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Friday, July 27

Mixed Media You are Loved Burlap Banner Tutorial


As I mentioned yesterday
Josh's "You are loved" banner was
 in the latest issue of Somerset Home

Here is a quick tutorial:


You are Loved!
Mixed Media Banner Tutorial

4 feet of twine
15  8”x 5” burlap fabric rectangles
15  4”x 6” canvas fabric rectangles
(any thick white fabric will do)
Patterned Paper
Gel Medium
Scissors
Sewing Machine
Sewing Machine with different thread

Step 1: Make the letters out of patterned papers
Choose a color scheme and gather a bunch of patterned papers to go with it. Lay out your white canvas rectangles in a row and cut out smaller squares (about 3” x 3”) of colored paper. Lay out the colored squares on the squares of canvas. When you find a pattern and color scheme you like, adhere the paper to canvas with gel medium. Next cut out the shapes, letters, and designs you want on your banner. Start with big shapes and continue adding smaller and smaller details.

Step 2: Attach the canvas letter squares to the burlap rectangles.
Once you have the letters and designs glued onto the fabric, it’s time to sew! Gather different colored sewing thread to compliment your color scheme. I like to use different shades of the same color. Be careful to leave at least 3 inches at the top of each burlap square to sew over in the end. Sew each canvas square onto a burlap rectangle using different colors and kinds of stitches. I have a very basic machine, so I just switched from zigzag to straight.

Step 3: Sew completed rectangles onto twine and hang up your banner.
Fold the top of the burlap over the thread and sew, leaving a 1/4 inch between burlap pieces.  After sewing your rectangles on, find a place you love and hang up your banner!

Tips:
Top secret tip: You don’t have to measure! I provide you with measurements as a guide, but I eyeball everything. I don’t have the patience for rulers and I like things to be  quirky and irregular. It’s handmade, for goodness sakes!
Your local hardware store is a great place to pick up twine and the burlap.
You can use any thick, white material for the “canvas” squares. I chose canvas because I had a ton in my stash.
Start big and work small. This is my general rule of thumb when designing. Cut out the general shape of each letter and continue adding smaller details until you get the look you are going for.
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Thursday, July 26

Oh Baby! Mixed Media Kids Room Decor, Handmade Garden Mobile

I made some mixed media baby decor for Josh's room and submitted them a few months ago.
 It came in the mail today. (Wahoo!)

BEAUTIFUL. 
is the only word I can use to describe all of the Somerset publications:
They always create such a beautiful spread.
It's such an honor to be a part of this issue of Somerset Home.


When Josh was born I wanted to switch up the boys' room
and make some cute things just for him, like I did with Jack.
 I was not the psycho nursery perfectionist I was with Jack.
Don't tell him, but I didn't even get around to it until he was about 9 months old.

It all started with this mobile, since I've been
wanting to create a mobile for forever.
I have about 12 more ideas for mobiles in my head, but this was a start.


And then I made a "You are loved" banner for his crib,
 since banners have a magical way of transforming any space
and I love them more than peanut butter.



And the last thing I made were magnetic picture frames.
 I wanted to make something that I would actually use to display pictures
and not leave them empty on a shelf until he goes to high school.
(Yes, I'm that much of a procrastinator.)
So here's a quick tutorial for the mobile,
and I'll post the instructions for the banner &
 the frames tomorrow and Saturday.


Mixed Media Garden 
Mobile Tutorial


Tools and Materials
Old Garden trellis
Saw
Ball of twine
Scissors
Burlap scraps
About 1/2 yard canvas fabric
Text from old books
Patterned paper
Acrylic Paints
Gel Medium
Glue gun




 

Step 1: Create the main hanging piece.

Cut up an old, square garden trellis to create the top portion of the mobile. Tie twine to each corner and tie them in a knot at the top to allow for hanging. Next, cut 8 pieces of twine, differing lengths (approx. 2-3 ft). Tie each piece of twine to the wood with a simple double knot. Double know the end, as well.



Step 2: Create the bugs & leaves
Lay out your canvas on a flat surface. Cover your canvas with old text. First coat the canvas with gel medium, lay down your text, and coat the top with gel medium,. The canvas is very porous, so it will need a lot of gel medium. Then, cover the text with gesso and a dry paper towel, to make it look uneven. Lightly wipe off the gesso with a wet paper towel, so that the text shows through.


Now you are ready to paint your bugs. Create 2 bugs for each piece of string, 16 bug in all. Paint 16 bugs on the canvas/text/gessoed fabric. Outline each bug in white paint. When they are dry, cut them out.

Now you want to create the mirror image of each bug. Lay your fabric right side down and place each bug right side up on the fabric, so that the wrong sides are touching. Trace around each bug and mark the wrong sides of each bug with corresponding numbers so that you can remember the matching bugs. Cut out each mirror image, then paint them to match its corresponding bug.

Cut leaves out of patterned green paper and glue together with gel medium. Trace the mirror image onto another piece of green paper and cut out the match.

Step 3: Attach the bugs & leaves & burlap.

Attach each bug to its mirror image on the twine with a hot glue gun. Make sure the bugs are spread out and at differing lengths, with two bugs on each piece. Next glue each set of leaves and it’s mirror image to the twine. Last, tie little pieces of burlap to each piece of twine and put up your mobile.
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Monday, July 16

Not all who wander are lost.

I love to wander.
This is my happy place.






Darryl and I got to go to
Palm Springs on a little get away.
It was about a million degrees outside.
Two nights of sleep and rest and wandering.
It was awesome.
I hadn't been there since I was a kid.
It was beautiful. Midcentury/Spanish style everything
I could have taken pictures all day long.


And the best part of going away is coming home.
I love coming home.
These guys are at such fun ages right now.
1 and almost 4. I wish I could freeze them.
Right here.






My cousin Chloe was in town.
We've been art-journaling
and pillow-making
and kid-chasing.





She painted Jack's Buzz Lightyear costume
and of course, I didn't get one picture 
but he didn't take it off for 3 days.

Blogger ate my art blog roll.
So I had to paste it back together again.
Here are some of my favorite art blogs:

I love Netflix streaming.
Darryl and I watched him
and him last night.


We laughed and laughed and laughed. out loud.
Good. clean. fun.
And I went a little overboard on my hilarious pins.

Do you ever get pinconscious?
Like, I hope no one is on Pinterest right now
to witness my out of control pinning.
Don't judge.
Happy Monday.
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