Guest Posting at Keep it Simple!

I'm so excited!  I'm guest posting over at Keeping it Simple today (one of my first craft blog reads, and still one of my favorites!)  Please go over and let me know what you think of my creation....

Sneak peek....

Click here for the full tutorial!

Three Things Thursday

It's been another fun week browsing the link parties.  Here's some fun things I found this week:

1.  I am a sucker for pillows, and this one from Sweet C's Designs combines two of my loves- chevron prints and ruffles!  I also adore the clever way she makes the cover removable--using an old button-up shirt!  Go check it out for more details!

2.  I'm in love with this Tiered Organizer from Scene of the Grime.  She made this from old tin lids!  (Think of all those cookie tins you have, or that they sell at thrift stores!)  I especially like her fun, funky paper choice, but you could use anything to make it your own!

3.  If you have boys, you know that sometimes it can be hard to find cute things for them.  I really wish I had had these Argyle Burp Cloths from Rips in My Jeans  for my two boys- they are super cute, perfectly boy-ish, and easy to make!  This will stay in my file for future baby gifts!

Thanks for the inspiration, ladies!  Grab a featured button if you like!





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Scrappin' Wednesday

Hi everyone- hope your week is going great!  I just want to give a quick THANK YOU to all my followers (and those of you who read but may never officially follow!)  We reached 500 followers this weekend!  I started this blog, like many, simply as a place to record/document things I made, and now, look how it's grown!  My blog growth has been slow and steady, but that's fine with me.  I'm inspired by many crafty ladies out there, and if I can give back just a little of that inspiration, I'm thrilled!

To celebrate, I'm working on a really cute giveaway for you, so stay tuned!  Now, on to this week's project:

This week I put together a page for my son's sixth month pictures.  I found this website called The Blog Train Blog.  Every other month, designers have a theme that they base a kit on.  They offer these kits for free and you can visit each designer to download the ones you like!  I downloaded a bunch from June's theme- Monkeying Around.  While I didn't use that theme in my own layout this week, many of the papers and elements worked together for a fun, quick page.  Check back in August for the next Blog Train.

Here's my layout this week:

Doll Stroller Redo

Do you have one of those inexpensive, fold-up doll strollers?  Did your kids wear through the fabric as quick as mine did?  All three of my kids have used and loved our doll stroller, and it has been through several makeovers.

Making a new stroller seat is easier than you think it would be.

Here's the old one in all its glory.  I know it only cost about $10, but you'd think they could make the fabric just a LITTLE more sturdy, considering it is small children who will be playing with it!

I basically followed this tutorial from vixenMade.  I did a few things different:
1.  I used a seam ripper to separate my pieces, because I was worried I would screw something up if I didn't use the exact same-size pieces.
2. I didn't have any bias tape, and wasn't in the mood to go buy some, so I used ribbon folded in half to sew around the rough edges.  It worked fine, but you have to be really careful to catch all the layers when you sew.
3.   I didn't create a buckle because, frankly, my kids can never open those things and are constantly yelling "Mom, come open this buckle for me!"  I'm really tired of it.  Vixen's stroller was just like a built-in fabric buckle, but I didn't even do that.  Simplicity, folks.  That's how I roll.

So, here's my brand new doll-stroller!  Well, at least it looks brand new....

Now little Ellie has a place to sit (instead of being dragged with her dress hanging from one of the handles)!

I'd say this is a pretty easy project, so if your doll stroller has seen better days, give it a try!

Linking up to party this week- come check them out with me!

Three Things Thursday

Between blog-surfing and Pinterest, I have probably bookmarked twenty things I want to make in the past week.  I probably shouldn't, since at this point my to-make list is longer than Santa's naughty list.  But I just. can't. stop.  Here's three things I'm loving this week:

1.  This Upcycled Kid's Creativity Kit from Yesterday on Tuesday would be a great gift for a budding artist or something great to take on a road trip!  It's also pretty thrifty, as she got most of the items from the Dollar Spot at Target.  Click over to see everything she put inside.

2.  So maybe you have a boy, and a cute tooth fairy pillow just doesn't work for him.  This Monster Tooth Pillow from The Crunchy Mamacita might be your answer.  Seriously, how cute is this?

I also have to feature her inspiration, Jaime at Her Hobby, who originally came up with this idea.  I love her version too.

3.  I love these Flip Flop Covers from Crafty Staci.  What a great way to spice up your footwear for the summer- especially for those $1 Old Navy Flip Flops (if you were crazy brave enough to dare the crowds for them!)

Thanks for the inspiration, ladies!  Feel free to grab a featured button:






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Scrappin' Wednesday- A Cooking Party.

I had almost finished my scrapbook page for this week, when suddenly, the program I was working on crashed! Had I saved my scrapbook page?  Of course not!  Moral of the story- don't forget to stop and save your work! Sometimes I just get on a creative kick and forget to stop.  Oh well...... so I redid the page, though I had to make it a little simpler since I was now pressed for time. I'm still happy with how it turned out, though.

This is a page remembering my daughter's fifth birthday party.  We did a cooking theme.  When the kids arrived, they decorated chef hats and aprons I had made for them.  Then, they made their own pizzas by rolling out biscuit dough, topping it with sauce, and adding cheese and toppings.  While the pizzas baked, we read Pete's a Pizza by William Steig, which is a really cute story.  They enjoyed their yummy pizzas, played, and then they decorated their own cupcakes.  I made cupcake boxes for them so they could enjoy one at the party and take one home as a favor.  After presents were opened, I also sent them home with child-size cooking utensils, like a whisk and wooden spoon.  I found these at Michael's.  They also got to keep their aprons and chef hats.  The kids had a great time.

My pictures didn't turn out all that great, but I found a few to put together in this layout.  Here it is:

Thanks for looking- have a great day!

Pleated Ruffle Headband

If you ever need a quick hair accessory, this might be the one for you.  All you need is a strip of fabric, a little felt, some embellishments (if desired), and an elastic headband.

I pressed a 1 1/2 by 12 inch strip of fabric into one-inch pleats, then sewed down the middle.  I hot glued my pleated ruffle to a piece of felt.  I glued my elastic headband to the felt, then covered the headband with another piece of felt.  I used a few buttons from my stash to embellish, and it was done!

It's a fun, cute headband you can make to match any outfit!
Linking up to some of my favorite parties- join in the fun!

Edited:  I forgot to add my inspiration- found on Pinterest!  Here is the link for some more gorgeous pleated headbands:  http://www.craftinessisnotoptional.com/2011/01/pleated-headband-tutorial.html

Vinyl Wall Art

I've been having a little fun designing some vinyl wall decals for my bathrooms.

First up, our kids' bathroom has a jungle theme.  We have a jungle animal shower curtain and towels, some jungle animal accesories, and even some cute monkey signs that say "Wash Your Face" "Brush Your Teeth" and "Wash Your Hands".  I decided to add some words under one of the jungle prints I have on the wall.

I tell you, that bathroom certainly is a jungle!  With three kids, it's nearly impossible to keep clean for possible guests!  This is when I wish for that extra 1/2 bathroom that I could keep nice and fancy.....

Next, I wanted to put some sort of quote over the mirrored doors between our bathroom and our master closet.  None of the typical "bathroom" quotes worked, since the master bathroom doesn't have a bathtub (I know!) to "soak" or "relax" in.  So, I chose one that would go with the mirror.  This is what I came up with.

Though the quotes aren't original, I did make the layouts myself using my Silhouette and Silhouette Studio.  I {heart} that thing.


Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Three Things Thursday- Sew Adorable Edition

I'm not great at sewing.  I'm getting better, though.  Sometimes, I just get in a mood to sew something.  Thank goodness for all the wonderful seamstresses out there in the blog world.  Here are some fun projects I found this week:

1.  I love Shabby Apple dresses- they are cute, modern, and modest, which is important to me!  I have a hard time spending $80 on a dress, though, so I LOVE this Shabby Apple-Inspired Dress from Suburbs Mama.  It looks amazing- just like the original dress! (Plus, she's super cute, right?)

2.  I noticed a lot of Christmas crafts popping up this week- helping us all get a jump start on projects for the holidays!  I thought this No-Knit knitted stocking  from Red Ted Art was a clever idea!  I personally can't knit, but love the handmade look.  Go dig out those old sweaters/jumpers and make some cute decorations or gifts!

3.  I really want to make one of these Carried Away Dollhouses from Just Another Day in Paradise.  It's beautiful- the attention to detail is amazing (click over for more pictures!)  What a great gift for that special little girl in your life!

Thanks for the inspiration, ladies!  Grab a featured button if you like!  Now I'm off to attempt some sewing of my own!

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Scrappin' Wednesday

Somehow I missed scrapbooking my son's 4 month pictures, so I pulled together a page using a kit from Peppermint Creative.  It's called Little Buckaroo and is totally adorable!  I only wish I had pictures of my kids dressed as cowboys- it would be perfect!  Sadly, mine prefer superheros and such.  I do have this picture of my son, wearing a cowboy holster and a skirt.  He calls himself a "scary dancer".  That's about as close as we get.

Pretty scary, huh?

Anyway, here's what I came up with:

I'm participating in some blog hops today, so if you're visiting, leave me a comment and I'll visit you back!  Thanks for looking!

Creativity- a Printable for you!

I mentioned last week I was feeling a little uninspired.  Well, I found a quotation that inspired me.  Pablo Picasso said "Every thing you imagine is real."  Now, he was an amazingly creative and inspiring artist.  I'm a crafter- I make a lot of things that are my own version of something someone else dreamed up.  Still, they are my creations.  I put my own variables on pretty much everything, and from time to time, even come up with my own creative ideas.  What I create is REAL.  And I love sharing it with you- just for fun.  If it inspires someone else to create along the way, then that is just a bonus!

I think that quote can be applied for more than just arts and crafts.  It is applicable to life.  We shouldn't be afraid to dream big- those dreams are REAL and we can reach them.

How does this quote inspire you?

I'm offering this as a free printable for you- simply right-click the image below (this is created as a 5x7, so it would be perfect in a frame in your creative space!)  Save it to your computer or print it.

Linking up to some of these parties:

Have a great week!

Handmade Gift Exchange

Last month, I participated in the Craftaholic's Anonymous Handmade Gift Exchange!  It was my first time doing something like that, and I have to say, it was fun!  It's a challenge to come up with a little handmade goodie for someone you don't really know.  We exchanged emails a bit with some pertinent info, and then I was off to create....

One thing my "gift pal" told me she liked was journals, so I decided to make her an embellished journal.  Here's what I came up with:

I followed the tutorial found here at H is for Handmade, and it worked out perfectly.  For embellishments, I used a satin ribbon, sewed a quick yo-yo, and added a button that I thought went well with the fabric.

I also added some little nameplates on the inside covers, printed on a heavy cardstock.

I haven't heard back from my "gift pal", but I hope she likes it!  Either way, I had fun making it.  I'll definitely participate again.  Want to be part of it?  Linda's hosting another one in November- just in time for the holidays!  I hope you'll be there too!

Have a great weekend!

Three Things Thursday

I am feeling a little uninspired these days.  I don't know why.  Maybe because it's summer.  Maybe because I'm always tired lately.  When I feel like this, I am thankful for all of you and your creativity.  You inspire me to get up off my couch and find something cute to make.  Here are Three Things I'm loving this week:

1.  This Birthday Countdown Frame from Love and Sugar Kisses is so cheerful and cute.  What a great spin on a countdown!  I especially love the watermelon color of the frame.

2.  This Perched Birdies Decor from Release Me is just darling.  You won't believe how she made this- tutorial included if you want one of your own!

3.  This Chevron Heart Canvas from Thrifty and Fabuless is not only adorable, it's right on trend.  Chevron stripes are huge right now, and this makes it even sweeter.

Thanks for the inspiration, ladies!  Grab a featured button if you like!





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Scrappin' Wednesday

My son is a HUGE fan of Toy Story.  He saw it for the first time just before his 3rd birthday.  He used to race around trying to say Buzz's famous line- "To infinity and beyond!"  In his little boy words, it came out "To nibinity and neon!"  Adorable!

Anyway, we knew just what to get him for his 3rd birthday.  He got a Buzz Lightyear action figure, Buzz Lightyear wings, Buzz Lightyear pajamas, and a Buzz Lightyear scooter.  He was pretty much in heaven.

For my layout, I used freebies from Kinley's Scraps.  They are awesome- thanks so much for providing those!  Here it is:

Over a year later, we still love Toy Story and Buzz in our house- but now my son can actually say the words correctly!

Have a great day-