President Hinckley's 9 Be's Wall Hanging.

Yesterday my lovely friend Shalene came over and helped me make this wall hanging. She is an expert at crafting, so I was very lucky to have her show me how to do it. I've been wanting to do something with vinyl letters forever, and now that I have, my mind is racing with all the things I want to do.

Pacifier clip.

I finally posted one item on my Etsy shop. I have a bunch more that I need to add, but frankly my house needs the work a lot more than my Etsy shop does right now, so that's the way it's gonna go. I just need to do some editing to get all my pictures ready, and then I'll be good to go. At least I have projects ready though, that makes me feel better. Anyway, this is a pacifier holder. My fellow (and awesome) Canadians would know it as a soother holder. The first time I called it a "soother" in the US I got a very strange and confused look. It basically has snaps on either end, so it can attach around a SOOTHER with a loop on it, and has a metal suspender clip on one end to attach to the baby's clothes.

It can also be used for other things, like to hook around baby toys, especially teethers, so they don't fall on the floor, or to attach to the inside of your purse to hold your keys.

Yee haw, my first fondant cake!

I made my very first fondant cake for Wyatt's 1st birthday. After watching countless You-Tube tutorials and a few calls to my sister-in-law Angie, I decided I would give it a try. I'm happy with how it turned out, considering there were no major disasters along the way. It is definately VERY far from perfect, but at least I learned a lot and know what I need to do different for next time (like pay someone to do it that knows what they are doing... just kidding).

Birdie bib.

I made this birdie bib the other day. The fabric is Marcus Brothers Bleeker Street. My plan was to use it for my Etsy shop (which is still not up and running yet, but should be very soon), but I think I might use it for a gift instead. There's just something about giving things away that I love. Audy?
p.s. Believe it or not, I designed birdie myself. To most people it would probably seem easy, but I am a person who cannot even draw a stick man, so a bird was a large accomplishment for me!

Key Holder Tutorial.

I know, I am not a crafter. But maybe I am? I made this hey holder this weekend after Joel came home with a piece of wood and some hooks and said we needed somewhere to keep our keys. His plan was to take the plain unfinished wood and add the hooks and just screw the whole thing directly into the wall. No thank you. As awesome as that would have been, my plan was slightly different, hence this tutorial.

Materials needed:

Block of unfinished wood, whatever size and shape you prefer (mine was a 5x7 from Michael's)

Screw-in hooks

Sandpaper - light to medium weight

Adhesive - I used Mod Podge Puzzle Saver, it just needs to work on wood and paper

One sheet of scrapbook paper

Small bottle of acrylic paint to match scrapbook paper

Sponge paintbrush

Clear acrylic sealer (aerosol)

Saw-tooth picture-hangers (2)

*These items can all be purchased at Michael's or your local craft supply store.

Screw gun

Directions:

1. Using your sandpaper (try the finest grit first so you don't scratch your wood), smooth out any rough edges on your unfinished block of wood. Paint the edges or sides of your wood block, rest on a disposable cup to let dry, and paint a second coat to ensure complete coverage.

2. Using your wood block as a stencil, trace and cut out a piece of your paper, leaving an eighth of an inch extra on all sides. Take your adhesive and apply a thin layer to the wood block with your sponge brush. Place the paper over the adhesive and go over it with a credit card edge to ensure there are no wrinkles or bubbles. Allow to dry completely.
3. When adhesive is dry, remove excess paper using an Exacto-knife or razor blade, ensuring the paper and wood edges are flush with each other.

4. For this step it is important to go outdoors where it is well-ventilated! Using your clear acrylic sealer, spray a thin coat over the entire wood block, covering the paper and paint. Let dry completely on your disposable cup again, and repeat. I recommended doing several coats of the sealer (I probably did more like 5 or 6 cause it was fun).

5. Measure and mark with pencil where you would like your hooks to be placed. Pre-drill small screw holes into your marks and screw the hooks into the holes (no, I don't have man-hands, Joel was helping me).

6. Using a hammer and nails, attach your picture hangers to the back of the block of wood. Although the picture only shows one, two will help it to balance better on the wall when only one side has keys on it.

7. Voila! You are done and can hang it on the wall (and hopefully I can stop losing my keys).

Amy Butler's Yoga Mat Bag Pattern Review.

I made a yoga mat bag using Amy Butler's free pattern. Overall I thought the pattern was good. Amy Butler's instructions are very simple and easy to understand.

Here are a few points that I would consider if making one again.

1. I would make the strap about an inch thinner, to make it easier to wear. Following the pattern, it is 4.5" finished.

2. The pattern directions have the pocket extending all the way from the bottom of the bag, thought I better mention it in case you're wondering why it looks different than the pattern photo. I made them a few inches shallower and added the bias tape for trim.
3. The top hem is extremely thick when sewing through all the thicknesses of strap, lining, and the exterior fabric (about 10 layers if my math is correct), especially if you use upholstery fabric as I did. Make sure to use a heavy guage needle. I used a 14, but 16 would be best.

Most Important:

*4. I would add a good 4 or 5 inches to the length of the bag. I actually added a button hole in the inside top hem so I could add a drawstring (the pattern directions have it open at the top with no drawstring), but when I put my yoga mat inside it comes right to the top of the bag so there is no room for the top to be drawn in. I just did some Googling and found that others have had this same problem, so definately add to the length! If you don't plan on adding a drawstring, I would only add about 2 or 3 inches to the length.
A big thanks to Amy Butler for the free online patterns!

Etsy Shop.

I said I was not going to open a shop on Etsy. Then Angie told me I should. And we all know that she is super smart, so apparently I am listening to her. It is not up and running just yet, I'm just waiting on a few more supplies before I can post some items in my shop. I will keep you posted as to when I get everything officially going. I designed my banner/logo today, here it is:

Let me know what you think!