Pretty Tape Measures

Something fun, cute & super easy and a great scrap stash buster!
In fact, it was so easy that I made two and was going to make more but I can't find the rest of my stash of tape measures!

The pattern/instructions are from this book (get it here in Aus) and trust me when I say it really is super easy to make.
I used these tape measures as they are super cheap and good quality.

Whatchya think of them? Cute or .... ???

I utilise affiliate links throughout my blog as a way to help me keep crafting. If you click on an aff link, I receive a very small amount from it at NO cost to you. So please help me to keep CraftyRie up and running by clicking on my aff links! Many thanks, Marie

Mini Blankets

What do you do when your 7yo son asks you for a 'blankie' to help him to not to 'turn into a bad person'??   You drop everything & sit there and make him a small blanket to surprise him in the morning.

Joe sat beside me last night and asked if I could remember back when I was a kid, if I ever worried about what type of person that I'd be.   I couldn't recall, so I asked him what type of person does he think he'll be. His answer .... "a bad person".   Why, I asked. He replied that he often gets angry and it stays inside of him.  What does a 7yo get angry about?  Turns out, he gets angry because of his little sister! He then asked if he could have a little blankie like his friend does, so he can hold it to lessen his anger and to help him let go of it.    

OMG. Yes, I said, I would see what I could do.

So that night, I stopped work on all my other projects & hunted through my stash for some yarn to make him a small blankie. I found some super soft Italian cotton ..hmm, holding that against my cheek and it was seriously smooth. Yep, that'll do.  So I sat & crocheted and the above piccie was what I came up with. Big enough to fold into quarters, soft enough to snuggle and washable.   I popped it beside his bed with a note telling him how much I loved him & how proud I was of him. 
Turns out, the blankie was perfect as later he was watching a cartoon on tv and said to me 'the blankie is working, I'm not feeling as angry' ... I look up to see him watching a cartoon. Ahh, cartoons aren't what they were when I was a kid. When I was growing up, cartoons were supposed to be about laughter but nowadays they are all about violence.  So me & Dadda explained that and perhaps we need to limit cartoons in our house and perhaps we should watch something else instead.    

This second blankie is for Laney but for her dolls, can't have one kid getting something new & not the other!

I utilise affiliate links throughout my blog as a way to help me keep crafting. If you click on an aff link, I receive a very small amount from it at NO cost to you. So please help me to keep CraftyRie up and running by clicking on my aff links! Many thanks, Marie

Hanging Pretty

Just a super quick show & tell of a crochet coat hanger that I made recently from scrap yarn. I think it turned out super pretty and the extra pompom was for the wrapping paper.
Gifted and loved, awesome.

How to add WATERMARKS to your photos

The question on every blogger or social media user is "how do I add a watermark to my photo?"
Well, here is the easy 1, 2, 3 step guide to doing so!

Step 1) take your photo & upload it to a photo editing program, for this example, I am using iPiccy, a free software program.

Step 2) add your watermark to your photo (see details below)

Step 3) save your photo & upload it to your blog or other social media sites for everyone to enjoy.


Ahh, I can still hear you asking  "but how do I get a watermark?" and "how do I add it to my photo?" 

Easy.

A watermark can be as simple as your name or nickname like in this image:

or it can be your website, as in this image:

or it can be an actual watermark logo/design like this one:

If you just want to use your name/nickname or website as your watermark then you don't need to create an image of that, you just add the details straight onto your photo.
To do so:
~ open your photo in an editing program (I'm using iPiccy),
~ ((1)) click the layers tab (left hand side in iPiccy),
~ ((2)) select T for text (in the area that the photo is in, top left hand area)
~ type in your text, changing font, colour etc if desired
~ you can relocate or resize the text by clicking on the actual text box on the photo
~ save any changes that you make.

Now if you want to add an actual watermark design/logo then you'll need to have that design first before adding it to your image.
To make life easier for you, I'm going to let you in a little secret, I grabbed my watermark logo from here. It's easy to find a designer and super cheap!!  I've been using them for years and have always been happy with the designs that they created. Seriously, though ...did you see where I said they were cheap because geesh, they really are!!  
Now that you have your watermark logo, to add it to your photo, follow the steps above (for adding text) BUT instead of adding text, add an image and then you can resize if necessary, change the font, location etc.  -- see ((3)) image below

it's easy to add a watermark to your photo

See, told you it was easy!
Now, off you go & add watermarks to your online images!  

If you are still unsure about using the above link to get a watermark, here are some of the ones that they created for me - the girl holding the sign on my craft supplies directory, the Australia logo on my fabric directory are just a couple of examples of my purchased, customised designs.

I utilise affiliate links throughout my blog as a way to help me keep crafting. If you click on an aff link, I receive a very small amount from it at NO cost to you. So please help me to keep CraftyRie up and running by clicking on my aff links! Many thanks, Marie

Ok, wow .. it was a crafty year!

As we have now said good bye to 2017,  I thought I'd do a quick recap on the stuff that I had made ...what I wasn't expecting was the amount of stuff that I had made!  I found photos of stuff that I'd make and had totally slipped my mind!  So to review it all, I've divided it up into groups: Bags, Yarn stuff & (other) sewing stuff.   

First off, let's do the bags as they were the most challenging things to make and I'm quite proud of them!

From left to right starting at the top: 

Triple Pouch - my most recent finish and one that I'm super proud of!  

Dr Who box pouch - I made this for Joe for school and he used it everyday.

Teachers gift pouch - something made quickly in a day & turned out lovely.

Small Backpack - a fun make, good for stuffing coats into for cartrips

Double Zip Bag - I LOVE this, I use this everyday as it sits nicely on the couch & holds my crochet.

Maija Tote - a bag for a friend, I wanted it to be a super surprise in her letterbox!

Daisy Girl bag - a cute little, easy sew bag for my Laney.

Duo Wallet - I used this purse a lot.

Open Wide backpack - I made this for Joe for school but we walk & often get rained upon & no matter how much waterproofer spray I used, it just wasn't enough. It's now used as a holiday bag.

From left to right starting at the top: 

Skort for me - I wear this all the freakin' time & have 3 more on my sewing table - best skirt ever!

Tula skirt - for Laney for Christmas. She loved the colours & the 'twirl' of the skirt.

Foldup dish - folds flat but I keep it clipped to my sewing machine for all the cottony rubbish

(big photo) Laney's peacock top - she LOVES this & it was super easy to make

Sewing machine ornaments - lots of fun to make & perfect penpal presents

Yellow & black dress for Laney - she wore this heaps in winter

Oops, got the open wide backpack in this grid too 

Quiet Time book - this came in handy with sick during winter, glad I had it on hand.

ha, got this small backpack in this grid too -- double oops, I suppose!

Fairy Crown & wand - this looked beautiful on Laney

Fabric cardi - wore this a lot in winter, love the deep pockets

Itty bitty scrap bassinet - Joe has this sitting by his bed, he adores it!

Scrap skirt for Laney - I swear she wears this about 4 times a week, I have to ask to wash it for her!

Pencil case - just so cute ... in fact too cute cos I can't decide what I want to use it for!

Magic rabbit - it's a rabbit in a hat.

Small pouches - great for gifts, also made me some for my sewing bits & bobs.

Outfit for me - made myself a top & trousers and continue to wear them all the time.

Small foldup pouches - super cute but I can't decide what to use them for.

Art Caddy - made this for Laney and she often drags it up the hall to use at the kitchen table.

From left to right starting at the top: 

Holey Cowl - made this for a friend as I now it snows when it's winter there.

Granny Cowl - wanted to make a granny square type cowl, just because. Not blogged yet!

Annie's Ted - a cute teddy bear for a special 1st birthday.

Dog purse - saw the pattern, had to make it due to the cuteness factor.

Vest for Joe - he loved this so much, he tried to give me all his money from his moneybox as a thankyou!

Hygge Wrap - I wore this heaps in winter. Loved making it & feel pretty proud when I wear it.

Bunny dress - another 'gotta make this cos it's cute' thing.

Bear jumper - yep, too cute to NOT make!! 

Denim dress - something warm & cute for my girl.

Princess blanket - I made this the year before but it's too small & kinda useless, so I've been adding extra rows to the outer edge to make it useable.

Boxy - I.Knitted.Myself.A.Jumper.     ....and I love it!

Crochet bag - guess what I keep in this? Yep, my crochet!

Heart jumper - I just had to make this to see what it would look like with a yellow heart!

So, that then set me thinking "what are my favourite makes in 2017, what was used the most?"

Hygge wrap. I love the element of crochet & embroidery mixed into the one project. The wrap was also lined and I had splurged on Liberty fabric, resulting in a super warm wrap which was perfect for those cold days walking to & from school.

Skort. I made this mid-winter and didn't actually try it on as it was too cold but now that it's summer, I wear it nearly every day. I'm actually going to sew myself some more this week.

Double Zip Gear Bag. Totally in love with it. I love how it sits up nice & solidly and holds a good amount of work in it. Best project bag ever.

Peacock top that I made Laney. She looks super gorgeous in it and it was honestly, one of the easiest sews ever. 

Would you believe that there are still crafty stuff that I have made that I haven't blogged about yet?!!  I can think of a couple of bags, a top, some crochet stuff but hey, I've been busy!

Have you had a busy year? What was YOUR favourite thing that either I made or you made yourself?

I utilise affiliate links throughout my blog as a way to help me keep crafting. If you click on an aff link, I receive a very small amount from it at NO cost to you. So please help me to keep CraftyRie up and running by clicking on my aff links! Many thanks, Marie