Cookie Monster tee for my little man.

Hi guys, today I've been busy making a stencil for and printing a couple of cookie monster t-shirts for my boy so I thought I'd jump on and share the process with you!

What you need:

• paper with picture you want stenciled (one page per colour, mine has two!)
• cutting mat and cutting tool
• screen and squeegee (you can easily knock up a screen using an old timber picture frame and monofilament (a fine mesh picked up from art stores) tightly stapled around)
• screen inks (I used blue and white to mix up the right colour and black)
• newspaper
• masking tape
• knife

Step 1.
Print the design you want to screen on to your fabric (t-shirt) or alternatively draw your design.  * I just typed cookie monster into my search engine and saved the image I wanted then printed two copies (or as many as the colours in the picture you are using) making sure they were the right size for my t-shirt.

Step 2.
Using the utility knife and cutting mat, cut the pictures up according to colour.

 I marked my pieces for black and blue

Step 3.
Using the blue stencil first, tape the stencil to the flat side of your screen

 Fill in the rest of the area with newspaper so as the ink won't be printed in unwanted areas

Step 4.
Place newspaper on the inside of your t-shirt so as ink can't pass through to inside and back of shirt, then place the screen, stencil side down on t-shirt so as the picture is in the correct position to be printed.

Step 5. Mix up the colour you need using your inks then spread onto your squeegee with a knife.

This is an old photo as I forgot to take photo of this step!

Step 6.
Scrape the ink over the top of the screen in all directions then use more of a scraping motion to remove excess ink.

Same as last, silly me!

Step 7.
Carefully remove screen from the top of the t-shirt and admire your print.

Then its clean up time! Luckily these inks are water based and was cleaned easily with cold water and a soft cloth.

If second colour is required, wait until ink is dry and repeat process with next stencil and align over previous print.  Once all ink is dry, your prints need to be heat set using an iron.  Times required for this are on the labels of the screen inks.

In the end I printed two t-shirts for Sam and two onesies for my grandson, a black one and a coloured for each! You've got to make sure you get the most from your stencil while your doing it as they are not reuseable!

Happy screenprinting!

I've finished my entry for the Naughty Notions Challenge

I've finished my entry for the Naughty Notions Challenge hosted by Keren from sew la vie and Rikka from ricochet and away and I did it with four days to spare!  Head on over and check out the challengers.  You can also vote for your favorite once they are all up (Early Feb). 

My clutch is made from a blue suede like fabric with gold beading and a floral fabric for the lining.  I used the free pattern from ali foster patterns with some card slots added to the lining.  I really had a hard time deciding how to incorporate notions into my clutch, but I am super happy with how it turned out! 

There are four card slots on the inside.

The most time consuming part by far was the beading. 

I love this clutch, it's the perfect size for my phone, keys and lip gloss! 

Thank you so much Rikka and Keren for hosting this fantastic challenge, I've had a great time participating once again!

Getting started

Finally back here... I have been out of action for a while with a terrible cold (in Summer, what the?) then all the preparations for my babies Happy Number Two Birthday party! along with some Tennis watching and Yes I finally started my clutch for the Naughty Notions Challenge.  Now when I say started, I mean only just started, no where near finished!  I clearly underestimated how long it takes to stitch on beads. 

And it's not even like these are teensy tiny beads!  I still have two rows to go, lucky I'm now on leave for the rest of the month! 

This is obviously the back, I just used a button to trace around and make a pretty little pattern then stitched little beads in the overlapping parts of the circle.

After three practice runs I have decided that my Challenge clutch will be made from the Ali Foster pattern (the middle clutch in the above photo) and my beading will be on the top flap.  I will also put some card slots in the lining and use an interfacing that is really stiff. 

In the top 'envelope style' clutch, I used a vinyl and it turned out pretty well but I just don't know where/how I would use notions on it, if it were to be the style I use for the Challenge. 

The third one I made was using a placemat, having the button closure makes it difficult to open and close and creases the fabric a little so I will definitely be using a magnetic closure. 

Right I had better get to beading again, perhaps tomorrow though...I have a Birthday to celebrate!

Love Him! xxx

Totally love the original but Sam loves this version!

Just thought I'd share and maybe your little ones will like it too!

Guess what I've been up to today?

Ok, so I will give you some clues and see if you can guess.

Any thoughts?

Surely you've guessed by now!  Yes I've been making some Apricot Jam with Apricots right from my own tree, ok some were from my Nan's tree which had way more on it than my little tree that has only been in for 18 months.  But anyways I've been honing my inner nanna and cooking up a storm!  Now I won't go crazy and say I did a good job of it, and I will say that I learned a very important step in cooking something new ALWAYS READ THE RECIPE BEFORE YOU BEGIN.  I obviously did not and threw all ingredients in the pot thinking it was just like stewing fruit, UM NO IT IS NOT!  Apparently you must heat the sugar up in the oven, who knew?!?  And also cook the fruit up a bit on its own first.  Now I bet all who are reading this are shaking their heads at me thinking 'Amateur!' and yes such a rookie mistake!  But alas I think it's going to be OK for human consumption!  Firstly it set on the plate, YAY and secondly I spread some on buttered bread and the family gave thumbs up, so it can't be too bad I guess.

Now I wish I was one of those kinda cooks who makes cute little handmade labels (not just the ones from the jam covers packet) and pretty gingham lid covers and a fresh batch scones with whipped cream to eat it with, but alas I am not!

The next challenge

So its New Years Eve agghh, where did 2011 go?  There are less than three hours left in this year and I'm a little bit sad about it :(  2011 has been a great year for us, we got our first grand baby, we purchased land and have designed our dream house (to be built early 2012) to go on it, we have watched our little baby grow into a lovely little boy, I have learned a wonderful new craft, that I am totally taken by and I found blogging and have just been amazed by how many creative, talented, generous people there are out there!  So if you are one of those wonderful, generous people who take the time to share their projects and skills with others THANK YOU so very much.  Now enough of the reminiscing and (glasses raised) here's to a fabulous 2012!

Getting to the title.... I am participating in another challenge hosed by the clever lasses Keren and Rikka over at sew la vie and ricochet and away.  This time around its the Naughty Notions Challenge, if you click on sew la vie it will take you straight there and you can read all about it or even sign up if your game!!!! 

So getting ready for the big challenge, I had a little practice today using this tutorial alifosterpatterns - clutch pattern and I am so happy how it turned out.  I obviously has no notions but as I said its just a practice and the challenge doesn't even start until tomorrow! 

Happy New Year to you all x

Bags - check, Cake - check, Christmas treats - maybe tomorrow!

So in my last post I shared with you my favorite fruit cake recipe.  I have since covered it with Almond Icing (yum) and White Icing and am now eagerly awaiting Christmas so I can eat it!  I decided on a very simple, understated (lazy) way to decorate this year.  I used my star shaped cookie cutter and marked the icing all over (not too deep that it cuts through to the cake though) then just wrapped a red ribbon around the bottom.  I am pretty happy with the result. 

I also covered my little cakes with the icing and made a single star imprint in the top.  I am not sharing a picture of those as yet because I have run out of ribbon and they are unfinished (ugly at the bottom).   I plan on putting one of these little cakes in each of the treat boxes that we give out at Christmas.  I generally make a few different truffles, peppermint, white choc and almond and mini puddings this year with gingerbread men and bite size pieces of mars bar slice (yum) and box them up for family and neighbours.  For the past four years I have made Rick go to the local Sushi place and ask them for some cardboard boxes to package them in but this year we came across four packs of red and white striped bowls for about $4 and grabbed some to put them in.  I hope they will look cute. 

My bag sewing is finished also (phew).  In the past two weeks I have sewn five bags for gifts.  Two were 'The Favorite Bag' by VandCo that I have posted about previously.  This is a pretty, simple little bag with a gorgeous little fabric flower.  Here are the two I made this time

And here are the three 'Nanna' presents I posted about previously (Safe to say they won't read this before Christmas as they don't have computers).  The pattern comes from 'The bag making bible' (love this book).

I think this one turned out best, might just keep it for myself  ;) JOKES! Will give it to my favorite! Ha