Birthday Baby

Nieces turning 2 need to have a baby doll....

My summer crafting buddy, Erika, found this blog post showing how to make a "Garden Doll".  She informed me that we would be making them. I agreed.

We followed the tutorial up until needle felting got involved... not ready for that (yet!?!)... Instead we made flowers out of felt and used the blanket stitch to attach them.  We also headed over to a blog called Shiny Happy World to get some tips on how to make the face.  When I need help, and I often do in the sewing department, this is my go-to site.

It was a simple doll to make... We each made two to give away to some special little girls.

Hoot... Hoot...

I am a softie for softies, especially if an OWL is involved. 

I got the idea and the pattern from Ellie, my little sewing buddy... 

She made this owl shuffled animal  during a class at Sew to Speak.  Here is her softie! 

Ellie's Owl

I travel home to MA for a few many weeks every summer. Usually I don't pack too many crafting supplies. This year I packed my felt and planned to make time to sew a few small projects. This owl was one of them. I cut, sewed, and stuffed this little guy in a matter of a couple of hours. 

My Owl

The new owner of this little guy has been happily hooting ever since!

"Auntie" Sleepover... No. 2

Ellie had a plan from the moment she knew she was having a sleepover all by herself. She hoped for.... but didn't expect, a trip to her (and now my) favorite sewing shop in Clintonville: Sew to Speak.  We needed to pick out fabric for a project. My that store is hard to leave without leaving half your paycheck behind! So many fun things...

We got started right away and worked all night and into the next day. We had fun and in the end we made two cute snail softies.

Looking for the perfect eyes.

Ellie picked it out! 

Cutting the felt

Sewing... Sewing... and more Sewing! 

Braided fabric for the shell

Finished product! 

Happy Girl! 

"Auntie" Sleepover.... No. 1

June has come and gone and so have the "Auntie" sleepovers, but it sure was fun to have the girls come and stay. They wanted to sew.... so that is what we did.

We made pillows and sleeping bags for Barbies/dolls!

I'm back....

Blogging and crafting is put on hold during the spring/ end of the school year. There is too much testing teaching  going on to spare moments to create. I do come across tons of things I want to make, which helps me push though to summer!

It's August... and I have had a pretty crafty summer and ready to share now that I am home and I am no longer distracted by....

Hiking in NH

Lovin' on the Niecphews! 

Life on Lake Winnipesaukee, NH

Oh... and moving to a new place!

Love...

Gotta Love Pinterest! 

I sent this to my sister in the midst of her final semester as a college student... I added glitter to the letters... So fun!

Sister Inspired

My sweet sister, Rebecca, was inspired to handcraft her own Christmas ornaments. Her inspiration came from Pinterest. 

Rebecca's Ornament

My Ornament

I love Pinterest! I find it to be very addicting, all the crafting ideas you can ever imagine all in one place!!! Yet, one of my biggest Pinterest complaints is not being able to easily find the original post when you click on the image. I want that click to take me to the exact post, without me having to navigate through 3 years worth of blog entries.... Oh well... you win some, and you lose some!  After some deep searching I finally found the original source of this cute idea... I like to give credit...

Christmas Elving... Part 4

Saving the best for last... as least I think so!

Last summer I was in an unfinished wood store shopping for crates to use in my classroom and I stumbled upon a little doll cradle. I knew right then and there what my niece would be getting for Christmas. I could easily envision myself sanding and staining the cradle, but the part I really wanted to tackle was the bedding. I took it upon myself to take the challenge: Make a mattress, blanket, and a few pillows.

I DID IT... and for those of you who know me and my past experiences with a sewing machine this IS a big deal.

I tackled this project a little bit differently. I took it slowly. I actually read the owners manual for the machine. This helped tremendously, I feel like I know the Olde Singer just a little bit better. I also spent some time practicing before I started.  I spent some time watching tutorials on YouTube.

Now, I didn't have a pattern... I wouldn't even begin to know what to do with one of those. So, I just winged it. I measured, cut, pinned, and sewed. It isn't perfect, but I am proud of what I accomplished and hope it is the first of many more attempts.

Oh... and if you are wondering if Carlene liked it... You'll have to take a peak at the little video I made.

Christmas Elving.... Part 3

One of my favorite projects is the annual Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments.  Here is a link to last years.... and the year before. I keep an eye out for a cookie cutter all year long looking for the perfect ornament shape. This year I found a cookie cutter to share with all the little ones to show where "Auntie" lives. I believe some of them even think my last name is "FromOhio".  This year I made 12 ornaments to share... I just love being "Auntie". 

Here is the Salt Dough recipe I use... I love it, because it is super easy.

½ cup salt

1 cup flour

½ cup hot water

Preheat oven to 250°. Mix together salt, flour, and hot water until dough is formed. Knead dough on a floured surface until mixture is elastic and smooth. If dough is too sticky add a small amount of flour. Careful not to add to much or dough will crack. Roll out dough to ¼” thick. Use cookie cutters to form shapes. Use a straw to make a hole near the top. Place on un-greased cookie sheet and bake 2 hours. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Paint with acrylic paint… Use ribbon to make ornament.

and here is where I got the twine to string them.