greetingarts

mini me tooth

Recently someone contacted me after I left a comment on a blog.  She'd seen my little user picture, and wondered where I'd found the pattern.  Well, one thing led to another, and I offered to make a smaller scale tooth for her daughter (who is studying to be a dentist) to wear as a pin.

 

Not exactly the same, but pretty close to the original.  I really enjoyed making this.  Less than 2" tall and about the same from side to side.  Lightly stuffed, all hand done with nice wool felt.  The little flower at the top was hardest to do just because it was pretty tiny.

 

No safety pins this time, I sewed a jewelry pin back on very securely, and now it's wrapped and on its way home.  I hope both mom and the future dentist get a big smile out of it.

i need more pillowcases

I love hearing the thwack! of a package hitting my screen door, seconds before the doorbell rings.

Sometimes it's fabric, usually it's books.  Sometimes, if I'm lucky, it's a book about fabric.

The full title is Craft Challenge: Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase.  And in case the title and the under-$14 price tag wasn't enough to entice you to buy it, let me show you the projects in it from a few of my favorite blog friends.

They might be too modest or shy to toot their own horns,

but I'm most certainly not!

These three women are among the most generous, caring and talented people I know, always quick to provide tutorials, help and friendship.  I am beyond pleased that I have a book with all of them together.  The only way it could be more perfect is if they could step right out of the pages and  into my living room.  Congratulations, ladies.  Now I'm waiting to see three separate volumes, each filled with your own projects, side by side on my bookshelf.

last of the valentine loot

Before I say goodbye to Valentine's day, I forgot to show you some things we made.

A mousie for Rebecca's teacher, based on Robert Mahar's pattern.  I used two layers for the heart on the bottom, to give the mousie something more substantial to stand on, and so the cute Swiss cheese holes would show up better.

And for the principal, librarian and other staff, Jessie helped me dip some store-bought cookies in dark chocolate and fancy them up with Valentine sprinkles. 

She took some Princess valentines and drew a little happy face in the "To" section, and painstakingly printed a "J" in the "From" area.  So sweet.  This one was one of her last, she was getting really tired.  She made around 25, and we gave all but one away.  I wish I'd thought to take a picture of the whole batch, I can't get enough of her cute little scribble faces with the huge eyes.

Quite a haul for her first valentine party, don't you think?  Enough loot to rival Halloween... almost.

gotta love that sharpie marker

You know I love my Ultra Fine Point Sharpie marker.  But if you haven't seen what one man can do with some white walls and $10 worth of Sharpies, oh my.  You've gotta look here.

Don't click on the link if your kids are around, though.  Wouldn't want them getting any ideas.

greeting hearts

Now that both kidlets are going to have Valentine's parties at school, we've been up to our ears in hearts lately.

For Jessie's preschool party tomorrow, I used my Sizzix and die cut no less than one hundred thirty-two hearts, freehand cut some leaves, punched a little hole at the bottom of each and every shape, and poked a lollipop through one leaf and six hearts.  A little glue stick, and in one afternoon, all her treats were made.

She's so excited about her first Valentine's party, and the fact that she gets to carry all her treats in a bag and pass them out to her friends by herself.  For some reason, the "carrying them all in a bag" part is crucial.  Then on Friday, she gets to come with me to set up Rebecca's class party, where she'll probably score some more treats as the unofficial class mascot.

With Becca, I got smart.  I had *her* do all the work.  Well, most of it anyway.  Rebecca looked through my paddle punches and chose her favorites, I punched the shapes out of the wool felt she picked, and cut out heart shapes with pinking shears. 

Rebecca stitched almost all of her Valentine pins by herself.  I made the knots, did some of the tacking stitches for the little shapes, but she really did do most everything else with just minimal guidance.  She's so proud, and I really think these are helping her with her concentration, patience and ability to stick to something.  All difficult things for a six year old to learn.

Twelve down, eight to go.  I don't know if she'll be able to finish in time or if I'll be up late tomorrow night, needle in hand, but either way, I'm really glad we embarked on this project together.

If I don't make it back to this space before Saturday, here's wishing you all a very happy Valentine's day.  May you spend it with hearts full of love.

giving a great find

Forgot to mention that Conni won my December Box Tops giveaway, and a big thanks to everyone that mailed in their Box Tops for my daughter's school.  Remember, we also participate in the Campbell's Labels for Education program, so if you use Swanson Broth, look on the side!  Yep, that has a point value, too.

This time around, instead of something handmade, I'm giving away a great book find.  I got two copies of Hallmark's Creative and Thoughtful Gift Giving at the 99 Cent store, can you believe it?  It's hardbound, originally published at $20.00.  I just love great finds like this.  Of course, when I went back a few days later, there were no more left.  Lucky thing I bought two the first time, one for myself, and one to give away.  It weighs a ton and doesn't fit inside a Flat Rate Priority Mail envelope, so it'll be going to the winner via media mail.  Postage is going to cost me much more than the book did!

 

Nice glossy pages, great photography, some fun ideas.  I think a lot of these instructions could be adapted for greeting cards and scrapbook pages, too.

If you click on the book link above, you can also see additional inside pages.  There's lots of pretty stuff in there.  So email me for my address if you need it, and send me those Box Tops and Campbell's labels, puh-leeze!  I'll have Rebecca pick the winner around the end of the month, or early March.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!