DIY Christmas Cards from Old cards

Now this is a tutorial but because everyone will have different supplies this tutorial should be more of a concept.

I was making my own Christmas cards on blank cards that I got from Michaels in the shape of tags when I realized I never should have bought them because the design was so simple! I must have been feeling lazy as I shopped and not wanted to make the envelopes.... Anyway, I was looking through my old card stash when I had the idea to make my own Christmas cards from them.

First, take whatever cards you have that perhaps tickle your fancy and maybe you can imagine what kind of christmas/holiday decor you would like to add to them. I decided to take the boats for this example.

Make a cut down somewhere near the center that leaves, hopefully, two usable sides. What I mean is, If there is something you want in your card make sure not to cut it in half.

Measure the same distance in on each side of the creased side of your card. I measured 1" in on each side and then 1.5" down on each side. Then cut from one mark to the other. IF you aren't comfortable with your cutting skills use a ruler and draw a line from one point to the other.
If you have a hole-punch USE IT. I don't so I used a blade to cut a diamond shape hole.

Next take scrap paper and draw some doodles. It can be animals, elves, santa hats, ornaments, holly, etc. GET CREATIVE!

Color your characters or decorations simply and with a limited amount of colors. This should help to tie your card together and give it a little Wa. (Harmony, for those not familiar with the Japanese word). Then glue your decor to the card. I used a mixture of Elmers glue and hot glue when I used felt.

Fold a piece of 6"-8" ribbon in half and feed the folded end through the hole. Then feed the two end pieces through the loop and pull tight.

If inside you happen to have some pesky writing then take another piece of paper and cover it! I only had white to I took my golden stamp pad and added a little pizazz. Then because I have stamps from Michaels (only one dollar for the whole alphabet!) .......

I added my seasons greetings. This can also be done on the outside of the card.

Remember to trim off any excess paper that hangs off the sides.

And Voila! Finished product. If you would like more examples, feel free to visit my Etsy shop and look under the section Stationary. I won't be offended if you look and don't buy. ^_^

DIY: Sweater into a Cardigan

First, to make the Cardigan you will need:

-An old sweater

-Scissors

-Ribbon or strips of cloth

-Pins

-Buttons

-Sewing machine and thread

Note: Please excuse my poor indoor photography, the lighting in my apartment is atrocious.

Fold the sweater in half if you are not confident in cutting a straight line down the middle.

Cut strips of wide ribbon the length down the front of the once sweater. Fold it in half and slip it over the raw edge of the sweater. Also fold in the raw edges of the ribbon at the top and bottom to be hidden when you sew. I forgot on the bottom as you can see on the above picture, so if you do too, just fold it under and do a quick stitch across the bottom.

I used 1.5 inch width ribbon and only covered the very edge since the sweater was already fitted, this allows for a little wiggle room. However it does make your sewing a little more difficult.

IF your sweater was already too small, add larger sections of cloth instead of the ribbon.

Sew along the edge, hopefully where both sides of ribbon and the sweater all line up.

I made a little mistake and my ribbon was not all lined up so to fix it I simply added a lot more lines of sewing which made for a fun texture and detail.
I picked various buttons, but of course you can pick matching or not. I used a ruler to make approximately the same spacing. I used safety pins the mark the bottom of each button so I would know where to start for making button-holes on my sewing machine. If you don't have a button-hole setting on your sewing machine, I am sorry, you will have to look up how to do it by hand. It isn't so hard, it just takes a lot of time.

Trim up the edges and fold under any extra ribbon if you didn't when you sewed it on, then add the buttons. I overlapped the two ribbon sections and used a yellow marker to mark through the button hole where the button should be sewn. I also added some buttons along the shoulder seam for fun.

Finito!

My New Beach Life

It's amazing how God works.

Stephen and I were sitting around Blacksburg at our parents house anxious to get out and so we got our own place. We started working part time jobs and then Stephen gets a call about an aquarium job in Virginia Beach two months after he applied for it. Well he got it. So I get to be a housewife and by housewife I mean a painter who cleans up her own mess sometimes.

Although I have spouts of loneliness, which is normal with a change of local, I am really enjoying it here. I feel like I know my way around my section of town well enough (thank you block system!) and because Stephen is usually at work I actually have been painting....a lot.

When I came home from Korea all anyone wanted to know was what do I want to do now? And the fact of the matter was/is all I want to do is art. I don't want to "work" in the normal sense, at least not full time. I realized in this move, God is allowing me at least a year to do just what I want, be a good wife (cook, clean, etc.) and be a better artist. My only qualm was that I wouldn't be able to find any work and that we'd be short on money. But my sweet Lord listens to my worries, and for some reason he decided this is a time for spoiling me. Not only do I get to be a full time artist with multiple people commissioning me (^_^) BUT he also reserved a one day a week art teacher position at an elementary school getting paid as a long-term sub!! (that means more money than a normal sub) It is the perrrfect possible work situation that I could ask for.

I mean I am so lucky, I can actually live as a starving artist without starving! I don't mean to brag, I just want to express my thankfulness.

Being married, I do think about that question of kids. Annoyingly enough any friend I haven't talked to in a while seems to start the conversation with "So are you pregnant yet?" The answer is NO. I have nothing against children and I know I want some of my own, perhaps even in the nearish future, but I also very much understand how much a child changes your life. When you are a mother you can't be selfish and say,

'Sorry I can't feed you I am in the middle of a key part of this painting.'

Or

'Oh sorry, I am going to buy oil paints today instead of baby food.'

Or

'Yeah, you can sleep in the living room, I need the second bedroom as my studio.'

So until the Lord assures me that it is time for a child, I will enjoy the selfish time he has provided me with to explore the talent he has given me and the joy it gives me. I will not be ashamed of the miniscule money that I am making or that I don't have a full-time 'job.'

I am blessed and I am thankful.