patchwork sweater blanket

I love upcycling all kinds of things but one of my favorites are old or thrifted sweaters. You can transform an old sweater in all kinds of things (pillows, poufs, arm warmers, even a new sweater) but one of my favorite things to make is a blanket. With fall coming, you can never have enough cozy blankies (thats what we call them around here)!

When I am out thrifting I am always on the lookout for cheap sweaters with colors or pattern that catch my eye. I like to keep a little stash in the studio for fall and winter projects. 

I grab a few sweaters (I used 4 for this blanket and have enough leftover for another project). I like to pick funky and unexpected color and pattern combos.

Next, I cut them up into different sized squares and rectangles.

Then I piece them together, pin everything and get busy sewing!

Sewing sweaters can be a little tricky and messy because once you cut up a sweater it will want to unravel.

I use a really tight zig zag stitch when sewing the pieces together. This keeps everything together and helps to avoid any unraveling.

I stitch everything on the outside because I prefer to have my stitching and seams show (that's just my style not a requirement). The cool things that happens when you are sewing sweaters with a zig zag stitch is that the seams get curly which adds more texture to the surface.

I sew everything together and call it good! While you could back the blanket I prefer not to because I like the back side of all the sweaters showing.

family beads

As Lucy gets older I am having so much fun making things that bring her joy! She loves family, they are like super heros for her so I thought it would be fun to create some whimsical beads with family members on them that could be turned to necklaces for play.

Wood beads are really fun especially for kids projects because you can use all kinds of supplies to transform them! 

I wanted my beads to have a whimsical and illustrative look so I used a black micron pen (they are permanent) and started by drawing really simple little portraits.

Next, I used watercolors to add color. The cool part of using watercolors with wood is that the wood soaks it up and the colors are more translucent which for me is a fun alternative to my typical thick layers of acrylic paint.

I created all kinds of family members (I still have more to make).

Then I added the bead to twine to create some simple necklaces

Needless to say they are a big HIT- lots of playing, lots of stories and lots of conversations have come from these little wooden beads!

fashion friday- studio style

When you work for yourself and by yourself, (and on the occasions when you do work with others- it's your mom and husband) it is really tempting to spend all day every day in pajamas. I love fashion but many mornings I have to talk myself into getting dressed. I do it anyway and always end up feeling so much better and like a regular working girl. 

While everyday is different for me- somedays I am painting in the studio, other days I am sewing, then I'm out and about taking photos, then back home for DIY projects, then back to the studio to paint- I try to at least pull some kind of outfit together. They are not always the most stylish but I figure when you are self employed and an artist you don't have to follow any rules- pattern mixing, paint covered pants, bare feet and hats are all welcome in my work place. As long as I am not wearing pajamas in public I am a happy gal!

exploring we will go

A while back we made the promise to each other to always make time to seek adventure as a family (you can read about it here). Exploration and going outside is a big part of our daily lives and once in a while I like to share a little peek into our adventures.

For the last couple of months Lucy has been asking to visit a farm so we finally made some time to head south to Tillamook and go to Blue Heron French Cheese Company. While Tillamook is known for the Tillamook Cheese Factory, Blue Heron French Cheese Company is actually a really fun alternative. Known for their specialty cheeses, they are located on a 40 acre farm surrounded by vintage farm equipment and have all kinds of kid friendly animals to pet and feed. We had a blast exploring the grounds, eating cheese (they have the best brie) and visiting the animals! Here is a peek into our adventures.

It's all fun and games until a goat freaks out a toddler!

tribal backpack DIY

I've been wanting a tribal print backpack but couldn't seem to find one that I liked so I decided to alter a plain pack that I already had! After completely transforming a vest with a Sharpie paint pen, I knew I could tackle this project!

I used my trusty white Sharpie paint pen with a fine point and went to town doodling on my backpack.

air dry clay bookends

Something a lot of people don't know about me is that my parents are potters and I've spent my entire life around clay. Growing up, my mom and dad ran a successful pottery business from home means I was playing with clay long before I discovered painting! In the weeks and months ahead I have a series of pottery posts in the works that I can't wait to share with you and I am kicking this series off today with a fun clay project. I've had a creative idea floating around in my head (what else is new?) to create some whimsical clay bookends that resembled bronze.

While you could use clay that gets fired in a kiln, I thought it would be fun to tackle this project with air dry clay. While air dry clay is much more delicate after it dries, it is readily available at most craft stores and easy to use (no need for a kiln). Once it is dry, it can be painted and even sealed which means there are all kinds of ways to get really creative with it. 

My idea was to create a whimsical "bust like" statue so I got busy molding and shaping my clay. I used a variety of everyday things for tools (toothpicks, paint brushes, chopsticks) to add details, smooth out the surface and shape and mold the head. The process of tackling a face takes a little time and practice but the best part of working with clay is that you can change things over and over again. I worked and reworked my lump of clay. Here is what the process looked like:

After a couple of hours and lots of changes, I achieved what I wanted- a whimsical head with a little bit of soul and a lot of texture. Then I let it dry. Air dry clay actually dries pretty quickly- a couple of days for my clay (it was warm and dry here) which sped up the process.

Once it was completely dry, it was time to paint! This was the idea that I had all along- to transform the clay into something that resembled bronze or metal. I used a "hammered bronze" spray paint. Once it was painted all that texture that I tried to hold onto, details, marks and my finger impressions really POPPED which is exactly what I wanted!

Using some heavy duty glue, I mounted the head to the top of a piece of scrap wood. I also created a simple bronze heart. I am thrilled with the results and had so much fun getting my hands back into clay!

A few TIPS for using air dry clay:

Air dry clay can be used with all the traditional pottery techniques- pinching, coiling, rolling stamping, etc. 

Before you get started, knead your clay until it softens up. If it fees dry or crumbly, add a little bit of water.

When attaching pieces or joining two pieces together, use a pin tool (or even a toothpick) to score or roughen up the clay then apply water mixed with a little clay (this is called slip) to the pieces and then press firmly together.

Once the clay is dry you can go back and carve with tools.

Store air dry clay in an airtight container to keep from drying out.

end of summer sale!

Its officially the end of summer around these parts and I feel like it's a good time for a sale! This week I have all of my online classes marked down $10 off! Head on over to the shop HERE for all the details. Sale ends Sunday, September 7th.