Nice Washcloths for Young Kiddos

Apparently we have mean washcloths at our home...

now i am not exactly sure what a "mean" cloth is but

that is the word my son uses to describe our washcloths.

Luckily Becky from Becky Ann Designs

helped to solve the mean washcloth problem.

Becky gave Wyatt two flannel washclothes and soap

she made for Christmas.

Below is one of the two...

I sent her a message on FB to find out exactly what she did,

since i didn't want my little man going around telling everyone

about our extremely mean washcloths.

I was amazed by the simple nature of these washcloths

and wondered why I had made these before...

umm...I thought I was crafty!

Well yesterday (snow day 4) Wyatt and I sat down 

to make a bunch so he didn't have to suffer anymore!

He helped me pick out the fabrics 

attempted to help cut with his John Deere pilers

and then sat on my lap as we stitched them together.

We now have an even dozen NICE washcloths.

This would make a great beginner project for someone interested

in getting started sewing...

I will post a tutorial soon...

really its easy peasy!!

Please forgive the photo quality...my digital is broken..won't charge AT ALL

and these were taken with my camera photo!

A craft for kids of all ages

Yesterday as I was blog hopping I saw numerous post about making salt dough ornaments with your kids.

I decided this would be a great project for my 2 year old because we could break it up into segments so he wouldn't get bored during the process. 

I saw recipes on numerous blogs but the most common was

1/2 cup of salt

1 cup of flour

1/2 cup of water

mix it to a cookie dough like consistency.

fold out onto lightly floured surface and roll out to 1/4 inch thick

cut using floured cookie cutter

bake @ 200 degrees for 5 hours or overnight

I didn't get any photos yesterday while we were making up the dough but I did discover a few things I would like to share...yes you can double the dough but we were better off making small batches as he could cut and roll fast enough to keep the dough from drying out (yes I let me roll our the dough and cut it too)

below are some pictures from decorating the ornaments today

we used 97 cent paint from Walmart and glitter...

LOTS & LOTS of glitter

 After a while we had to loose the paint covered shirt.  Not surprising for anyone who knows the little man!

FYI: your kitchen table may suffer some temporary paint stains!  I covered the table with multiple levels of newspaper however the little man still managed to get paint all over the table; however don't worry too much because a little warm water and a sponge cleaned it right up!

Take time this week to enjoy the gifts God has blessed you with and remember the greatest gift was Christ!

Maybe not as domesticated as I thought

When I arose this morning a glaring reality hit me as I gazed around our kitchen amid baskets full of sewing supplies...maybe I am not as domesticated as I thought....I can't find a clean coffee mug!  Now for some of you this might not scream fear maybe you only have 2 or 4 and forgot to run the dishwasher however in our house we have at least 8 in the cabinet.  As I washed the cups so that I could have my morning dose of caffeine I tried to remember the last time I washed dishes...and sad to say I couldn't remember.  We had been using paper plates, and quick meals so the only things getting dirty were cups and utensils, I realize that is no excuse but I guess since the dishes weren't spilling out of the sink I didn't realize how bad it was!  I quickly corrected this infraction and began a deep cleaning of sorts scrubbing floors, countertops and more.  I attempted to organize my abundance of sewing materials and decided there were more pressing matters....like the two baskets of books spread across the living room floor by a little man named Wyatt...or the fact that it was laundry day...or maybe it was more that I knew within a few hours I would spread all the items out again to work on a few projects. 

Just let me say I envy all of you who have a designated space to craft in (whatever your craft)...I must share my space with the kitchen which is also the dining room (that's what happens when you live in a house of 900 square feet).  I have the lofty goal of creating a sewing nook of the west wall of our bedroom but getting the hubby to help has proven slightly difficult.  And since I sew late into the evening I worry that my midnight creativity might impede the sleep of the hardworking man...but then again he has slept through thunderstorms, contractions, part of Wyatt's birth, and a screaming two year old a few weeks back, so a little sewing might not interrupt his sleeping.

I have had a hard time keeping all of you updated on my sewing adventures...so after much thought I have decided that I am going to pick a sewing book and create each item in the book.  I will photograph each step and the final project.  I plan to start this project June 15th.  That gives me enough time to select a book, gather supplies and finish up a few projects I have in the works including Wyatt's quilt, surprises for Samuel and Gwen, Tucker's baby gift, Phoebe's, Rachel's, Tracy's, Scott's, Scotty's, and Paige's birthday presents, plus a few surprise items for my cousin and her family out in California. 

So stay tune and follow along as I sew through an entire book of patterns!

Birthday Party Invite

My little man is turning two in less than 2 week!  Wow time really does fly!  If you don't know it my husband is a full time farmer and my son wants to be just like his daddy.  He has been in the barn and on tractors since no long after birth.  I still remember the day I went back to work and left Wyatt with his daddy, as I pulled out of the drive William was strapping Wyatt into his front carrier on the tractor!  That connection has strength into a deep love of tractors for my son.  He loves his vroom vrooms.  So in honor of his favorite thing we are having a Terrific Tractor Trailblazing Party!  I created the invitation for the party using my scrapbooking software from Creative Memories.

This is the front of the invitation.  It was created using a freebie and rubber stamping the image in yellow and green.  I added a text box.  I then saved as a jpeg and printed 4 to a page (wallet size pic).  I cut the print out and glue it to the front of a 4 * 6 inch piece of brown cardstock.  You could add some more embellishments if you wish. 

Above is the back of the invitation where all the important stuff is.  Again I used the rubber stamping option for creating the running border and the shadow for the party title.  Save as a jpeg print at a wallet size pic, cut and glue and you have created an invitation.  You can embellish as you like.  This would be simple to do in any graphic program.  Enjoy!

Break is over!

It is official my crafting break is over.  I took a good bit of time off after Christmas, mainly to focus on helping out my family and preparing for the AFBF Discussion Meet Contest.  I made it into the Semifinals and like to say I was one of the top 10 in the nation however I have no confirmation of that since we don't do an Elite Eight.  I have started laying out many projects in my head and hope to create a few tutorials for you to enjoy.  I also plan to do some giveaways in the near future.  Soon I will be posting pictures of my Christmas crafts as well.  I hope everyone has enjoyed embarking on the new year!  Get busy crafting!

Creating gifts

I have finished my first gift of the year. This gift was a selfish one though. I crocheted myself a scarf, for many reasons. The main reason was to make sure I could really complete this project in a timely manner. I have a few more (like 10) to go. I hope to be done with them by the middle of December. Below are pictures of the yarn. I will post finished pictures of the scarf later this week!

The yarn was handspun, hand-dyed local wool. Colleen Hewlett a local fiber artist produced the yarn from her own sheep. I hope to learn how to spin yarn after the first of the year so I too can utilize more local products. Here is the link to Colleen's etsy shop: www.valentinesfarm.esty.com .

Earth Week

As an environmental educator...Earth Week kicked my butt! I did 12 presentations at 3 schools last week, a workshop for adults, an awards reception, and two public events (one that had over 2,000 people attend!). Needless to say I was worn out. I felt like a terrible mom because I didn't have enough time to really play with my little one. I was constantly doing something. I neglected my house and my yard (both which need lots of TLC). I was glad to have the opportunity to share our message with people but I am happy now for a slower time.

Since things have been a little crazy I haven't really done much crafting. I have however spent some time reflecting on God's word. On Monday the 13th we had our monthly women in the church meeting (WIC). We are reading a book by Jerry Bridges called "Trusting God." This is a very powerful book that really has opened my eyes to all of God's kindness and grace. This is a book I really suggest reading if you have a chance. I ended up missing the majority of our Missions Conference because of work however my family and I did pledge to pray for one of our missionaries in Belize. I hope to send them a note this week.

We also pledge our faith promise. A faith promise is an amount of money above and beyond your normal giving to the church. It helps fund missions throughout the world. This is not an amount that you can comfortably give in addition this is an amount that you are not sure how you will give it but pray and God will provide. I am hoping to help instill these values in our son.

My next sewing craft project will be another pillowcase dress for a friend's daughter. I also plan on making something for myself within the next few weeks. I haven't decided if I want to make a dress or a skirt. I have a few options on this. Depending on how the first skirt turns out I might make a skirt for my friend to match her daughter's dress....um great Mother's Day gift for friends and family. I hope to start on these projects this week.

I have lots of ideas for kid's crafts as well. I will be doing most of these at work in preparation for summer activities. Keep checking back for instructions on how to make rain sticks, turtle crayons, nature t-shirts, and muck more.

Seeded Paper

Some days (like today) my full time outside of the home job is amazing. I get to do crafts, lessons, and activites that anyone would enjoy. Today I am making seeded paper for invitations to an Environmental Banquet. I thought I might share this easy craft with all of you so you too can make your own paper or seeded paper as greeting cards, note cards, or stationary. It is really easy to do and great for the environment if you use paper products that have already served their original purpose.

Supplies needed:

• Paper: Newspaper, computer paper, notebook paper, construction paper, etc


• Blender or food processor


• Sponge


• an old picture frame


• window screen


• staples


• plastic tub large enough to fit the screen


• turkey-baster ( i have never used this but have seen it suggested)


• Cookie sheet or newspaper (for stacking the paper on)


• squares of felt


• flower seeds (if making seeded paper)

Directions:

1. Make a mold by tightly tacking the window screen onto the frame with staples


2. Fill the plastic tub about half full of water


3. 
   

   Tear into nickel sized pieces or use a shredder, place torn/shredded paper into the blender (about half full). Fill the blender about 3/4 full with warm water. Place the top on the blender, put a kitchen towel on top, and blend for about 60 seconds on low to medium speed (make sure that you always keep your hand on top of the towel). Continue to increase the speed until no paper flakes remain and pulp appears smooth.




4. 
   

   Pour the pulp from the blender into the plastic tub. Add in at least 3 blender loads of paper. The more pulp the thicker the paper will be.



5. 
   

   Slip the frame into the wash tub, gently move it from side to side to get the pulp around the top of the frame level and to the desired thickness (this takes practice). Let the layer settle and SLOWLY lift the frame out of the tub. Let the frame drain above the tub for a few moments, double check to see if it is level (if not use the turkey baster filled with pulp to fill in any uneven spots or gaps).



6. 
   

   
   



7. 
   

   After removing the frame from the water, let it drain over a sink or another tub. When it stops dripping lay felt over the entire piece, use a sponge to soak up the excess water while still in the frame. Once you have soaked up all the water you can take the frame with the felt square on top to your drying station.




8. 
   

   The next step is the hardest, don't be disappointed if you mess up a few time (I know I did). Holding the frame in both hands above the cookie sheet flip the frame over onto the cookie sheet, the felt square should be on bottom with the paper on top (no paper should be attached to the frame).



9. 
   

   Once the frame is no longer attached, smooth out the paper and any air bubbles.



10. 
    

    Now take your shaker full of flower seeds and spread them around the paper in your desired amount, remember no to overload the paper.




11. 
    

    Keep repeating steps 5-10 and stack the felt sheets on the cookie sheet to dry. When you have made all the paper you want for the day place a piece of cardboard on top of the last piece and use another cookie sheet and a weight (a brick, two litter bottles filled, cast iron frying pan, etc) to press out the remaining water.



12. 
    

    Gently separate the sheets and dry them on a clothesline or out in the sun for 12-24 hours. When they are dry gently remove the felt from the paper.



13. 
    

    ENJOY~this paper makes great gifts for anyone!

Struggling Seamstress

I want to begin sewing my son some clothing. Each time I go out I notice that the price of quality clothing keeps creeping up. I have decided that even with my limited skill set I can make good quality clothing and toys that will last longer than many store brands. I made the crib set below for him one weekend. However, I must find the time...that is the tricky part.



On Sunday between church and a committee meeting I attempted to cut the fabric for Wyatt's first outfit. A simple little Jon Jon for an Easter egg hunt. This endeavor didn't go so well. I couldn't find any pins to pin the pattern to the material, Wyatt was doing his best to see over the table and pull all the fabric to the floor, and my sister in law (who was suppose to be watching Y) was chatting about the latest gossip around town. I got two of the 8 pieces cut out before I had to give in. It didn't help that I was struggling to read the pattern and cut out the correct size. At last I will give it a go another day when things are quite as distracting.

I hope to give it another try late this evening after Wyatt has retired and I have finished some domestic duties around the house. I am determined to make this outfit for him and to make it well. I want my children to have the opportunity to learn the value of homemade items. One of my favorite wedding gifts is a cross stitch that was given to us. It is simply a raccoon climbing a mailbox with our name embroidered into it. That is the only piece of art that has hung continuously in our house since the day we moved in. The time, energy, and love that went into creating that artwork overwhelms me.

I also have that feeling about the baby blankets made and given to us by friends, family, and former students. My son has two handmade quilts and half a dozen crocheted or homemade baby blankets. Until I developed this passion to create my own things at home I would purchase the items from other crafters. I love to help support and fund these projects. Creating things for others is the greatest form of kindness, it doesn't matter if you are creating breads or blankets, the love shines through.

Below is Wyatt after he was born. The cap was hand crocheted by a woman we never met. A group of ladies make enough to give on to each child born in the hospital. In this picture Wyatt is sitting on a quilt made just for him by a family friend. This quilt has traveled with us many times.