Stashbusting: Busting one’s stash; getting rid of the clutter that is one’s fabric stack. I learned the term over at Dollar Store Crafts, and thought, “I’ve got some stash to bust.”

I have a bunch of fat quarters from a project that never happened, so my pickins were none too slim. I decided to make a flowering fabric collage.

It’s really quite simple.

1. Wrap a canvas with a solid fabric (lest your collage look downright psychedelic) for the background, and attach with staples on the back.
2. Cut out leaf shapes in increasingly larger sizes (I started with 1/2″ long, and increased each by another 1/2″).
3. Dip the back of each leaf in mod podge.
4. Press on.

That’s it! (Tip: I did find it helpful to do a test run of the layout with paper before I started.)I like how happy the piece turned out to be. And for fall and winter, it wouldn’t take any time at all to create another piece, perhaps with cooler colors. Plus, my new art gave me the perfect place to hang the jar cozy my friend and guest contributor, Sara, made for me! Aren’t they a nice pair?

Speaking of stash-busting, you may also like these: my bird and leaf silhouettes and vine collage, both with free pattern downloads.

Note: If you liked the video soundtrack, you can download the song free right here.

My dad makes these great wick dippers out of wire hangers, and I’ve loved mine for years. Instead of smoking up a room when you blow out a candle, you can just dip the wick.

Dad has collected and perfected various tools to bend the perfect tip, and make interesting handle designs. It’s harder than it sounds; my bird ended up looking like lips, and my attempt at a 3-D handle looks like a tornadic mess.

I’ll leave this DIY to Dad.

(Side note: We actually call these “candle snuffers” in my family, but I was recently corrected since you’re not snuffing at all… you’re dipping. But I’m prone to spoonerisms, or mixing the first sounds of words, like mawn lower or wish dawsher. They’re called spoonerisms. So I reeeally don’t like the name wick dipper. Ahem. Yep.)

Click here to view the embedded video.

(See Brooke’s HNWN debut in my Austin Handmade Market video.)

I’d never used an apron until my mom gave me an adorable vintage one a couple years ago. What was I thinking cooking bacon all this time without protection?? Plus, with the miniature floral fabric and tulip pockets, I feel pretty dern cute at the stove these days.

Recently, my great Aunt Dottie (best cook in the family) gave my mom a bunch of her old aprons for a fundraiser — an apron auction. Adorable, vintage, and a family heirloom? Gimme those. I still don’t quite understand how an apron that doesn’t protect your top is worth much, but the skirt aprons are so cute, I’m strategizing how to get away with wearing them as part of an outfit.

Click here to view the embedded video.

While the store was open, Austin Handmade hosted some groovy handmade markets in the parking lot, leaving shoppers (some toting video cameras:) ) with plenty of inspiration for gift ideas:

• Revolutionary bathtime products
• Funky hip jewelry
• Squealably cute kid garb
• Soap that smells so good you want to eat it
• Jewelry that buys cows
• Wearable sushi
• “Earrings that make you feel good”
• Beads that inspire daydreams

Most of the artists are members of Etsy Austin, which is a great way to keep up with all things stylish and crafty in Austin. I would also like to point out the soundtrack to this video is a song called “Glitter Bomb.” And that’s awesome.

If you like this video, you can see more like it at amyhadley.com, where I post videos more often.