In the Know

Handy Hubby : )'s birthday was at the end of November.  He is the 3rd of 9 kids.  To date, there are 31 grandkids on his side of the family! Over the years we have made several variations of the family tree for his parents.

This year I made one for Handy Hubby : ).

To the untrained eye, this may just look like a number chart...

but for those in the KNOW, it's actually sorta kinda a family tree!

A little back story for you - When my in-laws moved into their current house, they found boxes of antique printing press numbers and letters in the attic.  They are really cool but no one knew what to do with them.  One SIL sorted the pieces by size into 3 different boxes.  She took a few letters and spelled out 'cookies' & 'yummy' in her kitchen.  One day when we were over to help clean out the garage, my MIL asked if we'd like the rest of them.  

Mmmm, Yes!! Please!!

I sorted them again.  So, now I have ziploc bags of each number and letter.  Perhaps I was inspired by all of the subway art and Pottery Barn knock-offs for my creation.  

The secret to this display is that each of the numbers, of course, represents each of the siblings in HH's family.  For each number, the groupings are made up of the number of kids in each person's family.  Get it?!! 

It's subtle, for sure.  

But that's what I like about it - it's not in.your.face!

And there's even room to grow if absolutely necessary {NOT the 3's, however... that oven is no longer in service : )}

Here's my favorite little grouping

{I know these look like e's but when they're stamped they are 9's}

Sib #9 has 4 kids.  The oldest are a set of twins.  I love their little pyramid : ) teehe

I got a cut of discount gold silk-like fabric from Hobby Lobby.  And I got a simple black frame with a coupon.  Together they make up a black & gold background representing Purdue {where HH & I met}.  The gold also happens to be the color in our basement where this will most likely hang.

I used Gorilla Glue to adhere everything together.  It was the first time I'd ever used the stuff.  It's interesting.  It certainly is strong glue but I'm not sure I like all the expanding it does...

So when you stop by next and see this frame hanging up, YOU are now one of the people 

In the Know!! : ) 

Blessings!

You might find me partying at some of these places *HERE*

Cute While Cooking

I know some of you think I've fallen off the crafty wagon.  Well, I've just been preoccupied with a few other things, is all!  And to prove I still do the occasional project - just wanted to share a birthday gift I made for my son's girlfriend.  They were here over the weekend.

 

She likes to cook so I thought she might enjoy looking cute while cooking : )  I bought my materials at GW this time because I was hoping I would get more fabric for the money.  The spotted fabric is from a flat twin sheet.  The brown fabric is a duck cloth window panel.  They were $3.99 each {and I think I might have enough fabric left for another apron although it might not be double-sided like this one}. 

I cut a strip the length of the twin sheet to make the ruffle.  I used almost all of it!  I cut off the side hem, intending to make some cute embellishments for the front of the apron.  Another length was used for the sash/tie across the top.  I cut 2 panels from the brown curtain so the apron is reversible {but it looks the same from the front or back}

After tucking the apron into a bag with some tissue paper, I tied a big bow to the handle and capped it off with a pin she can put on the apron (or sweater or scarf), a cookie cutter in the shape of a crown & a glittery M.  {I got the cookie cutter at Sur la Table for $.60}

 

Daughter A *who's modeling the apron in my pics* said it makes her want to cook something : )
Hopefully, Girlfriend M will feel the same way and then Son C might benefit from some cookies or brownies or a gourmet meal!  Oh, rats!  I let the cat out of the bag - gifting with ulterior motives...

And as a Halloween treat for both of them.  They each received a mug from the dollar section at Target.  It has Charlie Brown on the front saying "Good Grief!".  Inside I put a bag of chalkboard spray painted rocks {a la Pottery Barn} & chalk.  Now they can both say "I gotta rock!"  teehee

So, you see?  I'm not totally out of the crafting game - I still dabble a little!

You might find me partying at some of these places *HERE*

Blessings! 

Cool, Cr@pPy & Challenging - Oh, My!

I've got a C concoction going on today since I'm participating in Jenny Matlock's Alphabe - Thursday.  It was difficult coming up with just one C word to focus on because there are so many choices, but I decided to limit myself to 3...

Since I started blogging a few months ago I've seen soooo many Cool ideas!  You all are completely amazing & talented & creative & inspiring... *do I have your full attention yet? : ) *  I saw so many ideas I wanted to borrow but I couldn't keep them all straight in my little pea brain.  So, I started an idea file {found in my tool bar} where I tucked away the links of things I wanted to remember. 

My all time #1 favorite, uber Cool idea to date is *HERE*
These scultures are made out of driftwood by  Heather Jansch !!

I have absolutely no hope of EVER constructing something like this, but I had to save it and share it because it blows my mind!!!  The fluidity and beauty of these creatures astounds me.  I'm confounded by her vision!  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised, in the least, if one of them actually galloped away!!  Whew!  Oh, I'm flushed - those sculptures truly move me!!

Ok! So that was the Cool... moving on to the Cr@pPy Crafts

{1}Do you recall this wall of vinyl frames?  

Do you recall I predicted they would fall down one day?

 Well, slap me silly & call me a fortune teller cuz look what happened

As it turned out, the black frame was not the part you 'rub on' the wall.  It was the negative space that was sticking to the wall!  A few little sticky spots were not going to hold up the large frame!  And it didn't, obviously.  I may have even damaged the wall because I kept rubbing & rubbing the black trying to get that part to adhere to the wall!
Looks like this one's next... Grrrrrrr!

So, I'll warn you again:  If you are tempted to buy the faux vinyl wall art from Target - Just Say NO!!

{2}I picked up a few discontinued fabric samples from JoAnn Fabrics a while ago.  I've been doing different projects with them *see here, here & here*

I was saving my favorite for a special project.  Love it!

I finally decided on a handbag.  I wanted a funky shape for my cool print and came up with this

My idea was to have interchangeable handles, so I punched holes to install grommets.  Unfortunately, I chose a grommet the wrong size for my punch.  Now I just have holes.  I'm not calling it a Craft Fail yet.  I'm not buying a new punch yet either.  I'm calling it Cr@pPy planning & filing it under 'In Limbo'

{3} I could keep going on & on but I'll just bore you with 2 today and move on...

My Challenging Craft is definitely my hip chair I found at GW right before Labor Day

I thought it was just going to be a reupholstery job & I thought it would be pretty easy with it's clean lines.  But when I removed the fabric I found Mr. Grumpy Potato Head underneath

& it smelled!  I couldn't bring myself to just cover it up so I stripped it down to the frame.

Now we're talking a totally different ball game.  I don't know nothin' bout redoing this!! 

The back was tufted.  And the seat has deteriorating burlap which I wanted to replace but can't because there are wires running through it.  I can't spend a lot of $ to redo this.  So there it sits in the garage where Handy Hubby : ) walks by it and asks every day how much longer it's going to be there.  Siiigh!  

So there you have it - The Cool, the Cr@pPy & the Challenging!

C you next time!



ps for those of you still hanging around  and who asked to C this...
Here's the crumb.catcher/dust.ruffle dress from Plan B

Blessings!

Thank You Note

Do you recall those $1 discontinued fabric samples I bought a while back?
Can you stand another project using one?
This particular sample came with the larger 17"x17" piece & 3 smaller color swatches all for $1! *score*  I used the black & tan one for my camera strap cover *see HERE*    And for this project I chose the terra cotta one.

Daughter S had the opportunity to spend a few days visiting old friends in Wisconsin this summer.  She stayed with her very good friend/old neighbors.  I am lucky enough to call the mom my good friend too.  She was my crafting buddy - we stamped our own Christmas cards together one year, we made teacher gifts & sewed matching halloween costumes. *Ah, fun times, fun times*

Well, for housing & entertaining & transporting my daughter for the better part of a week, a 'thank you' was definitely in order.  I decided to make her a little something *I think she would expect nothing less...*

I bought a frame 1/2 off at HL for an 8x10 photo (no mat)

Using spray adhesive I attached the fabric to the back board of the frame, trimmed it out and wrapped a brown ribbon around it vertically.

I didn't want the back of the frame to look messy so I took the ribbon all the way around and tacked it down with a sticker from a stationery pack
*Sheeeesh-ok I'm just anal like that... & I tattle on myself, too : )*

& speaking of tattling - I'm such a craft dork that Handy Hubby : ) printed up sheets of address labels for me to stick on the backs of my stuff  *sorta like marking my territory - hehe : ) *

Anyhoooo, I added a cute vinyl initial & 2 little rosettes to the corner, right on the glass.

*I've only just started using vinyl & I LOVE it! what a late bloomer I am!*

And there you have it!

I know a picture frame dry erase board is not a new idea *ever'body's doin' it*

But I'm sorta hoping that this is the fanciest thank you note my friend's ever gotten!! : )

And of course I could NOT write a post about Thank You's without giving a shout out to the crazy 100+ people who have chosen to follow me so far!!!!!
~ THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ~
Unbelievable!! Please know how honored I am : )
As I've said before, I love blogland for all of the inspiring & amazing ideas.  I love that it's a place where like-minded people can gather & help each other by encouraging, supporting & offering such kind words!  I'm so happy to be a part of it all!  Whooda thunk it?!
Oh yeah! And Thanks for the FUN  : )

You might find me partying at some of these places *HERE*

Blessings!

Warm-Fuzzy "Cake"

The Farewell party was coming up quickly! Time was running out to whip up the perfect going-away/house-warming gift...  My dear friend's family is moving from Indianapolis to Minneapolis.  They will definitely enjoy the moderate temps and low humidity during the summer, but you gotta pay for the lovely weather sometime & that time is winter - OUCH!  They need to start channeling Nanook of the North and thicken that blood cuz Old Man Winter comes early and stays late!! 

I've been seeing the cloth diaper baby 'cakes' in stores and on blogs.  So, I decided I would make them a Minnesota Warm-Fuzzy Cake.  Leave it to me to work with fleece on the hottest week of the year *blistering*!!  I practically had to get naked just to touch the stuff!!  *TMI.sorry*  For some crazy reason I can't stop using the sewing machine.  Sheesh!  I'm drawn to it like a moth to a flame!!  ZAP!  sizzle, sizzle

I made each family member an Indianapolis Colts scarf to wear proudly when the Colts go to the Super Bowl again : )  The girls got flowers or ruffles on their scarves to feminize it and those 2 became the top layer of my cake.

The boys got fringe and their scarves became the bottom layer.

For the cake plate I went to Goodwill and found a faux marbled candlestick and a charger - $3 for both & cheaper than a gift bag.

I inverted the candlestick so the hole on the bottom is covered, and used E6000 epoxy to bond it to the charger.

A quick spray job and Voila! (I used appliance white Rustoleum epoxy because I already had it and also so I wouldn't have to seal it. Now it's washable and moisture resistant - I still wouldn't serve food directly on it though)

I draped tulle around the cake that they can use as mosquito netting if necessary haha!

I glued paperclips to skewers with a quick spray for picture holders.

I added some pictures on the top to remind them of their time here. *I even did a stalker drive-by and snapped a picture of their house*

Goodness!  I think it looks almost good enough to eat : P

 Now if only I could get a monster snow blower on top of there!!!

Blessings
MLE

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