Hi there, crafty peeps! Hope you had a productive and creative week. It has been a wee bit busy over here. Obviously there is a  direct correlation with the amount of chaos in our life and the amount of blogging I do. Right now I am barely squeaking any blogging in, if you couldn’t tell.

Anywho….I do have some goodies to share.

Another little clutch, I think I’ve almost got them figured out. This springy green one (look at THIS green, JB!) is for my lovely friend Julie’s birthday.

I kind of feel like the proportions are off a little, but it fits an iPhone (speaking of which, did you SEE the new iPhone? Mama likes.) a lippystick and some cash – so I think it works.

Also I have been having fun with oilcloth and the cool chalkboard fabric – a little re-usable shopping bag.

And a lunchbag, too! I think that chalkboard stuff might come in handy on a few dozen projects I would like to try.

And a quick sneak of the other “chalkboard” obsession I currently have. Just a tease…

…the rest of the playroom/craftroom redo will be unveiled (hopefully!) next week. Until then…

Raaawwwrrr!

I warned you it would be a whole lotta lions around here this week. Our bucket of 19 lion heads ready for dress rehearsal on Thursday. Well, almost ready…they just all need some velcro to hold them together.

They actually weren’t too bad to put together, but the lion mane “fur” makes a huge mess…

So I am happy to have the manes behind me.

I finally got a project that Em’s teacher had asked me to do months ago. She has two Cat in the Hats that go home with the students for a weekend trip and they needed some sort of traveling bag. Now the Cats can travel in style…

I have some birthday gifts I want to finish up this week, and J. left yesterday for the week. So you know what that means! We are onto our next room project. J. will not be so surprised when he comes home this time, though. He helped me move furniture and he even picked the paint color. So stay tuned for our playroom/craftroom transformation. I’m very excited about this one.

Were you crafty over the long weekend?

I totally spaced on CT last week. I may have been painting, or cutting out some lion costumes, or just running around like a crazy woman. Who really knows! All I do know is that Tuesday came and went and I didn’t have anything to put up there for you all. This week it is all about practical projects and getting things crossed off of my to-do list.

And I can show the bathroom this week. First let me refresh your memory of the girls’ totally 60’s bathroom. (Excuse the horrid photo – it was the only one I could find, but you get the general idea, yeah?)

Mmmm…pretty, eh? Can you blame me for my wallpaper-tearing-down fit? Remarkably, the wallpaper was easy to come down but it came down and left bare plaster walls. So I primed it and had every intention of putting a nice, pale yellow on the walls. But once the primer was on, the white just looked so nice and clean. So I went with a warm, yellow-ish white. And, now – I smile every single time I walk into that bathroom.

I swapped out the white photo frames for black ones and shot some new bath photos last night for the other wall, too.

Now I’m on the search for some cute vintage tea towels to make little half curtains for the windows. Stay tuned on that one.

I have a baby shower today, so I put together some burp cloths. My friend doesn’t know the sex of the baby yet, so it was all kinds of green for the cloths. And I found the softest, light-green chenille for the back of them.

And I attempted another little project that I’ve wanted to do for awhile…but I finally had to shelf it this afternoon. It is kinda a big fat FAIL. For now at least, until I can re-work it and hopefully make it work.

They are supposed to be these little A-B-C stacking blocks, but the cubes are a little lopsided and I’m having lumpy issues. However, I did re-purpose the little birdy that was supposed to go on the B cube and made a baby card instead.

And I helped Ad’s teacher by zig-zagging little handprint projects. I’m not really sure what they are doing with them, but Addie was so very proud that Mommy was doing something for HER class for a change. She also, ah…ahem…helped me.

Now we are back to our regularly scheduled programming…and cutting out lion manes. Fair warning – next week will be all lions and hopefully 19 completed lion heads. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

I had very good intentions of using some of our unscheduled weekend for tackling my ever-growing mountain of fabric that is beckoning me, begging me to create some new stuff. But instead, we did nothing. It was wonderful, but doesn’t give me much to show-off today.

I did put together an art purse for one of Em’s friends last week. I am loving these little bags, Jen! Thanks so much for putting the pattern out.

I actually made this one a little bigger than the ones I made for Em and Ad.

I wanted to put a bigger tablet inside – and markers and stickers. Avery really liked it and her Mom asked me to make some aprons for her girls, so it was a success I think.

And that is all I have to throw out today. But before I go…a few inspirational birthday gifts I got last week. Check this out…

Yes, that is the back of my iPhone. HOW cool is that? My friend Vic “borrowed” a photo from me and had the skin made from Gelaskins.  I love seeing my babies every time I pull out my phone.

Emmy picked out this for my birthday…

Yeah, I think she is telling me something. Our oven has been on non-stop for the past week and looks like it will be on most of this week, too. Might have to try out a cupcake or two in there somewhere.

And Addie picked out this one…

God love those girls. They know what their Mama likes. This book has…well 101 projects that I can’t wait to try!

What sort of projects did you try this week?

I have one tiny little bit of craftiness from the past week.

This week my parents were here so I didn’t really get any craftiness done, but I did put them to work…

What were my crafty minions working on? (Kinda like Martha’s army, eh?)

Vases for Teacher Appreciation week…

And we made a mess of scones for the teacher breakfast yesterday morning. And that is it for us.

I’ve got some birthday presents to make this week, so we’ll see you next week, same time, same place!

So since most of last week was spent painting, I kinda blew my CT for today with that post on Friday. But I did finish up three other little projects that were totally bugging me.

Something to contain Em’s stuff on her new desk…

Something to contain all of my necklaces that are usually strewn about the bathroom…

…including my new one in the middle there, red coral straight from Hawaii! (Thanks Jeff & JB!)

I stole Not So Idle Hands‘ knockoff of the Pottery Barn frame idea. I just took an IKEA frame and added some cuphooks into it. Easy peasy. And it fits perfectly in this little blank bit of wall in our bathroom. And keeps my necklaces neat – and in sight…so maybe I will remember to wear them more often!

And my last CT submission wasn’t really bugging me, but a certain little girl was bugging me to get it finished.

Addie’s apron dress like Em’s I finished a few weeks ago…

Still messing with the actual pattern. I did elastic in Addie’s instead of pleats. I think it will be a better fit and grow with her a little better. She is anxious to wear it tomorrow, so I think she likes it!

I’m really behind on reading blogs, but I want to see some more goodies to keep me inspired, so let’s have ’em!

Got some good stuff today – I hope you all had time to get crafty and creative this past week as well.

First up, our little friend Miss P. is having a birthday this week, so I finished a pink-a-licious dress for her from one of my favorite pillowcases from the last flea market trip. I added a few little pockets for treasures because it was a little plain.

I also bought the lickety-split bag commercial pattern a few weeks ago and decided before I made any to sell or give away as gifts, (it is coming, Vic!) I should make one for myself, to…you know…test the pattern out. Well, it is a very easy pattern and I really think I will have a lot of fun making these cool bags.

They are reversible, but I didn’t get a pic of the other side. I did however get a pic of this little nymph trying to make off with my new bag, but she is awfully cute…so maybe I’ll look the other way.

Now…my friend, partner, and cohort-in-all-things-sewing, aka – Mommy Jamie, dropped off not just one – but TWO dresses – one for each of the the girls last night. Not only are they adorable, but they are environmentally conscious, too! She re-purposed two old Daddy dress shirts. Emma was thrilled to tell any and everyone today that she had a dress made out of Daddy’s shirt.

I’m not really sure why they think they need to pose like this, but super cute dresses, no?

Jamie used the pattern in the new Martha Stewart sewing book, which I must get. I have rescued a few of J.’s other dress shirts from the Goodwill pile already. And Addie has requested a Daddy shirt-dress with a twirly-ruffle at the bottom. So, we’ll be adding it to the list…

I am so very disappointed in myself. This past week was quite possibly one of the craftiest weeks of my life and I only have a handful of not-very-good photos to prove it. I can’t seem to take good photos – or any photos – when I’m in the middle of throwing a party.

On top of Em’s tea party on Saturday, she had another birthday party to go to in the morning and she asked if I would make her friend Lauren an apron dress like hers. We compromised on a much easier pillowcase dress which sat on my table for two days before I frantically wrapped it Saturday morning, fifteen minutes before she was being picked up. And then, I promptly realized that I had not taken a photograph of it. It turned out cute, too. Ah, well.

I have had two different projects in mind for Em’s birthday – and I did manage to get one done. She wanted a photoboard so she could have her own photos in her room. I just ran up and snapped this photo, soooo the colors are a little wonky. But it is cute purple fabric with a dark fuchsia grosgrain ribbon.  A nice, super easy, while-you-are-watching-TV, kind of project.

I just realized she might need some updated photos for it now. But, GAH! Look at her in all of her baby cuteness!

The other project I have put on hold and need to rethink a little bit. I ended up getting a different kind of desk for her room, and don’t need what I had in mind for her – so I will come up with a redesign and feature it in a future CT maybe.

We did an inordinate amount of baking last week. Emma specifically asked if we could do choir snack the week of her birthday so we could bring cupcakes. Which we did – that was Thursday.

And then on her birthday she wanted to bring cupcakes to her class. Which we did – that was Friday.

And I got the coolest cupcake pan from my Mom to use for Em’s garden tea party. Bumblebees, ladybugs and butterflies! But…it only has six cupcake molds, which means I had to fill-bake-cool-repeat, times 5, all in time for her party. In my infinite wisdom, (hoo boy.) thought it should be fine to do it on Saturday morning. Which was fine for the baking part, but left little time for the decorating part. Very little time. I was more than a little disappointed with the cupcakes. They were sloppy and kind of thrown together and I never even got a very good photo of them. You can kinda see some of them here. (And the drippy icing!)

But…the girls loved them. And thankfully there were just enough ladybugs and butterflies to go around…nobody complained and there were only bumblebees left. A minor miracle with 18 girls, let me tell you.

So party favors. I really dislike those birthday plastic bags o’ crap party favors that only end up getting chucked after a few days anyhow. So I made little fabric goody bags for the girls that fit inside our little metal gardening buckets. I used five coordinating fabrics (all in shades of purple) and just sewed up the bags and tied them with little fabric ribbons.

In the little bags we put some seed packets, and then the girls could slide their personalized teacup into their bags to take home.

And the teacups! I finally found very cheap little white teacups/saucers (I actually think they were coffee cups – but they are perfect kid-sized teacups) in Chinatown. And then I doodled and put each girls’ name on their cup. Really? AGAIN…with the no real photos? I had all of them on my dining room table all last week while I was working on them, and not a single photo of all of them. Each one was different, too. But you’ll just have to take my word for it and try to squint and see them in these photos.

The party decor…

You can see that the girls took their bags out and put them on the chairs, and then used their metal buckets to go on a ladybug hunt. Saturday morning J. and Addie planted a few hundred ladybugs in our courtyard area and the girls went crazy. It was by far the best part of the party. Someone who shall remain nameless (cough…Addie!…cough) might have said that ladybugs really like lavender…so my lavender plant is decimated. But, honestly? SO well worth it. That is just good, cheap entertainment, my friends.

We did end up playing pin-the-ladybug-in-the-middle-of-the-daisy…

…and I had a few other games as backups (including the teacup relay – awesome idea, thank you Maggie!) but we never even made it to the other games. It was all about the ladybugs, and the tea, of course.

I kept the menu kind of simple and due to time constraints, ended up buying the tea cookies and scones. I had intended on baking those too, but I’m sure they were just as good.

Each girl got a chocolate dipped strawberry (they were in the tulip wrappers by their plates), and we had tea sandwiches (pb & j and cucumber/cream cheese), fruit kabobs, watermelon, pineapple, scones and shortbread cookies. At least four or five of the girls found out they really like cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches and Em asked for it again in her lunch today.

And that…was the tea party. Perhaps by next Tuesday, I’ll be fully recovered.

My idea has come to life. This is pretty close to what I envisioned when I picked up those vintage aprons at the flea market all those many weeks ago.

I put a little white slip underneath it and used the apron ties for the straps on the sundress. I saw a dress on etsy (I’m sure) that used the buttonholes and knotted the straps so I knew that I wanted to do that on these dresses as well. That way I can let it out as someone sprouts up an inch (or two!) in a matter of months. They ties are a little long, but the ends are so cute, I don’t want to cut them off.

This of course is v1.0. The minute Em put this on, my other little birdie was wondering when hers will be done. So v2.0 is on its way. I think I will try to do a little elastic in the back maybe, instead of pleating?

I also finished the art purses for Em and Ad’s Easter baskets. Of course these were all done on the sly since they are supposed to be a surprise. I’m certain they will love them and they will probably be making a maiden voyage to Easter Sunday mass.

Oh, they still need buttons, too.

I’ll get on that right after I finish the invites for the tea party we are having next week. Somehow it is that time again? Em thinks it is okay to have another birthday and go and get a year older, too. So she wanted a tea garden tea party, and that is what we are planning on giving her. Here is the start of the tea party frenzy…

Again. Why do I always design these elaborate things that require all kinds of cutting and assembling? I have to go finish putting all of these together. But I’m looking forward to seeing your Spring craftiness today, so leave it…