Jar of Hearts Stitch Valentine Cards

Greetings friends! It is new project tutorial day - time to share my January project created for the Therm O Web blog with you. I always enjoy putting on my Fabric Education Designer hat and creating new projects/tutorials to share. For the month of January, the blog is focused on home decor, embellished apparel, HeatnBond Sparkle Paste, appliqué, and girlfriend gifts. I created a brand new project that was posted yesterday - it is a complete project tutorial for my Jar of Hearts Stitched Valentine Card. My comprehensive tutorial contains a complete supply list, printable pattern with templates, and step-by-step directions with color photos. 

Last month I stitched up a few Christmas cards, and decided it would be fun to sew up a handful of valentines. I knew right away that I wanted to use the NEW HeatnBond Sparkle Paste to add a little glittery goodness to my cards. As I went through the design process, I thought it would be interesting to try adding HeatnBond Iron-On Vinyl to my card fronts (without the ironing) - we all know that I tend to think outside the box and don't always use products or supplies as intended. When this idea came together as I envisioned, it was extremely rewarding! The Sparkle Paste not only added shimmer and shine, but it added dimension to the jar lid...and the vinyl worked perfectly to make the jar look like glass. Yes, these were sewn on my sewing machine - you can easily sew on paper/cardstock! I used a used universal needle and a straight stitch - sewing on the cardstock will dull your needle (so no need for a fresh needle), a well-loved needle will work just fine.

This is an easy, Valentine's Day (or really, any day) project, that comes together quickly. It is perfect for using scraps and small pieces of fabric. I used colorful 5" x 7" card blanks with envelopes and my tutorial gives some great ideas for personalizing your own unique card(s). For this post, I used HeatnBond Sparkle Paste, HeatnBond Pressing Paper, HeatnBond Iron-On Vinyl (Gloss Finish), SpraynBond Basting Adhesive Fabric Spray, SpraynBond Pattern & Stencil Spray, and HeatnBond Fabric Fuse Liquid Adhesive. Visit the tutorial post for a complete and detailed supply list.

To find the exact card blanks I used, along with other supplies listed, visit my Jar of Hearts Stitched Valentine Card Supply List on Amazon (full disclosure: as an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases - I only share products I actually use - and I truly appreciate you shopping from my links, thank you!). 

If you have questions on any Therm O Web or HeatnBond/SpraynBond products or would like to see a specific type of product in one of my projects, drop me a comment or email.

You will have to visit the ThermOWeb blog for my complete tutorial and pattern, but I am posting a few photos here...

Here is a direct link to the project tutorial:
https://blog.thermoweb.com/jar-of-hearts-stitched-valentine-card/

I hope this project gets you excited to create some special and unique valentines or stitched cards...

I am creating monthly projects for the Therm O Web Blog and I will be sure to post here when I have a new tutorial available. My next project is scheduled to be on the Therm O Web blog on February 17th. Plus, I am working on a special valentine project for Poppie Cotton that will be shared in February, as well.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit today - I always enjoy sharing with you. Have a great week and make time to work on something creative...

Baker's Twine Candy Cane Embellishments

Greetings friends...and welcome back! If you visited with me yesterday and took a peek at my Gingerbread Cottage Pincushion, then you have seen my Baker's Twine Candy Canes. When I designed my Gingerbread Cottage, I knew I wanted some tiny candy canes to embellish it...but knew I was going to have to create my own. Looking around my sewing studio, the baker's twine caught my eye and I immediately started working on an idea...and thanks to Therm O Web and their SpraynBond Fabric Stiffener Spray, I was able to make my vision come to life. Yesterday, I shared my process and a complete tutorial on the Therm O Web Blog. I hope you will visit my post and make a handful of these adorable little candy canes. They would make a wonderful addition to a handmade holiday gift and can be made in a variety of sizes and colors...

These holiday embellishments are perfect for fabric or paper crafts! Add them to a Christmas sewing project or a Christmas card or tag. I thought they would be extra cute added to a handmade Christmas ornament...or on a little drawstring bag...or added to napkin rings for special touch to a Christmas dinner place setting. These tiny candy canes can be sewn on or glued in place using HeatnBond Fabric Fuse Adhesive. They can be made with your favorite color/size of baker's twine...and can be made any size you want! Here is a Christmas card I am creating from fabrics and threads at my sewing machine...the candy canes will be sewn in place....

....and here is the Gingerbread Cottage Pincushion that sparked the idea. Don't the tiny candy canes add a magical quality to my project?! They make me happy!

You can find the candy cane tutorial on the Therm O Web Blog here:
https://blog.thermoweb.com/bakers_twine_candy_cane_embellishments

You can also find a complete shopping list for the Baker's Twine Candy Canes in my Amazon Shop: https://amzn.to/3Vz8QYa (note, as an influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases).

Be sure to stop by the Therm O Web Blog again on Monday, when I will be sharing a cross stitch finishing tutorial for my 2024 Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament "Festive Fox." I will show you how to finish your ornament exactly like my model...

Please stop back for a visit soon...more holiday content is on the way!

I hope you have been enjoying my holiday content with complimentary patterns and tutorials! My hope is that these gifts inspire you to pay it forward by giving a holiday surprise to someone you love or someone in need! I would love to start a movement of giving and positivity. I also hope this holiday tutorial will entice you to visit my website and/or Etsy Shop to take a look...or if you feel so inclined, you can Buy Me a Coffee...it is definitely not required, but truly appreciated. Thank you for supporting my creativity and valuing my artistry!💕

Countdown to Christmas

Greetings friends! Here I am, another late night with our crazy schedule... and I just wanted to pop in and share some holiday musings. I don't know about you, but this time of year, I have a really hard time trying to accomplish everything on my list. The balancing act is real, while I try to complete work, family, and home obligations...as well as make gifts and prepare for Christmas and the New Year...why do I always feel the need to be an overachiever this time of year? I try to make as many of my gifts as possible...and this year, I am finding myself a bit behind. I am doing my best to spend this holiday season with a happy and grateful heart...and I hope things will fall into place with the holiday rush. 

This week, I managed to get an overdue finishing order complete and shipped at the last minute...content photographed and filmed for my upcoming Therm O Web blog post (cross stitch ornament finishing)...two projects and photos completed for a Poppie Cotton Christmas Countdown (coming soon!)...a pile of sewing done for my Etsy Shop (if you are looking for my project bags, go take a look)...and some of my gift making complete. We had several challenging household things going on this week that hindered our sleeping schedule, that in turn took time away from my to-do list...so I am scrambling a bit. A few gifts may arrive to their recipients a bit late this year (SIGH!).

While it has been a struggle this week, there were moments of kindness and joy that brightened my week. Last Saturday evening, my neighbors had a watch party for the new Hallmark Christmas movie Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. This movie was filmed in Kansas City in July and the city has been a buzz about it for months...hence several of our neighbors got together for a watch party. My husband was working, but it was still fun to get together with a group of our favorite neighbors and enjoy good food and a cheesy holiday movie. We had appetizers and hot cider and laughed - A LOT - it was good for my soul. We will get together with the same group, plus a few more, for a KC Christmas light tour later this month (a bus has been rented!).

...and, see that beautiful evergreen wreath at the top of this post? - my dear friend Katie gave that to me for Christmas to make my home look and smell like the holidays. I am still yet to get a Christmas tree (as we have discussed), so it is nice to have this beautiful wreath on my dining table. It is real pine and needs watering...and it smells amazing.

To close out this update - I mentioned I was gifted an incredible advent box in a previous post. This was a complete surprise and touched me deeply...not only the gift, but the very special card and note that were included. Truth be told, I have been feeling a bit down on myself and kind of like a failure (all work related) ...and the note included made me feel encouraged and loved. This is from Missouri Star Quilt Company - it is Jenny's Countdown to Christmas 2024 Box. When I tell you that each year I go out and look at this box and dream about it - even watching the unboxing videos each year, I am not exaggerating. It has never been something I could justify or afford. This surprise was definitely a gift from the heart and I am extremely grateful. Since this is a quilty/creative box, I thought I would share the box and the first five packages in today's post. This is not really a spoiler, as everyone who has this box should already have the first five gifts open - but if you do not want to know what was in each of the first five packages, stop reading/looking now...
Click on images, if you want a larger view...

Day 1: Scrappy Fabric Card Making Kit
This kit is really sweet with lots of stencils to cut scraps of
fabric and fusible adhesive, plus the cards and envelopes
to sew them too...plus a little booklet of ideas. I love this!

Day 2: Adorable Iron-shaped Tin with Embellishments
A very fun iron-shaped tin with cute buttons, beads, bows, bells, and pins.
A great mix of useful items! Now to decide what to keep in the tin....

Day 3: A Set of Quilty Measuring Bowls and a Gingerbread Recipe
Aren't these wonderful?! I was sad to find the 1/3 cup shattered from shipping
(it is the one that is barely visible)...but I sent MSQC an e-mail
(which I thought was a longshot) and they are sending me a replacement
as soon as it is available...phenomenal customer service!
These may end up in my sewing room in some capacity...

Day 4: Welcome Home Quilt Pattern and Special Fabric Panel
I think this is such a fun idea..you use doors printed on the fabric panel for
each of the houses in the quilt. Each door is different and you pick your favorites.
I would love to make time to create this mini quilt!

Day 5: Wooden Quilt Hangers
Believe it or not, I have had sets of these in my Amazon wish list
for a couple years! I am super excited to try them out.
My husband already picked a spot to hang them...now I 
just have to pick one of my quilts to hang.

So, there you have it - the first five days of the advent box - each day has been a real treat to open and I am thoroughly enjoying this heartfelt gift for the season!!

For now, I am back to my sewing room - I have another pile of project bags to sew and list. Next up on the list will be a customer order...then gifts to make. I also must make time to write several blog posts and tutorials...plus put together a few videos. Here are a few dates for you to remember:

• December 13th - I have a special project for day three of the Poppie Cotton Christmas Countdown
• December 16th - Cross Stitch Ornament Finishing Tutorial for the Therm O Web Blog
• December 17th - I have another special project for day seven of the Poppie Cotton Christmas Countdown

Finally, this Saturday, I got tickets for my husband and I to go the Overland Park Arboretum for the Luminary Walk. There are illuminated pathways through the gardens, along with musical performances throughout. The gardens glow with color, while candle-lit woodland walkways create a serene atmosphere...and the trees, buildings, and bridges shimmer with thousands of lights. Santa will be visiting, and the trains will be running in the Train Garden...plus hot cider and popcorn. The weather is supposed to be warmer and nicer this weekend, so I picked the perfect day! I am hoping to get good photos to share with you next week...

A Touch Of Twinkle

We have had the most gorgeous weather here in Iowa this week - unseasonably warm - temperatures in the 70s and 80s with a nice breeze...and the sun has been shining all week - it is making it REALLY difficult for me to focus on anything work related...I just want to be outside! I'm still waiting on the fabric for my New England Stitcher's Retreat project {still sighing}...but good news...fingers crossed...it will be here tomorrow (although I thought it would be here yesterday or today) and I will be able to work on the class project over the weekend...if not, I am going to throw my hands up in the air (probably cursing), use another linen supplier and color, and completely start over, as I just don't have any more time to wait...and I know you are all very anxious to see the project - I'm feeling the pressure. I have been keeping busy with charting for several new class designs and some summer pieces....and in the evenings I am model stitching a set of needlework smalls for an upcoming release...

I had a huge list of errands to accomplish today - but before I started, I had to decided to go to Archiver's and do a little shopping - my dear friend Mary gave me a gift card for my birthday (she knows me so well, as Archiver's is one of my very favorite places) and I wanted to put it to good use! Finding creative things to purchase was definitely not a problem for me - friends who have shopped at Archiver's with me know I can fill a hand cart pretty quickly! Today, the store was having a free "Make It" class for a mini booklet, so of course I had to partake...isn't mine (upper right) adorable?! The free classes are always good for teaching me about some new fancy product that I can't live without...or teach me more about a product I already own. Today's class started with the Martha Stewart Scoring Board, which I already have and adore (thank goodness)...then moved on to a Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper which was WAY COOL and is now on my list of things I *need* (gee, that list just keeps growing)...next, a Crop-A-Dile (Original) was used to punch the holes for the ribbon. The bunting flags were cut with a punch...and attached with Pop Dots to give them a nice dimensional look...and finally a touch of twinkle was added by using a Gelly Roll Stardust Clear Glitter Pen (and I must admit a package of these pens went home with me!). It was a quick project and gave me a few minutes to "play" before heading out to accomplish my list...and I have a cute little mini album - finished and ready for photos, embellishments, and memories. I managed to use my entire gift card (and a little more) - I know - SHOCKER! What else did I pick up...well - some sunshine yellow scalloped notes that will be perfect for Easter, some vintage inspired spool buttons, a package of beaded hat pins, a card of pins and buttons, some doodle twine (I just loved the pink/brown combination), and a few more odds and ends. It was a very inspiring visit and a nice creative start to my day!

Little Bluebird

After a couple hectic weeks preparing the new market releases, I was thrilled to get out of my office/studio today to help my friend Mary celebrate her birthday - we made plans a couple weeks ago and it was perfect timing. We took a mini road trip to one of my favorite quilt shops a little over an hour away (Quilts & Other Notions in Creston, IA)...then had lunch at a great little Mexican restaurant in the area. I found some wonderful fabrics (seen below) for the Winding Ways quilt I want to get started on (in my spare time) and a couple Halloween print fat quarters...we enjoyed a yummy lunch, had a chance to catch-up and giggle, then it was back to Des Moines (and reality).

Once I dropped Mary off and unloaded my car, I headed out to do a long list of WAY overdue errands. In the midst of things that had to be done, I made a quick stop at Archiver's to see if they had a tool in stock I was looking for (they didn't)...but, they were having a free mini card workshop - where I made the card shown (upper right)...isn't it cute?! I am still kind of a newbie to cardmaking, but have found I really enjoy it. The little card shown was quite fun to make and I got to try out some products I had never used before, including Distress Ink and a Xyron Mega Runner Adhesive Gun. I loved making this sweet little card and hope to make many more in the future...