Wooden Turkey

I found my inspiration for this project here:

http://wmcraftgoodies.blogspot.com/2010/11/todays-day.html

I used her example, but did things a little differently - mostly to save time/effort. I used a yard timber to give my turkey a little thicker and rounded belly. I STAMPED my sticks instead of adhering paper to them. I also dyed the nose and red-hangy-thingy (which I cut on the band saw from another tongue depressor) with my stamping ink. It took me less than 2 hours (if you don't count the glue drying time!) She explains things so well in her tutorial, I don't think you'll need any more info from me!

Give Thanks Banner

I have been wanting to make one of these for a long time, but as we don't have a mantle, I didn't think I'd have a place for it. The thought occurred to me this week that I could put it on the piano. So I got to work. This was a fairly quick project. I cut the "flags" in 3x4 rectangles and used my brayer and brown ink to distress them. Then I glued white die cut letters onto bluish circles and patterned cardstock scalloped circles. I thought they needed a little more pop, so I glued a white scalloped circle the same size under the patterned one so you could just see the scallops. Then glued these to a brown rectangle and onto the tag. To dress up the top a little, I put a 1/2" circle where I wanted to punch the holes and then punched them. I strung this on twine (can I just say that I am VERY excited that twine was on many of the crafts I looked at this week! I love the earthy look and it reminds me of my parents!) I tied little pony beads on the end of the twine to keep it under the piano top and stuck the ends in there. Once I got the spacing right, I thought it needed a little more umph, so I added ribbons, tied on to the twine randomly, between the flags. I took a close-up so you could see the specifics better. Now maybe I can resist a little longer taking down the fall decorations to put up the tree!!

What do you think? Do you think they need something else?

ASK Sign

I have been wanting to have a long sign to hang in my photo area in the living room to offset the small frames. I decided to use the opportunity of my hubby being out of town to make one myself! It started out like this:

I wanted to try Modge Podge (My new favorite craft item!! Why have I never used this before??) with letters that I cut out of paper using my Big Shot Die Cut system. So, I got to work. I cut all the letters from white cardstock.

And I needed a background. A blue one. Then it hit me, I had this shirt I'd been saving for a project....So, I cut the fabric from the back of the shirt to match the board that I found, already a good size, in my hubby's shop (Here's to hoping he didn't already have a plan for this board!)

I put on the fabric, then put on the letters, then realized I had NO IDEA what to do with the empty space. So I set it aside for a while. I came back to it when I realized I had flower die cuts too! So I cut out a bunch of flowers, and this was almost what I ended up with:

Then I emailed back and forth with my patient husband to get an opinion - I can't craft without someone else's opinion - which some of you know already! And on his suggestions I made a few changes. I modified some of the flowers with scissors for more variety - like the burst looking one was the same as the one on the upper right before my scissors got to it! And I added curlies and dots and stuff. Then we were pretty happy with it. So, I gave it a coat or two of Modge Podge, painted the edges the same color as my accent wall in the living room and added hangers. Yeah, I know you can't get the full effect with the frames turned around, but I'm not about to put my whole family on this blog! :)

My First Quilt

My husband took the kids for a couple days so I could concentrate. So they played and shopped and I locked myself into the sunroom to sew. I got the inspiration for this quilt from a blog that I follow called Home Joys. I gathered denim from all the grandparents and cut these squares months ago, but was waiting for a time to sew them, and my hubby allowed me to concentrate on it this weekend. First, I set all the squares out in a random pattern that I liked.





















Then I layered the top square, a square of an old sheet and another denim square for the back. I sewed it to the next square (layered) with the seam exposed on the top. My sister had given me a tip ages ago to sew a line together, then another line together, then sew the lines to each other. This is what I did.























When finished, I put it in the dryer to unravel. Unfortunately, it did not do as I would have liked, so I'm hand-unraveling it. Me and my ripper will be boosom buddies before this job is finished! I anticipate that I'll just go and unravel a few rows when I have time. I am so glad to give him this quilt of heritage and warmth! I hope he grows to love it and it's meaning!

Pallet Book Shelf

I found this Pallet Shelf on a website this month, and immediately wanted to make it for our little guy's room. He's really into construction, as all little boys are. Here is our version:

I started this shelf with my husband not at home, but when I restarted with him at home, he jumped in to help. And boy am I glad he did! This was NOT A 5 minute job! It took us an entire evening together, after I had worked a whole nap time on it too.

Anthropologie Copy

I attempted to copy the Verevine Necklace from Anthropologie, because I thought it was beautiful, but would NOT spend $42 on it!

I tried a bunch of different things, had a lot of things I had to re-do, but this was the final product. My knock-off:

I took the photo on two different shirts to let you see it well.





While I am aware that mine looks nothing like theirs, except in general structure, I am pleased with the final product. Now I just have to have enough guts to wear the thing!

Kanzashi Butterfly Ornament

I have started working on Christmas ornaments! I like to give a different one each year and I am bound & determined to have them finished for the season. This is not the one I'm making to give everyone, and I had never made one of these, so I thought I'd share a photo:

It is made with fabric, using a kanzashi fold. The larger wings are simply a larger square of fabric. Then you put a string through the wings at the bottom (order: small, lg, lg, small) the same way you would a kanzashi flower petal and they gather together to make the shape of the butterfly. I hot glued on a piece of black cording I had that is kind-of flat and put a hanging string through the back of one of the large wings.

I know I hung it on a pineapple plant...I do like to put my Christmas tree up early....but even I can't do it this early!

Happy Birthday Taylor!

I made these for the 15 year old across the street's birthday party today. I hope she actually likes them and wears them! :)

Crochet "O"

My mom had a framed filet crochet "O" that my sister made in her bathroom. It was backed with a peach floral fabric to match her bathroom, but after their recent remodel of the bath, it no longer matched. I told Mom that I'd take it and make it match her brown bath. This is what I came up with.

I took the cardboard out of the frame and used a roller to roll brown ink all over to give a leathery appearance to the backing. Then cut the fancy corners with the cuttlebug Mom had given me a while back. Then put it all together. It was a pretty easy project, and I love taking something that is no longer useful (did not match) and making it beautiful again! I hope she likes it!

Pink Earrings

I made these the same as the green pair in the last post, but different size ring and different beads. I am liking these earrings! Especially since it is so easy to customize a color! That embroidery floss is in every color imaginable!

Green Earrings

A pair of earrings that I created today. I made the green circle from getting a plastic washer and knotting around it with embroidery floss. Then topped it with beads I already had and put it on wire. Lightweight and showy. I like it!

Dainty Earrings

I think this is my favorite project of the year! I just crocheted this pair of earrings! My first completed crochet project in years. They were quick and simple, they're so light I can't tell I'm wearing them, and they're grey/silver - my fav! I bet my mom and sister will be asking me to bring some of this cool thread before I see them next week so we can make some! :)

Here's the site with the pattern for anyone who would like to try them!

http://www.jpfun.com/patterns/free/jewelry/f107008_daintyearrings.shtml

Quilled Layla

I made this to go in a Pooh themed room for a cousin of mine. I didn't want to do the actual characters, because I'm sure I couldn't make them look right, and because I thought it could be used in the room longer. I decided to go with the honey/bee theme and found a proverb about honeycomb for the bottom. Hope it matches!

Finished Curtain

My dad made this shelf/curtain rod hanger for me while he was here last weekend playing with the kids. I painted it and stapled a topper for this curtain and my hubbie hung it on the wall on Sunday. Looking good! Now I'm looking around the house for some fun, decorative things to put on it. I was thinking some little monkey figures would be cute....

Paper Cutting

I tried my hand at a new craft yesterday. I was again inspired by a library book, so I brought it home. I tried to get my husband to try this craft with me, but he was totally UN-inspired! :) The book recommended you start with scraps of low-quality paper so you won't be upset when throwing them away because you won't like the first things you make. So, during quiet time yesterday - one hour - I took a paper bag that I'd gotten while shopping the day before, my little scissors from the kitchen, and cut these shapes.

I did not trace a pattern, but looked at the pictures in the book as I cut and didn't throw one of them away! I was so proud when our daughter came out of quiet time and named them. She could tell what they all were....except the birthday candle, she thought it was an arrow.