A Fabricated Week #3 {my etsy shop vs. my blog}

Ah, the magic of some sleep. 

I wasn’t lying when I said I’d had lots of positives lost in a cloud of fatigue over this past week.  It’s a sure sign of May being better than April, I’m convinced!  The biggest triumph of the week was, on the very last day of the shitstorm month known as April, my Etsy shop got its first sale!  3 out of my 4 drawings have since been shipped to their new home on the other side of the States!  To one person!  That’s a big ego boost for me.  And it happened just when I was going to throw in the towel.  I have so much on my plate I might as well just be sitting at a buffet.  And I completely misjudged how much work running an Etsy shop can be.  I’ve wanted to have an Etsy shop since my son was born in 2010 but I just haven’t had the time to really devote to it.   So a month and a half in with no sales, I was very much considering not renewing my listings in July and held off on posting anything new.  But now I think I’ll keep it going.  It may not be as big and varied as the shop of my dreams right now, but it’s worth it.  My work is appreciated.

But while thinking about my Etsy shop, I started to question whether or not I want to keep my blog’s name the same.  I started blogging again with the intention of focusing mainly on my crafting and photography but it’s pretty much taken on a life of its own as my little parenting ranthole.  I will never pigeonhole myself and say I only blog about ___________ yet I feel my shop and blog having the same name, when being very different, just doesn’t set right.  And I kinda miss my old tumblr username, which is much more fitting with my blog.

So I think it’s time for a change.  Again.

Dude, I freaking survive on change.  I don’t think I’ll ever be able to buy my own domain; I’ll be wanting a new one within two months.  Or, well, one month if we look at my most current change desire.

Ok this is boring, time for cute pics of kids celebrating a Sesame Street-y birthday!  See?  See?!  Right there, change change change!  ADHD of the blogz.

Daddy Drax said “Make Cookie’s eyes all crazy!”  Mission accomplished. Accidentally. 

Say What? Say Yay!

Good things all around the Heck house this week thusfar.
1) I got a nice surprise when I logged into Google Reader this morning and I saw I was featured over at Polish the Stars!  My toddler pillow!  I’ve never been featured anywhere.  I feel like I did the first (and only) time I’ve ever actually won anything.  Go me!  *toot toot* my little special horn!
2) PX has gained a new word- happy.  Or, in specialspeak, hauhpeeeeeeeeee.  I think my heart stopped the first time. 
3) Rizzle has decided to wave her white flag and hold her own damn bottle 90% of the time!  Success!  She’s only turning one tomorrow, yaknow. 

Yeah that’s right girl, you’re gonna be ONE!!!

4) Speaking of tomorrow, we FINALLY get our first OT visit tomorrow.  With most likely a full sensory profile on PX, so we can figure out his sensory diet and start drafting up his more structured, ABA-based home therapy visits.  If the trial run last week is any indication of how the first few sessions will go, I’m SOSing for wine.  Actually, fuck the wine and just send tequila.  Bottles.  Jugs.  A stubborn toddler with sensory hyposensitivity who’s most likely on the spectrum?  Yeah.  Send me a damn tugboat of tequila.  Captained by Ryan Gosling, of course. 
5) This fatass is 12lbs lighter!  Thanks body for finally recognizing I’m not pregnant any more!!  *toot toot* my special horn again!

A Fabricated Week #2 {the almost toddler travel pillow}

Dude.  I had a big case of the stupids this week. 

I have had PX’s travel neck pillow planned out for a month. At least.  And cut and pinned for a few weeks. I’m surprised the damn thing didn’t grow legs and walk over to the machine itself. But by 10pm last night, out of pure determination, it was machine sewn and stuffed. Success! But then it hit me, as I reach to finish it up with some hand stitching- I never actually measured the damn thing in comparison to PX’s neck. FACEPALM.

 

Obviously I wasn’t about to wake my son, an I didn’t feel like sewing it only to have to alter some stiches so, stuffing pouring out, I called it a night.  When the tots awoke this morning, it was the moment of truth.  And?

 

 

Too small.  That’ll prevent faceplanting in his car seat about as well as nothing.  BUT!  All was not lost.  Because some members of this clan don’t have skinny necks and giant domes (just giant domes).

 

 

A few stitches and Rizzle will have her own travel pillow.  Maybe this is why I had my surprise baby, so someone can always benefit from my crafting.  Even the eff ups.

Gallery Wall PINspiration + a Free Printable!

I'm not gonna lie, I'm a big dork and I'm really excited about all of this.


So we're moving, thank the heavens, and our new apartment home has a gorgeous space perfect for a gallery wall.  Actually, more like TWO gallery walls.  A gallery hallway/alcove?  Perhaps!  And this means that I have been able to divide my limited free time between two addicting Pinterest searches: organization and gallery wall ideas.

My gallery wall obsession ended up branching off and needing to be split into two boards (here & here).  But can you blame me?  Look at some of my finds!

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So what's an overexcited creative mama to do?  Why start making her own images of course!  So I sat back and I thought and I thought and I thought, much like Winnie the Pooh, because I wanted my own original saying for my first piece.  And I came up with this.

Click for the full size if you want to print it!

Eeeek, I love it.  I haven't made a real, printed, physical copy of this yet, but I have big plans for this little image... I'm just saving it for Stashbusting September over at The T-Shirt Diaries (which is starting up soon, obviously, so stay tuned!).  I can't wait to start making some upcycled projects for the new place and finally tackle some of my stash before it swallows up my room.  :/

Black & Orange Aren’t Just for Halloween

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t inspired to bust out my bag of vintage DMC floss and go to town after seeing this post.  With two under two and a tight budget, we’re a hand-me-down, repurposing, thrift store & yard sale type family.  I have no qualms with this, but sometimes the clothes can be a little boring.  Like these pants we got for PX: totally perfect condition, good quality, but plain.

Maybe it’s the fact that 2T clothing is bigger and looks less “babyish” but these pants just screamed to me that they needed some attention.  So, I got crafty.

I’m really pleased with how this pair turned out.  I hadn’t picked up an embroidery needle in about 8 years!  I definitely won’t be waiting another 8 years now.

My Newest Addiction

Alright, things are a bit calmer in the roost (for the time being) so hopefully I’ll be able to get back into some sort of routine.

Last month for my birthday, the other half gave me a budget and let me loose in Michael’s.  [yeah, he’s awesome]  I immediately made my way to the fabric paint et al isle and found this, the Tulip Fabric Paint Cannon.  Considering my sewing nook is a disaster and I’ve been itching to get creative, I snatched it up.

I’m not a fan of wearing white, especially with two kids under two, so I turned this

into this!

   

Doesn’t it remind you of sprinkles?!

After playing around online I noticed this awesome little gadget was getting some bad reviews, so I decided to write down a few tips for anyone thinking of using this.

• You CAN use this with just about any type of paint or dye!  Just know that the thinner the medium, the more your spray will resemble real spray paint; the pink in this shirt was done with the paint made for the cannon, the blue and yellow were done with basic acrylics thinned just a little (I wanted some splattery-looking spots).  So if your paint is coming out clumpy, try thinning it out.
• Pump the cannon A LOT before starting any real design, to limit the amount of times (if any) you need to stop and repump.  Also try pumping more if your paint is coming out not-so-misty.
• Let each color dry before applying the next, unless you want the colors to blend/bleed a little.
• HEAT SET!  HEAT SET!  HEAT SET!  (For a great tutorial on heat setting acrylics, check this out).

I’m truly addicted to this thing.  I have all sorts of things planned out for it.  I need to be stopped!  ;)

In the meantime…

It’s been too hot to sew the past few days.  (I prefer to cut & pin not at a table so a lapful of fabric hasn’t been appealing).  So I’ve been playing around with one of my other loves-  creating graphics.  This has resulted in two things:

1. a renamed, redesigned blog
2. a ridiculously random CafePress shop

I just couldn’t resist the urge earlier this week to download hundreds of fonts, make stencils, and start designing future uberchic clothing elements for the kiddos.

For PX

For Rizzle

For both

       
And that all in turn led me to realize my blog style was boring and did not reflect the chaos and hillarity of my life.  And then I figured practicing with a CafePress shop might help me develop a focus for my Etsy shop I swear I am opening come this autumn.  Even if all I’m selling is one hair bow and a pair of baby leggings.

It’s shaping up to be a cool night tonight so I’m hoping I’ll be able to finish up a couple projects; I’m dying to show the world my crib skirt & bumper set I’m turning into plushie and bedtime book storage.  Not gonna lie or toot my own horn but it’s pretty freaking amazing.

How many to do lists do you have?

I need to put together a sewing to do list for the kiddos so I can prioritize my projects. There's so much I want to get done for the summer that I have no idea where to start. PX needs shorts and tanks, Rizzle will surely need some sundresses and diaper covers, their room needs all sorts of accessories. Ahh! I will be sewing till my fingers fall off.

• Two things tie for first: a) PX needs shorts badly. His lack of belly and bum make him impossible to shop for, so I'm thinking altering this tut and some major toddler wardrobe refashion will work best. b) Travel diaper changing pads for each babe, considering the big diaper bag is far from ready and two of these may take one afternoon.


• The kids' room and stroller need organizer baskets, a good 6 of these might suffice.


• On that note, PX definitely needs a sippy cup leash and a couple for toys.


• PX could use a few tank tops (perhaps altering this?) and I'd love to make Rizzle a few baby sundresses, maybe a couple skirts.


• Considering all the walking we'll be doing, Rizzle will need a vented car seat cover. Half netting, half fabric.


• Daddy Drax needs some decent aprons (just not pleated).


• A picnic/beach quilt would be nice.

I think that's about it. Or, well, that's it for the VIProjects of spring/early summer. I wonder how much I'll actually get done. I'm planning on all…somehow.