Tote Bag

I have actually had some time to get crafty this summer! Just no time to blog about it. Oh well, at least the dust is off my sewing machine, stamp sets, and cricut!

Today, the boys are cooperating by napping, however, so I am going to quick share a tote bag I just finished.  (It's a birthday gift for my brother's girlfriend and I am giving it to her tonight.  I don't think she reads my blog, but Ashley, if you are reading this here's your gift! Happy Birthday!)

I saw the tutorial for this tote on Make It & Love It the other day just after I had received a box of fabric from onlinefabricstore.com.  I had been trying to figure out what to get Ashley and decided I had plenty of time to whip this up with a couple of the new fabrics I had ordered.  The tutorial was really easy to follow and I love the final product...it's going to be hard to wrap up and give away, but I say that about almost everything I make!

It's bigger than I was expecting, which is awesome!

Now to pick up a few things to put in it before I wrap it up!  (Magazines, Snacks...)

Linking up here...be sure to check out what everyone else has been up to!

Hope you are enjoying your summer!  I will try not to take another 2 month hiatus from blogging, but no promises with back to school time only weeks away.  (Am I the only one who can't believe it will be August in a week??)

Thanks for stopping by!

~Anika

The post of Randomness

I have several random things to share with you today. The first being the cards and gifts my students' made for their parents. We started out by making these cards, they always love using my Cuttlebug!

Then we stamped lunch bags, added a container of Hot Cocoa and topped it off with some candy canes and marshmallows that we dipped it chocolate. I think they turned out pretty cute and I hope the parents appreciate it!

Next up is the Birthday Calendar book I made my mom for Christmas. I just adore this cover which was inspired by the layout of a card Maile Belles did awhile back (if I'm remembering correctly).

Today I was able to go shopping with my best friend! All through high school we would make trips to the fabric store to pick out material for miscellaneous projects...garters and dresses for prom, dresses for a Madrigal Dinner, numerous altered shirts in support of our school's athletic teams, the list could go on and on! Now that she lives on the West Coast and I'm still in Wisconsin, our shopping adventures are few and far between, but today we were able to head back to the fabric store for baby quilt material! Here is what will **hopefully** turn into 2 beautiful baby quilts in the coming weeks...

I pre-washed it all when I got home and am in the process of pressing it so I can start cutting the strips and squares tomorrow. I figure if I don't get a good start on them before I head back to school next week, all I will have in April is a pile of fabric! I have a pretty easy pattern picked out so it should be pretty smooth sailing if I can manage to cut the pieces out without any mistakes!

Wish me luck!

Hope you are recovering from your Christmas celebrations and gearing up for the New Year!

~Anika

Altered T-Shirt

A couple months ago, I saw this post on Kimberly Kesti's blog and since then, I have been scouring the clearance section of every store I go into for cheap t-shirts that I can spruce up.

Well, I hit the jackpot at Target about a week ago when I found these purple t-shirts on clearance for $2! Here's what you do...buy 2 of them - it doesn't matter if they don't have 2 in your size, because you are just going to cut the second one up anyway. In my case, I bought a small to embellish and a large to cut apart.

I made my flowers a little differently than Kim did. I cut out 5 inch circles and then spiral cut them like this. (They don't have to be perfect!)

Then, I stitched the inside edge of the spiral to gather the material.

Once it was all stitched, I wound it into a flower and stitched it together at the bottom.

I made all 5 flowers and then I stitched them onto the other t-shirt. Easy peasy and I have a cute t-shirt in an hour for $4! After trying it on, I'm actually thinking that I will add a couple more flowers to it - I think they need to go all the way up to the shoulder, but for now...here's the finished shirt.

Sorry the colors are so wacky in these pictures, I was working on this late last night.

Hope you are having a great Saturday!

~Anika

Thank You card & Desk Organizer

A couple things to share today. The first is a Thank You card and it's the last in my first set of cards for the baby shower game prize. I just love how simple this card is and plan on making many more with the same layout just different colors and sentiments.

I was having 'sew' much fun with my sewing machine on some cards when I came across this adorable desk organizer. You can find official patterns and directions here.

Since my machine was out, I decided to modified the design to fit some material I had on hand and came up with this!

It was so easy peasy! I think I finished it in under an hour and now that I have the kinks worked out, I don't even think they would take that long. Any guesses as to what is in between the layers of material that make up the sides and bottom? Here is a hint...I would have to buy 5 PTI Stamp sets in order to make 2 organizers. I'll let you think on that one for a second. (You can find the answer in the supply list below.) Since I don't have the scalloped square die cut that the original version uses, I just cut squares and then clipped and frayed the seam allowances after it was all sewn together.

This is going to be a back to school gift for the other Kindergarten teacher on my team. It happens to match this tote bag that I made for her for Christmas last year. (She's a coffee fanatic.)

Thanks for visiting! Have a wonderful Sunday!

~Anika

Supplies:

Thank You Card (All Papertrey Ink unless noted)

Cardstock: Vintage Cream, Simply Chartreuse

Stamps: Polka Dot Basics 2, Asian Fusion

Ink: Dark Chocolate

Other: Beautiful Blooms 2 #3 Die Collection, Brown Thread

Desk Organizer

10 - 5x5 inch squares of fabric

4 - 3x5 inch squares of fabric

5 - 4x4 inch squares of acetate (I used the clear boxes that my PTI stamps come in...finally a use for the many I have collected! And it cuts easily with my paper cutter.) Note: You could leave the bottom acetate sheet out and then the organizer would be foldable like the original version.

Paper Dolls Challenge #11

It was my turn to post the challenge over at the Paper Dolls Blog today.  The challenge is to make a non-standard size card - anything but 5.5" x 4.25".  This is the card I made.  

It is 3" x 8" on Sweet Blush Card Stock.  The patterned paper is from the Pretty Pastels collection and I inked the edges lightly with the Tea Dye Duo.  The sentiment is from Bitty Baby Blessings and is stamped in Raspberry Fizz.  I cut the flowers from fabric I had left after making this blanket.

I am in love with this floral fabric from JoAnn's! The card and blanket are for my husband's cousin who is expecting a baby girl in September! 

If you create a non-standard sized card, be sure to stop by the Paper Dolls blog and link it up so we can all see it!  You have 3 weeks.

Happy July!!

~Anika

Baby Card

I'm finally getting around to posting a project again!  It's been a busy week with wonderful weather so I haven't been at my craft table much.  Not to mention the fact that my craft space has been moved again because we started working the the basement family room!  My things are all scattered in an unfinished bedroom that only has one light and none of the outlets are live yet, so I can't even plug in a lamp.  I just keep reminding myself that it will be short term and the next time I move it, it will be put in its permanent place! 

Tomorrow, I am going to a baby shower for one of my good friends, she is due in about a month!  I can't wait to meet her little boy.  I decided to make him this little flannel blanket.  It's so soft!

And here is the coordinating card.  I got my copy of Go-To Sketches in the mail this week and this is one of my favorite sketches from the magazine...although I have tabbed about 3/4 of them!
Sorry for the bad lighting, but it's too windy to take pictures outside today!

And here is the basement!  The first coat of tape is on the drywall so it should be ready for paint by the end of next week - I just have to pick a color!  Then we will lay some tile by the walk out, trim and have the carpet installed.  Can't wait!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Anika

Supplies:  (All Papertrey Ink unless noted)

Cardstock: Pure Poppy, Orange Zest, Spring Rain Bitty Box, Polka Dot paper from Animal Crackers Mat Stack, Green paper from my scraps

Stamps: Bitty Baby Blessings

Ink: True Black

Other: Orange Zest ribbon, Misc. Buttons