicely as I've been imagining it in my head.

Play Kitchen

2011-01-13T17:44:00.000-08:00

Back in the summer, I bought this run down play kitchen set at a surplus sale for like $25:

I had planned on fixing it up in time to be a Christmas present for my girls, but after spending a lot of stressful nights in December sanding and painting, my husband politely told me that it didn't matter if it was finished in time to stick under the tree and that I could take my time on it. So, now that it is mid-January, I have finally finished!

I ended up sanding off the old stain and painting the set white, adding new hardware, making some new knobs for the oven, adding hooks to hang up an oven mitt and aprons, and Mod Podging some funky floral fabric onto the shelves. Here are the before and afters:

I still need to figure out a way to make some "burners" on the top of the stove, but other than that, they are all done and my girls play with them all the time. I bought the Melissa and Doug Accessory Set for Christmas and it matches the stove so well!

Quick Christmas Projects

2010-12-11T08:42:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, my daughter and I baked a bunch of cookies to take around to some of our friends. I found these cute bags over at Hobby Lobby for half off and I stamped a quick "Merry Christmas" tag for each one. I thought they turned out really fun.

I also bought two cheap wooden ornaments at Hobby Lobby and Mod Podged them with some holiday scrapbook paper. I plan on adding pictures of my girls in the frames to hang on the Christmas tree.

Pink Frames

2010-11-17T17:54:00.001-08:00

I bought two ugly brown plastic frames at The Salvation Army awhile ago for $1 each. I spray painted them bright pink and added new white mats, glass, and baby pictures of my girls. They now hang on the wall when you first walk into their bedroom. I think they turned out pretty dang cute!

Holiday Banners

2010-11-17T17:50:00.000-08:00

Trick-or-Treating Bags

2010-10-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

I made these simple Trick-or-Treating bags for my girls last night. Oh, how I love Heat n' Bond!

2010-10-16T14:11:00.001-07:00

I'm taking a break from banners for the next little while so I can work on our family Halloween costumes. I made the hat for my costume today. Can you guess who I'm going to be? (Hint: It's a children's book character whose first name and last name rhyme)

2010-10-06T13:30:00.001-07:00

Make that THREE birthday banners. Apparently everyone has children with birthdays in October!

2010-10-05T10:43:00.001-07:00

TWO orders for Birthday Banners this week. I'm going to be busy. bah!

Sock It To Me

2010-10-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

My sister sent me a link to a sock company called Sock It To Me based in Portland that does design contests. I uploaded my Buddy Holly design to their template and sent it in. I think it looks pretty cool- we'll see what they say.

Cord Organizer

2010-10-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

For awhile now, I've been trying to come up with a way to organize all of my computer cords and phone chargers, etc. I saw a few people online who suggested using a hanging shoe organizer. I thought it sounded like a pretty darn good idea. But all of the organizers that I found weren't quite the right size for what I needed. I ended up buying this pattern on etsy for $3:

I randomly had some canvas and some cute brown floral fabric tucked away with my sewing stuff...and so this was created:

I'm not the most amazing seamstress, so it's not perfect, but it definitely serves its purpose and now my kids aren't constantly pulling all of my cords out and tangling them up! Here's a couple of closer shots:

Halloween Banner

2010-09-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

My friend Tory requested a "Halloween" banner recently. She kind of gave me creative control of it, so I did black and white alternating squares with orange lettering this time.

Happy Fall!

2010-09-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

I had TWO orders for "Happy Fall" banners this past week. I sold one, then reposted it on etsy and within a day I had sold another.

8th Place!!!

2010-08-26T07:30:00.001-07:00

My "Cat in the Window" design won 8th place and got 421 votes this week at Spoonflower! I can't believe I made it into the Top 10! The contest was to design a fabric incorporating both windows and doors.

Latest Birthday Banner

2010-08-23T19:45:00.001-07:00

I just mailed off this cute birthday banner for a girl named Sophia in Brooklyn. Her dad requested fuschia squares with orange lettering and flowers in between the words. On one string was "Happy (flower) Birthday" and on a second string was "(flower) Sophia (flower)".

Bat Mizvah

2010-08-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

The latest contest on Minted is for "coming of age" events (Bar and Bat Mitzvah, Sweet 16, etc.) I'm pretty excited about how this one turned out. What do you think?

Hooks

2010-07-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

Just ordered these hooks in orange for my mud room. So excited.

25th Place

2010-07-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

My "Cheater Quilt" on Spoonflower got 25th place this week (out of 127) with 308 votes. Not too bad.

Now for Sale

2010-06-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

"Buddy Holly" is now up for sale at Spoonflower! It can be purchased here.

Busy With Banners

2010-06-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

I had three orders for banners this weekend. That's a record for me.

4th of July:

Father's Day:

and one for a baby shower that my sister is throwing!

2010-06-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

So, I forgot to mention that someone actually purchased a fat quarter of my "Rotary" fabric from Spoonflower! So cool. And my "Buddy Holly" print got 351 votes in the contest! That put me in 26th place (out of 116 entries)- I was pretty excited about that. Not that I was near winning or anything, but 351 isn't too shabby considering the least popular design only got 12 votes.

Test Print

2010-05-07T20:08:00.001-07:00

I decided to send off for some swatches of a couple of my fabric designs at Spoonflower. They came in the mail today, so I was pretty excited to see how they turned out. I think I like the leaf print more than the phones.

They need to be ironed, I know.

Once you've ordered at least a swatch from Spoonflower, then you can make the print available for sale on their site to the public. You could buy these if you really wanted to. "Leaf" print available here and "Rotary Phones" here.

I'll probably order more swatches sometime soon so I can get more designs up for sale. I know these ones aren't the most amazing, but they're a start.

Buddy Holly

2010-04-29T18:49:00.001-07:00

I just made this design for the upcoming Spoonflower contest. The theme is "The 1950's" and you were only allowed to use these five colors. I call it "Buddy Holly".

Here's what it looks like repeated:

Current Projects Around My House

2010-04-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

New little note cards that I just had printed off:

They're flat cards, not folded. So the design is on one side and they're blank on the other for writing a note.

And this is a night stand that I bought like 3 years ago at a garage sale for $5. I'm just now getting around to sanding it down to refinish it.

I think the feet on it are awesome.

New Minted Submissions

2010-04-21T18:11:00.001-07:00

The newest contest over at Minted is for Themed Birthday Invites for kids. These are the ones that I came up with:

Bungalows!

2010-04-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

I found the greatest website last night- it's called The Bungalow Company. Since I'm slightly obsessed with the beauty of bungalows, but not always excited about the age of the homes themselves (think lead paint, poor insulation, and drafty windows), I was very excited when I found this site. They sell floor plans that mimic the older bungalow style. I prefer the cozy nature and craftsmanship of bungalows, so these are right up my alley.

Finished Easter Baskets

2010-04-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

I kind of improvised the handles, but they turned out okay. I think these will work really well because I can fold them flat to store them unlike regular Easter baskets that take up a bunch of room in my closet.

In Progress

2010-03-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

Working on some canvas Easter Basket/Bags for my two girls. I still need to add the handles before they'll be done. I got the idea from this tutorial.

St. Patty's Banner

2010-03-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

Just some pictures of the St. Patrick's Day banner that I made for my friend Tory:

Demolition Depot

2010-03-10T18:51:00.000-08:00

If any of the rest of you love vintage fixtures, doors, mantels, etc. you should check out The Demolition Depot. It's essentially just a place where they sell cool stuff that they've salvaged from old buildings. It's awesome. Where else can you find things like these:

Have you ever seen such a beautiful hinge?

So, not all of their stuff is amazing. You have to look through a lot of junky looking stuff to get to the real keepers. But I love the idea of being able to use vintage fixtures in my home. I'm not sure what these items cost (it's probably more than I can afford) but it's still fun to browse and daydream about having a beautiful hinge on my door.

Frog and Toad

2010-03-03T09:15:00.000-08:00

Hidden away in one of my many boxes, I found an old picture frame. I used to have photos in it, but when they became outdated and I removed them, nothing ever took their place. The mat has four very small openings (1.5"x2") and it's hard to find good pictures to use for that size. But the other night I scanned in and shrunk down some drawings from a "Frog and Toad" book that I have. I think that they work really well in my little collage frame:

Up and Running Again

2010-02-25T11:20:00.000-08:00

I finally got some items back up in my etsy shop. It's been awhile. I've decided to make the banners as they're ordered from now on. That way people can choose their own colors and size. I'm still going to make banners for myself for the various holidays and that way I can post pictures of them to give people an idea of what they want. We'll see if this works better.

New Plans

2010-02-04T19:39:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've posted a new floor plan, so I thought I would. I've really been on a bungalow kick recently. And to add to my obsession, my husband got me this book for Christmas:

So, this is a bungalow floor plan that I found on Architectural House Plans. I'm not such a big fan of the exterior of this one- it seems a little too modernized to me. But the interior is amazing.

Exterior:

Main Floor:

I love, love, love the half-walls in the kitchen/dining areas and the breakfast seating is awesome!

Second Floor:

I love the simple beauty of the bungalow design. The town that we just moved to has a lot of little bungalows that are just screaming to be helped. I wish I had the money to buy one right now!

CardsInk

2010-02-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

There's a new "designed by the public" site called CardsInk. I just submitted a card design to see how well I do with them. You can check it out and vote for my design here.

Mini Banners Are Here!

2009-11-17T12:07:00.000-08:00

I finally got around to finishing a couple of the mini felt banners that I started forever ago. I need to have them done by Thanksgiving to take to my mom for a holiday bazaar, so I was able to get the motivation to get them done.

One says "Happy Fall" and the other is a pink "Happy Birthday" banner.

This is the size comparison to the regular banners:

I still need to make some that say "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Holidays". I figure it would be appropriate for a holiday bazaar.

Children's Valentines

2009-11-13T19:23:00.000-08:00

This is my submission for the children's valentine contest:

More Minted

2009-11-12T19:55:00.000-08:00

So, I'm kind of getting a little carried away with all of these design contests. But I really have fun doing them. And I know that my stuff isn't the greatest out there, but maybe I'll improve with time and actually win something in the future. The newest Minted contest is for Valentines. This is the one that I just submitted to their family card section:

More Voting

2009-11-09T11:57:00.000-08:00

I found a new-to-me site called Infectious. They remind me a little of Threadless, but instead of shirts, they do decals. But it's the same concept, in that people submit their designs and everyone else votes on which ones they like the best. I recently sent in an old black and white photo of mine and it's currently up for voting. The prize money isn't very much for this site, but it would still be fun to see something of mine in print. So, join Infectious, and vote for my photo here.

Here's what my design looks like:

They do skins for iphones, ipods, and laptops as well as wall and car decals and skateboards.

Up for Voting

2009-11-06T11:55:00.000-08:00

My minted wedding invitations are now up for voting. You have to become a registered member of their site to vote, so if you already are (or plan on joining), go and give my designs a score! A "5" would be preferred. You can vote for them here and here. Thanks!

Needs Work

2009-11-03T19:26:00.000-08:00

I just heard back from one of the fabric companies. They liked some of my designs, but not as "main patterns". I guess they work better as complimentary patterns and are a little too geometric to be used in quilting. ugh. Back to the drawing board.

In the Mail

2009-11-01T14:24:00.000-08:00

Well, my fabric design portfolios are finally in the mail. It took me long enough, huh? Well, last weekend, we were headed to Portland because my husband had a conference for work. I decided that I would have everything ready to be printed out by then so I could just go to Kinkos while I was there. I live in a small town with no Kinkos, so this was my motivation to get it all finished.

I had about 50 sheets to be printed for each portfolio and I needed to send out three portfolios. I pretty much freaked out when I saw that color copies cost $1.00 each and that I would be spending $150 to print out everything. My sister was with me and thought I was being ridiculous. She told me just to print out the most important designs and put the rest on CD's and include them in the folder. I could live with that. I printed out the first design to see how it looked- it was fine. So, I started clicking away, and got through sending about 3/4 of my designs to the printer, when I realized that I had been printing them out in black and white instead of color. ummm, yeah. I was really pissed at myself and about ready to cry. There was nothing I could do but reprint everything back out in color and freak out about all of the extra money that I had just unintentionally spent. I told my sister that somebody had better hire me now after I spent all that money on the stupid copies.

So, the portfolios were in the mail yesterday and on their way. It will take a few weeks for the different companies to get back to me, but I'm crossing my fingers that somebody will like my designs.

Curious George

2009-10-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

I found this awesome Curious George book for $2.00 at the pay-by-the-pound Goodwill this weekend. I'm excited.

Second Design

2009-10-26T22:52:00.000-07:00

I just submitted my second invitation design over at Minted. Check it out!

First Submission

2009-10-19T21:39:00.000-07:00

I submitted my first wedding invitation design over at Minted. It's on the website now, but they haven't started the voting just yet. There are a lot of really nice designs and I'm kind of an amateur, so I probably won't win, but it's still fun to try. This is what it looks like:

When my husband saw it, the first thing he said was "Why is there pot on your design?" I told him that they were Japanese Maple leaves, but he didn't believe me. ugh. I needed some names to put on it, so I used one of my little sisters and gave her a fake husband.

Striped Clock

2009-10-19T11:59:00.001-07:00

On saturday we had our big craft day at church. I was put in charge of supervising the clocks that we were making. The original project involved using a brown glaze to make the wooden clocks look antique-ish. I decided to be bold and instead I painted green stripes on mine.

They had pre-made vinyl with our last names and the clock numbers all ready for us to stick on as well. This is my finished product:

It doesn't really match my living room, so I think I might hang it above the computer.

minted.

2009-10-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

Just discovered minted. and I'm in love. It's basically just another online card company. But they also have design contests! The current contest is to design a wedding invitation- so fun. I'm going to try.

In Progress

2009-10-08T22:07:00.000-07:00

I'm working on Mini-Banners to add to my etsy shop. They're about a quarter of the size of my normal felt banners. I think they're going to be adorable. Stay tuned.

Rejected

2009-10-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

Well, my first set of designs that I submitted to Kaufman Fabrics was rejected.

Dear a. Clayton,

Thank you for your interest in Robert Kaufman Fabrics.
We have carefully reviewed your art submissions and have decided to pass at this time. We feel that we currently already have filled our need for this look and technique.

Thank you and best Wishes,

art submissions

It's a little sad, but I guess all I can do is keep trying new ideas and finish up my portfolio to send to some of the other companies. I've kind of been dawdling on my portfolio with the hope that Kaufman's would want one of my designs and then I wouldn't have to bother finishing it. But I know it's not the best way to approach things if I actually want to get hired. I should probably work on getting a little more motivated.

New Floor Plan I Love

2009-09-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of obsessed with Craftsman style houses. This is my newest love:

Main Floor: (an attached garage would be nice, but I like this enough that I guess I could live without it)

But look at this family room! Gorgeous! I think I could definitely live in this house.

Second Floor:

I love that it doesn't have a bunch of wasted space and that the master bathroom isn't outrageously huge. Although, I would take out the shower and just have a regular shower/tub in my version of this plan. Why do people feel like they need a shower AND a whirlpool tub in their bathroom? Pick one or the other, I say.

Fabric Design

2009-09-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

I have this crazy idea that maybe I'll become a fabric designer. Creating patterns is sort of a hobby of mine and if I'm able to make a little money off of it, I think it's worth a shot to see if anyone will print my work. I just submitted six of my designs to Robert Kaufman Fabrics, so I'll let you know if they like any of them. I'm loving their company right now because anyone can just send in artwork to them any time they want and they'll consider using it for their products. This appeals to me a lot more than trying to call up random fabric companies and ask if they're hiring designers at the moment. Wish me luck!

Long Absence

2009-09-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the long absence from this blog. We moved recently and just barely got our internet set back up. I'm going to try to be more consistent with my posts from now on.

We took the girls to the children's museum on Saturday and they had a fire station playhouse. Our 2 1/2 year old loved it and we had to coax her out and convince her to check out the rest of the museum. I really want a playhouse (when we get our own house with a yard that is). Even something simple like this Cedar Shed Playhouse would be so fun for my girls.

Freezer Paper Stencils

2009-05-24T12:00:00.004-07:00

I've been seeing tutorials about designing your own kid's shirts using freezer paper recently and thought that I would try it out for myself. I decided to try and make a "big sister" shirt for my daughter to wear when she comes to the hospital to see the new baby. I thought initially that I would make a shirt for her and a matching "little sister" shirt for the baby. So, I hopped on Illustrator, messed around with some different fonts, and came up with a design that I liked. I carefully cut out the stencil for the little sister shirt first, ironed the stencil on the tiny shirt, and painted. Then I got impatient and wanted to see how it turned out, so I got out the hair dryer to speed things up a bit. The result: not so good. The font I chose didn't work so well for the small shirt because the letters were too close together and the paint ended up bleeding a little. Luckily, this was just my trial run. I'm not too concerned about having the little sister shirt and I don't think I even bother making a new one. Last night I worked on the big sister shirt. This time I let it dry overnight and this morning I nervously peeled the freezer paper away from the shirt. This one turned out a ton better and I'm excited about it! The paint still bled a little in some spots, but the letters are all legible, so I'm satisfied.

If I Was a Kid, I Would Want These

2009-04-19T11:30:00.005-07:00

I saw these on the Ikea website. This swing is only $15 and can be hung inside or outside. I think I would put it in the corner of my room.

And I'm pretty sure that as a kid, I would have curled up in this chair to read my books. This one isn't quite as cheap ($70), but still cute and it reminds me of the Ball Chair by Eero Aarnio.

You can buy this too, but for several hundred dollars, not a measly $70. I think I'll stick with Ikea.

Graphic Prints

2009-04-09T17:27:00.004-07:00

I love love love John W. Golden's etsy shop. I think my favorite are his "By Order of the Management" signs. I want them for every room of my house.

DIY Finds

2009-04-04T18:18:00.005-07:00

I was browsing on the Do-It-Yourself website and found these great storage ideas.

Under cabinet pull-out drawers to organize bathroom extras:

I think this laundry area is awesome:

And someday I'm going to have labels on my bookshelves:

Floor Plan Friday

2009-03-27T09:19:00.008-07:00

Here's a plan for a craftsman that is a lot larger than it looks from the front, but still falls just under 3,000 sq. ft. Well, maybe a little more than that if you finish the lower level. But I still love it. It's plan #32-354 on houseplans.com.

Exterior Photos: (someone has actually built this house)

1st Floor: I think the laundry room is in kind of a weird spot, but I love the big study and the u-shaped stairs

2nd Floor:

Basement: I like that the garage is in the rear and look how much extra space there is in the basement! Playroom? Craft room? There are a lot of possibilities for this space.

Headboard Slipcovers

2009-03-19T13:41:00.003-07:00

I haven't been up to anything crafty recently, so that's why I keep posting things that I find that I love. I just discovered these headboard slipcovers from Target.

You have to get the actual upholstered headboard first for the slipcovers to go on and then these aren't really cheap (like $100 each), but I think that they're beautiful. They have a lot of different patterns to choose from and I think they could be really fun in a kid's room or guest room. I wish I had money for new furniture...

Sink Skirts

2009-03-17T11:11:00.006-07:00

I have a subscription to Real Simple magazine and I love it. In this month's issue they had a section on bathroom organization. One of the ideas that they featured was on making sink skirts for pedestal sinks. They look super simple to make and it's way cuter than having ugly pipes showing. Not to mention, you can use the space underneath for extra storage. I tried looking for the picture on their website, but they don't have it there and I'm too lazy to scan it in. But I found a couple of other skirts online that were comparable.

In Real Simple, they used a fun purple patterned fabric which turned out very nice. While I was browsing pictures I decided that these skirts look a lot nicer on square/rectangle sinks than they do on oval ones.

Or it could just be how the skirt is placed when it's affixed. I think they look a lot better mounted on the underside of the sink than around the rim.

Built-Ins

2009-03-07T10:03:00.005-08:00

Just some pictures that make me happy. I love built-in bookshelves and there's something about a fun breakfast nook with benches that makes me want one.

New Floor Plan

2009-02-11T10:39:00.006-08:00

I haven't posted a fun floor plan for awhile, and I've been looking at some online recently, so here's a new one. When I was a kid, Victorian style houses were my favorite. There was something about the turrets and the possibility of hidden rooms that intrigued me. Now I tend to lean more toward Craftsman. But this is a simple Victorian that I really liked. It's plan #HWEPL12046 on eplans.com.

Exterior Drawing:

You have to love the wrap around porch!

First Floor:

Not too many rooms, a decent sized kitchen, and a study with built-in bookcases

Second Floor:

Four nice sized bedrooms, upstairs laundry room, and a deck off the master

Thrift Store Fabric

2009-01-29T11:20:00.000-08:00

I love looking at thrift stores for pieces of fabric. These are some recent finds of mine:
I'm trying to decide what I want to do with them. The first one is a bed sheet, but I love the pattern. I could make it into some throw pillows or cute curtains. And the second one actually is a drapery panel. I don't know if I want to just leave it alone and use it on a window or try to transform it into something else. I guess I don't have to decide any time soon.

Design Some Socks

2009-01-23T16:01:00.002-08:00

I stumbled upon this contest at Little Miss Matched. I had never heard of this store until today, but they sell coordinated but mismatched items like socks, pajamas, bedding, etc. This contest involves designing a 3-pack of coordinated socks that will eventually become a part of their line. I think I'm going to give it a shot. What the heck.

I Want This

2009-01-21T09:53:00.006-08:00

Is anyone else in love with the idea of this?
Maybe someday I'll have my very own beautiful art/craft area. This adorable shed is so perfect as a little getaway space.

Recent Projects

2009-01-20T09:45:00.006-08:00

I haven't posted on this blog for over a month. eek. And I can't say that I've been working on any of my normal projects. This past week though I made my very first sock monkey:
It doesn't have eyes just yet, but I thought that it turned out very cute. It's going to be sent to the Philippines along with about 100 others as part of my little brother's eagle scout project. It's kind of a tedious project, but if you get the desire to make your own, there's a good tutorial on Craft Bits.

My second project was making file folder activities for my toddler. I've completed two so far: 5 Little Monkeys and a watermelon counting game.
I'm planning on making a few more since I now have a big stack of folders (they only came in a pack of 25) and a roll of clear laminating paper. I found my activities on Preschool Printables, but I'm sure there are a lot of other websites out there. This site gives you the option of printing the pieces out in color or black and white. I'm a nerd and I think coloring is kind of relaxing, so I print them out blank and color them in myself. But if you're not artsy fartsy or just want to save time, you can print them out pre-colored.

Now on Sale

2008-12-08T10:01:00.002-08:00

I'm putting a lot of my items on sale at my Etsy site for the holidays! Please check it out! My mom was able to sell two of my banners and a couple of necktie snakes at her holiday bazaar this past saturday in Portland. Hooray! A little more Christmas money in my pocket this year!

I'm Back

2008-12-03T17:23:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm back in town after my long 6 week absence. We'll see how long it takes me to get back in the groove of things and start regular posting again!

I Won!

2008-10-31T11:59:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it, but I actually won that Paper Shouts giveaway from Petit Elefant! woohoo for me!

Custom Work

2008-10-23T12:10:00.004-07:00

If anyone is interested, I'm gradually adding links to my various projects on the blog. If you see a banner that I have previously made that you like, I am more than willing to re-create another one for you. Or feel free to glean ideas from them for another custom design. This is a list of the available colors and fonts for my felt banners:

Please contact me if you are interested. I love doing custom projects.

Leaving Town for Awhile

2008-10-22T11:48:00.002-07:00

I'm heading out of town for the next six weeks, so I don't know how much blogging I'll accomplish while I'm gone. But I'll still check in now and again.

Paper Shouts Giveaway

2008-10-21T09:03:00.002-07:00

There's a giveaway going on over at Petit Elefant- one of the fun blogs that I frequently visit. They're giving away a $50 gift certificate for Paper Shouts, a cute online card store. You should all check it out and enter to win!

Christmas Banner

2008-10-20T18:00:00.007-07:00

This one is going straight to my mom for a craft fair:

If you're in the Portland area, you should stop by the holiday bazaar at the Garden Home Rec Center. You might just see my mom selling some of my felt banners and you can pick one up for yourself. I believe it will be going on the first weekend of December. But don't quote me on that.

Floor Plan Friday

2008-10-17T09:31:00.004-07:00

Here's another fun floor plan! This one is more traditional in architectural style than the one I posted last week. But once again, no wasted space! Can you tell I love that? This is plan #22-543 on Houseplans.com.

Main Floor: Huge laundry room, shared fireplace, and a study

Second Floor: Extra bedroom that can be used for more children or a guest/ playroom

I think that I wouldn't need such a huge master bath though. And my husband and I don't have enough clothes to fill two gigantic walk-in closets!

Wallets

2008-10-14T09:27:00.004-07:00

So, I could really use a new wallet. The one I currently use, I have had since high school. So I've owned it approximately 10 years. that's a long life for a wallet and it is definitely beginning to show. Last night I took some scrap fabric that I have lying around and attempted to make a "mock" wallet- just to see how difficult it would be to make. Let's just say that I think I will let my toddler have it. I'll spare you the picture of just how awful it looks. I don't think I'm going to try that again. What I really want is one of these:

So, if anyone wants to buy me one for Christmas- they're for sale at Tee Petals on Etsy.

Shenandoah Costume

2008-10-10T16:01:00.001-07:00

Cute costume giveaway from Grosgrain!
Shenandoah Costume GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Floor Plan Friday

2008-10-10T11:28:00.011-07:00

I have loved looking at floor plans my entire life. When I was a kid, my mom always bought floor plan magazines and I would literally spend hours pouring over them. This is one of the reasons I was drawn to the interior design field. And even though I am not currently pursuing the profession, I still love to find fun floor plans online. My husband thinks I'm weird, but I love it. I usually find one that I like and then critique the layout and decide what I would change about it if I were to actually build it. I thought I would share some favorites of mine over time. So, today's floor plan is kind of an unusual Craftsman design. It's plan #124-549 from Houseplans.com.

Lower Level: Garage and Craft Room (I would love a craft room!)

Main Level: Living Room, Kitchen, Den (I love the shared wall between the gathering and living rooms. Great use of space! And look- a booth!)

Upper Level: Bedrooms

I love the simplicity of this plan! There aren't any wasted spaces or extra rooms that don't have a purpose. It's fairly open, and the flow between rooms is good. The only vaulted ceiling is in the master bedroom, which I would try to get rid of. I'm not a big fan. All this in under 3,000 square feet.