Creative Dawn

Tomorrow I get to sleep in and relax, YEAH!  It is a well earned day off after the business of this past weekend.  My plan is to get up late, watch some guilty pleasure TV, paint and maybe make dinner if the mood strikes me.  Oh, and weather permitting have few beers outside.  What bliss! For today I sewed up this little felt creation.  The flowers are black felt and the beads are brown.  This to me is a great color combination although I know a few people that would disagree with me.  But if you have been paying any sort of attention to this blog you will know that my style is a mix of colors.  Besides, there are no rules in art.  This contradicts what my high school art teacher said, but the teacher was wrong! Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun.   ---Mary Lou Cook

At work recently we started to receive Halloween and fall items and it has inspired me to start making some stuff for this time of year.  The pictures for this pillow are not that good, it looks better if you actually could see it.  I cut out a skull and cross bones from black felt and then stitched it to black felt with red variegated embroidery floss.  The border is a combination of red and orange felt.  Hopefully you get the idea from the pictures. Oh yeah, last night was my class reunion and the games went over very well.  I was so excited that people enjoyed them!  It was a great event and we all had a great time catching up.  We reminisced about the past and created a few new memories!

I think that jewelry and headbands are fun for me to make because at work I wear a uniform and in this is a small way to add personality to it.  This is a wide cloth headband that I covered in orange, pink, yellow and white felt and then added a bead trim in white, yellow and pink.  It's simple, it's fun and a great little project to work on while watching the movie Secretariat.  A very good movie too!  What a wonderfully relaxing easy evening.

The other day at work I was checking out either Crafts magazine or the Better Homes and Garden Holiday Project issue, I'm not sure which one.  This will be verified by tomorrow so that the proper credit is given.  Anyways, there were a few felt ideas and one was a pine cone type of decoration made of blue and white felt.  This got me thinking and inspired me to come up with my own version.  Fall is fast approaching and since this idea came about I figured why not!  The shape was achieved by stuffing some fiberfill in an a knee high nylon that had a run in it.  The next step was to cut petal shape pieces of felt and sew them to it.  Since felt is a favorite material of mine there were plenty of scraps to use. It turned out well but now I need to figure out how to display it or if there should be a few more.  If there was more they could be tied together with others in varying sizes and possibly in solid colors instead of mixed.  ...

Here are three funny little characters!  This is a silly project that was a fun creative outlet.  The material...you guessed it, FELT!  I really don't know if they are alien creatures or monsters but they are kinda of cute in a weird way.  Now, I am in the homestretch.  One month to go on my daily, it has been interesting and learning experience.  As stated in the past, blogging will continue but the everyday posting will go away.  On to August and only 31 days left in my 365 day goal.  The countdown is on!

The other day I posted some felt items, one of them being this cupcake design.  Since then it has been finished and is now a fun and colorful pillow top.  It is so bright and cheery and is reminiscent of an Andy Warhol print.  Working with bright colors is a favorite of mine, the more color the better.  Today was also a baking day.  A few days ago I purchased some zucchini and today it was made into bread.  Patterns and recipes are both things that to me are guidelines so the recipe was altered to work with the ingredients that were on hand and I didn't feel like going to the store.  The recipe ended up as zucchini carrot bread and it is sooooo gooood!  It is posted below if you want to try it. Zucchini Carrot Bread 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 3/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp allspice 1/4 tsp ginger 3 cups flour 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 tbls vanilla 3 eggs 8 oz can of carrots blended and pur...

My plan for today was a painting project but it is taking longer than was originally planned.  More about that later.  So here are a few designs that I have done in felt.  Two of them are additional coffee sleeve designs and the cupcake is part of a larger project that is in progress.  Felt has truly become a favorite medium of mine and since the materials are cheap and versatile.  The peace sign design is fun and will probably be a gift for my niece and the owl is just cute.  Owls also have been a popular design element for me during this time.  Hope you like my designs!

This idea is from in a magazine that was in the break room at work.  It is called Southern Lady and it would not be a normal choice for me to buy, but it was there and it looked interesting.  It is a simple idea for felt, yes felt, napkin rings.  The pattern is easy and very pretty, but I had to put my own spin on it.  The original is no sew and quick but my decision was to make a more complex design that was sewn together.  The design is a hibiscus flower and fits in perfectly with much of my decor.  This is another idea that could be easily adapted to different design that are seasonal or just other flowers It is great to be able to take an idea and make it work for you.  Look around you, the world is an inspiring place.  Learn from others and take it one step farther!  

So, lately I have been checking out different magazines and websites for inspiration.  That is what led to this doll.  I was perusing through a stuffed toy magazine and could not believe all of the creativity in this medium.  Zombie animals, brightly colored aliens and many more fun designs.  My effort is not the best doll ever but she is funny and cute.  She's my little Punk Rock Girl!  Which is a song by the Dead Milkmen and was stuck in my head the entire time I was stitching her together.  The other song that I was thinking of was Sheena is a Punk Rocker by the Ramones.    So there you have it, my attempt at doll making.  I am now giggling because of the silliness of this felt punk doll.  You gotta laugh at yourself sometimes.  :) Have a great night/day!!!

This morning before I went to work, my mom called and asked if I would want some headbands that she didn't use anymore.  Of course the answer was yes, so she dropped off a bag full of headbands and other miscellaneous hair accessories.  After work, I started to sort through the bag when an idea hit me.  Embellishing a simple headband could be fun and a great blog post.  Using the ever useful felt that is always around, I cut out different shapes to experiment with.  At first felt was going to be the only material used but it needed something more.  In the box o' buttons there is also assorted beads and such.  These beads have different shades that catch the light and look really cool.  The light blue middle is a nice contrast to the darker beads.  Beading is not a hobby that ever appealed to me before this blog.  It was relaxing and fun tonight to just sew them on create something so simple but beautiful.  This could be anothe...

I was having trouble coming up with something today.  This is a felt project that I have been playing with but really don't know what the end result will be.  The main purpose was to use up a lot of felt bits and this is what it turned into.  In a way it looks like a millefiori design at least that's what came to my mind while trying to figure out a use for it.  If some beads were added, it would definitely have that kind of look to it.  Most likely it will become a small pillow but who knows!  Short and sweet again tonight, just like me :)

I love coffee, any style, any flavor and the smell, it doesn't get any better than that.  Most of the time we just brew it at home, it is more economical but occasionally I treat myself to some Caribou.  YUM!  When you get coffee at a shop they give you the little cardboard sleeve to keep your hands from getting too hot.  This is my homemade version out of felt.  It is not an original idea, but this is my take on it.  Actually these are going to be Christmas gifts for my family and friends.  They are quick, easy and cheap to make and you can personalize them.  I know, Christmas already, but when you make a lot of gifts, you need to start early.  My list is already started in preparation for the hand made items.  It sounds crazy to some people, but this is something I do every year in June or July.  Yes, there will be Christmas in July posts for everyone to look forward to.  If you can believe it, my Halloween costum...

Today is short and sweet day because I am tired and my head is pounding UGH!  Don't know why there have been no posts with key chains yet, just too busy with other ideas.  I got a package of the chains at a dollar store recently and have been experimenting since.  The number one thought...FELT!  I was just started to cut out animal shapes and these two were the most successful.  First there is a cute little piggy and second an elephant.  I really wanted to make them in different colors, but my bin o' felt is getting low.  There may be a trip to the store for more in the near future.  Happy crafting!

Hello all!  It was a long day for me.  I worked and rushed home grabbed a quick sandwich and was off again to my stepson's graduation.  I just got home and have to get up and work again in the morning.  So looking forward to Sunday right now!  BIG YAWN!  I should sleep well tonight. OK, what we have for today is three geese or swans.  Not sure really what kind of birds they are I just started cutting a bird like shape and went from there.  Honestly, I am not sure what to do with them.  Magnets are a possibility or maybe a mobile of some sort.  No matter what they are cute, fun and colorful.  

Can you believe it is actually warm outside!  Finally after so many months of cold weather there is sun and temperatures in the 70's and 80's.  What do you think of when it's summer time?  I think about beaches, swimming pools, shorts, sandals and of coarse ice cream.  You drive by a Dairy Queen on a nice evening and it is packed with families.  You hear that familiar sound of the the ice cream man driving down your street.  Today's post is my new creation in felt, ice cream cone fridge magnets.  These were so fun to make that I almost couldn't stop.  This may be something to set aside and use as stocking stuffer next Christmas.  There is a bit of stuffing inside them for dimension.  Just to make them even more adorable they have bead eyes and stitched smiles.  I added stitching on the bottom to make it look like a waffle cone.  You could also use this basic design and make an applique on a pillow top or make a giant ice cream...

First, a big thanks to all of our military on this Memorial Day.  There are not enough ways to let you all know how much you are all truly appreciated. I should have done a more patriotic theme post but there was nothing that came to mind to do so here is a fun pillow.  Geometric designs are some of my favorites, I love them.  This was actually inspired by another pillow that I saw in a store.  The design concept is simple but the results are very cool.  The back is just a bunch of felt strips but once it was finished it I like the results and had to post a picture of it.  This design that could be made with regular fabric and fusible web.  You could use fun patterns as contrasts.  That may be another project for me to do soon!

This is the official post for 5/13.  I am glad that blogger only was delayed for a day.  I cannot imagine catching up on a weeks worth of posts if that had happened. I had the idea a while back to put bookmarks randomly at the library and here is my felt version of one.  This will probably be put in a kids book because it is bright and fun.  For a bit more weight to this and to cover up the stitching on the back, there are two pieces of felt sewed together.  It is a simple project and would be good for kids to do as well.  It would work great for church groups or girl scouts.  There's another fun idea, I should find away to teach kids crafts.  I may have to look into that.  Kids can be so much more creative than adults because they are more free in their thinking.  Definitely need to check out my options soon.  

Today I have to create two posts because I was unable to do any yesterday with blogger having issues.  It was a bit frustrating, but things like this happen and are beyond our control.  This post and the one that follows today are involving felt.  Remember, the new book?  I promise that after today the posts will not be about felt for a bit.  This is a fun bright pillowcase/pillow sham.  I don't know if this is something that I would want to sleep on because it is more decorative.  It is so bright and cheery to look at.  Some of the great things about working with felt are that you can do anything with it, cut it in any shape and there are so many colors available.  It even can be purchased by the yard for larger projects such as Christmas tree skirts or wall hangings.  I know, I am a felt nerd what can I say, but it is something that is never boring to work with.  Yes, rambling on, sorry!  Maybe I should right my...

It is storming in parts of Minnesota now, there are fabulous light shows, thunder and hail all around us.  Welcome to spring!  It was sunny and warm today finally and now the storms are rolling in.  While I don't want to be out in this weather, it is interesting to check out the skies from the safety of my home.  The sunset with the dark clouds was a brilliant orange and absolutely beautiful tonight.  So, yesterday I told you about my new book of felt ideas, beware, it is getting addictive for me so there may be a few posts in a row of felt.  This is a fun little pillow that I made with a butterfly.  There was no pattern, I just started cutting until the shapes looked right.  It is really small so I may add a ribbon so that it can hang from a door or hook.  It is just adorable and fun for spring. :)

On a recent trip to my local Goodwill store, I found a small book on felt crafts for a dollar.  There are some great ideas and it was exciting for me to find it.  Idea number one is a book cover that has a cute kitty on it.  It definitely has a retro feel to it.  Couldn't you picture it on a fifties style skirt?  What I decided to do was to make a book cover for a small photo album that I had.  There is a pattern in the book for the cat, but I just made my own pattern freehand using the picture as a guide.  This would also make a cute pillow, you could make the cats in different colors and backgrounds then sew them together.  Hm...future idea! Look for a few more ideas from my newly found felt book soon!  I cannot wait to make the projects in it.  :)