Christmas Mushrooms

 Hi Everyone!

Mushrooms and gnomes are still trending in needlepoint, so I was asked to design some Christmas Mushrooms this last spring.  

And, here they are!

Here's the wall hanging:

And, the tissue cover:

And, coasters:

Find them on the Herrschners website under plastic canvas.

Happy Stitching Christmas in July!

Tiger Eyes Tissue Box

 Hi Stitchers!

A new design of mine just arrived on the Herrschners website.  It's an upclose view of a tiger peeking through the jungle foliage.

Here's the link to this unique design:  Tiger Eyes Tissue Box.

Have fun stitching!

Red, White and Blue Tassels

 

Hi Crafters!

Today I have some red, white and blue tassels for you.  They're perfect for the upcoming holidays - Flag Day and the Fourth of July. They're so easy to make.  Set up a table for the kids and let them help decorate!

Here's one of the finished tassels:

To create these tassels, use an assortment of Gwen Studios ribbons: Here I have some striped grosgrain and Sweet Shop packages.

Cut 6 - 12" lengths of ribbon for each tassel.  I used the three striped grosgrains, the star ribbon and the blue satin for mine.

Paint some wooden candleholders for the tops of the tassels. These are 1" high painted red.

Fold the ribbons in half and tie a length of thread around the center of the ribbons.  

To create a tassel that flares out, arrange the ribbons crossing in an X and tape down to your surface with masking tape on either side of the center. Slide the thread under the center and tie tightly.

Thread the twine ends through the hole in the candleholder and pull the ribbons into it.

Wrap the candleholder with more of the thread leaving tails.  Slide buttons or beads on the ends of the tails and knot.

To finish the top, slide on buttons and beads, knot a couple of times and knot again for a hanging loop.

Hang the tassels separately or attach them to a garland.

The ribbon and buttons are from Gwen Studios. 

You can find them at Walmart.com.

White buttons

Red buttons

Or:

Michaels.com

Sweet Shop ribbon

Find more patriotic ribbon designs at the Designer Crafts Connection!

Button Butterfly

 Hi Everyone!

For this month, I'm creating a Button Butterfly for Gwen Studios. As a member of their design team, I recieve their beautiful buttons and ribbon.  They are so much fun with which to create.  

My Mom loved butterflies, so I thought I'd create one in her memory.

To start, I painted a canvas (8" by 10") with one of my favorite colors:  Sea Breeze by DecoArt®.  Then, I dabbed some white on the canvas for clouds.

Then, find or create butterfly pattern.  To create one easily, draw half the butterfly on the fold of a sheet of printer paper.  Cut it out and unfold.  Place it on the canvas.  I angled it, but you could lay it straight if you like. Trace lightly around it on your canvas with a pencil.

Place some of the larger button spots on the butterfly.  Glue in the body.

Fill in the smaller buttons around the larger ones.  You can be symmetrical or not as you like.

You will have some spaces between the buttons.  If you don't like the way that looks, you can layer buttons over the spaces.  Or, you can fill the spaces in with beads.

I added some small beads for the antennae.

You can find Gwen Studios buttons at Walmart.  These are from the 1# bag of solid pastel colors. 

This design is easy enough for all crafters and very adaptable to your own ideas!  It would make a great gift for Mothers' Day or a birthday.  Have fun!

Look for more button and ribbon crafts at Designer Crafts Connection.

Penguin Trio

 Hi Everyone!

Here's a trio of playful penguins for your stitching delight!

I designed these for Herrschners and they are now available in their plastic canvas kits. You can find them here.

I hope you have as much fun stitching them as I did designing them!

Easy Easter Egg Ornament

 Hi Everyone!

Here is a quick and easy Easter Egg Ornament that anyone can make.

First, cut two egg shapes from felt. You may have a cookier cutter that you can use or you can find a shape on the internet.  Any size will work for this.

Then cut two pieces of ribbon to go across the egg above and below the middle.  Cut another two pieces of ribbon if you want to do the back.  Glue or sew these in place on each side.

Glue or sew buttons between the ribbons.

Glue or sew the sides together with a loop of ribbon or thread in between the layers at the top.

Here's another egg decorated with rows of butttons.

There you go!

Decorate a little tree, hang them on a wreath or put a large one on your door!

Happy Easter!

(Ribbon and buttons are from Gwen Studios of which I am a design team member. Look for Gwen Studios buttons and ribbons at Walmart or Michaels or on Amazon. See more designs for Easter and Mother's Day at Designer Crafts Connection.

Baby by Herrschners Woodland Treasures

 Hi Plastic Canvas Lovers!

Here's a set that I designed for Herrschners last year.  These projects are fun to stitch for a baby boy or girl. Too bad all my grandkids are past this age or I'd stitch up a set myself!

Baby by Herrschners Woodland Treasures Milestone Blocks Plastic Canvas Kit

These milestone blocks feature woodland animals and scenes from different holidays with woodsy backgrounds.

Baby by Herrschners Woodland Treasures Closet Dividers Plastic Canvas Kit

This set of hangers has baby animals on it.  There's a bunny, fawn, fox, bear, squirrel and a racoon.  You can separate the sizes of your clothes with this set of dividers.

Have fun stitching!

Easy Button Bracelet

Happy (Almost) Spring! 

Nothing is more fun and as easy to create as a button bracelet.  And, with Gwen Studios new line of buttons, you have so many color choices.

I chose the Pastel Mix for this bracelet.  It's perfect for Spring, Easter and Mother's Day.

You need:

Chain (6-8 inches)

Jump rings, 6mm

Lobster clasp or toggle clasp

Tools:  two pairs of needle nose pliers

Pick the colors you like.  Open and slide jump rings through your selection of buttons. Leave them partially open. (Remember to open and close your jump ring by grasping it with two pairs of pliers one on either side of the cut and twisting to open.  Close in the same way.)

Using 6mm jump rings, you will be using the smaller buttons.  If you want to use some of the larger buttons, use larger jump rings or oval jump rings that will fit over the buttons.

Line them up along a piece of chain about 6" long.  This will make a bracelet about 7" long with the added jump rings and clasp.  Check your wrist size by measuring or use your favorite bracelet as a guide. Arrange them along the chain to see how it looks.

Slide the jump ring onto a link and close the jump ring.  Add more as needed to fill in the chain. You can fill it as much as you want.  For my bracelet, I used 52 buttons.

Attach a jump ring to one end of the chain.  On the other end, attach a jump ring and lobster clasp.

You can find Gwen Studios buttons at Walmart. They have a lot of color assortments and two sizes.  You'll be able to create a button bracelet to match any outfit.  

Find more Spring designs on the Designer Crafts Connection blog.

(I received these buttons as part of the Design Team compensation from Gwen Studios.)

Spring Designs in Plastic Canvas

 Hi Friends!

Herrschners has released two more of my recent designs just in time for Spring stitching!

I have to say that I'm delighted with how they turned out.  

Here are some Garden Fairy Doors that I designed. They can sit on your mantel or shelf.

Look for these on Herrschners.com.  Happy Spring stitching!

Hopping Down the Bunny Trail

 Hi Stitchers!

Are you ready for some Spring stitching?  Here's my latest project from Herrschners featuring the Easter Bunny hiding eggs.  I hope you enjoy it!

Herrschners Hiding the Eggs Window Frame Plastic Canvas Kit

Flowered Bag

 Hello! 

This month for my Gwen Studios project I created a flowered bag using their ribbons, buttons and iron-on patches.

Flowered Bag

To make this bag, you'll need the following:

A bag, canvas or burlap 

Gwen Studios 3/8" ribbon, pastel buttons, bee patches 

Hot glue, Felt Glue

The following are links to Walmart.  

Pastel Buttons

Solid and Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon

Bumble Bee Patches

Instructions:

For the flowers, choose your buttons.  Cut matching or contrasting ribbon in 3" pieces.  I used 8 per flower and hot-glued them to the back of the button.

I added a smaller button in the center of the larger one.  

Arrange your flowers on the bag as desired.  Mark the stems with a fabric marker if you like.

For the stems and leaves, cut green grosgrain ribbon in the lengths to fit your design.  To adhere the ribbon to the bag, I used Felt Glue from Beacon Adhesives.  

Adhere the stems first aligning them with the bottom seam.  I tucked the ends of the ribbon into the seam.  If your bag doesn't have a seam, you could fold under the end of glue some buttons over the ends.

Hot glue the flowers over the ends of the stems.  Use felt glue to adhere the leaves.  I overlapped the leaves and tucked the ends into the seam.  I left the top of the leaves unglued.

To finish, glue the bumblebees among the flowers.

Valentine's Day Garland

 Hello Everyone!

This month I'm creating a Valentine's Garland for Gwen Studios using their ribbon and their new buttons.  It's a fun project that will brighten up your Valentine's Day. It's easy enough that everyone can make it.

You'll need:

A large sheet of stiff felt in red (Kunin Friendly Felt)

Gwen Studios Button Favorites in red and white

Tacky glue

Gwen Studios red and white Taffy Stripe ribbon

Cut the large sheet of felt (12" by 16") into 4 pieces (each 6" by 9").

On each piece, outline the letters for "LOVE" in white buttons.  I did this freehand, but you can make a pattern by writing out the letters to get the sizing as you like it.  I made the "O" in the shape of a heart.  My letters are about 3 1/2" high, but there's room to make them larger if you wish.

Glue down the first set of buttons along the letter.  After outlining the letters with white buttons, add a second layer with red and white buttons.  When you are satisfied with the look, glue these to the first layer.  

Cut eight 3" pieces of ribbon.  Fold each in half and glue the ends together.  Glue these loops on the top of the flags even with the sides and 1/2" down.

Cut a strip of ribbon about 8" long for each flag.  Glue this across the top and even with the top edge.  Fold the ends to the back and glue.

Cut two more 6"pieces of ribbon for each flag.  These will be crossed on the end of the flag as shown.  Mark the center of the bottom of the flag and cross the ribbons on that point.  Place the ribbons 2" above the corner and crossing at the center point.  Glue down and fold the ends to the back and glue.

Here are all the flags.  I was going to trim off the corners on the bottom to create a more pointed flag, but I decided I liked the look.  There are a long of possibilities for finishing the bottom edge.

Glue buttons in the top corners.

Here's the garland strung on a red bead strand.  You could use ribbon also.

Here are some links where you can find the materials I used. The buttons can be found at Walmart and the ribbon at Michaels.

Gwen Studios white buttons

Gwen Studios red buttons

Gwen Studios Red and White Grosgrain Ribbon

For more Valentine designs using Gwen Studios ribbon and buttons check out the Designer Crafts Connection blog.

I'm a member of the Gwen Studios design team and receive product (which I love and recommend) as part of my compensation.