Annie Lang's Blog!

It won't be long until the leaves begin to fall and the Autumn Pixies Characters come out to play!   The pumpkin harvest will soon be happening soon so it's time for a visit to Pumpkinville so you can get started on your Autumn themed DIY projects.  You'll find all Annie Lang clipart collections along with prints and fonts at the Creative Market Store because Annie Things Possible with a little imagination!  ENJOY!

Spoonflower has just announced that they are now a part of the Shutterfly family which means more creative possibilities for the DIY community and my Annie Things Possible  fabric shop  designs!    Click image to learn more   Click image to see Annie Lang's Spoonflower fabric store

Fabric Designing I've been a "fabriholic" for as long as I can remember even though I was not very skilled when it came to sewing machines or threading needles!   However, in 1998 I was offered a licensing contract to design fabric prints based on the line art pattern characters I had published through Easl Publications and a whole new world of design possibilities opened up.   My fabric prints were being nationally sold through quilting, crafts and fabric stores like Jo-Ann Stores, Hancock Fabrics, Hobby Lobby, etc. until the recession hit and markets took a step backwards.  I then sold my printable designs for scrapbooking paper prints online and it was then that I discovered it was the design process that I've missed the most! Unlike the past when commercial prints required screen printing and final approval which sometimes took months, today's digital printing process takes only days before printed fabrics are shipped to the doorstep.  My Spoonflower sample s

 

  When the weather heats up, it's time to get tropical!  Make anyplace your own Sunny Paradise with creative clipart, paper prints, handcrafted home and patio items,  Pineapple Passion Fashions, line art patterns and more.  It all starts with creatively fun art because Annie Things Possible with Sweet 'n Sassy pineapple characters and a little DIY imagination.      So let's get your Tropical Pineapple Party started!

Spring will be here soon so now is the perfect time to get ready for the return of our fine feathered friends!  I made my first gourd birdhouse in 2017 and it's time to replace it with a newer model.  I'm pleased it held up this long under the harsh winter and summer weather events we've experienced here in Michigan over the past few years and I expect it will be the same for this new gourd.  Unlike many of the wooden birdhouses I've had, the original gourd birdhouse has been continually occupied by a variety of nesting bird families for the last four years.  I can hardly wait for the snow to melt so I can hang my new one up amid the blossoming tree branches.  I wasn't able to locate a dried gourd locally, but was fortunate to find one to order online from Gourdaments  .  I hope you enjoy and happy birdwatching! UPDATE It only took a few days after hanging the new gourd birdhouse before a new family of birds began using it!  Within the next several weeks, the tree w

  Turn plain paper mache eggs into fun little owl characters to enjoy year round.  You most likely have most of the craft supplies you'll need on hand to complete this heartwarming DIY project yourself.  Here's how I made the sample project... Enjoy with a Smile!

Here's an enchanting project that will fill the air with a music box tune!  I designed this paper mache music box as a fairy garden collectible with my granddaughters in mind and I can't wait for them to add it to their rapidly expanding fairy village.  The project requires only a few basic craft supplies along with a paper mache house and wind-up music box.  The paper mache house was easy to find locally, but you can also order it online from Factory Direct Craft or  Amazon .  However, I had quite a difficult time locating wind-up music boxes at a reasonable price and finally stumbled onto an online source with fast service, good prices and easy ordering at Glaser Ceramics  .  I ordered several and mix and matched the tunes in the event I want to paint another Enchanting Musical Cottage for the Holidays.  So grab your brushes and get ready to create your own magical cottage and fill your days with a happy tune.  Enjoy!   House photo from Factory Direct Craft   CLICK PHOTOS TO

I've never crafted my own snow globe so I thought I'd give it a try to see if it's as easy as my Pinterest research assured me it would be.   I did try using an "Instant Snow" recipe as suggested by one posted project and it was an absolute disaster!  I also learned through trial and error that using super glue to seal the jar lid works MUCH better than hot glue which tends to build up unevenly around the rim of the jar causing it to leak.  I already had most of the necessary supplies on hand and found a wide assortment of jars, smooth styrofoam balls and assorted plastic aquatics at the local Dollar Tree store.  After trying this globe project with great success, the grandkids and I are now ready to work on making "Enchanted Snow Fairy" globes using silver tinsel and a few of their figurines instead of aquatic themed trinkets.  This is most definitely a project the entire family will enjoy making any time of year.  Give it a try and enjoy!

Whether it's for a rainy day, group project, keepsake gift or just for yourself, give this project a try and you'll surely fill your heart with music! I haven't made music boxes in quite a few years so I recently decided to introduce the grandkids to this super fun DIY craft.  I had the paper mache heart boxes in my craft closet so all I needed were some wind-up music boxes.  I had a difficult time finding them locally at a reasonable price but I stumbled upon a super selection of boxes and tunes online at Glaser Ceramics .  Best of all, I could buy them in bulk at a great price so I mixed and matched seasonal tunes for holiday projects along with some of the girl's fun favorites. I was pleasantly surprised when the order arrived on my doorstep a few days later. Whether it's for a rainy day, group project, keepsake gift or just for yourself, give this project a try and you'll surely fill your heart with music! 

Looking for quick and easy crafting ideas that anyone can make?  Here are 8 fun ideas that will trigger your imagination and keep you smiling!  You can buy  wooden ladybugs that are already painted, but it's more creative to paint them up yourself with any color imaginable.  I purchased the 3/4" wooden ladybugs shown and the and mini woodlet sign and bug shape online from Woodpeckers Crafts and the wooden laser cut butterfly wings from Factory Direct Crafts .  Paints and other supplies used were items I already had on hand in my craft room.  So let's get started!   Glue some moss onto a wood slice round.  Set your votive in the middle and then glue  a  circle of ladybugs onto the moss around the votive base. For my wooden ladybug sample projects, I used true red and black as my base colors.  I also blended just a touch of yellow onto the center of the ladybug bodies to make them "glow" just a bit brighter before adding the dots and patterns to complete each