the eighth woodlanders desktop...

I have a new desktop available, because...what? August starts tomorrow? Shocking. This month features Lady-Like Fern, and I do love her so much. Don't hold your breath waiting for the embroidery pattern for this month though. I've been thinking and thinking, and am still not sure how that one will look. We'll see what happens, if it happens...

In the meantime, you can find the desktop in the sidebar!

contact paper stickers...

When I was little, I remember my mom using clear contact paper frequently. She used it for a lot of school things (we now have a laminator...such fun!). But mostly I remember it being not so fun to work with, and that the patterned contact paper was NOT something that we would ever buy. Now I'm really loving it. Especially the wood grained kind, and especially for making stickers. I have a wee "wooden" heart on my computer, but I needed to take it further.



So why not paint some stickers? I wasn't sure how they would work, but they did! I used regular acrylic craft paint, and let it dry for a while, but yay!



Trimmed them, and peeled the backing...



And then stuck them on!



I also tried making a teeny one with permanent markers. Also fun, but clearly a different look.

Trust me, you so need to make some of these!

stripes in my hair...

It's Thursday. And these are my stripes.

test patterns that I'm loving...

1. AM 136 j, 2. 6155 trial, 3. WB 2-945 i, 4. S 135 i, 5. 9985 WB 1, 6. W 961 k, 7. Design 725 i, 8. AB 7232 h, 9. S 124 i

Vintage embroidery patterns are so very charming, but many of them are fairly large. While I like this, I also know that I like a pattern that I can get done in a few days, not a few weeks. Enter the vintage embroidery test or trial pattern.

They are small, and simply the sweetest! I've been finding them and marking them recently, and thought you might like to find them too. Unfortunately, folks don't always tag them as test patterns, so you just have to search through everything. But isn't it worth it? Some of these are cut off because of the mosaic, but click through the links to get the entire images.

contents without value...

There are some days when I feel as though there are a million things that I have to share here on the blog, and then other days when nothing is planned. When I don't have anything planned, it makes me feel...almost listless. Like I might not ever come up with anything. And then I realize that I'm being silly, because there is always some crazy or fun thing going on around here...



Today I have a box whose contents apparently have no value. At least that's what it wants you to think. The top of the label makes one think otherwise. A peek inside confirms this:




There are wonderful things, and lots of them!





Ah yes, a gift indeed! This instant collection came to me from my grandma's house, but it belonged to my aunt Hazel. She was not always the nicest person (at least, this is how I remember her), but she had some really cool stuff, let me tell ya!

sew tara winner...

It's Monday night, and I nearly forgot about choosing a winner for the Sew Tara giveaway! After counting up the entries (I didn't count Tara's comment or a duplicate), and putting the numbers into the random number generator, and waiting a strangely long amount of time, the winner is...

Katrina!

Congratulations, and I'll have Tara contact you about your prize! Thank you to everyone who entered!

bracelets, two ways...

I love stitching small, and today I have two bracelets that use teeny tiny patterns!

This first thing was my sister's idea. I was asking her for ideas for cheerful things that I could draw up (for a project that you'll see eventually!), and she said, a charm bracelet. What? I told her that it was too difficult for the kind of thing I do. But then, wait...maybe...



So, I grabbed a pillowcase. With a disappearing pen, I drew a wavy line, then added circles to each end (and a little straight line on one circle, making it look like a clasp). Underneath the wavy line, I traced some teeny tiny patterns, with a loop connecting them to the line.

It's an instant charm bracelet design, fully customizable!



If you know me, you know that I really don't like metallic floss. But I learned something. If you buy just one skein of DMC's floss, you don't get instructions, which means that if you simply stitch with it as you normally do, you'll go crazy. If you follow the instructions that come in the big packs, or that you can find online, it goes really, really well! It's a matter of threading the needle differently, and using less floss. I feel silly now.



Anyway, metallic floss was just what this charm bracelet needed. And to make the bracelet part itself, what better than a chain stitch?



Everything else is backstitch.



And if you ignore the wrinkles (I swear I tried to iron them out!), I've now got a fancy pillowcase that I told my sister wouldn't be possible!

For another bracelet you can make with teeny tiny patterns, you'll find me over at Danielle Thompson's blog.



There are even some free patterns (some of which I used on the charm bracelet), and a giveaway! Sweet!

august...

It's hard to believe that August will be here so very soon. The good news is, there's still a little bit of July left. There's also still time to sponsor Wild Olive for August. I would love to have your blog be a part of the good things happening here at my blog.

Sponsorship is open only to blogs...this is a chance for you to shine! (And I'll do my very best to help that happen!)

If you are interested, or would like more information, send an email to molliejohanson {at} gmail.com.

happy mail...

Look at what arrived for me today! Sweet Liz sent me the cupcake towels that I mentioned a couple weeks ago, as well as a few other goodies. She started working at IKEA recently, which I think would be a dangerous place for me. (So many fun things to bring home!) Anyway, she told me that she's taken an upholstery class...and is paid for it! Yeah, that sounds like a good job for a crafty kinda person...

Thank you, dear Chedderfish!

DVD review from my brother...

"Mollie, you have to watch the video that Grace and I watched today. It's called Andy Butter, Apple, something. It comes in a can."

"Do you mean Applebutter?"

"Yeah, Applebutter. It's so cute! There are all of these cans with faces. You have to watch it. You'll love it!"

This is the kind of review I follow up on!

soon-to-be stripes...

It's Thursday (or at least it was when I wrote this and thought that it would post), and I couldn't let the day go by without some stripes. I know, you're looking at these pictures and thinking, "wait...there's no stripes there..."

Well, there will be! I've been trying to decide what I should paint on this canvas, and now I know. It will be a stripey painting, and I can't wait...

(PS: Don't miss Tara's giveaway below!)

sew tara...

I'm really so very happy that today we get to hear from one of my sponsors, Tara, of the blog, Sew Tara. Make sure to get down to the end of the post, because there's a giveaway too!

In a recent email, Tara mentioned that she's been accomplishing a lot lately, and that the ideas just keep coming. Who doesn't love that feeling? So I asked her about that. Specifically, I asked her what brought her to this place, and here's what she had to say:

"You know, I'm not really sure but it's almost like the stars are in alignment or something and there was a CLICK!

I've got a ton of projects 'in progress', or things not even started like online class projects, so it's not like I *needed* to come up with new ideas they're just flowing right now and I'm trying to keep up and run with it! I'll just guess at what's making it happen in case any one else wants to try.

• School ended for the year so I'm on vacation from work! I taught half time so I still had time during the school year but now it's everyday I get to craft.
• We have a routine for our days, get up go to the gym, do something all together, have lunch, Nate naps and Wesley has quiet time and I craft! Once Nate wakes up things are on hold until after kiddies go to bed then I get creative again until the wee hours.
• I surround myself with things that focus on where I'm heading right now, website, magazines, books and stores. I have some creative friend's and it's great to just chat with them about what they're up to as well. Seeing what other people are doing can really help inspire you or just keep you motivated to continue creating.
• I worked hard to put a few more items in my shop and it feels great to see them there and watch the number of views climb, sort of makes it all seem more real.

It's all strangely addictive and I feel compelled to keep going. I'm having such fun being creative, connecting with other creative people and sharing what I'm up to. It's been a fantastic journey so far. Thanks for being part of it!"

Not only has Tara shared her experience, but she's also got a passport pocket to share! And see that circle with the question mark? That's where she'll custom monogram it for you! So cute!

To enter, go check out Tara's blog, then come back and leave a comment telling what your favorite thing is that she's been making. Oh, and your name and a way to contact you. We'll choose a winner on Monday the 26th. Good luck!

the new sock monkey...

Just a quick post today. My mind is feeling very full. There is much to be done, but preparing to make it happen is slowing me down.

But all of that seems silly when you see something that is even better than a sock monkey: paper bag puppets that look a lot like sock monkeys. Beyond cute.

Back tomorrow with a post and giveaway from one of my fantastic sponsors!

kicking myself...

We had to cut down a small-ish tree that had a rough winter a few years back. It tried to come back, but never quite made it, other than a few tiny sprigs of new leaves. Finally, this year we gave up. The pieces of cut up trunk were sitting by the curb, and I thought, I should cut those (read: have my dad cut those) into slices that I could paint.

Then today I saw these coasters that are screen printed, and I thought, I should try something like that. But guess what? Yesterday they came for brush pick-up, and I never grabbed the tree pieces. I am kicking myself.



I suppose I'll need to wait until the next time there are some large branches or logs around. In the meantime, it did inspire me to take out a block of wood and at least do some painting. This will soon have a very special face on it, which could even inspire a whole new style of artwork for me. We shall see...

the seventh woodlanders embroidery pattern...

Tiffany in Indiana sent me this photo of a baby quilt she made. Isn't it adorable? And see the two Woodlanders in there? I love it!



Today I have another Woodlanders pattern for you: Diminutive Feather! Download it here or in the sidebar, and have fun stitching!

And when you're finished, you know, I'd love to see how you used this or any of my patterns. You can send me a picture (molliejohanson {at} gmail {dot} com), or add things to the Flickr pool. Even if you don't have anything to add, there are some really cute things there for you to check out. Stop by and browse!

portable ironing...

A very long time ago, my grandpa constructed a built-in ironing board at our house. It's right there in the wall, with a door that opens and the board folds down. It's really nice, and is MUCH more sturdy than the free-standing kind. But what about if you need to iron in a different place?

For crafting, I like to be able to be in other parts of the house sometimes, especially when natural light (for photos) is needed. Small ironing boards are very handy, but still a little bulky. Look at what my dad made me:

These are just small boards that are covered with some padding and a couple layers of muslin. They are the best! I can take them anywhere. And I can work on a table or on the floor (as I often do).





Today I used them while fusing plastic bags. Not only did I have natural light for pictures, but I could also be closer to fresh air. A serious plus, as these bags were especially smelly!

fruity cuties...

I may be really behind in finding these, but oh my! The Fruity Cuties are soooo adorable! Of course, Olive. R. Twist would be something I would be drawn to, but everything they have on their site is super sweet.

And are you ready to see how I found them? It was because I came across this cake.

Side note: I've found myself using the word "super" a lot lately. Still deciding if that needs to be fixed, or if it's super okay.

christmas stripes...

Here we are at Thursday again. Where has time been getting to? Today I took a stripey photo with some Christmas-y things. Why? Because today is the first day of the Etsy Christmas in July sale! Which means...all Christmas items in my shop are 25% off! The sale runs through the 25th, and all prices are already marked. There's even a combo pack of all Christmas embroidery patterns that has an even better discount...

As I was getting all of my Christmas items re-listed, I did sort of chuckle at the Winter Warmers pattern. It's soooo hot here right now, and the idea of mittens and scarves just makes me laugh!



And because it's so warm, I had to go with a sort of modified stripe to wear today. The stripes go in two directions. I know that some people call this "plaid," but on Thursdays I wear stripes. So that's what this is...a nice and cool "striped" dress.

vintage embroidery...

There were a lot of ladies in our family who loved embroidery. I suppose it was more common 50, 75, 100 years ago, and MANY people did it. But what I love is that we still have a lot of the things that were stitched so long ago.

This is a tablecloth. It's not too large, and would probably fit a card table. I'm not sure who stitched it...could have been my grandma, great-grandma, a semi-distant aunt or cousin. Everything that everyone made had a similar feel.



This one caught my eye for two reasons. 1) See that feather stitching? There's a LOT of it because it goes around the whole thing. 2) See those flowers? There's a lot of them too, but they seemed different to me. Look closer:



The lazy daisies seemed different because they are. In the center of each stitch there is a white stitch. This is a small thing, but it adds so much to them. They have dimension, they pop. I can't wait to try this simple addition that one of my ancestors has passed along without even knowing it!

i'm giving up ...

Do you scrapbook? Michelle does, and she is VERY good at it. Her layout where she created page-friendly yarn balls was fantastic. Danielle does, and she has some of the cutest, most fun kits available. Her fabric covered buttons kit kills me! Kara does, and her work is so, so lovely. Not to mention she has some pretty necklaces in her shop right now...they are sort of scrapbook-ish, but on a chain.

I need to tell you something. I have no interest at all in this medium.



I'm not sure why, exactly. In a lot of ways there's a similarity between graphic design (at least in some forms) and scrapbooking. You know, the laying things out to please the eye, and to make sense, and to organize. But I can't do it. I can admire pages that other people do, but I just don't get it.



I've tried making "digital collage sheets" and a few other things like this, but they don't sell very well. I have a sneaky feeling that it's because I'm trying to make something that I just don't understand. I try and do collage journaling with the elements, but again, it doesn't work. It's like I'm a fraud when it comes to this...



So, I think I'm giving up on this type of item. At least for now. Better to put my time and energy into the things that love. Things like stitching, and making, and perhaps still a bit of printing.

Whew! I feel better getting that off of my chest!

it started...

My class officially started today! I'm so excited, and I think (I hope!) that all who are signed up are excited too. If you haven't registered, but want to, the registration will remain open throughout the day. It will go away around midnight CST.

And if you have already signed up, thank you! I can't wait to see all that you make! (Hopefully I can even share a few things here!) Also, I believe that all of the login emails when through okay, but if for some reason you're still waiting, or having trouble, please let me know so that I can get things set right.

Happy Monday to you!

oh, ikea...

We stopped at IKEA today. This is our family van (yes, it's as big as it looks in the photo) in the family-friendly parking area. I couldn't resist the photo because a big van just screams "we have a lot of people and we need a special parking lot!"

Anyway, while we were there I picked up some printed cork placemats (kind of like these, but a different design). They looked like the kind of thing that would make a good craft supply. Most likely, there will be stitching involved, and I also can't imagine that they will be used as placemats.

I know that I've mentioned IKEA before as being a great place to find supplies for making things, you just have to look at things from a crafty perspective. I probably could have found many more things today, but thankfully made it out with just my $4.99 placemats. And man, but I'm thinking that I should have gotten the cupcake towels...

random saturday bits...

Lots going on today, and for the next week, but here are a few random things for you...

-July means thinking about Christmas, so drawings have begun, and they need to progress quickly...

-My three latest shops that I've hearted: coinringman, ClassicDesignLibrary, and roseycheekes. Lovely things...

-Today includes a graduation party and a baseball game, among other to-do list items...

-I love, love, love this bracelet tutorial. Especially the fabric version...

Do you have any random bits to share?

gifts from the kids...

Yesterday was my dad's birthday, and my brother Max asked me to make a stuffed toy for him to give to dad. I told him that I just couldn't get something made in time (he asked the night before!), but that maybe we could make something together.



So we pulled out some fabric, and I helped him draw a cowboy (this was his request because he thought it appropriate for dad, and because he has no confidence in his artistic abilities). Then he colored it it. My sister Grace also got in on this, and she went with a bear for her design. We just used regular crayons, and the only challenge is that the fabric moves a bit. I helped hold it in place while they colored. We didn't iron set the drawings because we were doing this the fast way.



After they were finished, we used a running stitch around the outside of the drawing. OK, so really this was just me...they weren't so sure about the sewing yesterday. They added stuffing, and I sewed it closed, then trimmed around the stitches.



Here they are all finished. I think they are such fun, and an easy way for young ones to make a plushie. And it beats having the adult do ALL the work!

stitching stripes...

Every time that I think that I should add a weekly "feature" to this blog, it goes nowhere. Sometimes I get tired of it, or sometimes I forget. But for over a year, I've been wearing stripes almost every Thursday. This I remember. (And yes, you've heard me say that on Thursday I wear stripes before. Secretly, I hope the idea will catch on...)

So I got to thinking, if I can remember stripes in my wardrobe, maybe I can remember to blog about stripes too. We'll see. No promises.

Anyway, above you see some simply stitched, beautifully stitched, stripes. Without an end plan in mind, Sonia made these with bits of leftover floss. But then she came up with something lovely. See the process and final product at her blog!



And just to prove it, here I am today...in stripes.

birthdays, blog friends, and a sweetly stitched dino...

Birthdays:
Miss Katie Green is celebrating her first blog birthday! To celebrate, she has a fantastic giveaway going, so be sure and stop by. This also reminded me that I just had a blog birthday at the beginning of the month, and I entirely forgot. Oh well. We'll celebrate big next year.

Blog Friends:
Miss Katie Green has become a wonderful blog friend. Don't you love it when you connect with someone, especially so far away? We might even (fingers crossed!) get to meet up next month. I know that it's not possible to get to know everyone that you "meet" online, but when you have a chance to get to know someone better (assuming that you are being wise and safe), go for it.

Sweetly Stitched Dino:
Miss Katie Green stitched that adorable stegosaurus up there. It's one of a few special guest patterns that she created exclusively for my class. Don't you just love it?!?

(This post featured dear Miss Katie Green, and yes, she is a sponsor of this blog, but this in no way influenced my thoughts...she's really just that cool!)

prayers for a friend...

Just a quick extra post tonight...

Would you pray for my friend Phil? His mom passed away today. She was 89, her health was declining, and the family knew it would be coming soon, but that doesn't make it any easier.

I only met Phil's mom, Pat, once or twice, but she read my blog. She would often pass comments along through Phil. Sometimes she prompted me to update things, or would notice photos of the family. It was always good to know that Mrs. Woods was reading and had things to say about it, and today's news is so very sad...

the place to be...

Some of my most favorite ideas have come while sitting here. Today, however, there was not enough time poolside. I'll have to see what I can do about this...