Sunday, July 29, 2012

Fabric Decoupage Candle Holder Tutorial


Believe it or not, making this fabric decoupage takes about five minutes, tops, not counting the time to make the paste or drying time. This project is also a great way to reuse glass jars from salsa, pasta sauce, jellies, and jams. Additionally, you can use tissue paper, newspaper, old sewing patterns, magazine pictures, scrapbook paper, or yarn, instead of fabric. The possibilities are endless!

Materials Needed:
glass jar to cover
fabric, paper, or yarn to cover jar
scissors
decoupage glue, Mod Podge, or homemade paste
clean rag
foam paintbrush

Steps:

1) Prepare the glue
Store bought decoupage glues are easier to use, but you can make your own from flour, sugar, and water. Simply combine 1 cup of flour, 1/3 cup white sugar, and 2 cups water in a saucepan. beat with a whisk until smooth and no lumps are present. Heat the paste on medium-low and hold for 10 minutes, while stirring every 2 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil or clump. Remove from heat and store in an airtight jar for up to 2 weeks.

2) Prepare the glass and fabric/paper strips.
 Clean and dry your glass and cut your strips of fabric or paper into 1-2 inch wide strips that are about 1 foot in length.

3) Cover the jar with glue.
Using a foam brush, liberally cover the exterior of the glass jar with adhesive in a thick layer.

4) Warp paper or fabric strips around jar.
Be careful to smooth out any wrinkles as you go.

5) Seal the decorative coating with 1 or 2 layers of glue, allowing 2-3 hours drying time between layers.

6) Trim any stray threads at the top to minimize the risk of fire. Make sure there are not any strips of fabric or paper that could catch fire when burning a candle in your jar. It is a good idea to use small candles or stop wrapping 1/2 inch from the top of the jar for safety.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Free Cupcakes in Franklin! (There's Art, Too...)

Who: Everyone is welcome at this free event (kids too!)

What: Friends, fun, photography & cupcakes

Where: 203 2nd Avenue South, Franklin, TN 37064

When: Friday, August 3rd, 6pm until 9pm

Why: Did I mention free cupcakes?!?


Aug 3rd in Franklin, TN

Join us on Friday, August 3rd for the official launch party of psalm27creative handcrafted photography.

The launch celebration will be held at the beautiful design studio of Outdoor Classic Structures (203 2nd Avenue South, Franklin, TN 37064) in historic downtown Franklin, Tennessee. Drop in anytime between 6-9pm to view handcrafted photography by psalm27creative and enjoy a free cupcake. Feel free to invite a friend and bring the kids too. And while you are out and about be sure to check out all the other amazing art during Franklin Art Scene that evening.

Hope to see you there!

Contact:
Mary Clark Guillory
http://www.etsy.com/shop/psalm27creative

Thursday, July 19, 2012

DIY Favor Bags and Boxes For Special Occasions

Bath Salt Favor Bags
Earrings In a Favor Bag

Weddings, showers, family parties, fundraisers, and more are all great events to give small mementos to your guests, to allow them to cherish the experience. These mementos, often placed in favor bags and boxes, are very popular, with candies, chocolate, soap, magnets, jewelry, candles, key chains, photos, and other trinkets topping the list of widely used gifts. The bath salts, in the top picture, were favor bags that I made this week to help out an ovarian cancer fundraiser. They will be given away at a Paducah, KY event. Today, I will be giving some pointers about making your own favor bags for.

1) Find an item to use as favors. The item needs to be small and economical to purchase in bulk. Keep in mind that many people have allergies and fragrance sensitivities, so you may want to offer different versions of your favors, such as scented and unscented soaps, or truffles with and without nuts. Try one of these trinkets:

-edibles (candy, chocolate, coffee, honey, spices, jam)
-plants
-soap
-candles
-jewelry
-magnets
-photo key chains
-pens or personalized stationary

2) Look for attractive packaging for your favors. Some ideas are:

-cellophane bags
-organza bags
-muslin bags
-velvet pouches
-brown paper bags and boxes
-tiny gift bags
-paper "take-out" boxes
-glass jars
-coffee mugs

3) Personalize it! Use your printer or hire someone local to make gift tags with the date and event. If your item is intended to be consumed or used on the skin, make sure to clearly label all ingredients. You don't want to endanger any guests with allergies. For greater impact, print a romantic or inspiring quote on the back of your gift tags.

4) Tie your tags on with twine, ribbon, fabric, or any other decorative medium.

So, where is the best place to buy supplies to make your favor bags? I have found the organza pouches locally at Hobby Lobby, Dollar Tree, and Walmart. Any wedding and party supply stores should also have many choices. If you can sew, you can make your own cloth pouches easily. Personally, I like shopping online in the supplies section at Etsy. I can put different containers, tags, ribbons, and twine in my cart from different shops. For printing tags, I have used both Vistaprint and local printers for personalized work. Vistaprint is more economical, but I like to support local business and have the versatility to print smaller quantities.




Sunday, July 15, 2012

Sir's Fabrics In Fayetteville, TN: A Retro Shopping Treasure Trove

Upholstery Section At Sir's Fabrics With Paula Cutting Fabric in the Background

If you you really love buying fabric and have never visited Sir's in downtown Fayetteville, TN, then, please click away from this story now...with their retro ambiance, personable staff, and fabulous deals, spending all your money at Sir's could become highly addictive! I don't even know how to sew and I walked out with a cache of rich fabrics, felt, buttons, and more. There are thousands of colors, textures and types of fabric, along with trims, notions, remnants and other gems. Thank you Nancy Turner, of Fine Linen and Scarlett, for taking me to explore Sir's, a local legend among fabric fanatics.

Sir's was founded in 1948 and the store retains much of the original decor, equipment, and atmosphere. They have expanded and the retail space is an interesting labyrinth spread out over 2 storefronts, with multiple side rooms. While not much has changed in Sir's since the 50's, they are constantly getting new fabrics in stock and they will soon be an authorized dealer of Brother sewing machines. There are plans to teach lessons as well. The link below is to Sir's home page. You can find the hours, map, and a limited online shopping selection: http://www.sirsfabric.com/

After an exiting trip to Sir's, we wandered around the historic Fayetteville square to get a taste of the local culture and cuisine, including a trip to Bill's Cafe and Billiards, which features authentic old-fashioned working restaurant equipment, a well-worn wooden dominoes table, pool tables, and inexpensive, delicious, no-frills food. That was a hell of a good burger I ate, but true to the vintage atmosphere of Fayetteville, they do not take credit cards! Sir's Fabrics, does accept credit cards, and you just might want to bring another card for all your fabulous finds! Make sure to take a walk and explore the rest of this intriguing retro town. Below are pictures of Sir's and some sightseeing in Middle Tennessee.
Sir's Fabric Store



Crafters, Be Sure to Leave a Card!
Decorator Fabrics

Vintage Cutting Table
Upholstery Chart
Excited Shopper

Nancy K Browses Fabrics

Trims Galore

Upholstery Bolts
Bill's Cafe and Billiards on the Fayetteville Square

Our Burgers Cooking at Bill's

Vintage Advertisement on the Square

Old Time Theatre

Historic Cemetery Downtown With Civil War Graves

Monsters Team Treasury

'Monsters ' by kaylacurrin

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3-Eyed Green Alien Hat ...
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Green Monster Newborn B...
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Frankenstein Shoes - Fr...
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Monsters busy bag activ...
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Monster Plush Felt Toy ...
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Max the Monster Sewing ...
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Unique Horned Monster, ...
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Toilet Monster Sticker
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Googly Eye Earrings
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Crocheted Alien Hat
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Fun Monster Tree - Viny...
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Baby Shoes in Little Mo...
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