Crafted by Us

Join Michelle as she stumbles through making a skein of lumpy bumpy yarn.   To follow along, you will need these things: Spinning wheel Fiber Niddy noddy Hot water Scissors Scrap yarn or ribbon If you don't have a local source for fiber you can find all kinds of fiber online just do a quick search for "fiber" and you will be on your way. One of my favorite collection of fibers to spin is made by Crosspatch Creations. It is a bit spendier that most stuff but so much fun.    

Some may say it is too early for Christmas decorations but it is never too early to try a new craft technique even if the project is Christmas related. In this episode Michelle revisits her "Peace on Earth" holiday decoration project with a new technique. Using large strips of craft paper she creates paper flowers which then frame the saying. To make your own decoration gather these supplies: Large piece of cardboard (a cereal box works great) Vintage text (old text book pages work) Tulle Scissors Pinking shears White glue, like paste or a glue stick (not liquid glue) Scrap of ribbon Stamps StazOn ink Pad (black or brown) Circle templates (round plates work well) Stickles Ruler Long craft paper or paper bag to make flower Tacky glue to glue paper flowers Alphabet or word stamps Black Sharpie  

In this episode I re-work an old collage into a new one using brighter, bolder colors and different materials. Some of the materials used for this project include: Old, ugly collage on a 12x12 canvas Gel medium Acrylic paint Portfolio brand oil pastels Scrap paper Stencils Sharpies Paint brushes Paper towels Heat gun Lace Tissue paper Stewart Gill paint Black and white images Makeup sponges Scissors About 1 1/2 years ago I made these darker collages while in a class. I spent quite a bit of time on them but never really fell in love with them. Then, a while back I found them again and decided to see what I could do with them. Having used Portfolio brand oil pastels in a class a few months ago, I decided to use these to brighten up my collage. After completing the first one I continued on the complete the other one that I had attempted at the same class. Before After   In this series of photos you can see one of the collages at the beginning and middle stages. The last photo is the same collage. I just collaged and painted over it!

In this long overdue show, Michelle shows you how to create a journal using a simple folded paper technique and a simple pamphlet stitch. To follow along gather up your supplies. Three large sheets of paper 18x24 or so (I used watercolor paper) Paint (watercolor and acrylic work well for this, I used Stewart Gill paint) Waxed linen thread (better) or embroidery floss (ok) Book binding needle or embroidery needle Awl Ruler Paint brush and mark making tools like stamps and plastic shaped objects Fabric to cover journal Awl Paper towels Heat gun or iron to speed up the drying process Bone folder Scissors Also, check out Art at the Speed of Life by Pam Carriker for a great source of inspiration for filling your journal.

Hurray! This is the 12th video in our 12 Days of Christmas series. In the episode Michelle shows you a simple way to create a cute circle fabric pin. If you don't want to make a pin you can easily attach the fabric circle to other items as an embellishment.   To follow along get th   ese things together: Round items to use as circle templates Pen Scraps of fabric Scraps of cotton quilt batting Button Fabri-tac glue Scissors Pinking shears Pin back  

In this eleventh installment of our 12 Days of Christmas series we explore how to make shrink plastic rings. To follow along please gather these materials: Shrink plastic (I used Graffix brand) Staz On ink White Gesso Variety of stamps Scissors Parchment paper Cookie sheet Oven **If your ring breaks while shaping it, it is likely due to not being hot enough. Try heating the next one for a longer length of time.  

Day 10 of our 12 Days of Christmas series brings a cute and fun project. In this installment we create a embroidered felt Christmas ornament. These simple stitches give each ornament a bit of whimsy. To follow along gather up this stuff: Felt Variety of embroidery floss or sock yarn Scissors Fabri-tac adhesive if you like Scissors Round object to create ornament shape Pen

In this ninth installment of our 12 Days of Christmas series we create Christmas gift tags using vintage images and text. To follow along gather these supplies: Vintage images printed on card stock Card stock for tag template Stickles in a variety of colors Brown acrylic paint Adhesive (I used a Xyron) Bo Bunny double dot ribbon Scissors Paint brush Wax paper Vintage text White gesso   To find vintage Santa images try looking on Flickr. I love the Collage Images group I belong too. They have a ton of images available for download.

For the eight installment of our Twelve Days of Christmas series, Michelle shows you how to make potato stamps which are perfect for creating one-of-a-kind gift wrapping.   To follow along with this show gather this: Potato (russets work well) Knife Acrylic paint (used to stamp with) Paper (sheet music works well) Paint brush Waxed paper  

For the seventh installment of the Crafted by Us Twelve Days of Christmas series Michelle shows you how to create a chunky scarf that whips up in a jiffy. To follow along gather these supplies: Brown sheep burly spun yarn (about 5-6 ounces) Large crochet hook (N or larger) Scissors Although this scarf is not made with a double crochet stitch it does use the same stitch throughout the pattern making it super easy to follow. To make this scarf simply make a starting chain between 75 -115 stitches or so depending on your hook size. Then, chain three and make the "not double crochet stitch"** in the fourth chain from your hook. Repeat this stitch for the entire length of the chain. Then, turn and chain three. Remember that the first three chains count as your first stitch so skip the next space and make the next stitch in the second space. Then chain one, skip the next space make a "not double crochet stitch" and continue on this way until you reach the end. Turn your project and chain three. Skip the next space and then work the "not double crochet stitch" in each space down the length of your scarf. Once you reach the end turn your project and slip stitch in the front loop down the length of the scarf. Finish with fringe. As you can tell I am not a pattern writer so please watch the video for more info. Please have fun with this scarf! **"Not double crochet stitch" - yarn over, insert hook through loops, yarn over, pull yarn through two loops, yarn over, pull yarn through last two loops.

In this latest installment of the Crafted by Us 12 Days of Christmas series Michelle shares with you how to create two different pairs of hand warmers using material from old wool sweaters. To follow along gather these supplies: Stretch wool sweater to be used for fabric Embroidery needle Scissors Elastic thread Embroidery floss Buttons Sewing machine These hand warmers are fun to make and can be made up in no time at all. You may find that once you make one pair you may not want to stop!

Create a fun and somewhat silly Christmas postcard in this fifth installment of our 12 Days of Christmas series.   To follow along gather these supplies: A Scrabble boardgame cut to 4 in. x 6 in. Bookcloth tape or gaffer tape Scissors Adhesive to adhere postcard image (I used a Xyron) Postcard image wiht Merry Xmas (create your own or download the Crafted by Us file and print) Permanent marker

Personalized jewelry is always a great gift to give at Christmas. In this fourth installment of the Crafted by Us 12 Days of Christmas Michelle shows you how to create a simple pendant. To follow along gather these supplies: Two 1x3 images (or whatever size fits your frame) Memory frame Ball chain Scissors Jump ring

In this third installment of our 12 Days of Christmas series Michelle shares with you how to easily create artistic coasters. To follow along you will need these supplies: Natural stone tiles (try looking for them at Home Depot or Lowes) Alcohol ink (available at some craft stores and at the Crafted by Us Shop) Stamps (I used the Live the Life You've Imagined and others) Staz On ink- Black (available at some craft stores and at the Crafted by Us Shop) Alcohol ink applicator and pad This is a great project to do with kids since it is quick and easy and yields great results. Try making a set of four and bundling them up with a coordinating ribbon.

In this second episode of our Twelve Days of Christmas series, Michelle creates a waxed wallhanging with a vintage owl image printed on vintage text. To follow along, gather these supplies: Image printed on vintage text Melted beeswax Brush for spreading wax (not acrylic) Wood block Sanding block or paper Picture hanger and nails Gel medium Heat gun A copy of the owl image can be found at the Crafted by Us flick group.