I'm Thinking About Making Something....

But I have gifts to wrap.
Who am I kidding...I still have loads of shopping to do.
Laundry and packing.
And tons of things that need organized, which is why I'm looking forward to this.



I could use a little, okay a lot of help in finding things in my craftroom and with less time I NEED to know where things are.

Why is this important? Well there is something about completing a project that motivates me in all other areas of my life. Whether it's a scrapbook page or a sewing project, being able to look at something and say, "I made that," makes me feel like I could do anything.

I get that feeling looking at the kids but this feeling wears off quickly. And well, I can find a place for 100 layouts...100 kids, not so much.

So I will be tuning in since my friend Emilie is a crafty genius and I am sure I will learn something that will improve my quality of life. Seriously.

What I Am Working On Now...

Charlotte's Crib




Colin's Quilt




There are a few solids thrown in there as well but I am thrilled to report that I actually completed Charlotte's crib sheet and it ACTUALLY fits. So since I can't sleep anyway since someone decided to drop and make me pretty uncomfortable, I figured I would start cutting the bumper batting and fabric.

Seriously, if it wasn't for all of this measuring and math I would be totally done the entire bedroom.

PSU Maternity Tee Shirt...

I have never seen a maternity section at the "Big Blue on the Corner," so I decided to take matters into my own crafty little hands. I made a shirt for Disney but by the time I wanted to wear it at the parks it didn't fit since it was just a regular fitted tee shirt from A.C. Moore. So this time I actually purchased a moderately priced maternity tee and figured that if I ruined it...well I was screwed because no matter what I would be ticked about spending $11 on a tee shirt that I was planning on only wearing for one day. What can I say...I'm cheap like that, lol!

I really wanted to reverse applique PSU on my belly and found a few tutorials on the internet to point me in the right direction.

What you need...
Tee Shirt
Pretty Fabric (mine was a Pottery Barn napkin)
DMC Floss
Fusible Web or Temporary Fabric Adhesive
Soft'n Sheer Stabilizer
Cricut
Freezer Paper

Sorry there are no photos since I, of course, did this right before we left for the weekend while I was packing and well...I just didn't feet like it :-)

First I cut my letters out of freezer paper with my Cricut. I then ironed them onto my tee and then tried it on to make sure I liked the position. I then turned the shirt inside out to attach my fabric that would peek through under the letters.

Once everything was positioned correctly I attached an embroidery hoop to my tee with the stabilizer behind my pretty fabric. The stabilizer makes it easier to stitch on the knit fabric and will ultimately help the letters keep their shape after washing. I then outlined each letter with stitching. Once each letter was complete, I removed the freezer paper and then used very sharp scissors to cut away the knit fabric of my tee shirt. I then turned it inside out once again and cut away the excess fabric being careful to not cut through any of the stitches.



I was just pleased as punch with myself and my hubby couldn't figure out why I just wouldn't wear one of his shirts to the game. Duh, his shirts aren't nearly as cute.

Colin and I Need to Have a Serious Talk...

about Halloween. I mean there's only three weeks left and one of those we will be in Disney. So I have been doing a little online browsing to see what is out there. If you ask Colin, he wants to be Batman. All of the Batman costumes are pretty lame or REALLY expensive. I was thinking that he would make a really cute pirate :-)

The added benefit to this would be that he could wear it on the trip and do the pirate experience in the park. I think he would like it and if you bring your own stuff, it is pretty inexpensive.

But I do call Colin my little monkey...


I really like this one a lot and have always been happy with Old Navy's quality of costumes for the price. Especially when I wait to the last minute and they go on sale :-)

Or I could start working on this...

I think this would pass as Batman to Colin and I'm pretty sure if I let him pick between the 3 this would be the one he would choose.
Oh why oh why can't someone make cute costumes that aren't super expensive...under $20 that aren't junk? Is it really that difficult?

Not to mention I need to start thinking about my dress for Christmas.

Have you found any cute Halloween costumes that I might be missing? I have checked out Old Navy, The Children's Place, Gymboree, and One Step Ahead.

I really would rather buy something this year but I don't want it to be junk and would love it to actually fit and make it through the washing machine.

I'll admit...I have pretty high standards.

I'm No Vera Bradley....

But I am pretty impressed with myself. :-)



I enjoyed working on this and was thrilled that I learned a few new things in the process. Keep in mind, I decided to start sewing when I took a lesson with my machine so I could learn to sew on scrapbook pages! When I realized how this whole thing worked with fabric I was like, "I can do that!"

Remember this post?
Speaking of which, I wonder what I am going to make this year?

So another crafty obsession began where little time exists to dabble in the one I already had. But alas, I recently organized my room and it is fully functional for all my creative ventures that time allows. (AKA I organized my fabric so I actually know what I have and I can actually get to my sewing machine without sitting on the coffee table).

The materials for this purse were pretty inexpensive. I used two fat quarters for the exterior and two fabric napkins from Walmart that I found on clearance.

Grand total for fabric...$2.75!

I seriously always stop in the Pottery Barn Outlet not to decorate my home but to find inexpensive fabric items that I can use on sewing projects. For me...mostly because I'm lazy...it is so much easier to work with smaller portions of fabric than trying to cut what I need from yards of it. Then there's the whole OCD folding issue I have. Don't even get me started on that! So with my limited time, sewing bags out of napkins works for me!

Hopefully it works for everyone else since I think this is what everyone is getting for Christmas. :-)

Girls Night Out...

Me, Jenny, Emilie and Mary

It has been so long since I have gone out for dinner and a movie that I wondered if I would even remember how to do it, lol! I had a great time and got a much needed break to just stuff my face and chat with lovely women.

Can't wait to do this again and hopefully everyone can make it next time!

So hopefully this break will leave me energized to complete the HUGE task of getting a bit more organized in the next two days.

I am planning on sewing a purse tomorrow and I realized that I really have no idea what kind of fabric I have. I know I have a ton but I really couldn't tell you where it is. So apparently I need a better system because you know I'm a nut about using everything that I've purchased. So I have this crazy idea of tearing apart my scraproom and finding a better home for my fabric stash.

I have a feeling that Matt will be freaking out about this time tomorrow.

Maybe I could just close the door? :-)

Collage Press Design Team Day

If you haven't already head over to the Collage Press Blog to check out what the awesome DT completed for this month. I love the Halloween Projects that are posted even though I wouldn't have considered the Sweet Shoppe line a "typical" choice for Halloween. Everyone did a great job!

I have some LO's to photograph and I plan on sharing them soon so be on the look out for that. There also may be a RAK in the near future as well. :-)

I also am hoping to sew a purse this weekend. My Vera Bradley bag's straps have seen better days and I have a plan to make something super cute. Hopefully that plan works and I'll be sure to share the results here...good or bad, lol!

So between creative plans for this weekend and a girls night out I am really looking forward to the end of this week!

I used to like shopping...

I don't know what happened. It seems that clothing got more expensive even though fabrics became thinner and less durable. I give up trying to find clothes that I like, that are on sale and that fit my body. So I'm going to start sewing more. Honestly, if I could figure out how to adjust pattern pieces to my measurements this sewing thing would be a piece of cake. I'm working on it but in the mean time, done is better than perfect.

This was going to be a dress, it still may become one. I have a few more steps to complete, like adding elastic to the waste and fitting this to my body before it either becomes a shirt or a dress.
The fabric was inexpensive, maybe $2 a yard, and I think this would look good on the cruise with white pants or as a dress. I would add a band of white material at the bottom if I make it into a dress.
Swimsuit update: I'm pretty sure that I am returning it. It is one size too big and I would never have enough time to exchange it before leaving for vacation. I did email Bravissimo and they apologized for the time it took to respond to my fitting advice questions and arranged to refund my shipping too. I did think about making the swimsuit fit because honestly, even with it being too big, it looks better than anything that I have found in the store. I am not nearly confident enough with sewing to alter clothes, especially something that will be covering my unmentionables while swiming.
Matt suggested that I make one, although he very quickly suggested that I go buy another one at the mall.

A real post with photos and all!

It's about time right?
I am so excited to share the first project I completed using my new Collage Press stash.
I think I'm in love.
I seriously was looking for someone to pinch me at 3am.



Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill. Pattern Paper, Die Cuts and Letter Stickers: Collage Press. Buttons: Creative Cafe. Brad: Queen and Company. Other: Staples, String, Pop Up Dots.

I love the star die cuts from the Knave of Hearts Collection. I used regular adhesive in the middle and pop up dots on the ends. I layered two of the stars together and added buttons to both. I love how I was able to use both of the new collections to find everything I needed for this LO.

As promised, a photo of my new hair cut. I am horrible at taking photos of myself with my new camera. I have the 50mm 1.8 lens on here, great for photos, hard for photos in the mirror since it's so hard to tell where I should be pointing the camera. I'm sure I will get better if I keep practicing. If anyone has tips, let me know.


And did you see that strap? I made that before going to my in laws surprise anniversary party. Do you know not one person commented on how cute it was.
NOT ONE?!
Oh well, I am proud of myself that I figured out how to do it and that it has stayed together, lol.

And because he's just so cute, here's one of Colin from this weekend.


This was before the face plant into the cement. Thank God that he didn't get hurt but he does have a little scratch on his chin and upper lip. I've already told him that he only has one week to heal and that he must be careful this whole week to not get anymore boo boo's. Especially in the face. :-)

That's it for now. I may be back later today with a Memorial Day post. I have a fantastic photo of my Dad in his uniform that I would love to share if I get time to photograph it.

So I know I said I would scrap....

But I have been meaning to work on this for weeks now. Colin's old nap roll has about bit the dust and I'm not sure if it would have made it through the washing machine one more time. So I finally got off of my butt and finished this, (well, almost).


And this is what happens when you realize that you somehow got a hole in your almost finished project. A little cutting and some fusible web and voila!



I think I am going to let Colin take this to school tomorrow since I only have to put the velcro straps on the edges so it will close. I think I will wrap ribbon around it tomorrow so he can carry it to nap time without too much trouble. I can't wait to see his face when he gets up in a few hours. He has been bugging me to make this for ages now. Note to self, don't take toddler to fabric store to pick out said fabric unless you are absolutely ready to start the project.

Thanks for the comments about my hair, it's growing on me, (as well as hopefully growing). I think I will need to play with it a bit but I think I will be able to manage wearing my hair straight a lot more often.

How to be Dash from the Incredibles....

Have your Mom go to the store and realize that since it's not Halloween, they do not have any spiderman fabric.
When your Mom asks what would you like to be instead, make sure to shoot webs to reiterate your point that Spiderman really is the only superhero worth being.
When Mom reminds you of this...

Remember that it is not fun to pick to said Spiderman costume out of your butt all day. It's kind of annoying.

Although, eating candy does let you momentarily forget about previous annoyance.
Ultimately decide that Mom won't let you eat enough candy to compensate for the annoyance ALL day and that being Dash might be fun.
Once your Mom makes most of your costume remember to get really excited for arms in it this time. (Mom had a tough time with those last time).
Remember to sing the You're the Best Mommy Song while she sews. I find that Mom generally forgets that I was pulling the spool off of the sewing machine and jumping up and down over the pattern pieces.
The song really seems to help.
In addition to being fast, remember to arrive fashionably late to your friend's birthday party. Jumping on patterns and pulling spools off of the sewing machine does seem to add some additional sewing time.
See above reference to singing the Mommy song.
But most importantly remember to look cute and extremely appreciative, it really makes Mommy's day. She then stops ranting about, (I don't know why I do this stuff for you, you need to be a good listener if I'm going to be able to finish this. etc. etc.)
See above referenced Mommy song.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A little handmade love for my little man's V Day party today. Now if I can just finish his treats we will be set :-)

Mini Book to Share

I wanted to share a mini book that I completed over the summer. This was so easy and fun to complete. I found this placemat at Wal Mart for $1. I cut the placemat with my rotary cutter to make "pages". Each page was open on at least two sides when I cut them. The best part was since they were open, I was able to hide the backs of my eyelets, brads and stitching in between each page. Once complete, I sewed the open edges together and bound the book using my crop a dile. The hearts are die cut out of vinyl and then blanket stitched.

Only a few more days....

and Christmas will be here. I am slowly checking items off of my to do list. Did I mention that I will be glad when this week is over? Anyway, I did want to update my gallery and post some recent layouts. These were all completed using items from my Scarlet Lime Kit.

I love that I got to be lazy and instead of changing the thread in my sewing machine, I just inked it. It always amazes me how much of a difference little things like that make.

I love the pocket on this layout. I wrote journaling to my son on the outside and journaling to my hubby on the inside.

I love the fabric that was included with this kit. I die cut it and then added the beads and pins. I love the handmade touch it adds to this LO.
I will add these to my gallery shortly with product lists. Have a good night!

In less than 2 weeks...

it will be Christmas and hopefully things will start to settle down. I have been trying to stay on top of things this year but I didn't realize that the holiday has gotten so close already. I just wanted to quickly post since I am in the midst of ironing, laundry and planning the next week. I wanted to share a photo of the dress that I made for Matt's Christmas party.

Not too shabby for my first dress. I had some help with the zipper and attaching the top and bottom from my mother in law while I was in the shower. Needless to say, I was finishing this at the last minute and even did a little tacking in the bathroom when we got there.

Here's the dress on me, (it fits me a little better than "Lucy"). I just got "Lucy" on Monday at B Moss's closing sale. Man would it have been helpful to have this dress form last week. Oh well, it will come in handy the next time. You should have seen the looks I got as I was walking through the mall with my new friend, lol.
Anyway, I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season and I will be checking back soon with some new LO's to share.

My first project....

and this is what I learned. 1. When a pattern gives you measurements, they are more then a suggestion. This is hard for me. When I scrap, I don't measure so this will be a new challenge. 2. Remember how to wind bobbin. I forgot and then didn't feel like changing it. I actually liked the contrast in stitching in some places. 3. Make sure everything is attached. I made a hem for the top but didn't completely attach the lining. See #1. 4. My scrap room is not set up for sewing. I don't have a great deal of space to cut large pieces of fabric and I had to stand to sew. This doesn't work as well as standing to scrap. I will be yard saleing tomorrow in hopes of finding a cheap solution for the time being. 5. Make bigger bag. This thing will not fit much pool stuff in it at all. It's a good thing I bought extra fabric. I will be able to use this for work or just running around. I'm pretty impressed with myself for a first try. Now to see if it will hold anything.


Material: Green Fabric, Canvas, Orange Fabric, Outdoor Canvas, Cotton Straps

To scrap or to stich?

I'm sitting here thinking about which project I should start with? I just got my July CK and I have to tell you, I'm very relieved. I was getting worried since the last several issues have been pretty stale. This one was MUCH better. I feel inspired and I wanted to start working on a few scrappy projects. But I am also going to the pool this weekend and I'm in desperate need of a new beach bag. So that may be first on my agenda. I had my sewing lesson, I know how to thread my machine and now, actually kind of "get" how things fit together with thread. I need to sew something tonight either way so I don't forget everything I learned!

Maybe I will just do both. Who needs to sleep??? I gotta tell you, it's killing me that I am sitting on 13 never before seen LO's that are scanned and ready to be shared with all of you. I guess I will just have to finish a few more so I can share them, lol!

Here's another photo that I took while in Fells Point during our weekend away. Because you know every post needs a photo.