CRAFTY STUFF AT LAST...

Yay, things have returned to a some what more normal pace ....... well sort of!!!!

I have at least been able to get some crafting done. I'm a little late on my YOE package this month (I hate it when this happens!!!). It will however be in the mail this afternoon. I can't share the little gnomes I made with you yet as it'll spoil the package for my partner ..... you'll get to see them soon, I promise:-)

The photo's not great, but I made this notepad using a tutorial I found on Skip To My Lou. I am super excited about how well it turned out, and I had everything I needed on hand to make it. I printed the papers off of a website that shares free printables, the silicone gel is a "have on hand" item in our house, and I borrowed a few of hubby's clamps and scrap wood blocks ..... voila, a notpad, whose pages tear off beautifully!!! What I forgot to do with this one was to put a magnetic strip on the back (using the advertising magnets that are forever in your mail). I will definately do that with the next one I make, that way it can hang on your fridge. Wouldn't it make a cute gift, wrapped in a cellophane bag, with a pretty pen and a nice big bow:-)

My next crafty endevor.....

This really doesn't look very exciting, but I promise you, if you go ahead and make one, you'll be delighted you did - they are so very pretty, and a great way to use up little scraps of fabric. This ruffle notecard was off of the Moda Bake Shop blog (one of my favorite blogs!!!) I did end up sticking a 3D embellishment to one corner of the card, which did look very cute. This, like the notepad project, has endless possibilities.

Hope you're having a wonderful summer - here in Texas things have heated up very quickly!!!!

A BUSY WEEK.............

... and I don't mean busy in the crafty way!!!

My days this week have been filled with...

this...... and

this!!!

This week is Cub Scout Day Camp, and as always I've been a den leader - this is our 3rd year.

It has been oh soooo hot, but fun. Girl Child was not subjected to it this year, much to her absolute delight and thanks to a very sweet friend of mine and her daughter .........Thanks Kae and Em:-)

I have been asked many times why I would want to be out in 100+ degree heat, for 6 hours every day for a whole week....

This is why I do it .......... his face says it all!!!!

(hair and makeup doesn't count at this point .......... sweating won that battle!!!)

Tomorrow is the last day of camp, so I'll be back next week with some more crafty creations.

Hope you're all having a super summer:-)

FAIRY GARDEN....

Ok, so a gnome lives in this garden - but he's very friendly:-)

I made this garden as a birthday gift for a special friend of mine. She loves her garden, as well as all things handmade and enchanted. I'm very happy with the way it turned out.
I'd be the first to admit that I have black fingers - really!!! It's sad but true - I wish I didn't because I love pretty gardens.
She loved it, which made making it all worth while.

I think I may be tempted to make one for myself...

WOODLAND WONDERS....

Look at these cuties I made today......
I made them from a Betz White pattern, that I found in her Etsy shop. They were very easy and quick to make. They make a sweet gift for a sewing friend. The owl holds your scissors, the tree stump holds your pins and the mushroom houses your retractable tape measure. I'm going back to visit her Etsy shop, to see what other cuties I can find:-)

Until next time .... have fun creating some of your own tales with your needle and thread.

OUR WEEKEND....

This is going to be one of those totally not craft related posts .......... but it'll show you exactly why there haven't been any of those afor mentioned posts - the last week of school was HECTIC!!!

Girl Child graduated from elementary school - she's an awesome daughter, and we're so very proud of her. Now onto Middle School she goes.......... yikes!!!!

Boy Child had his grade level play day the day after Girl Child's graduation. It's just a fun filled day that I love being part of:-)

The last day of school we Rocked and Ran (a fun annual event that our school hosts on the last day of school). It ended this year with our 5th grade group being hosed down by our cities fire department ............... what a treat for them, especially given that the temperature was around the 100 degree mark.

Oh, here is the owl I crocheted for Girl Child, peeking out of the bouquet of roses we gave her as she left elementary school on Thursday.

Then this weekend was our Cub Scout Family Camp ................ what were we thinking when we booked it for June in Texas!!! I don't think I have ever been so hot!!! We had fun though, and it was a great start to what is shaping up to be a great summer:-)

As you can all see, a day filled with hiking, fishing and all round fun can take it out of you!!!!

He was out for the count ...... I had to carry him to our tent to put him to bed ............ and he doesn't remember me doing it!!!!

Happy Summer and here's to many lazy days of summer crafting. I know I have a few projects planned:-)

CHATEAU DE TOAD...

For our Year Of Enchantment Swap this month, our challenge was to make a toad abode..... the picture above is my attempt at the challenge.

I found the idea on a wildlife conservation website when I was researching toad abodes. I have never attempted anything like this before ............ fabric, paper and yarn are normally my thing. Grout and stones is way out of my comfort zone:-) It was amazingly easy to do. It didn't start off well - while trying to knock out the fancy door I had planned, the pot broke into 5 pieces!!! The grout was a very effective adhesive and I had it stuck back together in no time at all. Once that was done I put a thick layer of grout over the pot, and pressed the stones and glass pebbles into it. It took about 3 days to dry rock solid.

It can now be found on a piece of prime toad real estate - damp, soft soil, near a drippy faucet. I hope it wont be on the market for too many weeks - I'm sure there must be a sweet, warty friend somewhere out there, who is just longing for a new home:-)

I had a lot of fun making this house and I'd like to give a few similar type projects a try. As soon as I find a big enough leaf (If anyone has a rhubarb or elephant ear leaf that they'd like to donate to my birdbath making cause, please let me know..... Even a big cymbidium leaf would do) I plan on trying to make a birdbath with concrete:-)

Well, the last week of school is upon us ............. I am such a happy girl!!! It's time for my kids to have some down time, and got to just be kids. We have big travel plans this summer, but more about those later.

Thanks for stopping by.... Have a fantastic week!!!