2016 Full Year Mandala Calendar to color

Well... this certainly took a lot longer than planned. I hope you all like it!

This mandala 2016 year on a on page calendar is ready to print and color. I'd love to see finished examples! It's laid out American style, with the weeks starting on Sundays.

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2015 Angel Coloring Pages

I hope you enjoyed this years angels! As promised, here are the printable angel coloring pages for each hair style. Click the images below for larger versions to print and color.

Angel 1
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Angel 2

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Angel 3

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Angel 4

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Angel 5

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2015 Angel Boxes - Part 5

The last of the angel boxes- this was the biggest set to date because she was very simple and it was just changing the hair styles. I know there are more color combinations and hair styles possible. I'll be posting all 5 angels as coloring pages soon.

Click the angel boxes below for larger versions to print. Print on card stock, cut out, score folds, fold, glue.

2015 Angel Boxes Part 4
2015 Angel Boxes Part 3
2015 Angel Boxes Part 2
2015 Angel Boxes Part 1

Angel 15:

Angel 16:

Angel 17:

Angel 18:

Angel 19:

2015 Angel Boxes - Part 4

Part 4- there is one more part to go then I'll post the coloring pages for all 5 angels.
2015 Angel Boxes Part 3
2015 Angel Boxes Part 2
2015 Angel Boxes Part 1

To print these free angel boxes, click on the image for the larger version, print on card stock, cut out, score folds, fold, glue!

Angel 10:

Angel 11:

Angel 12:

Angel 13:

Angel 14:

2015 Angel Boxes Part 3- For Amber

Today's printable angel boxes have a really different hair style. I'll be back to the more traditional ones tomorrow, but the idea of making a hair style specifically for my friend Amber made me laugh.

So Amber, this is for you. It's also for anyone else who wants something a bit quirky!

Click the images below for larger versions, print on card stock, cut out, score folds, fold, glue!

Angel 7:

Angel 8:

Angel 9:

2015 Angel Boxes Part 1

2015 Angel Boxes Part 2

Angel Boxes 2015 part 2

Today I'm posting 4 boxes in this year's printable angel box set.
Click the images for larger versions, print on card stock, cut out, score folds, fold, glue!
Angel 3:

Angel 4:

Angel 5:

Angel 6:

Angel Boxes Part 1

Angel boxes 2015! Part 1

If you've been reading this blog a while, you know that printable angel boxes are a holiday tradition here, and that I do them in a few different colors. This year, they will be released 2 at a time because I'm doing more hair styles instead of just recoloring the same angel.

So here's the first 2!! Click the images below for larger versions, print on card stock, cut out, score folds, fold and glue!

Angel 1:

Angel 2:

If you have a specific request for hair style/color, go to my Facebook page and make a request. 

Easy hand sewn hair bow tie clips

I love this project. I hand sewed mine, but you could absolutely use a machine and make them even faster.

You will need:

• a 8.5 inch wide by 5 inch tall piece of fabric (if it's directional- otherwise just 8.5x 5 inches)
• pinking shears
• sewing needle
• thread
• pins
• 2 tapestry needles
• embroidery floss
• buttons

You will also need some sort of clips. I used plastic clips for mine that didn't have sewing holes. If you prefer to sew on the clips, use a different type. I used E-6000 glue to glue my bows to the clips.

If you use a knit fabric- regular scissors will work. Pinking shears are recommended for woven fabrics or you can seal the edges with a very light coat of either watered down PVA glue or Fray Check.

Cut 2 strips, 8.5 x 2.5 inches

Fold and finger press one end a half inch to the back.

Now you're going to do the trickiest part. Fold the fabric right sides together with the folded edge centered on the back on the inside and the other edge overlapping that. Pin it.

Now stitch the two long edges.

When you turn it right side out, making sure the corners are completely turned using something like a chopstick or a pen it will look sort of like a pillow sham with the folded edge on the outside of the back.

I marked the stitches to gather the center with pins since I was using black thread. If the fabric is fairly thin, 6 evenly spaced stitches works. For a thicker fabric like the knit I used- 4 stitches worked, sectioning the gathers into 3 different gathers. Top, 1/3 down, 2/3s down, bottom, starting from the front. 

Pull stitches tight to gather. 

To put on the button, I threaded 2 tapestry needles with one length of 3 strands of embroidery floss, then pushed both needles through, and tied in knot on the back. 

Because the fabric was thick, it needed extra gathering. Since the gathers were set by the stitches, I wrapped them tighter with the tails of the embroidery floss, bringing each end in opposite directions around the bow, under the button, then tying tightly. 

Then glued the bows on the clips! If you're using a directional fabric, make sure you face the clips in opposite directions. 

I love these, they are simple to make with scraps of fabric- or making them a little smaller, they can be made with Spoonflower swatches, which is what I used for my prototypes. 

This fabric is available for sale in my Spoonflower shop

Wire Sun Mandala to color and life update

This wire sun mandala started with the looped outside- then it got stuck. I liked the shape, but wasn't sure how to fill in the rest. Nothing I tried looked quite right. My husband asked "Are you making it more complicated than it needs to be?"

Exactly. So then I started adding the rings. Decided that looked sort of like complicated wire work and went from there working inwards to create something like a sun.

I hope you enjoy coloring this mandala! You can click the images below for larger versions to print and color.

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So right now I have a lot of craft projects lined up for this month, but some of them are crochet projects that I need to count stitches on because i forgot to keep notes . Other than that, I've been contracted to do another coloring book for Dover!!! YAY! and finishing up a set of stamps for a stamp company. They needed a lot of images in a hurry so most of what I've been drawing as been for them. It's the first time I've had a line of rubber stamps though so I'm terribly excited about the project. 

I'm going to post two hats to Facebook and let my readers choose which pattern gets posted first. Don't Eat the Paste on Facebook

Darn Good Yarn has some limited number of kits available for my sunshine shawl-  Here's the free sunshine shawl pattern