Hand-tied tutu instructions, sneaked in at the end of 2010

I saw the end of 2010, with my husband off work, as a perfect time to finish up another tutorial. This tutorial offers tutu instructions - how to make a tutu that's simple, hand-tied, and gorgeous! It's so much easier to work when my husband is home to keep an eye on the kids. Plus, this time, he helped me put the tutorial together, and even helped shoot the photos (I figured out the camera settings, stuck my hands in the light studio, and he pressed the button). I knew I'd never be able to find a hand model willing to work between Christmas and New Year's, LOL! I might be one of the few crazy gals who saw the holiday break as a chance for quality work time.

Meanwhile, I'm sure you've noticed, but the banner on my website went MIA on Cyber Monday. The gal who designed my website back in 2007 is involved with other pursuits, and has been unable to help retrieve the banner. So I've hired another banner designer, Dreamlike Magic, to make a new one for me. She does fantastic work, and the banner should be unveiled shortly after the new year.

I'm taking this experience as a lesson - when you have custom graphics made, be sure to get the originals and file them on your own computer for future use. People's businesses and lives change, so it's best to keep yourself as organized as possible. A New Year's resolution for me, I suppose!

Enjoy a safe New Year's Eve celebration, and I look forward to sharing more free hair bow instructions and other tutorials on here in 2011!

Free Hair Bow Instructions - How to make easy no-slip grips

Sometimes I get requests to add no-slip grips to my bows, to help them stay in fine baby hair. There are several different ways to do this, but this method is easy, neat, and very inexpensive!
I didn't use the white background like I do in my hair bow instructions and pdf tutorials, but this is still clear and easy to see on my cutting mat!


Supplies:
*A roll of shelf liner, available at any big-box retail store. You can get "Easy Liner" or any similar brand, which is like a ridged, compressible foam. It's usually under $5 per roll.
*A double-prong pinch clip (single-prong will work as well)
*Hot glue gun and glue
*Ruler
*Scissors or rotary cutter and mat



1. Cut a 1/4" strip of the shelf liner from end to end, like this:




2. Now, cut this into 1-1/4" sections, as below:




3. After mounting your clip to the back of your bow, simply glue the shelf liner strip to the bottom inside of the pinch clip. Make sure you glue it securely from end to end, and you'll have to hold it open for about 30 seconds to make sure the glue doesn't seep through and glue your clip shut!! (that would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it!)



And that's it! It's such a simple method of creating a no-slip grip, and the shelf liner can be purchased in other colors and textures if you're looking to coordinate with your bows. There are other methods of creating no-slip grippers as well, and I'd love for you all to share your ideas!

Keepin' creative indoors

With the amount of snow and cold weather we've had in northern Indiana this month, it's not hard to believe that our preferred activities are of the indoor variety -- crafting, coloring, and (I'm planning it now!) baking. I wish I were lover of outdoor winter sports, but frankly I'm just not! It's a struggle to get my butt outside to run when it's below 40 degrees.
So as I worked on boutique bow orders this morning, I set my youngest daughter up with a few sheets of paper and asked her to create some cards for her preschool teacher and the classroom aids. It's never to early to be creative, is it? Although she's got a persistent cough this week, her spirits are high and she had a lot of fun finishing her creations.


As she colored she noticed some deer running behind our house, and I snapped a photo of one....it's like a hidden picture! (shot through a screen, hence the imperfections). Can you see it? Seeing deer isn't rare, but it's still always fun.


As the new year approaches, I'm thinking about all of the new plans I have on my agenda in 2011! Look for a new and improved blog as well as projects and ideas that will keep your creative juices flowing next year!

Latest books for sale!

For those who want to make flower bows, pinwheels and baby snap clips, this is the tutorial for you! Another well-photographed and well-written tutorial, you're sure to have hours of fun trying these techniques. And, when you purchase, you'll get access to my private blog with video tips and techniques, as well as supplier resources! You can purchase on Etsy today!