Dreamcatcher

Last night we finished the munchkin’s dreamcatcher.  It’s a good thing I started the process myself since we weren’t able to work on it until after dinner.  As I mentioned, I wrapped the yard around the hoop the day before.  Yesterday, before my daughter came home, I gathered the feathers together, glued them together, and wrapped and tied yarn around them, leaving a long tail to attach them to the hoop.  This gave the glue a chance to dry before the munchkin had to touch them.

THen I had my daughter choose what yarn she wanted to use for the web.  She ended up choosing two different yarns, which made it a little busy looking, but, hey, it’s her dreamcatcher.  If that’s what she wants, that’s what she gets.  I cut the yarn and helped her wind it around the hoop to make a web pattern.

THen the munchkin and my hubby worked on stringing beads onto the yarn holdin the feathers.  I attached the little bottle I’d found to the center.  I told her that the bad dreams would get trapped in the bottle and would disappear in the morning becase bad dreams don’t like sunlight.  Her response was several why.  I’m glad she’s curious, but sometimes I wish she’d just accept something I say and leave it at that.  While my daugter started her bath, I finished up the dreamcatcher, tying the feathers on and putting on a holder and an old sparkly clip-on earring I found in my baubles stash.  I told her that the good dreams like bright colors and sparkly things so they go to the beads and feathers and trickle down the feathers to her.  SLight embellishments on the original story, but, it works.

We jung it on the wall in her room when it was all done.  She’s very happy with it.  I am hoping it will help make her more confident at night and less afreaid of having a nightmare. Cross fingers.

Sidetracked

I started working on the munchin’s Halloween costume.  Began to make some white gloves to look like Hello Kitty’s paws, so I traced Munchkin’s hands, ct otu the fabric and started to sew.  Thank goodness I decided to try them on because they were way too small.  Not sure what I did wrong.  Maybe her hands grew?  Anyway, I ripped out the seam and am now going to put a pink band around the edge to join the two pieces.  Sigh.

I’m also taking a quick break before I get back to work on the costume to make my daughter a dreamcatcher.  She’s been having bad dreams lately so I’m hoping this will help.  I have always loved the idea of a dreamcatcher an have made many throughout the years for myself, family, and friends.  I decided I’m going to have my daughter help me with this one.  I wrapped a multicolored yarn around a metal hoop (I happen to have a bunch of these at home, but I also see them in Michael’s and they’re probably in other craft stores or online).  This is the tedious part, so I opted to do this myself, since my daughter doesn’t really have staying power when it comes to tedious things - she is only 4 after all.  I can just do it while watching TV.  Tonight or tomorrow I’ll have her put some white yarn or wax string, haven’t decided which, around the hoop in a web-type pattern.  When I do this, it’s a more complicated thing of interweaving each layer so it loks like a spider web, but for this one we’ll keep it simple.  I found a really cool little “bottle” that we can put in the middle to trap the bad dreams and then we’ll put on some beads and feathers for the good dreams to travel down.  I’ll try to take some pictures of the process to post here for anyone looking for ideas.  There’s also a cute version to do with kids where you use a paper plate, cut out the middle and punch holes around the edge.  Then the kids string the yarn through the holes, cris-crossing the middle of the plate and tie on feathers.  I wanted something a little more permanent, though.

Will post more on this soon!

Long Time No See

It’s been quite a while since I last posted.  Sorry about that.  Life got busy for a while.  Hopefuly I can keep up a bit better.  I wonder if there’s a poll out there of how many female bloggers are single vs. married, kids vs. no kids, SAH vs. working moms.    I wonder how many are married working moms?  It’s hard to find time to do anything, let alone gather your thoughts and type for 5 minutes.

I managed to cross off a few things on the list over the last few months.  For Mother’s Day, I scanned in all of the munchkin’s artwork and made a really nice book through one of the photo book sites to give my mom and mother-in-law, with a copy for us to put on the bookshelf at home.  I figure I can make one each year and keep them to look back on.  My daughter will probably love it when she’s older.  I also painted a stool for the munchkin to use to get up in her bed, though she’s now tall enough she doesn’t really need it, so it’s in her room in case she needs to reach anything - hopefully not something she’s not supposed to be getting.  I also made her the little felt brownies.  I never even got a chance to take a picture of them because she immediately started playing with them and now they are somewhere with her “kitchen” collection.  God only knows where the little spatula and pan are that I made along with them.  I definitely recommend the company, though. American Felt and Craft.  The instructions were easy to follow.  Everything was included except the thread/floss. 

I also finally made a doll house for my daughter’s Barbies.  I found a really neat bookshelf on freecycle (free stuff is great!) that had drawers in between the shelves.  I repainted everything, added side pieces with windows and a door, and added a roof with scrap wood that I painted with chalk board paint.  I also used my Dremel to cut grooves so I could slide in wall panels (made out of the same thin board I used for the backing).  Then I decorated everthing, put in new drawer handles, and, voila!  Doll house.  I still have to make or buy some living room furniture and a bed for the bedroom, but my daughter doesn’t really care for now.  Heck, she’s still at the stage where half her Barbies go around naked and Ken is wearing a tutu.  lol.

Being Made

All ready to play with

Other things I did that weren’t on the list:  I took a class to make fused glass jewelry.  It was at a local paint-your-own-pottery place.  You put the pendants together and they fire it and you pick it up the next week.  I got to make 5 necklaces.  I was very happy with how they came out.  I’d love to be able to get back there sometime and make more.  Some day I’ll be able to have a small kiln so I can do my own.  I’d also like to do more with metal clay if that ever happens.My necklaces

I also made a pretty wreath for our door for Spring/Summer. I wrapped a wreath form with yarn and then attached flowers I made with a flower loom (a new purchase.  Very cool).Green!

Another artsy thing I did was for my boss’ birthday.  A bunch of us got together and got her a Huuuuuge bottle of Grey Goose vodka (apparently her favorite) and a big martini glass to go with it.  My job - decorating the glass.  I used a combination of glass paint. etching cream that I’ve had for years, and the nifty new paint markers that Sharpee has out now.  Love those things.  I’m using them for everything.

Fancy glass.  If I had time, I’d do more and sell them.

The other big project that’s still being worked on is our new bathroom that we had installed downstairs.  Can you believe we had no bathroom downstairs?  Only the ones upstairs.  We have now remedied this situation.  We hired contractors to put in the plumbing, electrical, etc., and also had them install the shower pan, toilet and other fixtures.  Our jobs (mainly mine, though hubby helped out a bit) were tiling the shower, installing the floor, and redoing the vanity (scored a free one that a neighbor was putting out on trash day).  I’ve also added a backsplash around the sink that I still have to grout and we need to put in shelves, a shower curtain, and any other decorative features.  With luck it will all be done by the end of the year.

Hubby cutting out parts of the free vanity so we can reconfigure it - realized the drawers were on the side with the sink pipes.  Ruh Roh.

installing the floor

finished vanity and shower tiles

Oh, and one more thing I’ve been working on - a baby.  Yup, I’m preggers.  Due in March, so now I’ll have to add a bunch of baby and nursery stuff to my to-do list.  Next up, though, Halloween.  I’m not bothering with a costume for myself this year since I’d only be able to wear it once, over a big belly.  The munchkin is going to be Hello Kitty.  I’m keeping it simple.  white felt gloves, maybe feet over her shoes.  White tights or leggings (if I can find them - where are all the white leggings in the world when I need one?), and a white sweatshirt.  I will sew some Hello Kitty fabric onto the sweatshirt so it looks like a shirt collar and sleeves, then make a little jumper (as in dress, for an British followers out there) out of fleece to go over it.  I bought a Hello Kitty knitted hat on Etsy to use so I don’t have to make a mask or do facepaint.  I’ll post the store info when I post the costume.  at some point, I will probably post a new, updated list, since priorities have changed with the upcoming addition to the household.

And now back to the real world, where I should probably get back to work making pretty pictures to go with test questions (yes, that is really my job - I am a graphic artist and create the graphics that go with standardized test questions - I am part of the creation of the bane of all kids’ existences.)  Later!

Titles suck

Finished the little taggie lovey for a friend’s baby shower. I got the idea and instructions from mmmcrafts.  I veered off in a bit of a different direction from hers and the original tutorial that she links to.  For the fabric, I used some baby pajamas I had from when the muchkin was a baby.  Light blue, slightly textured, with a cute bear applique.  I cut out two circles from the fabric, one from back and one from the front.  The circle from the front spanned the opening and included the bear appliques and snaps.  I used this piece as the back so I could just stuff it through the opening of the snaps, then just sewed up the seam.  It’s a very simple and quick project.  I highly suggest it if you need a fast baby gift.

I don’t have this next project on my list.  It’s really more of a boredom project - something to do when I have a few minutes here and there, at work, etc.  Disney sells little vinyl figurines in a line called Vinylmation.  They sell  some that are blank that you can design yourself.  I got a while one a while back and drew up a little sketch of the munchkin to draw on it.  I was told by a salesman at the vinylamtion store at Disney that sharpee markers work best.  I finally started on it this past week.  I have the basic lines drawn on and I’ll fill in the color as I have time.  My mom got me a pink one, so I need to figure out what to draw on that one.  Any suggestions?

  

Next up, making the canopy to go on the munchkin’s bed.  Last year, we found her her toddler bed was recalled, so we decided to build her a twin bed instead of get her another toddler bed.  We found instructions on Ana White’s site (amazing plans - all for free) for a canopy day bed and built it.  I went out and picked up fabric for a canopy but haven’t had a chance to actually work on it.  And couldn’t get to my sewing machine because my craft room was a mess, too.  Now the room is somewhat cleaner and the time has come to finally get this canopy made so the munchkin can have her princess bed.  I’ll post updates as I go along, since this one will probably take a little time.

Three down and even more to go

If you're keeping track, I've added to the list - and will be adding yet another project (need to make a gift for a baby shower).  Good news; I got two projects crossed off this week.  I finished taking in the cute little sparkly silver skirt for my munchkin - note to self: make sure to check the tag for the correct size before buying something - so she can wear it now.  I also made a cute little Valentine's Day wreath with paper hearts.  I combined two ideas.  This heart wreath made from toilet paper tubes found at The Thriftress and the stapled heart garland found on Impress Your Kids.  It went really quickly, a couple of hours to cut the strips of paper and staple them together.  I used a length of pretty lace I had in my stash to hang it.  It looks great.  Now I just have to figure out how to store it for next year.

I have another project that I added to my list.  I got this kit to make felt brownies with "icing" (made with brown hot glue sticks) and a little felt tray to go with them.  Can't wait to make this for hte muchkin.