Sonya Nimri

Husky Christmas Trees

2011-12-05T22:38:00.000-08:00

My friend Jessica and I have been doing some fun holiday crafts together. She came up with the idea to use corn husks as trees- a brilliant plan since corn husks are available everywhere and are super inexpensive. Jessica's are scalloped and pretty as you can see in the second photo. All these Dr. Seuss books my 3 y.o. is having me read must really be getting to me, as I decided to make mine wild, bushy, and metallic.

Wispy, piney, huskey Christmas trees.

Jessica's sweet scalloped trees. See directions at Hipster Teaparty.

What You'll Need:

Corn husks

Kids party cone hats

Hot glue gun

Scissors

Spray paint

1. Disassemble and reassemble party hats to the shape/height of your liking. I cut two down and heightened and narrowed one other. Hot glue in place. Glue a band of husk to the bottom of your hat to hide the bottom then cut a bunch of husks into 1 inch strips then notch every 1/4 inch. Create a band at the bottom, curling outward, then work your way up. I used the end piece of the husk for the top, leaving the natural narrowing shape then twisting.

Initially, I imagined these white with white glitter, but since I'm on a gold spray paint kick these days they turned out gold.

Pop Up Frosty

2011-12-01T22:45:00.000-08:00

I recently got commissioned to create a 2-D snowman that looked like it would be at home in a pop-up book. For those looking for an alternative to Frosty's uniform circles, this untraditional geometric snowman is super cute and really easy to make with 2 inch strips of cardboard.

What You'll Need:

A hole punch

3 ft x 6 ft piece of cardboard, I got my cardboard, and they cut it into 6 foot x 2 inch vertical strips against the grain at my local art supply store, Mittel's.

White paint and a small roller

Foam sticky sheets in black and orange

Scissors or a die cutter with the appropriate shapes- I used my Cuttlebug

2 9 inch plywood rounds

1 5/16 inch steel 3 foot rod

5/16 inch drill bit

Drill

Frosty waiting for his hat.

Overlap two 9 inch circles, using a 5/16 inch drill bit, drill a hole in the center of the rounds then insert pole. It should stay put on it's own.

Take strips of cardboard and bend with the grain of the cardboard. Start with a strip down the center for the head, the middle then the lower ball. Hole punch, then thread onto 5/16" bar. Underlap cardboard strips, stapling in place at the top and bottom of each "ball" until Frosty reaches his desired girth. Hot glue strips of cardboard across back to strengthen shape.

Paint the stapled areas and torn edges white with your sponge brush. Glue and staple the top and bottom edges of each ball to the next.

To keep "ball" shape from drooping, add a stapled strip of cardboard to the back of each circular. Use your foam sheets to cut out circles, button shapes, and a carrot nose and a smile and stick in place. Hot glue stick arms to the back of him.

Frosty looking dapper for the San Diego Hat Company .

Plaster Platypus

2011-11-25T22:59:00.000-08:00

My husband and I have a long running alliance with this very special, rare animal- we feel that if we were not humans, we would most certainly be platypuses. This has led to many a-platypus in our lives: platypus t-shirts, platypus puppets, books, etc... So this year for my husband's birthday I decided to make an embodiment of our favorite creature to hang along side the real taxidermy we have in our house.

What You'll Need:

Wire Mesh- I used an old screen door screen
Wire Cutters
Newspaper and/or Newsprint
Paper Mod Podge
Sponge brush
Gesso
Plaster of Paris
Paints and paintbrushes
Drill and screws for mounting it

1. Make the base structure with wire mesh.

This is the back, I sewed it up with a loose wire.

2. Decoupage over the mesh with strips of paper newsprint.

3. Paint white with gesso- you can stop here after a few layers if you just want a papier-mache platypus and paint it the desired colors. At this step, I thought that it looked a little too rough and wanted smoother edges, so I added a layer of plaster.

5. Here is the platypus after a layer of plaster, I sanded it lightly after it dried for a few hours.

6. Now for the fun part! Painting it!

I got my dear friend Jessica of Hipster Teaparty to help me. She is a very talented painter and I just love an excuse to hang out with her whenever I can!

Et, voila! I screwed the bottom corners into this frame I had laying around.

Stained Glass Animals

2011-11-25T15:40:00.000-08:00

Talk about a window to another world! With a simple picture book, plastic page protectors, and window paint, you can make your child's bedroom windows into a jungle, aquarium, and zoo all in one. Every time the sun shines, the animals come alive. This is kid-proof stained glass, and a great project for kids 2 and up. We've been working on Grippy's bedroom for a while and have gotten both windows covered almost entirely. Grippy likes to make dots with the paint to make food for the animals to eat, so any time we have accidents, spills, etc., we call it food. This way, no paint ever goes to waste.

What You'll Need:

Gallery glass by Plaid or Klutz Squirt on peel off Window Paint

Plastic page protectors- any thick plastic will do

Toothpick

A picture book with animals in it, any children's picture book will do
Paper towel

Noah's Arc on the window.

We use an illustrated animal encyclopedia that we got second hand. Love this book and it is a great way for Grippy to learn the names of animals.

1. Lay down the plastic over the image and outline the animal with the "liquid leading". Here, I have an assistant guiding the paint.

2. We're not so precise about it as you can see, as long as the animal is recognizable...

2. Squeeze on colors.

3. Fill the whole animal making sure not to overfill, it will take forever to dry if there is too much paint but if you add just the right amount it will dry over night.

4. Work around the details like the eyes and the ears with a toothpick.

Animals and a pumpkin. Sometimes the paint gets out of the lines, totally o.k. by me. It's important that the little ones do it themselves.

I love the way green and red look together on the birds and the frogs.

How to Make Big Bear Eyes

2011-09-02T00:52:00.000-07:00

Obviously, this project applies to everyone. I mean, on any given day who doesn't have to take a fairly sketchy bear costume with inch-wide pinhole eyes and open them up so the average person over 3 feet tall can see through them to distribute flyers to an unsuspecting public? That's what I call art. With that in mind, here's how you make a stuffy costume bearable without having to hire an actual bear (they'd be offended, I'm pretty sure...bears don't like t-shirts):

I drew bigger eyes.

Cut the fabric.

Used a thin blade hand saw to saw away the extra foam.

I had my 2 year old help. I don't recommend this.

We made a big mess of the kitchen.

Note to self: do this outside next time.

For the bigger eyes, I used cheese containers, mesh fabric and duct tape.

Then duct taped the insides of the eyes so the foam pellets would stay put and folded the fabric under.

Oh yes, cut out the bottom.

Insert the container into the holes.

Hot glue a felt circle to the outside of the eyes to finish it off. Don't forget eyelashes!

A Splendid Event

2011-07-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

Splendid recently opened a store at The Grove and hired my pal and former Anthro colleague Kate Burger and her company k8vision to create all the displays for the event. It was a huge project with many activity stands, including keychain making, sun prints, and even a flipbook station! (There was a lemonade stand, too, but I'm pretty sure we didn't craft any lemons...yet :)!). Needless to say, Kate needed some help, so she called me (and a few other former Anthro gals) in for backup. It was a good excuse to get out of the house and use my skills of yore a little bit! Sometimes, being a mom makes me feel like I am totally out of the loop with all my crafting. Juggling life with the babies with my craft is a tough balancing act, but I'd never want to pass up an opportunity like this...especially when my kids are part of the fun! Here's a good look at a great day, and a bit of the hard work that went into it...

Colorful striped and patterned boxes used for storage inside and for the kids to climb.

The BIG sign! I painted all the laser-cut letters and logos. The sponge brush was my friend. In the foreground are the little blocks I also helped paint that fit together to make puzzles. The designs were really complicated- could it be that a little genius figured out the patterns...?

...or maybe kids just stacked them up. Fun either way!

The craft stations- the awesome crafts were created by Kimmel Kids.

A keychain making station for kids.

Colorful signs for ambience.

Laser-cut signs letting people know what was where.

And last but not least awesome driftwood animals made by our other Anthro buddy, Jen Johnson.

The set shop...

Painting the boxes in my favorite work apron at the set shop.

The boxes half done.

Kate hard at work painting the boxes.

Easter Egg Crafts

2011-04-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

Easter is right around the corner. That means it's time to break out the eggs...and start crafting. I just happened to have a big bag of styrofoam eggs in the garage (who doesn't?!) so, in an attempt to de-clutter, my neighbor Jessica and I had an egg decorating party. These are two of my creations....

Faux chocolate egg with felted center and white chocolate bunny molded from brown toy bunny.

Gold leafed egg with original toy bunny in cove.

Malted Eggs are pretty tasty.

What you need:
Styrofoam Egg
Colored Aluminum from candy eggs
Slim 1/8" ribbon for hanging egg
Pin
Earth Toned Model Magic
White felting wool
Felting needle
Hot glue gun
1 inch deep cap and serrated knife
Paint can cap for a large egg and smaller one for the smaller egg

For the golden egg:

All of the above except for felting wool and needle plus:
1/2 inch ribbon for border of peep hole, and to go around side of egg
Gold leaf and sizing
Lichen
Blue craft paint and brush

Directions:

Make hole in styrofoam with a plastic cap from a bottle. I used a cap from a shampoo bottle. Hollow out hole with serrated knife and clean out all styrofoam dust.

2. Roll out earth toned model magic and cover egg smoothing out any lumps or bumps. For the faux chocolate egg, you don't need to cover the inside of the hole with model magic.

3. Add texture by pressing a belt with a patterned, raised surface into the model magic. Let dry.

4. Crack hole of egg open wider and jaggedly and needle felt the felting wool into the hollow.

5. Hot glue aluminum foil to the outside of the egg leaving space to see "chocolate".

6. Stick pin the ribbon to the top to hang the egg.

Golden Egg Variation:

Model Magic inside of peep-hole smoothly.
Paint peep-hole robin's egg blue.
Gold-leaf outside of egg.
Hot glue ribbon around egg and around peep-hole.
Hot-glue lichen to inside bottom of hole.
Place object of interest inside the hollow.

To Make White Chocolate Bunny

What You'll Need:

Toy plastic bunny
Wilton's Melting White Chocolate
Amazing Molding Putty

Directions:

1. Make a 2 sided cast of the toy bunny following the directions on the Amazing Molding Putty package. It's very easy and totally non-toxic so don't be afraid!

2. Melt chocolate and spoon it into both sides of the mold. Press together tightly and place in freezer for 15 minutes.

Cherry Blossom Tapestry for UCLA Commons Window

2011-02-07T14:42:00.000-08:00

I found this swaying cherry blossom tree in a Tim Walker book totally inspiring and wanted to recreate it for the UCLA Commons window.

I knew it was going to take a lot of stamping so I took a cherry blossom stamp that I already had and stamped on a linoleum stamp then carved around the flowers to make a great big swath of cherry blossoms.

I took a large piece of cotton muslin and dip dyed the bottom 1/3 into a warm salty bath of Rit dye Denim Blue. I hung it to dry outside on a line. After it dried, I appliqued the tree using three different bark-y colored fabrics cut into flame shapes. As usual- Wonder-under was my friend, ironed to the back of the fabrics, they stuck really well to the muslin.

Next came the fun stamp-a-thon. I loosely mixed three different colors of Folk Art paint- Pure Orange, Metallic Rose, and Metallic Peach Pure. I hand-sewed a swing to the tapestry too to convey a camp-y feel. It's pretty rad here on my picnic table, might have a second-life as a table cloth or a curtain after the window comes down.

But for now, it's on 2nd Street in Santa Monica!

Rag Bowls

2011-01-18T00:17:00.000-08:00

My students in my UCLA Family Commons class made these bowls out of tissue paper, lace, and various scrap fabrics. Dip shreds various materials measuring .5 inches x 2-3 inches long into Mod Podge. Overlap multiple layers (the more the thicker the final bowl) over a smooth surfaced bowl. After a couple days, the new bowls just peeled off of the original ones! Pretty and easy (although very messy!)

San Diego Hat Co. Pennant Flags and Play Tent

2011-01-13T15:03:00.000-08:00

I made 31 flags total which ended up making a 35 foot long stretch.

I made these projects for a San Diego Hat Company catalog photo shoot. The fabrics were mostly mens pj shirts from Goodwill that were cut up into triangles and patches for the tent. If there was more turn-around time, I think I would have washed them, because honestly from the way they smelled, I think someone died in a couple of them.

Pattern for the pennant flags and 1/2 inch cotton bias tape I zig-zag stitched the top of the flags to every six inches. The sides and top were turned under and zig-zag stitched.

The tent was just one long piece of fabric backed by two different patterned fabrics. I sewed patches to the outer piece of fabric- a natural cotton muslin that measured 6 yards. The edges were turned over twice and straight stitched.

My little star posing in a San Diego Hat. He was such a good little model.

Merry Christmas Garland

2010-12-24T22:49:00.000-08:00

Want your house to scream Merry Christmas without running up the electricity bill or supergluing reindeer to the roof? Express yourself with these easy-to-make quilted holiday letters. In a few minutes you can add a festive touch to any mantle or, if you haven't got one (and, honestly, who has a mantle these days...?!), give that less-than-Noble Fir a voice by attaching some pom-poms and hanging these letters as ornaments on your Christmas tree. But don't stop at Christmas. This project's technique can be used anytime. Whether announcing a party or decorating a child's room, let your style speak with this easy to-do, and impossible to ignore, anytime garland.

Step 1: Iron double-sided Wonder-Under to quilted fabric.

Step 2: Iron parchment paper to the wrong-side of patterned fabric and trace 3 1/4 inch letters on the parchment paper. Make sure the letters are backwards so the letter appear forward on the garland.
Step 3: Cut out letters and peel off the parchment paper.

Step 3: Lay out letters leaving a little bit of room between them. Sew around letters using a straight-stitch and going slowly.

Step 4: Cut out letters and sew to a 1/2 inch ribbon spacing evenly on garland.

Reinvent Christmas!

2010-12-16T00:13:00.000-08:00

If you have extra fabric and trim lying around, use it to wrap presents. I hot glued the fabric to the boxes to make sure they didn't move about, but they could also be taped with strong double stick tape. The fabric can be reused for all sorts of things.

I'm not a great knitter but the woman who made this sweater from Goodwill was! I took it and was able to make two big stockings from it just one sweater just by tracing a stocking I had and sewing up the sides. There was also enough knit left to cover one of my holiday houses in the UCLA Commons Window.

Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments

2010-12-12T00:40:00.000-08:00

Hand-shaped ornaments painted and on the tree

Cookie Cutter Ornaments

Pre-painted baked cookies

First coat of paint

Salt Dough Ornaments are a simple, inexpensive and beautiful addition to any Christmas tree, not to mention a great project to do with the kids. I got my son involved in the painting of them, and our tree has never looked the same!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1/2 cup water
Baking sheets
Acrylic paints, glitter glue brushes.

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients by hand, knead until well blended and wrap tightly with plastic so dough does not dry out. Take only the portion you are using out at a time. If it gets dry add a little water or, if too wet, add flour.

2. Shape either by hand or with cookie cutters. I tried both and really liked the way both turned out (although using cookie cutters was much faster). Poke holes at the top of the ornaments. Keep in mind they shrink a little when baked.

3. Bake for 8 hours at 200 degrees to completely dry out.

4. When completely cool, paint with acrylic paints, thread ribbons through the holes and that's it!

Girls D.I.Y. Class

2010-11-20T22:05:00.000-08:00

Another session of my D.I.Y. class at UCLA Family Commons has just wrapped and I wanted to share the adorable projects my students made with everyone!

Colorful, cute, and one of a kind Sculpey necklace.

"Sparkles on a Half Shell" project from my second book Beadalicious!

And Soapsicles! Soap in popsicle molds. They had a great time mixing the colors.

Holiday Snow Village Window

2010-11-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays! I made this winter wonderland for the UCLA Family Commons window, and it was the most fun I've had doing display in a long time! Scrap ribbon, felt, buttons, shrunken old sweaters, sequins, and odds and ends...oh my! What a great excuse to go digging through all the little bits I've squirreled away all these years. I'm so glad I'm such a pack rat. I found awesome trim that I didn't even know I had (made of wood bits and beads... see bottom right blue house). The houses are made of cardboard templates that I found online. I cut the roofs out of wood (with a hack saw) and stained them with a rag, then cut a paper template of the front of the house that just wrapped a little around the back (since the back is unseen), and used that as a guide to cut the sweaters the correct size. (I didn't want to waste my precious shrunken sweaters on the back that wouldn't show...I mean, duh!). All the trim is hot glued in place. The buttons I sewed because when it comes to little details I think people actually notice the personal touch, like thread in the button holes.

As for the snowflakes, I sewed them together with a sewing machine. It's important to use a machine that has a top-loading thimble when sewing paper so that it doesn't get jammed. It doesn't take too long once the snowflakes are cut out- there are 20 on a strand, and about 20 strands total, so it took many many snowflakes- but only took a few hours to sew them together. The window decals are from the Winter Wonderland Cartridge cut with my Cricut. This machine is so key for all the window decals!

Halloween Haunted House

2010-11-04T14:21:00.000-07:00

A skeleton butler with glow sticks greeted guests. Purchased at www.orientaltrading.com

Spider webs lined a dark hallway, gummy spiders dangled from the web in strategic places and plastic cockroaches were strewn across the floor. I found this Hillary Clinton mask at the 99 cents store, stuck it on a pole, added some cardboard tubes for shape, and draped fabric around it to form a body.

Death by reading is what happened to this poor old soul! It's hard to see his bulging glow in the dark eyes. Again, I used a rubber mask and a head form on top of bags of fabric.

Three styrofoam balls attached by toothpicks where draped with fabric to make ghosts. I hung them by fishing line by wrapping the line around the center of the round ball, taping it in place, then running the fishing line through the top of the fabric "head" of the ghost.

See the spooky ghosts on the left! I left the ladder up and made it a feature. The best thing about the haunted house was the table scape that had lots of candles, dry ice in the glasses, and cobwebs and spiders all over it. I forgot to take a picture- still kicking myself!

Grippy's Birthday Party

2010-10-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

Favors included beads, pom poms, a key chain, and some fabric. My friends are so creative, I'm interested to see what they will make of it all.

Of course, there was a crafty station for safari hats, masks, and headbands for the kids.

For the living room, I made a simple construction paper banner with a 5x7 pad of construction paper, making each letter the size of one page and some string and tape.

This simple banner I made with the Cricut cutting out each individual letter, 3 1/4" cardboard circles, then gluing the letters to the circles and taping them to string.

I had a sheet of 12 round 2 1/2" sugar labels printed at Gloria's Cake Supply. The sheets are $10.95 each and must be warmed over a toaster over so the sugar lifts off easily. I botched a few learning how to get them off.

Simple logo cupcake flags, and grass border to go with the hint of a safari theme.

No Venice birthday party is complete without a jumpy house!

Back to School Window at UCLA Commons

2010-09-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

Book tree made out of books curled on top of one another held together by 3 inch drywall screws and L-bracketed to a plywood stand. The background is book covers shingled over a canvas.

Plywood frame supporting books from behind. My good friend Miriam helping me.

Javiera reattaching the canvas after it fell down due to heaviness. Thank goodness for Javiera's core fusion classes.

I wanted to make a tree made out of books for the back to school window and received a generous donation of books from my friend Karen at the Sherman Oaks Library. It was a simple but pretty labor intensive project. I have great friends that helped me with it or I would have been toast!

Here is the how-to:

What you need:

Lots and lots of books

Plywood base- mine was 3/4 inch thick and measured 3x4 feet

Plywood support for the books- a 2x4 that was about 5 feet tall backing another 3/4 inch thick piece of plywood that measured inches 10 x 8 feet tall.

Drill

2.5 - 3 inch dry wall screws (lots and lots)

15-20 smallish L brackets

1 sheet of chicken wire

Scissors to cut leaf shapes with

Hot glue gun to attach leaves to chicken wire

Gold foil to make gold accent leaves with (available online)

Directions:

1. Build frame for the tree. It was simply the 2x4 drilled into the 10 foot 3/4 inch plywood attached with L brackets to the 3/4 inch base. Couldn't be easier.

2. Remove covers from the books and roll pages over and under making pretty waves with the pages. Drill the first book into the plywood. Stack the next book on top and drill it next to the first book. Drill as many books next to the first two as you want the base to be wide then start building the books upwards snug on the frame. Add L brackets every 4 or 5 books depending on how stable they feel up against the platform.

3. Make a giant chicken wire ball at the top of the wooden stand.

4. Cut pages of 2 books into leaf shapes then hot glue leaves onto chicken wire.

For the back drop:

1. Take a canvas and using hot glue shingle book covers (tearing the spines out) over one another so that the tops of the spine don't show.

Silk screening with the Mayor at UCLA Commons

2010-08-31T16:03:00.000-07:00

The Mayor of Santa Monica Bobby Shriver came to our DIY clothing class at the Commons! The girls were so excited to meet the Mayor and he was especially impressed with my Platypus Lovers design!

Gold Notes on Vibe Magazine Cover

2010-08-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

These gold notes were a quick job that I almost didn't take. I only had a 24 hour turn around so I had to figure out quickly how to make notes that looked like metal. I used my Cricut and the Hannah Montana cartridge to cut chipboard into musical note shapes then layered several layers of cardboard using spray mount to glue them together. After that I dipped them in resin and let them dry over night. In the morning I painted them with Montana Gold spray paint. I've never used Montana spray paints before but the thickness and density of the gold color was quite impressive. In the end they looked like metal although it might have been easier to make them out of clay. I think these would make great Christmas tree ornaments and that is probably what the ones in the photo will become now that they are back in my posession!

Baby Sign Cards

2010-07-30T00:16:00.000-07:00

This is my latest published project- Baby Sign Cards for UCLA Commons Bookstore. There are 44 signs total all using clay figurines to express the signs. I used Sculpey clay baking the bodies but leaving the arms unbaked so I could move them to make the different signs. So much fun to make and design their little outfits and shoes. I even made one look like my husband Chris! The best part was painting their eyes. My friend Jess Begum taught me how to make the eyes really come alive with this technique that I will remember every time I need to paint eyes in the future. The set retails for $15.95 at the www.uclacommons.com store 1221 2nd Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401.

The Fairytale Boat Follies!

2010-07-11T10:39:00.001-07:00

The Fairytale Boat Follies! My Tinsel Workshop! 2
Originally uploaded by Lisa Kettell

What a breathtaking project. I would love to make one of these!

Phoebe and Rob's Sign

2010-06-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

Phoebe and Rob had the loveliest lakeside wedding at the Migis Lodge in Maine. It couldn't have been more perfect down to thunder clouds parting an hour before the wedding. One of the bride's wishes was to have a sign with her and Rob's name on it made out of the woodsy elements from the property. There were stacks of firewood for guests all over so it was easy to gather the elements we needed and make the sign. Here is the how to:

What You Need:

1/2 inch thick pine board, this one is 12" tall by 3 1/2 feet wide
Wood stain and cloth
Hot glue gun
Wood chisel
Hammer
Pine bark, birch bark, pine cones

Directions:

1. Stain the board and let dry.

2. Gather up bark from pine trees and birch trees. A little goes a long way. We got so much in a matter of minutes and had enough extra to make another sign that said something else.

3. Plan out where the letters are going, make a mark at the top of each letter, but don't write out the letters because sometimes the bark won't follow the curves that easily and your pencil line will show so just make spacing marks.

4. Using the chisel and a hammer, split the pine bark into thinner strips. The birch bark is easy enough to tear but the pine is a little tough to get thin so a chisel really helps.

5. Hot glue the pieces of wood in place and voila!

Photos from Signature Styles

2010-06-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky to have been chosen as a featured artist in one of Jenny Doh's upcoming book projects called Signature Styles. Featuring 25 Crafters, a look into their studios, and a project just for the book. Deborah Jaffe the infamous photographer who has shot for such big names as Martha Stewart and In Style Magazine shot it for me and did an amazing job. Here is a sneak peek at the studio!

Neighborhood Crafts! Finally edited

2010-06-15T00:53:00.000-07:00

Patchwork Tapestry for Girl's Camp Window

2010-06-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

My latest project for the UCLA Commons Window. So much fun and it actually didn't take long to sew (don't look too closely, please!)

The How-To:

What You Need:

Lots of little pieces of fabric
Sewing Machine
Embroidery thread and needle
Dowel or long piece of wood- I found this Robin Hood bow in the garage that I had no idea we even had!
Iron and ironing board

Directions:

1. Sew rectangles and fabric together right side to right side so all the stitching is on the back. I sewed pieces that measured about 2' x 2' so it wasn't so big and all over the place and then sewed them together into one giant 12' x 5' tapestry.

2. Sew a loop at the top so you can slip your dowel through and seam the sides and bottom.

3. Hand-sew patches with embroidery thread to add another layer of patchwork goodness and also to cover any problem spots ;)!

Framed and Recycled Flowering Plant Display

2010-05-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

This is a very simple project to make. I hung cut plastic water bottles with living plants in them but you could hang lots of things- jewelry, photos, tools, keys... so many things!

What You Need:

Peg Board
Frame
Jig Saw
4 Drywall or Wood Screws
Paint- I used a color called "Sprout"
Measuring tape
Pencil
Small rocks

Directions:

1. Measure the back of the frame, draw a line where the edge of the frame is and cut the peg board a little smaller than the edge of the frame.

2. Cut pegboard with your jigsaw.

3. Use drill to screw pegboard into the frame. I put the screws in the corners because the wood was thickest in the corners and the screws didn't go through the frame.

4. Our theme is recycling so I decided to go with plastic bottles for the display. Put a few rocks at the bottom of plastic bottles with their tops cut off and plant small rooted plants into them.

5. Take 24 gauge wire and wrap around plastic bottles then go through two peg board holes and tie in the back.

6. I put the framed pegboard on a French easel. Also, there is a notice about a workshop we are having at the UCLA Commons here too but you could just leave it plants or add your own touch. I think this would be a great display for a wedding or party entrance.

Sleep Board

2010-05-14T00:46:00.000-07:00

This blackboard display with sleep chart is very easy to create with a sewing machine, some scrap fabric, shelf paper, the Cricut cutting machine and a printer.

I cut all the letters out of shelf paper with the Cricut using the Don Juan cartridge. I cut and sewed clouds out of felt, cotton broad cloth, shelf paper, and cork and printed out animals with the regular printer on color paper then put it all together on the Family Commons black board. The line graph is a chart of how much sleep children need as they grow. It drops to 8-9 at 12 years old but before that it is significantly higher.

Mother Daughter Flower Pins

2010-04-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

For the Mother's Day event at the UCLA Commons I made a bunch of these flower pins and hair clips to giveaway to the moms with scrap fabric that designer Cynthia Vincent donated to the center. Look how cute they look as a set on this mother/daughter team!

They couldn't be easier to make. All you need is:

Strips of fabric

Wire- 24 gauge works great

Hot glue gun

Scissors

Little felt scraps to back the pins

Pin back or Hair clips

Directions:

1. Bunch strip of fabric lengthwise.

2. Wrap center tightly with wire and twist tightly in back.

3. Hot glue felt backing to back of pin

4. Hot glue pin backing to felt.

5. Repeat with a shorter, narrower piece of fabric and glue to top of first flower.

Spokesperson for Provo Craft

2010-04-20T00:32:00.000-07:00

My latest craft job has been as spokesperson for the quickly growing craft powerhouse Provo Craft as one of their spokespersons. This job has entailed demonstrating their machines the Cricut Create , Yudu, and the Yourstory on the Shopping Channel in Canada. It's been a pretty fast-paced job and after being out of the game for a while after the pregnancy and birth of the wee one I have to say it's been really nice to work again. Being on the shopping channels is just like being on the morning news in most ways. Living on the west coast really puts me at a terrible disadvantage in the morning when I have to travel east and get up at 6 a.m. I feel destroyed for the first half an hour after waking up but with a little coffee and the buzz of getting ready for a live show, I always wake up pretty quick. The main difference between the news and the shopping channels is the shameless self-promotion of products ( a given) and looking directly into the camera. On the news, the expert is never to look at the camera- just the host and they are suppose to pretend that the camera isn't even there. As if we are in my living room and I am showing you great ways to make crafts. On the shopping channel you look directly into the camera at all times. Even when you are talking to the host. It's a totally different way of operating in front of the camera.

Mother's Day Windows

2010-04-12T21:45:00.000-07:00

I haven't designed windows since I worked at Anthropologie but, like riding a bike, it came right back... working the ladder into an impossibly tight, hot space, getting paint where I shouldn't have, spending too much time removing it, being stared at by homeless people right on the other side of the glass...ah, yes, the glamour of window display! It's awfully frustrating, but so worth it when it's done! These gigantic flowers were really easy to create and would be a great project to decorate, say, a float in New Orleans. If you want to see it in person, it is at 1221 2nd Street, Santa Monica, CA 90403 at the UCLA Family Commons until Mother's Day.

What you need for the flowers:

Scissors

Cardboard boxes- I used large flats from Costco

Colorful scrap fabric

Gold foil

12x12 Card stock or Crepe paper

Tissue paper

Background:

Painter's Tarp 4x12 feet ( I only used half)

Yellow Paint 1 quart diluted with water

For the Window Poem

2 packages Provo Craft vinyl adhesive- brown and pink

Cricut Expression or Create

Don Juan Cartridge

12x24 inch mat

36 inch Ruler

Masking tape

The Flower how-to:

1. Cut cardboard cut into oval shapes, pierce in the middle with scissors, then expanded hole to a 2 inch circle.

2. Take fabric scraps and cut into 4 inch strips, loop through hole in the center of the cardboard, across width of front tightly, then tie a knot in the back of the cardboard. Cut excess so it stays neat in the back.

3. Repeat until whole oval is covered by fabric swaths. Glue fabric in place if it moves showing the cardboard.

4. Turn around and glue overlapping half ovals to the back of the cardboard with the god side facing out.

5. Dip dye paper, let dry then hot glue behind gold half-circles, pleating to create a more organic looking petal.

The Poem how-to:

1. Cut "Mother" out of pink vinyl at 11.5 inches tall with the "Flip" button on.

2. Cut the poem out the brown vinyl at 3 inches tall with the "Flip" button on.

3. Peel backs and stick to window using masking tape as a a guide, making sure to brandish letters well, and measuring evenly between lines.

Tarp Backdrop:

1. Paint yellow with roller diluted with 1/4 part water.

2. Hot glue over dowel, and hang.

Leather Hair clips

2010-04-01T23:40:00.000-07:00

Leather Hairclips

These are one of the projects that we make in my Mommy and Me Eco Crafts class at the UCLA Commons.

A really easy project to make with the Cuttlebug.

What You Need:

Leather Scraps

Hair clips

White glue

Scissors

Directions:

1. Use the flower die cut and cut one scalloped petal and one flat petal.

2. Cut individual letters out.

3. Cut a tiny slit in the scalloped leather. Slip the bottom of the hair clip through the slit and glue in place. Glue flat petal on top of the clip.

4. Glue letters onto the hair clip.

Vintage Inspired Hammock

2010-03-04T21:10:00.000-08:00

This month's More magazine features a really awesome spread with Lori Loughlin relaxing in a hammock that I made especially for the shoot. I took the rope ends of an existing hammock, cut the loud stripped plaid fabric out of it then used the old hammock as a pattern. The hammock was basically a rectangle with tabbed ends so it was a simple process. Thick canvas fabric covered on both sides by vintage inspired patterned cotton replaced the bright red plaid fabric. I first sewed a pretty cotton to both sides of sturdy 6' piece of fabric that measured 54" wide. Then, cut slits in each end of the new fabric which each measured 2 and change inches wide each so that there were 8 tabs total at each end, finished the raw edges with a zig-zag stitch, then looped the tabs around the rope loops and secured them by sewing a box with an "X" in the middle. A really simple project that didn't take more than an hour!

Awesomely Easy Die-cut Projects

2010-02-25T21:29:00.000-08:00

I've just started working with this awesome company called Provo Craft that makes all sorts of nifty machines for crafting. They have this great little tool called the Cuttlebug that is a hand-crank press machine that one can run dies and embossing envelopes through. I took their bow die and another couple dies and made some very simple projects that I showed demos for at the CHA. I have more projects to post and will post them a.s.s.a.p. now that I have my new camera finally the Canon S90 It takes awesome photos that will be better than these ones.

Emily's House

2010-02-01T21:46:00.001-08:00

kids_wide
Originally uploaded by designspongeshop

A former co-worker of mine from Anthro's house was featured on Designsponge. Take a peek at the lovely arrangement she made with some bird houses from a window display that we made at anthro last year! I hung mine in the yard for a shoot but they got all wet and soggy.

Simple as Cupcake Terrarium

2010-01-16T00:09:00.001-08:00

Terranium
Originally uploaded by sonyanimri

Terraiums are simple as cake with this elegant cupcake stand from Anthropologie.

What You'll Need:

Glass Cupcake Stand
A few succulents
Two handfuls of potting soil
A shell or two
Moss sheets or a roll of moss
Scissors

Directions:

1. Make a little hill with the potting soil. Cut strips of moss to cover the small mound.

2. Place succulents in center top of hill and maybe one or two off to the side.

3. Add shells or little features.

Finished Map Purse

2010-01-11T12:53:00.001-08:00

Finished Map Purse
Originally uploaded by sonyanimri

This is a map purse of Cincinnati that I made for a Christmas present for someone. I photographed the steps to help with the directions on www.sonyastyle.com

Paperback Star Ornament

2009-12-21T17:13:00.000-08:00

This is a simple ornament made out of 8 sheets of a paperback novel fan-pleated, cut at an angle, then glued back to back with white glue. A piece of twine was added to hang the star.

Golden Star Tree Topper

2009-12-15T15:11:00.000-08:00

Top your tree with this glistening golden burst of... clothespins!

What You Need:

Pack of Clothespins from the .99 cents store
Hot glue gun
Plastic candy cane container or other 1 inch tube with one closed end.
Gold spray paint
Scissors to cut bottom 3.5 inches off of candy cane or tube.

Directions:

Undo clothes pins and glue each pair back to back.
Glue approximately 30 pairs together. They will naturally form a round.

3. Cut the bottom 3.5 inches of your plastic candy cane off with scissors and glue to the back of the star.

4. Spray paint gold or leave au natural. I tried gold leafing it but I think the spray paint is easier and gives it a more even coat.

Bird House Ornament

2009-12-15T14:46:00.000-08:00

Making a birdhouse for a this cute bird is a great way to reuse a clean yogurt cup and some scrap fabric and decorate your tree all at once.

What You Need:

A plastic yogurt cup
A small piece of cardboard for the base
Hot glue gun
A little bird- adopted at the craft store
Loose bark- this is from a eucalyptus tree in our front yard that sheds bark but birch will do for those in colder climates
Scissors
Scrap fabric
Cord
Hole punch or awl (to make the hole where you hang the loop from).

Directions:

Cut hole in yogurt cup that looks like a doorway so the bird can sit there.
Glue a little bark to the inside of the cup where you see into the doorway.
Glue bark to the outside of the cup covering the entire cup and the cardboard base.
Poke a hole in the top of the bark and run a piece of string doubled through the hole and make a knot inside underneath the hole.
Attach a few scraggly pieces of scrap fabric to the inside floor of the doorway.
Glue the bird inside the doorway.

UCLA Family Commons and Taxidermy Geese

2009-12-12T22:54:00.000-08:00

I have been a very bad girl and have totally neglected my blogging duties as of late. It's not because there is nothing to write about. On the contrary, I have been doing some very exciting things and have even acquired a taxidermy Canadian goose that we call Ivan. He is wearing a sweater that I made out of another old sweater that was worn thin and a popped collar completes the look. He was a present from Valentino's jean designer. They closed their showroom and had to get rid of everything. As I was helping a gorgeous Italian woman try on dresses at Cynthia Vincent's Sample sale taxidermy came up and she happened to have been given the task of getting rid of two taxidermy Canadian Geese. So, Cynthia happens to love taxidermy as much as I do so I got two- one for each of us. She named hers Vivian. She is such a genuinely nice person and donated tons of fabric scraps to my eco-wrapping workshop at the new UCLA Family Wellness Center on 2nd Street. If you are in the vicinity of the Promenade on the 19th and the 23rd between 12-6 p.m., please bring your presents and I will wrap them for you with scraps of fabric and other strange items. I promise they will look great.

Eyecandy from the Red, Aqua & Pink group

2009-11-30T22:42:00.001-08:00

Eyecandy from the Red, Aqua & Pink group
Originally uploaded by Jennifer @ LilMissCupcake

Yummy colors and awesome designs make me think that pink, aqua, and red mixed in with some creams are the way I am going to go with my holiday gift making.

House Mannequins

2009-11-17T20:54:00.000-08:00

Recently I've been working quite a bit with Annette Tatum of House, Inc. Her new book "The Well Dressed Home" was just released and for the launch she had me come up with mannequins to reflect themes in the book. Here are pictures of romantic, eco, resort, and vintage. I wish work could always be this much fun!

Fabric Headband

2009-11-03T22:04:00.000-08:00

A simple project perfect for a holiday gift. I made this one for Annette Tatum with lovely fabric from her House, Inc. line. Any simple cotton broadcloth or shantung silk will do. It's important that the fabric not be too thick or else it will really bunch up around the curved bottom tips of the headband or too fine or else the texture of the batting will show through so no silk scarves for this one unless there is a thin cotton lining underneath.

What you need:

Batting from a jewelry box
Hot glue gun
A wide plastic headband
A quarter yard fabric
Felt in complimenting color
Scissors

Step 1- Cut the bating and cover the headband.

Step 2- Make a line of hot glue at the edge of the headband and glue fabric a 1/4 inch in trimming closely to the shape of the headband.

Step 3- Line the inside of the headband with felt cut 1/8 inch smaller than the inside of the headband.

Quick Sweater Sleeve Kitten Hat for Ideal Bite

2009-10-31T00:41:00.001-07:00

This is a quick and easy way to make a kitten hat out of an old sweater sleeve that I came up with for Ideal Bite's Mama Bite column. For photos of each step go to my Flickr page. Any soft, light weight knit will do and it is a great way to recycle that sweater that has too many moth holes to wear anymore.

What You Need:

The bottom 10 inches of an adult sweater sleeve (a soft, breathable knit works best)
Matching thread and a needle
2 little felt triangles
Embroidery thread to match the felt (optional; the regular thread works OK too)
Scissors

Directions:

Cut off the bottom 10 inches of your sweater's sleeve.
Lay it flat with the sweater's original seam on one side, and sew either the cut end or the cuff end closed, depending on which edge you want to be the the top. Sew it inside out if you want to hide the seam or let the seam show as decoration. It'll look like a rectangle with one edge closed.
To make the ears, sew pink felt triangles to each corner of the closed side of the rectangle (the top), sewing through only the top layer of knit.
Still working on the closed side, pinch the middle inch between the two ears and fold down a couple of times so the ears stick up on either side of the fold. Sew through both layers of knit to secure.
If the bottom edge is raw, it should roll up. For a more finished look, roll up enough to cover the edge and hold in place with a stitch on each side of the hat.

Aquarium Halloween Costume

2009-10-27T00:15:00.000-07:00

This was a really easy costume to make and only took 1/2 an hour. Chris' costume is a muscle shirt from Venice beach with holes poked for Grippy's arms and a length-wise slit for his head from the neckline.

What You'll Need:

1/2 yard 60 inch blue vinyl (this piece was $3.00 downtown L.A.)
a 55" hoop of some sort- I made this one out of copper fridge tubing and duct-taped it the seam
Florescent yellow duct tape
Wax paper
Clear packing tape
Safe-T-Shapes for the shower floor in fish designs
Glitter
Bubble wrap
Glue stick
Scissors
Fabric to make straps out of
Some aquarium figurines- I had a diver and a treasure chest
Optional- battery operated book light

Directions:

1. Cut a hoop for yourself out of tubing. Duct tape it and round out the circle.
2. Fold vinyl in half width-wise. On one half, place fish stickers all over and use glue stick to stick paper backings on the vinyl as well- double the fish!
3. Stick a foot and a half of florescent duct tape to wax paper and cut out a sea plant shape.
4. Place plant and cut a few more if needed.
5. Put bubble wrap around the copper hoop then carefully fold the vinyl the other way so the stickers are on the inside and the copper hoop is between the sticker layer and an outside layer of vinyl.
6. Tape the back seam and the inside back seam up with packing tape.
7. Poke holes where straps should be and run black fabric through the holes, tie in back.
8. Drop figurines in and sprinkle glitter in your aquarium.
9. Optional- add a book light to the display.

Fantastic Mr. Fox Costume on Fox Searchlight

2009-10-20T16:44:00.000-07:00

Check out the Fox Searchlight page with my Fantastic Mr. Fox costume and the three other characters in the movie that won the contest! The film-makers made mine a little crooked but it's still a super-cute video.

Swap-O-Ramarama

2009-10-12T20:56:00.001-07:00

Revamped T
Originally uploaded by sonyanimri

This year's Swap-O-Ramarama at Venice's Center for Peace and Justice was amazing! The cool feature about the Swap-O-Rama which other swaps don't have are the booths with awesome designers helping with makeovers. KB Vanhorn from Kokolelo had these amazing stencils that she designed. I used her anchor on my Lacoste and one of her tree stencils for this off-white shirt. Stephanie Girard of Sweater Surgery had a booth with adorable Hello Kitty, Tree, and letter die cuts. One of them were cute as a button birds so those had to perch in my tree!

Fantastic Mr. Fox Costume How-To

2009-10-05T22:19:00.001-07:00

finishedfoxmask
Originally uploaded by sonyanimri

Wes Anderson , the incredibly talented director of such notable movies such as Rushmore, and The Royal Tennenbaums is coming out with his claymation adaptation of Roald Dahl's "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" over Thanksgiving weekend. Gen Art and Fox Films co-sponsored a how-to costume competition that I just had to enter. Gripps had the flu and needed to be held 24/7 so I was literally working on my costume 10 minutes a day for a couple of weeks. I couldn't believe it when I got the call last week that I actually won for the "Mr. Fox" costume how-to! Yipee! My costume uses the simplest of materials and cost less than $7.00 to actually construct which helped it stand out. Anyone could make this out of stuff lying around the house- I did!

What You’ll Need:

Fox Head:

· Brown paper grocery store bag

· Stapler

· Scissors

· Foxy red acrylic paint

· Sponge brush

· Hot glue gun

· Sheet of white paper

· One 8x10 square of each of the following:

o Pink felt

o Bright Green felt

o Off-white felt

o Dark Brown felt

· Yarn- 2 feet

· Black felt top hat (in bear clothing section of the craft store)

Fancy Fox Body:

· T-shirt

· Fabric marker in black

Directions:

Fox Head:

Fold paper bag in half lengthwise. Cut down the middle and carefully detach handles if there are any. Turn half of paper bag inside out. Set aside the second half for a second fox if needed.
Fold one corner of the inside-out half over the other until bag forms a pointed nose. There will be a center line down the front of the face from the existing fold of the side of the bag. Staple and hot glue in place.
Using the fold lines already on the bag, cut out ears. Staple and hot glue in place.
Paint the whole outside foxy red with your sponge brush.
Fold your piece of white paper in two. Cut out two almond shaped eyes.
Glue eyes on and carve out holes in the center with your scissors.
Cut two circles out of the green felt.
Cut ½ inch wide strips out of the brown felt and cut to the length of each eye, hot glue to eyes.
Cut another ½ inch strip of brown felt for your nose. Glue to nose as shown in the photo.
Cut a diamond shape in pink for the mouth and another bigger off-white triangle for the chin.
Glue half of the pink mouth diamond to the bag and the other half to the off-white felt.
Poke holes to the outside of each ear and tie one piece of yarn to each side.
Hot glue top hat to one ear.

Fox Body:

1. Center t-shirt over a hard surface like a piece of cardboard or thick magazine. Stretch slightly.

2. Draw a bow tie, four buttons beneath, then the lapel of a tux.

Note:

Produced in association with the “Gen Art & Fox Searchlight “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Halloween Costume Video Competition

Patchwork Anne of Green Gables Dress

2009-10-03T20:51:00.000-07:00

Back to work finally after a LONG break from having baby Gripps. Currently working on a really fun project creating mannequins for Annette Tatum of House Inc. This one is for the Quilt show coming up this week. They are all the fabrics in her new collection made into a patchwork dress with some vintage accoutrements. I would love to sip a nice cool lemonade on a midwestern porch swing in this!

Halloween Costume Ideas

2009-09-29T23:33:00.000-07:00

I used to be a regular on this magazine show called Soaptalk on the Soapnetwork presenting fun and easy last minute Halloween Costumes. The costumes were wild and over the top yet all of them had the common element of being fairly easy to construct. Here are some vintage videos to get inspired by:

http://sonyastyle.com/sections/wear/Halloween_Costumes_DIY

Crocheted Acorn Earrings

2009-09-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

It's acorn season so I can't help but post yet another acorn project. Go grab yourself some before the squirrels get to them first! As for the beads, you don't have to actually know how to crochet to make these earrings, simply find crocheted beads at the bead store or buy these adorable Artistrywear beads online. Other fiber beads would work too- say felted beads would look amazing since having fiber, metal, and wood in one project is just so harmonious.

What You'll Need:

2 Acorn caps
2 Crocheted beads (mine are Plaid Artistrywear Beads)
2 gold bead caps
2 earring hooks
2 flat headed head pins
Hot glue gun
G-S Hypo Cement Jewelry Glue or Superglue
Round-nose pliers
Wire cutters
Little bowl of rice or beans

Directions:

Drop a small dab of hot glue into each acorn cap.
Press crocheted bead lightly into cap, hole side up- making sure the glue does not ooze out of sides. Hold in place for a few seconds.
Put head pin through gold end cap and make a loop. Cut excess wire.
Using the G-S Hypo cement, glue gold end cap onto acorn cap. Place in bowl of rice to dry upright.
Add to jewelry hooks.

Quick and Easy Vintage Sari Rag Bracelet

2009-09-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

A simple project that I made with an Indian vintage silk skirt that had shredded to pieces. Any fabric will do but keep in mind that thicker fabrics will make thicker rope. I find that a fine silk or satin crepe is ideal for this project because it shrinks up so easily when twisted for a soft, pliable, rope. This project also looks great with two thick pieces of yarn. A bike handlebar streamer instructional using the same technique coming soon!

What You'll Need:

Two 34"x 2" strips of silk or one double the length (longer if your wrist is a little chunkier)
A safety pin
Needle and thread
Bead with big hole

Directions:

Tie the fabric pieces together at one end in a half-knot. Just above the knot, pin the strips to your work surface.
Pick up the two pieces of fabric and twist them clockwise. Continue twisting until the fabric is twisted so tightly that it begins to kink.
Twist the two fabric pieces together counter clockwise. Continue until they are tightly twisted.
Knot the two cords together securely with your large bead in the knot. Let go and they will twist and settle into place.
If you used two pieces of fabric, loop the end without the bead together and sew in place.

Acorn Pin Cusion

2009-09-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

Fall is in the air and I found some sweet little acorns while on a walk in the woods in Dover, a charming town right outside of Boston. The caps seemed to come right off so I thought that they would make a cute pin cushion cap. These would also make great place markers for a dinner party with embroidered or even written names either attached to the acorns or sewn into the fabric.

What You'll Need:

Circle to trace, I used a jam jar lid
Some yarn or cotton balls for stuffing
Scissors and pen
Scrap fabric
Acorn caps
Glue gun
Needle and thread

Directions:

Trace a circle on your fabric, cut it out.
Fill the center with stuffing.
Sew the edges of the circle and cinch.
Put a dab of hot glue inside the acorn cap and press the sewn edges of the fabric into the cap.

5 Minute Cufflinks

2009-09-12T09:02:00.001-07:00

I had to make a pair of these at Theo's Christening when Chris realized that he had forgotten his cufflinks in L.A. This is a quick project that anyone can make with either beads, buttons and twistie-ties from the grocery store.

What You'll Need:

Two beads or two buttons or four buttons (make sure one of the pairs fit through the button holes so you can get them on)
Two twistie-ties, stripped of their paper.

Directions:

Run your wire through the button holes and twist around center wire behind the button.
Do the same for the bead leaving a distance of 1/2 inch between the two buttons. It won't be pretty where you twist the wire around itself, but it won't show when it's through the button holes.

English Rose Cast Ring

2009-08-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

I've always admired this Royal Adderley English China floral bouquet my mom had in her bathroom. The dainty delicacy of the flowers would be hard to recreated with anything but china. I always wondered how I could wear those pretty flowers. With this truly amazing putty called Amazing Mold Putty and a little resin I figured it out a simple way to make a ring. Plus, once you have the mold cast, you can make as many as you want for friends!

What You Need:

Amazing Mold Putty (available at Michael's)
English Rose (I've found these at Goodwill lately but ebay has quite a selection as well)
Casting Resin
Resin Dye
Glitter (optional)
Ring back with flat disc attached
Super Glue

Directions:

Mix two part putty then cast rose getting as much of the head of the rose as you can.
Mix resin according to directions. Make sure to stir for long enough and pop bubbles that may arise. Add dye as well. I added a drop of red and a smidge of blue for a purple-y pink.
Fill the amazing mold with resin. Drop a dollop of glitter in the middle. It will sink in to the top middle of the rose, which will be the bottom of the mold. Let cure overnight.
Glue the rose to the disc on your ring using super glue or jewelry glue. Vive la rose!

Macaron Magnet

2009-08-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

Macaron Magnet vs. the real thing

Everywhere I went in Paris there were lineups for the melt-in your mouth desserts invented by Pierre Desfontaines (grandson of Louis Ernest Laduree) at the beginning of the 20th century. There was even a song on the radio called "Ca M'enerve" that complained about said lineups at Laduree. Of course, I had to see what all the fuss was about. Macarons are French desserts made of a delicate almond paste and sugar shell filled with ganache, usually butter or cream based, but sometimes jelly or caramel as well. They look like little hamburgers. They are pricey, ranging from 1.5 euros to 2.5 euros each (about $3). Laduree, the most famous of the macaron toting patisseries, is located conveniently (and dangerously, I might add), on the very street where I was staying. There, I found exotic flavors such as licorice, violet black currant, orange blossom, and their two most popular flavors- caramel and rose. Up the street was Gerard Mulot, another famed patisserie, with even more daring flavors including ginger-pineapple and sage, tomato-poppyseed; bright yellows, creamy browns, deep plums, and rich cranberry colors filled the shelves in every flavor imaginable. Even McDonalds got in on the macaron action with it's version the McMacaron served in it's McCafe. I tried one in pistachio which was totally disgusting- freezer burnt and stale, but I had to give it a shot. Then, my friend from high school, Alexis, brought me to Art Macaron on Boulevard Monparnasse, a totally different experience- heavier and creamier with more filling yet still with a light as air shell. You really only needed one to feel totally satisfied. In the end, I'm not sure which was my favorite. I might need more time to research the subject. I'll keep researching here in Venice. With such fine macaron establishments as Jin Patisserie right around the corner, it won't be hard!

Macaron Magnets

What You'll Need:

Hot glue gun
Crayola Model Magic
Acrylic paints
Brush
Lightweight spackle
Magnets
Directions:

Make the macaron shells out of model magic. Work quickly to form balls, then flatten into shells because Model Magic sets up really quickly- (within 10-15 minutes). They will look like little sugar cookies at this stage.
Wait for the shells to dry, then slather one side with the spackle. Add the other shell to make a macaron. Let dry over night.
Paint shells and spackle with acrylic paints. Let dry for 1 hour.
Hot-glue magnets to the back. Voila!

Antoine et Lili Bib

2009-08-09T17:27:00.000-07:00

If you've ever been to an Antoine et Lili boutique, you would be struck by it's lively, colorful, ethnic, fun, yet somehow very Parisian style. It makes you want to paint every wall in your house a different color and ban black from your wardrobe. They sell only women's clothing at most locations but at the location on the Canal St. Marten in Paris' 18th district there is a whimsical children's store where they sell children's clothes, great toys, geese lamps, and this yummy vintage car-print cheese cloth by the meter. I had to get some. It cost 4.5 euros for half a meter and is so wide that I would say it's a pretty good deal. Check out this fun bib I made for the little angel baby complete with toy car!

What You Need:

Cheese Cloth (1/4 meter)
Clear Vinyl, (I used a package that a bed sheet had come in)
Sewing Machine
Toy Car
Velcro

Directions:

Trace or freehand draw a bib. Make it a little bigger than you imagine the final bib being- say 1/4- 1/2 inch bigger all around depending on how much leeway you need for when you fold under the edges. You could also use bias tape, but I find that it's easier to clean a bib without it because food gets stuck in the seam.
Fold under edges and sew with the machine using a straight stitch.
Sew the Velcro to the bib making a square around the edge of the Velcro.
Cut a piece of vinyl that is wider and longer than half the bib and zig-zag stitch the top edge of the vinyl across half way down the bib across making a lane.
Place a toy car under the vinyl and stitch the vinyl to the sides and bottom of the bib.

Catacombs

2009-08-07T20:44:00.000-07:00

I learned French partly through a program called French in Action.There is an episode where they go to the Catacombs of Paris. I'd always wanted to go and finally got my chance this trip. It is a series of tunnels where they mined for the stone that many of the buildings are made of in Paris. The tunnels are endless and cover a huge area below Paris. A part of the the tunnels are dedicated to storing bones of overflowing cemeteries in the 1800s. The bones were arranged in artful patterns and stacked into tapered pillars and curving walls. Quite haunting and beautiful.

Moschino Windows

2009-08-02T13:07:00.000-07:00

Paris is not the city to be a window display artist in. The approach is no frills- just merch and prices- truly uninspired for a city that is all about inspiration. Except for one place- Moschino at 33, rue de Grenelle in the 7th district. Feast your eyes on these amazing windows. They first photo where it is a room made out of fabric is so expertly sewn even the buttons on the phone were sewn on. In the next windows, the life-sized marionettes are all made of wood. Bravo Moschino!

Goat Cheese Galore

2009-07-28T00:56:00.000-07:00

I can't lie. What attracted me to this stand at the farmer's market at the Sunday Sevres-Babylone Organic Market was the sign. The very detailed hand painted assortment of cheeses against the French blue background on the rustic boards held together by twine just drew me in. Then the scent of cheese took over the senses. Pungent, sweet, and nutty all at once, overwhelming really. Of course, I had to buy some. Intrigued by the black mold that made some of the cheese look like it had been extracted from an 18th century excavation, it was too offensive to pass up. Turns out, the stench is much worse than the flavor, which is biting at first but then gives way to a much milder, creamier, nuttier taste. Looking forward to another round next week.

Terrarium a la francaise

2009-07-27T12:07:00.001-07:00

I found this great yogurt jar at the Sunday Sevres-Babylone farmer's market that I thought would turn nicely into a terrarium because of it's dome-like shape. The yogurt is great too! A really easy project that can be done with any glass jar, some dirt and succulents cut off of another plant. I added a little creature for a bit of a "rooster lost in the forest" look.

What You Need:

Jar
Bit of dirt
7 little succulent flowerings
Twisty-tie
3 inch x 1 inch piece of pulpy paper- like the stuff from an egg carton
Little Creature

Directions:

Wrap about 2 tablespoons full of dirt in the paper. Tie with the twisty-tie. Place on the inside of the lid.
Stick the highest succulents in the mound so they look like little trees.
Pile up dirt around the paper and stick little succulents in the mounds. Place creature among the little succulents.
Replace glass over the lid- this happens to be a plastic lid, but a screw-lid would work just as well.
Remove glass and spritz roots with a little water every two weeks.

Chanel Chain Headband

2009-07-24T02:56:00.000-07:00

I saw a girl wearing one of these at a cafe the other day. Right after, I happened to see an old knock off of a Chanel bag lying on the street in a pile of stuff someone had put out (I think- Chris thinks that they were moving but, honestly, it was all junk). I took the chain off with my handy-dandy jewelry tools and voila, now I have one too! Tres chic and tres simple!

What You Need:

31 inches 1/4 inch curb chain for a double chain (or 16 inches for a single)
The length of chain plus about 4 inches 1/2 inch satin ribbon
Clear tape
8 inch elastic band or you can cut a ponytail holder open

Directions:

1. Make the ribbon into a shoelace by wrapping one end with tape as tightly as possible.

2. Weave the ribbon in and out of the chain link causing the Chanel affect. Leave a couple of inches of ribbon at the front end and also after you have woven it through the whole chain. Tie knots at each end.

3. Run the elastic cord through each end of the headband after finding the right tension for your head and tie a tight knots to secure the elastic to the chain. Voila!

Emily Loiseau Video "Sister"

2009-07-12T00:53:00.000-07:00

Emily Loiseau's music video Sister inspired me with it's vintage imagery and scrapbook style . It's crafty collage cg technique and it's make believe world is just so magical.

Repro Depot Pattern Book

2009-07-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

I just got my hands on the new Reprodepot Pattern Books in Folk and Flora prints and I have to say that I am completely in love with the patterns and the projects in the back. The patterns are charmingly subdued, kitchy, yet not at all tired or tacky. I can't decide on a favorite. The projects in the back of the book are also really cute. I'm straightaway going to make the luggage tags for our trip to Paris on Tuesday. There are also party decorations, greeting cards, and hand-bound book directions as well that I might want to try after I get back.

Getting Ready for Paris

2009-07-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

In exactly one week Chris, Gripps, and I will be landing in the city of lights, romance, baguettes, foie gras and the best crepes on the planet! Traveling with a baby makes for a lot of extra luggage. We have a travel booster seat for eating at restaurants, an Ergo for when he needs to be worn, a 10 year old McClaren stroller for when he just gets too heavy, and diapers and changing pads, etc... My friend Gail gave me this stroller that she used for her two kids. I love it to pieces even though we have an expensive, shiny new Bugaboo. I much prefer this stroller because it folds up so easily and is smaller for maneuvering around tight shops, which Paris is full of.

I am so looking forward to pushing a boat in the Jardin de Luxembourg's fountain, riding a Velib, eating lots of olives and cheese, and seeing all the fabulous crafts and artistic inspiration that Paris has to offer. I am also thrilled about this new form of travel that we have found: house swapping. Should be much more comfortable than the boring old hotel!

Converting Vans

2009-06-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

My good friend Liz gave me a pair of white vans that had pink and brown polka dots on them for my little Gripster who is just now starting to walk. Of course, I really don't mind a guy in pink. In fact, Chris (my husband) wears pink all the time and I think he looks great in it. But for these, I thought I would attack them with a black Tulip Spirit Marker and see what happened. I used about 4 coats of marker to get them this black. A super easy project that took only a few minutes.

Organza Flower Hair Clips

2009-06-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more feminine than flowers in a girl's hair. Now that summer is here I thought that this might my new favorite accessory to wear along with a flowing grecian dress and some strappy Cynthia Vincent sandals.

Directions:

What You’ll Need:

¼ yard organza for 12 flowers

Hot glue gun

Hair clips

Votive candle

Ribbon scraps

Scissors

Directions:

1. It takes 7-9 pieces to make one flower. Cut organza into squares measuring between two inches square to four inches square. I use approximately 2 4 inch, 2 3 inch, 3 2 inch squares per flower.

2. Fold squares into four; then trim the two edges that are the open side into a petal shape. Open the fabric. It should look like a four-leafed clover.

3. Lightly graze the edges of the flower with the heat of the votive candle. Watch the edges shrink and curl up.

4. Layer petals from largest to smallest on top putting aside one small flower shape for the top.

5. Take a hair clip and a piece of ribbon the length of the clip and put the ribbon between the two prongs of the clip.

6. Squeeze a dollop of glue onto the ribbon then quickly press the stack of flower shapes onto the glue. It will ooze through the layers since the weave is so lose.

7. Add a small dab of glue to the top of the flowers then take a small flower shape and press it with your fingers on top folding the fabric onto itself to hide the glue mark.

8. Put a small dab of Tulip soft fabric paint on your fingers and dab on the edges of each petal and spread until the tips of the petal are tinted to the desired depth of color.

2009-06-21T21:51:00.000-07:00

The Beadalicious book signing at Tall Mouse Arts and Crafts in the OC turned out to be a really lovely event. I demonstrated how to make the branch necklace from my book and met up with one of my favorite crafty gals- Jenny Doh of Stampington Magazine. Chris and baby Gripps came as well. I was a little worried about the baby getting fussy on the car ride back but he just slept the whole way like a little angel!

Contact

2006-09-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

I'd love to hear from you! Please contact me if you need help with any of the projects or just want to drop me a note.

sonya@sonyastyle.com

And you could also reach me here

Sonya Style

Sonya's Bio

2006-09-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

Domesticity turned divine, Sonya Nimri’s inspiration derives from a love of working with people and a knack for transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Sonya has written two books, Beadalicious and Just for the Frill of It, published by Random House. She is a regular contributor to arts and crafts books and magazines, her projects having appeared in a “Girlsworld Guide to Friendship Crafts” and “The Beautiful Beaded Home”, “A Very Beaded Christmas” from Lark Books, “Flowers That Wow” Random House, Altered Couture, Belle Armoir, Crafts N’Things, Craft: magazine, and the LA Times. On television, Sonya recently co-hosted an episode of Deserving Design with Vern Yip on HGTV. Prior to that she designed the set and created all the crafts for a series of how-to projects with Raven-Symone, called “Raven-Symone Presents” available at Wal-mart stores nationwide. In addition, she has toured as arts and crafts superstore “Michael’s” national spokesperson, appearing on network morning shows throughout the country. She also represented Scholastic’s Klutz line of books and craft kits as their “Chief Executive Crafter.” In 2004 Sonya was one of three finalists in the TODAY Show's search for its Domestic Diva on NBC, finishing second nationwide. Sonya has appeared as a regular guest on television shows such as Soaptalk- SoapNet, Smart Solutions- HGTV, World at Your Table- Fine Living Network, and Craftlab- DIY Network as well as many other network news shows. Additionally, she appeared as a mentor to a participant on the award winning show "Faking It" on TLC.

Beyond media, Sonya designed a table for the "Dining By Design" Elle Décor/Tatinger's fundraiser at the Design Institute Foundation’s event benefit to fight AIDS and has worked for Anthropologie on their visual displays team. She lives in Venice, CA with her husband and son.