Markers + plastic bags = adorable

I stumbled on these little bags decorated by illustrator Babalisme and was so thoroughly charmed I had to share. Everyone! Go get a permanent marker and draw on your sandwich bags immediately. I plan to decorate my quart-sized baggie to impress fellow travelers in the security line at the airport. I think "Don't look in here" with a pretty border would be nice and attention-getting.

P.S. I'm taking a blogging break over Memorial Day weekend. Back Tuesday!

(Images from Babalisme)

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DIY mid century clock magnets

I finally did something with the used bottle caps accumulating in a cup in our kitchen: DIY mid century modern clock magnets.

To make them:
Wash and dry the caps, then spray paint them white. Let dry.

Download the clock graphics I made, print, and cut them out. Brush the surfaces of the bottle caps with a bit of Mod Podge or other glue, stick on the clock faces, and brush another coat of Podge over the top. Let dry.

Glue magnets to the back. I used E6000 glue for this, and the magnets are 1-inch disc magnets from a local hobby store. They weren't quite thick enough to fill the bottle cap, so I added a small piece of cardboard as "filler" to make the magnetic surface level with the edge of the cap. Done!

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Printable recipe card generator

Next time you want to pass on a recipe to a friend, try printing out recipe cards using Skip To My Lou's recipe card maker. Choose 4x6 or 3x5 card sizes and paste in your text. Long recipes won't fit on the card, though, so stick to shorter ones. It's probably for the best; your lazy friends like me will be glad.

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Pillow sewing spree

On Friday some friends and I took The Needle Shop's Sewing 101 class together. It's fantastic. People who have never seen a sewing machine in real life march proudly out of class four hours later brandishing a pillow with a zippered cover. I had put zippers in pillows before, but never correctly so I always hoped nobody would look under there. Now I'm a kung fu zipper master. This is the pillow I made in class with Kokka camera fabric.

And then I went home and re-covered every pillow in our living room. The solid orange and the orange with bird print are from IKEA (purchased early April, but it looks like they still carry it) and the brown and black geometric print was a clearance table runner, also from IKEA. The fuzzy chocolate brown stuff is from the fabric store up the street. All I know about that is that fuzz went everywhere when I made those two, including into my coffee.

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DIY projects for gardeners

If you like to grow things, perhaps you also like to paint things. Check out Kate's painted plant pot tutorial on Design Sponge. Tape, stickers, and spray paint make this a super easy DIY project.

To make some garden markers from vintage spoons, get the how-to right here from Shrimp Salad Circus. Or if that sounds like too much work, buy a set like this one from Hammermann on Etsy.

Make a tea cup bird feeder with instructions from Cap Creations. The saucer holds the seed and the cup holds the water.

(Images from Design Sponge, Hammermann, and Cup Creations)

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Make your own plaid background patterns

You never know when you might need some digital tartan. Customize your own weave and colors right here, then download a square to tile seamlessly. Make your Twitter page Scottish or take your website on a picnic. This is the traditional Jones clan tartan, above.

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Time management help

A friend told me about MyTomatoes.com yesterday. It's a site that utilizes the Pomodoro Technique, a time management method based on the theory that frequent breaks can improve mental agility. My favorite part: time is measured in 25 minute increments called "pomodoros," Italian for tomatoes.

The idea is to work for 25 minutes until the timer goes off, record what you did, take a 5 minute break, and repeat. After every four tomatoes you finish, take a longer 15-20 minute break. I was all set to try it today, but work was too hectic to bother with setting the timer. This might be a good tool to use when you don't have immediate outside deadlines, and you struggle to stay focused and feel productive.

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Pattern review: Chickens!

Occasionally my mum, AKA Grandma G, is going to send over her review of a sewing pattern for you sewists who want to make something adorable—and who would like to know a little more about a project before you commit. Today's project: awesome plush chickens, designed by blogger LiEr. The best part is that if you squeeze them, eggs come out. Click here to see the chicken's bottom; this is a G-rated blog and you must be 18 or older to look at this picture. The pattern is available as a PDF download for $12 at the end of LiEr's post. (Also see her cuuute pigs and other patterns for sale in her sidebar.) Grandma G's comments:

"What a fun project this was! As the chickens progressed, I would hold the pieces up, look at them and laugh because they were so cute and funny! The pattern was very well designed with easy-to-follow directions. As the instructions say: 'It is assumed that the sewer has basic to intermediate sewing experience, including knowing how to sew around curves, attach simple gusset-type pieces, sew darts and do top-stitching.' The pattern is not difficult, but I wouldn't choose it as a first project for a beginner sewer. I would also add that you need to know how to embroider just a bit.

There are lots of tiny pieces to cut and sew around. They're not hard to work with, but they do require a little time and patience. I found the hardest part was sewing the wattles into the beaks, and then turning the hen's beak right side out, because it was so small and the felt did not turn easily. I did then make the rooster's beak bigger... after all, roosters are bigger, right? I also changed a couple of things from the original pattern, mainly the placement of the face parts, just to look a bit more realistic, and I made a different tail and bigger comb for the rooster. I would certainly recommend this pattern. The fleece made for a soft, huggable chicken family, and my granddaughter loves them!"

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Friday fun: Social media status generator

The advent of social media has created a new source of stress in our lives: the pressure to think up the perfect status update. Generatus.com to the rescue. "How many hours have you wasted trying to think of something suitably witty, funny and original for your status on Facebook or Twitter? Let's face it, a status like 'Dave is mowing the lawn' or 'Kate is asleep' is not going to impress that huge entourage of friends you've amassed." Right on. Get help now.

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12 free bag and purse tutorials

Get free patterns and instructions for all of these cute totes, purses, pouches and bags online right here (left to right):

Penelope tote by Melissa Esplin
Twenty minute totes at The Purl Bee
Roomy pleated handbag at Warehouse Fabrics
Simple purse at Little Girl Pearl
Reversible beach bag by Soozs
Diana hobo bag at Think Liz
Pleated shoulder bag at Machen Machen
Zippered wristlets by Javajem Knits
Change purse with zipper by Viteen
Recycled grocery totes made from plastic bags at Made
Box pouch with handle by Drago[knit]fly
Lined, zippered pouch at Flossie Teacakes

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Sugarcoat It Studio modern cakes

One thing I'd never imagined: a cake version of one of my fabrics. This amazing confection was crafted by Krista Markell of Sugarcoat It Studio. Krista says she swiped a cutting of fabric from a friend and held onto it for the perfect cake — which turned out to be the one she made for her own birthday party. Here's the fabric:

Here's the cake:

Krista, a former marketing director in the world of modern furniture, runs a bakery near Berkeley. I just about fell off my chair when I saw the other amazing, graphic cakes she makes. Have a look!

If you're a brave soul who would like to try making your own cake decorated with fondant, here's a tutorial from Make It and Love It in three parts: one, two, three.

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DIY ruffled t-shirt tutorials (and other ruffly things)

Ruffles are everywhere. They're taking over the world like a growing fungus, feeding on every shirt and pillow and bag in their path. JCrew and Anthropologie have completely succumbed. Good thing ruffles are so darned pretty. If you'd like to invite some into your existing wardrobe, check out the following tutorials. Most projects are made from refashioned t-shirts or jersey easily found at fabric stores.

Layered ruffle shirt from Tea Rose Home (shown top left)
Vertical ruffle shirt from Tea Rose Home (shown bottom right)
Ruffled t-shirt refashion at Brassy Apple
Asymmetrical ruffle neck tee by Adventures in Dressmaking
Center ruffled shirt at Ruffles And Stuff
Rose-adorned t-shirt by Appliqué Your Way
Corsage t-shirt by Enchantresses 3
Girl's shirt with pleated neckline at Make It and Love It (shown bottom left)
Toddler ruffled shirt at Living With Punks
Toddler dress made from a t-shirt by Happy Together
Gathered jersey scarf (shown top right) at MaryJanes and Galoshes, made with this tutorial at Make It and Love It
Ruffled pillow made from a t-shirt at Floral Showers

(Images from Tea Rose Home, Make It and Love It, and MaryJanes and Galoshes)

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Activity book for type lovers

Fans of typography, rejoice! Hyperactivitypography from A to Z is an activity book filled with puzzles and games to test your type knowledge and learn new skills. It's clever and witty and adorable. Flip through it right here. The book is designed by Studio 3, a group of 15 third year graphic design students at Westerdals School of Communication in Oslo, Norway.

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A thing made from my fabric

Blog reader Melissa Swanson sent me a photo of this chair makeover she performed with my Fireworks print. She should have kept that under wraps, because now I'm going to have to break into her house and steal it.

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New ribbon designs

I just got samples of the latest ribbon I designed for J Caroline Designs. She commissioned me to do tennis and golf ribbon. So I made her houses instead. Ha! Take that, Caroline.

I did also make the requested sports ribbon. But really? Do people wrap the handles of their tennis racquets with this stuff? How could it possibly be used? I'll keep my eye out for it at Wimbledon. Or maybe Tiger Woods could trim his shirts with the golf version, and the press would be so bewildered that they'd finally start writing articles about him on a new topic.

And what to do with houses... maybe wrap a cute housewarming present with it. Yes.

To purchase some, you could either buy it by the yard here at Fat Quarter Shop, or get 25-yard rolls (a super deal) for reselling or for trimming lots of shirts for Tiger right here at J Caroline Creative. More designs coming soon!

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Printable bookplate freebie

Hop over to Image Zoo and download these patterned bookplates. You could print them on sticky label paper, trim them out, and include them with a set of children's books you give a kid. A girl kid, most likely, because they're kinda flowery.

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Russell + Hazel for Target

Allow me to show you something orange and fun that followed me home from Target last week. Russell + Hazel has a collection of super cute office supplies available under their KIT brand for Target right now. Mix-and-match binders, filler paper, folders, plastic sleeves, sticky notes... how could we resist this little orange binder?

P.S. After writing this, I now realize how similar this photo is to the one in the previous post. Please don't worry. I'm not going to take pictures of every single orange thing in my house and show them one by one.

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Chicago photographer Simply Jessie came over and shot me

With her camera, not a gun. Jessie Stevens of Simply Jessie Photography is beginning a new series on her blog: mini interviews with local small business owners. You can read my interview full of profound thoughts and great wisdom; see part one and part two.

People, I really don't like having my picture taken. I tend to become paralyzed with fright and can't figure out what in the world to do with my hands or my teeth or my chin or my eyelids. Somehow Jessie made me forget about all that, which is a complete miracle. (I recommend rolling around in a pile of fabric and feigning sleep as one way to help get past it.) We laughed a lot. Jessie provided exactly the right amount of direction; she's a pro. If you want gorgeous photos but hate getting your picture taken, she's your photographer. And for a limited time, she's offering a discount on photo sessions.

Get 20% off until May 14
Fill out the contact form on Simply Jessie's site. Mention "How About Orange" in your comments to get 20% off a full family portrait or 15% off an entire wedding package. But you must book by Friday, May 14th!

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