Sweet Costume Craft-Along!

Sad is the day when your children start to have special requests for Halloween costumes. More than likely they're the predictable princess or fireman. This year I decided to do a costume mash-up of the two things my daughter likes best: fairies and cupcakes. She was thrilled with the idea and I get to get my craft on.

What better way to share my process by inviting all of my craft followers in a Craft-Along! I'll be posting steps to this unique costume in various entries as I go along. Many of the supplies you should be able to pick up at second hand or dollar stores as well as some basic supplies at your local fabric store.

Think whisk wands, layered tulle, rick-rack and lots of foil baking cups. Hope you'll craft along with me and please send me your pics to post at the end of the project.

Steps include:
* Cupcake Fairy skirt
* Cupcake Fairy apron with cupcake appliqué
* Whisk wand
* Fairy wings & tiara made with silver cupcake papers

Another Skirt Transformation

Ever have those garments that you never wear, yet you can't part with the fabric? Well, this not-so-flattering on the hips mini skirt was one of those items in the back of my closet. Rather than tossing it into the giveaway bag, I decided that this playful stretch-knit piece would make a great maxi sundress for my 3-yr-old daughter.

I constructed the top bodice out of the waistband panel and used some elastic smocking along the back to make it fit without having to add a closure. Next, I gathered the skirt fabric and re-attached it to the new bodice. Even though this was a mini skirt on me, I wanted to add some more length to the hem to give the dress some more weight and added contrast. I found a black stretch-knit fabric remnant which did the trick.

I love the final flower detail in which I used some additional skirt remnants, gathered and shaped to make a floral broche. The raw edges mirror the raw edge seam used to attach the bottom of the skirt panel. Inside the flower I added a black vintage button to add some sparkle and hide those inner seams.

Northern Exposure

CB and the Family have made the big move from San Francisco to Portland! So much creative energy and inspiration that I'm trying to take it all in. I still don't own a hooded jacket (maybe next craft project?), but I did get myself a spunky little blue bike. The kids are experiencing this season they call "Summer" and I'm always looking for excuses to make sundresses and skirts. Looking for local stitch-n-bitch groups to invade so give me a holler if want to craft with me!

Roll with it, Baby!

Are you super crafty? Want a chance to showcase your woodworking or car-crafting skills? You don't even have to live in San Francisco to participate! PLUS - if you mention "CraftyBitch" on your registration, I'll even include a pic of your entry on my blog. We're also accepting donations for the Silent Art Auction. Now for the details:

The Hell's Belles Car Club of San Francisco is hosting its

5th Annual Pinewood Derby & Art Auction

on Saturday, September 25, 2010.

Held at the fabulous new 941Geary Gallery

(just around the corner from the Shooting Gallery & White Walls Gallery) SF,

it's a benefit for the Bay Area Women's & Children's Center in the Tenderloin, SF.
Music courtesy of DJs Bardot & Michael Charming!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Here's how to join the fun:
- Get a Derby kit and create your own race car to race on a track in the gallery against other participants!
- Get Derby kit and create your own art car masterpiece to display in the gallery!
- Donate a piece of car culture-themed art to be a part of the silent auction for charity!
- OR just come and check out the fun! Free to spectators!!

Here's an amazing pinstriped handbag auctioned off in previous years.

Sundress to Toddler Skirt

This Winter weather has been brutal and I've all but given up on the idea of wearing my sundresses anytime soon. I was inspired by the jersey skirt project as seen on the Ruffles and Stuff craft blog. The perfect solution to cleaning out my closet and making a more stylish, comfortable skirt for my daughter.
What I love about this transformation is that I was able to keep the patch pockets intact and there was plenty of leftover fabric to make the waistband.

Vintage Pattern Party Dress

I love to collect vintage patterns, especially girl's party dresses. This was the perfect combo for my daughter's third birthday. The piping defined the seam lines and it tied with a bow in the back.

A Princess Party without all the Poof

I fought it and fought it and fought it - my daughter finally took interest in everything Disney, especially the Princesses. For her 3rd birthday, she wanted a Princess Party. My challenge was to not be the wicked witch but somehow meet her in the middle. We came up with a "Royal Tea Party" theme which included crowns, tea, cupcakes and I made her a dress that passed the "twirl test".
Instead of goodie-bags, I made a custom felt crown for each child. In addition, I had a bowl of jewels that were backed with Velcro so that they could customize their crown. The crowns were fastened with a ribbon so that each guest could size them as needed.

For decorations, I cut triangles from craft paper, trimmed the top edge with scallop scissors, punched 2 holes and then threaded the ribbon through. No sewing needed! The princess element was the crown & Snow White images stamped on various triangles.
The adults munched on tea cakes and scones displayed on a custom tiered dessert stand. Tea and juice boxes were served as beverages and everyone had a royal time!

DIY Tiered Dessert Stand

Throwing a tea party means having adequate serving supplies to display those dainty bits of food. Knowing that I would probably not host another tea party until my daughter's next princess party, I opted to make my own. I collected 3 glass plates and 2 glass candleholders from the local thrift store. In under $10 I found just the right pieces.
In order to frill it up, I used paper doilies on the backs of each plate as stencils. Use small bits of double-stick tape to hold the doilies in place. A large cardboard box makes an excellent contained area for spray painting. Lightly spray around the open areas of the doily being careful not to over-saturate the paint or it will run. When the paint dries, stack up the plates and candle holders. I used a heavy-duty double-stick padded tape between the layers so that nothing toppled when the guests pulled treats from the stand.

Where I Shove my Stuff

Take a peek into my crafty storage solutions on Craftzine's blog entry today!

Photo Valentine Envelope

Photo mailers are functional, yet so dull, especially when sending pics for a special occasion. In an effort to create a protective barrier that also looks great, I came up with this simple & quick solution. I am a sucker for thicker-weight scrapbooking paper. The only problem is, I don't scrapbook so I'm stuck with large pads of beautiful paper.
To mail 5x7" pics, I used 12x12" sheets. Place the photos in the middle of the sheet and fold around all 4 sides. Don't get too technical, just eyeball it.
Next, cut the sides as shown using the fold lines as a guide. Fold the sides in first, then the top and bottom tabs. Punch holes in the top and bottom tabs, thread ribbon through and tie. You can add a custom tag to the thread as well. I used the paper scraps and cut the edges with decorative shears. Now you're ready to put the finished piece in a mailing envelope and send!