Home » Crafty » Reader Showcase: Spring 2013

Reader Showcase: Spring 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiCilTzhXrA

If Michael Scott can declare bankruptcy, then I can declare that The Thinking Closet readers are the best readers in blogland.  And yes, I mean you!

Let me take a moment to share just a few of the reasons why:

  • Time is precious, and the fact that so many of you who aren’t even blood-relatives take the time to click over from your email or social media or bloglovin’ to read about my latest onesie or wood pallet project…well…it sorta blows my mind.
  • You continually make my day with a slew of comments so encouraging, I dare say they would even make Oscar the Grouch turn his frown upside-down.
  • You put up with my crazy antics, like the post where I donned a pirate accent and told a bunch of cheesy pirate jokes…oh wait, that was twice.  {Sorry.}

Annnnnnd, the one that really knocks my socks off:

  • You actually use my tutorials!  Some of you tell me in a comment or an email, and some of you even go so far as to send me photos of your amazing creations, which makes me feel like this little girl:
Happy Little Girl
original YouTube | gif from squeeze it into little inkdrops

I’m so touched to know that some of you have found a spark of inspiration here.  It makes all of glue gun burns worthwhile.  So, here’s my small way of saying, “thanks”: a virtual hug sent out to you all.

Virtual Hug
chibird gif

Reader Spotlight

I also thought it would be fun to turn the spotlight on YOU all for a change and showcase some of the awesome creations that YOU, dear readers, have created.  (I’ll also link to the original tutorial in case others would like to give some of these a try, too.)

Alright, let’s do this thang!

Reader Showcase: Spring 2013 | The Thinking Closet

Let’s take it back to the early days of The Thinking Closet, to one of my very first tutorials on how to create a Ticket Stub Memory Box.  Nicole from All Glitter & Sparkles made not one, but two different ticket stub memory boxes…one for her and a friend.  Click here to view and pin the project from her blog.

Ticket Stub Memory Box | Reader Showcase at The Thinking Closet

And my crafting buddy Jen from de Jong Dream House recently created her own memory box along with the exchange student who was staying with them.  I love those map chipboard letters she found to give the box a travel theme.  Click here to view and pin the project from her blog.

Ticket Stub Memory Box | Reader Showcase at The Thinking Closet

I had the opportunity to guest post at Rachel’s blog, Lines Across, last winter where I shared my Punched Tin Ornament Tutorial.  I was honored that Rachel found a spark of inspiration in those ornaments and ran with it to create some incredible thumb-tack paper lanterns.  Click here to view and pin the project from her blog.

Thumb-Tack Lanterns | Reader Showcase at The Thinking Closet

I was delighted when Esther from We Heart Cards emailed me pics of the Burlap Love Banner she created from my tutorial with free cut file this past February.  (Psst!  Be sure to visit her etsy shop for some stunning cards.)

Burlap Love Banner | Reader Showcase at The Thinking Closet

Esther didn’t stop there.  She also created her own rendition of the Book Page Banner that my sister and I made this past March.  But instead of using a C.S. Lewis quote, she welcomed home her son!

Book Page Banner | Reader Showcase at The Thinking Closet

The lovely Katherine from Pillows a-la-Mode also made a Book Page Banner, but this time, she used it to wish her husband a happy birthday!  The book pages were fitting for him since he has always worked in education.  Click here to view and pin the project from her blog.

Book Page Banner | Reader Showcase at The Thinking Closet

It has been a joy to see how many people have really taken to my Burp Cloth Tutorial for the Beginner Sewist.  A dear family friend of ours, Nancy, whipped up some really cute ones for her twin grandsons on the way.  Isn’t that Dr. Seuss fabric just darling?  Feel free to visit her on Pinterest!

Burp Cloths | Reader Showcase at The Thinking Closet

Ashleigh from Fifty Five 18 not only created a burp cloth, but she even made an appliquéd bib to match.  What a perfect shower gift idea!

Burp Cloth & Bib | Reader Showcase at The Thinking Closet

Nadine a great gal I’ve gotten to know through the Silhouette Challenge Facebook group I run.  She doesn’t have a blog, but here’s her Pinterest page.  She saw my Rhinestone Onesie Tutorial and made the cutest onesie for a little girl:

Rhinestone Onesie | Reader Showcase at The Thinking Closet

And remember my D.I.Y. Subway Art Canvas with the Agnes de Mille quote?  Nadine and her friend made their own rendition.  And for those who don’t know, “ouma” means grandma in Afrikaans.

DIY Subway Art Canvas | Reader Feature at The Thinking Closet

And check out this creative approach to the DIY Subway Art Canvas by Jacquelyn from Crafty Jac.  She made the sweetest nursery art for a set of a twins.

DIY Subway Art Canvas | Reader Showcase at The Thinking Closet

I’ve had several folk tell me that they were motivated to do some writing work after reading my post on How to Revamp Your “About” Page.  In fact, here are three newly revamped “About” pages worth a looksie:

CoCo from The Crowned Goat

Krissy from Hot Commodity Home Decor

Jenny from Jenny Lynn Designz

Revamped About Pages | Reader Showcase at The Thinking Closet

Mary Ellen from Eat, Love, Live…Repeat saw my video tutorial on How to Edit Photos with Pixlr Express and was inspired to take her blog photos up a notch, using borders, captions, and watermarks.  Click here to view this photo on her blog.

Editing Photos with Pixlr | Reader Showcase at The Thinking Closet

If you don’t already know Melyssa from The Nectar Collective, by golly, you should.  She is a California girl teaching, creating, and blogging in Tokyo right now.  (Oh and her dog, Monja, sometimes blogs, too.  I kid you not.)  Anyway, Melyssa has many fabulous qualities, one of them being that she is a go-getter.  Within a few days of me sharing my tutorial on How to Create a Blog Signature in Your Own Handwriting, she had whipped up her own and installed it on her blog like a boss.  Isn’t it so cheerful?

Blog Signature | Reader Showcase at The Thinking Closet

Be sure to check out one of my favorite posts by Melyssa, 24 Lessons from 24 Years, where you can glean some wisdom from this wonderful woman and also spy her sig in action.

Melyssa from The Nectar Collective
Melyssa and Monja

Lynette from My Craft Discovery made such a fun variety of layered fabric flower embellishments after seeing my tutorial earlier this month.  Click here to view and pin the project from her blog.

Layered Fabric Flower | Reader Showcase at The Thinking Closet

Camila from Titi Crafty saw my post on Craft Drawer Organization for the Budget Savvy and upcycled her own boxes to get those cluttered drawers whipped into shape.  Click here to view and pin the project from her blog.

Craft Drawer Organization | Reader Showcase at The Thinking Closet

And that’s a wrap.  (You probably understand now why I’m so gosh darn blessed by my readers!)

If you’ve been showcased…

…feel free to grab a featured button!

Reader Showcase: Spring 2013 | The Thinking Closet
Right click to copy the url/save as.

A Call

I’d love to make the Reader Showcase a regular series and post more of your projects inspired by The Thinking Closet here for the world to see…perhaps I can make it a seasonal event!  If you’ve ever created something in the past that was inspired by something you saw on this blog or if you do so in the future, please send me a photo or two of your creation to thethinkingcloset {at} gmail.com.  And if you have a blog or are Pinterest, I’ll happily link to it!  I just love promoting y’all.  After all, you are the best readers in blogland.  And I’m your biggest flan.

Over and out.

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68 Comments

    1. Gotta love Calvin Would Be Proud! I actually recently shared that with another blogger, and she’s following him, too, now! And I’m glad you enjoyed the Reader Showcase. I’ve been carefully collecting more wonderful projects to showcase for the summer edition…coming soon to a Thinking Closet near you! 😉

    1. Aw, dear, Hannah. You’re the sweet one! Still on cloud 9 for you landing a job and then of course the affirmation of your sewing skills through the audition. You are a rockstar…I always knew that. It’s just cool that other people know it, too!

  1. What a great idea to feature your readers’ projects. It is inspiring and motivational!

    There are so many of your projects that I want to do. The one we did together of the wedding invitation inside the glass ornament is one I have replicated and hope to do again.
    I really enjoyed seeing your readers create some of your projects but with their own special touch. Sending love!!

    1. Yes, I should have included that in my showcase! I remember the touching photos of the gal opening her Christmas gift with your glass ornament inside. I definitely hope to replicate that in the future, as well! Sending much love back.

      1. No need to include it…I just wanted you to know you inspire me, too! I also totally enjoyed your youtube clips at the beginning from The Office and the one of the little girl so excited (from Lisbeth’s blog)! You make us smile while you teach us! xxoo

        1. Ha ha. We tend to smile at similar things, don’t we? Must be that whole “shared genes and lived in the same house for 20+ years” thing.

          1. Yep! Nature and Nurture! We all influenced each other (e.g. you and Lisbeth added tremendously to things that make me laugh) as far as nurture goes! Couldn’t be happier about that!!

    1. Thanks, Katherine! And I really was so thrilled to know that my book page banner inspired you to create a birthday banner for your hubby. It turned out fabulously and was unique in its own rite, sending more inspiration back my way. Love it when inspiration is cyclical!

  2. I certainly wasn’t expecting this kind of features! Your are such a lovely and thoughtful person Lauren. Thanks so much. The other features are awesome too, so many awesome projects to make =D

    Thanks so much Again!

    Hope you are having a lovely day

    Hugs
    Cami @ TitiCrafty by Camila
    Sunday Bewitch Me & Titi {Link Party}
    Thursday Titi’s Spot for the Pin HOP

    1. Of course, Camila! I really loved how your boxes turned out…and how precise you were by cutting them all to the same height. I definitely picked up some tips from your method that I’ll use when I make more (I’ve already got the boxes collected for round 2…it’s just a matter of execution!). Happy weekend to you!

    1. Aw, shucks. Shanx, Thalita. That means a lot coming from someone whom I consider to be the sweetest blogger ever (and the ultimate weekend winner). #nojoke #seriouslypeople #Thalitarocks

    1. For sure, Krissy! Thanks for making me smile from ear to ear with your revamped “About” page. You rock, sistah!

  3. Lauren, I love this idea! I definitely think you should make the reader spotlight a regular thang. What a treat to see how many people have been inspired by you and taken action on it. There were so many lovely projects shared today. Can’t wait to see more. Hmmm, makes me think I ought to follow through on some of the inspiration I’ve gained…In fact, I think I may hear some disorganized fabric calling “help me!”.

    1. Girl…is it strange that one of my favorite things (or should I say “thangs”?) about your comment was your spelling of “thang”? It just delights me to no end to know that you, too, enjoy some good conversational slang in your comments because, well shoot, I write whole posts like that. Ha ha. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed this round-up and that it may have even been inspirational for you. And you know that if you send me a photo of your organized fabric, I’ll also request a photo of the disorganized collection just so I can add a speech bubble with their desperate “help me!” cries. (Probably didn’t even need to be said, you know me so well by now.) 😉

    1. I appreciate your kind words, Crystal! Thanks for stopping by. You are welcome here anytime.

    1. The weather has been brutal around the country lately, it seems. I’m so glad to hear that this was a pocket of sunshine for you, Nicole. I felt the same when you first left me a comment, telling me you had made not one, but TWO ticket memory boxes of your own. So, I’m glad to be able to send some love back your way.

    1. Whoo hoo! That’s great to hear because I really like being in the business of giving the warm fuzzies!

    1. Aw, Tanya, I can’t wait to meet you someday, too! You are such a gem of a gal, and I’m so glad that our paths have crossed in blogland!

  4. Lauren you’ve absolutely made my week! Thank you so much, am feeling very honoured to have been chosen for this blog! Bless you!

    1. I’m so happy to hear that, Esther! It seriously made my week when you sent me the pics of your banners in the first place. (It still blows my mind that people actually create the things I share.) Blessings back atcha!

  5. Great round-up, Lauren! It’s so cool to know that you’ve made an impression on others, and it’s doubly cool to see where that inspiration goes!

    Great ideas here! I am itching to try those paper lanterns myself… speaking of inspiration! 🙂

    1. Thanks, Tara! Yes, it really is humbling to see some of the inspiration from my blog projects. (I still pinch myself looking through the pics in this post. I mean, this can’t be for real…. I’m in some sort of Truman Show, right?) And you should totally try the paper lanterns! Rachel’s tutorial looks really easy to follow, and I bet your kids would just love to “help” their Mama with a craft project. (Note that I put “help” in quotes. Tee hee.)

    1. Debbie, thanks for being such a constant support and cheerleader for me. I’m so blessed to have bloggy buddies like you!

    1. Indeed! How true. And it was an honor to include your beautiful paper lanterns in the mix, Rachel. I want to give them a try myself!

    1. When I clicked “get started” on WordPress.com way back in September of last year, I had no idea the incredible women God would bring into my life as a result. Yourself included. Thanks for being such a flan, and you know I flan you right back (yes, I turned “flan” into a verb…tee hee).

    1. That means so much, Kelly! Thank you, friend. I’ve been really inspired by your d.i.y. gifts and organization tips lately. Keep ’em coming!

    1. I can always count on your comments to bring a smile to my face (and to boast at least three smiley face emoticons in them, too…which I love!). I’m glad to know I can entertain you sometimes with my cheesy humor. And YOU inspire me with your kitchen and craft room organization, Ingrid. When I get a craft room of my own, I’m most definitely going to refer to your posts for ideas and inspiration. Thanks in advance!

  6. Lauren,

    You make me laugh all of the time! Thank you so much for giving a shout out to The Crowned Goat. You’re encouragment and support helped make my About page so much more than I ever thought it could be. I’m calling my sisters right now to tell them we’ve hit the big time in our clown noses!

    We are lucky to have you!
    CoCo

    1. Ha ha! You know I couldn’t resist grabbing the clown nose photo; I mean, when you’re choosing between a photo with clown noses and one without, is there really any contest? I daresay not. 🙂 Yes, do tell your sweet sisters that they are famous…at least in my eyes. Keep on being awesome, CoCo. And I’m looking forward to continuing to watch The Crowned Goat “bloom and grow…bloom and grow forever.” (I never know when a The Sound of Music reference is going to strike, but 9 times out of 10, I embrace it when it does…even if the metaphor isn’t a perfect one. Okay, now I’m just rambling.)

    1. It’s the circle of life love! (And it moves us all.) You shared the love to me on your blog, I shared the love back, and knowing us, we won’t stop here. Mwah ha ha!

  7. Darn it Lauren, I cannot keep up with all these ideas! I feel like a cat chasing its tail with all that I want to do now that I see more ideas from you. You have some great fans indeed with some very creative ideas! I am humbled.
    Karen

    1. Karen, I feel like the humbled one. And I can very much resonate with the tail-chasing-cat metaphor. My mind is constantly firing new ideas for projects, and I can’t create or type fast enough. Thank goodness for things like sticky notes, Pinterest, and Evernote where I can at least scribble down these ideas before they flutter away.

      We’ll certainly never be able to accomplish all that we want to (must remind myself of that frequently), but we can sure make grand plans for long and rich lives of creating…and leave the rest up to God.

  8. Lauren you are so fab-u-lous! Love you lady, and these posts ar all great! Inspires me to go home and pull out something crafty from my laundry list of crafty “Things To Be Done”!! Hmmm I might just have to do that…. Wonderful idea as a feature too! Can’t wait to see more!!! ^__^

    1. Thank you, Shannon, for your unceasing support! You’ve been such a great friend to me both here and in our FB group. And did I mention that I’m really excited about this party idea you’re scheming…? You know I’ve got your back on that! (Yes, you can call me your wing-woman. Unless my new nickname has already been claimed by “bogo.” Lol!)

  9. OMG! I feel famous! 🙂 Thank you for including me on your reader spotlight! 🙂

    I’m keeping this comment short so I can totally go tell my entire family! 🙂

    ~Maryellen

    1. Mary Ellen, you ARE famous in my book. Famously awesome! (And don’t you forget it.) It meant so much to me to hear about how excited you were about the progress you had made with photo editing through Pixlr. So, I’m glad to have hopefully been able to give back a small portion of the joy you gave to me. Hugs!

    1. Amy, you have some of the most creative comments ever! Have I ever told you that? Seriously, you are very descript, and if I was your English teacher, I would give you an A+ for “vivid imagery.” You always do such a good job of painting a picture of your reaction to a post. (Must. start. commenting. like. Amy.)

    1. It really is so neat! People are so gosh darned creative…it was really fun to see so many of them take an idea and just run with it…and for some, take it in a whole new direction. I even found inspiration in a lot of their creations! (Which makes this a wonderful cycle of inspiration, doesn’t it?) Thanks for your sweet comment, Kelly. And happy (almost) weekend to you.

    1. Of course, Jenny Lynn! Thanks for sharing your awesome revamped “About” page with me in the first place. It rocked my world then, and still rocks my world now.

  10. You’re like the best person ever, Lauren! Now I need to go create something pretty from your site – if only the day had more hours!
    Love, one of your biggest “flans” 😉

    1. Johanna, what are you trying to do, give me a big head? 😉 Seriously, though, thanks for your incessant support and kindness to me. It always makes my day to hear from you be it through a comment or something inspirational I read on your blog. And I’ll tell ya, there are definitely seasons of life that are busier than others. It has only been this past year that I’ve actually had any time for creative projects “just for fun”, so hang in there. Your time will come!

      1. Just returning the favor, Lauren! I am incredibly humbled by your kind support of a newbie blogger like myself, and am really happy that some of the things I’ve posted have resonated with you 🙂

        1. Oh yes! That Adventures of a Train Commuter post? Totally resonated with me and gave me flashbacks to the characters I’d encounter on my regular train rides in the city back in 2007-2009. I wish I had written those stories down like you have!

          1. Me too, I bet you met some real characters on the train! Mine are normally just really funny/annoying hipster kids, but at leats no weirdos 🙂

    1. Thanks, Monica! You’re such a sweetheart. And that makes me happy you approve of the GIFs. Once I started searching through Tumblr for fun ones, it took every fiber in my being to be discretionary and not go crazy posting a million different GIFs throughout this post (it was so tempting…but I knew it would be SO busy). Had to be choosy! All that to say, I’m glad you enjoyed the choices I made. 😉

    1. Thank you for that, Audra! I’m glad you enjoyed the concept behind this post. I’ll tell you, I was inspired by Ashley from Make It and Love It who has done something similar in the past. She has a Flickr group where people post photos of the projects they’ve made using her tutorials, and every so often she’ll write up a post and feature their photos. I wanted to do the same when I started learning about people trying their hand at some of my humble tutes, so I’ve been collecting pictures and links over the past few months. I was delighted to finally get to share them with the world!

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