Geometrics with Francesco Bilotto

I am so excited to launch my new pattern collection with designer extraordinaire, 

Francesco Bilotto 

(Good Morning America, The View, BRAVO+)

GEOMETRICS

Get Pattern Here

Francesco and I share a HUGE LOVE of the Holidays!

We have very different styles but the love is equal.

I wanted to create a pattern that was super fun but a bit more "Francesco" than my usual style. We got our heads together and came up with a bunch of cute Geometrical shapes with pockets. Not only can these ornaments add some handmade beauty to your tree they can also BE the presents on your tree. Fill them with treats, sweets, money or gift cards.

In this post I wanted to show what I am personally using the pattern for.

My little girl LOVES Rainbows, Candy Canes and photos of herself.

I decided to make multi coloured ornaments to go on the rainbow tinsel tree I found at Kmart. 

(an awesome $5 bargain)

I love photo ornaments, especially the ceramic ones, but they can be a bit pricey.

I decided I would decoupage some of my own to go with my candy cane and sweet filled Geometric Ornaments. 

I ordered some MDF Circles off of Ebay. There are loads of companies that will cut them to size for you. I picked the 7cm rounds, 36 circles for $14 delivered.

Then I printed out the photos I wanted to use in the same size.

When I cut out the photos I cut them a tiny bit smaller than the MDF circles.

I used School Glue/PVA to attach the photo to the circle. Make sure you get the glue all over the circle.

Then I painted a layer of glue on top of the photo.

Once the photo was completely dry I added a line of glue all around the edge of the circle.

Then I added glitter! I love the stuff. Can't get enough of it.

If you hate it, you can always paint the edges with acrylic paint

Once the layer of glitter glue was completely dry I wiped awake the excess glitter with a tissue.

Then I sprayed the ornaments with a clear gloss coat. I like everything to be shiny!!

When the clear coat was dry I added a ribbon hanging loop with my hot glue gun (couldn't function in life without my hot glue gun!)

Rainbow Geometric Ornaments filled with treats and sweet family photos!

I thought I was being quiet and sneaky but obviously not. Lovebug came running out back to see what I was doing. Looks like the surprise of her Rainbow Sweets Tree is happening TODAY!!!

Nativity

I made a little detour from my Nutcracker Series to start my other labour of love,

The Nativity

This Nativity set was originally designed for my sweet Mom. 

Every Christmas she set up a cardboard Nativity under the Christmas tree. 

I would lay under the tree for hours playing with all of the pieces. 

Mom always had bubble lights on her tree.

 If you don't know what those are they are hands down the BEST Christmas lights on earth. 

There is a big globe at the bottom with a small glass tube of liquid that bubbles from 

the heat of the light, sort of like a mini lava lamp. Supposedly if one breaks the liquid

inside is a bit toxic but I still love them. There was always a 

bubble light placed near the top of the Nativity like the Star of Bethlehem. I love this memory.

 I am happy to say my daughter has inherited my love of Nativity sets. 

Every Baby Jesus I make goes missing at one point in time or another. 

I am sure to find him having a cuddle with my girl. 

She played with my Mom's Nativity for ages the last time we visited. 

I also love folk art from the Rosemåling of my Nana's Norway to the Sugar Skulls of Mexico.

I love how bright and covered in flowers most traditional folk art is. 

That's the look I have tried to incorporate into the design of my Nativity.

The sets do take me some time so the finished product is a bit pricey. 

That's why I really wanted to get the pattern out there! 

If you can't afford to buy one you can make your own. 

Some of the steps are a kind of fiddly and it's a project that will take a bit of time but the 

stitches I use are simple so I do feel like any level of stitcher could make a Nativity. 

And I am always happy to help! 

If anything is confusing or you get stuck please convo me 

and leave a comment and I will do my best to help out!!

The Nutcracker

The  Nutcracker Ballet. Where do I even begin. I have so many memories wrapped up in that particular ballet. My mom was a dancer and danced the Sugar Plum Fairy when she was young. I did not inherit her dancing skills so was never in a production but I certainly went every year. I would get dressed up in whatever gorgeous Christmas dress my mom had made for me and off to the Civic Auditorium to watch. I loved every minute of it! I loved the year my sweet Daddy fell asleep and was jolted awake when a cannon was shot during the Mouse King battle.I loved the Giant Christmas Tree growing higher and higher. I loved the mice. I LOVED Mother Ginger  (I can never go past a good drag queen).

I grew up next door to a girl named Annie. She was a few years older than me, beautiful and crazy talented. Attention from her was as good as attention from a movie star in my eyes. She was always Clara and then I'm pretty sure Sugar Plum. I loved being able to tell people the "lead ballerina" was my friend. 

I kept going when I was in Chicago. The Joffrey Ballet called the main character "Marie" which is accurate as far as the original E.T.A. Hoffmann story goes but being named Clara myself of course I didn't approve of that name choice. Marshall Fields did the same thing with "Marie" (eyeroll)  but I still adored their windows the year Nutcracker was the theme.

My little girl is only three so I haven't taken her to a live performance yet but we watch many versions on tv. Her very favourite is the 1993 version with Macaulay Caulkin (again with the Marie name happening *sigh*). She will cuddle up her her Nutcracker blanket that my sweet cousin gave her and yell for the Mouse King to win. She loves Mouse King. We may not be a live performance yet but I'm still making sweet memories with my girl.

With my Nutcracker Ornament Series I am sort of picking and choosing my favourite bits for the different versions of the ballet I have seen. I will for sure call my young lead, Clara. There will definitely be a Mother Ginger. I really can't wait to start designing the "sweets"! So far we have a Nutcracker Prince and a Mouse King ready and waiting to be crafted!

Nutcracker Ornament Series Patterns Here

Next up, The Sugar Plum Fairy!

Stitches

I love books! I have so many books! And I do like embroidery books but I find it so much easier to learn stitches by watching other people stitch. Thank goodness for YouTube!!

There are so many fantastic tutorials out there. I thought I would list a few of my favourites.

Namaste Embroidery
Free Tutorials

Jessica from Cutesy Crafts doing a stem stitch (one of my go to stitches)
Stem Stitch Tutorial
She also has a free Sampler pattern to help you learn the various stitches
Free Sampler Pattern

Needle n Thread
How To Videos

I hope these help you guys as much as they have helped me!!
And please remember, I am always happy to help answer any questions you may have about my patterns.

Happy Stitching!!

Jumping Spider ~ Free Embroidery Pattern

I have always loved bugs.

As a Florida girl I remember laying on my tummy in the grass playing with hundreds of fuzzy caterpillars and being in heaven. There was a sweet spring scent in the air that day and whenever I find myself in the presence of that smell I am right back on my belly, five years old again, hands covered in caterpillars. 

The only science class I ever excelled in at university was entomology. It helped that my professor was awesome and let me do a project on the influence of insects on the art world.

Spiders have always proved to be the most fascinating to me. Their weaving skills alone are mind-blowing.  The Jumping Spider, in my opinion, is hands down the cutest of all arachnids.

Here is my version of the fuzzy fellow in embroidered form.

You can download the free pattern here!

Jumping Spider Pattern

I would be thrilled to see any other jumpers made with my pattern!

Please tag me on instagram @elliottsplaygound to see and share your creations.

Easter Bunny Embroidery Pattern

I wanted to make some Easter themed hoop art for my mantle so I drew up this funny little bunny with his egg and some carrots.

I thought I would share the Easter joy and make a FREE Pattern.

If anyone else wants to make this little guy then here you go!

EASTER BUNNY PATTERN

I think this would look nice on a shirt for Easter. Or if you want to embroider the design on felt and make a little egg hunting basket. How cute would that be?

Happy Easter Everyone!

I would be thrilled to see any other bunnies made with my pattern!

Please tag me on instagram @elliottsplaygound to see and share your creations.

JPD Partners in Craft

I have loved and followed Johanna Parker Design for a while now and pretty much lost by bananas when I found her fabric on Spoonflower.com. Oh Spoonflower. Take My Money!

I have a bit of a fabric buying problem as it is but then I went on Spoonflower and well, my bank account hates me. BUT! It was all worth it when I ordered Johanna Parker's Halloween Cats and Pennants Fabric. My original intent was to make an apron but I changed my mind and made my Lovebug a dress. There was enough fabric left over to make some toys too! 

So Lovebug got a Cat 

and Bud got a Spider.

Lucky for me, Johanna spotted my little stuffies on Instagram and invited me to join her 

JPD Partners in Craft.

YES PLEASE!

There is a lot of cool stuff happening over there if you want to check it out.

JPD PARTNERS IN CRAFT

I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have artists support other artists! 

Johanna is AWESOME! Not just in the talent/making cool stuff department but as a person and I'm so happy to be involved in the group of artists.

For Valentine's Day I've made some felt "LoveBugs" inspired by Johanna Parker's folk art designs. They are hanging out in my Etsy shop waiting for someone special to take them home and love them!!

elliottsplayground.etsy.com

Yay Happy Love Day!

Lovey Dovey Valentines

I love holidays. All of them!

The main thing I miss about living in America is they way American's celebrate.

I grew up going to neighborhood parades with my little decorated wagon and whatever costume my mom put together for the occasion. Fireworks costume for 4th of July, Alice in Wonderland for Easter, etc, etc.

Every year in school we would decorate a shoe box with a hole cut in the top to exchange Valentine's cards with our classmates. Obviously there are so many things to be grateful for they outweigh a Valentine box but still. When I am back in the States and see the mass variety of school Valentine cards it makes me kind of sad my kids don't have that. My sweet Mom does send over boxes so my boy still hands them out at school but he is the only one.

Sooooo.......

I wanted to do something a bit special for the family for their Valentine's this year.

I have always loved the Victorian paper cone Christmas Ornaments and little paper house's you can fold up to hide treats. I decided to make some of those this year. And for extra fun wanted to share them with you. Now, I am no expert graphic designer so excuse any imperfections!!

You can download the Lovey Dovey Lolly House and Cone template 

HERE

There is also a blank house template so the kids can color it in as they like!

The Cones are super easy! Just pop some glue or tape on the tab to stick the sides together. 

Pop on some ribbon on the sides of the cone, fill with your chosen treats or love notes and Voila! 

To put the house together just fold in the little tabs and glue or tape.

Make sure you add you treats before you shut the last flap.

Attach a ribbon under the roof piece before you glue or tape that on if you want to hang up the lolly house.

I hope you all have the Happiest Valentine's Day!!

Colton and Chloe

I am super happy to announce the release of my fifth book with Guardian Angel Publishing and my third book with Language Guru, Nicole Weaver.

Colton and Chloe is available on Guardian Angel Publishing website and Amazon.