Announcement and GIVEAWAY!

My new website AJthePurple.com is now up!

That's where I'll be from now on - don't miss out on You Amaze Me Sundays, Etsy Finds, Thursday Threads, and all my other design, art, and craft posts! Go check it out :D

While you're there, you can enter my giveaway!

There will be TWO winners - each gets a print of their choice and other goodies. I handmade some special items just for this! Don't miss out!

Etsy Finds: Fall 2010

These are what I want for the fall. Warm, cozy, classy...I want them all.

I would buy headphones just for this head phones hat by escaodesign:

I would wear these yellow oak leaf earrings by hitree all fall long:

And I would carry this Colorblocked bag by CamilleStar with me everywhere:

I obviously need this purple mug cozy by natalya1905:

And this yo yo headband by cocorosecouture is simply fall-tastic:

I'd feel fancy in these lovely lacey wrist warmers by hypericumfragile:

Isn't this ruffle front fleece jacket by cotylee just to die for?!

I want to cozy up in these knit slipper boots by HollyDoll:

And this fall wouldn't be complete without this gorgeous cape with tie by margerydaw0:

Writing this while listening to the sound of the rain falling seems wildly appropriate. I'm so excited for fall to come! And maybe some extra moolah so I can buy these beauties on Etsy! ;)

Fall Semester

FALL REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

I super excited to teach Sew You 101!!!! (Sneak peeks here and here)

You thought Summer Lovin’ was big? This fall we’ve got a massive 16-week curriculum to keep you crafting straight through the year. We’ll have 4 video tutorials every month, accompanied by a weekly live video chat with Renée & A.J. to answer any project questions you may have. PLUS photo tutorials and printables to keep you crafting beyond the videos.

Learn more!

Perks of enrolling as a Craft Cadet:

• Live video chats with both Renée and me.
• Video tutorials!! That means you won't miss a thing!
• Detailed feedback on every single project, and prompt answers to your questions.
• A community in which you can share, grow, and learn.
• Plus a few bonuses like tips & tricks, freebies, giveaways...
• Not to mention all the awesome projects we'll be doing!!
  
  
  

Sew YOU! Sneak Peek #2

Ready for another sneak peek for Craft Academy's fall semester?

Hmm...what have we here? Seems like sewing with structure....perhaps reversible.....hmmmm....:)

You know what I love about Craft Academy? We offer video tutorials. Video tutorials provide a level of detail that's nearly impossible in written/photographic tutorials. You can see every single step taken in a project in detail. That means you have the whole process and techniques. (Not to mention you get to see us ;)) And you'll have access to the videos for a year, which means you can re-watch them as often as you need.

I hope you can join us for our fall semester. Registration opens next week!

Etsy Update!

I just did a HUGE update to my Etsy shop AJ the Purple!

I added a completely new product - Embroidered Bracelets!

I seriously love these. I hope you do, too ^_^

I added the new Squid Monsters and Fairy to my prints section

(Squid Monsters was by special request - the first one already sold! :D)

There are now lots of ACEOs :D

And of course there are Huggles ;)

And, because I love you,

First 3 orders today get a special surprise

Go check it out! :D

Sew YOU! Sneak Peek #1

Happy Monday :)
Here's a sneak peek of two projects I'm perfecting for Craft Academy's Fall Semester!

(I'm not going to tell you what they are - yet!)

Sew You 101 will consist of a series of sewing projects that become more complex as your skills grow. I'll be teaching valuable sewing skills all semester long! Stay tuned to learn more!

Remember: Registration opens August 8th!

Coming this fall...

I'm just bursting at the seams to tell you about our upcoming fall semester with Craft Academy!! Right now, I can only tell you a few details...

1. I'll be teaching "Sew You 101"

2. Renée will be teaching "Home Style 101"

3. Registration opens August 8!

Perks of enrolling as a Craft Cadet:

• Live video chats with both Renée and me.
• Video tutorials!! That means you won't miss a thing!
• Detailed feedback on every single project, and prompt answers to your questions.
• A community in which you can share, grow, and learn.
• Plus a few bonuses like tips & tricks, freebies, giveaways...
• Not to mention all the awesome projects we'll be doing!!

Don't worry, you'll be getting some sneak peaks as it gets closer. Just keep an eye out here!

4th of July Party Pack

Coming soon: the first Craft Academy Party Pack! It's packed full of tutorials for the best Independence Day ever! We've made food, decorations, of course these awesome picnic placemats (wait 'til you see it unrolled!), and more :D You should check it out ;) (And tell your friends!)

Summer Projects

Obviously I'm going to be very busy this summer. I'm job hunting, starting Craft Academy, updating my Etsy shop, probably redesigning my blog (time for a facelift, right?), and continuing to work on my portfolio. But aside from all that "work" (hehe), I'd like to throw in some fun, personal projects. Here are a few I have my eye on...

Fruity trivets and potholders via the Purl Bee (aren't these adorable?!)

I'm thinking the lime is my fav, but I may make a new color combo to make apples! Which would you do?

Rainbow cupcakes! (Lemon Drop Rainbow Cupcakes via Bite Size Baker)

I love rainbows and I love cupcakes. So...makes sense, right? :)
 

The Danielle Dress, a free pattern on BurdaStyle

This dress should be pretty easy to modify - neckline, length, sleeves, etc. And it's so simple and cute! I'm excited to make another dress ^_^ (Plus it's on my 2010 goals!)

Or maybe I'll make this Work Dress (it's a wrap style), also on BurdaStyle.

It's pretty nifty, not to mention handy! I looove pockets.

Crocheted Dishcloths via Lion Brand Yarn

 I think my favorite thing might actually be the colors :P

Root beer cookies?! That just sounds awesome! [Recipe here, but via The Dainty Squid] I also found some Dr. Pepper chocolate cake mix, so I may have to try to make my own recipe for that...It's going to be a tasty summer!

I'd also like to knit (or maybe crochet) a small shrug. I haven't found the perfect free pattern yet though. Anyone have one to share? Aside from these, we'll probably also be working on our apartment...I love redecorating :D And Alex and I are thinking of getting me an old Honda motorcycle to rebuild.......but that may be a more distant project. But I can still think about it this summer ;D

What just-for-fun projects are you working on this summer?

Busy Saturday, Take 6

Today is another busy Saturday! I woke up refreshed and still excited after the Etsy Craft Party last night :) So I immediately got to work. I started off making some sunglasses and iPhone/iPod cases. [I have a few ideas for screenprinting, so I'm trying out some sewing projects to decide what to screenprint :)] I had already cut the fabric for them - gray felt matched with several fun prints - and was ready to sew. Whew, was sewing all that felt tricky! It was mainly problematic because they were small cases and they were lined nicely (meaning all the seams are hidden between the fabrics). But I think they turned out ok:

Hm...I have a lot of sunglasses...well, only one pair wasn't pictured. Hee :D But now they won't get scratched up! Yay! After I finished those up, Alex and I ran errands...it took quite a while. We even went by Central Market and got lots of organic goodness :d AND he bought me these pretties:

Gotta love a husband who'll buy you flowers ;) When we got home I made fruit salad! Yum yum

We're having some friends over later, so it'll be a good snack :D I'm hoping I can go for my run before they get here...We started the Couch to 5K program (with the help of the awesome c25k app). I've only done it twice, but I really like it so far! It'll be so awesome if I can keep it up and actually run a 5K by the end of the summer!!

In other news, Craft Academy starts Tuesday!!! I can't believe it. If you haven't signed up yet, you really should. We're going to be making our favorite crafts all summer long! Plus live chats, giveaways (if I can bear to part with the cuteness, that is!), and special little bonuses here and there ;) I'm just super excited :D:D:D

What are you up to?

Have a happy Saturday!

DIY Fabric Gift Tag!

 In case you didn't see my post on Saturday, I made a gift tag for my friends' wedding present! I was so excited about it that I decided to share a tutorial for it :D *yay!*

First things first, pick out your fabric. I chose a fabric to match their wedding colors. I cut my pieces to be 4x6" (so 4x3" folded). But the gift tag can be any size really - it's up to you. It's a great way to use scraps! You'll need:

• one 4x6" piece for the outside (my purple pattern)
• one 4x6" piece for the inside (I chose off-white, so it wold be easy to write on)
• one 4x6" piece of interfacing (I use iron-on)

Cut your pieces and iron them out (so glad I started ironing all my sewing projects!). Iron on your interfacing, if you're using iron-on like I did, in between the two other pieces.

Now sew the pieces together! (You can pin first if you like.) I sewed two lines to make sure the sides were secure.

Now trim off the excess. Then all you have to do is fold in half and iron!

Voila! Gift tag! Grab a permanent marker to write your message, attach with ribbon, and you're set :D

Wedding Card

I had the best idea this morning. Really. Here's how it happened:

A month ago I helped a friend pick out fabric for her wedding favors (covers for blueberry jam!). She cut too many, so she gifted me a big stack of beautiful squares :D

This morning I was using the fabric for a Craft Academy project...

[sneak peek!]

when I thought - OH! I can make a gift tag with these!!!!! Anyway, I found it exciting ;D I also got to use small leftovers of interfacing and cotton fabric. So now their wedding gift will have a gift tag that matches their colors and wedding favors! I think she'll appreciate it ;)

PS: I can't believe Craft Academy starts in just over a week!!! Have you signed up yet? It's going to be awesoooome :D