* a little lovely

I Heart Deals

2012-01-28T09:42:00.000-08:00

Introducing...

We're launching a new daily deal site in the next couple of weeks and we would love it if you would COME ON OVER and follow us over there! You can also find us on FACEBOOK and TWITTER.

If you have an online shop and would like to be featured please contact us! We'd love to feature your shop as part of our "grand opening". Contact information can be found HERE.

Feel free to share our new site with your friends as well! :)

With this new adventure, I won't be posting here on A Little Lovely anymore. Thank you so much for all your support and kind words! It has been so much fun for me and I've learned so much!!

VeryJane

2012-01-23T14:59:00.000-08:00

$2.00 for Valentine Printables!! 6 Designs to choose from. Click HERE to see the deal.

GroopDealz

2012-01-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

$5.50 for a set of 20 Valentine tags!! Click HERE to see the deal.

Etsy Front Page

2011-12-01T20:38:00.000-08:00

My tags made it to the front page of Etsy!! (Bottom right of the screenshot)

BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL + More new products

2011-11-24T22:09:00.000-08:00

Use Coupon Code BLACKFRIDAY for 15% off your entire purchase from The Paper Studio Nov 25-Nov 28!! Plus free first class shipping within the US!!

Reindeer Gift Tags

'Tis the Season Greeting card

Christmas Party Invitation

Seasons Greetings Greeting Card

Christmas Tree Gift Tags

Christmas Tree Greeting Card

New Products

2011-11-16T15:52:00.000-08:00

I just listed a few more new products in the shop and thought I would share with all of you!

Chevron Thank You Cards-Also available in pink, green, & blue.

Bunting Congratulations Cards

Damask Thank You Cards-Also available in yellow, green, & blue.

Very Jane

2011-09-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let everyone know you can get a set of 12 of my Christmas Greeting cards {including envelopes} on Very Jane today and tomorrow only for just $18!! Head on over to grab your set!!

halloween party invitations

2011-09-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

just added these to the shop!

New Products

2011-09-03T21:01:00.000-07:00

I've recently added some new products to my shop that I thought I'd share with everyone! Hope you like them!!

Baby Announcements (Boy)

Baby Announcements (Girl)

Cupcake Birthday Party Invitations

Halloween Costume Party Invitations

Halloween Murder Mystery Dinner Party Invitations

Thanksgiving Dinner Invitations

Happy Holidays Greeting Cards

Happy New Year Greeting Cards

Christmas Greeting Cards

I've also had a lot of fun coming up with packaging for the shop. I love how it's come together!!

If you'd like to visit my shop, you can click HERE.

Bakers Twine

2011-08-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

I promise I have intentions to start decorating my house again some day. But for now, here is yet another post about my etsy shop...sorry!

Bakers twine seems to be everywhere these days. It's perfect for so many things...crafting, decorating, packaging, etc. I offer bakers twine as an option on my invitations, but I recently started selling it in bundles also. If you're interested in some bakers twine you can check it out in my shop HERE!

Thanks

Heartsy

2011-08-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry all my posts lately have been about my etsy shop! It's been taking all my time, but I'm having so much fun with it!

Have you heard of Heartsy?!?

Well today I'm running a deal on their site!! You pay ONLY $9 and get $20 worth of credit to my shop! It's good towards shipping costs too.

Feel free to share the deal with friends and family too, thanks!

Click HERE to see the deal.

UPDATE!!

2011-07-15T13:10:00.000-07:00

I've lowered the price on my deal to $12 for the set!! That's only $1/card, can't beat that!!

Check it out HERE!!

The Paper Studio on GroopDealz

2011-07-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

Wanna snag a set or two of my invitations for you next party at a great price?! I'm running a deal on Groopdealz starting today...$18 for a set of 12 invitations {+ FREE shipping}

You don't have to order right away either. You'll receive a coupon code and it doesn't expire for 3 months from the day the deal ends!

Go HERE to check it out!!

Feel free to tell all your friends and family too ;) I'd love it if you'd like to blog, tweet, or facebook about it! Thanks!

Thanks!

2011-07-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say a quick thanks for all your fun suggestions for my invitations! I've been working on creating some new images and thought I would share them with you. Some of them are the very ones you were asking for!

Please feel free to leave me any more ideas you might have or even share with me what type of party you are or will be planning soon! {I haven't gotten around to all your ideas from last time, but I'd still love to hear more!!}

And the winner is...

2011-07-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

Lili who said...
How about a tiny crown or cupcake or a preppy whale? Love the invites! They are precious!

Email me at alittlelovelyblog@hotmail.com!
Thanks!

The Paper Studio Giveaway!!

2011-06-28T10:18:00.001-07:00

I had so much fun making invites for my sister in laws baby shower that I decided to open a new etsy shop!!

So far I have some baby shower and wedding shower invitations but I'm in the process of adding birthday invitations and thank you cards as well.

I thought to kick things off I'd give away one custom set of 12 invitations with your choice of image and ribbon color. I can create a custom image for you too if what I have so far isn't what you're looking for.

To enter, visit my shop HERE and let me know what you think my next theme/image should be. {I'm already working on a party hat and mustache} I'd love to know what party themes you're working on and what you'd like to see next in my shop!

For a second entry you can share my giveaway on twitter and for a third entry you can share my giveaway on facebook. Be sure to leave separate comments for each thing you do!

Giveaway will close Monday July 4th at 9pm est. Winner will be chosen by random.org

Boy Baby Shower-Owl Theme

2011-06-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

We had my sister in laws baby shower this weekend so I thought I would share some pictures. Sorry they aren't the greatest pictures, I'm not a photographer. I need to work on that. But I think you'll get the idea.

I thought it turned out really cute, hopefully she liked it too!

Shark Steam Mop

2011-06-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

Does anyone have one of these?! I have wanted one for a while now, but I thought I should get some reviews before I go ahead and buy it. Let me know what you think of it, I'd love to hear your opinions!

My Favorite Candles

2011-06-23T12:47:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered a new line of candles at Target that I absolutely love. I haven't tried them all yet, but my favorite so far is definitely the lemon verbena!

They smell so fresh and clean and burn for quite a while.

Hello!

2011-06-20T14:37:00.000-07:00

First of all, thank you so much for all the kind emails while I've been away. Sorry I haven't responded to each one of you. All has been and is well around here!

I'm working on a baby shower for my sister in law so I thought I would share a few things along the way. Not much today, just invitations, stickers, and thank you cards. I love giving thank you cards as a gift--one less thing for the new mommy to worry about. We're going to have guests fill out an envelope with their address too so less work for the mommy! {yay!}

We obviously decided on an owl theme, and the colors are robin egg blue and orange. Hope she likes it!

giveaway winner!!

2011-03-05T21:58:00.000-08:00

the winner of the ruby blue inc. giveaway is....

amvanders who said...

very cute!!!

congrats!! and thanks to everyone who entered!

for those of you who are interested, you can follow ruby blue inc. on facebook here!

giveaway!!

2011-03-01T09:41:00.000-08:00

today i have a fabulous giveaway for you!! from ruby blue inc.

her work is absolutely gorgeous!! you have to head over and check it out...

too cute, huh?!

here is what she is giving away to one lucky winner...

one triple rolled rose cluster on satin wrapped headband

to enter simply leave a comment with your email address!!

entries close friday march 4th at 9pm est. winner will be chosen by random.org

{giveaway is only open to a little lovely followers, thanks!}

blog swap

2011-02-22T09:29:00.000-08:00

Hi! I'm Stacy from Not JUST A Housewife and I am beyond happy to be a guest here on A Little Lovely today! I love this blog :)

I am a stay at home mom to 4 little boys and I love it! Don't get me wrong, it can be hard. Sometimes down right crazy! But in between loads of laundry, at nap time, and into the late hours of the night I am able to find some "me" time. It helps keep me sane! Here are some of the things you can find on my blog.

I refinished this antique desk. You should see what it looked like before! I have a tutorial on how I did it HERE.

I needed more lighting in my front room but my hubby was unemployed at the time and I had zero budget for one. So I made this floor lamp out of scrap wood left over from other projects. Then I hand painted one of my own design on a lamp shade I had. I did have to buy a $10.00 lamp kit but I think it was worth the splurge! See the complete tutorial HERE.

If I can't find the right fabric I just paint my own!

See how I fixed up our old bathroom for around $75.00!

I also recently stenciled my entire bedroom ceiling. It took 4 days because I had 49 million interruptions, but it was worth it. I love waking up to a pretty ceiling! You can see more picture and how I did it HERE. There is also a tutorial on how I made the Chandelier HERE.

I painted an old brown table a fun yellow and then glazed it for an antiqued look. I have a tutorial that you can see HERE.

I host a linky party on Tuesdays called Show me what ya got! So come party with me on Tuesdays :)

I have an etsy shop called The Housewife Boutique too.

You can visit my shop by clicking HERE.

I also sometimes chat about "mom" things like BABY WEIGHT, bad days, traditions, cleaning, etc. So come and visit me sometime at Not JUST A Housewife :)

16x20 st. patrick's day subway art

2011-02-19T21:50:00.000-08:00

sorry for the lack of posts this week...i've been a touch busy!!!

here's a free subway art printable to get you started with your st. patrick's day decor this year!

click HERE to print!

tuesday tutorial

2011-02-15T10:03:00.000-08:00

today my friend leanne is here from elle apparel to share her ah-maz-ing shower curtain tutorial!! seriously this thing is gorgeous! i'm in the middle of making mine now and can't wait to share it with you soon!

the tutorial is a little lengthy but oh sooo worth it! trust me!!

be sure to stop by leanne's blog too cuz she is ridiculously talented!!

A while back I fell head over heals for this shower curtain from Anthropologie:

So I made it.

Want to make one too?

Let me just start by saying that this tutorial is not for the faint of heart.  I have never once given up in the middle of a sewing project, but if I didn't have a ruffle foot, I probably would have thrown in the towel on this one.  The actual skills needed to make this aren't very advanced, it just takes a looong time and is very tedious. 

If you decide to tackle it, just know that you have been forewarned.

Alright, here we go!

Materials:
 You will need lightweight cotton fabric in the various shades that you want for the ruffles.  I had 6 different color shades.  I purchased all of my fabric at the LA Fabric district so I was able to get them in 60" bolts.  It was also nice because all of the colors were grouped together so it was easy to see what the transition would look like from white to a dark mustard color.  All of the fabric measurements below are based on a 60" fabric bolt.
- For your main shower curtain piece you will need  about 4 1/2 yards.  This will give you enough for the entire back of the curtain (what all the ruffles will be sewn to), as well as 2 rows of ruffles.

-   For the rest of the ruffles, it just depends on how many ruffles you want to make out of that particular color.  I found that about 1 1/2 yards of 60" fabric was enough to make 2 rows of ruffles.  You will need 10 ruffles total.

note:  I prewashed and dried all of my fabric before I made this.  That way I can throw it in the wash when it gets dirty and not have to worry about it shrinking.

Thread to match each color of your ruffles
 
Some light-weight interfacing.  You don't need very much of it, about 1/4 of a yard would be enough.
A ruffle foot, if you have one.  Like I mentioned earlier, this was my saving grace.  Manually creating each ruffle will take a lot more time, so just be aware of this.
Lets get started: 

Step 1:

Cut your fabric for each piece of the curtain.
Main body of the curtain 
- 1 large piece that measures 70 1/2" L x 72 1/2" W  (I had to piece my fabric together to get my fabric this large)

- You will also need fabric for the top of your shower curtain that measures 72 1/2" L x 4 1/2" W

Ruffles 
- You will need 10 ruffles total.  9 rows need to measure 9 1/2" L x 144" W (this is double the width of the shower curtain to give you a nice full ruffle).  The top row of ruffles needs to measure 7 1/2" L x 144" W.  I definitely had to piece fabrics together here.  Some of my ruffles have 3 different pieces, but the seams are barley visible once everything is ruffled.

(note:  You can group your ruffle colors any way you would like.  You can space them out evenly and have 2 ruffles of each color.  I didn't want my colors so evenly spaced out, so I did 2 white, 1 cream, 1 light yellow, 2 med yellow, 3 dark yellow, and 1 mustard color.)

It really helped to label each piece once everything was cut.  I labeled the main shower curtain body pieces as well as each ruffle in order.

Step 2:
Surge / zigzag stitch around every edge of every piece of fabric.  I'm talking main curtain, each ruffle, everything. You can take or leave this step, and it is supertedious, but you won't have to worry about your fabric ever fraying.  Plus it looks nice and professional.  You will be glad you did when you are finished.  After putting that much work into a project, you want to make sure it will last you a long time.

My serger scraps really piled up by the time I was done. 

Now you will have a nice LARGE pile of perfectly prepped fabric.

Step 3:
Fold down and press the edges of your ruffles, and sides of your main shower curtain body 1/4" (don't worry about the top thin piece to the main body).  Sew 1/4" away from edge.

no, I'm serious. (told you guys this was tedious.  Make sure you have some good tunes to keep you from slitting your wrists.  I suggest Adele and Florence and the Machine)

note:  You don't have to fold under and sew the top of any of your ruffles.  These won't be seen.  Just the sides and the bottom. 

Step 4:
Time to get your ruffle on.  Ruffle your 1st row of ruffles and sew it to the very top of your large main shower curtain body (make sure it is the 7" ruffle and not the 9" ruffle). You can use your ruffle foot or stitch a long basting stitch and pull the end thread to create your ruffle manually.  Make sure it is the same width as your main curtain (72").

This is easier said then done.  By the end of your 6th ruffle you will be a master at man-handling 144 inches of fabric.

Step 5:
Mark with tailors chalk or a highlighter where each row of ruffles will be placed.  Your main curtain length is 70" long, you have 10 ruffles, so you will want 7" of each ruffle showing.  Having the 1st row of ruffles helps give you an idea of  where to start.  Mark where your 2nd row of ruffles will be sewn 2" underneath your 1st row (those 2" will be hidden).  Then, measure 7" down from that mark for the 3rd row, 7" more for the 4th row etc.

(I used a yellow highlighter, so it's a little hard to see)

Step 6:
Ruffle the remaining 9 strips of fabric till you are ready to gouge your eyeballs out.  Make sure each row is 72" wide after being ruffled.

Remember to keep each row of ruffles labeled so you know in what order to place them.

Step 7:
Pin your ruffles to your main curtain along the lines that you have previously marked, and sew in place.  I started by pinning about 2 rows at a time, sewing them, then pinning on 2 more rows.  The more pins you use, the less chance your ruffles will shift as you are moving your fabric around.

note:  The more ruffles that are attached, the heavier the fabric gets and the harder it is to control.  So go slowly.  I was constantly checking and double checking that I didn't have extra fabric bunched up under my needle as I sewed.

Step 8:
Cut a strip of interfacing that is 2" wide and 72" long (mine was in 2 separate pieces that measured 72 inches)

Step 9:
Iron the top piece of your shower curtain in half width-wise, open it up and place the interfacing  in the middle.  There should be about 1/4" fabric that is not covered by the interfacing.  Fold back in half and press long enough to make the interfacing bind to the fabric.

The interfacing is to make the fabric more stable since you will be sewing button holes along the top for your shower curtain rings.

Step 10:
Finish off the edges of the top of your shower curtain by folding in half wrong sides together, stitching 1/4" away from the edge, flipping right-side out and pressing.

Step 11:
Pin the top section of your shower curtain to the main body of the curtain.  Right-sides together, with the bottom/raw edges pointing up (see picture).

Stitch in place 1/4" away from the edge

It kinda looks like my sewing machine threw up a bunch of ruffles, doesn't it?

Step 12:
Fold the top of the shower curtain with the right side facing you, and press (make sure the selvage edges in the back point down).

Step 13:
Sew button holes.  Make sure your button hole is large enough to fit your curtain rings through.  I suggest practicing on some scraps before you start so that you know exactly where to mark your fabric.

You will sew 12 button holes total.  The 2 outside holes should be 2" away from each end, then the rest of the button holes should all be 6" apart.

Cut open each button hole with your seam ripper.

Now go get a massage, and make your husband take you on a hot date.  You deserve it.

You can finally bask in the glow of your finished product:

I am in love with the end result.  And I only spent $20 on the fabric!

Sewing this curtain was a lot like going through a pregnancy.  Unbearable during some points, but once the process is completed, you tend to forget how painful the process actually was.  I think I might shower in this bathroom from now on.

happy valentines day!!

2011-02-14T14:54:00.000-08:00

if you're in need of some last minute cupcake toppers, gift tags, or labels head over to groopdealz to print my valentine day printables for FREE!!

ps-you really could use them for anything, not just valentines day, so you may want to head over and print them no matter what!

new button

2011-02-11T11:18:00.000-08:00

here is a new button for those of you who have been asking for it! sorry it took me so long!!

friday features

2011-02-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

tuesday tutorial

2011-02-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

The Adorable Balloon Wreath!

First you need balloons. Lots and lots of balloons.

(2 bags of 72 count...the 1 1/2 to 2 inch sized balloon)

You also need:

1. 2 greening pin packs-found at Craft stores in the artificial plant section.

2. and a straw wreath -leave the plastic on so it doesn't shed.

You just take a greening pin, stick the balloon in the middle...

and stick it to the straw wreath.

Push it in nice and tight.

Do this over and over and over until the whole wreath is filled in colorful balloons!

What a way to welcome the birthday person with COLOR! My kids love it when the birthday wreath comes out...it is now associated with birthday FUN!!!

Happy Birthday!

Want more from HowDoesShe.com? They have hundreds of ideas including:

Chore Chart for Multiple Kids, Pinkalicious Party Ideas, and 6-Layer "Cakeriffic" Cake Tips

saturday soiree #38

2011-02-04T23:25:00.000-08:00

welcome to my last saturday soiree linky party!! i have enjoyed hosting these parties and also enjoyed helping everyone share their amazing talent...but this will indeed be my last one!

i'd love to continue sharing your fabulous ideas however, so please...if you'd like to be featured on a little lovely email me at alittlelovelyblog@hotmail.com

i can't thank you all enough for participating and helping me make my saturday soiree parties such a success!

thank you, thank you!

please remember...

no etsy shops, stores, etc.

link to your specific post

add my saturday soiree button to your blog, anywhere is fine

become a follower/subscriber {pretty please?!}

thanks!!

5. Laundry Room Organization

6. Valentine Love Notes

7. Valentines Mantel & Printable. . . Polaroid Love

8. P. S. I Love Your Laughter sign

9. Jewelry Tree

10. $5 Chair made AWESOME!

11. Makeover Fondo

12. Makeover Bathroom

13. Super Easy DIY Valentine Wreath

14. Mummy Reward Sticks

15. Chinese New Year Firecrackers

16. Lino Cut Journal Prompts

17. Shabby chic makeover

18. Modern Country Valentine

19. Modern Country Valentine

20. chicken artichoke alfredo

21. 3 Valentines Cushions (kiss me, hug me, love me)

22. I made a cake for y`all!!!

23. Going Strong

24. Origami Blossoms

25. Carve a stamp video tutorial

26. Paper Pamphlets Dress !!!

27. Card Holder @ Mummy Crafts

28. Fabric Bar Tray

29. Lovely Quilling Card

30. Map Art

31. Buffalo Check Curtains

32. Puffy Heart Wreath

33. Man Candy & Duct Tape Roses

34. Heart Hair Clip Tute

35. Valentine Apron

36. Felt Flower Tutorial

37. LEAF TEXTURED PAPER

38. LEAF TEXTURED PAPER

39. Table Restore

40. A Cute Card

41. Perpetual Calendar

42. Valentine Card Tutorial

43. Faux Wood Inlay

44. ice hearts in the snow

45. $3 Valentine Decor

46. Bella of the Ball - Dog Coat

47. Bookpage Monogram

48. lavendar sachets

49. TP Valentine Banner

50. Moved to create

51. Chocolate Covered Everything

52. Faux Silver Hearts

53. vinyl clock

54. Basket Organizing

55. Sugar Cookies w/ Twist

56. Rich Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

57. Petite Yellow Dresser

58. Zesty Italian Chicken

59. valentine KISSES

60. Framed hearts

61. Repurposed Map Bracelet

62. anniversary/valentine's cake topper

63. You've Captured My Heart

64. By By White

65. crochet mice

66. Yarn Wreath

67. Kids Felt Bracelet

68. Honey Chipotle Pork

69. Ugly Lamp Revamp

70. MH's Handy Work

71. Free Val. Printables

72. love banner

73. Hallway revamp. . .

78. Yarn Valentine Wreath

83. Valentine's Day Messages {Printables}

84. How to Add a Link in a Comment

85. Fabric Rosette Accessories Tutorial

86. Valentine's Door Hang

87. Bow Front Bird Chest

88. iPad Case

89. Extra Special Obi Belt

90. Little Black Dress

91. Sentimental Art

92. Love Story

93. big girl quilt

94. Love Birds Pictures

95. Lovin' Life Bookmarks

96. Airy Sunroom Curtains

97. Valentines Sugar Scrub

98. Cupcake Liner Wreath

99. Beautiful Stained Bench Made from a Headboard

100. Playhouse Remodel

101. Martha Stewart-style heart pot holders

102. Valentine's Wreath

103. Valentine's Wreath

104. Mid-Winter Blues! Yum!

105. Dark Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

106. v-day garland

107. Monogrammed Pillow

108. Lollipop Porch Pots!

109. Leopard Apron @ Santa's Gift Shoppe YR Round

110. Paper Cut-Outs Chain Tutorial

111. Hutch Before & AFter

112. Giant Birthday Cookie

113. Skirt & Belt Purse Tute

114. SUPERBOWL FAV RECIPES @ Santa's Gift Shoppe YR Round

115. Vintage Image Table Runner

116. Okra and a Vintage Mason Jar

117. Love Birds Frames

118. Super Bowl 7 layerDip @ Santa's GiftShoppe YR Round

119. Sweet Valentine Day Crafts

120. Cauliflower & Sausage Pasta

121. Paint Chip Pennant Banner

122. Swirly Earrings

123. Magnetic Paint Wall

124. Sea shell crafts

125. map garland

126. Cannoli Cupcakes

127. Corn and Black Bean Relish

128. Tacos Carne Asada

129. White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

130. "New" Desk

131. Valentine's Day Printables

132. Valentine Sweater Rosette Wreath

133. Valentine's Apron from a Tea Towel

134. Hexies

135. KooKooCraft art doll

136. Super Bowl Silliness

137. Sucker for Valentine's Day

138. Quickest Hamburger Casserole Ever

139. Cookie Decorating with my sisters

140. Memory Frame reversible necklace

141. P&HP Designs

142. Valentine cards

143. Valentine's Block

144. Shabby Chic Yo Yo Wall Hangings

145. Burlap Lamp Shades

146. Bead Jewellery

147. Beaded Wine Glass Charms

148. Headband Earmuff Tutorial

149. Wedding Photo Framed Scrapbook Style

150. Fun Guest Soaps

151. Pink Circle Hearty Card

152. Necklace Organizer

153. Broiled Garlic-and-Herb Chicken Thighs

154. Sparkling new, old wall vase

155. Upcycled dry erase magnets

156. Octopus in my pocket toddler tee

157. Toothless the Dragon toddler tee

158. spool valentine

159. overall (jon jon) tutorial

160. Nursery Knock-Offs

161. EZ Decorative Molding

162. Valentines Wreath

163. Magnetic Frame

164. Valentine's scrabble frame

165. Fabric Covered Buttons Earrings

166. Salad with Spiced Walnuts

167. Dog leash hangers

168. blooming branches

169. i woof you

170. Life size canvas

171. Antique Coke Bottle Centerpiece!

172. No Sew Table Runner

173. Living Room - Before and After

174. knock off t-shirt

175. flower pillow

176. choo choo train

177. valentine's mailbox

178. upcycling clothes

179. Stool to Plant stand

180. Refashioned Pink Polka Dots

181. Tiger Lily necklace

182. Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies

183. Ruffled Hand Towel

184. ATC Valentine Suitcase

185. Mr Darcy Inspires Me

186. L O V E

187. Mother Daughter Graffiti Fashion

188. Versatile Plaques

189. Sister Sister Sunday Valentine's Ideas

190. Mocha Ice Box Cake

191. Day in the life. . .

192. Peanutty Valentine Cookies

193. Coconut Bread

194. Felt Crown Tutorial @ Hippos & Dinos

195. Super simple chich sack!!

196. coffee mug tree

197. Harry Potter Wand Tutorial

198. Valentine Subway Art - Square

199. Valentine Luminarie

200. Valentine Wreath for Kids

201. Valentine love!

202. Chocolate Covered Strawberries-football style

203. dollar tree valentine word art

204. fabulous fan photos!

205. DIY Chalkboard Photography Prop

206. Playdoh Valentines

207. Safari Adventure

208. Table leaf to Coat rack

209. Dump Truck Mail Box

210. 2 SEW OR NOT 2 SEW

211. Pretty Wall Moldings

212. No-Paint Paint Chip Art

213. Super Bowl Decorations

214. Handmade Card Giveaway

215. Vday Art from Magazines

216. Cider-Poached Pears

217. Natural Butterfly Card & 5 min Cake

218. Valentines Cake Balls

219. Mr. & Mrs. Pillows

220. Ruffles and Hearts Table Runner (a tutorial)

221. Reversible Bag

222. Revamped Thrift Finds

223. V-day Topiaries

224. Office Organization

225. Cake Pops

226. Easy Rockin' Apron

227. All You Need Is Love Canvas Art

228. Being Thankful

229. Valentine Frame

230. Around The Clock Bridal Shower

231. Construction & Trains Felt Play Mats

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friday features

2011-02-04T09:33:00.000-08:00

custom prints

2011-02-03T16:26:00.000-08:00

thought i would share a custom project i've been working on lately!!

love these quotes!

february ucreate printable of the month

2011-02-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

just wanted to let everyone know, i'm sharing my free printable of the month today on ucreate!!

they're cupcake toppers, but they really could be used for any sweet treat!!

head over to ucreate to print them!!

ps-i'm going to be closing my shop soon, so hurry over and grab something if you'd like for 50% off before it's gone!! use coupon code LOVELY50

tuesday tutorial

2011-02-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy to be here! I know this is a little different for A Little Lovely, but I'm glad Jamie was willing to let me participate in her Tuesday Tutorials! I figure that all of you wonderfully talented, crafty women may like to know how to take pictures of the beautiful things you make, so this might be helpful, right? A few weeks ago, I did a q&a forum on my photography blog where people could ask me anything they wanted about photography. Here are a few of the questions I thought might be useful to those of you wanting to learn how to use your DSLR cameras:

Q: I've gotten a couple questions, just asking about the basics. What do I need to know if I'm just starting out?

A: The one recurring thing I've seen while looking at photography sites and blogs is to shoot in manual mode. Don't let the camera be in control! There are a few basic things you need to know for manual shooting to be successful.

1) It's all about light!

Lighting is oh so important when taking pictures. In order for your camera to actually take a picture, there needs to be light. The lighting in the environment you are shooting can have a great effect on how your pictures turn out. I always shoot either in the morning or evening when the sun has just risen or is just about to set. Unless, of course, it's cloudy outside. Then anytime will do! The reason for this is, if you shoot in direct sunlight (if you aren't using fill flash, diffusers, light bouncers, etc.) you will get weirdy shadows on people's faces.

2) Shutter speed

Shutter speed is pretty self explanatory. It basically means how long the shutter of the camera stays open. The longer the shutter is open, the more light is let in. When using long shutter speeds, you should probably use a tripod and make sure your subject isn't moving or you will get some blur. When I am doing a photo shoot, I like to keep my shutter speed at 1/100 (one one-hundredth of a second) or faster. That way I can eliminate any blur from camera shake or subject movement.

3) Aperture (f-stop)

Aperture refers to the size of the opening in the lens where the light comes in. Aperture is measured in "f-stops." The smaller the f-stop, the more wide open the lens is. Kind of confusing in theory, but it makes sense when using your camera. For example, I do a lot of my shoots using a 50mm f/1.8 lens. The "f/1.8" refers to how wide open I can set the aperture. If my f-stop is a 1.8 I am letting in the most light. Lenses that have the ability to open up wider are better in low light situations.

4) ISO

ISO is basically how sensitive your camera sensor is to light. Back in the days of film photography you had to buy different kinds of film to get different levels of sensitivity, but with digital cameras you are able to change the sensitivity level of your sensor depending on the lighting situation you are in. You have to be careful with this, though, because if you set your ISO too high, your pictures will be grainy. As a rule of thumb, I don't set my ISO any higher than 800. The lower you can set it, the better.

Did you notice that shutter speed, aperture, and ISO all determine how much light is let in to take a picture? It's all about light! Obviously, there is a lot more to all of these things than I wrote, and my limited knowledge comes from reading and talking to other photographers. There are a ton of resources out there to help you learn more about your camera!

Q: How do you get so much blur in the background?

A: There are many ways to get blur or bokeh in the background of your pictures. The easiest way is to get a lens that has a low f-stop (allowing the aperture to open up wide.) A wider aperture will give you more blur in the background of your pictures because it shortens your depth of field. The lens I use to get the bokeh in my pictures is the 50mm f/1.8. If you don't have a lens that opens up this wide, set the f-stop as low as it will go and make sure your subject is close to you and the background is far away. You can still get good blur this way. For example:

This picture was taken with a lens that can only open up to a f/4.0. It still has some pretty good blur going on in the background because I was pretty close to the tree branch, and the background was fairly far away.

Q: What do you do to edit your pictures? How do you get the colors to pop?

A: I've discovered that post processing is almost as important as the actual picture-taking. The way you edit a picture can make it or break it. Let me walk you through the post processing of one of my favorite pictures:

This is the picture straight out of camera (SOOC). Not too shabby, but it could use a little somethin' somethin' to make it better. I've found that pictures SOOC don't have the contrast and color brightness that I'm looking for. Editing really helps to enhance this.

The first things I do are some simple RAW edits. I use the RAW editing software that came with my camera, but everyone says Adobe Camera Raw is amazing. I'll probably switch over, but I'm comfortable with the way I've been doing it :) Anyway, the only things I have done here are to bring up the sharpness and bring down the shadows. See what a big difference there is already??

The next thing I do is convert the RAW image to JPEG and open it in Photoshop. With a picture like this that is close-up and focused on the eyes, I really want those baby blues to pop, so I start with giving them just a bit more sharpness. To do this use your elliptical selection tool and make a rough selection of both eyes.

Hit "command+J" on a mac to put the selection on a new layer. Then we use the "smart sharpen" tool.

Dial in the sharpness so that it looks natural and you're done! (with that step) See how the eyes pop more now?

Now, I do one more step on those eyes. I use the Coffeeshop action "Eye Bright." See the subtle difference that makes?

Now, all this picture needs is for those colors to really POP! For this, I love the Coffeeshop action "Lustrous Pop." It was a little intense when I finished so I dialed the opacity down to 65%. Ta Da! There you have it!

I hope that was somewhat helpful or interesting to all of you! Thanks again, Jamie for letting me stop by!

a winner + bathroom pics

2011-01-31T12:17:00.000-08:00

the winner of the $35 CSN gift certificate is...

jennifer who said...

i've been dying for a desk or a storage bench. i would totally put the money towards that =)xoXOxoJenn

to claim your prize email me at alittlelovelyblog@hotmail.com

congrats!!

and here are a couple pictures of my "finished" bathroom. it's not complete but it'll be like this for a little while...i'm trying to decide what i want to do with the cabinets and light fixture. i also have a few craft and sewing projects left to do, which i'll share along the way, but for the most part i'm done!!

to see the before and during pictures you can go HERE

and HERE

saturday soiree #37

2011-01-29T00:05:00.000-08:00

i totally thought i would have my bathroom done, however that is not the case...i wish!

it's a small room but it sure does take a lot of work.

soon, i promise.

for now, want to show me what you've been up to lately?! i'm sure something fabulous...

please remember...

no etsy shops, stores, etc.

link to your specific post

add my saturday soiree button to your blog, anywhere is fine

become a follower/subscriber {pretty please?!}

thanks!!

be sure to enter the $35 CSN gift certificate giveaway if you haven't already!!

friday features

2011-01-28T16:32:00.000-08:00

new look & a giveaway

2011-01-26T17:30:00.000-08:00

i'm sure you've noticed my new blog design by now...i'm constantly changing it, huh? one advantage to designing my own blog is that i can change it as often as i'd like...but that's also a disadvantage, hehe! it'll be staying like this for awhile though!! i love love love it!! the color may change with the seasons but the logo design will stay the same.

and for the giveaway...a $35 gift certificate to CSN!

my mind right now is on my bathroom but here are a couple other things i could use around my house.

adjustable bar stools

houndstooth bench

sunburst mirror

k, to enter leave a comment telling me what you would use the $35 for!! the gift certificate can be used at any of the 200+ CSN stores.

giveaway will end monday january 31st at 12 noon est!

winner will be chosen by random.org
{giveaway is only open to a little lovely followers}

tuesday tutorial

2011-01-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

Well hello there! My name is Katie P from Food, Wine, & Mod Podge, and I am so tickled to be with you here today!

One of my true loves is stationery. I love poring through stationery websites and stores, ogling at all the cute and fun new designs. So one day when I saw a store doing a step-by-step demonstration of stamp embossing, I was floored! It's so easy, and looks so professional! I quickly got hooked, and now I'll never purchase stationery again!

Stamp Embossing

Here are the items you will need:

Notecards and envelopes. Of course this is an embossing overview for stationery, but really you can emboss any paper project.

Rubber stamps. Any stamps that tickle your fancy. They're not too expensive, in the $3-$10 range depending on size. Also, through Etsy there are plenty of sellers that will happily make you a custom stamp if you're looking for something particular.

Stamp pads. I prefer Color Box pads because the ink stays moist a little longer than others, and for embossing that's a good thing.

Embossing powder. You'll need clear powder for sure to get the color through from the stamp. However, you'll see that I have another smaller container hiding back there, I'll explain what that is later.

And finally, the embossing heat tool. This is essentially a really high heat, low speed, small hair dryer. It blows very, very hot air gently to melt the embossing powder.

That's it!

Ok, now let's get started. I promise, this is so easy!

Get the stamp nice and covered in ink. Really make sure it's completely covered.

Press down firmly where you want the stamp to go. You see I'm going off the edge of the card (on purpose) which is where the newspaper underneath is a good choice. Press firmly, but don't wiggle it. It will be blurry if you do that.

Stamped.

Pour the clear embossing powder onto the stamped area. Since I'm going off the edge, I do it over the cap of the powder container, so I don't lose too much. Then tap it all off so it looks like this:

Now, it's time for the embossing heat tool. Turn it on, and wave it back and forth, pointed at the stamp, about 2 inches from the paper. As it warms up, you'll start to see the powdered stamp transform into a glossy, vibrant design.

See that shine? And it's beautifully raised as well. You'll be amazed at how professional these look!

That's it! You're done! Well, of course, if you only wanted one stamp. I'm now going to show you that other embossing powder, the one that was hiding behind the clear powder. This is a gold powder. The transformation of this one is so cool.

Stamp another fresh stamp down on your paper. You'll notice I used blue again. Believe me, it will only be blue for a few more seconds. You can stamp right over your already embossed stamp, it won't mess it up.

Pour the gold powder on your new stamp, and shake off excess. Then use your magic heat tool and....

Look at that beautiful shiny gold! The blue hiding underneath is completely gone, and we're left with a glistening raised gold stamp.

Some examples of the different fun things you can do. In addition to stationery, this is a great trick for scrapbooking, or even Etsy handmade "made by" cards to send out with your sales!

A big thanks to A Little Lovely for letting me share this tutorial with you all!

bathroom update

2011-01-24T15:34:00.000-08:00

just a quick update on my bathroom. it's coming along...slowly, but at least there is some progress. whew! i have learned a lot that is for sure!

saturday soiree #36

2011-01-21T21:52:00.000-08:00

can't wait to see what you all have to share this week! my bathroom is coming along great! should be done this week, can't wait to share it!!

thanks for coming to my party!!

please remember...

no etsy shops, stores, etc.

link to your specific post

add my saturday soiree button to your blog, anywhere is fine

become a follower/subscriber {pretty please?!}

thanks!!

friday feature

2011-01-21T21:41:00.000-08:00

i'm so sorry i am just posting this, with only hours to spare on friday! but this link is too good not to share! i fell in love the second i saw it! you probably all know how much i love stripes, right?! lol so of course i will be doing this somewhere in my house, hehe!

the yellow cape code

but seriously, aren't they amazing?!?! they make such a huge difference in the room!

thanks for sharing last week, hope you will all come back again tomorrow!

you may have noticed...

2011-01-20T20:42:00.000-08:00

that my newsletter sign up box is gone! in an effort to simplify my life a little this year i have decided to not do a newsletter anymore! the biggest reason i started doing it was to share my free printables with those of you who subscribed.

of course i still want to share my free printables with you, and will do so here on my blog...i would just ask that you kindly follow my blog publicly if you print them, and if you really want to make sure you don't miss anything you can side up on the sidebar to receive my posts in your inbox through feedburner!

i hope you all understand, sorry for all the back and forth!!

last chance

2011-01-20T19:02:00.000-08:00

last chance to take advantage of my valentine subway art deal on groopdealz!! i'm almost to my goal of 100!!

new lamps+bathroom update

2011-01-19T22:37:00.000-08:00

when i'm working on a project i always debate back and forth about whether to share my progress along the way or just the final project...this time i've decided to share my progress a long the way...

sooo...these pictures are not glamorous {forgive me please}!

my mom and dad have been emptying out their storage unit lately and i'm definitely benefiting...lots of free stuff!!! thanks mom and dad!!

amongst all their stuff were these fabulous lamps...two of them!! for whatever reason our family room has zero lighting! not one light in the ceiling. we've been living in the dark for a while now, lol! needless to say we were in desperate need of some lamps in the room!!

before

after

like i said, not a lovely photo...but you get the idea! lots more work to do on this room but these lamps are just the pop of color i need!!

ps-um...lets pretend that speaker isn't there.

our second bathroom is the last room in the house that i have to paint {besides closets, of course! probably not gonna go there, haha!} i've decided to tackle this project all at once...paint, molding, mirror, accessories, etc.

before

during

obviously i still have a long way to go. but im enjoying the project a lot! i've got lots of fun ideas and can't wait to share some pretty final pictures with you when i finish soon {hopefully, fingers crossed!}

have you check out my groopdealz?! 3 valentine art prints for $7.50!!

A Little Lovely on Groopdealz TODAY!!

2011-01-18T23:01:00.000-08:00

yay!! today is the day!! only $7.50 for all three of my valentine's day prints on groopdealz!

go HERE to order now!!

i'd love it if you shared my deal with all your family and friends, the more the merrier!!

thank you all so much!!!!

8x10 Pink Heart Print

4x6 I Love You Print

5x7 Valentine's Day Subway Art

tuesday tutorial

2011-01-18T03:00:00.000-08:00

This is an extremely EASY and cheap idea for a photography prop, that also doubles as a way to keep the kids entertained!

As a photographer Im always on the look out for cute new props and ideas.. especially for the little ones! :)

Well I had a shoot coming up that I needed a #2, for! :)
That might have sounded strange.
Let me explain.
I had a "birthday" photo shoot for a little girl (pictured above) who had just turned 2! Her mom asked if I had any number props. I didnt but said I would be on the look out and be sure to have one for her by the time her photo shoot came up.

Well I looked around, in stores, online.. and couldnt really find any wooden letters!

None at least that didnt cost an arm and a leg! Sheesh. HAHA

So I had to really think.

I decided to go to Michaels and be inspired!

Thats when I found these cute wooden shapes.

Only $1 each!

I instantly knew that I had to buy them, and what I would do with them!

I went to home depot next and bought some spray paint:

I used the primer first, sorry no picture, let it dry 20 minutes, then gave it another coat.

After another 20 min, I sprayed it with the chalkboard spray paint.

I gave it 3 coats of the chalkboard paint. 20 min between each coat.

Then let it dry over night!

The next day I seasoned the chalkboard, by turning a piece of chalk on its side and rubbing it all over!

Wipe off with chalk eraser (or paper towel.. thats what I used!)

And do this again several times.

This way when you actually write something for the first time, it doesnt stay permanent!

After your new cute chalkboards are properly seasoned..

grab some chalk

and write! :)

Here is little Bruce helping me with a little test shot.

And here is a little sneak from the photo shoot I mentioned!

Roxanne in her cute little birthday dress for her 2 year photos, using the heart chalkboard! :)

Completely ADORABLE right!?

(for the record, though, I did end up finding a small wooden 2! We did use it in her shoot, but I am so glad I came up with the chalkboards.. they were much cuter than an plain old wooden 2!)

ONE more thing.. Remember I said they were also good for entertaining the kids?

I gave them to my two oldest to play with during a long car ride. :)

They stayed entertained for a good hour!

Success!
You gotta love a double use craft!!!

I also just had another idea pop into my head as I was writing this..

I think it would be just adorable for a couples photo shoot!

With each person holding a side of the heart and an ampersand written on it! :)

I think the ideas are endless... ♥♥♥

Thanks so much for stopping by,

Have a blessed day!!

~♥Maria-Isabel

saturday soiree #35

2011-01-14T23:48:00.000-08:00

Super exciting news!!

Next week, on Wednesday January 19th and Thursday January 20th I'm doing my first deal on Groopdealz.com!!

Here's what I'm selling...

Three Valentine's Day prints for just $7.50 {Originally $15}

{includes 1 8x10, 1 5x7, and 1 4x6. actual prints will be shipped to you!}

To purchase these prints, just visit Groopdealz.com next Wednesday or Thursday, click "Buy it Now" and follow the directions from there! I'd love it if you helped me spread the word...the more the merrier!!

Now onto the party!!

please remember...

no etsy shops, stores, etc.

link to your specific post

add my saturday soiree button to your blog, anywhere is fine

become a follower/subscriber {pretty please?!}

thanks!!

friday features

2011-01-14T03:00:00.000-08:00

aren't these projects from last week's saturday soiree just lovely!?

three boys

creative mommas

serendipity chic design

house of ficek

chelsea gets married

k, i promise you i have a ton of projects to share with you soon!! i have been so busy working on all of them that i haven't had much time to share them! lately i've been working on...

-side tables for family room

-lamps for family room

-framing mirror in bathroom

and soon i'll probably start on...

-stenciling in the family room

-painting the bathroom

-board and batten in the bathroom

i've got lots to keep me busy!! oh ya and i've been working on some super cute valentine's day printables!!! i'll give ya a sneak peak tomorrow!!

yep, another giveaway!!

2011-01-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

i'm doing another giveaway over at eighteen25! head on over to enter!!

and even if you don't want to enter you'll want to check out their blog!! fab-u-lous is an understatement!

seriously, yesterday was my biggest day EVER!! on a little lovely thanks to these wonderful gals!

thanks girls!!

tuesday tutorial

2011-01-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

Hello All! It is Bobi, from Shoestring Sophistication, and I am honored to be featured here on A Little Lovely.

I don't know about you, but I have been drooling over sunburst mirrors for a while now and decided enough was enough. I wasn't going to fork up the $$$ most retail stores charge for them so I threw together what I found to be the most inexpensive resources to create a beautiful piece of art.

I have had some circle mirrors lying around since my wedding last May and decided to put one to use! Here are the supplies I used for this project:

- Charger Plate from Michael's - $1

-Circle Mirror - Free

- 4 packs of wooden dowels from Hobby Lobby - $8

-Gold Beads - Free

-Glue Gun - Free

Total Cost = $9 and about an hour of my time!

Step 1: First, I drew a grid on the back of the charger and tested out how I wanted to place the dowels.

Step 2: Spray paint the dowels with metallic gold paint

Step 3: Attach wooden dowels to back of charger.

Secure mirror to front of charger. Both done with a glue gun (don't skimp on the glue!)

Step 4: Apply beads to edge of mirror

Enjoy!

Thank you to A Little Lovely for allowing me to share this simple project with you all:)

another giveaway!

2011-01-10T11:32:00.000-08:00

for those that are interested...i'm doing another giveaway over on along for the ride!!

saturday soiree #34

2011-01-07T21:39:00.000-08:00

thanks for coming to party!! let's just get right to it!

please remember...

no etsy shops, stores, etc.

link to your specific post

add my saturday soiree button to your blog, anywhere is fine

become a follower/subscriber {pretty please?!}

thanks!!

friday features

2011-01-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

i want to do this so bad!! i'm thinking maybe in my bathroom?!

aren't these super cute?! i love valentine's day!!

isn't this gorgeous?? love the sophisticated look of the fabric!

and this kitchen table...ah! why when i paint things do they not look this fabulous?! i obviously need some tips...PLEASE!

GORGEOUS! i don't think i need to say anything else!

again...why, when i paint things, do they not look this good?!

i've got some side tables i'm working on right now and i can only hope they turn out this cute!

thanks for linking up, feel free to grab a button on the side bar if you ladies would like one!

hope everyone will come back tomorrow to link up!

GIVEAWAY!!

2011-01-05T12:01:00.000-08:00

i'm doing a giveaway over at whipperberry...hope you'll all head over to enter!!

remember...i do custom orders, so if you win and don't see something you want in my shop, i'll be more than happy to create something custom just for you!!

good luck!!

sponsor love: madison reece designs

2011-01-04T23:16:00.000-08:00

just wanted to let everyone know that you can visit madison reece design's facebook page to find out about new products in her shop as well as giveaways she's doing!! totally worth checking out, huh?!

by the way...how cute is this bag?! you can find it in her shop HERE