Getting a little crafty. . .

I was so very inspired by Madretz's button tree. My version using vintage buttons is included here.

Somewhere on the internet, I spied a mobile/wind chime made using an embroidery hoop and cookie cutters. This is my take on it. I used embroidered ribbon, star cookie cutters, an inexpensive hoop and a ring at the top.

I suspect these are the only non-knitted items I have posted here.

A little Christmas Twinkle, anyone?

I only wish I'd made this myself. It was a gift from my dad's co-worker. He and his wife make them. It's a glass block (the kind you get at the home improvement stores for remodeling bathrooms) with a hole drilled in the back. White twinkle lights are strung through the back (I think it's a short strand) and the bow is made with wired ribbon so you can re-fluff it every year.

Christmas Card

I suppose that since most of our cards are sent out, I can share our Christmas Card pic now (with last name blotted out).

Birthday Cake

Edited to change out the old pics for better pics.
Here is Juliana's birthday cake for her party tomorrow. The green didn't turn out as limey as I wanted... I forgot that the fondant color gets darker in the fridge. The cake and fondant caused their problems, but decorations will cover a multitude of errors :)

Button Tree

Here's another fun crafting project that I just finished today. I originally saw the idea here, which led me to this post that gives amazing instructions and an amazing photo of her tree. Go there if you really want to be inspired to make one. It took about 400+ buttons, 400+ pins and about 1.5 hours while watching tv. This is our only Christmas tree this year, small but I love it. And so does the husband.

Peppermint Patty Ornaments

Here's a real quick and easy ornament:It's a treat and an ornament all in one.

This is what you'll need:blue and white paper. some small peppermint patties. a glue stick. ribbon, about 5" per patty. a snowflake punch (or snowflake stickers). a 2" scallop circle punch. Substitute whatever supplies you have to make it work for you. Do red circles and green trees. Make birthday favors with cakes or flowers.

Put glue on the peppermint patty wrapper, stick on the ribbon, stick on the circle. Repeat on the other side. Glue on the snowflake.
Make s slew of 'em and attach them to your christmas packages. Or hand them out at parties. Or give them to your kid's class. Feeling motivated? Make 'em next year for Halloween. A great project for kids, too.

PS: the local crafters mall was selling these for $1.99 each.

the selective accuracy of toddler speech is amusing.

I could give you a gazillion examples of things that Juliana says. But what cracks me up is how sometimes she can say words completely accurately, and other times she still says it in toddlerese. For example, she may know a lot of words in a song, but when she sings it she slurs it all together. And when Juliana says "all cween" for all clean. That's pretty close. But when she sings the clean up song she sings "E up". Why not cween up? And she calls play-doh "toe-toe". I'll say, "Can you say Play?". She'll say "play". "Can you say doh?" "Doh". "Can you say Play-doh?" "Toe-toe". I just don't get it. :) hee hee.

sort of crafty

This isn't entirely crafty since I didn't make the whole thing myself. The wreath already had the pine cones and berries on it when I bought it, but I added the poinsettas and the ribbon.

Ornament Swap!

Some ornaments I made for a swap sponsored by Red Velvet Art. The mission was to create (at least 50%) handmade ornaments to send to 3 other participants we were matched with. I think their Flickr account is also Red Velvet Art if you'd like to see some of the other ornaments. They're due to be shipped by December 1, so I'm sure more will be posted.


Oh, I should show you these too. Since Starbucks is switching to the printed packaging for their coffee, they've been using the old coffee labels to cover the holes in the cup lids so you don't spill on yourself transporting your beverage. I've been hording 3 each time they put a new roll on the bar where they serve the drinks. I got this brainstorm to make ornaments out of some of 'em, adding tassels and beads. Kinda goofy, but kinda cool too, hee!!! : .)

I posted a couple of cards on my mini art card blog a skosh more and a few scrapbook layouts on my main blog.

I hope Y'all had a great Thanksgiving weekend!

Thanksgiving Card

I made this a few years ago but still love the idea so I wanted to share.
The card says: "Count your many Blessings and name them one by one...". I made this basket from a rubber stamp, the handles move independently and are attached by brads. In the basket are all my blessings:
Listed on individual pieces of paper so they can be pulled out and counted 'one by one'.

Can we do a roll call?

I don't know anyone besides my sister (I think), and you all say such nice things. Can everyone post a brief description of yourself so I kind of know who I'm talking to?
I'm Becca, 25. My DH is a youth pastor. My daughter will be 2 in December. I'm Lauren's little sister. I like crafty things, particularly those that involve doctoring up photos.

Bitten by the Bow Bug

For some reason I got in the mood to make some hair bows today. I don't usually get in that mood. Although I love hair bows for Juliana (there's no such thing as having too many) and I usually like the end result when I make the bows, my OCD tendency to want everything to be perfectly symmetrical aggravates me fairly early on in the bow-making process. If you've ever made a bow, you know that exact symmetry is nearly impossible. But alas, with leftover ribbon from card making and scrap-booking (and with the extra clips my sis so kindly gave me), here are the bows that were created today. I have a tendency to want to make 2 of everything in case she needs pigtail bows that match. I stopped at 1 with the Christmas bow (she already has 2 matching corker Christmas bows). The ribbon for the Christmas bow is what I'm using on our Christmas cards. Consider it a sneak peek :) Although the bow on our cards will be much simpler.

One page done.... MANY more to go

I finally decided to scrap the pages I am inspired to do with the photos I have already printed and put them in chronological order later. I was stuck on thinking I had to do it in "order".. but silly me, that's the beauty of movable pages!

Yet another hat

I don't know what it is about me and toboggans* I rarely wear them but I do like to make them and own them. Here's my newest creation. This one is made of fleece. Very comfy and warm.
I saw something like it at a store in Jonesborough.. and thought to myself "I could make one of those for a lot less". And so I did. $10 dollars saved.


*I realize that in many places a toboggan is a kind of sled, trust me.. DH's grandmother looked at me like I was crazy when I said he had forgotten to wear his. And in our ongoing battle of whether it is a hat or sled, he did prove to me that by dictionary definition it is a sled. But where I grew up we wore toboggans and they kept your head warm, and I refuse to give up the term. So there :P.

Juliana's 2nd Birthday Invitations

I suppose that since I've sent them out I can now post Juliana's invitations (with blurred contact information):
In case you can't read it, the trail following the butterfly and says: 'With love and laughs the time, it flew. Now sweet Juliana is turning 2'

Birthday Tutu

This isn't my own handiwork. It's from the talented Dallas. She's a work at home mother of 2 and her business is Miss Priss Tutus. I specially requested this tutu for Juliana to wear at her birthday party next month. (Of course, she'll wear it for other fun too). Dallas made it according to my color request (pink and green with a splash of purple) and here is the pic she took of it for my approval. You have got to check out her site and see some other pics... they are just too stinkin' cute! Especially the infant tutus :) They are even more adorable when you actually see them ON the kiddos. I just had to share!

I'm Glad Zann Said "Better Late Than Never"

Cake I made for grandson's birthday. The army figures and cans and barb wire were on loan from his big brother. I covered the bottoms of the figures with saran wrap just in case they had anything unhealthy in the paint.

Cake for niece's baby shower. Farm theme. Fisher Price Little People Cake Decorations. They came with plastic to keep them from touching the cake.

Late is better than never.

We made Creep Cakes on Halloween. With a group of (yes adult) friends.
I thought they turned out nice. You can see a bit of each of our personalities in the way we decorated our goulish treats. 10 points to anyone who can guess mine.

ooh... I just noticedd another newbie!

Welcome Steph from {Olive Tree}. I met Steph IRL a couple of years ago, and then stumbled upon her blog, and we've become blogging buddies. She is full of all sorts of creative talent. She posts a lot of her creations on her blogs, and it will be fun to see some of her work here, too.

Does this count as art?

I like to think it does.....
even if I didn't technically create any of it, just cut the flowers and stuck them in a bowl.