The Best Lunch Ever!

Turkey BLT

Organic Spring Mix Salad

Tomatoes

Organic Ranch Dressing

Business Card Tutorial: Poor Man's Guide

I, like many of my friends, am not rolling in the dough. So, I have used my creativity to come up with a far cheaper way of making business cards. I recommend using a paper cutter to do it rather than scissors or your cards will look slightly crooked, like mine. But, that sorta charm is what makes it handmade-little imperfections. I had another picture that I liked, but for some reason,it wouldn't post on here.  What's important is that you establish your brand. Make it cute and creative. Look below and you can see where I used scrap book paper and cardstock scrapbook paper to make mine. All I did was cut my scrap book paper to the same size as my 8 x 11.5 paper dimensions, used a table without lines, inserted my information, and made my business cards.

If you can't afford to go to Moo Cards (www.moocards.com), then this is an option. Vista print also has free business cards that you can design. All you have to pay for is the shipping. But I like the charm that comes with handmade. I know I know..sometimes ought to not be handmade. But if you've got the gift, go ahead and DIY. 

You can see the front of my cards above and below you can see the four different types of card stock business cards I made out of the paper I had around the house. It's not AWESOME, but it's cute. Put them in your creations and send it out. Slip it in your bag and give out your name. Do what you do best and DIY

xo Tiff

New Dress

I made quite a few things over the break. One of those things was a dress that I saw here.  YAYA...I know that you think that Martha Stewart is the devil, but I don't. I think that she and her very well-paid staff are extremely creative and I love looking at her tutorials as well as many other's for ideas and things that I can share. She had fabric designer...not coming to me...but popular fabric designer on there give the tutorial for how to make a simple smock. If I must say so, it was easy (yet I still found a way to mess it up...lol). I wanted to wear it right away though. So, I put it on with a great pair of boots and a cardigan and called it a day. Actually got a compliment! Right on..right on. 

xo Tiff (Ollie)

How To Make Your Own Bias Tape Tutorial: Poor Man's Version :)

Here is my first official tutorial of the year. I've seen many a tutorial for creating perfect bias tape. But, you can create perfectly imperfect bias tape using my tutorial. Great news is, you don't need to go out and buy anything if you've got fabric, scissors, and an iron. There are many more accurate techniques to making bias tape. There's also the correct way of doing it (which requires actually cutting your fabric on a bias *angle*). But, I'm going to teach you a very quick and easy way to create your own bias tape without breaking the bank. This couldn't be an easier tutorial. 

You need to gather your tools. Listed below is a picture of all the tools you will need. FYI, the scrap I used was approximate 1 1/4 inch in width. Folded four times makes it approx. 1/4 inch wide.

Step One

Spray a generous amount of starch on your scrap of fabric. If there is not enough starch, it will not crease very well and will only come out after the heat cools from the fabric. Make sure that you are doing this on an ironing board or a heat safe surface:)

Step 2

Make a fold that folds exactly to the center of the fabric. Do the same thing on the other side and press it down to hold it in place before you place the iron over it. 

Step 3

Apply Heat to the starched surface. If you pull the fabric tight, you will start to see the fold appear and you can just follow that natural fold with your iron. It is not going to be perfect. They actually do have a tool for creating a perfect bias and it is only 10 or 15 dollars at your local craft store. You can also get a machine. But remember, this is the poor man's version.  Apply heat to the start and go the full length of the scrap. 

Step 4

Turn your tape over. You now have single fold bias tape (without the bias of course...lol. But today we are doing double fold bias tape because it is my favorite to use for most of my creations. 

Step 5

Fold in half again to create that double fold. Make sure that you line it up as close to perfect as possible. You may need to starch it again. 

Step 6

Now, take your cardboard and wrap your bias tape around it lengthwise. You want to always keep your bias tape wound. First of all, it keeps it from coming undone and tangled. It also keeps it from unfolding considering it's homemade which they can if they aren't wound. Plus, it's a great deal neater. 

...And what do you have?

Voila! You have this beautiful wound bias tape (without the bias). 

So, what can you create with this wonderful Poor Man's Bias Tape? All sorts of things. Here's what I created with some of my other homemade bias tape. It was pretty happenin?

This Amazing Bib!! The yellow around the neck is handmade which makes it even craftier and funky. 

Now go you!! Make thou very own poor man's bias tape!

xo Tiff (Ollie)

TOTALLY HEART

{SOURCE}

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS....

Crafty Bedroom

Sometimes when you look at other craft spots, you can become overwhelmed by how much they have on their sites. Some of these crafters are AMAZING...and it can make you feel like you make absolutely nothing. But when I looked around my bedroom, I discovered that slowly but surely my home is starting to fill up with many of my creations. I guess you could call them prototypes for things I would like to sell. All the things that I have made are in the vibrant colors..but just in case you can't tell, here's a list:

*patchwork pillows
*white pillows
*curtains
*pictures beside the bed (not over the bed)


That's a good start for someone who has been actively crafting for over a year now. It's been fun and I look forward to another year of crafting with my heart. 


MY HISTORY OF CRAFTING
I actually started crafting when I was 4 years old in Kindergarten. I discovered that it was my "thing" when I thirteen years old and I made a collage on a black notebook. I also used to make gifts for all my friends. When I got to collage, I made a small end table out of foam board and linen. My friends used to come in my room and say (wow, your room is cool and it totally looks like a room that you would have).  Radiohead posters adorned my walls highlighted by strung christmas lights and interesting tapestries on my bed. I've always found a way to make my home feel funky. I guess that's my style. 




AWESOME NEWS:
One of my friends wants me to redecorate a bedroom of her house and I have agreed to do so. So, I will be posting pictures of the process on here. It's not a major redecorate because she is renting so we can't paint or change lighting. It's only pictures, comforters, and stuff. I'm making her comforter and pillows. QUITE HAPPY!!


If you guys have any craft ideas you want to share, feel free to post in the comments. 


xo Tiff (Ollie)

Before and After's

In trying to complete one of my New Year's Resolutions, I've already started DE-Christmas-izing my home. Here are the little changes I've made thus far. These are small changes, but I'm already ahead of the bell curve. 

I still have the outside of the house to do. I actually decorated by myself this year. I'm use to my husband's ELF-like musings and excitement to get me through the decorating season. Heck, he does most of the decorating himself. But, I'm happy to have gotten the tree put up and all the trimmings packed again for next year. My table looks very spring like. BTW...I did make the take cloth and the napkins. Those two bags hanging on the chair are my creation. Stay tuned for the tutorials.  I've got to still take a tutorial on giving a tutorial... 

Well, gotta jet...

xo Tiff (Ollie)

Happy New Year!!

This year I'm excited because there's going to be a lot of changes to my life! Not only is my husband going to be coming home from his deployment this year, but I'm going to throw myself full force into my crafts and make it number 1...well number 2 second to my tiny little Army career.  In fact, here are my New Years Resolutions!!

1.  Lose an insane amount of weight with the help of my coach "MommaHass." I'm talkin like 60 pounds. I've always been svelt and now I wanna be skinny. 

2.  To take my etsy account to a new level. To be more adventurous and make more items that are different. I'm also going to lower the prices on a lot of my stuff. I feel like I've become an etsy snob and there's no reason why people should have to pay an arm and a leg for handmade if I can afford. 

3.  To become more devoted to my religion. I'm a Christian and I want to develop a better relationship with my God and my church. To those who aren't, you're cool with me. Jesus befriended prostitutes and thieves (not that all of you are or anything.)

4.  To develop a better relationship with my husband and kids.

5.  To become a better time manager. I'm the QUEEN of procrastination. 

6.  To get honor roll in school. I made 2 c's this semester and it was my fault. 

7.  To post at least 30 times a month and to get at least 4 sponsors this year. 

8.  To participate in at least one craft show. 

9.  To run in at least one half marathon, 3 5ks, and 3 10ks. 

10.  To figure out how to join the Tulsa Craft Mafia. They seem to be a very exclusive group. Don't know why. 

11. To continue being smokefree (2 months and the countup continues!)

Well, I hope all of you had a great and safe new years! Here's a little new years self portrait. My love goes out to all of you in this New Year. God Bless and be safe in your travels coming home!

xo- Tiff (Ollie)

I'M DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS

Today was a glorious Christmas with the kids. The day started out a bit rocky when Phoenix (my son) wanted to push every single nice button that I had today. But it ended with a bang at the In-Laws house. There was a lot of cheer and especially goodwill for all when I saw that I got a comforter Christmas. My son got a bike which will be great when I go for runs. 

After a day full of cookies, mac and cheese, baking, laughing, jovial hugs and kisses, crafting, and wonderful connectivity that would have verizon looking like a can company, I'm emotionally wiped out. 

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas!

By the way, who else is jealous that Oklahoma didn't get any snow. All of my friend east of the Mississippi seemed to get snow but us! How strange since we were the very ones to get snowed in the previous year. 

Oh well...God is a practical joker like that. 

I think I'll invite him to my next birthday party!!

THUS...AND THE DEALS KEPT ROLLING IN...

WWW.RENEGADEHANDMADE.COM

A CREATIVE WAY OF LOOKING AT BIBS...

UPDATE

Alright...

For those of you who actually read this thing, I bet your wondering what's going on, so I'll enlighten you. 

I recently moved for the third time this year (military family) and started school in Tulsa. I originally started college almost 10 years ago. I'm just now getting around to finishing. Strangely enough, I'm not majoring in anything like art (which I would rather be majoring in). I majoring in the same thing I started college in just so that I can get finished. 

Some of you may not know this, but I'm in the military. In fact, me and my husband are both in the military and one point were both active. Now that he's the only one active, I'm spending a lot of time working towards getting more rank which requires more education (even in the military). 

So I've been doing that, managing a household virtually by myself, ROTC, National Guard, two kids, and everything else that falls in place with it. 

I'm exhuasted @-) (see that...that's my crazy head). 

I've spent this time off from school trying to make my craft better. I found out that he reason why I had been having issues with my sewing wasn't because of me but because of my sewing machine. 

The sewing machine I have now is a Brother LS2000. 

Well, yesterday, when I went to go buy fabric (16 yards of mostly Alexander Henry I might add for under 100 dollars), I was talking to Trina (a solid sewing associate) and she told me that she had problems with this machine. The lower register would get tangled while the upper register would get break and pop all the time. I ended up breaking 2 needles inside of one hour. I thought it was just me. Apparently, it's because the Brother along with the Singer all use plastic internal parts which makes for flimpsy fun.  Additionally, it's very hard to get parts replaced if your machine is more than 10 years old. However, if you get a Bernina, they have stellar customer service. 

*just a little word to the wise*

Here's the machine I want (right along with my serger) Model 66:  

Hope this saves you guys some troubles. If you want plastic parts, buy a Singer or Brother.  If you want metal parts and more replacement parts, go Bernina.

 

Prudently Inspired

Prudent Baby is this wonderful website that I get a lot of my ideas from. I wish I had half the patience and ingenuity these two ladies do. They keep me inspired. They keep me crafting. Check out their website...

www.prudentbaby.com

Merry Christmas!!!

Ollie Loo Gear soon to be available