My First Print Gocco Prints, originally uploaded by hannahlaura.

So I finally got the nerve to use my Valentines Day present today. Honestly, the possibilities that the Print Gocco offered were a little nerve-racking. So telling myself to start simply, I found a sketch I had started when I was pregnant with A and decided it was time to finish it with Baby #2 D-Day(Due Day) looming 18 days away.

So sitting down during A’s naptime today, I went at it and realized why everyone gets hooked, 10 minutes later and 14 perfect prints I am in love. So on that euphoric note I am decideing to do a giveaway of at least 3 prints. These are nothing special just a periwinkle blue on white cardstock 4×6. But if you want to get a piece of fun mail, just leave a comment and your email address so I can email you to tell you, you’re a winner! Winners will be chosen by random number generator, comments will be closed April 23 @ 1PM. Good Luck!

WINNERS ARE:
Well two of the winners were already going to get one so we did a redo for two more, hope no one minds!

So the winners are:

# 5   Lyz
Um, this would be perfect with my belly photos of each of my babies. It’s lovely!

ps – captcha is “wife coaching”. If only! Although, maybe mom coaching would be more in demand?

#8 ruth stine
whooo hoooo! so cute! have you seen kate nydam’s goco prints? it’s a ink grandfather clock. nydampress on etsy!

#9 Ashlie
Such a simple and true sentiment. Love it.

COMMENTS CLOSED

Stenciled Mug Side View B, originally uploaded by hannahlaura.

So lately I have been dabbling in painting dishware. Its easy enough to find at the thrift store, the whole process takes about two days and it is the perfect thing to do while little ones sleep since you don’t have to drag out a lot of supplies. I had done one cup already freehand… but had another cup laying around that I wanted to try this idea I had to get crisper lines .

Here is what you need:
A piece of dishware
Glass paint ( I used this brand )
A paint brush
Contact paper (white or clear)
Some images/sillhouttes
A printer
A scissors or X-acto Knife

What to do:

Using whatever imaging software you prefer layout out your sillhouttes/ images using the finest outline and not filled.
Cut your contact paper to 8.5X11 and put it into the printer. Print out the images onto the contact paper ( The reason for using the finest outline is that your ink will smear, since you are printing on a plastic. However I found using the thinnest outline, and being careful what your touch while you cut, ad you will get good results.)

Next , cut out all your shapes. Than the fun part, just start sticking on your shapes on to the cup in whatever design you like being careful to press down all the edges.

With the Glass paint, paint over all the shapes and area of cup that you want covered.

According to the paint I used I had to let it sit for 24 hours.

Remove all the contact paper from the cup, to reveal your design.
I than went through and cleaned up any uneven lines and smudges that might have happened. ( An X-acto knife or your fingernail work good for this!)

If you see any spots that need to be repainted do so and let dry for recommended amount of time again.

Bake according to manufacture’s instructions.

*My only regret with this project is that I layered the paint on heavy to try and hide some of the brushstrokes and I wish I would have just been more patient and tried to brush the strokes out…So beware the brushstokes and if anyone has a great idea on how to avoid them, please let me know!*

Valentines day Present for Hubby, originally uploaded by hannahlaura.

So here is what I came up with for the homemade present for Arty for V-day from his family. Lately he has been obsessed with finding a plant for his desk, and I thought that this would be great since it was also a little reminder what exactly he spends so many hours at the desk slaving awy for. Us, his little family that loves him more than anything.

This project cost me nothing, I had the sedum already grwoing, the container was an old container we had around from when Arty tried keeping a cactus and the modeling clay was from college.  I got the idea from an Etsy store from a long time ago, it sold all these tiny houses for terrariums and I always thought it wouldn’t be to hard to duplicate.  All in all a relatively fast project with a nice outcome. The little white house  is just swoon worthy to me. Can’t you see a whole windowsill lined with these tiny houses?

Ornaments for the Aunts and Uncles, originally uploaded by hannahlaura.

Ever since I heard of my mother-in-law doing this with my husband and his siblings I always knew I would keep up the tradition. Evey christmas, the kids make an ornament for their Aunt and/or Uncle and Grandparents. I like the idea of a kid taking a minute to make something for someone they care about. Even more so I like the idea of my kids handing out their ornaments to their loved ones to show how much they are appreciated.

A had a ton of fun with the glitter. It was everywhere, I loved. The hubby on the other hand was rolling his eyes as he saw glitter everywhere, he hates it. The only thought for next time we do glitter, I should try not to do it the same day that we go to the pediatrician, but thanks to her good humor she didn’t seem to think I was neglecting my son even though he seemed to have glitter if every facial orifice. I cut the shapes out of cardboard that I had traced from the cookie cutters I got from Ikea. Spray painted them white. Modge podged a print-out of “Love, Aidan 2009″ on the back. Than used modge podge to adhere the glitter to the back. For the fronts I just applied modge podge again and

This year I also made cards for them to hand out on so its a little easier for my boy. To me there is nothing like a handmade ornament, and I love the growing collection on my tree !

My cousin posted awhile back about losing the calender that she was keeping track of her newborn with for scrapbooking purposes, and she was very distraught about it. This creeping feeling of guilt come over me. Calender, scrapbook, uhmmm hrmmm. Aidan’s baby book is complete up to 4 months and yes it is brimming full at 4 months but past that I have 941 photos sitting in a folder on my computer waiting to be sorted and printed for his baby book. As a bit of incentive and maybe just to make myself feel a little better I created some stickers to use in his book.

I LOVE STICKERS!!!  I have stickers for everything, if it can be printed on label paper it is in my office, I swear. So in that spirit I have decided to share my baby book stickers to any other moms who may need a little baby book incentive, or maybe just print them out and stick them to well… anything. Don’t have label paper don’t worry just use card stock and a little glue.

So just click here to download. Hope you enjoy, and I would love to see what you do with them!

A sudden burst of creativity, hit me with my coffee this morning. Actually I think its been stewing in my head for awhile. I just sat down at my computer and started creating. ( That never happens, it usually frustration. after sketch, after research, after sketch.) More suprising it was turning out. So I have worked on it all day, my plans are big, probably a bit to ambitous, but I can hope . I can hope to finish, I can hope it turns out. And hopefully someone will be around to work on the prototype for a trial run along with me so its not just me doing  the  proofing and checking. (Yes, when it comes to my personal work I am more of a big idea person, get it started and leave the small details to someone else.)

So if you are like me and making your gifts this year and know a sewer, good chance there is a pincushion somewhere in the equation of the gift. I like to add pins when giving the gift since it makes it just a little bit more “pretty.”

Here is my tutorial to make pins a little more special with things you probably already have on hand. (This is so straight foward I am sure most of you won’t need a tutorial but I need to try my hand out at making one, so thanks for being patient with me.)

You Will  Need:

Craft Glue ( your favorite Brand)

Straight Pins

Seed Beads ( Colors of your choice, nice to coordinate colors of the pincushion or gift you are giving)

A piece of scrap cardboard 

1. Slide seed bead on to straight pin, but don’t slide all the way to the end.

2. Stick head end into tip of craft glue and squeeze a little. ( I like to do it this way, it makes it a little less messy than try to glob it on and make sure all the sides get an even coat.)

It will look like this:

3. Push the bead up to the head firmly. Wipe off excess glue.

4. Push into cardboard to dry, being careful not to push down bead when pushing into cardboard.

Voila, Pretty pins!

As you can see they make great finish to a sewing gift. 

Image1, originally uploaded by hannahlaura.So I had this idea for a series of embroidery patterns can you guess?? I am thinking it will be 6 or 9 piece series, which also relates to what I will use the patterns for in a practical sense.

DSC00857, originally uploaded by hannahlaura.So this is my baby boy on Halloween in his one-of-a-kind-my-mommy-loves-me monster outfit, inspired by a board book from the dollar section at Target.Dad of course being a designer followed through with the ‘branding” on his monster jack-o-lantern.

First a Picture of my lazy dog napping in the sun, because he doesnt have to pack. We bought a HOUSE! So busy busy busy.

Also a co-worker loves the Ugly Dolls. So being broke from being in the process of buying a house I made her an “UGLY” cat and well it is sort of Ugly!