Thursday, August 31, 2006

Harry Potter Kids Swap What We Sent

Well, our partner received their goodies, so we can now post the items we made. The boys worked very hard, and we are glad they like the stuff we sent.
Here's the group shot. The "H" Crest is a drawstring bag for the tic tac toe. There is a red & yellow swirl hat, gryffindor stencil shirt, and potter puff pillow & activity books. I made all of that. The boys made hemp/bead bracelets, bead rings, zipper pouches, "lightning bolt coins," and a dementor shrinky keychain, and another shrinky dink key chain. (I forgot to take pics of those.)


Here's a closer look at the Voldemort VS Harry potter tic tac toe. The blue thing is a drawstring bag for the marbles/pieces.
We had so much fun making all this stuff. It was really a great swap!

Camping Preparedness

We are going camping over Labor Day weekend. Now, I love camping, we used to go all the time when I was a kid. My husband on the other hand has NEVER been camping. Now I have always wanted to take our kids camping, but I wasn't so sure about doing it with little kids, fire, and a hubby who hasn't got a clue (as far as camping is concerned.) So we've been waiting until they got bigger. Well, they have finally gotten bigger, so we are going this weekend.
This will really be my first trip as an adult. I've been the kid, where someone else does most of the set up, cleaning, planning, cooking, frustrating, etc... but never the one in charge. In fact, my dad was always the single guy when we went camping, so he never even dealt with the food, all the other families did, and we brought all the wood. So this has been quite an experience. I was hoping that we would have been able to go earlier this summer, but Tim's work schedule has been nuts, so we haven't. Now our first time camping, is going to be with friends of ours whose priorities and camping ideals are certainly different than ours. The meals are far more extravagant than I would have chosen. The disposable dishes that they are bringing and exclusively using are definitely not my idea of camping. Things like that. Plus, they have now told us that we are bringing one of their kids with us... well that's ok since we do have a van, but we were hoping to take out the front 2 seats so we could move up the back bench and have lots of room for taking our stuff, well with one of the front seats still in, we have a very tiny "trunk" area. I have no idea how we are going to get everything there. Ugh, these posts are getting more and more venty aren't they. Sorry about that. I'm just worried about it. I'm also really excited too. The boys in the fresh air running around, exploring. NO TV! It's heavenly.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

HP for our kids swap

I received a wonderful package for my boys today. It is from ScrapperCL on Craftster.org the boys were giddy with the contents.

(They were playing in the backyard and didn't want to stand still for the picture, so that's why they all have goofy faces.) She made them each a shirt, the detail is amazing! Lore's is Harry Potter, Liam's is a Hippogriff, and Levi's is Dumbledore. Her eldest daughter (14) knit them each a Dobby Hat! Which the boys won't take off! Her other 2 daughters (9 & 7) made the boys each a monster notebook and a quill pen. The boys have been drawing and writting about the magical creatures they are finding in the yard. She also made them the Hogwarts Library Bag! It's amazing, here's a closer pic of the hogwarts symbol.

I will try to get a better pic of the shirts when they take them off. This swap was so great! I hope they like the stuff that we sent them. I will post those pics when she receives so she doesn't see it before hand.

Girls Visit!

Here are a couple of pictures from when the girls visited.
Here they are in the backyard. Alia is the taller one, she's just turned 9. Alyssa is the one with pigtails, she is almost 7.


Here is the bunny in a hole that Alyssa embroidered! Didn't she do a GREAT job. It is a picture from Shel Silverstein's Runny Babbit book. She did it on and off in about 3 hours. We made it into a little round cushion pillow. The other side is embroidered with her name and year. She was so proud, and she should be. Alia did a turtle from the same book. I haven't gotten her picture taken yet, since we haven't finished the pillow yet. She just finished the embroidery when it was time to leave, so I have to finish the pillow and get it to her at one of the soccer games.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Girls Girls Girls!!

Well, 2 of my cousins have now had baby girls in the last few days, and our best friends also had another girl! It's just baby girls everywhere!

Also, 2 of my wonderful nieces are visiting us today, they stayed over last night and enjoyed a heck of a storm. Now they are playing outside with my boys. The youngest one, Alyssa, has asked to learn to embroider, so that is probably what we will do later on, since it is supposed to storm this afternoon too. I will try to post pictures of their creations either tonight or tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

I got a job?

Well, the plan was, that now since the boys are all in school full time, I would have a chance to get a lot of work done around the house. We aren't unpacked totally, there is a lot of clutter, rooms need rearranging, etc... this was the plan. However, a friend of mine runs the local daycare. She called me up the other day and asked if I would be an assistant for their new preschool program. It's 3 days a week, from 8-11 am. I thought this sounded perfect, a little extra cash, and it's hours worked well. So I said yes.
Then the boys' school called, and they called asking if I could help out on Fridays, I thought about it, sure it's only one day a week, no problem. Well, that is for the office at school, that's not helping out in the kids' individual rooms. I haven't signed up for that yet. Which with 3 kids will probably take my Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons after work. This leaves me Mondays... that is generally try to catch up after letting things go over the weekend day. So, wait a minute, where is my time at home to try and make things to sell, or clean and organize my house.... oh, wait, did I mention that I am coaching a DI (Destination Imagination) team again this year? When will I find the time for that, and making meals, and ugh! So I have a little part time job, and I will still have no time at home =(

I really am excited, and I hope this will work out wonderfully, and be lots of fun, but I am really going to miss having this time that I was making plans for all summer. I will HAVE to find more time somewhere for crafting though!

Friday, August 18, 2006

Swaps Made, Destroyed, & Made Again

Well, I promised this post would be more upbeat, but I have a mini vent first.... stick with me I PROMISE this will be a positive post.... and if you're good, I'll even flash a picture!

So I was in a wishlist swap, and I claimed someone to make her a sleep mask. I had it all planned out. I got pink satin, pink flannel, black elastic, etc... . I painted the satin using some lace as the negative parts, (really neat, I don't think I'm explaining it well, basicly I tacked the lace down then painted with black over the lace, then I removed the lace and it was a great lace look painted onto the pink fabric,)
I assembled the sleep mask, loving it really. Planning on making myself one. Laid it all out went to get my camera, when I heard "Mom, Levi won't let me pour my own Pomegranite juice, he thinks I'm a baby!"
"No I don't, I just don't want you to spill... hey, get the juice out of the living room. Gimme That!"
"No, Mom will let me pour!"

[Quiet pause]

"You're going to be in SOOOOOOO much trouble!

Moaaaaaaaaaaahm, Lore spilled Pomegranite juice on the chaaaaaair!"

To this I said, "Please tell me it isn't the chair that my swap stuff is on...?"

To this Levi replied "Oh, you know it is!"
At this point I didn't even care about the chair, I ran into the bathroom and rinsed and rinsed the juice out of the mask, but I stained, immediently! I can't get it out, I have tried EVERYTHING! So I was supposed to send out the next day. I have a stained mask and a REALLY stained chair and carpet. (And 2 children who for awhile I kept seeing a bullseye on their butts [I'm not saying I spank them or ever would, but the fact that they were fighting over juice in the living room where they weren't supposed to be with the juice at all.... well, I was fuming to say the least!])
I remaid the mask, the lace didn't happen the second time, since I didn't have time to let it dry properly and send nearly on time.

But my WONDERFUL husband, took my kids to work with him for awhile, ( not an easy task for him either,) then dropped them off at the bus for swimming lessons for me. And I was able to embroider a "Do Not Disturb" on the front and make a new eyemask with out much interuption, ( ok, the phone was a bit annoying, but other than that,) So I don't love this one as much as the last one, but I'm still really happy with it. I added some shrinky dink papers and some Amy Butler Fat Quarters too. I hope she really likes it!
Here's a picture of the front of the mask


Here's a picture of the group I sent her.


AND
my baby Lore, the evil spiller child, has been asking to start embroidering. Now I realize you can't see what he's embroidered so far on this picture, but he was REALLY proud. He's half way done with the outside of the bat, from the batman logo. It's his first project. So here he is with his embroidery.

So it started out not great, but it definitly ended wonderfully!




Monday, August 14, 2006

Busy busy busy, really a vent.

Ugh, summer is too busy! now my oldest is in Peer Mediation training. Great to be in, but that is all morning, I have to pull him out a bit early so that he can QUICK eat something and be on the bus for swimming lessons. We have soccer 3-4 times a week, dance is probably not going to happen this year, since they changed EVERYTHING about it. I'm trying to get things ready to do Destination Imagination this year. It just seems like run, run, run.

We looked at a few campsites this weekend. We're hoping to go camping at least once before Labor Day, and at least 2 more times in september. We'll see if that happens.

This has left me little to no time for crafting. I have swap stuff I need to make, but my mind has sort of turned to mush, and I'm stuck on what to make them. I have tons of ideas, but we're a bit short on cash right now (all the above has fees!) So I would like it to be with things in my house. Which I have TONS of supplies, just nothing is jumping out at me. Anyway, so that's my vent. Sorry, next post will be more upbeat I promise!

Friday, August 11, 2006

Alto Fair! Yippee

Ok, the biggest little fair.... or so it's called.... The Alto Fair!

Well, my little demons were in the fair. Pulled in a wagon by my father in law. He sells old tractors on the side. My step-mother-in-law sells crap too, it changes all the time. So they are in the fair hockin their wares. Here's some pictures.


Hubby and boys



And hubby's aunt Carol (she's the greatest!)

My sewing machine hates me!

I don't know what happened, I love my machine. Sure, he can be tempermental, but who doesn't get a bit cranky every now and then? I did some applique using wonder under, and it gunked up my needle, and made me skip stitches, and was darn right a mess. So I muttled through it not really loving it, but it did give the bag a charm. I cleaned up my machine, changed my needle, started sewing again, and it still isn't working. I've adjusted my tension, etc.. nothing seems to be helping. It is sewing lines, but the stitches are looking loose on top. Like the bottom thread is coming up through the top. I don't know what to do. Sometimes when I leave him alone he behaves better in the morning. I sure hope so. Anyway, this is the bag I made for a swap on Craftster.org. It's a grocery tote. It's nice and big. I want to make some for myself.


Here's the whole bag


Here's a close up of the veggies. We've got a tomato (ok, yes EVERYONE knows it's a fruit, yet know one cares!) an ear of corn, a baby brussel sprout, (there is a reason for this I'll share later,) a carrot, and a celery. used fabrics for all the pieces except the corn tassel and the carrot greens. The faces I like some more than others.

Ok, brussel sprout story, I hate brussel sprouts not so much the taste, but the smell. I can't eat something that smells like feet. Anyway, since I don't like them I don't make them, since I don't make them my kids had never had them either. Well, one day we were leaving school, and my youngest son, Lore, says to me, "Why don't you ever let us have brussel sprouts?" To this I sort of chuckled, and looked around seeing all of the weird looks on people's faces. I explained to him " I don't really like them, so I never make them" Then he starts to whine a bit (very uncharacteristic of him,) and says, "THAT'S NOT FAIR, I WANT BRUSSEL SPROUTS! PLEASE make me brussel sprouts!!!!" Now I had people looking at me with such confusion. NO child ever BEGS for brussel sprouts.
Well we went to the store and all 3 of the were giddy with their bag of brussel sprouts. We got home and they had to try them right away!!! They took one bite and looked at each other and said... "wow they taste ok, but they smell horrible!" And now they won't eat them. I find it really funny..... maybe I'm the only one.

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Craft Room Clean Up

Inspired by the "Share Your Mess... Then let's clean it up" post on craftster.org. I have decided to post pictures of my horribly messy craft space. I'll be honest, I'm really embarrassed to be posting this, as it is filthy!



Here is my craft room, you can see tons of Halloween storage, fabric, gifts, boxes of costumes, yarn, etc...



Here is the closet in my craftroom, filled with school supplies, teacher thank you gifts, alginate & plasters for mask making (along with my husband's plaster head) And tons of miscellaneous. I am truly hoping to work on this and get myself more organized! Tips are welcome!

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

We're having a rainbow heat~wave

Oh my, it's hot in here! Most people who don't live in Wisconsin seem to think that it's always cold here. Really that isn't true. I mean it's no tropical paradise, but still. Right now it is 103F on the thermometer across the street. That is before you consider the grotesque humidity that is here right now. We have heat warnings right now, so honestly the kids and I are locked up tight in our air conditioned downstairs. So I've been trying to get some sewing done, I got a bit further on my square quilt. I have given in to using same fabrics more than once, but I'm still only using swap fabrics, so I am further than I could have been. I still desperately need more squares, especially purple, red, yellow, and orange! (If interested please pm me on craftster.org my username is Ezri_B)
Also, I did find my camera, so yippee I have pictures!!! Well, ok, A picture, of my one nearly finished panel of quilt....

It's between 5.5 & 6 feet long right now. I have a little more to go on this one, then I can begin the next one.
I'm so excited about this. This is really the first thing I've made for me, that I didn't NEED. Plus it is so neat getting all these wonderful fabrics from all these amazing crafters all over the world! It's this awesome friendship quilt from people I've never even met. What an amazing concept! I am going to love having this bright, beautiful quilt on my bed (my bed has never seen a quilt, I've never made a quilt that has stayed in my house, they've always been for gifts!)