Muslin Angel Ornaments -- An Inexpensive Way to Trim Your Tree -- Free Tutorial

 
Instructions:

   1. Tear strips of muslin into pieces approximately 9" by 6". This doesn't have to be exact. The 6" (or so) measurement will be the height of your angel. You can use scissors but the finished angel looks better (in my humble opinion) if the fabric is torn.

   2. Taking the right and left corners of one 9" side, tie a knot in each of these two corners. This creates the arms of your angel as well as a pocket to make the head.

   3. Using a cottonball and some sewing thread or string, center the cotton ball in the fabric pocket between the two knots, pulling the fabric over the cottonball and then tying by wrapping the string around the base of the fabric stuffed with the cottonball to make the head and neck area.

   4. Using one of the 1/8 or 1/4 inch ribbon, tie a piece around your angel's neck and make a bow.

   5. Cut a piece of wide wired ribbon about 3 inches long and using your glue gun, affix it to the back of your angel for wings. I usually have some of that gold metallic open weave type wired ribbon on hand and I like it the best because I can stretch it out after gluing to form more lifelike wings, but do your own thing.

   6. For the halo, I use gold or copper colored small garland, the one that is wired and has stars attached, but any wire will do. Cut a small piece proportionate with the angel's head, wrap it around your finger to make a circle. Place glue on the part where your wire meets to form the circle and hold for a second or two to the top back of the angel's head.

   7. Your angel is complete! The only thing left to decide is how you want to use her. I've glued gold ribbon on her back looped to make a hanger, a pin fixing, and a piece of that magnet tape you can buy at an office supply or crafts store, but I'm sure there are other ways to use this cute symbol of peace and promise.

   8. An additional note: before you start tearing apart your muslin, it can be washed, dyed to a different color with either a commercial or tea dye.

Come Be My Friend -- Contest Where Everyone Wins!!!

Yes, that's right. Between today, Tuesday (October 20, 2009) and  Saturday (October 31,2009), become a fan of my FaceBook Fan Page,

and you will receive the full pattern of your choice listed currently in my Etsy shop FREE by email. Once you've become a Fan of DPeaGreen Designs FaceBook Fan Page, write a comment here under this article which includes your email address (make sure you type it long hand to avoid it being picked up by spammers), for example, dpeagreendesigns[at]gmail[dot]com. When you leave your comment, tell me which pattern in my shop you'd like to win and I will send it to you free of charge on November 1st.

How's this for a contest where everyone is a winner?

Happy Halloween --- no tricks, only treats!
Diane

Wowza!!! A New Tool for Etsy Sellers

I am a member of Team EtsyRain and was reading our member forum this morning (I don't read as often as I should) and read a posting by Laurie-LoudLife who is sharing a new tool she has created for other Etsians. It's called Tools for the Etsy Community - cre8tivity. Check this site out!! It is easy to use. Just type in your Etsy name and besides a beautiful interface for your stats and hearts, there are some wonderful, new helpers and widgets available.

Available under the Widgets tab right now is a Scrolling Side Bar Widget which can be added to your website, blog, anywhere you can add a custom widget. Mine looks like this:

I didn't have to type anything. The script is read to copy and paste. Not seen on my example is the widget's movement -- it moves through the items you have available in your shop, showing each for approximately 5 seconds before moving on to the next item. Very cool and professional look!

Coming soon are a Multi Product Scrolling Sidebar Ad and customizable widgets.

Under the Helper tab, there are currently three helpful ways to promote your shop and keep track of your inventory.  Product Flyer only needs you to select the product from your Etsy shop (via a dropdown menu) to be included in your flyer and click on the arrow button. A pdf file in full color is then created.

There is also the Multi Product Flyer which contains 4 of your products, selected the same way, and an Inventory Helper which will download all your currently listed items into a *.csv file which will open using most spreadsheet programs.

To learn more about Laurie, visit her blog, Living Out Loud. Thank you, Laurie! Without people like you willing to share your programming skills, life as an Etsy seller would be much more challenging!

Diane

http://dpeagreendesigns.etsy.com

P.S. After corresponding with Laurie, I found that  the programmer for this wonderful tool is tronaHUE. I apologize for this mistake :)

~dg

Featured in an Etsy Treasury -- Thank You :)

Thank you, Enchanted Hue (Susanne), for featuring one of my Twisted Thoughts cross stitch patterns (Love Sucks) in her Love Can Be Twisted Treasury.

 

Please check all of the beautiful and interesting items she has in her Treasury! Have a great Sunday.

Hugs,

Diane

DPeaGreenDesigns@gmail.com

http://dpeagreendesigns.etsy.com

http://dpeagreendesigns.ecrater.com (for Google checkout users)

My First Grandson Has Arrived!!

Welcome to the world, Liam. It has been a world wind of activity for me the past few weeks. Going to physical therapy, doctor's appointments and spending a bit of time with the new parents during the last few hours before they were indeed parents. It has all been exciting and tiring. I'm working on healing and doing some reorganizing so that I post more often. I have lots to share in the near future and thank you for being so patient. I am now ShoSho (grandmother in Kikuyu as my significant other says).

Here is a photo. Isn't he just gorgeous??? (not that I'm partial in any way -- ha ha)



And here is ShoSho holding her first grandchild the day after he arrived:

Take the Strong Life Test by Marcus Buckingham

Available September 29, 2009.