Cupkateer

I want this book

2010-02-03T11:43:00.003-07:00

It would be like a Holy Grail for re purposing.

Check out the giveaway here

Guest Blogger - A Little Tipsy

2010-01-21T21:29:00.003-07:00

Today I'm so happy to be swapping with Michelle from over at A Little Tipsy. She has such fun ideas. I'll let her do the talking here, and after you've seen her creative goodness stop by her blog to check out my post. So here she is...

Hello There! I am so excited to be here on Cupkateer today! There is nothing I like more than a sweet treat and a little craftiness!

Michelle, from A Little Tipsy here, taking the wheel for the day!

Nope not drunk (what a relief you will not be taking your tour with a drunk driver), I may or may not be a bit clumsy though.

A little about me, I am a SAHM with one crazy two year old boy and Prince Computer Geek for a husband (don't worry, he calls himself a geek). I am totally in to projects you can do on a tiny budget during nap time. So, enough about me, let's get to the good stuff! Here are a few of my all time favorite posts:

Do you love gourmet caramel apples, but don't love the price tag? Make your own gourmet caramel apples with this easy recipe! You could make them super fun with pink chocolate or sprinkles for Valentine's Day!

Here is an entire basket of fun baby shower gifts you can make! Trust me, I had not sewn in 15 years and I made all of this! Which tutorial do you want? Car seat cover, Ribbon embellished burp cloths, Teddy Bear hooded towel, Diaper card cover, Gift identification tags.

One of my New Years Goals was to go on a planned date out once a month. We upped the ante and are now doing a date in after our little one is in bed on the weeks we don't go out. Here is last week's What if We Met in High School Date Idea. We had so much fun with this!

It was the second post in my weekly series "Show a Little Love" (ideas on showing love to Spouse's, Parents, Neighbors, etc) that posts on Monday's. The series that will go at least through Valentine's Day. Come on over and link up your projects and ideas!

This is a fun card I developed to personalize my wedding gifts.
Here's a Toast to the Happy Couple Wedding Gift Idea

If you have one of these around, you probably hat it as much as I did.
Update a Brassy light fixture

Well, I guess that about wraps things up. Thanks to the Cupkateer for swappin' it up and thanks to you for letting me be your tour guide today. Watch your step on the way out and be sure to swing by and visit soon!

Ahh... the gift of sight

2010-01-15T10:14:00.003-07:00

Hello all! Did you think I'd fallen off the planet? I might as well have.

Before I get to my excuse for being absent from blog land for a whole month, I wanted to tell all of you who read this blog THANK YOU! You are all amazing I appreciate all of the wonderful comments and emails I receive. While I was away we surpassed 100 followers. WOW, thank you!

OK, back to my excuse/sob story. Christmas was great! Busy but great. My wonderful aunt who loves to spoil me, and over does it, gave me Lasik eye surgery for my birthday/Christmas. I have had glasses since I was 5 years old, so I really don't remember life being able to see. So, right after the New Year I went to San Diego for the surgery. It went great, all things considered. Prior to the surgery he explained that my astigmatism was too severe for one treatment, and that most likely I would need to have the procedure done twice. I went ahead with it, hopeful that he would suprise himself and I would be cured with one treatment. Turns out he knew what he was talking about, so I have had more than a week of CRAPPY vision.

If any of you have had Lasik, you know that your vision gradually "comes in" (apparently some people can see 20/20 the day after surgery, it that's you... don't talk to me) The end of last week I was seeing 20/70. That is GREAT compared to where I started, but not good enough to drive, it was hard to read, the computer was challenging to see, and sewing was almost out of the question. One day, I cried over a pile of dust after sweeping. I honestly had no idea my floors were so dirty! And I was appalled I had let Magoo play in that filth for so long (can you say I was a tad bit emotional?)

Today I was seeing 20/30 in one eye, 20/40 in the other. That's legal to drive, although I can't believe they let people drive like this! I have a prescription for new glasses that I will wear for the next few months, then hopefully I will have the Lasik again.

So, moral of story, not being able to see knocks the wind out of your sail. BIG TIME! But can I tell you about all the projects I have planned?

-a minimal sewing child shopping cart cover

-GIRLY cloth diapers for an expectant friend (I don't often get to sew girl fluff)

-an amazing quilt for Magoo's new big kid room (I've really out done myself with this one, don't expect the finished project for a few months)

-an airplane themed baby shower

-an airplane baby quilt (any good ideas? I'm struggling with my final design)

-a few adult recon clothing projects

Do you all forgive me for my absence? Are you excited about what's to come? I know I am.

And since all posts need a picture, and since it's my blog, here's a few of my family

Our recent family pic

Magoo

Magoo and The Hub after having "home haircuts" by their half blind wife/mother

Frosted Flowers Cardigan Knockoff

2010-01-15T07:07:00.002-07:00

Remember this? Due to quite a few requests I am posting the tutorial, even though I haven't completely finished mine. I have a somewhat good excuse as to why it's taken me a month to get this posted, and why I've been absent so long. But that will be another posts.

Well, here's the tutorial:

You will need a cardigan and an old t-shirt. I found the cardigan at the thrift store for $3. The t-shirt I had on hand.

Next print my pedal pattern, or draw your own. This flower is about 3"

Frosted Flowers height="500" width="100%" > value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=25267688&access_key=key-fmbk1t8nd7ln6e3efbb&page=1&version=1&viewMode=list">

Cut out as many flowers as you can from your t-shirt. I had about 60 flowers. Pin them all over the front of you cardigan.

Unless you want to be board out of your mind I suggest you find something to entertain you during the next part. I like to watch TV episodes I missed on HULU while I sew.

Now, set your machine to a medium zigzag and drop the feed dogs. Tack all 60+ of those flowers in place. I suggest making more than one tack per flower, maybe one at the base of each pedal (4 for each flower). To begin with I only tacked them down in the middle, but when I finished the pedals just hung off the cardigan, not very cute.

If you couldn't find a t-shirt the same color as your cardigan, like me, you can throw the whole thing in a bath of RIT dye when your finished to give you a monotone look. I think I might like it 2 toned? What do you think?

Unfortunately I don't have a finished picture. I haven't finished re-tacking down all of the pedals, and my poor eyesight has killed ALL motivation. But I'd love to see pictures of yours if you try this project.

Good Luck!

More Ornament Wreaths

2009-12-18T10:01:00.005-07:00

I know blog land is saturated with ornament wreaths. But can you stand to look at a few more?

This past week my cousins and I got together to make the wreaths. Here we are with the finished result.

My cousin Trisha opted for an evergreen wreath with ornaments attached. This was so easy! I'm thinking about posting a tutorial. Christmas is only a week away so it might end up being more of a winter wreath instead, we'll see.

As far as the frosted flowers cardigan goes. I should have the tutorial up tomorrow. You are going to love it!

Cinnamon Wassail

2009-12-15T11:03:00.003-07:00

This wassail is a must for Christmastime at my house. So yummy!

-1 gallon apple cider or juice

-28 oz. 7-up or Sprite

-30 whole cloves

-4 cinnamon sticks

-1/2 cup cinnamon candies (Red Hots)

Mix ingredients together. Heat, stirring constantly, until candies are melted. Serve Hot.

I like to leave the cloves and cinnamon sticks in for a few hours, then I strain them out. I store it in a pitcher and heat it up by the cup. Enjoy!

Frosted Flowers Cardigan Knockoff Coming Soon...

2009-12-13T21:03:00.002-07:00

Do you love this sweater? I do to. Regular price is $35 at DownEast Basics. But I'm a cheapskate and won't pay that much. Stay tuned this week for my $4 tutorial.

We Wish You a Soapy Christmas

2009-12-13T13:50:00.003-07:00

These soaps were super easy and will make great neighbor gifts. I bought the soap earlier in the year for $.70 each. Some of them are personalized with my neighbor's names, others are generic for people who "drop in" with a gift. Find the tutorial here.

I finished them off with some ribbon and furry yarn. Cute!

Pottery Barn Felt Pillows

2009-12-09T07:51:00.000-07:00

About a week ago I guest posted at Someday Crafts. Here's the post for any of you who might have missed it over there.

Don't we all look through the Pottery Barn catalogs and drool? I know I do. When I saw these pillows in PB Teen I knew I could make them for cheap!

PB version: $39

Cupkateer Version: $5

Ready to make your own? Let's get started!

Click on any of the images to make them bigger.

Scalloped Pillow

Begin by cutting the following sizes from your felt:

-17"x17"

-16"x16"

-17"x11"

Step 1: Using your 16"x16" piece begin cutting your scalloped design.

Tip: I use a white crayon when marking dark colored fabric. Afterwards I use a pressing cloth and iron it. The crayon marks will stay on the pressing cloth, not your fabric.

Next you will be cutting out the center. I cut a piece of scrapbook paper to use as the pattern. Cut a opening 12" x 12"

Repeat the previous steps to make 2 more scalloped layers. With the following dimensions:

-11"x 11" square scalloped, 8" x 8" center

-7" x 7" square scalloped, 4" x 4" center

Then...

Next take your 17" x 11" pieces. Stitch a 1/2" hem along the 17" side.

Now we are going to sew the front and back pieces together.

First you will need to pin your scallops out of the way.

Now, with right sides together sew the 2- 17" x 11" pieces to the main 17" x 17" piece. Use a 1/2" seam allowance.

Clip your corners, turn, and insert a 16" square pillow form.

Flower Pillow

Begin by cutting the following sizes from felt:

17" x 17"

17" x 11"

Scraps for flowers

Cut out your flower shapes. Click below to download my patterns.

Felt Pillow height="500" width="100%" > value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=23161424&access_key=key-4ng2qzwuwyqln1mq0hx&page=1&version=1&viewMode=list">

Stack the flowers using the following diagram. Tack down the center of the flowers.

Tip: I set my machine to a small zig zag, then dropped the feed dogs when I tacked the flowers down.

Next pin the flowers aside and add a leaf design in a contrasting thread. You can use a free motion foot, stitch them by hand, or eliminate this step.

After you've finished the leaves, tack down the petals

To finish, attatch the 17" x 11" pieces the same way as you did for the scalloped pillow.

Add a 16" square pillow form and you're done!

Not to shabby of a knock off if I do say so myself.

Entertainment Center to Child's Kitchen

2009-12-03T10:04:00.006-07:00

Santa's elves have been putting in a lot of overtime hours in my basement. Look what they've been up to.

Before: An entertainment center I got from the online classifieds for $15

After: A Child Sized Kitchen

I used this tutorial as a guide

Here are some close ups of the elements:

The sink is made from a buffet steam tray. The faucet was a yard sale find.

The counter top is modpodged fabric. Doesn't it look graintey?

The stove. It is the original door with a window cut out and plexiglass added. I attached the plexiglass with E600. The burners are formula can lids. The knobs are things I found at a thrift store, I have no idea what their real purpose is. I got a whole bag of them for $.50 (email me if you'd like me to send some to you. I have a TON left over). The oven door handle is from Ikea, the pot holder is from Ikea, and so are the pots and pans.

Aren't these the cutest? I found them at Sears. Here's the mixer, but I don't see the toaster online.

The window scene was a print from a picture I got at a thrift store for $1. It was modpodged to the back of the kitchen. Then I bought another $1 frame. I painted the frame and glued it around the picture. I used an 18" curtain rod from WM.

Here is the total cost breakdown:

-entertainment center: $15

-paint: $20

-sink: $10

-faucet: $5

-hardware: $10

-fabric: $8

-window: $2

-misc: $5

Total: $75

Life will never be the same again

2009-12-02T10:15:00.005-07:00

My life has changed forever! I've discovered 2 things I can't live without. Who knew?

The first? Krylon's Snap & Spray

It's a trigger handle that snaps onto any spray paint can. You wouldn't believe how great it is. It produces the most even spray I've every had, your fingers don't get tired, and you won't end up with paint on the tip of your finger. Best of all? I got it for $2 at Walmart. You can't beat that.

Next, do any of you have the Ion Life network? I live in Utah and I just have free over the air television. For me it's channel 16.3 Anyways... there is the coolest show on there. It's called She's Crafty. This gal can craft! I have had such a blast watching her episodes, and I have yet to see a rerun. During the episode she features a tool or item that is handy and a must for your craft tool box. Some of the stuff I'd never even heard of, but now I'm sure I need it for my ever growing stash of craft tools. It is defiantly worth checking out.

It begin as an international show of some sort because she gives you metric measurements. I don't think it's avaliable on the US HGTV

Guest Post

2009-11-30T07:51:00.002-07:00

I hope everyone had a safe and fun holiday.

Today I'm guest posting over at Someday Crafts. Head over there to check it out, and to find about a million adorable things you can make... someday

I'm in the Army Now

2009-11-20T11:51:00.004-07:00

Hello everyone. I haven't done many crafty things this week. My husband is in Qatar for a business thing and this single parenting thing is hard. To top it off Magoo came down with a cold. He's not napping well, and has been really clingy so crafting has been almost obsolete. I did manage one quick recon this week.

Specimen A: $1 thrift store hat. Looks sort of Army-ish

After Magoo went to bed one night I got out the dreaded unpicker and went to town on those stars. Added a silk flower attached to a hair clip (that way I can switch it out, or wear it in my hair later) Looks pretty good I think, and I don't think I'll be mistaken for an Army recruit.

Yes, that's me. Yes, that's the nose God gave me. I think I must have gotten in the wrong line when He was passing out noses. :)

P.S. All these pictures were taken at different times of the day. It is not a magically coloring changing hat :)

Grocery Shopping, Felt Style

2009-11-12T22:04:00.004-07:00

You Like? I made this set of felt groceries as a door prize for Ogden's New Moon, A Twilight Ball. One of my good friends is putting on this event to benefit the JDRF. I hope this set will make a fun door prize for someone.

I mostly traces things from my pantry for my patterns. The others I just winged. The set includes: Milk, Orange Juice, Cake Mix, Corn, Carrots, Soup, Tunafish, Bowtie Pasta, Fresh Fish, and a Reusable Shopping Bag.

A few close ups of the goods:

Bowtie Pasta

Soup, Carrots, Corn, and Tunafish

I'm linking this up at Poppies at Play

Stuffed Animal Child Harness

2009-11-07T20:56:00.008-07:00

I'll admit it, I used to make fun of people who put their kid on a "leash." But now that I have a one year old, who thinks he can do anything himself, I am all for "leashing" my kid. I've seen quite a few stuffed animal backpack style harness. Here is my homemade version (please click on the pictures to make text easier to read):

To make this harness you will need:

-a stuffed animal

-3 3/4 yard nylon webbing

-1 D-ring

-2 buckles

-2 adjustable strap pieces

-sewing machine, thread, embroidery floss, thimble

I couldn't find packaged adjustable strap things, so I bought a back pack from the dollar store and took the these pieces off.

Next cut your nylon webbing to the following lengths:

3- 3"

2- 23"

2- 6"

2- 11"

1- 42"

Take a lighter and burn the edges on all pieces to prevent fraying.

This completes the "leash" part.

Grab a thimble for these next steps. You are going through a lot of layers so a thimble really helps.

To Finish it off, thread the 23" pieces back through the adjustable strap pieces. Fold the ends over twice and stitch to prevent the straps from slipping all the way out (like you did for the chest straps)

Attach the "leash" to the D-ring and you're good to go.

Questions? Leave me a comment or send me an email.

p.s. I know in the picture there are a lot of extra straps hanging down, but I wanted to leave plenty of growing room. Magoo is 15 months and 22 lbs. This should definitely fit throughout the toddler years. But feel free to shorten the straps if you're child doesn't need the extra room.

And The Winner Is...

2009-11-06T22:04:00.002-07:00

According to Random.org the winner is...

Kendra

Who said: "Your felt food is fabulous! You have inspired me to want to make some. I would love to win your pizza!"

Congrats! Email me so that I can get this sent your way.

I am so sorry to those of you who's comments got lost somewhere in the great unknown. Just like with things I make, the next giveaway will be better and go smoother.

Thanks to those of you who participated.

Bon Appetit Giveaway

2009-11-03T20:34:00.005-07:00

I have a strict rule that I usually give away the first of something I make. (that is if it's logical and reasonable) Why? Because after you've completed a project don't you always say, "If I were to do it again I'd do this or that differently." Well, my OCD takes over and I can't stand looking at my mistakes forever.

So, to celebrate having ALMOST 50 followers I am giving one of you the first felt pizza I've made. I made this pattern up on my own. You will get 4 slices of cheese pizza with sauce made from a secret family recipe :) Also included are removable pepperoni toppings. I promise that the only flaws are the ones my OCD brain creates. Like, I swear the cheese is crooked on one of these... The pepperonis are done by free motion stitching. They are not perfect circles, but this was intentional. I think they look more pepperoni-y that way. P.S. The props, aka The Pizza Cutter, is not included in the giveaway.

If you'd like a chance to win leave a comment before Friday, November 6, 2009. I will draw the winner at 10:00 pm MST. Good Luck!

You're gonna want to come back...

2009-11-03T07:27:00.005-07:00

You'll want to check back later today. I will be posting my first giveaway! That is as soon as I get mycamera back from the ILs house. I left it there after all the chaos on Halloween.

I'm so excited!

And just so this post isn't so boring here's another scrapbook page I've been working on. I found the kit at HoneyDesigns

Playdough Cookies

2009-10-26T21:19:00.002-06:00

I made these Halloween Playdough cookies and gave them as "Boos" to my neighbors. Yummy! Find the recipe here.

Magical Halloween

2009-10-25T08:18:00.003-06:00

Ever wonder what the heck you are going to do with those graduation gowns hanging in your closet? Well I made mine and the hubs into wizard costumes for Halloween.

It was fairly easy. I bit time consuming, but easy. I cut out star and moon shapes from felt. On mine (purple) I sewed them randomly all over the gown. On the hubs (black) I sewed them down the front, right over top of the zipper. This makes it so the zipper no longer works. So check that the person can slip it over their head without unzipping it.

As for the hats, I cut out a basic cone shape using poster board and this tutorial. After forming them into a cone shape I rolled the cone along a piece of news paper, tracing it to make a pattern for the cover. I used fleece to cover the hats. At first I used cotton to cover the hubs, but the fabric laid wonky. The fleece stretches and fits nicely around the cone. I added a strip filled with polyfill to the bottom for a brim.

Magoo was a dragon, hence having wizard parents. Happy Halloween everyone!

Magical Family

Dragon Magoo

P.S. I got the dragon costume at Old Navy. Unfortunately you just can't make a costume like that for $20

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

2009-10-16T15:39:00.001-06:00

Look what I won from Scraps of Simplicity

Thanks!

2009-10-15T07:52:00.002-06:00

Featured over here today at Someday Crafts. Great site with a TON of darling tuts!.

Thanks for the feature.

Fall Market

2009-10-14T15:35:00.002-06:00

If you live in the Northern Utah area, there's a craft market going on this weekend. If you're like me you'll probably be a "deer widow" this weekend anyways. It'd be worth checking out.

ScRapS oF sIMpLicIty

Reversible Twirly Skirt

2009-10-13T12:00:00.002-06:00

Begin with 5 different pieces of fabric. One of the pieces (middle polka dot) needs to coordinate with your other fabrics. This fabric will be used on both sides.

This skirt is fairly easy once you've figured out all the measurements. For that you will need to dig deep into things you filed away during high school. Specifically from your high school algebra class. You need to start with this equation. I know it looks scary, but stick with me for a minute.

Radius = Circumfrence/2*π

Begin by measuring your widest area (hips and butt) that number will be your circumference. Mine was 37 inches. So... 37/2*π (π = 3.14). I rounded the number up to 6 inches. That is the first radius measurement you'll need.We'll call it Hip Radius

Step 1 Cutting out Fabric:

Fold your fabric into fourths. (fold hotdog, then hamburger) Your folds will be on the left and on the top, Starting in the top left corner (where all the folds meet) mark your hip radius multiple times. Connect the marks so you have a quarter circle.

Next decide how long you want your first tier to be. I decided on 6 inches. I added 1 inch for seem allowances. Add your length measurement to you hip radius measurement 6 + 7 = 13 inches. Starting again in the top left corner mark your hip + length radius multiple times. Connect the marks to make a bigger quarter circle.

Cut out on the lines you just created. It will look like a donut.

Diagram of measurements.

Next you will need to cut out the fabric for your other 2 tiers. Math time again... you will need to know the measurement of the outer circumference of your skirt.

Circumference = 2 * π * Radius

So using my measurements 2*π*13 (hip + length radius) = 82" (rounded) add 6" to this number

Decided how wide you want your second and third tier to be. My second tier is 9" and the third tier is 3 inches. Add 1" for seam allowance.

Cut out your next tiers using these measurements. You may have to sew several strips together.

Tier 2- 10" x 88"

Tier 3- 4" x 88"

Step 2 Sew Tiers together:

With right sides together, pin tier 2 to the outer circumference of tier 1. This takes ALOT of pins. Click on the image to enlarge it to see just how many pins I used. Pin all the way around.

Tier one is cut on the bias which means it will stretch (that why we added 6" to the length of tier 2)

When you've pinned all the was around mark where you will need to sew to combine the second tier.

Sew the second tier closed. Finish pinning to Tier 1. Sew using a 1/2" seam allowance.

Step 3 Third Tier:

Repeat step 2 to sew third tier to second tier.

Step 4 Repeat for Reverse side:

Repeat steps 1-3 with fabric for reversed side. Use the same fabric for tier 3 in both skirts.

You will now have two pieces.

Step 5 Iron & Topstitch:

Iron the seam allowances between the tiers. Iron the seam between tier 1 & 2 towards tier 2. Iron the seam between tiers 2 & 3 towards tier 3

Top stitch 1/4" in, on tiers 2 & 3.

Step 6: Combine the 2 skirts:

With skirts right sides together sew along the bottom (tier 3) with a 1/2" seam allowance. Iron seam open. Turn right side out and top stitch 1/4" from bottom all the way around.

Step 7 Create Elastic Casing:

Remember that first measurement you took (hips + butt) that is your inner circumference. Add 6 " to that. Cut a piece of fabric using the same fabric as tier 3 (or coordinating fabric) 4" x inner circumference + 6". For my measurements that was 43"

Iron 1/2" on each side. Then iron in half. This creates a sort of bias tape.

Step 7 Sew Casing:

With wrong sides of skirt together place the top of tier 1 inside the waist casing you just made. Line the raw edges of the skirt up with the raw edge of the bias tape.

Pin like crazy and sew casing to skirt using a 1/4" seam allowance. Be sure to catch both sides of the casing into your sewing.

Leave about a 2" opening to insert the elastic.

Cut a piece of 1" elastic that goes around where you want the skirt to sit on your waist. Insert the elastic into the casing and sew the casing closed.

Step 8 Sew a Sash:

To create a "sassy sash" cut 2 pieces of fabric 5" x waist measurement * 3 (it will wrap around your waist 3 times). Sew with right sides together, turn and top stitch.

Tie around your skirt after you've put it on.

Step 9 TA DA:

Side 1:

Side 2:

My original thought was that this would be cute on a little girl, but I only have a little boy. Then I thought hey, I'm a girl! So I made it for my self. I felt kind of silly the first time I wore it, but I got tons of compliments on it, so I guess it works for big girls too.

I'll answer any questions in the comments.

Thank You Mr. Columbus

2009-10-12T16:23:00.003-06:00

If it weren't for you Mr. Columbus I never would have got work off today. If it weren't for having the day off of work I never would have got such a good deal.

A friend from work and I took a day trip to IKEA since she had never been there. (I am a regular at that store even though it's 1.5 hrs from my house) I have been coveting this "big boy" bed for my son.

It goes from this...

to this...

Regular price? $200 I got it for $60 because the box was damaged. Hands down best deal ever!

Digital Scrapbooking

2009-10-10T16:49:00.004-06:00

I decided to give digital scrapbooking a try. I found this really cute Wild Ways Kit at Everyday Mom Ideas. Great site with a ton of digital scrapbook freebies. I have photoshop on my computer to put the page together with but you can download a free program called paint.net

So what do ya think? Is my first page fabulous or a flop? I am so nervous about this digital scrapbooking thing...

Homemade Car Cart

2009-10-07T20:16:00.002-06:00

So in this post here I told you guys about how my son LOVES car carts. And for my sanity I LOVE car carts. But not every store has them, and the are usually SO DIRTY I hate to put my kid in them. So I came up with this.

BTW, he is feeling better, but not good enough to let go of the binky, so he's proudly sporting it in this pic.

Here's how I did it.

I attached two ribbons to the bottom of the toy and TA DA! Easy huh? I attached my ribbons through the same holes that were used to bind the toy will a million wires to the packaging (by the way, anyone want to join me in boycotting toy packaging? Seriously, who is suppose to be able to open those things?), but you could use hot glue or E6000.

See, threaded them through existing slots.

In addition to my other post about this project, here is the original toy I bought at the DI for $2.50. Isn't it dorky? I decided spray painting it was a bad idea so I threw it away. It took weeks to find this at the DI and I was inpatient to wait for another one to show up. I stopped in the toy section at Walmart to see what they wanted for a new one. When my son saw it he wouldn't let it go. He cried when the cashier had to ring it up. I usually never buy things for him if it isn't an occasion, but I caved and spent $15 on the one in the finished project. A little high priced for my taste, but shopping has been a breeze. Oh well.

Want to see new posts? Just hang on a minute...

2009-10-06T09:06:00.003-06:00

Sorry I have been lacking in posting this past week. I have been in a crafting rut. I have a ton of ideas flying around in my head, but it seems like everything I've tried this past week has been a failure.

I took a break this weekend. Worked on file folder games for my son. Thought I'd start the week refreshed and ready to craft.

Then Sunday night my son started acting sick. After a really rough night I took him into the Dr where they confirmed he had the flu. They only did a general flu test, they said to check for swine flu they would have to send the swab to a lab. But they had stopped sending swabs in because 100% of swabs they'd sent in this past month were positive. So the Dr basically unofficially confirmed swine flu.

Now after being up 2 nights in a row with a sick little boy mama feels like this:

Hang with me. I'll be back to crafting soon.

I need your help

2009-09-30T11:17:00.004-06:00

Question to the blogger community? Do you spray paint or paint toys for your kids?

I bought something similar to this last week at the new Harrisville, UT DI. I got it for $1.50.

My ultimate goal is to turn into into a homemade version of this:

and be able to turn any shopping cart into a car cart.

My son loves car cart and the only time I can have an enjoyable shopping experience is to let him ride in one. There are a few problems with these car carts though:

1. They are ALWAYS dirty and disgusting

2. They are almost twice as long as a regular cart and I have nearly knocked over displays trying to navigate one.

I didn't love the dorky vibes that my thrift store steering wheel toy was giving off so I took it apart, removed the stickers, and spray painted it. When my husband saw it he got upset and said I couldn't spray paint toys, that my cheapy spray paint might contain lead, that Graham would chew on the toy and scratch off the paint.

So, do you spray paint toys? Is my husband right? Should I scrap this project, look for a new steering wheel toy, and let it be dorky in all it's glory? HELP!

Marble Magnets

2009-09-24T07:52:00.003-06:00

I'm sure you've all see these and probably know how to make them, but just in case I thought I'd share how I made the magnets to go on my bulletin boards.

Step 1: Gather your supplies

-clear decorating marbles that are flat on one side. Mine are about 1"

-scraps of printed paper

-paper punch as close to the same size as possible to your marbles

-E6000

-magnets and/or tacks

Step 2: Start by cutting out circles of paper. My paper punch is just slightly bigger than my marbles, you could trace your marbles and cut out a circle, or cut circles on a Cricut for more accurate sized circles

Step 3: Glue circles to the flat side of marble using E6ooo. Let try a few hours to overnight. Can you tell in this picture that my paper circles are slightly bigger?

Step 4: If necessary, once glue has dried, trim excess paper from around marble using a exato knife

Step 5: Glue magnets or thumb tacks to the back of the marble using E6000. Allow to completely dry.

Attach to fridge, cork board, magnetic board etc. and enjoy your custom magnets

One Lovely Blog

2009-09-22T11:24:00.005-06:00

Yippee! My first blog award.

Thanks Stephanie from My Creative Attempts

My 5 nominations for this award in random order are:

Congrats to the new winners. Post your award proudly on your blog, you deserve it!

Note To Self: Halloween is in October

2009-09-21T08:01:00.003-06:00

I am SO excited for Halloween. It is my favorite holiday. I just love the cool weather, dressing up (when else can an adult woman wear a tutu and get away with it?) and the decorating.

I thought up a cute project for my worn ladder that sits by my front door. I covered pumpkins with stickers and then gave them a coat of black spray paint. I love the way they turned out.

But...Here's what happened after only a few days of sitting on the porch.

Note to self: Halloween is in October not September. Don't get to ahead of your self.

Guess I'll wait a few weeks and then try this project again. Cross your fingers cool weather gets here soon.

Peg Board System

2009-09-19T10:50:00.004-06:00

Who hasn't seen this peg board system from Pottery Barn and instantly fell in love? But at a whopping $300 I knew it could be done for less.

So I hunted around and found this tutorial to make something identical. They said their cost was just over $100. Better, but still to steep for cheap ol' me!

I thought and thought and TA DA! Here is what I came up with.

I know it really is nothing like the PB board where I got my inspiration from, but I like it so much better! And, best of all...It was CHEAP!

It has a large magnetic board, 2 fabric covered cork boards, a chicken wire peg board, 2 hooks, and decorative wood letters spelling SEW.

Cost breakdown?

-picture frames: FREE (yes I really had that many black frames lying around)

-sheet metal: $6 (from the duct work section of Lowes)

-Cork board tiles: $6

-Chicken wire: $5

-Fat Quarters of fabric (to cover cork): $1

-wood letters: FREE (had them lying around too)

-Scrapbook paper: FREE (from my stash)

-Knobs: FREE (left over from the kitchen at my old house)

-peg board hangy things: $3 (from the kitchen section at IKEA)

TOTAL: $21

Here are a few detail shots of some of the elements:

This project is so versatile, you could do a chalk board, regular pegboard instead of chicken wire, endless possibilities!

And doesn't it go great with my sewing desk?

I almost posted...

2009-09-18T13:00:00.004-06:00

I almost posted a craft project/mishap this morning. And then something terrible happened. I'll tell you all the long story even though you probably don't care...

So I was uploading some pictures of a project I wanted to blog about. I got them uploaded and was moving them around to different folders within my pictures folder. (My pics are organized by family/blog then by year, then by month, then by major event) I got everything where I wanted it to be. Deleted some pic shortcuts that I had put on the desktop for a minute, the logged into blogger. I hit the "add image" button, searched for my images and NOTHING! I couldn't find my picture folder. I frantically looked in the recycle bin, did a search, NOTHING! I panicked, called my IT/computer whizz brother. He suggested restoring my computer to how it was yesterday. I did that and my folder reappeared. PHEW! I opened the folder. There was the folder 'Blog', and the folder 'Family'. I clicked Family. I saw 2007, 2008, 2009. I clicked 2009, yada-yada-yada. Kept clicking along in my freakishly organized photo file. NOTHING! All the folders are there with no pictures.

Luckily I have never deleted a picture of my son off of my camera for fear something like this would happen, but there are still plenty of pictures of him that family had sent me or bloggy pictures which I usually don't store on my camera.

This is what I wanted to do to my computer!

I didn't though, in hopes that my brother can work some computer magic and find the files.

Welcome Baby Quilt

2009-09-16T00:39:00.003-06:00

I will start this post with an apology. These pictures are CRAP! My DH (dear husband) is still in Nashville and he has the camera with him. I am taking dinner in to DH's cousin tomorrow night who had a baby this past weekend, and I am giving her this quilt. So, my only option to get it photographed and blogged about was to use my camera phone.

This was my first real quilt. I have played around before with rag quilts and such but never what I would consider a "real" quilt. The original idea was to have guest at the "Would Have Baby Shower" write on a quilt block for the baby. But, after that idea flopped I decided to have family members help with this quilt instead.

Parents helped the little kids trace their hands.

Most of the adults wrote a little something to the baby.

And other's just graced the baby with their printed name

Now, I made up the dimensions and such as I went along for this quilt. I don't know much about quilting, but here's basically what I did.

Quilt Details:

Overall dimensions: 44" x 53"

Supplies:

21- 7" x 7" squares, fabric A

21- 7" x 7" squares, fabric B

2- 5" x 37" sashing, fabric C

2- 5" x 53" sashing, fabric C

1- 44" x 53" backing, fabric B or fabric D

1 1/4 " x perimeter of quilt- binding strip ironed in half, fabric E

crib size quilt batting

Directions (1/2" seam allowance):

1 Ask family member to write something to the unborn baby with a PERMANENT marker on fabric A squares.

2. Piece 7" x 7" squares together alternating fabrics A & B. 6 blocks across, 7 blocks down

3. Attaching 5" x 37" sashing to top and bottom of quilt

4. Attach 5" x 53" sashing to sides of quilt

5. Baste quilt top, batting, and back together.

6. Machine quilt using this method

7. Bind the quilt

8. Wash the quilt in the machine to fluff it up

9. Don't forget to label your quilt so the baby will remember the occasion the quilt was made. I had one extra quilt block after everyone had signed on so the block in the right hand bottom corner is labeled to the baby.

My First Feature!

2009-09-12T19:36:00.002-06:00

I was featured today over at ModPodgeRocks! Yippee!! Check it out here.

If I weren't so tired from flying all day I would be dancing around the room right now. Yup, I'm in Nashville for the weekend, Nope, I didn't get the bulletin board done. Next week. I promise!

Go ahead, play with your food

2009-09-10T16:09:00.003-06:00

Skip to my Lou has a darling tutorial here for a felt sack lunch. I had so much fun making this. I am going to donate it to the elementary school in my neighborhood for their silent auction.

Now I need to get working on the felt food to go with my sons play kitchen he is getting for Christmas.

By the way, I've created I really cool bulletin board collage. I hope I can get it on the wall and post pics before I leave for Nashville this weekend. {fingers crossed}

See Ya...

2009-09-04T16:01:00.003-06:00

I'm off to the woods for to go camping with my family. See ya all next week.

Last Week I...

2009-08-31T15:45:00.004-06:00

What did I do last week? Well just this...

That's 34 of my one-sized cloth diapers.

That's over 20 yards of fabric

That's almost 20 yards of elastic

That's almost 1000 yards of thread.

PHEW...that was alot of work. Let me tell you, it took quite a bit of coke to get me through this project. Enjoy Baby Wolfie!

Monster Bash

2009-08-31T12:58:00.004-06:00

My little guy's 1st birthday party was a monster theme. I thought this up when he was about 3 weeks old and I have been planning and picking stuff up ever since then. I found some killer monster deals after Halloween last year...

The Birthday Boy

Playing in the yard before the party. I made the overalls out of some fabric I picked up at Jo-Ann's.

Monster shoes

The Food

The snack buffet. We had Purple Monster Popcorn, Monster Mix, Cupcakes and Soda.

The smash cake

The Games

We played "Guess My Age"

And "Feed the Monster"

The monster ate cars, shoes, and dolls

The Favors
Goodie bags, fuzzy posters and taffy kabobs

The Decorations

I sewed this flag banner from felt and some of the same monster fabric as his overalls.

The Cake

Happy Birthday Little Monster.

Taffy Kabobs

2009-08-25T10:33:00.007-06:00

My son's monster themed 1st birthday party was this past weekend. It was a blast, and more pictures are coming soon. Here is something I did for one of the favors. Taffy Kabobs.

I bought 3 lbs of taffy from the grocery store just after the 4th of July (they always sell it in bulk for cheap that time of year). Then I threaded them on bamboo skewers in a variety of patterns.

For my container I took the label off of a formula can and placed a green floral cube inside. (I was too lazy to recover the can so the ugly gluey part of the label is turned to the back) Then I attached some die cuts made with the cricut and some leftover Easter grass to cover the foam. Then I just stuck the kabobs in the foam. So cute, and very inexpensive.

Desk Transformation

2009-08-21T07:57:00.005-06:00

My current craft/sewing table is a gem. It is a $20 card table from Wal-Mart (don't worry you got 4 chairs with it for that price as well. P.S. one of those is currently my craft chair; gotta see what can be done about that) Anyways... it has a big, ugly sheet of plywood underneath of it. Why does it have plywood underneath of it you say? Because the card table is so wobbly and my carpet is so squishy that unless I sew at the slowest speed possible my machine dances right off the table. The plywood only makes it possible to go one speed above a snails pace but I've been managing. Well after my cup full of pencils, rulers, scissors, etc danced itself off the table while I was sewing one day I'd had enough! I headed to the DI to find a good 'ol sturdy piece of furniture to transform into my new craft/sewing desk.

I am so pleased with this DI transformation. This started out as a banged up old desk. And a HEAVY desk at that. My sewing machine's dancing days are done! Although I picked it up at the DI for $20 it had come from a local university and had "PROPERTY OF WEBER STATE" printed huge on one side. Unfortunately I do not have a before picture. My sweet husband wanted to surprise me while I was out of town and he painted the desk for me while I was away. So sweet and much appreciated, but I am bummed I didn't get a before picture. But it looked very similar to this:

Fake wood Formica top, metal sides. The standard desk that I'm sure every teacher at your high school had. It had some deep scratches and dents where a chair had obviously ran into it over and over. He sanded the scratches out and pounded the dents as smooth as possible and then gave it a new coat of black spray paint. (Thanks hon!)

Then I went to work on the top.

I bought a variety of black and white printed scrap book papers and Mod Podged them to the top of the desk. After 2 coats of Mod Podge I started applying a satin polyurethane. 3 coats of that (sanding between each coat of course) and TA-DA!

I am very much in love with it. I would like to hang a big peg board above that desk to store all sorts of crafty things, but in the meantime the drawers will work great.

Total cost?

$20- Table

$4- Spraypaint

$5- Scrapbook Paper

$4- Mod Podge

$2.50- Polyurathane

$35.50 for a new, no dancing table! Whoot Whoot!

So long card table! You WON'T be missed!

Repurposed Entertainment Center

2009-08-15T21:12:00.004-06:00

I CANNOT stop staring at this repurposed entertainment center. My jaw is literally on the floor right now. AMAZING. Sutton Grace is responsible for this masterpiece. Here are her instructions of how to make this yourself.

Cute Blog, Cute Purse

2009-08-12T19:37:00.003-06:00

I am in LOVE with this purse from SmallFry & Co. What a great Blog. I am thinking of making this purse on a larger scale for myself. How fun!

Facelift

2009-08-10T21:55:00.001-06:00

I'm out of town visiting family so no new crafty posts till next weekend. I have however been working on a new look for my blog. Go ahead and check it out and grab a button in the side bar. Have a great week everyone!

Felt Corn Stalks

2009-08-04T20:43:00.005-06:00

As promised, here is a very crude tutorial. I started taking pictures at the beginning of the project, but I must have forgot I was going to do a tut, or I was way to tired (probably a little of both) So I'll apologize for only half the tutorial having pictures.

Supplies (for one stalk):
-3/4-1" wooden dowel
-green flannel- 1/4 yd
-dark green felt- 1/4 yd
-medium green felt- 1/4 yd or 3 precut squares
-golden yellow felt- 1/4 yd or 3 precut squares
-cream felt- 1 precut square or scrap
-velcro
-16 gage wire
-green thread
-orange thread

Steps for Stalks:

1. Cut your wooden dowel to 24" long.

2. Cut a piece of green flannel 2.5" x 26". I was making 2 stalks so 2 strips of flannel are pictured, but you only need one.

3. Create a pattern for your leaves. I traced an actual leaf from a corn stalk in my garden but you could just eyeball it to a similar shape. Cut 12 leafs out of dark green flannel for each stalk.

These next steps do not have pictures. Sorry :(

4. Sew 2 leafs together with a 1/8" seam allowance.

5. Sew 2 parallel lines 1/4" apart centered lengthwise down your leaf. Insert a piece of wire into the casing you just made. The wire does not need to be the same length as the leaves. My wire was about 12" long. After your wire has been inserted make a small stitch at the bottom of the casing to keep the wire from escaping. Repeat to make 6 leaves.

6.Making the tassels: Cut your cream felt with pinking sheers into 1" by 6" pieces. Attach the tassels to your green flannel using this (step 7) method.

7. Randomly sew your leave onto the green flannel leaving 1/2" seam allowance on your flannel. I did 2 rows of zigzag to attach my leaves. One row at the bottom of the leaf and the other row at the bottom of the wire. Stitch across the entire width of the leaf.

8. Sew 3- 1" squares of hook velcro to the flannel above three of the leafs. This velcro will hold the cobs.

9. Using a ladder stitch, hand sew (sorry) the flannel around the dowel.

10. Optional: After finishing I was having a hard time getting my stalks to balance in the dirt. I cut a 3" x 3" piece of wood and nailed it to the bottom of the stalks. This helps balance the stalks.

Cobs You will need 3 cobs for each stalk:

1. Create a pattern for your corn. I just eyeballed a skinny-eyeball-sort-of shape. Fold your precut square of felt into four sections. Trace and cut out your pattern. You will need 3-4 pieces for each cob.

2. Using the same pattern cut 3-4 pieces from golden felt. (I used 4 for this tutorial but when I finished the cob was a little to fat. My other cobs used only 3 pieces)

3. Sew parallel lines 1" apart using orange thread.

4. Following the curve of the felt sew 2 line 3/4-1" in. Sew a straight line down the middle.

5. Using a 1/8" seam allowance sew all 3-4 pieces together. Leave an opening for turning.

6. Turn and stuff. Hand stitch the opening closed.

Husks: Sorry no pics :(

1. Sew a 1" square of loop velcro to 3 of the husk pieces.

2. Using the same number of pieces as you did for the cobs sew with right sides together using a 1/8" seam allowance. Only sew half way up the husk pieces.

3. Turn and stuff corn inside the husk.

4. Attach husk by velcro to the stalk.

I hope this half-picture tutorial makes sense. Leave any question in the comments and I'll be happy to answer them.

Happy Harvest!

I'm participating in...

Who Knew?

2009-08-04T15:38:00.004-06:00

Did you know you can make your own chalk board paint? So long Rust-Oleum and your $15 price tag! Find the recipe here.

Would Have Baby Shower

2009-08-01T20:34:00.005-06:00

I WOULD HAVE thrown a great baby shower.

My mother-in-law and I had been planning a baby shower for her niece (my husband's cousin) for quite some time now. We were doing a clothesline theme, and it WOULD HAVE been great. At 8:30 a.m. just as I am finishing up my tortellini salad and getting ready to hop in the shower and get ready for the guests to arrive at 11:00 a.m. I got a phone call from my mother-in-law. Her sister, the mother-to-be's mom, had called her announcing that her daughter had been in the hospital all night and part of the previous evening due to pneumonia, which had then started contractions. The mother-to-be's mom had went ahead and called all the guests and canceled the shower.

So after crying to my husband and then sulking around the house thinking about all the hard work my mother-in-law and I had done for nothing, I decided I'd go ahead and post what I WOULD HAVE done at the shower. (If only to make myself feel better)

This is what the guests WOULD HAVE seen as they walked in the front door. And where the gifts WOULD HAVE gone. My wonderful husband made those clothesline poles for me which will later double as balloon trees for future parties.

The plates and utensils the guests WOULD HAVE used. I wrapped the napkins around the utensils and then secured them with a strip of paper like in the restaurants.

The cupcake stand I WOULD HAVE put the cupcakes on.

The cupcakes I WOULD HAVE served. I WOULD HAVE topped them with a miniature clothesline made from bamboo skewers, string, mini clothespins and die cut onesies. Don't worry, my husband's birthday is tomorrow. He will be having clothesline cupcakes (lucky him). Check back for pictures of the cupcakes completed.

The banner the guest WOULD HAVE seen hanging over the buffet.

A close up of the banner. Letters cut from the cricut were hung from a ribbon with clothespins.

I WOULD HAVE finished cleaning up my living room and put the toys my son got out away.

The diaper cake I WOULD HAVE given to the mom-to-be. (Actually I guess I'm still giving it to her)

The table where the children and/or guest WOULD HAVE sat to eat.

We WOULD HAVE served:

-pulled pork sandwiches

-tortellini salad

-avocado dip and chips

-fruit salad

-clothesline cupcakes

-white chocolate mouse in mini chocolate cups

-mini blueberry cheesecakes

We WOULD HAVE given bars of soap wrapped in a diaper with a diaper pin as favors (my mother-in-law was bringing those with her so I didn't have them to photograph)

It WOULD HAVE been really fun!

P.S. Anyone interested in coming over this weekend for pulled pork sandwiches and salads?

Year Round Harvest

2009-07-30T14:53:00.005-06:00

While blog stalking one day I found an amazing tutorial for a felt garden from Ikat Bag. You can find the tutorials here, here, here and here.

So after 2 weeks of sewing during nap times I had this:

Complete with pickable strawberries

Pickable pea pods:

Cornstalks with pickable corn on the cob:

And carrots:

Harvest Time!

The carrots and potatoes also came from Ikat Bag, here.

Cherry Limeade Cupcakes

2009-07-27T23:00:00.004-06:00

So, after making these cupcakes I was anxious to try some variations to the recipe. Here is my recipe for Cherry Limeade Cupcakes.

Cupcakes (makes 12):
adapted from this recipe
1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs (room temp)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
2 packets Cherry Limeade on-the-go drink mix. (I got the generic Wal-mart Great Value brand)
zest of one lime

-preheat oven to 350*
-in a small bowl mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Sift or whisk with a fork.
-in large bowl beat butter lime zest and sugar for 2 minutes on high.
-add eggs one at a time beating for 30 seconds between each egg.
-in a measuring cup add milk and drink mix. Mix well.
-add flour mixture alternating with milk mixture. You should start and end with flour. (3 additions flour, 2 additions milk)
-Divide batter among lined cupcake tray.
-Bake for 16-18 minutes or until toothpick come out clean. Cool completely.

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter (room temp)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP milk
1 packet Cherry Limeade on-the-go drink mix.

-with mixer, cream butter and shortening together.
-add powdered sugar one cup at a time. mix until all powdered sugar is Incorporated.
-mix milk and drink mix in small measuring cup.
-add vanilla, and milk and beat until thick and creamy.

The cupcakes were delicious, but the frosting was a little to sweet for my liking. Next time I'd stick with the original cream cheese version from this recipe.

Enjoy!

Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

2009-07-23T17:07:00.003-06:00

The cupcakes are YUM-MEE! They taste so fresh and summery. I found the recipe here.

I added pink food coloring to the frosting, pipped it on the cupcakes, and then added one raspberry and a mint leaf. I think they looked elegant. You could also add pink or red food coloring to the batter if you liked.

As a variation, you could try this same recipe with an orange flavored crystal light and orange zest. Or, I've seen a limeade crystal light that might be fun with lime zest.

Enjoy!