The Crafty Chicka

Pinkalicious 4th Birthday

2011-06-11T12:31:00.000-07:00

We had a very Pinkalicious birthday for my twin 4 year olds!

Each little girl had to get pinked out with a Pinkalicious crown and a wand. My awesome sister Breanna painted all their little nails pink.

:: Lots of pink foods ::

:: Pinkalicious Cupcakes ::
Homemade Strawberry cupcakes with Strawberry buttercream

:: Games Outside ::

We read "Pinkalicious"

The birthday girls. I love Peyton's face in this picture {she was having a moment}!

:: Cupcake Pinata ::

:: Presents ::

:: Goodies for our guests ::
Tutu Totes, Pinkalicious Playdoh, Cupcake Crayons and Coloring Pages

We had so much fun with our cute little friends!

Felt Princess {Birthday} Crown Tutorial

2011-06-09T19:47:00.000-07:00

...Supplies...
1 Pattern {see below}
Felt {2 Colors for the crown + additional colors for embellishments}
Fabric Pen
Pinking Shears
Hot Glue

Gems

Print Pattern. Match pieces A + B. Use extra band piece if you need to make the pattern for larger head. The pattern fits a 3/4 year old. Measure you child's head or just wrap the pattern around the head. There should be a few inches overlapping.

Trace your pattern onto the inner piece of felt. Preferably use fabric pen...but if you are like me and don't have one and impatient you can just use a sharpie!!

With 2 pieces of felt pinned together sew around the entire crown inside the line. If you used a sharpie give yourself about 1/4 inch inside the line. Then take your pinking shears and cut around the crown outside where you sewed.

This is the front of my crown

Hot glue some strips of velcro to the ends

Time to embellish!!

Cut out circles of various sizes and colors

Make flowers of varying shapes and sizes

Hot glue flowers to crown. Done!! If you are like me...repeat 9 more times to get ready for a Pinkalicious party!! :)

Felt Princess Crown

Linking up to THESE parties!

Ruffle Picture Board

2011-06-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

This pinkalicious party is all about girlie girl pinkness...aka RUFFLES!! So when I saw THIS on Someday Crafts I just had to make one!!

Lot's of pink. I love that it looks like ruffle fabric. I used the same method as HERE and hot glued them to a piece of foam board. I covered clothes pins in ribbon to hang pictures.

Add some cute pictures...love!!

Countdown to Pinkalicious Party!!

Linking up HERE

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Cupcake Crayons {free printable}

2011-06-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

Party Favors {on a budget}

I really like to put non-junk items into the party bags. I came up with these for our Pinkalicious party along with a coloring book printed from Here! I made cupcakes but you could make just about any shape you can find a candy mold for and print out coloring pages for any party theme.

Supplies:
Gather all of those broken crayons {or pick up a few boxes of cheap crayons}
Candy mold of your choice

If you are a plan ahead kinda gal...save a few can while your cooking during the week. If you are like me...open some cans of beans and make some Chili! Wash and dry cans.

Put a few inches of water in a saucepan. Add your cans and throw the crayons in. Have fun and play with the colors. {pink + blue = pretty periwinkle!}

Pour the colors into the mold. Make sure it is tilted back so it doesn't spill out! Fill it all the way...I only took a picture of it half full. Mix up the colors and when the kiddos color it will change colors!

Once it cools a bit {not wobbly} put it in the freezer to harden. Pop out and color away!! These would even be fun to have out for a coloring activity for a kid's birthday party...or stocking stuffers. The possibilities go on and on!

And just so your cuties don't think these are candy...I made a little label to put on the crayon bags. And lucky you can make it too! Check out the link below. Print on sticker or regular paper. Enjoy!

Cupcake Crayon

I will link to THESE parties! Check em' out!

Feature Thursday

2011-06-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get overwhelmed by the amount of pure CUTENESS on the internet. There are SO many ideas and projects...never ending inspiration. So here are some of my favorite things I've seen this week!

First a preview for some things I've been working on but no time to blog about {we've got a Kindergarten field trip + high school graduation BBQ for sister + birthday party...and of course none of them are in the same city!!}

Cupcake Crayons + Tank Twirly Dress

Who knew you could print on a paper bag?! I love this idea and love the images she chose. Find these at Cottage Hill.

photo from Cottage Hill

How cute would this cake be for a rainbow themed birthday party {or a Tuesday!?} Check out Crafty Mama.

photo from Crafty Mama

Bugaboo, Mini Mr. and Me made the sweetest skirt and she has a matching one for mom! I love the stripes...hmmm must keep eyes out for stripes...yellow ones! :)

photo from Bugaboo, Mini Mr. and Me

There are oh so many more but I gotta jet! Thanks for sharing all of your wonderful ideas!!

Grab a button if you have been featured {on sidebar}!

Tutu Totes

2011-06-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

Party Bags {on a budget}

I love having cute bags to give as party favors. I'm making these for our Pinkalicious party but they would be great for a princess party, ballerina party or just a for a little girlie girl. This is such a simple project that it is perfect teaching project for a new sewer.

Supplies:
*fray check & hot glue or fabric glue {not shown}

Put your 10x10 felt squares together and sew around 3 sides, leaving the top side open

Take the bottom edge and measure 2" on each side. Mark with pins or fabric pen

Pull out corner matching edge to edge. Sew a line from 2" mark to 2" mark and trim off excess.

Repeat on the other corner and then turn your tote right side out

Use fray check to seal the ends of your ribbon and pin to the inside of your tote. Use a decorative stitch and sew around the entire top of your tote, making sure to catch the ribbon handles.

Cut a 7" wide strip of tulle. Using the longest stitch setting, sew a gathering stitch along the top side of your tulle and gather your tulle piece to match the width of your tote.

Using a zigzag stitch, sew your "tutu" to your bag, a few inches from the top

Trim any extra tulle {above the zigzag stitch}. Use fabric glue or hot glue to glue sequin ribbon over the stitching.

A tote fit for a Pinkalicious Princess!

I will be linking up to THESE parties!

Crafty Baking {Chinese Takeout Cupcakes}

2011-05-31T11:19:00.000-07:00

I adore baking...but I especially enjoy Crafty baking! One of my favorite cupcake books is "What's New Cupcake". The first book "Hello Cupcake" is also a winner! Their cupcakes are so clever yet so simple to make {although some are VERY time consuming!!}

I tried out the Chinese Takeout Cupcakes to send with my husband to work. His co-workers always get a kick out of my quirky creations.

I was at a local Chinese Takeout picking up food and asked them if I could buy some of their takeout boxes. I got a huge stack for like $2!! WAY cheaper then buying them at a craft store!!

The broccoli on the chow mein was by far the coolest looking. One of my husbands co-workers brought his cupcakes home to show his kids and one of his daughters was grossed out that I would but BROCCOLI on cupcakes!! Until of course she found out it was CANDY!

Breakdown on the chow mein cupcakes:
Broccoli: green tootsie rolls rolled a bit. Snip the top part into two pieces..dollop green frosting and dip in green sprinkles
Green onions: green licorice sniped at a diagonal
Pork Slivers: Warm pink starbursts a bit and roll out, then slice and shape
I tinted homemade frosting with a little green and yellow food coloring until I got the right color then put it in a quart freezer* ziplock, snipped the end and made the chow mein on the cupcake and added my toppings!

Breakdown on the Fried Rice cupcakes:
Green Peas: Green Jelly Bellys cut in half
Carrots: Orange starbursts cut into 1/4" cubes
Scrambled Eggs: Yellow starbursts cut into strips and stretched out
Rice: Rice crispies mixed with frosting

The fortune cookie mini cupcakes were my favorite! To make the fortune cookies melt a square caramel in the microwave for a few seconds. Roll it out with a rolling pin and use a round cookie cutter to cut a circle. Then fold it over, shape and pinch the middle, leaving the ends open. Then you can print little messages and put them in the "cookies".

For more details check out the book! What's your favorite crafty dessert!?

*When you are piping icing make sure you use freezer bags instead of regular ziplocks. They are much more durable and won't pop on you!

Knit Everyday Dress

2011-05-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

My 3 year olds have a favorite dress from Gap Kids and I decided to try my hand at duplicating a version of with some of my knit from Patti Young. First make your pattern. I used the dress I was trying to duplicate but you could grab any tank top of your kids. Fold it in half and trace to make the bodice pattern. I wanted a more boat neckline so I did a higher neck.

Place your pattern on fold and cut out 2. If you want a lower neckline in the front and higher in the back just make a back pattern and front pattern with a lower neckline and cut out one of each.

With right sides together sew shoulder seams. Finish edges with serger {i honestly don't think you need to finish the edges if you don't have a serger. Knot doesn't fray}

To make lining for the neckline use your the neckline of your top to trace and make a lining piece. Cut two of these.

Match up the lining pieces to the neckline. Pin the pieces at ends so you know where to sew them together. You want the pieces to match up with the neckline once you sew them together.

Put your lining pieces right sides together and sew on the short side. If you have a serger, serge around the outside of the lining piece {not the side you will attach to the neckline}

Pin your lining to the neckline, right sides together and sew around the neckline.

Fold the lining toward the inside of the dress...iron and then top stitch.

On the backside cut a slit

Serge raw edges. Fold raw edges in 1/4 of an inch. I like to start from the center and work my way toward the outside. On one side sew an elastic loop. Then starting from the inside sew your way back to the other side. Hand sew a button to the other side.

Sorry I forgot to picture this but to make your sleeve pattern take your top and open it all the way up. Trace along the round side where the sleeve will go. This will give you a U looking shape. Cut two of these. I surged the raw edges and folded them in 1/4" and then top stitched

If you are making this for someone at home try your top on your cute and measure the distance from thee bottom to the length you want. I decided to make my skirt part 9 1/2" long. for the width and did 4 x's the width of my top so I would have plenty of room for pleating and the skirt would have some twirl.

First finish the hem of the skirt part. I surged and then folded up. I used a double needle to top stitch but you could use a regular strait stitch or even a zigzag stitch.

Then sew the short ends together, right sides together.

Pin the skirt to the top {right sides together} I like to start by matching up the side seam and pinning both sides so there is an equal amount of fabric in the front and the back.

To pleat just pull a piece over about 1/2" and pin.

Sew the skirt piece to your top and you are DONE!!

Perfect for Twirling

Or Strutting down the street {in tap shoes}

And a super simple headband complete the outfit!

{I hope that this tutorial made sense. Please let me know if you have questions!!}

Click HERE to see where I will be linking up

Dr. Seuss Birthday Party

2011-05-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

B's 5th Birthday...Dr. Seuss Style

The invitation

The Cat in the Hat greeted the guests as they arrived

The birthday girl with her WHO hairdo

Seuss Style Banner

We turned one of the rooms into "Whooville" with pictures of the Grinch, Christmas lights and a Christmas tree.

The Menu:
{Snacks with Brown and Black} PB&J and Apples
{Red Fish * Blue Fish} Red and Blue Jello Jigglers
{Green Eggs & Ham} Rolled ham and Green Deviled Eggs
{Schlottz Knots}
{Poodles with Noodles} Pasta Salad

{Pink Ink Drink} Strawberry Milk

My Amazing Who Helpers

Dessert Table

{Horton Cupcakes} Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
{Fish Cookies} Sugar Cookies with Fondant Icing and a little goldfish
{Yertle the Turtle Cookies} Chocolate Dipped Pecan Cookies
{Thing One Thing Two Cupcakes} Red Velvet Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream and Cotton Candy Toppers

Candy Bar

Goody Bags. Bought these from the $$ Store and added my own labels to them

Party Favors

I found cute flower pots at Tai Pan Trading after Valentines day {clearance!!}. I put a bag of dirt with some seeds inside and attached a poem from the Lorax. So each little girl took home a "Truffula Tree"

I bought some red fish, blue fish soaps from THIS etsy shop and added my own labels

Me & the Birthday Girl

The games were the easiest to plan...but I think the kid's favorite part!

We played pin the heart on the grinch
Thing 1 Thing 2 relay race
Cat in the Hat May I?
Horton, Horton, WHO! {instead of duck duck goose}
Truffula Fruit Bean Bag Toss
Make Horton Fly {then we let the kids play under the sheet}

Such a fun party for a fun little girl!!

Party Supplies {on a budget}

2011-05-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

My twins are turning 4 in two weeks!! My babies are surly not babies any more :(. I asked them what kind of party they wanted. Well I ACTUALLY asked them if they wanted a dolly and me party. Nope...PRINCESS! I asked them if they wanted a jungle party, a monkey party, a ladybug party, a butterfly party. Nope... PRINCESS! {I don't know...I'm just SO over princess. But I really wanted them to be involved in the party}. Luckily my last ditch effort to stear them away from princess I asked them if they wanted a Pinkalicious Party. YES!!!!

Pinkalicious of course is based on this adorable book. I honestly think they just liked it because it was going to be a PINK party...their favorite color.

I have a pretty tight budget for this party so I'll be making everything and trying to use things that I already have.

One thing that can totally add up are party supplies...plates, cups, napkins etc. I priced them out at Target and Zurchers {local party store} and for my small party {12 kids} it would have cost about $16 just for the cute plates, napkins and cups.

At my dollar store however I could get the same amount of plates, napkins and cups for $6. So I did. But they are so plain...so boring...so vanilla!

Enter streamer ruffles!!! I saw this tutorial at My Paper Crane and decided to spruce up my $$ tableware with ruffles!

Since I'm going to be making a TON of ruffles for this party I bought the honkin rolls at the party store for $1.68 each.

For the plates I stacked the two pinks on top of each other and cut them in half.

To ruffle just sew a line down the center of the streamer and squish it under as you go.

Grab some hot glue and glue the ruffle around your plate and voila...ruffle plates. My little 4 year olds gasped with glee when they saw me making them. "So pretty mama!"...love my little ones.

Same thing for the cups except I didn't cut the streamer in half

While I was at it I had a silver cup that was holding scissors in my sewing room. A little hot glue...a little ruffles and I like it a lot better!

Stay tuned for more party supplies {on a budget}

Linking up to:
The Thrifty Home * Sew Much Ado * Blue Cricket Design * Seven Thirty Three
Someday Crafts

No Sew Rosette Headband Tutorial

2011-05-23T21:40:00.000-07:00

{EASY PEASY}
No Sew Rossette Headband Tutorial

I've been having so much fun making these headbands for my girls {and friends}. They are so cute and cost less than $1 to make. Can't beat that!!

{Supplies}

* Fabric. You can use cotton, silk, fake silk, satin...really anything that you can tear long strips. Rip 1 1/2" strips by snipping at one end and then ripping down the other. Make sure you go selvage to selvage {those are the finished edges of the fabric}

* Headbands...I get 4 for $1 at the $$ store

*Ribbon

*Hot Glue Gun

*Fray Check {can be found at your local craft store}

{Step One}
Start at one end of your strip. Dab some hot glue in the center of the end and fold it into thirds

{Step Two}
Roll the little end of your fabric {now 1/2 wide}. Twist the fabric and begin to wrap it around your center...adding hot glue as you go. {tip...make sure your hot glue is put toward the bottom so that you won't be able to see it on the top of your rosette}

Keep twisting your fabric and gluing as you go. I like to twist it so you can see the fray and the print side of the fabric. Twist the fabric tighter or looser for a different look.

{Step 3}

Once you have the rosette the size you want, wrap the rest of the fabric around the back side and hot glue the tail. Snip off any excess fabric.

You can make any combo you want...one large one, three small ones, one big and two small. Twist and glue to your heart's desire.

{Step Four}
When you are finished making your rosettes...get a piece of felt and hot glue your rosettes to the felt. Then trim around the felt. You want it to hide underneath your rosettes.

{Step 5}
Since I buy $$ store headbands, I wrap them in grossgrain ribbon. Start at the bottom and add a little hot glue at a time to the TOP of the headband. Glue and wrap, glue and wrap.

Since I only had thick ribbon, I cut off an inch or so for the bottom of the headband. I glued the ribbon in half so the width would match the width of the headband. Finish the edges with fray check and glue to the bottom of the headband. This will cover the bottom edges of the headband.

{Step Six}
Sorry no picture! To attach the rosette to the headband, cut another piece of felt the same size/shape as the one of the back of your rosette. Hot glue the rosette to the headband and on the bottom side of the headband, glue the felt to the felt on the bottom side of the rosette. You could just glue the rosette to the headband, but if you add the felt, it gives it extra stability and it should last longer.

{Step Seven}

Enjoy the smiles you'll get from a happy little girl!!

Big Sister, Little Sister Apron Knot Dress

2011-05-18T16:06:00.000-07:00

{my cute model}

Birthday's always inspire me to sew. My friend Ashley's little girls just turned 1 and 3 so I made little Apron Knot Dresses. Love these dresses...perfect for spring.

Dress for Big Sister

Dress for Little Sister

Love Bird Bridal Shower

2011-05-15T01:50:00.000-07:00

I had the fun opportunity to throw my sister a bridal shower. I am so excited for her to get married in a few weeks! We stuck with her wedding colors since we already had lots of fabric in her colors...and since I might have a small obsession with birds I picked a "love bird" theme.

On the menu...Tortolini in a creme sauce, Caprese Bites, Garlic Bread Knots and Berry Pine Nut Salad

Clearance vase from Roberts + Rocks from the $$ store + Wheat Grass + Birdies found here = cute love birdie table topper!

What fun girls to plan a shower with!!

Canvas wall hangings...so easy! 4 Canvas {found mine at Walmart}. Cut out fabric, enought to cover the front and wrap around. Staple gun the fabric to the back of the canvas. Cut out coordinating fabric in the design you want. I used a stencil for the letters and used this template {printed 2 on a page so I got the size I needed}. Then just add mod podge to the front of the canvas, add your picture/letter and mod podge the front. I love how they turned out and since these are the colors she is also using in her home the also turn out to be a fun gift for the bride to be!

This is one of the funniest games I've ever seen at a shower {the maid of honor came up with this} and so perfect for my silly sister. So to "prepare" the bride for any challenges that may come up in the future, we blind folded her because the "lights went out on her honeymoon and she had to get ready to go see her husband...in the dark". We put a ton of silly items {including this awesome moo moo} in a suitcase and Steph put them all on. And we just all laughed...it was hillarious. But that is why I love my sister...she is so silly and has such a fun sense of humor.

For dessert we had a Ice Cream Sundae bar.

This was totally inspired by EatDrinkChic.

I made my own labels because her colors didn't match but I love how she put links to the fonts she used and I basically just copied her concept. {don't compare mine...her's is still soooo much better...but it was so fun...and yummy!}

My amazing dad made waffle bowls from scratch {42 of them to be exact!} And they were yum!

So happy for my sister. She is such a kind and thoughtful girl. So happy to celebrate her!

Santa's Workshop

2010-11-06T00:08:00.000-07:00

Well, something happens this time of year...my office becomes a sweatshop. Every January I think that I'll get these gifts done throughout the year. Uh...nope. The procrastinator in me would just not like that. So when I realized that I had to get all of my gifts done by Wednesday...yeah I finally decided to get to work. 1 family done...1 more family to go.

And it isn't actually that I haven't been sewing. I just haven't been blogging...or sewing for Christmas! But here are a few things I've been working on these last few days...

This is Molly. Isn't she cute...my girls sure think so. I keep having to hide her because they Looooove this soft little monkey!

Some kimono style jammy/lounge outfit. I used Amy Butler's pattern from her "Little Stitches" book. At least the top.

Confession: These were the first pants I made. I haven't had a baby for a while...but they just looked like they might not be that comfortable. I guess I need a little practice putting pants together!

Coconut Lime Cupcakes

2010-05-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

Coconut Key Lime Cupcakes with
White Chocolate Frosting

I'm in quite the cupcake craze right now. I went to The Cocoa Bean Cupcake Cafe in Provo {go check it out...so yummy!} and tried their coconut lime cupcake and it was soooo good! Well, now I make them at home with this yummy recipe!!

{a few notes about this recipe}
I've made a few changes that turned out yummy. These don't have a super strong key lime flavor...so if you want them to pack a punch...add a little more zest and lime juice {just subtract some of the coconut milk}

They say to bake them for 25 minutes...but 20 minutes was perfect for regular size cupcakes.

I added coconut milk in place of some of the butter milk.

I made candied limes using THIS recipe to garnish.

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 2 eggs, at room temperature
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 heaping teaspoon grated key lime zest
* 1 1/2 tablespoons key lime juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/2 cup buttermilk {I used 1/4 cup lite coconut milk and 1/4 cup buttermilk}
* 1 1/3 cups loosely packed sweetened coconut flakes (3.5 ounces)

For the Frosting:

* 5 ounces good quality white chocolate, chopped into small chucks
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
* Pinch salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 tablespoon key lime juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)
* 1/4 cup sour cream
* Finely grated key lime zest, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, key lime zest and juice and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 5 parts total, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold the coconut into the cupcake batter.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners and fill each liner almost to the top with batter. A spring loaded 1/4 cup ice cream scoop works great for this and ensures the cupcakes are all the same size. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops begin to brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer cupcakes to a baking rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the frosting. In a small heat proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, carefully and slowly melt the white chocolate. Remove from heat and let cool until just slightly warm. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar until well combined. Add the salt, vanilla extract, key lime juice, and sour cream and mix until very smooth. Add the melted white chocolate and mix just until incorporated.

Frost the cupcakes and garnish with a bit of grated key lime zest. Enjoy!

Chalk Cloth Tutorial

2010-05-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

There are so many fun things you can do with Chalk Cloth!  I got home from grocery shopping tonight and decided to make a menu board out of my chalk cloth.  No more food going to waste because I forgot what I was going to make with it!  Here is a quick tutorial!

I got this frame at DI for $.50.  The glass broke before I could do anything with it...which is perfect because I don't need it anyway!  Toss out and glass and take out whatever is in the frame.

Take the mat out of the frame.  Cut out your chalk cloth about 1" bigger on all sides.  Mine is less than that because I already had a piece cut out for a different project...and it worked fine...but I think you will burn  your fingers less if you do about an inch! 

Use a hot glue gun to glue all the edges to the mat.  Pull tight and glue a few inches at a time for a smooth finish.

Turn your mat over and take a the long side of the chalk and write all over your board. This primes your chalk cloth.  Use a damp cloth to wipe off all of the chalk and let it dry.

Put your chalk board back in your frame and write out your menu!  Now you'll never have to wonder 
"What's for Dinner?"!

If you are wondering where to get chalk cloth.  They sell lots of it on Etsy.  Or if you are in Utah...just come to my house.  I bought quite a few yards of it wholesale and I don't think I'll be using it all!

One more tip...you can iron it!  I had some pieces that got quite wrinkly and I was able to iron it on the lowest setting.

Lil Mod Dress

2010-05-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

A little dress for my sweet little niece Regan. I am working on getting gifts to all of my family members...but lets face it...I have a lot of family members!!

This dress would have come together so quickly if not for this rounded neckline. I spent so much time trying to make it round and perfect. It isn't perfect...but it's pretty good.

Mother's Day Tutorial....sort of!

2010-05-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

Picnic-Tastic Lunch Mats

Finished the rest of the Leong Mothers Day gifts! Two more sets of picnic place mats using Sandi Henderson (old skool) fabric! I made these double sided.

Wanna make these! So easy!

Cut out place mat 22" wide by 16" tall (cut 4)
Cut pocket 7" wide x 4" tall (cut 4)
Cut napkin holder 2" wide x 4" tall (cut 4)

To make the place mats, fold the fabric over (right sides together). Your fabric should measure 16" wide x 11" tall. Sew together leaving an opening for turning. Turn mat right side out and use a chopstick to push out the edges. IRON, IRON and IRON some more. I used starch and the chopstick to make nice, crisp edges.

Top stitch around all four sides of the mat (this will close up the hole).

For the pocket, take the top edge...fold it down 1/4 inch...then another 1/4 inch. Press and top stitch. For the flatware holder take your 2x4" fabric. Fold it in half. Open again and fold both sides into the middle..then fold again. Iron and top stitch on both sides.

Put your flatware holder on top of the pocket piece and baste in place. Then take the three raw edges (with the newly attached flatware holder) and fold back 1/2 inch and iron (on the backside). Top stitch pocket to place mat. (does this part make any sense at all)?

And you have some fun place mats....so go on a picnic and enjoy!!

I have the cutest little helpers!!

Well, those were really not the best instructions...not really a tutorial, but it isn't my original work so I just wanted to pass the info along (mostly for Darcy!) Hope it wasn't too confusing!

Mother's Day Preview

2010-05-03T17:53:00.000-07:00

I'm not always the best at getting gifts out to family...but I really want to honor all of the mothers in my family!

About 2 summers ago, Robert's family started picnic in the park. It has become a little tradition. Everyone cooks something yummy and meets at the Chardonnay Hills park. So I decided to make a set of picnic place mats for Robert's sisters and mom. No more eating on those yucky picnic tables!! Here is a set that I made for one of his sisters. I still have two left to make...but I'm getting there!

I love this Tina Givens fabric. I wish I had some of the coordinates..but since I don't this was a perfect project!

The best part of the place mats...a cute little pocket to keep your napkin from flying away and a little spot for your flatware.

Tutorial was from "One Yard Wonders". So many fun ideas in that book!

Mix n Match

2010-05-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

I love how these outfits finally came out.

I started with the Madealine Apron Knot Dress found HERE.

Cute...but I think it loses something when you put a store bought top underneath!

So I added a peasant top and ruffle pants to complete the look.

Here is one of the outfits without the knot dress

Side view...I just love these cuddly girls!
I used this tutorial for the birthday crowns.

The fabric I used was from Patty Young's Flora & Fauna Collection. I just love the bright colors!

ps. I HEART my serger! Rolled hems make sewing so much faster!

poor procrastinator

2009-12-20T19:43:00.000-08:00

Boo hoo....woe is me...this is my sob story

I waited until 2 weeks before Christmas to make all of the many handmade Christmas gifts on my list.

My home fell apart {not literally but I have resigned to not answering the door for fear of my visiting teachers surprising me with a visit}

I gave myself a deadline. No more sewing after Friday, December 18th! {Robert has since said that next time I give myself a deadline it must come with a time as well}

So I stayed up all Friday night...because in my mind Saturday didn't start until I went to sleep. I had dreams of making adorable backpacks for my fun twin girls. It was the last thing on my list and I was determined not to sleep until I had both backpacks ready to wrap.

I finished the first of the two packpacks at 4am on Saturday morning. It turned out horrible. I was crushed. I decided to throw it away. Robert convinced me to keep it but I was bummed out. I think it may have been the major lack of sleep more than anything because not I don't think this backpack turned out HORRIBLE. It isn't good...but that is what I get for procrastinating.

It had such potential too...

I loved the fabric...Andalucia by Patty Young

Mistake #1: I used interfacing for everything...but I ran out for the zipper straps. I thought it would be fine. It was not. I think this would have been easier if I skipped the interfacing and used medium to heavy weight fabric instead of quilters cotton.

Back view...not horrible

Yikes...here is where it got ugly. I don't know if the measurements were off or if I did something wrong. But the loop {the zipper + sides + bottom} seamed too big when sewed onto the front and back. I'm pretty sure I did something wrong because I think I didn't sew them together in the right order. I was so tired and not thinking straight.

Ahh well...I was resigned never to sew again. But after a good nights sleep and a 3 hour nap today i think that I am ready to try this out again {maybe in January}

a peak into santa's workshop

2009-12-16T11:19:00.000-08:00

Just call me Santa.

Actually call me an elf. They are the ones that do all the slave labor right?

Since I am the slowest sewer in the world...I've been working long and hard on Christmas presents for my girls. I still have many more to go but I'm on a deadline and it is coming up very soon! Here is what I've done so far...

{glasses case for my grandma}

glasses pictured are not included *tutorial here*

{hair styling apron for brielle}

{vintage nightgown for brielle and her baby}

i did not make the backpack

{baking set for kylie}

just have to finish a can of *sprinkles*

{coordinating set for peyton}

i still have to finish the *cookie sheet and cinnamon rolls and frosting*

{christmas twirly skirt for brielle}

*tutorial here*

left on my list...
*twirly skirts for kylie and peyton*
*skirt for my sister breanna*
*backpacks for kylie and peyton*
*felt nativity*

Just a Wannabe

2009-12-16T04:37:00.000-08:00

I am a self proclaimed copy cat. And when I saw Bakerella make these adorable reindeers...I just had to copy. Robert's work party is today and he is taking all of my little reindeer friends to share.

Aren't they cute? I had so much fun making them...too bad I stayed up all night! At least I had Julie & Julia to keep me company...cute movie!

Christmas Cheer

2009-12-08T08:54:00.000-08:00

Not that I don't have a million Christmas presents to finish sewing...but I thought I would take a break to make this fun wreath. I raided our thrift store and bought all their glass ornaments! I used this tutorial for guidance. Super easy and fun.

I love how it adds a little CHEER to our otherwise bare wall

Priceless

2009-11-22T23:09:00.000-08:00

Ugly Keyboard Support
$17.50 plus shipping

Ugly Mouse Support
9.99 plus shipping

Fun (and basically free) Keyboard and Mouse Support

Plus being able to show my hubs just how much I love him!

Priceless!

Just a Taste!

2009-09-25T00:37:00.000-07:00

Well I've always loved to bake...and now I've found a Zero calorie way to get my cupcake fix! My friend Stacy has got me hooked on making these fun felt goodies! I still need some work but I am having a blast with them!

I am loving the felt food. It is inspiring me....hopefully more to come!!

Lil' Dress

2009-09-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

I'm finally back to sewing! I made this dress for my girl's to wear at my sister-in-law's wedding. I think it turned out so fun. I stuffed the dress with toole so it is really poofy at the bottom. I have to finish up the second dress now...

Tutu for youyou!

2009-07-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

I bought tulle to make a tutu for Brielle for her FIRST birthday. 3 years later I've finally made one! The ballerina outfit is the new outfit of choice. So fun. I may post a tutorial later...just for fun. It's not like they are hard to make at all. But it will make it easier for the crafty challenged.

My Ghetto FABULOUS Cake!

2009-06-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

I made a cake for my sister Kaitlyn's birthday. She is a funny girl and hates her birthday...and she doesn't like cake either. So I made her a rice crispy treat cake. The base is chocolate cake and the purse is rice crispy treat and chocolate marshmallow frosting.

Don't you love how excited she is! She wouldn't even let us sing happy birthday...stinker. But I had fun making the cake...even though I think it turned out a little ghetto.

The reason I think it is ghetto is because 1. I used buttercream frosting instead of fondant so it looks kind of sloppy and 2. The chocolate frosting was in the handle and it totally melted on the way to my cousin's house! Everyone loved it though and didn't care. I'm just ultra critical. It sure was yummy though...especially the rice crispy treat. I think I like it better than cake!

First of Many!

2009-06-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

I just finished my first bag! I really like how it turned out. It was an easy project and used very little fabric. The Buttercup Bag was designed by Made by Rae and the tutorial is HERE.

I love these bright colors. The outside fabric is Wildwood by Erin McMorris and the liner fabric is Blooming Bubbles by Alexander Henry

Lightbulb Moment

2009-06-24T15:27:00.000-07:00

Ever have one of those duh! moments?

We made banana cupcakes todays. I love making the mini cupcakes...they are just perfect for my little ones. The cupcake papers must be too big for my cupcake pan because they don't fit in just right.

Every time I would scoop some batter into the paper, the whole thing would turn on it's side. Not pretty...and very messy!

So I scooped my batter into a ziplock bag, snipped the end and voila! I was able to hold the paper still with one hand while piping the perfect amount of batter into the paper!

Ahhh...that's better!

See the difference? I need to get better papers because even the good ones are a tad bit lopsided. But they taste delish!!

Last of the Father's Day Posts

2009-06-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

This is a little late but I couldn't find my camera for a while. Here is the Father's Day card I made for Robert's dad. I got the idea from Martha Stewart's site but ended up using THIS tutorial for the shirt. I sewed on the buttons.

As for the Father's Day gift...I actually am not a fan of how it turned out. It was supposed to be a case for an mp3 player. I used the tutorial from Sew Mama Sew.

I think the reason I didn't love it 1. The fabric. I picked it out at Joannes (first mistake) and with all my kids so I was in a major rush. 2. It was way to big for an mp3 player. I found some better tutorials later...but ran out of time because I had to mail.

It all worked out though. He ended up using it for a camera case because they just bought a new camera and it was the right size. I guess they can't all be winners...but each project is a growing and learning experience!

Favorite Part

2009-06-21T22:14:00.000-07:00

My favorite part about making a gift for someone is when they like it (not that they always do...but in this case they did!)

Brielle was so happy to give this to him. I think she felt special because there were pictures of her...and thought it was pretty cool because they moved around.

My dad's reaction was priceless. Seriously made my day.

Brought tears to his eyes...he loves being papi. What a cool dad I have!

Fun & Games

2009-06-21T04:53:00.000-07:00

Here is Part 2 of my Father's Day gifts. This thing ended up taking me so much longer than I anticipated. But I really like how it turned out and I have a feeling that Robert will really like it. If not...Brielle is in love with it and wants me to make her one!

Some of the later picture turned out a little more "Picasso" than the first ones!

I bought my Rubix Cube on ebay & used spray glue to adhere the squares

One tip: cover all the sides not being glued with parchment paper so they don't get all sticky from the spray glue. Don't forget the bottom!

You can find the tutorial here. It is a fun and easy project.

So I'm going on 24 hours with no sleep. I don't know what my deal is. When I get this creative energy I do way to much and there isn't enough time to finish everything....so I just don't sleep. I need to learn how not to procrastinate so much!!

Lovin the Letters!

2009-06-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

Here is part 1 of my Father's day gifts. I made this for my dad...well I should say WE made this for my dad cause I couldn't have done it without my sis-in-law Jamie! Her kids seriously make this gift extra special. Not that my kids aren't awesome...but we miss our adorable nephews and niece! I L.O.V.E. how it turned out! Hope my dad likes it!

Click on picture to make it bigger

I heart Bakerella!

2009-06-17T00:28:00.000-07:00

So Robert signed up to bring in dessert for his work luncheon. They are having a bbq/picnic themed lunch and I remembered THIS blog and I just HAD to try them out. I bought everything to make them and then Bakerella posted THIS on Sunday and oh boy...I had fun making these!

HAMBURGER CUPCAKES and COOKIE FRENCH FRIES! These are super easy to make...just time consuming. I used all box mixes...although I did not use the canned frosting...I made my own. I do NOT like canned frosting at all.

I used shredded coconut dyed green for the lettuce instead of green frosting

Hamburgers for lunch...then Hamburger cupcakes for dessert...yum!

I don't have a color printer...so I bought gingham scrapbook paper...spray glued it to card stock and then used the template to cut them out.

These pictures do not do justice...they turned out so cute! My only problem...how will I top this?

Upcoming Projects

2009-06-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

Father's Day Presents:

Rubix Cube: Making this for Robert...he seems to have fun with these confusing little games...plus it would be something fun to put on his desk at work.

I will be doing it with pictures of the kids of course!

I also want to make him a holder for his mp3 player. Maybe even something he can strap to his arm while running. Or maybe just something to hold it in....not sure yet!

For my dad and Robert's Dad:
Grandpa Picture
So cute...I just have to coordinate with my sister-in-laws!

And my project which keeps getting put on the back burner...The Undercover Crate. Got my crates...got my fabric...just need the time!!!

Purses and Pinwheels and Trees...oh my!

2009-06-06T20:36:00.000-07:00

I saw these little purses here and just thought they were so cute! I got a bunch of Hawaiian fat quarters from Elaines Quilt Block. I found bracelets on clearance at target and voila...cute purses for the girlies at our party to take home.

I came up with this idea around 3am last night. I was trying to think of a cute way to display all the purses and make them look fun. I had them in a basket but it was so boring. So I decided to do a little decorating on our ficus...and the purse tree was born! It was a fun way to display them and all the little girls got to go over to the tree and pick out the purse they wanted.

Ever since I found this tutorial for paper pinwheels I've wanted to make them. What a better time than a party! They were a huge hit. All the kids took one home. They took WAY longer to make than anticipated!

Some things I learned while making them. I couldn't find double sided 7x7 paper. So I bought a stack of 7x7 single sided paper and then used spray glue to glue them together.

I used the large eyelets and ended up needing hot glue for the 3 top layers because it didn't fit as well since the paper was double sided.

The first 3 I made don't spin. The more i made the better I got at getting them to spin. I think next time I will put a bead on both sides of the dowel to space it better= make it spin better.

I didn't have a flower punch so I just hot glued buttons to the front. I think it looks peachy.

Birthday Outfits

2009-06-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

The inspiration to throwing a Hawaiian themed birthday party was the opportunity to make new outfits for my girls! I found this fabric in the clearance section at our local fabric shop and just love how it is simple and cute and in 3 colors so I can coordinate! I used the v-neck halter pattern from You can make this.

Welcome!!

2009-06-06T20:26:00.000-07:00

So this blog is for me to keep track of all the many blogs that inspire me and have a place to display all of my fun projects. Check the links on the right for lots of great ideas from many talented people! If you have any great ideas...send them my way! I love being inspired by all the many creative talents out there. Enjoy!