Taking a Break

Yeah, I'm just not feeling doing the whole crafting-blog thing right now.  It has been a lot of fun, but it's time to focus on other things.  (Like the art commission I'm working on--my first non-fundraiser commission!)  So I'll be posting very erratically for the foreseeable future.

Thanks to everyone who reads my blog, and especially to those who comment.  Maybe I'll get back to a regular crafting and posting schedule later.  We'll see.

It's been great.

Bye for now.

"Sometimes Being a Brother" Nursery Decor--Tutorial

Here's the finished crafting project I mentioned in my last post.  I have a friend who's about to have her second baby--another boy.  I made this as a present for her, and so I wanted to give the gift to her before I posted about it.  Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise!

I've barely used my Silhouette since I got it for Christmas.  Shame on me, I know!  I was (and still am) excited about all the many things the Silhouette could help me make...but choosing exactly what to do has been a little harder.  That and my pregnancy-induced tiredness and lack of crafting motivation for several months that is just starting to abate, plus wanting to focus more time on my art and on Mommy School...  But with this friend giving birth early next month,  I had motivation, inspiration, and a deadline!  Deadlines are always very helpful for me.

I wanted to make a sign/wooden wall hanging/whatever with a quote on it so I could use my Silhouette to cut the vinyl.  I also wanted to make a present that was kind of for the mommy and kind of for the big brother, so I was excited when I found this quote:

Sometimes being a brother is better than being a superhero. 

--Marc Brown

How cute is that?  Of course the three-year-old big brother won't care about it now, but I bet he will like it when he is older (and wanting to be a superhero...and is able to read).   

The sign was really easy to make, so much so that I didn't think there was a point to have in-progress pictures.  I'll just explain quickly what I did.

I asked Mr. MadeIt to cut out a 7 1/2" x 9 1/2" rectangle out of some scrap wood we had hanging around.  (Actually, it was a shelf from a wall unit we decided to get rid of.  Let's hear it for recycling!)

Then I spray painted the wood with primer.  I don't think this part is necessary, but I do think I wouldn't have gotten the subtle texture I liked if I hadn't primed the wood first.

Once the primer dried, I painted the wood with tole paints.  I bet whatever acrylic paints you have on hand would work just as well.  Since I wanted the sign to have a subtle texture, I applied the paint unevenly, letting some areas be darker, and others areas lighter.  Because of the primer, the paint didn't soak into the wood, allowing me more time to push it around with the paintbrush to get it just how I wanted it--smooth, but with tonal variations.  (I used Hunter Green + Charcoal, by the way.  For the edges, I had more Charcoal in the mix, so they would be darker.  For the back I mixed the green with black, to make it darker still.)

(So you can see the edges.)

And, of course, I had to make up the design so my Silhouette could cut the vinyl.  If you'd like to use my file, you should be able to download it here.  (This is my first time using Google Docs.  Let me know whether or not this link and the download work!)

If you'd rather make your own file, I used the font Haettenschweiler.  (Goodness!  I'm glad I don't have to actually pronounce that!)

I suggest using transfer paper when applying the letters--I did it without and it was a ROYAL PAIN.  It took forever to get those words on straight!

After that, I though the wood needed to be sealed and the vinyl stuck down permanently.  (No need for inquisitive little fingers to take my hard work apart.)  So I coated the whole thing with my homemade Mod Podge, which is just school glue watered down a little.  (Apply with a paintbrush, and be sure to wash the brush out really well afterwards.)

And that's it!  Except for spending forever getting the words on straight, this was a really quick and easy project.  (I'll have to get myself some transfer paper for next time.)

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial.

Happy crafting!

Mommy School--Shapes

I have been crafting, really!  I've slowed down lately, though.  (I blame being pregnant, mostly.)  I even have a finished project to show you...but not right now.  Today's post is about the two main things I've been doing lately:  Mommy School and enjoying springtime.  First, Mommy School.

Boo and I usually just hang out around the house, sometimes coloring, sometimes playing with her toys (Buzz, Mike, and Jessie are by far her favorites--mostly Jessie), and all-too-often playing on the iPad.  Frankly, I was getting bored, and I bet Boo was, too.  I wanted to add a little more learning, structure, and just new-ness to our daily routine.  Enter Mommy School.

I got the idea from this awesome blog, where a former first grade teacher/current mommy to a toddler posts Mommy School packets.  I look through her packets and pick what I think will work the best for my little munchkin, and add my own ideas so that we have one Mommy School game each weekday morning.  I hope for the activities to last about half an hour, but we just go as long as Boo still wants to play.  Here's what we did our first week...

For this week, we focused on shapes.  On Monday, we played the Jumping Game.  I cut shapes out of copy paper, laid them on the rug, and told Boo different shapes to stand on, and then "One, two, three, jump off!"  So she was practicing identifying her shapes while jumping all around.  And at the end, she colored all she shapes and we put them up on the freezer to show Daddy when he got home.  (Repetition + reinforcement = good!)  In this picture, Boo was playing her own variation on the game by putting her toys on the different shapes.

(Sorry the picture's not really in focus.  But you still get the idea.)

The next day, we played the Throwing Game.  I used masking tape to mark off different shapes on Boo's bedroom floor, intending that we would throw beanbags/soft toys into them.  But Boo just wanted to put Jessie, Mike, and Buzz in their own shapes.  On the plus side, though, I left the shapes on her floor, and often she'll just walk across them reciting, "Diamond, rectangle, triangle, square" and then go on with whatever she was doing.  So, even though the game was a bust, Boo is still learning her shapes.

We also did the Picture Game.  I cut out shapes from colored paper and stuck tape on the back.  Boo stuck her new "stickers" all over a sheet of butcher paper and colored everything.  It's up on our freezer, too.

Another game Boo LOVED that I didn't take any pictures of was the Finding Game.  I cut diamonds and circles out of copy paper (and Boo colored them, of course) and then we went outside and "hunted" for the shapes.  Never underestimate how much fun two year olds have finding things in obvious places.  We played several rounds of this game.  (I had Boo tell me what shape she found each time, so we were reinforcing the shape names.) 

And lastly, we made sugar cookies and cut circles, hearts, and stars out (because those were the most applicable cookie cutters I have).  Boo got to learn about shapes, since that was the theme of the week, but she also got to learn about rolling out dough and cutting out cookies--good life skills.  :)

I was going to share more, but I don't want this to be the post that never ends.  I'll just leave you with one picture of us enjoying my favorite season of the year.  

Ah, I love spring.

Hope you all are enjoying your St. Patrick's Day!

Ah, the Second Trimester! (Also: Maternity Stuff I Love)

Look!  Little tiny baby bump!

I am LOVING the second trimester!  Finally, I don't need a nap everyday!  Okay, it's not that I mind nap-taking, but Boo's nap times are my crafting times, me-times, and cleaning times.  Yes, by the end, I even missed being able to clean.  

So what have I been doing with my newly-regained couple hours of quiet?  Well, I've made two and a half of the skirt I showed you last week.  (I now have a green skirt, too, and a waistband for a black/white skirt.)  And I've spent hours scouring the web for great maternity tutorials.  (If you're interested in what I've found, I've pinned them here.  Not everything on this board is for maternity, but currently most of it is.)

I also made a maternity band (from this tutorial), which I love.  You can see it poking out under my shirt in the picture above--it just looks like a cami, right?  But no, that wonderful invention is holding up my unbuttoned non-maternity jeans.  Because I'm still in the awkward too-big-for-regular-clothes-but-not-big-enough-for-maternity-clothes stage.  So I love this little guy.  And it was really super easy to make, so be sure to check out the tutorial--it's definitely worth your time.

And speaking of things I love during maternity time, these are my favorite summer maternity shoes:

You got it--$2 flip-flops.

Because who wants to have to deal with tying shoes or buckling straps when you're 9 months pregnant?  Not me.  And it's (soon-to-be) summer, so flip-flops are totally appropriate.  When I was pregnant with Boo, I wore flip-flops almost every single day.  Those poor sandals have gone to Shoe Heaven (may they rest in peace), so now I'm looking forward to breaking in these new guys.  Come on, warm weather!  I'm ready!

Maternity Skirt--Yep, for Me

First off, Boo is going to have a little brother or sister!  Hurray!  We're very excited.  Now that the first trimester's over, my energy levels are coming back up (hurray for that, too), and my baby bump is coming back out.  (Not that you can tell in this picture.  Which is nice, I guess.)

Even though Baby is still pretty small, he (or she--but I'll say "he" for simplicity) doesn't like to be squished.  But I'm not quite ready for maternity clothes yet; I bet even non-pregnant people look pregnant in those things.

In my perfect world, maternity clothes would work for non-maternity just as well.  It's an impossible dream much of the time, but not with this skirt.

This skirt is long, yet light (great because this will be my second pregnant-through-the-hot-humid-summer experience), and so comfy!  And easy to make--it was a great beginner project.  And I love that it works even with a tiny baby bump, will still fit with a big baby, and will transition back to no bump without another shopping trip.

(You can see the bump a little better in this picture, but really, Baby just isn't very big yet.)

This is thanks to the yoga style waistband.  See?  It's the same nice, comfy knit as the rest of the dress.  (Yes, my first experience sewing with knits!  I've overcome my fear of knits!  I actually have another project I may do with the rest of the blue fabric from this skirt, if there's enough.)  The waistband goes up over my baby bump now, and when Baby gets bigger...

 I'll just fold the waistband down again so it's entirely under the baby bump.  (If I'd used a stretchier knit, this wouldn't be necessary, but I'm okay with folding.)

I'm super pleased.  I may make myself another skirt or two, now that I've got some practice.  I followed this tutorial from Elle Apparel.  I used jersey knit, and measured my "waist" right under my baby bump.

I hope to post more maternity things as my pregnancy moves along, and if you know of some great maternity-themed tutorials, I'd love to hear about them!

Happy crafting!

I'm in a Quilt Block of the Month Club--Here's January's Block.

First off, I have a question:  What do you think of 30's style fabrics?  They are bright and happy, but in my opinion, they're rather busy.  And I don't really like busy.  But when that busy 30's fabric becomes a $7 quilt top, I can handle the busyness.  A little.

I bring it up because a local quilt shop is doing a Block of the Month Club--$7 gets you the fabric and patterns for twelve different quilt blocks.  So I'm doing it.  I just couldn't turn down a $7 quilt.  At the worst, I could give away the quilt, and use the patterns again with more my-asthetic fabrics.

This is January's block--the Yankee Puzzle.  I'd love to give you instructions for this and all the other blocks I'll be sewing, but since I didn't make the pattern, I can just suggest you Google the pattern names.  (To get you started, here are some instructions I thought looked pretty good, though I haven't tried them.)

And here's my version.  I figured, fewer fabrics = less busy, even if the fabrics themselves are busy.  What do you think?  I didn't like the red fabric included, but I do like the value contrast it provided; my version is rather pale.  Hmm...

Let me just say, it is much harder to sew triangles than squares.  Getting all those little points matched up... My quilts thus far have been pretty basic as far as piecing goes (usually just squares/rectangles), so this quilt block was a challenge.  But that's good, right?  Learn new skills?  I hope I get better at it sooner than later, though, because January's block really wasn't much fun to sew.  And unpick.  And re-sew.  Again.

And here's the fabric for February's block, the LeMoyne Star (aka the Eastern Star, Lemon Star, Puritan Star, and Hanging Diamonds, so says my pattern).  There's that same fabric design I didn't like from January's block, but I like it better with the main color being blue.  Good thing, because I couldn't really take out a color when there are only three to start with.

A Year of {Cheap, Fun, Simple} Date Nights

But first, a small announcement. I've decided I want to spend more time on the arts side of my creative pursuits, so I'll need to spend less time on my crafting and blogging. I LOVE painting (watercolors in particular) but it's really sad how few paintings I've done since graduating. It's so sad, I won't even tell you how many. Okay, I will--one. That's really sad.  (It was this painting, by the way.)


I also love my blog, though, so I will keep posting. And I don't think it's possible for me to stop crafting. So you'll still see me, just less often. I'm thinking once a week, probably on Wednesdays, though this week's post is (obviously) today, because I've been saving this project for Valentine's Day!


So without further ado:

A Year of Date Nights

It can be hard to come up with something fun to do each week! Mr. MadeIt and I were falling back on the same couple of activities, but we used to do all kinds of things--we just had to remember what. So I made a list. I wanted to have a different activity for every week of the year, so I also checked out other people's suggestions (links at the bottom of this post), and I had it--a whole year's worth of Date Nights. I printed the date ideas onto index cards and we were set.

{Disclaimer: These dates are intended to be done with a spouse, i.e. they are not all appropriate for unmarried people. So don't be shocked when you see Strip Poker.}

At Home

It is expensive to hire a babysitter every week!  Here are lots of ideas for fun date nights you can have without any hired help.

1--Dinner in the backyard, or on the porch

2--Watch a movie

3--Redbox + popcorn

4--Order pizza

5--Theme Night:  Dress, eat dinner, and watch a movie with the same theme (Ex:  Western--cowboy/girl outfits, BBQ, John Wayne movie)

6--Indoor picnic

7--Special dessert

8--Get all dressed up, but stay home

9--Very exclusive dance

10--Grand Night at the {Your Name} Theater--don't forget the formal invitation and fancy clothes!

11--Sexy clothes (pick another card for the activity)

12--Read a book (We like to read together and always have some book we're in the middle of.)

13--Candlelit dinner

14--Make a CD of playlist for the night's background music

15--Splurge on yummy treats

16--Back rubs

17--Share your favorite dating memories

18--Candles everywhere!

19--Exercise together

20--Try a new recipe

21--Go to bed early ;)

22--Play the Wii together (or whatever gaming system you have)

23--Watch a sports movie and eat stadium food (nachos, hotdogs...)

24--Hawaii vacation--tropical drinks, swimming suits, and kiddie pool

25--Breakfast for dinner

26--Board games

27--Card games

28--Super ice cream treats

29--Make s'mores/dinner outside

30--Grand Change Escapade--Gather up all your loose change and try to spend as much of it as you can without going over.

31--Indoor camping

32--Bubble bath for two

33--Make some silly craft together

34--Finger-painting

35--Work on a project together

36--Play 20 Questions--Write down twenty getting-to-know-you questions you never thought to ask before

37--Find a "how to" video at the library and learn a new skill  (I'm hoping we find one about dancing!)

38--Teach each other a new skill  (I want Mr. MadeIt to teach me how to play guitar.)

39--Get a movie from the library
40--Make Bucket Lists
41--Strip-poker, etc (any card game works)

Free and Cheap Going Out
Sometimes, you've just got to get out of the house.  But going out can be inexpensive, too!

42--Take dinner to the park (Love this one.)
43--Take pictures
44--Go on a walk
45--Go mall-walking/window shopping (Great for cold/wet/unpleasant days)
46--Go play at the playground
47--Go bowling
47--Go to an art show, museum community play...
49--Go hiking
50--Stargazing
51--Night swimming (if you have a local pool that's open at night)
52--Mini-Golf

Special Occasions
We're all for the $10 and under dates, but sometimes you just want to do something special.

53--Go to a nice restaurant
54--Outdoor camping, or any other overnight date
(Yeah, that's all I've got.  Free-and-cheap really is the way we roll around here.)

For the Holidays
I don't imagine this needs any explanation.  :)

55--Birthdays--Birthday boy/girl gets to choose everything!
56--Christmas--Make Christmas cookies
57--Christmas--Make Christmas tree ornaments
58--Valentine's Day--Make an all-red dinner
59--Valentine's Day--Make Valentine's cards for each other.  (The cheesier, the better!)
60--Halloween--Make your costumes

I'd love to hear your suggestions for date nights!  Please share!

Ideas from:
Things we've done before
Friends and family

http://www.themomcrowd.com/30-ideas-for-a-date-night-at-home

http://www.marieclaire.com/sex-love/relationship-issues/cheap-date-ideas

http://www.niftydateideas.com/