Giveaway Central

#9
So I haven't had time to be creative today.  Besides sleeping this morning, I haven't been home ALL DAY.  Even as I type this post, I am at my parent's house.  So no creative energy coming from my neck of the woods today.  So far this Blogtober, I've been trying to promote the awesome work on other's blogs that I follow.  I think it's important to support and help each other out.  It feels so good to get recognition for your hard work, especially from a complete stranger.  Anyway that is my rant. 

There are SO many giveaways going on this month.  Most are because of Blogtoberfest.  Incase you aren't aware, here is the list of all the giveaways that I am aware of from the list of Blogs I Follow.  You have to be in it to win it :)

(if you click on the Blog title it will link you straight to the giveaway so you can enter)

Plushka's Craft

A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Ange's Ramblings

Create for Life

Darling Girl

Eva Mei & Me

Michele Made Me

Mousehouse

Sweet Jeanette

 The Clip Cafe

(fabric)

 AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST AND MOST IMPORTANTLY... *drums are rolling*

A Christy Production

Well that's the end of the list.  I am sorry this post wasn't full of gorgeous things I made today, but I did the best with what I had (considering I wasn't even typing this blog post from my own computer in my own home).  Hopefully you have been able to take advantage of your Saturday and make lots of beautiful things.  I don't think my Craft Quarters are going to get a look in tomorrow either... sigh.  

Until tomorrow

Christy

Reminder! Finds of the day! Plugging a friend!

#8
Don't forget I have another giveaway in progress.  It's not as big and magnificent as my previous giveaway, but I still think it's a nice little bundle of things.  Check it out here to enter!  Good luck!

(4 Christmas Cards, 2 ribbon flower clips)

Technically this is my post for the day for Blogtoberfest, which is lame.  But I promise that I'm SUPER BUSY.  I'm at work all day today, and as soon as I get home from work I need to leave again to go to my friend's baby shower to give her this...

...hamper full of baby goodies!!  I should have taken a photo of it before I put on the cellophane.. the contents are super cute and I've taken a liking to doing up baby hamper's all funky and fun.  I'll try and remember to photograph the next one before I wrap it up. 

As usual all of you fellow bloggers are inspiring me.  Here are a few things I saw just this morning that I either want to do, or dreamed I had the skills to do.

1. Cara from Me? A Mom? made this AWESOME name badge for herself.  I want one.  And I don't even have anywhere to wear it.

2. Adele from Adelisa Designs made this awesome card at one of her Card Classes last weekend.  I want to learn how to do the ribbon like that.  I often do the rippled ribbon but it's all perfect and neat.. I think I like this messy look better.

3.  The amazing Kate from Foxs Lane made this vintage dress with a sewn-in apron.  It is to DIE FOR!  But I can't sew those kind of clothes yet.  Practise practise practise.  I'm starting small.

4.  Kirsty from kootoyoo just won this handmade vintage granny square ring.  I want one and I want to learn how to make my own rings.  I have huge fingers and have never in my entire life found a decorative/dress ring that has fit a finger other then my pinky.  Stupid fat fingers!!

I also might do a plug for a friend of mine.  Her name is Ami and she is pretty much amazing.  Please check out her blog and her madeit store (just search for Chirp under User/Store name).  Here's some of the cool stuff she's made: (Oh and she has a giveaway on her blog ATM too)

Hair clips

Fabric Flower Brooche/Clip

Fabric Flower headband

Vintage button rings. ( I want these )

Vintage button earrings ( I want these too )











I told you she was clever.  Check it out!

I promise a more productive post for tomorrow filled with goodies I've made delicious homemade items made by me!

Until tomorrow!!

Christy

Fabric Canvas Tutorial

#7 - take two.
Well here is my second attempt at posting this tutorial.  If you missed what happened first time round, feel free to read about it here.

So I have been asked on several occasions to do a quick tutorial on how to make fabric canvases.  It is super easy and only takes 10-15 mins per canvas.  I whipped up a few today and took piccies whilst making them.  This is only my second tutorial, my first was only done yesterday :)  I am not the best at explaining but hopefully the pictures will make it easier.

What you need:
Canvas
Fabric
Staple gun
Lots of staples!!
Scissies (for some reason this is what I call scissors, just go with it ok)

First you need to cut your fabric out.  I just cut it roughly, leaving a few inches all around.  You don't want too little, or else it is hard to secure everything properly and you don't want it tooooo big or else it gets bulky. 

First of all you need to turn your canvas upside down on the fabric.  Fold up one flap, and secure with staples on the corners.  Make sure it is nice and taunt (you're going to hear that work alot in the next few minutes).

Flip your canvas around and staple the other two corners.. making sure it is TAUNT!  Pulling everything taunt is sooo important in making this.  You want a nice smooth flat finish at the end. 

Pop a few staples on the sides where the flaps are stapled up to hold it in place for the next few steps.

Now for the corners.  You will need to fold up a mini flap and staple it in place, and then you fold up the rest...

...like this.  And then staple it down.

You're going to need to do the other three corners.  Add some staples in the middle sections to keep it all taunt as you work your way around.  

Then go crazy with the staple gun.  Fill in all the gaps pulling everything nice and taunt into place.  Stretchy fabric needs lots of staples (the fabric used in this tutorial was super stretchy), but stiffer fabrics with no elastine won't need to many.

Lastly you want to trim up the fabric.  I do it really scrappy as you can see on the top right :P  But you can make it all nice and neat if you want to.

So that is it in a nutshell.  If you have any questions feel free to ask, and I'd like to officially apologise if I have thoroughly confused you.  It is likely to have happened.

I'll have to take some pics of the canvases once I hang them.  I had such a busy schedule today and didn't get around to hanging them.  I also made two other canvases to go with this one so they should cheer up my lounge room nicely!

Now I need to find another project to do!!

Here's to a more successful attempt at posting a tutorial!! Hooray!!

Have fun crafting!  See ya tomorrow!

Christy

Post number 7 - fail.

#7
Well folks.  I wrote my tutorial.  Yep.  I even had to DO the project this morning and photograph it so I could write it today.  But guess what I did?  I wrote it on my Personal Blog.  It gets better.  After realising this I decided to try my luck at Cutting & pasting it onto my Craft Blog.  So I cut it, and it autosaved the empty document.  And I opened my Craft Blog, hit "new post" and tried to paste it.  And it wouldn't. So I lost it.  Forever lost.  And I don't have time to write it again.  Maybe later tonight I'll take a stab at it again, but as for now, I need to shower, put away laundry, hang out more laundry, make dinner & dessert and clean up downstairs cause we have company for dinner tonight.

And here I thought I was being organised and efficient.  Pssh.  Annoying.

In the meantime here is something I've been working on lately to make this post SOMEWHAT visually appealing.

New flowers.  I likey.  I made a Christmas version one last night.  Not entirely sure what I am going to do with them yet.

Until later (maybe)

Christy

Generous fabric giveaway

You should check out this giveaway!!  Holy cow it's generous!!  Make sure you pop over to Emma's blog - It's All About The Fabric.  Full of eye candy :)

Have a great day!

Christy

Shirt to Skirt tutorial

#6
(6 down, only 25 to go)
Here's a quick tutorial on how to turn a ladies shirt into a childs skirt.  Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about doing the Fabric Canvas tutorial yet.. I just haven't had time to make the canvases yet.  Maybe later this week.  I did this skirt over the past weekend.

This tutorial is great if a shirt doesn't fit you anymore or has a stain on it or something.

This is the shirt I started off with.  Found it in the Thrift Store for a few dollars.  I find it is easier to make these skirts out of shirts that have a longer bodice - which are common in empire line tops.

I cut the top off, right under the sleeves.  I also cut the straps off that were in the front.  Saving those for something else.

Now you need to create a waistband.  I didn't make this skirt for anyone in particular so I guessed the size/measurements for my waistband.  I think the general rule is you do 1 1/2 of the waist measurement - cause you want a little gathering.  I think that sounds confusing.  Maybe I'll break it down a little better.  If the waist measurement was 100cm, you could cut out the waistband to be 150cm.  Get it?

Ok so you cut out the waistband, and then sew the two ends together.   I think I just confused you again.  Here's a diagram... 

Does that make sense?  Sew those two ends together, then iron the flaps flat, and then turn it so the seam is inside.  (I just realised I'm really bad at tutorials, must be why I've never tried before).


Fold your tube in half and iron it, so theres a nice definate line in the centre.

Now you need to pin your waistband to your skirt.  I want you to look at this picture, and not do what I have done.  I pinned the waistband to the INSIDE of the skirt and sewed it on and then realised that I was blonde, and should have pinned and sewn it onto the OUTSIDE. 
Remember your waistband is going to be bigger then the skirt.  So you need to mark on the waistband and on the skirt, where the front, back & sides are.  When pinning, you line up those four points.  The open edges face up whilse pinning.

When you sew on the waistband, you need to pull the skirt fabric taunt so your waistband is sewn on flat.  (Another corker of an explanation).

Make sure you leave a gap to thread your elastic through too!

Once you've threaded through your elastic (which you premeasure to be the perfect length for the size waist it needs to go around) - sew the two ends together.  I then tuck the elastic back into the waistband and then you can sew the little opening shut.

And to finish it off, the straps that I cut off the front in the beginning, I made into a fabric rosette with some buttons, and sewed it on front.

I didn't need to worry about a hem, I just left the original hem from the shirt.













And there you have it folks.  My first official horrible tutorial.  I'm really going to have to work on expressing myself in a way others can understand.  If you can follow what I just wrote in this tutorial, KUDOS TO YOU!  You must be special :)

By my calculations this skirt is about a girls size 4.

Until tomorrow... have fun crafting!

Christy

Giveaway for Blogtoberfest!

#5
I did promise another Giveaway and here it is folks.  I figured Christmas is only 12 weeks away, so I gathered a few Christmas items....

(4 Christmas greeting cards, 2 flower hair clips)

Here is how to enter:
1.  For one entry, follow my blog.  If you are already a follower, great.  You need to leave a comment to tell me you are following.
2.  For a second entry, post about my Giveaway on your blog - either in a post or in your sidebar.  Leave me a comment with a link to where it is.
3.  For a third entry, you have to leave me a comment telling me your most favourite Christmas tradition, either from in the past or something you currently do.
(so to clarify - that is 3 SEPERATE comments folks - one entry per comment)

As far as I'm concerned Christmas is around the corner, and I LOVE Christmas.  So let's get into the Spirit nice and early and share some of our most favourite memories and moments.

Entries close on Sunday 31st October at 9pm (Brisbane Australia time).  I will announce the winner as soon as I draw it.. and will post the winner as my FINAL entry for Blogtoberfest.  Overseas entries are welcome.

Good luck to you all me maties!!

Until tomorrow.....

Christy

Blog hopping finds.

#4
I love blog hopping.  I do it almost every day.  I love finding new blogs to follow too.  I have become fussy in who I want to follow, or else I end up with 50 zillion blogs I'm following, and because I keep up with the blog posts and like to read every single post as they appear.  I can't get behind!!! I think it's the OCD in me.  Plus I don't want to miss out on any fantastic idea's that people give me.  Afterall, I lack imagination at times.  So here are a few of the blogs I've found recently and started following.

1.  Mousehouse - by Megan.  She also has a giveaway going on.  She makes the sweetest little things!

2. Cat Taylor Design - by Cat.  One clever lady.  I WANT ONE OF HER NEEDLE BOOKS!!

3.  GemmaJoy - by Gemma.  Amazing flower accessories.  Never knew felt could look so gorgeous.

4.  Beads by Laura - by (you guessed it...) Laura :P  She makes them HERSELF.  People amaze me.

5.  CurlyPops - She has an awesome giveaway going on too, and I hope I win it!!  She'll have several more giveaways this month to so make sure you follow!

6.  Dot Dot Dot - by Tasha.  This lady is Thrifty like no other.  One I look up to!  I love Thrifting!!(she made that table by combining two old ones!)

7.  Emily Sparks.  A stay at home mum who loves to be creative.. loving her necklaces!

8.  Kyla Does Stuff - by Kyla.  How awesome are those totes? I mean really, it's the best tote I've EVER seen!

9.  LaLa's World - by Denise.  This lady is one fab scrapbooker and card maker.  Pretty much amazing!

10.  White Mouse Creations - by Yana.  How cute can a softie be?  I mean, a chicken AND it's baby chicks?  Outta this world cute!

I hope you've found someone new and fun to follow!

Happy crafting me maties!!

Christy