"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" Ornaments (that Give You a Kiss)

Today's guest post is by my good friend Stephanie!  She's the talented photographer behind Pink Pearl Photography.  She also writes the blog Life as a Wife, where she posts about her crafting, cooking, and mommy adventures.  She also has great party and date ideas!  How cute is her Whoville Christmas Party?  Or her Clue Date?

Thanks for joining us today, Stephanie!

~~~

Growing up, I have memories of my mom make a bunch of ornaments for our themed tree. One of my favorites she made were these Reindeer ornaments

They were my favorite because she would hide chocolate Kisses inside 

This year I made some for my tree and some to give away. I love these little deer they fill me with Christmas memories from my childhood, and memories of my dear mother who always filled every holiday with cheer!

I used my mom's pattern but tried to put my own spin on them by adding some color...

for instructions on how to make this ornament click here.

~~~

Be sure to check out our previous Sew a Song of Christmas projects!

"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" Tulle Wreath

"O, Christmas Tree" Glitter Ball Ornaments
"What Child is This?" Mini Quilt
"Blue Christmas" Simple Holiday Skirts

Some More Versatile Blogger Awards

For the sake of not having my Versatile Blogger Award features last until the end of time, I think I'll do several mini-features today.

Source: lovelylittlesnippets.blogspot.com via Jill on Pinterest

First up, Lovely Little Snippets.  She has lots of great tutorials {like this, this, this, and I really need to make this} and recipes, too.  I want to try out her Freezer Sloppy Joes.  I'm always up for fast and easy dinners.

Source: brownpaperpackagesep.blogspot.com via Jill on Pinterest

Next we have Brown Paper Packages.  (Don't you love that name?  I sure do.)  I discovered this blog back in October when I was making those fabric pumpkins--I love how her fabric pumpkins turned out!  I also like her cute ruffly pillow, and lolly pop decorations.  

Source: dipitinchocolate.blogspot.com via Jill on Pinterest

And then there's the blog Dipped It in Chocolate.  How could you not love a blog that's about delicious chocolate goodness?  And she's fun to read, too.  She has so many great (delicious-looking!) ideas, so just head on over to her blog and get ready to take a free day off any eating-better New Year's resolutions.

Source: daffodildesign.com via Jill on Pinterest

Next up is Daffodil Design.  First, her blog is just pretty, clean, and pleasant to look at.  I appreciate a well-designed blog.  Second, she has such cute printables and projects!  My favorite is this Father's Day Questionnaire--questions you ask your kid's about their dad.  The answers are sure to be hilarious.

I think that's good for today.  If you were featured, feel free to grab your award!

<br /><a href="http://jillmadeit.blogspot.com/2012/01/some-more-versatile-blogger-awards.html" mce_href="http://jillmadeit.blogspot.com/2012/01/some-more-versatile-blogger-awards.html"><img src="http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff372/JillMadeIt/VersatileBloggerAward.png" mce_src="http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff372/JillMadeIt/VersatileBloggerAward.png" border="0" /></a>

Versatile Blogger Award: Easy Peasy Pie

TodayI am featuring Easy Peasy Pie, written by Kim.  She has so many great projects!  For example:

Source: easypeasypie.blogspot.com via Jill on Pinterest

A  portable photography studio!  Love it!

Source: easypeasypie.blogspot.com via Lisa on Pinterest

And a DIY play kitchen!  Boo would LOVE to have one of these.

Source: easypeasypie.blogspot.com via Jaime on Pinterest

Then there's this adorable child's bench.  So cute.  And easy!

I hope you all go and check out her blog!

And Merry Christmas!  Can you believe it's Christmas Eve Eve?  How your projects coming?  I still need to finish my husband's present.  And Boo will be getting more presents after Christmas, when I finally get them all done...

The Versatile Blogger Award 3: Turning a House Into a Home

This week, I'm featuring Turning a House Into a Home.  This blog, by Kristen, is all about "creating beauty on a budget"--which is definitely something I'm into!  Kristen has lots of great (inexpensive!) ideas for beautifying your home.  I found her blog from Pinterest (love that site) with this pin:

Source: decoratingdiy.blogspot.com via Jill on Pinterest

Making your own free picture frames?  Yes!

Let's see, what else...

Source: decoratingdiy.blogspot.com via Jill on Pinterest

This cool chandelier would be awesome for a party decoration.

Source: decoratingdiy.blogspot.com via Amanda on Pinterest

And this. I've been wanting to make a rag rug--and Kristen came up with this idea to dye Goodwill sheets--what a great way to get large amounts of fabric on the cheap!

So I am awarding the Versatile Blogger Award to Kristen!

If you accept this award, you need to:

--Link to and give a shout out to the award-giver.

--Share seven things about yourself.

--Send this award on to fifteen other bloggers.

Versitile Blogger Award 2: Tutorial Adventures

Note to self:  write several posts in a series before announcing it.
Oh, well.  Here's Feature 2, a week late.  {Here's the first post, if you missed it.}

Tutorial Adventures

The blog's all about tutorials--what's not to like?  I found this blog from Pinterest (love that site) when a friend pinned this:

Source: tutorialadventures.blogspot.com via Jill on Pinterest

DIY fabric lables!  Look how cute her labels turned out!  I still need to make these...

She has lots of fun tutorials on all kinds of subjects, from Dinosaur Costumes to Sock Monsters, Easy Wall Art to Wooden Alphabet Blocks.

So be sure to check out Tutorial Adventures!

Happy crafting!

The Versatile Blogger Award {Featuring Blogs Mini-Series}

In the middle of my October Extravaganza (Halloweenfest?  Month of Madness?  I never did choose a name for my month of Halloween/autumn-themed posts), I received an e-mail from Julianne from Sew Fantastic telling me that she was giving me the Versatile Blogger Award!  So I've been a little slow in responding, but better late than never, right?

Thanks, Julianne!

As part of this getting this award, I need to:

--Link to and give a shout out to the award-giver.  (Check!)

--Share seven things about myself.  (All right, I'll do that in a minute.)

--Send this award on to fifteen other bloggers.  (I've decided to do this in a mini-series, and write up a feature for each blog.  Because who doesn't like being featured, right?  So I'll feature one blog each Friday for fifteen weeks.)

Okay, seven things about me:

1--My mom taught me how to sew when I was a kid, and the sewing machine scared me!  (It was so loud!)  But now I love sewing; quilting, making clothes, crafting--I love it all!

2--One of my favorite classes in college was Book Arts (aka book making).  I really need to write some tutorials on making books.  (Maybe they'd be good Christmas presents...)

3--I graduated college with my major in Studio Art.  Yep, craftiness was part of my major.  Also drawing and painting, but I haven't had too much time for those since Boo was born--it's hard to paint in only nap-sized lengths of time.  (But my wonderful sister babysat Boo long enough for me to paint this.  Thanks, Sis!)

4--I'm not really a fan of cooking, but I love making desserts.  (I don't mind cooking itself; it's the mostly washing up all the pots and pans.  And all the time it takes.) Mmmm, chocolate chip cookies...

5--I love to read.  Novels used to be my favorite, but now I really like how-to books.  I love learning how to make new things!  (I bet you're all super-surprised.)

6--If I could go anywhere in the world, I would choose Hawaii first.  (But there are lot's of places I'd like to go!  Scotland, England, Brazil, anywhere on a cruise...)

7--All right, one more thing...hmmm...I've never sewn with knits.  I really need to learn how, especially since I want to start making more clothes for Boo.

The first blog I am passing this award on to is Peace, Love, Recipes by Courtney.

Okay, so I told you I'm not really into cooking, but I love finding new recipes.  (I know, weird.)

Doesn't this Creamy Cran-Raspberry Sherbet look delicious?

Or how about these Nutella Fudge Brownies?

There are plenty of non-dessert thing, too, but like I said, desserts are my favorite.  :) 

So head on over to Peace, Love, Recipes.

Happy cooking!

Tutu Costume Roundup!

I've been seeing tutu costumes all over Pinterest, and I LOVE THEM!  Oh my goodness, they are so cute! There's this one...

Source: etsy.com via Jill on Pinterest

And this one...

Source: etsy.com via Jill on Pinterest

Not to mention this one...

Source: etsy.com via Jill on Pinterest

{Go to my Pinterest board for more inspiration!}

They are pretty pricy to buy (often about $45 on Etsy) but they are really easy to make!  There are lots of tutu-making tutorials floating around in Blogland, so I'm not going to write a tutorial.  (Maybe later, if I come up with something new and different.)  In the mean time, here are some tutorials for you to check out:

No-Sew Options:
How to Make a Tutu--I've used this tutorial before; it's a good one.  Plus, she has links to other tutu tutorials at the bottom of her post.
Petti Tutu Tutorial--Same process as above, but with a cute edge detail
How to Make a Halter Tutu Dress: Version 2--This tutorial shows you how to make a layered tutu, plus instructions on making it into a dress, rather than just a skirt.

Yes-Sew Options:
How to Make the Perfect Sewn Tutu--Looks really easy to do.  (Who knew there were tutorials on eBay?)
How-To:  Sew a Sparkle Tutu--With a ribbon drawstring instead of an elastic

Oh, and I can't forget this one:

Source: thetraintocrazy.com via Jill on Pinterest

How pretty is that?  I love it.  Don't worry; there's a tutorial for it at The Train to Crazy.

Happy crafting!

Fabric Pumpkins!

Craft #2 from the Ladies' Night Craft Extravaganza was fabric pumpkins!  I love these little guys; I think I'll make a couple each year until I have a whole basketful!  (Another of the ladies there made--well, started--19 of these fabric pumpkins that night so she could have her basketful right away.  Whew!  That's a lot of work!  I'll do mine in stages.)

I don't know whose instructions we used to make these, and I couldn't find a tutorial that was quite the same as what we did.  But here are some cute fabric pumpkin tutorials to try anyways:

Michael's Knock-off Pumpkins by Brown Paper Packages--most like my pumpkin
Pumpkin Harvest by Creative Passage--cute inside-out seams
Cloth Pumpkin by Mommie Daze--quickest pumpkin (by the looks of it--I haven't tried any of these tutorials)
Cutesy Fabric Pumpkin by Keep'n the Sunny Side--second quickest, but a little cuter for that extra time

And here's another couple pictures of my pumpkin because I like taking pictures!

There's all this straw lying around behind my apartment, I guess to keep mud from splashing while the landlords finish their landscaping project.  Whatever the reason, it makes a great background for my Halloween crafting pictures!

I like how in this shot, the pumpkin looks like it's glowing.  (Oooo!  Magic pumpkin!  Or apple.  It kinda' looks like an apple...since it's red, instead of orange...)

I have one project left to post about from Friday's craft night, and it's my favorite:  the pumpkin block puzzle!  Be sure to check back soon to see it!

Happy crafting!

Inspiration of Halloween Awesomeness

(Are you looking for the My Memories giveaway?  Click here.  Remember, the winner will be announced on Wednesday, so hurry and enter!)
(This giveaway is now closed.)

What's your favorite part of Halloween?

The pumpkins?

Source: ellenscreativepassage.blogspot.com via Jill on Pinterest

Source: recapturedcharm.com via Jill on Pinterest

Source: halloween.tipjunkie.com via Jill on Pinterest

The clever quips?

Source: craftily-ever-after.blogspot.com via Melony on Pinterest

The costumes?

Source: projectrunandplay.blogspot.com via Jill on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Jill on Pinterest

The cute crafts?

Source: gardenofpraise.com via Melony on Pinterest

Source: houseofbabypiranha.com via Jill on Pinterest

The creative food?

Source: godairyfree.org via Sunny on Pinterest

Source: theknead4speed.com via Jill on Pinterest

What are you doing for Halloween this year?

Cute Cake Pops!

Aren't these adorable?  We learned how to make them last night in our craft group.  (In case you're wondering, the spiky white thing is supposed to be an Easter egg.  Maybe it's a Martian Easter egg...)

The instructions for making these came from a cookbook called Cake Pops by Bakerella (as in the blog, bakerella.com).  It's just full of super-cute ways to decorate these delicious treats.  (Yeah...these didn't make it until Easter.)

So these are my first attempts at the cake pops. (Not including the ones that fell off their sticks--oops!)  I can't say they were easy, but I do think that, once I get the hang of them, they won't be hard.  And they're delicious and adorable, so I'm definitely going to make more of them!

Update:  Here's a link to Bakerella's basic instructions for making the cake pops.  Browse around her site for lots of cute decorating ideas!

Swap Followings @ Homemaker On a Dime

The blogger at Homemaker On a Dime is hosting a Swap Followings Linky Party.  As part of the party, I am featuring two of the other participants.





First up is Homemaker in Heels.  This is who she is in her own words:

Hi! My name is Crysta and I am so glad you stopped by! Here you will find a random mix of posts on crafting, cooking, decorating, faith, random domestic tips, any bargains I find, along with any other random thing that comes to mind, all with a Southern twist. 

I will update this post later this week with the next featured blog.  I hope you enjoy the blog hop!

Update!
The second blog I am newly following is Lisa Made It.  (I like her blog's name.  You know what they say about great minds...)  This is what her blog is in her own words:

Welcome to my BLOG where I will be sharing all of my creations such as recipes, sewing and crafts. There may even be the odd post about my kids cuz I made them too! 


Have a great day, everyone!

How to Make Custom Sewn-in Labels

If you're like me, you want your projects to look professional.  (Actually, I want people to be shocked and amazed at the incredible-ness of my skills.  Hey, I can dream.)  One thing that I've thought about for a while, but haven't known how to do, is to put labels (like those tags in the back of shirts) on the stuff I've sewn.  Well, I was browsing blogland yesterday, and I found this post by Gabriel's Good Tidings explaining how to make your own labels by printing them on ribbons!  Easy, cheap--I love that kind of project.

Basically, you print your design (reversed!) on iron-on transfer paper, then iron it on (go figure) to ribbon.
For specifics, check out Gabriel's post.

Happy sewing!

(Okay, for some reason, the links at the bottom of this post are for Gabriel's blog, not mine.  Any ideas why it's doing that?...)
(Update:  For those of you who are confused by that last paragraph, the problem seems to be fixed now.  I would really like to know what happened, but at least it isn't happening anymore.)

"Love Beareth All Things" Free Printable

Browsing the blogs I follow, I found this Free Valentine's Printable at Humble Homemaking.  I was so inspired that I stopped what I was doing to make one of my own.

This will look great in a black frame!

We always could use a reminder of what love is really about, even after Valentine's Day.  I hope you enjoy this printable, and be sure to check out the Humble Homemaker's original version!

(Just right click on the picture and save to your computer.)