{Easy Spring 'Bouquet'}

For the last couple of years my daughter has started this idea of a 'Spring Party'. In past years, she has even made invitations for her stuffed animals. :) We always pick up spring paper plates and napkins at the $1 Store, make a centerpiece, and sometimes placemats, too. Then we serve her favorite dinner, play a quick game, that type of thing.

This year we simply added to a bucket of dried flowers that I already have in the center of our kitchen table. We always make the 'Spring Party' centerpiece together, so this worked out well. I didn't plan on keeping them there, but I actually think they're adorable, so they're staying! :)

Here's what you need:

skewers

scrapbook paper scraps

die-cuts or scissors

glue dots

buttons

adhesive

We used a Sizzix die to cut out a variety of flowers from heavier scrapbook paper scraps. You could also cut them out free hand, a great scissor activity for little fingers. Mine likes to die cut. :)

Then she layered them the way she wanted and we adhered 2 of them to one skewer, with the skewer sandwiched in-between. I used sticky strip for this, but an adhesive or glue would be fine.

Then she chose a button center and stuck it on with a glue dot.

So cute!

We stuck them in my little bucket of dried flowers and there you have it. I think it turned out nicely, for her 'Spring Party' AND for every day actually. We can take them out if we decide to, and save them for next year, too. Zero cost, craft time together, and a springy bouquet as a result.

It may be in the upper 20's here, but it feels like Spring in the kitchen. :)

Thanks for visiting!

I'm linking up to:

{Felt Arctic Playmat}

Okay so we had to add ONE more playmat. I tell you I get addicted! I think it's because when you're using felt you eliminate things like right/wrong sides, and you can twist it pretty much any way you want and it will turn out right. Plus it's inexpensive. Plus you can use your imagination and then make it happen!

So...I mentioned while playing with animals that wouldn't it be nice to have a winter-type landscape to play with the polar bears and penguins? My sweet girl gave me the go-ahead and our minds started churning out ideas. How about a snow hill? Definitely an ocean area. Maybe an igloo? Ice chunks?

Here's how it came out:

These projects are great because it's really up to you how you make them, so they will always be different and unique! I basically roughly gathered a rectangle of white for the "snow hill", then machine stitched it down almost all the way before stuffing it. 

I laid out the blue diagonally, free-handed some wavy sides, and stitched it down. I added a few wavy stitch lines as waves, then rough cut a couple of icebergs and stitched them over top.

For the snow cave, I cut a too-big rectangle and basically just crumpled and gathered it around the sides until I was happy with it. I pinned it in place and machine-stitched that, too. 

I added a second layer of white felt to the bottom to make it heavier. I have done that with my Jungle Playmat also. I made one extra iceberg that I didn't stitch down...but I used a triple layer of felt for that. 

Maybe that piece is just floating, so animals can cross from one side to the next?  :)

I'm very happy with how it turned out, and the ease and low cost of completing these. Again, I wouldn't make one out of felt for baby use because felt just isn't conducive to washing. But for a little bigger child I think they're great...and portable!

Here's one other mat that I made several months ago...but it was really just for fun and not for my own daughter. It's more for little ones, maybe? I gave this one away, but I love the portability of making them flat. 

Thanks for looking at one more playmat. :)
You can see my jungle playmat  HERE and HERE.

Take care,

I'm linking up to these parties:

 

{Jungle Playmat Update}

You may remember the Felt Jungle Playmat I made a while back...an item that has been played with and played with again by my almost 7 year old. She loves to create scenarios with her Schleich animals, and over the last few months she has accumulated several new ones. We decided this week that the original was just getting too crowded, so lastnight I added on.

Here is the original:

You can read more about it here.  I am very happy with it, but the animals had completely taken it over!

I had several large pieces of green felt leftover, so I decided just to add on to the existing mat. 

Here's the new addition:

I added a stream, a field of grasses, and an ostrich nest with eggs (since she recently bought a mother and baby ostrich). I also just left open space for grazing, playing...whatever the imagination can brew up.;)

 For the nest, I randomly cut a rectangle and just started rolling the sides into a circle before hand stitching it down.

 For the grasses, I have found it's easiest to take one longer strip of green, snip inward on both sides to make the grass, then sew it down the middle. You can fluff them with your fingers. Here are the rhinos enjoying grass. :)

 And here's the stream. I was using small squares of blue felt, so I pieced this one together. She has a few real rocks that she usually adds to it, so maybe she'll cover that up.

So I took the new piece and sewed it to one end of the original. I wanted to work with the felt I had and not buy more, so this worked best. She rolls this up when she's not using it, so it's easy to put away when she needs to. I wouldn't use felt with a baby (not conducive to washing!!), but for my almost 7 yr old, it's great.

Here's the final version...maybe. Unless we add more someday. :)

The top half is the original, and the bottom is the new piece.

Whatcha think? I'm starting on another one this evening, for a different ecosystem of animals.

I'll post it, along with yet another version, very soon!
(Can you tell I get addicted to one project and make several??!)

Thanks for stopping by!

I'm linking up at:

{Scallop Squares...again}

Here are a couple of other creations using my Sizzix Scallop Square die from Stampin' Up. (And no, I'm not a demonstrator, LOL!!  I just love this die!)

This one I came up with to keep all of my daughter's bookmarks handy and in one place. She is kind of getting to the point where she collects them! Easy and cute. I used fabric scraps leftover from her Musketeer Superhero Cape.

 This little project uses 10 squares and 5 small pieces of scrap batting. I have also made these and added handles. I actually might make a few for Easter this year, to sit around my home with treats inside.

The next itty-bitty scallop square project are pin cushions. Talk about quick and cute!

These are made out of 2 scallop squares in the desired fabric (scraps!!), 1 scallop square of felt, and poly-fil. I made several of these one afternoon and passed them out to my sewing friends. :) It's funny how a pin cushion can become cute!
You can see another Scallop Square project here.
I have several other scallop projects to share, so tune in for them in the coming days!

Have a good one!

I'm linking up over at:

{Hoo Are You?}

Hello everyone! I'm joining a fun and different link party for the first time today, and I'm excited to "meet"
new-to-me blogs in the process. Come and join in over at Night Owl Crafting !

The idea is to answer a few questions about yourself, then share your blog in a linky party.

Here goes, and please come join in!

#1 Have you ever had a professional massage before?

Yep! Several! They are wonderful no matter who gives them, because I think I've had a massage from beginners to the experienced. However, I do have to say that it's nice to have the same, experienced masseuse that you go to regularly. Once I moved I really missed the comfort level I had with my long-time gal.

#2 When drinking bottled water, do you have a preference on which brand you drink?

Not at all!! :)

#3 What is your favorite kind of soup?

That's easy and it makes my mouth water just thinking about it...Loaded Potato from O'Charley's!!!! YUM!!!!!!! I would lick the bowl if it was socially acceptable!

#4 Do you have a preference on which Kleenex brand you use?

Just nothing generic...I do generic on lots of things, but not Kleenex.

#5 What is your favorite breakfast food?

Pancakes, sausage, and OJ from Denney's...I haven't had that in a long time!!

And since you should always have a picture in a post, I will leave you with this mouth-watering pic of some O'Charley's loaded potato soup.  Delish!!

Now I'm off to try to work on my looooong to-do list. Join in the fun following the link above and have a great day!

EDITED: The link was closed once I got over there to post, so you actually won't find my post there, LOL! But go check it out, and join in next week. :)

{Doll Bed Rag Quilt}

Hello, hello! It seems like it's been too long. We've been having fun on our Spring Break so posts have gone by the wayside this past week. Back at it though, and I wanted to share a project I completed a while ago.

I made this for my daughter's American Girl bed, but you could adapt it to any doll, stuffed animal, or even a real baby. :)  

Isn't it adorable?!!

Very easy to make, especially if you have a die-cut machine. I've not yet been blessed with a Silhouette, so I use my trusty Cuttlebug and Sizzix dies for soooooo many things.

 I purchased the poodle and solid pink fabric, but the pink pattern fabric on the front and back are actually $1 store receiving blankets that I cut up. My daughter loves dogs, poodles, and pink, so I splurged on the poodle fabric...although very little is required.

The reason this is so easy is because all of the squares are cut for me with the Stampin' Up Sizzix Scallop Square die. I don't have a Big Shot, but the Cuttlebug is universal so it's no problem using whatever die you want with it. 

I actually bought this SU Scallop Square die last year with the full intention of using it for sewing projects. I have used it like crazy since then! I think it was around $20...maybe a little less.

So I basically just cut all the squares, arranged them the way I wanted, and sewed them together...easy-peasy! I used fabric scraps to make the pillows to match. Again, my daughter is blessed to have a grandpa who is talented at woodworking, so she has custom-made AG doll furniture that without him she would never have. I then get the privilege and fun of making the 'fabric' stuff to go with all of it!

I'm happy to post a tutorial if there's interest. Once you start making these, you can't stop. ;)

I have several other projects that I've made with my handy-dandy scallop square die, and I'm anxious to share them all with you!

Feel free to email me with any questions and I'd love to know what you think of this project!

Take care,

I'm linking up to these fun parties:
















http://www.skiptomylou.org/2011/03/21/made-by-you-monday-44/