Flower Pin Mania

So after a morning of relaxation, I wanted to get a little crafty today while the dogs napped and my husband did his usual little projects around the house.  I had some felt, so I decided to make a few flowers to put onto pins to jazz up the many sweaters  I wear to work. I realized that this is an adorable and inexpensive way to decorate. I have broken it down to show how inexpensive it is.

Things you will need:

Felt Sheets (about 29¢ each at Michaels)

Hot Glue Gun and a few glue sticks (1.00 at DollarTree) 

Mini Glue Sticks (1.00 for a bag of 20 at DollarTree)

Scissors

Pin Backs or old button pins (60 for 2.99 at Michaels)

First cut the felt into 2 inch strips

 Then fold in half lengthwise, secure each end with a dab of glue

Then cut small slits halfway through the fold

Next, start to wrap in a circular motion keeping the straight edge flush to itself, securing halfway with another dab of glue on the edge.

Add glue to the flat part of the pin back, and Viola!

Maxi-Dress Extrordinaire

I felt crafty today.
Let's just say it all started with the idea of felted flowers with the leftover roving from the slippers.  Then came the eureka moment of "I have a lot of old t-shirts and tanks that have either been worn to much, have small stains, or just have become too shoved in the bottom of the drawer."

So I took the idea, made a pin- it was cute...but not enough to cure my need for crafting today. 

I found my scrap material bag and managed to find some old curtains that a friend had given to me in hopes of them having a second life.  Well, lets just say- what a life they will lead.  I managed to find an old tank that matched, pined some box pleats with the curtains onto the tank, sewed and viola- Maxidress!

Thanks to my new dress form given to me by my sweet husband, I have a well fitted, strongly constructed garment.   Can't wait to wear it on a spring day!

Screen Printing should be one word...

I still find myself blending the two words into one verb of fantastical possibilities..... Anywho....


I have started back up with the Yudu today due to a needed day off and some killer joint pain in my feet....no work, just screenprinting.... see one word......


I first needed a new screen since the two I have are already burned and have great designs on them that I intend to keep for a while. Kevin was sweet enough to pick up a new screen for me.


First step is to wet the screen. I have found that a wet (but not dripping) paper towel works best. The thicker the better. When the screen is wet, put the dull side (shiny side is the plastic covering) of the emulsion sheet down onto the flat side of the screen (or the side that is flush on all corners, trust me, I've screwed this up before.... make sure there are no airbubbles, or light green spots, these are enemies....

Then comes the drying. One push of the button simply does not do it. Three times and a hairdryer on low cool heat works best. Be sure that it is dried completely. If there are any tacky parts to the emulsion its just not dry...DO NOT PEEL the plastic back if it is tacky...



While drying- print off or draw your design on the the transparencies... silhouettes made of paper are also cool...the TimberDog design that is on the blog earlier was simply paper.This activity kills time while the emulsion dries... To make ink-jet printed images more defined, I rely on a good ol' Sharpie to hand fill the design. This allows for the light to be properly blocked when exposed.

Once the emulsion is dry place the designs print side up on the glass, then the flat side of the screen down.... EXPOSE.... not yourself.....the screen....


The green emulsion sheet will turn blue. Where the designs lay, it should be green....wash gently. I usually put the whole screen into the shower, and use the hand-held shower head on lukewarm spray and my hands... this works easily without scratching the screen fibers...






Once the designs are no longer green, and the green is down the drain...dry... again.... three times and a hairdryer.



Then comes the fun part, tape off the design you want to print (or just the sides if you went with a full page design).... Make sure everything is centered.


It can prove difficult when doing centered graphics from small designs like these.... flashlights and a partner help to shine the light directly down to really be able to center the graphic onto the fabric. Also putting a dark colored piece of tape in the center underneath the fabric helps...



Slightly lift the screen and put a stream of ink directly above the design, pull ink lightly downward first.










Lower the screen and pull with more pressure to press ink onto the fabric. Hold the fabric in place when lifting the screen up again.