So we have a little hodge podge of craftiness this week. And we are on our way to North Carolina for the wedding of the decade…so there will probably not be a CT next week at all, I’m thinking.

First up, we have a princess fort for Addie’s birthday. She has this amazing cavern of a closet and told me she wanted a little fort for it. So I re-purposed a canopy and some old sheets to make this for her closet. The photo leaves a lot to be desired and I need to add some ribbons for holding open the doors, but it has already been broken in and happily used.

And I made some (am in the process of making) some new pillows for our living room. We inherited some great red chairs awhile ago and I finally got some new drapes (that need alterations still otherwise I’d show those, too) so we needed some new pillows to match. It is amazing the difference just some new accessories will make.

And finally…I’ve been trying to learn how to make these glass tile pendants. I got the idea to make one for JB with her and Jeff’s little logo (the j-heart-j) that we came up with. And then I started making initials and owls, too! And some sweet ones for some sweet girls. The “A” was supposed to be for my niece Alexis but I got home and found a wee little fingerprint in the back…so that one is going to have to be a magnet, I think.

Any new projects on your plate?

I have created a monster.

A little sewing monster. Emma has been bitten hard by the sewing bug. Mind you, I am NOT complaining. I think it is awesome.

A few weeks ago she asked if I would teach her to sew, and so I tried to figure out an easy first sewing project. Maybe a pillow? That seemed easy enough. And then I found this Million Pillowcase Challenge and our sewing lesson turned into a sewing bee and we invited the whole Brownie troop. Since our group was one of the top fifteen groups to sign up for Meetup we won a box of supplies! Lots of cool fabric and thread…

And after a few (just a little bit harried) hours our girls all completed their first sewing project. There wasn’t a ton of real “teaching” of the basics, but they all got to pick out fabric and play on a sewing machine and we ended up with a dozen pillowcases to send the cause.

Of course we had to test out the seams, too…

They are kid-tested, mom-approved and being sent onto the Conkerr Cancer site.

And, I’m sure Meesh’s birthday gifts are to her by now, so I can show these.

I have had this cool blue/brown fabric since Mav was born with the intent of making a little diaper bag for her. I decided on a smallish messenger bag instead. She can use it for a diaper or two, or just a bag for herself to tote stuff to school.

And another of the buckets. This one is for her family room downstairs. For remotes, xbox games, whatever. I do love these buckets. They are so easy to make and so useful!

So that is what I have this week. What about all of you?

Eek….we are a little late, but still squeaking CT in before Wednesday.

Most of our craftiness lately has been the out-of-necessity type or the re-fashioning type. First of all, the girls found these backpack/lunchbox/pencil kits in the Avon book while they were at Nana’s this summer. They both decided they couldn’t live without these kits for school this year. BUT, they don’t come in different colors, so I tried to talk them out of getting identical bags, but my pleas fell on very deaf ears. They both got a set.

So…I took out the chalkboard fabric (you knew that it was going to make an appearance again, didn’t you?) and made sure we can tell the bags apart.

Plus I get to leave little notes on the girl’s lunchboxes, which they still think is cool.

I have also been re-purposing all of the old leggings into bike shorts since we’ll be needing a new store of them for under skirts and dresses. And I took two of Addie’s favorite dresses that she just couldn’t part with and made them into skirts.

Crummy middle of the night photos…sorry. But I essentially just chopped off the top and moved buttons and buttonholes and now she can wear them for another few years.

And I’ve wanted to try this tutorial for many months now. Em had a brand new t-shirt that she helped paint sets with…and then leaned over one of the panels and got paint all over the bottom of said t-shirt. So chopped off t-shirt, plus birdcage fabric that I’ve wanted to use forever equals…

It turned out pretty cute. I love the birdcages and one of the birds is the exact same color of that crazy green t-shirt, so it looks good. It came together pretty easily, too – just a matter of getting some time to dedicate to it. The story of my life.

Next week I promise we’ll have some good stuff to show. I finally finished my sister’s birthday presents (yes, her birthday was in July, I realize that) so I’ll show those next week, after it gets to her.

AND, I’m sure we’ll have something to show from our Sewing Bee. I found this Million Pillowcase Challenge and thought it would be a fun thing for our Brownies to do and learn to sew at the same time. So this weekend our house is going to be converted into a sewing shop and I’ll have the proof next week. Happy Crafting until then…

Well, let me just say that I have only been crafty out of necessity this past week.

Addie HAD to wear a dress that was a good two inches too short to be wearing out in public. So I rounded up all of her old holey or grass-stained leggings and chopped and hemmed them. Voila. Five new pairs of under-skirt shorts. She is very happy.

Jamie HAS about three more pair of pants that need to be hemmed, so they are next up on my sewing table.

Emma’s old bear NEEDS a new nose. She so very sweetly decided to give her “extra” bear to her best friend Audrey so they could have friendship bears.

And she graciously decided to keep her original bear (from Aunt Meesh) which is a little worse for wear and has lost his nose somewhere along the way. So new nose for bear. And the “extra bear” has a new home with Aud.

And most of last week was spent preparing for the little grown-up tea party we had over the weekend to honor my new sister-in-law, (to be), JB!

We were going for an Anthropology-esque garden tea party.  And I think we got pretty close. At any rate is was a very fun afternoon with our favorite Mary!

I really hope to tackle my project pile this week. Any inspirations for me?

I’m still in the midst of unpacking and tackling the mountain of “we-were-out-of-town-for-two-weeks” tasks that had piled up.  But a very special best friend of Em’s turned 7 over the weekend, so I had to try this tutorial.

And…ta-da! A bike basket for our sweet girl.

Notice the use of the chalkboard fabric! It is so very handy for lots of things.

And we have a new little pet in our household. Emmy and Daddy brought this little Owly home for me from ComiCon this past weekend. (OH, yes…J’s comic nerdiness has indeed worn off onto Em!)

How cute is he, though? See why I have to learn how to felt? Next on the ever-expanding list of things to do…

Hey there. Remember me? This post was meant for last week, while I was camping, but is being brought to you this week (since I forgot to post this craftiness) this week whilst I am tromping around London with my sweet J. We are having a fantastic time, but I’m almost, nearly at that point…the one where it is just time to come home already. And I’m definitely at that point where I’m ready to wrap my arms around my girls and give them great big hugs. I really, really (no REALLY!) miss them.

So one more day here in jolly ol’ England – we are off to see a cricket match – and then we are on our way to Michigan to pick up two weary travelers and then head home to LA!

BUT, before I am off, a few birthday presents I finished up before our travels. I’m caught up through June…only July birthdays to work on now. (Yes, I’m well aware of the fact that it will be nearly August by the time I return. Thanks for pointing that out, though.)

FINALLY finished a little lickety-split bag that has been cut out and on my ironing board since – and I’m not even kidding! – MARCH! Happy Birthday, Vic. I hope you like it. I actually made it a little larger than the pattern in hopes that she could slide her laptop in there when she needs to traipse off to U of M…or just stuff it with diapers for Sarah and dry clothes for the Z. man.

And I finished up our sweet little friend Henry’s cape. He wanted a green horse birthday party when he turned three a few weeks ago. Green is his fave color…and his initials are H-H-H, hence the H3 little logo and his green cape. He loved it. I’ll have to grab some pics when we return.

And finally finished up a little messenger bag for my sweet niece who turned 7 when she was visiting California a few weeks ago. She requested a pink bag. And that is what she got.  Excuse the poor photos, I took the photos literally a few hours before I left the house for our vacation.

I promise I’ll be back to whittling down my blog reader in a few days, so let me know if you have some crafty goodness today!

I’ve been on a mission to get my backlog of birthday presents completed.

Before we leave this Saturday.

Hmmm. Yes. Well, we will see how that works out for me as the week progresses.

I did get a bag done that I had promised a friend many, many moons ago. It has been sitting on my ironing board for oh…let’s just say…a few months. But, it is on the way – finally and (don’t fall off your chair, Vic!) it will be there by the end of the week. I seem to have this “out-of-sight-out-of-mind” problem. If it isn’t on top of the stack, or I’m not going to see the person the gift is for…it just doesn’t seem to get done.

So I made a project list. And now the list sits right next to my sewing machine, so I can focus up a little bit. We’ll see if it works.

Oh, and the bag…well, since Vic hasn’t seen it yet, we’ll have to wait for the big reveal until next week.

But, here is a birthday present we did get to deliver this weekend to our lovely soon-to-be Aunt JB!

Not one, but two little burlap buckets.

This was my first attempt at these buckets. I bought the maya*made pattern a long time ago and have been halfheartedly looking for some old coffee sacks to use. But, I finally ended up just using ordinary burlap material and lining it with a patterned canvas. They are a definite first try, but I think I’m going to like making them – they are fun and handy and I keep thinking of uses for them all over the house.

Addie is insistent that JB use her new buckets to organize her makeup. Makeup? Should I be concerned that that my 7 and almost 5-year olds are fascinated with makeup already? Especially since I rarely wear more than mascara and lip gloss?
Sigh. And so it begins, I guess…

I also completed a little dress for one of Em’s friends and one of my Brownie scouts.

I have a backlog of pillowcases so I’m hopefully going to get caught up on my project list and actually make some dresses for our etsy shop. Again…we’ll see ’bout that.

I had this pair of matching pillowcases that I’ve been saving for something special and I found it! A friend took me up on my plea to donate to my sister’s walk. So I made matching dresses for her two sweet daughters. You all know how I feel about sisters…and I have a feeling that this pair is going to be aDOORable in their new dresses.

There is still time if you would like to donate. Meesh is about 1/2 way there with only a few months before the walk, so any donation would be appreciated. And make sure to come back and let me know you donated so I can send you something!

Alright, I’m getting off the soapbox and I’ll save the rest of my goodies for next week. Do you have anything fun and crafty to share this week?

Whew…it has been a week, or four. I have been compiling a list of all the things I have yet to blog about and I hope to have that up sometime before the summer is out. Ha. But I do have a little CT to show today. I present to you Crafty Tuesday…the chalkboard edition.

Yes, I have become obsessed with the chalkboard paint. We painted flowerpots for all the teachers with said paint. Filled them with paper flowers (on pencils), love notes (because all of our teachers were so fabulous this year), and Sbux gift cards (because all teacher apparently need a gallon of coffee each day) and then the girls decorated them with chalk. They were kinda a big hit, I think.

And then we used a little of the paint on the top of the girls’ table in the playroom. It had been desecrated and I was going to just repaint it anyhow, so why not use chalkboard paint? Mmmmm…nice clean blackboard table.

And finally, the wall that started it all. The playroom painting is done. There is nothing hung back up on the wall yet, but…It.Is.Painted. Yahoo!

And the chalkboard is well-loved, as you can see. We all like to doodle on it and the calendar rocks. I love seeing six weeks worth of stuff at a time.

And the rest of the room got weeded out a bit, a nice new color and some new organization. Except for that craft corner over there. See the p-i-l-e on the ironing board? Yeah. That is next.

Ok, back to decompressing after our crazy past week. I’d love to see what you are all up to – so leave it!