Creating In Real Life

The post where I hang my head in shame and promise to do better...

2012-02-02T10:51:00.002-07:00

Oh, my poor blog. So sad, so lonely, so neglected! I am bound and determined to get back on the blog-wagon and grow this thing this year! I have been making all kinds of things - some successful, some not - and can't wait to show you what I've been up to!

Our house is neck-deep in projects - a little hallway revamp that features some chalkboard paint, new faux-roman blinds going up in the dining room, some cool old-picture-frame stuff...there is lots going on!

Lately, I have totally fallen in love with Pinterest!! I struggle keeping track of regular bookmarks on my computer - I never remember what's what, and as a super visual person, its hard to sort through a bunch of links to find what I need. Pinterest has been a GENIUS solution for me! I can save PICTURES of what I want to look at later, and then find things easily. SIMPLIFYING MY LIFE! Yes!

Along with all the cool Pinterest-ed ideas, however, can easily come that overwhelming, "OhmygoshIcouldnevermakethat" feeling, followed by the "thathugeto-dolistmakesmefeelguilty" feeling. That's where I will come in - specializing in making things look harder than they really are is my SPECIALTY!

Watch for my upcoming "Pinteresting Knock-offs" posts to check out my take on all the cool things I find on Pinterest...and suggestions for simplifying and easily creating these ideas on your own...

Talk to you soon!!

Life's Celebrations Blog Hop!

2011-10-06T08:16:00.002-06:00

Welcome to Creating In Real Life! Today we'll be "blog hopping" all over the internet to check out projects made by MemoryWorks TeamWorks members using the latest Simple Stories collections!

Today I will show you a few projects made with Simple Stories Generations. This beautiful line is a mix of darker, muted colors with a touch of "antique" - perfect for a heritage album or those black-and-white family pictures! Celebrate your Family in style!

First is a layout, using some 12x12 paper, a 6x12 card and two 4x6 cards...layered with lots of stickers! I also stuck a couple of smaller journaling cards behind the photo as pull-out tags:

Close-up of some sticker layering:

The tags (note: I put some cardstock on the back of the right side of the heart sticker so it wouldn't stick to the tags):

Next up is a "heritage" card, made completely with patterned cardstock and stickers from the Generations line (well, plus a piece of twine..which is the perfect accent for Generations!):

Next are a couple of mini-albums, perfect for a make-and-take, stocking stuffer, teacher gift or brag book! Using 1 12x12 sheet of 2x3 journaling cards, I put 1/2 together with a binder ring for one mini, and the other half in tiny page protectors (bound matchbook style). Add a couple of stickers and a little ribbon and you're done!

Here is the Binder Ring album:

The mini page protector/matchbook album:

Please be sure to leave comments at all of the stops on our hop today for a chance to win the Grand Prize - the more blogs you visit and comment on, the more chances you have to win!

1. MemoryWorks
2. Christy
3. Danielle
4. Jade
5. Kelly H
6. Lacey Igo
7. Lisa H
8. Sandy (YOU ARE HERE)
9. Sarah J
10. Sharon
11. Sheri
12. Shirelle
13. Susan
14. Simple Stories

Happy Hoppin'!

Giveaway at RisC

2011-07-21T07:53:00.003-06:00

Check out the new blog of a friend of mine -- She's a SAHM who makes super cute stuff (jewelry, hair stuff, hats, etc.) for her etsy shop and is giving away a couple of fun things this week when she gets 50 followers!

Go to RisC Handmade to enter! Good luck!

Tour my space!

2011-07-15T12:34:00.002-06:00

Go see a tour of my "craft room" on the MemoryWorks blog today!

http://memoryworksblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/inspiration-friday-sandys-scrappin.html

Simple Stories Blog Hop! 100 Days of Summer, baby!

2011-07-14T09:06:00.001-06:00

**Note: The Blog Hop starts officially at 10am MST...if some of the links to other blogs aren't working yet, try again then :) ***

Hello!

Welcome to my oft-neglected, but always loved, little crafting space on the web! Today I am showing you some fun projects made with the Simple Stories 100 Days of Summer scrapbooking kit, as well as a few other goodies.

Simple Stories is an AWESOME system developed by MemoryWorks founder Amber Crowell. The kits include doubled sided 12x12 paper, as well as double-sided element cards in various sizes to use for titles, photo mats, journaling blocks, etc. There are also stickers, ribbon and stamps! You can use the pieces stand-alone for traditional scrapbooking/paper crafting, or use the whole Simple Stories "system" which uses divided page protectors for fast, cute, hassle-free memory recording. Check out the Simple Stories website here for more information.

Now...on to the projects!

First we have 3 wedding cards (tis the season for weddings, no?!) using 100 Days of Summer paper, some Simple Stories coordinating ribbon and a couple of Unity Stamps ("Nicest Place to Be" and "Rain or Shine" ittybitty sets). Feel free to click on the following image to examine them up close and personal!

Aren't the colors in this kit yummy? Reminds me of lemonade, watermelon, blue shaved ice...SUMMER!

Next up is a "layout" using the Simple Stories divided page-protector system. The two colored blocks are a couple of the cut-apart elements that come with the kit - I used the Simple Stories/Unity banner stamps and some twine to make some cute garlands, added some photo mats and stickers and PRESTO! Easy-peasy layout waiting for pictures to slip into their pockets - no adhesive required - and I can add more journaling or multiple pictures to the pockets if I want to! I love this system!
Here's a closer look at the larger photo mat. You can see that I used some pop-dots to add a little dimension to the banner, as well as some hand stitching along the photo mat:
The last project I'd like to share with you has LOTS of parts (you wouldn't believe how much paper and kit elements I have left from this kit, even after making ALL these projects! You can literally make an entire scrapbook out of one kit and the divided page protectors!).

This is my new "Household organizer"! I used a 7 gypsies library card holder set and put together an easy place to keep goals, budgets, bills, coupons, etc. - all the little bits of paper, post-its and to-do lists that I constantly misplace!

I lined the bottom of the box with a piece of patterned paper from the 100 Days of Summer kit and used all kinds of stickers, stamps and cut-apart elements to decorate the cards inside. I laminated all pieces for durability:

Here is a peek at some of the cards:
I will be sharing more photos and information about this system on the MemoryWorks blog on July 29th -- stay tuned!

Now that you've seen my projects...keep on hoppin' to the other MemoryWorks TeamWorks participants' blogs!

Sandy (YOU ARE HERE)

Be sure to leave a comment at each stop on the Hop to earn more entries towards the Grand Prize Giveaway!

Thanks for stopping by!

Simple Stories: Destinations BLOG HOP!

2011-04-28T08:27:00.007-06:00

Welcome! The net is indeed a-hoppin' today while the MemoryWorks TeamWorks design team rolls out the red carpet for the new Simple Stories: Destinations line! I love the bold, classy look of this line and had a lot of fun designing with it!

I challenged myself to to take this line in two directions -- first, to "go with it" and make a layout using the line in a more expected, muted way:
The included clear overlays make it easy (and mess-free!) to add a little extra touch to a photo. Here I trimmed up a sticker from the Destinations sticker sheet and slid it under the overlay for some added color:
Pop dots and a little twine turn flat stickers into 3-D embellishments!
"Family - Our Journey Together" Layout -all materials from Simple Stories: Destinations kit, plus one piece of black cardstock

For the second layout, I decided to brighten things up and take the kit elements in a more playful direction. I borrowed a few items from the March MemoryWorks Express kit to brighten things up a little:
Again, a couple of pop dots go a long way in adding texture and dimension to stickers!
The multi-colored stickers in the Destinations kit are easy to incorporate in all kinds of layouts and color schemes:
"Play" Layout Materials Used:

*Simple Stories: Destinations paper, stickers and journaling cards

*Jenni Bowlin Studio Flag Banner stickers

*Bella Road "Table Cloth" paper

*Webster's Pages "Spring Market" paper

*twine

I put together this is a little travel journal for a design challenge on the MemoryWorks Consultant Studio message board:

This is a fun, quick project - simply cover a small notebook with paper and embellish with a couple strips of paper and a few stickers - everything you need is in the kit, already matching perfectly! Punch holes through the front and back cover, add a few eyelets to strengthen the holes, and thread a piece of ribbon through them to keep the book closed. That's all there is to it! If you're feeing particularly tricky, you can cover a few inside pages and add tabs for dividers, as I did here:

I plan to stick this little guy in the glovebox of my car to jot down little notes, memories, etc.

Travel Journal materials: twill ribbon, all other materials from Destinations kit

Be sure to check out all the other TeamWorks members Destinations projects today! A grand prize will be chosen from ALL comments left on all of the listed blogs, so be sure to leave lots of love all around- the more you comment, the better your chances of winning the prize!

Blog Hop Destinations:

(By the way...if you're new to "blog hopping", all you do is visit each of the above listed blogs and leave a comment in their Simple Stories: Destinations post. Have fun looking around and getting inspired!)

Thanks for stopping by!

Somebody is making stuff again...

2011-04-26T18:30:00.003-06:00

There are many types of creativity, some of which I have, some of which I don't.

I "Don't":

*Paint anything more complicated than a single color at a time

*Successfully make up new recipes, although I keep trying...sorry family...

*Have much luck sewing clothing without a pattern, although, sadly, I still try

*Have the "eye" for seeing future greatness in random ugly objects unless I have a specific project in mind and find exactly what I'm looking for.

My mother-in-law, on the other hand, is very adept at all four of these things - especially the last one. MY creativity is more like - give me a defined pile of stuff and I can make something out of it or show me a picture and I'll find my own way to copy it. HER creativity is more visionary - she can go into a thrift store, craft store or garage sale and pick out cool things that need a makeover, without knowing ahead of time what she's going to do with them. When she comes up with a cool project idea, she usually has just what she needs in her stash at home somewhere. She has the EYE!

I am so jealous of this.

This weekend, I got to pick through some destined-to-be-garage-saled items at my in-laws house and picked up a couple of "projects". I told her that I wanted to make a tray with glass jars on it for my laundry room. She presented me with this:
She had found it at a thrift store somewhere and bought it because she liked the shape and thought she could make something cool out of it. Unless I already knew I was looking for a tray, I would have passed right by this thing at the first sight of those, um, interesting, um, birds. She has skills, I tell you - mad skills!

She also had these jars:
Sweet! Once I had my pile of stuff, THEN I could figure out how to be creative with it. So...in case you find an ugly tray and some cool jars and want to transform then, here is how to do it.

You need:

*A Wooden tray (look for a shape/size that works - you'll be covering everything else)

*A couple sheets of coordinating patterned cardstock

*Matching acrylic paint and brush

*ModPodge and brush

*Cutting and measuring tools

*Glass jars

*Self-adhesive vinyl and cutting tool/machine (I used a Cricut Expression)

Step 1: Sand off anything that will easily come off - like gold leafing - and smooth out weird spots on the tray, perhaps turning on a Scentsy or something to mask the puzzling but unmistakable smell of vomit-laced fart coming from the tray while its being sanded (or maybe that was just MY tray...)
Step 2: Paint a couple coats of acrylic paint over the parts of the tray that may show when you're done. Marvel at your amazing paintery skills (seriously, this is as tricky as my painting gets):
Step 3: Spend several minutes testing your two rolls of black vinyl to try and figure out which one has permanent adhesive on the back and which one is repositionable. Kick yourself for not labeling them 4 months ago when the order arrived. Break out the Cricut and cut out the vinyl:
Step 4: Measure and cut your patterned paper to fit the parts of the tray where they will belong. This was a little tricky for the curved parts and I have no words of wisdom on how to do that other than, try tracing the bottom of the tray and measure carefully.

Step 5: Adhere paper to all sections of tray using ModPodge. Apply several coats to the top of the paper, allowing to dry between coats. Kick yourself for not using the "anti-bubbling trick" of coating one side of the paper with ModPodge and letting it dry and THEN adhering to the tray to avoid all the bubbles, creases and pulls you actually ended up with.
Step 6: Apply vinyl lettering to jars (which have been carefully washed with vinegar and water and dried). Fill jars with whatever you've got waiting for them:
Step 7: Decide that you have too many jars on the tray and lament the fact that you can barely see the cute patterned paper on the inside.
Step 8: Remove one jar and put it on a shelf somewhere else. Strategically place two dryer balls on the tray:
Step 9: Step back and admire your work...and then realize that your cute decoration doesn't really help the fact that the rest of the room is completely unfinished. More projects, right??

Wow - its hard to stage a cute photo for my project when there is nothing but a plain painted wall and a dusty washer and dryer. Oh well, this blog is about creating in REAL life, right?!

Now that I am healthier, have successfully birthed another baby and am starting to feel like I have energy to do more than nurse, eat, sleep and do the occasional load of laundry, I plan on doing more creating and blogging! Definitely check back on Thursday because I will be one stop on the MemoryWorks Simple Stories: Destinations Blog Hop! That means - more projects! See ya then!

Summer layouts

2010-09-24T07:54:00.003-06:00

Check out a couple of fun summer layouts by yours truly on the MemoryWorks blog today!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the MW blog hop last week...and for all your kind comments!

Welcome Blog Hoppers!

2010-09-14T08:11:00.006-06:00

Today the MemoryWorks team is celebrating MemoryWorks newest, exclusive Simple Stories line - ele.ment.ary! Ironically it's Back To School night in our town tonight, so I guess I am now in the mood for some school products and projects!

Make sure you start the blog hop at http://www.memoryworksblog.blogspot.com/ for complete rules and the list of ALL the blogs to visit today...you must visit and comment on EACH of these blogs to be eligible for prizes today - good luck!

If you are unfamiliar with the Simple Stories system, take a look here. Simple Stories is a quick, easy and innovative way to get your photos scrapbooked without stress...and still have your scrapbooks look spectacular, regardless of your skill level!

The Simple Stories lines are also GREAT for traditional scrapbook pages as well...in fact, I combine the two strategies in my scrapbooks.

Here are a couple of cards made from ele.ment.ary elements:
(the following card is what I call a "lunchbox mini"...using the same basic design as the above card)
Here is a traditional, non-school-themed layout using the ele.ment.ary elements and paper:
The following layouts are pages that will go in my daughter's K-12 school album. I plan on purchasing an album, ele.ment.ary kit and divided page protectors for each of my children and pre-making their school albums. As the years go by, I can just slip in the appropriate pictures - the work will already be done! For once I'll have a set of albums that I'm not BEHIND on! :)

My plan is to have a "summary" page in the front of each album highlighting wallet-sized pictures from each grade K-12:

Then each grade will have a "title page" with a large school photo on the front:

Behind each of these, will be the divided page protectors - one set for each grade. All I have to do is slip important pictures in the slots, perhaps with a journaling card or two...and I'm done! Couldn't be easier! You can check out some of the layouts I created with the first Simple Stories system (Life Documented) in the divided page protectors HERE (scroll down a bit - they're towards the bottom of the post).

I hope after checking out all these blogs today, that you'll be inspired to check out the Simple Stories system for yourself! You won't be disappointed! If you're interested in more information about the Simple Stories line, or wish to purchase it yourself...those who already know me can order on my website or you can find your local MemoryWorks consultant HERE.

NEXT ON YOUR BLOG HOP LIST: Go visit Mary at http://thecareerscrapper.blogspot.com

Don't forget to leave comments at each blog you visit to qualify for prizes! Thanks for stopping by!

Mini-Album...Maxi-Blog-Avoidance...

2010-05-26T19:47:00.004-06:00

I know, I know...BAD BLOGGER! I HAVE been making stuff, just not posting things...for now, check out the MemoryWorks blog for a fun, very cheap project I put together this week, as well as a tool review. By way of disclaimer, I did not receive the tool for free, so you can trust that I really like it, haha!

Help save the planet AND look like a Super Mom, all with one easy project!

2010-02-16T12:03:00.006-07:00

Anyone out there need a Super Mom project? You know...the type that::

a.)you can finish in one sitting (eliminating Project-Starter-Never-Finisher Guilt),
b.) Uses up project scraps or recycled materials so you can feel like a Stick-to-it-Budgeter,
c.) Helps throw a little something at the "Good intentions in my mind don't help the planet" guilt, and
d.) Can make you look like a snazzy, trendy, with-it green parent to all those who don't know it only took you 30 minutes to whip you the project?

Yeah? You're in? Well, here you go --
Washable sandwich and snack bags! (Homemade bread and non-homemade banana chips optional...but if you pack your cute bags with some sort of homemade item...you get double points in the "cool" department!)

Now I absolutely did NOT make this idea up. Lots of people make them. Lots of people sell them. Lots of people make and sell much cuter, much more finished-looking bags than mine. But my method is ridiculously fast and does the job - so I'm opting for that.

You can make these out of whatever you want - I used quilting fabric (from my slowly shrinking fat quarter stash) for the outsides (but wouldn't some fabric from old jeans or something be cool?) and some leftover ProCare fabric from my diaper-making stash. You absolutely don't have to use waterproof fabric like ProCare or PUL for your lining, but it is helpful if you have children like mine who love to add things to their lunches like honey sandwiches and washed but not dried carrot sticks. I will justify the use of this non-organic, probably non-biodegradable manmade plastic fabric by saying that if I didn't use it, I would end up doing a lot more backpack and diaperbag washing....

I used Ziploc bags (sandwich size and snack size) as a pattern - just cut them open, lay them flat and trace on your fabric. Once you get comfy with that, you can start making bags any size you want, based on what scraps you have.

For each bag you need a piece of outer fabric and a piece of liner fabric, cut to the same size. Make sure your piece are big enough to fold in half to become the bag! You also need a piece of velcro/hook-and-loop that is the same width as your fabric. I cut my 1 1/2" diaper velcro in half to make 3/4" wide velcro...but I could have gone even narrower with the same results.

FIRST...put your outer and liner fabrics, right sides together, and sew across the two ends (serger or sewing machine) that will become the top of the bag:
You will end up with a tube that looks like this:
Flip your tube inside-out (so right sides are now showing) and finger press the seam down. You can iron it if you're a perfectionist, but DON'T iron it if you're using PUL or ProCare. Direct heat on plastic...you get the idea. On the LINING side, sew your piece of the hook side of the velcro along one seam, flip to the other end and sew the loop side of the velcro along the other seam (LINING side). Sew all around the 4 sides of each piece of velcro, making sure that the velcro goes all the way to the end of the fabric.

I guess you could just put small pieces of velcro in the centers instead of all the way across, but I'd prefer my snack items to not leak crumbs everywhere, so I want that velcro sewn all the way across and into the seams!

Next, line up your hook and loop ends and seal it shut:
Now, starting at the velcro end, just serge all your sides shut (or zig-zag if you don't have a serger...which you really should start looking for sales at WalMart for, because you can sew things very fast and furiously with a serger!). I sewed mine in a chain, so I didn't have to break to cut threads:
Cut all the excess thread off and get all the bags looking all trimmed and nice. The last thing to do is take each bag and sew a couple reinforcing stitches at the top (just above the velcro) so if your kids yank open the bags, they won't eventually rip open the seams. I broke 2 needles on this step before I switched to a denim needle...so I'd recommend that you switch to a denim needle to sew through all those layers:)
I made all these bags in an afternoon, which included stopping to feed children, put a baby down for a nap, do laundry, make a phone call, etc....but had I not been interrupted, once the pieces are all cut out, the sewing is very, very quick. If you only made ONE bag, it would literally take you 20 minutes - including threading sewing machines, cutting fabric, etc.
We are LOVING these bags so far, other than the fact that they are a little noisy to open in church...it helped to open the bag, then fold the velcro down so the baby couldn't keep shutting it and re-opening it (cuz that's fun!)...but I may need to figure out some sort of zipper/magnet/drawstring bag or something JUST for quiet places. Any ideas??

I figured that all 24 bags I made probably cost me the same as 2 boxes of ziplocs (if I had gone out and bought all the supplies...MUCH cheaper if you use leftover stuff or recycle other fabric)- but we can keep reusing them until they fall apart, and every time you pull one out, you can think, "Dang, I'm awesome! Look how cute this is!"

Now go sew...the planet wants you to :)

Make a Valentine's Day Garland...so easy a 4 year old boy can make it!

2010-02-04T08:12:00.004-07:00

Yesterday my son and I decided that our house was woefully undecorated for Valentine's Day. I have my table runner (see last post) and a few heart-shaped decorations...and that's it. SO...we pulled my box of February MemoryWorks Express kit...land made this:
I kid you not, this took us 30 minutes! Easy as pie, and you probably have the supplies you need to make your own version at home!

All you need:
*6 chipboard squares - mine were from a Fancy Pants chipboard book set (12x12 Biggest Board Book It set) - but you could even cut yours from a cardboard box if you want. They are each about 3 1/2" square, with rounded corners
*6 pieces of matching patterned paper - also 3 1/2" square each. I used the Crate Paper "Mia" collection - so pretty!
*Chipboard letters (or large letter stickers or someting) to spell out "LOVE". I used My Mind's Eye embossed chipboard
*Some fun things to embellish - diecuts, stickers, buttons, etc. I used some Crate Paper "Mia" glitter die-cuts, flowers from Prima and Petaloo and buttons by Creative Imaginations.
*You also need some ribbon...I used pink and blue sheer ribbon that I had leftover from other projects...you just need something that coordinates - and long enough pieces to tie all the letter square together AND hang it from your location of choice :)
*A crop-a-dile or other tool that will hole-punch through chipboard.

Let's get started! Seriously...my 4 year old did most of the steps - so he will be my tutorial model today!

1. Glue your paper to each square...Use a brayer or other smoothing device to get it down good and tight:

2.) After the glue is dry, sand the edges of each piece:
3.) Use an ink pad to ink each embossed letter:
4.) Here's the part where you get to go crazy - arrange the squares and letters how you like them, glue down the letters...and then embellish like crazy! You can refer back to my picture at the top, or do your own thing!

5.) When everything is ready to go, punch holes through the sides of each square (punch towards the top or your squares will flip over when you hang them) and tie them together with pieces of ribbon. I also tied buttons together on each end before tying on my "hanging ribbons", as shown:
Here's another hanging shot...I apologize for the dark photo - its nearly impossible to get a good picture straight at a bright window!
This was so easy to make..and turned out so cute, that I think we'll be making a "lucky" one for t. Patty's day...an egg one for Easter...4th of July....oh yes, we will be making many garlands, haha!

Have fun! Let me know if you try it - I'd love to see some pics!

I've totally been making stuff!

2010-01-30T20:01:00.009-07:00

Do you ever get in a crafting funk? Like you just can't figure out what to make...none of your projects are getting finished? And then when you're done with something...you hate it? But then...you suddenly get inspired, motivated or in some other way - get OUT OF THE FUNK! And creativity resumes! Hurray!

I've been enjoying the past few weeks of out-of-the-funk, madly making all kinds of things!

I finally pulled out some Moda squares and a jelly roll and made my Valentine's Day/St. Patrick's Day reversible table runner that I planned over a year ago:
I made some fun projects with the MemoryWorks January Express Kit:

I made a couple scrapbook layouts, for example:
I finally finished my 3-frame set...it has been sitting in my scrapbooking hutch taking up MUCHO space since October when I made the first one...yikes!
Now its hanging on the wall in our hallway - I have to smile every time I walk past - not because its so darn cute - but because I FINISHED IT! HAHA!

And, I got to spend all my free time for a week (which I think totaled about 13 minutes per day...I must have skipped a trip to the bathroom or something to get that much time at once!) working on the Simple Stories line from MemoryWorks. Since I'm on their creative team, I got an advanced set and got to play!

In true Sandy-fashion, I was only able to complete January-July of my full-year-overview album, because of course I only had pictures printed up for 7 months of the year! And my printer is broken! And now I'm on a budget so I couldn't just order me another 5 months on snapfish! Oh well...it just wouldn't be me if the entire project actually got finished all at once...that would just be weird!

Here is what I did so far - the fun thing about this system is that there are divided page protectors, so you just stick things in the pockets - easy, and used little adhesive...which for some reason I keep running out of lately...hmph... Here's a couple of the pages:

So....coming up.....I am still working on my faux-roman-curtains. I will do a tutorial and show you how to alter your mini-blinds without permanently disabling them. I have a few other things up my sleeve, but please let me know if you have any ideas for a tutorial that you'd like to see.

Have a GREAT day...and go do something crafty!

Check this out!

2009-12-30T11:18:00.002-07:00

I have been a bad blogger...again...and have more projects to post - mainly scrapbook stuff - but wanted to put in a little plug for an awesome new product line that's coming out next month from MemoryWorks. I got to see the entire line a couple months ago and couldn't say anything....but now I can blab! It's going to be awesome!!

Simple Stories

Basically, its a system for scrapbooking quickly, efficiently...and still making it look good! There is paper, journaling cards, title blocks, etc...that all can be made into actual pages, or can be slipped into photo pockets. YOu literally could put an entire album together in minutes, using nothing but a paper cutter and a pen! OR, if you just can't let things be...that would be me...you can jazz it up, embellish it, whatever - make it your own!

I can't WAIT to get my hands on this - and as soon as I do, I'll get a review posted up here!

Quick and Easy Bulletin Board

2009-08-28T19:21:00.003-06:00

I posted a simple but fun bulletin board idea over at the MemoryWorks blog today - check it out:

Message Board, Jr.

Oh, and if you go down a few entries to last Friday's, you'll find a more grown-up and very cool version of a message board by my friend Lacey!

Little Guy Tool-Belt

2009-08-28T18:59:00.004-06:00

Here's a fun one for the little fix-it guy (or girl) in your life!

All you need is ONE fat quarter and a package of that hem facing tape stuff (or really fat bias tape...or a ribbon...or whatever else would make an apron tie!): All you do is fold your fat quarter in half, right sides together. Sew three sides, turn rightside out, press and top stitch.

Now fold up the bottom edge a little more than 3/4 of the way up to form a pocket. Top stitch around edges of pocket and top to bottom in a couple places to divide the pocket.

Take your bias tape, hem facing or whatever you're using...fold it in half (if necessary) and pin to the top of the apron. Top stitch all the way around it to form waistband and ties.

Use smaller pieces of your leftover belt/apron tie fabric to make little loops to hang tools on.

Load 'em up!

Repurposed Weird Baby Jeans + Moda Charm Pack = Quick, Cute, TOTALLY Do-able!

2009-08-28T18:29:00.009-06:00

Everybody ready for a tutorial?? This is one of my favorite projects of the summer! It turned out really cute, was incredibly cheap (we're talking like $2-3 for the entire outfit, folks!), is fast to make...and is VERY "operator error"-friendly!

Here we go: Cute, huh?!

This is what you need to decorate your baby in such chic cuteness:

*A onesie or T-shirt (you probably have one at home you can use...so that would be FREE, my friends!)

*An awkward pair of thrift-store pants. This particular pair has unusually short legs compared to the size of the waist...and denim sweatpant capris are never flattering, right?! (Awkward thrift-store pants: FREE to me, but if you went out and bought them...like $1-2, right?)

*10 squares from a Moda charm-pack (5" squares if you're cutting your own). I used "Objects of Desire".

*Sewing machine, serger is helpful, thread, rotary cutter, scissors, embroidery floss/needle

First, lop off the pant legs. You can make them shorts:

Or cut a little higher and make a skirt, like I did:

Lay out your outfit so you know what you're doing and what fabric you want next to what:

Cut your charm squares in half - put one stack aside, you only need half of the halves. I can't really tell you how many total squares you'll need, because your cut-up pants might be a different size than mine...I think I used 10 or so - you need enough to go around the base of your skirt about 1 1/2 times (you'll be gathering):

Sew all the charm square halves in a long strip like so:

Cut down the center, lengthwise, of the strip with a rotary cutter:

Sew the ends of the strips together to make a circle:

Two things to do here -- 1.) serge all around along the bottom edge of your circle (or zigzag or whatever you want to do to finish it) and 2.) machine baste around the top edge:

Pull the machine-basting-thread to gather into a ruffle:

Adjust the basting so that the ruffle fits the bottom of your skirt and is fairly evenly gathered. Pin to the INSIDE of the skirt, sticking out as shown:

Sew 1/4" or so along the bottom edge of the skirt to attach the ruffle. Leave the edge of the denim part "raw" as shown:

Remember those awkward pant legs you lopped off? Cut a few strips from them and attach a few around the waistband for some funky belt loops (leave edges raw):

Here's what we have now:

Now, go throw it in the washing machine, get it good and wet -and then throw it in the dryer. All those raw edges will get nice and frayed! Then find a long, cute ribbon to thread through the belt loops for a belt.

If you want to make a matching shirt (and I stole this idea from my friend JILL, who stole it from our friend TRISH)...stick a charm square under the top layer of the shirt and using embroidery floss and a needle, stitch a shape over the top of it. Then use some sharp scissors and cut out the T-shirt area inside the shape to let the charm square show through.

Do NOT do this, which I did:

I tried to cut the hole before doing the stitching. This was not a great idea, it was not fun, and it turned out weird. Still cute, but weird. I should really have clarified the directions before I tried it :)

When you're all done, you'll have yourself one sweet little outfit...AND you can be all impressed with yourself for "recycling"!

OH where, oh where, have all the crafts gone?!

2009-08-13T15:40:00.004-06:00

Wow...it's been a long time! I have been making lots and lots of things...and not posting them! Sigh. I still need to show you how to make car organizers for the kids, binder bags for church (or any other quiet activity), fabric buckets, a super-super-super-cute baby skirt out of an old pair of jeans, a quick "tool belt" apron for that busy little guy in your life, an even quicker bowtie for that same busy little guy, lots of organizing and reuse/recycling tips...I've been up to things. Lots and lots of things. :)

Hang in there with me...I'll get some stuff up here soon!

Calling all scrapbookers, paper crafters, or any wanna-be-Queen-for-a-weekend out there!

2009-05-13T19:08:00.002-06:00

I gotta put in a plug for the upcoming MemoryWorks Retreat -- I went last year and it was AMAZING!!! Even though I was super tired, and in the barfy-all-the-time stage of pregnancy, I still had a blast! It's 3 days of projects, crops, receptions, "girl time"...and don't even get me started on the FREE STUFF. Last year the stuff I came home with WAY exceeded the cost of the retreat. If you've ever even thought about going to a scrapbook retreat...this one is SO worth considering - it's cheaper than the "big" ones (CKU, etc.) but still has big name sponsors and keynote speakers (I got to meet Stacy Julian last year, for crying out loud!), small groups - I actually met EVERY single attendee last year - and did I mention the STUFF???

I SO wish I was going again this year, but alas, my nursing infant is not invited:)

For reals. Go. You won't regret it.

http://www.memory-works.com/retreat/

MemoryWorks May Express Kit

2009-05-09T17:52:00.006-06:00

The May Express kit from MemoryWorks was so fun to work with - the papers and embellishments reminded me of 80's cartoons - Rainbow Brite, CareBears, Smurfs... you get the idea! So here's to first grade!

This one is my favorite - I sewed 2 layers of a Prima layered fabric flower together with a button on top, made 2 leaves out of some scrap fabric (sewing and scrapbooking coming together! Ah! The awesomeness! The awesomeness!), and sewed all of it to the center of a long ribbon. Tie around baby's head - instant boutique chic! More pictures of this on the MemoryWorks blog

The mat for the cupcake in this one is actually one of the layers of the same Prima flower I used on the baby headband:

(I don't know if I'm getting lazier or getting smarter...but lately my layouts have been really simple...)

The above headband accessorized by the cutest baby in the universe:

The inside of this card says, "I hope the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, because you're a great Mom!"

I hope everyone has a spectacular Mother's Day...I'm off to do more laundry so I can take the day OFF tomorrow!

Fat Quarter Apron Tutorial

2009-04-29T20:57:00.006-06:00

I've been a bad blogger! Wow, it's been a while!

I'm finally getting around to that Fat Quarter apron I've been telling you about...these are like SO last month, haha! I've since accumulated several sacks full of fat quarters and have been making all kinds of things - curtains, car organizers, you name it!

But this, THIS is my very first fat quarter project...and I'm sharing it with you:)

You need 2 fat quarters and a 2 1/2 yard pack of coordinating hem facing (the 1 7/8" wide kind) OR make your own with strips of fabric, but that takes a lot longer.

STEP 1:

Lay your fabrics together, wrong sides together, and trim to straighten up all 4 sides of the fabric - you want your rectangle to have nice parallel sides! Then decide if you want a 7 or 9 inch tall pocket - or any other measurement, for that matter (the taller the pocket, the shorter the apron). Measure your desired pocket height off one of the short ends and trim it off, as shown.

STEP 2:

Get your hem tape ready by ironing it in half (the two edges will already be pressed in for you).

STEP 3:

Take your two pocket pieces, still with wrong sides together, and make sure they are completely lined up with each other. Sandwich these pieces inside the hem tape fold (cut a piece to fit) and stitch it down.

STEP 4:

Lay your pocket piece on top of the front of your apron (lay it down how you want it to look when you're done. If you don't want your pocket division lines to go all the way through all the apron layers, you'll want to sew them now - just sew straight vertical lines from the bottom edge of your pocket to the top, wherever you need a smaller pocket. Now lay the back apron piece on TOP of the front, right sides together. Pin and sew along the two sides and bottom - NOT the top.

STEP 5:

Flip her inside-out, press and top-stitch along the same 3 edges.

STEP 6:

If you haven't already, sew division lines from the bottom of your apron up through the top edge of the pocket to divide it into smaller pockets. These can be any size, but I like to put at least one 1" pocket for pens in mine.

STEP 7:

Find the center of your apron, and the center of your hem tape. Matching centers, sandwich the top of your apron in between the two layers of your hem tape, butting the fabric edge against the fold you ironed into the hem tape. Starting at one edge of the top of the apron, sew about 1/4" from the lower edge of the hem tape, sewing it to your apron. When you reach the opposite side, keep sewing along the hem tape, all the way down to the end (tuck in the ends and sew down). Flip it around and sew along the top edge of the hem tape, then back around the bottom edge to where you started.

STEP 8:

Add a fun embellishment! For this one, I looped some ribbon together to make a flower, sewed it down, then added a button to the center. You can sew about anything onto these - a bow, a silk flower, a charm - anything!

ALL DONE!
Here are a few more aprons I've made:

Once you get the hang of it, you can totally whip one out in under an hour!

Have fun sewing!

Show and Tell!

2009-04-01T09:52:00.008-06:00

I know you've been DYING to see what else I did with my Moda fabric, right? (The nice thing about cyberspace is that I can pretend to be as popular as I want...)

As I've mentioned before...after spending several months cooped up in my huse with an RSV baby...and staring at all of my walls and belongings for days on end...I decided that my college-era couches and free/nearly free ugly slipcovers were not worthy of my new living room and began an overhaul. I supressed my inner-cheapskate and SureFitted my couches with new slipcovers (okay - I guess I was still being a cheapskate...the slipcovers were like a bajillion times cheaper than whole new couches!) and set to work on the new throw pillows.

Because I'm a little dorky (okay, a lot), I decided that I would make my living room match a wall hanging I'd made for MemoryWorks last fall. I liked it so much, I kept it around all year (except during Halloween and Christmas, because that would have just been weird, right?).

Luckily Moda came to the rescue and I found that the Tranquility and Cottom Blossoms lines were pretty close to what I wanted.

I had a great time making them...then found that I didn't have quite enough fiberfill to do the job...and that I sewed some of the seam allowances too small and some were coming open...but by that time I'd already sewed them shut. Luckily I had a stash of felt flowers and buttons in my scrapbooking hutch (as I frequently tell my husband, SCRAPBOOKING is for EVERYTHING) that I sewed on to cover my boo-boos. So now you know.:) And I'll also admit that I closed up a couple of the tiny holes in the seams with fabric glue...I know, professional.

Then I decided to make a table runner. I need to back up and tell you that I have made 3 quilting projects in my life. The first was a Halloween wall-hanging I found in a magazine 5 years ago or so. I didn't really follow the directions...and didn't really have any clue how to quilt, bind, piece, etc. so its a bit lumpy and a lot lopsided. But I still proudly display it every Halloween and in a few years I'll just say the KIDS MADE IT, haha! The second two projects were quilts for my kids' beds - also loosely based on patterns I bought - they were cute, as long as viewed from several feet away. Moral of the story: I am not a quilter.

BUT, the Moda fabric deserved better (the other projects were done with WalMart fabric, which I think is breaking some sort of cardinal rule of quilting), so I really tried to actually figure out what I was doing on this one. I found a couple of tutorials (Thanks, Camille Roskelley!) and made myself a top from a Cotton Blossoms charmpack and a Sugar jellyroll. No cutting or measuring - I may be able to like this style of quilting!!

I used a walking foot to quilt it - whoa! Huge difference! - and actually bound it like I'm supposed to. Surprise, surprise - it actually worked out! Who knew? Just like finding out that butter actually DOES bake better than margarine! Whoa!

But, of course, I had to Sandy-fy it, (Sandy-fy: 1.) not completely follow the directions, 2.) Be cheap, 3.) Save time and effort later), so I made it reversible!

Now I want to make table runners for all the different seasons and holidays (all reversible to save me some backing fabric and time). Next time I won't use polyester batting, though - this one turned out a little too puffy.

I'll let you in on my dirty little secret. I've become a bit of a cool fabric junky lately... The internet is just too accessible...

So I have my Moda charm pack collection:

My Amy Butler will-be-an-apron fabric:

Sandi Henderson Farmer's Market fabric to make my daughters' Easter Dresses out of:

And then there is that teensy, weensy little obsession with Fat Quarter Friday at our local fabric store - last Friday of the month is 10 for $15. I never went to it...until last month...and this month...and YIKES. It's a lot of fun. They even have a little Moda, haha!

Anyway...there you go. All caught up on my fabric projects the past few months (except those pesky apron tutorials that I haven't posted yet). This month I need to get cracking on some scrapbooking things, too, so be watching for that!

And don't even think about asking me for a picture of my whole living room, because I won't do it until I'm done. So there.

Who says baby toys can't look CUTE scattered all over your floor??

2009-03-31T15:55:00.006-06:00

I have been so ridiculously busy the past few weeks...I have squeezed in some sewing and paper crafting time, but haven't had time to post any of it! I still have more aprons to show you, but I haven't felt like putting the tutorial together yet, so I guess you'll have to wait (I know, its killing you). But, I'll give you a hint...for one of them you're going to need 2 fat quarters and a pack of hem facing tape (not sure if that's really what its called...I should probably find that out) OR 3 fat quarters.

Instead, I thought I'd show you my latest I {HEART} MODA project. I ordered the Neptune charm pack a few weeks ago (this fabric is SO cute - way brighter, cuter and better than it looks on the computer!) and wasn't quite sure what to do with it... so while trolling etsy the other night, I found a great idea for fabric blocks for my baby!

I thought I was so clever adding ribbon loops and sticking a rattle (rudely cut out of a not-so-hot-looking-anymore toy from one of my other kids) inside...then found today that lots of other people already are doing that...oh, well!

I was determined to come up with my own spectacularly creative addition to the basic idea, so after watching my 3 1/2 month old try to play with the first block I made (which was WAY too big for her, by the way...my clever "idea" of making 3 different sizes was really me trying to find the right size for her), continually dropping it...and not quite coordinated enough yet to pick it back up...

I added an elastic LOOP on a ribbon (a short ribbon so she won't wrap it around herself and choke on it) so that I can slip it on her wrist. That way, if she drops it - hurray! - its already attached to her hand! Aren't I clever? (if you see anyone else who already did this, please don't tell me...just let me live in ignorance on this one).

I'm thinking about trying to make some different shapes. I still have about half the charm pack left, so I...I mean she...could have a whole basket of coordinated squishy toys in a basket in the living room. As kid #4, most of the baby toys are looking pretty sad, AND I don't like having "piles" of random things around the living room now that I no longer live in a teeny apartment. My solution is to make some new toys (using the usable parts of the old toys) that actually look CUTE sitting around the living room. Saves me some money, gives the illusion of organization - win-win situation!

Contest opportunity!

2009-03-18T11:09:00.004-06:00

My dear friend Lacey and I are in charge of the challenge and contests over at MemoryWorks this month. Yesterday we posted a contest over at the MW blog that consultants AND non-consultants can enter.

Take a look at: http://memoryworksblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/spring-into-action.html

for the details.

Good luck!

The recipe card winner is...

2009-03-16T07:41:00.001-06:00

JILL!

With only a few people posting, the odds were in pretty much in everyone's favor, but Jill had the magic number this time!

Stay tune this week for another apron tutorial PLUS I'll show you what I've been doing with all that Moda fabric!

Friday Freebie!

2009-03-06T13:28:00.009-07:00

It was my turn to post on the MemoryWorks blog today! Check it out: MemoryWorks Blog There are a couple of fun and easy projects that are perfect for cheering up a sick/sad/overwhelmed friend PLUS a great recipe! Now I know I'm a Crazy Crafter, as I set up a photo shoot for muffins this morning. Yes, muffins...

Feel free to leave a comment over there so I can feel like I have some friends:)

I'm giving away the recipe card from the aforementioned blog post. Here it is, in all its muffiny glory:

If you want it, post a message to THIS blog post. I'll randomly choose someone next week sometime. Family members, friends, neighbors, strangers - everyone can play! I promise you won't be disappointed with this recipe - these are some dang good muffins!

How are we doing on the aprons?? Anyone try one yet? I have two more to post next week...stay tuned!

Apron #2: 15 Minute Dishtowel Apron

2009-03-02T13:49:00.009-07:00

This one is so easy its ridiculous...I mean, seriously...as long as you know how to operate a sewing machine and are allowed to handle sharp objects by yourself...you can make this in 15 minutes!

You need: 1 large dish/tea towel and a long piece of sturdy ribbon that won't fray easily (I used about 2 yards - measure the ribbon right on your kid, as it needs to be long enough to go around their neck, down their sides and tie in the back

Hold the towel up to your kid, centering it on their chest and holding it at about the level it should sit when finished. Use a pin to mark about an inch in from their armpit, and another to mark their waist level (if you mark a bit lower than their current waist area, the apron should still fit as they get a bit taller!).

Fold the towel in half, lengthwise, and using a rotary cutter (or scissors), cut from pin to pin, making a curved cut (don't worry - you'll be able to eye ball it, but if you're totally chicken, draw the line or use pins to mark where you want to cut):
When you open it out, it'll look like this (see? it already looks like an apron!):

If you have a serger, serge the raw curved edges, otherwise use a zigzag stitch along the raw edges:

Then fold it over (on the backside of your towel) about an inch and sew along the serged edge (you're making a channel to thread the ribbon through, so make sure you don't sew the ends shut!). I let my kids help me "sew" this part:

This is what you'll end up with on both sides:

Hook a safety pin to one end of your ribbon. Thread it up through the side channel on one side, around the top and back down through the other side:

Put the apron on your kid and adjust the ribbon so that the ties are equal length and the neck part fits. When you have it how you want it, sew a few stitches by hand through one of the top corners, tacking down the ribbon on one side only. This way you'll still be able to adjust the neck opening, but the whole ribbon won't get pulled out of wack every time your kid takes it on and off.

If you're feeling particularly tricky (and the back of the dishtowel isn't ugly), you can fold up the towel from the bottom and sew up the edges to make a pocket. Then sew straight vertical lines from the fold to the top of the pocket to make smaller pockets:

All done!

Tip: To keep the ribbons from getting pulled out of the channels, you can tie a large bead (like those big wooden ones they give little kids to play with at preschool) or tie huge knots on the end of each ribbon.

Lucky for you, these only cost a buck or two, and a minimal time investment, so you'll feel just fine about your kids totally yucking them up! You can throw them right in the washer, or you can make more!

Apron #1: Skirt-Style Dishtowel Apron

2009-03-02T13:13:00.012-07:00

To make this cute apron: You need 2 dishtowels (mine are Orla Kiely by Target):

Decide which one will be the "skirt" and which will be the "sash/waistband".

On one of the long sides of the "skirt" towel (the side that will be the top), make some pinch pleats along the length of the top to gather it a little. I started from the center of towel and made pleats 2" off the center on either side (point the pleat folds towards the outside edges), then 4" apart after that until I reached the edges. I'm only a few months post-partum, mind you, so if you aren't quite a voluptuous around the middle as I am right now, you might want to make your pleats only 2-3 inches apart:

Here is mine with all the pleats pinned (the crease down the center is just from lack of ironing!):

Set that towel aside and pull out the "waistband" towel. First, cut off the hems around all 4 sides:

Then cut your towel into 3-4 strips (if you want a thicker waistband that ties in the back) or more (if you want a thinner waistband and ties that reach around back, then back to the front). Don't cut your finger like I did (the kleenex I'm holding isn't a decorative touch...its to keep from bleeding out all over the towel!).I cut mine approx. 5 1/2" wide, to go with the pattern on the towel. You will be folding them in half and sewing one edge, so keep that in mind when you decide how wide to cut them:

Right sides together, sew the strips end to end to make one long piece of fabric:

Fold the strip in half, right sides together, and press with your iron. Then sew along the raw edge (but leave the two end open):

Attach a safety pin to one end, and begin pushing it through the tube towards the other end to turn it right-side out (notice I'm still holding the kleenex...do NOT...I repeat do NOT try to wipe off your brand new rotary cutter with a napkin and your finger...):

Once the whole tube is right-side out, iron it flat, with your seam all the way to one side, then topstitch along all 4 sides to keep it laying flat (tuck in the two ends and sew down):

Pull out the skirt piece and machine baste along the top (remove the pins as you go!) to secure the pleats:

Lay the sash/waistband face down; find the center. Now lay the skirt part down on the sash (face down), matching the centers. Pin the two pieces together, aligning the skirt along the bottom seam of the sash. Stitch, taking care to backstitch several times at the ends:

Iron the whole thing, then put it on:

Now go feel sassy.

Stay tune for more apron tutorials later this week!

A little scrappin'...and a little sewin'...

2009-03-02T12:59:00.004-07:00

I have lots of fun stuff to share with you! I've been on a sewing kick lately...potholders, couch pillows and aprons. I'll post some instructions for everything this week! As usual, they're cheap, quick and CUTE projects!

Part of my sewing craze has involved making some gifts:

15 Minute Aprons out of dishtowels with my kids:

Fun aprons out of fun dishtowels (go Target!) for me:

AND, I finally got my scrapbooking layouts done for the MemoryWorks February Express Kit (yeah, I know - just in time for March!)

Whew! I've been a busy girl! If you want to make some aprons along with me later this week, you'll need some fun dishtowels/tea towels (Target had some REALLY cute ones on an endcap display for about $6 for two...the towels I used for my kids were on clearance for about $1 a piece) -- 2 coordinating towels for a "Mom" apron, and 1 for each "Kid" apron, plus some ribbon (for the kids) and thread/sewing machine. Have your iron and ironing board ready...and that's about it!

Check back soon for the first Apron Tutorial (there will be FOUR different styles!).

Giveaway at V & Co.!

2009-03-02T07:48:00.002-07:00

Vanessa over at V & Co. posted a fantastic giveaway! Check it out here

She's giving away a couple of Moda HoneyBuns...and as you all now know, Moda pre-cuts are my latest creative obsession! And...since I have Vanessa to thank for getting me hooked...its only appropriate that I WIN SOME MODA from her, right? (somehow I don't think that me saying that will help me win...but still!)

Stay tune later today (hopefully) for some new scrapbook layouts and some super-fun sewing projects - my dining room table has been covered in fabric for a week now, so of course I have to share what I've been up to!

Make a Super Fast Chubby Potholder!

2009-02-21T18:39:00.008-07:00

I'm in the middle of "revitalizing" my living room, dining room and kitchen. Case in point: My nasty 10 year old potholders...yeah...not so cute! So - nasty potholders + some brand new Moda charm packs = new potholders!

I do not have the patience to get too tricky with my sewing projects...so if you're too much of a perfectionist (for some reason, my perfectionist tendencies end when I start sewing...go figure!), this project probably isn't for you...but if you need a quick, fun little something - give it a try!

This is what I made with my daughters today:

Cute, huh? If you'd like to try to make some yourself, all you need for each one are:
*One 10"x10" fabric square (mine are from a Moda Tranquility layer cake)
*Four 5"x5" squares (we mixed and matched from Moda charm packs - Zippidy Doo Dah, Cotton Blossoms and American Primer)
*Two layers of approx. 10"x10" batting (I just used the cheap stuff from WalMart - no use wasting expensive stuff on potholders!)
*One 5" length of coordinating ribbon
*Thread, sewing machine and/or serger

1.) Place 2 of the 5x5 squares right side together, sew along one edge (scant 1/4"...I serged mine). Repeat with the other 2 squares.

2.) Line up the two pieces from step 1, face to face, as shown and sew scant 1/4" (or serge) along one edge to create a large square:

3.) Iron all your pieces so the seams lie flat:

4.) Make a "quilt sandwich" by layering the 10x10 square on the bottom (right side down), then the 2 pieces of batting, then the other piece (right side up). Line up the corners of the fabric as best you can (the top square will be slightly smaller than the bottom square):

My stack of "sandwiches":

5.) With your sewing machine (this part won't work on the serger!), sew through all layers along the seams on the top piece. Its much easier to keep it from puckering if you sew one long line first, then do the cross-line in 2 sections, starting from the center and working to each outer edge:

6.) Fold the ribbon in half and tack down to the center of one of the sides, with the loop pointing towards the center of the potholder:

7.) If you want to, stick a couple pins along the edges to keep the layers together. This is the part where you can be as tricky or simple as you want. I did the "fast and furious" method - I just serged all the edges. You could also make a binding (like quilting) or use some sort of pre-made edging on it:

All done!

I made these over-sized on purpose - they're bigger to accomodate an entire pot bottom if you have something sitting on it...or you can fold it in half and its a great size for picking things up:

Total time (not counting cutting fabric...the Moda stuff saves a LOT of time since its pre-cut!) - about 10 minutes per potholder!

Let me know if you give it a try and what you do to make yours prettier than mine:) I might do something with the edges of mine later...

Quick Projects for Valentine's Day!

2009-02-12T08:23:00.012-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Here are a couple of ideas for those of you who have forgotten (GASP!) to get a little something for your sweetie, or who need a cheap and fast idea to dress up something you already picked up!

Candy Box Card

This is so cheap and easy, its not even funny...all you need to do is get one of those 4-piece chocolate heart-shaped candy boxes at the grocery store (cost: $1.50) - you could do a bigger one, of course, but the small ones are fun for a card - take off the plastic wrapper and make a card on the top of it. Just fold a piece of paper in half and trace the shape of the box lid on it, leaving the fold on one edge so the two layers open up like a card. Glue it on and decorate it!

I used the MemoryWorks February Express Kit to decorate mine...seriously this was a great kit - packed with lots of "extras" and fun paper!

If you want to cover the sides of the box, as shown above, just cut a piece of paper the width of the box (this one was just under 1"), then wrap it around the box, just tacking it down with a couple of glue dots on the BOTTOM half of the box. That way you'll still be able to open and close the box. It wouldn't be so cute to have the box glued shut...maybe for April Fool's Day...

You can decorate the inside, too:

Wouldn't this be fun for Mother's Day, or an anniversary, or even a get-well gift? How nice would it be to get something like this when you're in the hospital after having a baby?! And it takes no longer to make than a regular card! And if you wanted to get really tricky...you could make a whole mini-album to stick to the top (or inside the box) rather than just a card.

Valentines

I made these with the February Express Kit, also. These are "mini-cards", only about 2x3 inches after they're folded - perfect for cute little valentines!

This one is made out of a Heidi Swapp file folder (I think they're about 4x6 or so...?). The idea here is to slide pictures or a gift certificate of something fun inside:

And while I'm at it...this one isn't a valentine, but since I made it at the same time, with the same materials, I'll share this one, too!

And for those of you who think I made a card for "Steve" or a "stove", like my husband thought when he saw it, it says, "S T * V...miss U" on it. Get it?

Strawberries Dipped in Kisses

Have you tried the new Special Dark Hershey's Kisses? YUM! They are really, really good - not too sweet, but without the typical bitter dark chocolate aftertaste. Just unwrap a few (1-2 per strawberry, depending on how big your strawberry is) and pop them in the microwave until melted, stirring frequently. Dip strawberries in chocolate (or drizzle on top) and let cool on a wire rack. Feed to your sweetie in a seductive manner:)

Sweet Heart Pillows

You can make these out of fabric scraps (or Moda charm packs) in 5-10 minutes for each one. Use whatever you've got on hand to be your heart template - cookie cutter, Coluzzle template, cut one with your cricut...or just cut a shape out of a piece of paper!

Trace heart on the wrongsides of 2 pieces of fabric, cut out. Place right sides together and sew around entire heart EXCEPT for about 2 inches on one side. Clip corners/curves and turn right-side out through the 2 inch gap you left. Stuff with fiberfill, then slipstitch the hole closed. If you're feeling particularly tricky, you can then decorate your hearts by handsewing or glue-gunning ric rac, flowers, buttons, etc. on your hearts.

I thought these would be cute with a bunch of them in a basket as a centerpiece, or one on each plate at a place setting, or even strung together to make a cute 3-D garland across your mantel or window.

**You'll notice that I don't have a picture of *mine* yet...that is because....

I have jumped on the Moda Fabric bandwagon and just ordered a bunch of charm packs and layer cakes...including a Valentine's Day themed charm pack...but alas, they haven't arrived yet. SO SAD! I was hoping to make myself a cute V-day table runner and/or place mats or something, as well some of those little heart pillows, but I'm too late for this year. I just can't bring myself to make holiday related sewing projects AFTER the given holiday- I've got to wait 6 months and then its BEFORE the next holiday again! So, I guess I'll save that project for next year!

For the Kids: Castle Valentine's Box

I just had to share this project that I did with my 7 year old daughter for a school contest (which she won!). I helped her cut out shapes with my cricut machine and demonstrated how to use the stamps, etc. - but by and large, she did most this herself! You could use anything you have on hand - die cuts, stickers, stamps, coloring pages, even stamps!

Treat Yourself!

If you feel the need to give yourself a Valentine's Day gift, here are a couple of fun deals I found this week:

**Fabric Depot is having a great sale on Moda fabric pre-cuts - pick up some really cute charm packs, layer cakes (10" squares) etc. for up to 40% off! This was cheaper than ebay! Hopefully mine will be here next week...I'm going to try to make some table runners and couch pillows out of them!

**MemoryWorks has some really cute Valentine's Day stuff in the online boutique. There is also a spring cleaning sale going on - check through your favorite products for lower prices!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Monday Madness: Wood Decorations

2009-02-09T10:14:00.006-07:00

Obviously we've not had a real "smooth" couple of weeks around my house...so imagine how much it cheered me up to get this cute present in the mail today! My dear friend Ashli has got mad skills with the bandsaw. I've tried to cut things out with jigsaws and bandsaws and I am NO GOOD at it! Luckily if I really feel like making something out of wood, I can defer my cutting to my husband the shop teacher. But Ashli...Ashli does it all by herself, does it well, and with 4 little kids running around underfoot. You should see all the fun things she makes for her house!

At Christmas time, I had her make these candy canes for me:

Super cute, huh? (Note: I didn't "pose" the candy canes into some sort of lame still life...I just took a picture of them where they were!)

Ashli sells some of her fun creations in her etsy shop. My favorite is a "Welcome" sign that has different pieces for the different seasons...but I don't see it in her shop at the moment...so I guess you'll have to check back later and see if she makes another one!

Thanks, Ashli - you totally made my day!

I'm still waiting for the "real life" to quit bugging me for a while and my "dream life" to kick in...

2009-02-06T19:33:00.004-07:00

Still waiting for that moment to tell you about something creatively fantastic...I just got home from spending 4 days in the hospital with our 8 week old baby, who unluckily contracted RSV. I'm home now...and DYING to make something cute. Our hospital room was of a (sadly, newly redecorated) 80's kitchen throw-back decor. We're talking blue faux-bows made out of wood holding up the "decorative" shelves here. All it needed was a wooden goose that some 14 year old girl made at summer camp and we'd have been in business. And since I spent most of the 4 days sitting in an oxygen tent nursing, I had PLENTY of time to sit and think about all the wonderful things I want to make in the upcoming weeks...

So wish me luck - I'll be spending the next few days with can of lysol in one hand and a box of kleenex in the other - then just as soon as I can con all the little ones into a nap at the same time...I'm going to MAKE SOMETHING, by golly!!

This is the "real life" part...

2009-02-02T17:15:00.002-07:00

No, I haven't disappeared into the outer reaches of bloggerdom - I just have 4 sick kids! Stay tuned in the next day or two for a few of the things I made for my daughter's Princess Birthday Party!

Chocolate, anyone?

2009-01-26T12:48:00.005-07:00

MemoryWorks released the "teaser" photo for the February Express kit (click on MW Express in the side bar) last week..."Cherry Chocolate" - YUM! I've gotten away from scrapbooking regularly lately, so I'm excited to get to work on this one...totally wishing it actually came with a box of chocolates, though...you know, for inspiration:)

Monday Madness: Costume edition

2009-01-26T12:25:00.010-07:00

I get my inspiration from lots of places and I want to give those people credit!

Apparently the desire to create runs in my genes...the first person I want to highlight is my MOM!

She is an amazing seamstress - she has made many wedding dresses (my own included), costumes (including outfitting several full-cast musicals), home decor items, etc. I know how to sew, but I just don't have the patience or skills to turn out the kinds of projects she does.

One of my daughters turned 5 this weekend, and for her present, Mom made her this gorgeous "real" Cinderella dress - hoop skirt and all!

(PICTURE TEMPORARILY REMOVED)

The way to any little girl's heart is with a princess dress!!

And.......without further ado.......I put strips of paper with all the names of everyone who left a comment over the weekend in a cute Valentine's bucket my daughter decorated at Girl Scouts, had her pull a name out of it.....and the winner is ASHLI! All that blog linking must have paid off - have fun with the album! I'll get it mailed off to you this week (sick kids allowing).

Freebie Friday!

2009-01-23T08:57:00.008-07:00

I have to put a little disclaimer here...not EVERY Friday will be "Freebie Friday"...but I'll try to regularly post SOMETHING free (giveaway from me, an idea for making something for free, or a link to something free) on as many Fridays as I can. Make sure you check back often to see what's going on!

On to today's freebie:

You can benefit from my clutter! I found a box the other day containing a large number of "I wonder what ever happened to that..." items. One of them was a brand new, unopened-in-the-package Chatterbox mini-album kit. These are a lot of fun -the kit has everything you need to make a cute little accordion album including the album, paper, stickers, die-cuts and some adhesive gems. You just need some glue, photos and a journaling pen! I made several of these for Christmas a few years back and had a blast making them. You can make it as fancy or simple as you want - and probably put the whole thing together in less than an hour!

This particular kit is my FAVORITE of the Chatterbox mini-albums...its from the Gazebo line - reds, blues, olive green, paisley and polka dots - so cute!

To enter the drawing for this album:

*Post a comment in this thread

*If you link this giveaway in a post on your blog, you get 3 extra entries in the drawing (please post a comment with a link to your blog so I know how many entries to give you!)

Comments must be posted between now and midnight MST Saturday January 24th (that's tomorrow!). I'll randomly choose someone (names in a hat?) and post the winner on Monday, barring any weird unforseen circumstanes. I will only mail the prize within the UNITED STATES, so sorry - if you don't live in the states, you're not eligible to enter - but you can still feel free to leave a comment!

Good luck!!

Super easy thank-you card

2009-01-22T15:37:00.012-07:00

I just had a baby, so of course I had a bajillion thank-you cards to write! I made these en masse, assembly-line style with a couple clear acrylic stamps and some leftover scrapbook supplies:
When I do a lot of stamping, I tend to go too fast and end up with weird extra marks everywhere (I'm totally Stamp Challenged and I freely admit it!!), so basically I placed the flowers to cover wherever the stray ink went!

Instructions:

*Fold 8.5"x5.5" piece of cardstock (I used Prism) in half to form a card

*Stamp circle in bottom right corner of card front. I used a Heidi Swapp acrylic journaling stamp.

*Place flower (I used some leftover Prima flowers) somewhere on the circle, covering any stray ink.

*Set an eyelet, brad or button through the center of the flower.

*Stamp "Thanks a Lot" stamp (mine was a Michael's dollar stamp) on opposite side of circle.

All done! You could dress it up by adding patterned paper to the front of the card before stamping it, or adding several small flowers instead of one big one, or even putting the stamp/flower embellishment on its own matted piece of cardstock and putting it over some coordinating paper.

Welcome to Creating In Real Life!

2009-01-22T09:38:00.003-07:00

Those who know me know that I am always up to something crafty...scrapbooking, sewing, home decorating - you name it, I've probably tried it (with varying degrees of success!). My home is filled with craft projects, homemade items and storebought things that I've added personal touches to. Some of these projects have turned out really well...others...not so much! I also have stacks of partially finished projects, boxes of unused random supplies and enough ideas to fill a book. Sound familiar?!

As a busy Mom of four children under the age of 7, I am often asked, "how do you have the time (or money) to do that?" Well, here's my secret - I'm a master of making things look harder than they really are and I'm totally cheap! And I've learned to not be too hard on myself when I've made something - a project doesn't have to come out perfect to be cute or appreciated.

So, this blog is dedicated to all those other women out there who think they can't...who think they don't have the time...or think they aren't creative enough... I'll share my projects with you (even the ugly ones!), you can share your ideas with me - and between all of us, we can work together to create beautiful homes and captured memories for our families to treasure for years to come!