Monthly Archives: November 2011

Stickygram awesomeness.

Posted on November 30, 2011 by SewTara| Leave a comment

Now as if the whole Instagram app wasn’t cool enough. Now along comes Stickygram and you can turn all your fun photos into magnets. If my children are Grandsons to you please go away or you’ll ruin the surprise.

I ordered 2 sets, one for Nana and one for Grandma & Grandpa. I didn’t order one for me, I was really torn about it but I figured they’re my kids, I see them everyday. I regret that choice now. These things are awesome!

Maybe I can do something with the little picture that’s on the ‘hey here are your Stickygrams’ note. Like stick them on the back of some ugly fridge magnet or something.

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Posted in fun finds, gifts, kid fun, other crafts

Tagged gifts, instagram, photos, stickygram

Wanna be in my sidebar?

Posted on November 29, 2011 by SewTara| Leave a comment

Where is time going?! It’s just flying by!

That said, I’d like to take once last moment to point out the lovely links I’ve been sharing this month and to also let you know that you can be one of the lovely links shared for December. I love the online community and how we all share the love. Not only have I been highlighting these ladies but the they’ve been great tweeting or re-tweeting things and all the cross promotion has been great.

Click here to see all the fun info.

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Posted in uncategorized

Tagged sponsors, sponsorship

Amazing scraps!

Posted on November 28, 2011 by SewTara| 5 Comments

I was really on the ball and packaged up my scrap swap packages quick and even ran off to the post office instead of leaving them in the car for days. Then on the weekend I popped over to my friend Tabatha‘s house where we did a little swap of our own. It was supposed to be my yellow wood grain for her green wood grain but when I got there she couldn’t find it. Instead she let me pick some pieces and then she let me raid her ‘scrap bin’ which I have to say looks way better than my fabric stash! And it’s her scraps!! Pieces she doesn’t even really care about anymore!

Part of me felt bad that I hadn’t gone there before I made my packages for the swap. Then part of me was happy because now I get this cool stuff to play with. Yeah, I’m selfish like that, mostly when it comes to beautiful fabric.

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Posted in scraps, sewing

Create Along Friday

Posted on November 25, 2011 by SewTara| 2 Comments

Wow, so I guess I was busy this week. Friday is now my full day at work, thanks to this whole day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 thing we do in my school board, and I realized as I was drifting off last night that I hadn’t actually written today’s post. Then of course a day of work, a busy evening and last minute craft show prep has kept me from actually posting it. But here is my dumpling pouch a free pattern from my pattern selling friend Keyka Lou. **Her patterns are still just $5 until November 27th**

I love the fun rainbow/froggies in the rain print. For the inside I just reached into my scrap stash and grabbed something.

The pouch opens up ridiculously wide, it would be great for lots of little things like make up, art supplies, or crafting stuffs. The zipper goes in really well once you cut the little notches in it and my dumpling is only a little bit wonky on one side.

Just tilt your head a little and it looks like a really good pouch. Now I have no idea what advice to offer to get this side looking good. Maybe “close your eyes”?

I have absolutely no stinking idea how that happened and I’m stumped on how to fix it. I’ve turned the pouch and tried to resew that seam and every time I turn it back right side out that one corner is all stupid. Soooo oh well I’m just going to have to live with it. However, I will be trying again once I had some spare time! But if you don’t look to hard, or need the pouch to stand up on it’s own it looks great!

For my next trick I’m going to be sewing up one of these handy things. I’m usually fumbling for my headphones in the car to use my phone, or they get all tangled up in my purse or gym bag. I’m hoping this little friend will solve all those problems. Plus it’s got no corners so I can’t really mess it up too much!

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Posted in createalong, scraps, sewing

Tagged create-along, keyka lous, pouch, scraps, sewing

I broke my promise.

Posted on November 24, 2011 by SewTara| 1 Comment

I said to myself I would work through the stash of fabric I have, but then I found some cute stuff online and well, you know how it goes. A few clicks and an order (possibly two) was placed. Yeah, I need help. But behold the pretty colours and prints.

Most of it is Khristian A Howell’s The Woodlands collection. There’s an Etsy search so you can see all the prettiness. I ordered mine from Fabricworm.

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Posted in fun finds, sewing

Tagged Etsy, fabricworm, wood grain fabric, woodlands

I made some zipper pouches, just a few.

Posted on November 23, 2011 by SewTara| 3 Comments

This was my Saturday, 9 zippered pouches. I used all sorts of random scraps and snuck in a lot of my cute Japanese fabrics. These sold really well at my last craft show, they sold out in fact, so I decided to build a bit of a stock. I’ve been making them since the Create Along on them, plus I love all Keyka Lou’s stuff.

The insides are just as fun.

I tried buttons, nothing and even got adventurous and tried my nemesis The Snap again.

During the last Sew Mama Sew giveaway day I managed to win some charm packs, all solid colours, and I’ve been using those for bits and pieces on these pouches. If you do a bit of an assembly line and go nuts cutting one day you can sit and sew a whole pile of them in one day. Probably something like 9 of them.

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Posted in scraps, sewing

Need some stocking stuffers?

Posted on November 22, 2011 by SewTara| 1 Comment

I recently made a purchase, a one for me one for you sort of deal. One Up Designs has some really fun pencils, notebooks and decals. Not only do I get some fun pencils for shopping there but I was also given a referral code that can get you 30% off your purchase. It’s a pretty super deal since the products are already really reasonably priced.

These little notebooks are super cute. I kinda regret not getting some, you know for my new pencils.

This fun owl decal is pretty awesome too.

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Posted in fun finds, gifts

Tagged decal, favours, gifts, notebook, pencil, stocking stuffers

Have you met these lovely ladies?

Posted on November 21, 2011 by SewTara| Leave a comment

I sent them some homework and asked them to answer this question, “How did you come to be living this creative life?” Here’s their answers, some fun pics and clicky links.

I have always been creative from a very young age. I come from a family of artists and crafters and was lucky enough to be surrounded by grandparents and parents who nurtured my creative and quirky personality. Over 25 years of creating art and I’m not teaching my mentors tips and tricks.

Blog Shop Twitter

COUPON CODE: Friends (20% off in my shop)

Growing up, my mom was very creative. I would tag along with her to craft shows where she would sell hand-sewn rabbit dolls, hair bows, and various other items. She was always sketching and sewing around our home as well. As I aged, my home life and family changed quite a bit, and I turned to my creativity as a healthy way to express myself and to find comfort. Rather than taking band or choir in school, I took art classes and extra home-economics classes where I learned to cook and sew. I was the super cool middle schooler doing cross-stich as a hobby. In high school I joined more activities but continued taking as many home economics and art classes as possible and scribbling in my notebooks and journals in my free time. Since then I’ve earned an Associates of Arts and continued to take a class here and there, but have more so struck out on my own to see where my creativity can take me. I’m really excited to see and have plans of opening a handmade etsy shop in 2012.

Blog Shop Twitter

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Posted in fun finds

Tagged coupon, sarbear, sponsors, Tera sue

Create Along Friday

Posted on November 18, 2011 by SewTara| 2 Comments

Okie so here’s my doily table runner. Now I said last week this was super easy, “just get some doilies and sew them together”. Well I had a harder time than I thought. I fussed and fussed with the layout and even as it is I’m still not 100% happy. But you can always add more on the ends . . . . or something.

I really like how it looks on our dark table. Just have to work on getting the ripples out.

So I know I’ve blabbed about Keyka Lou and her patterns before but she also has some free tutorials and things you can learn on her site. I’ve got fabric and zippers set aside for this dumpling project already so let’s give it a whirl.