Have you heard of Pinterest?

If you've been around blog land lately odds are pretty good you have.

But.

Just in case you haven't let me fill you in.

It's a fairly new social media site but not brand spankin new.

It's a site that allows you to save or "pin"and organize pictures and links you find as you are surfing the Internet.

Not unlike ripping the pages of a magazine to file away or pin on your bulletin board for inspiration later.

Or even bookmarking a spot to come back to.

Only now you can have all of the photos in one place with the links to the source.

It's oh so addicting! and fun! and inspiring!

Be prepared to spend some time looking at all of the fun things people have pinned there.

It's growing......just thought I'd let you in on it.

So, HERE is the Pinterest main page.

Here is my page.

And here are a couple of things I added there today.

mmmMMMmmm...Yummy mints.

http://kitchentrialanderror.blogspot.com/2011/05/creamy-mints.html

Here's another one

Homemade Twix......Brilliant!

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/thousand-dollar-bars-recipe

And here's something I found on there today.

Cute, right?

Original source here

Pinterest link here

Happy browsing.

impromptu project

Let me start with two facts.

I love the Internet and the myriad of people who are willing to share their fabulous ideas - for free!

and

I love my great friends and their willingness to share their great ideas and the great ideas they find on the Internet with me.

This very quick project inspiration came to me by way of Shonda

The process was developed by Infarrantly Creative,

Digital picture available from Lil' Luna,

And picture printed at Costco

Finally, the frame and mat were obtained at our local thrift store. They were circa early 90's and the mat in particular was trendy early 90's colors....not my favorite right now. 

(Sorry, I was too excited to get started so I didn't take any before pictures.)

But they just got a make-over with some Krylon satin black spray paint.

So fast and easy.

The only hard part was keeping the cotton from the cottonwood trees from sticking to the wet paint.

For the photo I used spray adhesive to attach it to some foam board cut to fit in the frame.

Then I spread mod-podge over the photo laid a piece of canvas over the photo and mod-podge and pulled it off leaving the imprint of the grain of the fabric giving the look of the photo  being printed on canvas.

Infarrantly Creative has a detailed tutorial.

My only tip is to indeed follow her advice and use the brush-stroke mod-podge. I only had regular matte finish mod-podge and although it worked fine it didn't hold the detail of the canvas as much as I would have liked.

I'll be doing this again on a family photo and use the brush-stroke mod-podge for sure.

You wouldn't believe how quickly this worked up and I love it!

This picture is going to be a part of a grouping for my living room.

I want to have this room all decorated and acting as a formal living room by Sept. We've lived here for 2 1/2 years now and it's time I decorated!

I'll keep you posted on the progress.

In the meantime I'll be adjusting a dress for Banana to wear to her choir concert tonight. (it was my mom's dress and she looks beautiful in it...Banana's choir is singing songs from the musical Hairspray.)

Also, I need to pick up black color hairspray and dark make-up for Doodle and Banana who are a part of our stake play this week. The King and I.....we'll see how well I can make my two extremely white, blond and red headed children look like they have beautifully colored Asian skin and hair.

Wish me luck.

Which would you recommend?

For our lessons in YW's over the next couple of weeks we will be talking about the temple.

One of the lessons is about getting a temple recommend.

I thought it would be nice if I could make a temple recommend holder for each of the girls.

So, I came up with two styles.

I'd really like your opinion on them.

Which do you like best?

Which do you think would work best for the girls?

Style #1 clear holder with a fabric sleeve.

This one has a clear recommend holder that folds in half. It has two clear pockets and I thought one could hold a picture of the temple and/or a small "For the Strength of the Youth" or "Our Gospel Standards" or "Article of Faith Card"

and the other pocket their recommend.

The the whole thing could slide into the cute fabric sleeve.

Style #2 fabric outside with two clear pockets inside.

It's like a small fabric bi-fold wallet but there are only two pockets inside sewn from clear vinyl.

Again, one pocket for the recommend and the other for a picture or whatever.

I guess either could hold ID, credit cards, gift cards, business cards......whatever cards.....nunchuck skills cards....

Oh my, it's getting late!

I'd really love to hear your opinion on my new creations. It'd help me out a bunch! Thanks!

I look forward to hearing from you.

fabric birthday banner

I made my first Fabric Birthday Banner 4 (maybe 5) years ago.

I saw one somewhere on the Internet and thought I can do that....

.....so I made up a pattern and I did!

My original banner adorns my family room window every birthday (7 times a year).

The kids expect it and look forward to it.

 

It's been a while since I last made one and it was fun to revisit this old pattern/friend of mine.

I love this line of Moda Fabrics and I thought they worked perfectly for this project.

This banner is going to a friend for her birthday.

The fabric reminded me of her.....so I hope she loves it as much as I do.

I have to mention how S T I N K I N' H A R D it is to photograph these banners!

So please forgive the less than stellar photography......um....well...now that I think about it, it's probably always less than stellar so never mind.

Moving on.

I was going to post a link to a tutorial so you could make your own banner if you wanted to but when I googled it I couldn't find any like mine so maybe I should write my own?

What do you think?

Anyone interested?

Yesterday I tried something new

I've always wanted to learn how to knit and so yesterday I decided it was the day!

Obviously I'm still into green so I grabbed some green cotton yarn, the laptop (youtube) and some knitting needles.

Hours later this is what I have.

As I intently attacked the in unsuspecting yarn, brow cinched with beads of sweat glistening, and tongue sticking slightly out the kids innocently asked what I was making. 

I told them proudly (and maybe slightly miffed because they had to ask, they couldn't just tell what it was), "A very small dishcloth. Probably the worlds smallest."

They were not impressed.

But...

Youngest did ask me to make a blanket for the babies she will have one day. (Maybe she's slightly impressed.)

I told her I would when I get a little better at it.

It's a little discouraging because if I was crocheting I would have been able to produce a dishcloth twice this size in less than an hour.

But I have to keep reminding myself I've been crocheting for years and I've been knitting for less than 24 hours....I will get faster! I hope.....

So, If you'd like to learn to knit too here are a couple of links to some good videos on youtube.

Casting on (long tail)

Knit and Purl English Method

Basic knit stitch Continental Method

Basic Purl stitch Continental Method

Bind off

I discovered I'm more comfortable with the Continental Method, which basically means I like to hold the yarn I'm working with, with my left hand.

Probably because that's what I'm used to doing when I crochet.

  

MDH is very patient with me and my whims.

He said he likes it that I'm learning to knit because it reminds him of sushi.........

The needles look like chopsticks.......

He loves sushi.......

I love him.....

feeling a bit crafty --- at last!

It's taken me a few months to feel crafty again.

Christmas almost killed me.

I've had this project setting in the cupboard for MONTHS!

I finally felt like taking 20 minutes and completing it.

So I did!

AND

I love it.

I think I may tackle a few more house decorating projects around here.

I took months and months off.

But I'm feeling the itch now.

I knew I had the perfect color of green in my long neglected arsenal of paints.

Unfortunately, my paints had been neglected and the color I wanted was completely dried.

Blah!

But I did have a different green.....and classic tan......so I was able to concoct my perfect green.

I decided to name my new paint color friend.

I pondered avocado for a moment but it had too negative of a color connotation

so I settled on Celery.

I'd like you to meet Celery!

Isn't she pretty?!

Like I said I've had the parts for this setting in my cupboard for months.

I ordered the vinyl last May......ukum..

Ordered it from a seller on Etsy.

Empressive Designs

You can check out the shop here if you want.

The board is 8" x 8" with 3/8" holes 1 1/2" off center 1" down.

There was a floral flourish on the left bottom corner that was too big and  was going to hang off the board so I trimmed it before applying the vinyl and then added it at a different angle so it would fit better.

I don't think you can tell if you look at the bottom picture you can see there are a few more swirlies.

I have a few other boards to go in this square wreath for different holidays but I wanted one for in-between holidays.

It makes me smile.

(p.s. the square wreath is from Ben Franklin Craft)

Meet George

Meet George!

He's a purple, furry, one eyed, alien octopus.

He even has eight tentacles.

He was dreamt up (in paper form) by my second son.

And created by the two of us this past week.

He's extremely soft and cuddly and fun to hold......even if his fur does make me sneeze my head off....

My son says that's one of George's defense mechanisms.

Sneeze attack!

But other than that he's very friendly.

The little green army men weren't so sure though.

We were afraid there was going to be an explosive battle right here in our living room.

There could have been purple fur and green plastic every where.

Luckily George had his faithful friend, Monkey (a.k.a. King Kong), to stand up for him, introduce him and set those trigger happy green army men strait!

He's FRIENDLY!!!

And photogenic!!!

Every family should have one.

The rest of the story.

George was a great idea I had two years ago......um yep I said two years ago.
This Doodle is an artist and a creator. We have stacks and stacks, books and books of his sketches and creations. I thought it would be fun to bring one of his monsters to life for him for his birthday.
But I didn't get it done in time for his birthday so I gave him the fabric and told him what my plans were for it.
Fast forward two years and I still haven't made his alien monster.....I know mother of the year right here.
He started carrying the plastic bag around with the fabric in it last week. Not saying much about it just carrying it around.
So I decided it was finally time to follow through.
We sketched out a pattern.
He helped me cut it out.
He stood by my side while I sewed.
He turned it right side out, filled the tentacles with rice and stuffed the head, watched me stitch it closed and then he helped with the button eye.
It's not the most wonderful stuffed animal the world has ever seen.
But, I'm pretty sure right now, to him, it is

A Give-Away!

Call me insane, this is the first time I've done anything like this,

 but I'm participating in a give-away on a blog.

HERE

If you'd like to win this Diaper Tote, head on over to Skylar's Candy Clips Blog and leave a comment to enter.

Summer Skirts

Approximately once every other year or so I concoct a plan that turns out just as I'd hoped or maybe even better.  This week our niece K- spent a few days with us and I thought it would be fun to teach Banana and K- how to sew themselves a skirt.

I took them to the fabric store and they were able to find some fabric they both liked. (Miracle of Miracles because I only had one coupon and I hate to buy fabric at regular price!)

I helped them each make a custom pattern, cut out their skirt and sew them up.

I should have taken pictures of the process....but I didn't....I guess I was a little busy.

Of course Sweet Cheeks wanted a skirt too. Luckily there were some pretty good size chunks of fabric left over so I was able to make her one too.

And some twisted fabric flower pins for her shirt.

Today my girls got to wear their new skirts to church and afterward they obliged me and my need to photograph their cuteness!

What do you think?

Pretty darn cute if I do say so myself.

And of course I had to take a picture because it's going to be at least two years before one of my plans works out this well again.

decorating our house one little $ at a time

I found this fun little tray at the thrift store for uno $.

I decided to try my hand at refashioning it. So, I broke out the black spray paint. I love my black spray paint lately ( I got carded when I bought it - it's the first time I've been carded for anything. made me feel young and rebellious.) I also slapped on some Modge Podge and a bright piece of fabric. I really like how it turned out.

i was a little excited to get a picture so the M.P. is still a little wet.

The tray goes nicely on my new piece of furniture in our entry way.

I don't know what to call the piece of furniture......it may be a side-board w/hutch.....not sure...but it's red and I LOVE IT! We got a great deal on it from the model home furniture sale.

The story goes like this......I really liked it but it was red so I knew in a couple of years I wouldn't like the red and I would need to paint it so we didn't buy it. BUT - I couldn't stop thinking about it so we decided I would call the lady in charge of selling the furniture and make her an offer on the piece for less than she was asking because it was red. So I called and offered almost half of what she was asking (which was already a great deal)I figured I'd give us some wiggle room to barter. She said she wouldn't sell it for that but if she hadn't sold it by the time she was ready to close-up their little sale she'd give me a call. A week or so later she called and asked if I was still interested..............She sold it to us for my original offer ---no bartering! Can you believe it?

Not only do I love it - We got a great deal!

By the way the white vase on the top shelf 1$ from the thrift store.

I love the thrift store. I took Doodle with me the other day to look around. He was looking at the prices on everything and kept saying, "Wow, this is amazing. Look at this great deal!"

All growing up and until I moved to Oregon I thought when people would say they're donating things to "Good Will" it was just a general term meaning they were donating it to charity. Then one day I was driving down the road in Grants Pass and looked over at a shop with a big sign over the door that read, "Goodwill". Then it hit me it was a real thing!

Same with Christian Science Reading Room ---- That's what my older brother always called the bathroom ---that was where he did most of his reading. I laughed for a good week when I saw the real thing in G.P.

One more thing.

The card in the above pic is from my good friend Nicole. She sent it when I wasn't feeling well. Easily one of the best cards I've ever gotten. The picture alone is awesome -- she has really psycho blue sparkly eyes. Thanks Nicole!!!!

Another Bag

I was commissioned to make another bag....

....by my MIL as a gift. I like this one even better than the first.

I may have to make myself one.

A few friends asked for instructions so I thought I'd share the two tutorials I followed to make my bag.

As usual I'm not happy just following the simple instructions for one pattern I decided to combine the two and tweak just a little. I've never been happy with just one pattern -- just ask my mother who kindly combined dress patterns for me for years----and just ask my neighbor who kindly helped me out when I decided to mix things up and get fancy with Banana's dress a couple of weeks ago.

If you decide to try out the combo on the bags don't worry, the two patterns are very similar and go together nicely.

Let me know if you try it out. I'd love to see pictures.

Fat quarter tote-bag tutorial here.

The Lindie bag here

Installing a magnetic snap here

Boxing corners here

Good Luck and Enjoy!

My first machine quilted quilt

Tried out this tutorial for an easy machine quilted quilt this weekend.

It was easy! and fast!

I'm giving it today to a friend who just had a baby.

Thanks Nicole A. for emailing me the tute.

p-p-t-p

I saw this brilliant idea on the Internet last week and was shocked I hadn't thought of it years ago.....11 years ago would have been nice.

It's a Pee-Pee-Tee-Pee.

If you've ever been sprayed while changing a newborn baby boy's diaper you'll understand how brilliant this is. In fact when I was 10 my nephew sprayed me (the first time a TP wouldn't have helped because it was out of the top of his diaper and straight into my face and mouth, but the second time one of these would have totally saved me.) I was so disgusted I swore I would never have boys.

I didn't keep my word and I'm really glad I have three boys. But one of these things would have made my life a lot easier back then.

Now, Let it be known that my boys are completely offended by the idea of these things but believe you me one day when their wives have a baby boy and I give them a set of these things they are going to appreciate the brilliance of these little objects.

So, I'm still seriously considering opening an Etsy shop and if I do I am so going to include these little babies all dolled up in little packages of four - perfect for a little add on to a baby shower gift -- don't you think?

pet rocks

Banana and a couple friends spent hours on Friday constructing pet rocks for all of their friends.

I was so impressed with their creativity. They named all of them

and even gave some of them hats.

Between the giggling and sudden outbursts of song & dance, I was entertained all afternoon.

This was one of my favorite.

It's a lady bug for Banana's Aunt Tawn.

(Aunt Tawn loves ladybugs)

scraps

After surfing some incredibly crafty blogs the past few days I was feeling inspired to get crafty.

I was particularly inspired by this (click here)

So I decided to make this fun bag out of some left-over project scraps.

It's reversible too, although, the other side is just striped and not my favorite.