New Paper Puppets in the shop

It's been a while since I've made new paper puppets in the shop! They are one of my best sellers, and I know you have so much fun making these! This summer, we had an amazing Midsummer Event that I helped to host, and I made these articulated puppets for the event. And now you can print and download them! It's a little late for Midsummers, but these puppets are perfect for a folksy halloween!

There are four characters from the play A Midsummer Night's Dream that I felt were the most fun. I actaully was in this play in highschool and it was such a great experience! It's so playful and fun, and timeless!

The story is that The King of the Fairies (not shown) wants to seek revenge on the Queen of the fairies and orders Puck, a spritely elf, to make a magical flower potion and use it on Titania so that she falls in love with the first thing that she sees. Puck has mischieviously turned Nick Bottom's head into the head of a Donkey just for fun, and places him in view of the Fairy Queen. Puck requires the help of the fairy to carry out the plan, and it ends up being a hilarious whimsical practical joke!

I hope you enjoy making these puppets! They are printable on any home computer, but I do suggest that you print on heavier paper so that the puppest can hold their own weight when help upright. You will need to purchase mini-brads to fasten them together (available at any craft store in the scrapbook deparment). You'll also need a pushpin, scissors, tape and a wooden dowel or stick to hold the puppets upright if you so wish.

The download also includes a procenium incase you would like to create a staged event!

These videos below were SO fun to make. Stop Animation is a new creative addiciton of mine, and it makes everything come to life! Trisha Zemp and I had so much fun putting this together. She's amazing to work with, and we had a l ittle too much fun.

(there are two videos FYI...the second is a white starting screen:) My kids love making stop animation videos on the ipad, and these puppets would be so much fun to make movies with. Check out all the other puppets I have in the shop! I hope to be adding more in the weeks and months to come!

Purchase and Download your puppets here, and you will get an email automatically in your inbox with the 7 page document ready to print out!

PDF Olympic Valentines

It's that time of year, where I get to figure out what I'm going to design for my kids for valentines. And this year, with THREE kids who have parties...and multiple parties....I'm keeping it simple but still super special.

Valentines Day is during the Winter Olympics...not something that has ever happened since my kids have had a school valentines party....and it will be the only one in their elementary school career! So, I decided to create something just for the occasion.

A super easy project....4 cards per print out, a chocolate gold coin that you can tape onto the back of the flat card, or attach to some ribbon for a fashionable goal medal!

A sure WIN this year. Feel free to download, and share the olympic love!

Happy Valentines Day!

xoxoxoxo (extra hugs and kisses:) Sarah

Do you have a room to show?

Here at Sarah Jane Studios, we LOVE getting inspired by children's spaces. I'm still finishing putting together my own kid's spaces (it takes forever it seems to get it "just" right!) and so we love it when you show us your magical rooms.

Are you designing a space or redesigning a space and are willing to make it photo worthy and blog about it? We are interested in working with Mama's who have well designed spaces in mind. Shoot us a little "hello" and we'd love to work with you and contribute to your little one's room!

Here are some recent shots of Finn's room that his mom emailed me just this week.

{Print Shown: Take Me For a Walk}

I just love how this room works together. I especially love seeing boy rooms!

Check out more of his amazing room here. 

And if you are wanting to work with us, again, please send us a message! We are looking forward to showing off more creative spaces!

xo

Sarah Jane

back in the studio

The maternity leave that I took 5 weeks before baby and 3 weeks after has been an incredible break. It wasn't exactly planned, so I'm throwing myself back into deadlines and projects that were left very unfinished.

Good news is, I'm back. And it feels good.

But of course, as soon as I opened up the studio again, dust balls and everything, Addie was just as excited to get back too. But I think what she was most excited to get back, was her mom again. While I've been "home" all this time, I've not really been myself with my body & and baby demanding so much of me. And she was anxious to be with her normal mom again:)

But I had a whole day planned, and instead we ended up sewing together....her way!

Addie has been begging me to show her how to use the sewing machine so she could learn to make her own doll, and I've put it off (like every other project) because of my laid up pregnancy situation.

And it had been way over due for so long, we tackled it right then and there.

She had drawn up a pattern (which I politely mentioned might not really look like she wanted it to in the final stages) but she insisted! A good lesson in pattern making, I thought. Ginormous arms? Hmmm. Slanted head? We'd make it work.

And after a few minor and major surgeries (the white thread over-correcting some things can't be seen via an iphone picture, but you get the idea) we had a doll!

She's so proud. And I am too.

I'm so lucky I get to share my studio with little awesome people.

Sometimes I overlook how important it is for me to stop and do projects that my kids direct. I have so many projects going on all the time, that often my projects get labeled as "more important."

The trick is in doing both. And that's the studio space that feels just right.

Bunny & Egg Easter DIY

Easter is so soon, and I'm so excited. We have so many family traditions that circle around this holiday, but it still sneaks up on me....especially since Easter is in March. Yikes!

Addie wanted to sew and stitch some kind of Easter pillow, and so we spent some time this weekend making it together. She is so crafty and artsy, it's so fun to finally have a buddy in all this. She's at that age where she can really learn how to do it herself!

So I drew up an idea, and then she drew up her idea....and we met in the middle. I wanted to sew up a big colorful egg, she wanted a bunny, so we made a bunny holding a big colorful egg.

The best part about these projects is that they can be turned into anything. Wall art, pillows, you name it.

And of course, bunny needed a scarf. So we started there.

The best part is that I got a little helper to work the pedal underneath. Go team!

Then I grabbed some random fabrics from my stash, and sewed strips together (You might recognize some new fabric of mine you haven't seen yet...coming in the spring! hush, hush:)

Then I used the egg template and pinned it to the sewn scraps. I cute about 1/4 inch around the template, ironed down the edges, and pinned onto the bunny design. Sewing it down in a perfect oval isn't my specialty. But hey. It's a darn cute egg, ya?

And then we stitched and stitched! It's a super fast little job.

But when I got to the tail, I just knew it needed some texture. The kids would love a little cotton tail.

So, yarn pom pom's it was.

Stitch it onto the little tail, and you've got yourself a little cottontail bunny holding a really awesome egg, and ready to be made into something special.

I've made the Bunny template for you, so all you have to do it trace it onto some fabric. You can decide what you want to stitch, or what you want to sew on. So many variations!

Have fun! I'd love to see your pictures. Don't forget to share on my embroidery FLICKR page, or on Facebook...or wherever you like to follow me around:) And if you like this, don't forget to share on Pinterest!

(just hover over any picture, and it's an easy share)

Happy Spring everyone! And happy making!!

xo

Sarah 

Stitch Hospital

Remember how my 8 year old creatively got me to finally do all the mending? Well, we got it all done this weekend. And everyone pitched in.

I printed out some stickers for when they were all stitched up and ready to be released, the kids helped me sew up some Medic head wraps and....Ella just wanted to be a pet. How can you blame her with all the stuffed animals around! She's our comic relief around here, and our method actress too.

The kids set up beds, prepared shots (to numb the area before I dug in with a needle!) and took records of their names, procedures, and recorded when they were released.

We made white bandages to wrap their stitches when they were done, too.

The kids even came up with names: I was Dr. Stitch, Addie was Nurse Needle and Ian was Nurse Sew.

It could have been the most adorable thing they've come up with in a while.

Kenneth even got involved. I guess it looked like too much fun to hold back. He's really cute when he sews. Quite the MAN.

Poor Ella though. She got a little carried away, and may have caused more pain than comfort to a few of the animals. The poor bunny, actually.

And all was well. I still have a few more blankets, but I convinced the kids that hand sewing would mean no dinner.  They changed their minds pretty quick.

Are you like me, and have soft toys and socks and blankets that really could use a quick stitch?

Feel free to print these out and make some fun out of it.

Have fun mending!

xo

sarah

Wild for you Valentines Download

If you are like me, You had grand ideas of making special valentines, but waited till the last minute.

Well, if you are needing a quickie print out this morning....here you are.

Easy non-sugar valentines that the kids will be super excited to put together.

You can get little plastic animals just about anywhere...the dollar store, the craft store, party store....or even draw your own! Have fun making!

And Happy Valentines:)  I just love this holiday! Even if I'm usually scrambling to finish up little love things. Enjoy!

I am a Child of God Bookmarks

This weekend was so awesome. After a quiet and rather blah Christmas, we made up for it in the past few days with Addie turning 8 years old this weekend!  In our church, baptism happens at age 8 (old enough to know what they are doing), so we had both sets of grandparents and great grandparents in town, lots of family, celebrations and so much fun. I can't believe I have an 8 year old. Where does time go????

My mother-in-law is a fantastic seamstress, and made the sweetest white dress for her. It was  a perfect day!

With the new year, I've had a few requests for some printable religious stuff, and I thought these bookmarks woud be really sweet and a fun for you to print out and and use at home or at church.

These are a FREE download, and I hope that they will come in handy for Sunday School Teachers, parents, and of course...kids! Please....these are for personal and church use only. Not to be sold, copied, or tampered with.

Hope you enjoy! I'm back in the studio today after a long well needed break. It feels good. Back into art making....and a fresh new year. I'm ready to dive in:)

Happy Monday!

xo

sarah

PS: Oh! And in reference to the Sandy Hook donations made, we were able to raise $905 and they were sent to the Western Union Support Fund today! Thank you to all who contributed!