wine cork fabric printing

The last experience I had with DIY fabric prints left me excited to try it out with other objects from around the house.  So, when I came across a wine cork while cleaning the kitchen I knew immediately what my next print design would be...

Polka-dots!
After gathering a few supplies, I was able to create a fun print in just a few minutes for the backpack I was working on.

(My little helper created his own design on paper)

I used a paint brush to fill in the spots that were missing paint.   

Once the paint dried, I finished cutting and assembling the backpack pieces. The lining, backpack straps, and doll dress were all made using scraps from these teacher gifts.

I really enjoy making these backpack dolls because each one is unique, and I can't wait to see how the next one will turn out.. I wonder what new "stamp" I will come across next?!

Thanks for stopping by!

backpack doll #2

A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine asked if I would be willing to make a backpack doll for her niece and I jumped at the chance.  Since the moment I completed the first backpack doll, I have been anxiously waiting for an opportunity to try out some new ideas. 

The basic doll pattern stayed the same, but I revamped the backpack by scaling it down in size and making the straps adjustable. 

 As a fun touch, I created my own print design for the backpack fabric by using the end of a triangle ruler as a stamp. 

I really love how this one turned out, and the best part... it cost less than $2.00!

Because I was able to find all the fabric I needed in my stash and salvaged the strap hardware off of an old backpack, the only expense was the zipper.  

A one of a kind AND inexpensive gift - LOVE IT!

backpack doll

A cute little friend of ours is turning 4 this week - finally, an excuse to make girly stuff. Yippee!

Having never made a backpack before, I went with a very simple design - a rectangle with rounded corners.  Using my son's backpack for reference, I measured out a rough* size, and then sketched a pattern.
 
*next time I will adjust the height just a little - 3" shorter and it would have been perfect.

 

The backpack was new territory for me, but when the time came to make the doll I felt pretty confident. A few years ago I went through a doll making phase and, in the process, created my own doll pattern which came in handy for this project.

Unfortunately, I lost every ounce of that confidence when it was time to draw on the face (as you can tell by the blank face in the photos). Messing up meant I would have to make an entirely new doll, and I REALLY didn't want to do that. It took me nearly a week to muster up the courage.

The skirt was inspired by the Market Skirts from MADE. I just adore this pattern, and when I came across the leftover fabric from the last Market Skirts I made, I knew I had to make a mini version. (It would have been really fun to make a matching big girl skirt to tuck inside the backpack.)  

I had such a great time making this gift, and I really hope I get the chance to make more in the near future.


Happy Birthday Miss Nora!

full of adventure

 We ended 2011 and started 2012 with some fun adventures!:

New Years Day: snowshoeing

1. New Years Eve: "Yukon Do It" 5K race (my little runner's third 5K of the year)

2. Chrismas Eve: Snowflake Fun Run 5K - DIY medals

3. Gifts for the boys: DIY Race Boards for keeping all of their race numbers and medals

4. Christmas Eve: We hosted our own 5K race (Snowflake Fun Run) and invited a few of our favorite little running buddies to join us. (Originally, we had planned on signing up for a Jingle Bell race, but I procrastinated too long and it sold out.  So, we decided to host our own race - medals and hot cocoa for all the finishers!)

5. DIY: Race numbers (to hang on the race boards)

Camping on Christmas Eve: I think we can add this to our end-of-the-year adventures too - twinkle lights and all!

Here is to a new year full of exciting adventures!

hot/cold pack details

After receiving a few comments and emails with questions about the hot/cold packs I made for Halloween, I thought I would give you a quick rundown of the details.

The tutorial for sewing and filling the packs can be found over at Rubber Punkin, so I am just going to share how I was able to get 24 packs from one yard of fabric.

CUT:

(24) 12" X 5" - from main fabric (see diagram below)
(24) 6" loops - (I cut 1" strips from a t-shirt, stretched them out, and then cut the 6" lengths)

Here is the layout for cutting 24 packs out of 42" wide fabric (you will have 4" left over along the 36" side)

Check out the TUTORIAL for sewing and filling the packs HERE at Rubber Punkin.  She also has some great ideas for adding different scents and fillers.

Thanks for stopping by!

party favors: hot/cold packs

Just a quick post to share the party favors we handed out this year at my son's preschool Trunk-or-Treat party.

Last year I made hot/cold packs for the boys' Valentine's Day parties. Since then, several parents have mention how much their kids loved them - which inspired me to make them again.

They are a great candy-free gift for kids, and easy enough to crank out in an afternoon.

The tags were made using my tried and true method, and they turned out great.

 

To make 24 packs I used: 

 - one yard of fabric

 - scraps from an old orange t-shirt

 - long grain white rice

 - flaxseed

 - mint essential oil

...and I still have at least half of the rice/flaxseed mix leftover. Stocking suffers? Birthdays? Get well soon gift?

Thanks for stopping by!

halloween 2011

Well, it was a successful Halloween around here - no costume malfunctions, no meltdowns, and best of all, no rain!

 We ventured downtown for the second year in a row, and by the size of the crowd I'd say the entire city had the same idea.

Which, as it turns out, is great for people watching, but not so great for trick-or-treating.  Who needs all that candy anyway, right?

This last minute costume was made using freezer paper stencils, and came together just hours before the school Halloween party on Friday.  The first costume, Artzooka!, was great (and he loved it). Unfortunately, not many people around here know about the show, so they just thought he forgot to dress up (he was devastated). So, we put our heads together and came up with this skeleton costume. 

 

My favorite part is the profile of the skull. The idea came from this skeleton costume on Etsy. 

One day last week my youngest and I walked into a Halloween store to get some ideas and he saw spotted this viking helmet on the shelf, and he was SOLD.  Needless to say, the helmet came home with us, and I guess it was the right choice, because he really played the part well! 

The "boots" were made using this tutorial, and they turned out perfect!

 

Halloween 2011 was fun, and I can't wait to see what costumes they dream up for 2012!

artzooka! superfan costume

Have you seen this show? Around here, Artzooka! is tops. The word "Artzooka!" is mention at least 15 times a day in our house. 

 

Jeremie, the host, makes cool stuff using recycled materials. My kids spend hours upon hours designing and building all kinds of wonderful things from their very own "Artzooka! bin" of recycled items.

Just the other day, my oldest said to me, "Mom, we don't need to buy toys because we can make our own that are WAY cooler!"  

It warms my heart to hear my kids say stuff like that! 

When it came time to decide on a Halloween costume for my oldest, it was a no-brainer.  Yep, one Artzooka! costume coming up. 

With a little freezer paper stenciling on a dollar store t-shirt we were in business - total cost, about $3.

The picture above is from a costume birthday party he attended last weekend.  Together we made a duct tape wallet for the birthday boy (Artzooka! inspired, of course) - and it was a hit!

The Artzooka! show is on the Canadian public television station, CBC (that we just happen to get here in the Pacific Northwest). You can find some fun craft ideas HERE on the Artzooka! website, and we are crossing our finger and hoping the Artzooka! show will be available on DVD! 

sometimes crafting is like childbirth

 

Up until a few weeks ago, this is what our red wagon looked. Sad. Dilapidated. In desperate need of some TLC. One morning I decided to do something about it.  I called my husband to ask for advice - he laughed. Hard. And then said, "Call the body shop and ask for an estimate!" And laughed some more. I was not discouraged. In fact, I was more determined than ever to do get this done. At that moment I completely forgot about the piles of laundry and the toilets that needed scrubbing - this was personal. And nothing was going to stop me.

Realizing I was on my own, I scrounged around in the garage and found a chisel, sanding pad, and a drill with a wire brush attachment. The plan was to scrape off the flaking paint, sand it a little, and then give it a fresh coat of paint - it should just take an hour, or so...right?  HA, Wrong!

After the boys and I were a quarter of the way (and several hours) into the paint scraping, I realized that this was a much bigger project than I had originally thought. It suddenly dawned on my why my husband was laughing.  But, quitting was totally out of the question. I might have to stay up half the night and suffer through blisters on my hands, but I was going to finish this darn thing.  (The good news: I didn't have to stay up half the night. The bad news: my hands were pretty torn up and blistered. No pain, no gain. Right?)

I decided that, in order to continue, the wagon would have to be taken apart (which turns out to be much easier said than done when it comes to dealing with rusty bolts).  I struggled for a while, but eventually claimed victory.

In the (late) afternoon my husband called to inquire about our progress, and I proudly reported that we were ready to paint. 

When he arrived home, and saw first hand just how much work we put into the project, he volunteered to do the painting and assembly.  I happily accepted the offer (honestly, my hands could not endure much more).

The boys picked the colors, and they are absolutely thrilled their shiny new ride.

Every time I look at the wagon I have to smile - I did it! I knew I could do it! Crafting is like childbirth sometimes - it can hurt like crazy in the moment, but you completely forget about the pain by the time the next project comes around!

FYI: My husband is a very supportive guy, but sometimes I think he breaks into nervous laughter in order to deal with my wild ideas and crafty ambitions.   Thanks Hun for (eventually) jumping on the wagon!!

Happy Crafting!