So here we are at the auditions for the next season. The audition round is probably my favorite of every season. We get to meet a whole new group of ladies. It’s so great!

Here are the lovely ladies trying their hand this season:

Jessica @ Spool & Spoon
Ahan @ Easier Than I Thought
Charlie @ Attempting Aloha
Rebecca @ Beauty All Around
Veronica @ Adventures of D & V
Malory @ Snips & Spice
Amber R. @ Craft Me Perfect
Heidi @ Green Doodle
Alessia @ ANhandmade Designs
Lacy @ Lavender & Lace
Amber C @ The Craft Project
Chrissy @ FullCandyJacket
Connie @ Measured by the Heart

Here is the poll. Because of the fiasco this morning it will be open an extra 5 hours – until 5am PT on Friday. As always, please let me know how you feel about it and if there are any problems. Thanks!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world’s leading questionnaire tool.

If you would like to be a part of SYTYC just send me an email at missy@sytyc.com letting me know (with a link to your blog). If I think youâ€™re a good fit for the contest Iâ€™ll put your name on the next available waiting list!

Craft #1 – Hand-painted Shower Curtain

For my “So You Think You’re Crafty” audition craft I would like to submit my hand-painted shower curtain. The curtain itself was purchased on sale and the design was painted using puff fabric paints. The design was inspired by an art piece I stumbled upon (literally- stumbleupon.com… it’s so fun!). I loved the Emerson quote and all the colors. I added my own touches of course. It took me about a week to complete. I took my time so as not to smudge the paint. I am so thrilled with the way it turned out.

Craft #2 – Love Nail Art

Many times the inspiration for my crafts come from memories I have from my childhood and special times with my family. That is exactly how I came up with this Love Nail Art project! I remember one of my favorite pictures at my great-grandmother’s house that was made with pins and bright string on a black felt canvas. Mesmerizing and very 70’s retro! I wanted to make something similar but I added a little bit of a country home spin to it.

Using a 5 X 12 inch piece of wood, denim, nails, string and a hammer, I outlined the letters LOVE with the nails on the denim covered wood. It took a while (and 2 smashed fingers!) to pound the nails in just right. Once the nails were secure I used a double strand of embroidery floss to weave between the nails. This part was done by trial and error. If I didn’t like how the letter was looking, I would just un-weave the string and start again.

Once I was happy with how the letters looked, I outlined them with a single strand of black embroidery floss. I had a frame in my stash from the clearance section of Hobby Lobby that was perfect for this. The frame by itself looked good, but I thought it just needed a bit more. So I used some of the leftover denim to make some accent flowers. I haven’t found the perfect place to hang this Love Nail Art project yet, so for now I have it on a little stand.

I hope you “LOVE” this project enough to vote for it!

Craft #3 – Fabulous Fur Bench

In my previous home, I had this dark, wood table (pictured at left) at the end of our narrow hallway. It was the perfect little accent table (emphasis on little). When we moved, there was no place for the table, but I kept it knowing I wanted to use it somehow, someday.

The opportunity to give this table a second life came when I was looking for a small bench to go at the end of a twin sized bed. When I spotted it in the basement one day, I knew the table could become a darling bench. After cutting the legs down, priming, painting, cutting foam to fit the top, and upholstering, it is now a cute and sassy statement piece.

The big decision remains which side I like better, the plain side or the one with the fretwork?

Decision, decisions…

Craft #4 – Steampunk Costume

I’m so thrilled to be auditioning for So You Think You’re Crafty. I wanted to create an audition craft that was really fun and that reflected one of my “interests of the moment”. Recently I’ve been fascinated with steampunk, and I’ve been toying with the idea of throwing a steampunk party. Of course, in order to do that I needed to create a costume…and that seemed like the perfect thing to create for this audition (along with the help of an anonymous model to show it off for you).

I owned the skirt, boots, and blouse already, so I set off to create all of the small details. This involved the corset (I did all the detailing on a corset I already owned…sewing boning is a bit beyond me); the mask; the bracelet; the tights; the garter; the flask; the bobby pins; and the necklace.

The mask was created by painting the design on tulle with fabric paint; cutting it out when dried; adding metal details and chains; and then spray painting the whole piece to make the colouring consistent. The garter was created by sewing layers of ribbon and lace together; stitching them into a tube; running a shorter piece of elastic through the tube and sewing the ends together; and finishing it off with some steampunk gear details. The bracelet was created by embossing a piece of leather with a quote (“I dwell in the realm of possibility”); adding lace and metal details; and finishing it off with black snaps. The tights were created using a fabric marker to hand draw gears and clocks onto their surface. All of the detailing on the flask, corset, bobby pins, and necklace were created with a combination of sewing, extra strong glue, paint, and patience. I hope you enjoy it.

Craft #5 – Silk Brooch

This very elegant brooch is perfect for a photo prop, dressy occasion or everyday wear and ALWAYS receives the best compliments!
Great to dress up a little girl’s outfit, but really unique and elegant for a woman’s as well.
I was inspired by some throw pillows I once saw in a magazine, then I paired them to high quality Italian silks ( meant to be used to create men’s ties).

These are all repurposed fabrics , so in most of cases these are unique pieces, even though I can recreate something very similar.

Craft #6 – Pop of Color

I love decorating in neutrals with unexpected pops of color. I have been wanting to do something to my pantry door for a while now. Let me show you what I had to work with.

Standard builder 6 panel door. Nothing fun or fancy. But I could fix that.

I started with a cheery yellow color. That would provide the pop I needed. But I wasn’t satisfied with color alone.

I started by distressing the door. I took sandpaper to it and roughed up the paint. Much better already. I added the Bon appetit with vinyl and I LOVE it. I thought this rustic wreath would compliment the design and I LOVE it too. This little pantry door makeover makes me happy to be in the kitchen. It was a simple project but it has such impact. Here is a side by side before and after.

It’s a little hard to see the distressing in these pictures but it makes all the difference. Can’t you just feel the cheeriness in that color? I want to tackle my door out to the garage next. I once heard someone say make the door your family uses everyday be a cheery greeting. Love that idea! Off to pick colors.

Craft #7 – Suitcase Chair

I transformed an old, outdated suitcase in a very useful chair! This piece is an awesome addition to my vintage style room. I found the Suitcase and the fabric for bothe cushion and the pillow at Thrift Store! Who knew it would become a chair!

I screwed a piece of plywood in the bottom and attached the legs to the bottom by screwing through the suitcase and into the wood. I painted the legs blue, which is the same color as the accent wall in my room.

I sewed the cushions and glued them to the rim of the suitcase with a pillow inside for the cushion on the top and bottom. To add that “fancy” look, I created 4 tufts on the top and the bottom. I also sewed on buttons the same color as the legs on each tuft.

The brown accent pillow is also hand sewn by me! I inserted a standard size pillow into the pillow cover I made.

The chair is held open by a chain that I spray painted gold and attached with a screw and “S” hook.

It took a total of two weeks to complete this masterpiece but it was most definitely worth it! I sit in it all the time whether its watching TV or reading a book. It’s the perfect “cozy spot”!

Craft #8 – Upholstered Doll Bed

What do you do when it’s Friday night, and your 4-year-old has a birthday party to attend the next day, and you REALLY don’t want to make a trip to Wal-mart with all your kids and your husband is busy (longest sentence ever)? 🙂

You sort through your scraps and build something, of course!

I’d been thinking of drawing up plans to build an upholstered doll bed for awhile, so I was excited to finally get to execute my idea. Since it was for my daughter’s friend, I let her dig through all my fabric and choose the upholstery, pillow fabrics, and bedding fabrics. I wasn’t loving all the black and white, but she insisted that’s what she wanted. And she chose just a basic soft felt fabric for the comforter and wouldn’t let me even put any trim on it! I had to practically beg her to let me give it the pink accent pillow. Ha!

I’m happy to report that the bed was the hit of the party, and it’s become a favorite toy already. Can’t beat that! And it helped use up some of my scrap stash, and that always makes my husband happy! Double win!

I wish I had a picture with the dolls, so you can see the size, but this it large. It’s built to fit an American Girl 18″ doll! So fun to give handmade gifts!

Craft #9 – Perpetual Calendar

This is a project that I’ve been thinking about making for a long, long time. I have lots of those. So I was glad to have a reason to finally get it whipped up.

It’s a perpetual calendar. The little numbers are magnetic and can be moved around to form any 28, 29, 30, or 31 day configuration.

I’m not going to lie. It was a lot of work; more than I was expecting, but now I have a calendar that I can use for years (and years) to come. So hurray for that.

Craft #10 – Kindle Case

I was so excited when I received a kindle fire for Christmas this past holiday season! Of course I was excited at all the reading possibilities, but also for the crafting possibilities. I knew right after I opened the gift, that I would make a kindle cover. After scouring the racks, I fell in love with this pink/purple swirly fabric, and found this fun green accent for the inside.

I knew I wanted it to have a zippered pocket to keep all my cords, earphones, and library card (did you know that you can check out books from the library for your e-reader?). I was pleased with the free-motion quilting design, the ease of the velcro closure, and how it fit my kindle like a glove, but it still seemed incomplete…that is until I created the design for the front of the top flap.

After I added the embroidered fabric with my name (edited out in this picture, and simulated with a substitute for anonymity) on top of this great ruffled ribbon, I knew my project was complete! It is the perfect size and weight for the kindle, and the double layer of quilted fabric is enough to cushion it for those unfortunate falls it sometimes takes.

Craft #11 – Glitter & Leather Pennant Necklace

Hello SYTYC readers! Iâ€™m so glad to be here. One of my bloggy friends competed three seasons ago and every week I was on pins and needles waiting to see what everyone came up with and I was never disappointed. I’m kind of beyond elated to have a chance to actually be a contestant on the upcoming season.

For my audition craft, I wanted to share something pretty. You see, I love pretty things (don’t we all?) but most of all, I like to create pretty things. It’s also important to me to be an individual and by crafting my own accessories, I get to have something that other people love but no one else has. That’s where this glittered leather pennant necklace comes in! You see pennant banners all over the place, why not draped around your neck?

All you need are some small leather scraps, glittered cardstock, and some random jewelry findings. Punch some holes, bend some wires, connect some chain links and…

VOILA! You’re done. It’s fun, edgy, and the perfect Spring accessory. I hope you all like it as much as I do and I hope to see you around these parts soon!

Craft #12 – Guitar Art Case

I am a collector of unwanted and broken items. I love to give new life to things that would inevitably have ended up in the garbage. So when one of my best friends had an unfortunate accident with her guitar, I promised her that one day it would be reincarnated into something beautiful. I unfortunately forgot about it for a few years due to lack of inspiration.

A few weeks ago I bumped into it again while cleaning up my spray paint cans in the basement. Instantly I knew it was a solution to one of my recent frustrations. I needed a fun way to get my craft supplies to other places to work with my other crafty pals. I ran excitedly upstairs with guitar in hand and began looking up how to take apart a guitar. The process included a ton of sanding, more paint than necessary, and some ridiculous fun with my dremmel.

At first glance it looks like a regular guitar with a cool paint job, or possibly a fun decoration, but once it is opened it makes me squeal with glee.

The inside is adorned with places to keep paint,brushes, my glue gun, scissors, markers, crayons, duct tape, ribbon and whatever else my heart desires. I placed a removable bottom in the guitar for changing up the contents in the future, however the perfectly sized PVC paint holders are here to stay.

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Craft #13 – A Soft Place to Land: bay window revamp

We had
a bare bay window in our home in need of a little love. For my audition piece I created a piped box
cushion using foam and a self made down pillow topper. (Iâ€™ll be finding feathers for months!)

As this corner will likely be used to hunt for hidden sunshine or to cozy up with a good book, I took cues from Build-A-Bear and inserted a little heart of inspiration.

Other than the cushion foam and fabric, all supplies were found around the house or in my sewing stash. I created pillows shams for outdated pillows using a soft sweater knit, bleached to match velvet, Grannie’s saved crocheted bits, and a cool Alphabet Scroll print that Iâ€™m loving.

My favorite (and softest) pillow was created using elastic thread in the bobbin to have a rouched, gathered effect.

One of my favorite details is the silk throw. It was made from an old loved-up wrap skirt that I bought at Venice Beach forever ago. The silk is faded in spots, but very soft. I used an ugly fleece blanket for batting that hopefully no one will notice is now ~~gone~~ repurposed.

The soft roman shades were made from an IKEA drape.
Technically they are a functioning shade, but I have a feeling they will stay
just as they are. Low enough to keep
neighbors out, high enough to remind us the sun exists.

And to keep true to my statehood: I couldnâ€™t call it done
until I put a bird on it.

Comments

Samantha says

March 4, 2013 at 9:08 am

Hi Missy,

I think there’s maybe a small glitch in the voting. I’ve selected which ones I want to be 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 11th, 12th, 13th but when I click done it says ‘this question requires an answer’. I’ve taken a screenshot, if you want it just email me and I’ll forward it.

Thanks
Samantha x

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Danni@SiloHillFarm says

March 4, 2013 at 10:14 am

I had the same problem as Samantha with the voting thing. (I have to say that as much as I like voting for my favorite…I’m not so crazy about voting for my least favorite. Makes me kind of sad.)

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cathgrace says

March 4, 2013 at 10:45 am

I think there’s a glitch with the voting, the way it is set up, you have to put a first second, or third for every single project, and an 11th 12th and 13th for every single project, instead of being able to only fill in the top 3 and the bottom 3.

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Sarah says

March 4, 2013 at 11:52 am

I feel like an idiot… but are the results that are displayed after you vote a tally of everyone’s votes, or is it supposed to be a recap of what I voted?

I don’t know if that even makes sense.

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Missy says

March 4, 2013 at 12:21 pm

Thank you ladies so much for letting me know about the issue! Hopefully we’ve been able to take care of the problem. Please let me know what you think about it now 🙂

Missy

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celeste says

March 4, 2013 at 3:36 pm

I had that problem with the “question requires an answer” thing, but I realized that I had accidentally missed one. Once I had all 13 rated, it accepted it. I didn’t like having to sort through/rank quite so many projects. I think I would have preferred just pick my top three favorites or something.

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Preeti says

March 4, 2013 at 11:14 pm

I cant see the poll 🙁 All i see here is this text:

Here is the poll. Because of the fiasco this morning it will be open an extra 5 hours – until 5am PT on Friday. As always, please let me know how you feel about it and if there are any problems. Thanks!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world’s leading questionnaire tool.

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Jennifer Ranker says

March 6, 2013 at 1:41 pm

I’m loving the kindle cover, but don’t know how to vote. I would say my second fave would be the guitar craft kit.
Good luck ladies!

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