Wyatt Crafty Tries

Fun with a book!

2010-09-10T17:46:00.000-05:00

My dad is an avid reader. He goes through times that he reads almost a book a day. That said, you can't just buy him a book for his birthday or a holiday. The other day I was in the Goodwill store and they where having a great sale on their books. 5 for $1.00. I picked up a book for my dad...sure enough, he had read it.
So, what to do with a book he had already read that was a great deal?

Have any of you ever watched the movie "The Shawshank Redemption"? Remember what was hidden in the bible? Yeah, I got that idea.

I decided to keep some pages free at the beginning of the book and use the rest to make a secret compartment. First I put a piece of wax paper after my last page of "free" section and after real last page (in front of the back cover). I then used my mod podge to glue the pages between the wax paper together. After you apply one coat, let it dry with other books or something heavy sitting on top of it. This will insure the pages are pushed together while they dry. Add a second or third coat. Then you can begin to carve out the inside. Let me just say that this is not any fun. I have kept all the page pieces to use on other project as well.

Once I finish carving out the inside, I will mod podge the inside. I will use sand paper to make sure the sides are smooth. I might even paint the inside with acrylic paint just for a "pop."

I will show you some of the other crafts that have come out of this project!

I have two days a week that both kids are in a program at church. Yay for me time!!

Thanks for coming by,

Butterfly Hole Punch 2

2010-07-22T10:50:00.000-05:00

My daughter and I go to the dollar store at least once a week. On our weekly trip I ran across some long frames that I thought would be perfect for a project I had in mind. A while ago I saw this (butterflies in a frame) project featured on the blog One Pretty Thing. (Which I check on almost a daily basis.)

One more thing: Whenever I go to Home Depot, I always have to go by the paint section. I am not really sure why, but it is my favorite. On one of my trips I brought home a booklet with paint ideas for different rooms. I loved the ideas...then I got one more.

I began to punch out butterfies using the paint idea book. There where some beautiful textures and color combinations. The resulting butterflies are stunning. I LOVE them.

The mat in the frame needed to have the dividers removed. I then cut wrapping paper to fit the frame.

Finally, I used small glue dots to place the butterflies. Of course, I am a bit of a freak about them being equidistant. I printed off a table from my word processing software and used it as a guide to punch the holes I needed.

I will take a picture when I put it up and add it here. I also need to finish the second frame. So, keep an eye out for new pictures.

Thanks!!

Butterfly Hole Punch!

2010-07-20T14:46:00.002-05:00

I found a Martha Stewart butterfly punch while I was at either Ross or Marshall's. The price was about $4.00. I picked it up not really knowing what would come of it, but seeing lots of fun in my future.

I had atempted to make a light canvas, but it did not come out like I wanted...so there will be no pictures here. Of course, I had make holes in the canvas to push the lights through. This left a "ruined" canvas. I did not have the heart to throw it away and throught maybe I could just cover the whole canvas in paper once inspiration hit.

Well, call the butterfly hole punch inspiration!! I found it really hard to take a picture of it on the wall. The only time that room gets full light it early morning, and I always forget to take a picture then.

I have some really pretty scrapbook paper. Some of the flowers have glitter on them. I punched out butterflies from a solid color sheet as well. I then just used some hot glue to put butterfies over the holes left from the lights.
Here are some closeups.

I have a few more ideas brewing...stay tuned!!

Thanks for coming by,

Been away

2010-06-27T21:49:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I haven't posted anything in so long. This time of year tends to be really busy for us. Our son's birthday is in May. Our daughter's is in June. Then of course, we have a niece who was born the day after our daughter. My son has a best friend who also had a birthday in June. SOOO I am oficially "birthdayd" out.
Don't get me wrong, I love throwing my children's parties. I love to decorate, make goody bags and the food! I am the kind of person who buys things all year long to go into the goody bags. I begin planning the next year's party as soon as the party is over. I love having the parties at our house. I love having family from out of town make it in for one of our parties. I am just relieved that we are done for this year.
Now it is time for me. I would like to open an etsy store this fall. Come September, I will have 2 days a week when both kids are at preschool for 5 hours. This will be the perfect time for me to really focus on what I want to do. I told my husband that before I open my store, I really want to have more "stock."
Now you know why I have been away. I hope to have a new post once a week from here on out.

thanks for coming by

New Stuff I Have Done

2010-05-16T00:29:00.000-05:00

When I came across this tutorial for Clothespin Dolls, I was in love. (Thank you Going Sew Crazy for the tutorial!) I think these will be really cute as a take home for my daughter's birthday party coming up in mid June. I plan to put a little candy in their "hands" or maybe a "thank you for coming" note.

I picked up a jewelry box from goodwill for $3.00 the other day. There was not really anything wrong with it, but I wanted to give it an "adult" update. I need to add the ribbon around the front and bottom to be done. I am really happy about how it has turned out.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Like always, I have more stuff I am working on.

Thanks for coming by!

Busy...busy...busy

2010-05-14T17:20:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I have posted anything. We have been busy little bees. My son just turned 4 and my daughter is about to turn 2. I love big birthday parties, which require some work. I have a couple of things I want to show you, but have not uploaded the pictures yet. The weather man says it will rain tomorrow so I should have time to get some stuff done.

I also got a really nice camera for Mother's Day. The Olympus e600. I LOVE Olympus. I can't even tell you when I got my first Olympus. My 4 year old takes pictures with my old stylus which is a 4 megapixel.

I *heart* this camera!

Please keep an eye out for some updated crafts done!!

Thanks!!

Spring Petal Bag

2010-03-26T20:31:00.000-05:00

I picked up this bag at the dollar store a while back with all the intentions of making another petal bag. I found a really cute dress for my little one yesterday and finally got motivated to make the bag.

The process is simple and inexpensive. The bag was $1.00, the petals where also $1.00. The bead trim I had on hand, but could have easily used ribbon.

I glued the petals right onto the bag using hot glue. I staggered the rows.When I got as far up the bag as I wanted to go, I trimmed the petals even. I then glued some pearl bead trim I had sitting around.

It took me no more than 45 minutes.

We're using for Easter eggs tomorrow!!

Thanks for coming by,

Use for Extra Stuff

2010-03-23T16:39:00.001-05:00

I got new jeans a while back and happened to keep the hem. (It was about 2 inches.) I had thought that maybe I would make a headband. Looking around the blog world, I began to notice the "fabric flower" trend.

I trimmed the cut end so that it was even. I then hand sewed a running stitch with a knot at the end. I pulled it tight and got a flower!! I then added some buttons in the center. All I have to decide now is if I want to put them on hair clips or headbands.

Another little tid bit. I find myself facinated by empty dvd towers. The last one I had I covered the inside with tissue paper and added a battery operated tea light. With the short tower I finished the other day I had an "aha" moment. There are two cords I use all the time. My ipod cord and the camera cord. They usually are found under the mess on my desk or next to the tower. I coiled them and put them in the tower: PROBLEM SOLVED. It made me smile!!

(I am thinking of cutting holes into the sides so that I don't ever have to open it to use the cords, but can just pull the end out.)

Two post in one day!!

Smile often,

Flower Lantern

2010-03-23T15:49:00.001-05:00

I saw a paper lantern "makeover" on craftynest. They show the large lanterns redone. I marked it as something I wanted to remember for future use.

Today at the dollar store, I found a paper lanterns with battery tea light and decided to try it out.

HOW TO:

materials-
1 paper lantern
3 flower stems
hot glue
string and tac (to hang)

Assemble the paper lantern. (I hung mine from my kitchen cabinet so that I could work on it.)

Take the backs of the flowers. Glue the center and petals together. Trim the back off the center so that it is flat.

Glue the flower to the lantern. Make sure the flower petals overlap. Glue some of the petals to the lantern where the flower petals fall away too far.

To further fill the space, trim extra flower petals and glue them in where needed. Use them to fill where the lantern images are easily seen.

WHAT I LEARNED:
* Next time I will use smaller flowers. That way can cover the lantern completely. (Like craftynest.)
* I will use lighter colored flowers as well. My lantern had print on it so I needed to cover it, but I think yellow flowers would look really cute as well.
* The lantern I purchased had a tea light that changes color, so having some of the original lantern show was a good idea.
*The whole project took a little over an hour, but next time it should go faster.
* In order for these to be table top, the flowers should not be so close to the bottom.

The tea light changes colors so I tried to take some pics where you could see that. Sorry for the blur, I could not get my camera to cooperate. (purple, red and green)

Thanks for stopping by!!

Quick Pillow/ Stuffy Tutorial

2010-03-14T22:31:00.000-05:00

I was in Walmart the other day. I was looking at some t-shirts when my little one got hold of one that had Kai-lan on it. Of course, the t-shirt was a size 6 and my daughter is 19 months. She just hugged on it and would not let it go.

That of course gave me an idea when I got home. I made her a Kai-lan pillow out of the t-shirt. I was surprised by how cute it came out and how quickly I got done. Here's how.

Need:
t-shirt
sewing machine
stuffing

Here is the t-shirt I started with:

Turn the t-shirt inside out and pin it together.

I traced a line around the image about half an inch away. This was my sewing line. I pinned along the line so that the shirt did not move. Then just sew, but make sure to leave an opening so that you can turn the shirt inside out. (the picture below is of the shirt sewn.)

Next cut away the excess shirt. I left a little less than half an inch. Also be sure you clip into the excess, being careful not to cut a stich, so that the curves are smooth when you turn it inside out. I forgot to take pictures of this step or when I turned it inside out.

Once it is inside out, stuff and then stitch your opening closed. My little one loved it so much, she took her nap with it.

The whole process took me less than half an hour. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I am very new to sewing so if I can do it, anyone can!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Wall Art

2010-02-19T15:33:00.000-06:00

I found this great site called Wordle. I have seen images like these before, but had no idea how they where made. Yesterday I played on this site for over an hour. Then inspiration hit - I should make one of these for my kids.

They came out WONDERFUL so I have to share.

(I am going to paint the frame pink.)

Materials:
paper (resume paper I had laying around)
8x10 picture frame (dollar store)
computer & printer

On wordle I entered each child's name in all capital letters, about 7 times. A word detected more often will be enlarged. I then entered lots of descriptive words for my kids in lower case. For example, my little girl was "sweet, diva, smile, princess." You get the idea.

Once you enter the words, the next stage has to do with the way the final product will look. You can change the font, the orientation of the words, and the color scheme. I found I could not select what color specific words where. (If you find this out, let me know.) Also, there are set color schemes you can use or you can customize your own. I wanted all pink tones for my daughter so I had to find a website that would give me the code for the colors I wanted. In comes this Hex Color Code Generator. I selected the pink tones on the spectrum, found the color scheme suggested, and entered them into wordle.

Once you have the image how you like it, you only have two options: print or save to gallery. I printed mine on some nice resume paper I had left over from my other life.

I purchased an 8x10 picture frame from the dollar store. I took the stand off the back so that I could place it on the wall without the bulk.

Now all you have to do is trim the printed image, reassemble the frame and hang it up. YOU ARE DONE!

I hung mine on their doors using Command Picture Hanging Strips.

As I was falling asleep last night I realized this would make a great wedding gift for a friend. I am going to put in their names with words to describe them and marriage. I also have one made for our family. I have a feeling this site will be on my "go to" list for quick, inexpensive gifts!

I hope you have an much fun as I did.

Thanks for coming by!!

It's COLD outside

2010-02-12T22:52:00.000-06:00

We had a record breaking snow fall yesterday here in the DFW area of North Texas. 12 1/2 inches!!

Of course, living in Texas, my daughter does not have a winter hat. I always have fleece laying around. I like to buy inexpensive fleece blankets to cut up when I want to try a pattern.

I went online to find a pattern for a fleece hat for my little girl. I did not find a pattern that I liked. Then I thought about a scarf. Through the magic of internet I ran across a "hooded scarf." On about.com I found a great pattern.

Like always, the great thing about fleece is that you don't have to finish the edges. I did add some ribbon around the hood to be tied around the neck. I spent more time ironing the ribbon in half and pinning into place than sewing it.

Great quick project, easy to follow instructions and beginner sewing skills OK. How great would this look with a pom pom on the top, or ribbon around the whole scarf, or in PINK!!

Thanks for reading!!!

Working on

2010-02-11T19:26:00.000-06:00

I am currently working on another mobile. I saw this butterfly mobile in a Babies r Us ad I got in the mail.

Valentine Cards

2010-02-09T19:34:00.001-06:00

I know I am not the only one that is watching their wallets this year. For my son's school, he needs 22 cards for Valentines Day. The other day I found this wonderful option. Thank you to the Long Thread for sharing.
If you have little kids, you probably have more crayons that you need. What a wonderful way to put them to work.

I did not have a heart mold when I began. I was walking through Target and spotted some ice trays for $2.50. They where made out of silicone, but did not have a label which stated they where dishwasher safe. I was wondering since I planned to put them in the oven. So I looked online for the general degree resistance of silicone. Sure enough, it would take a ton of heat to melt them.

I put them in the oven at 250 degrees and they came out fine. Also, I did this more than once. The first time I made the crayon hearts, I used rose art crayons. Those came out with a wax that had floated to the top. This wax does not draw. I then used a crayola crayon. Once again, they prove why they are my favorite brand.

Let me show you some pictures:

$2.50 ice trays: probably could put some pam in the trays to make the crayon not stick so much

Finished cards. Stuck the heart on with sticky squares from the dollar store. (already on hand)

Ohh, let me share one more thing. My new favorite shoes what I got for $7 on clearance at Marshall's.

Thanks for coming by!!

Staying Busy

2010-02-03T20:46:00.000-06:00

The work on my desk has come to a stand still. It is too cold to try and stain it. I know that I would be wasting effort if I stain now. So, I am waiting for Texas weather to get back to normal. Meaning, get back to being warm in the winter.
I found this tutorial a long time ago at Make and Takes. I have actually had all the supplies on hand as well. I ordered Diamond Glaze right after I saw this. I finally got around to making some tiles. I am not going to use all of them as pendants. Some may become push pins or magnets.

Here is what I have made:

I have some other items I am working on...coming soon.

2009 Lessons Learned

2010-01-17T22:21:00.002-06:00

2009 was a little bit of a tough year. By deciding not to go back to work, I cut our annual income almost by half. The adjustment to that has been tremendous.

With that change has come a few lessons I have learned. I would like to share some resources I have found and even some people who's story I have found very moving.

Lesson 1 - Saving Money
Not using coupons is throwing away money. It takes a little bit of time, but the savings can really add up. When you combine a coupon with a store sale, you can get stuff for pennies or free. I like to buy the sunday paper every week and then I use the sites below as well.

Load coupons onto your store rewards cards:
http://www.shortcuts.com/
http://www.cellfire.com/
http://www.pgsaver.com/

Print coupons:
http://www.redplum.com/
http://www.smartsource.com/
http://www.coupons.com/

Product sites that give coupons:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/
http://www.gerber.com/
http://www.target.com/
http://www.kroger.com/
http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/

Lesson 2 - Staying Busy
I am not a fan of house work, so I like to find other things to do. I enjoy paper crafts and teaching myself to sew.

http://www.oneprettything.com/ has all kinds of craft ideas from kids to adults, from knitting to gift ideas
http://www.hp.com/hho/hp_create/ HP creative site for picture crafts and more
http://cp.c-ij.com/en/ Canon creative park has all kids of paper crafts
http://www.craftjr.com/ lots of ideas for kids
http://www.familyfun.go.com/ a great place disney crafts and recipe ideas

Lesson 3 - TV for free
Not live TV, but a great place to catch up on some shows.

http://www.hulu.com/

Lesson 4 - Pray for Others
We all have hard times, we all have our own difficulties, we all have our moments of doubt. I really believe that prayers are a powerful thing. I cannot tell you exactly how I came to find these blogs, but I did. These are a couple of the people I pray for that I have never met. Their stories have really touched me.

http://givehopetobensonandclaire.blogspot.com/
http://kendraandryanwebster.blogspot.com/

I hope 2010 has even more lessons to teach me.

Toy House

2010-01-05T22:47:00.001-06:00

My little bunny is still in diapers. We buy the large pack of diapers and wipes since we will use them, and it saves some money. The empty boxes are extremely useful for packing up toys or other items to be put out in the garage until we have a garage sale or a donation drive comes by.

Today my 1 1/2 year old and I where playing tickle with a stuffed dog. We had an empty box of huggies wipes sitting on the floor and it dawned on me. "This would be a really cute dog house."

Of course, I did not take a single picture as I was making it. When I showed it to my husband he actually liked it. My son, 3 1/2 years old, really liked it. He wanted to put ALL his stuffed animals in it. This lead me to make a house out of the box of diapers. I did take some pictures of making this, but I got lazy and began using tape instead of rubber cement.

~~I will upload some pics tomorrow so that I can explain the process.~~

This is the small dog house made out of the wipes box. As you can see, I cut out some windows on the side. I used plain printer paper, so the details of the box bleed through. If you use a heavy stock, this would not be a problem.

TUTORIAL:

supplies-

empty box

printer paper or heavy stock

glue (rubber cement works great and dries fast) or tape

scissors or exacto knife

I did not want to be picture intensive, since the process is simple.

I cut off the small lid flaps first. Then I enlarged the opening on the side all the way to the bottom to make a door.

I folded the small lid flaps and attached them to the large flaps left to make the shape of the roof. As you can see, the top part of the sides are left open. From this point I just began adding paper onto the box. Rubber cement works great. I used tape on this box because I was being lazy.

You can leave the top portion of the sides open if you would like so that the kids can see in and play with the inside. (My son insisted I cover them.) There is also a space left on the roof that can be uncovered to allow you to see in.

To cover the front I simply folded the corners of a piece of paper under the sheet for the roof and tucked the rest back into the "house."

My son put about 9 stuffed animals and toys into the large box.

Enjoy,

Furniture Re-do

2010-01-03T14:26:00.002-06:00

With the holidays, I had to clear off my dinning room table of my sewing stuff. Recently I purchased a desk on craigslist for $15. I have been been in the process of redoing the desk. I was almost finished sanding when I realized that I need to sand the inside (where your legs go) of the desk as well.
I have only been able to work on it a couple of hours every few days. Having two little ones does not make this easy work. I would let my daughter play outside while I work, but the weather has gotten cold. I was hoping to have the desk finished by the new year...oh well, maybe I can finish before the end of January. The reality is that I want my garadge back. I hate having to park in the driveway.
I did find out a couple of interesting things about the desk since I got it. The brand was sold by Sears from 1940 to the early 1960s. The hardware of the desk is brass; solid and tarnished.

So here is a picture of my desk before:

Learning from a Pattern

2009-12-17T23:14:00.001-06:00

I am teaching myself to sew, using a pattern now. I was working on making a little "smock" (for lack of a better term) for my little bit. I was working with a couple of patterns provided free online, but they where not sized like I needed them to be. In order to save the material I had, I was using fleece. Let me just say that crafting with fleece is AWSOME. You can cut it and not have to worry about finishing. Also, I got the fleece by buying a blanket from Walmart for $4.

My mother came over one day while little bit was running around with a fleece invention on. She told me to just go get a pattern. FINE. Never having used one before, I jumped right in. Well, I had to resew the seams a couple of times as I adjusted the size and length. In the end, I got what I wanted. I even sewed buttonholes. (~~Picture to come later.)~~

To top this off, I have been decorating for Christmas. We have the tree set up in the big living room, but our fire place is in the den. This makes decorating, easily, a whole house affair. Well, not this year. My 1 1/2 year old is Miss Distructo!! She keeps taking the decorations off the tree. Pulling on anything that hangs. Overall, making this year a "minimalist" decoration year. I love to put the cards we receive on the wall and made a couple of paper trees to decorate. (~~Picture to come...and if wanted, pattern as well.)~~

Here is the patten I made. I place the paper on the back side of my scrapbooking paper that is folded in half. The pattern should be 11 inches tall. I cut out three trees. I am not sure if you can tell from the picture, but two trees only have one side glued while the last tree is glued to the other two. I also shrunk the pattern so that it was only 5 inches tall, cut out four trees and glued all of them together so that it stands on a table top.

Finally, I purchased a desk from craigslist for $15. I cannot keep taking up our dining room table to sew. The desk is in a bad way. I need to sand and paint. I hope to get started this Saturday. I really would love to get it into our room before the end of the year.

Like always, I have some picture to upload of things I have done and a list of "to do" as long as ever. ~~Updates on these to come as I find the time to upload the pics.~~ Uploaded pictures on 12/22/09.

Too Cute Not to Try

2009-11-22T22:17:00.001-06:00

I am steadily working on my sewing. I finished converting a 3-6 month dress into a cute skirt for my 18 month old. I made it up as I went, so it by no way looks "professional." Considering her shirts are long enough to cover the top, it looks really cute. I may have to post a picture.

Last year I made my son one of those fleece blankets that require no sewing, but a lot of knots. I have the fleece to make my daughter one as well. This will be the project for next weekend; especially since the fleece has been in my house for a year now.

I have found that fleece is wonderful. You can cut it and do not really have to finish the edges. It will not fray. With that in mind, I came accross this blog: Mad Quilter. She states that the pattern she is providing is for 6 month olds. Well, my 18 month old is pettite. She had a doctor's appointment last week and is now up to the shocking weight of 20 lbs 5 oz. With that said, I make the smock out of a red fleece blanket I purchased at Wal Mart on sale for $4.00. It looks so cute. I have to take a picture...like always... I am considering making a second one as a christmas present for a friend. Now to find out how to adjust a pattern to a larger size. Got to love the internet!! :)

TO DO LIST

2009-11-18T12:27:00.000-06:00

I posted my TO DO LIST in October. Let me just update it:

1. ~~Finish the flower mobile for my little girl's room.~~
2. ~~Transform 4 onsies into t-shirts. (I hate the snaps on the bottom.)~~
3. Transform a couple of dresses into skirts.
4. Make pair of baby jeans from some of mine that ripped.
5. ~~Finish 4 sets of baby leggings.~~
6. ~~Do wall art for my baby girl's room.~~
7. ~~Finish some hair bows.~~ I have more I am making, but did get the ones I wanted done.
8. ~~Edit and upload pictures to Walgreens to print.~~ Also never ending, but got caught up.
9. ~~Scan high school and jr high pictures.~~
10. ~~Get the wireless router to work. (HATE working on this problem.)~~

YAY!!!! Not bad at all. I should post a list of "projects" I would like to try. That one might actually be really interesting. Maybe another day.

As for now, I will enjoy my almost completed list.

Serious Sewing

2009-11-18T12:22:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I finished a sewing project I started a few weeks ago. I found a great pattern for a purse at this blog: Artsy-crafty babe.

What is true of all people who have been sewing for a while...and know what they are doing...they make everything seem easy. Such is the case with this bag. I thought, sure I can do that. Well, I can, but it does not look as good as hers.

I am very proud of myself for starting and finishing a project I found challenging. I did not give up or decide to do something else. (I did leave off doing the "darts" on the bag...but maybe next time.) When I look at my finished project, I can see all the flaws. But then again, I guess that's what makes it truly mine. One more thing, it actually has pockets on the inside; on both sides. I did foget to add those before I put the lining together, but then again, what fun would it have been if I had done it the easy way. (I thought of something after I posted this: Maybe if I had picked a different fabric, not stripes, this would have easier. I spent so much time making sure the stripes matched up and where centered.)

BOWS BOWS BOWS

2009-11-08T19:45:00.001-06:00

Today has been a really good day. Watched some really great football. Spent some great time with the family. And got to sit and make some bows.

I am so glad I have a little girl to dress up. I think there is nothing sweeter than seeing her cute grin with a bow in her hair. I still have a bunch of bows to finish, but was able to make quite a few.

Of course, I have not loaded the pictures yet....but hey, that's something to look forward to. (UPDATE 11/9/09: Pictures uploaded - some of what I got done.)

Sewing and more stuff done

2009-11-06T14:47:00.000-06:00

I have finished the baby leggings. I have finished the flower mobile. I have finished the wall art for my daughter's room. While I have finished these, I still have more to do.

Also, I can't help but start a new project while the rest are not done. I have purchased the material to make a purse. Depending on how it turns out and how difficult it is, I am hoping to make some for Christmas.

I was at the dollar store the other day. They had these really cute thermal shirts, but only 2T and 3T. Knowing that they might run small, I purchased one of each. I got the idea from a blog...which I can't find now, but will update later. Turns out the 2T fits.

I cut one up to make ruffles...since they are all the rage. I kept changing my mind on adding them as a shirt front or around the collar. Well, the collar won. I also added a ruffle flower on the lower side of the shirt.

DONE - Flower Mobile

2009-10-27T15:28:00.000-05:00

I finished the flower mobile!!!!!!

It took longer than a couple of naps and I ended up needing to cut more flowers then I thought, but it is finished.

The cost was minimal:

$4.00 for the plant stand at Big Lots. (which is the top)

$2.00 for sticky squares at the dollar store (in stead of using glue)

$0.00 for the white paper

$0.00 for the dental floss (I used the samples my dentist gave me)

I am so happy with the result.

I purchased felt at the dollar store, who knows, I may make another one.

To DO LIST

2009-10-22T13:04:00.000-05:00

I can't help feeling a little overwhelemed today. I have so many things I really want to get finished, and can't seem to find the time. Here is my list:

1. Finish the flower mobile for my little girl's room.
2. Transform 4 onsies into t-shirts. (I hate the snaps on the bottom.)
3. Transform a couple of dresses into skirts.
4. Make pair of baby jeans from some of mine that ripped.
5. Finish 4 sets of baby leggings.
6. Do wall art for my baby girl's room.
7. Finish some hair bows.
8. Edit and upload pictures to Walgreens to print.
9. Scan high school and jr high pictures.
10. Get the wireless router to work. (HATE working on this problem.)

NOTICE how most of this is stuff to "finish?" I get started, get interrupted, and don't get back to it.

I am curious to see how long it will take me to get this list done. The only time I can really work on this stuff is nap time...so probably a year or so. hahahaha

Quick Flower Clip

2009-10-15T17:16:00.000-05:00

I wanted to put a clip in my little girls hair to cover her rubber band. The problem is, I don't have any hair bows finished. (I have a bunch started. Like an embarassing amount of them started but not finished.)

So I made her a flower hair clip. I have seen them all over and they always look so cute. I am not kidding, this took me a few minutes to make.

I had all of the supplies already. Flower, brad, clip - no glue needed.

I took apart the flower and insterted the brad through the hole.

I then put the back side of the brad through the open clip.

Flatten the brad legs and slide the flower back. That was it!!!!

Inspiration

2009-10-14T12:13:00.000-05:00

I know, I know...two blogs in one day, what is wrong with you? But this has nothing to do with the mug cake, but I did want to share my work in progress.

I saw this the other day and knew I had to have it.

(From PB Teen)

Problem is, it's $69. All I could think was "they're felt flowers...really that's how much you want me to pay?" So I am in the process of making one which has so far cost me $4.00 for a plant stand at big lots.

This is what I am dedicating nap time today and tomorrow. I hope to be finished by the end of the week. Hope to have some pictures to show soon.

Yummy - have to try

2009-10-14T11:43:00.000-05:00

SO I have this recipe I found on a blog (here it is) ...I have not tried it yet...only because I am scared I will make one of these a day and be in major trouble. But there is no harm in sharing a good thing.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE:
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoon chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the mil and oil and mix well. Add chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at high. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed. Allow to cool a little and tip out onto plate if desired. The mug is hot when removing from microwave so be careful.

More Sewing

2009-10-12T18:46:00.000-05:00

Recently, my husband cleaned out his side of the closet. Most of what he took out where scrubs that did not fit right. Now I have them in my stash of material for crafts.

With all the baby leggings and the towel dresses I have made my daughter, my son was feeling a little left out. He told me the other day that "nobody makes things for me." Well, his guilt trip worked. I asked him if he wanted a pair of pants like daddy's work pants.

My first attempt was not bad, but not great either. The pant legs where a little slim and the length was a bit short. He ran around in them, really happy, but I had to make a second pair.

The second pair came out really good. I was proud of myself. I had to take the side pockets off since they where in the way of where I was cutting. I decided to just leave them as they where, and add them to the sides of the pants. They actually work a little like knee pads and pockets.

Here is a picture.

I can't wait to try something else new.

Sewing Crafts

2009-10-07T17:23:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I have been gone for so long.

Colder weather is heading our way, which reminded me that I really have very little cold weather outfits for my 1 year old. The problem is that she is 16 months and still wearing 12 month old clothes. Pants are a mess...even her 12 month old fit her long.

Anyways, I have decided that she can wear shorts and skirts for as long as possible with baby leggings. I just love making them and have found some really cute over the knee socks during the summer, on clearance, at Target. That is what I have been doing with my free time.

Also, I came across this great idea in this great blog. She turned a set of Halloween kitchen towels into a little dress for her daughter. I LOVED the idea and did the same. She used the kitchen towel is the size it was. Because my little one is so short, I had to cut a couple of inches of the top before I sewed the casing for the ribbon. Still the project was really quick. Especially since I am a novice sewer.

I only have pictures of the orange one...I will have to take some of the purple.

Arts and Crafts

2009-09-10T11:34:00.000-05:00

There are a few blogs I check on a regular basis. Most of these are craft/sewing blogs.

The other day I read a really cute blog, Ucreate. They had a guest blogger who came up with a really cute Petals bag. Here is the tutorial.

I love it. So much that the other day I went by the dollar store. I found everything I needed. Instead of a back pack (which I still plan to do) I found a small bag which fits a couple of diapers and wipes.

I was surprised by how quickly I finished it. I even had both my kids home, running around and yelling "mommy" every few minutes.

I have a list of crafts I really want to make, so I will be sure to post when I finish then...one at a time.

Here are the supplies I purchased at the dollar store. Of couse, I had a glue gun already.

This was the final result. I am sure my husband will not hold this for me, but it's ok.

Favorite Product

2009-08-04T12:36:00.000-05:00

I have a new favorite product I thought I would share. I have a real issue with putting up pictures because I HATE to put small holes in the wall. Anyone who has painted knows what a pain it is to fill, sand and then paint over them. Of course, I can't live with plain walls.

I have found the perfect solution.

Command makes multiple picture hanging products. Most have little hooks you hang the pictures on. Those work great too, but these are my favorite. They are like mini, super strong, plastic velcro strips.

I have used these to hang posters in Preston's room. To hang small picture frames. To hang a clip board. Even to hang a dry erase/ magnetic bulletin board. Anything you want on your walls, these will hold.

Now I hang things up and don't think twice about it.

Arts and Crafts part 2

2009-08-03T18:49:00.001-05:00

I am really trying to be a "crafty" person. I have all these ideas running around in my head and I really need an outlet. Also, I need to put some energy into something other than my kids. I need something for me. So periodically, you will see a post that says "arts and crafts." This is when I show off my hard work.

The same day I bought the desk caddy at Goodwill, I also picked up this display case. It was very dirty and the color was "smoker yellow." For those who do not know, that is the color things turn when they live with a smoker. It was only $5 so I picked it up. Not at all too sure why.

So here are some before pictures:

It took me about a week to get working on it. I cleaned it up. Painted it white. Then found some really cute paper to Mod Podge. I also changed the little handle on it. With the limited time I had to work on it, it took me a couple of weeks. I think it turned out really cute.

Here are the after:

I do, like always, have a couple of other things I am working on and will post those as soon as I finish. With two kids and a husband, this could be a while.

Arts and Crafts

2009-06-28T20:14:00.001-05:00

I have always been the kind of person that is doing crafts. At one point I was really into making jewelry. Having my son put a stop to that.

I have since taken up, well, I'm not sure what to call it. I like paper crafts and have discovered the joy of mod podge.

At the Goodwill store I came across a desk caddy I really liked, but it was ugly. So I ran to Walmart to purchase some spray paint, hoping to redo it. When I started, I failed to notice that the regulator was missing from the nozel. So my paint job has bubbles. I could redo it, but who has that kind of time. Maybe later.

Lesson Learned: check your spray paint before you use it.

After and Before: sorry for the order

Wish List

2009-06-16T16:44:00.000-05:00

I have been looking at getting a new camera. My Olympus Stylus is fine for close up pics, but does not do to good when people are a little farther away. I was really disappointed on our recent Disney vacation. More than a couple of pictures came out very blury. So much for the picture of the kids with Mickey and Minnie or our son with Buzz and Woody.

Of course my mom reminded me that I will problaby spend a thousand dollars on what I want. GREAT since I am not working. GREAT since it's not really a need but a want. GREAT since I will feel really selfish if I buy it.

So for now it is on my "Wish List." Maybe the birthday faerie will have compasion on my when my birthday rolls arounds in July. Or Santa in December. Even though I really don't want to wait until December.

Maybe I will cross my fingers for good measure.

First Day

2009-06-14T22:40:00.000-05:00

Today is my first bolg. I am sure they will get longer, but for today, just a summary.

It is amazing how busy a household with a 3 year old and a 1 year old can get. I cannot keep my floors clean, the toys are all over the place, and the laundary is nonstop. HELP. I can't really hire someone because as soon as they would leave, the house would be a mess again. My mom tells me this is life with little kids, it will get better some day. (Like when they move out!)

The part that is hardest to belive is that I want another, and sooner rather than later. My husband could just pass out at the thought. I now it's chaos, I know it's a mess, but God knows I love every minute of it.

Soon I hope to add some of my favorite pass times, crafts and such. I apologize ahead of time if I tend to rant, my family is used to it.

Thanks for reading!!!!