The Sunshine Award

Thanks Leo & Junie for passing this great reward on to me & my blog :) Make sure you go check out her blog---it's a good one :)

The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity & creativity inspires other in the blog world.

Here are my nominations :)

1. Anna Clo't & Me

2. Kate's Cottage

3. Little Green Shoot

4. Sweet Cakes

5. Two Little Bluebirds

6. The Vintage Pearl

7. French Press Knits

8. Amazing Mae

9. The Creative Crate

10. Fyrecreek's Bazaar

11. One Click Gallery

12. Finding Charm

They are all really great blogs...make sure you go take a look :)

**here are the rules--so you can pass the love along :)**

Put the logo on your blog or within your post.

Pass the award onto 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 received this award.

2nd Life Tresury...

I love upcycling....I have mostly worked on furniture. Not only does upcycling cut down on cost a little bit (& of course, is good for the environment)...it makes it so that I can decorate my house with one-of-a-kind pieces that "go" perfectly in my house.

Etsy has TONS of great artist that upcycle & I am always amazed at what they can come up with....so I have devoted this treasury to 2nd Lives.

Go visit & leave me a comment if you get a chance--I always love to hear what you think :)

Color Wheel Treasury

I feel like I am hogging all the treasuries...but I had an idea I needed to try.

One night it popped in to my head (I am not a great sleeper...about a million things run through my head as I lay there trying to get to sleep)... to make a roy g. biv (the colors of a rainbow) treasury...that morphed into trying to replicate a color wheel. See the similarities?

You can click and comment here :)

color wheel image found here

Trying Something New...

I've been thinking about making a boy appropriate crayon apron for a while...something like a tool belt. Today I finally put it to the test...it's not perfect...and please don't judge my hurried sewing job :)

A couple things I need to change: make separated crayon pockets...maybe 3 pockets that hold 5 crayons each...so the bottom doesn't "ruffle" when it's full of crayons & make the notebook loop a little smaller/tighter. I think I am going to stick to solid colors for the fabric..I'm not loving the print.

Let me know what you think :) I would LOVE some feedback.

Super Hero Cape Tutorial (and a second way to use the pattern)

These make super fun party favors...that are really easy (and so much better than a bag of candy) + it's great to have a bunch of kids running around in capes. It doesn't hurt that they don't cost a lot of money either....I made mine for under $2.00 each. Watch for sales, but plain, colored cotton fabric is never very expensive.

You will need (for each):

1/2 yard...you may want a little extra just in case :), 45 width cotton fabric (wash & iron before hand)

1 sheet white felt

1 sheet colored felt (you will only use about 1/4..or less of it)

iron-on Velcro

thread

sewing machine, scissors, iron, letter template, pins

1. Cut out your letters and superman "decal"...out of the felt. Sorry there is no template for the "decal" I sketched the design on a piece of paper, folded it in half so that both sides were even & cut out...it's basically a triangle with all the points cut off.

2. Center your letter on the decal. Using your machine...stitch very close to the edge...go slowly & it's not too hard. If you are uncomfortable machine stitching it, you can always hand sew it on.

3. Create a pattern & cut out you cape fabric. Measure your child's shoulders, how long you want the cape, and how wide you want it at the bottom add 1 inch for your seam allowance. I used these measurements for my 5 yr. old... top: 9 inches wide, side: 22 1/2 inches long . Cut two pieces (I put the bottom edge along the fold, which makes one less side to sew).
Also, cut 2 strips- 3 inches x 7 1/2 inches for your straps.

4. Sew the letter decal onto the right side of one layer of the fabric you just cut out for your cape. Stitch very close to the edge again.

5. Press your strips of fabric in half long-ways...reverse fold and stitch right sides together, leaving one short side unstitched. Clip corners & turn right side out, press again. Attach Velcro per package directions...make sure you put your Velcro on the right sides :) one should be on the top of one strap, the opposite on the other strap.

6. Layer all your pieces together now...making sure the right sides are all together, with the straps positioned along the top about 1/2 to 3/4 inches in from side seams. (place fold of straps toward center, so that the fold will be the top when finished...also make sure one Velcro piece is facing up, the other down). Pin and stitch (use presser foot as your seam allowance) all the way around...leaving about 4- 5 inches unsewn, so you can turn it right side out.

7. Clip corners, turn right side out & press all seams. Top stitch, with your needle positioned to the right, around the entire cape (no need to do the straps)...and your done :).

********

now...another way to use this pattern...

You can make this super cute apron...

**See more pictures on my sidebar :)**

Follow all the same directions above...only leaving out the super hero decals & adding a sash (I also added some eyelet along the bottom. You can make these for boys too...use solid colors (or more boy appropriate prints)...and use a strip of fabric for the sash instead of the eyelet...use the same technique that we used for the straps, only make it longer & hand stitch the open end to close after turning. My sash is 50 inches long....adjust yours to meet your needs :).

I sewed on the details after the apron was completely sewn.

Cut a piece of eyelet a little longer than the bottom hem. Pin & sew on. Press the raw side edges of eyelet under (so it is even with the side of the apron) and secure with a few hand stitches.

For the sash, I used unfinished eyelet trim.... I folded over the top edge & ironed, then folded in each end to make a point. You can use the finished kind too...just fold ends over to make a point (or just roll under raw edge) & hand stitch.

Next find the center of the sash and center it on the horizontal center of the apron...I placed mine 8 inches down from the top. If you have unfinished eyelet, stitch from one end of the eyelet to the other, sewing it onto the apron in the process, stitching with your presser foot to the left & using the foot as your seam allowance. If you used finished eyelet or a fabric sash, just stitch onto the apron (stitch both sides of the fabric sash).

Have fun making them...I would love to see pictures of your projects...you can upload pictures onto my Facebook fan page :)

Pin It

The Cowboy State...Another Treasury

I've been feeling a little homesick...I miss my family (they all live way out west in Wyoming, Montana & Colorado...I live on the east coast)

I love to visit Wyoming...and I had no problem growing up there... I think it's beautiful.

So until this summer when the kids & I get to visit Papa & Shorty...this will have to do :)

Click & Comment Here (please) :)

Super Hero Party Games

1. Taking out the Bad Guys...

knock over as many villains as you can...

You need:

*1 sheet black, foam core poster board

*villains cut outs (I used coloring pages from here)
*scissors

*craft knife

*glue dots
*white colored pencil

*balloons

*rice, small dry beans or split peas, or flour

1. Cut out your villains...I left a little white border, so it wasn't so tedious.
2. Using a plate and white colored pencil, trace an arch to make the stand for your villain, depending on the villain's size, then draw strait sides (see picture) & cut out with your craft knife.

3. I used 3D glue dots to attach the villains to the foam core...glue works just as well :).

4. Cut a small notch out of the bottom of your stand, mine were 1.5 inches tall and as wide as the foam core. Cut a rectangle out of the leftover foam core 3 x 1.5 inches, and slide into the notch you just cut out...it should stay with out any glue.

***

If you want to make your own balloon bean bags, take two balloons, cut one just below the "neck" of the balloon. Using a funnel, fill the whole balloon with rice, dried beans or flour (I used rice); tie tightly. Take cut balloon and stretch over tied balloon, make sure the knot is covered by the stretched balloon....you may want help for this part...it can be awkward to get the 2nd balloon on :). Use a pin to let out any air bubbles from the filled balloon...and your done.

2. Sticky Spider Man Hands...

grab balloons using your spidy sense :)

***Thanks Jenna (my younger sister) for the idea!...

I'm so glad it worked.***

You need:

*a lot of balloons, blown up

*stretchy, sticky hands (see picture)

Two ways to play:

1. Pile balloons up in the center of the room & just let the kids go at it...flinging their sticky hands and trying to get as many balloons as they can.

2. Divide kids into two teams & make it a relay race. One person from each team runs to get a balloon from the pile at the other end of the room; then runs back and the next kid in line goes...which ever team gets the most wins.

3. Stick the Spider on the Web

This is an easy (and obvious) game :)...we were happy to discover though that stretchy spiders are sticky enough to stick to a poster. The kids had a lot of fun with this one (and did a lot of peeking).

Have fun :)