If you follow Straight Stitches on Facebook or follow me on Instagram (haboyajian), then you know a few days ago I shared a photo with a 1/2 done project. Well that 1/2 done project is now fully done and on display in Rae's room.


I know this isn't your typical sampler for a baby's room, but the boys both have cross stitch samplers in their room and I didn't want Rae to feel left out. I don't particularly enjoy cross stitch though. I mean, I can do it, I just don't like too. I get about 85 - 90% done and then I usually put the project down and forget about it. All those finishing stitches are annoying, which is why I didn't want to do a cross stitch sampler for Rae. That and I only half-heartedly looked for a sampler and I didn't  find any that I had  to have.

I did a couple of google image searches for modern baby samplers and quilled art, and then VOILA! Inspiration hit. After some playing in photoshop and more google searches for appropriate butterfly images, my butterfly sampler was taking flight.

I did opt to 'freehand' the lettering on her sampler and by that I mean, print out my master copy of the sampler and lay it over a light box with my nice cardstock and trace around the letters. All of the inside touches on the lettering is all me though! I think I did pretty good!



Then it was on to the paper play. Using free time any time I could, I glued up those strips of paper. All told it probably took a good 3 days to get the butterfly done, but I feel like it was totally worth it.


I found the glittery frame at Michael's and when I saw it I knew instantly that it was what I wanted to frame the sampler in. Thank goodness for sales!

So I know we all have  things pinned under the "I want to try this" file.

Personally - almost everything I've pinned is in that file.

I can knock one of my pins to the "I've done that" file!

I saw this project a while ago and I knew I wanted to try it.

I like to think of myself as artsy. Not in the painter-can-draw sort of way, but in the ways I can interpret things. What I'm sharing with you today is definitely under the I'm-trying-to-be-a-painter category, and I think it turned out pretty darn well.

This is a progressive water color painting and I got the idea from here!
Elise has such great directions on her site, that I didn't have any trepidation about starting this  project. Seriously, she made it so easy.

Here are some more shots of my art project. I love the pop color she adds to the wall in my bedroom. You all know I've got a soft spot for orange. :)
So there's my pinterest-inspired art! What do you guys think?



Linking up to:

Hey guys!

Boy, this week week between Christmas and New Year's really wreaks havoc with stuff. I haven't been doing things I know I should, and instead sitting on my tuckus enjoying all the trimmings of Christmas.

I did get a ton of stuff done before the holidays, but I only took pictures of  one of the gifts, because I'm a dodo.

Dana will have to supply some photos of her gift for you guys, but I'm sure she will. I'm an excellent nag. Ask the hubs. :)

So anyways, back to the conversation at hand - handmade gifts. I should really say altered gift in this case, but whatever the case - I want some for myself.

My sister, Nicole moved into her own place with her fiance' this year and as such she's been setting up her house.

She's decided that the colors in her kitchen will be black and white. That's a palette I can work with. :)

So I headed to Target and got some of their flour sack dish towels. These are great. They're large and they're only $5 for 4 of them.

Then I found these Sharpie fabric markers.

Click the picture to go to Sharpie's page.

Now, I bought them before I really thought about the implications.

I would have to draw on these towels with these. Draw. Ergh. I'm not an artist. Not the pencil and creating and image out of it kind of artist, but my head down and ram it attitude provided me with the determination (note that I did not say confidence) to tackle this project.

I went to The Graphics Fairy and downloaded a couple of black and white steampunk images. Love her site! So then I printed out said images in a 5 x7 format, but I made sure that the images weren't cropped or anything.

I laid the pictures beneath the towel and outlined the picture, then I moved the image out from underneath the towel and went to town on them. I think I did alright. here are some close-ups.



The fan is my favorite one, and the utensils were the first ones I did. I think I improved between them and all the rest. The marker was very smooth and didn't catch on the fabric at all.

I want some for myself now, and I have some good ideas with the rest of the colors.

See you guys later!

So I got rid of my sentimental photos of the boys in lieu of some new art and tchotchkes, but I still wanted something meaningful and unique to the family, so then I thought what's more unique than a thumbprint?

So this is what I came up with!

Did you know that some people consider me too strict with my boys? This; however, is not a shock to me. I know I'm strict. I'm as strict as my parents were with me. As my grandmother told me; when I started to doubt my approach, I want to be able to enjoy my children. She's right, of course, I do want to enjoy my children. I want to be able to take them out to a nice restaurant, and be able to enjoy a nice meal. Its even nicer when the boys are complimented on their behavior. That would be a reflection on our influence, as my mother reminded me today. So when all of this doubt surfaced, and my family rallied behind me to reassure me that I was not in the wrong or doing anything wrong, I decided that I wanted to spell out what I expect all of the members of my family and guests to our home to follow.