feeling crafty

Ummm, I tend to stress over things.  Alot!

Something I stress over is scrapbooking.  Of course, I love love love taking photos and I absolutely adore creating fun and oh-so-cute scrappy pages of my boys....

but I can NEVER find the time.

That's not even what stresses me out.

In order to work on my scrapbook, I have to lug out ALL of my stuff,
scissors, paper, cutting tools, cutesy little embellishments, and so on & so on...
It takes so much time to lug it out and put it all back up nice and neat.
I have even left it out before on the formal dining room table...
Since I have NO kid free space to do this "scrapbooking hobby" my materials end up destroyed and hubby ends up ill at the not so lovely table decorations.

That doesn't even stress me out!

What causes me stress when I think of scrapbooking is...
all of the unfinished pages I have started,
all of the supplies I have purchased {with the best initentions} and never used
all of the adorable kodak moments I captured but never actually got them in a book for anyone to view and enjoy!

Living in the digital age of uploading photos...my boys never get to sit and flip through old photos of themselves.

Now that causes me stress.

So, I have officially joined the digital age completely...
and started digital scrapbooking.

Check out the very first 12x12 page I created:

I am so impressed with myself.

I have recently learned about the whole digital designing process while "branding" myself and my new photog business {since I am too cheap to pay the big bucks for someone else to do it}.  I am actually designing my own Christmas cards for the upcoming holiday season.  The more I have learned about the designing side, the more I realized I LOVED it...

so why not try applying it to digital scrapbooking? 

{My hubby is thinking - just what she needs, ANOTHER creative outlet!}.

When I place my next print order for one of my photography clients, I will simply order this image for me in a 12x12 print {so all of my images on the page will be top quality}.  Then I will simply slide the print in one {of the many} scrapbooks I already own.  

I am so excited and feel slightly accomplished {even though its just one page}.

I have been purchasing design supplies/tools for my business from The Shabby Shoppe and I am inlove with ALL of their stuff!  Yummy!!!  Yummy!!!  I have drooled over many of their adorable digi scrapbooking kits for a while now.  I actually purchased my blog elements from The Shabby Shoppe and I love the way my blog looks! 

Not to mention that the ladies over at the Shabby Shoppe are soooo unbelievably talented and give out lots of tutorials and ideas on their blog.  

I plan on using my pictures, my previously purchased kits and their ideas to create something adorable and sentimental for my family.  

I am set and I am going to give this digi-scrapping thing a shot.  

I store all of the supplies on my computer.  There are no scissors to worry about hiding from my kiddos.  The kits I own {digitally} can be used over and over and over and mixed & matched with others...the possibilities are endless.  

You know I will be throwing a big party when I finally have just ONE book completed and full of my very own pages.  I can't wait to share!

Game on...

summer fun

{FREEZE and EAT}

 

feeling crafty

We start our summer reading program tomorrow at our local public library.

I decided to make some library totes for the boys to help them keep up with the books they plan to check out.

They turned out great and were VERY inexpensive.

Materials I used for this project:

canvas tote bags that I already had

1/3 yard of fabric {I spent 11.63 to make 3 bags}

The fabric wasn't on sale which was slightly upsetting.

The older boys got help choose their fabric {thus, the skulls}.

This project takes less than a 12" x 12" square for each of 3 fabrics per bag,

that you could EASILY use left over remnants from other projects!

woven wonder {I spent 1.99 for one yard to make all 3 bags}

sewing machine, thread & scissors - which I already had

printed letter templates from my computer

and a few measuring tools - one of the kids book & a mixing bowl from the kitchen

I must say - I way over spent on this project...
that's right...less than $14 for 3 bags and I over spent!
I have enough materials to make AT LEAST 3 more bags.

By may calculation...each tote would cost less than $4...easy!

How awesome is that?

I have the materials to create an adorable tote for the next birthday that comes up.
I can fill the personalized tote with some markers and an art tablet or
a few books and a little flashlight {depending on the kid}
and I'll have an inexpensive and meaningful gift!  {wink, wink}

As for timing...
I made all 3 bags for my boys in less than 2 hours.
I spent about 45 minutes working on them yesterday during naptime and
finished up the sewing part in about 45 minutes during naptime today.

That's right - less than 2 hours to make 3 bags!

10 easy steps for this project:

1.  First I ironed on the "wonder under" to the fabric I was going to use for the bottom square.  Then I did the same for the fabric I was going to use for the middle layer, the circle and then the top layer, the letter.

2.   For the bottom layer, I used on of the kids' square books {roughly 10" x 10"} and traced the outline of the square onto the fabric {wonder under side}.  

Then, on the fabric I was going to use for the middle layer, I used a round mixing bowl and traced the outline of a circle {tracing on the wonder under side}. 

3.  I used my computer {microsoft word} to create a cute letter for each of my boys initials.

I printed them and cut them out.

4.  Then, flipping the letters over, I traced them on the solid orange fabric for the top layer.  

Again, I traced on the 'wonder under' side.

5.  Next I cut out all of my shapes & letters.

6.  Then, I peeled off the 'wonder under' from the backs of the circles and letters

leaving the 'wonder under' on the back of the square. 

{I peeled it off LATER}

Seriously, this was the most difficult part of the whole project - peeling of the 'wonder under'. 

I couldn't get the edge of the 'wonder under' to come up.  

It was hard to grab onto.  

I know...I'm a wimp!

7.  Next, I ironed on the circle to the square 

& then the letter onto the circle.

{following the iron/heat instructions that came with the 'wonder under'}  

No sewing so far - just a little tracing, cutting & ironing!

Simple, right?

8. NOW I peeled off the 'wonder under' from the square!

8.  Time to sew - which took less than 5 minutes per bag.

I sewed the outline of the letter with a straight stitch, just inside the outside edge.  

{This was the second trickiest for me...I don't sew well on curves.}

9.  Then I sewed a zig-zag stitch just inside the outside edge of the circle.

**NOTE - with the stitches being just inside the edges of the cotton fabric...

I suspect, with some wear & tear, there will be some fraying.

{'wonder under' will keep that to a minimum}

A few frayed edges is okay with me.  

It's a kid's bag and I am totally into shabby chic, anyway!

Ummm, this is what the little guys were doing while I worked on this project! 

{wink, wink}

Isn't he cute?

So close to being done...

9.  I ironed on the square {other layers already sewn onto the square} to the tote bag.

10.  Lastly, I sewed a straight stitch just inside the outside edge of the square.  

I really thought this was going to be the hardest part - working with the bag that had the sides sewn together, but it wasn't hard at all.

Viola!  It's done.

All of the bags turned out so cute!

I just love them.

We are all set to head to the library tomorrow to fill the new {inexpensive} tote bags with books!

Head on over to Tatertots and Jello to find lots of amazing crafts!