Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Get Well Gift


I finally got my new computer! Yeah!
Here's the project I've been working on.
I got the idea here from my friend Debbie.
Since I couldn't find the same containers at Joann's here (sadly we don't have Hobby Lobby). I had to improvise, but I think it turned out cute anyway.

This is the box I used. I used a paper piecing pattern to make the bird, and scraps that I had. Then glued them on and inked the whole thing.

Here is the card I printed out to go in the box.
My sister really liked it. She's undergoing treatment for her baby that has Spina Bifida. I hope it helps!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Boutique apron

I had forgotten that fabric could be yummy! I was wandering through Joann's the other day looking for fabric for a quilt and found this. I've been thinking about making an apron for a while but couldn't seem to find the design and fabric that I really liked. These 4 pieces were it! I combined the designs from here and here. It was basically a bunch of geometric shapes sewn together. I added interfacing to the upper part and the waist part of the ties to give it more stability.
Here's the bottom part. I wanted it curved.

These are the main body pieced cut out and laid out on my table.
These are the neck straps, waistband ties, front pocket, and ruffle for the bottom edge. I cut 3 pieces for the ruffle. I wanted it really full. I used all of it except for about 6 inches at the end. I just folded it over and over as I stitched it down to the bottom part of the apron.
Here's a close up of the ruffle and ties. The ruffle has been pressed and topstitched.
Here's the finished project. It's almost too cute to get all floury when I bake, but at least I'll look good!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Oopps


I just realized that I accidentally deleted the chore cards I made when I was adjusting the spacing on my post about the chore charts and menu board. Sorry about that. Here's the tags.
As always they are in a 8.5x11 format for easy printing.
I'm pondering a Valentines advent calendar right now. Stay tuned for the
project. I hope you'll LOVE it!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Playing with digital


I made this page recently as part of a PageMaps challenge. Here's the link. I love her sketches!
Be sure to go to her page to get loads of sketches in all shapes and sizes... seriously!

The papers all came from Jessica Spragues Home Away from Home kit on her site. The Owl and the branches came from brusheezy.

Enjoy!


Sunday, January 17, 2010

Family Chore chart and Menu board

I've been pondering a Chore chart and Menu board for weeks now. I even spent most of a morning scouring the Internet for ideas, but couldn't find anything I liked. I finally finished them and I'm really happy with the result. So here we go:
Here's the finished projects.
I bought a sheet of Plywood from Home Depot that was 2 ft x 4 ft and asked them to cut it in half. I also had a roll of galvanized metal from a previous project. I sanded and painted both boards a creamy white color and cut the metal to fit the space with tin snips. I had to lightly sand the edges of the metal and use the back side of a knife to get the edge nice.
Next get some Liquid Nails adhesive. They sell it in smaller quantities which was nice. Only about $2 for the tube.
Spread a thin bead around the space where the metal is going to go. Be sure to add some squiggles in the middle. Place your metal down and then place a large heavy object on it. Leave it for about 24 hours to let the adhesive cure. I had to add a little more to the edges with a Q-tip the next day to stick the metal down better. But once it's down, you're done with that.
Next I made some labels for the boards. I considered stamping them, but that would take way too long so I made them in Photoshop using the Elipical and Rectangular Marquee tool to make the shape, then adding the text. The font is Times and Times again. You are welcome to use my labels if you want. They are made to fit a 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. I used some gorgeous Wassau paper to print mine on.
These are for breakfast.

Yes, I have a card for Leftovers.
If you are curious about what a recipe is, just ask.
I also left the cards vague enough to allow for versatility. Keep the main ingredients the same, but change how they are put together. I made 2 weeks worth of cards for dinners. That way we aren't eating the same thing every week. That's good for me and the kids.

After printing out the cards, I cut them all out and adhered them to some cute paper. Some of the backgrounds I cut with my Cricut. Here's what they looked like:


Next I ran them through my laminator. It's from Scotch and I got it for about $20 at Wal-mart.




Cut them out and stick the magnets on the backs. I bought a tape of magnet. It was much cheaper than buying the individual circle ones. I made all the magnets and still have a bunch of the magnet tape left.

For the boards I used my Cricut to cut the lettering out. The cartridge is Alphalicious and I used the "real dial size" setting to get the lettering the same height. For the swirls I used the Home Accents cartridge, and the branches came from the Storybook cartridge. I used contact paper that I got from my friend since my vinyl is still hiding in a box somewhere in my garage. It cut perfectly and I even bought transfer paper to place the letters, but for some reason the contact paper didn't have very much adhesive on the backs so I had to individually place each letter. Then I stuck them all down with a coat of Mod Podge. (the crafters best friend)

Now I need to hang them in my kitchen to help keep everyone on track. Here they are finished again.



Happy Crafting!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Yummy Festive drink

Have you ever heard of Italian Creme Soda? I hadn't until about 2 weeks ago. I'm so glad we moved so I could find out about this super yummy drink!
Here's your ingredients:


You need Half & Half, although I've heard you can use Coffee Creamer instead, Club Soda or Sprite, and this great syrup flavoring. I got mine at Costco Business. If you are lucky enough to have one within driving distance you have to go. Since I now live in the land of Coffee, they have a whole isle dedicated to these yummy syrups. The fruit flavored ones are a must for Italian Creme Soda. They have other yummy flavors too like Peanut Butter, Caramel, Toasted Marshmallow, and Butterscotch. I wouldn't use these in the Creme soda, but they are perfect for Hot Chocolate. Mmmm.....

Any way, put crushed ice in your glasses. I filled mine about half way.


Now the fun part:
2 oz or 1/4 cup Half and Half
2 oz or 1/4 cup Flavored syrup of your choice
Pour into glass
Fill the glass the rest of the way up with the Club Soda and stir a little
Top with a little (or big) swirl of whipped cream
Did you notice how I started off with more glasses? My family grabbed them before I got a chance to take a group photo.
Make sure you have plenty of ingredients. Plus you will want to try all the great flavors available. Trust me!
These are seriously addictive! (well not in a bad way anyway.)
Too bad it's still morning. I think I need another one. Oh yeah. Hot chocolate and Caramel syrup. I gotta go!

Monday, December 14, 2009

Finished Christmas Advent Calendar

I finally finished my advent calendar a few days after the start of December. But that's OK because it's done and I love it! Here's a few pics.
I added fleece behind the buttons on Santa's hat to give them more dimention. The pockets had their numbers hand stitched on, then I played with the decorative stitches on my sewing machine on each pocket.
A close up of the hand stitched title.There is the finished wall hanging. I put a rod pocket at the top so I could hang it up with a dowel I got at Michaels. Then I put the little candy canes in each pocket for each child to choose as we count down the days.
Merry Christmas!

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