Monthly Archives: March 2010

A brilliant idea for lost lonely single socks.

As if losing my own socks wasn’t enough, then there was a husband’s socks for me to lose.  Now there’s 2 little ones and more socks I have to keep tracks of!!  So I’ve been keeping this little pile of lonely socks lying around for months ‘just in case’ the other sock reappears.  Then I had an idea.  Wednesday I brought home a paper box from work and started my project.

I cut off part of the box to make it angled to sit on the floor nicely.  With a Sharpie I drew some big circles on it, I was going to make flowers but then I figured two boys would probably go for something a little less girly.  So I turned the circles into mouth of goofy looking aliens.  They’re sort of our family, a big daddy alien, a eyelashed mommy alien, a boy alien and a little baby alien.

Cut out the holes with a blade or sharp knife.  Then I painted them in, while watching LOST.  I just used craft paints, nothing special.

Back to the pile of socks, pictured here.  I also used a lonely single scratch mitten since we don’t need those anymore.

Since, coincidentally, I had been researching bean bag fillings I decided to use rice.  You can rinse them and air dry, if it breaks open it’s pretty easy to clean and if Nate did try to eat it no big deal.  The socks were pretty easy to fill, I just used a spoon and sewed them shut with the machine since it was fast, hand sewing would work.  Cut off the excess sock and you’re ready to go.

I hoped for an action shot today but it was harder to get than I thought.  Wesley turned the game box into a machine and was driving it around the house while stacking the ‘bubbles’ (aka the socks) in a pile in a corner of the kitchen.  Oh well, the point was for them to have fun and they did.

Stitched cardigan.

Went thrifting a while ago looking for things for my Style School assignments, idea by Elsie.  I found a cute little green cardigan with sort of flared sleeves and hideous buttons.  I’ve had it around for a bit because I couldn’t decide what to embroider on it.  Then I figured I couldn’t go wrong with a cupcake!

I wanted to do a silhouette sort of thing so first I Googled images of cameos to find something to base a frame on.  My blue wash out fabric marker didn’t really show up too well on the green sweater so I had to free hand here and there.  I’m happy with the frame and cupcake outline but once I took the hoop off and slipped it on I’m not sure I’m happy with the placement of the design.  It’s a little low I think and not very crest-like, more breast-like!  Might have to do some restitching tomorrow.

I won something!!!

I won a spot in the Finally Easter class!!

This is so fun! It could also be a bad thing. Sometimes I don’t bother to enter contests online because I don’t want to fill my blog with entry posts, or I’d rather spend the time crafting. This may change my mind.

Friday’s productivity.

This was my pile of crafts and related to dos that I brought up to the kitchen table figuring I could get more done upstairs while home with the kids.

Considering we spent the morning at a drop in play, stopped at Staples, came home for Nate’s nap, and I took the kids to indoor play for about 1 1/2 this evening I had a pretty productive  creative day!  They didn’t have baths like I planned but a load of laundry got done, the dishwasher was unloaded and reloaded and dinner was made . . . wait! I even swept and mopped the floors!

I finished this Style School project from way back when.  I found the clip board while poking around in a drawer and it was perfect for what I wanted.

I got a start on the bean bags I’ve been wanting to make for the kids.  Had the letters cut out for a while, so I was able to stick them to my Steam-a-Seam and line them up on the fabric.  Didn’t actually get to the iron yet, which is in the basement.  See I get things done upstairs!

I’m still unsure about what to use as a filling.  I suppose taking things too literally, I assumed I would just go to Bulk Barn and get beans.  Then I did some reading online and now I’m unsure.  Rice was suggested on one site, even going far enough to say you can wash rice and just air dry it and all will be fine.  Not too sure about that one.  So I’ll research more before the actual filling of the bags.

Didn’t actually mail my Happy Mail envelopes yet but they’re mostly ready to go.  I did send off the little card/note that is to go first.  Put them in a mailbox and everything!  Went to Fabricland and got some interfacing and minky stuff for more baby blankies.  I bought sticker paper at Staples and printed the fun free designs Elsie gave us at the end of Style School.  I jazzed up the binder I used for that class and updated it since I’m going to use it for Indie 2.0.  I tracked down a tote bag I’ve been looking for.  I didn’t get to embroidering my thrift store cardigan, carving more stamps or embroidering the cover for Nate’s counting book but I’d say I had a pretty darn good day!

OH! and this is my second post today!

Teehee

I’ve been having way to much fun lately. The online crafty/creative community is so fun and I’ve been discovering fun and neat things everyday. Because of RVA I found Peptogirl, only to be paired up with her for Style School buddies. So of course I ended up ordering some of her fun embroidery patterns. Then I created with them, then I ordered a kit too . . . I’ve discovered FreckledNest and besides being a dork and reading it from the beginning, which took a loooong time, I participated in the super neat pincushion swap. I also found NieNie’s blog poking around LA’s and I can’t believe what a remarkable woman, wife and mother Stephanie is. If you have time her blog is worth the read, especially if you go back to read her struggles recovering from the plane crash they were in.

I secretly mailed my Style School buddy a pin cushion, even though she got a really cool one in the swap. She got this really cute little toadstool mushroom thingie and I was lame and followed the pattern pretty much exactly. Then I had an ‘incident’ while trying to use rick rack (I swear that stuff is out to get me) and discovered it’s wonkiness when I turned it right side out. But I figured ‘oh well’ it was still made with her in mind and I put thought into it so I’d send it off anyway. She emailed me yesterday, it got there, she likes it.

Another online class perhaps? And surprises in the mail!

I’m already on my second online crafty sort of class for 2010 so why not add another one.  This class is happening and seems like fun.  So I’m blogging about it on the off chance I get lucky and win a free spot!

In other fun news today I got mail!!! My lovely pin cushion arrived thanks to LA’s swap. My partner was Brandy of Pinkzombies. She sent me my cute new pin cushion and some other fun goodies. I really like the ‘boys are yucky pin’.

My newest idea, and a thrift find!

I was struck with an idea last night while in the kitchen with the kids.   I think it might have been inspired by my sewing machine cover on my chair.  I had the idea to make a little pouch thingie for the back of the kitchen chairs to store some creative supplies within arms reach of my son when he’s sitting down.  I also figured it would come in handy once he’s at school for completing homework, we can keep pencils and other supplies right there and not have to worry and fumble around looking for things.  So I went to my trusty sewing machine once the kiddies were in bed and whipped this up,

I still need to play with the design a bit, I’d like it to roll up and be portable so you could grab it and go, in the van, to Grandma’s off to the park, whatever. I’m hoping to make it fairly universal so it would fit almost any kitchen or dining room chair. It attached with ribbon that I just tied, thought that was more universal than sewing loops. The fabric is from IKEA, I wanted something kid friendly but not too loud and obnoxious for the kitchen. I have no idea how one is supposed to make a pattern but I relied on my trusty chart graph paper and sketched and cut a template out yesterday while the kiddies ran about.

It’s a very high tech process. Hopefully I can get to making a second one tomorrow.

In unrelated news, every other Tuesday I have my ‘night out’ with my bff! Lately I’ve taken to dragging her to thrift stores. Last Tuesday I found this and loved it!

It reminds me of my Nanny and all my summers spent at the trailer at the lake. Trailers and cottages always seem to have random vintage/retro stuff in them like this. Plus my Nanny, like most Grandparents, was happy to keep things around as long as they still worked, even if they were older than me. My favourite was the avocado green electric knife she had that didn’t actually turn off unless you unplugged it from the wall . . . because that’s safe!! I miss you Nanny, thanks for teaching me to knit and showing me how to cook a turkey, love you.

Another project from the other night.

The night I managed to get 4 projects done this was the second one, a baby lap taggie blanket.  I made these for my son about 4 years ago before he was born and I’ve been making them since to give as baby gifts.  They’re the perfect size for in the stroller or car seat.  Something to keep their legs a little bit warm, or out of the sun, and it has fun tags to play with.

I really like the cute little marbel print on this one.  In the past I’ve used fleece for the inside, this was the first time I tried that super soft minky stuff.  It was a bit of a pain to work with but it is waaay nicer to touch.

I was at a baby shower yesterday and along with the adorably cute baby girl clothes I shopped for I added in a pink taggie blankie I had made.  I was flattered when it was the only gift passed around the room and everyone ‘ooohhh’ed and ‘ahhhh’ed over it.