This isn’t a post so much about my craftiness, but a little shout-out to my friend over at New Green Mama, who crafts some true magic with up-cycled goods.

I have sung her praises here before, her owls are to die for. Mine still hangs out on my desk, keeping me company and making me smile every time I look at her.

And my coffee cozy – it might have started my slight infatuation with little birdies. (Nah, I can’t blame that on you, Jen!) I use it all the time. Even when I bring my re-usable mug from home I  still use my cozy on it and sometimes I have to wrestle one of the girls for it, since they like it so much, too.

I have seen some little kitties, bunnies, and other creatures created with felt, and really wanted to try felting some sweaters to see if I could manage some sort of kid Christmas presents. (I also have a new niece or nephew on the way – wouldn’t a cute, soft little creature be a good way to welcome a new baby to the world?)

So when Jen made her coffee cozy diy kit available, I thought “how cool.” I would start small and see what it was all about.

So, the kit is adorable. I wish I had taken a photo when I opened it – the packaging is great. But in my great haste to tear it open and get started I wasn’t thinking so clearly and didn’t snap a photo until after.

And…the kit is so fun! And I did it while watching the Amazing Race on Sunday night. I love having something productive to do while I’m watching TV instead of what I’m usually doing. (That would be…um, blogging. Like right now.)

So it is quick and easy and very satisfying to have a Christmas present done. Although I might reattach the little Owly’s eyes with just white. She looks like she has pink eyelashes…and I’m not really digging that. But the rest of it…very cute!

I am going to give this to Em’s teacher for Christmas with a reusable cup and Sbux card. Emma told me that she ALWAYS has a cup of coffee from Starbucks, and I’ve run into her at our Starbucks, so I think it is one gift that will definitely be used and appreciated!

Now I’m jacked up to get started on some other handcrafted presents. Right after I finish those pesky Halloween costumes. I have three weeks. That is practically an eternity. No worries. 🙂

What about all of you? Got some crafty goodies to share? How about ideas for Christmas presents to make for GUYS? Got any of those?

I’m late, I’m late…for a very important crafty date!

Not really since, well, it is TUESDAY. But I’m usually more organized and have my posts ready to post first thing so our East coast friends can peruse during those sweet, quiet morning moments before all chaos hits. (Ha, I know somewhere there has to be quiet, coffee-sipping, morning moments, right?) But as you can plainly see, that didn’t happen last night. We are running around trying to play catch-up all over the place, while fighting colds, and unfortunately that did not leave much time for crafting this week.

We did deliver our birthday gift for our friend last week, and it was only two weeks late!

I think Alexander’s super-cape is actually cooler than Ad’s. The color is better, and looks “more super.” Addie’s pink is too light, almost white. But they were cute playing with them. With the fires finally (mostly) out, we can get back outside and burn off some pent up energy. I didn’t realize how much I took an hour at the park for granted until we did not have the opportunity.

I also received a special delivery. J. brought a tee home from our friend in Chicago while he was out there last week.

Addison took the photo – I told her it didn’t have to have my head, but I guess that means I don’t need 2 arms either. Ah well, this was the only one in focus. But you can see the most awesome print, how cool is that? You can wander through Marcy’s site, Formoda, for some other cool stuff.

And that’s all I’ve got this week. I need some inspiration to get me back on crafty track. Have anything?

Well I have had quite a craft-a-liscious week around here. I’ve got my creative hat on and all kinds of projects in the works, but I think some of it I may wait to share until next week. Post-birthday party.

I did finish an apron for our friend Jenny as a Congratulations/Good Luck present.

Jenny just opened her store Home Ec, here in LA, and we stopped by for her grand opening last Friday. She put the apron on straight away and looked a.dor.able, as always.

But…Oh.My.Crafts.  It is a wicked cool place to shop, hangout, craft. If you are in the LA area, go check it out. I didn’t get as much time as I needed to really shop, but J. and the girls managed to and they found all kinds of crafts for me to do. You know, in my spare time.

I have wanted to try needle-felting for awhile now, and of course the fact that there is a CAT on the cover, meant that the girls thought this would be a good book for me to own. It has potentially cool, little gifts. Plus is something I can do while we are watching TV. (Good TV, that is starting soon! Hooray!)

And they also found this little kit with two felt (BRIGHT PINK) deer!

When I got it home, we realized that the instructions are all in Japanese. I think I can probably figure it out, but it might be a little more of a challenge.

Addie has asked me five times a day if I have her deer done yet. Which I do not.

And I do not because besides doing all kinds of graphic design projects for Em’s classroom and becoming (I’m still not sure how) the editor for the PTA newsletter, I have been preparing for the BIRTHDAY PARTY! That is TOMORROW!

Next week I’ll show the invites, the banners, the super-Addie cape (which is about 20 kinds of awesome!), and the cake. Speaking of which, Addie and I need to go make some fondant birds for her cake. (Don’t ask. I’m not sure how this cake happened, either!)

Anybody else have some craftiness today?

The kitty cat skirt is complete. I haven’t been able to take many photos of it though because I had barely snipped the final thread on it and Addie had already commandeered it and put it on.

Here is the yummy fabric up close. The vintage kittys are so cute, eh?

The skirt is made out of the little flowered fabric, with the kitty fabric apron over the top, and a ribbon hem. I didn’t really have a pattern, kinda just winged it. I had seen these little apron skirts somewhere and decided that it was the perfect fabric to try one with.

My fashionista modeling it for us.

The only thing I’m not crazy about is that I sewed the apron to the skirt, thinking if I left them separate, the apron would only untie and fall off. But what happens is the skirt “moves” around since I made it just a smidge bigger in the waist so she could wear it longer. As the skirt moves, sometimes the apron ends up a little cock-eyed, sometimes it is completely on the side of her body. But, it would be pure torture for her if I took it apart and tried to fix it, so it shall remain. It’s slightly imperfect, but she is perfectly content with it. So we will leave well enough alone.

I have been doing some design work for Addie’s school, the PTA at Em’s school and I designed a new brochure for our church choir. I like doing all of that sort of “fun” work, but it all has been seriously cutting into my real crafting time. I have a few birthday projects lying around halfway completed, and since someone’s birthday is NEXT WEDNESDAY, I’m positive I’ll have something to show next week, too. Even if it kills me.

On a completely non-crafty related note – thanks for all of your concerns about the fires. Yes, they are very, very close. You remember when I shot the photo last year of our view of the mountain? Well, for the past week, this is all we see when we look up there.

Most of the time you can’t even see the mountain, it is just shrouded in billows of smoke. And at night it is very eerie. It just looks like the whole mountain is glowing. It is scary, not that it will make it down the mountain and to us, but fire has always been so frightening to me.

If you want to follow the details, there is a map here. Although, I check it several times a day, and the progress is not very promising. But we are safe, other than the horrific air quality from the smoke. Emma’s school hasn’t been able to go out for recess for the past week. She gets THREE recesses, but hasn’t been able to go out at all. It is killing her.

Last night our car decided to die at the recycling center, in the 106 degree heat, and we were waiting for the tow truck for about an hour. My chest hurt. My head hurt. And I could totally see why people should not be out in this smoke-filled air. And did I mention it was 106 degrees out? That isn’t helping. Yeah, good times. Good times.

Anyhow, if you would, please send up some prayers for all of the firefighters who have been fighting this crazy fire for the past week. And for the people who may have lost, or are losing, their homes. And maybe pray for a little cooler temperatures and rain, too?

Ah, who am I kidding? I don’t have anything to show this week.

I did just start cutting a skirt out of this ADORABLE vintage kitty fabric for Addie. I have had the fabric in my stack for awhile now and had planned on making some cute pillows for Ad’s room, but she saw the fabric the other day and pleaded with me to make her a “kitty cat skirt! Pleeease, Mama?”

Yeah, I can’t say no to that. So we are making a skirt.

I also started my lounge pants. And I am thinking I’m going to make superhero capes for Addie and Alexander – the September birthdays we have coming up. I saw these capes in the Chasing Fireflies catalog and am so making them (for much cheaper than $48, too!).

So there are definite possibilities, but no definite projects to show today. I’m actually really struggling to get the important stuff done this week. I have a seriously long list of to-dos this week. But instead I’m “putzing” about. Cleaning closets. Why am I cleaning out Addie’s closet when I should be doing the laundry or cleaning the kitchen? I’m just not sure. Not a lot of focusing going on around here. And honestly? I’m counting down the days til Emma starts school (Wednesday…tomorrow! Wheeeee!) The refereeing is really starting to get to me. I think two straight weeks of togetherness has made all of us girls a little on edge. We are ready for a break!

So tune in next week. I’m bound to have some goodies to share. But be sure to leave a comment if you have do have something to show today!

I am still traveling but I do have something for today. When I was on my wide-leg lounge pants kick a few weeks back I actually made some for my friend’s birthday – but since I didn’t want to spoil the surprise, I didn’t post them then. And last week I was just too lazy and caught up with my nieces. But here they are.

I absolutely love this fabric, with the little birdy fetish I have going on right now.

And I have some leftover, so I think I’m going to make some little aprons for the girls with it.

Here was the finished project.

I’m excited to get home and make some more of these pants, next on the list is a pair for me! I may not get to all your crafty goodness today – but make sure to leave it below so I can see it when I get home tomorrow!

More, More, MORE sewing! I’ve made two more gifts (remember my “I’ll make two gifts, and then I get to make something for me or the house” rule?) which means I get to make something else for me this week! Woot!

First up, I have one of the gifts I finished this week. I actually have photos of the other gift, but since HER birthday isn’t until tomorrow (Hey! Will you pop over and wish her a happy day for me if you get a chance?) and I know for a fact she reads this blog, I’ll have to postpone the unveiling of her gift until next week.

Anyhow, the first gift is for my niece, Lexer (Alexis) whose birthday is next month. But being sneaky and semi-smart, I decided if I could get her gift squared away, I could actually deliver it in person when I see her…this weekend! (Yeah!!!)

So these are the wide-leg lounge pants from my Amy Butler book. I love them…they look so breezy and comfy, I can’t wait to make a pair for myself.

I like the contrasting cuffs. And then I used some of the leftover material and made a little t-shirt for her, too.

It makes a cute little set.

I also finished up two dresses that have been languishing around in my sewing basket, kinda all summer. This one for Addie…

It is super long, but when I had her try it on to measure for the shoulders and ribbons, she pleaded with me “Please can it be a long dress, Mama? Like a princess?” So, although it should be hemmed up a bit, maybe it will work for next summer, too.

And here is the one for Emma…

She also had very strong opinions about the construction of the dress. “I want the straps to criss-cross in the back, Mama.”

Little diva fashionistas!

How about you all? Any goodies to share today?

Hi, my crafty folks. I’ve got a few goodies to share today. Would of had more, but I boxed up a little care package for my friend to send out and completely forgot to photograph the gown I made for her.

Bah. It is sitting right here. I could unwrap it. But it is all taped up. And I’m lazy. And how about you just imagine it instead?

You can see the fabric here. It is a little roomier, has better coverage, and is softer than the standard hospital gown. Has a special slit in the pocket for heart monitors and such. So, how about this? Vic, when you kick this cancer and are all better – I will make you something much prettier that you can wear outside of the hospital. And I’ll take lots of photos of it (and you in it!). Deal?

The next project I finished, I also forgot to photograph before we gave it away. Luckily we were invited to the birthday party and my friend Jamie deemed it worthy enough for the party. She had a pink and green garden/ladybug-themed party for Emma’s best friend Audrey. So our birthday banner fit perfectly, and I snapped some photos of it hanging in a tree in the park.

I really love how it turned out and I have plenty of fabric scraps leftover, so I’m going to make one for our house. It is handy that Jamie’s house and ours is filled with girls, so I got to use all the girl-y fabrics. I still think the birthday banner is the greatest idea.

And I also dove into THE book. I started doing as I had intended – one gift for me (the house), then tackling two gifts to giveaway.

So the apron…

I love the pocket and the little towel loop! Love the fabric, although again – taking it late Monday night in crummy light, doesn’t help the really cool colors. But I have already used it, and it will be in heavy rotation…I can assure you.

I almost cropped my pj bottoms out of the photo, but then I figured I would look very weird all leg-less. And also you need to see how the apron will usually look, over lounge pants and a t-shirt, since that is my typical wardrobe on any given day. And I didn’t want you to think I was getting all fancy on you over here…with my aprons and what-not!

I also finished some lounge pants for my niece’s birthday. But I’m appliquing a t-shirt to go with it, so I’ll save that to show for next week. Although I really – no REALLY love the lounge pants. But I have to make another gift before I can start a pair for myself. Plus I have fabric for two dresses for the girls that they keep bugging me about. So back to the sewing machine.

What crafty goodness do you have to share?