Lovin' my life as a {crafty} Mommy and Wife

Pinterest Project

2011-11-18T18:56:00.000-08:00

Recently I saw a pin on Pinterest that was a photo of a little girl in a big, white dress. The idea was to take a photo of your daughter in your wedding dress. I LOVED the idea! How fun! So, I set out to make it happen! My little 3 1/2 year old girly-girl had a great time getting dolled up as a "wedding girl" as she called it. We headed outside one beautiful fall afternoon and took some super fun pictures! Here are some of my favorites!

Applique T-Shirts

2011-11-18T18:12:00.000-08:00

I love making applique tshirts! I make initial shirts, number shirts for birthdays, tie tshirts, and fun holiday appliques. I hand cut all of my designs and they are all hand stitched. I leave a slight unfinished border around the applique so the design will fray just a little over time. Here are a few designs I have made:

Christmas Tree with Initial

Turkey Tshirt (girl)

Pumpkin with Initial

Zebra Minnie Mouse with Initial

"R" Initial

"1" for First Birthday

"Big Sister"

"3" for Third Birthday

"C" Initial

"E" Initial

"Lightsaber"

Little Man Tie

Dollar Store Decorating

2011-10-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

I love the dollar store! You can find some great items for just $1. I love to get toys, party favors, coloring books, and little things for around the house. This year, I decided to try decorating using some items from the dollar store. I love to decorate my house but let's face it...it can get expensive! Here are a few pictures of some fall decorations I made this year using some things I already owned, dollar store purchases, and a bit of some craftiness!

Fall Wreath: made with a wicker wreath form, glitter tulle, fake pumpkins and gourds, and some glittered leaves. I purchased everything I needed to make this wreath from the dollar store except for the tulle which I already had on hand.

Fall Candle Scene: I used marbles/rocks, a mini pumpkin with a battery operated tealight, tall pillar candles, ribbon, and glittered leaves. I simply tied some ribbon around the candles and then arranged everything on a glass plate. I made this mostly from items are already owned and used the leftover leaves from my wreath.

Fall Table Decor: Here I displayed some fall subway art in picture frames with a stuffed pumpkin. I downloaded free subway art online and printed it at home. I customized and printed the pumpkin silhouette and glued it to some patterned paper. Then, I displayed the art in frames I purchased for the dollar store.

200 Fan Giveaway Winners...

2011-04-18T12:11:00.001-07:00

Last week I posted about my first giveaway here at {Crafty} Mommy and Wife. The plan was to give away 3 different products to 3 different winners. Seeing as how this was my first giveaway, I wasn't anticipating a huge turnout. Five lovely fans decided to try their luck in this first giveaway of mine and I am here to announce the winners of that giveaway!

And the winners are:
Jamie
Ashley
Amanda
Jennifer
Kim

I decided to go ahead and give a product to each of you lovely ladies that signed up! If you could all send an email to a.wills84@yahoo.com with your address and contact info and I will send out a surprise goodie to each of you this week!

Thank you for participating in my first giveaway and for being such great supporters of {Crafty} Mommy and Wife!

200 Fan Giveaway!

2011-04-11T12:15:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I posted on Facebook that if I reached a goal of 200 fans then I would do a giveaway. My goal was met and then some...so exciting! I am happy to announce my first giveaway here at {Crafty} Mommy and Wife! Thank you to everyone for helping me reach this goal!

I will be giving away 3 items to 3 different winners. Each winner will receive 1 item. Here are the items up for grabs!

Floral Rosette Headband
Pink elastic headband featuring 3 blue floral print fabric rosettes each with a button center.

Satin Flower Clip Set
Two darling flower clips made from pink satin and featuring brown beaded centers on brown ribbon lined clips.

Tiffany Blue Boutique Stacked Bow
Beautiful two layer bow made from tiffany blue polka dot ribbon and featuring an acrylic gemstone center.

The giveaway will end on Sunday April 17th at 9:00 pm Central time. I will announce the winners on Monday April 18th and they will need to contact me to receive their giveaway item.

How to enter:
Post a comment here telling me what your favorite {Crafty} Mommy and Wife product is and why.

For an additional entry:
Go to Facebook and "like" {Crafty} Mommy and Wife then leave a comment here telling me that you have. If you already like us just leave a comment letting me know.

Bow Boards

2010-04-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

Recently, I came across a new storage solution for all those cute bows...a bow board. I made one for my daughter and it is currently holding 70+ bows! Contact me if you are interested in ordering one or for more information. I am always accepting custom orders.

pink and brown bow board

the board is 15" by 20"

bow board holding most of my daughter's bows!

custom ordered bow board in red/cream

Wedding Shower Towel Cake

2010-04-21T11:13:00.000-07:00

My sister in law was hosting a wedding shower for a co-worker and asked me to make a towel cake for her. I told her I would give it a shot. Here's how it came out...

I love it and it was fairly simple to put together. I think this will be my new favorite go-to wedding shower present! Thank you to my sister in law for asking and trusting me to make this!

New-Dresses and Shirts

2010-04-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

I needed a birthday present for a 3 year old girl, and after some searching found out how to make these cute toddler dresses out of bandanas. I made one for the birthday girl and of course, one for my girl too! They are so cute and just perfect for summer. I also used the same style to make dresses out of fabric and even a waffle weave towel for a shirt. Check out the pictures!

light pink bandana dress

dark pink bandana dress

dress made with bandana print fabric

newborn dress made with damask print fabric

shirt made from dishtowel

I also tried my hand at an appliqued tie onesie or "little man" onesie. I've seen these online and in boutiques and thought they are so cute. I've never had a boy to make one for but had a baby shower for a little boy come up and needed a gift! Also, I found out just a couple months ago that I am getting a new nephew in August so he will be getting one too!

"little man" onesie

Custom Printed Ribbon

2010-04-21T10:57:00.000-07:00

I found instructions for printing your own ribbon and decided to give it a try. I wanted to make some "big sister" and "little sister" bows. I had fun with it! Here are some pictures...

the printed ribbon

"big sister" bow
"big sister" and "little sister" set

"i love my cousins" bow...made for my daughter who doesn't have any siblings yet!

Facebook Fan Page

2010-03-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about the different directions my craft "business" is going right now! I just got my fan page up and running on Facebook yesterday. If you haven't done so already and are interested, go check it out and become a fan of "Crafty Mommy and Wife". Thank you to all my friends, family, and customers for your continued support. I would not be where I am without the help all of you give!

I have a few ideas that I am toying with right now since I finally got my fan page done. I may possibly be doing an Etsy shop soon or there is a new feature on the Facebook fan pages called "Storefront" where people can shop right from Facebook using PayPal! I am currently signed up for PayPal but am waiting for my account to be "verifed" so that I may start accepting payments that way. I am always open to any other ideas/suggestions as well. Stay tuned for news about the Etsy shop or "Storefront" on Facebook!!

New "Fancy" Bows

2010-03-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

Here are a few samples of some new "fancy" bows I have made recently. These are kind of "special occassion" bows, not what you would wear every day. They would also be great for portraits! Contact me for orders, I do accept custom orders as well.

Pink/Green Ribbon Rosettes (on lined alligator clips)

Tulle and Marabou Bow in Pink/Purple/White

Green Dotted Bow layered with Marabou and has beaded trim in middle.
Pink Boutique Bow with Ribbon Rose and Marabou Center
This bow is beautiful, the picture does not do it any justice!

Bow Sets

2010-03-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

I have started a few Bow Sets/Collections. Each set comes with 5 to 6 Interchangeable bows in coordinating colors/designs. Each bow can be worn on it's own or they can be stacked to create a variety of looks. Check out the pictures and feel free to contact me for any questions or orders. I also accept custom orders!

"Summer Brights" - Set of 6 Bows

Shown with yellow/green bows stacked and orange/floral bows stacked.
"WCA Wildcats" - Set of 6 Bows

Shown with dotted bows and paw print/red & white bows stacked.

"Pink & Black" - Set of 6 Bows

Shown with the pink/dotted bows stacked.

"Pastels" - Set of 5 Bows

Shown with pink/dotted bows stacked.

Bitty Bows

2010-03-17T09:59:00.001-07:00

Bitty bows are just so tiny and cute!

They are the perfect size for newborns or for layering with larger bows.

Contact me for more info or for orders!

White Bitty Bow
Pastel Dotted Bitty Bow w/ Marabou
Orange Bitty Bow

Red Bitty Bow

Easter Bows

2010-03-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

I bought a new dress for my daughter to wear on Easter day and decided that she needed a bow to match...of course! So, I got to work and this is what I came up with:

It turned out cute and matches almost perfectly! I say almost because I thought there was purple in the dress but there isn't It still looks great though!

My sister in law asked me to make a bow to match her daughter's Easter dress as well. The dress is green and white with a tulle underskirt. She wanted me to use tulle and marabou...so I brainstormed and experimented...this is the outcome:

It's a cute bow but the green of the bow doesn't match the green of the dress! :(

So, I will take the dress with me to match and re-create the bow with the new matching ribbon!

If you need a custom or made-to-match Easter bow for your special little girl, feel free to contact me!

Update:

I remade the bow for my sister-in-law with a new ribbon that I matched to the dress. It looks so much better now!

*New* Easter Bow for my Sister in Law

Tulle Underlay with Green Boutique Bow and White Marabou

Here is a picture of the bow up against the fabric of the dress. It matches almost perfectly!

Baby Shower Fun

2010-03-09T13:52:00.001-08:00

Last week I helped host a baby shower for a couple at church. I tried my hand at making a "towel cake". I think it turned out cute. I used hooded towels and baby washcloths. I know a couple that is getting married this summer and hope to try one with regular sized towels and washcloths...will post pictures if I make it!

I also made mini "diaper cakes" and bows to use as centerpieces at the shower. We attached balloons to the "cakes" with the bows. It was cute! I made a scrapbook that said "baby" for guests to sign and a banner welcoming the new baby who was actually born early and in attendance at the shower!

Here are a few pictures:

Towel CakeBanner
Banner Close Up

Scrapbook

Mini Diaper Cakes

More Mini Diaper Cakes

Fun with Marabou

2010-03-01T11:50:00.001-08:00

Lately I've seen some really cute bows made with marabou. I never knew how it was done but really loved the look it adds. So cute, "fru-fru", and super-girly! I decided to buy some marabou and experiment with it. As it turns out, it's not that complicated to work with...just super messy! I still have marabou feathers floating around my house days later. I do love how the bows came out! I can't wait to do more work with marabou! My sister in law requested me to make a bow with white Marabou to match my Niece's Easter dress, I'll try to post pics once I get it done.

Pink Marabou Puff Clips

Small Pink/Black Zebra Bows with Marabou Center

Medium Pink Leopard Bow with Marabou Center

Large Pink/Green Layer Boutiqe Bow with Marabou

This is one of my new favorites!

Diaper Cakes

2010-03-01T11:45:00.001-08:00

So, just a quick break from bows...

My sister in law hosted a shower for 3 pregnant ladies all due in March. She purchased some items and asked me to make a diaper cake for each lady. I've only made a couple in the past. I enjoyed making them and think they came out great!

Baby Boy Diaper Cake

Baby Girl Diaper Cake (the ladybug is actually a hair clip!)

Second Baby Boy Diaper Cake

New Stacked Flower Bow

2010-03-01T11:38:00.000-08:00

This is another new technique that I have recently tried. I love it because it is so customizable. You can change the shape of the loops, use lots of colors or just a little, do as many "stacks" as you want, and change the size! And it looks very complicated but really isn't too hard.

One Layer Flower Bow in Brown/Dots

Stacked Flower in Brown/Pink/Dots

Stacked Flower in Pink/White/Stripes

Stacked Flower in Pink/Black/Dots
This is one of my favorite bows!

Green Stacked Flower

Red/Black/White Stacked Flower with Bow Center

Seeing Spots

2010-03-01T11:31:00.000-08:00

Here are some bows that I made for my daughter's Mickey and Minnie Mouse Birthday Party. They remind me of Minnie Mouse's big dotted bow. We gave them out as party favors to the girls and I even wore one for the party!

Large Pink Dotted Boutique Bow

Large Red Dotted Boutique Bow

Large Red Dotted Boutique Bow on Pony O

Large Purple Dotted Boutique Bow

Large Purple Dotted Boutique Bow on Pony O

These are so versatile and can be made in almost any color! Contact me if you are interested in ordering or for prices!

Some New Techniques...

2010-03-01T11:25:00.000-08:00

So, I haven't updated in a while. I really do need to be better about adding new posts! ;) Get ready because I have a few coming!

First off, here are some new techniques that I have been working on recently.

Tulle Puff Clips

Lollipop Clip

Lollipop Clippie in Pink

Flower Bud Clip

Gathered Ribbon Clip

Flower Ribbon Sculpture

Bitty Bow Set in Pink/Black

Bitty Bow Set in Brown with Dots

Minnie Mouse Invitation

2010-01-28T21:01:00.001-08:00

For my daughter's second birthday we are doing a Mickey/Minnie Mouse theme. I got a few ideas from the internet for making invitations but here is what I finally came up with. I love them and so did my daughter!

Ribbon Sculptures

2010-01-28T20:44:00.000-08:00

I've been experimenting recently with ribbon sculpture clips. Here are some of my latest creations.

Single Wing Butterfly

Double Wing Butterfly Pink/Brown

Double Wing Butterfly Sheer

Double Wing Butterly Polka Dots

Heart Clip

Perfect for Valentine's Day!

Caterpillar

Dragonfly

It's the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse...

2009-12-07T20:06:00.000-08:00

Emberlee has recently become interested in Mickey and Minnie Mouse. She calls them "Mick Mouse" and "Min Mouse" I found some directions on how to make "Mouse Ears" clippies and thought she would like them. Also, I think we are doing a Mickey and Minnie Mouse themed birthday party for Emberlee's second birthday and I thought these would be so cute for her to wear at the party. The first one (Mickey) was a bit messy but the second one (Minnie) came out really cute!

Mickey Mouse Ears Clippie

Minnie Mouse Ears Clippie

Some Recent Work...

2009-12-07T19:52:00.001-08:00

Here are a few projects I have been working on in the past few weeks.....

Bow Holder

Detail on bow holder

Flower Clip

Custom Korker with Initial Pin

Tulle Bow on Headband (will have matching tutu)

Nylon Headbands

Cutest little pinwheel bow

Small Boutique Bow

Layered Bow

Paisley Boutique Bow

WCA Elementary Cheer Bows

2009-11-20T17:02:00.001-08:00

I was asked to make bows for the elementary cheerleading team at the school my husband teaches at. I was so excited that they asked me to do this for them! This was my first experience with attaching a bow to a ponytail holder rather than a barrette/clip. I liked the finished bow and think I might make some for myself! I had fun making all twelve of the bows and can't wait to see the team together with them on!

WCA Elementary Cheer Bows

Close Up of Cheer Bow

"Tin-Girl" Costume

2009-10-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

This is my first shot at a homemade Halloween costume...Emberlee is going as the "Tin-Girl". She has 3 little friends who are going as the other characters from "The Wizard of Oz". I found her a grey shirt and leggings and she already owned the sparkly silver shoes. I made a tutu, ribbon wand, Tin Man's "heart", and a mini funnel to for her head. I had a blast making this costume and look forward to making more fun costumes in years to come! I'll have to post some pictures of her actually wearing the costume after Halloween.

Tin Man's Heart

Ribbon Wand (instead of Tin Man's ax)

Mini Funnel Clip

The complete "Tin Girl" costume

Pre-Made Boy Scrapbook

2009-09-16T08:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some sample pages from a pre-made boy scrapbook I made for a friend. This is the second scrapbook I made for her son, Will. It has a 4 page spread for each "age" and goes from 15 months to 5 years old.

Title Page Monthly Spread - Page 1
Monthly Spread - Page 2Monthly Spread - Page 3
Monthly Spread - Page 4

Pre-Made Baby Girl Scrapbook

2009-09-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some sample pages from a pre-made baby album I made for my sister-in-law in 2007. This is a first year baby girl album. I have also done baby boy (will post pics soon), wedding, lullaby album, and birthday books. Scrapbooks are customized to your specific colors and/or theme and I can also add "special pages" for your specific needs/interests. If you are interested in ordering one, let me know!

"My First Year" - title page

"fresh from God" - hospital page

"First month" - monthly page

"A Baby Divided" (page one) - special page
"A Baby Divided" (page two) - special page

Pink Bows

2009-09-11T07:54:00.000-07:00

Pink/Black Layered Bow w/ Butterfly Center

Pink Dotty Boutique Bow

Mini Pinwheel w/ Button Center

Small Pink/Brown Loopy Bow

Orange Bows

2009-09-11T07:50:00.001-07:00

Here are some of my favorite bows I've made recently in orange. Enjoy!

Mini Pinwheel w/ Button Center

Half Pinwheel w/ Pink Star

Orange/White Large Korker

Large Pinwheel w/ Button Center

Layered Bow-Perfect for the little OSU fan!

Balloon Bows

2009-09-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law suggested a few weeks ago that I try making balloon bows. So I did and I think they are so cute!! I feel like I'm bringing back the "old school" because I know I had some balloon bows when I was a little girl. These were fun and easy to make and I'm sure I will be making more!

Purple Balloon Bow

Primary Colored Pigtail Bows

Red/White/Blue

Pink/Red

Pink/Green

Boutique Bows and More!

2009-08-17T14:53:00.000-07:00

Cream/Brown Dot Tuxedo Bow

Small Purple Bow

Black/Orange Button Clippies

Pink Ribbon-Lined Button Clippies

Brown/Red Button Clippies

Brown Dot Pinwheel

Green Floral Pinwheel

Purple Half Pinwheel

Mini Soccer Pinwheel

Leopard Pinwheel

Purple Layered Pinwheel

Purple Layered Boutique Bow

Small Brown Dot Boutique Bow

Green Dot Boutique Bow

Blue Gingham Boutique Bow

I'm officially addicted...

2009-08-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

...to making hairbows! I just can't stop...they're so cute and fun to make! I'm been busy-here are some more pictures.

Purple Loopy Bow

Pink/Green Loopy Bow

Small Brown Loopy Bow

Purple korker

Red/Black/White Soccer Korker

Black/White Soccer Korker

Pink/Green Korker

Tutu

2009-08-11T11:23:00.001-07:00

I just recently ran across this picture and wanted to include it on my blog. I made this tutu last year, 2008 for Em's first birthday in Feb. 2009. We had pictures of her taken in the tutu and our photographer made photo invitaions for her party. It was a"princess" theme and thought what is "princess-y" than a tutu?! I had to make a couple in order to get the waist measurment right but it was worth it. I gave the first one to our photographer (Jenny White Photography-check her out at jennywhitephoto.photoreflect.com!) to use in her photo shoots. For Em's tutu I used pink, purple, and white tulle, alternating each color. Once I tied all the tulle on, I wrapped the waist with purple ribbon and tied it a bow to give it a more finished look. I wanted to jazz it up a bit more so I also glued small purple "jewels" in the layers of the tulle. I loved the way it turned out and look forward to making more tutus!

Korker and Loopy Bows

2009-08-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to try some new bow-making techniques and happened upon a few I wanted to try: korker bows and "loopy" bows. I really enjoyed making both types of bows. The korker bows take some time to make only because you have to wrap and "cook" your ribbon first, but then they come together pretty fast. The "loopy" bows are actually quite simple and come together quickly as well. Here are some pictures of my first attempts at each type. I have been working on more of both of these types of bows and also a couple of other techniques and I hope to add more pictures soon!

Red/Black/White Korkers (small)

Pink Korker (medium)

Pink Korker with Initial Pin

Red/Black/White Loopy Bow

Black/Red Loopy Bow

Bow Holders

2009-06-22T09:53:00.001-07:00

I decided to try a new project a few months ago: bow holders! I needed something to store Emberlee's ever-growing collection of bows. This ended up being the perfect solution. I took a wooden flower and decoupaged it with brown/pink polka-dot paper. I added glitter and pink flower accents to the paper and painted the knob/sides with pink paint. Then, I added the pink/brown polka-dot ribbon. Emberlee and I both love it!

I had purchased materials to make a second bow holder for my sister-in-law and found out she already had one but I went ahead and made it anyway. I love this one too! I made it the same as Emberlee's but with green gingham paper, black paint, and black floral ribbon. I would love to experiment with different shapes and colors and can customize them to match a nursery/room. Each bow holder is $10. And this one is currently up for grabs if anyone is interested!

Button Cippies

2009-06-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

I love to make things and am constantly expanding my "craftiness" to include new projects. My purpose of this blog is to showcase my latest creations. If you like something you see and are interested in ordering it, feel free to contact me! I am hoping to post a general price list soon. I decided to make my first post of my most recent bow creation...the button clippie! And of course, show off my beautiful, sweet girl. She is an inspiration to me and she also makes a great model too!

Button Clippies

Close-up of button clippie

Emberlee "modeling" the button clippie (and eating dirt!)