Annie Lang's Blog!

There's nothing quite like an Autumn day out with the girls because you just never know what you'll discover until you get there!  This year, downtown Howell, Mi was our destination and we took the scenic route to treat ourselves to all the vibrant colors of the season.  Our first stop of the day was  Black Iron Coffee Roasters and we were greeted with the aroma of freshly brewed artisan coffee to start the day right.  There were plenty of tables to choose from and the coffee was nothing short of amazing and served up with style in hearty mugs!  I happened to choose their maple cappuccino which I highly recommend for a chilly autumn morning.  You can also purchase their coffee and gifts from their online website .    Unlike cookie cutter chain stores, there's something special about boutiques because they invite store browsers, tend to easily engage in friendly conversation and their staff members seem more than happy to answer questions and make helpful recommendations. 

Now is the time to celebrate the Autumn harvest and to spice up the season with gingerbread smiles and peppermint stick delights!  Three new designer fabrics by Annie Lang have just been made available that will bring a warm and welcoming feel to your creative holiday projects. All the new prints were created with my hand rendered digital clipart so I've also included links to the art with samples to give you ideas as to how you can use these coordinating designs to make themed companion crafts and products for your DIY projects.   Welcome the Autumn Harvest with this wonderfully seasonal design with  sunflowers, pumpkins, plaid bows, corn and more in rustic Fall colors.  It's absolutely perfect for making potholders, napkins, basket liners, aprons, candle and jar wraps and so much more! It just wouldn't be the holiday season without sweet fabric gingerbread characters and peppermint sticks all jumbled together with whimsical smiles and holly!    If all our kitchens were

Sometimes it's the simple designs that make the best home dec projects!  By using a plain square wood frame, printed art and a small bundle of lavender from my garden, I was able to create this project from start to finish in less than an hour.  I've included the art at the bottom of this post or you can use any favorite art of your choosing.  I've had this dimensional project hanging near my coffee station for nearly a year and it's a wonderful reminder that life doesn't have to be complicated.  I hope you'll give it a try!

It's that time of year again when the best of our country farm markets are ready to put on a show!  County Fairs are such fun as we get to sample local homemade delights, marvel at handcrafted workmanship, cheer the blue ribbon 4-H participants on, check out the livestock and poultry booths, watch the rodeo competitions and barn dance the night away with friends and neighbors.  If you've never been to the County Fair, now is the perfect time to mark your calendar, pull on those denims, grab your hat and head on over in support of your local community.   You don't need to live on a farm or ranch to enjoy the fun of a county fair.  Keep scrolling and y ou'll find links to all of Annie Lang's homemade  County Fair themed line art patterns, decorative papers and clipart images to help inspire your creative homemade adventures.  Enjoy the festivities! Watch this short video to see what's in the pattern book!  Download the printable " Farm Folk and Cowboys "

Grab your umbrellas and give this   fun DIY rainy day project a try!  With only a few basic supplies, you can turn an ordinary umbrella into a cheerful fashion accessory item to get you through those rainy days.  I first tried this project with my 5 year old granddaughter on a light colored umbrella and assorted colors of permanent ink markers .  I let her decorate it "freestyle" with all the colors of her choice.  The markers used were purchased at Walmart and they did not bleed through the fabric, dried quickly and didn't smear.  You may want to test other brands of markers on the umbrella pouch bag before using them on the actual umbrella. For my own umbrella (pictured in this post), I chose to hand paint with acrylic paints as follows.  I created my umbrella design flowers "freehand" for this project but you can easily use stencils or transfer the sample linework pattern I included at the end of this post.  You can also use Sharpie paint pens in lieu of craf

June has arrived and it's time to make summer happen!  New fabrics have just been added to my Fabric Shop so there's no better time to sew up some cool summer items for yourself, your home or as seasonal gifts.  For the past few weeks, I've turned some of my old pants into fun capris, made a summer wrap for poolside, created a pile of scrunchies (you can never have too many!) used up some scraps for potholders and mug mats and a few tropical breezy tops are in the works. So get out your supplies and get started with your own creative summer adventures because life can be Sew Much Fun!

Here's a fun line art pattern you'll use over and over again!  Just print, trace and transfer the design onto any creative surface and paint or color any way you please to suit your creative project.  You'll find this design and many more on Annie Lan'g DIY website page.  Download Annie Lang's Americana Butterfly pattern for FREE right now and let's get flying because Annie Things Possible when you DIY!

Let's make it a season of fun!  Whether it's a leisurely  picnic in the park, heading off  to  the campground, relaxing by  the pool or simply grilling up a BBQ feast on the patio,  summer is the best of times. Celebrating the red, white and blue brings on the summer parades starting with Memorial Day, followed by the Fourth of July and wrapping up in September on Labor Day.  For those with a creative flair, the stars and stripe will always be flying high over the tabletops, patio and home decor, fun wearables and clever handcrafted accessories.  Just click on the images below and check out some of my favorite stars and stripes inspired projects, papercrafts and merchandise. You can also download Annie's Americana 12" x 12" digital art prints and  Fun Stars Fonts from Annie Lang's Creative Market Store You can find hundreds of designer  cards by Annie Lang   for every occasion or season that you can personalize from Greeting Card Universe You'll find Ann

There's nothing better than watching life grow when you plant a garden!  Whether it's a few flowers in the window box, a patio filled with blooming  pots or raised beds filled with home grown vegetables, a day in the garden is time well spent.  Here a just a few inspirational ideas to make your garden creatively grow.  I've gathered together a few of my former BLOG posts in case you've missed them... Happy Gardening! These hats were a home dec "crafting rage" in the 80's and now they're back! Check out these great ideas to use for creating your own novelty garden accessories!   Use painted woodlets and a little adhesive to brighten up any garden pot! Here's a simple but fun collection of merchandise to brighten up your "Gardening Days"! You can easily make and fill your own seed packages for fun gifts or profit! Find out what's going on in the garden today with this fun publication!  

Spring is one of my favorite seasons of the year as we celebrate with bright cheery colors and emerging garden flowers.  Here are some of my favorite Springtime Easter projects, ideas and free downloadables for you to try.  I've gathered most from some of my former posts so you can easily find everything in one place.  Just click the pics and Enjoy!    

If you have an old plastic serving tray that may be a bit scuffed up but is not cracked and is still usable, here's a fun makeover project to give it a whole new look!  For this project, my favorite well used clear plastic tray was the ideal choice for a makeover.  Here's a step-by-step tutorial on how I was able to use craft paint, fabric cut from a fat quarter and a few basic supplies to complete the project and hopefully put this tray back in service for several more years.  Feel free to modify this project to suit the size and shape of your plastic tray.  You can also  easily  match paint colors to your choice of fabrics and then paint tray edges with any design you have in mind.  I used handpainted stripes for this tray, but polka dots, tiny flowers, flourishes, vines, etc. would also look simply amazing on any finished tray.  I can't wait to see what YOU can come up with to renew your own tray to use for serving your guests in style!