Hi!

I don't really have anything to post for today, but I wanted to let you know what I have been up to.  I have spent a lot of time lately reorganizing my craft room and trying to get my creative juices flowing again.  Sometimes when I reorganize I find things I forgot I had, plans I drew that I forgot I did, and so on.  It does sometimes helps to get me going!

 I am, however, starting to work on a couple of ideas.  One is a cantilever type sewing box using the cardboard boxes I get from work, and the other is a new blog planner/crafty idea book.   Maybe that will help me not to forget the plans I have made! I have a doily in the works, but I'm not sure if I am going to use it for what it was intended when I started it.  There is some talking happening
with my crafty group about doing a swap…I am hoping that comes true!  When I get some stuff going I will let you know.

I found this random sign at my local Craft Warehouse.  I think I need to add it to my craft room decor.  What do you think?

So how are YOU doing?  What are you up to these days?  Leave me a comment, let me know!

Stay crafty, my friends.

The finale of the potholder project

I have finished, at least for now, my own set of "vintage" potholders for my kitchen.  I had so much fun making these!  What I did do was update them a bit so I can actually use them.  If you make them as the patterns state, the only thing you can use those for is looking at, or as a kind of hot pad for your counter…they WON'T protect you from cast iron skillets that have been in the oven!  I added a layer of thermal batting for potholders between the layers so that I won't get burned when I use them.  These aren't just for pretty!

The patterns (from top to bottom, left to right) can be found at these links.

Vintage Crocheted Dress

Raised Rose Potholder

Round Rose Potholder

Petticoat Fever Potholder

Queen Anne's Lace Vintage Potholder

Country Rose Decorative Potholder

Stay crafty, my friends!

Mermaid Lapghan!

 I have wanted to make one of these ever since I had seen one online.  I love these lapghans and I thought that it would be a perfect story time cuddle blanket for when the grand babies are visiting.

 Here you can see my dog, Ace, testing out the blanket.  It's huge for a doxie!

 I got this picture of me using it.  It makes up as big as you want, so you can make it wide or skinny, whatever you like.  I made it a bit wide, so that I could have a little one on my lap for story time.

The pattern can be found here:  Crocodile Stitch Mermaid Lap Blanket by Felene Grammar

It was fun and challenging to do this stitch, as I had never done it before.  It sure worked up nicely and the instructions are awesome.

Stay crafty, my friends!

Baby Afghans

 I was asked by two friends of mine to make some afghans for some cute little babies.  They chose the colors, the yarn and the patterns.  I made them both using Bernat Blanket yarn.  I have to admit I was skeptical at first.  I have never made a baby blanket with anything bigger than worsted weight yarn!

It's a wonderful yarn to work with and it is super bulky so it works up projects quick.  You can find the pattern I adapted for the chevron blanket here.  For the granny square blanket I adapted the pattern that you can find here.

Next week, I have another crochet project to share.  I am most certainly on a roll with creating crochet projects!

Stay crafty, my friends!!

Serving Tray Upgrade

We are lucky here in the Northwest.  We have a wonderful resource in the McMenamin's restaurants and breweries scattered throughout the region.  My husband and I have been to many of their restaurants and we have stayed at several of their hotels.  The food is great, the atmosphere is amazing, the buildings are (most of them) historic places that have been preserved and now function as wonderful places to eat, drink, stay, and relax.  If you are ever in this area, please stop at one and you will fall in love with them as we have.

That brings me to this tray.  My oldest son gave me a collection of their beer label stickers.  I have hung on to them for a long time knowing that one day I would find the perfect project for them.  I came upon yet another pin on Pinterest and then go this idea.  The pins are from here and here.  They gave me the idea for this.

I took the stickers and layered them onto paper to fit this tray I bought.  It is an awesome tray with rope handles that I got for $12.  It said "Hello Gorgeous" on the bottom, and that had to go!  HAHA!  I then put the paper into the tray with Mod Podge to adhere it, then sealed it with Mod Podge on the top.  It turned out soooooo cool!

So now I have a very cool serving tray, displaying the beer labels from my favorite local hangouts, and I couldn't have been happier with the results.

Stay crafty, my friends!