simply sublime

DIY Fabric Necklaces

I love this necklace idea from Sis Boom.  They're made from cording covered in beautiful Sis Boom Fabrics and miscellaneous charms found on Etsy.

(photo via Sis Boom)

I don't know which is going to be more fun -- making these necklaces or hunting for the charms!  Take a look at these cool trinkets I found from an Etsy store called Dime Store Emporium:

(Vintage Happy Birthday Charm)

(Arabian Style Medallions)

(Vintage Porcelain Cameo)

Can't wait to dig into this project!

 

Tattooed Easter Eggs

Ooh...I'm so excited!  The tattooed Easter eggs I made for the April issue of Country Living ended up on the cover!  (Well, at least some of the covers.  The magazine put out two versions, and the eggs are on issues at selected newsstands around the country.)  So just in case your copy doesn't have eggs on it, here it is:

And now, about the whole tattoo thing.  That's right, these eggs are "tattooed" with beautiful images I found online.  Most of them are from The Graphics Fairy -- an amazing free clip art site and one of my favorite blogs.  If you don't know about this site, you're going to become an instant fan.  I also found some beautiful graphics at the Vintage Moth.  These eggs were so much fun to make, and very simple. (The step by step instructions can be found on Country Living's site, along with links to all the supplies I used.)  But I have to mention one more thing here:  the eggs themselves!  I got these beautiful pre-blown eggs from Bracken Ridge Ranch.  The woman who runs the ranch is also named Jodi. She went above and beyond the call of duty to get these eggs to me in time for the story.  And when the box of eggs arrived at my house -- in shades of blues, greens, browns, and soft creams -- I was awestruck.  The eggs were simply GORGEOUS.   I couldn't believe the eggs "came" in those colors. 

Make sure to check out all the goodies for sale at Bracken Ridge Ranch.  You'll love the eggs, whether you tattoo them or not.

Happy Spring!

 

Chalk Rocks

For a new twist on an old classic:  decorate rocks with chalk instead of paint.  It's easy, less messy, and if you make a mistake, you can just rinse off your rock and start over. If you want to set the image, just spray it with a coat of clear hairspray, which acts like a fixative. This is a really fun project to do with your kids (Or -- forget the kids, grab some chalk, and let your inner child take flight!)

Barbie's Spring Wardrobe

I came across these fabulous frocks on Pinterest (my new latest obsession -- like the rest of the world!) That led me to Jess (the designer of these adorable Barbie clothes) and her wonderful blog: craftinessisnotoptional.com.  I cannot stop thinking about this T-shirt:

Or this party dress:

(all photos via craftinessisnotoptional.com)

Check out Jess's blog for more adorable photos and instructions how to make Barbie's new threads.  I'm in love with these, and have to figure out an excuse to make some myself!

 

Cross Stitched Canisters

I just learned how to cross stitch about a year ago, and now want to embroider everything I see.  I designed these "stitched" canisters for the March issue of Country Living using a free embroidery font called Home Sweet Home:

(photo via Country Living/Seth Smoot)

You can find glass cracker jars like the ones above at the Container Store.  And the other day I saw some at Target, too.  Get the full set of instructions to make these kitchen canisters on Country Living's website, along with lots of other ideas for "practically free" crafts.