The first are these adorkable cupcake toppers, which she very generously produced in 3 different sizes (1 inch, 1.25 inch and 1.5 inch) to match whatever size circle punch you have. Halloween school party cupcake decorations…check!

1 inch cupcake topper download

1.25 inch cupcake topper download

1.5 inch cupcake topper download

The 2nd Halloween printable is for a Halloween Treat Bag, which you can print out on a regular ole paper lunch bag. These would also be perfect for those school Halloween parties as well!

Halloween Treat Bag Download

About the contributor:
	Jessica Alvarado is a freelance writer and full time artist at C. Johannesen Studio. She also blogs about crafting her diy life at Seven Day Magic.

1. Subtle Acts ~~ 2. Glamourpuss Creations ~~ 3. Forest and Fin ~~ 4. Stuff by Nicole

5. Phydeaux Designs ~~ 6. Bluebird by Lucie ~~ 7. Finest Imaginary ~~ 8. The Venerable Bead

I sat down the other day and played around with them. Here’s what I came up with.

Using this adorable Owl Stamp, I made myself a print that hangs in my office and a postcard that I’m sending to my penpal…which is my very much overdue response to her!

Owl Stamp,  $22

I thought this Recipe Stamp would be a great way for me to share homemade gifts. Like some of my refrigerator pickles along with the recipe attached as a card. I plan on using this a lot this upcoming holiday season!

Recipe Card Stamp, $22

Finally, I used the Bunting Stamp to decorate my niece’s birthday present. I usually use plain Kraft paper wrap and decorate it myself rather than buying printed wrapping paper. It’s more fun and personal that way.  I also made a Bon Voyage postcard too.

Bunting Stamp, $20

Bon Voyage Stamp, $18

Ellen is actually here today to share a project with you based on one from the book…just to give you a small taste from the book. Enjoy! xoxo- jen

First off, thanks to Jen for being part of the 1, 2, 3 Sew blog tour!

The first project in the book is the Fruit Tea Towels (see image below). As simple as stamping and sewing a straight line, this project is a good introduction to sewing for beginners. In each chapter, there are three projects that allow you to build on the skills that you’ve learned with the previous project. Here in the Dining & Dishes chapter, you’ll make simple tea towels with folded corners, then a set of napkins with mitered corners, followed by a table runner incorporating mitered corners and divided pockets. Learn as you sew and create useful yet pretty projects.

We use a ton of tea towels around our house, preferring them to paper towels. I also think they make lovely gifts. Today I’ll show you a different version of the tea towels, made simply with fabric paint and stencil sponge brushes.

How-to: Stamped Tea Towels

Supplies (for 4 towels):

-one yard of white cotton fabric
-quilt batting or felt (18″ x 22″)
-foam stencil brushes
-fabric paint in your choice of colors
-water
-cups
-fabric scrap for practicing

1. Pre-wash and dry the fabric. Cut it into four 18″ x 22″ pieces. Lay one piece of fabric on top of the quilt batting (this will serve to soak up any excess paint).

2. Mix the fabric paint with a bit of water until it has a watery consistency.

3. Dip the foam brush into the water/paint mixture and practice stamping on a scrap piece of fabric. Then simply press onto the fabric in a random configuration, bleeding the edges together in some areas.

4. Once you have completed your design, allow the fabric to dry for several hours.

5. Then hem the edges according to the folded corner instructions found HERE.

Be sure to visit my blog, The Long Thread for more tutorials. And 1, 2, 3 Sew is now available at your local bookstore, online or at the Chronicle Books. Thanks!

Here’s a sneak peak at some of the other projects from the book:

Plus the blog tour continues:

Monday, July 11 – CRAFT
Tuesday, July 12 – Sew, Mama, Sew & Oh My! Handmade Goodness
Wednesday, July 13 – Handmade Charlotte
Thursday, July 14 – Everything Etsy & Not Martha
Friday, July 15 – Modern Kiddo

Monday, July 18 – Crafty Pod
Tuesday, July 19 – Indie Fixx & Patterns by Figgy’s
Wednesday, July 20 – Papernstitch
Thursday, July 21 – House on Hill Road & Coquette
Friday, July 15 – Bolt Neighborhood & True Up

This time I thought I’d take you through my creative process that, if I’m honest, has only just started to really develop, just as I get towards the end of my 52 crafts in 52 weeks challenge. So what a fabulous benefit and legacy for me to take from my challenge – not only do I have more new craft skills than I even knew existed, but I have developed a way that works for me to generate ideas and inspiration.

So here is how I took inspiration from nature into my sketchbook and into a finished project.

It really helps to keep a sketchbook – it’s a relatively new phenomenon for me but I love sketching from nature and studying the intricacies of tulips, apple trees and herbs as I draw – I’ve tried architecture but it doesn’t give me a thrill at all.

My favourite page at the moment is one that I developed over a couple of days. I used pencil, ink and watercolour in the various sketches to explore a dried and battered poppy head that I found as I was doing a little gardening in the unseasonable heat that the UK experienced over Easter. I dropped the gardening fork, grabbed my art supplies and set up in the garden (under an umbrella, no sunburn here thank you very much).

Fast forward a little over a week.  As I was using a kit to make silk paper for my week 46 craft, I realised that I could incorporate a craft I learnt back in week 2 – freehand machine embroidery. And a flick through my sketchbook generated the perfect subject to embroider on the paper: the dry poppy head.

Very shortly afterwards I had my finished piece. And it all started when I was weeding my garden.

What has fired up your creativity lately?

- Christine Evans from 52 crafts in 52 weeks project writes the column Creativity Corner, which appears bi-monthly on Tuesdays. Read more about her on the contributors’ page.

So, here’s a few little doodles I did for homework (top 3 images below). I used stuff I learned from Alicia’s class, but I also used this Zentangle technique. As far as I can tell, Zentangle is a systematic drawing technique using repetition and patterns. Here’s more about Zentangle.

In addition to taking Alicia’s class and playing around with Zentangle, I’ve also been reading The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain book by Betty Edwards. Just getting into it actually, but I’m hopeful that it’s really going to help me break free and be able to draw all that I get inspired by in the world.

Speaking of inspiration, I am also planning a trip next week to our local garden & conservatory. I have two goals for this excursion: get out of the house and experience some of the spring that exploding around me and  to take some photographs I can use as inspiration for my drawing. Can’t wait for that…and I will be sharing, of course.

So, now it’s your turn.

What have you been doing lately to challenge yourself

or get outside your comfort zone?

Please share in the comments, I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to as well.

my homework for Alisa Burke’s Sketchbook Delight class.

I bought a set of Derwent Watercolor pencils for myself after experimenting with a smaller, less expensive set and realizing that I LOVE watercolor pencils!  Early birthday present to myself.

Here are some of Alisa Burke’s sketches as inspiration for us as all.

More of Alia’s colorful sketchbook. Alisa does offer other classes besides Sketchbook Delight. I’m not sure what the next scheduled class is, but here’s a list of what she offers.

I love this feather sketch by Alisa. I’m thoroughly been enjoying my experience with Sketchbook Delight and think Alisa’s been a great teacher. If you are at all interested in taking any of her classes, I say go for it!

Christine’s posts will appear bi-monthly on Tuesdays so make check back on Tuesdays. xoxo – jen

Hello! I’m really excited about being here and sharing my thoughts on creativity. Here’s just a little about me: I’m Christine, I live in a quiet village in the English countryside with my husband and Yorkshire Terrier and I’m trying a new craft every week for a year.

One of the most common things I’ve heard since starting my 52 crafts in 52 weeks project (after, “how do you find the time?”) is “I’m not as creative as you, I wouldn’t know where to start.”

I don’t believe I’m any more creative than the next person–we all have it in us to be creative.  A recent article on Huffington Post talked about creativity…

Indeed, Sir Ken Robinson, an educator not a neuroscientist believes we are all creative. That children, at least, are born creative and then it is pounded out of them in school. Such creativity disappears, he says, by about age seven or eight.

Maybe we all just need a little nudge to get us thinking in that child-like way again, when hours could be spent making up make-believe lands (true-life confession: I used to play schools with my china animal collection and set them homework and scold them for being naughty), time would disappear as we played with yogurt pots and cereal boxes and crayons were as precious as gems.

So, are you ready to challenge yourself?

To help you get those creative neurons firing, I thought for my inaugural column on Indie Fixx that I’d talk a little about creativity challenges and how to set your own.

By definition, a challenge should be something stretching. But remember, it should be a stretch for you.

If you never take photographs, challenging yourself to taking one a week would be a really big jump. But, someone who regularly takes snaps of their life, might find what they need to get them thinking more creatively is to take photos of something red every day.

Your challenge also needs to be something that will keep you interested. I don’t get bored with trying a new craft every week, but if I was making the same thing week in, week out I’d soon lose my momentum.

It’s also a good idea to make yourself accountable in some way to complete your challenge. I started a blog so that people all over the world could see my progress. And I always get asked, “What’s your craft this week” by my friends, family and colleagues. So there’s less chance of me abandoning it. You don’t have to start a blog–you could join like-minded people on a forum, flickr, twitter or just tell your family your plans so they support you.

Finally I just want to give you some ideas on the kinds of challenges you could set yourself. How about:

• making something different out of a single sheet of paper every week?
• knitting a different item every month?
• photographing the same view every week for a year?
• painting a different monochromatic picture every week until you reach the end of the rainbow?
• starting an art journal and working in it every day for a month?
• googling creative challenges and join an established group such as the 365Days group on Flickr?

I hope I’ve given you a few ideas on how to set your own creativity challenge. Let me know in the comments if you’re already embarking on one or if you’re inspired to set your own challenge today. Also, feel free to share any of your projects in the Indie Fixx Flikcr Group.

It’s Valentine’s Day and unfortunately I don’t feel like being anyone’s valentine today. I’m sickly-sick with a bad cold. Before I started feeling like a truck ran me over this weekend, I did have a chance to make some Valentines for Indie Fixx Jr though. I’ve been playing & practicing with my supplies all week long for my art class homework (I must say that I think my skillz are improving) and I decided to use some of my new knowledge to make a mixed media bouquet of crocus hearts. I used charcoal, pens and watercolor pencils to get my desired look.I also plan on paper-clipping some dinero to them as well. I think she will like that.

I do hope your Valentine’s Day is better than mine is gonna be. No smooching my sweetheart today. I’m going back to bed now to read some Anthony Bourdain. Air kisses to you all.