Looking back for inspiration ~

When I've not been terribly productive over the weekend ~

I tend to look back at my past creativity, photographs and blog posts

to share with you and to inspire me too!

I have an inner desire to be creative ALL OF THE TIME ~

but being a wife, mama and mimi just doesn't afford me that luxury...

and truthfully, I would much rather have those blessings

that keep me from the studio

than to have all the time in the world to make stuff

A few photos that I love that I hope you do to!

Treasures:

I found this photo of my sweet little snow guys I made last year ~

these are from my little snowman tutorial!!!

A gorgeous sunrise ~ I have so loved living here at the farmhouse!

 Our tree last year....I hope our tree will be just as pretty this year!!!

One of my little mittens ~

Here's my first little elf shoe too!!!

I hope you had a great weekend and wish you a wonderful week ahead!!!

Happy Monday precious friends ~

hugs and love,

Dawn

A sweet elf shoe ornament tutorial for you ~

I finished my tutorial!!!

What's so sad is that it's been a year since I've added a new tutorial

to my Lessons from The Nest Shop ~

So what happened?

Yes, we moved but it seems life just took me over, you know?

I love sharing my ideas so much,

why am I not popping out one of these guys a month?????

Simply

CLICK HERE

if you'd like to purchase my elf shoe tutorial ~

It's only 5 bucks and you can make TONS of these for teachers, family, friends

and of course for yourself!!!!

So what's on my mind now?

Angel wings.

Yes...you heard right, angel wings!

I want to create a precious small pair for you to hang in your home....

and to create for others and give to them as well ~

My mind is spinning but will land soon on the right idea ~

Stay tuned my sweet friends,

and thank you always for stopping by here!!!

Have a wonderful Wednesday,

hugs and love,

Dawn

The making of a tutorial ~

I've been working hard on my sweet new elf shoe tutorial!

I'm about half-way there...I take over one hundred photos of myself

actually making this sweetie and it takes quite awhile to edit them!!!

I hope to have it available in my Lessons from The Nest shop by my next blog post....

I make quite a production of it but want the instructions to be clear

and the photos to be as well!

Here's my little set-up ~

I make a big ol mess in the process....

Since I'm making it as I photograph it,

I always keep plenty of supplies nearby ~

I just love being surrounded by them all!

I've decided that if you stand still long enough around here....

I might just hang something on you!!!

I recently hung a wonderful inspiration board on the one 

French door that is open between

my studio and the guest room....

But when we have company ~ it should look pretty peeking under the curtain when the

door is closed, don't you think?

We had a rainy Monday here....cool temps too,

a few leaves are beginning to fall even though

they haven't quite changed yet.

It was so dry here during the end of the summer,

they must be tired of hanging on :)

I hope you are doing wonderful and that your week is off to a great start!

I love you all...thank you so much for visiting me ~

Have a beautiful October Tuesday,

hugs and love,

Dawn

And one was just right!

I've added more roses to the guest room!

I finally found these precious old panels (I have fabric stashed everywhere!)

These just happened to be inside of a vintage suitcase under our bed :)

I'm not happy with the rod but had to see them hanging...

I just started working on my new tutorial

to add to my Lessons from The Nest shop!

A sweet elf shoe ornament!

I've been designing the pattern and working on several prototypes...

The one I created last year was really quite small and hard to

manipulate with your fingers. So I enlarged the pattern and, well,

it was way too big (you can see my patterns stuffed inside)

But finally I reached a size that I think you'll love!

Now that I have the pattern, it's time to begin taking photographs

while I create one from beginning to the end, step by step.

These are in no way finished in these pics but you know

I have to show you what I'm up to!!

Wait till you see the finished shoe :)

I ran across the page below I'd scanned from my inspiration files.

I've shared it with you before but I think these are so lovely
and would make beautiful gifts, don't you?

Click it twice to read it larger ~

Have a very happy Tuesday dear friends!

hugs and love,

Dawn

I got to thinking.....

Which is a little dangerous, right? :)

I thought, could my little doll shoe tutorial be transformed

into a sweet ELF shoe???

I just had to find out!

I printed out the pattern again,

yes, I'm a goob and had to print out my own tutorial!

Then I altered the pattern so it would have a pointed toe

rather than a rounded one. Plus I made the sole of the shoe

pointed as well. I thought one of these would make a precious

Christmas tree ornament!!

Here's what happened :)

I just love it!!!

I used a beautiful upholstery damask for the fabric,

and had purchased some trim with teeny, tiny bells...

I knew one would be perfect on the toe!

My precious friend Deborah at Confessions of a Junkyard Cat

sent me this wonderful trim a while ago

I glued it around the top for the cuff ~

I love to buy scraps of suede at Hobby Lobby and the thinness of the suede

makes it perfect to use as a sole for the elf shoe.

A length of seam binding glued to the heel and

of course I had to dampen it and scrunch!

Perfect to use to hang on the tree....

OH, the sweet adornment in the front of the elf shoe?

Believe it or not, it's an upholstery tack with the back

cut off with a wire cutter!!! I just glued it on with Fabri-tac ~

I really should be their spokesperson you know,

I'm in love with the stuff!!

I sliced about ten thin strips of sheet music
with my paper slicer thing and then accordian folded it ~
perfect stuffing to go inside the elf shoe.

 

What a sweet adornment on a gift then the recipient

can hang it on their tree!

It feels so good to make something....

I believe we as human beings crave creating....don't you?

Just as our own Creator has.

Have a beautiful Tuesday my sweet friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn