valentiney things, a retrospective

 My Valentine Schmalentine free printable from 2011. A very minimal effort card for cynics.

My Wood You free printable from back in 2009. For you foresty types.

My smoochie printable Mwah card and tags from 2010.

Love You bookmarks tutorial with printable template from 2009. Makes a nice handmade gift for those bookworms in your life.

And finally just a little old fashioned papercut card inspiration for you from 2010. No template for these, but if you'd like to try it here are the basic steps: 

1. Freehand sketch a largish heart lightly in pencil. Slightly wonky is charming. Lightly sketch initials and hearts inside. Or you can use your computer to draw it/type it, but print it backwards on your paper since you won't be able to erase your sketch lines.
2. Use Xacto blade to cut out letterforms and hearts. Keep any counters you cut out (like those pieces in the middles of Os and As).
3. Erase your sketch lines if you did it in pencil.
4. Use hole punches to add interest. I used 1/4 and 1/8 inch in clusters.
5. Cut out large heart with scallop scissors and glue to a colored piece of cardstock. Glue on the missing counters, or leave them off for a more Rob Ryan feel.

make a momma bird card (or two)

I designed these two Momma Bird cards and the downloadable template is available for you to make your own. Perhaps your Momma Bird needs a handmade thank you from her little chick this week?

Here's how to put them together:

1. Download the PDF template and print it on heavy paper. Cut out the shapes. These will be your re-usable pattern pieces.
2. Cut a letter size piece of white card stock in half to make two 5.5 x 8.5 inch pieces. Fold them each in half to create two blank cards.
3. Cut two 5.25 x 4 inch colored pieces of cardstock for the card backgrounds and glue one each to the fronts of the blank cards, centered within the white margin.
4. Trace the bird shapes lightly on colored card stock and cut them out (using small, sharp scissors or a craft knife will help). I like to reverse the pattern pieces and trace them on the back of the paper, so you don't need to erase pesky pencil lines.
5. Follow the build diagrams below to put them together. Use 1/16 inch thick pop dots to give each layer added dimension. For the smaller pieces, I put a blob of gel glue on a scrap piece of paper and use a toothpick to apply. The legs are tiny strips of white card stock.

To make the faces:

1. Use a small circle punch to cut a hole in black card stock. Then shift the punch over a bit to cut a slim crescent shape from the side of the hole you made to make the eyes for both birds. I used a 1/2 inch and a 1/4 inch punch. 
2. For the owl beaks, punch one 1/4 inch circle and one 1/2 inch circle. Trim off two edges of each circle to form a point.

Options to simplify for paper savvy kids:

1. Skip the colored background.
2. Don't use pop dots. Just glue everything.
3. Cut small triangles for the owl beaks.
4. Draw in the eyes and legs using gel pens instead.

Now send it to your Momma Bird with love. Perhaps along with an espresso machine.

valentine schmalentine

I designed a free downloadable, minimal-effort card for those who are anticipating a less-than-magical Valentine's Day. At least there's the hope of chocolate.

Print on letter sized paper, fold in half longwise, then again in the opposite direction.

(If you are feeling more optimistic about the 14th, you can try the cards from 2009 and 2010.)

girly shoe tags: a tutorial

As a practice I'm sure they'll talk about in therapy later, I often buy my girls the same shoes because when I find some that fit one well, they usually fit the other one well, and let's face it, I like to just get it done. And goodness knows if I happen to buy different pairs according to what I think each will like, one inevitably likes her sister's shoes better and it all ends in tears.

However, when you buy two pairs of the same you have a different problem - whose shoes are whose? I am not up for grubbing inside the shoe to search for the size tag. So I made some quick layered felt flowers with leaves in their favorite colors and sewed them on so that their latest casual shoes can be identified with a quick glance.

It's a quick and easy project and I thank myself for it every time they get dressed. You could also use an alphabet bead instead of a button for each girl's initial. If your shoes lack the obliging fabric or webbing inserts, you could always opt to sew them around the strap or add a clip. If you would like to make some girly shoe tags like these, here's the simple pattern PDF to download:

worship notes for kiddos

Hey, everybody! I've had my head down and making a bunch of stuff, but nothing I can really share right now. I thought I'd share this though, if you would like it. It's a Christian worship activity page for your school-age kiddos that will keep them quietly occupied during worship while at the same time helping them to focus on what is going on.

I put it together recently for the congregation I worship with and it seems to work well, judging from all the quiet intentness from the little girls on our pew.

Help yourself if you'd like to use it, it's a PDF file that prints on 8.5 x 11 inch paper.

more memory lane: friendship tree

Waaay on back toward the beginning of my blog journey I did a series called, eloquently enough, 'stuff to do with charm packs'. This post was part of that series, and might be new to some of my newer readers. If I had just known then how stinkin hard it would be to get more Flea Market Fancy I might've made a larger purchase than a charm pack. Doh!

....................................

FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2008
stuff to do with charm packs, part four

Make frameable art.



I was inspired by these cute cards from How About Orange. This is a tree I drew in Illustrator, then output on green art paper that I had in my stash. Then I cut the leaves out with an Xacto knife and used charm square fabric behind the holes. You just snip out a piece slightly larger than the leaf and glue or tape it around the edges to the back side of the paper. Then put it in a frame, or if you use it without a frame, you would adhere an additional piece of chip board or matte board on the back so you won't see all the ugly stuff. I like to use a generous sized matte and a simple black frame.

If you want to do something a lot like this, you can download the tree here. It makes a 5x7 piece of art.

blog break and memory lane

Hey there, you guys. There is going to be a shortage of new posts here at mmmcrafts until the first of March.

I thought I'd send you down a trip through blog memory lane. It will give you something to look at until I'm back. So here is a reprise of my very first blog post, from March two years ago. Maybe it is new to some of you! (As it turns out, Robyn is not my only reader. Thanks, y'all!)

............................................

SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2008
mmm...crafts


So here's my new crafty blog. Robyn, you'll probably be my only reader. :-)
I thought I'd start off with a freebie. Here is a card I designed for congrats on a new baby/pregnancy. If you'd like to use it for personal greetings (please don't sell items made with this image) feel free to download it. Print it from your own color printer on card stock. Trim and fold it according to the built in directions and voila!
Finished size = 5.5" x 4.25", fits in a standard invitation envelope.

*mwah*

A big keesh for you for Valentine's Day. Get the free card and gift tags here. Enjoy!

P.S. Here's the card from last year too.

snowflakery

Wow, two posts in two days for me. Cah-raaaazy. Happy Birthday, Jamie! You sweetie.

We were in a paper snowflake mood here after watching Elf. During the movie, I find myself getting really distracted from the antics by the profusion of snowflakes and paper chains Buddy festoons everywhere he goes.

So we made a bunch and taped them up everywhere in honor of the first day of winter. You can make some too with these great templates at Yarn Owl (via How About Orange). Print them at whatever size you like. All you do is fold on the dotted lines and cut out the black areas, and poof, a beautiful snowflake.

I found myself wanting to experiment with other shapes, so I also created this blank template (click here to download). With the hexagonal shape it is pretty easy to make an impressive snowflake with even very simple cutouts. Like this:

1) cut out the hexagon

2) fold in half

3) fold in half again

4) fold twice more on the dotted lines until you have this wedge

5) if you like, draw your shapes in pencil before you cut. Or just wing it.

6) cut out your shapes

7) unfold. poof! pretty snowflake.

The hardest part for kids is cutting through the thickness of the paper after it is folded. Little hands may need some help cutting. After a while, my girls also enjoyed just letting me do the cutting, then unfolding the snowflakes to reveal their shapes. That's the really fun part after all.

It occurred to me that this could also make a nice last-minute handmade gift for someone on your list. Neatly cut out a particularly spectacular snowflake, iron it flat, then mount it inside a nice frame with some pretty paper or fabric as the background. And there you go. Christmas decor.

Or, snowflake cards! Ooh. Or snowflake embellished stockings! Ooh! Or snowflake appliques on dresses! I could go on and on.

seen recently in the flickr pools

Katy Kitty by LemonCadet

Baby Binky Bunny (with a tiny knitted bunny pal of her own design) by lille-ursus

Princess Fairy tooth pillow by rosalyn 119

Molly Monkey twins by Jane Little

Baby Binky Bunny by zaffrondeluxe

Katy Kitty by freelance monster

Molly Monkey by i am karin, and here's her blog post

Zombie(!) tooth pillow by Marni Molina

If you would like to see more creative endeavors, check out all three mmmcrafts flickr pools, and be sure to add your own mmmcrafts projects, I love to see them:

mmmcrafts Projects
Katy Kitty
Molly Monkey

If you are interested in the patterns for these projects, this is where you'll find them:
Baby Binky Bunny
Katy Kitty
Molly Monkey (free)
Tooth Pillow (free)

make a flower card for mom

Nothing says Happy Mother's Day like a flower, right? That's what I'm going with anyway. I guess I just love flowers. If you'd like to make a similar card for your mom, download the flower template here.


Here's what you do:

Cut an 8.5 x 11 piece of cardstock in half so you have two 8.5 x 5.5 in. pieces. Score and fold each piece in half and you now have two 4.25 x 5.5 in. blank cards ready for flowers. This size card fits in a standard invitation sized envelope, available at your local office supply or humongous-everything-store. I get mine at Target or Wal-mart.

Cut a piece of grosgrain ribbon for the stem and glue it down to the center of the card, putting the top end behind where the flower will be, and letting the bottom end hang off for trimming.

Before the glue dries, cut two leaves out of fabric or paper. Glue them on, tucking the ends under the ribbon. After the glue dries, trim the ribbon flush with the edge of the card.


Use the template to cut out flowers from fabric or paper or both. Any colorful combo works. Use a one-inch flower or starburst punch to make the middle piece. Add a button on top and maybe some sequins for sparkle.

You can skip the card part and just make mom a brooch from a fabric or felt flower, gluing two leaves behind the flower and adding a safety pin or a brooch fastener.

Send it to a mom you know and brighten their day. See y'all next week.

P.S. In a transparent bid to win some of my favorite fabric, 2D Zoo in Pool, I'm including a link to a great fabric (and pattern) giveaway by Candice at Daffodil Hill Too. Be sure to enter by May 12. She has a sweet fabric shop on etsy too, if you are interested in beefing up your stash.

a kinder, gentler headband

DIY fabric headband covers

I've posted before about my headband saga. I love the look of ready made headbands (on other people) but they rarely work on me. When they are not giving me a splitting headache, they are falling off the back of my head.


The cheap, narrow, dime-a-dozen flexible plastic headbands that I have found are ideal for my head alas offer no fashion pizazz, so I came up with a pattern to cover them with fabric a while back. The pattern has instructions included if you would like to make one. Just measure your headband first to be sure it will fit, then adjust accordingly if needed.

I have worn the blue polka dotted headband so often since then it's getting a bit worn looking, so I recently dug that pattern back out to make more headbands for spring and summer. I made a set for my niece Raven for her birthday too while I was at it.


Pretty fast/easy to make with a sewing machine, and you can throw in a layer of interfacing if your fabric is too flimsy. I don't bother finishing the slit for the headband much, I just cut a slit and seal the edges with Fraycheck. But you could do a buttonhole instead if you want to be an overachiever like that. You really only need one plastic headband since the covers are interchangeable. (View the older post if you want to see more pics and more tips)


I thought about having getting a head shot of myself sporting one, but that would need to wait until these all these conditions coexist:
1) skinny day
2) great hair day
3) makeup on
4) real clothes
5) six year old learning to wield my Canon SLR

So don't hold your breath. If you have a drawer full of cheap plastic headbands and you'd like the headband cover pattern, get it here. (PS, if you already had it, get it again if you want the New and Improved set of directions)

Postscript: So. As unlikely as it seems, conditions 1-5 did actually come together:

wake up, bunny!

I promised pictures of an awake bunny when I launched the BBB pattern recently, and I've been having a bit of a quandary. Yeaaaaahh...I have tried the eyes embroidered like I envisioned for the pattern, but I just gotta tell ya. I no likey.


See above, blue bunny. Perhaps it is my non-expert skill as an embroiderer, but it just falls flat somehow. I don't prefer the shiny-ness factor of the satin stitch, and the shape is not as wide and cute as I'd hoped on an actual stuffed bunny. It looks. Well. Kinda weird, no? Is it me? Like she's squinting. Poor blue bunny.


So, nothing for it but to swallow my pride, admit I'm a doofus, and provide an alternative. See above. I've redone the eyes with a slightly different shape, and instead of completely embroidering the eye with a satin stitch, I opted to cut the basic shape from felt, stitch it on, then add an outline around the eye with more stitching. Last step, add a french knot highlight in each eye.


I like this much better. Sorry for the hard to see colors -- I adore this chocolate brown for the bunny's eyes, but it is not real easy to see the stitches, duh, shoulda used a lighter color. I lightened the photo quite a bit to increase the visibility, sorry if it looks blown out.

If you've bought a pattern and you prefer this New And Improved! method of the awake bunny, then just click on this link to download a new template and instructions for the eyes. If you prefer, I will very happily e-mail you a whole updated pattern with this change incorporated, just e-mail me to let me know.

love you bookmark

Need a last minute Valentine gift? Well, I did. So I made these bookmarks today, and thought I'd share it with you in case you are the same kind of unrepentant procrastinator I am. That's why I'm posting this on Thursday instead of Friday, to give you more lead time.

What you'll need:

1) the printable PDF of the template, get it here
2) letter-sized cardstock
3) fabric scrap
4) craft knife
5) short length of thinnish ribbon
6) .25 inch hole punch
7) spray adhesive
8) bone folder


Here we go. Print the template on cardstock and cut out the rectangular fabric template. I cut mine out window style, so I can place it just so on the fabric. Use it to trace and cut out a rectangle of your fabric scrap.

Now cut out one of the bookmark templates (of which there are two on the page) using a craft knife and ruler. Cut straight lines only, as shown, leave the curvy bits for later. You'll see.

(Wow. I didn't realize how grubby my craft knife looks until now. I've had it since freshman year at college, so like 22 years. I understand they come with cushy handles now. Notice especially the petrified band of masking tape. That was to keep my fingers from slipping. In COLLEGE.)

Score it down the middle using the BACK of your craft knife (not the sharp edge), only light pressure required. Or you can use your fancy bone folder.


Now cut out the heart with your craft knife. Wow, that sounds violent. Craft knife newbies, do not be fainthearted (ha), you can do this! Don't attempt to go all the way round in one direction, do it in parts and approach the corners from opposite sides for smoother results. The heart is not symmetrical, so if you are a little off, big schmeal. Do yourself a favor and use a new blade. If you use a dull blade, you will not be happy with the results and you may give yourself a hand cramp, especially if you are doing more than one.


Now fold the bookmark with the black lines on the outside, not the inside. Press the fold with your fancy bone folder. Or, as in my case, with your cheap plastic folder from Wal-Mart.

This is now folded the opposite way from how it will end up, but you'll want to use the curved lines on the corners as a cutting reference right now. Cut through both layers to make the rounded corners, making sure to keep it tightly pressed together while you cut.

Now punch the hole through both layers where marked.


Now fold it the opposite way with all the black on the inside, and run your bone folder down the fold. Open it back up and lay it on a large sheet of protective cardboard or paper, black lines facing up, and spray the entire surface with spray adhesive.


Lay your fabric on the dashed rectangle and smooth it out, being careful not to get glue on your fingers.


Carefully fold over the front and press together firmly, using your bone folder to rub along the edges and make sure everything is sticking together.


Lastly, half your ribbon, feed the free ends through the back of the hole, and then pull the ends through the loop you created on the opposite side. Tighten, then trim the ribbon ends, dotting them with FrayCheck if needed. If desired, write a love message under the heart.

Ta-da. Inexpensive and handmade Valentine gift that everyone (who reads) can use.

Y'all all have a blissful Valentine's, filled with love. I'm going to be gone for a whole week, but I'll see you again, Lord willing, on Monday the 23rd.