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Sep, 12{diy} sunglass cozy
As you can already tell, I’m in full-fledged Fall mode. Here’s a cute and easy way to keep your glasses safe and warm this season. All you’ll need is a standard (8.5” x 11”) piece of felt (I like EcoFi felt), scissors, a sewing machine, some embroidery thread, iron on interfacing or scrap fabric and hot glue + gun (optional).
First, you measure your glasses and add about 2” to the width and 2″ to the length. Mine was 4″ x 7″ finished. Then cut out your pieces (you’ll need two). Next, embroider whatever design that you’d like onto one or both of the pieces. Then, either iron on a small piece of interfacing or sew in some scrape fabric to cover the threads on the inside, so that your glasses don’t snag on them when you pull them in and out.
Next, place your two pieces together (right sides out) and at one of the short ends, fold about ½” down on each side and pin.
You’ll sew around both long sides and one short side. I chose a zig-zag stitch. Note: Leave the short side with the folded piece open (this is where you will slide your glasses in and out).
Finally, you snip parts of the folded piece to create a fringed effect and add a few dots of hot glue to hold the fringe down. That’s it! Now you have a fun Fall cozy for your glasses. ♥R
09
Sep, 12{studio sunday} with Becky of Sketch.inc
Happy Sunday! Today we’ll be peeking into Becky Kemp’s studio to see where she creates her work for Sketch.inc. I can’t wait for you to dive in. Her space is so open and full of natural light, it might make you a little jealous… I really love how she surrounds herself with lots of colorful items, many of them being her own creations! Let’s get to it, shall we?!
1. How long have you been creating your brightly colored geometric pieces? What’s your inspiration? When did you decide to start selling your work?
I’ve been painting and Sketchbooking all my life. I have had a few gallery shows over the years but nothing that was going to enable me to dedicate a full-time job to it. I opened my Etsy Shop at the end of March last year and in April of this year gave up the day job to concentrate on my passion ‘Creating’. My Sketchbooks chronicle every doodle and idea that pops into my head, I love Japanese animation, abstract expressionism, wrapping paper, textile patterns and anything else I can get my hands on.
2. On to your studio, where’s it located?
I live and work in the southeast of England and my Studio is an extension at the back of the house. 11’x23’ it’s a long room with tiled flooring and large square windows giving me plenty of natural light which is vital living in the U.K and a world away from my previous Studio in a dark cottage in north Wales.
3. What’s your favorite part of your current studio space? Why?
Probably my old sofa by the window. Inspiration corner as I like to call it. Comfort is key to keeping me motivated, and yes I have fallen asleep on this sofa with pen in hand and woken to find ink all over my face. This cozy corner has everything to hand; books, wifi, TV and my favorite inspiring pieces.
4. Approximately how many hours per week do you spend in your studio?
I usually spend 60-70 hours a week in the Studio, but often take my work outside when the weather permits. The room looks out onto the garden and cornfields so it’s very peaceful when the studio decides to go al fresco. The kitchen is also at the back of the house so I don’t have far to travel for meals and the Post Office is a 10 minute walk down the road, I could not have planned it better if I had tried.
5. Do you have any tips or advice on how to maintain an inspiring and functional workspace?
Everyone works very differently. For me I like a well-lit room, to be surrounded by my favorite images, splashes of colourful stationary, iPhone docked and ready for Genius mix and well-organized storage, the rest is often pretty chaotic to the visiting eye but at least I know where everything is even if no one else does.
6. Do you have any future plans for your studio?
I love home improvements! Some extra shelving and storage space would be great but a mini fridge next to the sofa is top of my current wish list. I would like to say that it’s for my photo emulsion and acrylics but really a few ice-cold Corona is closer to the truth for those tight deadline nights.
•••••••
Becky, thank you soooooooo much for taking the time to thoughtfully answer all of my questions. Your answers paired with your amazing photos are truly inspiring to me and my readers. Your studio shows the dedication that you have to create what you love and nothing less. Keep doing what you do and I can’t wait to see what you create next! After looking at your amazingly organized studio, I need to go clean mine… again. haha! Thank you again! ♥R
•••••••
Please take a moment, if you haven’t already to stop by and visit Becky.
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Sep, 12sneak peek on an upcoming post
Today I wanted to share just a sneak peek of what’s to come in this Sunday’s {studio sunday} feature. I don’t want to give too much away, but the artist is amazingly talented (as you can see) and incredibly motivated! She’s living her creative dream in a well-lit and brightly colored studio. I can’t wait for you to meet her and peek into her space! ♥R
05
Sep, 12{diy} rice cakes 3 ways
Today I thought I’d share an easy way to mix up your healthy snacking by sharing rice cakes 3 ways. Rice cakes can be described as “cardboard-like” or “flavorless,” but they don’t have to be. With a few simple ingredients you can transform your boring rice cakes into a healthy snack that you look forward to! The possibilities are endless, so play around with what you have in the pantry and I bet you’ll be surprised with what you can come up with. For these 3 variations, I used lightly salted rices cakes, but you can use whatever flavor you’d like. Each cake is only about 35 cal, so depending on your choice in toppings, you can fill up on little calories.
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Sep, 12Labor Day Weekend
We played it pretty easy this last Labor Day weekend by hanging around the house, going out to eat, watching movies and spending a day up in Estes Park, CO with the pups. It was so much fun and here are a few photos of our lovely holiday.
Tucker’s howling for the stick to be thrown…
He ended up bringing back a tree…
Frankie’s a bit scared of the water.
I hope you had a lovely weekend. Welcome back to the working world. ♥R
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Aug, 12Welcoming Fall
As you already know, I love Fall and all that it has to offer. It’s been really hot here in Colorado so I’m welcoming Fall in a big way! I’ve been up to my ears in fabric, lace, ribbon and paint as I prep for my two (possibly three) Fall/Winter craft shows. I can’t wait to share what I’ve been working on and I also have some fun Fall DIY’s to share with you as well. Oh, and I have a couple of new series to add to the blog, so that’s pretty exciting.
In addition to that, I feel like I have a lot that I want/need to do before Fall actually arrives. I’d like to vacuum out the cars, tidy up the garage and make another donation drop-off. What pre-Fall plans do you have? ♥R
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Aug, 12Trendy
Trends. Trends are all around us and have been since the beginning. I feel that everyone follows a trend to a point; some just do it more in-depth than others. Even those who say they don’t follow trends, are in a way following one. They follow the one that the non-followers follow. Hahaha This is okay! It’s not a bad thing at all. We see something we like and we want to be a part of it, right? I think that’s great. What makes each of us unique, is how we take that trend that we like, and make it our own unique style by adding or subtracting whatever. I do believe there are trend-setters and trend-followers, and there are some who are both. To be a trend-setter, you have to stay ahead of the pack or at least in the front of it. If you have a unique idea that you’ve never seen before, do it-make it-create it. Who knows, it just might be the next up and coming trend! I like trends, they can be fun and I don’t see it as a negative thing when we become a part of one. It’s fun to look back on photos and laugh at past trends that we’ve taken part in. It shows who we are and how we grow as unique individuals. So, if anyone says that you’re just being “trendy,” say thank you and think to yourself, “and so are you!” haha! ♥R
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Aug, 12The Prototype
Prototypes have become a key part of my creative process. Although I don’t create one for every project, I do for the more detailed and elaborate ideas. Have you had a “great idea” only to find out after you cut enough pieces for a lifetime, that it wasn’t going to work, because you didn’t make a prototype first? Sheesh. I have and lesson learned. Owning and operating a small creative business, means that I need to think about each step carefully so that I don’t cost myself more money or waste too much time. Now I create prototypes before setting up the assembly line, which allows me to play and adjust before diving in too deep.
The first step that I take to building a prototype is to sketch my idea and write out the details. This makes it much easier for me to see the big picture and what I’m working with. Do I have all of the materials, or do I need to go buy some? How long do I think this will take? This step allows me to pick the size, colors, shapes, etc., and gives me the chance to make the first set of adjustments. The second step is where I gather everything that I need and start to measure and piece it together. Here is where I can start to tell if it’s going to work or not. Once put together I can lastly make any final tweaks and determine the cost and time that went into making that piece. Then I ask myself, can I afford to make a collection of them? Can I make several in a short time or is it going to take more time than I can spare? These are all things that I need to consider.
If everything works out as planned, I’ll usually make a small collection of them and test the market. Do they sell? Do people like them? If people like them, then I can set up a small assembly line to produce batches. If they aren’t successful, that’s okay, because I only created a small collection to start with and I’m not out a whole lot.
Like I mentioned before, I don’t feel the need to create a prototype for every idea that I have, but I do for the larger and more detailed ones. Some ideas have worked and some have not, and that’s okay. A perk of having the idea written in my ideabook, is that I can look back on it later with fresh eyes, and who knows, maybe recreate it into something successful!
The past couple of weeks I’ve been creating prototypes and can’t wait to let you in on what I’ve been working on! I’ll have a shop update on Saturday Sept. 1st to kick off Fall, so I’ll keep you posted! ♥R
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Aug, 12{diy} easy sequins belt
This will probably be the easiest belt you’ll ever make! Seriously.
All you’ll need are the following materials:
1. Tape Measure
2. Scissors
3. Belt Clasp
4. Stretch sequins (you can buy this by the spool or you can measure your waist and get it cut at the craft store)
5. Needle and thread or a sewing machine
First, measure your waist (I like to wear mine at the small of my waist), subtract one inch and cut. That’s right, subtract an inch, not add, because this stretch sequins can really stretch and you don’t want it to be loose. You don’t want it to be too tight either. Then you simply sew one end of each buckle to each end of the sequins strip that you just cut. You can sew this with your sewing machine, but I prefer to hand stitch it. It’s easier to hide the stitch lines. If you do use your sewing machine, be sure that you’re using a strong needle and wear safety glasses if possible. I’ve broken a needle doing this. That’s it! Easy, isn’t it?! Happy making. ♥R
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Aug, 12Accessories, Accessories, Accessories
It wasn’t until recently that I started to really want to wear more accessories. I mean, I’ve always worn earrings, because, as my mom has always told me, “they brighten your face.” And I agree! I’ve also always worn my “nice” jewelry that has sentimental value to me. Like the necklace Ron gave me for Valentine’s one year, or the jewelry my parents gave me for birthdays. Those are all my favorites and I wear those all of the time, but I’m talking about playful accessories that you buy for yourself just for looks and fun. I’ve never been into lots of pieces at once, but recently I’ve been having a lot of fun layering necklaces and mixing in funky rings just because I can. I went through my jewelry boxes and found all sorts of old costume pieces that I forgot I even had!! Jackpot! It’s such a great feeling to find an old piece of jewelry from 198? that you used to wear as a kid. So special. As a creative, I like to think of myself as a very visual person, so I’m sort of surprised that I didn’t notice (or really care) how a few key accessories could really pull an outfit together. Accessories help polish a look, and if done right, can take a blah outfit to the next level. It took me how long to realize this?! I mean, I’ve seen other people do it and have thought, “that looks nice” but never thought more about it after that. So, now I’m on the lookout for fun and unique pieces and I can’t wait to see what I find next! What’s your favorite accessory? ♥R
