Weave your own FUN ~ Make a Loom out of Everyday Objects!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I have a FUN project to share with you!

Last year I found a fabulous tutorial on making a weaving loom on a CD!

It is so easy and relaxing to do!

I made two and glued magnets on the back to display them on my refrigerator.

I made another one this weekend and crocheted a stem and leaves on it to make it into a sunflower!

I hung it on a nail on the wall in my upstairs hallway so I can see it whenever I go upstairs!

Now I have another FUN story to tell you...

Just at the moment when I finished this new weaving the doorbell rang!

It was Sheila, my mail lady, and she had a special package from the UK for me!

It it is a giftie from my dear friend Lynne!

She recently went on a day trip to Whitby and bought me a surprise!

It is a Giraffe!

It was perfect timing since I just crocheted one!

She must have read my mind that I wanted a giraffe because I had not told her about the pattern!

So ... my other CD weaving now has a friend hanging above it!

I just adore him!

Look!

He even has a very happy, puggy eye like the just like my sunflower weaving!

What a wonderful way to start the month of May!

It is sunny and bright here today!

R-Chee is starring at me to take him on a walk through our park at the end of the neighborhood.

I think he wants to hop around the grass like our crocheted bunny and talk to the animals that live there.

There is a pond there where tadpoles are turning into froggies that croak at us when we walk by!

What do you have planned to enjoy today?

Please leave us a note and let us know!

We cannot wait to hear all about it!

xoxoxo

Melissa & R-Chee

Fun Crochet Giraffe Doll ~ Free Pattern

Happy Monday everyone!

I just completed a FUN & fast project that I could not wait to show you!

It is a Goofy...

Giraffe!

Isn't he FUN? :)

He is made in basically all one piece which is a very creative part of this FREE Pattern I found online. :)

I like his short Corgi like legs!

Although he does not know it, this giraffe is actually very European! :)

I tried a new wool yarn to make him and I just loved it!

It is a Nordic wool called DROPS.

They have a huge selection of beautiful and wonderfully priced yarn as well as 1,000's of Free and creative knitting and crochet patterns.

The USA Super Store, http://www.nordicmart.com  is located in CA and is wonderful to shop from online.

I used the Eskimo Dark Yellow Tweed for his body and I really like how it turned out!

His glass eyes are from Germany for a great teddy bear supply company called Pro Bear.

The whole project was so enjoyable to do from beginning to end!

The pattern is very well written and the materials were just dreamy to work with.

To make mine a bit different, I added eyebrows to give him an expressive look, a mane to the back of his neck.

I also made his ears a bit smaller & stick up instead of making them floppy as the pattern shows to do.

I really encourage you to make changes when you feel inspired to in every project you make.

I have learned tons of new things over the years from doing this and always been pleasantly surprised by the results!

Ta Da!

What do you have planned for today?

Please leave us a note and let us know!

We would love to hear all about it!

xoxoxo

Melissa & Archie

Friday Funnies ~ The Recycling PUg ~ Rethink, ReUse, Recycle!

Happy Friday everyone!

It is me...

R-Chee!

This week, Monday jumped kicked my week into high gear thinking about all the ways, big & small, that we can be friendlier to our planet!

I learned that you can reuse items instead of throwing things away or even buying new ones!

My mom, Gilbert & I made two art projects this week that are FUN, FUNctional and use upcycled materials that we already had but now have a new purpose and beauty!

Gilbert & I learned this week that...

Everyday is Earth Day!

We were so inspired by this that we searched www.pinterest.com for creative examples of ways to recycle & reuse things!

In our search we found a pug who is a recycling genius that brings joy & color to his recycling program!

What a great way to use up crayons that are too small to sharpen, but still have lots of coloring power! :)

He has inspired me to adopt this program today & spend the weekend making rainbows! :)

Please join me in whatever corner of the world you are in!

We will spread our Everyday is Earth Day message around the world with color and flare! :)

xoxoxo

R-Chee & Gilbert

DIY - Fabric Flower Tutorial

Hi everyone!

Spring is in the air and Summer is just right around the corner!

Time sure flies when you are having FUN! :)

Thinking of both seasons brings back memories of enjoying Summer Camp when I was a kid and all of the neat art projects we would make!

Do you remember making flowers from dipping bent wire into colorful liquid film and making petals for the bouquet you would bring home at the end of the day?

The film is called "Fun Film" or "Dip-It" and because it uses thinner & solvents to use, I thought to myself, there has to be an easier & non-toxic way of making colorful bouquets that last forever! 

Because I love to use up my stash of supplies that I already have I thought fabric scraps would be the perfect thing to use to make colorful petals in an array of colors & textures!

I wanted to try out my idea as a project Melanie & I can make together this Summer at our Twin Sister's Art Camp Retreat we will spend together in June!

I cannot wait!

I am going to show her how to make these flowers and she is going to show me how to sew fabric houses & cottages made from upcycled felted wool sweaters!

We will be in fabric scrap heaven all weekend! :)

To test out my idea before teaching it, I made the retro-flower pictured above, and I just love how it turned out!

It was super duper easy and fun to do!

It is the perfect project for adults and/or kids to spend a FUN afternoon together, so I have created this tutorial for you to make a bouquet of these flowers at your house too!

Materials you will need:

• Assorted fabric scraps
• 8 pieces of wrapped floral wire
• Elmers or fabric glue
• Floral Tape
• Sharp scissors
• Pom Poms, buttons, beads or any embellishments you would like to form the center of your flower. (not pictured)
• Butter knife (not pictured)
• Small pliers to help bend & clip wire ends (not pictured)

Step 1:

Bend top few inches of wire into desired size and shapes of 6 petals and 2 leaves.

Step 2:

Glue wire loops onto fabric pieces and set aside to dry.

Step 3:

Cut tabs all around the loop with sharp scissors almost all the way to the wire but not quite to the end to prevent frayed ends from popping out on the front.

Step 4:

Place a bead of glue on the fabric following the inside of the wire loop.

Step 5:

Trim and fold down tabs all the way around the petal.
Apply a thin layer of glue over back of petal to secure all of the tab ends.

Step 6:

Tip: Let glue dry just a few minutes to get a bit tacky to make it easier to work with.

Press down all of the edges and push a crease in the fabric along the inside of the wire loop to tighten the fabric petal so it is not loose or saggy in the middle.

Repeat process for all 6 petals and 2 leaves.

Set aside and allow them to dry.

Front of  Petal

Back of Petal

Petals & leaves :)

Step 7:

Arrange & bend petals and leaves into desired shape.

Step 8:

Twist wire stems around each other to secure your flower you just created!

Step 9:

Wrap stem with floral tape.

Step 10:

Make your favorite flower center of choice and glue into center of flower.

Ta Da!

You are done!

The was FUN!

Make one or a whole bunch and fill a vase with your new bouquet!

Please let me know if you have any questions at all about how I made this fabric flower and most importantly, relax and have FUN!

Here is a PDF version of the Fabric Flower Tutorial for you to download, print & share. :)

There is no right or wrong in creating art and use this as a spring borad for you own ideas to bloom & grow!

Please let me know if you make these at home!

I would LOVE to see what you create!

xoxoxo

Melissa

Reuse your Art ~ From Hat to Hut ~ Gibert's New Birdy Snuggle Hut!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

It is me...

Gilbert!

I am here to show you the wonderful birdy snuggle hut my momma just made for me!

I love to take naps in the afternoon and sometimes like to relax without having to hold onto a perch!

I have always liked to be held and even lay down on my parents when they watch tv.

They just put me on their chest or lap and cover me with their hand lightly, and I fall right asleep!

My momma calls me her blob-y bird!

Yesterday she surprised me with this wonderful hut she made for me complete with a removable fleece bed inside for warmth & easy cleaning!

I thanked her by actually snuggling up to it and making a "purring" noise if you can believe it! :)

Here it is upclose before she hung it in my cage...

This is the bottom of it!

She made me a granny circle!

...and here it is hanging in my cage for me!

I will let her take over the post now to show you how she reused R-Chee's very first Barkclava made from her own design.

He only weighed 5 lbs when she made this for him and his head was tiny!

It does not fit him anymore and now it is MINE all MINE!

Hi everyone!

I am so excited to show you how I reused R-Chee's Barkclava Hat and made it into a bird hut for Gilbert!

I was inspired by watching Gilbert fall asleep on his perch and actually watch him try and lay down on it!

He would keep nodding off and tilt forward like when we fall asleep in a movie or class lecture and then keep waking up!

It is so cute to see him really want to snuggle, and I wanted to get him a soft hut he felt warm and safe in.

I have seen many styles online and in catalogs, but they are all about $15 or $20 and there is no way to know if he will even crawl into them as many of the openings were kind of small with the hut being a bit big for the space I actually have in his cage for it.

Feeling a bit frustrated with the choices I found, I thought to myself I bet I can make him one!

I knew I wanted it to be more covered on top than an actual basket-nest shape  but have a bigger, oval hole in the front that was more inviting than a 2" circle.

I closed my eyes and starting trying to imagine what that would look like and then I thought... 

Oooooo! I know... it looks just like a Barkclava Hat, but with an insert that is lined with something soft and removable for easy washing.

I also wanted to make the bottom stiff so that he did not feel like he was sagging into a hammock as he rested.

So I pulled out R-Chee's very first Barkclava that was now too small for him, but the PERFECT size for a birdy snuggle hut!

All I did to convert it was... 

1. Make a Granny Circle from this FREE Pattern.
2. Sew it onto the bottom of the Barkclava.
3. Insert a blank CD in to provide a lightweight yet sturdy plastic bottom.
4. Shove in his fleece bed I had for him that I got at PetSmart awhile ago.
5. and hang it in his cage!

The whole project literally took me about 30 minutes to create and both I and Gilbert could not be happier! :)

I love being able to reuse and repurpose things I make into new creations!

What projects have you changed or upcycled that you now enjoy in a whole new way?

Please leave us a note and let us know!

I would love to hear all about it!

xoxoxoxo

Melissa, Gilbert & R-Chee

New Pet Bowl Mats ~ Protect Your Floors from Slurpy Drinkers & Messy Eaters!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

R-Chee and I are soooo excited about the new product we just developed & added to PugNotes.com!

We could not wait to share them with you!

Introducing our NEW...

Pet Bowl Mats!

They are really fabulous!

They keep your floor clean from your slurpy drinkers & messy eaters while keeping their food dishes from sliding around.

R-Chee really appreciates that while I like that my floors now do not look like a food fight just erupted at meal time as he gobbles down his chow. :)

They are a Great Value!

You get a set of 2 in every order with one image of your choice!

Set them side by side for food & water or create two separate feeding stations in your home.

• Each mat is 13" x 17"
• Set of 2 ~ Choose one image from any of my pug or dog paintings.
• Non-slip rubber back keeps pet dishes from sliding.
• Synthetic fabric loop mat repels any spills.
• Spot clean or hose off to clean.

You can get all the details about them and order them from my website, pugnotes.com.

Just click here to go to their special page! 

R-Chee loves his snazzy new dog bowl mats!

Please give him a ringy dingy on the Pug Notes hotline by e-mail or toll free 1-888-661-8024 if you have any questions.

He is on duty and always loves to hear from you!

xoxoxo

Melissa & R-Chee