Tammy Mitchell Photography» Crafting

make this: the halloween candy corn ruffle skirt

Tammy — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:05:51 +0000

i have had this idea hanging around for awhile, so the other night I had a couple of hours and decided to see if it would work! what do you think??

i am pretty happy with it! it never ceases to amaze me that you can take literally about $1.50 worth of fabric and in a few hours turn it into something like this! So, my question is: would you like a tutorial?? i think i’ll make a thanksgiving and christmas version too…so if you’d like, I’ll put one together for y’all while I make them. just let me know!

have a great day!
tammy

make this: introducing My Craft Channel

Tammy — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:37:40 +0000

Have you heard the news?? Calling all crafters…yes..that’s you!! I’ve been out of town this last week doing some fun things and I am so excited to finally share!!!

Whether you are a paper crafter, party planner, love to sew, take pictures, decorate, renovate, make jewlery…you name it, this channel is for you. Web based TV programming is becoming the wave of the future and you can be one of the first to jump on board. Debuting in September– coming live to a computer screen near you– are 20 new shows from your favorite bloggers and crafters teaching you how to do the things you love– think HGTV for crafters! It is going to be awesome!! I was honored to be asked to be a part of this exciting venture and had the chance to travel to Utah last week to film a photography show with the creators of mycraftchannel.com

Here’s a quick shot of Amy and me on set. Amy is the creator of The Paperlife a great website and fun paper printables.

I wish I had taken a minute to get a shot with the darling Kristine McKay president and founder of MyCraftChannel.com it was so fun to meet her. You can check out her great website and designs here.

I’ll be sure to let you know when the show premieres!

Have a great day!

tammy

make this: tutorial: how to make individual gumball machine party favors and decorations

Tammy — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 22:37:15 +0000

It has been forever since I promised this tutorial…sorry for the long delay!! The cute Elizabeth over at Swanky Press asked to feature the tutorial…but couldn’t find it on the blog…yeah, that’s cause sometimes I’m a dingbat and forget to post things!! lol!! These are the cutest little gumball machines that you can use as both decorations and party favors at your next birthday bash. If your kids are anything like mine, they will LOVE these to take home because they are gum fanatics!!

A few simple supplies you will need to create these machines:

-small terra cotta pot and base from your local craft or home improvement store

-small round votive holder (in the glassware/candle holder section at Michaels)

-red spray paint (or the color of your choice)

-E6000 adhesive (also available at your craft store)

-small wooden balls/knobs they are in the wood section of your local craft store. they are flat on one side making them easy to adhere to your machine

Spray paint the terra cotta pieces and the wood knob and let dry.

Once the pieces have dried, following the instructions on the tube of e6000, glue the wooden knob to the terra cotta pot base as shown in the picture, and the votive holder to the pot as shown.

once the glue has dried you are ready to fill it with gumballs!

can you imagine these lining the table at each place setting? For only about $2.50 (that includes the gumballs!) you have a darling favor for all your guests.

Have a great day!
tammy

Make This: Glitter Toes

Tammy — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:46:05 +0000

I am a lover of all things glittered!! Martha Stewart glitter is the VERY best! You can find it at Michaels for about $5 a jar…and one jar will last you a LONG time. Even if you are a serial glitterer like me!
Last summer Ash and I were doing home pedicures and I decided to add a little twist. Glitter!! Since then we have been glittering our toes non stop and I constantly get questions about them…so i thought I’d share this easy technique so you can bling out your toes too!!

All you need is nail polish in a similar color to your glitter, the glitter and a clear polish. Do this over a paper towel or a piece of paper so that you can save the excess glitter and put it back in the jar) You definitely want to use the Martha glitter because it is fine enough that it won’t be chunky on your toes. Simply paint your nails on one foot with the base coat of color and then cover generously with the glitter. The glitter will stick where youve painted. Shake off as much excess glitter as you can without touching your wet toes! Paint and glitter the other foot and then watch some TV for a few minutes while they dry. (15 or so) Once they are dry cover with a topcoat of clear polish. This will seal in the glitter. Let that dry and you are done!! The next day, if you want, you can apply another coat of clear just for good measure. They should last a few weeks! They don’t last as long on little ones, but the little girls sure do love them if they are patient enough to let them dry!

Have a fun day glittering!!

-t

Let’s Party: Kid’s party ideas: Throw a bakery birthday

Tammy — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:32:20 +0000

Throwing this little party was SO much fun!!! And, believe it or not, it was surprisingly easy too. If you’re looking for a fun and easy idea for your little one’s birthday this year, maybe this will work for you too!

I wanted the house to resemble a bakery counter. I made a simple sign with cardstock and some poster board and the help of my great neighbor Karen’s cricut machine. I set the island full of cookie sheets of homemade cookies, cupcakes to be decorated, donuts…etc. When the girls arrived they were each given a cute apron and a chef’s hat with a matching yoyo on the front to wear while they were baking. The talented Bobbi from Bobbityboo on etsy made the aprons and hats…they were SO cute!

We kicked things off by making sugar cookies. The girls rolled the dough, cut the shapes and made a giant mess…they were having so much fun!

Once the cookie fun was done I whisked them away to bake them while the girls decorated pink bakery boxes. I picked them up at my local donut shop for $1 a piece. They probably would have sold them to me for 50 cents, but since the lady looked at me like I was nuts when I told her I wanted to buy just boxes…not donuts, I offered her $1 a piece.

I collected stickers, rhinestones, glitter, die cuts and all sorts of other fun scrapbook supplies from my never ending stash and let the girls go to town. I labeled each box with a blue polka dot flower that had their initial stamped in the center to identify them and tie them into the rest of the party decor.

then we played pin the sprinkles on the cupcake… By then the cookies were baked and cooled and I brought out the decorating supplies. We spent some time decorating cookies and cupcakes, sang happy birthday and ate till their bellies were full and opened presents. Each guest then took their pink bakery boxes that they had decorated and filled them with goodies that they had made and some from the bakery counter to take home and share with their families.

Ashley STILL talks about it. I have to say that aside from making some cookie dough and cupcakes ahead of time, there really wasn’t a whole lot of prep. It was fun and easy and a lot of “bang for my buck.”

I hope you are feeling inspired to throw a birthday bakery! If you do, send me some pictures so I can see it!!

Do you have a great party to share? I’d love to see it! Check out the submission guidelines and send it on over so I can feature you here on the blog!

Have a great Monday!

-t

make this: homemade BOY popcorn valentines

Tammy — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:12:34 +0000

This year I decided to make Andy’s valentines about as easy as it gets! You can buy these cute .75 ounce popcorn boxes on amazon (50 for 8.00). With a little cardstock and some microwave popcorn to fill em up, I’m in for about 30-45 minutes total and I think they turned out pretty cute. What do you think?

How are your valentines coming along?? Only a few more days!!

Have a great day!

-t

Hostess with the Mostess: Baby Shower Idea Vintage Dick and Jane Style B is for Boy

Tammy — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:10:58 +0000

One of my cute friends is having a baby NEXT week!!! We had to get together to celebrate the arrival of this sweet little boy into house full of all things girly!

You know me, when somebody says party my brain goes into overdrive!! When planning a party I always think about a theme first. Whether that theme is a color palette or a style doesn’t matter….just something that makes bringing everything else together easier. I immediately thought of a vintage baby boy theme since I have some cool vintage glass plates and cups that I have been DYING to have an excuse to use, so this was perfect! You can find them pretty easily at most antique stores.

I found this cute little shop online, Pretty Little Studio, that makes the most adorable vintage baby flashcards and all kinds of fun stuff. I had her custom make some invitations for me and I think they turned out SO cute!!

We served simple breakfast foods that were yummy…a parfait bar with yogurt, fresh berries and granola, bite sized cinnamon rolls and other pastries, and a yummy drink. To go along with the theme I made a little label for each food item

I just made them in photoshop and printed them out on cute scrapbook paper. I also made one for the gift table:

Now my favorite part…the favors!! John thinks I’m crazy because I spend hours making things like this, but this is honestly the most fun part for me. These are very easy and inexpensive to make, but they are time consuming. If you have the time and love to be crafty then these are perfect for you!

to make the giant cookies find the recipe here

for the bags you will need:

a roll of parchment paper

thread

a sewing machine

ribbon

a hole punch

pinking shears

any deocrations you want for the bags

Cut parchment paper into 6.5×14″ strips. fold in half and stitch the sides up using a colorful thread and a zig-zag stitch. trim off the excess on the sides with the pinking shears. slip a cookie into the pouch. fold the top of the bag over and punch two holes at the top about an inch apart. feed the ribbon through the holes and tie into a bow on the front sideof your bag. decorate as you like.

like I said, pretty easy, just time consuming but I think the result is WELL worth it!

It’s easy to do this for any shower boy or girl, or even if you don’t know what it is just make a mix of boy and girl vintage tags! It would also be cute for a little girl’s birthday party if you played some vintage games and added a few more decorations and changed the food a bit!

Hopefully that gets your creative juices flowing for your next party!

Have a great day!
-t

make this: super cute fabric flowers

Tammy — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:59:42 +0000

I saw these and thought they were too cool so I had to share! Thanks to Blue Cricket Design for the idea!

supplies

jersey knit

tape measure/ruler

scissors

hot glue

cut two pieces of jersey knit about 1.5″x20″. lay them on top of each other

cut 1/4″ wide slits about 1″ down

from one end, start rolling the fabric. use hot glue to secure it every so often.

hold on to the “stem” and “fluff” the flower piece

how easy is that?? and so cute! i can think of a million uses for these! have fun crafting!!!

have a great day!
-t

Make This: Cute Crafty Ideas for Easter

Tammy — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 09:57:46 +0000

Andy has Friday off for his birthday (at least that’s what he thinks…actually it’s for Good Friday, but when you’re 7 it’s more fun to think it’s for your birthday! ) so I’ve been trying to come up with some fun Easter ideas todo that day. Here are a few of my favorites so far:

from Ladies Home Journal the bunny pop…if you don’t want to go through the hassle/mess of making rice krispie treats omit the first four ingredients. Pre-made rice krispie treats make these a breeze!!

Ingredients

Vegetable cooking spray
10 cups Rice Krispies® or any crisped-rice cereal
2 packages (10 oz each) marshmallows
6 tablespoons butter
1 lb semisweet chocolate, melted
1- 1/4 lbs white chocolate, melted
Red food coloring
30 popsicle sticks

Directions

1. Lightly coat a 15-by-10-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Place cereal in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; set aside. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add marshmallows. Stir until smooth. Pour over cereal and stir to combine. Spread out in prepared pan and press firmly to flatten. Let stand until cool, about 1 hour. Trim edges and cut into 30 3-by-1-1/4-inch bars. Push a popsicle stick through one narrow end of each bar.

3. Using an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of white chocolate over tops of 15 bars. Repeat, using semisweet chocolate for remaining 15 bars. Transfer to a baking sheet and refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes. Place a wire rack over another baking sheet. Dip the white bars in white chocolate and the semisweet bars in semisweet chocolate; place on rack, allowing excess chocolate to drip off bars. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. Makes 30 pops.

4. To paint faces on bars: Add 1 or 2 drops of food coloring into remaining white chocolate and stir to combine. Using the tip of a wooden skewer or a paintbrush, dip in pink chocolate, then paint ears and nose on bars. Use semisweet chocolate and white chocolate to make eyes. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. (Can be made ahead. Store in an airtight container, in a single layer, in the refrigerator up to 2 days. Serve cold or at room temperature.)

5. Per semisweet chocolate bar: 280 calories, 12.5 g total fat, 7.5 g sat fat, 123 mg sodium, 44 g carbs, 17 mg calcium, 7 mg chol, 2 g protein, 2 g fiber

6. Per white chocolate bar: 310 calories, 13.5 g total fat, 9 g sat fat, 152 mg sodium, 42 g carbs, 51 mg calcium, 12 mg chol, 3 g protein, 1 g fiber

OK, how adorable is this??? This comes from the brilliant minds over at eighteen25. If you can believe it it’s a tray from the $1 bin at my favorite place, Target, spray painted robin’s egg blue and the bunny silhouette was added. You know how I feel about silhouettes!!!

And finally, Andy came home with one of these today and I was in love. John has a REAL weakness for these things. I don’t particularly care for them, but when I saw this idea I HAD to share it because it’s pretty stinkin cute best of all there’s a free download so you can make your own! Download them here

I’ve got a few more things up my sleeve…stay tuned!

Have a great day!

-t

Hostess with the Mostess: Kids Party Ideas

Tammy — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:52:36 +0000

This little shindig is LONG overdue for some blog love. I can’t believe I never shared it! No fear though…it’s perfect timing since it’s pallette is great for spring. You all know I’ve got a weakness for lime green and pink so this was definitely a favorite.

I think these last several years of attending and shooting elaborate parties have taught me that kids are really very happy with the simple pleasures. Sure, they love bounce houses and ponies and magicians, (and I love to plan paties like that!!!) but put a table full of goodies in front of them and let them decorate a homemade cupcake and they are JUST as happy. Just something to keep in mind for those of you planning birthday’s in the near future…that would be me.

Enjoy this gorgeous party!

Mom attended to every gorgeous detail…LOVE the white hydrangeas in a lime green ribbon wrapped box!

the butterflies on the straws…Stunning!

cute little bowls to hold the goodies courtesey of Anthropologie

the darling birthday princess

a finished masterpiece

i LOVE the lighting in these shots…YUM!!! after decorating cupcakes the kids gathered to make bead necklaces on PIPE CLEANERS. Genius!! For little kids they stay stiff enough for them to feed the beads onto…great tip to remember!! You can then twist multiple strands together to make a necklace that’s long enough.

Hope you’re feeling inspired to plan your next event!

Have a great day!
-t