Twiddle Thumbs

Larcie Bird

2011-02-16T22:20:00.001-07:00

I have decided that I don't want to re-name Twiddle Thumbs. Instead, I have decided to create my own blog.... Larcie Bird. So, I will now be posting at....

Larcie Bird

Please come on over and follow me... and update any links or short cuts you may have! I will be slowly changing things on the blog and creating a button and such! -Anisa

Stuffed Mushrooms

2011-02-14T15:39:00.004-07:00

I made these for a family party this past weekend and they were a big hit!!! Stuffed Mushrooms

Whole Mushrooms (about 6 packages)

1 lb. country sausage

Turkey Stuffing mix

8 oz. cream cheese

Brown sausage. Add stuffing mix and the amount of water that the box recommends (do not add butter because of the sausage grease.) Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Spoon mixture into washed and de-stemmed mushrooms. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

-Anisa

Burp Cloths Re-visited

2011-02-11T19:46:00.002-07:00

Do you remember this blanket I made for my nephew, West? Well, I planned on making him some burp cloths to match... but I ended up making these burp cloths for my friend, Rachel. Well, West is in town (and sadly I don't even get to hold him because I'm sick), so I had a deadline to get his burp cloths made. It was so fun to do the owl thing with boy stuff! I added a little ric rac and that turned out cute. And yes, I know the owls are sideways, but that is all of the fabric that I had left over. And I am just loving applique right now. -Anisa

I'm a "Stylish Blogger"

2011-02-10T20:03:00.003-07:00

Thanks to Krista over at Mom's Mish Mash for the Stylish Blogger Award! It's always nice to know I'm loved! Along with this award, I am supposed to list eight things about myself. So here it goes......

1. I am a mom of 3 boys... I am the only daughter with 3 brothers... My husband comes from a family of 7 boys and 1 girl... We are a "boy" family.

2. I am a very simple gal... I prefer to wear t-shirts and jeans, I don't wear jewelry or accessorize at all.... kind of funny that I like to make accessories, I just don't like to wear them. The hat is a new accessory because I don't like my hair cut (see #7) 3. I don't listen to music... I find it to just be one more noise... I'd prefer total silence.

4. I don't like to exercise, but I do it so I won't weigh over 200 lbs. again.

5. I have a bit of a temper...

6. I used to be very blond as a kid.

7. I have to have a hair cut where I can tuck my hair behind my ears... it is too short to do that right now and drives me crazy! 8. I am super picky about my purses. have to have a purse that slings over my whole body... I don't want to hold it in my hand or carry it.... I also like it to have the perfect pockets. I had the perfect fossil purse and it fell apart... I bought a cheap replacement at Target, that only worked okay... My sister in law found me a super great Fossil purse for me at a consignment store and I bought a Relic purse at Kohls... I'm giddy with new purses!!! I also get the opportunity to award a "stylish blogger award" to other sites I enjoy.

1. Nanny Goat ...Super cute ideas...

2. The Coffee Shop Blog... Free Photoshop Elements and photography tutorials.

3. Prepared not Scared... this is some ward blog that I happened across, but they have great games for kids.

4. Make it and Love it... the name says it all!

5. Studio Calico... I'm too cheap to buy their kits... wish I could... but I still love all of the inspiration!

6. U Create... who doesn't visit this blog often... always where I go to find inspiration.

7. Ana White... love all of her furniture plans... still haven't built anything yet, but I promise I will some day!

8. Maggie Homes... I always nominate Maggie! She used to be my neighbor and she is so cute and creative... I love her scrapbooking style (I scraplift her ideas all the time) and I love her photography!

To claim your award, save the "Stylish Blogger Award" to your desktop. Post eight things about yourself and give the award to eight other blogs you like.

-Anisa

Quick Valentine's Card

2011-02-10T08:40:00.006-07:00

Just thought I'd post a quick idea for a Valentine's Card!

(I'm just too cheap to spend money on cards at the store:)

I just simply used my heart punch to cut out scraps... I glued them on first, then sewed stitching through!!!

-Anisa

A few crafts for my classroom

2011-02-04T22:50:00.003-07:00

I am a teacher by profession. I taught highschool French and Chemistry for 3 years and Jr. High Science fo 5 years. I took a break from teaching to have kids. When we moved to St. George, I decided to try to find a teaching job. I was too late to find a job teaching science, but I found an opening as a study skills teacher.... which I love! My students told me that my classroom was boring... so I thought I'd take care of that!!! I made this adorable bunting to hang across my boring chalkboard... It's always top priority to count down until summer break... ... and no classroom can be complete without a calendar. The dates are laminated and attached with velcro so that I can use different dates for each month. ( I have loved having a laminating machine at my disposal)

I used my Cricut a little, the old-style Ellison die cut machine at the school, and a pair of scissors to create all of these crafts! It was also a fun way to use some of my papers that I didn't think I would use on my scrapbook pages.

-Anisa

Home made Wheat Bread

2011-02-03T22:25:00.003-07:00

I am in no way a food storage guru. But I am trying to work on getting my year supply of food storage. I believe that food storage needs to be used and rotated. My kids are good at using and rotating our brownie mixes, but we need to work on using the wheat and beans and things like that. When we moved my parents a few months ago, we moved laundry detergent, toilet paper and wheat (among other things) that they had in their food storage for 40 years.... not so good at rotating their food storage. I also found a brand new Kitchen Mill Wheat grinder that had never been used. So, a couple of days ago, I decided I was going to grind up some wheat! With the wheat grinder, it was a piece of cake! All I had to do was scoop the wheat in and the machine did the work.

Look at this beautiful wheat flour!

I used this recipe from allrecipes.com. I love allrecipes.com. I love that people leave their reviews with their suggestions. I know there are a lot of other things you can add to your wheat bread that make it fabulous... like gluten. I did not have any on hand... and I made this bread on a whim. I even used more wheat flour than the recipe called for and it turned out fabulous! Isn't it pretty? I totally want to have some as a snack right now!

-Anisa

A few changes.....

2011-01-27T14:12:00.005-07:00

In case you haven't noticed, Cami and Angie have decided to leave Twiddle Thumbs. I even had my moments when I thought about giving it up as well.... but I love crafting and I like to have a place to share my passions with others. So, I'm just not ready to give it up yet! I'm going to miss working with Angie and Cami... I miss living by them as well.

I have a lot of fun changes in mind, so check back often....

-Anisa

Cloth Diaper Burp Cloths

2011-01-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week for me... and I've had sick kids... no fun. I needed to get a baby shower gift for my friend, Rachel... but just didn't really have time. I live about 20-25 minutes from Target, Old Navy, etc.... and just wasn't up for a drive clear across town. Plus, I really like to make home made gifts for my friends. On my way home from work, I stopped by a little boutique and saw burp cloths... they wanted $20 for them!!!! I had actually purchased some cloth diapers to make burp cloths to go with this blanket... so, I thought, I guess I'll make some girl ones for Rachel. I had minky left over from the blanket... and this super cute fabric that I had bought for a project for my sister in law...(that I never made)... So, I started cutting, and sewing.... I'm into appliqué right now.... so I appliquéd a flower on the minky to give it a little something extra... Here are pics of each burp cloth... (I didn't do a tutorial for the burp cloths, but I found a tutorial online at Chickpea Sewing Studio that is similar to the same technique that I used) Here's a little tip about your bobbin thread.... it is the thread that shows on the back. So, when doing a project like this, use white bobbin thread... then the thread doesn't show! Here are the burp cloths all wrapped up... I totally love how they turned out and I hope she likes them too! -Anisa

(PS Shellie... I am still going to make you some to go with the owl blanket)

Nothing a little Appliqué won't fix

2011-01-21T10:21:00.002-07:00

I have 3 boys... I pass their clothes down. My oldest son had this lovely jacket from his elementary school last year... Well, it's a nice jacket, but he doesn't go to school there... plus it doesn't fit him. So, my second son inherited it. I thought I would try to do a little appliqué to cover up the words. I first appliquéd the star... I wanted something subtle, so I went with a gray and black plaid scrap that I had. Then I appliquéd a guitar over the star. To give it a little pizazz, I did a little zigzag stitch in bright blue over the whole thing. It turned out totally cute!!! And my little boy loves it... my hubby was even impressed. -Anisa

Baby Boy Blanket

2011-01-18T22:23:00.001-07:00

Riley Blake Designs has this super cute baby boy owl fabric! When my sister in law and I first saw it, we fell in love with it! Lucky for her, she was pregnant with a baby boy at the time. So, she bought some fabric to make a cute car seat cover.

There is a cute little fabric store that I drive by every day on my way to and from work. I have purposely avoided it because... well, I knew I would spend money there. So, the other day I needed some ric rac for a project (that I need to post about) and I saw that they had the cute owl fabric! My sister in law had mentioned that she wanted a light weight blanket to match her car seat cover. Something she could lay the baby on. So, I got to work! And I discovered that the fabric comes in flannel too! I wanted to use minky because it's really soft... and I had a bit of the lighter brown color left over from a project. Just be careful with minky because it's very stretchy... it caused some problems for me and a little unpicking... and the blanket still doesn't lay as flat as I would like it to, but I still think it turned out cute... and it's super soft! I wanted to give it a little character so I used bright red thread and did some zig zag stitching along the seams. It was super fun to make and I hope baby West loves it!

-Anisa

Repurposed Twin Bed.... Bench!

2011-01-16T22:11:00.002-07:00

A few months ago, a twin headboard and footboard showed up in the garage. I asked my mom what she was doing with them and she said... "making a bench." She began to explain to me that the headboard is the back of the bench, the footboard becomes the sides... so it sat for awhile... and finally this weekend I got my hubby to help me make it into a bench. The first thing we did we measured how deep we wanted our bench to be. We wanted it to be 18" deep, so we measured 18" in from each side and marked the wood. We then cut the footboard to length. We then attached the two footboard pieces to the headboard to form a bench.... And we needed a place to sit. We used some scrap 1x4's that we had laying around. Make sure your bench pieces are sturdy because.... well, they have to hold your weight. We wanted our bench to be about 18" off the ground, so with our design, it worked out to screw the wood into the top board from the bottom.... it all depends on the style of your bed. Now I have to paint it.... -Anisa

Birthday and January Banner

2011-01-14T13:05:00.002-07:00

A couple of months ago, I made these cute banners. Well, I need to keep making one for each month. So, here are the last two that I made. The "Celebrate" one is mostly for birthdays. I didn't get it made in time for my hubby's b-day in December, but it was finished for my little boy's birthday in January. My favorite so far is the January banner. I had some fun die cut felt that I was able to use and I did a lot of stitching! I love the colors... red, turquoise and gold... and I love the stitching. A couple of close ups... I've got my paper for February... now let's see if I can some up with something creative to do with it! --Anisa

A girl for a week

2011-01-07T20:50:00.006-07:00

My baby nephew was born on Dec. 23rd with an infection. So, he's been in Primary Children's hospital. We got to baby sit my niece while his mom and dad were in the hospital with him. Aside from the emotions of a girl, I had fun having a girl for a week!

I love cute hair flowers, but I never get the chance to make them because I have 3 boys. So, I got the chance to make a few!

I tried a few different techniques. All of these flowers were made by simply taking a strip of fabric about 2" wide by 18" long. I started by tieing a knot at the end... the not becomes the center of the flower. Then, you kind of just fold and twist while you hot glue. I'm sure there is some awesome blog out there with a tutorial on these flowers... I was too lazy to try to figure out how to take pictures while my hands were making the flowers. This pink flower was made by taking the same strip of fabric. Instead of twisting and hot gluing, I folded it in half the long way. Then I simply took a needle and thread and sewed along the non-folded edge. I gathered as a sewed. Then I sewed a button in the middle. This flower was made by taking a piece of fabric about 1.5" wide x 18" long. I simply tore the fabric to give it the shappy chic look. I then used a needle and thread to do a gathering stitch along the edge. I repeated with a piece of fabric 1" x 18" and then sewed the smaller one on top of the larger one. And sewed a button in the middle. I think they turned out pretty cute and it was fun to make some flowers out of fabric.... Next up... singed flowers.

Some of these flowers were made specifically to take pictures of this cute little girl....

I had fun trying out some photo techniques and fun editing in Iphoto and Photoshop elements. Now, I can't wait to go meet my new little nephew!!!

Perler Bead Fun Fusion Party

2011-01-03T22:39:00.003-07:00

Do you remember Perler Beads from when you were a kid? I remember when I worked in a day care just out of highschool that we made these all the time. Well, my 5 year old really loves them right now! His birthday was today and we thought it would be fun to have a Perler Bead party! I don't usually go all out on birthdays... I'd rather pay for them to go somewhere so that I don't have to do very much work. But I felt the need to have a little fun with this because, well.... it's not Star Wars, Batman, Harry Potter.... you get the idea. For the invitations, we used patterned paper and made a frame on it. Then used glue dots to adhere a perler bead design on the front. For Decor, we hung perler beads from a jute line across the light fixtures... it turned out so cute, I don't want to take it down! We had a fun game of "pin the mouth on the octopus." We printed out a large Perler Bead template from their webite and used that for the game. We printed out another picture for a birthday sign. And even though I hate cake decorating, I made him a cake that looks like Perler Beads on the template. And with the extra batter, we were able to make a few cupcakes which we decorated with... Perler Beads! At the end of the day, I have to say, it was fun to be a little creative and think outside the box for his party! - Anisa

A few homemade Christmas gifts

2011-01-01T07:43:00.000-07:00

In my family, we rotate who we give Christmas gifts to. When I asked my brother and sister-in-law what they wanted, they told me a gift card to Walmart. How boring! But, I know better than to give my brother anything other than what he asked for. However, I just couldn't give them a gift card without giving them some cute hand made gifts to go with it. They have a little girl who is 3 1/2. So, I thought I would make a cute hair clip for her.But, they were expecting a baby boy (he was born Dec. 23rd). I couldn't figure out what to make him. I debated on burp cloths and bibs.... but I finally decided on a binky holder. I just put a simple brad on the end to hide the clip... and I love it when I can purchase something for a gift for someone and have a bunch of fun stuff left over for me! One of the fun parts of giving gifts is the packaging. One of the things that makes it cute is when you use something from the gift to decorate the packaging... I used the ribbon from the binky clip and a scrap of fabric from the hair clip to tie the cellophane bags. It adds a fun touch to the gifts. Our little nephew has been in Primary Children's hospital with an infection and we haven't even been able to meet him yet! He is improving a ton but won't be out until the round of antibiotics is over (in another week). I can't wait to meet him! In the meantime, we are baby sitting my niece... I have been making more hair flowers and have plans to make a few more.... I don't get the chance to make girly stuff all that often!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

-Anisa

Scary snowmen?

2010-12-22T12:33:00.003-07:00

Is it just me or are these the scariest snowmen you've ever seen? I just don't think snowmen should have faces! (This is just the opinion of Anisa... no offense intended)

Christmas Cards

2010-12-12T22:09:00.002-07:00

They are starting to come... all of those fun Christmas Cards! I love getting Christmas cards... especially from people I haven't seen in a long time! I used to throw them away at the end of the year.... gasp! But a couple of years ago, I decided to save them. It's fun to see how families change and grow over the years. And it also helps me to not forget someone on my Christmas card list.

I didn't want to put them in a photo album... I wanted to save some space. So, I made an envelope to put them in. I used my Platin Schoolbook Cartridge on my Cricut and cut out an envelope. To make it big enough to hold all of my cards, I actually sewed two 12x12 pieces of cardstock together to make a 24"x12" piece of paper. Then I cut the envelope as big as it would go! The sewing is on the back and it adds a cute effect. Last year I jazzed it up a little by putting my own families photo card on the front. I made a tie closure on the back by using 2 eyelets and a card stock circle. (Up-close view) If you don't have a cricut, you could find an envelope template online or just purchase a manila envelope and decorate it!

-Anisa

Ornamental Creativity: Using What You Have

2010-12-07T07:46:00.004-07:00

My mom is kind of old-fashioned... to say the least. But she does have some really crafty creative ideas. I thought this idea was super cute, so I wanted to share. She took candle sticks... and instead of putting candles in them, she put ornaments! She's going with a gold and red thing... and she loves brass, but this is a great idea. You could use any type of candle sticks that you like. I think it would be really cute as a table centerpiece.

Another use for "Glossy Accents"

2010-12-05T16:01:00.000-07:00

So, the other day we found a baby scorpion in our bedroom.... eeeeek!!!

My little boys were quite fascinated with it. Brenner wanted to take it to school for show and tell. I wanted to protect this little guy while he was being passed around to 25 first graders. So, I thought back to Cami's posts on Twiddle Thumbs where she used Glossy Accents to make necklace pendants.

I have the stuff on hand from making cute magnets like these...

(These are not my magnets... because I've never taken a picture of them... I stole this pic from this Etsy Shop.)

So, I took the little guy and put him on a piece of cardstock. Then I squeezed a generous portion of Glossy Accents over him... I wanted to cover him and protect him. It worked out really well. He was covered, protected and ooohed and aaaahed over by 25 first graders.

-Anisa

Seasonal Banner

2010-11-29T08:13:00.004-07:00

I'm really into seasonal stuff... I don't know why. I think it's because I get bored with the same decorations all the time... However, I'm realizing that all of my seasonal decor takes up a lot of storage space... and it's a lot of work to change the decor every month... oh well, I still love it!!! So, our enrichment made this countdown calendar to Christmas. I thought it was an adorable idea, but the countdown was only for 12 days and I do a countdown for all 25 days of Christmas. So I decided to use mine as a seasonal banner. I had made a few seasonal banners before. But I didn't make one for every month. Now, this cute banner is hung up all year and I will just make new cards to go into each pocket. (I ran out of time to embellish my Thanksgiving banner) Here is a close-up of the banner. You can see that what I did was sew together two pieces of plastic .... the kind you use as a table cloth... I have no idea what it's called but you can buy it at Joann. I used a zig zag stitch to sew around 3 sides. The back piece of plastic is about a 1/2 inch taller than the front piece. Mine is about 4" square, but you could make it any size. Then I just hole-punched the top corners and tied them all together with ribbons... I used browns and creams to keep it as neutral as possible. I think it would be really fun to make one that says "Celebrate" for birthdays. It's super easy to just take the cards out and switch them. And the nice thing is that all you have to store is a small stack of papers for each month! Let me know if you have any questions on how to make this banner. -Anisa

Jubilee of Trees

2010-11-21T14:14:00.003-07:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

(Cami posted a question below and made a poll at the right... don't forget to vote on our poll and leave a comment letting us know what Christmas projects you're working on.)

When we moved to St. George I had the feeling I would get roped into helping with the Jubilee of Trees. You see, my mother-in-law, Rosalie Scholes, is the Director of Facility Decor. Which means, she is in charge of..... .... all decorations and set up for the Jubilee.... from Banners..... ... to presents in the foyer.... .... to a giant castle that greets you as you walk in... ....to walls that separate all of the booths... .... and the details.... ... there are a lot of details... I was feeling kind of guilty that we hadn't helped much. So, the last week before I asked, "what can we do to help." She said, "well, I'm having someone paint these banners and I just need some help outlining them in black marker." So, I headed off to a cold, empty warehouse (the staging area) to help. Little did I know.... I made the mistake of saying, "I can do that." So, I helped with the banners. I actually painted some of the banners. They hang from the ceiling to tell you know where each booth is. It was actually kind of fun and fun to walk through the Jubilee and see that I had done something to help.

And last, but not least is my mother-in-law's tree. She has decorated a tree for 23 years. She has won people's choice many times. She is awesome at what she does! This picture doesn't do it justice! The Jubilee ends tomorrow (Monday, Nov. 22nd.) So, if you live in St. George and have the time... stop by and see for yourself.

-Anisa

Christmas Crafting: What are YOU working on?

2010-11-21T04:49:00.001-07:00

I've been diligently working on two of my Christmas gifts for family members and I am determined to finish these two before starting any new ones that I have on my list. It got me wondering what everyone out there is working on so far for Christmas (gifts or decor). Take a minute to click on the poll on the sidebar to the right and let us know! -C

My Latest Project

2010-11-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

Chloe arrived safely into her parents arms last Monday at 7 lb 8 oz and 19.5 inches long. She is an angel and adored by her big sisters and brother. I've had the best recovery with her and will be back to normal crafting and projects soon!

Ang

Easiest Valance Ever!

2010-11-06T21:59:00.002-06:00

Last night I whipped up a set of valances for our living room windows! They are sooo fast and easy that I thought I'd do a quick tutorial....

1. Measure your window width. Mine was 63"

2. Cut your fabric 2" wider to account for a 1" seam allowance on each side. I typically like my valance to drop 18". You will need to double the amount of fabric for the drop. So, basically I cut my fabric 65" wide x 36" tall.

So, here is my fabric all cut. I drew a little diagram on the picture. Basically, you will hem the sides first, then put the fabric right sides together and sew it into a tube. Turn it right side out and iron it. You will loop the tube over your rod. Then take two pieces of ribbon. I like mine to be 15" long. So, I cut them 30" and sewed the ends together. then slip them over the rod and slide them into place. It's as simple as that!

If you have any questions, leave a comment and I'd love to answer any questions for you.

-Anisa

(P.S. Sydney... we need to make some for your new house now!)

Tip Top Cake Shoppe

2010-11-03T13:11:00.003-06:00

One of the hardest things for me about moving to St. George is not having my friend Jacinda from Tip Top Cake Shoppe to make my kids birthday cakes for me. I took classes from her so I have learned how to decorate cakes, but I'm just not that good at it... and it's not my favorite craft! Here is the craft that I made for my 2 year old..... It's nothing compared to this cake Jacinda made for my niece.... Or this one she made for my other son.... I have seen other people decorate cakes and they just aren't as creative as Jacinda.... I'm telling you!!! so, if you live in the Salt Lake Valley, you can have Jacinda make an awesome creation for you. Right now she has a CONTEST going on where she will make 24 cupcakes for you... super yummy and you'd have Thanksgiving dessert taken care of! Check out the details on her blog. -Anisa

My Best Halloween Tip

2010-10-26T14:36:00.006-06:00

I happen to have a fair amount of training in theater make-up and as a result, own a lot of theater make-up. I've painted faces for Halloween for many years now and I want to share my best secret of making all your hard work stay in place.

The secret is loose face powder.

My son, below, has been a tiger for his third (non-consecutive) year now and this tip has yet to fail us. (in fact, my daughter has has some white swirls on her face since Saturday that I had forgotten about due to her hair covering them up. Yikes!) Here's how it's done.

You take your loose powder and shake it on to a non-fluffy powder puff in excess. You press that powder on to the make-up firmly without smearing. Get it on every whisker, patch, scar, whatever. (unless you're making a ghost or vampire, you're going to want the powder to be skin colored)

Next, you'll need a powder brush. You'll want one dedicated to this because the last thing you want is remenants of grease paint getting onto your own skin later because you used your expensive brush set. Just dust the powder off with the brush and you're done. The make-up will stay all through the school day and trick or treating. Even if you're just doing a little puppy dog nose on your baby, you'll want something to set that black eye-liner of yours or he just won't look complete for pictures. :)

--C

Diaper Bag

2010-10-22T10:31:00.000-06:00

It's been a long time since I posted but with good reason. I promise. :) Baby #4 is on her way and will be here in a matter of weeks. (Yikes!) We've also decided that it is time to sell the house. Sooo between pregnancy and moving/house selling prep, life's been crazy.

Lately I've been in a crafting frenzy, though. Nesting? Probably. I have a long list of projects I'd like to do before the baby gets here and luckily have been able to get quite a few of them done. One of those projects is this bag from Make-It-and-Love-It. I really wanted a new diaper bag and loved the messenger style of this one. Plus I thought the stroll straps would come in handy.

With a little help from my super crafty mom, I added some pockets. (Thanks Mom!)

It still needed a little something so I cut out a flower from the lining and appliqued it on the front.

One suggestion I'd make, especially if you are using a lighter weight fabric, add some sort of interfacing to help the bag hold it's shape better.

It was an easy tutorial to follow and I am in love with the finished product.

And a huge shout out to my hubby-he had to help me with the snaps. Between my weak arms and a few mistakes, he helped quite a bit with putting those little suckers in. Love you babe!

My first try at Glazing

2010-10-16T21:43:00.004-06:00

I love to paint furniture... and I have quite often. I usually spray paint and then sand and distress the furniture.

However, my latest project was a little different. I bought this hutch at a garage sale. I wanted to paint it red and I knew that if I distressed it, the green would show through. So, I came across this tutorial on glazing on All Things Thrifty. I painted with a brush this time because I didn't want the dusty mess of spray paint.

So this green ( I really didn't like the color... it was a little outdated) hutch transformed into this red hutch! I love the red.... Here are some close-ups of the glazing. I did a dark brown instead of black.... I was a little nervous my first time around. But I still love the way it looks! -Anisa

My first craft in the new house

2010-09-16T23:28:00.002-06:00

So, many of you know that I moved... that's why I have been posting or crafting for awhile... too busy packing and unpacking. But sometimes crafting becomes a necessity.

So, here is our computer desk that is built into our kitchen... love having the computer in the kitchen. And you'll notice the nice stack of papers on the desk. I have no where to put my kids homework, calendars, etc. I forgot to send something to preschool with my son because the calendar was buried in the bottom of the stack of papers. Stainless steel fridges are not so good for magnets. And our fridge in encased by wood so I can't even hang stuff on the side.

So in the space below the window, I made a board to hang calendars and homework and reminders on. I simply took a piece of wood (mine was an old piece I had lying around). And I glued clothes pins to the wood. Then I mod podged a piece of scrapbook paper on the front of the clothes pins to decorate them up a little. So now I have a place to hang my calendars and hopefully I won't forget to send anything to preschool again. (Now what can I do to keep from forgetting to pick him up from preschool?)

-Anisa

Not Quite a Rant: Sewing on Knit

2010-08-20T09:28:00.000-06:00

A small echo of Anisa's knit post, here. I never know what is going to inspire me. I was browsing in a local craft store and saw that American Craft ribbon was on sale for $1 a spool. The next thing I knew, I was buying several, then going to Target to find a white t-shirt to stitch it on for my daughter. (Honestly, I think this ribbon is too cute to scrapbook with) I had appliqued felt onto knit before, on a small scale, but this was a new experience. Knit is very unforgiving. I pinned the ribbon onto the shirt using small spacing, doing what I could to not stretch the knit at all. Then I sewed down one side, then the other, using a very close stitch.You can see it's not perfect, but it was simple, inexpensive and she loves it. The flower is my favorite part. I folded three segments of ribbon into a flower shape and hand-sewed those together. Then I added an X of another ribbon style and a matching button and hand-stitched those to the shirt.

I love quick-fix inspiration.

Maybe that's why my family dinners have lacked sparkle. My hubby does all the shopping and really, does anyone get inspired looking into their own pantry? :)

-C

I guess I've always been crafty

2010-08-18T07:29:00.003-06:00

My mom has these cute little counted cross-stitch thingys hanging on a bulletin board in her guest room...

I made them for her when I was young.... I'm guessing in my Tween years. I guess I've always liked to do crafts stuff. (funny thing is... I don't think I've ever done any counted cross-stitching since).

-Anisa

Vinyl Chandelier

2010-08-11T14:23:00.004-06:00

I purchased a rather large square frame at my local thrift store awhile back. It's about 18"x18". I bought it when I was obsessed with putting vinyl on frames.... but never got around to finishing it. I even bought the Home Decor Solutions Cricut cartridge just so I could make this frame.... anyway, I am moving so I thought it would be a good opportunity to finish up a couple of projects before I move. I just put the vinyl directly on the glass and I love it that way... but it would be really cute with a fun piece of fabric mounted behind it as well!!!

I think I saw this idea on someone else's blog, so if it was yours... please feel free to leave a comment so people know where the original idea came from!!!

Button/Embellishment Storage

2010-07-23T07:57:00.003-06:00

I have been trying to make my scrapbooking supplies more mobile... so that I can scrapbook someplace other than in my craft room. I have always used these divided containers for my button and embellishment storage.

But they drive me crazy!!! I stick them in my craft bag and all the buttons slide around and get mixed up. So, I put my thinking cap on and came up with a solution!!! I cut a piece of chipboard the size of the lid. Then I cut a piece of batting the same size. Then I cut a piece of fabric about 1" larger around all sides. I then simply hot glued it together and glued it inside the lid of the box. Ta da!!! It totally works!!! No more sliding around and mixing up of buttons. It is a tight squeeze to close it, but that's okay!!!

To hide the back side of the chipboard, I cut a piece of fabric and modpodged it on the front. Then I modpodged a border of scrapbook paper around the edge and stamped acrylic paint to label what was inside. I'm sure I could have decorated and embellished the outside a little better, but oh well!!! The important thing is that it is totally functional and solves the problem of everything getting mixed up inside!!!

-Anisa

July Wood Craft Classes

2010-07-21T08:37:00.004-06:00

I have one craft class this month... Wed. July 28th from 6-9 p.m. The last trio in the series is...

Sunflower/Crow Trio: $10

It is also CRAFT MAKE-UP month!!! If there are any trios (or other crafts that you missed), let me know and we can make them up!!! Click on this link to see all of the other crafts we have done this year.

-Anisa

The Dark Divine

2010-07-10T22:18:00.002-06:00

A friend of mine... Bree Despain (she used to live 2 houses down the street from me) has published an awesome book... The Dark Divine. She has a fun Teaser Trailer of her book that you can check out!!! I know this has nothing to do with crafting... but sometimes its nice to just sit back and read a book:)

Anisa's Craft Room

2010-06-30T20:36:00.004-06:00

I have been waiting until I get my craft room perfectly organized exactly how I want it to post pictures of it. Well, folks, it's never going to be exactly how I want it, so I think I'll just post it any way!!! I at least cleaned it up a little:)

This side of the room is my scrapbooking side. I don't like to sit down when I scrapbook so I wanted something counter-top height. So I purchased 4 storage cubes from my local Robert's Crafts. (I'm sorry but I can't remember the brand of the storage cubes). You can buy them in several combinations. I wanted drawers on the bottom and the top to have cupboard doors... but I haven't ever gotten around to buying the doors. I bought a piece of wood for the top at Lowe's and painted it white. The paper stacker underneath was a yard sale purchase. I bought a bar stool without a back at a thrift store and painted it. That way I can push it out of the way most of the time. I have curtain rods hanging above the desk that I can use to display fun crafts or albums. My buttons are organized with a spice rack from Ikea. I got buckets from the dollar section of Target to hold my ribbon scraps. This side of the room is mostly my sewing station. My pink cabinet holds my Cricut and supplies. This side of the room I like to have mostly open. That way I have a place to work when I'm cutting out fabric or when I have a friend over to scrapbook. On the left you will notice a shoe hanger on the wall. You can purchase these for about $5 at Target or Walmart. I have these things all over my house... usually on the back of the door. In my pantry, it holds ziplocs bags, kool aid pouches, popcorn bags, etc.... great way to store stuff. This side of the room is just mostly storage. I love this fun cabinet I bought at a yard sale. I got my small ironing board at Ikea so I can iron fabric projects or bent ribbon. And the shelves on the wall are a great place to display some of my craft projects.

I love my adorable craft room.... it's my place to decorate something girly:) Do you have a craft room... or crafting space? We'd love to see it! Email us pictures at twiddlethumbs@rocketmail.com

-Anisa

Chipboard Album

2010-06-26T20:52:00.003-06:00

As mentioned, I am in a crafting rut right now. So, I've kind of halted all projects until something comes up. However, with the school year coming to an end, I thought I would put together a mini album for my 4 year old's first year of preschool. I had purchased this chipboard album at a garage sale for $1 and I had an 8x8 paper pad of some fun paper that I wanted to use up. My little boy was out of town for a week staying with his cousin so I thought I'd get it done for him while he was gone.

I used the biggest Zig glue pen that they make to adhere the paper, photos and all embellishments to the album. I used Maya Mists, paint, rub-ons, etc. It turned out cute! He loves it and I'm glad he's home from his cousins. -Anisa

Bathroom Make-over Part 1

2010-06-22T16:32:00.001-06:00

I have long been a huge fan of Becky Higgins and all of the scrapbooking glory that comes with her. (Especially since she is the one who introduced me to the idea of sketching first!) She has also shared lots of inspiration for other projects with me and hundreds upon hundreds of other fans, including spray painting ordinary, neutral-colored decor bright friendly colors.

I have these cute frames that I love. (Purchased at Tai Pan Trading a few years ago for about $3 each)

They were so pretty against the green wall in my last house, but against the very light tan wall in our current house, they just get lost. I've been dying to try the spray paint thing. This seemed like the perfect project for this, but just couldn't justify the $5 per can price for the colors I wanted. Since, they're just small frames, I hit my local Robert's Arts and Crafts and picked up a few bottles of acrylic paint (on sale!) in the perfect colors. Once home, I gathered a few other supplies and got to work.

After a little sanding, my frames were ready to paint. My original thought was to do 2-3 coats of paint and then sand. One coat in, I was smitten with the washed looked it had. I thought it would be perfect in my Hawaiian-inspired bathroom. When my one coat was dry, I did do a little sanding. The blue frame really needed it and just made the frames stand out a bit more overall. Here's the finished project:

(Sorry for the glare!)

I'm excited for the next one on the bathroom to-do list and will share when it's completed.

~Ang~

My Best Idea for a Long Time

2010-06-18T05:17:00.001-06:00

With a little of this...

a wooden dowel and drawer pulls some disassembled flowers

Then I layered them together

on this rather large shelf.The shelf began its life on my little sister's wall. It was painted a midnight blue. Next I painted it a lavender color for my daughter. After that it was painted an almost periwinkle blue for my new baby boy (now three).

I have now repainted it again for my daughter. It used to have those little pegs meant to have connected-wick candles (remember those for home decor?) and other such items, but I did NOT look forward to finding hanging objects for this round of decorating.

My simple solution was to buy a dowel to fill all those tiny holes with. I cut it into small pieces. I found the drawer pulls and when I knew I wanted them to be a different color, the idea of their being the center of a flower turned out to be perfect.

I hammered the dowels in, fitted the flowers over those and capped each off with the drawer pulls. Very inexpensive and my daughter loves it.

-C

A Craft Room Challenge

2010-06-15T16:48:00.001-06:00

Hey all! It's been a long while since I've been here, but all with good reason! My DH and I are 17 weeks along with baby #4. Between kids 1-3, being sick and exhaustion, I was doing good to get some semblance of dinner on the table each night. Thankfully, the sun is sunnier and the skies are bluer (figuratively and literally). I also think I've hit a bit of a nesting period. Thus today's challenge:

Go to your craft room, closet or where ever you keep your "stuff." Pick a box of who-knows-what's-in-here (I know we all have them) or another box of randomness. Set a timer for whatever time you have available-an hour, 30 minutes, 15...Whatever works for your schedule. Go through that box and see how much you can put away, give away, throw away or gulp...actually finish (the project that is) in that time!

On your mark....Get seeeeet.....GO! (I'll wait)

Done? Great job! What'd you get done? A bunch I bet! I did this yesterday and managed to send off some now undesirable projects/patterns off to the thrift store. I found some fabric for a table cloth I intended to make for Thanksgiving nearly 2 years ago. Maybe this bandana dress for my 3 year old girlie and mended a sweater for my 8 year old diva. Not to mention cleared out some prime real estate in my crafting space.

So tell me. What did you find/accomplish?

Frustrations.... please help?

2010-06-08T22:09:00.004-06:00

So, folks, I was talking to Cami the other day about the craft blog (this is Anisa). I have been feeling realllllyyyy frustrated lately with a lot of the projects that I've been trying to do (see my post about sewing). I tried to make these velcro embellished flipflops.... and didn't like them because you can see the velcro. I've also been trying to figure out how to somewhat duplicate these shirts for my boys that I saw in a catalog. My technique involves applique and freezer paper stencil. But when I started on the project, my applique wouldn't stick... I don't know if it's the knit (I seem to have issues with knit) or if I got the wrong Heat-n-Bond. I'm feeling super frustrated with crafts right now. I don't know if it's just that I'm trying to make things just for the sake of trying them, or just for the sake of the blog or what my problem is. I'm super busy right now... I work 30 hours a week... but I can do my crafting during that time. And I can't think of anything that I want to do and what I do try doesn't turn out.

So, I was venting my frustrations on Cami and she said, "Should we archive the blog and quit?" If you can't tell, Angie has taken a break from the blog. And Cami wants to take a break from the blog. So, DO I TAKE A BREAK? Or do I take it over for myself? Do you guys like my crafts? Do you want me to keep going? Do you have any ideas of a cute fun craft that I could do while I'm working? I guess I could just scrapbook:)

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think? Do you like Twiddle Thumbs? Do you think I should keep crafting and posting? Let me know.

-Anisa

Staining Tip for Wood Crafts

2010-06-02T10:03:00.001-06:00

Seriously, staining has always been such a pain to figure out. I prefer traditional stain, but it has such a strong odor that you have to let it sit in your garage for a few days before you can bring it in the house.

I think I have finally figured out the type of stain that I prefer. And I think I have finally figured out the best techniques. So, here are some tips and tricks.

First, the kind of stain that I buy is Minwax Water-based Wood Stain in Colonial Pine. This stain is somewhat difficult to find, but I have found it at Home Depot. It should be already mixed in that color. The color is important, because anything else will be too dark or too light, etc.

Now, how you stain depends on how distressed or "dirty" you want your craft to look. If you don't want it to look too dirty, then you will want to do a couple of coats of paint and then sand it lightly... that way the stain won't adhere to the wood as well. If you want it to look dirty, then only do one coat of paint and sand away.

This stain is premixed, but I have watered it down a little bit at times to make it go further as well as make it a little lighter.

I always wear gloves when I stain because although it is water-based, it will stick to your hands and is difficult to wash off.

I prefer to stain the sides of the wood first. Then I stain the back. Wipe any excess stain off with paper towels. Then, you will want to stain the front. Wipe the stain on with a foam brush and wipe it off with paper towels. If you don't want the stain to look too dirty, wipe it off quickly.

Always let the stain dry before hot gluing anything to make sure the glue will stick.

Patriotic Wood Craft Classes

2010-06-01T22:53:00.006-06:00

I know you guys probably want to get your patriotic stuff up for the summer..... so no time to waste!

Dates:

Tues. June 8th 9:30-11:30 a.m. (my kids have swimming at 11:30, so we have to be done by then).

Thurs. June 10th 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Sat. June 12th 10:00 a.m.- noon

Patriotic Trio: $10 (you may do any combination that you want... just let me know if you want a firework, flag, hat... what combo of 3?) Stands are $5.

Hot Air Balloon: $17

Uncle Sam: $18 (can be a yard stake or hanging)

(you probably remember this guy from St. Patrick's Day)

Something in the Air: Cami's sewing, too.

2010-05-26T09:59:00.006-06:00

When I first got the idea to make my daughter's outfit for her preschool graduation, I was worried that I would have a post similar to Anisa's sewing rant as she has a lot more skill with fabric than I do, but then...

I found this fabulous and simple tutorial from Grand Revival Design for a ruffle skirt, bought the material at Hobby Lobby and went to it.

It was really easy and I finished in an afternoon. When I do it again (I already bought the material) I'll be adding an inch to each panel. It was a bit short for this mama.

Next, I made a binki clip for this cute little monkey.I liked the tutorial found here at an adorable craft blog called Ruffles and Stuff. Again, I liked the simplicity. Something I can do!

I had to alter her design a bit because I could only find overall clips. To use them, I took an extra strip of fabric and folded it length-wise in thirds and sewed down the length of it. I looped it over the clip loop and secured it with more stitches.I slipped it in to the tube (see tutorial link) and then did the top stitching around.

Since baby uses the Soother (which has no loops for elastic or ribbon) I used a clip on each side. Before the week is over, I hope to post a template for two different felt clip cover-ups, but in the mean time, I love this sweet fabric.

-C

Front Porch Pillows

2010-05-19T22:20:00.010-06:00

I live in Daybreak. It's a planned community with the idea of older style homes and front porches. We have a lot of fun colorful houses in our neighborhood. I have mixed feelings about my front porch. I would prefer to have it open so that I can sit out on my bench and watch my kids play in the street. However, I do love that it hides the scooters that are always parked on the front porch. Anyway, I put my cute yellow bench out on the front porch and I wanted to decorate it with some pillows. I have been wanting to make something with burlap... since it's so trendy right now. So, I thought I'd do something with pillows!

I started with this pillow. I bought outdoor fabric at Joann. I followed my own tutorial to make it a slip covered pillow. Then I just cut a strip of burlap and sewed a reinforced stitch around the edge so it wouldn't fray. I sewed it into a band and made another smaller band to cinch it up in the front. Then I attached a fabric (burlap) flower that I made using my tutorial here.

Then came the fun part. I really liked the pattern in the fabric. And I wanted to make a smaller coordinating pillow out of burlap. So, here is what I did.

I enlarged the pattern on my copy machine. I think it was about 8x8.
I traced the pattern onto freezer paper.
I used an exacto knife and small scissors to cut out the pattern. ( I got lazy and just cut out the part that repeated.

If you would like a more detailed tutorial on freezer paper stencils, you can find one here.

I ironed the freezer paper stencil onto the burlap and used a sponge brush to dab acrylic paint onto the burlap. (this is where the lazy part came in. I had to take the freezer paper off and turn it 4 times to get the repeating pattern. That seemed easier than cutting it out.)
I heat set the paint on with the iron.
I sewed the pillow using the same slip covered pillow tutorial.

Here's the funny part... I was worried about a pillow form getting wet on the porch and getting moldy, so I made my pillow form by stuffing a ziploc bag with polyfil!!!

It turned out totally cute!!!

Now my front porch has a cute set of matching pillows. And I love the way they look on my yellow bench (scooters have been removed for the photo) Maybe I don't hate sewing so much after all... I just hate sewing clothes!!!

-Anisa

Anisa's Rant about Sewing!

2010-05-19T20:48:00.010-06:00

Okay, so I'm going to warn you... I feel the need to rant about sewing right now. If you love to sew... you may not want to read this!!!

I have 3 boys. I love that I can just pass down their clothes and not have to buy new ones every year. So, it totally irritates me when my oldest gets holes in his knees or cuts a hole in his brand new shirt. So, I had a pile of mending that I wanted to do. I finally sat down at work one night and decided it was the night. I cut off some shorts and sewed a reinforced stitch along where I cut and let them fray. Those turned out cute!!!

Then I tried to patch the holes in the knee of one of the jeans. How do you patch a hole in a knee???? You can't turn the sewing machine in all directions when the jeans are on it??? Seriously, does anyone know how to do that?

Then I tried to re-hem a shirt that had a small hole at the bottom. I hate sewing on knit. It's too stretchy. I did a simple zig zag stitch, but it is completely uneven and it has already started to come un-sewed after one wash.

I got completely fed up. I buy their clothes on clearance anyway. And for that matter who cares if a boys clothes has holes?

So, I've been bored at work. And I've really wanted to do some refashioning of t-shirts like I've seen on several blogs. I love Elizabeth Kartchner's posts here and here. I love this tutorial on Ruffles and Stuff. I take cell phone pictures of clothes that I see in stores so I can try to make them myself.... Love this idea I saw at Target.I have a shirt that I love that has a hole in it. So, if I did reverse applique like this shirt at Old Navy, I could take care of the hole. I also love the applique on this shirt at Target. I've seen tons of others out there as well and I love the idea of taking a shirt that I have that has a stain or hole or is just plain, and making it cute and fun. I've been putting it off because... frankly, I'm scared. It usually doesn't turn out for me. And after my mending.... I just didn't want to so it. So, last night I thought I'd give it a try. I asked my mom how to hem a knit shirt. This is what she told me....

Cut it off. Zig zag the edge. Then turn it over and with a double needle, sew on the top and it's a great finished look. I did all of this, but I just don't sew well!!!! And I'm seriously jinxed when it comes to sewing clothes. It turned out awful. I can't even hem a simple t-shirt. How am I supposed to put cute ruffles on it!!! So, I threw it in the trash and decided that I will leave the clothing sewing to someone else!!!

Now that I've put this post together... I feel bad that I gave up. Should I try again? Should I just not hem the sleeves? Seriously, what is my problem?

Top Picks for Kid Crafting

2010-05-17T08:01:00.009-06:00

Crafting with your kids can be a lot of fun. Expect a mess and you'll have a great time, though these aren't very messy anyway.

Here are my three top choices for crafting with my kids. By saying with my kids, I do mean, supervised crafting and together time.

1. Perler Beads/Fusible Beads-Ever since my little girl got these beads for her birthday we've been having a blast with them. The boys love them and we even got my husband involved once. She has been very gracious in sharing them.

The concept: small cylindrical beads are placed on peg boards for infinite possibilities. Then you fuse the plastic together using your iron and parchment paper.

My son is holding the horse that he chose the colors for. We assembled the shape together on the horse-shaped board with our heads close together. I made up my own owl using the hexagon peg board. I love it!

2. Pipe Cleaners-This mostly has to be supervised because they always use too many! It's also good to have me on hand to cut extra length off with a wire cutter.

The concept: fuzzy wires are twisted and woven together to create anything their minds can come up with.

My oldest son likes to make pet dragons out of them.

Yesterday, my three year old made me a modern art mobile that I really am planning on hanging in my craft room after the flood clean up is over.

These are also a great items to take along on road trips because they're mess-free. (Just be aware that the ends are poky and wouldn't be great for kids under, say, three.)

3. Shrinkable plastic-Shrinky-Dinks or any brand shrinkable plastic is something that was cool way back when, but it is SO fun.

The concept: special plastic is drawn and/or colored on using colored pencils, water colors, or markers. (Crayons are a big, flammable NO) Cut the item out, place it on a foil lined cookie sheet, in a preheated oven and watch through the oven window as the plastic twists and distorts down to a considerably smaller size than when you started.

I used to wonder why you'd make something big, just so it could turn out smaller. (I still wonder this about felting). However, once I gave it a try, I learned. It's just SO COOL watching it melt in the oven. We spent two hours playing with them the first time.

I like tracing an image from the kids' picture books with a fine Sharpie marker and letting them color the item or they draw something on their own. My son wore these to school today.

Summer is approaching and all these things are great to do to keep the boredom away. They can all be found at your chain craft stores and you can use those great %off coupons. :)

What do you like to do in the summertime to keep your kids entertained?

-C

Jewelry Dilemma

2010-05-14T11:41:00.001-06:00

So, we had a yard sale this past weekend. My mom was going to be in town, so she said that she would bring up my Grandma's old jewelry so that we could put it in the garage sale. I was in a rush, but I quickly opened the "jewelry box" and found countless clip-on earrings inside. Seriously... how could I sell those awesome earrings? My grandma didn't have a lot of money so they aren't expensive real jewels, but they are totally cool, vintage clip-on earrings, nevertheless.

I even found a pendant in there from when my Grandma was the fire chief of the first all women's fire department in her small town of Kanarraville, UT. That thing is priceless... not garage sale material.

So, here is where I need your help!!! What do I do with all of these earrings??? Do I just stick them in my cedar chest and pull them out to look at every few years? Or do I make something out of them? And what do I make? Please leave a comment and give me suggestions!!! This is my grandma's so called "jewelry box." I for sure know what to do with that! It holds 12x12 paper. I've been wanting something to organize my scraps.... yeah! I think this will work.

-Anisa

Got your thumbs in a bind with yarn left-overs?

2010-05-12T21:25:00.001-06:00

UPDATED! Scroll down I've been doing a lot of crocheting lately. Amigurumi, fashion scarves, bracelets for my daughter, more amigurumi... Now I have a lot of unused bits of yarn. I found a great, very easy project in Crochet! magazine which I check out from my local library. It is a pet mat/cushion for inside animals that need a place to sit and stay. You simply use your yarn scraps by crocheting in the round, making a long tube that you stuff with poly-fiber-fill. You spiral the tube around itself, sewing as you go, until you have a pad for a pet to sit on. (I'm not done. I estimate that I have 60% more to do.) My little sister's dog, Sadie, is going to love this when I finish it. This project is reminiscent of those old braided rugs that many of our grandmothers had in their homes at some time or another. I like doing things like this while watching movies with my husband. I like to keep my hands busy. Now that I've gotten this far with the project, I'm going to work on designing large amigurumi snakes following a similar pattern to this. I know my boys will LOVE them. Another note on crochet, check out the Free Form crochet movement via http://www.freeformcrochet.com/ or http://www.marloscrochetcorner.com/freeform.html It's definitely unique and those who do it, liken it to painting with yarn. Even Björk Guðmundsdóttir likes free form crochet. Sydney asks: So how do you sew it together? My grandma used to make rugs kind of like this. I want to try! Reply: The instructions say to use a tapestry needle. I was going to weave in and out and use yarn (since it's thicker and will bind it strongly), sewing as I coil it. I'll do it through the center of the tube so that it won't be visible.

May Wood Craft Classes

2010-05-10T21:02:00.003-06:00

I (Anisa) teach wood craft classes in my home. I live in South Jordan, UT. You come to my home, paint and assemble your craft and go home with a completed craft. If you don't live nearby, I am willing to ship the unfinished wood. If you have your own saw, you can buy my patterns here. - Anisa (anisascholes@gmail.com)

May Craft Classes

Dates:

Tuesday, May 18th 10am-noon

Thursday, May 20th 6pm-9pm

Saturday, May 22nd 10am-noon

Mushroom & Snail: $12

(this is kind of small... it's about 8" tall by 10" wide)

Gnome Yard Stake: $18

(can also be a shelf sitter)

Hanging Frog: $15

Bug Trio: $10

(stands $5)

Black Apple Doll Party... so much fun!!!

2010-05-08T22:46:00.003-06:00

So, I wanted to post the pics of the girls and their dolls. This turned out to be so much fun.

They are so great because they each have their own characteristics. The girls picked their fabric, felt hair color and all of their embellishments. They even painted their own faces on. It took us almost 2.5 hours to complete the dolls. I did all of the sewing, but the girls did the rest. They cut out the fabric, stuffed, drew on faces, etc. They all loved their dolls and had tons of fun chatting while they worked!!! -Anisa

Sunshine Award

2010-05-07T07:20:00.002-06:00

A big Thank You to Jennifer at Because I Can Crafts for awarding us the Sunshine Award!!! It's always nice to know there is someone out there that loves what we do!!! The Sunshine Award, is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspires others in the blog world. The rules for accepting this award are:- Put the logo on your blog or within your post, Pass the award on to 12 bloggers, Link the nominees within your post, Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog, Share the love and link to the person from whom you have received this award.

So, here are my 6 favorite blogs...

1. Maggies Holmes Photography and Scrapbook Blog... She used to live across the street from me and I just LOVE her scrapbooking style! I also love her photography.

2. UCreate... I just have to go to her site whenever I am looking for a new creative idea.

3. Nanny Goat... Cute ideas that are my style.

4. Games for Family Night... easy, simple, ready to print FHE lessons.

5. Dear Lizzy... love her scrapbooking style.

6. Make it and Love it.... The blog has a totally new look and it's even better than before.

-Anisa

And six of my (Cami's) favorites:

1. A Beautiful Mess -Once a Creating Keepsakes darling, Elsie is an individual in a sea of crafters. She's adorable to boot and has a really fun personality. Lately, she's been adding mini-tutorials to her blog.

2. How About Orange-A fabric designer with a fantastic sense of humor and self. She has great ideas, finds great stuff at Etsy.com and occasionally has a great internet time-waster on there for fun (or inspiration). Tutorials and photo-fun as well.

3. Craftaholics Anonymous-This girl oozes clever creativity with the power of using-your-supply-stash

4. The Purl Bee- This is mainly a knitting site, but they have crochet as well, but truly, I like visiting because it is an absolutely lovely site.

5. My Mama Made It- So creative when it comes to sewing. I have little blips of sewing skills, but this woman oozes skill. I LOVE the kids' clothes.

6. Ric-Rac- Lots of fun here! Toys, dolls, felt, vintage charm, sewing...

-C

Chained Daisy Pin

2010-05-05T21:30:00.006-06:00

It's Teacher Appreciation week at my son's school and we LOVE his teacher. When he told me that her favorite flower was a daisy, I wanted to do something crafty as a little gift for her. I came up with the Chained Daisy Pin. First of all, I crocheted this daisy (found in 100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet by Lesley Stanfield)Instructions: Chain 6 with yellow yarn and join with slip stitch into a ring. Chain 1 then 11 single crochet in ring (12 stitches). Using white yarn continue [11 chain, slip stitch in next single crochet] twelve times in each single crochet from the first round. Fasten off and weave in ends. Next, I lightly misted the flower with water and gently stretched and shaped the petals to how I want them to look and let that dry flat. I cut pieces of moss colored felt freehand: one petal and two circles for mounting the flower. I used embroidery floss (1 and 2 ply) to bring it all together.

Taking the larger circle, I sewed on the brooch mount.

You may be tempted to use hot glue.

Don't.

Hot glue doesn't like metal, long term. Sewing holds it closer and looks so much better.Sandwich the leaf (make sure it's where you want it in relation to the brooch mounting pin) in between the two circles and whipstitch around the smaller circle, joining all three felt pieces.When flower is dry, use tiny stitches with floss to attach petals to the felt. You want the petal tips to have free movement, so stitch around the edge of the larger circle and leave them free. Just make sure you stitch into each side of each petal to keep it lying flat.Here you have it!

I used a size G crochet hook and worsted weight yarn. Any variations with make the flower larger or smaller.

--C

Scrapbooking Again!!!

2010-05-02T22:01:00.002-06:00

So, I had to get a job about 5 months ago. The job is dumb.... I answer phone calls for people who call in to buy stuff from infomercials. But, I get to work from home in my PJ's in my craft room. I can't complain too much. So, for the past couple of months I have been spending my time at work getting ready for the boutique. I have to admit I made everything for the boutique while I was at work. I can even sew on slow nights.

So, after the boutique was over, I found myself a little bored. I haven't quite come up with any projects for myself... yet. So, I decided to catch up on a little scrapbooking.

This layout is a 11x8.5 of my two boys and their "bling" necklaces my dad gave them.

This layout is a 6x6 of my baby at 16 months.

We do have a blog where we post our layouts occasionally. It's called Twiddle Scraps. I may be posting some of my other layouts there, so check it out!!!

Black Apple Doll Party!!!

2010-04-26T23:47:00.002-06:00

Now that the Seedlings Craft Boutique is over, I can start working on my own crafts:) Not quite. Maybe next week.

So, I had a friend ask me if I would teach her daughter and 3 of her friends how to make Black Apple Dolls for her daughter's birthday party. How fun is that. This little girl is turning 11 and it was her idea to do this for her birthday. My husband said that I'm the clown at the birthday:) Anyway, I am going to bring my stash of supplies and teach/help these 4 little girls make Black Apple Dolls. I hope all goes well... these little dolls can be kind of tricky. I made a couple of new dolls to just refresh my memory of how they are made. Loving them!!!

-Anisa

Today is the Day for the Seedlings Craft Boutique

2010-04-23T10:20:00.000-06:00

Today is the Day!!! Don't let the rain keep you from coming to our Seedlings Craft Boutique! We have a LOT of items under $10!!! Great last minute Teacher Appreciation Gifts. Great Mother's Day Gifts! We have purses, picture frames, swim bags, head bands, hair clips, hair bows, hair bow holders, zipper flowers, wood photo blocks, alphabet art, temple pictures, kids aprons, banners, kids ties, dresses and skirts, hooded bath towels, kids drawing boards, crayon rolls, wallets, I spy bags, vinyl frame art, hand made soap, yummy cupcakes and much, much more!!!

Seedlings Craft Boutique

2010-04-04T19:16:00.002-06:00

Mark your calendars for the Seedlings Craft Boutique coming up in a couple of weeks!!!! We have a lot of the fun vendors from last fall as well as new vendors for the spring!!! Visit our blog for more details!!!

Routing Wood

2010-04-02T11:11:00.000-06:00

I posted about my new router a couple of weeks ago, but it came to my attention that I should tell a little more about routing wood. Keep in mind I am no expert, so if you would like a little more info, you could check out Wikipedia.

I bought my router because I wanted to make decorative edges on wood. I used it to make these photo blocks. I would also like to make my own picture frames some day... another project on my list. To make the groove in the back of the wood for the glass to fit into, you need a router. Basically a router has several different bits. Here is a picture of some of the designs that you can make with a router.

My brother also made it to use some shelves... he needed to make a groove in the wood for the bead board to slip into. It has come in quite handy around here.

So, here is the router that I bought at Home Depot. The rep for the company happened to be in the store that day and he helped me pick out the right router. I was just going to buy the router, but he suggested I get the table... I don't know how I would have been able to route the wood without the table. Basically a router has a bit in it similar to a drill bit..... it turns around and as it turns, it cuts the wood. With the table, you just slide the piece of wood along the router bit... and the table has guides to keep it straight. It is very easy to use..... and very messy. My husband showed me how to hook up the shop vac to it so that it sucks up the sawdust as you're routing... very loud, but much less messy.

It is very quick and very easy to use. I would recommend this router/table combo to anyone. I hope I answered any questions that you may have...stay tuned for my cake platter that I made with my router as well. -Anisa

April Wood Craft Classes

2010-03-31T18:41:00.005-06:00

It's time again for craft class!!!!

Dates:

Wed. Apr. 14th 10am-noon

Thurs. Apr. 15th 6-9pm

Sat. Apr. 17th 10am-noon

Projects:

Wood Photo Blocks: $5 each or 3 for $12 (These are 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" blocks with a routed edge. The only thing you will need to bring is your photos, The photos are approximately 3x5". If you have specific paper or ribbon or letter stickers that you want to use, please bring them. I have a pretty good variety, but you never know. These make great Mother's Day gifts!!!) Rainy Day Boy: $18 (Can be a shelf sitter or I can make a sign to make it a yard stake) Flower Trio: $10 (stands are $5) Balloon Trio: $10 (stands are $5) If you don't live in the Salt Lake Valley, please feel free to email me at anisascholes@gmail.com for shipping prices. -Anisa

Purse Tutorial

2010-03-28T20:24:00.002-06:00

I asked my Sister in Law to do a tutorial on her purses.... I am so excited to bring it to you. Thanks for helping us out Shellie!!!

I was really nervous when Anisa asked me to be a guest for a tutorial on my purses. I have been making these little purses for my daughter, they are super easy and super quick to sew, I even made a matching one for me... Instructions: ( All seam stitches 1/4 inch.)

1. I used 2 coordinating fabrics and cut them to the size I wanted. Note: the outside fabric and inside (Bag Lining) fabric are the same size.

2. Take your Front and back of the bag material and sew right sides together around 3 sides leaving the top open. 3. Take your bag lining fabric and sew right sides together around 3 sides: HOWEVER leave a large opening in the bottom of the bag. Somewhere between 6 and 8 inches should be plenty.

4. Flip the outside fabric so the right sides are showing, leave the bag lining with right sides facing each other. It should look something like this...

5. The straps - I cut 2 3" width strips of both fabrics. Note: The width the length depends on how long you want the straps to be on your purse, I measured my daughter.

6. With right sides facing sew down one side of the fabric, while sewing down the other side leave a 4-5" opening to flip the strips so the right side facing out..

7. Once your strap is flipped then iron the strap and sew down both sides to give it a finished look.

8. Sewing your bag together. Pin your straps to the bag, then slip the bag lining over the entire bag and pin the top of the bag together. Here is a good time to make sure your strap is not twisted.

9. Sew around the top of the bag

10. Remember that hole you left in the bottom of the bag, pull the entire bag through the hole.

11. Now Iron the bottom of the bag and sew the hole closed. Push the lining into the bag and...

You are done!!!

My new Router

2010-03-24T08:11:00.003-06:00

My parents gave me money for Christmas. So, what do you know, I bought myself a router! Most women would buy clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc.... I buy a router. It's a woodworking tool that I have always wanted. This past week I finally got around to doing something with it. Awhile back I saw these photo blocks over at Little Birdie Secrets. I just had to make some of my own!

I basically followed their tutorial... but I have to tell you... I struggle with Mod Podge. For some reason I always get bubbles and wrinkles. I thought I had them smoothed out perfectly... and I had them displayed on my desk. Then about 5 days later, I noticed that they had started to bubble and ripple. I think that the problem with the pictures was that they were photo paper and not actual prints... but anyway, I was able to peel the paper off the block and start all over. What I ended up doing was using an actual glue to glue the picture on. I used this glue that my sister in law got at Joann's. I have to say, that I love this glue. It is almost like hot glue in that it dries so quickly and it sticks really well. The picture stayed on great and so far hasn't bubbled up or peeled off. If anyone has any great tips on Mod Podge, I'd love to hear them!!! Please leave a comment. As you can see, the routed edge is just that extra something that makes the blocks more than just a block of wood. And it made the distressing show up a lot more. I plan on trying this again with the concept of glueing the picture and paper on and then using the mod podge over the top and seeing how that works. Sometimes crafting is just trial and error. -Anisa

A Button for Punishment

2010-03-19T16:00:00.007-06:00

I am a complete novice at jewelery making which leaves me wondering why I keep coming back to it. It's right up there with counted cross-stitch when it comes to fine motor-skill annoyance and crafts from which I get derive no pleasure.

However, I was walking through Joann's fabric store and saw some lovely over-sized buttons and immediately thought of a friend of mine whose birthday is coming up very soon. I thought that she'd really like to be able to wear those cool buttons and my only answer was jewelry.

The buttons were already 50% off so they made a really inexpensive focal point for, say, a necklace. I purchased two and some beads and began to work on them. I started with the prettiest, an ivory-colored button with a flower carved into it. I used silver wire in lieu of thread in the button holes. It was kind of sticking out the back too much so I thought it would help to lightly hammer the wire down.

The button shattered. (I tried to replace the button yesterday, but there were several blank spots in the ivory button racks so think that's a sign that she only needs one necklace from me)

I moved on to the next button and through much trial, error and advice came up with this. I applied a circle of felt with hot glue to the back of the button to cover the wire and keep it comfortable to wear. Despite being completely frustrated with the task, I'm quite happy with the result and hope that my friend likes it as well.

-C

March Snow Showers bring Fabric Flowers

2010-03-17T09:19:00.000-06:00

It snowed this weekend. But I was in the mood for flowers. So, I used Cami's Sizzix and some super cool wool fabric that I got from my mom's stash and I made some fabric flowers. I met a girl in my neighborhood a few months ago that was wearing a fabric flower similar to these. I asked her how she made them and she kind of explained it to me. So, I thought I would do my version and see how it turned out.

For these flowers you will need 6 flowers. We cheated and cut the flowers out on the Sizzix with a flower die. You could trace and hand cut the flowers if you want. I am using different colors in my sample flower so that you can see the layering easier. Step 1: Take your first two flowers and off set them. Using a needle and thread, just pull the need through from the back. Step 2: Fold the other 4 flowers in half (I ironed mine for the picture, but don't do that. You want them to fluff up). Step 3: Layer the flowers like you would fold closed the top of a box... turning a quarter turn for every flower. Step 4: Put your layered flowers on top of your other two flowers and pull that needle through the flowers again. Sew a couple of stitches through to make sure you get every layer. Step 5: With that threaded needle still in your flower, sew a button in the middle.

Now, my multi-colored flower is a little wonky... but kind of cute. But let me show you some of my cuter flowers. Gotta love my mom's stash of fabric!!! -Anisa

My On-Going Project

2010-03-15T12:42:00.004-06:00

Ever since we moved into our current home (just over two years ago) I have had a craft room. It's just a non-livable space that the hubby granted to me and I've been really happy about, but it has never been decorated or organized or anything special.

I got tired of that a few months back and have been trying to make it a comfy, cute place where I'm not completely embarrassed to have Angie or Anisa come and craft with me.

It has not been easy.

Little things help, like Anisa recovering a cute chair (here along with a spray paint tutorial) for me and giving me a matching lamp that doesn't fit her decor any longer, but ther real issue is clutter and so much crafty stuff that I don't know what to do with it all! Yikes!

I have before pics that i'm not quite ready to share yet, but here is the first thing I did for my room to add some personality.

I love playing with words so I thought it would be fun to make cross-word puzzle looking wall decor.

I used Making Memory's Simply Fab foam stamps and simple acrylic craft paint. The letters are just under 3" in height, I believe.

I used two pins and a thread with a level to give me a guide to follow and did the long, horizontal phrase first. The rest was just eye-balled.

I love it.

I love it because it didn't cost me anything, but time, as I already had these supplies for scrapbooking.

I love it because it's a piece of me in a room of my very own. How's that Virginia Woolf?

So, I have a lot more that I'm going to be posting about my craft room improvement in the upcoming weeks (months? Yikes!) so keep a look-out for those. Lots of fun!

-C

Kreative Kuts

2010-03-12T17:27:00.003-07:00

As many of you know, I have been holding wood craft classes in my home for a few months. A lot of my crafts are my original designs and I have been working on getting the patterns on a website to sell. So, I am just starting, but I have put my Easter patterns up on a website. My website is Kreative Kuts!!! Right now I only have a few spring patterns up, so click on "SPRING" at the top of the site. The patterns are all E-patterns. You can purchase the pattern through Paypal and I will email the pattern to you. I also have the unfinished wood up for sale as well. If this is something you are interested in, check it out!!!

-Anisa

Scripture Bag

2010-03-09T07:00:00.007-07:00

My daughter was baptized into our Church on Saturday. My husband and I gave her her first set of scriptures and a scripture tote. I picked one up at Seagull Book (a Utah based store) for $5. Here it is:

Cute color. Definitely girly, but lacking in personality I think. Using the fabric flower I did here (tutorial found here) with fabric in my stash and some ric rac I had on hand, her bag no longer lacks personality.

I also did the ric rac on the back.

Everything is sewn directly to the bag by hand. I was able to get it completely finished in just a couple of hours. (Less if you don't have to stop to get kids from school and feed them ;)

My vintage mom

2010-03-08T14:58:00.002-07:00

I love my mom. She is a funny person. She saves everything... and I mean everything. She's not that old (she'll be 60 this year). But she loves old stuff.... like antiques and always has. This past weekend we went to see my mom and I was telling my boys that she has boxes of my old halloween costumes (yes, they are already starting to plan what they want to be for Halloween). So, we immediately starting getting out the Halloween boxes. We found an old bug costume, dracula cape, jack-o-lantern, etc. But then we found a box with shoes in it!!! It's a good thing my mom and I wear the same size. Now I have 3 new (old) pair of shoes that I get to wear and I love them!

I also raided her fabric and have plans for fabric flowers, zipper flowers, etc. Stay tuned....

Easter Wood Craft Classes

2010-03-04T23:48:00.001-07:00

I hope you like what I came up with for our Easter Classes!!! If you don't live near me and would like to purchase wood... finished or unfinished, please email me at anisascholes@gmail.com. Dates: Tuesday, March 16th 10am-noon Thursday, March 18th 6-9 pm Saturday, March 20th 10am-noon Bunny with Egg: $18 Chick: $15 (can be put on a yard stake) Bunny Trio: $10 (stands are $5)

Swimsuit Alteration

2010-03-04T14:23:00.002-07:00

About 5 years ago on a little getaway with my hubby, I bought my first 2 piece swimsuit. I've only worn it that weekend and maybe once or twice since them. It's such a cute bathing suit, but I have to say I felt a little uncomfortable in despite the fact that it was a tank top instead of a bikini one. With a trip to a warm and tropical location coming up and without the kids, I thought I'd risk pulling that old suit out. I tried it on and still felt uncomfortable, but thanks to all the great posts different crafters have done on clothing alteration I felt not only the inspiration to make my own alterations but also the courage to try it! Here's what I started with (I apologize in advance for any and all wrinkles you may see): See that little gap between the top and the bottom? Not so pretty on a mother of 3. (At least not me.) I headed to the fabric store to check out their Lycra selection and found just the color I needed to add a few inches to the bottom of my tank. I only purchased 1/3 of a yard and probably could have gotten away with 1/4 yard. What I did: 1. Unpick the hem around the bottom of the tank. If the holes from the seam are too big, you may have to trim the fabric just above the hem. Mine turned out just fine, though. Iron flat. 2. Lay your fabric down and your tank on the top edge. Follow the natural flow of your top to cut out your new piece. Don't forget to add a little extra for seam allowances. 3. You should have two pieces of fabric now. Sew the sides together and fold in half, seams inside. 4. Pin your new fabric band to the suit, matching side seams to side seams. 5. Using a stretch stitch (check your owner's manual), sew together. The stretch stitch will allow for extra movement and will prevent all your hard work from coming apart the first time you use your newly altered swimsuit. 6. Iron again with seams pointing up. If you are lucky to have a Serger or at least have access to one, you can serge your raw edges for a more finished look. Here's what I ended up with: It was a quick, inexpensive refashion and bonus-no swimsuit shopping this year!! (BTW-It was so much more comfortable to wear on the beach and swimming. )

Lucky You!

2010-03-02T22:00:00.004-07:00

This shamrock pillow is a cheeky way to let your husband know that he might not want to wear green on St. Patrick's Day this year... To make your own draw a heart. It can be any size, but it should be broad with a shallow middle dip. Here's mine with my hand to show scale.

Take your heart and rotate it as you trace it as each of the leaves (you can do three or four). I used a disappearing fabric pen. Then I cut it out with a rotary cutter.

Here is the whole cut out. You can kind of see the traced lines here. This green felt was left over from a Christmas craft and was purchased in a package I got at Roberts Craft. The wrinkles steamed out easily.

Next I stamped my message (as I am probably the only crafter who has not yet used freezer paper) with white acrylic paint.

Next I added a little decorative flourish with white embroidery floss. I used one of my favorite stitched called the split stitch.

To balance out the flourish, I added a red heart button. You could add a leprechaun-themed charm or gold buttons here instead.

To finish off the pillow, I pinned wrong sides together and used a zig stitch around the edge. Stuff this pillow lightly or it looks all warped and you lose the shamrock shape. I had to work a bit to get the stuffing to look just right. I closed it with the zig stitch when I was done.

From start to finish, this easy project took me just under two hours. If you have any other fun ideas for a good phrase for this pillow, leave it in the comments. -C

Zipper Flowers

2010-03-01T21:50:00.004-07:00

Last week I discovered such a cool craft blog: Craftaholics Anonymous. Linda made the most fun and funky zipper flower bracelet. It was love at first sight. I had to have one.

Here's my new zipper flower bracelet! I love, love, love it!

You can get the tutorial here. I did change one thing on my flower. Before rolling it and gluing along the way, I did a basting stitch by hand and gathered it. It's a little different from Craftahoics, but it's got my own bit of flair to it. :) When it was finished, I grabbed my bead box and made a 3 strand bracelet for my new little bud to sit on. I have to say, I'm diggin the finished product!

If you're into this cute zipper thing, she has a few other zipper project tutorials on her site. (Lucky me, my mom gave me an entire gallon sized bag of old zippers. Play time!)

Creative Guest on Ucreate!

2010-02-25T22:47:00.004-07:00

I am soooo excited!!! I am going to be the Creative Guest on Ucreate !!! I love Ucreate. I always check out this blog when I'm looking for inspiration. I will be doing a tutorial on how to make my picture frames with vinyl images on the glass!

You can see more of my frames here.

If you are interested in purchasing some frames already made, visit my Etsy shop. -Anisa

Pony Pattern Review

2010-02-25T08:00:00.001-07:00

I bought this simplicity pattern a few months ago for the stuffed elephant on it.

My son has a best buddy named Stinky who is an elephant and apparently, according to my little guy, in desperate need of a brother. I was planning on making one for them for Christmas. Well, life got in the way. Then my oldest daughter's birthday rolled around and as luck would have it I was going to be out of town on her special day. Being a mom, I couldn't not leave something for her, but I was trying to stick to a tight budget I'd set for myself. I found all the supplies for the horse in my scrap box.

I'm not sure this would be a great pattern for someone who's never worked with a pattern before. BUT-If you have used patterns before, it's not too bad. I did go slow to eliminate any unnecessary seam ripping (which you know happened anyway). I changed two things, though.

1-Instead of faux fur for the mane and tail, I stitched on yarn hair. (I actually like it much better, but both ways are cute.)

2-I added some free-handed embroidery on the hind quarter. It turned out nothing like I imagined, but I like it anyway. :) This pattern has 3 different animals and I have 3 kids. Hmm...they all may be getting one for their birthdays this year!!

Trinket Bag

2010-02-21T21:29:00.005-07:00

In my blog surfing, I noticed that Made and Made by Rae were doing "Celebrate the Boy" for the month of February. Since I have 3 boys of my own, I've been checking out their blog all month. Both of the blogs had different posts about bags for boys. On Made, Dana has a super cute Hobo Sack. Love it, love it... totally cute!!! Then, over on Made by Rae, there was a guest post by Amazing Mae. She had these darling Trinket Keepers.

I have a little boy who I would say is a bit OCD. He decides that he likes a toy and will play with it non stop for days (until he's bored.) He's great about organizing things and lining things up and he loves to put things in groups in baggies. So, to save me some money on Ziploc bags, I thought I would make him is own drawstring bag. I liked the look of the trinket keeps on Amazing Mae, but I liked the idea of a bit bigger of a bag.

Right now his obsession is Trios. But that changes. So I didn't want his bag labeled for his toys because I'd be making a new bag every other day. So, my husband and I call our kids by the initial. I thought it would be cute to have is bag just say "Big J." Then he would use it for whatever his favorite toy is for the week.

So this is what I came up with:) I used my Cricut to cut the letter J out. I appliqued the J on the bag. Then I used my cricut to cut a stencil out of freezer paper. I stenciled acrylic paint over the bag and J and there it is. I then sewed it into a simple drawstring bag with a grosgrain ribbon tie.

He loves it and he takes his treasures everywhere with him now. -anisa

Angie's Door and Anisa's Mom's Headboard

2010-02-17T16:03:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, my mom got a new front door. She loved her front door tons and didn't want to just get rid of it, so she had my little brother make it into a headboard. It's pretty cute, isn't it? After I met Angie, I found out that she had the same front door. That's kind of crazy, isn't it? So, here is a before picture of the headboard/door. I love doors... especially fun ones like these!!! I would love to find a cool old door to make into a corner bookshelf for my kitchen!!!

February Wood Craft Classes

2010-02-13T15:40:00.003-07:00

I am sooooo excited for this months crafts! I tried to think of some different things so you could have a wide variety. If you do not live in Utah but would be interested in purchasing wood crafts... finished or unfinished, please contact me at anisascholes@gmail.com. I am willing to ship the wood. I also have patterns to sell. Dates: Tues. Feb. 23rd 10 am Thurs. Feb. 25th 6pm Sat. Feb. 27th 10 am Lion/Lamb: $17 (you may also put this duo on a wreath for $4 additional) Leprechaun Trio: $10 (This price if for 3 leprechauns. The cost of 3 stands is $5) Leprechaun Yard Stake: $18 (you may also make this a hanging leprechaun) Kite: $12 (can be painted any colors) If you have any questions, please contact me at anisascholes@gmail.com

Amigurumi

2010-02-12T12:54:00.001-07:00

What is Amigurumi? It is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures. The word is derived from a combination of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll.[1] Amigurumi are typically animals, but can include artistic renderings, and inanimate objects endowed with anthropomorphic features. (Thanks Wikipedia)

I've been having so much fun with this great mini-book of crochet patterns from Lion Brand Yarn. My little boy looks through this book like it's a catalog for him to choose from.I'm not trying to personally promote Lion Brand Yarn, but Angie and I have checked out a few books from the library on amigurumi before and the patterns have left me really confused, but this little book I picked up at Hobby Lobby was really clear and easy to follow.

I'm almost finished with this alligator I started this morning and I waved good-bye to a cute little owl that I made for a friend's daughter just last night. Lots of fun.

They make up quite quickly. You just need yarn, a crochet hook, stuffing and safety eyes because at Lion Brand Yarn they have a endless selection of free patterns for amigurumi. You do have to sign up for their site, but I've personally never had a problem with them (ie they don't share your email) and I like getting their occasional email updates (which are easy to opt out of, if you desire).

Type 'amigurumi' in the Search box, sign in and enjoy all the free patterns! Here's some pictures of some of the adorable critters you'll find here.

-C

Crown Molding Shelves

2010-02-10T00:17:00.005-07:00

If you live in the Salt Lake City, Utah area, I have a great deal on some awesome crown molding shelves for you!!! My little brother has started a little business making these beautiful shelves.

He sells them by the foot prices... painted or unpainted. Check out his blog for details. This black one is a huge 10 ft. shelf that he made for my mom's bedroom. How fun to have one of these shelves all along a room to display other fun crafting projects.... I think I'm going to have him make me one for my living room.

-Anisa

Here's Some Great Crafting Eye-Candy

2010-02-05T16:40:00.003-07:00

About a week ago I asked you readers if there were blogs out there you'd seen and liked. Thanks for sharing your blogs with us (though I couldn't get your link to work, Kim)! You're all doing a lot of cute stuff! I found a list of reader favorites in the crafting world on Poppytalk. Of these, I loved http://www.goinghometoroost.com http://blog.betzwhite.com/ http://racheldenbow.blogspot.com/ Most of the winners in the post I linked have etsy shops for you peruse. Poppytalk itself is full of great stuff. Enjoy! -C

Craft room Storage Crates

2010-02-03T21:30:00.002-07:00

I have a cute white desk in my craft room that I purchased on Target.com a few years ago. I love the style and simplicity of it, but the desk has open shelves on it. The open shelves are very deep and I have never been able to find the right size of baskets to fit the shelves. So, considering the fact that I love to cut wood, I decided I was going to make my own wooden crates... that way I could make them to perfectly fit under my desk.

And they fit perfectly.... it's almost scary. I only made three and now looking at the pictures, I'm wondering if I should make one more. I have my Cricut mats and paper trimmers on the top shelf and they kind of hang out so they wouldn't fit in a crate. I guess I could find somewhere else to store them so that I could have a perfectly even desk storage. I had so much fun building them. I love it when I get to use tools and saws without my hubby's help... it's even better that he's willing to clean up my sawdust mess:) My ultimate goal is to get this craft room organized enough that I can take pictures of the whole room and post them for you... one step at a time.... Here's a preview of one wall.

Tooth Monster

2010-01-31T20:14:00.004-07:00

We have our first loose tooth at our house:) This is so exciting for us. But being the crafty mom that I am, I had to find something for my little boy to put his tooth in for the tooth fairy. So, we went blog searching to see what we could find. My favorite tutorial was on mmmcrafts. Totally cute, but super girly. So, I used the idea and the pattern... but then I saw this idea on instructables.com and my little boy loved it.

I wanted him to help. So, I cut out the white fabric. Then I handed him my stash of felt and told him to cut out his eyes and teeth and anything else that he wanted. I then sewed the felt onto the tooth for him. I wanted to have the tooth go into the opening of the mouth like on the tutorial, but the mouth was too low on the tooth and it just wasn't going to work. So, my husband suggested making a pocket for the back of the pillow! So, now we are patiently waiting for this tooth to fall out:) By the way, what's the going rate for a tooth from the tooth fairy these days? -Anisa

Cozy Car Caddy by Jill

2010-01-29T16:58:00.003-07:00

We love getting all sorts of ideas from craft blogs everywhere to make for our families. When I saw the cute Cozy Car Caddy on homemade by jill (click link for her tutorial). I knew I'd be making it for my three-year-old. Being the least skilled at sewing of the three of us, I felt this was something I could handle. Here's my version:

The changes/shortcuts I took were these:

I used a double layer of regular quilting cotton as I didn't have any duck fabric on hand.
I used foam stamps instead of the stencil intending to paint over them again, but I liked the faded look of one layer of paint a lot and kept it that way.
I didn't 'get' the Velcro closure part and so I used a ribbon folded over to make a loop and placed a button on the back. My little boy likes to button his own buttons now so this is perfect.

This is going to be ideal for taking in the car or for quiet time in church (if boys can really be quiet playing cars in church). Now my eight year old wants one. I'd like to make a My Little Pony version for my little girl, but time will tell if that materializes. Here's the very happy recipient. I don't know how he's survived these two days (though it just took two hours of those two days) to make this.

--C

What's New Out There?

2010-01-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

I've had a great time perusing the craft blogs that we follow regularly.
It was so much fun, in fact, that it left me wondering...
What Else Is Out There?
Naturally, there's no way for one (or two or three) people to discover all the cool crafting blogs out there.
Leave a link (or two or three) of your favorites out there in the blog-o-sphere, even if it is someone we already have in our sidebar.
If YOU have a craft blog, promote away!

Get Down with Scrapbooking: Fun Times!

2010-01-25T12:59:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun at the charity crop this weekend!

Here is Anisa with her sister-in-law Shelly.

Angie definitely accomplished the most, finishing the most layouts of the three of us.

Me (Cami) and my mom, Cindy

The food and people involved were amazing.

Anisa taught a class on making an acrylic mini-album that brought in more money for the foundation. She did an awesome job designing it and putting all the supplies together.
We took a group photo too late in the game. Many had already left and I was sad we didn't have the benefit of natural lighting. Here we are anyway...

We left already looking forward to next year!!!

Get Down with Scrapbooking: Before the Crop

2010-01-25T12:44:00.001-07:00

What: Get Down with Scrapbooking, a crop with procedes going to the Utah Down-Syndrome Foundation
When: January 22nd and 23rd 2010
Where: Jefferson Place Club House Sandy, UT
Why: to help the Utah Down Syndrom Foundation in a small way in support those families affected by Down Syndrome by raising funds while having FUN

Get Down with Scrapbooking was started by Marlene Kinikini with her husband's support to give back to the Foundation that had so helped their family. (BTW, Marlene is Angie's cousin)

Anisa, Angie and I asked to help out for this year's event. What a priviledge and joy it was for us to be part of this.

The set-up:

Silent Auction bidding goodies:

Let the FUN begin!!!

2010-01-22T12:16:00.001-07:00

Angie, Anisa and I are off tonight for the early-bird beginning of Get Down with Scrapbooking charity crop. The crop benefits the Utah Down Syndrome Fountation and we're excited to be part of this. If you have a desire to donate to this great cause, email us and we'll tell you how to best do it.
Look here next week for pictures of all the fun we had AND look at our little side-blog Twiddle-Scraps to see the layouts we made (I'm also hoping that we can post the scrapbook layouts of other participants).

On a side note, one of my personal favorite blogs is up for a weblog award. Go here (and scroll right) to vote for How About Orange! (and any other blogs you love)

--C

Happy Birthday to me!

2010-01-18T00:48:00.003-07:00

I am soooo excited for the Get Down with Scrapbooking Crop this weekend because Cami bought me Maya Mists for my birthday!!! I have been wanting some Maya Mists for awhile. Maggie Holmes is one of my favorite scrapbookers and my old neighbor. I love her stuff and lately she has been using the mists a lot. So, I was super excited when Cami gave them to me for my birthday!!!

Here are a few layouts that I have done with the mists. I have plans for a lot more!!! And I get to scrapbook for two days!!!

Valentine's Wood Craft Workshop

2010-01-14T17:00:00.005-07:00

I really am obsessed with birds and owls (yes, I know owls are birds). I hope you like what I came up with for Valentine's Crafts. If you live in the Salt Lake Valley, check out the class dates. If you don't live in the Salt Lake Valley, I am willing to ship... painted or unpainted. Two Little Love Birds Sitting in a tree: $15 Bird Trio: $10 (stands are $5) Hanging Owl: $18

Dates:

Tues. Jan. 26th 10am-noon (kids welcome)
Thurs. Jan. 28th 6pm-9pm
Sat. Jan. 30th 10am-noon

email me at anisascholes@gmail.com to sign up for the class at least a week in advance or if you have any questions.

-anisa

Wearing Art

2010-01-13T10:54:00.002-07:00

My little girl has been drawing this simple flower and variations of such since she was four.

I found them immediately appealing and so cute. I encourage all my children to draw a lot and this is the first image I feel like she invented as part of her budding signature drawing style. To me it's very cool and I thought she'd really like it if I embroidered her 'pinwheel flowers' onto a shirt for her. She most definitely does!

I couldn't resist doing one for myself.

I tried to keep the look in line with a child's crayon drawing.

I just used three-ply embroidery floss and a back stitch. Here's a brief explanation of how a back stitch is created:

To start this stitch bring the thread up from the back of the fabric on the line that you want to create. Make a small backward stitch through the fabric. Bring the needle through the fabric a little in front of the first stitch and still on the line. Pull the thread through the fabric. Make the second stitch backward, bringing the needle out a little in front of the second stitch and still on the line. Repeat this movement and continue sewing in such a manner along the line. (I got this explanation here)

--C

I Resolve...

2010-01-11T10:55:00.001-07:00

Doing this blog has brought about many great crafts for me, but there are those crafts that I never get finished.

That changes this year! I resolve to eventually get all my craft projects done! Eventually. Who's with me?

So last year I said I would post the finished 'paper quilt' that I applied to a canvas board. I did finish it and just never photographed it.

Well, here it is!

See the original project here. I loved doing it.
If you've got a New Year's resolution to get in shape, maybe you should just do this project. If you punch out 192 squares, like I did, you wake up with sore abs. I'm not kidding.
--C

From Drab to Fab!

2010-01-07T00:33:00.006-07:00

So, my son tipped himself over on one of our bar stools and broke it. As you can see, I have decided that it isn't worth buying brand new furniture just to have one of my rough and tumble boys break it. So, I have decided that refinishing is for me. And my husband LOVES it when I spray paint in the garage:)

So, here is what I did. I took these adorable barstools that I purchased from our local thrift store. I took the cushion off the top. I lightly sanded the wood. I used spray paint primer to prime the wood. Then I spray painted them a fun color of green. Then I removed... or rather had my husband remove the old fabric from the cushion. I bought some cheap plain white fabric to cover the cushion and used my staple gun to attach it to the cushion. I screwed the cushion back onto the chair. Super easy!! But, wait, it's not covered with cheap white fabric! It's covered with this adorable fabric from Hobby Lobby (which right now if my all time favorite fabric). Well, that's because I have 3 boys. And I knew that fabric would get dirty. so, I made the cover removable so that I could wash it!!! What I did was I sewed elastic around the end so that I could easily remove it. (seriously, I had started a tutorial for you, but then I forgot to keep taking pictures.... sorry.)

I've already had to wash them and I'm super glad I made the covers removable. I'm going to make a cover for a bench by our dining table and I've got to figure out how to incorporate more of this fabric into my kitchen.

-Anisa

Tip Top Cake Shoppe

2010-01-05T16:26:00.004-07:00

If you live in the Salt Lake Valley, I have a great recommendation for a Cake Decorator. Her name is Jacinda and her company is Tip Top Cake Shoppe. She is the Wilton Cake Instructor at Hobby Lobby and she is full of creativity! I personally have taken her classes and she is a great teacher. However, I have discovered that cake decorating is not for me! For one thing, you have to get it all done at once... it can't sit on my desk for weeks like many of my unfinished craft projects. For another reason, I am all about distressing... a distressed cake looks like a kid decorated it. And after you are done, people eat your craft:)

So, my little boy wanted a Bakugan birthday cake. And he wanted this specific Bakugan.

She turned this toy, into this cake! Look at all the details... it looks exactly like the toy. And it tasted great too!

So, check her out at www.tiptopcakeshoppe.com.

She does birthday cakes, cupcake birthday parties, wedding cakes, you name it!!!

-Anisa

January Wood Craft Workshop

2010-01-03T09:56:00.005-07:00

Brrrrr, it's cold. Time for some winter wood crafts:) Snowmen: $8 (Stands: $5) Penguin Yard Stake: $18 (can also be made as a shelf-sitter)

Dates: Thursday, Jan. 7th 6-9pm Saturday, Jan. 9th 10am-noon

Please contact Anisa at anisascholes@gmail.com if you're interested in signing up for a class. I will also ship unfinished wood or finished projects if interested, contact me. Anisa

A Merry Christmas to All!

2009-12-24T01:12:00.006-07:00

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a very crafty New Year!

In the mean time, here are some fun tutorials for last minute fun...if you have the time. I wish I did. I'm busy finishing a last minute scrapbook as a gift! Only 60 pictures to use. Eek!

Felt Bow tutorial (she used paper, you can use felt) at How About Orange, one of my favorite blogs. Jessica usually has a lot of great, free stuff and ideas that are sure to spark the imagination. I love the printables that she posts. Christmas tags are up right now. Yarn Wrapped Christmas tree tutorial from One Pearl Button

We'll see you in January!

Click the upper right column button for information about registering for the great charity crop that is happening at the end of January.

-C

Kid Gifts

2009-12-15T09:45:00.005-07:00

Continuing with our theme of Countdown with Crafts, I thought I'd let you know of a great sale at Michael's craft store this week. 1/2 of the front page of their ad was great gifts for kids. My kids love craft kits so I plan on heading over there this week to get them something for their stocking. They also have kids stocking stuffers for $1 and up.

I wanted to show you what I did as a gift for my kids that was super easy and super cheap. I bought these adorable striped hats for my kids at the $1 store... Dollar Tree. I then raided my stash of many felt colors and cut out stars for my sons and their friends....

... and flowers with layered circles in the middle for our little friends that are girls. I used the Sizzix to cut my felt shapes, but you could easily hand cut them with a pattern as well. They girls hat also has a layer of mesh. They are held together with the button in the middle that is sewn on. I used a dab of fabric glue to secure the ends of the flower and stars to the hat. My boys love them and they fight over who gets the blue one... I made them in several colors!

Quick, Festive Neighbor gifts

2009-12-11T11:43:00.003-07:00

I am always up for a quick and easy gift for friends and neighbors, so I thought I'd share what I did last year.

I started with some cellophane bags filled with hand dipped chocolate pretzels and homemade Oreo truffles. (Hold on, I'm drooling just thinking about it. Okay. All better.) The bag looked pretty plain until I snipped some twigs off my pine tree and swiped some candy canes from our holiday stash (fresh ones and stale. lol.) It turned out lovely and I spent next to nothing on gift wrapping.

Moral of the story? Go raid your backyard (or your neighbor's-just kidding) for something fun and festive to add to your gift wrapping and you'll have thriftiness, elegance, creativity, and festiveness all rolled into one!

Oh-and in case you have never had an Oreo truffle, here is the simple, simple, mouthwatering recipe:

Oreo Truffles

1 pkg Oreos

1- 8oz pkg softened cream cheese

melting chocolates

Finely crush Oreos. Using a mixer, mix in the cream cheese. Roll into balls and freeze on lined baking sheet for 15 minutes. Melt your chocolates. Dip each Oreo ball into chocolate and lay on wax paper to harden. Enjoy!!

Ang

Countdown: Baby, it's Cold Outside, but we know you'll go shopping anyway

2009-12-08T21:19:00.008-07:00

It is currently 7 degrees Fahrenheit in Utah, but you can warm your friends' and neighbors' hearts each season through thoughtful gifts. In continuing our Countdown with Crafts, here are a few ideas from this week's ads.

If you've been crafting in the kitchen and need something to put your goodies in, Michaels had really cute Christmas baskets for 50% off.
While I was there I bought acrylic paints for just 69 cents each. My mom has wanted me to paint her a whimsical childhood-related painting for awhile so it's a great thing that they also had artist's back-stapled traditional canvas on sale for 40% off as well!
Roberts has all their unfinished wood for 40% off, if you want another place to use acrylic paint.
If you make jewelry for others then Jo-Ann has 50% off Jewelry Making bead boards and a buy one, get one 50% off deal on Blue Moon beads (though Roberts has Blue Moon for 30% off)
Neighbor gift idea: both Roberts and Michaels has their ornaments 50% off.

Buy a pack of the large clear glass ones. Funnel in around 1/4 cup of pretty sand and toss in a few tiny seashells. Tie a ribbon and this message at the top. I received this as a gift last year and really love it.
Now, what did I do with all the great deals this week? I bought Team Licensed Fleece at Jo-Ann for 25% off and made the simple no-sew fleece blanket for my BYU-loving husband. (here's a little tutorial from Project Linus With the little extra that was part of the piece I was buying I also made him a team pillow. He's going to love these and it was pretty simple to do. There's a man-gift for you.

My new obsession!

2009-12-04T23:24:00.004-07:00

I don't exactly remember what inspired me to make these... maybe it was that I love patterned paper so much that I want to frame it! Maybe it's that I love owls and this cute owl frame on the Storybook Cartridge for the Cricut. But, one day I came up with this cute frame for my craft room. I put vinyl on the glass and patterned paper inside the frame... I love it!!!

Then I went Black Friday shopping and the Cricut cartridges were on sale at Robert's crafts 4/$100. There were two that I really wanted, but if I was going to get such a good deal, I might as well buy 4. So, I went searching trying to find something I liked and I happened up the "A Child's Year" cartridge and fell in love. It is just full of silhouettes of kids and I love silhouettes. So, I went crazy! I made this frame for my son's teacher as a Christmas gift. I'm participating in another craft boutique tomorrow (or today) and so I thought I'd make a bunch of fun random frames... just because I love them!

If they don't sell, some of these may be up in my Etsy shop soon!!! And I have plans to decorate my kids' playroom with a bunch of these.... stay tuned!!!

-Anisa

Countdown with Crafts: Oh the Coziness of Yarn

2009-12-01T20:44:00.011-07:00

I have long loved the idea of making things with yarn. The idea of making something tangible and 3-dimensional with a string is fascinating to me. I've been crocheting for a long time now and with each project my skills increase. It's a lot of fun, too, for someone who loves to keep their hands busy.

Knitting is something that escapes me, though. Recently, a neighbor offered to teach the basics of knitting. While she helped me learn that it wasn't as hard as I was making it, I can see that I have many hours of practice before me.

Now, I come to our Countdown with Crafting item:

This week at Roberts Crafts (for locations click here) all knitting looms are 30% off.

A knitting loom is a form (circle, long oval, or otherwise) with notched pegs over the entire form. Below is the Knifty Knitter made by Provo Craft. It (or something comparable) is available at most craft stores. You can also find them online. I have this set, also by Provo Craft.Angie introduced me to loom knitting last Christmas. I loved the simplicity of it. The brief instructions are these: Tie the end of your yarn onto the starter peg, wind the yarn around each peg, back to front, until you return to the starter peg. Go around a second time with the same back to front wrapping. Using the hook (the purple item up there) lift the lower strand up and off the peg all the way around the loom. When you return to the starter peg, begin wrapping around again, but just do it once. Then you use the hook again. Repeat, repeat, repeat until you've actually made your own knitted cloth. If this sounds easy to you, it really is! If you aren't terribly handy with crafts, but would like to make something handmade (or like me, you like the look of knit, but are hopeless), then this is for you! I made my children these hats. Suavely modeled by my son is a hat I made for a boutique.

Although I crocheted the scarf around his neck, you can use the knitting loom to make thick, soft scarves.

You can make purses/bags, sweaters, socks and even afghans (with the right loom).

The web is full of ideas and actual instructions (for free!) on how to use the knitting looms to their best advantage.

I would also add that this is great for left-handed folks surrounded by right-handers that can't teach you to knit or crochet because they don't know how to show you the best way for you to use your hands.

What else is on sale this week? YARN!

Roberts Crafts has all yarn (and crochet hooks and knitting needles) at 30% off.

Michaels has Sugar & Cream cotton yarn 4/$5, Merino Wool skeins 2/$7, Loops and Threads Impeccable Yarn 2/$5 and Red Heart Baby Clouds 2/$7

Hobby Lobby has Yarn Bee Whirlygig yarn for $2.99 a skein

JoAnn fabric and craft stores also has good deals on yarn (online and in store)

I know I'll be making my youngest another hat this year. He's growing way too fast.

Have fun!

--C

p.s. If you don't have a Roberts Crafts in your area and you want to buy a knitting loom, don't forget about those 30-50% off coupons that so many craft stores have.