Welcome to my crafty blog... a "garden" of colourful cards, quilting, sewing projects, knitting...and what ever else happens along the way!!


Saturday, October 2, 2010

Mug Cozies, Birthdays and More!!

Happy Saturday! I'm still trying to get back into a routine after my vacation. We have lots of yard work to do - we've had cooler nights and many of the annual flowers are looking kind of "droopy"! It's a good time to start planning for  fall and winter 'crafty' projects.

I've seen a variety of "mug cozies" on different blogs, but most have been felted fabric with instructions for covering a coffee shop paper cup. My sister-in-law gave me a great pattern book (Cider Mill Road: Art to Heart by Nancy Halvorsen) for quilting and applique. It has several patterns for a mug cozy that will fit around a regular 10" china mug. So.. I decided to make her a few for her birthday, along with a card and a few other treats! 

I made 4 cozies with two different applique patterns. Each design was traced onto a fusible webbing and then ironed onto the fabric. Once positioned, I used a blanket stitch on my sewing machine to stitch around each design. The buttons are used for decoration - Velcro holds the ends together at the handle.


Here they are wrapped around the mugs, all ready for a 'spot' of tea!


The birthday card uses a Stamping Bella image Content-to-be-a-bella that I coloured with water coloured pencils. All of the coloured "scallops" around the main image are actually little circles that I punched and then arranged on the back of the oval. I added a little pink flower with a pink ribbon and some Stickles" and the sentiment from a Close to My Heart  Birthday stamp set.


My SIL is a great photographer, so I decorated the envelope for the card with a variety of stamps from my stash, to create a collage effect.

Along with the card and envelope, I wrapped a box of photo card paper with paper that I made with stamps from CTMH Picture Perfect set.  The little box on the left  was made so the mug cozies would lie neatly inside. I covered the box with birthday paper from my stash and added a paper flower and ribbon.




 NEW HOME & HAPPY BIRTHDAY

My niece and her husband bought a new house recently, so I thought mug cozies would be a great housewarming gift. They live in New Zealand and shipping small items is always a good choice.  I used the same basic pattern as above for the cozies.

The card uses CTMH set Around the Block. I coloured the house with water colour pencils and added a red ribbon and little Stamping Bella Dots. The 'smoke' from the chimney is liquid applique.



 Here's a close up view of the two cozies. It uses a 'leaf' design with little red buttons as flowers. The green button shows the position for the Velcro closure.


 Since it was Kristen's birthday, I also made a birthday card to include in the package. I used the Stamping Bella image Cecily Cinnamonsticks. I cut the white card stock from the inverted scalloped Nestabilities and then sponged the edges. A little pink button and ribbon from my stash finishes the main image.

Card Details:
Birthday Card #1  Content-to-be-a-bella
Stamps: Stamping Bella; CTMH Happy Birthday,  Picture Perfect; SU Scene in a Garden, Pocket Silhouette, Garden Whimsy
Inks: CTMHGarden Green; SU Pixie Pink
Paper: from my stash
Other Supplies: Stickles, pink flower, ribbon, markers, water colour pencils.
New Home Card
Stamps: CTMH Around the Block
Inks: CTMH Black 
Paper: from my Stash
Other Supplies: Stamping Bella Dots, Liquid Applique, water colour pencils, ribbon, Nestabilities
Birthday Card #2 Cecily Cinnamonsticks
Stamps: Stamping Bella; CTMH Sweet Treats
Inks: CTMH Black; SU Pixie Pink
Paper: from my Stash
Other Supplies: Stickles, water colour pencils, markers, Nestabilities; mini pearls, button, ribbon


Have a great week-end and thanks for looking!!

4 comments:

Kay D said...

Oh, I'm absolutely head over heels in love with your mug cozies! Pure genius, and they look awesome! Gotta get me some of those...

June K said...

WOW, those mug cozies are SO cute. It's give me some ideas.

Erica said...

Oh my goodness! I love those mug cozies!!

BethieJ said...

WOWY you have been BUSY Karen! I LOVE everything.. the cozies are so CUTE! and I LOVE the cards, and envie, and how you wrapped the gifts!!! FABULOUS!!
Have a GREAT day!