I pinned it, I made it.

7.09.2011

I've been doing a lot of pinning lately. It is a great place to find inspiration. One day I came across a pin this pin



so I decided I needed to do something with all my pinspiration. We have done a few projects but this one is my favorite.




It is the Deluxe Kid Wash from Family Fun Magazine and was very easy to make. Shopping for all the pvc parts took the most time. I cut all the pieces using a jigsaw but a scroll saw would work great. If you had more time and nice workbench with a clamp the kids could eaisly cut some of the pieces with a hacksaw. The girls used a Friskars hand drill to drill all the holes and they had no trouble.









Not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

Playing with Clay

3.15.2010

$8.99...for hours worth of fun and creativity. Well worth the money. Each project made, admired and then smooshed. Love that clay is all about the process.

Teacher Gifts...

6.25.2009

I like for the girls to either pick out the gifts for their teachers or do part of the making. For christmas the girls drew snowmen on fabric and I sewed them into ornaments. Last year Annie drew a picture on fabric and I turned it into a pillow. Maddie is at that stage when her drawing couldn't be any cuter and that's pretty much what she did all year at preschool. Her box was always full of the most amazing drawings. This was our third year with these teachers so we know them well and I wanted to give them something they could keep. This is what we came up with.
Painted flower pots that Maddie drew special pictures on. Annie also made a big pot for her teacher and a few smaller pots for her music and art teacher. I forgot to take picutres of these.



Maddie picked a different scene for each teacher and wrote the teachers name, her name and the year on each pot.







We bought regular clay pots and painted them with acrylic paint. Maddie opted for stripes and I held back (mostly) and let her do the painting. After the paint dried she used sharpie markers to draw her pictures. I finished it all off with a spray coat of an acrylic varnish. We had made a trip to garden center and I let Maddie pick out all the flowers, a lovely mix a orange, purple, red and pink. She potted them all up and that was it. Not a bad little gift and I think we did all 5 pots for about $25.00. The hardest part is trying to find a good organic potting soil without fertilizer already mixed in.



Okay back to be bed for me. We've all been sick around here for a 5 days.

ATC KIds Swap

3.15.2009

We recently signed up to do the ATC Kids Swap. You can read about it here. The girls each created 5 2.5" x 3.5" pieces of art and mailed them off and then received five pieces of art in return. This was such a great little project. Working at such a small scale seemed to really stir the girls creativity. The best part was getting the other kids cards in the mail.

We talked about how these could be a series and Annie created the series Elephants Adventures. Here are four of her pieces. I really wish we got to keep them. I am totally in love with these.



1. Elephants Adventures: New York, 2. Elephants Adventures: Savannah, 3. Elephants Adventures: India, 4. Elephants Adventures: Great Wall of China


Maddie worked quite hard on hers, sometimes thinking of a title and then painting and sometimes naming them after. Her development in painting and drawing has really grown the past few months. As much as I love the bubble head person and scribbles of the toddler drawing I am so excited to see a bit more representation in her art. The little glimpses I get of her imagination and creativity always warm my heart.



We used watercolor pencils for these and I think they are my new favorite art material. We use watercolors often around here and they are great but the pencils give the girls so much more control and lead to much less frustration.
Yesterday Annie asked what our next swap would be. I'm glad the girls are enjoying these little projects as much as I am.

A shopping we will go and a download.....

1.14.2009

I have been wanting to make a little shopping list for the girls for some time. Something they could take with when we go to the store so they have something to do. Yesterday at Target I found the perfect little magnetic dry-erase boards in the $1 section and the idea finally came together.

I drew up a little list of basics that we always shop for. Printed it out onto sticker paper and attached to a magnet sheet. I tried to print right onto the magnet sheet but it wouldn't go through my printer. I then cut them all out and trimmed them down-they seemed to stick better this way. Maddie went right to making a list and setting up a nice little grocery store in the kitchen. I thought that you all might enjoy a copy so I made a little download for you. Let me know if you give it a try.




Here is a bit of the fun we had. I love that they can use the dry-erase to write down how many of each item.





She's making a list



Setting up shop



Checking Out

Yummy Snowmen

12.19.2008

How about a sugary little winter project? Seriously, Maddie ate one half of one of these and was running circles around the house.

White Chocolate Marhsmallow Snowmen

20 lollipop sticks
2lbs white chocolate (I buy a big block at a local store- about 1.50 a pound- you could probably use chips or almond bark)
About a cup of milk or dark chocolate
60 big marshmallows (plus extra for munching)
20 small marshmallows
Thin pretze sticks cut in half
Assorted candies and chips for decorating
We used what I had:candy corn, chocolate chips cut up, sprinkles. Mini m&m's would be good or mini chocolate chips.
Wax Paper

Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler or using a fondue pot. I used an electric fondue pot and it works great. I can adjust the temp so no burnt chocolate. I melted the milk chocolate in the microwave and rewarmed as needed.

Put 3 large marshmallows onto a lollipop stick.



Swirl in white chocolate to coat. Shake of the excess.



Lay on a sheet of wax paper and start decorating. Attach pretzels for arms and have at it with the other decorations, eyes, nose, buttons, mouth etc.



Add the small marshmellow to the top and let cool on counter or pop in the freezer. The white chocolate needs to harden before you dip in the milk chocolate. Once hardened dip just the tops in the melted milk chocolate to make the hats.



Again let cool or put in the freezer. Put in a cellophane bag, tie off with a ribbon and done. Super simple, a bit on the messy side but the girls had a blast.

Oh don't forget to eat, maybe while reading Snowmen at Night- one of our favorite winter books.

Just a little post....

6.06.2008

Summer is officially here. School was out on Wednesday, the thermometer is registering in the high 80's and it's muggy. Summer in Chicago. This year we bought pool passes so I am hoping to put them to good use. The plan is to get all our "work" done before noon and then head out for some water fun. We don't have much else planned, maybe a vacation bible school and swim lessons at the end of the summer. I may be regretting this with the girls already driving each other crazy and Maddie more often than not in tears.
I have extended the deadline until next monday for this months kidmade challenge so if your looking for a little something to do with the kids you can check it out.
I haven't been doing a ton of sewing lately but a few projects have made it off the machine. The pillow in the picture was a gift for Annie's teacher. I had her draw a picture and then printed it on to fabric using this product and then added the strips. I am quite pleased with the way it turned out. It only took about 3 hours from start to finish, I think it takes me longer to pick the fabric. I know I saw a pillow like this last year around this time and filed it away for future use. Sorry I can't remember where. It was such an easy and satifsying project I think I may need to make a few more for our house. The family room could use a bit of color. I also love this one made by Jen.
So what do you all have planned for the long summer ahead?

Mini Swap makes it to Cinncinati.

2.28.2008

Our Mini Swap package made it to Ohio. We were paired up with a family of 3 little girls Susannah age 6, Grace age 3 and Evelyn 16 months. I wanted the girls to be involved in the making of this swap. We came up with the idea of homemade books with activities packed into little totes. I originally planned to have the girls do some of the tote sewing but, well you know, it was just easier for me to do it. I did get them to do some of the drawing on the books and managed to keep Maddie from defacing most of it.





For Susannaha: A tote filled with origami paper and a little book of origami folding directions. There was also a little art book with inspirations such as: Draw a bird, Draw something that swims. Annie wrote these out.

Inside the book. I found the illustrations online, when I find the link I will post it.

For Grace a handmade "I Spy" Book. The girls put together four vingettes from stuff around the house and we took pictures and then picked a couple to look for. I really enjoyed this project and will keep it in mind for future gifts. I think the execution could have been a bit better. I wanted Annie to do the writing but she was not cooperative at this point.

For the littlest family member, Evelyn we made a clothespin can with painted clothespins and a book of acitivites to do. Some of the activities were from the book The Busy Book for Toddlers.

The little totes also had some giant lollipops, stickers and giant bubble wands. It was fun thinking up ideas and putting it all together. I hadn't sewn much lately and it was nice to get back to the machine. We also tucked in some chocolate for mom and a jar of homemade blueberry jam. Our swap box should be arriving soon and I'll post on what came our way.

Desperation Crafting....

1.14.2008

"It's my pink flower headband"
"No, it's my pink flower headband"

On and on they went fighting over the one pink flower headband for the dolls. Mind you these two rarely play with dolls, but recently if one has something the other wants it. Not wanting to see my lovely little girls faces with a black eye I stepped in with a bit of desperation crafting. I would like to say that all of our little projects are well thought out but often they are purely out of desperation, my desperation that is.
World War 3 averted, dolls tossed to the side and forgotten, I thought I would share this little project.

You need:
a strip of felt about 1" and long enough to fit around dolls head
needle and thread
some fake flowers
a embroidery hoop


Stretch the felt across the hoop, poke any plastic bits out of flowers. Stich throught the center of flowers onto the felt.




Show it off for mommy and the camera (ignore the pile of laundry in the background).



Take a deep breath, sit the 3 year old on your lap and introduce her to the sewing machine. Really she can do this.



Listen to "No, I can do it myself " 50 times while stiching a 1" seam across the felt. Breath, insist that said 3 year old cannot use my big mommy scissors and trim off the thread. One pink flower headband down.



Take another deep breath and let the 5 year old sit at the sewing machine ALL BY MYSELF.

"Yes, line it all up. Yes, roll down the needle. Hold onto the threads, push the button with your foot.....WATCH YOUR FINGERS!" Breath.
Find the kid scissors.
"I don't know why you have to trim the threads you just do, everyone trims the threads."



Put headbands on dolls, find a spot that doesn't show more piles of laundry, take a nice little shot. Ohh and Ahh, high five. Shoo girls off so you can finish reading blogs.

A Trio of Gifts

12.31.2007

For some of the little ones in our family. Three different games using the same materials. Each came in a little handmade bag with other treats. I used Bazzil Chips and Labels from here. As with most of my projects the idea was great. I'd be happy to give a little how-to on these later. The girls loved helping make these.

Annie-Mama we're giving gifts from the heart this year, right?
Me-Yes, Why do you think that?
Annie-Because we are making them.

Really, I just so love that child and the way she thinks.



::Family Bingo



::Family Memory



::Family Tic-Tac-Toe

Advent Blog:Finishing up the year in pictures.

12.29.2007

The Advent Blog kinda fizzled out. Projects were done, pictures were taken but posting never seemed to fit in to the whrilwind that is the holiday season. We had a lovely holiday and with lots of visiting with family. I thought I would finish out the year with a few picture posts of all that has been going on around here. I hope you all had a wonderful, peaceful holiday.
Happy New Year.



::the snowflakes


::the cookies




::the peppermint and white chocolate


::the gingerbread (mess)

Advent Blog: Glitter and Glue Part 2

12.15.2007

A few years back Annie and I took a walk, collected leaves, acorns and twigs and put together a little fall mobile. It has hung in the kitchen ever since. I always planned to make a mobile for each season, sometimes it just takes me awhile to get things done (you know 3 years or so).

With our little glittery stars we decided to make a winter night mobile.




::a walk in the snow and a good branch







::white paint









::pinecones, glue and glitter



::our glittery stars






::a little fishing line and a winter night mobile



(trying to take pictures of our mobile was not so easy. The sliding glass door gave off too much light or too little light. I tried laying on the table, shooting straight on, etc. The best angle showed entirely too much of my oh so messy house so that was out. Hope you get the idea. And umm, I suggest not trying to string a mobile with one very crazy little kitty in the room.)