What do you think? Should I market it or what?!? Well, in case I never get around to making a few to sell because I'm too busy breathing through temper tantrums and drinking, I've made this tutorial so you can make your own if it strikes your fancy.
Read MoreIt's that time of year again in my life where I need to start cranking out birthday gifts for all of my sisters and sister in laws. I don't know why there are so many birthdays at the end of August and September? Are there a lot of people who like to give little holiday gift to their spouse (if you know what I mean, bow chika bow bow...)? Or maybe it's just that time of year when it's cold outside and people get extra snuggly and then, well, you know the rest.
Read MoreWedding season is upon us and I've been kicking it into gift making high gear lately. I've been whipping up embroidered wedding gifts like the Embroidered Pillow I made for my friend's wedding this past spring and the Embroidered Tea Towel I made last summer. This wedding gift is for two of my closest friends who sadly live too far away from me. I couldn't make it to their beautiful wedding in Colorado, but I still wanted them to know how much I love them so I created this one of a kind wall hanging to commemorate their special day. Check out my instructions below and make your own wall hanging as a gift for someone else or to decorate your own home.
Read MoreFollow my instructions to make your very own monogrammed, turtledove pillow. Create a wedding gift that will last a lifetime.
Read MoreDuring one of my frequent flea market shopping trips, I came across this amazing solid brass frame. I immediately envisioned an embroidery framed in it because I thought the soft stitching would perfectly offset the ornate metal. I'm still trying to fill our upstate cabin with art so I thought I would choose an animal that we commonly see in the woods around our house and use the artwork to decorate our bedroom. I used this copyright free illustration of an owl that I scanned from this FANTASTIC book. Then I tinkered around with the contrast in photoshop and ended up with this final version which you can download and use for your project. Next, I printed the owl out on iron transfer paper, cut it out and ironed it onto canvas. Last, I wanted the owl to have a whimsical feel so I used many different stitches to make up the body of the owl.
Read MoreAlright friends, we are officially waist deep into wedding season. Have you already spent all your extra cash on gelato makers and Keurigs? Does it sadden you that the happy couple will be able to make 20 different kinds of hot beverages but will inevitably forget who gave them that ability? Why not skip the impersonal gifts this wedding season and show your friends just how much you really care for them. I made this personalized tea towel for my friends Christine and Sam who are tying the knot in a couple of weeks. Sam is at least 2 feet taller than Christine and they have have an adorable golden retriever named Hank. While the embroidery of the couple is stylized, I tried to make it as personal as possible by reflecting their family and including the first initial of their last name. Check out my tutorial if you want to create something similar for your family or friends.
Read MoreOk people. It's officially wedding season and that means you have a lot of gifts to start buying. You have a couple of options. Look at the couple's registry and buy them some lame pasta strainer that they will never remember that you bought them and will probably end up in a garage sale in five years. Or, you could go online and try to find a personalized, one of a kind present that will end up costing you so much that you won't be able to afford to attend the wedding. Or, you can do it the Life is Made way and make them a personalized, one of a kind present that they will cherish forever.
I'm going to begin the wedding season with a great tutorial on making monogrammed dinner napkins, but over the next month I will be putting up a couple more tutorials for making unique wedding presents, so please stay tuned!
Read MoreMy daughter has the cutest pair of patch worked and embroidered Baby Gap jeans that my friend found at a garage sale. She is about to grow out of them and I am so sad to see them go, so I decided to make her a new pair. I found a pair of jeans her size on sale for $7. Then I dug out some fabric from my pile of pretties that I am always dying to find a use for. I cut out a shape from the fabric and stitched it onto the jeans. I like DNC Pearl embroidery floss for the stitch work because I like to see the irregularity of the stitching, but you could use thread or a machine if you want a neater look. I wasn’t satisfied with just the butterflies and wanted to add a little more flare so I embroidered some flowers onto the jeans as well. The Lazy Daisy stitch is so easy to do. I included a scan from an embroidery book so you can see how it is done. I love my little girl in jeans like these- so original and cute!
