birthday prep is in full swing

Oscar's first birthday is less than 3 weeks away, so party prep is underway. We're doing a small family party, but you know I can't help crafting a little (or a lot).

First up, Oscar needs a little cake topper. Taking heavy inspiration from The Small Object and Lollipop Workshop, I started painting clothespin dolls last night. This guy up front is my favorite, and I think he looks the most like Oscar.

Little clothespin Oscar still needs clothes and arms, and I am going to do some embellishments for topper base. My plan is to glue the dollpin stand to the base, but make the clothespin removable. That way I can swap out Oscar's doll for a future child on their first birthday. My friend Megan always tells me that my other children will feel neglected because I won't make as many crafts for them (she's a youngest child), so I'm trying to plan ahead. :)

10 minute cardigan fix

Have you ever had a clothing item that you really loved in theory, but is kind of hideous when you actually put it on?

Take this cardigan, for instance. Love the color, love the ruffle, but the fit is SO bad. It was the first post-pregnancy shirt I bought for myself. I liked it at first, but as the baby pounds came off I wore it less an less. A shapeless pink sack is not flattering, even with a ruffle.

This morning I decided to take action. I cut off the long sleeves, cut off the sleeve cuffs, and re-attached them to the new short sleeves. Then I took in the sides to give it a better fit.

Much better!
This literally took 10 minutes, and now I have a "new" favorite cardigan. Santa Barbara is making me rethink my winter wardrobe. My box of sweaters is about to be attacked.

working on a display

I was asked to put together a display for a church function this weekend. Last night I made doily garland to decorate my table:

And spent a little time with a chocolate mold:

Note to self: next time you want to make lots of little chocolates, make sure you have more than one mold.

In other news, I have 7 1/2 yards of felt scheduled for delivery today. I've never been so eager to see the UPS guy.

paper punch art

I've been wanting to do a butterfly "specimen case" ever since I first saw it on Ali Edward's blog back in Feb. '08. Then I walked into Michael's this weekend and everything was on major sale, including the whole Martha Stewart Crafts line. I think I had a stroke, because when I came to, I was walking out with several bags of goodies. I can't be held responsible for my actions.

You can find other versions of this project at Samster Mommy, LollyChops, and Peacock Chic.

colors are nice

Happy weekend! Today I'm posting over at Or So She Says...

Pop on over for a tutorial on using a classic Golden Book, like this:

to make a fun wood memory game, like this:

sock monkey for craft hope

The current Craft Hope project is for the Little Heroes Preschool Burn Camp in Sacramento, CA.

We were supposed to make sock monkeys this time.


I had grand plans for multiple monkeys in fireman outfits, but I barely eeked this one out. Hopefully he will bring some comfort to one of the young campers! I'm off to the post office...

painted wood blocks

Over the summer, an Elmer's representative sent me a giant box of craft supplies. According to them, I am a "respected blogger and crafter" (giggle, snort). Anyway, Elmer's has this whole line of craft stuff that I didn't know about, so I am trying things out.

I've had these plain, 1 1/2 inch wood blocks for, oh, forever, that I've been meaning to decoupage with pretty paper (like these beautiful babies). Instead, I decided to try out my handy dandy Elmer's Painters pens. Because there is nothing I love more than a slap-dash craft.

It was really simple - I just drew a border with letters, numbers, shapes, and a few little pictures on all the sides of the blocks. Most of the letters are in all the colors, and then I did an extra set of letters in black that spell out Oscar's name.

The paint dried really fast, so I didn't have to wait around before flipping them over to do another side. The markers I used were in the "bright" and "neon" packs, and the neon is a little, well ... neon. But Oscar likes them and that's what really matters.

We've been playing with these non-stop over the weekend. I build tall towers, and Oscar knocks them down. I spell out words and Oscar steals my letters. Hours of entertainment.

And these blocks are making him smarter already. Look what he spelled out for me tonight!

;)

works in progress

So my excuse for not having a great finished project to show off is ... my baby stopped sleeping through the night. Bleh. So I've been going to bed earlier, which really cuts into crafting time. To sleep or to craft? It is my constant dilemma.

Anyway, I've started painting some little wood blocks for Oscar. They'll have letters, numbers, and shapes by the time I'm finished. I'll tell you more about these in a future (hopefully near future) post.

Also, I've been making a little progress putting together a craft nook in the new apartment. We no longer have a spare room, but we do have an extra walk-in closet. Hubby and I debated over whose hobby demanded the space, but he's a softy and let me take it. Gotta love him.

I feel like it needs more color and something pretty. This is my happy place, so I need a good dose of cheer when I open those closet doors. And since I only have, oh, a third of my supplies in here so far, I'm going to have to get smart about more storage. I'm thinking more drawers up on the closet shelf. Any ideas?

tissue paper art

There are a lot of walls to fill in our new apartment, so I need artwork ... the cheaper the better. And unlike art I've made previously, this is one project I don't want to look homemade. I made these canvas "prints" using stuff that I already had on hand - blank canvases, tissue paper, and mod podge.

I've been holding onto this tissue paper for years. I've used a sheet or two on the occasional special present, but for for the most part I've been saving it for a special project, not knowing exactly how to use it.

• So first, gather your supplies. I think this would also work well with pretty wrapping or scrapbook paper, but tissue paper works especially well because it is so thin. If you don't have any canvases to cover, you could cover a thin piece of cardboard and put it in a frame. You'll also need Mod Podge, a paintbrush, and a picture hanger if you are using a canvas.

• Cut the tissue paper to the size of the canvas, leaving about 2 inches to wrap around each side.

• Apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the front of the canvas.

• Carefully lay the tissue paper on top of the canvas. Working from one corner, press the tissue to the canvas, smoothing out any wrinkles and bubbles. You can pull the tissue up if you make a mistake, but be gentle because it is so delicate, especially when wet.

• Apply Mod Podge to the sides of the canvas and wrap the tissue paper around it, as you would wrap a present. Set aside to dry.

• When the front and sides are dry, flip the canvas over. Apply more glue to the back of the canvas and press the tissue paper to secure. I added a top coat of Mod Podge over the back edges to make sure they would not come up.

• Add a picture hanger and find a the perfect spot to display your new, one-of-a-kind artwork.

office chair makeover

So we are in a new apartment and I am on a mission to make things more home-y, starting with our eye-sore of an office. In about an hour's time and with less than a yard of fabric, our office chair transformed from this:

to this!

Big improvement, right? I found the instructions at Design*Sponge in the DIY section. I don't have a staple gun (really need one of those...) so I just used generous amounts of hot glue and it worked like a dream. Now if only I could do something about this carpet...