Thursday, February 17, 2011
Today's Inspiration: Everyday Exercise
I was browsing My Creative Spaces at kootoyoo and found Keep Cate Busy. Her post for February 16, 2011 was regarding everyday exercise and how to increase the amount of movement we do and I found inspiring. My favorite tip: she dances with her daughter everynight before bed. Love it and so will my kids. Can't wait to start doing this... Thanks Cate!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
A Little About Me
It's been almost a month of posting on this blog and it's been quite enjoyable and fun. Thank you to those have visited and especially those who have left comments and well wishes. I really enjoy the crafting community and finding such wonderful inspiration from you fellow crafters. You all inspire me not only with new ideas, but to keep crafting on a regular basis.
Just a little bit about me and crafts:
I was blessed with crafting grandmothers and aunts and an inventive mother. For almost as far back as I can remember, probably when I was about 5 years old, my mom and I would make holiday themed gifts - valentine cards/gift baskets, Easter baskets, Thanksgiving place cards, etc. These would usually include stickers, glue, pipercleaners and other "easy" crafts as my mom would say. While my mom denies being crafty, she underestimates her creativity to keep kids busy. She was a preschool teacher so I think that really helped.
When I was a little older my grandmothers taught me how to crochet, bake, quilt, and various other crafts, and my mom and I did some basic sewing together. I have to say that I am quite an uncoordinated person and not very precise so most of my projects didn't turn out quite they way I had envisioned them. Quilts rows/columns didn't quite match up and my dresses and skirts just didn't look great. I was more successful with baking and it is one of the things I love to do with Nana Bear.
After the carefree days of college (read: when I had time during the day to goof off), I only crafted when necessary, ie Christmas time and for my wedding. I'd say for the past 10 years I would start thinking about Christmas gifts that I could make in September and October. Then I would have a rush of crafting adrenaline in November and December as I rushed to finish my projects. Each year the projects have become more and more elaborate and more and more projects go unfinished. But, those that get done have been quite rewarding. Finally, last year I decided that my crafting skills are much improved since my childhood and my crafting imagination has begun to blossom as well and here I am, blogging about crafts.
The Players:
Tiger Daddy - my wonderful, extraordinarily-good-to-me husband. The man is like MacGuyver, so he can pretty much think me out most jams. And he has be super supportive as I embark on this journey to open an Etsy shop or some similar thing.
Nana Bear - my precocious, exuberant 5.y.o daughter. We fight like cats and dogs at times. She is wise beyond her years and people say she is a carbon copy of me, which scares the dickens out of me. She loves arts and crafts and yearns for the day I will teach to crochet.
Dare Bear - my little 2 y.o. daredevil son. He loves trains, planes, and automobiles and basketball. He speaks his own little Darelish language, which we have only partially figured out, much to everyone's frustration.
We are happy, tired little family creating wonderful memories together.
Just a little bit about me and crafts:
I was blessed with crafting grandmothers and aunts and an inventive mother. For almost as far back as I can remember, probably when I was about 5 years old, my mom and I would make holiday themed gifts - valentine cards/gift baskets, Easter baskets, Thanksgiving place cards, etc. These would usually include stickers, glue, pipercleaners and other "easy" crafts as my mom would say. While my mom denies being crafty, she underestimates her creativity to keep kids busy. She was a preschool teacher so I think that really helped.
When I was a little older my grandmothers taught me how to crochet, bake, quilt, and various other crafts, and my mom and I did some basic sewing together. I have to say that I am quite an uncoordinated person and not very precise so most of my projects didn't turn out quite they way I had envisioned them. Quilts rows/columns didn't quite match up and my dresses and skirts just didn't look great. I was more successful with baking and it is one of the things I love to do with Nana Bear.
After the carefree days of college (read: when I had time during the day to goof off), I only crafted when necessary, ie Christmas time and for my wedding. I'd say for the past 10 years I would start thinking about Christmas gifts that I could make in September and October. Then I would have a rush of crafting adrenaline in November and December as I rushed to finish my projects. Each year the projects have become more and more elaborate and more and more projects go unfinished. But, those that get done have been quite rewarding. Finally, last year I decided that my crafting skills are much improved since my childhood and my crafting imagination has begun to blossom as well and here I am, blogging about crafts.
The Players:
Tiger Daddy - my wonderful, extraordinarily-good-to-me husband. The man is like MacGuyver, so he can pretty much think me out most jams. And he has be super supportive as I embark on this journey to open an Etsy shop or some similar thing.
Nana Bear - my precocious, exuberant 5.y.o daughter. We fight like cats and dogs at times. She is wise beyond her years and people say she is a carbon copy of me, which scares the dickens out of me. She loves arts and crafts and yearns for the day I will teach to crochet.
Dare Bear - my little 2 y.o. daredevil son. He loves trains, planes, and automobiles and basketball. He speaks his own little Darelish language, which we have only partially figured out, much to everyone's frustration.
We are happy, tired little family creating wonderful memories together.
Today's Inspiration: Scrabble Tile Art from Waste Not, Want Not
A few months ago an auto mishap (no one was injured) made cleaning out my parent's garage imperative. During the clean up I found many treasures from my childhood through college years - letters from old friends, pictures, greeting cards from various occasions, etc. I also found two boxes of board games my parents had boxed up and saved for me, which had completely forgotten about. Of those games was Scrabble, which I have since replaced in my own home, but I could not let those wonderful letter tiles go.
Since finding it, Scrabble has sat atop my dresser waiting to be used for some crafting purpose. I've considered doing wall art or jewelry, but nothing has really clicked. (ie I have not gotten off my butt to do anything with it)
Today's inpiration comes from Waste Not, Want Not and her 20 Min Craft Project. I love the simplicity of the project and the sentiment of her words. Lovely, lovely, lovely. It pushes me back towards a wall art project. Still need to find an occasion... but the wheels are turning again and hopefully the light bulb will go off brightly.
Since finding it, Scrabble has sat atop my dresser waiting to be used for some crafting purpose. I've considered doing wall art or jewelry, but nothing has really clicked. (ie I have not gotten off my butt to do anything with it)
Today's inpiration comes from Waste Not, Want Not and her 20 Min Craft Project. I love the simplicity of the project and the sentiment of her words. Lovely, lovely, lovely. It pushes me back towards a wall art project. Still need to find an occasion... but the wheels are turning again and hopefully the light bulb will go off brightly.
Monday, February 14, 2011
My Creative Space: Valentine's Day Insanity
Last night was another last minute scramble, this time to make sure that Nana Bear's Valentine's and class gifts were all ready for this morning. We started on most things weeks ago, but really the final details and last minute ideas just bogged me down. Nana Bear's homemade valentine's were simple enough: red construction paper folded in half and a white heart shaped doily glued down the middle inside. Nana got to decorate the cover anyway she wanted. We did 22 over three separate weekends. She can only do 6 or 7 before she gets tired. I had wanted her to do some for the family as well, but it was just too much for her overall.
I had found a great Instructable to make paper flowers and with a modification or two, I embarked on making flowers bouquets for her teachers. While the flowers were easy to make, when thinking of trying to do 24 of them at such a late hour, they became almost a herculean task. I ended up doing 12 and saving the rest to do today for my grandmother and mother.
But I am overall pleased with the results.
Happy Valentine's Day! Hope it is filled with lots of love and crafting.
For more Creative Spaces, see Kirsty at kootoyoo.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
New Project Idea: Dry Erase Board Carrier
Dare Bear, just turned two last month, loves to draw... espeically on dry erase boards. For Valentine's day, I bought him a Backyardigans travel dry erase board. I have yet to see the product, but I got to thinking during my lunch break, that I could make a portable dry erase board set, similar to a crayon caddy. It's still in the brainstorm stage, but I think it is very doable. It wouldn't be "cheap" to make since I would need to buy the dry erase board - though you can buy uncut/unfinished, so to speak, dry erase board for fairly cheap. I don't own or have space for an electric saw to cut it on, however.
My first thought was to cover a binder with fabric. On the left hand side would be pockets for a number of the fat dry erase markers and on the right side would be where I would attach the dry erase board. My thought with the binder is that the dry erase boards are heavy and would need something heavy duty to hold it. However, as I type, I'm thinking I could detach the writing surface, the actual board from the case and it would be lighter and then the entire product would be lighter. The right side of the carrying case could be a window that I slide the board behind. I think I will cover the fabric with vinyl so if the markers bleed or Dare decides to dry outside the box, as he often does, it will be easy to clean. hmm... ideas, ideas... I can't wait to spec this out!
Edited: I can't believe my luck! This evening when I got home a Discount School Supply catalog was waiting in my mail box and in it, double sided dry erase boards - one side is blank and the other side has a space for drawing and have two ruled lines for writing!!! What perfect timing. They are $2.79 each, so way cheaper than I had first anticipated. Also found dry erase makers and crayons in the catalog. So now I just have to figure out my design, which is easier said than done apparently. A big part of the problem is I am spacially uncoordinated - I have a hard time figuring out how objects will look when rotated in any direction without physically rotating it. So, when it comes to how to sew this together, I have a hard time figuring out which sides I want to keep unsewn and what layer and direction to place the handles. It makes me cross-eyed. But I have a rough plan and just have to get some measurements and finish the nitty gritty.
My first thought was to cover a binder with fabric. On the left hand side would be pockets for a number of the fat dry erase markers and on the right side would be where I would attach the dry erase board. My thought with the binder is that the dry erase boards are heavy and would need something heavy duty to hold it. However, as I type, I'm thinking I could detach the writing surface, the actual board from the case and it would be lighter and then the entire product would be lighter. The right side of the carrying case could be a window that I slide the board behind. I think I will cover the fabric with vinyl so if the markers bleed or Dare decides to dry outside the box, as he often does, it will be easy to clean. hmm... ideas, ideas... I can't wait to spec this out!
Edited: I can't believe my luck! This evening when I got home a Discount School Supply catalog was waiting in my mail box and in it, double sided dry erase boards - one side is blank and the other side has a space for drawing and have two ruled lines for writing!!! What perfect timing. They are $2.79 each, so way cheaper than I had first anticipated. Also found dry erase makers and crayons in the catalog. So now I just have to figure out my design, which is easier said than done apparently. A big part of the problem is I am spacially uncoordinated - I have a hard time figuring out how objects will look when rotated in any direction without physically rotating it. So, when it comes to how to sew this together, I have a hard time figuring out which sides I want to keep unsewn and what layer and direction to place the handles. It makes me cross-eyed. But I have a rough plan and just have to get some measurements and finish the nitty gritty.
Today's Inspiration: Random Acts of Kindness
Today's inspriation is not craft related and is from a friend, an old friend, who now lives in Texas. I have redacted his name to protect his privacy, but his Random Act of Kindness is both inspiring and humbling. This friend and his wife worked with Tiger Daddy and I almost ten years ago. We lost touch with them and I recently found this friend, who I will call Outdoors Dad, via Facebook. The weather in their area is below freezing temps. This morning he posted this:
Random Acts of Kindness
by an old friend on Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 8:44am
Last night Aubrey, Owen and I made breakfast tacos and drove out to down town Austin to give them to the homeless who were unable to get indoors. I can not tell you how humbling it is to see the fear and despair in the face of a fellow American who is hungry and freezing. Randy slept under the bridge at I-35 and Elmhurst last night as temps. dropped to 20 degrees. I had to unwrap the taco and feed it too him as his hands were already too cold to use at 7:30pm. Tonights low will be 17 degrees or less. I spent $9.49 on 2 dozen eggs, 40 tortillas, 1 pound of bacon, and a bag or hash browns. The kids helped me cook and wrap the tacos and hand them out. We were home and in bed by 8:15pm. The pride in the face of my children will warm my soul for years. It's more than just a bumper sticker my friends, so tonight please consider to "practice random acts of kindness."
Again, I was humbled and inspired by this post. Humbled because I reminded how much more my family can do for others and inspired to do more. I was also proud that we were allowed to be apart of such good people's lives, however briefly, in the past. They are truly, truly good, giving people. It doesn't take a lot of money or time to do good things for other people. Be inspired.
Again, I was humbled and inspired by this post. Humbled because I reminded how much more my family can do for others and inspired to do more. I was also proud that we were allowed to be apart of such good people's lives, however briefly, in the past. They are truly, truly good, giving people. It doesn't take a lot of money or time to do good things for other people. Be inspired.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
My Creative Space: Practicing Loop Stitch
After a fun filled weekend, I loathed to go back to work and chores. Instead I caught up on the craft blogs I follow. At One Pretty Thing, I found this link to Craft Passion's Sheep Earmuffs. The loops stitch intrigued me, so after watching her demonstration, I started practicing it. Here is my result:
I made the loops with my index finger. As you can see, the results are lacking... I'm still trying get my loops to be more uniform. The middle stitches are bit more uniform, but the loops closer to the edge aren't. But this was my first try, so I've lots of practicing to do. I like learning a new stitch, but I'm not sure what I would make with it. The earmuffs at Craft Passion are very cute.
For more Creative Spaces, visit Kirsty at kootoyoo.
I made the loops with my index finger. As you can see, the results are lacking... I'm still trying get my loops to be more uniform. The middle stitches are bit more uniform, but the loops closer to the edge aren't. But this was my first try, so I've lots of practicing to do. I like learning a new stitch, but I'm not sure what I would make with it. The earmuffs at Craft Passion are very cute.
For more Creative Spaces, visit Kirsty at kootoyoo.
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