Celebrating the Boy

If you aren't familiar with Made by Rae, be sure to check out her blog soon! This month's posts are all about creating for the little boys in your life! Guest bloggers and loads of fun projects!

Finally!

So, I finally have a few pictures of the loveys I made for Christmas! First up are some super cute dolls from Wee Wonderfuls. The girls love these little babies. I made these with wool felt hair - which I like working with more than the polyester felt - even though its drastically more expensive. The biggest downfall is that now the dolls are not machine washable. What would you prefer, the polyester or the wool?

The next few are from Simplicity's 2613. They came together pretty quick and I thought they were super cute. The elephant is for Maliah...

...And the giraffe is for Anna. I made the mane like a rag quilt, since her rag quilt is her most treasured possession. She loves to rub the edges when falling asleep, so naturally, I modified the mane to incorporate this feature. She loves it!

Retail Therapy

Our camera cord is currently MIA, which means I can not load any of the photos onto our computer. Which means, there is no creating to blog about, so instead of my own. I'm going to blog about other people's creativity!

First up: Shabby Apple!

If you have never visited their website, you won't be dissappointed! Their designs are awesome! I love all their collections. They even have a few bridesmaid's options (below) - wouldn't you kill to have worn a dress like this instead of those frilly things?! Geez, I would've worn this to get married in!

Next up, full circle dresses. Which I love. I think they are so flattering and timeless. Like when you are wearing one, you could've walked off the pages of 1960 Vogue. The following is from Wedding Inspirasi:


And this lovely dress is from etsy shop, Emorie. I love the handmade, vitage/modern mix at her shop.

When I was in college I spent a semester in China, and had a number of clothes custom made for me and they are so beautiful. If you've never done that, don't pass up the opportunity if it arises! Few things will make you feel as beautiful as a custom tailored garmet.

For example, the above coat from, Imoda by Xiaqq. Wouldn't you feel like the "Belle of the Ball" whenever you wore this? Which remindes me, have you seen, The Tourist? Oh, my goodness, the fashion is so glamorous! It'll make you want to wear dresses and pearls everyday! If I were, Elise, I'd wear something like this, don't you think?

(also from Shabby Apple)

Busy Bee!

I can't believe Christmas is almost here - I still have so many projects to finish! Why do I always do this to myself? Last year I swore I would start making Christmas in July, but I obviously didn't learn enough from my perpetual all-nighters! So, here we are again, 4 days from Christmas and I still have all these projects to complete:

...giraffe, dinosaur, one pair of shoes, 4 dolls and an elephant.

Not to mention the jammies that have been cut, but otherwise haven't even been touched. They will be left for last, because the girls really won't care if there are no jammies under the tree, and then they can be made for Valentine's Day - maybe they'll actually get done if I start them right after Christmas...

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Holiday!

p.s. And check out my sister's blog: Forever Wanderlust for the 12 Days of Shoes!

Sewing Machines

What kind of sewing machine do you have? What do you like/dislike about it? Do you have any other suggestions? I typically use mine every couple of days to sew clothes, toys (including small machine quilted items), blankets and anything else that strikes my fancy.

And while we are asking questions, how often should they be serviced?

I'm sort of, in - the - market for a new one. That really just means that they are on sale at JoAnn's and I have a 50% off coupon that is just burning a hole in my pocket.

Wall Art

There's a lot of art happening around here these days. I made these at a church social. They are just textured wall paper wrapped around stretcher bars (available at craft and hobby stores) and stapled in place.

Then I painted mine Intense Teal by Behr! I thought the color might be a little too intense, but I loved it so much I decided just to go for it. It took about 3/4 of the little sample jars you can get at Home Depot. After the paint dried, I glazed over it with copper.

I love them! The copper glaze took some of the brightness out of the teal, but it is still very bold - which I like. Kind of funny since I don't consider myself a very bold person. Hmm...maybe that's why I like the color so much. And they also have a worn, kind of vintage quality about them.

And, yes, that is snow outside the sliding glass door. We are getting pounded with our first snow storm of the season here in the Western United States. I've been super grumpy - I think I need some cookies and a cup of coco! And a healthy dose of sunshine. And maybe a little Castle, too.

Salt Art

Want to make these nifty, colored bottles with your kiddies? Or maybe, for yourself! The possibilities are endless, and since they are so cheap and easy, you'll want to make a dozen.

1 c. salt for each color
1 quart size zip-top baggie for each color
assorted food coloring
empty glass bottles (the ones pictured above are IBC)

Measure salt into individual baggies, add a few drops of food coloring. Seal baggies, and massage until color is distributed. For darker, more intense color add more food coloring. Prop open the baggies and allow to dry overnight.

To fill bottles: Use a funnel and layer colors. A small measuring cup or those plastic medicine cups that come with childrens medicine work really well for little hands. Make sure to tap the bottles on the table/counter a few times to make sure they get nice and full. We "plug" the tops with hot glue.

To make paper art (similar to this one that uses contact paper - good idea!). Water down some glue (or make your own). Use a paint brush to "paint" the glue onto paper, then shake on the colored salt. Allow to dry. Gently tap any excess salt off the paper art. The art can be made more stable by applying a thin layer of fabric starch, but too much will cause the salt to dissolve and make it look all smeary. We use leftover spice bottles with the slotted tops for shaking.

I also found The Mother Huddle blog with a great photo tutorial for salt art!