Pinterest Project: All Eyes On Halloween!

I had originally planned to profile a Halloween craft project each week, but I am having so much fun, that there are more than 4 to get us in the spooky-mood. This past weekend I was playing on Pinterest and sat this cute Christmas Button Wreath and did not want to wait to make it. So with  little thinking outside the box, I made this cute Halloween Wreath.

So fun, so easy!

I got a $3 black frame from Wal-Mart, and a bag of "googly" eyes from Dollar Tree. I found some ribbon and Halloween themed paper, though I ended up using a purple because the decorations in the room I hung it in are black, purple and silver.

I used a bowl to lightly trace a circle in the middle of the paper to use as a guide. Then I laid out the googly eyes where I wanted them. This took some time because I am a strictly symmetrical person, so "random" is hard for me. I left about a 3 inch blank spot at the top for the ribbon.

After I was happy with the layout, I started gluing them down. I made a few adjustments at the end, then added my ribbon. I am not good at ribbons, so mine is not actually tied, just folded to give the look. 

It took me less than half an hour to make. It looks like such an easy kids project, that I may see if my little guy wants to make one. 

Until our next cup of tea ...

Exploring Our Halloween Decorations

I love decorating for the holidays. Its not really something my family did when I was growing up. I was one of 12 children so financially it wasn't an option, but more impactful, I was raised in a strict religious household, so certain holidays such as Halloween were not observed, which now as an adult I may not agree with. So of course, as a parent I want to give my child the chance to do things that I was not able to enjoy.

My husband was also determined to provide our son the things he couldn't experience as a child though his reasons were different, being an old child of a single, extremely hardworking father. So each holiday we decorate and participate in the common activities ... egg hunts, tour Christmas lights, etc. But we both love Halloween so each year we get more and more.

Sometimes I make decorations, sometimes we buy them, but we love it all. Because we are a military family and have to move often we have to be careful about home much "stuff" we collect through the years. We usually keep most of the decorations inside the house, opting for small things like jack-o-lanterns and stuff outside as Oct. 31 draws closer.

So today, after taking our little one to the Children's Museum and grabbing lunch, we stopped at Yankee Candle to get another candleholder and headed home to take the decorations out of the attic and get set up.

orange

We ended up finding 3 boxes of decorations, one from last year when my husband was stationed in Korea. He left about a month after we moved back home, so whatever went into the attic was in no order whatsoever and I wasn't attempting to sort it out by myself with a curious 2-year-old "helping". The other two was thing that we have sorted down and decided we couldn't live without from the last military move. I try to go through and purge a little because there are times when a duty assignments were so short, we didn't unpack everything.

So here are some of the treasures we found ... The orange spider plate above was a quick and easy project I made in 2011. I found an orange charger and sticker at Michael's Craft store, then cut the sticker to the size I needed and used extras to decorate the borders.

This candy bowl always cracks me up ...

We just got this Yankee candle and it smells soooo good. Its called Candy Corn. My husband chose one called Witch's Brew which he discovered in 2011, and it smells good also, but I love the ones that have a sweet smell. My little guy keeps blowing this candle out, so it'll probably last forever!

This centerpiece is all of my husband's favorite. He really likes the Boney Bunch Collection so I guess we'll be adding to this now that we are home for a while as he completes law school. The candles are "bleeding candles" that we got at a Halloween store in Florida. They are while by the wax turns red as it burns. Its really cool looking.



My favorite collection of Halloween things are the silver and black ones. They just look really good together. I have an upcoming project that I'll post on Friday that fits well with this group.

So have you started to decorate for the holidays yet? What are some of your favorite decorations? Do you make them or buy them?

Until our next cup of tea ...

Quick Trick for Some Show Some "Pumpkin Spice"!

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has seen the toilet paper rolls covered in the orange tissue paper and decorated to look like a pumpkin, right? It's cute. I love to decorate for holidays ... who am I kidding, I love to make stuff, holiday-season or not. But as much as I loved these little pumpkins, they seemed to me to need a little more "umph" or something. So I dug around in my half-unpacked craft closet looking for inspiration (and pigma pen for another project) when it hit me - Why not use fabric?

Fabric would let me be as whimsical or elegant as I wanted. So off I went to dig in the scrap bin!

The first fabrics I found were a batiks, in an orange and green. I love batiks, they are so unique.

Well I gathered my supplies:

Fat 1/4 (1/4 yard of fabric) in orange
Scrap of green fabric (I had a piece about 4 in square)
Roll of toilet paper

Then comes the quick and easy part ...

1. Wrap toilet paper roll in orange fabric, making sure to tuck the ends into the paper towel tube so that it sits flat.
2. Roll green fabric like a tortilla (Ha!) and tuck into top of toilet paper roll, leaving 1-1.5 inches sticking out.
3. Optional: Stick a twig in the top of it like a pumpkin stem!

When my little guy got home, of course he wanted one for his table in the playroom. So I dug up some Halloween fabric and made one for him too! I guess you could even use scraps to fuse a jack-o-lantern face on the pumpkin, though we are at the precarious age where my toddler understands "scary", but not so much that it is pretend.

Now I want to go find my box of beads and decorate the pumpkin a little more ...

Well, I hope you have fun getting creative with this quick little project. I think the part I like the most is that it is going to be easy store when the holidays are over. That's the one thing that gets me is that after a few projects, I need to go out and buy more storage containers (and hubby is not too happy about lugging all those boxes in and out of the attic!)

Until our next cup of tea ...

 

Freedom in Many Languages

I've been slowly tackling projects on my list of half-finished projects list. One of my favorite projects, which I named Freedom in Many Languages, was actually an unfinished project that I didn't know what to do with at first.

The pattern was in a cross stitch publication that was given to me in my late teens by a cross stitcher who was sorting through and getting rid of some of her older CS magazines. It was not one I did initially, but it was one I did early on in married life, I think.

I started the project and at some point put it aside, maybe because of school, military deployment by my husband or possibly something else temporarily caught my attention. (I readily admit a distraction by shiny things!) In my early days of CS if I found that I had made a mistake, I would often set aside to figure it out later- now I just alter until I fix it. However,hen I went back to finish it later, crisis - I could not find the book! I was devastated! I really loved that pattern, even though at the beginning I had no idea what to make from it as I don't do wall-hangings.

This was the original look and description:

"Freedom's Voices"  

•  7 languages --  Chinese (2 characters), English, Hebrew, German, Russian, Yoruba (an African language), and Spanish

• One design with three color schemes -- Rainbow, Shaded Blue, Blue/Red 

• Stitch count is 151 x 78

• on 14-count fabric, finished design size is approximately 10-7/8" x 5-5/8"

A few years later when reorganizing my Works in Progress and creating a list, I came across it and decided to revisit the project. Though I had already moved on from the more country look of my early projects to a preference for shabby chic and English Garden that has developed my adult years in crafting.

So with a little bit of "fabric shopping" in my mom's fabric stash, I decided to make it into a pillow - just the way it was. Luckily, I didn't stop in the middle of a word, rather just left off two. 

Oh, now that I compare the photos, I noticed I skipped a word- I may have been at a lose at what to do. Now I just roll with it! I rarely do anything according to the pattern exactly anymore. Everything has a twist or change.

Regardless, it has won the approval of my toddler, who has now claimed it for himself.

So what projects have you set aside and come to, only to change directions from your original intent?

Until our next cup of tea ...

You Saw It Here 1st: "Stuffed" with Creativity

So I've decided to start a new series called "You Saw It Here 1st" and on the first day of each month, I'll write about a new craft item, company, program, etc. Now I probably won't be the "first" person to discover or write about it, but it might be the first time you've heard about it.

The first profile is a personal one for me. I recently discovered this little online shop called "Stuffed". The shop itself is new to me, but the creator is not. Kristin and I were neighbors at my first Army duty station. Not only were we neighbors but our husbands were in the same battalion, deploying at the same time. We saw each other when we walked our dogs, attended the same unit events and spouse activities, even found out we were pregnant near the same time, but it wasn't until years later that we discovered we were both crafters. And we lived 5 houses apart!

Now she has taken the creativity and combined it with the daily activities of two toddlers and created Stuffed!

"I created Stuffed, an eco-friendly, play-food for your aspiring little chef and make-believer," she says.

Kristin wholeheartedly believes in teaching her children to be creative and was inspired to create these child-friendly everyday foods to help boost that creativity. You can't help but feel like spending an afternoon in the kitchen with these fun and colorful treats, no matter what age you are!

Breakfast is served!!

There is always time for a sweet treat!!

An all-American favorite ...

Or a classic favorite!

Tea time treats for an afternoon tea party! 

Visit Stuffed online to learn more about the products and to order a little creativity for your chef! If you would like to place an order or want a list of products, send email to stuffed.play@gmail.com. 

(** Note: The coffee cup is made to fit your favorite coffee shop's sleeve. So your little one can be just like you!! Starbucks sleeve can be purchased separately.)

Until our next cup of tea,

Let the Journey Begin ... Yearlong Round Robin

About 2 weeks ago my mom asked me if I wanted to participate in a Round Robin with her. I was hesitant, but had always wanted to do one, but working on a project with my mom is hard enough because we have different tastes and likes, I don't know how it would be to do it with 5 other people (counting mom), 4 of whom I've never met! Yikes! To say I have control issues is an understatement.
So what is a Round Robin? Some of my readers may not know.

 It's a quilt that is made by a group of quilters and it's a variation of doing friendship blocks.  To start, everyone makes a block for the center.  There can be all kinds of rules for size, color , theme, etc.  The blocks are passed to someone else in the group.  They add the first border.  Then the next quilter adds the second.  This usually continues until there are three borders that have been sewn by three different quilters.  The quilter who made the center block then gets the quilt top back to keep and finish.
 
On top of that, my mom loves to get all excited and talk you into doing stuff but never really giving you all the info. She asked if I wanted to do it while she was at the first meeting and of course i only had minutes to decide. When I saw her a few days later I found out that it was a large group of quilters, with each "team" having 6 members, but 3 on her dropped out for health or family issues.

She gave me a "book" which was merely a stack of paper to fill out. The first page was rules! (Oh, no! Rules!) The second was a page called "Floater Border Formula". (Oh, now there is math involved.) Then there was a page that was "Guidelines for My Quilt". (Oh, I like that one. I can give directions, now we'll all be happy!) Next was the log sheet for "My Medallion" where you write a description about your center piece. Then it was followed by 5 pages where each quilter adds their notes as they make a border.

Fun right!?!

A day or two after Mom gave me the book and I went through it and decided what to do, she tells me that you have to make a garment bag, which is where your quilt will be kept as it progresses and a small suitcase for your fabrics and such. Uhhh ... what if I need my suitcase in the next year? Ha! I got to borrow one of Mom's. (Yeah, we can still go to Disney - which is ALWAYS being considered.)

So now I have to make a center block, fill out paperwork, do some math and make a garment bag ... Easy peasy!

I finally corned Mom yesterday to get the dates for the meetings because if not, she'll tell me days before if not the day of! I have to plan better than that, I had a toddler to consider and a husband in law school.

Well, I got the dates and learned that the last meeting is a weekend retreat and there are lots of activities and the reveals and stuff. Wow! This is serious business. I did not know all of that went into the planning. Each team also has a name theme. We are Clueless ... because many of us are new to the Round Robin activity and some new to quilting as well.

We also have to "host" a meeting. So out team has to decorate, have gifts and foods. Mom isn't worried, she's just going to let me think of something fun. UGH! Good thing I love Sherlock Holmes! Looks like we might have a mystery themed meeting, because other than that, I'm ... clueless!

So, I'm going to go get fabrics and find what I need this weekend. Come back to see the progress.

Until our next cup of tea ...

Halloween Memories Remembered as We Prepare for Upcoming "Scare-Season"

Ah, finally Fall in Texas, although the weather has not gotten the memo. Its been in the upper 80s and lower 90s here. UGH! But that hasn't stopped me from preparing for the Fall ... or looking back at the fun from last Fall. This is a wreath I made last year and I absolutely LOVE it. It was so easy! Burlap on a wreath from and hot glue some flowers! I event love the smell of the burlap ... kinda reminds me of hay and pumpkin patches.

Last year Halloween was fun. My little one's school had Trunk-or-Treat in the parking lot and I went all out with the gypsy costume. I wish I could find a photo of the decorated back of my Tahoe. Kids, teachers and staff loved it! Now I have to top it! Yikes!!

My husband was stationed overseas for the year, but sent this Texans jersey for my little one. He loved it and as you can tell, it will fit for a few years!

Well my costume for this year is still hush-hush, but as Halloween gets closer I'll start revealing stuff! Hope your Halloween planning is quite the "treat"!

Until our next cup of tea ...

Trying New Things, Extending My Comfort Zone

So 2013 has been a year of new projects for me in the area of quilting. Until this year, I hadn't done anything beyond creating simple quilts with large blocks. I wasn't really interested in anything too crazy, though I have two that I have been working on (off and on) for a few years now. I guess I have always kept a busy schedule, juggling full-time job, various deployments, working on my masters and volunteering. Other projects, such as cross stitching and embroidery, even scrapbooking, allowed me the ease to pick up and set down projects with little preparation.

But this year, I thought juggling a full time job and part-time job, life with a toddler, managing the house and a husband in law school was the perfect time to go bigger! Maybe I just needed something to fill the time that the hubby is studying and the little one is in bed. 

So far this year, I have done my first "mystery quilt" though not finished, I am about 70% done with the top. (I really should get on that. Maybe this weekend.)

I also made a small blanket and a floor blanket for my son's godmother, who is expected to deliver any day now.
 

About 2 weeks ago my mom asked if I wanted to participate in a Round Robin she is doing. They just had their first meeting and 4 of the 6 people on her team dropped out! So I joined and will go to my first meeting in November! So as I collect my fabric and decide what I want my medallion to be, I am very excited. Once I get everything set, I'll post photos and stuff as well as post about my progress throughout (though not sure about posting photos until quilts are revealed.)

Have you ever done a Round Robin quilt? What was it like? What was your reaction when your quilt was revealed?

Until our next cup of tea,

Quilter vs Crafter: The Great Divide?

Earlier today I was working on some social media stuff for the marketing aspect of my parents' company and I wrote something to the effect of "As the seasons change, so do our crafting projects" instead of "quilting projects".  When I read it aloud (as I often do to make sure my thoughts weren't faster than my hands), my mom was very adamant, almost offended that I didn't use quilters.

 

"Is it because you don't consider yourself a quilters, but a crafter?" she asked me, adding that while many of our products could be used in other craft areas, they were created for quilters.

 

I don't consider myself a quilter. I do a variety of crafts, and its not even my primary one. I have always been into needlework, cross stitching more specifically, though embroidery and monochromatic projects like redwork are ones that I do when I have the time to concentrate. (Life with a toddler has put a damper on that.)

 

Last year I attended a "needleworks" group at the local library and thought that embroidery and cross stitching would be among the things I'd see, but it was almost exclusively yarn work - knitting and crocheting. But the group welcomed me as if it was exclusively cross stitching.

 

Mom told me that if quilters saw "crafters" on the blog post or whatever I was working on, then they would automatically move on, not looking any further. I thought that odd. I mean I have a hard enough time trying to get my parents to see that "quilters" are no longer blue-haired ladies who sit around  telling stories of their grandchildren and sharing recipes. Quilters and crafters in general are going back to a younger and younger generation. I think with the onset of Pinterest and such, it is no longer seen as an "old lady's activity" (except to my husband, but that is a different post.)

 

So what do you think? Are you a quilter? Do you think that as a quilter, the label of "crafter" is offensive? Are quilters a "one craft" hobbyist or artist? Hmm ... I just don't know what the right answer is ...

 

 

Sample Sunday

Sunday was a busy one, as usual - clean house, grocery shopping, laundry, prep for school and work this week ... Well, you get the idea.  Well, I also needed to get some samples made for my mom who has some big shows coming up. So off to the fabric store then the craft room I went. I took my Lil guy with me to the fabric store and that was ... An adventure. Here's a look at some of the projects I started ...

In case you didn't know, fall and winter are my favorite crafting times. So many fun projects!!