Valentine's wreath.

i used the same tutorial for this wreath as i did for my st. patty's day wreath that i did a couple years ago. scored the heart-shaped wreath form at joann's with a 40% off coupon for just over $3, and 10 sheets of felt at 3 for $1 is $3.33. don't recall exactly how much the maribou trim was, but it wasn't more than a couple bucks, so the entire cost for this project was under $10.







i attached a long ribbon to the back and tied the bow at the top cause i liked how that looked. the maribou doesn't really show that much looking at it from the front, but it does hide the edges of the wreath were the felt rosettes stopped.

PSA: when a project calls for a specific number of items (like 8 sheets of felt), it's probably a good idea to buy a couple extra. i ran out of felt tuesday night when i was about 80% done with the wreath, the same night that our snow hit. i didn't venture out anywhere that was not absolutely neccessary the next couple days, and it would have been really nice to finish this project up during one of those long, boring snow days. as soon as the snow started melting, i hurried my butt on over to pacific fabrics for some more felt.

thanks for looking!

dahlia.

i first saw these on pinterest and loved them. i used this tutorial from "not martha" to make a felt dahlia barrette/pin and am so pleased with how it turned out. all i had on hand was some poly felt, but i'd like to get some nice quality wool felt to try this with, the colors are so much more vibrant.





i used hot glue instead of fabri-tack on mine and it was so easy, it dried instantly and i didn't have to set them under anything and wait for the glue to set. these would make a great teacher's gift for back-to-school!

thanks for looking!

trash-to-treasure storage jar pedestals.

i loved this idea when i saw it over on eighteen25.....and i love when i have everything for a project on hand already. i took some pickle jars and some candle holders that i had, spray-painted the lids/candle holders a matte black, and then glued the jars to the candlesticks.



i still need to get something for the 3rd jar....i'm thinking some pretty jordan almonds maybe? and i love that i can change them out for the different seasons!

thanks for looking!

happy hearts outfit.

this was katie's V-day outfit. i found the fabric for the skirt at joann's and immediately fell in love with it--it's a pretty red/pink heart batik print. i used this tutorial for it and just eliminated the hem ruffle. the shirt was one she already had, i used samster mommy's tutorial for that and it literally took less than 5 minutes! i wish i had used a little more paint as the heart is a little faint at the top but oh well, live and learn.





thanks for looking!

annual lighted boat parade.

last night we went over to my friend robyn's mom's house to watch the lighted boat parade. the bremerton yacht club puts it on every year, and the participants deck out their boats with lights and then sail along the shoreline, playing christmas tunes.....and santa even gives a shout out to your kidlets by name if you send them in. the kids loved it (they were especially excited when they heard their names called out :) along with the parade, robyn and her awesome mom made an assortment of yummy food, and also had a craft on hand for the kids to do.


out on the balcony, watching the boats




katie and ike, working on their houses (disclaimer: that is NOT how i did my daughter's hair....)


sam tearing into his "house" kit


i can't believe she did that to my *beautiful* cake LOL


sam *really* loves ike.....and ike is so awesome with him.

thanks for looking! and a great big HUGE thanks to robyn and her wonderful mom cheri for having us!

daddy's day presents.

so now that my hubby is tucked safely away in bed i can blog away about the gifts i made this year! usually i am totally lacking inspiration and end up getting some lame-o gift at the last minute, but i was feeling exceptionally crafty and inspired this year, so here is what we did:


this idea is alllll over blogger-land, i must've seen a hundred different versions of it, and i loved the idea! of course, i didn't have the time or energy to color-coordinate my kids, so i just snapped shots of them in whatever they happened to be in and made them all B&W so it didn't matter, and then color-splashed the "DAD" letters. yeah, they're not perfect, and you can totally tell up close....but i still like it and i don't think nathan will care :) and it was totally budget-friendly, i got the frame on sale at joann's for $9.99 (SCORE!) and all 3 pics were under $5. i took a pic of sam with the "A" in the store so i wouldn't have to buy it (cause i am just super-thrifty like that LOL) and the "D" was $3.99, so the entire gift came out to under twenty buckaroos. AND i plan on returning the "D" LOL


this is his other gift, a stepping stone that we made. katie helped me with a lot of the decorating, sam helped with a little (mostly the mixing of the cement) and i think it turned out cute. nathan loves being out in the yard so i figured this was a great gift that he can see whenever he is out there. it looks a little blotchy in the pic because i had just washed it and it was still a little damp.

thanks for looking!

trivet and coasters, and an apron.

this is what i made my mom for mother's day....such a super easy, quick project with cute results! my lovely friend ashley held a class at her house for making these out of tiles. i LOVE the stampin' up set that i used....wish i had taken pics of the other coasters now, but in addition to the dragonfly there was a bird's nest, a seashell, and a peacock feather. we stamped the tiles and then decorated them using a variety of methods....i used one of the stampin' up blender pens with chalk to color in the details, and then used a stamp pad and a sponge to shade the edge of the coasters. then spray 'em with some sealant, slap some felt on the bottom and voila! quick, easy and thrifty gift! now i want to make myself a set with a monogram.....





i also whipped up a little girl's apron the other night for a birthday party we've got coming up (we've actually got THREE little girl birthdays in the next few weeks, better get sewing!) this was my first time making my own bias. it wasn't too bad, especially since i didn't technically cut it on the bias, as i didn't have to round any corners. i like how it turned out....we are going to pair it with a little set of stainless steel pots and pans as a gift!





ETA: my friend ashley has pics of some of the sets we made including mine over at her blog; thanks for posting ashley!! :)

thanks for looking!

"top-o-the-mornin'" wreath.

i came across the idea for this wreath here and thought it was too cute to pass up. a couple variations on mine: i didn't have maribou and the thought of yet another trip out with a toddler in tow was as appealing as getting teeth pulled, so i used some tulle i had, cut strips and ruffled them on the sewing machine. i also added a shamrock ornament i liked from joann's....though in retrospect i'm not sure if i like it or not. i was thinking of making a sign that said "blessings" and distressing it and then attaching that....any thoughts?



i love how the variations of green look all together. (and that smudge of purple on the top of the white felt is some disappearing fabric marker that hasn't quite disappeared yet....)


on the front door....


what my baby was doing while i was crafting....


thanks for looking!