I’ve had a pretty amazing week. That’s because I’m judging my week by how much naping the kid does after I get home from work! I know pretty selfish, but I thrive off of what we call “Tiffy Time”.

With all this lovely napping, I’ve been able to get some crafty projects completed! I downloaded a sweet tutorial from Foundling an Etsy store over a year ago, and never got around to actually making these Polyester beauties till now!

They are awesome, and so simple to make… I have a feeling there’s going to be a lot more around here soon, well that’s if the kiddo takes some nice long naps this weekend!

These two have turned into a broach and a hair accessory, and are on the way to their new homes!

We’ve been plotting and scheming…  there is something exciting in the works…

Here is your monstrous hint…

Wiki: Bogle

Yay! For the New Year! The best thing about the new year for me is the New Calendar and the annual Switch-a-roo! What is the Calendar Switch-a-roo you ask?

Well, do you have problems remember birthdays? Anniversaries? Any holiday??! Well the Calendar Switch-a-roo is the cure all for all those brain deficits!

Calendar Switch-a-roo

Step by Step Instructions

1. Take your old calendar down
2. Buy or make your new calendar
3. Lay both calendar’s side by side on your kitchen or dining room table
4. Now, go through each month and write down all the birthdays, anniversary’s and other important life events that you happened to scratch onto your old calendar during the past year!  OR Log-in to your favorite social networking site, and write down all the birthdays of people who you deam worthy enough to give a birthday card or present too. Now write these names on your new calendar on the date of their birthday or anniversary!
5. Once all your dates are transcribed (I use one  colors for birthdays, and another color for anniversaries.. etc), hang up your calendar.
6. Now, look at it every now and then, and you’ll know when it’s time to start sending those belated birthday cards (or e-cards).
7. Repeat, every year.
8. You can even add new birthday’s and annual events (like your favorite movie festival, or opening day at your local skating rink), as they happen, then next year you’ll know about it too!

Now, the next time you hear someone say, ” I can never remember Birthday’s” tell them about the great Calendar Switch-a-roo!

Side Note: The past two years we’ve had the “official” Ansel Adam’s calendars, and we were surprised to find that yes, they are cheapskates they repeated the same images on several months! Sometimes the same months! Although it was pretty cool to find in the 2009 calendar a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge, and then in 2010 calendar a picture from the same spot, pre-bridge!

Not everyone likes to announce how old they are, but little miss Etta does!

This shirt was her Christmas Present from Mama! I got the idea/insperation from this Etsy Store Happy Family, they make the cutest “Birthday” shirts that just say the kid’s age “1″ or “2″. My pocketbook can’t really afford to buy one, and since I knew how easy it is to make one myself, I just had to wait for nap time!

How To: I used my large set of foam alphabet stamps, and some very handy Speedball Fabric Screen printing Ink. I  spread out a dollop of the ink on a flat old plate, and spread it very thin, then stamped the letters in it like it was a stamp pad (and test blotted them on some scrap fabric). I flattened out the shirt, and put a piece of paper in the shirt (so the ink wouldn’t run through) and stamped away! It was finished in minutes. Once the ink dries, it just needs to be set with an iron for about 4 minutes (with a piece of paper between the iron & shirt, so the iron doesn’t get super inky). If your super crafty, you could use a large erasers and carving tools and carve your own font set, but I’m not that industrious!

Now, if she would only stay still so I could get a photo!

I made Etta a sweet little set of baby blocks (which work well as baby throwing balls, or juggling balls), when I first got this book Sweet Booties. So when thinking of  a holiday present for one of my dear baby friends, I decided to make him a set of matching baby blocks in oranges & blues! The pattern is pretty simple, you cut out 6 4 inch blocks of assorted fabrics, pin together, in standard box shape (so they look like a cross) & sew, stuff and Wala!

Baby Blocks!

Of course, on  my first batch, I didn’t realize how important accuracy is on the squares! They are a bit lopsided, but his turned out Super Duper as you can see!

It’s a dear little friends birthday today (as her mama call’s her on her blog L) .

She’s turning 1!

I made her a cute little Oliver & S dress to match Etta’s, in Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern Pink Dahlia line, in Mustard & Gray (her mama’s favorites!)

Etta modeled it for us, before we packaged it off & mailed it to Canada earlier this month!

Happy Birthday Little  L!

We Love you!

On a little downtown stroll two weeks before Christmas, I stopped at my favorite fabric store Fabric of Vision. After a bit of browsing the owner asked me if I wanted a quick fun demo for a last minute gift. Did I!?! I hadn’t even started my crafty Christmas projects  yet. Sixty seconds later I was hooked and ready to go home and make some colorful pinwheel fabric coasters! I purchased two little packages of 5 inch square cut out’s (42 per package) and booked it home to start crafting! Thankfully the little one fell asleep on the car ride home, too! It was fate!

Here is what they look like all done!

Step 1) Cut out 5 fabric squares 5×5, or purchase from your favorite craft store.

Step 2) Fold & Iron 4 of the squares in half, with right sides facing out.

Step 3) Place the square that has not been folded, face up. Carefully arrange the four other squares on top of the face up square, like the lid of a box folded.

Step 4) Pin & sew around all the edges, trying to keep the square shape intact. Below is the front view of the coaster, with all edges sewn up.

Step 5) Trim edges and then turn inside out, and iron flat.

Step 6) Enjoy your work, below is the backside view of my bright set! My sister in-law and I cranked out about 14 in a hour! It’s a really quick fun and easy project!

With 6 days to go till Christmas, there has been a flurry of craftivity in our house.  The ironing board & iron have become permanent residents to the kitchen. The dining room table has been taken over with paper crafts, rotary cutting mat, and piles of fabric. And needless to say my “craft room” a.k.a. the garage, looks like a small explosion went off! My goal is to use this weekend to get some wrapping DONE, and finish up my fabric projects…. leaving the crocheting for next week!

It’s become my own holiday tradition to make small gifts (most often earrings) for all my co-workers. Since nursing is a predominantly female profession, jewelry works quite well! Last year’s theme were button earrings (I was on a serious button kick at the time). This year, the theme is stones & pearls, I prepped little origami boxes out of a 2003 Sierra Club Engagement Calendar, punched out some little labels, and tied them all up with some red yarn.

I played Santa Clause and mailed (to my Portland friends), and ho ho ho’d my way across campus delivering the small parcels. Everyone (including myself) enjoyed their little gifts!

The other night we enjoyed a festive holiday party at one of my co-worker’s homes. Let’s just say she had 11 Decorated Christmas Trees! Yes, there was even one in her sewing room, jealousy was dripping off me. I managed to capture a few images, between the baby chasing, eating & pinata hitting!

We each got to take home one of these adorable elf’s, as our party treat!

I’m a sucker for gnomes.

The owl & fairy tree, this was one of my favorate trees! Covered in fairy, elves, birds and other flying creatures.

No holiday party is complete without a 13 month old Mrs. Santa Clause running a muck! Etta was dressed to impress in this GoodWill find for .99 cents! She even had on a pair of glittery Dorathy Shoes which I had been saving for a special occasion.

I think there is a Billy Idol song, that is similar to the title of this post. Weird. Anyway.

The doll without a face, who was created months ago, just got a face!!!

She’s a Black Apple Doll, made with the pattern shown on here on Martha’s show.  She’s Etta’s first handmade doll, occasionally she sparks a little interest, but not really a hit.

However, now that I’ve given her a face, maybe she’ll be the hit of the party!?! Who knows, I might even make her some clothes!

Here she is (no name yet, maybe you have a suggestion?), resting with Java.

She’s quite mischievous, here she is with her hand caught “in the cookie jar” (aka the pantry).

She’s a little rough around the edges, we had some MAJOR hair issues… I think her head shrunk an inch just by trying to attach the felt hair! Oy Vey!