Sew Mama Sew Rocks

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Sew, Mama, Sew!'s blog team asking if I would like to be included in their annual "Handmade Holidays" event. Without any hesitation I said YES! I know this is going to sound really corny, but I was really honored that they would ask to feature one of my little old craft tutorials on their majorly awesome website.

For the last two weeks I've been checking the blog, daily, waiting impatiently for my tutorial to show up. Well, today is the day!

My I heart the '80s iPod cozy is being featured on today's theme: Rock!

Yay! It looks great. I just wish I had taken a better picture. It fits nicely in the second spot though.

I also read the comments left by the readers and am so super excited that so many commented on how much they like my cozy! This has really made my day, week, year. . . And believe me, after the year I've had, it is a very nice surprise.

Thanks Sew, Mama, Sew!!!!

Sew, Mama, Sew! is showcasing handmade gifts all month long, so be sure to stop by every day for some awesome gift ideas!

Twilight Fever

For everyone who is counting the seconds until the big "New Moon" premier tomorrow, One Pretty Thing has posted a slew of Twilight projects. I'm super excited that my vampire cookies were included.

I guess I'll need to come up with some werewolf cookies now!

Craft Room Revamp #2 - Wall of Art

Here is my second craft room/office renovation project that I finished over the weekend. For this project, I wanted to add some wall art to a blank wall. I have found some really cute wall art on Etsy, but am really on a budget crunch for the rest of the year. So, instead of waiting to do something until next year, I decided to get a little inventive and cheap, yet again.

Photo courtesy of AllPosters.

Have you seen the British saying, "Keep Calm and Carry On"? Well, I just love it and really wanted to purchase one of the cute posters, but just don't have the money now. This one is $100.00!

As I was searching the internet for wall art ideas, I came across this adorable "Keep Calm and Carry On" project, but it required me to buy jeweled letters. My goal for this projects was to keep it as cheap as possible, so I continued searching online. About a half an hour later, I almost jumped out of my computer chair when I found this:

Not only is it a free download of the poster, but it is cherry red! Perfect for the new look of my craft room!

I downloaded the size I needed, printed it on cardstock that I already had, matted it with a piece of scrapbook paper that I already had, and framed it in a white frame that I already had. Grand total = $0.00!

I was so excited with my free project, but still needed something else on the wall. I had come across this really cute framed fabric idea during my internet searching. I decided to give it a try.

I was so excited to have found the exact Dollar Store frames that the tutorial shows. So, I picked up four for $4.00 (that's a lot of fours)! I then went back to my fabric bin, the one I used for my craft room revamp #1, and chose four different swatches of fabric (pastel plaid; pink and blue flowers; red and white polkadots; and the red, pink, and green fabric used on the bulletin board revamp).

Once I cut the fabric and placed it in the mini frames, I hung two on each side of my new, red poster.

Ta Da! My wall of art, which only cost me $4.00! Another awesomely cheap craft project.

Craft Room Revamp #1 - Fabric Covered Bulletin Board

I've been working on several renovation projects lately. Nothing too fancy, I gave up on my dining room chairs and bought new white chairs, but I had a few items in my craft room/office that needed a little sprucing up.

The first of my three projects was finished last weekend. It was simple, to revamp my bulletin board. My old bulletin board was just a plain brown cork board with a small wooden frame, like this one. I wanted to redo it into one of those really neat fabric covered boards, so that is what I did.

I have been wanting to add a little color to my craft room/office since I painted it a year and a half ago. Again, just a little behind on my projects. :) The walls are cotton candy pink and the valance is pink, dark pink, green, and light blue with flowers on it. I needed a bright color, so I decided to go with cherry red.

I found a really cheap frame ($1) at the Goodwill and painted it with cherry red paint. For some reason I still have a phobia about using spray paint. I think it is because I don't have a garage so I would have to do it outside in my backyard. I was so afraid I would get dust, dirt, or leaves in my spray paint, so I opted for good old fashioned paint brush painting.

The frame took three coats of craft paint, since the original frame was a gross gold, brass color. The only thing I wish I had done differently was buy a glossy paint, because the red looks really flat. It still turned out nice though.

Next, I pulled the bulletin board away from the wooden frame. I am pretty amazed that the frame is the exact size of the bulletin board. I didn't do that on purpose, but boy am I glad it worked out that way!

I then went through my fabric bin to see if I had anything that would work with the red frame. I found some red, pink, and green flowered fabric that I had bought a year ago at Walmart. I had totally forgotten about it. I cut the fabric a little larger than the size of the bulletin board, so it would have some extra to fold over the back of the bulletin board and taped, yes taped, the fabric to the back of the bulletin board. I used clear packing tape and it worked like a charm.

The final step was to put the fabric bulletin board into the frame. I just slipped it right in, pushed the staples down to secure the board and, again, taped the board to the back of the picture frame.

That's it! A brand new fabric framed bulletin board for $4.00!!! I just love a bargain craft, don't you?

Another Friday the 13th?!!

I didn't realize today was Friday the 13th. It seems like we just celebrated one not too long ago. I didn't mean celebrate, more like acknowledge it. Unless you do celebrate it, then here's a little craft for you.

Remember my Jason Voorhees kitty toys from Crafting through the '80s? Drusilla still enjoys playing with them, and just the other day I saw Daphne walking around with something in her mouth. It was the hockey mask! My girls crack me up.

Happy Friday the 13th! ;)

Works in Progress

Today was supposed to be a post about the first of three craft room projects I have been working on, but Tropical Storm Ida had other plans. It has been so dark, gloomy, and rainy lately that I just can't seem to get any good pictures. The good news for this area is that we really need the rain, so I'm not complaining.

So as long as Ida is visiting, I thought I'd share with you how my days (and nights) will be spent from now until December 24.

1. Purple crocheted wrap with button closure

2. Red, white, and green Christmas pompom garland (completed)

3. Felt Christmas stocking for Daphne

4. Felt Christmas stocking for Drusilla

5. Felt Christmas stocking for me

6. Two (or three) mini felt Christmas trees

7. Paper "Merry Christmas" banner

8. Three crocheted washcloths

9. Craft table skirt

10. Christmas present for Mom a secret since she reads this blog

11. Christmas present for sister that I still haven't decided

12. Felt pillow

13. Handmade Christmas cards

Whew! That is a lot to do in only 6 weeks. I have faith I'll get it done, or at least most of it. Rainy weather is the best crafting weather. :)

Doctor, Doctor

This year has been especially trying for me and my girls. In between having to buy a new car, a new computer, and dealing with my first speeding ticket, all three of us have had serious medical issues that have required numerous doctor's visits. Believe me, none of us have enjoyed visiting the doctor, and my bank account hasn't either!

Last week it was Daphne's turn, again. The first time she developed a minor eye infection in her paralyzed eye, but this time it was a bit more serious. She had developed a bladder infection through, we think, stress. The diagnosis: antibiotics and a stress free home. That might be a little tricky, especially with all of the company we are going to be welcoming into our home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. But, I am going to try to keep everything as stress free as possible.

I am so glad I watch my girls like a hawk. Some say I am too protective and that the girls are totally spoiled (which they totally are), but doing so lets me pay attention to any little change in their behavior. According to the vet, bladder infections are hard to determine. I was lucky to have noticed Daphne going in and out of the litter boxes constantly, which she never does. I went online and read that is the first sign of a bladder/UTI infection. Since she had only started to have the symptoms the infection wasn't that bad, thank goodness.

After four full days of medicine, she is finally starting to get better (this infection was a doozy) and back to her normal routine, like hanging out on the cat condo.

Because of all of the numerous and bizarre medical issues we've had this year, I've had to keep the medical records close by. I have a medical records folder where I file all of our older paperwork, but I needed something for the paperwork that is still in use. So, I decided to make a little first aid magnet for my refrigerator.

It was so super easy and fast to make, and is turning out to be very useful. All I have to do is glance at the refrigerator and my eyes are immediately drawn to the bright red magnet. Now I know exactly where Daphne's paperwork is. What a lifesaver!

Gooseberry Patch

Several months ago I discovered Gooseberry Patch through my library's Christmas craft section. I'm sure you know all about them, but this year I tend to be a little late to everything. Anyway, I am so glad I found their craft books. They are full of country style crafts, which is just how my house is decorated.

I picked up their gigantic, and I mean gigantic (512 pages with over 600 recipes and crafts) Christmas craft/recipe book, Christmas All Through the Home, through ABC Distributing. I am sure you are familiar with them too. They are great place to shop for Christmas gifts.

One of the things I love the most about the book is its amazing pictures.

I also really love that it is a spiral book. It is super easy to flip through and lay flat on the counter if you are making one of the 400 recipes. I have been trying to decide which recipe to try first. Maybe their Rocky Road Fudge Brownies?

Gooseberry Patch has just released a brand new gigantic book, All Through the Seasons. This one is 480 pages and has 550 recipes and crafts for every season. You guessed it. It is at the top of my Christmas list!

Little Pink Houses, For You and Me

How ironic is it that the '80s internet station that I am listening to is actually playing Pink Houses by John Cougar Mellencamp as I type this post? Totally bizarre!

Have I told you lately how much I love felt? It is my favorite!!! Can you tell that I haven't worked with felt in quite some time? I've been spending all of my time working on my HPKCHC projects, which are all crocheted. By the way, I am way behind on my large project, only 10% done, and am really unsure I can even finish it by the 30th of this month. I am still going to try, but I've decided to mix a few felt projects in between hooking. :)

A few months back, I came across the cutest felt tutorial by a crafter named Melissa and her blog, Checkout Girl. Yay for another crafty Melissa. Are all Melissa's crafty? I like to think so! Anyway, she has some of the coolest felt items I've ever seen, and was so nice to post a felt tutorial to go along with one of them. Her Little Pink House tutorial is so cute and really easy to complete. I just had to make one.

I made the first, of what I foresee to be many felt houses, for my best friend who bought her first house several months ago. Yes, I am way behind on many things this year.

I absolutely love the way it turned out! I used all felt scraps, a piece of white fabric, and an embroidery hoop. I think I still might add a little bow to the top to hide the screw.

Not only did it not require a lot of craft supplies, it was completely finished in less than 2 hours! What a great last minute gift for someone.

Making a list and checking it twice

Are you as amazed as I am that it is the second day of November? I can't believe how fast this year has gone. Now the countdown begins for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I would not survive this time of the year if it weren't for my lists. I have lists for Christmas cards, Christmas presents, crafts, food to buy, and even weekly tasks. Whew! It is a chore to just make up my lists and keep track of them all. I am always losing one or two, since most of them are written on the back of receipts, napkins, or magazines. I even started one on the back of the Tidy Cat bag.

I'm not really sure how I found it, but I came across a truly amazing website that is helping me keep a level head with all of my lists. It is called Tada List and it is truly a lifesaver.

It is a super simple site to navigate and easy to locate all of your lists. Once you set up a free account you can immediately start making a list, or two, or three. Currently, I have seven, but as Christmas approaches I know there will be more. As you finish a task, you click the box next to your task and it gets checked, shrinks, and gets placed on the bottom of your list. I really like that since I sometimes need to refer back to my previous tasks. This way I can and it doesn't vanish into cyberspace.

I also like that you can keep the list private for only you to see or you can share it with family, friends, etc.

Let me know if you decide to give it a try. It has been helping me out a lot!