An Adventure to Start the Weekend

Today was a L-O-N-G day. Instead of working at the office/warehouse or at a quilt show, I went with my mom to present a lecture at the Quilt Guild of Greater Houston. What a great group of quilters!!

There were tons of laughs and some great quilts were passed around as we demonstrated Quiltsmart's fusible interfacing and the message of "quilt smarter, not harder".

I've helped my mom make many samples over the years, but the Quiltsmart method is so quick and easy, she's never needed me to jump in to complete them.

I've done some Quiltsmart projects but I REALLY want to do a full quilt. The hardest part is deciding which one! 

I love the Zig-Zapps Blossoms & Petals and Gingerbread Dolls ... And might try the Cars & Trucks for my lil guy.

But the quilts ... Hmm ... My list would include the (small) 38" Lonestar, Mary's Flower Garden and the Ohio Rose for sure! Oh, I could be locked in my craft room for days!!

After the lecture, we packed up, had lunch, then headed home to do some more prep work for The International  Quilt Market, about a week away.

On the way to pick up my lil Monkey at school there was a beautiful rainbow, so I thought I'd share! 

Have a great weekend! 

Until our next cup of tea ... 

Crafty on a Budget: I Want My Mummy!

This was a quick and easy project, but the best part was it was cheap!! 

I'd seen these glass candle holders wrapped in gauze and made to look like mummies, but I really wasn't looking forward to paying $3-$5 for the gauze, about the same for glass candle holders, and eyes from the craft section. It could get pricey after a few.

But one day I was at the Dollar Tree looking at Halloween stuff. When I was there I noticed they had some gauze and thought I would finally get to try the Mummy Candle Holders! 

 

 

I got a few glass candle holders, a pack of gauze and a bag full of "googly eyes". $4 and 10 minutes was all it took! Now I want to find some clear plastic cups to try it on for my son's classroom! His teacher is always asking me if I want to do some fun stuff for decorations!

** Note: I use electric candles in mine because I have a toddler. The orange and black plasric ones were darker than the white plastic ones.

 

 

Until our next cup of tea ...

Rockin' the Old School Style at Work

Ha! I am seriously bring back a classic at work today. We are working on quilt samples at Bear Thread Designs, for our booth at the International Quilt Festival. I wonder if I can wear these at the show!!

When I got them, I told my husband, "I got them for only $5!" To which he replied, "You paid $5 for those!?!" Guess he doesn't know style!! 

Whatcha Working on Wednesday: Getting Started on my Christmas List

Ah, another mid-week review! It's so refreshing to think "fun" thoughts in the middle of the week. Yesterday was quite tough day for me, so focusing on this post helped me while I was at work counting down the minutes until I could go get me little guy.

His school was on lockdown due to a potential threat, so I was trying to not freak out.

I started working on a quilt for my husband for Christmas. I found this die-cut motorcycle when I was working at a Quilt Show in Colorado. I knew I had to make it for my husband.

Our neighbor is also a motorcycle enthusiast, so his wife asked me to make one for him too. So I will eventually make a second one. 

Actually, it doesn't look like it will take much time to finish, I just have to do it secretly and ... My craft room is co-located with my husband's study!

I found the fabric by chance. I had gone to Hobby Lobby to look for decorations and stuff for other projects. I got stuck there during a storm and headed to fabric department and found these fabrics. A few strips later, I am almost done!

I am also working intermittently on my Round Robin. Another update coming on that, probably next week.

Until our next cup of tea ...

Creative Classroom

I love creating things from recycled items and apparently so does my toddler's school. They are always looking for things the kids can use in creative play or the teachers can use in lessons or decorations. I have been bringing leftover things from work for about 8 months now (with the blessing of my bosses of course!). The centers from packaging tape rolls (which the kids use as bracelets), left over packaging paper from when we receive supplies, cardboard dividers and packaging, old beads and bells ... the list goes on and on.

Recently, I dropped off about 10 of these thick tubes that were empty to my son's teacher. Well, on a rainy day, while the kids were stick inside she was looking for something new for them since outside wasn't an option. She found the tubes and gave them to them to color on. Apparently, they kids didn't get one each, they just stay in the creative center and the kids color them over and over, they put them on their arms and pretend they are robots, and make bridges and stuff out of them.

She said the kids really enjoy them. Later on they may use them for tree trunks or something else like a vase for Muffins with Mom, but I love that they are just using things over and over and over again!

Until our next cup of tea ...

Holly-Daze: Salt Dough Ornaments

Salt dough ornaments are project I have been wanting to try for a long time. I have always loved making my own Christmas ornaments and even before I was married had started making an ornament a year with a Victorian or "elegant" theme to it ... I'm sure my husband was really happy with this our first Christmas together!

At time I had really want to make snowflake ones and and paint with glittery paint. But 3 years ago I had a baby and the Christmas theme changed. We have traded the elegant lace ornaments for more child-friendly Mickey Mouse themed ones. Yep, in case you missed it, we have a Mickey and Friends themed Christmas tree. That story later ...

So this year, I was determined to make salt dough ornaments for the Mickey tree, and because we went to Disney this past summer with our close friends (and neighbors) I have even more incentive. My craft-challenge, much loved friend and her family are STILL in Disney heaven, so even as e plan for our next, yet the be determined trip, we are looking for ways to bring Disney to us.

So as her kids look to create Disney ornaments, and this weekend happened to be one rainy and soggy, I decided to start making the ornaments for the kids to decorate next month, when we start preparing for Christmas.

So back to the ornaments. They were very easy ... and theraputically messy.

The ingredients are simple:

• 1 c. plain flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/2 cup water

Directions are just as easy.

First I mixed the ingredients together. I held back a little of the water to make sure it wasn't too wet, but if that happens, just add a little more flour.

Kneed the mixture until it is mixed well. (Leaving clumps of dry flour will cause the ornaments to fall apart when baked.

Roll it out to approximately 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutter. I have found that cutting and removing the extra prevents the shape from being pulled and distorted. Once those are placed on a non-stick baking sheet, you can roll out the extras again and make more until you have used all of the dough.

**Tool of Note: I rolled mine out on an Applique Pressing Sheet, a multi-purpose craft sheet by Bear Thread Designs. Its non-stick surface prevents the dough from sticking and the shape distorting when you remove from work surface. I have several of these craft sheet and actually sandwiched then dough between two sheets to provide a smooth and even surface.

However, if you use the craft sheet for projects such as this or paints, do not use for fabric projects afterwards. Oils can transfer to fabric projects and will ruin fabrics. I have several in the kitchen for projects like this and keep them rolled in a paper towel tube in the utensil drawer to prevent them from getting mixed up.

Once rolled and shapes cut, place on a non-stick baking sheet and bake at lowest temperature available on oven for 3-4 hours. (Mine was 170 degrees). Halfway through the baking time, I flipped mine, though I was told that it wasn't necessary. Ornaments can be laid out to dry at room temperature but could take several days. 

When the children get together and decorate them, I will post photos here of their masterpieces! I am so excited to see what a 3 year-old, 7 year-old and 13 year-old create! I love kids creativity!!

Until our next cup of tea,

Halloween Treats that Light Up the Night!

I absolutely loved doing this project! Last year, my Mom showed me these fusible interfacing panels (right) by Quiltsmart for making light shades for wine glasses. Greatest project ever! (With the exception of anything that involves chocolate, of course.)

So basically the concept is easy. You trim your fabric, sew on the lines as directed, flip, and finish! Last year I made some in animal print, Christmas fabric and a Halloween fabric. I wanted to do some for each holiday and them some extras for seasons, but I ran out of the panels. When cleaning out my craft room this past weekend, I found two more.

I was very excited, though I wish the craft fairy had left me more than the two I found in the closet.

This year I decided I wanted to try a black lace fabric. I wasn't sure if it would give off a shadow like a spider web,  but I was willing to try. I found one that had a glitter shine to it and started sewing. To be honest, I wasn't sure it would work, but it turned out even better than I expected!

While it didn't give off a glow that filled the room, it did offer some errie shadows on the nearby walls. I wasn't able to get a good photo of that. As an added bonus, it looked good with the black and silver décor in the kitchen.

Here are the orange ones before I put them in the livingroom.

 

 

Since you have to use electric tea lights (which prevents the wine glass from being ruined and is safer), you can embellish them. I got some spider buttons and am going to get some lace and ribbon and such this weekend to embellish even more. I will have to post photos when they are done!

If you'd like to try some of these wine shades, visit Quiltsmart at www.Quiltsmart.com. Aside from the wine shades, Quiltsmart has a variety of quilts that you can make using their fusible interfacing. I really want to try one now, especially the Primerose pattern.

Until our next cup of tea ...

 

Whatcha Working on Wednesday: Round Robin Kick Off

OMG! I am so in love with everything about my Round Robin quilt. I finally got all the fabrics, and it ended up going in a direction I was not thinking about. Its always great when you get a surprise like that. I think there are 15 fabrics total, but these two are the focal fabrics - the fabrics that all the others were chosen to compliment.

I've had these fabrics for about 7 years or so. I got them some time around my husband's first deployment. I absolutely loved them, but was too scared to do anything because I was concerned that I wouldn't like it and there was less than a yard of each fabric. The designer is Robyn Pandolph and she has so many fabrics in the colors that I love most, that I might beg her to be my new best friend! So I decided it was time to do something! 

I chose some fabrics then my mom's friend, Susan, who is also doing the Round Robin with us offered to let me "shop" in her stash. OMG! She has so many Robyn Pandolph fabrics and other that complemented them, I knew I'd found heaven. (Its apparently in South Texas if you're wondering!)

So now, I just need to get the medallion stitched and the borders put on for the first meeting! Wish me luck! (I'll show you the medallion in color when it's finished.)

 

What are you working on this week? Quilting, embroidery, scrapbooking? I'd love to know how you are welcoming the cooler temperatures with crafts!

Until our next cup of tea ...

May Experience Side Effects Such As ...

UGH! I feel like my head is going to explode! I have been working on the website for  Bear Thread Designs today and most - no all of it- consists of writing and revising HTML code. All I see is numbers, letters and symbols spinning before my eyes. Oh, the headache!

Well, to be honest, I have issues with my eyes and brain working constantly. My brain constantly is trying to decipher patterns and series in everything. So an example, when I see a flower like a rose, my brain is always trying to find a pattern or rhythm in the petals. So there are days when I feel a bit like Charlie on the TV series Numb3rs. My eyes are constantly sending that info to my brain, so there are times I get headaches and dizzy, though the worse is the carsickness on long rides. I have to sleep or I get so sick.

Anyway, that's what I'm doing today. Early on, I realized crafts like cross stitching, embroidery or quilting help because I have to focus on something smaller and my brain has already identified the pattern. Hence, I have to work to relax.

So today will obviously not allow a long or indepth post, but I wanted to use this as a chance to show you some of the flowers that are still in bloom here in the south where the cold weather is slow to appear. I can never get enough of flowers in bloom!

My parent's ranch still has a bit of wildflowers in bloom. These sunflowers actually are the second patch my parents ranch has. The first one has to be cut and trimmed back until they disappeared because it was a patch the large sunflowers that would get 6-8 feet tall and the flowers were the size of a cantaloupe. They used to line driveway to the ranch, making it difficult to see. You couldn't even see the house when you were on the driveway until you were at the front porch!

Luckily, we never hit a ranch dog, but when we'd let the goats on the house area they loved them! I guess they are a sweet treat. Anyway, they are gone now, but my parents keep an eye on this patch as it is in the pasture in front of the house. (They have several pastures that wrap around the house area.)

Until our next cup of tea ... continue to smell the roses- or what ever flowers you find ...

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 ...