Let's "Fall" into Halloween!

Sorry for the cheesy post titles. I'm kind of a cheesy person and I think they're fun :) 

Alright, so I found this really cute wreath on Pinterest (big surprise, huh?) and I wanted to make one for my door since my front door has never really been adorned with anything cute anywhere Dadoo and I have lived. Of course, you always set out to make an EXACT copy of the one you saw on the internet, but making an exact copy is never in the cards when it comes to items like this. You can usually get pretty close, unless you know the person who actually made the original and they told you where they got everything, which is a long shot. So I went to the fabric store and, just my luck, they had most of the materials on sale! I got 4 yards each of orange and brown tulle which ended up only costing my about $4 for all the tulle. Lucky me! The original wreath I found didn't have the fall accents with the leaves and pine cones and whatever else came in the 'fall clump of stuff' as I call it. The original had berry-like jewels on it plus brown curliques and fabric flowers. I looked everywhere for similar items and came up with the 'fall clump of stuff' and the silver curlies. I made my own flowers from fabric I had left over from previous projects and added some extra tulle to add a little more flair. The wreath was really simple. All you do with the tulle is just lie each strip on. I cut my strips about 3-4" wide. I believe I got about 22 strips from both colors of tulle. 

I found a really cute printable online for Halloween as well as a banner to make out of scrapbook paper. They're nothing fancy, but I like 'em :) I also found a way to recycle old egg cartons into bats and hung them from my ceiling.

Hope y'all enjoyed seeing these fun things and happy crafting!

Christmas Crafts

I realize it is now April 2013, but I wanted to share a couple things that I made for the holidays.

First is a tree skirt I made from blue cotton fabric and burlap. Burlap is quite the 'it' thing right now and why not jump on that bandwagon, right?  Ever since our first Christmas as a married couple, I have been looking for the perfect tree skirt to add to our decorations. I looked and looked and could never commit to any of them because they just weren't what I was looking for. I finally found one I liked on Pinterest last year and set out to make it for myself. I bought a cheap-o tree skirt from the dollar store to use as a base or template and instead of hot gluing the strips of fabric and burlap on like the lady did in her tutorial, I decided to fire up my sewing machine and sew the fabric strips on. I can honestly say it was one of the easiest things to make and I am so pleased with how the tree skirt turned out. Also, by sewing on the strips of fabric, my tree skirt turned out nice and 'fluffy'. My sister-in-law made one also, but glued her strips and it turned out less 'fluffy' than she was expecting.

Another item....or three....that I made were snowflakes made from skinny tree limbs from my parents Globe Willow tree they cut down last fall. The tree was dying and had to be cut down because some critter decided to burrow into the trunk of the tree and it started to decay and rot and rather than having the tree fall and crush the fence, my parents cut the entire thing down. So I took the opportunity to save some of the smaller limbs to make decorations for various holidays and occasions. I have pictures somewhere on my computer, but am unable to locate them at this time. I'll post them once I find them. 

In my search for my wood snowflakes, I found pictures for some Halloween and Fall decorations I made that I will be posting when I get the chance. I know they'll be out of order, but its better to have them be out of order than not posted at all, right?! 

Thanks for viewing and happy crafting :)

I LOVE MY WIFE!

I love my wife SO much! I can't begin to tell the reasons why. I am whole when she is around. She is definitely the better half.
Dannie I love you so much glad we found each other!

Norma Jean the Crafting Queen

I'm writing this post in honor of a wonderful lady who taught me so many things-Norma Jean. She was a very loving woman who treated everyone like family. She was 82 years old, but had the spirit to rival any 20 year old. She had so much life and so much love to give. She taught me, at a very young age, how to sew. You could say she gave me my start. She didn't teach me everything I know, but she taught me many things-in crafting and life. Norma Jean passed away on Thursday June 14th. Losing her has been very painful. Remembering the life she lived has made me re-evaluate my own. Have I been as loving and generous and kind as she was? Have I treated others with the same attitude and respect that she did? Have I jumped at the opportunity to serve others like she did? Have I enhanced my skills and retained as much knowledge as she did? I'm ashamed to say the answer is probably no on most counts, but I certainly plan to remedy this problem. I will be forever grateful for her example to me. I am proud to be her granddaughter. I have so many fond memories of her that I will cherish forever. I really can't put into words what she means to me and how much I'm going to miss her.

Dadoo very lovingly stated at her viewing, "Don't think of her just passing away, think of it as God needed one amazing quilt." What a fantastic way to put this into perspective! My grandmother was the queen of crafting. She ALWAYS had a project she was working on. Her sewing room is still in disarray from four or five projects she was working on. When she wasn't down in her sewing room, she had a needlepoint or some other needle work waiting for her by the couch. When she wasn't working on her needlepoint, she was painting. That woman was amazing! She had such a knack for crafts! It seriously only took one lesson and she picked up the craft in a snap! She was a very talented lady. I learned so many things about my grandmother in the last week than I ever thought possible. I felt like I didn't really know her at all. I feel a lot of guilt and resentment for not having spent more time with her than I did. It's just motivation to spend more time with my grandfather and Dadoo's grandmother (who's name is also Norma ;)). I've made a promise to my grandmother that I will do more sewing and crafting and hone my skills. I promised her that I will pass on my knowledge and love of crafting to my Pumpkin. I know she's proud of me and I know I will see her again someday.

I love you, Norma Jean the Crafting Queen <3

Sweet Holland

I keep forgetting to post pictures of a few things I made back in February for a friend who just recently had her 5th baby. When I found out she was pregnant, I knew I just HAD to make her something. She told me that all her girls clothes and items have become 'well-worn' over the years. I told her I wanted to make something for her and she said, "You'll have to make this baby fun for me!" Well.....challenge accepted!

First, I made her a carseat cover (big surprise, right?!), but I didn't want this to be just some ordinary cover. I found the cutest fabric at Brook's on Main St. in Bountiful and the moment I saw it I knew I had to use it for my friend. I also used a different pattern, if you will, for the cover than I normally use and it turned out so cute! I wanted to keep it for myself!

Second, I crocheted a sweet little dress that I had recently bought the pattern for from my favorite Mon Petit Violon on etsy.com which can be purchased here :) It was a brand new pattern and I took this as an opportunity to try it out. Another success! I also crocheted a pair of matching booties also by Mon Petit Violon (which can be found here) and sewed a pair of regular ballet flats with ribbon ties as well.

Third, I made her a pair of peep toe sandals that was also a new pattern from my other favorite--ithinksew.com! The pattern can be purchased here.

Fourth, I tried my hand at making a baby mobile. I actually made this with no intent of giving it to anyone in particular, but it turned out pretty cute and I decided to give it to my friend.

Last, but not least, I made a cute little headband. I not only made one for the baby, but I made one for my friend and all her other girls :)

My friend was overjoyed when she received everything and that makes me love my hobbies that much more. The things I do can be to me a bit overwhelming at times and sometimes I feel like I just don't have the time to keep up with the babies, birthdays, weddings, my full-time job as a momma and my actual full-time job, and my blog. Seeing everyone's reaction to what they receive specially made for them, though, is what renews my passion for what I do every time. Needless to say, I made this baby fun for her and then some :)