Friday, April 18, 2014

This Blog is Moving

Hey All!

I have decided I would like to incorporate more blog posts about my artwork into my blog, so I am changing the name.  You can now find me blogging at: JennyChangTheArtist.com

I will not be updating this blog anymore so please stop by the new site!

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Blogger Swap!



Hey Friends-

I recently participated in a fun blogger swap hosted by Miche of Buttons and Birdcages.  We were all paired up with another blogger and sent each other fun gifts in the mail!  I was paired with Alexa of Almost A Hippy.  Look at all these goodies she sent me!


Some treats for me, including a lovely scarf, some eye shadow and lipgloss, a chocolate bar, and a mini frame crafting kit.  I'm pretty excited about all of it, but come on, chocolate.  After my year spent studying in England, I got pretty hooked on Cadbury chocolate.


She also included this cute, fleece fabric.  I want to make something for my little girl with it but am not sure what yet.  Any suggestions?  I have about a fourth to a half of a yard.

If you want to check out any of the other blogs participating, check them out below.  We were a little late to share our posts because the first package I sent got lost in the mail.  Yikes!






Sunday, February 23, 2014

Yarn Pendant

Hey Crafty Friends-

Here's a fun and simple project if you feel like wearing your love of knitting on your sleeve...err...neck.


You will need a metal pendant piece (I don't know the technical term), yarn, glue, and cardboard.


Start by cutting the cardboard slightly smaller than the size of your pendant.  Cover one side with glue and start wrapping the yarn around.


Alternate the direction you wrap to make a woven pattern.  Cover all edges of the cardboard.


Now fill your pendant with glue and press the yarn piece into it.  Hold or clamp until it dries a little.


Done!  Looking good, you beautiful yarn crafter, you.

Friday, January 3, 2014

Travel Map Tote

Hello!  Did everyone have a nice Christmas?  We had a jam-packed week in KS visiting my family.  It was wonderful.  There wasn't much time for crafting, but I did whip this guy up the night before we left.


I ordered this tote bag crafting kit from Darby Smart.  I used some of my own paint along with the materials in the kit and ended up with this map tote.


As cool as it was, I thought it would be fun to dress it up a bit more by marking where I have traveled on it.  I used embroidery floss to add a little yellow "x" to my home state.  After we returned home from KS, I used some red floss to mark off Kansas City. 



I stored my needle and thread in a small Altoids tin and plan on carrying it with me while I travel.  I don't really want to try and go back and add all the places I have been already so I'm going to just start marking from now on.


I had a lot of fun making this project.  It was easy to create but feels really fun and personal. 

Monday, December 9, 2013

Handmade Gift Exchange

Hello friends!

Is everyone getting ready for Christmas?  I'm mostly trying to keep the baby from pulling off ornaments and eating them.  However, with my little bit of spare time, I participated in a fun gift exchange hosted by Craftaholics Anonymous.  I was paired up with another crafter and we sent each other gifts.  Here is what I sent:


I decorated this wooden box by decoupaging a floral napkin onto the top.  Before attaching it, I cut out the word CREATE to leave the wood poking through.  Next I filled the box with lots of little crafting goodies.  When you are a craft hoarder like me, you build up quite the supply.  Everything was color-coordinated of course :)


I also wanted to send something a bit more "handmade" so I created this little owl ornament.  I was so happy with it that I made a few more to add to my shop.  You know, it happens.  I was a little late sending my gift so I also threw in one of my peacock prints.


In exchange, I got this wonderful chalkboard bunting.  I had a hard time getting a good picture of it because we hung it over a glass door.  Hopefully you can see it alright.  It's very cute.  Right now, it says "Happy Christmas" but it will be very fun to change it up for parties.


I loved getting such a beautifully sewn gift because my sewing skills are still developing.  That's the fun of an exchange like this.

Has anyone else tried something like this?  Any exchanges that you have really enjoyed?


Monday, December 2, 2013

Family Photo Cloth Book- Creating the Image


 Hi Everyone!

I've gotten a few questions about how to create the image for the family photo cloth book.  I'm going to do my best to explain this, but feel free to continue to ask questions.  I'm not a photoshop expert so I'll just explain it all the best I can!

 As I said before, I ordered a fat quarter of my fabric from Spoonflower.  A fat quarter is 18”x21.”  In order to have 10 images plus a front and back cover, each image will need to be 6” tall and 5.25” wide.


Start by determining your cover.  I used a pattern that I scanned into my computer and added a picture of my daughter.  Whatever your cover, create an image that is 6” tall and 10.5” across (for front and back cover).  To do this, choose Image>Image Size and then adjust size in inches.



Now go to Image>Canvas Size and adjust the canvas size to 18”x21.” Set it so that it will extend down and to the right.







Open your next image you would like and adjust that image to be 6”x5.25.”  Select all and copy image.






Now go to your first image (the large one with cover) and paste next image.  Move image until it is next to the right of the cover.



Repeat Steps 2 and 3 and continue to paste onto your cover image until you have filled in all of the pages.

To add the color blocks with names, choose the Draw Shapes tool and draw a colored rectangle at the bottom of each image.  Finally, use the Text Tool to add the names at the bottom of each page, over the rectangles.


When finished, make sure the save as a jpeg.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Blog Flashback- Needle Felted Dalek

In honor of the Doctor Who 50th anniversary tomorrow, here's a little taste of blogs past.  Remember my needle-felted Dalek?


You might not be able to make it by tomorrow, but it would be a great little craft for afterward.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Family Halloween Costume- Rock, Paper, Scissors

Wow.  The last few weeks have been quite the whirlwind.  One case of bronchitis and a lot of packing later, and we now are living in our brand new home.  During that time, my major craft project was making our Halloween costumes.  Can you tell what we are?

Paper covers rock, rock crushes scissors.

Rock paper scissors.  Scissors was made after the move with a bare minimum of craft supplies unpacked so you really have to use your imagination.  The shirt is supposed to be the handles (with the arms forming the circles) and the legs are the blades.  I found the silver fabric at Goodwill.  I was pretty excited :)

Ok.  I guess we all get along after all.

It was actually a pretty easy costume.  My paper skirt was made by drawing lines on felt and sewing the pieces onto a thrifted white skirt.  My t-shirt was based on this one, although I used sharpie.  Rock baby was made by sewing flannel onto a thrifted fleece outfit and hat.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Glasses Cat Onesie

Just a brief bit of inspiration for you today.  Somehow all of my step-by-step photos got deleted.  But, it's pretty easy so you can figure it out.


I took a picture of our cat, turned it black and white, and then printed it on iron-on paper.  I ironed it onto a plain white onesie.  Then I cut out glasses from red jersey fabric and stitched them on. 

The onesie is already stained.  Oh the joys of a baby.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Simple Housewarming Gift Basket

Some friends of ours recently bought a house and we wanted to give them a little present to celebrate.  I had seen some housewarming gift baskets on other sites before and wanted to try making my own.


My husband made this adorable little basket out of cardboard and we filled it with some things we thought would be helpful for the move: cute sponges, picture hangers, command hooks, Magic Erasers, Goo Gone, kleenex, a scented candle, and some basil-scented dish soap (this stuff smells amazing!).


In addition, I made a little embroidery piece for them that said "Home Sweet Home." I stitched the words onto a piece of vintage sheet and glued the final product onto a small canvas.