link luv roundup

{image via}

i'm starting to get the feeling that scary feeling that summer is almost over.......

i love the simpleness of this print. (via oh, hello friend)

hurry over to the etsy blog "the storque" for your free copy of the smocked sundress from one of my fave books "weekend sewing" by heather ross.

i can't wait to get my hands on something wooden to give this a shot!

refashion a dish towel into this handy kids art apron.

isn't this smocking gorgeous? so fun & retro!!!

these would be perfect for any baby shower or new mom.

i luv anything betz white does but these little felted balls just brightened up my day! so cheerful! while you're over there make sure to check out her new fabric line - i seriously drool over my entire keyboard every time i see it.

i am planning on crocheting up some of these lovelies to brighten up my place with some hawaiian color.

i really need to work on my quilting skills, one day i will, i will, i will attempt to accomplish these....emphasis on the "attempt"......a newbie sewer can dream right? get the how to for each of these blocks here, here and here.

this refashion over on "thimbly things" is to die for! seriously, i can't get over the before & after! love it!

i'm drooling (yep, i've been drooling a lot these days) over the prints in this lovely, fresh summer quilt. (via sew, mamma, sew!)

i want these pillows from sfgirlbybay's favorite things post over on decor8!

i would like to try having a go at this cute dress, what fabric would you guys make it in?

make it and love it has a super sized refashion on how to turn two shirts into an adorable leggings/skirt combo! fabulous!

yummy! peach cupcakes with brown sugar frosting! oh smitten kitchen how i adore you!

i think this belt is pretty much fabulous! get the how to here. (via one pretty thing)

things i'm luving this week:

- so friggin' excited this album is coming out!!!!!
- wonderful, wonderful, wool skirt refashion perfect for the fall over on the sewing dork.
- check out another great diy from "censational girl" on how to make your own cement candle holders!
- turn a hippie skirt into a hippie shirt over on "stop staring and start sewing".
- find a new and inexpensive way to hang painted plates by "the shabby chic cottage".
- i am definitely giving this a whirl! another great xmas gift to add to the list - gorgeous handmade embroidered sachets! find the tute here! (via craft gossip)
- make sure to pop by the new flickr group "crocheted interiors" for some fun inspiration.
- have you signed up for the newest round of "craft hope" yet? it's sock monkey making time and it's all for a good cause!
- have any of you been using the site "freecycle" yet? how do you like it? good or bad experiences?
- in the mood for some craft swaps? head over to "made by petchy" for a bag swap or to "my mamma made it" for a little giving and receiving.
- get making your own ruffly, tank top refashion with this great tute and then make this comfy skirt for your little one in 20 minutes!
- i'm entering this giveaway.

what are you drooling over this week?

link luv roundup

i'm loving the necklaces as much as i'm loving the blog "for me, for you".

here's a great new easy fabric scarf/shawl tutorial from "pretty ditty".

my fave photo of the week

wonderfully lovely, cheerful and bright free printable notecards from creature comforts.

i wish this is what my table looked like......

i am dying to get my hands on one of the newly released small magazine orginal art coloring books. what a great break from the regular kids stuff you find at walmart etc. we also like to make our own coloring books at home here using photoshop. mackenzie loves coloring pics of herself or friends.

learn how to make this vintage tea towel throw pillow over on "girls kick ass". {via whip up}

and just in case you haven't already heard the sartorialist has a book coming out on Aug. 12th - insert drool!

make sure to swing by "happy together" to check out two, yep, not just one, two great new tutes on refashioning a tshirt for your little girl complete with ruffles and flowers. these are definitely on the top of my to make list! thanks jessica!

i want to move into this studio pronto! lovely, lovely, lovely....

things i'm luving this week:

- lamp makeover on "shabby chic cottage".
- homemade flea repellent recipe on craft.
- i'll be whipping up some lavender eye pillows with this tute from calli on "make it do".
- check out this great lovely package exchange.
- whip up has a great roundup of refashion projects to drool over.
- label tutorial using spoonflower over on jaybird quilts.
- this new blog is sure to be one my new faves. please swing by "the creative life" and join in on the conversation. {via craft}

link luv roundup

oh man are these pics from sarah london textiles making me want to get my hooks out start crocheting! i love the flower blanket! anyone have a pattern like that? you can find her work on here or on flickr.

rebecca danger is one of my fave knitters and i can never resist posting about one of her adorable creations. here's the link to her newest - "monster chunks". happy knitting.

craftynest always has wonderful projects to flex your crafting muscles with but this wine cork trivet caught my eye and i couldn't resist posting it. what a great idea to use up all those wine corks leftover from all the lovely summer drinking you may or may not be doing :)

i adore this necklace tute from resurrection fern and i admit i am mildly obsessed with her crocheted stones.....so lovely. check out her etsy shop for more eye candy.

these cute little boys knit capris from pickles caught my eye today.

gina at the shabby chic cottage has a great tutorial for this gorgeous honey bee pillow.

here's a lovely little roundup of girl's skirts that i can't wait to try:

1. baby, toddler or adult skirt tutorial from blue eyed freckle.
2. border fabric sundress from lil blue boo.
3. simple, sweet skirt tute from debra's creative ramblings.
4. a double ruffle, twirl skirt from treasures for tots.

swing by handmade by alissa for a free baby quilt pattern.

learn how to make your own fabric covered cork board over on sew spoiled. i was excited to see this as it's been on my to do list to make one of these for ages.

things i'm luving this week:

- check out this site if you are a bag lover who loves to make their own bags.

- who doesn't have loads of old tank tops laying around just begging to be made into fresh little girl's dresses? obsessively stitching has a tutorial showing you how to refashion yours.

- learn how to use to hem your own jeans.

- refashion that peasant blouse with "my mama made it".

- a great new skirt pattern that works for almost all shapes - even maternity, from "make it and love it" available in her etsy shop.

link luv roundup

how cute are these key cosies from bettysonics? (via skinny laminx)

the daintyness of this stunning crocheted necklace by wren handmade has me hooked! (via modish)

don't lose your little ones water bottle the next time you're out and about, you can get yours to stand out from the pack with this friggin adorable water bottle cozy!!! luv it!!! (via ohdeedoh)

i can't get enough of the peacefulness of this photo.....

jessica's got another great tute up for a gorgeous headband on happy together.

i wish i could romp through the grass in a tutu and look this stunning. i'm so hooked on tumblr. have you joined yet? come take a peek at my tumblr page for more pretty pics.

i'm wanting to deck my house out with this how to from zakka life for these pretty tissue paper flowers.

things i'm luving this week:

- pleated pocket tutorial from made by rae.

- cucumbersome has a great post linking 11 inspiring ideas for your home - it's a great list!

- i don't know how she does it but alexis from "my mama made it" has another tutorial up for a elastic smocked dress. i just made the bubble dress and loved it! i really don't know how she has time to do all this sewing with two little ones running around, i can't keep up..haha!

whirl it lampshade

i'm dying to try this diy whirl it lampshade! it's made from yarn and glue and it looks fabulous. i would love to see the rest of her house over on "pickles" because from what I can see in this pic, i wanna move right in. i have a soft spot for old wood tables and bright fun pillows.

what yarn would you make this from? i'm thinking i would love a soft, pale blue grey.

link luv roundup

1. dress up your outfit with this flower headband tutorial from curiositys
2. i love this idea of making your own recycled stationary over on geek+nerd

i am so in luv with this photograph by whatmegsaid

3. i will definitely be making one of these for my glasses - great tute from amazing mae!
4. i am sure we are all in need of a mouse pad makeover! learn how at the long thread
5. i am on the hunt for how to sewing tutorials to help sharpen up my newbie skills. little girl pearl shows us how to insert piping into a collar.

yummy! spring always reminds me of broccoli slaw! smitten kitchen has a great recipe here.

learn how to make a wet bag here and revamp an old tshirt with some sass over at ecoteametsy's fab blog here. then, head on over to photojojo for a great post listing the top 10 online photography mags, whip up a fun french press cozy (luv this) at one of my favorite blogs to drool over - the house on hill road.

we are revamping our deck and i am collecting tin cans for this great summer tute showing you how to turn tin cans into great summer garden lanterns and last, but not least, nesting shows you how to revamp that jean skirt into the perfect summertime maternity skirt.

link luv roundup

1. dressmeup's organic teething bonbon - so deliciously organic.
2. leethal's 1 year of diy roundups she did for threads mag - so many great projects listed here!

3. i can't wait to try these funky knit bangle wrist warmers from a house called nut.

inspirational eye candy from the may anthropologie catalogue over on darling dexter

4. cloud 9 fabrics sneak peek at their new fabric line shade garden
5. turn those old sheets into a duvet cover over at nest decorating.

6. make some personalized wallpaper stationary over on design sponge .
7. turn an ugly plastic mirror into a stunning bulletin board - craftynest shows you how!

make sure to pop over to lollychops if you dare for cupcake week, go peruse scoutie girl , learn how to add pin tucks and gathers to a standard pattern at justtutes and then take a peek at what others crafter are up to at the new vickie howell site craftcorps.

learn how to fuse plastic bags with etsy labs

i friggin love this idea!!!! how fun is this?!!!! my first thought was to make nifty little storage boxes and reuseable snack bags and things with this stuff! could i use any more exclamation marks?!! sorry, but i am just finding myself super excited about all the wonderful projects waiting to be made from this new found tute! oh etsy, what would we do without you?

what would you make out of the plastic?

(via oh, hello friend)

wrapagami - furochic it!

i adore the idea of using fabric to wrap gifts. my mother in law was doing this at xmas time and i loved it! any excuse to use fun fabric is a good one in my books. check out the new book wrapagami by jenn playford:

"If you think origami is cool, wait until you see Wrapagami! This colourful little book is written by Jenn and is a collection of projects using a square piece of fabric and simple techniques to wrap gifts and incorporate FurochicTM and furoshiki into your everyday life. Who would imagine a square piece of fabric could be SO handy! Embellish your gifts with the luxury of a fabric wrap that becomes part of the gift and can be reused over and over again."

for those of you lovelies that live in Victoria, "join jenn at silk road on april 26 at 11am for a furochic workshop where you will learn how to wrap your gifts in fabric using inventive and creative techniques."

thanks to my friend erica for the heads up on this great workshop!

spruce up some pots with socks

so we covered using men's old dress shirts and t-shirts, but how about their socks? well, look no further, rachel ray has served up a great way to brighten up a flower pot (or just about any canister of this size) from orla kiely. now don't get me started on orla kiely, i can't stand that we don't have target here in canada and the fact that they have dwell bedding now too, just makes me want to cry. my sis and i are in the works on trying to convince the hubbies to let us have a run of the border target shopping spree....oh, the thought of it just makes me drool. it's too much for me to handle.

if you want to spruce up some pots with socks, here's the how to.

how to turn fabric scraps into a necklace

(image courtesy cakies)

in our house there is never a shortage of fabric scraps or old clothes to turn into fabric scraps, so when i spot a craft project that i can actually use to rid myself of these little piles, i am one happy momma. i adore a lovely white summer top and think that these great fabric necklaces just add that pretty pop of color we are all looking for during this season.

i have seen some of these around in the last few months but hadn't spotted a tutorial until now. you can find the tutorial here at cakies. these seem so easy and fun to make. i like it when a craft can be the more the merrier. why stop at one, when you can make five? or three? or 10? knock yourself out, make a bunch, give em' to friends. heck, adorn yourself in them.

is it just me or does that first pic make you want to sit on the beach in mexico, in your flip flops, all tanned and content, sipping a cool, refreshing corona?

what do you guys think? have any of you made these before? would you make these?

(image courtesy cakies)

(via craftgossip)

how to make your own magnetic matchbooks

i keep telling myself i am finally going to get around making some magnets. i love collecting fun ones so i figure making my own is the next step. apartment therapy posted this tutorial and i think it looks like fun. only thing is i would be worried the little ones might get the matches, so i think i would fill them with a little surprise inside - like a mini toy or mints instead of matches. you can find the directions to make your own magnets here.

what do you guys think? would you make these?


(images apartment therapy)

how to make a photo lantern

oh how i wish i had a backyard when i see projects like this. i guess i could make these and hang them from my balcony, but it just isn't the same vibe. don't get me wrong though, i am happy to even have a balcony, but i won't deny the fact that i long for my own yard to sit in at night and lounge with my hubby with a nice glass of wine on a summer evening, c'mon now.

we are on the hunt right now for the perfect deck furniture and i have my heart set on a comfy two seater so mack and i can have lunches and snuggle out there. i picked up some rowdy, loud, bright pink, retro flower fabric, for like a dollar at the local flea market, and i am dying to make some pillows for out there. gotta add some color to the neighbourhood, not that many will see it as we are on the top floor.

you can find the tutorial for this gorgeous photo lantern by livi kanaley of "a field journal" over on the fabulous decor8 blog. click here for the how to. if any of you decide to make these, let me know, i would love to at least bask in a photo of your summer backyard glory even if i can't have mine - yet :)

how to make beach glass earrings

anyone else got jars of beach glass and rocks? i do. they are in every room. we are beach junkies at our house and we love to collect little treasures and bring them home. it's our dream to live right on a beach (or as close to one as we can get) and this is our way of bringing the beach closer to us.

when i saw these pretty little beach glass earrings and realized they weren't that hard to make i just about swooned. you can find the tutorial here. now, i don't have one of those handy little dremel tools to drill into the beach glass, but i will be asking around to see if someone else does. my ears are just begging to be adorned by these beauties. i think i'll make mine in that sheer sea green color.

have any of you tried a project like this?

(images jennifer worick)

how to make embroidered bookmarks

i cannot wait for amanda blake soule's new book - handmade home to come out. i talk about her on here often and was happy to see the sneak preview a few weeks ago in mothering magazine of one of the projects in her new book. these embroidered bookmarks are such a cute idea for the little reader in your house. i know i was a big time reader when i was young and loved finding neat bookmarks to use. this is a great way for kids to personalize something of their own and feel proud of it. if your child can't do the sewing you could always get them to do the drawing and you could embroider it on for them. i think that even if i drew something for my own bookmark, it would like a child had done it - my embroidery skills are that bad.

here's the link for project, it's a fun craft to do if you are having rainy, gloomy weather like we are.

crafting with vhs tape

got some old vhs tapes kicking around? why not craft with them! diane gilleland posted a great tutorial for some unique ways to use vhs tape for craft projects on craftstylish. yes, i said vhs tape - who knew.

any of you interested in trying this project? i think i would but knowing my household, i would just end up with vhs tape all torn and ripped up on my carpet, my hubby with it on his head and my daughter wrapping it around herself in a makeshift dress. click here for the how to.

lollychops - le bunny pin

lollychops big time bunny week continues with this beaded bunny pin. click here for the tutorial. she's also got a giveaway for this little guy on her site today. i was excited to read that lollychops has plans for more themed weeks to come, so stay tuned for her wonderful and creative projects. hugs to you lolly :)

pretty mailing labels

i love the color scheme used for these free mailing labels from creature comfort. i frequent her blog often simply to just ogle over it. click here for the down loadable print out.

bunny fold napkin

one crafty place has bunnies galore this month and today she posted this little guy to decorate your table with this easter. my paper crane brightened up her bunny with a great red and white polka dot napkin. so cute! you can learn how to fold one of these bunny napkins over at good housekeeping.

make your own dust mitt & swiffer cover

image courtesy we wilsons

we wilsons has a kick ass tutorial for making your own dust mitt. we don't use any chemical cleaners in our house and make our own cleaners whenever possible. we also use antibacterial cloths for cleaning and dusting that we can simply put in the wash after using a few times so i love the idea of this dust mitt!

we wilsons also links over to this great project idea if you happen to be a swiffer lover. merwing shows you how to make your own swiffer cover and duster. you can find the tutorial here.

it seems like as soon as spring comes, the dust just seems to multiply and peek it's ugly head out from under that cloud of winter darkness. i will definitely be turning some of our old clothes into cleaners. so turn on your favorite cleaning album and let's kick some dust bunny ass!

(via craft)