From the Kitchen (iv)

Today is the final kitchen installment which means I better drum up some new ideas for next week. This little teacup is a single, and every time I come across it in the cupboard it's a reminder to look for some more little singles. My gal is at that age where a proper tea party is an appealing afternoon (for both of us) but the plastic set just doesn't hold the same charm anymore. Hopefully one of these days the thrifting fates will bring me exactly what I'm looking for (admittedly the first key would be getting back out to the sort of places where that could happen)

In the meantime though, here is today's bonus (and a reminder for me when we find those extra pieces). Check out this link for a really quick, sweet and fun craft over at Maya:Made - totally adorable newspaper tea party hats in a pinch.

A Space to Stitch (Part I)

The crafting workspace of my dreams looks something like this (click on the badge for larger view and credits).

Studio Inspiration
Originally uploaded by homespin

The reality of a tighter space and budget leads me to something far simpler: a drop leaf table top and a set of and shelves in my walk-in closet. It does the trick, and is probably quite a familiar setup for most. But just spending some time peaking at supreme spaces gives me some great inspiration for small-scale elements I can add to my bedroom corner.

But first I need to seriously sort through the stitchy-bits-and-bobs that have been collecting (and a few abandoned objects). I also need to readjust my 'view from here'; to set aside one form of employment and make room for new occupations. The best form of Spring cleaning!

Artist Trading Cards

Over the past few weeks we've had lots of fun (with a gentle blend of frustration) putting together artist trading cards for a swap that Erin and Blair generously organized. The key to completing a project with a four year old is clear - small tidbits of activity over a very prolonged period of time.

Interest = High
Attention Span = Low
Consistency = Sketchy
Fun = Heaps and Heaps and Heaps (as long as all the other variables are worked around)

So with the deadline for mailing, our school of art card fishies are ready to travel. Two of them will even have to make it 'over the pond'. These cards were a piecework effort. First there was a page of watercolour pencil scribbling and a water brushing. Then there was the tracing and cutting of the body. Next up was the colouring and glitter glue and last, but never least, was the addition of foamie seaweed. Each activity was short, manageable and involved a different skill which helped my 'half-hour artist' work on the cards as a group and give them all some love and attention.

This swap also resulted in some other great 'home day' opportunities: letter writing, a field trip to the post office, and the discovery of Google Earth. If you haven't checked it out, it's a free download must. Julia and I had a great time entering addresses and virtual-traveling around the globe to visit our swap pals.


Thanks so much to two amazing ladies for their efforts in putting this huge swap together. It's been the highlight of a very long February and has planted the seed for many more art cards to come.

Weathering

The snow has stopped and the shovels are temporarily at rest. In between temper tantrums, fits of short-lived activity and then pleas of "But what should I do NOW", we are managing to usher out the end of January without completely losing our sanity (ok...really...I'm only concerned with my sanity at this point).

One child begs for another 10 minutes and another 10 minutes and another 10 minutes playing on the "mountains" (of snow).

And makes treasure maps leading to sticker-covered envelopes of IKEA catalogue cut-outs which are hidden in her bedroom closet (that would the 2008 catalogue of course).

One tea-bag
+ the crumpling of one treasure map
= 100 years of instant aging (plus drying time).

Another child is perfecting his balance and walking steps. The current formula is:

stand...stand...stand...quickstepquickstep...LUNGE (and hope something/someone is there to land against)

And one mother is breathing deeply, closing her eyes and counting to ten frequently throughout the day.

The three of us are weathering whatever the day brings.


Anyone interested in a playdate?

Red

Another 'home day' left us eager for an activity to keep hands and attention occupied. The cold lately is best described as bitter (accompanied by an full-body-shiver-shudder and a shaking of my head).

So we turned to Kids Craft Weekly (the salvation of many a snowy and bitter day) and talked about Chinese New Year (a very fun topic for stimulating the imagination - dragons, fireworks, stories, the works). Then we set to work making a Good Luck garland for a special friend who will be celebrating this weekend.

It was a burst of colour in the day, and good times spent playing with tissue paper, thread and glitter glue. But my favourite part of this activity was (of course) developing those fine needle- working skills. Oh, and then there was Julia explaining how to dance in Chinese, sleep in Chinese and play in Chinese (what can I tell you, she is a big fan of ni hao, kai-lan)

Just look at that serious stitching face (it's the vision of intense crafting concentration that usually make my husband say "Hey I recognize that look.") And that pinky finger just kills me - she's done that since she was a baby.

And just in case we didn't fill the garland with enough good luck energy, there is chocolate, which usually provides a solid backup.

Catch That Turtle

I have a whole list of topics to share, with pictures no less, and yet days are quickly adding up to a week and I've been finding myself nowhere near to posting.

I'm not sure if it's a post-holiday crash, or simply because we are in the midst of plague round 5 (although I'm starting to lose track, perhaps it's 6). Maybe it's the fact that my little guy has regressed to an annoyingly regular 3:00am wake-up call usually accompanied by an hour of "play with me - come on - play with me" antics (you know - when they're not really crying, just relentlessing calling 'ba ba - ba ba ba - BAAAA' and you know that absolutely nothing is wrong with them, but their one year curiosity is driving them to constantly need more more more stimulation even though it is 3:00am and only the baby of an owl should still be hooting this loudly...I digress...breathe...continue). Could it be the insane cleaning desire that follows December and makes me relish activities like taking down Christmas decorations, catching up on laundry, organizing filing and cleaning out cupboards?

Believe it or not, all of this leads me to a holiday handmade I've been meaning to share. Inspired by projects I've found in here and seen over there, I finally got around to freezer-paper stenciling for a t-shirt loving Big Daddy (36 hours before Christmas - "I've got an idea!").


The Turtle: Copied from one of the first "Hey, I actually know what that is" pictures Julia ever drew (which is why I've kept it and immediately knew where it was after all this time). I scanned it on the computer, resized it for tracing onto freezer paper, and then cut out a slightly thicker version of the lines. The real trick was capturing the spots where the lines overlapped and resisting any neatening along the way - which would actually make the t-shirt far less "neat".

The Lettering: It actually proved easier to free-hand instead of cutting out the lettering. Since I'm better with a pencil than a brush, I took a black pencil crayon, dipped it into the fabric paint and voila.

The Phrase: I came up with "Catch That Turtle" because it seemed like a cute oxymoron, but it has since grown into my favourite motto and really does seem to sums up life these days. Despite all of the choices and options to try and 'simplify' our home life, I'm still finding it a race to catch up with what should probably be the very simplest of tasks. But I keep plugging away at everything and sooner or later I know I will "Catch That Turtle".

Observing the Holiday Season

When it comes to 'holiday hand-made', I've decided that this is my year to observe . absorb . stockpile . list . plan

And I have to say, it's pretty darn liberating. I've been so amazed by the fun, beautiful, festive crafting and giving that is going on out there.

Freckled Nest - Button Wreath

Freckled Nest - Mistletoe

And I find myself thinking daily "I have to do that next year."

A Friend to Knit With - Advent Mittens

But I am also recognizing my limits lately (most of which are being tested) and unlike past holiday seasons, I'm going into this December with the full knowledge that I won't be able to find enough time to craft with joy. And I just don't want to craft in stress . deadline . frustration.

So instead, I am giving myself permission to sit back and soak up this holiday season. I'm going to finish the projects that I started this year. I'm getting inspired for projects to come when the craziness of my current schedule passes (because luckily for people like me, the rest of you are busy making and sharing such wonderful things!)

Purl Bee - Special Scarves

I'm setting aside the "I have to" mentality that sometime accompanies the holiday season and when it comes to craft at least, I am going to spontaneously jump in with only those things that "I want to". And it's going to be good.

boy being

And lest my last post made you think that a certain Princess is the focus of all attention (not so, but don't tell her that) let me share some more 'good snips' from our Pottery Barn browsing.

These colours and those shelves, displaying wooden toys.
I'm liking the idea of roman blinds. Do you notice the lamp matches?
Pure boy, but bright and warm.

Now, little man is going to have to wait significantly longer than his sister (who is already going to have to wait, because the span of time between my brewing ideas and bringing them to fruition can be lengthy). But considering he is still crib-bound and isn't so good with the words yet...I think I've got some breathing space on this one.

Again with the slip covered headboard and book rail.
Love. It.

But fair's fair, and considering that this is really one of the first times I've been excited at the prospect of all over room makeovers, he could still be scoring pretty darn well.

Again, forgive the bunk bed implication
(this is not an riddled announcement!).
This picture just reminds me that small spaces can be
functional and fun. That makes me feel a-0k about
my (his) small space.

Now, if I can just get me head around the resources to make this all happen (time, effort, focus, a bit of cash, time, time, time). Anyone who knows me, knows that this is going to require a list and a project plan.

a girl thing

In some early holiday shopping journeys this week we tried to distract little eyes and quickly shuffle past Pottery Barn Kids - the commercial Mecca of modern childhood. "Keep moving, nothing to see here, don't look..."


Yeah, that didn't work.

I'm in love with these dolls and have seen so many home-crafted patterns
and kits lately. They make me fantasize about throwing out every crappy little
Kinder Egg and Happy Meal Toy I can find in our house and offering just
three simple dolls in return.

But I have to admit that although the credit cards remained safe in my wallet, the 20 minutes was well spent. Better make that 30 minutes after the 10 minutes of cajoling it took to get Julia back out of the store.

Hello! A slip covered headboard. Oh Yeah!

This store is filled beautiful, amazing things that leap straight out of childhood fantasy (way to market!). It's also way beyond my budget (not to mention my spending sensibilities). But most importantly, it is dream inducing. Combine all of this with someone who's thoughts tend towards "Hey, I could probably make something sorta like that" and you get some dangerous additions to the never-ending list of projects (in the not immediately but in the not-so-distant future category).

So many ideas all coming from this one picture. Brings together patterns
I have, photos that are waiting to be framed, quilting ideas, stuffy ideas
memories of Julia's stick collecting walks...sensory overload. Gah!

So that 20 minutes (plus 10 cajoling minutes), morphed into a further 40 minutes trolling around website. And all of these 'good snips' are fueling some pretty cool ideas for a future makeover in Julia's room (which has admittedly been painted and outfitted as we go, but never officially 'decorated' as a concerted effort) .

DO NOT BE ALARMED by the bunk bed.
This picture and this post hold NO secret meaning.
I am just completely digging the book rails and thinking about delegating
some woodworking tasks to Big Daddy.

Kool-Aid

On the off-chance that I'm not the last person on earth to do this with Kool-Aid - here`s the recipe. You're welcome.

I'm not sure how we ended up with a dozen packages of Kool-Aid at the back of the cupboard - we honestly, truly, never drink this stuff. I suspect they may have come with my husband when I salvaged him from the Bachelor Pad more than a dozen years ago (which really speaks volumes about the state of the top shelf in my cupboard).

They're getting put to good use though! (and apparently have no expiration date for this particular use)

Note to self: Self - when the dust settles in the new year you really have to try dying yarn with this stuff.

Playdough

1 cup flour : 1 cup salt : 2 tbsp cream of tartar : 2 tbsp cooking oil : 1 cup water mixed with Kool-Aid (for colour and scent - but you could also just use food colouring)

Combine ingredients and put on medium heat in saucepan. Stir until dough pulls away from the sides. Remove and knead until smooth. Then store in airtight container.

packages

When I was a kid, I used to sneak through the house looking for my presents before every birthday and Christmas.

Once my parents caught on, they seem to start wrapping my gifts pretty quick.

When I was a kid, I used to wait until my parents went out, then took a knife, carefully cut open the tape, unwrapped the ends of my gifts, slid them out, checked them out (occasionally tried things on) and then re-wrapped them carefully to make sure that no one was any the wiser. I believe I may have been successful - but perhaps not.

My point? I love getting packages. I have very little patience, restraint or willpower once they arrive. Even when I ordered them myself (like Amazon and Chapters).


So it's no wonder I spent all last week checking the mail in eager anticipation of my surprise tote from the talented and generous (lucky me) Leigh-Ann over at Freckled Nest. Seriously LA, you shouldn't have told me it was en-route, because it meant a week of ritualistic mailbox torture!

Picture me smiling from ear to ear when I saw that the 'eagle had landed' on our morning walk to the park. And I really did have the best intentions of waiting until I got home to properly blog-photograph my lovely package.


But instead I shooed Jules over to the slides as quickly as possible, gave Matthew a cookie, and sat on a park bench somewhat carefully tearing my package open! I kid you not, another mom randomly started talking to me and I kept up a conversation without stopping the unwrapping for even a moment.

And then I smiled even wider when I saw Leigh-Ann's creation - Just For Me!

See - Slid it back in that tissue paper when I got home, like nobodies business. All sneaky-like.

And when I did finally get home, I tried to re-enact the whole thing Just For You (and because hey, it just bought me a Monday morning blog topic)!

Come on - who puts care into packaging like Leigh-Ann. She is not only the queen of buttons, but the queen of stickers. Amazon and Chapters have nothing on my favourite Winnipegger. And since I also ordered stuff from her big Etsy sale recently, I get to relive the magic all over again any day now. Unfortunately, that also means at least another week or two of mailbox torture (sigh).

Thank you again LA. I am in love.

Saying Goodbye (Part I)

Times, they are a-changing here at Home. Last week was Julia's final day in pre-school at the daycare where she's spent huge parts of her days and weeks over the past three years.

So for the past week there's been lots of crafting, gift making and my new favourite - card making.

It's a craft that we can both get in on, and once the assembly line is in motion, it is a great focused hour of activity. And really - cutting, gluing and playing with pretty paper is pretty much a fun time at any age.



As a perfect conclusion to the daycare experience ... Jules was sick on her last day of 'little school' (which seemed to bother me a whole lot more than it bothered her). But that just meant an extra special personal visit yesterday.

Tears were shared (again, not on Julia's part whatsoever) and now it's time to get ready for BIG SCHOOL. The transition begins later this week (at which point I may actually be shedding tears of joy when I reclaim some of the knitting time that seems to have disappeared with the Impatient Princess at home).

So far she seems really excited about the prospect of school. I'm waiting for the ball to drop and reality to kick in.

Chalk It Up

One transformed table and I've become an instant fan of chalk paint.

Formerly ho hum in unfinished pine...



...now sleek, multi-functional, highly washable (most essential)...



...and even more fun when it's shared with a best friend.

Boxing Day

You'll notice a new category label on this blog: Repurposing.

Yup. I'm keeping my eyes open to new and creative possibilities around here. Now, I am by no means a 'pack rat' (i.e. my infamous "If I haven't worn it in a year then it doesn't belong in my closet" rule) and have never really caught the thrifting and antiquing bug (although maybe I just haven't found the right treasure). But sometimes folks, it's just so easy to find extra ways to respect the resources you have on hand – it just takes a very minor shift in outlook and a little bit of time. And of course you'll need to throw in a small helping of creativity. When you're done, I guarantee you will feel good about you've done (and the opportunity you would have otherwise wasted – no literally, you just avoided creating more waste).

So here goes my inaugural repurposing post. Let me introduce you to the object formerly known as 'box'; a long, pristine, blank canvas of a box, from Ikea to be exact (more on the contents in another post because I plan to 'repurpose' this topic).

15 minutes plus an exacto-knife.

And we now have the base for a finger puppet theatre. We'll be painting this, adding some curtains (from some recent 'repurposed clothing scraps') and enjoying a line-up of free summer stock puppet productions.

But wait, there's more. We also have this magnificent pile of perfect cardboard squares just waiting for inspiration to strike.

I've already got a few early ideas: mounting some favourite kiddie artpieces, painting them white and then using them as canvases, covering them with cotton bating and fabric to make light-weight hanging frames, backing for a crafted picture puzzle, covers for home-made albums and drawing books for Jules to fill-up over the summer months.

Now before you say "Lady, it's a box. Get out more", let me remind you that you just took the time to read this entire post. There's something to this repurposing thing. Go on – you know you wanna.

Process or product? Which are you?

I was so excited to get my copies of SewU and SewU Home Stretch this week. Bloggers have been raving about Wendy Mullin and her books (and I can quickly see why!).

I can't wait to get stitchin' towards my goal of actually using my sewing machine as much as I begged for it (until I got it, and then got pregnant, and then had kids, and then ran out of time altogether). I've been off to a good start with a few straight forward projects this year, and now with some Built by Wendy inspiration, I'm ready to crank up the volume and try making some clothing for myself. And if I get good, then I think I totally deserve a serger next...right? (There will need to be a lot of sewing before that shows up on my table...and on my Visa).

My favourite part of the books so far, are the organizing tips. Wendy has some of the coolest ideas for spaces that are big, small, or even portable (like, ironing fusable interfacing onto patterns that you want to use time and time again or making a 'scrap fabric chain' so you can easily remember what you have hidden away). But more on that in the weeks ahead as I get moved into action.

The books, thoughts about organizing, the tips on getting a project in motion - all of this has got me thinking about what I like in crafting (or anything, really). I'm discovering that I'm about process more than product. It's really the thought of starting something new, and the act of creating, that charges my batteries (in between the moments when it frustrates me to the point of pulling my hair out). And of course I do love 'the product' when I'm done, but really, that's just a huge bonus. The fun to be had in seeking out inspiration, the rush that comes when you find it, and the absolute pleasure that comes when you are doing what you enjoy and what you choose - those really are the best parts. The product is just this amazing (or sometimes, the not-so-amazing) object that takes you back to all those great moments and feelins along the way. And in the case of my new sweater, it also keeps me warm and comfy.

So, process or product? Which are you? (click here to unlock your own mystery)

A Post in Which I Cut, Tie and Curl

Voila! The Cutter Bee. A handy little retractable knife that I recently purchased along with a bundle of scrapbooking paper.

I haven't done much scrapbooking (not for lack of interest, just lack of motivation) but after today's activities I can understand the addiction to paper and a blade. I foresee lots of scrappy projects in my future (great, yet another hobby but still waiting for that 25th hour to be added to the day).

But on the list of tasks for today, top ranking went to decorating loot gifts for Julia's birthday party this weekend. After lots of searching for something affordable but fun, I was so excited to find some colourful, summer-loving and very unisex bubble gift packs.



With such a cool ready-to-go package and in an effort to reduce waste, Julia and I had a fun afternoon of cutting ribbon (predictably and with caution, all Julia) and tying it on the top (surprisingly and with patience, all Julia). Then I stepped up to the plate with my cutterbee and made labels out of some perfectly suited bubble-theme paper.

A few more "through the rabbit hole" ties from tiny fingers and a quick curl with the scissors (another mama job) and we are ready to party. Well, almost ready; the to-do list is still looking a little longer than I would like.

The purple one is for the birthday girl of course. It's good to give and receive.

26 Post Challenge (H)

H is for the hands that make a home, mold a life and make a difference.

Hands that create.


Hands that hold. Hands that heal.


Handy, helping, sharing hands. Hands that are strong.

Remember to appreciate the hands that touch your day.