Fickle Little Pickle

Family

2011-07-24T15:08:00.000-05:00

Even though there is distance between them, I hope Lilly Mae and Sarah Beth can get to know each other well and become good friends. During our family visit they played well together for the most part and enjoyed each other's company. SB even cried after LM went home.

In ten years I'd love to see the sweet innocence of these girls as teenagers the way I see it here. Our only hope is Christ. We are trying to teach this to SB. She will make mistakes, I know. I just pray that when she does, her response will be to stand in awe at the grace of Christ and love him more for it.

Pretend Play is the BEST Kind of Play

2011-07-12T13:24:00.000-05:00

This is how we have fun. It seems the more money we spend on toys, the less she actually wants toys.

Take a guess as to what she's doing here.

Hide and Seek? no

Bored? no way

Seeing if she can fit in such a small space? no...wait...yes partly

Pretending to be a bunny in a hotel room waiting on room service? yes, you finally got it! How'd you guess?

Summer Art

2011-07-11T14:38:00.000-05:00

I'm letting SB paint this 3' x 5' canvas for our living room. I limited her color palette. She's taking care of the rest. She's a genius!

Straight Hair, Lovely Dress, Beautiful Girl

2011-07-11T12:46:00.000-05:00

Sometimes SB lets me play with her hair and dress her up like a little doll. I decided to see if she would put up with me straightening her hair with a flat iron for church. It's hard to tell how long her hair really is when it curls up. Those lovely locks reach her waist! I'm so tempted to cut it sometimes.

This dress is the one I made for Jason's wedding. I really love the way it turned out. Very "vintagey". (I don't think vintagey has made it in the dictionary yet.) Aunt Alli made the hair clip which has frayed ends hanging from it. I love 'em.

Do you wonder as much as I do how great it would be to get a genuine smile from her? She's really a happy child. She sings all the time, loves to play, and can't get enough kisses. The photos speak lies!!!

Putting up with me...

...getting more annoyed...

...bribed with candy...

...threatened and bribed. I'll have to try a new combo next time.

Do you notice the background? That is my new floor. It's what I've been doing for the last month and why my back hurts and why I haven't blogged and why I may need to be institutionalized soon.

rescue.me

2011-07-06T16:16:00.005-05:00

"What is this?" you ask? It's a logo for a friend who likes to rescue animals. She and Katee, my sister, would get along well since they always end up with other people's unwanted pets.

Oliver + S Ruffled Halter

2011-06-04T07:23:00.003-05:00

Here is my version of the Oliver + S Ruffled Halter. I found this free pattern here for anyone who wants to get their own. Very cute, but it didn't come with instructions, not that I ever read them anyway. I may eventually make an adult version... maybe.
Stitch Magazine, which is where I got the halter pattern, has some great patterns if you're in the mood to sew something right here right now. Of course you need a printer and some tape to get all those pieces together. If you've never printed a pattern online before, it's not that bad, unless you are a dedicated tree hugger, because you will be wasting some paper.

SB had some silly eyes going on in this picture so I photoshopped some super cute black glasses onto her lovely little face, just to cover up what is normally her most fetching feature. In this photo, not so. Don't judge me.

Potty Training

2011-06-03T14:28:00.001-05:00

Dear reader,

If you have a late potty trainee, don't despair. Sarah Beth is a month over three now and is just getting the hang of this. Frankly, she's smart enough to have conquered this long ago, but has refused saying things like, "I'll NEVER use the potty" or "Will you buy me this toy if I start using the potty?" or "I don't really need a party for using the potty." I read all I could find about how to potty train a stubborn toddler. Based on all the personal advice, reading on my own, and downward glances, I've decided to approach it in the follow way.

take some time off (a week or more if possible)
get rid of the diapers completely
fill her up with tasty liquid until dinnertime
set the timer for potty times so I won't forget
punish her for refusing to cooperate when it's time to potty (not for accidents)
reward her with stickers and treats for doing a good job
double the reward for poop
be consistent
pray for sanity in the process

Just a little FYI: As I was composing this post, she went in her closet and pooped. . . I love being a mother.

105th POST

2011-06-02T07:30:00.001-05:00

I was looking forward to writing my 100th post. Unfortunately I saved it in draft and forgot to post it when the time came. Five posts later, it is finally being posted... except now it's my 105th post.
It took me 2 years to get to my ~~100th~~ post, 105th post. That's because I like to spend time with family and friends, and my sweet girl. I've come to terms with not posting as often as I'd like. There are more important things to be done, but I still love to share with you.

For my second set of 105 posts, you can look forward to ... well I'm not really sure yet. I tend to make things up as I go so you'll be as surprised as I am.

Birthday gift #2

2011-06-01T13:37:00.001-05:00

Since Melissa had a double birthday party for her girls, I had to make something for Allie too. Here's the dress I made for her. Again, mostly thrift store material was used. Lots of raw edges cut on the bias, a gaudy headband, what more could you ask for?

Cheap but Awesome Birthday Gift

2011-05-31T13:31:00.000-05:00

I made this little dress for a my friend Melissa's little girl. This dress starts my attempt at taking pictures of the things I make before they're gone for good. SB volunteered to model this one for me before we gave it to the birthday girl.

All of the material used came from the thrift store. (I know what you're thinking. The material is washed, don't worry.) My mother-in-law loves to bring me any material she finds from there. Sometimes it's a gold mine.

I was a little worried that this would look too "Little House on the Prairie" but I actually think it looks pretty cute. I even thought about keeping it for SB and making another one for the birthday girl. With only a day left, I decided to give it.

Happy #2, Kierstyn! You look super cute!!

Girls Beach Trip

2011-05-26T15:57:00.000-05:00

Last week ten of us girls from church went to the beach for a little R&R. Not that we don't love our families, but it was high time some of us got a little break from the everyday responsibilites.

Some high points for me were:

-Grocery shopping and seeing almost all of us buy healthy food rather than junk. Ok we ate the occasional peanut M&M...or two.

-Seeing our total spending come to $95 including lodging, gas, and groceries for 4 days. That's what I call a trip!!!

-4 lovely days of sun.

-Spending time talking with girls who don't normally have lots of time to talk due to the fact that they are raising 3-4 kids each.

-Talking about Jesus and how important He is to each of us.

-Praying for the needs of others as they arose.

-Not getting sunburned. (Somebody shout!)

Some things I learned about these girls along the way:

-The motherly instinct comes out in most of us even though our homes and families are far away. (Those dishes and clothes were constantly being washed rather than piled into a dirty heap.)

-Erin may never win a frisbee tournament but has great taste in fabric.

-Rita likes to play games and is definately a child at heart.

-Melissa is a born leader and die-hard workout diva even with an 8 month baby belly.

-Jessica is about to marry a really nice guy who really loves her.

-Bekah is a no holds barred kind of girl who appreciates her marriage and God who holds it together.

-Becky is a farm girl for life and is pretty much self-sustained.

-Kim is a devoted sister to Kerry and a sweet friend to all.

-Kerry is also a devoted sister to Kim and is a natural born cheerleader. She needs no pompoms.

-Beth stays sweet through the worst of headaches and thankfully doesn't snore.

Across the street from the condo. I despise pink houses.

Cliche, but I saw it so I photographed it.

These are mine.

Thank you husbands for letting us go for a few days.

Peacock Fascinator

2011-05-18T12:14:00.000-05:00

This is something I tried on a whim for a friend... realizing she was about to fork out some major bucks for one of these. When the pics come back, I'll post.

Recycled Shirt/ Apron

2011-05-14T15:41:00.001-05:00

The only items added were the green ruffle trim at the bottom, the strap on top, and the pockets. The yellow on the pockets were made from the sleeve cuffs. The green dots came from my stash.

Paper Flowers

2011-05-13T12:45:00.001-05:00

Flower made if Mulberry Paper covered in Mod Podge.

I'm trying my hand at making flowers without using fabric. Why? I dunno. I just like trying new things. I know how to make a few varieties of flowers from paper, but I'm trying to make them durable and "damage resistant." I'm gonna post my attempts and report LATER on the resiliency of each. Hopefully some will fare well and I can use them in some hair pieces.

Why I Like Being a Mommy

2011-05-09T12:12:00.000-05:00

Who wouldn't wanna greet this in the morning?

Cha Cha Cha CHANGE

2011-05-05T21:28:00.001-05:00

If you've read this blog before or you know me, then you know what line of work I'm in. I teach "talented art" to a small groups of kids each day in a public school setting. Due to the nature of my job, I tend to keep the same students for a number of years. Some I've taught for 5 years now. I've practically watched them grow up. I've gotten to know their parents as friends and feel very comfortable seeing familiar faces every new school year. Next year will be more of the same and I'm glad of it.

One thing gets to me though. Once my students move to 9th grade I lose them to another teacher. I know it's for the the best, but it doesn't make it any easier. They always make me feel like I'm the key to their success as an artist, and while I'm flattered, really my desire is for them to take what they know and run with it, learn something new, get a fresh perspective.

My greatest desire for my departing students is that they would remember my everyday life, while FAR from perfect, is pointing to Christ and bearing fruit. If it isn't, then the greatest artist to come from under my teaching would be wasting paint. It's true that I love art, but I love Jesus more. I'd rather see the gospel advanced in their lives than visual arts.

To my students who read this blog:
I love you,
I'll really miss you,
Come and see me,
Ride the bus back to the elementary school next year if you must.

Ahem... Happy Cinco de Mayo! Tomorrow is SB's actual birthday. I don't think I'm gonna tell her.

Party fit for a Princess

2011-04-16T22:49:00.000-05:00

Today was SB's third birthday party. In her own words, it was her "best birthday party ever."
I opted to hold the party a few weeks before her actual birthday hoping that the weather would be a little cooler. It was.
One of my former students came as Cinderella to entertain the girls and they really loved having her there. If you live near me and want a Cinderella for your party, she is for hire. Send me a comment or email and I'll put you in touch.

Meet n Greet: Question of authenticity- "Where's your prince?" SB asks.

I was tired before it was over. Thanks for the help, Mom and Crystal.

A sweet and caring princess. SB had 4 cake pops on her plate and still managed to take a bite of Cinderella's.

Tea Time for 12 toddlers!!

Two pretty princesses, one semi-smile. By now, you know how she rolls.

Mary Ellen looks more excited about Cinderella than Lilly Mae.

Thank you, Brooke for doing a super job.

Baby Remy, Crystal's boy.

Mary Ellen, Katee's girl.

She's got smiling down to a science.

The gentlest touch...

doesn't always...

receive a warm welcome.

I leave you with this.

Happy Birthday SARAH BETH!

Camera Shy or Camera Hater?

2011-04-03T08:54:00.000-05:00

Why does SB not look in the direction of the camera? That's how she rolls. As beautiful as she is, and she being my daughter and all, I'd love to take multitudes of photos of her. It may never be.

Mouth full of chocolate cupcake and a bribe to smile.

The best I could get after a plead to look my way.

This = Smile

Jason's Wedding

2011-04-03T08:20:00.000-05:00

These are some of my favorite pictures from the wedding (in no particular order.)

This is the second flower girl dress I made.

This is the first flower girl dress I made.

Erica

2011-01-10T21:14:00.000-06:00

Erica is SB's cousin, Todd's niece. Cody is her boyfriend and has been for as long as I can remember. These are sweet kids.

Erica wanted some photos taken with Cody, so I obliged. These are the ones I picked to show you. Cute huh?

Flower Girl Dress

2011-01-09T20:53:00.000-06:00

Remember these people? This is my brother Jason and his fiance' Allison. They'll be married in March.

Allison asked me if I would make flower girl dresses for SB and Ada, her other niece. I agreed to do it but needed some ideas of what she wanted. I got what I asked for, down to the last detail. In the image below are the contents of a box I got Christmas day from Allison. This is a girl who know's what she wants.

I know you can't see all of what's here, but there are 8 or so labeled fabrics, labeled photos of sample dresses she likes, and a page (front and back) of instructions for one dress.

This is my first dress - a little too long. Ok... a lot too long. The bottom photos show how I shortened it. SB wasn't really willing to model a second time. This dress isn't for her anyway. It's for Ada, Allison's niece. SB's will be posted later, when I get to it.

Gift Tags

2010-12-24T22:29:00.000-06:00

By the time you read this it will be Christmas day (or after) and you won't care anymore about putting tags on gifts, but... here's one way we got SB involved with gift-giving this year. She and her daddy sat down with a pen and lined paper (cringe!!!) to make gift tags for everyone. He drew circles and labeled each one while she drew in the faces of each recipient. I backed them with scrapbook paper and they were later attached to gifts. They could be prettier, but at this point I don't really care. The drawings are awesome enough.

I hope some of these end up as refrigerator art. They should.

Baby Pictures

2010-12-23T18:02:00.000-06:00

Today was the first day I've seen Remy in person. He's my other sister Crystal's baby. I've only gotten a few snapshot sent to me here and there over the phone since they live in Florida. It's always a joy to take a few photos of new babies who normally put up less resistance than toddlers. I was glad to snap a few while they were here. He's a cutie!

A photo tip:
These pictures were taken in a small bathroom where the walls were close to each other. I used a bounce flash since I don't own studio lights anymore. (A bounce flash is just an added camera flash turned toward a wall instead of directly on the subject.) It produces a more modeled effect rather than a flat, bright flash on the face and cast shadow.

Smile

2010-12-20T22:40:00.000-06:00

It's nice to have family over especially when you don't see them much. My dad's side of the family came for a visit this weekend for Christmas. We exchanged gifts, ate a big meal and spent time together which is always a pleasure. I wish my whole family lived within a few miles of each other.

My step mom makes great desserts and brought over an entire dessert for each person since we all like different things. Cupcakes for the girls, pecan pie for me, cherry pie for my sister Katee, and brownies for the men since they're not as keen on sweets.

Katee likes pictures, so we took a few of Mary Ellen and Lilly Mae and SB.

Unfortunately SB's patience for picture-taking runs thin. This is what we get when we ask for a smile. I guess I'm happy for at least a look in the direction of the camera. Actually, I really like this picture. Her resistance was probably waning due to the fact that we had cousin Lilly Mae over. Lilly Mae enjoys the occasional snap in her direction and doesn't immediately run the other way. I wish some of the enthusiasm would rub off.

Smile! Please?!!! PLEASE Smile!

Like this, Mommy?!!!

I'm 8 weeks old and you don't see me complaining about taking a picture.

About Christmas

2010-12-19T15:57:00.000-06:00

This picture is worth a thousand words. Todd and I want so much to translate what's here into our girl's heart. There are a lot of tv shows, music, stores, well-meaning adults, other kids, and whatever else I've left off trying to tell SB that Christmas is about getting lots of presents and that there is an old guy in a red suit who's gonna creep into our house at night and drop them off to her.

We've come to realize that we have to be vigilant in teaching her about Immanuel - God with us. Christmas is about Jesus coming to earth as Immanuel. He was and is our ultimate gift. That's enough.

I'm SEW Awesome

2010-12-03T10:24:00.003-06:00

Made with Glossy ModPodge and fusible web.

Yep, I hand stitched these letters.

She likes the shirt!

A cheap, 30 minute, AWESOME Christmas present for a good friend. (I say cheap, because I had all these things on hand except the shirt.)

Ingredients:
$6.00 Hanes t-shirt from Wal Mart
Barbasol shaving cream
Temporary Spray adhesive
Black screen printing ink or acrylic paint
ModPodge (Glossy)
Image (Sewing Machine) printed from a color (or black and white) inkjet printer
Small piece of white scrap fabric
Wonder Under or fusible web
Iron
Sponge Brush
Scissors
Embroidery Floss if you're in the mood to sew by hand.

If you'd like to see a tutorial, comment.

Christmas Dress

2010-12-02T22:18:00.002-06:00

The Photo:
In the past, I've prided myself on my Christmas dresses for Sarah Beth. Not this year. I have way too many projects going on right now to fuss over cute Christmas pictures. I had invisioned dressing her up as an angel with real feathered wings and doing a very overexposed angelic portrait of her. These days I'm lucky to get her to look my way when I have a camera in hand much less expect her to cooperate.

It's already December and I have yet to get my Christmas cards printed and in the mail. One of these two will have to do.

The Dress:
I did make this dress one night out of some fabric I found at the Fabric Krazy Quilt Shop which I love because of its subtle festive qualities. The applique file comes from Planet Applique which is my one of my favorite online shops. It happens to be the first thing I've ever made for her with zipper. An invisable zipper.

Update on the Chair

2010-11-29T21:56:00.002-06:00

For anyone interested, I DID finish the chair this week, and painted the walls blue. I like them both.

Elf on the Shelf Shirt

2010-11-28T21:53:00.000-06:00

This is what I've always perceived the Elf on the Shelf to look like because it has been in my family since I was a kid. I have no idea how old he is, but Green Guy's the real deal. My grandpa gave me this guy (along with two others just like him) last Christmas. He and my grandma used to hang them on their tree.

The elf on the shelf below (Red Guy) came along a few years ago and I'm still not sure what the "tradition" is but he's not quite as cute as my green striped guy. Ok, Red Guy's a little less creepy than Green Guy. I might rather find him staring at me from different places in the house, than Green Guy.

The reason they are even mentioned in this post is because of the shirt I made below. I got this knit striped fabric and really wanted to use it to make a shirt. I made a a pattern for myself and sewed away. It fits well and is really cute . . .except for the fact that it reminds me of Green Guy. When I wear it, I keep waiting for someone to tell me I belong in Santa's workshop.

This is Exactly what it looks like.

2010-11-25T19:02:00.002-06:00

Todd and I decided to let SB decorate her first set of Christmas cookies. Last year she was a little young. She decided to sneak a few M&M's during the decorating but plenty of them still made it on the cookies.

Family Fun

2010-11-25T01:08:00.000-06:00

I don't think this needs an explanation.

Psalm 107 ...Give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind...
Happy Thanksgiving. Go spend some time with the people you love and thank God that you have them to share life with.

I'm back...The Chair

2010-11-22T22:59:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to save this entry until I was done with this chair so I could show a start to finish set of pictures but I've been really busy. There. That's my excuse. My last post was from October and frankly I'm ready for my costume to make its way to the bottom of this blog.

What's happened since then? Two sisters had babies, one boy and one girl. I went to my first quilt festival ever and enjoyed myself immensely. I took 2 photos but remember everything except what those photos were about. At school I've been the go-to girl for all things creative including theatre sets, photography backdrop painting, custom portraits of dead dogs, 110 decorated ornaments for the town Christmas tree, face painting on the fly, and raffled crafts. At home, Husband has been working LOTS lately and we've been to lots of birthday parties. SB is now telling me she wants to "go backwards" meaning that she wants to redo the day so she can spend more time with Peaches the horse.

The story of this chair:
I went to an antique store looking for a sofa to borrow for my brother's engagement photos. I was sidetracked by this hideous chair and fell in love with the $15 price. (The tag said $30 dollars but when Mrs. Saleslady saw me looking interested she immediately cut the price in half without me even asking. I would have paid the $30.) I've had high hopes for this little rocker. I bought some supplies to reshape the cushions and some swanky new fabric. Mind you, this is my reupholstery debut.
Well, I'm still not finished with it. I haven't even worked on it since September when I bought it.
My problem is that I'm at a point where I need an extra set of hands. This week, the love of my life is home on vacation and I think I can get some help out of him. He's already earned brownie points by helping me paint our living room and hall way. 11 feet of vertical misery. New inspiration for sewing projects though. Mark my words, you WILL see a finished chair. Soon.

Nurse/Candy Striper Costume

2010-10-30T20:20:00.002-05:00

Dorthy? No.

My school hosted a family fun Halloween night this past week. Costumes were definitely a must. I was looking for some inspiration from the internet for a candy striper costume, but most options were not even PG-13 rated. Here's my more conservative/ mod/ retro take on a candy striper costume.

My job at the event was to paint faces so I've spent some time practicing. This horse was by far my most elaborate undertaking and it was painted a few hours before we even opened for business. Marian, one of my students, wanted a horse to go with her cowgirl costume. I tried to talk her into something more simple, but no - a horse. She wanted a horse.
Even though he got washed off later that evening, he will live on in this post forever. My favorite part is that he is attached to the wood post on the other side of her face.

Here she is...

2010-10-25T17:09:00.002-05:00

Katee finally had the baby. Guess what? I was wrong. It's a GIRL and her name is Mary Ellen. You're a good mama, Katee.

One sister's pregnancy down and one to go.

Funny Face Painting

2010-10-24T19:32:00.001-05:00

She says she has a giraffe neck. Well now she really does!!! Of course it's a pretty giraffe who smiles when she smiles. Thanks for being a good sport and letting me paint your face Brandy.

I painted a smiling fish on my face with a little help from the guidance counselor. I need guidance sometimes.

Belle

2010-10-20T07:33:00.004-05:00

Since my sister Katee is so pregnant and overdue, I feel sorry for her. She could ask me for anything and I'd probably do it for her. Lilly Mae asked me to make her a Belle dress. How could I turn her down.

Crazy enough, this dress cost me less than $6 to make. It's got four layers of various types of material from knit to netting to satin to tulle and has some hot fix crystals too. I enjoyed making this so much because all I had to go by was some basic measurements over the phone. There was no pattern, only one of SB's princess books to reference. I hope it looks enough like Belle, LM.

It cost so little I had some stuff in my stash I figured I might one day use, and because of my sweet neighbor who thought of me and found this yellow satin at Hobby Lobby for a mere $2 a yard. She bought almost three yards and gave it to me. What a blessing! Katee and LM you can thank my neighbor Neila.

A Date, a Dog, and a Llama (Random Stuff)

2010-10-18T14:26:00.005-05:00

It was high time for us to go on a date. I love the local outdoor mall. So pretty at night. It was good to have some adult conversation too. We talked about art... I love my husband. We also visited Charming Charlies...in his opinion kitschy. I just like the layout of the store and a few of the gaudy headbands I would never actually wear, but like.

This reminds me of why I don't want anymore house pets. That's the dog eating cat food.

Why is the Llama slightly blurry? That's how close he kept getting to me. SB and I went to the fair with some friends. She wanted to pet the animals. I wanted them to stop eating my shirt.

When's the Happy Birthday?

2010-10-17T13:21:00.000-05:00

Katee had LM's birthday party a couple weeks early in case the baby came sooner than expected. I forgot my camera so these are a couple of photos I was able to use from my phone. Here we are about 3 weeks later, a week after a failed induction, and still no baby yet. He/She's almost a week overdue. You are a strong momma, Katee! I admire your self control. I'd be a basket case right now.

Engagement Photos

2010-10-05T06:44:00.000-05:00

This is my baby brother, J. I'm glad he gave me the pleasure of photographing him and A. I hope you don't mind my posting these.

What she remembers most about...

2010-09-30T21:52:00.002-05:00

When you ask her about her time at the gym she will tell you about the stamps she got on her feet. She won't tell you she got to play with a parachute or hang from bars or go through tunnels or balance on beams with rubber chickens in hand. Nope, she'll tell you she got a happy face flower and a bumble bee on her feet.

Excuse the photos. It seems that I prefer to carry a phone around these days and not a 10 lb. camera.

Super Hero

2010-09-26T21:31:00.000-05:00

Todd gave SB a bath last night since I spent 5 hours in the car with her while he relaxed at home. He's a pretty good illustrator in spite what he says. This is his rendering of SB as a superhero. I think it's cute. He's a good daddy.

This makes me laugh...

2010-09-25T08:05:00.000-05:00

Inside I feel the same way as this panda when I don't get my way.

There are three or four of these Panda Cheese commercials on Youtube.

I Dread This...

2010-09-23T18:21:00.000-05:00

Sunday night, on the spur of the moment, I decided it was time to get rid of the pacifier. I've put it off for long enough!

The method:

Reward good sleep.

She fell asleep at 10:30 after a few hours of struggling. The next day we went to the Dollar Tree where she picked out a prize. We came home with a jumbo cat coloring book.

Some frustrating but funny moments:

"I'm crying, Snuggle Duck, I'm crying." She wasn't really crying; she was declaring.

"EYEBROWS! EYEBROWS!!!" She shouted this word repeatedly for about 10 minutes.

"I want Aunt Dale!"

"Get me out of here!" A reference to her bed.

"I need____." Think of anything off the top of your head, she needed it.

Recycling

2010-09-18T16:08:00.000-05:00

Lots of the gifts I make for friends and family come from previously owned articles of clothing. Case in point- this little girl's shirt that was given at a birthday party today came from my hubby's closet. It doesn't look the same as when he had it, and it's been washed, but somehow I feel a little cheap about giving it as a gift. I also gave her the pink thingie in the other image. I made it from all new materials, but it's not my favorite of the two.
I'm gonna keep recycling old clothing and give it away as gifts. If you get one from me, don't be offended. Its' because I love you!

Baby Gifts

2010-09-17T16:58:00.001-05:00

Some cute shoes made of weird stuff I found laying around

including an old dance costume and some blue leopard fur.

Some burp cloths made with appliques from one of my favorite sites.

Some incomplete sentences.

Elephants, Ladybugs, and Yellow Birds

2010-09-15T21:37:00.000-05:00

LM's

SB's variation

I made Lilly Mae a big sister shirt since she's about to be one. She's in for a shock when she has to share her Mommy and Daddy. You're gonna be a super big sister, LM!!

SB was in love with the pink polka dot elephant and wanted one of her own. Luckily I had planned to make one for her anyway. I can't wait for it to get colder so she can wear it.

On another note, I have volunteered to paint faces for the upcoming school carnival. Hopefully the school will make a little money from my mad skills. Last week I pulled my students aside and painted some of their faces for practice since I've never done this before. For those who rathered I didn't paint their faces, they didn't escape without at least an arm or two painted. This girl, a 7th grader surrendered both arms to me and went home like this.

Maybe I'll post some fancy faces later. For now, enjoy the garden creatures.

Black Ruffle Pants

2010-08-25T18:04:00.000-05:00

I went to Hobby Lobby for the sole purpose of looking for this particular ruffled knit fabric. I went to the spot where I saw it last, but it was gone. Disappointed, I glanced around to see if I could find something similar when my eye caught the very thing I was looking for. It was in the discount bin! I picked it up to find that the entire remains of the bolt was $5. Yippee! I got two yards (regular $13.99 a yard) for $5! What a steal! They also had white so I snagged that too since it was the same price.
Here are my awesome $5 pair of pants.
It literally took me 30 minutes to make these. I deconstructed a pair of warm up pants and used them as a template. The hardest part was cutting, but it really wasn't that bad. There was no need to hem anything although I did make a waist band so I could feed elastic through to keep them up. The material is super stretchy so mistakes are hard to find. These might be my new favorite black pants/capris. They are SOOO comfortable.

Cardigan

2010-08-24T17:47:00.000-05:00

Here's Mom in this gray cardigan I made for her. She wanted one similar, gave me a pattern to go by, and I whipped it up the same day. Sadly I lost track of what she was wanting to change about it and didn't implement those changes. Sometimes I have a one-track mind. Off to tend to the family. See you when I get a chance to post again.

Fatigue

2010-08-15T22:19:00.001-05:00

It's true. I've run out of gas. School started and fatigue has set in. I was on a roll there for a while with a post a day, sometimes two in one day. Keeping up during the school year will be difficult, but I'll try. The Lord, my family, my job, and my rest mean more to me than this blog, so I've put it on the back seat. I have lots of draft posts waiting for pictures. I've made lots more clothes, adults and children, that I don't have pictures of yet.

It's time for bed now. I can't wait to get used to working full time again.

P.S.
This was S.B.'s birthday dress. She wouldn't keep still long enough for me to get a good shot.

Green Couching

2010-08-01T23:26:00.000-05:00

Another knit.

I made the shirt first and thought it looked boring. I made some stencils and painted the grungy looking flowers on the side. I didn't like them by themselves so I added the rectangles by couching yarn on top in an overlapping pattern.

The Next Biggest Thing

2010-07-30T07:28:00.000-05:00

Todd is going on 4 days now working day and night. He's pretty sleep deprived and sometimes not making all that much sense. He told me this morning that during the one hour he got to sleep he dreamed that I came up with this idea that was selling like hot cakes. Here's his idea. I'll start taking orders Monday. Get in on the ground floor while you can.

A Hidden Spot

2010-07-28T23:37:00.001-05:00

There's a blog of mine that no one visits. It was created for one person to see some paintings I was selling - Ryan. He saw them, end of story. I'm posting this because people are asking to see some paintings I've done. Go here if you'd like to see some from 2007 and before. They are all gone except for two of them and I'm not willing to part with those two right now. (The one shown above is one that I still have.)

Since school is starting in a matter of days, I will probably get the urge to break out the paint brushes again and do some more large format work. That may not make since to you if you don't already know that I teach art for a living. The kids very much inspire me. Trying new techniques inspires me. Change of pace inspires me too. If I do paint, I'll post them and probably offer to sell them.

Diagonals

2010-07-27T23:25:00.001-05:00

I like this shirt. I have nothing else to say about it.

A Little Sweetness

2010-07-26T23:14:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted her face in a while.
I asked her to smile and she gave me this sweet face. I hope you're awwwwing right now.

We tried for 6 years to have her. It's a constant reminder that "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17) God gave her to us. There is no doubt in my mind. I don't have the creativity, craft, skill, intelligence, etc. to produce such a precious child. She causes me to glorify God and consider his sweetness on a daily basis.

Funny Names

2010-07-25T23:12:00.003-05:00

Sarah Beth's vocabulary has grown so much this summer. We are constantly amazed at what she comes up with at the spur of the moment. Once last week she said, "Oh they are getting SO married." What's that mean? We always ask her what she wants to name different stuffed animals and toys she has. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy.

1. Peck - Soft fluffy white dog ... lets name him Peck!

2. Buddy (left) was adopted after Balance. My favorite is Balance. Where did she come up with it, I don't know. None the less, it is so appropriate for a monkey. You get it? He needs his balance to be a spry monkey. Get it?

3. Pinky the baby penguin - I liked the name so much that I made Pinky a dress and monogrammed her name on it. I hope Sarah Beth meant for Pinky to be a girl.

4. Snuggle Duck really does seem appropriate for him and not at all out of place.

5. Stun-I don't get this one. I thought maybe Snow or Princess, but no, it's Stun.

6. Chicky Pooh - because there is a character on Nick Jr. who looks similar named Chicky Pooh.

What's your favorite name from the list?

Dress

2010-07-25T11:31:00.001-05:00

Another comfy knit. The bottom band is actually the midsection of a shirt that came from the thrift store. I didn't like it as a shirt, but it matched perfectly with this little tunic.

There is a pile of aweful clothes in my closet waiting for a little TLC. They will hopefully find their way into something I make one day.

A close up of the pocket.

I wear this with brown leggins.

What is it about this shirt?

2010-07-24T11:27:00.002-05:00

Honestly I look preggers here. I've got to do something to this to make it less maternal. Any suggestions?

I like the monochromatic look here and the subtlety. It's hard to tell, but there are two different kinds of pattern prints on this shirt. For a little contrast I couched some white yarn at the bottom to compliment the rolled hem of the neck line.

My Educated Guess

2010-07-23T22:54:00.001-05:00

So you know that both of my sisters are pregnant. Well Crystal knows she's having a boy and Katee doesn't know what she's having and doesn't want to know. I've decided to guess. No, I've not had an epiphany or any angel come down and tell me what it is. I've got a 50/50 chance though. So.... I guess it's a boy. Now if I'm wrong don't go all "You were wrong" on me. I admit there is a good chance that I'm wrong, but I could be right... or not... but maybe.

Because of my guess, I made my sister Katee a sling that's more boyish than girly. If he turns out to be a girl, well... we'll stick a pink bow on it. Since we don't see Katee all that often, I haven't had a chance to give the sling to her. Sarah Beth hates to see it sitting idly by and often asks to ride in it. Here's a photo of me carrying her in it. Katee, I can safely say that if you give birth to a 24 pound baby he will ride securely in this sling.

New Life for an Old Pullover

2010-07-23T07:12:00.001-05:00

Here's my contribution to Greenies. This used to be my husband's pullover shirt. I always loved this color on him. Now it's a wrap shirt with a flower at the snap point. The front is actually the original back. The challenge is to use the pieces wisely. There's no room for mistakes in cutting.

Shirred Shirt

2010-07-22T22:56:00.001-05:00

A shirt from scratch with no pattern.

It's a trapezoid that's smaller at the top than at the bottom. I shirred the waist all the way up gradually increasing the elastic spacing. Honestly, if you are even slightly self-conscious about your midsection, this is not the shirt for you. It's very flattering to the smaller figure, but not so much for the rest. If the shirring were a little looser it would probably work for anyone. I plan to add some handmade flowers to the neck line.

Maybe a tutorial later.

Fleur De Lis Shirt

2010-07-20T15:46:00.003-05:00

One of my students created a linoleum block with a fleur de lis design on it. (It's basically like making a rubber stamp.) When he was done making his art prints with it, I borrowed it to make my tshirt design.

This scoop neck tshirt was $4 at Target. All you need to spiff it up is a little fabric paint and a groovy stamp. I created a stencil of swirlies and added them to my design since the fleur de lis was only 4 inches by 6 inches. Later, I added some hot fix crystals for detail. This is one of my favorite shirts to wear. It's comfy. (I like that word.)

Knit Picky

2010-07-19T23:30:00.001-05:00

There's a big stigma attached to sewing jersey knit. I don't know why people are so afraid to tackle it. For the most part it's way more forgiving than woven fabrics.

Top 5

Reasons to sew knit:

5. Mistakes? Where?

4. Draping is often flattering to the figure and less bulky than wovens.

3. Raw edges are cool. (knit doesn't ravel)

2. Who needs a zipper! Go ahead, stretch it over your head. It won't hurt.

1. Comfy, Comfy, Comfy

I'll pick a knit to wear any day over a woven. I guess that makes me knit picky!

iPhone Craze

2010-07-18T23:06:00.001-05:00

Yesterday Mom, SB, and I went shopping and to a restaurant to eat lunch. Sarah Beth has been under the weather for what seems like the entire summer. I thought she was feeling better so we went out to get some fresh air (shopping). She was a pretty good sport about the whole thing and put up with our wandering for an hour or so. We rewarded her with a good lunch and some window shopping for toys. I am blessed to say that she is almost always willing to put something back on the shelf after handling it for a few seconds. If you ask if she wants something she will generally say, "No. Put it back." It's always a reminder to me about my own contentment.

Anyway, I looked at my phone to see what time it was and, wow! it was 1:00. I knew it was well past her lunch time and she was probably really hungry, not to mention, not feeling well either. I gave her my phone to play with while we waited for our order to come to the table. She was quiet and never said a word about having to wait. It was nice because my mom and I could hold a conversation.

The party at the table next to us noticed how small she was and how easily she could work her way around on the phone. It's true. She's a little more than 2, can't read yet, and can navigate the phone like a pro. The crazy thing is that all together she's probably spent 2 hours total on the phone playing games since I've had the phone. Apple should advertise the iPhone as something "even a 2 year old can work." Kids are truly amazing. I wonder if I was that smart when I was her age.

Serendipity Skirt

2010-07-17T07:31:00.000-05:00

There's my face. I plan to keep it off of most of my pictures, but here, you can see how much I like this skirt. When I was in the store buying the fabric, there was another customer there who I began to talk with. I told her I was using all of these fabrics in a skirt. She began giving me looks of disapproval. Then she got vocal about it. She tried to explain to me how they wouldn't work together and grabbed other bolts of fabric to suggest in place of my current choices. I still ended up with these. Her suggestions were fun, but I like my concoction.

About the pattern: I bought the book Sew Serendipity by Kay Whitt. I really like this book and it comes with all the pieces you need for the 18 or so patterns. There are some cute shirts and jackets in the book too and she uses material from designers I really like so the finished pieces are beautiful. I believe the book was released less than a month ago.

Eyelets

2010-07-16T23:32:00.001-05:00

This top is by far not one of my favorites but I get lots of compliments on it whenever I wear it. It's a sort of peasant top with a touch of extra detail. I was using this eyelet material (a thrift store find) as a muslin to sew a draft of a shirt pattern I made up. I was planning on making another one when I ironed out all the kinks in this one. I never did make the second one but this shirt has been worn multiple times and holds up really well in the dryer.

Tent Shirt

2010-07-15T23:26:00.001-05:00

Here's what I like about this shirt - The color combination of the shirt and the buttons.

Here's what I don't like about this shirt - EVERYTHING ELSE! I'm not sure I'll ever wear it in public...or at home.

Hah! Take that, Tent Shirt!

Try something new. Even if it comes out awful...

No Sew Hair Clip Holder

2010-07-14T23:31:00.000-05:00

Here's Sarah Beth's hair clip holder. You may have seen a variation of this before, but this is my take on it.

Materials and Supplies

Open-back frame 16x20

1/4 inch thick foam board cut to 16x20

20x24 piece of fabric

2 pieces of 16x20 batting

Box of straight sewing pins with flat heads (no pearls or rounded heads)

25 buttons or cute brads from the scrapbook store

4 yards of ribbon, lace...

Glue gun and sticks

Thimble

Hammer

Small nails or brads

Spray adhesive

Directions

Cut out your fabric to 20x24 inches.

Cut your foam board to 16x20 inches.

Test to see if it fits in the frame opening. It will be covered with fabric so allow a little wiggle room.

Trim if necessary.

Place foam board on top of the right side of the fabric and center as best as you can. (See illustration below.)

Trace the border of the foam board with a water soluble pen or chalk onto the fabric. (This is the part that shows inside the frame. The 2 inch border will be secured around the back.)

Cut out 2 layers of batting to 16x20 (The same size as foam board.)

Use spray adhesive on the foam board to secure the batting one layer at a time. Set it aside.

Create a grid (inside your 2 inch border) on the fabric using the water soluble pen by measuring every 4 inches vertically and horizontally. See below.

Draw diagonals as shown by the black lines in the illustration below.

The first square grid should be erased or ignored as shown in the figure below. Only the diagonals are useful at this point. These lines will be your placement lines for the ribbon and buttons.

Spray the back of the fabric and set it on top of the batting lining up your border with the foam board. By now your layers should be fabric, batting, batting, foam board.

Wrap the extra fabric around the back side and hot glue it in place. Keep it taut as you work your way around.

Line up ribbon on top of the diagonals drawn and hot glue them at the edges (as shown) and around the back side. Be sure to secure them well with hot glue on the back side.

Where diagonals meet, use a thimble and insert a straight pin through the ribbon, fabric, batting and foam board. Turn to the back side and bend the left over straight pin down and hot glue it to the foam board. The picture below is the straight pin glued to the foam board on the back side. No one's getting poked here.

On the front side, a button is hot glued on top to cover up the straight pin. NOTE: Without the straight pins your piece would not hold hair clips well. The ribbon would eventually sag. Besides, they give a nice quilted effect to the piece.

When you have completed the piece, place your finished work inside the frame and nail small nails or brads into the sides to secure it in place. For neatness, you can add fabric or a dust cover to the back but it's not necessary.

Add bows and hair clips, hang it up, and enjoy!!!

I hope this was clear and concise. Please comment or email with questions.

New Skirt

2010-07-14T07:11:00.001-05:00

I love this skirt. My legs are really white so I cut them out of the picture, but the skirt is super cool. The fabric is from Allbrands which happens to be my favorite fabric store. My husband dreads my suggestion to go there. It means a hole is being burnt in my pocket and he's waiting a long time in the car. When I get in there I never expect to stay there so long, but it's so hard to decide on anything because it's all so great. These fabrics are Heather Bailey's and Sandi Henderson's. They work so well together.

Sew and Tell Debut

2010-07-12T22:11:00.001-05:00

I've been busy...sewing...so I'd like to show you my work (bashful). I plan to post a series of things I've sewn...maybe some with tutorials. All of these were taken by my hubby in the kitchen. He was a real sport and got up about ten times to photograph each new piece of clothing I put on. Thank you, Dear!

So here's the first post. Note: They will be posted in no particular order.

I made this vest last summer and recently finished the edges with some white yarn on my serger. I saw this pattern on line last summer and decided to give it a try with some denim material that my mother-in-law got from the thrift store. No harm done if it didn't come out because it didn't cost a thing. I modified this thing so many times I couldn't tell you how to make it. I LOVE the way it came out on the back. The original pattern was not tailored enough for me so I added darts and pleats everywhere. You can click on the photo for a more detailed view.

Check back for more SEW and Tells.

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far...

2010-07-09T14:26:00.000-05:00

Crystal, my sister, gave SB an easel with a dry erase board for her birthday and she loves it. See other posts for more of her works of art. These two drawings are among my favorite. They've got real personality. The left is one of her first face drawings. I drew the circle before she started and the ears when she was done. (Sorry. He needed ears.) To me he looks so much like Charlie Brown, don't you think? Maybe it's the zigzag line. I don't know. For the right one, she asked me to draw a snake so she could add the face to it. I drew the long snake-like body and bulbous head. She did everything else. My reaction: I couldn't have done it better myself if I tried. I love the personality of this guy. Maybe someday I'll collect all my phone photos of her drawings and turn them into a storybook.

...Once upon a time, Charlie Brown and his stylish snake friend went on an adventure... Blaaahhhh... I'll leave the writing to someone talented.

Pretty good drawings for a two year old huh?

School

2010-07-06T00:27:00.000-05:00

It's official. The summer is over half way over. June is gone. July is in a hurry. Please stay, July...just a little while longer. It seems like you don't hang around for very long.

School...August...wake up early...schedule...lesson plans...kids...deadlines...contests...fun projects...friends...new classroom...more space to make art...PAY CHECK. Ok. I'll go back.

Baby Boy Gifts #2

2010-06-26T14:59:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been using my iPhone to take pictures of things I'm making rather than using my real camera. The quality definitely suffers but it's SO convenient. I tried to doctor up these photos before posting them. The color is still a little off and you don't really see the corduroy applique. I also used minky dots as trim on the top and bottom edges and on the back. The blanket is pale blue, white, and chocolate brown not teal, pale pink, and black.

This blanket would be just as cute for a girl with a slight change of color or cute font.

What Makes Me Smile

2010-06-26T14:35:00.001-05:00

I often wonder if what I try to teach Sarah Beth hits home. When we drive down the road we look at clouds and trees and animals and talk about them. Todd and I always ask her, "Who made the (object of God's creation)." She knows the answer and gladly spits it out. She knows a few Bible verses too. She also happens to know where people were first called Christians.

Yesterday I was sitting on her rocking chair checking email on my phone and she was setting the table for a nice tea with her animals. She asked me to get her some napkins from the kitchen so off I went still checking my mail as I got a hand full of napkins. I sat them on her table and she started passing them out to each guest. I was reading something about embroidering on my phone when all of a sudden I heard, "Jesus please bless this food. Amen." I had tuned out all the other conversations she was having with them but when she prayed, I heard it loud and clear. It wasn't more holy or louder. I just heard it and it melted my heart. At that point I exited my email and took this picture with my phone.

Her prayer may be ritual now but one day it'll sink in. I try to take as many opportunities to observe and verbalize all that God has done for us so that she will someday develop a heart of thanksgiving, knowing that all she has, even her breath, is from Jesus who created and saves her. Her little prayer gives me hope that this part of her growing up will be one of my most treasured memories.

Deut. 6:5-9
5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Baby Boy Gifts

2010-06-21T14:53:00.004-05:00

No! Not ME!!! My two sisters are. I should join the crowd I guess.

I've been having lots of fun making stuff for them. I'll try to post some pictures as I complete some projects. Katee has chosen to be surprised at delivery rather than finding out the sex ahead of time. My gifts for her will be more maternal than for baby brother/sister. She wants a sling.

Crystal is having a boy. Even though she's due after Katee, I feel more focused on making her stuff because I know what it is and what she plans to name him. Here are two so far.

A wipe case

Store-bought travel wipe case, hot glue, spray baste, ribbon, scrap fabric, and batting.

Hector the Turtle which is really just something to lay on other than the dirty floor.

A little detail about Hector:

His underbelly is just as cool as the top but completely different.
He's very masculine in spite of the fact that his head, legs, and tail were cut from a dress.
The top looks messy because it's a rag quilt. Once Hector gets washed a few more times he ought to be nice and fuzzy.
His eyes are made from the letter O and a few other shapes using machine embroidery.

I love making something cool without spending any money!

It's Your Day

2010-06-20T07:16:00.015-05:00

To the sweetest man alive, my Todd.

Happy Father's Day.

SB could not have gotten a better one if she hand-picked him.

Beach Photos Part II

2010-06-19T23:11:00.001-05:00

These are some of my favorite photos from our beach trip. Here's why:

Sarah Beth is obviously not cool with the sand because it makes her dirty and she doesn't like to be dirty. Lisa and Dale are doing their best here trying to show her that it's fun stuff to play with. Even the last day she hated it.

I just love the colors in this photo and her sweet little pose. She wouldn't sit anywhere where sand was touching her. It was kind of nice because I didn't worry about her wandering off. That yellow beach towel was like a cage.

I like this one because we look like we're having a great time. Really she was just being bribed to take a photo smiling.

I like this one because it looks like a magazine ad for some super sunscreen. See - we've been in the sun all day and look - still white as a ghost but in a fashionable way. And the reader of the magazine would think..."Yeah, I want to be as porcelain as they are. They look like they're having a great time and aren't worrying a bit about skin cancer."

Eric and Lisa

Brother-in-law and sister-in-law who own the house we stayed in. Very generous to take us on such a nice trip.

Who wouldn't want to look back a this picture in ten years and say, "You see how sweet you were?"

Shelby and Erica - Sarah Beth's cousins who are in college. Sweet girls who make the best cousins. Sarah Beth loves them.

Another cool image caught by Uncle Eric. I just like the whole shot. Never mind the fact that Sarah Beth wanted me to pick her up the whole time because she didn't like to feel the sand on her feet. You swear she was walking in a never-ending pile of ants.

Shelby and Erica insisted that I take photos of them jumping. I like this one best. I like the fact that from their knees down, their legs form a nice continuous diagonal. As far as photography and art go - the Rule of Thirds is very clear here.

I got a little jealous and we all joined in the jump fun... except for Eric and Sarah Beth. Eric took the photo. Sarah Beth obsessed about her sandy feet.

Yes, this is still the beach. It was behind me as I took this picture. I just love this shot.

Maybe some more beach pictures later, but maybe not. We'll see.

Budding Artist/ Obsessive Hygiene

2010-06-19T08:18:00.003-05:00

So if you know my girl then you know she hates to get dirty. That being said, we had some time to work on her obsession with personal hygiene. Being an artist myself, I really want some of my strengths to come through in her so we took a trip to Hobby Lobby and bought some tempera paint (paint I have never owned due to it's cheap, temporary quality.) For this, however, tempera was just right - no permanent stains, easy clean up, quick wash off the hands in the event of a panic.

In the left photo, the hand holding the brush is obviously smeared with red paint. She's not that messy. I smeared it on her to break the ice and let her know that it was ok to get a little messy. It took some convincing and some fake laughs on my part but she was ok.

In the right photo she's wearing Daddy's white tshirt whenever she gets the fever to create. She calls it her "paint dress". She likes it. You can see that there is a paint brush for every color and that none of the colors are mixed and dirty with other colors. We established that rule early on so that colors would stay pure.

She follows the rules gladly talking to herself as she goes along... "Now blue. Ok. Let's put blue on the page. Oh beautiful. Now green. Get the green brush. Ok. Oooh. So pretty. I love to paint." Then, when she gets a dot of paint on her hand... "WIPE IT OFF! WIPE IT OFF, MOMMY!" Once I wipe them clean we're back to, "Ok. Now the red one..." and so on.

More beach pictures to come.

Hello and Goodbye, Beach

2010-06-15T14:39:00.000-05:00

Dear Rosemary Beach,

Thank you for a wonderful visit. We loved the water. We loved the house. We loved seeing and spending time with family. We hope to visit again...unless you get smeared with tar.

Love,
Sarah Beth and Kim

This is one of my all time favorite photos of Sarah Beth and me. The wild hair, big smile, white skin even after three days in the sun. More beach pics to come later. Thanks Eric for the perfect lucky shot!

Fashionable Plastic Bags

2010-05-29T17:07:00.001-05:00

Ever wonder what to do with all those Wal Mart bags lying around the house? With an iron, some parchment paper and lots of plastic bags, you could deck yourself out in full attire.

If you're interested in how to fuse plastic bags together, scroll down past the pictures.

My workplace put on a contest which called for us to sport our best at a fashion show. (I'd rather sit in the corner while someone else sports my creation.) I had decided not to participate because I didn't want to "walk the runway" for my colleagues. One of my coworkers volunteered to don my work. She was a good sport and won a super cool bookmark for my two-hour plastic bag dress.

A description:

I apologize for the poor image quality. These were taken with my iPhone, some in the dark.

TOP

That's me (dark hair) in my office trying it on.

I tried on the top over my white t-shirt. The top is a strapless corset that laces up the back. The darts in the front (which are hard to see) were made by ironing the bags together on the wrong side of the fabric where darts would have been if it were sewn together. (confusing I know)

SHOULDER PIECE

It's basically a piece of elastic sewn in a circle with the bag straps tied on to one end. Lots of people make no-sew tutus like this. The same applies to the top of the back of the skirt. It was hot glued to the rest of the skirt.

SKIRT

The base of the skirt is made of single fused layers of Wal Mart bags - thus the blue and white motif. The only reason the front is short is because it took less time than making a long front. I wasn't going for a Guns-n-Roses "November Rain" wedding dress. I hadn't even seen the video until after it was made. I was going for more of an Elizabethan style getup.

HAIR

I made a flower with leaves coming out from it and attached it to a clip.

Fusing Plastic Bags

It's a pretty easy thing to do.

Materials:

two large pieces of parchment paper (not wax paper*)

scissors

iron

ironing surface

plastic bags

Prepare your plastic bags by cutting off the bottom seam and the two handles and laying the bag flat. Set the iron to a low to medium setting. Place one piece of parchment paper on the ironing surface. Put a plastic bag on the parchment paper then cover it with the other piece of parchment paper. You basically have a sandwich -- parchment paper/plastic bag/parchment paper. Iron over the surface of the top parchment paper at a medium speed. Don't go slow or the bags will melt.

The key is to test the heat of the iron on a scrap bag. (I know, they're all scrap bags.) If the iron is not hot enough, the bags will remain separate. If it is too hot, the bags will form holes like Swiss cheese and disintegrate.

I've ironed up to 16 layers of bags together at a time without a problem. More may be possible. You just have to get used to how your iron works. Don't give up after one try. Just keep the bags away from direct contact with the iron. Nothing good comes from it.

SEWING

Plastic bags make a great sewing surface. The surface is very friendly to the sewing machine and thread holds it together remarkably well. There's no need to worry about fraying edges either.

PAINTING

Straight acrylic paint will eventually peel off but works great for temporary stuff. Prime the surface if you insist on using acrylic paint. Spray paint is permanent. Alcohol Inks (used for scrapbooking) work well and give a nice leather effect. (The clutch below has alcohol ink painted on it and has been sewn together.)

*Wax paper will melt onto the plastic and not come off. If you want that effect, go for it. It works too. That's how the flower on the purse was made.

Good luck. Make a purse or something. It'll be waterproof!

Musical Obsession

2010-05-12T21:58:00.003-05:00

Todd took SB to Toys R Us today since he's on vacation this week and it's Daddy/Daughter field trip time. Yesterday's field trip was to Barnes and Noble where she came away with a great Eric Carle book. Wubbzy is currently her favorite cartoon right now.

Does it show?

This is her later that same day with an "important" (Daddy's words) other purchase made at Toys R Us. She sat with it the rest of the day. Strummed to her heart's content and then strummed some more. We had to figure out a way to "put it to rest" for the night just to get her to bed.
There has never been another toy she's enjoyed more.

I'd like to see someone try to pry her little fingers off that guitar.

Happy 2nd Birthday

2010-05-05T22:13:00.003-05:00

This place was no strawberry patch, but it turned out just fine. SB loved it so much that it was worth the arm and leg we paid for the place. Happy Birthday, my sweet girl.

That's Karagan, wild child not afraid of steep slides.

We are waiting for a new baby cousin.

Thanks friends and family for everything.

If You're Happy and You Know It...

2010-03-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

Then your face will surely show it...

I guess you think I picked that song just because it matches the pictures so well. Well... you're wrong. I just titled this post the song she was singing (and demonstrating) on her recently acquired trampoline. Anytime I need to get her motivated to leave a place, I offer to "go home and jump on the trampoline." When the bribe is in play, she's off to the car without even so much as a "goodbye it was nice to see you today." I wonder if it'll still work in about 12 years? I'm optimistic.

Busy Bee

2010-03-24T20:37:00.002-05:00

This was my first photo of SB since late November when I took her Christmas pictures. She's growing up and if not for my mom, I wouldn't have much of a record of the past few months because I have taken no pictures. Mom takes pictures of her every Friday when she stays with her for the day. Because I'm fairly confident that she takes pictures every week, I haven't worried about it. Mom's photos are great for the most part. SB doesn't make it easy.

Work has kept me entirely too busy lately. Our student art show is fast approaching and my students are never ready early. I blame myself. I have a hard time saying "no" to any student who wants to try to do something better days before things are due. I end up staying after school every day until the very last minute urging them to work faster. They tend to take the pressure as well as I do.

The word "yes" seems to fall out of my mouth freely for any reason whatsoever. I have trouble turning anything down. It's not so much that I feel pressured into doing some task, it's just that I like a challenge.

Some of those "yesses" include:

-making a beauty pageant costume look like a head of cotton; I couldn't resist.

-making a 4 tier wedding cake. (I will never make another wedding cake again if I have any say in the matter.)

-have another exhibit of my artwork with no current pieces to speak of.

-exhibit my students work when it isn't required.

...and now I will abruptly end this typing spree because I'm really

t i r e d . . .

Brevity

2010-03-14T21:08:00.006-05:00

Life is short which is why I never have time to post. So here's a picture my mom took of SB so I'm posting it because I haven't had time to take any myself. I plan to do it soon though.

I love the entire chapter of Psalm 103. We tried to make SB memorize some of it, but she prefers to make a joke out of it so we gave up. Instead of saying, "Bless the Lord, oh my soul." She says, "Bless the Lord... OH MY GOODNESS!!!" and laughs histerically. Here's a verse for you from that chapter:

Psalm 103:15-16 "As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

The brevity of life really hits home when someone you love looks death in the eyes. God has reminded me of it all week. My pregnant sister's husband had a massive heart attack at 31 years of age.

It's a good time for us to examine what we believe when we are faced with the fact that we are not guaranteed our next heartbeat. It's been a bittersweet experience. While tragedy is never enjoyable, Jesus has been very present to my family and very kind to my sister and her husband. My dad was admitted to the same hospital this morning with an illness he's been facing. It's been hard to be so far away from them during this time, but I will make a trip tomorrow in hopes that I can bring some comfort to them as they continue to battle the aftermath of his heart attack and my dad's illness.

Psalm 103:17 "But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children"

A Great Chair and a Sweet Girl

2009-12-02T07:55:00.003-06:00

What can I say...she is the sweetest child alive.

SB and PawPaw. She doesn't like many men. He's won her heart though.

An old chair, a red velvet reupholstry job, a roll of green tapestry from the thrift store and the sunlight streaming through the front door = the perfect setting for a great Christmas picture.

My not-so-secret secret - the photo below was taken outside.

Oh, the sweetness she oozes.

A Visit from Lilly Mae

2009-12-01T21:21:00.009-06:00

Skirts and dresses ONLY!!! That's Lilly Mae's rule to live by.

For her birthday in October, I found this dress and thought she would love it since she refuses to wear anything that resembles something a boy would wear. Until our post-Thanksgiving visit, she refused to wear her "Ni Hao, Kai-Lan" dress. Yes, it's girly, shiny, Kai-Lan...ish, satiny smooth. Somehow, it hasn't met her strict standards. Katee, her mom/my sister, has tried to offer it to her as an option many times, but it's always been, "No, not today." But...Today was that day. She wore it for the low low price of some small candies. I'm satisfied.

It's hard to ask a 3 year old to smile.
You NEVER get what you ask for.

Isn't she a beauty?

Lilly Mae, You look beautiful in your Kai-Lan dress! I'm glad you came to visit me at my house. Thank you for a great picture. Sarah Beth misses you and I do too!

Monkey Cake

2009-11-04T21:05:00.004-06:00

Here's a cake I made in June - a good learning experience. I've been asked to post it even though it's an older one. This happens to be the second cake I've ever decorated. The design is copied from the birthday party invitation. The mom/party planner wanted the cake to go with the theme of the party so I figured I'd do well to make the cake look like the card. Happy birthday again, Allie.

Family Pictures

2009-11-02T19:46:00.002-06:00

There's this place near my house that has a really beautiful gazebo. Very picturesque. We decided to try it out as a location for some family photos. My photo partner and I took turns taking each other's family pictures. These are the best we could get with SB. She doesn't like the camera these days...or the time change for that matter.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-24T23:09:00.005-05:00

Today we visited the pumpkin patch - 'tis the season, you know. Here are some pics we took during our visit there. Sarah Beth's SO SO hard to photograph these days. She hates the camera.

SB is sporting my latest sewing experiment. I am sporting "3 days without a wash" hair. Todd is sporting a pink and yellow polkadot diaper bag that he's not afraid to carry. That sun was blinding today, but lovely compared to all the rain we've gotten lately. And that chilly breeze was a nice touch too. Thank you, Lord, what a perfect day.

Who wouldn't want their picture with this human-sized black crow?

Down the hill and facing the sun.

Todd, SB, and Mr. Chicken. She was a little apprehensive about him. (I think it was the comb on top or maybe the size.)

SB and Daddy, my treasures.

She got to pick her own pumpkin which is now sitting at home with the rest of her toys on the shelf.

A "Beep" in the flesh/wool. There was a great petting zoo there. She loved them all but was a little less timid around the bunnies and pigs.

These days it's VERY hard to get any good pictures of her. ANY good pictures. She sees the camera and runs the other way. I took 151 pictures today. I think I really like 2 of them.

Nana taught her to stop and smell the flowers - a good rule to live by.

I like this one. She's really THIS sweet. So sweet that the crows want to lean in and get in the picture with her. I don't blame them.

Now I'm sad those old crows are in the picture. She's cute and sweet without them.

A marvelous pick. She later used her chosen pumpkin as a telephone to call whomever she was conversing with on the way home. I wish I had that picture.

Summer Fun

2009-08-23T11:27:00.010-05:00

Fun with cousin Lilly Mae at Papa Steve's and Granny's

Fun with Nana Cathy once a week this summer to give Mommy some ME time

Fun with Mommy always

Fun with friends at a girls weekend getaway

Fun taking naps and waking up with crazy bed hair

Fun with Daddy at Jambalaya Park

Fun with Micah, Judah and Gabe as they get their new birthday present (a puppy)

Fun with Jess as she gives her kids their birthday gift

Fun taking pics of SB

Fun at the Sprayground

Fun licking the water that falls on her face

Fun taking wedding pictures

Fun staying up until midnight 3 nights in a row to make this luau themed birthday cake

Fun making the smash cake for the 1 year old, Gabe.

What a whirlwind...so let's rest until next summer.

Belated Birthday II

2009-06-21T21:41:00.007-05:00

Here are a few pics from SB's birthday party. With all the hullabaloo, I didn't think about taking pictures, so most of these have been borrowed from those who did. As big of a deal as I made of this whole thing, I did not make any effort to document the event. I guess you can't do it all.

This picture I did take at my house on her real birthday. She was really sick and needed some cheering up, so my mom brought over her birthday gift even though her party was cancelled. -It's a kitchen that talks to you. She still cooks for us everyday... (The food tastes a bit plastic.)

Her BirdDay cake - 5 layers of sagging fun. Lessons learned: 1. Round cakes make it harder to smooth fondant. 2. Fondant - only pleasing to the toddler palate. 3. When cakes look crowded it just might be that someone is trying to cover a mistake ... or lots of mistakes. 4. Chocolate icing is yummy! 5. I love to paint fondant - (Sadly, the only things I painted were the birds.) *Not too shabby for my third cake ever although I liked the second cake best so far.

SB in the inflatable jumper. I think she would have been happy in that thing all day long.

SB and her daddy who thinks she hung the moon.

The image above and the next two are the only evidences that there really was a party. No one seemed to take any pictures of anyone other than Sarah Beth. Family came in from out of town and I didn't get any pictures of them...bummer. I did manage to get a few chopped off heads.

These girls look pumped about watching her open presents! Observe the enthusiasm.

She uses the word duck frequently and quacks when necessary. Thanks for the duck, Mrs. Polly.

My photo. Yeah, it's mine. Sadly it's blurry and blown out. Still, I like it and I'm keepin it!

Belated Birthday

2009-06-13T21:36:00.003-05:00

So it's been quite a while and I have more than enough to say, although I plan to keep this one short. My last post was April 6th. Sarah Beth's birthday was May 6th. We had her birthday party today. The photos in this post were taken a few days ago. Her birthday pics will be posted when I get enough energy to retrieve them from my camera.
What's that you say? Why a month and a half later? Oh...that's a story of its own. May 2nd was her original party date. Plans changed the day before the party. Lots to do with contagious viruses, vacations, rodeos, school, other birthday parties, text messages, the kitchen sink...
In the end things all worked out. We scaled down the party to include close friends of the family and family members. Even with the smaller crowd, it was very busy. She has been receiving presents now for over a month, because people felt bad about not giving her a present on her birthday. They've been trickling in here and there through mail or passing by. She's an old pro at unwrapping packages or removing tissue from bags. Todd says she'll think all birthdays last a month long. We'll have some 'splainin to do next year.
As a christian mother, it is my goal to teach her not to treasure trinkets. Don't get me wrong, I'm so thankful for all the gifts - these people are helping us provide for our girl. Those are clothes we don't have to buy. And those toys - how expensive are they! Yes! I am thankful for every last ribbon and battery. I just want her to know that they will not bring her lasting contentment. Eventually as we all do, she will outgrow the clothes and get bored with the toys. I pray that Todd and I will succeed in teaching her to love and cherish the imperishable treasure who "gives life and breath and all things to all." For anyone reading who doesn't know what I'm talking about - it's Jesus.

I love that smile and those sweet baby blue eyes.

Little bit of attitude coming through there...

Hoot

2009-04-06T16:28:00.006-05:00

So I tried my hand at screen printing. I decided to go as simple as possible with the process. I used the drawing/ screen filler method. (Basically, I drew a picture, traced my drawing onto the screen, and filled all the negative space with screen filler. Screen filler clogs all the holes in the screen and prevents ink from seeping through. In the image below the screen filler is a brownish color. The owl is not painted at all.)

Lots of my students gave me some feedback as far as the design goes. I like the way the owl came out - not too girly. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I planned to make t-shirts for the boys at Sarah Beth's birthday party. It's also a good way to learn to use the screen print kit before my art students get a hold of it.

The instructions say to pre-wash the garment before screen printing, but I was ready with my supplies and didn't have a washer and dryer handy. I went ahead and printed one t-shirt with pretty good success. (See below.) I decided to go ahead and stop to pre-wash the rest of the t-shirts before printing the rest of them. When it was time to print again, things didn't turn out as nicely as they had the first go 'round. I didn't bother taking pictures of my 2 "disaster shirts". I ended up hand painting the bottom half of all the letters because they didn't print... on either shirt. I tried making more than one pass. That didn't work out so well either. There are some gray spots here and there from the ink sinking through the filler. I really haven't figured out what happened to the cut off letters.

Click here to see a tutorial that follows the same method, but with homemade materials. NOTE: Screen filler can be washed out and the screen can be reused. I'm not sure about Elmer's glue.

Birdies

2009-03-31T17:19:00.002-05:00

Here they are...all 16 of them. Some of my students helped me make a few of them while they were waiting for some of their own things to dry. I love them all. My mom is going to make a tree so they'll have a home. When she gets that done, I'll post them again. Mom is pretty crafty herself, especially with floral arrangement type things.

I racked my brain about what to make for the boys who come to SB's birthday party and finally decided on something. I am going to screen print a t shirt for them. I just got the supplies to screen print and need to learn the process anyway.

I often consult with my students for good ideas because they genuinely have some...sometimes. One of my Freshman girls said that a good idea would be to put the iPod logo on a t shirt but add an extra "o" in it. That way it would say "iPood" which is humorous, but I'm not sure all the parents of these boys would find it as amusing as I did. One of my high school boys suggested I make a buzzard on a shirt because that still stuck with the bird theme, but was more masculine (...and grotesque.)

Since I'm trying to stick with the bird theme, I ended up with a pretty cute little owl with a caption under it that says, "I'm a hoot!" It's not too original, but why reinvent the wheel? I completely drew the owl on my own, with constant critiques from my students. They really do have good things to say, but they can be brutally honest too. In the end, I liked it and I plan to share the process in a later post for those who are completely new to screen printing.

Morning Hair

2009-03-30T21:51:00.004-05:00

Unfortunately Sarah Beth takes after her mommy when it comes to morning hair. She's cute enough to photograph with crazy hair. I'm not gonna punish myself by posting a photo of my morning fro.

In the photos above she had been awake for about 5 minutes and it was about 6:30 in the morning. What a happy baby...and a happy daddy!

Great Party Favors

2009-03-16T20:41:00.009-05:00

Ten Worst Party Favors:

1. Plastic frog with tab on butt that makes it jump.

2-10. Anything that makes noise or stains or is sticky.

I was trying to come up with party favors for SB's birthday that went along with the BIRDday theme, and I just thought I'd share my idea with you. The party favors will be part of my party decorations until they are taken home by the guests.

I'm a big fan of hair clips for my baby girl's hair, and I often get comments/compliments on the ones in Sarah Beth's hair. My bright idea - hair birdies for each of the girls coming to the party. They are much cuter than those birthday party dunce caps that used to be popular when I was a kid.

Something I say a lot is, "I could have made that for nothing!" after seeing something that would have been easy to do myself. Mind you, making 13 birdies is quite time consuming if you want them all to be unique. It's just plain fun and worth doing if you'd like to save a buck... or 50 bucks. Anyway, here's how I did it.

1. Get some Sculpey clay at your local craft store.

2. Roll into a ball and knead it into a slab the thickness of 10 playing cards. Hint: If you place 10 cards on the table under both ends of your rolling pin, you'll get exactly that thickness.

3. Cut out your shape. I like the tear drop shape for my little birdie and I made mine out of a piece of copper foil. If you don't have access to a stash of copper foil you could use an Xacto knife or pottery tool or a even cookie cutter.

4. Bake it in the oven according to the instructions on the pack of Sculpey. (I think it's about 15 minutes on 275 degrees.)

5. Find some stuff around the house and decorate to your heart's content!

6. Hot glue a clip to the back. You can get a pack of 100 from Sally's for about 5 bucks.

7. Take a picture to remember it.

When they're all complete, I will clip them onto a dead branch that I plan to spruce up and use as a tree. It may sound a little glum, so when I get that far I'll post a picture.

March of the Tools II

2009-03-09T20:41:00.009-05:00

Here is another one of my favorite tools. The Wacom Bamboo pen tablet. I like to use it to draw in Photoshop but mostly to have my own handwriting on things. I also really enjoy the pressure sensitivity of the pen. I am by no means using this baby to it's fullest potential.

Drawing on paper with a pencil is much easier to control. Just think about when you sign your name on one of those electronic signature thingies at the grocery store. Your John Hancock looks more like Jackson Pollock tried to use an Etch-a-Sketch. Until you get used to the pen tablet, it's like your learning to write your name for the first time.

I keep my fingers on Ctrl/Alt/Z (undo) and press them almost instinctively even if the result is pleasing. That keeps the process organic. I expect that most of my strokes are going to be duds. When a good one comes along, I'm pleasantly surprised and head for the redo button. It's kind of like throwing spaghetti noodles on the wall and seeing which ones stick -which ones I want to stick.

Check out my birdie here. I plan on using something like this for SB's birthday invitation. It's simple and possibly could have been done with a regular mouse, but the pen was way more fun. I really like the position of Birdie's feet. She's saying something here, like... "Come to SB's BIRDday party. It's this way," or, "I'm tired of standing on this left leg of mine."

March of the Tools

2009-03-05T20:12:00.008-06:00

There are two things I feel are "must haves" for any artist/crafter -something that rends and something that mends.
Here is my trusty rotary cutter. Once I was purchasing some fabric in a local quilting shop when the clerk cut my yardage with one of these babies. I was sold at that moment. It has only been a resident of my toolkit for the past 6 or so months. I don't know how I ever got along without it before. I find it so much easier to cut straight edges especially on large quantities of fabric. If you've never used one of these, I think you'd find plenty of uses for it even if you're not a sewer. You'll need a cutting surface and a nice straight edge to make the most of it, but those aren't so expensive and can be found in lots of craft stores, even in WalMart. Replacement blades are between $5 and $10.

One of my other favorite tools is my glue gun. Once when I was teaching science in private school, I asked parents if the class could borrow some glue guns as I was in need of about 6 of them for a roller coaster project. One of the parents bought me 6 glue guns and told me I could keep them. They are still in my arsenal. I use them for everything from making hairpieces to adding texture on paintings, to burning holes in plastic things - thus the burnt tip.

This is my first "March of the Tools" post in conjunction with Heather Bailey's month-long blog feature. Click on the March of the Tools graphic on the sidebar to learn more.

Let them eat cake!

2009-03-03T19:34:00.004-06:00

Mom's birthday cake.

Disclaimer: I am not a cook or a cake decorator.

I made this cake for my mom for her birthday. (It was good practice for SB's birthday which is coming up in May.) This was my first attempt at decorating with fondant...decorating period. Turns out I'm not so good at it. I have no prior experience and have only read one book about using fondant. (It was mostly pictures.) I figured it would be like working in clay. Not so!

Hidden (or obvious) flaws in the above cake:

The round disks on the bottom are covering the worst attempt at blending the fondant into itself. There were a lot of excess folds left over and I could not get the seams to merge...so I covered them with dots.
The clumpy round balls on the ledge of the second layer are there to fill in the large gap that would not close. I tried covering the entire cake instead of one layer at a time. Unfortunately this kept the fondant from clinging to the sides and making corners. I decided to fix it by scoring the corners and pressing them in the creases. The fondant began to pull away and left a large gap around the whole bottom of the second tier. Thus the round clumpy balls. Tasty! (A thought...Tasty and Nasty are one letter apart.)
The corners are not all at right angles.

What did I learn from this?

Practice more with forming the fondant around each layer before attempting anything for public viewing (and eating.)
Cover each layer one at a time.
Draw a sketch before sitting there for hours trying to figure out what to practice.
Wear a back brace. One cake puts ten years of wear and tear on the back.
Start before 8:00 pm.
Pay someone to do SB's cake if the next practice one turns out as bad.
Appreciate those who decorate cakes well.

New Dress

2009-02-26T20:36:00.016-06:00

My mom and I went shopping at a fabric store where we found this drapery fabric with embroidered ladybugs on it. I loved it so my mom bought it as a gift (for me to make something and for SB to wear.) I made Sarah Beth a new outfit out of this ladybug fabric recently and wanted to take her picture in it.

Well Sarah Beth has become somewhat camera shy, or just plain difficult to photograph. Now that she's mobile, she really doesn't sit two seconds in one spot. I can't tell her, "Just stay here and let Mommy get 1 good picture, then you can go play." No, before I finish asking she's off chasing something that is of utmost importance to her. Her daddy and I worked together to get the best cooperation we could out of her. He would run around placing her while I tried to make her look at me.

SB not wanting to be photographed and letting me know it.

On top of her not wanting to show off her new dress, she has found new ways to make noises and funny faces with her tongue. In most of the pictures I took of her, she has a bottom lip issue: poking out, sucking in, crooked...or her mouth is wide open in protest of my asking her to smile.

"I have smiled ONE TOO MANY TIMES, MOMMY! This is my best."

The photos above were taken on my bathroom floor. It was the place with the fewest distractions. We tried outside, but she couldn't help but squint the whole time.

Serious and sassy, SB!

The picture above was pure accident. She doesn't pose for anything. This one was taken in my bedroom because we knew she would like the chair. You still can't see the dress very well, but she's so cute.

Here are a few more random pics from the same shoot. No more hand made dress, just some cute clothes Todd's mom got her.

If you've ever tried your hand at children's photography, you know how challenging it can be. I once sat for 4 hours trying to get a friend's kids to quit crying all at the same time. In the end, SB was still a good subject even if I never got a good smile out of her. Those somber expressions are just as priceless to me.