Have I told you lately how fabulous  I think stencils are!!  I have lots of fun stencil projects lined up, but I wanted to start with something very basic, (if I can do it, ANYONE can)!!

Little by little I’m adding decor to this little craft room of mine:)  I needed some storage for my spools of thread, and thought a painted board would be a cute way to hang/display them on my wall.  But why not take it up a notch, and STENCIL the board!!

So for this project, grab your favorite stencil (don’t worry if you don’t have one, you will have your chance to win $50 to spend at the Cutting Edge Stencil site), and let’s get started!

Supplies:

• wooden board (I used an old broken board I’d been saving for later)

• sand paper (if your board is previously painted)

• acrylic paint (2 colors)

• stencil

• stencil adhesive

• stencil roller or brush

• hammer and nails

Step 1:  Prep your board.  I gave my board a good sanding to rub the letters as flat and smooth as I could, then I wiped off the dust with a damp cloth.  Now your ready to paint.

Step 2:  Paint your bottom coat of acrylic paint.  Wait a couple of hours and paint a second coat.  Allow to dry overnight before painting the stencil on top.

Spray the back of your stencil with adhesive spray.  I love this product from Krylon.

Position the stencil where you would like it, and press down to hold in place.  Dip your brush in the second color of paint, wiping off the excess.  (You don’t want to use too much, or it will bleed a bit)

Start at one end, and brush the paint over the design.

Remove the stencil and allow to dry.

Step 3:  Arrange the spools of thread the way you would like them displayed.  Take a pencil, and mark the center of each spool.

Hammer the nails in each of the pencil marks.  (I used 2 inch nails)

Hang the board on the wall,

and add your spools of thread!

A super simple but cute display for any craft room!!

Now on to the fun part…  The lovely folks over at Cutting Edge Stencils let me choose any stencil from their online store to review.  I chose the Marrakech Trellis Craft Stencil and LOVE it!!

Cutting Edge Stencils come neatly rolled up with very thorough directions to guide you as you create your stenciled project.

But check out their site for fabulous VIDEOS to help you along the way…

And the lovely folks at Cutting Edge Stencils have offered one of YOU a $50 credit to spend at their site!!

What stencil will you choose!!!

To enter this giveaway:

• visit the Cutting Edge Stencil site and choose your favorite stencil, come back and let me know what it is

• Like Cutting Edge Stencils on Facebook

• Like Just Sew Sassy on Facebook

• Publicly follow or subscribe to Just Sew Sassy

• share this giveaway via facebook, twitter, or blog post

Lots of chances to enter!!!  Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Giveaway will end Tuesday, Feb. 7th.

Good luck my friends!!!

Linking up HERE this week!

So have you ever had that fantasy when you were a kid, that your parents would wake you up one day and tell you they were taking you to Disneyland??

Well, I’m living my childhood dreams vicariously through my children!!  We’re taking a surprise trip this week to California!!!  We’ve been secretly planning this trip for 6 months, and I can’t believe it’s finally here…

Ahhhhh!!!!  I’m so excited!!!  Maybe even a little more than my kids will be:)

This pic was taken the last time we were in Cali for a family trip to Sea World… Look how tiny my babies were!!!

We decided we needed one last big fun family trip before this baby makes its debut…  We’re staying in Capistrano Beach which is pretty central to Disneyland, Legoland, Knotts Berry Farm, and even Sea World.

Don’t worry I’ve got another tutorial, and a giveaway this week, so make sure and stop by again soon!!  Have a fabulous weekend ya’ll!!

My good friends and I had the opportunity to throw a baby shower for a couple of cute girls in our neighborhood.  Both were having girls, and I had some leftover Riley Blake fabric, which I kind of used as the “theme” or color scheme of the shower.

Nothing fancy, but here are a couple of features…

Found the recipe for these cupcakes HERE, homemade strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, YES please!!

Some more good eats, and a baby bunting banner too…

I’m having fun with these yarn balls!!!  And here you can see the fabric I love so much:)

Baby Shower = Diaper Cakes RIGHT!!!!

And can you believe this was the first time I ever made tissue poms!!  Check out THIS tutorial to make your own.

And baby onesies of course…

I LOVE throwing showers and parties!!  Makes me happy:)  Getting super excited for this little one of my own too:)

So can I be honest?  You can judge me if you want:)  I have one little girl and two little boys that I ADORE!!!  And I was 95% positive this baby was going to be a girl.  So when the ultrasound tech told us all that it was a boy, we were all a little shocked, maybe even a little bit disappointed…

There.  I said it.  I was disappointed.

BUT, my boys are the best snugglers.  My boys make me laugh out loud daily.  My boys are freaking cute.  And I’ve heard boy teenagers are a little bit easier than girl teenagers, AND…

THIS is the cutest little boy fabric EVER!!!

Can’t you just imagine the baby bedding possibilities:)

So NOW, I’m totally excited about my little boy.  Can’t wait to wrap him up in the snuggly quilt I will be making him out of this darling fabric!!

This is a SUPER SIMPLE  tutorial, with a bold look!!  Slowly but surely I’m getting this craft room done:)  What’s a craft room without the words, “sew”???

Wanna make some fancy letters of your own?  Grab your supplies and lets get started:)

Supplies:

• wooden letters

• scrapbook paper

• mod podge and brush

• exacto knife

• self healing mat or another protected surface

• ink pad (optional)

Step 1:

Turn the paper over, and place the letters upside down onto the back of the paper.

Trace each letter with a pencil

Step 2:

Carefully cut out each letter with an exacto knife

Step 3:

Using the brush, apply a think layer of mod podge to the top of the wooden letter

Place the paper on top carefully lining up all of the edges.  Press down firmly on the paper from the center working your way to each end, smoothing out any bubbles.

Apply one more thin layer of mod podge on top of the paper.

Step 4:

I wanted to give my letters a bit more dimension, so I used an ink pad to smear the edges with black ink, giving it even more of a distressed look.

All done!!

Simple right!!

Now hang your letters and enjoy:)

My plan is to paint a cute board to display/store my spools of thread, and hang it right under my letters:)  Just a few more simple projects and this craft room will be done!!!

Linking up HERE this week!

I’m so sorry I have been MIA lately.  I thought the 2nd trimester was supposed to be “easy”.  Well, I guess with three other kids (all of whom have been little sickies), my time is seriously stretched thin as can be.  Not to mention this blasted sciatic pain in my back that WON”T GO AWAY!!!!

Ok sorry, just had to vent for a sec… but this has been my strength as of late…

Just letting you know, my lovely readers, that I haven’t forgotten about ya.  I’ve got lots of exciting projects to share, and a couple of giveaways coming up too!!

Don’t give up on me!!!  I’ll be back soon.

Holy Moly!!!  Where did the week go!!  I mean weekend??  I had a couple of posts planned for this weekend, and umm, they will have to wait until next weekend I guess, sorry about that friends!!

I have a couple more Valentines tutorials for ya, so you can be all decked out ad ready for the day of LOVE!!

Today I’m gonna show ya how to make framed heart art:)

Supplies:

• an old frame

• red spray paint

• scrapbook paper

• vinyl or cardstock

• yarn

• hot glue

First, you’re going to paint your frame.

Next, cut a scrap of paper to go in the frame.

I glued this right to the cardboard piece in the back of my frame.

For this next step you can either use vinyl or cardstock, I chose vinyl b/c I think its easier to work with using the Silhouette.

Find a heart template, or create your own.  I knew I was going to make 3 rows of 3 hearts, so I found a template with three hearts in a row.

Cut out the heart design.

Attach some transfer paper to the vinyl and place it right on the paper.

Repeat until you have the desired amount of rows and hearts.  For the last heart, I used the same template and cut some red patterned paper out of cardstock.

Lastly, use a pencil to trace a word, (I used love) and follow the lines with a hot glue gun.  Immediately add the yarn to the hot glue, and trim after each letter.

And you’re done!!

I found the best invention ever at Hobby Lobby last weekend and had to try it out with this project.  It’s a pom pom maker!!  You basically wind the yarn around, tie it off, snip it, and you’re done.  I filled up an apothecary jar with these little yarn pom poms to coordinate with the  yarn from the frame.

I can’t wait to make a garland with the stuff too!!!

Have fun yarning it up:)

Linking up HERE this week!

This is a little late I realize, we’ve already moved on to Valentines Day, but I just wanted to take a quick sec and post some of of my favorite Holiday memories of 2012…

Holiday towels I made for my kiddos!

My hubs surprised me with a new wedding ring (my original one has been lost for a few years:(, but I LOVE the new one!!!)

My MIL snuggling with the quilt I made them:)

My little doll dressed up in her Christmas best…

My most favorite women ever!

Holiday baking with my helper (I seriously need to make her an apron:)

My cutest little sister home from college!!

The cutest little nephew I’ve ever seen… and my darling mama

The FOOD (especially the treats:)

My cute hubs

and the clocks I had made for my parents, (go to For All Time Clocks to check out the design process), they were GREAT!!

Hope your holidays were full of special memories, love, and joy!!  Thanks for letting me share a bit of my life with you:)

I saw this wreath on Pinterest the other day, and new I had to make one!!!  Thanks to Lil Luna for the fabulous tutorial!!

I usually throw up my berry wreath for Valentines Day and call it good, but after seeing Lil Luna’s version, I knew I could add something more to my plain old berry wreath!!

I have to say, I LOVE how it turned out!!

I had everything on hand so this wreath cost me a total of $0!!!

If you would like to make your own here is what you’ll need,

Supplies:

• a large berry wreath (most are on sale right now in the Christmas Clearance)

• an old 8X10 frame

• red spray paint

• scrapbook paper

• vinyl and a cutter

• embellishments (felt, lace, buttons)

• ribbon

• hot glue

Step 1:  Remove everything from the back of your frame before painting

I wanted the brown to show through a bit, so I only used one coat of paint.

Step 2:  Decide on a font, and the correct sizing of your letters to fit inside the frame.  Cut the vinyl.  (You could also use chipboard or cardstock if you don’t have vinyl)

Step 3:  Cut the scrapbook paper to fit the inside of your frame.

Cut small triangles to make a pendant.  Apply vinyl to the paper and the triangles.  Decide on the placement of everything before securing with hot glue.

Step 4:  Cut a couple strands of bakers twine, (you could also use ric-rac, ribbon, lace, or twine) and attach with hot glue.  Add the rest of your letters.

Embellish the side of the paper.

Step 5:  Add the finished paper to the frame.

Embellish the frame with flowers and buttons.

Attach the ribbon to the back of the frame and tie around the berry wreath.  Hang your new LOVEly wreath on your front door and enjoy!!!

Linking up HERE this week!

So, there will probably be like 10 parts to this project.  Know why, cuz I have no idea what I’m doing!!  This is totally a learning process, but so far I love the results!!

We’re feeling a little bit squished in our little house, and with a new addition coming soon, we had to make some changes!

This used to be my boys’ bedroom…

We moved them down to the basement/playroom (don’t know why we didn’t do it sooner, it’s awesome!!!) and are converting their old bedroom to a craft room/nursery!

And I’m embarrassed to admit, this used to be my old office…

I had about 4 X4 feet to work with!!

Ok, so back to the NEW room,

The painting process…

This is a terrible picture, sorry, but you can see it’s a buttery cream on top, and bluish grey on the bottom.

I won a stencil a couple of months ago from Royal Design Studio, and I LOVE it!!  This was my first time ever using a stencil, but it was great!!  The stencil process…

I did most of the work before we found out the gender, but I was SO SURE it was a girl I went ahead and went on the girly side of neutral…

Yep, these are pretty girly faux roman shades…

I’m hoping the nursery bedding can be baby boy greys and blues, it will have to do!!

So… stay tuned for more!!