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Butterflies in Winter

January 26, 2014 By Leave a Comment

I like butterflies all the time.  It’s especially nice to see them in the winter.  So, I made some butterfly suncatchers to share.  I think especially with the snow we’ve been having in parts of the country, this might cheer people up.  It’s an easy craft, however it requires a few things that you might not have at a home.

Transparency film can be found at office supply stores.  It’s pricey but you will probably not have to buy it again for a long time.  If you don’t bead (or fish!) you might not have the monofilament on hand either.  I think I bought mine at Michaels.  Any craft store should carry that.  I think everything else most crafters either have or know where to get.

I have been working on these for quite awhile, not because they were so hard to do but because things kept getting in the way like Christmas and other things.  Each one really only took an hour or so (not including drying time for the paint).  Kids could make these with adult supervision.  OK a LOT of adult supervision.  🙂  Well, whatever, I think they’re really pretty and they make nice gifts.

Stay tuned for the other crafts I came up with using the butterflies.  But for now go and take a look at instructions for making these Butterfly Suncatchers.

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Doo To Doo!

January 22, 2014 By 1 Comment

I think everyone who has had kids has done something with the cardboard tube in the middle of toilet paper and paper towel rolls. They are ubiquitous and for some reason children love them. What child has not put one up to his mouth, filled his lungs with air and bugled “Doo to doooo!” I don’t recall having a name for them when I was a kid. I think we just called them “toilet paper rolls” or “paper towel rolls”. Something really creative like that. When my oldest son was about 2 he liked to play with them and it was a big deal when we got to the end of either item so he could get a fresh one. One day, he came up to me and asked for the one I had recently liberated. I didn’t know what he was talking about as I was busy with some task.  I could only tell he wanted something in the general direction of “over there”. He pointed to the tube and and said clearly, “I want the doo to doo.” Forever after after those tubes were known as Doo To Doos by our family.

So, now that I have a grandson who is old enough to enjoy them, I decided to see what was new in the world of Doo To Doos. Of course people are making all sorts of interesting and cool crafts with them, but I wanted to send him one that was fun while still in line with what his Dad played with. After looking at many, many photos I decided on this. Very easy but I think the Duck Tape (hey that’s what they call it) will make it last longer than the original.

I used:

  • a short toilet paper tube for the small one and a paper towel tube for the long one
  • scrap ribbon
  • double sticky tape –you might be able to do without this but it’s easier to hold them in place
  • Duck Tape in whatever pattern/color you like – I thought the owls were cute!

 

 

 

 

 

Cut 11 pieces of ribbon (depending on the width of your ribbon you might need one more or less) to varying lengths.  Using double sided tape stick them around one end of the tube so that they will hang down.  You can overlap the last one if you need to to make them fit. 

Starting at the end where you put the ribbon, begin wrapping the Duck Tape around the tube in strips.  The straighter you can stay the better it will look, but after all, it’s a Doo To Doo, don’t stress about it.  When you get to the end, go ahead and put some tape down inside.  It should help it hold up to being blown into, if you know what I mean.

I made a short one and a long one and sent the short one to my Grandson.  Then, when we had a Face Time chat he was quite tickled with the ribbons blowing out the end of mine.  Just a little silly Grandma/Grandson fun.

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It’s a New Year

January 7, 2014 By 1 Comment

I’m not a resolution maker because they hang over your head and I tend to either forget them or resent them. However I have resolved to do better on my blog this year than I did last year. It would be hard to do worse. Last year was just an anomaly.

I was on the reunion committee for our class reunion which was in April (and out of town of course). Then I stayed to spend time with my kids and grandkids and spent most of the summer out of town. By the time I came home I had appointments to catch up on and and suddenly it was Thanksgiving and then BOOM Christmas. BTW if you think Christmas came fast it did. There was a week less than usual between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So. Those are my excuses.

I did craft, I just didn’t take photos of everything and I didn’t blog about it. I already have a few craft ideas lined up and ready to start on and some things started that I need to finish, but today I’m just going to post a few photos of things I did last year and didn’t blog about. You can click on the photo and see a very short description along with a larger image.


And so that’s it for today. If you see something that interests you, please comment. If you have done something similar or the same and have a better idea, tell me! Here’s to happy crafting and cooking.

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Sock Babies

October 28, 2013 By 1 Comment

It’s embarrassing how long it’s been since I’ve blogged.  I’ve thought about.  I’ve started posts.  I’ve crafted.  But I’ve not actually put anything on this blog since…  well let’s just say it’s been too long.  So, here is something I’ve been working on for some time now and someone got me off high center by asking how to make them.  The easiest way to tell them is to blog about it.

These are pretty easy.  I think they’re easier to make than it was for me to get this blog committed to paper.  Well, to digital paper, whatever the term for that is.  I started working on it (not counting taking the photos, but counting getting them ready to post) Sunday afternoon and am just now done and ready to publish if that lets you know. And I really did work on it most of today.  Maybe I’m just slow and out of practice.
Fortunately I have some ideas for things and things I have made since I have been off.  I haven’t exactly been lollygagging.  Not entirely.   Anyway, here is a tutorial on how to make my sock babies.  They grew from the sock bunnies I posted last year. And they have evolved into something entirely different.  Enjoy.

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Making New Treasures

March 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

I often think of ideas when I’m trying to fall asleep.  When I have an idea stuck in my head I usually have to make it in order to really get it out of there.  This bunny is one such notion.  He started out with the simple idea of sewing a piece of blanket to a piece of blue jean fabric (both leftovers that were haunting my dining room table) and grew from there.  I admit, I love creating the ideas more than I actually enjoy the process of making them because it’s a little easier.  Often when I actually start the making I discover that my idea doesn’t quite work out as planned.  However, this bunny didn’t give me too much trouble.

He’s not the most beautiful, and I would have to say he’s got character more than elegance.  But I think he’s going to be sturdy and snuggly with no parts to pull off easily for a small child.  And I very much like the idea of making stuffed animals by recycling things that belonged to family members.  Hopefully they will be friends for many years.

Click on over to see my Bunny in Bluejeans.

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Five Funny Monkeys

March 5, 2013 By Leave a Comment

 

I got a new Scotch Laminator last fall (on sale!) and had never taken it out of the box because I went out of town to visit family and got home and it was Thanksgiving and Christmas and here it is March!  So, I decided to try something with it.  I’ve had an idea in mind for awhile.  I think that even today, with all of the ebooks and computers kids need to have books in their hands and the earlier that happens the better.  But they tend to eat them and tear them.  I know you can buy those cardboard books, but my kids ate those too.

So I had an idea to laminate some garage sale or used bookstore books and it’s been rattling around in my head (like five funny monkeys!) for awhile. So, I decided to go ahead and do it. A journey of discovery!

I discovered that the laminator is a joy to use and very very easy.  I discovered my hole punch needs to be replace and is the opposite of a joy to use.  I discovered this idea is a pretty good one and fun to make (and older children would probably enjoy this with some adult help and supervision and in fact could make their own books for younger siblings/cousins/friends).

I apologize for the photos, I took them with my IPad so they are not my usual quality.  So lets just go and check out how to make a Laminated Book.

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Denim Cat

February 18, 2013 By 7 Comments

 

This whole project just fell together by itself without any planning, really.  I was actually just trying to see if my ink stamps would stamp onto denim scraps for something else, but I loved the way the cat looked in that blue ink on the blue denim and I wanted to do something with her.

I thought for awhile and decided to go ahead and cut the piece smaller (and yes, it’s cut not really square on purpose) and sew it to a piece of muslin (or it might be linen, I can’t recall) that I had in my scrap box.  I still wasn’t sure what I was going to make.  Sometimes it’s fun to surprise yourself.  I stitched all the way around using a little zig zag stitch –really fun!  I have to say I’m enjoying how confident I’m getting when using the sewing machine.  I am pretty good at making bobbins and changing thread, both things that used to sometimes put me into tears.  I can also change the feet (altho sometimes I still struggle with that, surely the machine moves on it’s own!)

Anyway, the fabric set her off nicely, but the denim was a little frayed (I forgot to mention I washed the scrap after I the stamping had dried because part of my experiment was to see if the stamp dye was really colorfast.  It was, it faded just slightly, and to a pleasing effect).  But the fabric did fray slightly, so I pulled them a little more until I liked the result.   I also gave her a golden eye with some gold metallic thread I have, using a french knot or a close approximation.

It was then that I decided she would look charming in a frame!

And I have frames.  I don’t know why, but I just have a collection of frames that I plan to use.  I can never get rid of a frame or turn one down if offered.  I looked through them and found one I thought was perfect.  I cut the muslin (or linen) to fit, put it in place with double sticky tape, put the frame back on (it was one of those with those little devilish spikes so my husband had to help me so I didn’t poke holes in my fingers).

And the result, I think, really is charming.  Blue on blue.  She will be off in the mail in a day or two. As the project emerged I also realized who the perfect recipient was.  I know she’s going to a wonderful home.  🙂

Now, time to head to Handmade Monday.  A little late, but I have to see what everyone else has done.  Come on, there are always amazing things!

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Scatter Some Love

February 14, 2013 By 1 Comment
Scatter Some Love by sundero
Scatter Some Love, a photo by sundero on Flickr.

Happy Valentine’s Day!
Hope everyone enjoys today and spread a little love! Give someone a card (homemade is good!) or a call or a visit and let them know you care about them.
And smile at every stranger you see. If they don’t smile back, don’t worry about it. It still impacted them. And it didn’t cost you a thing.

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Homemade is Always More Fun

February 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

I know there are wonderful cards out there to buy and some of them are amazing (I love looking through the cards when I have a chance and I always think what a fun job it would be to come up with them –but not have to make them!).  But I have to admit, I also enjoy making them, even tho I always seem to be doing it at the last minute and they are sometimes late.  I like to think the recipients appreciate the work and thought that goes into them (they seem to).  I do get a few home made cards and they always mean a lot to me.  I keep them and I keep thinking one day I’ll make an album to make it easier to enjoy them.  My Dad makes wonderful birthday cards for the family.  I think I have every one he’s sent me through the years.  I always look forward to them.

Anyway, enough chatter.  Here are my Valentine’s Day Cards that I made.  I didn’t make many.  One of these days I will actually be ahead and maybe make up some, but I usually end up making them especially for each person.  Maybe that’s better anyway.   These were fun, although the photos aren’t great.  The lens I used doesn’t auto-focus on my D60 so I had to focus and a few of them were a little out of focus (they looked ok when I took them).  By the time I realized it the cards were in the mail and gone.  Oh well. 🙂

You can see what I did at Valentine’s From This and That.  You still have time to make some before tomorrow.

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Hearts Around the Corner

February 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment

A little late for Handmade Monday myself, altho everyone should still go check it out. But it’s still not too late to make a last minute Valentine’s gift for someone. I actually made this over the weekend, and should have gotten it up on the blog sooner. However, I didn’t. It’s very simple and I was able to make it completely from things I had in my craft stash. Some of you might not have everything on hand, but I bet many of you do. If not, you might be able to substitute something else.

Now, if you really want to get this done in time for Valentine’s Day I really need to stop talking about it and tell you how to make a Valentine’s Day Frame. Just click the link. 🙂

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