Handmade Hot List: Halloween Decor

Fall finally made its presence known here in Richmond, as yesterday and today the weather is down to a super chilly 50 degrees compared to Saturday's 80 degrees and sunshine. I must admit, I am NOT ready for the cooler weather, and if the acorns falling all over my driveway are any indication, all signs are pointing to a cold and possibly snow-filled winter. I am just. not. ready.

But, before the weather got wet, I did grab pumpkins and mums and got myself in the mood for decorating for Halloween. What?! Did I really just type that?! I know, for those of you who remember my post from last year on Halloween decorating, you'll remember my personal loathing for the holiday. However, this year, due to some strategic fabric purchasing, I have warmed up to the idea and am actually GASP! looking forward to it. So, just in time to give you a bit of inspiration, here's a the Handmade Hotlist for Halloween Decor. And, I made it a bit more fun and kept it Black & White themed, as a way to mix it up. Enjoy!

Crepe Paper Wreath by designerkym on Etsy

I am such a sucker for cute wreaths made out of unexpected materials, and I just LOVE this wreath! It is made out of hand-dyed crepe paper. And, isn't the bow just amazing?!

Black Crow Tiered Stand by The Orchard Playground on Etsy

Having a Halloween party or gathering? Use this fun two-tiered stand to hold cupcakes or other spooky treats. I love tired stands for table decorating, and this one caught my eye as it is so unique - perfect for an adult, kid or family friendly party.

Happy Hauntings Banner by Green Jazz Face on Etsy

 This adorable banner is the perfect thing to update your Halloween mantle decor. And, I just love the styling of the photo - gives lots of great ideas!

Witch Silhouette Printable from D & P Celebrations on Etsy

Silhouette's continue to be popular, and I just LOVE this cute witch printable. It has just the right touch of glam to make it fun. And, I love the instant gratification, as you can print it after purchase for a fun DIY touch.

Wicked White Pumpkins by Southern Sky Art on Etsy

These small white pumpkins add the perfect touch of class to our black and white Halloween decor theme. I love white pumpkins as they are cute and classy, and these with a stamped letter and cute ribbon finishes them up so nicely.

So, there you have it! Which item is your favorite? Keep your answer in mind, as there will be a SUPER FUN Halloween Decor Giveaway here tomorrow that just might feature one (or a couple) of these items!

Handmade Hot List: Neon {A New Weekly Feature}

I’m so excited to launch a new weekly feature today – the Handmade Hot List! Each week, I’ll pick a theme and bring you the hottest handmade items, for yourself or gifting. Ever since joining the handmade community, I’ve been amazed at the talent and creativity of other handmade artisans, that I have almost solely used other Etsy shops for all of my gift giving for all occasions - birthdays, baby showers, wedding showers and Christmas.

So, without further ado, here is the first Handmade Hotlist – Neon! When I first started seeing this trend come back, I immediately thought of the 80’s and my neon wigwam socks. I was SO not ready for that trend to return, but, with these 5 items you’ll see that the trend can be sophisticated and super fun!

Neon Bubble Necklace by DolorisPetunia on Etsy

First up, a gorgeous hand-dyed necklace by Deloris Petunia. This necklace is amazing, and can you believe the colors are hand-dyed? I love it because it is right on trend with all of the bubble necklaces popping up.

Screen printed Neon Pillow Cover by ElRanchoRelaxo on Etsy

I just LOVE this screen printed neon pillow cover. I love the balance of the neon geometric print with the pale linen, and I love the back detail that features wooden buttons. Simple, yet packs a great pop of color.

Neon Pave Tear Drop Earrings by RocksPaperMetal on Etsy

How cute are these simple tear drop earrings? I just love the idea of wearing these earrings as a way to "class up" a neutral outfit this fall. These would make a great gift for a girl who loves her accessories!

Modern Wooden Salad Bowls by Wind and Willow Home on Etsy

There is nothing I love more than kitchen accessories and these wooden salad bowls are amazing! I think I love them more because the pink matches the Love Elaine logo.  And, what is even better about these bowls is that the pink neon isn't paint - the bowls are hand-dipped in a soft rubbery plastic, which makes the bowls non-slip!



Neon Arrows print by Amanda Helmer on Etsy



Arrows are super popular right now, and I love this print in bright neon colors as a way to add color to a room without going overboard. It would also look great in a baby nursery or kids room. Check out her shop for other cute prints.

Hope you enjoyed the first Handmade Hot List! What was your favorite? Have you embraced neon? I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas for upcoming hot list posts!

Love Elaine Giveaway on Table for Two Blog

Happy Friday Morning! I'll be back later today with all sorts of Love Elaine updates, but for now, I wanted to let you know about an exciting giveaway over at the Table for Two blog!

I think you have all mentioned how much I LOVE having a handmade business, as it allows me to get to know my customers. And, through emails and getting to know them, I make many new friends! And, that is how I met Julie from Table for Two! A few months ago she ordered my purple floral ruffled apron, and I was so excited to see that she was wearing it in her Facebook profile photo!

A couple of weeks later, she was back to order another apron in purple, but different fabrics. I have quickly become a huge fan of her blog, as she has lots of great recipies - which are even printer friendly, which is a feature I just LOVE!

So, because everyone loves a giveaway, and aprons and cooking go together perfectly, Julie and I planned a giveaway on her blog! Head on over now, and enter to win the ever-popular half ruffled yellow and grey apron and a matching ruffled tea towel set! Hurry, because today is the last day to enter!

And may the odds be ever in your favor! (You gotta love a Hunger Games reference at 8 am!)

Pattern Review: Hazel Hipster E-Course from Two Peas in a Pod

I'll let you all in on a little secret - sewing a bag together is by far my favorite type of sewing! Promise me you won't tell the other items in my shop :) And, what's not to like? For me, its all about instant gratification, and bags can give it to you in spades. They go together quickly, you can make it totally personalized with fabric choice, zipper or no zipper, long or short straps, you get the idea.

So, when Trish Preston from Two Peas in a Pod put out a call on Twitter for pattern testers for her Hazel Hipster E-Course, I jumped at the chance!

And I'm SO glad I did! Isn't it the cutest bag ever?! I used one of the most popular color combinations in my shop right now, yellow and grey, and I just LOVE how it turned out. For inquiring minds, the yellow fabric is Amy Butler Lark and the grey polka dot is Michael Miller Ta Dot in Stone.



Hazel Hipster Bag By Two Peas in a Pod

This bag pattern was absolutely perfect, as it met all of my criteria when choosing a pattern: 1) Its cute - hello ruffle on the front!, 2) it sews together quickly, and 3) the instructions were very clear and it made sense from step to step (which is so hard to find in my experience!). And, I love that I was able to make it mine - as I used yellow satin ribbon I had on hand and I added a ruffle flower for a bit of extra, as to me, I thought it needed a little something on the top.

Since the first bag I ever made, I have been designing my own bags and patterns since. But let me tell you, it was REALLY nice to sit back and listen to Trish and just sew without thinking for an afternoon. Yup, the entire bag from fabric selection, cutting, fusing and finishing was done in a single afternoon - 3 hours total. So, if you are looking for a quick gift and have little time, this is your pattern! And, the E-Course videos (available on a password protected website) really added something that typical paper patterns don't - insight from the designer. Throughout the videos, Trish is offering helpful tips, tricks and ways for you to make the bag your own. Plus, she actually sews a bag from start to finish in real time, so she really does show you every step.  And, although I've never met Trish besides a few emails exchanged, after watching the videos it felt like I had spent the afternoon sewing with a friend.

This is also a great beginner friendly bag, so if you haven't taken the plunge into bag making yet, this is a great first start! Along with being able to pause the video and replay, instructions for cutting and yardage needed is all written out, so you can refer back to it when you are cutting and prepping your fabrics.

I usually don't include photos of myself, but I really wanted to show how cute it looks on, and I just love the cross-shoulder strap. I'll be gifting this bag to my niece Alexis, as I owe her an 8th grade graduation gift, and I think she'll just love it! And, because they go together so quickly, I might make up a few Christmas gifts for my Aunts :)

If you want to get started on your own Hazel Hipster, you can purchase your registration online for $20 here.

But wait, there is a GIVEAWAY!

Trish has graciously offered a free course registration to a lucky reader!! So, leave a comment below and tell me how you would personalize the bag to make it your own. 

Giveaway will end on Thursday, September 6. Please be sure you leave an email or login with your blog so I can contact you!

Friday Photos {And a Winner!}



Decal via WallumsWallDecals on Etsy

 Happy Friday! Time seems to be going by so quickly these days - I guess time flies when your having fun, erm, I mean sewing! This week I had help with sewing, and it was great company and productive time in the sewing room - as I am happy to report I am 99% caught up on all Etsy orders.

Its a great feeling, especially because next week will be a full-on sewing marathon week of new samples for our Christmas photo shoot! Yes, I said it, the dirty word spoken at the end of the summer that sends most into panic! The holiday season will soon be upon us here at Love Elaine, and I am SO EXCITED for all of the new products we'll have in store!

The fabrics above are a sneak peak at some of the fabrics we'll be using this year from Christmas items - I cannot wait! So bright and fun - perfect for the modern home for Christmas! And, who doesn't love Chevrons?!

But, as I mentioned, I did get a few orders out since my last update. The above is a custom ruffled adult apron for a return customer who LOVES purple! Be sure to pay Julie at Table For Two a visit, she's got great recipes!

Everyday Tote Bag by Love Elaine

I also finished an every day tote bag (seriously, this is my most popular bag!) in yellow and grey - first time making it in this color combination! I just love it, and I'm considering listing it in the shop! What do you think? This version has extra long handles, as requested, and I think it looks great! Lots of pockets, and perfect for teachers going back to school (it fits notebooks, files, etc.) or moms looking for a more compact diaper bag/all in one bag!

This week I also made homemade Banana Bread - it was so yummy! And, I'll be the first to admit, that I ate most of it! The bf only made off with about a quarter of BOTH LOAVES that I made. Well, I'm home, and its great for breakfast, and a snack to keep me sewing. What can I say? You snooze, you lose! I modified a recipe from Pinterest, you can find it here. I didn't put vanilla, cinnamon or nutmeg, and I left the bananas really chunky.

TIME FOR A WINNER!

Thank you to everyone who entered the Giveaway for the Cloud 9 tote bag! The winner was #7, Cal who said "I love the Grey and Plum Polka Dot Clutch on your Etsy store."


Stay tuned for next week, as I have another giveaway, a pattern review, Love Elaine news and lots more! Enjoy the weekend!

Cloud9 Geocentric Tote Giveaway {Plus a Tutorial}



Love Elaine/Cloud9 Beach Tote in Geocentrics Circles in Metal

I'm so excited to share today's giveaway with you! Back in April, I was lucky enough to meet Michelle of Cloud9 Fabrics at their headquarters in NJ, as I was helping with a few projects for quilt market. While I was there, Michelle gave me a sneak peek at the upcoming Geocentrics Canvas line, and I've been waiting not-so-patiently for the sample yardage to be here to work up a fun beach tote ever since!

Michelle sent me enough fabric for 2 bags - one to keep, and one to giveaway to one lucky reader! How excited are you?!



Love Elaine/Cloud9 Beach Tote in Geocentrics Canvas Fabric

To enter the giveaway for the Geocentrics Circles in Metal tote, leave a comment below on your favorite item from my Etsy Shop. And, for another entry, like Love Elaine on Facebook, and then come back here and tell me that you did by leaving another comment. The winner will be chosen by random number generator by Friday - just in time to enjoy this great tote for last few lazy days of summer!

But, if you don't win the tote, all hope is not lost! I've written a tutorial for this bag that is posted on the Cloud9 blog. The bag goes together very quickly - you'll have a new bag in no time!

Friday Photos {InstaFriday}



Studio Mela via Pinterest

 Well, chalk up the end of another week. What a whirlwind week it has been! If you caught my post last Friday, then you know that today marks the end of week #2 of unemployment.  And, if you know anything about me, its that I don't do anything half way. So, now that I'm on the hunt for employment, I have been on.the.hunt. This week I had 2 in person interviews, 2 phone interviews and I'm set up for another interview next week. Crazy!

With all of that going on, I did find time to sew (a bit, not as much as I would have liked) and socialize with friends. I'm trying to gather advice about this new journey and taking the leap into Love Elaine full time or how to get comfortable with taking the leap. And, I realized, that although it seems that a lot of things are falling apart, and I'm worried about how to pay our bills this month, I'm happy. Happier than I have been in a VERY long time. And, I just LOVE this print (I have it in blue and red in my Kitchen). It makes me happy every time I look at it :)

I finished up a custom order for a play kitchen that included 2 of the above tea towel with a cupcake and ruffled detail, along with pom pom trim.  It also included a ruffled curtain. Loved the fabrics!

As I mentioned, I also got some socializing in with a couple of friends this week. I met up with my friend Sara at Barnes & Noble and saw some laminated cotton eye candy in the form of pencil cases and zip pouches. Just LOVED them! The conversation was also amazing, as I'm trying to get as much advice and perspective as possible on this new journey of mine. Trying to navigate unemployment, trying to find a job and realizing that I want Love Elaine to work full time is so taxing sometimes. Sara owns her own business and has been in my shoes before, so its really great to listen to her stories and advice!

Speaking of laminates, the lovely folks at Michael Miller fabrics sent me samples of their Polyurethane Laminates and Laminated Cotton samples for a meeting I have next week. I'm working with a local company on some pretty exciting custom products. I'll share more once they are launched! But, I am having SO MUCH FUN designing and selecting fabrics.

And, on the fabric and socializing front, I had lunch with my friend Lyanna of Purple Panda Quilts and gave her a bit of fabric candy to play with for helping me out with a project a few months ago! Lunch was great and I'm excited to work together in the next couple months!!