Tutorials Crafts Projects Kids Children Handmade

Easy Custom DIY Decor- Yarn and Twine Wrapped Ball Tutorial

2012-02-24T10:28:00.001-07:00

Here's a super easy project that you can customize for your color scheme; yarn wrapped balls.

Materials:
Glue Gun or Glue Dots
Yarn/Twine/String/Rope
Styrofoam balls in desired sizes

Instructions:
1.) Glue one end of your yarn to the Styrofoam ball.
2.) Wrap and wrap until it's all covered and looks pretty.
3.) Cut the yarn and glue the other end down.

Yup, easy as 1-2-3. A cool DIY design project done in 20 minutes.

This would be a great housewarming or hostess gift! Easy, cheap, fast and made to co-ordinate with their decor!

Using Small Spaces- Kids Corner on the Stairs

2012-02-09T14:03:00.001-07:00

My house is pretty little, and I'm starting to learn how to make the most of my nooks and crannies! Here's a little spot on the stairs that I created in less than 30 minutes with chalkboard stickers and vintage flash cards.

To string up my vintage Sesame Street flashcards I just tied string onto cute push pins and stuck them in the wall. If they're too loose, they droop a lot, so pull the string tight! I used a flat white tack in the corner so it was less noticeable (although I took the photos before I changed them out). I found some sweet mini clothespins to attach the cards with, although binder clips or even paper clips would work too.

I'm still looking for some way to store the chalk on the wall, so for now, we're using a mason jar to hold the chalk and the brush.

More redesigned nooks and crannies to follow soon!

Redecorating Time!

2012-01-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted! I've been completely consumed with family stuff and trying to redo my house. 7 years of living the student lifestyle and our home is desperate for an update! I've pretty much finished int he living room and kitchen, and now I'm onto the bedroom. Big job on a little budget, but it's pretty fun. Here are some of my inspiration photos and I will post 'After' photos as soon as I'm done.

Cool Christmas Gift: Vintage Typewriter

2012-01-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

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One of my favorite Christmas gifts for Daniel this year. I have been looking for an old typewriter for quite a while and was very happy when my dad told me that he found one. When Daniel opened it he said "Wow! My own computer!"- not quite, but he's really gotten into it! We've been writing secret stories for him to read and next I plan on using our story dice while he dictates a story to me. Fun!

Thrift Store Find

2012-01-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a little before photo of my latest project. I'm still trying to decide on a color, but I can't wait to see what it looks like once it's revived! The great thing about it is that it isn't real wood, which means it has some great faux bois etching. I'll post the after photo as soon as I finish.

A Vintage Treat for the Kitchen

2011-12-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

I found this adorable vintage owl planter (so weird that people used to like tiny plants so much...) online at Out'A Space, a great Florida based vintage shop. It's so perfect to hold my scrub brushes, so happy that my kitchen is finally coming to completion. More photos soon!

Tutorial Trial: Dyed Mason Jars

2011-12-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

I've been loving all the gorgeous vintage Ball jars in green and blue, but I figured that there must be a way to DIY it, and there is! There are lots of methods and tutorials all over the place and I read a ton and tried it myself.

Materials:
Mason Jars
Mod Podge
Food coloring

1) Mix your color. I used about a 1/2 cup of Mod Podge and added 3-5 drops of blue food coloring and 2-3 or green. I had to wing it a bit to get the shade/depth of color I wanted.

2.) Thin your mixture out a little with water. I swirled it around the jars and let the excess drip off. I should have painted it on though, I think. Mine had some drips and I think I'd rather brush strokes than drips.

3) Cure them in the oven for about an hour on the lowest setting it has. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, although the real deal is way cuter!

Magic Mud with Daddy

2011-12-07T14:53:00.000-07:00

If you're feeling little stir crazy with all the snow, this is a great way to entertain your children and husband for at least an hour!

Magic Mud
3 Parts Cornstarch
1 Part Water
Optional Food Coloring

It's so much fun because it's liquid until you squish it, at which point it becomes solid, until you let it drip through your fingers. The in-between state of this magic mud is called a 'colloid'. Somewhere in between a solid and liquid. Just a little tip...wait for the mess to dry and it's much easier to sweep up.

A Favorite Christmas Tradition

2011-12-01T15:27:00.002-07:00

Making paper chains is one of my favorite Christmas traditions. It's so simple, but I've loved it since I was a preschooler. From a child development point of view, it's a great way for little ones to visualize how long it will take before Christmas happens. It also takes me off the hook for doing the math in my morning-grogginess for the daily countdown interrogation.

We just cut 1 inch strips of paper and assembled them in a pattern with glue dots. We decided to make Christmas 'gold' this year, and the kids were very excited to cut their first link. Hopefully I'll be able to get my decorating done in the next few days!

Adorable New Hat for the Winter

2011-11-29T15:59:00.001-07:00

Giddy Up and Grow has so many beautiful things. I've been drooling for quite some time, but I don't usually wear hair accessories, so I've been waiting and watching. When I saw this bow, I couldn't resist any more, especially since I knew exactly how I wanted to use it: as perfect embellishment for a crocheted hat!

Vintage and Salvaged Frames into Chalkboards: Tutorial

2011-11-28T16:22:00.000-07:00

I ended up with an extra table to fill in a week at my last craft sale (don't ask...) and I wanted to make grown up things for a change. I went scouting at a few thrift stores and found some awesome frames. The plan was to spray paint the frames in nice lively colors and spray paint the glass in chalkboard paint, but as you know, something always goes wrong when I'm crafting something new!

What you need:
Frames
Chalkboard paint (spray or paint on)
Spray paint
Drop Cloth

It turns out that vintage frames are often made a lot differently than modern ones, which mean ripping out nails and hammering them back in and accidentally breaking glass that was seemingly permantently affixed. On one frame, it seemed that the glass was actually trapped in the wood somehow. On that one, I taped off the frame and painted, rather than spraying.

On the ones without glass, or where I broke the glass (wah!) I tried many things. First I called Michael's to ask about custom cut glass, but it was super expensive. Then I went to Home Depot to look for small cuts of sheet metal (magnetic!) or plywood, but no one could help me troubleshoot. I eventually came home and used some fiberboard/poster board from my office supply stash and it worked like a charm.

There was lots of troubleshooting, but the results were great, and people loved the big ones! I think I'll try it again, now that I know what I'm doing!

Baby Gift: Twin I-Spy Mini Quilts

2011-11-24T10:24:00.001-07:00

Look what I made for some darling twin boys! Mini I-Spy quilts, perfect wiping drool right now and for tummy time, strollers and car seats later. It could even be used as a tic-tac-toe mat when they're older!

I love I-Spy quilts for kids. So much too look at! When I was little I had a scrap quilt from my great grandmother that I still remember. I used to spend hours looking at it, and I remember my favorite part was a snoopy scrap. Hopefully these little ones will have fond memories of their little quilts too.

And a couple of little wooden teething rings to match! Not how I usually make them, but they sure are cute!

Seasons Coasters from my Little Artist

2011-11-16T15:15:00.002-07:00

I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off for the last two weeks. Lots of family emergencies (everyone's ok now) and getting ready for a craft sale has made it almost impossible to try any new projects or sit down to blog. But I miss my blog so I had to pop in to show you a present from my little guy.

We went ceramic painting a few months ago and I chose coasters for Daniel because I knew it would be like four separate paintings and take him a little longer than just slathering something in purple for 3 minutes!

I suggested he paint the seasons and he did a great job. I was going to suggest giving them to his Gramma and Grampa for Christmas, but when we picked up the package from the shop and he said they were for his Dad and I, they went straight onto the table! I thought I should share before Christmas in case you're looking for a gift for your little one to give this year.

Ikea Hack: Lack Coffee Table into a Headboard

2011-11-08T14:47:00.000-07:00

I feel like a genius! I'm always checking out Ikea Hackers and thinking how clever all the designers are, and now I've done it myself in less than 30 minutes!

We have a guest for the next few months and needed somewhere temporary, but comfortable for her to stay. I wanted to buy a bed frame, but when I realized my old Lack tabletop is the same length as a single bed, I got pretty excited.

I used a Magic Eraser (awful chemicals, but it did resurrect my old dingy table) to shine it up, and spray glued pieces of fabric onto the frame. I pulled the mattress out a couple inches and rested the headboard on the the box spring. Simple is usually the best.

No-Sew Franklin and Mrs. Turtle Costumes

2011-10-31T17:12:00.002-06:00

We had a super-amazing church costume party on the weekend and here's how we went:

No sewing at all- my favorite. I cut the bellies out of fleece (you could use felt) and used quilters temporary spray glue to stick it to green shirts. I drew the lines with a brown fabric marker. Franklin's hat is a team hat that I covered with felt and adhered with the same spray glue.

My Mrs. Turtle necklace is made of purple ribbon and a wooden circle painted white. Felt or a button would work for the charm as well. I used sticky velcro on the ends so it can come apart and hot glued the circle onto the ribbon.

We both had turtle-shell backpacks. One is a vintage ninja turtles backpack (doubles as a candy bag!) and the other was a handmade fleece kijiji find. I think one could definitely be made from fleece, hot glue, straps and stuffing in no time.

My little Franklin is just too cute!

Easy-Peasy DIY Wall Art

2011-10-28T00:46:00.001-06:00

I found this genius idea somewhere on the world wide web and had to use it immediately! We're slowly re-decorating our house and there was a perfect unused spot on the wall for these little gems. All you need are embroidery hoops and fabric. So easy, and so darling!

Craft Kit: Creative Birthday Gift

2011-10-25T10:24:00.001-06:00

Daniel had a party to go to this weekend, and I wanted to send him with something useful, that the parents and child would be glad to have! I found a cardboard suitcase at Homesense and filled it with craft supplies.

Here's what we put inside:
Ruler Box with pencil crayons inside
Unfinished wooden box
People Pegs
Beads
Mini Easel and Canvas
Scissors
Paint
Alphabet Stickers
Craft Foam
Glue Tape
Clothes pins
Notebook

I personalized it by stamping "Aubrey's Craft Kit" on paper and sticking it to the inside of the lid. There are all sorts of more fancy ways I could have done it, but we were short on time!

Easy Wooden Alphabet Blocks Tutorial

2011-10-22T15:43:00.000-06:00

Here are a few lost photos of some ABC blocks I made for Daniel when he was learning his letters. He still loves them and now he's using them to spell. They're so easy to make!

Supplies:
Jenga Blocks (I used a no-name brand and saved a few dollars)
Permanent Marker, preferably non-toxic
Paper
Optional-Stencils, if you don't like drawing!

1.) Plan your simple drawings for each letter on the sheet of paper. Simple is best. Here are the objects I used, in alphabetical order:
Apple, Balloon, Candles, Duck, Egg, Fire, Gingerbread man, Hat, Ice cream, Juicebox, Kite, Leaf, Mittens, Nose, Oven, Pencil, Queen, Rabbit, Stars, Teepee, Umbrella, Vacuum, Watermelon, Xylophone, Yarn, Zipper.

2.) Start drawing! It only took me one evening for the whole project because I made everything as simple as possible. I drew the upper and lower case letter with a picture of an object starting with that letter on one side, and left the other blank. I repeated the capital letter on both ends of the block as well.

3.) I used a few of the extra blocks for simple sight words as well. Right after I gave Daniel his blocks, he saw a coupon (he had just turned 3) and said "Mommy, why does this paper say 'off'?" I just about fell over! I wrote one word on each side On/Off, Mom/Dad, Open/Close, Yes/No, Go/Stop, Hi/Bye etc.

This is a great gift because you can personalize it for your child with color, drawings and sight words that you think they'd enjoy!

Handmade Stocking Stuffer SWAP CHALLENGE!

2011-10-19T23:35:00.001-06:00

I love swaps, I love handmade stocking stuffers and I love a good competition! Here it is, all in one shot; I'm hosting a swap on Swap-Bot and it's going to be awesome.

SWAP: A perfect Holiday swap! Send your partner 6 HANDMADE (by you or someone else) items for their stocking. Only send things that your partner likes (check their profile) or that you would be happy to receive. Ideas below.

WIN THE CHALLENGE: This isn't just a swap, it's a challenge! Post what you're mailing to your partner on your blog or Flikr account. I'll chose the best package and send the winner a little gift!

OPEN TO:
Residents of US & Canada,
Swap-Bot users with a rating of 4.5 and higher,
Newbies with a current blog and well filled out profile only.

IDEAS: Magnets, Coasters, Slippers, Mittens, Scarf, Hat, Jewelry, Candy, Cufflinks, Socks, Bath/Body products, Pincushion, Stationary, Notebooks, Reusable bags and the list goes on. Check out Martha Stewart, Pintrest, Tip Junkie and other crafty sites for fun, unique ideas. MUST BE HANDMADE.

You can sign up on the Swap-Bot website. Spread the word!

10 Minute Piggy Bank

2011-10-19T12:59:00.000-06:00

Who doesn't love a great "no skills required" craft once in a while? This little project reminds me that simple, re-purposed materials are usually the most intriguing for a child.

A few months ago bought some lovely organic cream that came in a glass bottle (it makes me wish I enjoyed home-coffee as much as store-coffee so I could buy more cream). I just couldn't resist the container and when I was done I didn't want to put it into the recycling bin, so I gave it to Daniel to play with.

My Dad was visiting and watching Daniel 'plink' the coins into the bottle when he suggested we make it into a real piggy bank. He just cut a little slot into the lid with a utility knife and it was done. It's been a favorite toy for quite a few months now. Good call by Papa!

Quiet Book #2- Around The House

2011-10-17T15:59:00.001-06:00

Bring something cool and handmade to a baby shower, and you can bet you'll be making it again! Here's my second attempt at a simplified quiet book. I just couldn't find another 9 hours in my schedule to make a second 8-page book! I made it in an 'Around the House' theme, since children love to mimic adults more than anything.

Since it was a smaller book, I added a memory matching game (the bag is sewn in) on the inside cover. I think it fits with the theme of household activities, and little one can pretend to wash them, or add clothespins for some extra fun. The flowers button off for practice buttoning, just like the button snake. It's a great time-killer!

A simplified version of the oven and cookies, and a new addition. I adore this little garden, with it's package of seeds and watering can! I used fabric markers all through this book to speed the process up. It's so much faster than embroidering, and more fun too.

I love this idea for practice with brushing or braiding. It's a bit girly, and I usually try to make them unisex so they can be passed down, but I couldn't resist! The back cover has a pocket to add pieces for any of the activities, or paper and pencil.

Sending it for a test run to make sure it's as cool to a kid as it is to me!

Fabric Covered Bulletin Board

2011-10-12T15:03:00.002-06:00

This is such a super easy project that made the colors in my craft room really come together. A lovely friend of mine gave me a bulletin board with a pretty frame for my birthday, and now that I've added my fabric it looks double-amazing! I think I shall call it "almost art".

All I had to do was take the cork board out of the frame, cover with fabric and put it back in. I didn't even staple or tape it. Now, when my son draws me a picture we cut a piece out and tack it on the board, the rest goes into the recycling. I'm very glad he doesn't get too attached to his pictures!

My Latest Retailer!

2011-10-12T10:06:00.002-06:00

Check out this amazing site, Little Charlies. She has found some amazing products, and I'm so pleased to be included in the mix!

I love this DIY nesting doll kit and these beautiful bamboo toothbrushes!

Easy Wholesome Dinner for a Busy Day!

2011-10-11T18:19:00.002-06:00

Time to share my go-to simple, healthy dinner with you. I make it on a hot day or when I'm super tired. Brie, crackers, fruit and nuts. Wholesome, pretty and delish!

I slice my Brie in half and fill it with jam/jelly or pesto, then heat it in the toaster oven or microwave until it's warm and melty. Before Daniel liked Brie, I would add in whatever other cheese we had in fridge so he'd have some protein.

Yummy cracker assortment with dried fruit (raisins this time) and nuts in shot glasses. And mixed berries to round it out. Once in a while I'll scrap the dried fruit and nuts and make berries with yogurt and granola instead.

Enjoy a night off from cooking while your family scarfs nutritious food!

Quiet Book Photo Bonanza!

2011-10-10T19:53:00.002-06:00

Baby Shower Basket post #3! I always wanted to make a quiet book for Daniel, but couldn't seem to carve out the time. Now Daniel's older and things are much easier so I decided to try it for the baby shower. I think it's going to be a great toy for restaurants, traveling, church or the car. A few of the older kids got to test drive it, and hands down, the oven was the favorite! So, without further ado, here's the photo bonanza!

Fun, right? I hope my little peanut enjoys it as much as I would have when I was small!

Handmade Wooden Block Puzzle: Adorable Animals

2011-10-04T21:24:00.000-06:00

Here is part of the baby shower gift I made for my little peanut. I think it's my favorite because my hubs helped me make it!

Simple but not easy. All it took was drawing out the animal pictures and wood burning them. I drew and Michael did the wood burning. I finished it off with beeswax polish and voila! A beautiful, natural, handmade baby gift that will actually get used!

I thought about using 6 blocks, but even my clever four year old has trouble with 6 blocks, so I just kept it simple at 4.

Mini I-Spy Doll AND Tummy Time Quilt

2011-09-29T12:10:00.003-06:00

Here is the mini I spy quilt I made for my goddaughter. Part of the Baby Shower gift basket. I made it big enough for tummy time, but small enough to use as a doll quilt when she's a little bigger, about 32"x 32".

I adore I spy quilts, but I really hate quilting, so mini is perfect! I decided to round the corners, use a zig zag stitch and embrace the quirkiness of my quilting skills. At least on the second attempt, the squares all lined up!

I've also finished my first I Spy crib quilt for sale. This one is not quirky at all! Just plain cute. I'm debating about listing it in my shop. I really love the cotton candy colors!

And last but not least, this little gem that's already been snatched up! I used a simple, self binding method and I think it may have won me over to quilting! It's so much easier.

Girly Baby Shower: Candy Buffet, Dolies and Tissue Paper Flowers

2011-09-24T15:50:00.003-06:00

I finally organized the long-awaited shower for my little goddaughter! Our theme was "sweet" with super-girly decor and a candy buffet. I used glass jars, milk jugs and bowls to display the candy. The little sugar tongs were a nice (and sanitary!) touch.

I taped multiple doilies together (on the underside) in varying sizes to make runners for the candy buffet. I also cut small doilies in half and quarters to embellish the brown paper candy bags. I think they might be my favorite touch! The saltwater taffy, gourmet mini lollypops and cotton candy were some of the biggest hits.

I made the doily bunting with large and small doilies and craft string. I used two sizes, folding some in half (and gluing with stick glue) and leaving some round (either tape onto string or sandwich 2 doilies and glue) in a random pattern. I left about 4-8" between each.

The tissue paper flowers were made from a Martha tutorial. Rather than floral wire I used white twist ties. For the bunting, you just cut down the tissue paper into quarters and tie them onto string before fluffing them out.

Here are our guests of honor; Mama and Little A, and the basket of goodies I made as the gift. I can't wait to show you what's in that basket, but this post is getting a little long!

Little one enjoying her teething ring. Babies LOVE these! They're my favorite shop item. I think...

My little Peanut and I. What a darling. I'm so lucky to be her godmama!

Tutorial: Monogrammed Paper Cones for Wedding Favors or Candy Buffets

2011-09-20T14:38:00.002-06:00

I have a tutorial feature up on the Etsy Alberta Street Team blog for how to make your own paper cones! Go on over and have a look!

Pinto Beans, Sweet Potato and Quinoa in Tomato Broth: Better and Faster than it Sounds!

2011-09-19T15:39:00.002-06:00

This is my favorite soup recipe. I found it in Mothering Magazine, and then adapted it to our taste. It's so nutritionally dense, it's hard to believe that it tastes as good as it does! I'm making it tonight and thought I'd share.

Pinto Beans, Sweet Potatoes, and Quinoa in Tomato Broth

1 1/2 cups canned pinto beans

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

7 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion, minced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp minced fresh oregano or 1/2 t dried oregano

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes, finely diced, with juice

1 orange sweet potato, peeled, diced small

Rinse pinto beans and set aside.

Place quinoa in small pot and cover with 1 1/2 cups stock. Bring to boil, immediately turn down to simmer, cover, and cook until quinoa has absorbed all liquid (about 15 minutes). Keep warm.

Heat olive oil in 4-quart pot over medium heat. When hot, add onion and cook until soft around the edges (4-5 minutes). Add garlic and chipotle chile and cook 1 minute more. Add cumin, oregano, bay leaf and a little salt and pepper. Cover with remaining stock and diced tomatoes with their juice. Bring to a simmer and cook 10-15 minutes to allow stock to become well-flavored. Add sweet potato and simmer 10-15 minutes more, until sweet potatoes are tender.

Add pinto beans to broth and bring back to a simmer. Divide warm quinoa among deep bowls. Ladle hot broth into bowls.

Garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt, avocado and green onion. If Daniel's not into it, I'll add crushed tortilla chips to his soup as well.

The Mothering Recipe calls for a roasted chipotle pepper in the soup and suggests topping with lime, cabbage, feta or radishes as a garnish.

Apple Picking!

2011-09-19T11:33:00.001-06:00

While pet sitting for a friend of ours, we discovered she has a huge apple tree in her back yard! So, naturally, we came back with bags and picked everything we could.

Here's us sorting and washing in the yard. We made some yummy canned honey-maple apples, but I don't think I'll have time for anything else. It's been a busy Fall so far!

This is the syrup recipe I made up for canning them:
3 Cups Water
1/2 Cup Maple
1/2 Cup Honey
Cinnamon to Taste

You can use any recipe for canning whole/diced apples and substitute this syrup recipe for a traditional sugar syrup recipe.

New Fundraising Program!

2011-09-16T12:40:00.001-06:00

I am so excited to announce my new fundraising program for schools and non-profits! I love to support my community, and I hope that this gives a fun and useful new option for families and organizations. You can support local and handmade, buy a unique gift and at the same time earn money for your program!

Here's a sample brochure for your browsing pleasure!

DIY Craft Room/Office Makeover Revealed!

2011-09-07T18:09:00.002-06:00

Finally, I'm done. Well...mostly. I still need to reorganize my closet, but it's good enough for now!

My desk. Notice the pipe-cleaner decor by Daniel.

I'm ever-so-pleased with how the red/turquoise/blue color scheme turned out. It's subtle since it's mostly in the accessories, but gives the space a little creative 'pop'.

I love the kid-friendly crafting space. With the junk pile we had going on before, I was always shooing Daniel out or stressed because of the mess, but now he is a crafting-machine! I love, love, love the small lack shelves at his height. Anything I want him to be able to reach himself goes there and he can just help himself.

The best part for me is definitely the shelves above my sewing table. They look nice, store a ton of fabric and other bits and pieces and keep things close by, but out of the way!

My beloved Lack shelving holding my fabric stash!

A plastic tray holds all my sewing notions

Storage is everywhere! I have so much storage now, some of it is even empty! I have plastic drawer units and hanging shelves in the closet, boxes and buckets, and shelving everywhere. How dreamy!

Pretty much everything is from Ikea which kept cost down and the look consistent, which I think makes a small space look bigger. Hooray for an efficient, pretty space to create in!

An Updated Tutorial: Making Your Own Beeswax Cloth for Reusable Sandwich Bags

2011-09-01T16:31:00.001-06:00

I've been surprised at how many people are finding me as they try and figure out how to make their own beeswax cloth. It's very simple, but time consuming and messy! I felt that since this has been such a popular subject I should update the tutorial with better photos and instructions.

Materials:
Beeswax (I have a 1/2 lb chunk from a local producer, but you can also use a pure beeswax candle)
Pan
Paintbrush (I use a fan shaped brush. Once you use it for beeswax, that's all it will be good for, so don't spend a lot of money or use your favorite!)
Cotton fabric

1.) Melt a small amount of beeswax, over medium-low heat, in your pan. Once it's melted, keep the burner on at low heat.

2.) Dip your paintbrush into the beeswax and gently sweep across the fabric. You'll start with very light pressure and then firmer as it cools. When you dip again, ensure the hardened wax melts again. A very light coating is enough. The beeswax will soak through on the fabric, so it's best used as a liner, with the beeswax side facing in.

This is the perfect material for reusable sandwich bags. Most that you see are lined with petroleum products, unless they are 100% cotton. The beeswax is also better at keeping food from drying out than just plain cotton.

Washing Instructions:
Handwash in cold water with mild dish soap. Warm water will melt the wax! I prop ours open to dry on our dish rack and they're good to go by morning.

Tutorial: How To Make Your Own Labels the Easy and Cheap Way!

2011-09-01T11:59:00.001-06:00

I reaaaaally want to order some labels for myself. Like badly. But, with such a small business I have to be reasonable about costs and blah blah blah. If you want to order some, there's a helpful blog post on MADE.

So I decided to make my own. I looked around for tutorials and did some reading but when it came down to it, I just winged it. Please forgive the terrible photos...my camera broke!

Materials:
Iron on Transfer Paper (I just used the t shirt kind)
Printer
Scissors
Iron
Ribbon, twill tape or whatever you like best. Just make sure it's iron safe!
Jars or containers for storing

1.) In Keynote or Powerpoint, arrange your logo in rows. I printed out a few test sheets to get my labels the right size. FLIP YOUR IMAGE! I may or may not have forgotten this step and wasted a sheet of transfer paper. If you're using a Mac, use keynote. Powerpoint for Mac has no 'flip' feature to make your logo a mirror image. Print onto transfer paper according to package directions.

2.) Cut ribbon lengths and cut out labels from transfer paper. My ribbon was about 1 inch wide by 3 inches long. Lots of room to fold over and stitch into seams.

3.) Turn on the iron and arrange labels on your ribbon. It should be placed just below the middle so that when you fold it in half it's on the front side. I started with one at a time and then realized I could easily do 5 across at once.

4.) Iron those suckers on. Like crazy. When you think you might be scorching the ribbon, wait another few seconds! Wait for them to cool completely and then peel off the paper backing. I've decided to leave them on and just peel them off as I use them. I store my extra labels and my extra iron on tags (I kept some separate so I could make horizontal labels as well) in a little jars.

I'm pleased with how they turned out and finally my products have proper labels!

Pretty Custom Silhouette Pillow

2011-08-26T12:30:00.001-06:00

Looky, looky! I'm so happy with how this wedding gift turned out!

I made a custom stencil from a photo of the couple and painted it on with fabric paint. The big challenges were finding a plain white pillow and figuring out how to wrap it. I ended up using a meter of tulle and a big ribbon.

Festival of The Arts and a New Friend

2011-08-22T11:43:00.000-06:00

Turner Valley sure has great support for artists, artisans and crafters. I was really impressed with the organization and the turnout. Making it all better was the fact that Sarah of Bubblegum Sass (from the Etsy Alberta Street Team) was right there, with her helpful hubby to keep me company.

In other news, I was lucky enough to finagle a trade, which scored me this perfect bag for all my crochet gear! It reminds me of Gumpy Bears cute little Care Bear belly!

DIY Labels!

2011-08-18T15:22:00.000-06:00

I finally started making my own labels. There are so many methods, but I finally chose to use iron on transfer paper and ribbon or twill tape.

First, I made a sheet of labels in Keynote (PC users can use Powepoint). I added and re sized my logo to fit on the 1 inch ribbon, then copied and pasted as many times as it would fit on a sheet of paper. You must flip your logo so that it's a mirror image.

Next I cut the labels out of the transfer paper, cut strips of ribbon to size and ironed very thoroughly.

Most of them I made as pictured to fold into a loop and sew into seams, but I also made some with my logo horizontal, tucked the ends in and zigzag stitched straight onto a flat surface.

Easy-peasy and no turnover time!

Patchwork Market Bag

2011-08-09T18:04:00.000-06:00

Look what I made! I wanted to try my hand at incorporating simple patchwork into a non-quilt project. Turned out to be a lovely gift for a lovely girlfriend!

I used Hilda's technique for stamping with fabric paint to add a personal touch. Adorable from the back and front!

Daniel's 4th Birthday Carnival!

2011-08-08T16:50:00.001-06:00

Some photos from Daniel's party. Such fun! My favorite touches are the popcorn boxes, the prize table and the ridiculous attempt I made at turning our shed into a big top with vinyl tablecloths.

We had face painting, tattoos, a prize table, cupcakes, and carnival music. A friend of our juggled for us (so grateful for you Rochelle, Ben, Mom, Natasha and Anna!) and played juggling games with the kids.

Game Ideas:

Squirt n' Win: Set 3 gold tees up on a foam block and top with ping pong balls. Squirt off with water guns (or in our case, squirt animals!)

Bowling: We set one of my mini bowling sets up on a long desk top (removed from the base) and let the kids go nuts.

Fishing: I bought a plastic fishing set from the dollar store (I wanted to make a felt or wooden one, but I'm not Martha...) and put them in a bucket of water.

Beanbag Toss: Always a favorite!

We gave out one ticket for trying and two for winning. The prizes ranged from 1-6 tickets.

I wanted to play a a basketball game (since we already have a little hoop) and a sidewalk chalk target with wet sponge type game, but it was SO busy! The biggest hit of all was definitely the prize table though! It was packed with all kinds of prizes (shopping for a few weeks in clearance sections made for a fun selection of great toys).

Adorable No-Sew Felt Box

2011-08-04T11:29:00.000-06:00

Check this template out!

Adorable! I used very stiff felt and embellished it with sequin trim. Perfect wrap for little gifts.

Quirky Little Dress from Old T-Shirts

2011-07-16T20:56:00.000-06:00

I found a book called DIY Fashion at the library with a tutorial for a t-shirt dress. It looked adorable so I added it to the stack. Turns out the directions were terribly unclear, with no photos or helpful tips on shaping. Sigh.

I fiddled around quite a bit and came up with something but there are a few strange tucks and it's a bit quirky. It's the first piece of clothing I've made myself, though, so I'm excited about the possibilities!

Fancy Pants

2011-07-13T12:13:00.001-06:00

I made my first pair of pants! Think of all the money I'll save...ahhh.

I'm so grateful for awesome tutorials at Made By Rae. I love the seersucker fabric and how simple they were to make. I made some mistakes and they're way too small, but I know I can nail it next time!

Delightful Summer Cupcakes

2011-07-06T11:10:00.003-06:00

I was on cupcake duty for my dear friends wedding shower last month and I decided to try some fun flavors. Party guests were raving about these tiny little gems, and I thought they were just being polite. That is, until I tasted one. And another. And then I thought...I guess I should try all of them. Genius! Here's the gist of how I made them (sometimes I wish I used real recipes!!!)

Cake:

My Grandma always tells me that if you want the icing to be pretty and perfect, to forget about making the cake from scratch and focus on the icing. So I used Superstore's Organic Chocolate and Vanilla cake mix. I substituted full fat sour cream for the oil and it made them taste homemade and really moist.

I split the vanilla batter in half and added 2-3 Tbsp of lemon flavoring. You can add food coloring or lemon zest so you can tell them apart from the plain vanilla. Taste the batter to make sure they're really lemony! Bake the lemon and vanilla in mini muffin tins.

Bake the chocolate cupcakes in mini muffin tins, adding 3 or 4 chocolate chips to the tops of half.

Icing:

Whip up the base icing (make it nice and thick) and divide into 4 bowls.

Classic Buttercream Icing (Base):
5 cups icing sugar
1 Cup soft butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2-4 Tbsp Water or Milk

Classic Lemon Cupcakes:
Base Icing plus 3-4 tsp lemon flavoring on a vanilla cupcake. Garnish with lemon zest if desired.

Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes:
Base icing plus 2-3 Tbsp raspberry jam or raspberry puree on a lemon cupcake. You may need to add more icing sugar if it thins out too much. Garnish with a fresh raspberry if desired.

Mocha Chip Frappuccino Cupcakes:
Base Icing plus two packages of Decaf Starbucks Via (you can substitute instant coffee, but it's really not the same!!!) on the chocolate cupcakes with the added chocolate chips. A chocolate chip or chocolate espresso bean are perfect garnishes.

Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes:
Base Icing plus 2-3 tsp of coconut flavoring on a plain chocolate cupcake. Garnish with shredded coconut before icing sets. This was the #1 hit of the night. DELISH!

Tips:
-This little tool is so amazing (and inexpensive) that I've thrown away my piping bag!
-Use mini tins. The icing to cake ratio is perfect for these combos.
-Taste everything as you go and add bits of flavoring as you taste to make sure it comes out right.
-Make sure the icing is quite thick so it holds it shape. If you add any liquid to the base, that means you'll likely have to add more icing sugar to get the right consistency.

Fastest DIY Playset Yet!

2011-06-30T10:12:00.000-06:00

I was having a moment the other day, where there was something I had to sew up, but Daniel was having none of it, so I whipped up this simple toy to keep him busy for a few minutes.

All you need are a few simple supplies:
-Tin Craft Mailbox (I found ours at Walmart but you can find them at craft stores or by snooping around the net)
-Stamps and ink of any kind
-Little envelopes, blank business cards, index cards, card stock, stiff felt or whatever you have on hand
-Stickers or embellishments and crayons

Just stamp away, pass the cards to your little one and let them decorate!

Top 50 Mom Craft Bloggers

2011-06-20T14:58:00.000-06:00

I'm on the list! You can vote for me here. And what a great place to check out some more craft blogs!

And for your entertainment: Me chowing down on Mini-Donuts in Florida. How I miss that weather!

Sewn Climbing Bear Toy Tutorial

2011-06-14T19:54:00.003-06:00

I am endlessly impressed by Made by Joel. He makes such beautiful, simple, wonderful things! I recently came across his Climbing Gorilla tutorial and found myself wishing (again) that I knew how to woodwork. I looked around for a tutorial for someone who doesn't have tools at home and I couldn't find much. And is I was looking, someone else might be too. Here's what I came up with:

Supplies:
Wool Felt (I used an old, felted sweater scrap)
Beans
Yarn or String (aprox 3 feet)
2 Medium Sized wooden beads
Pattern

1.) Print the pattern at the bottom of this post (should be 4.5"x4.5", or desired size) and cut it out.

2.) Cut 2 bears out of felt.

3.) Pin and sew along dotted lines. Leave gaps right through the middle of the arms for the string. Make sure to backstitch when stopping and starting. Notice that the bear has dotted lines from shoulder to armpit? Sew there! That's so beans don't wiggle out of his middle and through the string holes. Be sure to leave a gap to stuff him!

4.) Fill the bear with dried beans or dried peas. Don't pack them in too tight. If he's too heavy it will put unnecessary stress on your seams...and who wants to re-sew anything?

5.) Sew opening shut.

6.) Feed string through the holes, top to bottom. Tape the ends with scotch tape to make it easier! Tie beads at the ends of the string.

7.) Done! Now you hang it on a door know and practice wiggling the strings back and forth to make the bear shimmy up and down!

And here is a no-sew, no-tool version.

Hegehog Themed Baby Shower Gift

2011-06-13T13:06:00.001-06:00

I've outdone myself! My first baby gift basket was cute, but this one is to die for!

It all started with finding this adorable wooden hedgehog clock at Superstore. I knew it would look perfect in my goddaughter's room, although I was tempted to keep it for myself!

I found this great hedgehog softie tutorial and whipped one up right away in Michael Miller's Hegehog's color scheme.

I added a Bagsket to hold it all, and although the colors won't match baby's room, it will be a great tote for car toys.

Next month, I plan on hosting a second shower for a different crowd and I have a few things up my sleeve for my little peanut. Can't wait to show you!

Perfect Little Hedgehog Softie

2011-06-10T20:43:00.000-06:00

Look what I made!

Cute...right? I made it for a baby gift, but what I really love about this pattern is that it's perfect for anyone. It could be made smaller and used as a key chain for a teen or it can be a money or chapstick holder for a tween or school-ager. It's a great baby toy or make a few and voila! A family of Hedgehogs for a preschooler. It would even be a great gift card holder and it's gender-neutral. I'm in love.

The only things I changed were that I embroidered the nose rather than attaching felt (seemed safer since it's for a baby), I made the felt spikes into loops so I can attach baby links and I did a quirky little contrasting whip stitch as a finish rather than an invisible ladder stitch because I thought it suited my little guy.

Can't wait to show you the whole gift!

Homemade Honey Toffee Un-Recipe

2011-06-08T14:53:00.000-06:00

I was trying to come up with something, other than gum, for my little guy to chew on the plane. Enter my clever Mother-in-Law! She mentioned the she always made "Grampa's Toffee" for airplane trips when her kids were little. Genius! I prefer for Daniel to have honey or maple as sweeteners-especially when I know he's going to down 8 or 9 per flight so I decided to make my own recipe.

I thought of all the honey treats my mom made for me when I was little. I had the mom who shopped at the health food store, bought organic and started every morning with a vitamin buffet, before it was cool. I remember her making honey lollipops for me and I figured I could make toffee out of honey as well. I'm sure this will turn out differently at different altitudes etc, but if it's too soft, cook it to the hard crack stage (300 degrees) and add a little more butter. You can also store it in the fridge to keep it from melting.

So here is my delicious, honey toffee "un-recipe":

Ingredients:
About 4 Tbsp butter
About 3/4 cup creamed honey (liquid works, but they're a bit melty-er)
Sprinkle of Salt
Dash of Vanilla

Melt butter and honey in the pan on medium heat to the soft crack stage (or about 290 degrees).

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt.

Pour into a well greased glass or ceramic dish and place in the fridge to cool for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

Remove cold toffee from the pan, cut into pieces and wrap in wax paper squares.

It's really that simple, and SO yummy. Honey is known for it's energy boosting and healing properties and as helpful for your immune system, so eat up!

Travel Toys and Activities

2011-06-07T13:55:00.000-06:00

#1- Crafts

I just realized that I still haven't posted photos of all the bits and pieces we took on our trip with us! Some were mainly for the plane, and some mainly for the hotel.

#2- Squinkies

#3- Activities

A couple of tips: save some "new" things for the way back, bring comfortable headphones for airplane television or iPod's and consider wrapping everything up in wrapping paper for little ones-it can keep them pretty busy!

#4- Thinking

#5- Busy Toys

#1- Crafts: Blackboard and Chalk (in a chalk holder) with eraser, crayons, notebook and stickers galore!
#2- Squinkies: I love these because they're tiny and lots of fun. We put them in a small tin from Michael's to keep them together.
#3- Activities: Jacob's Ladder, Button Snake and a lunch tin filled with puzzle erasers in a home theme.
#4- Thinking: Usborne's 'Things to do on a Journey', key chain measuring tape and tiny package of Megablocks (they were very popular in the hotel!)

#5- Busy Toys: Wiki Sticks (Daniel's favorite of the trip), Silly bands (second favorite!), play doh (great for the hotel) and a locking diary. I thought the diary would be a huge hit, but the lock was too cheap and didn't work at all. Next time I'd buy a separate lock and key for entertainment.
#6- Things That Go: The roll up mat was pretty good on the airplane's tray table, but we used both of the car toys much more at the hotel. I really liked the little Tonka ramp because it was small and easy to pack, but lots of fun at the hotel.

Back From Vacation!

2011-05-13T13:37:00.000-06:00

Well, we're back home from our sunny Florida Vacation and boy was it nice to be in the sun! It's maybe even nicer to come home to more sun!

As per usual, I way over packed in the travel toy department. I think Daniel spent about 20 minutes on the button snake (did he know it took three times that long to make???) and about 7 minutes on the car mat I made him. On the bright side, he loves the quilt I made him! I was pretty sure it would turn out discarded like the Waldorf doll I spent hours making for him, but he's still loving it even now that we're back home.

I Spy Quilt (or: Quilting Madness)

2011-04-19T12:35:00.002-06:00

Wow. Quilting is SO hard!

I have so many adorable fabrics, that I love and haven't wanted to part with. I though I could just whip up a simple little quilt (I can hear all you seasoned quilters laughing) for Daniel using lots of prints and keep the fabrics I love forever. The problem is, I'm not very precise and I had no idea what I was doing!

I'm pretty sure none of my squares were the same size. I learned that scissors are a bad tool for quilting. I should have bought a big cutting mat and quilting ruler before I started. I own one now! So I did what any reasonable person would do when that have completely botched a project- call my sewing-savvy Mother in Law! She resurrected it for me and taught me a lot of little tricks on the way.

Now, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, offset lines and all! I think Daniel is going to love it. My plan is to give it to him on the plane to keep him busy and cozy. But we all know how obsessive I am about travel activities....

Playsilk Fun!

2011-04-08T18:20:00.005-06:00

Playsilks make dress-up games so entertaining! Daniel was very proud of his long blue hair.

We spent a whole afternoon making everyone into princesses (oh, son....) and dancing at the ball.

Silk Playground has lots of great ideas for putting your playsilks to work, including using one to line an Easter basket (what a great gift!) and for playing peek-a-boo.

So Cute!

2011-04-01T16:42:00.000-06:00

Yellow Owl Workshop has done it again! They have some adorable new stamp sets, including this tic tac toe set! So fun!

Do It Yourself Toadstool Pencils!

2011-03-22T19:50:00.001-06:00

My toadstool pencils started selling so fast that I had to raise the price in order to keep whatever sanity I have left. Which got me thinking....this is so simple, why not make a kit? Saves you money, and me time!

I'm a DIY kind of girl and I love passing on what I learn by trial and error. Sometimes figuring a project out is a very frustrating process and I think that's why I love selling my various DIY kits so much. I love making creativity simple!

Plus, this way, you can make a simple and unique gift and say "I made it myself!"

Tutorial Test Drive: On The Go Activity Mat

2011-03-19T10:36:00.001-06:00

The Fiskars blog has a neat tutorial for a roll up play mat. I loved the ideas for the car wash and the gas station so I adapted it for our upcoming trip.

I wanted something smaller than the project called for because I know how quickly we can mess up our 3 sq feet of airplane space! I found some Mega Bloks Streetz cars at Toys R Us that are Mirco-Machine size rather than Matchbox size. They're so tiny and perfect! The finished play mat size is about 8x11".

I also used a lot of hot glue, rather than stitching everything. It doesn't look as pretty but it takes the skill level down from advanced to intermediate and was way faster! It also allowed me to leave the car wash 'open' so the car can tuck inside for a wash up.

Rather than a pond and a construction site like on the Fiskars tutorial, I made a tunnel and a house with a garage. I didn't have any tiny construction vehicles or boats, so I thought it would be more fun to have a tunnel to drive through (just a little felt rectangle stitched down) and the little garage to park in. I made the garage by snipping the corners off a rectangle, stitching that same end down and then stitching the sides the same as with the tunnel.

I also left out the pockets for the cars because I found a little container with 7 spaces that will hold the cars perfectly and take a little while to master opening. Every minute he's busy on the plane is a good thing for me!

The Fiskars tutorial is awesome, and looks far more professional, but I am so glad I cut some corners to make it faster. I had this done in an hour and a half and I think Daniel is going to love it!

Tactile Button Snake Tutorial

2011-03-10T16:34:00.005-07:00

I've been working on a plan to keep Daniel busy during our upcoming plane trip to Florida and I definitely have the tendency to go overboard! I love toys, I love gifts, I love making things, I love Daniel and I HATE trying to keep a kid happy in an enclosed space. So, inevitably, I will have too much! But the good news is that it means lots of travel toy ideas for my readers!

This week I made a classic Montessori toy with a twist and I think he will love it. Button snakes are great for fine motor skills and learning how to button. They're usually made with all felt squares, but I wanted to add another element to the activity, so I didn't stop there. I used some wool felt, some old felted sweaters, leather scraps, crocheted cotton squares and cotton fabric.

Making your own is so easy!

You'll Need:

6 inch length of ribbon
1 medium sized button
Any combination of wool felt, fabric, felted sweaters, crocheted squares, leather scraps, paper, fabric etc
Needle and thread

1.) Cut your length of ribbon. Fold over the end twice (like a small hem) and sew your button onto the ribbon tightly.

2.) Make a template for your squares approx 1.5" square. Cut out all your pieces. Making it all out of felt is definitely easiest! If you are crocheting squares:
Row 1: Ch 7, turn.
Row 2: Sc into 2nd from hook and each after (6 sc). Turn.
Row 3-4: Ch 1 and sc 6 across. Turn.
Row 5: Ch 1 and sc in next 2 stitches. Ch 2, skip 2 stitches and sc in last 2 stitches to make button hole. Turn.
Row 6-8: Ch 1, crochet 6 across.
Row 9: Ch 1, sc all around the edge to finish.

3.) Fold each square in half and cut small slits (button holes) in the center.

4.) Choose a square for the bottom of the button snake (you could also use a large button to keep the squares on). Fold the end of the ribbon under to hem and zig zag stitch it on like it's about to endure a nuclear war. Or hand sew if you have no machine!

Simple, right? Depending on your child's interests, you could do shades of the same color, black and white, shapes, patterns, make it seasonal, different sizes of squares etc.

Hopefully he'll have fun and learn something useful. And stay busy on the plane.

Dying to Create!

2011-03-03T14:56:00.001-07:00

I'm working on a major craft room overhaul right now, so I've been out of my normal routine of creating! So, I've been living vicariously through some talented bloggers. Here are some fabulous projects and tutorials that I can't wait to try out!

Vintage Linens Apron

Little Boy's Retro Duffle

Basic Kid's Pants (In pinstripe seersucker, no less!)

Toy Bags (perfect for our upcoming flight)

Play Mat in a Messenger Bag

Plus, I really want to learn how to sew zippers and needle felt. Can't wait for things to be organized!

Happy Family Day!

2011-02-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

Today is Family Day in many Canadian provinces, and I thought I would share one of our favorite family treats! We all love popcorn, but we don't have space for an air popper. We also don't want to eat all the chemicals in microwave popcorn!

So here is our solution:
2 paper lunch bags (doubled up)
1/3 cup organic popcorn kernels

Double up the paper bags, add 1/3 cup kernels (or so there is one layer laying flat on the bottom of the bag). Fold over the top and tape down. Microwave for about 2 minutes, or until popping slows to 1-3 seconds between pops. Add butter and salt and voila! Chemical free, fast and fun.

You can also decorate the outer bags with everyone's names and make custom popcorn. Herbs, Parmesan cheese, pepper, cayenne, seasoning salt or sugar would all be fun to try out.

Enjoy- and Happy Family Day!

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal with Flax and Maple

2011-02-08T17:50:00.001-07:00

I made some great oatmeal for breakfast this morning and thought it was about time that I posted a recipe on the blog! I added flax, a ton of cinnamon and just a little natural sweetener to make this a perfect start to your day!

Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
1 Cup Oatmeal (I use plain quick oats)
1/8 Cup Ground Flax
Handful of dried apple rings, diced (or substitute fresh apple if it's on hand)
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
2 Cups Boiling Hot Water
Real maple syrup to taste

Combine all the dry ingredients and stir. Add hot water and stir. Let sit 1 minute, or until water is absorbed. You can also tweak the consistency by adding water/oats. Top with a drizzle of real maple syrup, or honey.

Easy Dinosaur Costume Tutorial

2011-02-03T10:20:00.002-07:00

Daniel's preschool had Dino Day last week and I somehow missed them memo about dressing up or bringing along a dinosaur toy. Naturally, I chose the ridiculous option of making a costume myself the night before. Much easier than buying a $2 toy...right? Besides, I'm pretty sure there were at least 3 dinosaurs at Halloween.

I wanted it to be cheap, quick and fun so I decided to make the costume on a hoodie (we got ours at American Apparel) so I could take it apart and put the sweater in his closet.

You will need:
Hoodie in color of your choice
Stiff felt in contrasting/co-coordinating color (minimum cut, 0.2 m was plenty)
Regular felt (not flimsy craft felt) to match hoodie (0.2 m)
Stuffing (wool or recycled polyfil are best)
Enough elastic to go around your child's waist OR 2-3 safety pins

1. Fold the matching, soft felt in half. Cut a tail shape approx 4" tall and 20" long.

2. Cut triangles out of the stiff felt. I cut a 3" strip out of the felt and cut triangles with a base that is slightly smaller than the sides. Aprrox 3x3x2.5". Pin the triangles into the fold of the tail.

3. Trim the end of the tail to the edge of the last triangle and sew the triangles onto the tail. Stuff the tail.

4. Pinch the opening of the tail closed perpendicular to your seam and pin.

5. Sew the tail shut. The beauty of using felt is that there is no turning. That's part of the reason this project is quick! You can either use safety pins to fasten the tail onto your child's pants, or sew a length of elastic (1 inch shorter than your child's waist measurement) onto the tail. I sewed mine on the under-side of the seam that closed the tail up.

6. Cut more of the same size triangles out of the stiff felt and cut a small slit in the center of the bottom side of each triangle. You will need 4-6 depending on how big they are and how big the hood is.

7. Line each triangle up, one at a time, on the center seam of the hood. One side of the slit goes on the left of the seam, and one side on the right. Sew with a running stitch, and NO back stitching, along each side of the split to fasten the triangles. This is the hardest part.

I didn't back stitch and used a running stitch is so I can easily rip it out after. If you want yours to stay on forever, by all means do it differently!

8. Next, I cut out little claws to attach onto the sleeves. Same thing, running stitch and no back stitching.

9. Now to embellish! I used small and large circles on the back and chest only. I tried using a fabric spray adhesive to keep the felt on the hoddie, but it wouldn't hold. I think if I could have found a thinner felt in the same blue, the spray adhesive would have worked. Instead, I sewed just a few stitches in the center of each circle so I could take them off easily.

Sparkly felt, an oval-shaped tummy on a pullover sweater or multiple colors would be fun too.

And here's my little dinosaur all dressed up. Ironically enough, he was the only one with a costume! Maybe I need to drink less coffee!

Sometimes it just has to wait!

2011-01-31T11:19:00.000-07:00

I have been hoping all weekend to get my costume tutorial up and ready to go, but between a big wholesale order and a sick little boy, it's not working so well! Poor little Daniel has had a fever and aches and threw up last night.

So: here goes my day of kid movies, reading in bed, warm baths and clinging.

Rainbow of Dolls!

2011-01-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

I finally listed my sweet little bedtime beans on my Etsy shop. They are just too funny and cute! I wish I had though of this when Daniel was a toddler!

Simple and Fun Prechool Craft

2011-01-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

Daniel found a little scrap of binding on the floor the other day and asked if he could have it. Eventually, it transformed into a watch. So I asked if he wanted me to sew it into a loop for him. Then, we thought we may as well add a watch face. I was going to use felt, but I was kind of busy and my little wooden tiles seemed so much easier.

A little marker and some hot glue, a scrap of binding and voila! a watch for Daniel and his little buddy!

You could get really fancy and make it out of felt and add working hands with a brass paper fastener or add some velcro on the strap. You could even do a square face and make it digital.

Pinecone Weaving

2011-01-09T19:24:00.000-07:00

I just tried pinecone weaving with Daniel and it was a ton of fun! It's a simple, fun winter activity that's perfect for little hands. I think it's great as a step before finger knitting or sewing too.

All you need is some yarn and a few pinecones! Then the little ones wrap and weave the yarn onto the pinecone. We used some cotton, some regular wool and some handspun wool yarn for different natural textures. So fun, and such a great result! And...no mess. Unlike another craft we know.

Glittery Christmas Reindeer (or "how to make a huge mess when you're already obscenely busy")

2011-01-06T12:19:00.001-07:00

I had the Dayhome Christmas party on the last day that the kids were here. Usually we do a few activities, or a craft and I give them each a gift. This year I thought it would be a great idea to combine the party craft with the craft we make for parents. Oops. At least it turned out cute!

You'll need:
Spray adhesive (We used Elmers, but next time I'd try something else)
Glitter (Martha Stewart glitter worked best for us)
Something to Glam Out. Thrift stores often have ceramic deer figures, or you can use plastic animals, or anything your heart desires.
A lot of newspaper

I found these sweet little acrylic reindeer at Superstore (on clearance!) and thought they'd be perfect.

Spray the whole object with the spray adhesive, one object at a time. The glue becomes less tacky if you wait.

Shake glitter all over the place. We ended up taking handfuls of sparkles and rubbing them right on as well, there were a lot of grooves in these things! Notice how my hands look after about 4 seconds.

I also added a coat of Krlyon Acrylic Crystal Clear spray paint to prevent the glitter from coming off, but I don't think it did much. They look adorable, but I spent weeks cleaning the floors and washing glitter out of every imaginable place! Next year when I pull them out, I am going to tie bright purple ribbon around their necks. Cute!

Christmas with a 3 Year Old

2011-01-04T00:22:00.002-07:00

It was so wonderful to watch Daniel at Christmastime this year! He was so interested and excited about everything. I can't wait for next year...I think the anticipation will make it even more magical.

We have a Christmas Nativity Scene tradition that Mary and Joseph have to "walk" to the stable. They arrive on Christmas eve, and on Christmas morning baby Jesus appears along with all the gifts. The Magi arrive on the 1st and we talk about how they didn't visit until Jesus was 2. It was my favorite tradition growing up and I loved seeing Daniel checking on everyone's progress to the stable.

We had a quiet Christmas day with just our closest family and it was wonderful to just slow down and enjoy. I got a pair of boots I've been eying up, and a massage cerificate (thanks honey!) to name a few things, and Daniel loved the drumsticks we put in his stocking.

Soon I'll post a tutorial for a simple, glittery-mess craft I made with the dayhome kids. I can't believe how messy it was!

Motivation Inspiration

2010-12-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

I have been so unmotivated to create these past couple weeks. The hubby has been ridiculously busy with exams, papers and studying and I've been alone with Daniel a lot. Add in Christmas preparations and it makes for a pretty busy time.

One things I've learned about myself is that I cannot create in a messy environment and to put it mildly my workspace has been messy. I've been picking up lots of supplies to get ready for the Naturally Trade Fair, and not sorting them as they come in. I've been filling orders and not tidying up before I dash to the post office with 2 or 3 small children. The messier it gets, the less motivated I am.

Finally, today, I got things back under control and already my mind is spinning with ideas and I'm chomping at the bit to get crafting again. Funny how much our environment determines our mood. I can't wait to package up my new stickers and sock monster kits and sew up some aprons with my new fabric. Be on the lookout...I'm motivated AND inspired now!

Making Class Gifts: Part 2

2010-12-14T16:04:00.001-07:00

Finished and delivered! They couldn't have turned out any cuter. Well, unless we used glitter, but I'm not crazy.

I really wanted Daniel to be able to make most of everything, but I knew he would never get through 18 cards! So he made one and we photocopied it. So much easier, more fun and looked great!

We drew a snowman on the front, put a cute little poem (that I still have memorized from my preschool days) inside and he signed his name. Attaching the rainbow heart crayons was no easy task! I tried double sided tape, tape loops and contemplated an elaborate ribbon structure and crazy glue. But then my genius came back.

I put a tape loop on the card where I wanted the crayon to go, topped that with hot glue and pressed the crayon on. Worked like a charm! Now it won't ruin the card, and the glue will just peel off of the crayon. When all was said and done, I also decided to pop them into cellophane jewelry bags just in case the crayons came off. Better safe than swearing. Ahem, 'sorry'.

So if you need a simple class gift for your little one, go back to Part 1 and create away!

Making Class Gifts: Part 1

2010-12-11T23:08:00.000-07:00

Daniel and I are working on a little craft for his school buddies this weekend. I wanted to make something simple and fun that Daniel could actually help with, so we decided on rainbow crayons. He helped me peel off the paper labels and break up the crayons.

I found a silicone ice cube tray at Ikea for $2 and we made cute little hearts! Keep in mind the ice cube trays aren't actually crayon molds and all the packaging encourages you to use only water in them, but it worked great for us!

We preheated the oven to 250 F, broke the crayons up into little pieces, arranged them in the molds and popped them in until they were just melted. Make sure you are patient and let them cool ALL the way. I got a little excited and had to redo one.

This last little guy is my favorite :) Part two will follow soon with the finished product!

Playing with Paper

2010-12-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of Made by Joel. I find his creativity pretty impressive. He comes up with things that are so unique and fun. The other day I was clicking around on his blog and found some great paper print outs.

I printed and cut them for the dayhome kids and they colored away. I think we'll do it again when they're a bit older, because I think I had even more fun than they did!

Simple Favor

2010-11-25T22:28:00.001-07:00

I had a local customer put in a big order and wanted to add a little something to say "thank you" while I was packaging it up.

The problems with this are many...
you have to keep costs down so you don't have to raise prices
you want it to be something fun or useful so it doesn't end up in the trash
you want your little parcel to still be able to fit through "The Slot of Doom" at the post office

Stroke of Genius! Hand stamped napkins. So simple, thoughtful and fun. Everyone uses napkins and they pack down flat.

Here are my adorable green matryoshka napkins. I think I want some for me! I think they would make great hostess gifts, add-ons for a foodie or fun to stamp in your theme for a party. Just make sure that you use waterproof/archival ink, or your guests may end up with mustaches!

Giveaway Winner and Craft Sale Recap!

2010-11-22T15:30:00.001-07:00

Drumroll anyone???
The winner of the mini wooden matching game is:

Gianna!!

I don't have your info, so please contact me this week to claim your prize!

I feel like I'm finally back to normal life. This weekend was busy at the Edgemont Craft Sale and a last minute table at the AP Village Craft and Bake sale. Both were great successes! I had a ton of friends and some family stop by, and I was so overwhelmed with all the love. Awww...sappy moment :)

I learned a lot about what people like most and what sells fast. I also learned that I hate making some things in big quantities! I am considering a booth at Mommylicious, Naturally, and the Lilac Festival...big fees and big attendance! It's a tough leap to take!

A few tips on the table:

I got these awesome boxes at Jysk for $50 or so. They helped me to create levels which is so important with small items!

Tablecloths can be crazy expensive ($70 at Home Outfitters!!) but I found some great deals on nice ones at Homesense and Superstore.

My easel was only $20 at Ikea (well...Daniel's easel) and was great for posting my specials. I also found those great frames which I used as signs for .99 cents! Woot!

Since I sell kid's stuff, I had a couple of wooden toys on a small carpet. That way, kids were happy and mom could take her time looking!

Front Page of Etsy

2010-11-18T17:10:00.000-07:00

I just made the front page of Etsy for the first time! So exciting. Here's the proof:

Thanks Jill!

A Few Great Treasuries!

2010-11-18T12:17:00.003-07:00

Something funny happened to me this week. I made a little gift guide for my hubby with a few ideas for Christmas, and it ended up on the front page of Etsy! I didn't tag it properly, or worry about where I was putting each item. I just filled it with things I like. So here here are that and a few others for your inspiration!

Gift Guide for My Hubby

For a Mail Carrier

Young Artist

First Dance

Share your favorite treasuries and gift guides...I'd love some more ideas!
And remember to enter my giveaway! It closes on Nov 20.

3 Cups of Coffee and No Kitchen Table...

2010-11-16T23:37:00.000-07:00

My first craft sale is upon me.
Excited.
Freaking out.
Sewing frenzy.
Sore Back.
Three cups of coffee and kitchen table piled high.

Thank goodness my table at the craft sale is bigger than my kitchen table!!! Come find me on Saturday November 20 at the Edgemont Community Center from 10-3. I promise my table will look prettier!

Cowls for my Craft Sale

2010-11-11T16:55:00.001-07:00

Here are a few photos of some cowls I've made for the 20th. I'm really happy with how they have turned out and how different they all are!

Sock Monster Tutorial

2010-11-10T08:55:00.002-07:00

Last night I made my very first sock monster, and this is how I did it! Please excuse the photos. It was late, and dark!

I used the heel of my sock as a bum for my little monster, because I wanted her to be able to sit.

Then I cut a small V at the toe of the sock (for ears/eyes). And a slit at the bottom for legs. Make sure not to cut too high on the legs...it should be just a bit below the heel of the sock (the 'bum'). Turn inside out and sew, right sides together, the V for the ears, and the all round the legs. Your monster will be sewn shut with no way to turn right side out, but don't worry!

Next, cut VERY small holes for the arms. They will stretch out a lot, so keep them small. SMALL. Then, flip the monster right side out through the arm holes.

And stuff...

Now for the arms. One the other sock, cut in half lengthwise from the opening to the heel, and across to make 2 arms. I wanted my little monster to have 2 fingers, so I cut a small V in the top of each arm.

Turn inside out and sew, right sides together, leaving the base open. Turn, stuff and sew onto the monster, right where that little hole is. Then, make sure your monster is full enough with stuffing and attach the other arm.

Sew on eyes, and add a felt mouth. I glued the felt on because I was getting tired! I also added a sweet little felt heart by her bum.

If you leave an opening when sewing your monsters legs to turn it inside out and stuff it, you can sew the arms completely shut (after turning and stuffing) and sew them onto the sock without cutting openings. I chose to do it my way because it was faster and I wanted my monster to be a bit funny looking. The other way would look a bit more polished I think.

I am about to start selling DIY Sock monster kits in my Etsy shop, and I think they'll make great gifts for older kids learning to sew.

$5 Christmas!

2010-11-06T19:16:00.005-06:00

I am SO excited about some of my latest finds on Etsy. ALL for $5!

Check it out...amazing, handmade goodies for your loved ones!

$5 Finds For Kids
$5 Finds For Everyone on Your List
$5 Finds for Friends and CoWorkers

And one more thing. Even better thank $5 gifts is FREE gifts!
Remember to enter my Mini-Matching Game GIVEAWAY!

Giveaway Time!

2010-11-05T09:14:00.000-06:00

With Christmas approaching, I think it's time for another giveaway! So....here is your chance to win a mini-matching game for your little one. Your choice of my "Laundry Day" or "Animal Tracks" set if you win!

These mini-matching games make great stocking stuffers or gifts for your childrens' friends and include six pairs hand stamped on lovely wooden tiles in a cotton drawstring bag.

To Enter:
Comment on my last post with an idea- mandatory first entry
Follow my blog- 1 extra entry
Visit my Etsy shop and tell me what you like best- 1 extra entry
Buy something from my shop- 2 extra entries
Become a fan on my Facebook Page- 1 extra entry

That easy, just pick and choose. The giveaway will close at 12pm MST on November 20th 2010, and you will receive your gift on time for Christmas if you are in Canada or the US.

Good luck!

Brainstorming...

2010-11-04T09:21:00.001-06:00

I love making DIY kits. I think, because I have learned how to do so many crafty things the hard way! Now that I know, I want to make it easier for other people. That way maybe they won't freak out when thet dye their counter along with the silk, or end up covered in glue because they used too much. Not that that ever happened to me...

So...this week, I'm brainstorming new DIY kits for my shop. If you have any ideas, I want to hear them!

I should mention that if you comment on this post by Nov 20, 2010 I will enter you in my latest Giveaway!

Craft Sale Sneak Peek

2010-11-01T12:26:00.000-06:00

Here are some of the items I have been working on exclusively for my craft sale on the 20th! Exciting!

Mushroom Stacker

Rainbow Stacker

Mountain Cave Stacker

Ladybug Mini Bowling

Bumblebee Mini Bowling

Under the Sea Mini Bowling

Homemade Stocking Stuffers Part 3: School-agers

2010-10-29T21:01:00.000-06:00

In Parts 1 and 2 of this series I covered homemade stocking stuffers for Toddlers and Preschoolers. On to the next: here are my ideas for the School Aged set. I wish I had more photos but I don't have a big kid yet!

School-Agers:

Make-your-own Goop: Put a cup of cornstarch with half a package of Kool Aid in a (sealable) bag and label it "Goop". When they're ready to make it, just add small amounts of water until it's in between solid and liquid. When they squeeze in their hands, or slap it hard, it turns solid!

Paint with Water Booklet: There is a very cool tutorial here for how to make your own paint with water designs! So cool! You can put them in a small folder or make them into a booklet.

Hemp Bracelet Kit: There are great instructions here, that you can print. Add a small ball of hemp, some beads in favorite colors and the instructions to a small box or tin.

Reindeer Poop: Put chocolate covered almonds in a cellophane bag and make a small paper label that says "Reindeer Poop". Fold the bag over and staple the label on.

Soap Surprise: Chop up a bar of soap and add a few tablespoons of water. Melt it down SLOWLY in the microwave or on the stove top. Pour into a soap mold, or small sound/square container. Tuck a small plastic toy into the center of the bar. Let it sit for 3-7 days until fully dry. You can use clear soap to show off the toy, or opaque to make it a mystery!

Funny Magnets: You can turn just about anything into a magnet. A pad of paper, a carpenters pencil, wooden shapes, small toys or mini game key chains (just remove the key chain). Just add hot glue and a strong magnet.

Finger Puppets: There is a great tutorial, and patterns at Make Your Own Baby Stuff. Simple and fun!

Stuffed Animal Sleeping Bag: Make a sleeping bag for your child's favorite doll or stuffed animal. If you're good at sewing, make a liner and outer layer from cotton and sew together. If you're a beginner, use a single layer of fleece-it doesn't fray!

Hacky Sack: Knit or crochet a hacky sack. These are especially popular with boys!

Tiny Needlefelted Animals: This is something that I'd really like to try my hand at! I just ordered a few for Daniel, and next year I may try to make some myself. There is a good Martha tutorial for beginners.

Cute New Set!

2010-10-22T11:55:00.000-06:00

I just whipped up this reusable lunch set for a friend and I am SO tempted to keep it for myself! I just love the little woodland animals!

I hope it fetches a pretty penny for the United Way!

My favorite tutorial is over here along with how I make my own beeswax cloth.

Homemade Stocking Stuffers Part 2: Preschoolers

2010-10-21T16:55:00.003-06:00

A few weeks have passed since part one...I don't know where the time went! Busy, busy, busy with getting ready for my first craft sale!

So, at last, Part 2 of my Stocking Stuffer Series. Keep your eyes open for the school age list in the next week or so!

Preschoolers:

Baby Food Jar Matching Game: A friend shared this link with me, for how to make a matching game from jar lids! She even shares her images so all you have to do is print and paste!

Homemade Modeling Beeswax: Recipe- 1 cup of beeswax, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp lanolin. Melt beeswax over low, remove from heat and stir in oil and lanolin. You can add grated crayon for color. Let it cool in a lined pan. If it's too soft, add a litle more beeswax, if it's too hard add a little lanolin. You can find all the ingredients at most health food stores

Mini Notebooks: It's basically as easy as picking one scrapbooking paper that you like for the cover, cutting it to size, cutting blank paper just a smidge smaller, fold in half, staple in the center and then stamp or embellish the cover!

Crayon Roll: This is a perfect mate to the mini-notebook! It's a great beginner sewing project and because it's small it's easily done by hand too. There are tutorials all over the place, but I like this one.

Funky Fleece Scarf: There's a great tutorial here for a fun, simple scarf. Preschoolers love funky accessories!

Bath Paint: A great way to get a reluctant bather into the tub! Mix 4 Tbsp cornstarch, 1/3 cup body wash and food coloring. Add extra cornstarch if it's not thick enough. Store in plastic containers with lids and top with a paintbrush!

Craft Kit: Put some googly eyes, popsicle sticks, feathers, pipecleaners, ribbon and yarn in a ziploc bag. This is a great thing for when the Christmas excitement wears off just before dinner and you need to distract them!

Lick-and-Stickers: Make your own lick and stick stickers! Cut out your images from magazines, coloring books, old art projects or scrapbook paper. Add a pkg of gelatin to 1/2 cup water. Stir to dissolve gelatin and paint onto the back of images. Let dry wet side up. When they're dry, they're ready to be licked and sticked!

Apron: Kids love helping in the kitchen and an apron makes preschoolers feel even more grown up! You can find all sorts of tutorials and patterns on line and in books. I use the kids patterns in The Perfect Apron.

Shape Crayons: I just bought a silicone ice cube tray from Ikea that I am going to use to make shaped crayons as gifts for Daniel's classmates. All you do is warm the oven, break up crayons into the mold, turn off the oven, wait until they melt and remove and cool. Simple and fun.

Next Week: School-Agers!

New Favorite

2010-10-14T10:28:00.000-06:00

I just spent the last few days modifying and reworking a great crochet pattern of a Mushroom Pouch. It was originally a large, hinged, yarn pouch and I turned it into a sweet little mouse house! I used different yarn, different gauge, and at the end of everything, it's not much like the original at all.

I can't believe how long it took, or how challenging it was to modify, but I am in love! I think it's just the cutest little thing, and I pretty sure Daniel will be receiving one at Christmas. It's in my shop now too!

Hand Dyed Magnet Tutorial

2010-10-12T14:12:00.000-06:00

I just tried dyeing wood for the first time and it went quite well. So well, in fact, that I've posted the final product on my Etsy shop, but I wanted to give my readers the opportunity to try this one out themselves!

How to Dye Wood with Food Coloring:

1.) In a bowl, mix boiling water (1-4 cups depending on batch size), food coloring (enough to make the water brightly colored) and unfinished wooden cutouts (Michael's sells lots of shapes).

2.) Let sit for 15-45 min, or until the wood has absorbed enough dye. Stir every 5 minuted or so to ensure even coloring.

3.) Remove wood for food coloring. Use gloves, or wash your hands RIGHT AWAY! Food coloring stains like crazy! Place on paper towel lined plate and let dry. It took mine a full 24 hours before being dry, and I turned them a few times.

How to Make Magnets from Dyed Wooden Cutouts:

1.) Make sure wood is DRY!

2.) Stamp images onto the best looking side of the cutout. I use Archival ink, but you can use acrylic paint (test it first and wash paint off the stamp immediately), water proof ink, or paint your own design on.

3.) Dab of hot glue on the back side of the cutout and stick the magnet on.

TA DA! It's simple, but time consuming.

These little magnets make great stoking stuffers, add-ins to gifts, kids gifts (careful though, can be a choking hazard), favors, or a little something to top gift wrap with. I'd love to see some in red and green for Christmas party favors!

Homemade Stocking Stuffers Part 1: Toddlers

2010-10-07T18:06:00.003-06:00

Last year we had our first handmade Christmas. It was awesome! And a LOT of work. I am not making everything this year, but from now on, I will always make some or all of our gifts. Here are some of my favorites for toddlers. Be careful, some are a bit chokey for little ones.

Toddlers:

Magnets- you have to be careful because they can be a choking hazard, but I scanned, cropped and printed Franklin Characters onto magnet paper from Staples. Daniel is still playing with them! There are probably all kinds of tutorials for other types as well.

Painted Wooden People- I painted wooden people pegs to look like our family. They were a big hit but Daniel lost himself almost immediately.

Homemade Play Dough: Here is one site, with a million recipes. You can also pack it in a stainless steel conatiner like this and have a great, eco friendly way to pack snacks later.

Honey Toffee: I use Honey, butter and vanilla and boil to the hard crack stage (it doesn't come out hard because honey is pretty gummy) and wrap it in wax paper. It's one of those treats I don't mind giving Daniel because it has no sugar in it. For those of you who like recipes, there's one here.

Felt Cookies: There is a great tutorial at Prudent Baby, but really it's as simple as cutting felt into cookie shapes, sewing embellishments on the top side of the cookie (beware of small things that may come off) and hand stitch them together. Felt doesn't fray, so it's a great beginner sewing project to do by hand.

Crayon Roll: I made a mini one for Daniel's stocking. I recommend reading a few different tutorials and choosing what you like best, or making up your own! Who doesn't love new crayons???

Crocheted Headband: I made myself a headband from this pattern at Creative Yarn, and noticed that someone modified the pattern to fit her daughter. I made one for a friend and it's cute!

Neck Tube: Best thing EVER! No more scarves all wrapped around to go out and play. Cut a piece of polar fleece fabric about 5x20 (measure you child's neck and leave a little extra room to pull over head), fold it in half and sew it together, right sides together. Voila! We love ours.

CD from Daddy: Or mommy. Or whoever is not the crafty one! My hubby burned Daniel his own CD of favorite songs and it was a huge hit! In fact, he received another one for his birthday. This is a great way for older siblings to make gifts for each other or the non-crafters to get in on the handmade goodness.

Felted Balls: Ours were a bit awkward looking, because it was my first try. Luckily, wonky balls are still fun.

Foot Bath in a Bag: I put a bit of oatmeal, some lavender buds and a bit of loose leaf tea in a bag and Daniel enjoyed his very own relaxing footbath. Yes, he really did sit still! He still talks about it!

Add a candy cane and a Christmas orange (or is that just my family?) and you have a pretty well rounded, toddler stocking full of handmade goodies!

In the next few weeks, I will be posting ideas for Preschoolers, School agers and maybe even grown ups! I don't know if I'm brave enough to tackle a handmade teen stocking!

Last Day of Alberta Team's Etsy Sale!

2010-10-07T08:31:00.002-06:00

Today is the last day of the Etsy Alberta Team Sale! Check here for all participating shops and be sure to stop by my shop too!

Back in the game!

2010-10-04T11:44:00.000-06:00

I finally got a new listing together! A Farmhouse Memory Game, with a cute little Pumpkin storage bag!

I am hoping to get the creative juices flowing again this week...I've been out of the game for too long! If anyone has any thoughts I'd love to hear from you!

Team SALE!!!!

2010-10-01T10:40:00.001-06:00

The air is crisp and cool, the sun is shining, the leaves are turning and today is the first day of the Etsy Alberta Street Team Autumn Harvest Sale! I am so pumped!

FREE CAD SHIPPING and FREE US SHIPPING on orders over $50 from October 1-7. Time to start the holiday shopping! I've already bought some eyeshadow and am thinking of buying this Tim Horton's notebook for Daniel's stocking.

I've already been featured in a treasury and am planning creating one of my own later. My facebook page is all a flutter with updates, and I am itching to make some things! I think today is the day I will call myself "recovered" from my shoulder injury.

Wishful Gardener

2010-09-24T23:39:00.003-06:00

I have been mourning the loss of my rhubarb plant at the end of this terrible growing season. Well...it's not dead, but it didn't produce anything either! I am still waiting until the soil is dry-ish to harvest my tiny carrot crop *sigh*.

But....I have been inspired! I stumbled along Cubit's, a lovely Etsy shop, just full of the most gorgeous seeds. As soon as I live in a home with real sun and a real garden, I am going to place a big order! This coming Spring I will definitely try one new thing as well. She even has Purple Dragon Carrots! What kid could resist those???? This makes me think it's time to conquer my shady garden and almost black thumb.

I was drooling over her Rainbow Chard when I saw white squash, purple tomatillos, chocolate peppers and watermelon radishes. And most everything is organic.

I am thinking of putting a few seeds in my own stocking and thought someone else might want to do the same!

Treasury Features

2010-09-21T20:23:00.002-06:00

I'm trying to figure out how one keeps a crafting/homemaking blog interesting when an injured shoulder prevents any work from getting done! The good news is that I'm back at about 90% and should be crafting again by the end of the week.

For now...here are the first treasuries that I've been featured in:
The Natural Child by mariescottage and Seller's Favorites by AngelicaV

Coming soon are black and orange gnomes for October and more teething rings in lots of colors.

What do you think of the girl gnome with hair? I would have to charge more but I think she's kind of cute.

And what about a black and orange teething ring? Too weird? Maybe just orange....