LollyChops

Clara CloudChops + Crochet Borders Video Tutorial

I have been talking about this video tutorial for two weeks...  so it's about time I get on with it already right!?!?

I saw a stunning LO over on Stacy Cohen's site a few weeks ago (you can see it HERE)!  I was simply smitten to pieces with it!  I had never seen a crochet on paper border before and I knew it was something I wanted to try e-meediately!

MomChops came to the rescue (as she tends to do) and informed me that crochet borders like I had been crushing over were done on hankies when she was younger (taught in school no less!!!).  She came over to my house (within in 24 hours of me showing her the picture) and taught me as quick as pie (she's awesome like that)!

I wanted to add these borders to paper, fabric and even canvas tags so I got right on it and made up a TON of samples.  I experimented with different crochet stitches and thread weights and colors.  I really had a blast with this and I am sure I will be incorporating gobbles of crochet borders into my projects!

Pretty please take a gander at my video tutorial and then check below for more detailed tutorials on blanket stitch and other crochet stitches!

Fun Crochet Border for Paper or Fabric! from Lolly Chops on Vimeo.

What did you think?  I know I repeat myself (it drives RonChops INSANE - esp since he does the video editing for me... the poor fella can repeat word for word the entire thing by the time he's done (it's actually kinda funny... but I don't make fun lest I lose my video editor!!!))!

The Details
You can see a nice blanket stitch tutorial HERE (it's grainy but good)!

and...

...here are a couple of crochet tutorials:
Single Crochet - HERE
Double Crochet - HERE

For the scallop all I did was a single crochet (in one blanket stitch opening), 4 double crochets (in the next blanket stitch opening) and a single crochet again (in yet another blanket stitch opening).  It's pretty easy and makes a super nice scallop!!

For the picots (I think they are sometimes called popcorns too)... I found this nice video HERE.

Below are some photos of the projects I shared in the video:

This is a little felt business card holder MomChops made for me!
(I love it!!!)
She added a double crochet border with another row of picots!

This is the little Maya Road canvas album (you can see it HERE) with several different borders!
I really really love this guy when he's all stacked up!

...Sew GUESS WHAT!!!!!
I have some super exciting news!

I am going to be teaching!!!!!  I am so over the top excited I can hardly stand it!  This is something I have wanted to do for a long time!  The owner of Scrapper's Boutique (a fabulous store in my area) is going to take a chance and let me try my hand at it!  My first project will be Edna the Owl Bag!!!

Sew...  if you live close to the Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX area and want to learn how to make your own Edna, please let me know (in the comments or via email)!  As soon as I have the details all worked out, I'll email you (I'll also post the date and time here and on my FB page as well)!  I would loooove to meet some of you guys in person and do some owl crafts together (and just think...  you get your own Owl bag too)!  We'll be doing the bag in teal and green (like I featured last week) and purple!  Can you believe it...  am I branching out or WHAT!?!?!?  Purple people!  hehehe

Also...  MomChops and I are going to be making special aprons for each person in class to wear!  I'll share them as they are made (she's out shopping for fabric as I type!)!!!

...and lastly!!!!

Vacation time!
I am going to be taking little break next week, so you won't see me back here until June 7 (but I'll be posting some random projects on my FB page over the next two weeks - so check there if you are curious to see what crazy crafts I am working on). 

I'll give you a little blue hint...

I mean seriously...!!!!  Can you stand that cuteness?????
(he's my new boyfriend (move over slightly wobbly brown bear))!

Have a wonderful two weeks!  I loves the lot of yas and I'll miss ya tons and tons!!

P.S.  The pink and purple tag was made with Crate Paper and the Clara CloudChops tag was made with Making Memories Flutter felt stickers (the umbrella) and Sassafras fuzzy friends felties (the monkey).  If you want help finding them, email me!

P.S.S.T.  XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO's

Edna the Owl Bag

Howdee pards!!!!!

I want you guys to get out your super secret craft glasses!
(the ones that let you see craft potential in nearly everything!!!!)
...and take a look at this bag...

What do you see????

Do you see an animal in there???

Do you see a beak? ...a place for eyes?

(Do you guys hear crickets?????)

ummmm.... no, Crazy Lolly (my new official title)...
We see a plain ole camera bag!!!

When I laid my eyeballs on that camera bag...
I saw this!

You have to squint really really really hard to see it, but I promise you, she's in there!

I know it's kinda crazy, but I am gonna share how to turn that bag into Miss Owl Fabulous Pants!

Let's Get Started!!!

I had seen glimmer mist used to "dye" similar Donna Downey Prima bags in their "Live..." videos!
So I figured it would be a terrific way to jazz up the base of my owl!

I cut off the button from the front of the bag.
I lightly spritzed the bag with plain water first to prime it to accept the color and then...
I sprayed the bottom in Glimmer Mist in "turquoise blue (a.k.a. teal) and the top in "lime twist"
I also ran a paint brush over the spritzed bag (another fabulous Prima tip) to smooth everything together!

You can see the gradient pretty well and the color saturation is really nice.

I set it up to dry...

Got impatient and blasted it with my heat gun!
That fella dried right up lickity split!

 

Just a teeny tiny little Glimmer Mist tip...

Unless you are going for the Pandora look...
Wear gloves!

I was going to make a "smurf hands" crack but that might date me.

Smurf?!?!?!
What's a smurf Lolly?

Man do I feel old!

The Pandora comment is Lolly trying to get with "modern times"!

How did I do???

Ohhhhhh... one more thing...
If you do end up with Pandora Smurf hands...
Neutrogena Daily Face Scrub will completely remove it!
I discovered this by accident!

No Pandora Smurf hands for this Lolly!

I busted out my handy sketch book and placed my color swatches and made a few notes.
(I also saved the packaging for the teal trim cause I thought it was pretty)

 
I used my handy Sizzix to cut felt leaves.
(I used the "Flower Layers w/Leaf" die)

I laid out the leaves before I dyed the bag...
Just to see what it would look like (craft testing at it's finest).

I thought this might be too much teal!
(which is a total lie cause there is no such thing as too much teal as you ALL know)

So I added in some green for variety.

Actually what happened was Martians came down from outer space and made me add in the green.
It's their favorite color!
(totally not even kidding cause that's the only way this Lolly can be steered away from teal)

See how boring that bottom looks..
That's why I decided to dye it with Glimmer Mist.
(I know I am jumping around here but hang with me...  I'll make sense someday)

I used this glue to tack the leaves to the owl body (aka camera bag)
I figured if this stuff was washable it was bound to be pretty sturdy!
I thought about sewing each leaf on like I did for Hammie the Hedgie...
But this bag is really thick and it might have been too difficult!

Apply a dab of glue to each leaf
(Pandora Smurf helped me with this step)

Start from the bottom layering the leaves in a row with the points facing down.

Just keep working your way up and all the way around the "body"

Your bag should look something like this!

Nextly....

We gotta get that flap looking more beak-ish!
So snip off the loop thingy
(I have no idea what it's called so we'll roll with "loop thingy" for now)

Sew the flap together so the point stays how it's supposed to stay.
(you guys speak Lollish so it's all good and I don't have to explain myself right???)

Then sew a mega gigantor snap on that puppy!
(only sew though ALL the holes and don't be lazy like me)

See...  craft magic!
The bag will now close without the aid of that mega button and loop thingy!

The eyes have it!

I stumbled upon the shape of the eyes by accident.
I started off wanting to cut circles as eye backs...
...so I folded a piece of felt in half and just ran it through my Sizzix!

When I opened it up to get the circles out I saw this...

(I was wearing those special craft glasses again)
I thought it kinda looked like an owl face...

So in order to shape it a little better...
...and keep things uniform on both sides...
I folded it back in half and trimmed the edges until it looked like this...

I cut a little point there too!
(inspiration for the point came from HERE)

...and when you open it up...

  It kinda looks like 1960's owl glasses!

I cut a piece of stiff felt in the same shape...
...and blanket stitched the two together...

I used that same glue and adhered the little mask to the front of the flap!

Then I added some stacked buttons to the center and glued those down too!

Lastly to nextly...

You gotta dye the handle too!
This time I simply laid it in a box and sprayed with with "lime twist" Glimmer Mist.
(I did not want Kermit the Frog hands on top of my Pandora Smurf Hands!)

Then I took some cool teal trim from Webster's Pages (resource below)

I simply glued the trim to the handle.
...and sprayed the whole thing with scotch guard to help protect it...

So here she is with no handle and no arms...
I think she looks pretty darn sweet!

I showed her to RonChops and I declared her DONE!

Ahhh no!

He told me she looked like a box with eyes and needed something else.

.men.

 
So I made her some wings!
(and RonChops **might** have been right)
(but that's our little secret ok)

Here is her back...
I added some of that trim to conceal the tops of the leaves!

 
Here are her insides...
She's carrying my little Canon camera but could also easily store a cell phone, chap stick and some credit cards and such.
The bag is pretty roomy and has two pockets as well!

I could totally see using her as a little clutch for a special date can't you!?!?!?

Sew does she need the wings????

She's not really sure.
(this is her rendition of the Edna the Owl Bag shrug)

Supplies I used (feel free to change it up and use different colors (just kidding...  this can only be made in teal or it won't come out as cute... honest to peanuts)):
Donna Downey Prima Camera Bag - HERE
Felt in "Taffy" and "Robbins Egg"- HERE & HERE
Coordinating fabrics (I just took my felt to the fabric store until till I found fabric colors I liked)
Sizzix dies - "Flower Layers w/Leaf" - HERE and "Circles #2" HERE (the circles die is optional but helps make the eyes)
Coordinating embroidery floss, fabric glue, buttons and stiff felt
Webster's Pages - teal trim - HERE
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Turquoise Blue and Lime Twist - HERE and HERE

Lastly...
I wanted o share a few more projects that you guys have sent me (all LollyChops inspired)!!!!

Sarah Youde made the MomChops crochet rose and adhered it to this sweet little card (crochet rose tutorial HERE)!

Melly from Decomom's Daillance made this awesome flower from wall flowers week (tutorial HERE)!

...and lastly!

Charmaine from Oak Leaf Designs made the felt flower topiary for her Mom (and is making another one for herself)!
Tutorial HERE!

Thanks for sharing your projects with me girls!!!  Keep'em coming!

That's owl she wrote!
Next Monday I am doing a crochet on the page VIDEO (it's been 300 years since I did a video and I figured it's time I got LollyChops TV back on the air)!

I cleared it with Stacy (who did the LO featured on the right there)...  ...and she's cool with me showing you guys how to do this AWESOME technique!  It's so easy you won't even believe it!  You'll be adding crochet to your post-it notes!!!  Just wait and see!

I will also be featuring the latest round of cards for Crystal from my card drive (you can read about it HERE)!

I hope everyone has a super fab week!  Thanks for dropping by for a visit!!!!! 

 

P.S.  Even if you don't have a Face Book account, you can check out the LollyChops FB page anyway HERE.  You at least gotta go and see who won the button wars over the weekend and lay eyeballs on my new Slightly Wobbly Brown Bear pin cushion (shhhh... he's my new boyfriend)!

P.S.S.T.  XOXOXOXOXOXOXO's

Have slippers... will craft!!

Happy Day After Mother's Day Everyone!
I had a MomChops filled weekend plus crafts which equals the best kind of weekend there is!!

Saturday we had breakfast at her house, shopped for skirt fabric in two different places, stopped for a quick lunch and did a whole lotta gabbing (craft gossip and planning at it's finest)!

Sunday was another breakfast get together followed by hours of crafts.  In the afternoon Chef RonChops came into the craft room and informed us that he would be serving us a 3 course lunch.  The courses were:  macaroni, cheese, and rotel (rotel is diced tomatoes with jalapenos for those of you who have never heard of it).  He called his gourmet feast "macaroni and cheese with rotel"...  it was utterly delicious and oh so fancy (thanks Chef RonChops)!!

Little MomChops Story
When MomChops comes over she always has a bag with her... inside her bag is usually a finished craft project or two and other random craft supplies.

However... also inside the bag is the most important crafting accessory of them all.  One every crafter should never ever ever be without.  Ever.

Slippers!

If she forgets her slippers it usually means she pilfers a pair of RonChops socks (don't tell him cause he might freak out a little bit...  hehehe).  I wanted to take a pic of her slippers but she forbade me.  She crocheted them before I was born (167 years ago) and she's declared them too old to be seen by anyone but me and DadChops.  I just wanted to share that little MomChops story cause it's one of those things I love about us hanging out together at my house!  I am a lucky little LollyChops to have such a cool MomChops.  Love you MomChops (xoxo).

So what are you rambling on about Lolly...  let's get going with some crafts already (sheesh)!
A few weeks ago I shared a flower with a button center ringed with a bead embellishment (see it up top there)!  Several people asked me about how I did that and I thought I might share a little tutorial on the technique!

Firstly...  you'll want to start with some beads.
They can be any color really...

Teal, turquoise, metallic teal, light teal, dark teal, medium dark teal, translucent teal, frosted teal...
...you get the picture right?

Beads come in tons of sizes and shapes but I am using seed beads specifically for this project.

Just to let you know about what size seed beads come in... here is a little example!

I really like to use the size 11 beads for most of my regular craft projects.  These are the easiest to find and there are TONS of colors to choose from (more teals than the law allows really).

If you can find them, get beading needles!
They are fairly cheap...  25 for $1.25!

They are MUCH thinner than sewing needles...  and the best part...

... is that they bend.
You need to get these kind of needles if you really get into beading.

You tend to work the needles in and out of the same beads several times and when they are all snugly and close together you need the needle to bend some so you can get in-between all those fellas!

I also use Nylon thread combined with thread conditioner...
I am not telling you guys this stuff to scare you away from beading... you can use a regular needle and thread...
...but if you really get into beading you will want to get a few essentials!

Most beads are glass and over time regular thread will get cut and fray on the edge of the bead!
(that's why you use special thread (it's just more durable))!

I drew a little swirl pattern...  just using a pencil on some muslin.

I came up from under the material and threaded 4 - size 11 beads on my needle.

Get as close to the last bead as you can and put the needle and thread back through the material.

It should look something like this!

Now...  you will want to poke the needle up through the middle of the second bead.
Get as close to the center as possible!
(between the two beads and the bead line you are trying to make)

Pull the needle through the center of those two beads...

Now for the tricky part to explain...
You will want to take that needle and run it through the two beads that are facing the direction you are beading!
(holey cow that was kinda confusing and hard to explain!!! YOW!)
Basically what you are doing is creating a stronger line for the beads to follow and helping to connect them all together!

Pull the needle through those two beads and add 4 more beads and start the whole process over again...
(with a slight variation)


4 beads added...

...so now...
If you remember the first time you basically backed up 2 beads and threaded through them again before you added more beads to the row...
Well now you back up 4 beads (the ones you just added) plus 2.
So you are backing up 6 beads.

The thread will come out between two beads again...

...and then you take the needle and run it through those 6 beads
(again heading in the direction you are beading)

You just keep on going.
So basically you add 4 beads, back up 6, poke the thread through and thread back through those 6 beads before adding another 4 beads.

Scared LollyChops Here
I am pretty worried that this is not going to make any sense to be honest with you.
I was kinda nervous about doing this tutorial cause it's really hard to explain in pictures!!!

If this makes NO sense let me know ok you guys.  I will do a video!

This is the finished swirly pattern...

I also did this same technique around one of those felt embellishments for my skirts...
...it's not too fancy but I think it adds something kinda special!

I added that same line of beads around some buttons too!
Again... this is super simple but can kinda jazz up your projects!

Oh...  and be careful while beading...
If you knock the table with your mad craft muscles you get a big beady mess!

It's actually really super fun to clean up!
(so you might want to give it a try to see what I mean)!
(just kidding you guys!!!!)

Pink wreath dilemma...?
Last week I shared a felt and flowers thank you wreath I made for MomChops (you can see it HERE) and I was not sure if I was going to go with pins, french knots, beads, sequins or what...  for the centers of the flowers!  You guys really came to my rescue and basically told me to do them ALL (I know right???)!

So that's what I did!  I added a little bit of everything (I even left a ton of the white pins) and it came out really nice!

So thanks a ton for being so generous and and helping me decide!  It was really fun to read all of your comments!

And now for some random stuff...
I saw a scrapbook layout (a.k.a. LO) over on Stacy Cohen's site and I knew that I had to learn how to do this crochet technique she featured (the border is teal and I might have actually squealed when I saw it).

You can see her utterly fabulous LO HERE.

I sent the link to MomChops and sure enough she knew how to do this - so when she came over for crafts Sunday she taught me!

It's super easy!  If you guys want me to do a tutorial on this technique, let me know!  I could not get over how easy (and COOL this is).  I think you are going to be seeing a LOT of this outta me (thanks for the inspiration Stacy)!!!!

Last to lastly...
I wanted to share more of the LollyChops inspired projects you guys have been doing lately!!!
So here we go!

Wendy made this beautiful bag and embellished it with some rolled flowers (tutorial HERE)!

 
Tara made this totally adorable set for her friends daughter!
I love love love how the little fishes are following the whale on the back!
You can download the free embroidery pattern (PDF HERE)!

Marla from Sincerely Home made her first ever crocheted rose!!!
GO MARLA!!!!

...and so did Karen!!!
I love the variegated yarn she used and I especially love how the little fella on the left looks like a rose bud!
Sooo pretty!
You can see the tutorial for how to make these roses HERE!

Lastly...
Jacynthe from Coups de coeur de Jac made a little framed picture from this tutorial HERE!
I think it really came out great!

Thanks for sharing your projects with me girls!  I love seeing what you are up to!

What's Next?
I'll be back next Monday with the most exciting project ever (assuming I get what I need in the mail before Friday - keep your fingers crossed for me ok girls)!!!
The only hint I'll give you is that there are owls involved (and it's teal...that's more of a given than a hint really). 

TEAL OWLS!!!!!  ahhhhh yeah!

P.S.  I have started a little LollyChops FaceBook page (welcome to the modern times Lolly).  You can see my page HERE.  I am going to post there during the week (little random bits of top secret crafts).  So drop in and give me a HUG if you are a Face Booker.

P.S.S.T.  Owl always love yas!

O.M.T.  Here are some resource links!!!
Thread Heaven Conditioner:  HERE
Beading Needle (size 10):  HERE
Size 11 seed beads:  HERE
Nylon thread:  HERE

The "thanks for the skirts MomChops" felt flower wreath...

I have a lot of random stuff to share today (and I am going to be jumping all over the place so just grab your glue gun and follow me to the party).  I promise I'll not keep you more than 3 minutes and 42 seconds (give or take a minute or 2).

The MomChops Approach to Zen Sewing
MomChops focused her chi, did some deep breathing and magically managed to bust out the rest of my wrap skirts this past week (that's 4 wrap skirts in less than 6 days folks).  She wore her little baby bunny fingers to the bone - so I decided she needed a BIG thank you wreath.  BIG I tell ya!

The criteria for the wreath was as follows:  It had to be pink... be made from felt and fabric and contain flowers of some sort (the more the merrier I always say)!

Before we get to the wreath... segue #1
I decided to use my new craft stuff organization system (download and print freebie posted last week HERE) to help me pick out which dies I would use for my wreath project!  I am so totally in love with that silly system that I can hardly stand it.  I know you guys prolly think I am crazy (you might actually think that every time you drop in round these parts) but I love anything that makes crafting easier!

I only managed to get my Sizzix dies cataloged last week.  I have them bound with 3 plain rings for now...  (the fun cover and decorative ribbons and stuff is coming later).

I'll keep sharing my progress with this organization book as I get further into it!

Whew... what a MESS!

Clean, Clean, Clean!!!
I spent about 7 hours organizing and cleaning my craft room Saturday.  RonChops got me some fabulous bins from a hardware store that was changing out their nut and bolt containers (they are HEAVY duty and were only $5 each...  a total steal of a deal).  I made labels and sorted and sorted and sorted (and sorted).

Shudder...  the craft closet...
...of doom!

RonChops has declared this his favorite label...

Zip Ties & Cork & Mirrors

I am not sure which is weirder... that I have so many zip ties I need a special place for them...

...or that I would think to put these fellas all together.

hmmmm

Here is the craft room all nice and sparkly!

RonChops said that he couldn't tell the difference.
hmmmmmmm

.men.
I swears

The Second Skirt

So this is the material from the second skirt MomChops made me!
It's designed by Kaffe Fassett and it's called "Paperweight"
You can see it HERE.

I decided to make embellishments from felt that I could attach to the bottom of the skirt...
(thanks for all of the suggestions last week you guys... I am going to test them all out and share the results soon)

Seeing all of those elements crammed together made it hard to pick and choose my favorites...
So I decided to cut out the elements from the fabric that I liked best....
...and then I glued them into my sketch book.

Here is what I have done so far...
I am not 100% happy with them...
I dunno...  they just don't feel right to me yet!
I have some ideas I am going to play around with this week.

Think beads....  loads and loads of beads!!!
(I'll share my progress next Monday along with the 3rd skirt... and you guys can tell me what you think!!!)

The Thanks for the Skirts MomChops Wreath
The idea for this wreath came from wreaths I have seen on Etsy lately.  They are super fabulous and wrapped in yarn...  lots and lots and lots of yarn (like this one HERE).  I decided to crochet a wrap for my wreath instead of doing all that yarn wrapping!

I started with some groovy lime green yarn that MomChops had in her stash.  It's quite possibly older than the hills (not older than me cause I am older than the oldest old).

I mean seriously...check out the label of this yarn!

Clues that it's older than old:
It was only .97 cents when originally purchased in the dark ages.
It's moth proof (the moths in the dark ages evidently swarmed around like rabid dogs)
The fabulous pink, gold, and brown lettering on the package!
and ummmm the font (disco anyone???).

Hello, 1970's...  it's MomChops and I am comin' to get ya!

MomChops only had one skein and I decided to chance it and start my crochet wreath wrap...
(it's made by doing double crochet that's 7 wide (think of it as a really really long skinny crochet scarf))

...and I ran out of yarn.
I was totally bummed!

So I switched to a nice white yarn....

...and was able to wrap the whole Styrofoam wreath in a nice crochet cover!

The wreath is really dense Styrofoam so I simply lined up the edges of the crochet wrap and pinned them into the back.

Nextly...

I got out my Sizzix and started cutting flowers from various shares of pink felt!

I cut out a LOT of flowers.
(about 3 times as much as I have here)
(you guys know about and me and the excessive amount of flower usage right???)
(so that means you can forgive me for going over the top yet again right???)
(hugs)

I also made some fabric flowers from Wall Flowers Week

You guys remember these fellas don't cha?

I loves them to pieces.
(You can get the how-to from Juliana of 17 Turtles HERE)

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today....

hehehehe....

Group and stack the flowers as you see fit!
Make sure you cut out some leaves too!

Then start pinning the groupings to the wreath.

...and whatever you do...
Make sure you forget to take pics cause you get overly excited about how it's turning out!
(that's the most essential step of them all)

See...  it's craft magic!

If you close your eyes and click your heels 3 times the wreath will magically finish itself!
(fur serious)

I also used a few lucite beads (found HERE)...
...and these amazing little chrysanthemum cabochons (found HERE)...
...and some MomChops crocheted flowers (how-to found HERE)

I simply ADORE these small accents in the center of each flower!

I love seeing the wreath sweater peeping out on the side!

...and I love how the whole thing looks with all of the pinks hanging out together!

YAY!!  All done!

Sew I have a question for you guys...
I have a little dilemma....  the flowers are simply pinned into the wreath now with white headpins.  I think it adds a nice little accent...  but I am not sure if I should leave it like that.

What do you guys think....

Exhibit A (white pin flower centers)


Exhibit B (no white pin centers - I am thinking about doing french knots for the centers with beaded accents along the edges of some of the flowers)

I kinda like the white pin centers but I am afraid it almost leaves the wreath feeling half finished.  I think the french knots and beads might be a super nice touch... KWIM???

That's all I gots for today!  Thanks for hanging with me till the very end!

I'll be back next week with a super fun and EASY beading project!

More hugs than you can stand!

P.S.  XOXOXOXOXOXO's