Batman Birthday Invite

Before I go into the details of this rather adorable Batman Birthday Party Invite, I would like to say something.

When you are out of the habit of blogging, almost two months goes by with no post, and you don't even realize it. I am not sure anyone else realized it either. Probably because of my "radio" silence increasing more and more over the last year, I am sure the few people I had reading this blog have given up on me. So let me say thanks for sticking with me that long.

I have come to the realization, that I am okay with my blogging life (or lack there of). Of course part of me wants to be read by thousands and thousands. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to be known in the blogosphere for my mad skills. I want validation from friends, strangers, and mega bloggers. 

BUT...

I am not good at the life. I am not great at self promoting. I don't have the funds for a blog face lift (hence that I am in the dark ages and still have a blogspot) or to go to all the amazing and fabulous conferences out there. I am not a great entrepreneur (heck I couldn't even spell it...spell check had to help). I admire those woman who do and can. They are so very awesome at what they do.

For years I felt that because they are awesome at what they do and I don't do that well, it must mean that I am about as far from awesome as you can get. 

So I backed off of blogging. I backed off because, someone could do it better. No one out there would miss me or what I do. I was getting an ulcer watching my blog views go down. My comments become nonexistent. Basically I backed off in a pity party kind of way. 

So, why even blog a tiny bit now? 

This is why. I still love creating things. I can say in some confidence that there are things I am good at. Even if only my mom reads this blog anymore (thanks MOM I love you), I still want to share. Who cares if I am not a dot com. Who cares if no one sponsors me. Who cares. Who cares.

So I "blog" for me right now. I create for me because I like to. I decorate when I can. I make stuff when I have time. I share because it is fun. If someone gets an idea from me. Great. If people occasionally stop by from Pinterest. AWESOME and welcome. However, even if just my mom reads, that is good too. 

I had a good run for awhile. Who knows maybe when my kids are all in school if this blogging thing is still around I will jump back in with a little more professionalism. 

For right now, I am good with just sharing what I do when I do it. 

LONGEST intro to a blog post ever. Sorry about that.

So on to this Batman Birthday Party Invite.  I wish I could say I came up with the concept of this modern simple batman invite all on my own. However, thanks to Pinterest I came across my inspiration on The Hostess with the Mostess Blog via a party done by Posh Paperie. I really liked her design style and the concept of the party so I copy-catted her a bit.

For the invite I turned to my handy dandy PicMonkey.

I used geometric overlays for the flood lights. I used the bat overlays found in the Halloween section. The rest was just a mixture of some of my favorite fonts.

One of the things I liked the most was the idea of a geometric Batman. So I made one. This Batman was completely made from mixing and manipulating geometric overlays. He turned out pretty amazing if I do say so myself.

For the back of this card, I just copied and positioned image after image of the original Batman head.

I also used the Batman head for some birthday posters (which I will share soon) and these name tags that I taped to the outside of the envelopes.

The whole invite ensemble looked like this.

I was able to save this all to my computer and just print from my printer on to cardstock. Setting aside making the little Batman head image, it really was very simple and the perfect way to invite some fellow superheroes over.

Easy Pillow Case Superhero Cape

I originally shared this post on Thirty Handmade Days in March.

I am sharing it again here in case you missed it! 

A no-fuss, low-key, easy on the budget project is the best. A project that is all those things AND super fun for the kiddos is the very best. In a houseful of boys, we tend to be a little superhero obsessed.

In one of these superhero moments, I had an "aha!" moment for a quick and easy way to make one of my Superheros In Training his own superpower inducing cape.

This project is SO easy and has minimal sewing and the best part is, it uses a standard pillow case. A pillow case is something we all have laying around. However, even if we don't have an extra pillow case available, you can purchase a set of standard pillow cases at some stores for $5.

Here is what you will need:

standard pillow case

fleece strip measuring 2" by 28"

yellow felt

lightning bolt template

coordinating thread

Here is the easy DIY for making this Easy Pillow Case Superhero Cape.

After you have purchased (or rounded up) a pillow case, iron it out. Especially if it is brand new.

Fold over the top of the pillowcase at the point where the stitching is at. You know the border at the opening. Iron. Zig zag stitch along where the edge meets with the pillowcase. This will make an casing for the piece of fleece.

 

Pin a safety pin to one edge of the fleece strip. Feed the fleece strip through the casing.

One you have the fleece through, make sure that there are equallengths of the fleece are on either side. These will become the ties for the cape. Pin the fleece to the pillowcase at the mid point. Run a zig zag stitch over the fleece and pillowcase for about 1 1/2" in order to secure the fleece in place.

The next step is to sew on the lightning bolt. After the lightning bolt has been cut out, pin it in place to the cape. You want to pin it in the top middle making sure it is centered. You will also want to make sure that your are pinning to side of the pillow case that you folded the top away from, so that edge doesn't show.

Stitch the lightning bolt in place with coordinating thread (yellow). If you use thread the same color as the pillowcase (orange in my case) in the bobbin then the stitching will not be visible on that back side.

Easy as that you have a cape fitting for any Superhero In Training. A mask and some cuffs add just that much more superheroness. I totally just made up that word.

UP, UP, and AWAY.

The world can rest well tonight knowing this Superhero is watching out for them.

World peace all thanks to an Easy Pillow Case Superhero Cape.

Easy Pillow Case Superhero Cape: Thirty Handmade Days

Today I am over at Thirty Handmade Days for my monthly contributing post.

Remember the fun and easy tutorial for the Superhero Mask and Cuffs? Oh and the Superhero in 

Training T-shirt? Well this Easy Pillow Case Superhero Cape completes the whole superhero look.

Head on over to Thirty Handmade Days to get the tutorial and of course to see more insanely cute pictures of my saving-the-world-with-cuteness superhero. You could even make my day and leave a comment when you are over there!!! 

Love you guys!

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Superhero Mask and Cuffs DIY

Do you already feel the world is a safer place just by looking at this photo? I sure do.

Yup. The safety of the world is in good hands. The good hands of the cutest Superhero in existence.

I have previously shared this ridiculously adorable...er..I mean...manly Superhero in Training T-shirt.

Today I want to add a couple of necessary accessories for the superhero ensemble...yes I realize a real superhero probably wouldn't  say ensemble. They would probably say crime fighting gear, or something like that.

Anyway you say it...here is a little DIY on how to make a few pretty awesome crime-fighting-approved accessories.

First, we have a set of Superhero Crime Fighting Cuffs.

You need felt and velcro. Cut two rectangles measuring 4" by the circumference of your child's wrist plus 2" from one color. Also cut two rectangles measuring the determined width by 1".  Cut a piece of velcro measuring 2 1/2".

Sew the skinnier strip onto the center of two of the larger rectangle.

Sew the velcro on one of the striped rectangles and one of the plain ones. Sew on opposite ends. Repeat with the other set.

Sew the striped rectangle to the plain one. The velcro facing out on each side.

Cuffs are done and ready to be worn.

All we need now to finish off the ensemble...er...crime fighting gear...is a Superhero Identity Hiding Mask.

To make the mask you just need the Superhero Mask Template some felt and some elastic.

Cut out two pieces of felt in the shape of the face mask.

 To sew the eye holes, I keep the template pinned to the two pieces of felt. Then I sew on the inside of each eye hole in the template.

Once the eye holes are sewn in, you can remove the template.

Measure a piece of elastic that will allow the mask to snugly fit your supers head and add an inch.

Pin one edge of the elastic between the layers of the mask on one side. Then pin the other end on the other side.

Sew around the outside edges of the mask, securing the two layers together and securing the elastic in place.

The last thing that needs to be done is to cut out the eye holes.

With mask and cuffs in place, our Superhero is ready to save the world.

Or at leas the front porch.

Superhero crime fighting gear that any Super would be proud to wear.

I hope your Supers enjoy them as much as my Supers do.

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Superhero In Training T-Shirt

Superheros are a big deal around here.

Like BIG.

B.I.G

How big?

Well, I have four Superheros in training to be exact. That is a pretty big deal.

I figured I should make a shirt declaring their future world saving status. That way their awesomeness would be clear.

Hence, this Superhero In Training T-Shirt.

I used Expressions Vinyl flocked heat transfer vinyl and cut it with my Silhouette. I used a simple rectangle shape and block lettering. I used the negative space for the letters.

It was a quick and fun project that brought immediate joy to the wearer and the momma.

Do you see this face?

He loves this shirt, as would any superhero in training.

I think this superhero's superpower is cuteness.

Do you have Superheros In Training at your house? They might need a shirt like this.

Thanks for reading Peeps!

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Project Handmade Christmas Presents: Avengers Hand Puppets

Ridiculous.

It is ridiculous, how much I am in love with these puppets.

If you have been around here for a bit, you know I am a mom to all boys. Boys who are kind of obsessed with superheros.

I had the idea for these puppets over a year ago. Confession time...The Hulk and Ironman have actually been sitting on my sewing table waiting to be sewn for that year. No excuse, I just didn't follow through with my brain child.

Until now that is...

I finally got a set of Avengers Hand Puppets designed and sewn for this year's Project Handmade Christmas Presents.

I chose to make the main four Avengers.

Everyone's favorite soldier- Captain America

An Almighty God of Thunder- Thor

A genius billionaire turned superhero- Ironman

A gamma ray rage monster- The Hulk

I love each and every one of them. I just couldn't pick a favorite.

Okay maybe I can. These two might make me clap-my-hands-giggle kind of happy.

Thor and that cape. That hat. Goosh.

Captain America and those head wings. Those stars and stripes.

Okay, so here is the part where you can't be mad at me. I am not offering a free pattern for these puppets. My goal is to make this into a pattern to sell in the future.

So I am sorry for the little tease.

But look for a pattern soonish.

But I hope just seeing these makes you as happy as it does me.

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Project Handmade Christmas Presents: Only Date Crime Fighters Tee

Welcome to the first post of Project Handmade Christmas Presents 2013.

I am kind of geeking out about this present. I love making fun and creative t-shirts for presents. Heck, I like making t-shirts for pretty much everything.

I have wanted to make a shirt like this since I made Little's Batman Shirt. On the same site that inspired the Batman Shirt, I saw a shirt similar to this one. Right when I saw it, I knew someone who would love, love, love it.

I knew I needed to find a way to recreate it for my crime fighter loving friend.

So recreate it I did.

Making the shirt was super easy. I only had one hiccup...

Trying to find a baseball tee in the winter, well that took some fancy footwork and a very helpful store worker. They actually found one for me in the back. Let me be clear...he got one for me that had already been put in storage.

Best. Store. Ever.

Anywho...

I got the shirt. I got my vinyl (Expressions Vinyl). I drew a spider image. I scanned it in. Opened it in PicMonkey. Added some text. Then I imported the saved image in my Silhouette software. I cut it out. I ironed on the heat transfer vinyl.

Ba-BAM!

Now my friend can declare it to the world the caliber of men she will date.

I think every girl single girl should own one.

I am more than just a little excited to send this to her...

Like clap my hands and giggle excited.

Yeah, I am a nerd.

Come back tomorrow for a food Project Handmade Christmas Present. 

If you follow me on Instagram, you have a hint at what is coming!!

Thanks for stopping by!