52 projects challenge

One of the personal goals I set for myself this year is to finish all of the craft projects I've started or purchased materials for and not gotten to. I was inspired by a post over at the mothering.com forums where we were challenged to complete 52 projects this year. I want to do more "stitching" in the upcoming months (that's where I started after all), but I've really been enjoying faster projects. Here's what I've been up to:

Project 52/52:

I finished Aidan's box and wooden puzzle in January - the other was done before Christmas. (hoorah!)

Project 51/52:

I'm going to count these two wimpy projects as one. The first was going to be awesome! I got a freebie calendar from Oriental Trading Company that was pretty gaudy (appreciate it though!)

and got the advice to re-cover the pages myself! Rock on! I did two (well, one and half) but then received another much prettier freebie in the mail and decided to let myself off the hook. Worked out well anyhow b/c I was able to bless someone else who needed a new calendar immediately. :) Jan & Feb pics:

The other project I'll count (because I can) is not really very crafty. My toddler steps on crayons and breaks them (or breaks them on purpose) all the time and I finally decided to collect them and turn them into new wafer type crayons. I should have looked up a tutorial or something b/c I nearly burned the house down! lol!

They work though! :)

Project 50/52:

This was the most time-intensive, but my favorite so far this year. I got this idea from a magazine and made one for myself - learning a lot along the way - and then made one for Hillcrest using our logo. The day it was done I found this tutorial. *smacks head* I totally did it the hard way! lol!

Project 49/52:

Another fun one! I'm going to do more of these, this was my trial. Lily doesn't know she's getting this matching game when her little brother arrives - her mommy will know after reading this though! :) I decoupaged scrapbooking paper on lightweight wood tiles and used a letter stamp I borrowed from a(n awesome) friend. I can envision all kinds of things to do with these! Think I'm going to sew up a little drawstring bag to gift them in. :)

So 48 more to go! woot! :)

Toy Organizer

I can't for the life of me remember which book, blog, or magazine I got this idea from - but I definitely stole it. It took me a while to collect the materials and now I can't track the source down, but let me know if you have an idea where I might have seen it. :)

We've collected a fair amount of matchbox type cars, trains, and other vehicles that tend to shift to the bottom of the toy bin and Aidan really enjoys them so I've been keeping them in a shoe box for a while. I love this idea for gluing toilet paper or paper towel tubes to the bottom of a shoebox.

And my lovely friend April helped me choose scrapbooking paper and explained how to decoupage it onto the box and seal it. Very fun and easy project!

I *do* still craft!

Cross posted at my family blog a while ago.

It's been forever since I updated , but I haven't abandoned my true love - no worries. ;)

My friend Tori has been crafting up a storm and making me completely envious of her skill and determination! I wish I had half the talent she does, but crafting is partly about the process so it is (thankfully) very fulfilling despite. ;) I haven't knitted in forever and am sewing machine-less at the moment, but I've done a (very) few other things.

Presents for my little sister with a new undecorated college dorm room. Pencil/pen holder or vase, crocheted. And her name plate. Yay for Dollar Tree craft supplies!

Bracelet and Brooch for neice Skylar's 10th birthday! My older sister pointed them out in this month's issue of Family Fun (see it here) and I thankfully had all of the supplies on hand.

Way back on St. Patty's day I made Aidan a shamrock shirt:

And I thought I took pictures of this when I made it, but evidently not. Too bad b/c it's tattered and torn now. :( I'll have to write a whole post about our applique party sometime.

A is for "Aidan" and "army men."

Etsy Day!

Save Handmade!

The Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act would prevent crafters in the US from selling their handmade toys unless they spend a ridiculous amount of time and money to prove that they are safe from children (free from lead and other toxins).

While keeping our children safe is a priority that deserves attention at the federal level, the wording of this particular legislation stifles stay-at-home-moms, farmers market merchants, small craft company owners, esty sellers and the like by forcing them to adhere to testing and registration requirements that only large companies can afford to comply with. Click on the button above for information about the CPSIA and how you can influence changes in the law that will affect so many crafters.

Christmas Gifts

Geesh! Almost 2 months without posting! I couldn't post about the things I was making for Christmas, so I had a hard time keeping up with this blog. And of course, Christmas crafting was taking up most of what would have normally been blogging time. I got photos of almost everything I made for Christmas and almost everything was sewn. My friend Kim is letting me borrow her machine right now and I can't tell you how refreshing it is to be able to whip things up in a matter of hours rather than weeks!

Not the best picture, but probably the most satisfying project. I made a taggie blanket for little Timber that was so cute I almost couldn't give it away. It's black on the underside and so soft. :)


For another special little girl, my neice Kaeleigh, I made a doll-sized baby sling. I didn't make the doll, it came from my favorite local boutique, Luticia Clementines. And here's a photo of my little guy modeling how it's worn. He'll love me for this in 15 years. ;)


Kaeleigh's big sister Skylar is becoming such a little lady that I made her her own adjustable apron. She'll be able to grow into it for years. This photo is of me wearing it:


Quite a few relatives got variations of rice, barley, and flax seed filled heat and cold therapy packs based off of the ones on the Sew, Mama, Sew blog. What a wonderful tutorial! And everyone enjoyed them. yay!


My little sister Patty got a cell phone charm, the only non-sewn gift this year, based off of the crochet pattern from anapaula:


And would you believe that I made the same scarf for my friend Kim and my mother and failed to get a picture of either of them? geesh!

There are at least three things that I didn't get finished this year that are on my list for next year, and I got a ton of ideas. Hopefully by this time next year I will actually have an area in our new apartment dedicated completely to crafting! yay!

Finally finished wool wrap!

Wow, this darn thing took me forever! It certainly wasn't because it was large or challenging... I just... *couldn't* keep at it. Have you ever had a project like that? For whatever reason, you reach a point where the motivation's just not there? I am very happy to have finally completed it! Today is my baby's 9 month birthday and I started the wrap a few days before he was born!!! It's a good thing I made it extra big! At least I knew myself well enough not to expect my newborn to wear it!!

I used the Warm Heart Woolies pattern and country 8ply by Cleckheaton in this amazing green color. I should have sewn the buttons closer together, but I have a big boy and assumed they would need to be further out. I'll fix that sooner or later. For now it's still a little bit either way.