friendship week: vintage craft instructions

We're at the end of Friendship Week, and I thought I'd combine this with a Vintage Craft post...featuring the piece that inspired the look of this entire week: Friendship Bracelets!

While looking for some supplies the other day, I happened to find my collection of friendship bracelet instruction books and freebie sheets. These are from when I was, I don't know...maybe 11? My sister remembers making some of these too, and when I showed her, we instantly started reminiscing about them. This kind of thing is the best!

I loved this book so much, even though I can't recall making too many from it. Looking through it now, I can't imagine trying to make the complex designs...there are so many lines of instructions for just a single repeat of the pattern! Still, it was something to aspire to.



What follows are the DMC sheets that we would pick up every time we went to Michael's. They were free, and combined with $1 worth of floss, you were good! I left all of them full size, so you can click on them to view them even larger in Flickr.

Also, underneath each photo is a link to see the back. These also take you to Flickr, and by viewing them larger (or downloading), you should be able to read them well enough to follow the instructions, if you so choose.


click here to see the back of this instruction sheet.

I kinda really want to make a couple of these for my hair. Like, now. (And how about those Brooke Shields style eyebrows!? I'll skip those.)


click here to see the back of this instruction sheet.

It's a totally new concept!


click here to see the back of this instruction sheet.

This was supposed to be for making sun/eyeglasses cords, but I'm pretty sure I used the instructions for bracelets too.


click here to see the back of this instruction sheet.

These were quite different from anything else I had made, and boy did I make a lot of them! You use plastic canvas as a base, and then wrap it to spell out words and make designs. Such fun!



You saw this in the first photo, and it was a tool that I couldn't have lived without. A piece of semi-soft foam, which I could pin the bracelet onto while working. The original pins are still in there. My sister reminded me that we also used to snap the knotted floss into our plastic floss box while working. Good times!

The one thing that was missing was the half-finished bracelets that I'm sure still exist somewhere. I supposed I'll just need to get one started and leave it for another time...

Oh, and Ayla Rose sent me a link to some new friendship projects from DMC. Cute stuff!

I hope you enjoyed Friendship Week!

friendship week: printable friendship cards

Recently I decided to delete my Facebook account. It wasn't a big deal to me, and I'm happy that it's one less thing to have in my life (of course, Twitter has sucked me in now). One of the funny things I always hesitated about Facebook is the friend request. I felt like a kid passing a note that said:

"Will you be my friend? Check yes or no."

And this was with people I'd known for months! Well, now you can ask people to be your friend the old fashioned way...in print.




These two color options print 2-up on a page, so just print them at 100% on card stock, then cut them in half and fold. They'll fit in invitation-size envelopes.



And even if you are just wanting to stay friends (or apologize and be friends again?), this would be a fun way to say hello.

Download the PDF here.

friendship week: best friends giveaway

Jessica from Funky Finds reminds us that even the closest of friends can be far away...and she's also got a giveaway for you and your best friend!



Aside from my hubby & mom, my best friend is Tamara. We met while working in college at a publishing company & she encouraged me to begin Funky Finds as a way to share all my 'finds' with others. Although we have lived 1,500 miles apart for the last two years, we have stayed in constant contact via email & near daily phone calls.

We also enjoy sending each other care packages filled with fun goodies we don't need, but that definitely put a smile on each other's face! Tamara loves Hello Kitty and I love to embroider. One package I sent her included this framed Hello Kitty image I adapted from a coloring page found online. I spray painted a frame I found at Goodwill and added some cute buttons to add some texture. I am currently working on another framed embroidery piece as a housewarming gift for Tamara & her new husband — but that's still a secret!

Jessica is giving away a Funky Finds tote bag and key chain...and a Funky Find tote bag and key chain! One for you, and one for your best friend!

To enter, leave a comment telling how long you've known your closest friend, along with a way for us to contact you if you win. The giveaway will remain open until Saturday, August 27th at 9PM CST. Good Luck!

friendship week: talia's friendship pattern

Talia of Number 19 has created something special for Friendship Week. We like embroidery patterns around here, right?

Hello Wild Olive readers!


I hope you're enjoying Friendship Week!

This week I drew up this pattern, inspired by friendship week. How important it is to have good friends around us, and what a gift they can be! I'm very blessed to be married to my very best friend, and that we have great friends around us that we can hang out with together! I must admit, I do love those girl times having manicures, scrapbooking, and chatting!

If you print this pattern out on A4 paper then it should fit just neatly into an 8” hoop. I haven´t left any instructions for colours, because I want you to be CREATIVE, and do colours that suit you, or a friend you might give this to when you´re done!

You can download the free pattern here.

Speaking of creativity, that's exactly what I'm talking about this week over at Number 19, and I'd love for you to join in the conversation!

~ Talia
Number 19

friendship week: wind in the willows friend portraits

I chose Friendship Week because it felt like the perfect fit for the group of friends in Wind in the Willows. They encourage, help, challenge and love each other, and live life as a fun little group.



Inspired by the style of decorating that you see in the characters' homes, I made some printed and paper-pieced portraits. They are so quick and easy to put together!



You'll need:
Glue dots (as much as I hate them!)
Scrapbooking Paper
WITW Portraits PDF
Card stock

Print the PDF portraits onto card stock, then choose scrapbooking paper for the frames and backgrounds.



Cut out around the characters, and use the printed frames as templates. From contrasting scrapbooking papers, cut a solid piece for the backing (it can be cut slightly inside the line), and a frame piece.



Use glue dots to stick everything together, and give it a bit of dimension!

Depending on how you'll use the finished portraits you could mount them onto a thicker board and add a ribbon hanger. I've not decided my final use for these yet, but I think they would be adorable hanging in a baby's room (I don't have a baby though).

They would also be fun on scrapbook pages or the front of a card. Have fun!

friendship week: meeting blog friends

If you've been reading this blog for at least the last year, you may have seen this photo before. This is Katie Green and I when we met for the first time last year. Technically, this is the only time we've met but not for long.

You see, Katie lives in England, so it's not so easy for us to just visit each other. Which is why it's rather a big deal that we're planning a trip for me to go and see Katie, her boyfriend, her family and friends. It's not until October, but I suddenly realize that the time will come soon. I'm so excited to spend more than just a day with this friend whom I connected with so quickly.

Katie may be the only blog friend that I've met in person, but I have others that I've worked with and connected with online. I have a special page set up for them, and you really should check them all out here.

But what if I could meet and connect with more blog friends? I know that there are people who read my blog who live in my area, and what if we met up? Would you like that?

I live in the Fox Valley area in Illinois...that's about 50 miles west of Chicago. This is what I'm thinking. A coffee and craft get-together some Saturday in September. If you're in the area, and you'd be interested in meeting some blog friends, leave a comment! If there's at least a few of us, I'll set up a date, time and place and announce it here soon!

And if you're not in the area, but you've never left a comment, this is a great time to introduce yourself. I'd love to "meet" you!

friendship week: encouragement from friends

Amy from Lemon and Raspberry is an amazing encourager. Through her blog, Twitter, emails and classes, she works hard to help build others up, and I love that about her!

One of my favorite blogs to sponsor is without a doubt Wild Olive .... and one of my favorite reasons to sponsor this site is all the creative and thoughtful ways Mollie has of promoting interaction and a sense of community between herself, her readers and her sponsors.

This week's 'Friendship' theme is of course no different. Mollie always finds a way to find a common thread and line of conversation on her blog that I just love. ..... and that I'm realizing I've missed in my life.

Now that I'm out of school, I've noticed I've reached the age when it's not as easy to make friends.

In high school, of course, you're with the same people all day every day ... and especially if you do extracurricular activities, these are likely people you have something in common with. I'm still good friends with several of my theater-friends from high school, for example.

But by this point in my life .... between my responsibilities that keep me busy and my growing online interests, I'm finding it more and more difficult to make NEW friends.

Enter the internet.

I know not everyone agrees that online friends are "real" friends, but believe me when I say sometimes they are exactly what you need.

This image below is of me, Kam (of Campfire Chic) and Justine (of a new beginning) .... 2 girls I can email (or tweet, or text) and any time with questions, problems, or just to celebrate a milestone with me.

These are girls whose blogs I found - or they found me, I can't quite remember - who share so many similar interests. We may not be spending hours together every week (like I did with friends when I was growing up in a church, or involved in school), but we interact every week, and have the ability to follow each other's lives online.



Online friends understand your frustrations with e-junkie. Online friends understand your joy at being re-tweeted by Ali Edwards. Online friends share that whole online experience that your 'in real life' friends know nothing about.

And when you are trying to build an online business, or leverage your online presence to really do great work, you need a friend. You need a cheerleader who really understands where you are coming from.

This has been one of my big goals behind Onward and Upward - a 6 week online workshop designed to help you get out of your rut and take things to the next level.

Among other things, this online workshop will not only discuss the value and importance of relying on your friends, but helping you identify who your cheerleaders are and when you need to call them.

Plus: There will be a private forum in place so all workshop attendees can meet, interact, and maybe even make new friends.

I am really looking forward to this being an environment to meet new people with similar interests, to be open and maybe even to be vulnerable.

Registration for Onward and Upward is NOW OPEN! And especially for Wild Olive readers, register with the discount code WILDOLIVEOU before Sept 7 for a $15 discount.

I hope we'll see you there!

And of course, if you want to give a shout out to your #1 (or #2 or #7) cheerleader in the comments you totally should!

friendship week: friendship bracelet embroidery pattern

How about some more friendship bracelet fun? This one uses embroidery floss, but it's not the kind you'll wear around your wrist!



Download the PDF for this pattern, and start stitching up a bracelet. It would be perfect as embroidered artwork for your best friend, or as a patch or pin on a bag!

As with all of the patterns and projects on my blog, I'd love to see your finished work. You can add photos the Wild Olive group on Flickr!

friendship week: photos with friends

Anita from Sew, Vintage, Sew Fun! always puts together the most thoughtful giveaway prizes, and this one is picture perfect!



Is there anything better than spending time with friends? And documenting that special time means so much to me. I love to look at photos of special times with my favorite people! If you feel the same way, my giveaway this month is going to help you to do that. The winner of this giveaway will receive the "Friend" multi photo frame shown on the left side of this photo, and the disposable camera pictured in the center. I hope that these items will inspire you to photograph your next friends date! xo, Anita

Thanks, Anita!

To enter, please leave a comment telling about a favorite friend moment, along with a way for us to contact you. This giveaway will remain open until Saturday, August 27 at 9PM CST. A random winner will be announced Saturday night.

Speaking of giveaways, Laura W. won the UPrinting.com giveaway, and she's already claimed her prize. Thanks to everyone who entered!

friendship week: oversize cross-stitch

Not long ago, I was watching the Wind in the Willows, and I happened to notice a sampler on the wall in Mole End. It's a traditional Home Sweet Home cross-stitch piece, and you can catch a glimpse at 6:35 in this video.

I'm not sure if it was the scale of the sampler (at least in my mind...thinking about these characters/animated puppets), or something else entirely, but when I saw it, I wanted to try making a sampler of sorts.

The first thing I did was download the Home Sweet Home font. In a nice big size, I typed out "My Sister, My Friend." I wanted it to be slightly cheesy as a gift for my sister (my friend!). But looking at the "stitches", they weren't big enough for what I had in mind, while still fitting in an normal-sized hoop.

So I tried a single letter, and made it as big as would fit on a piece of paper. An "A" for Anna, my sister (who has a birthday coming up...good thing she doesn't read my blog!). It was perfect, and so I transferred the Xs onto fabric.



It's a little tricky to see here, but the Xs are traced with water-soluble pen. Each is about 3/4".



I considered stitching the Xs with a backstitch, or something similar, but I wanted oversized authenticity, so these are just regular cross stitches. Because of the size of each stitch, I really don't recommend this idea for anything that has the potential to snag.



All finished, and ready to finish off for hanging.

From Wind in the Willows to cheesy friendship saying to a monogram my sister will actually display, this was a fun process. Next time I might try making the stitches a little smaller, but going with a slightly more complex design. You know...one that requires more than 20 stitches!

friendship week: the value of good friendship

This week is all about friendship, and Kerry from Princess Crafts has some beautiful thoughts to share. Her post is, I think, a wonderful way for this week to begin.

A good friendship is something to be cherished and looked after. Whether you’ve know each other for years or have only recently become friends, when you meet someone who clicks with you, it’s like a breath of fresh air into your life.

My oldest friends are the friends I went to school with and although now we are grown up and have mortgages, when we get together it’s just like old times. No matter how long it has been since we last saw each other, we slip right back into it and it’s like we’ve never been apart. That’s one of the best bits about still being friends with your childhood pals. I look forward to growing old with these friends and hope to still be part of their lives when we’re all in our 80s! A lifetime of strong, nurturing and caring friendship is something wonderful to look forward to.

Last year, a good friend of mine was tragically killed in a car accident. Her death has left a gaping hole in my life and in the life of every single person who had the honour of knowing her. I only knew her for a year but she made a huge impression on my life. She was the happiest person I’ve known and always brought immense fun and laughter everywhere she went. She had the most infectious laugh I’ve ever heard and she is the only person who has made me laugh so hard my belly hurt. I can’t tell you the number of times we laughed for so long that we forgot what was funny in the first place! Since I lost this dear, dear friend of mine, I have learnt to live life to the full, just like she did. I never take anything or anyone for granted and every day I look for the funny side of things, just like she did. The greatest thing she taught me was to cherish every friendship you have, each one is unique and can never be replaced once it is lost. Keep friends close to your heart in good times and in bad and always take time to make new memories with them.

Friends come in all shapes and sizes and each one is unique in what they contribute to your life. What do you think makes a good friendship?

Thanks, Kerry! I think good friendship comes when you have something bigger keeping you together...you can get through whatever life throws at you!

friendship week: chevron felt friendship bracelet

This week, in honor of friendship, and inspired by the friendship of the characters in the Wind in the Willows, everything is related to Friends. And I'm calling it Friendship Week. Clever title, huh?



To start things off, how about a classic symbol: The Friendship Bracelet.

I feel a little behind the trend with this, because the traditional knotted embroidery floss bracelets have been making a comeback. I'm kinda really loving this, but I've also avoided it. Why? Because they take so long to make!

Enter my shortcut idea. This one is stitched onto felt, and takes about an hour. I can handle that!



Here's what you need:
Wool felt (a blend will work...I'm not too confident in the synthetic kind)
Pearl Cotton in two colors



Cut a strip of felt that is 3/4" x 12". The length can vary, but folded in half, it should fit around your wrist with a bit a gap.




With the felt folded in half, begin stitching a chevron pattern as shown. Each "knot" is made with two stitches almost on top of each other. The arrow points away from the center. I found the safety pin helpful when starting so that I could visualize the center better.

Alternate the two colors of pearl cotton, stitching a row of each, with a bit of space between each row. Because I used two Color Variations shades, it's difficult to see the two colors, but I still like the look here.



Continue the pattern all the way down to the end, but leave about 1/2" space.



Cut three lengths of pearl cotton about 18" long. Fold the bracelet, and stitch the loose ends together with the three pieces of pearl cotton. Pull each piece to the middle so that there is an equal amount on each side.



Braid the strands on each side, then knot them.



To tie around your (or your friend's) wrist, simply loop the braided pieces through the fold, and tie.



Do you love this look as much as I do? I kinda want to make a whole bunch! (Which is good, because my sister was a little jealous that this wasn't for her!) I had better get stitching!