I used the classic brownies recipe from smitten kitchen. I usually go with Nigella’s recipe from How to Be a Domestic Goddess (my favorite baking cookbook), but I’m always open to trying a new one. The brownies were easy to make, and they smelled delicious while they were baking.

After taking the brownies out of the oven, I set them aside to cool while I made my stencil. I typed out “Nom Nom Nom Nom” (suggested via Twitter), and used Mister Sirloin Well for my font. Then I cut the letters out of card stock with my Silhouette SD. You could do it by hand too, but I’d suggest something shorter in big block letters, like “YUM”.

Once my brownies had cooled, I transferred them to a pretty tray (this one’s an old Thomas Paul design). Then I had to decide how to use my stencil. I think making the letters out of powdered sugar would have left a clearer design.

I decided to do the reverse though, so I could use more powdered sugar.

I didn’t have a fancy little sifter, so my application got a bit messy. It’s still pretty cute though!

Mmmmm. Or should I say “nom nom nom nom”? I think all blog posts from here on out should be written while eating yummy homemade brownies. And that recipe? It’s a good one.

p.s. You can still enter the giveaway for a Silhouette SD by entering here. The contest is open until the 31st.

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as Nom Nom Nom Nom Brownies | 53 comments

I’m thoroughly impressed with those that have made 1000 paper cranes, as Blair from Wise Craft has recently done. As for me, I’m happy with my single crane, the first I’ve ever made.

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as Paper Crane | 41 comments

You know the little vinyl stick figure families that mark the back windows of minivans throughout suburbia? Yeah, this is my take on that. More modern, less cutesy.

I used Adobe Illustrator to trace a silhouette of us, basing it on a photo from the shoot by James Julius. Of course, it’s only going to be accurate for another six months and then I’ll have to make a new one for my family of four.

I also framed Eleanor’s silhouette (the same silhouette I drew for her first birthday invitations) against a sheet of patterned paper.

So cute, right? And I could think of a million more things to make too… I especially like the idea of using it to make a stencil for decorating a pan of brownies with powdered sugar, but I think that’s just because I’ve been craving chocolate lately. ;)

My Review of the Silhouette SD

The machine itself is small, sleek, and well-designed. The interface is easy, and I had no problems following the directions to get the machine up and running. The software is not Mac friendly, but there is an Adobe Illustrator plugin for Mac users (and a helpful tutorial here). I like to make my own designs anyway, so the Illustrator compatibility is perfect for me.

I was impressed by the Silhouette SD’s accuracy and ability to cut finely detailed images. I found only two drawbacks: the machine is noisy when cutting, and the sticky cutting mats attract hair and dust particles like crazy. Certainly not deal breakers, but worth mentioning.

I’m pretty excited about all of the things I can make, so I’m really pleased with the machine. There are tons of ideas and tips on the Silhouette SD site, shop, and blog. I’m not sure how the PC software works, but if you use Adobe Illustrator like I do then you can use any font or vector image you like. Nice.

Enter to Win a Silhouette SD

If you would like to win a Silhouette SD of your own, just leave a comment on this post (one entry per person). This giveaway, open to US residents only, includes: A Silhouette Machine (a $299.99 value), software for Windows XP/Vista, power cable and USB cable, two cutting mats (one for thick media, one for thin media), one cutting blade, $10 gift card to the Silhouette Online Store. One winner will be chosen randomly on August 31.

And if you just can’t wait to see if you’ve won, I also have an awesome promo for you (good from August 23 through September 1 at midnight). If you buy a Silhouette cutting machine and enter the discount code “lovely“, you’ll get all of the above plus the following for $249.99: $50 off the Silhouette Craft Cutter, fuzzy white vinyl (valued at $7.99), light blue smooth heat transfer (valued at 14.99), yellow flocked heat transfer (valued at $14.99), and a home décor CD (valued at $50). That’s a total savings of $137.97!

You can also use the code “lovely” from September 2 through September 4 for a good discount of $50 off your machine, two cutting mats (one for thick media, one for thin media), one cutting blade, $10 gift card to the Silhouette Online Store, plus two free rolls of heat transfer (a total savings of $79.98).

Good luck! I’d love to know what you’d make with your Silhouette SD. And what did you think of my projects? Would you rock a family car decal like mine? Too close to the ubiquitous stick figures? Or do you (gasp) prefer the stick figures?

August 31: Comments (and entries) are now closed. The randomly chosen winner is Renanda (renparks). Congratulations, Renanda!

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as Silhouette SD Cutting Machine (Review and Giveaway) | 2031 comments

(Above is a little sneak peek.)

I’ll be creating four Halloween projects for Better Homes & Gardens, along with three other amazing bloggers: Kathleen of Twig & Thistle, Liz of Mabel’s House (who also announced her pregnancy yesterday!), and Suzonne of Urban comfort. Our first project will appear in the October issue of Better Homes & Gardens, and the subsequent three will be online at BHG.com. I’ll share the first project with you in early September when the issue hits newsstands.

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as Halloween Projects with Better Homes & Gardens | 17 comments

I was going to make my own bias tape because Jacinda’s was so cute, but then I hesitated after realizing that it’s probably a huge pain to do without the proper doodad. Twitter confirmed my suspicions.

So I went with the brown bias tape that I already had on hand, and some Amy Butler fabric that I bought for curtains but never used. The dress took me three hours from start to finish, but that is because I am most definitely a novice when it comes to sewing. It would probably only take an hour and a half, maybe two hours, for someone with more experience.

The dress turned out nicely though. It’s so sweet! I’ll probably swap out the long satin ribbon for something a little more practical, but it was pretty for these photos.

If you’d like to make a dress for a little girl but aren’t sure of your sewing abilities, I recommend making a pillowcase dress. The trickiest part was attaching the bias tape to the arm holes, but if you can handle that the rest is easy. And it’s so cute. I want to make a million more.

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as Eleanor’s Pillowcase Dress | 97 comments

I knew I had twittered about picking up the shades (ENJE), so I looked for the tweet to see how long ago that was. February 16. Oof.

The shades didn’t come in the exact size that I needed, but Anna reassured me that they are easy to work with. So over the weekend I set about trimming off 2.5″ and installing them, and it was easy.

All you have to do is measure the amount to be trimmed, mark it and then cut. Using good, sharp scissors will help (you do reserve a pair of scissors just for fabric, right?). The metal top and bottom can be cut with a hacksaw or jigsaw with a metal blade, but the fabric needs to be cut away first or it will become ragged. I used an x-acto knife for that part.

After you’ve cut everything down to the proper size, you just pop the ends back on and hang the shade according to the simple directions.

Done!

Benita of Chez Larsson just took on the same project recently, and here Anna of Door Sixteen gives her take on the ENJE shades. I’m so pleased with the way they look, and they were so inexpensive… especially compared to custom roller shades.

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as Inexpensive Custom Sized Roller Shades | 38 comments

I made something last night. It’s my attempt at an “inspiration board”, though I confess I think of it more as a big rectangle of pretty clutter. I don’t even know what to do with it now! I like having pictures of it, but I don’t want the actual physical item hung up anywhere.

Am I the only one that can’t get behind this whole inspiration board (which is just a fancy word for bulletin board) thing?* I did think of an excellent use for it though: desktop wallpaper.

*Odd, since I put together digital boards all the time. Those serve a purpose though (for a room or an outfit). When the purpose is simply inspiration, I don’t find it all that inspiring! Then again, I do like looking at the ones other people have made. I suspect this has something to do with my perfectionist tendencies.

I ordered a set of vintage silver bells after Laura posted them on the SCOOP, and I figured they would do nicely in the center of the wreath.

I added a silver bow and the two pine cones back in and hung it from a silver ribbon. The whole thing could have used a little more fussing, but I fixed it up and had it hanging within fifteen minutes. I had to work quickly!

There’s no shame in giving up on a crafty project, right? What about you guys? Have you had better success with this type of thing? Do tell.

© 2009, published by Making it Lovely as Trying to Sew a Slipcover | 71 comments

She’s the Prince. And that costume too waaaaaay too long to make!

I think she looks pretty cute, even if you aren’t familiar with the Katamari games. Of course, if you’re confused you can visit the official Katamari website (fair warning: there is music), or consult the all-knowing Wikipedia. And then there’s always YouTube (na na na na na na na na na, Katamari Damacy).

Happy Halloween!

© 2009, published by Making it Lovely as Katamari Baby Costume | 68 comments