A Very Ghoulish Necklace with Glow in the Dark Glue

Last week I did a guest post on this tutorial over at So Chick!  In case you didn't catch it, here it is for all of you.  This little project was inspired by an archived Martha Stewart Halloween project.  You can actually take this project and step it up a notch by making the ghouls out of this: 

Here's what you'll need:

needle and thread or white yarn

parchment paper

Elmer's glue or Glow in the Dark Glue {Hobby Lobby}

black sharpie

Start by drawing {I just used the freehand method} a ghost with your glue.

 Draw as many "ghouls" as you want to.  I made three big ones for me and three little ones for my little nugget.

 Let the outline dry for a couple of minutes and then fill in the body with glue.

 You will end up with something that looks like this.  Now lay the parchment paper on a flat surface and allow it to dry for at least one day.

 Once it's dry {I waited about 24 hours}, very carefully peel off the ghoul like this.

 You'll end up with a bunch of these guys.  Feel free to trim off any edges so you have smooth lines throughout {or leave them there for a rugged ghost look}.

 Now give your ghoul a face. 

Gently thread your needle through the top of the ghost.  Add as many or as little as you'd like.

Now you have a ghoulish necklace!!!

I hope you and your kids have fun with this one.  And if you don't have kids, try it anyway.  It will make you feel 20 years younger!  

Linking up to: Somewhat simple, tip junkie, southern lovely, 30 handmade days

Guest Post with Little Lovelies

I'm excited to have Allison with us today from Little Lovelies. She has one of the cutest blogs for embroidery, card making, crafting, and more! She's also a contributing columnist on 30 Handmade Days. Today, Allison is going to share with us a tutorial on framed pinwheels made from felt. I promise, this is one project you are going to want to make!

 Take it away Allison!

Hello Sunny Vanilla readers! My name is Allison and I blog at little lovelies.





I am a wife of 5 years to Anderson, and working mom to my almost two year old son, Sawyer.

I found that after going back to work, I needed something that was for me - I needed a creative outlet. That's where my little blog started. I share lots of things on my blog - crafts, jewelry making, cards, embroidery, family moments, and any other little lovelies.

I would love to meet you! You can find me on facebook, twitter, pinterest, and my blog. Come say hi!

Today I am going to share a tutorial I published on my blog back in June. It is one of my favorite projects, so I hope you enjoy!

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I have been thinking about this one for a while. I have had pinwheels and paper airplanes floating around in my head and I have been working out what to do with them. I think that maybe the best projects for me are the ones that I daydream about and think on for weeks in advance. This is one of those projects.

 

sigh. 

So breezy and light. Inspired by air and wind and floating. 

For the frames I used Krylon spray paint in Catalina Mist, Classic Grey, and Dover White, with coordinating grey and white fabric for the backgrounds.  

I am going to break this up into two posts so it is not completely picture heavy. Today - the pinwheel art. Tomorrow - the hot air balloon and paper airplane. Sound good? 

I just love these sweet little pinwheels. Made from felt and buttons, I think they give a modern and linear look but still are sweet and soft with the vintage-y buttons. 

Start by ironing fabric stabilizer to some white scrap fabric. You don't have to do this part, but I didn't want my fabric to shift in the frame. 

Using the glass from the frame, trace a rectangle onto the fabric and cut out. 

Insert the fabric into the frame and now you are ready to embellish. 

I made the pinwheels using felt (from Papertrey Inc - my favorite favorite felt) and buttons that I have been collecting. 

 

1. Start with a square of felt (For my three pinwheels I used 3", 3.5", and 4" squares) and lightly draw lines from corner to corner.

2. Cut into the felt on one of the lines without cutting all the way to the middle. You should stop cutting about 1/4" from the middle point where the two lines cross.

3. Cut the remaining three lines, taking care not to cut all the way to the middle. 

4. Fold one of the corners down into the middle of the pinwheel and secure with a stitch (or hot glue). 

5. Continue folding corners down and securing. Add a button in the middle. 

6. All done and looking pretty!

Finish making your other two pinwheels. 

Arrange on your frame and sew or hot glue down. 

I love the colors, shapes, and textures. When I see these sweet pieces hanging in out little hallway, I smile.

(for part two of this wall art, click here)

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A Day at the Corn Maze

It dropped down into the 70's last week as a "cold front" moved into our area and we hopped at the opportunity to do something fall-y.  We packed up the car and headed about 45 minutes out of town to spend a day at the corn maze and pumpkin patch.  I can't begin to tell you how much joy it brought me to see our little gal full of smiles and curiosity as she took it all in.  Here's a little photo collage of that day.  

Baby girl and her baby pumpkins 

Happy Family Photo!

Someone in this photo is fake, someone is happy, and someone is not quite sure what to think.  Can you guess all three?

More pumpkins and a slightly scary scare crow.

Sitting behind a tractor in a John Deere drum.  I was the oldest rider on that little train by about twenty years!  Did you catch the sticker on the front of that drum?  Are you laughing?

We left that day finally feeling the affects of fall!  There were no pumpkin lattes, fuzzy sweaters, or boots, but there was an undeniable feeling of happiness.  Happiness for my family.  Happiness for a change in season.  And happiness for dinner later that evening at Cracker Barrel.

Guest Post with Melissa from SoChick!

I'm super excited to share with you a gorgeous looking handbag from SoChick! Handbags.  Melissa, the genius behind the bags, is stopping in to say hello and share with you her new tote, The Dahlia.  It's the perfect take on fall!  Take it away Melissa...

Hi there! I'm Melissa, the chick behind SoChick! Handbags, *wave*.  I'm so happy to be here on Jen's Sunny Vanilla Blog today and I love 'meeting' new people!

I started making handbags in early 2008 when I was pregnant with my youngest daughter and went into business for myself, full-time, in September 2010.  I enjoy every minute of my jobs!  {Jobs, because I'm Mommy to two little chicks in addition to running SoChick! full-time.}

My SoChick! handbags and accessories feature fun, fresh fabrics and timeless designs that are "Everyday chic for Everyday Chicks".  This fall SoChick! introduced a new bag style along with some cozy neutral fabric selections... think smooth micro suede and buttery soft velvet!  Today I'd like to introduce you to my newest bag design:

The Dahlia Tote

The Dahlia is a zip-top tote which features a neutral base fabric paired with printed cotton fabric for a fresh pop of color this fall/winter.  These pictures show The Dahlia in 100% Cotton Doux Velvet in Caramel paired with gold, fuchsia and plum printed fabric; lined in pink 100% cotton.

With a depth of 5 inches, there's tons of room for whatever you may need to carry...

And, four interior pockets to keep all that 'stuff' organized!

A removable bag base insert helps The Dahlia maintain her square base, while allowing for easy clean up should a spill occur.... in my world, spills are bound to happen!

Finally, I added a little glitz with rhinestone rivets, which also reinforce the handles should things get a little heavy.

I would love for you to visit my SoChick! Shop to see the other colors available for The Dahlia Tote, as well as the other Handbags and Accessories I have!

Also, for Jen's fabulous Sunny Vanilla readers, I am offering Free Shipping on all orders of $20 or more with code SVSHIPFREE at checkout! 

(Code good through  Nov 5th, 2011 at 11:59pm EST)

Thank you for allowing me to introduce myself and share one of my bags with you today!  Jump on over to SoChick! The Blog to see what Jen is sharing with my readers, hope to see you there!

XxOo, Melissa

{SoChick! The Blog} {Shop SoChick!} {Facebook} {Twitter}

How to make fabric yo yo's for your hair

Hi everyone!  Today we're going to make five yo yo bobby pins for your hair and embellish them five different ways.  They look cute on little girls and big girls alike!  I made all of these during one nap time, so they're quick and easy.   Let's get started...

Here's what you'll need:

fabric scraps {at least 4 in. x 4 in.}

felt

bobby pins

glue gun or fabric glue

needle and thread

iron

embellishments {see below}

Choose your embellishments: button, brooch, clip-on earring, rick rack, and an acorn.  Have fun with this part.  The sky is the limit here...I mean come on...an acorn?!

Now choose your fabrics.

First you'll want to cut a circle 4-5 inches in diameter.  You can use just about anything to do this.  I used an oversized coffee cup.

Double thread your needle and tie a knot.  Thread 1/4 in. around the edge of the fabric.

You should end up with something that looks like this.

Now flip over so the right side of the fabric is facing down.  Take your iron and press the edges down on the fabric.  Don't cut your thread yet.

Once your edges are pressed, place your finger on the edge where your needle and thread is.  Start to pull on the needle and thread.

You should see your yo yo taking shape like this.

Once you have a nice flat yo yo, snip the thread and tie it in a knot.   Don't worry if any thread shows because this will be covered by your embellishments.

I added a feather.

And a fancy button from the fabric store.  Let it dry.

Now cut a small piece of felt and glue to the back fo the yo yo.  Let dry.

Glue your bobby pin to the felt and let dry.

Now you have a pretty flower for your hair.

You can make these little gems out of just about every kind of fabric, including burlap shown in the first picture.  But I think the easiest to work with is 100% cotton.  With Christmas around the corner, these would make great gift ideas.  Not only do they look cute on bobby pins, but they also work on:

t-shirts

headbands

magnets

shoes

pillows

picture frames

and on, and on, and on!

Happy crafting!!!!

Linking up to: Craftomaniac, skip to my lou, homemaker on a dime, a bowl full of lemons, tip junkie, 30 handmade days