Live Your Art

Book Log Tutorial

2012-01-25T23:07:00.000-08:00

The kids both have this book to keep track of what they are reading this year, so I decided to make one for myself, too. I have several old blank books lying around, so I decided to alter one instead of buying a pre-made log. I also wanted to have a book organized by subject, since I primarily read nonfiction. Lastly, I have lots of supplies I'd like to use up to make room for baby stuff.

I started with this blank book. I sanded the cover since it had a glossy finish. (Sorry, I had to take the pictures at night)

I crumpled up an old map, then applied Distress Ink (brick and burlap) stamp pads directly to the paper.

Spray the paper with water, then crumple again.

You can let the paper air dry, or if you are impatient like me, you can use a heat gun. When it is dry, rub a Distress Ink pad over the paper to highlight the texture. I used Marigold for contrast.

I wrapped the book with the paper, using matte medium as an adhesive. I ran a gray stamp pad over the edges for contrast. The title block is made from scrapbook paper, brad, and a cut out from my sketchbook.

I covered the inside end papers with scrapbook paper, and used extra supplies for the date.

I punched category tabs from scrapbook paper to divide the log by topic. Now let's see who reads more this year, me or the kids...

For the New Year

2012-01-03T14:17:00.000-08:00

This may explain why it has been pretty quiet around here over the last few months. The little bean is doing well and expected on July 7. I'm also starting to feel like a regular human again, so hopefully things will pick up around here.

As for the New Year, have you picked your word yet? Mine is "mindfulness" this year. Ali Edwards is holding a new one little word class at Big Picture Classes, but I signed up last year and never actually did the monthly projects, so I saved them all and have ambitions to do them this time around. After having the kids pour through scrapbooks recently and then ask why there weren't any recent pages about them, I have vowed to try to keep a simple monthly schedule of three layouts this year. Mind you, these will be simple, but that's okay with me. I have plenty of other outlets for design, but I am mostly concerned about recording their stories. I so cherish the pages that I have, and wouldn't have remembered half of those moments if I hadn't recorded them.

The plan? I had a bunch of bags of leftover scrap kit pieces, which I sorted into 12 bags and divided by season. The plan is to use whatever is in there, along with white, black, or kraft cardstock, to create three layouts a month. One will be about Max, one about Madeline, and one will be a family page. Once the baby comes, it will either be one per kid or just an additional page. I'm thinking of printing a page of layout sketches and just choosing from them each month, or keeping the basic layout the same every month and just changing embellishments and patterened paper. We'll see which one is easiest - I'm all about easy right now!

Well, there, I've put it in print. I suppose now I'll have to actually follow through;)

December Bits

2011-12-08T21:44:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season to be crazy busy, and this year has to be the craziest by far. Still, we've had some quiet winter moments:

Decorating the tree (the kids did it all this year!) and wrapping the advent Christmas books for an extra special surprise

Catching up with Santa at the Girl Scout Toy Drive

A dinner picnic by the Christmas tree watching Christmas videos

and painting sparkle snow pictures with friends. Just combine 2/3 cup Epsom Salts with 1/3 cup water, and paint on colored paper. It dries to a snowy sparkle! Wishing you a little holiday peace this week.

Candy Science

2011-11-14T22:04:00.000-08:00

We don't eat much Halloween candy around here. First of all, Max can't eat any of it, and since I don't usually buy candy, the kids usually forget about eating it after Halloween. Instead, we do science projects with it. Last year, we made models of molecules, and this year we had two days of experiment mania. Most of our ideas came from the Candy Experiments website. We messed around with density (a huge hit), looking for the floating "s" from Skittles, tested for acid, and melted lots of different candies in the toaster oven.

Before we broke out the beakers I had the kids sort their candies and record the data, then decide on broader categories to put them in and graph the results. Who knew you could get so many lessons from Halloween treats?

Museum Scavenger Hunt Book

2011-10-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

We have several museum trips coming up, thanks to free and reduced homeschool days, and I love using scavenger hunts to help focus the kids' energy when we are there. However, I do not love carrying a clipboard around, or trying to write against a wall or knee, or searching through the backpack for a pen. My solution? A book! I printed pre-made scavenger hunts from the Monterey Bay Aquarium website (many museums have them listed under the teacher resources, or you could make them yourself from pictures from the website) and bound them in a sturdy chipboard book, sort of following Angry Chicken's directions here. Instead of stapling the pages together, I folded each page in half and glued them back to back. Then I glued the first and last pages to the covers which made end pages and at the same time, secures all of the pages to the book.

This allowed the whole page to fold down for viewing, and the floating spine enables you to fold the whole book backwards. The hard chipboard covers (I took mine from the back of a sketchpad) provide a perfect surface for writing.

To keep track of the elusive pen, I added an elastic loop between the back page and the cover. To add extra hold insurance, I glued it down and then covered the edge with gaffer's tape.

That's all there is to it! Now I have a pint sized book of fun to focus our attention and our energy, and maybe discover something we hadn't noticed before. Now if I could only make our lunch bags and water bottles pint sized...

Thank You

2011-10-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

Zero!

2011-09-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

Another addition to the egg carton Nightmare Before Christmas collection. I can't forget man's, ahem, I mean skeleton's best friend!

Mystery Box

2011-09-08T21:50:00.000-07:00

My new comprehension tool - the mystery box. This is slightly different from the learning kits I have been putting together, as you can change this one from day to day.

I used an old Math U See box and painted the top with chalkboard paint.

I filled the inside with items related to the Phoenicians, the section we were about to read in our history book. I had the kids inspect the items, and told them they needed to figure out how they related to the Phoenicians. This made them listen closely to the chapter, then use their critical thinking skills to figure out how the items were connected to the passage. It also helped my visual learner process the information in the book. The best part is that I can erase the title, fill it with something else, and use it again tomorrow!

Egg Carton Creations

2011-09-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you have too many egg cartons lying around? You make egg carton sculptures of the Nightmare Before Christmas characters, of course. I had plenty of other things I should have done today, but, well, this was Fun!

Hmmmm... what else could I create? I sense a challenge in this...

Geology Learning Kit

2011-08-22T15:21:00.000-07:00

Learning kit number two - the geology basket. We are studying geology along with space, and we like to get hands-on with our work. I used a recycled basket (once the home to Numi teas), and added an extra clasp and handle to make it more portable. The handle is simply a corrugated cardboard tube with raffia threaded through and tied on the underside of the lid. A button and cord provided extra security to the front of the basket.

I gathered materials we had around the house for supplies. I included a magnifying glass, rock guide, notebook, pencils, colored pencils, a sharpener and eraser, small tape measure, paint brushes and a specimen box (i.e. recycled scrapbooking flower tin). It's easy to take outside for a little backyard geology, and while I don't tote it on hikes, it's nice to have it all in one place so I can throw the supplies in my backpack as we head out the door.

Science on the go

Time to take a hike!

Solar System in a Cylinder

2011-08-15T14:22:00.000-07:00

I was browsing the Playful Learning and Imagine Childhood websites this weekend, and their products reminded me how much I love kits. The passion started early, when I would walk into those Sanrio mall stores and salivate over the little boxes filled with Hello Kitty stationary, stickers, and miniature pencils. Years later, I loved walking the aisles of Papyrus, lingering over the beautifully packaged cards and wrappings. Oh, and gift baskets, with all of those special little treats all bedecked with ribbons? Sigh.

Educational kits are fabulous, but often expensive. Why not make them myself? I could tailor them to what we are studying this year, use up some of those craft supplies that seem to breed in our home, and maybe motivate the kids in the process? Introducing....

Yes, the entire solar system in a can. Actually, it's a bunch of wool roving in a decorated coffee can. I chose bits of roving in colors to match the planets, then packaged each in a baggie (to protect it from the coffee smell that still filled the inside of the canister). The kids first had to decide which baggie was which planet (with the help of a book we read on the solar system), and then we tried turning the wool into felted balls. We used a You Tube tutorial at first, but it didn't go so well. Darling son said the wool made his hands itch and promptly left the activity. Considering he's allergic to everything, I didn't argue. Then I recalled that Amanda Soule had a tutorial in The Creative Family. I knew it would be kid friendly and easy, and it was. We used the kitchen sink instead of bowls outside (it was ninety degrees, after all), but the balls came together much better. I highly recommend the book, by the way. It's full of great projects and packed with good old fashioned inspiration.

Interest lasted for about two balls (it is time consuming), so I ended up doing the rest. I loved the process - very meditative. We set them outside to dry:

The kids have checked on them several times now, and are more excited about putting together a mobile with them when they are done. I haven't decided what to make the rings out of yet. Felt? Colored wire? I'll probably let the kids have the final say. Overall, they enjoyed most of it. I liked using up some supplies and having a project wrapped and ready to go. I have one other kit done that I will share next week, and more in the planning stages. Maybe I need to make a few adult ones as well. Who says that kids are the only ones allowed to have fun?

An Art Gratitude Journal

2011-08-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

Homeschool started today, and with it a new routine for all three of us - the art gratitude journal. The plan is that each day we will journal to a quote from this book:

a wonderful collection, by season, of quotes relating to gratitude and peace. There are religious quotes from all world faiths, as well as secular quotes. I bought it last year after seeing it on my moment of Zen blog, SouleMama. I decided to have the quotes pre-written for the kids, so they could just glue them in and focus on the art. With Madeline's motor issues and Max's distaste for writing (unfortunately cultivated during first grade at public school, where benchmarks dictate paragraph writing for six and seven year old's, despite the developmental inappropriateness of it), I wanted them to see this as a joyful exploration, not an assignment. Here are their results:

Max bought a rainbow colored pencil at the HSC (Home School association of California) conference Saturday, and was busily experimenting with what it could do. Madeline produced her page and two more before we moved on. I was stumped at first, trying to decide what I would do with my page, when I saw Piggy on the table. If you know my son, then you know Piggy. Piggy has been his constant companion for the last six years. He has lost one ear and his tail, and the second ear is a tangle of threads. He was once a lovely peach color, but now is essentially gray. But he has provided so much comfort over the years, and so much love, that he really is a figure of grace.

Yes, we have found a new morning routine.

The Last Remaining Days

2011-07-31T23:16:00.000-07:00

I know many of you are in the thick of summer still, with a month of lazy mornings and hot days ahead. We still have the hot days, but my students come back to school on Tuesday, and our homeschool begins next week. I have a stack of sewing projects in the works, and new t-shirt designs, so once the craziness of the new school year has settled, I'll get some of those on board. I might even get up a few drawings from my garden journal. Yah buddy, I don't want it to end, either!

The Best Gluten Free Waffles (really!)

2011-07-12T23:45:00.000-07:00

Breakfast is our favorite meal; we like it so much, we not only have it every morning, we also have it on Friday evenings! We call it backwards night, and it evolved when pizza Fridays became less desirable after going both gluten and dairy free. Our favorite breakfast food? Waffles, of course! It took a lot of tinkering to come up with a recipe that was both gluten and dairy free but tasted like a normal waffle. We make this recipe so often that I keep a mix of the flours in a jar in the pantry, speeding up the whole baking process. Want to try it?

Mix:
3 cups white rice flour
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
3/4 cups corn flour
3/4 cup tapioca flour

Ingredients:
3 eggs, separated
1 3/4 cups rice or coconut milk (or soy, or almond, or even the real thing)
4 TBS. melted Earth Balance spread
1 TB baking powder (make sure it says gluten free!)
1 TB sugar
pinch of salt

Directions:
Beat the egg whites. While they are beating, combine 2 cups mix with the ingredients listed above (yes, include the yolks). Gently fold in the egg whites. Spoon into hot waffle iron and bake until golden and crispy on the outside.

I have found that rice milk makes a thinner, crisper waffle and coconut milk makes a softer, fluffier one. I like them both. I have not used the other milks, since we are allergic to them, but I'm sure they would work just as well. these taste so much like a wheat based waffle, if you fed them to your family without telling them, they would never know the difference! I have tried many other recipes, some with a higher ratio of more protein or fiber filled flours, but they would usually come out heavy, or with that particular gluten free flour after taste. Not this one! If you try it, I'd love to hear what you think!

Easiest Summer Dress

2011-07-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

I have actually managed to do a little sewing for myself this summer, all my style - fast and easy. This sundress was made in the same fashion as the one I made for Madeline here. The beauty of this little number was no hemming! The seersucker had finished selvedges, so I simply used those for the top and bottom, and seamed the cut edges in the back. Before seaming, I used elastic thread to gather the top, and also used it to make the stretchy straps.

It is a long dress, perfect for hot summer afternoons. The gathering took the greatest chunk of time (I think I did 16 rows), and the rest came together is minutes, giving me plenty of time to read and relax in the shade. That's my kind of summer project.

Puppets!

2011-06-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

I have a tradition of making something for my goddaughter's birthday. It has been clothes in the past, but this year I decided to do something a little different - puppets! Although my own kids were only mildly interested in puppets, I have great memories of my own puppet theater, and the time I spent making up stories and performing shows. My little goddaughter is a bundle of energy and is a natural performer, so I thought she might enjoy a little dramatic play.

The puppets are simple felt creations, with the clothes and details sewed by hand on the top piece, and then the front and back were machine stitched.

The eyes and mouths were embroidered. I took a general fairytale theme, but tried to make the puppets simple enough to be used in a variety of stories.

I think Red is my favorite, but when she was removed from the bag, her brother exclaimed that she looked like a ketchup bottle! I just had to laugh, because she does, really. Inside the drawstring bag is also a portable theater; simply a tension rod that fits in a doorway, with a simple curtain made out of the same princess canvas as the bag. It's easy to put up, easy to take down, and everything (plus any extra puppets of her own) fits inside the drawstring bag.

Upcycled Picnic Blanket

2011-06-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

I love vintage table cloths, but this one my mother gave me really didn't match any of the colors in the house, especially in the dining room. So I pulled out an old cotton mattress cover I had been saving, and used it for the backing. It was already lined with batting, so I simply pinned right sides together and seamed it. I top stitched around the edges, but did not quilt the top.

It adds a nice little cushioning for a summer lunchtime picnic!

Dried Cherries

2011-06-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

We went cherry picking earlier this week, and brought home over 10 pounds! Three days later we are down to less than half that amount, but some of that box ended up in my dehydrator. I invested in one last summer, since Max is so limited in his snack choices, and now is the season it seems to keep a permanent place on my counter. I own this stacking tray style, and it has worked just fine. Some day I might trade up for an Excalibur, but at the time I wasn't interested in spending that much money.

If you are going to dry cherries (or cook with them, for that matter), you need a cherry pitter. I think I spent $12 on mine, and it was well worth the money! Of course, if you are going to dry cherries, you need to pit them, first. I like to do this at the table with a movie playing on the iPad. It's repetitive work, my friends.

When you are done, you'll have a nice big bowl of pits.

And a big bowl of pitted cherries! You will need to cut them in half for drying, but since the pitting tends to split them a bit, I find it easiest to just tear them with my hands.

Lay them on you trays, with space between for the air to flow. Mine took about 16 hours to dry at 145 degrees.

They are shriveled when done, but not crispy. They should have a similar consistency to raisins. If you are not sure, stick them in a glass jar with a tight lid for a couple of days. If you see any condensation form, throw them back into the dehydrator for another few hours.

Easy, wasn't it? We like ours in granola (my GF recipe is here), in oatmeal or chocolate cookies, on cereal, or just straight out of the jar for snacking!

From Sweater to Sweater Dress

2011-05-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

The sweater. Dare I say that I actually found this one in the street? Lying in the road in front of the house, and extra large women's silk sweater, abandoned. So I washed it on hot and stuck it in the dryer, not knowing how it would turn out. It washed up beautifully, and shrank just a bit. So what to do?

Make a dress! I was hoping to have a picture of my daughter wearing it, since black is so difficult to photograph, but 9 year olds can be difficult to photograph, too, especially when they don't want their picture taken. To convert the sweater to a dress, I cut it apart down the center. To take up the shoulders, I ran a few rows of elastic thread near the seam. I trimmed a bit of fabric from both sides of the opening and seamed it. I used snaps for closures and added the oversize buttons for decoration. A pink cotton ruffle was sewn on for length, and the belt is made from a panel of the same cotton sewn with elastic thread. I do love the mix of the cotton and the sweater materials.

Sewing projects are bursting out of the closet and a few illustrations for a series I'm planning have made it to the sketchbook, for the most part, I've had little time to do anything creative. We've spent two months going to different doctors and having loads of tests done on my son, and while it finally seems we have found someone who can really treat the cause and not just his symptoms, it has taken, and continues to take, much of my time. So my posts are erratic, yes, and they may continue to be for awhile, but hopefully summer will bring a little more calm and a lot more time for art.

Published!

2011-04-27T17:52:00.000-07:00

If you pick up this:

You will find this:

and this:

and a big smile on my face.

Seven

2011-04-20T16:27:00.000-07:00

Somebody turned seven today. Yes, seven. Wow. My babies are babies no more. Somehow seven seems so much more grown up than six. Maybe because Christopher Robin was six, and it makes me think of short pants and Pooh Bear. But seven... seven is big kid territory. He told me today was different. He brushed his teeth in a different way. He played with different friends at school. Seven, he said, feels different. For me too, buddy, for me too. Happy Birthday.

Winter t-shirt to summer top

2011-04-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

The Jesse t-shirt was one of Madeline's favorites from this winter, but only a few months after receiving it, it was already getting small (that girl can grow!). Since the graphic was so large, an applique would be difficult, so I decided to make a summer tank top instead. Oreo decided that he should be the subject of the photo shoot, so I'm afraid my "after" pictures are dominated by a little black and white feline. He may be male, but he's still a diva.

First I cut off the arms and the collar, straight across.

I sewed a cotton ruffle to the bottom to add length.

I added a band of the same material to finish off the front and back (basically a 2 inch bias tape strip).

I used a thin bias tape to finish off the arms and extend for ties. The front was a little big, so I ran a few rows of elastic thread across the front and back bias strips to tighten it up. You could also run a piece of elastic through the top strips before sewing them down.

Yes, Madeline is thrilled with her new shirt, but I think Oreo likes it most of all.

Scrappy Skirt

2011-03-21T17:49:00.000-07:00

Lots of sewing happening during these rainy days: new garments, re-fashions and mending. I've had this khaki skirt in my closet for years, and last year set it aside for embellishing. Since I had the scraps out for other projects, I decided to use some on this as well.

A very quick, simple applique. I decided to straight stitch the edges to keep with a more primitive look, with some intentionally quirky outline stitching around the tops. I continued the pattern around the back a bit, too.

Sorry for the bad inside shot, but it's gray and blustery outside. At least the skirt looks like spring!

Happy St. Patty's Day

2011-03-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

A few decorations made with the kids, but the main event for today is always the leprechaun trap. They made "gold" rocks to lure him in, but no luck yet. Hope you found a pot of gold today!

Easter T-shirt Rescue

2011-03-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

A bleach stained girl's t-shirt with a small hole. Honestly, I'm not sure how it got that way, since I only use the little bleach pens on white fabric, but it mysteriously appeared one day. I stuck it in my refashion bag and forgot about it until this weekend, when I was cleaning out my closet for Project Simplify on Simple Mom (more on that in another post). So, I pulled out my idea book and thumbed through the pictures from catalogs and magazines of potential clothing projects. My dear daughter loves to mark clothes she likes in catalogs so that I can make (or order) them for her, and I ran across some cute spring t-shirts from Mini Boden. I think they were from last year's catalog. Anywho, a little applique work and Bam! a new Easter shirt:

Yes, the design was a total rip-off, with the exception that they used screenprinting along with applique, and I only used fabric, andding just a few touches. I love how applique can quickly, and completely, transform a piece of clothing. The bunny is even made from the sleeves of another t-shirt re-fashion, which I will have a short tutorial for later. If you have never appliqued, I have a tutorial here. Now hop to it! (teeheehee)

A Few Random Thoughts on a Sick Day

2011-02-28T22:21:00.000-08:00

No trips to the creek for us, I'm afraid. Both of the small humans are down with the flu or some such bug, and we've visited our dear doctor twice in four days. Between Girl Scout obligations and nursemaid duties, I've found a few lovelies on the web to share:

I would love to live in this house; who could be glum in there?
Celebrate the Boy is in full swing - love me some boy crafts!
For homeschoolers, Westvon Publishing is having a huge sale at CurrClick.
Wish this came in adult size...
I thought this was a fabulous idea for a gift, and Amy's work is wonderful!

I'm off to take some elderberry tincture and drink my immunity tea!

A Little Stitch for Me

2011-02-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

I do buy fabric for myself, and patterns, and sometimes even cut those patterns out, but rarely do I actually sew for myself. It's not that I don't want to, quite the contrary, but the kids need clothes, or the pet bed needs recovering, or the pillows are looking old... does it sound familiar? If not, good for you! If so, then you need to steal some time for yourself. I FINALLY made Rae's Lickety Split Bag, which had been purchased who knows how long ago. Why did I wait so long? This bag was so easy to sew up after the kids went to bed. I love, love, love bags, and had purchased both fabrics with bags in mind. I opted to use matching pockets and no trims, since the prints are so loud. And the best part? It's completely reversible. A winter to spring bag for sure. As soon as Girl Scout Cookie sales are over (wanna buy a box?) I'm making at least two more. It's a great gift, too, since it sews up so quickly.

I must pull out the inks once this cookie madness ends. While I was sewing, I kept thinking of mixed media projects. I do that all of the time; while I'm working in one medium, I'm constantly thinking of another. Thinking of sketching while I sew, thinking of cooking while I sketch. Weird. Is it just me, or do others share in this ADD creative thinking?

There Are Faces in the Woods

2011-02-16T22:11:00.000-08:00

Valentine Bits

2011-02-14T10:03:00.000-08:00

Hope your Valentine's Day is filled with love!

Meet Harry and Ollie

2011-02-09T08:36:00.000-08:00

Here are the two newest additions to the sock and glove family, Harry and Ollie. Harry is made from a pair of cable stitch gloves, and Ollie from the stretchy dollar kind. I think I need to make another one for Valentine's Day. I have a pair of red gloves that Madeline has outgrown. Hmm, what animal to make with red gloves?

T-shirt Bag

2011-02-07T10:02:00.000-08:00

I have a stash of Max's old Lego t-shirts, cut apart for a planned t-shirt quilt. Well, he has decided he wants a universe quilt from Land of Nod (it's pricey, but by is it gorgeous), and really, when am I going to find the time to make a full sized quilt? So last night one became his Valentine's Day present, a library book bag. I had originally intended to make a lunch sack, but the print was too large on this shirt. I think I'll try that next with a smaller print shirt. This was an easy evening project, and would make a great gift bag, too. I fused the t-shirt pieces to some blue cotton, to give it stability and an easy lining. Otherwise, I simply made it tote bag style, with side pieces and a bottom. Since the graphic ended near the cut off neck line, I made a binding for the top to attach the handles to.

I can envision more tote bags, gift bags and lunch sacks from that stash of beloved t-shirts. Green and free, my kind of project!

Meet Hermione

2011-01-31T14:25:00.000-08:00

This is Hermione, Madeline's first doll project. She really wanted to make a doll with her new sewing machine, but that's a little beyond her beginner's skills, so we made this a joint project. We used the super easy pattern from Make Baby Stuff, but Madeline decided she wanted an all muslin body so she could dress her in different outfits. The pattern was easy to follow, and Madeline did the stuffing and some of the larger sewing parts. I tackled the stitching of the arms and legs (they are narrow), embroidering the face and the hair. She conveniently fits into the clothes for the rag doll Madeline (of story book fame), so she instantly had a nice wardrobe. I think I may surprise her with a nightgown for Valentine's Day, a piece that is missing from the clothes trunk. It only took us two days to complete, and she is so proud of her. It was a great mother/daughter project - lots of creative collaboration, and no arguing! It was so speedy to put together, I'm itching to try a few on my own. There are so many variations you could add to this simple pattern!

A Homeschooling Day

2011-01-17T10:53:00.000-08:00

Simple Homeschool has been posting descriptions of typical homeschool days from various families, and it has been so interesting to read how others approach instruction. We only started homeschooling my eight year old daughter this year, and after a few months of trying different approaches and routines, we have finally settled into a good rhythm with a modified Classical approach.

The beauty of homeschooling, for me, is being able to craft a program specifically for my daughter's needs. She thrives under structure and routine, and the direct approach of the Classical method has been very effective for her. Math has always been our sticking point (and one of the reasons we left public school), and overcoming her math phobia has been my primary goal. Two months ago, she requested that all of her math be taught through games. Now, she not only learns through math games, but she's started to create her own, too. This is how a day typically functions:

We begin at 8:30 with grammar and writing. She's a morning girl, so I used to try and do math first thing, thinking I'd have the best attention. It didn't work. After testing different subjects at this time, we finally settled on grammar and writing. Madeline has fine motor problems, so writing is a challenging task for her. We usually use the previous day's narration for her writing. We are using First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind for grammar instruction. It's a traditional approach, no bells and whistles, but it works and she enjoys it. It includes memorization work, usually a poem, which I think is fabulous.

After about a half an hour we move on to reading. I read novels to her, and she also reads on her own. She usually dictates a summary of her silent reading, which becomes the next day's writing work. Right now, she is reading Little House In the Big Woods, which I read aloud to her last month. We are using the Tags of Time unit as a comprehension check. She makes a tag for each chapter, then glues the given sentence strips in the order they occurred in the story. I've gathered supplemental materials to go with the book, our favorite being The Little House Cookbook, and we are engaging in projects such as a tea stained pioneer dictionary (for vocabulary) and craft projects inspired by the story.

I received an iPad for Christmas, and Madeline has embraced the world of digital books. Although she doesn't have a vision problem, she prefers large text books (I think it has to do with visual clutter on the page). The electronic format allows her to read her favorite series in a large text format. I love that I can download a new book for her in a few seconds, but I just wish they were a little cheaper! (Really, without printing and transportation costs, how expensive can digital books really be for publishers?)

After an hour of reading, it's finally time for math. Here we break away from the Classical method and work exclusively with games. I have a few purchased board games, but most of the games are homemade. With dice and cards you can create dozens of elementary games, and with downloaded board game templates, the possibilities are endless. I usually create the cards to go with the board games (which correspond to whatever skills we are working on), but now Madeline has begun to make her own games as well. I love it, she loves it, and she is actually beginning to feel good about her math skills. It's been a long, long, rocky road, I tell you.

Math usually lasts about 45 minutes, and then it's time for a break. After snack we move on to spelling and cursive practice. I chose to use Spellingcity.com instead of the workbooks suggested with the Classical method, because of her writing issues. This way she can practice her spelling without a pencil. She is learning cursive as part of her occupational therapy, and we use the handwriting Without Tears method. We also use a cursive writing app on the iPad where she traces letters with her finger instead of a pencil. Combined, these probably take about 20 minutes.

Our last subject for the day is either science or history. We are studying chemistry this year, with a heavy emphasis on lab work. Our history is ancient world history, my favorite subject and also what I teach in the public schools. I am using the Story of the World as our basic text, and supplementing with the mountains of resources I have collected over the years. Science days are Mondays and Wednesdays, and history is done on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We also attend a science club for homeschoolers on Wednesday mornings. These lessons can last anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes, depending on the project and her attention span.

Fridays are usually a little lighter on the academics, and can include art, music or Italian. Learning Italian was Madeline's idea, and I keep a very loose approach to it, using videos, audio programs and booklets from enchantedlearning.com We basically work on it whenever she wants to. I am hoping to keep her interested in it by making it a fun, no pressure activity.

That sums up our day. We are usually finished by noon or 1:00. Interspersed with academics I throw in short exercises or brain gym activities to work on her sensory and motor issues. The afternoons are left to girl scouts, occupational therapy appointments, and mainly, just play time with her brother and neighbors. It's such a welcome change from the two hours of homework and tears that filled out afternoons last year when she was in public school. What a difference!

Christmas Jammies

2011-01-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

The matching pajamas, a Christmas tradition. Usually, they are bought, but I scored such a good sale on flannel at Jo Ann's that I decided to make them this year. Well, the pants at least. The tops were Target t-shirts with elf hat appliques. I had accidentally cut the wrong size pattern for Max's pants (fortunately, a larger one ), so his have very generous cuffs and will hopefully last another season or two. Yah, they are that big. That is the nice thing about making it yourself - let down a cuff, add a little more elastic and you have another year out of them. And my, don't they look cute in them?

What every woman wants for her anniversary...

2011-01-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

sock animals! Well, a sock animal pattern book, to be exact. Okay, well maybe not every woman, but me at least. It has been such fun to make these! The beauty is how fast they come together, and that hand sewing is actually easier than using the machine. They are a great project to have in hand while catching up on Mad Men. The gray heffalump was a joint project with my daughter, who received her first sewing machine this Christmas! She was in charge of stuffing, some sewing, and creative direction. Now I'm scouring the clearance aisles for socks and gloves (the little striped dog is from a pair of stretchy gloves I scored for 50 cents!) before they go out of season. You can find a tutorial for sock monkeys here, although the animals from the book I used generally used a separate head. Once you get the basic idea of the construction, a whole range of friendly beasts is possible. Put a lock on those sock drawers!

It's that time of year... for colds!

2010-12-20T08:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, the cold bug has hit our house, so I thought I would share a few of our favorite herbal tea mixes, which have been getting a lot of play around here in the last few days. These would also make great gifts, presented with a tea strainer or holiday tea towel. Of course, I'm no doctor, but these blends have helped soothe throats and chests and nerves around these parts. I don't have a good local source, so I purchase all of my herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs, Starwest Botanicals, and The Bulk Herb Store.

Cold and Flu Tea

Mix 1 part elder flowers (good for colds, flu and fever) with one part marshmallow root (cough expectorant and the kids like the flavor). Steep for 3 - 5 minutes and sweeten with honey (also good for coughs). These are both soft herbs, so don't let them steep too long or they'll get a bitter taste.

Cough Tea (especially good for calming dry, barking and asthma coughs)

Mix two parts red clover to a scant one part licorice root. Peel and slice a small piece of fresh ginger, and add to tea cup or small pot. Add a teaspoon of the herbs and steep for 3 - 5 minutes (if making this for kids, check after 3 minutes. The ginger and licorice can become too strong if steeped for a long time). Strain into a new cup and add a teaspoon of honey.
Note: licorice should not be used continuously for a long period of time, and never for people with high blood pressure

Relaxation Tea (for those care givers!)
In a mason jar combine two parts peppermint, two parts chamomile, one parts lemon balm, ginkgo, St. John's wort, and licorice. Add dried orange peels (I save orange peels in a jar in the fridge and then dry them in my dehydrator to add to teas). Steep for five minutes and sweeten to taste.

Wishing you and your family good health this season!

Sunday waffles on a Tuesday

2010-12-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

Well, it is the season to indulge, isn't it? I made a double batch of my favorite GF waffles on Sunday, and froze the extras. For a school day treat, I simply toasted a few waffles, and while they were warming, heated a thinly sliced green apple in the microwave for 2 minutes. A little butter, cinnamon sugar and whipped cream (also left-over) equals a very happy morning!

Thankful for Fall

2010-11-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

Fall splendor, Northern California style, is carelessly flaunting itself all over the backyard. A cold front is moving in that is threatening to dust our local mountain with snow, but for now, the rain has made it's presence known. We had a lovely spot of sun in the morning, so I dashed out for a few shots.

I hope your Thanksgiving is full of friends, family, and the splendor of nature.

Duvet Refashion

2010-11-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

Max loves geography. He has many maps, including a laminated one that came with a wipe-off pen. Unfortunately, Max used his map on his bed and ended up with black ink marks in various places on his white duvet cover. I could not get them off for love or money. Fast forward to a great sale at Joann's where I stocked up on many yards fleece for sweat pants. The yellow bolt had extra fabric, so I bought it thinking I'd make a matching hoodie. After cutting out the pans, I had almost enough to cover Max's bed, instead. An extra strip of blue from his other pants and blam, I had a "new" duvet for about $8. Here's what I did:

First, I cut the duvet apart at the seams. To make this a super easy transformation, I kept the side with the button holes to use as the back, and removed the buttons to recycle for the new cover.

I needed a little more length, so I added a contrasting stripe. Simply lay the second material on the first, right sides together, and stitch a seam. Since I used fleece, I didn't have to finish the edges, another big time saver. If you wanted to add an applique to the front, now would be the time to do it.

Spreading it all out on the floor, I pinned the old back to the new front, right sides together. Then I stitched all around, leaving the top open. ( I stitched in about 8 inches on either side of the top, so there would be square corners on each end after turning.) Turn right side out.

I folded over the top of the fleece, even with the top of the backing. I added the buttons that I had removed from the original duvet.

Thirty minutes later, a new duvet! I think these robot sheets might be the perfect companion. Maybe I should let Santa know!

Homeschool Corner - Making Molecules

2010-11-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

What to do with all of that leftover Halloween candy? How about a science lesson? We've been studying chemistry this year, and have learned about atoms and molecules. I gathered all of the Gobstoppers, Jawbreakers, and hard round candies from the Halloween stash, and a box of glue dots.

We looked at some models of molecules in the Usborne First Encyclopedia of Science, and then they got creative. Most candies could be held together with a single small glue dot.

All science, no cavities.

Snack Bag Art and this and that

2010-11-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is the extent of my illustration time each day - drawing on snack bags. I guess that explains why it has been so quiet around here lately! I plan on refashioning Max's duvet cover this weekend, so I hope to have a tutorial up for Made By You Monday. I also have 4 pairs of fleece pants, 5 pajama pants and a nightgown cut and waiting for the machine to come out of the closet! I wish the forecast had rain instead of 75 degree weather this weekend - it makes for much better sewing conditions!

I have a whole new stack of books from the library, Amazon and Bookswim on the table. Here are a few new reads and other links I've been enjoying lately:
Hold On to Your Kids, a fascinating look at our peer centered culture. I think every parent should read this one.
Love Soup - I love Anna Thomas' cookbooks, and this one is perfect for the season!
Felt Wee Folk - even Matt thumbed through this adorable how-to book. They would make great Christmas presents!
Wax Leaves - on the schedule for today. A great excuse to use my wax pot.
Herbal How-To Videos - I just placed big orders from Mountain Rose Herbs and The Bulk Herb store to gear up for winter. I think I will need to clear out at least one more shelf in the pantry! These videos from Shoshanna, the owner of the Bulk Herb Store are informative and entertaining.
This post from SouleMama, which inspired a reading nook in Madeline's room
These leaves from Made, which are also on the sewing list for this weekend

Much has been created for our homeschooling around here, but my art table feels lonely and abandoned. Please, share what you've been working on, or discoveries you've made, or what you're reading! I'd love to see!

Halloween Decor

2010-10-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

Holy batcave, Batman! Bats have invaded the family room! I completely stole this great idea from Dana at Made and the pattern is from Country Living (never thought you'd see that link on my blog, did ya?) They really are a show stopper. I love big bang decorations!

I am decorating on the cheap this year, so my Halloween doormat came from an extra utility rug and a can of spray paint.

I taped on some large scrapbooking chipboard letter frames as a stencil. I also taped on paper to mask the mat, leaving a frame around the outside.

Next step, paint away with spray paint.

As you may have noticed, there was some bleed through. Next time I will be more careful with the taping. But, it's free, and hopefully people will think it's dirt (it is a doormat, after all).

The sewing machine was in overdrive yesterday, as I churned out 7 pillows. One more to go and I'll post some peeks here. Now, if I were just as productive with my sketchbook...

Crunchy Granola Mom

2010-10-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, now I am officially a crunchy granola mom, and it's a mighty tasty thing to be. We have been making this quick but oh so good granola at least three times a week lately. It takes about 20 minutes from start to finish, and it's so easy the kids can pitch in (or even make it, depending on their age). The amounts listed here are just guidelines. I don't actually measure anything when I make it, so feel free to improvise! This can be either a gluten-free or regular granola, depending on the oats you use (please note that some Celiacs cannot tolerate gluten free oats. Fortunately, we can). If you are using regular oats, it's a very frugal granola. Even if you have to buy the pricey gluten free oats, it's still cheaper than GF granola. Amazon.com has a good price on gluten free oats, by the way.

Family Favorite Granola

2 cups oats
1/4 cup pecans
1/3 cup dried cranberries (you could also use raisins)
1/8 cup flaxseed meal (you could use whole flaxseeds, but I always have the ground flaxseeds on hand)
1/4 - 1/3 cup mixture of brown rice syrup and honey (or you could use all honey)
1 Tbs. cinnamon
1 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

Mix everything together in a bowl. You want it to stick together but not appear wet or really moist. Spread on a silpat lined cookie sheet and bake in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Let it cool. As it cools, it will stick together. Break up the cooled clumps and store in airtight jars. I really can't tell you the shelf life, because it never lasts more than two days around here.

This is really one of those recipes where you can use whatever is in the pantry. We came up with this particular combination because nobody here is allergic to pecans or cranberries, and it happens to taste great! Try it mixed with yogurt Saturday morning or over ice cream. Or do as my family does, and eat it off the cookie sheet on the counter!

Vacation Planner

2010-10-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Back to the land of the connected! My six year old modem has been on its last leg for at least a year, and while I was hoping it would hold out until Christmas, it decided to take the big digital nap on Sunday, thus delaying this promised post. My apologies.

The vacation planner. While I have never been a spontaneous traveler (one very cold night sleeping in the car because all hotel rooms were booked cured me of that), by reason of necessity, I have become a skilled trip planner. You see, traveling with children who have sensory processing problems, Celiac disease, food allergies, and asthma (not to mention my own food restrictions) is no easy feat. I began planning our recent trip to Disneyland four months ago. I started by creating a travel planner. Last year I used a composition book, but it was larger than my needs required. This year, I made my own from Cosmo Cricket scrapbook paper and my Bind It All machine (you can also have it comb bound at copy shops). I laminated the cover with my Xyron, so I could toss it in a purse or bag and not worry about it.

I also left the cover unadorned, saved for a single sticker, knowing the abuse it would face. As you can see from the bent coils, it endured a few blows.

The first section is for pre-trip planning and packing. It included a calendar, pre-travel to-do's such as mail holds, plans for pets and chores.

Next were packing lists for each family member. The lists are from List Planit, an online organizing site which offers a bazillion lists for all manner of topics, from work to home. I bought a download membership last year and it was worth every penny.

I also left lined paper in the back for food lists (we bring an extra suitcase just for food, so we always have something safe to eat), items to pack in the car, and to-do's for the days before we leave.

The next section is labeled car, and it has maps and written directions. I have a GPS on my phone, but I like to carry a back-up just in case reception is bad.

For the itinerary section, I printed the events listings from the Disney site as well as including a detailed list for each day. I make at least one meal reservation per day, and those are made far in advance and recorded here. I also like to look ahead to parade times and special events and tentatively schedule them as well, knowing that we may ditch those plans when we are actually in the park.

The last section holds hotel reservations and tickets. I included two pockets in this planner, made by simply folding tabbed scrapbooking paper and gluing it, to hold tickets and print-outs made after the book was bound.

As I mentioned before, this book gets tossed in my purse, not the luggage. All the information needed for any aspect of the trip is in one place. I also try to jot down notes in it while we are traveling or soon after we get home, about what places were safe to eat at, who had the best service, if sweaters we needed at night, what hidden gems were found, and any other useful bits for future trips. I used the notes from last year's planner to make this one, in fact.

So there you have it - travel for the anal retentive. Of course not everything goes as planned (like a foot injury that put my six year old in a stroller all week - thank goodness he's small!), but it definitely runs more smoothly!

We're back!

2010-10-08T11:39:00.000-07:00

We're back from a fabulous, but exhausting vacation to the Happiest Place on Earth. I'll be back on Monday with a vacation planner idea and lots of Halloween stuff in store. Have a relaxing weekend!

Recycling T-shirts

2010-09-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, the t-shirt. We have lots of t-shirts hanging around here, many of them with stains, or too small, or out of fashion. Max's Disneyland shirt fell into the too small category, but never fear, we can rebuild it. All you need is a little fusible web, a clearance t-shirt, and a little machine stitching and Bam! a new t-shirt.

Sometimes my screen prints don't come out exactly right. I had a shirt where the placement was off, so a few snips and the shirt becomes a patch.

The backs of the old t-shirts become blanks for screen printing, or material for sewing projects, or even rags. The possibilities are endless!

Sadly, I have no drawings to share this week. It seems the only thing I've used a pencil for lately has been to write math problems. I'm going to take a little week or so blogging break to focus on my kids for a bit, but I do have more in store to share with you! See you in a week!

Tomatoes Gone Wild

2010-09-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

The tomato plant has taken over.

There used to be a path here.

Even the zucchini can't compete. And still, no tomatoes.

Wardrobe Refashion

2010-09-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

Clothes, clothes, clothes! It's been all about fashion around here lately, thanks to wardrobe refashioning and the Yudu. I have a sizable pile of clothes that have been hanging around for at least a year, waiting to be altered. AT the top of the stack were two blouses that I have never even worn. Both were not only too unstructured, but with oversized collars and full short sleeves, my shoulders looked more massive than any NFL linebacker's. What possessed me to buy them, when the proportions were so bad? I know that they were both under $10, but even so, $20 so they could sit in my closet for a year? Alas, my computer decided to dump the last two year's worth of pictures, and I had not backed up after the before shots were loaded, so you will have to imagine those purple monstrosities. The fix, however, was quite easy.

I simply removed the sleeves. The deep purple one looks great on. The floral collar shirt still has a bit of a maternity look on, but an empire waistline tie didn't help, so I'm leaving it as is, for now. I think I'll keep my eye open for a little second hand cardigan and sew the collar onto it. I think it would look smashing on a sweater.

I also decided to face my phobia and dye some clothes. You see, I've had a bottle of Ritz for more than a year, but I could not shake the neurotic idea that my washer would hide bits of navy dye that would seep out and leave little blotches on all of my clothes for years to come. Yes, I know that sounds loony, but it's the truth. Being in possession of a great pair of cigarette pants that were an unfortunate baby poo color (I swear it said khaki online) and a sweater that was chartreuse instead of green (another online purchase), I threw cation to the wind and salt in my washer and had a go. Do you know what? The washer cleaned up just fine, my clothes are now a decidedly better gray blue, and the stained orchid tee shirt I also tossed in is a fabulous deep purple. Again, I lost the before pictures,so you'll just have to imagine the hideous colors.

Yes, I'll definitely be dying more clothes now.

The Yudu got a little love yesterday as well. The first design is just for Madeline and her cousin. Marie and Minnie are her favorite stuffed animals, and her cousin is her best friend. They got matching shirts, of course.

The second shirt is also for family, inspired of course by that famous mouse and Bad Robot.

Whew! That's it for now! Wednesday I'll post some more LSNED pages, and hopefully some from the Sketchbook Project, if I can get my mojo flowing!

Learn Something New Every Day

2010-09-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

I didn't think I'd participate in LSNED this year, since September is a crazy busy month for us, but when does that ever stop me from piling it on? I'm taking a very no stress approach - a tiny Moleskine notebook, a small sketch or photo, and that's about it. I've already skipped a couple of days and haven't done Tuesday's entry, but oh well. I'm just surprised I've gotten this far! Is anyone else playing? I do love Shimelle's classes. Her lessons are always so well written and the photos are inspiring. If you've never taken an online class from her, I highly suggest you try one. As an added bonus, her annual classes, such as LSNED and Journal Your Christmas are lifetime memberships. Once you buy the class, she automatically sends you the prompts every following year, free of charge. There is always an active forum, too.

Things have not been going as well with my Sketchbook Project. I have the pages prepped, but only two are actually worked on, and they're not complete. I have a concept, so I don't know why it's been so slow. I need to kick my own butt.

I made a few small changes to four pieces of clothing that have been ~~rotting~~ sleeping in my closet for way too long. I ran out of light this evening to finish the after pictures, so I'll save those for another post.

I had a request to post a picture of the seat protectors, from my tutorial, as I use them in the car. Sure! It has been added to the original post.

Refashion Pledge

2010-08-31T16:04:00.000-07:00

The Pledge

I, Casey, pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 4 months. I pledge that I shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovated, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftiness brings!
Signed,
Casey

Yes, I took the pledge, and you can too, but do it fast. The deadline for this round is today! Check out the Wardrobe Refashion blog for details.

Pant Cuffs Galore!

2010-08-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

Max has grown taller than last year, but not any heavier, so it's difficult to find pants that fit. Since he has plenty of room in his pants from last season, I decided to simply add some additional length with cuffs. It's a super easy process and a great way to use up scraps! If the bottoms of the pant legs are a little worn, I simply take a strip material that is twice the size of the cuff I want, fold it in half and press. I press the tops over 1/4 of an inch and then pin the cuff around the bottom of the pant, encasing the pant leg in it.

If the pant leg is in good shape, I simply fold the cuff in half, pink the edges, and pin it around the inside of the pant leg (not encasing the bottom of the leg).

For either method, I sew around the edge of the cuff, fold a clean edge where the fabric meets, and sew a seam. Turn the pants right side out, fold up cuff and press. Bingo! Instant length, and a little style to boot!

I actually got started on my Sketchbook Project this weekend. I mostly prepped pages, but I have a concept I'm working with, finally, and hopefully more completed pages this week. I'll post my progress on Wednesday.

Shoe Lust

2010-08-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have sneakers, but I haven't bought a new pair of real tennis shoes in years. My favorite pair ever was a retro red style from North Face, and I still have them, even though they have paint splatters and the heel is splitting off. I found a great red pair on Endless, on sale no less, yet when they came today, they ran about a size too small. Shoot. So I found a few more on Zappos

Aren't those Dr. Seuss Chuck Taylor's amazing? They have several different styles, but I loved the sketched look. However, right now I need a walking shoe. I ordered three pair (hopefully one will fit). Can you guess which ones?

It Has Arrived

2010-08-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

My sketchbook for the Brooklyn Art Library's Sketchbook Project arrived this week. It's a good size - small, but not too small, enough pages for evolution without being overwhelming.

The theme I chose was "I'm Sorry I Forgot You," and the possibilities for this theme are still drifting in and out of my conscious thoughts as I go about my day. I'm also pondering whether to stay with one medium throughout the whole piece, or to experiment. I want it to be cohesive without becoming boring. So, have you decided to join the project yet? The deadline to sign up is October 31. If so, what theme did you choose?

Scrap Bag Tutorial

2010-08-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Does this look familiar? Do you have a scrap bag/box/closet that is overflowing? I certainly do, so I have made a conscious effort lately to use my scraps after a project is completed (for headbands, bookmarks, dog collars), but that still didn't make a dent in my established collection of bits. What to do? Make scrap fabric panels! These panels can be made into practically anything. Here I'll show you how to make a simple bag, but they also make great place mats, table runners, drawstring sacks, and sewing machine covers. The possibilities are endless! Let's begin.

Iron your pieces before sewing. Yes, you could skip this step, but your finished piece will look better if you don't.

Grab two pieces and sew them together. It doesn't matter if they are different lengths or even different shapes; just make a seam.

Throw another piece on there and seam. As you can see in the picture above, they don't need to match up perfectly, just seam

and trim after.

Don't worry about odd spaces such as this.

Simply patch over it by pinning a piece over the hole and topstitching.

Create two panels and press seams flat.

Trim both scrap fabric pieces and two lining pieces to desired size. My bag was approximately 10 x 12 inches. Place right sides together and seam three sides on both lining bag and outside fabric, leaving the top open.

Sandwhich the liner inside the outer bag, right sides together. I tucked a loop of elastic inside, since I'll be hanging my bag in the laundry room.

Sew around the top, leaving space for turning.

Turn right side out and press.

You can slip stitch the opening closed, or simply top stitch around the top of the bag. Voila! What am I using this little beauty for, you ask? Well, it's actually the waste bag in my laundry room. I used to hang a recycled plastic bag, but it was so ugly. Now I have a beautiful little place to stash all that dryer lint!

The Cake Actually Fell!

2010-08-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

At nine Wednesday night I finally begin making cupcakes so Max could bring one to school tomorrow (another student is bringing cupcakes for his birthday). I realized an hour before that I was out of gluten free cake mix, but I found a recipe in a GF cookbook and thought I'd be okay. I should add that this was a cookbook I never use, full of starchy recipes, and the one bread recipe I tried from there was not impressive. So, why did I think I could make a decent cupcake from this book? Good question. I have no idea...

and this was the result. Yah. I have been baking for many, many years, gluten free baking for a year now, and I've never had a cake fall. Until now. So at 10:00 at night, I'm at Safeway hoping they have a gluten free Betty Crocker mix. Thank you, Betty.

On the Hamster Wheel

2010-08-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

The beginning of the school year always makes me feel like that teddy bear hamster running as fast as those little legs can, around and around and around to nowhere. I have not settled into a pleasant rhythm of the day yet, but I know it will come in a few weeks. It's just hard managing until then, sometimes. Today Madeline hoodwinked me into a two and a half hour walk (the girl is a born cross-country runner, I tell you! Obviously that does not come from my side of the asthma inhaler), on a fairly suburban portion of our Marsh Creek Trail. We still practiced identifying trees and birds, but it was a lizard that ran across the sidewalk off of the trail that really captured her fancy. She tried to literally capture it, but with no luck (but much luck for the lizard, I do believe).

A new design came off of the Yudu this weekend, created especially for Aunt Dian (wink).

(Her shirt was much bigger than this one, by the way.)

Busy, busy busy

2010-08-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been making a small dent in my stash over the last few days, still on the Great De-Stash Challenge. This dress of Madeline's got the scrap applique re-do a little while ago.

One finished pair of baby pants, hooray! I have 5 more cut out and ready for the machine. I also have three pairs of shorts fresh from the cut table, and two Halloween dresses in the planning stage. Yes, I bought new fabrics for the dresses because I didn't have enough black and white in my stash, and the dresses have to be matching. The ruffle, at least, is from the fabric closet!

I am very excited about yet another commitment I've dropped on myself - The Sketchbook Project. Each participant signs up for one of their given themes, pays a $25 fee, and is sent a Moleskine sketchbook to fill by January. The books will be touring the country and eventually come to their final resting place at the Brooklyn Museum. I chose the theme "sorry I forgot you." I felt it gave me plenty of leeway in how to interpret it. The books will make a stop in San Francisco, which will be cool to see mine, and hey, it makes me keep a regular date with my sketchbook. I need the deadlines right now. If it doesn't have a deadline, it doesn't get done. (which is why I'm getting so much sewing done - gifts have deadlines!)

If you draw, or work in mixed media (the book has to stay pretty slim, however), then you should really give a thought to participating. Like the 1000 journals project, it gives everyone an opportunity to share their art, and I love that. It also gives you a kick in the pants, and I love that, too.

School is in full swing now, both at work and at home, and I'm still working on refining my "me time" schedule. Posts may be publishing at odd times for a little while, as I work out the glitches. But today I was able to take my sweet girl out to lunch while everyone else was in school, and it was lovely. The days are certainly full, but the stress level, and the sanity, is so much better!

New Yudu Shirt

2010-07-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

Max is sporting the newest t-shirt design, from an old sketch. Who doesn't want a creepy long necked bug crawling up their shirt, right? Or maybe it's just me. I think I need to make some bags with this design because the image is so crisp on cotton fabric. It looks good on the knit, too, but the details are even sharper on the cotton. I bought the 220 screen to use on paper, and I'm curious to see how it works on fabric, too. I think I need to make a trip to Goodwill to buy a bunch of test t-shirts. I also think I need to get a better squeegee for the Yudu. I'm getting some over saturation and I think it's due to the hard squeegee. I just can't believe they want $15 for their "deluxe" one, which should have been standard. Well, I guess that's what coupons are for.

A brand new adventure started yesterday - homeschool. Not just any homeschool, though. The kids have signed up for a magical journey at the Hogwarts Academy. Since they are both so crazy for everything Potter, I decided our first unit will be everything Harry. Their classes include Herbology (botany), Potions (chemistry), Care of Magical Creatures (zoology), Transfiguration (arts), Magical Math and Enchanted Reading. My trick now is figuring out how to balance the homeschooling with work (I'll still be teaching a couple of days a week) and my art. Heaven knows how I'm going to fit the cooking, cleaning, and gardening in there, but that's the magical part, right? So please forgive me if the posts are a bit irregular over the next few weeks as I get this new schedule all figured out. I'm confident though that it will all come together, like magic! ;)

Through the Eyes (or lens) of a Child

2010-07-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

Max loves to take pictures, and knows more about my Hipstamatic app than I do. Now, a look at the world through the eyes of a six year old:

and my personal favorite...

Hope you have an illuminated weekend ;)

Ice Cream for Breakfast

2010-07-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, they did have ice cream for breakfast this morning, even with a few jellybeans or chocolate chips on top. It is almost the end of our summer here, so you have to enjoy it while it lasts, right? Here in allergy house, our ice cream is more coconut cream, but fabulous nonetheless. It's such a simple and actually pretty healthy recipe (minus the jellybeans, of course), that I thought I'd share it with you.

Coconut Ice Cream:

1 can unsweetened coconut milk (not the light version)
approx. 3 cups cold vanilla coconut milk (the kind in the carton)
1/4 - 1/2 cup evaporated cane juice (sugar)
1-2 tsp. vanilla
freshly grated nutmeg

In a 4 cup measuring cup, add one can coconut milk. Add enough vanilla coconut milk to make 4 cups. Stir in sugar to taste (the coconut milk is pretty sweet, so you don't need too much), vanilla, and nutmeg. I guess I grate around a teaspoon - I've never measured. Pour into ice cream maker. It should be ready in 20 - 30 minutes.

I have an electric ice cream maker that I received as a gift many years ago and I LOVE it! You have fresh soft serve ice cream in less than 30 minutes with hardly any work. I highly recommend one.

Art Travel Cases

2010-07-12T09:23:00.000-07:00

This is what my table looked like Friday night. A stomach bug got to me yesterday, so I wasn't able to finish all of the projects, but I did finish the art travel cases.

I have seen smaller variations of this on various blogs, but I wanted something that could hold a fair amount of items. I also wanted a zippered case, so pencils and pens of various sizes would fit. This was an upcycled and use your stash project - the outside of each case is a cut off pant leg from some trouser jeans of mine that I made into shorts. The denim is very lightweight, so it was easy to sew with. The case measures approximately 8x10 inches.

The inside pocket can hold both a pad and a paperback book, and the zip pouch is pretty roomy. This is Max's version - Madeline's had cat fabric, of course. The kids were pretty excited about these, and I look forward to taking them on car trips, appointments and vacations. I love having things ready to go in a little case! I've taken about half the photos for a tutorial, but the 1 am sewing got the best of me and I didn't get pictures of the finishing steps. Hopefully I'll get together a tutorial the next time I make one! Now it is back to the sketchbook, so I can silkscreen some shirts tonight.

Contemplation

2010-07-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

I played for a bit in the old art journal while watching Bravo's Work of Art last night. Are you watching the show? There are some very talented artists on it; my favorites are Miles and Abdi, although Jaclyn's been doing some great pieces lately. What I love even more about the show, I have to admit, is Miles' discussions about his OCD and sensory issues. I hope it makes people more aware of what it's like to live with sensory issues, how the environment assaults their senses in a way that is hard for most of us to understand. People with sensory issues respond to under/over-stimulation in a variety of ways. Miles likes to sleep when he reaches sensory overload. Kids usually get hyper, or, like mine when they were younger, have a total nuclear melt down. I don't think the other artists really understand it, and one is outright hostile about it, accusing him of "acting" because he's fine in the apartment. Well, the apartment is small, there are fewer people, less noise, and less stimuli. It's also a familiar place, which is key to people with sensory processing disorder (SPD). New environments offer the threat of unknown sensory experiences, which provokes anxiety. Miles usually becomes overwhelmed in the larger, noisier places like the work space, the warehouse they visited, or the large urban car showroom. He finds comfort in the little darkroom he built in the studio, just as my son loves the "secret hideout" he made in the space between his bed and the wall. The public may be quick to judge those who are different, and yet, in spite of it all, Miles is an amazingly talented artist. Being a mother of two kids with sensory processing disorder, I TOTALLY get it. Maybe this will shine a little light on the issue, and makes at least a few more people sympathetic to the struggles people with OCD and SPD go through.

Red White and Blue (and the sewing machine, too)

2010-07-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely Fourth of July, and I hope you did, too. We had to have some patriotic shirts to go with the sparklers, didn't we?

This is what the dining room table looked like on July 3.

Some patriotic appliques...

An image cut from a favorite too small t-shirt and appliqued on to a new larger one.

This plain white shirt was bought for a school concert last year, but of course Miss M won't wear a plain white shirt! The petals were cut from some very small fabric scraps - it always feels good to use every last bit. Then again, it just encourages me to keep every little bit, so my closet overflows. I just cleaned out my fabric stash last week and could not believe how much I had accumulated and forgotten about (including these last two t-shirts waiting to be appliqued!) Half of me wants to save every little bit for future use, and half of me wants to get rid of it before it becomes clutter. So I save until I run out of room, and I purge. Then I watch one of those shows about hoarding on Discovery Channel, and purge again!

Friday Bits

2010-07-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

Well, the sketchbooks finally came out again this week. Nothing earth shattering, but at least pen met paper.

The kids got out theirs, too.

Madeline made a dalmatian costume from one of the kid creative cards I posted here.

But mostly, I've been spending long mornings in my pajamas, reading in the backyard and drinking coffee. You've got to savor summer!

Dr. Mom

2010-06-30T11:16:00.000-07:00

Ah, summer - sprinklers, gardening, trips to the beach... and rashes and bug bites. This itch relieving tincture has been getting a lot of use around here lately, so I thought I'd share the super simple recipe with you.

Ingredients:
Vodka (any cheap kind will do)
Chickweed
Plantain
Comfrey

Fill a glass jar 3/4 full with equal portions of the herbs. Add vodka to cover herbs completely and cap jar. Let steep in a dark cupboard for a minimum of two weeks, but I like to go for four. Shake daily, if you remember. If not, it still works. Strain tincture into a clean glass bottle. This is a tincture (extraction through alcohol), so DON'T use on scraped or broken skin (ow!), but it's fabulous on heat rashes and bug bites. I keep it in the fridge, because the cold also helps soothe itchy skin.

For broken or scraped skin, mash up dried (or fresh, if you have it) plantain with a little water, then put a glob of it on your cut. Cover with a damp cloth and leave on for about 10 minutes.

For my latest tincture, I also added mallow root to the mix. I buy most of my herbs through Mountain Rose Herbs or Starwest Botanicals, and both are fabulous companies. You can also steep the herbs in olive oil to use in lotions or simply apply the oil. Oils should steep for at least six weeks. Easy, frugal, good for the Earth, and it works!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

2010-06-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

I had a tub of cream cheese in the fridge, but I can't eat bagels anymore. Not one to be wasteful, I decided to make a batch of cream cheese frosting. If you have frosting, you have to have something to spread it on, so I made a batch of carrot cake cupcakes, too. I absolutely love carrot cake - anything with nutmeg and cinnamon is always tops on my list. Now it can be tops on yours, too, because here is my absolutely bestest carrot cake recipe ever. It is gluten free, but you should be able to substitute wheat flour (leaving out the xanthum gum) and get equally good results. Warning - this is a full on dessert recipe - no applesauce to replace fats here. They do freeze well, though, so you can eat a few and freeze the rest! Or you could do like I do and eat three in one day. Each meal deserves it's own dessert, don't you think?

GF Carrot Cake

3 cups organic brown sugar (I make my own by mixing molassas with evaporated cane juice, the fancy name for white sugar that has not been processed with chemicals)

1 cup coconut oil (adds richness and it's good for you!)

4 organic eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups grated carrots

3 cups Bob's All Purpose gluten free four (or your preferred mix)

1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (it makes a big difference in all of your baking baby, so if you don't have a nutmeg or microplane grater, go get one)

1 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp gluten free baking powder

1 tsp salt

Cream the sugar and oil. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl, and wisk to mix. Add the carrots and flour mixture, a cup at a time, alternating each and mixing well. Use an ice cream scoop to fill 22-24 paper lined muffin cups, and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Use a toothpick to test.

I wish I had such a refined recipe for the frosting, but I really don't measure much when I make it. Generally, I cream one stick of butter with 6-8 ounces of cream cheese. I add vanilla, usually two teaspoons, then I beat in about 3-4 cups of sifted organic powdered sugar until I get the consistency I want. However, there are two musts for all of my frostings: you must use a good butter, not the store brand. There is a difference. From my local supermarket I like Danish Creamery. Also, organic powdered sugar tastes superior. My local Trader Joe's stopped carrying it, so I shelled out the $5 for a pack at my grocery store. Then I read on-line that I could have made my own by whirling my $2.99 bag of organic evaporated cane juice (ie sugar) in the blender for a few minutes. Guess what I'm doing when this $5 bag runs out?

My Favorite Outfit

2010-06-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

Oh, this is definitely my favorite outfit so far! Madeline and I were at our local quit store, Sew Ewe Quilt last week, in line for cutting with an arm full of fabric bolts, when she saw the yellow print. "I want to make shorts out of this," she said. Now you must understand, if it's not pink, or doesn't have cats on it, Madeline usually has no use for it. Yellow, orange and red? You bet, baby! We had the red polka dots in our stack, and it just matched so perfectly. "Why don't we put these two together?" "Sure" she said. Taking her to the fabric store is just as dangerous as letting me go!

The pattern is Simplicity 2677, bought for $1 at a recent Joann sale. I added pockets and the cuff to the shorts pattern, but the only alternation I made to the top was using the different fabrics. Oh, I love those prints!

I think it's time to put the fabric away for a few days. I'm sure my husband is tired of seeing the ironing board in the living room, my back is giving me grief, and three t-shirt designs are swimming around in my head. Need to squeeze in some sketchbook time today. Three dresses, three pairs of boys shorts, one t-shirt, one nightgown, and this shorts outfit. Not a bad haul for summer sewing, and more patterns have been cut. Of course I should be working on my Etsy store; sorry to those who keep asking! Can you send me a few more hours in the day, please? I would put them to good use!

Growing

2010-06-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

In my slow evoution towards suburban homesteading, I am trying to grow more food. This has been a difficult task for two main reasons: a. the backyard is 90% patio and mostly shade b. our soil is clay. Last year Max received a container garden for his birthday, and two of the tubs are brimming with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini and oregano. The little fenced portion in the back there is the only patch behind the retaining wall that gets a decent amount of sun, but something keeps eating whatever I plant there. I've never been able to actually find any critters on the plants, but they get munched nonetheless. My spearmint seems to be surviving this year. Yes, I know mint is invasive, but let it invade all it wants, as long as something green grows in that patch! It's a nice bonus that we can eat it, too.

The basil is pretty happy in the backyard, as well.

The front yard gets sun, although the soil stinks. Yes, I have ammended, but I've always had a hard time getting things to grow along this little strip. So, when my lavender died from frost, I decided to try some veggies over the summer. My tomatoes seem to think it's a lovely spot.

The zucchini like it, too.

We're even getting a few carrots.

We've had strawberries tucked in with the landscape flowers for years, but the snails get to most of them before we do. Dang snails.

And the hydrangeas? Well, I know you can't eat them, but they're just so pretty! So next year, I'm definitely putting more food in the front yard. For fall I think I'll try lettuce again (if I can keep the snails away) and calendula flowers. I'm not sure what to put in over the winter. It is the front yard, so I hate to keep a bare patch of dirt, and since we are in California, we don't get any snow to cover it up. Any suggestions for winter crops?

70's Flashback Nightgown

2010-06-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

I had ordered this Patch Blue Storybook fabric from Sew Mama Sew in January, without any plan for using it. I just loved the retro 70's look. It reminded me of sheets I had when I was a kid. Madeline saw the fabric recently and said we should have matching nightgowns. Well, I'm not so keen on nightgowns, but I made one for her. It is a quilting weight cotton, so it doesn't drape as nicely as a lighter fabric, but it still looks darn cute on her. It's Butterick 6659, with a little alteration in the length. As for the matching part, I had to order another couple yards for me, but I think I'll be making some sleep shorts for myself.

I made a quick pair of shorts for Max from an old men's knit shirt, and cut out a shorts and top set for Madeline last night. I really should pick up my sketchbook today; it's been neglected for far too long. It is the Solstice though, so I think banana ice cream pops and playing in the sunshine would be a better plan for today. What's on your sewing/craft table?

Bored Yet? I have a solution...

2010-06-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

Like most kids, my children have a bazillion toys and games to play with, and yet the "b" word still gets uttered around my house - bored! As I'm sure many of you out there have experienced, every time I suggest a specific toy or activity, it is immediately shot down. I have made the activity jar full of suggestions, but that, too, has failed. So this summer I have taken a different tactic. I created challenges instead; a list of items to gather that must then be turned into a game. Objects to collect outside for use as an obstacle course. Challenges involving water, since it is summer, after all. I typed up over 30 ideas, printed them out, glued them to patterned cardstock and laminated them with my Xyron. We now have a deck of Kid Creative cards for emergency periods of boredom, and from the use they have gotten so far, have met with approval from my kids. If the "b" word is flying around your house this summer, I've uploaded a copy of the challenges for your emergency intervention; just click here. You could print them and mount them on cards as I did, print the list, or even read one out loud from the computer. If you do try them at home, please give me your feedback. I'd love to hear it!

Craft Hope for the Gulf

2010-06-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Craft Hope is an organization that arranges charitable craft projects that everyone can participate in. Their latest project is collecting crocheted, knitted, or sewn wash clothes and hand towels for use in cleaning oil drenched wildlife. The deadline is July 3, although the organizer in Florida said she will accept donations as long as they come in. Since the towels can only be used a few times before they are so decrepit they must be tossed, the recycling of sheets and old toweling is encouraged. The website has the size details and the address to ship them to. Last weekend we took the kids to the Monterrey Bay Aquarium (and became members, too!) so I thought this would be a charity project that they could really identify with. Every bit helps, so please check out the website.

On a lighter note, I'm working on a little freebie for Friday that my kids have been helping me test this week. Check back in a few days to see what it is!

Birthday Sewing

2010-06-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

My darling goddaughter is turning three, so that means a new dress. I made a dress like this one for her last year, and this year I also returned to my favorite elastic thread for some shirring. This year it is shirred around the waist, with elastic at the top. It's never very impressive looking on the hanger, but oh, so cute on.

I played with the back this time. I love the bustles and ruffles from places like Chasing Fireflies (sigh, their clothes are amazing!), so the back got a little fancy:

And since a three year old may not find clothes too exciting as a birthday gift, there were also art supplies and this smock, from Bend The Rules Sewing, to go with it:

I just love that IKEA fabric. Cathleen, I think the baby needs some bibs and such from this fabric, don't you? The sewing machine is still humming...

How I Applique

2010-06-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

Fabric is still scattered all over the dining room table, and shorts and dresses are still spilling forth. My kids adore customized clothes, and applique is a favorite technique for dressing up plain shirts and skirts. There are many techniques, but I thought I would share what works for me. It's fast, easy, and holds up great in the wash (because really, who hand washes anyway?)

I usually draw my own designs or adapt coloring book images (there are millions of sites on the internet, just google the name of the image with "coloring page"). I then trace my image on Heatbond, (or similar iron on fabric bond), and cut it out with a margin around the edges. This ensures that the bond will extend all the way to the edges of the fabric when you cut it out.

Iron the image to the wrong side of your fabric, following the directions for your particular brand. Once it is cool, cut out your image following the outline lines. Remove the paper.

For small trims such as ribbon, I like to use spray baste. It's like a very light spray glue, but it will not gunk up your machine. Just spray the back and stick on to your fabric.

Iron the applique onto your piece of clothing. Here I'm using a t-shirt.

Sew around the edges. You could use a variety of stitches for this - satin, straight, or what I usually use, a small zigzag. If you use a straight stitch the edges may fray, but that's usually the intended result. I like a zigzag because it's secure, fast, and seems to blend into the applique so you don't notice the stitching as much as a satin stitch.

Sometimes I add stitching inside the applique to add details. For this, I use a water soluble fabric marker to draw in details, and then stitch along those markings. Once you are done stitching, spray the marker lines with water to make them disappear.

That's it! It took me about 20 minutes to do the shirt from start to finish, and that includes searching for the ribbon. It's a great way to dress up those $2.50 t-shirts from Michaels. Max thought the Devo bowl hat added the finishing touch. I'd have to agree.

Weekend Detour

2010-06-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

Instead of sitting in front of my sewing machine, we spent the weekend pricing out floors, vanities and tubs for the bathroom. You see, there was a minor flood in the kid's bathroom, and the hubs ended up pulling up half of the vinyl. Once we started looking at new floors, we thought why not the whole thing? Never liked the stuff that's in there anyway, especially the dreadful tub enclosure. So now the bathroom looks like a disaster zone, and fabric is still stacked on the table. Oh well.

We were able to set aside a sizable chunk of time to relax in the warm weather. Cleaning the car lead to an art project (makes perfect sense, doesn't it?); custom car seat covers. I had painted their previous covers, but this time the kids wanted to do it themselves. Getting the paint out of the little bottles was a harder task than they expected, so the headrests ended up with a modern art look. I admit that I asked to "help" Max with his, which was looking more like someone had smeared a few paint bottles and crayons across it rather than an intentional piece of art, but all in all the work is still his. And they had fun.

What about the snail traps, you ask? Well, a quail momma and papa and eight little babies moved into our front yard this weekend! How I wish I had pictures - the chicks are little balls of fluffy on spindle legs! We were afraid that the babies might drink the beer, so the traps have to wait. I hope my lettuce and zucchini can wait, too!

Snail Bait

2010-06-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you probably laughed at this sight, just as I do every time I walk by my counter. No, I'm not the 32 ounce Miller High Life type (and the gluten in it would make me sick for days), but I'm on a mission. A deadly mission. Tomorrow, the snails in my front yard must die, with a little help from Mr. Miller.

I'm still on a sewing binge, as the mess on my dining room table aptly demonstrates. Hopefully on Monday I'll have lots to show and tell, or maybe even a tutorial. Summer officially starts today for us, so we're off to enjoy a little outside time. Hope your weekend includes a lots sunshine, too!

View from my dashboard

2010-06-01T11:45:00.000-07:00

It's the last week of school, and I'll be spending most of today in the car, running from one place to another. Then I'll spend the next two days in the classroom, running from one place to another. I hope you'll have a more peaceful week than me! (image from the Hipstamatic app)

Sewing Binge

2010-05-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

I am definitely on a summer sewing binge, even though the skies are gray and we've had showers on and off for the last two days. It's been such an odd spring for our neck of the woods. Spring here usually means kinda hot, until we hit the hot weather in June and the please don't let my air conditioner fail me sweltering days of July and August. I am hardly complaining, though. I am certainly no fan of 100 degree weather, but in preparation for it, I've been making sun dresses. This one is my favorite, so far.

The hanger just doesn't do it justice - it is so cute on! It's a combination of patterns - Made's Summer Vacation Dress and the free Leisurely dress pattern form the Sew Mama Sew blog. Last summer I got hooked on shirring (using elastic thread to create a smocking effect) and this year it's becoming an obsession. I just bought four spools of elastic thread, so no fabric here is safe! The shirring on the pockets was from Dana's pattern, and I love it!

Sadly, I'll have to put away the elastic thread for now, because Max wants some shorts, and I don't think the boy is interested in a smocked pair. What are you sewing for the summer?

Kid's Birthday Card Tutorial

2010-05-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

Today I have two quick cards for those last minute attachments to gifts before heading to the party. The first one is super simple:

Punch one large and two small circles from scrap paper; edge them with ink.

Stamp a rocket on another scrap and cut out.

Attach circles and rocket to card front. Add some stamped or Dymo text and you're done!

The second card uses one of my favorite techniques - faux stitching.

Attach a piece of patterned paper to a cardstock blank. Using a paper piercer (or a thick needle), poke holes around the perimeter. I just eyeball it, but you can mark even spaces with a ruler first, if you like to be precise.

Using a fine tipped black pen, draw lines from hole to hole, allowing the tip to dip into each hole.

Cut out an image from your patterned paper (or use a stamp, collage piece, scrapbooking embellishment, etc.).

Punch a contrasting circle from scrap paper and attach your image. Glue both to the face of the card.

Attach stamped or computer generated text and you're done! Now you're ready to party!

New Yudu Shirt

2010-05-19T17:17:00.000-07:00

Ten school days until the end of the year - nine for the district my kids attend. Is your life as crazy as mine right now? While ten days sounds great, the amount of things I need to accomplish in those ten days seems insurmountable at times. It will all get done in the end. The blog posts may be short and spotty for the next two weeks, but I did manage to run a new t-shirt design:

You'll have to excuse the chipmunk cheeks - I had some dental work done that day. I so love that she still wants to match with me. I know that all too soon the idea of having matching clothes with mom will be on par with math homework and flossing her teeth with sandpaper. So I'm enjoying the moment while it lasts.

Monday Birthday Card Tutorial Week 1

2010-05-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

Summer always seems to be filled with birthdays, especially July for our family. And, if you are like me, you are usually pulling out papers 20 minutes before a party, hastily throwing a card together. Well, I decided to do a little planning this year and make some cards ahead of time, to avoid the last minute rush. Each Monday I'll show you a few simple card tutorials so you won't be scrambling at the last minute, either!

Since the adult birthdays fall in spring and early summer for our family, I decided to share two sophisticated cards this week, suitable for adult birthdays.

For this card, I attached a gray panel to a striped background piece. Cards are perfect for using the scraps cluttering up your desk!

I printed a quote from the computer, cut it apart, and edged it with Distress Ink.

A simple stamp was added to the corner.

I punched a few lacing holes, inserted eyelets and laced it with waxy twine.

Glue on the text and attach card face to folded cardstock. Done!

For the second card, stamp a background print on an old book page. Tear it out around the edges and run an ink pad along the sides.

Stamp a floral print on a scrap of cardstock.

Stamp a butterfly on a scrap and cut out. Alternately, you could use a butterfly punch.

Assemble the card: attach the text page to a patterned paper background, add floral piece, butterfly and a little birthday text. Secure face to a folded piece of cardstock and you are done!

The Peaceful Place

2010-05-12T22:35:00.000-07:00

It's my peaceful place, my escape down the road. It's just at the end of the street, but sometimes it feels like miles away. When I can't make it there on my days off, I can feel it. I'm a little more stressed, a little unsettled. Like this week. So maybe the pictures will help. These are some of the first shots I took with the Hipstamatic app for my iPhone.

Breathe.

Sock Monkey Celebration

2010-05-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

This was my Mother's Day present. It was entirely my daughter's idea. How cool are my kids? Yes, they both know that I love sock monkeys, yet own none - until now. My daughter has instructed me that I must sleep with him every night (it's always bothered her that I had no stuffed animals to sleep with, for she has a virtual zoo on her bed each night), and I declared that I would sew a felt Mom tattoo on him, like in the Kia car commercial. We all love that one. So, I thought it befitting to list some of my favorite sock monkey Etsy items:

Monkeys, rabbits, and other fabulous toys from Super Sock Monkeys

The sock monkey hat from Strawberry Ric Rac

The invitation from Oh My Gluestick

The edible cupcake topper from Two Sugar Babies

The whole ensemble from Nancy's Needles and Pens

The oh so cool modern quilt from Sew Creativ

How I love the Spock Monkey from The Sock Drawer

This sweet painting from Exo Kitten

And this last one, which is destined to be mine, from Zparkley's shop.

I could go on and on with the monkey goodness! Of course, you could always grab an old sock or two and make your own! I'll leave you with the great song from the Kia commercial, which is getting heavy play on the iPods in the house

National Poetry Month

2010-05-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

I had internet problems earlier this week, and tummy problems the latter, but I wanted to share this quick post, in honor of National Poetry Month. I found this video through the inspiring blog, Journeyseeds. It's.... well, you should just watch it and let the poet speak for himself.

Yudu Success

2010-04-29T22:53:00.000-07:00

My second attempt was much better than the first. I made a run of t-shirts with a sketch of Max's most beloved friend, Piggy. A few things I learned about the Yudu for this run:

*Use a lot of ink. The instruction video shows just a squirt along the top, but you really need a big, thick goop.
*When rinsing the photo emulsion film off after burning a screen, let the water sit on the screen for a few minutes. After rinsing for a few minutes, use soft pressure with a sponge on the emulsion side on spots that haven't rinsed out.
*I made extra platens from foam core, by simply tracing around the plastic one. When I loaded it on the machine, I just stuck an extra platen underneath, or a stack of magazines to make up for the lack of foam. I simply tightened the fabric around the platens with masking tape.
*The $4 foam core worked just as well as the $20 plastic platen.

Now the orders are coming in from friends and family. That's okay. They can wait for the Etsy shop like everyone else;)

How To Throw a Water Balloon

2010-04-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

A Visual Guide:

Amazing Blog and Giveaway

2010-04-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

This is just too beautiful to keep to myself! Kathleen of the Grosgrain blog fame is giving away this blouse. Yes, giving it away! She is also hosting an amazing tutorial this week, Frock by Friday, taking you step by step each day in sewing a dress for yourself, with a free PDF pattern! So generous! So stop by now and check it out (but if you win, you're giving the blouse to me, right?)

Believe Card Tutorial

2010-04-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

I must apologize for the tardiness of this post. You see it was a warm, sunny, glorious spring weekend here in Northern California, and although my sewing machine has been calling me, and the fridge was getting a little bare, I preferred to spend my time filling (and throwing) water balloons with the kids. So for today, a tutorial from my class archives. Use this design as a loose guideline for using up your own scraps and supplies. I know my craft closet needs a good spring cleaning!

Supplies needed:

Patterned Cardstock (cut to your preferred card size)
Stamp & Ink (I used gold, brown and red)
Old book page
Brad

Fold over the right corner of the card. Stamp flourish in bottom left corner with red ink.

Attach brad to folded corner and secure green printed panel behind card.

Ink text page with gold, and cut three free form hearts, one small and two larger, from page. Edge hearts with brown ink and secure to card.

Cut out stamped text and edge with gold. Secure to card.

Linky Love

2010-04-22T22:25:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a busy week! The weekend doesn't look any better, so I'm wondering when I'll get a chance to catch my breath. In my spare moments, these did catch my breath this week:

A great series of guest posts and tutorials celebrating everything girly, not just moms! So click the button, already!

This painting, which you could actually win! (sigh.) Visit her blog at Little Black Crow Studio.

Very excited about getting my first bag of soap nuts! I ordered from Naturoil.

This, or any print from Orange Studio - I love them all!

Finally, I'm keeping up with documenting our week for Ali Edward's challenge, A Week In The Life. I don't plan on getting very fancy when it comes to putting the album together next week, but I've saved a lot more bits f daily life this year. I'm hoping that the kids will get a real kick someday out of seeing the grocery receipts and schoolwork I've set aside this week. Isn't that why we record our stories, be they online or in a scrapbook?

Six

2010-04-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

The king of bubbles is six years old today! Where has the time gone? Sigh...

Happy Birthday, big guy!

Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla

2010-04-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

A little Friday joy. It's worth the four minutes of your day. Promise.

Bits and Pieces

2010-04-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

Charlie Brown's black little cloud is still following us around here, with the littlest one still recovering from bronchitis. Hence, I've spent A LOT of time at home, reorganizing this and re-purposing that. One of my daily frustrations is the kitchen table. It's a very buy place - the kids eat most of their snacks and meals there, do homework, art projects, sometimes the laptop ends up there, or a pile of current reading material... you get the idea. We always keep a jar of pencils/colored pencils on the table, but since Easter, more art supplies and sketchbooks have decided to roost here as well. However, I love having that stuff out for the kids, because several times a day they drift over to draw a picture or write a card. I think I've finally come up with a solution - the portable art basket. I actually have four of these baskets in the kid's craft supply cabinet, filled to the top with paper, crayons, markers, glitter glue and such. Inside the tabletop basket is a curated selection of those supplies, organized by recycled jars, and space left over for sketch books and journals. It has become the permanent centerpiece, and when it's time to eat, I can just set the basket on the counter. No rocket science, I know, but I think I've finally found a solution for us that encourages creativity while keeping the table tidy.

The book you see is Amanda Soule's Handmade Home. Soule Mama, her blog, is my daily moment of Zen. I truly love it. I'm half way through the book and really enjoying it. To be honest, none of the projects are earth shattering or complicated, but they are not meant to be. Like her blog and her life, they are simple, and filled with meaning. One of the projects we will make for the summer is Meg's Art Tray. Yes, it's just a decoupaged tray, nothing new in that, but the twist is, she uses her kids' artwork to decorate it, and then they are used as portable drawing tables. I love the idea of using child's artwork, and having trays to take outside in the summer while we draw in our nature journals, well, that's just perfect.

And speaking of drawing, here a two from the sketchbook. I haven't had much time for it lately, but it's back to bugs again, one of my favorite subjects. I can't say I'm as fond of them face to face, but I do love to draw them. They are almost like aliens in appearance, so odd when you inspect them up close. How I do love odd things.

Plastic Bag Card Tutorial

2010-04-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

Despite my best intentions of always having a reusable bag with me, there are times when I forget, and I end up with another pile of plastic bags. Since I've made a cute little scrap fabric lint bag for the laundry (that tutorial next week), I don't need them as trash bags anymore. What's a girl to do? Make cards with them, of course!

You will need:
Ranger alcohol ink, blending solution, plastic bag, cardstock, stamps, archival ink (or Staz-On)

Directions: Drop a few colors of alcohol ink on the plastic (note: regular ink will NOT work. Alcohol ink is made for non-porous serfaces such as plastic and metal).

Fold plastic over to sandwhich ink and spread with your hand.

Open and let dry. You can crinkle the plastic before applying the ink for a more distressed look.

Now the real fun begins. You can use the plastic as a background for cards or scrapbook pages. The colored plastic is semi-translucent, so here I glued it over a piece of patterned scrapbook paper using gel medium. Alternatively, you could wrap it around a piece of cardstock and tape it securely on the back. Although you can melt plastic bags, I try to avoid using heat with plastic, as it releases those nasty toxins. I finished the card with two of my stamped figures cut from cardstock, a painted cardboard heart and a chipboard accent. You can stamp directly on the plastic using Archival ink or Staz-On. Several cards can be created from just one plastic bag! Junkmail art journals, plastic bag cards, and next week a bag made from sewing scraps... I think discards are becoming my favorite art supply!

Pizza Fridays

2010-04-08T21:24:00.000-07:00

Pizza Fridays have been a long standing tradition in our house. When we went gluten free, I didn't know if that tradition would continue. Premade GF crusts are tasteless, I wasn't impressed with the mixes, so I have been experimenting with making my own. I used to make the regular dough, and quite honestly, GF dough is actually easier! This is our favorite recipe so far, which is based on the recipe on the back of the Bob's Red Mill bean flour package.

For an extra large thin crust pizza:

2 Tbs yeast
2/3 cup bean flour
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
4 Tbs dry milk
4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1 1/3 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp cider vinegar

In a mixing bowl, combine yeast through onion powder, whisking to combine. Add water, oil sugar and cider, and beat on high for 3 minutes. Spoon into pizza pan, sprinkle with four, and smooth to edges. Pre-bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Add light sauce, cheese and toppings, then bake for 10-12 more minutes.

Enjoy with GF beer, of course!

Around The House

2010-04-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

Easter morning (early!) was a bit of a blur...

I'm glad the Easter Bunny shops at Stubby Pencil Studio, because the kids got some great sketchbooks, banana paper notebooks and art supplies in their baskets.

Molly finally got the best of BoBo Doggy

I finally got around to putting together a few owls from Mibo

And this will need to get cleaned up before the Scrap For A Cure online crop this weekend. Check out their boards and join in. Lots of good fun and prizes!

Tutorial Round Up

2010-04-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

I love to blog, I really do, but I do not love html, or anything on the computer that requires more than a drag and drop. Eventually, I'll have a navigation bar at the top for tutorials, but until then, I thought I'd give a little round up of tutorials through the years. (Okay, I'm just lazy!)

My newest, the Junk mail art journal

The Fabric Tag Chart

The Car Seat Protector

The Paper Pendant

Word For The Year Mini-Book
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day 5

Tutorials For MDW Blog

Halloween Grunge Board Cards and Tags

Grunge Board Techniques

Thanksgiving Album

Family Album

More are on the way! Hope you have a lovely Easter weekend!
Edit: Just added:

Duvet Cover Refashion

Vacation Planner

Halloween Door Mat

Pant Cuffs

Ugly Scrapbook Paper Make-Over

Itch Tincture Recipe

Junk Mail Art Journal Tutorial

2010-03-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

Junk mail. Even if you are on the blocker lists, you still receive it. What to do with it? Make art. of course! You'll need:
           *Two envelopes, one unused (the kind that come inside your credit card offers and such)
           *Letters (the size of your book depends on how many you use)
           *Cover Paper (I used scrapbooking cardstock, but you could use any heavier weight paper)
           *Scrapbook or other paper for end papers
           *Tape (masking, and I also used gaffer's tape for the spine)
           *Glue
           *Ribbon
           *Gesso (found in the art section, this semi-transparent white medium prepares your paper        for painting)
           *Paint, papers, and other art supplies to fill your journal with!

Step One:

Slip the flap of the unused envelope inside the other envelope.

Tape the intersection on both sides to create the spine.

The book is constructed pamphlet style, so keep those letters folded. Turn the letter horizontally, and glue one end to the inside of one envelope. Fold the rest of the letter over it (it should do this naturally, from the fold lines that already exist).

Continue to add pages by taking one end of a folded letter and gluing it to the end of the previous letter. You can add as many as you wish, but be aware that the pages are not bound to the spine, so too many pages will cause the pages to pop out a bit.

I used four letters for this book.

To reinforce the spine (and make it look pretty) I used gaffer tape along the outside. Gaffer tape is a flexible, cloth tape that can be found in scrapbook stores and where book binding supplies are sold.

Glue cardstock on the front and back of the envelopes, but not over the spine. Tie ribbons around the outside as a closure, then add a second piece of gaffer's tape over the first, encasing the ribbon and the edges of the cardstock.

Glue decorative papers over the inside covers to create end papers. I used clips while it was drying to ensure the edges stayed down.

Gesso the pages to prepare them for your fabulous artwork! Some junk mail is brightly colored, so you may need a few coats, or you could cover the page with tape, paper scraps, recycled paper bags... use your imagination!

Above are a few pages from my book. You can see a simpler book using just envelopes on this post. That's all there is to it! If you make your own journal, be sure to post a link in the comments. I'd love to see it!

Random Tuesday

2010-03-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

A few random bits for today. First off, if you are still making Easter decorations (as I am), you'll love this tutorial from Made blog. It's a Peeps banner!

It's a gray, rainy day today, so I tried to dress up the dull picture a bit;) It really is an easy and great looking banner. Her blog, by the way, is AMAZING. How did I not know about it before??? If you haven't been there, you should visit, and if you have a boy, you should check out her side link for celebrate the boy month. There are some great projects, especially if you are sewing for a toddler. Max is past that age, but I still found some neat stuff, and he's so skinny, many of the toddler pants projects would probably work anyway, with some added length.

Next up, it is March muffin madness at GFE. Now, why did she have to go and do this when I have a dining room table covered with sewing and art projects? Now I just want to go bake muffins! Muffins are BIG around here, and I can never freeze any because they all get eaten before I can, even when I make double batches. Yes, I will be baking up many of those delicious recipes on her site, and I'll post about them as I do. I can't wait to get baking! And finally:

another page from the bird book. Hold on to your hats kids, because tomorrow I'll be posting the tutorial on how to make this junkmail art journal. I'm sure you have all of the supplies you need in your craft cabinet and recycling bin! Hold on to that junkmail today and we'll put it to use tomorrow!

Do you Yudu?

2010-03-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

**Blogger is having issues. I uploaded a new banner yesterday, a picture, and today's picture, and all have disappeared, with error messages. Sorry! Hope it gets fixed soon!

I got a Yudu machine this weekend! It's that new screen printer from Provo Craft. Matt had tried to get me one for Christmas, but they were all sold out. Michael's had a good deal on it last weekend, so I decided to take a step up from Sharpie t-shirts. Way back in the Stone Ages (of middle school and high school), I did a little screen printing. This machine changes the process a bit. Now, I have to run a disclaimer here - I have only used it once. I've run into a few roadblocks in my quest to pull a bevy of t-shirts. I started by scanning a sketch into Photoshop, cleaning it up a bit and adding text. Next, I grabbed my printer transparency that came with the machine, and ran it through the printer. It ran right back out, telling me I was out of paper. I tried it again, with a different paper setting; same thing happened. After messing with all of the available settings, I looked up Epson on line and discovered that my printer won't do transparencies! Nuts. (Yah, Cannon, my next printer will be coming from you!)

No worries, you can draw with a Sharpie on the transparency instead. So, I traced my template and even the text looked just like the print out. Next, I adhered the photo emulsion sheet to my screen. This was new for me. Back in the day, I painted the emulsion on. After it dried, I placed the template on the machine's light table and burned the screen. However, when it came time to rinse, some of the detail lines on the template image began to peel off. I am guessing the screen may not have been wet enough when I put the film on, or maybe the kitchen was too bright. Time to do a test run on scrap fabric.

My first pull wasn't so great - the text was over inked. My second pull was better, so I loaded up a t-shirt for the next pull. Well, it took a few runs to get the image filled in, and some detail lines were still a little faint. My big guffaw happened when I took the t-shirt off - I accidentally hit the collar on the wet squeegee, so I had a nice fat, black ink mark on the top. Yikes! I tried to carefully pull the wet shirt off of the platen, which wasn't easy because the adhesive on there is really strong! I finally got it off and rushed to the sink, trying to wash the collar without getting the print wet. Here's the result:

Okay, so the first run wasn't perfect, obviously. I spent some time poking around the web and YouTube, watching videos. I have noticed that I was definitely not using enough ink, and I probably should have weighed down the machine even more during the burning process. I discovered someone who made their own platens (the form you put your shirts on for printing) from plastic board (which is great, because those things are $20 each, and you need multiples if you are going to make more than one shirt at a time), and I also discovered that you can use the liquid emulsion on the screens. I think the liquid is better than the photo sheets, and much, much cheaper! Yudu supplies are expensive, and the machine is very large. However, I love that the burning, drying and pulling are all done on one unit. The screens are not the best quality compared to professional screens (which are much tighter), but I think for the work that I do they will be fine. As I play with this more, I hope I can find other ways to keep the cost of production down.

I had hopes to run some more designs last night, but the girl came down with a wicked fever and flu, and I spent the night taking care of her. Hopefully I'll have something new to share with you tomorrow, as long as her fever stays down!

I see...

2010-03-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

No, not dead people, although I do watch Ghost Hunters every week in hopes of catching a glimpse. I see faces. Everywhere. It's been that way as long as I can remember - in rocks, clouds, hillsides, cracks in the pavement, paint splotches - they are everywhere. I'm sure I'm not alone in this proclivity, but it is great creative fodder. I saw this tree out my back window.

Do you see the face? Here's what i jotted in my sketchbook:

Your challenge today? Find a face. Sketch it on the back of a receipt. Take a picture of it with your cell phone. Take a walk and look. There is a world of faces looking back at you! (If you do find a face and post about it, link it up in the comments. I'd love to see it!)

small things

2010-03-25T10:33:00.000-07:00

I went the unconventional route for Valentine's Day this year, and instead of music with custom CD cover art, I wrote a book for Matt instead. It's a little workbook, of sorts, to encourage creativity through noticing the small things around you. As you know by now, encouraging creativity is one of my passions in life, and I had a really marvelous time creating the pages in the wee hours after everyone was asleep. It's been so well received that I decided I will sell them in my Esty shop (yes, it's coming, but no promises on an opening day yet). Here's a little peek: