Free Podcast Videos

Join Michelle as she makes a super cute and easy to make felt bird ornament. To follow along you will need these items: 

• Wool fabric for body of bird (I used salvaged wool pants)
• Wool fabric for wings and nose (I used salvaged sweaters)
• Fabri-Tac
• Sewing needle
• Embroidery floss
• Filling material for body of bird (I used wool batting)
• Piece of ribbon
• Two buttons
• Scissors
• Bird Pattern

In this episode we create a set of prayer flags to swap with other crafty people. To create your own flags gather these supplies:

• Canvass fabric
• Bits of ribbon and lace
• Silk ribbon
• Embroidery floss
• Embroidery needle
• Scissors
• Beads
• Staz-On ink pad (black)
• Sharpie (Black)
• Inspirational stamp
• Scrap fabric pieces
• Fabri-tac

I have decided to enter the Fabric Swatch Challenge hosted by Cloth Paper Scissors. If you are interested in designing your own fabric check out the January/February 2011 Issue 34. There is still a bit of time. In the first example I used bleached muslin, Stewart Gill paint, and circle type objects and stamps. Normally I would have recorded the process for you but I was still having troubles getting a camera that will work for me. Hopefully that has changed with our latest camera.

I thought it might be interesting to try another piece of fabric with the same paints but with a bit more "focus" and less randomness. This time I only used two colors and painted on unbleached muslin. To create the flowers I used the top and bottom of the cups as stamps for my circles, then I painted them in with paint and water, using the water to spread the paint in varying shades. This took a long time but overall I think it was worth it. I might try something like this again.

I am off to a weekend volleyball tournament but am looking forward to coming back Monday to start a new project/show to share with you. I am hoping to study the books that came with my new camera over the weekend so I can get started right away.

Hurray! This is the 12th video in our 12 Days of Christmas series. In the episode Michelle shows you a simple way to create a cute circle fabric pin. If you don't want to make a pin you can easily attach the fabric circle to other items as an embellishment.

To follow along get th

ese things together:

• Round items to use as circle templates
• Pen
• Scraps of fabric
• Scraps of cotton quilt batting
• Button
• Fabri-tac glue
• Scissors
• Pinking shears
• Pin back

For this 50th episode of Crafted by Us we have a fun Fabric and Fiber Friday project. We blend a bit of colorful felt with beads to create charms for a lovely bracelet. To follow along with this episode you will need:

• Felt
• Head pins
• Beads
• Jump rings
• "Blank" bracelet
• Nylon beading thread
• Sewing needle
• Wire cutter
• Round nose pliers (?)
• Regular pliers
• Small clamp
• Paper piecer or awl
• Scissors

So gather up your scrap felt pieces and beads and lets make a bracelet!

**Want to check out our new online store? Visit the Crafted by Us online shop. While we don't have everything you might want, we might have the one thing you can't live without so come on in and take a look!**

In this episode we create a small crocheted bag which acts as a focal point for a necklace. Using a simple stitch and some basic craft items you will have a one of a kind necklace. To follow along, gather these supplies:

• #4 metal crochet hook
• waxed linen thread
• scissors
• beads
• small charm

I belong to this great group called "A Year of Color" hosted by Artsy Mama. One of the tutorials by Tracy B on the Year of Color site was how to make these lovely fabric scrap flowers. A few days ago I drug out my fabric thinking I would make a few purses. Wouldn't you know it? In the tub of fabric were pieces for a purse already cut out. I must have cut it out last year and never finished. So, I decided that I need to finish that first before started a new one. Don't you love the self-control? After making the purse I realized it needed something else. Then, I remembered the flower tutorial. So, here is the purse, with the flower.

I also made another plastic/fabric clutch that I wasn't too fond of either. Then I added a flower. Now I love it.

They just keep coming. This time, I sewed fabric to some paper that had been painted and dyed. Then I adhered thread by melting UTEE with the thread inside of it. Then I dipped the edges in lovely green paint. After punching small squares out of the finished pieces, I used a drill press to make a hole in the squares. I then sewed the small charm and jump ring to the squares. I really like the way these turned out. They feel interesting. For the swap, I tied the charms around the neck of a paper doll that I scanned and cut out.

Here is a fabric collage that I made as a sample for a class that I am giving at the shop on March 7th. As you know, I love ArtChix collage sheets. So, for this collage I transfered the images onto adhesive backed cotton using a technique I learned on the ArtChix website.

Last month I participated in two swaps hosted by Amber Dawn of Inventive Soul. One swap was a fabric/fiber charm swap and the other swap was for book charms. While the fabric charm swap was challenging, the book charm swap was a bit more challenging (and rewarding.) If you have ever tried to make a book smaller than 1.5 inches, then you know what I mean. Here are photos of the charms that I received (mine are in there too.)

Besides me, the fabric and fiber charms were made by Amber Dawn, Brenda Wampler, Jackie Herman, and Jan Hamill.

Besides me, the book charms were made by Amber Dawn, Rose Momsen, Rashel Rahming, Christine Hansen, and Ellen Gray.

If you are interested in joining a charm swap, I recommend checking out the International Artistic Charms Exchange group. I have participated in several swaps with this group and have never been dissapointed.