DIY Disney's It's A Small World T-shirt

This was a terrific little project for our Small World fans. And a nice easy project to round out our Small World marathon of posts. I promise, this is the last one for a while. Since Minnie is rapidly outgrowing all her 0-3 month clothes, I thought another shirt would suit her well. And she needs a cute little shirt to wear while she plays in that fantastic new room of mine hers. In truth, this would be a great unisex project for a new baby.

For this T-shirt, I used the Silhouette machine and the Travel Landmark shape (Design ID #27470). I made sure to size it according the the shirt I wanted it on - for the 6 month shirt shown here, I made sure the design measured 6.25" across. I then used the text tool and the Bimini font to write the slogan. I simply cut it from the vinyl, transferred it to the shirt and painted away. Don't forget to heat set it with the iron. I have to say, I love the Silhouette brand fabric ink. It REALLY holds up well in the wash. And when it comes to baby clothes, around here they go through the washer A LOT. The inks are well worth the money.

I mixed these colors from the ones I had on hand - red, yellow, green, white & brown. I'm very pleased with the way they came out. And in true Mary Blair form, I have a little blip of paint on the windmill where the stencil lifted up. (Mary Blair believed every work of art needed an imperfection. You can check out her five-legged goat for more information on this.) It's not terribly noticeable, and as my grandmother used to say, you couldn't see it from the back of a running horse. And that's good enough for me.

I really like how quick and easy this was. A great way to wrap up our Small World festival of posts! Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Small World Passporter Envelope

This is a repost from years ago, but as we are getting ready for our first cruise I have my PassPorter out again and am planning like crazy! This little pouch has again come in very handy. And now that I am a Certified Disney Travel Planner, you don't need a BA in Disney Planning anymore, just give me a call (or send me an email) and I'll get you on your way to an amazing Disney vacation! All you have to do is pack your bags. Enjoy this re-post today.
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As one of my dear Disney Buddies likes to say, it feels like you need a Bachelors Degree in Disney Planning to take your first trip to Walt Disney World, and an Associates in Disney Dining. We know it can be overwhelming for the first time planner. If you are unfamiliar with our friends over at PassPorter, please head over and take a look. They are THE planning tool for our friends and family. Even after 36 trips, we find the PassPorter a useful tool before and during our stay in Walt Disney World. I always get one for any new family traveling with us.

It should come as no surprise, that I have my PassPorter with me at every planning session. I like to have sticky notes, or post-it flags, and my favorite pen with me too. (I have a bit of a pen obsession!) So this fabric envelope from Bolt was the perfect solution for my PassPorter. Follow the link for the excellent tutorial. I made just a couple adjustments of my own.

I chose to do a button and loop closure on my envelope, and adjusted the length of the fold over elastic to measure 14.5" in order to fit over my PassPorter cover. This will accommodate the deluxe cover, or the entire book of the regular PassPorter. If you've never used fold over elastic, it's really great stuff! It comes in all sorts of colors and patterns. And Amazon has a nice selection of it too.

The fabric is November Books Kokka Children of the World. It reminds me of the It's A Small World attraction (one of my favorites!). I have only been able to find it on Etsy, and it can be expensive, but I love it so much I don't mind spending a little extra. The contrasting fabric (seen on the envelope flap) was purchased at JoAnn's. It's their store label.

Because this project requires very little fabric, it would be a great stash-busting project. And it's quite budget friendly too. I had everything I needed except the fold over elastic, and that was in the $6.00 range. Not bad at all for such a cute and useful item. If you make one of these for your Disney trip, please leave us a link to it in the comments. We love to see what our followers are doing! Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust.

DIY Disney Themed Toddler Pants

I have a passion for sewing. Baby and toddler sewing is so quick, it's almost irresistible for me. I also happen to have a kid with extremely sensitive skin, so souvenir clothes require washing before wearing, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Making and taking our own is a perfect solution.

Here I used Anna Maria Horner's Quick Change Trousers pattern from Handmade Beginnings. I love this pattern because it's reversible. Those of us who have experience with kids in the parks know that sometimes, a reversible pant can save a photo op! Theme parks seem to have a way of throwing dirt on my kids without them even knowing it. This way, I don't have to carry multiple outfits into the park, and a mess truly is just a quick change to a clean pant. It's a win-win.

If you are an avid sewer, or fabric collector, these may even be a very budget friendly project. The smaller sizes requires under a yard for the main fabric, and the bottom patch can be made from less than 1/2  a yard easily. It was a great stash busting project for me!

I have had very good luck finding Disney licensed fabrics at JoAnn's, including what you see here, Winnie the Pooh, Phineas and Ferb, and Princess & Fairies galore! But don't think you have to spring for the licensed stuff. You can easily find fabric that calls to mind Disney without the branding (especially when those fabrics are in the parks). I have found fish/shark fabric in a Finding Nemo color scheme, generic pirate fabric (bottom right), little people dressed as you might find them in It's A Small World (top right), and non-Disney fairy tale illustrations. I've even used holiday fabric for the reverse when we were going to be in Disney over Halloween or Christmas. Use your imagination and take some time to browse. If you find it difficult to get to a store without a child nipping at your heels, Etsy has some terrific finds and you can browse those stores from the comfort of your own home. Etsy has it's own bonus as well: you can find fabrics there that aren't sold in the US (or wherever you're cottage is located). I love Japanese prints and there is definitely a Disney market in Japan. Sometimes you can find really unique fabric that's worth the time and cost of ordering.

And because some of you will ask, the licensed onsies were found at Walmart for under $5.00 each. The other two I made using the Silhouette SD. Stay tuned for tutorials on how to make your own Disney onsies. Until then, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

Disney themed DIY Double-Sided Headbands

I've been trying to adopt some healthy habits now that the kids are back in the swing of school. And as a part of that, I've been working out a little bit more! But as such, I discovered that I needed more of these headbands for my workouts. I made one of these many moons ago, so I knew it wouldn't be tough. Now I just needed it to be Disney!

I also knew that I would need to make a minor adjustment with the elastic length. I have a big head (ahem). So the 5" elastic in the back was way too short for me. I increased it to 7" and lengthened the cover pieces an extra inch too. This worked perfectly. And now I have an ample supply to headbands for my workouts that are Disney themed! Disney makes everything better, right?

If you want to try your hand at this easy sewing project, you can find the pattern at Happy Together. The directions are very simple to follow and there is only straight stitching! Even a beginner could have success with this pattern. If you are wondering where I got such adorable fabric, I hunt for my Disney fabrics on Etsy. I got these fabrics over 2 years ago and have been hoarding them for the perfect projects ever since! I decided this was just right for me. And the projects were small enough that I still have a little bit left for something in the future! When I figure that out, you'll be the first to know! Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Mary Blair Small World Inspired Building Blocks

I've been working on this project for some time now and finally had the time and energy to finish it! My regular followers will know that I am a huge Mary Blair fan. HUGE. Her concept art for It's A Small World decorates a wall in my house. If I could find a way to make the mural at the Contemporary Resort mine, I would do it.

So when these plain, ordinary, wooden blocks came into my life I had the inspiration to decorate them with the same geometric shapes used in the It's A Small World mural. I like the idea of being able to play with that art.

For color, I decided to use my Sharpie markers mostly because I didn't want to wait for paint to dry on each side of each block before going on to the next one. If I were doing these for a baby or child who would be likely to put them in her mouth, I would stick with the non-toxic paint. Fortunately for me, my kids seem to be past that stage (another milestone!) in their lives.

I noticed that in using the Sharpies, the colors were exceptionally dark, especially on the sides where the wood grain was darker. I would certainly consider painting them if I wanted the color to be brighter. But since these are simply for me to play around with, the Sharpies were a quick and easy choice. Plus I feel like I have more control with a marker than I would with a paintbrush.

I really love the way these turned out. And I love having them at my desk to play with when I need a quick mental break! Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

Back To School | Unique Disney Notebooks/Journals

I have to admit I am a sucker for school supplies. I love to restock my own studio with new school supplies  when we go shopping for the kids. (And that time is now, here in the midwest. Our first day of school for the district is July 30th. I know some of you on the east coast just finished school and can't imagine going back now!)Oh how I wish I could have had access to THESE notebooks for school when I was a kid! Classes would have been even better.

Now that RedBubble is selling notebooks, all these designs (and more!) are available for you back to school shopping! And you don't even have to leave your house to do it!

You can find my RedBubble profile here, with all my designs. Simply click on the design you like and scroll down the page to find the product you are looking for! And don't forget there are tote bags and drawstring bags and studio pouched too! Enjoy your back to school shopping; until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

It's A Small World Subway Art Now Available from RedBubble!

I use the Timehop app and enjoy seeing the various pictures of my family through the year. I've been reminded as such, that it was two years ago that I put together our It's A Small World kids room! Wow! I made a really great poster of Subway Art Greetings but didn't know how to make it available to my readers. Until now!

I realized that RedBubble is the perfect platform to sell that work, and you can even put it on other products as well! Of course you can get the poster for as little as $13.00! But I will be looking at the iPhone cases and the studio pouches for my personal use! 

Be sure to check out all the great products available now, including some amazing scarves! Enjoy, and until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Disney's Small World Inspired Cable Cozy

I recently discovered this Cable Cozy tutorial by Live It. Love It. Make It., via Pinterest and I knew it would be a blog post eventually! I love this sort of thing - a place for everything and everything in it's place. It's my dream.

In the past I have used one of my handy little T-shirt drawstring bags for all my cables, and chargers, and such. This is still an excellent choice if it's just me and Mr. Photos From The Parks traveling together; but if the whole family is traveling en masse, that little bag gets very full, very quickly! This cable cozy seems like the perfect thing for the massive quantities of cables and chargers this family needs to survive on the road!

And as fate would have it, I've been holding on to some canvas fabric for a while now that reminded me of the It's A Small World attraction in the Magic Kingdom. The moons are part of the Heather Ross Collection Far Far Away. Unfortunately, I don't know the name of the hippo fabric. I picked it up at a local fabric store over a year ago. I had intended to use these for a bucket hat, but the fabric seemed so hot for a hat I frogged that idea. But this cable cozy is perfect for the canvas. The pattern calls for interfacing, but I scrapped that since my fabric was so heavy.


I also used a button/loop closure instead of the buckle, because it looked better with my fabric. If you have never used dungaree buttons, do not be afraid of them: they snap right together and require no sewing! They are very easy to use. Otherwise, I followed the tutorial on line. It was very well written and easy to follow. I finished it in one afternoon. This would be the perfect gift for anyone who travels often and could easily be personalized depending on the fabric you choose.

I'd love to see any of the versions you come up with. Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Hair Rescue Spray for Disney's Small World Dolls

Let me start by saying, If you are a collector of these It's A Small World Dolls, I am sorry. You should look away now. We intended for our doll to be played with and that most certainly happens on a regular basis. Meena is one of our favorite toys (even if she doesn't know when to stop singing).

Having said that, you should also know that I am new at this whole mothering a daughter thing. I have lots of practice raising boys; I'm used to the odd lego mishap or the small cars in strange places routine. But I had no idea this doll ordeal could include this sort of bird's nest hair! I mean really, what causes that?? I don't actually want to know. It's just simply terrifying.

This little DIY may be old hat to those of you who've been dealing with "girl stuff" for a while now. I, however, thought this was the most brilliant save for a matted mess of Disney Doll hair! Pinterest to the rescue again!

This was easy. Combine 2 -3 Tbsp. of fabric softener to a small spray bottle of water. Swish to combine and apply liberally to the hair of your doll. After that it's divide and conquer. Take a comb and gently work the solution through the doll hair. It worked like a dream. I'm glad to know this now. I can only imagine the number of Disney dolls we are going to have around here! Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

It's A Small World Kid's Room | Easy DIY Throw Pillow

Our Small World Room is absolutely one of my favorite places in the cottage. I fully intend to make it mine one day! But for now, it belongs to the littlest people in the cottage and they love playing in there too. But apparently the chair needed a pillow, because the littles kept bringing throw pillows from all over the house and putting them in their chair! Seemed to me like the perfect time for a little It's A Small World project!

This throw pillow project was very simple and easy. I know I say that a lot, but it went together exactly as I had imagined it would. That's perfect! Those of you in the straight line sewing club could easily accomplish this during nap time! We had a very beat-up old throw pillow in need of repurposing, so I took the old cover off and threw it away. I washed the insert to start fresh and then measured it to get the correct dimensions for the front of the pillow cover. I added 1/2" to all sides for seam allowances.

Note: If you want a tighter fitting cover, don't add length for seam allowances. My cover is much looser than I expected it to be, but the pillow insert comes out easily, and for me, that was a must.

For the back of the pillow cover I wanted two overlapping flaps, so I could get the cover off to wash it as necessary. We do DAILY loads of laundry here in the cottage! So I cut two pieces for the back of the pillow making sure they overlapped at least 3 inches, including seam allowances.

I finished the edges of the overlapping sides by folding the edge over 1/4", pressing it, folding over another 1/4", pressing again, and sewing the edge down with a straight stitch. After the overlapping edges were finished, I pinned all three pieces together, right sides facing and sewed them all around the outsides. I trimmed the corners, turned the cover right side out and put in the insert! It was really that simple.

If you are curious about the fabric, I found it through Etsy. It's called Smiles Of The World by Alexander Henry (2006). I'm fairly certain it's out of print, but you could still find it through Etsy as of the writing of this post. It is a perfect fit for our It's A Small World decor even though it's not officially Disney fabric! I used approximately 1/2 a yard for this project.

 Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

Scrapbooking Disney | It's A Small World Kid's Room Mural

 
My regular readers will know all about my favorite room in the cottage. I managed to turn Little Chef's and Minnie's room into a Mary Blair love affair and tribute to It's A Small World. I knew I would want to document the progress of the mural, so I took daily photos as I was painting it. I love how this scrapbook layout tells the story. I again used the Project Mouse kit: Fantasy from Brittney at britt-ish designs and Krista at sahlin studio. Their It's A Small World embellishments and word art were perfect for this layout! The only thing I created were the number buttons. If you want the story on how I created the mural, you can check out the original mural blog post here.

I can't wait to have this fully documented in the scrapbook for the kids! Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

Disney DIY 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments | It's A Small World Cross Stitch Ornament

We all know I love Mary Blair and It's A Small World -- a lot. So I'm sure it's no surprise that I had to figure out a Small World themed Christmas ornament for this series! And if you've been following the blog for a while, you might remember these plastic canvas blocks I made for the kiddos. As it turns out, the same pattern works quite well for a small cross stitched ornament! So here's the skinny on what I did:

I found a kit for a cross stitched ornament in the clearance bin at JoAnn's. It was less than a dollar. It was for a beach chair, but that didn't really matter, as all I wanted was the canvas and frame.

I then used my own It's A Small World boy pattern to stitch the image of the little boy on the canvas. I decided to have him holding a green pine spring instead of the white sheet music from the other image. He wasn't quite big enough to fill the frame alone, so I created a small border around him and voila! It was done! If you want the pattern, simply click on the photo to enlarge it. It should be big enough to copy.

I followed the directions in the kit for how to assemble it, which entailed cutting out the canvas, adhering the backing and then adhering the canvas to the frame. In all I was able to stitch the design during nap time (45 minutes) and put together in about 20 minutes, including drying time. If you already have the floss colors you need, and the super glue to adhere it, then you have a handmade ornament for under a dollar! Not bad for such a unique gift.

I hope you are finding some time to enjoy the holidays, and until next time, may all your holidays be filled with fairy dust!

Happy Birthday Mary Blair!

In honor of Mary Blair's birthday, we are going to have a little give away! As most of you know, Mary Blair is my favorite Disney artist and the woman behind It's A Small World. I can't get enough of her. And today is her birthday!

So while we were recently in Walt Disney World, I picked up this fun little magnet set including the poster for It's A Small World and a fun Poppins Penguins Catering Co. magnet, and I am passing it along to one of my loyal readers! Entering is easy. Simply use the Rafflecopter form below for six chances to win!

Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sitting With Grandmother Willow: Jody Rice

As part of our on-going series, Sitting with Grandmother Willow, I am happy to introduce Jody Rice, of Satsuma Street, an Etsy shop. This series of blog posts highlights artists and bloggers of all stripes with one thing in common: a passion for Disney! I hope you will enjoy getting to know Jody as much as I have. We definitely share a common love for Mary Blair! And be sure to visit her Etsy store for some unique It's A Small World/Mary Blair inspired items!






Disney by the numbers (with apologies to Harpers):
# of trips you have made: Too many to remember!  Probably at least 25 trips.


Date of first trip: I believe I was 3 years old.


Date of next trip: I'm planning on running in the Tinkerbell Half-Marathon in DL next year, so that will probably be the next time I get to the park.


# of Resorts stayed in: Just Disneyland! (and California Adventure)


Usual # in your travel party: Usually just me and two or three friends.


Pairs of mouse ears in your cottage: None!  I don't look good in hats. :(


WDW or Disneyland (or other): Disneyland


How do you usually travel to Disney? I live in Southern California, so always by car.


Do you have any tips for trips? Don't wait till the end of the night to do your gift shopping, the lines are always the worst then.


Do you have a favorite place to eat while in Disney? I love the Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney, and I never miss a chance to get some Dole Whip at the Tiki Room!


What is your absolute DON'T MISS attraction? I have to ride the Haunted Mansion, the Jungle Cruise, and Pirates of the Caribbean every time.


Stage shows, yes or no? Not usually, though I love the Golden Horseshoe Revue.


Parades, yes or no? Yes!


Best Fast Pass to get: Space Mountain, because that line is so boring.


Favorite park: Disneyland!


One piece of advice you'd give a novice about WDW/DL: Don't spend all your time running from one line to another.  Give yourself some time to sit on Main Street with an ice cream and just enjoy the atmosphere.


How do you crate extra magic for your family? We do a lot of singing and dancing in the kitchen.  Whistle while you work!


Tell us about your Etsy shop: My etsy shop is SatsumaStreet, and I sell modern and colorful counted cross stitch patterns.  Many of my designs are influenced by the great Disney concept artist, Mary Blair.  I love Mary Blair's work because it still looks modern and fresh today, and appeals to people of all ages.  I try to capture that same quality in my designs, and offer patterns that stitchers will still want to display in their homes many years from now.  I call my designs "Cross Stitch for Happy People", because I think crafting should be a happy experience and bring people joy when they're done!


How can we connect with you?
Etsy: satsumastreet.etsy.com
Email: satsumastreet@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SatsumaStreet
Instagram: instagram.com/craftnik
Tumblr: satsumastreet.tumblr.com

DIY It's A Small World Kids Room: Mary Blair Inspired Hot Air Balloon

Instead of a traditional mobile for the kids' room, I opted for a hot air balloon made from a paper lantern. It seemed to fit the It's A Small World theme quite well, and since I had waited 6 months (cough, cough) to move Minnie into her and Happy's room, I thought it was a little more age appropriate for the both of them.

This was a really easy project, especially if you have done any kind of origami before. I had purchased these lanterns for Happy's birthday (from Zulily) and loved them so much we left them hanging in our downstairs living/dining area for the better part of two years! But alas, it was time to change them out. (By the way, if you have not checked out Zulily, you really need to. They often have Disney merchandise for a steal.)

To create this hot air balloon, I used One Dog Woof's tutorial. It was easy enough to follow and this took me all of 30 minutes from start to finish (not including interruptions). I hung it from the ceiling using a clear command hook. I had to scrape a bit of the popcorn off to create a smooth spot, but it's not at all noticeable. I like how it looks next to the mural. It reminds me of the ride - so many wonderful things from floor to ceiling!

Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

Disney's It's A Small World Plastic Canvas Block Pattern | Boys Choir 1

It is well documented here that I have a slight obsession with Mary Blair and her wonderful concept art for Disney. I am an avid fan of It's A Small World. To that end, I have published my second plastic canvas block pattern to my Etsy store!

You can create this adorable block all on your own! It would be the perfect gift for a Disney loving new mom and her new little mousekateer. Or the perfect thing to keep your craft-loving 10-year-old occupied on the long trip to Disney! Our Minnie and Happy are big fans of these little blocks.  They are tons of fun to stack up and knock down again! The one seen here is the first block I ever created. Each boy motif is 3"x3" to make a 3" cube when it's all put together. It's very simple sewing. If you can cross stitch, you can do this!

As always, I hope you enjoy this pattern. If you try it, we'd love to see it here in the comments, or by tagging us (@merryweatherscottage) on Instagram. Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Mary Blair Inspired It's A Small World Block, #3

If you missed the first post I did on these blocks, you can find out the story behind them by checking out this blog post. They are made of plastic canvas and acrylic yarn and are 3" square. They are kind of addicting! I would eventually like to have a full set that the kids can play with. Who knows? Maybe by the time Minnie is actually toddling about they will have a set.

This is block #3. I call it the Utopia Block because it's based on the final room in the It's A Small World attraction in Walt Disney World. If you've never been, it's a room full of dolls from all around the world dressed in these pastel colors enjoying life together at a carnival of sorts, in a world of harmony. Doc calls it the Utopia Room. I like that.


The sides here include a hot air balloon, a kite, a Ferris Wheel, a piñata, a carousel horse and a balloon man. All of which can be seen throughout the ride. This is the first block to have a pattern written up for it and you can find it on Etsy as a digital file! I'm very proud of how professional it looks, and my mastery of Adobe Illustrator to create it! If you are interested in it, you can find it in my Etsy shop, Merryweather's Cottage.

If you work one of these up, I'd love to see what you've done! Tag us on Instagram (@merryweatherscottage) or leave a message here telling us where we can see your work. We love to see what our followers have been up to. And until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY It's A Small World Blocks

As I was rummaging through some old craft supplies this spring, this idea popped into my head. And right away I knew I needed to try it. It goes without saying, I'm a fan of Mary Blair and It's A Small World. Let's be honest, "fan" might not be a strong enough word, obsessed might come a bit closer. And since the kids' room is already themed as such, these Small World blocks seemed like just the right thing for their toy box.

As I said, I was going through some old craft supplies. In fact, I hadn't worked with this plastic canvas since my grandmother and I made several tissue boxes in the 80s! It was so great to remember that time with her. I definitely inherited her need to craft! I think she'd be just as proud of these blocks as she was with our tissue boxes.

I started with the cover art from the original It's A Small World Disneyland record. I printed the artwork at 150% and then drew a 1 cm x 1 cm graph over those adorable little boys. Viola! My block design was born! I used my colored pencils to transfer the design to paper and make sure that the blocky versions still looked like the little dolls I intended them to represent. I then cut from one sheet of plastic canvas: 6, 23x23 squares and 6, 15x15 squares. (Each block requires 6 sides.) I was able to get one large block and another smaller block from one sheet of plastic canvas. This turns out to be a fairly inexpensive project if you have a significant stash of yarn. Um, that would definitely be me!

Once I had my canvas cut and rough edges trimmed, I was able to copy my design from graphs to the canvas. I was surprised at how little yarn it actually took to create these little people. All you need to complete this project is yarn, a yarn needle, and a pair of scissors. I sewed my designs to each block side. Once I was satisfied with how each side looked, I began whip-stitching the sides together. I thought the last sides would be difficult, but because the canvas is fairly stiff, it wasn't hard at all. When I was done, I pulled the end of the yarn through about 5 stitches on the side and snipped it off. I then remembered why my grandmother and I had made so many tissue boxes; it's so satisfying to see them all complete! I like the sides accentuated with a contrasting color. I will certainly do this for the rest of them. I have a few more in the works!

My little doll people wouldn't fit on the smaller blocks, so I created a few iconic images that I think represent the design of the Small World attraction. I'm going to be selling some block kits in my Etsy store, so swing by and check them out! They would be a perfect project to do on the way to Disney! And a fun toy for the ride home. Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Disney Inspired Sharpie Mug

Yeah, another Sharpie Mug project. There seems to be another one every time I turn around. Here's the deal: I had to know. Does it work? How? How long does it stay? Can it go in the dishwasher? So I decided to give it a whirl here at the cottage and let you all know exactly what I discovered.

I found this adorable little mug and immediately thought of my favorite Disney artist, Mary Blair, and how precious a little Small World & Sword in the Stone inspiration would be right there on the side of it. Done! I found these adorable little squirrels in the Silhouette shop. Specifically, I used "Squirrel" (design ID 31948), "Retro Tree" (design ID 3343), the heart from "I Love You Card" (design ID 24426) and the leaf from a random "flower" design. I then aligned them on the Silhouette using the alignment feature and cut out this vinyl stencil.

Applying the stencil to a curved surface was tricky. Cutting slits along the bottom of the stencil between shapes was helpful, but there was plenty of finagling involved.

I used Whipperberry's Sharpie Mug Gift Tutorial. Which means I used regular Sharpies so this mug is not headed for the dishwasher. (Apparently the oil-based Sharpies do well in dishwasher. But given enough research, they too seem to fail.) I used both my fine tips and my broad tip markers with great results, at first. You can see the marker lines on some of the colors, but try as I might (and I am generally adept at such things,) I couldn't find a way to completely eliminate these. Also, if you do this, use the light colors before the dark ones. I drew the yellow spots on after the outline of the tree and the marker wanted to bleed into the yellow, even though I had applied it 24 hours before.

I baked this mug at 350 for 30 min and let it cool down in the oven. The lighter colors turned a little browner after baking. I wasn't prepared for that. I waited 24 hours before hand washing. And in the end, the design still scrubbed right of. Bummer.

At this point I was thinking about using the mug to hold little bits and bobs in the studio. But I read in the comments on Pinstrosity that baking at 450 for 30 min might do the trick, so I gave that a try. (By the way, the comments on this were all over the map. Seems that mugs can vary greatly even when you buy the same brand and use the same pens and oven. Boo.) No such luck. It looks like this sweet mug is destined for the studio after all. So until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Disney's It's A Small World T-shirt

This was a terrific little project for our Small World fans. And a nice easy project to round out our Small World marathon of posts. I promise, this is the last one for a while. Since Minnie is rapidly outgrowing all her 0-3 month clothes, I thought another shirt would suit her well. And she needs a cute little shirt to wear while she plays in that fantastic new room of mine hers. In truth, this would be a great unisex project for a new baby.

For this T-shirt, I used the Silhouette machine and the Travel Landmark shape (Design ID #27470). I made sure to size it according the the shirt I wanted it on - for the 6 month shirt shown here, I made sure the design measured 6.25" across. I then used the text tool and the Bimini font to write the slogan. I simply cut it from the vinyl, transferred it to the shirt and painted away. Don't forget to heat set it with the iron. I have to say, I love the Silhouette brand fabric ink. It REALLY holds up well in the wash. And when it comes to baby clothes, around here they go through the washer A LOT. The inks are well worth the money.

I mixed these colors from the ones I had on hand - red, yellow, green, white & brown. I'm very pleased with the way they came out. And in true Mary Blair form, I have a little blip of paint on the windmill where the stencil lifted up. (Mary Blair believed every work of art needed an imperfection. You can check out her five-legged goat for more information on this.) It's not terribly noticeable, and as my grandmother used to say, you couldn't see it from the back of a running horse. And that's good enough for me.

I really like how quick and easy this was. A great way to wrap up our Small World festival of posts! Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!