SYTYC Upcycle - Pinkalicious Chandelier {TUTORIAL}

{I am finally getting around to posting this due to the troubling time I had and my reason for leaving SYTYC...but here it is a few months later! :)}

 I typically love sewing projects and found myself stumped for the Upcycled Challenge, so I decided to come up with a craft for my sewing table.

I took a drab, old, and dingy flower basket and turned it into a Pinkalicious Chandelier!

 Not only did this turn out to be stunning and elegant, it is actually functional!

Can't wait to start sewing up some PRETTY things to match my new lighting fixture!

TUTORIAL

I bought about 10 bags of mardi gras beads from the dollars store. I used some floral wire I had on hand to wire the beads to the hanging basket holder in three places.

I attached the top level first and then the second before hanging it from the ceiling to attach the underneath.

 

After that I spray painted it like crazy. I have to admit this was the challenging part because I thought I was done and then a hint of gold or silver would appear.

Be patient, paint lots.

Overall I really love the chandelier and how perfectly it fits in with my cute [super} little sewing space!

Read more about my SYTYC Projects HERE.

Exit Interview SYTYC

Here is my exit interview for SYTYC... seriously loved my experience there. If you are crafty at all, you should audition, it was a blast!

Huge thanks again to Missy and everyone who voted for me! :)

1.Tell us a little about you and your blog.
I orignally started my blog as a challenge from a sister in law who was living a few states away. A few months later we purchased a Duplex and began renovating it, so then I began pumping up our blog with our renovations and other fun projects along the way. I have always loved making things and so I also began sharing some of that stuff on there as well. At first I called it My Life As Donswife, for my husband Adam who I loving call by his middle name Don. I recently have changed the name to Apostrophy Designs to reflect my business and etsy shop.

2.How and when did you start crafting?
I have been crafting as long as I can remember. My grandma would teach me how to make prickly bushes into baskets when we would got camping and I also loved to string beads and her house while watching her quilt. My mother was quite the seamstress and I remember just waiting for her to start a project so I could gather up her scraps and fashion them into a dress for a doll or some sort of awkward purse.

3.How often do you craft?
Being a mom, it’s hard now to craft than before… but I consider my “me” time crafting and I try to have or complete some project during nap time at least once a week.

4.Where do you get your inspiration?
Right now I am addicted to pinterest, there are so many fun and inspirational aspects of it. I also love to look at athropolgie, because let’s face it everything they have is amazing and also very inspiring.

5.What is your favorite medium to work in?
I love to sew, whether it’s hand or machine. I’d put my glue gun down any day and pick up a needle!

6.What is your guilty pleasure?
On really bad days, I love to go hang out and the fabric store and just browse the aisles. However, I think it makes my husband have a bad day when he sees me come home with more fabric, I have a closets full.

7.What makes you smile?
I love a good stupid joke. I also love my family, we are very close and there is nothing better than sitting a talking to them.

8.What is your favorite thing to do (other than crafting)?
I love reality TV. It’s almost bad to say but I have auditioned for a couple shows, and not made it…but AM SO EXCITED TO BE APART OF SYTYC because this is more reality than TV anyway!!

SYTYC Scraps ONLY - Bloomin' Yo-Yo Skirt Tutorial

Many of you guessed and voted that the Bloomin' Yo-Yo Skirt was mine! 

I am stoked to have made it in SYTYC this long, I seriously feel like a small fish in the ocean when it comes to this crafting contest. 

So thanks again for everyone voting!

My husband was excited about this craft because I have laundry baskets full of fabric scraps, and well let's say I put a huge dent in it with this project!

For my SYTYC scraps project I made a Bloomin' Yo-Yo Skirt!

 I have always been obsessed with the fabric yo-yo's because they are so simply and fun. Make about 60 of them, add them to a high-waisted skirt, and you have one cute skirt for all ages!

You can also jump for joy because with the Bloomin' Yo-Yo skirt the outfit possibilities are endless!

TUTORIAL

I used my favorite high-waisted skirt tutorial found via Anna Maria Horner (love her!) only I replaced the band with a thick elastic.

I used a dinner plate to draw my cirlces and made my Yo-Yo's, since I am pregnant and therefore lazy...I will send you to tutorial for Yo-Yo's from the equally fabulous Heather Bailey. **Tip you can lay several layers of fabric on top of each other and cute about 6 circles out at a time**

{I know this challenge was scraps and let's face it, some scraps aren't as big as plates, so let's get crazy and I will tell you I pieced several fabrics together to achieve plate-sized status.}

I made about 60 yo-yo's and started in the back along  the bottom and worked my way around the skirt sewing them on an inch from their tops. For the second rows and beyond, I alternated the  yo-yo's between the spaces of the row below and covered 1/2 of the below yo-yo's.

For the top row I used a salad plate and hand sewed each of the yo-yo's on to give the skirt a polished look.

Now you just need a cute model, like my Brinlee Joy and you are ready for Spring. I just wish Logan and I were on the same page!!!! Sheesh!

P.S. This was my cute photo assistant Brooklyn... she was a really good help, when she wasn't skiing down the hill or jumping off the steps! ;)

You may recognize her from my shop or the model from my purse last week...Thanks Brook & Brin!

Scraps ONLY @ SYTYC

Go on and vote for this weeks Scraps Only project. I have to admit I have been dreaming about this one for awhile and it's fun to have made it and finally able to show it off!

GO ON AND VOTE, HOPEFULLY FOR ME! :)

SYTYC Knock Off - Summer Garden Bag

 Like most of us, I drool over all the items that Anthropolgie has to offer, minus the price.

So for my knock-off craft, I decided to take a purses of theirs that I have been wanting, and give it a summery twist.

And at a fraction of the cost, I would like to introduce to you my Summer Garden Bag.

 This bag is made out of a houndstooth suiting material (found on clearance at Wal-Mart) and adorned with brightly colored garden felt flowers.

This bag is lined with a heavy green stripped material from IKEA and has an extra pocket for all of your important items.

I am a BIG BAG girl so I made the bag a little bigger so I could hold all of my Summer essentials. Can't wait to show this bag off well into Summer!


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I'm a little bummed my cute summer bag didn't do as well as I hoped!! I am getting around to the tutorial but I have been not been feeling great lately (verge of a cold, who knows?)

But I will hopefully get it out soon!  Thanks to everyone who did vote for me, I sure love this bag and can't wait to use it! :)

Knock Off Crafts

Knock off crafts are up over at SYTYC, go on a vote...

I really hope I make it because my craft for next week is super cool. 

So go on and vote, I need all the help I can get!!!!!!!

SYTYC Thrift - Old Schoolhouse Chalkboard {Tutorial}

Growing up I always wanted to be a teacher and would've loved more than anything to have a chalkboard. 

So I used a window pane that was found at a thrift store and turned it into an Old School House Chalkboard, perfect for any "little teacher".

The old glass in the window was replaced with wood and then painted it with chalkboard paint. 

 

I had picked up some side walk chalk at the dollar store and school was in session!

With a chalkboard like this, your 'little teacher' will give you an A+!

TUTORIAL / BEHIND THE SCENES

I started with an old window pane from a thrift store. I got so excited to use chalkboard paint that I forgot to take better before pictures.

With the help of my cute husband Don, we made the chalkboard stand upright.

Truth be told we really wanted to add another bar in between the posts but our drill died! So just so it's known for more stability we will be adding the extra post soon.

Next I painted the posts white and then distressed them to match the antiqued look of the window pane.

Finally, I painted the chalkboard. After a few hours of drying the chalkboard was good to go and just in time for Spring Break with the kids I babysit! We played school a lot and even a few games of pictionary!

P.S. Don't you think I had the cutest model ever? He was all too excited to dress up and play teacher for the afternoon!! Thanks Haiders!

Thirfty Crafts

The THRIFTY CRAFTS are up over at SYTYC... go on and vote! Hopefully you pick mine! :)

SYTYC Dollar Store - Summertime String Lanterns {Tutorial}

We spend a lot of time during the summer on our patio. The patio is an add-on with a neat tin roof and wooden enclosure, but when the natural light is gone it can be very, very dark.

For the Dollar Store challenge I wanted to come up with something that would be stylish during the day and provide some light at the night time, so we can enjoy our patio even more.

So I came up with some Summertime String Lanterns!!

So I went to the Dollar Store to pick up the supplies, suprisingly enough, it cost less than $5.00! 

**Warning: making String Lanterns will make you wish it was Summer in your neck of the woods. I wish it was!

TUTORIAL:

Dollar Store Items Needed:
- Elmer's or white school glue (2)
- Balloons
- Thin String
- Gold Paint (optional)
- Clear Spray Paint (optional)

 Blow up balloons and roll the string into a big ball {this will allow for easy wrapping of the balloons}.

Dump the glue into a big mixing bowl.

 Add desired color of paint or leave alone to let the color of the string show.

 You will want to work on a tarp or I just put everything into my sink. Dip the string in the glue and wrap around the balloon.

{It's a little hard in the beginning but the more you wrap, the easier it is to get the hang of it!}

Once balloons are wrapped hang in a dry, warm area over  night.

I popped the balloons in the morning but still let them dry a few more hours before hanging them.

Because I wanted the lanterns to be outdoorsy, I would recommend spraying them with a clear craft or spray paint.

I then hung up the lanterns and then threaded some old Christmas lights into the balloons.


Now, just wait for the warm weather to hit your area and you are good to go! :)

Well Now,

it's me (well us) again.

I must admit I am really bad at writing when things are well, uh, not going my way.

I won't share details but I can say things are on the UP!

I haven't taken any pictures of Bergs with my camera for awhile, but thank goodness for PhotoBooth. If only I had time to document and sort through all the goodies we've taken...maybe one day.

Some of Bergs funnies:

-Saying "I'm sick" when she wants to get out of something
-After playing house with cousin Hadley, Bergs says Goo Goo Ga Ga (all the time)
-Sings weird made up songs about an Apple or Apple Sauce
-Say's "Oh Crap" for me when I drop something
-Loves to dip, Ketchup, Syrup, Butter, Ranch, Basically anything liquid or smearable
-Calls our house, HER HOUSE
-Asks to go to Church/Nursery about every other day
-Talks non-stop
-Loves to tell secrets (it's always I LOVE YOU!)

SURE DO LOVE HER!

**Also I just finished my first Weeks Project for SYTYC! The theme was Dollar Store and I'll have to be honest I am not a browser of any type when it comes to shopping. I usually have to have my mind set on what I'm getting before I go into any store, so this project was a little tough for me. But I love what I came up with and HOPE you will too!

SYTYC Audition: Day & Night Doll GIVEAWAY

Many of you guessed it and WAHOO! I am going to be apart of the ongoing So You Think You're Crafty Competition!

I have a lot of fun ideas and am really excited to share them...

First up was my Audition Day & Night Doll...

Dolls are fun and they come with a lot of accessories. However, one thing that I am constantly picking up around my house is the clothing, leaving the dolls naked.

For my SYTYC audition project, I decided to craft a doll that gives you the best of both worlds, a Day & Night Doll.

You get all of the fun and playfulness of the DAY...

 And the softness of the NIGHT...

Each doll is made out of felt, hand embroidered faces, and stuff with love.

{And the best part is you get a clothing change with the clothes staying on!}

I have been working like a mad dog to get a pattern done, but if you are interested in winning a customized doll for you or the little girl in your life leave a comment!

I will pick a winner on Sunday! Thanks!