Arbor Day

It's Arbor Day today.  This past year, I've made a huge effort to be more Earth friendly.  I hate to admit it, but in the past, I've always felt like it was too much work to be environmentally friendly.  (That's so bad, I know!)  But I decided that hard work or not, I must do my part to help save the Earth and I slowly started making changes.  I found it's really not that hard to make a difference.  You just have to take baby steps.  And baby steps are okay because everything you do helps.  Here are the changes I made this past year:

1.  I started buying local.  We shop at our farmer's market every week and purchase fresh fruit and vegetables that are locally grown.  The less trips those big trucks have to make to my grocery store the better.  And the rewards for doing this have been huge.  Our food tastes fantastic.  When we do have to run to the grocery and get something in a pinch, the food we bring home tastes flavorless.  AND our grocery bill has gone down!

2.  I bake my own bread and make my own jam.  Again, no big trucks to the grocery.  No plastic packaging.  Just delicious, fresh bread & jam to eat.  Not exactly a sacrifice.  Plus, I know exactly what is going into my family's bellies-no additives or preservatives.  The cost is pennies, the taste is a million times better!

3.  Shopping with canvas bags.  I've brought a canvas bag with me to run general errands for quite awhile, but I always avoided grocery shopping with them.  I make one big trip a week and thought it wasn't worth the trouble to find enough bags.  One trip to a trade show and I had about 7 canvas bags and I didn't have an excuse anymore.  I mean the bags were FREE promotional items.  They could sit in my closet or I could do something worthwhile with them.  A lot more groceries fit in those canvas bags and the fact that I can sling most of them over my shoulder, means that even the heavy ones are easy to carry.  My grocery store gives me points to earn a rewards "check" if I use my own bags and I'm making about $2/month just by bringing my own bags!  Not huge, but it's $24/year that I didn't have before.

4.  We only use cloth napkins.  This is the one I was dreading.  What a pain!  How can I live without paper napkins?  It's easier than you think.  I had a huge number of cloth napkins I've collected over the years.  I rolled them up and put them in a basket.  Each day, we each pull a napkin out.  After each meal,  we hang our respective napkins on the back of our chairs at the table.  (It's rare that we are so messy that we can't reuse it again.) At the end of the day, the napkins go in the laundry and we start out with a fresh one each morning.  I have more than enough napkins to last us the week using this process.


I have more baby steps planned too.  I would like to clean with natural ingredients and start replacing beauty supplies with all-natural products.


Do you want to start being more environmentally friendly?  Here's a really easy step you can take today:

According to a study by Alexander Wissner-Gross, PhD, physicist at Harvard University and environmental activist, an average website causes about 0.02g (0,0008oz.) of carbon dioxide for each visit. Assuming an average blog gets 15,000 visits a month, it has yearly carbon dioxide emissions of 3,6kg (8lb.). This can mainly be tracked back to the immense energy usage from (mainframe) computers, servers, and their cooling systems.

I don't know about you, but I didn't even think that my blog was causing a negative effect on the environment!  But you can make your blog carbon neutral.  Simply go to this website, read about their program and then add their button to your blog.  Let them know you did and they will plant a tree.  Check it out today!

Okay, so does anyone have any suggestions for "green" solutions and/or beauty products?  Leave a comment and let me know.  Or just tell me the baby steps you've taken recently to help the environment. Then go outside and hug a tree.  It's their birthday today.  (Oh!  I just thought of this...wouldn't it be fun to throw a tree a birthday party?)

Sizzix Blog Hop-Moulin Rouge Theater Box

It's time for another blog hop! I'm still working with Eileen Hull's wonderful set of Scoreboard Dies and for this blog hop, we used her rectangle box die. Originally, I thought I was going to make into a lipstick case-which would be very cute, but then I got an urge to use it for a mini-diorama. I used to love making dioramas in school, didn't you?

For the outside of the box, I used Anna Griffin's Isabelle Collection scrapbook paper. To create the inside, I  pulled out Sandra Evertson's wonderful book, Fanciful Paper Creations and used some of the clip art she generously includes in the book.  I've had this book for years and I think it says something when I can still pull it off the shelf and find inspiration.  

I think the project is charming and would make a wonderful gift for a little ballerina.  Perhaps to be gifted to her after her first performance?

Be sure to see what the other designers have done with their rectangular boxes. Visit these blogs to see what everyone else has done!

Ann Butler - http://www.creativitystirsthesoul.com/
Candice Windham - http://www.candicewindhamdesigns.blogspot.com/
Carla Schauer - http://carlaschauer.wordpress.com/2010/04/27/sizzix-scoreboards-blog-hop-rectangle-box/
Eileen Hull - http://www.eileenhull.blogspot.com/
Elinat Kessler - http://scrapinit.blogspot.com/
Jen Goode - http://www.jgoode.com/make-a-get-well-gift-little-box-of-sunshine-full-of-hugs/
Julie McGuffee - http://juliemcguffee.blogspot.com/ 
Lisa Rojas - http://stampinqueencreations.blogspot.com/
Lorine Mason - http://thedivaschmivas.blogspot.com/2010/04/sizzix-blog-hop-entry.html
Madeline Arendt - http://madelinesthoughts.blogspot.com/
Melony Bradley - http://mel-designs.typepad.com/my-blog/2010/04/you-are-special-mom.html
Michelle Cummings - http://faeriedustdreams-michelle.blogspot.com/2010/04/sizzix-score-board-rectangle-box-blog.html
Modern Surrealist -http://blog.modernsurrealist.com/2010/04/27/modern-surrealist-girlfriends-gift-box-on-the-sizzix-blog-hop.aspx
Niki Meiners - http://nikimeiners.wordpress.com/2010/04/27/sizzix-scoreboard-blog-hop-creative-imagination-real-wood-paper/
Sandy Laipply -http://web.mac.com/sandylaipply/Site_2/Blog_2/Entries/2010/4/27_Sandy_Laipply’s_Entry_in_Eileen_Hull’s_Sizzix_Scoreboard_Blog_Hop-Pink_Rose_Jewelry_Box.html
Sparkle's Studio -http//thesparklestudio.blogspot.com/2010/04/sparkles-good-things-come-in-small.html

If you enjoyed seeing the ScoreBoard projects on the hop, please leave a comment here or on Eileen Hull's blog so we know you stopped by. This makes you eligible for a random drawing to win a ScoreBoards die! 

AND...if you want to know how talented designer, Eileen Hull, turned her creative ideas into Sizzix dies, you won't want to miss my ecourse on Multiple Streams of Income.  Eileen will be a guest expert and will be hosting an online chat to answer all your questions about designing products.  To read more about the ecourse and to sign-up, click here.

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Material Connection Disclosures:

-Sizzix brand products:  I have a material connection.  I received sample product to complete this project.

-Amazon.com:  I am an Amazon Affiliate and receive a commission for books purchased in my estore

-Anna Griffin: No material connection.

Five Minute Fitted Sheet Skirt Tutorial

Say that five times fast-Five Minute Fitted Sheet Skirt Tutorial!

You know the fitted sheet I used to make my daughter's lounge pants?  Well, while I was struggling to fold it (why is it so hard to fold a fitted sheet?) I realized I could use the elastic along the sides of the sheet to my advantage!  I could make a skirt, with an elastic waistband!  All I had to do was wrap a length of the elastic side around my daughter's waist, add a 1/2" seam allowance and measure the length I wanted.  Then I cut the sheet, sewed the cut sides together and I was basically done.  You also might want to hem it. I added a bit of vintage lace I had laying around.  Even doing that though, I had the whole thing done in a few minutes.  I even had enough time to make a matching skirt for Kathryn (the doll) and a kerchief for a cute, little head.

Monthly Newsletter Article: Tips for Turning Your Time Into Money

After last month's article about making sure you get paid for the time and energy you put into making and selling your crafts and ideas, I received quite a few emails asking me how it's even possible to make enough money to cover the time an artist/crafter puts into their work. So this month, I'm sharing some tips to help you leverage your work time into money.

Tip #1:  Draw once, print multiple times
Are you leveraging your artwork to it's fullest extent?  Once you have created an original drawing, painting, photograph or collage, brainstorm about how you can use this one piece of art in multiple ways.  Here are some ways you could make money over and over from one piece of artwork:

• Sell the original work.  (But be sure to keep a photo or scan of it for your files!)
• Create postcards or prints or notecards using the image
• Create fabric with the image
• Create scrapbook papers/supplies with the image
• Put the image on t-shirts, tote bags or other promotional items, using Print On-Demand websites like, Zazzle, etc.
• License your artwork 

Tip #2:  Project Design

Let's say you are an expert at making little dolls.  How could you turn one doll into a machine that pays you over and over?  You could:

• Sell the original doll
• Sell a tutorial for making the doll to a publisher 
• Sell patterns and/or tutorials for making the doll in your online shop or at craft shows
• Teach classes on how to make the doll
• License the doll design to a doll manufacturer
• Take unique photos of the doll and use the image for income as discussed in Tip #1

Both these tips will help you find ways to create once and then get paid over and over.  The great part about this is that many of these ideas create passive income for you, which allows you to make money when you sleep!  Once you start setting-up your business with these ideas in mind, I think you will start to see how you can make a profit on the time you invest in each piece of work that you create.  If you just sold one original piece, it might be difficult to charge enough for the time and effort you put into the original work, but if you implement some of these ideas, you will find that you can make more than enough to cover your costs.

 I'd love to see some brainstorming in the comments today.  What are some other ways you can work once and get paid multiple times?

Editorial Note:  The subject line of your newsletter stated there were five tips for working smarter.  This was an editorial error. I am hoping you found these two tips helpful!

Multiple Streams of Income Ecourse

I've had a lot of requests to rerun my Multiple Streams of Income Ecourse, so I've scheduled another one for May 3-15.  You can get all the details and sign-up here.  I have some great guest experts lined-up for the course that you won't want to miss!  The course will help you get organized and focused so that you can start making a living doing what you love.  

Here's what past participants had to say about the Multiple Streams of Income Ecourse:

Thank you so much for an amazing course, I'm so happy i stumbled upon it! I'll definitely be recommending you & the helpful services you offer.
                             -Chloe Livingstone

Thanks, Laura, for the great course. I am already signed up for creative marketing. You really are helping me!

                            -Beth Parker

Children's Lounge Pants

I found a vintage, fitted sheet at Goodwill months ago.  I love, love, love the fabric.  Those little blue flowers make my heart melt.  In fact, I loved the fabric so much I ended-up hoarding it.  You know how it goes, you love a print so much, that you decide it must be saved for the absolute perfect project and then you can't decide what the perfect project really is.  And the fabric sits and sits on your shelf?

Well, I got brave and pulled out my sheet and made my daughter a pair of lounge pants.  This was an especially brave move considering I've never made clothes before.  And didn't use a pattern.  I'm telling you it was a risky venture!  A sewing venture wrought with the potential for disaster.  (Or at least a crying fit on my part.)

But I'm glad I took the risk.  I love the pants.  And for my first garment, I got lucky.  They fit her like a dream.  There was no cursing or crying during the making of them either.  Even the eyelet trim went on with surprising ease.

To make them, I laid a pair of her pajama bottoms onto the sheet and cut around them, leaving a seam allowance.  If you want me to show how I did it (cause there's a trick to it) let me know and I'll whip a quick tutorial for you.

Why not be inspired by success and try to make something this weekend?  Something from that fabric you've been saving for the "perfect" project?  Or maybe a technique or project that you have been too timid to try?

Mini Quilt

Since I've started sewing and quilting, I've only been making useful items.  Quilts to be used as blankets.  Embroidered pillows, tea towels.  I know there's a lot of people out there who create quilts and other sewn items just for art's sake.  Pieces that are hung up and are meant to be admired.

I have a hard time with that.  When I first started painting, I didn't hang any of my work in my house.  But slowly, I started to put it up.  And the world didn't end and people who visited didn't say, "Where on Earth did you get that hideous piece of art?"  Instead, they searched around my house, always asking if I painted this or that.  But now I'm sewing and embroidering and quilting and my insecurities have started all over again.  Somehow, putting a pillow I've sewn on the couch is okay-it's functional.  But hanging a quilt I made on the wall?  How could I ever think that my work could be considered "art"?  If it's hanging on the wall, people might be able to see uneven stitches and the patchwork that doesn't quite line-up!

So I am starting small.  I made this mini-quilt over the weekend.  It's hanging over a bookcase on the landing of my staircase.  There is crooked piecework and I'm not sure if I like the fabric combination I chose, but I took a deep breath and slapped in on the wall. I have to walk by it a million times a day as I go up and down the stairs, but most visitors to my home will only see it from the front hall.  They'll have to peer up the stairs and won't be able to get too close to it.

I figure this a good way to work my way towards gaining confidence in displaying my work again.

I am happy with my little embroidered birds.  They are straight out of my sketch book.  I'm even considering selling an embroidery pattern of them in my shop.  What do you think?

Don't go under the apple tree with anyone else but me

Want to make your child happy?  Here's a tutorial:

1. Ask your child to draw a picture for you.  Like a picture of themselves with their favorite teddy bear, standing under an apple tree would be perfect.
2. When they are done, trace the picture onto a piece of muslin and embroider it.
3.  Be sure they sign their name and make sure you embroider that too.
4.  Take the embroidered piece and make it into a pillow.
5.  Watch as their face lights up when they see the finished project.
6.  Tear up a little when they ask if they can take it to bed with them.

 
I'm a guest curator on Crescendoh this week.  Visit to see what blogs I like to visit and read my Art Saves story.

Sizzix Blog Hop-Tea Cup

Time to go on another blog hop!  This week, we all worked on Eileen Hull's 3-D Tea Cup Scoreboard Die by Sizzix!  This is probably my favorite die right now.  There are a million ways to use it, but I chose to go the traditional route and created a party place card/place setting.  I love the little bird and how cute does the old-fashioned candy buttons look tucked into the top?

We were challenged by Brenda Pinnick to use one of two color palettes that she created for us.  I chose to use the second palette.  It was great to stretch my creative muscles and work with some colors that I don't usually put together.  To learn more about Brenda's Color U program visit her blog.

We are voting again for the favorite tea cup, so please visit Eileen's Blog to get links to all the other participant's blogs and to vote.  (You can vote by leaving a comment on Eileen's blog, telling her which interpretation you like best.) The hop officially begins tomorrow (Wednesday), but I'll be on a plane to New Mexico to film some craft segments for a PBS show then, so I'm posting a bit early.  Be sure to stop by, visit Eileen's blog and see what everyone else created with this fabulous die!

Did you miss the last blog hop?  Visit this post to check it out!

Materials used for the Tea Cup project:
Tea Cup Scoreboard Die by Sizzix
Paper by Anna Griffin, Isabelle Collection

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Material Disclosure:
I received sample product from Sizzix for this post.

Japanese Craft Books

                                                                                                            (Photo courtesy of Pilar Pollock)

I went to Mitsuwa with the beautiful and talented Pilar last week.  We looked at Japanese craft books and magazines.  We shopped for super fun stationary goodies.  We looked at bento boxes and marveled over the Japanese candy aisle.  We ate a delicious lunch (the photo above was my lunch).  I brought home Green Tea Tiramusu and Green Tea Cream Puffs for dessert and spent the afternoon reading my new books.  Does it get any better than that?

Be sure to check-out Pilar's blog-she has three posts worth of wonderful photos from our day.  Now I'm kicking myself for not bringing my camera with me.  Darn!  I guess we'll have to make a return trip!

Recipe Books

First, the moment you have all been waiting for.  The winner of the Style Statement book is Cindy of Side Tracked Artist!  Please email me with your address so I can get the book in the mail to you.  I'd also love to hear what you decide your Style Statement is, so be sure to stay in touch after you have read the book.

Last night, I finally got some sewing in.  I've been so busy getting ready for the show, that I haven't had much free time to just craft for fun.  I have a binder where I keep all the recipes I pull-out of magazines and online.  The binder was looking very shabby and papers were just being stuffed in there.  Every time I wanted to find a recipe, I had to dig through a mess of papers.  So I took a few minutes to reorganize my recipe binder.  I created sections that made sense to me, and neatly hole-punched and inserted all those papers into the binder.  When I was done, I snapped the binder closed and looked at the old, dirty, ugly cover of the binder and knew it was time to do a sewing project.

When I bought Alicia Paulson's great book, Stitched In Time, I knew I wanted to do the recipe book cover project, but I just never got around to it.  But last night, I pulled out the book, followed Alicia's excellent instructions and had my cover done in less than hour.  And it fit!  I was so excited about it, that I made a second cover for the binder I'm planning to use for holiday recipes and traditions.  If you haven't picked up Stitched in Time, I highly recommend it.  There are a ton of fabulous projects-all focused on the idea of capturing a moment in time with fabric and thread.  I'm waiting anxiously for her embroidery book to hit shelves soon too!

But back to my binder.  I now have a file folder in my kitchen where I put all those recipes I'm meaning to try.  They don't get moved into the binder until they've past the Bray family taste test.  I'm hoping to be disciplined and am going to try to pull one new recipe out of the folder each week so that it doesn't get too overwhelming.  The rest of my week's menu planning should be breeze as I will now be able to pull-out my beautiful recipe binder and find my family's favorite recipes quickly and easily.

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Material Connection Disclosure:
I have no material connection to the publishers or author of the book reviewed here.  I purchased the book for personal use.

MIA

I bet you've been wondering what happened to me.  I guess I kind of burned-out after the Creative Nostalgia boot camp last week.  Seven posts in seven days.  Whew!

And, I've been getting my projects ready for a trip.  A trip I've been keeping a secret.  I'm leaving for New Mexico next week to tape three craft segments for the PBS television show, Creative Living with Sheryl Borden.  I've had a lot of prep work to do.  Not only do I have to put together great projects, I also have to figure out a way to get all my supplies there.  And make travel plans.  And get the gray "washed" out of my hair. And get my nails done.

I'm trying not to be nervous about the whole thing, but I'm really pushing myself outside of my normal comfort level.  I know that I have to leave my comfort zone in order to make things happen, but I've found I have become less welcoming to adventure as I've aged.  Or maybe it's because I spend my days cocooned in my house with my daughter.  Whatever it is, I'm trying to hush the little voice in my head, the one screaming she is SCARED!  We should just stay home.  Why bother?  Why can't we leave things the way the are?  Yes, insecurity.  She hasn't been around in awhile and she's making up for lost time.

Last Day of Creative Nostalgia Boot Camp

Saturday is Baking Day.

Now you are really going to think I've gone over the edge.  I make bread almost everyday.  I decided a few months ago to stop buying it, pulled out my bread machine and have been making bread with it.  Did you know that you can pretty much use any bread recipe and put it in your bread machine?  I used to think you had to have "special" bread machine recipes, but you don't.  Just make sure you put the ingredients into your machine according to the manufacturer's instructions (mine wants me to put liquids in first) and be sure to use bread machine yeast.

Here's my favorite recipe for bread.  I adapted it from Jane Brocket's book, The Gentle Art of Domesticity*.

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon honey
2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup of whole wheat flour
2 1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast
2 teaspoons sea salt

Put ingredients in bread machine according to manufacturer's instructions.  When done, slice yourself a warm piece of bread, slather with butter and eat.

I hope you've enjoyed my Creative Nostalgia lifestyle and housekeeping tips this week.  I also hope you will explore your style and see how you can incorporate into your life.  To help you, I have another prize drawing**.  I have a copy of the book, Style Statement: Live by Your Own Design by Carrie McCarthy and Danielle LaPorte* to give away!  Carrie McCarthy is a big supporter of me and my blog and offered to donate one for me to give away to one lucky reader.  Just leave a comment on this post and tell me what you THINK you would call your style and I'll draw a winner on April 7!  Be sure to visit the Style Statement website too.  It's loaded with lots of interesting information about creating your own style.

Speaking of winners...Kathi of Reimagined Treasures won the Sewing Apron Badge.  She deserves it too.  Her Etsy shop is packed full of wonderful sewing creations.  (Kathi, please email me your address!)

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Material Connection Disclosures:
*I am an affiliate of Amazon and will receive a commission if you purchase these books via my link.
**I was given a copy of this book at no charge for the purpose of this contest. 

Friday is Cleaning Day-Creative Nostalgia Boot Camp Day 6

Ick!  No one likes cleaning day.  (Note the photo above-not exactly one of my home's better moments.) Well, at least no one likes the idea of cleaning day.  I have to admit that I drag my feet when I have to clean, but once I get into it, I kind of like it.  And I definately like the results when I'm finished.

I have a 2000 square foot house.  Unlike (what seems like) everyone else in Orange County, California, I don't have a cleaning service.  I used to, but it was one of those items I gave up in order to be able to stay home full-time with my daughter.  It's a lot of house to clean all by myself.  Then I found a really cool website called FlyLady.  Once I adopted their program, I can honestly say that my house stays pretty clean most of the time.  Each week, I vacuum the entire house, sweep the tiled areas and hit the bathrooms.  Then I spend the rest of my cleaning day really cleaning and organizing one sector of my home.  I've divided home up like this:

Area One:  Hallways, staircase, front porch
Area Two: Kitchen
Area Three: Daughter's bedroom and bathroom and spare rooms
Area Four:  Master Suite
Area Five: Living room

So each week gets an area. I just keep rotating through them.  It's really a convenient way to clean and organize, and my cleaning usually only takes me an average of 2-3 hours per week.

I've even added a little creativity to my cleaning areas.  I usually try to do a crafty project for whatever area I'm in for the week.  For example, when I'm in Area Five: Living Room, I might sew some new pillows for my couch.

So what do you do to keep your home clean and organized?  Any tips?

Thursday is Market Day

I can't believe our Creative Nostalgia Boot Camp is almost over!

Thursday is Market Day.  I try to save up all of my errands for Thursday.  I feel like I'm saving gas and I'm less likely to keep running to the store and making impulse purchases.  I usually start the day by cleaning out my fridge and making a grocery list, then we are off to shop.

I really hate to grocery shop.  It's one of my most hated chores.  I don't know why, but it feels like drudgery to me.  You would think that, as much as I like food, I would love to shop for it, but I don't.  What about you? Do you like to shop for groceries?

Here are some great links about shopping for you.

Teri's Blog: The Grocery Game. Great blog about shopping and coupons and saving money.
My thoughts on buying local and going green.

Can you recommend any shopping websites or blogs?  How do you stretch your dollar at the stores these days?
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Material Disclosure:  I have no material connection to any of the links mentioned above.