Guess what?  It’s Tutorial Tuesday time!  I did some super cute, and super easy napkins…just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Supplies:

Build A Border stamp set

4 blank cotton napkins

Violet Permanent Ink (I used the ColorBox pigment inks)

Coordinating skeins of embroidery floss- 1 Dark and 1 Medium/Light Violet

Water Soluble Fabric Marking Pen

FREE Embroidery Pattern

Ready to get going?

Stamp the large oval border with your lighter ink about 1 ½” above the hem line.

Stamp the dotted line border with the darker ink.

(If you need another dot to finish off the end of the row just put the smaller stamp with 2 dots on your block but only ink one of them and you’re good to go to finish off your border!)

Turn your iron to the cotton setting and iron the stamped image to heat set it and make it permanent.

Trace the images onto your napkin in the middle about 2” above the border you’ve stamped.

Using 3 strands of the embroidery floss, trace the image with a back stitch.  Follow the printable pattern for your colors.

When you’re finished (which shouldn’t take more than watching one movie) rinse off the water soluble ink, let air dry, and iron one more time!  You’re finished!

I love the little bird feet border on this one!

And a little nest garland with occasional eggs!

Happy Crafting!

Cut a 12″ long, 1 1/2″ wide strip of the orange paper. Cut in half and this will be the base for two napkin rings.
Cut a 12″ long, 1″ wide strip of the transparency paper. Cut this one in half as well.

From here, you can make the more modern one, or the one with the ribbon.

Modern: Wrap around and staple. All done!

Ribbon: Set two eyelets about 1/4″ inside of the ends. Tie with a coordinating ribbon. Done!

These will make great, simple party decorations. Use Halloween paper, or bold geometric paper for a birthday! If your napkins are patterned, try using a colored vellum… that way you get a little of the pattern showing through.
Happy Crafting!

I was searching through the selection of books at Half Price Books (I LOVE Half Price Books!!!) and pulled this one off the shelf. It didn’t have a spine because it’s a spiral bound 225 page book. From the cover I thought it wasn’t going to be worth it, but I opened it anyway and the minute I did, I just sat there, so elated, that I had in fact decided to open the book. There are over 200 pages of embroidered sketches in black and white. It’s a compilation of sketches from a lady that lived in Virginia in the 1850′s. The book suggests that all the designs would look better in white thread on white fabric, kind of like embroidered linens with lace and eyelet. But, as I flipped through I could see in my mind all these beautiful colors and my mind started racing. I feel like I stole the book, it was only $5.00! I brought it home and got started right away. This is the black and white image I decided to use. (If you have trouble picking colors, just make a copy and outline the image in different colors to easily see which colors you would like to use.)

Here’s the final product. I did it on a napkin, but I might cut it out and make a little bag with it instead. This one is just too pretty for an everyday napkin. (Although if you do it on a larger napkin, it makes a great way to wrap a fresh loaf of bread to give to a neighbor. The fabric protects the bread, while letting it cool off without sweating. )
Now to the countdown stuff! Everyday this week I’m going to have a post with a different project! I’m so excited! And on the 100th post, which will be Saturday, I’ll unveil a new product in the store. This product is pretty cool if I do say so myself, and it was created 100% by me. So come on out sometime this week, leave me a comment and say Hi!

I cut out scraps of a neutral color fabric (thanks again Celia for the scraps!) I stamped the star from the Bough set and hand stitched around the image. I used a french knot at the star points, and a straight stitch for the outline. I used the water soluble pen to write “freedom” and “liberty” and then I free stitched those. I trimmed each one with pinking shears to be a 2 1/2″ square.

Then take your fat quarter of fabric and cut it into quarters. You should end up with pieces that are about 9″ x 10 1/2″. Hem the edges and then sew the “patches” we made on top.

You’re done!

(Close up of “patches”)

I made a few napkins this weekend. Of course I used the new stamp sets! I wanted some for birthdays or if we have company over for dessert. I used the Hey Cupcake set and the StazOn ink. The StazOn ink is permanent. Then I just embellished the cupcake with french knot “sprinkles”. (Thanks to my friend Celia for showing me how to do a french knot!)

Here is a general one that I did for everyday eating.

Ready for the instructions?

Start with the Bough set, a napkin, StazOn ink, and a water soluble transfer pen. (I love the water soluble transfer pens, you just get them wet and they wash away!)
Mark two dots in the middle of your napkin to help with the stamp placement. (If you click on the picture you’ll be able to see mine.)
Stamp the branch on the napkin.

Then I used the lazy daisy stitch to make some hand embroidered flowers on my branch.

Finish it off with a french knot in the middle of the flower and a herringbone stitch along the bottom.

This is another color combination I did.

Now for the entry rules:
Leave a comment on this post by Friday night, June 28, 2008. In the comment, tell me what other things, besides stamps you’d like to see me carry in my store. Would you like to buy paper kits that I put together with coordinating colors of cardstock? Special types of ink pads? Unique packaging to stamp and embellish for gift giving? Let me know what floats your boat and be entered into the drawing! Thanks so much!