East Coast Cutie

This is a portrait commission I finished in early December for a family living in North Carolina. It was a Christmas gift from the boy's grandparents.


It's a tough job painting such a beautiful child but someone has to do it....


Closeup of vintage handwriting:


I remembered to take a few photos of the process this time. I am a very messy painter. I paint the image, then paint layers over it. Then sand it down....



.....repaint the image in different shades of dark and light, then paint more layers on top....and repeat about 30 times.



To see more of my commission work click here for recent work or visit my painting website here.

Wear Gloves

Just a little reminder to myself: I always make a mess. I'm not sure why I thought it would be different this time.



So tonight I have to go out with pink and purple fingers.....

A Handmade Christmas.....

.....a sample of items I made for friends and family:

A nursery painting for my little niece Cari due at the end of January.....


.....whose bedroom is decorated in two shades of pink and zebra print.


My sister-in-law Carolyn loves zebra print....so this fabric was perfect for a little outfit too:


For our friend's daughter Callie, I made this dress out of a special t-shirt....one that marks where their first date was:


An outfit for my niece Sawyer who is also due at the end of January (both of my sister-in-laws are due on the same day!) Sawyer already received her nursery painting at her mother's shower a while back.


Dainty ruffles added to the sleeves:


For Sienna's "godsister" Dillan, I made this snow globe t-shirt (tutorial posted here):


Here are a few photos from Christmas:

My mother told Sienna and her cousin Jordan the Christmas story on Christmas Eve, complete with a box of gold, frankincense and myrrh:


The next morning Diesel had to wear his little handmade felt outfit for a few minutes. Poor little guy needs the groomer bad!


Sienna didn't get any handmade gifts. I refuse to make anything with Dora on it.


Sienna pressing her silk pajamas my parents brought her from China on her new ironing board.


Her big present from Mommy and Daddy was a drum set which has volume control (thank God):


Tonight we are heading to our annual 1K pub crawl. We all wear matching sweatshirts and walk down to visit our favorite restaurants and bars on El Paseo. Fun with friends!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

I'm just finishing up a few last minute gifts today and we are getting ready for church and then a family dinner tonight! My parents flew in from Florida. They just recently returned from China so they are all decked out in silk pajamas and fake LV. What do you want to bet that I'm probably getting fake LV for Christmas? LOL! My husband's family is coming over at 7am tomorrow morning to open some gifts and then they are heading to Orange County where my sister-in-law is on bed rest (due in January).

Here is our Christmas photo from our card this year....taken at my sister's wedding in November! Remember the matching purple dresses?


We are having a mostly handmade Christmas. Hubby and I headed out to Target and Toys R Us last night for a few gifts and stocking stuffers. There was barely anything left on the shelves! Don't tell Mr. Lil Blue Boo.....but he is getting underwear, shaving cream and some chocolate covered peanuts from Santa! He'll be thrilled!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Mr. and Mrs. Lil Blue Boo and Boo.

Mitten Cork Stamps

The SYTYC Contest is on hiatus this week. I still have to come up with a project by tomorrow for next week! Here was my submission last week for the "mitten" theme: little matching mitten cork stamps. It didn't get the most votes but I am still in the game!


I used them to create some stationary for a Santa letter....


....and a simple piece of artwork for our guest room night table.


Wine corks are the perfect size for making miniature stamps. (click here to see some others I have made.) I start by slicing off one end of the cork so that I start with a perfectly flat surface:

Then I draw my shape:


And cut straight down around the edges of the shape:


And then carefully cut and chip off the pieces from the sides:


Then just dip them in some paint and stamp away!

Snowglobe Shirt - Tutorial

When I was little I had such a fascination with snow globes.......I imagined a tiny enclosed living world inside.


This was my submission for the "snow" theme in the SYTYC contest a few weeks back. I personalized it for a friend's daughter which I think makes it a special gift idea. I used some remnants of the snow white fabric I had for it but you can use this tutorial to make a shirt in any theme you want.


To make something similar you will use the following techniques: freezer paper stenciling, fabric paint, fabric pens, applique and iron on transfers. The key is layering all the different techniques in the same order!


Step 1: I traced a round globe shape.....


......and sketched a base.


Step 2: I sketched out the location of the globe on a t-shirt using a disappearing ink pen.



Step 3: For the clouds, I sketched the cloud shape on a small piece of freezer paper and cut them out. (I use a razor blade for this but I recommend using an exacto knife for safety).


Step 4: I placed the cloud stencil on the the globe and ironed to adhere it to the fabric. (Click here for more details on freezer paper stenciling).



Step 5: Paint your clouds using fabric paint (I prefer Jacquard brand, it washes well and is soft) and let dry.


Step 6: I took a scrap of themed linen fabric.....


....and applied fusible web to the back of the castle and to part of the linen with no print on it for the snowglobe base.


Step 7: I cut out the castle and base shapes (with fusible web now on the back) and treat the edges with fray check or thread glue.


Step 8: I placed the snow globe base and castle onto the shirt (after peeling off the back paper from the Wonder Under....


.....and ironed them on according to instructions.


Step 9: I used a ready-made ornate iron-on transfer.....


... to decorate the base of the snowglobe.


Step 10: I stitched all the fabric shapes to the shirt to secure them.


Step 11: I used a black Fabric Mate pen to draw in some snowflake shapes and to add an initial to the flag (also a fabric applique) flying above the castle.


Step 11: I applied safe rhinestones as the last embellishments.


Step 12: I cute a "globe" from clear vinyl PVC (you can find this is the table cloth cover section of your fabric store) and stitched it on top of my snowglobe.


Step 13: I printed out the personalized message on iron-on transfer paper. Make sure to print your image in reverse! I always come up with something generic to print on the rest of the paper so I don't waste any like clothing labels or size labels.


Step 14: Cut out your image to transfer and iron onto twill ribbon. Treat the edges of the ribbon with fray check or thread glue. (I also like to print several different sizes just to make sure one of them is the perfect fit!) Stitch your personalized label to the front of the globe base!


One finished snowglobe! Just make sure to wash on gentle cold and lay flat or hang to dry!



Please feel free to email me if you have questions!

How To Prepare for The Princess and The Frog

Wear your frog prince dress......


.....and crown your frog.


Sienna and I played outside in the beautiful weather this morning (letting Mr. Lil Blue Boo sleep in).


Her grandparents are picking her up to take her to the movie this morning. The dress is a hit and so are all the frogs we made. Nothing makes me more happy than to see her excitement about handmade things.


Sienna caught some flies and brought them to the photographer to eat.


I'm only going to be screening a few more frogs so I think I'll just do some custom orders for dresses if anyone is interested so I don't end up making random sizes (just convo me through Etsy).

If you want to make a frog prince and crown check out my two tutorials! Great gifts for Christmas!
The Beanbag Frog Prince Tutorial (with Download)
A Crown for the Prince Tutorial

The frog is actually a font by Pixel Farms. I love all their little creatures. I redrew the frog to make his mouth smaller and added toes and a crown.

You can make the frog prince yourself if you want. I use the screenprinting kit from Dharma Trading. See my screenprinting 101 tutorial here. I've attached the edited graphic from my previous post below. Just make sure to link back if you use it. Thanks!

Lil Miss Tiggy Winkle and the Frog Prince

Two new prints today: a little hedgehog and a frog prince (just in time for movie!)


Sienna is going tomorrow to see the movie The Princess and the Frog with her grandparents. The dress below is in my Etsy shop and I am working on hers this afternoon.


I'm hope to do a few with a crown applique as well.


He's got rhinestones for eyes and on his crown.


I added a little rhinestone and bow to this hedgehog (or is it a porcupine) to make her a girl. I'll be making a few more of these for the shop and for some final Christmas gifts....this one is a 2T/3T long.


Both little animals are actually a font by Pixel Farms. I love all their little creatures. I redrew the frog though to make his mouth smaller and added toes and a crown. Now I've got to get to work on Sienna's dress so she can wear it to the movie tomorrow!

You can make the frog prince yourself if you want. I've attached the edited graphic below. Just make sure to link back if you use it. Thanks!

Saturday LBB Gallery Share

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday morning! We are making biscuits and bacon (and Boo will steal half the bacon before I'm done). Just wanted to share a few creations this morning!

Sofia has done it again. I just love her little matching outfits she makes for her twins. Here she has used the Sienna Dress pattern combined with the Hoodie pattern and the girl/boy robot downloads! I love how artsy her clothes are! The robots were done using reverse freezer paper stenciling.

Photo from Sofia's Sketchbook

Photo from Sofia's Sketchbook

Photo from Sofia's Sketchbook

Mom2Stars made this adorable birthday dress for her daughter using the Halter/Tie-Back Dress pattern. I love the little "3" she stenciled on the back with the heart on it using a freezer paper stencil. I really want this dress! Boo's birthday is in February so something like this would be perfect as a layered jumper and then she could wear it well into the summer. (Mom2Stars....send me your blog address when you get a chance! I couldn't find you!)

Photo from LBB Flickr Gallery

Lisa made this little robot shirt using the robot download. Handmade gifts are so great. What little girl wouldn't want to get this for Christmas!? Lisa, where did you get those cute handmade tags?

photo from Ellebows

Revenge of the Nerds (Correction)

Remember when pocket protectors were the ultimate geek status symbol? Not anymore. Here is new little screenprint I am adding to some dresses: full pocket protector complete with crayons, a pencil and a little sock monkey thanks to my friend Lisa's suggestion.


Here it is on a simple bubble dress (in my etsy shop):


Geek IS the new chic! I'm all about teaching my daughter that being different, smart and a little nerdy is not just okay....it is awesome!


I'm screening a few more so if you want one and are looking for a certain size make sure to let me know!

Correction: "MirandaS" was kind enough to email me and accuse me of copying the bubble dress style from another blogger. So for full disclosure and credit, I feel like I should let everyone know that the dress above was inspired by my daughter's favorite Target bubble dress below. I am sorry for neglecting the credit and I am sorry to the inventor of the bubble dress (whoever you are) and I hope Target and a million other designers are paying you a heck of a lot in royalties to use the design. And thank you Target for this inspirational little bubble jumper.....and if you did get inspiration from my three little Matryoshkas we can call it even.

A Plump Matryoshka

Sienna had her little pajama Christmas party at her "pre" pre-school today. I made these t-shirts for her teachers. I made one for myself and I guess I didn't realize that some screenprints look different on kiddos than they do adults. While the little matryoshka lady is still pretty cute....my chest makes her appear a little plumper than normal (and I don't have much of a chest). I used t-shirts from Old Navy....and I love them because they are so soft and LONG (I'm 5'11" tall....so I'm always on the lookout for ANYTHING long).

*I sure am glad the back of this photo is blurry.....so you can't see the laundry bomb or the mess of a bathroom I have going on. I don't even close my drawers anymore which drives Mr. Lil Blue Boo crazy (new year resolution).

I also delivered some Christmas presents. Do you have items in your shop that just won't sell? I sure as heck do. But....clothing that the Etsy buyers have rejected is going to make some little girls and boys VERY happy. Shelter from the Storm is getting a a huge bag of samples and items I've taken down from my store.....they are all tagged and packaged to look good as new. It has been a rough year for a lot of people....just an idea if you are looking for alternative ways to give back.


Well, back to sewing. Sienna is still napping from her big morning...STILL wearing her pajamas. I'm also working on a BIG idea for January with my sponsor Dharma Trading that I can't wait to roll out to all of you! You are going to love it I know! I must keep a secret...I must keep a secret.....argghhhh

Why Competition is a Good Thing

I love competition. You know why? It forces me to come up with new ideas. Mommafo sent me this photo tonight of new t-shirts at Target. Look familiar?


I happen to think mine are cuter because all three are unique and different...but hey, I hope Target sells a ton...and I'll probably buy one myself. My husband say he is willing to bet that Target didn't use Powerpoint to create their design though....probably not the most efficient use of resources.



This was funny timing though because I came across this great thread on Etsy regarding competition (you can read it here) and I posted the link on Twitter this morning. It pretty much sums up exactly how I feel about the whole "you stole my idea" argument. (Disclaimer: I am not implying that Target stole my idea....although how exciting would THAT be......and it IS possible for 2 people among billions to do something similar. And no, I didn't steal Target's idea, I actually saw some nesting dolls in US Magazine or People Magazine and thought they would be cute as a screenprint).

Anyways, I've seen a very ugly side of blogging and Etsy selling. I'm sure many of you have too. I get the occasional mean comment...but I don't delete them...I let everyone else see that person for what they are. I've know too many people that have been the recipients of vicious attacks because someone thought they stole their idea. But really it was a very basic idea that had been around for a while. And never has the product been a copy! Note to self: do NOT send my friends on a seek-to-destroy mission if someone has a similar idea to one of mine.

One of the comments on the thread mentioned above cracked me up....it was something sarcastic like "how DARE someone else make a crocheted flower." If you are seething about someone else's new project just use that tag line to shift gears: how DARE someone else make a _______.

Here are my thoughts for the day: Don't copy. It is perfectly fine to be inspired by other people's work. Make it your own. You can't own a style or technique....to assume you can is actually pretty arrogant. Everyone's ideas are a derivative of someone else's even if in the tiniest way. Never stop improving your work. Don't try to milk the same idea for years (unless you invented the windshield wiper or something better). Don't drive angry. Be happy for others.

I'm rolling out some new screen print designs tomorrow too! Perfect timing! I just hope no one else comes out with the same thing tomorrow too!

For a Boy???

I know crazy....but I actually made some boy things for my boutique last Sunday. I'm trying to improve on my balance of boys and girls items....especially now that I have a new little nephew! I'm going to be making more boy hoodies for my Lil Blue Boo Etsy shop in the future. If you are looking for certain sizes please let me know because I tend to neglect some sizes unless I get a reminder.



For now check out all the new little dresses I've listed! I'm so in love with the Lil Miss Rodeo dress...but it isn't my daughter's size....which means I've got to track down another rodeo t-shirt from somewhere!

The LAST Christmas dress has been listed today too! Will ship same day!

Upcycled Embellished Mittens - Tutorial

I made these upcycled mittens for the SYTYC contest but decided to go with another idea instead.


Step 1: I made a template using my daughter's hand and cut out 2 mitten shapes for each hand (4 total) from a soft ice blue microfiber golf shirt. These are the outsides of the mittens.


I cut out 2 mitten shapes for each hand (4 total) from a pair of white stretchy sweatpants. These are the warm insides of the mittens.


You should have 4 pieces for each mitten: 2 insides, and 2 outsides.


Step 2: For each mitten I placed the two outside pieces right sides together and sewed around the edges, leaving the wrist area open. Repeat for the inside pieces.


Step 3: Turn all the mitten pieces right side out and inside lining up into the outside mitten.



Step 4: Trim the outside and inside wrists of the mittens so that the edges are flush.



Step 5: Using white DMC embroidery thread, I stitched around the edges turning the outside of the mitten inward over the inside lining.


Step 6: To make each rose I cut a small strip of knit.....each a little bit different size.


Step 7: Folding one corner downward (wrong sides together), I started a gathering stitch along one edge as shown below:


Step 8: Next I folded the following edges together and continued the gathering stitch....


....matching and stitching the edges together....


.......until I reached the opposite side. Basically, instead of folding the rectangle in half you are offsetting it slightly which will make the flower folds more interesting.


Step 9: Straighten out your piece until all the stitches are at the bottom. Your piece will be twisted:


Step 10: Take a bobby pin and clip it onto the end where you started your stitching....


.....and twist until the flower gathers as shown. Stitch through the bottom of the flower several times to secure all the petals.


Step 11: Sew the flowers onto the mittens.....


.....as well as tiny leaf shapes.


Fun, functional, dainty mitten....plus, they are warm!


Boo is the final test....and she loves them!

Project 320 has started!

You can still win the custom Lil Blue Boo Dress and help out an amazing cause!

Here is what you have to do....go over to the Project 320 blog right now.....



....and then help make a difference. Starting December 14th and ending December 18th, Project 320 will be holding a virtual raffle: 10 AMAZING prize bundles....each one filled with amazing handmade donated items.

Each $10 donation to the well earns one virtual ticket.
Once you've made a donation, go back to the Project 320 Blog and leave a comment for each $10 donation on the bundle you would like to win!

I've donated a few items for the bundles....including one custom Lil Blue Boo dress in any size you want size 0 to girls 8).

Take a little of that Christmas toy money and help make a difference.....do we really need all the presents anyways? Remember the reason for the season.

320 comes from this verse:

Now glory be to God!
By his mighty power at work within us,
He is able to accomplish infinitely more
than we would ever dare to ask or hope.
Ephesians 3:20