Sunday, November 28, 2010

Etched Ornament Tutorial

It's that time again... I absolutely LOVE this time of year, not just in the fact that being a Christian, our Savior and Lord was born, but also because I love the whole spirit of giving everyone is in, and just the lights, and the family, and friends. Like many people, this past week I put up our tree... having two little ones 18 months apart and the oldest turning 2 this week, my hubby and I felt it was in their best interest to not have a big tree that they could get hurt with, but three smaller trees...

Being in this decorating spirit, I wanted to make ornaments for the kids, because, who doesn't like that...??? So... I set out this week looking at different ornament ideas... I came across etched ornaments... and I was intrigued. I absolutely LOVE the look of etched glass. Something permanent and beautiful, delicate, and elegant all wrapped in one... so... I looked up how to make them, and I bring them to you today.

I had a little help from an elf, who decided to take a nap in the middle of all the hustle and bustle. (Which was just fine by me...) So... Here is the tutorial... Enjoy!

First, to do this, you need to be prepared... it is not going to be stuff you have on hand. You are going to have to go to the store and get the supplies.

You will need:

Glass ornaments, (anything glass is good.... have fun, be creative... I see LOTS of etching in my future...) Etching Creme (this is not available in all states because of vandals using it and not being able to get it off... this is permenant... it will not wash off at all... so... keep away from delinquents... :) ) Heavy Duty Gloves, Apron, Glasses... ( I only used gloves... living on the edge I guess... but if you are careful, that's all you need...) (IMHO) You also need to put down newspaper, or some other protectant for your floor/table. I worked on the floor... so... I put down a huge cardboard piece that came in a toy for the boy's birthday... You also need vinyl. I used Cricut vinyl. I think that's it...

Step One

Start by selecting what you would like to cut out. I wanted to cut out the children's names... so I did a J&E. I used my Cricut. You can pretty much put anything. I cut it out twice, because I didn't know which direction it would need to be on the ornaments. You can know that it is the correct way, not the backwards way. Then you put that on the ornament... being that ornaments are round and the letters were made on a flat piece of paper... you need to make small cuts in it to be able to get it to go around the ornament in a way in which all the little pieces go down... take your time...

Step Two

After you get the stencil down, make sure to put on gloves.... suit up, be safe... at least wear gloves... Get a foam brush, and dip in the cream. Apply a thick layer and leave on 10 minutes. I actually left mine on for 12 because I got distracted with the elf...

Step Three

Wash off the etching cream.... Put your gloves BACK ON... rinse off in the sink with warm water... making sure to not use really hot or really cold water... You could shatter all your hard work. Wash it off, take the stencil off, and wash again... After that, you can take your gloves off.

Step Four
Admire, Admire, Admire. I absolutely LOVE the way mine came out... have some new ideas for other stuff around the house... nothing is safe!!!

Tip- The Etching Cream is about $8 for a small container... I thought I would use a lot but it didn't... even when you coated the whole thing with lots...

What else can I etch??? We shall see!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

This week.

I have a new top-secret product. I am looking into getting a patent. It is the best idea ever, and I want to post it soooo much. But, alas, I can't. In the meantime, here's what I have been working on. BG had a state pageant, competing against babies that were 7 or more months older than her. She came in second place out of all the girls...
Alright... I had a lot to do this week. I did get a lot of crafts done. I just didn't have time to get it posted. Here's what I have been working on. Hope you like it. We had the state pageant where BG won Duchess. So proud! I made all her accessories. She was the most matching contestant if I say so myself. She had matching shoes, a charm bracelet with a crown, bloomers, and her headband. All put together, and Viola! Lovin' it. Here's another picture of the zebra dress with matching accessories. It turned out great.



Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Black and White Zebra Print Dress with Hot Pink Accents...




Ok. This dress, was by far, one of my FAVORITE dresses ever! I started out with cutting a trapezoid 8"by 18"by 18" by 8" shape. I took hot pink ribbon with black stitching in it to accent the waist, and pretty hot pink bows at each shoulder, behind each bow is a button. The straps are perfectly spaced to allow a flattering neckline. This dress is my all time favorite. It was fun to make, and I was able to make it some what efficiently and expedite it along. Baby Girl go to wear it out today... She wore her pink princess tiara ruffled bottom bloomers underneath. I made a crochet headband to finish the look.... now she just needs a little purse and pumps, and she will be good to go... :)

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Craft Show Success...


Waiting forever is not so long when you are done with whatever you were waiting on... Christmas takes a long time to get here when you are little, but after it is over, you can't even remember what it felt like waiting... I put in a lot of time, energy, and effort into the craft show today. I learned a lot. I learned about how to market your products in an efficient manner. I learned how to stage things to make them look attractive, regal, where you want to buy it right then... I learned about how advertising is necessary in getting traffic into a venue. I learned about myself, what I do when faced with disappointment, how I relate to people. I learned about my daughter, that she is one of the happiest babies ever and will smile and or go to anyone at any time.

I had a good time. I got to talk to a lot of people. The sale part didn't go as well as I hoped, but, I did get to learn about more methods of showcasing my items. I got to see the professionals of craft shows and how they did things.

My favorite part was when Eliza got to sit with Santa... where else could you do that???... and since I had it there sitting on the table, I figured why not put her in the Santa Tutu Halter Dress... ADORABLE... What a photo-op! It was as fun as it could be. I enjoyed getting to meet new people. I enjoyed being able to see other people's wares.

Not a lot of people make their own stuff anymore. It is a lost art. To be able to create something from something as simple as a piece of fabric... to take a single stitch and change the appearance of a garment... To make things beautiful... That is what I love about sewing. I love the simple things. How something so small can make something so much more lovely. A piece of fabric there, a gather there, a seam here, a ruffle there, a ribbon here, all put together makes it something that is beautiful, delicate, and girlie.

While today was not a great financial success... it was something that was a learning experience, and a time for me to be able to meet someone who shared my love of the finer things in life... So for now, it is off to bed, with visions of sugarplums dancing in my head. Who knows what creations tomorrow will hold?...



Wednesday, November 3, 2010

The Reindeer Dress Revisited...

The Silent Auction was a success. The reindeer dress went for $102! It retails for $50 for the dress, matching headband, bloomers, and jacket. I was so happy! After I finished that project, I had just enough fabric to make another dress and matching headband and bloomers. I added bows, and mixed it up a little. I made flirty straps, not spaghetti straps, and made it more A-Line. It looks too cute.